(People have since commented and starred. Thanks fam.)

Storytime:

The downside of being into so many obscure anime is they keep getting booted from Crunchyroll. 😭

We had Ginko's whole origin story + one of the most INTERESTING moral debates in the first season! (One of the characters needs to leech off humans to survive and the only reason Ginko can argue for it being morally right to kill the creature is that simply "humans are stronger." Weird as it sounds that was probably my favorite episode. (It was the perfect blend of insightful and horrific. Back to favorites: That and "The Sound of Rust." Also in the first season... Or s2? 🤔) Like, come on, man!! Plus it was the only one of the two seasons that got a dub. 😭 That's like half the show gone now.
For further context, Mushi-Shi's the main reason I even got Crunchyroll.

Oh and also Original Trigun just uppin' vanished. 😭 I was waiting until I got back home to watch the climax with lil sis... Trigun stampede is too violent for her, but she REALLY likes Vash (just from the pictures xD), so we settled on the original, which is on its own a really great show.
(Update: ok most of them were just banned from Europe but MushiShi season one is still gone)

Oh well, guess I'm pirating. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯
Talk about first world problems lol

Also, shout-out to "Monster" for being my newest hyperfixation. Been binging as much as I can before my free trial of Netflix runs out. 
A losing battle because I only have like 2 days left and have only watched 20 episodes (not even half) because before that I was in a rush binging Dungeon Meshi. 🤣
(Laios is the Autistic GOAT frfr.) Seriously tho Dungeon Meshi is flawless.
(Upon returning home, I got Netflix. My little sisters and bro have been excitedly watching as much as they can on it. TvT)

My fluffy chicken died... 😔

Instead of sadness, I just thought of Dungeon Meshi all night. HAH! Take THAT, depression!

So in traditional CandyThePuppy fashion... apparently ...I got no sleep last night, or, yesterday?

Point is I've been flying in planes again and I'm almost home!

(Ironic thing is I'm really good at sleeping on planes, cars, trains, busses, whatever. I got way better sleep on the planes themselves than the night prepping for them.)

Kidding about the emotionless self, mostly. Though it does feel like it most of the time, I noticed just how much I was thinking about all the chocolates I'd brought for my little sisters on one of the flights, and I said to myself, 'boy you sure do sound excited about seeing everyone again.' ... Proceeded to shed tears over realizing just how excited I was to see everyone, which meant realizing just how much I'd missed everyone. So that emotion hit me like a stack of bricks. You see, 🙏 I simply process my emotions a little differently.

The toilet paper is so much softer here. ^-^ (I use it for tissue so my nose is very happy)

Big sister move: just taught one of my little sisters how to make crepes. The next morning I woke up to my sisters making crepes with their friends, who slept over. (Our house is often overrun with strange children.) They gave me some crepes in exchange for the chocolate they needed for 'em.

talking to my bro btw:

Yehhhh, sorry guys. I've been a little burnt-out writing fanfics lately, so I've taken a break to work on my own original works. So far in this one comic we're ten, very dense, pages of drafting in. It's gunna be a REALLY long first chapter. Either that, or I'll have to split it into multiple parts later. Still wanna draft all I can now before pulling out that sweet 3D Blender rig I spent a whole day trying, failing, failing, failing, failing, sorta succeeding to customize/prep. It's for posing reference btw.
It's not like I'm gunna become an expert artist overnight, so naturally I am using what skills and resources I already have to assist. Will keep you lot up to date if you're at all interested in that.

I've just been sending these two friends of mine bald/otherwise supremely cursed images/gifs/vids of Sukuna for like... two weeks now. Ever since we met up at a cafe and they came out as Sukuna simps to me. Both were thoroughly surprised to hear I did not share in that sentiment. I think I have gone insane as well. Just today, I ranked all the S2E40-13:05 Sukuna laughs via different dubs.
|
Personal Favorites Ranking (not counting the voices themselves, just the laugh):
1. French (creepy after effects eehee)
2. English (menacing)
3. Italian (cute)
4. Japanese (amazing, honestly; it would be #1 if I didn't think the others were cuter)
5. Latin Spanish (malicious)
6. German (pat pat, cute but no)
7. Spanish (pfff)
8. Russian (he tried lol)
9. Portuguese (meh)
Watch from 9 to 1 and see if you agree~
I swear, I was originally being constructive with my time. I was studying fight choreography. 😆
(And when I say "cute" in his context, I mean that feeling of watching a toddler trip and fall.)

I finally finished Monster, guys. TvT
(I honestly wish I had seen it before writing this fanfic. Woulda helped me with the themes and morals of this book a LOT. But, oh well. This fanfic may be a bit messy, but, pff, I sure ain't cleaning it up!)
😭 Grimmer, my beloved. ❤️
(I don't wanna spoil anything, but... FJEJFBSJBFJFJJDKWJFODBFSJF)
=====================

(As much as I hate ai art I gotta admit these pics I found suit y/n pretty well. It's all just gender-bent Gojo lol)

(sooo... I may have forgotten how to write... 👉👈)

     Wait... So.. you didn't just teleport to your bed in the middle of the night..? No? You... You're still here...on the floor...staring at Kai sleeping next to you...

. . .

     DANG IT, WRITER!!!

     Laying on your side, you pondered exactly how to move without stirring the other awake. After all, it would be far more awkward if he woke at the same time. Had to admit, though, it was hard to take your eyes off of him. The guy's mask had fallen off in his sleep, allowing him to drool on the blanket. Yet, somehow he still looked, almost..graceful?? It was hard to explain how such a thing was even real. He was snoring, but his snores were so soft and quiet?? Is he some kind of Disney Princess or something?! HOW?

     You shrunk yourself down with the intention to get up without making a noise, but the act of shrinking made the floor boards creak a little. With rounded, mellon-like eyes, you stared at the man shifting and groaning, beginning to wake. Slowly, the man opened his eyes, which dragged up to stare at you. "Huh?" Your face paled. Drats! It's too late!! "Why arrre..?" He glanced at the blanket he lay on, then you, then the drool ridden blanket, then you. His face paled. "Ack!" He sat up at once, wildly wiping drying spit off his face. "####, where's my mask?" He found it only after getting up, the pathetic little thing having been squashed under him in his sleep. "####." He loosely held a hand over his mouth but didn't dare touch his face again, already regretting doing so earlier. "I'm going to take a shower." He announced out loud, not to anyone in particular.

     By this point you'd already stood and brushed yourself off. Pointing at the stain on the blanket, "Heeeh, do you usually drool like that?"

     "No."

     "Lil baby man. Do I need to get you some baby food again?"

     "That desperate to make fun of me, eh? I already know that's how you deflect when uncomfortable."

     "He-heyy!"

     Kai turned around. "And don't-"

     "-Hey!" You yipped, forcing his attention back on you.

     The man sighed and looked over his shoulder.. down a little. "What?"

     "You're... pretty." You, glaring at the floor, spat out like it was supposed to be an insult.

     . . . "O.. okay...?" He turned stiffly to leave without saying anything else. You couldn't blame him. It was weird enough that you actually complimented him. And You're fairly notorious for never complimenting someone's appearance like that! Aghagagagagag!

THUD...

     "Wh....what was that?"

     Both you and Kai crossed the living room and pried open the sliding door. You peeked outside, his head over yours since you were still small. Just barely, between a building and a tree, you saw the front gate laying on the ground completely decimated. "Where is Little Master!? Why are you keeping me from Little Master?!" Three of Kai's toughest guys were wrestling against Machia. Your gasp came out more as a sigh.

     You pat Kai's back. "Go ahead and take that shower. I've got this."

     "Okay." Not even doubting you, the man casually skibidi'd to the toilet. You walked in the opposite direction; stepping outside toward the giant.

     You rose your hands and waved them slowly while approaching. "Hey!" Getting everyone's attention. "Let the big guy go, alright?" It took a lot of confidence and sheer aUrA to get the three to back off. Once Machia was free, he smiled big and ran to you. He skidded to a halt. You let him pet your head.

     "Hmhm, how did you find me, big guy?"
        "Uhhh, you know this thing?"
     "Shh!"

     "I followed Little Master across countryside!"

     "Ohhh, and where have you been this whole time, then?"

     "I've been...lost..."

     You pat the side of the large one's jaw. "I'm sorry about that... really. ... Uhh, I guess we need to make a new home for you, huh?" You turned to the group that had gathered. "Hey do we have a place to put this guy??"

     Sighing, Hari in his PJs approached while shaking his head disapprovingly. "Housing this behemoth will be more trouble than it's worth."

     Whispering, "Can't we, like, let him live in the tunnels? *gasp* He can be an extra form of security!!"

     Hari rubbed his face. "That could work, but... Hhh.. I'll talk to the boss about it."

     "Okay," turning to Machia. "Until we have found you a new home, stay right here!"

Thump.

     The giant sat down to wait for further instruction.

     "Thank you! I'll go get you some food! You must be hungry!"

     By the time you returned to the house, Kai was fresh out of the shower. "What was that about?" He asked.

     "One of my dad's experiments got loose and tracked me down. It's okay, though. I'm thinking he can be useful to us as a guardian of the underground or something."

     "Sounds fancy." He leaned to peek through the cracked open door, catching another glance at the giant. "Yeah. He could be useful I suppose." He turned to look at you. "Anyway-"

     "-Wait a minute did I see that right?" You cracked a smile, watching him closely as you grew back to your normal height. You shrunk, grew, shrunk, grew.

     "What are you doing-?"

     "-I get it now!!"

     "Get what?"

     "You're into smaller chics~"

     "Wh??"

     "Every time I shrink, your eyes dilate a little!" You shrunk again, grin borderline mischievous. "No wonder you treat me a little differently when I'm small~"

     The man slowly covered his eyes with his hand, casually, making it not look like you'd just caught-on to something. "Or..maybe my pupils shrink when you're tall because it's weird and I don't like it." He probably meant "intimidating," but whatever.

     "Hmmm," scratching your chin "yeah, I guess that's also likely."

     "Honestly, why are you even studying me like that? It's creepy."

     Stepping back, "Sorry sorry!"

     Rubbing his forehead, "Please don't tell me you're actually catching feelings for me now."

     "I- I'm NOT!" Your face flushed red from the mere thought of catching feelings for someone. Laughing awkwardly, you shuffled to your bedroom and locked the door behind you. You flopped onto your bed and groaned loudly. "So this is what I get for being brave, opening my mouth, and complimenting someone... They immediately think I'm flirting..." After rolling around a few times, you rocked back onto your feet. "I'll show him you don't need to have feelings for someone to compliment them! I'm gunna compliment every g##d### person I know!"

==================
My uncle: European, just tried to teach me: American, how to work a grill. He almost burnt his whole garden down while I sat back like, "yeah, I don't think you're supposed to do that." I'd given up correcting him after he pulled out the candle wax.
==================
----------

     Problems arose when you realized school wouldn't be starting for another couple days, so you'd have to track your victims down individually.

Knock knock knock

     Tenko, the clump of blankets on the couch, sat up to squint at the front door. "Who da what da?"

Knock knock knock

     He looked left and right, but no one else was awake or in the room. "Hhhh, alright alright!.. Early!" He hobbled over, the blankets dripping off of him one after another, until he arrived at and pried open the front door. "Yeah?"

     You leaned in, closely inspecting your childhood friend's swollen eyes and pimply face. Tenko leaned back, eyes bulging. "(Y/n)?? Is everything alright?? How's Kai?"

     "Hmmmm..." You rubbed your chin. "You have..."

     "Wh-what?? Covid?!"

     "Cute cheeks!"

     "...What?"

     "Dimples! I mean." Standing up straight, you cleared your throat. "I realized I'm REALLY bad at complimenting people's appearances, so I hope you don't mind using you guys for practice."

     Tenko turned away, partially covering his face. "No.. I don't mind."

     "Wh's'gn'on'ou'ere...?" Iguchi dragged his feet into the living room. You entered the room and, holding your hands together behind your back, leaned in real nice and close to Iguchi. He froze.

     "You have very nice eyes." You remarked before leaving him alone. The scaly one was rather dazed and especially confused after that. ...Whu?

     From there, you visited Himiko, (Y/n)2, and Jin to play the same complimenting game before heading to the HPSC for work.

     "Hmmm..." You rubbed your chin while staring at Hawks. He was catching on by this point, you having been standing like that in the lounge room for a couple minutes now.

     "...Was it something I said? I'm sorry for yesterday."

     "No... I'm trying to come up with a good compliment for you..." Mumbling, your squint intensified.

     The blond's blush lasted only three frames before fading away again. He set his jacket down on a folding chair and turned on the big light in the center of the room on. "✨Let me make it easier for you.✨" He gracefully rose into the air, letting some of his feathers flutter down slowly like flower petals. All while posing and playing up a borderline seductive smile.

(Sorry. Forgot to mention I've also been watching and am one episode away from finishing Ouran Highschool Host Club as well. 😅 I like to watch two anime at a time of vastly different genres so at any given time I can choose to laugh or lock-in.)

     You rubbed your chin harder, brows knitting closer together. "No, that makes it even harder, actually."

     Chuckling, the elder landed. "How come?"

     "First of all, you're a little too perfect. I mean, looks-wise you're bordering godlike!.. When I compliment someone, I want to point something out that isn't super generic sounding like 'nice hair,' 'nice shoes,' etc etc. It's harder to do that when you can't see any flaws to begin with." You, genuinely annoyed, accidentally just gave Keigo the biggest compliment in his life! And coming from you too?!

     He squeezed his eyes shut and covered his heart with both hands, saving himself from a potential heart attack. "That's... That's very kind of you?" He wheezed.

     "Woah, are you okay, man? Getting a little pale there."

     "I'm...fine." He was too busy playing your compliments on repeat to listen to what the present you was saying anymore.

     After tripping over your words trying to explain yourself, you finally stopped talking and frowned. Yeah, he was clearly ignoring you. Shaking a little too. Was he okay?? Cardiac arrest or something??

     You placed your hand on his shoulder and leaned in close, forcing him to look you in the eyes. "I know~! Your eyeliner makes you look super cute! Like a baby bird~"

     He stared at you wide-eyed for a few seconds, head empty. His whole head turned a bright cherry red. Then, Keigo's balance began to falter. He looked down as you caught him, panicked whispering under his breath. "What is it? Spring?? Whssg'ng'on?!"

     You helped the elder stabilize himself, starting to genuinely worry a little. "Oh no.. Is it allergies?? Migraine?? Uhh- uhh!"

    "No I'm fine!" Swatting you away now. His balance returned, the man walked away from you, fanning his face with a few feathers. "I'm fine, really. Just.." He plopped down into the nearest chair, leaning back as far as he could. He stared at the ceiling. "Didn't know you had it in ya to come-on so strong!"

     You tilted your head. One. Two. Three. You stood stiff as a board and blushed. "Oh, you thought I was flirting!?!" You bowed several times. "Sorry sorry sorry! I- I didn't mean it like that at all!" Laughing nervously now, "I'm ac-ac-actually trying to figure out how to compliment people without coming off as flirtatious right now!! Eheheheh, as you can see.. I'm failing."

     Still staring at the ceiling, the hero sighed. "I'm not sure there even is a way to do that! It really all depends on where you stand with whoever's being complimented..." The weightlessness in his chest came crashing down, even feeling a little heavy now, but he couldn't place why.

     This made you think... If it really all had to do with where you stand with someone, then why was his immediate thought that you were flirting?? Oh no... He better not start catching feelings for you.

     You decided to clear some things up for the future of your friendship/business relationship. "Ehheh.. yeah. I'm...actually not the romantic type. You- you don't have to worry about any flirting coming from me! Unless it's purposefully to tease someone, I've never really seen the point in it."

     "Huh?" Sitting up. "Did I hear that right? Not interested in romance whatsoever??.. That's weird."

     "I guess in the grand scheme of things, yeah. But to me it's pretty normal."

     Now leaning forward, Hawks half smirked at you. "Wait, so you've never even had a crush on anyone??" You shook your head vehemently. "Fascinating... ... Eh." He leaned back again, crossing one leg over the other. "You probably just haven't found the right guy yet~"

     You wheezed. "Though that might be the case, I highly doubt it." You did, after all, live to eighteen twice now with the same results regarding romance. Ignoring ancient traumas, it just wasn't interesting to you. Never was. As far back as you could remember, that was the case.

     You straightened your jacket, turning to the exit. "So, um, I'm going to meet with my sidekicks now and give them a proper introduction... You good?"

     "Yeah. Just...give me a minute." You nodded and left. Once he couldn't hear your footsteps anymore, the guy slapped to cover his blushing face. "Ghh! Why does she have to be so nhi-ice?! 'Hate that woman! Maybe if she stepped on me I wouldn't- wait that sounds weird."

-----

     All the way down on the first floor of the HPSC was a private waiting room/lounge of sorts, separate from the lobby. Your sidekicks-to-be were all casually chatting over some tea and coffee. When you entered, all sets of eyes landed on you but one. The one outlier went out of their way even to lower their head and flip a hood over their hair. You didn't care enough to use Sight to see who it was. Most likely the sidekick Mr. Schlatt picked was just extra shy.

     Opposite of shy, an oldest in the group bounced from the couches everyone was sitting at and held his arms out in a showy manner. "Hey hey heyyy~! We finally meet in person!" Oh... It's Schlatt. He looked... Yeah pretty much exactly how you expected him to look. Short brown hair that extended to greying lamb-chops (or whatever) that framed his face. His dad-bod shape was visible through the black suit and red tie, adding to the overall chummy appearance. What you weren't expecting were the two ram horns growing out of his head. "Wow, we really are the same height!" He said while wrapping an arm around your shoulder, forcing you to lower your stance to compensate. You gave him the most passive aggressive side eye while waiting for him to let go. This man smelled strongly of axe deodorant and walnuts. When he finally did let go, it was so he could gesture your sidekicks closer. Appeared he was struggling to communicate any other way than to wave his arms around. The three stood up, two of whom you already recognized. The third was still mostly hidden in a grayish blue hoodie.

     Gesturing to the mysterious figure, "Who's that?" You asked in English.

     "Well," Mr. Schlatt had to stop himself to chuckle. "since you were being so cooperative earlier, I thought I'd reward you with a team member I knew you'd really get along with."

     Smirking, Hokusei tore down his hood.

     You didn't react at first. You stared dumbly, switching between Schlatt and Hoku. Once the realization settled in. "I see you have a little buddy now." You said in English, noting how the two of them grinned at you the exact same way: very mischievous; fangs showing.

     Schlatt slid his arm around Hoku's back. "Yes yes. He even calls me his third dad now!"

     "Mh. Yeah I can see the resemblance." 'Secret love child?' It was here that you remembered your little game of the day. Could you...maybe exclude the two most annoying people on the planet? No? Sigh. "Mr. Schlatt." Staring coldly at the two. "Nice horns."

     "Thanks! Grew them myself!" He knocked on one, the sound similar to wood.

     "And, Hoku," Glaring at the being of malice, "you'll be a useful asset to the team." You ignored the urge to argue, as that would only make things worse. If Schlatt was really as stubborn and petty as Hoku, then there really was no getting out of this... You passed by the two, approaching the other, kinder figures. As you passed, you growled something to the slightly taller young man. "Just remember that I'M the one in charge." He returned with nothing but a stern side eye. What you expected. Standing face-to-face with Tezuka and Ito, you explained to them in Japanese the gist of what all that glaring was about. They weren't surprised one bit, already knowing rather well about yours and Hokusei's toxic rivalry.

     As you pulled the sidekicks aside and showed them their own designated changing stations, those sour feelings toward Schlatt continued to fester. You doubted he knew anything about why the two of you hated each other. He, just like Hoku, had no intention other than to get on your nerves.

     Hhhh... Please tell me this is a joke.

----------

     Hawks was strangely quiet today. Maybe he was letting you get acquainted to your new sidekicks in training..? No. He was a little too selfish for that. Not in the bad way, necessarily, but he had a habit of calling you over the coms several times a day to talk to you about whatever random crap was on his mind. Today, however, he wasn't bugging you or your team.

     Hokusei was surprisingly cooperative. He wasn't being unprofessional in the slightest. For the most part, he simply didn't talk. Made him out as the silent brooding type. He wasn't really that; he was actually quite loud when provoked. But, so far...

     Why was he even here?

     After walking your guys around a few blocks to get them acquainted with the area, you pulled a Keigo and invited them to eat with you at the nearest KFC for lunch. You'd already given Ito and Tezuka their respective compliments, so there was nothing specific you had in mind to say to anyone.

     The four of you sat for a moment in awkward silence. Hokusei was receiving the cold shoulder from just about everyone. There was no denying he didn't fit quite right into your small team. There were a lot of things everyone at the table wanted to say, but, out of keeping the peace, no one said a word.

     You easily ate most of the chicken at the table, which was a lot. Everyone at school knew you as the big eater already, so you were happy not needing to explain yourself. Part of your excessive eating today was to keep yourself from looking Hoku in the eyes and saying something rude.

     It was fairly obvious Hoku was here for no other reason than to ruin your general mood. He knew by now his mere presence could make your life miserable, and he was banking on that very fact. But, again, at least he cared enough about his own reputation not to make a scene and act unprofessionally. It was bothersome how one person could get so deeply under your skin; how genuinely you wanted to put an end to this guy just so you wouldn't have to see his stupid face again. Half the time, you couldn't even remember why you were so angry at him. But it was so deeply ingrained by this point that merely sensing his presence was enough to tick you off...

     "I'm... Going to the bathroom." Tezuka stood from the table.

     "Yeah! Me too!" Ito followed, leaving you and Hoku in your uncomfortable silence.

     Shoving another chicken strip into your mouth, "You know, you could just as easily start working for Endeavor. At least then you'd be closer to Tenk-"

     "-Thhhh, there's no point." Jabbing a few fries with his fork. Hokusei dipped them in ranch before shoving them into his mouth. "I'm over him."

     "Suure, sure."

     "I'm serious!" Stabbing more fries. "I shoulda taken the hint years ago, but I didn't. As much as I hate to admit it, you were right. He never saw me as anymore than a friend... I can't even be his friend now, so, I'm moving on... I'll worry about love and stuff after I'm a big-shot like All Might was."

     "You sure you shouldn't do some therapy first?"

     "That's rich coming from you."

     "Oh please! What do you even know about me?"

     "I know you're a two-faced b####." He stared down while dipping his fries. 

     "GHHH! You're the same thing!"

     "Yeah but at least I acknowledge it and want to leave!" Glaring across the table at you now. "Listen, do you think I like my underground job?? Do you think I wanted to be adopted by villains?? No! I wanted to be just like All Might!" He leaned his back against the bench and stared out the window. "Hhhhh... This whole time, I've been trying to get better, using Ten as an example, and eventually crawl out of the shadow life I'm in... What have you done? From what I've seen and heard at least, you don't even care. Worse, you keep digging yourself deeper and deeper into the criminal life..."

     Sipping your drink, "...I'm in the process of flipping the underworld. Pretty soon, it'll be a source of good as well."

     "Tshhhh, give me a f-ing break." He groaned. "The underworld is the underworld for a reason. You can't just join em and expect to make everyone else good! No... What's really happening is they're dimming your light without you even realizing it. You're not making them better. They're making you worse. You start to excuse all kinds of things you never did before, fooling yourself into believing you're making a difference. Trust me. I've seen it happen already... People who keep thinking they can play hero by jumping into the black hole stupidly thinking they won't be consumed by it... Take my dads for example... Nice as they can be, I've personally watched them sell their morals for profit time and time again. All while they think they're doing some good for the world."

     You rolled your eyes. "You don't know me. You don't know how much I've already accomplished. How many lives I've already changed for the better. Indirectly, I'd have to say I've saved at least fifty, maybe even a hundred thousand people." This was if you added up all the would-be victims of Tomura, his accomplices, and Humarise.

     "And what was the price?"

     "I-- ... It's none of your business."

     "I don't get it." Hokusei shook his head. "You're always so nice to everyone else, even other people in the underworld... I've never seen you treat another person the same way you do me. Why is that?"

     "Because you're f-ing annoying?"

     "Or is it just because you finally have someone you can be a demon to without suffering any consequences? You have no reason to be nice to me, after all. It wouldn't benefit you in any way. So is that it? You just excited to have someone you can be your true self with??"

     "Tch! No!"

     "Then why?!"

     "Because-!... B-..."

     Hokusei stared, mockingly curious about what your answer might be. "?"

     "You really need to shut up." You stood and left the table. You held your hands behind your neck to cool yourself off while you exited the building. A cool breeze teasing the change of seasons severed your mind from the dispute.

     Your thoughts shifted to what to get Toga for her upcoming birthday. For over a month now, you've been trying to acquire some accurate measurements for her clothes, but You2's been slow about responding. You've been hoping to order a fancy kimono for the girl in all her favorite colors, but that may just have to be put off for another year...

     Ghhh, and what was wrong with Keigo today?? Did you hurt his feelings or something? Did you need to apologize? If so, then for what??

     See. These are the kinds of thoughts only a good person would have. No dEMoN would care so personally about their friends. No demon would--

     Hhh, give it a break. He was right.

     By the time your mind had accepted it, you'd wandered into a small park. You sat down at one of the benches, questioning every relationship you've been in thus far.

Chloe: You really only became her friend because she wouldn't stop bothering you in your past life.

Tenko: You only became his friend to take his quirk and steer him down a better path.

Jin: You befriended him for the same reason. And after your job was up, you left. What a great and loyal friend you turned out to be. Even now, you have no desire to deepen your friendship with him. Bitter it may be.

Kai: Your reasoning for sticking with him was a little more complicated. You never cared to "fix" him simply because you were so sure of how impossible it would be. Until maybe a year ago, you were perfectly fine with killing him if he ever showed clear signs of repeating canon. But, your only reason for sticking around so long's because the Shie Hassaikai became a base of sorts. A safe place to bunker down and weather out the worst of your emotional storms. You grew more attached to the location and atmosphere itself than the people who lived there.

Toga: Cute as she may be, your biggest concern wasn't her feelings as much as it was keeping her dangerous tendencies under control.

Izuku: Though he genuinely was a joy to be around, you only cared to mentor and befriend the kid because he was supposed to be the main character with an impressive future ahead of him. Now, though, that future wasn't so certain, and you were starting to lose interest. Especially now that you've been banned from speaking to him.

     And every minor character as well. Villains, heroes, classmates. You always had a reason to act friendly toward them, to draw them to your side. But, how much did you really care about them as people?

     Not to mention, you've killed people in the past and didn't have a problem with it, felt nothing from it, or even made a joke out of it!... That's.. not normal.

     Sitting, leaning over your lap, elbows on your knees, you held your head and whined aloud.

     WAS this normal... or were you just as corrupt as your old man AFO? Were you just as heartless, but were simply a master of lying to yourself about it?

     Who...are you, exactly? And how would you really treat someone if you knew there was nothing to gain from being nice?

     You grew up in a home where your abusive mother would calmly smile and wave to a friend shortly after hurting you, like nothing happened. She could lie her way out of any sense of guilt, then convince everyone around her that you were lying or exaggerating about your treatment. All with a soul-sucking smile on her face... And everyone believed her.

     Then, in your next life, you grew up with a father much the same. Except this time, you were the target of his lies. Even now, you struggle to pick apart lies from truth. Chloe, someone you were so sure you could trust, lied much the same. Together they expertly fooled you into a false sense of security. For over a decade, you thought you were safe as long as they were around.

     That's why there's nothing in this world you hate more than a liar, a fake. You'd rather the truth, even if it hurts!

     ...To think there's even a chance you've become that liar, that fake, that two-faced manipulator..? Makes you want to throw up.

...

     It took about an hour for the others to find you. You pretended like it was all apart of some elaborate test by scolding them for not using their trackers sooner; something you had yet to teach them about. There was a sense in the air that your reasoning went beyond a silly test, but, no one was willing to question it. Not even Hokusei.

     After that, things settled into a more casual rhythm. You walked the streets, continued the tour, and even saved an old lady from getting run over. Nothing exciting happened today, but that was a good thing.

     Why were you...so obsessed with complimenting people earlier today? You already forgot. What emotion even spurred on such a challenge? Was it pride?

---------------

     "I'm home..." You called softly through the door as you entered. There was no one. Not even a rando sitting on the couch watching TV. You sighed and drudged in to the direction of your bedroom. You had a lot of reading to catch up on anyways.

     In the hall, Kai appeared coming the opposite way. Hands in his pockets, he took notice of your gloomy face. "Why so depressed?"

     "Nothing." Biting your tongue. Not like you could explain it to anyone anyway: this sickening feeling in your gut.

     "Have you had dinner yet?"

     "Not hungry."

     Kai grabbed your gloved hand with his own while passing, tugging you to turn around and follow him. "What did Ms. Yamashi tell you about skipping meals?" You remained silent as you turned and followed his lead. He was actually surprised by your lack of spunk. All the more reason to help.

     Turns out the guys here had finished dinner not too long ago. There were still plenty of warm leftovers waiting for you. Kai ensured you grab a substantial portion.

     "I'll eat in my roo-" Your empty hand was grabbed again. This time, you were led to the living room. Your heart was beating in painful patterns by the time you were gestured to take a seat, the elder passing the small table to sit across from you. You sat stiffly, plate of food resting on your lap. The man across from you got comfortable leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

     He stared intently at you. "Pretend I'm your therapist."

     "Pff!" You caught yourself before accidentally spilling food everywhere. "You??"

     The man intertwined his fingers. "I have been studying my therapist for a while now. I think I can handle it."

     "I'm fine, I'm fine!"

     "Since when were you ever fine?"

     "...Fair point." You poked around at your food, trying and failing to stir up an appetite. "...I complimented a lot of people today." It was the only thing you could openly say to him.

     "You...? Okay..?"

     "See? Complimenting your appearances doesn't mean I have feelings for you!" Sticking one pointer finger up. "A wise man told me it moreso has to do with how the receiver accepts the compliment, whether it was flirty or not!.. Orrrr, something like that."

     "So... You're saying I have feelings for you?"

     Pointing at him, "Yess!" Wait, no.

     "No, I don't. At least not- nevermind."

     "No no, do go on."

     "Can we maybe change the subject back to you?"

     "Na-ah." You were glad it was on him now.

     "-_-"

     "Okay okay how about this? Why don't you just tell me what goes on in your head when you see a pretty woman? Do you even think anything??"

     Rubbing his cranium, "Why did you have to make this about me?"

     "I'll eat while you talk."

     "Hhh..." The man dragged his hand down his face. "In case you're wondering, no, I don't usually think about nor am I drawn to women. When I see a 'pretty' woman, I can appreciate their appearance, but I have no interest in actually approaching them. It's more like passing by a nice painting I suppose." You listened with fascination while you ate.

     After swallowing, "Oh my gosh, me too!"

     The man chuckled. "But with men, right?"

     "And men, yeah! Some of them are just so prettttty! I could stare at them for hours!"

     "Tsch!" Kai covered his masked mouth with his hand, stifling a laugh. "..I've never heard you talk like that before."

     "Well it's hard to without coming across as the weird romantic type." You smiled sheepishly. "But you understand me, right??"

     "Yeah... I do." He diverted his gaze toward the kitchen, where the only light source resided. You fixated on the mountain of food left to conquer. "So.. you went around complimenting everyone today. What were you trying to prove, exactly."

     You shrugged, mouth half full. "I dunno." Took another bite. "Didn't want you to think-"

     "-Please chew first."

     "Sorry." Moment of silence while you finished chewing. "I didn't want you to think I was flirting with you earlier... Being honest, I don't really like it when people automatically assume I have those kinds of feelings for them. It complicates things. Makes me uncomfortable."

     "Got it. I'll try not to bring it up again."

     "Awwe, thanks~"

     "It's not hard to imagine why so many would jump to that conclusion. You really do spoil people with your kindness."

     Your chewing slowed. All flavor drained from your mouth. After swallowing, you set the chopsticks down and stared at the now bland dish. Your head dropped so much a shadow covered your face. "...I'm not a good person. Not one bit... I'm suited for Hell.. and I've known that for years, but..." Your arms started to shake a little. "...I always hoped I could do as much good as possible before I die.. so at the very least my life would have a positive impact on the world. But..." Your throat tightened up, eyes stinging. "I'm beginning to wonder if it's better I just go to Hell now.. before I hurt anymore people..." What new level of weak was this?? Letting the idiot Hoku's words get to you like this??

     Kai held his breath. Your face was locked with the carpet, refusing to move for fear of triggering the waterworks. "...Who put this idea in your head?"

     "Nobody. I was just thinking... I'm a lot like my dad, ya know? I'm nice to those who are useful to me and mean to those who aren't. Heck, I've killed people without feeling anything! I'm a psychopath, just like him! I--!" Slippered feet entered your view, then the creaking of wood sounded ahead of you. You were scared to look up, even though you knew perfectly well this was just Kai getting a little closer, sitting on the small table.

     "Hey. Look at me."

     "No.."

     "Hey!" He grabbed your chin, forcing you to look up at him. His face was so close and intense it was hard not to look him in the eyes! "You are not a Psychopath. You are not your father, or your mother."

     "We-we-well, ya-yeah, not literally!"

     "You want me to tell you what my therapist has been telling me for almost three years now?"

     "Wh-what?"

     "You're broken. Broken but not beyond repair." Just as soon as he released your chin, you were staring down at the plate of food again. He gently removed the plate from your lap and set it down on the coffee table beside him, then grabbed and held both your hands. "...I'm an actual Psychopath.. so take it from me. You're not one of us..."

     "How did you know?"

     "I'm not stupid."

     "Ah..."

     The whole room was quiet, save for the drum thumping in your chest. You wondered just how long he planned to hold your hands like this.

     "Want to know what it's really like being me?"

     "Hm?"

     "This morning, for example, I mistook joy for anger. I ended up making a fool of myself, because..." The man cleared his throat and adjusted his mask. "You've been so kind to me, I don't know how to process it. You...sit.. and listen to me. And-and you want to hang out with me and you genuinely want to see me succeed. I... Hehhh. Gah, I'm so pathetic."

     You stared up at him now, wide eyed. "N- no, it's okay! I found out today I'm not the best at complimenting people either."

     "No, it's more than that... Did you notice my missed calls?"

     "Hm??" You tore your hands free and grabbed your phone. The man stood up and started sliding the table away. You gasped, seeing there were at least ten missed calls! "Ohh my gosh! I am so sorry! I was so busy today, I-!"

     "-Thh, it's okay." Pushing the small table a good ways away, the man chuckled. "Mind shrinking a little bit?"

     "Um... Sure?" After shrinking, you checked your texts for any more clues. "Why did you call so much??"

     "I was hoping to setup something nice. Maybe a dinner or something."

     "Um... Why?" The moment you looked up from your phone, the room went dead silent.

     Kai was down on one knee, offering you a diamond ring from within a small black box. Your entire body locked-up. Joints stiff and face pale.

     "I- I know we're already engaged..." The man cleared his throat. "But..." He stared down at the ring, a hint of regret, or perhaps worry, in his eyes. "I did a little thinking of my own today and... If I had to marry anyone...I'd want it to be you."

     "..."

     Kai's cheeks darkened a little as he glanced back down at the ring. "You were right about me thinking you're cuter when you're smaller... You're just more.. approachable that way. I don't know how to explain it. I don't think this is romantic attraction I am feeling, exactly. I just couldn't think of a better way to show my appreciation for-"

     "-Does it fit?"

     "Huh?"

     "The ring."

     "Oh." He extended the box your way. "I tried my best, but, let's find out."

     Your arms were shaky as you reached out and grabbed the ring. Never in a million years did you expect anyone to propose to you! You couldn't even process your feelings at the moment. It was all so sudden. You decided that if the ring fit, you would keep it.

     The ring fit perfectly. Your eyes widened even more once it was on, seemingly shocked awake. "How-how did you know my ring size and everything?!"

     "It was a huge guessing game; a little help from my quirk."

     "Wow..." You rose your hand over your head to observe the diamonds in the distant kitchen light. You snapped, suddenly staring bug eyed at the man still on one knee. "Wait, how much did this thing cost?!"

     Kai covered his mouth, muffling the wheeze that slipped out. Looking you in the eyes again, "Don't worry about it." He smiled. It was clear in the way his eyes tightened. Didn't take long for that smile to drop. "What's wrong?"

     You brutally failed to hold your composure. The waterworks came and you were an absolute mess. "I- I mean are you sure?! I can repay you if you want! This ring looks really expensive an-an-an I know you're not the richest man in the world! Ho-how about I repay you in jobs?! Yeah, I'll kill whoever you need out of the way!" All while drowning in tears.

     Kai cupped your left hand with the ring finger in both of his own. Bet he liked his hands being so much bigger than yours now. "Weren't you just worrying about your loss of morals earlier?.. No, you don't need to repay me. This is standard ritualistic stuff. Now would you please calm down?? Someone's gunna run in here thinking someone died!"

     "You're right, you're right." You sniffled, wiping your face with your free hand. "It's just that I don't usually get gifts like this... Sorry for overreacting."

     The man rolled his eyes. "It IS an engagement ring... I'd hope this would be the only one you've received."

     You laughed softly. "No, actually, there was a boy in kindergarten who proposed to me with his mother's stolen ring."

     "Kindergarten??"

     "Crazy, right?!"

     "And here I thought I was ahead of the curve.."

     "Ahahah!" You laughed. It was a little different than usual. It was untamed, unpracticed, and embarrassingly girly.

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Chat, I was NOT expecting that!

😔 I'm sorry, guys. I used to write a LOT of romance, because that's what gets the Wattpad girlies to click, so it's hard not to fall into the tropes. Like a bad habit.

At least nobody's rioting in the streets so far.

Kinda love the chaos that is Kai and Y/n not knowing how to process and express their emotions. They do some of the wackiest things. 🤣 Just a couple'a idiots running around in circles screeching about feelings.

This whole book is just me slowly realizing I can't write s###.
============

Three Weeks Later:

     Iguchi's feet scraped to a halt. Hands in his pockets, he craned his neck to peer over his shoulder. "Let's take the shortcut." Turning in to the alleyway. Hokusei leaned to peek at the dingy, dark alley.

     "You sure it's worth it?"

     Iguchi had a stern look in his eyes, glaring over his shoulder. "Tenko's already at the cafe. Waste anymore time and he may just leave before you get the chance to say your peace." Iguchi's behavior was different today. Unlike usual, there was actual malice in him. It made Hoku worry his situation with Tenko was a whole lot worse than he thought.

     In all honesty, he wasn't 100% sure why he was here... Kinda sad how all it took was a small chance at redemption for him to come crawling back. And under such strange circumstances too... He thought Tenko was too busy working for Endeavor now to bother seeing him.

     A while into their walk down the cramped, dark, dirty place, Hoku opened his mouth. "Hey, so when does this alley end?" He has the strange, creeping feeling he was being watched.

     "Heard you became one of (Y/n)'s sidekicks."

     "Ughh. Yeah. She's annoying to be around, but she's a decent enough leader and's good at her job."

     "If you hate her so much, why'd you join her??"

     Hokusei shrugged. "To annoy her I guess."

     Iguchi stopped in his tracks. "Does 'Death Angel' ring a bell?" Hokusei froze. His expression was all the animorph needed. Iguchi reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. Hokusei jumped back but was unable to escape in time. A bullet bit his back and knocked him to the ground. But, he wasn't dead. Wasn't even bleeding!

     Hoku grunted, pushing up to his knees. "The crap, man!?!"

     "If I'd known you were the heir of Japan's biggest drug syndicate when we first met, I would have killed you on the spot!"

     On his knees, the brunette stuck up his hands. "Please, please! I- I can explain!"

     "Explain what?! What kind of excuse could you make to explain that you're not only a drug lord, but are also directly working with Japan's most dangerous criminal, Death Angel, who you're actively covering up for as a sidekick as well?!"

     "It's--! I'm not really--! Wh-who are you?!"

     Stepping back, "The name's Spinner."

     "Ough!" Someone fell on Hoku's back, knocking him down. In a hurry Hoku grabbed the one pinning him's knee. But, his quirk didn't activate. "What??" He hoarsed. The stranger shoved his head into the ground and stabbed his muscle between the shoulder and neck. Mere seconds after the blade retracted, Hokusei lost all ability to fight back. Laying limply, he glared at the classmate now towering over him.

     "I'm one of the only ones around here who's willing to do the dirty jobs.. by taking out trash like you."

     Hokusei's whole body was numb, unable to even hyperventilate. His eyes shook, terror stricken to realize he'd not only been captured, but captured with the help of the very same drug his parents were distributing. Before he could even process it all, the guy on top of him placed a damp cloth over his nose and mouth, dulling his senses even more. Oh no.. he was fainting.

   "
      Take care of
                      his wounds
                after
                       this...

We         
             need
him                       
alive    
       for
the .  
        .
           .

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Y/n & Hokusei core: