Hey there! Hi there! Ho there! It's been a little bit, but I got another chapter for y'all. It's on the shorter side, about 6k words, but this was a natural stopping point. Life's also been coming at me sideways recently, so I've been a little meh about writing. My next chapter is only partially done, but this is the reason why I like to have chapters in the bank, for moments like these! Anyway, I'll stop rambling for now and let y'all enjoy!


Looking at the sprawling mansion before her, Izumi's jaw drops from the sheer size of both the building and the property. Everything about this is beyond anything she imagined for a home; she figured that the Yaoyorozus came from money, but didn't think it was this much! Despite the shock of this, she feels some part deep within her shift comfortably, as if fulfilled by the sight of this opulence…it felt similar to the satisfaction she received whenever she looks over her hero merchandise collection. She had to be dreaming; she certainly died when she got hit by that boulder and is now living out some sort of isekai fantasy.

She'd trade it all away to get her mother back.

That pang of sadness rips through her, but she soon finds a comforting hand from her newest friend. With an uninhibited smile on her face, Momo shines like the sun and imparts a fraction of that warmth into Izumi's hand. While Izumi's bad thoughts still linger, the soothing comfort manages to calm the crackling storm of her mind, "Welcome home, Izumi!"

A small smile slowly creeps onto her face as she looks at the ground, still not believing she deserves any of this…even if Momo wasn't accepting those kinds of thoughts as valid. This is going to be her home for the foreseeable future and she gets to live with her only friend in the whole wide world…her best friend, even if it is currently by default. She gently tightens her grip on Momo's hand, desperate for that warmth that manages to drive so many of those storming feelings. How could anything be so comforting to her? How did she so effortlessly banish away those dark thoughts with a simple touch?

Thinking about Momo makes Izumi's smile widen into a soft, melancholic smile, that same soothing radiance filling her chest and pushing down the sparks of anxiety that threaten to surge from her belly. Things were starting to look up for the dragon girl.

Yesterday- Early Afternoon

Izumi had been enjoying her time with both Taiki and Momo, both of them keeping Izumi company during the night, despite Izumi's insistence for them to go home and sleep in comfortable beds. It bothered her that they'd give up so much comfort for her, it made her feel like a burden.

It made her feel like Katsuki's words were all too true.

She felt like she didn't deserve all the kindness she'd been shown by the Yaoyorozus, even if they had stated that she deserved all of this andso much more.

She couldn't get his voice out of her head, she can't be a burden. She doesn't want to be a burden! She could at least try to find some way to pay them back; she didn't know how, but she promised to pay the Yaoyorozus back for every kindness they've shown her.

After a night of tossing and turning, Izumi was tired but happy she could talk to Momo again. There was still so much she wanted to know about her and her quirk, but she didn't want to creep her out with her weird incessant questions and her muttering. The pair slowly got to know one another and established a good rhythm, acting as if they had been friends for years now. This pleasantly surprised Taiki; the last time he saw Momo smile this brightly was when she was able to make her first Matryoshka doll all those years ago. Even if Izumi looked quite exhausted, her soft smile was one of a person who could finally relax after a long, harrowing journey.

The Bakugous, sans one rageful blonde, came to check in on Izumi and keep her company…Izumi had been surprised about how content she had felt in the moment, surrounded by the only people that had any sort of care for her. Only Momo's parents were missing from these moments, but Izumi understood they couldn't drop everything for her.

That certainly didn't stop Momo.

Despite them not dropping everything, they scheduled some time to come visit the dragon girl after their initialization of Operation Ragnarok, the razing of Aldera Primary and all those involved. However, when Momo's parents came to visit, it wasn't a visit to simply check in with Izumi, they still had some particulars to go over and details to iron out. They needed Izumi to make a decision on where she wanted to stay.

After a natural pause in the pleasant discussion Mitsuki is the first one to speak up, sighing before taking the reins, "Kiddo, I know you still might be pretty exhausted from all the bullshit you've been put through, but there's still some stuff all of us need to talk about. You up for it?"

The smile on Izumi's face quickly fades as the seriousness of the situation sets in, but she feels a small hand grasping at a few of her fingers, hampered by her casts. She looks over and sees Momo giving her a comforting smile, giving her the bit of courage she needs to give her Auntie a nod. Izumi takes in the comfort greedily, looking away from everyone in the room and blushing softly at how eagerly she craves this sort of touch.

Gods they are so fucking adorable! Mitsuki could barely stand how cute they are together, struggling to fight off the urge to crush them both in a tight hug. However, she keeps it together and looks to the Yaoyorozus, who give her the go ahead with small nods, "Well, lil Izu, I know this is going to be a lot, but Masaru and I wanted you to come live with us. We want nothing more than to give you a warm environment to heal in…but after what happened yesterday, I don't think you'd feel safe in our home."

Now that's a thought that makes Izumi panic; where exactly will she end up? Would she have to go into foster care? Would she have to live with strangers? Does this mean that her Auntie and Uncle are abandoning her? They wouldn't do that, right?"

As the storm rages in Izumi's mind, Mitsuki continues, "We have a few options at the moment, so we thought we'd give you some agency here, kiddo. First option is to have you go live with my sister in Tokyo. I know you haven't really met her before, but she'd be someone connected to Masaru and I, so it wouldn't be too unfamiliar to you. Second option is getting you an apartment close to our home, so you'd be close enough for us to reliably take care of you, but you'd be by yourself and I don't think that's the best thing for you at the moment."

Mitsuki sighs and rubs the back of her head, her guilt starting to eat away at her again. It didn't help that things became quite awkward with her son after what she had said to him yesterday…she feels like she's one step from going off the deep end, barely being held together by scotch tape and twine.

"The last option…well," she expectantly looks to the Yaoyorozus to jump in and explain their own part in this.

Azami steps forward, giving the dragon girl a comforting smile, "Izumi, I know that you don't know us very well, but it seems that you have formed a close bond with my daughter. I know it may be uncomfortable for you, but we'd like to give you the option of coming to live with us."

Izumi's eyes bug out of her head, her pupils noticeably contracting into tight slits and she barely starts to process the words that just came out of Azami's mouth. Momo has no such difficulty, adopting a smile that lights up the entire room, "Izumi's going to stay with us?! Oh, that's so exciting! We can stay up late like in those slumber parties I see in some of my books! Oh, this is truly wonderful!"

Izumi could barely believe it…the Yaoyorozus just opened up their home to her and Momo seems to be the one who is most excited by it. As good as a slumber party with Momo sounds, she didn't want to burden the Yaoyorozus and impose on them.

She can't handle being a burden.

Taiki is the next one to speak up, acting as a calming force for the young Heiress, "Mistress Momo, that's only if you and Izumi are comfortable with such an arrangement. We should not pressure her into anything she doesn't want to do"

Seeming to either ignore or not hear the last part of what Taiki says, Momo looks at Taiki with stars in her eyes, "I'd love for her to come live with us!" she turns all that exuberant energy towards Izumi, "You have to come live with us, Izumi! I can show you my room and we can decorate yours however you want! I can show you the gardens too! It's quite peaceful and…"

Daichi clears his throat quite sternly, causing Momo to falter and blush softly from her zealous actions. All that radiant energy drains away as she apologies quietly. Despite her father cutting her off, her feelings still got through to Izumi, feeling sparks in her chest and a radiant warmth crackling to life within her.

Izumi hesitates, the emotions on her face morphing between hope, confusion, dread. Could it really be this simple? She doesn't want to be a burden for the Yaoyorozus, as much as living with Momo, her only friend, sounds amazing. Connecting with Momo had been nothing short of a blessing; despite the circumstances, she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so…whole. Momo makes her feel like she's not alone in this and she'd been comforting Izumi ever since she woke up. After seeing how excited Momo got at the prospect of Izumi coming to live with them, how could she ever say no to that face?

"You…y-you really want m-me?" Izumi looks away before biting her lip, trying to quell the anxiety that was storming inside her heart. As much as she wants to immediately agree, she has some questions she needs to get through.

Daichi is the one to speak up first, feeling that his perspective would probably be the most neutral here, "Izumi, you saved our lives, so we owe you at least this much. We have both the room and the money to not worry about the logistics of this. Beyond that, you've managed to connect with our daughter; Taiki tells me you get along quite well."

Asami speaks up next, her usual warm smile with a hint of mischief adorning her face, "And yes, you deserve this and so much more, Izumi. After what happened yesterday, how could we ever consider ourselves decent people if we didn't try to help out in some way? We can at least offer to house you for however long you need. If we didn't, I'm pretty sure our dear Momo might've thrown another tempertantrum!"

"Mother!" Momo yells with indignation, earning a round of laughter from all the adults as the young heiress pouts.

Despite her anxiety slowly eating away at her, Izumi manages to chuckle from Asami's rib at her own daughter. With the natural pause in the conversation, she's able to think the situation over further. It's clear that the Yaoyorozus are comfortably wealthy, which means that she wouldn't be a financial burden on them. While she wasn't the most comfortable with Asami trying to pay her back like this, she couldn't deny that this makes a lot of sense…and she gets to live with Momo!

But what about Auntie and Uncle?

That abruptly switches her train of thought, bringing a whole slew of worries related to them. Were they doing this to just dump her off on the Yaoyorozus? Even if they were to house her, how would that affect them financially? How often would she get to see them? Would they even bother visiting?

"Izumi, don't you dare think we'd ever do something shitty like that," Mitsuki's voice didn't hold any anger, but she's upset by that train of thought that came spilling out Izumi's mouth.

Izumi gives a look of confusion before recognition finds its way onto her face: she'd muttered that!

Pulling herself back a small bit, Mitsuki takes a small breath before plowing forward, "You ain't getting rid of us that easy, kiddo. Whether you like it or not, we're going to help contribute to taking care of you and we're certainly going to visit fucking often! We're well off enough that this won't hamper things for us, but you shouldn't worry about that kind of shit. The adults can figure out all that!"

Masaru puts a hand on his wife's shoulder as a sign of support and physical affection, "I'm sorry if I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds like you want to live with the Yaoyorozus. If that's what you want, you shouldn't hesitate to ask. I'm sure it'll be good for you."

The gentleness in Masaru's voice always has a way of soothing Izumi, making her smile softly and look over to her only friend. Momo's looking at her with hope, as if her eyes were pleading to say yes. Izumi feels Momo's gentle grip on her fingers tighten softly and she feels something in her chest crackle to life again, an unfamiliar burning that spurs her on to be with her.

"I…I…I'd l-like t-that a lot," Izumi manages to sputter out, immediately earning a fervent hug from the young raven-haired girl.

"Ooo, wonderful! We can spend so much time together" she slightly separates from Izumi, practically bouncing up and down with stars in her eyes, "We have so much to show you! I can't wait to show you the gardens…oh, and the libraries! You're going to love it, Izumi!"

Izumi can't help but smile awkwardly, happiness managing to overwhelm her. Seeing Momo get so excited about sharing her home with Izumi is a sight that makes her spirit soar. If it wasn't for her…if she hadn't decided to keep Izumi company, all of this might not be happening. Momo has brought so much light into her life in such a short period of time, pushing away at the darkness that threatens to consume her. It makes Izumi feel…determined and unsatisfied; she has so much to thank Momo and the Yaoyorozus for, even if they say that they're just repaying their debt. Izumi has a need to make sure that she does what she can to pay them back for every kindness that has been done unto her. She has no idea how she'll even begin to do that, but she promises to herself that she'll find a way to help them out.

The adults in the room find the scene between the two quite heartwarming, the two youngins already in their own little world of excitement. The Bakugous are able to find some relief knowing that Izumi will be in good company and taken care of without issue. It's a sorely needed win that wards off a lot of the guilt they feel, but this was only the beginning.


Back to the Present

Momo eagerly drags Izumi along to give her a tour of her home, which is rather dizzying for the poor girl. There are no fewer than three tea rooms, which is something that just breaks Izumi's brain. Momo isn't just a rich girl, she's the rich girl. The sheer amount of rooms is already impressive, but all of the expensive decor and servants that are contained within them are the icing on the twenty layer cake. The Yaoyorozus really do have the means to take care of her and not have to worry about it financially, which is quite the relief for the young dragon.

The tour probably could've taken another hour or so, but Taiki notices that the poor dragon girl was starting to lose a little bit of steam. If Momo hadn't been holding her hand, she might've tapped out by now.

"Mistress Momo, I do believe that young Izumi here might like to see her own room and get settled."

Momo, still sparkling with excitement nods with quite a bit of enthusiasm, "Oh, that's great! Your room is right next to mine, Izumi! We can knock on our bordering wall to send messages, just like in my books!"

Momo is the epitome of excitement, eager to try out some actions and activities that she's read in some of her books. Her lifestyle has left her a bit isolated and sheltered for what most kids grow accustomed to, so having the opportunity to try something new like this means the world to Momo. Truth be told, Izumi didn't have a whole lot of positive experiences with her 'friends', and is quite happy to go along with whatever Momo is talking about…perhaps it's something to do with morse code?

"O-Oh, um, okay…that sounds interesting, Momo. I'd be willing t-to try," Izumi says with her usual shy smile, gently squeezing Momo's hand.

Momo gives the biggest smile she can manage and forgets proper manners, starting to run down the hallway with Izumi in tow, giggling with a rather childish excitement that would fit a normal nine-year-old. Taiki can only sigh and keep up as best he can, not wanting to put a damper on his young Mistress' good mood.

The trio soon reaches a dark wooden door, opening it up to reveal a rather spacious and modern interior. The main colors of the room are white and cobalt blue; the walls and wood parts of furniture are entirely white and the drapes, the bedsheets, rugs, and couch are all blue. Just the sheer size of this space is rather staggering to the dragon girl, as she's pretty sure that it's around the size of her Mom's entire apartment…probably bigger than that. The decorations are minimal, mostly consisting of paintings, but it is a rather cozy spot. What really boggles her mind are what look to be a rather expensive computer, the absurdly large flatscreen TV, and a rather large…retractable skylight.

Ok, this is too much. Way too much. They didn't even show her the private bathroom or walk-in closet yet!

"And this is your room, Izumi! I know it doesn't have any of your things in it yet, but we can arrange for some mover to go get your…"

A primal panic sets in for Izumi at the mention of strangers touching her stuff, her collection. She had spent a good chunk of her life collecting hero merchandising, especially All Might collectibles, and she isn't about to let some strangers have free access to her hoard. She feels her vision focus sharply, her skin inch, and something uncomfortable spark to life in her chest. If the others weren't so focused on Izumi, they might have been able to smell the hints of ozone in the air.

"No!" Izumi's voice comes out firm, with an underlying base that mixes with her voice and brutally captures the attention of those in the room with her. Taiki is caught off guard by this, but doesn't feel any sort of killer intent, thankfully; Taiki has a few theories about what triggered something like this and he's rather curious, so he lets the scene before him play out. Momo takes a step back in fear, but takes a good hard look at Izumi's face. She can see the fear in her eyes, but can't quite put together why she reacted like that…she obviously doesn't like the idea of people touching her belongings or maybe she just doesn't want strangers in her late mother's apartment. Either way, she is uncomfortable and still hurting from all that's happened and she needs to comfort her best friend!

Momo nervously bites her lip, gently tightening her grasp on her friend's hand, "It's…It's okay, Izumi. We can wait to call them or we can leave it just as is…whatever makes you comfortable, okay?"

Izumi feels that familiar gentle grasp on her hand, having gotten so used to it in the past few days. The effect is immediate; Izumi's shoulders relax, her constricted pupils dilate slightly, and the grip on Momo's hand loosens. A look of guilt flashes across her face as she looks away from her only friend in the world…someone who she just rudely yelled at!

"...Sorry," is all Izumi could say, internally admonishing herself for doing something so stupid, just like her usual useless Deku self. She doesn't know what came over her, why she felt such an intensity about her possessions…her hoard. The thought of others touching it felt like a slap to the face, an insult to the very core of her being, and something that would not be tolerated as long as her body draws breath. She had never felt something like this so strongly before, she was never possessive over her things.

"It's okay, Izumi…you've been through a lot," now it's Momo's turn to have a look of guilt on her face. She had made her friend feel guilt and sadness, but was there a way she could've known or avoided the subject? She just wants to help her friend feel better, but doesn't really know how to approach the subject.

"If I may, young Mistress, young Miss," Taiki pauses, but sees no objection from either of the children, "I believe young Izumi's quirk might be giving her a little bit of trouble. Dragons are quite notorious for assembling hoards and fiercely protecting them. Considering all that happened in the hospital, it's safe to assume you have some manner of draconic instincts. You shouldn't feel bad for something like this, as you're still getting used to it," Taiki is as gentle as he can be, wanting to reassure the young Miss; she really doesn't need anything more to worry about.

Now that is an easy way to get Izumi out of a funk: talking about quirks.

Izumi's slitted eyes shine with interest, scrubbing through her memories and finding quite a bit of truth to Taiki's words…is this why she had collected so much All Might merch in the first place? Is this why she felt so angry at Katsuki for hurting her only friend? Is there anything else she might've missed? Any behaviors she easily overlooked? What kind of dragon is this based off of anyway? Different mythologies could have different styles of dragons, even within their own mythology…or maybe it was more fantasy based. Wait wait wait…if she has instincts and compulsions, does that mean that this is some sort of mutant quirk? Late blooming mutant quirks are so rare, but it has elements of a transformation based quirk within it, spanning quirk categories in a rather fascinating way.

A vibrant giggle brings her out of her mutters, looking up to see Momo's smile and a look of adoration on her face that makes Izumi's cheeks flush. Momo finds that she really likes hearing her mutter like that, letting her hear how her dearest friend thought. It's like taking a peek into her brain and Momo can't help but be drawn in by the intelligence that's being displayed.

A soft, shy sorry is all Izumi can offer, but Momo smiles at her all the same, turning her entire world upside down, "Don't be, it's really cute, Izumi! Your brain thinks fast!"

If Izumi wasn't red before, it certainly is now; she feels her entire face heat up from that world shattering statement. No one had ever called her cute like that before, let alone said anything remotely positive, especially about her creepy muttering…and no, her mother, auntie and uncle don't count either. She…she can't believe she has a friend like her, someone who could make her feel so whole and so wanted after a lifetime or rejection. She truly cherishes Momo, feeling like she's a sunflower basking in the sunlight of Momo's radiance.

Taking pity on the poor mess of a dragon, Taiki decides to both give Izumi some privacy and doll out Momo's punishment for missing so much school, "It sounds like you have a lot to think about, young Izumi. Your computer should offer some answers in your education on the topic…and speaking of education, you haven't caught up on all of your assignments quite yet, young Mistress."

Momo falters from that, a guilty smile spreading on her face as she refuses to look Taiki in the eye, "Well, maybe that can wait. I'd like to help Izumi with…"

Taiki interrupts her young Mistress, "I'm afraid your parents have taken the choice out of my hands, as you will be returning to school tomorrow. Any delayed schoolwork will not be tolerated, young Mistress. Unfortunately, 'staying in the hospital' won't work as an excuse when they find out you were not the one who was injured," a small, playful smile adorns Taiki's face.

Momo sighs softly, looking quite disappointed…almost to the point of pouting, "Sorry Izumi, but I have to do my homework, but I'll see you at supper time and you can show me what you found, right?"

Izumi gently gives Momo's hand a squeeze, relishing in this last bit of warmth before having to say goodbye, "S-Sure, Momo…I'll, uh, I-I'll tell you about it…b-but I can help w-with your homework, i-if you want."

Momo brightens up considerably from that, but Taiki has to rain on that parade, "She won't be requiring any assistance, young Izumi. The young Mistress' parents want this to sink in as a punishment…and you need some time to settle in."

Taiki doesn't like leaving Izumi alone, but he could tell the poor girl was running on empty and barely staving off the darkness that threatens to consume her. He doubts she's had the time to truly process her mother's death, to truly grieve, and Momo's presence is not allowing her to truly confront that agonizing reality. This will hurt her quite a bit, but that's better than putting it off and drawing out the pain or suppressing it…he's seen first hand the kind of destruction and ruin that can bring. All of them would be there when she needs it, but, for now, Taiki knows that Izumi needs some privacy.

Now Momo does pout at that, her cheeks puffing out slightly as she looks down at her shoes, making Izumi chuckle from the cute sight. Her chuckle is quite adorable, enough to get Momo to crack a smile and bring her into a tight hug, "I'll see you at dinner, Izumi."

Izumi clings back right away, burying her face into the crook of Momo's neck and enjoying this last bit of sunshine that banishes the dark thoughts from her head…but soon it's gone.

She's left alone.

Lavish decorations in a large room.

Alone.

Alone with her thoughts in the wake of her mother's death.

It isn't long before those storming thoughts consume her.

She misses her mom and nothing she does will ever bring her back.

She's alone.

Feeling any sort of enthusiasm for researching her quirk fade away, she crawls into her plush bed and cries. She feels so cold, so alone, so fucking done with everything! She had gained so many new and wonderful things, but it took the death of her only mother. Sure, she might not have believed in her dream of being a hero, but she was the best damn mother in the whole world and she always tried! She tried, she always tried her best for her, especially after her dad father abandoned her because of her quirk status. Even if Izumi never would tell her what happened on the bad days at school, her mom would be there with Katsudon and a warm hug. She's going to miss her hugs. She's going to miss her voice. She's going to miss the way she gets all smiley when Auntie and Uncle come to visit. She's going to miss all of their 'Mommy-Daughter time', with mall trips, ice cream runs, spa days, and many other wonderful memories that'll both comfort and haunt her.

She misses her deeply.

She never even got to say goodbye.

She doesn't make it to dinner that afternoon, having exhausted herself from crying and trying to get a handle on all the rampaging emotions in her head.


Momo had been truly looking forward to having dinner with Izumi, as she usually has dinner by herself or with Taiki. Her parents work late quite often and she was looking forward to having the company of her newest friend, but Izumi didn't show. Momo honestly felt a little hurt, but she understood why her friend wouldn't be up for socializing…she'd been through quite a lot in the past few days. Momo promised to support her as much as possible, but that didn't make dinner any less lonely. Sure some of the staff were there attending to her, but that thought only made her loneliness become vicious. Despite being surrounded by so many people, she felt more alone than ever…especially after experiencing her first true friendship, not having realized how much she craved companionship like that.

Taiki notices his young Mistress' mood and can't help but softly sigh, knowing that she is going to go straight to Izumi's room after her meal, "Mistress Momo, you seem quite reserved. Penny for your thoughts?"

Momo's frown increases as she pushes around some of the food on her plate, gloomily looking down at it, "I'm worried about Izumi, Taiki. I hope she just got lost in her research, but I think she's not feeling well, if she's skipping dinner…I was really looking forward to talking with her again, but I know that's incredibly selfish when she's gone through so much…I was just overjoyed to finally have a friend, a real friend"

Taiki walks closer to Momo, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and displaying an understanding smile, "She's barely had the chance to process all that's happened to her, so she'll need some time to come to terms with it. All we can do, young Mistress, is let her know that we're here for her if she chooses to lean on us; some people want to be left alone when they're dealing with emotions like these, but that can be quite isolating and detrimental."

The last sentence makes Momo shoot her head up in surprise with a look of panic on her face, "Then how do we help her, Taiki? Have you had to deal with something like this before?"

Taiki audibly sighs as some bitter memories come bubbling to the surface, kneeling down to be at eye level with his young Mistress, "I indeed have some experience with dealing with the grieving process, Mistress Momo. We can help by showing that we're here for her without forcing her or smothering her. She finds quite a bit of comfort in your presence, so I'm glad you're so determined to help her. However, grief can lead to some actions that are quite harmful, so we'll need to keep an eye out on her and make sure she doesn't completely isolate herself."

Momo nods eagerly, taking in as much advice as she can from her wise butler, recognizing the eyes of a tired man, "...Thank you, Taiki…and I'm sorry you've dealt with things like this before."

Taiki's smile took on a slightly bitter tensity, trying to banish away those sour memories and focus on the place he is now, "Don't you worry about me now, young Mistress, but thank you. I'm glad that I may be of service."

Momo and Taiki share soft smiles before Momo quickly finishes up her dinner, immediately rushing off to go check on her dragon friend. Standing outside Izumi's door, Momo gently knocks on the door, but hears no response.

She hesitates before biting her lip and knocking again, her anxiety making her shoulders tense, "Izumi…it's me…you didn't come to dinner and I just wanted to come check on you."

The silence is deafening, a feeling of rejection washing through Momo that makes her look down in sorrow, bringing her hand back to her side. Is Izumi asleep or does she just not want any company…her company? Is she not a good enough friend?

Momo tries to shake the anxious thoughts from her head before continuing, feeling a few tears begin to form as she struggles to reel in her worry, "I-I just wanted to let you know that I'll be here for you, Izumi…I…You're my only friend Izumi…I know we haven't really known each other that long, but you're my only real friend…you actually look at me and I really like how you smile at me. I don't know many people that can smile like you do…just…even if you don't want to talk now, you don't have to respond…but I just want to be here for you…I want you to be able to rely on me…I promise I'll listen and do whatever you need…so please…just…just think about it, Izumi."

The hesitance in her voice is not befitting of her usual demeanor, her usual confidence and charm being replaced with a vulnerable dread and worry. She's never had to deal with something like this before, so she had no idea how to properly comfort a friend; she hopes she's doing at least an okay job.

The cold silence that fills the hall further twists the knife in her heart, but she refuses to crumble when her friend is experiencing worse than her. Retreating back to her room, she briskly walks over to the wall that neighbors Izumi's room, remembering the book she had mentioned earlier.

Knock knock knock-knock knock

Momo knocks against the wall, hoping to connect with Izumi from a different angle. Maybe this would be easier for her than responding verbally? She had no idea…hell, this might be detrimental for Izumi; the thought makes Momo second guess her actions and self-doubt is a slow and insidious killer. She raises her hand to knock again, but sighs and lets her hand drop back down to her side. Maybe she just needed to give Izumi some more time? Maybe this isn't something she can ever hope to take on? Maybe her entire approach is all wrong? Ugh, this is just too much guesswork!

Momo comes to the conclusion that she's too ignorant and floundering around without knowing how to properly approach this, but that doesn't dissuade Momo in the slightest. She picks her head back up with a prideful fire in her eyes, resolving herself to learning how to help a grieving friend. She heads over to her computer desk and boots up her computer, but a soft tapping sound comes from her wall…..Oh! That's Izumi!

Knock knock

It's short and simple, but Momo can't help but beam from her friend's actions. She runs back over to the wall and knocks against it again.

Knock knock-knock

Knock-knock knock

Momo's smile widens as she hears her friend reaching out to her like this…it was just like the novel she read but a million times better! It fills her with so much warmth to know that she's helping…or at least she hopes that she is; it's quite hard to tell without seeing her face, but this is enough for now. She has quite a bit of googling to do.


Yeah...Izumi still has a lot she needs to work through, especially seeing as the funeral hasn't happened yet. I think I've said this a little before, but it's going to get worse before it gets better, but we'll be able to see the foundations form with a few events that are going to happen in both this and the next chapter. I didn't think I'd be this far in and not be in their teenage years yet, but that'll be coming around chapter 7 or 8 and I'm really excited for it. Late night taco runs anyone?

I'd also like to give a big thank you for all my readers out there. I didn't know how HHDM would be received, but the support has been quite awesome and humbling. I'm just glad so many people have taken a liking to my story, which feels like it hasn't really shown what it is yet. I mean, this has been five chapters of setting up the relationships and the premise of 'Dragon Maid/Battle Butler Izumi', so I hope the wait is worth it to be able to see their relationship blossom in front of our eyes.

I also probably dropped the biggest hint of what Izumi's breath weapon will be, but there's going to be another element of it that I haven't been teasing at all, so I hope y'all can stay excited about it when the hammer drops for the reveal! Anyway, that's enough out of the longwinded writer. I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! Stay hydrated, my readers!


Reviews

Shin: I haven't seen Miss Kobayashi yet, so I can't comment on that too much, but from how you describe it, yeah, it's going to be a bit more on the serious side with a whole bunch of slice of life style chapters. I've seen like two clips form Miss Kobayashi, and I think the tone I'm going for is different but still adjacent: one of the clips I've seen is the dragon maid absolutely bodying some poor dude...which that fits and is a little similar to the hospital confrontation between Izumi and Katsuki, just without that certain brand of humor...I'm not sure if I'm explaining this well enough!

The combat maid Izumi is spot on, though I never thought about Sebas from Overlord (thanks for the comparison!)...that's pretty similar to my vision, minus brutality that comes with his violence, but there will be times when Izumi lets out that darker monster inside of her. While Izumi isn't going to be unhinged or careless or anything like that, her protective instincts and dependency on Momo will drive her to do what's necessary to ensure Momo's survival, even if Izumi wants to be a hero. While she's not going to go full villain, her first concern will always be to make sure Momo comes home safe and everything else is second. I have a few plans for this, so I hope you'll enjoy them when they take shape and I hope I can display the type of bond they'll have!