002 - [Audio; UN: Uravity]

[floatsaway]

[It's early, a little before sunrise, actually - the usual time Ochako goes out running on the beach. It'd been bothering her a while now, but with everything happening over the past few weeks...she'd been nervous to seek the truth. It was Momo's recent return that really tipped the scales, and Ochako took the plunge. She searches a name, in her contacts, but it doesn't appear on the network. Different variations - his hero name, his first name...last name...the order she's used to - surname first, then given name.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

To be honest, Ochako half expected this after the first few attempts, and after everything the previous few weeks, she can't even feel sad. She can't even feel anything. Can't feel anything other than numb all over. Her voice is small, quiet - it's still early for a lot of people, after all - and sounds so hollow and distant. Maybe a little robotic, even.]

...Wh-When...when someone's name disappears from the network. [A pause, to swallow. To exhale.] It means that person is gone, right? They went h--...back. Back to where they belong. Their world.

Right?

[That's how it works, isn't it? Ochako vaguely remembers, and it's not that she needs the confirmation or anything, she just...

Just what? Not like anyone can do anything about it one way or another. She waits, in silence, only a minute or two, before picking up her communicator and putting it in her bag, then heading to the beach. But she doesn't run. She simply sits in the sand and watches the waves slowly roll in as the tide shifts and water begins to lap at her toes.

It's cold.]

Comments

[Text]

[anthropophagite]

Yes, that's what I was told.

I'm sorry someone you know left. [ there isn't much else he can say in this situation, is there? ]

[Text]

[floatsaway]

It's fine.

[It's not. She's upset. But Ochako simply hasn't the energy left to feel upset. Not right now, anyway. Maybe it hasn't really sunk in yet, that Izuku is gone. Maybe it'll hit her in a few hours, or a few days. But right now she feels nothing at all.

It's weirdly...peaceful, in a way. To have nothing left. No tears. No sorrow. No anger. No bitterness. To just be numb to it all.]

[Text]

[anthropophagite]

[ oh Kaneki knows that answer so very well. But he also doesn't think it's fair to press it because, specially because Ochako has people from her world who understand her better and can provide better support.]

Alright. If you can anything you can contact me, Uraraka-chan.

[floatsaway]

I know. I will.

[It's so curt, so clipped, and a little part of Ochako does feel bad - pushing him away - but she's not sure what anyone could even do right now. There's precious little they can do, and it's becoming more and more real just how...utterly powerless they all are. How hopeless it is to try fighting back. As much as she wants to, as much as Ochako wants to keep trying, her foundation is cracking.

She wants to stay positive, but it's hard. It's getting really hard.]

I'm sorry.

action;

[recommendations]

[ Momo is in the shower when Ochako makes her post to the network. By the time she finishes blowdrying her hair and getting dressed, Ochako has left, leaving only a note behind saying where she went as a polite host should do.

As Momo walks towards the beach in search of her friend, she takes out her phone and checks the network.

Ah.

When she find Ochako, she quickly creates a thick blanket and drapes it around her shoulders. She sits beside her, arms wrapped around her pulled-in knees, and stares out at the ocean in silence.

Having been here so long, of course she knows what it means when someone's name disappears from the directory. She can't help but think of her second month here, when she and Midoriya desperately searched for Bakugou before finally being forced to accept that he was gone. She's seen that happen many times now, to friends from home, and others she met here. It's never easy.

After a long minute, she offers in a quiet voice: ] There's always a chance he will come back.

[floatsaway]

[Ochako can hear someone approaching, but right now, she doesn't really bother to look back to see who it could be. Foolish, of course, and a part of her knows that - the logical and rational part - but that voice of reason is drowned out by a feeling of listlessness that seems as vast and relentless as the crashing waves on the shore.

Ochako only looks up, a little, when the blanket falls around her shoulders, and exhales again, eyes on the water, and the little bits of seashells and coral it's dragging across the sand.]

...Maybe. [There's no joy in her voice. No hope. No desire. Is it really better if he comes back? Just to go through everything this place puts people through?]

[recommendations]

[ Momo doesn't reply. She knows that hoping for Midoriya to return isn't exactly what's best for him. And saying that isn't going to help matters in the moment. They both know it, so there's no need to mention it.

Maybe... She should change the subject. ]

I was thinking... You, Bakugou-san, our teachers. You're all in the east coast cities. And I'm... [ A pause. ] I don't like being all the way out in Jeopardy. It's been... nice, staying with you here.

[ She's moved houses before, back when it was just her and--

--and Midoriya.

...Never mind. ]

Video.

[hot_handed]

[Deku's gone, back, whatever. He didn't know how to talk about it before. But it's hitting Ochako worse. It's devastating her.]

You in Florida?

Audio

[floatsaway]

[It is devastating her, but it's also been a build up of everything over the past few weeks. One thing after another, and Ochako's been starting to feel more herself again until this. This just took that calm, that peace, that semblance of normalcy that weirdly exists in this putrid world--

And broke it in half right in front of her. And she had nothing left to fight back with. Ochako's just tired. And it shows in her voice, how utterly exhausted she is. How she's losing steam.]

Mhm...beach.

Audio

[hot_handed]

Stay there. I'll be there in a few.

[It's said more like a command, and Katsuki can be heard moving stuff around. He should bring something for her to eat and drink just in case.]

[Text; un: Highfive]

[facepalmchampion]

You find the stupidest things to be upset by.

[floatsaway]

Ok.

[What, you expected an actual response? Fuck off, Shigaraki, Ochako's got literally zero spoons left to deal with you right now.]

[facepalmchampion]

[[He suggests a chat with Toga, she always brings knives instead. They're much more efficient. Like the following knives:]]

Glad we can both agree. You cry at the drop of a hat and you get upset when someone goes back home. You're not a child. Act mournful and childish when he's dead.

voice;

[bifroster]

Yeah, that is generally what it means. I'm sorry, Ochako.

Would you like me to join you?

[She looks like she could use a blanket.]

voice;

[floatsaway]

[She doesn't really address the first part more than a quiet hum, to affirm that she heard, but Ochako knew the answer from the start. It still stings to hear it from someone else - makes it all the more real - but what use in there of feeling upset about it? Not like it'll change anything.

What's done is done.]

Yeah, okay. If you want.

[She won't say no, even though she feels like she'd be lousy company right now.]

voice to action;

[bifroster]

[And that is the sad, cold truth.]

Okay. I’ll be there soon.

[Jane doesn’t mind—company is company. So when she does arrive, she has a blanket and is perfectly willing to just sit in silence if that’s what she needs.]

audio;

[punchpunchkisskiss]

[ OH NO FRIEND IN DISTRESS ]

I'm sorry about your friend. Or, you know, whoever.

Do you want to hang out? We could go to the candy store I work at. Or, I was gonna check out a dungeon in New York, if you're into that kind of thing.

audio;

[floatsaway]

A friend.

[And someone she cared about quite a lot, but Ochako's not about to go gushing about her crushes over a public network. She's a little more coherent now that she's sort of calmed down(???) a little, so her response isn't as robotic as it would have been earlier, but she still seems pretty melancholy.]

Mmh...I think I'd like to hang out in a little while, yeah, if that's okay? I have a friend staying over right now, though, so it may not be for a little bit. [Ochako did leave a note, but she'd rather not just up and ditch Momo at her place because she's upset. That'd be really rude.] ...Thanks, Finn-kun.

audio;

[punchpunchkisskiss]

[ Well, talking about someone you've lost is not how you distract yourself from your problems. That's what dungeons are for! ]

Yeah, of course! We can get candy for your friend, too. The store has all kinds of neat candies!

voice;

[ttwwiiccee]

Guessing if I ask you who flew the coop you're not gonna tell the likes of me, huh?

[floatsaway]

It was Izuku-kun.

[Villain or not, what difference does it make if she tells him now? Not like Twice can do anything about it. If the League had any sort of "plans", or whatever, involving Deku, they're void as of now.]

[ttwwiiccee]

[ He's legitimately surprised she just told him straight up, although he's a bit distracted trying to remember who that is. ]

Izuku? [ Thinking, thinking, thinking. ] Midoriya?

Whoa, hold on, that kid was here too?

[ ...Apparently there had been no plans. ]

voice (assuming this is after they chat a bit in his log?)

[silvallyant]

[He's been through this frustrating disappointment before, he knows how it feels to have a friend disappear. He was upset when Nico and Will left. He's terrible at consoling people, but he can try.]

Yeah, that's what it means. They go home and we can't contact them anymore. It sucks, are you going to be okay?

works for me!! /o/

[floatsaway]

[She knew the answer was coming, but that doesn't make it sting any less than it does. It does suck, even if she'll go back to see Izuku in her world one day, it just feels...weird, not to have him close. To know that all the experiences and fond memories she had made here will be forgotten one day.]

Yeah, maybe...probably. [Time heals all, right? Or at least numbs the pain.] Eventually.

[silvallyant]

Do you need some company? I've.. been there. [he lets out a sigh.] Two of my good friends left a while ago, being alone might be a bad idea.