Caramel Blondie

2- of dice and daydreams

Dec 19th 2330 hours

Kirishima knew that everyone had sort of designed their Dungeons and Dragons characters to look a certain way, but it was hard to not imagine his friends in armour, even so.
And so, this is something like what he imagined the campaign was going like:
Todoroki, "floor paved with stone, the dark corridor ahead seems narrow. Afar, you can hear a dripping sound, like a tap left unchecked, echoing. There is an impending sense of gloom hanging over the area. What do you do?"
Bakugo, dressed in barely anything, his mostly naked torso chiseled from years of fighting, monster teeth strung around his neck, a few scars littered across his toned chest, "I run into the corridor."
"Without caution?" Todoroki.
"I'm a barbarian,"
"Okay, okay." Todoroki rolled a die behind the DM screen. "What's everyone else doing?"
Kaminari, "I'm going to cast the light cantrip."
Todoroki, "the light cantrip must be cast on an object. What's the object?"
"My staff," Kaminari.
"Okay, so you can now see down the corridor as Bakugo is about to fall into a pit trap. Bakugo, roll a dexterity check to avoid the hole."
Bakugo rolls his D20, which is large and made from stainless steel.
"Nineteen," Bakugo said.
"And your modifier?" Todoroki asked, as he made a note on a piece of paper nearby.
"Plus one, so twenty."
"Okay, Bakugo manages to come to a stop just before the pit."
There were a few chuckles between the players.
"I'll walk up closer to him," Kaminari.
"The light moves with Kaminari," Todoroki.
"I'll follow him then," Shinsou.
Kirishima, "I'll do the same."
The rest of the party moves inside the corridor and walks up to the unfairly muscled Bakugo. Kaminari, wearing white robes, holds aloft a wooden staff with a crystal at the end. Kirishima is wearing chainmail and some plate bracers, an abnormally large sword at his belt, and Shinsou moves in the shadows just beyond the light. He wears ninja garb, a face covering, his dark hair in a tight ponytail... or so Kirishima imagined.
"I'm going to jump the pit," Bakugo.
Todoroki, "Roll an athletics or acrobatics check."
Bakugo, "six plus... it's fourteen."
Todoroki, "fourteen? Okay, you make it, just barely."
"Me next," Shinsou moves up to the pit, and in an impressive display of acrobatic prowess, he flips in the air and lands on the other side, perfectly.
"Natural twenty!" Shinsou laughed out loud. Todoroki smiled as he described Shinsou's acrobatic display.
Kaminari, "fifteen."
Todoroki merely nodded, showing he got across.
Kirishima picked up his D20 and rolled it across his character sheet.
"A three..."
"Plus?" Kaminari asked hopefully.
"Plus... athletics?" Kirishima.
Todoroki nodded his head yes.
Kirishima, "Five."
"Eight," Bakugo worked it out for him.
"Oh..." Kirishima was crestfallen.
Todoroki, "Kirishima tried to make the jump but he falls short. Anyone want to roll a dexterity check to catch him before he falls into the spikes at the bottom?"
Bakugo's huge D20 clanked against the table before anyone had time to respond.
Bakugo, "twelve... plus one. Thirteen."
Kaminari giggled softly.
Todoroki laughed, "well you made it, just... Bakugo reaches out at the last possible moment and manages to get hold of Kirishima's hand, then pulls him to safety."
"Thank you!" Kirishima exclaimed, and let out a small, nervous laugh.
Bakugo smiled despite himself, "no problem."
The party then plunged further into the dungeon, and found themselves at a fight. There were quite a number of undead. After a lengthy battle, Kirishima cleaved his greatsword through the last one of them and the fight was over.
"But then, right as you defeat the last of them, there is a clicking sound, like a mechanism activating, and small hatches open in the ceiling. Sand begins to pour in, quite quickly starting to fill the room," Todoroki described.
"I guess we'll be solving that puzzle after all," Kirishima joked.
"Okay, so we need to light these torches, right?" Kaminari.
Shinsou, "that is what the inscription on the base of the pillars says."
Kirishima, "I bet there's an order to it."
"I light all the torches at once," Bakugo.
"Bakugo, no!" Kaminari laughed heartily.
"All of them? How?"
There was some back and forth, as Bakugo showed Todoroki his spells and they figured out it was indeed possible.
"All the torches light up at once, then suddenly all extinguish. The sand pours faster. Twice as fast. The sand is at your knees already, beginning to bury you."
Kaminari, panicking, "Bakugo!!"
Shinsou, "I start trying to light the torches, the second one and then the fourth."
Todoroki, "keep trying, that's ineffective. The torches snuff again."
Kaminari, "could I use Mold Earth to block the holes?"
Todoroki seemed to think for a few long moments, "hmm... I'll allow it," he murmured.
There was relief from all around the table as the sand stopped pouring in.
"Okay, but we're still trapped in here," Shinsou.
"I'm going to blow the door down," Bakugo.
"With a spell?" Todoroki.
"With my fist," Bakugo.
Todoroki, "that's going to be a strength check. And it'll be difficult."
The chunky metal die rolled across the tabletop.
"Natural twenty!" Bakugo grinned.
Todoroki, "you- you blow the door down with your fist..." he sounded as though he could hardly believe it.
There was laughter from all around the table at this.
"Guess that solves that problem," Kirishima laughed.

Dec 20, 0030 hours
(Just after D&D)

"That session was really something else," Kaminari smiled up at Todoroki. They were all now crowded around the kitchen counter in Shinsou and Kaminari's flat, enjoying a last round of tea and hot chocolate before they would call it a night.
"It really was. I'm mad impressed, man," Kirishima took a mouthful of his hot chocolate, holding his mug between both hands, cradling it close.
Todoroki was smiling, "I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I didn't expect you to solve my sand puzzle by brute forcing it, but you did it."
"Okay but Bakugo was playing, what did you expect?" Shinsou chuckled.
Bakugo had buried his face in his tea. He looked peaceful like that, with the hot cup of English Breakfast milk tea held close to his chin, his large hands pressed around it.
Kirishima noticed that he was a little taller than himself, perhaps by half a head. Bakugo had always been a bit taller, but their height difference used to be much closer. Now, Kirishima sort had to look up at him.
He swallowed thickly and tried to tune back into the conversation.
"How did you enjoy it, Kiri?" Kaminari smiled brightly.
"It was awesome, really! Can't wait for next week," he said sincerely.
"Hey, weren't you involved in that attack on Sensō-ji temple?" Kaminari asked. There was concern in his tone.
"Yeah, I was. It was pretty messy. Bakugo, too."
"You guys need to talk about it? I know disasters are kind of in the job description but it can be really hard sometimes," he offered.
"I'm okay, really. I'm really thankful for the offer, though. It feels good to have friends that care," Kirishima said.
"I appreciate it, but no I'm fine." Bakugo responded.
"Okay," Kaminari smiled softly, "I'm here anytime you guys need to, though. Keep that in mind."
"I will, thank you," Kirishima nodded.
"It's getting pretty late, I should get going," Bakugo placed his mug in the sink. Kirishima chugged down the last of his hot chocolate and followed suit.
"Me too! Thanks again, you guys. See you next week!"
"Okay, see you!" Replied Kaminari. Todoroki waved goodbye.
Kirishima and Bakugo walked together to the front door. Bakugo beat him to it, and held the door open for him.
"Oh- thanks. And thanks for inviting me to this thing!"
It was cold out in the street. The streetlight overhead blinked and flickered, making a small buzzing noise that sounded far louder in the stillness than it should.
Bakugo pulled his jacket more tightly around himself and closed the door behind them, then began to walk down the front path. He got through the front gate, and still hadn't acknowledged that Kirishima had spoken.
Bakugo stopped walking when he found the sidewalk. Kirishima wandered out towards him, and was about to open his mouth again when Bakugo finally spoke. His breath puffed out in front of his face in a little cloud.
"Don't mention it, shitty hair."
Kirishima felt as though he'd been slapped. But like, in a good way.
That old nickname hit him like a brick in a sock.
"Ha. Haven't heard that one in a while," he smiled up at Bakugo.
Bakugo wasn't looking at him, his head was turned upwards, towards the cloudless sky.
Kirishima moved closer. He was standing within Bakugo's personal space a little, now. Maybe he was a little too close. It was cold though, he didn't mean it.
Bakugo didn't seem to mind.
"I look up at the stars at night a lot," said Katsuki. Kirishima wrested his gaze from the blond, finally, and looked up as well. The sky above was like a velvet blanket scattered with jewels. "Sometimes... when I'm looking at them, I wonder," he paused. Hesitated, even. Kirishima didn't press him, he just waited. "If you're looking at them too," he looked down, turning his dark eyes to Kirishima now. There was a conflicted expression on his face. He was half frowning, but he didn't look annoyed. Katsuki looked as though he was thinking.
Kirishima was at a loss for words. What a beautiful thing to say.
Had Bakugo gone soft?
"That's... you're-" he wanted to say 'breathtaking', but he caught himself. That would be weird. Wouldn't it?
Bakugo was making direct eye contact. He was waiting patiently for Kirishima to finish. "I don't know what to say," Kirishima huffed a small laugh. His shoulders curled forward, and he broke eye contact, his gaze falling to the floor.
Bakugo cleared his throat quietly and took a step backwards. He looked to the side.
"Goodnight Eijiro," he murmured.
"Goodnight, Katsuki."
Bakugo turned and walked to his car, unlocked it. Kirishima walked towards his own car, trying not to think too hard about that interaction they just had.

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*This chapter published 23/06/2021