Summary:
After losing his home for failure to pay taxes, Eijiro Kirishima must find a way to buy it back or risk going to debtors prison. His only hope is to find a job aside from his trade, but with the city overtaxed by the new king, work is near impossible to come by. Not wanting to work in a brothel, Kirishima finds some luck in taking up residence as an indentured servant to Judge Katsuki Bakugo. Kirishima is willing to do anything to win back his home and his pride as a man; even if that means submitting himself to the one person who can help him achieve his goal, or send him to the gallows.
Notes:
***So, for those of you who are familiar with my first attempt at a Kirishima/Bakugo fic, Tulgey, you will find that it has disappeared from my work. Apparently, writing in the first person is extremely time-consuming; and I really do not have the time in the day to do it and make it good. It is a plot I hope to return you later down the road with a different style. (I also received a lot of negative feedback for writing in the first person. Not sure why.)
***This one will be different, and I don't see it being a very long fic- probably the same length as Danse Macabre, maybe shorter. I do want to start focusing on other characters and pairings as well.
***I'm also writing this fic for a friend, who's been begging me to do it. I can multitask when it comes to writing fics, so I will be alternating updates between this fic and Swarm with probably shorter chapters depending on the work week.
***This work IS going to have adult themes and issues present in it, such as forced servitude, so if that upsets or offends you, this fic is not for you. Kirishima's trade is a hunter and trapper, though it's not going to be heavily focused on in the fic. If that bothers you, then I apologize.
***Please read on and enjoy! Let me know how you like it!
Chapter 1: The First Frost
This had been his last hope.
The fourth and last trap lays empty, just as barren as the other three. Kirishima lets out a frustrated sigh, his breath curling into a misty cloud before him. Since the traps are empty, there are no animals to prepare for meat and pelts. So, he would focus his strength on chopping wood. He awoke to find that the first frost of winter has come, the white ice twinkling on the grass in the morning sun. Animals will be hibernating with the increasing cold, and that's bad news for a fur trapper.
Kirishima spends the entirety of the day chopping and splitting wood, carrying all of it into the cabin to stack beside the hearth. By sunset, he warms up leftover stew to have with the last piece of stale bread. He looks at his bare walls, once richly decorated with pelts and racks of his father and grandfather, as well as his own. But he had to sell everything overtime to pay for the rising taxes. The new king has rapidly raised taxes, which has put Kirishima in financial trouble. He's depended on the pelts, meat, and bones from the traps to pay and sell. For whatever reason, forest game has been scarce all summer, leaving him to fall behind on payments. At this rate, he won't survive the winter; if he even makes it to the first snowfall.
'What am I going to do?' he asks himself while slurping the last of the soup. 'I have nothing left to sell...maybe some firewood.'
Kirishima puts his bowl away and takes a seat in front of the fire where he begins to carve stakes and pegs. He continues through the night until falling asleep in the chair.
He jerks awake when there is a rapid knocking on his cabin door. Nearly falling out of the chair while readying his knife, Kirishima asks who it is. Through the closed shutters, he can see a beam of sunlight shining through. He's slept through early morning.
"I bring a letter from the sheriff!"
Kirishima grits his teeth at the sound of the voice, knowing who it belongs to; the damn tax collector. The fat old sow has nothing better to do with his time but harass the people. Kirishima puts his knife on the table and opens the door. There stands the tax collector, smug smile on his wrinkled face with traces of his morning breakfast stuck in the bread. Kirishima can only imagine the jolly smile on the man's face as he sits in a besides house with a table full of food that comes from the hardworking people of the kingdom. This man gets paid to take money from others. Granted, it's a job, and Kirishima cannot fault the man for falling into a cushy position, but it's how the collector acts and presents himself that makes Kirishima dislike him.
"Look, I know I'm a little behind, but if you give me until next month-"
"Too late, Eijiro!" The tax collector waves the folded parchment in his hand. "This comes directly from the sheriff!" He holds it out to Kirishima. "Oh, I'm sorry, I doubt you can read. Right?" He asks with a hint of mocking tone.
Kirishima keeps himself calm. It's true; he can't read. He can sign his name, but that's it. "I guess you'll have to read it to me,"
"With delight," the man opens the letter and reads it.
Kirishima's shoulders slump as each word as they reach his ears and sucks the spirit out of him like the God of Death Himself. He is losing his family home and land for his failure to pay current and back taxes. Kirishima can appear before the city court judges and plead his case, but the tax collector says that no one gets a pardon. Kirishima can believe that, too. He takes the letter from the man.
"What if I can come up with the money before then?" Kirishima asks him.
"Ha! If you were able to do that, then you wouldn't be in this position, would you?" The man mocks. "There's nothing else you can do, boy," he says, waving his hand dismissively. "No one will hire you on the spot. You're only a fur trapper after all. And no one will pay you the amount you need in such a short time. The law stands very firmly on this," he lets his eyes glance up and down Kirishima's form. "You're not brothel material...so no one would pay for you. I guess you'll just have to find somewhere else to live. Perhaps you can knock on a bear's door and ask to stay with him?"
Kirishima was not at all amused by the man's cruel joke.
"Report to the city hall tomorrow in town and plead your case. Heed my advice, boy, and do as you're told."
He clutches the paper in his hand, trembling, as he watched the tax collector mount his horse and ride away. Kirishima turns back to his cabin and sits on the bed, staring at the paper and the words he cannot read. There is always the option to pick up and leave, but that isn't the manly thing to do. Kirishima has never been one to run away from his problems. He will stand and face them with his pride as a man. Besides, running away will only put a bounty on his head, and the weather has turned cold with the arrival of winter. If this had happened in the spring or summer, he would have a chance of living off the wildness and slowly make a new life for himself elsewhere. It's never safe to travel in the winter poorly equipped to face the unforgiving climate and wildlife.
No. He will stand his ground and find a way out of this mess. Kirishima will arise early tomorrow, go into town, meet with the judge, and try to win his home back.
Kirishima sits in the waiting room of city hall with others all waiting for their turn with the judge. He overhears a couple beside him whispering that all three judges are here today. Kirishima gulps, still nervous, but finds he is smiling. Three judges mean that they can vote on his case. He doesn't know who the judges are, only that they are young, and each a military hero in their own right. They are to be respected for their service to the kingdom, even if a tyrant rules it with an unfair fist.
"Eijiro Kirishima," Shouts the clerk from the writing desk.
Kirishima jumps up from the bench. "That's me!" He goes up to the clerk who asks him for the official letter. Kirishima hands the man the message from the tax collector, standing impatiently as the clerk reads it over. The man doesn't appear surprised, nor does he offer any words of sympathy or hope.
"Sign here," The man pushes a ledger book towards Kirishima and hands him the quill. Kirishima signs his name, but due to his anxiety over everything, he gripped the quill so hard he broke it.
"Sorry," Kirishima looks embarrassed.
The old clerk just sighs and takes the book away while pulling out another quill. "You may go speak to the sheriff," He points to an open doorway.
"The sheriff? Don't I get to see the judges?" Kirishima asks.
"The sheriff will hear your business first, then he will decide if it is up to a judge or not. If the sheriff dismisses you, then your business is over. Move along now. We have a lot of people to get through."
Kirishima goes into room belonging to the sheriff. He sees a young man with green hair and eyes look up at him as he enters. The sheriff offers him a friendly smile and greets him.
"Good morning. Do you have your papers with you?"
"Just the one," Kirishima hands it to him. "From the tax collector...and you." He waits for the sheriff to read it. "So, do I get to see the judges, sheriff?"
"Oh, you can call me Izuku. I'm not one for titles," He says softly. "By the way, these are form letters written by a series of clerks. I only sign my name to them. And trust me, there are plenty of them. Wow. You certainly owe a lot of back taxes."
"Well, with the raising of taxes and the poor hunt and harvest I've had this year, what can you expect? Listen, Izuku, I want to stay at my home! I'll…I'll find some other way to make money! I just need a little more time! Please, I'm an honest man! I earn my living the same as any other! I'm a fur trapper and hunter, but I can do other things! If not, then I can learn how to do it!"
"Okay, Mr. Kirishima," Izuku signed the letter and hands it back to him. "I'll let you in to see the judges. And I understand that times are rough." He gets up from his chair and guides Kirishima out of the room and to another. "Let me offer you a suggestion," Izuku leans in to whisper to him. "The head judge will not grant you the right to have your home back. But push for a job as a servant. One of the three judges may take you on, or know of someone who needs a servant."
"But, I don't want to be a servant,"
"You'll have a place to stay through the winter," Izuku points out. "Think about that before you let your pride as a man take over. It's okay to seek help, you know."
"Thanks for the tip," Kirishima walks to stand in front of the judges and swallows hard.
The three judges sit behind high podiums, so Kirishima has to look up at them. Two men and one woman. The woman is young and pretty, with dark hair and eyes, who sits on the right. On the left is a man with a raven's head. And the third, who sits a step up from the other two, peers down at Kirishima with sharp but bored crimson eyes and wild blonde hair. They wear matching robes of black, though the one in the middle, the high judge, wears a gold pendant necklace that reaches to the center of his chest.
"State your name and make it quick," Says the angry one in the middle.
"E-Eijiro…Kirishima," He answers.
"State your business with the court, Mr. Kirishima." The woman addresses him kindly, but there is a tone of authority in her voice.
The other man is reading the document Izuku handed him a moment before.
"Well…I got that letter from the tax collector yesterday, and it says I'm losing my home and my land,"
"For failure to pay taxes," States the raven male.
"Ugh. More of this horseshit?" The high judge lets his head fall back with an angry sigh. "This is the fifth one today! What is happening to this fucking town?"
"Taxes are very high, Judge Bakugo," Says the woman. "The people find it hard to meet their wages through sales and trades."
Kirishima nods frantically. "That's right! You're right, miss!"
"Address me as Judge Yaoyorozu," Says Yaoyorozu. "And this is Judge Tokoyami."
"Hello," Kirishima says.
"Hurry up and tell us your sad sob story so we can pass judgment and move on with our day," Says Judge Bakugo.
Kirishima stares at Judge Bakugo with a quizzical look. Can this man really be that cold-hearted to say such a thing as if people are nothing? He understands that there are many people in the same situation as he is, and everyone thinks their problems are worse than others. He doesn't doubt these three have heard others like him, but Kirishima is NOT those other people!
"Come on, hurry up already!" Judge Bakugo shouts at him. "Before I kick your sorry ass out of here!"
"I…I…I didn't make a good harvest or catch that much game this year!" Kirishima says quickly. "I'm a hunter and fur trapper by trade. That's how I make my money. But game has been scarce this year, and with the rise in taxes, people don't want to buy pelts or racks. The meat only goes for so much, and I need meat for myself as well! I've had to sell off dozens of family items just to make ends meet! Please, your honors, I'm an honest, hardworking man and I know I can make the money back!"
"How can I believe your words?" Bakugo asks. "Maybe you're a shitty hunter and trapper! The point is, the laws are in place for a reason, and the laws must be followed! You're not getting your house back."
"Then set me up with a job instead!" Kirishima offers. "I…I'll work off the taxes! If you don't give me a break, then let me find another way to make money!"
"What are your skills other than hunting and trapping?" Asks Judge Tokoyami. "Do you have any other trades? Do you know how to be a servant?"
Kirishima thinks for a moment. "I can…um…I'm really very strong!" He flexes his muscles under his tunic and pounds his fists together. "I can wield any tool, and I always work hard!"
"Then you do not have any academic skills that may prove useful to people of our status?" Asks Judge Yaoyozau.
"No, I don't. I can write my name, but that's about it. I was taught to hunt and trap and work with my hands! My family did not need books, so no one bothered to teach me. They didn't know how to read or write, either."
Judge Bakugo gives another heavy sigh as he rubs his temples. "This town is nothing but pig and dirt farmers,"
Kirishima furrows his red brows. "That's not true, your honor."
"Shut it, spikey-hair! I didn't ask for your commentary! Keep pissing me off, and I'll send you to debtors prison!"
Kirishima gasps. He never gave any thought to debtors prison! If he cannot find a job or get his home back, that is where he will end up! Right now, dying hungry and cold in the woods is better than surrendering to illness in jail. "Please, I can't go to jail! I know I can do good if I have a job! I'll work twice as hard to pay off my debt!"
"Judge Tokoyami, do you have any place for him?" Asks Yaoyozau.
Judge Tokoyami shakes his head. "I'm afraid I have too many in my employment already. I cannot take on another."
"I fear I can't either," she says.
"Both of you are bleeding hearts," Judge Bakugo scoffs. "Send him to debtors prison and let's move on."
"NO!" Kirishima shouts, startling the two judges but infuriating the other. "You can't write me off like that! I'll take any job at all! Send me to someone who CAN find me a job! I'm going to win my home and land back! You'll see! I'll earn it back with these two hands and this strong back! I deserve a chance to prove myself to the kingdom!"
"Mr. Kirishima," starts Judge Tokoyami. "We understand your plight, and if we could, we would help all the people of this city. However, we can only do so much. We work for the king, and him alone. I do not dispute that you are a strong man with a humble heart. On the contrary, I believe it with all my being. But acting out like this in a court of law is no way to plead your case. Right now, you come off as a hot-headed brute, and we will not tolerate such actions in this court. Do you understand?"
"I'm sorry, judge, "Kirishima lowers his head, looking at his rough, dirty, trembling hands. "In one day, my whole life is taken away from me. Times are hard, and it's not entirely my fault. I feel like I'm being punished for something I have no control over."
"Again, we understand your plight," Says Yaoyozau. "There just aren't enough laboring jobs to go around right now. The city needs people who can read and write. Since you cannot do either of those things, I'm afraid the three of us have no use for your services."
"Send him off," Judge Bakugo waves his hand in dismissal. "NEXT!"
"NO!"
"Again you're running your mouth?" Judge Bakugo hisses down at him. "You want to go to the city prison instead, asshole? Keep it up, and I'll send you there before you can blink! DEKU!"
"I won't leave!" Kirishima stands in place, his body shaking with fury and outrage as Izuku approaches him. "You can't make me!"
"I can and I will!" Judge Bakugo says. "Get him out of my sight!"
Izuku attempts to lead Kirishima away but he refuses to move.
"Tell me where the nearest male brothel is!" Kirishima shouts at Judge Bakugo. "I'd rather sell myself than go to debtors prison!"
Bakugo raises a blonde brow. "Who in their right mind would pay money for you?"
"That is not honest work," Adds Yaoyozau.
"True, but it's work!" Kirishima counters. "It's the work and the money that I need! Winter is here, and the animals will be harder to catch! I need to bring in some income! Please, let me do that if there are no other jobs for me!"
Tokoyami and Yaoyozau exchange silent glances, then look up at Bakugo.
"This is the first time today I heard one of these assholes go as far as to offer their assholes as payment,"
Tokoyami covers his eyes with a sigh and Yaoyozau turns bright red, averting her eyes from all of them.
Izuku leans in to whisper to Kirishima, "Stop now and I'll see if I can find you work somewhere else!"
Kirishima moves away from him. "No. The high judge shows some interest in my offer," he says.
"You're not my type," Says Judge Bakugo.
"Excuse me for speaking like this in front of a lady, but I've never been with a man. I haven't been with a woman, either. I…I can be a…a servant that…does that sort of thing."
Judge Bakugo scoffs. "Your words right now are proof you're a virgin," he says. "Guys like Tokoyami who still have their virginity intact go for big gold,"
"You have no dignity or filter," Tokoyami sneers at Bakugo.
"Shut it, birdbrain!" He shouts at Tokoyami before turning back to Kirishima. "As for you," he takes his gavel in hand and points it at Kirishima. "You've pissed me off enough today! Get out of my courthouse! NOW!" He slams the gavel so hard it breaks, nearly hitting Tokoyami in the face. "Fuck off, mountain man!"
Kirishima attempts to plead his case once again but Izuku manages to usher him away and out of the courtroom. By the time Kirishima is in the hall, he is crying angry tears though he tries to hide them. Izuku places a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm impressed with how you stood up for yourself in there," he says. "There may be something I can do for you."
"Forget it! You heard that bastard!" Kirishima wipes his tears with his forearm. "He's not going to give me a break! My pride won't let me run away, but I don't want to go to debtors' prison either! I can pay the kingdom back! I can! I know I can!" He clenches his fists and stomps his foot in frustration.
"But you don't want to go into the world of prostitution, either!" Izuku tries to reason with him. "Mr. Kirishima, I beg of you, go back to the waiting room until I have seen everyone else through. After that…I'll see if there is anything I can do for you."
"Why do you want to help me so much?" Kirishima asks.
"Because I see myself in you," Izuku says. "I understand your struggle and frustration, as well as your pride as a man! Please, if we can keep Kacchan in a good mood for the rest of the day, he may find it in his heart to help you as well."
Kirishima gives Izuku a shocked look. "K-Kacchan? Who is Kacchan?"
Izuku gives a crooked smile. "Oh, that's Katsuki Bakugo, the high judge. I'm his brother. Sometimes I let his nickname slip. But don't tell him you know that! He'll slaughter you for sure!"
"B-Brother?! That crazy angry guy is your BROTHER!?"
Izuku leans in to whisper to him. "Little brother, actually. By one year! He claims to be the 'big brother' regardless!"
'THAT is the man I am dealing with?' Kirishima says to himself, looking back at the doorway to the courtroom. 'How the hell does a little brother become a judge in this world?! And they're related?'
"Why can't you offer me a job?" Kirishima asks Izuku. "You're nicer than your brother!"
Izuku gives him an awkward smile. "Like the other judges, I have a lot of people in my employment already. I'm sorry, Mr. Kirishima. But I promise I will help you!"
The following day, Kirishima stands outside of the Bakugo Manor, facing the door with all the menacing force of a man on a mission. Yesterday did not go well for him, but Izuku told him to stop by today, early morning to be exact, and ask for a job. So, here he is, at sunrise, standing on the stoop of Bakugo Manor. He swallows hard as he stares at the doorknocker, its shape hard and cold like the man who lives beyond it. Kirishima is prepared to take whatever job is assigned to him, whether that be the station of a whore or a manure shoveler. He stopped for a moment to ponder why shoveling shit is a more appropriate job than laying on your back; or on your hands and knees. Somehow, shit is respected while sex is not. Something is indeed wrong with the society in which he lives.
Kirishima reaches out and takes the doorknocker in hand, knocking it against the dense wood. He remembers the words of Izuku from yesterday:
'Make sure you show up at early morning! Kacchan sleeps until late in the day if he doesn't have work to do. He's likely to accept you into his household while he is still half asleep and is unlikely to fire you once he wakes up!'
The door creaks open, and a young rosy-cheeked young lady peeks around the wood. "Yes?"
"Ah, good morning, miss," He smiles, or rather grins, showing off his rows of sharp teeth. Kirishima quickly sucks his lips inward to cover his teeth, hoping he hasn't frightened the poor girl. "I'm a…here on the good word of Sheriff Izuku! He said I could find a job here at the family manor! Look! He gave me this letter!" Kirishima reaches into his tunic to take out the letter and holds it out to her. "See? I'm not lying!"
"Oh. Um, good morning to you, kind sir," She takes the letter, breaks it open, and reads it. "OH! It is from Sheriff Izuku! Please, come inside, Mr. Kirishima."
"Just Kirishima is fine," He smiles politely at her as he steps inside the manor, looking around at his surroundings. "Nice place?"
"Yes. This is the Bakugo Manor. You are looking for the Bakugo Manor, aren't you? If it is the Todoroki-Midoriya Manor you seek, then you are on the wrong side of the city." She giggles.
"Ah, I'm pretty sure Sheriff Izuku said 'Bakugo Manor,'" Kirishima says. "So. Um. Do you…have a job for me? I'll take anything you got! Anything. I mean it, too!"
"I'm sorry, but that's not for me to say," She says. "Please, wait here in the supper room while I awaken Judge Bakugo."
Kirishima gives her a crooked, nervous smile. "No need to wake him if he's sleeping! I'll just…sit in here and wait for him to wake up."
"If you are expecting a job here, then that is not very wise to wait for him to wake up," She offers. "Let me see what I can do. Is there some position you are hoping for? Or seeking?"
Kirishima quickly turns away from her, hiding his face and the blush upon his cheeks. "Um, no, not really! Just…any job! I'll take anything! I mean that. Anything! Let him know that!"
"Okay. Please wait here."
Kirishima's knees rock as he waits for the girl to return. He watches the cooks scramble around the kitchen while they prepare the food for Judge Bakugo. Kirishima wonders how a man like Bakugo became a judge in the first place. Bakugo doesn't seem like the type of man to seek that kind of position. His attitude and fierce, quick temper are the traits of a fighter, a knight, or even a berserker. So, why a judge? And Izuku, the elder brother, is the sheriff? To Kirishima, it should be the other way around.
He doesn't know if he will like working here, but what other choice does he have? He's going to have to adapt to the life of a servant. Will Judge Bakugo put him in the kitchens to work? Kirishima has never cooked for another person besides himself. Maybe he'll be put to work outside? Kirishima saw a farm and an unfinished wall in the barnyard. A wall is easy to build! He can do that!
Kirishima is startled by a wooden cup placed before him on the table.
"Here you go, dearie. A little taste of something to warm you up," Says the kind old woman who, Kirishima can assume, is the head cook.
"Oh, thank you," Kirishima takes the cup in his hands and sips it. Warm milk and honey! The liquid pools in his belly, and for a moment, he feels jolly! He drinks more of it until the cup is empty, though he is polite, and does not ask for another. Even though he wants it. Badly. Kirishima sees one of the young kitchen maids struggling to carry a sack of potatoes. He quickly gets up from the chair and offers to take it from her, lifting it easily.
"It's a nice change to have a such a strong man around!" Says the old woman, patting her wrinkled, floured covered hands on her apron. "We don't have many strong men around this place! The young judge insists on being the only one around!"
Kirishima chuckles at that. "I'm not surprised at all by that. Where can I put these for you?" He asks the women.
"Bring them over here," says the head cook. "They are for the soup tonight. Beef stew. The young judge will not be happy with beef stew three times in a row, but the meat just isn't flowing in the market right now."
"Oh, I know that! I'm a hunter and trapper by trade. I've hardly killed or caught anything in the last month!" He places the sack down by the large hearth. Another maid is carrying over an armful of wood from the iron stack that is larger than she is. Kirishima hurries over and takes them from her the same as he did with the potatoes. "I can carry these!" He brings the logs to the hearth. "Does Judge Bakugo make you women do everything around here?" Kirishima has an image of Bakugo acting as the alpha stag of a herd with only females.
"That's not it," Says the maid who had been carrying the wood. "The men do not stay long here. Judge Bakugo treats everyone equally here, so it doesn't matter if you are a man, woman, or child. He is putting you to work, and he is not kind about it. Men are scared of him, and Judge Bakugo is very, very harsh with them if they don't perform. It's easier to be a woman at the Bakugo Manor!" She giggles.
"Doesn't that bother you? That he works you as hard as men?" Kirishima asks them.
"You don't see any of these girls in a brothel, do you? They are grateful to be here." Says the old cook. "Only the strong survive at Bakugo Manor, which is why you see so many ladies."
Kirishima couldn't help but laugh with them. To see merry women is always a good sign, which means that Judge Bakugo can't be all bad. When all the women suddenly turn to the door and curtsy low, Kirishima lifts his eyes to see Judge Bakugo staring hard at him.
"Get this guy out of my house!" Bakugo shouts. "I'm not taking on any more losers!"
"But…but Judge Bakugo! I have a letter from your brother! The sheriff!" Kirishima counters.
Bakugo sneers. "Damn that freckled-face fool! He's always sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong! Well, he answers to ME, and I say pack your bags and be on your way to debtors prison, failure!"
Kirishima once again stands his ground. "I'm not going anywhere! I need a job, and I will pay off my debt! Please, Judge Bakugo, just give me a chance to prove myself! I'm strong! Like a bear and a bull put together! I can work the fields or carry stones! I can help the women carry heavy things! I…I can…" He didn't want to bring up the option of 'sharing the judge's bed, so he quickly thinks of something else. "I can hunt you a stag for meals!" Kirishima grins as the word 'stag' catches the judge's attention. "Beef stew again tonight! I'm sure you would like to be eating something different than what everyone else is eating! It looks like even the town is suffering from the breath of winter! But if you promise me a chance to work off my debt here, I will go out and hunt you a great stag! All of it will be yours! Every bit, from ear to tail!"
"Hold it. If you could hunt a stag, then why the hell are you here? A large rack and fresh venison would pay off some of your debt. Why bring it up now? It sounds like you're bullshitting me into giving you a job."
"I'm not! Listen, I couldn't focus solely on hunting if I were watching the crops and monitoring the traps. But now, with none of that to worry about, I can hunt without fail! Please, let me bring you a great stag, one with a mighty rack, a barrel chest, and fresh meat for JUST your household! What do you say, Judge Bakugo? Want to have venison meat for supper?"
Bakugo crosses his arms over his chest. "How do I know you won't just run away? I will set a bounty on your head, you know. A bounty that leads right to the gallows."
"You have my word as a man," he thumps his chest with his fist. "I'm going to pay off my debts and earn back my family home and lands! If you are the only one who can make that happen for me, then I am in your service." Kirishima bows his head in a show of respect and humbleness. He anxiously awaits Judge Bakugo's answer. The silence is killing him, and eventually, it forces Kirishima to lift his eyes.
"Pfft. A stag, huh? Alright then, bring me a stag, and I will give you a job here." He smirks. "But, you have two days to get the stag. If you fail, come back here, and I want to watch as you walk yourself into debtors prison."
Kirishima swallows hard, takes a deep breath, and says, "All I need is a bow and a knife."
TBC