Urusei. [Someone's gonna get his head stuffed in a tree knothole if he keeps this crap up. Bakugo tilts his body and draws Esikko to the path's opposite side, avoiding a protruding set of grabby tree branches. So many people like talking about preferences and what people enjoy; he grew out of talking about most of that stuff a long time ago. People should pick it up when they're with him. Sheesh. Pay attention to what he orders or cooks, what he wears, and learn. It's not hard.
Leaving branches and tree root behind, Bakugo eases them to mid-path once more. Grass dives to their right in a steep hill no one wants to go tumbling down accidentally. A fucking pachinko machine ball with the trees and rocks decorating that slope.]
Che! If they wanna give that crap out, that's up to them. [The answer is: yes. Back home, a lot of heroes (and some villains) have fan sites with information gleaned and given posted in profiles and webpages. Hell, even the Peacock has their own profile people can read. Bakugo didn't fill his out for a long time... but he did recently.] Heroes get interviewed a lot. Some of the reporters are fucking invasive.
( From what Esikko has seen of people, if they can obsess with more public figures, dig for details, learn more, pass judgement, then they get distracted from their own worries for a moment longer. True gossips may do as much throughout their own friend group, rather than just public figures. On the other hand, Esikko can see it from another light, too— when he was stuck in his own bed after particularly rough bouts of illness, he'd want to hear as much as he can about things going on outside of that space. So maybe it's not all so bad?
It's interesting, how he can have both perspectives now, he realizes. Before, he would have stopped after the negative thoughts and not bothered going further... Huh. )
But doesn't it feel nice, to have others care about you enough to wonder?
( With that question, he gives Bakugo's arm a little squeeze, gentle and matched with a curious glance. )
Then they'll lose their nose! [Bakugo's well aware of hero PR, both official work done with professionals and the annoying reality of fans flocking to their favorites while illegal paparazzi and invasive weirdos skulk about for the next scoop. Some do it to make a paycheck, others for some personal need, and more for negative reasons. Doesn't matter their reasons: shoving a camera in Bakugo's face or invading his personal space is gonna result in someone dying. BOOM! There's a difference between official channels and sanctioned news and sleazy tabloids with half-true bullshit.]
Hmph. Feels like shit. [He lies.] If I want people to know something about me, I'll tell them. They don't need to ask a bunch of crap. [The fact he told Esikko his favorite color a moment ago suggests the prince isn't among the "crap" crowd. Pressure squeezes on his arm, muscles flex under his jacket sleeve, a small gush of warmth seeps around his torso.] No one shoved weird questions in your face as a prince?
[Most worlds or countries would see royalty as celebrities, but given Esikko's life, Bakugo can't see anyone asking much after the man.]
( Esikko laughs a little, both at that question to himself and at Bakugo's reaction. There's no way he doesn't eat up some of that attention, right? Though he's sure he's annoyed by plenty of it, plenty of versions of it, he must love the spotlight. Just too cool to admit it, huh? )
People asked me plenty of things, but they were never actually about me.
( Digging about his father's actions, attempts to woo him to earn his favor in a particular direction, searching for weaknesses, for gaps, for chances. Opportunity was all it was, and even as a child he could recognize that much. He was taught for it, taught that it would come from everyone in that way, and even now it can feel a little odd or foreign when someone wants to do something for him without meaning to use it as a trade of some sort, or an owed favor. Certain people reinforce that... others don't. )
So I don't know how I'd feel if they were. It feels like, even here, whenever someone wants to know something about me, they just follow me around and watch.
( Why does he have a stalker problem even in roleplay, I truly don't know, but. First Kirma, now Dodger...? )
So of course that's annoying. A few questions can't be all that bad, though.
Edited (sighing at myself) Date: 12/8/25 05:43 (UTC)
[He's getting glared at. Jaws set and lips pressed tight. Does Esikko want his arm where it is or to get tossed over Bakugo's head for being annoying? Of course he likes being the center of attention! But it quickly becomes annoying when his complex and fickle tolerance flares up. Demanding someone praise him one second, then yelling at them to shut up the next for being noisy. It's a crap shoot when complimenting him. Spotlight's amazing! But blinding!]
Figures.
[Always the sob story with his past. Bakugo's come to accept that about Esikko and one or two others in the resort. He isn't able to resonate with them, having come from a wonderful background and good life. All his struggles as a child were his own doing. Personal hardships started when he entered high school and turned out life didn't give a shit about how he expected it to go. Makes it hard for him when criminals or moaners try using their bad lives as excuses for their actions. Can he acknowledge them? Yes. Understand them? Factually for most, but emotionally very few. There are other people better at doing so than him.]
Learn to use a blowgun.
[Swipe needles from the Broken Wing, blowguns can get by the house's fear of blades, and they're quick to deploy while being easy to carry hidden. Esikko has plenty of hot air in him too.]
( Esikko seems amused by that suggestion, exhaling a soft puff as he ducks his head a little, fingers readjusting themselves in their hold on Bakugo's arm. He already has plenty of needles, actually, and could make his own relatively easy. But... )
I'm trying to avoid fights or conflict now, you know. Even if it means... dealing with annoyances, or allowing people to think less of me, or misunderstand me.
( It's been a trial and a half, wanting to bicker with people who assume things wrong, wanting to kick at someone and tell them off. But the most he's managed is a magic mark that can work as a fallback on the guy he trusts the least right now, and his own growing magic arsenal he's been working on, thanks to Bakugo. But since he dealt with Chobe through violence and a crafted message that held his version of self-defense and it went so poorly, he's been trying to adjust himself. )
Anyway, a lot of questions I can see being irritating. Be honest: how many reporters have you blasted?
[Otherwise he would've suggested one! He shifts his hand in his pockets and adjusts his walk so Esikko's grip on his arm doesn't tug him off course. Someone might give him a weird look for suggesting this guy start shooting needles at people he doesn't like, but unless they wanna defend Esikko against stalkers personally, they can shut the fuck up.]
Yeah, I know. [He disagrees with Esikko's choice, but understands why. Annoyingly, since he knows he's one of the reasons the man's decided to veer towards doormat instead of standing up for himself. Pisses him off. But if Esikko keeps getting himself killed, he'll continue coming back with more and more taken from him, more curses and problems laid on him, more issues until he's nothing left of the man he knows.
Reminds him far too much of someone he knows back home who mouthed off and stood up and wouldn't back down even though he was powerless to stop his aggressor. When bravery and stupidity combine.
He avoids the topic. No point in bringing the hike down.]
More than ten.
[Even if "blasted" was more threatening and shouting than actually slamming one into their faces.]
Mm, but that J guy gave me a mini gun, you know? For that fish problem you took care of.
( Esikko's free hand lifts to mimic the small size of the reward gun with thumb and forefinger, a tiny thing that only holds one bullet at a time. But one bullet is helpful for self defense, so he's been holding onto it when he's heading to the gardens on his own, for example, or other such lonely treks. He's working on keeping himself safe, while trying to balance not troubling the people important to him. Of course, there's a balance between what gets to a point that he should share or not... But, he's keeping careful watch of it, and managing it from there.
Still, he laughs brightly at that answer. Ten. )
I knew it~ ( He can picture it now, the shouting, the snapping, the facial expressions. Bakugo's own, and what he can only imagine to be a shocked reporter dealing with a grumpy guy like him. If only he could pick up that ball of rage and project it at some of the people from his own world, he'd be so entertained just watching them deal with him, it would almost feel like karma.
Mm, but better to never go back there again, anyway. )
You're always so unapologetically yourself, after all. It's inspiring, a little.
With one bullet! And they're still not for sale! [So he's right! Where are people going to get refills for those little peashooters once they use a single shot? Go back to J and gamble something important for more? Fuck no! Bakugo took the gun simply out of novelty; he's already got a knife. Both are on his desk, since he's never cared to carry around a firearm, being a living nuke as he is. Most heroes and villains in his world don't use firearms, relying on their Quirks for combat. The police and small-time crooks, however, sometimes bring them out.
Despite his concern and care for the prince beside him, Bakugo has no intention of being attached to his hip or imprisoning him to keep his ass out of trouble. In his experience, trouble inevitably finds Esikko or he goes looking for it more or less unwittingly. He'll yell at him each time he has to patch his ass up. While patching his ass up.]
Che! Shut up. [He doesn't like interviews! When they go off course. One of the Pro Heroes helping with practice interviews summed it up: "You're better interviewing when you're on your own; you don't mesh well at all with... people." Interviews should focus on how amazing he did, let him have his say, and get the hell outta his face! Red eyes snap a side-long glare into Esikko's jaw. Take the visual dagger, dammit!]
Why the hell would I be anyone different?! Get so inspired, you kill your hangups!
( Kill your hangups is kind of a way to describe what his life philosophy always was before arriving here...? But, yes, yes, he gets it, he's changed his approach to many different things, with so many new angles introduced to him. And Bakugo was part of that help, whether he realizes it or not. So Esikko takes that visual dagger to the side of his face with a closed-eyed smile, head tilting ever so slightly in consideration of the words before he settles on a humming response. )
Will do.
( His steps have been keeping up well along this hike, so far, which is nice. The fresh air helps offset the struggling of his lungs, and his heart is getting used to being a little more active, in small doses, so he doesn't even consider another stop as he blinks softly up at the trees hanging over the path. Evergreens mixed with more seasonal colors, plenty well on their way to bare. Seasons, too, are simulated here...
His voice trails out thoughtfully, tossing aside thoughts that he's sure won't get any reliable answer from Bakugo to land on one simple phrase, instead. )
[He realizes his own influence in Esikko's growth and life; what kind of moron wouldn't want to see results after putting a bunch of effort into helping someone? Heroes are those who people look up to. They lead by example, their presence offers aid even before they take action, a hero who makes others feel weak and afraid is a failure from the start.
He twists slightly to dislodge Esikko's arm from his own, but swiftly inverts his hand and catches the man's wrist to form a tether. Then steps across the small path of stones dotting along an intercepting stream. No double-lane path through the water. Leading him behind his own wake, making sure Esikko won't slip into the water. Any potential of that will get an explosion and yank before a single splash.]
Aa. Being stuck in that shitty casino for days on end sucks. [Even if everything tweeting and breezing around them now is nothing more than facsimile of the truth far beyond their reach, it's a welcome break from the glittering normal.]
I used to go mountain climbing when I was younger.
( Water makes Esikko nervous. A combination of memories lost but still felt, and memories so vivid they occasionally haunt his dreams make for a perfect setup for automatic tension, no matter how he's gotten used to the idea of swimming, or warmer water. Still, Bakugo's firm grasp on his wrist puts him at ease, and so all he has to do is maintain focus on the path his own feet follow.
He's a little slower for it, but it means there aren't any slips, at least.
At the sound of Bakugo actually bringing up something about himself, though, Esikko's head lifts to point a delighted glance at the back of that spiky head. )
Really? ( Not surprising, and so his question doesn't indicate surprise so much as interest. ) Alone, or with company?
[He feels tension in his wrist, twin cords pulled tight among the softness framing it. Bakugo adjusts his grip enough to stay locked on Esikko's hand, palm heel bunched up towards the prince's own for an interlocking grip if the man loses his footing. One step after another, sure footed and steady on water-slicked stones. Another path lower has a bridge, but he wasn't going to walk them out of their way to reach it and abandon this trail in the process.
Boots grind into damp soil along the opposite side, he steps out of Esikko's way so he has clean access, and lets his hand go once the prince has his legs under him again on dry ground. Ugh, he can feel those eyes practically glowing into the back of his skull.]
Haa? I wasn't gonna get held back by a buncha damn extras!
[He, unlike most mountain climbers, had no fear of falling.]
( ...As nice as it is to reach the other side of the stream safe and sound, it feels a little sad when their hands part, even if it wasn't truly a hold. That probably means nothing at all, and so he brushes it aside as a quiet laugh leaves him. For now, he'll leave Bakugo the space again without immediately latching back onto his arm. )
That's against recommendations, isn't it? You rule breaker. ( Teasing, as if he's one to follow rules himself. ) Did you enjoy it at the top, or simply make it there and turn right around? I'm trying to picture it, you know.
[He wouldn't walk someone across the stream if it meant nothing at all. A few more seconds of nothing and he shoves his hands back into his pocket, figuring Esikko's giving him a break from being latched onto like a burr. Shoulders back and head up, he picks the left side on the upcoming fork and heads into a sunlit path.]
Like hell it is! I carried all my safety gear and followed protocol! [Nothing said you HAD to go with a second person; it was only strongly recommended.] Che. Of course I enjoyed getting to the top! What idiot doesn't care if he's victorious?
( Esikko says it with a laugh, walking alongside Bakugo, hands now folding behind his own back. While he stays close, he's careful not to bump arms or shoulders this time, allowing Bakugo a temporary amount of space after all of that clinging, indeed. )
So you've always had that sort of confidence and energy, hmm? I can picture that. ( Almost perfectly, it seems, from the way he smiles to himself, fondly imagining a tiny Bakugo atop a mountain, fist in the air and yelling about extras. Yes, that seems right. )
Then they wouldn't care enough to try. ["Accidentally" winning is a damn moronic. Anyone who doesn't want to grab victory shouldn't bother competing. The point of victory is competition and crushing all obstacles in front of you! It's meaningless to exert effort otherwise! Every muscle screaming at him for going over his previous reps record, each night his legs ached, each thumb swipe taking blood from a cut, all gunned towards another plateau of success.]
Heroes need confidence and energy. Otherwise they'll crumble the moment they attempt anything. [He knew what he wanted to be since a young age, staring after All Might's blazing glow in admiration and determination. A impossible goal if he didn't believe in himself and his capabilities. To conquer any challenge.]
( The question comes after a brief pause, the crunch of a few leaves underfoot filling some silence as they move along the sunny path they've found their way onto. )
The first seed of that idea planted in your mind, I mean. Was it in your heart from the start? Did you hear about it in the achievements of others and want the same? Did your parents encourage you? I'm curious, since I can't imagine a world with heroes at all.
All Might. [Zero hesitation. His rough voice steeps in pride and determination.] The greatest hero who ever lived! He never lost a fight in forty years of heroics! No matter what opponent or challenge he faced, he met it head on and triumphed! He was the world's Symbol of Peace.
[It'll be all right now. Why? Because I AM HERE!]
I'm going to be a hero even greater than All Might. [An impossible goal to best the man he idolizes, but what person sets a goal they know they can accomplish? You've already met it.] I want to crush this fucking bird underfoot and save everyone here. Just like All Might would.
( What an immediate, confident answer. Childish, but in such a warm way it makes him want to lean into it, somehow. Esikko's smile persists for that reason, eyes trailing up to watch the false sky. All Might sounds so... silly, so cute, like a little short version of Bakugo's long and excessive one. He notices that. )
A role model... Is that what you'd call it? I can't wrap my head around it at all, but it sounds nice.
( Idolizing someone, looking up to them, being inspired by them. Logically, he can get it, but he has no idea how it must feel. It's fascinating. )
If anyone could manage it, I think it would be you, you know.
[Ever since he can remember, his answer has always been All Might. Seeing him on the television screen kicking the shit out of bad guys, pushing aside debris and emerging with everyone safe, standing in the sunshine as people live in peace around him, the very image of victory and strength! So many children in his world wanted to be a hero because of All Might. Bakugo's never lost his admiration for the man, or the drive his life sparked in his heart.]
Aa. He was almost every kid's role model. You didn't have anyone in your world you looked up to? Doesn't have to be a real person. [While Bakugo's only heard of Esikko's family and castle staff, did he have no one? Not even people he read about in books or dreamed of in his free time? Surely he learned magic in some part to be great like another who came before him.
Self-inspired ambition is pretty fucking rare... There's nothing to compare to asides from vaguely "better than this" status quo.]
Haa? You think? [He cracks his knuckles and detonates an explosion in his palm.] I'll prove it to you!
( A genuine question from Esikko as he tries to think back. Books, trips to watch plays, his parents, his grandparents. Among all of that, there are people he liked, people he hated, people who formed plenty about who he is. But someone to look up to? The longer that he thinks on it, the more difficult it becomes. All he can picture...? )
There were plenty of people I thought "I don't want to be anything like that" about. I suppose that's the closest thing. My parents already formed the image of who I was supposed to be in their minds, right? So, I had those goals.
( Ones that weren't his own. He presses his own fingertips together in an idle fidget, eyes sliding to the side to watch Bakugo's explosion and the smoke that follows. It's enough to earn a smile, again, and he breathes out his laugh. )
Fine, I'll do more than think, then. I'll be counting on you, hero. ( It's playful, but there's meaning in the way he extends his palm out to his side, dramatic, theatric, so that if it's rejected he doesn't have to feel bad. ) Save me~ okay?
[Almost everyone had someone they looked up to. Even villains had people they aspired to be like, emulate, carry on their work or ambition. Kids ran around wanting to be as great as their favorite heroes, whether those were actual heroes or a parent or work figure. Does it surprise him Esikko didn't have someone like that growing up? Not really. Probably because he never looked at it like that.]
I don't give a shit what image your parents had in their heads. Did you have anyone you want to be like?
[Defining himself by everything he's not is one way, but all it leaves in the end is a void, which still lacks a definition or identity. Even after jettisoning everything else out.]
A lot of people were told who or what they should be growing up. [Including his and Esikko's mutual acquaintance.] All that does is fuck them up if they hold onto it too tightly. You won't grow up to be who you are if you keep trying to grow up to be someone else's idea of you.
[Bakugo wanted to be like All Might, but he also wanted to surpass All Might, and he never wanted to BE the man himself. Maybe Esikko can't answer the question. Doesn't mean he won't pound the idea into his head.]
Hmph! You better. [Count on him, acknowledge he's trustworthy, believe he can do what he says he can. An ashen brow arches at Esikko's hand, extended and waiting. Ugh, really? Gonna turn his explosive awesome moment into something sappy? Bakugo grumbles, glancing side as his mouth ducks under the collar of his jacket.
But he takes Esikko's hand in his own maybe-too-warm-post-explosion grip and pulls him to his side.] Wuss.
( With a happy laugh, he follows that tug, hand squeezing Bakugo's back with delight. He allows that name call to slide by without comment, even if his free hand does move over to fake-slap at Bakugo's arm as if in retaliation. He keeps holding that hand, happy to have the excuse for closeness again.
It helps him think a little more, digging past old memories, repeated and changed many times over. With a soft little hum, he relents. )
I... suppose there were some book characters that I connected with. ( Ones he absolutely doesn't want to talk about, for how embarrassing it is, but there's something more, he thinks. He had passed over it in an earlier thought, those visits with his grandmother, but it wasn't just that he liked her— he found her strong, and kind, and helpful, right? )
And, mm... No, you're right, there is someone. My grandmother. It feels so long ago that my memories clogged up, a bit, but I do think she would be my answer.
[His hand is strong, warm, palms far tougher than most people Esikko's gripped. A lifetime to explosions going off above his skin over and over. Bakugo ignores his feather-light attempt to whap his arm, not a single bit sorry for calling him a wuss. Look at that wussy slap! Way to prove him right, Prince Prick! Leaving the stream behind, he leads them into another path, this one inclined downward and encouraging the occasional foot brake along their way.]
Uh-huh. [As encouraging as it sounds dismissive, like Bakugo knew Esikko had an answer if he only bothered thinking about it long enough to bypass his initial woe-is-me defenses. Does he really have to embarrass this guy to prove he's not the lonesome dangler Esikko always makes himself out to be? Damn right he will should he need to!]
Your grandmother? [First time Bakugo's ever heard of Esikko having any family beyond his shitty mom and dad. His tone reflects his surprise and interest, though smirks in a smug "told ya" when Esikko mentions his memories got clogged up. That's what he thought. Has no one pushed the prince past his usual shell?] Something you liked about her?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 12/6/25 00:38 (UTC)Leaving branches and tree root behind, Bakugo eases them to mid-path once more. Grass dives to their right in a steep hill no one wants to go tumbling down accidentally. A fucking pachinko machine ball with the trees and rocks decorating that slope.]
Che! If they wanna give that crap out, that's up to them. [The answer is: yes. Back home, a lot of heroes (and some villains) have fan sites with information gleaned and given posted in profiles and webpages. Hell, even the Peacock has their own profile people can read. Bakugo didn't fill his out for a long time... but he did recently.] Heroes get interviewed a lot. Some of the reporters are fucking invasive.
no subject
Date: 12/7/25 05:20 (UTC)( From what Esikko has seen of people, if they can obsess with more public figures, dig for details, learn more, pass judgement, then they get distracted from their own worries for a moment longer. True gossips may do as much throughout their own friend group, rather than just public figures. On the other hand, Esikko can see it from another light, too— when he was stuck in his own bed after particularly rough bouts of illness, he'd want to hear as much as he can about things going on outside of that space. So maybe it's not all so bad?
It's interesting, how he can have both perspectives now, he realizes. Before, he would have stopped after the negative thoughts and not bothered going further... Huh. )
But doesn't it feel nice, to have others care about you enough to wonder?
( With that question, he gives Bakugo's arm a little squeeze, gentle and matched with a curious glance. )
Even if it can get rather annoying.
no subject
Date: 12/8/25 03:57 (UTC)Hmph. Feels like shit. [He lies.] If I want people to know something about me, I'll tell them. They don't need to ask a bunch of crap. [The fact he told Esikko his favorite color a moment ago suggests the prince isn't among the "crap" crowd. Pressure squeezes on his arm, muscles flex under his jacket sleeve, a small gush of warmth seeps around his torso.] No one shoved weird questions in your face as a prince?
[Most worlds or countries would see royalty as celebrities, but given Esikko's life, Bakugo can't see anyone asking much after the man.]
no subject
Date: 12/8/25 05:41 (UTC)People asked me plenty of things, but they were never actually about me.
( Digging about his father's actions, attempts to woo him to earn his favor in a particular direction, searching for weaknesses, for gaps, for chances. Opportunity was all it was, and even as a child he could recognize that much. He was taught for it, taught that it would come from everyone in that way, and even now it can feel a little odd or foreign when someone wants to do something for him without meaning to use it as a trade of some sort, or an owed favor. Certain people reinforce that... others don't. )
So I don't know how I'd feel if they were. It feels like, even here, whenever someone wants to know something about me, they just follow me around and watch.
( Why does he have a stalker problem even in roleplay, I truly don't know, but. First Kirma, now Dodger...? )
So of course that's annoying. A few questions can't be all that bad, though.
no subject
Date: 12/9/25 05:24 (UTC)Figures.
[Always the sob story with his past. Bakugo's come to accept that about Esikko and one or two others in the resort. He isn't able to resonate with them, having come from a wonderful background and good life. All his struggles as a child were his own doing. Personal hardships started when he entered high school and turned out life didn't give a shit about how he expected it to go. Makes it hard for him when criminals or moaners try using their bad lives as excuses for their actions. Can he acknowledge them? Yes. Understand them? Factually for most, but emotionally very few. There are other people better at doing so than him.]
Learn to use a blowgun.
[Swipe needles from the Broken Wing, blowguns can get by the house's fear of blades, and they're quick to deploy while being easy to carry hidden. Esikko has plenty of hot air in him too.]
They don't ask a few questions! They ask a lot!
no subject
Date: 12/9/25 05:49 (UTC)( Esikko seems amused by that suggestion, exhaling a soft puff as he ducks his head a little, fingers readjusting themselves in their hold on Bakugo's arm. He already has plenty of needles, actually, and could make his own relatively easy. But... )
I'm trying to avoid fights or conflict now, you know. Even if it means... dealing with annoyances, or allowing people to think less of me, or misunderstand me.
( It's been a trial and a half, wanting to bicker with people who assume things wrong, wanting to kick at someone and tell them off. But the most he's managed is a magic mark that can work as a fallback on the guy he trusts the least right now, and his own growing magic arsenal he's been working on, thanks to Bakugo. But since he dealt with Chobe through violence and a crafted message that held his version of self-defense and it went so poorly, he's been trying to adjust himself. )
Anyway, a lot of questions I can see being irritating. Be honest: how many reporters have you blasted?
no subject
Date: 12/9/25 06:58 (UTC)[Otherwise he would've suggested one! He shifts his hand in his pockets and adjusts his walk so Esikko's grip on his arm doesn't tug him off course. Someone might give him a weird look for suggesting this guy start shooting needles at people he doesn't like, but unless they wanna defend Esikko against stalkers personally, they can shut the fuck up.]
Yeah, I know. [He disagrees with Esikko's choice, but understands why. Annoyingly, since he knows he's one of the reasons the man's decided to veer towards doormat instead of standing up for himself. Pisses him off. But if Esikko keeps getting himself killed, he'll continue coming back with more and more taken from him, more curses and problems laid on him, more issues until he's nothing left of the man he knows.
Reminds him far too much of someone he knows back home who mouthed off and stood up and wouldn't back down even though he was powerless to stop his aggressor. When bravery and stupidity combine.
He avoids the topic. No point in bringing the hike down.]
More than ten.
[Even if "blasted" was more threatening and shouting than actually slamming one into their faces.]
no subject
Date: 12/10/25 03:43 (UTC)( Esikko's free hand lifts to mimic the small size of the reward gun with thumb and forefinger, a tiny thing that only holds one bullet at a time. But one bullet is helpful for self defense, so he's been holding onto it when he's heading to the gardens on his own, for example, or other such lonely treks. He's working on keeping himself safe, while trying to balance not troubling the people important to him. Of course, there's a balance between what gets to a point that he should share or not... But, he's keeping careful watch of it, and managing it from there.
Still, he laughs brightly at that answer. Ten. )
I knew it~ ( He can picture it now, the shouting, the snapping, the facial expressions. Bakugo's own, and what he can only imagine to be a shocked reporter dealing with a grumpy guy like him. If only he could pick up that ball of rage and project it at some of the people from his own world, he'd be so entertained just watching them deal with him, it would almost feel like karma.
Mm, but better to never go back there again, anyway. )
You're always so unapologetically yourself, after all. It's inspiring, a little.
no subject
Date: 12/10/25 16:37 (UTC)Despite his concern and care for the prince beside him, Bakugo has no intention of being attached to his hip or imprisoning him to keep his ass out of trouble. In his experience, trouble inevitably finds Esikko or he goes looking for it more or less unwittingly. He'll yell at him each time he has to patch his ass up. While patching his ass up.]
Che! Shut up. [He doesn't like interviews! When they go off course. One of the Pro Heroes helping with practice interviews summed it up: "You're better interviewing when you're on your own; you don't mesh well at all with... people." Interviews should focus on how amazing he did, let him have his say, and get the hell outta his face! Red eyes snap a side-long glare into Esikko's jaw. Take the visual dagger, dammit!]
Why the hell would I be anyone different?! Get so inspired, you kill your hangups!
no subject
Date: 12/12/25 06:31 (UTC)Will do.
( His steps have been keeping up well along this hike, so far, which is nice. The fresh air helps offset the struggling of his lungs, and his heart is getting used to being a little more active, in small doses, so he doesn't even consider another stop as he blinks softly up at the trees hanging over the path. Evergreens mixed with more seasonal colors, plenty well on their way to bare. Seasons, too, are simulated here...
His voice trails out thoughtfully, tossing aside thoughts that he's sure won't get any reliable answer from Bakugo to land on one simple phrase, instead. )
It's nice out here, isn't it?
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Date: 12/15/25 19:09 (UTC)He twists slightly to dislodge Esikko's arm from his own, but swiftly inverts his hand and catches the man's wrist to form a tether. Then steps across the small path of stones dotting along an intercepting stream. No double-lane path through the water. Leading him behind his own wake, making sure Esikko won't slip into the water. Any potential of that will get an explosion and yank before a single splash.]
Aa. Being stuck in that shitty casino for days on end sucks. [Even if everything tweeting and breezing around them now is nothing more than facsimile of the truth far beyond their reach, it's a welcome break from the glittering normal.]
I used to go mountain climbing when I was younger.
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Date: 12/15/25 21:11 (UTC)He's a little slower for it, but it means there aren't any slips, at least.
At the sound of Bakugo actually bringing up something about himself, though, Esikko's head lifts to point a delighted glance at the back of that spiky head. )
Really? ( Not surprising, and so his question doesn't indicate surprise so much as interest. ) Alone, or with company?
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Date: 12/15/25 22:28 (UTC)Boots grind into damp soil along the opposite side, he steps out of Esikko's way so he has clean access, and lets his hand go once the prince has his legs under him again on dry ground. Ugh, he can feel those eyes practically glowing into the back of his skull.]
Haa? I wasn't gonna get held back by a buncha damn extras!
[He, unlike most mountain climbers, had no fear of falling.]
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Date: 12/15/25 22:59 (UTC)That's against recommendations, isn't it? You rule breaker. ( Teasing, as if he's one to follow rules himself. ) Did you enjoy it at the top, or simply make it there and turn right around? I'm trying to picture it, you know.
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Date: 12/16/25 22:40 (UTC)Like hell it is! I carried all my safety gear and followed protocol! [Nothing said you HAD to go with a second person; it was only strongly recommended.] Che. Of course I enjoyed getting to the top! What idiot doesn't care if he's victorious?
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Date: 12/17/25 04:09 (UTC)( Esikko says it with a laugh, walking alongside Bakugo, hands now folding behind his own back. While he stays close, he's careful not to bump arms or shoulders this time, allowing Bakugo a temporary amount of space after all of that clinging, indeed. )
So you've always had that sort of confidence and energy, hmm? I can picture that. ( Almost perfectly, it seems, from the way he smiles to himself, fondly imagining a tiny Bakugo atop a mountain, fist in the air and yelling about extras. Yes, that seems right. )
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Date: 12/17/25 22:18 (UTC)Heroes need confidence and energy. Otherwise they'll crumble the moment they attempt anything. [He knew what he wanted to be since a young age, staring after All Might's blazing glow in admiration and determination. A impossible goal if he didn't believe in himself and his capabilities. To conquer any challenge.]
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Date: 12/18/25 08:11 (UTC)( The question comes after a brief pause, the crunch of a few leaves underfoot filling some silence as they move along the sunny path they've found their way onto. )
The first seed of that idea planted in your mind, I mean. Was it in your heart from the start? Did you hear about it in the achievements of others and want the same? Did your parents encourage you? I'm curious, since I can't imagine a world with heroes at all.
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Date: 12/23/25 14:36 (UTC)[It'll be all right now. Why? Because I AM HERE!]
I'm going to be a hero even greater than All Might. [An impossible goal to best the man he idolizes, but what person sets a goal they know they can accomplish? You've already met it.] I want to crush this fucking bird underfoot and save everyone here. Just like All Might would.
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Date: 12/24/25 08:02 (UTC)A role model... Is that what you'd call it? I can't wrap my head around it at all, but it sounds nice.
( Idolizing someone, looking up to them, being inspired by them. Logically, he can get it, but he has no idea how it must feel. It's fascinating. )
If anyone could manage it, I think it would be you, you know.
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Date: 12/28/25 03:08 (UTC)Aa. He was almost every kid's role model. You didn't have anyone in your world you looked up to? Doesn't have to be a real person. [While Bakugo's only heard of Esikko's family and castle staff, did he have no one? Not even people he read about in books or dreamed of in his free time? Surely he learned magic in some part to be great like another who came before him.
Self-inspired ambition is pretty fucking rare... There's nothing to compare to asides from vaguely "better than this" status quo.]
Haa? You think? [He cracks his knuckles and detonates an explosion in his palm.] I'll prove it to you!
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Date: 12/29/25 07:09 (UTC)( A genuine question from Esikko as he tries to think back. Books, trips to watch plays, his parents, his grandparents. Among all of that, there are people he liked, people he hated, people who formed plenty about who he is. But someone to look up to? The longer that he thinks on it, the more difficult it becomes. All he can picture...? )
There were plenty of people I thought "I don't want to be anything like that" about. I suppose that's the closest thing. My parents already formed the image of who I was supposed to be in their minds, right? So, I had those goals.
( Ones that weren't his own. He presses his own fingertips together in an idle fidget, eyes sliding to the side to watch Bakugo's explosion and the smoke that follows. It's enough to earn a smile, again, and he breathes out his laugh. )
Fine, I'll do more than think, then. I'll be counting on you, hero. ( It's playful, but there's meaning in the way he extends his palm out to his side, dramatic, theatric, so that if it's rejected he doesn't have to feel bad. ) Save me~ okay?
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Date: 12/30/25 00:17 (UTC)[Almost everyone had someone they looked up to. Even villains had people they aspired to be like, emulate, carry on their work or ambition. Kids ran around wanting to be as great as their favorite heroes, whether those were actual heroes or a parent or work figure. Does it surprise him Esikko didn't have someone like that growing up? Not really. Probably because he never looked at it like that.]
I don't give a shit what image your parents had in their heads. Did you have anyone you want to be like?
[Defining himself by everything he's not is one way, but all it leaves in the end is a void, which still lacks a definition or identity. Even after jettisoning everything else out.]
A lot of people were told who or what they should be growing up. [Including his and Esikko's mutual acquaintance.] All that does is fuck them up if they hold onto it too tightly. You won't grow up to be who you are if you keep trying to grow up to be someone else's idea of you.
[Bakugo wanted to be like All Might, but he also wanted to surpass All Might, and he never wanted to BE the man himself. Maybe Esikko can't answer the question. Doesn't mean he won't pound the idea into his head.]
Hmph! You better. [Count on him, acknowledge he's trustworthy, believe he can do what he says he can. An ashen brow arches at Esikko's hand, extended and waiting. Ugh, really? Gonna turn his explosive awesome moment into something sappy? Bakugo grumbles, glancing side as his mouth ducks under the collar of his jacket.
But he takes Esikko's hand in his own maybe-too-warm-post-explosion grip and pulls him to his side.] Wuss.
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Date: 12/30/25 06:16 (UTC)It helps him think a little more, digging past old memories, repeated and changed many times over. With a soft little hum, he relents. )
I... suppose there were some book characters that I connected with. ( Ones he absolutely doesn't want to talk about, for how embarrassing it is, but there's something more, he thinks. He had passed over it in an earlier thought, those visits with his grandmother, but it wasn't just that he liked her— he found her strong, and kind, and helpful, right? )
And, mm... No, you're right, there is someone. My grandmother. It feels so long ago that my memories clogged up, a bit, but I do think she would be my answer.
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Date: 12/30/25 20:50 (UTC)Uh-huh. [As encouraging as it sounds dismissive, like Bakugo knew Esikko had an answer if he only bothered thinking about it long enough to bypass his initial woe-is-me defenses. Does he really have to embarrass this guy to prove he's not the lonesome dangler Esikko always makes himself out to be? Damn right he will should he need to!]
Your grandmother? [First time Bakugo's ever heard of Esikko having any family beyond his shitty mom and dad. His tone reflects his surprise and interest, though smirks in a smug "told ya" when Esikko mentions his memories got clogged up. That's what he thought. Has no one pushed the prince past his usual shell?] Something you liked about her?
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