Todoroki Under the Bridge || Todoroki x OC

Prologue || When I Was a Young Girl My Father-

[1.19.2019]

+ changed title from "emergence of daddy issues" to "when i was a young girl my father—"

+ minor plot edits and grammar stuffs. the good things. well actually i think i made it worse but oh well.

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The docks near Ari's home weren't as fun as she remembered.

This was the place of the lively fish market she once knew of when she was an even younger child. Shouting, laughing, the funny eyes of all the sea life, free food for just being "a cute sea lass"... Oh, she loved the place. That, however, was a couple years ago. She finds it hard to understand her father when he starts talking "business", but she understands enough to know that something reaaaally big happened and now all the fish are being scaredy cats. Or maybe the fishymans are being chickens? It's one of those. It's hard to think clearly. The scent of stinky fish, saltwater, and fresh rain are really distracting her.

She breathes out and admires the puff that comes out of her mouth. "Look, Tōchan! I'm a dragon! Awooo!" Ari shouts as she keeps puffing. The response from her dad is a pat on the head. "Of course you are," he says, "I need you to stay here until I'm done, okay? Then we can go home." She gives him an extra, extra big smile and an extra big nod that makes her father's stony visage crack a little. Ari likes when her father is being nice. Hopefully, he'll stay that way.

As her father walks away into the depths of the abandoned fishmarket, Ari tries her best to stay under the big tree that serves as their little meeting place. She really does! But, it's impossible for her. Being eight-years-old and having a curious mind is the worst possible combination when you need to stay in one place. Eventually, she wanders off in the direction her dad went. Her imagination runs wild as she runs past empty stalls with her arms out like an airplane.

"Who's there? Show yerself before I make ya!" The old gravely voice stops her airplane shenanigans. Of course her curiosity brings her back on track, and she rounds the corner. Somehow Ari had made her way to the boat section of the dock/fish market thing because a man stands over his boat with a bag in hand. With his hunched posture, tattered yellow raincoat, and a grey beard that's way too long for his face, he reminds her of the old fisherman from her favorite book. She likes that.

He tsks and waves his cane towards her. "Git outta here before yer parents send a search party out fer ya, brat. Lord knows the fish'll be spooked with all that racket going on here." He tosses his bag into the rickety boat with a dull thud.

Ari pouts at his rudeness and runs up to him. "I'm notta brat! I'm... I'm eight!!" To prove her point, she holds up what she thinks eight fingers is. He glances at her from head to toe. "You don't look like any eight-year-old I've ever seen." That makes her more steamed. "I'm eight!" Just because she looks four doesn't mean she is! Stupid adults! Why can't any of them understand that?

"Kids these days not listenin' to their elders is the reason why I have no faith in 'em," he mumbles. She watches as he carefully steps into the boat and smacks the thing on the back of the boat with his cane. She wishes she could help, but gosh she doesn't even know what that thing is.

Listening to the rain is boring, so she watches the old man intently. "Watcha doin'?" she asks as the man smacks his cane more rigorously on the thing. He glares at her before going back to his business. "What's it look like? Runnin' away with me tail between me legs. Does that satisfy ya?" She crosses her arms and ignores his last statement. "Tōchan doesn't like people who do that, y'know. He's always like 'gah! hate them!' and stuff." The old man looks back towards her. The tiredness in his eyes shows as he sighs deeply. "Most men are like that. Lord knows I was," he says.