[OPEN-ISH] February Catch-All

[floatsaway]

⌛ Who: Ochako and YOU.
⌛ What: Ochako is out and about!!
⌛ When: All through February.
⌛ Where: Nippon. :|b
⌛ Warnings: None for now.

i. Fashion - Put it all on me (Shibuya)

[It's been a tiring few days this month. On top of being in this world a full month without hide nor hair of another of their friends, classmates, or teachers...Ochako has just been a bit off for the past few days more and more. She can usually manage to remain cheerful, but certain events are just starting to drag her down, and the smile she normally puts on doesn't quite reach her eyes most of the time, or seems strained...forced, even. Her laughter seems a bit hollow, and she actually doesn't engage conversation most times, anymore. Her head seems up in the clouds, though her eyes always seem to be cast on the ground.

Most of her days now are spent out of her shared apartment with Bakugou. Shopping mostly, for clothes and for food mostly - though she does buy a few useful things with the money she got last month. A radio, a few books, and some stuffed animals for herself to adorn her room with. Today's outing has found her in Shibuya, because Ochako - while doing a small little odd job for some neighbors, learned that those like herself...refugees, are given three free clothing items at the shops there on their first visit. Ochako needs clothes, so she's quick to thank her neighbor with bow after bow and head out with a little snack as thanks and payment for her help.

Shibuya in this day an age is so...different than what she knows. The huge skyscrapers, large monitors displaying advertisements and commercials, pro hero records and news reports...the crossing station absolutely cluttered with people... Man. It's so odd seeing how things were back in time. And it doesn't even really seem all that long ago, either.

Looking around, Ochako makes her way toward the nearest clothing shop, avoiding being heckled by promotional employees, though she does nab a few packages of tissues some people are handing out, and maybe a flyer for a clothing store. As she's looking over said flyer, she...doesn't seem to notice that the crosswalk isn't safe to enter. O-Oops...

Someone perhaps stop this very distracted, silly brunette? Please??]

ii. Hero's Duty (Blackout Areas)

[Hearing about the blackout areas was bad enough, but knowing how poorly it effected people, especially during the cold, winter month, Ochako found it hard to resist the urge to spring into action. It's in her blood, she's a hero above all else, and this is just the sort of scenario that she's been trained for. All decked out in her Hero Costume, she's zipping through the air with her little boosters and her quirk, arms full of warm, comfy blankets donated by shelters, and bags hanging from her arms with food from local vendors that agreed to help.

So!! Expect a strangely dressed, young teenage girl to perhaps be appearing at your place of residence!]

H-Hello! I heard this area was under the effects of a major blackout. I know it's very cold tonight, so I got a few businesses to help donate things for people. This is a small care package - there's a blanket, and some hot food in there. Oh, and some even have candles and a matchbox! Hopefully the power will return soon, so please stay warm!!

[After a few...no, a lot of hours of doing this - zipping back and forth between home and pick up spot, the fatigue really starts to show on Ochako. She's floating not quite so high in the air, not moving quite so fast, and she looks a bit pale and sickly. She won't puke, heavens no, but the overuse of her quirk is certainly making her very nauseous. Plus, she is just generally...very tired, and a bit stressed for a good number of reasons. Still, she'll put on a pleasant smile and keep on keeping on.]

iii. Smile Like the Sun - (CLOSED to Bakugou)

[Once everything is done, once Ochako has worked herself down to the bone and delivered everything and checked on everyone at least once...she heads back to Nihonbashi to where she shares an apartment with Bakugou. Tired, still a bit queasy, though getting better as she walks (not floats), Ochako begins removing parts of her hero costume the closer she gets to the door. That tired, heavy feeling gets worse and worse with each step closer to the door, and her body feels stiff and cold when she enters the small space, sitting down to start tugging off her boots.]

...Tadaima.

['I'm home' - though she seems overly quiet and not nearly as energetic as she usually is. Of course not. Earlier in the month, her friend got, what was it...cursed? Yes, cursed by some sort of stupid rock spirit or whatever, and she'd been worrying about him for days. His explosion anger, expressions, and personality were all muted and stony. Literally. Poor Bakugou, he looks so weirdly serious with that blank expression on his face, and while Ochako wasn't worried at first - she even laughed her ass off in the beginning, now she's...scared. It's been about a week now, and his condition hasn't gotten any better, only offset somewhat by her presence close to him. Never really fixing the problem, just hindering the symptoms for a while.

It's made Ochako feel very...powerless. She's supposed to be a hero, supposed to save peoples, save other heroes - it's what she was trying so hard to be!! But she can't even really help her friend, the person closest to her right now. She doesn't look anywhere but down at the floor as she walks in - a habit she's developed to save herself from wincing each time she sees her friend - and moves toward the small bathroom they have.]

I'm going to take a bath. I'll eat after. [She doesn't really have an appetite at all right now, hasn't for the past few days, but she'll hear it if she doesn't eat anything, so has been nibbling like a mouse on whatever meal they prepare. Maybe she can get away with eating in her room tonight...she really just. Doesn't have it in her tonight to deal.]

Comments

ii

[accidentallich]

[The good news is that as tired as Ochako looks and feels, she still looks better than the person she's dropping off a care package for!

The bad news is that this is because Gershom is a skeleton. Kind of a low bar.]

Oh - thank you very much. A-are you alright, miss?

[She looks kind of pale...]

[floatsaway]

[SHE ABOUT TO LOOK PALER.

Because the moment Ochako takes one look at who opened the door, she freezes up slightly and her eyes go wide, a full body shiver causing the bag she's holding to shake. Ah...of course. Of course this would happen. This is just the troubled life she lives now.]

Oh...

[accidentallich]

I-I'm sorry!

[He takes a step back, hands up. He didn't mean to scare her, especially when she's being so nice...!]

[floatsaway]

[Taking a minute to gather herself, Ochako shakes her head furiously and steels herself, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice. Wow, that came off pretty bad, didn't it? Maybe this person is another Yokai? Or just...some sort of skeletal creature from another world that's totally normal in their world and not hers and she should really not fucking judge.

And grow a spine when it comes to this sort of thing, too.]

Ah, eh--...n-no! It's fine, I'm. F-Fine. Heh...ehehe, I'm sorry, that was very r-rude of me, wasn't it? [She bows her head a little.] I just, um...I was a bit surprised.

[accidentallich]

It's okay. Most people react like that, if they don't pull out the torches and pitchforks, so you're fine, nu?

[Really, a little freaking out and then an apology is more than he could ever hope for.]

[floatsaway]

Eeeh?! That's horrible...

[Listen, she can understand being scared, screaming like a fruit bat, and catapulting yourself in the other direction - Ochako does not do well with horror in any shape or form - but...this is different. I mean, he (they?? Ochako doesn't know how to...tell...) seems nice enough, so while her knees are still shaking a bit, she's doing her best to be polite.]

W-Well, um...I don't have any of that, but I do have some blankets and, um...s-some food. It's hot, so it'll warm you up, I...hope... [Can he even eat it? Will it fall through or...]

[accidentallich]

Blankets would be wonderful, thank you. Please give the food to someone who can appreciate it more.

[He can't taste, so it'd be wasted on him.]

[floatsaway]

Alright...if you're sure.

[Nodding her head, Ochako will keep the food - she's not going to ask about anything, it seems really rude - but will indeed hand over the blanket. It's thick and heavy, and should provide some insulation.]

How are you holding up? My n--ah...you can call me Uravity. [Since she's technically doing a job, even if there's no real heroes or anything here, this is the closest thing to hero work...may as well use her code name.] Um, if you need anything, I can go run it out for you.

[accidentallich]

[Gershom wraps the blanket around his shoulders. It's nice and warm.]

I'm fine, really. It's very kind of you to go out of your way like this.

I'm cheating...... fight me.

[detonating]

[Katsuki had decided, begrudgingly, to hang back, when Ochako had mentioned taking supplies out to the blacked out areas. While it wasn't first choice when it came to hero work, it really honestly was a hard decision for him to make. At this rate, he would kill for anything that made him feel like he was on course to achieve his goal, and not like he was spiraling down into a dark place where he didn't even know who the hell he was anymore. He'd left her waiting for nearly an hour, before he had finally landed on staying home while she went off and got to be a fucking hero. Watching the door close behind her, her arms filled with supplies that people needed--to go be fucking needed at all, made him feel like his blood ran ice cold in his veins. So many emotions that he couldn't even fucking express, even if he wanted to. Anger, naturally. Envy, one that seriously put a bad taste in his mouth to have... and worst of all, failure. Here was an opportunity; one of the only ones that had come up since his arrival, to do the one thing--the only thing he wanted to do in his life and he was watching it walk out of his apartment in the arms of someone else.

The fact was though, feelings about it aside, that he couldn't. The curse, seemingly harmless on the surface, honestly hurt. In ways he couldn't even really describe. And it was even worse when he did try to express himself. If he had to try that description, Katsuki would say it was agonizingly slow emotional suffocation, and that the longer it went on, the more physical it seemed. Keeping himself away from other people (Ochako being the one exception for a few reasons) seemed to be one of the only things that kept it at an even place.

After cleaning up the already decidedly clean space, and doing some simple exercises to pass the time, Katsuki too had decided that a bath didn't sound bad at all. Another way to pass the time in this prison of an apartment. Fuck he was sick of looking at the walls. So, he soaked for as long as the water stayed hot, and then found himself right back at square one. A little bit of scrolling through the network for refugees; the routine nightly check for anyone they might know, with no means to express his disdain when he once again came up empty. At least it killed enough time, because he realized it was getting late enough to start on dinner.

Cooking was pretty much the only area he had any measure of fucking zen during this entire hell week. It was just so easy to zone into it, and zoning meant that he wasn't thinking about anything beyond measurements and temperatures... which meant he wasn't fighting with the horrible sensation of needing to frown. Miso soup was a staple in their apartment, the health benefits alone making it such. Tonight he'd decided to pair it with a simple tonkatsu, spice free despite his upset with the situation earlier. The brunette's torture from the night before had been more than enough, he wasn't a total fucking sadist. Besides... she was out working. Ochako was already off, she had been for days, and it wasn't hard to see that she was compartmentalizing. Considering everything she was doing to try to help him... he could make sure she had a full stomach that wasn't bound to be upset within the hour.

Her timing, is frankly perfect, because Katsuki has just finished adding final touches when she comes in the door. For a moment, he's almost managed to compartmentalize his own ocean of shitty feelings, but it's the way that she won't look at him as she tries to brush past him that yanks it all right back to the surface. That shit pisses him the fuck off, more than her crying or laughing in his fucking face, because it just screams pity. Like a storm siren in his head, PITYPITYSHEFUCKINGPITIESYOU, even somewhere deep inside he knows he should know better with her, at this point in their friendship. It's irrational, it's pretty delusional and even knowing that, he can't stop the fury from finally spilling out--even if he knows that it's not going to come out the way that he's feeling it. It's going to be flat, and painful, but the fuck her factor is too much at this point.]

HEY!!! At least have the damn guts to look me in the fucking eye if you're gonna brush me off like that, Uraraka!

[Katsuki shocks himself, with how easily that flies out of his mouth. The projection of anger barreling out of his chest not stifled or dulled. Even more than that, the blonde teen is falling silent because he could feel the furrow of his brow as he yelled at his friend, the stretch of his mouth going wide and the pull of his nose as it wrinkled with the force of his words.

Don't mind him, he is wide eyed and fucking floored. So much so that he can't even stop the impulse to reach up and touch two fingers to the corner of his mouth, that's agape with his complete and utter bafflement. It's over. It's finally fucking over???? Should he ask her to mother fucking pinch him, just to be sure this isn't some fucked up fantastical dream?! FUCK, but in the most PLEASANT WAY POSSIBLE?????]

u_u i will hug you instead for this lovely and painful tag

[floatsaway]

[Truth is, there is a bit of pity there, but not much. Most of all it's guilt, frustration, and the decline of her own self worth as days tick on and his condition hasn't improved at all. Ochako feels helpless, stuck waiting and watching her friend suffer quietly when nothing they're doing fixes it. She's supposed to be a hero that saves people, that gives them hope and lifts them up, but this place has well and truly taken that away from her. She can't even help the person right next to her. And what she's doing right now is the bare minimum.

It's infuriating, and knowing how she's getting mad at herself, putting all this one herself when she should be more concerned about how it's effecting Bakugou just perpetuates the cycle of her self-loathing. He's probably so sick of her. So sick of being forced to be around her, having to hold hands, just to he could eat, not express himself and not be able to do anything about it himself. Ochako knows Bakugou, knows him pretty well. This sort of thing, where he can't solve it himself...it must be infuriating to him. Something he can't overcome. Something he needs help with. Ochako wouldn't even blame him if he resented her for having to be the one to literally hold his hand through it all. It's another part of why she's been avoiding his eye, and avoiding his presence.

She's not a good hero. She's not strong, or capable, or any of those nice things he said to her before. She's weak, and small, and mediocre, and no one takes her seriously both here and back home. No one thinks she's capable. Maybe to a degree, but no a single person really thinks she can stand on her own, probably. And they're right. They've always been right, she just tried so hard to show them different, but Ochako can't run from the truth.

Broken from her spiraling thoughts, she freezes when that blast of volume strikes her from across the room. It's startling, because for the past week the apartment has been relatively...quiet. Bakugou couldn't emote well enough to yell or curse, so an explosive shout like that was enough to get her to flinch, and stop, and then...slowly. Slowly look back, confused, but with a tiny glint in her eye as she finally, finally looks at him. Surprise? Definitely. Perhaps something else is reflected there, too...in those brown eyes, but it's so small and so dull - like the crackle of a lighter trying so, so hard to produce a flame.

Hope. Joy. Relief...

An end in sight.]

Huh?

I am open for that hug life ;;

[detonating]

[Of course he resents her. Katsuki's resentment towards her had been slowly growing with each day, with every bit of her inching into that place of despair that's been written clearly on her face--when she'd even let him see her fucking face in the first place. No, he absolutely did NOT want to have to rely on her like this even a little bit, but Ochako doesn't know that Katsuki chose to just suffer through the damn thing. The fact that there was a solid cure is lost on her, and maybe he should've told her, but adding something as awkward as a kiss to their friendship wasn't an option, they're already dealing with enough. It wasn't like he was dying--although apparently, in other things he'd kept from her, that was a narrow miss. So the slow, downward spiral into her looking at him like some pathetic, weak burden only made the fact that he needed her even fucking worse.

That's why he couldn't hold back tonight, not anymore, when he saw those eyes glued to the fucking floor once again. The resentment isn't something that's going to go away, but right now? Right now it's getting shoved aside, because...

Both hands are at his face now, feeling out the movement as he bares teeth, frowns hard...]

Hahh...

[That forced frown is curling up now, a wide grin carving into his features as he touches at his own face for a moment longer. Then, one hand curls into a triumphant fist while the other comes out in front of him. Palm up, Katsuki's head tips back with a hearty, rough laugh. His palm glows hot red and crackles, and with his loud exclamation comes a boom, a small explosion that he just can't fucking help emitting. Ochako is completely forgotten in his sudden elation, all he can focus on is the warm shot of adrenaline that comes with his complete and utter relief.]

FUCK YEAH!!!

then prepare yourself u_u

[floatsaway]

[And knows this. Ochako knows how much Bakugou must be struggling, how much he's hurting, how frustrating this all is, and she was stuck - caught between wanting to distance herself for his sake, and keeping him close because that was the bare minimum she could do...as his friend. It's been tugging at her from opposite sides, like she was being split in half, and eventually it reached a breaking point where she could do her part, but also try and make herself seem like she wasn't really there. It wasn't a solution, just an excuse.

But now? Now, it seems she doesn't have to do any of that anymore. As she finally looks the blond in the eye for the first time in days, sees the tug of his lips into a frown, she nearly falls over from the imbalance of relief that grips her suddenly. A step back, then one forward to right herself, and the next thing she sees is that grin - his signature one that always seems a little scary at first, but in reality it's...it's him. It's Bakugou.

Seeing his delight, the literal burst of emotion on his face and with his quirk, Ochako's face tugs into a thin smile of her own, though hers looks a lot weaker, still not sure what to really feel other than lightheaded. She's happy...she's really happy, but she's also just so, so relieved. Before she can even think about it, the girl is moving forward, legs working on their own, and the speed and force with which she flings herself at Bakugou may have them colliding to the floor. Ochako holds him tight in her arms, face pressed into his chest as she gasps and shakes and croaks out a weak laugh of her own.]

Bakugou! Bakugou, you're back!! Y-You're okay...! [She exhales, and feels like more and more weight is falling off her shoulders.] Ah...hahah, I'm so glad...

[detonating]

[It wasn't just resentment that he'd had for her. Nothing, in the category of feelings, can ever actually be simple for him here it seems, because that same suffering she was going through on his account also made him feel like an asshole. If he wouldn't have kicked that stupid rock in the first place, she wouldn't have had to endure him, and watching his friend slowly get swallowed up by that darkness also made him feel bad. Honestly, the resentment was easier to hold on to and deal with... that was one he was already accustomed to dealing with. Something like genuine guilt was still really foreign to him, and Katsuki did not and does not like feeling vulnerable like that.

Right though, doesn't even matter right now. He's still laughing when Ochako moves, and is far too engrossed in savoring the feeling of his mouth adjusting with each ha to brace himself. The sound of maniacal joy is cut off with the impact, an 'oof' of air escaping as the brunette plows into him hard with her embrace. They absolutely do wind up crumpling to the floor, a hard thud that is sure to disturb the people around and beneath them.

It's a little sobering, having the wind knocked out of him like that, enough that his laughter ebbs away. That being said, he can't even begin to sound pissed off right now, even has he tries to bitch at her for tackling him like that.]

The fuck, Cheeks, was that really necessary?

[Maybe it's because they've spent the last few days in constant contact, reflex at this point... or maybe it's just that he's so relieved that he doesn't even give a shit about being soft, or whatever. Alternately, and it's something he won't dare admit out loud, fucking ever, but the touching this week also added to the storm of emotions by bringing a sense of comfort that he hasn't needed or wanted since he was a literal fucking child. Like toddler age. Either way, after a moment, Katsuki frowns hard (and gods fuck, HE CAN DO THAT!), raising one hand to find the back of her head, fingertips brushing through dark strands to press against her scalp. Grumbling out his next words, almost defensively.]

I fuckin' told you I would be. [He did, the day he'd gotten his 'diagnosis' from those asshole at the NRL.]

[floatsaway]

[She never would have blamed him, and doesn't in this exactly moment and those leading up to it. How could he have known something like this was going to happen? A little habit, a thing people often do, even just accidentally. It's so inconsequential a thought and action, how in the world could Ochako ever blame Bakugou for acting like himself? She wouldn't. She wouldn't ever, ever tell him not to be exactly who he is. He is who he is and she accepts that - all the good and the bad sides of him. He is her friend and she respect him because of who he is at his core - and he has grown past the person she was genuinely afraid to fight months and months ago. Still the same deep down, but still Bakugou.

She would have apologized for knocking him over if Ochako didn't think that yes, this was extremely necessary to do, or the fact that she's just at such a loss for words right now, struggling with the tidal wave of emotions that is hitting her from all sides. Not to mention how, for a brief moment, she tenses at his touch, before relaxing into it slowly, and laying her head against his chest again. It's startling, and a little bit confusing...but not bad at all. Gentle, and familiar, and as Ochako peeks up to look at her friend in the face, there's a quiet sort of questioning look in her eyes before she blinks and just closes her eyes. It almost feels a little like when her papa would do that - big, strong, gentle hands smoothing down her hair when she was scared or stressed. Bakugou's hands are, well...they're pretty dangerous, given his quirk, but maybe because of the past few days where she's had to hold onto them to make it easier for him, or just the time they've spent together over the months here and back home in general...

She trusts those hands.

But it's still a little strange - Ochako always thought Bakugou reciprocated the touch because he had to, because that was how it worked, so this is...new. But nice.]

I know. [She exhales again, letting the past week fall off her shoulders.] I know you did... You always pull through, Bakugou-kun, that's what you're really good at. Sorry for making trouble for you, I just...I'm--

[Ochako tightens her grip on him again, and while he's not so open to being vulnerable, she's not as pressed about it. It's not pleasant, but, gosh...if she has to hold back any more, she might burst.] I missed you. This you. The one that's here right now.

[detonating]

[The frown on his face sharpens more, his lower lip jutting out a little further than the top in that boyishly grumpy pout he gets, the tension of her arms and frame against his is short lived, but telling enough that he's already second guessing his fucking mindset here. All of this happens at the same time as those big brown eyes raising, meeting his with that curious look in them, a look that causes his fingers to twitch against her scalp with the desire to abort that fucking mission. Don't ask, you ain't getting a fucking answer is what he thinks to himself in the short time that they hold each other's gazes there... before Ochako is letting her eyes slip closed and relaxing against him all over again. The tension in his own body from the brief, awkward engagement there is slower to bleed away, but it does gradually.

Temporarily, that is. It's a different kind of tension though, fingertips pressing in a little bit more firmly against her head as she apologizes. Out of habit, from the last week, Katsuki clenches his jaw down hard with the resurgence of his anger from just a few minutes before. He can't help it, it's a raw wound, one that's been festering for days and getting worse and worse the more downcast that Ochako got. He's honestly about ready to just reflexively rip right into her, to call her the fuck out when the next part comes and-- Katsuki is kinda fucking floored by it.

I missed you. This you. The one that's here right now.

...has anyone ever said anything like that to him? Taking a moment to really think about it... no. And it's not rocket science as to why. Katsuki's knee jerk reaction is to respond in some sardonic way, like "Ah right cause you're just a glutton for punishment" or "Wow you've got some fuckin' issues if you missed an asshole like me", but something has him stopping himself. Is it the foreign as fuck warmth Ochako exudes, a feeling like home, that he gets with having her pressed to him? The same feeling he got holding her hand, or when he looks at her sometimes? Is it just because of the weird... friendship building milestones they just seem to keep walking right in to? Both?

Fuck. Probably. It makes him think back, to how light they both seemed to feel after that stupid compliment experiment, how things seemed to be a little easier to navigate after saying shit like that to one another. Before opening up they got along as well as could be expected, but it seemed a hell of a lot less like treading thin ice afterwards. It was good... probably the best he'd felt since they got here, and then the stupid fucking curse had to destroy that minor peace. Would it kill him, to actually just. Tell her how he felt, without screaming in her face about it? He's too honest to not call her out, but maybe... just maybe, he can do it without being too antagonistic about it. He didn't fucking drop dead before...

There is still silence from him as he's trying to find the words that make him feel the least vulnerable, but Katsuki's fingers absently stroke against the soft hair against them. Should Ochako look at him, she'll find him glaring very seriously at the ceiling above them, jaw working a little as he grinds his teeth together.]

...I was getting pretty fucking sick of the way you wouldn't look me in the eye anymore.

[Naturally, he sounds a little pissed, accusatory, even if he manages to keep his voice at what people would consider a normal level, but there's something else there, hidden beneath it. It's the sound of someone who is wounded, but trying to hide it at whatever cost. He could probably elaborate, but somehow that feels like it gets the point across well enough. Too uncomfortable to go on, and too close to the edge of his temper to dare tread further. Katsuki isn't quite ready for this moment to end, not that he's sure how to even process that development about himself, and the minute he goes on... he runs the risk of destroying it altogether.]

[floatsaway]

[It's so strange to feel some form of deep-seated joy at seeing each and every pull of her friend's face into a pout, or a frown, even his usual glare as their eyes meet and she sees the familiar qualities that make him the person that she knows. Ochako's so relaxed, for the first time in days...probably weeks, actually. She never fully realized just how much Bakugou says with his expressions alone - the little inflections that show in his body language. He speaks with his actions, not necessarily with his words, and...t-to have that part of him taken away...ugh. It was almost lonely. It really did feel like he was becoming a statue, and it was terrifying. It was miserable for Ochako, and probably, so much worse for Bakugou. He was the one truly suffering through it all.

So, like seeing her friend again after a long time alone, or for the first time, Ochako is studying his face like a work of art. His eyes, the curve of his jaw, the way his lower lip puffs out when he pouts, how his lips curl back over his teeth when he starts to get mad, the wrinkle of his nose, and the knit of his thin, blond eyebrows...everything. If he screamed at her right now, she wouldn't even be upset. No, it's what he does do that actually makes Ochako flinch a bit, because the upset in his voice is different than his usual anger. She can hear how hurt he is, and it digs in deep - the guilt making her own fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt, hiding her face away just for a minute out of shame and embarrassment. Ochako never, ever meant to hurt him again. Ever.]

I didn't mean to... I just-- [She swallows the tight feeling in her throat, and she begins to tremble against his hold.] I was...s-scared.

[A deep breath, a shaky breath, and another, and another.] I didn't know what to do. I hated seeing you like that. I-It's not like anything back home. If you were hurt, or injured, th-that's normal...heroes get hurt all the time, and it stinks but it's easier to manage!! That was just...I couldn't--

[Ochako bites the inside of her cheek until she can taste iron, her own teeth grinding together because it hurts to admit how dependent she's become on him. His presence. It feels like a glaring flaw, a weakness. She shouldn't have to rely on or depend on anything. He doesn't. He's strong on his own. He's always stood on his own so easily.] Bakugou...it f-felt like I was...l-losing you in a w-w-way I wasn't r-r-ready for...and I c-couldn't do...hhk! Anything!!

i

[terribletwos]

Roxas only really knows about crosswalks in terms of trolley tracks. He's never visited any worlds that have actual cars, other than the vague memories he has about the ones Sora fought in some black and white world. But he still knows that getting hit by a moving object is bad news.

"Ochako!" He yells out to warm her as he tries to use his Reversal speed to push her out of harm's way.

Only problem is that the time loops choose then to supercharge Roxas' steps, sending them both barreling into the nearest shop. Which luckily happens to be a clothing shop. Unfortunately, Roxas' trajectory crashes them both into a display rack, which has quite the domino effect.

[floatsaway]

"...Mm?"

The calling of her name actually gets the girl to pause for a moment, looking up just in time to see movement. Whether it was a car or Roxas that she saw was anyone's guess, but as she's caught by his speed, she shrieks with surprise and lands ass over teakettle into the shop display. It's not graceful or pretty in any way, and there are various clothes and accessories spraying from the bowled over racks like a spitting volcano as the two teens collide into it - Ochako screeching loudly with surprised the entire way.

"Ow, ow, ow... What in the world--?!" She's pulling herself free from a tangle of fabric, or trying to. Good lord, what just happened?

[terribletwos]

"Sorry!"

Roxas struggles to yank some clothing off himself so he can even see around him again. His shoes slip on more fabric that's spilled to the floor, making it more difficult for him to find his footing. He can already hear the sound of anxious footsteps running toward them. Probably workers wondering what's going on.

"Are you okay?" He can explain later. Or well, try to. Checking on Ochako matters more right now.

[floatsaway]

"It's fine, I-I'm fine!" Or as fine as she could be, with the small headache that's starting to form. Ochako recognizes Roxas' voice so she at least knows he did...something, but she still is trying to catch up on what exactly that something was. Oh dear, they really should get themselves sorted before those hurried footsteps close in. They're probably in for a good long earful.

She manages to pull herself free from the mess, fixes her hair and her skirt, then offers a hand to her friend. "What just happened?" ...is sort of what is being yelled at them by a distressed looking store manager. Uh oh.

[terribletwos]

Roxas pulls himself up quickly and instinctively steps in front of Ochako. "It's not her fault. I was running and I lost control." He's not sure if he has to explain it was the timeloops since he that's probably assumed by now. "I can help set everything up again."

Hopefully, nothing's damaged because Roxas has yet to earn much currency so paying things off is going to be tricky.

He turns back to Ochako real quick. "I was trying to get you out of the crosswalk. It... didn't go well."

[floatsaway]

Ochako pushes a bit past Roxas once she's on her feet, nodding her head in agreement. The store owner certainly doesn't look happy with the situation, but they're not overly upset, especially seeing that no one was actually hurt or in danger (considering it'd be a liability for them, since it was on their property).

"I-I can help as well with the clean up. I...I-I feel responsible, since I wasn't paying attention to my surrounding and--" Ochako is already bending down to help pick things up, looking over at Roxas briefly with an appreciative smile. He saved her, it sounds like, and though they got into a bit of trouble...no one was hurt.

"I can also, um...w-work. To pay off any damages..." The owner sighs, shakes their head, and says the cleanup will be enough for now. Nothing was really damaged, though some of the product will have to be tossed since it's be dirtied past the point of being able to sell to the general public. Even so, since the racks of clothing on the outside were mostly their extreme clearance items, it's not a huge loss. The really expensive, new fashion is tucked safely inside on mannequins and display models.

[terribletwos]

Roxas is immensely relieved to hear that no funds will be needed. He nods and starts clearing the merchandise from the floor as quickly as he can.

He nods to the store owner. "Thanks for understanding. I'll try to be more careful about using my abilities from now on." Which will be quite a task since they're practically a default when he's in distress.

While the owner goes to get them a bag to put the dirty items, Roxas turns back to Ochako. "Sorry for getting you into this mess. What happened back at the crosswalk anyway?" He's referring to her distraction since they both know what happened after that.

[floatsaway]

Ochako is doing the same, picking up clothes from the top of the pile that are still relatively clean and dry and slinging them over her arm. She stands up one of the racks a moment after, making sure it's stable before starting to put things back on display after shaking them out a bit. She also gives a thankful and appreciative (and apologetic) bow to the store owner as the go to get them a bag to put in the really damages apparel.

Turning back to Roxas, she rubs the back of her head a little sheepishly, an embarrassed blush on her face. "I...I guess I was just looking at the flyers they were handing out and not paying attention." Not exactly a lie, just not...the full truth, either. "I'm sorry to make trouble for you, Roxas-san, none of this would have happened if I was more focused on my surroundings.

I guess I was just excited to see new deals on clothes...and get something nice for myself. I still need to really increase my wardrobe, especially as the seasons change."