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Post by notdomino on Jan 7, 2024 8:52:15 GMT
Nocturne sat at his desk, arms folded. Sure he had plenty to talk to Shinja about the same could be true for her. The news had come out of his error... He had a conversation with just about everyone. His agency interns were the hardest ones to talk to... There were few things he held to his heart with his wife gone. Family and the students who believed in him. Applications dwindled to close to nothing, and some of the people he never thought would leave... did. Being on leave didn't actually make him feel any better. In fact, he was stuck battling some old cases that had him stumped for the past few weeks.
"I know you're upset with me... you have every right..." He said, hardly any energy in his voice. These kids he watched grow... many of them were hand-picked. Shinja being one of them back when she was still here. " But I feel as though we should get to business. Your suspension from agency activities is over..." Well, if the young hero even wanted to stay. Out of everyone, Serena and Shinja... they'd seen him at his brightest... his happiest. He let his mind roll to the task at hand. "I have a mission for you. In Oyama, there has been some attacks on local farms and houses. I know it's a bit away by train, but I'm confident you can handle it." He prayed she'd accept it... even if it were her last mission.
This place was Kako's hometown, only an hour away by train, or in Shinja's case thirty minutes by flight. He knew she cared about that girl greatly and she been given the tools in the agency to learn some deductive skills. She could likely find her missing friend with this mission as a precursor. It was what he hoped at least. It was a kind gesture, mainly to apologize for how harshly he spoke to her before. The man braced himself, knowing Shinja would have an opinion on the news situation.
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 7, 2024 13:51:40 GMT
"Every right..."
Shinja mulled over these words. Sure, she had been hurt by Nocturne's words after their battle with the Baron, and hearing what had happened after. Yet Shinja had spent enough time living and breathing Hero Society to know these things would happen. She knew the evils of Team Confidence, and the lengths villains would go to undermind the top heroes. She remained sitting straight, staring at Nocturne with a stern, steely expression.
"Sensei... to speak plainly... I think you misplayed against a villain, but I don't blame you for it. I know better than anyone the lengths that villain groups will go to undermine our way of life. So... if it's all the same to you, I would like to remain with your agency... if you'll have me."
Shinja gave him a weak smile. She had betrayed his trust, after all, but it felt like they were somewhat even. Despite the fast he was her teacher, Shinja felt a bond beyond their ranks and age. Nocturne was more than just her sensei.
"What happened back then... I acted out of emotions. From my heart, not my head. In truth, I was scared they would start attacking my family. I was angry that you seemed to push me to one side... but that's not how a Hero should act, and I apologise."
Shinja bowed her head respectfully. She hoped Nocturne would accept her heartfelt apology, and keep her on as an intern. He was in trouble at the moment, and needed all the help he could get. Shinja would stand by him, to the last.
At mention of the mission, she frowned, her fists bunching together in her lap, body tensing.
"Ooyami. That's..."
Shinja shook her head suddenly, relaxing herself, unclenching her fists. It had been a while since she had last heard from Kako, the fateful moment inside the mountain, and she didn't want to dwell on it. She had to act with intention, and thought. No more acting from the heart.
"That's fine. I'll set off immediately and investigate. Is there anything else I need to know, Sensei?"
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Post by notdomino on Jan 8, 2024 6:55:39 GMT
Some relief washed over him. He wanted to say how thankful he was that she was staying. It twinkle showed in his eye, but like most people who find it difficult to show vulnerability, the tear seemingly sucked itself right back into his eye. He adjusted his jacket, and huffed, lining his gaze up with hers as he tried to keep himself composed. "I wish everyone would take their feelings out of things and view them as you did. There's no such thing as a perfect hero... thank you." There it was. It's all he wanted to say in truth. In response to her apology, he-"If anything is going on, please just reach out. As much as I want to be proud of your investigative skills, it shouldn't have gone that far on your own. Stay connected next time..." In a doting Nocturne sort of way, apology accepted.
When Shinja accepted the mission, the detective cracked open the folder he had prepared. "It just seems like whoever this is just trying to make a name for themselves. They know most heroes don't stray too far from the major cities, so he likely has the thought that he can do what he wants. In short, an attention seeker. Tch... these villains nowadays... Well, he won't know that Aeronaut will be paying a visit." He pulls a note from the folder and hand it over. It was a small map, with markings of where he'd attacked. There was a rather distinct pattern and there was a wide circle around where Noc thought the villain would attack next. There weren't too many homes, which was a good thing but within the circle one of the resident names was Kumogata.
"I have suspicion to believe he'll strike either today or tomorrow. As one of my most veteran interns, I trust you'll make it back safe?" Nocturne gave a lot of leeway with his interns, mainly because he knew how strong they were. Many of the 3rd years he watched over were fairly close to being full-fledged heroes, they just had to work out the kinks. Shinja would be allowed to leave at this point, but Nocturne would stand. The hero would hold his hand out for a handshake before she left, "Stay connected..."
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 8, 2024 13:05:44 GMT
"Of course, Sensei. I'll make sure this villain is stopped before he can strike again."
Shinja smiled firmly, an expression of firm determination set upon her young face. The whole experience, her whole time at U.A., had seen her growth. Nocturne would be able to see this. She had been cocky, arrogant and fool-hardy when she started. A near-win at the Sport's Fest had grown her confidence, but her experience with villains first-hand had tempered Shinja into a girl mature beyond her years. She shook the man's hand, turning to leave, but paused. She turned back slightly, eyes fixing on Nocturne. Still smiling.
"Yeah, you do the same, okay?"
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Shinja stepped out onto the training field after garbing herself in her Hero outfit. She stood away from others, taking a few deep, cleansing breaths. A solo mission meant a lot. This would, in fact, be her first since entering U.A., and she felt blessed by Nocturne that he trusted her enough for this. Sure, it might just be a small mission, but it solidified the fact that he saw her as a true Pro-Hero, and not just a student.
Her fans, which had been idling to keep her cool, began to whirr and humm as they revved up several gears. The dust around her feet swirled, disturbed, then was blown back as Shinja engaged all six of them at once. Her light body shot into the air, climbing rapidly, ascending fast. The school shrunk beneath her, Mustufa spreading out in her vision as she rose to a decent height. Shinja paused in the air, her fans at a steady blast, orientating herself with the mental map she had laid out in her head.
Oyama... could Kako...
Shinja removed the thought with a shake of her head. Not the right time to think about that. With a roar, her fans propelled her in the direction of her mission. Nocturne thought it would only take her thirty minutes. Shinja narrowed her eyes, focusing on the horizon ahead of her. She would do it in twenty!
The small dot high above U.A. disappeared, a fast speck that tore across the skies and over the horizon in less than a second.
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Post by notdomino on Jan 9, 2024 8:30:18 GMT
Arriving to Oyama would likely be a sooting sight to Shinja. Like her own mountainous town, Kako's hometown was rolling with large hills leading up to the legendary mount fuji sitting in the background. One of the major differences was outside of Fuji's icy cap, the weather was warm and humid. Plots of farmland were evident and visibility was fair. From her altitude, she'd be able to see people's damaged property. Noc's map wasn't far off. As pretty as it was, it was a bit too desolate for a young person to want to spend time there. It made sense why Kako had a grueling training regiment. There wasn't much else to do... Disturbing the serene country town, a villain cackled as he blew a barn up, chunks of wood flying everywhere. "Tch, just wait til I make it to the big city. I'll be making headlines in no time." He was a rather obvious looking deviant compared to the plentiful old folk who were running for... well there were plenty of acres. They didn't really have anywhere to run in particular. "Think about me Japan! I'm just building myself up, just you wait!" The air around him seemed warped, and the remnants of the barn he just blew up were catching fire. Legal Name: Lao Xi Alias: N/A Quirk Name: Fragile Picture: Notable Achievements: Likely a countryside resident, sick of his mundane life A menace in Oyama, trying to perfect his quirk and clout before heading toward the big city. |
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 10, 2024 13:03:06 GMT
Shinja took a deep breath, feeling the familiar countryside cleanse her soul. She kept her eyes out behind her goggles, lowering her altitude so she was only a few hundred feet or so above the ground. If everything added up from Nocturne's information, the villain should be striking around here somewhere... Shinja rose again, and she saw the destruction of a farm building, not far off ahead and below of her.
Shinja's fans pushed her faster, a sharp burst of speed. Ahead, the villain was visible, growing larger. She dropped down to twenty feet, slowing down to a halt as she hovered above the man.
"You're not making much of a name for yourself. People aren't going to quiver in fear over the villain who knocks down sheds."
Catching his attention away from more destruction. Shinja raised her goggles, appraising his attempt at villainy.
"What's next? Pushing over a fence? Kicking some flowers? Good thing Aeronaut caught you before you could cause tens of yen worth of damage."
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Post by notdomino on Jan 11, 2024 5:58:00 GMT
The villain flinched at the sound of a not so random voice. Someone came to stop him... ... ...and roasting him at that. He glowered at Aeronaut, stomping his foot down causing that too to distort. She was a young hero from the Dusk Agency. What was a big city intern doing all the way out in the boonies? Maybe he was finally getting some recognition. "Yeah, and yet here you are. Arriving just to stop me." He said, as he sank in the softening ground. "If you're gonna talk crap, I'd rather you do it face to face, than from all the way up there."
He'd lift his foot up and fling the modified soil at her in large muddy clods. As they left his quirk's range, they returned to large boulders, heavy and powerful. "Mud rock, big ROCK!" He roared. He... needed to work on his attack names.
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OOC:
Present Mic Voice:
Quirk: Fragile
Quirk Type: Emitter
Power: The user emits a 5m radiating feild that reduces most physical objects into a fragile and weakened state. Hard stone can be reduced to sludgy-mud, wood might combust into tiny splinters and so on and so forth. The ability has no effects on humans.
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 15, 2024 12:54:56 GMT
Shinja grinned at the villain, notably not moving any closer towards him. Goading opponents was a useful skill to learn as a Hero. Many villains were built upon fragile egos, arrogance and cockiness. Letting them wind themselves up, getting angrier, making more mistakes, letting more slip about their abilities... it made the job easier. Shinja shrugged her shoulders with an exaggerated manner, hands palm up in the air.
"Of course I'm here. Your notoriety is well-known now among Heroes. They nearly sent Strive out here, that's how furious they were that you'd been pushing wheelbarrows over in the middle of nowhere, but I said, no way, leave it to Aeronaut!"
She grinned again as he directed an attack towards her. The change was a surprise. So he could destroy and remake? Or was there an area around him that turned things into the deconstructed forms? Either way, it would be easier to stay out of range. Shinja engaged her fans, twisting her body in midair around the rock. It missed her by inches as she barrel rolled around, spinning to face him again.
"You need to work on your supermoves! Mud rock, big rock doesn't roll off the tongue as much as... HURRICANE BLAST!"
Shinja swung her hands up, pressing them together, as her fans whirred up to high gear. A great tunnel of wind was released, roaring through the air towards the Villain on the ground. Even with his legs deep in the mud, it would be like holding out against a literal hurricane... and Shinja would keep going, aiming to dislodge him and blast him backwards.
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Post by notdomino on Jan 16, 2024 6:32:26 GMT
"Of course I'm here. Your notoriety is well-known now among Heroes. They nearly sent Strive out here, that's how furious they were that you'd been pushing wheelbarrows over in the middle of nowhere, but I said, no way, leave it to Aeronaut!"
Lao sighed. She was mocking him and underestimating him so heavily. Why were weak heroes all like this? He glared at her and shoved his hands in his pockets as she presented her whirring fans to him. He'd raised his leg which only brought up another huge mud clod. Deactivating his quirk, it would harden back to stone and buffet the strong winds. The stone was mostly eroded by the time the super move was over, but the villain was unscathed. "Not so tough as you described." He sneered. He'd turn his back on Shinja and begin walking away. He picked up a piece of wood from the torn-up barn and inspected it. He'd activate his quirk as he chucked the lumber at her. After a strange warping effect, the lumber would explode into hundreds of tiny splinters.
At the same time, thunder roared. In a bolt of lightning, Kako's body appeared with her foot crashing into Lao's head. He'd get sent a few feet. She noticed who he was fighting, and rather than bursting in joy to greet her senpai like usual she stayed focused on the enemy. The dead battery that was hanging from her mouth would get spit out, and settled into her usual sprinter's ready position without much lip. The lightning-enhanced impact seemed to do fair damage, Lao wobbled on his way up, but found his bearings fairly quickly. She raced forward and initiated a baseball slide before even reaching him. "Thunderclap!" She slammed her hands together, causing the villain to instinctively be on guard. The warping around him didn't activate, and he wouldn't even be struck by any of the sporadic and branching lightning coming from Kako's hands.
It seemed like Shinja's assessment for using ranged moves worked just fine as long as they weren't physical things. Fragile wouldn't work on elements. More importantly, his quirk seemed to have some sort of cool down. If she was able to survive, or clear his attack, Shinja would have the perfect opening for attacking. The villain didn't know what lightning bolt would go where in the newcomer's thunderclap, he'd only start backing away slowly.
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 16, 2024 12:14:42 GMT
So it wasn't just things near him! The splinters weren't exactly an issue for Shinja, who aimed her palms at the incoming cloud and blasted them away from her. As she was formulating her next move, something streaked at high speed across her vision. She blinked, her breath catching in her throat as she saw...
"K-kako?!"
Still, there wasn't much time to stop and catch up. The villain was on the back-foot, trying to defend himself against Kako's assault. Shinja saw her opening. She surged forward, closing the gap between her and the other two in moments, reaching out to grab the Villain by the collar as she passed him on the left. Shinja used her momentum in a spinning twist, looking to catapault Lao away and into the barn behind them. If she could get him to strike his body against the hard wood, it would give them both time to restrain him properly! It was a risky move, as it put her in close quarters, but with Kako's lightning forcing him back, Shinja felt like she could take the initiative!
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Post by notdomino on Jan 17, 2024 6:06:32 GMT
As the lightning died down, Lao smirked, thinking he could rush Kako at the end of her attack, but there was a hero who seamlessly fit into the wedge left open by the vigilante. The world around him blurred as he was thrown by Shinja. As fast as Shinja was to attack, Kako would be just as quick to follow up. She sprinted after the villain as he reduced the barn to sawdust and splinted woodchips as he crashed into it. It was in an attempt to reduce the impact. Lao hadn't gotten up from being thrown, maybe there was a fatigue that his quirk provided. She jumped and landed on the building surfing on his body across rock and grass. He was accumulating injuries rather quickly.
Becoming fragile after making things around him fragile felt like poetic justice, but this was too close to home for Kako's comfort. Her old home was only further down the road. As they came to a stop, she cleared her feet off of him, and punched both fists into his chest with some impact. She was using Kagayaku's moves with an entirely different spin to them. It was unknown if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but it was a clear indicator her quirk had grew quite strong since the last time she saw Shinja. "Shock Paddle." Kagayaku's defibrillator super move, used for violence rather than recessitation... It wouldn't be that strong since this was the last bit of her interval, but with Lao in this state, it'd do some serious damage. Perhaps it was overkill, the villain shifted and jerked in pain as Kako stood over him. Maybe it was so menacing because Kako almost never got angry about anything. She was far more likely to whine like a baby, or pretend not to care, but to truly get angry. It was... a sight. Despite her interval being over, her hair still stood on end, fists shaking as she looked down on him. She wouldn't kill him, though her teary eyes said she most definitely would if continued attacking her home. With as much discomfort and hard feelings her family gave her, her heart belonged to them. She loved them more than she could describe. This place. It was unnaturally dull... quiet and uneventful but simultaneously serene, homey, and beautiful. A little gem she grew up in and called home. She loved Oyama too. Anyone threatening that would pay. It would take her a few seconds and deep breaths to calm down. Her mind went to flashbacks of Izumi, Lola, Jet, and even Gigabite. She'd seen them kill in action... Some killed because they wanted to, and some killed because it was the only option. What about her? She... kneeled down over the tuckered-out villain. A fist reeled back. "Stage One." Kagayaku's static, she'd finally made it her own. It was closed tightly, enough for her knuckles to grow white and blood to drip from her nails digging into her own skin. The other hand would put a battery to her mouth so she could sap power from it. The villain looked up at her in awe, as if waiting for his final moments. He seemed even shocked when tears landed on him. With that look in her eye, he had no clue what she'd do. She was a hero, too... right? ...a pause
In a sparking blur, she'd punch down. Thunder crackled, lightning roaring and singing the nearby ground from the impact. Lao quivered in fear, completely unable to speak, as he stared as the fist shape crater right next to his head. The battery would plink off his head when she spit it out. Silently, the vigilante would cuff him and sigh. He didn't need to die. Scaring him would be enough. Sheepishly, the girl turned to Shinja. Not the impression she was trying to make after the last time they saw each other. From getting swept away by her allies, to seeing her get that angry. Was Shinja okay? She wanted to say it... What would Shinja's response be? She couldn't fathom it, even though things were so normal not too long ago. The gaps of being apart grew longer though. It felt like an eternity at some points. She'd say it. If Shinja didn't say it first, it meant she had to say it first, right? "Hi." Fuck! She finally said it. It felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders already. If Shinja were up for, "I missed you." She held her arms out for a hug. She desperately needed one. When she heard of someone attacking her home, and rush here in a fit of rage without notifying anyone from NJPD. One of the main principles was to protect one's home. Even if she did tell someone, Kako was more than welcome to defend Oyama. Like Osaka, her new home, this place was still home, too. |
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 20, 2024 15:24:41 GMT
Shinja stood stock still for a moment, or perhaps an eternity. Kako... she couldn't believe it. She felt relief, knowing she was okay. Anger, still boiling over from the last time she had saw her, being carried off by Vigilantes. Confusion over what was going on, at Kako's anger and the fact she was operating without a license, without supervision. It was a myriad of emotions, conflict weaving a tapestry of misery within her heart. Yet... Shinja looked onto her friend, and overall she felt happiness that she was there.
Shinja took a step forward, and then another. Suddenly she was throwing herself at Kako, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close. Shinja buried her face into the other girl's shoulders, allowing the weight of the world to lift and evaoprate, for a moment at least. Just her, and her friend, a snapshot of time, away from conflict, heroes, vigilantes. Just the two of them.
But that couldn't last. Slowly, Shinja pulled back, hands on Kako's shoulders as she stared her in the eye. The anger that she had just witnessed... she frowned, concern painted across her face, eyes brimming with worry and fear. What had become of Kako... of her friend. Shinja's eyes were misty, and she was holding back a flood of emotions. Holding on by a thread.
"You... Nocturne said you left... but you're still..."
Shinja shook her head. Overwhelmed, crushed beneath so much. Perhaps this was the final straw. She dropped her arms, took a step back, staring at the beaten villain. Her own emotions were being pushed aside by her black-and-white views of the world, but... this was Kako. And yet... the image of Jet, and the knife-wielding vigilante was still etched into her mind. Shinja wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve, looking at Kako with a shaky smile.
"I missed you too. You should have told me you had left... I wouldn't have put you in danger if I had known. Are... are you okay?"
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Post by notdomino on Jan 25, 2024 9:17:47 GMT
The hug. It felt like back then, back when times were simple and they could laugh together without so much tension. Kako let out a sigh within the embrace. As the two seperated from their embrace, she wanted to smile, but Shinja was wearing her emotions on her face. She was judging... Rightfully so, Kako guessed, but what did Shinja think of her now? Kako shook her head at Shinja trying to find the words. "What kind of friend would I be if I let my senpais go off on their own?" She stated plainly. She was still Kako. "It was important to you, and you're important to me... so I came along." She was still Kako indeed.
She shook her head again. "I never wanted to be a hero, Shinja. That was my dad's dream for me, not mine..." She didn't shy away from looking Shinja in the eyes, even if she looked away. Shinja needed to hear this, and drill it in so it wouldn't be confused. Tanzo had his suspsicions so, maybe it was a easier pill for him to swallow. For Shinja... she- "UA is a distant memory at this point. I'm working in community development. You know that one general studies internship from last year at NJPD." As she spoke police came. They quickly saw the already cuffed villain and figured everything was taken care of by the Dusk Agency intern Aeronaut!
"Thanks Aeronaut!" They waived before shoving Lao into their squad car. They paused to give the U.A. student a proper salute before driving off. "We might not be from the big city, but if Nocturne thinks you have potential, the rest of Shizuoka prefecture will be rooting for you, too! Hurry up and graduate so you can we can have another pair of hero eyes to make us feel safe. Plus Ultra!"
Kako smiled at them as they drove off. She turned back to Shinja. Without outright saying she was participating in vigilantism, she'd let Shinja fill in the blanks. "My family and hometown are important to me so I came here in a heartbeat when I heard someone was wrecking the place... there's not much else to it. I'm sorry... I'll never be a hero, senpai. I'll do what I can and on my own terms, but I'm Kako FIRST. Tanzo said he supports me... Gigabite too... My gramps even supports my decision... " This was a different kind of bomb... she hadn't really put into perspective that Shinja was almost the last person she'd be telling. Besides her, maybe Rita and Tomatsu didn't know. ACTUALLY, did Shinja know she finally squashed her beef with Kagayaku. The lightning-quirked girl began feeling some major guilt. There was just so much she had to tell Shinja. So much had happened in this amount of time apart.
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 26, 2024 12:41:18 GMT
Shinja was quiet as she listened to Kako's words. It piled onto her very soul, each heartfelt word a heavy weight upon her. She looked away when the other girl finished, preparing herself against the tide of emotions that was creeping into her mind. Shinja knew Kako had always been unhappy. That being a Hero was never her dream. All sorts of arguments rose up in her throat, towards the NJPD, Vigilantes, Jet and the other members... but she heard the relief in Kako's voice. The happiness that now lay as a foundation. Shinja shut her eyes, feeling her own sense of guilt. What was she thinking? Kako was her friend, one of her closest, and yet she allowed her black and white view of the world to come first? Tears threatened her then, a great welling of emotions from the bottom of her heart.
"Kako, I... I'll always support you."
Shinja opened her eyes, looking towards the other girl with a smile. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as she gave a laugh, almost of relief. So much worry about Kako... she hadn't even considered her feelings towards her new role. Shinja had been inwardly seething about Jet, the butcher, the NJPD... but it all vanished in the wake of the most important thing - a smile, on the face of her friend. She wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve.
"I'm sorry if my views made you not want to talk to me. I know I'm- I'm very opinionated on heroes... but my love for you is more than anything. You're the closest thing I have to a sister, you know? "
Shinja raised her eyes to look at Kako, a bashful grin on her face. Emotions and Shinja were not the most compatible thing, but there were exceptions. Even now, thoughts of telling Kako about what Jet had done to her grandfather, to what she knew about the NJPD and their Vigilante activities, they all melted away. Why would that matter? Her best friend, Kako. She was happy, content with her new life. Shinja took a few more steps forward, pulling the other girl back into a tight hug. More tears fell free, dampening Kako's shoulder.
"I'm... I'm sorry I've not been a better friend! I want to be the kind of person you don't have to worry about telling these kind of things to. I've missed you so much... I've been worrying everyday... I'm... I'm so sorry, Kako!
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Post by notdomino on Feb 2, 2024 23:18:12 GMT
Kako embraced her senpai without a thought. Shinja was never at fault. It was kind of crazy that she thought she was. Maybe she was looking at the situation wrong. Maybe they both were. It could've been a simple conversation in the first place. "No, I'm the one that should be sorry. I was the one keeping secrets." Her eyes met Shinja, to which she'd pass the girl a reassuring smile. It had everything to do with communication... They both could have done better in this situation. "Don't apologize, it was all me... It was my fault for disappearing for long periods of time without saying anything. I should've just been more upfront..." Not the easiest task with Shinja's thoughts on NJPD or vigilantes for that matter, but... she should've just trusted her friend. That was the primary lesson Kako was learning in this moment.
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