Chapter 21

Hesitate

.:+:.

She held her breath. Held it even though doing so was agony, and it made the fire burning through her, charring her from the inside out, all the worse... but worse still was the way her heart felt like it was breaking in two.

She felt the tears coming up, but she couldn't let them show through... not now... Not right now... not here.

... but shit...

... after everything... I knew better... I never wanted to... and still I...

...why...?

.:+:.

... I can't believe I agreed to this...

Spirit sighed quietly under her breath, her red eyes glittering as she looked ahead to Anima and Tsukuyomi, both of them dressed in their normal clothes (omitting their Hero Uniforms since they weren't working) and talking quietly with one another as they continued up the sidewalk. They were completely content in their conversation and not bothered by the people they passed by... They didn't earn much in the way of curious glances since they weren't all dressed up now, but they did still earn a few given both Hawks and Animal Spirit were close behind the two boys.

She and Hawks had omitted wearing their Hero Uniforms too, though generally Hawks' outfit didn't look much different from his usual getup. He was wearing a t-shirt and baggy pants with boots, and a black jacket over that too with slits up the back for his wings- the color pallet was off sure, but it was basically the same thing... Just minus the visor and the gloves. His headphones were in a familiar place around his neck and she could hear music playing softly from them, though a bit too low to tell what it was... The Winged Hero earned quite a few more looks than was probably expected, given his cheek was bruised and an array of more bruises and bandages covered his person- not that he ever payed the looks, nor the murmurs any mind.

On Spirit's part, she had opted for a pair of jeans and a loose gray shirt that hung off her shoulders, a black tank top underneath, and knee-high boots similar to those she wore with her Hero Suit. She'd taken the time to put on the face-paint paired with her Hero Uniform and pull her hair up into her usual style too- but that was all she had in the way of Hero garb. It felt a little odd to be out and about like she was and not be on Patrol or anything, because she rarely ever did go out into public as 'Animal Spirit' without being out for Hero Work or the like. Because... Well, as she'd realized with goddamn Mamoru-Killjoy back at the Club- she really didn't have any sort of a life outside of working. So even being out like this and just relaxing and going to dinner was an odd feeling too.

I don't do anything like this... Like ever... I don't do 'down time'...

...I guess... At least I had the good sense to pack a different outfit just in case... Not that I wanted any reason to wear it...

She blinked, biting the inside of her cheek as she saw the way the Interns were talking and in their own little world, enjoying themselves and smiling softly as they did it... Well, I guess I can't complain too much... At least they seem to be enjoying themselves.

After eating breakfast they had all stayed awhile at Hawks' building, chatting amongst themselves, the conversation mostly driven by Hawks, with Anima (surprisingly) joining in quite a bit. Apparently he'd bucked up a little since Hawks was constantly prodding the poor boy with talking points and the like, so the kid had by now shaken off some of his shyness and uncertainty... Which was great, it was good to see him a bit more confident and vocal, and after awhile of it he didn't seem all that nervous either.

That had gone on for about two hours, before eventually they all fell into a content bit of quiet, and everyone got themselves packed up and dressed and whatever else... The Interns opted to stay awhile like Hawks suggested, and Spirit agreed to do what they will, since she'd left it up to them anyway. They'd all stuck around the building for another hour or so, just busying themselves with their phones or whatever else- Hawks had even dipped away out of the picture a bit to deal with some construction concerns/questions waiting for him on the lower floors. And when he was all done with that, they'd headed out just for a bit of a walk and time in the open air. There wasn't really a destination or anything in mind, they were just wandering and looking around here and there.

Spirit and Hawks were mostly following the Interns lead, the boy's taking the time to take in the city after a week of walking through it, but never with the intention of sightseeing or anything until now. And both Pros left then to it, for once the Winged Hero seemingly content in just walking slow and leisurely and not chatting the whole way through either... Which Spirit sort of appreciated.

Eventually they'd stop with the aimless wandering and settle into a restaurant somewhere, Spirit was sure. Hawks, even having said little, had made it pretty clear he totally intended to treat everyone for one last meal- and though she didn't really like him paying again, she had paid for everyone last night... Which had made them even in her book, so him paying today would leave her owing the Winged Hero again. But for now, and for today, she decided to just let it slide and not argue the point.

For now just... Try to enjoy the 'down time' if you can Spirit... Even if only a little.

All the talking earlier and the time spent at Hawks' Agency Building hadn't been altogether terrible, and though Hawks couldn't seem to help himself with the teasing and the jibes and the stupid comments even still- he'd not done anything to really, really work her up today... Well, not yet anyway.

He seems more mellow today for some reason... And less prying... And less like he has to check himself constantly about what he said and did and asked...

... Its a little weird... Him not talking so much, and not asking things... Almost too weird.

But every time she spared the Winged Hero a look from the side, he didn't seem at all uneasy, or tense, or even broody and pouting. He seemed completely at ease and like he was just enjoying himself, even if he was being so quiet... He seemed content, and she didn't understand it.

He usually can't stop talking, or sit still... I mean he literally seemed physically unable to stay quiet that night I told him to shut it... But now he's fine with not speaking?

... Hmmph... I don't get it...

It remained quiet for some time still, Spirit and Hawks standing side by side and back a bit as the Interns got sidetracked by someone showing off in a little square (street performer sort of stuff... Or showing off a product, who the hell knows). There was a bit of a crowd, though not super huge- either way, Spirit and Hawks stayed at the edges while the Interns inched just a tiny bit closer, intrigued, though cautiously so... Spirit kept an eye on them, though she couldn't really care less about the commotion.

"... Following a tumultuous night for Hosu, the long awaited capture of the Hero Killer has finally come to pass in the midst of last night's chaos. Japan's No. 2 Hero Endeavor, apprehended the Hero Killer during the spree of Villains running rampant in Hosu, sparing the lives of countless Heroes in the future and bringing swift justice for all those that have fallen to Stain these last few months."

Spirit glanced sideways, the voice filtering through a small display set up on the street to her left and running through the latest feeds... which of course were all filled with the Hero Killer's arrest, and all things Stain and Endeavor. And at the moment, there was a bit of a crowd watching the display, though Spirit, Hawks, and the Interns didn't pause on it. Even her own interest in it was faint, but there was nothing else to listen to for now, so her mind wandered toward it without even thinking about it.

"The Hero Killer suffered serious injuries in his fight against Endeavor, and was sent to Hosu General to be stabilized late last night. He is expected to recover from his wounds, and was kept under guard until his treatment was finished. This morning, Stain was transferred from custody in the hospital and sent off to Tartaros Super-Max Prison, where the Hero Killer will be joining the ranks of other imprisoned Super Villains such as Toxic Chainsaw, Rebirth, Famine, and-"

"... I like your outfit, Spirit."

She stiffened slightly, her eyes flashing and glancing quickly toward Hawks when he said something after a long time of nothing at all- and subsequently broke her focus on the news reel. She blinked, her eyes narrowed at him as he smiled slightly at the look, and how tense she was all of a sudden.

"You look nice, it's cool to see you out of uniform and in more casual stuff." He hummed lightly, "And that's not to say I don't like your Hero Uniform or anything, I do~! But this is a nice change~!" He chuckled, and Spirit's eyes narrowed just a bit at it, quiet and wary.

"... It's not like I'm dressed up or anything." She mumbled slowly and he shook his head a bit.

"I know, but I still like it anyway." He replied all too easily and Spirit paused, biting the inside of her cheek and grumbling internally. She looked away from him entirely and huffed, her arms crossing over her chest and her eyes dropping closed.

"... well... thanks... I guess..." She mumbled quietly and he chuckled silently at the reply.

"You feeling okay?" He asked next, and Spirit's teeth grit a bit at the question. "It's great that Recovery Girl managed to find you when you were at the hospital, and fix you up and everything- but you were pretty beat last night when ya got back. And you didn't catch that much sleep either, only a few hours really." He murmured with a small shrug, "You were totally conked out after five minutes, so even a few hours can't be enough to get over how tired Recovery Girl's Quirk makes you... so, are you feeling okay? You're not too tired or anything?" He asked, and Spirit sighed.

"... I'm fine." She mumbled lowly, "... and you can stop asking. I'm used to only sleeping for a few hours, so it's not bad at all..." Spirit murmured, shaking her head a bit. "... I don't even really feel tired at all, honestly... I got a lot more sleep than I usually do yesterday before I even got to your Agency. So even if I only got a few hours last night... it's kind of evened out." She murmured quietly, and he tilted his head slightly at the explanation.

"... hmm... I suppose I get that." He murmured, "Well, anyway- did Recovery Girl chew you out much when she found you?" He asked next and Spirit stiffened, her eyes opening quickly and shooting him a sideways glance. "I've only met her once or twice myself, and she seems like a sweet old lady mostly- but she did get a little scary when she got annoyed... I bet she wasn't super happy to find out you'd ripped out a few stitches, so she probably scolded you a bit, huh?" He murmured and Spirit grimaced, looking away again and chewing on the inside of both cheeks when memory of the Old Lady jabbing her in the side with the cane came to the forefront of her mind.

... She was less than pleased...

"... yeah..." Spirit mumbled flatly, "... just a bit..." She grumbled and Hawks smiled a little sympathetically at the words.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure that wasn't much fun." He told her softly, and a bit quietly this time around, though Spirit only huffed at it. "... but I am glad you got healed up anyway, even if you had to sit through a lecture." He added softly, and she grumbled a bit under her breath, shaking her head at him.

"... whatever..." She muttered rather stubbornly, and he simply shrugged and let it go.

... Hmph... Now he's got me a little worked up... Pointing out me getting snapped at...

... It wasn't 'fun' at all no... I mean, who the hell wants to be treated like a child by Recovery Girl...? Or get lectured...?

... I mean hell, I don't even know her and she was already all stern even before she'd seen the damage... It was like she was just automatically assuming I'd done something stupid and needed to be looked after, damn it...

... It wasn't that bad, I could handle it-

She stopped abruptly though, her eyes blinking open quickly and thoughts stalling for half a second.

... Come to think of it... She poked me right where it hurt like... She already knew what reaction it was gonna earn...

... And when I told her the stitches had ripped, she was annoyed but not... Surprised...

... Did she automatically assume I'd hurt myself? But how the hell could she? She had no idea about the fighting the drunk guys in the alley, or about the thing with Dark Shadow... And I've not been in any major fights since it happened either, so there's no way she should have any reason to think that...

... Or... Any reason to think... I would be there at the hospital last night... Not unless someone told her...

... The police chief maybe...? But when would I have come into the conversation at all between him and her...?

She swallowed slightly, her eyes narrowing to slits and stuck to the ground.

... He... Immediately knew that it was Recovery Girl... When I came back, didn't he?

... I mean I guess there's little explanation why all the cuts and bruises on my hands and face would just be gone like that... And it would be a reasonable assumption... I guess...

... He's not been acting suspicious or anything either, not that I've noticed... But...

Spirit glanced up slowly, her crimson eyes moving over to land on the Winged Hero beside her, and she bit the inside of her cheek.

... None of it was out of the ordinary enough to even think about it... There's no reason to think that he... Right...?

... But the way he said that last bit...

'I'm sorry, I'm sure that wasn't much fun... but I am glad you got healed up anyway, even if you had to sit through a lecture.'

Spirit's eyes flashed, her head turning toward him now and arms still crossed over her chest as she blinked at him. Her expression remained nothing but calm and cool and not at all wary or suspicious or anything (for once), and she just looked at him. Instantly her mind wanted her to be suspicious, and for those first few seconds she sort of was... But it was gone quickly, because she remembered last night and all his 'suggestions' and questions, and what he'd said... And for some reason, just this time around, thinking back on all of it didn't earn the same reaction as it had last night. At all.

She wasn't automatically suspicious, and she wasn't automatically annoyed or angry either... Or even just instantly moody and stubborn.

It hit different, for the first time... And maybe for the first time ever, she didn't just assume an ulterior motive.

.:+:.

"... Sorry, sorry...! I couldn't help it...!" He hummed lightly, before clearing his throat and waving a hand at her. "... Heh... Joking aside Spirit, I really won't do anything you don't want. I'm not gonna force you into anything, and I wouldn't dare try. I'll be gentle, and polite, and totally on my best behavior...! All I'm gonna be focused on is helping you out, and making sure you're okay." He told her, and Spirit swallowed at how quickly his voice went from amused to serious just then. Hawks hummed a bit and held a hand out to the side, Spirit's eyes narrowing at the gesture and completely unsure of what it meant...?

A flash of red at the corner of her eye made her stiffen, a feather darting toward them and with a towel hooked on it's end. The feather dropped the towel in Hawks' outstretched hand, and the Winged Hero smiled warmly at her. Hawks leaned forward again, draping the towel over Spirit's shoulders with ease, his golden eyes gleaming and their faces only inches apart as he did so. Spirit went rigid, her mind stalling as his hands failed to let go of either end of the towel and she found herself suddenly stuck in place by it, Hawks' smile getting softer as he held her there with the towels assistance for a few seconds.

"There." Hawks hummed softly, his breath washing up against her face and making a shiver run down her spine. "Just so you know Spirit, I was never planning to make you sit here without giving you something to cover up with. I am gentleman, all my teasing and joking notwithstanding." He explained lightly and she swallowed, her face still feeling flushed and very much hoping she wasn't noticeably blushing anymore. He hummed once more and leaned back, but not before pulling the ends of the towel a bit more over her shoulders and chest, and then letting go.

.:+:.

"... I wasn't trying to tell you what to do, it was a suggestion." Hawks replied evenly, and at length. "I already told you Spirit, I won't ever try and force you into anything you don't want to do, and I'm not trying to now. I understand it isn't any of my business, and I know I already promised that I wasn't gonna pry so much anymore... This isn't me trying to be nosy, or bossy, or anything of the sort, okay?" He mumbled, his expression softening a tad. "I am just trying to help you, and maybe understand a little too? Like, is there a reason that you're so opposed to taking the painkillers...? Even if they would help make you feel better...?" He asked coolly, and Spirit frowned, her eyes flinty and still simmering in her anger. He noticed the ire hadn't gone away and lifted his hands submissively, sighing once. "Like I said, you don't have to answer me if you don't want to... And if you really want to just drop the whole subject, then that's fine. I won't keep asking... And I am sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad Spirit, or be overbearing or anything."

.:+:.

"I told you not to wait up, you bloody idiot...!" She snapped- quietly as not to disturb the rest of the building- but loud enough her agitation was clear. Hawks just smiled at it and waved a hand a little dismissively, his head still resting on his other arm and golden eyes glittering in the dim.

"I know, I know..! But I couldn't help myself, I wanted to make sure you got back okay~"

.:+:.

Where the hell is my phone..?!

Don't tell me that feathery twat took it?!

I'm going to kill him-!

That last thought broke off when she looked around the room just out of habit, and quickly found her phone sitting on the counter in the corner of the room... Attached to a charger.

She halted, blinking several times as she looked between the coffee table and her phone, her annoyance dying slightly as she did so.

I... Did kind of... Forget to plug it in... I guess...

So... Did he... Charge it for me...?

.:+:.

The feather twirled around her, brushing softly against her arms, her legs, and her sides, almost... Is that Feather-fuck feeling me up with his Quirk?!

Spirit's hands snapped forward and her fists closed around the feather, ruffling it but not at all hard enough to snap the spine. Hawks jumped at the action of her hands clapping around it- his face falling and looking almost stunned and maybe even a bit mortified she had been so rough with it at all. He went stiff as a board, almost like he was bound as tightly as the feather itself- Spirit huffed, holding the feather hostage as she shot him a look.

"Quit feeling me up, Bird-Boy." She snapped lowly, he looked almost offended.

"I was not feeling you up! I was checking your injuries!" He whined, the feather squirming in her hands now.

"Well quit, I'm fine." Spirit grumbled, "I don't need to be poked and prodded, you'll just piss me off."

"Okay, okay, fine! You can let go of my feather now!" Hawks said quickly, looking exasperated and almost uncomfortable. "You're squishing it to death Spirit..! It's not a nice feeling ya know!" Spirit huffed again but did as he asked, the feather zoomed over toward Hawks and he caught it gingerly, pouting now.

"... Rude..." He mumbled under his breath.

What a child

"I thought your Quirk was 'Mighty Wings'." Spirit grumbled, her hip cocking as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You send those things out to catch people and through fires and all manner of situations where they get mucked up, and you're pouting because I grabbed it a little roughly?"

"Well yeah, but when I do that I'm sending them out with the intention they're gonna get messed up!" Hawks told her, "They're usually super hard, and sharp to boot- but I kept this one softer, so it's like an actual feather! If I hadn't you'd have totally cut your hands grabbing it just now!" He puffed, "And when I let them stay all soft and fluid I can feel more through them and gather info easier! Even if they're separated from me I can still feel things through them ya know, and you were rough Spirit!" He whined, Spirit simply quirked a brow at him, her expression unreadable.

"So what you're telling me, is that your wings and your feathers are sensitive?" Spirit asked flatly, he stiffened, his face flushing in a sudden and unexpected show of embarrassment. "Bloody hell Bird-Boy, you sound like a child." Spirit sighed, shaking her head at him. "But fine, whatever- sorry for being rough with your goddamn feather. But maybe next time you'll keep your feathers to yourself- 'checking for injuries' is not a very good cover story ya know."

Hawks let the feather go and it quickly replaced itself among the others in his wings. He rocked on his heels a bit and grumbled, quickly trying to regain himself again and shooting her a look that was disgruntled, and a bit offended. "It wasn't a cover story, I really was just trying to see if you were okay." He replied lowly, and Spirit blinked.

... Hmm...? He actually does sound... Genuine about that...?

"I saw the video Spirit, you got hit pretty good by Stain's sword." He went on, his voice losing the whining and the carefree mirth it usually had. "And you've been stuck at home the last few days right? If you got hurt bad enough to warrant having to take time off, I was just making sure you're okay now."

... He is serious.

.:+:.

"Well I can't say for sure nothing will happen- but if it does, don't you sweat it Spirit!" Hawks hummed, his usual bright and cheerful demeanor still there- but it wasn't as carefree this time around. Instead his tone seemed a touch more serious all of a sudden, and Spirit glanced right toward him quickly in surprise. He held her red eyes steadily, smiling slightly and completely more cool now- resolute even- as he gave her a firm nod.

"If anything serious comes up, I'll protect all of you with everything I have." Hawks told her, and she blinked, her eyes widening. "Nothing will hurt you or the Interns on my watch, I promise you." He murmured, and Spirit felt herself stiffen. She slowed up in her walking without meaning to, her eyes fixed on him and quiet, and suddenly unable to break her eyes away from him... and... and how completely earnest he was being.

... where did... this come from...?

... he's never so... not cheery, and all smiles and things... ... he's being genuinely serious right now... about promising...?

"If you're in trouble, I'll be there- no matter what comes." He promised steadily, she blinked. H nodded at her, smiling coolly and golden eyes shinning.

"I promise, no matter what, I will be there for you whenever you need me, Spirit."

Spirit's eyes flashed, a shiver running up her spine out of nowhere as her heart skipped a beat, his voice almost managing a way to reach her very core, it felt like.

.:+:.

For the first time... Maybe...

"... Feathers." Spirit murmured softly and he glanced toward her quickly and at full attention, smiling immediately and golden eyes gleaming as he caught her eye.

"Yeah~?" He hummed, she blinked slowly.

"... Did you call her?" Spirit asked softly and he stiffened, a little unsure for a second and Spirit tilted her head a bit. "... Recovery Girl." She elaborated quietly, and this time he definitely understood the question, stiff in his place as his eyes flashed. "... Did you call and tell her about the stitches ripping? And ask her to find me while I was there at the hospital?" Spirit asked evenly, and he looked away quickly, his hand raising to try and grab the collar of his jacket reflexively- but there wasn't a collar to be grabbed and he sort of awkwardly fiddled with his headphones instead.

"Ah well... Uhm... Maybe...?" He answered uncertainly, his eyes avoiding hers though it seemed hard for him to do, and he buried his chin in between his headphones as he continued to mess with them nervously. "... Uh... Yeah... I did... And I know you wanted me to drop it and I wasn't trying to like, go behind your back or anything, but you were hurting pretty bad and... I knew you wouldn't ask for help while you were there, you made that pretty obvious... so I thought if maybe Recovery Girl just sought you out on her own, then you wouldn't have to ask, and you'd still get helped... And you needed it... So..." He mumbled quickly, his wings pulling in close around him and almost shielding him too, sighing.

"... I wasn't trying to be underhanded or anything, and I'm sorry for... Going behind your back and trying to play it off... But you needed to get looked at, and healed too if you could... So yeah, I called her... And asked her to help out..." He mumbled softly, "... I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you any angrier with me sticking my nose in your business... or make you feel like I was treating you like a 'child' or anything, like you said last night... I was just trying to help." He added even more softly, his golden eyes on the ground and still not looking her way. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of seeing her all agitated and annoyed with him, or really looking forward to what heated words she planned to have with him either... He had hoped to avoid any of it, and her finding out. He'd been pretty careful not to let himself slip up and make it obvious he'd had any kind of hand in Recovery Girl tracking Spirit down last night- he'd even specifically asked the Old Lady not to mention him calling at all.

Though he supposed he shouldn't have expected that Spirit wouldn't find out his little part to play, she had made it clear she would always find out if he tried anything behind her back. He'd figured he could be subtle enough she wouldn't ever know, but apparently not...

"... I'm not mad Feathers, you don't have to apologize."

Hawks' head snapped around in surprise, wide-eyed and jaw dropping slightly to the utterly soft and calm tenor of the Ebony Hero's voice, and the words.

Because wha-?!

Spirit seemed aware of the incredulous look on his face, though her eyes were closed and she never actually saw it. She shook her head once, her arms still crossed over her chest and everything about her posture and face, all of it- nothing but soft, calm and tranquil.

"... Really... I understand why you did it, and that you're just trying to be... Helpful... So I'm not mad." Spirit murmured softly.

... for the first time ever... I'm... maybe starting to think that... someone... that Hawks... doesn't have an ulterior motive.

... For the first time maybe I am starting to believe... he's not doing this... to screw me over... that maybe even... he won't screw me over in the future either...

... maybe he really is... just being nice...

Spirit bit the inside of her cheek as she looked up slowly, her eyes trailing toward Hawks and the still rather stunned look on his face.

... really nice, actually... omitting all the teasing and the jokes... he's never been wholeheartedly unkind to me, even when I deserved it... he's never snapped at me for anything, even though I have done my fair share of that toward him...

... I'm not usually so harsh with people... he just... he's different, for some reason... I've been less polite with him than I usually would be with other people...

... but maybe... I've been unfair to you... Feathers...

"... I've been a bit difficult with all of this, even though you were just trying to help out... so I am sorry for that... Especially since you've been doing your best to be kind, and to help... and you've been very patient with me." Spirit told him quietly, his eyes flashing as he seemed all the more stunned with the quiet, soft apology- and how sincere she was all of a sudden.

But any awe at the words was washed clean in an instant. His heart skipped a beat, a shiver running up his spine when Spirit's crimson eyes matched with his, and her lips pulled upward at the corners, gracing him with a soft, gentle smile.

"Thank you, for everything." Spirit told him, her voice light and he felt his heart skip another beat, the Winged Hero riveted and unmoving as his pulse picked up quicker and quicker. Her expression softened a tad and she nodded once to him, her eyes glittering as she adjusted slightly, hooking her arms behind her back and looking away from him for just a moment- but that smile never went away.

"... You are right, I would never have asked for help on my own... So thank you for calling her, it helped a lot... And thank you for being so patient with me, Feathers. I know I don't make it easy..." She hummed a bit under her breath, the smile becoming a touch more solemn for just a moment, before she seemed to shake the thoughts off.

"So really, I'm not mad. You don't need to freak out." She hummed lightly, looking back toward him one more time, and the solemness fading again- and that smile she gave him?

Somehow it was ten times brighter, and ten times softer.

Hawks' heart felt like it stopped altogether that time, and he sucked in a sharp breath of air in reaction to it, stiff as a board and eyes absolutely gleaming while his face flushed just a bit. His wings twitched, a shiver rushing down through every feather and making them ripple, his stomach fluttering and churning all at once too. But he smiled despite all of that, bright and much too happy, and maybe even a little lopsided and breathless too- but he couldn't help himself.

Spirit's tilted a bit at the crooked smile and she blinked, her eyes narrowing at him. "What's the face for?" She asked lightly and Hawks seemed to swell a little, almost teary-eyed now.

"That's the first time you've ever smiled at me...!" He trilled breathlessly, his voice only just above a murmur and Spirit blinked at the answer. "Seriously...! I think my heart's gonna give out, I was beginning to think you'd never smile at me- like ever...!" He told her, and Spirit sighed. He did look on the verge of tears, and like a kid who'd just been given the gift of a lifetime.

... what a child... This isn't the first time I've smiled at his dumbass-

-well... actually, maybe it is? I can't remember...

..oi... Either way, he's making too big a deal of it.

"... You're an idiot... and you definitely just ruined the whole moment." She mumbled, though she sounded more amused than exasperated, and he just couldn't stop grinning.

"I don't think anything at all could ruin this moment~!" He chirped back quite happily and she let out a small, halfway chuckling breath.

"... whatever you say..."

He was still grinning from ear to ear and remained much too thrilled and excited over the whole thing, that even by the time the Interns circled back to the Pros, both boys were extremely confused and entirely unsure (and maybe even a little disturbed) by how the Winged Hero was behaving... Giddy and tearful all at once, and he seemed in high spirits all through the rest of the night and through dinner. Hawks' glee seemed not at all dulled even when they said their goodbye's for the night and both Pros and their Interns went separate ways to head home ... Like nothing really could ruin it for Hawks, even long after Spirit's smile had faded away and she only shot him exasperated (faintly amused) looks.

... What a big idiot...

.:+:.

"Thank you so much for taking me on as your Intern, Spirit-Sensei...!" Anima told her, his voice hushed but no less heartfelt as he bowed to her, his hands clutching his bag and smiling brightly as he looked back up again from bending over. His eyes gleamed as he nodded at her once, the both of them standing off to the side in the train station, in their own little corner and having moved there to wait for the train to roll in- before Anima took a moment to face her and say his little goodbye.

This was the last day of the Internship, she'd known that before heading out on their little excursion with Hawks- but through all of that she'd sort of forgotten that this was the last day... and she really wasn't likely to see Anima again after this, or at all.

It didn't really hit home until that very moment though, when he said thank you- and surprisingly, she felt a little sad at the realization he'd not be around anymore. She'd gotten pretty used to his company the last week, and she liked him and his quiet, bumbling demeanor- and even more surprisingly, she did like talking to him and explaining things, and even the whole training/brawling stint they'd been through. She supposed it was just nice to work with someone, since she usually didn't work with anybody... not that she ever really wanted to mind you- but with Anima?

I would do it again, in a heartbeat, if it came to it. This was a lot more fun than I ever anticipated it being... and maybe I did better at the whole teaching thing than I figured I would?

"I have learned so much this week, and I've loved working with you...! You're a wonderful mentor, and you're so kind and thoughtful...! I've had so much fun, and I think... I really think everything I did with you and learned is really going to help me from here on out...! This entire week has been one of the best I've ever had... thank you so much for everything...!" Anima told her breathlessly, eyes still gleaming and smiling softly down at her. "A-And... well, I really hope that I lived up to your expectations..! I still can't believe you'd ever offer to Intern me, and I am so grateful to you for it...! You are an amazing Pro, Spirit-Sensei... this has truly been an honor, thank you so much...!" He added, a bit more hushed this time and Spirit blinked, her eyes flashing.

"You surpassed my expectations, time and time again." She told him lightly and he blushed slightly at the words, more so when she smiled at him. "This has been a lot of fun for me too, so thank you for accepting my offer and coming out to work with me. You've done really well, and I look forward to seeing you become a great Pro Hero in the future. You're gonna do great, I'm sure of it." She told him and he blushed further, his eyes gleaming and looking both flustered, and like he swelled at the words. He stood rigid and trembling for a few seconds, holding his breath, before he let it out quickly and threw his arms open wide, closing the distance between the two of them and scooping Spirit up in his embrace. He held her close, gentle yet tight enough to keep firm hold of her, and he lifted her up with complete and utter ease, her feet leaving the floor and arms pinned at her sides.

For half a second she froze, eyes wide and instinctively stiff under the unexpected embrace and the near trapped sensation it brought with it- but she only felt that way for half a second, before she relaxed into the warmth of the hug and she smiled to herself.

... awww geez he's so cute...!

"T...Thank you so much... Spirit-Sensei...!" Anima murmured, his voice in her ear and she smiled a little more softly, her arms raising as much as she could manage and returning the hug.

"You're very welcome." She replied softly,

He held her aloft for a few more seconds, before quickly realizing what he was doing and gently setting her back down and letting go. He murmured a quick apology for picking her up, but Spirit just smiled and shook her head, telling him it wasn't a problem.

"I'm gonna miss working with you, and if the chance comes along, I hope to run into you again soon." Spirit hummed, and he nodded in agreement.

"... Me too..!" He hummed breathlessly,

"And if you run into trouble or anything, or need advice, feel free to call or text me." Spirit murmured, and he blinked in surprise. "You still have my mobile number, yeah? I'm not really big on chatting in messages or anything, but I will do my best to always answer if you try to get in contact with me." Spirit told him lightly, and he looked a little awed with the offer, before smiling brightly and nodding again.

"Thank you, Spirit-Sensei... I really appreciate that...!" He told her softly, his heart fluttering with the offer- he'd figured it would be more appropriate to delete her number after the Internship ended, and it never crossed his mind to keep it and use it after this...!

"Of course." She hummed, "And I wish you luck on all your school stuff from here on out... and your finals too, those will be coming up soon, right?" She murmured and he nodded slightly, "Ah, well I am sure you'll do great with whatever UA throws at you."

"Thank you, I hope so..." He smiled slightly. He broke off as the train rolled into it's space behind him, and Spirit's expression softened as it did so. Her eyes leveled with Anima's as he looked back her way after diverting to the train.

"Get home safe, okay?" Spirit murmured, her crimson eyes glittering.

"I will... a-and you too Spirit Sensei...!" Anima replied, holding his bag to his chest a bit more securely and smiling. "... I really do hope I see you again soon..." He mumbled quietly, and Spirit smiled gently at him, her eyes glittering and nodding once.

"Me too, and I'm sure we will. I look forward to it, Anima."

.:+:.

Spirit grit her teeth, her red eyes narrowed to slits and glaring daggers down at her phone screen in one hand, and the crumbled, wrinkly napkin with slightly smudged ink on it.

She'd said goodbye to Anima the night before and headed back to her apartment right after for a long spout of sorely needed sleep... as much as she had assured Hawks and everyone else she was fine, she really was quite tired still from the effects of Recovery Girl's Quirk. She was used to having little sleep and being tired while up and about, but because of Recovery Girl's Quirk there had been a new sort of weight hanging over her that was heavy and constant and she couldn't shake it. She'd pretty much fallen asleep the minute she settled down, and she'd only woken up about an hour ago, with it now being around noon. She'd laid in bed for that hour just doing... Nothing, really, other than thinking. She'd been staring at the roof, running through the events of the last few days in her head and becoming increasingly more aware (and more agitated) of how much shit had gone wrong, and that she hadn't wanted to handle. And yes, maybe it was better she'd gotten some of it out of the way now (and maybe felt a little better too), like the stuff with Ingenium and the Interns and Stain... And even her little interaction with Hawks and her (minor, very early stage) shift in attitude was sort of a better thing.

... And of course being healed up and no longer in pain was a plus too- but for all the 'resolved' and the 'better'(?) there was that much more that was not so good.

The whole thing with Dark Shadow just sort of sucked, and she was still a might bit worried about Tsukuyomi despite herself, and despite the words of comfort she'd tried to give him. And thinking on that reminded her she'd told him about her Quirk... Yeah, I really, really shouldn't have done that.

It felt right in the moment, but now I'm regretting it... Shit, but there's nothing I can do about it either.

I don't think Tsukuyomi is gonna blab about it to anyone, I think I trust him not to... But I am still gonna worry about it from now on, and I really should have just kept my mouth shut.

You don't tell people about that Spirit, you know that- but you're way too nice for your own good, and you got caught up in trying to make him feel better, you bloody idiot... Oi

Anyway, that was just one of the bad and not resolved things- with another being her sudden spur to try to be nicer in regards to Hawks... Because maybe he wasn't really gonna screw her over. But that thought brought on too many thoughts and emotions to try and sift through, so she skipped straight over that one for now.

And so she ended up at Tensei (Ingenium), and what he'd said, and his parting words about getting together for 'dinner' sometime and contacting him... She did have his phone number (courtesy of Death Arms), but having actually already had that conversation she'd been avoiding last night, she wouldn't plan to use the number at all... But he wanted her to, and he wanted to meet up further, and she just didn't know what to do with that.

But as soon as meeting up and phone numbers came into the picture- the most pressing of all snapped to the forefront of her mind, and she huffed.

Fucking Yoichi Mamoru-Killjoy

Who of which, knew about her, and her double life as Pro Hero Animal Spirit, and Red-Light Bartender Kage.

Mamoru-Killjoy, the same person who had spent 95% of all his time with her, flirting.

Flirting.

And who now had confronted her about it all, and wanted to meet up again, and would surely get his wish. Because he knew about her and the club, her 'Kage' persona, and all manner of things she didn't want anybody to know- Sasaki included... But having the young girl find out about it all seemed much more pleasant than having Killjoy know. And maybe even worse still- she owed a favor to him, for taking care of the stuff with the Villain.

There was no way she could avoid him, or try to ignore what happened or what he knew- there just wasn't a way. It had to be dealt with, she had to make sure he wasn't a threat, and that he really wasn't gonna go spilling her secrets about her second life. She had to shut everything down. Absolutely everything.

I do not have time to be trying to juggle him on top of everything else.

I do not have time to worry about him outing me, or sticking his nose in my business- nothing.

So, given she'd been forced to take a few days off by the Club Owner and she had literally nothing to do, what better time than to nip this issue at the bud?

That being said however, she still found herself hesitating to initiate any sort of call or text to ask him to meet with her. Because what was she supposed to even say? How was she supposed to confront him and deal with all of it well enough, that she kept things from getting even more complicated or more out of hand?

As agitated as she was about the whole thing, she couldn't be an outright bitch about it, or frigid and cold either. That sudden shift in mood was bound to cause more questions and suspicions than solve anything, and she didn't need that.

She huffed to herself and started typing into the phone, entering the (quite smudged, yet still legible) number written on the napkin.

Mamoru-Killjoy

It's Spirit. We need to talk, today preferably.

She clicked the lock button and dropped the phone on the bed with a grumble, pushing herself up onto her feet and stalking away toward her dresser. She pulled out a pair of dark jeans and a maroon jacket with elbow-length sleeves and a hood, and the same black tank top she had worn underneath her shirt while out with Hawks and the Internship yesterday. She made quick work of pulling the outfit on, and was starting in on buckling the straps on her boots when she heard her phone buzz, her eyes trailing sideways just in time to see the screen light up- definitely a message.

Hmph

She finished with her shoes and headed over, clicking the phone screen to life and red eyes scanning the reply in record time.

Mamoru-Killjoy

It's Spirit. We need to talk, today preferably.

But of course, though I am surprised you wished to speak so quickly.
Are you not set to work at your second occupation today?

Spirit huffed, her fingers tapping against the screen roughly and shaking her head as she did so.

Mamoru-Killjoy

It's Spirit. We need to talk, today preferably.

But of course, though I am surprised you wished to speak so quickly.
Are you not set to work at your second occupation today?

No

Ah, I see.
Well I will happily meet with you to discuss things, and whenever you wish. What would be your preference? Do you have someplace in mind?
If you need suggestions I have a number of suitable restaurants we could meet at and share a meal.

Spirit grit her teeth at the words, her red eyes flashing in agitation.

What did he think this meeting was supposed to be? A date?

Hell no

Mamoru-Killjoy

It's Spirit. We need to talk, today preferably.

But of course, though I am surprised you wished to speak so quickly.
Are you not set to work at your second occupation today?

No

Ah, I see.
Well I will happily meet with you to discuss things, and whenever you wish. What would be your preference? Do you have someplace in mind?
If you need suggestions I have a number of suitable restaurants we could meet at and share a meal.

Meet me in Bakanai, near the Cave Habitats

As you wish, I will assuredly be there.
Though I regret that I will be quite indisposed until later this evening, and I will be unable to meet you any earlier than around 5 this evening.
Will this be an issue for you? I do apologize for any inconvenience.

No that's fine. Meet me there at 6.

Of course, I look forward to it.

Spirit huffed and locked the screen once more, abandoning the short conversation and red eyes flashing in slight agitation. She supposed she didn't altogether expect he hadn't anything better to do with his time then meet her beck and call- but the fact that he couldn't meet until 6 hours from now was a bit of a surprise... And a nuisance.

What was she supposed to do for the next 6 hours?

She supposed the time would afford her to come up with some plans or strategy on how to handle the whole mess... But there was no way doing that would take up the whole 6 hours. What the hell was she supposed to do in the meantime?

I never have downtime... Ever.

Do I just... Sit here?

It's not like I have anywhere to be... Or want to be really.

... So... I guess... I'll just... Sit here then.

But first she finished getting dressed and doing up her hair, before giving the sitting around a go... Though hardly half an hour in of trying to amuse herself with solitaire on her phone, ended in nothing but sheer agitation bubbling higher in her core. She gave up the sitting around and decided she ought to clean up her apartment... Though given the serious lack of anything other than necessities, and the fact that she never spent more than an hour or two at a time here outside of sleeping- cleaning was over and done with in just half an hour too.

And still there was way too much time left to kill. And sitting here doing nothing (and with literally nothing else to do) was not at all appealing.

She ended up pacing back and forth across the tiny space of her 'living room' for a few minutes, but even doing that was annoying as all hell and she quickly gave it up.

You know what? Sod it

She turned on her heel and snatched her wallet, keys and phone up off the counter as she passed it by, and headed straight for the door.

Maybe if I walk around and not stay in one spot, the time will go quicker

She left her home behind and pulled the hood on her shirt up over her head as she took to the streets of Shinjuku Kabukicho, ignoring the unseen eyes and trailing glances she earned of the people on the streets around her. She stuffed her hands in the front pocket of her shirt and kept forward, her eyes on the ground and barely ever lifting her head as she went. She didn't stop for any reason at all, she kept to herself and moved in and out of the sparse little crowds along the way in a direct walk toward Heiku. It would take some time to walk there on her own but she didn't care, as long as she was moving and doing something... and even if the walking was aimless and with no real destination besides eventually ending up at Bakanai Park.

This felt weird, especially after an entire week of constantly being between the Internship and the bar... Even yesterday out and about with Hawks and the Interns felt more 'productive' than wandering as she was now. She never just walked around for the hell of it, and she certainly didn't do sight-seeing or anything of the sort. Even as she kept going at that moment, her eyes hardly left the ground and it was terribly boring, and it made her a tad bit antsy and uneasy. The silence and slow trudge grew unbearable to the point that she ended up humming half a dozen different tunes all mashed together... And then eventually humming turned into quiet singing under her breath, and it helped alleviate the unease and the boredom quite a bit. At least at that point she was focused on the words and the tone and pace of the music, rather than just the constant back and forth of her feet hitting the ground.

(Though of course she never stayed singing the same song more than 3-4 times over... She was constantly jumping between different songs and verses all the way)

"... If I can live through this... Champion, Champion..."

"... While chasing a dream, I got lost it seems... Within the forest deep in my heart..."

"... It's all reaping what I sow... Dark pasts I've built up like they grow on trees... Throwing away every single thing... Almost been killed before by a fate I know nothing..."

"... You're a lion full of power who forgot how to roar... You're an eagle full of beauty but you can't seem to soar... Will you return to the garden where we were first made whole... Will you turn to the one who can liberate your soul..."

She kept going between different songs, tunes and paces even as she left the close quarters and unseeing eyes of the Red Light District behind and headed into Heiku... And the people in the street grew more in number. She lowered her voice for it, but never stopped in her singing altogether. She only ever earned fleeting looks from those she passed by, none of them at all aware of it being the Ebony Hero underneath the hood and who was singing so softly to herself (though she did earn a few curious glances for her song choices from time to time).

"...Searching for the meaning, I keep running... I start to lose who I am..."

"... Yes, I'm in a bang, with a gang...They've got to catch me if they want me to hang... 'Cause I'm back on the track..."

"... If I look hard enough into the settin' sun, my love will laugh with me before the mornin' comes... I see a red door and I want it painted black..."

She got sidetracked in her aimless wandering only once, the sound of police sirens catching her immediate attention and her feet taking her to the commotion long before she even knew what she was doing. She came up with the little crowd growing behind a barricade, her eyes trailing over the mess of police rounding up a small group of young men who had been causing trouble, with the Pro Hero Bryzair standing nearby and dealing with a rather large mess of a wall that had scattered on the street. She stepped back after making sure everything was in hand, before continuing away from commotion and headed toward Bakanai once more. The last little bits of a song she had started earlier and never finished finding a way onto her tongue as she went.

"... Don't you want to... Run wild, live free... Love strong... you and me..."

She eventually ended up passing by Hawks' Agency Building on her way, the front still littered in construction workers and the like, as well as a small crowd of onlookers and curious looky-loos. She gave the Building, nor the crowd, even the smallest glance, she kept her head bowed slightly and walked straight passed, entirely intent on not being conspicuous in any way just in case the feathery twat popped up out of nowhere.

I do not need to deal with him today... I have enough on my hands with Mamoru-Killjoy

Her singing faded off into humming as she reached the park and headed straight into it's vast throes with no hesitation at all. She avoided the larger paths and stuck to less frequented routes while slowly making her way toward the far end and the corner in which the caves were set up. She ended up wandering out onto the furthest reaches and untouched corners of the park to try and pass the time, meandering her way through thick groves of trees and through grass that had seldom (if ever) been trampled upon by other people... She found a few new places she didn't remember reaching before, from her previous times of looking through the park.

She slowed up in the middle of the trees, her arms crossed over her chest and red eyes scanning the topmost branches for any sign of movement and life... Absentmindedly mostly, since her mind had long since started to be caught up with hatching a plan on what she was gonna do when Mamoru-Killjoy got there.

Any amount of thinking about it instantly made her agitated, as well as make her not want to be dealing with it all the more. She never wanted anybody to know about her double life with the Club and 'Kage', and it had been nuisance enough already that Sasaki had put the pieces together... But she could think of nothing worse than another Pro Hero knowing about who she was, and what she did in her off hours.

It wasn't weird that a Pro Hero would have a second job outside their Hero duties, and in fact most of them did have a second, or even a third job they spent their time on. But what was weird, was that someone- who was so close to law enforcement and keeping up the morals and laws- would have a second job in a place as untoward as the Red Light District, and a Strip Club at that (even if she was just the bartender). It was weirder even still that she was doing that job with a pseudo name... It was all very odd, and could be perceived as quite suspicious, or even throw all of her Hero work into question if the world were to ever find out about it.

But even despite all those implications- she really hated anyone finding things out about her that she didn't divulge herself. She had secrets, she had to keep her distance, she had to stay away, always. And anyone knowing what Sasaki and Killjoy now knew were not just a nuisance, or annoyance, or even just a headache- they were a threat.

A loose end, a liability, and a problem... And perhaps both Sasaki and Mamoru-Killjoy didn't harbor any malicious intent directly aimed at her, or intended to do her harm- but they were still threats all the same, and she had to treat them as such. Which is why she had to nip this whole issue in the bud and get it settled before it became too much of a complication, and too much of a threat... But going about it was not something she could come up with an easy answer for- well, outside of bluntly telling him to fuck off and threatening swift repercussions if he ran his mouth off about what he knew.

But she didn't want to be like that, not when he'd been civil about it so far, and still constant in his interest and kindly behavior even after she realized who he actually was. He'd been polite, and he'd done as she asked, and assured her he was going to respect her privacy- and while she didn't think he was being dishonest when she heard him say it, there was still that ever lurking doubt.

Never trust... Not even with the ones that do seem almost genuine.

... Thinking that though, did instantly remind her of the time he'd spent with her at the Club in the most normal and social conversation she'd had in like, ever... And how much she hadn't actually hated it at that time.

And for the third time, in much too short a time- she hesitated, and she hated herself for it.

She stopped, sighing heavily and her head tilting back as she looked up at the sky, swallowing hard.

... What the hell am I gonna do...?

.:+:.

She heard the flapping of leathery wings overhead on a constant, yet intermittent loop for the last hour of her waiting at the meeting place. The trees here surrounded high reaching caves and hollows made of stone and cement, that housed this parks' resident population of bats in the highest, darkest, most unseen reaches. The man-made habitats for the little creatures, including the trees, made for quite a bit of shade and coverage from the sun. And given it was tucked away and hidden a bit by the surrounding hills and land, it was rather quiet too- outside of the flapping of wings and little chirps and rustles in the background.

Very few people ever came here, both because they wanted not to trample on the space, and because most of them were wary of what lived here. The little caves and houses themselves didn't have an access point for the public to venture into them easily, and those that could manage it were warned from doing so- conservation purposes and the like. You could walk around the area quite easily, as long as you were respectful and didn't cause too much of a ruckus or anything- but again, few people came here anyway, because the idea of so many tiny bats clustered and hidden in the rocks made them a bit uneasy.

It was mostly western ideas and the like that caused this- where lots of places in the world viewed bats as creepy and 'evil', those ideas had bled into Japan overtime and found a place in the public eye... Though quite honestly, Spirit didn't get the whole creepy and evil thing at all. She had plenty of other things in her life she could classify as truly creepy and truly evil... And bats didn't even come close to all of those. Not even a little.

Though she supposed her opinion was probably biased for a number of reasons... One of them assuredly being that no animals ever set her on edge at all, or for any reason- it's kind of hard to be creeped out by something when you've literally been that thing yourself.

She sighed a bit, her red eyes scanning the trees overhead and narrowed against the light of the orange and red sky plastered behind the green.

... Hmm... He should be here soon, huh?

She looked away from the sky and dropped her eyes onto the ground, letting out another breath as she crossed her arms over her chest.

... And I'm still not totally sure how I'm gonna handle this... Oi...

"Ah, there you are. It is wonderful to see you."

Spirit glanced up quickly at Mamoru-Killjoy's cool and pleasant tone of voice breaking the quiet. She blinked, her red eyes matching with his green ones as he smiled coolly at her, his hands in his pants pockets as he slowly walked closer. He was dressed down a bit from what she'd seen of him so far- in both the formal/business attire and Hero attire sections. He wasn't in his Hero costume, but he wasn't in dress slacks and a prim and proper shirt and tie either- he'd opted for something more casual like she had, though he still seemed to have a rather well-kempt and put together air to him nonetheless. He was wearing a pair of black pants and a clean, slightly fitted blue shirt with short sleeves, and his glasses still perched on the end of his nose. He smiled slightly as their eyes met and he came to a slow halt in front of her, his green eyes breaking away for a moment as he glanced to their surroundings in mild, sort of subdued, and not quite so subdued interest.

"This is quite an interesting place to stage a meet... I can't say anyone has ever asked me to see them at such a place as this." He hummed lightly, "Is this commonplace for you? A special spot maybe? Or do you just enjoy the company of our little friends buried in all these caves?" He asked coolly, and Spirit huffed a bit under her breath. "Or do they enjoy your company perhaps? Are animals like kindred spirits with you, and sense you are like them, and lower their guard? Where otherwise they would be wary of any human in their midst?" He asked, though it sounded more rhetorical and musing than anything- and Spirit certainly wasn't going to elaborate on it at all... Which he seemed to sense, or otherwise already guess, because he smiled a touch more and shook his head, tossing the questions off and dipping his head to her. "Forgive my musing, I will cease for now." He hummed, "As I said, it is wonderful to see you again, I've been looking forward to it, and whatever you have in mind for the two of us." He told her lightly and Spirit huffed again, quietly still as her red eyes glittered.

Again, what does he think this is?

"... We are just going to talk." She muttered slowly and he nodded a bit, not at all perturbed by the faint bit of an edge in her voice. "I need to make some things clear, about you and the fact that you know about me and my working at Hikari." She grumbled and he nodded slightly, though the small and placid smile stayed.

"I assumed as much, but before you begin- may I say something first?" He murmured and Spirit stiffened, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"... What?" She asked slowly and his eyes flashed, letting out a small breath.

"Just something quite simple really: I do not need to know." He replied coolly and Spirit blinked.

What?

I do not need to know? What the hell does-

"... Though perhaps that is too simple with no further details, so I will elaborate a little further." He kept on quickly enough, breaking off her own internal questions and making her blink several times over. "I mean to say that I do not need any details or explanations on your part, and I will never demand any from you, or pry and press for information you do not wish to give. You needn't tell me anything, or feel obligated to in any way- or worry that I will try and manipulate you into telling me more than you like. And you certainly should never feel like you need to explain your decision for silence, or otherwise, for any reason at all. It is after all, none of my business." He hummed, tilting his head toward her and his green eyes falling closed for a moment.

"That is what I mean... I truly do not need to know, anything. Please do not feel you need to justify your working situations to me or anything else, and you certainly do not need to worry over my 'exposing' you, or anything of the sort. It is your life, and you have right to do what you will, and I have no reason to judge you on anything, and I do not... Heh, for what range of activities and hobbies I have invested myself in over the years, I have no room to judge what others do with their own time." He chuckled lightly, his eyes opening again and matching with hers steadily. And Spirit held his gaze for a few seconds, her eyes narrowed all the while and quiet... Brooding.

"... Really?" She asked at length and he blinked, "... You don't need to know anything at all? You won't ask anything?" She grumbled, her eyes flashing. "... What happened to you being all interested in me? You're just gonna stop, just like that? No more questions, no more being social, none of that?" She grumbled and he smiled slightly, looking a touch amused.

"Would it offend you if I stopped being interested? Or would it you maybe miss my interest, if I were to shift it away from you..?" He asked lightly and Spirit stiffened at the question. "Or are you simply questioning if I would be able to keep from prying, and still continue our little chats? I can assure you, it would not be difficult for me to spend time with you, while also keeping myself from pressing for information you do not wish to give. I see no reason why we couldn't continue on as we have... As it is, I haven't asked you for any of the finer details before now- what we have talked about, and the little things I have learned, have been more than enough for me. I do not need anything more, I have enjoyed my time with you as is, and I will continue to, even without all the rest." He hummed lightly and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek at the words, eyes still narrowed and guarded.

Generally she liked to think she was a good judge of character, and had a pretty good gauge on whether or not someone was being dishonest with her... She thought generally she could tell if someone was lying or bullshitting her- she had made it this far, right? She didn't think he was lying, or hiding some ulterior motive... This didn't feel anything like what a life full of secrets, and suspicion, and never trusting anyone had had taught her- what a rat felt like... Somewhere in her core she didn't look at him, or hear his words, and think rat, or traitor, or threat.

... But hell if I'll just jump blindly into a 'just a feeling' of any kind...

"... What do you want from me?" She asked lowly (and quite bluntly at that), and Mamoru-Killjoy blinked at the question, the smile fading a touch in surprise, before it came back again. Just a little more exasperated this time.

"Hmm, I had thought I'd made it quite obvious before now...?" He hummed quietly, before shrugging a bit to himself. "... Perhaps I am much more out of practice than I thought..." He murmured, smiling a bit more softly her way as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Ah well... What I 'want' from you- should you be willing to give it- is to grant me the opportunity to spend time with you, and to engage with one another. I hope for a chance to establish a casual, friendly relationship between us... And perhaps something more in time, if ever it gets to that point." He murmured lightly and Spirit blinked slowly at the words, her neutral (and still rather suspicious) look never fading.

"I do think, even if we may not believe we want to- we are all looking to connect with another person, at least some of the time." He told her, "Humans are very social creatures at their hearts, and even the most solitary of us do enjoy interacting with others, every once in awhile... I am no exception to this, and I do not think you are either." He explained, "I had thought our conversation the other night had gone rather well? You were slow to warm up to the idea, but by the end I thought you'd enjoyed it at least a little, hmm? I know I certainly enjoyed it, at any rate." He hummed, and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek harder, her eyes breaking away from him for the first time since the conversation started.

... She hadn't hated it... And maybe in some way, she had actually enjoyed it... At least a little, he was right.

It has been something so unusual for her- a simple conversation with a stranger, and one that had been somewhat relaxed by the end of it... She didn't talk to people, she didn't 'chat' or anything of the sort- but she'd done it, and it hadn't been awful at all. She hadn't been utterly suspicious of him the whole way through, and though she hated to admit it- by the end, maybe, she'd actually started to believe that his intentions were truly as simple as he'd said... The same intentions now, as he'd told her. But knowing him as both Mamoru and Killjoy made her retract that sort of belief right away.

Naturally, right? It made sense she'd immediately retract what she'd started to think that night at the bar, and instantly put him back on the suspicion list... Right?

... But if they were the same person, both here and back then- did it make sense? To doubt him all over again?

Did knowing him as Killjoy really change anything of what happened during that chat?

Her immediate reaction to that question was yes... But rationally, should it have been a no?

She was hesitating damn it, just like she had with Hawks that day in this very same park... She knew she was hesitating, and she knew she shouldn't have been- and yet still she was.

Spirit grit her teeth, her fingers digging into her arms slightly as she huffed- both at him, the situation, and mostly herself.

"... Why me?" She muttered after quite a long pause, and he tilted his head at it. She huffed again and glanced his way, red eyes narrowed and steady on him as she frowned just faintly. "Why me? You said you have a hard time finding anything to interest you at all, and that you can't stay interested for very long... So what the hell makes me so interesting for you? Why are you so insistent on developing a 'casual' relationship, or any sort of relationship at all? I mean, I have talked to you several times before you ever showed up at the bar, but you've never tried to be chatty or anything of the sort before you saw me at the club... So why? Why me, and why all of a sudden?" She grumbled, and he smiled faintly.

"Hmmm... I told you the truth, when I said you're the only person I've been truly interested in for a very long while." He hummed, "But it wouldn't be accurate to say the interest only sparked when I saw you at the bar... On the contrary, I have found you interesting since the very first time I met you in the field." He told her and Spirit blinked at it, her eyes narrowing a little further. "Do remember our meeting that day? You'd gone against that group of Villains, and defeated them all on your own with little to no damage done until the city surrounding... It was incredible, and I was certainly impressed when I arrived, especially since you'd only been a full Pro Hero for a few weeks at the time." He hummed, "Few Pros are capable of handing that number of Villains on their own and containing them so well- fewer still who are fresh on the circuit and with no prior experience working solo. I had beforehand been interested by your decision to go solo and not join an Agency, but I'd thought little of you until we met that night... But the way you'd stayed so collected against so many enemies who could have easily overwhelmed you through number alone, and how you'd dealt with them one at a time, never wavering, never faltering, and never hesitating... just darting from one to the next, taking them down one by one with a sort of focus and precision I have scarcely ever seen... It was amazing." He sighed, and Spirit swallowed slightly.

"... You were not what I had expected of someone so new to the life of a Pro, and your Quirk was quite a sight to witness first hand like that... You were very unique, and very capable- and when it all came to a close, and you and I first stood face to face... Well, I'm not really sure why- but I was enraptured... By both your skill, and your beauty, and your demeanor as well." He murmured, smiling. "You were very polite when you spoke with me, and you usually seem to be that way with everyone you talk to... But when I complimented you for your efforts, your calm and focus and formality broke for just a moment- and you seemed quite shy at the praise. It was rather endearing, as fleeting as it was, and how quickly you seemed to try and hide it was just as charming as well..." He chuckled lightly, and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek at the mention of it.

She did remember this, that first day they had met- and quite well actually. He was right, she'd only been a Full Pro for a few weeks when it happened, and she'd been working hard to make good on her controversial decision not to join up with an Agency and be solo... That group had been full of low-grade Villains, but there had been about 15-20 of them out and causing lots of trouble all at once- they were not hard to fight, but being outnumbered like that wasn't really ideal in terms of fairness. She didn't remember being worried about being outnumbered though, she only remembered being focused on keeping moving and staying away from getting pinned or letting them get too far out of reach... To be entirely honest, the whole fight had done by in something of a blur- it hadn't seemed to last that long for her, but by the time it was all said and done she'd actually been fighting for some time... And attracted quite the crowd by the end of it. The police had arrived, along with Killjoy- but they'd all hung back and just let her finish her work, because they realized quite quickly that their intervention was not at all necessary.

She'd tried to busy herself with the police and cleanup when the fighting was all said and done, before eventually meeting Killjoy for the first time as he helped to round up the Villains and keep them subdued (those that had managed to come back to their senses anyway). She recalled the meeting being very polite, and formal, like he said- and that he'd praised her work... She maybe did remember being a bit nervous under the compliment, but she sure as hell didn't remember letting her emotions be so damned noticeable... Or like it much that he seemed so enamored with her supposed shyness back then, tch...

Mamoru-Killjoy shook his head a bit to himself before smiling a tad sheepishly, continuing even as her throughts wandered for a moment.

"... I've followed your work closely since then. And when I have met you out in the field, I've found myself quite excited to see what would unfold... Though of course, I realized that because you are a reserved person that you'd not likely see me in any any other light outside of a professional one, so I've never tried to approach you or anything like that. I decided on being content in just watching, and in the few times our paths crossed, and intended to leave it at that... Up until I ran into you unexpectedly at the bar." He hummed, "Encountering you in a situation that wasn't professional was a shock, but it was also a chance to try and act on my interest as well, so I decided to take it." He told her lightly, and Spirit huffed a little under her breath.

"... You didn't answer why." Spirit pointed out lowly after a moment, and he paused. "Why me? What about me is so interesting to you? Enough that you've been interested for that long?" She grumbled, and he nodded a bit.

"... hmm, I suppose I didn't answer that specifically did I?" He mused softly, his arms crossing over his chest and green eyes dropping closed. "Though... To be honest with you, I don't really have an answer." He murmured and Spirit blinked, quirking a brow.

Hmm?

"Every time I find my interest peaked, the attraction has never lasted very long at all. Nothing can hold my attention or my interest indefinitely, I quickly get bored and move on to the next thing- that is just the way of things for me, and have been since I was a child." Mamoru-Killjoy mused quietly with a small shrug, "I am not at all sure what it is about you that interests me so much, but you do certainly interest me- and it's not fleeting at all... But I suppose if I had to make a guess, it's because you are in all regards; a constant surprise and mystery to me." He hummed, "Spending time with you always brings something new to the table, and something to be interested about. I never get bored around you, because you are a very unique personality, and thus far every time I have met you face to face, you have done something new to keep my attention peaked- so I suppose that is 'why' I am so interested in you." He hummed, smiling coolly as he opened his eyes again and dipped his head to her a bit.

"Of course it does help that I find you quite attractive, alongside the fact that you have an interesting personality." He added lightly, and Spirit's teeth grit at the comment, and the way she felt her cheeks heat up.

Damn it... He's always rounds back to that huh?

... He really must think he's charming...

"...tch... By that logic, don't you think you'll get bored of me eventually, if you we do spend more time together?" Spirit grumbled in slight agitation, and he shrugged a bit, nodding.

"I suppose that would be a fair assumption." He mused, "Though I do not believe I will tire of you quickly at all, if ever- as I said, you are the first person I have ever been truly interested in. So I think there is a fair chance that I might never be truly bored of you at all... Well, at least I certainly hope not." He murmured, "I would very much like to find out either way, if you would permit me. I'm sure we will have some fun between us in the meantime, whatever happens." He hummed and Spirit let out a low breath, her red eyes glittering and he smiled faintly at the less than amused look on her face. "I realize you don't trust me at my word, and that no matter how many times I assure you of my intentions, that you're not likely to believe me, at least not easily." Mamoru-Killjoy told her lightly, and Spirit grumbled under her breath at it, her eyes flashing. "If you are worried about my deceiving you or anything of the like, I will mention that I am very bad liar... As you will come to find out, if we do spend more time together." He murmured and Spirit quirked a brow at it, still suspicious, but listening all the same. Mamoru-Killjoy shrugged slightly, his hands falling on his hips. "I can lie well enough in the moment to pass, but I rather lack any motivation or ability to keep track of whatever lies I tell- you'll quickly find me stumbling over the falsehoods and contradicting myself... and by then the deception is rendered quite obsolete. To save myself the inevitable blundering, I do my best never to fib." He hummed, and Spirit blinked slowly.

... Yeah, like anybody is gonna believe you when you tell them straight-off 'I'm a bad liar'...

... But even still, he did sound like he was telling the truth... At least, she thought so, just a little...

... Maybe.

She grumbled internally and looked away from him again, her stomach twisting in agitation as her fingers dug into her arms a little further.

... Hmmph...

Her face twisted along with her stomach, her red eyes glittering in the growing dim of the waning sun and grimacing to herself. She could feel Mamoru-Killjoy's eyes on her as silence settled between them for quite a bit this time, and she grimaced further at the sensation of the stare against her skin.

Tch... Damn it Spirit

"... Grrah... Alright, look- let's get a few things straight." Spirit started lowly, her eyes moving back toward the man and pointing a finger at him... Pointedly.

Ugh

"One- you're right, I can't take you at your word. So don't expect me to put any stock into all your assurances or whatever." She grumbled hotly, "Two- I don't want to talk about anything involving the Club or of the sort, and I am not gonna get into my life or anything like that with you- so it's great you 'don't need to know'. And if you can keep from prying, that's all the better- but I will not hesitate if you give me any reason to think you're poking your nose where it doesn't belong. I will stop you, right off, and then I will not 'chat' with you, or anything else, ever again." Spirit grumbled and he nodded, calm as can be still even under the (sort of) threatening tone.

"Understood." He replied easily, and she huffed.

"And third- I'm not saying I'm agreeing to try this whole 'social' thing with you." Spirit grumbled, "I don't even know if I'd be okay with anything like that right now. So don't try so hard, you'll just make me feel like doing it a lot less." She grumbled, and again he nodded in understanding. "... And then fourth- no matter what happens, I need you to stop coming to the Club. The girls there are way too in everyone's business for you to keep dropping by- they'll ask too many questions." Spirit grumbled and he nodded again.

"Of course, I wouldn't wish to cause any disruptions in your work." He murmured and Spirit nodded slightly, her arms crossing over her chest and letting out a small breath. "I do have an inquiry, if that is alright with you?" He asked, and she blinked at the small interruption.

"... What's the inquiry?" She mumbled,

"What would you prefer I call you?" He asked lightly, "Would you rather I refer to you as 'Kage', or 'Animal Spirit, or perhaps something else entirely?" He murmured, and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek.

"... Just Spirit is fine." She mumbled quietly, her eyes flashing. "... What would you prefer I called you?" She asked slowly, and he smiled placidly at the question.

"Well, I don't mind what you call me- either Killjoy or Mamoru will be just fine... I would not object to you calling me by my first name if you wished to. But for the sake of simplicity, perhaps for now you should just refer to me as Killjoy. It will keep us on the same page, so to speak."

"... Killjoy it is." Spirit mumbled, for now ignoring the bit about calling him by his first name, and glancing away from him altogether. She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes narrowing in thought and slight agitation.

... I had a fifth point... But him stopping me and asking a question... made me forget it... Oi...

... Damn it... It wasn't important, clearly... I'm just stalling at this point...

... Because you're hesitating, Spirit, and you know that's such a bad idea...

... So why couldn't she stop herself?

Fuck

"... I owe you a beer, right?" She said at length, changing the subject now and bringing the small bout of silence to a halt.

What are you thinking, Spirit...?

She glanced his way, her red eyes matching on green as he smiled at the question- not placid, or faint, or even emotionless- this smile was brighter than all the rest she had seen from him, and his eyes shone too.

... You know you shouldn't...

"I suppose so." He replied lightly and Spirit nodded, tilting her head to the right, her expression nothing but neutral now... Almost like she and he had switched.

... I do owe him for handling things after Dark Shadow going on a rampage...

"Then come on." She murmured evenly, tilting her head in a gesture for them to move, and she started forward up the path with Killjoy close behind.

... But is that where you'll leave it?

"Of course, lead the way." He hummed, taking a space a few steps to her left as they started away up the pathway and through the park. The sound of leathery wings and chirping faded, and then eventually got overtaken by the sound of the small breeze winding it's way through the trees all around.

You know that's where you should leave it, Spirit... Pay him back for the help, buy him a drink... But leave it there.

She cast the man a silent look from the corner of her eye, her hands in the front pocket of her shirt and chewing on the inside of her cheeks pensively.

... You know that's the better choice... You know that... So why are you even debating it?

Even if he sounds honest enough... You don't believe it, you can't... So why... The hesitation?

She looked away from him and glanced up, tracing over the branches and the leaves arching over their heads and the pathway they walked along.

Why... Are you considering... Not leaving it at a drink...?

She sighed silently, her eyes open halfway and gleaming in the low-light of the setting sun.

... Is it... Because... He made me realize that...?

... That I don't... Do anything... Nothing but work, and that maybe... It's not normal...?

... That maybe... I should try... To do something a little more... Sociable...?

They ended up at a bar not too far from the park, sitting side by side on the stools with Killjoy quickly ordering off a beer from the bartender and Spirit with a soda... And he said nothing of it, or even seemed perturbed with the choice or why she 'didn't drink' as she had told him. In fact he just sat there, smiling all the while and slowly (gently almost) easing them both in to some rhythm of a chat... Well, another chat. Again, something light and inconsequential, and on all manner of things that avoided pressing personal details... It seemed quite easy for him to keep the conversation going and not steer toward anything unwanted, and with it he lived up to his word- he didn't need the smaller details, and he didn't need to pry. This was enough, just talking, just... Normal.

This time she tried, just a bit more than she had back that night at the Club. Her responses were not gruff, or straight to the point, they were more calm and relaxed, and bordering more on polite than altogether 'friendly'... But she was talking, and participating more than she had the first time, and that placid and usually subdued behavior on the part of Killjoy was somewhat lacking because she did. He did seem to be quite content in just talking... Maybe more than content, actually. Just a smidge.

... Am I just... Humoring him...? Or am I... Maybe...?

... Maybe she really didn't hate it, the talking. She wouldn't have used the word 'content' to describe how she felt through the conversation... But maybe it was close enough.

But more and more as the night went on, and one drink turned to three, she was wondering about it more and more... What to call this, and why she didn't seem to hate it... And why it made her waver, and hesitate.

What was that thing he'd said, twice now? When he told her (sort of) why he was so intent on talking with her in the first place?

'Aren't we all looking to connect with another person, at least some of the time? Humans are very social creatures at their hearts, after all. Even the most solitary of us do enjoy interacting with others, every once in awhile.'

She never thought about it, she never had any need or want to- but was that true?

All her life had been nothing but work, and work harder, and do good, and do it right. Keep going until you get there, and then keep on. Don't waver and don't look back- keep pressing forward, and sod everything else.

Do your job, and do it right... Do that, and don't let yourself get distracted by anything else.

She'd never thought about anything else, or about doing anything else. Any idea or consideration of doing something outside work was not something that had ever crossed her mind, not even in the slightest- the only non-work, and non-productive thing she did was meeting with Death Arms every once in awhile... She had no 'hobbies', and no little inconsequential habits or routines. And she had never given it a second thought before now, it just didn't really occur to her, and she had never considered doing anything else.

But now?

Now maybe... Maybe that's the reason I am hesitating... With both Killjoy, and Hawks...

They left the bar behind and took to walking through the city, the lights bright and clear all around them and the sky a dark backdrop with the stars blotted out. They made their way slowly away from the streets and began a slow wander back through the dark confines of Bakanai... the park sitting content and quiet, and lacking all manner of disruption and chaos it has endured just two nights before. And this time they didn't talk too much, the conversation from the bar ceased and instead they just walked in silence... and it was quite content that way.

... I know I've never thought about it at all until recently... But...

Her red eyes trailed sideways toward Killjoy, the man looking ahead and focused on where they were going, but still with a persistent, faint smile on his face.

... I've given in so much lately... I should have dropped Hawks and told him to fuck off a long time ago... And I should do that now, with Killjoy... but I keep letting myself... wait it out...

... I keep doing things that I know I shouldn't, risking things too... being sociable, and letting the interactions keep on... hell, I even gave in to Sasaki to stay at her apartment for awhile, when I knew I shouldn't have... and I told Tsukuyomi things I shouldn't have either... I told Hawks about the pills too... and I took on an Intern, when I never imagined I would ever even dare...

... I keep doing it, I keep doing the exact opposite of what I know I should be doing... and I can't stop myself, for some reason...

She sighed silently, her red eyes flashing in the dim and falling to the ground for a long time as they both grew steadily closer to where they'd met earlier that evening- the caves filled with nocturnal creatures tucked away, but now full of life and chatter and noise since the sun had gone down.

... even though... Feathers does nothing but annoy the hell out of me... and Killjoy is so damned blunt about his flirting, and now that he knows about me and 'Kage'... I'm still not doing what I know I should... I'm...

"Hmm, this was a wonderful outing." Killjoy told her lightly as the walking drew up and he turned to face her, his green eyes glittering in the lowlight. "Thank you very much for treating me to a few drinks, and entertaining my wish to spend time with you and chat. It was a very pleasant time, and I do hope you enjoyed it at least half as much as I did." He told her, and Spirit blinked slowly, nodding a bit in return.

"You're welcome." She murmured softly in reply to the thanks, though she said nothing of the latter half and he smiled faintly at it, but did not comment.

"Be safe getting home, hmm?" He hummed next and she nodded again,

"I will... and you too." She mumbled softly, biting the inside of her cheek for a moment.

... I'm still...

"... I'll text you, if I need something... and if I decide I want to try any more of your 'socializing' thing... though don't hold your breath." She added quietly, and he nodded.

"Of course, I understand. Take however long you need, and decide as you see fit." He replied evenly, "I will take my leave, thank you again for the drink, Spirit. Have a wonderful night."

She stood still in her space watching him walk away, and then eventually once he was out of sight she still didn't move a muscle. She stayed still, standing there in the near pitch black from the lack of lights anywhere near this place, and only faintly aware of the several small bodies darting overhead on a constant loop.

... I'm still doing it... what I shouldn't be... hesitating... and because...

She swallowed slightly, her shoulders sinking and letting her head fall back, her red eyes searching the darkness overhead, and watching the blurs of black moving passed overhead lazily, her expression suddenly quite somber.

... have I been letting myself... keep on dealing with all of this... taking Anima on as an Intern, talking with Tsukuyomi... and... and not chasing off Hawks... or Killjoy... because... Some part of me has been...?

She grimaced faintly, her red eyes glittering and a single blur of black passing by overhead again with a soft chirp. She let out a low breath, her eyes dropping closed and her voice barely above a whisper.

"... have I been... lonely...? And never realized it...?"

.:+:.

... Is that really it...?

... I don't know... I... I'm not even sure if I know what that's supposed to feel like...

... It's never bothered me... Being alone... I've always been alone... I've had to be... That's the way life is for me. It just is.

... So is it possible... The reason I've been doing everything I know I shouldn't be doing, is because...?

... After all this time... I've...?

... have I been lonely...?

... Or maybe... Am I just bored...?

... is there a difference...?

... I don't know...

.:+:.

"... You used to work at a... Maid Cafe...?" Spirit asked slowly, glancing up from washing the glass in hand and blinking as she looked left toward where Sasaki (Okita) was standing behind the bar with her, stacking up glasses on her tray. The young girl nodded slightly to Spirit's question, smiling sadly for a second before pausing in her work and matching eyes with 'Kage'.

"Yeah." She murmured, before smiling a touch nervously. "... Have you ever been to one..?" Sasaki asked quietly, and almost as if she wasn't sure she should be asking... In what world would the Ebony Hero have any reason to go to a silly Maid Cafe...?

Of course though, she wasn't the Ebony Hero here in the Club, not while she stood behind that bar serving the room full of people in and out, with the low lights and the drone of music on a loop. Right now, and for the last few hours of today's shift, she was just Kage- as Sasaki was just Okita.

They'd both been a little awkward upon first seeing one another for the first time yesterday, after that night and the whole debacle that had gone on, and they were both back to work after the mandatory leave. Yesterday's shift had been somewhat tense, with Sasaki not seemingly sure what she was meant to be doing with herself or how she was supposed to act. Knowing full well who Spirit was seemed to grate on her (delicate) nerves, and it had taken the entire work day for her to finally relax, and come to some understanding that she should probably just act like she had been... You know, like she wasn't talking to a Pro Hero and just someone normal, like Kage was supposed to be.

And coming back to all the other girls in the Club fussing over the poor girl about what had gone on that night did not help anything (yes, they were all well aware by now that Sasaki had been attacked, and Spirit had come to the rescue). The young girl had been fussed over and coddled for quite awhile by the other women, and Spirit herself had received quite a bit of attention for her 'heroic' efforts... Neither Spirit nor Sasaki had really liked all that focus on them, to be honest (and they were both glad when the initial buzz faded off).

(Though Spirit had earned a slightly stern talking to by Bisha and a few of the other girls about her being so quick to jump into a fight- against 6 guys no less- and her lack of regard for her own safety... Cause you know, Kage isn't a fighter and she shouldn't be running off and getting into fights against a group of men she was totally outclassed by... Oi)

Back to the point at hand- today has been much less awkward than yesterday, and Sasaki had been much less bumbling and uncertain when talking with Spirit throughout the day... In fact, she almost seemed less nervous than she had ever been.

Maybe not constantly being suspicious about who Spirit really was had made it easier for her to relax...?

Anyway- they'd both mellowed about a bit, and today she'd actually started trying to have little conversations with Spirit in between running out orders. Which is what prompted this little conversation- about what Sasaki used to do before coming here to the Red Light District... And as she said, she'd used to work at a Maid Cafe.

Spirit didn't have a hard time imagining Sasaki doing that kind of job, even though hearing it did surprise her a bit... It just wasn't the answer she might have expected. And she certainly didn't expect Sasaki to ask if Spirit herself had ever been to a Maid Cafe before (even if it was a fair (and sort of normal) question to ask in the context of the conversation).

Spirit bit the inside of her cheek a little, shaking her head. "Ah, no... I haven't... I don't really go out much at all... But..." She replied softly, "... Did you like working there?" She asked, and Sasaki nodded a little eagerly.

"Yeah...! Everybody there was really nice, and the customers were always really polite too..! Even dressing up was kind of fun..." Sasaki smiled, her purple eyes glittering as she hummed a bit to herself. "... But honestly, I really liked making all the food and drinks and stuff the most..." She mumbled softly, and Spirit's head tilted slightly.

Food and drinks and stuff...?

Sasaki never seemed to notice the way Spirit's head had tilted, though. Her smile faded a tad as she sighed quietly to herself, shaking her head once.

"... I liked that job a lot, but it didn't pay well enough for me to keep living in Kyoto. The rent just got too expensive... And once I moved here, the commute back and forth was too big, so I had to quit." Sasaki murmured quietly, before smiling a tad sheepishly. "... But anyway, we served a lot of little foods, and breakfast and stuff like that. Tea was a really big seller too, though some people liked coffee better." Sasaki explained, "We did lots of desserts too, like Sundae's and milkshakes, and pastries... The omelettes were the biggest attraction though." The young girl hummed, and Spirit nodded slowly.

"... I see." Spirit murmured, her eyes trailing back to the glass she was cleaning, and letting out a small breath. Sasaki smiled faintly at the older woman for a moment, before returning to what she had been doing too.

Spirit had of course heard of Maid Cafe's, she wasn't completely living underneath a rock. Plus, how could she not have at least heard of them? She'd been in Japan for the latter half of her life, they were a popular thing... But like melonpan, it was not something she had ever tried, or given any thought to.

She remembered faintly some of the other students in school had been talking about going to a Maid Cafe, one day... Though seeing as she never payed any of her classmates much mind back then, she'd certainly not payed their conversation any more attention either. Even now the recollection of it was hazy... it had been a group of boys if she remembered right, and they'd seemed a little bit too excited by the prospect of going (There had also been a fair amount of mumbling that the maid's were all so 'cuuuuuute' too, as well as what she would consider fanboying...).

... Isn't it like... A whole big show they put on...? Calling people master and whatnot...? Serving them...?

... I couldn't imagine dressing up... And working to someone else's whim... And being all polite and cutesy and whatever...

Spirit blinked, setting the glass aside and starting in on another one- but not before she cast a sideways glance toward Sasaki, watching for a few seconds as the girl stacked the rest on the tray, and then picked it up with practiced balance and ease.

... But maybe... I can picture her doing it... It's not much different from working here, right...? You're still catering to people, and being ogled at... Though being paid attention to in a Maid Cafe is probably more enjoyable than what attention you get around here...

Spirit hummed quietly under her breath, shaking her head at herself and looking away from the young girl again.

... Omelettes were the most popular, huh...?

... Kind of makes me wonder if they were all that different from the ones Anima made, while we were at Hawks' Agency...... those omelettes were pretty good~!

She smiled slightly to herself at the thought of it, working through the last of the glasses to clean and content in the work. Sasaki stepped away from behind the bar and headed on to the floor, handing out the drinks to where they needed to be and ignoring the catcalls and the looks from the men she passed by. Spirit glanced up several times as the young girl moved, in order to keep an eye on her and watch out for anybody being too handsy.

Spirit sighed slightly under her breath as she watched, the small flare of happiness that had appeared in the Sasaki at mention of her old job gone now as she moved among the crowd.

... She said she liked working there... I can't imagine she really likes working here all that much... Does she miss it?

... probably...

... And she said she likes cooking, huh...? I don't think I would have pegged her for it... though given how her Quirk works, remembering recipes and stuff might actually be really easy for her...

... does she miss doing that too, at her old job...?

Spirit paused a moment, her eyes dropping from Sasaki and to the empty glass she held in her hands, silent for a few seconds.

... I wonder...

.:+:.

"... All ready to go?" Spirit asked, stopping in the entrance to the dressing room and her 'blue' eyes flashing as she looked across the room to where Sasaki had just finished putting her work clothes in her bag... and had been watching her do so in silence, with the young girl entirely unaware of Spirit standing there. Spirit's question caused Sasaki to jump, regardless of the soft tenor of Spirit's voice, and she whirled around in shock and surprise to find Spirit waiting there.

The Club was dead and quiet, all closed up for the night and with only the two of them left now. Aimi had stuck around to help Sasaki with the cleanup tonight, along with Jishi, but both of them had packed it in and headed off home together now- leaving Spirit to wait for Sasaki to finish up.

Given the news of what had happened to Sasaki a few nights prior, all of the girls working in the Club had adopted a buddy system for heading home now- especially if they got off their shifts late. It was a good idea, especially for the area they all lived in, and it decreased the chances of anyone getting caught alone and without someone to help out. Spirit supported the new system wholeheartedly, and rather thought it should have gone into place a long time beforehand... it had been commonplace for the girls to walk home with a partner when Spirit first started working here, but after awhile they ceased doing so, because nothing bad had happened in a very long time... Which she supposed just went to show what an impact bad things happening could have on people, and how quickly.

Sasaki's purple eyes gleamed when she met Spirit's, her face falling out of the surprise and more into question as she paused, holding her bag to her chest.

"O-oh... K..Kage..." She stammered uncertainly, her head tilting a little. "I hadn't realized you were still here... I... I thought Hana and Jishi would be walking with me tonight..." She mumbled and Spirit shook her head a bit.

"No, they already headed off a few minutes ago. I told them I'd walk you home tonight." Spirit replied, and Sasaki blinked in surprise- naturally so, since Spirit had left a few hours before closing the night before... Though it had taken no small amount of convincing on Spirit's part to persuade the girls that she would be fine to go alone. To avoid any more arguing on the point today, Spirit had just opted to volunteer to walk Sasaki home tonight, since the young girl wouldn't have any qualms about Spirit being left on her own once they went their separate ways. Because unlike everyone else, Sasaki knew full well that Spirit wasn't really likely to run into any trouble she couldn't handle when she was on her own, after dropping Sasaki off at her home... and also, since Spirit wasn't looking to show anybody where she lived, being able to break off and head home in solitude was all the better for her. So this worked in both their favors- Sasaki would be fine because Spirit could see to it she got home and safe, and Spirit didn't have to worry about making up excuses or giving away any details she didn't want to.

And tomorrow when Spirit went back to her usual shift from 5am-12pm, and Sasaki switched back to that shift too- she would still walk the girl home, even if it wasn't nighttime or dark outside... At least, as long as Sasaki wanted her to, anyway. Spirit was willing to do it, even if sticking around for it was a little out of her normal schedule- she would deal with it (and the cut in hours of sleep before heading off to Hero Work) just fine. Giving up a few hours of sleep from her normal schedule was well worth it, just to avoid any unnecessary drama or complications that came along for Spirit with this new buddy schedule... and if she had to push back her hours for Hero Work, she supposed that wouldn't be terrible either- though she'd only do it if she really needed to.

Sasaki nodded stiffly to Spirit's explanation, taking a few hesitant steps forward across the threshold of the room. "O-oh... okay... well, thank you then..." She mumbled softly, looking sheepish for a moment as she shyly met Spirit's eyes again. "... t...though... I do feel a little bad, since you'll be going pretty far out of your way to walk me back..." Sasaki told her softly, "... you live in the opposite direction of where I do..." She mumbled, but Spirit shook her head.

"It's fine, it's not a bother." She assured quickly, and Sasaki hesitated, but nodded anyway.

"Okay... but thank you again... I appreciate it..." The young girl mumbled, and Spirit just nodded in reply, tilting her head out the door and gesturing for Sasaki to follow her out. They headed out into the dark and silence of the city without a word, Spirit locking the doors behind them and Sasaki sticking close to Spirit's shoulder as they went. For a very long time neither of them said anything at all, until eventually Spirit broke the silence- which caught Sasaki quite off guard.

"... I have a question for you." Spirit said lightly, immediately earning the girl's violet eyes, wide and intent. Spirit could almost imagine what went through Sasaki's head in that single moment;

The Ebony Hero had a question for her...?!

... Though Spirit never paused long enough to let the thought sink in, if it had actually been there at all.

"... It's nothing bad, I was just thinking about what you said earlier... That you enjoyed being able to cook and make drinks and food and things at your old job." Spirit murmured, "I've never been to a Maid Cafe before, but I imagine working there was a lot more enjoyable for you, than working at the club is right...? The attention back then was a little different than how it is now... So is the whole atmosphere really, yeah?" Spirit asked softly and Sasaki stiffened, her eyes dropping from Spirit rather nervously. Her hands moved up to fidget with her bangs in that same tick she'd had since Spirit met her, and the younger girl seemed to wilt a bit at the question.

"... U-uhm... Yeah..." Sasaki replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she said it, before shaking her head quickly and looking uneasy. "T-that's not to say that I d-don't like working with y-you and everyone else...! You're all so nice...! I j-just-"

"... Its fine, I get it, don't worry about how it sounds." Spirit assured quickly, cutting the younger off before she fell into a stumbling apology. "Anyway, what I was getting at is... Well, if you'd like, I could teach you how to do what I do." Spirit murmured, and Sasaki blinked, her eyes going wide. "... Mixing drinks isn't exactly like cooking food or making milkshakes and desserts and things, but if you were doing that, you wouldn't have to be out on the floor as much. You'd be behind the bar like me most of the time instead... Plus you'll probably pick it up pretty fast, given how good you are at remembering things." Spirit murmured quietly, her hands hooking behind her back and glancing away for a moment. "... You don't have to if you'd rather not, and don't feel bad if you turn me down either. I just figured I would offer, just in case you might be interested..." Spirit mumbled, trailing off slightly when she saw Sasaki turn around to face her directly, and subsequently stopped walking too.

Ah...?

The young girl smiled, nearly beaming now and catching Spirit's 'blue' eyes as the Pro stopped soon after.

"I would love that...!" Sasaki breathed, her voice brimming with excitement all of a sudden, and Spirit blinked in shock at it. "T-that is so nice of you to offer...! I'd love to learn all the different recipes and drink mixtures from you...! E-even learning all the brand names will be interesting...!" She told Spirit brightly, and the Ebony Hero paused for a moment, somewhat stunned with the quick (and very energetic) reply.

She is... Much more excited about this idea than I thought she'd be...

Sasaki paused in the next moment though, her vigor fading a tad as she tapped her fingers together nervously in front of her.

"W-well... I would really like to learn, if you don't mind teaching me... But... Do you think the club owner is gonna have a problem with it...? Since I'm so young... Isn't there a legal age for serving alcohol...?" Sasaki asked quickly, and Spirit smiled faintly.

"... I don't mind at all, and I wouldn't worry about it being an issue." Spirit told her softly- rightly so it wouldn't be an issue... If the Club Owner has any worry about legal age and whatnot, he wouldn't have hired Sasaki for her job to start with. And besides, Spirit didn't give her age even a thought before she said it- and still didn't really think about it too much afterward... After all, Spirit hard started learning to be a bartender when she was even younger than Sasaki.

The younger girl smiled again at the reply, nodding her head and letting out a happy breath. "... Oh, that's great..!" She mumbled softly and Spirit's eyes flashed.

"We can start going through the basics tomorrow during our shift, if you like. And then keep going from there." Spirit told her and Sasaki nodded eagerly.

"Y-yes, that's totally good with me! I'm excited to learn from you...!" She chirped as she clapped her hands together in front of her, her violet eyes shinning as she looked up at Spirit. And Spirit couldn't help but smile faintly in return, her expression softening slightly and something in her core warming, as well as tightening all at once.

"Great, tomorrow it is then."

They went their separate ways at Sasaki's apartment, the girl still brimming with anticipation, and a fair amount of excitement for the next day's shift- it was one of the few (or perhaps only) times she had ever looked forward to going to work. And Spirit even found herself looking forward to it, though on her way back home and all through Hero Patrol afterwards she was running through everything in her head... A plan on where to start, what to talk about- the works. It was the same sort of thinking and planning she'd done without end in preparation for her Internship with Anima... And like with that, she hoped she could manage to be a good enough teacher for Sasaki.

So, by the time the next shift came around- Spirit got to the club early, putting things in order and explaining to the manager that she planned to give 'Okita' lessons in the ways of bartending. He had no issues with it, as long as it didn't disturb the workflow, or the guests too much... And in the event Sasaki stumbled too much, Spirit was very sure she could right things rather quickly if she needed to step in.

Not that she anticipated having to step in too much at all... Because as it turned out?

I was right... She's picking up on all of it really, really fast.

With only three days of working hands-on and on the clock, Sasaki already had all the recipes memorized, and the different brands and brews and everything else too. The first day she'd been nervous and slipped up more than once, understandably- but there was a hyper focus in the girl as she watched Spirit make the orders, where she seemed to rake in every single little detail, and it just stuck. She needed only see it demonstrated once, and then afterwards she was recreating everything with such precision it was almost scary... Her Quirk was amazing, and more than once through the training Spirit found herself wondering what might have happened if Sasaki had attempted going the Hero Track?

Though of course Sasaki was a very nervous person and easily scared, so her wanting to be a Hero wasn't something Spirit imagined lightly... Though, at the same time she supposed Sasaki and Anima weren't that much different, so who knows?

She'd probably make a really good Pro... But even still, being a Hero is not the life for everybody.

But seeing the sheer pleasure Sasaki seemed to find in learning it all, and actually working to create things with her own hands, did make Spirit wonder... Was there a better life Sasaki could be having? Away from being here in the Red Light District, and being stared at by strange men always wishing for more?

She's so young... Shouldn't someone this young have a better life than this? And find more enjoyable things, then making drinks at some bar?

... Shouldn't she...?

... I don't really know though, I can't say my childhood gave me much in the way of knowing the better life, from the life I had... Have.

But it was nice, seeing Sasaki so intent and so focused on it all- even the pleasure she had in what Spirit would have likely considered mundane was enjoyable, and cute.

But perhaps the best part of it was seeing Sasaki slowly pull away from being jumpy and nervous all the time, and shift into something bright and happy, and even quite cool. She seemed to step into the new role with a grace Spirit would not have expected, and her actions and movements became assured and confident in no time at all. She even at times got so enraptured in the work that she lost all semblance of her usually shy and nervous demeanor, and what replaced it was utter calm and collectedness- even in the face of a daunting number of orders, and little time to fulfill them all.

They worked together quite well too, when they had to do so in order to compete with the rush. Sasaki backed Spirit up in every way she needed, and they didn't tread on each others toes at all- they dished out the orders in record time, and even the girls and the security guards commented at the 'fantastic duo'.

This praise had brought back Sasaki's flustered and nervous personality in no time at all, once things had settled again... But again, it was amusing, and adorable... And of course whenever Spirit told Sasaki she was doing a great job, the poor girl looked ready to burst from the seams every time. Spirit just hoped Sasaki knew she meant the praise, and wasn't just being nice about it.

(There may have also been some joking about Spirit being cautious- otherwise she might soon be out of a job with Sasaki shaping up so well, and so quickly... The poor girl had looked mortified with the idea of putting the Ebony Hero out of work, but Spirit had just smiled and waved it off with an amused breath.)

For that week following the end of the Internship with Anima, Spirit found herself first wound up and brooding because of her night out with Killjoy... And still brooding about it every once in awhile, but the work with Sasaki made her think of it very little (which she was grateful for).

For that entire week, Spirit just focused on the young girl and teaching her, and did her best not to get sucked into anything else... Not the mess with Killjoy, not the stuff that had happened with Tensei and Stain, and Dark Shadow and Tsukuyomi, and realizing maybe... Tch.

- She thought about none of it. She let herself fall into the time she spent with Sasaki and at the Club, and she found herself... Enjoying it. Just as much as she'd enjoyed teaching Anima.

She knew she eventually had to think about all of it again, though. About what she was going to do about Killjoy, and what she'd started to think about her hesitation with him and Hawks... And eventually even she would have to do what Tensei had asked, and get in touch with him again (even if that meant 'dinner'...). She'd even probably be calling Death Arms up for a meeting, so that she could try and talk things through with him, and look for some of his sage-like advice.

But for that week, she didn't touch any of it. She managed not to, outside of slipping up for a few moments here and there, and quickly pulling herself back.

Leave it be for now... You can deal with it eventually, but not this week.

This week I just need a break

And she did get the week, even with her terrible track record and luck. Nothing bad happened that whole week, no chaos, no disasters popping out of the woodwork, no complications... She got a break for an entire week- for once the gods, or the world, or whatever else, had relented and let her have that break.

But a week was all she got- not that she was going to complain. It had been a nice break- a very nice break actually- but all good things end eventually, right?

At least this time when things went back to their normal, crazy, complicated state, she wasn't strung out anymore, or hurt, or even just mentally drained... This time around, no matter what happened, she wasn't gonna let herself get so bent out of order anymore.

This time she wasn't going to slip up, and she wasn't going to waver, or freeze, or be a mess, or fumble for words, or anything of the like.

Do your job, and do it right... And pull yourself together Spirit

... But hell if the world, or fate, or whatever the hell else- was gonna make any of it easy.

Hello!

There was lots of jumping around in this chapter, but I do hope you enjoyed it!

The next chapter is gonna be CHOCK FULL of Spirit and Hawks interactions, so look forward to it!

As always, thank you guys so very much for reading, and sticking with me! I appreicate every single one of you so, so much!

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