[Semi-Closed] I'm just a shadow of your thoughts in me...

[creatability]

WHO: Momo Yaoyorozu and Various
WHERE: The Town, various
WHEN: April, Post Event 3
WHAT: Momo is returning to town and catching up with various CR.
WARNINGS: Discussion of "death" and various other sundry bad mojo.


The Town

When Momo woke up in the shadow of the forest, she'd groggily shambles her way into town. She actually felt well rested for the first time in a few days, but something didn't feel quite right, either. Her joints were stiff, like she'd been laid up in bed for an extended period of time, and all she could really remember after a certain point was darkness.

Going is tough, and she pauses frequently to lean on the side of a building, blinking owlishly at the street. If she spots a familiar face, she'll wave. The lack of food hasn't helped her focus, and as much as she'd like to make it back under her own power, she's not stupid enough to think she can.

"Sorry, can you help me?"


Ruga, Momo's apartment (Closed to Ochako)

Whenever she finally makes it back, Momo pats herself down and finds that she's short one key to get inside. And worse, she doesn't have the energy to make a key. So, she knocks on the door loudly, and if Ochako isn't home, she'll sink down to wait on the steps...


The Well

Fed and cleaned at last, Momo decides to visit the site of the last thing she can remember. Walking into the main square at the town's center, she settles on a bench and stares at the well for a long time. Company would be appreciated, as would conversation, but she's too intent on the well to immediately wave anyone over. Anyone who does sit with her can expect a smile, though admittedly a weak one.

"Hey."

Wildcard

For other things CR might want to do. Feel free to PM or poke me at intercession if you want to tag in and we haven't discussed anything.

Comments

the town

[reingenium]

[ It's been sunny for a while; the snow from the week before had melted away, and after the shadows' rampage had finally come to a halt, Iida is cautiously venturing outside to keep in the sunlight and forage for food. He's on a trek back from the garden in Flavo, his school bag full of fruits and vegetables, when he sees someone emerging from the forest.

He's first alarmed that it's Momo; he's even more alarmed at how weak she seems. It occurs to him that he hasn't seen her for the length of the event. ]

Y-Yaoyorozu!

[ Iida calls out to her as he quickly runs over to her, gripping his bag against his side. He skids to a halt in front of her, his hands up in front of him, as if ready to catch her if she falls. ]

Are you all right? You don't seem well at all. What were you doing in the forest?

4/12

[inheritance]

[It's been nearly a week since they'd all gone into the forest in hopes of finding answers of any kind, and Izuku's still stuck mulling things over, as he's wont to do when he has a problem he can't figure out. Is the forest truly random in the way it responds to them? Or does only larger groups trigger the reaction they saw that day?

Even with the way things turned out for the mapping effort, Izuku feels like he can't just leave things like this without making certain. And so, he sends the message to a classmate that he thinks would have similar feelings on the whole thing.]

User: #FFDF00

Yaoyorozu-san, do you still have the sign we made for that lake last time? I was thinking about going back into the forest, just to make sure of some things.

the well;

[windeity]

[Dave went off to meet with Izuku which meant that John was preparing dinner for them. On the other hand, he found he needed something for their meal and set off to town to gather the extra ingredients.

It's as he's passing the well that he spots Momo and he gives her a grin. He notices that her attention is elsewhere though and he tilts his head, turning and changing his direction to walk closer to her and glance down to where she sits.]

Hey. Something interesting about the well today?

The Well

[inheritance]

When Uraraka had told him that Yaoyorozu had gone missing as well, the thought had come to his mind, both unbidden and unwelcome--what if she'd been taken by her shadow, the same way he had?

It's an unpleasant thought, and it makes the relief all the more sharp when he spies her by the well when he's just passing through the area.

"Hey," Izuku responds, out of habit more than anything. Maybe it's because he's already looking for any kind of sign that something's wrong, but the smile immediately sets off his instincts. "Is...everything okay? We've been looking for you."

[creatability]

[Momo freezes in place when she hears her name, looking around until she spots the mobile dust cloud that is the approaching Iida. Blinking at him, she straightens up and tries to look presentable. It's...not really the easiest thing when there's leaves in your hair, but she manages to look at least capable of standing.]

I...don't remember how I got there.

[She frowns slightly, looking back over her shoulder.]

But I feel pretty drained. Like I've overslept, I guess?

[creatability]

I do.

I'm free, too. I think we should definitely take care of that. You're meaning immediately, yes?

[creatability]

[She nods slowly in answer to his question, taking several seconds to actually form a coherent answer. Concentrating is a little hard, because she's still processing everything...]

It's...basically the last thing I remember, before waking up in the woods.

[creatability]

"I think so?"

That's her first answer, an instinctive response to the question. She pats herself down to show that she isn't hurt or anything, but even as she does so...she realizes that it's a lie.

"...I am not hurt, anyway. I don't really remember anything from the last few days, though."

As close to an admission as she'll give at the moment.

[thriftea]

[Although Ochako is keen to spend every hour of every day searching for her missing friends, she knows that she still needs to sleep. She is, however, far too worried to sleep very deeply at all, and that sudden knock on the door brings her right back to the world of the living. Could it be Todoroki, perhaps? Or Iida? Surely they'd come find her if they found anything! Leaping right out of bed, she flies down the hallway, leaps down the stairs, and throws open the door to find—]

Yaomomo?

[She blinks at the other girl for a moment, too tired to process everything quickly—but she gets there! Eventually! And although she registers how drained Momo looks, she simply can't stop herself from moving forward to pull her friend into a hug. Please, Momo. Let this happen.]

Yaomomo! I-I'm so glad that you're back! You're okay, right?

[And yes, there are definitely a few tears spilling down her cheeks now. She's so relieved.]

[inheritance]

Yes, if you don't mind! The sooner we have confirmation of information, the better, right?

Should I meet you at your house?

[inheritance]

Izuku closes his eyes, pained. Having gone through the same confusion himself, that definitely confirms it.

"Th-that's good, that you're not hurt," he says, trying not to let his voice waver too much. "Everyone will be happy to see that you're safe."

Izuku forces some cheer into his tone again. "The good news is, it looks like the shadows have finally stopped acting up, and everyone's color's back to normal again."

[creatability]

[When the door opens, Momo's heart jumps slightly, worry over how Ochako is going to react at the forefront of her thoughts. She expects hysterics, given the other girl's general nature. What she doesn't expect is the hug.

Stiffening slightly when she's grabbed, she's taken so off guard that she doesn't put up any sort of resistance. Standing there somewhat numb, she eventually relaxes, her body sagging slightly against the shorter gal. Her arms slip around to complete the hug, and she leans on her friend a little more than she'd like.]

I'm...yes. I'm alright.

[Breathing is hard in the face of that relief, her voice catches slightly as her stomach rumbles.]

Not hurt, anyway.

[creatability]

No, just met me at the edge of town nearest the lake.

That way we can save time.

[creatability]

Momo nods slowly, looking down at her hands now, unable to keep from balling them up a little. She hates that people were worried, and she's not sure at all what to think of the last few days. She has an inkling, though, based on what her roommate had said.

"I've already spoken with Ochako. She was...yes. Relief is the right word. She said I'd been gone a few days."

Shaking herself, pressing a hand to her stomach...

"I'm glad that's over. The last thing I can really recall is going out looking for you."

[thriftea]

[Aside from those first few tears, Ochako manages to hold herself together surprisingly well. She can—and will—cry it all out at a later time, after Momo is tucked in for the night; for now, though, she realizes that her friend needs support, and she's prepared to offer it in spades. She's not even going to comment on the growling stomach! ...For now, anyway.]

Thank goodness.

[Giving her friend one last, gentle squeeze, she finally pulls back—but she makes sure to keep one steadying hand on the other girl's arm. Just in case.]

Can you make it upstairs if you lean on me? Laying down is probably the best thing for you right now. [She carefully studies Momo's face, sniffling a bit, before finally offering her a small smile.] I can even bring you something to eat once you're settled in! It sounds like you need it.

[Ochako's plan: Keep things as light as she possibly can. While she's very worried about Momo's well-being, she knows that nothing stresses people out more than over-the-top fretting.]

[creatability]

[Momo almost tries to pull back, but thinks better of it. Ochako deserves the chance to do this her own way, and really there's no point in leaning on pride if there's the slightest chance that her legs might give out.]

I can.

[She shifts herself so that she is more completely leaning on Ochako, ready to start moving.]

Food is definitely what I need. I feel like I haven't eaten in days. And...

[Touching her temple...]

...I can't really remember much. Maybe I hit my head?

[reingenium]

[ Please... Iida notices that she tries to straighten and make herself look more presentable. Hopefully she's not doing that just for his sake. ]

That's worrisome indeed. [ Especially if she can't even remember how she got there at all. He has a lot of questions he could ask her, but one thing seems most important right now: ] But you're not injured at all, are you? Do you feel any differently aside from that?

[creatability]

[Except she is. Sorry Iida...]

I'm not injured. Just...

[She rubs her temple, not wanting to lie but not sure of what to say.]

...I've been missing, haven't I?

1/2

[reingenium]

[ The sudden question catches him off-guard. He stares at her, trying to think of a proper way to answer, something that might assuage her worries or cheer her up, but Iida's not the right sort for that. He looks briefly towards the ground, brows knotting. ]

None of us have seen you these past few days. Midoriya was the same. We've been searching for you both, but Midoriya returned before yourself...

2/2

[reingenium]

[ He looks back at her, bringing both fists in front of him, stepping forward in earnest. He looks more determined. ]

But you're here! And no matter the circumstances, that's what's most important!

[ They all might have had some terrible thoughts about what had happened to Momo, but they're all assuaged now. What would a class president think if they had lost their comrade-in-arms? If someone as capable as Momo had gotten lost, what could be expected for the rest of them? Worse, what would have happened if they never found her again?

They can worry about the exact details of what happened later. He arcs his hands out in front of him towards her. He offers a small smile. ]

I'm just glad that you're safe, Yaoyorozu. I'm sure that everyone else will be as well. Please, allow me to come with you back to your home. You need to rest. Do you need to lean on someone?

[creatability]

[Momo stands stark still, listening to Iida's statement with a mingled sense of dread and realization.

None of us have seen you these past few days. That statement alone is enough to give her some clues about what happened. Piecing together fragments of memory, a sense of bleakness, the feeling of lost time, and the last memory she had. Being alone, near the well...

Closing her eyes, she steps forward and leans against her classmate, as much an embrace as leaning on him. Uncharacteristic maybe, but this isn't the most ordinary of situations.]

I...am going to need that help, yes. I suppose I haven't eaten in days.

[Did I need to eat?]

1/2

[reingenium]

[ Iida had expected her response to be "yes"—at worst, a stubborn "no," to which he would have insisted on helping her regardless. But he hadn't expected her to fall into him this way, let alone half-embrace him. ]

Y-Yao- [ His hands just hover out in front of him. He isn't used to this, and certainly not with girls, but she has to only be doing this because she's exhausted. Poor Momo. ]

2/2

[reingenium]

[ He clears his throat, standing still and choking down his bashfulness. There is still some comfort in it—solid proof that she wasn't missing anymore, back in one piece. He pats her shoulders gently before settling his hands there. ]

I wager you would be quite hungry. There's fruit in my bag that I would be happy to give you if it helps. Would carrying you on my back be all right?

[creatability]

[She's exhausted, yes. But she trusts him too. There is that. He's a teammate, and a friend, and he's generally been good for and to her. Most of the boys in class have been that way, except for a certain grape asshole.]

That would help.

[The fruit, she means...]

But I'd rather not ride on your back. If I've really been asleep for several days, I need to keep moving.

[Asleep, or dead. Moving under her own power is a good way to prove that she's actually alive. Right?]

[thriftea]

[Ah. That tidbit all but confirms Ochako's suspicions, but she keeps her smile in place as they begin slowly walking toward the stairs. How is she supposed to explain people-eating shadows? And when? As easily excitable as Ochako can be, she knows that this... isn't the best time...]

I don't think so. It's... a long story, Yaomomo, but we can talk about it when you're feeling better. [My, but the stairs are so interesting?
She's going to focus on them for the time being.] B-Besides, food is more important right now! What do you want me to bring to you? I caught a fish earlier, and I think we still have a potato or two.

[Happy... things...]