The heat radiating from the travel mug between her hands and the tightness pulling at her scalp were the only two things keeping her eyelids from snapping shut. Early morning, on a Saturday. When she likely would have continued to sleep til past midday, and now here she was, sitting in her classroom while Hagakure got violent with the hairbrush. Kairi clutched the caffeinated nectar from heaven between her fingers, soaking up every ounce of the heat she possibly could. The walk to the school had been saturated with chill and quickly alerted her to waking. The minute she felt comfortable again, her body tried to return to sleep. But Hagakure was far too enthusiastic in pulling at her hair, and it was making it impossible to fall back to sleep.
"Just got to get your curls going!" she said, when the ferocious tugging finally stopped. Kairi muttered a strange whine, unclear of how she felt about the situation. The heat lingered near her head as Hagakure rolled up a strand of her hair and then sprung back a wave of mocha locks. She looked around, seeing that no one else required as much work on her hair. Ashido was currently working on teasing Momo's hair a little bit, but aside from that no one else needed as much work done to their hair. She moaned and chugged at the warm beverage in her hand.
"Hey, how's it going in here?" Iida asked, followed by Kaminari, Aoyama, and Shoto.
"Did you finish hanging all the posters and signs?" Momo asked while Ashido slid a comb through her dark hair.
"Got them all done!" Iida said with a glinting smile. "Also got a peek at some of the other rooms."
"Someone decided to go with a world travel theme with cuisines of the world and their French food was tragique!" Yuga said sadly.
"He was almost inconsolable. It was pretty sad," Shoto sighed, appearing a little amused. A gentle thundering echoed in Kairi at the sight of him, but her current priority was focused on sleep. She took another long sip on her coffee.
"We might have to do something with this blue strip..." Hagakure said softly, curling the section, but then tucking it behind her ear. Kairi snapped her eyes open in time with her the skip in her heart.
"What... does that... mean?" she finally mumbled, spinning to look at her. Hagakure's sleeves moved while she talked.
"Oh, don't worry! I'm simply saying we should tuck it behind some hair, hide it! What is the likelihood of a noble lady having blue in her hair? If you want to try and be realistic about it, we should probably tuck it away."
"Uh, y... yeah!" she gasped, a little startled but not having that strand in her eyes at all times. God, you're so pathetic, it's one day for a few hours! She gulped and nodded her permission, and Hagakure hummed as she continued to work.
"We should probably change into our outfits soon," Iida said, backing away from the girls as they worked. "We'll be back to check on you and how you're doing." Shoto simply waved to Kairi, who waved back sheepishly.
The day wore on and Tsu finished zipping up the back of the navy dress. It seemed bolder in its color after having been dry cleaned and Momo had delivered – the back had been altered to have a black lacework to give a more modest appearance. Somehow, she still felt very exposed; shoulders bare and the air still touched her back. And the bra she had been forced to wear was digging into her skin. Was it sticking because the way it sat pinched her skin, or was she sweating from anxiety? Kairi swept another pass of deodorant over her just in case and spritzed another shot of her perfume. Her hands also could not stop touching at the small pricks of pins in her hair. She usually only threw her hair up in a ponytail, so this was completely different. Air tickled her neck and her head just felt heavy, ready to bob around at any moment. A look in the mirror startled in, instantly thinking she was seeing her mother instead of her for just a moment. Her makeup was thicker than her mother often wore, but Kairi often wore minimal, to perhaps no makeup on a daily basis. Ashido had really focused on highlighting around her cheeks, quite possibly the most prominent part of her face. Kairi already shared her rounded cheekbones with her mother, but the contours gave her so much definition she looked terrifying like her. Her lipstick was a similar bold shade and while her mother wore a lighter shade, the sweep of purple over her lids was startingly. Instead of loathing how she looked, Kairi turned away the mirror and vowed not to look at it the rest of the day. This was one day. After the festival was over, she could return to her panda sweatshirt and leggings, and sit in front of her computer watching the newest show that dropped on streaming while clutching her stuffed elephant. The stress of everything could be behind her and she could pig out on junk food for the next couple days. Homestretch, she reminded herself. Life was going to go back to normal real soon.
Kairi exited the bathroom and kept her head low, muttering positive messages and listing things she couldn't forget about her role. Twitchy fingers hung at her sides as she passed by a hurried group of students in the hall. One of them paused to take a second look at her. She sped up her legs and jogged back to the classroom, dipping inside as soon as possible. From a chair, she pulled her sweatshirt over her shoulders and flipped the hood onto her pinned curls. Taking a seat at one of the circular tables while Momo and Iida instructed a few of the others in the background, she picked up her small purse and dug into its depths before pulling out a small black velvet box. Her eyes stared at her left hand nervously. It was important to be as convincing as possible, and that included a wedding ring. Kairi breathed deeply, trying to ignore the sinking of her conscience as she remembered smuggling it out of her father's desk drawer. She swallowed, and opened it.
She never thought it was the best looking ring – square stone with a wide split band, covered with smaller stones. But as a child she had marveled at how brilliantly it shone. And it seemed as if it were still alight, even after having been shoved to the back of the drawer for so long and hidden in darkness. She had asked to borrow it, too afraid of what her dad would say. He was likely to see it today, and she knew she would have to deal with it then. Now here she was – looking almost like the spitting image of her mother except with darker hair, and about to complete the look by wearing an item her father had come to treat as if it were cursed and locked it away.
"So... that's it then," Shoto softly said from standing just behind her. She yelped in surprise. "Sorry." His fingers laid over her shoulder, shooting excited energy through her.
"Yeah... that's... it..." She answered, staring at the sparkling stone. "The last person to touch this thing was my mother. Dad touched the box as if it were diseased."
"How is he going to react when he sees you wearing it?" She shrugged. "We could have had Momo just..."
"No," she protested again. "I... I think I wanted an excuse to... to see it again." She blinked and her vision fogged. Panic ensued through her as she thought about the layers of eyeliner and mascara about ready to fall victim to her tears.
"Kairi..." he said, moving the chair aside and pulling a tissue from her purse. He handed it to her and she took it from him, blotting her eyes.
"Is it pathetic to kind of wish she was here?" she sniffled, trying hard as she possibly could to wipe her eyes without smearing the makeup.
"No," he said.
"She doesn't care about any of my achievements unless she gets something out of it!" she snarled, tossing the tissue across the table. "I'm not saying I expect her to jump on a plane from England, but I at least want her to want to be here! I texted her about it and she simply said 'That sounds like a lot of fun!' and that was it. She didn't ask any questions about it, didn't ask me about what I was doing or anything. She doesn't care... at all!" She tried to hold in her shudders and wheezes, causing her body to shake. Her fingers clutched the front of the table in front of her, trying to keep herself from fidgeting again. Sensing she may not want to be surrounded by most of the class at that moment, Shoto closed the ring box and pulled it away from her. With his other hand, he grabbed her hand, urging her away from the table. She wasn't even aware of the burning tingle his touch left against her palm, choking on restrained sobs. The room fell quiet and demure as she all but surrendered to the hopelessness that echoed through her soul. Shoto quickly led her away and down the hallway, pausing the two of them when there wasn't another body in sight.
"I don't want you think none of this matters," he said softly, stroking fingers down forearm. "The thing is – your mother has made the choice to not be involved in your life properly. That is her fault. She's keeping in contact with you so she feels she can claim your accomplishments, the ones she feels enhance her life. But thing is – they're not her accomplishments. They are yours and yours alone. You are the one doing them, and you don't need anyone else to be proud of them but you. It helps to have others proud of you, sure. But the only pride that matters is your own." She halted her tears and looked to Shoto, captured by his gaze. "You have come so far, reached beyond what anyone thought or even expected of you. You have carried yourself so far and done something three months ago you never would have considered to agree to. You have proven yourself to be a far greater hero than possibly anyone thought you could be. You have moved beyond your emotions, your quirk, and continued to pursue things that mattered to you even though you were nervous to. In such a short time, you have achieved so much. Even the small things matter, Kairi. Even something that seems as silly as a cultural festival. I have watched you excel at things you didn't think you could do and give a shit when something was important to you. You haven't let the disadvantages of your quirk hold you back. The only one who needs to be proud is you, Kairi."
His words were knitted with such urgency, a fiery passion backlighting every one. Kairi gulped, falling further under the spell of his words. His face softened as he looked deeper at her and she thought she may very well vanish into him and cling to him forever. Feeling small and insignificant under his very presence, so captivated by the power of his words, Kairi fell quiet and simply stared.
"However," he continued. "I happen to be very proud of you. Exceptionally proud. True, your mother should be here. But don't let that stop you from enjoying how much progress you have made, how far you have come, and what an achievement this is going to be." He popped open the ring box he still carried and pulled out the ring. Without any sort of hesitation or sign that it seemed as intimate for him as it did for Kairi, he picked up her left hand. Gingerly, he slid the ring onto her appropriate finger and then dropped her hand. She filled with the deepest heat imaginable, and swallowed so hard her throat burned afterwards. His knuckles grazed over the skin on her arm again before he dropped his hands. "You're going to kill this, Kairi. And you will play an amazing Lady Iris." He chuckled, and Kairi instinctively smiled.
"Oh, what a charming husband you ever so are!" she answered, putting on a fake posh accent.
"See? Already doing a good job." She sniffled through a giggle, and then touched at the remnants of black smeared around her eyes. Shoto extended a looped elbow towards her. "Let's get back to touch up your makeup. Won't be too long before we begin out first scenario."
"I do so love to start the day with a salacious murder," she cackled, warming with bubbling enthusiasm the further they walked. For a few seconds they were quiet together. Then Shoto lowered his head, just above her ear.
"I forgot to say it earlier – but you look beautiful," he said, soft so only she heard. From her toe tips to her cheeks, heat rose and flared through her body. Shaken by such a simply compliment, her body moved only automatically. Her mind vanished into a daze and she became unaware of her setting, moving only as Shoto steered her. Feeling wobbly and out of place, she drifted back into the classroom where Momo had verified everything was in place and the class began to pack away their prep materials.
"Doors will open in just a half hour now," Iida reminded, holding a clipboard in his arms and scribbling through each item. "It would seem as if everything is in place, everyone is dressed..." He turned, scanning over the half formed circle of his classmates in the room. He nodded, pleased with seeing half the class dressed as servers and the others in clothes that corresponded with their characters. Yuga peered across the circle, exchanging amused eyes with Kairi. She crinkled a question in her brows and he simply nodded to her linked arms with Shoto. She grew hot and dropped her arm quickly.
Before Iida could tap against his clipboard again, the door opened again and Mr. Aizawa slowly dragged himself in the door. He showed little impression as he took in the spectacle of the transformation of the room. His eyes held the paper chandeliers the longest before he sighed again and shoved his hands in his pockets at his sides.
"This will be interesting," was his only comment. "I'm intrigued. Continue, Iida."
"Right!" said the boy, and he gathered his class as if they were troops. "Remember your characters. You may have to think on your feet for a response, but just make sure it fits with what your character said. This is meant to be fun, so try not to become too offended if someone's character does something that bothers you. Momo and I will draw the first scenario, and then I want you all to close your eyes. The person who I tap on the shoulder will be the killer." Kairi breathed and shut her eyes. And waited. She waited a full minute and then Iida told them out to open their eyes. She let out a heavily breath, relieved. She hadn't been picked and therefore she wouldn't need to worry about the tussle of emotions giving anything away. Relaxing a little, she instead reminded herself of her character's traits and personality. Kairi rolled her shoulders back and tilted her feet to stand taller, with a fake confidence she wasn't sure she could ever feel. Momo took a moment to touch up her makeup and Kairi assessed herself in a mirror. Plastering a grin of pride to add to the ensemble of Lady Iris Thorncott, she inched closer to Shoto. Her chest billowed with a heavy strength the closer she found herself, giving her emotions a pep talk to not spiral. He was just a boy, just Shoto. He was just playing a part, and this was all pretend. There was no reason to get worked up over any way he acted towards her or anything that may occur between them.
The ring on her finger shifted and she turned it on her hand. In that moment, just as the doors opened and they were ready to receive their first guests, the piece of jewelry became heavy. It reminded her her mother wasn't there to join in their celebrations, in what she helped create and put so much effort in. It pulled on her arm, and soon became all she could focus on. She held her face tense, refusing to cry once more. She clasped her hands together, scratching at her skin just below the ring. It was so heavy. The whole thing was burdensome, the ring, the role, the responsibilities she carried, with Shoto hanging so close to her. Inside, she tore apart and screamed, while bearing a sweet smile that seemed as if nothing were wrong. The anxiety clawed at her flesh and demanded to be let out. Her fingers twitched, her only physical give away. The mood fell in the room, sensing how she felt and Iida struggled to begin announcing his greetings to the rest of the guests. Sound warbled around her and she grew dizzy, giving into the weight of the ring that pulled her, begging her to give up.
Shoto eyed her worriedly, holding his lips tight. Iida just finished announcing Uraraka's character of a conservative teacher to the group, moving onto the two of them. Iida's eyes on them, but his voice slowed and making so sense, Kairi thought he was probably introducing them. Likely, anyway. It was hard to know when her mind was swaying and her body threatened to do the same. But then Shoto's hand dropped under her own, weaving fingers between her own. Life shot back into her, and the storm clouding her mind settled. She forgot the ring, focus on the pulse that mingled with her own. Wide eyes stared at their intertwined hands, disbelieving the closeness they held. He leaned over her then, pressing lips close to her ear. To everyone else, it merely looked as if he was kissing the side of her head. He whispered, so quiet it was barely audible but the words echoed loudly in her soul.
"I believe in you. You can do this," he said. She forgot the ring completely, and straightened, looking determined.
"Pleasure to meet you," she chuckled with a gentle smirk, batting charming eyelashes first at Iida, then Shoto. She placed her left hand so she was touching Shoto's arm and prominently displaying the ring on her left hand. "Lady Iris Thorncott."
Shoto flushed deeply at the touch.