Chapter 9!
First thing's first, thank you to everyone for patiently waiting. I know it's been a long time since I've updated anything and at the current time I've only put up a 3 chapter update, Slice of Light, Sheer Cold, and Time. I've just been in a serious creative rut and have only been making inches of progress on chapters. I had wanted to give a bigger update but I wasn't sure how much longer that was going to take so since I had 3 proper updates then I wanted to deliver them. I'm currently working on a number of other story updates, The First Steps Upwards, Tiger's Bite, Midair Collide, and Henshin, but those will take more time, particularly TFSU and TB since I want to give double chapter updates for those two. As it stands, I have about 40% of each of those update chapters done and I've gotten time and motivation to write more. Again, thank you to everyone for bearing with me as it really means a lot and I hope the 3 updated chapters find you well in story and in life.
User/Reviewer EndlessChains: Thanks as always for the reviews! I love when Momo gets really excited and because of how Izumi is then Momo never has to feel bad for getting excited over things that can be considered small. Letting Izumi give a little guidance here and there for both growth as people and daily life stuff really is relaxing to write and keeps me thoughtful too.
User/Reviewer yomunot: I hope to always deliver good fluff when I do my best to and especially in this story. Thank you as always for your reviews!
User/Reviewer Carpincho: No worries there, a few people have mentioned to me that they didn't pick up on it until later in! I have all kinds of wordplay throughout a lot of stories, particularly this one, and a few go under the radar or just demand explanation.
User/Reviewer Passerby: I'm glad you're enjoying it! It's always nice to hear.
User/Reviewer RWBY SHIPING TRASH: Thank you! I hope you continue enjoying it and supporting me through reading my stuff.
User/Reviewer Justaregularever: Thank you for the review! Hope this update finds you well and yes, I will continue to go on and on with this story as I love it very much myself. I appreciate the support!
To everyone who faved, followed, or reviewed thank you so much!
Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA or the referenced power
Chapter 9: Thoughts and Words
*Momo POV*
While she had told Izumi to leave the details to her, Momo still wasn't the best at coming up with a day plan off the top of her head.
Sitting in her room and already late into the night, the black haired girl intently stared at her computer's screen as she tried to research and pick a good place for the two of them to go to tomorrow. It wasn't as if they could only do one thing and Momo also wondered if maybe they couldn't reuse some of the things they had already done before. Of course the creation girl wanted to chose something more local too as opposed to when Izumi wandered out to places that were multiple hours away and there was still plenty they could do despite that limit but something else did also briefly cross Momo's mind.
The creation girl was slowly learning and finding out more things that she liked but did Izumi like them too? Did the greenette find them boring or was she just indulging Momo when the black haired girl chose the activities? Izumi seemed to always 'enjoy' any activity but whether she truly liked it wasn't something that Momo could completely point out yet. Reasonably, Izumi appeared to like most things but it was in regards to her own time. The light girl often did one thing at a time and if she was distracted in between then the initial thing prior to it was temporarily forgotten until she got back to it.
Momo was more likely to multitask and even when they were having a conversation Momo tended to cover a number of things at once while also working on something else. Was Izumi simply catering to her at those times or was she actually invested in what the creation girl was saying or doing. Maybe Momo was just overthinking things but it didn't mean that she wasn't still going to be worried about such thoughts and...she wanted to know.
Izumi meant a lot to Momo, and the black haired girl wanted to mean those same things to the light girl who opened all sorts of new experiences up to her. The creation girl's phone was right beside her hand, almost inviting the idea that was brewing in her head, and Momo reached for the item hesitantly. She didn't have to just wonder, she could ask the greenette couldn't she? Momo opened up their conversation and stared at the phone icon while her finger ghosted above it. The creation quirk user waited so long that she wasn't even sure if she was going to go through with it but as if her body made the decision for her, her finger twitched and made the call. Momo panicked for a split second but brought the device up to her ear and waited with every ring. The call went through and before Momo could even receive a word, the questions that had been sitting with her leapt from her lips.
"Do you like multitasking?" Momo hurriedly pressed.
The line was quiet for a moment, not even a curious hum that the creation girl was used to, until Izumi's voice answered back simply.
"No." the greenette admitted plainly and truthfully while Momo shrunk back a bit.
"How about playing video games?" the black haired girl tried.
"Here and there." Izumi replied without missing a beat.
"Origami? Drawing?" Momo rattled off in rapid succession.
"If I'm in the mood." was the quick fired response.
"Then why are you indulging me?" the creation girl had to know as the words instinctively fell from her mouth.
"I wouldn't say there's much I dislike to call it that." the light girl offered, slightly slipping back into her usual nature.
"Even if you're neutral to it then you're still indulging me." Momo argued, trying to force the point a little.
"I suppose that's fair enough." the greenette seemed to relent, agreeing to the statement.
"So why do you do it?" Momo asked suddenly, her heart having sunk with each response, "I don't understand you Izumi so please just tell me clearly." she somewhat pleaded, a slight defeated edge in her voice.
"I like you Momo."
"What-" the creation girl sputtered slightly, at a loss for words at the abrupt statement.
"We're together and we do something, anything, together and that's enough for me." Izumi explained as if the notion was as simple as that.
"But-" Momo tried but the light girl still had more to say.
"You don't dislike it but is it fair to say you don't exactly like fishing?" Izumi presented back and all Momo could do was admit the fact in her own head as the green haired girl continued, "you still did it though because I offered you to try it."
"I thought it couldn't hurt just to try and..." the black haired girl trailed off and her light wielding friend picked up the rest.
"You figured it'd make me happy." Izumi finished and even if they were apart Momo nodded her head.
"Yes." she conceded to the greenette.
"So isn't that the same?" the light girl wondered back.
"Yes." the creation girl admitted and a bout of silence crawled upon them before Momo spoke up again, "Did it?" the black haired girl wondered as she rested her head down on her desk, "Make you happy that is?"
Momo could hear Izumi shifting about before the light girl hummed pleasantly, "Very happy." she replied softly, easing the last of Momo's retreating anxieties, "You were worried?" Izumi poked, always knowing how to get the creation girl to talk.
Momo closed her eyes, "I was."
"and now?" Izumi prodded a touch and the black haired girl smiled to herself at the greenette's insistence on having Momo speak her mind.
"Less so, at least with you." she spoke truthfully, not willing to lie and say that she was completely relieved.
"Okay." the green haired girl accepted with no issue.
Momo released a calm but deep breath, she felt closer to the light girl and now had a better idea of their current relationship. Izumi was still going to be the same way that she always was but if the creation girl wanted to genuinely know something then the greenette would answer her honestly or help her figure things out. If Momo had something she wanted to say then she could and if she had something that she wanted to do then Izumi would accompany her first and foremost to be with her. They could do things that Momo liked and Izumi was neutral to and the same in reverse so long as the time together ended up with both of them having fun. The thought in itself made the creation girl happy and Momo wanted to be a little more selfish with Izumi.
"Tomorrow..." Momo began, there was no time like the present, "I want to go shopping and eat something tasty."
"I'll look forward to it." the light girl responded easily and Momo could hear the slight smile that must have been on Izumi's lips.
"Right," the creation girl claimed proudly but it didn't hurt to inquire a little, "although is there any food you have on your mind?"
"Oh," Izumi piped up before making a strange noise like she was sucking in her breath, "curry."
"Curry? Maybe-" Momo suddenly cut off her own words as she laughed at the greenette's joke, "I want ramen." the black haired girl decided since she was the one mainly in charge for tomorrow.
"I like ramen too." the light girl agreed, going with the flow and following the creation girl's lead.
"Goodnight Izumi."
"Goodnight Momo."
-break-
Since she lived a bit closer, Momo had arrived early and was waiting eagerly at the meeting point that they had agreed on near Nagoya Castle.
Opening her phone, the creation girl scrolled through her notes on today's plans. In no particular order, she and Izumi were going to a crafts store, a game store, and of course a ramen house to eat before simply walking around and doing whatever else seemed interesting during the rest of their outing. Though, since she did have some time now, Momo opened up another note in which she had written down the offers that she had been considering from those who had taken interest in her after the sport's festival. She had made note of the ones that had really appealed to her and Momo also realized how many of them she might not have considered prior to her time at U.A.
Reflecting on things, it hadn't taken long for the creation girl to grow fond of having her views expanded and she wanted to keep learning, to keep experiencing something new that made her mind turn in curiosity or thoughtfulness. Besides that, Momo also felt like her mind was less consumed with heroics to an extent. She could have, did have, moments in which she continued through and and explored the many pieces and walks of life. They were simple, repetitive, pleasant, and everything across and between and Momo had Izumi to thank for showing her that, even if the light girl was just going at her own pace. The black haired girl suddenly received a message and looked up from her spot to see her green haired friend weaving about slowly through the people. Momo tracked her way closer and the light user caught a glimpse of her and met her halfway.
"You're quite excited," Izumi greeted and the creation girl nodded her head with a smile of her own.
"That's because I looked up some interesting places last night," she informed her friend who fell into stride beside her, "I hope you don't mind eating first." Momo told her, taking charge as per her responsibility, and desire to, for the outing. Without hesitation, Izumi gestured forward.
"Lead the way."
-break-
"You could have told me that it would be that much food," Momo semi-pouted as the two left the ramen house for their next destination.
"But you seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, you did finish it all regardless." the greenette reasoned matter of factly and the black haired girl couldn't argue the point.
Izumi tended to distract Momo in regards to food so that the creation girl would always eat or order what she wanted and of course this time proved to be no exception. The black haired girl had been curious over one of the ramen house specials and her light friend simply prompted her to pick it. That of course resulted in Momo having clearly the largest bowl, piled high with all sorts of ingredients, out of all the patrons in the shop but it still turned out to be an enjoyable and satisfying experience.
Her green haired companion stepped forward a bit and opened the door to their next destination as Momo thanked her before darting her eyes around the comfy craft's shop. Well, it was mainly a paper shop but they also carried a number of crafts materials and Momo already began walking along the walls as she was drawn by the plethora of colors and patterns.
"What were you going to look for Izumi?" Momo called over, the greenette drawing up beside her, as she looked through different origami papers.
"Perhaps I'll find an extra notepad," the light girl tossed back thoughtfully while handing over a small stack of folding paper that held colors and patterns that Momo tended to like more.
The creation girl's mind wandered to Izumi's pocket notebook, "have you almost filled it out since last time?" she wondered since it was chockful of ideas but not necessarily close to the end from when Momo previously saw it.
"Not quite," the greenette noted, "it'd simply like another one for other things."
"For anything in particular?"
"A collection of both our ideas."
That had brought Momo's attention over but it didn't exactly surprise her, "Should I handle the planning then?" the black haired girl asked, a touch playfully since it was Izumi, considering that the greenette was covering the documentation of their outings.
A minute but kind grin turned on the light girl's lip, showing that she understood her, "plan as much or as little as you'd like." Izumi playfully responded back.
"I'll do my best for what I can do." Momo agreed, not promising or committing to things she couldn't.
It was clear nowadays to the creation girl that Izumi wasn't the leading type. If anything, the light girl probably disliked being in charge of things that weren't generally simple or herself. Outings weren't an issue and the greenette had no issue providing bits of guidance but having her take the helm for more important occasions wasn't the best recipe. The two of them had meandered inside the shop for a while more before making their purchases and heading for a hole in the wall game store.
Momo still managed to bounce around from section to section but a sudden bout of serious thought made her think of the upcoming workplace experiences. She already had a few of her own in mind but the creation girl would be lying to say that she wasn't curious about who picked Izumi. Momo mulled over the thought, still rifling through tons of games of all kind, before finding the light girl a couple aisles behind. Izumi tended to hint to or urge Momo that she could speak her mind with her so the black haired girl just went with it.
"Izumi," Momo drew her focus, the greenette reading the back of a case, "what kind of offers did you get from the Sport's Festival?"
"Endeavor was a surprising offer." the light girl replied without missing a beat, though she brushed past it as if it wasn't a big deal since she was likely more interested in the topic of games at the moment. "Oh," Izumi noted, trailing off from what she had just revealed as she pulled another case from the shelf, "a nice find."
Momo was a bit lost for words but managed to get her thoughts, and words, moving again, "that's quite big isn't it?" she fumbled, stating the obvious.
"Dragon Quest is quite popular isn't it." Izumi answered and her reply shorted out the creation girl's brain once more before she realized that the light girl was holding one of the games of the series.
"Is it fun?" the creation girl blurted out, both just on impulse and going with the flow at this point.
"Let's play it later today then," Izumi decided, meaning that Momo was probably going to like it, "did you find something too?"
"Ah, yeah," the creation girl realized, though she also knew that she fell into Izumi's pace that was the light girl's daily life rather than a distraction from the previous topic, "it seemed interesting." Momo showed off the game case she'd been carrying around since early into their time at the store.
Izumi gave it a gaze and a pleasant expression, "Rune Factory, how lovely."
Momo flushed a little at the genuine reaction, glad that she wasn't teased though she doubted Izumi would have done such a thing. The creation girl wanted to play the games in Izumi's company but she realized it was getting a bit later in the day and would be even more so by the time they got back.
"It's a bit late though isn't it?" Momo reminded. Sure they had tomorrow off but still.
"Well then," the light girl remarked unbothered before instead offering the usual unexpected but not surprising idea, "do you want to stay over for the night?"
-break-
It wasn't as difficult to get the permission from her parents as Momo had thought and the black haired girl also realized that she had never asked anything of the sort before. It seemed that being mindful of what you say and speaking your mind were quite different in a number of ways.
Something else that Momo found was that sometimes she preferred the closer environment of Izumi's place. Momo still very much liked her own home and room but the creation girl couldn't say that she liked only them.
Izumi placed some tea on the low table beside Momo, "you seem stuck on the class screen still," the greenette noted, taking her own place to sit.
Despite her other thoughts, the black haired girl had still been mulling over making her own character for Dragon Quest. She couldn't decide which class was closer to her since she was using the name 'Momo' for one of the characters.
"I just can't decide," the creation girl laughed a little and Izumi sipped at her own tea.
"Does it need to be as close to you as possible?" Izumi presented and Momo turned to her questioningly, "maybe you'd like the 'you' in the game to be a warrior or a knight. Have fun in a way that you'd like to freely." the light girl reminded.
"I'm really no match for you," Momo brought up and Izumi hummed her amused noises.
"You say that but you were making my head spin earlier you know." the light girl admitted and Momo just shook her head, understanding of course that Izumi wasn't much the multitasker.
The black haired girl had gotten so hooked by the time structured management and multitasking in Rune Factory earlier that she would have still been playing if she didn't remember that she also wanted to try Dragon Quest.
All Momo could respond to Izumi with was a bright and big smile.
-break-
Momo blearily and reluctantly peeked her eyes, not fully registering what was going on around her, as something was placed a small space away from where she was sleeping.
A faint light was turned off and the dark of the early morning set back in while the cool smell of spring tickled the black haired girl's nose from a slightly opened window. Soft footsteps could be heard but they grew ever quieter as someone, who must have been Izumi, gently made their way out. Momo had been laying on her side and facing the wall but once her green haired friend could barely be heard, the creation girl turned herself around and found a short note placed not too far off.
'Gone Fishing'
The top read in simple explanation but there were a couple more lines.
'You fell asleep at 3am, it's about 5am so feel free to go back to sleep.'
Momo guessed that Izumi figured she could wake up from the noise of her leaving, or the light girl just learned that Momo woke up as she finishing her note. Yeah, that sounded like Izumi.
'P.S. I saved your game.'
Tracing back on her thoughts sleepily, the creation girl had remembered that she had stayed up far later than she had expected because she had gotten so engrossed in leveling up her characters and doing side quests for gear and weapons that at some point she must have just knocked out. Momo could just barely hear the soft click of Izumi closing the front door as she left and her eyes drooped shut tiredly as she snuggled back into her pillow.
Even as the black haired girl drifted back to sleep, her mind shifted about wondering just what fun things the day would have in store for them.
-break-
Momo awoke to the active sounds of a morning in full swing and lazily she prodded at her phone to see that it was 9am.
Only bothering to sit up, the dazed girl stretched her upper body while she yawned and then swung her arms a little to get her body moving. She could smell a subtle but enticing aroma as well as hear the sounds of shuffling about so Momo urged herself up and out of the room. Passing by through the hallway to go wash her face, Momo found Izumi just about to remove her apron from cooking breakfast and the light girl flashed a soft smile.
"Bread or rice?"
"Rice."
The light girl gave a pleasant noise of acknowledgement and Momo continued on her way to get cleaned up. Washing up thoroughly but hurriedly, the black haired girl cheerfully re-entered and sat herself at the table per Izumi's urging as the greenette finished placing the last of the dishes and sides. The pair settled down and said their thanks as Momo struck things up with the other girl.
"I would have gone with you this morning you know." the creation girl reminded, soothed by the simple miso that was in front of her.
The greenette smiled back at her with her eyes, "I thought you might need more sleep," she reasoned, "are you still tired?"
"Perhaps I didn't sleep as much as I usually do," Momo responded back, she did only get 6 hours, "but I'm fine," she assured, a smile on her lips, "it's a good morning."
Izumi chuckled at her words, "I agree."
"Actually," Momo wondered since the light girl had asked her about it, "did you even sleep at all Izumi?" The greenette hummed and tilted her head in thought and the creation girl shook hers, "don't tell me you fell asleep while fishing." Momo admonished, remembering how the two of them met.
"I did still manage to catch breakfast," the light girl reasoned, clearly pleased with herself and her answer and Momo simply had to relent and accept it since it was Izumi they were talking about.
"Well at least get some sleep later," the black haired girl compromised, Izumi replying with an innocent smile that most certainly promised nothing, as the two continued eating breakfast. "By the way," Momo began, "would you mind helping me test new things to make with my quirk later?"
"Oh? Did you have anything in mind?" the greenette questioned, pushing a few dishes closer to Momo so she could reach them more easily.
"Gadgets and maybe a few different weapons," the creator throughout as a general idea since she gadgets would always have a multitude of various or specific uses as well as weapons since she didn't have much of a repertoire at further ranges. The light girl suddenly got a thoughtful look on her face and Momo wasn't quite familiar with whatever crossed Izumi's eyes but whatever it was disappeared just as quickly and the greenette offered a suggestion.
"How about this then?"
Notes and Stuff
Let's start with the wordplay/sound joke that makes no sense in text. I feel like these jokes are exclusively for me as I'm writing.
So what Izumi said is, "Oh" *suuu* "curry". Curry is pronounced more like, "ka-re" in Japanese so it'd sound like "Oh" *suuu* "kare" which sounds like "Otsukare." O-(t)su-kare (curry). It's basically Izumi thanking Momo for her work today.
The choice of Dragon Quest was based on the fantasy drawing of the 1-A students and Rune Factory because I thought it might be a game Momo would get into. I'll have all sorts of games for Momo to try as well as learn new things to make from. Even have a real fun idea for Momo's next device based on the ending of this chapter so look forward to that.
Reminder that I've updated 3 stories today. Slice of Light, Sheer Cold, and Time, so give the other two a check and I'm working on many other updates after getting out of a creative rut. I might even experimentally throw out a couple new stories. Normally I'd put them in the ideas fic but the short hooks I can think of gives away the big surprises of the ideas. I will say that for one of the ideas I kind of want to go in a different direction than I have with Izumi. It would be one of the ones where a lot of the things about her would only be learned via the readers picking up breadcrumbs I leave and she'd generally lack a perspective. That also means it's a One Piece devil fruit but I'll be taking some extra liberties with tuning the ability and personality.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and look forward to more updates from me!