[ Considering his father's decision to leave him here like this, and his mother...
Shouto snorts out steam, before coming forward, stopping just before he stwps into the light. Low to the ground, he knows he doesn't look as big, knows that it's deceptive, but he also knows it doesn't hide everything. He stares at this apparent son, ears pricked forward and expression hidden in darkness. ]
For the best. Though I'm not sure you'll last much longer than she would've.
[ Blunt and simple truth. He's not interested in killing or even hurting people, at least not the ones that don't try to hurt him, but they do have to be punished. If they can't make it... ]
[ That - isn't the first time he's heard that question before, but still. Shouto flicks his ears back as he grunts, soft annoyance, and brings one of his clawed hands up to rub at the side of his jaw.
And when he lowers it, he finally steps forward into the dim light, body angled low but head cocked to look at him more closely with mismatched eyes. It's better than looming over him, but this lets him inspect him. He's very aware of what he looks like, so he doesn't care what the reaction might be from this already terrified person.
No one's ever taken someone else's place before. They've come looking for their missing persons, but never has anyone tried to take someone's place or fought for them. Just fought him for the sake of it. ]
[He looks up, finally, to actually see what Shouto looks like. People weren't kidding when they said beast, that's really... the only thing Izuku can come up with, but it still seems rude to say that to his face. He's sure he's heard enough of it from plenty of people.
Still he only manages a glance before terror grips him and he's staring directly at the ground.]
Th...Then what did you mean? When you said I wouldn't last long...?
[He's staying. He is absolutely terrified, but he's staying because that's only fair, right? One life for another. That's how these things work.]
[ Nose crinkling, Shouto continues to watch him, meeting his gaze when he manages to look at him but taking him in when he looks away. Of course he looks away. His tail swishes behind him, a slow, easy movement before he straightens up. Enough that he's upright, but still on all fours. ]
Your mother trespassed. She would have been required to stay here, but since it's you, you're the prisoner. [ His head cocks, antler-like horns a warped crown. ] You can pick: keep the castle clean and work on repairs, or I can lock you up. Your choice.
[Of course he looks away. Even though Shouto said he wasn't going to be eaten, Izuku still half expects it. And... it's a castle isn't it? It's rude to look somebody of power straight in the eye. Especially since Izuku's just an ordinary peasant.
He'll chance another look while Shouto's talking. He's the prisoner, is he expected to work until he dies? It sort of sounds that way. Given those two options-]
Please show me the supplies.
[It's better to be locked in a castle than a cell, right?]
[ It's lying by ommission, probably, for Shouto to not tell him that he'll free him eventually. Not for a while, certainly, but eventually. He has no optimism about his curse, made bitter, lonely, angry, by what he's been put through because of his father. He looks like this, scarred and transformed. There's no way that he's going to be able to break this curse, so he doesn't consider it, now, looking at this person.
So he'll work him down, and then swnd him away, as he does with anyone. After that, their survival is entirely on them. They can find their way home themselves. If they make it, fine. If they don't, he's not reaponaible for them. ]
This way. [ He turns with a flick of his tail, leading the way into the dark halls of the castle. ] Watch your step. I don't want to have to pull you out of a hole.
[Once Shouto turns, Izuku looks up and studies him as they walk. A beast, a lion's tail- sort of... deer like when it comes to his antlers, but not quite like any creature he's ever seen before. It's much easier to look at him like this, when he knows he's not being sized up- and probably found lacking. (He usually is.)
He'll probably wind up in a cell or something if he doesn't at least manage to clean the castle, so he nods- before remembering Shouto isn't looking at him.]
[ Truth be told, Shouto doesn't know what he's meant to be. As far as he's concerned, he's a beast. A monster. And as far as most people who come here are concerned, he's a beast. Perhaps something more, given the offerings, the people who come to fight him, like it'd be proof of their strength. But it doesn't matter. Whatever he us, he isn't a person anymore.
He lets out a soft noise, acknowledging him, and then is silent. But he continues easily down the hall, leading the way, until there's more dim light through unblocked, opened windows. ]
What can you do? [ He asks it out of the blue, but it's a necessary question. ]
[Izuku doesn't know his story. But if he's going to be in this castle for god knows how long with Shouto as his only company- he's either going to need to get very used to being lonely, or he's going to need to learn to talk to Shouto. As scary as the second option sounds, the first one is too lonely.
He fusses with his hands for a moment or two-]
Um... Not a lot. I was a farmer before- so I tended to crops. We trapped some animals for food too, so I can prepare small game. I fixed and cleaned stuff at home too. I can't really fight or anything like that...
[ Unfortunately for him, Shouto is used to being alone. He isn't the best conversationalist. But at least he's not growling and glaring, just... apathetic. Cold without being necessarily cruel. ]
You won't have to fight. Anyone that comes here for one is after me, anyways, so they won't see reason to attack you. [ He pushes some abandoned furniture aside, moving to stand up at his full height so that he can place a table against the wall where it won't fall over again. ] Once a week there's an offering of some kind left at the entrance. Usually a collection of fish and small game. Sometimes a deer or boar. Take care of the small game.
[ Going from his cloven hindfeet back to all fours, he looks back at him again. ] There's a garden, as well.
[He can deal with cold, with apathetic, he thinks. He's spent most of his life dealing with Kacchan, in a way, this is almost easier. He isn't being told to die every couple of hours, just put to work in the beast's castle. It's fine.]
I can take care of the game. Um... Would you like me to take care of the garden...? So... Small game, cleaning and repairs, and the garden?
If you want to. [ Shouto regards him thoughtfully, mismatched eyes sharp while he assesses. He doesn't necessarily want to overwork him, because that would render him useless, but at the same time... it's a punishment. ] It went wild years ago, so it would be too much work to get it into a more controlled state, but there's still crops you can take from it.
[ He turns to look out one of the windows, ears flicking up on either side of his horns. ] And herbs, if you find yourself sick or injured. I don't remember everything that's there, the garden was... [ He trails off, squashes memories of his mother aside. ] Someone else's project.
[He feels himself shrink under Shouto's gaze. Izuku might have been brave enough to take the place of his mother, but getting stared at like that is uncomfortable. Even as he shrinks, this time he meets Shouto's eyes.]
I'd like to take care of it. I'll try not to make trouble.
[The gardens are probably the closest he's going to get to home while he's here. Even as overrun as they are, they're plants. He knows how to deal with plants.]
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no subject
Shouto snorts out steam, before coming forward, stopping just before he stwps into the light. Low to the ground, he knows he doesn't look as big, knows that it's deceptive, but he also knows it doesn't hide everything. He stares at this apparent son, ears pricked forward and expression hidden in darkness. ]
For the best. Though I'm not sure you'll last much longer than she would've.
[ Blunt and simple truth. He's not interested in killing or even hurting people, at least not the ones that don't try to hurt him, but they do have to be punished. If they can't make it... ]
no subject
And Izuku isn't exactly calm at the best of times, so he jumps at that.]
Wh-What? Y-You're not going to eat me... are you? I-I mean- was that rude? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
[He immediately curls in on himself, making himself look as small and unintimidating as possible. It's not hard- he's not intimidating in the least.]
no subject
[ That - isn't the first time he's heard that question before, but still. Shouto flicks his ears back as he grunts, soft annoyance, and brings one of his clawed hands up to rub at the side of his jaw.
And when he lowers it, he finally steps forward into the dim light, body angled low but head cocked to look at him more closely with mismatched eyes. It's better than looming over him, but this lets him inspect him. He's very aware of what he looks like, so he doesn't care what the reaction might be from this already terrified person.
No one's ever taken someone else's place before. They've come looking for their missing persons, but never has anyone tried to take someone's place or fought for them. Just fought him for the sake of it. ]
I don't eat people.
no subject
Still he only manages a glance before terror grips him and he's staring directly at the ground.]
Th...Then what did you mean? When you said I wouldn't last long...?
[He's staying. He is absolutely terrified, but he's staying because that's only fair, right? One life for another. That's how these things work.]
no subject
Your mother trespassed. She would have been required to stay here, but since it's you, you're the prisoner. [ His head cocks, antler-like horns a warped crown. ] You can pick: keep the castle clean and work on repairs, or I can lock you up. Your choice.
no subject
He'll chance another look while Shouto's talking. He's the prisoner, is he expected to work until he dies? It sort of sounds that way. Given those two options-]
Please show me the supplies.
[It's better to be locked in a castle than a cell, right?]
no subject
So he'll work him down, and then swnd him away, as he does with anyone. After that, their survival is entirely on them. They can find their way home themselves. If they make it, fine. If they don't, he's not reaponaible for them. ]
This way. [ He turns with a flick of his tail, leading the way into the dark halls of the castle. ] Watch your step. I don't want to have to pull you out of a hole.
no subject
He'll probably wind up in a cell or something if he doesn't at least manage to clean the castle, so he nods- before remembering Shouto isn't looking at him.]
Y-yes! I mean- I will watch my step.
no subject
He lets out a soft noise, acknowledging him, and then is silent. But he continues easily down the hall, leading the way, until there's more dim light through unblocked, opened windows. ]
What can you do? [ He asks it out of the blue, but it's a necessary question. ]
no subject
He fusses with his hands for a moment or two-]
Um... Not a lot. I was a farmer before- so I tended to crops. We trapped some animals for food too, so I can prepare small game. I fixed and cleaned stuff at home too. I can't really fight or anything like that...
no subject
You won't have to fight. Anyone that comes here for one is after me, anyways, so they won't see reason to attack you. [ He pushes some abandoned furniture aside, moving to stand up at his full height so that he can place a table against the wall where it won't fall over again. ] Once a week there's an offering of some kind left at the entrance. Usually a collection of fish and small game. Sometimes a deer or boar. Take care of the small game.
[ Going from his cloven hindfeet back to all fours, he looks back at him again. ] There's a garden, as well.
no subject
I can take care of the game. Um... Would you like me to take care of the garden...? So... Small game, cleaning and repairs, and the garden?
[He's a busy prisoner, it seems.]
no subject
[ He turns to look out one of the windows, ears flicking up on either side of his horns. ] And herbs, if you find yourself sick or injured. I don't remember everything that's there, the garden was... [ He trails off, squashes memories of his mother aside. ] Someone else's project.
no subject
I'd like to take care of it. I'll try not to make trouble.
[The gardens are probably the closest he's going to get to home while he's here. Even as overrun as they are, they're plants. He knows how to deal with plants.]