[It's his stupid explosion that finally jerks her back to reality. She stares at the undamaged string connecting the two of them for a few seconds more, then quickly clambers to her feet. ...And the mochi, of course, goes tumbling right to the ground with the rest of her goodies. She probably looks like a real idiot. Perfect soulmate material.]
It didn't work? [Now she's inspecting the string more closely, frowning as she tugs his hand this way and that way. Weird. She shifts her attention back up to him, brow furrowing.] I tried cutting it off earlier, when it first showed up. It didn't do anything, but I thought--
[--that maybe something as powerful as your quirk might, she thinks, but she bites those words right back. Telling him that would probably just encourage him to blast the thing again and again, and seeing as how they're attached--and how the string has somehow shrunk?--she'd really rather avoid that. ...Especially since he looks so pissed right now. Wonderful. She's stuck together with possibly the grumpiest person in the whole world, and now they have to work together to figure this out.]
Do you know what this is? Or where it came from?
[She's trying to act as calm as possible, but there's no hiding that anxiety in her voice.]
You tried to cut it? [ that's. actually what he should have tried to do at first sight, and now that he's realizing it the fact that he hadn't tried to destroy it until after he saw who was attached to the end kind of... says something about him.
fuck!!
he can feel his face heating up as she looks at him, almost expectantly or what--okay, this isn't her fault, but... wait a minute. ]
This is some asshole villain's idea of a prank or something. Fuck, look it up on the internet, people are blowing up with this red string shit. [ quite a lot of girls especially are trying to follow it to see who's at the end of theirs. he'd looked it up just in passing because he likes to keep on top of hero recent events and then with slightly more urgency as he followed his own string. ] Some villain shit... [ ...... anyway, it doesn't take a genius to guess where his mind is going. ]
We have to find that villain and beat the hell out of him and then we'll be free.
[ perfect plan.
only he still doesn't have his provisional license so. also, illegal plan. ]
[It's not every day that you get to see Bakugou act embarrassed. Well, slightly embarrassed. She almost feels like she should turn away and start whistling, just to let him pretend that she didn't see the bit of color in his cheeks. To think that Bakugou, as smart as he is, hadn't even thought to try and cut the string off his little finger... probably because he was so determined to chase down whoever was the the other end and knock some sense into them. It would be such a him thing to do.
But it's not like she can say much of anything! She had been in such a hurry to follow the string herself that she never even thought to look up any information on her phone. And the news is apparently everywhere.]
A villain really did this? [It's murmured more to herself than to him as she crouches back down, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Snacks are quickly thrown back into her shopping bag with one hand while the other tabs through page after page of information. "Fate," "love," and "soulmate" are the most repeated words she's reading, she she feels her cheeks turn even redder than usual each time her eyes pick them out of a sentence. So this is all about... romance, then. Finding your soulmate.
And she ended up tied to Bakugou.
...Well. She can think that through later, right? Right. For now, she just tucks her bag underneath one arm and stands back up on slightly shaky legs. She'd been half-listening to him as she read through the news, and she isn't the least bit surprised that he wants to go try and pick a fight. But they're tied together now, and that makes them partners. ...Almost. It's her job to talk him down.]
I don't think that's a very good idea. No one knows where he is, right? Or what he looks like. I think we should probably... let the pro heroes handle this. [Wow, but suddenly maintaining eye contact is a little... strange. She turns slightly to the side, pretending to look down the street.] Anyway, I'm sure it won't take them very long to find him! We can make it until then!
[But why does she sound like she's trying to convince herself that that's true?]
[ yes, even he can recognize in the back of his head, the strategic part of his mind, the part of him that wants to be a real hero, that leaving it to pros is probably the thing to do. and no doubt pro heroes are in pursuit of the criminal right now, if they aren't also being tied together.
but. still!! ] Those pro fuckers are slacking if they haven't caught him already. [ never mind that this incident basically started occurring a few hours ago, but still. it's blowing up. and it doesn't help that a lot of victims are actually excited about it--it's romantic, after all, and this close to valentine's day, it's practically thematic.
the corner of his shitty grin twitches. he basically looks like he's trying very hard not to explode anything, which is probably a constant state for him, but. hell, it's not uraraka's fault he's tied to her. but... why is he tied to her. he supposes it could be worse, he could be tied to deku or someone in which case someone really will die, but--
the news on the grapevine is that the string connects you to your soulmate, obviously. it's a red string.
... he barely wants to think of what this means. ]
Maybe it's not... completely... [ magical as shit and unbreakable. he tries to pull his hand away from hers, but the string tightens and... okay, he can't just break it with brute force or he gets the feeling it's really going to hurt.
he stares fixedly at their hands, as if seriously thinking about cutting his off. but no, it's not an option even for an incident like this. he knows both of their hands are important for their powers. ]
[It's not like she wants to be tied to him any more than he wants to be tied to her, but Ochako can't help but to feel just a bit offended by the way he just keeps glaring at the string. ...Which is stupid, of course. And completely unreasonable. Because who cares what Bakugou thinks about her? She knows that she's not that bad. Plus it's not like he's going to have to spend the rest of his afternoon keeping her out of trouble, which she can already tell is what she's going to have to do for him.
But... there's no point in being bitter about things you can't change. They're both just going to have to deal with this as best they can, which means that she needs to do two things: 1) pretend like there are absolutely NO romantic implications about this whole thing at ALL and 2) try to counteract his explosive... everything with her inherent cheerfulness. She's just going to close her eyes for a few seconds, take a deep breath, and then try to act like normal, everyday Ochako.
Which. Is harder than it should be, but she's going to give it her all! And yes, the smile she gives him is a little shaky, but damn it, at least she's trying.]
Just because we're stuck like this for a while doesn't mean we have to be miserable. We just have to stay positive and wait for the pro-heroes to handle this. [Is being positive even possible for him? Probably not. But she has to set the tone for the rest of the day! She has to!] And you know, we never really get to talk outside of class, so maybe this isn't all that bad. Let's make the best of it!
[And ignore all lovey-dovey things forever and ever and ever.]
he's someone who kind of values his freedom, because he's... kind of antisocial and goes out of his way to avoid hanging out with anyone. whether it's for silly room competitions or mall trips. he respects uraraka but he wouldn't talk to her much if he had a choice in the matter. ]
This is... you think this is not bad? [ he knows he's a delinquent and a pain in the ass, he wouldn't even hang out with someone like himself, he'd piss himself off. ] I'm not fucking miserable. I'm... you don't think this is gonna be a pain in the ass? What if we're stuck like this for the whole day or week or... fucking longer than that.
How are we gonna eat. Or shit--I mean, go to the restroom. [ ...... god. ] Or sleep.
[ oh no, he is determined to be an asshole...!!... or he just is, determination or not. ]
[Okay, so maybe she hadn't even considered the bathroom conundrum, and maybe she blanches the slightest bit when he mentions it, but she is DETERMINED to stay as positive as possible. That shaky smile of hers stays in place.]
I don't think it's going to take them that long to catch whoever did this. If it does, we'll just... we'll just have to manage!
[Ah, but here the color comes back to her cheeks, because they most certainly will have to manage. But that's a bridge to cross when they come to it! She's just going to charge right on and ignore the many thoughts that come with that reality.]
So! Is there, um, anything you want to do? We could go back to the dorm, I guess, but that might be... [Awkward? Embarrassing? God, but she's trailing off an awful lot right now. Get it together!] Or if you're hungry, we could go grab something to eat!
[She's looking right at him, trying to be the strong one here, but her eyes are seriously imploring him to meet her halfway.]
[ he wants to argue more. it's in his nature to be slightly contrarian and there is so much to complain about here and honestly if this was anyone other than uraraka he might just start blasting at things right now out of shitty anger. he is a hair trigger away from doing so right now.
but the nearly desperate way she tries to be diplomatic and optimistic is... nagging at him... he stares at her for half a second before even the pleading look makes even him feel... a feeling he totally wouldn't know how to identify. guilt? he doesn't do guilt, thanks.
he'd been trying to learn to work with people through those shitty extra lessons. yes, kids are a pain in the ass. uraraka he supposes is at least less of a pain in the ass. this whole thing is a pain in the ass but he can't start exploding things every time everything inconvenient happens even if this is really fucking inconvenient and he would love nothing more than to start blasting shit.
he's bristled and on-edge like some furious dog but finally stops growling. ]
... I was on my way back to the dorm. [ from extra classes. ] And I'm not fucking hungry.
[ he stares down at her things on the ground. she was getting groceries or something... he still doesn't pick up her things, because he's awful and in a shit mood. clearly the best person to be tied to. ]
[Well, that's... progress? She can tell he still isn't sold on this whole making-the-best-of-it thing, and she can feel the tension still in the air, but... at least he's glaring at the snacks on the ground instead of at her.
...Snacks. Her snacks. Her snacks that cost money.]
Oh! Right. [She crouches back down, not even noticing that she's kind of. Dragging his hand down with her. That's just how it goes, Bakugou.] Can't just leave all of this here!
[The cheerfulness in her voice is starting to sound... a bit forced, really. It's easy to be bubbly and friendly when you have people around you who return it to you in spades. Bakugou, however, is kind of like a black hole: happiness goes in but nothing comes back out. It's just a bit draining. But when she pops back up after tucking every last thing into her shopping bag, she's careful not to let it show.]
All set! Time to go back to the dorm, if that's what you want to do. [Which... she's still not all that excited about, because she can see exactly how it's going to go down: they walk in the front door, everyone sitting in the common area sees them tied together, and suddenly all of their friends want to know why they were caught up in all the craziness.] We can go in my room, if you want. I have some homework I really need to finish.
[And it's not like you're going to do anything but sit and pout, she thinks, but she's not about to say it. Things are tenuous enough as it is!]
he probably picks up like. one more pack of snacks or anything. one single thing. because he's a rude bastard but even he knows this is what he's supposed to do, even if she ran into him or... he can make excuses but even he needs to learn how to be less immature as annoying as it is. ]
Look, you're fucking... [ he waves a hand irritably. ] You're trying to play this off like it's not a pain in the ass. It fucking is. You're allowed to get annoyed at this too. [ this whole... playing nice thing is also annoying. annoying how it's basically the opposite of how he's reacting, she is trying to smooth things over and he is holding back from exploding. he practically starts to growl again at the thought of people seeing them in the common area because... fuck no. actually he can feel his cell buzzing, it's probably kirishima. maybe some of their classmates also got tied together, that would make things less embarrassing but it's still annoying as hell. ]
You're fine with me in your room?
[ he's... a guy. and come to think of it he never even saw her room or any of the girls' rooms, he didn't participate in the room-sharing contest and just went to sleep. ]
[Ooooh, and she is called right out. She jerks a bit in surprise, clearly caught off guard by being read like a book by Bakugou, and immediately opens her mouth to refute everything he said.]
I'm not--
[But... well, any attempt is going to sound feeble beyond belief, and she quickly cuts herself right off. He isn't stupid. If he saw through her the first time, he'll see right through her the second time.
She frowns for a moment, trying to think of what to say.]
It's... a little annoying, I guess. [She glances down at her shoes, still thinking her way through this.] But it's not annoying because I'm tied to you, because it would be annoying to be tied to anyone. The worst part about it all is that I don't know how to make being tied to me not be awful for you.
[A tad blunt, perhaps, but only because she means it. Who wants to be tied to someone who clearly wants to be somewhere else? No matter who she could have ended up tied to, she would have always tried to think of ways to make it just a bit more enjoyable and she probably would have found something. Bakugou, though? What makes him happy?
Ah, well. She looks back up at him, shrugging slightly. There's still a smile on her face, but it's smaller, and much more genuine.]
We can figure it out together, I guess. Maybe after we do homework? [She's not really thinking about the implications of having a boy in her room, because seriously, she's had Deku and Iida in there for short periods before. And red string or no, there's no romance here.] Or we could go to your room, but I thought you didn't like to have anyone else in there?
Yeah, well. This is gonna fucking suck for you because I hate this shit. [ he's just saying... anyway this is not even remotely a secret, him saying it isn't going to make it any less obvious. he feels like some dog leashed to... wait a minute, that would practically make it seem like she's his owner which is 100% not true, even if she's trying to be reasonable about this.
ugh. ]
I hate this shit and I don't care about making this any less awful because how the hell can it get any less awful... [ growls, with the shitty grin that bares teeth. well, he could be tied to someone worse... he just isn't in the mood to even realize that uraraka is probably even the best person for him to be attached to, besides maybe someone like kirishima. ] Look, if you're gonna try to kiss my ass and play nice and make it not awful, I don't care. I'm pissed about this. If you're pissed about this then we'd be on the same damn page, it doesn't even matter...
[ anyway clearly he is going to be very pleasant about this whole situation. even the more sincere look on her face is... annoying. but even as he shittalks nonstop something about the stiffness of his shoulders seems to relax just a little--he's just being honest, brutally honest. ]
And yeah, I'm not taking you to my room. [ it will remain a Mystery what the hell it's like. ] So whatever. Yours is fine. I already finished the shitty homework anyway.
[There's so many things can she say here--like how she isn't angry, or how she's not trying to suck up to him in the least--but what good is having a long, drawn-out discussion where they both talk in circles? And in the middle of the sidewalk, no less. It would be a disaster.
So no. The best way to deal with Bakugou, she thinks, is to just show him how she feels instead of telling him. So she'll drop the fake cheerfulness for now and be... well, regular Ochako. Still cheerful, but not as in-your-face about it. And much more likely to call him on his bullshit.]
Then you can help me with mine! I was actually going to ask Deku for help, but I wouldn't mind if you looked over it with me.
[And then she's turning to walk in the direction of the dorm, not even waiting to see if he's ready to go. They're tied together, after all; he'd better be ready to go. And she's just. Not going to think about how close their hands are as they walk down the sidewalk. Who cares if their fingers brush every now and again? It's just Bakugou. Just... grumpy, stubborn Bakugou.
Plus she has other things to think about! Like infiltration plans. Hmm. She swings her arms a bit, thinking.]
You know, when we get there... what if I just used my quirk to float us up to my balcony? I'm pretty sure I left the window unlocked...
[ the thought of deku puts him in a slightly worse mood... he's trying to get along with him but. yeah, he would rather not see deku while he's in an awkward situation like this. ] Deku? I can outdo him in any subject fucking anyday. [ ... most subjects. most days. well, he studies his ass off to make as sure as possible he can beat deku.
he bites down on a curse when she gets going and the ribbon cuts into his finger when he doesn't immediately follow. and then he follows, making sure to keep slightly in front of her because he hates being behind people, for totally not-immature reasons at all. he doesn't even offer to help with her bags.
he glances up at the building, scowling. ] For fuck's sake... [ but she has a point, he'd rather not come through the main entrance and he could blast himself up but maybe not her. unless he carries her or... anyway, that's not happening. ]
Can you float up that much or are you gonna hurl. [ it's a good few stories. he does actually have faith she can do it, he supposes he might as well ask though. ]
[She looks up at her balcony--fourth floor, just like his--and frowns as she thinks it through. Getting him up there will be easy, but her... oh, there's going to be some nausea. There's no way around it.
But all she has to do is think about walking in the front door and her motivation is solid.]
I can do it!
[She tucks her bag under one arm as securely as she can, makes sure her pockets are good to go, and then looks back over at him.]
[ he doesn't really like this... he grabs at her bag, finally, after all this time. ] Hell, give me that. If you get nauseous and drop it it'll be a fucking pain. [ there. his one remotely nice deed for the day. he can probably actually try to toss it onto her balcony... things might drop out though. ]
You know what, just do it before someone walks out and sees us or something. [ and defeats the purpose of trying to sneak up in the first place. ]
[Well, that was surprisingly nice of him! ...And then he ruins it by opening his fat mouth. Typical! Ochako can't help but to huff in slight annoyance.]
Fine! [Rush, rush, rush. She reaches out and grabs his hand before he can say anything else, making sure that the tips of all five of her fingers are touching his skin, and soon his feet are leaving the ground.
She's right there with him, of course, still holding onto his hand as they both float upward. Aside from the nausea, she actually enjoys floating about; it's nice to see everything from a different perspective. But here, with Bakugou right beside her, she's too busy trying to move upward as fast as possible to admire the view. It looks a little like she's trying to swim in midair, actually. Strange stuff. But she's just very, very glad she wore tights under her skirt today.
Her balcony becomes eye-level blessedly soon, and she's grabbing the railing, pulling them over it, and releasing her quirk as quickly as she can. This isn't the sickest she's been--not by a long shot--but she can definitely tell the difference between floating with all of her specialized gear and floating in her school uniform. She's just going to sit here for a minute, eyes closed, and let things stop... spinning...]
Shit-- [ he actually grabs her hand--their hands are so close already, this is some reflex because even if he tries to prepare for this it still catches him slightly off-guard. he doesn't mind being airborne, he can use his power to move in mid-air, but it's different when it's her power. his power propels him with force, hers levitates less abruptly... also he just hates being under someone else's control or power.
he considers trying to blast them forward to try to get there asap but resists just in case it might startle her. resists up until the end when they reach the balcony, he blasts them the last extra distance just in case she might falter because he can tell she's looking a little nauseous.
she still looks nauseous as she leans over the balcony. he drops her bag and... upends the snacks onto the ground. ]
Don't hurl.
... And if you have to, use the bag. [ he's... being helpful or trying, just pushes the bag under her face. well, it'd be gross but hell. he's not easily grossed out.
[It's not like the nauseating effect of her quirk is a secret, but she feels absurdly embarrassed for him to have to see her like this. Her cheeks heat up the tiniest bit as he shoves the bag her way, but she makes sure to grab it and turn away from his as quickly as she can.]
I'm not going to-- [Ugh, but she can't even say vomit. She just takes another deep breath and pushes herself away from the balcony.] I'll be fine!
[She steps carefully over the snacks--seriously, she's just grateful they're still in their packages at point--and slides the glass door to her room right open. Thank goodness she likes to keep everything neat and tidy! ...Well, almost everything. As they step inside, she kicks a small pile of books back underneath her desk.]
Here we are! Welcome to my room. [She feels the heat rise in her cheeks again, because she's not sure what he's going to think of it. It's fairly boring, as far as rooms go. She knows almost everyone else has more interesting ones.] You didn't play along with us when we first moved in, so this is your first time seeing it, huh? It's a little... plain, I guess.
[ the room is... fine. it's just a girl's room. has he ever been in a girl's room in his life?? well he has now. it's just a room belonging to a girl, big deal, it's uraraka's room... not that he's trying to convince himself of anything or whatever.
he helps himself inside, not even bothering to mutter sorry for the intrusion or anything. not looking impressed or disappointed or any change of expression from his pissed-off look at all. ]
Yeah, I didn't care about seeing all your shitty rooms. [ ... how nice. also, he'd just come back from that kidnapping thing so he was just in a piss poor mood like he always is, only probably kind of worse. also he doesn't need an excuse to blow people off, he'd just do it. ] Great... [ not annoyed at her, at her room, just at the whole situation in general. he quickly lets go of her hand and jerks at the ribbon again, as if hoping in vain that it might have loosened or something during the walk back, then stiffens because the distance might have... tightened a little.
that's not alarming at all. ] Oh, fuck this. [ he fishes his cell out his pocket to look up any development on this quirk.
... on a quick search it seems like a lot of girls are disappointed their ribbon didn't lead to their favorite idol or anything. he frantically scrolls for more news. ]
[He's just so... quiet. Only because he's acting all pissy, as usual, but there's just something disconcerting about standing in her room with a boy she's tied to who refuses to say anything at all. Should she be a good host and suggest that they sit? Ask if he wants anything to drink?
...Nah. He'd probably just turn everything down, anyway. Just to be a jerk.
But just standing there in silence is awfully boring, so she raises up on her toes to try and catch a glimpse of his phone screen. Ah... the news. Well, judging by the annoyed sounds he's making, she's going to guess that there aren't any good updates to be shared. Wonderful. Settling back down on her heels, she looks back down at the string connecting them. She's been trying... not to think about what it's supposed to represent, but the oppressive silence is making it impossible for her to keep ignoring it. Soulmates, huh? And hers is supposed to be... Bakugou.
...Ha.
She frowns down at the stupid red string, eyebrows knitting together as she ponders it all.]
So why do you think--
[Oh shit, but she's thinking aloud before she realizes what she's doing. She's just so used to talking things out with her her friends! Still, it's something to fill the silence, so she chucks caution to the wind and continues on.]
I mean, it's a weird quirk, isn't it? I was around so many different people when this first showed up, but it ended up tying me to you. And you were so far away! [She's not even going to mention the whole "destined to be together" thing, because they both know that has to be a lie. Seriously.] It just doesn't seem like it's some kind of coincidence. There has to be some reason we're stuck like this, other than...
[She doesn't feel like saying it--and she definitely doesn't need to--so she just makes an awkward little shrugging gesture instead.]
[ he's not introverted, just an asshole. he doesn't hate her even if he basically hates 90% of people and she's friends with deku which is kind of a mark against her, but...
he's just. in an terrible ass mood, not that that's too terribly surprising or even different from his usual. he gives her a baleful look--yes, he barely has the self-awareness to know he's being difficult and a pain in the ass but if she has any expectation that he's going to be otherwise she would be horribly mistaken. ]
It's some fucking asshole quirk for some fucking asshole criminal. [ flicks through news sites... no, the villain still hasn't been caught yet. yes, quite a lot of pro heroes are also being tied together which is holding them up. kirishima texted him and being stuck to ashido, which is hilarious and he'd laugh assholishly at him if only he weren't in the same situation... ] Fuck, there's no update on catching him. What kind of ridiculous shitty power is this.
[ ... but yes, the whole symbolism shit of the red string is just too much to ignore. his grin stiffens, he just stalks over and moves to help himself to sit on her bed or something and... probably ends up dragging her over. ]
Look, do you think it means something or do you think some dipshit out there is just fucking with us. Kirishima says he got stuck to Pinkie, you think that means something? [ he doesn't... even know what the hell he thinks, the idea it could mean anything. reflex says it's bullshit. some voice in the back of his head says--no, he doesn't want to think of it. ]
[Ochako is still trying her best to think through all of this when he starts to move, and she does, in fact, get dragged right over to the bed with him. Which is. ...Hmm. She's had Deku and Iida in here for short periods before, but they always sat on the floor. Not because she'd told them they had to or anything; it was just like there was some kind of... unspoken rule that the bed--her bed--was off-limits. But this rule doesn't apply to Bakugou, apparently. He's just sitting right beside her like he owns the thing.
WELL. She's not going to make a big deal about it if he isn't, even though it does feel slightly odd to be sitting on her bed with a boy by her side. But it's just Bakugou! Just... Bakugou. Who thankfully provides her with a wonderful distraction by bringing up the fact that their mutual friends are also tied together.]
What? [She whips her head around to look at him, eyes widening in surprise. Did she really hear him correctly?] Kirishima and Mina?
[She wouldn't wish this stupid tied-together thing on her worst enemy, but if anyone--anyone--can use this situation to their advantage, it's definitely Mina. And to think that she actually had the luck to be tied to the person she actually likes! It doesn't mean they're soulmates, of course, because that's just silly. She's still tied to Bakugou. But... ah, she can't help but to smile a bit in excitement for her friend. What luck!
...Actually, why is Bakugou even asking her if them being tied together means anything? Surely he knows they're... oh wait, he probably doesn't. Why would he ever care about who likes who? Her smiles fades a little as she tries to think of how to properly say it.]
They get along really well, don't you think? And they've known each other for so long. [Oooh, and this is totally the perfect opportunity to try and help her friend out!] ...Did Kirishima say if they're having a good time?
[ yes, he has no respect for personal whatever, he is not sitting on the floor like some dog... he helps himself to the bed with flagrant disregard while typing some reply one-handedly to kirishima, frowning. didn't kirishima say something about how they were old schoolmates together or what. he barely pays attention to people, let alone random-ass stray facts like that, but--it's kirishima, so he pays a fraction more attention than normal. ]
Yeah, he says they're fine. He says... [ he squints at the phone, as if not even believing what it's reading. ] She's... fucking doing his hair. The hell. [ now that he thinks of it, they have the horn-thing in common, even if kirishima gels it. what the hell kind of hair thing are they even doing.
two seconds later he gets a reply and stares at it in disbelief.
and then turns the screen towards her to take a look.
it's kirishima and ashido, in her room, she appears to be giving him some makeover and crimping his hair while her own hair appears to be gelled in spikes. kirishima is winking and shooting a peace sign with his ribboned hand while ashido sticks out her tongue.
they're... having fun. but he supposes they're both happy idiots like that. he'd be exactly the kind of clueless bastard who wouldn't even know if his best friend has a crush on anyone, because he sucks. ]
[As he turns the phone toward her, she just can't help herself: she reaches right out and grabs his hand, pulling the phone closer to get a better look. It's a delightful picture, really, and she studies it carefully, soaking in every last detail.]
They look so happy! [She smiles down at it for another few seconds before releasing his hand, still not realizing--or caring--that she'd reached out and grabbed it in the first place.] Wow... I can't believe they ended up tied together. That's amazing luck!
[Which probably sounds a little mean, but she's too busy being thrilled for her friend to even notice. Being tied to Bakugou could... be better, yes, but at least he hasn't blown up her room or anything. She sighs happily, temporarily forgetting who, exactly, she's tied to.]
They make such a good couple, don't you think?
[It's something she would say offhandedly to Tsuyu, or to Deku, but to Bakugou? Goodness.]
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It didn't work? [Now she's inspecting the string more closely, frowning as she tugs his hand this way and that way. Weird. She shifts her attention back up to him, brow furrowing.] I tried cutting it off earlier, when it first showed up. It didn't do anything, but I thought--
[--that maybe something as powerful as your quirk might, she thinks, but she bites those words right back. Telling him that would probably just encourage him to blast the thing again and again, and seeing as how they're attached--and how the string has somehow shrunk?--she'd really rather avoid that. ...Especially since he looks so pissed right now. Wonderful. She's stuck together with possibly the grumpiest person in the whole world, and now they have to work together to figure this out.]
Do you know what this is? Or where it came from?
[She's trying to act as calm as possible, but there's no hiding that anxiety in her voice.]
no subject
fuck!!
he can feel his face heating up as she looks at him, almost expectantly or what--okay, this isn't her fault, but... wait a minute. ]
This is some asshole villain's idea of a prank or something. Fuck, look it up on the internet, people are blowing up with this red string shit. [ quite a lot of girls especially are trying to follow it to see who's at the end of theirs. he'd looked it up just in passing because he likes to keep on top of hero recent events and then with slightly more urgency as he followed his own string. ] Some villain shit... [ ...... anyway, it doesn't take a genius to guess where his mind is going. ]
We have to find that villain and beat the hell out of him and then we'll be free.
[ perfect plan.
only he still doesn't have his provisional license so. also, illegal plan. ]
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But it's not like she can say much of anything! She had been in such a hurry to follow the string herself that she never even thought to look up any information on her phone. And the news is apparently everywhere.]
A villain really did this? [It's murmured more to herself than to him as she crouches back down, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Snacks are quickly thrown back into her shopping bag with one hand while the other tabs through page after page of information. "Fate," "love," and "soulmate" are the most repeated words she's reading, she she feels her cheeks turn even redder than usual each time her eyes pick them out of a sentence. So this is all about... romance, then. Finding your soulmate.
And she ended up tied to Bakugou.
...Well. She can think that through later, right? Right. For now, she just tucks her bag underneath one arm and stands back up on slightly shaky legs. She'd been half-listening to him as she read through the news, and she isn't the least bit surprised that he wants to go try and pick a fight. But they're tied together now, and that makes them partners. ...Almost. It's her job to talk him down.]
I don't think that's a very good idea. No one knows where he is, right? Or what he looks like. I think we should probably... let the pro heroes handle this. [Wow, but suddenly maintaining eye contact is a little... strange. She turns slightly to the side, pretending to look down the street.] Anyway, I'm sure it won't take them very long to find him! We can make it until then!
[But why does she sound like she's trying to convince herself that that's true?]
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but. still!! ] Those pro fuckers are slacking if they haven't caught him already. [ never mind that this incident basically started occurring a few hours ago, but still. it's blowing up. and it doesn't help that a lot of victims are actually excited about it--it's romantic, after all, and this close to valentine's day, it's practically thematic.
the corner of his shitty grin twitches. he basically looks like he's trying very hard not to explode anything, which is probably a constant state for him, but. hell, it's not uraraka's fault he's tied to her. but... why is he tied to her. he supposes it could be worse, he could be tied to deku or someone in which case someone really will die, but--
the news on the grapevine is that the string connects you to your soulmate, obviously. it's a red string.
... he barely wants to think of what this means. ]
Maybe it's not... completely... [ magical as shit and unbreakable. he tries to pull his hand away from hers, but the string tightens and... okay, he can't just break it with brute force or he gets the feeling it's really going to hurt.
he stares fixedly at their hands, as if seriously thinking about cutting his off. but no, it's not an option even for an incident like this. he knows both of their hands are important for their powers. ]
Fuck.
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But... there's no point in being bitter about things you can't change. They're both just going to have to deal with this as best they can, which means that she needs to do two things: 1) pretend like there are absolutely NO romantic implications about this whole thing at ALL and 2) try to counteract his explosive... everything with her inherent cheerfulness. She's just going to close her eyes for a few seconds, take a deep breath, and then try to act like normal, everyday Ochako.
Which. Is harder than it should be, but she's going to give it her all! And yes, the smile she gives him is a little shaky, but damn it, at least she's trying.]
Just because we're stuck like this for a while doesn't mean we have to be miserable. We just have to stay positive and wait for the pro-heroes to handle this. [Is being positive even possible for him? Probably not. But she has to set the tone for the rest of the day! She has to!] And you know, we never really get to talk outside of class, so maybe this isn't all that bad. Let's make the best of it!
[And ignore all lovey-dovey things forever and ever and ever.]
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he's someone who kind of values his freedom, because he's... kind of antisocial and goes out of his way to avoid hanging out with anyone. whether it's for silly room competitions or mall trips. he respects uraraka but he wouldn't talk to her much if he had a choice in the matter. ]
This is... you think this is not bad? [ he knows he's a delinquent and a pain in the ass, he wouldn't even hang out with someone like himself, he'd piss himself off. ] I'm not fucking miserable. I'm... you don't think this is gonna be a pain in the ass? What if we're stuck like this for the whole day or week or... fucking longer than that.
How are we gonna eat. Or shit--I mean, go to the restroom. [ ...... god. ] Or sleep.
[ oh no, he is determined to be an asshole...!!... or he just is, determination or not. ]
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I don't think it's going to take them that long to catch whoever did this. If it does, we'll just... we'll just have to manage!
[Ah, but here the color comes back to her cheeks, because they most certainly will have to manage. But that's a bridge to cross when they come to it! She's just going to charge right on and ignore the many thoughts that come with that reality.]
So! Is there, um, anything you want to do? We could go back to the dorm, I guess, but that might be... [Awkward? Embarrassing? God, but she's trailing off an awful lot right now. Get it together!] Or if you're hungry, we could go grab something to eat!
[She's looking right at him, trying to be the strong one here, but her eyes are seriously imploring him to meet her halfway.]
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but the nearly desperate way she tries to be diplomatic and optimistic is... nagging at him... he stares at her for half a second before even the pleading look makes even him feel... a feeling he totally wouldn't know how to identify. guilt? he doesn't do guilt, thanks.
he'd been trying to learn to work with people through those shitty extra lessons. yes, kids are a pain in the ass. uraraka he supposes is at least less of a pain in the ass. this whole thing is a pain in the ass but he can't start exploding things every time everything inconvenient happens even if this is really fucking inconvenient and he would love nothing more than to start blasting shit.
he's bristled and on-edge like some furious dog but finally stops growling. ]
... I was on my way back to the dorm. [ from extra classes. ] And I'm not fucking hungry.
[ he stares down at her things on the ground. she was getting groceries or something... he still doesn't pick up her things, because he's awful and in a shit mood. clearly the best person to be tied to. ]
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...Snacks. Her snacks. Her snacks that cost money.]
Oh! Right. [She crouches back down, not even noticing that she's kind of. Dragging his hand down with her. That's just how it goes, Bakugou.] Can't just leave all of this here!
[The cheerfulness in her voice is starting to sound... a bit forced, really. It's easy to be bubbly and friendly when you have people around you who return it to you in spades. Bakugou, however, is kind of like a black hole: happiness goes in but nothing comes back out. It's just a bit draining. But when she pops back up after tucking every last thing into her shopping bag, she's careful not to let it show.]
All set! Time to go back to the dorm, if that's what you want to do. [Which... she's still not all that excited about, because she can see exactly how it's going to go down: they walk in the front door, everyone sitting in the common area sees them tied together, and suddenly all of their friends want to know why they were caught up in all the craziness.] We can go in my room, if you want. I have some homework I really need to finish.
[And it's not like you're going to do anything but sit and pout, she thinks, but she's not about to say it. Things are tenuous enough as it is!]
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he probably picks up like. one more pack of snacks or anything. one single thing. because he's a rude bastard but even he knows this is what he's supposed to do, even if she ran into him or... he can make excuses but even he needs to learn how to be less immature as annoying as it is. ]
Look, you're fucking... [ he waves a hand irritably. ] You're trying to play this off like it's not a pain in the ass. It fucking is. You're allowed to get annoyed at this too. [ this whole... playing nice thing is also annoying. annoying how it's basically the opposite of how he's reacting, she is trying to smooth things over and he is holding back from exploding. he practically starts to growl again at the thought of people seeing them in the common area because... fuck no. actually he can feel his cell buzzing, it's probably kirishima. maybe some of their classmates also got tied together, that would make things less embarrassing but it's still annoying as hell. ]
You're fine with me in your room?
[ he's... a guy. and come to think of it he never even saw her room or any of the girls' rooms, he didn't participate in the room-sharing contest and just went to sleep. ]
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I'm not--
[But... well, any attempt is going to sound feeble beyond belief, and she quickly cuts herself right off. He isn't stupid. If he saw through her the first time, he'll see right through her the second time.
She frowns for a moment, trying to think of what to say.]
It's... a little annoying, I guess. [She glances down at her shoes, still thinking her way through this.] But it's not annoying because I'm tied to you, because it would be annoying to be tied to anyone. The worst part about it all is that I don't know how to make being tied to me not be awful for you.
[A tad blunt, perhaps, but only because she means it. Who wants to be tied to someone who clearly wants to be somewhere else? No matter who she could have ended up tied to, she would have always tried to think of ways to make it just a bit more enjoyable and she probably would have found something. Bakugou, though? What makes him happy?
Ah, well. She looks back up at him, shrugging slightly. There's still a smile on her face, but it's smaller, and much more genuine.]
We can figure it out together, I guess. Maybe after we do homework? [She's not really thinking about the implications of having a boy in her room, because seriously, she's had Deku and Iida in there for short periods before. And red string or no, there's no romance here.] Or we could go to your room, but I thought you didn't like to have anyone else in there?
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ugh. ]
I hate this shit and I don't care about making this any less awful because how the hell can it get any less awful... [ growls, with the shitty grin that bares teeth. well, he could be tied to someone worse... he just isn't in the mood to even realize that uraraka is probably even the best person for him to be attached to, besides maybe someone like kirishima. ] Look, if you're gonna try to kiss my ass and play nice and make it not awful, I don't care. I'm pissed about this. If you're pissed about this then we'd be on the same damn page, it doesn't even matter...
[ anyway clearly he is going to be very pleasant about this whole situation. even the more sincere look on her face is... annoying. but even as he shittalks nonstop something about the stiffness of his shoulders seems to relax just a little--he's just being honest, brutally honest. ]
And yeah, I'm not taking you to my room. [ it will remain a Mystery what the hell it's like. ] So whatever. Yours is fine. I already finished the shitty homework anyway.
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So no. The best way to deal with Bakugou, she thinks, is to just show him how she feels instead of telling him. So she'll drop the fake cheerfulness for now and be... well, regular Ochako. Still cheerful, but not as in-your-face about it. And much more likely to call him on his bullshit.]
Then you can help me with mine! I was actually going to ask Deku for help, but I wouldn't mind if you looked over it with me.
[And then she's turning to walk in the direction of the dorm, not even waiting to see if he's ready to go. They're tied together, after all; he'd better be ready to go. And she's just. Not going to think about how close their hands are as they walk down the sidewalk. Who cares if their fingers brush every now and again? It's just Bakugou. Just... grumpy, stubborn Bakugou.
Plus she has other things to think about! Like infiltration plans. Hmm. She swings her arms a bit, thinking.]
You know, when we get there... what if I just used my quirk to float us up to my balcony? I'm pretty sure I left the window unlocked...
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he bites down on a curse when she gets going and the ribbon cuts into his finger when he doesn't immediately follow. and then he follows, making sure to keep slightly in front of her because he hates being behind people, for totally not-immature reasons at all. he doesn't even offer to help with her bags.
he glances up at the building, scowling. ] For fuck's sake... [ but she has a point, he'd rather not come through the main entrance and he could blast himself up but maybe not her. unless he carries her or... anyway, that's not happening. ]
Can you float up that much or are you gonna hurl. [ it's a good few stories. he does actually have faith she can do it, he supposes he might as well ask though. ]
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But all she has to do is think about walking in the front door and her motivation is solid.]
I can do it!
[She tucks her bag under one arm as securely as she can, makes sure her pockets are good to go, and then looks back over at him.]
You're ready, right?
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You know what, just do it before someone walks out and sees us or something. [ and defeats the purpose of trying to sneak up in the first place. ]
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Fine! [Rush, rush, rush. She reaches out and grabs his hand before he can say anything else, making sure that the tips of all five of her fingers are touching his skin, and soon his feet are leaving the ground.
She's right there with him, of course, still holding onto his hand as they both float upward. Aside from the nausea, she actually enjoys floating about; it's nice to see everything from a different perspective. But here, with Bakugou right beside her, she's too busy trying to move upward as fast as possible to admire the view. It looks a little like she's trying to swim in midair, actually. Strange stuff. But she's just very, very glad she wore tights under her skirt today.
Her balcony becomes eye-level blessedly soon, and she's grabbing the railing, pulling them over it, and releasing her quirk as quickly as she can. This isn't the sickest she's been--not by a long shot--but she can definitely tell the difference between floating with all of her specialized gear and floating in her school uniform. She's just going to sit here for a minute, eyes closed, and let things stop... spinning...]
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he considers trying to blast them forward to try to get there asap but resists just in case it might startle her. resists up until the end when they reach the balcony, he blasts them the last extra distance just in case she might falter because he can tell she's looking a little nauseous.
she still looks nauseous as she leans over the balcony. he drops her bag and... upends the snacks onto the ground. ]
Don't hurl.
... And if you have to, use the bag. [ he's... being helpful or trying, just pushes the bag under her face. well, it'd be gross but hell. he's not easily grossed out.
and at least they made it. ]
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I'm not going to-- [Ugh, but she can't even say vomit. She just takes another deep breath and pushes herself away from the balcony.] I'll be fine!
[She steps carefully over the snacks--seriously, she's just grateful they're still in their packages at point--and slides the glass door to her room right open. Thank goodness she likes to keep everything neat and tidy! ...Well, almost everything. As they step inside, she kicks a small pile of books back underneath her desk.]
Here we are! Welcome to my room. [She feels the heat rise in her cheeks again, because she's not sure what he's going to think of it. It's fairly boring, as far as rooms go. She knows almost everyone else has more interesting ones.] You didn't play along with us when we first moved in, so this is your first time seeing it, huh? It's a little... plain, I guess.
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he helps himself inside, not even bothering to mutter sorry for the intrusion or anything. not looking impressed or disappointed or any change of expression from his pissed-off look at all. ]
Yeah, I didn't care about seeing all your shitty rooms. [ ... how nice. also, he'd just come back from that kidnapping thing so he was just in a piss poor mood like he always is, only probably kind of worse. also he doesn't need an excuse to blow people off, he'd just do it. ] Great... [ not annoyed at her, at her room, just at the whole situation in general. he quickly lets go of her hand and jerks at the ribbon again, as if hoping in vain that it might have loosened or something during the walk back, then stiffens because the distance might have... tightened a little.
that's not alarming at all. ] Oh, fuck this. [ he fishes his cell out his pocket to look up any development on this quirk.
... on a quick search it seems like a lot of girls are disappointed their ribbon didn't lead to their favorite idol or anything. he frantically scrolls for more news. ]
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...Nah. He'd probably just turn everything down, anyway. Just to be a jerk.
But just standing there in silence is awfully boring, so she raises up on her toes to try and catch a glimpse of his phone screen. Ah... the news. Well, judging by the annoyed sounds he's making, she's going to guess that there aren't any good updates to be shared. Wonderful. Settling back down on her heels, she looks back down at the string connecting them. She's been trying... not to think about what it's supposed to represent, but the oppressive silence is making it impossible for her to keep ignoring it. Soulmates, huh? And hers is supposed to be... Bakugou.
...Ha.
She frowns down at the stupid red string, eyebrows knitting together as she ponders it all.]
So why do you think--
[Oh shit, but she's thinking aloud before she realizes what she's doing. She's just so used to talking things out with her her friends! Still, it's something to fill the silence, so she chucks caution to the wind and continues on.]
I mean, it's a weird quirk, isn't it? I was around so many different people when this first showed up, but it ended up tying me to you. And you were so far away! [She's not even going to mention the whole "destined to be together" thing, because they both know that has to be a lie. Seriously.] It just doesn't seem like it's some kind of coincidence. There has to be some reason we're stuck like this, other than...
[She doesn't feel like saying it--and she definitely doesn't need to--so she just makes an awkward little shrugging gesture instead.]
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he's just. in an terrible ass mood, not that that's too terribly surprising or even different from his usual. he gives her a baleful look--yes, he barely has the self-awareness to know he's being difficult and a pain in the ass but if she has any expectation that he's going to be otherwise she would be horribly mistaken. ]
It's some fucking asshole quirk for some fucking asshole criminal. [ flicks through news sites... no, the villain still hasn't been caught yet. yes, quite a lot of pro heroes are also being tied together which is holding them up. kirishima texted him and being stuck to ashido, which is hilarious and he'd laugh assholishly at him if only he weren't in the same situation... ] Fuck, there's no update on catching him. What kind of ridiculous shitty power is this.
[ ... but yes, the whole symbolism shit of the red string is just too much to ignore. his grin stiffens, he just stalks over and moves to help himself to sit on her bed or something and... probably ends up dragging her over. ]
Look, do you think it means something or do you think some dipshit out there is just fucking with us. Kirishima says he got stuck to Pinkie, you think that means something? [ he doesn't... even know what the hell he thinks, the idea it could mean anything. reflex says it's bullshit. some voice in the back of his head says--no, he doesn't want to think of it. ]
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WELL. She's not going to make a big deal about it if he isn't, even though it does feel slightly odd to be sitting on her bed with a boy by her side. But it's just Bakugou! Just... Bakugou. Who thankfully provides her with a wonderful distraction by bringing up the fact that their mutual friends are also tied together.]
What? [She whips her head around to look at him, eyes widening in surprise. Did she really hear him correctly?] Kirishima and Mina?
[She wouldn't wish this stupid tied-together thing on her worst enemy, but if anyone--anyone--can use this situation to their advantage, it's definitely Mina. And to think that she actually had the luck to be tied to the person she actually likes! It doesn't mean they're soulmates, of course, because that's just silly. She's still tied to Bakugou. But... ah, she can't help but to smile a bit in excitement for her friend. What luck!
...Actually, why is Bakugou even asking her if them being tied together means anything? Surely he knows they're... oh wait, he probably doesn't. Why would he ever care about who likes who? Her smiles fades a little as she tries to think of how to properly say it.]
They get along really well, don't you think? And they've known each other for so long. [Oooh, and this is totally the perfect opportunity to try and help her friend out!] ...Did Kirishima say if they're having a good time?
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Yeah, he says they're fine. He says... [ he squints at the phone, as if not even believing what it's reading. ] She's... fucking doing his hair. The hell. [ now that he thinks of it, they have the horn-thing in common, even if kirishima gels it. what the hell kind of hair thing are they even doing.
two seconds later he gets a reply and stares at it in disbelief.
and then turns the screen towards her to take a look.
it's kirishima and ashido, in her room, she appears to be giving him some makeover and crimping his hair while her own hair appears to be gelled in spikes. kirishima is winking and shooting a peace sign with his ribboned hand while ashido sticks out her tongue.
they're... having fun. but he supposes they're both happy idiots like that. he'd be exactly the kind of clueless bastard who wouldn't even know if his best friend has a crush on anyone, because he sucks. ]
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They look so happy! [She smiles down at it for another few seconds before releasing his hand, still not realizing--or caring--that she'd reached out and grabbed it in the first place.] Wow... I can't believe they ended up tied together. That's amazing luck!
[Which probably sounds a little mean, but she's too busy being thrilled for her friend to even notice. Being tied to Bakugou could... be better, yes, but at least he hasn't blown up her room or anything. She sighs happily, temporarily forgetting who, exactly, she's tied to.]
They make such a good couple, don't you think?
[It's something she would say offhandedly to Tsuyu, or to Deku, but to Bakugou? Goodness.]
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