[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?
( Congratulations, Bakugo, on being the very first person not just here, but in Esikko's many lives to ask him about himself enough to get to the secret lore: he was a grandma's boy. His fond little smile, foreign for his face, says as much. )
Well, yes. I loved her. Everything about her was perfect, other than giving birth to my idiot of a father. She said as much, too.
( He laughs a little with his exhale at that, fingers curling more around his hand hold. )
She's why I became so interested in flowers. She'd always have time for me, so I'd run to see her as often as I could, to the point where I got scolded for wasting time. Even still, when I showed up, she'd always coincidentally have sweets for me, even if she didn't eat much of them herself.
( His chest hurts thinking about those days being stuck in the past, no more. If only she could see him now. )
I probably caused her a lot of trouble, always running to her when I shouldn't. But she never let me see any of that, you know?
[He's a stubborn bastard. Did Esikko really think he'd be able to sit behind his glacier walls and make Bakugo give up while the sound of explosions steadily pound away at his reserves over and over? While he isn't someone who pries into people's personal lives, if he wants to know something, he'll dig it out of them. Not sure what's more surprising, that Esikko's a bachan boy, or the strange smile on his face while speaking of her.]
Did she grow flowers too? [If she was the one who got Esikko so into his horticulture lifestyle. It feels like a damn relief to finally know at least one fucking person in the prince's world was a good influence on him, and left some positive mark on his life. Che, it was starting to sound like a damn sob-story fanfiction.] Sounds like she cared about you a lot.
[She wasn't afraid or disgusted like the rest of the castle staff.]
Haa? You're always so damn quick to poison shit! [Fuck! Esikko puts himself down, voices his assumed problematic existence, instinctively believes he was nothing but a burden on everyone, as if he can't possibly accept someone actually was positive towards him.] If she didn't say it, then you weren't a pain in her ass, idiot! Don't decide for her what you were to her.
( Esikko is a little surprised by that last outburst, fingers subconsciously moving to loosely try and intertwine with Bakugo's, just barely— just a quiet search for reassurance that he doesn't even catch himself.
Much like he hadn't thought of the implications or way he thought of his own last comments. )
I'm not just making it up, you know? My parents were always telling me the trouble I put halmeoni ( grandma ) through.
( Not a thought that originated from him, but the negativity he holds never was, originally, was it? He blinks a few times, first at the other and then down the path he's leading them, considering. )
...I do think she didn't mind it, though. Or that she felt I was worth the time. I suppose that's why I enjoyed visiting her so much.
But she passed while I was still quite young. ( Otherwise things might have been different, he thinks. He always felt like she was trying to make them so, anyway. ) I remember refusing to talk to anyone for at least a week... Mm, aside from my younger brother.
( His free hand twirls a strand of his hair around a finger. ) But yes, the palace garden was her doing, and she had her own plants in her rooms, as well. She taught me secrets on their uses, their growth in our weather, their meaning... and how to find out more, of course.
[He's lucky Bakugo doesn't take their entwined fingers and punk Esikko right on the nose with his own damn hand! Without letting go. Tempting... Serve him right for trying to darken the glimmer of light Bakugo pried out of the prince's brain. Wasn't easy, you know! He could've dropped the topic minutes ago!]
What the hell, are you five years old? You're a grown adult, dammit! Look at your own memories and decide for yourself what they mean to you! You don't have to believe everything your parents say in your head.
[Parents shape and mold their children for better or worse, but there comes a time when the child is old enough to decide for himself. No longer able to blame his parents on his thought process, feelings, or actions. Esikko might never break free of his parents' influence, but he doesn't have to subject himself to their abuse further.]
If she thought you were worth it, then believe her over anyone else. She knows herself best. [No matter what others say of her or imply about her choices and actions. Bakugo shifts his steps, leading them around the bend and taking the next incline slower. Steep drop.]
Hmph, no wonder you turned your room into a greenhouse. [The person he's fond of had one while Esikko was growing up. Emulation, preference, simple efficiency? Any of those. He's done a few things his parents did, even though Bakugo gruffly denies doing anything like them.]
( Despite it being a scolding, Esikko laughs a bit. It's shorter, no less genuine but with a hesitation that makes it clear he's getting a little emotional thinking about it— but nothing he can't keep himself together for. It's just— )
I think she would have liked you.
( The realization of that. The idea that she never got to see him make any friends, only continue to deal with the world the way it was. The idea that she'd have joined Bakugo in ribbing him only to softly pinch his cheeks and draw him closer, to soothe him for it all. The comfort within stern insistence.
He sighs a little. )
In any case, you're right. I know. Her memory isn't poisoned, so don't scowl so much. This is a date, isn't it? ( He swings their joined hands just once, playful. ) I just haven't told anyone about her before, so I was surprised by the topic, you know?
[Esikko's been chuckling a fair bit since he brought up his grandmother. Did finally remembering someone he actually cared about and looked up to break some of his normal demure somber open? No regrets if he did. There's more to life in this man than the prince gives himself credit for.]
Hmph! She can get in line. [The ironic part being, in the future, despite his aggressive demeanor, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight is popular among senior citizens as a Pro Hero. He obviously never had the chance to ask his future self about his future life. Far too busy trying to imprison each other.
Bakugo steps atop a larger stone, elevating himself for a quick pop, and drops back to ground level, causing Esikko's arm to momentarily lift and fall along with him.]
Then watch what you say before spewing that negative crap! [If Esikko doesn't want him scowling so much or snarling at him.] Think about shit first, and defeat yourself. Otherwise I'll crush you for you every time.
[Merciless. Even on dates. No, he's not telling Esikko to shut up and stuff his bad feelings. He's telling him to recognize his own pessimism and confront it internally, using his own strength and positive feelings. Friends are good, but using them as crutches all the time will only weaken his legs.
Bakugo silently appreciates Esikko's admission about how private this memory is, and he'll keep it guarded behind his own lips.] There's another river coming up. You wanna cross it or take the bridge?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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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.]
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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.
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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!
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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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Date: 12/30/25 23:39 (UTC)Well, yes. I loved her. Everything about her was perfect, other than giving birth to my idiot of a father. She said as much, too.
( He laughs a little with his exhale at that, fingers curling more around his hand hold. )
She's why I became so interested in flowers. She'd always have time for me, so I'd run to see her as often as I could, to the point where I got scolded for wasting time. Even still, when I showed up, she'd always coincidentally have sweets for me, even if she didn't eat much of them herself.
( His chest hurts thinking about those days being stuck in the past, no more. If only she could see him now. )
I probably caused her a lot of trouble, always running to her when I shouldn't. But she never let me see any of that, you know?
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Date: 12/31/25 04:04 (UTC)Did she grow flowers too? [If she was the one who got Esikko so into his horticulture lifestyle. It feels like a damn relief to finally know at least one fucking person in the prince's world was a good influence on him, and left some positive mark on his life. Che, it was starting to sound like a damn sob-story fanfiction.] Sounds like she cared about you a lot.
[She wasn't afraid or disgusted like the rest of the castle staff.]
Haa? You're always so damn quick to poison shit! [Fuck! Esikko puts himself down, voices his assumed problematic existence, instinctively believes he was nothing but a burden on everyone, as if he can't possibly accept someone actually was positive towards him.] If she didn't say it, then you weren't a pain in her ass, idiot! Don't decide for her what you were to her.
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Date: 12/31/25 05:15 (UTC)Much like he hadn't thought of the implications or way he thought of his own last comments. )
I'm not just making it up, you know? My parents were always telling me the trouble I put halmeoni ( grandma ) through.
( Not a thought that originated from him, but the negativity he holds never was, originally, was it? He blinks a few times, first at the other and then down the path he's leading them, considering. )
...I do think she didn't mind it, though. Or that she felt I was worth the time. I suppose that's why I enjoyed visiting her so much.
But she passed while I was still quite young. ( Otherwise things might have been different, he thinks. He always felt like she was trying to make them so, anyway. ) I remember refusing to talk to anyone for at least a week... Mm, aside from my younger brother.
( His free hand twirls a strand of his hair around a finger. ) But yes, the palace garden was her doing, and she had her own plants in her rooms, as well. She taught me secrets on their uses, their growth in our weather, their meaning... and how to find out more, of course.
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Date: 12/31/25 20:15 (UTC)What the hell, are you five years old? You're a grown adult, dammit! Look at your own memories and decide for yourself what they mean to you! You don't have to believe everything your parents say in your head.
[Parents shape and mold their children for better or worse, but there comes a time when the child is old enough to decide for himself. No longer able to blame his parents on his thought process, feelings, or actions. Esikko might never break free of his parents' influence, but he doesn't have to subject himself to their abuse further.]
If she thought you were worth it, then believe her over anyone else. She knows herself best. [No matter what others say of her or imply about her choices and actions. Bakugo shifts his steps, leading them around the bend and taking the next incline slower. Steep drop.]
Hmph, no wonder you turned your room into a greenhouse. [The person he's fond of had one while Esikko was growing up. Emulation, preference, simple efficiency? Any of those. He's done a few things his parents did, even though Bakugo gruffly denies doing anything like them.]
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Date: 1/1/26 05:55 (UTC)I think she would have liked you.
( The realization of that. The idea that she never got to see him make any friends, only continue to deal with the world the way it was. The idea that she'd have joined Bakugo in ribbing him only to softly pinch his cheeks and draw him closer, to soothe him for it all. The comfort within stern insistence.
He sighs a little. )
In any case, you're right. I know. Her memory isn't poisoned, so don't scowl so much. This is a date, isn't it? ( He swings their joined hands just once, playful. ) I just haven't told anyone about her before, so I was surprised by the topic, you know?
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Date: 1/1/26 19:39 (UTC)Hmph! She can get in line. [The ironic part being, in the future, despite his aggressive demeanor, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight is popular among senior citizens as a Pro Hero. He obviously never had the chance to ask his future self about his future life. Far too busy trying to imprison each other.
Bakugo steps atop a larger stone, elevating himself for a quick pop, and drops back to ground level, causing Esikko's arm to momentarily lift and fall along with him.]
Then watch what you say before spewing that negative crap! [If Esikko doesn't want him scowling so much or snarling at him.] Think about shit first, and defeat yourself. Otherwise I'll crush you for you every time.
[Merciless. Even on dates. No, he's not telling Esikko to shut up and stuff his bad feelings. He's telling him to recognize his own pessimism and confront it internally, using his own strength and positive feelings. Friends are good, but using them as crutches all the time will only weaken his legs.
Bakugo silently appreciates Esikko's admission about how private this memory is, and he'll keep it guarded behind his own lips.] There's another river coming up. You wanna cross it or take the bridge?
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