This is set in the uh, early 2000s? Well, whatever, it's in pre-industrialization or something idk im not a history major
Also, i'm curious. What do you guys think? Should i stick with japanese mythology or just mash from other mythologies?
Chapter 2: todoroki's problem children
Before the age of quirks, superpowers, and god-like abilities, humans were simple mortals made of flesh and bone that would decay and return to the earth.
Before the age of quirks, there was no Musutafu. Not yet, at least.
Instead, there were two towns, two districts that were separated by a simple border of trees.
But one would think they were on opposite sides of the world.
Green Valley was a quiet, peaceful town that relished in the rain showers given to them when they asked. Their crops prospered with the never-ending rain that would come with every prayer, every offering.
Red Lion, on the other hand, was a harsher town to live in. Prayers would seldom be answered, but they would never go hungry or sick. Strangers would struggle, but the locals were already wizened and hardened, the community strong-knit and loyal.
All in all, they lived in relative peace, separate from each other. Neither really found themselves meddling with the other, content in minding their own business and worshipping their own shrines.
Until, of course, the successors came.
The first time it happened, the people of Red Lion thought it was a fluke.
They woke up one morning, and instead of the bright sun that had always been present, they were greeted with stormy clouds and heavy rainfall.
Of course, they panicked at first, the shrine maidens and caretakers rushing to burn incense and bring out offerings even though it was out of season for such.
Thankfully, the rain stopped by mid-afternoon, and the people of Red Lion breathed in relief when the sun and its glaring rays came back.
The people of Green Valley were confused. Murmurs and uneasy glances were exchanged as they surveyed the scene.
They woke up one morning, and their crops had dried up, some burnt from the scalding heat of the sun above them, not a single cloud in sight.
The elders rushed to the shrine, crying out their woes and prayers, supplicating themselves until blood flowed on the ground.
Like in Red Lion, the sun was covered mid-afternoon by dark clouds, and the people cried in relief at the first drops of rain that day.
Both thought it was a fluke—a one-time thing.
This had never happened before, not under the previous guardians and gods that blessed their lands.
So both sides brushed it off, going about their days under the sun and under the rain.
Todoroki sighed as he listened to another one of the many many prayers that seemed never-ending.
"We can't grow anything! The sun comes and kills, and the rain floods it!"
"Our lands can't handle the downpour! Our houses are filled and mold grows!"
"Please, Todoroki-sama, heed our prayers!"
"There is something wrong with Midoriya-sama!"
"There is something wrong with Bakugou-sama!"
He longingly looked at the cold soba his mother had made before standing and leaving.
"Why can't I have just one day where they don't cause trouble?" He grumbled, before leaping, disappearing into ice and flame.
Midoriya Izuku loved the people of his town. Even though he had just taken over after his father, Hisashi, who had moved on to take his place in the stars; he loved Green Valley.
He remembers when the town was simple huts placed haphazardly among the green grass. When his mother, a nature spirit, would take him around the forest to see and greet the creatures and deities who would be his retainers when the time came. He remembers playing and chasing after the kodama that ran in-between tree roots and trunks.
He remembers when the people stood firm in their faith as other mortals from lands across the sea came with their heralds of foreign deities and religions.
Izuku loved how the people flocked to him when they were in need, crooning at their songs of praise when he answered them with rain and wind.
What he didn't love was definitely his red-eyed neighbor, who seems more demon than divine.
It was during one of their millennia gatherings, the first of many to come after each of them had taken up the mantle of the old gods and goddesses.
Izuku was excited to see his friends again, going around and chatting incessantly.
He had just excused himself to get another drink when he bumped into someone.
"Oi! Watch where you're going, fucker!"
"Ah, I'm so sorr–" Izuku stopped, recognizing who he bumped into.
Bakugou Katsuki was his childhood friend, back when his family was still flitting from district to district across the country, not yet settling down as patrons. He remembers spending multiple summers at their urban town, running after the energetic ball of fire (and putting out fires in the process).
Izuku couldn't help but appraise his childhood friend, a blush spreading across his freckles.
Katsuki was clad in hues of black, red, and orange. The colors moved along the yukata, exploding into sparks and sizzling into flames at the hem. The top half was split, one sleeve rolled, with the other entirely abandoned, revealing strong expanses of muscle. The tips of his hair transitioned from ashy blonde to bright red, some lit with flames. Various necklaces and bracelets adorned his frame, all made from glinting jewels that reflected the cosmic universe.
Basically, he looked delicious and dangerous, and Izuku could not stop staring.
"Kacchan! Is that you? Wow, it's been so long! Oh, how's Auntie Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru doing? Have you taken over their district in Tokyo? I heard that there's a lot of criminal activity there right now, so you should be carefu–"
"What the fuck? Who the hell are you, ha?!"
Katsuki shoved him, Izuku hissing at the burn. He stumbled back but righted himself, putting out the fire with a flick of his hand.
Katsuki's eye twitched at that, a snarl on his face. Who the hell was this fuckface (pretty) who put out his divine fires like it was nothing?
Izuku pouted. "That was mean, Kacchan."
"HA?! Who the hell is 'Kacchan'? And you didn't answer me, fucker," Katsuki shoved a finger at his chest, "Who the hell are you?"
Stung from not being remembered, Izuku shook his head and smiled.
"Right, it's been too long. I'm Midoriya Izuku. You can just call me Izuku, though!"
Katsuki narrowed his eyes and leaned closer, focusing on the golden brand on Izuku's neck, the letters of his divine name taking on a watery glow. His crimson eyes raked over the shorter god's form, recognizing the features of the old gods.
The greennette was dressed in varying shades of green, black, and spots of yellow that, if Katsuki squints, turned out to be balls of lightning that flashed menacingly. He snorts at the poorly tied heko-obi, the piece too loose yet tight enough to not unravel. The mix of colors was mesmerizing with every movement, a different shade of green showing every time. Star jewels were woven in between strands of dark green hair, accompanying the lone hanging raindrop earring on his left ear.
Katsuki shook his head out of the daze, not wanting to admit to being lost in green pools that seemed to wash over and draw him in like waves on the shore.
"Tsk, so you're the Deku who took over old man Hisashi's turf, huh?"
"D-Deku?"
"Yeah," Katsuki grinned, flashing his white teeth, canines glinting. "For a useless person."
Izuku bristled, green eyes glowing for a second before he forced himself to tamp down on his anger. Well, all thoughts of how delicious he looked are obviously out the window now.
How dare the god distort my divine name that was granted and blessed?!
Katsuki smirked, obviously not missing the slight loss of control. He leaned in, relishing in the greennette's flinch at the sudden proximity.
And maybe he also relished in the sweet and salty smell of the forest and sea. Maybe, whatever.
"I'm curious... what went through Hisashi's mind to leave Green Valley to... a pushover like you, ha, Deku?"
"Excuse me?"
"You're excused," Katsuki laughed at Izuku's furious look. He could see how the greennette's power was vibrating under his skin, how the little (cute) god struggled his hold on it.
"Look at you, you can't even control your power. And you call yourself a fucking god?" He snarled, flames dancing across his arms. "You grovel for the attention of mere shitty mortals like a bitch. You're no more than a goddamn lapdog, Deku."
And Izuku snapped, a wave of his hand dousing Katsuki in water.
The fire god spluttered and stumbled back but found he couldn't, his feet ensnared by– was that fucking seaweed?!
Izuku shoved a finger in his chest, eyes glowing, a snarl on his face.
"Do. Not. Insult. My. People."
"Or what, shitty Deku? You'll run to them and cry? Like they do with you?"
Izuku shook his head, laughing. "At least they come to me, Kacchan. And now I remember where you were assigned to– the Red Lion."
Green eyes flitted to the similar golden brand on the fire god's chest, just under his collarbone. They looked like they burned at the touch, sparks coming intermittently.
Izuku smiled sweetly with hard eyes, and if Katsuki didn't know any better, he'd think the little shit was a demon.
"Did you know your people come running to me, instead? That your population is dwindling and mine grows because they can't handle your bitchy mood swings?"
Katsuki growled, blood red fire licking at the seaweed latched on his ankles, leaving nothing but ash.
The fire god and rain god glared at each other.
"You'll pay for that."
Izuku fluttered his eyes open when he felt it. The familiar power coming its way again to Green Valley.
He snorted, thoughtlessly sending a torrent of rain to Red Lion as retaliation.
The rain god flopped back down on the pond, humming at the relaxing feeling of water around him. It was a new addition that his people added, and he loved it.
His days would be paradise if it wasn't for the incessant red-eyed hothead (hottie) that kept sending heat waves and droughts his way.
Ever since their fight back then, this rivalry had started– a back and forth ping pong (that was the game mortals called it, right?) serving to annoy the other.
But still... Izuku smiled, hands playing with the water sprites that nipped at his fingers and feet.
He didn't hate it.
Actually, he rather enjoyed it.
At first, he was a bit guilty since his people suffered from this rivalry. But as they progressed and grew more resilient, he found himself enjoying this back-and-forth game.
After all, being a god who only received prayers and gave blessings was, hm, boring as fuck.
"Oh, really? Then maybe I should send you along with your father then, Izuku."
For the record, Izuku most certainly did not fall into the pond. Because before he could, the whole body of water was frozen in an instant.
"Shoto?!"
Todoroki sighed and snapped his fingers. A big ball of fire appeared at his side and popped out a heap of something on the ground.
For a second, Izuku thinks this is another one of Todoroki's invitations to torture his brother. But then the something starts to shout.
"Motherfucker! What the hell, IcyHot?!"
"Kacchan?!"
Red eyes snapped to green, a snarl on his lips. "Shitty Deku? What the fuck are you doing here?"
"That should be my line since you're ass is on my land."
"Oh yeah? Then you know where you can shove it–"
"Ugh, I do not have the time for your childish bickering," Todoroki grumbled and waved his hand.
In a blink, there were in a mansion, both of them in a seiza position.
The overseeing god still had a deadpan expression on his face as he poured tea across from them.
"Uh... Shoto?"
"Oi, dickstick. What the hell is this?"
"Dickstick, really, Kacchan?"
"Ha? Got a problem with what I call people, Deku?"
"Uh, yeah? It's so uncreative that even mortals can best you. And stop calling me Deku!"
"The fuck?! No one can best me in anything, you shit! And I'll keep calling you that however long I want, bitch."
"Well, now you know, Kacchan."
"At least I have a fucking backbone, Deku. Not like you who just spends their days swimming in a stupid pond mortals made."
"You're just jealous the best they got you was a spice bush."
"And that's worse than your stupid pond that fish shit in? I can actually eat mine, fucker."
"I can't exactly eat a pond–"
Todoroki sighed and shut them up, a whip of fire gagging Katsuki, and Izuku's lips encased in ice.
"Ha... I don't know what I did to be stuck with you two in this lifetime."
Red and green eyes glared at him, gesturing at their bonds as if to say, um, same question?!
Todoroki ignored them and sipped his tea.
Unlike the other two who were forced into a seiza position, he was lounging on the other side of the tea-table. The colors on his yukata were split, reflecting his hair, with raging red rising from the hem to his neck only to be quelled by the freezing snowstorm of blue and white. Golden anklets were hanging loosely around his feet, the sound of chimes echoing with every movement. Unlike the other two gods, Todoroki didn't have a golden brand; instead, swirls of red flames covered the left side of his face contained by his icy blue eye.
"Hm, is this punishment for killing my father and imprisoning my brother?" He mused, a dark look overtaking him before it was gone in a blink of an eye.
"Anyway, I'll make this quick since Fuyumi asked for my help in Hokkaido," He set his cup down and leveled them with a stare.
"Stop this petty rivalry. I don't know how or why– apologize, grovel, cry, whatever. Just–" Todoroki waved his hands, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips. "Just stop terrorizing your people. It's a pain to receive their prayers of complaint while I'm tending to my zen garden."
The two remained still at the information. However, both the fire god and rain god were still glaring at each other, neither wanting to admit defeat even at a stupid thing like a staring competition.
Todoroki looked at them for a moment and released them. And before they could start another shouting match, he towered over them, a dark look on his face.
"If you two don't fix this mess, I won't hesitate to strip you of your land–," Brown and cold blue eyes glowed, the temperature of the room fluctuating. Izuku hissed at the sudden heat, and Katsuki gritted his teeth against the cold.
"–and give Green Valley and Red Lion to someone else."
Izuku gaped at Shoto and turned to Katsuki, who had a dumbstruck look on his face. They were both thinking the same thing.
"Fuck."
Fun fact: Bakugou's town was supposed to be called either "Strong Explosion" or "Master Bomb" as a play on his name, but no sane person would live in a town like that so nope
Characters:
Todoroki Shoto - God of Ice and Fire (overseer of Japan)
Bakugou Katsuki - Fire Demon-God (patron of Red Lion)
Midoriya Izuku - Rain God (patron of Green Valley)
Vocab:
Kodama 木霊/木魂/木魅 - tree spirits; echoes of the forest (think Princess Mononoke)
Yukata 浴衣 - casual ver of the kimono
Heko-obi 兵児帯 - informal obi for men (waistband) tied in a casual knot (easier compared to kaku-obi)
Seiza 正座/正坐 - formal traditional sitting position
SO! I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT SPIRITS/GODS/ENTITIES/DEMONS THE REST OF 1-A WOULD BE! Also, teachers too, sure.
Drop a comment on what you think & I would def appreciate critiques on my writing too. I need more feedback in my life bitches.