Chapter 19
Cheer Up, Arisa
On the first day of the three-day break, Felicia planned for her and the Class 1-L girls to have a girls day out in order to cheer up Arisa, though she was unaware of that.
After their daily morning routine, Felicia and Arisa walked to the Tatooine Station to meet up with their female classmates. Felicia noticed that Arisa looked a bit down.
'Arisa is probably still sad about how Kai has problems with his Quirk,' Felicia thought. 'Hopefully spending time with the girls will make her feel better.'
"Felicia, what's the reason for this sudden girls' day out?" Arisa questioned.
"I just thought that after the long and rough Sports Festival that we should have a day to relax with our friends," Felicia made up a reason.
"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Arisa accepted, and Felicia nodded.
The girls met up with Usagi, Makoto, Miru, and Junko at the Tatooine Train Station a few minutes later.
"Greetings," Felicia said to them.
"Hello," Arisa greeted them.
"Hey," the girls responded with smiles, except Junko who was sleeping.
"Are you two ready for another fun day together?" Usagi asked excitedly.
"Indeed we are," Felicia replied. "Right, Arisa?"
"Oh, um, yes," Arisa said with a small smile.
Miru and Makoto looked at each other and and then at Felicia, knowing that what Arisa said might not be true.
On the bullet train, Felicia, Arisa, and Junko sat on a big seat together. While the other girls held onto the poles. They noticed some of the passengers looking at them and chatting among themselves. Probably because they recognized Junko and Usagi from the Sports Festival.
'I know that I should be having fun today, but I'm still worried about Kai and his Quirk,' Arisa thought sadly, while making sure Junko didn't fall out of her seat.
When Felicia saw Arisa in deep thought, she took that chance to get up and talk to the other girls. Luckily, the train wasn't so crowded today so Felicia can move easily.
"Felicia, are you sure this girls' day out will work?" Makoto questioned.
"It has to. Arisa is still worried about Kai and his Quirk," Felicia answered.
"Yeah, even without using my Quirk, I can tell she is really concerned," Miru agreed.
"Say Miru, can't you use your Quirk to just to read Arisa's mind and find out why she's so worried?" Usagi asked.
"I could, but reading her mind just to find answers that she might not want to talk about is an invasion of privacy," Miru told the girls.
"And it can cause some trust issues and friendship problems," Makoto added.
"Oh, right," Usagi realized. "I can understand why Arisa's worried. I get that we're all concerned about Kai and his dangerous Quirk too, but we're not gonna let that keep us feeling down."
"Usagi's right," Felicia started. "Let's make this day as fun, relaxing, and enjoyable as possible so Arisa can cheer up."
"Right," Usagi, Makoto, and Miru agreed.
-My Hero Academia-
After the long train ride, the girls finally arrived at the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall.
"Well girls, now that we're here, let's have some fun and relaxation together!" Usagi cheered and hopped happily.
"Yeah!" Felicia, Miru, and Makoto exclaimed.
"Oh, yeah," Arisa agreed with a small smile.
"Zzzzz..." Junko snored.
First, Felicia suggested they go to the arcade to play some games together.
There the girls started playing a two-person video game about shooting and destroying evil robots and brain-shaped aliens.
Usagi, Felicia, Miru, and Makoto did great at it. Even Junko did well with her being asleep. However, Arisa didn't do great because she was distracted, and the other girls noticed it.
Then they played a two-person fighting game called Road Brawlers.
Usagi won with her rabbit-human character against Makoto's turtle-human character.
Even though she was asleep, Junko's panda-human character won against Miru's tiger-human character.
Felicia and Arisa had some trouble at first with the controls, but they eventually got the hang of it thanks to their friends' advice. Though with Arisa distracted about Kai, her robot-human character lost to Felicia's dragon-human character.
Lastly, they played the four-person dancing game. Junko didn't play this game because she was sleeping. Felicia decided not to play as well so Arisa can have fun with the others.
Usagi, Makoto, and Miru did really well with keeping up the movements and rhythm. Arisa did great for the most part, but her distraction made her miss a few moves.
Next, Miru suggested they go to the spa. Unlike the last time they were there, the girls decided to get quick massages on the massage chairs.
"Ahhhhhhh..." Felicia, Usagi, Miru, and Makoto felt relaxed from the swift motion of the massage chairs.
It was hard to tell if Junko was enjoying it because she was asleep.
The girls checked to see if Arisa was okay. She was enjoying it for a bit, but she still had a small frown on her face.
Then, Makoto suggested a sweets store.
The sweet store had many wonderful little and big desserts to try, like cupcakes, cookies, cakes, pastries, etc.
"Delicious!" the girls, except Arisa and Junko, exclaimed from the desserts they bought and ate.
Usagi ate a piece of carrot cake, Miru ate a cookie, Makoto had a cupcake, and Felicia had an eclair. The girls put a brownie in Junko's mouth, and she ate it. Though with her asleep, the girls assumed she liked it. Arisa had a cream puff, and she gave a small smile to the girls that she liked it, but they knew she was still feeling down.
While Arisa went to the bathroom, the girls discussed what to do next.
"Okay girls," Usagi started. "I think we have to try what I think is our last resort."
"What is it?" Felicia, Miru, and Makoto questioned her. Junko stopped snoring for a moment to listen.
"Just wait and see," Usagi answered with a smile and wink.
The girls were confused by what Usagi meant by that.
Finally, when Arisa got back, Usagi suggested... a karaoke box. Once there, each of the girls picked out a song to sing. However, Arisa did not because she didn't feel like singing and Junko didn't because she was sleeping.
All the girls gathered inside the medium, white, and fancy room. It had two long, leather, fancy, and red seats, some fancy posters, a large tv, and a little stage with a mic and microphone stand.
The first one up was Usagi with the bubblegum pop song Best Thing Ever by Tova Litvin.
The mic drops, we don't stop
Pretend the sun's never coming up
High tops, tube socks
Following the trends even though we'd rather not
Guess it's just whatever (whatever)
Put your hands in the air like the ceiling ain't there
Make this last forever
There is nothing worse than that guy over there
And nothing's better than the best, best, best thing ever
Oh oh oh, o-o-o-oh, oh oh oh
Friday nights, summer light
Just me, my friends and I
Top down, peel out (peel out)
But I'm yelling at my mom, 'cause I'm still too young to drive (MOM!)
Guess it's just whatever
Put your hands in the air like the ceiling ain't there
Make this last forever
Yeah, there's nothing worse than that thing over there (Ugh!)
And nothing's better than the best, best, best thing ever
Oh oh oh, o-o-o-oh, oh oh oh
Oh oh oh, o-o-o-oh, oh oh oh
The girls clapped for Usagi because she sung well with the bubblegum pop song.
Next up was Makoto with the pop song Shake It Up by Selena Gomez.
Everybody, everybody
Get out on the floor
It can get a little crazy
When the kick hits the floor
Make a scene Make a scene
Nobody can ignore
Don't knock it, til you rock it
We can't take it no more!
Bring the lights up!
Bust the doors down!
Dust yourself off,
Shake it up!
Shake it up!
DJ set it off!
Take it up a notch
All together now!
Shake it up!
Shake it up!
Sh-sh-sh-Shake it up,
You gotta change it up!
And when you've had enough,
Sh-sh-sh-shake it up!
Bring the lights up!
Bust the doors down!
All together now!
Shake it up!
Shake it up!
Shake it up!
The girls clapped for Makoto as she did great with singing to the dance-pop song.
After that, Miru was up with the rock song Smells Like Fun by the band Iron Weasel.
One, two
One, two, three
(Instrumental)
Cross your party and rock 'till dawn
Woke up on your car in your parents' lawn
Soakin' wet with the sprinklers on
Don't know where your friends have gone
Life's a game we like to play
That's our motto every day
Yeah, it smells like fun
And every day we' re getting punked
We're genius at being dumb
It smells like fun
Taking any dare 'cause we're the ones
To only do what can't be done
And it's only just begun to
Smell like fun
And every day we're getting punked
This genius should be a dumbbell
It smells like fun
And if we lose, we're still the one
'Cause we're having so much fun
And it's only just begun to smell like
Yeah
It smells like fun
Miru received some great applause from the girls for singing that amazing heavy rock song.
Finally, Felicia was up with the pop rock song Train To Nowhere by the band Chicken Choice Judy.
Train to Nowhere
Train to Nowhere
Train to Nowhere
At least you're there
Hit rock bottom and you're acting tough
Find yourself never good enough
Must be nice to feel as light as air
Same routine day in and out
With no idea what's its all about
Must be nice, to live without a care
Train to Nowhere
Train to Nowhere
Train to Nowhere
At least you're there
Felicia got some great applause for the short and cool pop rock song. She looked at Arisa, who still had a small smile on her face because she was still distracted.
-My Hero Academia-
Since none of their ideas worked to cheer up Arisa, the girls decided to eat at a nearby restaurant. While eating, the girls saw that Arisa still looked sad.
While Arisa was in the bathroom, the girls discussed among themselves again.
"Well, nothing we've tried has worked to cheer up Arisa," Miru said.
"I really thought the karaoke would work," Usagi stated.
"Maybe we should just let Arisa get over it on her own," Makoto suggested.
"Perhaps we should," Felicia agreed. "I don't see what else we can do."
"We could ask her to talk about it," Miru suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Usagi replied.
"I agree. If she doesn't want to talk about it, we shouldn't force her to. Though maybe I can try when she and I return to the apartment," Felicia explained.
"Okay then," Usagi, Miru, and Makoto agreed.
"Zzzzzz..." Junko snored.
Once Arisa returned, the girls finished their meals and walked to the mall's entrance. Just as they were about to leave for the train station, the girls heard some strange and eerie music getting closer to the mall.
Suddenly, the girls and some nearby people saw a big, silver truck pulling up in front of the mall stairs.
The truck stopped and the semitrailer part unfolded, with a stage, stairs, and sign popping out. The stage was well decorated with red curtains and yellow lights. At the ends of the stage there were two sets of stairs and two doors. The sign had the title "The Traveling Cabinet of Curiosities" with many small lights surrounding it.
Out of the truck tractor portion a person came out and went up the stairs. The person is a tall woman with short brown hair, black eyes, black suit and pants, vertical red and white stripe shirt underneath, black shoes, and gray pork pie hat.
"Welcome, ladies and gentleman! One and all, big and small! The long wait is over! I, Jouko Gumo, have arrived to entertain and delight your hungry minds with my very own Traveling Cabinet of Curiosities. Enter and be amazed!" Jouko announced.
One of the doors opened as some of the people decided to go inside and see the curiosities.
"This sounds like it could be fun," Usagi started with a smile.
"Perhaps we should go in and see," Felicia suggested.
"Let's do it," Miru and Makoto replied.
"Um, okay," Arisa agreed.
"Zzzzzz..." Junko snored.
The girls joined with the rest of the crowd to see what the traveling attraction has to offer.
Once inside, everyone saw a huge and odd assortment of strange objects, both big and small on the floor and in display cases.
Some of the big ones included statues of a human-fly hybrid, a skeleton-man with a sword and shield made of bones, and a big baboon with four crab claws.
Some of the small ones included statues of a gremlin with scaly green skin, a blue dog with six legs and two antennae, and a fox/dog demon with fangs and two sharp horns, but one horn is chipped.
Some of the people liked what they saw, and some were a bit scared of them.
"Holy Carrot! These creatures are scary cool!" Usagi exclaimed.
"That's one way to describe them," Miru commented with a sweat-drop.
"Uh, yeah," Makoto agreed with a sweat-drop and convincing smile.
"Indeed," Felicia sweat-dropped.
"Um, yes," Arisa said, but with a little scared look on her face.
"Zzzzz..." Junko snored and sweat-dropped.
"Now, ladies and gentleman," Everyone turned to see Jouko Gumo at the center of the attraction, and next to something huge with a tarp over it.
"I hope you've all enjoyed what you've seen so far. For I am about to show you the cabinet's main and curious attraction," the curator announced.
Just as she was about to continue, Jouko spotted some familiar faces in the crowd.
"Well, it seems the cabinet just got a bit more curious today," the curator commented as she walked through the crowd, towards the five girls.
"If memory serves, I think I've seen some of you on tv during the Sports Festival," Jouko stated with a finger snap. "And the sleeping girl is the champion."
That got the crowd talking as they realized some of the girls looked familiar.
"Yeah, we were in the Sports Festival," Usagi responded, and the other girls nodded in agreement.
"While your faces look familiar, your names escape me. Can you remind me who you are?" Jouko asked.
"I'm Sakura Tsubomi, but everyone calls me Usagi. These are my friends Miru Takeno, Makoto Tachimukai, Arisa Kawasaki, Felicia Marvell, and Junko Neru," Usagi introduced herself and her friends to the people, who were delighted to see them.
"Well, it's a pleasure to have you all here," Jouko tipped her hat to them. "I hope you enjoy what the cabinet has to offer."
She returned to the covered mystery object.
"Now, all of you, prepare to be mystified and astounded by the greatest curiosity of all," Jouko grabbed hold of the tarp.
"Behold! The Dreamweaver!" She removed the tarp.
The people expected to see another statue of a strange creature, but they were confused and surprised by what they saw instead: a giant question mark.
"What's the deal with that?" One of the people asked.
"I'm sure you've all got questions. Like why no statue? Why a question mark? Is there a bathroom here?" Jouko joked, which made the crowd laugh a bit.
"Well the reason for that is because no one knows what the Dreamweaver looks like. The Dreamweaver is regarded as a shapeshifter in the dream world and it scares innocent people. So it can look like just about anything," She explained with a mysterious tone.
"A person, an animal, a monster, an alien, or a puppet. No one knows for sure what the creature looks like. So when you sleep, you should beware because you might be in for a scare." Jouko warned the crowd with a scary look, and that spooked some of them.
The curator then changed her look to a happy smile.
"Of course, this is all just legend and superstition. So there's nothing to worry about," Jouko assured the crowd, which relieved them.
"That's the end of the tour. I hope you all had a wonderful time here at the Traveling Cabinet of Curiosity. Tell your friends," The curator said.
The other door opened and the crowd exited from it.
"That traveling cabinet was pretty cool. Don't you think so girls?" Usagi asked her friends once they were outside.
"Zzzzzz..." Junko snored.
"I thought it was interesting," Miru commented.
"Same here," Makoto agreed.
"Indeed," Felicia replied. "What about you Arisa?"
Arisa was snapped out of her thought when she was asked the question.
"It was okay, I guess," Arisa answered a bit sadly because she was still worried about Kai.
The other girls looked and sighed among themselves, seeing that not even the mobile attraction cheered her up.
-My Hero Academia-
After that, the girls went back to their homes. At the Emerald Shade, Felicia and Arisa had a chat in the hallway.
"Felicia, thanks for trying to cheer me up with this girls' day out," Arisa told her.
Felicia was surprised she somehow knew.
"What are you talking about?" Felicia tried to play dumb, but Arisa wasn't buying it.
"I figured you set up the whole day to try to distract me from what's been bothering me," Arisa explained.
"Okay, yes. I did that," Felicia admitted. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"
Arisa looked like she did, but she decided not to.
"Not today, but maybe tomorrow," Arisa responded.
"Alright then. Good night," Felicia said.
"Good night," Arisa replied.
Then both girls went to their rooms and got ready for bed. Little did they know their sweet dreams would soon become terrible nightmares.