deercountry | [open] Oh the weather outside is weather

Entry tags:

[open] Oh the weather outside is weather

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)

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Rose's smile warms right up at him, and she's drawing closer until she's beside the teen. It's almost surreal to be somewhere like this now in comparison to the horrors of before — but even though they're somewhere dazzling and safe, she won't forget. There's a concern for him right there in the middle of everything; she's certainly looking him over to check on him.

"I'm doing very well, and I'm so glad to see you here, too." She means it, her own smile softening at that gentle shift to his voice. Through all of the searching for her own daughter, her heart has also grown so attached to the other young ones here alone. That part is... different, from Silent Hill. Her goal was to leave that place no matter what it took. Here...? She wouldn't want to leave them, him. She's not sure what that might mean for her someday, but it's not something she's worried about right now.

"And you look so handsome! Look at you." She lifts her hands in gesture, before they pause close to his chest. As she's taking him in, she can see evidence of someone who hasn't worn suits all too much: the little mistakes. Namely that tie, and a soft, fond amusement touches her mouth.

"Can I help you with your tie? Those things are tricky. Even my husband had a hard time with his." And she'd do it for him time and time again. For all of the troubles between them towards the end, she never minded that.

"That's good to hear."

He blushes a little while smiling. A lady like her thinks he looks handsome! Doesn't matter if it's true or not; that's sweet of her to say. He remembers, with a pang, his mom seeing him off for his first day of high school. He was in a hurry or else he'd be late, but she stopped him anyway to say he looked cool. She was so proud he'd gotten into his dream school.

"OK. I never really got the hang of it..." he says apologetically, undoing the badly-tied tie. That knot is a lost cause.

He had a tie with his school uniform, but his homeroom teacher was never a stickler for dress code. Mr. Aizawa favored encouraging punctuality, respect, and excellence in their studies instead. One boy in his class didn't even wear his tie at all.

Rose's smile softens at that and she reaches gently for the ends of his tie to begin doing it for him, taking her time. It's a familiar motion, and her fingers are neat and precise with it. Her heart flutters with a soft ache, remembering the past, her life then.... and this reminds her of Sharon, too. The way she'd help her daughter with her zippers or fix her hair for her. She's missed this dearly.

"I can teach you some time, if you like." Rose offers, slowly working with the material. "But I have to admit, I like helping with it. I miss doing things like this."

Aka you can come to her for any tie-assistance any time, Deku. With that task done, Rose smooths it down his front, and then smooths her hands gently over the material of his jacket over his shoulders, continuing to fuss and preen over him a little.

"There. Very dashing." He really is; he looks very nice! But she's noticed that he's standing off alone and glances around for a moment. Is he waiting for someone or perhaps just shy? "Did you come here with someone?"

He knows he's a little old to let someone fuss over him like this, but he indulges her anyway. He misses his mom with a palpable ache. After he moved into the dorms and the school's new stringent security system, they texted and spoke, but students visiting families was limited for safety reasons.

"This is the first time I've worn a tie in Trench, since I don't have--I mean, I missed enrolling last trimester." Did they even do trimesters here?

He winces guiltily. He's still continuing his education piecemeal, concentrating on hero-like things the Hunters can teach him. But he's not enrolled anywhere, and he's seriously let subjects like math, Japanese literature, and English fall by the wayside.

"I didn't come with anyone, but I know some of my friends will be around tonight."

It was mostly unplanned, but even so, he isn't in the habit of just turning up to a party alone.

She probably is babying the poor boy a tad too much, but (perhaps a little comically), Rose.... isn't used to handling teenage boys, in all honesty. She's kind of defaulting to how she'd take care of Sharon — being very hands on and sweet-voiced, using affectionate terms...

It probably makes her the epitome of Embarrassing Mom when used towards a young man, but even if she was made aware of that, she'd probably still be babying him....

"Oh— you don't go to the school?" She'd assumed that most of the young people were just directed that way by the authorities around here, and there's a little frown that touches her mouth to learn that's not the case. "I could go talk to the principal and see about getting you enrolled, if you want."

...There probably is not a "principal" at the School of Mutter, Rose.

"Don't let me keep you from them, if you see any around," she smiles then, warmed at the thought of him having made friends in this place. That's good, she's very glad. "I bet you're a really popular guy."

Inko Midoriya is also very doting. She clutched his hand with both of hers the last time he saw her in person, and he'd had to fight back tears. She couldn't help worrying about her Izuku moving out, and he couldn't help seeing that. They're very close. Once he might have been annoyed at her asking if he remembered his handkerchief for the millionth time. Now he just missed her. (He didn't have his handkerchief, because of course he forgot it; in this world, he carried one a friend gave him instead.)

"Ah, uh, you really don't have to... I don't want to be a bother..."

He gives a guilty start, and of course none of his friends are immediately in sight to offer him a quick escape. He's been preoccupied with his new job and didn't set aside time for regular classes. As for authorities, none really existed. A call was put out in September strongly encouraging people to attend class, but Midoriya had not yet arrived in Trench. He took December to recover from October and November, and now suddenly it's January...

"It wouldn't be a bother at all," she shakes her head with a smile, adamant about that. If anything, she's in her element with the concept; Rose was very much the sort of Involved, PTA Mom back home for Sharon..... And there are so many young people running around here without guardians; actually, she has to wonder if anyone's even helping them with their homework....?

Needless to say, the business of helping getting him established at the school is certainly something she would gladly do.

"And if you needed some more clothes or supplies or anything like that for school, I'd be happy to get them for you."

She'll take him school shopping, don't think she won't...!

This is only the second time he's encountering it, so he hasn't learned quite yet: A vague demurral, usually taken as a no where he comes from, doesn't work on people from certain cultures.

Guess he's going to school. He's put it off long enough. It's January, not too late to jump in. He can just take a class or two while balancing his work. He's done that before, though in different proportions. Midoriya has a vague understanding that the School of Mutter runs more like a local college than anything strictly abiding by education standards set by bureaucrats, so there's no pressure to graduate by a certain time.

"Thank you, but I can get my own supplies. There are these notebooks I like..."

Japanese kids are taught to be fairly self-sufficient, and it would be easier for him to just pick out his own things.

"Actually, this might be a weird question, but..." he frowns, concentrating, "you can help with my English?"

It's English, albeit with a strong accent, and he's mixed up the word order.

"All right, but I don't mind helping with anything that you need. I always really liked school shopping with Sharon," Rose smiles; she's happy to help him out. Of course, Deku does seem like an independent young man, one who knows far too much than someone his age should when it comes to things like combat and injury... Perhaps he's used to doing most things on his own. But the offer is there; she doesn't mind in the least.

"Oh— of course, I'd love to." English lessons are certainly something she can do.

"Maybe you can teach me some of your language, too. It sounds like a good idea to learn as much as possible, here." Rose smiles again, adjusting her clutch in her grasp. She really knows so little about him; their first encounter hardly allowed for such things, and this is a good opportunity to get to know the young man who so bravely saved her once before.

"Which city are you from? What's it like there?"

The image of Rose and Sharon school shopping together is pretty cute; he'll admit that.

"You wouldn't have to do much," he says, switching back to Japanese in his excitement. "I'd just try speaking to you in English, and you'd correct me. I might text you questions about English sayings too. I'm teaching a friend Japanese already, so I'll copy those notes for you."

His hands are even miming writing things down. He's a nerd, no doubt about it.

"I'm from Musutafu*, Shizuoka Prefecture. We've got highrises and a beach. That used to be a huge trash dump, but I cleaned it up. I used to go there every day to train..."

He trails off, eyes drifting away. He misses home.

*Several place names are fake and inspired by Star Wars because the creator is a fan lol.

Rose's smile widens as he gestures with his hands, tickled by the enthusiasm. She's definitely not used to Animated Teenage Boys, but she's very quickly growing more and more affectionate of them. More than anything, though, it's nice to see him... happy? The way a young person should be? This is certainly a far cry from what had happened in that nightmarish place before.

"Sure, and you can text me English words any time! It sounds like a lot of fun. And I need to actually learn how to use this Omni thing more."

She's genuinely looking forward to it, not only helping him out but also learning something in return.

"You cleaned it up? Wow, that's..... amazing, Deku," she praises softly, smile softening out into a gentle frown at the way he trails off. He doesn't have to voice it; it's obvious he misses his home. Of course he would.

"When it warms up around here, maybe you can train some more at the beach. It seems like it'd be a nice place when it's not all covered in snow."

cw: physical bullying

"And I'll help you with the Omni," he promises with the confidence of a tech-savvy teen who, back home, checked the hero news every day and regularly scrolled through obscure fan theories about All Might, his celebrity idol, mentor, and--though neither of them said it in words--something like a parent.

"You, um, remind me of my mom, Rose-san. She's really nice."

He wouldn't say that to just anyone. He might not say it to someone at all, even if he thought it, because it brings a painful bittersweetness to his small smile and the way he ducks his head self-consciously. He caused his mom a lot of worry, even before he got his superpower. Getting beat up at school when he was younger and coming home with bruises because he couldn't leave well enough alone... He had to be a hero. Now he's at that in-between age where he feels like he has to do something to put her worries to rest. The child comforting the mother, instead of the other way around.

The words catch her in a particular place — somewhere way down deep beneath her ribs, in the center of herself. It's a feeling that aches, but not unpleasantly; her eyelids flutter for a moment, as though a little dazed. It's a visible reaction, her mouth parting to release the softest exhale, the ghost of a thing.

Mom. That word's always been one that affected her in a particular way, in truth. Ever since she was so young and lost her own. Ever since she knew that more than anything else, she wanted to become a mother. Ever since she knew from the moment she laid eyes on Sharon, that she was hers.

It's the source of her deepest loss and her greatest fulfillment; Mom. Such a simple word, but to hear it voiced aloud in this context, that she reminds him of his own... it touches her in that deep place. Rose feels staggered by it, but gently, gently.

"Thank you. That makes me— very happy to hear." The words come out a little strained, but it's only because they mean a lot to her. And then, expression melting, a sorrow trickling in, one she's been carrying all this time, and now she's in the face of this sweet boy and she hates what he's known—

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Back there, at the..." The farm. She can't say what it was aloud. He's not a little child, but she still can't say it in front of him. Still feels some need to protect him from nightmarish words, even if he'd lived that nightmare.

"I'm so sorry."

His heart constricts as he looks at her, eyebrows knitting. Then the pang passes as quickly as it comes, leaving a not unwelcome ache. Midoriya misses his own mother. He misses her soft hands and her smile and even the tears they cried together. Rose is an entirely different person. He knows that, but he's caught off guard by the calm in this room and his own yearning for home.

He knows what to do. It's what he's done ever since he was a small child and first learned the concept of someone else hurting for him. He wants to make that hurt disappear, even if he has to hide his own.

He smiles gently.

"It's all right."

In a way, it is what he always tries to do: protect people. So he forgets his usual reservations, as he usually does when this instinct of his is pressed on. He reaches out and gives her hand the gentlest squeeze with his, scarred as it always has been, but uninjured and whole.

"I'm fine."

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[open] Oh the weather outside is weather

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WAILS. Rose!! ;n; Just gonna tie this thread off