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(no subject)

Who: Ochako & OTA
Broadcast: Yes!
Action: SS Starstruck
When: At the start of January

[For once, Ochako's not using voice or video, bursting with energy; instead it's a simple text entry, no fluff or even an emoticon.]

does anybody have something happy they're willing to share

like, something good that happened to them, or a nice story

it's the new year, right? i wanna start fresh with good things.

[Ochako's sort of taking over the Starstruck kitchen, and making a bit of a mess of it, though unintentionally- she's all out of sorts, things are floating when she doesn't want them to, and her attempts at making something as simple as cake batter are not going as planned. Crewmates might have noticed that she's been quieter than usual since after Christmas, and it's apparently hit a breaking point.]

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You don't have to do that... visiting would be enough. I'm in the kitchen, okay? Um... don't mind the mess.

[Maybe she should clean up a bit. The cake apparently isn't getting anywhere fast.]

You have not seen my quarters. Messes are a-okay. [And he's on his way over! Hopefully a few passages from trashy romance novels will help pick up her spirits.]

[She's still in the kitchen, and she has cleaned up a little, but not really. Hardly at all, to be honest, just enough to make a clean spot on the counter for his books and get rid of a couple of mixing bowls, now soaking in the sink. She's taking a break from the baking, just fiddling with her comm instead, fingers flour-dusted.]

[Sorey shoulders his way in with an armful of books, peering around them to see one very despondent, very not-Uraraka-like Uraraka.] Hey, [he says quietly, putting the books down on the open spot on the counter and sliding up to her side.] ...need a hug?

[She sits up slowly, brushing a hand under her nose with a quiet sniffle, and holds her arm out towards him. She doesn't trust her voice right now, but she figures that's enough.

Yes, please.]

[She's pretty tiny, so with no effort at all Sorey wraps his arms around her and pulls her against his chest, resting his chin atop her head. No sidehugs when people are crying.]

[She's not complaining. She leans into it immediately, burying her face against his chest, clutching at his shirt, and just like that it all comes pouring out, a rushing dam held back far, far too long. Distantly she feels a bit pitiful for it- she's supposed to be a hero-in-training, and she's always tried to be strong growing up. The people here are so, so kind, and she's well looked after. And her teacher is here now, someone safe and strong from home, someone else she can rely on. It isn't like she's alone.

She just can't stop remembering that, for years and years, the first thing to greet her in the morning on her birthday was the bright, affectionate smile of her mother, her father's big bear hug and booming words of praise, singing merrily and taking a day off even when the money was at its tightest, happy birthday, my best girl...!

She hates it. She hates it so much. Missing them like this is the worst thing she's ever felt.]

[Sorey curls around her best he can. He's not sure why she's so sad, but it has to be something serious to get down a girl usually so chipper and bright.

Her fists curl in his clothes and she sounds like she's trying hard not to cry.] Okay, okay, [Sorey murmurs, rubbing her back and hugging her tight.] It's okay if you wanna cry. [Shit, he's gonna start crying if she doesn't.]

[Oh, she's definitely crying. Her eyes were already wet before he said it, and it's not like she needed permission, but as soon as the words are out she burrows even further and starts to sob, no longer trying to hold it in. She's tired of being strong, of being quiet about it.]

I-I miss them... I miss everyone... Daddy... I want to go home...!

I know, [Sorey mumbles, because holy hell does he ever get that. Even during his journey back home, he's never missed Gramps like he does right now. Sorey gives her a squeeze and keeps rubbing her back, curling over her as his heart goes out to her in sympathy.] I know, I know...

[She keeps on crying like that for a while, clutching to him as if her life depends on it. Once it starts it's a lot harder to stop. Eventually, though, she runs out of energy for it, the sobs quieting in favour of faint hiccups, then sniffles, until finally she pulls back, pressing her hands against her eyes as if it'll make the tears stop.]

...sorry... I-I'm sorry... your sh-shirt... it's all wet...

[It's the first thing she can think of to say. Her voice is hoarse and quiet; god, how long as she been crying?]

Don't even worry about it, I've done much worse. [Sorey doesn't pull back entirely, keeping an arm around her shoulders as he leans over the counter to snag a paper towel for her to use.] I've worn this thing into thousand-year-old ruins. I think it can handle some tears.

Edited 2017-01-27 00:53 (UTC)

[She accepts the towel and dabs at her eyes quietly for a moment, sniffling now and then.]

Oh... that's right, you're an explorer... have you seen a lot of those...?

[It's probably a transparent change of subject, but.]

[It is, but at least she lands on a topic he can yammer on about for a while.] Oh, tons. I even grew up near some of the oldest ruins I've ever seen, so I spent a ton of my childhood exploring them.

Will... you tell me about some? While I clean up...

[Her face, for one, but also the mess in the kitchen. Now that she's had a good cry she's starting to feel bad.]

Sure, no problem. [There's a time to cry and a time to distract. She's already done one so Sorey can absolutely help her with another, so he regales her with tales of the times he's explored the ruins near his home. The time when he fell in as a child with Mikleo and survived only thanks to his artes, the time they'd exploring that worship chamber and had to split up, and of course the time he saw the very first human he ever met. There are so many stories he keeps it up until she finishes cleaning, occasionally helping out by drying dishes or handing them to her to put away.]

-and he was livid, Uraraka, he seriously was. I'd never seen him so mad before. You'd think I just defaced an ancient altar or something!

[She manages a faint giggle at that. Listening to him, and cleaning up, has given her some time and space away from her misery, so she's doing much better now. Her eyes still carry a lingering redness, but her cheeks are dry and she's smiling again.]

Well, he must have felt really strongly about it, then!

Mikleo feels really strongly about everything, [Sorey complains, though that's not exactly true. He just feels very strongly about the things he feels strongly about! Gosh, Sorey.

Uraraka looks a bit happier though, so Sorey keeps going.] Anyway, his hair can grow however he wants it to, so after a few days it was back to normal, like I'd never touched it.

Ehhh, for real? Seraphs can control their hair like that!?

[That's so cool! If she could do that, she'd... actually, she doesn't know if she'd change anything. But how fun would it be to have a different style every day?]

Umm...not entirely consciously? Seraphim can change how they look in the span of a day, but only in that it reflects how they believe they should look. Like, they can't just go, I want to try out long hair! And bam, suddenly have long hair.

That's amazing... oh, but there are Quirks back home kind of like that! Controlling your hair, I mean. Two of my friends wound up interning with a famous newswoman who grows snakes out of her head.

Snakes? Like, actual living, moving snakes? [is she a medusa-type hellion]

Yeah! At least, they sure look that way. They moved around in all kinds of different ways even when she's standing still!

[Thoroughly unbothered by this, clearly.]

I wonder if they talked to her. Or if she could understand what they were thinking.

Or are they more like pets?

Edited 2017-02-13 17:41 (UTC)

...You know, I never thought to ask about that. I think it'd be more like pets... but Tokoyami's shadow has a mind of its own, and Shouji can grow talking limbs, so it's not super weird or anything!

[Like shadows and extra limbs aren't weird.]