burnitblack | Deer Country In-Box

[ Shouto leaves a wooden crate at Touya's door the day before the bake-off. Inside the crate are 12 half-pint mason jars full of jams, each labeled with their names (apricot jam, strawberry jam, etc). On top of the crate is a small card that simply says

- From Shouto

Behold your very own anti-corruption jam, handmade with TLC (tough love and carelessness). Beware of taste, but good for corruption! Some lucky people may wait to try it after they see his poor performance at the bake-off and may want to think twice about trying it. Doesn't help that he was robbed for all he's worth spending about two pints of blood for ingredients. Also, a few of those jams might be cursed. Please look at the 'Seasonal Details on the Boardwalk' to see just what curse you've got with each jam and yup, all the cursed fruit is there. He really knows how to pick 'em! ]

1) Apricot Jam
1/2 cup apricots (not pitted)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 half-inch pieces of ginger
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

2) Strawberry Jam
1/2 cup strawberry (stems and all)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoon fish sauce
3 half-inch cinnamon stick (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

3) Mango Jam
1 mango (not pitted or skinned)
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoon hoisin sauce
3 whole stars of anise (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

4) Papaya Jam
1/2 Papaya (seeds added, not skinned)
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoon tamari sauce
3 whole cloves (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

5) Blackberry Jam
1 cup blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 basil leaves
4 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 whole cardamom pods (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

6) Raspberry Jam
1 cup raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 bay leaves (dried)
4 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
3 whole nutmeg seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

7) Blueberry Jam
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 mint leaves
4 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3 whole mace seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

8) Marmalade Jam
1 cup blood orange (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1 bundle of cilantro
4 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
3 tablespoons of whole fenugreek (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

9) Grape Jam
1 cup concord grapes (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 bundle of parsley
4 chipotle peppers
3 tablespoons of whole cumin (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

10) Grapefruit Jam
1 cup grapefruit (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 bundle of chives
4 pepperoncini peppers
3 tablespoons of whole mustard seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

11) Apple Jam
1 cup Apples (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of rosemary
4 banana peppers
3 tablespoons of whole coriander seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

12) Lemon Jam
1 cup lemon (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of dill
4 shishito peppers
3 tablespoons of whole dried red chiles (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

[he's not at his place when shouto arrives. but when he gets back and finds a crate there, immediate suspicion is immediate. glance back and forth from side to side. a few seconds to look at it, then with great caution, give it a semi-light kick on the side with the instep of his boot. the clinks inside sound very much like glass.

only then does he read the note.]

[shouto?

how did that little puppet find his place? he didn't give him a...

... tch. the cat. that bitch.

but that more or less seals the deal. they very few people he knows here wouldn't do something underhand like a package (crate) bomb and shouto himself is too fond of touya to try it. so it's safe to pick up, which he does, and go inside with it.

which he does.

heavy. sinking on the couch, he sets about uncovering the items in the crate. jars? what's in- oh. jam. the labels are on them and everything. when the hell did shouto learn to make jam? he frowns at it, immediately contemplating burning the entire batch and tossing it.

but... hmph. guess he'll keep it. for now. and let the taste of one decide their fate later.]

[ A few days after he leaves the jam, Touya will get an unexpected call from a frazzled-looking Shouto who's currently flying through the air using his fire to get him to him as fast as he can with Kizu transmitting his message. ]

Touya! Don't eat the raspberry jam!

[it'll be a few minutes for a response, but eventually kizu's going to get a returned reply from wolf, it's monotone and calm voice now strangely more intense and even a little excited, almost like a predator on the hunt. in front of the omen's eyes is an alleyway, slowly dragging past its vision. the sounds of impacts getting wetter and wetter as whatever hard surface is being impacted is softening from the repeated strikes.]

It's his favorite.

[ The alleyway comes into view and Shouto tries to pinpoint any familiar landmarks that will get him a district at least! But the sound of those wet impacts swerve his thoughts back to why he rushed out after him in the first place!

His favorite! That means he ate it!!! ]

Wolf! Where are you?!

[it's gonna be hard. generic alleyways in a somewhat medieval/feudal inspired world don't leave themselves open to much in the way of personable identifications. and unfortunately for him, this doesn't seem to be a time there's any fire being used... so no burning blue blazes that indicate touya's been out and about.

but those noises are still happening.

of course he ate it. food's food. that's what you do with it, idiot.]

Around.

[ Of course, he did... But why... why the raspberry one!!! How did neither of them know its horrible side effects?!

Why are they still happening?!! Where's Touya?!! And how is an omen slicker than him?!]

Wolf. [ He starts searching for blue around every district from high up in the sky but finds nothing he can latch onto. ] What's that sound?!

[cause it's raspberry? it's not completely horrible, even if it's really fucking sweet. but put it on some all grain choke your throat bread and the two balance each other out.

and maybe because dabi never ate any of the boardwalk fruit with this side effect?

well it is kind of hard to spot a black wolf in the middle of a shadowed alley. unless the omen looks up with its blue glowing eyes, it's not gonna be easily found.

still, maybe due to the violent nature of the event and what delight's being taken from it, wolf finally answers shouto's question and looks to the side.

which reveals touya kneeling over and unconscious figure in the alley way. repeatedly punching him in the face over and over, fists covered in blood and the softer, wet sounds coming from said face no longer being as sturdy as it once was.]

[ How dare you compliment him on his cooking skills - it's not completely horrible - like this! Why?! When he's beaten up someone bloody because of him!

He gasps when the scene changes, shifting across the alleyway to where Touya's kneeling over an unconscious figure. ]

Touya! Stop!

[ Fear chokes out his fire, and he falls no longer suspended by it. ]

[newsflash: saying "how dare you--" to touya is just a good way to get him to repeat it out of pure spite. or simply to be a jerk. as for the side effect, well... it took him two or three tries to actually realize the jelly is the thing that caused the inhibition release.

why do you think he asked shouto for a few more jars in the meantime between arrival and now? thanks for the restock, little brother!

wolf takes a seat where it is, content to watch its master continue to beat the man even further. it's not often that touya got physical with someone outside of grabbing them for a close-range burn. he's isn't the most physically strong person. but he still has enough strength in that lanky body with wire-taut muscles to knock a full-grown man down. streets are a bitch, ya know.

wolf opts not to bother its master with the message, content to let shouto watch. that face is starting to make less than positive noises now too. though touya appears to be getting winded from the exertion, finally sitting back on his haunches and panting through a delirious grin.]

[ He thought it was for their anti-corruption effects! That he was helping you!! HE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS LIKE THIS!!! How many times have you gone on this high?!! How many jars have you gone through?!!

AND HOW MANY MORE DID HE GIVE YOU?!!

Devastated by the scene, the fire sputters out, and Shouto starts spinning out, streaking across the sky like a falling star burning up in the night. A little busy trying to activate his quirk and not, you know, DIE! He doesn't exactly get the chance to say anything more until a blast of red shoots out from his hands, regaining control of himself far too close to the ground.

He switches over to ice, generating it before him, sliding down the embankment until he hits a canopy of trees. He uses them to reinforce his ice, stabilizing it by giving it something solid to hold its weight. Stabilized once more, he turns back to the scene. Catching a glimpse of his brother in the background and calls out to him, hoping he can find him before things get worse. ]

Touya! Where are you?!

Edited 2022-07-16 07:49 (UTC)

[well, it does have anti-corruption effects? meaning he's able to go off and be violent to other people, but break even on the scale of corruption once the effects wear off. not something he's really noticed on the raspberry ones, but the other two he's tried, yes, touya's noticed. another reasons he's asked for more...

how many highs? ... 5. how many jars? in just these short days... less than 1. how many more did he give? lets say... another batch, no more than two at least. probably leftovers from shouto's first batch.

attitude side-effects aside, the anti-corruption aspect (even if assumed) are a bonus.

if one can get past this current horrifying scene. dabi leans back on the man's legs, looking at his fist in the faint light as the blood drips from his knuckles. most of it's his victim's, but some of it might be his own. busted knuckles and all. he doesn't seem at all bothered by the event, more obviously enjoying this momentary mr. hyde spree of violence. usually he's never physically violent, so the release to do so is pretty thrilling.

not paying attention to his little brother sputtering out like a rocket in the sky somewhere or his icy save shunting him back across the air before hitting the trees. if it's any good news for shouto, however, wolf opts to take advantage of its slightly-growing personality and actually speak to the young man.]

He just started. This is number one.

[before sending shouto the area they're in. sorry, shouto, but you're gonna have to take a lantern jump.]

[ He's glad you're breaking even... he really is, but... that's not really how he envisioned their use. If he'd known, he would have-- still given him what he wanted, but would have fretted a lot more about it! They were meant to be medicinal! Medicinal! Not... this!

Less than one jar over five of these encounters... oh god. He didn't think they'd be that potent.

Shouto has seen worse in his last year here in Trench and finds himself a little more accepting of the violent ways of the world than he was when he first arrived. That still doesn't mean he likes it and finds himself worrying at the sight of blood dripping from his knuckles!

Are they still breathing?! Please say yes! ]

One?!

[ You mean, he's just getting started?!

He latches onto those coordinates so hard, reaching for his lamp friend kept safe in one of his metal canisters. He pops out of his hold, and Kizu relays the district. A few moments later, the ice and they disappear.

Seconds later, they're across Trench, barrelling through the gates, and Shouto takes off toward the location at full speed. A few minutes after Wolf gives out his location, Shouto skids to a halt in front of that alleyway, heart pounding in his chest that has nothing to do with running physical exertion. ]

Touya!

[honestly, so will he. corruption is annoying. that's why he's taken to sitting under that tree by the beach. and the reason he doesn't actually mind the jams shouto made for him. provided he has some very bland or even salty things to put it on to balance out the oddities and sweetness of the jars.

but all that aside... yeah, shouto loaded him up after touya asked. granted, touya's naturally violent despite his calmer demeanor, so that's probably why he doesn't need more than a sandwich amount of the jam to act on it. if it makes shouto feel any better, it's not like each use sends his older brother out on a rip-roaring rampage across town.

it's usually two or three murders or a fire or two before he burns off--literally--the effects. and that's just the violent ones. the other effects... yeah, he'll lock himself inside rather than go, for example, slut himself off. thanks, shouto. come over when he's got one of those lemons in his system.

the guy's still breathing, wetly, for now. but...]

It's usually two or three before he's done.

[wolf is impartial as ever. just as shouto skids to a halt in front of the alleyway, flare of ominous blue lights up all over the brick walls, back lighting the lanky form of his brother walking towards him, blood dripping off his hand with soft 'plip plap' drops on the ground. a smoldering remain behind him, blackened under the blue flames.

touya glances up at the call of his name-]

Shouto...

[and abruptly charges him. (yes, that is raspberry jam on his lips.) what makes matters worse is a now-very aggressive wolf is also tearing down the alleyway towards the young hero, eyes blazing and flames spilling blue out the corners of its salivating maw.]

[ Two or three-- He chokes, actually chokes. Something goes down the wrong tube, and he needs a moment to catch his breath after finding out he's an accessory to multiple murders!

For god's sake! Stop eating the raspberries!!! He's cutting you off!

.... Oh no. He doesn't know about the other effects! Please tell him so he can burn his stash to the ground! Please, someone, tell him what kind of idiot he's been!

He skids to a halt at the entrance of the alleyway. His eyes flick from the wolf to his brother and back to the victim lying very still. His heart skips a beat, very real fear gripping him. Please don't be too late. He grabs one of the canisters from around his waist, where he stores the gauze, and starts running for the victim when he hears his name called out in a very deliberate manner, so different than he's used to. It draws his attention away from the victim to find his brother charging him! ]

Touya! Stop!

[ Only he doesn't stop, and even his wolf is tearing down after him. In a snap-second decision, he slams his hand down on the ground, and a burst of red flares up around him, sending him up into the sky, away from the charging omen. His eyes go to the victim at the end of the valley, wondering if he can grab him fast enough to get him out of there before Touya follows after him. No time to think, he acts, barreling down, he rockets to the end of the alley, snatching the victim mid-flight in a move he perfected from many hours of training under UA's best instructors and takes off toward the Lumenarium.

Addressing first the innocent bystander, then his brother. ]

Edited 2022-07-17 05:47 (UTC)

[come on. would you rather them get picked off by some beast for a messy torturous death? that being said, wolf isn't adding the fact that dabi's jam-prompted violence always ends in death. sometimes he's content to just beat the hell out of someone and then leave. and other times he doesn't find the chance to grab someone, so has to vent elsewhere. but he's at least up to 8 when it comes to jam death.

way less than his numbers back home.

and no. raspberries have strangely become an accustomed taste by now. he's rather fond of them. as for the other fruits, well... those took a bit more experimenting with and yeah, he tends to keep them in check. hell if he wants to go around being compelled to tell the truth to people he sees.

oy, he's not an idiot for not realizing the fruit was magical or emotionally-enabling. then again, it's trench. everything you put in your body should be suspect the first time.

unfortunately, this is not one of those first times and touya's risen violence quickly swarms to the forefront. not that he's needed much prompting to be violent towards shouto. charging him across the alleyway, there's clearing an even further unhinged light in the villain's eyes, fully intent on doing his brother some grievous bodily harm. wolf seems similarly disposed towards the same, almost rabid in its approach. odd, since it'd just minutes ago been talking so calmly.

stop!, he says. nah, he's been told to "stop" one too many times in his life and has no intention of listening to that shit anymore!

touya skids to a half as flames belch own around shouto, sending him rocketing into the air. he tilts his head up and back, following the other boy's arc across the sky. for a brief second, he pauses, questioning, and that's all the time shouto needs to pounce on the victim instead. (don't look at the face. kinda pulpy.) touya's eyes narrow at the sudden sweep, grabbing the man he attacked and carrying him off.

... he could chase him. unfortunately the jam also has the heightened sense of making touya's attention span shorter, and it's far easier to explode in anger over shouto escaping than it is to curb the violence and take an extended flight. plus with all the blood around the lumenarium, and touya in this state, his self-preservation instincts strangle him backwards.

instead, an angry shout rages after shouto and a stream of blue fire erupts from the alleyway towards him. but it's only a long-shot flamethrower blast, not taking into account for the guy's trajectory and curve. he'll feel the heat, but it'll miss. leave the entire alley a smoldering sea of blue flames.

at least touya's not following.

... but he might call shouto back in 2 hours or so, if the other doesn't reach out earlier.]

[ Eight... He'll have a hard time coming to grips with that AFTER this is all over. For now, he keeps flying, propelled through the sky in a sea of red, narrowly missing the fireball that comes rushing after them. Getting to the Lumenarium is his top priority with the civilian passed out and dripping blood. Seeing that he's holding him, he'll have blood smeared all over him too, and in that District that already tastes of blood, it'll be difficult not to get corrupted. Still, he has to get him to the doctors there. Make sure they're okay, so he keeps going.

When he reaches the Lumenarium, he makes sure to drop off the civilian with a waiting doctor and burns off any blood he got on him before racing out the doors in the same whirlwind that he arrived and blasts into the sky to return to the scene of the crime in search of his brother. Making himself an easy target, hovering low while trying to track down his brother. ]

[depends on whether or not shouto finds out that touya's killed that many people. all he knows from wolf is that his brother's attacked a few people under the jam's influence. and hell if touya's going to remember what he did while under the influence... (hint: he does.)

by the time shouto's back in the sky like a firefly, the alley is a smoldering mess, though most of the flames have gone out due to there being little to actually burn left now. touya's moved off to another place, though the jam has started to mute its affect on him. the aggressive stalking has left off into a more guarded prowl and he lingers beside a building.

nothing available to really kick start that aggressive drive unlike the last time. so when he notices that sudden shine in the air and looks up, blue eyes lock on shouto's figure in the sky. bastard's here again... tracking him down. hunting him.

congratulations. you found him.

there's a split second of a blue flash before the underside of a building's eaves abruptly launches out a roaring spiral of blue flames, heading straight for the young hero in the sky.]

Your brother is running off at the mouth telling people we won't attack them. Including me. Why is that?

long time no see, boss.

[slighted? a bit. sue him.]

what "we" are ya talkin about?

Oh. Where are my manners? Have you been eating alright? Are you well? How are the kids? Did I cover it all or can we get on with why your brother is telling Toga we're of no threat.

been a few months. though ya were dead.

[so screw you.]

is that lunatic still here too? ya two been busy, huh...

You knew my username. You want to check up on me? Use it.

[No you.]

Busy my ass. She's working with the brats as bait. She slipped up and told me your brother said we weren't a threat. Is that from his single braincell or yours?

[Okay, so no, Toga isn't working with them but the impression is left. At least.]

someone else mighta snagged it. seems catchy.

[brief pause.]

she said she never killed anyone. either she's got amnesia or she's even more mental than i knew.

I'm taking that as a compliment and don't care you meant it any other way.

She told me something similar. Either one of them is using something on her, or she really is from the hero side wherever she's from. Which answers zero percent of me wondering why your brother is "our" ambassador. I could have asked him but as a polite gesture I came to you first.

uh-huh.

we didn't talk long. she seemed exasperated i thought she was a villain.

as for shoto, no clue. all he asked me was if i was gonna hurt his friends. told him i wasn't gonna unless they gave me a reason.

i ain't here to hunt a buncha kids.

She did to me, too. I thought she was playing around.

No, neither am I but if they're sending her to bait me out I'm not going to sit back and let them trap me either.

why do ya think they're baitin you?

Lying and inviting me over is bait.

invitin you over?

[he's lost...]

You know how some people live in a house? When you want to have people who don't live in a house come to that house, it's called inviting them over. If you're lying with the intent of acting like someone else you're not, that's bait. Do you want me to draw you a few pictures, too?

she thinks she's a hero; why're ya goin anywhere she invites ya to?

I only found out tonight. Why would I walk into an adder's den?

[is he your rebound call?]

so ya didn't take the bait.

[Were they phone dating?]

Really? My concern is if they're actually acting or not. Not Toga and if your brother was saying shit because it's part of this.

[no. the kind you call when someone does you dirty.]

he can say what he wants; i ain't his keeper.

what'd she say to you?

[Sadly, no. Dabi will just have to remain that friend you call.]

No, but I also didn't want to hear you'd fed him that line, either. If he wants to run his mouth, he can pay the price on his own.

...About "Shoto-kun" telling her we were no threat.

[that what you call your allies? chummy...]

ya not payin much attention to me if you think i'd say somethin like that. ya know how heroes operate. if villains go quiet, they think we're either at peace, too scared to move, or plannin something.

ya real stuck on that, ain't ya.

[Semantics can be arranged.]

How do I know what you've said to him? We haven't talked in a while.

I'm explaining. Never mind.

[He's going to end up talking to a brick wall with more conviction.]

Where are you staying?

[nah, too much work. easier to look at you with his normal blase face.]

same way i'd know you wouldn't be goin around praisin all might.

i ain't at war with them. if endeavor's little puppet takes that as "peace" then that's his business. but if any of them get in my way, i'll kill them. same as i've always done.

[he's fire. it goes at its own pace and doesn't care what it consumes to keep going.]

got a few places. i rotate. don't tell me ya shacked up with the lunatic.

[and this is purely to needle him for his own entertainment.]

[Considering it's likely stapled that way, there's no need for introductions of that look.]

Different situations, there are heroes that have their merit. No one's queued for the 72 man is exactly what I thought. This makes it different.

No, I didn't trust her. I don't stay long in one place, either.

[some would say he's always smiling with this look...]

if ya can exploit them, yeah.

ever wonder why so many of these buildings are abandoned?

[What a happy go lucky guy.]

Why wouldn't I exploit it? If it's got an angle I'm going to use it. If it doesn't, then it isn't worth my time.

No, but enlighten me.

[ don't ]

and yet ya didn't take the bait in order to capture her and bargain with her friends.

huh? hell if i know; i don't know shit about this place.

Why would I bother capturing her? I have her where I want. I know she's here, her quirk can't escape me, I know where she lived and I know the name of her girlfriend and what she looks like. Don't underestimate me.

Why would I know any more than you, then?

ya tried to capture one of them before, boss. coulda sworn it was a hobby of yours.

[he's got a face over here, enjoying antagonizing him regardless.]

ya might've heard something i haven't. figured i'd ask.

Actually, I sent you to do it. Then offered them freedom that they slapped out of my hand.

[Isn't that just their existence though?]

If I hear anything on the Trench's housing crisis, I'll let you know. It's definitely my top priority.

oy, i told ya what was gonna happen if he got loose. sides, i was actin on ya orders.

[until he refused to follow them and forced twice to do it with zero hesitation.]

good to know ya haven't lost your sarcasm.

Yeah, yeah. I wasn't going to keep him in chains his entire career with us, was I? They had to come off some time.

I haven't lost anything about myself. It's just the story arc that's changed.

even after he proved he wouldn't join us, why'd ya stick with keepin him? coulda just killed him, taken out a future problem.

so long as ya stayin alive.

I could've said the same thing about any of you. As it turns out, better to let them have him, he's of no consequence in a fight. A fly to swat because they've held him back. So what's the difference?

[Is that... is that concern? A(n) singular concern? It actually takes Shigaraki a moment or two to just parse that and fight with himself. Realize he's reading into it and just thwap out things into the conversation.]

You, too. Don't do something stupid.

ya did. and we didn't listen to you. not sure where you're from, but those brats proved to be more than flies to you.

[so you missed a prime chance early on, boss. as for concern, please don't confuse concern for casual comment. (well, tbh, he might be a little annoyed if shigaraki got himself axed. he's lose this kind of entertainment.) so dabi says.]

already did. i killed a butterfly.

Have we all been captured, or killed?

[No worries, it was a momentary lapse.]

Of course you did. Maybe wait and find out what happens to other idiots before you sling yourself into something irreversible.

not all of us, but we lost a lot of our ranks thanks to those brats and the other heroes.

[dabi's not really sure who "won" that war, but he knows for damn sure he accomplished a lot of wanted.]

relax, it was my first month. besides, the rest of the month was much better.

Who did we lose? I already know about Twice.

[At least something of merit was won that day.]

The bar is pretty low after that.

the giant, mister, the doctor, almost all of re-destro's forces. over 16000 villains captured.

[oh he, personally, had a wonderful time that day.]

i'm used to low bars.

[Out of all 16000, he could care less but for one, really.]

The old man was captured not killed?

Have you tried aiming for not dying in the following months?

Edited 2022-06-25 04:56 (UTC)

[Ngl, that seemed like a ridiculously high number to me...]

heroes don't kill. unless ya force them to.

haven't died once since gettin here.

If you think that's true, you're delusional.

Then your bar isn't as low as you think. I've seen someone cannibalize from the graveyard, so you'd have to go pretty low to beat the shit I've seen.

nah, i ain't that dumb. the bitch before the bird killed plenty.

they have a graveyard here?

[this whole place sometimes feels like a graveyard.]

They'll get theirs.

They do. There's enough death to go around here.

[True and right.]

right, cause only the sleepers come back.

means killin one ain't gonna solve a problem permanently.

I meant back where we're from. Here, though? There are worse things than death.

Yeah, I went through one of them. Wouldn't recommend it.

I'll keep that in mind of things I don't want to go through.

[He's already been through a body-twisting hell, he doesn't need that.]

Or... we could use this to our advantage. Have you been attacked at all by any of them?

nah. only met three of em so far. each time they opted to help.

what kinda advantage are ya talkin about?

Help? What've you had your charred fingers into that you needed help?

Easy. Use it to find out if there actually were plans or if whoever that is is acting on her own. In other words: we ask. Building trenches between them in the Trench. Those who we have to give a shit about and those we don't.

keepin lookout for anyone tryin to interrupt me. and gettin some of my ill-gotten gains outta storage.

[vague, but answering. shouldn't be any surprise to his boss. dabi's annoying like that.]

so what, ya suggesting you meet up with her and ask what she was asked to do once she met with you?

gotta say, boss, i don't think they really care that much here.

[Knowing what they've all done to survive, it makes it a little easier to figure it out.]

No, no. Wait. You're saying they were helping you move stolen goods, and playing lookout... I'm guessing while you stole more shit?

[dabi's not be surprised shigaraki's able to string together enough thoughts to figure those points out.]

uh-huh. one of em even stole shit with me. just gotta find the right "excuse" they're fine with and a hero'll do the same thing they accuse villains of doing.

[There's a brain somewhere up there. Imagine.]

That tracks. If there's anything those moronic NPCs wouldn't do in the name of heroism I'd be surprised.

[imagine how smart he'd be if he didn't rot his head on video games. case in point...]

as far as i know, they're not operating any heroic plan here. only getting involved with the hunter schism.

[Rot? That's where he gets his hand eye coordination. Bad pun.]

All of them? Or just some of them?

[right. same way spinner's a master at driving cause all those arcade games...]

not sure. but ya know how those brats operate. if there's a choice between savin or killin, they'll pick savin every time.

[That is a valid way to learn to drive! It worked for Shigaraki, how dare.]

One of the ones I've talked to, who didn't try to blow me up on sight, agreed there wasn't any reason to pick up where home left off. Do you believe them?

[he doesn't trust your driving either... rather let the lizard have the wheel.]

yeah. heroes are reactionary. until villains move, they're content to sit and patrol at best.

[W o w. There's no way to prove how good he is here, either. Rude.]

Oh? I better be a good boy, then.

[Says the man who has already cleared out a life or two for his own reasons.]

[technically he never proved it at home cause ONLY SPINNER was ever shown driving. so you're all hot air, boss.]

somehow i don't believe you.

[because "good" for shigaraki is a far different "good" for the world.]

[He can't prove it at home either! This is a setup.]

I can be the pinnacle citizen, I'll help old ladies across the craters in the road. Little children to get their beloved cats out of trees. Or whatever it is they do now.

[the onus of proof is on the accuser, but if the accused merely says "i can" without ever showcasing evidence of it, that's not a very good stand now is it...]

then what are you doing?

[That's it. Time to steal a car.

The question, however, stops him in his tracks. What is he doing? Walking around and existing like a ghost of a memory for everyone else.]

What would it matter? The same thing you're doing.

[he's gonna find him half-through the windshield with the hood shoved up a tree trunk.

no apologies for the existential question.]

highly doubt that.

[~~Yeah but he drove it there.~~ He's not that bad.]

Doubt it all you want, I'm surviving and it sounds like you are too. What else is there to do here?

[who knows. he could've put it in neutral, wiggled a bit, and it rolled down the hill into the tree.]

carve out your own spot. we should meet up. i'll show ya somethin interestin.

[Or floored it. There's a lot to unpack in that hypothetical.

Actual human, burnt to a crisp or not, contact with a human he'd rather not admit actually wanting contact with?]

It better be. Don't waste my time.

[Because he's doing so v e r y much with it.]

Where and when?

[as if he knows which is the gas and which is the break in real life. he'd be looking for the Right trigger behind the steering wheel, or trying to find the X button somewhere.]

ya said you weren't doin shit with ya time. can't waste that.

[call him out on it.]

outside the lumenwood lamp gate.

[Woooowwwwww. Totally incorrect. Jail for 100 years. Everyone knows that the right trigger is on the side of the steering wheel controller. So you look on the side of the wheel.

He's going to assume the when is now and is making the preparation to have to actually move his lazy bones.]

I'm sure you'd find a way.
Hm. A stroll with a serial killer through the woods, sounds safe. I'll be there soon.

[he's not part of the "everyone" crowd because he doesn't play those stupid things. the point still stands. a real car's going nowhere with you at the wheel. looking for buttons.

oy, oy. he didn't say...

...

tch. guess he never did specify a "when", did he. great.]

it's late. wait till tomorrow. i'm already settled.

[he's not moving for you.]

[Time to find a working arcade to prove his point on.

Thankfully he at least looks down at the message before actually going too far.]

All you had to say was you wanted your beauty sleep. Tomorrow then. I'll meet you some time after noon. You can tell me when, but not earlier than that.

[L a z y.]

[as if there are any here. better get to cutting out cardboard steering wheels.

is dabi a dick enough to wait to say "nah" long enough to see shigaraki likely out the front door?

... yep.]

it's night outside. why the hell would i invite ya to come see something this late? this place is fucked up at night even worse than the day.

[yeah, they normally moved at night back home, but trench is real fucking far from "home" like this. afternoon works.]

4 pm.

[Where there's a will, there's a way.

But also. J e r k.]

Bold of you to assume these trash pulls are a challenge. 4pm tomorrow. Don't be late.

[he hasn't changed. this is his prime time entertainment.]

whatever ya say, fearless leader.

[he'll be a few minutes late.]

It's happened.

[ That's it, that's all there is. No other explanation, just an attached location. Coordinates to a location about a mile away from the guardian sapling on the Farther Shoes. ]

Don't give up on him.

[hm?

the hell's this? does he think he can simply call him like some kind of dog? no explanation?]

gonna need more than that, priest.

[he gave up on people ~~especially him~~ a long time ago.]

[ Not a priest.

Alas, Dabi is not getting a response. It isn't even because of Allen being a dick about it, but that it's a pre-recorded one he had Tim ready to send if he ever gave the command, and he became otherwise indisposed as soon as he did...

Which should say something about how desperate and worried Allen had to be about what he was about to try next, honestly.

Could Timcanpy send him something on his own? Maybe. Is Timcanpy inclined to from that, however? Not really._{You're the one who wanted to know if ever Shouto became dangerously corrupted or a beast. Not this little omen's fault if he can't figure it out. 🍑} ]

[priest.

it's the lack of response that finally prompts him to act on his assumptions and leave. allen wouldn't have shot that off without explanation if it wasn't something serious. he doesn't like the guy, but he knows hero types too much to miss the inferences with that message.

also, touya hasn't forgotten that parting shot about shouto, what he told allen to inform him about. he's heading out. should be an interesting event...

wolf's gonna eat that fucking little dough ball at some point.]

Guess who's bratty little brother just asked if we were friends.

bakahoyoru mitsumakihara's? didn't know ya were makin friends with him.

congratulations.

Wow. Your comedy has improved. Good job. How long have you been holding on to that one?

just made it up right now. i improvise.

You're a man of so many talents, Dabi. That's why we're friends.

gonna make me sick. whaddya want?

Just checking up on my bestie lol.

Come on. It's a little funny. Might want to ground your brother for using the F-word.

you're goin for mileage on this, huh.

ain't his keeper. he can do what he wants.

why's he contactin you?

I'm going to run it into the ground.

Who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. So far it's to ask if we're friends. Do you think he's worried I'm going to set you out to a life of crime?

[Take the win that he's in a good mood.]

that's another way of sayin "stop it", right?

maybe. he's pretty curious about my life and well-bein.

whatcha gonna tell him?

You wish.

Makes me glad I'm back to being an only child. That sounds annoying.

Only the truth, that you're my only and best friend who I would lay my life down for in the same way you both would for me.

[~~As much of some of that is true, wherein if he had friends the LoV would be the only ones~~, no he isn't going to say that.]

it is. but killin him's not a permanent solution right now. it's a pain since he'll come right back.

think i just threw up in my mouth a little.

[he's surprised this guy's fingers aren't burning from how horrendous a lie that is.]

I keep telling people you don't have to kill someone to take them out of the picture but then there's the upkeep. I wouldn't want a pet either.

Sounds like a you problem.

[The humour of it is carrying him through.]

that ain't takin them outta the picture. that's the opposite.

nah, that'd be havin to read that crap you just scrawled across my screen.

[is this how you get your ya-ya's, tomura? shit-posting your colleagues.]

Says someone who's never kept anyone alive in a situation they could be dead in. Uncreative.

Hmm... What else? Should I finish your dinner letting by telling you that I'll miss you when you're gone? Or... What other feel good shit is there? Are there sappy lyrics to a song you want to lend me, I don't remember any good ones.

[Yes.
The answer is yes.]

there are benefits to bein borin.

[the irony of shigaraki's statement is insanely laughable. but he'll never know.]

i think ya would miss me. bein stuck here alone with the lunatic would drive ya nuts, wouldn't it.

sorry. i'm outta nursery rhymes. here. couldn't help but think of ya.

Edited 2022-09-14 06:34 (UTC)

I'll concede this part. You're not always boring. A showy bastard, but not always boring.

[The only irony is the nail on the head that just got hit by that statement Dabi made.]

Oh, yes. I'd find the nearest, most convenient place to curl up into a fetal position.

[Give him a second because the song is actually funny to him. It gets a couple plays.]

See, like now. Not boring. An asshole, but not boring. I think the most insulting part of it is me having a wife. I told you I don't want pets.

never said 'always' now did i. don't exactly got a quiet quirk.

[he gets to seal the coffin every now and then.]

probably a ditch or a manhole.

[was that an insult? you bet your decaying ass it is!]

think the proper term is "kids", boss. and i dunno if ya wife would be a weak bitch cowerin under you or some strong monster that'd slap ya with your own hands.

A quirk worth the trouble isn't quiet anyway.

lol Why would I go places that remind me of you? I thought the scenario was to forget my grieving.

[That shouldn't have been amusing. It was, in fact, amusing.]

Funny. You're the only one who has had the balls to try, so no wife for me either. I have enough to deal with when any of you are around.

[Says the man who will seek them out just to quietly have company. Or text them and keep out every gaming reference he catches.]

baka. ya got any idea how useful a silencing quirk would be?

scroll up a few texts. ya answered that question yourself with all that sap. no sense in coverin up now.

[just keep digging that hole deeper. you laid the groundwork already.]

try what? kids or slappin ya? cause twice did the latter and i ain't got time for kids.

[he says, but... there's a fair chance dabi would let a child go instead of burning them.]

Maybe for you, but I silence people just fine. Anything else doesn't seem worth it.

[He's in this for the long haul. Time to buckle in.]

Right, about my undying devotion to our friendship. I'd already forgotten.

Veeeery hilarious, kids are clones. I get it. No, tried to fight me on day one, you'd have lost. You'd still lose. I went easy on both of you by walking out.

silencin someone and keepin em prisoner ain't the same for me.

forgotten what?

in the bar? nah. ya never woulda touched me. fingers would've burnt off well before that stump landed.

I'm all ears, tell me what works for you. We'll swap dungeon designs.

Exactly. Keep it that way.

I guess we'll never know just how badly you would've gotten your ass handed to you. But what you call 'Bar' was home to me. Speaking of, I'm going to find a place. When I do, I'll tell you where.

ya really think i'd waste my time keepin a prisoner?

keep what that way?

kinda sounds like ya challengin me to a fight... that ain't fair, ya know. you're one big fucking cheat code.

aww, i'm so moved. it had good alcohol.

yeah? permanent or one of many to move between?

I think under the right circumstances, any of us would do a multitude of things we don't think we would.

Forgetting.

[.........................He used a gaming reference. It's such a basicbitch one that it's almost overlooked until it isn't. Huh. This must be what constitutes as close to pride as he's ever getting in that relation.]

Look at you upping your game talk SR. You afraid I'd take your ability to be a human matchstick away?

[That's a compliment. He'll take that on ~~Dad's~~ Kurogiri's behalf.]

One place to fall back to, others to go to. I still don't think I trust this place or the people in it.

[Except apparently the person he's telling.]

that's the cheat way outta that question.

[you're a nerd. a complete nerd. anyone dabi's age would know what a stupid cheat code is. (so one would think, if they didn't know dabi.) it comes out of his mouth without much notice. well... fingers.]

my what?

ya couldn't use it to the degree i could. it wouldn't be advantageous to ya.

[dabi never took help from afo, he doesn't intend to let afo or shigaraki take from him.]

don't. this place and the people are shit. but have fun. there's plenty of places around.

[ After this, Shouto asks Kizu to call Touya since he's currently blind and can't quite use his omni as well as he used to. When the call connects, his message is straight to the point. ]

Do I provoke you?

Sometimes.

How?

Existin.

Arguin. Fightin. Specially bout Endeavor and mom.

Why?

[ Specially bout Endeavor and mom. Mom... Kizu immediately switches to video, showing Shouto's unseeing eyes staring sightlessly at the camera looking a little stupified. ]

You called her Mom.

[his screen is not facing touya at all. wolf's wandering around a darkened room, though there's a booted foot to the side of the particular shot.]

So? Sometimes I call her Rei, sometimes a bitch or a whore. She still gave birth to me.

[ There's a flare of anger and hurt. All those feelings that rarely see the light of day clamor to the surface, crashing into one another, leaving him at a standstill unsure how to feel; only that he does - feel. That's how it's always been with Touya. Drawing all those feelings to the surface without even trying. In the end, they're too much, create a bottleneck and none make it to the surface intact before dying down as quickly as they flared to life.

Grey and teal look down, hiding the subtle change of expression from upset to forbearance. ]

... I don't like it when you call her that.

Edited 2022-09-22 02:14 (UTC)

[see what a mess feelings do? maybe it's a fucking blessing that he doesn't have to deal with those things anymore. touya doesn't see it, but he notes it in the way shouto's pause lingers and his voice changes.]

Duh. That' cause she loved you.

She still loves us.

Edited 2022-09-22 02:58 (UTC)

That's what any loved kid would say.

What do you say?

She loves you.

Ain't it nice?

[ He’ll accept that that’s what he believes and let’s the subject rest for another that’s more immediate at the moment. After speaking with Shigaraki, Shouto got the odd feeling that he might be causing issues for Touya which is the reason for this expected call. He knows that he doesn’t always understand things right away and wants to clear the air; right any wrongs he’s done. So, he reruns to his question, a little late, but not forgotten. ]

I spoke with Shigaraki. He suggested I might be provoking you.

Edited 2022-09-22 15:40 (UTC)

[so that's what kicked all this off. tsk, tomura's got a bad habit of sticking his nose in other people's business... real question is who started it, but he doesn't particularly care.]

I didn't choke ya that first time for no reason, idiot.

[ Shouto subconsciously touches his throat. ]

Why did you?

[ He knows he was under the influence of what was going on that month, but he’s aware that it only exacerbated what was already there. ]

[if shouto was under the influence, dabi didn't know. felt more like to him his little brother was just really eager to help him with his staples after touya told him to back off.]

Forgot already, huh? Wow. Thought I made it pretty clear.

[ Kizu looks at wolf, her head tilting slightly while Shouto goes quiet his thoughts his own before he deems to parse out a response. ]

Make it clear now.

Don't order me around, Shouto. Ya sound like Enji.

If I want your help, I'll let ya know.

[ The snow leopards ears go down as if chastised and she presses against her Sleepers right leg. Blindly, Shouto’s reaches down to press a hand to her head, stroking down her back as he tries to confront that statement. ]

… I don’t like seeing you hurt.

[touya's given him permission a few times to help. and he hasn't said shouto couldn't ask if he wants help, or offer things (like the ill-fated jams). just not to push him if he says no.]

Lucky you, I don't feel pain anymore. So ya can stop guiltin over that.

It’s not guilt.

Whatever it is then.

Shigaraki already knew we were brothers. [ And Touga too, but he was blind at the time. ] So, I told my classmates about our relationship too.

They already knew.

Of course they knew! I told the whole damn world. Uploaded a video about it and broadcasted it during the war.

Who I was, the monster their "precious" Endeavor really is, his kids' purpose, every disgustin detail of our sordid family, all laid to bare in front of that hero-worshiping society.

Ya shoulda seen the look on dad's face. It was priceless! He couldn't accept it, just sat there sputterin and starin, refusin to accept the truth burnin him in the face. He was completely pathetic, so weak and broken.

God, it was such a rush. I don't think I've ever been happier in my entire life!

They hadn't reached that timeline yet.

[ Yet, somewhere along the way, they had all fast-forwarded in time leaving him behind. As for Touya's demeanor when recanting the tale, it leaves him feeling like he did that day at the hospital with no idea how to move forward only that he had to. With his thoughts still jumbled up inside him as when he first arrived in Trench, Shouto only has one thing to say. ]

I was there.

[ You tried to kill him. ]

Do I look like I care? They know.

[how they know is a big shrug. too many world travels he doesn't care to learn about.]

Were ya disappointed ya didn't get to do a big reveal?

[ He's going to pointedly ignore that first statement and get to what matters. ]

I told them we've been meeting in secret for some time now.

[ Considering he didn't tell them, he considers it 'in secret'. ]

They didn't like that I was meeting you alone without telling anyone.

So? Ain't any of their business.

[they didn't like a lot of things involving him.]

They're my friends. They're worried about me.

[ You know. That thing you've got going on with Shigaraki but won't admit too. ]

They'll worry about anythin. Got a lot worse here than me.

[oy, don't take what shigaraki says about him as truth for him...]

I know that, but they don't.

I told them you won't ~~hurt~~ kill me.

Ya ain't givin them much credit.

Doesn't matter if I kill ya or not; you'll just come back.

They want me to check in with them when I meet with you.

And ya tellin me why?

I don't want to do that.

[he's talking to an idiot...]

Then don't.

I also don’t want to worry them.

Stop tellin me what ya don't want and spit out what ya gonna do.

[ Is he provoking you? ]

I'm going to compromise.

I'll have Kizu contact them if you become a danger to me.

[ya getting "provoking" mixed up with "annoying" ... or "bothering" at that.]

I'm always a danger to ya.

I don't see it that way.

Ain't surprisin. You're a naive kid.

Then, you don’t have an issue with that?

Why would I care what ya tell them?

[ Well, you’ve made things easy for him. ]

In that case, I’ll give the order to Kizu.

[ And let’s hope the little cub follows through. Sometimes, he misses her other form. She was more reliable if less… playful. ]

You're so formal...

[why bother telling shouto he can't tell his friends something? apart from ripping his tongue out or tying him up, dabi has no control over what he says. ergo, pointless to say one way or another.

he'll only have issue if one of those brats decides they have to BE there every time they meet up. then there'll be a problem. but since that's not the case... meh.

not to mention, knowing trench, probably would be a good idea for a third party to know in general. dabi could tell shigaraki or himiko as well.

could.]

[ He might see it as formal, Shouto sees it for what it is, clarity. He has no intention of keeping secrets from him, and let’s be honest, he’d be terrible at it.

On one side, he wants to address his friends feelings. On the other, he won’t put his feelings aside for them either. And treating his meetings with his brother as a hostage situation where he has to check in with them isn’t something he wants to do. ]

It’s clear, not formal.

I wanted to get your input before I gave Kizu an order.

Ya got it.

[ If only he could sense sarcasm. Maybe it’s a good thing he can’t because he completely accepts it at face value and moves on without a care in the world. ]

Also, Kizu wants to play with Wolf.

[ Is that a stipulation for the order he’s going to give her or is he randomly bring up the topic now? Maybe, it’s the formal. ]

[technically it's sarcasm wtih the face value. shouto wanted his input and touya gave it to him. nothing else more.

the other part earns a quirked brow and the screen falls to the side, as if wolf's tilting its head in curiosity. a brief scoff comes through and finally the elder todoroki comes into view, lounging back on a fat black leather couch, legs crossed at the ankles over one arm, head bunched up by the other one. the couch is just a biiit too short to completely hold his long, lanky form at full stretch, but it's comfortable enough for easy sleeping on.

there's a lunar orb glowing somewhere in the room, but it's not bright and touya's mostly in shadow.]

Yeah yeah. Whenever we meet next.

[Sometime in October when people should be asleep, let's say around 10pm or later.]

oi. you awake?

[technically villains do their shit at night, so what self-respecting dirty villain is sleeping at 10pm or later?

...this one, at least. give him a few seconds...

okay so maybe it'll take another text before she gets a response.]

no.

[yeah well, most of us prefer to sleep at night. besides, Toga operates more during the day when she's working aka infiltrating. but that's another story.]

staring at the damn ceiling all night. cant sleep. insomnia sucks.

[it certainly ain't a bedtime story, that's for damn sure... his omni is on dim so he doesn't blind himself.]

so ya woke me up for what?

misery loves company?

[tell me a story about the cow jumping over the moon. himiko is laying on her back, her omni dim as well, under the blanket. earlier today this sudden wave of emotion hit her like a tidal wave. something's been itching in her mind, and then night fell.]

wow sowwie.
thought u were working the midnite shift.
u finally got a day off? yay!

[ugh, go bother shigaraki if you want a damn bedtime story. he's too old for that kinda crap. and take a hint from dabi: emotions suck. go crazy and get ridda them.]

no ya not.
where the hell do you think i'm workin? some market stall?

[she already did, dabi is next in line. lucky guy. not wrong, tonight is being super bad.]

;w;
come on, just distract me for a bit. least til i fall asleep.

[gonna have to bitch at tomura for yeeting her onto him this late a night...]

fine, fine.

[psycho]

what's goin on?

dont laugh.

[least not in text.]

idk. ive been on the edge and i cant sleep. like im on high alert! for WHAT!
RAWR.

are ya askin me "what?" or sayin ya clueless?

idk = i dont know. :/
im teaching you how to txt. :///
its too early for something to happen, rite? i heard stuff happened last year this month.

i know how to text.

wasn't here last year; how the hell should i know?

your black market dont carry gossip information? so misleading!
i read 1 guys post.
some blood river, zealots hard to kill
they hang ppl up by their own skin! owo
here ill shoot u a link. it makes a better horror movie tbh.

not somethin i usually trade in, but i hear things.
i'll look through that...

damn. more shit to deal with.
so what are ya worried about? ain't like we haven't been through mindfucks before in this place.

mayyybe ill start my own business. think info would sell here?

iknow iknow. its just ~~imnotmyself. canthandlethisnow. letmesleepoverthere.~~ im not feeling at my best now.
i just want some reassurance, mmkay?

[strikes not there.]

Edited (html spaaaam) 2022-10-03 06:52 (UTC)

no. between the network, omni, omens, and sleepers, you can find out whatever ya want for free. information's not a bargainin chip here.

reassurance on what? ya ain't gonna die and we'll all get home happy?

boo. im out of ideas.

lawl cute. but naw. if i die and dont come back, slow cook the asshole for me.

[Even in the face of anxiety, kindly burn them.]

least we don't gotta have jobs here...

"the asshole"? got someone makin trouble for ya or just "in general" asshole?

adulting or villain kind?

just in general. ill sleep better knowing~

[She kind of regrets assuring Twice before his death. It feels nice to know someone will go bad shit from your death.]

guess ya do have to slot into one of those roles eventually.

so long as ya don't die by somethin stupid, i'll make sure there's nothin but ash followin ya.

oi. let me finish school first.

thanks touya-kun. kk ill sleep.

ya ain't even goin to school.

that easy, huh.

[she's still gonna pay for this later...]

[with blood???]

i could.

nity nite.

[nah. prolly forking over for lunch sometime or he'll wake her up in the middle of a good sleep for no reason at all other than to be a vengeful git.

yeets his omni and rolls over on the couch to stuff his face in the cushions and go back to sleep.]

[Different night, still fff awake. The problem wasn't gone, and she was restless. Oh well, time to text!]

knock knock.

[this had better be well before midnight or he's gonna murder her next time they meet...]

urusei

[why is it always night?]

[roll the dice and find out?]

wrong. it's whos there.

Edited 2022-10-07 17:53 (UTC)

[murdher...]

talk to them then.

[but you replied!]

but i wanna talk to yoooouuuuu touyaaaaaaaa T_T

[much to his annoyance...]

why dontcha ever wanna talk to me at a decent hour?

catching up on sleep.
being vileblood sucks rite now.
cant sleep without trying to kill myself.

[its okay, he's doing great.]

as in ya wake up with a knife in ya neck?

[maybe he'll go make some ramen or something...]

[she isn't sure if he's joking at this point.]

ha ha
not a bad idea. squid myself a few days for sleep.

[is she joking???]

[he is not. she just said she couldn't sleep without suiciding.]

after ya almost stabbed my eye for dying?

double standards, bitch.

we arent joking? =w=
im saying i cant get drunk unless i drink at least a bottle asshole. sometimes 2.

how the hell's that compare to dying?

alcohol poisoning is dying.
and headache.
or a bottle of bleach.

[And she rather not drink bleach, again.]

how mucha that shit are ya drinking?

[it takes a lot to get alcohol poisoning!]

[It takes a moment, because she has to count these bottles. Let's face it, Himiko is no expert on alcohol. She probably had a sip or two for celebrations, that's it. Don't think anyone taught her the 'beer before liquor' saying.]

juuuuuust, finished 2.
going on 3 or 4.
rum next.

[she has a sip or two and now she's unable to count the number of bottles? that's not a slippery slop. that's falling off a damn cliff.]

didja try runnin into the wall as fast as ya can?

u mean that isnt just shit for show?
tha might work

[this is mighty tempting. or the alcohol finally getting to her.]

it's called "forced sleep".

[dash full tilt into the closest wall. works all the time in gag anime and comics. why not real life]

[toxicated!toga is sold to this idea.]

touya is so smart. im glad called you.

[this will be a great next day conversation. "so, you met mr wall last night?"]

[at least he's going to get some entertainment for his late-night wake up.]

should put ya right out.

[or a casual inquiry about a black eye or busted nose/lip.]

[WELL, he won't be getting any response for the rest of the night. Either that idea worked and she's out cold or... finally wasted. He's about to get a nice text message the following morning for obvious reasons!]

asshole.

[That's all you get. GOOD MORING ASS.]

[that's right. he's cool. got himself a decent night's sleep and himiko got... an experience.

but he'll wait until the middle of the day before texting back.]

how'd ya turn out?

[Yeah, she's staying low, not in the best of shape. Probably a good idea he waited sometime in the afternoon, maybe her head can finally stop ringing. She doesn't have the energy for this.]

ur not getting my end results. just know this migraine is still here.

[and maybe one more.]

[really. kinda like most people don't have the 'energy' for getting woken up from their sleep for a late-night talk? hmm... could this be paybacks? would dabi be that petty and spiteful?]

but ya got some sleep, didn't ya.

[if only he can see her flip the bird. no more late-night rum.]

yes. but your advice still sucks.

[he can guess it. it's amusing all the same.]

but it worked. unlike yours.

[worst personality ever. expect more late-night calls mister.]

heres a gold star. happy naow?

[nah. that'd be his dear old dad.

please no. his sleep...]

wow. so sarcastic. thought i was helpin a friend.

friends dont let friends run into walls. with a broken nose.

is that whatcha did?

ya must've been goin pretty fast.

omg ur so grinning this.

didn't ya say i should smile more?

[someone is about to get jelly in their boots.]

🖕😉

[that's all you're getting!]

[sounds like someone's already jelly of his sass skills.]

don't forget a steak for that black eye.

After Bakugou returns, Shouto is on the lookout for Touya's return as well and uses his OMNI to contact him:

Hour 2 after Bakgou's Return: Touya?

Hour 4: Are you there?

Hour 6: Are you back?

Hour 8: Do you... remember me?

Hour 10: Death has side effects here. I can help.

Hour 12: You won't be well for a while. It's different for everyone.

Hour 14: Will you let me know when you return?

Hour 24: Kizu misses you.

Hour 30: I miss you.

Hour 36: I searched for Wolf. I couldn't find them.

Hour 48: I need to check if your number is still accessible so I know you're still here.

Hour 50: Check-in.

Hour 60: Check-in.

The check-ins will continue every ten hours on the dot until he finally receives a sign of life.

Edited 2022-10-10 22:40 (UTC)

[seriously? a lot of missed messages by the time he gets around to checking them. should've seen this coming. doesn't he know the sleepers come back after death?

anyways, it's a good day and a half since his return before he bothers to reply. tired.]

urusei.

ya noisy even on the text.

i'm alive.

Touya?!

Edited 2022-10-11 03:10 (UTC)

Yeah? What?

[don't make a big deal of this.]

[ Don't just 'What' him, you walnut!!!

You were dead!!! And he had no idea until you-- until Bakugou-- The both of you--!!!

HE WAITED FOR YOU BOTH!!!

Every day at the shorelines of Trench until he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and fell into a fitful sleep. He had to be dragged to the cherry blossom tree to cleanse the corruption that cropped up from the loss. And then, Bakugou returned, and you didn't. He looked for YOU! He looked for WOLF! You were silent! And he thought-- ]

I thought you were gone!

[ His eyes water at the utter relief of hearing his voice while his throat contracts from the pent-up emotion he froze over just to breathe! And now, at the sound of his voice, it all starts to melt, revealing the depths of emotion he's kept at bay since he learned of Bakugou's return. It all comes out in a single accusation filled with more emotion, few have ever wrenched from him. ]

Edited 2022-10-11 04:40 (UTC)

[meaning if the explosive kid didn't say anything, you would've been none the wiser and wouldn't be over here yelling at him through the omni. then again, considering the utter mess of the marketplace they made, it probably wouldn't be hard to find out what happened.

well technically he and bakugou returned at the same time and place, buried the proverbial hatchet, and went their separate ways. but dabi got found and picked up by himiko to get his shit and go home. must've missed him or something.]

I was gone for a few days.

[his tone's as casual as ever. whether that helps or hinders the issues is shouto's decision. no point in denying the reality of it.]

Ya know Sleepers return. And my number was active. Shoulda been enough for ya to know I was back.

Not always.

[ He pushes the words out through a restricted throat, clogged with too many emotions he doesn't know how to deal with. It turns his quirk wild, swinging from left to right inside his chest, making it difficult to breathe.

He kept a close eye on his number, as it was active Touya was still here; even if he didn't know where he was. It's what kept him from tracking him down after Bakugou's return. ]

Sometimes... they leave.

I didn't.

[he simply hadn't wanted to see or talk to anyone for a day or so after he got back, both to nurse the uncomfortable burden of returning from the dead and to deal with his injured pride over how he ended up washing ashore.

neither of which put him in the mood to deal with anyone wanting to speak with him, already guessing the main types of conversations he'd have with the different people who'd contact him.]

So ya can stop chokin up.

[ This time.

That was the thing about death here. It wasn't always a guarantee. And there was a possibility of bringing back a stranger. Someone whose memories were wiped to the moment they had left the place they were taken from. As it stood, Shouto knew that this Touya wasn't the same one who he'd gotten to know for months now. Not physically. He'd been remade. Reborn.

You died... and I won't ever see that you again.

The source of his turmoil stemmed from that simple fact. ]

You don't get to tell me that.

[ How to feel. When you're the one who left! ]

[while he knows it's not always a guarantee, if a sleeper doesn't return from death, that'd mean they went back home, where they belonged. should be a good thing, not being imprisoned here to keep suffering. though he can't argue the reality this place might bring back another "version" of him from another point in time if he didn't return.

but he won't agree with shouto's paranoid thoughts about him not being "him" anymore. just because he died and came back, doesn't mean he's not the same person he was before his death. well, ignoring the fact he's pretty fucked up right now, still recovering. gonna be another day or two before he feels well enough to go outside.

touya's still touya. whine at him about being different if he comes back without his memories or something.]

Just did.

[what are ya gonna do about it?]

[ Absolutely nothing. There's nothing to do. Nothing that he'd care to pursue anyway. ]

Where are you?

[the why make a big fuss over nothing? you'd think family was important or something.]

One of my places.

[ That doesn't mean it's NOTHING to him!

What he cares about has never mattered until he made it matter. But he also knows when to pick and choose his fights, and right now, he rather fill his heart with the knowledge that he's alive. ]

Can I see you?

[yeah yeah. he's alive. that's the main point. stop fretting over something that's in the past. (says the guy who exists only for the past and how it'll affect the present and future.)

sigh. who didn't see that question coming.]

Fine.

[and with that, he switches over to a video. lounging on a large black couch that's probably seen better days. though there's been some obvious word done on it, stitching, patches, and even staples to do some surface level repairs.

dabi rolls his head to the side, looking at the omni.]

Happier?

[ No, and yes. His feelings are far more complicated than he knows how to address, so he goes with what he feels at the comment, which is something warm akin to what he feels when he looks at Kizu. As it stands, Shouto is in a black turtleneck with dark bags under his eyes though his eyes look more animated, if a little red, than the start of the conversation. ]

How are you feeling?

[touya takes note of his little brother's appearance at a glance. bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, a bit red around the sclera thanks to stress or tears, ironic the guy who showed so little emotion at first would end up getting so worked up over something like emotions.

they really are a problematic burden.]

Better. First day was pretty rough.

[ It was never that he didn't feel anything - Shouto always felt a lot. The issue lay in showing it. All his life, he was yelled at for what he felt. Shut-up, Shouto! It's no wonder he learned to feel nothing. To express nothing. It was one more thing Endeavor ingrained into him made easier by the use of his mother's quirk until he didn't need it anymore in order not to feel.

He isn't numb now. Stepped off that path some time ago. Tried to express himself more. He's still not good at it when it comes to everyday interactions, but this isn't normal. His feelings were impossible to subdue without the cold, and he made a promise to stop reaching for it.

His jaw tightens at the implications that lie just under the surface of his words. How bad was it the first day? A question written in the worried look in his eyes. Still, he doesn't ask. Not right now. There's something else that's more important. ]

Do you need anything?

[life's a lot easier when you don't feel anything. touya was granted relief from all that crap once everything burned up inside him. "feelings" aren't a thing for him. it's so much freer without them. and yet there's shouto, trying to continue to feel despite all that frozen ice around him. it'd be admirable if it weren't pathetic.

noticing the question in his eyes, touya opts not to answer it. talking to shouto about his return illness wouldn't do anything but upset the guy further. sides, he's not hovering over the toilet now, so it's fine.

there's the spoken question he knew was coming.]

Nah. I got my shit back.

[ The announcement draws on something other than sorrow, and mismatched eyes gain a semblance of light. ]

Did you lose something?

Nothin I'm aware of. Lost my clothes and gear, everything I had on me, but I found 'em again later.

[could be sarcastic and say he lost his life, but you know...]

[ That makes sense. For a moment, he thought it was something else. There was always a death price to pay after they washed ashore. He doesn't know what Touya's is and it's something he won't ask about. Not when there's something more important. ]

What happened with you and Bakugou?

[If the price meant 24 hrs of feeling like shit, puking his guts out, and having to find his clothes and crap from a bunch of marketplace people, then guess that's a price.

But complete immolation + combustion isn't gonna leave much left to go on. If there's another price, he's unaware of it for now.]

He tried to kill me and failed. I killed him and succeeded.

[And failed, since Bakugou killed him too.]

[ The words said so plainly have his quirk swinging left so quickly it has his eyes glittering with dismay. ]

Bakugou... wouldn't do that. [ He manages to parse out through a restricted throat. ] Was he cursed?

[ Under the influence of something? Shouto didn't believe that he'd turn to killing out of the blue. ]

[touya doesn't seem at all bothered by the words or memories. internally he's irked, but it's assuaged by the spiteful pride that it at least ended in a draw.]

Probably. [he's not stupid enough to think the explosive blonde would ever willingly try to murder someone no matter how much he screams the threat.] Doesn't change the fact he did.

[does that mean touya willingly tried to murder bakugou of his own volition after the fact? yep.]

[ Shouto will be having a very interesting conversation with Bakugou soon after this that will have immense consequences for the brothers going forward. But for now, Shouto is blissfully unaware. ]

Even if the outcome is the same, intent matters.

[good for him. dabi hasn't bothered talking to the guy after what happened and isn't planning on doing so. there's nothing that needs to be talked about. it's not gonna bother him at all.]

And ya point is?

Trench isn't like back in our world. Here, we don't have a choice sometimes.

Ya think we had a choice all the time back home?

[ There's a pause in his reply. His expression shifting into one of subtle observation. ]

Not all the time.

It's the same here.

[one could argue they didn't have a choice. one could argue you always had a choice.]

[ Another pause. This time longer than the last, yet eerily his expression never changes. ]

Did you have a choice when you hurt Bakugou?

[take long enough and touya's gonna roll over and grab a nap.]

Yep. It was an easy one.

Why did you kill him?

D'ya have selective hearin or just choose to ignore the words ya don't like?

[ He simply waits for a response. ]

[does he really think he can out-patient a guy who's waited ten years?]

[ It's not about what he can do, it's what he's willing to do for what he wants. That's where they are very similar.

He will wait for his answer. ]

[...sigh...]

I already answered that.

[ Answer it again. ]

I want to know why you killed him.

Cause he tried to kill me earlier.

Happy?

No.

[ But he'll talk to Bakugou about it at another time. For now, he'll let it lie. ]

None of this makes me happy.

Kill or be killed world, Shouto.

[Trench has never changed its face.]

Forgot that already.

That's not what I believe.

That's cause you're naive.

I make the effort to use restraint.

[ He's never used deadly force, never will. ]

That's why I'll always be stronger than you.

Strong enough to save someone instead of harming them?

That's a choice, idiot. It's got nothin to do with strength.

If I felt like savin him, then I would.

But that ain't me.

If it was easy, then anyone could do it.

[ There's a pause after that where mismatched eyes stare straight at him, pondering something new at that remark. ]

... Who are you?

Anyone can save. Anyone can kill. It's a choice.

[he regards those eyes with his own burning turquoise gaze, not backing down at the comment or the look.]

No one. Just a failure.

Not anyone can save or kill. It's a choice.

[ He meets that turquoise gaze easier than he ever did his father's. For one, there's no burning anger or outright dismissal. He cares what Touya has to say. ]

You're not 'No one' to me.

Or a failure.

Think about what you just said and repeat it once ya understand your own words.

[touya drops his head back on the couch, not bothering to look anymore.]

Cute.

Too bad ya ain't that thing.

I understand. I don't think you do.

[ It's always been a choice for him; always will be.

Ain't that thing? ]

Are you... saying I'm not a failure?

[ The exact opposite of everything you've told him since he first met you during their summer camp. ]

Anyone can save. Anyone can kill. It depends on motivation.

[thus, it's always a choice. manipulated, coerced, forced, but still a choice.]

Of course you're not. You're the only one your parents gave a shit about.

Mom and dad's little perfect success.

Not anyone can make that choice.

[ Same answer, different perspective, but that's not what he focuses on when Touya brings up their parents so casually. No one brings it up, but he knows his arrival ruined their family, especially their mother. ]

... I wasn't her success.

You wanna test that?

[doesn't look at him, but his voice is pointed. amused. angry. bitter. sarcastic.]

Ya were till that thing poisoned you for her.

No.

[ Firmly stated. He's not about to participate in anything close to what that implies. You're not remorseful, are you? Killing Bakugou? Killing that innocent woman? It leaves him thinking about the future, about the things he wanted. A shared meal... it feels further than ever. I thought that we could... that you could.. He shakes his head, half listening to that reply. ]

I thought I was the poison.

[ A corruption that took root and ruined his family. ]

Thought so.

[that proves his point easily enough. everyone has their breaking point. shouto would kill and touya would save if their desires for something else overcame their resistance to the idea. simple as that. people are easy if you don't think about them so hard.

of course he's not remorseful. that would require him to feel something first.]

Enji was the one who ruined the family, Shouto.

[ It proves that Shouto isn't willing to use people as guinea pigs. ]

Is that why you hate him?

[don't challenge him if you're unwilling to take part in the test.]

One of the many reasons.

[ Is everything always a challenge to you? ]

Is that why you hate me?

[when it's worded as such, or someone's trying to "make" him feel or think a way he doesn't, then yeah, it's automatically a challenge.

he's no longer some bastard's pawn. he's free.]

One of many.

Ya seem real shaken by this, Shouto. Is it really that surprisin to ya that I'd kill someone outta revenge?

[ Are you? You see challenges where there are none. Your every motivation stems from the same source. So, are you free?

It was my fault. For seeing something that wasn't there to begin with. ]

You killed someone out of pettiness.

[don't ask him that question.

ever.

that's the issue. shouto still has hope. touya lost all of his a long time ago. all he has now is desperation and hate.]

Before ya go further, lemme ask ya somethin.

[this time, touya sits up and leans forward, arms dangling over his knees and looking at his omen with a cold, focused gaze.]

Didja give Bakugou shit for tryin to kill me earlier?

[ It wasn't so long ago that he thought like you. Not the same degree, but the path he was walking lay in a similar direction. Newfound hope is a recent occurrence, one he's still trying to figure out for himself. ]

I know why he tried to kill you. The same way, I know why you tried to kill him.

What I don't understand is why you killed that woman. She had nothing to do with it.

[ Collateral damage. It implies so much more than simple revenge. If he was willing to kill an innocent bystander, what else was he willing to do? Collateral damage in the form of lives isn't something he'll ever be able to accept. Not from anyone. ]

Edited 2022-11-07 06:13 (UTC)

[it's easier when you don't try to figure that shit out. this path is the one laid before him, and the one he's running down in a mad frenzy towards the raging hell of a culmination.

well, not here. here, it's all stopped.]

To make him stay and fight.

[touya pushes himself up from the couch, momentarily leaving view until his omen turns to follow him.]

Heroes always try to protect. It makes them predictable. I don't like it when people try to think for me, or decide what I'm gonna do. If he hadn't tried to run away and move the fight, assuming I'd chase him like some dog, then he would've been close enough to save her. Too bad for him. He wasn't smart enough to figure that out, or fast enough to stop me.

[yeah, collateral, but deliberate collateral. he would've left her alone if his opponent had focused entirely on him. but instead, bakugou split his attention to other people, when he should've been watching touya the entire time.

hawks made the same mistake and paid for it.]

Do ya hate me now, Todoroki Shouto?

[ His fingers grip the sheets of the futon he's sitting on. Hearing him rationalize the irrational is too reminiscent of his childhood. Maybe that's why his throat grows tight with emotions that threaten to overwhelm him.

Fire and ice churn in his chest, melting and freezing a war-torn heart. He doesn't care about heroes. Doesn't he understand that? He doesn't care about villains. He just - his eyes water - he cares about you.

Tears fall in an empty room.

No more than a handful, but it's enough to clog his throat, making it impossible to answer. How-- How did he think that he could-- His mouth opens as if he means to speak, but only a cold mist comes out, and with it, the room drops in temperature. Cold, the pain recedes, and he's able to speak without breaking apart. ]

... No.

Edited 2022-11-08 03:19 (UTC)

[it's the quiet that catches him. the sound of a throat sticking to itself. he remembers that sound, once or twice in his childhood, when he was close enough to hear it sniveling on the other side of a closed door. he also remembers making it himself, trapped in the quiet of the night, abandoned by natsuo, misunderstood by fuyumi, and replaced by shouto. with a mother who saw him as a troublesome chore, and a father who hated his very existence.

bastard. flaunting his ability to cry right in front of him. technically behind him, but... semantics.]

Ya really are crazy.

[of course he wouldn't hate him. heroes aren't supposed to hate someone. even if they say it, they don't understand what it means to truly hate someone. that black, bitter desire to relish in the target's complete misery and abject degradation until there's nothing left of them. heroes who hate, truly hate, are no longer heroes.]

Mah, who knows. [touya shrugs, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.] Maybe one day I'll end up savin him.

[just because he hates heroes doesn't mean he doesn't know how to "be" one.]

[ The cold spreads. It starts in his chest and blooms out in all directions. Soon, his fingers lose their grip on the sheets and the agony in his chest recedes amid the crackling ice. His heartbeat slows along with his breathing, but it's familiar, comforting even, to be embraced by a winter storm. It helps open up his throat enough to speak, no longer clogged by emotions that render him useless. ]

I don't hate you.

[ You see, he also learned how not to feel. That was the thing that Endeavor taught him. The gift his mother left him with. A way to hold back the firestorm raging through him until he snuffed it out completely. Endeavor was livid when he stopped using his fire. Shouto couldn't even feel happy about it. The same way he couldn't feel happy about his brother killing his friends and innocent bystanders. ]

... But I can't accept you killing my friends either or innocent victims.

[ His line in the sand. ]

Edited 2022-11-08 04:51 (UTC)

[touya glances over his shoulder at the cold that could almost be felt radiating through the shared image. so the little puppet was icing himself over. feelings are a bitch, aren't they.

whether it's simply a survival tactic, an outward expression of his feelings, or a veiled threat, touya waives it off. after all, the cold never bothered him.]

You think I give a damn about being 'accepted'?

[and he's killed so many people already.]

I don't know what you care about.

[ And that's the problem. One he's barely beginning to figure out. ]

Yeah you do. Ya just don't like to think about it.

[it's not a problem. it's easy. touya's not hiding it (anymore).

only, he can't really do much about it / with it here.]

You care about Endeavor.

[ He can be candid too. ]

Uh-huh.

[in an extremely negative version of "caring".]

Is that all you care about?

does it look like i've got anythin else, mr. hero?

You have your friends.

[ He knows for a fact that Touga considers you a friend and Shigaraki wouldn't have tried to shake him down if he didn't care about you too. So, don't you dare tell him you've got nothing else! Idiot! ]

If that's what ya wanna call them.

[it's not important enough to argue shouto's rose-colored lenses.]

That's what they called you.

[ More or less. ]

They can do what they want.

[doesn't make it true on his part.]

What do you want?

Stop askin stupid questions ya know the answer to, Shouto.

Aside from Endeavor.

I don't think about that kinda crap.

[it's pointless.]

You should.

I want to know what it is you want too.

I don't let anyone tell me what I should do.

I'm done with that life.

Is that something you want or something you have?

What exactly are ya tryin to dig outta me here?

I ain't playin some stupid psychoanalysis game with you.

[ He told you already. ]

I want to know what you want.

[ There's no game here. He laid his cards on the table from the start. It's yours he's still trying to figure out when you say one thing but do another. ]

I want to go home and utterly ruin Todoroki Enji's life and legacy before I murder him at his lowest.

[Do you have any idea what obsession and madness actually are, Shouto?]

[ He grows still. Expression obvious to anyone who knew what to look for. It's in the framing of his eyes, wider than before. The way he pulls back slightly. The intensity of those words far too familiar with the madness he saw in Endeavor's own eyes everytime he spoke of All-Might and his plans for him. His determination too aggressive, outright hostile. It's a sense of madness he's tip-toed his entire life, hating every moment it laid eyes on him, seeing him as nothing but a tool of his ambition. He sees it now in Touya. His words far too reminiscent of Endeavor in his early youth. The certainty behind it. Failure nowhere in the equation. For the first time since his arrival, his stomach twists looking at his brother. ]

.....

[ Maybe he asked too much. Pushed too hard. But this was Touya too. This malice Shouto once knew now purged from his soul while it still lay claim to his brother's. No reply is forthright, his answer leaving him frightened enough to disturb his omen, his feelings becoming hers, and hers his. Golden light showers across the video as Kizu appears, whining at the things she doesn't understand, only knowing she doesn't like it.

Shouto doesn't like it.

And she jumps into his lamp, seeking warmth at the cold words. It's enough to shock him out of his silence. He looks down, knows instinctually what she wants, and holds her to him, finding comfort her in her presence as much as he finds comfort in his. ]

... I won't let that happen.

[he's never once pretended to be anything but that. simply kept those things secret and close to his chest unless he felt like telling them to other people. but the goal and ambition remain the same. a drive too intense to let anything stop him. endeavor lit a fire under touya that refused to be put out and it engulfed him so severely, he couldn't escape in time. their father's stubborn pride and insane goals passed on to his children and each of them parse through their cursed blood in their own unique ways. touya's became this. the same madness of an unstoppable wildfire, seeking to consume and destroy until it had nothing left and was finally sated on its gluttonous desire. there is no possibility of failure in his mind. he'll achieve this dream, become the brightest star endeavor had always said he was, and go out like a supernova, dead on arrival to drag his father and his legacy down to hell with him.

wolf remains completely unfazed by its master's words. a part of touya's blackened soul, it's always known his murderous intent and twisted mindset. burned and charred, eternally on fire, his omen is a reflection of himself.

ironically, the one child of endeavor's who managed to escape him and free himself from their father's abusive treatment ended up being the only one to drown so deeply in the abuse that he clings to endeavor as his sole reason for existing.

his next words come with the same solidarity and blase determination. as easy as stating the temperature outside.]

Then I'll kill you too.

[ He's heard the threat enough times by now to be phased by it anymore. The pain of it no longer makes his heart bleed like the first time. Used to the caustic nature of his family. Kizu looks back at Wolf. ]

I won't let you.

[ A reflection of her Sleeper, who stopped looking at the camera a long time ago, she meets his eyes with a look of sorrow and determination before cutting off the feed. The first action she's taken against him since the ailment that turned her into a cub. ]

[probably isn't helped by the fact touya did try to kill him in trench. twice. first time by kind of reflexive accident, but the second time was deliberately attempted drowning. even if that was annoyingly influenced rather than purely touya... neither attempt succeeded.

wolf is still content to watch dabi from his place by the door, while the other man gets a beer from the fridge.

touya glances to him, but notices that his omen suddenly dips his head and then the connection cuts off. hmph. is that it? shoot out the last word and then run like a coward.

he's tempted to call him back, but...

whatever. bar trench's influences, touya doesn't plan on killing his little brother here unless he gets in the way of something the eldest of his ilk has strong intent towards. it's kind of pointless.

but back home... that's a different story.]

I found some campy movies, we're watching them. Pick a time and date that isn't today and now. I want to see if I can find other ones.

anyone tell ya how utterly random you can be?

Just people who don't matter. You're not going to have nightmares over horror movies are you? I don't want 3AM calls about monsters under your bed. They're likely there.

talk to yourself that often, huh.

no. but i'd take a monster call at 3AM over the lunatic's incessant midnight ramblin calls.

Here you are feeling witty again today. I catch you on all your pleasant moments.

Okay, I'll bite. Hit me with the lore, what rambling?

lucky you. musta got me on a good day.

what, she's never called ya when she can't sleep and asked about shit?

I'd hate to see the bad ones.

Not really, no. She called me once to ask if Search worked like Google. That was interesting in the way that it wasn't interesting.

ain't much different. quieter. more smoke and fire.

somethin like that. ruinin a good sleep...

anyways, what brought this on?

Considering it's entertaining to watch you work, I might want to catch one of your bad days.

Sounds like her. If she's got problems, she'll work them out. What were they?

Talking to someone about movies. Have you watched many of them?

ya saw it when we were in that fuckin "worse here" place.

between me and her.

didn't even know they had movies here.

That's a bad day? Hm. Could've fooled me. I'd say it was fun.

[All right then. Keep your secrets.]

Widely? They don't. All sorts of shit washes up. Do you think I like long walks on the beach because it's a hobby?

it was a bad day. for them. i could've gone without the trip. damn pain in the ass.

ya started beach combin too. all right. i'm curious.

[tomura shigaraki proudly presents, thomas the tank engine.]

Only for the first few seconds. I guess when you think about it, bad day for us, good for them. Either sounds right. It was still good to see that blue glow again.

Still looking for computer shit that I can hobble together. It keeps me busy so I've been finding other stuff too.

[But of course.]

i was more focused on survivin and gettin outta that shithole. back to this one. never thought i'd actually find this place better than somewhere else.

yeah, i've come across some things, but nothin that'd be puttin together computers. there's a guy out there that seems to have some technology he brought with him.

i got my videos put on the net.

[and yoinked the computer he did it with.]

The grass is always greener on the other side. Or not so much on this side, either. It's a shithole but it's the one we have. Better than some of the ones we stayed in.

Nothing that useful, no. If you accomplished doing what you needed, one less thing for me to look for. This place lacks unconventional entertainment options. I heard there was an arcade, but someone blew it up.

[Attaboy.]

yeah. not sure this feels entirely better, since it ain't like we're rollin in wealth. but it's better than squattin in the abandoned school stealin from gas stations.

odd. this place looks like it's outta some medieval fantasy and yet it's got modern technology stashed away in places. some bitch on the net even seemed surprised i was askin about computers.

We're not rolling in filth either. Not hunted down, yet, or having to deal with assholes telling us what to do. Just have to survive random fucked up monsters. No different than home.

[Well. In some ways.]

Surprised about you asking specifically, or that someone other than her knew? I met someone from 998 AD, so nothing shocks me either way in that order.

depends on how ya wanna view that. considerin how blood contaminates and corrupts everything, we kinda are. and the idiots in the sanctuary are still givin shit to the original hunters.

this is my first time comin to another world, boss. cut me some slack. ain't a world-jumpin expert like you and the floatin bitch.

None of that concerns me until it concerns me. If someone is stupid enough to hunt me down, they'll learn quick. Unless I'm one of those fucked up creatures. Then hunt me down.

I met them here, dumbass. Their name is Dito. Not everything has to do with a different place I've been in or things would be very different here.

think i'll let ya rampage. it's more fun that way.

[no, he'd kill him immediately if he came across his beastified boss.]

dito? the sex-addicted crazy guy with the spear?

[There's a small mercy. Losing control of himself isn't what he wants.]

You're the first one I'm coming to devour. Still fun?

[There has never been a more accurate and specific description of this man.]

That's the one.

Edited (Shhh) 2022-11-05 05:03 (UTC)

[it ain't a good feeling and dabi would be willing to put a select few people out of their misery immediately should he come across them in that state.]

if ya still got that kinda mentality, i ain't worried.

[well that's kind of all he had to go on about him.]

what about him?

[The gratitude of it wouldn't ever be said out loud. It'd probably be more like they're talking just now. Talking around the concept.]

You should be, I could be dangerous. Then what? I don't want to see you piss your pants.

[That's basics.]

That's the guy I met who said he was from 998AD. Also the one I talked to about movies that got this in my head. Then I thought you know shit all about other fun stuff, so. Here I am. Telling you you have no choice.

[well considering he's died once (twice) and the result of it was fucking revolting, dabi's not really in the intent of repeating the process. other people want to, fine by them; he'll even help. but himself? nah thanks.]

hilarious. kinda missed the part where i'm supposed to be scared.

[he has plans for if his fellow villains end up monsterfying and coming after him. contingencies.]

ah. i met him when the caves opened up underground. he's weird, but useful.

guess i'll have to thank him for this annoyance later.

[That's twice too many. No more of that. Plans for it or not.]

It hasn't happened yet. Just wait and see.

He's tolerable. Thank him all you want but figure out what day's good for you.

[look it wasn't like he PLANNED on dying. but they ended up clashing evenly and he's too much an asshole to not take his attacker down with him.]

ya plannin on goin beast mode soon?

he's a good fuck too. guess i'm free tomorrow. not much of a schedule in this place.

[That's a fair death, even if knowing he died wouldn't sit right with Shigaraki.]

Maybe. This place can get boring, maybe that wouldn't be so boring as long as I didn't lose myself.

Oh good. I was hoping you'd tell me about your sex life.
Tomorrow then. I'll send you a location. I'll have things set up there.

hey. ur comrade told me to go to u. she said u have stuff i might be looking for?

depends on whatcha lookin for, but good chance i got somethin.

thats the thing!! she didnt tell me what u are selling?? or what u have?? maybe start w/ that. what do u usually carry?

ya got gas stations or convenience stores in your world?
generally whatever those things carry.

gas station. for explosives right? u carry gas bombs????

[wow. a maniac. he has one guess as to who told this person about him.]

gas station. for vehicles.
not an armory for the military.

oh.

(that kinda stinks.)

so u got snacks and drinks and stuff????

[yeah, blame the portals for not dropping him into a military base.

there you go.]

yeah, soda, beer, canned juice, jerky, chips, candy, that kinda stuff.

ok i can work w/ that. im getting tired of bumming off my sis for food. i want to start u know fending for myself more. what would u trade for them?

Edited 2022-11-10 03:06 (UTC)

got a siblin here, huh. sucks for you.

somethin of equal or greater value.

ya wouldn't happen to have some of those gifts lyin around we got from our captors, wouldja?

gifts??? no??? i dont think so. i have a compass and i can make things.

didja get that compass from a "dream" out in the woods?

things, huh... wanna elaborate?

yea i think so??? last month i was in the woods and got a compass to get out. things like weapons. engineering and gadgetry is my profession. i make explosives, pistols, machine guns, and rocker launchers. i can take any household items and modify it to a deadly trap or bombs. its p. easy rly. but bombs are what im RLY good at. can make them in all sizes. as small as a butterfly but can make an impact large enough it can injure or kill a group. i saaaayyyy...... 10 to 15 ppl tops? but i also do art. craft dolls or lil figurines. rly good w/ graffiti art.

Edited 2022-11-10 21:33 (UTC)

and we got those wheat bracelets at the library two months or so ago.
ain't gonna ask for yours, but if ya can find extras, i'm always interested in those kinda things.

[might as well put that out there.]

how good are ya at fixin weapons? i came across some old guns i wouldn't mind gettin fixed back to good operations.

good to know i got a bomb expert on hand if i need one.

yea i didnt get any bracelets. repairing guns is kids stuff. im on the works of opening my own business for ppl to buy any weapons they want me to forge. im also going to answer any repair calls but not just on weapons. i can repair pretty much any menchinal.

other people did.

kinda curious where you're gonna get all the material to make those kinda weapons.

you in league with the shape of blood?

nope! but it can be THAT hard to get the stuff right? im sure theres a lot of steel, screws, bolts, and whatev lying around.

this place doesn't have a junkyard. none i know of at least.

then ill just steal.

prepare to do ya business underground then, ya villain.

heeeey what gave me away??? 🤣🤣🤣 but i guess am to sum ppl.

neon sign advertisin stolen goods.

everyone's someone's villain.

what about u stranger? are u bad like me? up to no good?

just a trader. survivin till i find a way back home.

been called bad. been called good. it's subjective.

ive never been called good before. except from my old man.

wouldn't be "never" then, huh.

must be hangin around some shit people.

hey!!! theyre not shitty!! except the ogre. she is

uh-huh.

why do you care if someone calls ya good or bad?

when did i say i care?

kinda weird comment to make if ya didn't.

i think a weird comment would be "sometimes, it be that like."

that's just mockin dialect.

still weird!! so u want me to make u smth? hmm? hmmmmmm?

i need those guns repaired.

[consider it a test of skill so he knows this person's not bragging on nothing.]

i got a maximum of 5 pieces per trade, some exceptions due to size, and no duplicates unless i got overflow.

still interested?

u know it!!!!

then what are ya lookin for, specifically?

food. i need sum food.

[guess they're gonna do 20 questions. or play categories.]

junk food, like chips or cookies.
canned vegetables or fruit.
canned or died meats.
crackers.
candy.

[ooc: feel free to pick out stuff you'd normally find in gas stations or convenience stores. he spent an entire month raiding every single one he could find and stockpiling like a madman.]

died meat will be good. sum fruit. and juice!!!

(ooc: oki! 👍 )

beef, fish, chicken, squid.
dried fruit or canned?
bottled or canned juice?

u have so many options!!! whoa!! ookokokok beef and chicken. wait. squid?? isnt that like. eating our own??? bottled juice and canned fruit

be a real shit trader if i didn't.

it's dried squid rings. they're popular in japan.

pack of dried beef
pack of dried chicken
bottle of juice
can of fruit

got any preference on the juice or fruit?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I DONT TRUST IT! skipping the squid. u got any apples??? and juice. smth w/ berries.

just dried ones. got applesauce.

apple juice, cranberry, lemonade, some kinda punch, grape.

GRAPE GRAPE GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAPE!! only the richie rich fancy ppl back in my realm could have grape. so pin me in for that!! dried ones will be good!

it's pretty common where i'm from.

got it. pack of dried apples.

💥💥💥

?

just excited! ok we have a deal then

pack of dried beef
pack of dried chicken
bottle of grape juice
pack of dried apples

in exchange, i want these three guns back in workin order. bullets included.

sound good?

[have fun, jinx. two pistols are older models + and one's a revolver.]

SOUNDS GOOD!!! you got a deal bud!!

(she'll...figure it out.)

i'll give ya directions to meet up when i get everythin ready.

roger that!! ill be waiting by dying breath.

[ooc: did you want to thread this meeting out or leave it ftb?]

(fade to black will be lovely! my inbox is crying rn hahaha! )

[ooc: works for me. thanks!]

Bones/or premade bone meal
pot
new shears
hand saw
long stakes
shovel
canvas
tarp
reflective sheeting
better fucking grow light
duct tape
rope
condoms
soap
custard taiyaki shit for cheeks & bunny girl
usual food essentials

[well damn...]

ya plannin a kidnappin, kid?

[What the FUCK?! That's not his original shopping list?! AND HE DEFINITELY DIDN'T FUCKING SEND IT TO DABI!!!!

SERIOUSLY, WHAT IN THE FUCK?!]

LIKE I'D FUCKING DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT
IDIOT

[don't ask him. he's as confused as you are. at least he didn't flick it to "spam" and yet the rock across the room.]

shears, hand saw, shovel, canvas, tarp, duct tape, rope.

all ya missin is the trunk of a car and some chloroform.

Indoor grow tent and gardening supplies, Shit For Brains.

I don't know why the fuck this got sent to you.

[OR WHY SOME OF THOSE ITEMS ARE EVEN ON THE LIST BUT.... at least he can play it off like they belong there??? Shovel, tarp and rope definitely weren't there before. Or the condoms, but who fucking cares about that one.]

i see. you're one of those people. hide the bodies in the garden.

sure you can stomach potatoes grown off a corpse?

[sure, play it off like they belong there and he'll make it worse. easy enough.

and yeah, he saw the condoms. he'll keep that level of crassness in his back pocket for later.]

[This line of conversation is pissing him the fuck off. Definitely striking some nerves, given recent events, and that just adds to the anger. Fucking hates when someone has that kind of power over him, and so he refuses to give it. So, Katsuki's going to just grit his teeth and play along like it's nothing to him.]

We both know that I'm not "one of those people". Ain't a shitty coward who'd try to hide the evidence.

Hear that people make great fertilizer, though. Might be the best fucking potato I've ever had.

[what line of conversation wouldn't piss him off? the kid's fuse is shorter than dropping a match directly onto gunpowder.

if ya don't like someone having power over you, then get rid of it, or never accept it in the first place. ain't that hard a concept.

don't see HIM losing sleep over that shit.]

i'd believe that. but only be if you were proud of the kill. otherwise, you'd deny it or try to hide it out of embarrassment or frustration.

ya ain't wrong. you should see some of the flowers that grow over graves.

com to think of it, probably 50% chance the fucking mushrooms this place loves growin's all coming off dead people and blood.

[...right. like he is fucking doing, right now.

And Dabi isn't losing sleep over shit because he's damaged goods.]

No. I fucking wouldn't. Dont have to be PROUD of something to OWN what I've done.
It's called taking responsibility and I do. So go fuck yourself. Trying to tell me what I would or wouldn't fucking do, you obviously dont know shit about me then.

Highly likely.

[good for him.

that's a light way of referring to a survivor of domestic abuse and near-death victim. but he's not wrong. dabi's wrecked.]

ya didn't seem to be ownin that victory of yours at the sports festival.

and i'm willin to be there's shit in your past you don't want other people to know about either.

[and IF you're gonna be so picky on responsibility...]

shouto's been givin me a lotta crap about killin ya.

[Just calling it like he sees it, man.]

It wasn't a legitimate win. Halfie didn't give me everything he had in that fight.

You'd be betting right, but the motivation aint what you're thinking. I just dont like people in my business in general. But I don't hide from anything I've done. I fucking told you, I'm not a coward.

[what a fucking turn from a misfired, mutilated shopping list. Ugh.]

Okay? And? What, you think I fuckin' set him on you like a dog?

[wouldn't want it any other way. doesn't need lip service.]

so a good enough excuse lets ya do away with ownin and responsibility. nice to know.

that's ironic, considerin how much you heroes like to get in business that's got nothin to do with you.

uh-huh. guess we're alike in that regard.

[oh, would you like to talk about the condoms and kidnapping gear instead?]

nah. i just wanna know if he's bitched at you for tryin to kill me.

[Good. Cause you're not even gonna get lip service with Katsuki.]

Ain't a fucking excuse?? It wasn't an even fight and I didn't want the cheap fucking win.

Cry more, you shitty villain. Don't do shady shit that harms people in one way or another then, and maybe heroes wouldnt need to be in your business. Pretty goddamn simple.

[Definitely. Least those topics aren't nearly as fucking personal.]

Ask him, asshole. Ain't my fucking place to tell you what he says or how he feels about something.

[does he look like someone who wants that?]

didn't ya just say you didn't need to be proud of somethin to own it? win's a win, no matter how ya got it. kinda stupid to run away from ya own victory.

maybe if heroes didn't pick and choose who's doin "harm" to someone else, there wouldn't be shitty villains goin after people.

but that's not "simple" for you, huh.

[bring it back up. cower away from uncomfortable topics. that's easier, in'nit.]

i did. he didn't seem to get the implication.

"Win's a win, no matter how you got it"
That's what underachieving losers tell themselves.

You don't even realize how fucking delusional you sound, do you? I'm the last person you should be pitching that argument to.

[Acknowledging that it's not necessarily comfortable doesn't mean he's even considered changing the subject for the convenience, but ok. Pop off, you fucking moron.]

If you don't know how to navigate Shouto, that's your own failure.

if that's how ya wanna view it. a dead winner ain't gonna help anyone, hero.

oy, oy. ya gonna spew the same heroic shit they taught ya to regurgitate in school and tv ads, then ya gonna get that argument in your face every time.

[no argument against his "delusions" cause he's well aware of them. being insane ain't all that bad when you acknowledge it. nah, he's inherited a certain someone's stubbornness.]

ain't trying to navigate him. his bias and stupidity aren't on me to coddle.

Ain't gonna argue that. Dead ain't winning. Dead is useless.

[Absolutely braced for the chiding comments about how he lost to Dabi. That's fine. He puts his money where his mouth is and owns that. He wasn't the only loser that day.]

Don't need you to point out the existence of the age old debate. I'm not here for that villain rhetoric any day of the week, but I especially ain't here for it with you.

[And you fucking know why.]

So why the hell are you askin' me about him, then?

ya pride's gonna kill ya one day.

for real this time.

[since their "deaths" here don't count, as they just come right back. and bakugou's going to have to fall over his own brace because dabi's not saying shit about their battle. they both killed each other and they're both right here. it's nothing to gloat over because it's so easily thrown back in the other's face. ergo, pointless.]

then don't bring that debate up. it's ain't any more pleasant to hear your hero crap.

[he knows and doesn't mind being a shit with it.]

already told ya; i was just curious, he wasn't talkin, and now i got my answer. ya really think i'm someone to stop at a wall and give up?

[you're just another avenue to get what he wants.]

Maybe. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Your vendetta is what's gonna kill you in the end.

[Funny how he can shove off one pointless argument, but engage in another just below it. You're really aggravating, Dabi.]

I didn't bring it up, you did.

[Well, you're not getting shit outta him. Sure, you can infer whatever you want from what little he's said, but Katsuki isn't offering shit about Shouto.]

Probably not. Don't really care.

uh-huh. as long as i take that thing with me.

[death has never frightened him. he knows he's going to die. he's ready for it. but he won't be dying unless endeavor's dragged to hell alongside him. simple as that.

being aggravating is in his nature. kinda like "loud" is in yours.]

in response to yours.

[he already got what he wanted out of him. inferring works well regarding shouto.]

good.

What a waste.

[Oh he knows. He got a taste of Touya's complete disregard for himself and his life, first hand.]

All I said was I don't like people in my fucking business. You twisted it into this shit.

ain't your business.

[don't even bother with sarcastic pity or regrets. he learned not to care about others thanks to his life experiences. fun, isn't it.]

yeah. cause i know you'll get in my business, like a hypocrite.

You made it everyone's fucking business, Touya. You wanna throw yourself away for that asshole? That's your prerogative. But you don't get to dictate what people think about it after making that call.

[Who said anything about sarcastic pity or regrets???]

You like going in fucking circles or what?

shoulda been everyone's business from the start, katsuki. but no one gave a shit, too scared to stand up and say somethin, or just brushed it off as no business of theirs.

but now that someone's not scared, all you heroes protest that it's "wrong" and wanna make it your fuckin business cause suddenly one of your own's the target. who do ya think you're protectin? some saint?

i know ya ain't that fuckin stupid, kid.

[don't tell him that "what a waste" comment was completely devoid of any probe of pity or minute suggestion that touya "could've" been something better. you don't say "what a waste" after something like that and NOT have those undercurrents within it. otherwise, there would've been other words said.

not those.]

you were willin to try your damnest to protect a fuckin stranger when i killed her. don't tell me you'd stand down if i were about to burn off enji's head, "dynamight".

[Sure, it absolutely falls in line with the suggestion that Touya could be something better. That's not pity. It's just an observation, made on a basis of gained respect he has for his skill and potential paired with what Katsuki thinks about Endeavor. It's a fucking waste.]

Puttin a whole lot of words and feelings into my mouth when you don't even have the faintest idea of where I stand on any of it.

I'm not that fucking stupid. But I'm not going to act like I would stand down, either.
You wanna ask me WHY? Shoot your goddamn shot. But if you wanna just sit here and keep trying to fit me into a fucking mold that's based on your idea of how ALL heroes are, then we're done here. Ain't a fucking point to it.

[he could've been. touya himself acknowledges that. spent plenty of nights thinking about it and anguishing over the failure his life became. the papers he'd held in his hands containing all the potential hero names he could've gone with, costume designs... one by one, going up in flames and blowing away as naught but ash.

you can't ... do something different ... give up ... you'll just hurt yourself ... urusei]

feel free to tell me where i'm wrong then.

[but instead of doing that, he simply confirms what touya accused him of. good job, hypocrite.]

told ya.

what, like how you heroes like to fit all of us villains into a "fucking mold" of ya own?

we're pretty similar in some regards, ya know. we're both gonna surpass that pinnacle and show them how much better we are. all might. endeavor. and no one's gonna stand in our way.

so why then? what gives you the right to interfere with me? and don't give me some moral bullshit about killin's wrong cause i've heard that crap before. even after i exposed that monster and all his abuse to the world, he's still out there flauntin himself as some goddamn hero. a sanctimonious asshole who should be six fucking feet under for what he did.

and you'd still get in my way. why?

[...UGH.

There's a very sour taste in Ochako's mouth when she sends super casual note to Dabi on the Eve of Christmas. It's short, sweet, and whether or not he complies, that's all on him. She doesn't care, and if someone steals or just fucking takes the gift box, good for them. They'll get a day's worth of food and some snacks, if anything. She's going out of her way to do this much, really, but Ochako meant it when she said she'd at least get him something to eat from time to time. As much as a part of her hopes he chokes, that is...]

I made you some food, if you want it. No, it's not poisoned or tampered with or whatever, but you don't have to trust my word.

If you want it, I'm having my Omen deliver it to the Sanctuary and she'll stay with it for a half hour before she leaves it for anybody to take. Up to you.

Merry Christmas,
Uravity

[True to her word, there will be a simply wrapped gift box for him waiting at the Sanctuary. It's...got a lot less effort and whimsy put into it as others, but it still looks decent. Brown paper wrapping, a blue yarn tying it off with a crooked bow, and...that's it, really. No doodles, no nothing. Inside, however, is a bit of a different story. Ochako is nothing if not very careful with how she makes her gifts. And screw it, maybe she wanted to show off a little bit, too.

It's a holiday karaben with rice balls stuffed with a kimchi mayo mix, some pork meatballs, boiled veggies with a savory, salty, or buttery glaze...the works. And look at that, Ochako even included a lidded plastic bowl of ozoni soup and some grilled mochi on the side to put into it. And yes, they both taste fucking good, especially the soup - it's one of her specialty/family recipes.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, you filthy animal.]

[when someone deliberately says "this isn't poisoned or tampered with" when you know said person hates your fucking guts, that sends a rather opposite message, ya know. is what his thoughts are when that soft alert from his omni pops up. that being said, there are two saving graces here.

1) despite ochako being a hero, dabi's hatred isn't so all consuming he can't make his own mind up about individual experiences. he gave hawks a pass after all, right? even if he still didn't trust him and only wanted to mutually exploit each other for as long as they could feasibly do so...

2) it's food. she's not an idiot. they don't have a feud or vendetta. dabi has nothing personal against ochako, so burning it out of spite or hate isn't happening. it's moderately surprising she actually would do this in the first place. kid's got guts...

maybe he should send her a video of him gagging on something, just to give her the sarcastic satisfaction of the unspoken "choke on it and die" bakuouian undercurrent. gross her out at the same time cause he's a dirty bastard.

...

in what's perhaps a silent extension of something ochako can take her own guess at, when her omen arrives at the sanctuary, dabi's omen is already there, waiting in the shadow of the sakura tree. it's not exactly the back-alley meeting between hawks and the villain back home, but no squinting's required to make the connection. she won't have to wait for the trade. no hassle.

back at his place, dabi merely glances at the simple wrapping. if he has any inkling she put less effort into it, there's none showing. external appearances aren't everything. but the inside? .... well, well. if she ever fails at being a hero, maybe she can scrap together a decent wage as a cook. o-chibi-chako's kitchen, the family restaurant beside the construction company.

ya know, he could stretch this. have some now, save some for lat-

yeah no, it's gone in a few minutes. all of it. oh he tasted, of course, but still inhaled. not out of some ravenous hunger, but simply out of good flavor. he's keeping the karaben box, unless she's offering refills later.

she'll get one thing back.]

ya ain't so bad. thanks.

[don't read into it. now buzz off till next year. ya got better shit to waste your time on.]

Where are you?

[he must be in a somewhat decent mood, cause he doesn't bother to hide his feed. meaning shouto gets to see snow from around the level a bit above touya's hip.

aka: wolf's eyes. the sound of snow crunching underfoot comes from the left.]

Outside.

[ever the helpful sibling.]

[ It's a good thing the youngest of the Todoroki's isn't very good at reading between the lines, so he has no idea how impudent Touya is being. Ignorance truly is peace. ]

Can I meet you somewhere?

tsk...

[so needy.]

Yeah.

Where and when?

[ You call it needy, he calls it being proactive. ]

[hmm...]

Ya gonna be a good boy and only order whatcha allowed to?

[ His brow creases and even Kizu quirks her head to the side. ]

I'm not placing an order.

[ Touya... sometimes you're just plain odd. ]

You will be.

[most people don't go to a bar and order nothing.]

I'll meet ya at Muckhod in an hour.

[it's one of the bars touya frequents when he doesn't feel like dealing with the business of goat's turning. quieter, out of the way, buried between two hills.]

Edited 2022-12-24 04:25 (UTC)

[ Goat's turning?? What kind of bar is this?!

Well, he'll figure it out soon enough. It doesn't help that he has no idea where Muckhod is and has to ask a few people for directions. He doesn't really look the type to frequent the bar, thankfully they don't ask him for his age.

Somehow he manages to get inside but not without turning a few heads not in a good way. Did he think to change before going in? Didn't even cross his mind. Dressed in his full hero custom Shouto makes his way to the bar sporting five canisters around his waist that tend to bump into people a lot more in a crowded room. Maybe he should have changed. Too late now.

Considering Touya didn't give him anything more than a name let alone a time, Shouto goes straight to the bar to ask for 'Dabi'. Amused at his obliviousness, the bartender tells him to take a seat and get a drink while he waits. He takes a seat but declines the drink to which he's countered with:

'The bar is for paying customers.'

'Can I pay for water?'

'Only if I charge you top-shelf whiskey for it, darling'

And so, that's how Shouto ends up waiting at the bar, sipping water with a very chatty bartender, while making minimal comments here and there while the crowd of people keeps growing. ]

Edited 2022-12-24 04:54 (UTC)

[well he did give him an hour? but he also expects shouto to be able to use the omni to get directions. knowing it's a bar and its name should be enough. touya tugs open the door to the bar, which is literally a building built into the center of a large mound beneath twin hills covering it. a chimney pokes out the top and there seem to be a few other tubes sticking out of the hills in various places. hard to tell if the building was here first and a hill was "dropped on it" or if the hills were excavated to make room for the bar now sheltered all snug within it.

letting the heavy chocolate-colored door swing back behind him, touya eyes the rich interior of the bar. not rich in the monetary way, but in the depths of its dark browns and tans hues, with dark stone walls and blonde wood bartops and tabletops. the scent of alcohol mingles with a smokey flavor while the spiciness of roots lingers within. lights dangle from the ceiling on spindly chains, each bulb shielded by an inverted cone collar of a metal lampshade, giving each booth-flanked table a private (shady) feeling beneath its single circle of light.

usually the atmosphere here is quiet, compact, very much "mind your own business" - a reason touya frequents the place - but the daytime traffic is different. not something he's familiar with, since touya usually comes evenings and nights. a lot more people than he's used to.

not too surprising shouto turned heads. younger people don't usually come here. ah well. honestly he doesn't know what age shouto is right now. considering he's been here for this long and then previously elsewhere... who knows. but it isn't hard to spot him at the bar. touya heads towards his youngest sibling, hands in his pockets and eyes staying on the chatty bartender. tsk, this bitch...

warm leather and the ever-present scent of burned flesh drift into shouto's space as touya steps up beside him. a single glance down to the side notes the water his little brother's drinking, then flicks his eyes back up to the bartender.]

Oy. That's water, Vien. Give him his pay back.

[touya slips one hand from his pocket and holds it palm up above the bar top.]

[ Ever diligent of his surroundings, he spots his brother the moment he enters. Standing to greet him and ignorant of the abrupt manner in which he sets his drink down and stares at the entrance like he's found something of worth. No subtlety with this one. Then again, Touya isn't exactly subtle himself. Maybe it's a Todoroki thing.

The scent of old drink and spice blends into the background with the occasional punch of cologne hiding a day or more worth of grime. Shouto isn't interested in the background. He's here for a reason and that reason is currently ignoring him. Another familiar Todoroki trait. They really are a catch, aren't they? ]

I asked for it.

[ He interrupts. Turning his head as Touya walks past him to talk to the bartender and ends up catching a hint of smoke and leather. A scent he's come to associate with his brother which soothes his initial caution. The bartender, Vien, looks on in amusement noting the way the younger one keeps on staring at the latter as if they weren't even there. ]

I haven't paid yet.

[ This time, Shouto does look at the bartender and slides over a vial of blood for his water, completely overpaying even for top-shelf. A fact that has Vien grinning at the younger pleased by the little arrangement. Shouto unaware of all the little details being read from the simple exchange turns back to Touya and continues with his business, but first: ]

Where's Wolf?

[touya's not surprised shouto sees him upon entering. the kid's been looking for him since he said they could meet up. a shadow among the rest of the bar-goers, he seems to slide and melt between them, though it's obvious some are leaning out of his way. 'dabi' has made somewhat a name and reputation for himself among the lower levels of society. particularly the hunters and bar hops. he can't help the immediate feeling that someone like shouto doesn't belong in a place like this.]

I know.

[and from the shopping trip a long time ago, touya's also aware his little brother has no concept of price per value and can/will get cheated out of his pay by anyone willing to give him half a second's consideration. vien isn't someone who'd be looking out for some little kid either. touya doesn't trust anyone, but he's been in muckhod enough to know the rotating staff.

as soon as shouto slides over an entire vial of blood, well overpaying for even the most expensive quality drinks in this place, touya snatches it from the bar top before vien can get her hands on it.]

Start a tab. We'll pay when we're done.

[that's to vien. much as he doesn't care if shouto blows his payments like an idiot, he's gonna take advantage of that in this case and milk it. touya tilts his head and leave the bar, heading for a booth instead. keeps an eye on shouto to make sure his little brother doesn't have a guilty conscience and try to pay again after touya stopped him.]

[ If he was better at reading a room, Shouto would notice the way some people incline their heads in Dabi's direction to catch a glimpse of a beast out in the wild, while others tilt away for the same reason finding a newfound fascination with the ground. Measuring someone from a distance would never be his strong suit. He's too direct in his thinking. Too blind to all the subtle clues he never learned how to read locked up in his gold-trimmed cage. It's become part of his personality, bland at first glance with depths of layers underneath the neutral look that's become his mask.

Shouto stands out in the crowd of Muckhod for entirely different reasons than his brother. His hero costume is meant to be easily recognizable as well as functional. His artless innocence coupled with his blank mask and direct, albeit polite, manner makes him a curiosity for the casual observer looking for something mildly entertaining or a payoff for anyone wile enough to find his poison of choice which unsurprisingly isn't alcohol but the latest 'super food' for 'keeping your koi healthy'.

Dabi would be annoyed. Probably is annoyed by the way he snatches the vile of blood from the barkeeper. Shouto is left entirely in the dark, but he's used to that - ~~this is your brother~~ - and continues on without a hitch, turning to Touya without a glance back at the barkeeper. He's not here for them.

The tilt of his head means absolutely nothing to Shouto, but he catches on real quick when Touya starts walking towards a booth and follows after. He would have followed anyway even if that signal meant 'get lost'. He's used to ignoring what he's told, a bad habit he formed from dealing with Endeavor for so many years. You either called bullshit on half the things he said and did your own thing or got gaslighted till you believed the world was flat. He learned to call bullshit after a while and stand his ground against Goliath.

Touya's concern is unwarranted. He might look like an easy mark, but he feels absolutely no guilt for something he has no stake in. Unless Vien made a show of being cheated, Shouto's direct view of the world lets him easily keep walking behind his brother with no idea what just happened only that both parties accepted the outcome without argument and that's good enough for him. ]

Where's Wolf?

[ He asks again the moment he slips into the seat across from Touya, not deterred in the slightest by the fact that Kizu isn't out either. ]

[ ooc; apologies. it's been a rough two months, trying to catch up with everything. no worries, if this tag hits you at a bad time. ]

Edited 2023-02-04 17:56 (UTC)

A few little altercations such as being stabbed and immolation have left Midoriya feeling angry and uneasy, so no one's getting individual gifts, and it's up for debate whether sending the League anything at all is wise. Midoriya arranges a dead drop with Shigaraki at the intersection of The Quiet Passage and Kreszenz Path at the north end of the city where a distinctive tree grows. His Omen hides a sealed bag in the tree's hollow. Whether or not Shigaraki trusts him, Midoriya himself does not go near the area as a sign of goodwill--or caution.

If it goes well, and if Shigaraki deigns to share as instructed, the League will receive: a large gift basket with a carefully-wrapped variety of seasonal goodies like small batch preserves, satsumas (for the New Year of course), candy, snacks, and even mini bottles of alcoholic drinks. He's also included a tin of homemade beef stew, also enough to share. There is no note, in case it falls into the wrong hands; both he and the League appreciate their privacy.

Amazing what kind of feelings getting immolated can bring up. Question is, what's Midoriya gonna do with those feelings?

... oh. Apparently pass out presents like a goody-two-shoes. Good news is, it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Or if it did, it certainly isn't in them anymore. Then again, considering Shigaraki's tastes in aesthetics, perhaps it still is...

Either way, it's obvious the gift comes from one of the brats. Tsk, why are they bothering with these kinds of extensions? Gift giving, talking, other offerings that certainly would never be considered in their own world. Yet here they are. It's enough to make a conscience stir. If it had life left to do so, that is.

Like the other gift he got, Dabi's going to wolf it down. Savor it, but wolf it. His portion at least. Crap, it's good.

Under the excuse of privacy, he won't reach back out to their "nameless" gifter, but know somewhere in his black heart, it's appreciated. Perhaps a mote more than simply out of basic human survival.

[This year, Maul had decided to behave himself when it came to giving gifts, unlike in years past where he broke into people's houses rather like Santa himself did. All gifts are left on the porch or front step of the recipient's home for them to find in the morning.

He left for Dabi a knife, knowing how practical weapons still could come in handy even if one did possess powers in Trench. Accompanying it was a note in blocky handwriting wishing him a Merry Christmas signed from Darth Maul.]

[this is... interesting. normally leaving a knife on someone's doorstep would be seen as an actual, implied threat. but luckily for maul, dabi's not stupid enough to think that, what with the obvious gift nature of it.

thanks for not breaking in. that'd've led to... problems.

but this is indeed a very handsome knife and while dabi wonders how maul came to know of a human (earth?) tradition like christmas, he's not about to reject it either. the knife+sheath's getting a clasp the very next day and will from henceforth on live under dabi's coat attached to the back of his belt for surprise use.

yes, this is a very practical gift. rather appreciated.]

Because you can't escape Search ~~unless you PM me and tell me to gtfo~~, outside where the man currently resides is a box. A wooden box with plastic around it. It's large enough, definitely carried by someone with the strength to be able to do it. The box is about two feet high by about two and a half tall, inside it, when opened it's filled with coal and another bag on top of it that holds an actual present. It's not immediately noticeable, it's hidden under some of the coal but it's sticking out enough that it's obvious there's something else there.

Taking him a long time, it's cushioned with a random black shirt reading 'Dibs on the Fireman' that may have been intended or not, it certainly doesn't look worn at least but it is the wrapping to a small handheld game system and a game of dubiously, totally untrademarked name.

There's a note inside that reads: "Wrapped your birthday present in what you deserved for Christmas. Don't be a dickhead, try the game."

No signature and that is the only sort of Happy Birthday he's getting from Tomura.

He's chalking it up to the Quirks stuffed in Tomura's body that he finds him. It's not entirely surprising and Toya rolls his eyes but accepts that the man found his personal residence. Between the Omnis and omens, it was bound to happen. The box raises suspicion and he eyes it a few times before finally bringing it inside. If someone was going to bomb him, they would've done it before now. Plus the season's what it is and hell if he thinks anyone but one to three people would bother searching him out. None of them want to him up.

Opening isn't hard, but...

... coal? He's gonna be like that, huh. Luckily he spots the actual gift before chucking the entire thing in the fireplace. Pulls it out before fishing around for another few seconds to make sure the rest is just Tomura's little joke. Then yeets the box and goal into the fireplace. Perfect.

Now for this.

A white brow cocks at the shirt. Seriously? Okay, it brings a smirk to his face. Could be taken two or three ways. He sets it aside after checking that it's his size. Good. And the final two were... from a nerd. Like hell he doesn't recognize that franchise even if he never played it.

Well, at least the note confirms what he already knew. Don't be a dickhead. Right. Says the other dickhead. Still, Toya eyes the game one more time... and settles back on the couch to give it a try. (Unless he has to find himself batteries.)

Touya. This is Shouto.

I'm awake again.

[ And upon realizing how long he'd been stuck in that cocoon, the first thing he did was check on his friends. Two of them were gone, their names wiped from the network list, so when he saw Dabi's handle, a surge of relief hit him harder than he expected. ]

Are you ~~still~~ here?

i know. ya got a username.

[who the hell else is gonna be calling him with that username?

what's this "awake again" business?

he's aware there have been some disappearances. two in particular that he knew. of course, two others prior to that had also left. that just leaves four of them from their world now in trench...

whatever. figured it'd happen someday. they're better off back home.]

nope. this is some robot.

[did you call him to ask stupid questions, shouto?]

[ His eyes dart to his handle, then back to his brother's words. Often, the names people choose for themselves go over his head, so he's used to announcing himself when it matters.

This matters.

Unfortunately, his month-long beauty sleep did nothing for his sense of humor, or lack thereof. ]

Robot? Like a bot caller?

Edited 2023-03-08 01:53 (UTC)

[if he hasn't changed his since the start, then it's still gonna mean the same person it did from the beginning.

oy, don't make it sound so important.

... wow.]

afraid so. set up just for you.

He did?

Why?

invalid question. try again.

[ Oh. He thinks. ]

Where is Touya now?

out. no specifics.

Is he okay?

affirmative.

Is Wolf with him?

[ shit ]

if he wants.

[ A frown. That's not a yes or no answer. ]

How do you know what he wants?

[ He begins to suspect something's amiss. ]

[the hell with it. full troll.]

he programmed me.

[ How dare you string him along! ]

Programmed you to do what?

[ Answer his texts? ]

[you already got your answer the second you saw his username on the screen. sheesh. this is your fault for being an overachiever.]

answer texts while he's out.

[ There's a long pause on his end, then three dots hover up top for a long, long time before a wall of text hits his screen. ]

What is Touya's favorite food?

What is Touya's favorite fruit?

What is Touya's favorite color?

What is Touya's favorite dessert?

What is Touya's favorite drink?

What is Touya's favorite animal?

What is Touya's favorite tea?

Is Touya right or left-handed?

What does Touya like to do on his days off?

Is Shigaraki Touya's friend?

Does Wolf like Shigaraki?

Does Wolf like Kizu?

Does Wolf like to eat?

What is Wolf's favorite food?

What is Wolf's favorite color?

Does Wolf like belly rubs?

Does Touya like hot baths or cold baths?

Does Touya like showers or baths?

Does Touya like to sing?

Does Touya like cats?

Does Touya like Kizu?

What time does Touya go to sleep?

What time does Toyua wake up?

Does Touya dye his hair?

What color does Touya dye his hair?

What brand of hair dye does Touya use?

soba.

oranges.

black. ~~[red.]~~

don't have one.

beer.

cat. or wolf.

plain.

left.

here? trade. home? ya don't wanna know.

fuck off.

he's fine.

yes. [but his patience is limited.]

doesn't need to.

fire.

blue. [aka: touya's flames.]

sometimes.

depends.

showers. [far more convenient and less time spent waiting.]

no.

yes.

tolerable.

whenever he wants.

"

yes. [don't you know this already?]

black. [really, shouto?]

trade secret.

[happy belated fucking birthday, you little shit.]

[ !!!

He writes everything down with a seriousness that almost masks his excitement at the virtual treasure trove he's come across! It takes him a few minutes, but he commits it all to memory and when he's done, he has a newfound need to see his brother. ]

Where is Touya?

[stop taking notes on his life. it's creepy...

scowling at the screen. guess every now and then he can act like a big brother.]

out.

[as said before.]

[ Says the serial killer. ]

Out where? Where can I find him?

Edited 2023-03-10 21:24 (UTC)

[he's a villain. he has a pass.

... not gonna leave him alone, huh.]

where do you want to find him?

[ No one has a pass on killing.

Also, did you really expect him to take that question how you intended? He's an idiot, remember. ]

Where he is.

[no one has a pass on abuse, lying, and other crimes, but guess what. SOME people are allowed to. society simply opts to look the other way.

look, sometimes he can have a moment of testing the dumb waters.]

he's there.

[this is called trolling the baby.]

Where?

[ Like he knows what trolling is! ]

[sometimes that ridiculous stupidity of yours is extremely exasperating.

have a video call instead.]

Whaddya want, Shouto?

[ He blinks in surprise, taking a moment to register the face on the screen.

Is that what the bot meant?

Where do you want him to be. ]

You’re here.

[ It’s been two months since he last saw him. ]

I thought you were out.

[touya's by a window, sunlight coming in, illuminating his face and the wisp of smoke from a cigarette dangling between two fingers nearby.]

I was.

[two months. whoopeedo. shouto's name never left the network, so he wasn't worried.]

Whatcha want?

[ His eyes drift to that cigarette, regarding it with subtle interest as the light beam puts it into focus. It’s the first time he’s seen him with one. ]

I wanted to talk to you.

[he doesn't smoke them regularly, since he has a semi-limited stock (even if said stock is ridiculously well-stocked). but it's there, making patterns in the air.]

You've been doin that since the start.

[ Since the start? Did he mean the bot he programmed? Shouto wouldn’t call that taking to him, but if he programmed it, then maybe it was the same from his perspective. He’s not going to argue with him, not about that. ]

I was a 5 year old for a month and then I fell asleep for a month.

[ Always straight to the point. ]

I woke up today and wanted to speak with you.

[ there’s a short pause after that, after which Shouto looks away from the screen as if self-conscious . ]

… I missed your birthday.

[good. he'd probably short circuit his little brain if touya told shouto he'd been "then bot" this entire time.]

is that where ya were? pretty fucked up.

[same. again with the obvious statement.]

so? i missed yours. we're even. move on.

[missed it deliberately, but whatever.]

[ He looks back at the camera, watching him with carefully guarded eyes. ]

I didn't mean to. I wanted to... say happy birthday to you.

[touya's not even looking at the screen, seemingly content to let his gaze stay out the window.]

It's just another day, Shouto. Nothin special.

[ Even if he doesn't look at him, he keeps his gaze on him. ]

It is to me.

Then why haven't ya said it yet? You've been talkin for a while now.

I... wanted to say it in person.

Okay. Set a time and place and ya can.

[ Immediately: ] Tomorrow at noon.

[ He needs time to get him a present. ]

Fine. And don't make a big deal outta it.

[which would include a present.]

I won't.

[ He 100% will! Time to go treasure hunting! ]

Wait--! Where do I meet you?

[ ooc; would you like me to put up a log? ]

[liar.

ah, where to meet... tsk.]

Remember that bar ya went to to meet me last time? There's fine.

[keep it simple.]

[ooc: handwaive it this time. gonna be busy with life this month.]

I'll be there.

[ And with that he goes off to find him a present at the markets and when that doesn't pan out, he goes into the caves coming out with a pair of eggs and a present for him. ]

[ ooc; no worries. Let me just find him a present and I'll tag it here! ]

[still trying to find a way to be a little brother. touya regards the omni for a few more seconds, then puts it face down on the windowsill and goes back to smoking.

be a damn joke if he went and found him something.]

[ooc: no problem. he might get something in return.]

[ When he arrives at the bar, he'll hand over Dabi his present a small 4x6 inch rectangular gift with not a lot of height to it. When Dabi unwraps it he will find a family photo. A quietly smiling Rei seated between her children, hands neatly folded in front of her looking fondly at the camera with a charming sort of grace in her pose. Fuyumi stands to her right crouching down to her level, very close, and beamingly happily at the camera. Natsuo stands to the left of her with a large hand on his mother's shoulder in a casual sort of pose, looking straight at the camera sporting a grin that reaches his eyes. Shouto stands next to Fuyumi a fond look in his eyes and at the corner of his mouth a barely-there smile. And next to him is Touya, white hair, a casual pose, looking off to the side as if he doesn't want to be there but there's no animosity, instead a sort of reluctant acceptance.

It's the photograph he received upon washing up on shore, he'll tell Touya. The one item he's never parted with until now. A gift from Trench. Not truly real but to Shouto it means the world to him. He'll utter a fond, "Happy Birthday, Touya." Once Dabi opens it. Whatever he decides to do with it. It's his now, to do with as he will. ]

Edited 2023-03-26 00:26 (UTC)

[touya's there when shouto arrives, actually deciding to show up. more out of a reluctant curiosity than anything brotherly or family. but he accepts the gift. there's a brief minute or two where it stays on the table beside his hand, as if he thinks he'll get away with not opening it in shouto's presence. but... tch, fine. he'll open it.

the response is an extremely brief twitch of his eyes, widening for the splittest of seconds before narrowing once again. it's not the first time he's seen a picture of his family. but what's strange to him is who's in the picture. rei, fuyumi, natsuo, and shouto, he expects all of that. the standout part is himself. he never took a picture like that. there's no way the four of them would be in a picture with their mother like this during the point of their lives when they were together. the unhappiness and stress in their house would've made this kind of shot all but impossible to take. and yet... here it is, looking at him in the face. with enji conspicuously absent from the family photo. another aspect that makes him doubt the authenticity of the picture...

but there's no effort on touya's part to burn it.

he listens silently when shouto tells him that it's something washed up, given to him by trench. not real, yet still important. a picture of what could've been... the quiet but fond wish for his birthday sounds alien to his ears. it's been years since anyone's wished him a birthday. might've been best if he forgot he even had one. but shouto says it and touya accepts it silently.

whether it's a trade or repayment or something else, touya spends the rest of the day with shouto. no real plans asides from simply being with him. probably spends the night at his place too.

as for the picture, touya keeps it safe. he'll try to find a way to get the picture replicated, using his contacts and resources. (hey, he's got cameras in his stockpile of goods.) if he's successful, he'll meet up with shouto to return the picture -- after showing him he's got a copy -- because he doesn't want to take it away from his little brother when it's that important to him. but if he's not successful, then he'll keep it all the same.

a picture of what could've been...]

Trying to figure out who might've gotten killed in the recent demonstration of idiocy. Were you in Crenshaw during "The Event"?

uh uh.

what happened?

Someone told me there was a rogue battle happen there. Beast probably. I didn't ask for that detail I just asked if they had a body count. They said no, so I'm doing my own count. Morbid curiosity. Uplifted hope in your case.

[Yes very much because he's calling to find out if he's alright. Definitely hoping for his demise, mhm. Yep.]

how're ya doin a body count if ya weren't there?

not sure whatcha think i'm hopin for...font>

Starting with people I know. If they answer? One less to the count. One more to the sadness.

...I don't know if you're joking or not. You don't have a sense of humour so I really think you're taking it like you're saying it.

ya gonna call every sleeper in trench? how villainous.

apparently i ain't jokin.

Just the ones that would affect my SR around here. The others I don't care. I'm not as evil as telemarketing.

You just don't appreciate good humour, or morbid humour. Or humour.

sr?

but ya can't get an accurate headcount if ya only pollin the people ya like.

i like morbid humor. maybe ya the one that just can't tell a joke.

[Right. Right. He used a 'Game Word'™️.]

Skill Rating. Am I going to have to teach you everything you know, or just some things?

I can. I did. I'm starting to regret it. That's accurate enough for me, unless you have some vested interest in calling the whole network for me and reporting back.

[He'll never comment on his joke telling skills, how dare.]

[should know better by now.]

about video game lingo? probably. if i feel like payin attention.

oy, don't try to wrangle me into doin the work for ya. you want a headcount, you go count the heads. i only care about keepin tabs on people from our world.

[shame on you, thinking you could get the lazy league member to share the workload in a personal project. that's not how this works.]

[~~Never, not ever.~~]

Ugh.

Then neither of us wants to worry about anyone who isn't necessary. Like I said, I got the headcount of the people I wanted to know about.

Speaking of keeping track, I'm trying to figure out logistics for settling in somewhere for now. Likely in Crenshaw since they just got done getting owned and the likelihood of lightning twice isn't that common.

didn't sound like that when ya first called. for a moment i thought you were openin ya heart and carin about all those lost people.

[sarcasm. the sarcasm. and just being a shit.]

ain't that hard. find an abandoned house and move in. there's plenty around. the lantern warps make it easy to get around too.

You know me. I may as well be the number one philanthropist around here. Hug old people, hold their hand across the street. Save cats. Look after the strays.

[He's in a good mood, so the sarcasm isn't under his skin so badly. Still he knows it was.]

I found somewhere I think, I just have to work out how secure it's going to be. If I go with it, I'll send the location.

if ya ever did any of those things, i'd think you went insane.

[calling this sly grouch when you're in a good mood isn't the best idea...]

why the sudden decision to settle down? don't tell me ya gettin comfortable here.

I'd probably save the cat. You can clear that one from me being insane.

[Hey, he had to know if Dabi was dead, alive or deadalive. Or Dead Alive.]

Hell no. This place makes my skin crawl. I'm tired of trying to figure out where to drag my consoles to. The solution would be to toss them, but I don't want to.

ain't gonna judge ya for savin a cat.

[at least he's not Dead or Alive.]

surprised ya haven't settled down already if that's ya reason. why dontcha just keep one at one place, one at another, and have a few crashes?

I never took you for an animal lover. I learned something new today.

[~~With a certain outfit that is a certain way, wrapped on a certain body?~~]

Might not be a bad idea. Have somewhere to hole up in when everything next hits the fan. And it will. There's just no doubt about that in my mind.

Have you spoken to someone by the name of Hydrakeeper on the network, yet?

never said i was. just animals don't suck as much as people most of the time.

[or in the case of that series, a lack of outfit on body...]

this entire place has been waitin for that since the beginnin. so long as it results in us gettin sent home, trench can go to hell.

nah. i keep to myself.

For once, we can actually agree wholeheartedly on something. Animals don't suck as much as people.

Maybe if we're lucky. Otherwise we just get kidnapped somewhere else. Take it from me. One world explodes, the next just grabs you.

Let me know if you do.

ya make it sound like that's never happened before.

i'd rather not. been away from home long enough. another world grabs me and i'll burn it to the ground. ain't got time for more of this crap.

why?

That completely? We differ on a lot of our commonalities. That one though, I'm on roster.

We don't have time for it now. What will burning it do? Actual question.

Curious. He's giving me some weird vibes and wanted a second opinion I could trust. You don't know him so it's fine.

~~[~~Let him use the T word.~~]~~

congratulations.

satisfy some petty pleasure i get outta destroyin what i don't like. maybe be enough of a troublemaker, the person who yanked me in will think i'm too much a problem to throw me back home. ya never know.

he wanted a second opinion you could trust. what, he not capable of trustin his own opinion?

You're always your best at your nicest.

You think maybe if we decided to destroy everything we'd get sent back like bad boys? Not just turned into squid?

No. I meant I wanted an opinion I could trust.

hilarious. ya sarcasm's real generous.

no one keepin pets for entertainment's gonna like ones that destroy the cage and their other pets. i'm keepin the option open just in case i get too tired of this place.

say that next time.

Look at you, I didn't even have to explain it.

Did you consider none of us are for entertainment? If you want to burn this place to the ground, I won't stand in your way. I'll help you. I just think you're wasting your time.

I'm saying it now.

would've been suspicious if ya had.

if we're not just here for entertainment, that'll make 'em even more angry if we start killin people. playthings have some importance, but useful items? they have a lot more importance.

i'm aware of that. but it hasn't stopped me from settin some of this place on fire.

so ya are.

Is that what you want to do? Lure some morons into a little spider web? Real question. I may even know someone who would help. Normally I don't like other people's ideas, but I'm willing to stand where you stand on it if you think you want to try.

nah. i'm more interested in seein if the two hunter factions will end up goin at each other's throats. the animosity's settled down a little, but the kindlin's still there. just needs some right sparks.

i've killed enough people and burned enough shit here already to know those bastards up there aren't gonna pitch me outta here any time soon no matter what i do.

So which is it? You're passive and want to sit around and wait for civil war, or you want to try and beat enrage? Or both. The one and only time I let you take the reigns and you seem unnerved.

ya ain't been doin anythin here, shigaraki. the league isn't here, we haven't made any kind of plans or laid any groundwork to create a movement. just been kinda survivin and doin our own things.

now ya suddenly show up and say ya handing me the reins. to what? there's nothin here.

the embers of that potential war exist, but there's not enough strife here to drive that wedge in yet. shit comes along and unifies people for a while. that ain't conducive to civil break.

i tried earlier on to fan those flames and it never took. so i'm not wastin my time until the circumstances are better.

I'm sorry, did you want me to hold your hand the whole time? What exactly else is there to do here? Continue where we left off from home? How? There is no how. I was telling you, if you wanted to do something about it, if you had ideas I was listening. Because I don't. I don't care what happens to this place, or any other place I've been. None of them get me closer to my goals and none of them get you closer to yours. Fish out a pair of pliers from your hoard and pull the stick out of your ass.

Let me know when the circumstances get better.

yeah, ya started off that way, shigaraki.
offerin to listen.

then got huffy when i didn't say i'd take the lead all of a sudden.
"one and only time", remember?

ain't my fault i didn't have a plan ready to go for whenever ya called.

[half defensive, half being a shit.]

think it's just you, me, the green kid, and the little puppet now.

Are you okay?

uh-huh. you?

[ There's a moment between question and answer, caught by the simple fact that it wasn't a surprise to have that question redirected at him. To know there was more than discord between them. ]

I'm okay.

[ And after a moment, he grasps for just a little bit more. ]

I haven't seen you.

[as he said before, there's little point in antagonizing shoto when endeavor's not here. toya finds the effort wasted, so generally views his little brother as someone who exists here from his world. not really a person he needed to spend any time with. shoto has friends.]

ain't really the kinda guy to make house calls.

[...]

don't tell me ya lonely.

[ It's an observation. One he follows up with a pointed truth he's felt for some time. ]

I miss you.

[ Straight and to the point with an added: ]

Kizu wants to see Wolf.

[ She's grown mentally since he last saw her. ]

[that gets a roll of his eyes and a lazy flop onto his back.]

could've fooled me.

[it's been ages since they spoke. though to some of shouto's credit, touya has a feeling the world's changed somewhat out there...]

uh-huh. this your way of askin to meet?

[ His brows pinch in slightly. Did he think - ]

I'm not trying to fool you.

[ Slightly disturbed by the prospect, it takes him a moment to answer. ]

I'd like that.

[his little brother is so damn literal. sarcasm goes over his head.]

when and where?

[might as well get that out of the way first.]

[ He takes a second to regard that question. If you're going to let him choose - ]

Now. The beach.

[ - he'll take the mile. ]

[he's lucky it's not night. he sighs and looks at the clock. fine... not really doing anything else.]

you really are pushy.

fine.

[this wouldn't be a problem if toya ever told shoto were he lived, buuut since he never has, guess he has to deal with it.]

[ If Shouto knew where he lived, you can bet your ass, he'd be knocking at his door at least once a week with more demands. Oddly, he's not very pushy in general. It only crops up when he wants something enough to be stubborn about it. ]

I'll send you the coordinates.

[ That way there's no confusion. ]

[well there was talk about kizu trying to tail and track touya to his place of residence, though wolf does usually check for any followers when touya's going home.

a miracle he's been able to keep his main home a secret all this time. then again, he does crash different places to throw people off his tail.]

all right. i'll meet you there.

[and likely try not to drown him this time.]

[ It's almost like he's used to being tailed.

Fortunately for him, his little brother isn't a great tracker, and his omen's mental state deteriorated since she last planned on tracking him down. A state she's only recently recovered from in the last few months. She's still a cub, but mentally, she's closer to who Touya met at the start.

He makes short work of the trip to the beach, landing on the sandy ground ten minutes after their last text. Once he's made landfall, Shouto sends him the coordinates to the Farther Shores. The black sand is stark against his white boots making it easy to spot him. Not that he's hard to miss sitting on the sand overlooking the vast ocean.

Kizu lies beside him in cub form. Her white spotted fur stands even more starkly against the dark sand. The two wait for his brother to arrive with his omen, oddly calm at the prospect of speaking to him after months of silence. ]

[imagine that. must've learned that from somewhere.

touya isn't worried about shouto tracking him; it's his omen he's more concerned about over the months. but so far kizu hasn't bothered him as much as the initial months he spent in trench. he's still a little odded out about her regression in age, but hasn't been curious enough to ask. that might give an implication of him giving a shit.

ch- annoying. but having agree, touya heads out of his place and makes his way to the coordinates. shouto asking him to meet on the farther shores is a good idea, since touya spends a good chunk of his time at the place. either beach combing for interesting items, training with his quirk on the black shores, or resting under the sakura tree to deal with corruption. very few people come out this far for that tree, so it's kind of a private place just for him.

touya's black ensemble makes him blend in with the beach, though the white shirt and his sleeve cuffs, as well as his hands and upper face at least make it easier to pick him out as he approaches the hero. with a silent permit, touya lets wolf materialize from the side of his body, stepping out in a stretch of shadow before the flames down the wolf's back and in its eyes ignite with their normal glow. the two come to a stop a few feet from shouto and kizu.]

Ya got a reason for this beyond a social call?

[ The sound of the waves crashing into the beach and the subsequent white seafoam that bubbles above the water distracts him from looking up, rendering him unaware of his brother's approach until he's close enough for Kizu to raise her head, catching his attention. Shouto follows her movement catching sight of Toya before slipping his gaze to the sleek canine behind him that blends into the sand.

You're distracted. Kizu tells him, her eyes on Wolf. ]

I wanted to see you.

[ That's reason enough for him. Looking up at Toya from the ground, he shifts his weight to his right palm resting on the sand and stands in one easy movement. Kizu rises with him, back on all fours, tail swishing calmly behind her, as her Sleeper tilts his head slightly, turning over a thought in his head. ]

Did you want this to be a social call?

[touya remains where he is, standoffish as usual with people. seconds tick by until the boy lifts his two-toned head and the villain's left wondering if he could've incinerated him before shouto knew what was going on. likely not, given kizu's also there and more vigilant. getting caught in your thoughts while waiting for someone who's tried to murder you before is a foolish way to end yourself. something touya won't bother mentioning. not his job to help.]

I'm here.

[considering the flickering names on the network and their omni, touya's not surprised. people seem to be leaving and returning in a strange pace. likely something to do with the strange phenomenon going on. as shouto stands up, he notes in his mind kizu looks a little bigger. guess that's normal with omens over time.

he tilts his head and wolf heads off to go sniff around the water, given some free rein outside of prowling around touya's current crash.]

Already is if ya askin that question.

[ He wasn't waiting for a villain. He was waiting for his brother. The one who's actions don't match his words. If he wanted him dead, he had enough opportunities to end him while Kizu was still small, her mind shattered when she was killed in his nightmare and expelled out onto the beach no longer a fully fledged adult snow leopard but a cub with the mind of one. It's taken months for her mind to recover and once she was more her former self, she started to grow at a slow pace. Not yet fully an adult, but a juvenile. Mind sharp enough to catch Toya's bland, uncaring response, but she's still a reflection of him so instead of growling she merely turns her gaze from Wolf to him. Shouto, of course, is tone deaf answering what's in front of him. ]

I wanted to spend time with you.

[ He corrects himself, finding no trouble expressing what he feels in words even if he's yet to learn to transfer that to his expression which remains direct with a hint of certainty in his eyes that quickly deteriorates to confusion that turns to enlightenment. Maybe he has learned something, though it's all in the eyes. ]

Oh. [ His mouth opens slightly, while he tries to catch up with this new development. ] Do you... want to do something?

[ Isn't that what people do in social outings? Do things? ]

[a brother who is also a villain and has tried to kill him in the past. that's actions along with his words. though touya remains rather non-aggressive in his life here in trench. several reasons, including not wanting to kill someone who would just come back as if nothing happened. that was a wasted effort when revenge is the driving factor. settling instead for simply live and let live, only keeping the occasional eye out on his youngest brother and not interfering much with his life. shouto hasn't been much on his proverbial radar beyond that. trench life is a strange life, but touya can't say it's been bad. he's kept a rather simple and relaxed existence here. it's nice not being hunted by cops and heroes. it's not nice having no ambition in life as the cost...]

All of a sudden?

[as shouto said, it's been a long time since they'd spoken. so long as he saw shouto's name still on the omni, he knew his brother was alive and present. that was good enough for touya. watching the hero's eyes as they flicker through growing emotional change is an interesting scene.

at least until the question comes out and touya's eyes narrow. last thing they ever did together was a drink at the bar. ~~or the birthday thing.~~ a repeat of that isn't happening out here on the beach.

before sighing and rubbing the back of his head.]

Dontcha have other friends -- your boyfriend -- to spend time with?

No, but Kizu told me I should do more of what I feel like doing.

[ Fancy that. She may or may not have encouraged this. Even though she still doesn't trust him. She trusts Wolf, who she distinctly remembers letting her play with him when she didn't know any better. She appreciates the leeway, more so his silence. Maybe his Sleeper can learn a thing or two about that. ]

I want to spend time with you too.

Wow. One day ya might be able to make a decision without your cat.

[touya continues to see the omens as little more than helpers and pets. he certainly won't take life advice from wolf, considering he feels the omen's personalities and thoughts are directly influenced, if not created from, their owner's own self. he'll make his own decisions, thanks. doesn't need a canine conscience.]

Ya picked a real busy spot to do that in.

[there's nothing here, unless shouto wants to chance his safety with a swim in the black ocean. touya moves forward, heading down the beach towards the sakura tree up on a cliff in the distance. he'll keep an eye out for anything interesting washed up on the shore along the way.]

She's a snow leopard.

[ Said bluntly, as if he doesn't think he knows that ~~little inconvient~~ fact. There's also no chance he wants to go swimming with him again after he tried to strangle him under the surf the last they tousled in the water near the cherry blossom tree. ]

I didn't know this was a social call at the time.

[ Again. He sounds rather blunt. Stating facts, as if he actually believes them - which he does. There's little room for nuisance in his world at least not when it comes to surface-level interactions. He can only pick up the subtleties of someone in deep conversation when his entire focus is on them. It's a type of rhythm he's getting better at finding with the help of Allen who is all nuisance not that Shouto has figured that out yet. Similar to how he's yet to understand his brother's brand of sarcasm that goes over his head.

He walks after Touya without question, thinking they're taking a walk as part of this social call. He doesn't really get it but he goes along with it. He's rather indulgent on this matter, better suited to following someone's lead until he knows what's going on. So, he'll walk beside him, Kizu following behind the siblings.

Here is where someone with more social skills than him would input a question or two. Bring up a conversation topic. Do anything that wasn't just walking beside him. Shouto does none of those things. The thought never once crosses his mind, pleased to share any kind of time together. He has low standards and this little jaunt down the black beach meets all of them. Congratulations Touya, you made your little brother rather content with this social call. Good job. ]

Edited 2023-06-29 00:40 (UTC)

Leopards are cats.

[big cats. the correction bounces off his shoulders. at this point, touya sticks to "cat" just to be a jerk. good to know their chances of swimming together in the sea is now thrown off the table. that's trench for you, corrupting everything it touches one way or another. fine with him; touya's never been fond of swimming.]

Right. Just expected me to show up and stare at you.

[it's not surprising that shouto would call him, invite him to meet, and then hit him with a "what do you want to do" question. the guy's shit when it comes to making plans, especially social plans. blunt, naive, simple, a trio combination that doesn't scream anything creative or interesting. touya expects little from him in that regard. meeting out here on the beach eliminates almost all options for a social visit, since neither picnic was brought nor establishment is available. should've met elsewhere if they wanted to go to a restaurant. though considering their last meeting at the bar was not much to speak of, this might've been the better choice.

his boots smush in the black sand, leaving trails in his wake. hands in his pocket make any idea of reaching out and touching a moot offer. wolf picks up from its place at the shore and trots along after the three, its glowing flames making it stand out on the beach, were someone to take a look at the curious group.

touya's no stranger to silent walks. skulking through the night, stealing from shadow to shadow, hiding from attention, all those villainous activities require quiet and a distinct lack of communication, lest they be caught. besides, most people annoy him with idle prattle. small talk does little for his irritable mood. he's in no relationship with shouto enough to ask his little brother about his day at school or where he might've gone for training. shouto likewise wouldn't enjoy hearing about what his older brother stole or who he killed or what sort of plots are inevitably barred from table topics.

the trek to the tree offers little and it's only once they get there that touya sinks down and rests his back against the dark wood trunk, the ever-present drift of pale pink petals wandering through the air and landing on the grassy ground.]

[ Kizu growls at that answer and Shouto looks down at her, brows slightly raised. What's wrong? He asks, noting Wolf striding up behind them. Where were they going? He thinks, splitting his attention between wolf, leopard, and brother. Out of all three of them, he found Wolf easier to understand. He was following his Sleeper just like Kizu followed him. The location didn't matter to either of them, though it seemed to matter to both Touya and Kizu who suspected he might be leading them somewhere dangerous which, in her eyes, proves to be accurate when Touya takes them to the sight he tried to choke him in the water.

Another reason he's not so talkative. He often spoke with his omen who, after months of silence, finally started speaking to him again after her regression. Shouto looks around, noting the familiar cherry tree, while trying to convince his omen that this was still a good idea. With his attention split the way it is, he doesn't try to filter his initial thought, not that he would have had he been paying more attention. ]

Are you corrupted?

[prove him wrong. if wolf understood shouto's questions, it doesn't offer any sort of answer, seeming content to bring up the rear as they walk. the villain's omen stays near the water, though whether that's a reminder of what happened or some kind of buffer between the history and reality is a good question. touya doesn't seem to mind this site being the location of where he tried to murder his brother in the ocean sprawled out before them. it's simply one more event in his life and has little bearing on the moment, or the place. he finds comfort in the tree's presence and has spent a lot of his time here, letting his mind wander or going over things he collected from the beach. it keeps his corruption levels down.

touya draws a knee up and rests his wrist atop it, hand dangling towards his shin. the question doesn't seem to surprise him, eyes lingering on the ocean before him as a breeze carries some of the petals through the air.]

I'm always corrupted.

[the level of it simply ebbs and flows like a dancing flame. not just due to his actions here in trench, but due to the blood spilled when he tends to his body or makes bloodstones. he's murdered, stolen, lied, and other such villainous actions while in this place. but since he has no intention of turning into that monstrous figure of their father again, touya actually keeps his corruption level in mind and curbs tendencies if he's high.]

[ For someone who's only struggled once with the corruption of his world, the very idea he's-- ]

Always?

[ He stops mid-stride, struggling visibly with that answer. Even Kizu goes very still, her presence in his mind growing faint. ]

For how long?

[touya glances up from his place, more piqued shouto finds this weird than the fact he admits to constant corruption. doesn't this guy know how this world works? he's the one that taught him about it.]

Dunno. Since I got here, I guess.

[he shed blood (someone else's) the very first month he was in trench. most of the events he's dealt with also ended with some kind of corruption, though he's careful about his own levels. constant visits to this tree also assist to keep it in check.]

Ya ever met someone completely free of it?

[ He uses his right side to freeze any spilled blood, and his emotions are so buried in years of abuse there's little that can be exploited, and when it is, he's so very honest with how he's feeling it levels out before it can entrench itself in him.

His eyes widen at that admission. Yes, he was the one who told him about it, but he also expected him to follow what he told him to do. He never seemed... he was always looked... ]

I didn't know it was an issue for you.

[while touya does most, if not all, of his "medical work" in the same tub shouto first brought him to way back at the start of his stay here, it's not the only source of corruption. he burns what blood comes out of him, but actions are something else entirely.

as for his emotions, as callous and uncaring as he can be, the burning rage and hatred inside him fuel that violent streak and leave him fully capable of murder and theft without giving a shit. certainly not often, but enough that he tends to sit under the tree just in case.]

I don't ever wanna turn into that fuckin monster again.

[if shouto needs a reason, well there ya go.]

[ Understanding comes between the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and that vow made in contempt of a beast he once faced. Unable to stop him, he rampaged through a city block, burning everything in his wake. He remembers the heat from that day, hot enough to burn him, but most of all, he remembers the form he took.

Endeavor.

He steps forward. Takes another. A third, faster than the last. His arm's stride forward, rattled by that confession, yet determined not to let it happen again. The urge grows exponentially inside him until he's all but compelled to cut the distance between them. He drops to one knee, reaching out to him with his left hand, impossible to ignore with a few scant inches between them. He fluctuates between hot and cold, his emotions spiraling out of control, yet the look on his face is certain. Unyielding.

Can we be-- ]

I don't want that either.

[one time was enough for him. if the price of corruption is that monstrosity, to become that damn thing he hates with every fiber of his being, then touya has no interest in letting his corruption levels reach that point. he'll curb his actions, he'll deal with purifying himself alone, he'll do what he has to and ensure his body never endures that wretched feeling again.

touya's eyes move from the ocean to his little brother when shouto suddenly appears to stagger towards him. dramatic... but he narrows his gaze on him regardless as the hero goes down on one knee. what the hell is this kid-? his left hand. those flames that sleep within his left side. endeavor's flames. the very ones that cursed both of them with the life they had to endure. instinct and anger threaten to flare up in touya's body, on his skin, but the presence of the tree and his desire not to burn down what keeps him from turning into that corrupted form prevents him from lashing out.

for someone as hot as touya can be, his expression is cold as ice despite the burning in his ice blue eyes. if he recognizes shouto's emotions raging, he gives no indication of it.]

No shit.

[most people don't want others to turn into corrupted monsters.]

[ If he recognizes the burning rage behind that icy look, he makes no indication of it. Neither does he move his hand, palm up in offering.

Can we be brothers? ]

I don't want that for you.

[he glances at the hand, as if he's got no idea what it's being held out to him for. shouto's not offering him anything in it and touya's got nothing he's planning on putting in it.

gonna have to use words if you want that unspoken question to have a chance at landing.]

How nice of ya. I'd've been more surprised if you did.

I don't want to see you like that again.

Ya said that already.

What else should I say while I wait for you to take my hand?

Huh? I don't need to take your hand.

Is it because it's my left?

[ He lifts his other hand from where it rests on his right knee and offers it to him instead. Happy? ]

[touya abruptly ignites both hands, blue flames crackling in his palms like he's holding handfuls of fire.]

Ya wanna take 'em now?

[he still hasn't said why he should take his damn hand. what a weird thing to ask for.]

[ Without hesitation, he moves to take it, arms wrapped in ice to protect him against the blue flames. ]

Edited 2023-06-30 04:06 (UTC)

[he actually gets to grab touya's hand for a second before the older todoroki puts his fires out. there's a slight twitch at the corner of his upper lip, eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he's not actually pulling his hand away.]

What the hell's goin on with you?

[ That hand? Yeah, he's not letting go. He does let it warm up, so he's not freezing him, but that's about all the leniency he gets. ]

I'm tired of waiting for you to make up your mind.

[this is more confusing and a little irritating than anything else. he looks at his hand, as if trying to decide whether to pull back or leave it there.]

Careful. Ya startin to come off like a proposal.

[ ooc: apologies for the late reply! Holidays were busy! ]

[ He's standing his ground. If it sounds like a proposal (of what he hasn't got a clue) then so be it. He's made up his mind. ]

Why aren't you burning me? I know you can go hotter.

[ The blue flames are hot. Hotter than his own at a casual glance, but they're not nearly as hot as he knows they can grow. If they were, he wouldn't be able to touch him. That's why he can't fight against him. His flames are stronger. ]

[ooc: holidays do that. np.]

[he's not going to explain that kind of proposal he's sarcastically implying. it'd probably break shouto's little brain.

but it's that question which piques his mind into the apparent other reason shouto's going or. turquoise eyes narrow, though he doesn't bother increasing his flames.

as a matter of fact, he dismisses them entirely.]

Ain't a point to killin ya here. Endeavor's not here to see it and you'd just come back in a few days. It'd be wastin the effort.

[ Bulldozing straight through that answer, Shouto doesn't let go of his hand, nor will he be deterred by that answer. Fine. If you want to brush off the fact that you don't want to kill him anymore, he'll move on to another point of contention. ]

Why did Wolf let Kizu play with him when she first turned into a cub?

[ Teal and grey stay steady on him without a hint of backing away from this line of questioning anytime soon. ]

Edited 2023-07-08 03:30 (UTC)

[so long as he's not trying to crush his hand or anything... even if it's getting weirder the longer he holds it. as for not wanting to kill him, it's more a matter of worth than want. killing him here has little meaning.

the follow up question just earns a blink.]

You expect me to remember somethin like that?

[he doesn't catalogue those kinds of memories. it happened in the past and whatever he was thinking or feeling back then has long gone out of his memory.]

[ His grip is firm but not crushing. Touya isn't getting free without putting effort into it. If that's weird, well, deal with it. It's not like he has a lot of experience with this. ]

They're a reflection of our souls. Wolf wouldn't have let Kizu play with him if you didn't want me near you.

[ And that has nothing to do with Endeavor. ]

[his patience with the grip is fast waning. he'll likely be trying to pull it away in a little bit. touya don't really like people touching him so freely in the first place. he's pretty standoffish.]

Ain't really a matter of want as it's care. Already told ya I wasn't gonna be huntin you or your friends while I was here.

[while he doesn't have any real warmth towards shouto, outside of the event effects, he doesn't actively chase him away either. the times shouto manages to get them together or they happen to run into each other.]

[ It's a testament to his commitment to this line of questioning that he initiated contact so boldly in the first place, especially over something he wants. ]

You didn't care enough to drive her away. [ A pause. ] Just like you don't care enough to drive me away.

[yeah well, all good things come to an end and touya abruptly tugs his hand away, having had enough of the hand holding. but he doesn't move to lean back or get up, just stays his place under the tree and eyeing shouto with tempered tolerance. for now.]

Get to the point, Shouto.

[ Roughened skin slips through his fingers. He's left with his hand in the air, holding onto nothing. His expression turns stubborn, determined not to be affected by the rejection. He's used to it. ]

That is my point.

[ Said calmly, with a hint of obstinacy behind teal and grey. ]

You don't hate me, do you?

[most people don't like to sit there with their hand being held. it's weird. he remains where he is, still not entirely sure what shouto's trying to point out here. even the comment right now is nothing more than what touya's been doing all this time.

well... actually no.]

Just cause I ain't tryin to kill ya doesn't mean I like ya.

[every time he looks at shouto, he just sees a reminder of his own failure and a replacement made to crush him. disappointment, abuse, abandonment, endeavor.]

[ And there it is. What he's suspected for some time but never broached to keep whatever nebulous peace they had.

He wasn't hated by his brother.

He thought about it while he recovered from the burn injuries he sustained during their battle when Dabi revealed the ties that linked them. When he tried to burn him alive, he still staggering from the revelation. ]

I'll take it.

[ He nods firmly once like they're making some kind of illicit deal. ]

[well if that's the assumption shouto wants to take away from this conversation, touya can't stop him from doing that. might have more to say about it later, since it doesn't sound like anything's getting through shouto's head today, asides from what he little brother wants to hear.]

Whatever.

[this whole meeting has been strange, and touya doesn't think he's changed his tune at any point in time, but apparently that's not the idea shouto's got. nothing would really prove it, apart from touya outright attacking his little brother again.

... which he simply doesn't feel like doing for a multitude of reasons.]

What else ya got goin on?

[ An assumption he's had for some time and corroborated. The knowledge fills him with a sort of peace that shows up in the form of a deep breath that he lets out slowly; resetting himself. A tilted world angling a little closer to where it's supposed to be. It does wonders for the tension building in his shoulders that sort of loosen letting them drop by a notch.

He thinks about the question, feeling a little closer to his brother than he has for a while. Kizu even comes out her shell and trots off toward Wolf. She's no longer a cub mentally, and she's grown once to fetch an apricot tree for transplanting. Other than that, she's remained in her cub form. When she reaches Wolf, she simply curls up next to him, not acknowledging him but letting him in her space. ]

I have a patrol tomorrow.

[ He doesn't exactly have plans other than his schedule. If Touya wants him to expand on what's happened in the last few months, he'll have to ask better questions because this stunted idiot has no clue what you're really asking. ]

What about you?

[touya's not going to fight him on this. it's pointless, now that shouto's made up his mind, even if it is based on false assumption and one-sided desire. at the same time, he's not entirely wrong. even if touya's not fond of his little brother, he's willing to work with him, talk with him, and meet with him. occasionally. only bothering to attack of shouto gets in his way or there's some stupid corrupting influence going on.

it won't do him any benefit to beat his head on his little brother's ice wall.

technically kizu moved into wolf's space, but the omen doesn't seem to mind her presence, simply taking a seat beside her and watching its master and his brother. wolf remains more a partner and tool to touya than a friend or a pet, though the villain doesn't treat his omen with any rudeness or cruelty. they simply exist together as needed.]

Nothin much. Probably gonna review some inventory and comb the beach.

[he'd ask better questions if he were really curious, but that short, stunted answer tells him what he wants to know. if shouto had more to tell, unique information, he would've. simple as that.

but that said...]

If ya wanna come for the latter, I'll be goin around 9.

[probably the first time he's ever invited shouto to actually go out and do something with him, but whatever. touya's not here to kill him. he could use an extra hand in case they find anything.]

[ Wolf's acceptance of his omen's intrusion into his space is something that goes over his head while he's fixated on his brother, but Kizu notices. Probably why she's comfortable enough to remain visible around Touya and Wolf where she hides away from most others.

With his attention hyper-focused on his brother, Shouto catches the subtle invitation - for once! - and grabs it before it's taken away. Nodding firmly once with a confident - ]

I want to come.

[ Accepting the invitation with the same earnestness that's displayed in his features. ]

I'll meet you here at nine.

[ He confirms, nodding firmly a second time more to himself than Touya this time. He's not subtle, at all. ]

[touya likewise pays little attention to wolf's reaction to kizu. perhaps it's due to the man never really taking such a personal relation with his omen, keeping himself and the being "separated" mentally and treating him more as a familiar than a part or reflection of himself. makes it easier to give wolf his own agency.

then again, touya's rather laid back most of the time. in the rude sense...

it's a small invite, but he made it and isn't surprised in the slightest when shouto accepts without hesitation. like a fish jumping on a worm. not that he's trying to hook his brother or anything. touya just doesn't have anything better to do.]

Uh-huh.

[accepting the acceptance. he nods to the reiteration of the time, figuring he'll get here a little earlier just to be prepared for shouto's arrival. or maybe he'll arrive a little later, just to make his little brother panic some... dick move.]

Bring somethin to carry shit in.

[ He might not even notice if he's late. Distracting himself by focusing on other things instead of the ticking minutes. It comes from having spent a childhood in near isolation. You learn to be comfortable with yourself.

The order has his brows furrowing slightly. ]

How big should it be?

[he'll do what he feels like that morning and arrive when he does. it's the simple compromise. not like he hasn't spent years learning the same idea of being content with loneliness and living on his own.

this entire excursion is simply to combat some boredom, which just so happens to involve his brother.]

However big ya wanna carry.

Carry what?

Whatever ya might find and wanna keep.

Are we going apple picking?

This young and already dealin with memory loss...

We're not going apple picking?

Never mentioned apples once in this whole conversation, brat.

[ Let him have his hopes. ]

What are we picking?

Seashells?

[Not if he's blatantly going off road.]

If ya find any you wanna keep, sure.

[ A pointed nod. You can bet he's going to be looking for those seashells now. ]

Should I bring a backpack?

Edited 2023-08-25 21:50 (UTC)

[that's the benefit of beach combing. you find plenty of things.]

Whatever ya wanna carry stuff in.

Can I bring Kizu?

You can't not bring her. She's always there.

She’s not always there.

[ after a moment ]

Is that a yes?

Edited 2023-08-25 22:10 (UTC)

[ that's a long, silent sigh ]

Yes.

[ As if those sighs do anything against a brick wall. ]

Will Wolf be there?

[ he should know by now if touya really doesn't want something, it won't happen. period. ]

Ya know our omens are 'part' of us, right?

I know.

[ He answers, pressing on. ]

Will he be there?

Shouto, ya startin to piss me off.

[There's such a thing as taking context clues and the obvious reminders Touya's dropping. He doesn't have to answer every obvious question.

... unless.]

Is there a reason ya don't want our omens there?

[Touya sounds curious, some of that ire pausing for a bit, like a candle flame going still.]

[ There's a pause at that and he takes a moment for himself before looking up at him, face perfectly neutral. ]

What did I do?

[why is he not surprised?]

Ya bein dense. Gonna answer that or not?

My density hasn't changed.

[ He's sure of it. As for the question - ]

I want our omens there. I want to get to know Wolf better.

Then just say that next time and stop askin so many questions.

[ Silent for a bit, he takes his words in stride and nods once. If you say so. ]

I want to know what we're doing tomorrow.

I already told you. Less than five minutes ago.

[he even invited him to go with him.]

[ ooc; oops completely lost context of this thread. ]

Beach combing. [ He remembers. ] I'll wait for you here at nine.

[ooc: i was having fun at your expense, haha.]

Ya sure you're gonna remember that?

[ooc; you bastard! >/ ]

I'll remember.

Tomorrow. Nine o'clock. We're having a family outing.

[ooc: guilty as charged ~ ]

Really. Don't need a reminder?

Had some memory troubles a moment ago. I wouldn't wanna get stood up.

I wouldn't stand you up.

If ya sure. 9 tomorrow then.

[ He nods and Kizu gets up from her spot near Wolf, heading in his direction. ]

Tomorrow.

[ She reaches him soon after and he looks to Touya, nodding at him once before heading out. ]

Don't be late.

[wolf rises as well and walks beside kizu until she's back by shouto, then branches off and returns to touya's side.

touya merely watches his younger brother as he confirms and turns away from him.]

Tomorrow then.

[he's definitely going to be early or late. not on time.]

[ Shouto will be precisely on time. Not one minute too early or one minute too late. Kizu is with him, roaming the beach at her leisure, while her Sleeper catches sight of his brother and hands him a card with all the confidence in the world. ]

[and touya will be late by a few minutes just because he wanted to sleep a little longer. dressed the same as always, breeze pulling his coattails out to the side. wolf walks by his flank and stops when touya does.

he takes the card and eyes it before giving shouto a slight look. really... but pockets it afterwards without saying anything about it.]

Didja eat already?

[ He blinks at the question, not quite the question he was expecting. You... you were supposed to ask for a favor. Why doesn't anyone ever ask for a favor? Looking a little pouty, he nods once, sulking. ]

I had breakfast.

[because he has no favors to ask for right now. and does shouto miss the fact he handed a villain a 10-favor card? dabi has no problem exploiting or manipulating his advantages to his favor.]

Good.

[with that, he heads off down the boardwalk to the black sand beach.]

[ He handed the card to his brother, who he follows after, quiet as usual in his demeanor. He doesn't talk, watching as Kizu runs up ahead. She strays towards the shore, treading through the water, while he gets over the card incident. ]

What are we searching for?

[his brother is also a villain. or does he not recognize dabi from that time he kidnapped his noisy classmate or tried to murder endeavor and hawks on the street? wolf leaves touya's side and follows after kizu, not really to play but simply to be around. guarding sorts...]

Anythin of interest. Sometimes items from other worlds wash up on shore. Sometimes copies of things already here, or modern merchandise.

He's not a villain here.

[ Kizu's matured in the last year and doesn't try to play with him outright, preferring to swish her tail in the water to pester him with water here and there. ]

How often do you come here?

[how little he knows... wolf does avoid the water some, considering he's got fire along his back and shoulders. but he'll walk in it, if he can dodge the tail splash.]

Almost every day.

[ Kizu will be very intrigued about the fire and aim for it in her splashing wondering if it can be put out. Okay, so maybe she hasn't matured all that much.

That answer has the youngest Todoroki breaking character and looking up surprised, as much as he can look. ]

You come here everyday?

[that'll get wolf side walking out of the water. while it won't put his fire out permanently, it's not really pleasant for him either. (luckily it doesn't actually burn things unless wolf's on the offensive or needs it to.) he might spit a small fireball at her after a few splashes. piddly thing.

touya doesn't seem surprised at the question.]

Not every day. But most days. [he points up in the distance, indicating the softly-glowing sapling high up on the cliffside, breaking the drab monotony of the stony, dark beaches.] There's another reason I come here. Beats goin to the damn Sanctuary.

[it's what's helped keep his corruption in check all the time he's been here in trench. without having to deal with other people for the most part.]

I also train out here.

[ She'll stop when she notices Wolf start to head out of the water. She wants to play, not drive him away. Mischief set aside, she'll bump him once or twice with her tail, accidentally, of course.

Shouto doesn't pay much attention to her antics, his attention on Touya as he explains his routine. Shouto follows his finger up to the sapling standing against the elements. ]

I remember that one.

He's also attached to it, more than any other in Trench. It's the one that kept him from turning into a beast after Allen's death. Did it keep Touya from beasthood too?

Do you...

[ He starts, looking at him from the corner of his eye. ]

... use it when you change your bandages?

Edited 2023-08-26 04:21 (UTC)

[he only leaves if she gets too splashy. then returns after a few moments. unlike touya, wolf doesn't find an issue with fish, so if one crosses around in the shallows, he'll opt to go after it. not that the ocean in trench has the best... fish to eat, but omens are omens.

the sapling is a stark contrast to everything around it. a glow of light in the darker skies, a patch of sakura pink against the moody backdrop, stretches of green grass and calm breeze on the wind-blown rocks. its withstood a lot and gotten stronger for it, now seeming to not care about the realm around it and stabilized itself into a beacon source of rest way out here.

touya's only come to beasthood twice, once when the butterflies skipped all charging and went straight to monster, and once more when... squid things happened. he has recollections of the butterfly one, turning into that monstrous version of their father. but the latter he has zero memory of and for all he knows, it never happened. 2B knows, however; she killed him.

but that's why touya keeps vigil on the sapling out here and protects it if need be. he wants the purification aspect and calm and he'll fight to keep it, all to avoid ever turning back into that wretched image of endeavor.]

Nah. I still use the tub in that house you first brought me to.

[the one where he let shouto change his staples and bandages. it's actually become a base for him when working on crafting bloodstones. the times he doesn't work on such with shouto. there have been a few... disappearances around it.]

[ Omens are omens, and Kizu does what she wants. When she notices Wolf's tendency to go after the fish that swim a little too close, she opts to stay out of the way observing him. After a while, she'll join him. She doesn't eat, but it's not about the destination but the journey.

Shouto doesn't know why she doesn't eat, but he's never questioned it. He's never questioned why she goes invisible around everyone but Touya and Allen. Or, why Touya isn't close to Wolf like most Sleepers are with their omens? There are things he accepts without question, but there are others he won't let go no matter how hard someone tries to redirect him. The sapling, rising from the dark like a flower in bloom, is one of them.

He slept among its branches for a week, face buried in Kizu's neck when she was larger than he is now, staining her white coat with tears. Death isn't something Shouto knew before Trench. He knew his brother died, but he was so young, kept from his side for so long, to really register the true impact of it.

That's why he's here. To know him. Not as he was, Shouto never knew him back then, but as he is, and like Kizu, it's not the destination that matters to him. ]

Oh. [ He's a little surprised by that statement, enough to tug his focus from the sapling Touya pointed out, and look over at him. ] How often do you change them?

[wolf will eat it if he manages to catch it. he'll fry it first, but does tend to derive some stoic entertainment from the hunt. since touya hates fish, there's no bringing any back to his sleeper. he lets kizu join him and ultimately ends up working together to flush a catch towards the shallows for easy access.

touya's lack of closeness with wolf should be easy to know, but given shouto's blase acceptance of things without question, likely he won't be made privy to the reason. it's a simple reason, just not a pleasant one. at least touya's come to find the omen useful and doesn't mind him being out and around while they're at home. or when he's around his brother.

death has been a part of touya's life for years. it no longer phases him. he already died. no one cared. why should he give a shit if someone else ends up dead? their lives passing by him are little more than flames licking up the kindling and turning it to ash. sure, the very first time had been traumatic, but eventually even that burned away to callousness.

the question earns a small shrug and touya uses the toe of his boot to dig into the sand, nudging up a metal disk. looks kind of like a hubcap. but it's broken in half and the design isn't anything unique. not worthwhile to someone here in trench, so he lets it flop back into the sand to be consumed.]

Whenever I need to. Ain't got a set schedule.

[ Kizu joins him in the hunt not long after noticing Wolf's attention on the shifting shapes in the water. They move together, coordinating without words to drive them towards the shallows. The fish are fast in their medium, while they struggle with forms made for land. Many escape their trap, but they manage to round up a decent catch. The snow leopard doesn't join in the bounty, staying back instead with a pleased expression. She enjoys watching others eat, even if she doesn't partake in it herself, the ritual of food preparation is enough to satisfy her. Probably why she doesn't pay attention to her Sleeper or her brother, who's she's less weary towards since their first meeting.

Touya's relationship with Wolf goes completely over Shouto's head. He's more concerned with his brother than his omen, and it's the same with Kizu with Wolf. Her curiosity toward the omen is easy to see in the way she watches him. Shouto is the same way towards Touya. Like omen, like Sleeper. The two are utterly blind, yet manage to see past the surface.

While Kizu occupies herself with Wolf, Shouto keeps his eyes on his brother, patiently waiting for a response. ]

Do you change them all at once?

[ He asks when she spots a small glass bottle buried in the sand with a cork, keeping a beige liquid sealed from the water. Without a word, he veers to the right to tug it free from its sandy enclosure, bending in front of the incoming surf to wash off the sand. Holding the glass vial delicately in his hands, fingers spread, Shouto cleans off the bottle before handing it to Touya for inspection. ]

Is this what you're looking for?

[wolf goes for one at a time, though if they manage to score a double on the off chance, he's doesn't turn it down. once a fish is floundering in the shallows, it's only a nudge or two of his paw to knock it up on the beach. before a burst of blue fire blackens the fish. which gets gulped down before it's got any time to cool. wolf doesn't need the food, but he simply likes the reward for the hunt. then again, he is part of touya, so there's little issue about "murdering" prey. at least he eats what he burns. food wise.

touya seems not to mind shouto's attention on him. he's been the point of scrutiny a few times in his life and he can ignore it as easily as he'll kill someone outright for doing it. knowing shouto's along for the day helps, since it's not a random meeting taking him by surprised.]

Only if I have to. I replace the ones that are problems. [whether they've come out, are loose, are tearing, or something else he doesn't want them doing. rather not have his skin flapping around on his muscles, thanks. even if his flames and body heat ensure anything bad that gets inside doesn't stay alive long enough for infection. the seams between healthy and burned skin are the most irksome areas.

touya glances at the bottle shouto offers him and takes it from his hand to inspect it. the label's washed away completely, but the stamp in the glass gives a clear indication of the make and brand. looks like some kind of drink, impossible to tell if it's alcoholic or not. doesn't look like something from earth, but he can tell it's sealed so tightly, the liquid inside is undisturbed by the salty water.]

Nice find.

[ Kizu watches his tactics, following his paw, watching it send the helpless one flying through the air, where it's scorched on the sand for a ready mouth. She understands the call of the hunt, but never the joy of a kill. Maybe that's the difference between them. Still, she mimics his movement and sends a fish through the air, watching it hit the ground but makes no move to chase after it. It's not hers after all.

Shouto watches Touya the way he's always watched him, from afar. This time, no one stops him from joining him. He walks beside him, not realizing he might be looking a little too intently. It's odd that. Few things catch his attention to earn the staring, probably why no one's ever pointed it out.

Pleased with his finding, Shouto slips the small bottle in his back pocket and steps next to Touya to walk beside him. ]

Do you take something for the pain?

[once wolf figures out kizu isn't going to eat what she catches, he heads to her catch and fries it before wolfing the burned fish down. it's not a common thing, as many fish don't stray close to the shores of the black beach, and wolf isn't going to walk out into deeper water to find them. but it's something to do while his sleeper does whatever he's doing with his little brother.

touya swings a large, sturdy cloth bag down from his side and pulls it open. the walls of the bag are lined with strips of cloth, sewn into the bag's fabric to serve as holders for whatever he finds. other things just get stuck in there. it's a modified carry-all bag. while shouto takes the bottle and puts it into his back pocket (touya's not going to say that's a good idea, but whatever), he crouches down to inspect another item on the shore. it's a shell, but broken apart... hm.

too wrecked to fix? ... yeah. moving on.]

Don't feel pain.

[ It’s odd, isn’t it? These two omens, so outwardly different, finding their own way of being around each other. Similar to the two Sleepers combing the beach for curiosities. ]

Any?

[ Shouto asks, brows creasing at the comment. All those staples… ]

Doesn’t it hurt?

[he would always say wolf isn't him even if the omen's something of a reflection. just because wolf gets along with people a bit better than touya doesn't mean touya will. but he's getting along with shouto right now, so... maybe?]

That's what "don't feel pain" means, Shouto.

[how completely dense can you be?]

Wolf isn't any more like Touya than Kizu is of him. They're a reflection of a soul, not the soul itself. Perspective matters.

Why don't you feel pain.

[ It's not that he doesn't understand. It's that it doesn't make sense. He doesn't think his quirk has anything to do with pain receptors. ]

[touya seeks to keep wolf separate from himself regardless, treating him more like a summoned familiar than anything else. a servant, weapon, occasionally a teammate. maybe a pet every now and then...]

Cause I was burned to death, Shouto. What'd Dad not tell ya what happened at Sekoto?

[ In contrast, he's close to his omen, following her lead before the attack that reduced her to her current form. His constant companion, she held sway over him, but even she couldn't stop him from seeking out his only family here. Obstinate, Shouto sought him out, wanting to know him. But this...

He draws a quick breath, stepping back in alarm. At a loss for words, the silence drags on, mind scrambling at the confession and stuttering to a stop. ]

I--

He never... they never...

I didn't know.

[touya will never let anyone or anything hold sway over him again. he escaped from that hell and does what he wants when he wants as he wants how he wants for his own damn reasons and no one else's. he cares nothing for anyone or anything enough to allow them to think they can force him into anything. not even all for one could...

shouto's reaction to the information once again makes touya consider the different time periods he and shouto were taken from in their worlds. what his little brother knows versus what he doesn't. it's been a long time since he thought of that. ah well, it doesn't really matte in the long run.

he keeps walking, not bothering to pity or coddle shouto's reaction.]

Not surprisin. Enji always wished I was gone.

[ One escaped. The other molded. Chipped away until he resembled someone else's masterpiece at the cost of his soul. His bland expressions. Why it's so hard to get a rise out of him. It all comes from the same source.

Endeavor never coddled him and after his mother was locked away Shouto stopped seeking out human comfort. Content with the cold inside and out. ]

Why?

[ He asks, utterly at a disadvantage here. No one ever spoke of the oldest Todoroki for as long as he could remember. At least not in his presence. ]

[endeavor's precious perfect little puppet masterpiece. crafted from the blood, sweat, tears, time, and existence of the rest of the experiments that came and went before shouto's creation. in some ways, dabi and shouto are similar, but most similarities are fueled by vast differences despite the same source...

human comfort is overrated. it comes with too many risks outside of a quick physical tryst that means absolutely nothing outside of a brief escape from reality. though the cold doesn't bother touya, he still prefers the heat.]

People don't like lookin at failures.

[sensing his brother's lack of knowledge about this, touya has to decide how he wants to navigate or explain. mostly because there's no endeavor here to fuel any deliberate venom. it'd be pointless.]

Deer Country In-Box

action;

1/2 action;

2/2 action;

video; un: shouto

rip~

OMFG! What is that sound!!!!

*whump* *crunch* *splitch* *smush*

sduifdshfsdf What are these noises?!!

sound effects of what he can't see atm

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I'm just hearing "Scooby-Doo!! Where are youuu?!"

We got some work to do now~

touya-touya-nii, where are thee? got some things to do now~

Come on Touya-nii, I see you. Pretending you're a sinner~

Todoroki Mystery Inc Gang ~ Their lives after the war.

Fine! But he's driving! He doesn't trust that you won't plow into people who annoy you...

Dammit, you can't be Fred, Shouto! You're too young!

Text; UN: Player One

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Star I just. I need. One final fantasy pvp reference pls thank you ilu.

RIP ~ "Do a barrel roll!" ~ "Material, Get!" ~ *halo theme*

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whump crunch splitch smush

RIP ~ "Do a barrel roll!" ~ "Material, Get!" ~ halo theme