-x- Keigo -x-
Dabi was nice an kept up an illusion of his Dabi body and not Touya even if, for the camera, he did have white hair and clear skin. He looked over the script. "I'm gonna use my own vocab for this but still stick with the script," he stated.
"Okay," Keigo agreed with a nod. Dabi brought out the coffee shop background illusion, and the actor wished he could see everything Dabi was capable, but didn't want to be rude or assuming things. They weren't friends, really. His only friends were Rumi and En. En had continued to speak with him, texting, even after the shoots were over and they were waiting for the behind the scenes stuff to start.
Keigo used a feather to turn the camera on. The two sat side by side, a few inches apart. Close enough to see that neither were bothered by the other. Not while Dabi didn't remind Keigo of the monster he'd been. He hadn't gone to counseling, there hadn't been time, but he promised Rumi he'd do it when he had time. Which he did, now.
"Hey. I came with a message to everyone who would get angry about Keigo being in that movie. I'm the guy he tortured. I'm over it, he's over it, deal with it. I don't want more drama to come from this. We both want nothing to do with what happened in the past because it was completely out of our control. The Commission was the one to kidnap me and order my torture. Keigo was a tool for them, brainwashed into thinking it was the right thing, that I was a mass murderer, a danger to society.
"If you want to help me in this, getting angry at Keigo will only remind me of that time. I'm over it, but it's not exactly a good feeling to be fucking reminded about that shit. The public should move on like we did. Give him a second chance, he more than deserves it," Dabi stated, and crossed his arms.
"I like to keep private after the whole Endeavor debacle, so this is the only thing I'll be saying. Just leave him alone and give him a second chance. He won't fuck it up," Dabi finished. It was definitely not what Keigo wrote but he got the points across just fine. He looked to the side at the winged teen.
"I really am sorry over what happened. I regret it every day, but I would also really appreciate it if everyone could move on. And if you can't, please don't flame the production or movie." He gave a bow, and Dabi just kept his arms crossed and gave a firm nod. Keigo turned the camera off and had a feather bring over the phone. They looked over it and Dabi did come across as completely no nonsense.
He was two years younger than Keigo but looked older, even in his Touya body. Taller and with a more angular face. Plus the rough scars on him also aged him more. The video was fine and Keigo didn't think Dabi would be disliked for it. He was just blunt and honest and clearly wanted this to be over already. When he got up to leave, Keigo wished he'd stay longer.
But he couldn't bring himself to ask. Instead of leaving, he flopped onto the old recliner in the corner that Rumi loved so they couldn't get rid of. "Well?" Dabi asked. Keigo cocked his head in a birdlike gesture.
"...Well what?"
"You have something to say, don't you?" Dabi asked.
"Oh. Um… what's it like for you to fly?" Keigo asked instead of the burning question: if they could maybe be friends. He was scared to ask, Keigo was sure he was nothing like Dabi's friends. They were brash and swore a lot, he could tell just over the phone. And Dabi wasn't anything like Keigo, either. The older teen was insecure, nervous, and apparently let people walk all over him. Dabi was the opposite. They could never be friends, had nothing in common. Besides maybe Dabi already having Keigo's quirk.
"I think you would know," Dabi stated.
"I guess so," Keigo said awkwardly.
Dabi said, "You're insecure aren't you?" Keigo flushed, disliking the comment. "Nothing wrong with that. I get it, though you're insecure different from my foster sister. She only has one eye which makes her nervous around other people. Is it from the Commission or some shit?"
"Yeah… I have no idea how to act around other people. I never went to school or anything. Was never around peers or people like me. Work is hard, I already don't know how to act around people but being an actor is even harder since everyone else knows what to do and I don't. I was the youngest one on set and some people were very rude."
"Did you tell them to fuck off?"
"Of course not. I can't go making enemies or making myself look bad on my first movie when already might have a bad reaction," Keigo said.
"Hmm. Then I don't really know what to say to help."
"Just… just listening is nice."
"Okay. Rant then." So Keigo started to talk about Karin and how rude she was, about the dinner she ruined and then the day before when she tried and succeeded in ruining another meal. How she was sneaky and condescending from the start and Keigo just tried to get along. He wanted to get along. He also talked about how he and En had done well and Karin hadn't and they had to keep reshooting but she was the one being rude to them, like it was their fault.
Dabi listened the whole time, seeming attentive. Once Keigo's rant was over, Dabi said, "You should have spilled something on her." Keigo really wasn't surprised that Dabi was a petty person. "Like, wine or some shit on her fancy ass clothes." The winged teen shook his head in amusement.
"You're a petty person."
"Oh yeah. My classmate was an asshole to me the other day and I'm tired of it so I'm going to scare the fucking shit out of him with my quirk." Keigo was interested, and asked his plan. Dabi gave a wicked grin. "I'm gonna transform into the scariest fucking monster ever, and then use these monster noises from some American TV series. I'm gonna show up at his house and stand outside his window. I'm gonna crawl around on his roof first to make noise. Then I'll turn invisible a bit to make it seem like I'm not really there."
"Oh, wow. That's an asshole move."
"Well, that's how I deal with other assholes. I also threatened him I'd turn into him and dress him up in some awful outfit and send it around school. Got in trouble for that one, though."
Keigo laughed. Dabi's phone buzzed. "Oh, it's dinner time, I gotta go help make the meal." Keigo was disappointed he was leaving.
"H-Hey," Dabi looked up as he put his shoes on. Keigo's face was red in nervousness that he'd offend Dabi. "Would you ever… go flying with me? I've never been flying with someone else."
Dabi smirked. "Only if you can keep up." Keigo smiled wide. "Maybe this weekend." The other nodded in agreement, and Dabi left out the front door. Keigo smiled and locked it behind him. It didn't seem like Keigo would ever get good advice from Dabi, but that was okay. Rumi had some for him.
-x- Dabi -x-
Rei invited Dabi to go on a vacation with them over the next break, and Dabi didn't really know what to say in the moment, so he asked for some time to think about it. He'd gone over to the house once and things seemed fine, he gotten along with and tried to forgive Fuyumi, or at least move on, from his anger over her stance on Enji. He didn't ask her if she was in contact with him for it might just cause more problems if the answer was unfavorable. Dabi wanted to be a good brother to his bio siblings, too. It wasn't fair that he was avoiding them and spending more time with his foster siblings.
They knew why, because he hated being reminded of Touya and his old life, but that life was behind him. He held grudges, but this one should be let go. He knew that and wanted to work on it. He really did. But going on a vacation with them, flying on a plane to a ski resort. The family liked ice. Dabi didn't have an exclusive ice quirk, and he'd never really used his mother's power, so he wasn't attached to snow. He'd rather go someplace more tropical, but it was majority rule.
He just wasn't sure. He wanted to spend his break with his friends, but wanted to do something with his bio family. He just needed some time to think.
Like Dabi had told Keigo, he was going to torment Geten. He dumped food on Dabi, clearly on purpose, but pretended it was an accident. The teacher wanted to avoid reporting them as much as he could because he knew pairing them up would just make a mess out of the school festival after break. So there were no consequences.
At least, not given by the teachers. Dabi followed Geten to his home as a squirrel following along on power lines to he knew where he was. It was night time and Dabi had made sure Geten's family was out. He had a go pro with him as he landed on the roof. He transformed into the scariest thing he could think of. Not gorey, but a four legged thing with an upside down head that looked like a cow skull, black empty eyes.
He transformed on the roof, still invisible. He bustled around, making plenty of noise above. He kept his ears trained with a super sense quirk. Geten was heard sounding confused. Before he could come out, Dabi dropped down as the monster, still invisible. He let out a clawed hand and dragged it down the sliding glass door, making an awful screeching noise.
He saw Geten in the kitchen looking confused, eyes wide. Dabi finally revealed himself, and let out a chittering noise from the American show. He twisted his head all around, and Geten screamed, falling on his ass, eyes wide and mouth gaping. When he jumped to his phone to call for help, Dabi pressed his hands to the window. Then he turned invisible and left. He waited until he was back home to crack up. He landed in his window.
"I got him!" he cheered. His friends were waiting for him and grinned. Dabi hooked up the go pro to his computer and they watched Geten freak out.
"Man, I wish I could have seen what you did!" Toga whined.
"I was fucking awesome. No way would he know it's me. I hope I give that fucker nightmares."
They eventually went to the small recording studio and practiced some of the songs they made. Song writing was growing easy for them.
The next day, Geten looked exhausted. He clearly hadn't slept. The four were not to give anything away. No teasing, no smiling at the state he was in. They'd give nothing away that it was any of them that did such a thing.
"Whoa, what the hell is wrong with you?" Chikazoku asked in disbelief at the state of his friend.
"Nothing. Just couldn't sleep well," he said in a quiet voice. Dabi was happy to torment him. What a fucking success that was. He seemed distracted all day, and nervous. Dabi smirked internally, but showed nothing outwardly.
-x-
I'm free to fly now, Dabi texted Keigo. He was off work right now, and planned on getting a few part time jobs before realizing if he could actually get another acting job. He had the video saved, so when the first promos came out, when the height of judgment was there, he planned on posting it on a few pages online and the official movie page for Engraved would post it.
Ok! Where do you want to meet up?
Could go to your place.
Ok! Keigo seemed very excited. So Dabi made the long flight and landed outside Keigo's apartment and knocked on the door. It opened instantly, like he was waiting outside the door. Excited indeed. Keigo had a jacket on, an old looking one, and was smiling brightly. They walked down the walk way and down the stairs.
"Did you buy thrift store clothes?" Dabi asked.
"Yeah! I like it. All my clothes are thrifted."
"You wear your thrifted clothes to work?" Dabi wondered. Keigo nodded. "Interesting. Will you keep doing that when you make more money?"
"I already have a lot of money, but yeah."
"What about getting your own place?"
"I would get lonely. I'd rather have a roommate." Dabi could understand that feeling. He liked being alone, but alone for long would be hard. And Keigo had trouble making friends and had no family. So it made sense he didn't want to always be alone. Dabi grew his wings, which were not feathered, they were leather with the silver rings around the bone part. "Wow, your wings are… very extra."
"Heh, I want them to match my face," Dabi stated. "Ready?" Keigo was buzzing with excitement and nodded. It was mid day, so the sun was shining bright above them. Both of them launched off and Dabi was fully wanting to out fly him. But even with him editing his body to allow flight, Keigo's body was made to fly. He was smaller and lighter. He was faster. "Bitch!" Dabi complained and the other laughed brightly.
He slowed a bit and Dabi caught up. "Are you able to use my quirk?" Keigo asked. Dabi could hear him since he screamed it.
"I never have," Dabi answered. "I probably can, but I limit how many I use. I did the prank and it worked seamlessly. He was distraught the next day," Dabi bragged, proud of being an asshole. Keigo shook his head in exasperation even though he was smiling. Despite their… history, Keigo was a genuinely nice person. He had a shitty childhood, clearly, but was still nice. Not like Dabi. Well, he was selectively nice.
But Keigo was also a push over, and Dabi was not. He really hoped the acting thing panned out for him.
The younger started to climb, flying higher until he looked like a bird from below. Keigo followed him, though his ascent was much smoother than Dabi. He wasn't jealous; Keigo had this quirk his whole life, Dabi only started using it a little over a year ago. Dabi leveled out before he grinned at Keigo, and retracted his wings, plummeting down.
He widened his arms and legs like he was a sky diver. When he was getting closer to the ground he whipped out his wings and caught the air, flying back up. He was laughing, and saw Keigo did the same thing, but since he couldn't retract his wings, he furled them tightly around himself. Keigo was laughing too, grinning with his gold eyes big and bright.
They took a break and landed on a building. "That was so fun, I've never flown with someone else."
"Well, avian quirks aren't that common," Dabi said. He was a bit sweaty from the exertion.
"Can you turn into flying animals?" Keigo asked, sitting down with his legs straight out and hands pressed to the roof behind him. Dabi nodded. "What kinds?"
"Hmm. Birds, a bat. Some made up creatures. I can turn myself to a dragon and that's how I take my friends places," Dabi said casually. "Wanna see?" he asked with a wide grin, pulling on his stapled skin. Keigo nodded excitedly. Dabi put his phone on the roof and transformed into his flying dragon, not the one he reserved for swimming.
Keigo's eyes lit up in awe. "You got inspiration from Harry Potter, didn't you?"
"Yeah. Nobody else noticed!" Dabi said, voice deeper in the dragon body. "Modifying the body was hard, it took a lot of tries." He changed back. "I also have water dragon form since I can breathe underwater."
"Man, you're quirk is so cool. But I like mine. It's convenient and flying is my favorite thing to do," Keigo said in a proud voice.
"Wanna go get something to eat?" Dabi asked. He had his debit card in his phone case for when he went flying. Keigo nodded.
"So, can I ask about the bra shopping? And turning into a woman?" Keigo asked cautiously as they looked for a place in the area to get some food.
"I turn into a woman a lot, honestly. For my job. Get that disgusted look off you face, it's as a model. Not that kind of model! I cheated out an entire clothing company of models since I can look however they want. They think I'm not a high schooler, I age myself up when I go there."
"Wow, that's super smart!" Keigo praised, and Dabi grinned.
"Makes a lot of money, too. Saving up for college," Dabi stated. "Me and my friends want to go to the same school and rent a house together or some shit."
"What do you want to study? What's the end goal?"
"End goal? We want to make money off of music," Dabi said, growing a bit bashful over it. "I know it sounds cheesy and all, but we've improved a lot. I'd probably study something interesting that wouldn't be very helpful. What about you? You ever going to school?"
"I don't know. It's hard enough getting along with people on set, school would be overwhelming."
"It is. I never went to school before starting high school. I just looked at the 'losers' in the class and hung out with them. With the appearance I chose, we all look like misfits," Dabi said proudly. Keigo asked why he chose that look. "C'mon, you have to admit I look pretty cool. I look edgy as hell." Keigo admitted he looked original but also kind of scary. "Aww, do I scare you?" Dabi simpered.
"No!" Keigo said defiantly. "But I can see children being scared of you."
"At least I scare entitled Karen's away," Dabi said. They ended up at a food stall on a busy street, eating ramen and cold soba. Shoto got Dabi hooked on it. They talked more about Keigo and his acting career and how he was nervous about ruining the movie for everyone he worked with. "They chose you, they know the possible consequences. Not your fault they picked you."
"I guess. I'm just glad all that behavioral training helped in something," Keigo said quietly. They finished the food and it was getting late, and Dabi still had some homework to do. They said goodbye, and Dabi said one last thing.
"In case you have any lingering doubts, you're my friend now. Deal with it," and he flew away.
That was really fun. Keigo was nothing like his best friends, but he was really honest and sincere with what he said. A break from the bad attitude and pranking nature of Dabi and his best friends and band mates. He was a good listener. And it was awesome flying with someone else who could fly, not just as a means of transportation with someone else.
Dabi was completely and fully over the torture. Well, he was over Keigo's torture. He still was jumpy when people he didn't know well touched him, and he was suspicious sometimes when out in public alone, careful as to not get snatched up again, but Keigo's fault in the whole thing was completely null. In the past, and it wasn't his fault.
It took awhile to forgive him, and Dabi was sure he wouldn't have ever if he hadn't gotten sincere information about how he felt when the teen was pretending to be a child in the hospital. He was in a great mood when he got home, of course popping the cat ears out for Enzo. Mei saw him happy as he walked through the back door.
"Have fun with Keigo?"
"Yeah. He's a cool a dude. Sad he's such a pushover and so self conscious, though." Mei just looked like the most proud person alive. He flushed a bit and went up the stairs to work on homework.
-x-
"Excuse me," a woman said, but Dabi didn't realized she was talking to him as he bagged the groceries for himself at the self-check out. He was asked to do the grocery shopping since Asahi was at work and Mei had fallen ill earlier that morning. Sheri stayed behind to take care of Mei so the shopping fell on Dabi. "Excuse me!"
He finally looked up and saw her making eye contact, clearly speaking to him. She was the stereotypical Karen with her child in the cart, looking about three and sleeping with a stuffed ball in his lap. She was being awfully loud next to a sleeping baby.
"You should dress differently and hide your face if you're going where children are." Dabi was wearing very gothic clothes. Black leather jacket, black jeans and lace up boots. He was the picture of the word "edgy" and ridiculous. But he loved his look, and nobody in his life gave a shit. Even Fuyumi was chill with his sense of style.
"Ooh, does my face bother you, Karen?" he simpered. He grinned wide enough to look creepy. It was so fun messing with assholes, otherwise he was polite out in public, of course not giving a shit about the looks he got. She looked flabbergasted that he back talked. What was she expecting from someone that looked the way Dabi did?
"How dare you speak to me like that?!"
"That's a real cute baby you have there," Dabi said with a sneer. She gasped and moved to stand in front of it, continuing to snooze. "Wonder what it tastes like." Okay, maybe that was going too far. She shouted for help, "the creepy man wanted to eat her baby!" Dabi laughed and put his grocery bags into his cart.
He left with a bounce in his step. Ah, what fun. It wasn't like he was the one to start it. He left the cart in it's station and carried the four bags home, flying away, hoping the woman was fuming and embarrassed. God, it was hilarious. Maybe alluding that he'd eat the baby was a tad too far, but whatever. He'd never see her again, and if he did, she might avoid him next time. When he got home, he put the groceries away and went upstairs to text his friends what happened.
He got a ton of laughing face emojis. He was sure Keigo wouldn't really agree with his actions, so he didn't message him. Since Mei was still sick, Dabi also cooked dinner that night, getting to choose what he wanted since he was in charge of making it and had bought the ingredients along with everything that was on the list already.
Sheri came out and saw Dabi smirking, still so impressed with his quick thinking and reaction time. "What's got you so happy?" His cat ears twitched in her direction, even if he didn't use them for sound, it was just automatic.
"Confrontation at the store. Was pretty fun."
"Oh?" Sheri asked, getting a glass from the cupboard and filling the water from the dispenser in the fridge door. "What happened?"
"Some woman told me I should hide my face and dress differently if I'm around kids. She had a toddler in the cart. I told her that her baby was cute and wondered what it tasted like. Hah! She freaked the fuck out. It was awesome."
"Oh my god," Sheri groaned. "You cannot go around saying you're going to eat children, someone will take you seriously!"
"She was rude to me first," Dabi replied easily. "I know I look fucked up and scary, that's the point. It's always the adults that freak out, I've had like, one child be scared of me when I'm not purposely looking like a demon," he reasoned. "Dinner will be ready soon. You should learn to cook, too. When I'm on vacation, I won't be around to help with Mei."
"I know…" She hated cooking. Dabi didn't mind it, but she should learn. He liked making dinner because he got to make what he wanted, and when Mei did most of the cooking, he still got to choose what sides. "I'm gonna miss you."
"It's only for four days," Dabi said with a smile. Sheri shrugged.
After dinner, Dabi made sure everything was packed for the road. He would create some winter clothes when they got to the cabin. It was an old family cabin belonging to Enji's grandfather, that he made himself. They hadn't gone there as a family since before Shoto was born. So it was his first time going and the first of all the siblings. The first without Enji, guaranteeing it would be better than any trip before.
Dabi had only seen Rei twice in person, but went places with Natsuo and Shoto often. Fuyumi was still distant, and Dabi worried he'd ruined their relationship with his attitude and hostility. He wasn't going to apologize for his feelings of betrayal when she continued to want to speak with Enji. She was the only one that wrote him letters.
He never wrote back.
In the morning, Dabi had everything packed in a duffle bag and backpack. There was a ski resort next to the cabin, in walking distance. Dabi wasn't interested in skiing, but he had used to be able to snowboard. Hopefully he was still able to do it. But just playing in the snow was fun by itself.
He flew to the airport to meet his family. He had his backpack on and the duffle bag carried in his arms. He landed at the car so they could walk in together. Dabi stuck out like a sore thumb with his family. All of them had white hair, and Dabi's was black. All of them wore normal clothes, Dabi's were black or deep blue. Plus, his siblings and mother all had soft faces, and his was the opposite.
"Dabi!" Natsuo cheered, him and Shoto hugging him. He hugged them back. He ruffled Shoto's hair roughly, and grinned at his siblings. Fuyumi gave him a strained smile. Dabi would try to reset things while on vacation. Even if he had to push down his pride and stubbornness to apologize.
Rei smiled, but didn't attempt to hug Dabi, which he appreciated. She still had a sleepy look on, which hadn't gone away after the hospital. It might be from her anxiety medication, but it wasn't like she was unaware or distant. Her life had just… aged her. They weren't in contact with her parents, or her entire side of the family. They sold her off, so it wasn't all that surprising. What was surprising was how supportive Enji's extended family was.
Their grandparents on both sides weren't good people. Enji's brother and sister were jackasses. He was the youngest of them, and his siblings had their own big families, who all were great people. They just never knew them because Enji hated his extended family for their careers. They weren't honorable.
Dabi remembered he once heard him talking to his brother about his "whore daughter in law", who was a stripper when she was a young adult because her parents abandoned her. Dabi remembered feeling disgusted by the way Enji talked about someone who did what she had to when she had no support.
He thought he'd have no support. In fact, he'd been betting on it. He was still betting on it even though part of him logically knew his family, now, would keep in contact and help out when they can. Dabi didn't bet on getting inheritance, not when Enji came back to fuck everything up. After all, Dabi put him in jail and ruined his career. Well, no, Enji did all that, Dabi was just the one to expose him.
It wouldn't be surprising if Enji's immediate family wanted him gone for good. He hadn't spoken to his grandparents or aunts and uncles. Not that he wanted to, they all had sticks shoved so far up their asses he was surprised they didn't choke on them.
They went to the line to process in, Dabi with his ID, which listed him as Kaneko Dabi. The false name he was given by Keigo's senpai that he kept still. With all the stares he got, Rei was uncomfortable. She didn't know, unlike the three younger siblings, that it was normal and Dabi really didn't care. He was confident in who he was and how he looked.
The family was waiting in the terminal when Shoto needed to use the bathroom. "I'll take him," Dabi offered. Rei nodded and Dabi followed the sign to the bathroom, holding Shoto's hand to keep him close. It wasn't too busy since there weren't many flights leaving soon. Dabi used the bathroom, too, and they walked out and headed back to the terminal area.
On their way, Dabi smelled trouble. A stuck up looking family were arguing about luggage with one another. They just gave off a vibe that they looked for confrontation. Dabi hurried them along, and told Shoto to not engage with them. The boy looked confused, but nodded.
"Hey! What are you doing with that child!" Dabi grumbled under his breath, and he and Shoto picked up the speed. "Hey! Stop!"
"Race you," Dabi muttered. Shoto brightened and they went sprinting off back to where their family was waiting. They plopped down in their seats. Rei looked questioning. "People thought I kidnapped Shoto. It's fine, we got away before any confrontation." Dabi wasn't about to ruin their flight by having a nasty attitude. There was a time and place for honest confrontations and this was not one. "It happens a lot. Parents with younger kids especially hate me being around."
Rei looked frustrated with this information and Fuyumi sad. The family didn't find them or cause them problems, and they got in line to board the plane. There were a lot of people. Dabi pulled his hood up to try and minimize any danger of drama. He didn't want to stress his bio family out. He had the window seat, which was nice.
He put his backpack at his feet. Natsuo sat beside him, then Shoto and on the row directly behind him were Fuyumi and Rei. The seat in front of Dabi was a mother he'd watched board with the baby, so he saw her face. This baby became his distraction for the first hour of the flight.
It was held to the woman's chest, so his head peeked over the seat and he looked directly at Dabi. He had headphones on, and started making faces. The baby looked frankly high out of his mind. Then Dabi turned his face into his mother's, and the infant gasped, and jerked his head to look back and forth from his mother and the doppelganger.
Natsuo saw and was snickering. Dabi started changing his face to look more like various animals. The baby's eyes were as wide as saucers. The mother was confused by the behavior and turned to look behind her. Dabi instantly turned his face back to normal and pretended to be asleep.
This went on for the next hour, Dabi just casually blowing this baby's mind. He laughed a lot, giggling, which was far better than wailing and crying. Honestly, keeping the kid distracted was probably a service to everyone else. The mother continued to look behind her, not understanding what her child was reacting to.
Dabi could tell a few other people from the middle row saw and were chuckling. It was just a wholesome time, but the flight was for another three hours and the baby finally fell asleep, ending Dabi's entertainment. He went on his Switch, then, playing with Natsuo on his. Shoto was on an ipad. Fuyumi and Rei were talking quietly. Dabi should have sat with Fuyumi. But it would have been potentially awkward for four hours.
He eventually fell asleep on the flight, so glad he didn't get sick. He used to get horrible motion sickness but after he learned to fly, it had mostly gone away, which was good. Natsuo shook Dabi awake when it was landing time. The baby was still asleep. When the plane was being disembarked, Dabi's row was one of the last to leave.
When he left, someone from the row across from him said, "Young man. I want to thank you for keeping he infant occupied, but just know that sometimes leaving a baby alone to sleep is the best for it. You kept him awake and it may have made the mother uncomfortable. A mother should always know what someone is doing with or to her baby."
Dabi felt a rush of shame, unfamiliar. He had only been playing with it. He hadn't thought about that. He nodded, and the older woman smiled. "It was sweet of you regardless. You're a nice boy." Dabi smiled and got off the plane. It was okay taking criticism for something like that because she was polite and meant well.
He still thought the baby's reactions were cute and funny, but he'd be more considerate if this situation ever could come about again. When they got to the terminal and took their luggage, Dabi had headphones around his neck, music playing loud enough for him to hear it faintly, but not to distract him from his surroundings.
They got in a car waiting for them and Dabi was glad he wasn't Keigo and could put away his wings and fit into a car. They stuffed the carryon into the backseat. It was a big car so there was room for all of them and their luggage. It was snowing lightly, and Dabi looked out the window in wonder. It had been a very long time since he saw snow. He honestly couldn't wait to go and play in it.
The cabin had two others beside it, a bit away but still close enough to be considered part of neighborhood. It had been cleaned before they arrived since there was not a ton of dust. The heater was also already on. Dabi's boots crunched in the snow, and he created a parka once they were inside.
The cabin was very nice inside. The ceilings were high and the windows large but thick enough to not let in the cold. They stomped their feet at the entry way and then took the shoes off. Shoto held onto Dabi's arm as the five walked in further to get a look at the place. It was nice, nicer than the house was. Cozy and not boring or pretentious.
Rei looked so at peace. "Finally an actual family vacation," Dabi commented. "Guys, we can have a snow ball war. I can create clones of us and it will be a brutal battle," he said dramatically. This excited both boys and even Fuyumi seemed excited. They had some food first, the pantry and fridge fully stocked. He wondered if someone lived here to clean. A maid or something. If there was one, he or she was gone.
They put their things away in the rooms, Dabi sharing with Shoto while Fuyumi was with Natsuo. Those two were paired together since they were closer to one another than they were with Shoto, and the youngest was very attached to Dabi. They put on their heavy winter clothing. The parkas, scarves, gloves, etc.
While the three ice users were less bothered in the cold than someone without an ice quirk, they could still get hypothermia to some degree. Since Dabi could kept his internal temperature stable with both his fire abilities and ice, he also didn't need a lot of protection from the cold, but he just didn't like how it felt. It was very cold up here.
He created one clone of each of them, and built snow forts, and the battle was brutal. They did their best for no face shots, but it was really fun. After they were all tired from it, their arms sore from throwing, the clones went away and they started making snow statues. Dabi made a huge dog, and Shoto made a cat.
Natsuo and Fuyumi tried to make a sphynx. Rei didn't just observe, she was actively involved and helped Shoto with his cat. Dabi wasn't actually interested in going to the resort much, but they were planning on going the next day. After the snow creations got boring, they headed inside, and Fuyumi made tea.
It was an electric kettle since the screaming sound of traditional kettle set off Rei. After all, it reminded her of when she'd hurt Shoto. Dabi knew he was partially responsible for that for leaving, but it was so far in the past and nobody wanted to revisit that time. They had tea around the coffee table, sitting on plush pillows.
"So, we can go to the resort tomorrow anytime, but need to come home before it gets dark. What would you guys like to do?"
"I want to try snowboarding again. It's been a long time, so I'll probably suck ass, though," Dabi said bluntly.
"I want to ski," Fuyumi said. Natsuo wanted to ski while Shoto wanted to do whatever Dabi was doing. "Is there anything else to do at the resort?"
"There are games inside, there are snow mobiles, dog sledding, a spa, and of course plenty of good food," Rei said, seeming to have memorized what was at the resort as she counted off the activities. "Though snow mobiles are restricted to certain ages and Shoto and Natsuo are too young." They both pouted.
Shoto said, "I want to play with dogs." Dabi was also interested in that since it gave him an excuse to run around the snow as an animal himself. He could pretend to be one of the dogs. Hell, he could make clones and then turn them into dogs for more! He was excited to use his quirks to make the trip more enjoyable. They deserved him to put in extra effort.
"Is there hiking?" Dabi asked.
"Snowshoeing is a thing, so yes."
"Is it dangerous?" Shoto asked. "What if there's an avalanche?"
"There's no mountain behind us so we can't be hit by that."
"I'd like to do family things," Fuyumi stated. "Not just go separate ways." She glanced to Dabi when she said that, who slumped a little. She had a look of guilt over her face for his reaction. He had some things to say.
Before Rei spoke again, Dabi cleared his throat. He pulled his knees to his chest, and began. He'd thought about what to say for a long time. "I'm sorry I ripped the family apart twice. I… I'm glad of everything that happened for where I am now, but I'm sorry I hurt you guys. I triggered a lot… of pain, and drama. Fuyumi, I'm sorry I've been so hostile over Enji. I just am hurt sometimes that you forgive him, but I don't want to be angry with you anymore, I don't want to be bitter over him. Shoto, I'm sorry I was never involved with you, and that I used you as a scapegoat to get out of Enji's 'training'.
"Rei, I'm sorry about how I treated you for so long. I can see that you're trying… and you're doing a good job." She gasped, eyes wide and did her best not to tear up. "And I'm sorry I'm not comfortable living together again. I just… I hate who I was and I'm happy with how I am now. I'm just - I'm scared that any big change will make me Touya again - bitter and angry and resenting everyone and everything. And lying about my quirk.
"I just… I want to make amends however I can while we're here. I don't hate you guys, that's not why I don't want to live together. I just don't want to be reminded of the lonely jerk I was before shit hit the fan. I planned to just disappear. Then the Commission got me and I went into hiding. I could have come back, but I chose not to. I stand by that decision, but just cause I have a foster family, now, too, doesn't mean I love you guys any less," he finished. His face and chest were hot in embarrassment about opening up like that.
The only people he ever shared things like that with were Natsuo and Mei. Not the other three present. Fuyumi replied first. "I'm sorry, too. I know my desperation for a full family is insensitive after everything you - we went through. I can't give up on him yet. If… if he's the same person he's been after he gets out of prison, I'll finally give up. I just… I just want a real dad. I'm holding out. But I won't force my views on you guys. I know I've been the most unaffected by him. He didn't hurt me, only ignored me. I don't feel the same hatred you guys have the right to. I'm sorry, Dabi. I'm sorry about how we've been acting, and I'm really sorry the few times I called you Touya. I know it upset you," she said.
Rei took her hand. "Just because Enji did not physically harm you does not mean you weren't abused, honey. You were neglected and ignored because he didn't see you as worthy. The same to Natsuo. You may not have been harmed the same way Shoto and Dabi have been, but your feelings of hurt and pain are valid," she said firmly, but with a soft tone. Fuyumi sniffled.
The mother turned to the others. "I am so sorry I wasn't there for you all. I'm so glad you're all here, and I'm so sorry I wasn't the mother you needed and deserved. I was so scared of Enji that I just - I just broke. I didn't see a way out and just retracted. I should have taken you four and ran as fast as I could, but I was too scared, too brainwashed into thinking I would never make it as a single mother, and my duty was to be an obedient wife.
"I did so much damage to you all for my cowardice. I will never, ever go back to being who I was for so long. Dabi, I'm sorry about what an awful mother I was to you. I was cold and I gave up on our relationship when it never got better. But I am so proud of the person you've become."
Dabi smiled. "I'm only mature right now. Don't give me too much credit," he said softly.
"And that's how you should be. You should enjoy your youth. I'm so, so proud of how you've grown and healed after what was done to you. And I'm grateful you were able to expose Enji and free us all from our shackles. I am not hurt that you don't live with us. I am not angry, and I don't feel unloved. I am very thankful for your foster family to do what we couldn't when you needed it."
Shoto started crying. "I love you guys!" he sniffled. He stood up and hurried to hug Rei, who ran her fingers through his hair. Natsuo didn't say anything, he didn't really have anything to apologize for. He was always trying to be there for Fuyumi and Dabi. Well, he did apologize to Shoto for not bonding with him. "It's okay. It's okay, now."
Rei and Fuyumi started to really cry in earnest, and Dabi wrapped his arms around his younger brothers' shoulders. This would be a fun vacation. It was great already!
-x-
There was a juniors' lounge at the resort that had some of the neighbor kids. They were playing air hockey while Dabi and his siblings were getting hot chocolates from the bar counter. They were fucking good. Like "dear god" good hot chocolate. Rei was at the spa enjoying time to relax to herself.
The children had all been out trying to ski and snowboard but none of them were good at it and quickly grew frustrated. Shoto got so irate he lobbed fire at the snow and then both he and Touya were making melted, deep holes in the snow, just to see how deep it was. Natsu got stuck in one of the holes and Rei suggested they go inside to warm up.
Dabi got plenty of looks, though with his puffy jacket and his beanie, he wasn't as stark looking as usual. He didn't pop as much with less of his skin showing. While he drank his chocolate, Dabi looked over all the other juniors. Most were minding their own business, but a few guys about Dabi's age kept staring at him and laughing.
"It doesn't bother you? Really?" Fuyumi asked quietly. Shoto and Natsuo started a game of air hockey once it opened up.
"Nah," Dabi said honestly. "They can laugh if they want, I truly don't give a shit." Fuyumi smiled.
"Will you do my hair?" she asked.
"Got a hair band?" She nodded and handed him one. "What do you want me to do?"
"Two dutch braids? I really like them but I can't do them myself, only mom can do it." Dabi took the two hairbands and ran his fingers through her hair before separating both sides, he braided them up and then puffed the sections up a bit. "Thanks. You got good at hair."
"And makeup, too," Dabi said with a cheeky grin. "I've acclimated to girly things, too, now."
"I mean, you do go bra shopping with Toga, so makeup and hair isn't that strange," Fuyumi teased.
"God. I only did it twice. You and Keigo won't stop bringing it up. It's not like I tried them on or helped fit them," he grumbled. "I do one nice thing for her and you won't fucking let it go."
"Sorry, sorry," Fuyumi giggled. "How's Keigo?"
"Last I heard he gave the video we made to the producer and they plan on releasing it with the first trailer. But I haven't talked to him since coming here. He's different from my other friends. I mean, he wanted to be a hero, right? He has a good personality. Heh, the rest of us are rotten delinquent children. Hey, you don't know the shit I do, Yumi." She rose a brow. "There's this asshole in our class who I hate. Well, he dumped food on me, so I followed him home and transformed into a monster and made it seem like I was going to break into his house."
Fuyumi gasped.
"Then I told this annoying woman I was going to eat her baby." Fuyumi blinked.
"...What."
"Yeah, I was at the grocery store and she just comes up to me unprovoked and tells me I need to cover my face if I'm going to go outside around kids. She had like, a two year old in the cart sleeping. I said, 'that's a cute baby you have. I wonder what it tastes like'. She freaked and I bounced."
"Oh my god, Dabi," Fuyumi groaned. Dabi cackled, still finding it hilarious. "You can't say stuff like that!"
"Why? That's what everyone assumes, isn't it? Even at the airport, some bitches fucking thought I kidnapped Sho. I don't care about the looks, or laughs, but it's annoying when people think I'll hurt others."
"...You said you wanted to know what a baby tasted like."
"She started it!" Dabi argued, growing irate.
"Hey, leave the lady alone," a buff teen Dabi's age said from behind the counter. He had a rootbeer overflowing in his hand.
"Piss off, she's my sister," Dabi said dismissively. Glancing back at the guy and a horrible realization came over him. He thought… the guy… was hot. He looked away in a hurry, and guzzled the hot chocolate and hurried to Shoto and Natsuo, dragging Fuyumi with him. The hot guy didn't follow them, he shrugged and gave up, wandering away with his overflowing rootbeer.
Fuyumi asked, "Dabi, are you okay?" in worry. "You're face is bright red…"
"I'm fine," Dabi stated. But he was distracted and wanted to go back to the cabin. He thought a guy was hot, he'd never, ever thought a girl or woman was pretty. He was fine going bra shopping with Toga, he did hair, he was fine with nail polish and makeup. This shouldn't be a big deal. Even if he was into guys, it didn't matter because nobody - male or female - would ever like him anyways.
He really wanted to go home. Maybe text Toga for advice. He didn't want to tell anyone else. He trusted Toga to keep it a secret. He was pretty sure she was gay based on her room having a lot of female models on the walls. And that she had often commented on women in the bra shop. It was awkward, but she kept asking him if she thought this one or that one was pretty.
No fucking wonder he hadn't seen any of them that way.
-x- Keigo -x-
"How were the cast about everything that happened?" Keigo of course knew what he was referencing. It was the behind the scenes interviews.
Keigo was honest. "Most of them were nice and avoided the topic. One was especially hostile and used it against me a few times. I won't say her name, but she's a main character." That was enough to throw Karin under the bus without actually saying her name. There were only so many female mains in this book's adaptation.
During another interview, a scene was played of him doing a stunt. Flying through the air a harness on before he slammed into the water and had a drowning scene. "How did you feel about this moment?"
"It was really fun! One of the more fun stunts in the movie. The others were small and not that interesting," Keigo laughed. "But I really enjoyed doing my own stunts," he said brightly. There were some more questions about the stunts and training beforehand and safety precautions he had to take before it got to the acting bits.
The scenes where Keigo's character broke down emotionally and mentally were questioned, too. "I just used the skills I already had to make it believable. It's easy to make myself cry and seem emotional. For the PTSD scenes, I had that when I was younger and so I know what it really looked like. I hope people realized PTSD isn't always just screaming if you're touched, it can be more subtle. I enjoyed the emotional scenes a lot. It was interesting playing a character that was grieving most of the movie, since I had to make sure to put that filter on through everything he did.
"And it felt nice that everyone thought I did so well. My first acting gig and all, so I was surprised by all the praise. I hope it's warranted and they weren't just being overly nice," Keigo said honestly.
The interview didn't take too long, and he swapped out with his costars. His phone beeped and he saw it was Dabi. His face lit up, wondering if he was done at the vacation with his bio family. He sent a photo of the snowy world below, from a birds eye view. It was a beautiful view and made Keigo want to fly there, too.
That's so pretty. Where are you?
Dabi gave the name of where he was. You should come visit.
Keigo's brows rose curiously. That's pretty far away, dude.
If you say so. Wouldn't have been an effective hero if you can't fly such a distance. ┐(-_-)┌
Keigo snorted. I see you have chosen war.
Dabi didn't text back for a moment. I'm just bored dude. There's only so much snow can be interesting.
I have work. Once the production is over and all I could fly flying distance with you. If you want. Keigo felt he made mistake. He was being too familiar, but Dabi had just invited him to vacation. Before he could apologize for the message or doing something wrong, En caught him.
"Time for the group interview with Karin. It'll be good practice for being able to deal with stuff later on," En explained when Keigo had a look of distaste on this. "You'll work with people you don't like in the future. Karin is the best practice you could have." Keigo nodded, and turned his phone on silent and stuffed it in his pocket.
He was the only one with a stool to accommodate his wings while the others had normal chairs. There was the three main cast and then the director. En sat between his two costars, Keigo on the far right and Karin on the left. Keigo sat a bit behind them so his wings could be comfortable, but they weren't super spaced apart.
The interviewer was the same guy who did all the other ones, so Keigo was familiar with his questions and not so nervous. He didn't know what kind of questions he'd ask for a group one with the three main cast, but hopefully no drama ensued.
"Keigo, as this was your first production to work on ever, how did you get along with your costars?" He probably was supposed to say something nice, so he did. Airing out his grievances with Karin in this would be unprofessional and unattractive. It would make him look bad and he wanted anything but that.
"Most of the cast were super nice and accepting! They showed me the ropes, I had no real idea what to do. Honestly the hardest part was having to lose my wings and wear the vest to try and conceal my wing bumps. It's just lucky I can detach my feathers or all my roles would be the same," he said in a positive voice.
The interviewer turned to the other two, asking how they thought Keigo did on his first movie. The teen was a bit nervous for Karin's reaction since she was always blunt on interviews. Though they were usually edited to keep her nastier comments out, even if it was obvious to the public when something she said was cut out, which was quite often and nobody expected anything different of her.
"Takami was fun to have on set. He helped out with the crew a lot, cleaning up scenes. He actually needed very little retakes, the fewest of all of us!" Keigo blushed but smiled at the praise. "I'd like to do a movie with him again sometime. If there's a sequel, hopefully we can all work on it together again," En said enthusiastically.
"Karin was dedicated to the shooting, always needing more retakes so she could get the perfect shot." It was a lie, but En was too professional to just bash her and be honest. "Over all the movie was a blast, both because of my fellow cast members and the crew, and also because I enjoyed the action shots."
"How about you, Karin?" Keigo didn't know what to expect, honestly.
"It was hard a bit, dealing with someone with no experience whatsoever. He did alright most scenes, and was fit enough to do his own stunts, though Takami needed to take days off after overdoing it. It's understandable, but that's what stunt double is for." She was over exaggerating his break days. He only had two or three for the whole shooting. "I'm glad I was able to help him learn so much. Everyone else was fine, very experienced and had good takes on their lines. Some even asked to change them, which made the shots even better in my opinion."
Keigo held his tongue and glanced to En, who kept a straight face, so Keigo did too. Once the interview was over, En pat Keigo on the back for not reacting. "You baby him too much. Just because he's still a child doesn't mean he should be treated like one," Karin said.
En sighed. "Who asked you for your opinion?" Karin looked sour at his words. Keigo watched, a bit apprehensive, but not outright showing it, thankfully. He and En left to go home, as the day of interviews was over. "Before production ends, am I allowed to try for other roles?" Keigo wondered.
"Yup! You can even do two movies at once if you're into that. I've never done it, as it looks stressful as hell. I wouldn't recommend it for you. And you might want to wait to see how the public views you, but until then you'd probably get pretty bored." That was true, he could go back to his personal training classes, but acting had been super fun! He wanted to try again, on another set. He would, really.
When he got home that day, he was about to text Dabi, but he texted first. Keigo expected more photos of teasing, but was shocked and sad with what he texted, as it obviously was not meant to be sent to him.
Toga help I think I'm gay what tf do I do.
Keigo blinked a few times, and immediately saw that he was typing again.
That was my sister. A lame excuse that made Keigo snort. Well, he didn't really care about that, it wasn't his business and he wasn't bothered.
It's fine, I don't really care. Sorry you accidentally sent it to me. Congrats for figuring it out, tho. ╰(▔∀▔)╯
Dabi didn't respond for a long time and Keigo worried that he'd messed up and shouldn't have replied. But if he hadn't, maybe his new friend would have thought Keigo saw it poorly. He did feel genuinely bad that Dabi sent it to him instead of his other friend. Eventually after Rumi had cooked dinner for them, Dabi texted again.
Don't tell anyone shit.
Promise I won't.
K.
And that was it for the night.
In the morning, he called Goya Aya, the woman who suggested he try out for a movie in the first place, which he was thankful for as she was the reason he had such a fun experience and something he genuinely enjoyed. He hoped he could get hired again for something new. "Takami-kun!" Goya said brightly. "What can I do for you?"
"We finished all the production and now it's in editing! I want to try for another movie, it was super fun," Keigo answered happily. "So I was wondering if you could… help me get another role? I understand if you don't want to."
"Oh, no, I'd be glad to help," she said, and Keigo beamed. "I was actually keeping an eye out for anything you could fit in, and found one that would work with your wings, though you would possibly not want to take the role considering your background."
This peaked Keigo's interest. "What is it?"
"The story of an abused angel who slowly turns evil based on the treatment around him."
"Oh, but I'd be really good at that role," Keigo said. "I could just channel what I lived through." He could make some actual use out of the way he was treated. "I want to try. If I can't do it, then I won't."
"Great! Auditions are next Saturday. It's not based on a book, so there's no real way to prepare." Keigo was fine with this, and was told to meet up in the same place as he'd auditioned before. He was excited!
When Saturday came, Keigo wore his nicer thrifted clothes, and flew to the same studio. He was nervous, and ended up getting there half an hour early and waited in the waiting room after introducing himself and what he was there for. Some others were waiting, and one person had wings, though they weren't nearly as big as Keigo's. All of them looked in their early twenties, Keigo seeming to be the youngest.
They couldn't all be trying out for the same role, so he felt better. The guy with wings glared at him, and he sat down. Goya arrived, and sat with him as person after person went into the room and auditioned. He was last, and the guy with the smaller wings smirked at him, like he felt he'd get the role and had nothing to worry about.
Keigo's turn finally came and he walked inside with Goya, who sat down, and told the interviewers, who were only two instead of four this time, that she recommended Keigo especially. Though he asked first, she was the one to offer him to audition for the role. He was handed the script that he was to read. A man came onto the stage, seeming like security, and would be the one Keigo's character was abused by. He'd blocked out much of his childhood, and the real fear he felt was from his handler, not his father anymore. So since the person who would be abusing his possible character didn't scare him as he wasn't a woman.
He read over his lines twice, memorizing them, and put the script down. The interviewers looked interested in this, but not challenging that he could do it. He was a good foot shorter than the security guy acting as the abuser.
Keigo cowered, eyes wide and red and shiny with unshed tears. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't - I didn't mean to, I swear!" he cried. He tried to run, but purposely tripped. His character was to have his hair grabbed, but instead of that, the hand was only on his head. Keigo flapped his wings to try and get him away and managed, only to realized the door he was running too was locked.
He slid down the locked door and pressed his forehead to it, crying and begging, curling into a ball where his wings were wrapped around him protectively. The scene was over, and Keigo stood up, wiping his eyes.
"Very good," the male interviewer said. "This is your second movie, correct?" Keigo affirmed this. "Well, you did well on the fearful part. Now try to act the villain." Keigo nodded and turned many pages to the scene in the script. He read them, and immediately let out the "evil" act. He'd never actually purposefully behaved like a terrifying person, sadistic. He didn't enjoy hurting people as a "hero", so this was a bit new.
He had a nasty smirk on while he said the lines before reaching down and grabbing the large stuffed animal that would be a person in the movie. He loudly whispered beside the head as if speaking in the character's ear. "I don't think you want to be on my bad side, sir," he said venomously. "I think you thought you were all tough, that you'd break me.
"Ha, well, I hope you look forward to a life in hell, cause that's what I'm going to fucking give you," and he slammed the stuffed animal's face into the floor. He laughed wickedly, and then stopped the acting. That was hard to do, but he didn't feel the same as when he hurt others on orders. He turned to the judges, and nervously handed them back the script.
"Very nice. As this character, your wings would be an important prop. Can you show up the different movements for your wings?" He showed his wings' flexibility in many different poses. He was told they'd get back to him about it and Keigo didn't think he'd get the role since they were so unenthusiastic. Or maybe the others were oddly enthused and amazing. He flew home, and sadly learned the next day that he wasn't chosen for the part. He was a bit bummed, but not devastated. He wondered if it had to do with his public image, and that they weren't thinking it was worth it to hire Keigo and possibly damage their production.
Well, that was fine, really.