[How did it happen? What did he see? Of course that's what she's most concerned with. It makes sense. If he hadn't seen it for himself, he'd doubt too.
Instead, softly, he just nods.]
Yes... He'd seemed so worried and stressed about the situation. We were talking, and his shadow began to throw things, and then suddenly... it just started to swallow him up.
[It's said dully, his voice soft.]
We couldn't get there in time. Once he was completely swallowed up by his shadow, it just...disappeared too. Until there was nothing left.
[She swiftly drops her hands into her lap, hoping that the table will hide the fact that her fingers are nervously knitting themselves together. It's worse than she'd hoped? And Minato's voice is so...
Keep it together, keep it together. There's a pause as she takes yet another deep breath, as she tries to rapidly process this information. Nothing is ever hopeless, and Deku always pulls through in the end; she just needs to think.]
There was someone else there with you? And they saw the same thing? [Someone else that she needs to question, then. And check up on. Hmm.] It almost sounds like... a teleportation quirk. I-I know that it's not a quirk, but Deku-kun could have just been sent somewhere else.
[Like the forest, maybe? That's a scary thought, but it's better than... disappearing forever. Ochako, the eternal optimist, is clinging to this small ray of hope.]
[Someone else but Minato's kind of reluctant to talk about that so he's skipping it. More importantly--]
It could be.
[He'd rather hold onto faith and optimism too, as much as he can, even if he's honestly pretty worn out from looking for Dave and Izuku both (and watching that happen to them in general). But they both... need to hold their heads up high and do their best, and that's what he's going to do.
He's always been able to do that--lift his chin and keep on going--and Ochako needs the support much more than he does.]
We should probably check the town first. And if he's not here then... [...The forest, yeah.]
[Ochako looks down at her hands, pressing her lips together so tightly they lose a bit of their color. Her thoughts, unfortunately, are much too scattered to even register that Minato is skipping over something important, and even though she's trying to pull them all back together, it's hard. How does Deku always manage to think things through so quickly? She's trying to be like him, to handle this the way she believes that he would, but it's... almost impossible.
One thing at a time, though.]
That's a good idea, Minato-kun. I can ask Iida-kun and Todoroki-kun to help, too. Each person can search a different area.
[She looks back up at him, wanting to say something hopeful—"We'll find him," or, "Leave it to us!"—but a question pops right out before she can bite it back.]
Did... Did Deku-kun say anything? Right before he...
[It's funny—after everything he's said, this little detail is the thing that finally hurts. She feels that familiar prickling sensation in her eyes, but she refuses to let it go any further than that; she just forces herself to blink, and while Minato can probably—definitely—see that she's blinking a little faster than normal, she manages to keep the tears at bay. ...For now.]
...That sounds like him.
[Ugh, but she sounds so quiet! Far quieter than she'd like, anyway, and so she forces herself to her feet, forces herself to pick up her full glass and take it over to the counter. It's selfish, she knows, but she keeps her back to him as she pours the water back into the pitcher. It feels... comfortable; so comfortable, in fact, that when she speaks again, she's able to make it sound a bit more normal.]
I'll go find the others, okay? You should probably rest for a while.
[He can't say he blames her. Really, the composure she's shown thus far has been impressive, all things considered--
Of course she's fighting back tears now. He almost wishes she would let herself cry, but... on the other hand, he has no idea what sets off the shadows, and of course she doesn't want to while they need to look for Izuku.
But.]
No.
[Oh... he shakes his head, voice quiet and firm.]
I'll go with you. We shouldn't...be alone at a time like this. [not when their shadows could strike at any moment.]
I'll let you go once we find the others, but... [He doesn't want to leave her alone.]
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Instead, softly, he just nods.]
Yes... He'd seemed so worried and stressed about the situation. We were talking, and his shadow began to throw things, and then suddenly... it just started to swallow him up.
[It's said dully, his voice soft.]
We couldn't get there in time. Once he was completely swallowed up by his shadow, it just...disappeared too. Until there was nothing left.
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Keep it together, keep it together. There's a pause as she takes yet another deep breath, as she tries to rapidly process this information. Nothing is ever hopeless, and Deku always pulls through in the end; she just needs to think.]
There was someone else there with you? And they saw the same thing? [Someone else that she needs to question, then. And check up on. Hmm.] It almost sounds like... a teleportation quirk. I-I know that it's not a quirk, but Deku-kun could have just been sent somewhere else.
[Like the forest, maybe? That's a scary thought, but it's better than... disappearing forever. Ochako, the eternal optimist, is clinging to this small ray of hope.]
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It could be.
[He'd rather hold onto faith and optimism too, as much as he can, even if he's honestly pretty worn out from looking for Dave and Izuku both (and watching that happen to them in general). But they both... need to hold their heads up high and do their best, and that's what he's going to do.
He's always been able to do that--lift his chin and keep on going--and Ochako needs the support much more than he does.]
We should probably check the town first. And if he's not here then... [...The forest, yeah.]
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One thing at a time, though.]
That's a good idea, Minato-kun. I can ask Iida-kun and Todoroki-kun to help, too. Each person can search a different area.
[She looks back up at him, wanting to say something hopeful—"We'll find him," or, "Leave it to us!"—but a question pops right out before she can bite it back.]
Did... Did Deku-kun say anything? Right before he...
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[Because of course he did. Of course Izuku did, when Izuku is just like this, when Izuku never stops being so Izuku--
Because he's self-sacrificial, and needs to not be so giving when it comes to himself, and--
Minato drags in a slow breath and:]
He told us to make sure the shadows didn't get us too.
[Right to the end, before he disappeared... Izuku had been worried about them.]
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...That sounds like him.
[Ugh, but she sounds so quiet! Far quieter than she'd like, anyway, and so she forces herself to her feet, forces herself to pick up her full glass and take it over to the counter. It's selfish, she knows, but she keeps her back to him as she pours the water back into the pitcher. It feels... comfortable; so comfortable, in fact, that when she speaks again, she's able to make it sound a bit more normal.]
I'll go find the others, okay? You should probably rest for a while.
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Of course she's fighting back tears now. He almost wishes she would let herself cry, but... on the other hand, he has no idea what sets off the shadows, and of course she doesn't want to while they need to look for Izuku.
But.]
No.
[Oh... he shakes his head, voice quiet and firm.]
I'll go with you. We shouldn't...be alone at a time like this. [not when their shadows could strike at any moment.]
I'll let you go once we find the others, but... [He doesn't want to leave her alone.]