#himiko lore

[girlatrocity]

toga's middle school friends 🤞🏻

momo and toga went to the same school and were in some of the same friend circles in my head 🫶🏻

[heartillycore]

blood warning ?!!

i need to catch up w this show I haven’t watched since 2018 …

[marronje]

FINALLY, 13 hours and I'm doooone... The process was tough but the result is pretty satisfying. As I always say (I don't), if ya can't come up with a fan oc, you can insert some canon characters into your story instead 👌

And while I can share my lore... (some text and more pics below, text is google translated but I tried to edit this into something decent haha)

The story centers on one of the outstanding feudal families (the European influence in this setting is more pronounced).

Lore (raw, very raw): an alternative Russian Empire of the 18th-19th centuries, where the aristocracy seized power due to outstanding magical abilities.

The magic of the Ilyinsky family is one of the most unsettling in this regard, to the point of other families barely having any interaction with them. Since ancient times, there has been a traditional ritual in Ilyinka - each family in service must give the Ilyinskys one deceased person once every 100 years for eternal service in the estate (in fact, it only lasts until the death of the owner, so when the head of the family dies, an urgent cleaning and replacement of personnel is carried out in the estate).

Seeing a long-dead relative in the costume of a maid or a footman is not at all surprising for the locals. The magic of the aristocrat who rules here allows to 'revive' a voluntarily given body — it will behave plausibly and even retain parts of the personality of the deceased. You can recognize such a puppet by a faded eye — necessarily the left one. Each member of the Ilyinsky family also has this feature.

An example of such a connection are my main characters — Katie (the left one, some old peice if ya wanna see more of her) and 'Mistress' Ilyinsky (the tired gorgeous woman, a recent art yeah).

The old reference pic is so ya can understand the general aesthetics of the universe

Wearing black clothes is a sign of noble origin or service to a noble family btw

Reference pic yeah (Himiko looks pretty proud of herself and Ochaco is kinda judging us all, I like it :3)

Now to what Himiko does here – she is in the service of this family, but the case is unusual — often outsiders are not taken into service, but this exception was unexpected and pleasant. The foreigner who's died as a result of a mystical incident retained most of her character and magical powers and it let her save the connection with her cursed weapon — Ochako.

'Satellite' is a magical contract of the infamous Japanese Toga clan, from whose grip Himiko tried to escape by illegally making a deal with the soul of the deceased daughter of the Uraraka clan. The contract works on the principle of being a sacrifice — the weapon helps to quench the insatiable thirst for blood of the carrier, while receiving a semblance of a corporeal form (and imperceptibly shifting the master's moral orientation). If initially Himiko thirsted for blood out of pure lust for murder, now it has become a reflection of her love for the world and people in such a... particularly twisted manner.

With Himiko practically dead, the connection begins to fail, and she stays with the Ilyinskys not only out of lack of choice, but also out of a need to receive valuable help from the hands of unfriendly (or not) Russians.

Role in the plot — minor character-element of chaos.

Tarot card — Two of Pentacles, Page of Swords.

Ah, and a more lore-fitting version (the mask and the eye are IMPORTANT)

[il3x]

The perfect big sister! <3

Ft. my "Toga Himiko is a Bonesaw" take under the cut:

I'm not very familiar with the superhero genre beyond Worm and MHA, so I might be missing a pre-existing trope - but I think these two share an archetype: Little Girl Villain who juxtaposes extremely gory, visceral acts with a happy and innocent demeanour. Their villain personas epitomise idealised archetypes of girlhood; frilly-dress-and-tea-party '50s little-girl for Bonesaw, and lovesick tween schoolgirl for Toga. These archetypes are anchored to a specific age - the age they were when they lost the chance at a civilian life.

On that note, neither of them got much choice in life, with Toga branded a villain for her Quirk and Bonesaw groomed into villainy by Jack. They both lost their families, and seek a surrogate family in their villain group, whose goal is (ostensibly) mindless destruction.

Is it any wonder that they're frozen in stasis at the age when they were traumatized? I find it interesting that they're both older than their archetypes (Bonesaw, at 12, is pretty much the age of Toga's archetype!) but are unable to move past these personas.

[wyrm-with-a-why]

I have been crying for hours about doomed yuri bro it got me ok

[ultimateplaylistmaker]

*Sees Himiko edit* *Remember that Tenko is canoncially transphobic* Oh no...

Tenko is going on a LOVELY training arc with some VERY nice older trans ladies who saw her and went "free daughter" because we here in the house of the playlist maker believe in PATIENCE and KINDNESS for the naively ignorant so now she's got like three moms and they're all giving her a crash course on gender and she doesn't fully get it yet but shes working on it!

[gradelstuff]

Urgent Orders! Recover the Hidden Fortune (2/5)

Story Description:

Re-Destro asks Geten, Toga, and Mr. Compress to retrieve a secret package from a sketchy bank. The three reach the bank, but it's surrounded by Heroes due to an ongoing bank robbery!

Preview:

[divineslcyer]

waking up at 5 am again gdi.. anyway, I think I've got a basis now for Honkai!Mish, been torn on her being with the Stellaron hunters OR the express. But she looks like she could legit be related to Himiko so, gonna write up how Himiko could be cousins.. or that she was the first Himiko took in on the Express. ( pending ideas but i like my gurl on the train and also pom-pom is precious).

Her element would be fire, her path.. possibly destruction. Possibly.

[ectterna]

AHHHHHHH THEY ARE RIGHT HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THIS…

so im a die hard fan since 2018/19 around the time season 2 came out and i know like mostly everything although the war arc made me not finish the series.

OKAY THIS IS WHY TOGACHAKO IS KILLER AND COLOR.

(this is made by a non togachako shipper i view them as platonic)

why killer is toga; Toga was like hated by her family because for her quirk (due to the blood thing), this led to her being a mentally ill teen who killed a boy bc he didnt love her or smth from what i remember. She kills people bc like she just wanted to be loved and now she doesnt care anymore. She basically has a similar personality to fanon killer (in the sense shes bubbly over the top and ‘always happy’)

Color comes in when ochacko starts to realize how little of a chance toga got to be loved/has a reason for her wrong doings. Ochako is becoming morally grey for toga because she doesnt think toga is invalid. Like she knows toga cant redeem herself but she wants to help her realize she isnt a bad person just because of her quirk.

Himiko realizes in the end that her live would have been better if she didnt resort to villany and if she decided to try to be good she might have actually had a chance.

The whole ur cute stuff was ochako just saying toga was human too.

So basically color saying “youre the cutest” would mean “you can choose what you want, its not your fault”

color just having one big ole hear me out for killer <33

The scene but in their words:

Color: “But if you still feel for even a little bit that you want to talk to me, I’ll sit with you no matter the stage, I want to talk about what you want in life Killer!”

Color: “I just want to touch you, the hate and sadness inside of you, *color talking ab his lore and why he is here idk much about color to tweak this part*. Thats why im here killer, tell me what you think! Tell me what you thought until now, everything!

*Killer going to kill color but stops*

Killer: “Chara, she changed my code… I- I Killed everyone, Over, and over, and over. When Nightmare saved me I thought that it was the only way out, that he was the only way I could escape my AU. I was told I couldn’t be happy anymore, I was blinded, you knew what it was like to love without LoVE.”

Killer: “I had to get my soul morphed to force a stage two, Nightmare would get so angry if I felt too much. He would say that ‘I was just a tool’ he’d think I was worthless. He told me that you were a bad influence, you were foolish and I shouldn’t be near you. Thats why I’m with Nightmare, I thought it was my only option! I never got a chance to choose what I wanted!”

Color: “You were sending me those signals the whole time, it took me so long to realize.”

Killer: ‘Oh no, I’m reverting back to stage one...’

Color: “I can’t bring back your old life, but I thought I’d tell you how wonderful my time with you was.”

Killer: ‘Im glad I met color.’

*insert the image above*

Have you seen season 7 episode 20 of my hero academia? I think Toga and Ochako are very Colourkiller

I’m sorry to say I haven’t watched beyond S3, cause to be completely honest I kinda lost interest in the Anime as it went on, I watched a very unique and beautiful story become another Dragon ball with the stakes (somehow) just going higher (even more than All for one??? Which doesn’t make sense to me?????) and with no end in sight, so I kinda just dropped it ngl hcchchhcvh

So I honestly don’t know anything beyond some designs for the characters that appear afterwards chchch

But since you’re mentioning Toga and Ochako, I’m assuming you might be referring to that scene in the manga that’s something like “you think I’m cute?”, “the cutest in the world”, I at least saw that around

And while I do not know the context, I still think it fits to an extent, but not fully?? I just find it a bit hard to connect them cause I don’t really feel like Tago and Killer or Ochako and Color are alike in any sense? (But that’s just me talking about how little I saw of their characters up to S3, I obviously missed a lot of characters arcs dhhdhd)

And when it comes to Toga and Ochako’s relationship, I honestly don’t know anything about it to form an opinion on whether I think they represent Color and Killer’s relationship chchhchc

Still, I think that specific scene is adorable so have a sketch of it

[futurefind]

//no fgo mood quite like worrying abt a half-proper backend for your party in a CQ....... and just rolling right through it w.o losing a single servant dhdhdhsghdsgh

(or: noris gacha boxes are busted as ever but fgos is the og + most busted of all)

[girlatrocity]

i see ur a momo and toga friends/knew e/o in middle school fan too….. do u have any Thoughts on postcanon redeemed toga (w/ ochako. Ofc. yuri wins.) meeting momo again….

I actually think about Ochako introducing Toga to her friends (specifically the 1-A girls) a LOT lol

so firstly! I don't think Toga and Momo were bffs or anything in middle school, kinda just like friends-in-law? Plus, their families were acquainted. The middle school toga friendship circle looks like this in my head:

tho they definitely giggled together at lunch enough times that when Toga attacked their classmate and became a villain, Momo was shook abt the whole thing.

so Momo NEVER talks about knowing Toga to her friends (except to Jirou ofc yuri wins.) and Ochako literally has no idea until she sees an old photo of them together and starts to make her evil plan.

Ochako invites them both over for something (maybe a mall trip idk) and when Momo shows up, Ochako is ready w her former terrorist girlfriend :D

AND IT'S SO AWKWARD LIKE IT'S THE WORSE THING EVER bc Momo has been experiencing so many weird and complicated feelings about the whole thing and Toga still doesn't really wanna confront things about her past.

Toga is cordial for Ochako's sake and Momo is cordial for her sanity's sake, but it's still super tense and Ochako decides to abandon the two for half an hour so they can sort it all out.

the confrontation goes from weird air, no words spoken → steadily more passive aggressive remarks → full out arguing and fighting in the middle of the mall

I'd imagine Toga says something about how Momo would never know what it's like being someone like her (perfect, pretty, honorable, likable, normal girl) and that makes Momo pause for second and she begins to ACTUALLY think about how Toga acted when they went to school together + how her parents treated her.

Then they start to open up and have a good long convo about everything (Toga's family, Momo's insecurity, being "normal", etc) and maybe Momo even tells Toga what's going on w the rest of her old friends.

Ochako comes back to retrieve her ankle monitor girlfriend and Jirou comes to drive Momo back home and idk maybe they hug it out or smth.

just know at the end of things, they're nearly friends and definitely have a better understanding of each other than they did in middle school ��️

[deusvervewrites]

I’ve been working my way through your stories and your lore posts. I’m also finally catching up to the end of the MHA manga. My thoughts on the endings of various character arcs is something you might vibe with. Sometimes, mercy to the guilty becomes cruelty to the innocent. It’s great writing when the villains are people you can sympathize with, but it’s weird that the heroes are this focused on saving the villains that are causing so much death and destruction. Your thoughts?

The entire point of My Hero Academia is saving people.

From the first page of the first chapter until now that has never changed.

I've seen people criticizing Midoriya for not going out onto the battlefield to personally and deliberately murder Shgiaraki and I wonder if they're the same people who think Aang should have killed Ozai.

The idea of mercy to the guilty leads to cruelty to the innocent is what caused the entire plot. Had the people at the Dawn of Quirks not immediately started murdering children for being born "wrong", All For One wouldn't have had to cope by doubling down on their propaganda to justify his own existence to himself. But those people were "guilty" of being born wrong, and if they showed mercy to them, then what? What if those people turned on them? No, no. Better to not take that chance.

If Kotaro had forgiven his mother, Shigaraki would never have happened.

If the Togas had accepted their daughter, Himiko would never have become a murderer.

Spinner never left the house because he was seen as "guilty" of the sin of being a mutant. People were massacred for that sin.

Civilians nearly murdered Ippan Josei, a civilian herself, because they believed that mercy to the guilty is cruelty to themselves.

The greatest flaw of the Hero System is that it dehumanized everyone under it. The Heroes were flawless paragons who could never live up to their own hype and swiftly abandoned for failing. The Villains were deemed to be inherently bad and punished for it.

Endeavor was allowed to abuse his wife and all four children and faced no repercussions. Because he's a Hero and Heroes are good. Touya wasn't born correctly enough and was punished over a one-sided feud a generation before him.

Nobody was seen as human. That's literally the point of the final battle. Midoriya, Uraraka, Todoroki, they all had to recognize the humanity of the people they were fighting and remind them of it.

The thesis of My Hero Academia, of every single arc of My Hero Academia, is that Heroes are not "good" and Villains are not "evil." That failing to recognize that fact leads to dark places, like a government that doesn't bat an eye at murdering its own citizens to maintain power. Laws that strip you of your own bodily autonomy.

During his battle against All For One at Kamino, All Might states the the reason Heroes never lose is because they have people to save. The chapter titled Bakugou Katsuki: Rising, his origin chapter, is about 300 chapters into the manga and the first time he saves someone.

All For One and the HPSC are both cruel relics of the past doing their best to manipulate their way to power, viewing everyone in their way as disposable pawns. They're the same. You could even make an argument that the laws against Quirk use means the HPSC is literally giving and taking away Quirks via licenses. And they both completely crumble in large part because of their refusal to see people when it is so much easier to see the enemy.

My Hero Academia is a story about extending your hand to those in need.

[bloodyfixation]

Himiko often wondered how it could've felt to live in a world where Quirks didn't exist. At first, not even she understood herself nor her fixation for blood, but at this point it was obvious to her that it had to do with her own Quirk and how it worked.

Deep inside, despising herself, even if at the same time, she simply wanted to be accepted as she was.

"I miss it...having friends. I actually had fun with them back in school! That's why I really would like to spend more time with you even if you have a very important mission." Because he...was accepting her just as she was. He wanted to understand, and that made her happy.

Although, her cheeks blushed a deepened red before she half-closed her eyes; golden hues fixating again on the young heir with infatuation.

"Things might look dire, but I've survived on the streets on my own for a few years now...if there's something I learnt from that time, is that we're more people now, so I'm sure we will find a way to keep walking forward."

Himiko's faith eased some of that burden he felt upon his shoulders. Accomplices and minions were easy to supply through fear or finance, but loyal cohorts were something neither could accomplish. There was still a price to pay for that loyalty; he needed to live up to her ideal and provide results. Izuku sighed, releasing some of that heaviness.

"Thanks, Himiko." That easier world had to be a Quirkless one. Everything about a person was weighed on that random X factor that hardly anyone could predict. And if Doctor Garaki's research was correct, it was only going to get worse over time. He turned his head, looking over to her. "Whatever it's worth, I think you're good. You deserve more friends."

Friends... What they needed were well-connected allies. Ones that shared a similar goal or already had their fingers into the hard-to-reach corners of society. That would restructure what they were doing and provide income, minions, and momentum. Master's inheritance was running short, or at least what Garaki had allowed him to touch. "We'll see what Kurogiri has to report after we're done here. I think I might have an idea."

[azure-arsonist]

U know what if they are gone I think himiko and Tomura are...

They're okay. The karaoke bars don't close in the afterlife, big sis Magne is sure to let them know that.

The internet is always fast. They have time. Tomura will listen to Himiko sing Chappell Roan ten thousand times and she'll let him explain fallout lore to her while she scrolls her phone and Jin will come home from his day job with snacks and sure you don't need to work in the afterlife but he likes having something to do when he isn't trying his stand up comedy on them.

And the days are easy and the nights are long and Himiko got so many compliments on her outfit today she can't wait to talk their ears off about it.

And they have time, and patience for their comrades to join them, whether that be in two months or twenty years.

And when the time comes when they're all together and bored of the afterlife, Tomura will stand on the precipice of Again, with his league, his comrades, his friends his family. And he will take that first step into something new. Sure and proud, leading the others into tomorrow, the next life with the promise of finding each other again.

He still needs to be a hero to those guys after all, his League of Villians.

[pfangirl]

SAAMMM! Why we really should be excited for Season 2 of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

Honestly, as exciting as it’s been to learn that a second season of Netflix animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is on the cards; that it will in fact feature a team-up between former best friends archaeologist Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) and documentary filmmaker Sam Nishimura (Karen Fukuhara); and that their pairing will revive the decade-old Salara/S.S. Endurance ship regardless of how things actually pan out romantically for the young women…

The greatest thrill actually stems from the fact that Season 2’s first promotional image reveals Lara and Sam glaring at each other. No grateful reunions shown, there’s clearly a lot of unresolved tension between the duo. And with a mountain of issues to scale, it feels safe to say that there’s going to be a lot of meaty emotional content paired with the show’s globe-trotting action. As in Season 1.

Before jumping into that, though, it’s worth remembering that Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is playing fast and loose with the lore established in the games (if you take Roth’s revised depiction as an indication), and apparently acting like the tie-in comics and novelisations don’t exist at all. It’s therefore unclear how much of existing canon will filter through into Season 2.

That said, we can assume the former best friends aren’t on speaking terms – even if the series chooses to ignore Sam’s off-screen psychiatric hospitalisation twice(!) for Himiko possession, and a kidnapping or two.

Officially, if we stick to the games alone, we know that in Rise of the Tomb Raider, Sam wouldn’t talk to Lara even if her doctors would let her. By the time of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Sam is communicating with Jonah again, but Lara simply wasn’t returning her calls. At a certain point after that, we can assume Sam gave up on reconnecting if Lara wasn’t making the effort from her side.

So yes, Sam Nishimura has every reason to be pissed, for two very good reasons.

Lara Croft is a terrible friend

The whole of Season 1 of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is Lara learning to get over her isolating tendencies; to treat the people who care about her with simple respect, like actually asking for help instead of treating it as a given, and communicating her actions instead of simply running out on people.

With Sam, the ghosting has been especially brutal because out of all the Endurance crew, Lara’s bff experienced the most trauma on Yamatai next to our title hero. Sam was betrayed by both Mathias and Whitman, set up to be burnt on the stake, violated by the invading soul of Himiko, killed cultists in self-defence, and before all that, she pulled strings (via her wealthy treasure-loving uncle) to fund the expedition when investors pulled out. Lara may have provided the directions to the island, but trust fund baby Sam made it happen, making her as culpable for the deaths and disaster as Lara.

The two friends could have found solace in their shared experience, but Lara is so wrapped up in her own guilt and pain that she never once asks Sam how she’s doing. As Reyes jeers back on Yamatai, “It’s always about Lara.” Back then, Sam instantly replied with a “That’s not fair,” but a few years down the line, that reaction is probably no longer the case. This after the pair were clearly each other’s biggest cheerleader, their ride or die, believing in each other and supporting each other’s dreams – typically when no one else did.

It’s notable in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft that Lara reacts with especial prickliness when Jonah tells her to talk to Sam instead of using him as a message middleman. As soon as Sam’s name comes up, Lara immediately cuts off the conversation and closes her manor door. And when Lara briefly does calls Sam in the season, it’s solely for her own cathartic purposes. Again, there’s no asking how Sam is doing; it’s all about the “I” that is Lara. As a far more empathetic, less emotionally stunted person, it’s likely Sam will have picked up on the friendship imbalance. And, as a less easy-going and patient figure than Jonah, it’s not a stretch to say that her resentment has been quietly building towards Lara. For very good reason.

Sam isn’t a damsel in distress

This is the biggie. Sam clearly has a chip on her shoulder about being considered useless or inconsequential in comparison to Lara. While the topic is the source of her biggest argument with Lara in the Dark Horse comics – in the Queen of Serpents arc – it even surfaces briefly in the 2013 game when, before a mishap with a mounted machine rifle, Sam is in the process of explaining how Lara isn’t the only one who can be helpful.

The thing is, while Sam may label herself “a ditsy American troublemaker with a camera” in one of the 2013 game’s collectible documents, the reality is that she has kept pace with Lara Croft for years. As equals.

We should never forget that Sam and Lara had multiple “awesome adventures together” in their college years – backpacking, hiking, climbing and exploring the world. And as much as she’s shown enjoying the finer things in life, Sam is revealed to be as serious about work as she relishes play, having already filmed in some of the world’s most extreme environments, including the Arctic, Red Desert and volcanic regions. This attitude, in combination with her extroverted party girl nature, actually positions Sam closer to Classic Lara than the latest iteration of the character.

In 2013, Sam escapes the sinking S.S. Endurance on her own, and later steals a radio to communicate with Lara. In every one of her appearances in Tomb Raider media, barring the Ten Thousand Immortals novel, she’s proven to be driven, spirited, brave and resourceful, whether she’s fighting off an attacker with cupcakes, sassing her itchy-palmed kidnappers, defending herself against a shark, or stabbing herself to finally escape the presence of Himiko (all in the comics). That last one is especially important as Sam ultimately saved herself; not Lara.

Sam’s master improviser and problem solver status is even apparent in the first released image for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Season 2. While Lara is fully kitted out to face whatever is behind the door, Sam seems to be wielding an oversize lock or something similar. If Lara is Fred Astaire, Sam is Ginger Rogers because she does what Lara does… but essentially backwards.

As for why Sam is investigating the black market artefact trade, well, it could be to make a point to Lara, who has consistently sidelined her since Yamatai. Or, it could simply be that Sam is following a great story, in keeping with her professional ambitions; her own hunger for the truth – which once again mirrors her best friend’s primary drives.

As a side note, as we don't hear the conversation, we do maybe have to question if Sam actually called Lara in the final episode of the S1? Though it's likely it was Sam (reaching out to her previous savior in desperation, knotted up in complicated emotions regarding her own capabilities), it could also be a trick from a third party to get the brilliant archaeologist on the case.

Either way, given that Sam and Lara have a very different dynamic to Lara and Jonah, with the latter providing protection, reassurance and stability, Season 2 of The Legend of Lara Croft should have quite a different tone. Get the popcorn ready because if Season 1’s deep dive into Lara’s psychology was any indication, we’re going to get front row seats to the resurfacing of all of Lara and Sam’s resentments and other… pent-up feelings. Finally, after over a decade of dodging the issue.

We just have to keep fingers crossed that they’re both alive and reunited in some capacity at the end of it all. If Indiana Jones and Nathan Drake can have figures like Marion, Sallah, Elena and Sully backing them up in their adventures in various capacities, why can’t Lara Croft?

[summercreolefanfictioner]

the scent wafts in, her name making him beg on his knees chap 2.3

pairing: dabi / todoroki touya x fem!oc / reader (MODERN AU)

chapter summary: the moment Touya delves into trouble, and it involved a certain woman and watching a romance movie with his new friends

themes: non-explicit nsfw, violence, alcoholism, cigarette smoking, toxic relationships, mental health, co-dependency and other related themes (YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)

notes: wrting a bit about cheating and the lore of toxic relationships on this chap was a pain; and yes, no Himiko Toga's were harmed in this fic

"How did you know about this, Dabi-kun?" Himiko marveled at the sight from the backseat, curious eyes taking note of the parking lot that plays free romance movies every Saturday at 9 PM. One might think it was all cheesy and serving, but Touya knew it was a ploy for couples who wanted to get it on while the movie plays in the background. Basically, a place where you can legally have car sex, and no one would bat an eye.

"I just knew," Touya muttered, reaching behind the back to get some of the snacks they had bought earlier. Twice was somewhere far from the vehicles taking a cig, something about accidentally setting the place on fire if he took a smoke near engines.

Himiko blustered, "You took one of your exes here, I bet." There was a disgusted sound at the end as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms in her chest.

"If you knew the answer, then why bother asking?" Touya pointed out (it wasn't true; as if he would), arranging his rearview mirror to secretly check on the woman. So far, she was taking everything well. She wasn't looking at her phone like the expected paranoid girlfriend who still dates the same guy who cheats on her 24/7.

Himiko turned to the woman. "Hey, I'm Toga Himiko," she introduced, taking her hand in hers and rubbing her cheeks on it. "You're so pretty, do you know that? Does your boyfriend always tell you that?"

"I... Nice to meet you, T-Toga-chan," she meekly responded. "I'm..." she says her name, "Thank you."

Himiko was delighted at the sound of her name, a gasp following after. "You really are sooooo pretty, Sahara-chan!"

"It's..." Touya corrected, pronouncing her name per syllable. "Her name's not the famous desert, you brat."

Himiko only stuck out her tongue at him, ignoring his mocking tone as she focused again on the woman beside her. "Do you also like romance, Sahara-chan?" Himiko asked and said woman could hear Touya snorting at the foolish nickname. "I like romance. I like them, a lot, lot, LOT!"

"I... well... er—"

Before he could hear more of their girl talk, Touya already stepped out of the car and joined Twice to smoke. The movie was already playing out, the plot was something about a woman who fell in love with a married man and took solace in a place where she would do her penance for being his side piece. After smoking, they both returned to the car and saw both women engrossed in the movie.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh," Himiko muttered excitedly, munching on her snacks as the woman watched quietly beside her. "What would happen to Prof. Kitano? Will he still be with Sawa? Oh no!"

Touya glanced at her briefly, noting how she was so focused on the film, especially on the Noriko character. In the film, Noriko is the professor's wife, and she can't fathom the fact that she is being pointed as the bad guy when her husband and his side piece are seeing each other again. She must've felt the scene so familiar to her like it was taken from a real-life experience. There was hurt in her eyes; fleeting, flying, leaving her all at once before she realized the reality she was in, finding Touya staring at her before quickly looking away.

When the credits rolled, Himiko was crying tears due to the bittersweet ending while the other was just comforting her. Twice and Touya realized two things: the movie was literally about the consequences of infidelity, and the fact that she has never once taken her phone out; not even to check if her boyfriend has called her or what.

"I can't believe you saved up to let that bitch watch a film about cheating," Touya commented.

"But Toga-chan wanted it!" Twice argued.

"Check movie ratings first before saving up, dumbass!"

Touya drove them back to the bar, with Twice and Himiko getting out before saluting Touya with the latter's signature middle finger. She was also about to open the door when he said, "I'll drive you home. Just tell me where it is."

"There's no need for that, umm?"

"Dabi."

"Yes, Dabi-kun. There's no need for that. My boyfriend is still inside. Maybe we could—"

Touya was running out of patience, slamming the door open and getting out of the car, slightly scaring her as he opened the door on her side and dragged her out by force, pulling her arm harshly and trapping her against the wall. It was the same position he saw her boyfriend in, thrusting his dick in and out of the cocktail server as he wrapped her legs around his waist. He was making her feel for herself that same disgust he saw.

He didn't know why she was the best target of his mockery tonight. There was just something about her, and he still couldn't figure it out.

"You knew what he was doing out there." He leaned close, almost whispering in her ear as she looked away, her hands in her chest like she was crossing her heart, and hoped this would not end as bad as it gets. "You knew who he laid his eyes on. Don't tell me he might still be there, you useless woman."

Touya expected her to cry, to hear her sniff and swallow her pride as he made a fool out of her. Women like her like to live in the delusion that their man who cheats so constantly will change their mind; that they will see the light and change their ways. They won't, unfortunately. It's what they get for believing sappy romance shits. It's the price they pay for an illusion that will never be.

But she didn't react the way someone like her would. She didn't budge. She didn't do what he wanted. She was just looking down, contemplating her next move as Touya was not taking his eyes off of hers.

"I know that very well. I... I am just glad you went out of your way to get me out there and tell me that you saw him, Dabi-kun," she mumbled, her heart still on her chest. "I really... really enjoyed today."

The fuck?

She sighed, finally looking up at him shyly as if reminiscing something. "Today was actually the day when we would celebrate my promotion, and I am happy that I went to the movies with you three instead."

Touya huffed, finally letting go of her and stepping away. So does that mean she's so used to it? Or maybe she allows him to play with other women? Wait. No. Nevermind. I shouldn't know the answer.

"My apartment's not far from here," she notified, finally sighing in relief. "I can walk from here. Thank you again, Dabi-kun. Please send my regards to Twice-san and Toga-chan."

She was about to walk away when Touya grabbed her arm. He should pull away slowly, should let her run to where she lives, and never return here.

You idiot.

"I'll still drive you," he murmured, feeling a bit guilty about his earlier behavior. He shouldn't meddle. He shouldn't be involved. He dragged her out there because he was bored, and nothing else. Her love problems are her own. They would never see each other again after this. This was just boredom, and he was hungry for entertainment. Yes, that was it. Nothing else.

"I want to."

Fuck boredom.

"Oh." She smiled softly at his offer. "Okay."

------

She really was just a few minutes walking distance from the bar, walking out of his car and almost bowing respectfully before he followed her and told her he'd walk her to her door. What a gentleman, he was, far from the Dabi who did not give a shit if the woman went home safe or not. He guessed he was weak for women like her. But like what exactly? What was so different about her?

Sure, she was really pretty, wearing his jacket over her tight dress as she tried to walk properly in her stilettos. But was it all it took for him to be like this? He didn't think so. Well, he'll find out anyway.

"Well, this is my unit," she announced then bowed to him. "Thank you again, Dabi-kun. Have a great night!"

And when he went in his car, her scent lingered there. The scent of fresh laundry and morning spring. She might be near the area, but there was no way, she would appear in the bar again.

Until he saw her cardholder in the backseat of his car and realized she was still holding onto his favorite jacket.

ps. Himiko and the woman were watching Hirugao the movie (not safe for minors in Japan ya know)

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