The Raven On the Skull
by: Tenkku
Summary:
Tokoyami owns a mystic shop in the LGBTQ+ district of the city when a biker tattoo parlor opens up next to his shop. Sharing in the hobby of the occult and the artistic nature of dark art, their two worlds start to collide. Bakugo believes Tokoyami is a scammer and Tokoyami believes Bakugo is a rotten, over-tattooed, over-pierced, biker thug. However, Tokoyami still wishes him the best.
But when Bakugo learns of Tokoyami's honest and true otherworldly powers to see beyond the human world, he is curious to know more, but Tokoyami is no easy conquest. Like himself, Tokoyami has tattoos, two that Bakugo can see, but the other is hidden from view with Tokoyami claiming that only the male he chooses to be with for the first time will ever get to see it. Bakugo is up for that challenge. He's not afraid of Tokoyami's mystic powers, nor is Tokoyami fearful of Bakugo's obviously put-on tough guy act.
Can their dark differences come together? It's Spirits vs. Science.
Notes:
***I can't help it, I love this pairing and it's the spooky season, so this idea has been in my head for a while. For the few who will read and enjoy this, a less popular pairing, you are wonderful!
***Warnings: Language, Bakugo's insults and bullying, mentions of Wiccan powers, tattoos, dark themes, leather, Tarot cards, psychic readings, humor, bashful Tokoyami, pushy Bakugo, slow burn, desire, mild sexual insults
***Quick note: I have many friends that do tarot readings but they were unwilling to give me some ideas and pointers, so I did the best I could- in other words, less is more, so please, bear with me!
***To the witches, warlocks, paladins, and druids out there, this fic is by no means meant to be offensive. While I can't say I fully believe in all of it, I highly enjoy it, respect it, and back it 100%!
***Please, read on and enjoy!
***Reviews and kudos are welcomed!
Chapter 1: A New Business
The rain padded lightly on the glass of the bedside window, stirring Tokoyami from his sleep. A small smile touches his lips at the sound of raindrops because it's his favorite type of weather. Beside him, Dark Shadow, his black cat, lets out a little mew of annoyance at being woken up by Tokoyami's movements. He pets the cat while looking at the shadows of the raindrops on the curtains.
The red plastic skull holding an analog clock reads ten to eight, a little earlier than when he was used to waking up. The shop wouldn't have to open until eleven, so he had a little more time to sleep before the alarm went off. However, now that he had woken up Dark Shadow, the cat wanted to eat and kept pawing at his face.
"Not now, Dark Shadow," he says and retreats under the black silk sheets and dark purple comforter with the pillow shielding his head.
"Merow," Dark Shadow, like all cats, found a way to get his paw to Tokoyami's face and tap at it, gently. "Merrroow!"
"...fine," Tokoyami sits up in defeat, cracking his neck and lower back while the cat waits patiently at the foot of the bed. "This is why cats were considered witches," he says to the feline.
Technically, it was the pot calling the kettle black because he is a witch himself, though he prefers Wiccan over generic terms. He liked to view Dark Shadow as his familiar and the cat freely roamed his Wiccan shop, mimicking a magic user's lair. But at the moment, he viewed the cat as an evil devil because the moment wet food was provided, Dark Shadow took two bites and then left.
"That's it, I'm going back to bed!" Before doing so, he set the coffee pot on a timer and refilled Dark Shadow's water bowl.
Passing the living room window to go to the bedroom he hears the engine of a motorcycle. It was very close to the window, so he looks down at the street to see the person on the motorcycle parked outside his shop. Tokoyami stops to watch them look at the shop next to his, then turn the motorcycle down the alley. He figures it must be a customer for the new tattoo shop that was opening up next to his shop. Should he call down and tell the person that the shop isn't open yet?
Instead, the same person with light, wild blonde hair comes from the side alley and unlocks the shop door.
'Oh, they must be the owner,' Tokoyami figures.
He wonders what kind of person they are and if they will be a decent neighbor. They obviously know that this is the LGBTQ+ shopping district of the area or they wouldn't have opened a shop here. This would be the first tattoo shop on the street and will no doubt bring in more people, especially bikers and young adults. Most of the shops in the district were specialty shops such as his own, which pertain to everything Wiccan and magic. It was a mix of consignment shops and small businesses from handmade clothing to ethnic foods and bars to handcrafted jewelry and artwork. His best friend owned a café and an old bookshop two doors down. The shop next to his on the left had been empty for a year. It had previously been a hot sauce shop that sadly went under.
'I'll introduce myself when I open the shop,' he says and returns to his room to go back to sleep.
It continues to rain as Tokoyami closes the door behind him and descends the raw iron stairs with an umbrella. He jiggles the gate latch and pushes it open (it always tends to stick because it's slightly crooked). But before unlocking his shop, he decides to visit the owner of the tattoo shop.
In the window is a neon orange sign with the words, 'ten percent off first tattoo.' Tokoyami tilted his head at the offer, debating if he should get another though feeling guilty about going to another tattoo artist rather than his usual one. He didn't have many tattoos, only three of them, but they were large. Maybe, to show good faith and to be neighborly (since his friend, Izuku, wants him to be more outgoing and social) he'll set up an appointment to get a small tattoo.
Tokoyami tries the wet door handle and it opens. A soft 'ding-dong' chime is drowned out by the heavy metal music coming from a series of small speakers on the walls. While he likes heavy metal music, he prefers more eclectic sounds like dark symphonies and indie gothic style. And then, he saw a sign for body piercings as well. So, it's not just tattoos.
'Very interesting,' Tokoyami thought as a little quiver of delight fluttered in his lower belly.
"Hey, I'm not open yet!"
Tokoyami looks to the blonde person dressed from head to toe in black leather biker style with multiple ear and facial piercings, tattoos, and red eyes. The tips of the wild blonde hair were dyed orange and the black boots had a white leather skull patch each. The person's angry tone and build suggest that they are a male; he was taller than him by six inches or so and looks to work out. Regularly.
"I apologize for coming in without warning, but I own the Wiccan shop next door and thought I would introduce myself. I'm Fumikage Tokoyami and I own Ravenswood."
"Katsuki Bakugo, but I go by Bakugo only, so don't forget it or it will piss me off!"
Tokoyami was a bit taken aback by Bakugo's harsh tone and response. "Very well, Bakugo. I guess welcome to the district. I need to open my shop,"
"You're the only one who's been here so far," Bakugo says. "Do you like ink?"
"Not as much as you do," Tokoyami refers to Bakugo's arms covered with tattoos. "But yes, I have a few." He becomes a bit defensive when Bakugo strode over to him. Tokoyami had to tilt his head up to face him. "Yes?"
"Let me see what you have,"
"They are not in places that can easily be seen," he said and felt his face heat a little.
Bakugo scoffed with a smirk and says, "People who get tattoos in spots they can hide are not serious about them. You don't cover up artwork at a museum, right?"
"I...suppose?" Tokoyami was starting to feel intimidated by Bakugo's looming presence. With his skills, Tokoyami can read Bakugo quite clearly and the man is an authoritative, dominant type who likes to be in control.
"Let me guess, you have a tramp stamp?"
"No, I do not," Tokoyami narrowed his eyes. "I do not have to share with you where I have my tattoos. I can tell you what they are, and that will have to suffice. I have raven wings, thorns, and a Hellebore Onyx Odyssey flower."
"So, the wings are on your back, most likely the shoulder blades. The thorns are on your legs or possibly your arms," he circles the slight man and adds, "I don't know what the hell an Onyx Odyssey flower is, though I can assume, and it probably represents someone you care for or love and it's on your bicep or next to your heart."
Tokoyami blinks, mildly surprised at how well Bakugo had guessed. "Y-you are correct, except for the flower and its placement. Good day to you, Bakugo. I hope you have a productive first day of business." When he turned to leave, Bakugo's ring-covered hand gripped his arm, holding him back.
"Now I have to see it,"
"I said 'no'," Tokoyami pulls his arm out of Bakugo's grasp. "I'm glad that you take such joy in your hobby and career, but I am not as comfortable as you are with showing my tattoos. Perhaps at another time,"
"Fine," Bakugo said. "And what you do is a hobby. Tattoo art is a career."
Tokoyami furrows his brows. "I am Wiccan; it's not a hobby. Some of the things I do and make for my shop are hobbies, but nothing is defined."
Bakugo rolls his eyes. "You do guesswork," he says. "No more than a barker at a fair guessing weight."
"There is no reason to be insulting," Tokoyami scolds. "If you think what I do is a scam or guesswork, then stop by my shop and I will demonstrate how incorrect you are in your assumptions."
Bakugo smirked, "Count on it,"
Tokoyami leaves the shop and mutters under his breath about how rude Katsuki Bakugo is; well, if he keeps up that attitude with clients his shop will not last long. Now feeling satisfied with that notion, he unlocks the door and prepares for the day.
"I'm all booked up for today, but I can fit you in two weeks from now…? For a consultation first. Fine. I'll put you in for then. Bye."
Bakugo cracked his neck and yawned, thrilled to be done with his first day. He had two customers come in (who had previously scheduled an appointment) a handful of window shoppers and numerous phone calls. He's already booked for the month thanks to his skills in social media and marketing.
After closing the shop, he looks over at Tokoyami who was also closing up. The gothic warlock-wannabe met his eyes and asked if he had a successful day.
"It went perfect, just like I knew it would."
"I'm pleased for you," Tokoyami replied. "I live above my shop, so I will see you around."
"I'm just outside the district," Bakugo said. "Hey, you're supposed to show me what a crackpot magician you are," he smirked. "Care to prove it now?"
Tokoyami's frown deepened. "Very well, Bakugo. Please, do come in and take a look around while I get things ready." 'And I'll make you eat those words.'
Bakugo follows Tokoyami into the shop, which smells heavily of incense. The shop itself is small, but the building is the same as his, so there's likely more in the back behind the purple curtain. Tokoyami turns the lights on and they're dark lights that make certain items in the room glow. Bakugo first looked at the 'potions' shelf, which contained small glass bottles of various essential oils, each with its own description and purpose. He didn't bother reading any. On a decorative table are handmade soaps, lotions, and bath salts. Of course, there was a section of hand-dipped taper candles and numerous herbs; all with witchy magic names to add to the atmosphere of the shop. One bar of soap caught his eye and he smirks at the name, 'Blood Of My Enemies'. He would be purchasing that one!
Then there was the glass display case set on a table with a pentagram printed red and black table cloth. Inside was the skull of a goat or a ram decorated with bulky jewelry. Next to it was a worn wooden bowl and ancient-looking dagger. The items rested on an abstract-shaped piece of old leather. The case is locked and a small taped sign on the corner reads 'Please Do Not Tap On Glass'. He was tempted to tap it on purpose. All in all, he thought, it is the best pagan witch shop he's ever visited.
"Are you ready?"
Bakugo turns to see Tokoyami holding the purple curtain open. "Yup. Let's see how much guesswork you can guess correctly." As he passed by Tokoyami, he noticed a faint, pleasant scent coming from the shorter man. He liked it.
"Please, follow me."
Bakugo lets Tokoyami lead him through a narrow hall lit by flameless candles to a small room decorated with a round table and two chairs. There were more candles only these were real, not fake.
"I bet you don't let your insurance company know you burn this many candles," Bakugo smirked.
"Do try to speak softly," Tokoyami tells him. "It helps the spirits to feel more comfortable."
Bakugo scoffed. "The spirits or you?" he mocks and sits in the chair. "So, are you going to take out a crystal ball? Read my palm? Look into my soul?"
"No, neither of those," Tokoyami brings a set of Tarot cards to the table. "We're going to do a tarot reading for you,"
Bakugo studies the man's face for a moment, noting the black eyeliner and slim jaw bone. Tokoyami's eyes are red like his, a rare color, and often confused with colored contacts. If he had to guess Tokoyami's career based on looks alone, he would have thought the man was in a gothic indie rock band. He wasn't surprised to learn that Tokoyami was into all the Wiccan and witchy stuff. The career path fits him, and he was easy on the eyes despite the gothic features. Tokoyami wasn't drop-dead handsome or gayly pretty but somewhere in between; a more down-to-earth homely face.
"Hey, some cards slipped out," Bakugo notices a few tarot cards had fallen while Tokoyami was shuffling.
"That's alright," he replied. "These are the cards that want to be read." he finishes shuffling and puts the deck to the side. "These are what the spirits chose."
Bakugo raised a brow. "Huh. Interesting. I thought I was supposed to pick the cards,"
"There is more than one way to do a tarot reading," Tokoyami tells him, setting up the cards where they had fallen.
"You honestly think spirits speak to you and tell you things?"
"It's hard to explain to those who are not more in tune with what lies beyond the veil," he says. "I admit that, sadly, there are many in my field who are scammers and thieves, but that's not me."
"Then prove it,"
Bakugo could do nothing else but stare hard at Tokoyami as the cards were read and interpreted. He was spooked by how much Tokoyami knew about him, things he had never told anyone, and things he couldn't possibly have known. There has to be a logical reason to how Tokoyami knew so much. If he did believe in this stuff, he would think a ghost was whispering in Tokoyami's ear, telling him everything.
"How do you know all this?" Bakugo asked harshly, his left hand gripping the table. "Are you some kind of undercover super detective, or something? How the hell can you know all this?"
"It's not me who knows," Tokoyami replies calmly. "It's the spirits. They can see and hear and observe more than we can. This reading I gave you was only proof to show that I am not a fake, and by the look on your face, it worked. Do you have anything you wish to ask the spirits?"
"...I lost my favorite book when I was a kid," Bakugo starts. "I never found it and I've searched everywhere until I eventually gave up. I couldn't buy another one because it was signed by the author. I want to know what happened to it,"
Tokoyami closes his eyes and lets both the cards and the other side offer the solution.
"Your mother threw it away as punishment for your difficult behavior in school. You were cruel to a fellow student, more than once, and that was your punishment."
"Hell no ..."
"You've blocked it out, haven't you?" Tokoyami keeps his gaze on Bakugo's stunned face. "You hate to do anything wrong, and you hate being blamed even more. You knew you made a mistake by your behavior in school, but instead of rendering that behavior, you chose to tell yourself the book was lost or stolen rather than thrown away because your actions were the cause. If only you had listened to the adults, you would still have your book."
"This is bullshit!" Bakugo shoots up from the chair with it falling back and almost knocking over some candles. "There's some kind of trick to this, and I'm going to uncover it!"
Tokoyami cleans up the cards. "Do as you wish," he says. "But I ask that you do it in private and not try to sabotage my place of business."
"Whatever!" Bakugo storms out of the room and he can hear Tokoyami behind him. "Everything in your shop is stupid, except for this!" He picked up the bar of soap that says, 'Blood Of My Enemies.' "And I'm taking it!"
"Perhaps you would also like to try a ritual bath meant to soothe away tension and anger?"
"Screw you!"
"There's no reason to be upset," Tokoyami says. "Just take what I said as proof that I am not a fake; that's all. And take that soap as a gift."
"I'll give you money for it," Bakugo grumbles and takes out his leather wallet. "I don't accept gifts!"
"Very well. If you'd like, I can open a tab and you can try more of my creations?" He offers Bakugo a soft smile. "Everything you see here, I've made myself. I take pride in my products and I guarantee they will do as they claim."
Bakugo, surprising himself, agreed to the tab and asked Tokoyami to give him a few things to test and prove that they were pointless. Tokoyami gives him a ritual bath soak, a candle, and a tiny bottle of smelling salt.
"These will help to relax and clear your mind," Tokoyami tells him. "When your body and mind are relaxed, you will be able to see things a little more clearly. You'll find answers to your questions and maybe even discover something new about yourself. Follow the instructions carefully."
"I still think this is all some sort of crazy trick," Bakugo tells him, then adds, "Now show me your tats. I did your bullshit, now you can do mine."
Tokoyami frowns and feels his face heat a little. He lifts up his black legging on the right to show the entangled gray strings of thorns climbing up his leg from the ankle to just above the knee. Then he removed his black turtleneck and turned to show the large raven wings that start at the center of his back and stretch out across his shoulders as if they were spreading to fly. He put his turtleneck back on and says,
"That's all I'll show you, and obviously, you were correct with the first two. I have a tattoo artist that did all three, and she is very talented."
"Yeah, it's not bad work," Bakugo agrees. "Is the other on your ass?"
Tokoyami clears his throat softly. "No, it's not."
"Really? Getting your dick tattooed is pretty hardcore."
"Absolutely not!" Tokoyami almost screeched in terror and shock.
Bakugo smirks, liking how upset and embarrassed the smaller man had become. "Right above, or below?"
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"
"Yes,"
Tokoyami clears his throat again, attempting to maintain his composure. "It's on my inner thigh, only to be seen by myself and whomever I choose to be my first male lover. It's a personal thing, and that's all I'll say about it."
"Huh. I wasn't expecting that," Bakugo said.
"I didn't think so," Tokoyami says. "Now, the shop is closed. Follow those instructions, and we'll reconnect tomorrow."
Bakugo didn't know how he was suddenly outside of Tokoyami's shop but he heard the door lock behind him and all the lights turn off.
"What a fucking little tease," Bakugo says with a smirk. "Hiding a tattoo in a 'forbidden' spot?" He then looks at the items in his arm. 'Hmm…I'll humor him for now. Then tomorrow, I'll ask him for more…sexual and sensual rituals. Let's see how well he reacts then."
TBC