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4acoffee · 2 years ago

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A voice in the back of his head tells him that he's never cared before exactly how many words a girl says to him, and he promptly tells said voice to shut the fuck up.

pairing. bakugou x reader

word count. 2.8k words

genre & warnings. fluff, pining but he doesn't realize it, baku in some serious denial, swearing (lot's)

notes. jusus FUCKING christ. im SO glad to be done with this you have no idea. It's been in the works for like three months I'm so done with this fic. pls lemme know if u like it if this flops ill cry. also sorry i havn't posted in like forever im a loser i know.

Katsuki Bakugou does not have crushes.

Crushes, were for stupid schoolboys and stupid girls.

Like you.

Yea, — if anyone had a crush, it had to be you. That's why you only smiled at him when he was looking at you. It's why you never tried to make eye-contact with him during class. It's why you never talk to him outside of class, and always walk on the other side of the hallway, and laugh at shitty hair's lame jokes.

There's no way someone like him, would like anyone like you.

Raccoon eyes was an idiot for even putting such an absurd thought in his head.

And it all started because he ran out of those stupid pencils.

Which was those dumbass's fault too. That week, dunce face broke all his pencils trying to do a ghost summoning trick in class and begged him to let him borrow one of his pencils. Which was annoying, but not a big deal because he's Katsuki and he was always fucking prepared.

But then, raccoon eyes lost her shit at the ugly grape fuck during class, and accidentally dissolved her only pencil in a fit of rage. Which meant he lost another one to her.

And then that same week, shitty hair was testing out his strength in class on pencils, snapping them in half with and without his quirk, he lost five pencils to his useless antics.

So by the time Friday rolled around, he had just one mechanical pencil left to get him through the day. Which would have been fine, ― if he didn't run out of lead right in the middle of fucking English class.

Now, he could have asked the teacher for a pencil, but she was this dusty, old hag, and Katsuki was known in his class for aggravating her to the point where her veins popped out on her face, and she would screech at him like a mad banshee. And Katsuki would rather pull out his own nails and stick them in his eyeballs like push-pins, than face the lecture she would no doubt give him if she found out he had come to class "unprepared".

So now, he was stuck, pissed off at everyone, multiple writing assignments to finish, a professor who never liked him, zero patience, and completely lacking in pencils.

Fuck his life.

And the day would have only gotten worse, if it wasn't for you.

He doesn't know how you knew that he needed a pencil. Then again, since you so clearly liked him, you must have been watching him all the time. You must have seen the miffed look on his face and noticed how he was furiously clicking his pencil for any lead.

Most people who didn't know him personally tended to steer clear of him for the most part. So needless to say, he was mildly surprised when small, quiet, you — tapped his desk with your little ink covered fingers.

You never spoke out much in class, and Katsuki only knew you as the voiceless girl who sat next to him in class and constantly kept at least one earbud in, drawing on your hands or doodling on the corner of your paper when the teacher was talking.

He figured it would be a miracle if you were even passing this class.

But when he turned to you with narrowed eyes, you held his gaze carefully, and held out a new pencil to him.

At first, he's less than pleased, ― Katsuki wasn't gonna just accept help from some random extra.

But you shook the pencil at him, urging him to take it, and he once again meets your eyes, ― long enough to realize that you had to be one of the prettiest girls he's ever met.

Brilliant, and mildly amused, your gaze held a sense of thinly veiled curiosity that peeked through the serene look on your face. There's a small smudge of blue ink on your forehead that pisses him off a little more for how much more endearing it makes you. You tilt your head and the sun peeking out from behind you makes the metal of your earrings flicker, catching his attention like a cat to a laser pointer ― the golden rays cast small shadows down the curve of your cheeks from your eyelashes and, and ―

― and he had been staring for way to long.

Scowling, he snatched the pencil out of your grasp and turned to his assignment, pretending to read the instructions. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw you curl over your own paper and get back to work.

For the rest of class, he stole small, fleeting glances at your focused form.

He decided that he absolutely hated the way your hair looked glossy and soft in the light filtering through the window. And the way you tapped your foot on the floor to the beat of whatever music you listened to, and the intricate designs you often drew on your hands, slightly smudged where your fingers held your own pencil.

The bell signaling the end of class snapped him out of his stupor and he angrily stood up, sending his chair back with the force and shoving papers in his bag.

He's half way down the hallway to his next class when he realizes he's still holding your pencil.

He stares down at it with a glare and considers throwing it in the trash for a second.

Your face pops in his head for a second, (rather rudely, and unnecessarily if he might add), and he grimaces before shoving it haphazardly somewhere behind him in his bag.

The next day, Bakugou stomps over to class, fully restocked with his own pencils.

He sits down in his usual seat and glances at you without thinking. You were reading the board at the front of the class, but you turned your head to him when you felt his gaze on you.

His slouching position immediately straightened at a backbreaking speed like a soldier at attention.

Instantly, he wanted to howitzer himself into the next dimension.

What was he so damn jumpy for??

He fixed you with a defensive glare, like his ears didn't feel so annoyingly hot, "What!? Hah? I don't need your stupid pencils today. " he bit out.

You squinted at him, and his annoyance only heightened when he noticed the way your lips twitched upwards in amusement.

Did you think he was fucking funny or something?

"Ah, ― ok." You replied.

He twitched in his seat as he watched you turn your attention away from him and to something on your phone.

That was it?

That was fucking it?

He accepts your help one time and suddenly you can't spare him more than a fucking two word reply?

A voice in the back of his head tells him that he's never cared before exactly how many words a girl says to him, and he promptly tells said voice to shut the fuck up.

He glowers for the rest of class and makes it a point to not even glance in your general direction.

This works more or less to his favor for a few days, until he starts seeing you show up around him and everywhere outside of his class.

The moment he sees your eyes turn in his direction in the hallways, he swivels his head away so fast he nearly gets whiplash from the force.

Your outside after school waiting for a ride, and his carefully neutral expression turns sour when you don't even look up from your phone when he walks stiffly in front of you.

He catches you make icy hot crack a smile with some stupid joke in the lunch line, and he almost combusts into a nuclear explosion on the spot when he sees you ruffle his hair affectionately. How, and why the fuck were you acting so familiar with that damn candy-cane bastard?

The annoying voice in his head from before prompts him to go and place himself between the two of you, ― a physical divider ― but he immediately brushes it off again. He chastises himself for even allowing such ridiculous thoughts to enter his head over a useless extra like you.

Unfortunately, Katsuki in time comes to find that you’re not as useless as you seem.

As raccoon-eyes eventually manages to drag you into their tight knit group of friends, he begrudgingly realizes that there is much more to you than just ink covered fingers and pretty eyes.

You're one of the top students at the school. Picking up things easily, you don't pay much attention in school because you prefer to and work better doing things in your own time. You, however, make a horrible teacher, and any attempts to tutor his so called friends in any subject, end in more jokes cracked than brains, and it's all too easy for you to dissolve into half giggles and smart remarks with them.

Your also, a little shit, he discovers, much to his chagrin.

"I still can't believe you go to bed at 8:30 like an old man."

The sly gleam of your eye when you join forces with his friends to tease him makes him want to slap his hands directly over your stupid eyes because he hates the way he's so automatically drawn to them.

And that stupid fucking twitch of your lips whenever he speaks to you. Like your trying to hold back a smile. Why the fuck do you do that. The fuck is wrong with you. Just smile like a normal person dammit.

So fucking distracting.

Especially when he starts bringing you new, colorful pens for you to draw with for when yours run out of ink. And the wipes he keeps stored in his bag for the teachers that kept threatening to email your parents if they saw you drawing on yourself during class.

God, you had to be the worst thing that's ever happened to him.

Which he swears up and down is the only thought running through his head as he sits next to you at the library with his chin in his hands.

Definitely nothing having to do with the fading sun weaving through your hair in strands of gold, or the plush of your lips when you bite into them distractedly.

And your godamn eyes. Calm, sweet little almond eyes, so, ― pretty.

(Seriously, when the fuck did he start using words like "pretty").

It takes him a second to sense that said eyes were now focused on him. Unwavering and almost downright pleased in a way that made his hands clam up and saliva build up in his mouth.

"Hey Bakugou, you in there?" You ask cheekily.

He bites back a snarl, "Fuck off, tiny."

You raise your hands in mock surrender. "Ok, Ok, ― just making sure we didn't lose you into the void, you were looking pretty intense there."

"Shuddup I was just thinking."

"About me?"

"No, what the fuck?!" He seethes, ignoring the librarian who sent him a stern look from her desk.

You snicker and he almost jolts out of his seat when you scoot your chair way too close to him.

You jostle his feet under the table and he kicked back impulsively. What he wasn't expecting, was for you to purposefully tangle your legs together, pulling yourself to the very edge of your seat.

Suddenly your face is right in front of his and he stiffens when you twist your fingers into the sleeve of his school uniform.

"Aw, you don't like me then?"

He absolutely hates the way he can hear the blood pumping into his ears.

"No, I fucking hate you. I can barely stand being around you." he bites out somehow.

He's taken back for a second from how fake the words sound even to himself.

"..."

"Oh."

Suddenly, you turn your eyes away from him and to your lap, lowering your eyebrows. Your lips fall into a deep pout that leaves him wanting to smush your cheeks together in his hands.

You look utterly crestfallen.

"That's kinda mean yunno." You say to him softly. "I really thought you liked me Bakugou."

He blinks at you in alarm.

He wasn't actually expecting you to take him seriously. You never do any other time. You knew there was hardly ever any real malice behind his words to his friends.

Right?

"It's ok if you don't, I understand. But, uh, I'm gonna go home now." You say quietly, without meeting his eyes.

Shit, ― he thought.

Did I, actually go too far?

You remove your fingers from his sleeve and make to grab your things to leave.

He panics, he couldn't let you go like this!

Frantically, he grabs your hand and pulls you close to him.

"The fuck are you talking about?! Are you really that stupid?"

You look at him sullenly and try to pull away. He doesn't let go, but stands up to keep you pushed against the table.

Katsuki is reeling at the feeling of your skin under his, but tries to keep himself focused on the situation.

"Of course I fucking like you, dumbass." He nearly growls without meeting your gaze.

"I always buy you shit and make you food don't I? You think I'd spend my money and time on ya' if I didn't like you." Katsuki grumbled.

He can't believe what he's about to say.

"Thoughtcha' already knew you were my favorite." He mutters.

He down at you and freezes on the spot.

You have the most shit-eating look he's ever seen in his life on your face, and he later swears left and right to himself that he spots the slightest flush spreading across your cheeks.

Your goddamn eyes are once again so fuckin bright and he can barely process anything else with the way you're smiling at him.

"Bakugou,―i'm your favorite?!" You blurt out.

"I knew it! I can't believe I got you to admit it!!" You said horribly happily.

Katsuki stares at you in disbelief. Was that all a fucking act?

Your positively glowing now and Katsuki wants nothing more than to slap himself for falling for your stupid tricks again. How fucking dare you use your goddamn face against him like that. You were just playing with his feelings at this point.

He's about to tear his hand off your arm in a fit of anger when you pause your giggling and suddenly grab him by the collar of his uniform and bring his ear right next to your lips.

"Yunno, ― your my favorite too ok? Don't forget that." You whisper conspiratorially.

Your breath on his skin makes him nearly tremble, and he just knows that you can feel how hot his face his when you press your lips to his cheek in a chaste kiss before pulling away to grab your things and disappear just as quickly.

Katsuki is sure that he probably looks like he just got hit by a train.

A dazed grin makes its way onto his face that he desperately tries to hold back, but fails as his fingers brush the spot where your lips just were.

All at once the feeling fades when his eyes meet the absolutely delighted looks of his friends from across the library.

They make all sorts of kissy faces and obscene gestures that has his face looking the same color as his ruby eyes.

He scowls deeply and turns to angrily make his way out of the library.

As he passes a window, he pauses when he catches sight of your figure walking across the campus.

Ink-covered fingers pressed to your lips.

If there's one thing most people don't know about Bakugou's friends, it's just how perceptive they really are. Their normally aloof and carefree behavior seems to veil the fact that they are indeed future heroes and they have trained to be finely tuned to each others behavior.

So it didn't take long for them to notice a shift in the actions of their angry blonde friend.

It took even less time to connect the dots to you.

And naturally, ― they began scheming.

Perhaps not scheming per say, ― as they watched Bakugou zone out in your direction for the nth time that day at the library, Mina smacked Denki over the head one day for using that word.

"We're not scheming anything Denks." she whispered.

"Then why are we whispering?" He muttered back, rubbing his head with a grimace.

She sighed deeply and massaged her temples.

"We just need a way to get him to realize that he's feeling an emotion outside of acute bloodlust and anger for once." she explained.

"So then what, do we like, plot an intervention or something?" Sero supplied.

Mina, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, with great effort, resisted the urge to send an acid quirk infused slap in his way.

Sensing this, Kirishima was quick to pipe in, "C'mon guys, nothing like that, Bakubro just need a little push in the right direction, is all."

Mina nodded in approval.

"Blasty's smart, he'll understand what needs to be done once he works out his feelings. Hopefully."

A mummer of understanding passed through most of the group.

Sitting up straight and cracking her knuckles, Mina whipped out a pen and piece of paper like a weapon, "Alright boys, don't worry, your girls got just the plan."

Kaminari made a face like he just struck gold.

"Ohhhh! Okay. So we're planning an intervention."

"For FUCKS SAKE―"

masterlist

#bakugou x reader #bakugou x y/n #bnha x reader #bakugou #coffee's fics #mha x reader #x reader #katsuki x reader #mha #bnha #bnha fanfic #mina ashido #bnha katsuki x reader #bnha x fem!reader #katsuki bakugou #bnha imagines #kirishima

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beginningobserver · 13 days ago

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Something that keeps coming back and forth in my mind is that, since the Advverse has this concept of the digimon representing their human partner's heart (or being their "other-self")... And this can also be applied to Rui and Ukkomon, in my honest opinion.

Especially when it comes to how the human psyche also affect the evolution of a digimon, which is why you get Taichi being reckless and (according to the novel) a prideful idiot resulting in SkullGreymon back in Adventure'99 (and also why Daisuke lacking any strong negative emotion during 02 never forced him to dark-evolve V-mon)

I'm not very good at meta-ing things like these, so please feel free to correct me if I'm missing something out!

To start this meta-post, i'd like to remember a few details from Rui's backstory:

His dad was extremely sick and on a deathbed status;

His mother was basically doing everything to keep everything in control, to keep his dad alive and to raise Rui at the same time, so she was constantly under stress;

Despite her being under stress all the time, she seemed to not understand Rui at all. She would just snap at a 4 year old (!!) when he didn't do things the way she expected him to do. She never had patience to explain stuff, and just wanted Rui to act like a grown up already;

In a very not-so-subtle scene, we see that Rui has a ton of bruises potentially implying she hit him countless times for not "obeying" her orders;

She also claimed that Rui "never kept his promises" and assumed things like "I made burger steaks, your favorite!" without even asking if Rui really liked those.

There's also a few hints that she never heard him at all, which escalated into Rui never being able to voice his own needs, the things he liked and hated, and to just accept anything offered to him without hesitation in order to not get hit by disagreeing;

Also, thanks to that he just seemed to be very obedient and did not even argued with the 02 group when Daisuke dragged him back and told "we're already involved here!" and then had to politely cooperate with them. The only good outcome from this was that he simply learned his own part of the problem and managed to solve it... even if later that year he was being quite paranoid about what happened and got dragged into the Dark Ocean.

You see, Rui had a very... troublesome backstory which contributed to a doomed relationship with Ukkomon and then assuming that everyone with a digimon is his fault and that now everyone was fated to an awful life of their digimon fighting til the death to protect them.

Ukkomon also reflects all of Rui's problems too, he has enough parallels with both Rui and Rui's mom (the latter at least in a scene), and Rui's whole narrative could've been affected by Rui's psyche and making him mix his grief and anger by reaching this part of his backstory again.

The thing is... Rui was basically continuing the abusive parenting he had been suffering before Ukkomon appeared. His whole version of the story tries to frame Ukkomon as the bad guy, someone who stepped in and deceived him this whole time. It's not different from Rui's mom accusing Rui to never keep his promises, and then hitting him for not doing what she asked in the exact way she expected him to do. (ma'am HE'S JUST FOUR YEARS OLD can you chill please!!?)

The 02 kids siding with Ukkomon does not mean they were invalidating Rui's feelings -- something that i saw people be quite uncomfortable with it previously, especially about Hikari's line re: Ukkomon -- none of them put the blame on him or did the same awful things his mom did, they all pointed out the flaws in his judgement and in a respectful way.

But back to Ukkomon... In the movie and Drama CD we realize a few traits he shared with Rui:

He also lacks social skills and talking with others, I suspect he never had contact with other digimon if he's directly linked to a "big entity" as he told Rui (and at the end of the movie this sole information is confirmed because whoever is linked to Ukkomon realized that the digivices were not needed anymore because humans and digimon can form strong bonds without those devices);

He has the tendency to take the blame and run away (Rui had been running away from his own problems as well);

Ukkomon being quite insensitive and lacking awareness of what's morally accepted in the human world is what led Rui to finally show a trait he had in common with his mom: He can be quite violent when triggered.

Yes, I used the right word: Rui gets really triggered when Ukkomon misinterpreted his desire of having friends and "people like me" and then says he wished for all of those. Rui is right there sitting watching a news report of the events from the movie "Revenge of Diablomon", which takes place in March 25-26, 2003 in the timeline.

By saying "It's what you wished for", Ukkomon immediately hit a very awful sore point in Rui, and resulted in their pettiest ugly spat. Note that in this scene, Rui definitely attacks Ukkomon at first, just like his mom would do every time he disobeyed her. But then, he stops and starts trying to break the digivice instead, since he either had no courage to kill Ukkomon, or he was still believing Ukkomon was some sort of "god-tier" like digimon.What i mean is that Rui really had the same destructive and violent behavior his mom had.

And this is also present in Ukkomon's final form.

His final form, BigUkkomon, connects to Rui's anger and sorrowful state (because, BigUkkomon's main attack is swinging its countless, supermassive tentacles, crushing and gouging targets over a vast range -- according to the Bandai/null lore profile.)

Another thing about Ukkomon himself is that the scene of him giving his eye to Rui in order to "fix" a mistake can be read as Ukkomon simply destroying himself (literally!) in order to keep Rui smiling and happy, which there's a few suspicion that Rui being all bubbly and smiling in the very first scene he, Ken and Daisuke witness by themselves in-movie meant that he wasn't exactly happy and just repressing a ton of frustration and sorrowful in order to not make his mom angry, and him never voicing his own needs was his own "self-destructive" manner to trying to keep her "happy" and perhaps not "worried".

But that's my own interpretation ok.

#digimon adventure 02 the beginning #ohwada lui #ukkomon #02tb spoilers #ni's digitheories #child abuse mention

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theemptyislost · 6 months ago

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Hi!! I've been a quiet follower of your work for some time now (I'm pretty skittish about reaching out to other fans and creators, but it's not for lack of love or enthusiasm!) and that sentiment extends from haunt me, to your crown of madness series, and even your daily haarlep posts (which I did in fact look at a LOT when I was too busy with finals and school projects to replay the house of hope scenes to listen to haarlep monologuing)- the haarlep thirst got me down so bad and in a lot of ways your depiction of them in haunt me is responsible! like what was originally "aww, haha! bratty cambion and his lifelong partner in psychosexual warfare, how cute!" Went to "🥺🥺❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥" so fast it was emotionally jarring. I fell in love with them through your portrayal of them! And in the process, your tav too!

And all that is just to say I really appreciate your work and I saw a few of your update posts where you expressed worry about length and the ratio of hurt to comfort and I just wanted to drop in and say that you have readers who are with you for the long haul and that your mental health and not getting burnout takes precedence! I for one enjoy anything that you put out even if it's not writing and while I do anticipate your story, as a consumer to another consumer, you're putting all this work out here for FREE- like churning out actual *novels* in your own spare time (i checked and with the additional 20k from your prev haunt me is clocking it at over 100k now???? You're a BEAST for this in the best way possible) and that's not to be understated! You take however much time you need and tell your story how you want it told! there is no pressure at all, you no doubt got real life stuff going on and the fact that you're choosing to share your work with the world is something that fellow bg3 fanfic readers are so lucky to have, but are not entitled to! You are great and I'm rooting for you even if it's privately from the bg by being a huge lurker!

Thank you so much! I completely understand the skittish to reach out/lurker mentality. I think this is the first time I have been social in quite a while. BG3 has somehow got my introvert/semi-agoraphobic tush out again. 😊 So, I do appreciate you jumping out there and reaching out.

Your words are too kind, and they lift my heart. I am always happy to meet others who suffer the same affliction and love the menace...and are in the same Haarlep black hole that (I feel) is never ending! Haunt Me was initially supposed to be a one shot...and the intrusive thoughts regarding that au universe spiraled. I have the ending typed up already and its just moving all the idiots in that direction...its taking longer than I initially thought to flesh out all the details (so I appreciate your support and patience). The 'daily dose of haarlep' posts started as a daily mood booster, so I am glad you enjoy them as well!! 🖤🖤🖤 (I got a bit distraught when the posts of them started to dwindle a bit - but i understand that the fandom waves ebb and flow)

I promise my mental health has the endurance of one of those horrific cockroaches during a nuclear fallout. (The burn out from my MFA is over after tomorrow, for the time – so I can get back to basking in the glory of BG3 and the Fiends with you all fully)

You are making my dark soul blush and I appreciate your support!

Here is some more Haarlep as tribute! (I have not had time to draw yet, and photoshop game edits are swifter on the dishing out atm)

I also hope you are taking care of yourself and having a wonderful weekend.

(PS – I honestly did not expect anyone to like my Tav character – so I am glad she is a mini hit between the Fiend Sandwich) 😅🖤

#personal pst!#asks #daily dose of haarlep #thank you so much - my day was rough #your kind words brought some light to it <3

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roosterbox · 1 year ago

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Fic Rec Friday 8/4/2023

Title: Endless. Not Everything.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022)

Relationship: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling

Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, Hob Gadling

Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Dream can have a gender, as a treat, Dream of the Endless | Morpheus is Bad at Feelings, Lack of Communication, Idiots in Love, I cannot stress enough that nobody in this fic has any emotional intelligence, they're all idiots, idiots who don't talk about their feelings until shit goes tits up, LITERALLY, Happy Ending, Body Horror, kinda? tagging anyway cause better safe than sorry

Summary: "I am. Endless. But there are still... things that I am Not."

'Lovable' is at the top of the list, he thinks, though 'wanted' isn't far behind.

'Woman' is on there somewhere too, apparently.

———

And now for something completely different. But if it’s yet another gay ship, how different can it really be?

Much like with Steddie, I fell for this pairing sight as yet unseen. I’ve never watched The Sandman. Never listened to the audiobook(s). Never read the comics. But someone posted cute fanart. And dammit, I am weak.

Y’all know gender fuckery is one of those fic subgenres I adore, and I feel like this fandom/pairing is particularly well-suited for it. Just the fact that endless, ethereal beings could have gender at all (Desire notwithstanding) is pretty interesting. And Dream trying to be something else, only for it to be just… wrong wrong wrong, ugh. My little Enby/Gender-Fluid heart just breaks for him. Because I know that feel. I’m sure a lot of us know that feel, even if we are only squishy humans and not Endless. Also I love the Author’s note at the end. Definitely shouldn’t be that hot of a take - it makes perfect sense to me!

Dream is absolutely precious in this, in his gender conflicted glory. And Hob. Hob Motherfucking Gadling. I am officially crowning him as my Sandman Blorbo. That man is a saint. He certainly has the patience of one, at least. The care he shows to Dream in this fic is just everything. When his first concern when he finds Dream after their… encounter(?) is if Dream is okay, if he hurt Dream… I cannot. And I love that, despite him being several hundred years old (and Dream being several millennia), their communication skills still need work, lol. They may be an immortal human and the immortal personification of Dreams, but they really are just like us.

This is a beautiful story.

———

Next Week: Spacedogs time again! And this one’s a doozy. I mean, with how obsessed with space Adam is, canonically even, it somehow makes absolutely perfect sense to have an AU where Nigel is an alien, right? It’s soft, romantic, slightly silly, and sexy as hell.

Stay tuned!

#fic rec friday #dreamling #writer: Cheshyr #these two gave me gender feelings #lol #dumb boys need to talk #I love them #especially Hob

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thisandthat-whatever · 2 years ago

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Cockroach anon came back and I blocked it again. If it comes again, there won’t be a third time. I will delete the ask before I finish reading it. This is not a charity shop . I can’t waste all my time explaining simple shit to morons who refuse to understand it.

The anon came back saying “you say you are casual but complain about people blocking usernames for days”. It is because I spoke about it with certain people in DM’s and when those certain people act one way to me in DM’s and then act another way in their posts the next day, I react understandably and have to re-emphasize my points to them and to morons like you who simplify those who want to see the usernames as ”hecklers who harass people” when MAJORITY of people who want to see the usernames want to see it to see it with their own eyes and want to see the account in general to decide for themselves if that person is legit and the source is believable or not.

I was explaining this too many times because you all are too dense to grasp that it is not just one type of person who wants to see the username or the source. And that is why we always showed the source in Tomdaya version 0.1. And like I said it is also redundant to block it if it is a tweet, because people can still find it by copy/pasting the text in search , so it is REDUNDANT and pointless to block it.

That is why I explained it and pointed out how we did things differently . I was EXPLAINING and providing REASONS. And when it went misunderstood, I explained again. But your idiocy and your tunnel vision of viewing things are too stubborn so obviously it was a waste of my time, as is this post. So I won’t let you waste my time with a third anon ask, dimwit. You will be ignored/deleted/blocked because I can’t fix your severe lack of understanding; and like I said my patience runs only so far with idiots.

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hoodienanami · 2 months ago

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i was just gonna leave this post as is but fuck it

i get why ppl say this kind of thing about mclaren. its an incorrect interpretation of his goals for punk and betrays a lack of understanding of who mclaren was but i get why ppl beileve it about him. he did in fact run a clothes store. but if you say this about bernie rhodes. bernie rhodes the marxist. bernie rhodes who did not own a clothes store. bernie rhodes who's vision for punk was similar to crass'. then im sorry but youre just antisemitic and theres barely any difference between you and the idiot on youtube who makes in depth videos about how jews control the british music industry and the song bodies was created so evil jew malcolm mclaren could influence good christian children to think killing their good christian babies is okay. yes thats a youtuber who actually exists. do you see why i have no patience for this?

no longer debating ppl who say weird shit about malcolm mclaren and bernie rhodes im just linking them to pdfs about unconscious antisemitic bias and how to fight it ❤️

#self reblog #hoodie talks #punk rock posting #you take two steps in any punk space and run into vicious hatred for jewish ppl despite them creating the genre

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essayofthoughts · 3 years ago

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There’s this thing I see a lot of today where people, especially larger blogs*, respond to something they don’t like not by blocking, deleting an ask, ignoring an ask, or even, if they have the spoons and patience, addressing the point of difference with understanding, but by making fun of it.

*I know tumblr doesn’t have a public follower count but you can absolutely tell which blogs are larger than others from the simple practice of asking “Does this username crop up on my dash on a regular basis from multiple sources?” It is uncannily reliable.

Some of this is just the modern, twitter-quippy style way of online media - twitter and tiktok reduce down the point of contact and allow people to make completely spurious, bad-faith arguments based on nonsense because they’re looking at a very narrow snapshot of what’s going on and forget to consider the whole of it and also that there’s a person on the other end of it.

Some of it is that some people are goddamn bullies, and like the thrill of responding, of dismissing others - especially people they can deem “haters” or “idiots” (regardless of the actual truth of that statement). There are people who want to feel superior and they gain that feeling by putting down others.

And some of it... well it comes back to that point about it often coming from larger blogs, because I’ve seen some blogs, starting out with a reasonable number of followers and then growing drastically, get worse in this specific way.

Because when you get more followers, you get an echo chamber. You see this more obviously on facebook, twitter, youtube, where the numbers are public, but it’s still true here. Blogs are followed by people who like a specific part of a blog’s output. They support that output and encourage it. When people come along and are - well, perhaps they’re haters, or perhaps they misunderstood something, or perhaps they’re legitimately ignorant because they never knew about it before - but they say something the blog doesn’t like.

The first few times, early on, before they blow up, these bloggers can -and indeed often do - respond with patience and kindness. It gets them a reputation - they’re nice, and thoughtful, and consider things, and it draws more people to them. It gives them a kind of social badge of “no, this one’s okay. this blog’s a Good Person”. Sometimes they might even wade in when replies from their followers get aggressive to try to defuse things - but you can’t do that forever, no one has the spoons, especially as their follower count rises. They might make a couple posts asking people not to be rude, they might disable replies - the good ones delete asks they can’t be bothered to deal with, block posts and people and phrases and move on with their lives - but some don’t

Instead with some blogs, at some nebulous point as their follower count rises it’s like a switch flips.

And they start being flippant. They start responding with quips or jokes. They start responding not with patience but in bad faith, with rudeness, even with insults. I’ve seen someone send a follow-up ask to one such blog clarifying their POV, their ignorance, that the jokes made were legitimately hurtful to them - and the blog and the followers just doubled down on their behaviour.

This is not helped by the followers - who usually make these kind of jokes as well, often before the blog does. It normalises it to the blogger, seeing all of these things in their activity feed, and it also means that when the blogger starts acting that way, few of their vocal followers will condemn them for it - there’s a kind of tacit support of this path. Even when challenged, once the flip is switched, few change back.

No one wants to think that perhaps they’re a bad person. No one wants to think that perhaps what they said was rude and uncalled for. That they didn’t have to respond to that ask, or that perhaps they could have explained why they made those jokes that could seem rude - especially when they get outside of their immediate circle which is ever more likely when you have a certain number of followers. They don’t want to consider that, or their effect - so they double down. It’s made worse. In many ways, it’s basically this meme:

[Image ID: The Simpsons Meme of Principle Skinner. The first panel has Skinner with his hand on his chin asking “Am I out of touch?”. In the second panel he’s straightened, staring ahead. The caption is “No, it’s the children who are wrong”.]

Except that in a terrible way, they’re not out of touch. They’re out of touch with what they originally presented - kindness, decency, being a Good Person - but they’re perfectly in touch with their vocal followers who don’t want to think about the feelings of others and the consequences of their actions, who want to joke and quip and even bully complete strangers without ever considering if they are actually doing the right thing, the good thing, the empathetic or educational thing.

And not everyone has the spoons to explain things! But when that’s the case - you can block a person. You can delete an ask. You can choose not reblog a post only to clown on it and then drag it up a week or so later to clown on it some more.

I’ve seen people like this tell others to curate their experiences, tell my friends and myself that we wouldn’t be so annoyed at things if we just curated our feeds, and often getting quite mad about what they’ve assumed about us - but the thing is, they’re not curating their experience. They’re responding to things in a way that, specifically, they have learned will get them a response and support from their followers. They’re doing it because it perpetuates the conflict algorithm that nets them followers and so increases the echo-chamber of their support - and further cements that flipped switch into place.

There are some bigger bloggers who don’t appear to have gone this path. Who do seem to think about things and consider and don’t unnecessarily reblog posts to clown on a smaller blogger, or respond an ask only to be mean and nasty rather than just deleting the ask and moving on with their life. But it’s few. It’s concerningly few.

I find it kind of depressing. There are blogs I legitimately enjoyed before I saw them go this path. There are blogs I’ve witnessed steamroll people, or deliberately bring back a post that had moved out of common circulation specifically to clown on the (reliably a smaller blog) OP.

It’s mean spirited. It’s unnecessary. It’s the kind of behaviour that when it’s twitter dogpiling I see some swaths of tumblr look down on as though somehow we’re better.

And yet, for some reason, when it happens on here, it’s suddenly okay.

I fucking hate it.

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sagau-my-beloved · 2 years ago

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Can we get more of venti coming to our world

I'm invested 😻‼️

Headcanons about sagau Venti with reader in the real world:

Absolutely! I'll go ahead and post those headcanons I said I was going to do under here, but I'll probably be posting another actual continuation of the work soon, hope you all enjoy!

Warnings: general Sagau, minor codependency, mentions of alcohol consumption, that's about it folks

• You are now the owner of a very high maintenance but devoted God

• Congratulations

• He can do tricks, so that might make up for some of it

• The first month or two you completely confined him to the house

• If he's going to go out there and make an idiot of himself, he might as well not seem like he's from another planet while doing so

• Wants to know about everything, really an unsatable amount of curiosity

• "But how exactly can television content be turned into 'waves' and travel through the air in particles? How do they know what to reform as??"

• After answering about a thousand questions, you finally just get him his own phone so he can look them up himself while you're not there

• Big mistake

• You now can't get peace no matter where you go

• He's the type to call and text you over every little tiny thing

• "My lovveee, I saw a bird today :D!" *sends attachment*

• "Uhh, are you sure that's not a leaf?"

• "..."

• "My lovveeee, I saw a leaf that looked like a bird today :D!"

• At the end of the day, you're going to have about 100 messages and over 50 calls

• Also constantly steals your phone to take pictures of himself and change what you have him set as in your contacts

• "Ok why did you change your contact name 'most beloved and devoted follower'?"

• "... Am I not your most beloved and devoted follower?"

• You're going to have to take him to a few clothes stores too, he gets weird enough looks just on his behavior alone, no need to add to that

• Keeps the signature green color though, and he could never part with the braids

• Since you wouldn't let him go outside, he decides to take an interest in plant keeping

• Says that it's stifling to be surrounded by no life all the time, kinda uses that line to guilt you into staying home with him more too

• You're going to have to reel him back a bit though, otherwise your entire house is going to be covered in greenery

• "Just one more? Look how sad it looks here."

• He always gives you that heartbreakingly sad face and you really just can't deny him, as much as it's putting a dent in your wallet

• Speaking of money, that's another thing he's particularly curious about

• He's only ever had Mora, so he likes learning about the history of your type of money and how it didn't come from a God

• Was also very confused about the lack of Gods and supernatural things

• Teach him about organized religious, do it, I dare you

• If he thought it was weird still having a decent following after not appearing for a couple hundred years, boy oh boy, watch him as he tries to grapple with Christianity

• He tries very hard to help out during the day when you're not home

• All the modern appliances are kind of confusing at first, you certainly have come home to a mess a few times before

• But after a few weekends that you spend dedicated to teaching him how to use the things around your house, he gets the hang of it

• Likes to spend his time cooking and cleaning and making things

• You once joked about how it felt like the nineteen fifties when you walked in and he excitedly greeted you, rambling on about the various things he did all day which included making dinner and trying his hand at various fiber arts

• He didn't get the joke

• I honestly think he would be pretty good at crocheting or knitting if he could develop the patience for it

• He does feel like this mundane housekeeping stuff is the least he can do for you though, not having a lot of modern day money making talents

• He snuck into a bar once to try playing for money (and get a few drinks) as he usually did, got kicked out almost immediately

• Still indulges though, you're going to have to drop a couple hundred on wine each month

• Almost cried when he learned that dandelion wine wasn't really a thing here

• You did take him to an alcohol store and let him pick out what he wanted after that incident, then practically forced him out of the building while you paid, otherwise he would have definitely be carded and you both would have had to leave with nothing

• Clings to you the rest of the day after that, going on and on about how much he loves and appreciates you, and that gets more intense the more he drinks

• One of the earlier problems was where he would be sleeping

• He spent the first week on the couch, allowing you to have your space

• For the next three weeks he acted as though he was going to sleep on the couch, and then crawled into your bed when you fell asleep

• You eventually just gave in and let him sleep there, he was much happier to be openly affectionate when he knew you weren't going to kick him out immediately (you still had your limits)

• Always wakes up first, the only caveat to that was when he drank heavily the night before

• So I guess he only woke up first about 50℅ of the time

• But insist heavily on making you something in the mornings, coffee, tea, breakfast if you'd let him

• "Oh good morning my love! Would you like something to eat? I made it just for you~"

• There are times where you can't sit down with him to eat, having to be somewhere early

• He always plays it off, but is super upset after you leave

• The food just doesn't taste nearly as good without you there

• Oh, and good luck if you have a cat

• He doesn't tell you that he has an allergy for the first couple of days, just internally dealing with the discomfort of it

• He has already resigned himself to the fact that this is going to be his fate from now on, he's come to terms with it

• You do catch on, ask him why he didn't tell you sooner that he was allergic, then offer to buy him some over the counter medication for it

• "That's possible!?"

• Small existential crisis, it's fine, don't worry about it, this happens a lot

• Eventually you do finally have to let him out, it's in his nature to wonder

• And honestly, he's kind of horrified over the current state of your world

• The political climate, the ecological climate, all of it

• It reinforces his believe that he's running his city correctly by not running it at all

• It also strengthens his resolve to eventually bring you back to Teyvat with him, it's so much nicer there, and it isn't nearly as hot, and the world isn't falling apart

• Looking past that though, he does really like going to different places, hikes and trails and beaches

• His powers do still work as well, there's just as much elemental energy in this world as in his, it's just no one knows how to use it here

• You do scold him every time he does something like that in public though

• Also he's absolutely guilty of pda

• Can't help himself

• Tries really hard to avoid phrases like "your grace" or "divine creator"

• But sometimes they slip out, and then people give you both weird looks, and you glare at him, and he looks at you apologetically

• He'll make it up to you later

• Is actually coming up with tons of new ways to make things up to you, because of how good you are to him

• He should really be the one providing for you, in all ways, and it frustrates him to no end

• He always feels like he's in debt in one way or another, but that's fine, that's the way it's always been

• As soon as you both get to Teyvat he's going to make up for it all, give you anything you want

• If you do ever end up getting there, he's gonna have some habits he might have a hard time breaking

• "Why is the Anemo God cooking for the creator?? Aren't there like 50 other people that can do that???"

• He'll find himself missing the convenience of your world sometimes

• Also, the sudden lack of one on one attention is going to completely eat at him

• If it's particularly bad, he's going to take you on a vacation back in your world for a few weeks

• (which translates to like two years there oh no—)

• Eventually you do have to tell him about the game, how you're not really "the creator", but just the person who guides the player, how there are hundreds of other people worldwide that know about him and all the others, play the game no different than you

• It takes a while for him to really come to terms with it

• Still justifies you being better than everyone else because you actually have an active religion surrounding you in the game, you're the one he came for

• And even if you didn't "make the game" you're still the reason why so many people in it are happy

• And he's still 100℅ convinced that you are a reincarnation of the creator

• Game or not, that universe is real to him and all that live in it, there are a lot of things that happened there that aren't shown in game, so that must mean it exists outside of the game too right?

• But he has an absolute day going through people posting about it

• You are kind of looking over his shoulder, doing your best to limit his exposure to some of the really horrible Internet stuff

• He prefers reading, creating, and singing your praises in his spare time anyway, which works out well for both of you

#genshin impact #sagau #yandere genshin x reader #genshin x reader #genshin venti #yandere genshin au #headcannons #venti x reader

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kahluah · 2 years ago

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What I hate about all this is I can't even find the content I want to see here anymore. I hate blocking people that aren't spam bots, but these Twitter stans have tried my patience. Like I'm cool with whatever interpretation, but when I come to a tag that is supposed to be curated with specific takes, that's what I want and expect to see. Not all this tsundere best grape jiujiu meow meow stuff. That's what the general tag is for.

Just because the word canon is in the tag name it doesn't make the take more valid lmao. It's a search category with a passive aggressive name because the people that made it were harassed out of the general tag. They deserved the snark for essentially being kicked out of the character tag. Plus it made it easier to search out novel specific posts, so to me it was a win/win

And I just shake my head at these people trying to "reclaim" the tag and telling the fans that made it to go make a new tag again. Hey Twitter stans, why don't you make your own tag called "actual canon Jiang Cheng" or whatever if it means that much to you. The tag name doesn't automatically make you any more correct or incorrect. Right now all you're doing is ruining people's ability to curate their content.

And really you make yourselves look like idiotic assholes who lack critical thinking skills and try to cover up that fact by harassing the people that inform you of the above, and enticing a mob mentally to try to get your way. (Which given the content of the source material...)

#canon jiang cheng #canon jc #i hate this Twitter migration #when i want tsundere grape i search general #when i want novel asshole i search here #but now that's being ruined by people who apparently think a tags name is tied to clout and validity #tags are categorical learn how to use them correctly or just go back to Twitter

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thetrashywritingwitch · 3 years ago

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“Be Still, Just for Me” Bakugo x Fem!Reader, Ch. 44

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: 13.5k

Warnings: T+ for language, no warnings

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!!! <3

Chapter Title: Something Missing, Something Gained

Chapter note: hhhhHHHHH fucking SORRY this chapter took goddamn ages to finish. Between writers block, adopting two cats in january (WHICH WAS NOT PLANNED AND THIS CHAPTER WAS GOING TO BE WRITTEN 2+ YEARS AGO SO IT WAS JUST A LUCKY COINCIDENCE I SWEAR), and being exhausted from working long hours and tight deadlines, writing regularly just wasn't on the table. ANYWAY here it is, please enjoy, thanks for your patience, all kudos/favs/comments are read and appreciated lkajsldkjaf

This is a filler/segue chapter for ch. 45 that, if I play my cards right (aka if i write my ass off…) I want to post on Katsuki's birthday, 4/20. It's an important one :)

if there are spelling errors, just ignore that shit bc i literally gave my fingers cramps finishing this chapter 10 mins ago :)))) appreciate it ----------------------

Bakugo Katsuki was lonely.

Not in a way that had anything to do with a lack of people to talk to or things to do. His life as a pro Hero kept him busy just like he wanted and needed. Spare time was a luxury, and he generally didn't mind a spare morning or evening to recuperate and rest… at least, he used to enjoy those respites before you came along and flipped his priorities and general outlook on life right on its head.

While in your world, time was basically all he had, and when you weren't around there wasn't much to do. Now that he was back home with all his luxuries and comforts and familiarity, his apartment was just… too damn quiet; and Katsuki normally felt perfectly at home with solitude.

He gradually found himself repeating pointless tasks and chores. He even kept the TV on in the background just for the noise which he rarely did months ago. Obviously, something - or someone - was missing despite the reality that things were just as they'd always been. Maybe "missing" wasn't the right word. No, more like… addition. Katsuki needed to add something that had never been here before, but he had no fucking clue how to fill the gap in the mile-long steps leading up to contentment.

That stupid New Years party Uraraka invited him to did a bit to quench these lonesome stretches of time. He almost didn't go, using his busy patrol schedule without a sidekick as an excuse, but fucking Kirishima rearranged their patrols without telling him just to make sure his alibi no longer worked; what an overly-considerate ass.

Just to give himself something to do and keep his hands busy, Katsuki went out and bought what he needed to make a batch of toshikoshi soba. Though his family did little in the way of tradition, he knew the routine behind what most people did on New Year's eve. Plus, Todoroki would be there and anyone with working taste buds knew that idiot could barely boil water.

Uraraka made mochi earlier - mostly so she could eat it herself - which left Deku to help Katsuki in the kitchen. Well, tried to help, anyway. Stubborn mule that he was, Katsuki attempted to kick Deku out of his own kitchen, but the attempt was half-hearted at best and he gave up before resigning to spitting out orders.

"Mar-san is still with their family, right?" Deku measured out the cooking sake and mirin while Katsuki impatiently kept an eye on the boiling kombu.

"Mmhm. Won't be back for another week," he grunted before taking a sip of the sake provided by the hosts. The last time he got drunk was-

"Do… did you tell them about… you know…?" He didn't have to spell it out for Katsuki to understand.

Frowning behind his glass, he took a longer sip of his drink. "They know. But I don't want to talk about any of that. Not tonight." If he was going to drink, then getting worked up was no doubt a terrible idea.

Uraraka walked in holding a plate of slowly-disappearing mochi with Yaoyorozu following behind. "How's the soba coming along?"

"Just fine," Katsuki grumbled before removing the kombu to drain as the water came to a boil. Deku and Uraraka shared a brief glance while Yaoyorozu cleared her throat from the entryway. “Wasn’t Todoroki supposed to be here?”

With her cheeks full of mochi, Uraraka said, “Oh yeah, he said he ran into a villain emergency earlier and was going to see his siblings afterwards. He’ll stop by if he has time, but it’ll be late.”

Before Katsuki could let out some snarky relief that Todoroki wouldn’t have the opportunity to ruin any of the food, Yaoyorozu chimed in. "How about I make some tea for everyone?"

Jumping on the opportunity to change the subject, Deku nodded. "Yes, thank you Yaoyorozu-san. How's Jirou-san, by the way?"

He really fucking wished this boring as hell small talk would happen somewhere else since he couldn't leave the soba unattended. But while he was dumping dried bonito flakes into the kombu water, Uraraka came up beside him and held out an obviously handmade mochi.

"Stop pouting and eat it. It's New Year's Eve!"

"I don't want any," he argued as she wiggled it in front of his mouth with that same stupid determined grin she wore back at the cafe.

"If you don't eat this mochi, I'm going to float you to the ceiling and not let you down until after midnight." Her expression didn't budge a centimeter under his glare, which honestly weirded him out enough to snatch the mochi from her fingers and angrily stuff it into his mouth with his lips now coated in rice flour. "Good! I'll go see if Tsuyu-chan wants some." As if this was a completely normal interaction, she walked out of the kitchen and disappeared around the corner.

The remaining three people exchanged baffled looks as Katsuki forced his attention back on the boiling pot as he chewed with puffed-out cheeks.

"Is… Uraraka-san feeling alright?" Yaoyorozu set the electric kettle to simmer before pulling out a fancy-looking tin of tea leaves.

Chopping green onions after wiping rice powder from his mouth, Katsuki interjected. "I'll assume it's the pregnancy talking-"

"Kacchan!"

"What?! Isn't pregnancy brain a thing? I'm not gonna argue with her over stupid mochi when she's floated me before for less." Their bickering was hushed to avoid the subject of their conversation from overhearing.

Yaoyorozu carefully measured out tea leaves and added, "though I wouldn't put it so crudely as Bakugo-kun, it is true that pregnancy can affect mood and emotions. Pregnancy shrinks the brain's grey matter and greatly alters the estrogen and progesterone levels which can definitely affect how Uraraka-san acts, even several years after the baby is born."

The two men stared at her before Katsuki smugly turned back to Deku. "Told you."

"I-I know all of that," he affirmed. "It's not like we didn't research and prepare beforehand. It's just taking some getting used to is all… but if all she's doing right now is forcing us to eat mochi, then that's not so bad, heh."

Rolling his eyes, Katsuki went back to finishing up the soba while Yaoyorozu focused on her tea. She placed a hot mug next to his mostly-empty cup of sake before handing one to Deku as well. "Uraraka-san will be fine. She has all of us for all the support she wants and needs. I believe the new year will bring many good things."

It fucking better, Katsuki thought to himself while mourning the last two months of misery he’d put himself through; he couldn’t continue dealing with this same level of burdensome bullshit… not alone, anyway.

When the soba was finally done, everyone gathered around to eat. The group was small since Hero schedules were chaotic and unpredictable at times, but they tried their best to keep in touch when the opportunity arose. Todoroki hadn’t shown up yet, so they assumed he probably decided to stay with his siblings. Bakugo saved a bowl of soba for him to pick up later.

Slurping buckwheat noodles symbolized gaining resilience and strength to face the coming year, two things Katsuki never thought he'd lack. Someone who wasn't even here and he hadn't seen in over two months really had crumbled his resolute worldview while putting value and perspective on the small details he now missed.

"Thanks for making soba, Bakugo-kun," Tsuyu said before blowing away the steam from her dripping chopsticks.

Everyone else hummed in agreement. "Mm, it's good! Similar to how my mom would make it growing up." Uraraka noisily slurped hot noodles and dashi while Katsuki grumbled.

"No shit it's good, I made it." The words came out on reflex, his fingers nearly dropping his own chopsticks as he remembered the many times you complimented his cooking with earnest enthusiasm. Time to put the past behind me. Tensing his hand, Katsuki dug into his own soba and eyed his shallow cup of sake.

As everyone glued their eyes to the clock to celebrate the stroke of midnight, Katsuki lounged on the couch with flushed cheeks and a lopsided scowl. Trying to keep his eyes open proved difficult since he only stayed awake so late when he had overnight patrols or rare emergencies. He only drank twice as much as he meant to while people around him talked about New Year’s resolutions and leaving the mistakes of the past in the dust. "I'm drinking Cheeks's share since she can't have any," he argued when Tsuyu questioned if he was feeling alright while holding a glass of water out to him. The pregnant host tried not to pout at the fact that she still had many months left before she could drink again.

Unfortunately for Bakugo, his inability to hold his alcohol led to him falling asleep on their couch before 1 A.M.

Despite the cushions feeling different and the orientation to the room not matching his memory at all, maybe he subconsciously desired some tiny reminder of you - even if it meant sleeping on someone else's couch on New Year's eve - before trying to move forward with a fresh slate.

When Deku and Uraraka woke up the next morning, he was gone without a trace of ever having been there at all.

With Mar still in Puerto Rico, Kirishima occasionally filled in to patrol with him just like old times before their independent careers really took off.

"Soo, I hear that you finally spilled the beans to Mar. How'd that go?"

Katsuki groaned into the high collar of his winter uniform. "Let me guess, they wanted to gossip or whatever as soon as they left Japan?” His wrist grenades swung heavily down at his sides, though he barely noticed the weight that would be cumbersome to the average person as he and Kirishima tracked through the snow-covered sidewalks.

The red head chuckled. "That about sums it up, yeah. How did that conversation go, anyway? Hopefully better than ours," he said while rubbing the back of his neck. He kept his hair down rather than tied up during these cold winter months.

Kirishima waved to a few onlookers who noticed them while Katsuki kept his eyes forward and attention on scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary. "Don't know if 'better' is the right word. I picked somewhere public but out of the way to avoid them making a scene, but they did anyway and I almost strangled the damn kid," he tiredly admitted.

Although he went into far less detail than he had previously - summing up the story with an explanation on where he was, who you were, and why he’d been so fucked in the head since coming back home - Mar ran with any detail he let drop and came up with their own wild conclusions.

A laugh that grated on Katsuki’s patience bubbled up from Kirishima at his admission. “They are just nineteen, but they were worried like the rest of us,” he explained while shaking his hair free of falling snowflakes.

"I don't need the kid preoccupied with shit that isn't their business, which is why I told them just what they needed to hear so Mar can put all their focus on why I picked 'em to come here in the first place." He dreaded the knowing looks they'd give him once they returned to Japan, but he'd put up with it like he did everything else. What he really wanted to do was change the subject. "Kirishima," he said, making his friend turn as they continued to patrol. "You volunteer at one of those animal shelters or whatever sometimes, right?"

Kirishima raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Yeah, I go to a couple different ones when I have time to try and promote adoptions and stuff, why?"

New year, new changes, new Katsuki. "Just thinking…if you like hanging around dogs so much, why haven't you grabbed one of your own yet?"

After years of making fun of the guy for not wearing a shirt in cold weather, Kirishima finally conceded after catching a bad cold the previous year and had an insulated support item made to work with his quirk. He still wasn't exactly used to it, though, occasionally fidgeting with the fabric and acting itchy even though it was no doubt warmer than wearing nothing at all. "I've thought about it, but I think I'd rather help other people find a furry family member. Our schedules are crazy and dogs need walks and potty breaks and play time. I wouldn't be home enough to really give a dog what it would need without getting someone to take it out everyday… would be kinda nice to see a tail wag when I get home, though." He laughed with a sharp-toothed smile as Katsuki mulled over his words. "You thinking about adopting or something? You never really struck me as a pet guy."

Silence hung between them for a good ten seconds before Katsuki answered. "Y/N had this old lady who lived down the hall from her. We never understood each other, but she shoved homemade cookies into my hands one day because I helped carry her groceries."

"Ah, helping old ladies; a classic Hero move!” Kirishima elbowed Katsuki who shoved him right back with a small explosion that fizzled out against his hardened skin. "Haha, don't be salty. Anyway, what does an old lady have to do with pets?"

"I was getting to the point, dummy," he chided while scowling at his foggy breath visible in the frigid air. "She had this yappy, one-eyed dog that looked as old as she was. We ended up watching Charlie while-"

"... Charlie? That's a weird name for a dog," Kirishima mused while no doubt thinking of equally-stupid pet names.

Katsuki actually agreed with a smirk hidden behind the high collar of his own insulated outfit. "I didn't name him, so blame the old bat for that one. But I also didn't grow up with pets. For a little rat with one eye, he was good company even if it was just for a few hours." He paused while they let a group of school kids cross the street, a few of them waving and gawking at the Pro Heroes. One of them even wore a Dynamight branded jacket, one that looked authentic and not like the ugly knockoffs he loathed seeing online; even for someone as stone-cold as Katsuki, it melted his stubborn heart the tiniest bit.

Once the kids had passed, he and Kirishima continued on their patrol route, turning down a side street to eventually find their way up to the top of one of the taller buildings to survey the city from above.

"... What were we talking a- oh, right, dogs!" Katsuki smacked his face with his glove as Kirishima recalled the conversation from less than ten minutes ago. "You were talking about the old lady's dog with the weird name, right?"

Squatting on the edge of the building with his arms resting on his knees, Katsuki lowered his eyes to the ant-sized blips scurrying around on white snow. "Mm. Point was, I never felt like anything was lacking in my life until now. Being alone and on my own was fine when not kicking villain ass." He didn't move as he saw Kirishima sit beside him from his peripheral vision. "But now, it's quiet… and it bugs me and I hate it. I fucked up by holding back what I wanted because I didn't know what would happen. One regret. And I don't repeat mistakes."

Kirishima hummed and kicked his feet over the edge of the building while staring up at the cloudy sky. "So no regrets this time, huh? New year, new opportunities, new changes. You know I'm just a couple floors down if you ever wanna hang out."

He ran a gloved hand through his hair with a huff. "It's not about… fuck, I don't know how to explain it. I just need a change, alright?" In reality, Katsuki felt a strong urge to put his latent energy to good use. To take care of something and help it grow. He was so accustomed to destruction and fire that the idea of putting his effort towards a living thing that might depend on him sounded uncharacteristically satisfying.

"OK, alright, I getcha," Kirishima said. "Well, I gave my thoughts on dogs, but there's lots of other animals out there. Shinsou's the resident cat guy if that's more up your alley," he suggested. Sinking deeper into his collar, Katsuki groaned. "Pfft, don't be so stubborn. You two get along better than you think."

As much as he hated to admit it, Kirishima was right: if he wanted to know more about cats as a pet option, Shinsou was definitely who he should contact. But he hadn't talked with the guy at all since that disaster outing with Kaminari. If they happened to run into each other while on patrol, any interaction was strictly professional. Katsuki guessed that setting aside his pride was just part of the routine now.

"Maybe," he answered while narrowing his eyes at some erratic movement down below. "Get up, we have work to do."

"Damn, you're right," he said while hopping up from the edge of the building. "Wanna do Bombs Away? An oldie but a goodie."

"Tch, no shit." Since their quirks worked well together, they'd developed a few collaborative moves back when they were still early in their careers. Kirishima grabbed onto Katsuki's shoulders with a tight grip before the two of them leapt without fear right over the edge of the building, explosions propelling them down towards the villains who were about to be cannon balled by an explosive rock raining down from the sky.

A week and a half passed before Katsuki had an afternoon to himself, but there was little time to rest up or relax. He slid on a warm coat, scarf, sunglasses, and dark beanie poised on the back of his head with his bangs poking out to both keep his ears warm and help obscure his identity. Where he was going, having strangers spot him sounded like an embarrassing nightmare.

The train ride downtown didn't take long and at least it was warmer compared to stepping outside. With his hands shoved into his pockets and face half-covered by his scarf Katsuki walked, snow crunching under his boots, until he stood in front of an unsuspecting building displaying a small sign out front with the picture of a cat and paw prints illustrating to head up to the second floor.

This was such a stupid idea, but he wasn't going to back down now. You'd probably go all starry-eyed upon finding this place, dragging him inside without a second thought; and because he was a stupid lovestruck sap for you, he wouldn't even argue that much.

A little bell rang overhead as he opened the door and was greeted by someone behind the main counter. "Hello! Welcome to Cat Café Vanilla! Can I help you?”

He’d done some passive research on local cat cafés since it seemed like a decent option to interact with some cats while also seeing how other people engaged with them since he was basically going in blind. This place had good ratings and didn’t appear especially crowded since it was a weekday morning when the average person went to their boring office jobs just like you.

Walking up to the counter with his hands still tucked into his jacket, Katsuki said, “Yeah… how does this work? Never been here before."

“Oh! Let me explain,” she said while gesturing to a plaque displayed on the counter. “It’s ¥200 for every ten minutes, up to ¥2400 for the entire day, so you pay by how long you’d like to stay. We also offer coffee, tea, and snacks that will be brought to you once allowed into the cat area. You can also purchase treats for the cats for an extra fee. Do you have any questions?”

That was cheaper than he expected it to be, but he had no idea how long was “long enough” to see if he even liked cats or not. An hour, maybe? Yeah, that sounded reasonable and not weird at all. After paying for the time slot along with a cup of tea and storing his wet boots in a secure locker, she led him through a door to an area that lived up to the fancy-looking decor in the photos on their website.

The café took up the entire second floor of the building and was divided into separate sections. One section had plush couches and another had bookshelves filled with popular manga and books; hell, there was even a room with simple beds in case you wanted to take a nap.

"Feel free to make yourself comfortable and we will bring your tea to you." Now left to his own devices, Katsuki took in his surroundings, which obviously included quite a lot of cats. Even though the place looked clean and organized, the light animal smell permeated the air making his nose wrinkle. He wasn't used to being around so many animals, though he'd heard that cats were generally cleaner than dogs.

A small empty couch in a corner called to him, and there was even a cat already napping in one of the seats when he quietly sat down. Its orange and white fur looked soft and fluffy as the cat paid him little mind. Should he just reach out his hand or…?

Back when he'd helped dogsit Charlie, Katsuki watched and mimicked what you did. Plus, dogs seemed more energetically reactive to noises and touch in comparison to a sleeping cat. Twisting his lips against the front of his teeth, he took his hand out of his jacket and tentatively gave the cat a gentle pet on the back. The only reaction he could see were orange ears swiveling for a few seconds alongside a “mrrp” before returning to their original sleeping position.

"That easy, huh?"

He nodded when the same host set a hot cup of tea in front of him five minutes later. Feeling something rub against his leg, Katsuki looked under the small table to see a different cat looking up at him with a bizarrely smushed-in face and a tangle of white fur. “Mrow,” it said as if asking him for something that he no doubt didn’t have. At least they don’t hate me on the spot, he thought while holding out a hand to let the cat sniff his finger before it rubbed whiskers and fur against his knuckle; if the smell of his nitroglycerine-like sweat on his palms bothered the cat, it didn’t show it.

Maybe he could get used to this.

About twenty minutes into his kitty cat café session, Katsuki’s lazy focus on getting one of the cats to chase around a feather tied to a string was interrupted when a shadow blocked out the soft light of a nearby lamp.

“Never thought I’d find you in a place like this.”

Pulling his head up with a grunt, Katsuki narrowed his eyes at the low, familiar voice and messy lavender hair. "Fucking figures you'd be here to ruin my day."

Shinsou just smirked before taking a seat on the couch perpendicular to Katsuki's. “Your day, huh? I’ve been coming here for several years and have never seen you. So if anything, you’re ruining my day,” he shot back while Katsuki glared. "You never struck me as the animal-lover type, so tell me what made a grumpy ass like you come to a cat café of all places."

The two cats nearby must've sensed Katsuki's agitation at being found out since they scrambled away to the other side of the room, the bells on their collars jingling along the way. Kirishima had suggested talking to Shinsou if he was serious about learning more about cats, but this was not how or where he wanted that conversation to take place.

"One: shut up. Two: never mention to anyone that I was here or I’ll spill your dumb crush on Kaminari to his face. And three: tell me what you know about cats and why they don't suck." He counted off on his fingers while Shinsou's face remained stoic - outside of his twitch at the Kaminari comment - as he stared with tired, unblinking eyes back at Katsuki.

“How the hell do you know that I like Kaminari?” His hushed tone was laced with urgent annoyance.

Katsuki scoffed and leaned back into the couch cushion. “Everyone knows… well, besides Duce-Face. I recommend hurrying the fuck up if you’re serious.”

“You’re the last person I want relationship advice from,” he spat. “Why do you even care, anyway?”

Turning away, Katsuki thought about how much the regret of his last moments with you still stung months later. With an annoyed huff through his nose, Katsuki insisted, “Just don’t let something you want pass you by, because you might not get a second chance.”

"You done giving unsolicited advice?" When he didn't get an answer, Shinsou wordlessly held out his hand as a nearby cat sniffed before jumping right up into his lap and settling down, perfectly content. "Fine. I’ll keep your secret so long as you keep mine. As for the third point, I'll indulge you if only for the sake of the cats here not having to sniff out your sour attitude."

It wasn't much, but Katsuki reluctantly accepted it. Searching on the internet was well and good, but he had no way of parsing the reliable information from the garbage since he couldn't draw from his own experience. Shinsou could potentially help him understand if a pet would help fill the unfamiliar void in his life or if he just needed a new distraction.

He spoke while petting the grey and white tabby in his lap who tilted its head back to allow better access for chin scratches. "I've always liked cats. To generalize, they're quiet, calm, sleep a lot, and can live perfectly fulfilling lives inside so long as you give them everything they need. But just like people, they have their own personalities. Some are shy or nervous, especially if they were strays or had shitty owners while others love attention and playing around." They both looked up to see two cats chasing each other across the room, tails swishing excitedly as one jumped up on a chair to escape the other. "Most people have preferences when it comes to pets, and mine just happens to be cats."

Just like how the high energy of dogs seemed great for Kirishima, the relaxed personality of cats matched up with the guy with constant bags under his eyes. Katsuki remained quiet as he glanced down at the dregs of tea left in the bottom of his empty cup.

"Look," Shinsou said, face unreadable as he gestured toward his couch neighbor. "It's none of my business why you're here or if you're looking to adopt a cat. Just know that if you're trying to fill some temporary boredom, then pick up a hobby and not a pet. Cats can live upwards of fifteen years if taken care of and treated well. Make sure you're prepared for that commitment no matter what you do."

"I'm not stupid," Katsuki bit back with an insulted frown. "I might not have owned pets before, but I know they aren't fucking toys you can toss when you get tired of 'em. If I do something, I do it all the way."

He wished he had taken his own advice almost three months ago, but there was no use moping about something he couldn't change, especially not after vowing to finally get his shit together.

Shinsou stared him down with tired eyes as if trying to pick him apart and judge his unsaid reasons for coming to a cat café of all places. Taking care of an animal for more than a decade was a long damn time… but he hadn't committed to anything yet; he was just weighing his options to see if anything stuck.

"No matter what you choose to do, I'll say this: even though most of the cats here are adoptable, my cats were either from shelters or found as strays on the streets. As Heroes, we have the means to give them a pretty good quality of life." He looked down at the purring cat in his lap who was making gentle biscuits in the air as he scratched under its ear. "The cats here have open space and a lot of human interaction, but shelter animals are generally kept in cages or small enclosures just due to having so many animals and limited space. Consider checking out those places and talking to the caretakers there if you want to talk to people more experienced than me."

Katsuki didn't expect Shinsou to dump so much information and advice into his lap so freely. In a way, seriously considering this kind of lifestyle and responsibility shift overwhelmed him a bit, but he'd rather know what he was potentially jumping into than be surprised when it was too late.

The two of them continued to talk sparsely until an employee came to notify Katsuki that his hour was up. He stood up, fruitlessly brushing stray cat hair from his dark jeans before starting to follow her back towards the front. However, without turning around, he mumbled a, "thanks," obviously meant for Shinsou before disappearing towards the front of the café.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

When Katsuki came into the agency the next morning for patrol, he found what looked like a present on his desk. A bright red bag stuffed with orange tissue paper sat next to his computer as he narrowed his eyes at the unexpected gift. Christmas was over and done with, so what the hell was this all about?

Turning it around, he saw a small card attached to the handle and opened it to see some sloppy Japanese which immediately identified who it was from.

Happy late Christmas Bakugo-senpai! I brought these from home since I know you like to cook. I can teach you some of my mom's Puertorican recipes if you want!

~ Mar

"Really hope I wasn't supposed to get them anything," he said under his breath as he tossed out the tissue paper, unaware that several sets of eyes were watching him from across the floor outside of his office. Giving gifts was not his forté since he leaned more into acts of service and only got presents when obligation called for it.

"I hope he likes the stuff I brought," Mar commented while peeking around the corner to watch. Something that had tormented them since moving to Japan was the lack of familiar foods and seasonings from Puerto Rico. Despite enjoying all the new foods that Japan offered, Mar missed their mom's cooking. Unfortunately, they did not pick up the cooking gene and their attempts at recreating familiar dishes suffered as a result. Bakugo joked about how it was almost as terrible-looking as Kirishima’s food the few times he caught them grabbing a homemade container from the office fridge. "Especially after all the… y'know, stuff he told me. About you-know-who. Maybe it'll cheer him up?"

Kirishima clapped a large hand over Mar's shoulder. “If it’s anything he can experiment with when it comes to food, he’ll use it. And even if he doesn't always know how to show it, I'm sure he appreciates it,” he whispered while silently hoping Bakugo would “accidentally” make too much again and bring in leftovers.

"You got Dynamight-san a gift?" Mar and Kirishima turned to find the mousy employee standing silently behind them, obviously eavesdropping on their whispering. "And um, who is 'you-know-who'?"

Usually, Kirishima attempted to avoid her when possible ever since Mar revealed that her main motivation for interviewing for the job was that she was infatuated with him. Dealing with fans was one thing he could manage fairly easily, but working directly with someone who probably had some kind of parasocial relationship with his public persona was… awkward.

The whiskers around her nose twitched as Mar nodded and glanced quickly to Kirishima who lived up to his reputation of being about as subtle as an open book with his wide eyes. "Uh, yeah. Some spices and stuff from Puerto Rico… adobo, sofrito, sazón, things that I haven’t been able to find here in Japan,” they explained while subtly attempting to scoot back down the hallway. “And… you-know-who is just someone who has been bugging Bakugo-senpai lately. Like a weird fan or whatever.” Of course, that specific description came to mind as Mar stared at her hoping and praying that she’d be on her way soon.

After about five seconds of awkward silence, she nodded as if in lagged understanding, her eyes drifting to Kirishima briefly before flitting back to Mar’s face. “I see. W-well, I hope Dynamight-san feels better soon.” Scooting past the two of them towards her desk, she mumbled, “good m-morning Red Riot-san…”

Kirishima let out a tensely-held breath and leaned against the wall facing away from Bakugo’s office. “Man, that was close… you know I’m no good at lying.”

“Everyone knows that,” Mar admitted nonchalantly, which garnered a harsh side-eye from Kirishima.

As the two of them talked just around the corner from the main floor area, heavy footsteps pounded down the aisle between desks and squeaky office chairs.

"What are you idiots doing?" Bakugo's sudden interruption caused Mar and Kirishima to jump, Mar dropping their phone screen-side down right onto the floor.

"Nooo! Puñeta…se jodio…"

Standing with his arms crossed, Bakugo stared at them with a flat, unreadable expression. "Why'd you get me a gift? Don't think it will butter me up to get out of all the paperwork you missed while away."

"C'mon, man. It's just a present," Kirishima pressed with a yawn, still not fully awake this morning.

Mar sighed in relief as they examined their phone looking for cracks in the screen; paying extra for a reinforced case apparently paid off. "It wasn't to get out of work! I just figured you'd like it since you cook and stuff," they affirmed with a shrug. "And maybe I can teach you some, like, Puertorican recipes. Plantains are hard to find here, though… but arroz con gandules should be doable. I brought back coffee for myself because it's super strong, but I know you prefer tea so… what?"

A wide grin spread across Kirishima's face while Bakugo's eye twitched. "Aww, it's just kind of cute how you thought so much about his gifts-"

"Eww, gross, I’m not cute,” they argued, nose wrinkled and mouth twisting in disgust. “I’m almost old enough to drink, so-”

Katsuki stepped forward, placed a hand on their head, and said with a snort, “Kid, you have a permanent baby face and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Puffing out their cheeks while Kirishima snickered nearby, Mar stepped out from under Katsuki’s palm. “At least I’m not all old and stuff like you two! I still have my youthful vigor!”

Immediately, Kirishima’s face fell while Bakugo’s teeth ground together like gritty sandpaper. “I… I’m not old, am I…?”

“I’M TWENTY-FIVE YOU LITTLE BRAT! THAT’S NOT FUCKING OLD!” Immediately realizing that they just called their short-tempered boss old, Mar looked quickly to the doorway leading to the stairs before bolting around Kirishima who was having some kind of age realization crisis judging by his frown. Bakugo yelled after them, chasing Mar like a pissed off cat hunting a mouse who sniffed a bit too closely to the danger zone.

Ignoring the commotion, Kirishima promptly shuffled into the office kitchen and asked the first person he saw, with the saddest puppy eyes a grown man of his stature could muster, if he was old.

Once things calmed down and Katsuki reassured Kirishima that they were still in their prime, he thought more seriously about this whole pet situation. Shinsou’s cautionary words nagged at Katsuki as he wondered whether putting all of this effort into something completely new and unfamiliar in the hope that the lifestyle change would satisfy him… or if he really did just need a new hobby; one that didn’t involve another living thing, at least.

He was never a particularly creative person outside of battle strategies and cooking, and he already excelled at those. The past two months also involved him reading through books that he swore he never had time for before, including finishing the novel you'd gifted him. It was almost cruel because he could tell the story wasn't close to being wrapped up, but he'd never have an opportunity to read the sequel.

No, what he needed was something unfamiliar to focus his pent-up energy on. As much as he wished he was in denial about it, Katsuki actually enjoyed taking care of you in the small, insignificant things you seemed to appreciate. He never used to care about anyone other than himself, selfishness and pride staple ingredients to his material make up. But when he started equating saving people with victory, giving a damn about others just came along with it.

God, he was so whipped and you weren't even here to rub it in his face. He'd blasted Kaminari in the face one day when he jokingly said that Katsuki was a "kept man" since he had lived in your apartment rent-free, cooked, cleaned, and had everything he needed provided by you. It wasn’t his damn fault that he had to cycle through the same four things to keep him from dying of boredom when you weren’t around!

It could’ve been worse; besides, Katsuki found his own kind of selfish satisfaction in knowing something he did - no matter how small - brought a stupid smile to your face.

When he got home from patrol the next evening, Katsuki leaned against the headboard of his bed after a hot shower and a full belly with his laptop balanced across his thighs. A quick search turned up animal shelters in the city, but most of them seemed to be outside Tokyo. He randomly clicked on one and began scrolling through the site's adoption process, fees, etc., before navigating to a page where you could scroll through all of their available animals by species, age, and gender.

He already decided that a cat would probably fit better with his lifestyle than a dog, but when the results came up, Katsuki balked. "Over a hundred cats on here? I'm not looking though all these," he mumbled as he scrolled down the page.

"What the hell is with these names…? Hamburger? Mr. Wiggles? Beefcake? Who names their fucking pet something so dumb?! Charlie isn't too bizarre in comparison." He wondered if people weren't adopting these cats because of their stupid names, but he also guessed that the names probably drew in people, especially kids, who thought they were funny. He could always change its name, right?

Some of the cats looked very similar to the ones roaming around the café while others looked like they were older or had medical issues, which made him wonder how long some of them had been living at the shelter. Most people probably wanted kittens because they were cute, but they were also probably the biggest pain in the ass to take care of. He’d never babysat before, but young kittens and puppies were probably bursting with curious, destructive energy.

“No thanks to that… fuck it.” Katsuki shut his laptop and leaned his head against the hard headboard with determined huff. If he thought too much about it, then he’d second guess himself, and he already faced the consequences of waiting out of uncertainty once. He’d show up to one of the shelters, talk to the people there with more hands-on knowledge than he could reasonably research, and decide if this was something he truly wanted for himself.

Determined to make good on the New Year’s promise to be better and stronger - not just for himself, but for the people around him who actually wanted to see him happy - he managed to fall asleep with comparatively little trouble despite still feeling the slow, dull ache of loneliness in a bed too wide and cold for his own comfort.

The train was too crowded for his liking with people shoulder-to-shoulder for the morning rush, but the shelters were never open past sundown so he had to take advantage of the little free time he had. He'd picked a different shelter to visit than the one he searched through previously since this one didn't require an annoyingly long train ride. Luckily, with his scarf pulled up to his nose and a wool hat yanked down over his ears, no one recognized or bugged him as he faced the windows and steel with his own tired and blurry reflection staring back at him.

It wasn't hard to find the place once he stepped off the platform and back into the cold winter air even though he had to walk a good distance until buildings and city noises became more subdued. Real estate in Tokyo was hard to come by, especially if you were looking for a bit of peace and quiet.

Gravel and snow crunched under his boots as he made his way towards the front of the two-story building. At least the cats were warmer inside than he was outside…

A small bell jingled above him as he opened the door, the smell of cats evident through his scarf and stronger than back at the café. To his right, an older woman sat behind a desk typing away at a computer before turning to him with all three of her eyes.

"Hello, can I help you? Do you have an appointment?"

"Appointment?" Shit, I didn't think I needed one to just come and look around. "No, I don't have one, but I'm just here to look or whatever," he answered as he tugged down the front of his scarf.

The woman hummed before glancing back at her computer screen. “Well, we’re generally appointment-only so that we can vet potential adopters and to make sure that-"

Another person, this time a younger guy maybe around his own age wearing the same light blue shirt with the adoption agency logo printed on the front, walked up and interrupted their conversation. "Hey Shizu, can you look over this paperwork real… you look familiar…" The guy made a double-take at Katsuki who really hoped he wasn't about to deal with some annoying fan moment when an idea struck him. For once, maybe he could use his namesake to his advantage?

Unwinding his scarf from around his neck, Katsuki hoped he wouldn't have to go all the way back home with a waste of a trip and nothing to show for it. "Probably. I'm Pro Hero Dynamight." When the name registered, the man's eyes lit up with recognition while the older woman just raised an eyebrow, obviously unimpressed or completely out of the loop.

"I knew I recognized you! My kid always has her eyes glued to the TV when you're on. I think she wants to be a Hero someday, too, but she's only three so that won't be anytime soon… " He continued to ramble before nearly slapping his coworker in the face with the clipboard in his hands. "I'll be happy to show you all the cats we have up for adoption," he offered before leaving his paperwork for the now-annoyed older woman to finish up. Katsuki walked around the desk led by the starstruck fan, feeling only a pinprick of guilt at using his status to get around what the average person couldn't.

"So, uh, what exactly are you looking for? Wow, sorry, I didn't even ask if you're actually here to adopt and just assumed.. I mean-"

"I probably will if I find one that fits. I've never owned cats, but I wanna know more about the responsibilities involved. And what better way to find out than come here for myself?" The two men paused in front of several rows of stacked cages, most of them containing at least one cat. A pair of cats - one black and one golden blonde - lay sleeping together in a larger vertical enclosure. Katsuki read the identification card taped to the front while the guy came to stand next to him.

"Ah, Lunar and Solar. They're a bonded pair and need to be adopted together. Do you know if you're looking for one or more cats?"

The two cats paid them little mind and continued dozing in a little enclosed wooden bed. "Bonded? What does that mean?"

"Bonded animals - it's not exclusive to cats - are those who rely on and feel safe with each other. Usually littermates or cats who grew up together. If they're separated, their health can deteriorate, sometimes permanently, so we highly encourage people to adopt both and keep them together."

So, even animals understood the pain of loss and distance. Looking at the two cats as the black one shifted to nearly smother the other one, both still deeply asleep, Katsuki padded past the first row of cages and looked at a white and black spotted cat meowing loudly with a paw through a hole in the plexiglass. "Tell me about this one."

An hour passed as Katsuki and the man named Miura toured around the facility, one asking short questions while the other answered. He learned that some cats would never be adopted out due to their temperaments or health issues. One had been living there for more than five years because she hated being held or touched by people while another suffered from a skin condition that required special care and attention that the average person didn’t want to put up with.

Once his fanboyish fawning over the Pro Hero subsided, Miura proved to be a wealth of information to Katsuki. He explained the basics of what most cats need, how to choose good food and litter, keeping them engaged with exercise, how much they sleep, etc. Katsuki figured he could verify this information with Shinsou later, but there was no reason for the guy to fudge the truth since he wouldn’t work here if he didn’t want the animals to be healthy and happy.

“So, what are you thinking? I think I’ve shown you most of the cats available for adoption,” he said as they began to come back around towards the front entrance of the building.

There was one more thing Katsuki wanted to know as he passed cages and enclosures. “What’s the reason someone might bring a cat back here?”

Miura’s eyes drooped as he looked back towards Solar and Lunar who were finally rousing from their catnap. “Well, lots of reasons. It’s why we have people fill out applications to let us know their schedule, if they’ve had pets before, how they might react to scratched-up furniture or if they might consider declawing a cat.” He’d explained earlier what declawing meant when they passed a few cages with notes alongside their basic information mentioning possible aggression issues. Katsuki assumed it meant trimming their nails and not removing their fucking fingers up to the first knuckle. Seemed grossly barbaric to him; yeah, he’d be pissed if his nice couch got scratched up, but it wouldn’t make him consider surgically removing bones.

“Sometimes, a cat might not get along well with the lifestyle and you just don’t know until you bring them home. Other times, what people want and what they adopt are two different things. Not all cats like to cuddle or be pet all the time; it’s on their terms, not ours. When expectations don’t meet reality, they might be brought back. And… well, some cats have been through a lot and not everyone is up for helping them through it.”

That last point made Katsuki recall his talk with Shinsou as an incredibly stupid idea popped into his head. Stubbornness winning out over logic, he asked, “Show me the most difficult pain in the ass cat you have.”

Miura stared at him with blatant confusion. “Um… the most…? Wh- uh, are you-”

“Did I stutter?”

Shutting his mouth with a snap of his teeth, Miura visibly gulped before eventually leading him down a hall and through a door to a room he hadn't explored yet. It didn't appear any different from the other rooms with stacked cages, but there were only a few cats in here that he could see. "Uh, we keep cats in here that don't do well with other cats or have behavior issues… if you're serious about wanting one that is, well, difficult, then Snowball here might be who you're looking for."

At the very end of the room sat a cage half in shadow and furthest away from the other cats. Passing Miura, Katsuki stepped up and peered in through the grated bars to see a pair of yellow-orange eyes glaring back at him through a cloud of fluffy white backed into the corner of the metal cage. She looked as pretty as she did angry.

Name: Snowball

Gender: Female

Age: 3

Spayed: Yes

Notes: No health issues. Up to date on shots. Severe aggression. Possessive of food. NO fingers through cage!

Katsuki read the I.D. label before staring back at the fire-colored eyes in the shadow. She growled - a warning no doubt - and hissed, ears back and flat against her head before he turned back to Miura. “What’s her deal? Why do you think she’s so difficult? And why the hell did you name her Snowball of all things? Besides the obvious reason, anyway.”

Intentionally keeping his distance from the cage, Miura sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Well, we assume that she wasn’t always like this. From what we know, she was adopted as a kitten by a family and lived with them for at least the first year of her life. Unfortunately, they moved and left her behind… so, she essentially became a stray when she’d never been outside before. That kind of abandonment and sudden change would affect most pets. She went from having shelter, food, and care to fending for herself with other stray cats.”

Hearing just that small snippet made Katsuki’s nose wrinkle. What kind of assholes adopt a pet and then dump it like garbage without a care? “Tch, doesn’t sound like they cared much to me.”

He opened his mouth as if to agree, but maybe decided against it to continue professional appearances. “I, uh, can’t comment about what we don’t know for sure… but about eight months ago, someone called us about a colony of strays. We were able to capture most of them, Snowball included. She was in bad shape with fleas and had obviously been fighting with other cats, but it was a task to bring her here because she’s very smart and learned to avoid the cages. Fast forward a bit and we found out she was microchipped and contacted her previous owners, but they didn’t want her back claiming their kids got tired of her. It’s cruel, but still happens too often.”

Stupid parents playing stupid games with living things affected by their selfishness; he didn’t want to blame the kids, but if they wanted a damn pet that they’d eventually grow bored of then they should’ve gotten something that wouldn’t suffer like a fucking toy. “I’m guessing there’s more to it?”

“A bit, yes,” Miura said while glancing at the other cats in the stacked cages. “We’ve tried to adopt her out several times, but she was brought back within a couple of weeks because of aggression. People see her pretty fluffy white coat and striking eyes and imagine a majestic cat only to realize she’s more trouble than they want to deal with and comes with baggage. Someone even called her ‘villainous’ which might be over the top, but… we’ve kind of given up hope that she’d be adoptable. She’d either stay here forever, or will have to be put down if she ends up hurting someone badly.”

Immediately, Katsuki was transported back to the Sports Festival during his first year at U.A. where his over the top aggression was also labeled “villainous”; it was probably why the League of Villains wanted to kidnap him to try and bring over to their side in the first place. Aizawa publicly defended him and his stupid friends risked their lives and future careers to get him back.

Sometimes all you needed was someone to advocate for you.

“I’ll take her.”

Miura nearly balked at Katsuki's word, eyes flickering between him and the caged Snowball. "You… want to adopt her? After everything I just told you? Are you sure?"

With a sneer to nearly match Snowball's, he spat while glaring daggers at Miura, "I don't lie. I meant what I said. Sounds like if I don't adopt her, then no one will. So you can either keep her in this miserable cage forever, or give her to me. Your choice."

The logical part of his brain said this was an incredibly stupid decision considering he’d never owned a pet before, nor did he know where to even start when it came to taking care of difficult cats. Fuck, he’d owe Shinsou something good in return for needing his help with this mess.

Just to drive the point home, Katsuki turned and said, “I swear to you as a Pro Hero that I won’t give her back to the shelter, even if she’s a total bitch of a cat who never likes me much.”

Well, apparently Miura couldn’t really argue with that or dare go against him swearing his whole career on it. He sighed and nodded. “No choice but to accept that kind of deal from Dynamight. Even if she’s difficult, she really is a pretty cat. Photogenic, too. But anyway, follow me back up front and we can fill out the paperwork.”

Katsuki sat down with the clipboard while the older lady from earlier was showing some cats to a couple down the hallway. As he wrote, he wondered again if this was the right thing to do before deciding that the “fuck it” philosophy was better for his own happiness than living with regret. If saving equated to winning, then adopting this asshole cat deserved a damn trophy.

When the paperwork was out of the way, he asked Miura what else he needed to do. “Well, you’ll need to bring a carrier so you can take her with you. We’ll provide a few freebies like food, some toys, stuff like that, but the rest is up to you,” he answered after taking back the clipboard. “You can pay the adoption fee now or wait until you come back to get her; I uh, don’t think anyone else will be running to beat you to the punch.”

It all sounded simple enough. He’d get Shinsou to give him a list of basic shit he’d need to buy… the main problem would be getting Snowball - he was definitely changing her name - back to his apartment. He’d seen the occasional small dog on trains before, but never paid attention to the rules since they never applied to him. Time to say “fuck it” and figure it out later.

“Oh, and Dynamight? As a favor, could I get your autograph for my daughter…?” Katsuki’s eye twitched, but figured he could indulge the guy and his kid considering Miura put up with an hour of questions.

He hurried back through the snow towards the train station, but was interrupted when he heard someone yell a few blocks away. “Perfect opportunity to warm up,” he growled with a wide grin before ripping off his gloves with his teeth and blasting his way towards the noise.

Less than five minutes later, the burglars were incapacitated, demoralized, and lightly charred. He was right about getting warmed up at least; he used to have trouble utilizing his quirk during the winter months, but years of training paid off and the cold barely slowed him down at all now.

While he waited for the cops to show up and haul the singed villains away, Katsuki pulled out his phone to shoot off a quick text. He hadn't expected to make a decision, nonetheless pick out a damn cat and sign the paperwork that day, but whatever. In all honesty, he actually felt excited to introduce a new element into his life.

His eye twitched, but he didn't expect anything else from Shinsou. At least he was certain that whatever he bought would be worth it since the insomniac obviously cared about the wellbeing and health of not just his own cats, but those that belonged to others as well.

Hearing sirens, he glanced up to see a few cop cars skidding to a halt in front of the group of dazed villains. “Time to actually get to work,” he said to himself as he waved to the officers thanking him before retracing his steps back to the train station.

Once on patrol for real this time, Katsuki and Mar rounded the corner of a tall office building - the top of it obscured by snowy low-hanging clouds - as he considered how and when to pick up his new four-legged roommate.

"Hey, kid," he said as his gauntlets swung at his sides. "What would you say to running an errand for me next week?" Ordering whatever Shinsou told him to buy online was probably the easiest solution compared to running around to different stores to find it all.

"What kind of errand? It must be something embarrassing since you normally like doing everything yourself," they said with an air of skepticism. "I don't have to like, pick up smelly foot cream or something-"

"Wh- NO IT'S NOT FOOT CREAM YOU BRAT!" Several people walking nearby stopped to stare at Dynamight yelling about foot cream in the middle of the snowy sidewalk, but he never cared about making a scene. Mar was apparently comfortable enough to jog away while covering their mouth to keep from laughing. "Nevermind, I'll do it myself! Smart mouthed little shit…"

After that, Mar tried and failed to get him to crack about the "errand", but it was too damn late; they had their chance and blew it. It was probably for the best since Mar would no doubt tell Kirishima, who would blab to everyone else, that he was adopting a fluffy white cat with an attitude problem.

Katsuki checked his phone when their patrol was finished to find that Shinsou had sent him a list just like he said he would. The guy even gave links to specific things; how nice. He wondered what kind of favor Shinsou was inevitably going to ask for in return.

"C'mon, just tell me, Bakugo-senpai!" Mar hadn't let up with the nagging even after returning to the office at the end of the day.

"No, now stop asking," he ordered while tightening the scarf around his neck. "You were right: I should just do it myself."

Mar proved they were definitely still a teenager by sighing loudly and laying their head on their desk. "I hate being out of the loop. Whatever it is, I could totally do-" Hearing the elevator ding, Mar turned their head to see Bakugo stepping past the threshold before turning around, smirking, and flicking them off before the doors shut in front of him. "He's totally keeping a secret… and I'm gonna find out what." They had a reputation of knowing all of the juicy information that came in and out of the office, after all.

Katsuki stared at his laptop screen and frowned at the total all of the cat supplies added up to in his digital cart. While it wasn't an exorbitant amount of money - he'd spent more on fancy knives and whetstones - he was still a miserly bastard. Cat food, litter, toys, scratching posts, brushes… it all added up. Like any other big life change, the upfront cost always hits the wallet hardest.

“At least Snowball will- fuck, I gotta change that name.” Contrary to what everyone else believed, he was the obvious king of coming up with the best nicknames, Hero names, insulting jabs, all of it. It would be difficult to come up with a name befitting his new pet without knowing much about her personality other than being too much of a pain for anyone else to handle, but a couple immediately came to mind. "If you're my cat, then you're gonna have a badass name."

Over the next week, packages gradually began trickling in and appearing in front of his apartment door by the time he returned home from patrol. For whatever reason, the online store shipped things out in waves rather than all at once, but maybe he’d feel less overwhelmed this way considering he had to rearrange some things to make it all work. For example, the scratching post Shinsou sent him was ugly as sin, so he bought a different one that fit his minimalist aesthetic better; well, as decently as a 125cm tall sisal-wrapped post could blend in, anyway.

He converted his unused spare bedroom/office into what he figured any smart cat would like. Cat tree in front of the window, a litter box in the corner and far away from where he could easily smell it, a bin of toys similar to those he saw in the cat café, and a soft bed. He even kept some of the empty shipping boxes since he read that cats might ignore all this fancy shit and sleep in a box. It looked like a decent setup for a cat entering a completely new environment. As he looked around, he clicked his tongue and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m really doing this, huh?”

What would you think of all this? Not that it mattered much since you’d never know any of this or meet his new fluffy roommate… but some tiny part of him still gave a damn about the opinion of someone who was - and still is - important to him. You’d probably call him an impulsive idiot before giving in with a soft smile. As he walked back down the hallway, that mental image had him smiling, too.

If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed these people were dealing with a deadly lion and not a housecat. “Aaaaaalright, now… just… hold still…”

Compared to figuring out how interior decorating worked with cat furniture, this seemed like the hardest part of this unfamiliar journey so far. Snowball was, true to what he’d been told, absolutely livid at the people trying to coax her out of her cage and into the dark gray carrier. She hissed and lashed out with her claws towards anyone who got a bit too close for comfort. “C’mon, I have shit to do and I know you don’t want to spend hours fighting a damn cat.”

“N-no, we don’t,” one of them said while looking down at the red, irritated scratches on their hand. “We normally have someone here with a quirk that helps calm down animals, but she got sick this week, so we’re kind of on our own… and Snowball does not want to cooperate.”

As much as Katsuki wanted to just grab her up and stuff her in the carrier, it probably wouldn't make a great second impression if he was going to try and placate her anger and distrust of people. It took three people fifteen minutes to finally get her into the carrier, all the while Katsuki wondered if he’d severely fucked up with adopting this particular cat on a whim motivated by instinct and the desire to prove that she wasn’t a lost cause.

When the drama was over, Miura finalized all of the paperwork and handed over her health records and a bag with some treats, a toy, and litter scoop for good measure. "Well, she's all yours. I can't really say I'm sad to see her go, but I am happy that you decided to give her a chance. Like I mentioned before, if she winds up back-"

"She won't." Katsuki cut the guy off with his gruff voice and a rigid look. "I don't go back on my word. I'm her problem now, not the other way around."

That got a laugh out of Miura before he wished Katsuki luck as he walked outside holding a crate full of pissed-off cat. While he could've taken the train, he figured that giving Snowball as few chances as possible to escape was probably the safest bet. Plus, all of the people crowded into it would annoy both of them. Taxi it was.

When one pulled up next to the curb and the back door opened, he maneuvered the crate into the far seat before climbing in after it. She hissed at being jostled around. "Oh, shut it," he mumbled before directing the driver back to his apartment building.

She was surprisingly quiet during the ride, choosing to scrunch as far back into the carrier as she could while glaring at Katsuki the entire time.

The plan was to keep her in the room with all of the shit he bought for the first few days before gradually opening up the rest of the apartment. Hell, it almost reminded him of winding up in your own home against his will, taken from familiarity and shoved into the alarmingly foreign. However, Snowball was getting a major home upgrade compared to a metal cage or roaming outside with ferals and strays while he had to sleep on a couch and wear the same pair of jeans for a month.

When the taxi pulled up to his building, Katsuki maneuvered himself and the carrier out of the car and hurried inside to get out of the cold weather.

"Welcome back Dynamight… oh? What's that?" Takahata greeted him from behind his desk like he always did before spying the carrier he was holding.

"My good samaritan duty for the next decade," he answered flatly while shaking snow flurries out of his hair and hurrying towards the elevator. "Also? You never saw me."

Taking the hint, Takahata nodded before returning to his warm tea and newspaper. Didn't picture him as a pet owner, but maybe it'll be good for him.

Snowball's restlessness at being in a cramped cage swelled while in the elevator as her shifting weight rocked it side to side. "Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't like being in a cage either, but deal with it for five more minutes."

After unlocking his door and disposing of his wet boots, he made his way down the hall and turned on the light in the unofficial Snowball room. With the carrier now sitting in the middle of the room, Katsuki left to grab his laptop and a protein bar before returning to the room and closing the door behind him.

His patrol wasn't for a few hours, so supervising this fluffy asshole to make sure she didn't wreck anything was probably a good idea. He'd been kidnapped, stabbed, sliced, bruised, broken, and everything in between. Figuring out cats sounded like a walk in the park by comparison.

"Alright," he said while kneeling down in front of the carrier just to hear her growl at him again. "Even though you're a cat, we actually have some shit in common. I know the people at the shelter said you're an asshole, but I'm an asshole, too. I'm… why the fuck am I talking to a cat." Running a hand down his face in embarrassment he was glad no one else witnessed, Katsuki unlocked the front door of the cage, sat against the wall with his computer, and waited.

It took about ten minutes before she set a single, tentative paw outside of the carrier. Her bright orange eyes remained trained on him like a hawk as she inched her way across the floor with her fluffy tail flicking in agitation and ears nearly flat against her head. From what he'd read, all that pointed to cautious and inflamed behavior.

He ignored her in favor of brainstorming for a name to replace Snowball, which was the exact wrong thing to do because she was, at that very moment, plotting his untimely demise.

A scratching noise made him look up only to see that she'd climbed to the top of the tall scratching post like a lion surveying its territory. She looked equal parts regal and like she was going to leap across the room to scratch his eyes out.

And then it hit him: the perfect name. A call back to his early beginnings as a reckless and violent teenager. If anyone thought it was dumb, they were so incredibly wrong.

"How's Princess Explosion Murder for a new name?"

All she did was glare, which was a good enough answer for him.

—----------------------

“How’s your brother?”

“Which one?”

With their busy and unpredictable schedules, it had been difficult to find time to meet up, but Katsuki and Todoroki managed to find about an hour of uninterrupted overlap in the back corner of a tiny noodle shop where they could meet and commiserate with familial frustration.

Katsuki glared while slurping his piping hot noodles. “The one that’s mentally stable - you know which one I mean,” he answered with mocking sarcasm.

Even in this frigid weather, Todoroki preferred his cold soba much to Katsuki’s distaste. “Ah. Touya’s doing as well as could be expected. He’s been locked up for almost eight years which isn’t ideal, but it’s better than the alternative.” It went without saying that the other option meant Touya’s miserable death for his villainous crimes. “He’s getting better every year, though. With what he went through, it’s just going to take time.”

Silence hung between them for a full minute before Todoroki changed the subject. “Are those scratches on your hand?"

His lips thinning, Katsuki brushed the other man off. "Tch, we get scuffed up all the time. It's nothin'."

Todoroki hummed before he continued his line of invasive questioning. "Do your parents know about what happened when you disappeared last year? Did you ever tell them the truth?”

That got Katsuki to snort, his nose wrinkling at such a laughable idea. “Not a chance. I could tell my old man, but he’d blab to the hag who would hound me for details that aren’t any of her damn business. Just last year, she bugged me about grandkids of all things; the last thing she needs to know about is how the only person I’ve had real feelings for is a fucking universe away. I can hear her now: Just my luck that my brat of a son is too difficult for anyone here to handle,” he imitated poorly with a sneer that probably made him look even more like his mother than he already did. Talking and joking about it made it all just a little easier to cope with.

When Todoroki said nothing, Katsuki analyzed the Hero sitting opposite him with his head tilted down over his bowl of cold soba. In all honesty, he’d been waiting for an opportunity to get either Todoroki or one of the other guys who knew the truth. Katsuki was as sure about some kind of secret being kept from him as he was confident in using his quirk; they knew something he didn’t, and if it involved him - which it probably did - then he was going to get to the bottom of it.

“You’re hiding something.” Blunt as always, Katsuki cut right to the chase to avoid wasting time neither of them had. Todoroki raised his eyes from his soba to stare unflinchingly across the table. Out of all his other friends, Todoroki always kept a level head on his shoulders even in uncomfortable situations.

“What do you mean?”

Leaning over the table, Katsuki nudged his half-empty bowl to the side. “I’m not dense and you know it. Even after I told you and the others what happened, you all still tip-toe around me as if you’re afraid to say something. So, what the hell is it?”

If he was surprised at Katsuki’s deductive reasoning and observation skills, he didn’t show it. But then again, Katsuki had always been confident in his ability to solve most problems and puzzles that stared him in the face. Brains, brawn, and a dazzling personality… well, two out of three wasn't bad.

Todoroki took another patient bite of noodles before answering in a cool, calm voice, "What if we are? If it was to your detriment, then we'd be bad friends. But if it's nothing harmful, then there's no reason for you to know right now."

"So you fucking admit to keeping secrets that specifically involved me." Todoroki was often just as forthright as Katsuki, but without the extra volume and disrespect. "Don't you think that I'm the best judge of what is or isn't important to me? And if it's so harmless, then why not get it over with and spit it out?"

Red eyes glared into cyan and gray, neither giving an inch, both determined to hold their ground. Katsuki felt entitled to anything they were planning or knew considering he eventually came clean about everything weighing him down nearly to the point of no return; couldn't the people he called "friends" give him the same courtesy?

Eventually, Todoroki slowly closed his eyes and lowered his chopsticks, shoulders sagging knowing that even if he kept his mouth shut today, Katsuki wouldn't let up until he gave a satisfactory answer. "Fine. I'll tell you. But know, this was supposed to be a surprise for you to cheer you up."

"You know I hate surprises," he retorted with a scoff and satisfactory smirk knowing his troublesome stubbornness won out before things got nasty.

"Midoriya, Kirishima and I talked after everything you told us that day. We wanted to do something to help you feel better, even though you seem to be doing alright for yourself now that it's been a while."

It better not involve another broken door, he considered silently before returning to his soba before it turned cold. It also made for the perfect distraction as his palms began to sweat with disquiet and impatience.

"You won't see the results of what we've planned for a while… but we hope it's worth it in the end." He lifted a hand to a passing waitress to get a refill on his water, Katsuki tapping his foot on the floor underneath their table. "We are planning a birthday party for you."

At first, Katsuki thought he heard wrong, eyes narrowing as he let out a, "Hah?!" You've gotta be kidding me. "Did you say birthday party? How fucking old are we? Why do you think I'd want a damn party?"

The waitress tried to ignore his raised voice while she refilled their glasses. "Thank you. And yes, I know it might seem out of place, but it seemed like a good idea. We've been contacting a few of our friends and old classmates as well, like Tokoyami, Cami, and Sato, who agreed to make a cake. You went through an order, and we thought it would be nice to do something for you. Of course, it was going to be a surprise, but I guess the cat's out of the pan now."

"It's out of the bag, dummy," Katsuki corrected as he tried to process the absolutely ridiculous story Todoroki just told him. He didn't even like parties! And it was his birthday, anyway, so he should be able to do whatever the hell he wanted… which meant barely acknowledging it at all like he did every year.

… But it was all for him though, right? These idiots wanted to give him something to celebrate instead of working through another birthday with little regard for celebrating. As much as he loved having all eyes on him and snatching attention away from others, sincere acts and words of validation just made him deflect like light shone on a mirror so he could remain in the shadow.

Scoffing, Katsuki's bottom lip poked out as he considered what to do. If he said he didn't want a damn party, then whatever work they had put into making an event he probably wouldn't hate would be wasted. On the other hand, if he let them continue with their plan, he had the sneaking suspicion that he would gain more than just cake and some cheesy cards.

Leaning back in his chair, Katsuki tilted his head as if trying to channel his teenage delinquent persona. "... You said Sato's gonna make a cake?" His lack of a sweet tooth was challenged by his old classmate's baking prowess and his homemade desserts were sorely missed by everyone when he moved up near Maebashi.

That got Todoroki to crack a small grin which Katsuki tried to ignore. "Yes. Though it's still several months out, with our unpredictable schedules and now with Uraraka and Midoriya expecting their first child, it will give us time to plan. We've all known each other for almost a decade, so at least have confidence that we will make it more than bearable."

"If you go through all this damn trouble and it ends up being lame, then you can only blame yourself." Getting a straight agreement out of Katsuki was never easy, but he didn't outright tell them to put a stop to this whole charade, either. After ruining that night out with Kaminari and the others, maybe one day dedicated to celebrating how far he'd come wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It was just a stupid party after all, even if he did still feel like there was something he wasn’t being told. Only a matter of time until he found out.

"Just don't admit that I told you. Kirishima and Midoriya want to keep this a secret," he said as he brushed his bi-colored ponytail off his shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, Katsuki drained the last of his water. "I'm not a blabbermouth like you three. With this much lead-up time, I'm expecting the fucking best; it's what I deserve."

Every word that Todoroki spoke was honest and true. All he did was leave out one very large detail: you.

____________

Welp, hope you enjoyed this extra fluffy chapter. I cut out some parts that I wanted to write, but i'm just tired of looking at this chapter and want to fucking post it already lkjadlfjsa

like i said, i'm gonna TRY to get ch 45 out on 4/20. it shouldn't be a long one, but it's an important one… one yall have no doubt been waiting for 🤩 if it's late, i appreciate your patience and understanding <3333

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#bnha x reader #mha x reader #bakugou x reader #bakugou katsuki x reaader #boku no hero x reader #my hero academia x reader #future fic #bnha fanfiction #mha imagines #bakugo katsuki #krbk #mha oc #bnha imagines

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wri0thesley · 4 years ago

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Nat😫😫😫 I'm just reading your naoya posts and I cant😫😫😫 why do I love this arrogant man😫 is it possible to write something of a connected fic to your arrangement story about how he feels jealous over a similarly docile reader (doesnt have to be connected if you dont want tho!!). like he hears about how the reader has been getting marriage proposals from other men since naoya hasnt given an affirmative to your family,,,, and now the reader is forced to consider other candidates (although she still cant atop thinking about our favourite princely asshole) and naoya cant handle this thought lol he deserves to know what angst and the pain of yearning tastes like😌 I hope this wasn't too confusing aaaa😭😭 I love your writing, and im glad youre in this jjk brain rot too🤧

patience - naoya x fem!reader (1.5k)

arrangement // patience // my jjk masterlist

warnings: naoya remains an asshole. submissive reader, arranged marriages, mentions of murder, talk of adultery. pining/angst. not sfw, minors dni!

naoya hates that he can’t stop thinking about you.

Naoya hates that he can’t stop thinking about you.

Oh, he’d meant it when he’d spat ‘pathetic’ and ‘useless’ and ‘worthless’ at you – your bloodline was unimpressive, your lack of cursed technique tragic, your clan elders absolutely idiotic for sending a nobody like you to tempt him. But . . . something about the look in your eyes, the meek little bow of your head, the way you’d listened to every one of his orders with a soft little gasp and a desire to follow them to the latter . . .

He hasn’t told your family that he’s not interested in you, but word gets around the jujutsu community when someone is looking for a spouse. After all, they’re determined to retain blood purity, to keep techniques in the bloodline – your family soon hear that Naoya is still considering all of his options. That other pretty young daughters from other bloodlines have been to see him.

(Naoya rejects them all, for frivolous reasons that he doesn’t want to admit are frivolous. He hadn’t liked the look in that one’s eyes. He didn’t want his children to inherit the colour of that one’s hair. That one had walked two steps behind him, not three--).

You haunt his thoughts. You and the bow of your head, the bite of your lip, the way you’d looked with tears brimming in your eyes. The suggestive curve of you beneath your kimono.

Ugh.

He hears, too, that your family have been exploring their other options. They’d seemed thrilled, at first, that Naoya hadn’t utterly swept you off the table – but six months have passed, and they want their daughter married and out of the house and fulfilling her duties.

He hears about your marriage proposals through that same grapevine. He hears that other men say you are pretty and quiet and obedient, that you will make a fine wife, that you will listen to commands and give soft smiles and raise children like you ought to--

And once, he smashes a glass from gripping it too hard as some nobody in the Kamo clan mentions that he’s going to ask your family for your hand in marriage.

You say no. He hears, too, that your elders are growing frustrated with your dismissals of proposals. They have left behind the thought of marrying you into the Zenin clan, but clearly you’re still clinging to the idea that Naoya might want you despite what he’d said.

He doesn’t, he tells himself, when he wraps his fist around his cock and pumps it and thinks about your look of surprise as his come splatters across your face.

He doesn’t, he tells himself, when he compares a young lady sent to entice him with you. When she looks him in the eye and he thinks that you would never do that, that you would keep your head bowed, that you’d be deferential as he needs you to be.

He doesn’t, he tells himself, as a servant cleans up the shards of glass that he shatters and he asks the Kamo clan member if perhaps he would like to spar, and he hits him just a little bit too hard so he ends up wheezing and doubled over on the training mats as Naoya stalks out of the room.

It’s not his style to pine. He has the pick of every eligible young lady in jujutsu society; he should not be hung up on such a worthless, pathetic little thing.

He hears of another proposal. This one, apparently, hasn’t been rejected straight-out – this one, you seem to be considering. Other members of the Zenin clan don’t understand why his jaw sets at the news.

“You didn’t want her, did you?” He asks. “You didn’t seem keen after the meeting.”

One of his other distant cousins, an upstart too big for his boots, grins.

“That was before she was hot property, though,” he leers at Naoya. “Our golden boy doesn’t like the idea of people coveting his trash--”

Naoya has struck him before he can think and stalked out of that room, too. Something about you has truly opened the can of worms that is Naoya’s violence, and he refuses to admit to himself that it’s because he wants you.

It’s not because you’re hot property – though, certainly, the way other men talk and laugh about you and the knowledge that you’re wanted serves to set a fire within him. It’s because he can’t stop thinking about you.

He tries courtesans. He chooses pretty, well-mannered ones who look a little like you – but their eyes when they look at him are glassy. They’re not the same as yours, brimming with life and want and confusion at the position you’ve found yourself in and the way your body responds to Naoya.

He doesn’t admit to his mistakes. He doesn’t think ‘I should have accepted the proposal, I should have joined the clans’ – instead, he thinks ‘I should have fucked them then and there. I should have made them scream my name until their reputation was ruined and everybody knew they came apart on my cock. It’s their fault that I can’t get them out of my brain.’

He walks with fists and teeth clenched and snaps at every servant who dare looks his way. Naoya has always been unpleasant, but he’s downright impossible with his spine in knots and his eyes narrowed.

He’s going to have to do it. He’s going to have to contact your family, ask for another audience, if only to get your fucking face out of his mind--

He’s not expecting to come across you before he’s even made the call, standing in one of the gardens of the Zenin estate. You’re wearing the same kimono you had first visited him in, and he hates that the sight of it makes a throb low in his belly as he remembers seeing it crumpled on his bedroom floor. He swallows as he stalks towards you and you turn, your pretty eyes widening – he sees the flash of memory, the flash of desire. He wonders if anybody would dare speak to him if he took you right here, in the garden--

An older man opens a door behind you.

Naoya recognises him only vaguely. The Zenin estate is swarming with various, less important Zenins; this one’s a great-uncle, perhaps? Or a cousin thrice removed? He’s someone unimportant in the grand scheme of things, save for the way that he walks up to you and wraps an arm around your waist.

“Ah,” the man with his hands on Naoya’s property says. “I see you’ve met my betrothed.”

His heart stops cold. He’s nobody. Unimportant. Nothing.

He’d called you the same thing; an ‘act of charity’. So why does the sight of an arm around you attached to a man too old and not powerful enough to be a threat make Naoya feel like he’s chewing rocks? Naoya manages to spit out a;

“Congratulations.”

“Yes,” the old man (great cousin? Naoya doesn’t make a habit to remember people he can’t use later on) says, pulling you closer, groping at your hip through the kimono as you keep a sedate, smile on your face without looking directly into Naoya’s eyes. “You’ll be seeing her around a lot. I hope she didn’t bother you.” A squeeze to your ass, this time, shameless. “Say hello to the future leader of the clan, sweetheart.”

(At least this man’s on Naoya’s side, he tries to console himself, but it doesn’t work.)

“H-hello, sir,” you say, and your voice is as tremulous as he remembers it. His cock stirs. He hates this.

“Sorry to bother you,” he inclines his head politely and tugs on your arm, pulling you away, leaving Naoya kissing his teeth and trying to not simply slit the man’s throat with the knife in his hakama and take you for his own.

What had the scum said? ‘You’ll be seeing her around a lot’. He supposes, then, that you’ll be sequestered in one of the other chambers in the Zenin estate--

A slow smile spreads across his face.

You wouldn’t say ‘no’ to your clan leader, would you? And . . . your future husband is old. Any Zenin is a Zenin, is it not? Even if a son is born with Naoya’s features, Naoya’s technique . . . nobody would say anything to him about it. And you’re in reach. Close to him.

He only needs to get you alone before the wedding to make sure he gets to take your maidenhead. He hates the thought of another man’s filthy hands on you, but accidents happen all of the time--

And then you’ll be a widow. You won’t be expected to marry for a while. And if you’ve already borne fruit and proved yourself – perhaps Naoya will even play the chivalrous leader and lower himself to take you for his own.

Yes. Just a little patience.

This is an arrangement he can get behind.

#naoya x reader #naoya zenin x reader #naoya smut #naoya zenin smut #not sfw #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #writing #afab reader #fem pronouns #arranged marriage for ts #misogyny for ts #Anonymous

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ignyxdaughter · 3 years ago

Text

𝐈𝐗 - 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒

(𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 / 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐤𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐨𝐯𝐚 𝐱 𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧)

READ ON WATTPAD

MASTERLIST

A/N: Hey guys! I'm so, so sorry for the delay. I tried my best to post the chapter as soon as possible, but my days were very turbulent. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it💕

summary: Katherine and Genya have a serious talk. Hope plans to make Agatha meet Nick without the hybrid knowing he’s actually her twin brother.

word count: 2840

warnings: none

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Besides having a terrible night of sleep and no breakfast, Katherine had to endure a headache and the loud chatter of the other handmaidens. Moreover: there were no news from her shadows or her cousins about Agatha or Ravka itself.

But what is truly testing the witch's patience is the Corporalki that keeps following her since yesterday. She was heading to the library when she saw from the corner of her eyes a male figure following her. As a test, the woman decided to wander around the Little Palace to make sure if the man did follow her. She had to hold a scoff when he turned for the third time the same hallway as her.

She didn't have the chance to go to the library yesterday due to this. Katherine is being watched, yet she doesn't know if the Heartrender man is the only "spy". It's clear that he's following orders, since the Darkling saw her on his chambers. The witch must admit she was utterly surprised for not getting punished by the General, though she must've thought he wouldn't let this go. Of course the Shadow Summoner would — and should — do anything in his power to know what a servant was doing on his rooms. However, it's a bit disappointing to see such a poor spying. It's almost funny to watch Grishas trying to stalk a poor handmaiden without knowing she's a powerful witch.

Oh, how they underestimate her.

Katherine gasps at the sudden cold wetness on her chest. She looks down at the soaked white blouse, her rage doubling in size and her jaw clenching to not scream at the idiot who's done this.

"Ms. Anya!" Of course it had to be the lightscum, she thought.

"I'm so, so sorry!" Alina put her own kefta on the woman's blouse in an attempt to dry it. "I was— Well, Genya was—" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I took the jar from her and tripped on the corner of the table. You know how this fancy mobiles are—"

"Enough." The Sun Summoner shuts her mouth immediately, an unsaid warning in the coldness of Katherine's voice.

"I didn't mean it."

The handmaiden takes a deep breath to not say something she might regret. "I know. Just give me a towel and I'll fix this."

Before she could blink, Alina was by her side with a towel. The woman takes it without thanking her and begins to dry her blouse a little. The room stayed in an unpleasant silence for some minutes until Genya decided to break it: "You have to meet Baghra now, Alina."

"But—"

"The Heartrenders will escort you." She nods to the men on the doorway.

Alina faces Katherine again, whose eyes were at the soaked blouse. She's been trying to gain her respect — or at least earn a smile from her — since they were introduced, but she's been failing miserably. The Sun Summoner felt on day one that she annoys the woman; it's clear due to the indifferent expressions towards her. Unlike many servants, Ms. Anya doesn't talk to Alina unless she asks something, and is never entertained by her clumsiness, jokes or lack of knowledge.

Genya noticed that too. She'd even tried to have a conversation with Ms. Anya, but a blonde handmaiden entered on her way and had the chance to talk to the brunette first.

"She doesn't deserve this." The Tailor suddenly says.

Katherine still tries to dry her blouse. "What?"

"Your harshness. You're too cold to her."

She finally looks up, a frown on her face. "I answer all of her questions. If I were cold or impolite, as you're implying, I'd always ignore her."

"But you don't talk to her."

"Of course. I was not hired for that."

It takes everything in Genya to not roll her eyes. "Alina's suffered enough on her life. She's a wonderful person, and I'm sure she'll be happy to see you as a friend."

Katherine scoffs. "You just want me as her friend to ease the disappointment she'll soon feel."

The Tailor frowns, though her stomach twists in nervousness. Unfortunately, it is true. One of the reasons she wants Ms. Anya to befriend Alina is for the latter forget Genya when she enters the Second Army as a real soldier. It'll be painful to lose the Sun Summoner friendship, but it's a sacrifice she's ready to make if it means to be seen as a true Grisha.

"What do you mean?"

"The letters to Mal, of course. You didn't send them."

The redhead's heart sinks in fear. Fear of her to tell Alina and ruining her chances on the Second Army. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're a good liar... for those who doesn't see. Unfortunately for you, I see and know everything."

"I'll then repeat what I've said." She approaches the servant, close enough to seem threatening. "I. Don't. Know. What. You're. Talking. About."

Katherine raises an eyebrow, but nods. However, the Grisha doesn't see the slight quivering on her lips. But how could she? Just close friends or older people are able to notice Katherine's lies. Moreover, you can count on the fingers how many had discovered her plans before their execution.

It's difficult to catch a handler, especially, The Handler.

"Don't worry, Genya. Your secret is safe with me." She calmly walks to the door, but stops to face the Tailor again. "You'll be a terrific soldier."

────────── ★ ★ ★ ──────────

"Celtic Rituals", a female voice makes Agatha look up from the book she's reading. "You're as curious as you seem."

Her dark brown eyes widen when she sees Veronika with a warm smile. However, they widen even more at the realization that the redhead read the book cover, which means she knows Norse runes. Of course Agatha suspected since the beginning that Veronika wasn't truly what she says. If you take a quick glance, she's just an ordinary girl, but if you take a close look, you see that she's full of secrets, secrets that Agatha wants to discover. After all, the ginger woman seems familiar to her. Maybe she was part of her past.

"You know Norse runes, werewolves and Halloween. What more?"

She shrugs. "Uncountable things, though I'm not my family's brain."

Agatha chuckles. "There's someone smarter than you in your family?" She nods. "They must be a genius then."

"She is. Now—", the redhead approaches the dark skinned woman "why are you reading that?"

She pouts. "Knowledge. Curiosity. Attempt to unlock a memory. Take a pick."

Hope's heart clenches. Her cousin's trying to discover her past again and she can't help. If she does, the spell they'll do can affect Agatha's memory and that's not a risk any Mikaelson's willing take. Agatha has to remember naturally as much as possible.

Katherine's reading some books of the Little Palace's library, Levi and Nick are searching around Os Alta after some wizards, Michelle's paying attention on every corner of the palaces in hope of getting something useful. Unfortunately for Hope, she's just the bridge that links Agatha to her cousins. She can't do any research far from the Grishas. However, she can manipulate Agatha to remind things by mentioning tips of her past.

That lights a candle on Hope's brain, an idea popping in it. The ginger looks at Agatha again, seeing the similarities with her brother. It's impossible to look at the two and not notice they're siblings. So why not arranging a meet between them? Agatha could remember something if she sees Nick. The only thing she can't tell Agatha is his real name.

"You know, I feel kind today, so I'll tell you something."

She faces Hope with a frown. "What?"

The redhead analyzes the library to see if anyone's looking at them, then she leans forward and whispers on Agatha's ear: "There's a man that knows some things about the Supernatural community. Maybe he can help you."

"Who is it?"

"His name's Konstantin." She looks at her cousin deep in her eyes. "I can arrange a meeting, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone."

Agatha nods. "I promise. I need to know some things about myself, Veronika."

Hope gives her a sad smile. "I know, and that's why I'm helping you. I'll tell you the arranged place and time if I got the meeting. After all, he's a busy man."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Power busy people, darling."

The hybrid chuckles. "Thank you, Veronika. Really."

"Trust me, you don't have to thank me."

────────── ★ ★ ★ ──────────

Agatha's nervous. She's never been in Os Alta before, her only memories of Ravka are the palaces. A few friends invited her one day to go to the city, but she refused, wanting to read instead. However, the woman doubts those Grishas went to where she is now, the poorest part of Os Alta — though it doesn't seem that poor.

She looks at the bar Veronika told her. The placard is in Latin, which is an unusual language to be, but the writing bellow the bar's name is in Ravkan.

PRAECANTRIX

drinks, food and a lot of fun

"You own me one, Veronika", Agatha mutters before pulling the door open.

The environment is turbulent. A woman and a man play together an hectic song on the violin and there's a bet table on the darkest corner. There're waiters trying to not drop the drinks on the tray, some people relaxing after a long day while others are drunk or high, talking and singing with themselves. There're also couples on the dance floor shamelessly making out, kissing each others necks too, which will certainly leave hickeys. In every way possible, this is the opposite of the two palaces.

"He's there", a waiter stops in front of Agatha to point at the man on an empty table, away from the noise, but near enough to see everything.

The hybrid walks towards him, but stops when he faces her. All of her body freezes, including the heartbeats a the air on the lungs, a shivering runs through her spine, sending goosebumps all over her skin. For a minute, Agatha thought of poking herself to stop whatever dream she's having, but soon enough she realized that this is reality.

This is happening. But how?

The man is a male version of her. The same dark skin and brown eyes, tall with muscles and a defined jaw. Although his black hair is shaved, she's sure it'll appear curls like hers if he let it grow. Agatha's gaze finally pauses on the man's throat, where a huge scar lands. It seems made by a clawed animal — a wolf —, which must've almost ripped his throat apart.

Agatha has one like that on her chest. She'd saw it one day on the mirror and had tried to remember where did she get that. Her shot's that it was a wolf.

Maybe this man knows what scarred her like this.

"Ho— Veronika told me you were wanting answers." He says, trying not to be dragged by his emotions. After all, it's not easy to see your twin, pretend you don't know them and don't talk about the past.

Agatha sits in front of him. "What's with the scar?" Her eyes widen and heat flows on her cheeks after realizing she's said that out loud. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The man chuckles, his eyes still on hers. "Wolf."

I knew it! "For your comfort, I have one too." She pulls the shirt's collar to show her scarred chest. "But I don't know what caused it."

He smirks. "It may be from a wolf too."

"Yeah." She clears her throat. "Where are you from, Konstantin?"

"United States", he takes a sip of his kvas. "Louisiana."

"I think I'm from there too! I mean, America."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My thoughts are all in American english, so it'd make sense to be from there."

Konstantin smiles, and for some reason Agatha mirrors him. The man tells her everything about his city, New Orleans: its beauty, history and legacy, cultural habits, how alliances between people are important... The woman listens to every part with a smile, her heart warming at the man's passion for the place. It must be a dream to live there.

"And the French Quarter... Ah!" He sighs with love.

Agatha curiously nods, eager to know as much as possible. "Tell me!"

"There's music everywhere. It's the most awesome part of New Orleans. You know why?" She shakes her head. "Because the Supernaturals' own it."

The woman almost spills her kvas. "What?!"

He chuckles at her shock. "It's exactly what you've heard."

"No way! This is... This is insane!"

Konstantin smiles. "Each part of the French Quarter belongs to a species. Only the main streets are everyone's, where there're goods from all kinds."

"There are no humans there?"

"Of course there are, but they don't know they're minority. There was a time when New Orleans attracted hunters, who tried to capture and torture Supernaturals for information." He sighs and faces her. "A lot of people died, Agatha, but they didn't want to give up the city. It was everything they've ever knew."

"And what happened?"

"The Supernaturals spread the word to the nearest covens, saying New Orleans would welcome everyone. If they couldn't stop the hunters to come, then they would outnumber them."

"Did it work?"

His smirk is devious. "Every hunter that stepped on there was mysteriously vanished. After a while, they stopped appearing." Agatha's jaw dropped. "A few humans went there to find a vampire or something, but when they left the city unharmed, people started to believe the Supernaturals are myths."

"So you use this on your favor to live in peace." Konstantin nods. "That's unbelievable! Amazing!"

His smile reach his eyes, not because Agatha found that fantastic, but due to the time he's spending with his sister. Nick can't describe the feeling of seeing and speaking to his twin again. It is as if he was finally in peace, the thoughts of her being in danger gone... for a while.

"You know, we celebrate Halloween there, if you want to go."

Agatha's dark brown eyes shine. "I'd love to. It must be the most mesmerizing celebration."

"I assure you it is." His heart clenches at the memories of them eating sweets and trying to scare their mothers. "We light candles all over the streets, make arts on pumpkins, pray for the living and dead world, eat candies... But the most fantastic thing of Halloween is that we can be ourselves without fear, is the only night we can use our powers wherever we want."

"Veronika told me that."

He gives her a sad smile, fighting the tears threatening to leave his eyes. "I know."

Agatha finally stand up. "I gotta go. Thank you, Konstantin. It was really nice to meet you."

He follows her movements and stay face to face with her. "I loved meeting you too, Agatha."

"Can we see each other again? I wanna know more about the Supernatural."

"Sure."

The woman is surprised when the man suddenly hugs her, yet she retributes it. Something on her tells to never let him go, no matter what. Maybe Konstantin will be an important person on her life. It's a weird thought though, since she's just met the man, but she embraces the feeling. The man made her feel good after a long time, she was relaxed while talking and listening to him, her focus was just on him, it was as if there was no one else in the world but them.

Agatha must be mad, however, she's sure a strong connection was built the moment he hugged her.

"The moon is the key to everything", Konstantin says after separating them. "Don't hold your instincts while talking to it."

She nods. "I won't."

When the woman leaves the bar, heading to the Little Palace, Nick throws himself at a chair. He looks at the dance floor, where a few vampires drink blood from some humans' necks, then at the couple playing a fae song on the violin. Finally, he gazes the table on the darkest corner of the bar. People usually confuse it with a bet table, but he and all of Ravka's Supernaturals know that it's a tarot table, where witches read the tarot cards to predict the future.

Ravka is not only full of Grishas, with their small science. There are Supernaturals, full of magic, too. They don't practice their merzost in public, of course, but the little actions are the proof that they don't follow any "main" traditions. For example, everything in this poor area is in Latin, the universal language of magic.

A werewolf waiter comes to recoil the cups of kvas on Nick's table, and without facing her, he says: "Give me a bottle of vodka, please. I need something strong."

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A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!

#long live the soverenyis #darkling fanfiction #darkling shadow and bone #the darkling #darkling x oc #the darkling x reader #darklingxreader #general kirigan #general kirigan x oc #general kirigan x reader #aleksander morozova #aleksander morozova x oc #aleksander morozova x reader #shadow and bone netflix #six of crows #the vampire diaries #the originals #legacies #the mikaelsons

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lovee-infected · 4 years ago

Note

Your character analysis posts are really accurate! I like how you want to show that a character is a lot more than they show. It kind of angers me that there are people who headcanon the boys as something they're not, or they saying that they're this one personality trait only. What other characters from twisted get mischaracterized, at least in ur opinion?

THANK THANKK !! XD

I really enjoy going into depths of characters' personalities because damn- there were some big brains behind their creations!

This question was rather important so I couldn't decide on any specific characters to talk about, so I decided to list all of the twst characters and how they'd often get mischaracterized.

Mischaracterization isn't bound to twst fandom because as long as a there's a fandom, fanon interpretations of characters exist.

Almost any character in any fandom can be mischaracterized at some point, but it isn't always that noticable or important. Mischaracterization often becomes noticable when pretty different interpretations of rather 'popular' characters exist within a fandom, which causes many to argue over what the correct interpretation is.

For now, I'm dividing all of twst characters into "5 groups" to explain how each of them might often get mischaracterized.

Group A: Complex personalities

It's simple, these characters can be quite hard to understand. It's either because of having too many features at the same time, which makes them quite hard to read because we'll need to achieve a balance between all of their different personality aspects, or being quite secretive and mysterious which awfully bounds our knowledge regarding these characters and their personalities.

•Malleus Draconia: We previously talked about Malleus; the main reason of him getting mischaracterized is having plenty of spine-chilling features while having considerably childish and innocent hobbies at the same time. This opposition often makes it hard to decide on what the cannon Malleus is like, because it can hard to choose one between his darker side and softer side. What we need in order to achieve a rather cannon interpretation of Malleus, is a balance. Just as I previously said: Malleus isn't a baby, but he isn't a monster either.

•Lilia Vanrouge: Even without going into depths, you can tell that Lilia's personality is complicated as hell. Though I can't really tell that he's being Mischaracterized because the cannon Lilia himself can switch into a totally different personality in a matter of second, one moment he's a 90+ year old father trying to lead his children into he right path, one moment he's an unraveled neon teenager playing the ear-scrathing heavy metal with that guitar of his, and the other second he's an absolute monster which can creep the heck out of you with a simple "Boo". Lilia can also get plenty of different personalities through fanon interpretations:Yandere Lilia/Vampire fae/ Papa Lilia/ Daddy Vanrouge many other details which I can't go through now,but let me just say: A Lilia analysis would be rather long, and interesting one.

•Jade Leech: Speaking of reading characters, better know that this mister eel Leech is an absolutely tough one. You'll never know what he's hiding behind that friendly yet evil smile, or what intentions might be behind his extreme will to play the role of the butler and help everyone out. Understanding this Sebastian Michaelis complex is an absolute challenge and this is probably one of the things that makes him so Interesting, you always know that he's hiding something dark on the inside, yet you can't really tell what it is.

•Cater Diamond: This might be rather hard to notice, but there's a lot about Cater which is left untold. Despite his sweet and positive appearance, his personality is actually a bitter-sweet complex of too many emotions and a pretty well-written background. The amount of info found through his voice lines and personal stories is rather amazing as if you're reading a real boy's life story! But this amount of detail and considerably dark aspects of his personality can make it really hard to understand what's going on in this mysterious mind; especially because of how he seems to be hiding a second face under that friendly smile.

•Jamil Viper: Jamil can be quite hard to read. He isn't really emotional and hardly ever expresses his true feelings. Even NRC students agree that he can be quite a mystery, from his past life and daily struggles to how many of his true feelings and intentions remained a secret until chapter 4. Jamil is a complex of pain, power, hatred and patience. His background is perfect example of a villainous story and how a child can grow to be a villain, which is quite interesting! Jamil's story is worthy of a detailed analysis and some time for all of us to understand what this guy has been going through.

•Rook Hunt: We often tend to know him as Pomefiore's "dramatic stalker", and he surely is! The fanon interpretation of Rook doesn't usually go against his cannon interpretation (Expect for the times that people get salty over his appearance or attitude- Which leads to the creation of countless Rook memes-) While it's true that he's more than just a French stalker, it can be hard to talk about anything else when it comes to Rook, because the cannon Rook tends to hide a lot about himself, leaving us with a considerable lack of useful information to use. He really got us all there, huh? Even as he's a fictional character and we're living in real life- he tends to control what we know and think of him-

characters that can also belong to this group: Leona Kingscholar, Idia Shroud, Vil Schoenheit , Floyd Leech

Group B: Ignoring important features:

This group can get easily mischaracterized, mainly because each and every of them has an specific feature that really makes them stand out. (Ex: Riddle's short temper, Azul's soft and sensitive side, Sebek's obsession with Malleus,...) But paying to much attention to that one specific feature often leads to ignoring everything else about their personalities, and gives them a pretty simple and fanon interpretation which can sometimes be the total opposite of the detailed and cannon one.

•Azul Ashengrotto: Azul's fanon picture had an extreme change after chapter 3, mainly because of how his background and breakable side was revealed; the cruel and heartless mafia boss turned into the soft and emotional baby. This sudden change in perspective stole the hearts of many fans and the fandom in general came to appreciate Azul even more, but at some point it caused his most important feature to be forgotten: Azul tends to be strict about hiding that sensitive side of his, so the Azul we get to see in general is the fearful picture of the mastermind who's taken the magics of many away, not that baby Octopus who used to cry whenever other kids bullied him because he was different. Getting to know his background and true feelings made us forget about his professional and strict side which is indeed the most important side of his personality!

•Idia Shroud: Baby boy, soft child, sweet tooth cutie, pretty little emo,...and hundreds of other nicknames to appreciate Idia and his iconic nature. But in contrast to what many assume based on his appearance and social anxiety, Idia is way different from just a shy yet adorable nerd; this guy is seriously hiding some evil inside. If you go through his stories and get to the points where he's thinking with himself, you'll see how different he can be. While he can't really get to tell these properly through his main lines, you can find him secretly insulting and nagging at how annoying some people are several times. It isn't just about being shy, Idia obviously dislikes many of the people around him. Focusing on his social anxiety and awkwardness causes us to forget how different he is when he isn't forced into a face-to-face conversation, also note that there are many thoughts going through this guy's brain that you probably hadn't thought of.

•Floyd Leech: While Jade's personality is obviously a pretty complicated one, Floyd's character is even more confusing because of his playfulness and seemingly childish manners. But it's important to remember that deep inside, floyd is just as mysterious as his brother. Describing Floyd as childish and dumb is equal to falling into Yana's trap, because Floyd is designed as an extremely smart and somewhat of sadistic character. It's so important to know that he's way more than just a chaotic eel or an playful idiot, Floyd literally has anything needed to be ranked among the most dangerous characters of the game, his personality along side his magic and genius can be quite deadly.

•Sebek Zigvolt: To be honest, many of us are just doing him dirty. Look, it's true that Sebek's often caught praising and talking about Malleus but please do not forget that Sebek as well has got his very own personality! Associating Malleus with whatever he says or does (especially through fanfictions) is somehow fading his character because most of the things I get to read or hear about him involves Malleus. Come on! This is Sebek that we're talking about, not Malleus! I understand that talking about Malleus is legit something he often does but while you're writing a fanfic, please remember that Sebek has got hundreds of features and personality manners to talk about other than talking about his "Waka sama". So instead of just focusing on his Malleus appreciation habit, try to get to know his very own features and personality! In many of fanon interpretations, Sebek is bound to doing nothing but talking about Malleus and only him which is pretty unfair! We should all take some time to talk about Sebek himself, not his obsession with Lilia or Malleus.

•Riddle Rosehearts: I understand where this is coming from, but I want to see something more than an angry Riddle shouting and screaming about the importance of rules and harshly forcing others into following them whenever I read something that involves Riddle. I see how being angry and turning as red as a tomato is his rather famous feature but we shouldn't ignore everything else about hum because of it. Other than his background and mentionable talents and abilities as the greatest dorm leader Heartslabyul's history, keep this in mind that Riddle did decide to try and change his way of leadership and reduce his obsession with rules after his overblot.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Vil Schoenheit, Rook Hunt, Kalim Al Asim, Silver, Epel Felmier

Group C: Ignorance/Lack of information

The reason with this group is obvious, we need to talk about them more often! While they're all great characters with interesting designs and personalities, it's somehow rare to see anyone doing a proper analysis of their characters, either because of not going through their details or stories, or even going through them but not finding anything special.

•Ace Trappola: Both Deuce and Ace are characters who have appeared through all of the chapters so far, which means that we've had the chance to get to know them better than any other character in the game! But their fanon interpretations are pretty simple and sometimes, boring. Most of us don't even realize that we're mischaracterizing them-! I often see them being pictured as either stupid or loud and troublesome. Ace for example, got a really strong plot about how he'd go through a relationship and his past experience in the ghost marriage, which can be a strong guide to how we should picture Ace in reader inserts, but sadly we're just sticking to fanon interpretations and don't give his personality the detail and cannon depth he deserves. Let's note that he can be quite evil, smart, logical and unpredictable too at the time.

•Deuce Spade: Deuce's case is pretty similar to Ace. I'm not saying that he's a totally different one from how the fandom is characterizing him, but come on, Deuce isn't just a chicken dummy! We've learned a lot about his relationship with his mother, his past life, his relationship with his close friends, his hobbies and his will to become a great magician so there's a lot we can say about him! Instead of just sticking to his clumsiness and sometimes, stupidity it's better to consider those features and details to describe him. Not only will it make us have more of a cannon interpretation on Deuce, but it'll also inspire us to create newer and more creative content for him!

•Silver: Look, while many of us love this sleepy guy, we need to understand that he isn't just a sleeping beauty or Lilia's cute son! Let's admit something, we're facing a lack of Silver content and even as we go through most of the existing Silver fanfics and content, it either has something to do with his sleeping issues or his relationship with idia, maybe some arguments with Sebek as well but it's rare to see anyone talking about anything else than these when it comes to Silver. His relationship with Lilia and Malleus, he way he appears in others' side stories, how he handles his tasks and the way Malleus and Lilia describe him is telling us that there's a LOT about him which we often ignore!

•Trey Clover: It's true that the cannon Trey isn't that different from the fanon one, but I can tell that the fanon Trey lacks quite a few of the cannon features. We're giving him a rather solid and sometimes boring personality of Heartslabyul's calm and collected mum who treats everyone nicely regardless of how reckless or annoying or rebellious they are. But the real Trey does express annoyance and uncomfortablitiy from time to time, he can even be quite sarcastic. If you come to get a close look, you'll see that Trey isn't always as nice as he seems to be.

•Ruggie Bucchi: I genuinely adore Ruggie's personality design, especially how he mostly comes of as a mysterious troublemaker but at the same time, he's being a tiny family man on the inside. Watching how he can be quite reckless toward other students in NRC (especially the first years) and on the other hand, be a pretty caring and protective sibling who really loves and cares about his poor family and is working his hardest to support them really brings the tears of joy to my eyes. Ruggie's story has got a lot to tell and this interesting design and personality really deserves more attention and supporters!

•Jack Howl: It's true that Jack doesn't really get mischaracterized , but he deserves to be talked about more often! Most of the fandom captured his personality really good and I can feel his tsundere-ish and protective vibes through most of the fanfics that involve him. He's got a rather calm and collected nature which gives him a more balanced personality compared to the rest of the characters, and can make it easier to understand the cannon Jack. He used to get really mischaracterized back in twst's pre-release, but after the game was released and we got to know the cannon Jack, most of those misunderstandings were solved. Perhaps the only thing that I wish to mentioned more often are the adorable details and his background, especially his relationship with his family and siblings.

Characters that can also belong to his group: Silver, Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola, Rook Hunt

Group D: The healing type (Iyashikei)

Look, the cannon interpretation isn't always the happiest or the sweetest. This group usually get mischaracterized because their fanon interpretation is presenting something better, something that more fans would accept and love. 'Softening extremely dark and unapproachable personalities' or 'spreading adorable and wholesome headcanons' are two common ways of the healing type. Characters with extremely bitter personalities usually belong to this group, because their stories can be too sad for the fandom, so many decide to go for a softer yet untrue way of characterizing them, which is sometimes good but going too far with the softening process often leads to creating a character that's nothing like the original.

•Leona Kingscholar: While I was working on my Leona analysis, I came to understand why some fans prefer the fanon Leona over the cannon Leona. Cannon Leona is quite dark and unapproachable, and you'll find his background and personality in general quite painful and sometimes depressing if you try to study the cannon Leona. Within all of the twst characters, he's got the darkest design therefore it can be quite hard for fans to accept his cannon interpretation. That's why some try to give him more of an affectionate and soft nature to make his personality seem less painful to go through. This sometimes create a totally wrong interpretation that goes against everything that the cannon Leona is, but at the same time many fans agree that cannon Leona on the other hand is just too dark to accept. We can tell that this fandom's favorite Leona is a balance of cannon and fanon Leonas, something neither too dark nor to childish and wholesome.

•Ortho Shroud: There isn't much we know about Ortho and his background, and I can't say that he's being directly mischaracterized either. Sometimes all we have to use in order to capture his personality are the fan- theories, which can really complicate stuff. Best way to know him is by paying enough of attention to his voice lines and hidden details, but it can end up being quite dark if you dig too deep- His background with Idia isn't directly mentioned but there are some dark details hiding through the story that can seem quite scary when you actually think about them, therefore many of the fans decide to ignore those details, and since there isn't much of Ortho content (mostly fanfiction) either, many (including me) decided not to mention anything about those dark aspects...

•Epel Felmier: Cannon Epel is quite different from the fanon Epel. Not saying that Epel is a meanie because he surely does have pretty cute and adorable aspects but the cannon can Epel can be quite reckless, mean and rude at the time while the fanon Epel is always described as a shy, cute boy(which is exactly what the cannon Epel hates to be described as). Going through his ghost marriage stories and voice lines, we can realize that Epel's rather bad with romance, and for now, he doesn't really seem to be interested in any love-related issues either. Writing reader inserts especially can be really hard if you're going to stick with the cannon Epel, therefore many choose to use the fanon Epel instead, a cuter and softer Epel who's quite acceptive and approval of being in love. A considerable majority of fans prefer this soft and cuter Epel, and this is why Epel mostly gets mischaracterized in reader inserts.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Malleus Draconia, Azul Ashengrotto, Cater Diamond, Ace Trappola, Lilia Vanrouge

Group E: Mischaracterized on main

Spreading false headcanons, not paying enough of attention to official details and simplifying complicated personalities are often counted as general ways of mischaracterization. Unlike the previous groups, this group doesn't really have a proper excuse for their mischaracterization, especially as we see some fans are being attacked and offended by some who tend mischaracterize characters in this way.

•Vil Schoenheit: We previously talked about Vil and how there's a pile of wrong information about him spread all over the fandom, from the one saying that he's trans and his pronouns are she/her (Many fans were attacked and forced to use She/Her for Vil) to the ones that are picturing him as a selfish character who cares about no one but his very own beauty, and is bullying Epel just because he envies Epel for being more beautiful than him. Look, regarding his relationship with Epel I must say that he's trying is hardest to make Epel be more mindful of his appearance and manners, he cares to help each and every around him look their best and isn't just focusing on his very own beauty. I meant to add him in group B because how many consider him to be obsessed with beauty and ignore everything else about him like his remarkable skills in leadership and other abilities in general, but considering the great amount of wrong information that is being spread around the fandom and is causing misunderstandings and arguments, I thought it'd be better to put him in this group.

•Kalim al asim: One sentence, four words: He is NOT stupid! While I insist that everyone in the fandom is free to have their personal interpretation and ideas regarding the characters and their personalities, keep this is mind that it's okay as long as it doesn't offend anyone else! How does it feel when Kalim stans are just watching others making fun of their favorite and calling him useless and stupid? Even worse, how does it feel when they're being told reckless stuff like: "Hey, you know that your favorite is the dumbest character in the game?" Let me clear 3 points right here: 1)Even if one's favorite is stupid, you do not have the right to insult them because of it even if you mean it as a joke 2)Nope Kalim is not stupid, generosity and caring for everyone around him with genuine kindness makes him a good and pure person, not a stupid one. 3) People who are saying that he's stupid because of not doing that great in school are just as funny as those who told all of us that you won't be any successful if you don't get good grades in exams. Lmao, dude this is the 21st century.

Characters that can also belong to this group: Floyd Leech, Epel Felmier

Well, I guess that's all? I couldn't talk much about any of them otherwise this would've gotten too long- So I just put a small intro of how each of the boys often gets mischaracterized instead. Okay it's awfully late lol I leave this now-

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