Beating Hearts! Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Murata, a surname that became rather famous during the last decade of the Dark Age.

Initially, many suspected connections to infamous Villain groups and such gangs, with hidden deals that helped their strange rise during an era where barely anything flourished.

Yet the Murata Corporation did. They thrived, and focused deeply into technological advancement.

Their discoveries, creations and actions greatly helped speed up the rebuilding stage after the Dark Era finally came to an end.

And once the era of Heroes started, the Murata Corporation were the first to dive into Support Gear.

They were the first to even propose them, as they had gathered the brightest minds beneath their mantle during the Dark Age, giving them an advantage like no other.

No other Support Company that came after could shake the enormous foundations the Murata Corporations had amassed, especially when they helped build and found the hegemon that is I-Island.

Yet, the dark deeds of the previous leaders of the Murata Corporations weren’t hidden.

Three leaders in total. Grandfather, father, then daughter.

The grandfather clearly had done deals with Villains to accelerate and assure the growth of his Corporation, only to mysteriously pass away and leave everything to his son.

A sociopath who demanded improvement. A perfectionist to the bone.

Rumors of human experiments taking place to study augmentations through machines in a rather Trans-humanist way constantly circled during his rule.

Especially the rumors about his rather ‘unfortunate’ family history.

Three wives, twelve daughters in daughter.

Two wives dead, eleven daughters dead.

The oldest, smartest and last of them snatched the reins of the Murata Corporation from her father’s cold and dead hands from yet another mysterious death…

Then shut the corporation down, leaving it to the hungry wolves.

Stelle’s Guardian, Murata Himeko, is said woman.

Goddamn…

I have a feeling her grandfather did deals with All for One for sure, mostly due to the strange and meteoric rise the Corporation experienced during the Dark War of all years.

Shit failed during those years, no business could have thrivedin those conditions.

Hence why I fear sharing things with Himeko, due to a possible connection to the madman that is All for One.

But alas, desperation rears it’s ugly head.

I raise my gaze away from my phone to stare at the downright gorgeous woman before me, sitting behind her office desk and flicking through my notebook with critical eye – after asking for my permission, of course – and slowly going through each page with naught a change to her expression.

Stelle was banished to the Shadow Realm- Her room, after getting an earful from a very annoyed Himeko.

I didn’t get to see what mess Stelle caused in Himeko’s laboratory, but it had to be bad since the woman dragged Stelle away while pinching the girl’s ear.

That’s when Himeko speaks up, “Aren’t you afraid of being taken as paranoid for all of…” Her warm eyes flick away from my notebook to meet mine, then glance back towards it to express her meaning.

I shrug lightly and breathe in through my nostrils to calm my raging emotions and panic. “I’d rather be prepared and be called a paranoid than ignore all the clear signs that the man is still out there.”

Himeko slowly raises a confused brow, and I take that as a sign to go on. “All Might disappeared for six months five years ago.” Her eyes instantly widen, “When he came back he looked sickly, pale, out of breath, lost a great deal of muscles and weight and kept leaning away from his left side.” The forums went crazy at that time, and I went through all of those things months ago.

The analysis, people pointing out the obvious way All Might seemed sick, the theories on why, the recorded terrifying earthquake felt around the time of his disappearance, and the Hero Commission claiming a ‘meteor’ of all things smashing into an empty plot of land was the source of it.

“And you believe All Might battled the Boogeyman?” Himeko wonders softly, eyes critical even as I confidently nod.

“And it ended in a draw.” Golden eyes widen once more, “Else his corpse would have been paraded left and right by the Hero Commission. With how hard they try to keep everything about him deleted off the internet and suppressed I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d actually go through with that.”

Himeko sighs and slowly rests my notebook on her desk, the page flipped to the far too powerful Support Gear I came up with.

A set of armor abusing sound amplifiers and stereos, capable of unleashing sound blasts powerful enough to turn buildings to powders and take down entire city blocks.

Still far too little in my opinion.

“So, everything you’ve been doing…” She waves at my notebook and at the hidden Gravity Weights strapped on me, “Has been for this, and this alone?”

I blink, then slowly nod.

Her golden eyes soften a great deal, clear worry filling them, “That’s not healthy.” She whispers softly, but I just shrug.

“Many things I do aren’t healthy. But again, I’d rather be paranoid and prepared than be an unprepared idiot.” There’s a chance that things may have changed.

That All Might truly killed All for One this time and the Hero Commission just decided not to show it off.

That I am wasting literal years of my life preparing for something that might never be.

But I’d rather do that, even if it’s just to be prepared for anything.

Himeko remains silent, fingers tracing the rough sketch on my notebook. “Does Stelle know?” I cup my hands together and squeeze, hard enough to hurt.

“I’d rather keep her out of this, if possible.” She’s the reason I’m even working so much harder than usual. “She’s…everything to me. I’d rather not drop such worries on her.”

If before I wanted to simply work hard to survive, now it’s all for her and my family.

Even if I have to die, I’ll make sure they will be safe and won’t be dragged into the bullshit of this world for as long as possible.

“You really care about her, huh…” Himeko mused softly, tracing her desk with her finger, her gaze distant. “I’m glad to see that she’s found someone.” And I’m glad that I found her.

That’s when she sighs and stands up, the light coming in from the large windows behind her making the woman outright breathtaking.

My lesbian self can’t handle all of this beauty, woman.

“Let’s do this then.” I blink and straighten myself as Himeko turns to fully face mewith a serious look on her beautiful face. “I will sponsor you.” I blink, then slowly tilt my head.

Sponsor?

“Uh…What does that mean?” Her serious mask cracks as the side of her lips twitch upward, “Is it like a recommendation to a Hero School, or…?”

One of her arms uncrosses to make a so-so gesture. “It’s when a Hero Agency or Support Company take a teenager they fancy, possibly with both good looks and a strong Quirk, then sponsor them to become a Hero.”

“They give the teenager all the training they need, the best Support Gear that matches his Quirk and needs, then parade him around for money before and after he becomes a Hero.” That’s…

Jesus, I haven’t seen stuff like that! Might be because I don’t go look into Hero Stuff so maybe these types of things don’t pop up on my homepages.

“So, wait… They do commercials and all with them?” Himeko nods, and I gape.

“I ain’t doing all that.” She snorts and shakes her head with a thin smile on her lips.

“Good, because I’m not going to bother with those idiotic things.” She sniffs, and I allow my shoulders to sag in relief as her eyes fix on me with a strange look. “...You really aren’t into this for money and fame, huh?”

I scrunch up my nose at that. Fame is such an annoying. It’ll basically fuck up your private life. “I wouldn’t even go into the Hero Business if I wasn’t so terrified about…” I wave my right hand at my notebook, silently finishing my sentence.

Himeko only sighs at my words. “Either way, I will sponsor you. I’ll make sure to bring to life what you envisioned here-” One of her long fingers taps my still open notebook, “-while also making sure you get the training needed to not die.”

I nod and roll my jaw, then furrow my brows. “Training as in physical, or…?”

“Martials arts, fighting, that stuff.” Himeko waves off, giving me a very sharp look. “And there’s a good reason for that. Tell me, what’s the total you can hold in total with the Gravity Weights?” I blink at the rather pointed but strange question.

Then bite my lower lip a bit shyly, because even I myself am a bit shocked at how much I can currently handle. “Nearly half a ton…?”

Himeko breathes in sharply at that. “Yeah, I’m surprised too at how strong I’m getting.”

“I’m not.” The beautiful woman suddenly says, confusing and surprising me.

Her gaze was narrowed, staring down at the floor, and one of her hands was cupping her cheek. “But I didn’t take into account that there might be someone who will go overboard with their usage.” Hey now… Putting me on the spot there.

“Training through the usage of heavier gravity brings far greater gains in a tenth of the time than when one goes to the gym.” She starts, retaking her seat and crossing her longs legs in a near-hypnotic way, “But you’ve gone above and beyond what I thought others would do…”

Her eyes flick up to mine, “You could kill a grown man with one of your punches, Kyoka.” I take in a sharp intake of air at those words, “You need training.” She’s… She’s right.

Holy fuck, I never thought about this…

I’ve never really noticed, or done something that made me realize how truly strong I’ve gotten.

I walk around with nearly half a ton of added weight, which I mean… Anime physiology and bullshit like that, plus the gravity weight conditioning I’ve been doing.

If I were to punch a normal human, and truly put my all behind it… Just what kind of damage can I do?

The mere thought sends a shudder down my spine. “Yeah…That ain’t so bad.” Plus, lessons in self-defense and how to fight. I ain’t gonna turn those down.

“I’ll put some stuff together, plus a more detailed explanation on what Sponsorships fully do.” Himeko nods, gently closing my notebook and sliding it over to my end, “I have my own reasons to assist you… But keeping you alive is by far my highest priority.” Well, that’s… Nice. And kind.

“You trust me?” I ask in a low whisper, having been kinda afraid for being taken as crazy or too paranoid.

Himeko pauses, her gaze softening to a very warm and kind look. “I have my own reasons to believe that the Boogeyman is still alive.” She sighs softly and leans against her desk, hands cupping together before her. “You wish to protect Stelle, and I wish to do the same. On that, we can work together.”

I nod and breathe in, slumping against my seat. My eyes start to burn, and my stomach feels like.

I feel like I could throw up at any second now.

So many days, weeks and months of worrying about this. Of thinking, plotting, studying and researching on ways to prepare long before I enter U.A., long before the U.S.J., long before anything kicks off.

All the while hoping that nothing happens. That nothing goes down.

That I can just relax, leave U.A., seek a career path that allows me to be close to Stelle and my passion, and follow that and that alone.

And live out the rest of my life with the thought that I was sent here, ripped away from my mother, for no fucking reason at all.

I blink as I suddenly feel a gentle pair of arms wrap around me, a shaky breath leaving my lips as I blink the tears out of my eyes.

“How long have you been worrying over this…?” Himeko whispers softly, resting my head against her belly and running her fingers through my long hair.

I take in a shaky breath and lick my lips, “Too long.” I choke out, nearly latching onto her out of desperation. “It was a light worry before I got with Stelle. But now… Now I just want to make sure I can protect her.”

Himeko’s hug tightens around me. “Well, now you can rely on me.” Those words mean the world to me.

I’d hate to get too trusting and too close, but again, desperation.

I pull back and wipe my eyes before taking in a deep, calming breath. “Thank you for this.” I say after a bit as Himeko herself takes a step back, “But don’t force yourself too.” My words bring a confused tilt of her head, which made her look insanely cute.

I bite my lower lip, then decide to elaborate, “It’s just a hunch, but… I wouldn’t do something that led to the death of my whole family.” It’s a hunch that came from when she found out Stelle got her laboratory dirty.

The way she reacted was… mild. More annoyed that Stelle went through the trash than the fact someone was in her laboratory and got it dirty.

Plus, the way she stared at my sketch on the notebook. It wasn’t distaste towards the sketch, like disappointed in what she was seeing.

It was distaste towards having to make it.

Himeko’s eyes widen marginally, then her lips quirk upward a tiny bit. “You are quite perceptive.” I just pay attention.

I shrug, then stand with a soft sigh, “Still, thank you. Really.” I say honestly, but the fiery haired woman shakes her head with a light smile

“I should be the one thanking you.” I raise a confused brow at that. “I haven’t seen Stelle so happy since… ever. So… Thank you, truly.” Albeit their relationship is a mess, Himeko clearly cares about my amazing Trash Panda.

“But…” Then she speaks again, seemingly hesitating lightly as she bites down on her lower lip. “Are you sure you want this sponsorship?”

“Being associated with a Murata… People won’t take it well.”

I sniff and keep a flat gaze on Himeko. “I honestly don’t give a damn about what other people will think. All I care about is protecting Stelle and my family, I don’t care one bit about the rest.”

The light worry and hesitation on Himeko’s face instantly give way to a warm and happy smile. Was that a test of sort? “I like you.” She hums before turning around to stride towards her desk. “Now feel free to go and bully Stelle while I keep myself busy by preparing everything.”

I smile and breathe in, then bow deeply towards Himeko.

I’ve never been lucky in my entire life, but finally I got a stroke of luck.

Now I can relax a bit. Hopefully.

“If you hear her scream, it’s because I am tickling the hell out of her.”

“Go for the neck. That’s her weak spot.”

“...This will be a lovely partnership.”

“Indeed.”

                                                                               xxxXXXxxx

Why did she feel like her girlfriend was plotting something?

Stelle glares at the ceiling of her room for a short few seconds, that nagging feeling on the back of her head slowly fading away as she shrugs and discards that thought.

Kyoka would never… Right?

The scrunching of the bag of chips on her lap brings her out of those traitorous thoughts, and another chip slides down her face mask and into her mouth.

Of course she wouldn’t, else why would she have bought so many bags of chips for her to feast on?

Nearly ten of them, now eight remain… Perhaps Kyoka will be mad that she ate quite a few of them without her?

Wonder what Himeko wanted with her though…

With a hum, she turns on her side and rests the open bag of chips on her bed as another chip slides beneath her mask and in her mouth, filling it with the delicious taste of lime.

An acquired taste she gained from Kyoka. One of the many things she grew to love thanks to the person she loves.

And wasn’t that a wonderful thought for her.

Never in her life did she think she’d have a random encounter that would lead her to a wonderful friendship, then relationship.

Stelle is a loner deep down. She prefers quiet and calm places near nature and away from cities and big public places.

Never did she want to fit in, or even want friends. Especially due to the idiotic mocking she gets due to her Quirk not working.

And then Kyoka stumbled upon her while she was digging through a trash-can… Then just declared herself her friend.

Who even does that…?

That day was the weirdest yet also the second best day of Stelle’s life. First one is of course when she and Kyoka stopped playing around and finally seal the deal.

And again, she would never have imagined that she’d actually fall in love with a girl… But, Kyoka is a bit special.

A happy purr flowed past Stelle’s lips as her mind betrayed her, conjuring images of her girlfriend’s downright perfect thighs and ass.

So big, so round, so supple- Or as Kyoka herself says, so ‘Thicc!’.

Kyoka truly awakened her ass and thigh fetish – plus her Kyoka fetish– with ease. Stelle never stood a chance.

Her golden eyes blink as her door slowly creaks open, then the head of her beautiful girlfriend peeks in.

Having her mouth full of lime-flavored chips, Stelle decides to do the only thing capable of truly conveying her excitement and happiness at seeing her favorite human being.

And that is… Making grabby hands towards her while aggressively chewing.

Needless to say that she gets a flat stare right back. “You already went through two packs of chips?” Pure smug energy radiates out of Stelle as she raises yet another chip high in the air, “You damn raccoon.” And she aggressively chews on that one too.

Kyoka steps into the room and shuts the door behind her, and Stelle doesn’t miss the clear tiredness on her girlfriend’s shoulders.

She was still clad in her school uniform, with her long hair that now reach her lower back gathered up in a high ponytail, and the long skirt depriving Stelle sight towards those divine thighs she loves.

Lazy black eyes flick around, exploring the room and taking in it’s appearance while walking to Stelle’s bed. Then, finally, Kyoka speaks her mind; “I was expecting a sort of treasure trove of all the exotic trash you dug up, not just books.”

That brings an honest laugh out of Stelle, “My treasure chest is below the bed.” And her girlfriend’s eyes instantly snap to her and light up.

“For real!?” Stelle nods, then leans into her girlfriend’s touch almost hungrily. Warm fingers brush against her cheek and earlobe, and her eyes close in contentment.

She grew so used to having Kyoka around each day that now she hungers her touches when they are apart, even if it’s for short amounts of time.

Something that isn’t one-sided.

That warm hand brushed her gray hair out of her face with a loving touch, and the chips were all but forgotten, unable to compete with her girlfriend’s loving touches. “How are you feeling?” Kyoka whispers in her husky, divine voice.

A voice that does things to her body. One golden eye lazily peeks open as Stelle suppresses a full body shudder, “Heavenly, with you here.” Kyoka rolls her eyes at her, a warm smile on her lips. “But yeah, it’s mostly gone now.” Something she was grateful of.

Her voice sounded rough due to all the coughing that came with the cold, and having her nose always clogged wasn’t fun.

Kyoka hums softly, then smiles mischievously, “Then does that mean I can sneak in a kiss or two?”

And her mask came of faster than the speed of light.

Her beautiful girlfriend snorts and withholds a giggle before leaning in and capturing her lips, filling Stelle’s body with warmth and excitement.

Her own hands rose to undo her girlfriend’s ponytail, letting those wonderful hair flow free and fill her hands, cascading down all around them like a waterfall of liquid obsidian.

A hand brushes down along her side, sending tingles up Stelle’s body, and her own hands travel down Kyoka’s back… then below the hem of her shirt.

A perfectly sculpted body fills her hands. Firm, strong, muscular, defined… So now she has a muscle kink too.

Well, she’s had one since she saw Kyoka in a sports bra. That sight plagued many of her dreams. Still does.

The kiss is broken, yet their bodies remain pressed against each other. Yet, Stelle doesn’t miss the flash of nervousness in her girlfriend’s eyes.

“What’s wrong?” She asks, retrieving her hands so to cup her lover’s cheeks.

Pitch black eyes flick to the side, then Kyoka breathes in and leans back a bit, though not far enough to escape her girlfriend’s hold. “There’s something I want to tell you. About… me.”

Stelle’s lips quirk upward before she could help herself. Then a snort escapes her.

Her girlfriend pouts at her. “What?”

Stelle coughs into her fist to stop the laughter from bubbling out, “Nothing, just… I think I know what you want to tell me.” Lazy black eyes widen, and cheeks flush more and more.

Now, Stelle could decide to be gentle… or just double down and have no mercy for her girlfriend.

But since she’s always the one getting bullied, of course she’ll take the chance to bully her lover right back. Especially when she looks so cute when she blushes!

“Two weeks ago.” Stelle starts, and Kyoka listens, “Remember when we were making out on your bed?” Lazy eyes widen in realization, then Kyoka looks like she is about to start drooling.

Something Stelle doesn’t mind, because she is the same. That day was quite… exciting.

“How could I ever forget my girlfriend tossing away her shirt?” Kyoka sighs almost dreamily, and Stelle squirms, loving the way her whole body is just so worshiped and desired by her lover. “That image is burned in my very Soul, that I swear.”

And the image of Kyoka’s face when she removed her shirt is also burned in her very Soul, but she won’t say that. Yet.

“Yeah, well…” Stelle coughs, finding herself being a bit embarrassed in saying it now, her own cheeks starting to burn quite badly, “I felt… it. Against my stomach.” Her teeth nibble on her lower lip, and her eyes flick away from Kyoka’s face.

Because she didn’t need to look at her to see the dawning horror and pure embarrassment on her face.

“I want to die.” And the restrained laughter finally flowed free.

Only to turn into a high-pitched squeal of terror when Kyoka lunges forward and starts tickling the hell out of her.

No amount of begging, tossing, kicking, screaming or wheezing laughter stopped her flushed girlfriend, who only grew sated after Stelle became a panting mess with no strength left.

“H-How did… Neck…” Stelle started, eyes hazy from lack of oxygen and too much laughter, feeling just a bit lightheaded as she mumbled out a few words.

Kyoka though easily put together the would be question and smirked viciously down at her girlfriend, “Himeko.” Stelle grumbles and curses her Guardian for betraying her like so.

Catching her breath, the gray haired teen turns on her side to stare at her girlfriend with a soft smile, “What did you think about her?” Of course the question was quite pointed, because she knows that her Kyoka is a hardcore lesbian.

And well, Himeko is… Himeko.

Kyoka’s face instantly grows serious, then nods, “Utter perfection.” Of course.

Though her serious face swiftly morphs into a worried one as she shifts in place, “So then, you don’t mind that…” Pitch black eyes flick downward, and Stelle raises an amused brow.

“Babe…” She starts and licks her lips with a grin, “I find it hot as hell.” And her lips were once more captured in a very welcoming kiss.

A very hungry one, too.

Tongues meet and dance around each other, making Stelle all but melt against her bed as Kyoka leans on top of her, making sure she feels every last bit of love she feels.

And oh does Stelle feel it.

Still, the kiss is broken after just a few seconds, before things could get even wilder. Not that Stelle minded one bit.

Though this allowed her to bring up something she too wanted to kind of lift off her chest, so to speak. “Since you shared about your… condition,” Kyoka flushes and sniffs, giving her a quick peck on the nose but staying silent so to let her finish, “I want to… reveal something of mine too.”

If before she had Kyoka’s attention, now she has her interest. “What are your thoughts on Polygamy?” And now she has her confusion too.

Kyoka hums and leans on her side, dropping her chin on her palm. “No thoughts, really. Sounds like a lot of work, but a big family does sound nice…” She drawls out, then she blinks as her eyes widen. Sudden realization fills those lazy black orbs. “And having a big family is something you really would like, isn’t it?”

A smile blooms on Stelle’s lips. It was an off-hand comment from months ago, yet her Kyoka remembers it.

Which isn’t really that hard since Stelle likes so few things.

Jogging, reading, Kyoka, kissing, and family. The last one might be a desire born from her not having one, but oh well…

“So you have interest in Polygamy…” Kyoka muses softly, then just shrugs without care, “Eh, if it happens, it happens. How would it even work out?” And that’s why Kyoka is the best girlfriend ever.

“Well…” Stelle shifts, cuddling against her girlfriend’s side with a warm smile on her lips, “If we both like someone, we can go after them. See how things work out and whatnot.” Playfully, she reaches up to boop Kyoka’s nose, “And if you start to fall for someone – because I know you get attached easily– let me know.”

Kyoka scrunches up her nose, then shrugs again and hugs Stelle close, “Then we’ll see.” Always brushing things aside until they happen. That’s a bad habit of hers.

But still, the talk went strangely well. Stelle didn’t expect that, but maybe she should have due to Polygamy being quite common.

Mostly due to Quirk Marriages, and because the Dark Age nearly led to a collapse of society as a whole, with deaths that actually entered the one billion range.

So for that, polygamy became common. An excuse used simply to farm Quirks.

Something Stelle will make use of to get her big, happy family. If possible.

“Anything else?” Kyoka asks, and Stelle hums. What else did she want to get off her chest? Or- Wait, did she tell Kyoka about that?

Golden eyes narrow and look at lazy black ones, “I got a job?” Kyoka blinks, thoroughly not impressed.

“Okay, what the fuck?” Stelle snorts, then barely holds back a cackle. “This is totally not because my birthday is getting close, is it?”

Stelle of course shakes her head with a prim and proper expression on her face, “But of course not, my dear. Giving you tons of present is definitely not the reason I decided to start working.” But alas, even her nigh-perfect lie doesn’t fool her far too intelligent girlfriend!

Who pinches her as punishment.

“So, what’s this place?”

Stelle sniffs and cuddles herself further into Kyoka’s warm and fit body, “It’s a bakery that I’ve run into a few times while I was out jogging. Kind folks, make the best damn sweets I’ve ever had. I’ve been planning to take you there for a while now, though I know you aren’t much into sweets.”

Kyoka shrugs and kisses her forehead, “As long as there’s chocolate, I can deal with it. Salty stuff still the best though.” The one thing they will never agree on. Stelle loves sweets, Kyoka loves salty food.

She lost count of the amount of times they playfully butted heads over this, futilely trying to convert the other to the ‘Dark Side’, as Kyoka dubs it.

“What’s it called?” Her girlfriend asks, running a gentle hand over her belly, an action that sends pleasant shivers up Stelle’s spine.

“Sato’s Family Bakery,-” Stelle doesn’t miss the flash of recognition in Kyoka’s eyes, “-it’s actually quite close to our school, so…”

Her girlfriend sniffs, then shrugs. “We can go once you come back then.”

Stelle nods, then licks her lips.

“Good, now grab the chips and cuddle me.”

“What a demanding girlfriend I have.”

“My room, my kingdom.”

“You are within tickling distance.”

“I retract my words…”

                                                                         xxxXXXxxx

You know, I love how quickly my school empties itself once classes are over.

Everyone just up and decides to get the hell out as fast as humanly possible and flee the school grounds and halls like they are being chased by a pack of zombies.

They can stay for a while longer, some even get access to their own clubs to further practice and stuff, but barely anyone does so.

And that leaves me free to blast music in my ears and hum to myself. Drums and bass fill my ears, initial work on my next song. One that I should’ve done sooner since it has such a nice vibe.

Then the beat drops come, and I can’t help myself, the Kyoka part of me just comes to the surface.

“Lie down, baby arch your back now- Maybe you can help me get what I want-” My mouth breaks out into a massive grin as Seele walks out of a nearby classroom, blinking profusely in my general direction.

Yet I keep going, uncaring of the sexual meaning behind the song’s words, “Curve your little spine and tell me that you’re mine,-” Seele instantly gapes and flushes darkly at me, even as I approach her and grab her hands, pulling her into a spin, “-It’s all about the game and what you flaunt!”

The poor purple haired teen sputters and flushes more and more as I keep on singing and forcefully pulling her along with my dance- Until her back hits the wall by the stairs.

And I Kabedon her. With my foot right beside her head.

My hand comes up to lower my headphones with a grin, “’Sup, Seele.” Pretty sure she’s about to faint with how red her face is.

“W-Wha-” Oh, she’s babbling. Cute.

I tilt my head to the side and toss a smile towards the approaching Stelle, a deadpan look on her face. “My lovely Trash Panda!” I wave at her happily, like I’m not doing the sexiest Kabedon ever.

Stelle’s gaze just grows more deadpan, “I let you out of my sight for one minute!” She raises a single finger with a growl, but I just grin smugly.

She just turned around to grab her things and I just went on an adventure! Which ended with me embarrassing the hell out of Seele because she got caught in the cross-fire of me dancing and singing.

Said teen sputters, glowing purple butterflies flying erratically all around her, “H-Help me!” She squeaks towards Stelle, too stunned to even move.

“I would, but she has business with you apparently.” Right, I forgot. I snap my fingers and finally pull back my leg, allowing Seele to let out a sigh of relief and slump against the wall, then perk up when I pull out a plastic bag out of my schoolbag and offer it to her.

Then give her a light grin, “Here, what I promised.” Her gaze lights up with understanding, then her hands gingerly take the plastic bag. “I left some instructions on a piece of paper in the bag, so you don’t get hurt using them.” Seele’s face lights up with a big excited grin.

Then she playfully punches my shoulder, “Thanks a lot! These will do wonders to my training!” Something I’m happy about. Plus, it’s also my way to repay her for fucking up Stelle’s bullies.

Even though I kinda wanted to do that myself.

Seele swiftly puts the gravity weights in her own schoolbag before turning to Stelle. Right, introductions. Kinda.“Stelle, this is Seele, the one who traumatized your bullies. Seele, this is Stelle, my Trash Panda.”

Stelle grumbles and flushes lightly, always embarrassed when I call her a Trash Panda in front of others. Mostly because it’ll surely end up with me telling the whole history behind the name.

“I just beat one up.” Seele corrects with a shake of the head, fists on her hips, “Ser Nom Nom did the traumatizing!” Ah yes, the fucking giant rat that lives in the gym.

And somehow caused a whole fucking hostage situation with one of the bullies.

“Right, the giant rat I remember seeing…” Stelle mutters softly, and Seele nods sagely.

“The mightiest of all rodents.” I snort softly at that. I’d love to hear the story behind how she met and became friends with that damn rat.

Huh, maybe I could… “Say, wanna come with us?” Stelle blinks and gives me a curious look while Seele looks at me in confusion, “We’re going to a nearby bakery. Stelle’s got a job there, and I wanna check out it’s sweets. My treat?”

Might as well use the chance to bond with her. Pretty sure she could use a friend or two herself.

Seele hesitates lightly, nervously sliding a strand of her hair behind her ear as another butterfly flows out of her left pupil, “I mean, if you two won’t mind?”

Stelle grins, “Wouldn’t have invited you if we did! Come on, gotta treat the Bully Beater!” All of Seele’s nervousness washes away, replaced by her grin and confident gait.

“Hopefully they won’t mind my butterflies…” The purple haired teen mutters softly as we resume our walk, starting out descent down the stairs.

I raise a brow at that, “They aren’t really alive though, are they?” Seele shakes her head and raises one of her hands, and all of her butterflies descend down to rest on it. So she is also capable of controlling them?

“They have a mind of their own, but they are actually just pure energy in the form of butterflies.” The butterflies start to blur, creating a static-like indigo blur in the air.

It’s honestly something quite cool to stare at. “What do they do exactly?” Stelle asks before I myself could.

“By themselves? Nothing. But if I use them?” Seele’s grin grows even bigger, and her butterflies fly away from her hand and all the way down the stairs-

Then she blurs forward. The same indigo colored static-like blur, followed by a sharp and much louder – to my enhanced hearing– cutting sound.

And in a split-second, Seele is all the way down the stairs, while two of her butterflies appear where she used to stand.

“I can teleport!” Now that’s cool as hell.

“But that’s not everything, right?” Seele blinks as I twirl one of my jacks, “I heard a sharp cutting sound when you teleported.”

Stelle blinks, “A cutting sound?”

Seele instead stares down at one of her butterflies with a look of realization, “Huh, so that’s why everything I teleport through always gets cut…”

Both me and Stelle choke on air at the same time, “You didn’t realize!?” The sheepish look she throws my way makes me realize that this is an anime world, so… Some folk really don’t realize the most blatant things even if they are right in front of your face.

Thank God she didn’t teleport through people before…

“No!” Seele squeaks, swiftly moving so to follow after us, a light flush on her cheeks, “I know I can cut things! Look!” She reaches out and grasps one of her butterflies, which then morphs into the shape of a glitching and blurring indigo sword.

“The energy that makes up my Quirk is very sharp. Insanely so. I just never realized I cut things when I teleport through them… Especially since I rarely do it due to how taxing it is.” Well, now that kinda makes sense.

So teleporting without anything in the way is far less taxing than doing it with something in the way- And said obstruction will likely get cut.

Is the cutting force the whole reason the teleportation is far more taxing when going through objects?

Quirks really are fascinating.

“So you are… Hunt?” Stelle probes lightly, brows furrowed curiously.

Seele nods and flexes her arms with a grin, “Yup, Path of the Hunt champion right here!” And those that belong to that path have ‘Determination’ as their main trait. Yeah, that’s Seele alright.

Plus, Quirks that are extraordinary for 1vs1 fight. Gotta admit that being able to teleport like that is indeed a massive boon.

My Quirk instead needs Support Gear for it to truly shine.

Wish I could achieve a breakthrough in my training with it.

“Yours instead is an Anomaly, right?” Seele questions curiously, and Stelle nods, “Those are always quite fascinating, honestly. Did you know there was another Anomaly here in our school? Till a few months ago, apparently.”

This gains both mine and Stelle’s attention, “For real? Who?”

“Captain of the volleyball team. Apparently he’s a Preservation Path, got run over and split the truck in half while he didn’t suffer any injuries.” Jesus fuckin’ Christ!

“That sounds busted as hell…” Stelle whistles aloud, visibly not jealous or bothered by such a thing.

Surprisingly, Seele makes a so-so gesture with her hand, “Eh, it only activates  when he stands still. Makes him an Immovable Object, or something. Strong, but has a big drawback.” Yeah, that’s true.

Still, Preservation Path Quirks are known to be incredibly strong.

I mean, All Might is basically peak Preservation Path, hence why it’s a Path that gets a lot of attention in Japan.

Though All Might is a different Preservation Path than most, because he is absurdly strong and tough. He isn’t just a shield that can’t be broken, but he’s also a shield that can throw some mean, weather-changing hands.

While most other Preservation Path Quirks are all focused on pure defense.

“What’s your, Kyoka?” Our new companion asks, crossing her arms behind her back with a light grin on her face. She’s talkative, but not the annoying kind. I like it. “Harmony?”

“Nihility.” I correct, much to Seele’s surprise. “Well, kind-of both. It can be both a support and a detriment to others. Hell, even my personality is a mix of Destruction, Hunt, Nihility and Harmony.” I shrug. It’s probably due to my fusion with Kyoka that our thing is so fucked up.

But oh well, it’s not dangerous or whatever so I don’t really care about it.

Stelle hums and rubs her chin in thought, “Could a Quirk even be part of two different Paths?” True. Could that be possible?

But Seele shakes her head, surprising me quite a bit, “Quirks who have multiple effects are usually among the Elation Path. You know, the ‘Lottery’ Path, as it’s called by some.” Lottery Path?

Stelle makes a noise of understanding at that, “True. Elation Path Quirks are basically those that once activated lead to myriad of different effects.” Then her eyes widen in realization, “I just remembered; The son of the family that owns the bakery? He’s actually an Elation Path.”

“He basically gains different boons or detriments when he ingests different types of sugar, if I remember right.” Well, guess the name ain’t just a coincidence…

“That sounds kinda cool.” Seele muses to herself, then blinks as Stelle starts to slow down.

“Right, here we are.” Huh, it really is close to our school.

Before us is a shop that takes two floors of the large building we stopped at. Large windows to show the cozy pink and blue colored interior with tables that resemble cakes and chairs with decorations of whipped cream and bows.

Honestly, it looks like a cute place. Very inviting. And very sweet looking.

So sweet that I already feel cavities forming.

“Yeah, this place screams ‘Cake!’.” Seele nods with a faint snort, and I can’t help but agree with her.

Stelle playfully rolls her eyes before stepping forward, “Come on, let’s go in.” I drag my eyes away from the big red insignia above the bakery before following the other two in.

Then pause as we enter the lobby, as there’s someone right in front of us.

Someone outright enormous.

Dark brown spiky hair, tanned skin, bulging muscles and large lips- “Ah, welcome!” And a big cheerful voice that doesn’t fit that enormous body, “Welcome to Sato’s-”

“Damn boy, the fuck do they feed you?” I cut the giant off involuntarily because staring up at him is making my neck hurt.

He blinks in surprise while Stelle chokes, then punches my shoulder in an admonishing way, “Kyo!”

I give her an affronted look, “What?! Look at him!” The giant flushes and nervously scratches the back of his head, not looking one bit intimidating with the pink apron that doesn’t even fuckin’ reach his waists. “He’s enormous!”

I turn to him, “How tall are you, dude? 6’5?”

“...Nearly 6’9.” He shyly admits, and I wave both of my hands at him while making eye-contact with an embarrassed Stelle.

She sighs and gives up, “I’m sorry about her, Sato.” She apologizes, earning a soft chuckle from the gentle giant that towers over us, and with wrists nearly as thick as my waists.

Like, goddamn my dude. What’s your routine? Eat metal and bench press buildings?

Even his fingers have muscles!

“It’s alright.” He waves off Stelle’s apology, then fully turns towards us and bows with a big silly smile on his face. “Welcome to ‘Sato’s Family Bakery’!”

“I am Rikido Sato, son of the owners and one of the bakers! Pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

Well, I had an inkling before, but now I have the confirmation.

I’ve finally met my first Canon character.

And I’m actually glad it’s the big, sweet baker dude and not the blonde animal.

But first-

“May I make a formal request that you have Stelle wear a Maid Outfit while she works- Geh!”

And I am tackled to the ground by my very flushed and irate girlfriend.

There goes my plan to get some Maid Stelle pics.

Shucks.

A.N. And the first Canon Character to appear is the Baking Giant!

I’ma do him justice in this rewrite… Or will I?

Huehuehuehue…

Hope y’all enjoyed the chapter! Lotsa love and hugs for the amazing support like always!

Next will be another Drugs chapter, like always!

Toodles!