"Woah! Is that your list of offers?" Kobayashi gasped as she leaned over your desk. You were chilling in the back just searching through your list of all the unfamiliar names from those who were interested in your internship. It really was a long list, and most of the heroes offering to take you in during the week-long break were complete strangers to you. So, you felt researching them would give you a bigger picture into the hero world. "Which one are you gunna choose??"
Tapping the tip of the pencil to your lip, "Mmh, Hawks probably. He's not the highest ranking hero out of the ones who made offers, but I already sorta know him." Best Jeanist had also thrown in an offer, but you had a pretty fair guess that working with him wouldn't be quite as much fun. Considering how he treated Bakugo in the anime, you had the impression he would just be another Ms. Yamashi.
"Wait, really?!!"
Someone else in the classroom overheard you. "No way!!" Wasn't long before your quiet corner became the center-point for everyone to circle around. You kept your head low, eyes on the paper and phone. This was embarrassing.. At least last year, Tenko stole everyone's eyes off of you with his own charm and impressive power. In class 2B, however, you're the one who stands out the most, not helped by winning this year's Sports Festival.
You pretended you were too busy researching names to look up at anyone as they barated you with questions, but that was just to cover up how nervous you were. You did your best to answer their questions without giving too much away. After the masses had their fill of information, they spread throughout the classroom like before to talk about their own offers and opportunities. Kobayashi stuck beside you, hoping for some help. She had two offers and couldn't for the life of her decide between them. You pointed out that the one nearest to the environment she was most comfortable in would probably be best.
You were up the moment class was officially dismissed. Present Mic reminded everyone to complete their homework in time as you all spilled out the doors. In the hallway, you met up with Tenko, Iguchi, and...Hoku..
Tenko grabbed at the sheet of paper in your hand. "Woah, you have a bunch of offers too!! Makes sense, but still! D###!" The two of you traded papers so you could have a look at each other's lists. Huh. A lot of the names were the same. "Have you chosen yet? I'm still unsure." Tenny admitted sheepishly.
"I'm tempted to take up Gang Orca's offer.." Iguchi slid between the two of you while rubbing at his chin. "..but I'm not sure if I'd be suited for hero work in the day..or near water."
"Hey it's a chance to try something new at least." You.
"Yeah! And it's unlikely for him to offer something like that without having your quirk in mind. He probably already has plans that don't involve water!"
"Hmm... True.. Oh, okay, why not?" The animorph chuckled and grinned.
"Oh~? Tenny, looks like you got an offer from Best Jeanist too~"
"What is that supposed to imply?! Do you want us to intern together?"
"Tempting, but I've already picked out mine~"
"Who?"
"Who?"
"Hawks of course~! Not only will it boost my reputation, but I already know the guy! He's pretty chill!" Iguchi grabbed your paper from Tenko to double check the name was even there. Hoku was quietly awaiting his chance to become relevant, and Tenko's face twisted in distrust upon hearing the name.
"D###, I didn't even know the guy was old enough to accept interns!" Iguchi laughed, handing the paper back to you. You gave Tenny his list back as well.
"Well he is apparently." Smiling, you scanned over the names on your paper, finding Hawks' again. "He may only be nineteen, but he's already earned the respect of the whole country!" Part of that was in part thanks to the HPSC's backing, but you had to hand it to him, that young man was very driven and capable all on his own. "Guess I'd like to learn how he leads people most of all. Plus branding. That guy KNOWS branding!"
"-What about you, Hoku??" Tenko changed the topic quite intentionally. "How many offers did you get?"
"Um..." The second tallest of the crew wrinkled the paper between his fingers a little. "..Five."
"PFFF!!"
"HEY!" Hoku was quick to defend himself. "IT'S NOT THAT BAD!"
"He's right, (Y/n)!" Tenko patted Hokusei on the back while looking directly at you sternly. "Five is really good. WE just have so much more because we won public events!" Your blood was boiling. You really didn't care what the number was. As long as it was smaller than yours and therefore proof that you were better than him. Can't Tenko let you have at least one win here??! Being the calm and cool one of the group really sucks, because there are some times when you reeeeally just want to punch someone's teeth out. Like right now, as Hoku smirks at you knowing you can't do anything to him.
How....frustrating...
Hokusei wound up interning for some guy you didn't even care to remember the name of. The only thing notable about his choice was that he chose the guy with the least press. Tenko, on the other hand, decided to go with Best Jeanist. You snickered as he decided, but didn't explain why. Now all you had to do was sit and wait for Tenko to return to school with perfectly slicked back hair and gripe at you about not warning him sooner.
---------------
"Kai... Are you...okay...?" You asked after stepping out of your room with newly equipped casual clothes on. The man in question was sitting on the distant couch, hands clutching his head as an aura of gloom consumed him.
Hari stared down at his boss/friend with a posture of disappointment. "His therapist told him to get a pet. Apparently, they believe taking care of an animal might do him some good."
"Just kill me now..."
Hari slapped the back of Kai's head. "..No. You'll be fine."
"Maybe he can have a fish..? Those things are fairly clean." You pitched an idea.
"Yeah well they explicitly stated it has to be 'fluffy and cute' ...I honestly think my therapist is just messing with me now. I want a new one."
"Now now.. you've made some good progress with this one. Maybe you just need to stop being stubborn."
"Maybe you need to die.."
"No one's dying." Hari then looked up at you. "(Y/n), do you mind picking one out for him by the end of this week? That's when his assignment is due."
"Wait but what if I just turn into a cat and pretend to be his pet?"
"That could wo-"
Slap!
"Ow!"
"At least try to follow the rules!"
"Alright MOM, sheesh!"
When Hari looked at you again, you smirked. You placed your palms on the back of the flower couch and leaned over it. "I would gladly help~ but only if you agree to go to therapy too." You smirked and crossed your arms.
Hari pointed at himself to verify. "Me?? Why??"
"All of y'all need therapy! If you really think it's helping him out, then why not go yourself?"
"I- I-"
"Yeah, Hari.." Kai sassily side eyed arrow-head.
The young man rolled his eyes, pretending not to care. "Well fine then! I'll go once or twice." You grinned, surprised that actually worked. Guess you should convince everyone in here to go to therapy while you have this kind of influence and power!
"Alright then~" You grinned across the room at Kai, who looked suspiciously up at you. "Guess I'll start thinking of good pet ideas~" You slunked back into your bedroom.
---------------
Your first day of the internship was already halfway through and you hadn't even said hello to Hawks yet! Instead, you were trapped in the HPSC building with Ms. Midnight of all people! She was among the candidates who offered to mentor you, but you didn't even consider her. Guess she was still able to worm her way into your presence. And the moment she dramatically appeared after it was announced it was your hero costume she would be helping you with, you considered throwing yourself out of the window on the spot. Let's just say her taste in fashion was uhhhhhhh not your type. But as the tired blond HPSC second in command explained to you, Ms. Midnight was very knowledgeable when it came to advertising herself to the public. She was so in-tune with the modern age and its own form of branding, she had trained Hawks when he was first starting to go pro. Made sense as to why their tactics were so similar I guess...
Hhh. Guess you had some respect for her in that sense.
"You sure you don't want to ditch the suit?" Midnight asked, obviously not on board with the whole getup. The two of you, plus a crew of interns and young men working under Midnight, were in the room that from the looks of it alone must be Hawks' changing room. There's everything in here from a mini fridge, to a massive beanbag, to hanging wracks with various outfits and costumes tailored to the winged hero, to fancy lighting and a whole corner full of mirrors. You stood on the small platform, half surrounded by mirrors, wearing the hero outfit you had picked out for yourself. "And is the tie necessary?"
You adjusted the dark gray suit jacket of sorts, staring at yourself with pride. Mind you, you can't actually see the reflections in mirrors, but you haven't needed a mirror since gaining your Sight quirk. You stared at yourself with pride. "The suit doesn't restrict my movements any."
"Yeah but.." The lady rubbed her chin. "How do I put this..? It doesn't take advantage of the feminine appeal."
"I don't care about looking sexy, and I never have." You 'traded looks for power ages ago'.. is what you always used to say.
"Oh but that is what you are, dear!" The woman hopped up on the stage and held your arm. You cringed, but it seemed more like this lady was simply trying to be friendly with you. Nothing else. "With those broad shoulders and waist, however, your fit comes across as quite boxy. Don't you want something a little cuter?"
Hmmm. Suppose she was right about the boxy look at least. You took a moment to imagine yourself with this outfit on more than just patrols or fighting villains. How would you look on camera? In interviews? What kind of audience would be drawn to your looks, and would you really stand out? Blurry images might make you look just like some guy on his way home from work. But, at the same time, you rather like the suit. The concept of appearing both completely normal while standing out just enough to be seen as a hero.
"Hmmm. I guess a crop-top suit jacket might solve that." You concluded.
The woman clapped her hands together excitedly. "What a great idea! My men will temporarily mend that for you right away!" As you were pulling off your suit jacket, "Do you want to ditch the dress shirt too?"
You gasped. "No!"
"Oops!" Hawks was peeking his head into the room. "Wrong time~?"
"I'm not taking my shirt off." You, already flustered at the idea of fighting crime essentially shirtless, glared at the young hero for his tease. "Why are you HERE anyways?"
Keigo, standing in the doorway, pointed behind him. "I have to rinse off and redo my makeup every few hours." Oh wow. So staying pretty is a whole job by itself I see. "What's the ruckus about?"
"We were discussing a few alternatives for Diforester's costume. While we're on the topic, dear, if I were you I would consider 'cutting a few corners' for the summer version of your hero costume."
You glared at the lady. After going through all the trouble of being allowed to wear pants at UA, there was very little that could be said that would make you modify your costume to incorporate a skirt or something like it! At the same time, though, you had to be polite to the woman. You smiled and waved the idea of after finally handing her your jacket. "Nah.. I think I can manage the hot summers on my own.."
Midnight gave you a very distrusting brow raise. "If you knew how brutal the media can be, you would be thinking otherwise. Why else do you think I chose fabrics that prevent sweat from collecting in certain places? Why do you think I went with such a bold black and white color palette? When you're shooting for the top of pro heroism, you need to remember you will be living as a celebrity just as much as you will be fighting crime." A groan escaped you. You know what? Maybe you shouldn't have been so bold by declaring you were going to be the number one hero. Not only was that going to be hard, but it also required a lot of work you simply didn't care to do. But, because of that stupid promise to the world, you were kind of stuck shooting for it from here-on out.
Leaning in the doorway, Hawks enjoyed watching you being lectured. You finally glared across the room at him. "I can tell you wanna say something."
The young man smirked and shrugged. "I have nothing to add~ Though.. do you have anything relating to your quirk to help with internal air-conditioning?" You knew what he meant by that, though he was being sneaky with his wording.
"Uhhh, go hero.. I- I mean no."
"Then maybe a few costume changes would be the better approach, especially for the summer season." You couldn't tell what exactly he was teasing here. But you recognized that mischievous look.
You crossed your arms. "Well, I don't see you changing out of your jacket and pants.."
"It's all specially designed to take advantage of airflow to keep me cool for as long as possible."
"Excuses excuses."
"You're just flustered about wearing less clothing~"
Ò////Ó "So what if I am?"
"Nothing. It's just unusual to see you like that."
Ms. Midnight held her hand up to Hawks. "Thanks, toots, but I've got this."
Hawks bowed playfully to you ladies. "You're right. I've overstayed my welcome." And then he left.
Afterward, you tried on the temporarily mended jacket and realized the change was actually really cute! It was still unmistakably meant to be a suit, but now with more of a sporty/playful look to it as well. A change you decided to make permanent for your hero costume. As for the tie.. Midnight was right. It was too much of a hassle, so you wound up ditching it. Midnight also suggest you replace those sorry looking bandages around your eyes for a dark gray blindfold to better match the suit.
----------
The second day of the internship was in stark contrast to the first. You woke up at the crack of dawn and joined to shadow Hawks for the whole day. And BOY were no graces given simply because you were the newbie.
You'd forgotten just how fast Hawks can be while on the job. It was one of those things you don't really think of until you are suddenly expected to follow the guy around. Ohh and how badly you wished you could activate your wings and fly after him! But, no, as Diforester, you were bound to the ground and forced to run everywhere the hero went. The man had a couple sidekicks too, who were used to being left in the dust and dealing with the paperwork or cleanup duties. You joined those guys, having to deal with the tedious issues all day while your boss of sorts got to have all the fun.
As annoyed as you were for constantly being left behind, you had to admire the young hero's drive. He put in the work to become a top hero. The more you watched him, the more you grew to respect him as such.
This was a full day job too. Dawn to dusk. And the only breaks were for breakfast, rinse break, lunch (which is when the sidekicks swap out), rinse break, and finally ending just in time for dinner. You hadn't partaken in rinsing off and changing outfits, instead just laying around during those breaks basking in that sweet sweet air-conditioning, which resulted in you being a stinky, pathetic mess by the end of the first day.
All you could do was stand there in the street panting when Hawks finally called an end to your shifts. ...Twelve hours... Twelve hours of running around... Did... Was... Was this Hell..? Where are the cameras?? Which corner is Ted Danson hiding behind?!
While the sidekicks excitedly headed back towards the agency building, Keigo dropped beside you and slapped you on the back. "Alright, rookie~! How about we discuss any questions you have over some good-ol KFC??" He managed to crack a smile out of you.
"Sure.." The two of you stinky and overworked idiots ambled to the nearest KFC, where you ordered a butt load of chicken and fries and sat down at a table with a nice window seat, all while occasionally being bombarded by Hawks' fans. What a relentless bunch they were.
Once the two of you had a moment to take a break, you both took full advantage of it. No care for sitting up straight or looking presentable whatsoever. It was noticing that the two of you shared this same braincell that made you both smile. You two were about halfway done with the chicken and fries by the time the young hero uttered a word.
"I didn't really see you much today, but I'd say you did pretty good!" He complimented. You draped yourself over the table, stretching an arm out to dip some chicken into the ketchup he was so selfishly gatekeeping.
"I'm surprised you've managed to stay alive with such a schedule!" That made Keigo laugh. "Guess my biggest question is why even bring me along if all you're going to do is leave me behind?"
"So what exactly is the problem here? Is it that I'm too fast or that you're too slow?" He finished off another chicken strip and reached into the shared bucket to grab another one. "I've been telling people this for years now, but listen, as great as All Might was, we shouldn't all strive to be like him. It's unrealistic. Instead, we need to try to be more like Endeavor. While not the most popular, he's the one with the most saves on his belt. It can be nice to want to make others feel safe, but we should prioritize actually keeping people safe. And if that means running ourselves into the ground so that the future heroes have it easier, so be it!" You rolled your eyes. "What?"
"Nothing."
"No, go on. I know defiance when I see it."
"It's really.. nothing."
"...🤨"
"...Hhh, k fine. I'm just a pessimist is all. Can't really see why you think all this effort will actually make things better. I mean, every one of us is doomed to make mistakes and die horribly or alone or both anyways. I dunno, it's just hard to imagine things getting any better, especially with all the corruption I've seen. It's everywhere, man, and there's no escape."
"Woah, WOAH, there buddy!" Forcing a chuckle, the man reached over the table to land his hand on your arm. "I get it! You think the world sucks and that everything is terrible! And I can understand why you may think that too."
Tilting your head, "Am I wrong?"
"Ehhh, you aren't exactly right either."
"Gotcha... You're in denial."
"You seriously think that?"
"I'm joking."
"No. Look me in the eyes." You angled your face up enough to be technically looking him in the eyes. He stared directly at your near-black blindfold very sternly. "Knowing what you know about me.. do you seriously think I am delusional or in denial?" After a pause, you shook your head. His eyes were very close to yours. Kind of intense. "..Okay then." He sat back down. "Think whatever you want, but living life with the mindset that everything's going to s### isn't going to save anyone. You need to be able to imagine a better future in order to make it happen, after all."
You rested your chin on your palm, attention wandering through the window at all the people passing by. It was hard to really see how anything could get any better, but you suppose there isn't anything bad about having high hopes either.
"..You doing alright?" Hawks.
"Huh? Oh. No. Never am, but thanks for asking." Keigo frowned, even as you laughed about it. It got quiet again. Between you two at least. There were still plenty of other customers in the restaurant. "...Hey, Kee- I mean Hawks!"
Snickering, "Yeah?"
"You seem like a pretty confident, self assured kind of guy.. How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Do the- you know?? Being confident?? Loving yourself??"
"Oh!" The man smiled faintly while staring out the window with you. He sat there just thinking for a while. "It's a bit of a secret, so promise not tell anyone, kay~?" By his body language, it seemed he wanted you to lean in and play interested. Since you were a little interested, you leaned over the table. As did he. Hawks cupped a greasy hand over one side of his mouth and whispered. "I go on dates with myself~" You immediately sat back in the chair and crossed your arms, brows twisting, untrusting lip curling. "I'm serious!. People go on platonic little outings with their friends all the time just to hang out and get to know each other better, so I started doing that but with myself!"
"That just sounds sad."
"Before you judge, hear me out at least!" You rolled your eyes but offered him an ear. "Okay so it's more about seeing yourself as an actual human. The only reason you hate yourself is because you know all the negatives and fixate on them too much, so you completely ignore all of the positives. It's that kind of thinking that usually drives couples apart too. You get too comfortable with the other person and, just like with yourself, fixate on all of the bad instead of the good." Dang. He.. actually put a lot of thought into this! "The point of going on a date with yourself is to force yourself to imagine yourself as a complete stranger. If you take a little time to observe your own behaviors like someone you're dating would, it suddenly becomes a lot easier to see all of the good too."
"Someone's sounding lonely.
--I get it, I was joking, I'm sorry!"
The two of you had the same idea and leaned back simultaneously. "...So yeah. I'd suggest using your day off this week to try that out. At least see what comes of it."
"..." You blinked several times. "...I have a day off?"
"Uhh, you're just hearing about that now?"
"HALLELUJAH!"
"Shhhh!"
After your shared dinner, the two of you left the KFC with Hawks first showing you his ritual of petting the Kernel Sander's head as a thanks.
This chat left you with many things to think about.
The first interesting thing he mentioned had to do with speed. Guess it was true. You couldn't expect him to slow down for you. It was you who had to find a way to keep up with him.
There was also that matter of 'dating yourself.' It was a funny concept, yes, but maybe, with a good plan, you--
Oh... Oh my gosh...
You may have just come up with the perfect plan~
Everything was falling perfectly into place~~
---------------
The third day of your internship, you drafted up an idea for a motorcycle between breaks. A ride may not be as fast as wings, but it would certainly be an improvement! Plus, this was also a super techy era and you just so happen to be working for the government. Anything can happen. For now though, while the motorbike is still being considered, you'll just have to keep running. More copies of your hero costume will have to be made goshdarnit, because by the end of the third day here you were starting to rinse off too, and changing back into sweaty clothes was just nasty! So you had replicas of the same costume made to copy Hawks' (and most other heroes') brilliance.
Other small adjustments to the way you prepared for and went about heroism were adjusted too. Tiny things like buckling your pants differently so nothing gets caught to tying up your hair in a slightly different way so it won't come loose as easily. All for the sake of efficiency. You even had your own taste of being famous, since quite a few people recognized you from the Sports Festival. So you had some practice balancing being polite to fans while also trying to file basic paperwork. Add all that together and you were actually learning quite a bit.
You began to wonder if this was intentional on Hawks' part as well. No doubt he already knew how well you could handle taking down villains and saving lives, so the real test was to see how quickly you could adjust to handling all the littler aspects of being a hero... At least that's what you told yourself to cope with having to run around all day.
---------------
Then, amazingly, on the fourth day you were allowed a day off...after a dual-hour-long deep dive into the paperwork side of things of course. TvT Because every hero needs to know how to file police reports and defend their agencies from getting sued.
---
Twinnie:
Are you sure this won't blow your cover or anything?
(You):
I'm
...
sure it'll be fine.
Twinnie:
Suuuuure
Doubt.
(You):
Fine! I'll wear a disguise!
Twinnie:
👍 Good girl.
(You):
Shut up
---
5'3, dyed hair to match your original color, and styling a baggy hoodie and sweatpants, you met with yourself at the chosen destination of your choice. You2 had dressed similarly, except she had her hair up and a simple forest green cap that said "Fish love me. Women fear me." on her head. It was a bit odd standing next to a woman so tall. Not to mention she looked exactly like how you usually do. Huh, this must be what it's like for Tenko and Keigo.
You didn't really say anything to each other at first. Just a simple wave and a couple awkward gestures toward the door of the boba shop. Finally, you took the lead in entering the building. You also went ahead and ordered first. After arguing with you2 regarding pay, you won by slipping the whisper that this was all your dad's money~ She got the message from there and was eager to spend it with you.
Once you had both sat down with your drinks, it was time to discuss business. "You know this place better than I do. Are there any good pet stores nearby?"
You2 scratched her chin. "There are a couple.. The better of the two is just outside of town, though."
"I guess we can afford to visit both."
"Yah!"
Awkward silence followed. Both of you took the time to admire all the neat decor and observe the strangers passing by. "..Is there a reason you wanted to go with me specifically?"
"Someone told me it could boost my self esteem or something."
"Ah..."
...
"So how's Himi doing?"
You2 rolled her eyes, half smiling. "She is so excited to visit you this weekend.
"That's good~ I'm really glad you came up with the whole weekends thing."
"Yeah, it's really improved her general mood! I know we don't really care about grades, but hers are pretty good~"
"Awwe~" You talked about Himiko a while longer, as well as any other things you knew to discuss. After those conversations had run dry, it was time to get creative from this point on!.. Too bad neither of you were all too eager to do that. "Good time to start moving?"
Standing up, "You read my mind."
----------
You2 led a completely different life and that much was clear. Her posture and way about doing things was much more casual. She did things like spacing out, failing to notice every little thing passing by, and walking with a slouch. You, meanwhile, had a much harder time appearing so calm. You'd gotten in a habit of being on alert near-constantly. Your posture was well trained, stride bold. Guess the question then is who of you really changed? The one who changed most was probably you.. So then, this wasn't as much going on a date with yourself as it was going out with your past self.
There was something you noticed about yourself, at least. A trait both of you shared. You gave off an aura of gentle strength. Strong, but not threatening. Not intimidating.. Even being near You2, though she was technically weaker, she still made you feel safer by just being nearby. Hmm, so then is this what draws people to you? That's quite a rare trait to have for sure. But a good one for sure.
"Ah, here we are!" You2 snapped her fingers and pointed down one last turn. You followed her into a pet store set up in the middle of the city. There were pets like birds, fish, lizards, snakes, etc.
You knelt down in front of a snake cage and tapped on the glass. "Ooo~" We can get Kai a snake~ He might like that."
You2 knelt down beside you, squinting at the wiggly creature. "Hmm... Don't those things escape easily?"
"Do they???"
"Yeah and wasn't one of the requirements that it had to be fluffy?"
You snapped your fingers. "A spider!"
...
"Great idea."
"Yeah!"
---
(You):
What do you think about this little guy~?
[picture of 🕷️]
Kaiyah!:
🤮
(You):
Okok, fine!
I'll pick something else out.
---
You put your phone away. "No good. We'll have to look for something else."
"A hamster?"
"..? Mah, those die too easily. He'll probably want something he can wash frequently without worrying about killing it."
"Got it. A dog." You gave her a look. "Right, he needs something with less maintenance."
After walking around some more, you two decided to go to the other pet store just outside of town. This one was lacking variety.
"Hey, see that one?" You2 tugged your sleeve and pointed at the sky. You had no idea what she was trying to draw your attention to, so you couldn't adjust your sight quirk accordingly.
"I... Can't see anything beyond the Earth's atmosphere."
"C l o u d s."
"Huh?" You focused on all the moisture in the air, able to vaguely see the shape of clouds through al the fog moisture in the air. "What?"
"Doesn't that one look like a mother reading her child a bedtime story about dragons?"
"A what???" You looked for the familiar shapes, but not only was this a strain on your quirk, but no oddly specific images were coming out of it.
"See? That's the mother, and that's the child laying on her lap. Looks like he's on his tummy, but the mom's just tilting her head lovingly, not caring one bit." You did some high level geometry comparing her line of sight to her pointer finger and going off of that, all to finally see what she was talking about about. What were once blobs were now coming to life before your very eyes. "See and the big string of clouds coming from behind the mother are all the dragons she's talking about." It was a bit of a stretch, but yeah, now you could see what she was talking about about. You2 pulled her hand back and giggled. "I know. People are often confused by what I claim to see in the clouds."
You elbowed her side. "Hey, it's that artist in ya. Being able to see something cool or beautiful the mundane is actually pretty fun; I totally get it."
Rubbing her neck while chuckling, "Sure is hard to explain to others though, huh?"
You joined her. "Especially in the moment." You never really thought about it before, but guess that was another way you stood out from most. Your way of viewing the world. It was creative but also realistic. Beautiful and wondrous but also grounding. No wonder you tended to lean toward art, especially when things were tough. Expressing how you see the world is a great source of comfort.
It took a lot of walking and even a tram ride through town, but before long you and You2 had reached the next pet store. It was setup more like a warehouse, selling piles upon piles of feed, supplies, tools, anything having to do with pets alongside the animals themselves. The corner dedicated to selling the animals themselves was closer to the front. There were chicks, ducklings, goslings and frogs. Turtles, lizards, bunnies and dogs. Cats, parrots, and even small hogs. Animals fit for a home or farm life depending on the buyer. The array of choices was immense!
You young ladies had fun looking around, petting and even holding some of the small creatures. That's when you came up on it. The ONE. The little creature that caught your eye most of all.
(links to videos of cute bunny will be found in the comments)
It was love at first sight. An adorable black and white baby bunny softer than clouds?? BOTH of you agreed it was a necessity.
"Aren't bunnies kind of messy though?"
"Not if we get all the right supplies~"
"I like where you're going with this~"
">:)"
">:)"
A cage was bought for it. One which made cleaning it out easier. You also scheduled for things like neutering and shots so Kai wouldn't have anything to complain about. You two even went out of your way to find quality soaps and scrubbers for the bunny. And of course many, many treats were bought for it as well.
When everything had been bought, including the bunny itself, you used your portals to transport everything to the house to make things easier.
"Guess we should get you home then-"
"Awhhh.." You2's arms drooped. "Can I see his reaction?"
"It's unlikely you'll get Kai's real reaction. Knowing him, he'd probably fake one with a half stranger around."
"Khhhh, understood.."
The two of you traveled the rest of the way home on foot, carrying the newly bought bunny in a little basket with hay inside -- and a top -- to show him the big wide world.
You found some train tracks and decided to walk along it as some kind of shortcut. Balancing side by side, you and yourself watched the bright peach colors in the sky as the sun set over the line of trees. It was beautiful out here. Truly.
"...I had fun." You smiled faintly, looking back at your day. It was nothing big. Nothing flashy. But, it was peaceful. And while you may have not been the most interesting or exciting person to hang with, you could see now where your own strengths lye. You weren't the kind of person for others to look up to exactly, but, you were the kind others could rely on and trust... At least in the moment. It was easy to get along with and find comfort in your presence. And.. guess comfort is an essential part of forming bonds.
There was a strength to your character. That, you had to admit.
---------------
"I'm hoooome~" You emerged through the portal in front of the main entrance to our house.
"It's a rabbit, isn't it?"
>:0 "Hey! Who snitched?!?" All of the man's little underlings shook their heads frantically.
Kai was leaning back in the leather sofa like it was a throne of something. He scratched his head, an analytical stare fixed on you and your little basket. "I heard a few things drop into your room, so I had a look."
>:O "You entered my room without consent!?"
"Technically, I don't need it."
"Ghastly!"
"Drop the big words. They clash with your personality."
"Appalling!"
"Hgh, nevermind.." He dragged his hand down over his face. However, through his fingers you caught him peeking at the basket. You couldn't stop yourself from grinning. He was just like a kid on Christmas Eve. So eager to get a peek at his present before allowed too. Even now, he was hiding the part of him that was actually a little excited to see what you had brought.
You strode into the center of the living space and set the basket down on the coffee table. "Behold~!" You waved your hands around the basket magically. You then opened the lid at the top and gently grabbed the creature inside. Pulling the animal out, "A bunny~!"
Kai's pupils dilated as his head twitched slightly to view the creature a little better. Other than that, he didn't show any other signs of interest. You continued on smiling as you set the little fluffy creature down on the table. The baby animal slid around on the smooth surface, so you put him down on the floor. The others all gathered around the new visitor to get a better look.
"Can I eat it~?"
"No! It's Kai's pet!!" You stomped on the little guy's dreams. The love in his beady eyes dyed out, though he retained interest. "I'll set up his cage real quick. Do you mind holding him?" You picked the bunny back up and stepped toward Kai. He leaned back "Relax! I washed and blowdried him before portalling here! He doesn't bite either."
"You sure..?"
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"N-... No?"
Kai cupped his gloved hands for you to place the bunny in. Once settled, the small creature looked up at the young man with its big, dark eyes. Kai started petting the animal gently with one finger. "What's its name?"
"He's your pet." You left them at once to setup the bunny's new home.
You set the long, rectangle cage atop the half bookshelf beside the TV and designated two of the empty shelves beneath it to store all the food and supplies the animal needed. When you were done, you giggled to see the small creature sniffing and hopping around on Kai's chair and lap. Some of the other guys were oodling over the creature, but Kai was griping at then to keep their distance.
Once you had announced the cage was done, Kai picked up the rabbit and shuffled past. He set the rabbit in its new home, annoyed by its positioning in his room but pleasantly surprised to see how easy it would be to clean.
You leaned into his room. "Did you come up with a name?"
"I'll just call it 'Buddy' for now... Sure hope this thing doesn't keep me up all night."
"I hope it does~"
"Get out." You laughed, swinging into the hallway. "Wait." You turned back to tilt and lean your head against the frame beside you.
"Yah?"
"..." One moment, he looked like he really had something important to say. The next, he was trying to act as if he hadn't said anything at all. You waited there patiently though, arms dangling under you as you leaned to stare at the other curiously. Eventually, he couldn't take the silence and rubbed the back of his head. "You're like the rabbit." He said it so dryly that it was nay impossible to tell whether that was meant as a compliment, insult, or mere observation.
Your brows furrowed. "..Okay?"
"Now go. It's getting late." He dismissed you without explaining. A bit rude, but then again that was so like him, wasn't it?
At least he was getting better, you'd noticed. Yeah. At least he isn't as bad as he once was.. Maybe there really was a chance of him improving.
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The rest of your week ended without issue, though Hawks did tease you for actually taking his suggestion seriously.
Though it has just been one week, you felt as though you'd learned a lot. Mostly about yourself. Which is essential for learning how to impact the world.