Snapshot - Pt.6
Here is part 6 of snapshot! Thank you for being patient with me, work has been really busy and i went on vacation for a few weeks but im back! Hope you all enjoy this part! These are moments in between ep 10/11. Trying a little bit of a different style…idk if I’ll stick with it. This chapter has a lot of made-up lore. Nothing I write here is any sort of canon to the fantasy series (besides the obvious), this is all from my imagination and from context clues from the episodes. Some mentions of the continents’ geography, i am basing everything off of the map made by @/ninayuki1
Content: profanity, canon-typical violence, fluff, Gn!reader, blood, inaccuracies regarding foraging/hunting, kirishima being the perfect baby, bakugou being a jealous bean, traveler is down bad, author doesn't know anything regarding constellations and how they change as the seasons pass.
Wc: 4.3k
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On The Way to Milosen
“And Traveler…hmm, would you mind giving me your hand?” Golden brown eyes twinkle in mischief but you smile along. Kaminari has been wonderful company and now it’s time to part ways.
“Sure,” you reply, extending your hand bejeweled with the unicorn ring.
The bard grasps your fingers lightly and lifts, bowing his head at the same time to grace you with a soft kiss to the back of your hand. You gulp and hold your breath. Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck, is this happening right now? You knew he had the hots for you but you didn’t think he’d…do this!
His lips leave your skin and he flashes you a flirty smile, your own lips twitching into a wobbly grin of your own. You can feel the heat on your cheeks and ears and you wish for the beautiful green grass to swallow you whole.
“Hey…” Kirishima weakly protests the bard’s actions, stomach flipping upside down. He fidgets with his claws in a way he hasn’t in a long time.
“Farewell, my lovely Traveler.” He releases your hand and winks, waving goodbye to the other two men in company.
“Oi! Back off of them!” Bakugou growls, stepping in front of you and shielding you from Kaminari’s playful eyes. He shoves the bard back, forcing distance between you all.
“Haha! You know Kacchan, maybe if you got your head out of your own butt, you’d admit to your feelings!” He taunts, lightly jogging to avoid the volatile presence of the prince. Kaminari gives you all one last wave before continuing down the path to Falkirk.
Bakugou allows a stilted grunt to escape, whispering to himself. “Huh? Feelings…tch. As if.”
“That idiot,” the barbarian continues, “always spouting nonsense like always. His electricity magic must be frying his brain.” He rolls his eyes and leads you two down the path to Milosen.
“C’mon, you two. We’ve got a ways to go yet.” He waves a hand at you both over his back, urging you to follow.
“Right behind ya. Come on Traveler,” Kirishima encourages, a gentle hand behind your back to guide you.
You giggle lightly at Bakugou’s antics. He wears his emotions on his sleeve without even trying. Kirishima smiles at you and bumps your elbow with his. Your skin still hums from the faint press of the kiss bestowed upon you. You shake your head, exhaling a bit more forcefully but you smile again. He’s sweet, the bard, but totally not your type.
“It was nice having another person in our party. It was refreshing,” the dragon sighs, adjusting the straps to his pack.
“I agree! He had such a great singing voice! No wonder he’s invited to birthday parties with distant royals.” You smile lightly at the memory of being sung to sleep the other night, the gentle sway of wind and sweet cadence of the bard’s words a lullaby like no other.
“Tch. He’s still a dumbass. He used to overuse his magic when we were younger and shock himself stupid all the time,” Bakugou spits, flexing and extending his fingers repeatedly to keep himself calm. Does he know why he’s feeling this way? Yes! Will he admit it? Fuck no!
“Well it seems like he’s got a better handle on it now. I hope he won’t run into any trouble on his way,” you comment, stifling a giggle at the mental image of a bumbling, stumbling Kaminari.
“Whatever, we have our own journey to worry about.” And with that, the conversation lulls to a stop.
Along the path, you point out to Kirishima all the peculiar flowers and insects you spot. He provides a decent explanation for each new thing you come across with Bakugou interjecting every once in a while. Once the sun starts dipping below the trees, the prince announces that you’ll be making camp.
“Shitty Scales, take the Outsider around the area and do some foraging. Unlike you, we can’t just eat meat to survive.” Bakugou’s hair glows golden in the setting sun and he sets down your packs.
“You got it, Bakugou! Come on, Traveler,” he urges, lightly grasping your wrist to pull you away from the small clearing.
You recognize some of the flowers he points out to you, noting the small berries tucked under the leaves. Kirishima takes off his wrap and lays it on the ground, instructing you to pile up the fruits in the fabric. You gently pluck as many as you can and smile. You bet these will be sweet and juicy. You round the bushes to see another clutch of berries but Kirishima reaches out first.
“Whoa hold on, not those.” He puts a hand out to stop you, palm warm against your shoulder.
“You see the serrated edges to the leaves? A lot of poisonous food in Solterra has those types of leaves. And here, the flower stamens are also red. If a fruit-bearing plant has either one of those, it’s best to just stay away from them. They might not kill you, but they’ll give you a hell of a time if you eat ‘em.”
You catalogue all that he’s said away, nodding along to every word. Granted, it’s not like you foraged back in your world, but the rules do seem to be different here. It would be best to learn as much as you can.
After finding a few more edible choices, you head back to the now roaring campfire. Bakugou is whittling at a few twigs, his small hunting blade glinting in the red light. He’s making skewers for your dinner tonight. In the time you and the dragon were gone, he caught…some type of furred animal. You see the fresh blood soaking the grass next to the prince and your heart sinks. It’s about the size of a fat raccoon if you had to guess but you don’t dare to ask, pursing your lips to the side and keeping your eyes away from it.
“Finally, you’re back. Thought I’d have to go in there and track your asses down,” he grumbles with no heat in his words, eyes lifting to lock with yours.
“C’mon, have a little faith, Bakugou. We got as much as we could and we came back as soon as we were done,” Kirishima whines, setting down his berry-filled wrap to the side of the campfire.
The prince only hums, leaning over to look at the pinks and purples piled up. He nods in acknowledgement and returns to his whittling, finishing off the last skewer with a few more flicks of his wrist. You and Kirishima sit down across from Bakugou, the yellow fire in between warming your skin.
He sets his things off to the side, dusting his hands off from the wood shavings. He drags the animal to him and lifts the clean blade, but he pauses. He looks at you, sees your crestfallen face, and he groans.
“Outsider, go practice with Kirishima. You hate watching this shit and I see that look on your face. Go.”
You gulp and nod, standing up to look at your surroundings. You’re not far off the path and trees are all around you. You’re still staying close in case anything happens but a small space off to the side is ample enough for you two to draw your swords.
You lift your weapon, shoulders shifting into the same place all those weeks ago when Bakugou first trained you. Kirishima walks you through a few different scenarios, each swipe is slow motion so no one actually gets hurt. You go again and again and Kirishima smiles, seeing something behind you. Bakugou comes up to adjust your stance and your cheeks blaze at the feeling of his chest right against your back but you stay strong. At least you think you do. His larger palms encase your own holding the hilt, tilting the blade a little differently than you have been doing so.
“You’re not entirely shitty at this but we need to up the challenge now. Try going a little faster. At some point, you’ll need to defend yourself, and I can’t guarantee we’ll be there to do so.”
You nod and slowly side step, keeping your eyes on Kirishima. The dragon lunges, and Bakugou’s hands holding yours pulls the sword up in time to block his attack, parrying to the side to take your own swipe at him. This goes a few more times, the prince’s steps following after your own as you and the dragon play fight.
His hands leave you and you turn, eyes widening at how close he remains. “Keep doing that, Outsider, and you’ll have a chance at surviving.”
Bakugou can feel the heat reaching his ears but he’s hoping the twilight sky is dim enough that you won’t notice it. Truthfully, he didn’t need to get that close to you but he wanted to. Why? Only the Celestials know, and they giggle in their heavenly abode at the prince being so obvious.
“Dinner is almost done, you both should come back,” he says quietly, and he heads toward the makeshift camp.
You follow after him once you recollect your heart from death-inducing tachycardia, palms sweating with nerves. Kirishima sets down your swords and purrs, the meat now an appetizing aroma. You swear you see hearts in his red eyes and drool from the corner of his mouth. You chuckle to yourself and settle in, electing to sit next to the dragon.
Dinner is consumed quickly and quietly, as quietly as a meat-loving dragon can at least. His hums of content and appreciation draw more than one giggle from you. You munch on the tart berries, scanning the skies for glinting stars and beaming planets. Do other planets exist here? It’s not like you can ask your companions, they most likely don’t even know what the word ‘planet’ means. You fall asleep that night smushed between two warm bodies and you smile in your restful state. Everything is turning out better than it could. There’s nothing to worry about. Just about 5 more days of travel until you get to Milosen and a new chapter begins.
--
Flying to the Silverspray Coast
Soaring through the clouds and blue sky is a feeling you’re not sure you’ll get used to. You totally understand how Hiccup felt when Toothless took him to the skies now. The whipping winds were cool but not biting. Plentiful shades of greens and yellows from the forests and farmlands on the ground gleam and the bright sun behind you keeps you warm. Kirishima’s large wings beat rhythmically and the thunderous sound becomes white noise to you. He purrs occasionally, the vibrations rumbling through his scales and into your bones.
You glide alongside the strange birds in the sky, the hooked beaks and throaty squawks reminding you you’re not in the world you’re familiar with. The body sitting behind you shifts, his warm breath grazing the shell of your ear. You shiver. He notices.
“Too chilly for ya, Traveler?” he mumbles into your ear, pressing himself a bit closer to you.
You swallow thickly, choosing to look at the pattern in the dragon’s scales. You turn your head to reply, not wanting to shout over the wind. Bakugou cranes his neck down to set his ear right by your mouth.
“I-It’s fine. Just not used to it.” He smirks at that and leans back. The smug bastard still looks hot when he’s in a teasing mood.
“Does your world even have anything that can do this? Fly through the sky?” he asks with a mocking chuckle, shaking his head slightly.
You nod enthusiastically and he just blinks at you. Wait what? He tilts his head at you with a raised brow. You clear your throat and continue.
“It’s called an airplane. It’s…well I don’t understand the full mechanics of it, but it’s a really, really, highly sophisticated machine that can fly for hours and carry hundreds of passengers.”
“Huh,” he mutters, eyes tracking your every micro-expression.
“But this is way cooler! No doubt about it!” you stutter out in a hurry. Why is he so silent all of a sudden?
“Tch, of course it is…” He’s frowning at you but not in an angry way, but in the way that he’s seriously observing you, taking note of you.
You lean down and pat Kirishima’s forehead. “You’re the best dragon ever!”
He purrs and a proud roar follows, his draconic vocal chords humming underneath you and Bakugou. The hours pass by and the sunlit hues transition to early evening when Kirishima lands in a grassy area. Bakugou is right, landing is the actual worst thing about flying. The dragon’s tail sways a bit to reorient himself to solid ground and he fully sinks down on his claws, resting his chin on his front legs.
Bakugou slips off the dragon with ease, landing in the grass with a barely-there oomf. He extends his hands up at you, fingers flexing to urge you to hold onto him. You lean down and your body slides, hands barely grasping the prince’s before your feet take purchase in the ground. You feel your ankles pop and you groan. Damn, that felt good. You feel the magical hum in the air when Kirishima transforms back to his human form and the smile on his face is contagious.
“That felt so good! It’s been so long since I’ve been able to fly! Ahh man, we gotta do this more if we can,” the dragon gushes, laughing a bit to himself and flapping his now-smaller wings.
“Yeah yeah, we’ll see, you overgrown lizard. Some parts of Delalin are not dragon-friendly so we’ll have to be careful.” Bakugou, ever the pragmatic companion, explains with a shake of his head, setting down his pack and stretching his arms above his head.
“Uh huh. Of course we’ll be careful! Gotta keep Traveler safe,” Kirishima grins at you, bringing an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his side.
“We’ll do our best, how about that?” You compromise, arms easily finding their way around the dragon’s waist like second nature. He hums and nods, agreeing full-heartedly with your sentiment.
Bakugou spares a glance at you two, eyeing just how comfortable you two are with each other. Kirishima practically throws his red wings over you every night and his clawed hand never fails to encase yours when walking. The princeling clenches his jaw and nudges his nose, forcing his eyes to look around the area. Kirishima had landed you all by the edge of a small forest, the towering trees just off to the left and rolling green hills to the right. The orange sunlight streams through the leaves of the trees and it’s a beautiful sight. A sight that you wish you could capture with a camera if you had one.
A wistful smile graces your face watching the sun dip below the horizon, absentmindedly following Bakugou into the trees to hunt for dinner. Your bow came in very useful tonight, and a barely-there impressed smirk comes to the barbarian’s face when you shoot down three hares. He carries them back to camp by their ears, narrowing his eyes at how squeamish you look when you first pick them up. He’ll spare you the skinning…for now. The dragon shifter has compiled a roaring fire, the flickering firelight bringing out the signature warmth in his crimson irises.
You enjoy dinner with the two men, utterly fascinated with the twinkling stars that peak their way out of cloud cover. Again, you noticed early on when you first arrived that you don’t recognize any constellations but your companions make sure to change that.
“What’s that constellation over there?” you point to the southwest, finger tracing a bucket-like shape.
Bakugou looks up and narrows his eyes. “That’s Summer’s Cradle. The Summer celestial is said to have multiple children so Summer’s siblings crafted a permanent spot in the sky for them.”
“Ohhh…” you hum, nodding along to his words.
“We only see Summer’s Cradle during the summertime actually. Now that autumn is approaching, we eventually won’t be able to see it,” Kirishima adds, leaning back into the grass on his hands.
“And what direction is Summer’s Cradle usually in? Or any constellation, really?” You ask, sitting crisscross to pay attention.
Bakugou takes a sip from his water skin and clears his throat, sharp eyes darting all over the dark tapestry of the night sky. “The Cradle is usually true south, only when we’re getting closer to winter does it become southwest then being unable to see it unless you live south enough where you see it year round. In the direction we’re heading…we might have a few more weeks before we’re too far north.”
You nod and scoot closer to him, watching him find the heavenly markings that would serve you best. He points to the east and you tilt your head. It truly looks like a cluster of stars to you but he’s obviously seeing something different.
“See that cluster? There’s six really bright stars, arranged to look like the outline of a pine tree.”
You focus a bit better and the shape comes to light after a minute of searching. You see it now, a lone star at the top and bottom, with two sets of stars on either side tapering up. “I see it. Which one is that one?”
“That’s the Huntress’ Pine. It’s always east and visible year round. We’ll be looking out for that one for a bit after we get to Delalin.”
Kirishima taps your shoulder and you turn to him, his clawed finger pointing at another cluster to the north. “That to the north is the Fisherman’s Hook. The bottom of that kinda half-teardrop shape is true north. If you can’t find that one then the Mage’s Staff is just to the left of it.”
You scan the twinkling sky, finding the J-shape and the T-shape constellations. You wish you had a notebook or something to write all this down. But you suppose you can keep grilling them with questions when you’re crossing the sea. You’re bound to see these same stars for at least one night aboard the boat.
“Hey. Look to the west. The box shape there is The Hearth. It’s Winter’s Hearth, but most just call it The Hearth.” Bakugou calls back your attention and you see exactly what he’s talking about.
You run through all that you’ve learned so far, pointing out and memorizing the markers in the sky to your companions. Kirishima, who is your hypeman through and through, cheers and claps every time you get them correct. Bakugou… is proud but he won’t tell you that. He just grunts and nods his head.
A weird twinge hits the prince’s gut once you and the dragon fall asleep. He traces the features on your face with unnaturally soft eyes and he scoffs to himself. Kirishima will have a hard time letting you go once you get to the altar. Straihorn is still months away and he knows the connection will only grow deeper. The little tick to his jaw at the thought pisses him off because he knows he’ll have trouble too. You’ve saved Kirishima, given up pieces of yourself for him, and you’re getting used to living in this world now. Even as hard-hearted as he is, he knows he’s softened up to you, and you’ve grown to like his presence as well.
Shit. This is going to be harder than he’s imagined.
--
Aboard Sero’s Ship
You and Bakugou pace, unable to keep still. You’re sure your boots have already worn a path into the wood beneath your feet but you can’t stop. You wince when you hear a sharp cry through the Captain’s door, your heart hurting each time a new one pierces your ears.
Bakugou’s back tenses and his hands clench so tightly, his knuckles almost split. He strides to the door, ready to kick it in when your soft hand on his shoulder reels him back.
“Bakugou, stop. The Captain said he’ll take good care of Kirishima. We should allow him this little bit of trust,” you hiss, brows turning up.
“Tch. If that bastard is hurting Kirishima more, I’ll fuckin’ hang him from the crow’s nest.”
“I’m worried too, but he said it shouldn’t take long. Let’s be a little more patient,” you murmur, lightly squeezing the shoulder you still have a hold of.
The blond’s red eyes lock with yours and you see a sliver of vulnerability that is unfamiliar to you. It catches you off guard but you don’t point it out, lest the man retreats back into his shell. You let go of him and cross your arms, stepping back to lean against the railing of the upper deck. He copies your stance, crossing his arms and leaning his hip on the railing as well. His fingers drum along on his bicep and he works his jaw left and right occasionally.
It seems that your small reprieve from chaos has reared its ugly head once again. It’s been so nice traveling to Milosen, then flying to Noria. How the bandits followed you, you’re not sure. You don’t think you want to know actually. If it’s another goddamn tracking spell though, you’re going to lose it. A large wave rocks the ship a bit harder and you lose balance, hands flailing to grab anything! The prince’s hand grips your bicep and he pulls you upright, forcing you to take a few steps closer to him.
“Watch it, dumbass. Can’t have you hitting your head or falling overboard like a newborn fawn,” he grumbles, releasing you but not moving further from you.
You mumble a thanks and actually grab the railing this time, looking out at the lower deck and ocean. The dark waters splash and roll and the scent of salt fills your nostrils. It’s peaceful in its own way, the sea. There are no bustling cities, rocky trails, or clawed beasts that lurk in dark trees, but it’s quite lonely. Sero said he’s a retired pirate, perhaps the loneliness got to him too.
The Captain’s Quarters door opens and you stand to attention. The candlelight illuminates a hunching Kirishima and a cheerful Sero. You rush forward and gently hug your red-haired friend, pouring all your worries and care into your embrace. He hugs you back just as fiercely, burying his face in the crook of your neck and exhaling shakily.
“He’s all stitched up and bandaged. Just gotta take it easy and not transform for a while,” the pirate instructs, looking between all three of you.
“Thank you, Captain. I really appreciate it,” you say quietly over Kirishima’s shoulder.
“It’s no problem. Can’t have my temporary crew working at half capacity right off the bat now can I?” He jokes, leaning on the door frame with clasped hands.
“Yeah yeah. Just show us where we’ll be sleepin’ alright?” Bakugou is tired, pissed off, worried, and worst of all, feeling the effects of the swaying ship.
Sero leads you all down a flight of stairs to below the main deck. It’s a small room with a hammock and a…bunk bed-ish type of setup. He sends you off to sleep with a promise to wake you all up in the morning. With a click, the door shuts and you’re left in silence.
“I’ll take the hammock, you guys take the beds.” Kirishima plops into the scooping fabric that’s barely hanging on and sighs.
“Are you sure, Kirishima? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable since you need to heal,” you plead, kneeling in front of him and holding his hands.
Kirishima’s eyebrows go up and his mouth runs dry. Seeing you like this, fussing over him and being gentle with him, it brings a new type of ache to his chest. You’re so sweet and wonderful, it would be insane if he didn’t fall for you.
“No I…I promise I’ll be fine, Traveler. Besides, I’ll be able to spread my wings out a little better this way without a mattress getting in the way.” He smiles at you, sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight from the porthole.
“He says he’ll be fine, Traveler. You’re coddling him way too much,” Bakugou mutters, shedding his pack and setting it by the beds.
“Go to bed, Traveler. You need to rest. I’ll see you in the morning, I promise.” Kirishima pushes your hands away, urging you to sleep.
You set your pack next to the prince’s and climb into bed, already aware that your back and shoulders will suffer when you wake up. The dragon puts out the single candle lantern and the room is submerged in darkness, light breathing and sloshing of the waves against the wood are the only sounds you can hear. You turn in bed, facing the wall, mulling over the words the dragon shifter said earlier.
“Cooking with the ones you love…” Such a simple phrase, such a mindless statement, and it’s got your heart racing and palms sweating. Damn it, of course this would happen. Of course you would fall for the kind-natured dragon and his gruff barbarian friend. Of course you would. How could you not?
thank you so much for being patient with me! I really like how this chapter turned out and I think I will be sticking with this type of formatting for all continuing chapters. see you in the next one! <3
