bakerstreet | They may bear their teeth to all the world, but never to you

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[meme] shipping

They may bear their teeth to all the world, but never to you

S T R A Y
shipping meme

Taking in strays is, all in all, an understandable vice. The dips in between their ribs, those large and forlorn eyes, they can help you forget the claws and the teeth and the danger lurking beneath fur. But the habit's a knife edge; your efforts may not be rewarded with kindness (animal instincts aren't discretionary) and you may get bit despite what you've overlooked. A stray doesn't care about pity. All it can know is survival.

These warnings apply to strays of the more human(oid) sort, too.

But what may even more perilous with this type than any drawn blood is what you can get when they grow to trust you. You can earn their undying loyalty...or their love. Either from such a wild thing is a precarious path to go down, if you allow yourself to do it.

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ＰＲＯＭＰＴＳ

ғɪɴᴅɪɴɢ — Who's that? They're no ordinary passersby! Were they in an accident? Are they foreign? ...should you approach them?

ʀᴀɪɴ, ʀᴀɪɴ, ɢᴏ ᴀᴡᴀʏ — The elements make this night no time to sleep out of doors.

ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ — Cuts, broken bones, injuries all of sorts...you have to stitch them back up, then make sure they don't get any

ɢᴏᴏᴅ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ — It's all you can do to show gratitude to the person who took you in. Fix them a meal, care for their house, whatever you can do once you're able.

ʙᴀᴅ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ — FUCK THIS PERSON AND FUCK THEIR COUCH. You didn't ask to be brought here. Let them clean up after you, you don't even care.

ᴡʜᴏ ᴀᴍ ɪ? — How you got into this situation is a mystery. Even more of a mystery is your identity, and why the person you were would be so displaced.

sᴇʟғʟᴇssɴᴇss —

ʟᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ — If you've been injured badly enough or can't remember all too well, you might have to relearn a good deal. Luckily, you have a helping hand.

sᴄᴀʀs — Scars from the encounter that lead you here or scars from prior, you don't want them to see either. You still have your secrets to keep.

sᴛᴜʙʙᴏʀɴ — Ugh, your house guest is so stubborn! They always get up when they should be resting, have the worst habits, and completely disrespect your home! You'll get to them, one way or another. Or you'll throw them out. You don't want to, but you will.

ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ — Bad memories or nightmares wreck you; your host and nurse comes to your side unexpectedly.

ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄʟᴀsʜ — The person who's taken you in is from a different culture or lifestyle than you, and adapting is harder than you thought.

ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ғᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ — Think learning about a new culture is hard? Try being a different species. Can you keep your little eccentricities at bay for the good of your station?

ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ — Now that your emotions towards your caretaker/host/jailer are softening, you're finding yourself unusually jealous of those in their life who were close to them before.

ɴᴇᴡ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛɪᴇs — You never thought you'd have fun after all that's happened, yet such simple gestures as a picnic or a movie make all the difference.

ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ — You love them, this person who's taken you in or this person you've found. It's not a pity or a thankfulness, it's love, and you know that now. What you choose to do with this information is

ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ — Suddenly, the person who's been so nice to you finds out that the two of you have a history. You killed their loved ones or caused something terrible. How can they forgive you?

ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ — So much has been done for you. The least you can do in return for the one who helped you at your lowest is make sure they never have such a low point.

ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ᴋɴᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ — Anyone in the way of getting to you will be destroyed, and that includes the person you're staying with.

ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇᴍ — You've been given a home, maybe which you've never had before. You don't want to leave.

ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ — Not only are you living with them, but you're starting a proper life with them.

ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟ — All secrets are laid out on the table. You've decided to tell about your past and what lead you here.

ʀᴇᴠᴜʟsɪᴏɴ — What you've done and who you are is so heinous, they want nothing more to do. You're to leave their home and leave them alone.

ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ — It doesn't matter what they've done. You've opened your home and your heart to them, and nothing's changed.

ᴘᴀʀᴛɪɴɢ — All things must come to an end. No matter what you feel for each other, it's time to leave. Hopefully, you'll see each other again.

ʜᴀᴘᴘɪʟʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ — Come what may, you've decided to stay at your new home with the person you love. Now, it's safe enough to do so.

ᴡɪʟᴅᴄᴀʀᴅ

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[More than likely the person taking in strays! Also more than happy to have non-shipping stuff, too!]

["It's temporary construction." "The principal has said I can't just sleep in the staff room." "I'll be in your care."]

[That was the facts about a week about when Aizawa had practically forced himself into the home of the number one hero. Normally, it would be a completely stupid match up and yet in little tiny ways it worked. The benefit of having an extreme secret identity meant there weren't reporters hanging around the place all the time. It was pretty cozy. Aizawa had settled in like a stray cat, showing up at odd hours and sleeping on odd surfaces. He seemed to pay back the debt of staying by cleaning at odd hours, although never making enough noise at those times to wake the other up. ... Even when there were obvious signs of cleaning in Toshinori Yagi's own room. He probably wasn't supposed to do that.]

[Nor should he really be going through his benefactor's personal effects.]

[Finding a bunch of fan letters is bad enough. All a bunch of drivel from some cult of personality. Finding a bunch of fan love letters, though... He's absolutely irritated and he refuses to acknowledge the reason why.]

All Might. [After work the next day, once he's had a good amount of time to just think about it.] I found some paper trash while cleaning last night, can I go ahead and burn it? [It's obviously a stack of fan letters but his moral code insists he ask, even if he's told no.]

[All Might -- well, here, Toshinori, he supposes, but his real name's always been a subtitle to a boisterous and grand All Might -- had been a little concerned about bringing someone else into his apartment. Yes, apartment, because it just seemed a bit silly to own a house when he was rarely ever at it; not a terrible one, though, carefully kept albeit a bit dusty. He'd preemptively slid all of his medication bottles (courtesy of Recovery Girl) into a rawer in the kitchen he'd hope Aizawa wouldn't poke around in much, and that was that.

But his room wasn't as well-kept, so it's no surprise that Aizawa did compulsively try to tidy it up. Well, no surprise once All Might realized how clean the man could be. For some reason, he pictured him the pinnacle of disrepair when it came to a living space. This was the same fellow who never shaved and slept in sleeping bags like a homeless guy at their school--

He looks up from reading the newspaper (and quietly pining at not being able to do anything for anyone anymore) when his ears catch the other teacher's question. It only takes him a second's glance before he knows exactly what the 'trash' is, and to that he leaps up, thin but large hands politely taking them from Aizawa's grasp.]

No, no, Aizawa-kun! These aren't trash at all -- Far from it!! They're messages from some of the people who wanted to express their gratitude--

... Have you been rearranging my desk, too?

[omfg aizawa]

[Aizawa had expected that to be the reaction. He doesn't even try to grip down on the papers as they're taken away from him. There's a sigh, almost like a petulant teenager, as he listens to the start of an explanation that could probably go on for several minutes. As much respect as he held for the hero, All Might (and a slowly growing respect for Toshinori) that was always going to be something to disagree about. The interruption is welcome, even if it's about his own behavior.]

Hm? [Oh. Right. The casual invasion of privacy.] I did, but never mind that. [He says, as if this were some issue of him borrowing a book without asking instead of looking into someone's personal effects.]

I only skimmed them, [and now he's blatantly admitting to reading the fanmail] but some of those were expressing a lot more than gratitude. [He figured it wasn't something All Might had ever encouraged. He's reasonable enough to assume that; to know that no fangirl sending a letter had any shot in hell of having her feelings returned. Still, the fact they were kept got under his skin like some irritating parasite.]

[All Might chuckles, glancing over the letters a bit absently. Considering how little privacy he's had for many, many years now, Aizawa's invasion of privacy apparently ranks low on a totem poll of reasons to get salty. More than that, he seems fond of the messages. As silly as it is or sometimes creepy as fans can be, especially for someone with as much media exposure as him... it's still nice to see that his work has made some people feel like picking up a pen and writing.]

Aaa, true.... There are the... overzealous fans -- but it mostly comes from a good place in their hearts. I could never give them anything like that back, and especially when you consider how a Pro Hero's life works, but it feels wrong to throw away their feelings.

[Bless them, really.

... He supposes now that he's retired, he'll have more time to look over fanmail.]

[That fond look at the letters gets a disdainful look.]

"Overzealous"... [Aizawa repeats the word sort of like he's staring at an unpleasant bug. It's so like him to minimize it, downplay it, and defend their feelings. It's predictable. He didn't like getting predictable responses yet, here he was, continuing on. He should just leave it be. He doesn't.]

Their feelings are nothing more than one-sided idolatry. [From his perspective, if someone was only in love with a media image, that was similar to people claiming they were in love with a 2D character. Heroes weren't, though, they were people, and as a very private person any interest expressed that way felt invasive. It was disgusting.]

They already threw their feelings away when they wrote it. [Because it would never be returned. Or maybe that's how he justifies his own cruelty here.]

You're wrong there, Aizawa-kun. [He says it with more seriousness, and certainly quite a lot of confidence -- the kind of a man who isn't one to be swayed from his beliefs. He holds the letters firmly.] The idolatry isn't one-sided. Every time I read something from someone -- people who are willing to be themselves, or people who are kind enough to thank the likes of me for something that is merely my job... People who are willing to open their heart for just a moment and be themselves... They inspire me far more than I them.

[He moves, gingerly putting the letters on his desk.

It's been a long time since he's been so honest, really, and the words find him easily.]

... There have been many times in the last five years where I've felt hopelessness, or rather -- alone in my ventures. But when I receive something from someone -- someone who cheers on a person they want to succeed, who uses their time on them, even when unsure if their words will ever reach them... It's one thing that kept me going.

[He puts a hand on the letters.]

These people are among those we've sworn to protect. And regardless of their silly little crushes, they're kind and intelligent and worthy.

[It's not like Aizawa disagrees with what he says. Even if it wasn't something he ever needed or craved, it was nicer to hear than the tirades of certain career heroes. On the scale of motivations, it was up there. So, he can listen patiently to that. At least for a while, until a certain line makes him slam his hand down on the table,]

And whose fault is it you felt alone?! [There's a certain heat to it that doesn't usually hit his words.] It took you how long to cooperate with us? [And if his health had kept up, he wouldn't have even done that. So, the support of fans was all he gave himself to rely on. There's a moment after speaking where he realizes he's out of line, that he wasn't able to hold himself back. That's a brief tensing to his facial muscles. He can't quite say he's sorry, though, because while he didn't mean to say it, he didn't see himself as wrong.]

... I wasn't questioning their worth. I'm simply saying that being too invested in it will leave you disappointed.

[He glares at him as a short and tense silence -- a sharp and unusual sort of glare, from teacher to teacher. One of perhaps offense, or perhaps incredulity. All Might is more than capable of slipping into his own brand of hard teaching, of not cutting around corners and saying what he feels to be true--]

You fool. You critical fool!

Just working alongside you as a fellow employee at the school has put your health in jeopardy. You've been scarred permanently just by association, and I've never once forgotten that. I still struggle every day with even being there at all, for fear I'll be the cause of any one of your demises.

I will not be the reason another hero dies...!

Edited 2017-10-29 04:42 (UTC)

[He turns away, coughing into his fist -- sharp, ugly coughs that spackle blood. When they pass, he's silent for a moment, but his mind is still at work.]

... We've never gotten along, have we? You barely tolerate my company.

So -- why did you pick me, of all people, to stay with?

[He doesn't understand it. They're entirely different, and Aizawa could hardly stand him. It wasn't hard to see -- regardless of it being Aizawa's nature, it still meant he would be miserable here at this small apartment. He feels ridiculous... Housing someone who hardly stands him and his way of life.]

[There's a moment where that sharpness seems to cut, a moment of surprise. He had never for a second placed any blame on All Might for what had happened. He's left for a moment to process and, as he does, it doesn't make him feel chagrined. His hand, still flat against the table, tenses up.]

I'm a hero. I've accepted that my job puts my life on the line. You don't have to shield me. [He can't even muster any sympathy for what the other was feeling. That guilt hinges on the idea that he was something to be protected. They were all things to be protected. With an identity hinged around that, it was bound to come crashing down at some point, especially under forcible retirement. That fact creeps back into his awareness at the cough.]

[Without really thinking about it, he shifts closer, a hand out to warily check after the other. That hand is pulled back to his side at the question.]

That's how you see it? [The questioning edge to it is very soft. He stops, puts his hand up to his mouth, and only continues after taking a moment.]

I see. From that perspective, I must seem completely irrational.

[He shakes his head -- he does have to shield him, if he can. Every hero, every person around him, that's what he's devoted his life to. But more than that, he can't bare being the reason behind... No. He's taken too many risks lately, joining U.A. He needs to be more careful. He's terrified, more than anything, that someone will attack because of him now -- and he'll be de-powered, weak, unable to lift a finger to protect those he's come to care for. There's nothing worse than being a hero and then -- being a civilian under the guise of one. Not because of what it does to him, but because of all the lives he can no longer keep out of harm's way.

Every day since the fight with All for One has been exhausting. But.

He will be cross with himself, if he ever gave in to that mental weariness.]

Ah.... Well... Yes.

Completely irrational.

Ridiculous, really.

Contrary. Self-torture.

Total nonsense.

[should he go on or]

[no, he gets it, thanks]

Dealing with you is certainly its own form of torture. [He'll agree with that, face pulled back in a bit of a grimace. He can say that with complete seriousness and that's part of why it's so easy to just assume that's it. If the surface level is disdain and dislike, why go any further?]

It stands that if I were a rational person who hated you, I wouldn't ever force myself into your hospitality. I should avoid you at all costs, right? I shouldn't push the limits of tolerance like this. [He sighs loudly, letting his hand drop back down to his side.]

So, All Might-san. Which one is more likely? That I'm acting entirely irrationally... or that I've never hated you?

... I wouldn't say hate...

[He glances away, rubbing his hand on his inner shirt -- they're all still too big for him, because he's always had to worry about ripping them. Even now, he's not sure he can change that little fashion tick.]

... I just... am not sure why you subject yourself to frustration.

[He looks at him, this time more curious than anything.]

Especially if fanmail gets you this wound up.

Then take it a step further. [He meets that curious stare and holds it for a moment. The wheels in his head were clearly turning. He might not have intended for the conversation to turn this way, towards himself, but he was anything if not adaptable.]

I've never even disliked you. [He can't say it directly, of course, so it's more a trail of bread crumbs to his true feelings.] I hold the hero, All Might, in great respect. When I was younger, I might have written such a letter. [That's where he pauses to glance away.]

Yagi-san is much more frustrating. [This last year has been a frustrating mess, a flurry of changes. It would have been so much easier to only know the other on a professional basis; to not feel as if he had some responsibility over a man known as the Symbol of Peace. To not have a strong feeling either way about that symbol disappearing and what remained.] Although, I suppose he's never received a confession through fanmail.

[If poor Aizawa is doing his best to direct this conversation toward a truer path of honesty, neither All Might nor Toshinori Yagi pick it up -- or rather, they find things in it that lead them in a different direction entirely. Some measure of guilt and inward disappointment flashes on his features. He's felt it many times before, and he'll certainly feel it a lot more now -- the sensation that he can't be what people need from him.

Or the people on the street who aren't aware of what he looks like now, or before his disguise had been ousted, who look at him and see a creepy 'living skeleton'. He rubs the back of his neck and tries to figure out how to respond.]

A-Aa... I'm... sorry I can't be that hero.

[He's a small smear of blood on his lip, abandoned and missed.]

I can only be... frustrating me.

But if you and the school give me a chance, I will try to live up to any expectations required of me. And -- earn your respect, Aizawa-kun.

Edited (oopsie doopsie!!!) 2017-10-29 06:06 (UTC)

[His focus snaps back. There, he's misspoken again. He can already hear a chorus of chiding in his mind from anyone who's gotten close enough to call him a friend. "Eraser, you need to be more honest!" Hell if he does, he's made it through 30 years like this, he can survive the rest of the conversation.]

Don't put words in my mouth. [Quickly, flatly, irritated despite the fact he'd pretty much handed Toshinori the words and held his mouth open for them.] Although if you'd like to be more cooperative in keeping a safe distance from the practical lessons, that will spare me a heart attack or two.

[He pauses to pinch to bridge of his nose, again, only showing the signs of a foul mood and not the concern beneath it.]

... frustrating you is fine. I've started to prefer it.

[All Might bows his head, shoulders shaking minutely, suddenly, and it almost looks downright painful, like the aches of something held inside that is struggling to bubble to the surface--]

[--and what follows is a sudden burst of boisterous laughter, head tipped back, and although it must clearly hurt to laugh that hard, he's unable to really stop himself; consider it cough-laughing, a sort of sandpapered sound of pure amusement, and he clasps a hand over his sore abdomen and finds he doesn't quite mind this sort of pain at all.]

Preferred -- !!

We're the worst -- opposites...!! How did we even...!!

[... BLERGHK--

OH, YEAH, OVERDID THE JOVIAL LAUGHTER.]

... cough...

You're a strange one, Aizawa-kun.

[There's that tenseness, for a moment, wondering what he said now to trigger this reaction.]

[He didn't want to backpedal on the practical lesson bit, since the other's safety was far more important than any pride or remnants of hero responsibility. Or was it another issue with his body? Was it just so bad to prefer the person in front of him to some blown-up media image?]

[Oh. It's just laughter.]

[followed by blood, great]

[It's finally enough to seem to overcome whatever boundaries Aizawa was trying to maintain. Instead of hovering just outside the realm of worrying and fretting, at some point in that he rested his hand on the other's shoulder in case he needed to be steadied. Then, once the moment was over, he let it stay there, a bit closer than he was before.]

Was it really so funny?... [It's said more as a admonishment of the excessive laughter. He knows exactly why it's so funny. A part of that probably fueled the whole conversation in the first place. All Might could look fondly at love letters from fans, defend them from any perceived insult, but even him saying "I like you better this way" was the kind of thing to pull almost-literally gut-busting laughter.]

[That's sort of what he expected, though. There's the slightest change in his expression, the corner of his lip quirking up in a wry smile.]

You're right, though. We're the worst, opposites... I can't find myself disagreeing with anything you've said. [Including the fact he's strange. He's known that about himself for a long enough time.]

[He gives the hand on his shoulder a friendly pat, letting his coughs settle into his other fist. But despite the small discomfort, he's appeased, eased from that heavier and more intimate sort of conversation about -- well. Him. Him and his state, or the future, or his hero's past.]

Ah, something we can agree on!

This is truly groundbreaking.

[Let it be known, All Might can be a sassy little shit when given an opening.]

... You know, Aizawa-kun, I could always send you a fan letter and even the scales.

Toshinori Yagi / All Might | Boku No Hero Academia

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bursts in late with starbucks

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