Bear Familiar!Kirishima Eijirou x Mage!Reader ✧ 1.0k words
Synopsis ✧ There are many things that Kirishima finds beautiful in the winter. The way snow dusts the forest in white, the bright red of winterberries that stand out against the green leaves. But most of all, he finds that winter highlights your beauty and makes him fall in love with you even more.
Tags and Warnings ✧ No pronouns used for Reader, mage!Reader, bear shifter/familiar!Kirishima, established relationship, fluff.
Note ✧ This is dedicated to the lovely mochi nonnie that suggested I write something with cozy winter vibes! It’s been a looong while since I’ve written for Kirishima (and it’s been a while since I’ve written anything at all), so I hope it turned out okay ^u^ Thank you for reading!
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Kirishima loves the winter. He’s never bothered by the cold when he’s in his bear form with his thick fur and fat help to keep him warm, and the cold resistance carries over to his human form as well. More importantly, he likes that the cold is an excuse for you to cuddle up into him. Even though you’re a mage and could cast a warming spell over yourself, you love to sit on his back as the two of you venture out of your cabin and enter the woods, hands sinking into his warm fur as he carries you to where you want to go. If he’s in his human form—still large and broad-shouldered, and strong—he’ll wrap his arm around your shoulders and you’ll burrow into his side, leaching off of his warmth.
Winter is made even better by the snow that floats down in large and fluffy flakes, coating the world in a thick layer of pure white. It dusts treetops and makes things beautiful, and you are not exempt from this.
Kirishima loves it when you go out while it’s snowing. He’s laying on the ground in his bear form, keeping a watchful eye on you as you’re collecting winterberries. You look so bright and happy to be outside, snipping sprigs of red berries off the bushes, collecting them to decorate your home for the holidays, and to use later for certain potions.
Some snowflakes that drift downward get caught in your eyelashes and brush against your cheek, melting from the warmth of your skin and leaving behind droplets of water that sparkle in the sun. It seems to make you glow, and Kirishima wonders if the snow is able to cast a spell, because his heart thumps just a little faster and he seems to fall in love with you even more.
Synopsis: Todoroki Shoto works with his best friend to retrieve a stolen family heirloom. What better way to take back what belongs to him than to steal it back?
Yukine stared at the letter in her hands. Its golden cursive calligraphy stood out brilliantly against the pitch-black invitation card. Her eyes glossed over the text: "you have been invited to the Annual Elory Gala. Please arrive at your destination by 6 PM at the earliest. We look forward to your presence."
"We're going?" She asked as she stuffed the letter back into its white envelope. The letter was addressed to Enji, so word about his death hadn't got out yet.
Shoto nodded.
Yukine disappeared again only to reappear inside her own bedroom. She ran a nice hot bath for herself, tonight was going to be a big night she could feel it in her bones. There was no telling what would happen but she deserved to pamper herself before tonight. She may be the greatest assassin but she was still a girl who liked to take care of herself. Yukine would always tell herself: "a well-oiled machine runs smoothly."
She sank down inside the tub, water sloshed around before it stilled around her. Yukine submerged herself in the tub feeling herself go numb under the surface, the water blocked her hearing and sight. It was something she hated, it made her vulnerable and Yukine was always on guard -- even in her sleep.
Even in the tub she had two Chinese ring daggers hanging from the faucet. She broke the surface after some seconds had passed, the growing feeling of unease had brought her back up. There wasn't any threat but being underwater dulled her senses and made her uncomfortable.
Yukine finished with her bath as she usually would. Carrying her daggers with her, Yukine walked out of the bathroom in a towel wrapped around her body. Her wet hair left a trail of water behind her. She switched from a towel to a white comfortable bathrobe just before Shoto threw her bedroom doors open and walked in.
He always had impeccable timing, usually in the best way possible but right now wasn't a good example of that. He wore a classic black suit with a matching black tie around his neck.
"You still haven't told me why we're going." Yukine pulled open her closet doors and began browsing through her formal dresses. She had all sorts of clothes for every sort of event imaginable but sports and tight clothes dominated her closet because they were the best for missions.
She had fewer girly clothes but they were there for times exactly like this one.
"Remember that sapphire necklace mom used to tell us stories about?" He took a seat on the edge of her bed.
"The one stolen thirty years ago?" Yukine tossed a silver dress over her shoulder and onto the floor.
It was a necklace passed down through the Todoroki family for the men to give to the women in their lives as a sign of loyalty and eternal love. The sapphire was crystal blue like the ocean and it was said that it symbolized man's love, deep like the ocean itself. But thirty years ago, before Enji was set to marry Rei, the necklace went missing. It was stolen and Enji's parents said that was the reason their family fell apart. The loss of the necklace placed a curse on the family and it would only be lifted when the necklace was in its rightful owner's possession.
"Yeah. The one thing father could never accomplish. It's going to be there at the museum on display." Yukine turned to Shoto holding up two dresses: a black and a red one. He instantly pointed to the red one.
Yukine shoved the other dress back into her closet. "You know they won't just let us take it back." She shut the closet behind her and slipped back into the bathroom.
"It was stolen from us so naturally; we're going to steal it back. It's our family relic, an heirloom. It belongs to us." Normally they wouldn't resort to petty crimes like stealing but when a family relic was on display, they had to get it back. Shoto wanted to do the one thing his old man could never do. It would prove to him and the rest of his family that he was indeed much better than Enji ever was.
Yukine emerged from the bathroom in a red satin dress that stuck to the sides of her body. It went down her hips smoothly and then dispersed into frills near her feet. A long slit slid up the side of her right leg.
"You'll eliminate the target." Shoto stood behind her. Yukine looked back at him through the mirror of her vanity as she applied a matching red lipstick to her lips.
"Of course. Who is the target?" Shoto handed her a brown paper envelope which she assumed had all the information she needed about the target.
Impatient, Yukine tore open the top of the envelope. A paper fell out along with a headshot of her target. Yamasaki Noboru, a billionaire obsessed with stealing priceless items for his own personal collection. Yukine slipped her feet into a pair of red pumps while her eyes scanned the documents. Shoto was always good at research, his methods involved an extensive deep dive into the person's life-- anything uploaded on the internet was at his fingertips. While Yukine's research involved infield action and stalking.
The one thing Yukine didn't like about fitted dresses like the one she wore at the moment was the fact that there was never enough room to store weapons. Though she could work with the little space she had. Now all she had to do was accessorize and she was already.
The duo left the manor and slipped inside a sleek matte black Mercedes Benz. With black tinted windows that made it impossible to peer inside. Shoto drove off into the night with Yukine in the front seat.
They arrived at a large mansion, according to the invitation there would be a museum inside which would hold all sorts of relics and priceless items. The spotlights rotated on the ground and cast long beams of white into the dark sky. Shoto opened the car door for Yukine and extended his arm out to her. Her hand hooked around his before a valet driver took off with their car.
At the entrance the double white doors had been drawn open as men and women swarmed inside. Butlers stood at the front door bowing as the guests entered the house. A red velvet carpet welcomes them, the whole place felt like a royal's home and could have easily been mistaken for a palace.
The giant chandeliers dangling above their heads dispersed light throughout the room. White statues had been erected, some were full body ones and some finished at the bust but no two statues were the same. Each was more unique and intricately crafted than the last. To match with the stunning statues were giant paintings hung around in the mansion. Beautiful portraits of old villages, men, women and children as well as scenery.
A sleazy looking man approached them; his cheeks tinted a slight shade of pink. He must have gotten a head start with the drinks. He squinted at Shoto, "huh? You're not Todoroki Enji."
Shoto's lips had been pressed into a fine line at the mention of his father's name. "My ol- I mean. My father passed away last week. A shame really, I still had so much to learn from him. I'm Todoroki Shoto by the way." He extended his free hand to the man.
The stranger gave Shoto's hand a firm damp shake. His hand returned to his side and Shoto discreetly wiped off what felt like sweat on the side of his dress pants. The stranger's gaze shifted to Yukine scanning her from head to toe. She maintained a calm expressionless face under his perverse gaze.
"And who is this? What a pretty little thing you are." He grinned showcasing yellow stained teeth.
"This is my date, Haruki Yukine."
"Maybe we could share, hmm?" His hand picked up a long strand of her white hair and twirled it around his finger. Shoto pushed her behind him.
"She's a bit shy." Yukine instantly averted her gaze from the man. Her eyes glued to the red carpet beneath her feet. Yukine has had to play many roles over the years as part of her missions and if Shoto wanted her to play the part of the shy girlfriend then that's what she would do, even though her fingers were itching to slit his throat open in front of everyone. Yukine's arm righted around Shoto's and she tugged on the side of his suit hiding half her body behind his for good measure. It had to be a convincing performance and Yukine was a marvelous actress.
"The best ones always are." He smirked, sending Yukine a not-so-subtle wink before he stumbled away from them.
"I feel gross." She stared at the silver snake bracelet curving around her wrist with red rubies for eyes. The same place that man had brushed her skin with his.
"Let's split up and look for the display. One of us has to find it." Yukine nodded and the pair split up, each walking in different directions. Yukine took the east wing and Shoto took the west.
It took her a couple of minutes to find her way around the house. Guests would interrupt her search, men flirted shamelessly with her and women wanted to chat her up trying to ask about her expensive looking accessories.
In order to avoid unnecessary distractions Yukine ducked inside the nearest room. She shut the door behind her, her heels clicked over black tiles as she found herself inside a bathroom. Not just any bathroom but the men's bathroom. To make matters worse, the sound of a flush alerted her and out of the nearest stall walked the same sleazy looking man who had tried to hit on her. He wiped the corner of his mouth, Yukine suspected he had been emptying his guts with all that alcohol he had drunk.
The man stared at her from the mirror and before Yukine could turn around to leave he had her pressed up against the wall, his disgusting face lowered down to her neck. But she still had to play the role of the shy lost girlfriend to divert attention away from her. "We meet again, doll."
'Doll?' That pissed her off.
"Say, Haruki, was it? Tell me what you want to do with me?" She could hear the amusement in his voice. He was thoroughly enjoying his time with her but enough was enough. Yukine's hand slowly reached under the slit of her dress. This man had caused enough problems tonight.
"Well, if you want to know so badly, I'll tell you." She said barely above a whisper "I want to spill your guts." She drove her dagger home into his chest. It was now her turn to stare at the man with amusement in her eyes.
Yukine stared at her dagger debating if she should take it. "You know what, you keep that. Probably contaminated that shit anyway." She peered outside the bathroom and then snuck off into the other side of the room blending within the crowd.
Soon enough after some more aimless wandering Yukine stumbled upon the display room. She walked past glass cases with red velvet ropes surrounding them. There were so many priceless items on display: books, earrings, rings, necklaces, precious gems but none of them showed what she was looking for. There was no sapphire necklace.
Was it all a lie? Or was there another display room? If so, how many? Did Shoto find one? She wondered if he had better luck than her.
As soon as she turned around a corner a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her away. On instinct, she whipped out the first dagger which happened to be a Chinese ring dagger. She pressed the blade against her assailant's throat.
"Relax. It's just me." It was Shoto. She sighed and sheathed her dagger again.
"Don't grab me like that. Did you find anything?" Shoto shook his head.
"Looks like we're going to have to take matters into our own hands."
"I hope you mean what I think you mean."
"Of course. Let the hunt begin."
They walked back into the room getting lost in the crowd immediately. Yukine being much smaller than Shoto was forced to hang onto him so as to not get swept away in the crowd. Their eyes scanned every face in the crowd looking for their target.
A hearty laugh caught their attention and they pushed through the people until they found their way through. A small crowd had gathered around the grand piano and Shoto could see the head of a man holding a champagne glass and laughing along with his guest.
Shoto grabbed Yukine and pulled him with her towards the crowd. He pushed through however his grip on Yukine only tightened. Finally, they made it to the front, now that they could get a good look at him it was certain that was their target. Yamasaki Noboru.
Yukine took the lead this time. She walked over to Yamasaki's side and whispered in his ear something that made his eyes go wide for a moment. He stood up. "All right, everyone I have some business matters to tend to. Enjoy the rest of the party, I will join you all shortly."
She followed Yamasaki as the crowd began to disperse. Shoto accompanied her to a different room. The door shut itself behind them.
"Now where was this thief you saw earlier?" Yamasaki sat in his chair and turned around just as Shoto pulled out his gun.
"Right in front of me." His finger hovered over the trigger as he cocked the safety off his gun. He pointed it at Yamasaki. What they hadn't accounted for was the two guards in the room. This must be his office. Both his guards pulled out their own handguns and directed them at Shoto
Yukine, ever so prepared for any situation, pulled out two of her own guns. One she'd hidden in her garter and the other which had been wedged inside her clutch-- long discarded. She pointed both guns at each security guard on opposite sides of the room with a straight face.
"Now. Now. Let's be civil. We can have a normal conversation." Yamasaki said with Shoto's gun still pointed at him.
"You must really underestimate the mafia." He pressed his gun against the man's forehead. "If your men try to shoot me, Yuki will kill them before my body can even hit the ground."
He wasn't lying. Yukine still had a firm grip on both guns pointed away from herself. "Put your guns away." Yamasaki demanded.
"You first. I don't think you're in the position to make demands here."
Yamasaki raised one hand and the guards hesitantly lowered their weapons. Yukine eyed them as they slowly put their guns back inside their holders. "Now, you tell your little lap dog to stand down."
Shoto's eyes narrowed at the name but nevertheless he complied. "Yuki."
"Yes, sir." Yukine immediately lowered both guns to her sides. He too lowered his own gun.
"Now. How can I help you?" He gave them his best smile. "I assume you're searching for your necklace. A blue sapphire, like her eyes." He gestured to Yukine.
Yamasaki's hand began to wander down the side of his table. His fingers brushed against the metallic handle on his drawer and he discreetly pulled it open while maintaining eye contact with them.
Yukine always had strong instincts and she trusted her gut no matter what. Especially when it came to danger. Dread clawed at her mind and Yukine saw a tiny shift in Yamasaki's weight, anyone else would have missed it. Yukine abandoned her guns and sprinted towards Shoto.
It seemed like time had slowed down. Yamasaki pulled out his gun just as Yukine knocked Shoto and herself down. Her body pinned his to the ground as Yamasaki fired a single bullet. The bullet soared through the air and hit an unsuspecting guard in his head when he tried to look for his boss.
Yamasaki's jaw tightened as Shoto scrambled to the side. He flipped the nearest table onto its side and pulled Yukine towards him. They hid behind the wooden table as Yamasaki continued missing shot after shot. He may have a hobby collecting priceless items but he clearly had no clue how to use them.
Once the firing stopped, Yukine figured he had run out of bullets and was busy reloading. This was their chance. Yukine's snake bracelet slipped off her wrist and with a solid jerk it converted into a metal staff with the snake's head pointed in the air.
She sprinted out from her hiding place, she swung her staff at the guard and watched him fall. Yukine held him down by her foot. A quick push on the snake's ruby eyes converted its tail into a sharp dagger. The staff rose into the air and she brought the dagger down on the man below her multiple times until blood pooled around her heels.
Unaware of the gun following her, Yukine continued to fight off the other guard. Shoto covered her back, he brought the butt of his gun down on Yamasaki's head and watched him crumple to the ground. He couldn't kill him, not yet. Not until he got what he came here for.
The guard grabbed at her dress. 'Damn dress!' Yukine used her dagger to cut herself free. Although she had to sacrifice a stunning red dress, she was finally free. With the dress gone she was left in a black bustier with black fishnet stockings and a black suspender belt attached to her garters.
Yukine was very confident in her body so being exposed like this did not faze her, she wouldn't let this get in the way of her mission. In fact, she could use it to her advantage seeing as the guard had instantly averted his gaze. Now that her dress was gone, she had much easier access to her personal arsenal.
Shoto had tied up Yamasaki to his chair and waited for him to regain consciousness. By the time he did Yukine had slit his guard's throat open before his eyes. Shoto's hand prevented him from screaming, he then shoved a sock, he pulled off one of the dead guard's feet, in the man's mouth.
"Now. You will tell me what I want to know." Shoto leaned away from the older man. "Where is the necklace? It belongs to us." He saw the man lift a trembling hand and point at the door and then to the left.
Shoto nodded at Yukine telling her to go and retrieve the necklace. Yukine left the room with people gasping at her, the good thing was that she was so fast she didn't have time to listen to them.
She stumbled upon a dark room with a safe embedded in the wall. Yukine pressed her ear against the safe and pulled out her dagger. With the blade wedged in between the lock and the safe's door she focused intently on the sounds of the lock. Her concentration was so strong that she didn't hear someone sneak up behind her.
Yukine returned to the room. "Back so soon?" Shoto asked but he didn't get any response. He turned to see a man had her in a headlock with a feral grin on his face.
Shoto however looked completely unimpressed. "It's like you want me to blow his brains out." He sighed and pressed the gun's nozzle against Yamasaki's temple. Sweat trickled down the side of his face as he shook his head, the gag muffled his pleas.
"I have your lap dog. You can't hurt my boss." Yukine struggled in his hold while the man's grin spread further.
"See that's where you're wrong." Shoto's lips were pressed into a thin unamused line. "You don't have her, she has you. Yuki, you can stop playing with him. Finish him off quickly."
Yukine stopped struggling. "Understood." Yukine lifted her foot and brought the heel down on the man's toes. He let out an ungodly scream as he grabbed his foot hopping about on one leg. Yukine's elbow connected with his face and she heard his nose break with a loud crack.
Blood gushed out of his nose; his hand clamped over the wound. "You little bitch! You fight like a girl."
"Again? You people use the same insults a lot." Yukine unsheathed a dagger from her garter. She kicked the man's chest and watched him fall onto his back. Yukine straddled his legs with her dagger raised above her head. "Maybe if you trained harder you could fight like a girl too."
She buried the dagger in his chest and ripped it out before doing the same to his stomach and both sides of his body. In a few seconds he would bleed to death. Yukine wiped her blood-stained hands on her garter but that only spread the stain, her legs had splotches of blood on them too.
Yukine maneuvered herself through the room and ended up behind the chair with Yamasaki tied to it. She held a black Chinese ring dagger to his neck; its blade pricked his skin and a thin line of blood trickled down his neck. "Tell us where the necklace is."
Shoto held him at gunpoint and Yukine at knifepoint. "I'm losing patience." Shoto glared at the tied-up man. He began to pathetically mumble under the stuffed sock until Shoto removed it.
"Please, don't do this. I'll…." Annoyed with his pathetic begging and pleading, Shoto stuffed the sock back in his mouth. He lowered the gun and turned to Yukine. "Kill him."
Tears flowed freely down his face as Yamasaki shook his head wildly, his eyes begging Yukine to spare him but she didn't know remorse. Yukine picked up her staff along the way and lifted it over her head. Yamasaki turned to Shoto making muffled sounds at him.
"Wait, Yuki." She froze in place. Shoto swiftly removed the gag and Yamasaki spewed out, "I'll take you to it."
Shoto agreed to his proposal but he sensed Yamasaki's ulterior motives. He suspected the man saw him as inexperienced because of how young he was. But Shoto knew what he was thinking. In the meantime, Yukine had taken a liking to a special antique weapon hanging on the wall. She examined its settings and plucked it off the wall.
He hauled Yamasaki to his feet and pulled him along with them. Shoto had the man in a firm headlock with a gun pressed to his head. Yukine led the way with her staff in hand and a weapon in the other. As soon as they entered the main guest room, Shoto extended his hand to the sky and he fired off a gunshot.
The bullet shot through the glass windowed roof and the crowd broke out into gasps and screams as they lowered themselves against the ground. The men hugged their women close, trying to protect them. Their eyes fell upon the bloodied girl and in an instant, they knew she was dangerous.
"Nobody move!" Was all Yukine said, she waved the weapon around in case someone dared to stand up. And someone did, a middle-aged looking man with graying hair stood up to her. Without hesitation Yukine lifted her new weapon, an antique crossbow, aimed at the old man.
The arrow whizzed through the air and pieced the man's shoulder. With a pained groan he clutched his shoulder and fell back down. People surrounding him immediately tried to staunch the bleeding.
Shoto hissed in Yamasaki's ear. "Show us the way." He lifted a trembling finger and Yukine led the way with Shoto closely behind lugging his hostage with him.
Yamasaki led them to a dark room with red laser beams spread across the room. In the center of it all was a large glass case protected by velvet ropes. Shoto left their hostage with Yukine as he went to disable the security system.
Yukine stood with her crossbow pointed at the man. "Make one move and I'll be sure to shoot between your eyes." She spoke robotically.
"Yuki." Shoto pointed at the glass case. She nodded once and sent her staff with its dagger extended flying through the air. It shattered the case as soon as it landed and Shoto was free to extract the necklace.
"Got it." He held the sapphire necklace in his hands. Yukine dropped the crossbow and Yamasaki took this as a sign that he was free. Shoto already knew he was going to run but he was one step ahead of him and Yukine followed Shoto's orders.
She removed a dagger from her garter and flung it at Yamasaki's retreating figure. The poison laced blade dug into his back and he slumped forward. Rule number one of the Todoroki mafia: "leave no witnesses."
Shoto intended to give this back to his mother. They exited the mansion in a hurry but not before Yukine disposed of any butlers who stood in her way. Even the valet driver wasn't spared, he lay on the side of the road bleeding from his neck and stomach. Shoto got inside the car with Yukine and they drove off.
Once they were a safe distance away, Shoto pulled out a black device. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a remote controller and with one push of a button the mansion they had spent the night at was blown to smithereens, its white walls engulfed in flames.
On the drive back Shoto couldn't stop thinking about the words they used for Yukine. Lap dog. It was true that she stayed by his side all the time but she was her own person or so Shoto thought. But then he realized something, Yukine always referred to him as "sir," and always said yes to him. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time she'd ever told him “No."
Shoto had successfully returned the necklace to Rei. She was glad the necklace was back in the family's possession the way it had been years ago. He quickly returned to his bedroom, changing into more comfortable clothes. But all the while he couldn't stop thinking about Yukine.
Did she really have no will? She'd always obeyed his orders? Whatever he wanted she gave it to him? Whether it was a target he wanted eliminated or just someone to spend time with, she never hesitated to fulfill his wishes. And it bothered him. Even when he called for her, she instantly appeared as if she was lurking in the shadows behind him.
It was ironic really. Yukine, an assassin who always lurked in the shadows but also lived in Shoto's shadow while he basked in the power and light. When did it happen? When did they stop acting like best friends and more like boss and assistant? He couldn't remember the last time she ever used his name.
"Yuki?" Shoto called out.
Yukine stood in the door frame leaning against the wood. "You called?"
"Sit." He gestured to the spot next to him on the bed. Yukine soundlessly moved across the room and took a seat. As an assassin the first thing she learned how to do was move with complete silence. Her feet were light and made no sounds. Her body didn't push the bed down, it was like she was a ghost but she was very real.
Shoto had to test his theory. Would Yukine ever say "no" to him? Without warning, his hand sat on top of hers and he leaned in close to her face. His lips brushed hers but Yukine sat perfectly still, she didn't flinch, didn't move away or try to push him away like he thought she would. Like she should have.
He quickly pulled away hoping to see something on her face. He didn't know what he expected to see. Maybe shock? Wide eyes or a bright pink shade dusting her cheeks. But he got none of that, Yukine sat next to him with the same cold neutral look she had perfected. He let out an annoyed sigh.
"You never say "no." Why? Didn't you hear what they were calling you?" Shoto turned to her.
"Yes, sir." There it was again. That stiff boring "yes sir."
"Stop it." Overcome with frustration, Shoto grabbed her shoulders but Yukine's expression still didn't change. "We're supposed to be best friends. We were best friends before we became boss and assassin."
"I exist to serve you. I follow your orders, no matter what they are." Yukine robotically answered.
"No. You're your own person. You can say "no" to me. I'm not my father. It won't kill you." He pulled her into a hug, his arms tightened around her.
Shoto knew it wasn't her fault, it was his bastard of a father's fault. He raised her like this, to be obedient and well a robot. Even though he was dead, Yukine was still under his control and she would never be truly free of that old man until she learned to be human again.
When was the last time she'd been hugged? Yukine couldn't remember. She couldn't remember when she turned into this killing machine. This weapon. Or when she stopped calling Shoto by his name.
"I want you to use my name again." Shoto whispered under his breath. Yukine nodded, her arms slowly traveled up his body. One around his waist and the other in his hair. It was soft, she didn't know it was so soft.
"I'm sorry, sir." Yukine caught her mistake quickly. She'd never broken an order but this wasn't an order. It was a request from one friend to another. "I mean Shoto."
It definitely felt a little weird calling him by his name. "Stay with me tonight." He still didn't let go of her.
"Yes, Shoto." They got under the covers with Yukine pressed against Shoto's body. He thought she'd say no but of course she'd say yes. Well at least she started using his name again. Soon he'd get her to say no occasionally, baby steps.
"You did well." He stroked the top of her head. Enji never praised her, never said she was doing well or even acknowledged her efforts. So, he'd praise her because he wasn't his father. That man was gone and soon he'd free Yukine from his ghost. "Goodnight, Yuki."
Synopsis: Todoroki Shoto works with his best friend to retrieve a stolen family heirloom. What better way to take back what belongs to him than to steal it back?
Yukine stared at the letter in her hands. Its golden cursive calligraphy stood out brilliantly against the pitch-black invitation card. Her eyes glossed over the text: "you have been invited to the Annual Elory Gala. Please arrive at your destination by 6 PM at the earliest. We look forward to your presence."
"We're going?" She asked as she stuffed the letter back into its white envelope. The letter was addressed to Enji, so word about his death hadn't got out yet.
Shoto nodded.
Yukine disappeared again only to reappear inside her own bedroom. She ran a nice hot bath for herself, tonight was going to be a big night she could feel it in her bones. There was no telling what would happen but she deserved to pamper herself before tonight. She may be the greatest assassin but she was still a girl who liked to take care of herself. Yukine would always tell herself: "a well-oiled machine runs smoothly."
She sank down inside the tub, water sloshed around before it stilled around her. Yukine submerged herself in the tub feeling herself go numb under the surface, the water blocked her hearing and sight. It was something she hated, it made her vulnerable and Yukine was always on guard -- even in her sleep.
Even in the tub she had two Chinese ring daggers hanging from the faucet. She broke the surface after some seconds had passed, the growing feeling of unease had brought her back up. There wasn't any threat but being underwater dulled her senses and made her uncomfortable.
Yukine finished with her bath as she usually would. Carrying her daggers with her, Yukine walked out of the bathroom in a towel wrapped around her body. Her wet hair left a trail of water behind her. She switched from a towel to a white comfortable bathrobe just before Shoto threw her bedroom doors open and walked in.
He always had impeccable timing, usually in the best way possible but right now wasn't a good example of that. He wore a classic black suit with a matching black tie around his neck.
"You still haven't told me why we're going." Yukine pulled open her closet doors and began browsing through her formal dresses. She had all sorts of clothes for every sort of event imaginable but sports and tight clothes dominated her closet because they were the best for missions.
She had fewer girly clothes but they were there for times exactly like this one.
"Remember that sapphire necklace mom used to tell us stories about?" He took a seat on the edge of her bed.
"The one stolen thirty years ago?" Yukine tossed a silver dress over her shoulder and onto the floor.
It was a necklace passed down through the Todoroki family for the men to give to the women in their lives as a sign of loyalty and eternal love. The sapphire was crystal blue like the ocean and it was said that it symbolized man's love, deep like the ocean itself. But thirty years ago, before Enji was set to marry Rei, the necklace went missing. It was stolen and Enji's parents said that was the reason their family fell apart. The loss of the necklace placed a curse on the family and it would only be lifted when the necklace was in its rightful owner's possession.
"Yeah. The one thing father could never accomplish. It's going to be there at the museum on display." Yukine turned to Shoto holding up two dresses: a black and a red one. He instantly pointed to the red one.
Yukine shoved the other dress back into her closet. "You know they won't just let us take it back." She shut the closet behind her and slipped back into the bathroom.
"It was stolen from us so naturally; we're going to steal it back. It's our family relic, an heirloom. It belongs to us." Normally they wouldn't resort to petty crimes like stealing but when a family relic was on display, they had to get it back. Shoto wanted to do the one thing his old man could never do. It would prove to him and the rest of his family that he was indeed much better than Enji ever was.
Yukine emerged from the bathroom in a red satin dress that stuck to the sides of her body. It went down her hips smoothly and then dispersed into frills near her feet. A long slit slid up the side of her right leg.
"You'll eliminate the target." Shoto stood behind her. Yukine looked back at him through the mirror of her vanity as she applied a matching red lipstick to her lips.
"Of course. Who is the target?" Shoto handed her a brown paper envelope which she assumed had all the information she needed about the target.
Impatient, Yukine tore open the top of the envelope. A paper fell out along with a headshot of her target. Yamasaki Noboru, a billionaire obsessed with stealing priceless items for his own personal collection. Yukine slipped her feet into a pair of red pumps while her eyes scanned the documents. Shoto was always good at research, his methods involved an extensive deep dive into the person's life-- anything uploaded on the internet was at his fingertips. While Yukine's research involved infield action and stalking.
The one thing Yukine didn't like about fitted dresses like the one she wore at the moment was the fact that there was never enough room to store weapons. Though she could work with the little space she had. Now all she had to do was accessorize and she was already.
The duo left the manor and slipped inside a sleek matte black Mercedes Benz. With black tinted windows that made it impossible to peer inside. Shoto drove off into the night with Yukine in the front seat.
They arrived at a large mansion, according to the invitation there would be a museum inside which would hold all sorts of relics and priceless items. The spotlights rotated on the ground and cast long beams of white into the dark sky. Shoto opened the car door for Yukine and extended his arm out to her. Her hand hooked around his before a valet driver took off with their car.
At the entrance the double white doors had been drawn open as men and women swarmed inside. Butlers stood at the front door bowing as the guests entered the house. A red velvet carpet welcomes them, the whole place felt like a royal's home and could have easily been mistaken for a palace.
The giant chandeliers dangling above their heads dispersed light throughout the room. White statues had been erected, some were full body ones and some finished at the bust but no two statues were the same. Each was more unique and intricately crafted than the last. To match with the stunning statues were giant paintings hung around in the mansion. Beautiful portraits of old villages, men, women and children as well as scenery.
A sleazy looking man approached them; his cheeks tinted a slight shade of pink. He must have gotten a head start with the drinks. He squinted at Shoto, "huh? You're not Todoroki Enji."
Shoto's lips had been pressed into a fine line at the mention of his father's name. "My ol- I mean. My father passed away last week. A shame really, I still had so much to learn from him. I'm Todoroki Shoto by the way." He extended his free hand to the man.
The stranger gave Shoto's hand a firm damp shake. His hand returned to his side and Shoto discreetly wiped off what felt like sweat on the side of his dress pants. The stranger's gaze shifted to Yukine scanning her from head to toe. She maintained a calm expressionless face under his perverse gaze.
"And who is this? What a pretty little thing you are." He grinned showcasing yellow stained teeth.
"This is my date, Haruki Yukine."
"Maybe we could share, hmm?" His hand picked up a long strand of her white hair and twirled it around his finger. Shoto pushed her behind him.
"She's a bit shy." Yukine instantly averted her gaze from the man. Her eyes glued to the red carpet beneath her feet. Yukine has had to play many roles over the years as part of her missions and if Shoto wanted her to play the part of the shy girlfriend then that's what she would do, even though her fingers were itching to slit his throat open in front of everyone. Yukine's arm righted around Shoto's and she tugged on the side of his suit hiding half her body behind his for good measure. It had to be a convincing performance and Yukine was a marvelous actress.
"The best ones always are." He smirked, sending Yukine a not-so-subtle wink before he stumbled away from them.
"I feel gross." She stared at the silver snake bracelet curving around her wrist with red rubies for eyes. The same place that man had brushed her skin with his.
"Let's split up and look for the display. One of us has to find it." Yukine nodded and the pair split up, each walking in different directions. Yukine took the east wing and Shoto took the west.
It took her a couple of minutes to find her way around the house. Guests would interrupt her search, men flirted shamelessly with her and women wanted to chat her up trying to ask about her expensive looking accessories.
In order to avoid unnecessary distractions Yukine ducked inside the nearest room. She shut the door behind her, her heels clicked over black tiles as she found herself inside a bathroom. Not just any bathroom but the men's bathroom. To make matters worse, the sound of a flush alerted her and out of the nearest stall walked the same sleazy looking man who had tried to hit on her. He wiped the corner of his mouth, Yukine suspected he had been emptying his guts with all that alcohol he had drunk.
The man stared at her from the mirror and before Yukine could turn around to leave he had her pressed up against the wall, his disgusting face lowered down to her neck. But she still had to play the role of the shy lost girlfriend to divert attention away from her. "We meet again, doll."
'Doll?' That pissed her off.
"Say, Haruki, was it? Tell me what you want to do with me?" She could hear the amusement in his voice. He was thoroughly enjoying his time with her but enough was enough. Yukine's hand slowly reached under the slit of her dress. This man had caused enough problems tonight.
"Well, if you want to know so badly, I'll tell you." She said barely above a whisper "I want to spill your guts." She drove her dagger home into his chest. It was now her turn to stare at the man with amusement in her eyes.
Yukine stared at her dagger debating if she should take it. "You know what, you keep that. Probably contaminated that shit anyway." She peered outside the bathroom and then snuck off into the other side of the room blending within the crowd.
Soon enough after some more aimless wandering Yukine stumbled upon the display room. She walked past glass cases with red velvet ropes surrounding them. There were so many priceless items on display: books, earrings, rings, necklaces, precious gems but none of them showed what she was looking for. There was no sapphire necklace.
Was it all a lie? Or was there another display room? If so, how many? Did Shoto find one? She wondered if he had better luck than her.
As soon as she turned around a corner a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her away. On instinct, she whipped out the first dagger which happened to be a Chinese ring dagger. She pressed the blade against her assailant's throat.
"Relax. It's just me." It was Shoto. She sighed and sheathed her dagger again.
"Don't grab me like that. Did you find anything?" Shoto shook his head.
"Looks like we're going to have to take matters into our own hands."
"I hope you mean what I think you mean."
"Of course. Let the hunt begin."
They walked back into the room getting lost in the crowd immediately. Yukine being much smaller than Shoto was forced to hang onto him so as to not get swept away in the crowd. Their eyes scanned every face in the crowd looking for their target.
A hearty laugh caught their attention and they pushed through the people until they found their way through. A small crowd had gathered around the grand piano and Shoto could see the head of a man holding a champagne glass and laughing along with his guest.
Shoto grabbed Yukine and pulled him with her towards the crowd. He pushed through however his grip on Yukine only tightened. Finally, they made it to the front, now that they could get a good look at him it was certain that was their target. Yamasaki Noboru.
Yukine took the lead this time. She walked over to Yamasaki's side and whispered in his ear something that made his eyes go wide for a moment. He stood up. "All right, everyone I have some business matters to tend to. Enjoy the rest of the party, I will join you all shortly."
She followed Yamasaki as the crowd began to disperse. Shoto accompanied her to a different room. The door shut itself behind them.
"Now where was this thief you saw earlier?" Yamasaki sat in his chair and turned around just as Shoto pulled out his gun.
"Right in front of me." His finger hovered over the trigger as he cocked the safety off his gun. He pointed it at Yamasaki. What they hadn't accounted for was the two guards in the room. This must be his office. Both his guards pulled out their own handguns and directed them at Shoto
Yukine, ever so prepared for any situation, pulled out two of her own guns. One she'd hidden in her garter and the other which had been wedged inside her clutch-- long discarded. She pointed both guns at each security guard on opposite sides of the room with a straight face.
"Now. Now. Let's be civil. We can have a normal conversation." Yamasaki said with Shoto's gun still pointed at him.
"You must really underestimate the mafia." He pressed his gun against the man's forehead. "If your men try to shoot me, Yuki will kill them before my body can even hit the ground."
He wasn't lying. Yukine still had a firm grip on both guns pointed away from herself. "Put your guns away." Yamasaki demanded.
"You first. I don't think you're in the position to make demands here."
Yamasaki raised one hand and the guards hesitantly lowered their weapons. Yukine eyed them as they slowly put their guns back inside their holders. "Now, you tell your little lap dog to stand down."
Shoto's eyes narrowed at the name but nevertheless he complied. "Yuki."
"Yes, sir." Yukine immediately lowered both guns to her sides. He too lowered his own gun.
"Now. How can I help you?" He gave them his best smile. "I assume you're searching for your necklace. A blue sapphire, like her eyes." He gestured to Yukine.
Yamasaki's hand began to wander down the side of his table. His fingers brushed against the metallic handle on his drawer and he discreetly pulled it open while maintaining eye contact with them.
Yukine always had strong instincts and she trusted her gut no matter what. Especially when it came to danger. Dread clawed at her mind and Yukine saw a tiny shift in Yamasaki's weight, anyone else would have missed it. Yukine abandoned her guns and sprinted towards Shoto.
It seemed like time had slowed down. Yamasaki pulled out his gun just as Yukine knocked Shoto and herself down. Her body pinned his to the ground as Yamasaki fired a single bullet. The bullet soared through the air and hit an unsuspecting guard in his head when he tried to look for his boss.
Yamasaki's jaw tightened as Shoto scrambled to the side. He flipped the nearest table onto its side and pulled Yukine towards him. They hid behind the wooden table as Yamasaki continued missing shot after shot. He may have a hobby collecting priceless items but he clearly had no clue how to use them.
Once the firing stopped, Yukine figured he had run out of bullets and was busy reloading. This was their chance. Yukine's snake bracelet slipped off her wrist and with a solid jerk it converted into a metal staff with the snake's head pointed in the air.
She sprinted out from her hiding place, she swung her staff at the guard and watched him fall. Yukine held him down by her foot. A quick push on the snake's ruby eyes converted its tail into a sharp dagger. The staff rose into the air and she brought the dagger down on the man below her multiple times until blood pooled around her heels.
Unaware of the gun following her, Yukine continued to fight off the other guard. Shoto covered her back, he brought the butt of his gun down on Yamasaki's head and watched him crumple to the ground. He couldn't kill him, not yet. Not until he got what he came here for.
The guard grabbed at her dress. 'Damn dress!' Yukine used her dagger to cut herself free. Although she had to sacrifice a stunning red dress, she was finally free. With the dress gone she was left in a black bustier with black fishnet stockings and a black suspender belt attached to her garters.
Yukine was very confident in her body so being exposed like this did not faze her, she wouldn't let this get in the way of her mission. In fact, she could use it to her advantage seeing as the guard had instantly averted his gaze. Now that her dress was gone, she had much easier access to her personal arsenal.
Shoto had tied up Yamasaki to his chair and waited for him to regain consciousness. By the time he did Yukine had slit his guard's throat open before his eyes. Shoto's hand prevented him from screaming, he then shoved a sock, he pulled off one of the dead guard's feet, in the man's mouth.
"Now. You will tell me what I want to know." Shoto leaned away from the older man. "Where is the necklace? It belongs to us." He saw the man lift a trembling hand and point at the door and then to the left.
Shoto nodded at Yukine telling her to go and retrieve the necklace. Yukine left the room with people gasping at her, the good thing was that she was so fast she didn't have time to listen to them.
She stumbled upon a dark room with a safe embedded in the wall. Yukine pressed her ear against the safe and pulled out her dagger. With the blade wedged in between the lock and the safe's door she focused intently on the sounds of the lock. Her concentration was so strong that she didn't hear someone sneak up behind her.
Yukine returned to the room. "Back so soon?" Shoto asked but he didn't get any response. He turned to see a man had her in a headlock with a feral grin on his face.
Shoto however looked completely unimpressed. "It's like you want me to blow his brains out." He sighed and pressed the gun's nozzle against Yamasaki's temple. Sweat trickled down the side of his face as he shook his head, the gag muffled his pleas.
"I have your lap dog. You can't hurt my boss." Yukine struggled in his hold while the man's grin spread further.
"See that's where you're wrong." Shoto's lips were pressed into a thin unamused line. "You don't have her, she has you. Yuki, you can stop playing with him. Finish him off quickly."
Yukine stopped struggling. "Understood." Yukine lifted her foot and brought the heel down on the man's toes. He let out an ungodly scream as he grabbed his foot hopping about on one leg. Yukine's elbow connected with his face and she heard his nose break with a loud crack.
Blood gushed out of his nose; his hand clamped over the wound. "You little bitch! You fight like a girl."
"Again? You people use the same insults a lot." Yukine unsheathed a dagger from her garter. She kicked the man's chest and watched him fall onto his back. Yukine straddled his legs with her dagger raised above her head. "Maybe if you trained harder you could fight like a girl too."
She buried the dagger in his chest and ripped it out before doing the same to his stomach and both sides of his body. In a few seconds he would bleed to death. Yukine wiped her blood-stained hands on her garter but that only spread the stain, her legs had splotches of blood on them too.
Yukine maneuvered herself through the room and ended up behind the chair with Yamasaki tied to it. She held a black Chinese ring dagger to his neck; its blade pricked his skin and a thin line of blood trickled down his neck. "Tell us where the necklace is."
Shoto held him at gunpoint and Yukine at knifepoint. "I'm losing patience." Shoto glared at the tied-up man. He began to pathetically mumble under the stuffed sock until Shoto removed it.
"Please, don't do this. I'll…." Annoyed with his pathetic begging and pleading, Shoto stuffed the sock back in his mouth. He lowered the gun and turned to Yukine. "Kill him."
Tears flowed freely down his face as Yamasaki shook his head wildly, his eyes begging Yukine to spare him but she didn't know remorse. Yukine picked up her staff along the way and lifted it over her head. Yamasaki turned to Shoto making muffled sounds at him.
"Wait, Yuki." She froze in place. Shoto swiftly removed the gag and Yamasaki spewed out, "I'll take you to it."
Shoto agreed to his proposal but he sensed Yamasaki's ulterior motives. He suspected the man saw him as inexperienced because of how young he was. But Shoto knew what he was thinking. In the meantime, Yukine had taken a liking to a special antique weapon hanging on the wall. She examined its settings and plucked it off the wall.
He hauled Yamasaki to his feet and pulled him along with them. Shoto had the man in a firm headlock with a gun pressed to his head. Yukine led the way with her staff in hand and a weapon in the other. As soon as they entered the main guest room, Shoto extended his hand to the sky and he fired off a gunshot.
The bullet shot through the glass windowed roof and the crowd broke out into gasps and screams as they lowered themselves against the ground. The men hugged their women close, trying to protect them. Their eyes fell upon the bloodied girl and in an instant, they knew she was dangerous.
"Nobody move!" Was all Yukine said, she waved the weapon around in case someone dared to stand up. And someone did, a middle-aged looking man with graying hair stood up to her. Without hesitation Yukine lifted her new weapon, an antique crossbow, aimed at the old man.
The arrow whizzed through the air and pieced the man's shoulder. With a pained groan he clutched his shoulder and fell back down. People surrounding him immediately tried to staunch the bleeding.
Shoto hissed in Yamasaki's ear. "Show us the way." He lifted a trembling finger and Yukine led the way with Shoto closely behind lugging his hostage with him.
Yamasaki led them to a dark room with red laser beams spread across the room. In the center of it all was a large glass case protected by velvet ropes. Shoto left their hostage with Yukine as he went to disable the security system.
Yukine stood with her crossbow pointed at the man. "Make one move and I'll be sure to shoot between your eyes." She spoke robotically.
"Yuki." Shoto pointed at the glass case. She nodded once and sent her staff with its dagger extended flying through the air. It shattered the case as soon as it landed and Shoto was free to extract the necklace.
"Got it." He held the sapphire necklace in his hands. Yukine dropped the crossbow and Yamasaki took this as a sign that he was free. Shoto already knew he was going to run but he was one step ahead of him and Yukine followed Shoto's orders.
She removed a dagger from her garter and flung it at Yamasaki's retreating figure. The poison laced blade dug into his back and he slumped forward. Rule number one of the Todoroki mafia: "leave no witnesses."
Shoto intended to give this back to his mother. They exited the mansion in a hurry but not before Yukine disposed of any butlers who stood in her way. Even the valet driver wasn't spared, he lay on the side of the road bleeding from his neck and stomach. Shoto got inside the car with Yukine and they drove off.
Once they were a safe distance away, Shoto pulled out a black device. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a remote controller and with one push of a button the mansion they had spent the night at was blown to smithereens, its white walls engulfed in flames.
On the drive back Shoto couldn't stop thinking about the words they used for Yukine. Lap dog. It was true that she stayed by his side all the time but she was her own person or so Shoto thought. But then he realized something, Yukine always referred to him as "sir," and always said yes to him. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time she'd ever told him “No."
Shoto had successfully returned the necklace to Rei. She was glad the necklace was back in the family's possession the way it had been years ago. He quickly returned to his bedroom, changing into more comfortable clothes. But all the while he couldn't stop thinking about Yukine.
Did she really have no will? She'd always obeyed his orders? Whatever he wanted she gave it to him? Whether it was a target he wanted eliminated or just someone to spend time with, she never hesitated to fulfill his wishes. And it bothered him. Even when he called for her, she instantly appeared as if she was lurking in the shadows behind him.
It was ironic really. Yukine, an assassin who always lurked in the shadows but also lived in Shoto's shadow while he basked in the power and light. When did it happen? When did they stop acting like best friends and more like boss and assistant? He couldn't remember the last time she ever used his name.
"Yuki?" Shoto called out.
Yukine stood in the door frame leaning against the wood. "You called?"
"Sit." He gestured to the spot next to him on the bed. Yukine soundlessly moved across the room and took a seat. As an assassin the first thing she learned how to do was move with complete silence. Her feet were light and made no sounds. Her body didn't push the bed down, it was like she was a ghost but she was very real.
Shoto had to test his theory. Would Yukine ever say "no" to him? Without warning, his hand sat on top of hers and he leaned in close to her face. His lips brushed hers but Yukine sat perfectly still, she didn't flinch, didn't move away or try to push him away like he thought she would. Like she should have.
He quickly pulled away hoping to see something on her face. He didn't know what he expected to see. Maybe shock? Wide eyes or a bright pink shade dusting her cheeks. But he got none of that, Yukine sat next to him with the same cold neutral look she had perfected. He let out an annoyed sigh.
"You never say "no." Why? Didn't you hear what they were calling you?" Shoto turned to her.
"Yes, sir." There it was again. That stiff boring "yes sir."
"Stop it." Overcome with frustration, Shoto grabbed her shoulders but Yukine's expression still didn't change. "We're supposed to be best friends. We were best friends before we became boss and assassin."
"I exist to serve you. I follow your orders, no matter what they are." Yukine robotically answered.
"No. You're your own person. You can say "no" to me. I'm not my father. It won't kill you." He pulled her into a hug, his arms tightened around her.
Shoto knew it wasn't her fault, it was his bastard of a father's fault. He raised her like this, to be obedient and well a robot. Even though he was dead, Yukine was still under his control and she would never be truly free of that old man until she learned to be human again.
When was the last time she'd been hugged? Yukine couldn't remember. She couldn't remember when she turned into this killing machine. This weapon. Or when she stopped calling Shoto by his name.
"I want you to use my name again." Shoto whispered under his breath. Yukine nodded, her arms slowly traveled up his body. One around his waist and the other in his hair. It was soft, she didn't know it was so soft.
"I'm sorry, sir." Yukine caught her mistake quickly. She'd never broken an order but this wasn't an order. It was a request from one friend to another. "I mean Shoto."
It definitely felt a little weird calling him by his name. "Stay with me tonight." He still didn't let go of her.
"Yes, Shoto." They got under the covers with Yukine pressed against Shoto's body. He thought she'd say no but of course she'd say yes. Well at least she started using his name again. Soon he'd get her to say no occasionally, baby steps.
"You did well." He stroked the top of her head. Enji never praised her, never said she was doing well or even acknowledged her efforts. So, he'd praise her because he wasn't his father. That man was gone and soon he'd free Yukine from his ghost. "Goodnight, Yuki."
so, Metacognition is the practice of thinking about thinking or identifying one’s cognitive process . in essence, metacognition is understanding how you prepare for academic challenges, exams, or tasks, and then being able to reflect on whether you did well, you prepared adequately, and what was most effective. in a writing setting, this type of self-awareness helps you transfer skills in writing, say, fanfiction into writing academically, competitively and professionally.
here’s an article from brown university on the subject i’ll discuss further. there are 3 parts of practicing metacognition identified in this article: planning, monitoring, and evaluation. how might this look like for a fanfic writer?
planning: asking oneself ‘what is my goal?’ ‘what strategies should i use to meet that goal?’ ‘how much time/length do i need to meet my goal?’. so maybe my goal is to write a meet cute where two characters kiss. i’ll need to use a perspective, an upbeat tone, and forward characterization to do this. it’ll probably take 5000 words and two days to write.
monitoring: asking oneself: is my story making sense? am i reaching my goal, or do i need to summarize more succinctly to keep it to 5k? maybe you started with a lot of exposition and now you’re 6k in and the characters haven’t met yet. what went wrong/changed? is it ok that it changed or did you not realize it got away from you? what now?
evaluation: asking oneself: did i reach my goal? was it effective? what would i change next time?
this is where comments come in
it is incredibly difficult to evaluate yourself. comments like “i love this!” actually do begin to touch on the evaluation step of metacognition. it means, in general, the writer is on the right track. comments like “i loved the dialogue between x and y” or “the emotions of this section really hit me” begin to answer the questions of was it effective, did i reach my goal and conversely answer what would i change next time (by adding more of whatever was specified as working well). HYPER SPECIFIC comments, like analyzing the story between the lines or pasting in a line that you really liked and explaining why, is like jet fuel for the metacognition process and i’m not exaggerating. specifically pointing out what was effective and why is incredibly useful
i can straight up credit my writing style to all of my friends and readers who have given incredibly detailed comments. when i found a community who gave feedback like that, my writing improved a thousand times faster than before. so! i guess what i’m saying is give feedback! it goes so much further than you realize!
Thank you! Alternately, when readers repeatedly leave stupid, jokey replies to certain lines, I know I should change them :P Or they all go “oh…okay…my heart” to a certain section BOOM i know it worked better than I’d ever hoped. Finally when they get angry, like ANGRY, at a character for something, that tells me to either tone that character down or leave them just the way they are because I meant them to inspire anger.
This one is less important, but when they all say “this part reminds me of suchandsuch other characters/media” i do not take it personally. Those readers usually stick around long enough to reach the end because they saw something they loved in my writing and want more.
Though I never veered from my style and my message, reader comments definitely trained me over the years, bless y'all.
I fucking love the Dekusquad v the Bakusquad because the Bakusquad looks like theyre full of edgy dumbass rebels and the dekusquad looks like its entirely comprised of kids who go to office hours for fun but out of the two of them the Bakusquad is the one that has been shown to canonically arrange group study sessions whereas the dekusquad has been involved in several illegal acts of extrajudicial vigilante justice that nearly culminate in a brutal murder
Synopsis: After being kidnapped Yukine tries to adjust to her new life.
Pairings: Todoroki Shoto X OC [Haruki Yukine]
Warnings: dark themes, yandere, kidnapping, drugs, isolation, hallucinations, murder, angst, obsessive themes, mentions of suicide and attempted murder
Word Count: 4.3K
Part 1
Note: Unedited, please excuse or correct any mistakes. Enjoy!
Todoroki sifted through the list of butlers and maids, crossing out each name of those he did not approve of.
Hiring a butler for her was out of the question. He simply would not allow another man, other than himself, near her. He only allowed Sato because the man was much older than him, even older than his father, so instead he gave his attention to getting a maid. That way Yukine could also have a friend and perhaps she wouldn't feel so lonely when he wasn't around.
Finally, there was one that he seemed to like. Setsuna Natsumi, she had been working for his family for just a little over eight months now. He told Sato to put in a transfer for her as soon as possible.
Todoroki ended up in front of Yukine's room. He opened the door to find her still chained up. "Yuki, love, have you been good?" He reached for her face and Yukine didn't flinch or make any attempts at moving away from him now.
This pleased him greatly, soon he'd be able to hug her and kiss her without Yukine trying to push him away. It's been two weeks since she had been kidnapped by her best friend. She'd gotten used to him trying to touch her though he never forced himself upon her. If she didn't want him to touch her then he'd stop.
Every now and then he'd let her walk around the house as long as he was there. Slowly he started building up trust in her, and today was the day he was going to let her walk around freely, even if he wasn't there.
Todoroki inserted his key in the chains and unlocked them. The first two weeks were hard, Yukine made many attempts to end his life and even her own, though she tried to kill herself more than the former.
After she tried to cut her wrists, she was caught before the blade could even touch her wrist. Todoroki had taken every sharp object in the house and melted them.
At one point she had tried poisoning him. Yukine had mixed in some rat poison in his food, and once again he had found out. Surprisingly he wasn't angry or upset with her. In fact he treated her attempts like an annoying problem.
After that Todoroki got rid of anything poisonous, harmful or dangerous mostly for her own protection. Of course he punished her, keeping her away in her room for one or two days but it wasn't a problem for her. Yukine's an introvert so spending a day or two locked in her room without having to see any of the butlers or Todoroki himself was great.
Todoroki would always lecture her. Saying things like "heroes don't kill people." "They don't try to hurt others on purpose." But now that she had been captured she couldn't be a hero, Yukine belonged to Todoroki now and he would never let her be a hero, simply because it was so risky. So many heroes die in the line of duty and he couldn't risk her being one of them.
Yukine massaged her ankle while Todoroki left the room. Once the coast was clear, Yukine snuck around the house. She wanted to try and find something to use against Todoroki, not a weapon, but evidence of some crime. Her date, if he did what she thought he did, then the date's body should be around her somewhere.
There was no awful smell in the house, she couldn't smell anything decaying. Yukine had searched the whole house from top to bottom discreetly but she found nothing. Did he bury the body already?
Yukine knelt on the grass outside. This would be so much easier if Subzero was working. She could have used her ice to uproot the ground and see if there were any bodies but Todoroki had been slipping her drugs mixed with her food or drinks which subdued her quirk. Then again, Yukine figured it was for the best, who knows what she would have found. What would she do if she found more than one body?
Suddenly, arms wrapped themselves around her chest and she was pulled back into someone else's chest. Todoroki. She knew his smell anywhere, he smelt like a warm campfire. It would have been comforting had he not taken her against her will. Todoroki tucked a white strand of her hair behind her ear.
"What are you doing out here?" He whispered into her ear. Too close. Her body unwillingly shuddered. "Looking for something? Come on. You can tell me. I promise I won't be mad."
Reluctantly Yukine told him what she planned on doing. If she didn't tell him now, he would have found out sooner or later. Somehow he always did. She could never outsmart him.
They sat in the garden on their knees, Yukine's back pressed against his front. Slowly, Todoroki's hand dragged down the side of her body and he laced his fingers with hers.
A small smile playing on his lips. "Love, I'm so impressed. You're so much smarter than I thought." His voice a hoarse whisper. His face buried inside her neck and he continued to press small kisses against her skin. "But you see, I've already disposed of the body. I burnt it to ashes."
Yukine's heart jumped to her throat. He was always one step ahead of her but she never knew how. Yukine was always smart, top of her class, the perfect student academically, practically and physically. But in front of him, she was dumb. He was always one sometimes three steps ahead of her.
"Let's go. You'll catch a cold out here." Todoroki knew she could never catch a cold but he enjoyed taking care of her, deluding himself into thinking that Yukine needed him every single day. That without him, she was nothing.
Sato had called him about the new maid he had transferred. Todoroki pressed a loving kiss to her cheek before he got up and walked back inside the house. Yukine followed soon after.
"You must be Setsuna." Todoroki was greeted by a fairly short girl with green hair that ended at her shoulders and matching emerald green eyes. "Right this way."
Setsuna followed Todoroki and Sato around as they showed her around the house. She'd signed a special waiver which had a lot of terms she didn't even understand. But Setsuna needed the job so she agreed after skimming over most of the instructions. From what she understood, her sole duty was to take care of and provide anything that someone named Haruki Yukine asked. It didn't take much for her to realize that this Yukine person meant a lot to her new boss.
Sounds simple enough.
"And this is Yuki's room. You'll give her anything she wants, money is no object. If she asks for it, you will give it to her, as long as it's nothing harmful." Todoroki explained everything and once the tour had ended Setsuna was left in front of Yukine's room.
She knocked once on the door and a small "come in" was heard. Setsuna pushed past the door and found a girl about her age sitting on her bed hugging her knees. She was beautiful, white hair cascading past her chest up to her waist and blue eyes that would make sapphire gems jealous. Immediately, she understood why this girl meant a lot to Todoroki. She could only describe the girl as a goddess with breathtaking beauty.
Yukine didn't smile nor look at the girl. "Young miss." Setsuna hesitated, unsure if she should be speaking to Yukine. "I'm Setsuna Natsumi. Pleased to meet you."
Yukine nodded.
A few more weeks passed by just like this. Yukine regained her freedom but only inside and outside the house, of course under Todoroki's supervision. Sometimes he'd leave but still she stayed. Yukine didn't have any evidence to convict him so without that she couldn't do anything. He could easily pay off the police force or lawyers.
Over the weeks Setsuna grew closer to Yukine. Yukine did not reciprocate the same feelings, she let Setsuna think she trusted her with anything. Yukine gave small bits of information up, things most people knew about her but she made it seem like they were great secrets that only Setsuna knew about.
Setsuna believed she was Yukine's closest confidant. The person Yukine could trust the most but Yukine was just using her as a pawn in her big escape. She'd been planning it for days now. It was near perfect.
Yukine watched when the butlers changed shifts, who left the house at what time and she figured out there was a ten minute slot in between shifts when butlers were alternating their stations. Todoroki was away with his friends on a mission which meant she was all alone in the house now.
She rang the bell that would bring Setsuna to her. Of course Yukine felt bad for using her but she needed her freedom. Setsuna had done so well for the last few weeks. She took care of her, got her whatever she wanted, shared gossip she heard from the butlers. She had almost become a friend even if Yukine didn't want to admit it. But Setsuna was also an important piece to her great escape.
The girl swung the door open, she doubled over heaving and trying to regain her breathing. "Natsumi, my shoulders hurt. Could you please rub them?" With a smile the girl complied.
Only two of the Todoroki family's employees had access to the Yukine. The rest thought Yukine was living with Todoroki permanently. She didn't know what lies he fed them but she did know that meant the two employees were the only ones with keys to her cuffs.
As soon as Setsuna sat down behind her, Yukine flipped the girl over and pinned her to the bed. Her hands searched Setsuna's pockets and she eventually found the keys. No matter how much the girl struggled she could not overpower Yukine, someone who was training to become a hero. Yukine was much stronger.
Yukine held Setsuna down with one hand wrapped around her throat as the girl thrashed underneath her. Her free hand made its way down to her ankle and she unlocked the cuff.
"Young miss. You can't. You mustn't!" Setsuna pleaded, but Yukine had transferred the cuff from her ankle to Setsuna's wrist. She had to escape, even if she had no evidence against Todoroki she still wanted her freedom. Yukine figured she'd just get a restraining order or something.
Yukine ran out of the room with Setsuna calling after her. She flew down the stairs and out the cabin where the door was already open. It was like God was on her side, telling her to escape.
The forest was right there, she could make it and disappear into the forest never to be found again. Yukine was so caught up in her escape that for a moment she forgot about her surroundings and the sound of footsteps chasing after her.
Yukine's path was blocked when she ran face first into someone's chest. It was Sato, she turned around to sprint off into another direction. She could anywhere because the whole cabin was surrounded by forest.
Sato grabbed her wrist and hauled her over his shoulder. He carried her back towards the cabin while Yukine pounded her fists against the old man's back, screaming at him to let her go. Of course the Todorokis wouldn't hire a normal butler, especially for the favorite son.
Soon she'd given up trying to fight back and Yukine went limp over Sato's shoulder. "How did you know?" She asked, curious about his answer.
"The young master suspected you would pull something like this." He sighed, he didn't want Todoroki to be right. He wanted to believe that Yukine had chosen to stay. "I'm sorry, young mistress. I really didn't want to do this to you. But the young master is waiting for you. He misses you dearly."
Sato carried Yukine back inside and towards her room. Finally he set her down and Yukine spun around ready for whatever punishment Todoroki had planned for her. But no amount of mental preparation could prepare her for what she saw next.
For in the center of her room stood Todoroki. His right hand was covered in blood all the way up to his wrist. His shirt and face are decorated in blood splatters. And poor Setsuna's body, bloody and ruined lay in the middle of it all. He'd cut her life short.
Yukine's eyes went wide and a scream was stuck in her throat. Todoroki smiled at her, he walked towards her wiping his blood stained hand against his pants. His arms made their way around her and he pulled Yukine into a hug. "I missed you, love. I'm so happy you're back."
Terrified and frozen in fear, Yukine couldn't move. She couldn't scream, she couldn't run because Sato blocked her only exit so she did nothing. Yukine only whispered, "you killed her."
"Oh that? She didn't follow my orders. You could have been hurt, Yuki. She would have hurt you." He pulled away from her, his hands resting on both shoulders. "Don't worry about the mess, Sato will clean it up." Sato bowed and left to get his cleaning supplies.
"You broke a rule, love." He pulled her into his chest again. "Do you know which one?"
Yukine nodded against his chest. "Rule one: don't attempt to leave." Todoroki ran his fingers through her hair, staining it with streaks of red.
"Good girl. You know I'll have to punish you, right?" He asked her. Yukine nodded solemnly. If she had known this would happen, that someone would lose their life because of her then she never would have tried to leave.
Todoroki eventually pulled away from her. His hand laced with hers and he pulled her down the stairs into the living room. "Come sit, Sato will clean your room and then your punishment will begin." Todoroki sat on the velvet blue chair near the fireplace.
He used his quirk to light a small flame and pulled Yukine towards him. She'd gone numb after seeing her maid's body lying lifeless on the ground. It was her fault. Todoroki pulled Yukine into his lap and guided her head towards the crook of his neck. Yukine wasn't responding, her eyes glazed over and she looked like she wasn't even in her body. Todoroki continued to play with her hair, whispering compliments to her and sweet I love yous.
Moments later Sato came down the stairs holding a bucket filled with blood and a mop sticking out of it. He also had Setsuna's body wrapped in white sheets, tossed over shoulder. He bowed to both Todoroki and Yukine before leaving the house to dispose of the body and any evidence.
"Come, love. It's time for your punishment." Todoroki held her hand and led her back up the stairs. He was explaining her punishment to her but Yukine was so numb she didn't hear a word he said. The door creaking open brought her back and Todoroki nudged her inside. "Now, be good for me and I'll let you out soon." He pressed a loving kiss to her forehead.
Todoroki closed the door and it was just her and her thoughts now. Yukine slumped against the wall. Who knows how long she would be in there. Usually he never kept her longer than two days, maybe two and a half. But those were minor rules. This was the first rule and the biggest rule.
Depressed, Yukine pulled her knees up to her chest. The night passed quickly, not a peep was heard from Yukine. She didn't try to escape, she didn't yell or curse at Todoroki. Yukine had fallen asleep pressed against the wall on the floor. She was too mentally drained to go to bed. Todoroki would have done it, carried her to bed, if he wasn't punishing her.
Silent tears rolled down her cheeks until she cried herself to sleep. At night she was plagued with nightmares. Setsuna would chase after her with the same gaping hole in her stomach, blaming her for everything.
After the nightmare she would bolt up on the floor covered in beads of sweat. Yukine wouldn't be able to sleep after that and soon morning would come.
The window showing the outside told her that two days had passed now but not a word from Todoroki. There was a slot in the door specifically used when punishing her. It was used to provide her with food so she wouldn't starve to death. But only two meals were provided in the day, one in the afternoon and one right before bed.
Like clockwork the slot opened and her tray of food was pushed in through it. Yukine grabbed the tray and sat on her bed, staring blankly at the meal before her. She picked up the spoon given to her and dug into the rice and beef curry dish. There was also a glass of water but that's it. Normally, Todoroki would have ordered Sato to make her lavish meals fit for a queen, but now she had plain boring meals. Well it was better than nothing.
There was a strange tangy flavor to the rice in each bite but she convinced herself that she was just imagining things. Maybe being responsible for Setsuna's death made her imagine things. So Yukine ate everything, she couldn't leave anything. For one, she was really hungry and two, she didn't want Todoroki more upset with her than he already was.
Yukine placed the tray back where it came from and it was taken away as soon as she finished. Yukine had no contact with the world in the last two days, no one came to visit her and no one spoke to her. But she had been through this before so she could definitely do it again.
A few more hours in isolation passed. Yukine wondered if Todoroki was even going to come and get her today. She really messed up. Someone died and now she was suffering too. No, she should suffer. Yukine deserves it, someone's life was cut short because of her selfishness.
Her vision started to blur and a headache started to form. Yukine's eyes were screwed shut trying to get the headache to stop. Her eyes remained closed even after the headache subsided, thinking it might come back if she opened her eyes again.
But when it didn't come back, Yukine slowly started to open up her eyes again. She stared at the ceiling. But her nightmare from last night was far from over.
It started quickly. First came the whispers. Words whispered in her ears: "kill yourself. Kill yourself. This is your fault. You did this. You killed her. You're a murderer. Murderer. Killer."
Yukine sat up in her bed with her hands covering her ears trying to drown out the voices. The guilt was clawing at her, eating her up and Yukine wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to fight it off.
Because right before her eyes stood the same dead Setsuna with the same gaping hole. Blood pooled around her feet, a sickly sound of liquid hitting the ground and she began dragging her feet forward. Yukine backed herself against the bed with wide eyes. She blinked furiously hoping the illusion would go away but the would-be dead girl still dragged herself towards Yukine.
She had to call for help. "Hel-" Setsuna's bloody hand clamped down around Yukine's mouth. She could taste the metallic taste of blood on her tongue and its sick smell invaded her nose.
"Shhhhhh." She silenced her. "Look at what you did to me. You killed me." With silent tears Yukine. Maybe if she acknowledged the blame Setsuna would leave but it didn't work.
Setsuna grabbed Yukine's hand and placed it against the wound in her stomach. The same one she had bled to death from days ago. "Now it's your turn. I'll drag you to hell with me!"
Yukine ripped the girl's hand off her mouth and screamed as loud as she could. Her clothes and face smeared with blood as she continued to scream bloody murder. Yukine hoped Todoroki would come, if he loved her as much as he said he did then he would come and save her from the monster before her eyes.
But he never came.
Todoroki's head snapped in the direction of Yukine's room. He was ready to march in there and protect her from whoever dared tried to hurt his precious love. Sato blocked Todoroki's path.
"Young master, you must not go there."
Todoroki didn't like being ordered. He was the one giving orders. Not the other way around. "And why not?"
"She's hallucinating. It's not real. I slipped some hallucinogens in her lunch this afternoon. Mixed a few together so I really don't know what effect it might have on her or you." Sato explained. Todoroki was pissed, he took long strides up to his butler who already knew what was about to come.
Todoroki struck him across the face. "I don't remember giving you permission to do such a thing."
Sato held his face as the stinging sensation blossomed. "I apologize. But you must understand, it will help her and you in the long run. I just want you to be happy with her."
He wasn't pleased with the response. Sure, Sato was thinking about their happiness and he appreciated that much but this was going too far. "Go to your room and stay there. No dinner and I'm deducting your pay. Try something like that again and I won't be so nice."
He had everything planned to a T. He expected by next month Yukine would love him back. They would date a few years. In typical Japanese culture a couple would get married after a year of dating but he figured he should give Yukine two or three years to adjust. So they'd date two years and by the age of 22 they'd get married with the most beautiful view, honeymoon in Paris, the most beautiful city. Of course, if Yukine wanted to go somewhere else he would do it in a heartbeat but this was what he had planned. By 26 they'd have two, no three, wait four, maybe five kids and a cat and a dog.
Everything was going to be perfect.
He wanted a good wife, someone he could protect and love completely. Someone who would stay home with the kids and greet him with a hug and a kiss when he came home.
A few more days passed. Six in total. And each of those days was worse than the last. Her hallucinations got worse and Yukine spent most of her time hiding under her blanket hoping the apparitions would vanish. Setsuna got worse, took the shape of a deformed monster but would disappear before she got too close to Yukine.
Spending a little over a week in the confines of her bedroom, Yukine wasn't sure if her hallucinations worsened from isolation or drugs. Or both. She couldn't take it anymore! The voices, the hallucinations, isolation everything. It was killing her on the inside, so she did the only thing she could. Yukine turned to the only person who would protect her no matter what.
Yukine pushed herself to her feet, her feet shuffled across the floor and she knocked on the door asking to be let out. At first there was no answer and she was starting to get desperate. Tears welled up in her eyes again, she hated crying but she'd been doing that a lot lately. Who wouldn't in her situation?
Todoroki stood on the other side of the door as he listened to Yukine knock. He was hesitant, what if he opened the door and she pushed past him and tried to escape again? Or what if she yelled and cursed at him for leaving her in her room for a week? What if she hated him now?
No matter, he would win her over again. Todoroki's hand reached for the handle and he unlocked her door. It creaked open and without hesitation Yukine flung herself at him.
Her arms wrapped around his body. Yukine buried her face in his chest while she cried. Todoroki's eyes were wide, he never thought Yukine would be the one to initiate physical touch. His arms instantly returned her hug.
They wound up on the same chair before the fireplace where Yukine kept muttering apologies. She still hadn't let go of him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Shoto. Please don't lock me up again."
He ran his fingers through her soft hair, twirling white strands around his fingers. "Okay, I won't. You know I had to punish you, or you wouldn't listen to me. I really didn't want to, but I had no choice." Distraught, Yukine only nodded.
He spent the next few minutes comforting her. Yukine sat in his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck and she refused to let go.
"I know that me taking you all of a sudden was hard for you, and you still struggle with it. I don't ever want you to be unhappy, I hope you know that. I did this so we could be together without anyone getting in the way. I promise I'll always take care of you."
Yukine nodded again. She was being so obedient and compliant. It was perfect, just the way she was supposed to be.
"You'll be my good girl, right? My lovely housewife?"
Again she nodded. "I'll be your housewife."
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He'd take care of her, she wouldn't have to even lift a finger. Yukine would have whatever she desired, the best clothes, extravagant food, lavish houses and more.
Delighted with her obedience, Todoroki captured her lips in a surprising kiss. It took her a moment to realize what was happening but then she kissed him back.
It was over. Todoroki had broken Yukine's mind. He'd won. Yukine was his now, forever, just like he had said she would be.
Yukine: Sometimes I feel like Shoto's like a puppy. Earlier today he asked me where I was going and if he could come with me. It doesn't bother me, I've always wanted a pet but it's just that now that I've seen it...I can't unsee it. He got a little territorial this morning too.
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