TDM 002

[etrayamods]

⏵ arrival⏴ Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in the pristine, new hospital, greeted by Aurora and potentially getting a rundown of what's happening depending on their approach to being dropped somewhere new. The door to their room opens, and new arrivals are left free to explore their new environment. When the first round of citizens arrived, Aurora and the companion bots had been largely unprepared. This time? They made sure to put up welcome banners, even if the sentiment isn't quite right. There are cupcakes and cookies set out in the hospital's lobbies, and a digital map has been placed just in front of the entrance of the hospital, telling others how to reach the various locations throughout Etraya. Companion bots wander throughout the city, some carrying construction equipment to half-built facilities while others act as nurses, servers, or sales associates throughout the constructed buildings. ⏵ rainy awakenings ⏴ Many concepts are new to Aurora, including rain. She is familiar with how it functions, and its purpose, but rain has never been present on the lands of Etraya. Given how new it is, that may not be all too surprising - but the method of how it’s being introduced is… a little much. Rainfall commences in the early days of April, a persistent downpour that waxes and wanes in intensity but never ceases entirely. Most nights in Etraya are characterized by a soothing patter of rain against rooftops. Yet, some nights leave the grounds flooded come morning. Rivers begin to swell, the current much too strong to justify trying to go for a swim. These showers also bring a new assortment of plants blooming across the green lands: bright blossoms whose petals spread wide when the yellow sun shines down on them, while numerous cherry blossom trees have grown out of nowhere, flourishing despite the rainfall. Clover carpets the grassy expanses of the islands, weaving a beautiful tapestry of color across the grounds. ⏵ Getting drenched by the rain can trigger a surge, followed by a slump. Initially, individuals will feel giddy, excited, full of energy, and ready to take on the world. However, in the subsequent days, they’ll find themselves feeling depressed, lacking the energy and motivation to move forward. Aurora advises that these effects are only temporary and should fade within the week, but they can be resolved more quickly by embracing a stranger. Attempting to hug anyone they already know well will not produce the same effect. ⏵ With the rain comes a significant increase in the greenery around Etraya that isn’t fake. Most of these plants will resemble ones originally found in the characters' universes. ⏵ A couple of these plants contain magical properties: The Emberloom is a bright red, fiery flower that only inhabits smaller land masses. Those exposed to its pollen will experience heightened aggression and impulsivity. Shadowbloom resemble tulips during the day, but during the night the petals open and it looks more like the night sky: dark petals with specs of white throughout them. Growing too close to the apartment building for comfort, those who look at the petals after nightfall will fall into a deep sleep. Worse yet: the dreams they find themselves in are not their own, but are the dreams of other residents. Ones who had not looked into the Shadowbloom, but had drifted off to sleep elsewhere on the planet. The one who looked into the Shadowbloom will find they cannot awaken until the person whose dream they have entered does. These flowers will continue to bloom through April, after which the companion bots will search for and remove them from the atmosphere bubble. ⏵ If there is a specific, unique plant that those in game (or those accepted during the next round!) would like to add, please comment to the LOCATIONS page! We’ll add mentions of these to the Outskirts section. Along with the botanical resurgence, numerous new animals appear: glowing fish swim freely through the waters. In the canopy above, new species of birds and critters flit among the branches. Some diligently construct new nests in anticipation of the coming spring, while others seek refuge in the shelter of trees, retreating from the weather. Not all the creatures are so small, or so peaceful. ⏵ Small critters make themselves comfortable in the forested area around Etraya, staying mostly out of the way. There are the occasional visitors that will let themselves in through windows for a quick visit, or maybe a snack, but they’re mostly harmless. ⏵ Several larger beasts make their way into the city to try and find land that’s more habitable for them. Giraffes navigate gracefully through the areas designated for new arrivals, using their elongated necks to reach for the foliage near the hospital when they aren’t finding new places to make themselves comfortable. An eclectic array of cats, ranging in all sizes and breeds, brazenly saunter into buildings they don’t belong. Hopefully, the lioness lounging in the apartment complex's common area does not prevent residents from reaching their rooms, because she has no intention of yielding. ⏵ The leopard adorned with a rattlesnake tail in the hospital's cafeteria may be difficult to ignore, given his determination to devour everything in sight and attack anyone in his way. ⏵ Cat scratches and bites pose a significant risk of infection. In the event a character is injured, individuals can expect the companion bots to quickly seek them out and approach them with a special antibiotic cream developed specifically for these cats. Refusal of treatment may result in severe symptoms, including high fevers and itching. In extreme cases, individuals may begin to exhibit cat-like characteristics, ranging from physical alterations to changes in mental traits. ⏵ Numerous other creatures of all shapes and sizes will be coming and going through the city. You may play with this as you wish! While the uproar caused by these guests doesn’t particularly bother Aurora, she does send out a message to everyone wearing an earpiece to request their assistance in capturing the larger animals that her companion bots may not be able to handle themselves. She has converted an island to the East into a temporary holding area until the companion bots can set them up with something a little more permanent. ⏵ network ⏴ Welcome to Etraya! Upon your arrival, Aurora provided an earpiece, a device to make communication with others stuck in the same situation more simple. The device connects to an internal network, which is accessible by everyone else currently residing on planet. Whether you’re looking for guidance, camaraderie, or want to see if there are any familiar faces around, this is the perfect place to do it! Please feel free to post any questions, offer your name, ask for assistance, or maybe complain to the powers that be about how you’ve got better things to be doing than sitting around here completing their missions. Maybe they’re listening. Maybe they’re not. ⏵ NOTES⏴ ⏵ During April, Etraya’s getting a little wet! Those who spend too long in the rain may experience a few unfortunate effects. ⏵ The rain brings in new flora, including a couple that may cause characters to experience aggression and impulsivity, or take a stroll through others’ dreams. ⏵ New animals also appear! While many of them are friendly, others… are less so. The cats specifically seem to be a little grumpy. Characters scratched or bitten by these cats may find themselves becoming just as catty. For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please reply below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. The TDM is game canon, meaning everything happening above is occurring within the game properly. Those who apply to join in the April application round may keep their TDM threads as game canon. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[equivo]

Krouse holds his cigarette politely down and to the side as he comes closer to check out Deku's gear. He can't make out much about how they actually function, but they look practical enough beyond the inevitable PR friendly styling. He makes a quiet noise of appreciation over them before Deku segues into the rest of his spiel.

And what a spiel it is. He soaks up the details that sketch out another kind of story about the world Deku comes from, which sounds closer to Krouse's than Kate's did. The way Deku talks about the slot of No. 1 Hero doesn't strike him as referring to something informal.

Wrapped up in that is whatever the hell Deku has going on with his - rival? Krouse can get having professional admiration for someone you're competing with, but the effusiveness of it all is a little past that, to say the least.

Then Deku gets to the name, and Krouse is stricken by a sudden coughing fit, no doubt attributable to his unwholesome habit. He steps back, covering his mouth with his fist, and turns his head away politely.

"Sorry," he says, clearing his throat, "I'll definitely let you know if I run into him. The more heroes, the better, right?"

He smiles more brightly than he has yet, evidently cheered by the prospect of potentially encountering such a highly recommended, illustriously named hero.

"You must be pretty impressive yourself, if you're in the running for number one."

[wannasmash]

While the unusual nature of his rivalry has always been hard for him to explain, Izuku is not totally oblivious to general ridiculousness. He can guess what Krouse thinks of the name. His outward concession is his smile becoming slightly strained as two light pink patches cloud his freckles. Kacchan's Hero name is a mouthful, isn't it...

"Well... that's a long hard road. One thing at a time, and it's thanks to the support of others that I've even made it this far." Humble as ever. He has to save the world first. They all have to save the world first.

He studies Krouse's face guilelessly but watchfully. How does he explain without giving too much away? It's like the old days of telling white lies to all his teachers but All Might. Perhaps he's not so guileless after all.

"I really did give my teachers a lot of trouble, and I owe my friends a lot too. You asked about my Quirk. Every Quirk has its limits. Normally, most people's bodies simply stop when they're overdoing it. They faint or can't move or whatever. But my Quirk... the power was too much for my body to handle. I had to train very hard just to be able to use it. I had to practice releasing only a certain percentage, or else I would hurt myself."

He doesn't seem too fazed about talking like he's walking around with a bomb of a power strapped to him. Well, Bakugou literally walks around like that, and his Quirk is natural-born. Izuku would have been a poor rival if he got too nervous to make One For All his own.

[equivo]

The more Deku talks, the less sanctimonious it seems. As hard as it is to believe, the sincerity oozing off of him more palpably than the mud is apparently the real deal.

It could just be that he's getting less uncomfortably sad about everything as he gets deeper into his favourite topic. The tinge of embarrassment that takes over his expression is improved by being over something as harmless as a hero's unwieldy name.

"You don't have a Manton Effect limit." He steps back, half-pivoting in the direction of the way out of the forest, something fleeting shadowing around his eyes - perhaps no more than general sympathy for someone suffering from a power's side effects. "That's what they call it where I come from. That sucks."

That sucks, and it speaks to a level of discipline that Krouse takes note of. Most people who lack an innate limit on their power's ability to harm themselves who survive the absence either have powers they project, or something else that keeps the damage they do to themselves from being debilitating. Super strength without a limit would result in dramatic and brief careers for most people.

[wannasmash]

"No, that's not it..." he begins falteringly without really knowing what he'll say.

Izuku had always regarded One For All a blessing, a gift, a great power and a great responsibility, but he knows there are those who think of it as a burden or a curse. Anyone worried this Quirk might kill him has thought it. He knows his own mother did. Unbeknownst to him, Bakugou did as well.

It does suck. Izuku shed tears over it. He despaired he might never get the hang of this Quirk, and he had to keep that a secret from most people. It's not fair. But unfairness and tragedy become the reasons he has to help others. One For All gave him a chance at the starting line he didn't have before. Would he get anywhere only feeling sorry for himself? If he did that, the Quirkless boy would never have cultivated his dream in the first place. Bakugou may have (inadvertently) shown him how to manifest his tenacity, but it was always there.

"There are worse things," he blurts out, and he has to backtrack to make any sense. "There are things I can't bear to think about happening. A broken arm means nothing to me if I can prevent them. It's no way to fight, which is why I worked so hard not to hurt myself like that again, but I also have to do what I think is right. I have to save others and protect the innocent, and also the not-so-innocent. There's someone back home I said I would try to save. That's why I have to go back."

His voice is thick with emotion again, but he stares ahead intently with his vision clear, as if he could make the trees themselves part for him. His steps don't falter. The vulnerability from his heart becomes his drive. If asked normally, he'd say he has to go back for his loved ones, or more generally to save everything he knows and cares about. There's truth in that, but here he finds himself saying something more personal. He wants to save the one in most need: his enemy.

"...Also, Kacchan would murder me if he got to the top never knowing if he could beat me or not."

[equivo]

Heroes are supposed to die. That's one of the dirty little open secrets of the profession. The Protectorate and the PRT, their international colleagues, they all work to raise up fresh crops of bright-eyed young parahumans to have bodies to throw in the path of every crisis that threatens to spill into more chaos than they're willing to permit. The average life expectancy of a hero, the last Krouse knew, was still under thirty. It gets lower every year.

Krouse keeps his eyes forward as Deku talks, the other boy's voice overflowing with heartfelt determination, and says nothing. He smiles at the joke at the end, then takes another pull off his cigarette, ember sizzling down the paper.

Deku probably won't make it to twenty, if Krouse had to guess - but he doesn't, so he won't.

"And you can't have that, obviously." That would be a good place to stop talking, stepping into the defusing of tension Deku set up for him at the end. What does some civilian like him have to say to any of that?

"This someone you're trying to save," he says, slightly quieter than he was before, "They sound lucky to have you."

[wannasmash]

In the beginning, the vigilantes who would later become Heroes didn't live long. They knew what they were getting into; it was a volunteer sort of thing with no supervision. All the previous wielders of One For All died young in battle... except for one. He died of "old age" at 40, the cause remaining a mystery until very recently. All Might, however, is well over that age. He lacked that deciding factor.

All Might survived long enough to usher in an age of Hero-saturated society with low crime rates. However, it was inevitable that a future won by combat let some things (and people) fall through the cracks. Izuku and All Might determined that fighting with so much self-sacrifice and sweeping society's problems under the rug was unsustainable, but it's Izuku who carries the torch.

Izuku's face pinches awkwardly. Shigaraki keeps saying he wants to destroy him. "I don't know about 'have,' but we'll see. Luck won't help if I don't put in the work."

The tops of the trees rustle in unison with a slight breeze going right over Izuku's head.

"Let's say you get back to your home. What are your plans?" Surely they can't be as harrowing as his own.

[equivo]

Krouse makes a noncommittal gesture with his cigarette, something between what can you do and so it goes. Deku's stance on luck is the most sensible thing he's said so far, although there's not a chance in hell that Krouse is venturing into those waters of discussion with him.

Now they can change the subject, sufficient niceties and acknowledgements exchanged to put Deku's relentless heroism to bed for the time being. Krouse is sure they'll wind up back there before they get out of the woods, but he'll take the reprieve.

As much as this polite, innocuous question counts as a reprieve. He ducks his head, the edges of his smile pressed together over a secret.

He stopped thinking about what he'd do if he got home a long time ago. It was cleaner that way. There's no point in thinking about something that's never going to happen, and even less point in wanting it. He's aligned his future in a different direction, short-term and goal-oriented. After that -

It doesn't matter after that.

"Not exactly as ambitious as yours." He tucks a hand in a hoodie pocket and tips his head back to blow out a thin stream of smoke. "State college, probably. I haven't decided what I want to major in, but that's what first year is for, right?"

He brings his chin back down and huffs a wry noise short of a laugh, scuffing his foot into a clump of leaves that break apart on the toe of his sneaker.

"Assuming I don't flunk out."

[wannasmash]

Izuku was driven to pursue only one thing from the start, but that also meant a strong enough setback could dash all his dreams forever. Izuku has a short-term goal as well, and there is a chance he simply won't live to see his 17th birthday. One future cut short for the sake of many.

Izuku looks over at Krouse in genuine surprise, though he has enough manners to temper it. Krouse struck him as intelligent, but... maybe he just doesn't test well or something? Or maybe he's only going because his parents are making him?

Izuku follows the weak trail of cigarette smoke with his eyes thoughtfully. Krouse's plans indicate his approximate age, and Izuku knows he'd get in trouble for smoking on a high school campus. Bakugou, despite his delinquent demeanor, wasn't actually one; he kept his grades and his record squeaky clean. It's Izuku who broke the most rules in Class 1-A, though not in any of the usual ways.

"There's a lot of pressure to do well in school and have everything figured out, at least in Japan, but that doesn't work for everybody. What kind of subjects do you like? I could help you study if you like? I-If that's okay..."

[equivo]

Deku gets a look of genuine surprise in turn for that one, slanted more towards incredulity than affront. He's not offended by the suggestion, which is, in line with everything else about Deku so far, obviously well-intended.

It's just - unexpected. But, of course, Deku doesn't have context. Everyone Krouse went to school with could have told him that his academic issues never involved not being able to grasp the material, or even struggling to achieve above average grades. His problem was that he just didn't care about most of it. If studying for a few hours the next before tests and turning in half-assed assignments still got him Bs and the more than occasional A, why did it matter if he wasn't paying attention the rest of the time? There were more interesting things in the world, like pretty much anything else.

The only threat anyone ever seemed to be able to muster about his high performance slacking was that he'd regret not learning self-discipline before college. He hadn't realized he remembered that. It wasn't like he took it seriously.

So why did he even say anything?

"That's nice of you, but don't you think your escape plan probably comes first?" An easy deflection, once he comes back from the momentary disorientation. "Besides - I don't exactly see anyone handing out textbooks and worksheets around here." A pause. "Yet."

You never know. Bingo cards one month, pop quizzes the next.

"And I'm not really that worried about it. For one thing, the world might blow up first. Kind of takes some of the academic pressure off if college ceases to exist."

[wannasmash]

"I've seen some clothing stores around here, so why not a bookstore? I've hit a dead end today. It's really just... something to do that isn't constantly worrying about escaping this world. I already worked so hard to learn and use the knowledge I have. I'd hate to get rusty and be unprepared for when I get back. I, uh, write everything down to help me start memorizing, but I have to remember that I could lose my notebook."

His nerd hobby. Keeping fit in both body and mind. I hope Krouse-kun thinks it's normal and not weird...

If Krouse had simply said he wasn't going to college, if he'd said his plans were the sum total of eating a meal with a friend for the first time in a long time, Izuku wouldn't have offered to help him study. But he did, and Izuku is the helpful sort.

"Your world... uh... isn't in a lot of danger at the moment, is it?"

Like mine? Izuku remembers the instantaneous destruction of Jakuu Hospital... This kind of thing is sounding unfortunately like a more plausible reason for no college than any lack of smarts on Krouse's part.

[equivo]

Deku doubling down on the offer makes Krouse take it more seriously on the second pass. Venturing a closer association with a hero has risks, but it's not like he shies away from those. It'd be hard to construe being study buddies as part of some nefarious scheme on Krouse's part when the inevitable truth comes out, and it might even help. Look at him, trying to get his life back on track and become a productive member of society. Deku seems like the type to be sympathetic to that.

And there's an underlying wistfulness in Deku's appeal that's hard to miss. He'd mentioned the pressure to do well and have things figured out, and then there's the point of it being a distraction...and is Krouse in any position to turn down an opportunity just because he doesn't know exactly how it might pay off yet?

Even if that opportunity is assigning himself homework.

"I wouldn't mind a bookstore," he admits, "I've been using some notepads I scrounged up from the hospital, but I could use some real notebooks."

It's not weird to take notes. It's just smart. Krouse can hold a lot in his head, but a back up helps. It may be slightly weird to keep two separate sets of notes so that he has a version he can share with other people that won't tip his hand, but that's only if anyone finds out.

"And some books on computer science would be nice. That's kind of what I'm interested in." He says it like it's mildly embarrassing, scuffing idly through another drift of leaves. "But if you wanted to go over some cape science, I mean - I wouldn't say no."

Both topics are things he is interested in. Maybe they could get somewhere with either of them.

And with the issue of becoming study partners more or less settled, he can move on to Deku's easier to answer question.

"As for my world - I was talking about this," their whole situation here, encompassed by a wave at the sky, "But in general? I guess it could be better, but that's what we have heroes for. Keeping us safe."

A little personal joke, just for him.

[wannasmash]

Izuku is the sort who, if he sees someone trying to improve, always wants to be supportive. (Even, say, of someone sent to kill him.) Izuku isn't likely to overwhelm Krouse with homework as much as his brand of stalwart hope. Today he can't quite muster the shining optimism he's used to from All Might, but the hope is there.

Like the hope that Krouse won't think him too dorky. There's being smart, and then there's being a nerd. Izuku is a long way from how he used to be in middle school, but sometimes he falters.

"There's... a lot behind the scenes... I don't know what I'd do without everyone's encouragement. I... didn't always have that."

Izuku looks like he's about to say something more. There's a great deal swirling about in his head: the situation in Japan, what Lady Nagant said about the coverups, and what Uraraka said about the smiles on the faces of people. These things need to be told, but does he bring danger to himself and others now by doing so?

"Computer science, that's really cool. I'd be happy to help you find things on that too."

[equivo]

It's hard to judge what the exact source of Deku's faltering on the subject of 'behind the scenes' is. Krouse would guess reticence about saying too much, but Deku's been open about things Krouse couldn't have dragged out of him with fish hooks. On the other hand, maybe those things don't track as vulnerabilities to Deku the way some other things do.

There's another hint in his reference to encouragement. Krouse can see that. This homesickness isn't just about what Deku needs to do, but the people he's used to being around. Friends, idols, presumably family. Being a hero is a ticket to a certain kind of contingent acceptance that must appeal that much more to someone who seems to have so much to prove.

He'll keep refraining from pressing the subject too hard. Deku knows he's interested. That's probably as much work as Krouse needs to put in at all.

"It's not that cool," he says, shaking his head, still smiling, "Modestly cool. But if you're interested, there's some tricks I can show you for making a computer run faster, and if you need a power supply swapped, I'm your guy."

"In the meantime, what do you need to keep up on, while you're here? Seems unfair for it to be all about me."

[wannasmash]

By keeping up the lie that his Quirk was really his own, others began to assume Izuku was simply blessed, privileged, and stood to have a promising career handed to him. The truth is he knows exactly how it feels to have nothing.

"You don't have to! But thanks... It would be easier to do things on the computer, even if there's no internet here. If I find a computer, I'll ask for your help." Krouse has already offered it, so it's not imposing, but it's still polite to try to refuse.

What will he do without being able to instantly look up Hero facts on the fan forums or catch up on the latest Hero news... Then again, he's the one making news these days, and not all of it good.

"My general studies are pretty easy to learn from books, but I need help with English..." A sheepish look suggests he will definitely have to practice on English speakers like Krouse but is too shy to suggest it outright.

"Then there are my Hero studies... harder to copy without my teachers. I suppose I could start by practicing what I already know and continuing training like I have been. I'm good with self-training, I've done stuff alone before, but that's difficult to do without someone of my class's caliber around. Maybe I can simulate evading Kacchan's speed and power by..."

There he goes again...

[equivo]

Krouse's smile twitches up at Deku's imminent rambling, holding up his hand to cut him off as politely as possible before they careen off into the realm of Kacchan. It's not that Krouse is opposed to hearing it, but he does have some words to get in edgewise first.

"I know I don't have to help you," Krouse agrees, tilting his head slightly in acknowledgment of the fact, "But we should, right? It's not like it's a big favour."

The second implicit request is easy enough to pick up on, and easy enough to answer. He's never helped anyone improve a second language before, but with the help of instant translation one earpiece away he can't imagine it would be too difficult. So:

"And if you want to practice your English on someone, I'm up for it." Delivered as casually as if he came up with the idea unprompted by the sheepish look. It's just extending that principle of helpfulness.

"Really doubt I could be a good training partner, though. Maybe you should put something up on the network. See if anyone else is in the same boat."

If Krouse knew a year ago that he'd be suggesting superheroes try teaming up, he'd have laughed. He keeps his bitter amusement private now. They'll put it together on their own, anyway. Heroes flock together. But there's a little opportunity for Krouse to get a touch of credit, and who knows when that might come in handy?

[wannasmash]

Krouse's interruption helps ground him in the here and now. His face brightens. So helpful!


"Ah--I wasn't trying to rope you into intensive training or anything! It's pretty rough. Only if I find someone willing to. That would be really nice... I'll, um, figure out how to find people to train with later," he says evasively.

Maybe he's shy. Maybe he is mindful of stranger danger on the internet. Maybe he was in the middle of a top-secret mission to defeat a supervillain just before he got pulled here and would like to wait a few days before putting feelers out.

It happens.

"For you, is there anything I should keep an eye out for? Anything you're having a hard time finding? This place just seems to be a bunch of buildings mashed together..."

[equivo]

Krouse also keeps his suspicion that Deku wouldn't try to rope someone into throwing a bucket of water they were already holding on him if he was on fire to himself. That's not ironic. It's just kind of sad, like a wet, lost, muddy kitten.

"I know you weren't." Another of his easily dismissive little waves, like Deku's anxiety is so much loose floating dust. "And I don't really need anything besides maybe those books, if you find them. I've got my apartment and the convenience store. What else could I want?"

A long list of things, approximately none of which he'll be sharing with a hero any time soon. As for needs, there's only one, and Deku doesn't have the power to meet it.

"Trust me. There are plenty of people who need your help more than I do. You're not going to have a problem filling your time."

It took a while, but he finally managed to round back to an honest opinion. He could practically be proud of himself, if he cared. He's more interested in the approaching treeline, and the prospect of turning the overly helpful hero loose on the unsuspecting populace - after he takes a break for that shower, hopefully.

[wannasmash]

Izuku twists his mouth dubiously at him, but there is a soft understanding in his eyes. He says nothing. He thinks there is plenty else a person could want: returning home, friends, a rewarding career, a nice vacation, world peace--et cetera. But there's no point stating the obvious when they both understand their situation in this strange nexus of a world.

"It's not really about filling my time... I just want to help. If I'm able, why shouldn't I?"

It could be a rhetorical question, as he's not looking at Krouse anymore. As the trees thin out, he squints at the beginnings of the makeshift city as he picks out the street where his path home might start.

[equivo]

Rhetorical or not, it's not the kind of question that calls for a sincere answer. Anyone asking a question like that has already decided they know what their answer is, and there's nothing anyone else, especially not a stranger, can say to change their mind.

So Krouse might as well call this a rhetorical answer.

"Because there's only so many hours in the day, unless you know something about time I don't." A little resigned, but mostly tired. "Prioritization. It's a lifesaver."

An observation as trite as anything Deku has said so far. He's pretty sure by now that Deku is one of the types who thinks trying harder is a substitute for practically any lack of time, resources, or information. There's no helping people like that, even if he wanted to.

[wannasmash]

He twists his mouth at Krouse in a frown, looking a little like Mr. Aizawa just called him "problem child" again. Then he tilts his face towards the sky, or what passes for it. The rain is annoying, but it helps wash away the mud. Krouse is being annoying, but what he's saying isn't inaccurate.

"Thanks, Krouse-kun," he says, because it would be good for him to say it. "Of course I can't save everyone. Just the people I can, with what I have."

He asked All Might once, because he wanted to know if the man he thought of as a god could. All Might told him he couldn't, which makes logical sense. And yet Izuku did try, unable to let a single incident pass and losing sleep in the process. As soon as he woke up in the hospital, he made plans to leave it and UA.

He shouldn't have, and he ruminates on that as he walks into the city proper.

[equivo]

Krouse takes note of the frown. It seems like that's what it takes to get a rise out of Deku: anything that edges up on the territory of who can be saved and who can't.

What he says sounds like a decent limit. Krouse wonders where he picked it up. Was it a mentor, a parent, a friend? Repetition from any or all of them trying to bring the point home? As lip service goes, Krouse can almost believe that he's trying to mean it.

But at the start of their little talk, Deku said the goal should always be saving everyone, and Krouse thinks he actually believes Deku on that. Even if he says he accepts it can't be done, it's the stubborn, unextinguishable hope that you might be wrong that gets you.

Krouse knows that much from experience.

"Yeah," he says, quietly, "Good luck with that."

When they're back on paved roads, Krouse gives Deku a little wave and a friendly enough smile as he murmurs a few necessary words of goodbye before he peels away. He doesn't have anything in mind except being somewhere Deku isn't, so he can light up his next smoke in peace.