MCYT Yuri Week 2023 Oneshot Collection (Puffychu & Puffychurose)

Ribbons That Bind (Puffychu)

Puffy had never intended to become a villain.

It wasn't that she saw herself as a hero. Far from it, when she had tried to be a vigilante she had done so specifically because she intended to use her powers for her own gain every once and awhile. Not necessarily to rob banks or anything, but she just wanted to be allowed to punch a guy for being a dick to his girlfriend without repercussions.

But now Puffy was a villain. And the ironic part was she was a villain for selfless, noble reasons.

She couldn't have one nice thing in this Nether-damned city.

That was what led Puffy to the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It had been shut down months ago as the original owners had been running an illegal potion ring. The Hero Committee most certainly confiscated all the Nether Wart, and the rarer ingredients like Blaze powder, magma cream, Ghast tears and Phantom membranes. But Puffy cared very little about the ingredients. She was there for one thing and one thing only: soul sand.

An unguarded, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, well out of areas the Hero Committee sent their heroes to patrol. It should have been an easy mark. No one would have cared for some shitty sand that may possibly steal souls (or just possess the souls of those who die on it, or any of the other hundreds of myths and legends about soul sand).

Unfortunately, that clearly wasn't the case, as while rummaging through the crates to find at least one that contained the disturbing soul sand, she found herself swept off her feet.

And about fifteen feet into the air.

Bound by a bunch of colorful ribbons.

"Looking for something, Aries?"

Puffy tilted her head to look up at the rafters, "Little bird, how are you?"

At least Rook looked mostly amused, "I have a name, Aries. And you didn't answer my question."

Rook was a Legacy Hero, a hero from a long line of heroes. Her family had the habit of taking on hero names based on the hybrid features rather than their powers. Her mother and father were Vulture and Crow, the most top shipped hero duo back in their day. Vulture was known for literally being able to heal and kill with a touch of her hands, and Crow was able to talk to crows. Rook was part of a set of triplets, with her brother Owl and Mockingbird. Her power was the ability to create ribbons, which she could use for a whole lot of purposes.

"Is it weird that I'm kinda into this?" Puffy asked.

"Into this?" Rook tilted her head, reminding Puffy once again of a cute bird.

Puffy gestured her head at the ribbons. "Yeah, you know, the fun bondage times?"

"You're not going to trick me into letting you down so easily," despite her words, Rook had a lovely blush was noticeable beneath the mask.

"I actually suffer from a severe case of acrophobia, so I would appreciate it if you could lower me down," Puffy tried again.

Rook shook her head, "And that has absolutely nothing to do with your ability to draw strength from earth?"

"Nope."

"I'm not inclined to believe that," Rook continued.

Puffy frowned at that. Rook and Puffy had met once, back when Puffy had been a vigilante. Rook and her family had an unofficial agreement that they'd leave each other alone, since they both fought against villains. That had led to Puffy (then Terra) and Rook working together on a few cases. Rook had taken Puffy's fall into villainy hard, and they both knew that old feelings could only go so far to keep things civil between them.

"Little bird, please... I really need to get the soul sand. It's important," Puffy tried.

Rook froze for a moment, then tilted her head, "What do you need the soul sand for?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Puffy sighed.

"Try me," Rook replied.

Puffy shrugged, "I need it in my quest to defeat the giant, evil, mind-controlling egg that has taken over the minds of the higher ups of the Hero Committee."

Tension sat heavy in the air for a few minutes.

"That has got to be... the dumbest justification for crimes I've ever heard," Rook said flatly.

"I warned you," Puffy pointed out, "I know it's hard to believe."

"A giant, evil, mind-controlling egg. You think the higher ups of the Hero Committee is... under control... of a giant egg... and you need soul sand to defeat it?"

"Its corruption is repelled and damaged by soul fire, and it can be used to create water that can help free people from its control," Puffy explained.

Rook let out a loud breath, "Okay, so... you have definitely confused me."

"I can get proof! I just need the soul sand to safely do it!" Puffy said.

That left an awkward tension back in the air. Rook clearly didn't trust her, or at least didn't want to trust her. And Puffy couldn't blame her for it. She hadn't believed it at first. Then she had felt the possessive nature of the Egg firsthand, only being spared thanks to a friend. There was no mistaking what she had experienced as some kind of misunderstanding or illusion. No, it was something horrifying and ancient.

"If I find out you're collecting these crates for Royale for something super illegal, next time we meet I won't hesitate to arrest you," Rook finally said.

The ribbons that had Puffy tightly bound slowly lowered her back to the ground, and the villain finally felt solid earth beneath her hoofed feet. Puffy couldn't help but smile at the hero above her, a smile that the hero tried to hide her desire to return it.

"You're a treasure, little bird," Puffy said as she picked up a crate of soul sand.

Rook shook her head, "I was never here. That is all. If you get caught by someone else, I'm not calling in any favors."

"You know you love me!"