#and this random hero is just having to witness these idiots bickering

[farshootergotme]

Occasionally I picture Nightwing calling Red Hood "little wing" in front of others and people looking between this huge, 6'0 feet tall man with growing white hair, and then Nightwing, a shorter man who has flawless skin, probably around his 20's, and a fit but not too buff build and they just- don't know what's happening. Is it some kind of inside joke they aren't aware of? Why is Nightwing acting as if he's years older than Red-fucking jacked-Hood?

Nightwing: Little wing, you actually were decent in that fight! I'm impressed.

Hero, who was helping during this fight as well, listening in to the conversation: little...?

Red Hood: Wow, feeling very appreciated right now. Got any other backhanded compliments in there?

Hero: Wait, excuse me-

Nightwing: As a matter of fact-

Red Hood: Nope! I'm outta here. Screw you!

Nightwing: You know you love me!

Red Hood: In your dreams, dickhead!

Nightwing: Hey! We don't use that-

Red Hood: Not listening!

Nightwing: Jeez, kids these days...

Red Hood: I'm an adult and fuck you too!

Nightwing: What? Thought you weren't-

Red Hood: See you never, I'm out.

Hero: ...

Hero: what the actual fuck?

[clansayeed]

Bound by Circumstance ― Chapter 8: The Tower Upright

PAIRING: Nik Ryder x trans*M!MC (Taylor Hunter) RATING: Mature

⥼ MASTERLIST ⥽

⥼ Bound by Circumstance ⥽

Taylor Hunter (MC) has made it good for himself in New Orleans; turns out moving to a new city fresh out of college to reinvent yourself isn’t as hard as people make it out to be. Things only start to get confusing when he finds himself the target of a malevolent wraith. Good thing someone’s looking out for him though — because without Nighthunter Nik Ryder as his bodyguard he definitely won’t survive long in the twisting darkness of the supernatural underworld he’s tripped into.

Bound by Circumstance and the rest of the Oblivion Bound series is an ongoing dramatic retelling project of the book Nightbound and the rest of the Bloodbound series. Find out more [HERE].

Note: Circumstance only loosely follows the events and plotline of Nightbound, and features a separate antagonist, different character motivations, and further worldbuilding.

*Let me know if you would like to be added to the Circumstance/series tag list!

⥼ Chapter Summary ⥽

Ryder and Taylor head to local out-of-the-way voodoo vendor Laveau’s for the final ingredient in their protection ritual. While he waits, Taylor gets his fortune told by the real deal—a spirit medium descended from Marie herself.

[READ IT ON AO3]

Krom’s barely through the threshold before Taylor pounces; hovers around him comically short and buzzing like a gnat.

“So, what did they say? Do I need to call — I don’t have my phone, shit — please tell me I’m not cut from the show.”

Luckily the stone troll looks freaked-out enough to get him to stop and apologize. “Sorry,” he mutters, “I just…”

“No, no I completely understand!” Krom scratches the tips of his head and laughs it off, “I just didn’t want to step on you.”

“He’s not that short.” calls Ivy from her booth at the back.

Taylor shrugs it off. “But I appreciate it.”

“Anyway; the company manager’s a little mad no one could reach you but I convinced them to give you a week of sick leave? Even though there was this one weirdly giddy guy…”

They join Ivy on either side. Taylor groans and rubs his hand over his face.

“That would be Antoni. He doesn’t matter. I really appreciate you doing this for me, Krom.”

“It’s no trouble!” And the troll’s voice is so filled with sincerity he has no trouble believing it.

“That’s our darling Krom.” Garrus returns behind the bar with his tray of collected dirty steins and beer glasses. “He’s like an angel; always helping others. You’ve got nothing to prove sweetheart — you know that.”

Ivy answers Taylor’s question before he even has the chance to ask it; “Stone trolls have a bit of a rep’ around here. You saw their natural element at Persephone.”

“Bodyguards, hired muscle, and the like.” Krom agrees; pointedly trying to keep his voice his usual baritone despite Garrus’ casual compliments.

“So you’re a pacifist?”

“In the flesh — so to speak.”

There’s a thud from behind and all eyes turn to see a stack of crates stumbling out from behind the back room curtain. Not hovering in midair as Taylor originally thought but carried by a very red-faced Cal. Who still forces on a smile through his gritted teeth at Garrus.

“Where… where?”

The fae gestures with a bony finger. “Just leave ‘em behind here. I’ll unpack before the evening rush.”

He slams them down before Taylor can even try to offer help — grumbles under his breath about something he can’t quite catch but he knows Cal’s grateful to Garrus for giving him a place to stay. He must be paying off the stupor he drank himself into following their return as less-than-triumphant heroes.

“I should start taking in strays more often — pun not intended,” Garrus teases but all in good humor; especially when he slides a cool glass of water for Cal to chug when his hands are free, “someone to do the heavy lifting around here and all that.”

Krom shifts in his seat. Something so subtle only the two beside him notice it. But Ivy doesn’t give him the chance to let it go and kicks his rock of a leg with her heels.

“I — I could help with whatever you need, Garrus?” Even though it comes out as more of a question than anything.

The look the two exchange is strange but fond. Garrus’ eyes softening under the twinkling lights. Maybe he regrets what he said — or the implications behind it.

“But if you’re laboring around here then what would I have to look at for inspiration?”

Not the smoothest save, in Taylor’s opinion. But Krom acts like it’s the highest form of praise and brushes the compliment off with a wave.

“Are they always like this?” Taylor whispers to Ivy. The revenant just sighs and nods. A long-suffering struggle on her end no doubt.

Heavy footfalls on metal steps herald Ryder’s arrival from the apartments above. He looks around and beelines towards Taylor in a way that almost has him jumping and hiding.

“You, me; let’s go.”

“That’s not how you ask a man out on a date, Nik.” chides Ivy as she pushes the mortals together.

“What?” He blinks; shakes himself out of whatever thoughts compelled him to seek Taylor out. “Wh — shut up, Iv’.”

“Right,” she winks, “he’ll go with you anyway. It’s part of your brutish charm.”

“Shut up, Iv’.” Taylor parrots with a glare. “Is the spell finally ready?”

Not that he’s not enjoying his time at the Shift. And following the disaster that was the Bayou and Persephone he’s not exactly eager to go into other supernatural spaces any time soon.

But he’s never been one to stay cooped up for long.

Ryder huffs. “Not quite. Damn toad wart expired. Luckily though there’s a shop down the road that carries simple ingredients — so put away that grin Iv’. I’m done owin’ you for now.”

Probably a good thing judging by the low witchy cackle she gives instead.

“So let’s get goin’, hustle hustle.”

“But wait — is it safe?” Taylor follows anyway. Keeping at the Nighthunter’s heels is practically his new job. “You didn’t even want me leaving for the theater.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“With your hallelujah arrows, right?”

“Holy light arrows, Rook. You sound like an idiot when you say that.”

“Well now I’ll keep doing it to piss you off.”

“‘Course, because why would you do anything else?”

Their bickering continues out onto the ruins of another day of Mardi Gras fun. At least some things never lose a sense of normalcy.

It’s a small shop — one of those ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ types. The shop name LAVEAU’s is hand-painted above a doorway embellished with the classic purple, green, and golden plastic beads of the season’s parties.

Taylor stops Ryder before he opens the door. “‘Laveau’s’ like…?”

“Read the signs, Rook.”

There they are clear as day; painted by the same hand as the top sign but with an artist’s frustration behind every black-painted stroke. One on the door declaring ‘Yes, like Marie herself’ and then one blue-tacked beneath it; ‘Not Affiliated with Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo.’

“Oh. Got it.”

While the outside may lack the flair and panache that attracts the usual tourist crowds the inside is a whole other looking glass. Probably looks the way it does to differentiate between those who want fake dolls to poke with pins and those who want a real hex to mess with.

God, he’s talking about real hexes. When had this become his life?

Together they weave through the cluttered mess of uneven shelves and their uneven products. Books stacked flat where they’d fallen over at some point and left that way with little concern. A bundle of glass-looking orbs balancing precariously without cradle to keep them from rolling off the edge. A plant hanger in the middle of the room holds a pile of sage sticks just there. At second glance some look a little used.

The back ‘counter’ isn’t even that. It’s a folding table with a frayed tablecloth unevenly distributed atop and an old and rusting register in the corner.

First Taylor sees the joint resting in an ash tray made out of a mason jar lid. Only when it’s picked up and placed between two pink lips does he realize the man sitting kiddie-corner to the till.

“Welcome, wayward souls, to another side of the witch you know,” he recites as if from a script; monotone — doing everything he can to dissuade those who might darken his doorstep, “everything you see is one hundred percent bona fide authentic to the craft. Don’t do the rhyme if you can’t do the wiccan time.”

Ryder stops abruptly. Arms folded and a raised eyebrow looking over the pile of scattered tarot cards strewn across the table. That which holds the proprietor’s attention more than customers.

Unbidden he reaches out and plucks a card at random. Turns it over to stare at glittering golden words ‘The Emperor’ upside-down.

There’s no way the shop owner should know what card was grabbed — not like he can see though the matte black backing — but he gives a low and throaty chuckle. Lets smoke billow in a thin stream around the same lips now curled in a smirk.

“You always picked predictably, Ryder.”

Ryder who frisbees the card back onto the table carelessly. “I’m not still unconvinced you don’t set me up every time, Luc.”

“For all the shit you see…”

“I’ll always be skeptical of some damn cards, yeah. What else is new?”

“Good question.”

Luc finally drags his gaze up and away from his reading. Gives Ryder an easy and lazy smile that might possibly be the friendliest greeting to the Nighthunter Taylor’s seen so far. Had he not joined Ivy in teasing Krom only a short while ago he might have run himself ragged trying to understand the electric connection he’s witness to.

There’s definitely a history here.

Ryder sighs; knows Luc isn’t going to answer him until he answers himself. “The usual, man. Another day another job. Not much changes for me.”

“That’s not what I hear. In fact — I hear quite the opposite.”

“Sure those aren’t just voices from a bad trip?”

Luc laughs and kicks himself up to balance on the back two legs of his chair. Teeters dangerously close to falling backwards. “Could be, brother, could be. But I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout the spiritual radio this time. Everyone who’s anyone heard tell of a gutsy break-in among the city’s most elite. And all the chaos that followed.”

Ryder’s teeth grind together; his brow gives an almost imperceptible twitch.

“What did I tell you about listenin’ to the rumor mill, Luc?”

“Are they wrong?”

Not giving an answer is answer enough. Makes Luc give a haughty grin so wide Taylor likens him to a shark.

“I said what I said; another day, another job. It got me a rare ingredient I needed. I figured I could get the rest from your sorry ass if I could get you to look away from that damn deck long enough to ring me up.”

Luc makes everything look easy; from getting on Ryder’s bad side to letting his chair fall forward so he can stand. Like he’s not moving through air and gravity but dancing through deep watery depths.

But there’s a defensive edge to his voice — the first emotion beyond amusement — as he starts to gather up his cards.

“I’ll have you know I’m fond of this deck in particular. They were given to me as an apology from someone who never apologizes.”

“Oh yeah, what for?” Judging by Ryder’s tone, though, he already knows.

Still he lets Luc’s bright hazel eyes bore into his soul.

“Skippin’ out come dawn without so much as an adieu.”

Taylor laughs because, well, it’s funny? Only to quickly realize it’s not the right thing to be doing when he catches the strange look Ryder throws back at him; halfway and in profile — like he stops himself before he can make it a whole confrontation.

The teasing’s gone, now. “Yeah — listen, any chance I still have that standing credit here? I need frog warts and a few other things for a protection spell.”

“Ain’t like you to run around on an empty wallet.”

“Yeah, well… this job ain’t just another.”

And as ‘Another Job’ Taylor kind of takes offense to it.

Luc jerks his head towards a doorway shrouded with a curtain of thick wooden beads and the occasional bird feather. “You know where the stores are, cher. Just consider ya’self lucky Mardi Gras is a prosperous time for us all.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Luca. And if it makes you feel better the life you’re savin’ ain’t even mine.”

Taylor’s a step behind his heels when Ryder turns and keeps him at bay with a palm to his chest. His heartbeat stutters; spandex yielding to the firm press, but Ryder says nothing of it.

“Stay up here.”

Taylor scoffs. “Why? I’m not going to accidentally cast a spell or anything.”

“Maybe not, but the last thing I need is you gettin’ clumsy on the wrong object and fuckin’ us both even deeper.”

While he fumbles for a retort worthy of the witty comeback, though, Ryder makes his escape. Calls back; “don’t touch anything, don’t look at anything — and don’t let him suck you up in that damn deck!” before he’s gone in a clatter of beads.

They both know he’s not going to listen — he only says it so he can tell Taylor off when something inevitably happens. That seems to be how they function. Not that he plans on flailing his arms and messing with the first thing he hits, but…

“Since you ain’t dead I’m gonna assume Ryder’s not takin’ on the role’a teacher of the nighthunting arts.”

Snaps Taylor’s attention back to Luc; back in his chair and shuffling the deck in long and ring-adorned fingers.

“No.”

“Good. You might just stay alive then.”

“Apparently that’s a hard thing to do so, sure.”

Luc gestures to the chair across from him. It’s an offer, not a demand, but out of spite for Ryder’s twenty different moods — follow me, don’t follow me, around and around again — he takes it up. Watches Luc shuffle and reshuffle with naught but the soft collision of the cards as music.

When he realizes Ryder’s going to take his time, he figures the best way to start might be an introduction.

“I’m —”

“Pick a few cards for me, Taylor.”

He hadn’t even realized the man had started a spread; each card turned down and black as the void in a soft arc reaching out to him across the table.

Luc is courteous enough not to blow smoke in his face. Sits back slightly hunched and letting his focus flicker between Taylor and the cards. Like both are equally likely to speak to him in the silence.

“It’s probably useless asking how you knew my name, huh?”

“Smart boy. Sometimes they whisper an’ sometimes they scream, but I gotta say it’s been a good long while since I heard the cards call out the way they do to you, Taylor Hunter.

“So help me out here. Pick a few and let them show us why they’re so damn chatty.”

He wants to point out that the only chatty one around is Luca himself, but again that’s one of those useless things he’s finally starting to come to terms with. Knows another useless thing would be to ask why he can’t hear anything… but that’s because hearing is the only word he can think to describe it too.

They’re cards — just plain tarot cards. But like inky tendrils they’re reaching out to him across the table on another plane of reality. One where they have soft black fingers that wrap around his wrists and bring his hands to hover over them. Like safety.

Ryder said… “Well, Ryder said…”

The look Luc gives him cuts him off. Yeah, that was a bit of a stretch, wasn’t it?

He points at random; watches Luc pull a card out without flipping it over. Keeps going until a curt nod cuts him off and nine rectangles of shadow form a square across from him.

“This ain’t your average reading,” that much being obvious by the reverent way the shopkeep looks down at his selection, “and I ain’t your average reader. You’re not from around here.”

“Are you asking?”

“No. But I figure that means you did what all newcomers do — got yourself one of those back room phony shows at the House of Voodoo.”

He wants to say he hasn’t only for how ashamed Luc’s tone makes him feel about it. But yeah — yeah he had. Doesn’t remember much about the event itself but knows somewhere buried in the clutter of his desk back at his place there’s a piece of paper from whatever the alleged ‘psychic’ had him ask.

Luc nods slowly. “Mmhm. Sometimes — ‘bout as oft’n as pigs fly — the cards they play don’t listen and give out an ounce of truth. Nothing life-changing, but a slip enough to tempt the handler into believing.

“You won’t get none’a that here. Whatever’s shown when I flip these babies around has been, is, or will be whether you know it or not. But they only tell as much of a tale as you’re ready to hear.”

The unasked question: are you ready to hear it? And Taylor isn’t sure he knows how to answer.

He knows a lot about himself; inside and out. Has lived through too much and shoved too much inside for too long not to. It’s something he’s proud of. A lot of people spend their lives with no understanding of their inner self but he’s never had that problem.

But there’s a difference between knowing it and seeing… whatever these cards might show him.

What if what he knows isn’t what they say?

Life would be easier if Ryder took that opportune moment to reappear and save him the trouble of having to make the choice.

But life isn’t easy.

He nods — but before Luc can flip over the first card he reaches out and stops him.

“I’m not, like, sealing a deal with a demon or something, am I?” Judging by the look he gets he really shouldn’t have asked.

“Do I look like a demon?”

“I don’t know what demons look like.” He knows it’s a lie but says it anyway; can think only of that skeletal face sneering at him under the moonlight.

Luckily it’s not enough to deter the shopkeep who just bats Taylor’s hand away. “Judgin’ by your ghostly pallor I’m gonna call your fib on that one. But if it eases ya mind; no. No deals here. I get as much outta this as you do.”

Well that’s okay then, isn’t it?

Luc flips the first card over and has himself a little laugh. And why wouldn’t he — The Fool isn’t just an apt card but an apt description.

Taylor’s humor is, however, short-lived. “Seriously?”

“You drew the card. Only one to blame is you.”

“So I’m gonna be even more of a joke in my future or something?”

Luc shakes his head; spreads his fingers as far as they’ll go as the shadow of his palm casts over the center card. “This ain’t your future, but your self. This is you, Mister Hunter.”

“A fool.”

“A man of innocence,” comes the quick correction, “and oftentimes a free spirit. You do your own thing; march to your own drum. Ev’ry Sally and Joe likes to laugh at the Fool but he’s got his eyes set on the horizon and that’s worth admirin’. So don’t sell him — or ya’self — short.”

Innocent — not quite. But the rest Taylor doesn’t disagree with. Seems he knows himself as well as he thought.

Luc’s painted nail traces along a jagged line on the image. “But see here; the Fool stands at the cliff’s edge. He’s a card so it ain’t in his nature to look anywhere but where he’s told but you’re not a card, are ya?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you lookin’ forward at the horizon or down into that abyss,” — he flips over another card before Taylor can answer — “or maybe you see the Tower on the other side.”

The Tower card is actually at the Fool’s back but he’s learned enough now not to question the metaphors.

“All that love for life might come at a cost. An’ hey — maybe it’s one you’re willin’ to pay. I don’t judge.”

No matter how hard he looks he knows he isn’t going to see the same thing as his reader. But… “I’m gonna need you to be a little less cryptic and a little more straightforward.”

“This ain’t science. Everything’s up for interpretation when the cards are involved.”

“Okay so interpret what exactly you mean by a cost. What cost?”

His rings drum on the plastic surface slowly before Luc clicks his tongue. “Looks to me like you’ve been through some shit lately. Life-changin’ shit — shit that skips right over dippin’ a toe into destiny and pushes you right in the deep end tied to an anchor — or ten.”

Finally Luc looks back up but his gaze is guarded; carefully and excellently so. He can’t get a thing out of just a look.

“I could have told you that.” He mutters a defensive reply. “A couple of days ago everything was fine and then my best friend’s in a coma, I find out the shit I’ve been hallucinating my whole life is real, and on top of it some big scary Ugly wants my skinny ass for a meal.”

“That explains our friend Ryder, then.” Luc almost seems to peek at the row’s last hidden card. When he turns the Eight of Cups over the hum he hums reminds Taylor of endless weeks of therapists and their noncommittal noises failing to cover the scratching of pen on paper. “And it’s all a helluva lot, I bet.”

It’s a bit hard to play off the full-body adjustment to hide his discomfort but Taylor likes to think he pulls it off pretty well.

“Understatement of the century.”

“Makes a world ‘a sense. You’ve tried gettin’ away from it.”

“Actually I haven’t really had the time.”

Only Luc disagrees; shakes his head curtly and offers the Cups to Taylor like it’s written on the surface in plain sight. “The cards ain’t just talkin’ ‘round the physical. Sometimes we do all the runnin’ in our minds and we don’t even know it. It could be as simple as connecting new things in ya life to old ones and convincing ya’self they’re the same; whether they are or not.”

Oh, there it is — on the surface and in plain sight. Struggling for Cal and Donny. Taking blame for what happened (not that he’d tell Cal, he’s got enough to feel bad over). Jumping down Krom’s throat about the theater company.

“Don’t beat ya’self up too bad,” continues Luc in a way that makes him freeze in the sudden fear that he can read thoughts as well as tarot cards, “a little escapism is good for the soul. The hard part’s when you gotta come back to reality an’ doin’ it without a fight.”

Taylor offers the card back and watches it settle home beside the Fool. The same Fool he’s now a little reluctant to identify with so quickly. “Yeah. I guess.”

“Got it — now cut the ramblin’; you’re talkin’ over the cards.”

Only hasn’t he been the one doing all the talking? Arguing won’t help but that little nugget of petulance persists.

This time Luc reveals three cards one after the other. Makes sure to let each one rest face-up before moving on. Letting them breathe. Letting them speak.

Strength. The Hermit. The Two of Swords. The first two facing Taylor this time as if in judgment. No; they haven’t drawn that card just yet.

He realizes he’s waiting on bated breath when his lungs start to burn and beg for fresh air. Why is he so quiet all of a sudden?

“Tell me more about those hallucinations ya mentioned, Taylor.”

That’s not where he was expecting that to go at all; catches him off guard. “Sorry?”

“Don’t be,” but the other man sounds distant; lost in his thoughts, “jus’ tell me. Said you been seein’ things ‘your whole life’ right?”

“Yeah. But I’d really rather not, uh, go into…” Wasn’t his life story down on the cards? It was hard enough explaining everything to Kristin — and they knew things about one another bound to secrecy by the sanctity of roommate-dom. So he tries to keep it all in the realm of the reading; “I mean I know what they are now. I was seeing glamours. Like through them — without a charm or spell or whatever. I dunno, Nik can explain it better.”

When Luc doesn’t give the same shocked jaw-drop the trio at the Shift had he entertains the brief hope that the same talent runs through the psychic’s veins. But that’s dashed when he catches sight of the unconscious way Luc grabs onto one of the numerous stone pendants draped over his neck — the way he thumbs over the polished surface and tugs on the leather cord.

It’s not the same one Ryder has but pretty damn close; close enough to assume his glamour-charm used to have a home in this very shop.

“That kind-a inner sight’s awful rare.” He practically mumbles.

“Yeah, it’s been mentioned.”

“Not unheard of, mind you. Not in things that ain’t entirely mortal by blood and bone. When you draw Strength in reverse it’s not the opposite like you’d think; it ain’t sayin’ you lack strength.

“Think of it more like the meanin’ is just turned about. Upright’s outside and the other is inside.”

“So it’s inner strength.” He can get behind that.

“Or lack of it.”

I’m fucking sorry? “Who—what-now?”

“This row,” he gestures a little too grandly for the subject matter, “is your past, present, and future. I told you the cards were screamin’ — and they still are — but not this one,” — not Strength — “this’un’s more of a whisper. And it makes sense given that you called ‘em ‘hallucinations.’”

“And an explanation for us ‘card’-of-hearing?”

Luc bites his tongue — really and without metaphor; wince and all. Grabs a stray bit of crumpled receipt from god-knows when his last sale was and scribbles on it in blocky letters.

“‘Note to self,’” he enunciates his writing harshly, “‘add sign to shop: ‘Owner Has the Right to Refuse Service on Account of Shitty Fucking Puns.’”

The glare that follows tells Taylor it won’t be long before that sign has his name added to avoid confusion.

No regrets. None at all.

Puns aside, though? The level eye he gets across the cards takes a turn for the serious.

“I think it tells me a lot more than you’re ready to share. About ya life before this; about the things you done to make the pain go away. Some of us may be human but that don’t mean we ain’t still animals. And animals lash out when they’re scared.”

He’s right. It’s a lot more than Taylor’s ready to share. Makes him want to scramble the deck — flip the table on its end. And maybe the old version of him, the version in those cards, might have.

In his silence Luc gets the answer — “moving on…” he almost sing-songs — lets his fingertips dance on the card showing the present: the Hermit.

Which Taylor tries not to take personally. Who is there to be angry at other than himself?

“So since that one’s reversed too that means… what, that I’m a hermit on the inside?”

“I can see how you’d think that,” laughs Luc, “but not quite. How about we let the professional do his profession?”

Taylor gestures. The professional carries on. “It ain’t easy comin’ into this life so late. ‘Specially when you end up seein’ all the bad before a lick’a good comes your way. But you’re drownin’ in it — that’s what the Hermit’s tellin’ us. No time to ruminate?”

He scoffs. “Something like that.”

“Well make time. Lest it all starts crashin’ down and you get the proverbial water in ya lungs.”

“It’s not by choice. There’s things after me and —”

“And excuses ain’t gonna keep you afloat.” The man reaches over faster than Taylor can move back; actually flicks his forehead dead center.

“Ow!” He swats Luc’s hand away.

“It ain’t me sayin’ this, Hunter. It’s them,” he gestures to the cards, “and they know more about this world than either of us could learn in a hundred lifetimes. Take ya damn time and really work out how you feel. Else you won’t be able to face this here future with a clear head.”

Luckily Taylor doesn’t have to ask; isn’t certain he’d be able to as he looks at the Two of Swords card and feels sweat start to bead at his temples.

Playing with tarot cards is all fun and games when you don’t believe. Even when you do — a measure of healthy skepticism is good for the soul. But with everything he’s seen; been told?

Who would willingly ask for their future foretold after that?

“I think we can skip to the next cards.”

“Oho, this don’t work like that.”

“Why,” doing his best to keep his voice level, “it’s my reading, right? I don’t want to know.”

“Sucks to be you, then. You draw; you listen. That’s how all true readin’s go.” Luc leans back on the creaky chair and lets the Swords card flip and twirl between his fingers.

He could make it easy on them both; stop arguing and just get up and leave the reading unfinished. Find Ryder in the back and apologize for doing what he said not to do — again — and book it out of there right quick.

But he doesn’t.

“Now I get why Nik said not to do this.”

“Ha — well, hindsight ain’t much use in a house of foresight baby. So listen; an’ listen well.

“In proper tarot some cards are real close in meanin’. That’s where the spread comes in — the order, the intent; not to mention the cards all ‘round it. The Swords in your future point to some hard fuckin’ choices. And if ya keep on the path ya’re on you won’t be makin’ ‘em with all your marbles.

“I ain’t talkin’ about decisions that can be made for you, neither. When it comes down to it you’re likely to find ya’self alone — not only in the act a’ choosin’ but in dealin’ with the consequences.”

“So what kind of choices? What do the cards scream about that?”

“They don’t —” he tosses the card back down and it’s probably not a coincidence that it slides magically askew back in the reading’s place, “— on account of all the changes between now and when that time comes.

“The cards give truths where mortals lie; hope where the world pushes despair. But at the end’a everythin’ they’re just cards — bound by the same circumstances as you or I.”

It’s probably meant to be poignant; something that might be sold on a re-purposed wooden palette hand-painted and polished. In a shop similar to this — right between the mismatched crystal balls and Ryder’s coveted frog warts.

But all Taylor can think is; “Well that’s absolutely useless to me beyond freaking me out.”

Luc gives another one of his gap-toothed grins — “C’est la vie, mon petit,” — and doesn’t wait for permission or argument to reveal another card.

“If it makes ya feel any better —”

“Doubtful at this point.”

“— Fair. But they won’t leave ya hangin’. Unless the Hanged Man is drawn, a’course. Naw, rest easy knowin’ you won’t be goin’ the journey alone.”

He frowns; confused. “But you just said —”

“Hush. All the best journeys are made with friends. Though I… I ain’t sure I’d call the Nine a’Wands a friend…”

Curiosity replaced by twists and turns of his bewildered head; Luc bites down on his thumb nail and scrutinizes the seventh draw. “In fact, I’d call whomever this bad draw represents —”

“Ryder!”

The Nighthunter emerges in a wave of beads carrying a pearly sphere the size of his head tucked in the crook of his arm. At the same time Taylor jumps — a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar — and swears when his knee bangs under the table.

Luc doesn’t notice — or doesn’t care; still fixated on the black-and-gold design in front of him. Mutters “could be him, but…” under his breath so low that no one catches it.

Taylor fumbles for an explanation — which is a pretty stupid move seeing as he was ready to just come clean only a minute ago — but doesn’t get the chance. Though he would like to state that it probably would have been an extremely convincing and well-versed one had Ryder not just held up a hand and rolled his eyes.

“I figured you’d ignore me. Already took out my anger with a mortar and pestle in the back.”

Well he’s a little offended now. “I wasn’t blatantly disobeying you or anything,” then; “I’m a grown adult and can make my own choices.”

And doesn’t that karma come around to bite him in the ass pretty damn fast. He makes a great effort not to look at what is no doubt a haughty look of ‘I told you so.’

“Yeah yeah, cry me a river.”

He props the sphere on a large cushion nearby to keep it from rolling and drags the last free seat over into Taylor’s personal bubble. Already looking at the spread like he, too, can hear these alleged screams from the deck. “So, Luc? Any tell on whether or not I’m gonna get paid for this gig?”

“Wha — hey!”

Taylor knows he doesn’t hit Nik’s arm that hard but the offended look he gets back is more than enough.

“Ouch. That hurt.”

“If that hurt I need a new bodyguard.”

“Don’t tempt me to pawn you off.”

“Please do.”

A tinny click draws their focus away from each other and to Luc’s newly lighted blunt. No longer puzzled by the cards — his eyes are brighter; they shine with understanding.

“Nevermind. I get it, now.”

“Get what?” barks Nik a little too defensively.

“Didn’ I jus’ tell ya not to mind it?”

Taylor cuts Nik off before he can continue arguing. They’ve been here too long already. “If we can’t leave until this is finished — can you finish?”

Two cards remain to be revealed. The fortune teller takes his sweet time with a few puffs before agreeing, if reluctantly. Maybe he just doesn’t like an audience?

All sense of the mysterium is gone. Luc flips the cards one at a time with one hand while sucking in his joint with the other.

The Five of Swords. The Wheel of Fortune.

It’s totally the secondhand high that makes the golden wheel glitter and seem to turn before their eyes. Totally.

He braces himself for another round of cryptic semi-explanations. Only they don’t come. Luc’s eyelids droop heavy — almost closed. And judging by Nik’s frown that’s not a normal part of the reading.

“Luca? Hey —” — he snaps in front of the man’s face — “— Laveau!”

He doesn’t quite jerk out of his momentary trance; eyelids flutter as if awakening from a dream.

“Maybe you had a point, Hunter,” after a throaty cough, “maybe it’s best this go unfinished.”

“What seriously? After all that earlier shit?” He balks. Beside him Ryder grabs the Swords and looks it over back to front.

“You’ve never left a reading hanging. What gives?”

“He’s still new to the life. I think he’s had enough bad news for today.”

Taylor practically snatches the card from Nik. But it seems just as reluctant to give up its secrets to him, too. Makes him toss it back down in frustration.

“Just tell me,” even he can’t believe what he’s saying, “since I dunno if it’s worse to know or to guess.”

“Trust me. The worst one’s knowin’.”

“I’ll take that as you’ve never encountered crippling anxiety, then.”

In rare sympathetic form Ryder reaches out and rests a hand on Luc’s exposed forearm. They aren’t hiding behind quips or dancing words any longer; you could see the remnants of intimacy between them from space.

“Luc — come on. For my sake, too.”

The doubt doesn’t ease off from the fortune teller’s brow. In fact it looks deeper than ever before. Finally he yields. “All right — but don’t blame me or the cards. We’re jus’ messengers after all.”

No longer in need of a familiar touch Luc shakes the hand off. Mutters something unintelligible under his breath and takes another few puffs to calm himself down before he covers the Five of Swords like he can’t do the reading while looking at it.

“There’s more than difficult choices ahead for you — and for those what end up around you. A fight looms —” he turns the Swords card on its back atop the revealed Wheel of Fortune, “— on a bigger horizon than that’a the Vieux Carre. Might even be one bigger than this world of ours.

“Not so much a fight as a battle; a war. Turnin’ and churnin’ at the banks of the river and out into the ocean. Ready to flood the whole damn city — every corner of the earth. And it’ll keep ragin’ and screamin’ with every body what falls to it.”

Ryder goes still as stone beside him. Taylor finds himself revisiting the notion of it being better not knowing.

“What does any of that have to do with me?”

“You, Mister Hunter — you’re smack dab in the middle of it. More’n that… you belong there.”

Apologies. Sympathy. Condolences. Luc can’t seem to settle on one way to look at Taylor so instead he just focuses on packing his deck back up. He isn’t as careful this time around — like he’s angry at the cards and what they had to say; to scream. Two separate entities working off of one another but, at the very least, both unhappy with the outcome.

“I’ll get a box for that crystal ball — the warts are yours but I’ll need interest on that relic.” He can’t get away from the pair fast enough. Shuffles the tarot deck in his hands as he goes.

He wants to be surprised that Nik doesn’t follow; doesn’t go to check on someone he obviously has a past and present connection with. But in the goody bag of his emotions he just keeps pulling out resignation — even when he cheats and peeks inside.

That’s all there is. All he can feel.

Where’s that opportunity for escapism the cards had mentioned earlier? He could use a bit of that at the moment.

Doesn’t know when exactly Nik started trying to comfort him; hand on his upper back, the gentle back-and-forth of his thumb. Taylor’s not a big fan of touch but that seems to be how Ryder connects to the world; through the physical.

And oddly it’s working. The comfort thing.

“You okay?”

He’ll sass such a ridiculous question later. “Uh, honestly I don’t really know what I am right now.”

Ryder’s face is unusually close when Taylor looks his way. The barest flicker — a crack in the bravado. Nik is worried for him.

“That can happen after Luc’s readings. You think I warned ya away to keep you from somethin’ fun? Knowin’ his connection with the spirit world makes it all really…”

He struggles for the right word. Weird, coming from him.

“‘Real?’” offers Taylor, and gets him a nod.

“Yeah, really real.”

Noises of shuffled boxes and Luc’s grunts draw them out of Taylor’s personal space and back to the world around them. Up near the back curtain Luc gently eases the crystal ball into a wooden box.

“So, question.”

“Yeah Rook?”

“What do we do now?” Because if turning tail and running like a shameless coward away from this war is an option, he’s taking it.

“We keep on going,” Nik answers, “We get back to the Shift and finish up this blasted protection spell and then we dive into findin’ your attacker and punch a bunch’a holy light holes in it’s ugly-ass face.”

This time when he reaches into the bag of emotions, luck gives him a break and lets him pull out the barest ghost of a smile.

“Man, it is ugly. Like — fugly ugly.”

Ryder’s smile is just as small — but no less sincere — than his.

“It damn sure is.”

[maarmendes]

Extra #2 - Meeting The Class

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys! I wasn’t happy with how the most recent chapter turned out so I had to rewrite it... twice! :^D Meanwhile have this extra bit while I work on chapter 10 and 11 and also another extra I’ll be dropping after chapter 10 hehehe blessed be! <3

EXTRA CONTENT: What happened when Ana met each classmate for the first time?

Yuga Aoyama

Ana was heading back to class after going to the bathroom when she bumped into him. She apologized and tried to move out of his way but he held her shoulder.

"Don't Move." He whispered and Ana froze on the spot, not knowing what to do. The boy proceeded to untie her hair, combing it back. She was expecting it to hurt but it felt nice, the boy was gentle as he messed with her hair. For Ana her hair was fine, but as soon as Aoyama laid eyes on her this morning, he was annoyed. She had her hair tied up in such a messy way... Aoyama couldn't take it anymore. When he saw her walking back to class, - after obviously seeing herself in the mirror and DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT - he had to take matters into his own hands.

"There you go, Darling. Much better!" He held up a pocket mirror for Ana to check his handy work. He had braided her hair beautifully over her shoulder.

"Oh, my God! It's beautiful. How did you-"

"You're welcome." He winked and walked away, leaving a confused but happy Ana behind.

Mina Ashido

Mina was one of the first classmates to approach Ana. She was the first to ask all kinds of questions about Ana's family and quirk. She was also the first to ask Ana to have lunch with them. They became instant friends, hitting it off almost immediately like they were meant to be. Mina thought she met her soulmate when Ana always finished all the lyrics she started singing.

"I can't believe you know so many songs!"

"I mean, they're not my style... But I'm a bit of a music freak."

"OH MY GOD, YOU GOTTA MEET JIRO!"

Mina tried to introduce Ana to everyone but mostly just ended up rushing it and dragging Ana into another group of people, and another... and another... and another... Until she finally let Ana settle down. In the end, no one got to know anyone, especially not Ana, but she still appreciated Mina's excitement.

Tsuyu Asiu

They met when Mina asked Ana to have lunch with her. The girls all sat together and introduced themselves. They both told each other to refer to themselves by their nicknames and bonded over how adorable both names were.

"Ana, about you telling us to get to know each other slowly..." Tsu shyly faced Ana. "I'm sorry if we made you feel overwhelmed. I hope we can be good friends in the future."

"If you keep being that cute, I think I might just offer you my soul, Tsu." The girls laughed. "It's okay, I'm okay, everything's okay!"

With a pet on Tsuyu's head, Ana figured she'd made the sweetest friend she could ever wish for.

Tenya Iida

Ana was annoying Bakugo early in the morning when Tenya approached them. She was sitting on Bakugo's desk who had his feet up. Tenya cleared his throat to get their attention and began his rant.

"Bakugo Katsuki and Shuzenji Anahita! How dare you disrespect school's property like that! Show some respect! Especially you, Bakugo! It's the second day in a row I catch you in the act!"

"The fuck did you say to me? You wanna die or something, shitty glasses?!"

Ana watched the boys bicker and soon an entertaining idea came to mind.

"How about you guys arm-wrestle and whoever wins tells the other what to do?"

It was a joke but the boys took it seriously. Ana was impressed by how much of a fight the class rep put up but in the end, Bakugo obviously won. The winner completely forgot his price, too engrossed in his celebration, so Ana decided to claim the price.

"Since my friend won, it's time for our price..."

Ana made Iida sit on the desk next to her for the rest of the day. Even during class.

Ochaco Uraraka

It was time to try on their hero suits and the girls made their way towards the changing room. Ana was adjusting the belt around her waist while waiting for the others when Ochaco gasped behind her. She turned to see the girl pointing between themselves. At first, she didn't get it but then... The resemblance... Bodysuits, belt, helmet... If it wasn't for Ana's suit being blue and Uraraka's being pink, they'd look exactly the same.

The girls got dragged out before they could talk about it but once outside there was an opportunity, and so the Pink and Blue team was born!

Mashirao Ojiro

In between classes, Mina was chatting with Ana but her attention was elsewhere. The boys tail was swaying has he talked to his friends and Ana couldn't stop staring in wonder.

"Ana! Did you even hear me?! What are you staring at?"

"Do you think Tail Boy is strong enough to let me sit on him?" Mina blinked for a minute before staring at Ana with a perverted smile on her face. "His tail, Mina! Sit on his tail!"

"Why don't you try to ask him?" Ana scowled at Mina. "I bet ten bucks you won't do it."

Ana was on her feet so fast her chair nearly fell over and walked over to Ojiro's group.

"Hey, Tail Boy, is your tail strong enough for me to sit on like a chair?"

"Probably... Yes?" The boy had no idea what the hell was happening but still answered the tiny girl.

"So... Can I?"

With that Ana sat on the boy's tail, pinching him when he commented on her being lighter than he expected. Mina couldn't stop laughing with her phone out, either recording or taking pictures of them. At first, he was flustered and didn't know what to do since Bakugo was glaring at him from across the room, but soon followed Ana's playfulness as she tried to balance herself on his tail.

"It's unbelievably soft, that's so cute!" Ana petted the boy. "Sorry, Ojiro. This was supposed to be a bet I made with Mina but now I'm way too into it."

"Oi! Get back here, pipsqueak!"

Thankfully Bakugo rescued Ojiro from having to carry Ana everywhere with him. The boy could only think that Ana was unexpectedly childish and weird, not in a bad way though.

Denki Kaminari

As per usual, Ana, Mina, Bakugo, and Kirishima were hanging out in-between classes when someone decided to insert themselves into the group.

"Hey, hey, hey! Who's the cutie?"

Kaminari wrapped an arm over Kirishima's shoulder, interrupting his conversation with Ana.

"Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk by again?"

Ana scoffed at Kaminari's bad attempt at a pick-up line, and so the war began.

"Nice one, blondie. I hope you know CPR because you just took my breath away!"

"Good... But not good enough! Let me guess... Your middle name is Gillette, right? 'Cause you're the best a man can get!"

"HAH! Is there an airport nearby, or was that just my heart taking off?!"

"Go ahead! Feel my shirt! Boyfriend material!"

"Oh, wait... wait, where... where's my... Oh no, oh fuck..." Ana suddenly got serious, patting her pockets and looking through her bag. The look of pure dread getting the group's attention.

"W-what? What's up?" Kaminari grew worried the more frantic Ana seemed, instinctively putting his hands up as if signaling Bakugo he did nothing.

"Oh no... I lost my phone number... Mind if I have yours?" Ana gave Kaminari a big smirk and an innocent look as she dropped her desperate act. A few frustrated grunts and sighs of relief come from the group and the boy announced her victory, both becoming friends on the spot.

"What the fuck did we just witness..." Bakugo asked Kirishima, who only gave him a shrug.

Eijiro Kirishima

After witnessing Ana's argument with Bakugo, Kirishima couldn't stop worrying about the girl. He knew Bakugo was pissed but Bakugo is always pissed. Ana was coming back to class with Bakugo who left her soon after, giving Kirishima a chance to talk to Ana.

"Hey, Ana..." The girl looked up at Kiri with a smile. "Sorry to bother you, I was just checking how you're doing, and- Why are you in your gym clothes?"

"Oh! Some stupid bitch with some kind of water quirk picked a fight with me, what an idiot. Don't worry, she got what she deserved!"

Ana put her bruised fists up in a fighting stance and Kirishima stood frozen in place feeling stupid for even worrying about her in the first place. As Ana told more details about the fight he couldn't help but laugh.

"What?! I'm serious! I knocked her nose real good!" Ana pouted to which Kiri couldn't help but pat her head.

"No, no, it's not that! It's just... I was worried about you and the whole Bakugo thing, but I guess there's no need for that."

"That's cute but I can handle myself. Thanks for caring though." Ana gave the boy a hug which he gladly returned.

"No problem, Cutie!"

From then on Ana and Kirishima referred to each other with random pet names and found it entertaining to never explain Bakugo why.

Koji Koda

Koda usually feels bad when he's stuck inside for long periods of time, so when the bell rang signaling lunchtime he decided to take a walk around campus. When passing a tree behind the building, he heard a small meow coming from above.

Ana was trying to escape Bakugo and find a quiet place to rest and figures the back of the building would be deserted. But, when she was passing by a tree, she wasn't expecting what she heard.

"U-Uhm... E-Excuse me..."

"God? Is that you?"

"Uhm... No?" Ana looked up to see Koda sitting on a tree branch hugging a small kitten to his chest. "I-I'm... I'm s-stuck."

Ana couldn't stop laughing while she climbed the tree to help both the boy and the kitten getting down. Once the boy got down and the kitten was safe and sound, she finally stopped laughing and asked the boy.

"Next time you try to rescue an animal, be careful not to get stuck too, ok?" The boy nodded shyly. "So, what now? What are you gonna do with the cat?"

"Oh! Principal Nezu said I can't keep any animals on campus..."

"Then let's hide them until we find a place for them!"

The boy was ecstatic! One of them found a box, another one got some blankets and both built a small house for the small kitty. Coming back the next day, Koda found Ana already there, feeding a bunch of cats.

"Koda, look!" Ana held up what Koda assumed was the kittens' mother. "Mama Kitty came to get her baby and decided to stay! We have a family now!"

In the end, Koda convinced Ana they couldn't find a home for all those kittens alone, so she decided to ask the person she trusts the most for help. And that is how Aizawa got so many cats.

Rikido Sato

Living in the dorms was already weird enough for Ana since she never really had a big lively home. Her grandmother was quite rowdy but even with Aizawa there, the house was never as vivid as the dorms were. So it wasn't unusual for Ana to have a tough time sleeping. She had just given up on sleep and decided to get some coffee and just stay up all night when she stumbles into Sato in the kitchen.

"What are you doing? It's like 4 am." Ana mumbled and then noticed the sweets on the boy's hands. "I thought you had an oven in your room."

"I do! But then the room smells like sweets and it becomes a bit unbearable and the boys have been complaining about the smell and-"

"Did you break it?" The boy nodded. "Lemme eat and I won't snitch."

Both of them spent the next couple of hours in the kitchen. Ana would taste-test all the sweets and gave feedback to Sato who would bake something different. Once the sun was up and people started to walk around the dorms, Iida found them on the kitchen floor sleeping, Ana still had sweets on her lap and Sato was filled with flour. Neither of them ever talked about what happened that night but when Ana is looking tired, Sato secretly shares some of his sweets.

Mezo Shoji

Aizawa was giving the class instructions on what the training exercise would be when someone interrupted him. The class was all standing on the field waiting for instructions when Aizawa said he had to leave for a minute, giving them orders to behave and work out or their own. Once out of sight, Mina and Ana exchanged looks.

"Hide and Seek?" They both agreed, getting a few students to join them. Luckily, Ana wasn't it. She ran around to find a place to hide until she had a brilliant idea.

"Mezo! Can you hide me? Quick!" The boy said nothing, just wrapped his arms around the tiny girl, holding and hiding Ana behind his back. She muffled a laugh when Mina ran by and even the boy had to hide his mouth to avoid laughing. Not too long after, Mina approached the boy.

"Mezo... What you got there, sweety?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Just drop her, Mezo! I know she's in there!" Mina tried to tickle Mezo.

"Don't betray me, Mezo!" Ana yelled from behind him.

They were all laughing and fighting in their own playful way when they hear someone clearing their throat.

"If you have that much energy, how about you guys do some extra training after class?"

They all grunted at Aizawa's punishment as they got back with the others. Ana tried apologizing for getting Mezo into trouble (Mina thought it was offensive she didn't get an apology) but the boy paid her no attention, saying he had fun anyway, so he didn't regret it.

Kyoka Jiro

Much like some other girls, they met during lunch. Mina yelled about how Ana knows a lot about music and Jiro's ears perked up. For a moment they just stared at each other until Jiro broke the silence.

"Queen?"

"Bohemian Rhapsody."

"Nirvana?"

"Lithium."

"Metallica?"

"Master Of Puppets."

"Red Hot Chilli Peppers?"

"Otherside."

"Pink Floyd?"

"Their whole discography."

They both laughed and fist-bumped each other. The other girls didn't get it but what matters was that they bonded over their music taste. Since then, both Ana and Jiro lent vinyl albums to each other that they think the other might like.

Hanta Sero

The class was having mock battles during training and Aizawa refused to split the class since in real combat there were no differences in gender or of any other kind. So, Ana and Sero got paired.

"Are you sure you want this? I don't want to fight a girl."

Ana ignored him and Aizawa smirked behind Seto. The whole class shivered at the sight. He blew the whistle and Ana was as quick as ever sliding under Sero's legs to get on his blind spot and knock him off his feet. He was stunned on the floor, Ana standing over him.

"So, is it that you don't want to fight a girl or that you can't?"

Ana offered a hand to help him up. Sero chuckled and nodded with a new-found respect for the small girl.

"I'm sorry I disrespected you. Let's go again. This time for real."

"Good."

They both did their best but, in the end, Ana had more fighting experience than him and won the mock battle. After that, Sero would often ask Ana to train with him to help him get stronger.

Fumikage Tokoyami

Training was getting rough and the class was all spread about, training their abilities with the help of Ectoplasm. As per Aizawa's instructions, Ana had to train using her quirks and keeping herself moving even in uneven terrain. So, as Cimentoss had made various platforms, Ana was running around healing whoever needed it. Suddenly a scream echoed and Ana bolted in that direction with no hesitation. Arriving there, Tokoyami stumbled out of the dark cave, his arm bleeding.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here. Let me see." Ana was kneeling down next to the boy who was still shaking.

"I'm sorry. This is nothing, I'm fine. Dark Shadow just got a bit enthusiastic, that's all."

"Just shut up and let me help." Ana inspected the cut and determined it wasn't too deep so it wouldn't need too much to heal. She was about to do her job when a whimper caught her attention. Behind the boy, there was a shadow with sad eyes looking worried at its owner. He tried to reassure his friend he was alright but it wouldn't listen.

"Hey, buddy. Look!" Ana caught the shadow's attention as she placed a kiss on the boy's arm and the cut faded. "Everything's alright, see? He's all good!"

Ana patted the shadow who chirped happily at her. Tokoyami apologize a thousand times but Ana ignored it and reassured him it was her job to help out. After this, Ana would help him calm down Dark Shadow when it was worried about him or even let her play with it from time to time. Most would say he didn't care either way and probably thought it was good control training, but he was actually happy about it.

Shoto Todoroki

Ana was complaining to Deku and Ururaka about how her tea got cold on the way to class. Todoroki overhears, grabs the cup, and heats it up. Ana decides to have his children.

It was lunchtime and Deku had witnessed Ana fight during the mock battle training and insisted on her telling him all about it, joined by Uraraka and Tenya. They were sitting in class and Ana was telling them all about the training Aizawa had put her through.

"Ana... I think that's child abuse..." Uraraka said with a concerned look on her face.

"Nah, it was fine! It wasn't that bad." Ana reached for her cup but froze upon touching it. "Oh no, my tea went cold... I hate cold tea..." She pouted sadly.

"Don't be sad! We can go get another one if you want. It's my fault it got cold anyway." Deku suggested.

Ana was about to accept when a hand reached over her shoulder and grabbed her cup. Soon, the cup began to warm up and the water started to steam. Looking up, she saw the red and white-haired boy looking down on her. He offered a small smile before placing the mug back down.

"Is this good enough?" Ana nodded still mesmerized by the boy. "You don't have to be sad anymore then."

With that, Todoroki walked away leaving a gawking Ana behind. His cool but gentle demeanor completely enchanting the girl.

"Ana... Are you ok?" Uraraka broke whatever spell Ana was in.

"What? Oh, I'm fine. I think I just got my heart completely smashed to pieces by whoever the hell that was but I'm fine."

From then on out, it was girl talk. Tenya and Deku were chased out and were replaced by Mina and Tsuyu as the girls started gossiping about Todoroki and what they thought about him. He became Ana's secret crush and she would admire him from afar. They would occasionally talk but she didn't trust herself around him without some kind of restrain, especially since Todoroki wasn't a big fan of socializing and Ana had no concept of personal space. Either way, she would often ask him to heat up her tea when she forgets about it.

Toru Hagakure

Also during lunch, she was one of the girls that asked a lot of questions about Ana's grandma. She was way more energetic than Ana could ever imagine and they hit it off fairly quickly, even if Ana found it tough to talk to Toru.

"I'm sorry but I have to say this..." Ana stopped Toru mid-sentence. "I'm really sorry if I stare too much at you, it's just hard for me to understand you. I've lived my life reading peoples expressions and, well... You know what I'm getting at! So it's a bit hard for me to understand but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I'm sorry and please bear with me."

Toru was surprised but relieved. Ana was staring at her with such intense eyes she thought Ana was offended or something. Thankfully, Ana was just worried. When Toru asked why she read people like that, Ana explained that thanks to the nature of her quirk she tends to get closer than she should since she's so used to it and didn't want to make people uncomfortable so she learned how to know what people are feeling.

Toru was touched by her thoughtfulness and reassured the girl she'd tell her if anything bothered her. What excited her was how well Ana could read other people. The girls would often have fun during lunch where Ana would tell Toru what she guessed the conversations were about by reading lips and emotions and Toru would confirm it using her invisibility to get close and eaves-drop. Was it right to listen in on other peoples' conversations? No, but it was fun!

Minoru Mineta

He's not part of this universe. :)

Momo Yaoyorozu

Makes Ana a new uniform when she gets to class in her gym clothes after the bullying scene.

Momo noticed Ana in her gym clothes during class and as soon as it was over she called her classmate over to talk to her about it.

"Ana, I'm sorry about this but you can't hang around in your gym clothes. You need to wear your uniform properly, those are the rules..."

"Oh. Well, my uniform got soaked and I had to change... Honestly, I think I might burn it honestly."

Momo was ready to scold her classmate but Ana continued, explaining what happened at lunch. Momo was shocked there were students like that at U.A. but Ana reminded her of Bakugo. They agreed that judging people is hard. Momo felt guilty for calling out Ana after what happened. Taking a look around to make sure no one notices, the girl materializes a copy of the uniform and offers it to Ana.

"Oh, my God! Momo, you can't do that!" Ana whispered, also checking to make sure no one saw it.

"It's okay! I feel bad for what happened and for calling you out... I'm sorry so just take it."

"Are you sure?" Momo nodded with a smile. "Thank you, really... I'd go change but I've had enough of bathroom encounters for today."

They both laughed at that but Momo offered to go with her, just to make sure nothing happened. Ana noticed her concerned and told her about the fights she'd win, which Momo took as Ana being a troublemaker. Either way, both girls understood each other and both knew the other would have their back.

[MASTERLIST]

[accio-spaceman]

OTP Questions!

I was inspired by this list from @otp-imagines-cult

1: Who spends almost all their money on the other?

Emmett spends all his money on Alicia, despite her protests that she doesn’t need expensive jewellery and paints every time they go into town.

2: Who sleeps in the other’s lap?

On the rare occasion that The Doctor sleeps, it’s curled up with his head in Donna’s lap while she strokes his hair with one hand, and balances a book in the other.

3: Who walks around the house half-naked and who yells at them to put on some clothes?

Peter wonders around half (or fully) naked and Nellie yells at him to at least close the curtains.

4: Which one tells the other not to stay up all night and which one stays up all night anyway?

Donna wouldn’t buy any of The Doctor’s lies about him not needing to sleep, and forces him to spend at least half an hour cuddled up in bed every morning.

5: Which one tries to make food for the other but burns it all by accident and which one tells them that it’s okay and makes them both cookies?

Alec tries to bake some of those fancy French things that Sarah likes as a surprise, but accidentally rolls them out too thin, so Sarah whips them both up some madeleines instead.

6: Which one reads OTP prompts and says “Oh that’s us!” and which one goes “Eh, not really”?

The Doctor gets easily excited at the slightest similarity, but Donna finds it harder to see how “A accidentally gets turned pocket-sized and lives in B’s pocket for a while” at all resembles their perfectly human/Time Lord sized relationship.

7: Which one constantly wears the other’s clothes?

Benedick often finds his t-shirts and jumpers have mysteriously found their way into Beatrice’s draw after she sorts their laundry, especially when he’s been away on duty.

8: Which one spends all day running errands and which one says “You remembered [thing], right?”

Donna insists on doing the food shopping at a twenty-first century human supermarket, despite The Doctor’s protests that “Martian milk” really is safe to drink. The Doctor always pretends to be grumpy about it, but still gets very excited when she remembers to bring him back a bunch of bananas.

9: Which one drives the car and which one gives them directions?

Peter and Nellie take in turns, and are equally terrible at both.

10: Which one does the posing while the other one draws?

Alicia eventually persuades Emmett to sit for her with bribes of a takeaway afterwards.

11: If they were about to rob a museum, which one does backflips through lasers and which one is strolling behind with a bag of chips?

The Doctor does the backflips while Donna stands watching, eating a bag of crisps. She waits until he’s through the other side until she pushes the button on the wall next to her to turn the lasers off and strolls up to join him.

12: Which one of your OTP overdoes it on the alcohol and which one makes the other stop drinking?

Nellie stops Peter drinking by swapping his beer with frothy apple juice.

13: Which one likes to surprise the other with a lot of small random gifts?

Benedick always brings back a trinket or two for Beatrice, and despite her protests, she loves that he puts so much thought into each thing, no matter how small, while he’s away from her.

14: Which one keeps accidentally using the other’s last name instead of their own?

One day Donna notices that at some point The Doctor’s alias morphed from “John Smith” to “Dr. Noble”, and she can’t quite remember when, or why she’s stopped bickering with him about it.

15: Which one screams about the spider and which one brings the spider outside?

Chris screams and Dorothy calmly removes it while he grabs for his inhaler.

16: Which one gives the other their jacket?

I think all the gentlemen would lend their lady their jacket at some point, and Beatrice would lend Benedick hers for every fancy dress party.

17: Who keeps getting threatened by the other’s overprotective older sibling?

I think Peter and Chris would be threatened by their own brother about taking good care of the girlfriends that Alec already regards as his sisters. I also love the image of Hero giving Benedick a stern warning just before the wedding. He returns the favour by keeping Claudio in line too.

18: Who’s the first one to admit they have feelings for the other?

Alec is pleasantly shocked when one day, out of the blue, Sarah introduces him as her boyfriend, leading to her blushing and stammering as she realises what she just said while Alec just grins at her like an idiot.

19: How good would your OTP be at parenting?

The Doctor would indulge their children at every opportunity, giving them endless bananas and jelly babies, and only ever raising his voice when they were in danger. Donna would worry herself sick over them and constantly fight herself to not wrap them up in cotton wool. But together they’d make a wonderful parenting team.

20: Which one types with perfect grammar and which one types using numbers as letters?

Theresa is always texting in a shorthand that Roderick has to practically have a dictionary to decipher before replying in his usual formal way.

21: Who gets attacked by a bully and who protects them?

Donna is used to brushing off all sorts of comments and can handle herself just fine, but has recently found herself having to hold The Doctor back – sometimes physically – if anyone (especially Sylvia) even breathes the wrong way around his Donna.

22: Who makes the bad puns and who makes a pained smile every time the other makes a pun?

Despite his famed wit, Benedick can never resist the stupid jokes either, much to Beatrice amusement frustration.

23: Who comes home from work to see that the other one bought a puppy?

I’m not sure about a puppy, but I could well believe that Alicia surprised Emmett by getting Pocket.

24: Which one gives the other a piggyback ride when they’re tired?

I can’t see it being a piggyback ride, but Alec has definitely carried Sarah up to bed bridal-style more than once after she’s fallen asleep on the sofa.

25: Which one competes in some sort of activity and which one does the overzealous cheering?

Theresa has never understood why the other audience members aren’t as animated in their applause as she is after one of Roderick’s concerts. Nellie, on the other hand, often stands out for not applauding as she smirks from behind the curtains in the wings watching Peter playing up to the crowds after a performance.

26: Who takes a selfie when the other one falls asleep on their shoulder?

Sarah’s sleepy DI cuddles up to her on the sofa or on the train or bus back from a fun day out, but insists he was only “resting his eyes”. That is, until Sarah mentions how cute it was.

27: Which one would give the other a makeover if they asked?

Donna would probably attempt to give The Doctor a makeover even if he doesn’t ask, insisting that his suit must need washing at some point.

28: Which one owns a pet that the other is absolutely terrified of?

Emmett isn’t fond of Pocket, but being a proud DI would never admit to being scared exactly. But he does jump every single time that Pocket appears out of nowhere or hisses slightly.

29: Which one holds the umbrella over both of them when it rains?

Roderick would be careful not to let Theresa get a single drop on her that might mark her glasses or her precious files.

30: If your OTP went on vacation, where would they go and what would they do? Who would take the pictures?

The Doctor would eventually manage to convince the TARDIS to take them to a beach, where Donna would spend a glorious few days laid out in the sun, sipping at cocktails, until The Doctor accidentally-on-purpose exposes something illegal going on behind the scenes of the hotel and they have to beat a hasty retreat.