redraw with Chisaki
No hills and mountains no more hiking. What a brilliant idea!
Source: My Hero Smash by Hirofumi Neda. (Gag manga of the My Hero Academia series by Horikoshi Kohei)
â ïžSpoilers in a way, because some of the future plots of main series have already been shown in there in symbolism, and way before that is published in the main manga.
touya or dabi?
follow me @rowarenn on x đ©”
Shigaraki Tomura was buried three days ago, struck down at last by the affliction thatâs haunted him all his life. Now, with muffled screams emanating from the graveyard and the same affliction striking down villagers left and right, the priest has ordered Shigaraki raised from the grave and put to death properly this time. It falls to Spinner, wracked with guilt over his best friendâs fate, to seek help from a monstrosity equal to the one that haunts Shigaraki â the witch who dwells in the darkest part of the forest. In other words, you.
Nosferatu AU, Spinner POV, 5k+ words. Vampires, wolves, and witches, oh my! If you like Gran Torino this is not the fic for you.
Not far now, Midoriya said the last time they stopped to catch their breath, but the woods seem to go on endlessly, and Spinner feels as though heâs been running for even longer. Heâs no stranger to fleeing for his life. In one way and another heâs been doing it since he was born. But heâs never run for someone elseâs life before. Never before has someone elseâs survival hung in the balance of his heavy footsteps through the snow and the breaths of air so cold it sears his lungs. Spinner is the weakest of them, with the least to offer, closer to dead weight than a valuable ally. But in this moment, heâs the only one who can save Shigarakiâs life.
They came to this village six months ago, and for six months, life was quiet. The villagers were wary of strangers, of course, particularly strangers like Spinner and his friends, but for once, they all managed to keep their heads down. Toga made friends among the maidens in the village, while Twice made himself useful., and Dabi did them the favor of putting out fires rather than starting them. Spinner helped where he could, but mostly he watched Shigaraki. The evil that haunted Shigaraki had done so all his life, but it had only attempted a fatal strike when their backs were turned, and when they fled with the city in flames behind them, Spinner swore he would never allow such a thing to happen again.
Spinner kept a careful watch, but it didnât matter. The affliction came again, weakening Shigaraki to the point where he could barely rise from his bed, and worse, it began to spread through the village. The villagers blamed Shigaraki and came to punish him, but they were too late. Spinnerâs best friend died before his eyes three nights past, and the villagers buried him in an iron coffin before the sun could rise.
Or at least, Spinner had thought Shigaraki was dead. On the first day, he believed the muffled screams issuing from the graveyard were the manifestation of his own guilty conscience. But on the second day, the others heard them, too, and although the villagers believed they had locked away the source of the affliction, it continued to spread. The priest came to the graveyard, heard the screams, and ordered Shigaraki exhumed. Fool that he is, Spinner thought they meant to help him.
Then he and everyone else saw the ash stake in the priestâs hand, sharpened to a deadly point. It was an error to bury him whole, the priest said. This will quiet him forevermore.
They could not reason with him. No logic could overcome the priestâs certainty, nor the absolute faith the villagers had in him. It did not matter that Shigaraki had not left the house since falling ill. It did not matter that the coffin had been locked shut, nor that the surface above the grave was undisturbed. The priest and his followers buried Spinnerâs best friend alive, and now they mean to dig him up and stake him through the heart.
Spinner hung back as Dabi and Toga and Twice argued. Heâs worthless at arguing, just as he is at everything else, but as he stood at the edges of the conversation, someone caught his hand and drew him away. When Spinner looked down, he found Midoriya Izuku looking up at him. The strangest child in the village, known for daydreaming so vividly and so often that he falls into potholes at least twice a week, wore a determined look that shocked Spinner in its ferocity. You cannot stop the priest, he said. Only the witch can do that.
Every rural village has its superstitions, and this village has the witch â never seen, never spoken to, always blamed for blighted crops, missing livestock, and bouts of ill fortune. It is said that the witch is monstrous, raised by wolves and lies with them, too, an enemy of all that is holy. But when the affliction struck, not a single villager placed the blame on the witch. And when Midoriya Izuku spoke of her, he did so without fear.
He bade Spinner follow him, running across the bridge over the stream and down the sole path into the northern woods, and although Spinner questions the wisdom of challenging a mundane evil with a supernatural one, he has no other choice. He swore to protect Shigaraki, just as the others did, but heâs the one who failed. The witch will drive a hard bargain for her help, and Spinner will take it. What happens to Spinner doesnât matter. Better by far that Shigaraki survives.
Not far now, Midoriya said, but each twist and turn in the path reveals only further twist and turns ahead. When Midoriya stops again to catch his breath, Spinnerâs patience snaps. âThere is no time. We must hurry.â
âThe ground froze hard these past nights,â Midoriya gasps, âand they buried him deep. We have time. After this I will not need to stop again.â
âYou had better not, or I will leave you here and find the witch myself.â Spinner says that, only to feel his nerves turn to water at the thought. âHow do you know she will help?â
âI donât know what she can do,â Midoriya says, and Spinnerâs heart sinks further. âBut I know that when the priest ordered me to kill a wolf-dog pup from my dogâs last litter, she came down from the woods to take it away.â
He straightens and picks up the pace, and Spinner chases after him, questions upon questions queued up on the tip of his tongue. âYouâve seen her?â
âNot â not really,â Midoriya admits as they careen around a corner. âShe wore a veil over her face, and dressed all in white. But her voice sounded ordinary. Not as a monsterâs voice should, or I think not. If she is not one, I have never heard a monster speak.â
Spinner has. Itâs unmistakable â not just a hearing or a feeling, but a knowing, a terror beyond thought and reason. âI had to cross the bridge to bring her the pup,â Midoriya continues. âShe would not cross to me, but when I gave it to her, she promised to raise it well.â
Spinner knew Midoriya was naĂŻve, but this is ridiculous. âDid it not occur to you that she would lie? Monsters know only how to deceive.â
âShe didnât lie,â Midoriya says sharply. âI know when someone lies to me. She wouldnât have hurt my pup. She ââ
He stops talking, and stops running, too. Spinner fails to stop in time and bowls him over from the back, and as he picks himself up, he sees what caused Midoriya to balk. The path continues still further into the woods. But a wolf sits sentinel in the middle of it, blocking the way.
No, not a wolf. Spinner has seen wolves, more than his share of them, far more than he would have wished to. This is â âA wolf-dog?â
âYes,â Midoriya says, his voice trembling with something like awe. âMine.â
The wolf-dogâs ears prick upwards, and its tufted tail wags, scattering long-dead leaves away from the path. All at once it rises to its feet, turns, and lopes away, but only as far as the next bend in the path. There it turns and looks at them. Waits for them. âShe wants us to follow,â Midoriya says, and he does so. Spinner follows, too, wondering who exactly Midoriya meant by she.
The wolf-dog keeps a brisk pace as the path, lined on either side with thick brambles, narrows such that Spinner and Midoriya must walk single-file. There are strange lights tucked away within them, emitting a pink glow that Spinner can classify neither as unholy nor divine. The wolf-dog rounds one turn in the path after another, and only when Spinner has thoroughly lost his sense of direction does it come to a stop. Theyâve stopped at the edge of a large clearing, ringed in yet more of the odd pink lights. Within the clearing, there is a fence, its posts laden with wildflowers â the same flowers that climb the walls of the small cottage in the center.
It looks like something out of a childrenâs story. Not at all somewhere that a witch with the power to challenge the priest should live. Midoriya starts forward eagerly, and Spinner seizes his arm. âNo. Even sweet things can be a trap.â
The wolf-dog noses the iron gate, and it swings open. âYou want to save your friend, donât you?â Midoriya asks. âSheâs the only one who can help you. And you were wrong. She didnât hurt my dog.â
Spinner is not at all convinced that itâs the same dog. It seems more likely the product of Midoriyaâs wishful thinking. âI donât like your friend,â Midoriya continues. âHe frightens me, and everyone else. But he shouldnât die for our fear. If you wonât go in, I will.â
Spinner is a coward. He knows he is. But even in his cowardice, he cannot allow this â a child taking the risk that belongs to him. He lets go of Midoriyaâs arm and shoulders past him, past the wolf-dog, through the iron gate and along the path through the witchâs garden to the cottageâs front door. He knocks hard enough to bruise his knuckles. âWitch! I am here on a matter most urgent. Come out, or ââ
âThereâs no need to shout,â a perfectly ordinary voice says from behind him, and Spinnerâs heart nearly stops in his chest. âIâm right here.â
Spinner wheels around, and there you are. There you have been sitting the entire time, concealed from view of the path behind your flower-entangled fence, dressed all in white just as Midoriya described and blending in with the snow. Just as Midoriya described, your face is veiled. All around you in the snow, wolf-dogs sit and sprawl, some ancient and grey-muzzled, others with the gangly clumsiness of pups. White roses are scattered around you, and even as you harken to Spinner, your fingers continue to weave them deftly into a crown.
âI thought I might have visitors today,â you say. âWhat are your names?â
âI donât share my name with strangers,â Spinner growls, in the same moment as Midoriya blurts his out. âShut up, you idiot!â
âThe point of sharing names is to remove the designation of strangers,â you say mildly. Your veil is not quite opaque; Spinner sees your lips move beneath it. âI cannot blame you for your caution, but you mentioned an urgent matter. What brings you to my door?â
âThe village,â Spinner says, biting down on the desire to curse its name. âIt has been struck by ââ
He runs out of words. He and the others have been careful in their description of it, for fear of being called insane. Even a village with such superstitions as witches is too skeptical to believe in â âVampires,â Midoriya announces. Heâs apparently abandoned caution; heâs crouched in the snow at the edge of the path, petting the wolf-dog he believes was his. âEach night more wake with bites, and not long after they fall desperately ill.â
âAre they drained of blood?â you ask. âOr is their skin simply rotting?â
âThey havenât been drained,â Midoriya says, frowning. âBut the bites ââ
âMy friend was drained,â Spinner says, and you look to him. âHe grew weak. He could not eat or drink, and visions tormented him at the end â or what we thought was the end ââ
âThey buried him,â you say, and Spinner nods. âBut people continue to fall sick, and they believe your friend is the cause, so they intend to exhume him and put an end to him properly this time. Am I incorrect?â
Spinner can barely believe his ears. âHow do you know?â
âFear strips away reason. It comforts them to think that killing your friend will end their misery, and their desire for comfort only serves the greater threat.â Your hands work more quickly, plaiting the crown together. âYouâve come to me for help. What is it you wish me to do?â
âStop the priest,â Spinner says. You tilt your head, studying him. âProve my friendâs innocence.â
âThat is within my power,â you say. You add a few more flowers to the crown, set it upon your head, and rise to your feet. âIs there time?â
âWhen we left they had already started digging,â Spinner says uselessly. âWhat price do you ask for your help?â
âNone,â you say. You brush past Spinner, slipping into the house and emerging seconds later with a small satchel slung across your body. White deerskin with silver fastenings â not at all what Spinner would expect a forest-dwelling witch to possess. âWe must travel with haste.â
âYes. Have you horses?â
You shake your head, then raise one hand to your mouth and whistle, high and wavering. Within moments, Spinner hears the sound of heavy footfalls, and the shape that moves within the trees is so monstrously large that even Midoriya is scared up from the ground and closer to Spinner. âWhat is that thing?â
A wolf. Not a wolf-dog, but a true wolf, hulking and enormous, standing taller than Spinner at the shoulder. It dwarfs you as you approach it, but you approach without fear, and it lowers itself to the ground so you can speak quietly in its ear. You use no language Spinner can understand, but it is not the language of the demon, and in your ordinary voice it does little more than raise the hairs on the back of his neck. âThis is a friend of mine, who has agreed to aid us,â you say, straightening up. You throw one leg over the wolfâs back and climb up, seating yourself just behind its head. âIf time is as short as you say, it is not wise to hesitate.â
Spinner climbs up first, followed by Midoriya. âKeep low until we leave the trees behind,â you order, âand hang on.â
Midoriya promptly grabs hold of Spinner, but Spinner has no easy recourse. âTo you? Itâs not proper.â
âWould you rather be proper or survive the journey back to the village?â you ask impatiently, and Spinner secures his arms around your waist, his face miserably red. âHold on.â
You whisper something else to the wolf, and it lurches into motion with such violence that Spinner tightens his grip in terror. He learns instantly why you ordered them to lower their heads â at the speed at which the wolf moves, a collision of their heads with a branch would result in decapitation. Spinner canât watch the trees speeding past without feeling ill, so he shuts his eyes only to feel sicker. Opening them, keeping them fixed between your shoulder blades, is the only solution. That, and occupying his mind with something other than how inappropriate it is to hold you this closely.
You feel human. Spinnerâs taken women in his arms before, human women of his own will and vampire women against it, and while the unholy attraction of the undead is absent from you, there is something undefinably strange about your presence. Perhaps all witches are thus. You have yet to do anything more witchlike than speak to wolves and live deep in the woods, and once again, Spinner begins to doubt. Who are you to challenge the priest, to counter the villageâs faith in him? How could you save Shigaraki, when Dabi and Twice and Toga could not?
The wolf breaks through the tree line, and you sit up quickly. Spinner does the same, although it makes the ride significantly bumpier. Out of the woods, itâs easier to gauge the wolfâs true speed. It barrels down the hillside, as fast as any horse, and ignores the bridge in favor of leaping across the stream in a single bound. At the apex of its flight, Spinner feels you startle, then flinch, a sharp gasp exiting your lips. Itâs as if youâve been shot or stabbed, and for a moment, you go completely limp, your grip on the wolfâs mane relaxing. Only Spinnerâs arms around you keep you from slipping sideways into the water â but then the wolfâs paws touch land, and you straighten up again. Spinner would think it his imagination if not for the audible catch in your breathing.
When the wolf reaches the graveyard, Spinnerâs own breath catches in horror: Shigarakiâs coffin has been raised up from the earth, its lock shattered and its lid shoved aside. Between the coffin and the priest stand Toga and Dabi and Twice, and before Spinner can call out to tell them help has arrived, villagers seize his friends and drag them out of the way. The priest approaches, stake held high, and a shaking hand rises from the coffin in a weak attempt to forestall him. Shigaraki is alive, and awake â awake just in time for Spinner to watch him die.
âWait,â he tries to call, but his voice shakes so badly that he can barely raise it above a whisper. âHe isnât ââ
âFather Torino!â you call out, your voice strident and strong, and the priest stops in his tracks. He turns towards the sound of your voice and flinches as he beholds the wolf, and you and Spinner and Midoriya on its back. The villagers cower, and Dabi and the others seize the opportunity to get free and return to guard the casket â but they, too look wary. âIs it now the custom of the Church to murder innocent men by hand after burying them alive has failed to do the job?â
âThis is no man, but an abomination,â the priest growls. He is a small man, and old, but neither matters when righteous fury animates him. âIt is the custom of the Church to carry out Godâs will and remove such things from the face of His earth.â
âIf this manâs death is Godâs will and not your own, then it can wait a few moments more.â You slide down easily from the wolfâs back and start forward across the graveyard, the villagers scattering from your path. âI will examine him, and prove his innocence or his guilt.â
The priest does not challenge your ability to do so, and a small measure of hope is turned loose in Spinnerâs mind. He slides down from the wolfâs back as well, much less gracefully than you did, and seizes the back of Midoriyaâs coat to prevent him from going face-first into the snow when he does the same. Ahead of him, you confront Dabi. âStand aside. Let me see him.â
âWhat, so you can kill him?â
âDo you see a stake in my hands?â You spread them out, revealing them empty. Spinner notices for the first time the silver rings on your middle fingers, and the web of silver chains extending from them to connect to a matching bracelet around your wrist. âI only wish to examine him.â
âShe can help,â Midoriya says, and Dabiâs eyes flicker to him. âLet her help.â
Dabi looks to Spinner. Spinner nods, and Dabi stands aside, allowing you to approach the coffin.
Spinner does the same, and what he sees fills him with a guilt so powerful that it nearly strikes him dead on the spot. As terrible as Shigaraki looked when they believed him dead, he looks worse now. Paler, sicker, more haunted than before. Blood stains his fingernails â whatâs left of them, at least. Spinner imagines his best friend clawing at the lid of the iron coffin, desperate to get free, and nearly vomits at the thought.
Shigaraki is barely conscious, barely breathing, as you come close. Spinner was unsure of what to expect from you, but your first act strikes him as completely incongruous â you lift the crown of white roses from your head and settle it on Shigarakiâs. Shigaraki doesnât stir, and on the other side of the coffin, the priestâs shoulders stiffen. âThat proves nothing.â
âWhite roses are anathema to vampires. They teach you that in your book of demons,â you say. You unclasp one bracelet from around your wrist, slide one ring from your finger. âThey speak of silver, too.â
You lift Shigarakiâs hand and slide the ring onto his finger. His hands are larger than yours, yet so skeletal that the ring fits easily. As does the bracelet, when you snap it shut. Once again, Shigaraki does not stir. The priest scoffs. âYou expect me to believe thatâs real silver?â
âI expect you to ask yourself what reason I among all others would have to collude with this affliction,â you say. You of all others? Spinner sees his confusion writ large on Togaâs face, on Dabiâs and on Twiceâs. âBut if it will satisfy you, I will ask someone else. Who here has something silver?â
Itâs silent. Midoriya disappears into the crowd, then comes back pulling his mother. âMother. Mother, show her â you have some ââ
The woman clutches at her necklace, as though she expects you to rip it from her throat. âYou will have it back unharmed,â you promise in that ordinary voice. Spinner no longer doubts that you are no monster; rather, you seem so human that he doubts your ability to help at all. âEither you will help to protect your village from a grave threat, or you will save an innocent manâs life. To save one life is to save the world entire.â
âCease such pagan nonsense in my presence,â the priest snaps. âEven if he is no vampire, he has forfeited his right to life by bringing the affliction upon our village.â
You ignore him, and after a moment, so does Midoriyaâs mother. She unclasps her necklace, and Midoriya places it in your hand. You hold it for a moment, then set it down in the hollow of Shigarakiâs throat. He does not move beyond the rise and fall of his chest. âOdd,â you remark. âA vampire should flinch from such things.â
The priest doesnât answer. You gesture for Spinner to come closer, to stand alongside Dabi and the others. âBite marks,â you say, and Spinner startles along with the rest of them. âWhere were they?â
âHe had many,â Toga says. She tended to Shigaraki most closely, and took his apparent death nearly as hard as Spinner did. âOn his throat. His chest. Both wrists and ankles.â
âWere there others?â you ask. Toga shakes her head, and you raise your voice, addressing the crowd in the graveyard. âIn the legends, a true vampireâs body bears no bite marks. The transformation erases them. Is it not so?â
The crowd mumbles assent, and Spinner wonders if this is why Midoriya insisted on summoning you. The priestâs frothing rage looks particularly mad when contrasted to your calmness. You look to the priest next. âIs it not so, Father Torino?â
âIn tales and in history.â The priest speaks through gritted teeth. âLet us examine him. I â what are you doing?â
âMy eyes must be clear,â you say, and you lift your veil.
Half the village recoils, but when you fold it back, Spinner sees nothing out of the ordinary about your face. There is no mad light in your eyes, no distorted sneer on your mouth, no dark magic writhing visibly beneath your skin. There is an odd pallor to you, but nothing more. You turn back to face the priest â the priest, who did not flinch. âLet us examine him.â
Shigaraki does not react to your touch, but when the priest reaches in to grasp his arm and haul his wrist into the light, he shrinks back. âYou see?â the priest demands. âHe recoils from a man of God ââ
âA man who was about to drive a stake through his heart. Iâd recoil, too.â You have Shigarakiâs other hand, holding it carefully, and you turn it to expose his wrist to the light. âLook, Father. Those resemble bite marks to me. And here ââ
You lift the wrist that Shigaraki pulled away from the priest. âMore bite marks. Just as the maiden said.â
Shigarakiâs mouth opens, and the voice that issues from it is hoarse from three days of screaming. âSpinner ââ
Spinner hurries forward, and without a word, you shift your examinations to Shigarakiâs ankles. âIâm here,â Spinner tells Shigaraki. âIâm sorry.â
Shigaraki shakes his head. âWhatâs â happening?â
âMidoriya took me to see the witch. She came back with us to help.â
âWitch?â Shigaraki rasps. âDoesnât sound like a witch.â
âHer voice is wrong,â Toga agrees quietly. âI donât know what she is.â
âYou do not need to know. She is unclean, and those who fear God should stay far from her and her accursed woods,â the priest says. âAnd you, Shigaraki â you fear death a great deal for a man who does not fear God.â
Shigarakiâs red eyes flutter shut. He seems to have exhausted his strength, and Spinner finds himself watching the rise and fall of Shigarakiâs chest, fixated on the smallest motions. He kept this same vigil before, three nights ago, dreading every new second until the motion stuttered and stopped â or rather continued, so imperceptibly that everyone believed him dead. Whether youâre a witch or not, you are an effective counter to the priest, but what happens after you spare Shigarakiâs life? His affliction will not fade, and the evil that stalks him will not relent. Has Spinner saved Shigarakiâs life only to consign him to a slow, agonizing death?
Spinnerâs thoughts are interrupted when your hand appears in his field of vision, parting the buttons on Shigarakiâs shirt to expose the bite marks directly over his heart. The priest grasps Shigarakiâs jaw and turns his head roughly to one side, revealing the bite marks on his throat as well.
Spinner remembers the first time he beheld the evidence of Shigarakiâs affliction. Shigaraki had kept it from them as long as possible, but one by one, they saw things that could not be explained, heard things in the night that could not be dismissed. They knew too much to find safety in ignorance, but they could not protect themselves if they did not know the truth, and so Shigaraki shared what he knew of the evil that had clung to him since childhood. They doubted him at first, but he must have expected it. Spinner will never forget the shiver of disgust that tore through him at the sight of the marks on Shigarakiâs throat â and how it grew ever worse with each set of marks he revealed.
The reminder alone of what Shigaraki suffers fills Spinner with disgust. He cannot imagine experiencing it and surviving with his mind intact, and yet Shigaraki has survived. And he will survive this, too. Faced with all the evidence you have revealed, the priest cannot kill Shigaraki now.
âAre you satisfied?â you ask, when the priest fails to respond. âThis man is not the source of the affliction. He is its victim, as much as any of the others who have fallen ill.â
âPerhaps,â the priest says â and he raises his stake. âIâd rather be sure.â
Before he can bring it down, you seize it. Dabi does the same, and so does Spinner, while Toga and Twice throw themselves across the coffin to shield Shigaraki. âCareful,â you say to the priest. Your grip tightens, and Spinner feels the fire-hardened stake buckle slightly. âIf you kill this man now, it will be murder, and your list of sins is not so short as to allow for the addition of one more.â
Itâs a long moment before the priest releases the stake, and when he does, it splinters to pieces. Perhaps it was Dabiâs grip that shattered it; your hand is too small. âIf you wish to save him, begone with him,â the priest says. âHe is barred from the village until his affliction is cured. If it can be cured.â
Spinnerâs heart sinks, but once again, you remain calm. âI will cure it,â you say. âI will take him with me, if he will go.â
âNo,â Twice says at once. âHe stays with us.â
âLet her take him,â Midoriyaâs mother urges. Spinner thought she would have fled, but then again, her silver necklace still rests against Shigarakiâs throat. âThe others will come for him tonight, and kill you to get to him, no matter what the priest says. It is safer to let him go.â
âWe should come with him,â Toga says. You shake your head. âWhy not?â
âThe forest is unkind at night. I cannot shield your minds and heal his at the same time.â You look regretful, and ill at ease. âStay here for the night, and visit in the morning. My friends will guide you to me.â
The wolves and wolf-dogs. Spinner remembers the rumor that you were raised by them, that you lay with them, and feels a surge of distaste â not for you, but for those who would start such rumors and spread them. âItâs Shigarakiâs choice,â he says. He looks down into the coffin at Shigaraki, at his pale face and bloody hands, swathed in silver with a crown of flowers on his head. âDo you wish to go with her?â
âSpinner.â Shigarakiâs voice is little more than a whisper. Spinner leans close. âCan she do as she promises?â
There seems to be nothing magical about you at all. Spinner doubts you can do anything â but he does not doubt that Shigaraki will be safer in the heart of the forest tonight than anywhere else. He nods. âI canât face him tonight. Not like this,â Shigaraki says. âIâll go.â
âGood,â the priest says. His disgust is etched deeply into his wrinkled face, and as he transfers his gaze from Shigaraki to you, it only grows. âAs the filthy beast you rode in on has fled, I have no idea how you expect to remove him from my sight. Do you honestly think someone will lend you a horse?â
âI have no need of one.â You nudge Spinner to one side and lift the necklace up from Shigarakiâs throat, handing it back to Midoriyaâs mother. Then you lift one of Shigarakiâs arms, looping it around your neck, and he expends what appears to be his last measure of strength to lift up the other. âI can walk.â
You canât mean to carry him. Even half dead, half-starved, Shigaraki is bigger than you are. But as Spinner watches in horrified fascination, you slide one hand behind his best friendâs head and the other beneath his bent knees, and you lift Shigaraki from the coffin as though he weighs nothing at all.
Shigaraki slumps against your shoulder, barely conscious once more, and the crowd of villagers parts before you again. Your voice, still ordinary, carries not even a hint of strain when you speak to Spinner. âCome visit at first light,â you say. âNo harm will come to him while he is with me.â
Dabiâs hand comes down on your shoulder, just as Toga grasps your elbow. âSwear it.â
You incline your head, and Spinner sees a web of faint scars across your brow. âI swear it by my blood.â
You set off walking at an easy pace, as though you arenât carrying a grown man in your arms the way a lord might carry a maiden. Dabiâs voice is low in Spinnerâs ear. âWhat did you do?â
âWhat?â
âHer kind donât do favors,â Twice says. âWhat did you give her?â
âNothing,â Spinner says. âShe took nothing.â
âExcept Tomura,â Toga says grimly. âIn the morning weâll take him back.â
âDamn right,â Twice says, ignoring the look the priest gives him. âWeâve tried everything but witches to heal him. Maybe she will fix him.â
âWhatâs wrong with him isnât inside. Itâs out there somewhere,â Dabi says. âWhatever she fixes, it wonât last.â
Dabiâs right, as much as it burns Spinner to admit it. All Spinnerâs done in retrieving the witch is buy Shigaraki a little more time. One night where the villagers canât come for him, howling for his blood the same way the evil that stalks him lusts for it. Spinnerâs best friend has spent so many nights in misery and pain. If the best Spinner can do is secure for Shigaraki one night of relative peace, heâd have paid all you asked for and more.
But you asked for nothing. Spinner watches you approach the bridge, still walking smoothly with Shigaraki cradled in your arms, and wonders why.
Does it ever drive you crazy
just how fast the night changes
Chapter 258 - Friends
Leather and Lace
It wasnât uncommon for you to not pay attention to your surroundings, especially when it came to crowed surroundings. You often got lost in the vibrations the rippled across the floor and climbed up to your ankles as what ever song boomed from the stage that you purposely stayed far away from. Crowds werenât your thing, but they were certainly called to your friend who always seemed to rope you into coming to things like this. If Mina knew a lot of people would be some where, best believe she planned to be there first.
Your phone is set to silent and slid into your back pocket just as your finger pressed send on your last message to the ass hole youâd just met this morning. If his sheer disinterest and lack of human decency wasnât enough to scrunch your nose in disgust, his teasing messages about paying attention to âthe setâ surely were able to send a crippling anxiety up your spine. You knew from the moment you met him you didnât like him one bit- and judging by the cocky glint in his eyes that were set on you as you look up to the stage, you knew you never would.
âIâm going to get some air.â You call to Mina, who was swaying to the music that had yet to start playing. âItâs getting stuffy in here.â
âWhat!? Jiros about to start playing.â You recognized the high pitched whine in her voice and recoiled as her hand wrapped around your wrist to keep you planted as you desperately wished to run. âTheyâre only playing 3 songs, weâll head out after! She said sheâd meet us in the side alley anyway! Youâll get your air later.â
You knew that even if you wanted to (which you did) Mina wouldnât let you miss your friendâs debut as the new lead guitarist. You just couldnât shake the burning feeling of disbelief and anger as your eyes scan the stage, locking Eyes briefly the the drummer. You felt guilty for wanting to ditch Jiros performance but after the very short interaction and the texts from the man still watching you- you wished you could.
-
Thirty minutes pass painfully slow, every song was followed with a talking segment that lasted far too long and every song seemed to play in for hours opposed to the few short minutes they actually echoed around you. On top of your clear distaste for one of the members onstage- the crowed had begun to go wild with every passing second. Youâd been bumped, elbowed and stepped on more times than you could count before Mina excitedly pulled you away from the crowed and into the ally to meet Jiro.
âBabe what gives!?â She all but shrieks as the cold wind brushes over your warm skin. âShe was killin it up there and you didnât even bib your head!â
âSorry Mina, I just-.â You pause, unsure of what exactly you should tell her. It wasnât fair to Jiro that a man you met a single time could ruin your night and take away any effort you had to support her. âThe drummer is a dick and I didnât know heâd be here. It just put me in a sour mood to see him up there with our girl.â
âYou know Bakugou?â She asks in bewilderment, her eyes glued to the door that opens beside where the two of you stood. âWell come back to this- Jiro!! You rocked!â
Jiro was the first of four people to join you in the ally, her smile the brightest youâve ever seen, making your guilt grow further. You really should have ignored your personal feelings and supported her the way she deserved. She was glowing, and pulling Mina into and offering you a happy wave.
âNot a fan of our music?â The gravely voice youâd heard speak a single sentence laughs from beside you. With Mina gushing to the only other person you knew here, you had no choice but to turn to face him. âI thought we did pretty good up there, so why were you scowling?â
Your breath hitches as your head turns, he was far too close for comfort and it offered you the perfect view of his very sweaty tshirt that held his crossed arms. You canât help but take a step back, moving your eyes from his chest to meet his eyes quickly. Just like before, he seemed absolutely uninterested in your presence dispute is attempt at getting a rise out of you.
âBecause your presence makes me sick.â The shaky undertone of your voice was evident, and it made his smirk grow even further. âYouâre an ass, and frankly if I knew youâd be here Iâd have stayed home.â
âA nameless face in the crowd wouldnât be missed anyway, extra.â His voice was wrapped dangerously with arrogance driven venom, and it made your neck burn to hold eye contact. âThe nerd sent me the money you owed me.â
âYouâre welcome, by the way.â Finally, you find the courage to cross your own arms and glare at him. âYou didnât deserve a single penny.â
âAm I supposed to thank you for replacing the shit your dumb ass damaged?â The wind blows around you, picking up scattered pieces of trash as he waits for an answer he knew he wasnât getting. âCurious why he paid your debt though, the guy canât pull so I know you arenât dating the guy.â
âFor your information jackass, he has a girlfriend and has for a while.â If thereâs one thing youâd put your sudden nerves away for, it would be to defend someone as kind and sweet as your neighbor. âHe paid for it so I wouldnât tell my dad what you do for a living. Again- youâre welcome.â
The others have begun to make their way toward the two of you, happy smiles and upbeat conversation traveling between them as your hate filled conversation with their friend remains obvious to them. You werenât sure if heâd told any of his band mates how he knew you or why youâd been staring holes into his head during the performance, but you were sure none of them were aware of your fathers career or how easily you could ruin the cocky blondes beside you.
âThe hell would I care what your dad thinks?â Itâs sad to admit but you enjoy the fact that heâs unaware of how easily you could get him in legal trouble. You have half a mind to tell him, but he opens his mouth before you can. âYou arenât the only person who knows a police officer.â
âHow-?â Your friends look between you, worried and confused glances shared between you and Bakugou as your mouth hangs open. Did Izuku tell him? âDid-?â
âDonât think that you could ever put me in a position to ask you for a favor, including keeping your mouth shut.â
âââ
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I hope you enjoy
This Katsuki AU
-Parchyđ
âââ
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Girlfriend Undercover
Youâd been using the girlfriend cover with Shinsou for so long, it was almost second nature to automatically curl into his side as you approached him. Likewise, heâd naturally let his arm snake around your waist and hold you against him, all without breaking eye contact with the dark hair man heâd been speaking to. To everyone else, you were a perfectly acquainted couple- but in reality he was the man who irritated you senseless and got everything you ever wanted.
âSorry Iâm late, I met a few of your friends from school.â You lie, looking up at Shinsous clearly displeased face. âTheyâre all a lot nicer than you led on.â
âTheyâre nice to you because youâre attractive. Now can we do our jobs?â You canât help but roll your eyes at his impatience, earning a stern glare before he begins eyeing the crowd. âHeâs the guy with the green tie, you see em?â
You follow his lead, searching the crowd slowly as his hand removes itself from my waist to hold onto my hand gently. Youd always hated this part of fake dating him, it gave him free rein to pull you around, like a dolly being carried by a young child. A rag doll even.
âUnless weâre directly beside him- Iâm not sure my quirk will work.â Your quirk was useful, but man did it have drawbacks. âPlus- how am I going to hide the fact that Iâm pointing at him without being caught or interfered with by someone elseâs train of thought?â
Youâd grown up being told that your quirk was useless, or at least not valuable enough for you to become a hero. While you could read minds, you had to be pointing directly at the person whoâs mind you were reading- and if you accidentally read two minds at once, consider your brain fried and your own thoughts jumbled. Not to mention, the longer you read someoneâs mind, the quicker you forgot their thoughts.
Which led to the second half of your quirk- sharing someoneâs thoughts with someone else. It was convenient, if you forgot what someone had been thinking the person you shared their thoughts with could easily remember. The downfall to this side of your quirk however- was the physical touch you had to share with whom ever you shared thoughts with. A simple touch of skin couldnât be good enough- no. To share someone elseâs thoughts, you had to touch someone directly on a pressure point.
âYou like dancing sweetheart?â Shinsou asks, pulling you behind him and toward the man casually. âSlide your hand under my Tux jacket- if I unbutton it you should be able to point at him.â
Sweetheart. You hated that nickname. It made your skin crawl, even as he said it so sweetly.
âI think Iâm gonna give my two week notice in tonight.â You huff, it was one thing to be paired with the agencyâs golden boy- but to constantly need to be in his personal space while working was entirely exhausting and not worth the pay. âWhy canât we ever just- I donât know get ice cream or-?â
âCan you shut your mouth?â You gasp as Shinsou lets out an irritated hiss, his hand sliding around you once again to pull you flush against him. âWeâre not talking about work, weâre on a date- remember?â
Your eyes roll, knowing he was warning you everyone could hear your rambling- but honestly you didnât care. You didnât enjoy being his secret hero partner and frankly, being his fan girlfriend wasnât exactly a walk in the park either. The situation the agency created for you made it to where you couldnât even date other people. So who cares if you complain here and there?
âGod, letâs just get this over with.â You mumble, sliding your hand across his side slowly, pointing a finger at the man who stood off to the side beside an older woman. He brought his wife here and couldnât even get off of his phone to speak to her? Men. âYouâre guys on his phone, whatâs the move here?â
âGo for it, we donât have time.â You nod, moving your free hand to rest on his shoulder, pressing lighting against the pressure point located on his neck so he can hear the manâs thoughts as well. âRemember our rule.â
âWhat? Why would I- why would you bring that up now?â Youâd agreed weâd never use your quirks on one another when your partnership had first began, but you couldnât find a reason it would matter now. âI dont think Iâd want to know what youâre thinking anyway.â
The two of you sway slowly, blending in to the crowd around you as you listen to the manâs thoughts about how much he hated his job and wished his boss-who heâd been on the phone with- would leave him alone. Shinsous hands on your hips move up to your waist after a few minutes, and your body is pulled flushed against his so he can lean down to whisper quietly without the man hearing him.
âIf heâs not off the phone in the next 60 seconds I might say âfuck itâ, and give up.â He sighs. âHe hasnât said anything about his secret hobby in the last-.â
âI should just use one of the vials on him.â The man thinks, still holding the phone to his ear. Finally- something worth reading. âIt wouldnât be hard to just slip one out of my office and into his coffee- give all of us a damn break from his con-.â
Shinsous chest heaves as he separates your chests- heâd gotten the information he came for, and you knew that meant heâd now keep his distance. It usually didnât bother you, but feeling his desperation in putting distance between you suddenly felt-offensive? Yeah, your feelings were a bit hurt.
âWhat?â You ask quietly, your hand still on his shoulder despite his apparent need to be anywhere near you. âAre we done?â
âYeah.â He nods, brushing your hand off gently. Usually heâd at least make the end of the mission more natural, walking you off the dance floor or out to your car- never had he shoved you away and left you standing in a sea of strangers. He calls over his shoulder just as you followed him off the dance floor. âGet a ride from Kaminari.â
Why did he brush you off? And why did it bother you so much?
âââ
Part one of probably 3
-Parchyđ
âââ
Blood spit
Keigo lead singer, y/n new bassist đ„” Touya on lead guitar and shigs on drums đ«Ą
Chaos ensues (itâs giving Smau)
okay so i slightly switched this around and did y/n lead vocalist, keigo lead guitar + vocals, touya lead bassist and shigs on drums (dream lineup <3) just imagine keigo and y/n doing this as cover
© accidentcache do not repost, translate or alter my work without permission. all rights reserved.
Heâs trying his best đȘđ„
Iâm not obsessed Iâm not obsessed Iâm not obsessed / 25 yrs old / MINORS DNI â
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