#ehhhh i'm not gonna bother with tags

[lins-fandom-hub]

09/01/1998 (2)

Part 1 || Part 2

Here’s part 2 of a 2-part fic that I wrote that commemorates Clara’s Hogwarts friends/peers lost to battle against the forces of evil. I hope everyone’s enjoyed it so far.

The backyard wasn’t really much to look at at first glance. It was just an open grassy field, almost as big as the Quidditch pitch, with a few Wiggentrees sprouting by the border to accommodate the Bowtruckles that live there. Over the last few days, though, Barnaby had set up a couple of comfortable tents for the guests, courtesy of Hagrid who lent them for this occasion--and in the centre of the ring of tents was a huge bonfire pit with a stone border around it. A little ways away stood a table where large sky lanterns around the size of Hagrid’s pumpkins were sitting on, as well as the refreshments that a few were kind enough to move from inside. Indeed, as the two sisters arrived everyone else was milling around waiting for them--the sun had almost fully set by now, and the first stars were just beginning to twinkle in the dark periwinkle sky.

“Everything alright?” Charlie asked Clara then. “Nothing serious?”

Clara nodded. “Yeah. Everything’s fine--I just remembered, I had to wear this dagger for this important ceremony. It was custom in the Chinese Wizarding Task Force to wear this as part of our uniform, but also to wear to honour the fallen.”

“Cool,” Ismelda remarked quietly, a wicked smile growing over her face. Somehow it seemed like her love for blades never went away.

“I think we should start lighting up the bonfire at least. Hopefully no one asks too many questions about it,” Clara said. “And then we’ll get to the lanterns.”

Everyone nodded and spread out around the fire pit in a large ring, pulling out their wands and pointing them at the pile of wood in front of them. “Incendio!”

The moment the flames caught the wood and rose to the sky, the moment the lanterns were lit, Clara looked around at everyone present before staring at the lantern in her hands, the bright orange flames pulsing through the thin white paper. Soon, the sky would be lit with more than just stars tonight. Where joy was once spread through the Great Hall as students old and new dined upon the fine feasts prepared by the Hogwarts house elves, there was now the hint of solemnity not often present on the day of fresh starts.

“Wait, Clara! Don’t start without us!”

Clara’s head snapped at the sound of her brother’s voice, and she stared in awe as Jacob came running towards the group, two women she almost didn’t recognize trailing behind him. One of them had her brown hair tied up messily in a bun, her navy blue robes swishing as she ran. The other had a bright green scrunchie wrapped tightly in her long brown hair, her face marked with a light layer of soot and her t-shirt ripped from what could only be a set of claws.

Her heart leapt at the sight. At least Jacob was here tonight--and he would stay for much longer than just a few moments.

“Jacob!” she called, waving them over. “And…”

“Aurelie and Alanza,” Jacob explained, gesturing to the two women. “They showed up at the door just as I came by. Probably came by Portkey, not sure--but they said they knew you and wanted to join you in tonight’s ritual, so I agreed.”

“Of course they’re welcome,” Clara said, a small smile on her face as she recalled fond memories with the two girls back at Hogwarts. Aurelie was Penny’s pen-friend from Beauxbatons, and she came by Hogwarts at one point to visit and search for an invaluable alchemy artefact. Alanza was an exchange student from Castelobruxo who came to Hogwarts shortly after Rowan’s untimely death, and she helped her get back on her feet again in the time she was there with her sunny disposition and cheerful outlook on life. “It’s good to see you both again.”

“Oui, it has been so long!” Aurelie agreed, stepping forward to give Clara a hug. “I trust that you have been well?”

“As well as I have been,” Clara responded with a nod. “We all definitely need to catch up some time.”

“Were you really in China for a while?” Alanza asked. “How was it?”

Clara only chuckled a bit at Alanza’s question--after all, she once said as an exchange student she came to Hogwarts looking for adventure. “It was...quite interesting, to say the least. I got to see more of China in my task force days, so that counts for something.”

“We can join the circle, can we?” Aurelie asked then. 

The circle. How strange it was to think back on the last time the circle was so important. Clara nodded and swallowed at a lump in her throat, forcing herself to retain the smile on her face. “Of course. You can grab one of the lanterns there--we have a few extra.”

The two women nodded as they went over to Badeea holding up two more lanterns already decorated and lit. 

Jacob smiled as well at his little sister, holding up an all-too-familiar scarf in his hands. “I brought this from home, just in case.”

It was Rowan’s scarf--the same scarf Clara suggested she’d buy at Diagon Alley the very first time they met. She found it in the school courtyard one night while mourning for Rowan on her path to becoming Head Girl, and she protected it with her life ever since. She reached out to take it, feeling the fraying wool between her fingers, and wound the stripes of white, red, orange, pink, yellow, and green around her shoulders. 

“Thanks, Jacob.” Clara gave her brother a nod, and Jacob nodded solemnly as he picked up another lantern from the table, then took his place between little Em and Bill in the circle. 

Eventually, everyone took their places in the circle around the bonfire, and Clara cleared her throat.

“Thanks for coming, everyone.”

Clara glanced around at the group of friends gathered before her, each of them looking expectantly at her. The memory of another time, a smaller circle of friends, struck her with the force of a bomb once again, and she clenched her fists tightly at her sides in hope that she wouldn’t cry. No, she couldn’t cry. Ben and Merula were no longer here to back her up.

“I know it’s a bit weird to call you all here only two days before the wedding,” Clara commenced in a strained voice. “And I have a very good reason for leaving the wedding off for so long at all--but that’s not what I want to talk about. Do you remember what September 1 used to mean to us?”

“The day we board the Hogwarts Express to go to Hogwarts?” George recalled fondly, glancing over at Charlie and Bill who nodded encouragingly.

“Exactly. It marked the start of a new school year…” Clara confirmed, taking a shaky breath. “The end of the summer holidays used to mean another chapter in the making--for all of us developing our individual talents, sharpening our magical skills, strengthening friendships and relationships...and, for me, unearthing the secrets of ‘R’ and the Cursed Vaults.”

She caught sight of Murphy and Orion sharing an uneasy glance before turning their heads back to her. Murphy had just opened his mouth to say something when Skye shot him a glare, and he closed his mouth respectfully.

“Over the years, we lost some friends near and dear to us,” Clara continued. “Rowan Khanna died a hero in the face of the unforgivable. Cedric Diggory was killed defying the Dark Lord alongside Harry Potter in the Triwizard Tournament. Dobby sacrificed his life defying his masters to save Harry. He died a free elf.”

Bill and Fleur nodded grimly at that, Fleur clutching tightly onto her handkerchief while Bill put a comforting arm around her. Even Aurelie and Alanza clasped hands at the news--clearly, they had missed out more than they dared to hope.

“And there were more casualties in the Battle of Hogwarts that I know we wouldn’t forget any time soon,” she went on. “Ben Copper. Nymphadora Tonks. Talbott Winger. Merula Snyde. Fred Weasley. Remus Lupin. They fought for the greater good of the wizarding world.”

The grip on her lantern wavered as she struggled not to cry. Tears were already burning in her eyes, blurring the figures of her friends and loved ones in front of her--she blinked them away and shook her head.

“Today, on September 1, 1998, let us not forget the sacrifices they made,” she proclaimed then. “On the day that we feast like kings and laugh like knights, we must also remember the heroes that made this possible for us. We now live in peace because of what they’ve done for us. We’re here today because of all they’ve given many yesterdays ago. Let this day be a new chapter for all of us, not only to live our best lives, but to honour those who made it possible.”

Somewhere up in the clear summer night, she could see the stars twinkle and gleam with the bright souls of her fallen friends. Perhaps Barnaby was right--given the right visionary scope, they would be looking down upon everyone just like angels in heaven. Each wink a laugh, each glimmer a smile. She smiled up into the vast deep blue above, feeling the pressure upon her hands and heart lift skyward, and for a moment she felt as if she was airborne.

“Preach!” Andre cheered from the other side of the bonfire, followed by a loud huzzah from everyone else around him. The shout eventually brought Clara down to earth, and she looked at Barnaby who nodded at her. 

“Let us now lift our lanterns to the sky,” Clara finally told everyone. “Our gift to the souls who watch over us every day.”

Slowly, everyone raised their lanterns, releasing them into the air with a little push at the tips of their fingers. With their pulsating flames flashing brilliant orange light within their white wrapping, they looked like tiny hearts beating with life, dancing among the stars in the night. As they lifted their heads, gazing up at the lanterns now, Clara could only see the smiles of the dead in the sky, laughter echoing in her mind. Her heart swelled at the sight of Rowan’s smile in her memory, and she welcomed the tears burning in her eyes, trickling down her cheeks.

“I’m not one to gush, but...it’s nice,” Ismelda finally remarked with a nod, a subtle peaceful smile on her face.

“It’s beautiful,” little Em agreed, gazing over at Jacob who chuckled and wrapped an arm around her..

“They’re like little beating hearts,” Liz murmured in awe. “New souls granted to the ones who watch over us.”

The higher the lanterns rose, the lighter Clara’s heart felt as the burdens and grief crumbled away, bit by bit, into the dark cavern of oblivion. She glanced around at everyone now--Penny and Beatrice had their arms around each other; Liz, Chiara, and Tulip were all pointing at the stars above in the sky; and Diego, Jae, and Charlie stepped back from the bonfire to admire the view above. Even Murphy and Erika teared up a little at the sight, and Aurelie and Alanza dabbed at the tears in their eyes with spare handkerchiefs Fleur lent them.

“Hey! Let’s not forget a toast to the impending bride and groom!” Bill called out finally, conjuring a fine goblet of mead out of thin air and holding it up to Clara and Barnaby. “To your union!”

Barnaby only chuckled as he took Clara’s hand and spun her around once, pulling her close to him. “So, you think they liked that?”

“Yeah. You’re right, Barnaby,” Clara murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Everyone here liked it--I’m sure they will too.”

As everyone conjured their own glasses of mead and repeated Bill’s toast, Barnaby took out his wand and pointed it to the sky--seconds later, enchanted fireworks popped and dazzled the sky, illuminating the night with colourful sparks. Pulling him close into a hug, Clara revelled now in the comfort of the night, the warmth of his embrace, and how lucky she was to be alive right now--with friends at her side and a heart as light as air.

Time cared not how anyone felt in this very moment. The seconds would tick on and on, but the moment will forever be immortalized in the memory of the living. 

For it’s the living who cared how anyone came and left in the world, and it’s the living who would make every moment count.

[piyo13sdoodles]

a real sketchy russingon doodle in betwixt some bigger things

[catboyshinsou]

sick headcanons!

anon request: i love your writing smmm !! 🥺 can i request mha sick hcs where they take care of the reader when they don’t feel well 🥺 you choose who !! <3333

a/n: sorry it took so long <//3

pairings: Kaminari, Kirishima, Tokoyami and Monoma x sick,g/n!reader

warnings: none rlly, mention of throwing up in monoma, slight manga spoilers

can be seen platonically and romantically <3

kaminari:

Tbh i think he’d be quite Useless

Just rlly panicky n stuff bc what the fuck does one do with a sick person???

*walks into your dorm* “hey y-n wanna- WHAT THE FUCK YOU LOOK TERRIBLE”

*you in a blanket and not having enough energy to be offended* “i think i’m dying” “y/n WHAT”

He’d try his best regardless tho

He goes to sato and helps with doing something soothing and welcoming

On his way back to your dorm he passes aizawa and tells him you’re sick in THE worst way

“Oh yeah Aizawa-sensei, y/n is dying-” “THEY’RE WHAT”

Kami would definitely storm into the room with him and be just as worried

What if it was something really serious??? Like the plague?????

They find you just laying in bed, sniffling and groaning

Turns out it wasn’t the plague and just a bad flu

Flu with its whole jazz, you had a fever of 38C and you could barely move

Aizawa got you excused from classes for about a week and left again

Kami just stood there with his soup and went “oh thank god you're not dying”

like i said i think he'd be useless but try his best

he checks up on you every half hour either in person or via text during classes

he brings you stuff like blankets and foods even though you can't taste any of them or have any type of appetite

but! thanks to the fridge in your room you just had snacks for about… forever

he gave you extra attention too

sometimes he'd just sit on the ground and talk about his day and theories while you just laid under your blanket

you appreciated it though

except for aizawa, sato and tsuyu nobody came over and even they just came in every few hours

kami stayed for hours on end and even tried to convince aizawa to let him sleep over so he could “watch over you” incase you “stopped breathing”

it's not like you slept much when he was around anyway, nights were not ideal for a good rest on a sick day

it was endearing seeing him lay on a futon on the floor and poking you when he had to get up for class

he leaves notes and stuff to make sure you didn't get worried

did he do anything to make you feel better physically? not rlly

did he lift your spirits and make you feel less lonely? most definitely

kirishima:

hear me out

this boy is an angel when it comes to caring for people

when he got into the whole essentially self care stuff he also knows what's best for others

he was probably one of the first to notice you being ~off your game~

whether in class or just yknow vibing, he'd tap your shoulder and softly “you okay man?”

he calls everyone dude and man and bro no matter gender or anything he's just that into the manliness stuff

and yes he puts you in essentially self isolation more for yourself than for others

“your body needs to rest y/n! can't properly get better if everyone keeps bothering you!”

he calls you every night tho and he has aizawa bring you stuff when he checks up on you (he's allowed because he's the teacher ofc also as long you're a UA student like one of your legal guardians which is like a dad and dads can see their kids sick right?)

stuff ranges from just bowls of soup to compresses to the handmade ointment against a sore throat to like socks he knitted or something his parents sent in bc he told them you were sick

yes this boy tells his parents you're sick

i mean someone probably told yours but like twice the parents means twice the comfort!

alternatively if your parents are *cough* he'd tell his parents and put you on the phone with them because everyone needs some parental love from time to time (don't act tough about it, he's gonna make you cry and tell you how manly you are for doing so)

when you're back on your feet he probably still treats you like you're about to fall over for like two or three days more

he praises you for how well you did during your essential quarantine and when you say you didn't do anything he says some cheesy stuff about manliness

“bro i'm so proud of you for getting through it!” “i didn't do anything kiri-” “don't say that! it takes so much energy and manliness to keep in self isolation and get better, you did amazing”

tokoyami:

i love birds

also look at baby toko he's so cute

do birds get sick?

anyways

tokoyami is like.. helpful but tries to be undercover about it

he's not gonna ignore you or anything

he's the type to like silently nudge teachers into your area so they could see you were clearly sick and send you back to the dorms to rest

but he'd never actually ask you or tell anyone

it would ruin his whole ~vibe~

dark shadow tells him to tell someone and he rlly does especially if he sees you struggling through it in class but he's also just not great at talking with people so a nudge or “secret note” will have to do

it does work, you're in your dorm right before combat training because mic had sent you up and excused you

mic is sweet he said he'd send aizawa up when he finds him but that you should rest

he also tells you that you have some really attentive friends

you're at this point just letting the sickness take over you so you have no idea what he just said (you heard him but the words just didn't register in your brain)

you get into bed and the first thing you do is sleep through afternoon classes

tokoyami is only at 50% today and so is dark shadow

tokoyami swears he isn't worried, the teachers are capable of taking care of you in an appropriate manner so that you will recover in no time

dark shadow on the other hand is all gittery and doesn't wanna focus on anything but you

off topic but i just think dark shadow is tokoyamis way of showing emotions or well like… like his internal thoughts? not like his internal dialogue but ya know his feelings

so he can act all goth and dramatic but dark shadow is a good way of still giving some of his feelings an output

back to you

so training is over and so is your nap

but you wake up to pillows, stuffed animals, blankets and more pillows surrounding you

half of them weren't yours either

they laid around you like some kind of pillow fortress jusy surrounding you and making sure you didn't hit your head on the wall or fall from the bed

it kinda felt like a nest- oh

you tried getting up, your head almost immediately flinging uoh back into bed but you needed to see if a certain someone would come back in to build the nest

“dark shadow, be quiet we don't want them to w- oh you're up”

tokoyami came in with more stuffies and an extra blanket like it was a siberian winter and your rooms only source of warmth was an almost dying candle

“are those yours?” you asked half asleep, your head absolutely booming

you could barely keep your eyes open, that's how exhausted you were but you made an effort to smile at the bird and his shadow

“uh no, yaomomo-san insisted on making some blankets for you and hagakure-san, ashido-san and uraraka-san gave me all their stuffed animals when they heard i was paying you a visit-” “but the blue star blanket and teardrop pillow are from fumi!! he brought them from home because he can't sleep without them!!” “DARK SHADOW!”

you only chuckled before breaking out in a cough again

aizawa came in some time after and had a hard time finding you under all the blankets and stuffies and even offered to tell the class to stop bothering you

but you just laid there all cozy and told him to let them be

“it's how he shows affection, it's nice”

monoma:

oh so the 1A student got sick??? huh??? I thought 1A was invincible hUUUUUUH??? *manic laughter*

coughs

anyways

so basically the two hero courses are more “in tune” after the joint training

they often have dinners together and it isn't rare to see kendo come over with monoma and tetsu^4

she came over to hang with the girls and tetsu had training sessions with kiri

nobody rlly knew why monoma tagged along though

all he did was spout about how average everything is for the “superior hero course”

he did secretly like the classes growing together more though

he'd sit on the couch with you and occasionally laugh about something else other than his team beating yours during joint training

one day he came in and didn't see you at your usual spot

“ehhhh??? where's the only tolerable person in this course??”

used to his lowkey insults deku pointed you out at the dinner table, head resting on your hand and looking over some homework

“y/n what are you- oh my god you look horrible”

“thanks monoma, you're as nice as ever”

your face was drained of any colour, eyes heavy lidded and you could barely control the pen that scribbled over the paper

he tried grabbing your wrist but pulled back immediately

you were way too hot and the fact that he noticed by grabbing your wrist meant that it was more than just a high fever

“is 1A that incompetent that they couldnt even notice their classmate falling sick??? can you guys do anything but trouble???”

“shut up monoma, we tried getting them to bed but they insisted on finishing up first and there's nothing in the world that can get y/n away from what they've put their head to”, kaminari yelled from the living room space

how were you gonna get anything finished if your head was falling off your shoulders if you didn't hold it up

class 1A really was incompetent

“sato-san, give me a hand”

sato, who was currently cooking up dinner, just held out his hand and some type of chocolate bar which monoma grabbed and ate up

“this is incredibly sweet, i don't know how you do it”

it's become like half a routine for monoma to copy quirks for whatever reason

kiri and tetsu used it to determine which quirk was handier

uraraka’s quirk made cleaning up after a game night easier

it was training for all of them

monoma could train his copy and the others could measure how much they've grown from his reaction to it

anyways

sato’s quirk kicked in and he lifted you up over his shoulder

“monoma!” you could barely lift your voice, faintly kicking

before you knew it he placed you on your bed in your dorm and sighed

“you're lighter than i thought”

“i think i'm gonna throw up”

so you hurled into your garbage can

monoma held back whatever there was to hold back

(he was very much disgusted but even he knew that this wasn't the time to let any type of negative emotion show)

“jolly gees y/n, what did you have for breakfast?!”

you laid in bed as he passed you a water bottle

“you need to drink something, you lost a lot of water”

“awe caring for me, monoma?”

“this is for general health, y/n. i would never as much as care for anyone, especially not a brat from 1A. who even knew that any of you could fall sick huh?! weren't you supposed to be superior to the rest of us??!”

he said all of that while putting a blanket on you and opening the window for fresh air

“god you 1A fools really are incompetent!”

he went into your bathroom and soaked a small towel in water

“i'm only doing this so you don't infect anyone. god you could cause an epidemic at UA and in the end 1b would fall victim to you as well! this is all just for the general well-being!”

you didn't even hear what he was saying anymore

with a half empty bottle next to your head, you slept peacefully

monoma let out a deep breath when he saw you

“i'd never care for anyone in 1A, i'm better than that…”

he whispered those words to himself

(he did care)

[shadow-night]

Bounty Hunter in the Shadows Chapter 1

More chapters here on Ao3.

Story Tags: Erasermic, Friends to Lovers, young Aizawa Shouta, young Yamada Hizashi, Slow Burn, Slice of Life, Hurt/ Comfort, Angst and Feels, Comedy, Fluff, mental breakdown, PTSD, flashbacks, self-medication, drug use, homelessness, homeless Aizawa Shouta, unhealthy coping mechanisms, survivor guilt, cats, growing gp, character study, character development, recovery

Chapter 1: Aizawa and Yamada

Finally graduation day arrived. Aizawa held his UA high school diploma in his hands. This was a joyous occasion – or at least it should be. He should feel proud, which he did to an extent. Aizawa could not help but find the entire event nostalgic before it was even over.

He was a little proud he managed to pull through and finished school, graduating from the most famous hero school in Japan no less, but he also felt a deeply routed guilt. Yamada was joking and laughing with friends. Everyone was loud and happy, yet someone was missing.

Yamada tore Aizawa from his thoughts as he excitedly called out to him. Aizawa put on a teasing smile, silencing him with a quirk and vanished. It was meant as a joke but it also was great to escape his classmates.

Aizawa rolled his eyes at the endless amounts of texts Yamada sent him. He could practically hear the disappointed yelling while reading about how he had missed all the group photos. He didn't even bother to listen to the voice messages or pick his phone up when it rang. Aizawa went home and relaxed on his bed, knowing his foster parents wouldn't get home until later.  He wondered what would happen if he left right this moment without another word to anyone. His suitcase was already packed.

A new message lit up his phone's home screen. Aizawa reached for the device, only now bothering to look at the chat.

Yamada:

We're all going out to eat tonight. Will you come?

Aizawa:

No. I promised them dinner.

It was true. He had promised his foster parents a ‘goodbye dinner’ before moving out. It was the reason why he didn't leave right this afternoon. They were decent people and were kind enough to give him space and not pressure him into spending more time together, so when they asked if he would have dinner with them tonight he couldn't say no.

Yamada:

But you're leaving tomorrow morning, right?! When will we see each other again??

That was a good point. It still hadn't quite sunken in that they would not be back at school again soon. They wouldn't just leave school for a weekend or a holiday, but forever. Aizawa almost regretted not staying longer at school now, though he also knew that it wasn't his thing. Seeing everyone excited for the future and sad they would part would have been a little too much. He was happier alone in his bedroom.

Yamada:

Can I come over?

 Aizawa:

What about dinner?

 Yamada:

We meet later. I'll come over.

Well. Now that that was decided all there was left to do was to wait for the energetic blonde. Wherever Yamada had been, he couldn't have been too far from his home. He was out of breath when, ten minutes later, he rang the doorbell non stop until the door was opened for him.

"Come on in." Aizawa said and they headed over to the brunet's room, where they sat down on the bed. At least Aizawa sat down. Yamada flopped onto the mattress still trying to catch his breath.

"You could have walked here." Aizawa noted.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to miss any more time! Who knows when we'll see each other again!" Yamada said.

"You're the one who wanted to work in America." Aizawa reminded him.

"I knoooow." Yamada whined, but then a grin returned to his face. "But I'm sure it's gonna be awesome!" he said determinedly.

"Just don't start talking to me in English all the time." Aizawa said and realized that he really would miss Yamada.

During their first year at U.A. he did not get particularly close with anyone but Shirakumo and  Yamada. In their second year Aizawa had allowed himself to befriend Kayama a little. The cat Aizawa and Shirakumo found and gave to her had helped a lot in terms of befriending the girl who was a grade ahead of them.

After Shirakumo's death Aizawa made sure it stayed that way and distanced himself from others. He couldn't bear the thought of getting close to someone again only to loose them later. He looked at Yamada who lay on his back next to him on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Aizawa didn't want to think about how he would react if anything happened to the blonde.

"What train will you take tomorrow morning?" Yamada suddenly asked.

"Why? Don't tell me you want to meet me at the station." Aizawas tone was flat and seemingly uninterested.

"Ehhhh? Why not?!"

"You'll be hung-over." Aizawa stated.

"What? You really think us aspiring pro heroes will succumb to underage drinking?!" Yamada called out in mock surprise as if they hadn't- together in fact- gotten drunk before. Then he turned more serious. "I'd still come if you told me what time the train left." Yamada claimed.

"At 8:00 in the morning? Are you sure?" Aizawa said, a small smirk ghosting on his lips.

"Damn. That's early. Why are you torturing yourself like that?" Yamada asked, knowing how much Aizawa hated getting up early himself. Though, to be fair Aizawa seemed unhappy about getting up at any time. Insomnia was a real pain in the ass.

"I'll still come." Yamada said.

Aizawa just gave a low hum.

"You don't believe me! You'll see. I'll be there!" Yamada bumped his fist into Aizawa's shoulder.

"I didn't say anything." Aizawa said, raising his hands, showing his palms.

"Anyways." Yamada huffed. "You'll have to send me pictures of your apartment when you get there, alright."

"It's shitty. Nothing worth showing off." Aizawa protested.

"I don't care. I just want to see pictures."

"I'll send you pictures of the cockroaches I'll room with." Aizawa teased.

"Please don't!" Yamada looked horrified.

"You get those or nothing." Aizawa shrugged. This was nice. It was easy banter, just the two of them, nothing too overwhelming.

They fell into a comfortable silence, Yamada's eyes landing on Aizawa's packed suitcase.

Yamada had been surprised when Aizawa told him he would leave Musutafu the day after their graduation. He himself would travel to the US soon after the school year ended, but his flight went a week after graduation, giving him enough time to say goodbye to classmates and family. Well, Aizawa could count the friends he had on two fingers and he also did not have much family. Yamada did not know Aizawa’s host family particularly well but the few times he met them they seemed nice. Yamada could not help but wonder if Aizawa left so soon because he felt uncomfortable around them or if it had to do with Aizawa's general attitude and mood ever since their work study ended in their second year.

Yamada had a great support system at home but it was difficult mourning their dead friend himself and helping Aizawa at the same time. Shirakumo's death hit them both hard, though Aizawa definitely had a less healthy way of coping and far less support or people who didn't offer the support he needed which ended in him changing host families a month after their work study. It had been painful to watch Aizawa train in the Gym to the point he was so exhausted he fell asleep in their classes. Yamada had done his best to be there and watch Aizawa as often as he could, sometimes even training with him. It made them grow closer over time.

"You've got to take care of yourself." Yamada broke the silence.

Aizawa frowned, then looked away from the blonde. "You too."

"Hey, you missed out on all the pictures we took, let's take some now!" Yamada changed the subject. They wouldn't see each other in quite a while so they shouldn't just mop around. Aizawa was not impressed by the idea, but when Yamada sat up on the bed and sat right next to him he tilted his head towards the blonde as he held up his phone. Within minutes Yamada's camera roll filled up with new pictures of them both.

"You should leave soon, if you don't want to be late." Aizawa said eventually as he took notice of the time.

"I guess." Yamada said and sat up on the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright?" He reminded Aizawa.

"Don't trouble yourself. It will be fine if you don't." He said.

The door fell shut and Aizawa stood alone in the quiet house. Dinner with his foster parents also was a quiet affair. He appreciated that. They did not try to get him to talk more than usual or try to talk him out of things last minute. They asked if he finished packing and if he still needed something, as if anything was worth the trouble of going out this late at night. There were plenty of stores with the same products where he moved. He let them know he had everything he needed and stayed seated at the table after dinner. They drank tea and let it sink in that things would be different from now on.

The night seemed to drag on forever and Aizawa barely slept. He got up early, even earlier than he had to, so he could make breakfast for everyone. He made his host parents favorite tea, put six slices of bread in the toaster oven and got out a pot to make miso soup. He didn't have to cook but even he could make something as simple as miso soup with tofu and seaweed. He set out the jam for the bread and got out some plates when his host parents came out.

Aizawa checked his phone when he got his suitcase after breakfast. No new messages showed up. The blonde sent him a few photos during the night, so Aizawa knew his classmates drank alcohol and stayed up until the early morning hours. He tried to ignore the slight pang in his chest. It was good Yamada had fun last night. He should rest now. They could talk over the phone later, he told himself pocketing his phone. He looked around the room one final time. It was clean and he already pulled the sheets off and put them into the washing machine.

"Remember you can call us anytime." His host mother told him as they stood in the entrance. Aizawa gave a slight nod to signal he heard her as he tied his shoes.

"Don't hesitate to ask for help." Her husband added.

"Thank you. For everything." Aizawa said, looking them in the eyes. He even gave both a hug before he stepped outside and pulled his suitcase to the station.

When Aizawa arrived at the nearest tram station, he realized he gave Yamada the time his other train would leave from the bigger train station. So even if the blonde intended to come he might have thought of the wrong place. He checked his phone but no new notifications showed up. Aizawa pocketed his phone as the tram came to a stop. The small tram was packed with people going to work and Aizawa shuffled to the door, pulling his suitcase as close as possible. He gave an apologetic nod to an older lady close to him. Aizawa focused his eyes outside the window looking at the familiar houses and stores passing by.

Finally the tram reached the central station. He arrived with some time to spare and checked his phone while he stood waiting at the platform. He felt a little forgotten but tried his best to push the feeling aside. He told Yamada not to worry about coming, so it wasn't fair to be mad at him for not showing up.

He could hear his train enter the station and then, even louder than the arriving train his name. "Aizawaaaaaaa!" He knew that voice.

Aizawa turned around to the direction the call had come from and saw Yamada running into the station. Several people held their ears and stared at the blond in irritation. He would have to get to this platform, but the train just arrived so there was enough time. Aizawa couldn't help but smile.

When Yamada finally came running down the stairs he looked like he would throw up any second. "The things I do for you." he huffed out of breath when he came to a stop in front of Aizawa.

"I told you, you didn't have to come." Aizawa said, but his smile gave him away.

"Please just tell me you are happy to see me so that it was worth coming." Yamada begged. He wore a t-shirt with an unidentifiable stain on it and one of his shoelaces was open. He was very pale and his unstyled hair hung in his face.

"Yeah. I'm happy." Aizawa gave in. "Thank's for coming." He said just as Yamada stepped away from him and threw up over the other side of the platform where no train was.

"Are you alright?" Aizawa asked, holding the other's hair back. Other people were stared more or less subtly.

"Ugh..." Yamada groaned. Aizawa glanced at the clock, "Wait here. I'll be right back." He said and jogged to a vending machine to get some water.

"Thank's." Yamada said after he washed his mouth out and took a sip. "Sorry about that." He said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Do you need money for a taxi back?" Aizawa asked.

"No, no! It's fine. Keep your money! I still have some." Yamada said. He pulled his walled out in demonstration. He knew Aizawa did not have much saved up and he doubted he suddenly accepted more from his host family.

"If you're sure." Aizawa said.

"Actually, let me pay you back for this." Yamada held up the bottle Aizawa just got him.

"It's just water." Aizawa shook his head.

"Alright. Thanks." Yamada put his wallet away again. They stood in silence for a moment after that.

"Well...-" Yamada tried to break the silence.

"I have to get on the train soon." Aizawa said at the same time.

"Ah...right. Well...I'll hear from you soon right? Send pictures!"

"Of roaches. Sure." Aizawa couldn't help but tease with a smirk.

"I got up and came all the way here and this is how you thank me?!" Yamada said so loud he winced himself. He hadn't even spoken that loud but with his head already pounding every decibel felt like too much.

"We'll see." Aizawa said and reached for his suitcase. Should he give Yamada a hug? His arms twitched, though he kept them at his side. "Get some rest." he said, taking a step back.

"You too!" Yamada nodded, wincing once more at his own volume.

"Thank's for coming." Aizawa said, standing in the train's doorway. "Bye."

"Bye." Yamada said a little quieter now, but with a smile on his face while he waved. The blonde was always so positive and energetic. It was nice. Aizawa waved as the door closed, then moved to look for his seat.

It was a window seat and he waved once more once he sat down. Yamada waved with two arms as the train began to move.

This was it.

Aizawa's chest felt tight as the train drove out of Musutafu. So many memories were connected to the city. Good, as well as bad. He gulped down the lump that formed in his throat and pressed his shirt's sleeve against his eyes. A new chapter of his life started with his move to Naruhata. There was no turning back now.

More chapters of Bounty Hunter in the Shadows on Ao3 :)

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

Fic Writer 20 Questions ✨

tagged by @cadriona

1. how many works do you have on ao3? 16 honkai fics (plus a translation I published on behalf of the translator) and... ... ... 69 total?!

2. what's your total ao3 word count? 351 347 words, apparently!

3. how many fandoms have you written for, and what are they? honkai aside, that's a secret

4. top five fics by kudos? i'm only gonna do honkai fics so 1. There Are No Thought Crimes 2. Backstage Stars 3. The Moon 4. The Temptress 5. Wreck Me Like This City y'all are horny

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not? yes! because i love comments and I love interacting with readers. I guess it's my reward after all the hard work writing~

6. what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending? Once again only gonna bother with Honkai fics Mmmm... honestly? I don't write angsty endings a lot, but I'm gonna say If Your Wounds Would Heal In Paradise for now.

7. do you write crossovers? very very rarely, and when I do it's more along the lines of "fandom A in fandom B's setting as an AU"

8. have you ever received hate on a fic? if I have I don't remember! which is for the best

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind? yes, and I think I've pretty much only ever written f/f smut..? f/m I could do but I wouldn't want to write m/m because ✨ I am not attracted to dudes✨ and it would prolly bore the hell out of me. time will tell though! (note: trans people count toward their gender, trans mei fics are still f/f for example)

10. have you ever had a fic stolen? lol yes, very recently in fact! but I got them to take all the stolen stuff down so it's all good.

11. have you ever had a fic translated? yes right here, in chinese! However I am no longer in contact with the translator for personal reasons.

12. have you ever co-written a fic before? yep it's very fun! published stuff not recently though

13. what's your all time favourite ship? don't got one i'm a multishipper and always have been

14. what's a wip you want to finish but don't think you ever will? I bet y'all are afraid i'll say thotty crimes but nah i'm finishing it... soonish I'm kind of afraid of finishing it to be honest it's my longest fic ever I don't want it to end AHEM to answer the question properly, I'm thinking more of a wip in another fandom... my fandom experience was half utter crap (who gets wrapped up in a fight with the creator, seriously?) and half wow I met so many friends, and in the end updates have stopped and I've p much lost interest so ehhhh idk if/when i'll get back to it. probably not soon. maybe not ever :(

15. what are your writing strengths? i think i'm pretty good at drawing pictures in people's minds! I've been told as much anyway

16. what are your writing weaknesses? not being a native speaker sometimes trips me up, and I'm unused to past tense writing so I sometimes fumble more than I should with it. have been practicing tho

17. what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language? love it want to do more of it EXPRESSLY did so in thotty crimes because I thought it's dope. i got native speakers to help me for most of that, though, I think that's good practice

18. what was the first fandom you ever wrote for? not honkai :P it was a korean webcomic, i was 13 or 14

19. what's your favourite fic you've written? don't have one! once I've written a fic it's done. that's it. unless there's a glaring mistake or I'm rereading it for fun, I don't look back so I guess "the fics I'm passionate about that I've yet to write" are my favorites...

20. tagging? @e17omm and anyone else who wants to do it really

[raidenenthusiast]

you already know I'm gonna ask for genshin<3

GOD BLESS ILY 💖💕 i should mention that i accidentally closed tumblr halfway through answering this, so i am literally retyping all of it. this new phone has a very like, slippery screen n i'm not used to it so i was like OH SHIT HAGDJANHDBSN

my favorite female character: SUCROSE!!! i only have very minor complaints about her design (really i just wish she was wearing some pants) n the parts of it i do like (her hair n her ears n the COLORS) are so pleasing to look at. i fly around with her bc the mondstadt wings match her really nicely n she looks so cute. her little ears.......i adore her. she has a voiceline about how she wants to use alchemy to create a fairytale utopia n it's SO sweet n i love her so much.

honorable mention hu tao, bc she's actually the only female design i personally don't complain about at all (the bar is so low though) n i LOVED her story quest. i'm also a really big fan of how she's voiced in english (bc i play in english) n also she's hilarious. i'm obsessed with her dynamic with zhongli too.

my favorite male character: strap in kids. this is gonna be a long ride. i have a top three, although it's technically more of a top four.

tied for first are childe n xiao bc i cannot choose between them. i had a really fun journey with childe; when i first started playing, my friend told me they thought he would 100% be my type n i looked at a photo of him n went "ehhhh" so i wasn't really sure at first. i also knew the um. "reputation" fans of him had within fan content n such so i was ALSO wary of that being a very frequent fandom-goer. fast forward a little bit n his banner roles around. i actually decided to pull for him for GAMEPLAY reasons initially, bc the idea of a ranged user being able to use a melee stance was literally a gamechanger for me who wasn't n still isn't very good at archers. i did start liking him reluctantly at that point, but i didn't really want to admit it (very funny looking back) n i used to make fun of him a lot bc i was in denial. NOW i have him in my party (my incredible dps my beloved) n i have finally met him in story which made me fall REALLY hard REALLY fast bc believe it or not, canon childe is NOTHING LIKE fanon childe. n that's a good thing mind u. n the rest is history, he now means everything to me. i am soft for him daily. i also rescind my previous "ehhhh" about his appearance bc he is very sexy. i am ALSO very much an advocate for how griffin voices him n i could talk about the golden house scene for literal hours; it is THE best scene in the game so far.

xiao was sort of similar, my (same) friend n i both knew i would like him bc he is VERY much my type. we were right. i was hyped up to meet him n as SOON as i did i fell so hard i fell off a cliff. it breaks my heart every day i don't have him as i wait patiently for him to rerun. playstyle wise i honestly think he's really fun, but i would probably be saving for him even if i hated how he played, bc i just love him that much. i'm also obsessed with yaksha lore in general n i think about him a lot. xiao my beloved. he also has one of my favorite (if not my favorite) designs.

diluc n zhongli are the last two, bc i can't really choose which one of them i like more, only bc they're both important for different reasons?

diluc was my FIRST favorite character. i took a single look at him n i KNEW. first character i loved, first character i really wanted, as well as the character i tried to (n failed to) REROLL FOR. over fifty times, n nothing. i have him now, but goddamn. i have a thing for characters associated with fire, n as soon as i heard about the whole darknight hero thing i was like oh my.....marriage. i was heartbroken when i played through the chunk of the story quest where they let u trial him before i had him bc i wanted him so bad. he's literally been on my team since day one. i go idle with him to hear him say nice things to me. i love him so much.

n as for zhongli, he's. also special. the definition of comfort character. "he's more than daddy to me. he's.....he's like GRANDPA" HQGDNANHD no but seriously, he walks on sceen n i just feel safe. part of it is keith being so very good at voicing him, but regardless i love him very much. he tugs at my heartstrings a lot n i think he's probably the character the causes me the most physical heartache bc i feel so bad for him.

honorable mention dain, bc who would i be if i didn't mention dain. mwah.

my favorite book/season/episode etc: i'm gonna go with quest for this one! n i think we all know what i'm gonna say; OF COURSE IT'S ZHONGLI'S STORY QUEST!! i complain a lot about how this game doesn't treat tension properly, but i have absolutely nothing to complain about in either of his quests. particularly part two really held its own for me against the entire main story, in my opinion. i know part two just came out, but i am ECSTATIC about the possibility of future parts. also the only story quest i've shed tears over (although i came pretty close on childe's n xiao's). i even THINK about a scene from that quest n my heart breaks into pieces. emotionally, zhongli owns me.

my favorite cast member: in terms of acting performance, probably keith. in general, yuri. he is one of my all time favorite voice actors n i inhale everything that he has done like fucking kirby. i'm really attached to a lot of the english cast though; laila, griffin, khoi, erika, etc.

my favorite ship: this is hard, actually. what's hilarious is that all my favorite pairings involve zhongli. i honestly, at this point, think it's a tie between zhongluc n rezhong. bc rezhong there is just so much there n so much to THINK about, but zhongluc is very comforting to me, personally, n the whole dragon n the phoenix imagery stuff sucked me in like a VACUUM. i also really like guili though; basically, if zhongli is in it, i will at least think about it (sort of, see later).

a character i'd die defending: childe no uhh. in terms of characters who NEED defending, kaeya. i am so SICK of u people not knowing how to interpret him. i'd like to add in eula here too, bc i REALLY like her, n i think some of u went a little bit haywire. in terms of characters who don't really need defending, xiao. i would die for him, actually.

a character i just can't sympathize with: ironically i don't genuinely hate any of the playable characters yet. dottore is pretty fucked up so i guess him, but also i still find him interesting hagdbanhdnan.

a character i grew to love: besides childe? ganyu! i didn't NOT like her by any means, but i was mostly indifferent, n while i WISH her story quest had a little more to it...i adore her very much.

my anti otp: besides the obvious ones, zhongchi.....LET ME EXPLAIN!! i don't HATE it, exactly. but i got so irreparably BITTER about it clogging up both childe n zhongli's individual tags, to the point where i couldn't find enough content without it, i completely lost interest. i will accept nice art of it, but i also have a massive problem with how A LOT of fans tend to over/hyperfeminize childe in relation to the ship, which feels very disingenuous to me bc childe.....isn't a feminine character, really. he's just, i dunno, skinny?? if anything, his whole fight happy shit feels more masculine to me, lmao. it just very much feels like a lot of u can't accept a pairing between two men unless u put one of them in the role of the "woman" n it very much bothers me. like, listen, i know childe is canonically a malewife n i love that about him, but it's about the intent. n i feel HORRIBLE vibes from a lot of u people. i know active fandom genshin fans have bad vibes in general, but u know what i mean. i have been to this rodeo before, n i hate it every time. also, i see a lot of very mischaracterized childe in relation to the pairing too, n to a much lesser extent zhongli, but it still exists. basically, i don't hate it, but i am bitter. n it very much feels like a lot of u are turning them into ur token fandomwide homos which NEVER ends well.

please all i ask is if ur gonna ship two men can u at least treat them both like some semblance of men i am tired