"You seem happier than usual Tatsumaki." Those words played like a broken record's tune in Tatsumaki's head as she flew through the air.
If there was one thing Tatsumaki love in this world more than being the powerful person she was (and Saitama), it was being able to fly through the sky and while during these times not have a care in the world. But this time was different than the others for instead of aimlessly flying through the sky with no real destination in mind the esper was in fact on her way to Saitama's. Though as she flew through the sky the beginning words of a conversation she and her sister had over the phone before she left for some reason stayed in her mind the most causing her to be slightly frustrated for she could not figure out why.
"Happier than usual..." She thought as a pout came to her face "I don't know WHAT she's talking about, I'm ALWAYS happy." She continued "...But I have been laughing more..." She admitted as she looked off to the side "...And I have been smiling more too..." She went on before changing her expression back to her usual glare "GOD why is this bothering me so much?!" She mentally screamed.
Increasing her flight speed by a small bit after a few more minutes of flying through the air did Tatsumaki reach Saitama's apartment building. Slowly lowering herself so she would be able to land on his floor once she made it over the guard rail she placed herself directly in front of his door before landing on her feet, her hair falling back down as well as her green aura disappearing as she did. However just as she was about to knock as to see if was even in the door suddenly opened revealing none other than Saitama standing on the other side in casual clothes.
"Oh hey Tatsumaki." He greeted with slightly widened eyes since he wasn't expecting to see her let alone ANYONE just standing there in front of his door "What're you doing here?" He asked.
"I was bored so I decided to come hang out with you." She answered with a shrug.
"Oh." He sounded as he looked off to the side "Well I was actually going out to do some shopping." He told her.
"Low on food?" She asked.
"No not really." He answered "I've kinda just got some new expenses is all..." He explained as he scratched the side of his head.
Unsure of what he meant by that before she could ask another question the sound of water splashing onto tile came from within his apartment specifically the bathroom.
"What was that?" She asked as she looked behind him into the apartment.
Sadly before Saitama could come up with some kind of far fetched lie the bathroom door opened and out stepped a soaking wet Kaemon who surprisingly seemed to have grown back their seaweed but only to just beyond their shoulders.
"Ah that's better~" They sighed blissfully with their eyes closed "I prefer salt water though has a better taste." They admitted as they opened their eyes.
You know in westerns when the showdown begins and a tumbleweed just rolls on through as the gunslingers stare one another down? Well that's basically the scenario that was playing out only instead of two hardened cowboys you have a fairly surprised and somewhat furious Tatsumaki, a VERY surprised Kaemon, and Saitama who was like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Um...hi?" Kaemon greeted awkwardly with a small wave.
"...Saitama." Tatsumaki spoke as she slowly looked to him "WHY is there a naked person covered in SEAWEED inside your apartment?" She asked.
Still completely frozen stiff as this situation had gone from okay to nuclear in just a few short seconds Saitama thinking of the best way to explain the situation as fast as possible managed to come up with what he believed was the best response.
"Okay, so there is this guy and he's basically a fish king and he told Kaemon that they had to beat me or he was gonna kill them but after I ripped off their hair yesterday they couldn't go back because ya know the fish king so I let them stay with me." He explained.
Silence took hold of the air once again as his words sunk in with Tatsumaki and just as he was beginning to think she had followed let alone believed what he just told her, her gaze suddenly changed from slightly miffed to ABSOLUTELY pissed.
"DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?!" She questioned "THAT IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING I'VE EVER HEARD!" She shouted before pointing towards Kaemon "NOW TELL ME WHO THIS IS AND WHY THEY'RE HERE!" She demanded.
"Um excuse me." Kaemon spoke gaining their attention "Who are you?" They asked.
Now to most Saitama included this was a legitimate, sensible, and logical question for Kaemon to ask as they had never met Tatsumaki before. However given she was already pissed off this question did nothing but fuel her rage unfortunately.
"WHAT?!" She questioned before storming past Saitama and into the apartment "HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM?!" She asked as she now stood before them.
"Because I've lived on the bottom of the ocean most of my life." Kaemon answered "So I don't know a lot about the surface really." They added.
"Uh Tatsumaki." Saitama spoke causing her to look over her shoulder and back at him "Maybe you should calm down a bit?" He suggested.
"I AM CALM!" She spat back before turning back to Kaemon "AND AS FOR YOU!" She exclaimed before pointing to them "WHY ARE YOU NAKED?! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT'S WRONG?!" She asked.
"But this how I've always been." Kaemon said as they looked down at themselves "And no one's ever had an issue with it before." They argued.
"Seriously Tatsumaki I think you should-" Saitama began to say only to be interrupted by the other.
"ONE MORE WORD AND I PUT YOU THROUGH THE FLOOR!" She threatened before she grabbed onto Kaemon's hand "LET'S GO!" She ordered as she began to pull them towards the door.
"Where are we going?" Kaemon asked a bit too shocked by what was happening to be concerned or even afraid.
"WE'RE GETTING YOU SOME CLOTHES!" She answered as they walked outside.
Using her ESP to slam the door shut behind them the duo proceeded to head to the stairwell and descend to the ground level. Meanwhile back in the apartment RIGHT in front of the door Saitama having had the door slammed in his face needed a few moments to process what had just transpired.
"..." Silent he kept as his brain tried to make sense of everything "...I'll just take a backseat to this one." He decided as he went to his living room to watch some TV.
Being a hero brought forth a lot of new things fame, fortune, and of course glory but there are many things that are never mentioned nor warned when one becomes a hero such as the insane fans, the media hounds, and of course the never blinking stares everywhere you go. But as Tatsumaki stood outside a dressing room inside a clothing store the stares she received were not just because of her S class hero status but also because she had walked in with a person that could only be described as a living shadow with seaweed hair.
"What's taking so long?!" She asked impatiently as she lightly tapped her foot.
"What am I supposed to do with this stuff?" Kaemon asked from the other side.
"You're supposed to try it on and see how it fits you!" She answered "Haven't you ever worn clothes before?!" She asked.
However instead of receiving a response of any kind silence suddenly came between them and as a few more seconds passed she came to realize the answer to the question herself.
"...You've NEVER worn clothes?" She asked.
"...I've never had to." Kaemon answered.
Feeling irritation build up inside her once again Tatsumaki after pinching the bridge of her nose for a second or so proceed to walk into the changing booth as to help them.
"Okay look." She began as she picked up a pair of pants "You put these on your legs." She instructed as she then held up a t shirt "You put this on your body." She continued before she held up a pair of boxers "And THESE go on before the pants do." She finished as she set the undergarments down.
"Why didn't you start with them first then?" Kaemon asked.
Taking just a moment to take a breath as to calm herself so she wouldn't start shouting in the store once she was certain there was no risk of an outburst she then responded.
"Look." She began as she pointed towards them "All you have to do is try on the clothes, see if they fit, and if they do then we buy them and more of the same size." She explained "And before you even ask if they DON'T fit we just adjust the size based on if they're too tight or too loose." She added.
"Okay." Kaemon replied as they began to get dressed.
Feeling a small bit of satisfaction come over her Tatsumaki left the dressing room to give them some privacy. Though come to think of it as she looked to them in the dressing room she really couldn't tell even then if they were a boy or a girl as their body was pitch black.
"Hey." She spoke hoping it would get their attention "What are you by the way? a boy or girl?" She asked.
"I'm neither." Kaemon answered causing her to raise a brow.
"What do you mean you're not either?" She asked "Everyone's either a boy or a girl." She added.
"Not me." Kaemon replied "I wasn't born like most creatures are I kinda just sorta happened." They admitted.
"What is THAT supposed to mean?" She asked.
"Well...it's kinda hard to explain." Kaemon answered.
"Try." She urged.
Hearing the other let out a sigh a few seconds passed by as Kaemon tried to think of a way to explain where it would not only make sense but also leave no room for countless questions.
"...So." They began as they continued to think "Most sea folk just kinda happen as well but with them it's like evolution." They explained "So like how all life came from the ocean because certain animals learned to walk on land that''s kinda what happened here but minus the moving onto land part." They continued "This all started first with The Sea King and then the rest of us followed soon after." They went on before taking a brief pause "...But sometimes sea folk are giant octopuses or sharks or even just fish..." They admitted "...Sometimes they're the food..." They finished though with that last bit their voice seemed somewhat shaky.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that near the end of their explanation they were beginning to touch on some sensitive area for them, and while Tatsumaki did of course realize this her curiosity got the better of her causing her to press the other for more info.
"What do you mean by food?" She asked.
Once more silence came between the two no doubt as Kaemon contemplated whether or not they should answer that question, but thankfully it didn't last long as they made their decision quite quick.
"...I didn't tell Saitama this...so please don't tell him." They pleaded.
"Don't see why I would." She replied.
"...Back in the ocean I was called kombu infinity." They began "The reason why I was called this was because I could grow seaweed from my head endlessly." They continued "And because I was the smallest one and I wasn't as strong as they were my only purpose was to feed them whenever they wanted." They explained.
"So how come you're up here then?" She asked "And why can't you go back?" She added.
"Because my whole life was nothing but a joke." They replied "The only reason I was alive was to feed the predators to them I was nothing but a walking buffet." They continued "But that was so unfair and so stupid I didn't want to just be their slave so I started telling them that I could beat any of them in a fight." They went on "But they of course just laughed at me when I said that and no matter what I did or what I said they wouldn't fight me because I just wasn't worth their time, So that's when I said I'd prove I'm stronger than them by beating the surface dwellers' strongest person." They admitted.
"Which is how you met Saitama." She deduced.
"Exactly." They replied "One of the sea folk heard that there was some surface dweller who could end every fight in a single punch, of course NO ONE believed it and just thought it was some joke, but because I wanted nothing more than to prove I was stronger than them I said I'd do it." They explained before suddenly stopping.
"And if you failed you would be killed." She finished knowing well that the other wasn't going to say it.
"...Yeah..." They replied.
Closing her eyes as to think on what Kaemon had told her as she continued to think about their story more and more for some reason it began to resonate with her for some reason. And it was only after a few more seconds of thinking that she realized WHY their story was seeming to feel more personal than it should for their story was eerily similar to her's. From being surrounded by people who were obsessed with strength and power to the feeling of wanting to prove she was the strongest as to get them to shut up and leave her alone Tatsumaki in possibly the most surprising moment in her entire life admittedly felt something towards the other. She felt as though she knew EXACTLY what they were feeling and what they were going through, which is something she's never felt towards anyone as no one could possibly grasp how horrid her life had been.
"...I understand." She told them as she opened her eyes "I know what it feels like to be thrust into a life where the only way you're going to live is if you're the strongest." She explained "So I'm...sorry for being so rude to you earlier...and a few moments ago..." She apologized.
Having silence for the third time during this whole conversation come between them she admittedly was a bit uneasy for she didn't know how the other would react, but without so much as a warning the changing room curtain pulled open and from behind her Kaemon wrapped their arms around her pulling her into a hug. Now normally upon being suddenly embraced like this by ANYONE Tatsumaki would become enraged or at the very least annoyed and proceed to remove them from her person. But having now learned about the other's past she knew more than likely that the way she had felt until now that no one could understand what her life had been like they felt the same way as well and so instead of pushing them away she simply smiled just a small bit and allowed it to happen. Thankfully though Kaemon seemed to know that staying in this embrace for too long would quickly become awkward so it only last but a few short seconds before they pulled away.
"Thank you." They said no doubt a smile present on their face.
"Don't mention it." She replied as she turned around to look at them.
However just as she was about to say more the sight of Kaemon dressed in the attire she had picked out for them came into view causing her to stop. But not because they looked ridiculous or because they were ugly but because they actually LOOKED really good. Strange as it might sound while the jeans Tatsumaki had picked out as well as the shirt were by no means neon or even fairly bright put against the tar like skin of Kaemon they not only stood out more than would on a normal person but they actually really complimented both their skin as well as their dark green hair. Furthermore in regards to their seaweed hair it seemed as though while they were changing they had decided to straighten it a bit or at the very least make it look less messy by putting most of it behind their head and only letting a few strands hang down on the sides.
"Is something wrong?" They asked unsure as to why she just went silent.
"Huh? oh no not at all." She answered "It's just you clean up pretty good is all, for a pile of walking seaweed that is." She added causing the other to chuckle.
"Yeah well considering this is the first time I've ever put clothes on let's just be glad I didn't come out with everything put on the wrong way." They replied.
Feeling her small smile return to her though this time a bit bigger Tatsumaki grabbed onto the other's hand before leading them back into the store.
"Come on let's get some more outfits." She instructed.
"They've been gone a pretty long time now." Saitama said as he looked towards his alarm clock.
It has been exactly four hours and twenty three minutes since Tatsumaki and Kaemon both left his abode and headed out into the city and while Saitama knew that she wouldn't hurt the other in any way, shape, or form he still wondered what they could possibly be doing. And if you'd think to pass the time by he'd do some either productive or just simply entertaining you'd be wrong for after he got bored of watching TV he watered his cactus, read some manga, washed his suit, then finished it all off with a nap. Yet even with that INCREDIBLE amount of AMAZING things having been done he only managed to kill about two hours and so for the rest of the time he's just been sitting here staring at the ceiling. Thankfully though as if some benevolent being sought to free him from his boredom the sound of his front door opening caught his ears causing him to look towards it.
"Finally." He said as the door was almost fully opened "What took you guys so-" He began to ask only to stop as the sight that lay on the other side of the door was one he could have NEVER expected to see.
Standing there in his doorway was in fact Kaemon and Tatsumaki however besides the brand new outfit Kaemon was wearing both were carrying what seemed like near two dozen bags, Tatsumaki with her esp and Kaemon with their seaweed of course.
"Sorry we took so long." Kaemon spoke first apologizing "But look at all the cool stuff Tatsumaki bought me!" They exclaimed as they held their bags out.
"Before you even ask." Tatsumaki spoke as to keep him from doing so "After I bought Kaemon some clothes we decided to get something to eat and it's then that Kaemon told me that they're only seven years old." She explained.
"Yeah sea folk are just naturally bigger than surface dwellers and we learn how to do stuff faster too." Kaemon added.
"So seeing as how they're basically an overgrown kid I thought they'd like to have a shopping spree and buy a lot of stuff that they might like as well as some stuff for me." She continued gesturing to her bags "And as for space for the stuff don't worry about it we talked and Kaemon's going to live in the apartment to your right since no one else is living there." She went on "So we're gonna get everything set up in there and then we can all hang out." She finished before she turned back around and walked out.
Following right behind her Kaemon used one of their seaweed tendrils to close the door behind them as they left so Saitama wouldn't have to get up and do it himself. Speaking of, as the duo entered the apartment to his right and began to get everything set up Saitama simply sat there once more trying to make sense of what just happened as any sane and rational being would.
"...Yup...glad I took a backseat." He said as he moved his gaze back to the ceiling.