#c. ochako.

[herostoried]

"I don't know what to do."

As the words finally leave her mouth, Ochako is disappointed to find that the weight on her shoulders doesn't feel any lighter than it did before. She'd been hoping, maybe without realizing, that speaking them aloud might somehow clear the storm in her mind, making everything come together all at once and helping her realize that she already knew what to do from here.

But right now, she still feels just as conflicted as ever. She'd never known that hope could be such a painful thing - so much so that it's almost too hard to take, worse than any nausea she's ever felt before - yet it's a feeling that she wants to cling onto, one she wants to embrace close to her chest rather than run away from.

It's just as wonderful as it is frightening. But even if she hasn't found an answer yet, Ochako's glad that she came to Deku about this. Seeing him looking back at her and being able to confide in him may not lift the weight... but it makes her feel a little better anyway, enough to even bring a fragile smile to her face. Of course, there was never going to be anyone else she came to first, because Deku might be the only one who she knows will understand her - at least about this.

"I want to believe it, but... it's scary. I don't want to be wrong, you know? Do you feel the same?"

@maudlxne ( starter for izuku! )

[herostoried]

"Mic-sensei!?"

There's no reason that Ochako should be particularly surprised to see him here, but for some reason, she's startled enough to raise her voice and step back when she sees him. Of course, moments after, she realizes how strange that must look, and forces herself to relax, an awkward smile sneaking onto her face; even if it's also a bit sheepish. Unfortunately, she feels it's likely a bit too obvious - that she's hiding something, that is.

"I thought you were with Aizawa-sensei... ahaha, I didn't mean to shout. Umm... did you need me for something...?"

@feraltrust ( starter! )

[herostoried]

Ochako's face falls at Izuku's sudden drop in mood, and it hurts when she can tell she's disappointed him. It's ridiculous that she should care about that - he was (is?) a villain! But... even in his anger, he's trying to be understanding. He's holding back his frustrations, at least to an extent.

She doesn't know how that makes her feel.

"...I'm sorry." Ochako finds herself apologizing, eyes downcast as she plays with the fabric of her shirt awkwardly. To be honest, she still doesn't entirely get it. She wants to ask what he means when he says he wouldn't, and when he says he doesn't have a quirk... honestly, it takes her by surprise. It's not something she'd thought about before. But all the comments she's heard throughout her life, about the quirkless... suddenly rush into her head, filling her with shame.

"They... they shouldn't treat you that way." It feels stupid as she says it - obviously, he knows that already - but she still wants to make her feelings clear. But if there really are people out there who think people like Izuku shouldn't exist... how is he supposed to reach them, anyway? Is it even fair to ask him to try?

Ochako bites her lip - she can feel herself growing more and more confused, and she feels like a traitor to herself for even considering the thoughts floating in her mind! All at once, she wants to run away, so that Izuku can't "corrupt" her anymore - but she stays rooted in place, thinking deep down that Izuku doesn't deserve that.

"I guess... I don't like seeing people get hurt. But I don't even really know what you did as a villain, so it's not fair of me to judge you..." She can't help but wonder if Izuku even really is a villain. He seems just like an ordinary boy, like one of her classmates... did the Heroes make a mistake somehow...?

@vsagis ( continued! )

[herostoried]

Ochako can’t help the shock from showing on her face as she sees who it is in front of her. Dabi… Touya, though it’s long before he’s revealed that name to the world.

Ochako doesn’t know why she’s so certain of it - of the fact that she’s traveled back in time. But to her, it’s as sure a fact as the sky being blue, written in her bones without explanation or evidence needed for her to believe it. She doesn’t know why, but she wants to believe that maybe, when she made her wish… someone was listening, even though a miracle shouldn’t have been possible - even though no-one had ever listened before.

Her wish - was for Himiko Toga to live. But can that really be granted so easily?

Right now, though, the villain before her is a much more immediate concern. It’s strange, the feelings she has when she looks at him. Anger and fear are the strongest, making her heart pound with adrenaline and the readiness to fight, but when she thinks about everything she’s learned about him, and the League of Villains… an uncomfortable, unfamiliar sensation rises up that seems to overshadow everything else. It might be wrong of her to feel this way, but… hadn’t Himiko called Touya her friend?

Ochako shakes the thoughts away as quickly as she can. Right now, she has to hide before he spots her! …Is what she’s thinking, but it’s too late for that now…

“W-wait!” she cries out instinctively, witnessing the look on his face. She’s not afraid to fight if needed, but even so… “I’m not here for a fight!”

@hatecharred ( starter! )

[herostoried]

Even when Ochako swallows it down, the nervousness climbing up her throat doesn't go away. Instead, she can feel it spreading, buzzing throughout her whole body - a sensation she's never quite experienced before, even in the moments right before the war against All for One began.

It's not just fear, but also determination. And at the same time... restlessness. There's a sense of sickness in her stomach that's no result of her quirk - instead, she thinks, it must be because she knows how important it is that she get this right. Of course she knew that things were important the last time, too... but there was also so much she didn't realize until it was too late. She had no idea what she had to lose until it was already gone... and now she has a chance to get it back - but everything's riding on her shoulders in a way that it felt like it wasn't before.

Is this how you felt back then, Deku? ...Ochako asks herself that question as she looks up at the face of her teacher. Aizawa has done so much - for her and her class, and for everyone in Japan - and she trusts him more than anyone. But will he believe her about this? It's not that she'd blame him if he didn't... A quirk with the capability of changing the past is something utterly unheard of, after all. He's a rational person, so she's sure he won't dismiss her entirely if there's a chance she's telling the truth - right? But the thought of having to explain everything without knowing how he'll react... is far more daunting than it should be.

"Sensei... I said that I need to tell you something. And it is important, but..." she's told him that already, but the next part... how is she supposed to go about this?

"I don't really know where to start..."

@keshimasu ( starter! )

[herostoried]

"H-Hawks!?"

Ochako's utter shock spills out of her full force with her sudden yelp, as she realizes that the person she'd spotted lurking nearby is none over than the famous winged hero, Hawks. Immediately, she flushes - embarrassed by the loudness of the shout she couldn't quite hold back, and realizing that there's no way she's going to go unnoticed by him now.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing... after all, Hawks is a hero - and yes, he's a bit of a celebrity, but Ochako's training to become a hero as well. She even already has her provisional license! However, what's on her mind right now isn't the fear of making a fool of herself in front of a rather famous hero, but more... disbelief at the circumstances in which she's seeing him.

"Why are you all the way out here? No, I mean..." Knowing she can't get away with saying nothing now, Ochako starts asking him questions almost without thinking, but stumbles a little over her words. It's probably nothing, and maybe she's misinterpreting things entirely, but...

"What... are you doing?"

@n2hero ( starter! )

[herostoried]

"Deku-kun wants to save Shigaraki."

The words leave Ochako's lips entirely on impulse. It takes a moment before she even realizes what she's said, and when she does, her eyes widen and snap up to meet Shouta's; heartrate picking up in speed.

She hadn't planned to confide that... yet now that she has, it feels almost as it a dam has burst - like she'd been wanting to tell someone desperately until now, but hadn't even noticed. Why is that? In that moment, it suddenly feels obvious... yet that doesn't make her any less afraid.

"Ah, I mean... that's just what he told me!" she hurriedly adds, flustered. Honestly, what is she doing, spilling Deku's secrets like this? "Not that... well, obviously, he still plans to fight." Just like she does - be it Tenko or Toga, the things they've done and still plan to do are unforgiveable crimes that need to be stopped. She knows that, and she's sure Deku does too. There's no way she'd be willing to put lives at risk just for her desire to understand them, and yet...

"I know we need to stop him no matter what... and I know Deku knows that, too. But I keep thinking about it." Ochako's gaze drops to the ground, and she gives a small, rueful smile without realizing. She's scared to see how her teacher will react... and she hasn't yet brought up her own feelings about Himiko Toga yet. But she trusts Aizawa. And she knows he'll be honest with her no matter what.

"Do you think that's bad? Maybe it's a selfish thing to want."

@keshimasu ( starter! )

[herostoried]

Normally, when Ochako finds herself in a self-deprecating mood, it's almost impossible to escape it. Grief and what-if's claw at her relentlessly, and the hard reality of them leave her unable to dismiss them. It'd feel... irresponsible, somehow.

But today she's making more of an effort. And it is easier to push those thoughts aside when she's meeting Tsuyu. It's not so much getting rid of the doubts as deciding to try and deal with them later, but Tsuyu always has such a calm, steady presence, and Ochako couldn't be any luckier to have her as a friend.

Today has been a little bit hard, but there's no need to let a bad start determine the rest of the day, right? And Ochako wants them to enjoy the time they have together - her and Tsuyu both.

"It's been so busy... it feels like every day's going by so quickly." she muses, and the smile she brings out is a surprisingly easy one in the presence of her friend and fellow Hero. Oh, I forgot! I brought snacks... you don't mind, do you?"

@tadpcle ( starter! )