[ When Shouto was a whelp, his mother had told him stories about the world outside their castle. She told him about how dragons usually lived, not in castles but in caverns, forests, places far beyond their reach. Even then, he could tell that she was wistful, happy to share the stories that she knew but sad to tell them, like she missed something. But he hadn't realized, until his father started to train him, planning on using him as a weapon, a tool for victory, that it was because of him.
Endeavor's name carries clout for a reason, he realizes. Not because he's benevolent, despite the fact he's an acclaimed hero. Mercy isn't on his mind so much as ambition is, which he pushes into his son.
Which is why he rebels, as a fledgling, and abandons the castle when he's full grown. With his mother long gone, moved elsewhere so that she can't disrupt her husband's attempts to mold their son into what he wants him to be.
Shouto decides to go looking for her, in that wide world she told him about, where knights fought dragons like him. It's worth the risk, though - he wants to be the knight that shows up to save her, even if he hasn't been in his human form for a long time.
But instead of his mother, he finds... one such knight, maybe? He has a weapon, obviously. And armor. Despite this, though, he's hurt. His horned head tilts as he assesses him for a long moment, before he makes a decision to relocate him to the cave he's found for himself. It's pretty easy to move him - he's light, and probably would be even if he was as big as his bastard of a father - and he makes sure not to move him in a way that might hurt him more, or dislodge the sword. Even sheathed, he can sense magic off it.
... so that's how he'll wake up: in a different location than the one he'd collapsed in, and with a bi-colored dragon staring down at him with mismatched eyes. ]
[He's not a knight by nature. He's always been a small, scrawny kid that others thought would grow up to do- well, anything but become a knight. But he had a dream, and so he trained for it, eventually going up to the sword in the stone once he had enough confidence that he might be able to pull it out.
And then, by some miracle, he did.
Even so, he's a bit sickly, and fighting off even a small band of wolves took a lot out of him. A few bites and scratches and Izuku just went down after a successful fight.
It takes him an hour or so to wake up and glance around. This... is a cave? He was out in the forest the last time he checked. And looking up- A dragon?!
He attempts to scramble back to the wall- but he's already against it and fairly injured.]
Aaaah! Aaaaa- Please don't eat me, dragon! I-I'm not much more than skin and bones, I wouldn't make for a satisfying snack!
[ Overseeing humans is... kind of weird. While he's seen a lot up close - ranging from castle staff to his siblings (he's not sure if they have a dragon form like him, since he's never seen them shift) to his father - he's never really had to interact with them outside of the castle.
He stole a few sheep the other week, but the shepherd had been too far away to do much. Besides, he left behind gold from Endeavor's treasury to make up for the sheep.
This one, though - Shouto thinks he might be his age? Admittedly, he's not sure what his human form looks like anymore, but he's guessing based on how his brothers looked when they were his age.
And he's pretty reactive, for someone that's injured. Shouto just stares at him as he wails, his snout scrunching up and eyes narrowing a little. ]
I don't want to eat you. [ His voice comes out in more of a rumble when he's like this, so he tries to enunciate like his mother taught him. ] Quit yelling, and stop moving. You'll hurt yourself more.
[He still looks worried, but he'll relax a little bit against the cave wall, looking up at his captor(?) savior(?). At least he isn't supposed to be dinner, assuming the dragon's being honest.
Seeing a dragon up this close is- well, honestly he never really thought he would see one so soon. Aren't they usually out flying...? More importantly-]
[ Satisfied that the yelling as stopped, he backs up to sit on his haunches, tail swishing behind him. He winds up breathing out a little steam, though, exasperated that the first thing someone thinks is that they're going to be eaten.
... given his mother's stories, though, he sort of understands why. Maybe humans grow up with the same ones? And there's always truth somewhere in a story. ]
I learned from my mother. I don't know if they always can.
[It's more important because it's fascinating and he's not about to be eaten. He's always liked learning new things about the world and the creatures that inhabit it.]
That's amazing. You and your mother are really amazing.
I mean, this is my first time meeting a dragon, so it's not like I have a lot to compare to. But when I read books about it, they never said dragons were capable of human speech. Usually it was something like, 'dragons can understand human tongues, but cannot speak them.' Though maybe that book was out of date? The writer couldn't have met every possible dragon around either, of course...
[ Eyes narrowing again, Shouto makes a low, growling sound at the back of his throat. It's not very threatening thought. Instead it sits more along the lines of is that so, in terms of noises. ]
She used to tell me stories, said that you people put them in books sometimes. About how dragons don't really like to be around humans that often. We probably don't have a lot to talk about when we're fighting.
[ Not really blaming one side or the other, at least directly. But he is eyeballing that sword of his a little. ]
[It might not be that threatening, but for somebody who isn't used to being around dragons, he's a little weary. So forgive him if he tenses up for a moment.]
Mm, we had a lot of books in town, but not a whole lot about dragons. [Which is a shame, because he feels like it wouldn't be as bad talking to one if he had more information about them.] I mostly read that people didn't like being around dragons because they could start fires, or take livestock or a lot of dangerous things-
Ah, not that I want to fight you! Um, thank you for bringing me to your cave. It's a lot better than being passed out in the middle of the forest. And sorry to inconvenience you!
[ Don't worry too much, tiny human. He's just grumbling like an overgrown dog.
Although he does look off to the side at the mention of the livestock, huffing a little bit. He paid for the ones he took. He'll just remind himself of that. It wasn't a discussed trade, but, still.
He looks back at him after he starts apologizing and offering reassurance. ]
There's humans that do the same. [ Or worse. There's definitely bitterness there, but he snorts it away in another stream of steam. ] It just seemed like a better idea to move you than leave you out in the middle of the woods where someone who would eat you could find you.
[It's going to take a while before he even thinks about equating a huge dragon to a dog.]
Yeah... but somehow it feels more dangerous when its from something that's way bigger than you.
I really do appreciate it... [He has nothing to call the dragon, but dragon, and that seems rude. Especially for somebody who went out of his way save him from potentially being eaten by wolves.] Um... Do you have a name?
[ Honestly it'll probably take him a while to better resemble something more friendly, so that's fair. ]
From your perspective, that's understandable. [ He'll concede that. ] Humans are resourceful, though.
[ Always coming up with new ways to do awful things, although he's met a few good ones. He could never see Fuyumi or his brothers doing the things that his father has. And this human doesn't seem so bad, so he regards him for a beat, then: ] Todoroki Shouto.
[ A part of him is a little thankful that his father is known by a different name, usually. He has enough problems without recognition. ]
Midoriya. [ He dips his big head, a sort of you, too. ] I don't know if I can answer a lot of questions, but I guess I can try, if you had wanted to know something about dragons.
Um... I heard dragons like hoarding things, but your cave seems a little empty? How big did you start? Is this how big you're going to stay, or are you still growing?
[He has so many questions, but maybe he shouldn't say them all at a time.]
[ His shoulders shrug - or do a facsimile of a shrug. Dragon anatomy.
He winds up looking around the cave, before shifting to lift up his wing a little, scratching the claw at the tip of his "wrist" against the hinge of his jaw. It's easy enough to process the questions, even though there's a handful at once. ]
I'm only here temporarily, so even if I had the urge to hoard I probably wouldn't build it up here. I've never found something that I've wanted to hoard - it depends, I think. My mother liked to hoard flowers and put them in her den for nesting.
[ And then he spreads his wing out - there's not room for his full wingspan in the cave. ] Probably the size of my head? I don't remember. But I'm almost done growing - I'm an adult, now.
My father is human. [ Said blandly. ] He had what most humans consider to be treasure, gold and things like that, but my mother wasn't interested in anything except flowers.
[ Shouto has little trouble balancing on his legs, his wings opened, until he slumps back onto all fours, wings folding neatly to support his weight. Considering the only other dragon he's met has been his mother... he could be wrong about his size. It doesn't occur to him.
Thiugh he doesn't answer right away, he does eventually. ]
She was sent away - my mother, I mean. I wanted to find her.
Some of us learn how to be human. It helps us survive, when we don't want to fight. My mother had one, and all of her children were born human. I just haven't been one in a long time.
[ Endeavor had no use for a son when he wanted a weapon. He'd have a son when he wanted his legacy to continue. ]
There are knights and lords everywhere that could teach you. [ He considers him. ] How long have you been looking?
You should try it out sometime. I don't think it's anything like being a dragon, but you'd be able to talk to people without chased off. ... You might not have to eat as much? I'm not sure how that works...
[ There's another beat, before Todoroki shifts around where he's seated, snout crinkling up. Midoriya is very non-threatening, even with that giant, magical sword that he's leery of. So he takes the risk, pulling on the magic inherent to what he is.
And...
Well, instead of a giant dragon, there's a mostly-human dragon once the steam and smoke fades - he couldn't get rid of some scaling or his major traits, like his horns or wings or tail, but he's definitely human-shaped now. ]
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I never knew I needed this until I needed it.
Endeavor's name carries clout for a reason, he realizes. Not because he's benevolent, despite the fact he's an acclaimed hero. Mercy isn't on his mind so much as ambition is, which he pushes into his son.
Which is why he rebels, as a fledgling, and abandons the castle when he's full grown. With his mother long gone, moved elsewhere so that she can't disrupt her husband's attempts to mold their son into what he wants him to be.
Shouto decides to go looking for her, in that wide world she told him about, where knights fought dragons like him. It's worth the risk, though - he wants to be the knight that shows up to save her, even if he hasn't been in his human form for a long time.
But instead of his mother, he finds... one such knight, maybe? He has a weapon, obviously. And armor. Despite this, though, he's hurt. His horned head tilts as he assesses him for a long moment, before he makes a decision to relocate him to the cave he's found for himself. It's pretty easy to move him - he's light, and probably would be even if he was as big as his bastard of a father - and he makes sure not to move him in a way that might hurt him more, or dislodge the sword. Even sheathed, he can sense magic off it.
... so that's how he'll wake up: in a different location than the one he'd collapsed in, and with a bi-colored dragon staring down at him with mismatched eyes. ]
i love dragons. i love shouto
And then, by some miracle, he did.
Even so, he's a bit sickly, and fighting off even a small band of wolves took a lot out of him. A few bites and scratches and Izuku just went down after a successful fight.
It takes him an hour or so to wake up and glance around. This... is a cave? He was out in the forest the last time he checked. And looking up- A dragon?!
He attempts to scramble back to the wall- but he's already against it and fairly injured.]
Aaaah! Aaaaa- Please don't eat me, dragon! I-I'm not much more than skin and bones, I wouldn't make for a satisfying snack!
ME ALSO
He stole a few sheep the other week, but the shepherd had been too far away to do much. Besides, he left behind gold from Endeavor's treasury to make up for the sheep.
This one, though - Shouto thinks he might be his age? Admittedly, he's not sure what his human form looks like anymore, but he's guessing based on how his brothers looked when they were his age.
And he's pretty reactive, for someone that's injured. Shouto just stares at him as he wails, his snout scrunching up and eyes narrowing a little. ]
I don't want to eat you. [ His voice comes out in more of a rumble when he's like this, so he tries to enunciate like his mother taught him. ] Quit yelling, and stop moving. You'll hurt yourself more.
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Seeing a dragon up this close is- well, honestly he never really thought he would see one so soon. Aren't they usually out flying...? More importantly-]
I didn't know dragons could talk.
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... given his mother's stories, though, he sort of understands why. Maybe humans grow up with the same ones? And there's always truth somewhere in a story. ]
I learned from my mother. I don't know if they always can.
[ Deku how is that "more importantly." ]
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That's amazing. You and your mother are really amazing.
I mean, this is my first time meeting a dragon, so it's not like I have a lot to compare to. But when I read books about it, they never said dragons were capable of human speech. Usually it was something like, 'dragons can understand human tongues, but cannot speak them.' Though maybe that book was out of date? The writer couldn't have met every possible dragon around either, of course...
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She used to tell me stories, said that you people put them in books sometimes. About how dragons don't really like to be around humans that often. We probably don't have a lot to talk about when we're fighting.
[ Not really blaming one side or the other, at least directly. But he is eyeballing that sword of his a little. ]
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Mm, we had a lot of books in town, but not a whole lot about dragons. [Which is a shame, because he feels like it wouldn't be as bad talking to one if he had more information about them.] I mostly read that people didn't like being around dragons because they could start fires, or take livestock or a lot of dangerous things-
Ah, not that I want to fight you! Um, thank you for bringing me to your cave. It's a lot better than being passed out in the middle of the forest. And sorry to inconvenience you!
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Although he does look off to the side at the mention of the livestock, huffing a little bit. He paid for the ones he took. He'll just remind himself of that. It wasn't a discussed trade, but, still.
He looks back at him after he starts apologizing and offering reassurance. ]
There's humans that do the same. [ Or worse. There's definitely bitterness there, but he snorts it away in another stream of steam. ] It just seemed like a better idea to move you than leave you out in the middle of the woods where someone who would eat you could find you.
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Yeah... but somehow it feels more dangerous when its from something that's way bigger than you.
I really do appreciate it... [He has nothing to call the dragon, but dragon, and that seems rude. Especially for somebody who went out of his way save him from potentially being eaten by wolves.] Um... Do you have a name?
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From your perspective, that's understandable. [ He'll concede that. ] Humans are resourceful, though.
[ Always coming up with new ways to do awful things, although he's met a few good ones. He could never see Fuyumi or his brothers doing the things that his father has. And this human doesn't seem so bad, so he regards him for a beat, then: ] Todoroki Shouto.
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[It was terrifying for a moment, before it became one of the coolest things that ever happened to him.]
I'm Midoriya Izuku.
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Midoriya. [ He dips his big head, a sort of you, too. ] I don't know if I can answer a lot of questions, but I guess I can try, if you had wanted to know something about dragons.
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Um... I heard dragons like hoarding things, but your cave seems a little empty? How big did you start? Is this how big you're going to stay, or are you still growing?
[He has so many questions, but maybe he shouldn't say them all at a time.]
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He winds up looking around the cave, before shifting to lift up his wing a little, scratching the claw at the tip of his "wrist" against the hinge of his jaw. It's easy enough to process the questions, even though there's a handful at once. ]
I'm only here temporarily, so even if I had the urge to hoard I probably wouldn't build it up here. I've never found something that I've wanted to hoard - it depends, I think. My mother liked to hoard flowers and put them in her den for nesting.
[ And then he spreads his wing out - there's not room for his full wingspan in the cave. ] Probably the size of my head? I don't remember. But I'm almost done growing - I'm an adult, now.
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Really? Nothing? The books usually said dragons liked gold and treasures, but I guess it would be different for each of you.
[And when he spreads his wings out, all Izuku can think is majestic. He'd love to see him out in the open at least once.
Todoroki doesn't seem quite as big as the dragons that he's seen in textbooks, but he's certainly much larger than Izuku is.]
Oh... temporary? Are you looking for something, Todoroki-kun?
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[ Shouto has little trouble balancing on his legs, his wings opened, until he slumps back onto all fours, wings folding neatly to support his weight. Considering the only other dragon he's met has been his mother... he could be wrong about his size. It doesn't occur to him.
Thiugh he doesn't answer right away, he does eventually. ]
She was sent away - my mother, I mean. I wanted to find her.
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[He has nothing but time as he waits for himself to heal up.]
So you're on a quest too? I hope you find her.
I... I want to be able to use this sword properly, and for that I need to find a teacher.
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[ Endeavor had no use for a son when he wanted a weapon. He'd have a son when he wanted his legacy to continue. ]
There are knights and lords everywhere that could teach you. [ He considers him. ] How long have you been looking?
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[He fidgets with his fingers as he answers.]
Not very long... Maybe a week or so...?
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[ He snorts, rudely, but at least can answer that too. ]
I didn't interact with them, but there's a keep not far from here that had knights you could probably talk to. See if they can't help you.
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But do you not like being human?
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I don't know.
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And...
Well, instead of a giant dragon, there's a mostly-human dragon once the steam and smoke fades - he couldn't get rid of some scaling or his major traits, like his horns or wings or tail, but he's definitely human-shaped now. ]
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