[open] Oh the weather outside is weather

[wannasmash]

Who: Izuku "DEKU DON'T" Midoriya and YOU. Featuring a Warmblood who will, per this month's effects, influence you to be your best self... whatever that may mean.
What: Catchall log with: a snowball fight, fishing Paul out of a collapsed basement, giving mushrooms to Illarion, event things. Event plotting comment.
When: January
Where: A park. Abandoned basement. The Red.

Content Warnings: fantasy violence against a snake-shaped rock monster, panic attack, teens in danger. Mention of: being kidnapped, child abuse and/or neglect. More TBD in comments below.

Open prompts:
Snowball Fight!
Wallflower Time (Snake Den at The Red) (Event)
Taking Note (Snake Den at The Red) (Event)

Comments

OPEN: SNOWBALL FIGHT!!

[wannasmash]

It's the ultimate showdown. An all-out brawl. Any time, any place. (Daytime in a park is most likely.) People don't need a reason to join the pitched battle, other than the thrills of victory and defeat--and the promise of a hot drink at a cafe later. Will you test your might?

Midoriya, snow caked in his hair, peels himself away from the fray and plods over in his snow boots towards anyone who looks like they'd be up for it.

"Want to join us?"

Or perhaps you're already there, preparing to catch this nerd in the back of the head with a snowball. Sometimes being your best self means being wicked confident at snowball fights. Some things, however, shouldn't be tried at home.

ooc: Can treat this prompt as a mingle if you'd like. Just indicate whether you're open to all (OTA) other characters tagging in.

OTA

[onekindsoul]

Ruby Rose wasn't about to miss this little brawl. She's quick to dart around from one mound of snow to the next to take cover as she packs up another snowball to throw. Once she's got loaded up she'll catch sight of a snow man and make a break for it, leaping up and perching on it's head as she lines up her shot like a true sniper.

"Hey! Think fast!" And she throws her snowball at her current target- Except that's not all she leaps off snow man to tackle them to the ground too.

Sorry. Ruby takes these very seriously.

[forwantofahorse]

Sayo had been taking a pleasant walk through the neighborhood, getting to know Trench, seeing the sights, marking down the least monster-y routes in her notebook. Normal first few days in the city kind of things.

And then she got beaned on the back of the head with a snowball, and oh, it was on.

As Ruby leaps through the air to give Sayo a friendly tackle, she bites down on her tongue hard enough to draw blood—a task that's made easier by her snaggletooth. When she swallows the fine mist of darkblood, time... stops.

Sayo steps back from her physical body, tapping her chin as she examines her surroundings. Languidly, she walks forward, retrieves a tape measure from out of nowhere, and measures the exact distance between Ruby and the ground. She nods, experimentally scuffs the snow drift with her foot, then sits down in a convenient tea chair before an odd-looking chess set, making a few adjustments to the pieces.

Then, she snaps her fingers, and time continues flowing again as she watches her physical body spring into action.

Sayo turns on a dime and sweeps her foot through the snow, creating a small cloud of snow to obscure her location for a few precious seconds before Ruby touches down and thrusts her hands toward Ruby, summoning a shimmering crimson barrier that doesn't entirely stop her midair charge, but slows it enough for her to scramble away and out of her sight. When her opponent finally hits the ground, Sayo is gone... and behind Ruby, having shoulder-rolled through the snow desperately tripped over herself to get out of the way, snatched the head of the snowman, and poised herself to dunk it directly onto Ruby's skull.

Meanwhile, still observing, Sayo sips a cup of tea and smiles faintly. "Your move, Ruby," she says, even though Ruby can't actually hear her from where she is.

[swellter]

"Join--" a snowball cuts him off, splattering fluff right above his temple, leaving him stupefied. Give him a moment while he gets his wits about him.

[wannasmash]

It's rare to see the unflappable Todoroki caught by surprise. Because Midoriya is a good friend, he does not laugh at him. He turns his head to call out to the person practicing their headshots.

"He's still a bystan--"

Splat. A snowball to his entire face.

OTA

[swornto]

[Oz was mystified by the sight of an honest-to-goodness snowball fight. He's heard of them and seen kids do this in the streets, but a noble like him couldn't really participate... Even in the privacy of the manor, it wasn't like he'd be throwing snowballs at Ada or Gilbert. His little sister would get him back and Gil might not recover.

So excuse him while he's embarrassing himself. Oz can't even pack snow into a solid snowball. All of his attempts to join in just crumble into harmless snow flurries. Despite it, he can't help but laugh at his attempts.]

I'm not very good at this, am I?

[wannasmash]

Midoriya had done plenty of snowball fights as a kid, though as he got older, he lacked friends to throw snow around with. This winter was going to be different, living in the dorms with his classmates... until he was whisked here.

"It's hard at first. You actually have to be gentle, like holding a bird. Then pack more on..."

He throws up an arm to block an oncoming snowball from one direction, only to get clocked in the side of the head with another. He laughs as he brushes the snow off his ear. He's happy to watch Oz's back while he perfects his technique.

For Paul Atreides - Sick Moves, Bro

[wannasmash]

cw: teens in danger

Nothing makes fast friends like accidentally entering someone's memory and averting trauma. At first Midoriya was worried they wouldn't be able to track each other down again, but he did give his hero name. Deku is also his screen name on deerNet, because a hero should at least be somewhat easy to contact. Life finds a way.

He's at home video chatting. His Omni's camera shifts wildly as he brings it closer to watch. Midoriya's hair is getting scraggly; it could use a trim. He's in a boring gray-blue hoodie bought in Trench. Behind him is the wallpaper of a plain Crenshaw district apartment. He flashes a grin.

"OK Paul-kun, I'm ready. What are you going to show me?"

[terriblepurpose]

"Hold on."

Paul fidgets with his own Omni, disappearing from frame as he checks the visible screen again. The camera is focused (more or less) on an empty, wide room - perhaps a studio, once - largely free of furniture, but thick with dust. Paul chose it for the wide broken windows that flood it with natural light.

"That's...better," he says, coming back in view. His hair is as messy as Midoriya's, and he's wearing a loose black shirt and pants, coat discarded for the sake of the demonstration. He spins the long knife in his right hand absently and smiles at Midoriya.

"It's a swordmaster drill," he explains, kneeling on one knee in front of the Omni, a few inches too close to the lens, "I finally found enough space. Can you see the room?"

[wannasmash]

He sits up straighter. Once, maybe a year ago, he would have stared in awed anticipation or made high-pitched noises of excitement. Now, learning about pro moves is routine. He simply opens his notebook where it rests on his coffee table offscreen.

"You only need to back up a bit, if it's not too much trouble."

He honors Paul's wish to be referred to by his first name with no title. However, since learning of Paul's role back home, there has been a slight shift in Midoriya's speech. Not all of it translates all the time, and Midoriya wants to be friends foremost, but he still uses more words to say something he could in less.

For Illarion - Just Your Friendly Neighborhood Deku

[wannasmash]

Midoriya had no problem breaking the seal of his own deerNet anonymity to bring this person some needed mushrooms. Not everyone has the time or resources to gather their medicine, and this person said he was suffering blood corruption. Midoriya didn't know too much, other than that even while having a hard time, this person had thanked him for fighting so hard in November.

He'd introduced himself by his screen name, which was also his hero name: Deku. However, when he sends a text saying he's here, he's off-duty in his civvies: warm puffy jacket, colorful scarf, gloves, and snow boots. His freckled cheeks are pink with cold.

this month, i AM the mushroom

[unsheathedfromreality]

The shrike had wrestled with a moment of actual, genuine concern over his contact's willingness to break anonymity to help him. And not all of it for said contact's sake--while gut instinct said this was a person who would not betray secrets casually, there was always an element of genuine risk in identifying oneself. He had not wished Trench at large to know what lay behind his determined simulacrum of affable care, not yet.

In the end, though, trust won out. Deku's message is met with an unsigned acknowledgement that arrives nearly as its sender does--a black-clad solemn figure striding through the snow to their rendezvous. Illarion stops at a respectful distance away, head canted a little to one side as he appears to study the young man (is studying him, though not by sight).

"Well met, Deku."

Re: this month, i AM the mushroom

[wannasmash]

True to his word, one not given but implicit, Midoriya did not mention even speaking to someone anonymous about their corruption. It's easy to keep a secret if one doesn't bring it up at all. As he puts his Omni away and hefts the canvas bag of mushrooms more securely, he wonders what to call this person who didn't sign their last text. Then he sees someone a little taller than him making their way through the snow.

"Good morning..." There's an awkward pause where his name should be, but he quickly presses on to the next sentence with a shy smile. "How are you feeling today?"

This must be him.

Open: Wallflower Time (Snake Den at The Red) (Event)

[wannasmash]

Now he knows what Madam Generosity's gift is for. His outfit is a simple gray suit with a black shirt and a green tie. It's plain, but that suits him. On a night when he's sure some people he knows will be at The Red, Midoriya dresses, fails to calm down his curls, gives up on tying his tie properly, puts on his usual red sneakers, and heads out.

He's not nervous per se. The environment is too breathtaking to make him nervous, somehow, and he's mostly just elated to be here. However, he's usually not the center of attention at these things, nor has he had many chances to attend gatherings, being a busy Hero Course student. Out of habit, he wanders towards a nearby wall while he waits to spot anyone he knows, absently plucking at one of the fingerless gloves that came with the suit. It's the classic scene: He may as well be in a late 20th century coming-of-age film.

[terriblepurpose]

The girl who swans up to Midoriya in a plain black dress paired with a wire circlet might fit in said film, although her borrowed cape and veil would not. She has a confident ease to her bearing, the veil reversed to fall glittering over her unbound dark hair as she steps towards him on her little black slippered feet with a smile that's half-teasing already.

"Hello," she says, warmly, stopping in front of him with her hands clasped at the level of her waist, primly drawn up to her full height (for all that it's still a few inches short of Midoriya's), "I like your shoes."

[wannasmash]

Midoriya is caught by surprise. He hadn't expected her to look at him, much less talk to him. That smirk is familiar, but Midoriya can't place it. He feels like she knows something he doesn't. He guesses that she knows, at a glance, that she is much more suave than Midoriya. Absolutely, that must be it. She is part of that higher echelon of people who are unequivocally... cool.

In the presence of people he doesn't know well, especially if they're superiors, celebrity heroes, or confident girls, he stands up straighter. A little pink creeps into his cheeks.

"U-Uh, thank you..." he stammers.

She's too cute, and why is she telling me she likes my shoes??

[onekindsoul]

Ruby knew a thing or two about wallflowers. Honestly she had spent a lot of time at school being one, at least until the school blew up and she set off on her own coming-of-age story. She was just caught up in the adventure of fighting monsters and righting wrongs that the little things hadn't interested her as much. It wasn't until she got here that she started to get the hang of it.

So when she saw Deku there she couldn't help but smile and moved to join him at the wall. She's wearing a suit herself. The last time she went to a party in a dress she had lost her eye. She'd rather blame the dress than anyone else involved with that situation.

"Hey. You aren't just going to hang around here all night are you? Let loose and have some fun."

[wannasmash]

He likes her suit. She wears a suit better than he does, and with a cool flower too. He's relieved to see someone he knows. Midoriya is, thankfully, less nervous than he would have been. Something about this place makes it a little easier to chill out. It's like when he had something to do in class or at work. Still, he can be caught by surprise.

"Rose-san! You look great! I'm glad you're here... I don't, uh, really know what to do... at these things..."

He smiles awkwardly, and he can feel a little heat rising in his face.

[entreats]

Usually Ange radiates to the wallflowers because she's one of them.

Not tonight though. She's much more sociable than that while she's around, and that means she's approaching plenty of people. Strangers, friends, but also people she has spoken to before but doesn't know super well yet, like Midoriya.

.. though she is sure looking very different than the last time they spoke. Sure, it's still very much Ange in appearance, but her outfit sure is a lot more.. let's say attention-grabbing.

And she's actually smiling a little as she approaches him.

"You weren't planning on lingering there like that all by yourself for the rest of the evening, were you?"

[wannasmash]

This is very unexpected of the shy person he met at Ruby's birthday party. Back then, one would be forgiven for mistaking her as another hapless guest, like himself, instead of the host. He'd only known who she was because she had sent him the invitation and spoke with him about Ruby.

Midoriya feels calmer in this place than he would have otherwise, but he can still be startled. His eyes widen, and he feels his cheeks go pink. Politeness, and his urge to keep looking and talking like a human, urge him to smile. It's... it's awkward.

"Ushiromiya-san! Wow, you look--You look amazing!" He forgets to speak with his inside voice, but it's a big place anyway. "And no, I was just hoping I'd spot someone I knew..."

He didn't really have a plan after that.

[rosae]

Rose initially wasn't sure about this — because the thought of attending a party, of stopping her consistent search for Sharon and taking a night to do something fun after all the horrors as of late, feels.... almost wrong. She spent a long time just holding the clothing she was gifted, staring down at it and remembering a time when she and Christopher used to attend fancy events quite regularly. It wasn't so long ago, really.

She misses it. Rose has always enjoyed such things: getting all dressed up, meeting people. She slowly tries it out, feeling like a stranger at first but then gradually falling back into an old comfort routine. She does her nails and hair, and some light make-up. She puts on the dress: a spicy little red thing, with gold bangles and heels, and a matching clutch.

Once she's actually inside the Snake Den, she feels herself relaxing, and the more she wanders around, the better it becomes. She's still new enough to this place that she doesn't know very many people, but she's not necessarily a shy person and she's at ease amongst the chatter. When she spots a familiar young man standing by himself, Rose immediately heads that way.

"Deku!" She's smiling brightly as she approaches. "How are you, darling?"

[wannasmash]

"Huh? Oh, Rose-san! You look really pretty!"

An understatement. They're both a far cry from the two jumpsuit-clad hostages desperately trying to escape the Sleeper Farm, or the shaken survivors trying to recover thereafter. Rose is suave and put-together. Midoriya is... well, as good as he's going to get. Healthy and uninjured, anyway. He beams, starry-eyed.

"I'm doing well. How about you? I'm so glad you came here."

A slight softening of his voice near the end is his only indication of just what it means to be able to try to enjoy oneself at a social gathering. That was always his way: He can't help the emotions leaking out of him, but he does want to allow someone the dignity of not being constantly reminded of bad times. He can't smile in a false way that covers up pain--He's tried--but he can smile in a true way that is genuinely happy for others.

Open: Taking Note (Snake Den at The Red) (Event)

[wannasmash]

What's entertainment for most people is a learning opportunity for Midoriya. The talent show is a great way for him to observe a lot of skills and ideas that might help with his training. He realizes this belatedly, standing in a less crowded part of the audience, but luckily he has what he needs on him...

The young man in a plain gray suit and his usual bright red sneakers eagerly pulls out a notebook. (From where? No one knows.) He repurposed the journal that came with his welcome bag as a new notebook, since he arrived without his original. Most of what's in this one are notes about people's abilities recreated from memory, accompanied with a rough illustration of what their hero costumes look like. (For non-heroes, it's just whatever they wear when they fight.)

He flips past one of the newer pages. It's one of the first ones he started while here in Trench. His friend Ruby Rose stands next to her scythe.

[glitchinthesystem]

Glitch had reluctantly come to this event though he'd done so expecting something awful would probably happen. Usually, always something nice in Trench followed something immediately horrifying. He's opted out of the nice clothing provided and has his usual stuff on as he stands at the back watching others.

However, one person sticks out to him in the crowd. Glitch squints watching as he watches the person write away in a notebook in their hands. Curious, he steps closer to see what they were writing, up until he see's the page with details on Ruby. His mouth turns into an even larger frown as he moves quicker.

Without saying anything, in one fell swoop he reaches over and snatches the book right out of the other boy's hand and takes one large step back to look at it. He eyes the page more closely before looking back to the boy who had it. "So. What's this all about? Seems pretty shady," Glitch says as if he had uncovered some kind of secret plot.

After all, who writes details about people's abilities in a book like this if they weren't up to something?

[wannasmash]

He's mumbling to himself, kind of off-puttingly, about how to go about identifying techniques when his space is invaded--

"Ah--"

He's pretty confident about his ability to defend himself--Nevermind, the other person doesn't even touch him. However, he does take something... but doesn't run?

Midoriya blinks at him. It feels like a million years since someone just aggressively grabbed his stuff, his notebook in particular, but Midoriya is a very different person now. Of course he wants it back, it's very important to him, but right now he'd rather mentally tick off de-escalation approaches and not cause a scene. In the back of his mind, he's constantly aware they're in the middle of a club full of people.

"Uh, it's my notes... nothing shady... kind of embarrassing, actually..." he smiles awkwardly while inwardly trying not to be mortified. He'd rather ease people into getting to know him first before revealing his weird nerd hobby.