A/N: Second chapter is up! Sorry it took a little longer!
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You'd never know it just by looking, but Tokyo was once a modern, technologically advanced metropolis. Not to be forgotten, tradition still maintained its unmoving print on society with its cultural temples and historical sites despite constant advancements. It was impressive, the way Japan managed to ride that line between ultramodern and traditional. They were a people always looking to grow taller, expand wider while never forgetting about their roots.
That is of course, no more. Immediately after the world shattering apocalypse, AFO began his plight to conquer what remained of Japan. His natural charisma and poise garnered him more than enough support, easing the way to wage his war against anyone who opposed him.
Once fully in power, he sought to subjugate his people by slowly stripping them of their freedom and individuality. His very first decree demanded everyone to wear masks when out in public. His supporters found it to be a rather odd ordinance, but he had earned their trust after fighting for the new world he had not only promised but delivered to them. From there his demands grew more and more oppressive, and people never questioned him on it as they blindly followed his commands and did as they were told.
Books containing ideology he didn't agree with or which depicted religion were destroyed. World history and stories which might evoke a sense of rebellion were next, followed by anything else he simply didn't like or agree with. He did away with temples and government buildings, demolished the tallest skyscrapers and razed entire cities. The free use of electricity was gone due to lingering effects of the apocalypse, doing away with modern technology and effectively forcing civilization to heel. By the time he was finished, and his regime was fully in place, he not only destroyed Japan's roots, but he burned the whole damn tree to the ground.
Pockets of rebellion came and went, many losing the will to fight after being forced to bear witness to the brutal execution of their fellow insurgents. It took several years, but eventually the Japanese people fell in line, never to so much as whisper about the time before again.
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It's not difficult to tell when Katsuki is in a sour mood. While he may keep almost all of his emotions in check, his anger tends to roll off him in waves, crashing against anything unfortunate enough to stand in his way. Even with his porcelain mask shielding that murderous scowl, tense jaw and flaring nostrils from view, there were other tells and his squadron knew just where to look.
Arms and shoulders tense with fists balled tight, his confident swagger replaced by a menacing prowl as they roamed the streets- these were sure signs to maintain at least a sword's length away from the hot headed blond. That is, unless you are an idiot who goes by the name of Kaminari Denki.
"Yo Bakugo! Why are you so grouchy today, huh? I think Mr. Grumpy Pants needs the biggest hug!" Denki merrily skipped toward the angry blond, ignoring the dismayed gasp of his comrades as they watched on in horror.
Just before the ill fated hug could take place, Denki's arms eagerly reaching beyond the confines of his cloak as he offered the last hug he would ever give, Eijiro grabbed ahold of his hood and yanked, hard. The smaller male stumbled back, tripping over his feet as he tried to remain upright and somehow bumping his mask up his face in the process, revealing the pale skin of his forehead through the eye holes.
"I'm not sure Bakubro is someone you wanna hug right now, Denki. If you're itching to give out a hug, I'll take one though. Hugs are manly as hell!" The redhead laughed easily, as if he hadn't just saved Denki's hide.
Confused, Denki offered him a one armed hug as he readjusted his dual toned, electric yellow and midnight black mask back to its proper position. His fingertips brushed over the raised lightning bolt pattern before reaching behind his head to tighten the ribbon securing the material in place.
Meanwhile, Hanta sagely bobbed his head in agreement. "Look, I'm just gonna say it. Bakugo has been sulking for five days now. Five! You'd think someone took a shit in his cereal or something. The man needs a hug, or a frosty glass of mead at the very least."
Snorting in a barely suppressed fit of laughter, Denki added, "Yeah! Or maybe just a really good lay." Eijiro and Hanta chuckled heartily, eagerly nodding their agreement. Katsuki may keep his personal life personal, but he's too much of a workaholic to have time for other social activities and they all knew it.
"Yeah! Or maybe-"
"Oi! Will you three just shut the fuck up already? For fuck's sake. You're giving me a goddamn migrain!" Katsuki glared vehemently at his "friends," silently daring any one of them to open his mouth and utter another word about hugs or lays.
Eijiro was the first to speak, his hands warily in front of his chest in a placating manor, silently thankful his mask was hiding the smirk on his lips. "Calm down, man. You know we're just worried."
"I am calm, Shitty Hair!" Katsuki's shout garnered the attention of a few onlookers gathered along the side of the street. Upon realizing who the ruckus was coming from, they quickly shielded their gazes and scurried away with their heads lowered, returning to whatever menial task they had set out to accomplish. There's no such thing as positive attention when it came to that particular patrol group, Katsuki being considered something of a boogyman to the people of his district.
Ignoring the attention they've gathered, Eijiro pushed on. "Listen, we've been patrolling for a few hours now and it is hot!" The redhead fanned his hand in front of his face to make his point. "I say we take a break, have lunch and maybe a beer or two, and we'll be better for it when we go back to work. What do ya think, bossman?"
"Oh! I second that idea!" Denki immediately agreed. Of course, he would agree to just about anything if food and drink were involved. On the other hand, his agreement was almost enough reason on its own for Katsuki to refuse the suggestion.
"Don't act like your opinion matters, Dunce Face" Katsuki sneered, eyeing the energetic, yellow haired man with irritation.
"I don't understand how you can call Denki Dunce Face when you've literally never seen his face" Sero countered. The brunette made an excellent point, one of which Katsuki would never concede to.
Bristling, Katsuki shot back "I don't need to see his face to know he's a Dunce Face. I just know! Not like it's anything I need to prove to you idiots." With an exaggerated roll of his eyes, he turned on his heel and stalked in a completely different direction, mumbling about how he's "taking a fucking lunch break" with his comrades hurrying to catch up from behind him.
Given it was already half past noon, the streets of Tokyo were buzzing with activity as the lunch crowd roamed the streets. It was a spectacle all on it's own, a collage of dazzling colors melting together as the working class sought out good food, jovial company, or perhaps a shaded area for a moment's rest. Meanwhile, store merchants, peddlars and craftsmen corralled prospective buyers, boasting of the freshest fish, best smoked and pickled meats, finest handcrafted jewelry, the sturdiest leather corsets and softest wool cloaks around.
As someone who values hygiene and cleanliness, Katsuki despises high noon because of the dirty, sweaty throng of extras, all of whom reek of body odor, smoke and god knows what else. Still, he can't deny his stomach's low rumble so he willingly shoulders through the crowd as he carves a path to his usual haunt, The Tipping Cow.
Honestly, Katsuki isn't even sure how he became a regular patron of the ridiculous pub in the first place. He couldn't have been drawn in by the oversized pink and white decorative cow barely attached along the rooftop, clearly on the verge of tipping over the side. It wasn't the stupid pink shutters framing fogged windows, or the weird pink hue emanating from the lanterns hooked along the walls. Speaking of pink, it definitely wasn't the pub's owner, the overly chatty gossip who insisted in draping herself in all manners of the vomit inducing shade- even her fucking hair is dyed pink for Christ's sake!
If Katsuki were to guess, he'd think one of the three stooges just behind him was responsible for this unfortunate habit. Shitty Hair was probably the safest bet since the man unabashedly flirts with the bar keeper every time they visit. And Katsuki allows it because while he fucking hates all the goddamn pink, even he can't deny she whips up a fiery curry, almost comparable to his own.
The moment the single story pub, squeezed between two slightly larger shops, came into view, Katsuki took a deep breath, preparing himself for the bouncy, innately loud woman waiting behind the door. Just as the heavy wooden pub door swung open, the blond's senses were overwrought with raucous laughter, off key tunes, and the heavy smells of smoke and roasting meat. Of course there was that yeasty, fermented scent of mead swirling together with everything else, making Katsuki's throat feel dry and tongue parched.
Naturally, the Tipping Cow was lively as ever as men and women alike perched on their wooden stools, gulping down pints of frothy liquid and eating whatever the establishment was able to get its hands on that day. By the looks of the line of skinned carcasses along a spit continuously rotating over hot coals and flames, Katuski would guess it was likely hare. It smelled divine, the meat giving off hints of sweetness while the aromatics perfumed the air in notes of mint and wood.
The grating sound of a bar stool sliding across the stone floor caught Katsuki's attention just long enough to realize it was just Shitty Hair challenging some extra to an arm wrestling match. The redhead had developed quite the rapport with some of the other regulars and often found himself squaring off against other brawny opponents. Almost immediately a small crowd circled around their table, loudly cheering them on. If Katsuki thought it was loud before, the noise was absolutely thunderous now.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he pulled out a stool and took a seat right at the bar. Before he was even fully seated, a pink and white checkered stein was flung to him from across the bar, its frothy contents sloshing and spilling over the side as he wrapped his calloused hand around it.
"Oi! Watch it you damn witch!" Even though his words were harsh, they didn't carry much bite. Despite his grumbling and complaining, he was actually fond of the pub's owner, even almost enjoying their regular discussions as he devoured whatever she was selling that day for lunch.
In turn, the bar keeper smirked as she chucked a pair of chopsticks at his head. "You better be nice to me or I might poison your stew" she said without batting an eye just as Katsuki caught the offending utensil before it could make an impact.
The owner, Mina, then made a show of taking her imaginary bottle of poison and dumping it right into the steaming bowl of curry she had placed on the bar for the blond. Her lips, painted a light pink, were spread wide in an amused smile as she offered the food to Katsuki. Mina was one of the few who chose to wear a half mask while working, insisting personal expression helped increase her clientele. It was an unorthodox practice but not exactly illegal so Katsuki never harassed her over it.
The mask she wore in and of itself was also unusual, as she chose one crafted with leather as opposed to the porcelain many wore during the workday. The underlying material was white with pink lace overlaying the surface. Tiny white crystals accented each eye, beginning at the inner corner of the eye and lining up over the eyebrow area and ending just near her temples. The outer rim of her mask was then lined with golden sequences while cream and rosewood feathers lined the top, poking up over her pink curls.
Katsuki narrowed his eyes at her, unimpressed. "You know I could throw you in jail for threatening me with your witch potions right? You'd never see the light of day again and your precious operation here would be shut down for good."
"Pft, like you'd know what to do with yourself if you weren't able to come visit me and eat my amazingly delicious curry. You'd starve!"
"I know how to fucking cook, Pinkie" Katsuki growled.
Tilting her head to the side with her hip jutted out the pink haired woman quaried, "Hmm, and when are you going to do that exactly? You're always on duty and if you aren't, you're working out, sleeping, or spending time with yours truly."
Grumbling, Katsuki slightly lifted the chin of his mask up and out while taking a long swig of his drink, the sweet fermented liquid coating his tongue before sliding easily down his throat. "I do more than just work, Pinkie" he growled before taking a second drink. He hadn't realized he was so thirsty until just then, the liquid satisfying and warming his belly with each swallow.
Unconcerned, Mina replied, "If you say so. You're increasingly foul mood sure says otherwise though. All work and no play makes Katsuki a very angry goose indeed."
"Ha! Katsuki is like an angry goose! Honk! Honk!" Denki teased as he sat next to the blond.
"I'll murder you both with my bare fucking hands" Katsuki indignantly fumed.
"Oh, you can try," came Mina's singsong reply as she made her way to the other end of the bar to tend to another patron. Meanwhile, Denki continued to laugh as he honked at Katsuki like a goose.
"Honk one more time, fucker! See what happens!" Kasuki bellowed as he fisted Denki's cloak, bringing his head in mere inches from Katsuki's own. The blond has given the dumbass more than one punch to the gut for being insufferable, and had it not been for the fact that Shitty Hair chose that time to sit on Katsuki's other side and calmly pat him on the shoulder, he'd have let the idiot in his grasp have it. Turning in his seat, Katsuki eyed the other man with annoyance, his hand still clenching around the material of Denki's cloak.
Eijiro shrugged before carefully removing his hand from Katsuki's shoulder so he could take a large gulp from his stein. Meanwhile the blond finally decided to let go of Denki and begin eating his curry. His mouth watered just a little from the smell alone, the scent very telling in that it was well spiced and probably delicious.
As he ate, he did his best to tune everyone else out, not interested in allowing their stupid banter to interfer with his enjoyment of his food. When he was about halfway through his bowl, he noticed Shitty Hair was waving his hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention. "What is it, Shitty Hair?"
"Sorry dude, I was just trying to get your attention."
"And…"
"I don't know, I guess I've noticed you really have been grumpy lately. Well, grumpy for you cause you're always at least a little grouchy. Anway, I thought I'd offer myself as an ear to listen if there's anything you need to get off your chest. Keeping it all in isn't healthy, bro!" Eijiro poked around at his curry as he spoke before finally taking another bite of his food. He chased it down with the remainder of his mead and then put his hand in the air to signal Mina for a refill.
Katsuki considered what Eijiro was asking, silently acknowledging that there was in fact something wrong but it wasn't anything he could actually share with his friend. The truth is, it's been five days since he met Deku at the lake, and while Deku had promised to meet him again, he still hasn't shown up.
The blond isn't sure why he even cares because really, why should he? It was a huge coincidence that they met like that in the first place and it's not like they know enough about each other to really trust the other to continue to toe that line. Katsuki supposed it made sense even, that Deku wouldn't risk everything just to meet up with a total stranger. Still, even though he knew it made sense, it didn't stop the last five nights from being filled with disappointment.
While he wouldn't mind having someone to vent to about that very irksome disappointment, he knew better than to tell anyone, even Shitty Hair. He was about to say as much to the redhead when suddenly a deafening boom sounded from outside, followed by the ground and even the walls of the pub shaking all around him. It only lasted for a few seconds, and as soon as the rumble settled it was immediately followed by panicked screams coming from outside. Katsuki was immediately on alert, shouting over the chaos inside the bar for his patrol group to gather. If that was in fact an explosion then they were under attack, but by who?