text | un: deku

[wannasmash]

Good morning, everyone. [ said a polite but hesitant young man's voice offscreen. ] I might have a problem. Does anyone know how to sew?

[ The Omni hovered over a freshly laundered dark green jumpsuit. There were rips in the side where something with long nails or claws had scratched through. ]

I know it's bad, but this means a lot to me. I would really appreciate it if someone could help me out in time for the festival. Thank you very much.

Comments

[wannasmash]

[ He's busy trying to dry the rest of his stuff offscreen, so he just leaves it on video. ]

Yes. Everyone's been really nice. I think it's because it's so tough here, and we're all missing home...

[ He sounds a little sad, though he's really trying not to be a downer to strangers on the internet. ]

It's my hero costume. So I need it to be ready for work. There's a festival coming up.

[undermoonlight]

Hero costume...

[Atsushi needs a moment to digest this information. He's lived a sheltered life without access to much fun media, but he has been out long enough to know about superheroes.]

So does it help you use some sort of power? I think I've seen that in comics before..?

Would regular sewing be enough?

[wannasmash]

Luckily my jumpsuit's just made from fabric you'd find in a sports store. My support items, though... that's a different story. They have mechanical parts that work with my super strength. They're not damaged, though.

[ This time. ]

[undermoonlight]

Superstrength?

[So they have similar powers? Atsushi hasn't met many others who rely primarily on their strength in the Trench. He scolds his curiosity and tries to get back on track.]

I don't know much about mending clothes, but I might know someone who can help you. Unless you've figured it out already? There are a lot of helpful and talented people here.

[wannasmash]

There are. I think I'll be OK.

[ This time. ]

But... should worse than this happen, you wouldn't happen to know any mechanical engineers, would you?

[ He's hesitant. It's a pretty big and specific ask. ]

[undermoonlight]

Um... I don't know for sure, but I think Ruby-chan would know. Ruby Rose? She has a giant weapon that I think needs mechanical upkeep..?

Have you met her yet? She's very friendly.

[wannasmash]

[ He brightens up. ]

I have! We fought a monster together, which is why I'm asking for repairs in the first place. Are you good friends?

[undermoonlight]

Ah, is that so? She's quite strong, isn't she?

[Atsushi nods, brightening despite the previous subject matter.]

Mm. She was one of my first friends here. I'm sure if you ask her about the repairs, she'll have some suggestions.

[wannasmash]

She kind of reminds me of some rising stars in the hero world. Friendly, confident...

[ Well, more confident than him anyway. He could be... on a good day... ]

So you came from the other deer place too? The 'dream'?

[undermoonlight]

Mm, she really is quite amazing. I hear she went to school for fighting?

[So maybe that's where she gets her confidence.]

Yes, I did. I was there for maybe... 5 or 6 months? But something happened and I disappeared before the others solved the nightmare. Have you been learning about the other place?

[wannasmash]

She said something about her school blowing up. I don't know too much about that though. Or the other place, the dream--or the nightmare.

Wait, disappeared?

[undermoonlight]

It what... [Putting a pin in that. He should probably talk to Ruby later, huh?

Atsushi nods, though he senses that he should have chosen his words more carefully.]

I'm back now. Uh, I guess that I had disappeared a few months before everything changed. I don't remember anything about it, though. When I woke up on the beach, I didn't realize I'd been gone? If that makes sense..?

[wannasmash]

[ He tries and fails to hide how disturbing that is to him. ]

Uh... Does that happen often? Where did you go? Or--or was it amnesia?

[ Either way, scary! ]

[undermoonlight]

[It's a topic that Atsushi is hesitant to dig too deeply into, for similar reasons: Knowing that he could up and disappear with no trace is disturbing to him. It's hard to relax when he considers that it could happen again.]

I haven't heard of it happening to anyone else... I don't know where I went, either. I woke up on the beach like everyone else, and they told me that they hadn't seen me for months. To me, it felt like I'd just seen them the day before. It was... 'weird.'

['Weird' being a word he chooses to prevent his own internal panic.]

Private;

[wannasmash]

[ Midoriya imagines losing a large chunk of time like that and feels awful. His eyes dart down as he throws a private filter on the message, then right back up, because looking someone in the eye with way too much unrestrained compassion is the kind of dweeb he is. ]

That's different than just coming from different points on a timeline or something. I had no idea. I'm so sorry. I really shouldn't have been asking you about something so personal here.

Private;

[undermoonlight]

[Such a look makes Atsushi's shoulders sink with guilt. He hopes that the feelings driving that lookin Midoriya's eyes aren't troublesome. At the same time, he recognizes he's a kind person. It may be safe to show some extra honesty.]

It's alright. There's no way you'd know. Honestly, it's so strange that sometimes I can't believe that it really happened. It felt like dying did? Without... the dying part. [...

ah. Was that too much dying? Atsushi backtracks nervously;] Sorry. I shouldn't talk about that suddenly. I got us off topic, didn't I?

Re: Private;

[wannasmash]

[ He would say it's no trouble at all. This is how he operates on a day to day basis. Whether or not it actually gives him trouble, he'll never let on. ]

Ah, what were we talking about? Oh... Well, this is a little more important than a torn jumpsuit, isn't it?

[ He feels a little embarrassed, comparing his own problem to all that. By now, he knows death isn't permanent for Sleepers. Just really uncomfortable. He hasn't really processed it yet. A death is a death, right? And everyone dies eventually after all... In this dangerous world, he wonders when he will have to face it himself, and how it will affect him.

Or, worse, how it might not. ]