Idea 69.

There was a few ones of these that I still want to really go into but I figured I'd put the proto ideas out instead of just holding them close like I usually do.

(Burn Up)

*Itsuka POV*

Being a hero didn't mean that you followed all the rules all the time.

So when Itsuka went drifting in the mountains during the dead of night that was all just good fun and certainly not an illegal activity. Some nights she'd just joyride on her motorcycle and others, like tonight, she'd hop in her not fanatically tuned up car and burn some rubber.

What surprised her the most wasn't that the other car had drifted right by her so casually by an inch but instead by the glimpse she'd caught of the driver. Itsuka certainly didn't know who they were but the other driver was a green haired woman who was clearly all kinds of nuts. One of her hands was scrolling her phone, the other was holding a hamburger for her to eat, and the wheel was being controlled by a foot she'd hiked up while the other most certainly took care of the pedals. It really should have been impossible given that she would have had to work more parts than just those so either she had some custom setup or a quirk to help her.

Even as the other car began pulling away from her, Itsuka could find no flaw in the driving and it took the next corner drift perfectly while she wondered how in the hell that woman was so nonchalant about the whole ordeal. Compelled for answers, and not keen on how she'd been blown past, Itsuka hit the gas too to get right on the greenette's tail. Opting to only trail her, Itsuka at least managed to drift in tandem with the unknown woman and each time she'd glance over to see that the greenette was as overly relaxed as ever.

In fact, she'd actually finished her food, switched her phone to being held between her ear and shoulder, and was using her hands to touch up her makeup in the car mirror. At this point Itsuka had to wonder if the woman was just screwing with her or if she was just that absorbed in her own world while still being capable enough to do so many things as she took part in an activity that could easily kill her if she screwed up.

It was completely absurd but Itsuka suddenly recalled a rumor she'd heard. Having been drifting the surrounding area for a long time, the orange haired woman had of course known plenty of others over time who had done the same. When she was first starting out some older drifters had mentioned how some girl would appear from time to time and that she had the skill to outclass even some of the best of them. No one had ever gotten to interact with her beyond tailing her on the mountains roads until they eventually lost sight and the ones who noticed it all mentioned that she drove without a care as she did other things.

Drift 'racer' Izumi (good at drifting just does it casually not for actual racing, local legend) (sometimes steers with one foot while working the pedals with other and a stick, other hand has food or phone, phone sometimes on shoulder)

Quirk: Ijuu (Yokai) or Mouse (harvest mouse)

Extra notes
-Lazy/Airheaded
-Gentle
-Playful
-Very strong legs
-Prehensile tail (uses it to work pedals or the gears)
-Brainstorm 'strange powers'?
-Always asks for food

I'm a little more sold on Izumi having a mouse quirk but I basically just needed a power that gave her a prehensile tail. I like this one a lot but it definitely feels like a yuri fic idea as opposed to standalone. I also just like including Itsuka with vehicle stuff since she likes motorcycles.

-break-

(Highball)

* POV* (Izumi's pair)

"And...and...my last girlfriend!" "God she was so frustrating!" "Always disappointed in me for everything!" (Pair)

"Oh? What got her so worked up?"

"I mean sometimes I was late and stuff! Or I said things and didn't do them but it's not like I was doing it on purpose!" "I apologized and stuff and got her stuff to show I was sorry," (Pair)

"How did she take that?"

"She was still disappointed! But she totally kept the stuff," "Can you believe that?" (Pair)

"How awful,"

"Right? Ugh, but she was so hot..." "and fun when she wasn't mad," "Think she'd take me back?" "Dammit, I'm gonna call her!" (Pair)

"What are you gonna tell her?"

"I don't know yet!" (Pair)

"Hello?"

"Izzy, I miss youuu..." (Pair)

"Who...ugh," "why are you calling me?"

"I already said cause I miss you," (Pair)

"You broke up with me a year ago," "what are you even saying?"

"It was 8 months ago..." (Pair)

"Does that matter?"

"I'm sorry," "give me another chance," "it was definitely my fault and I'm just a big dummy right?" "I'll be a better girlfriend, I promise," (Pair)

"At least you figured out it was you with the issues," "I can tell you're drunk," "If you're serious then call me once you're sober," "We both need to think this through for ourselves,"

"No I'm serious now! I really, really, mean it," (Pair)

"Goodnight,"

"No..." (Pair)

"I take that it didn't go that well?"

*Izumi POV*

It was a strange arrangement at face value.

Realistically you wouldn't really want to listen to your ex drunkenly yammer on and on about her exes, you included, at all. Yet here she was, listen to exactly that.

Izumi didn't particularly hate it though, in fact there was something refreshing about being able to chat so openly without the baggage that had been their past relationship. Sure she didn't know that but Izumi did still find her to be a fun person even if they didn't quite work out for...reasons.

-Pair gets drunk, yaps to a stranger at the pub (Izumi) and realizes it's their ex?

I don't know, I kind of liked the concept. Not sure why I've been in the mood for messy relationship writing lately but I had a few ideas going that route. Not sure on the pair but when I have them call her 'Izzy' then it's usually Setsuna.

-break-

(Title)

*Itsuka POV*

Itsuka felt hideous for that.

That after 8 years she not only couldn't let go of her but that she dreamed of being with her again. Itsuka had even gone on to unconsciously compare her following relationships with her one with Izumi until she quit dating altogether. However, the worst of all was that she felt this way despite...

"Kendo..."

Hearing that name stung. It may have been her name but it wasn't HER name. Izumi had never called her that during their relationship and Itsuka was painfully aware of that but what hurt her more was that she knew what was coming next. She wondered if begging the other woman to not say it would stop her but her throat constricted in hesitation.

Hesitation for the question that would tear open that old wound and expose her wretchedness.

But what right did she have?

"Why did you break up with me?"

Neither of them looked at each other, Itsuka was sure Izumi was just staring into her drink solemnly, and she tried to find the words. Her heart sunk and cracked at the subtle pain in Izumi's words but Itsuka saw it as a fitting punishment for being the one to break things off while now secretly wanting her back.

"I..." she tried, wanting to find the sole fault with herself, but she knew it was something blameless on both their sides.

There was a patient silence that sat between them and Itsuka wanted to run, to forever leave this topic untrodden, but she knew that Izumi deserved an answer. She knew that she loved her too much to leave her this way again.

"You didn't want to be with a hero," Itsuka managed to weakly whisper, "and I didn't want to be with someone who made me choose between them and my dream."

There was more to it, so much more, but that was their simple truth. At the time they had figured their feelings could overcome anything but that wasn't the case. Neither of them was to blame...

Yet that somehow made it worse.

*10 Years Ago*

Itsuka was certain she just found a dead body at her door.

-Dated 20-22, Meet again at 30
-Izumi used to be her neighbor
-Izumi was a party girl and gyaru
-Izumi's quirk is called Refresh: she can return her body to any physical condition she previously had (only can go back not forward, uses this so she can party like crazy)

Again with messy relationships and Itsuka's type being gyarus. I just beat up Itsuka when I write her don't I? While I may not commit to this idea I do want to use this quirk for Izumi at some point. I really like that it's super abuse-able but with the consequence of not being able to progress. If Izumi used it to turn into a kid again then she'd have to grow up all over again. I'd let her keep her memories but stuff like her emotional state, hormones, etc would revert. This does mean that she can live forever if she wanted to though but I think I'd have her be the same original age as everyone else.

I'm really trying to write a bunch more but again I've been very ill as of late. My mind is also all over the place with what types of things I want to write but hopefully that'll just push some variety.