"I have to check the park's carousel creatures today." She squinted at her phone, thinking. "Why don't you come, Shota? I'm tired of you sending others out with me for guard duty. You want us to bond, you're going to have to stay by my side during the day."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted space."
"That was then. Now I want you with me." She grimaced, blushing when she saw his grin. "I need stability, weirdo, not that. You've become the constant in my life that keeps me sane."
He blinked. He knew this to be true, but had not known she had such a keen insight into her own psyche. "As you wish."
"You're going to have to watch this movie with me, too, since you keep saying that."
"What?"
"You'll see." She impetuously flipped his scarves with one finger. "Just try and keep up with me until then."
A fast ride in one of the bullet cars transported them to the boardwalk where most of the traditional rides were. The car stopped by a back entrance, undetected. Elly and her escort slipped in and walked over to the gates of the work fence that had been erected around the area to keep the public safely out.
The carousels were magnificent; works of ornately carved wooden art and displays of lights to dazzle the eyes. They were mirrored around the tents as well to create an illusion that you were surrounded by even more fantastical beasts and proud stallions than you really were. Although, with three rides and two of them triple decked, here it really was like stepping into a twinkling, musical dream. Especially when she started talking to the carvings.
"You feeling okay, Seymour?" She tapped a well-worn wooden sea dragon's saddle. "You look like you could use a little TLC, buddy."
The creature was heavily varnished and the wood shone in the multicolored lights under the carousel. As Aizawa squinted at it, however, the shine grew more pronounced. It began to look actually wet and he watched in wonder as one eyelid slowly closed in a wink.
Seymour shook his head, snorting, his mannerisms a curious mix of both horse and monster. "I need more than that, sister," he whuffed.
"Hmm. I thought so. How about a vacation? You can get cleaned up at the carousel station and choose where you would like."
"Take me off for awhile and I'll think about it." The thick, scaly tail thumped on the ride. "Right now I just want to escape being sat on and kicked all day and night."
Elly nodded and tied a bright ribbon around his neck. "There we go. You're marked for a vacay, buddy. I've got to check the rest of the critters, but I'll come back tomorrow to make sure they pull all you off." She made a note on her phone, typing his name in and snapping a photo.
The two walked in circles for several hours, roaming each of the giant, triple decker carousels to inspect all the creatures. If Elly thought one felt like they needed to talk she animated it and they would stop and discuss important matters, or just have a chat if they had missed her.
It was past lunch when they finished and she grimaced, rubbing a hand over her stomach. "Ugh. Food, now."
Aizawa nodded.
"All right, what do you want?" She called back over her shoulder as she grinned, holding on to the fenced-in area of the boardwalk. Workers were busy removing and replacing the carousel animals behind them so they could reopen the rides. People milled around behind the gates, some waving when they saw her and others whipping out their phones to take photos or record video.
He kept an eye on the crowd, rubbing his neck as he thought. She was including him again, so it would be discourteous to not answer. He couldn't think of anything he cared to eat, though, and finally said so. "You know I'm not someone that often sits down to eat," he half-apologized. "Why don't you show me one of your favorite places?"
"Okay." She flipped her tail to one side and led him down the back ways, all employee avenues, to a small waterfront cafe.
He glanced sideways at her, uncertain if she had taken him to a more quiet area for his comfort.
Elly sensed what he was thinking and flashed him a rare, fanged smile. "I don't always want to be in the public eye either, you know."
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Zoro: stormy seas
Stormy Seas
"Shit!" Zoro swore loudly, reeling about as another wave crashed against the side of the ship. He had come down below decks, to the storage area, for a bottle of ale he had hid there previously.
"Watch it, moron," Elly sniffed from the side.
"Shut up, stupid cat," he grunted absently. Then, looking aside, "The hell you doing down here anyway?"
"I came to get a fresh sack of coffee beans. I figured we're gonna be up all night, so..." She flicked her ears and shrugged.
Zoro opened his mouth to gripe at her but at that moment a huge wave struck and they both sprawled helplessly to the deck. He shook his head to clear it, swore again, then froze. He had, perhaps unconsciously, rolled and curled around her so she was unhurt. They stared at each other, their noses less than an inch apart and their bodies not apart at all. In fact, they were pressed so tightly between two lashed down pallets of dry goods there was little room to move.
Elly blushed and very slowly tried to move, pushing gently on his chest, but that made things worse as her hands were then pushing on his bare skin due to his open-front robe. Zoro scowled, blushed harder, and grasped her wrists in his hands, meaning to move them himself.
It was in this compromising position that Sanji found them. He stopped in his tracks, one curly eyebrow raised. He was so stunned he didn't even say anything, he just walked very slowly back out.
"Shit!" Zoro swore loudly, reeling about as another wave crashed against the side of the ship. He had come down below decks, to the storage area, for a bottle of ale he had hid there previously.
"Watch it, moron," Elly sniffed from the side.
"Shut up, stupid cat," he grunted absently. Then, looking aside, "The hell you doing down here anyway?"
"I came to get a fresh sack of coffee beans. I figured we're gonna be up all night, so..." She flicked her ears and shrugged.
Zoro opened his mouth to gripe at her but at that moment a huge wave struck and they both sprawled helplessly to the deck. He shook his head to clear it, swore again, then froze. He had, perhaps unconsciously, rolled and curled around her so she was unhurt. They stared at each other, their noses less than an inch apart and their bodies not apart at all. In fact, they were pressed so tightly between two lashed down pallets of dry goods there was little room to move.
Elly blushed and very slowly tried to move, pushing gently on his chest, but that made things worse as her hands were then pushing on his bare skin due to his open-front robe. Zoro scowled, blushed harder, and grasped her wrists in his hands, meaning to move them himself.
It was in this compromising position that Sanji found them. He stopped in his tracks, one curly eyebrow raised. He was so stunned he didn't even say anything, he just walked very slowly back out.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
61: boisterous
"<i>Everybody say hey!</i>" Present Mic cupped a hand to his ear - technically, to his headphones -- and then sighed dramatically. "Yeah, yeah. Yer all too nervous to get pumped, right?"
The students below him were jumpy; he knew that. But if they couldn't handle the pressure they wouldn't make the cut. Beside him, his girlfriend was explaining the rules of the entrance exam to the latest batch of hopefuls. She had joined him as a team in mostly everything and he couldn't have been happier. This showed, for he was exceptionally loud as he called out to ask for questions.
Elly hid a smile behind one hand. Some of the teenagers had flinched as he used just the tiniest, controlled blast of his quirk. They would need to get accustomed to many surprises if they wanted to make it here.
Meanwhile, Mic was so engrossed with answering a possible student that he was hopping about on the podium. She flickered out of sight and whispered to him.
"Nezu's going to be pissed if we don't start soon."
"Oh yeah!"
Elly popped into visibility beside him once more with a grin worthy of her hero persona. He pointed at the arena and then called out, admonishing those that hadn't moved yet. It was his favorite thing, to shock the recruits with no warning countdown.
"Heh heh." He squeezed her waist as he chuckled. "We're gonna see how many make it this time."
She laughed and snuggled into his side. "You're freaking adorable when you're like this."
"I know right? ... ow!"
The students below him were jumpy; he knew that. But if they couldn't handle the pressure they wouldn't make the cut. Beside him, his girlfriend was explaining the rules of the entrance exam to the latest batch of hopefuls. She had joined him as a team in mostly everything and he couldn't have been happier. This showed, for he was exceptionally loud as he called out to ask for questions.
Elly hid a smile behind one hand. Some of the teenagers had flinched as he used just the tiniest, controlled blast of his quirk. They would need to get accustomed to many surprises if they wanted to make it here.
Meanwhile, Mic was so engrossed with answering a possible student that he was hopping about on the podium. She flickered out of sight and whispered to him.
"Nezu's going to be pissed if we don't start soon."
"Oh yeah!"
Elly popped into visibility beside him once more with a grin worthy of her hero persona. He pointed at the arena and then called out, admonishing those that hadn't moved yet. It was his favorite thing, to shock the recruits with no warning countdown.
"Heh heh." He squeezed her waist as he chuckled. "We're gonna see how many make it this time."
She laughed and snuggled into his side. "You're freaking adorable when you're like this."
"I know right? ... ow!"
58: serenity
He floated in a soft, fuzzy comfortable haze. The fan was on above them as they lay together in bed, the cool breeze and sound of the motor soothing. A soft golden glimmer danced along the sheets from their lava lamp, the only light in the room but not for long. The birds were singing outside and soon it would dawn the morning of a new day. He would have to get up and start getting ready for school soon.
But for now, Hizashi snuggled deeper into the bed and squeezed his warm, purring girlfriend against him, burying his face in her hair.
But for now, Hizashi snuggled deeper into the bed and squeezed his warm, purring girlfriend against him, burying his face in her hair.
71: lively
"No no no! Wuh - wait! C'mon guys! Uh, and girls - no really!"
Elly's ears snapped up at the pounding of many feet outside her office door, recognizing one heavy boot stomp in particular. "Uh oh, Mic alert."
The door burst open and Mic flailed behind a sea of class 1-A students, pinwheeling his arms about like mad to stay upright. "Sorry, babe! They insisted, I couldn't stop 'em."
"Ms. Cheshire!" Tsyu was so excited she hopped right up on her desk. "We were having a discussion in class, and he didn't know the answer."
"He knew," someone scoffed in the back. "You guy's're pushing him about it."
"So wait! Wait! If you two get married will you take his name? What do we call you then?"
Midoriya looked like he was running equations in his head to figure out the answer. "Well, that's proper in both countries, so why wouldn't they do that..."
"We could call her 'Mrs. Mic'", Bakugo snickered.
The shaded glasses hid his eyes, but Mic had such an expressional face he could never fully mask his feelings. Right now he was so red he was almost purple, biting his lower lip with his eyebrows drawn so close together she couldn't see them. "Uhhh. Heh. I don't actually know the answer... I, uh."
"Well. You'd probably call him Mr. Mic and me, Mrs. Cheshire. Right? But I would be taking his actual last name. If you were going to address me in public I would be Mrs. Yamada."
Mic swayed on his feet, a deeply goofy grin crossing his face. "Uh huh huh," he laughed.
"Oh no. We broke him again!"
"Did you honestly think that a discussion like this wouldn't?"
Elly's ears snapped up at the pounding of many feet outside her office door, recognizing one heavy boot stomp in particular. "Uh oh, Mic alert."
The door burst open and Mic flailed behind a sea of class 1-A students, pinwheeling his arms about like mad to stay upright. "Sorry, babe! They insisted, I couldn't stop 'em."
"Ms. Cheshire!" Tsyu was so excited she hopped right up on her desk. "We were having a discussion in class, and he didn't know the answer."
"He knew," someone scoffed in the back. "You guy's're pushing him about it."
"So wait! Wait! If you two get married will you take his name? What do we call you then?"
Midoriya looked like he was running equations in his head to figure out the answer. "Well, that's proper in both countries, so why wouldn't they do that..."
"We could call her 'Mrs. Mic'", Bakugo snickered.
The shaded glasses hid his eyes, but Mic had such an expressional face he could never fully mask his feelings. Right now he was so red he was almost purple, biting his lower lip with his eyebrows drawn so close together she couldn't see them. "Uhhh. Heh. I don't actually know the answer... I, uh."
"Well. You'd probably call him Mr. Mic and me, Mrs. Cheshire. Right? But I would be taking his actual last name. If you were going to address me in public I would be Mrs. Yamada."
Mic swayed on his feet, a deeply goofy grin crossing his face. "Uh huh huh," he laughed.
"Oh no. We broke him again!"
"Did you honestly think that a discussion like this wouldn't?"
68: energetic
"Ohhhh man, I knew this was a great idea!" Hizashi was in full-on Present Mic mode working at a club in the middle of town. Tonight it was special: he had brought his girlfriend along to help with the venue. The manager had been thrilled. The club was crammed to capacity not only due to him being the DJ, but Cheshire showing up alongside him. She was at her impish best as her namesake, causing mischief and mayhem among the patrons in a splendid display of blacklight painted-on stripes and huge, fanged grin.
He drank only water between mixing songs and taking his headphones off occasionally to chat with someone that wanted a particular song played or an autograph. He had learned a long time ago that mics and burps did not mix.
He was sometimes as invisible as his girl when playing music, the patrons only caring about their dates, their drinks and their dancing. He knew how to get a crowd pumped, and he used every single trick he had tonight. When he pointed and called out, they responded. When he praised his baby's performance, they cheered. It was the best gig he had performed at in a long while.
"Awwwright!"
Damn, this was fun.
He drank only water between mixing songs and taking his headphones off occasionally to chat with someone that wanted a particular song played or an autograph. He had learned a long time ago that mics and burps did not mix.
He was sometimes as invisible as his girl when playing music, the patrons only caring about their dates, their drinks and their dancing. He knew how to get a crowd pumped, and he used every single trick he had tonight. When he pointed and called out, they responded. When he praised his baby's performance, they cheered. It was the best gig he had performed at in a long while.
"Awwwright!"
Damn, this was fun.
85: graceful
Hizashi cringed, scrunching his face into a horrified expression as he stared at the wet sidewalk. It looked like a seething mass of live noodles - terrifying, <i>alive</i> black noodles.
"Euurgh, baby, I can't do it. Not today."
"We have to get to school, sweetie."
"Man, it isn't even a dress up day." They were wearing casual clothing, having been asked to participate in a scenario where they played victims the students would save. "I feel like we coulda just stayed home."
"You know we can't. Besides, you going to let me play a damsel in distress without you? Here, hold my hand."
He sighed tremulously and took it. The skin was cold and clammy with fear. "Awright. Let's go."
She was amazed at how he could move.
The tall blond man picked his way through the wriggling mass of earthworms like a dancer, his boots barely touching the ground. He managed to never touch a single worm, though he frequently made disgusted sounds when he thought he had gotten too close.
When they arrived at the practice arena, he was still so shaken that the other teachers complimented him on his acting having gotten much better.
"Euurgh, baby, I can't do it. Not today."
"We have to get to school, sweetie."
"Man, it isn't even a dress up day." They were wearing casual clothing, having been asked to participate in a scenario where they played victims the students would save. "I feel like we coulda just stayed home."
"You know we can't. Besides, you going to let me play a damsel in distress without you? Here, hold my hand."
He sighed tremulously and took it. The skin was cold and clammy with fear. "Awright. Let's go."
She was amazed at how he could move.
The tall blond man picked his way through the wriggling mass of earthworms like a dancer, his boots barely touching the ground. He managed to never touch a single worm, though he frequently made disgusted sounds when he thought he had gotten too close.
When they arrived at the practice arena, he was still so shaken that the other teachers complimented him on his acting having gotten much better.
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