Closed | I'm sorry about that

[fullcowl]

Who: Izuku Midoriya, Todoroki Shouto
What: Prayer 6
When: May 17, afternoon
Where: The ayakashi infested hospital
Warnings: Izuku has no filter? Currently, none.


It's been a while since they've been back at this hospital, but considering everything that's happened- they had to deal with a lot. Kido's disappearance, what happened last time. So Izuku's more than a little worried about coming back here again.

Unfortunately he ate some raw fruit yesterday and it's taken until today before it started doing anything to him. "Todoroki, are you okay being back here? You're strong- emotionally and physically- but I worry about you and I don't want you doing anything you're uncomfortable with."

There's a pause as he registers how much more he said than he's used to- he means every single word of it, but the fact he said all of it instead of stopping at the first question- that's strange.

Comments

[icyhot]

With Kido's disappearance, and no sign of her anywhere in the Heavens, Shouto isn't surprised it's taken them a little bit to get back to taking prayers. And he's been fine with that, but now they need to be in motion again, and it feels like things are getting back on track. Even if they miss their partner. There's people here that need help.

Even if the last time they were at the hospital didn't end quite so well.

Shouto looks up at the familiar building, but slowly looks away from it when Izuku speaks. The consideration doesn't surprise him, necessarily, but the... directness? Does. He shrugs his shoulders, hands in his pockets. "I don't mind. It's not as if he's going to be here again, and even if he was, I'm pretty sure he'd stay away from us after how that ended."

[fullcowl]

Izuku fusses and worries, but even as much as he does, there are people who need him- and that's obvious given the amount of people who pray to... him? Aidos? With that many people who rely on him, he can't afford to wallow for as long as he was.

"Please rely on me-" What. That... was definitely not what he meant to say- besides, didn't they talk about this a little bit when Kido disappeared anyway? Why's he bringing it up again- "You're right, he shouldn't be here after everything that's happened and I'd protect you- I'd protect you better than I did last time. You don't- You never deserve to be treated like that, Todoroki."

Okay, something is off, but again, everything he's saying he absolutely means. He just usually wouldn't say most of this out loud. At all. Ever.

[icyhot]

Considering the sheer number of followers that Izuku has managed to accumulate - not something he knows in exact amount, but enough that he knows there's a lot - they both know a lot of people rely on them. But he's here to make sure that Izuku knows that he has someone he can rely on, in return. And he's glad, at least, that they touched on that.

So hearing it again has him considering the words. There's confusion there, because it's something he doesn't think he's ever really heard before. Rely on me. I'd protect you. You never deserve to be treated like that. He doesn't know what to really make of it.

"Are you okay?" Shouto asks, not at all hesitant in it, considering Izuku is acting a little off. Not necessarily in a bad way, but. Still off. It's a little disarming, to be honest.

[fullcowl]

There's a certain urge to just stick his hand in his mouth so he stops talking, but instead of that he just keeps talking. He can't read Shouto's mind, and that's probably for the best, who knows what else he might accidentally spill that way.

For now he just winces when he thinks about what he's just said. "I... I don't feel weird? I meant everything I said. You deserve good things, Todoroki.

"Anyway, we should get this prayer done, it's an ayakashi that's been preying on the old, so the sooner that's taken care of the better, right? If it's us I'm sure we can take care of it quickly. Can I turn you to vessel form?

"It's kind of weird wearing you-" he bites on his tongue before he says anything else. He also makes an effort to look away from Shouto because who knows what else is gonna slip out of his mouth.

[icyhot]

Scrutinizing Izuku when he looks away, Shouto scans him up and down. When there's no visible sign of him being hurt, or hiding anything that he can spot, he eventually relents and takes his hands out of his pockets, straightening up. It's still strange to change into his vessel form, but they've had time to work on it. Had time to figure it out.

He holds out one of his hands, waiting for him to look back at him.

"Let's go, then. If it's us, then we'll be able to take care of it."

[fullcowl]

He takes the moment to take in a deep breath and mumble under his breath, "What's going on? I'm saying way more than I want to..."

Before turning back to Shouto and taking his hand. "I trust you. We make a good team. Kouki."

At least none of that is embarrassing, but it's all true.

[icyhot]

It's certainly strange, but considering Izuku is being frank with someone that's usually nothing but direct honesty, so far it's just a little odd compared to the norm. So he just inclines his head in a nod, agreeing with him and also preparing for the shift from person to vest.

And, yeah, it's weird to be worn. But at least doing it this way allows Izuku to put him on rather than have to do something like pick him up off the ground or something like that.

"I trust you, too. And now you have more control, and we know I can use my quirk like this to help."

[fullcowl]

But for Izuku, who usually keeps a very good lock on his inner monologue unless he's planning or otherwise stressed- this is perfectly distressing. He'll think about what could have caused it later, they have an ayakashi to stop.

He'll slide Shouto on and then look at the hospital before them closely. It's not like he has super ayakashi finding senses, but if they're so attracted to people on the Far Shore it might just decide that they're much more delicious than the people in the hospital.

"Thank you, Todoroki. I really appreciate the lessons, but I'll stick to the ice side of it for now.

"Alright, if we go in the ayakashi'll probably be drawn to us. I'd like to keep the damage to a minimum. Maybe we can draw it out here once we've got its attention?"

And then, mumbled, "At least I can focus on the prayer."

[icyhot]

Getting settled in the strangely perfect fit that his vessel form wind up having around Izuku's shoulders, Shouto checks things out in that also strange way that shinki are capable of, keeping an eye on the area around them. He's more worried about the ayakashi at the moment than he is the outright honesty, so. Priorities. He's right there with him about focusing on the prayer.

"I'd prefer it if you did, too. The fire side isn't good for use around civilians."

For a moment, he's quiet, thoughtful. And then he offers: "It shouldn't be too hard to get its attention, so. Yeah, getting it out of the hospital is probably priority, rather than engaging it in a fight."

[fullcowl]

They'll deal with Honesty Hour later, when they're not in a fight. He nods, "Alright. Then it's decided. Get the ayakashi's attention and bring it outside."

He'll open the hospital's doors and start walking around on the first floor, making sure to avoid the doctors and patients walking around.

"I hope they don't notice the ice." Because even with control, there's a very good chance Izuku might go a little overboard, depending on the ayakashi they run into.

[icyhot]

Already focusing to make sure that he's ready to balance out Izuku's temperature, he thinks about that for a second. There's no way that people didn't notice the massive amounts of ice during their first fight with ayakashi, and this is an enclosed space, which means they're bound to leave obvious traces behind.

"We'll take care of it after we deal with the ayakashi." Since ice everywhere is probably a safety hazard?

Hopefully there won't be too much damage, though...

[fullcowl]

"We'll figure it out. If it's going after the sick and the old... Then it could be anywhere..." This hospital seems pretty busy too. "We've gotta wait for it to come to us."

Luckily they're not waiting too long as a huge stag beetle of an ayakashi flies directly towards them.

"Found it." Izuku starts running for the exit.

[icyhot]

There are a few options for them, Shouto figures, but the need to hunt the ayakashi down is eliminated when it turns out that it finds them first. Hospitals always have wards for different needs, so the fact that it's just there is... good, for them, but also disconcerting.

He immediately activates the regulation function of his vessel form, preparing Izuku for his quirk.

"You're faster than it, for now. Keep going and I'll keep an eye on it."

[fullcowl]

He's going to chalk it up to ayakashi thinking that gods smell delicious. Or something.

"Thanks, Todoroki," it doesn't take him too long to get out of the hospital- they weren't in it for very long before the ayakashi came for them.

He readies his right hand, ice starting to form once the beetle's with them.

[icyhot]

Making an affirmative noise - communication is strange, in his vessel form, but he doesn't bother questioning it - Shouto keeps his focus on the beetle. It's not very big, but it's been causing a great deal of trouble regardless. Gods might smell delicious, but humans do, too.

"I've got your back." If Izuku needs him to use his quirk, too, he's prepared. But he's also keeping watch.

Is he remembering the last time they fought ayakashi? Yes, yes he is.

[fullcowl]

"You always have," slips out of his mouth before he can think to question it. It's certainly been true as long as they've been here, at least. Hopefully Shouto doesn't read into it as much.

He surveys the area, good, all of the Near Shore residents are indoors or at least not coming near the hospital. It's hard to tell just how quick this beetle's about to be, but Izuku makes an attempt at spearing the beetle with a well aimed spear from the ground- which catches on nothing as the ayakashi darts to the left.

"It's faster than I thought... But it's not over. If we can trap it and box it in that should do it."

[icyhot]

With his focus on the shinki, Shouto doesn't quite have the time to dwell on it. It certainly does ring a bell to him, but it goes to the back of his mind, to be thought about later and regarded as truth. They've worked well together, ever since they became partners, after all, so it's not out of place.

He watches the beetle dart out of the way, assessing their surroundings, thinking. Boxing it in won't be that difficult, if they can do just the right thing.

Instead of letting it get far, he helps with the range he has with his quirk in his vessel form, shooting ice from their left at it, aiming to keep it near them and not letting it get the time to attack. "If we corner it, we have to cut off its aerial escape. We'll either have to close that off, or attack it from above, both of which are easy enough if we can get it into a good position."

[fullcowl]

He nods as he hears Shouto's reasoning. "I can get pretty high up if I jump with my quirk. But if we corner it with ice, we can encase it. Since the ice is from you, it should be enough to kill the ayakashi."

As the beetle starts moving to the right to avoid the ice, Izuku makes another wall on the right. It's not nearly as explosive as his first attempt at using Shouto's quirk. It's a bit more jagged than Shouto's, and a bit taller than it really needed to be. But it curves to encase them in a hallway of ice. At least he didn't cover the floor in ice this time around.

"I guess that's progress..."

[icyhot]

"It's a plan." Some gods and shinki must have difficulty working together, but for Shouto, there's no hardship here. This exchange back and forth is efficient and quick, allowing for them to figure out the best method of attack even in the midst of it.

Which leads to the beetle having nowhere else to go, really. Izuku still needs to work on his control and form, but honestly it works so he's not concerned about it. The fact that the entire block isn't encased in ice is enough for him. For now, anyways. It's not enough for him to think he's ready to move onto fire.

"It can't go anywhere, so that's what matters."

[fullcowl]

It doesn't take long for the beetle to be stabbed through with ice. Their efficient together, and that's been true for as long as they've been friends back home too. It's easy, to slide back into work mode with Shouto- as strange as everything else is, he appreciates that.

"It's dead- so we're done here. I mean, we should melt away the ice still... Ready to turn back?" He's not as exhausted as the first time he used Shouto's quirk, but he's certainly still tired. "I need to work on my stamina when it comes to your power."