⁺☆ Mess Hall

@⭒ ᴴ son hyunwoo /when you announce that i don't know my own limits i merely smile, knowing you're entirely wrong because i do know my limits, i know them very well i just push past them constantly because of the things i have to do to keep others safe
/as for the comment about sharing my pain i think back to my younger cousin who i've been helping and training, shaking my head to myself as i know he's the closest person i have to me right now and the thought of putting even more on him than i have already isn't possible
/looking up at you as you sit across the table from me i briefly rub my hand over my shoulder again before i lower my hand to my lap, resting it over my knee
helping you out? is there something you needed? i'm not amazing at first hand medical care but i can try if that's what you want...
/trails off before i hear you admit you'd like to hang out with me again, glancing at the gaggle of students whispering about me and i just shake my head, smiling a little tiredly at you
you know you'll only see more of that if you insist on hanging out around me right?
/murmurs before i shrug my shoulders again, trying t show you i really don't mind the whispers and comments about me, but that i'm instead far more worried about getting anyone else tangled up in this
/looks at your extended hand quietly before i sigh softly, sinking in a little on myself as it seems like i don't have much of a choice
i have a feeling you won't really let me say no so...
/trailing off again i reach my hand up from my knee to extend towards your own hand, sliding my smaller, frailer hand into your own that seems to eclipse it so easily
nice to make friends with you, hyunwoo
/smiles softly at you, hints of the scrawny powerless kid you used to know subtly appearing as i do so before i'm left tugging my hand back carefully
did you really need my help then? or was that just a ploy to get me to come away with you?

@⭑ ᴴ yoo kihyun A small smile was on my lips as you murmured about things being a little crazy, but I don't say anything about it just yet, wanting to concentrate on other things. More like how you react to the pop on your shoulder. I felt a bit guilty for not giving you a fair warning or even asking if it was alright to do so. But somehow I was convinced you wouldn't let me or make up an excuse to run away and frankly I couldn't have that happening. However when you mentioned being used to pain, I felt a bit of sadness well up in me.

"Being used to pain, doesn't mean you shouldn't share it with others" I say quietly as I return to sit, smiling some. I could see others surprised at my actions and whispering about you. I gave them a look before returning to look at you. "I'll be fine. Unlike you I know my limits" I gave you a meaningful look before smiling. Hearing you say my name made me think of the past, although it felt stiff at the moment, unnatural. Maybe because it didn't hold the same tone as it did many years before.

My eyes turn to your hand as it held a napkin, I realized you coughed into it before quickly putting it away. It almost seemed like you were hiding something from me. But I certainly didn't push for it. "Well, you can repay me by coming back to my office and helping me out" I say with a smile. "Or better yet" I gave you a devilish smirk. "You can go out with me later. A friendly get together if you will" I say as I sit down, grinning. "I don't have many friends you know. Not here and I'm not too much into the gossip girl crowd" I give a nod to the group on the side whispering about us, who in turn realized I caught onto them and turned away. "So how about it?" I ask, making a mental note about the medicine I should be giving you and how we could see our favorite movie together and maybe....You could remember. "Friends?" I hold out my hand, much bigger than yours and waiting for you to agree. God I hope you did.

@⭒ ᴴ son hyunwoo that must be a big change. things are a little crazy in a world of superheroes right? a hospital must be insane to deal with with the incidents that happen
/murmurs quietly as i eat, nudging some rice onto my spoon before i glance over to you again, giving you another small smile as i see you returning my previous one
we could use the help, especially at this school-
/cuts myself off when you suddenly get up, blinking before i feel your hands gripping at my shoulder, wincing when you lift it up before rearranging it into a better position
/bows my head as i jostle easily beneath your large hands, wincing though i make no noise of pain, simple exhaling softly when you're done, shaking my head to myself
i'm used to the pain...
/its muttered so softly i doubt you hear it but its true all the same, lifting my face slowly and holding up my hand to gesture to you its okay
thank you but please, don't overexert yourself. especially not over me
no one has powers without some payback, right?
/looking to your eyes i never apply the truth of those words to myself, selfless to a fault to the point its a hindrance to myself and my own well being
/rests my hand gently over my shoulder, sensitive and sore, throbbing but i see it as more of a payback for me having helped earlier
thank you, hyunwoo. i'll be fine, really
/though my smile is small its present all the same, lowering my hand from my shoulder though i've lost my already small appetite, trying to eat some more since you've bought it for me
/grabbing a napkin i find myself coughing into it for a moment, curling it up and putting it in my back pocket, hiding the blood there before i give you another small smile
and thank you for the meal. i should repay you sometime

@⭑ ᴴ yoo kihyun Maybe it was my experience as a doctor that made me notice the silent pains of your body or maybe it was the fact that I had spent so many years watching you while growing up that I could pick up on them. I wasn't really sure. Though what I was sure about was the way I felt as you said my name, no real recognition. It almost hurt. But I knew better. So much had happened while I was gone, it might be a bit childish to think you and I would be the same.

"I'm glad you like my name." I offer, smiling still as we walk towards the spot of your choosing. I listen as you mention that it's nothing. I don't quite believe you and continue to watch you as you eat. You seem to like the soup and I'm glad you're having something that should be comforting to you. I don't quite mind that you're lost in thought, simply wishing I could have the power to read your thoughts for a moment before you speak again.

"Ah, yes. I just transferred here from the hospital" I give a nod, my real reason to be here being ties to my past. "I thought the kids might need my help, more than the human ones" I mention before standing and walking towards you, standing behind you. "Sorry, the doctor in me can't just ignore it" I stand behind you, hand on your shoulder without asking your permission and I grab your arm and push on your shoulder, aiming to get it to pop where it should, all the while revving up my power to infuse your bone, nerve and muscle tissue with my healing power. My eyes barely healing again."You can hit me if that hurt. But it should be fine now. I promise" I stood to the side, looking at you. "Good?"

@⭒ ᴴ son hyunwoo /too busy nursing my headache to notice your gaze on me, i've grown used to people staring anyway and learned to ignore it for the most part
/its the same when people point at me so openly and whisper, though its mostly students but a couple of teachers give me wary side glances
/as you fill up my own load of food i blink several times, seeing double the amount i'd usually be eating and it makes me smile a little, figuring its just you caring about people
hyunwoo, huh?
that's a nice name
/there's no recognition as to who you are and what you mean to me from childhood, just thinking its genuinely a nice name as i've said
thanks you when you pay before i lift up the tray, almost seeming too heavy for me as i glance around for a moment, trying to find somewhere secluded so i can avoid eyes for a while
oh- its just a little twinge. i pulled a muscle in it earlier, nothing to worry about
/finding a table nearer a corer window i quietly set my tray down, frowning as my shoulder aches, knowing it was actually nearly dislocated in my fight as full force earlier today
/when i finally sit down and get off my feet i half sink into the chair i'm on, picking up my spoon and sipping at the soup, one spoonful at a time
mnh...
good as always
/muses more to myself, for a moment forgetting you're there as i'm so used to being alone, my thin cheek leaning into the palm of my hand as i look out the window, oddly colours eyes taking in the more peaceful outside for a moment until i finally remember you're there
so you're new, right? i haven't seen you around before

@⭑ ᴴ yoo kihyun I heard you mutter something under your breath and wondered what you said. However, I wasn't about to force you to say it again. I could see you about to complain or maybe it was to dissuade me from my train of thought. But you could never do it when we were children and you couldn't do it now. The mention of your father made me frown a bit, feeling slight pity towards you. "Alright, good. Kihyun it is" I kept myself from offering my name, trying to see if this or anything would make you remember. But I had no such luck.

I walked with you towards the mess hall, mostly keeping myself a step behind so I could be able to watch your every movement, to try and see where you might be hurting, what you might have that could use a helping hand. My eyes lingered on your for a moment before I averted them, trying to keep myself composed. It was still small, like the last time I saw you, but somehow I liked that. "Hmm? I know I don't have to. But I want to" I say as we pass the double doors and my eyes move to the different teachers and students sitting at tables and enjoying their lunch.

I catch a couple pointing at you and whispering and it almost makes me want to bend them over my knee and give the brats a spank or three. But my attention is diverted as you speak up. I take notice of the shoulder your rubbing as you ask my name. I almost wanted to frown in frustration, but I didn't. "My name? Son Hyunwoo" I offer, putting some soup on your bowl and adding rice. I try to fill up both our plates as we go. "But the people I like can call me Shownu" I give you a look as if sizing you up. "you can call me either or." I paid for both our meals and drinks, I did say it was on me. "Is your shoulder bothering you, Kihyun?" I ask, looking a bit smug. "I can give killer massages. Healer hands and all" I wait for you to choose a spot your comfortable with before moving.

@⭒ ᴴ son hyunwoo /when you insist the blood game from somewhere i nod a little though give no more explanation than that, not wanting to get into it for more than fair enough reasons
that's alright. you couldn't heal it anyway. its too late
/mumbles under my breath, knowing i'm beyond healing now and i'm just living out the rest of my days whilst the remaining embers of the power that lingers in me are dying out, waiting for that day
/as you shrug off your coat and come join me i feel tiny in comparison, something familiar about that but i'm not sure what so i shrug it off
/glancing back at your office and then back up at you, i have to tilt my head back to actually meet your gaze, frowning as i think about those that might need you
i...
/seeing how stubborn you are and that fire in your eyes i know there's going to be no arguing with you and i don't have the energy, instead giving you a small smile
please, just kihyun. mr yoo was my father
/smiles still before i turn around, sliding my hands into my pockets as i slowly begin walking, clearly for you to come with me as we head towards the mess hall
you know you don't have to, right?
i'm really fine
/even my eyes betray me with their unusual colours, though i'm glad you don't push that much, especially as a newer member of staff
/beginning to line up with you to grab food, i stand beside you, lifting my hand to my arm and rubbing at my sore shoulder before i realise i don't know your name
hey, i didn't actually catch your name
i'm sorry to ask as it seems impolite and careless but- what is it?

@ˢ kim taehyung (UHHH IDK YOU ALWAYS MANAGE TO GIVE ME A LOT OF MUSE SOOOO. It's so interesting to see him from this perspective tbh. I'm used to him being super affectionate and teasing with me but this is a nice change of pace ^-^)

Just who was this guy anyway? Catherine wracks her brain for answers as she looks over the male's visage. Strong features with delicate portions here and there, warm eyes, slightly pouted lips, very tall. She made a mental list of some of her classmates in an attempt to figure it out. And then it hit her. Kim Taehyung. He was slightly older than her and claimed to be some sort of medium or whatever. A remarkable skill, she had to admit, but she knew it wasn't one to be taken lightly.

"My opinion? And why would you be in need of that?" Years of bullying lead to a sarcastic attitude, kindness shoved away in favor of harsh words. If she was to be left alone, it would be by her rules, not someone else's.

She continues to impatiently await the boy's reasoning for bothering her, removing her earbuds and closing up her novel in favor of staring at his handsome face, hoping that the pressure would make him hurry up. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy socialization. It was just that it never ended well in her favor so she tended to avoid it. Deep conversations unintentionally triggered her powers and it lead to her learning far more than she ever wanted to know.

"I have." She mused, remembering when such a system was brought up upon her enrollment. She'd questioned why she was supposed to assign herself to sidekick or hero status and that was their response. "I don't see why we can't just choose our partners. We know ourselves better than the academy does and we'll know what works and what doesn't. All they know is from observation and a stack of paperwork." She continued, letting out a low sigh. "Based on the knowledge I've gained since I started here, I'm pretty sure it's a thing. It wouldn't have become as big of a rumor if it wasn't." She lowers her head to rest it upon her overlapping arms on the table. "I'm of the mind that I can't stop it from happening but it doesn't mean I'm going to like it. They're taking away our ability to choose who we're going to be fighting crime with. For all they know, they could put us with someone who could get us killed or worse-....kill us." Agitation finally showed itself on Catherine's face in that moment, arms gesturing as her voice got louder. "And I don't have to read your thoughts to know you aren't a fan of this system either."

@ˢ catherine chi [ hOW ARE YOU SO FAST ALSDJFASFD i'm thrilled btw that you get to see "this" Taehyung of mine aside from the usual way i play him around you eue he's not "smoof" at all here yikes ]

Going forward, perhaps this isn't the best execution.

Taehyung's charged brazen with the intent to perhaps incite the same righteous fury in another. But when he's met with a pair of blasé, hooded orbs, he finds the decency to reconsider. The idea, perhaps, is fine. The delivery could've been mended.

It's a touch too late to right his wrongs now, but he relaxes his stance--- instead poising against the table with the blunt of his hip. "I do, actually. Your opinion." He knows she's a sidekick such as himself, recalls her easily in at least one of his lectures. He dedicates a moment to fitting the words upon his tongue and that's just enough time for doubt to make its presence known. Perhaps she's not the type he'd have thought her to be... A more 'conservative' thinker who still believes in the traditional regimes.

"Have you heard about the assignment system? Apparently sometime soon every hero here is supposed to be matched with a sidekick." Students of all levels with no immunity granted--- not even to the staff members. "I wanted to know if that's even true and..." Taehyung's sure by the thickening of his voice that he's giving away his bias, but he doesn't care anymore. No longer holds any reason to. "And where an idea like this even sits with you."

@ˢ kim taehyung (NO NO IT'S OKAY. YOU'RE FINE. MOST OF MY REPLIES WAITED UNTIL TODAY ANYWAY SO YOU'RE GOOD ;;;;)

"I can't ing believe this!"

The sudden outburst from a few tables over startled the brunette, causing her to jump in her seat. Who in the literal was yelling now? Umber eyes fell back upon the novel in her hands, annoyance evident in her expression. Some people were just so noisy in this school. First people are damn near dying in the school lounge and now other students are screaming during what was supposed to be a 'peaceful' lunch. Total. Bull.

Catherine raises a hand to press the Volume Up button on her wireless earbuds, cranking up the sound of Korn's Politics in her ears. If she was going to put up with this , she might as well try to block it out. And with that, she returned to her book, allowing herself to fall back into the fantasy world of Kingdom and its many inhabitants.

Growing up, books had given her solace when the world around her held none. Days of running away from a madman could feel less stressful with the help of a story about a land far far away. Consistency, she called it. Something to ground her when the world was losing its .

It was then that her concentration was broken once again. She let out a low sigh as she paused her music, catching the end of a sentence being spoken to her. Her eyes lifted to meet those of the one speaking, a dark brow raising in response when she realized it was the idiot who was yelling just minutes earlier. "Yeah I'm Catherine Chi. Did you need something?"

@ˢ catherine chi [ i'M SORRY I'M SO LATE, LOVE ;U; ]

"I can't ing believe this!"

His fists meet the table as he simultaneously rises from it--- drawing collective pairs of eyes from all corners of the mess hall. But here, bandanna tugging back azure locks and full lips tugged back into a hard sneer, Taehyung can't bring himself to care.

"They can't ing do this! I thought it was a rumor." Somehow, he manages to seat himself again though he's no less enraged. The lighting suspended above his table whirs like a power surge and suddenly he's jarred back to reality. Calm down. Focus. Rein it all in.

And he tries, honestly, with every iota of his being to muck it all up and get over the rather pressing news he'd just heard. But as always, the boy's a bit obsessed--- and the thought repeats itself like a heady relapse. Certainly they were wrong... After all, the grapevine isn't exactly the most reliable source, especially what with how many lips the news had fallen from.

Desperate, Taehyung swivels around, searching for a trustworthy source. Another sidekick, most likely. And before he knows it, he's standing before a girl seated quietly at the end of his own table. "Hey, you're--- Chi, right? Catherine Chi? I think we share a class together."

she eyes the tub of ice cream but refocuses her attention on her cone while pondering "hmm i can't remember exactly but i think they knew each other before coming here. something about ruining each other's lives and having to run away blah blah blah" the two students had definitely had some past that she didn't know of, but was it her problem. not really...yet

seeing the tub in johnny's hands, her eyes widen then her brows furrow. the kid who was getting ice cream when she came in earlier told her they were gone, and when she checked she didn't see any, but now she realizes that maybe they told her that and hid it behind another flavor. a classic play. "yes, share! ing no good kids these days," she grumbles, last part being whispered before she takes a deep breath and internalizes the rest of her rage. attention placed back on jisoo, she clears to rid her voice of any residual anger, and speak in a neutral tone. "so, were the two who started it fighting for something dumb like a crush? were they trying to assert their dominance? what was their deal?"

" yeah, I'd take ice cream for any occasion." He cheered, traipsing over freezer to dig out was potentially the last tub of cookies and cream. Yep, his luck was that good. "I had to knock one unconscious," He mused, hopping onto the table, "Was worth it though. Share?" And he raised the tub at jinsoul with an inviting smile.

off the melting goodness of her lips, she tried to reflect back on the past hour. "well...it started off with two students, then an exploding couch, then a student started shooting crystals? I couldn't really tell, I soon left after that. oh and vines...tiffany created vines..." as a teacher, her face should reflect an expression of worry, but instead her lips curl into a smile as a small laugh slips out between them. "quiet funny if you ask me"

she promptly follows suit but kicks off her heels before taking a seat across from jisoo and folding her arms on top of the table. "how long were you there, love?" she questions, wondering if jisoo could maybe fill her in and eyeing johnny as he enters for a second. "and help yourself, handsome. i think we're only out of the best kind of ice cream here—cookies and cream."

"sure, why not" her words are clearly muffled by the ice cream in but she leads the way to the tables before sitting down. "oh hey johnny, yeah there's some ice cream cones in the freezer if you want any. it's a pretty nice cool down from the chaos if you ask me"

"So I heard ice cream-"

"no excuse to be an iconsiderate , in my opinion, but what do i know." with a roll of her eyes she sips the very last of the liquid inside her carton and lowers it to her side, staring at the floor in disappointment then bringing her attention back to jisoo and beginning to smile. "shall we sit, my dear? i'd gladly stand, but i'm not wearing the right heels today."

"ice cream it is then!" reaching into the freezer, she takes out a cone and quickly unwraps it before popping it into . "huh, it got a bit quiet. guess the other teachers have it under control. and i do agree but kids will always be kids.."

"ice cream is always the best option," plainly states a slightly annoyed jinsoul as she comes beside the other, coming from the lounge and sipping from her carton again. "unbelievable those kids are. no sense of responsibility or care for public property and our paychecks. it's a damn shame."

earlier, she had passed by the lounge to grab a cup of tea, but had quickly passed by once she saw the exploding couch and thought that it would be better to grab a snack from the mess hall. "hmm should i get a fruit or some ice cream..."

☆⇢ ᴏᴘᴇɴ