everything changes.

Work was slow, and being on his phone during the pass time was something he had gotten used to doing here. Being there alone especially was terrible, since he had no one there to talk to besides the customers. Those bozo’s usually either found what they needed themselves or were a other variety. Unfortunately, today had been easy.

That was, until he got a text from a name he didn’t recognize really.

“Sohma, Yuki….the hell….”

He was terrible with names, but it did strike a light cord with him. He looked to his phone, reading it as he was now…curious.

To: Sohma, Yuki.

From: Bakugou K.

༶ ??? I am the best fighter in my class at hand to hand. I hold the #1 ranking in it.

༶  What you need help with?

– He’s not modest, is he? You remember the way he spoke the first time you met, and really, it doesn’t appear that spirit of his has been dampened at all. Something does stick out to you though. The best in his class… was there a school for fighting, somewhere here in the city? Why hadn’t you heard of it before? You give it a few seconds before texting back. 

TO: BAKUGOU, KATSUKI FROM: SOHMA, YUKI. 

–– You’re back to checking your phone fairly regularly again, keeping tabs on the names you know, and the ones you don’t. You’re trying to do so regularly, now that you know that danger can strike at any moment on the island; nevermind the fact Akito may show up at any time and make things that much harder. 

You notice a name that you remember all too well. Bakugou, Katsuki. You’d met him in a moment of weakness, and from then on, tried your best to never encounter him again. He’d threatened to meddle with the curse if push came to shove and truthfully, you wanted to keep him uninvolved. You avoided giving your last name so he couldn’t find you.

But now you’re certain you have bigger things to worry about. You text him. 

TO: KATSUKI, BAKUGOU FROM: SOHMA, YUKI. 

You wonder if he was affected? If he saw the monsters in the streets… or if he’d ran into danger all on his own. You hope not. Despite feeling uneasy around him, he seemed like a perfectly nice person. 

“Ah, hello again,” you say, sitting beside him on the train. There only happens to be one other seat available, and trying to make it to the back without bumping into anyone seems risky. “You probably don’t remember me. I’m Sohma, Yuki. I showed you where the enrollment office was, a while back.” 

You smile at him a bit. 

It’s apparent in the other’s voice of something kinder than before, something more that Todoroki isn’t sure he’s imagining is there or that he might wish was there. He does his best to put the idea aside, knowing that he wouldn’t know how to handle it– whatever this was. He hoped to figure this out soon, so he wouldn’t have to struggle with giving it a name.

The walk to the party was more interesting than the party itself. Now pressed with the party goers before him, Todoroki easily focused on Yuki instead of everyone around them, not finding any reason for his attention to sway. He wasn’t here for a mission, there wasn’t a single bad thing happening tonight. The only one he had to ‘protect’ would be Yuki but even then, he knew the other could easily manage himself. Should it ever get worse, well, that’s why the half and half boy was here. 

“We could check out the food. I’m not much of a dancer…” His voice trails off as his expression turns to the ballroom floor below them. “Do you dance, Soh- Yuki?” Saying the other boy’s name aloud still takes some getting used to, but he doesn’t see himself turning back from it now. “If you’d like, we can go later.” 

–– You hear him stumble with your name, still adjusting to being on a first name basis. Hearing your name come from his mouth, in his voice, makes the corners of your lips turn up. You adjust your cravat, thinking that it’s the culprit behind your head feeling so warm and light. You’re just a little overdressed. That’s all it is. It isn’t Shouto, or the thought of dancing with him. You keep telling yourself that, until you earnestly believe it’s the truth. 

“Food does sound good,” you agree, leading the way. “And to answer your question, I suppose the answer is yes and no. I’ve learned some more ceremonial forms of dance, but I don’t think that really applies here.” 

You notice the friends and couples on the floor dancing, and while it looks fun, there’s an equal part of you that is unsettled with the idea of going out there. The idea of Shouto being with you lessens that uncertainty, but even still. 

“I do want to try it, but… I guess I’m a bit nervous is all,” you say, collecting some fruit onto your plate. “If you went with me and promised not to laugh, I think I could try it.” 

You give him a small smirk. Part of you actually hopes he’d laugh at you, that you could hear him, and be the person who makes that happen. Maybe the idea of dancing is growing on you after all. 

Down the line of the table, you spot something in one of the pans. There’s only a small amount left but… there’s zaru soba! 

“Hold on. I’ll be right back,” you say, taking Shouto’s plate from him quickly. You know it’s his favorite. 

Weaving through the few people near the snack table, you quickly and successfully make it to the noodles without bumping into anyone. You snag the last bit of zaru soba for Shouto, happy that your mission was a success. However as you look up, something a few yards away makes your shoulders tense. There are a group of girls talking to one another, and they keep glancing over at you for some reason. It reminds you of school back home where this happened a bit more frequently.

This world is new, and it changes in a blink of an eye. 

The destruction happens so quickly, Tohru has no hope of being able to wrap her mind around anything that happens. The sky darkens, and the air thickens with smoke – The sound of fire crackling is inescapable, as is the occasional cry of a creature hunting down its prey.

Naturally, she is scared. She is so scared that she wants to hide in an alleyway and curl up into a ball until this nightmare is over. Each corner she turns around shows another turned over vehicle, and her heart twists painfully in her chest.

Mom died in a car accident.

She swallows past the lump in her throat, and decides that she will not hide. It’s dangerous, but if she’s careful then everything will be fine. There are people who could be injured in those vehicles, or regular people like her who do not have any way to fight against the dangers that now roam freely. She is only one person, but one person can still make a difference.

Hours pass, and it’s nearly nightfall when she starts to slow down. She doesn’t want to stop, but it’s only a matter of time until she is forced to – Her muscles ache, and her skin is marked with cuts, burns and bruises. 

“I have to keep going,” she says despite there being no one around. “I have to…”

She’s seen many people today, and yet she never thought someone she recognized would be one of them. The silver hair is what tips her off first, the air immediately being knocked from her lungs at the sight of it.

“Yuki?” Her voice is hoarse, barely audible. She staggers closer, blinking furiously to prove that it’s not an hallucination. But he’s still there, and he is in one piece.

“Yuki!” He’s here, she thinks, he’s here. Her arms reach out, hands stretching towards him despite there still being distance between them. For as long as Tohru has been here, she wished she could see the people she cared about – And it’s selfish, so selfish, but there is a feeling of relief in her chest that she is no longer alone.

If he heard her, she can’t tell. Her vision blurs with tears, and her body is weighed down by her exhaustion and emotions. After a couple of more steps her legs finally go out beneath her, and she drops heavily to the concrete.

@ratbound​

–– You’ve been fighting to support people in what little ways you can, helping them to the safest areas you’ve scouted. The thing that you’ve learned is that in this place, you can make a difference. And even if it’s small, it might change someone’s life. In this case, it may even save it. So you push on, despite being exhausted, despite wanting nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare that once was a long off fear.

 Your eyes widen as you hear your name, if only because of the voice attached to it. At first, you think it's a hallucination from inhaling smoke, or from exhaustion. But as you turn your head you realize… no. It’s her. She’s here. 

When did you stop checking your phone to see if she’d come back?  Probably around the same time you stopped checking for Akito’s name so frequently. 

Seeing her makes you want to breathe a sigh of relief, it makes you want to sink into that feeling of home. But then she collapses, and you realize that’s not the reality you’re living in right now. She’s in danger, like everyone else here. 

“Honda-san!” 

You run to her, careful with how you try to support her. If you transform it will create a loud noise, which will grab the attention of the beasts. You brace your hands on either side of her shoulders, kneeling down as you scan over her for injuries. She needs bandaged up, and soon. Even if it just appears to be surface wounds, those could get infected.

“Don’t give up, okay? Everything’s going to be alright,” you say, voice a soothing lilt despite how afraid you are. Is today going to be the day you see her hurt? Or worse? 

No. It won’t be. You have to believe that. 

Oh, half an hour? Bummer! That feels like so long and the very mention of food has his stomach giving a monstrous growl. He sits back down again, slumps onto the couch, really.

[txt] if you were hannibal wouldnt praise you thats for sure.

[txt] i GUESS i can wait.

[txt] not allergic to anything that i know of, no. are you doing some weird recipe or something…?

[txt] shooter and racing, got it. 

– You read his text, and your eyebrows raise a bit. He sure has gotten comfortable with you fast, hasn’t he? Or maybe he’s just that kind of person. The sort who gets along with others easily. You turn your phone off for a few seconds, pausing soon after you begin chopping vegetables. 

And it hits you, who he reminds you of. He has orange hair, too, doesn’t he? 

It isn’t the first time you’ve thought of him since you arrived, or the first time you’ve wondered if anything could have ever been different between the two of you, if you’d both been born as someone else. You put the thought away as you wipe your hands off and text again.

[ TEXT @ Badou ] 

It was by no short a miracle that he was able to keep his composure. The moment Yuki stepped out, he felt himself at a loss for words, despite being the type to be quiet most of the time. While on the outside his facial expression shifted to slight surprise, internally he had to reign back his quirks from going haywire, knowing if he lost his grip here, he’d probably ruin his costume. 

The compliment he receives pulls Todoroki out of his thoughts and he feels sheepish and seen. Could he be imagining it? It was sort of embarrassing coming from the other but he genuinely enjoyed hearing it. He could barely hear Yuki above his own thoughts after that, noting how the other pushed his hair back or that they do in fact match one another. Whatever this feeling was in his chest, he wasn’t entirely sure. No matter what, he found himself wanting to experience more of it, entangled in the other’s presence. 

“Your costume is nice too.” Smooth, Todoroki, real smooth. With the other so near, he averts his gaze, suddenly aware of how close they were. “I think it suits you well.”

Even in all his nervousness, he extends his hand to the other, as if hearing Yuki’s unspoken question. Todoroki would feel calmer if they did- after all, they’ve been like this for a while, right? What would be different this night compared to many others before?

“I’m not one to go to these things either. Festivities like this are too bothersome but…” He turns to look at the other with a softness in his gaze, following after him as they make their way to the event. “If you’re there, I feel the same way. We can always leave early, if you- if we get overwhelmed.” 

“Is there anyone that you know of that will be in attendance? I don’t think I know of anyone who’ll be there.”

– He shifts so that the two of you are holding hands, and you sink into the familiarity of the gesture very comfortably. As you lace your fingers up with his you realize his hand is noticeably warm in yours, even through both gloves. It makes you think that maybe he’s a bit more nervous than he’s saying. You’ve figured out that his quirks respond to his emotions, having seen it firsthand many times before this. Smoothing your thumb along the top of his hand, you smile at him a bit, hoping it helps.

“True. There’s no rule saying we have to stay long,” you say, and it’s refreshing to know that if you want to go home, he’ll be happy to go too. You can be bad at parties together.

“And… I’m not sure. I didn’t ask anyone if they’d be going,” you say. “To be honest though, I’m not really worried. I’m going because I want to try something like this for a change and… I want to try it with you.” 

For many reasons, you’ve decided you’re not hiding him from anyone, going forward. If the others are there, then so be it. You continue to lead the way, until you’re fairly sure you can see the mansion in question over the hillside. Giving his hand one last squeeze, you make your way into the party. 

It’s crowded, but not unmanageable. Loud, but not deafening. And while your nerves are starting to set back in, you don’t feel unsafe. You have a hero with you, after all. And you know you don’t even have to ask him to make sure no one bumps into you. 

You look over to him, trying to gauge how he’s feeling, and what he’d like to do first. 

Fuck yeah free food!

[txt] fuck yeah free food! i’m down. right now? when? 

[txt] if i was a serial killer you wouldnt know until youre already dead.

Badou immediately throws his shoes on, as it turns out. He’ll invite himself over even if its not right now or anything.

[txt] want me to bring those ones we played last time?

–– You almost feel bad, with him being so excited. If you follow the recipe and video tutorial very carefully, there’s no way that this can go wrong, right? You could also fall back on delivery, if it goes as bad as your last attempt. You won’t actually starve Badou. 

–– It’s been a while since you saw Chuck, but you come across her waiting outside the movie theater. It’s a little crowded, so you’re hanging back a bit. From your perspective, your first interaction really didn’t go so well with her. You felt as if you made her feel uncomfortable, and assumed she was much closer with your brother than she actually was. However, when you make eye contact you wave. 

And, oh. The people in front of you decide to leave because the line is so long. Now you’re standing next to her. 

“Hello, Chuck. It’s been a while,” you say, smiling pleasantly. “How have you been? It sure is getting cold fast, isn’t it?” 

You default to polite conversation, but you are curious to know which movie she’s planning on seeing. Maybe you’ll ask, if the conversation goes that way. 

Before it can get much farther though, you’re knocked in the back by the young man behind you who was horsing around with his friend. You stumble forward, and try to catch yourself on a doorway. However, you still make the barest amount of contact with Chuck, and really that’s all it takes. 

You explode, absolutely startling the living hell out of everyone nearby. The two kids who were rough housing bolt halfway down the street. 

Meanwhile, you scurry as fast as you can towards the safest place you can think of: onto Chuck’s pant-leg.

“Down here!” you call, as loudly as possible. She’s quite tall after all. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but can you help me?”

[Well that was easy for you. Guess it was going to work out in the end. After all, you just wanted to see what else this place had to offer before totally giving up on this party disaster. Also it’s better to go with one more person then by yourself. That would appear lame.]

SOLLUX: g00d en0ugh f0r me.  SOLLUX: and i d0n’t think i w0uld have asked y0u the first time if i didn’t want t0 g0 with s0me0ne. i w0uld waste my time 0n that matter. SOLLUX: seri0usly. 0r is it that y0u d0n’t want t0 g0 and y0u d0n’t want t0 make me feel bad. i d0n’t care what y0ur reas0n is h0nestly.

[You cross your arms over your chest as you couldn’t help but be curious about bumping into others.]

SOLLUX: what kind 0f pr0blematic. like the kind that a rich kid running 0ff with s0me strangers t0 play a game but their parents w0uld be upset if they see their s0n playing with s0me0ne p00r?

–– You haven’t thought about your parents in a while. Not since the city had fallen asleep, and you’d caught a glimpse of your mother. It’s hard to say what she’d think of you hanging out with an actual alien, other than it being a waste of time. And you’re not really putting much thought into what your parents want for you, these days. 

It does beg the question why that’s the first thing he jumped to, though. Has he been snubbed like that before? You don’t ask, however, it does make you wonder. 

“No. It’s nothing like that,” you say, adjusting the gloves on your own costume. “I turn into a rat if I’m bumped into by anyone who isn’t a boy. Which... wouldn’t be a problem, if being stepped on wasn’t a safety concern.”

You’ve stopped avoiding talking about the curse entirely. You have absolutely nothing to gain in being secretive. 

–– You need a guinea pig, and it’s been a while since you’ve hung out with Badou. He seems like he would be honest if you fed him something atrocious, and you had a lot of fun playing video games with him last time. Shooting things in the face is fairly cathartic, you’ve found. 

You figure you’ll invite him over. What could go wrong?

TXT @ Nails Badou 

Ayame enters the room slowly. He sees Yuki sitting up in bed and feels silly for coming to disturb him but.. but he didn’t want things to end with a note. As wonderful as the note was. He wanted to hear it from his little brother, and he does, and as excited as he is he feels so much more clam and contented. There’s a small smile on his face as he nears the bedside and takes the offered seat.

“Thank you… I-” He pauses, and has to close his eyes a moment to take a breath. When he opens his eyes again he’s staring down at the carpet. “I’m sorry too.” The words are heavy, and then it releases a lot more than just that. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when we were younger. I don’t want this strain between us, the truth is I hate our disconnect which is why I… I try so hard and only seem to push you further away…” Ayame trails off, there’s so much more he wants to say but he doesn’t want to be overwhelming. 

– How could you not have seen it? You sit there, stunned for a moment as you replay the interactions you’ve had with Ayame in your head. All of those moments where he’d been so insistent on you being his little brother, and desperately trying to impart pieces of himself to you. This whole time he’s been carrying that guilt around with him, keeping the bravest face he could the entire time. It makes sense now. 

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t hurt, at the time. But that wound… it’s something that’s been healing, becoming smaller day by day. It started when you met Honda-san, and, since arriving here it’s only shrunk further. No small part of that is because you have a home to come back to.

“I… You don’t need to apologize for it. I appreciate the thought, but I’d rather put it in the past,” you say, eyes trailing down to where your hands are laced together. “ Though… I know it’s not as simple as putting it behind us. We still don’t know each other, after all, but. That blame shouldn’t rest on your shoulders.” 

You look up at him, lips pursed in a thin line before you continue. 

“You were a child too back then, weren’t you? And our parents... you weren’t enough for them either.” 

Your hands bunch in the covers below. 

“I can’t blame you for saving yourself. Just like I can’t blame Hatori for saving himself,” you say, though, there is a part of you that wished someone would have carried you out of the dark. But it shouldn’t have been on Ayame. It should have been Mom, or Dad. 

“Our family isn’t normal, and that isn’t your fault. I don’t know if I would have done the same thing or not, but,” you pause. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to stay, if it meant suffering with me.” 

You glance down at your lap. 

                                                                                        ❄ @ratbound​ - closed

In a familiar Halloween costume, Todoroki checks himself in the mirror once and twice over before walking out into the crisp, night air. He didn’t care too much about the party itself, or any parties for that matter, but he figured he’d go spend some time with a couple friends, make sure everyone was having fun, and then head home earlier than intended so he could unwind and enjoy a night in, watch some scary movies and maybe enjoy a piece of candy here and there before passing out for the night. The way the night was going? It seemed to be in his favor with the exception of one person missing.

He takes a brief stroll to the entrance of the Sohma residence. Yes, for this particular party, Todoroki had invited his friend–well, technically the hosts of the party invited most of the city, but he wanted to go together with Yuki. Standing outside, he pulls out his phone to give Yuki a brief text, letting him know he was outside. With his phone held in his hand, the half and half boy wondered if this costume was too much? It would be much better to blend in with other costume-goers of course, but it was a bit much. Perhaps he was self conscious, suddenly aware that he might be trying too hard or that perhaps, it was not something they should go to together, but whatever reason Todoroki felt wavered his confidence, he decided to push it down for now and wait.

Once Yuki appeared, all that would change.

to: sohma yuki. from: todoroki shouto.

> i am outside. > take your time, if you’re still getting ready.

– This really wasn’t the sort of thing you did, often, or ever. Large gatherings were normally a source of stress for you, and all of your memories of such had really only been connected to two places; the main house, and school. One a source of extreme fear, and the other mid-level anxiety. But even still. You wanted to experience just one where you had a good time. And you wanted to go with him. 

Your phone buzzes as you’re fixing up the laced cravat around your neck, the last touch of the gothic victorian suit you’d hashed together. You bought most of it at a specialty shop, however, the undershirt was something you stole out of your brother’s closet. With a blue velvet vest nearly blending in to a dark overcoat, it’s a little more flashy than what you’re used to. But you think you look presentable, at least. 

You check your phone, and decide you’ve kept Shouto waiting long enough. You send a quick ‘on my way’ before pausing at the top of the stairs. You’re… nervous. You try not to think of why too hard. 

As you open the door, all of your nerves evaporate, and you’re left speechless for a few seconds. He’s there, hair slicked back, eyes wide and focused on you as yours are on him. You barely remember to inhale, and then speak. 

“You look amazing,” you say, having meant to say his costume looks amazing, but that isn’t at all what comes out of your mouth. You won’t take it back though. You meant what you said. 

Stepping forward, you bring a gloved hand to his throat and straighten up the lace that had been disturbed by the wind. “And it looks like we match. I couldn’t have planned that.”

You smile, taking the arm on his left side in yours, leading the way despite feeling like you need to go sit down. Suddenly the chill of autumn is long gone, and you’re not sure if it’s you, or if it’s him. His costume would catch on fire if he was using his quirk, right? You would have known by now, surely. 

“Thanks for going with me,” you say, a genuine smile lighting up your features. “I’m still a bit nervous about being around so many people, but I know I’ll be alright with you there.”

You glance up to his face, trying to read his expression. Is it alright to hold onto him?

– You take time to move away from the crowd that seems to have happened, absolutely exhausted. It takes a lot of energy to not be bumped into by someone who might cause you to transform. You give a quiet sigh, eyes downcast as you take out your phone and lean against the back of what you believe is a very conveniently placed decoration. For whatever reason the scarecrow in question just so happened to be rather still in the moment, and appeared far too convincing to be a person in a costume. So you mistook him for a prop. Oops. 

This continues for a solid second or two as you scroll instagram, watching the feed of the friends you’ve made during your time here go by on your timeline. Eventually however, you get the sense that something is amiss. Like you’re being watched? You slowly straighten up, eyebrows furrowed as you look over your shoulder. 

“...?” 

Your heart nearly stops. 

“Ah- are you,” you slowly realize that yes, that is in fact, a person. You slap a hand over your mouth, not sure what might come out of it otherwise. A scream? You’ve already invaded his personal space – you can’t scream at him too. 

@ratbound

SOLLUX: geez you think this place w0uld have a haunted r00m secti0n 0r s0mething, but l00ks like they weren’t able t0 aff0rd s0mething like that. SOLLUX: lame. SOLLUX: want t0 try an escape r00m? it’ll be easy if y0u’re with me, but if i have t0 d0 actual physical w0rk, then that’s all 0n y0u. SOLLUX: i can figure 0ut the ‘t0ugh’ pr0blems.

[You glance at the boy close by, trying to find a way to kill some time before you want to get out of this place. Seriously, who would have thought you come back to this palce when a party was about to begin. Oh well, it be that way sometimes you know.]

– Oh jeez. Another one of these grey, horned people? You seem to be running into them more and more lately. This one seems to have a thorn in his side, metaphorically, if not literally. He’s just sort of exuding this kind of tired crabbiness, despite being fairly nice to you. You look at the line to the escape rooms, and note that it isn’t particularly crowded right now. If it’s just you and him, it should be fine. 

“Oh. Um, sure. I’m not doing anything,” you say, taking the last drink of your bright green punch. It’s too sweet, and just a little gritty, and you make a face because of this fact. You move on quickly though, and follow him. You’d like to ask him some things, but coming right out with questions about trolls seems invasive, and maybe a little rude.  

“I’ve never been in an escape room, though. Are you sure you want my help?”

You try to give him an out, just in case.