deercountry | [Open] 🚬 April Flames

Entry tags:

[Open] 🚬 April Flames

Who: Dabi & others
What: April Catch-All
When: Various
Where: April

Content Warnings: Scenes and mentions of domestic / child abuse, some body horor and monstrous transformations, violence, adult language, topics of patricide and fratricide

Notes: General and specific starters will be below. Contact under cut.

If you want to hit me up for ideas on prompts or plots, feel free to comment on Dabi's plotting post, hit me up on my contacts – Plurk (

StarSeed69) / Discord (StarSeed#3572) – shoot me a PM, or drop an ooc comment down below, and we’ll hash it out. I'm down to write a unique starter for our threads if you prefer.

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granted there aren't any real targets or points to make in this place. endeavor. corrupt heroes. oppressive society. those things remain behind them in their own world. it's pretty easy to see they're all on a level playing field here, quirks and other powers aside. midoriya's right in assuming that's what dabi's doing. carving out his own little place to survive. still not doing well on that "work" part, but... give him time. that's partially why he's stocking up on this shit while he has the chance.

"How pessimistic. This is more an opportunity." Yeah, that's pure sarcasm there.

dabi's already been to the lumenarium, courtesy of shouto. introduced to the apothecaries there and the suggestion of dealing in plant collection to trade or medicines. it's something he's kept in mind since the visit, especially because he got some interesting things while he was there (some shouto paid for and some... dabi didn't pay for).

not a medical professional. no shit, kid.

"Ya got a map on ya?" Or would this be the more literal pointing out?

For Midoriya, there will always be people who need saving--especially in a world like this. He took one look at this place, declared it an emergency, and started working, though no one here would care if he had a full Hero license or not. While he can't agree with the Hunters' policy of killing Beasts, who are people, Midoriya signed up to learn all he could about defending the city in this world. They haven't kicked him out yet.

An 'opportunity' to not have severe withdrawals, Midoriya thinks but doesn't say, because he can't assume. This white-haired Dabi seems to be taking things in stride, better than Midoriya did his first months here. Dabi gives the appearance of holding up, though Midoriya knows from experience not everything is as it seems. Midoriya heavily grieved over so many people he cared about being on the other side. (Unbidden, the thought occurs to him: Who, if anyone, does Dabi grieve? Midoriya has to shelve that thought for later.)

He considers the paper map he carries as backup in case his Omni malfunctions (it never does), or in situations like this where someone asks for directions. He decides paper is a little too flammable, and giving directions is innocuous enough, even to someone who kidnapped his friend.

"I can send you one. What's your username?" His own is Deku, no huge secret. "There's also... they're out of season, and dangerous to gather, but certain plants and mushrooms help with stuff."

Compared to Dabi, who took one look at this place and deemed it shit out of a horror flick and treated everyone with suspicion. What he could get out of them, their usefulness to him, how to keep his own advantage, things like that. The idea of making allies is wandering around his mind, and he wasn't lying when he told Shouto he had no direct intent on attacking his friends. So long as said friends didn't give him a reason to attack them.

More "opportunity" to have medicine he's familiar with to treat himself. Burn salves, staples, stitches, needles, antibacterial things, pain killers, gauze, bandages. Shit he can stockpile for later usage. It's never been in Dabi's character to overreact to the situations he finds himself in. Quietly take note of everything around him, learn about the situation, and the torch down anything that interferes with his path. Also helps when you don't care about anyone but yourself, and have a lot of trust issues. (That's none of your business, kid.)

"What, gonna send me a picture of the physical one ya carryin?" Dabi glances over to Midoriya, neutral towards the offering. "Already had someone do that. If ya got it with ya, I'll take my own picture." Not like his username is anything hard to guess: "Dabi". Cause he definitely wants to be discrete. More making a point he doesn't trust the hero with a direct line of contact to him yet.

With that, he leans into the rift in front of him, almost all the way up to his waist, igniting some flames on his hands to light up the dark interior. Then hoops his arms and drags back, scraping of the entire top row of pain killers from the rack back out through the rift and onto the ground below him. "This shit's a lot easier to gather. Ya gonna stand there and gawk or make yourself useful?"

When he arrived, Midoriya compared the nature of time in this place to comic book multiverses. It is otherwise so very outside of his purview. The violence, however, is more familiar than it should be. Class 1-A has seen more action than it should have, and Midoriya is exemplary--or infamous--among them.

Midoriya (slowly, no sudden movements) rummages in one of his belt pouches and produces his paper map and a pencil. He holds a small emergency flashlight between his teeth, one that still runs on sentimentally precious batteries from his old world. He marks a few locations.

"I don't think I should get too close." To the portals, to Dabi. "But I can keep an eye out for trouble."

He has been, with Danger Sense. Dabi might be lumped in with "trouble." Maybe. If Midoriya's hunch about their usernames is right, he doesn't think much of revealing his work account. (It's his only account, the workaholic.) He thinks he can handle a little online harassment better than, say, a burned arm.

Now to approach just a little closer. He meant it when he said he didn't want to get too close, but maps don't float themselves over, nor does he feel like using any sort of Quirk or Omen power to get it there. A show of power could upset whatever tenuous peace there is, woven in these moments like the flimsiest gossamer.

He steps forward at least enough to hold out the map and shine his flashlight on it. Hope Dabi is good at using zoom.

That's not a bad comparison. From what Dabi heard Shigaraki and the little brunette girl say, he's figured the place runs on its own timeline. However that works out. Probably like the rifts opening up all around the city. Other dimensions and worlds, strange as it is to see it happen physically.

It's amusing to see how much care this kid's taking in his movements, as if Dabi's some wild animal that might attack at a single wrong moment. Doesn't mean it's unfounded either. He has little regard for the place around him and wouldn't hesitate to light it up if he thought Midoriya was going to attack him or try and capture him.

"What, ya think somethin's gonna reach out and jump ya?" Dabi scoffs at the hero's caution (or is it fear) and brazenly turns before walking towards Midoriya. One hand in his pocket to pull his Omni out, the other left to hang open by his side. Not gonna deny the offer of a lookout though. But this map is more important than the kid's hang ups. There's no trust here, but at the same time, Dabi's not going to break this tenuous truce between them. That'll be the heroes' fault if it happens.

Not that he expects Shouto or Midoriya to start harassing him on the network. Maybe Shouto, but the others seem to be content with keeping to their own dealings. Dabi might track movement, but isn't of the mind to make a pain out of himself. Not without reason.

Midoriya might not want to get close to him, but Dabi invades the other boy's set space deliberately. Not close enough to get physical, but certainly enough to pull his Omni from his pocket and stick it right over the map Midoriya is holding out and lighting up. He'd practiced with the device during his time here, enough to know what finger motions to use from the initial screen to reach the camera function without having to stare down at the screen. Two presses and he pulls the stone back, turning it in his hand to inspect the images he took. Zooming in to read the notes and marks Midoriya took down.

"Met ya little friend, the one the lunatic's in love with."

He fixes Dabi, all of him, with an unwavering look. Taking precautions is just the smart thing to do. Midoriya remembers his training, and how Dabi didn't hesitate to use his flames against him. It's only in a heated moment Midoriya might take risks. He hasn't even bothered attempting to contact Dabi before, not wanting to set something off. People have gotten in fights over stuff on the internet for less.

He shows no sign of fear, even when Dabi draws closer than he'd like. He does widen his eyes and furrow his brow more with apprehension. It's a ready sort of look.

Of course Dabi chooses now, when they're standing in a sort of danger zone, to bring this up. Hilariously, it takes Midoriya a moment to narrow down which of his friends a "lunatic" might be obsessed with. There are a few options if one counts people he's met here.

"You'll have to be more specific." In retrospect, it's probably good he's not handing Dabi more tools with which to dig.

Why would he hesitate? Didn't they teach these kids that hesitation leads to giving your opponent the advantage, and likely a good chance at getting yourself killed? No? Well that shows. But Midoriya can wonder and fret internally while Dabi scans over the map, taking in the different areas and comparing it with places he knows and is somewhat familiar with. Not really interested in getting in a fight either.

Dabi doesn't bother moving away until he's satisfied with the map. Then merely gives the Omni's tip a nod towards Midoriya in acceptance before putting it back in his pocket.

"No I don't." Be more specific, that is. He can deliberately be an obtuse shit if he wants. Let Midoriya think about it and come up with his own conclusions. But rather than drop that and stay in the green kid's close range, Dabi heads back towards the rift he'd been rummaging through earlier. There's more important stuff to do right now.

"Ya gonna feed me some kinda hero bullshit about not stealin, or you gonna climb in here and swipe some yourself?" Dabi reaches into the rift and pulls out a small box. He scans it over and then lifts it in three fingers to show the hero a box of pain killers. "Better than suckin out juice from a plant." He tosses it into the bag on the ground. "This is a good opportunity. Your friend didn't need much convincin to take me me up on it as well."

Perhaps Midoriya should have been more polite and less blunt, phrased it as a question, wheedled it out of him carefully like a splinter... It's hard for a person like Midoriya to be methodically sneaky on a good day, let alone when he's acutely aware of the rush of blood in him and lightness in his feet ready to move at a moment's notice. He can't deny Dabi moving out of his sphere eases some tension in his shoulders.

"I'm fine actually," he says truthfully. "I've been here longer. Had more time to acclimatize, consult, find what works. It's not an emergency for me." Midoriya has survived here long enough; the strength inside bleeding onto the outside is plain to see.

Mentioning his friend again right on the heels of hero bullshit makes Midoriya suspect it's a hero he's talking about, perhaps newly arrived like Dabi and in need. There are two, and Midoriya knows them well enough to suspect which one can be convinced of things, and which one snaps back with an irascible stubbornness.

He doubts Dabi is trying to convince him to steal medicine out of the goodness of his heart. He had no problem attacking the kids in his class, and he's not indicated he's sorry about that either. What can Dabi gain here? Midoriya has no idea what at the moment.

"Picking someone up with one's Quirk, cutting away clothing, these are the kind of things that would normally be weird or illegal to do. But if it's to save someone or dress their wound, these things become necessary." It's not the flavor of hero bullshit Dabi was referring to.

He would've got a wry face if he tried to be polite. Really, some kids these days. Dabi's not about to give him something he doesn't feel like giving. Besides, the green kid's smart; he'll figure it out through process of elimination. It's not like there are that many of his little friends around. Let him stand and think. That's the price of caring about other people; it clouds the mind and distracts from the immediate surroundings and self.

"Yeah yeah. Keep braggin about gettin your zombie world survival badge early." With that, Dabi checks out the rift's dimensions and then brazenly shoves his entire head inside. Like passing through the surface of a mirror or the opening of a window, but nothing coming out on the other side. Ugh, why do these rifts like to open up in the stupidest places on the other side? Simple enough floating tear against a wall or out on the street on the Trench side, but on the other side, it's crammed behind the damn shelving unit. He has to wriggle his way between the shelves, shoulders and upper body knocking some of the display boxes to the ground. But it only takes a few rough seconds to cram himself through the slats and spill out onto the store floor. Dark in here. That's good.

Of course he's not trying to encourage Midoriya to steal out of some sense of kindness. It's a mutual team up for getting the most out of the current situation. Two people can collect more than one. And if the kid's complicit in the crime, he has no reason to bother trying to stop Dabi from doing it. Jeeze, he attacked your class a long ass time ago; get over it, brat. Done a lot worse since then.

Midoriya's voice carries through the rift and a few seconds later, things start to pop out of the rift. Mostly medical supplies, like bandages, painkillers, antiseptic sprays, bacterial wipes. Starting to work on clearing out the medical shelves of the convenience store. "Really." Calling out from his work, words coming through the rift fairly easily. "And how many people have ya stripped in the name of "necessity", kid?" Hell yeah he's mocking him. But still curious enough to keep the conversation going while he works.

Midoriya tends to explain things about himself guilelessly and without bravado. It shouldn't hurt, that directionless jab about bragging, but it does. He wouldn't brag about seeing his friends in pain and what he endured to try to protect them. He wouldn't brag about clutching the dead body of a dear friend, limbs angled like a fallen bird's. Not being able to save someone is the one thing heroes are taught to hate the most. Midoriya always had that instinct to begin with.

The first jab deadens the second. Small mercies. His face pinches, unexpectedly self-conscious, unseen by the rangy thief rifling through stock. But Midoriya is focused on keeping a lookout. It's what he said he'd do, and he keeps his word. Just like he doesn't fool around during sparring exercises, he keeps Dabi, the portals, and the street under surveillance.

What a jerk...

He can't feel enough animosity to find stronger words silently or dignify that with an answer out loud. He's always been lax about insults directed at him. While Dabi is out of sight, he chances moving to a better vantage point with his Quirk, jumping and alighting on top of a nearby broken street lamp. Here, he can see beyond what the outer edge of Danger Sense can pick up. In the dark, he's a crouched shadow with a tattered cloak and large glinting eyes, gargoyle-like, but his voice calls out in a definite tone, revealing his position as a show of... not trust, but at least goodwill.

"All clear."

Here he is, keeping an eye out for someone who's a wanted villain back home. Midoriya can think of several heroes who would object to this, but what is he going to do? Not keep a person safe?

"I found it more sustainable to ease into what's used locally." That sure is a lot of packages... "Are you checking the expiration dates? Uh, against whatever date it is in there?"

Opening your mouth and offering anything is inciting the potential for mockery. Dabi isn't actively going after Midoriya to hurt him, but more tossing that disparaging statement simply because he's a hero who thought it was a good time to spill some hero talk about his accomplishments. That said, the villain takes what the boy notes and stores it away for later use. What someone else has done to survive here tips him off on what to expect from this world. Yet listing many accomplishments in one breath is going to be seen as bragging regardless of intent behind it. Makes for an easy target.

As with his first excursion into the portals earlier, Dabi sets out gathering what he can use to carry things in. Meaning after a period of radio silence, the first of many items punches through the portal. In this case, a cheap backpack, stuffed to the brim with unseen items housed behind the zipper line. First area of attack is the medicine shelves, stripping the racks of over-the-counter pills, vitamin supplements, bandages and tapes, anti-inflammatory creams, antibacterial sprays, and whatever else is there to grab. Stuffed into whatever he can get to carry it before getting shoved through the portal out onto the ground again.

Midoriya's "all clear" comment is a welcome status quo. What would the kid do if someone did come along? On the one hand, he could alert Dabi and the villain might stay in the portal until the stranger left. But on the other, the hero could try to dissuade the stranger from coming nearby due to Dabi's presence. And the very obvious fact the villain wouldn't hesitate to kill someone who came to cash in on his growing haul. Something he's sure the green kid's aware of. Which might end up putting the two of them at odds and ignite a battle. Something he'd prefer to avoid if at all possible... He's strong, yes, but would rather not go against someone who could slam toe-to-toe with Shigaraki. Especially if the kid's trained with that old geezer who knocked Dabi out with one kick to the damn head. No thanks.

Yeah well, lucky you he's not a wanted villain in Trench. For now. If there's even a legal system here at all.

"Ya got a point." Making do with what's available and adapting is a villain's life back in Japan. "But anyone ever tell ya to take advantage where ya can?" These portals aren't going to last forever and once they're gone, so too goes the opportunity. Perhaps just to drive the point home, Dabi's burned arm ejects from the portal, holding a few packages of batteries, one of which might contain the sort of batteries needed for that emergency flashlight he'd noticed Deku using earlier. Even if shit here ran on "moon power", there's something to be said for what's familiar from home... *pl-clatter-thump* All three packs land on the growing pile below the rift. Temptation? ... maybe.

"Not gonna be picky about dates. I'll sort them out later." Another backpack and this time, Dabi worms his way out of the portal once more, easier since he'd moved the shelves on the other side out of the way. He crouches down to take stock of what he's got, then glances around to find a place to store them while he goes back inside. "I heard you can find a lot of stuff in the marketplace. They really mean "everything" or just the local Trench version of "everything"?"

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[Open] 🚬 April Flames

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