video | first week of january | un: zXzALLMIGHTJRzXz

[lilizuku]

[ Off-center on the screen is a small freckled child with an impressive green bedhead. His T-shirt, of a suitable size for a teenager, is now as long as a bedgown. He fitfully rubs the sleep from his eyes. ]

Please... Anyone we know who can watch us... and reach high things... and cook katsudon? Paul-kun and I are seven years old now. Kaworu-kun is two whole years younger than us. He’s so little...

[ Tears prick at the edges of his huge green eyes. He just woke up like this, he misses his mom, he barely remembers how to work the Omni, but he must make his case. He has to ask for help for the sake of his friends, one of whom is very tiny!

However, the tiny one seems unconvinced.] Someone always comes. They leave you alone for a bit and then come back when they need you.

[ The other seven year old in question stands behind Izuku with his arms crossed over his chest, an effect somewhat undercut by the fact the sleeves of his too big sweater flop over his hands and dangle towards the floor. He glares from underneath a fringe of messy curls that match Izuku’s except for their dark colour, and amends Izuku’s statement with a crisply pronounced: ]

Which doesn’t mean we can’t defend ourselves.

Oh! [ Izuku remembers, ] And I’m very sorry, but you can’t watch us unless you’re our friend. Mom taught me not to talk to strangers.

[ Paul nods emphatically, then turns away from the screen to disappear to the left. When he does, the end of a sheathed knife that’s almost comically large for his small frame is briefly visible under the hem of his sweater. He is not kidding around about self-defense. ]

[ Izuku glances offscreen after him. ] Paul-kun, what do you have there—

[ Cheerfully, without an ounce of hesitation, Paul answers: ] A knife!

[The pale haired boy tilts his head curiously.] What’s a stranger...?


[ ooc: Due to last year's recurring event, these are temporary AU versions of Deku wannasmash, Kaworu peripheries, and Paul terriblepurpose ]

Comments

Video | un: justafarmlad

[justoscar]

I-- uh--

[Oscar blinked, somewhat startled by this frank admission, and cut in-- ]

You guys are tiny!!!

video | un: eyas

[unchoose]

That's not very polite.

[ Paul is compelled to turn on his own Omni to rebut this scurrilous accusation. ]

un; nagisa

[peripheries]

Is that strange? Should I be bigger?

un: GoldenFlowers, video

[the_obedient_servant]

[This is the nightmare scenario. Chara is still only like... twelve, but here they are, already deciding to babysit.]

...I guess it's that time of the year.

I can help. Do you prefer cinnamon or butterscotch?

un: eyas, video

[unchoose]

I prefer cinnamon.

[ Intriguing, stranger - but Paul makes it clear he won't be lulled into a false sense of security with a stern, imperious look.

(His hair flops over one eye. His mother usually puts things in to stop that from happening if he has to see people. He persists nevertheless.) ]

I don't know what they like.

Who are you?

video | un: zXzALLMIGHTJRzXz

[lilizuku]

I don't know what those are!

un; nagisa

[peripheries]

What are those?

video | un: quibbler

[creidim]

[ they're not the only ones who're... uh, tiny. ]

Do you not have magic you can use to get things down from up high? That's what I do, if I think about it very hard.

video | un: eyas

[unchoose]

...you can do that?

[ Paul pivots to stare up at something off-camera, then squints and furrows his forehead intensely, reaching out with every iota of his mental effort -

- hm. ]

How did you learn?

video | un: zXzALLMIGHTJRzXz

[lilizuku]

No... I get made fun of for not having a Quirk...

[ Look at him, he is so sad and pathetic... on the verge of tears... ]

Video; UN: Filledwithsunshine

[onebadapple]

Well aren't you all adorable! I would be happy to cook for you all if you like! I don't know how to make katsudon but I can make other things.

video | un: zXzALLMIGHTJRzXz

[lilizuku]

You look familiar... Are we friends?

video (un: aquila)

[grice]

[ oh no . . . . his little hawk brothers, they're cute. ]

It can't hurt to offer more cooking— and the other two.

video | un: zXzALLMIGHTJRzXz

[lilizuku]

[ He pulls up a blanket slightly as if it's a shield. ]

Who are you?

[ He looks familiar... a relative of a friend? (Apparently the friendless Izuku has friends in Trench. Mind-blowing. Maybe it's because he's a Hero.) ]

video (un: eyas)

[unchoose]

[ Aquila. That's a good name. Paul knows better than to be too reassured, but... ]

Aquila means eagle.

[ He knows lots of Old Earth words, actually. (If they're the animal ones.) ]

Did you know that?

video; un: mob

[centile]

[he is. baffled.] Midoriya-kun?

[??? oh that child has a knife though.] Um, please be careful with that knife.

video; un: eyas

[unchoose]

I'm very careful with my knife.

[ How dare you, sir! ]

video | un: zXzALLMIGHTJRzXz

[lilizuku]

That's... my name...

[ So formal! ]

You look familiar...

video; un: bombdotcom; 1/2

[lipochrome]

[ A knife? ]

No!

2/2

[lipochrome]

[ In violation of every possible protocol, the person on the other end of the line removes their mask, revealing a young woman with wild, wavy shoulder-length red hair, a gleam in her golden eyes, and an assortment of very sick facial scars, if she does say so herself. She's dressed in what looks like the under-layers of tactical gear, with a high-necked, form-fitting black tee and dog tag necklaces to boot. ]

At least one of you needs some kind of gun. You're what, eight? Plenty old enough. A knife's not gonna do shit against zombies.

[ She says all this with a loud, boisterous energy, as if she's having fun rather than scolding a few kids. ]

Video; UN Lothrat [Private]

[ezra_of_lothal]

Hey, Midoriya-kun. [Have a nineteen year smiling warmly.]

I'm Ezra. Ezra Bridger. And I'm my world's equivalent of a Hero-in-training. But we call ourselves Jedi.

I bet, if you look around, Paul has notes somehow about who to trust. I mean, that's just a guess, knowing him. He's never shown them to me, so maybe he keeps it all in his head.

video | un: zXzALLMIGHTJRzXz | private only because he's not sure how to undo it lol

[lilizuku]

[ Ezra is weirdly right, which is suspicious! Izuku clams up. He's never had to distrust so many people at once. For the open, honest boy, it feels wrong. But he must protect his friends. ]

I have to try to recognize people even if it's been years since I've seen them. Like a dream. So I thought I'd call them with this mobile phone instead of trying to find them in the snow or giving my address, which I'm not supposed to do.

[ He is doing a good job he hopes, and his mom will be proud of him. ]

Video | Clickclickbloom

[earlyacceptance]

Oh my gosh!

What a lovely knife!

Do you know how to use it?

Do you need any help using it?

Video | un: eyas

[unchoose]

I do know how to use it!

[ He's proud of himself about it. It's a sore temptation to pull his knife from its sheath, but he knows better than to brandish it all whichaways. Instead, he pads over to a low table in the middle of what looks like a sitting room and pulls it from the sheath to lay flat there.

It's a plain, practical, wickedly sharp knife that Paul found tucked along the bed frame. He was enamored with it at first sight. ]

I don't need help with it yet. No one has tried anything bad.

[Video] un: QueenCobra

[abornfighter]

[Well, with the mention of those names, and realizing that yes, it very much is those three...huh. Did they get sent back and return as children?]

Do you three need some help finding clothes that fit better? It would probably be warmer for you that way.

video | un: zXzALLMIGHTJRzXz

[lilizuku]

The heater's on, so we're fine inside. But if we want to go outside--What is it?

[ He scampers off at a summons, forgetting to excuse himself. Then he returns clutching a little sweater more or less kid-sized, though he still promises to look like a shrimp in it. This skinny child is a far cry from the solidly-built Hero most people know. ]

Look! It feels like a dream, or like it's been a long time, but Paul-kun's bigger self even left us clothes just in case this happened.

[ He's very impressed by this thinking ahead. ]

text | un: boneadept

[necrosaint]

I am sorry. I am very short. I would not be of any use to you.

But perhaps you'd like a skeleton that can reach things?

text | un: eyas

[unchoose]

[ Using the little device to write words is perplexing. Paul is lucky to have an Omen to assist him - Sophia is much better at navigating the interface with her small paws than he is, and she's a very patient listener as he spells.

This is important, because he has a very important question: ]

are you a zombie?

video; un: v

[mehanizovati]

[oh my god. one moment, he's not sure if he's horrified or amused. a little of both? paul especially is killing him, though he thinks he should probably be more concerned about the knife thing.

zaun kids got into weapons like that early so mostly he's just bemused.]

Have you found someone to help yet? [and who if so, because they better be trustworthy given he likes all three of these teens turned kids.]

un; nagisa

[peripheries]

Someone always comes.

Video | un: Uravity (separate character threads for my sanity, please. ;;; )

[floatsaway]

[Oh...oh dear. Seeing one small child, especially one Ochako knows very well, is startling enough, but three? She knows Bakugou won't let them keep Izuku at their house, probably, and she's totally not equipped to take care of all three of them. Babysitting, sure, she's done that...but only for a few hours. However long this is going to last is definitely going to be longer than that. What should she do?]

Eeh, w-well, it seems you've got a lot a people wanting to help out, ne? [Is her friend still in there? Will he recognize her? Or know who she is?] But you know...I can cook!! Katsudon is your favorite right? Ne, De--Izuku-kun? And I know some really good stories, too...and songs.

My, um...my name is Uraraka. Uraraka Ochako. Oh!! I'm a Hero, too! Did you know? If you want, we can play together, my quirk is really fun! [Kids love being able to "fly" with it.]

[lilizuku]

Uraraka-san!!

[ ...Who is she again? But he knows her. Everyone is fuzzy memories like dreams slipping away, but she's in a lot of them! He might not remember a lot of the particulars, but he immediately knows she's someone safe. ]

I... I don't remember a lot of them well. But I remember you. When I was bigger, you'd make me float with your Quirk, and I'd practice... What's your Hero Name? A-Am I really a Hero too?

[ Tears fill his eyes. ]