His drawing being accidentally messed up was enough to bring Jay's attention to Mochizuki. He wasn't mad at her, realizing that it seemed to all be an accident. He removed his earbuds to actually be able to hold a conversation and hear other people, knowing that the other wanted his attention. He decided that he may as well give her what she wants and talk to her.
For a moment, he just sat there. He was unsure of how to socialize with her. He didn't want to get close to her in fear of either being betrayed or hurting her, but he didn't want to be a complete jerk towards her, as she seemed to be a caring person. He seemed to be lost in thought as he sat there, staring blankly at the paper.
Just talk to her… he told himself in thought. Obviously I can't let her close, but I can say hi and see what she wants. I'll need to know my classmates' names and stuff, anyway, and we'll have to work together at some point. I may as well introduce myself and stuff.
He let out a soft sigh before glancing up at Mochizuki. His eyes were still devoid of emotion, his expression blank and neutral. His expression conveyed that he wasn't angry, but it also conveyed that he wasn't feeling much of anything. He had learned how to completely ignore his emotions when interacting with others, a lack of them being all that most would see unless they made him angry.
"Hey," he said, his voice just as devoid of emotion as his expression and eyes were. "I'm not sure what you want or what you've said up until now, but my name is Jay. Seeing as we'll be classmates, it would be a good idea for us to introduce ourselves."
Was that too rude? he wondered. Well, it doesn't matter. I can't let her close to me, so we'll just have to hope that she isn't upset by the tone or wording but isn't insistent on becoming friends. I don't want to hurt her or end up being betrayed like how it's been with everyone else who has been close to me in the past…
(This poor girl just tryna make friends XD)
Damn it Hikaru. You had one job. Just introduce yourself. Mochizuki's face was glowing with all the blood rushing to her face. She was embarrassed at herself and to make things worse, the boy, who she had learnt was named Jay, haven't heard anything she had said either.
"I'm M-Mochizuki Hikaru." The girl stuttered. Jay was starting at her and his eyes bore into her skin. Mochizuki couldn't tell if he was angry, annoyed or anything. "I was wondering if it was ok for me to sit here?" As a nervous tick, Mochizuki would usually comb and play with the feathers on her wigs, but due to the minimal space between Jay and Mochizuki, all thanks to tiny desk formations, she couldn't bring her wings around her and instead twiddled at her fingers, awaiting his answer. She didn't really need to ask for permission to sit there. Anyone could sit anywhere. But Mochizuki didn't want to make Jay uncomfortable, especially after she hit him earlier.
(I know, but my boy is just scared of letting people close to him. I feel bad for completely destroying his life, but he'll eventually let himself talk to her more if she keeps trying. And sorry for replies taking forever; I keep getting distracted)
The other speaking brought Jay back out of his thoughts. He heard what the other had said, finally getting her name. After, he thought about how to respond, as he had noticed that she seemed to be nervous about something. He hadn't intended to hurt her, though it was natural since his first response to anyone trying to get close was to push them away to avoid getting close. He didn't want to get hurt or hurt people more in the long run, so he found it better to do so.
"You don't really need to ask permission to sit here," he told her. "I don't mind. Besides, it would probably be better for you to do so to avoid getting in anyone's way. I don't mean that in a rude way, as your quirk is fine, but I don't want to see people getting mad at something out of your control…"
He sighed after speaking. As he mentioned that, his eyes showed a hint of sadness to them. For the first time, he had expressed an emotion other than anger around others. As he thought about it, he had reminded himself of his past, the judgement, not wishing the same fate onto others. It made him sad remembering that it still existed.
That sounded rude, but my point is true… Maybe she can sort of relate? he wondered. Even so, it's still best to not let her too close to avoid what would happen when she figured out what my quirk's like… Even if she can relate, there's a chance that she would leave after knowing my quirk…
(Jay is so cute, please i love him. also kinda lowkey shipping these twooo)
"…as your quirk is fine, but I don't want to see people getting mad at something out of your control…"
Mochizuki looked at Jay, surprised and… happy. No one, excluding her family, had ever called her quirk fine or not bothersome. It was new to hear and she felt a sudden hope that maybe she could make a friend. Maybe this boy who seems not to care about getting hit by her biggest insecurity, could be her friend.
But her happiness was quickly pushed aside when she noticed a change in Jay's eyes. No longer the emotionless staring but sadness. Mochizuki's first instinct was to assume that she had made him upset, but it wasn't that. He was thinking about something else. He seemed to get caught in his thoughts, breaking off from his sentence.
"Uh, Jay?" Mochizuki hoped to get the boy's attention.
(I do kinda ship these two as well. I could see Jay learning to trust her since she relates to him to some extent. They could find something to bond over. Also, I remembered that Jay has kinda long hair, so I decided that it's canon that he lets people he likes style his hair sometimes)
"Hm?" Jay hummed, quickly coming back into reality. "Did you want something?"
He wasn't sure what she wanted, as he hadn't noticed that his eyes and expression conveyed the sadness that he felt when he mentioned quirks. He hadn't noticed that Mochizuki was happy hearing his statement, as he had been lost in his thoughts by then. He was worried that his statement had offended her despite his intentions of showing that he disliked it when people were hated on for things out of their control.
Maybe showing that I relate wasn't a good idea… he sighed internally. I hope I didn't offend her. While I still don't know if I can trust her, I can't do the same thing that people have done for me… I hate when others decide to bully people and get mad at them for something out of their control…
(I love that. I was also thinking that because of her wings, Mochi is the big spoon and she creates like a cocoon around her when she sleeps lol)
Jay jumped back into reality and looked up at her. Mochizuki had never met someone like Jay before. He was different. He didn't seem to care for the difficulties of her quirk and even thought that it didn't matter for it wa out of her control. As even though he seemed to express no emotion, Mochizuki could tell that he was a good guy.
A friend. Mochizuki smiled. "I'm happy that I met you and I hope we become good friends."
I wonder if that was too forwards? Mochizuki had doubts that maybe she might scare Jay off with wanting to become friends straight away. But she was happy to have found a person to talk with and have a full conversation with them, that we put the thought out of her mind.
(I am loving what we're coming up with right now. Also, if we do end up putting them together, Jay definitely would feel secure when cuddling with her)
"I'm not sure if I can say that we'll become friends, but if anyone in this class could become my friend, it's you," Jay replied. "And no, you did nothing wrong. It's a long story, but I'm mostly scared of either hurting you or being left because of my powers. I'd love to get to know you better, but I'm not sure if I can let myself…"
He revealed the information without a second thought. He knew that Mochizuki was happy to have talked to him, so he didn't want to upset her. While it was rare for him to explain why he was so distant, emotionless, and cold with everyone, he felt like Mochizuki could relate to him in some sense, so he didn't want to hurt her. That caused him to reveal why he was behaving in the way that he was, though he didn't get into any personal details. All he stated was that it was a defense mechanism, not a lack of interest in becoming friends.
I hope she understands. I didn't want to hurt her, so I had to explain the basics of my behavior. I had to, so I can't be mad, he assured himself in thought, not wanting to get upset with himself for opening up to Mochizuki, even though it was the bare minimum of opening up. I might find a way to trust her, but I'm still worried that she'd get hurt by being my friend.
Mochizuki sat down on her chair. This was an unexpected confession but as a friend, she needed to be understanding. Hesitantly, she reach out a hand, placing it on his forearm for comfort.
"It's ok. My quirk has hurt people too, but I'm ok. I just need to work on being confident with my quirk. Realise that its a part of me that is unique. Well that's what my mum tells me. Its a little harder in practice." Mochizuki chuckled. She smiled at Jay, hoping that he would be reassured. She was going to be a good friend and prove to herself and family that she can make friends and keep them. Even though it took many, many years
Jay was a bit surprised by the reaction and how the other placed her hand on his forearm, but he did nothing to remove it. He questioned how to respond for a moment, but he noticed that Mochizuki's smile was genuine. He saw the same type of smile on his family members' faces when they encouraged them, different from the ones those who had betrayed him in the past would give. While he was still worried about getting close to her, he did feel a bit of a connection, something in his mind telling him that she was most likely trustworthy.
"That's true, but I don't think your quirk has gotten you stereotyped as a villain or caused everyone to be out to get you…" Jay sighed. "We moved here because our reputation was horrible back in America… We weren't safe there…and well…"
He trailed off, not wanting to go further with his explanation. He assumed that he had said too much, and he didn't want to bother the other or make her feel pity for him. He had accepted that his parents and younger sister had been killed, used to being without him as he had been for a few months. He accepted their death and moved on from being sad about it, knowing that it was better, but he preferred not to think about it or reveal it to others. He didn't want to seem as if he was emotionally manipulating people into feeling bad for him.
(Yeah, his backstory that I wrote is definitely gonna play into his character. Yes, I still feel bad for making that canon because I love Jay as a character-)
"Oh, uh no. I haven't been called a villain." Mochizuki placed her hand back in her lap, embarrassed to have compared accidently hitting someone to villainy. But she was curious.
I wonder what his quirk is. Is it really that dangerous?
"Well, just because you have a dangerous quirk, don't make you a villain. It's how you decide to use your quirk for good." Mochizuki said. "Plus the best teachers are at UA, so they can help you with your quirk, if you need it. That's why I came to UA. I always wanted to become a hero but I'm too shy. Hopefully I'll become more courageous."
Mochizuki sheepishly smiled, but she was happy. She was already a step towards her goal by talking to someone.
"That was a weird thing to mention, and I apologize…" Jay said, sighing again. "However, I think you're right. The world always saw me as a threat, but I came here to prove it wrong. I didn't think I'd have support other than myself and my determination, but now, I'm starting to think that maybe there will be someone by my side."
She does seem really trustworthy. I may have to keep in contact with her, as it was hard to be on my own for months on end… I need someone in my life, though I refused to admit it… he thought. She doesn't seem to mind what happened, and she seems to believe in me. I'm worried about being with her often, but I need to talk to someone every once in a while. I already feel a lot better, less stressed out, just from being the tiniest amount of open with her.
"No, no its ok." Mochizuki shook her hand in front of her, "You're kinda like my first friend, but I'll always be here if you need me. We can support one another."
Mochizuki reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out her phone. Almost dropping it, he held it out in front of Jay. THe phone case was blue with clouds on it.
"Did you want to exchange numbers?"
I hope I'm not moving too fast. Friends exchange numbers right?
Although only meeting each other this morning, Mochizuki felt more confident around him. He was different than other people and had an air about him that Mochizuki found comfort it.
Hestia looked over at the girl next to her. The girls smile was bright and full of excitement, Hestia smiled a soft calm smile and responded, "I am Hestia Chai. It is good to meet you Sun-Mi.v
(Srry my reply took so long I had a busy day)
(It's fine! I've been distracted all day, hence the spacing between my replies! Sorry if they're short or bad! Trying to focus, but it's a bit hard sometimes)
"It's fine. It may be better if we communicate more through text than in person, anyway," Jay told her, grabbing his phone from his bag. "Just give me a second and I'll get you in my contacts."
He put Mochizuki's number in his contacts before handing her his phone so she could do the same. He thought that maybe the other wouldn't be in as much danger if they didn't communicate all that much in person and kept it to mostly text-based conversations. He knew that someone was out to get him, given the death of his parents, so he didn't want the ones that he might care about get hurt or killed because of him.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Hestia!" Sun-mi replied, still smiling brightly. "I'm sure that we're going to end up becoming great friends!"
(The difference between the two XD. Sun-mi: BEST FRIENDS!! Jay: By talking to me, you have chosen death)
(I’ll write my reply when I get home)
(The duality of my characters is just- XD One's a very open, energetic extrovert who wants to make friends and inspire others and the other's a closed off introvert with a very traumatic past who really just needs a hug and assurance that he's not gonna put anyone in danger by befriending him and that it'll be okay. And take your time! ^^)
"It's fine. It may be better if we communicate more through text than in person, anyway." Jay said
"What do you mean by that?" Mochizuki asked handing him is phone back after putting her number in it. Does he not want to be friends? But we just exchanged numbers. The poor girl was confused and looked at Jay with her head tilted.
"I don't mean it in a 'I don't want to talk to you' way. It's just…with my reputation as it is, and what's happened to the few people who were close to me, I don't want to put you in danger…" Jay explained, sighing. "I'm worried that I can end up putting you in danger if you're seen with me too much. I've lost everyone else through betrayal or death, and I don't need the same happening to you…" He momentarily glanced away before realizing what he admitted, looking at Mochizuki again quickly. "Forget I said that. That's not important…!"
I was not ready to open up to her, and then I did so anyway… She's gonna ask so many questions, all of which will probably be too personal to answer here…
Mochizuki was stunned. This poor boy, he appeared rude and angry, but he was probably just hurting. Losing friends because they are betrayed you or died. It wasn't something that anyone should have to go through, let alone a teenager.
"I'm sorry." Mochizuki said, "I'm sorry that has happened to you." She smiled at him reassuringly, "But that should be a reason to not be friends with you. A real friend would always stay by your side and help you. No matter the danger."
Jay had no idea how to respond to her statement. He just sat there for a moment, completely silent. He was tearing up a bit, despite how desperately he tried to prevent it, as no one had ever been that way with him. Some of his friends betrayed him earlier on, but the final ones only left once they realized that being friends with him could be dangerous. For the first time since his family had been killed, he had someone who seemed unfazed by the danger, willing to stick with him despite that.
"I…I don't know what to say…" he said after a moment, looking away so he could blink back tears. "You're…being honest about that… It's…surprising… I haven't had anyone who would stick with me for a few months, so this is new…"
Mochizuki's eyes wided as Jay started to tear up. She didn't know what he had been through but it seemed to be very distressing. She sat there, unsure of what to do to comfort him.
Mochizuki never had any friends her age, but she was friends with her next door neighbour, Daichi. And even though Daichi was only 4, when ever he got hurt or was crying, a hug would always make him feel better. "Your hugs are so warm and comforting Mochi-chan. They always make me feel better, especially when you make a cocoon with your wings!"
But Daichi was 4 and Jay, well he around her age. Is it even acceptable to hug him? But as she watched as he hurriedly blinked back his tears, she knew that it didn't matter the age or relationship they had.
Hugs release serotonin and people like them when they're sad. Mochizuki recalled something she had read once on a webpage about friendship.
She stood up and bent down, wrapping her arms around his neck, her wings reaching around Jay and his desk. It wasn't the best position to hug in, but it was good enough.
(Stop it, I'm imagining scenarios and whatnot and I'm just thinking about how Jay would call her a glow stick or something whenever she blushes XD)
(Yes. This is all gonna become canon sooner or later. XD)
Jay was surprised by the hug, though he found it rather comforting. It had been quite a while since he was last being hugged by someone, and Mochizuki's hug was very warm and comforting despite the awkward position. The feeling was a bit strange to him, but it helped to calm him down a bit. The memories of his past finally left him alone for a little while, no longer being so difficult to ignore that he couldn't hold back his tears. Now they were momentarily gone, replaced by the comfort of being hugged by Mochizuki.
"Thank you…" he told her softly after a moment. "I don't know what else to say, but thank you…"
Mochizuki smiled into Jay’s shoulder. “It’s ok.” She pulled out of the hug but kept her wings around the two of them. She didn’t want him to get embarrassed for crying. “I have some tissues if you want some?”
(Also when is class going to start?)
(Here is a drawing of Mochizuki.)
