The Fall Festival is underway. Suri pulls triple duty. But will Eri smile?
"Hey, Mohawk!"
Suri took a deep breath and turned around to face Bakugou. She glared at him, mostly because he was glaring at her, and puffed her bottom lip because she wanted him to just once call her by actual name. She folded her arms tight underneath her breasts and let her bass guitar hang as she gave him the attention he'd requested and ignored the urge to run to the side of the stage because she'd just heard Mina and Toru scold Izuku for being late. She really wanted to know where the hell their boyfriend had been, what took him so long, and why she could scent a small trace of his own blood. But those were questions for later.
"Don't wuss out. We're gonna knock 'em dead and we're gonna show these losers that we're not doing this for their approval or because we need to. We're gonna murder them! And you're going to kick their asses with that thing. Got it?" he snarled, which surprisingly felt very… motivational. He finished by pointing one of his sticks towards her bass.
"He's right. Don't dwell on your thoughts too much," Tokoyami said, facing the curtain proudly and waiting for it to lift. "You've done wonderful during practice, especially starting late with us. I believe you've got this."
"Kuroyashi, you're going to be wonderful. Don't worry about the people in the crowd," Momo spoke next, smiling warmly as she readied herself behind the keyboard. "Just imagine it being another one of our rehearsals."
"Do what you told me to do, Prez," Jirou said, bumping her fist against Suri's shoulder. "Just let yourself get lost in the music and it'll tell you what to do."
"We got this guys!" Kaminari added in, cracking his fingers and watching the curtain excitedly and waiting for the show to start. "Let's rock!"
"Right! Right," Suri groaned and sighed as she was bombarded by everyone. "Don't stress. Don't fuck up. Oh and don't run off the stage and puke cause it's what I want to do right now!"
And then the bell rang, signaling it was ten o'clock on the dot, and the lights dropped.
Too late.
With the lights out, the dance team came in and readied themselves just in time for the curtains to open. Suri swallowed hard and shivered as her eyes laid over the crowd and she froze in place in the overwhelming feeling of anxiety and dread that came over her. Even more so when the stage lights came on for a moment and illuminated everyone on stage before going out again and plunging the stage back into darkness.
It was only a brief moment but she was about to scream seriously, fuck this!
She did not want to do this. Not in front of hundreds of people. She did not want to play because she was sure she was going to mess up and make a fool of herself. She was going to unplug her baby and stomp her black ass off stage and find the nearest bathroom to hide in. She was…
Too late… again.
Bakugou yelled as he started his drum intro with an explosion that rocked the stage and the gymnasium. It also rocked Suri forward as she looked over her shoulder and had the split second decision to do… something!
She started playing.
Her eyes were clenched shut and she gritted her teeth as she forced herself to not look at the crowd and instead focus as hard as she fucking could on her movements. Her picking and fingering was sloppy, she was dragging in tempo from the moment the song started. To top it off, she was now pissed at herself and at Bakugou. Mostly because they'd agreed he was supposed to count them into the song!
Half way through the first verse she felt Atiena behind her in her mind. The beast was smiling softly and breathing against her human counterpart's ear gently. It felt calming for that split second that she first felt it.
"Do I need to take over?" Atiena asked carefully.
Suri growled and shook her head, focusing on playing instead of answering her alter ego inside their mind. The fact she was able to listen to her talk and be able to continue to play was enough mental gymnastics to make an olympian jealous.
"Okay, good. Then you need to open your eyes and look at the crowd. Especially to one person cause she needs you the most right now, okay?" Atiena reminded her and Suri slowly opened her eyes and the person that came into view was the tiny girl sitting on Togata's shoulder. "Our Izuku's bragged about your singing to her, by the way. And it's time for our part."
It was?
Fuck! Yeah it was!
Suri strummed hard and blinked back into reality in time for the chorus to start. She heard Jirou next to her who was moving around on stage, half accompanying the dance team and half learning how to command the stage as a frontwoman. She was belting out her lines and she was sounding amazing. Between focusing on the goal at hand in making Eri smile and getting swept up in Jirou's voice, Suri caught herself in time to come in.
And from there, Suri relented and did what Jirou had encouraged; she got lost in the music, stepped up to her microphone, and let herself go.
My heart is set
And I won't back down
Suri caught Jirou out of the corner of her eye looking at her with eyes full of delight. Part of it was surprise but most of it was utter joy because, where Suri had held back in practice, she was now belting with everything she had. The mix of hers and Jirou's voices were perfect and the two of them couldn't have been happier with the result. It helped to spur Suri to be looser, more energetic with her own movements and, most of all, utterly at home on stage.
All of that fear and second guessing was dropkicked out the door on its ass and Suri was able to just be happy. No more fears or doubts, just her, her bass, her voice, and them trying to make a little girl happy for the first time in her life. And all of that was just in time to see Izuku out of the corner of her eye throw Aoyama into the air and got to watch the crowd's reaction as he became something of a human firework.
True heroes
So wait and see
Suri pulled away from the microphone in time to see Izuku run off the stage and disappear behind the curtains. It wasn't long, but he'd been able to dance for at least that long and got to see his girlfriend finally get over her fear and really take to the performance. And that was good enough for the both of them.
During the second verse Suri was grinning ear to ear, bearing fangs and she more than happily added her own flare to the song. It wasn't something that had ever been practiced but the others didn't seem to mind she was adding in slides and accompanying Tokoyami or Kaminari when they had the little flares on every other measure.
Then came the part they'd never practiced before and hoped she wasn't going too overboard; she dueted Jirou during the pre-chorus.
Tried all my life
I've tried to find
Something that makes me hold on
And never let go
Oh!
Was it overboard? Well, Jirou getting more and more into the song and coming to sing with Suri was a good sign that it had been a good spur of the moment call. And it made going into the second chorus all the better when the effects team went into full display. Confetti and streamers shot from Momo on stage, filling the gym with color while formations of ice and ropes of tape filled the rafters and birds took flight over the crowd.
My heart is set
And I won't back down
True heroes
So wait and see
Through the bridge of the song Suri was finally relaxed and completely at home. She was feeding off the crowd's energy and the stress and anxiety that had plagued her from getting on stage in the first place seemed like a lifetime ago. With everything pulled back during this part Suri was more than happy to tap the frets instead of strumming with her pick, which helped to isolate Jirou's vocals and really let her shine. Even when the music picked up to go into the soft version of the chorus Suri was so loose and oblivious to everything around her that two things happened and she didn't realize they had. For one, she was playing the chorus with her eyes closed, going off of feeling alone and adding her own small flares and walks that helped accentuate the music. And second she was happily singing along with Jirou even though she wasn't next to Jirou or her own microphone.
Hero too
I am a hero too
My heart is set
And I won't back down
Funny, she swore she heard herself alone over the PA. That didn't seem right. Her eyes opened and she realized why as she just now noticed Jirou leaning into her right side. Oh and there was a microphone in front of her because Jirou was holding it there. Suri flinched and her eyes went wide when she realized she'd sung that part alone for everyone to hear. What was more damning was that she didn't have time to react and had to keep up her playing and singing. Her friend never let Suri go back into that pit of nervousness and instead she confronted the fear head on as she forced herself to lean down so that she and Jirou could finish the next set of lines together.
Hero too
Strength doesn't make a hero
True heroes
Stand up for for what they believe
As the music began to build up again to go into the final chorus, Atiena pushed forward to join into the fray. She let a quick ball of energy build inside both of them so it popped as Jirou screamed her way into the chorus and another burst of fireworks and lasers filled the air above the crowd. A massive wash of warmth and electricity hit everyone in the gym on stage making the crowd more energized and excited and was able to make everyone on stage play and dance with a fire in their eyes. For Suri it was literal because Atiena decided to duet Suri and Jirou for the final chorus. More or less just to say she was there too. And being able to see first hand the crowd, their excitement, and Ochako being flung overhead by Tsu's tongue to float people into the air so they could dance while floating was worth it.
True heroes
So wait and see
And looking out over the crowd and setting hers and Suri's sights on one little girl in particular made this entire experience worth it. The fact that Atiena, the beast and monster that lived inside Suri's body and mind, had to choke back and force herself not to cry was worth it. Because Suri was tearing up and neither of them could hold back to small streaks forming on their cheeks as they watched Eri cheering with the biggest smile they'd ever seen. Their mission, Izuku's mission, had been a complete success. And it made the final words of the song ring true and hit home even harder.
Now it's my turn
To make you smile
All that was left was to finish the song. A big walk up and down the fret boards and keys as a band and then one last power chord. And once again, Suri flinched because, to her surprise, she had been the only one to make the walk. It had become a small bass solo instead of a powerful step like they'd all agreed upon and put Suri in the spotlight to finish out the song.
She would be having a word with her bandmates.
Very frustrated words.
Frustration had given out and replaced with nervousness again but this time it was for a wholly different reason. This time she didn't have her bass guitar to act as a sort of security blanket or shield from the crowd waiting beyond the curtains. She was shaking her hands and breathing heavily to get herself pumped up and ready. The concert had ended just over an hour ago and she had had enough time to get her equipment packed up and taken to the girl's locker room before meeting up with Mina, Tooru, and Ryuko.
The three had forced Suri into a chair and almost had to tie her to it so she didn't bail on the next competition. After she relented and let the girls go to town on her, Suri relaxed a little while Tooru and Ryuko did her makeup while Mina did her hair. Watching herself in the mirror as the girls worked and transformed her made her relax even more because of watching the change. She wasn't nervous anymore, she was astonished. Suri wasn't bleak enough to not know she was pretty and had the blessing of good looks on both sides of her genes but seeing the effect Ryuko and Tooru's makeup treatments had on her? It was just… wow. And then there was Mina who took extra care to go above and beyond what she'd envisioned with her hair. The idea was to illustrate the story of her ancestors and bring Azunaihara back to life; in the mirror when the girls were done, they'd done just that.
She had been transformed into the shieldmaiden warrior queen that was a perfect blend of her African, Nordic, and Japanese heritage. They'd given her bands of makeup that went across her eyes and made them pop even more than normal and had added small dots and runes to accentuate the design. And with the full warrior outfit on, she looked like she'd just stepped off a boat full of viking marauders. She looked amazing.
So why the fuck was she so nervous?
Oh yeah!
She was getting judged on her beauty and talent performance, that's why!
She'd have five minutes to wow the crowd and right now she was watching the remaining seconds of Kendo's display. It had been intriguing to watch to say the least as the orange haired girl went through a full martial arts exposition. She'd shown off some acrobatic movements with high aerial roundhouse kicks, great flexibility with near vertical kicks, and now she was showing off strength. She'd had boards and cinder blocks set up on stage and was working her way through the last set and showing just how much she held back when chopping Monama. If he'd been one of these boards or blocks, he'd probably be dead or paralyzed from the neck down.
"What a display of strength and beauty!"
Kendo bowed to the audience and retreated to the backstage area while a couple of her classmates hurried to clean the stage of the debris. Kendo smiled warmly at Suri as she came into view and giggled nervously.
"Wow, that was intense," she chuckled and saw just how nervous Suri was. "Oh! But don't sweat it, you look amazing and I'm sure whatever you're going to do will be really cool."
"Thank you, Kendo," Suri sighed and breathed deep. "You were wonderful out there."
"Thank you," Kendo graciously smiled and then turned a little to show off part of her dress. "I don't think I can wear this anymore though."
"Really?" Suri said as she narrowed her eyes at the tear down the side of Kendo's top. "That doesn't look too bad."
"Yeah, honestly, that's a pretty quick fix," Ryuko said as she slipped behind the two of them and eyed the tear in the dress for herself. Her hands were currently full with the small support items Pazuzu had whipped up specifically for Suri today. "Me or Chibi could fix that. Just bring it by Chibi's dorm! She's got more sewing stuff than I know what to do with."
Ryuko looked back to the stage and perked up as she saw it now empty.
"Oh! That's my cue. You're gonna do great babe, just relax okay?" Ryuko said, grinning wide as she met Suri's eyes. Then she pulled Suri out of her own head even more because she quickly leaned up and forward, stole a kiss from Suri's lips which hadn't been a soft little peck either. "My queen," she purred as she curtsied and then rushed out onto stage.
Suri was left stunned and Kendo raised an eyebrow as she watched the exchange.
"So," Kendo began, letting the word hang full of curiosity. "Like, I know you're with Ashido, Hagakure, and Midoriya. That's gotta be a handful right? But um… I didn't know about you and Takemura. How big is this harem going to get?"
"Um… you're guess is as good as mine," Suri said, beginning to chuckle to herself as she watched the elemental witch, who was now hopping down into the crowd. That was when she noticed both her and Pazuzu give Suri a thumbs up. "Okay! I can do this."
"Go get 'em, Kuroyashi," Kendo grinned and gave Suri a push towards the stage as music began to play.
Suri looked back and gave the girl a soft smile before turning back to the catwalk and frowning as she stepped forward. She was all focused now as she closed her eyes, strutted down the catwalk and came to a stop in the center of the stage. The only thing that was comforting her and not making her stomach want to lurch was the fact that Atiena was softly singing along inside her head.
Because hearing My Mother Told Me would never not be soothing to her.
Sail to the distant shores
What was a gentle flute before gave way to a chorus of women chanting and singing in a language no one in the audienceunderstood as the music quite literally transported everyone from Norway to Africa. They didn't need to know the words though because, when it started, Suri's body began to move and flow to the sound of it. Her ankles began bouncing to the beat, softly counting the tempo as the chanting became louder. She shouted in unison with the music and simultaneously clapped her hands together and stomped her right foot as drums and percussion came in. The clapping and stomping continued as it formed into a percussive beat that rattled the stage as she began to move and let her hips pop and sway with the melodies formed by the mix of flutes and singing.
As the music began to flow and come together more, she pulled her escrimas from holsters attached to her hips and twirled them on and around her forearms. She danced and swayed, making the metal poles act as extensions of her arms and hips that moved in flowing, liquid motions. Her feet moved between stomping along with the percussion to moving Suri across the stage in a slow, graceful circular design. This part of the dance was all her, something that displayed what kind of grace and movement Suri had to her when she wasn't being brash, reckless, and ready to fight. This was her being human.
It was the next part that was what made her nervous about the entire routine because she had no idea if what she was going to attempt was going to work. If it didn't would the display as a whole work? Would it convey the story? Because the story was what she wanted to share with Eri the most.
And, just for confirmation, she let her eyes directly focus on the little girl again. This time she was on Izuku's shoulders and both of them looked stunned. She loved seeing the awe in her boyfriend's eyes especially but it was Eri that she wanted to impress the most. And with the next part of the dance, she hoped it would.
Suri danced and moved as her weapons rolled and caressed over her before she began moving fast as the tempo picked up. The tempo began building and she moved faster until she was practically spinning on nothing more than the tips of her toes. As the climax crescendoed, she tossed one of the thin metal poles high into the air letting it float before it came plunging back towards the stage. Suri caught it as it came descending downward, slammed it into the second escrima to create her bo staff and then pounded it into the stage itself in near perfect synchronization to the loud percussive blast that came with the music. To double down on that explosive hit she let her lycanthropic energy pop in a wave that pushed at everyone next to the stage with a blast of heat.
It also had a second purpose.
"Ready Atiena?" Suri whispered into her mind as she remained in place on one knee on the stage. As she kneeled, she and Atiena pushed all of their power outwards, making the stage become hot with energy.
"Let's give Eri a show," Atiena grinned and then let a howl rip from her throat that filled the stage in the real world.
The howl echoed as the second portion of the musical number began to play and the traditional African music was replaced by loud horns and thundering drums that accompanied deep, thick chanting and yells that were masculine and very much male. It was a very different, almost blasting cold feel compared to the brightness and warmth the first portion had. And that was the entire point that this portion of the story was meant to illustrate.
Suri's eyes began to glow with golden green fire as her and Atiena's power filled the stage and activated the support items Pazuzu had created. What looked like small projector lights were not lights at all but a series of lamps created from the same moon crystals embedded inside her escrima stick bo staff that helped to concentrate her power. She'd hoped that it might have the same effect as what happened when she used the Queen's Gambit where there would be a flash of Atiena.
The moon stones not only concentrated and began filling with Suri's power but they also reflected that energy back as it resonated and mixed with the energy and power already stored inside them. It was the same concept that allowed Tooru to become visible thanks to the stones in her bracelet and the bodysuit of her hero costume. She hadn't practiced it but it had been worked out in theory. It was a gamble and a longshot on everyone's part because of such short notice. No one involved had any idea if what they wanted to achieve would work. Suri questioned and prayed that the full dance would work and continued blindly, hoping that the gods themselves would grant just one wish that might make a little girl happy.
She got her answer when the sound of her tapping her bo staff against the stage in time with the increasingly pounding music was echoed behind her.
Suri's eyes flung open and she turned on her knee, placing her back to the crowd as she looked up and saw what they did. A glowing outline in neon golden green of Atiena in her human form stood not far from her now, smirking wide as she slammed her own seemingly holographic staff against the stage in beat with the war drums building up. Silence then filled the crowd and stage as the drop in the music came as Suri and Atiena stared each other down.
Another loud horn was their cue and, as a mixture of thunderous nordic war drums and tribal chanting and singing came to life, they bolted towards each other. The two of them mirrored each other in the first dance step of this portion, leaping so that they breezed by each other and traded spots on the stage. Suri began dancing again with her staff, swinging and rolling it around her hips and chest while she spun on the toes of her bare feet. Meanwhile Atiena spun her staff around her arms and shoulders, smacking the butt end of it against the stage in time with the pounding drums in the background.
Then they came at each other again and got another surprise because, as Suri and Atiena swung their bo staffs at each other, they hit. Both had to shake off the momentary shock of being able to physically hit and touch each other and they were reminded of the zen garden at Grandma Kuroyashi's. There had been so much metaphysical energy and lycanthropic power that it had brought Atiena out into the real world if only for a moment. It had been the same at the old woman's agency when she first met Yukari. They knew that concentrating their power into the moon stones and crystals could show off a brief glance of Atiena when the power in the weapons was released. It had been the idea that concentrating the energy of their pack and coven into moon stones could possibly work like a holographic projector. This however, exceeded anyone's expectations.
The physical hit had pushed both women back before they continued into the routine that had been practiced before now. Suri had practiced and choreographed the entire thing alone but Atiena had watched and learned the dance on the off chance this would have worked. Both of them had more or less expected to have Suri be alone on stage but now that was a distant memory. It became more distant as the two of them went back and forth, using their staffs as extensions of their bodies while they wove in and around each other. It was essentially an intimate play fight that saw Atiena in the role of King Lucian and Suri as Queen Azunaihara, reenacting their battle that started with them being rivals and enemies and turned them into lovers and lifelong partners. It was the same story Suri had told Eri a couple weeks ago.
Atiena shifted so that she used her staff like a long sword and backed Suri down with a series of swirling strikes, dancing as she attacked while Suri used a series of acrobatic rolls and somersaults to evade and defend against the blows. Once back far enough, Suri ran at Atiena and somersaulted herself past her before landing, planting her staff and walking up it, balancing on it precariously for a few seconds. As she let her momentum shift her back towards Atiena she rolled and let her staff swing over her shoulders to her hand where she held it out straight. That was when Atiena went off script and instead of parrying the blow and twirling down the staff like they'd originally envisioned, she grabbed the staff and pulled Suri into her.
Suri blushed and had to hold back from screaming as Atiena not only pulled her human side to her but, in a very tango-esque move, dipped Suri over her arm. Atinea was casually using the dream Suri had had recently, one where she and Izuku were at a fancy ball and spent the evening dancing, against her in that moment. To cap it off was the smug eyebrow wiggle that Atiena did before she pulled Suri back up and tossed her, letting her spin on her toes away from the beast woman.
That part had been planned.
As she spun away from the glowing, physical apparition of Atiena, Suri's belt was torn away from her waist. She had come out on stage in full shieldmaiden warrior garb made from deer pelts and bones she'd created herself, emulating her carved idols of Azunaihara and Angrboda. When the belt came away, so did the tie that was holding the deer skin dress in place and it dropped from her body being replaced by a long golden mermaid tail dress.
Suri came to a stop and then twisted, backflipping herself with her bo staff in hand back towards Atiena before doing a backwards somersault. The move let her evade Atiena who was swinging her own staff like a sword, missing the first time and then again as Suri twisted out of the way. Their movements together were intricate and high energy as the music started to build towards a climax. The build came to a final conclusion as Suri rushed forward to stand face to face with Atiena, both of them gripping each other tightly around the neck.
The drums and horns pounded in heartbeat like sequences and with the last one, the energy and power radiating on stage popped with an explosion of light. As green gold stars began to flutter downward towards the stage like neon snow, Suri was left standing alone in the middle of the stage. As everyone's vision returned it revealed Suri standing triumphantly in her golden mermaid evening dress. The same one she'd tried on for Mina and Tooru on their date a little over a month ago with its black lace and damask corset and bralette. Around her neck was the obsidian and bone choker that she'd used as part of the ceremony to bond her wereanimal and witch friends to her. The fur shoulder pads and arm braces were gone, now replaced by black mesh sleeves that went from her wrists to her biceps. And now that the shoulder pads were gone it made the gold and jade earrings that looped upwards from her lobes to her tapered tips stand prominently from her skin and hair.
To top it all off, she was now in a pair of black and gold stiletto heels that had been hidden within the back of her fur skirt. She stood, posing with her chin held high as she tried not to look at the crowd too much. That, of course, failed and when it took a little longer than expected to get any sort of reaction from the crowd and judges, she began to panic. Her chest started to heave and pound and she was on the brink of having an attack when the crowd finally began cheering.
It was a hearty applause which released some tension. The looks on the faces of her mates, friends, and classmates released more tension and then, finally, it was Eri that broke her stoic pose. The little girl was in awe and then began clapping furiously with a wide smile. It was enough that Suri finally broke character, smiled and then bowed to the audience before turning around to head off stage. She was followed by Toru and Mina who hopped onto the stage and quickly retrieved the moon stone projectors and the costume that she'd shed onstage. They raced back behind the curtain and right into a flurry of questions and excitement from Nejire.
The consensus was that Suri had done great and the buzz in the crowd was sure to be a good sign. Then came Kenranzaki who left everyone wondering what the hell they'd just witnessed and it made Suri feel like an afterthought. Then again, when someone comes out in a giant golden tank modeled after their own face, you'd tend to forget what you saw beforehand.
Still, even if she didn't get the votes, Suri knew she'd done her best and achieved her goal of at least making one person happy. And that's what mattered most.
"Dude, why are you so nervous?"
This, from Kaminari who was coming back from the stage in the final event of the day and had just surprised the hell out of everyone. Suri was still in shock that, of all people, he'd gone out there and put on his best Brendan Urie impression and belted out High Hopes. The Karaoke Thursdays had made it clear that Denki had gotten into boy bands and other popular groups cause he thought it'd make him popular with girls. He'd stuck by the music cause he found he enjoyed it and surprisingly had a great singing voice. Did he have Brendan's range? No, not quite, but he'd still gone out and attempted those high notes. So in that respect, he was right. She shouldn't be nervous because he'd gone out there and done a song that was probably more difficult for him to sing and did the damn thing anyway. With that in mind she grumbled and gave him a weak smile.
"Because I am," Suri chuckled, and softly punched him in the shoulder. "It looks like a bigger crowd than the beauty pageant and our concert this morning. I've never done anything in front of this many people."
"You'll be fine," he encouraged. He then held up a finger and let electricity spark off of it. "Plus, I've been told to shock you if you don't get your butt on stage."
"Oh really?" Suri smirked, narrowing her eyes at him. "You sure you wanna do that?"
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger," he laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "But between getting hit by Bakugou, Pazuzu, Ashido, and Hagakure or getting smacked by you? I'm gonna get my butt kicked either way if you don't go out there."
"Of course they did," Suri sighed with a smile. She was happy for the support from her friends and lovers. She really was. And then she heard her name called over the PA and she froze. It was only for a second or two and then she was rudely snapped out of her fear when she got shocked on the back of the shoulder. Suri turned to look at Kaminari who quickly backed away but instead of being smacked, got a smile instead. "Thanks, Denki."
"No problem, Prez! Now go show 'em what you can do," he grinned and pushed, forcing Suri out from behind the curtain and onto the stage.
So Suri didn't look like she was stumbling and making an ass of herself, she corrected her stance into a sort of jog towards the microphone. And to make sure she didn't freeze up any worse than she already had been, she kept her eyes closed as she nervously took hold of the microphone stand and took a deep breath. She had the thought to turn around and walk back off the stage but then the music started playing. It meant that she now had the choice of either embarrassing the hell out of herself and letting her and the others down or doing what Kaminari, Pony, and the others had done before her.
So she did the least detrimental option; she sucked it up and did the damn thing.
Take my hand and look at me in the eye
There's still time
Cut these cords, and kid, run for your life
Maybe you're broken, maybe you're shattered
With no reason left to try
But you still have so much, so much worth saving
That you have left on the inside
When the music picked up and began to build, Atiena took hold of Suri's body. It shocked the girl at first but she focused more on the music and less about Atiena grabbing the microphone off the stand. She sang and let herself get enveloped by the song and why she'd chosen it while her beast began gliding her around the stage with a commanding presence. She was no longer just standing still but demanding attention and carrying that attention around the stage with her.
I know that you feel like you are worthless, like your day has come
The misery eats you alive until you come undone
You feel like there is nowhere left to call your home tonight
You are not alone, this is our time, and I am by your side
My friend, this is do or die
Hey kid, can you hear me?
Don't you dare pull the trigger and throw it all away
You have every reason reason left to stay alive
All this hell you've lived and seen
Drown it all in gasoline
Then light a match, pull the pin
You are not who you've been
The past is just lessons learned
So light it up and let it burn
It was not lost on anyone, including Suri herself that, as she finished the chorus, she was all but singing directly at Eri. She wandered and moved around the stage as she sang, getting more and more animated as the song progressed. But she always came back to looking at Eri, watching the girl, and hoping the words made sense.
Never thought that it would come to this
Who will save you?
Fading fast, now you are cancerous
I know you feel hopeless, at the end of your rope now
The fear is eating you alive
So I'll be your reason, I'll be your shelter
I will not let you say goodbye
Have you no reason to forget your pain and swear you'll stay?
If you kiss it all goodbye, my friend, the world will be a darker place
I know you're scared to death but this is not the time to hide
You were meant for so much more, won't let you leave this world behind
What will it take to survive?
Suri's movements and actions on stage became looser and more energetic now. Was it because she was focusing solely on her friends and not the crowd as a whole? Maybe. But she began to realize that every one of her friends, herself included, needed to hear the words. In the end, she sang her heart out and had fun doing it because she was doing it for them.
Hey kid, can you hear me?
Don't you dare pull the trigger and throw it all away
You have every reason reason left to stay alive
All this hell you've lived and seen
Drown it all in gasoline
Then light a match, pull the pin
You are not who you've been
The past is just lessons learned
So light it up and let it burn
You will remember the day you burned it all to the ground
I know you've heard this before
But you've gotta be strong now
This is not the end
As she belted the note and the guitar line ended, Suri found herself directly on the end of the stage and right in front of Izuku and Eri. She was on his shoulders again so she was slightly above the crowd and she was in perfect reach. So in the softer lull of the song she crouched down on the edge of the stage so that she could sing directly to the little girl. And Eri couldn't help but tear up, smiling as Suri wiped away her tears, pet her cheek and ran her fingers through her hair and across her small horn.
Hey kid, can you hear me?
Don't you dare pull the trigger and throw it all away
You have every reason reason left to stay alive
All this hell you've lived and seen
Drown it all in gasoline
Then light a match, pull the pin
You are not who you've been
The past is just lessons learned-
Suri stood with a smile just as the song built up again. She didn't care that she'd missed the last line just before the bridge and guitar solo hit but she was more focused on something else. After cradling Eri for those few seconds and letting the girl enjoy Suri's warmth she decided that everyone should share in the feeling as well.
Let it burn!
Suri belted out the notes and jumped into the air. When the entire band in the song hit and the guitar solo came in, she released a wave of her energy. It came with a soft boom that rattled the ground and everyone near the stage while pushing everyone back a fraction of a step. The entire audience and stage was filled with warmth as the electric wind washed over everyone without a sense of pain but a sense of peace, happiness, and excitement.
Let it burn!
Suri's voice rose as she let herself get completely carried away with the song, letting her voice rise as she went at the last few lines with everything she had. When the same line came back for a second time, Atiena joined in so that their voices rang out together with Suri's going even higher and higher.
The past is just lessons learned
So light it up and let it burn
Suri grinned wide as she finished the song, chest heaving not out of panic and fear but out of happiness and exhaustion. When she looked out over the crowd as they began to cheer, the fear she'd thought she'd have was nowhere to be found. It wasn't that she wasn't nervous but it just seemed so insignificant. She didn't feel stupid for being scared or nervous but she realized now that she could have and probably should have conquered this fear of hers a long time ago.
Especially with the look on Eri's face.
That was what made it worth waiting until now to face that fear.
Eri was worth it.