✧ RIP ✧

“I love it,” I murmured, eyes shooting over in awe at the roses blooming over her face. Love everything ‘bout you, any sound you could ever say or make is gold to me- I lick my lips. “You shy ‘bout it, baby? You ain’t gonna hide your cute voice or face from me n’ the kids!! C’mere!” I’d playfully lean over to kiss her tenderly on her cheek, simply obsessed with how she tried to hide herself away. A perfection so grand the eyes of mortals couldn’t bear but be blinded in her radiance. “A singer?!” My eyes went all watery again!! “That’d be hella dope. With their mom’s voice in their genes? Hell, they’ll be signed, sealed n’ sent in no time.” Ain’t matter the genre. We’d hang up autographed copies of their albums all over the house, play them on loop on Sunday mornings in our empty nesting years. Every future with my babe was so clear like that, right in arm’s reach.

It was insanely hot then, any ounce of thought I had slippin’ away deep in me for her every touch!! Like my body was an instrument only she could play and she knew just how to pump me. The squeeze of my hand, her soft, lithe own making a path up to cup my cheek. Like she held my whole soul between her fingertips, could do whatever she wanted with her little boy toy. “Forever an’ ever,” I whispered under her spell, dazed as my hooded eyes marveled at the bright vibrant motes in her auric own. Her kiss takes the whole world away, every worry, issue, anythin’ that ain’t matter just like that. Me, her, our kids. One deep, soul-sucking kiss to remind me who I belonged to. My head cranes into her lips, the tilt and soft curve of her palm over my cheek. I start thinkin’ bout the soft curves in all her softer places. “K-Kaz-chan, that’s r-really soft…” My abs twitch under her touch, blood under the skin beating a thousand times faster, willing for more of her touch in further places. Whenever we hit a stoplight, I’d crash my lips into hers, hands cradling the back of her head and back in debilitating need.

I took my time tenderly kissing down each fingertip, deep chortles rumbling in my chest as she got all embarrassed again!! The most intense red slashed over her gorgeous face, I wanted to draw every lil reaction long n’ slow outta her!! “Weird, who??” My thick eyebrows cocked up. If I ain’t drivin’, a hand would go at my hip!! “YOU, MY LIL NERD??” The memories coast in like shooting stars, each holding my life’s whole wish in their orbit: her. All things Kazashi Sato, Sakai, McCoy. My moongirl, end all be all. “I’ve always been a helluva lot impressed by you, baby!! Bowled-my-ass-over impressed! You, the studious Heroine who wanted Tom the Cat… you, the orphan who made something of her life unlike all the rest of us. You, who chose valor, kindness.” My eyes were lost on the road, riveting, endless adoration welling up deep in me. “You, who sacrificed everything for a guy like me. Conquered your evil dad, beat the hell outta those grades n’ countless psychos to count. You, sharing your beautiful body over all these months so our kids get fingies n’ toes n’ shit…” My voice was thick. “Color me impressed.” My Hero, my love. Then I was laughing, enraptured by her laugh n’ the lil kicks of her feet!! “I love you,” I murmured against her lips after our kiss. “Sorry for cuttin’ you off. You’re just too damn cute, y’know that? Hella irresistible.”

I grinned, red flushed all over my superheated face and neck!! “We woulda been caught red handed?... Red lipped?” Would be hella hot!! But no way in hell I’d want her to look like herself, naturally star-stunnin’ pretty. Not in a place like this. I like to fantasize, tho!! Then I was mad blushing. “T-that’s cool, baby.” I bit my lip, so happy just thinkin’ bout it. I remembered laying on my bed in me n’ Brie’s apartment at the asscrack of dawn, agonizin’ over whether I texted her the wrong thing or if I was calling too much or anythin’ like that. Riveting. Funny thing is, I felt the same way today ‘bout getting anything from her. Especially the private photos!! “Can’t believe I fooled you into getting with me! Now you’re mine forever, ya nerd.” I tried to play cool, but when she picked up my hand and kissed it I was spinnin’ on my axis, all thought leaving my tiny brain. “T-that’s sweet of you…” Seven years later, still trippin’ over my words with this angel!! I laughed, grinnin’ before makin’ the okay symbol with my index and thumb fingers. “Leave it to me, baby.” I blew her a kiss!!

My girl was hella good at this. Skilled in her craft, better at what she did than Heroes decades her senior. A helluva lot better than me, cause the second he said what he said red consumed my vision. I heard my girl’s voice somewhere, salvation above a crushing iron ocean.

“FUCK OFF!!” A screech of a chair, my whole body pistoned towards him with the barrel of my gun at his head-!! “You can take a cold piss in hell before you ever touch my kid.” I seethe. “I ain’t have any, anyway. Won’t ever. Point still stands.” I squeeze the trigger. “Got that?”

Time stops. It’s heavy till he hits play, breathing again. I’m not.

“Please, gentlemen,” he starts, bursting into laughter that’s so bone chilling it was like some other entity entered the room with us, “I’m a businessman, not a creep.” He sniffles. I sit down, gun still cocked. “Nor scientist. Wrap up that quirk of yours amongst other things, won’t you Charleston? Children of yours would fetch a pretty penny. Could you fathom a quirk marriage with someone like that Hero, Apparel?” He tsk’ed, shuffling papers as my veins froze. “Regeneration and stealth copacetically blended? Please. Even if I was interested, I’d be charging tenfold, minimum, what I offered.” He pulls out a new manila folder, pushes it me and my girl’s way. Pictures spill out, goons wearing ski masks on yachts with body bags littering the bow. I squint, chest still aching with what he said, the mere possibility that he might know. Get it together, I snap at myself, blinking rapidly at the pictures. Fuck. It was an arm of the Aka Oni’s Syndicate, allegedly led by a damn dear omnipotent politician in disguise. Shit ain’t gonna be easy.

“Anyway, I want everyone involved with this incident disposed of. I’ll wire you half today, half on confirmed kill. Leave them my calling card, won’t you?” He winks. “The delay will appear as a hold on your account, procedural bank routine when transferring such a sum.”

He looks up at us both, hands on the table with a grin at his face. Like shit ain’t happen.

“Pleasure doing business with you both.”

Lifts up his glass -

“To wealthy men, and the families we’ll never know.”

✧ RIP ✧

Every day’s a pipe dream.

Me n’ my girl, my girl alone!! By herself she’s the whole dream come true, full send, the highest vibration of my soul’s essence. How the hell a guy like me end up with an angel like her? I’d never figured it out. Not in seven years, ain’t gonna comprehend it in all our lives to come. Anyway, we hit the heart of the summer n’ were full sailing. We had our house, got our bag from whackass Tink n’ all his evil machinations. Hung out with my cuz as much as we could, gawked at her collections. I quit my janitorial duties, helping get our house ready n’ doing things for Tomoko, Haru n’ Azusa on the side. The most insane thing ain’t even sunlight streaming through undulating endless waves of trees in the morning. It was still waking up to her in my arms. Like it ain’t all a fantasy I’d made up or something I’d started projecting onto reality. Biggest change of all to me? Kazashi was pregnant. Like, real pregnant. Like, gonna pop in a couple weeks, got me lookin’ at the calendar ten times a day.

Some things ain’t ever gonna change, tho. “N’ we’re here!” I was hella grinnin’, veering into the parking lot of one of the parks back in the city. It’s aglow with summer lanternflies, the light of kids laughin’ n’ couples racin’ around with each other. Young n’ old, it’s crazy how we’re everyone at once. I see parents with strollers walkin’ around nowadays and get such a gut punch of joy it almost has me spinnin’. I had on my summer fit, a weapon or two hidden at the holster at my waistline!! “Betcha can’t guess where I’m takin’ you, baby!” I parked the car, walking over to the other side so I could open up her door and hold my arms out to her. Very gingerly, fingertips practically jazzyin’ it up I was so happy. “C’mere, princess.”

✧ RIP ✧

Speaking of that old lady…

“OBACHAN!!”

She was screamin’ bloody murder but hella ain’t out. Holding her now limp right arm, she heaved in n’ out from somewhere behind us, doin’ something I ain’t see at the moment. My focus just then was on propping up that table as a shield, searing hot flame battering the material and near instantaneously melting it. Shit. Heart thundering through my ears, I tossed the near-wasted material towards the kitty’s mane and heaved in again, this time lumbering up another table, another countertop, anything I could get as a barrier between us and what felt like the surface of the sun. Meanwhile, the kids are doing exactly as Retsu says - pushin’ n’ pullin’ and I just hella wished I had a duplication quirk in that moment. Seeing their lil faces contorted, struggling, the adult couple comin’ up behind them and having the same luck was the worst image. In reality, this all passes in a fraction of a minute, but for them, it’d live on in their heads in infinite hellacious loops.

Her words are a saving grace at the moment, a smile cracked over my face despite mountains of sweat pouring down it. Havin’ regen ain’t make me resistant to fire or the effects of near-heatstroke, nothin’ even close. “W-what?! That ain’t what I meant at all!!” I squeeze my hand in n’ out, momentarily battering away the pain of their first layer burned off. “How the hell are ya gonna be so sassy n’ senseless at the same time that ain’t allowed!!”

We needed a miracle. Somethin’. Luckily, she went up n’ did something hella wild, stupid and Heroic all at the same time. Soon as she leaps up from the table, I’m runnin’ to the door, pushing people out the way to get the boxes moved. Time seems to stop as Retsu and the great beast glare each other down, a wicked rumble throttling through the thing’s chest.

“Aright,” I scream, pushing the kids through the door, “you n’ you n’ you n’ you!!” My arms are bleeding. Hella got knicked from the fat cat earlier, lightnin’ fast, n’ I ain’t realize. “G’on, get!”

“Hella smart move, kid-” I turn, the cat’s gonna pounce on her-!!

Only to snap its attention to a sudden hiss.

I turn.

There’s the old lady, a cigarette snug between her lips with a giant steel tank in her one good arm. Murder’s in her eyes, deadass center on the cat.

“You are a BAD kitty. You’ll take my arm but you’ll never take my dignity. Ruckus. Mayhem. Death. You think you want to start all that, in my cafe?” She chuckles n’ I feel my soul go cold. “Like you can be somebody bigger than all the rest just because you have a quirk.”

I realize what’s happening too slow. Standin’ there, meanin’ to grab Retsu but numb.

“May this be your last life, witch.”

She drops the cig into the tank and ignites the place skyhigh.

✧ RIP ✧

I was hella obsessed with every call, text, photo n’ anythin’ I got from her during Golden Week!! Obsessed with Kazashi McCoy to begin with, it was a miracle I made it a week without her. The greatest peace of mind I could have was that my superstrong cousin was there, waitin’ in the wings, lookin’ out for her. In present time, I sat there marveling my moongirl as we held hands, thinkin’ she was so pretty. Every intricate line in her braid memorized in my brain, those engorged fangs I wanted her to sink into me and her smile… Everything about Kazashi was so beautiful it hurt. I wanted to build our house, eat the delicious stew she made n’ take us right back home n’ have her for dessert!! Beamin’ at what she said, I clung onto her every word as I got roasted to hell!

I wink at her while she blushes, not caring what my coworkers thought if they saw it!! “Sure does, sugar! He keeps on pretty quiet to himself now but whenever he does open that big mouth of his… it’s all ‘bout ya!” Despite the jokes n’ jabs, there was somethin’ hella comforting about this moment. Like a tiny planet was floating into our ozone, bringing with it resources n’ wonders n’ shelter. Despite the fantasy-like life we were building together, I always had this bee in my ear: what would happen to her if something happened to me? N’ havin’ my coworkers meet her it was like knowing there was another safety next. Yeah, even that ■■■■ass Hada Haru was dependable and he wouldn’t try anythin’ real. Otherwise ain’t a way in hell I’d let him meet Kazashi or let him know where we live!!

“Sorry about him, he gets stupider as the day goes on,” Azusa grit out, hauling away that crusty lech. Even if he ain’t mean it for real, I was still gonna knock his lights out for approaching Kaz like that anyway!! Just what I do! “Your short king, huh?” She burst into laughter! “You two are sickeningly cute, I’m gonna barf!”

“I’m on the death threat list of another beautiful woman!!” Haru wailed, dumb as hell. “When oh when will my luck turn world!”

“I’ll take a soda!” Tomoko chirped, laughing with the others at what Kaz said!! If only they knew she ain’t kiddin’! “Sit back, mamabear. We’ll build ya a real nice place!” With that, she extended her massive arms, conjuring up chains that rattle the earth as they ascended from it, lifting up materials right into the air. Azusa made a diamond hand sign, pressing it to her heart to activate her quirk.

Azusa, 33 years old!!
QUIRK: U-HAUL!
With a quick hand-sign to the heart, Azusa can manifest any number of transparent floating boxes!! The hardier she constructs them, the more immovable they become!

Tomoko, 27 years old!!
QUIRK: HELL’S CHAINS!
Tomoko can reel up unbreakable chains from underground that seem to be tethered to an unknown, rapidly moving entity!!

Hada Haru, 37 years old!!
QUIRK: HANDYMAN!
Haru can transform his arms into any standard tool found in a toolkit!! Legend has it he got fired from his office job by rage-smashing his desk with hammer-arms!!

So, funny random thing. When you’re not working for corpos, you work a helluva lot faster, more efficient. Like, I ain’t know how the chicks ended up as janitors with quirks like theirs - even if I’m a helluva hypocrite - but they had a real system down. Azusa steadies her boxes as placeholders for areas of the house; then Tomoko reels up materials, gets ‘em all tidy n’ lined in place, for Haru n’ I to start nailin’ everything down. Even talkin’ trash, we move at lightning speed.

“So eh, he-he, does your wife have a sist-!!”

“SHUT IT.”

I feint, playin’ like I was gonna lug a brick at his head. Y’know, it prolly ain’t the worst thing in the world if one of Kazashi’s half-sibs found this man. Hopefully one of those sibs who was hella more Blaine-like in their psychological portrait. Toying with the thought briefly, I put it down. May they never cross paths, for everyone’s sake, my girl’s above all else.

A couple hours into it, Azusa shook her shoulders, deciding it was break time. “Cute socks,” she says to my girl, genuine appreciation radiant over her face. “So, when are you due? What are you most looking forward to about being a mom?” She curls up on the ground next to Kazashi’s chair, dotingly lookin’ up at her with her chin propped by her fist. “If I can ask, that is.”

✧ RIP ✧

“Y’know, all these LOUD ASS grenades n’ I still hear your voice clear as day!! Wassat say ‘bout you, HUH?!” I was talkin’ ■■■■ but crazy impressed at the same time. This girl had insane precision, makin’ me wonder if it was quirk-based, genius or hard work. Prolly all three. All I know is, I ain’t wanna wish a long-range fight ‘gainst her on my worst enemy. The shooters on the crane are sitting ducks at this point, one after the other shot down n’ prolly wonderin’ what the hell happened to them at hell’s gates. ‘Sides the guy screaming his lungs off, hella thrilling last few words!! The boy, I ain’t see him, but he’s crouched hiding behind one of the big parts in awe.

I’m fallin’, two arms clutching Heartass’s neck, another two seizing his fists. “You lunatic!!” His eyes are bulging out the chambers. Heart’s thundering outta control under my fingertips. “Can you really be stupid enough to kill us both?! Did I hit you hard enough to give you cardiogenic vertigo?!”

“No,” I whisper, a grin to rival Retsu’s expanding over my ugly mug. “Just you.” Midair, I’d use all my strength to ram his fingers forward, sickening twist in his wrists next so they’d break. Right there and then as he screamed I’d promise myself I’d get stronger, just so I’d have the ability to completely shatter his hands the next time someone like him came across our paths. We hit the ground in blinding pain, bounced upwards so I could punch his bodybag across the a mountain of scrap.

I heard Retsu’s words n’ just had to explain my power!! It’s shounen law! Even as I deeply ached, shock rocketing upwards from the tips of my toes to my head. “Yeah!! My quirk, Dead or Alive, gives me hella fast regeneration!!”I grin! “It’s also turned my skin blue thanks to livor mortis! C-cause it kills me the same!” But I ain’t invincible. Hell, this is bad even for me. Even tho his body took the brunt of the shock, with a fall from that height I’d undoubtedly broken a few bones. There they were, unhinged in my scarred-up body, jagged edges puncturing me. I’d walk ‘bout funny for a few days at least, muscle n’ bone agonizingly putting itself back together, prolly make my wife worry. Heartass tho… I’d do it all over again, a dozen times over!! Just for him!

I shouted for Retsu then as he flew forward, a gut feeling calling to me. I ain’t know she was behind the fridge or where she was at all - but I felt she should have the final dig at this asshole!! “KILLSHOT!!”