bluediligence | (no subject)

[He chuckles a bit to acknowledge what she said, but it's already getting hard to focus on talking over the growing burning in his chest. Shit. He refrains from stopping for too long between flights though. It's just a few more flights, it'll be over soon...]

I asked a colleague to bring some clothes that... uh, they may not fit you exactly, but it's better than anything I have on hand...

[He coughs a couple of times, but tries to hold back. He'd rather not make a mess on the stairs, much less with a stranger watching.]

[ Despite Yagi's attempt to suppress them, she hears those coughs. He clearly doesn't want to be fussed over, but … ]

Fit doesn't bother me. [ By this point she's pretty winded, herself, which seems like it'll be as good an excuse to stop as any. She slows to a stop at the next landing and plops down to sit on the top step. ] Whew. Sorry, I need a minute — what was I saying? Oh! Yeah, don't worry about that; after some of the costumes I've found myself in over the year, I can handle anything.

[Is she just stopping for his sake...? No, that's an unproductive thought. He sits down beside her, keeping his knees close together so as not to invade her space, and tugs out his handkerchief just in case as he takes measured breaths.]

I suppose that makes sense!

[Under the assumption she's a pro hero and all.]

It's just a temporary measure, anyway. You can shop for what you like once you've gotten cleaned up and had some rest.

[ Look! Look … stairs are hard no matter how fit you are, okay. Sometimes you've just got to take a breather. ]

… Mmm. [ It would be nice to go shopping here, to see what cute and interesting fashions the people here wear. Too bad she doesn't have any of the right money. ] Guess you're right.

[ Too bad she feels like a heel for misleading somebody who's only trying to help her …!! With a small sigh, she pulls out her own phone. Yagi can easily catch a glimpse of the wallpaper if he glances over: a selfie of Aoko and what looks to be an almost identical twin, except the one on the left has mismatched eyes, one bright red and one a slightly darker blue than Aoko's own. They both have longer hair than the girl sitting next to him. ]

Still no signal, of course ... [ The clock and calendar are both completely out of sync too. ]

[It would be rude to stare at someone else's phone screen...! He does get a glimpse of the wallpaper though. A sister, maybe?]

If your phone isn't working, you can use mine...?

[To call her maybe-sister or other family or friends.]

Ah! Thanks, but it's okay ... they're, uhm, they're all a little out of range, anyway. [ A lot. A lot out of range. ] It can wait until I figure what's going on with my ... [ Gestures at nothing in particular - ] With my quirk.

[ She hesitates a moment, looking down at the screen. Indecision stirs like a flock of particularly restless butterflies. Saying something is such a stupid idea, but taking advantage of a kind man's charity feels more and more wrong. In the end, she can't help edging closer to (part of) the truth: ]

... To tell you the truth, there ... might be a couple of people somewhere around here who know me. But the circumstances we met in were complicated, and it's more likely than not that they don't remember anything about it.

I see...

[She really is stuck, isn't she... he was pondering how to further help her when she speaks again, and his brows knit.]

They don't remember?

[The effect of a quirk, perhaps? There must be some kind of story behind that, but sitting in the middle of his apartment complex's staircase may not be the best place to ask for it. He heaves back to his feet and offers her a hand up.]

Why don't we discuss this further once we've made it to my apartment? You'll be more comfortable there.

Edited 2019-06-07 17:48 (UTC)

[ Taking his hand with a grateful thank you, she climbs up to her feet as well. Holy crap, though — his hands are big… No! No, that's a stupid thing to get distracted by! Especially right now, when she's hinted towards a conversation she has no idea how to have. ]

Mmm. It's not too much further, right?

[ She sets off again, plodding up what she hopes are the final few flights. ]

Just a little farther...!

[It's still a lot of stairs though, relatively speaking. By the time they reach the top his body is protesting his lack of care for its state in a few ways, including the ache and tickle of a painful coughing fit encroaching. If he can just make it to the bathroom first...]

This way...

[He leads her down the hall to his apartment, trying to keep his breathing shallow, and fishes out his keys.]

[He fumbles them in the lock as a small cough claws its way out unbidden, and then drops them with a silent curse as it inevitably snowballs from there. He brings his hand up to cough into just a little too late, speckling his door with blood before the rest is caught by his hand... and drips down his fingers and chin as more of it gathers with each convulsive, rasping cough.]

Yagi-san—! [ Holy shit, this is alarming for many multiples of reasons, what the fuck! She'd figured he was recovering from a recent cold or something, not that he was so sick he'd start violently coughing up blood. ]

[ She reaches out without thinking, a gentle hand rubbing his back. The part of her that thinks, why didn't you tell me before we climbed all the way up those stairs is thoroughly quashed — for now. Helping him comes first. ]

Let's get you inside. [ One quick stoop later, the keys are in her hand and then in the door. Hopefully he won't mind her pushing it open and ushering him inside, because that's exactly what she's doing. ]

[He tries to speak, but his body isn't having it until this coughing fit has run its course. So he lets himself be ushered inside, waving his free hand vaguely as if to brush away her concern, and whether she follows he lumbers over to the kitchen sink to spit out what is probably an alarming amount of blood to anyone other than him. He coughs a couple more times as he turns on the water and finally gets a reprieve to breathe and rinse his hand off, his teeth and chin underneath stained with blood.]

I'm sorry about this- please don't be alarmed, this happens sometimes.

[A little late for the warning maybe, but there it is.]

[Bloody mess aside, his apartment is modest in size and furnishings, though all the seating in the room is a bit larger or wider than the usual. The small kitchen is open to the living room; what decor he has is mostly photos, hero posters featuring group shots, and a few bits of All Might paraphernalia. An assortment of envelopes and papers and an empty teacup sit on the coffee table in front of the couch. A wastebasket beside it mostly contains tissues with old blood on them.]

[ She follows, if only to make sure he doesn't collapse … which, when she sees just how much blood he's coughing up, she's honestly shocked that he is still standing. Her heart — and her stomach — clench painfully. Despite his attempts to wave her off, her hand lingers on his back. ]

… And to think, people call me stubborn. [ He'd followed her up all of those stairs even knowing that this could happen. A not insignificant part of her wants to scold him, and she bites it back with difficulty. ... At least, most of it. ] I can understand why you didn't tell me, but I would have preferred it if you had. Can I get you a glass—?

[ She'd want to rinse out her mouth ASAP if she was him. ]

[He smiles apologetically at her, which is maybe not the most reassuring with all that blood painted on it.]

It's okay, you're my guest-! I can get it myself.

[He reaches up into a cupboard over his head for a glass to fill with water.]

The restroom is down that hall, if you need it. Your temporary clothes should be here soon too, if you want to go ahead and shower.

[His voice is a little rough after all that, but he takes some careful sips of water to rinse his mouth and clear his throat.]

[ It's not the most reassuring … then again, after everything she's seen and been through, it's not the least, either. Puffs out her cheeks, staring at him — and then lets out her breath in a sigh. She puts her hands on her hips. ]

Are you absolutely sure that you're okay? [ "Okay" being a relative phrase. ]

[After sipping some water he leans over the sink to wash his face as well, and soon enough the outward signs that anything alarming had happened are gone. He's exhausted and his chest aches in a different way after that much coughing, but he always looks like he's ill somehow regardless. And he just keeps smiling.]

I'm sure! I was exposed to an irritant today that didn't help matters, but this is normal for me.

[He dries his hands and face and looks around... oh dear, he needs to get the place ready for her to stay here- and start dinner-]

Will you be all right on the couch? I can get it set up for you once I get the curry started. Oh, and I need to get you a towel-

… More than stubborn … [ Mumbles! More like "a force of nature". It's a little weird. Is weird the word? It's different. She's used to adults being … well, meaner, or at the very least, ruder. ]

Maybe we should sit down and talk first …? We can wait for your friend to bring those clothes. [ She'd feel better if she knew he was taking a few minutes to rest, rather than rushing around after her. Especially when she still hasn't exactly come clean about her situation. ] Uhm, I'll be just fine on the couch, too.

[It's true okay, this is normal!! He was about to shuffle off to find her a clean towel when she makes that suggestion, and he hesitates.]

Are you sure? You must be uncomfortable in those damp clothes... and I should at least get the curry prepped, you must be hungry too! But you can relax on the couch if you'd prefer...?

[ Oh, right. Fuck. She'd almost forgotten about that, her own discomfort having faded into the background in the light of Yagi almost hacking up a lung. She hesitates as well, biting her lip. ]

I'm just ... still concerned, that's all. Don't you want to rest for a few minutes? [ She knows she'd want to, even if she, like him, wouldn't necessarily want to admit it. ]

[While he appreciates her concern... he just smiles reassuringly some more.]

Don't be! I am fine, I really am.

[The way he says it certainly sounds convincing, and by his personal definitions it may as well be true! Yes his lung is irritated and he's tired, but this level of pain and weariness is far from incapacitating. He can still get things done before taking a break.]

I'll rest once I've finished getting things ready for you.

Ahh … [ In a tone that says Very Clearly that this is against her better judgement, ] Okay, okay. You win, Yagi-san.

[ He's just! Concerning! ]

[ And yet she's still standing there, hesitating, tapping her fingers together like a kid trying to explain themselves to a teacher. ]

[It's a little hard to keep smiling when it's clearly not going to reassure her, so he lets that drop for now. But maybe she'll feel better and let this slip her mind once she's had a shower... he's not being a very good host, causing her so much worry...]

Let me get you that towel. If you don't want to shower until the clothes are here, you can watch TV if you'd like... I have netflix, and a few American movies.

[He finally shuffles off to get that towel out of a closet in the hall, accompanied by little coughs in the back of his throat.]

[ No, no, she is being a Very Bad Guest. ]

[ For … for a lot of reasons. While he's out of the room, she drops her head into her hands and scrubs hard, massaging her closed eyes with the heels of her palms. ]

... Hey, uhm-

[He stops by the bathroom to set the clean out out for her before he returns, his eyes on her expectantly when she speaks... or starts to.]

Yes?

[He begins moving about the kitchen in the meantime, pulling out what he needs to make curry.]

Uhm … [ Big girl pants, Aoko! She lowers her hands, clasping them in front of her stomach. ] Okay, so, this … this is going to sound kinda crazy — and if you're not comfortable with me staying that's more than fair.

What would you say if I said … I'm not from this world?

[He pauses after setting out a pot and, for a moment, just stares at her.]

...An alien? Are you invading...!?

[Is he making fun of her?? He seems convincingly spooked???]