[junsuina]

[attr="class","bmsk"] in blackest night... The past two days were an absolute train wreck that did all the right things to send Jun into a near-permanent panic attack. It started with a text from Mother: We've received an interesting proposition from a hero family. As such your father and I will be coming out to Tokyo for a visit. We will require your presence as well. This singular text was enough to drive up cortisol levels within her, and after giving her father a call there was an even greater increase as he explained the absolute worst thing a young woman could hear: "Someone wants to marry you." If it was anyone else she would have broken down right then and there, but thankfully the man on the other side was one of the few stabilizing elements in her life. He reassured her that they weren't going to make any promises that Jun herself didn't consent to, but the overarching worries were still there, and she ended up lying away for nearly two days. So it was no surprise that, despite dressing nicer than she usually did with her button up shirt and black slacks, she looked like the absolute worst with bags under her eyes and hair barely staying down; if it wasn't for her ponytail then any semblance of upkeep would go out the window. It was because of this that, despite her mother's stoic appearance, she could feel her irritation on her left. Or...was that because her promise ring was on full display around her neck? Jun couldn't tell, she was too tired to really care. Her father on her other side put an arm around her, giving her a bright smile. "Cheer up, Jun-bug, everything will be okay!" Kazuto kept his hair cut short, cropped in such a way that despite his outgoing demeanor gave off the vibe that he was a cop. Jun always felt it comforting, even without his quirk. Her mother, Misaki, on the other hand, was almost a spitting image of Jun, only her hair was kept straight, styled slightly more, and gave off nothing. No emotion, no hint imperfection, and practically a statue. She would glance over at the pair, lips pressed into a thin line"Someone has taken an interest in you. It is only natural, daughter, to understand what they're after and why." As much as Jun hated to admit it, it was weird. Maybe if she slouched more, then maybe, just maybe, whoever these people were would lose interest. Taka Yasashi

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[Taka Yasashi]

TAKAYASASHI

The past two days had been nothing short of an anxiety attack for Yasashi. It didn't help that his first day at UAU had been absolute madness. Fortunately he'd met some people who had smoothed over the transition a little, but a message from Vega that night had taken the wind out of his slowly repairing sails.

Your mother has made arrangements for your next Marriage Interview. You are to be ready for pick up the day after tomorrow. Please look presentable, Young Master. Your mother will be present.

His mom was beginning to suspect-and rightly so-that he was flubbing the marriage interviews on purpose. Expressing his disinterest in the other party or just down right demonstrating 'incompatibility' had got him only so far. Now she wanted to see for herself how he presented himself.

In other words, this was it. She wanted him to see whomever this was favorably. He wondered if the other party had any choice in the matter, unlike him?

So that's what brought him to stand stand in the private room of one of the hotels the Taka family owned, his mother, half his height but ten times his presence, standing off to the side in her dress uniform. The Chivalrous Hero, Aegis, an A-lister of monstrous strength and one of the heroes who sheparded UAU into existence. Her short blonde hair was kept in its usual messy style, she could get away with it though. 

He wore his best, a suit and tie that made him look even more domineering, which made him feel miserable. His blonde hair pulled back sharply to draw attention to his piercing blue eyes. He kept all emotion off his face, though, lest he draw his mother's ire. It wasn't like she'd hit him out of anger or anything, but the idea of disappointing her was crippling.

She checked her watch, "They're here, I'll go greet them, you sit down on the couch," She ordered, opening the door and brokering no conversation. He sat down with a sigh. Here we go again...

Outside the room, Aegis strode out and held her head high. She looked like a UA student for all people knew, barely into her twenties thanks to her quirk's regenerative abilities. But the bars on her shoulders and the sheer presence she bore down with brokered no contest. She was a walking natural disaster ready to happen. She came to a stop as she met eyes with the small family that approached.

"Welcome," She said authoritatively, "I am Taka Kimiko, head of the Taka Family and the Pro-Hero Aegis," She said, extending a hand to both parents, "Thank you for coming," She continued with a small smile and a nod before turning her eyes on Jun, "This must be your daughter that we spoke about."

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[junsuina]

[attr="class","bmsk"] in blackest night... The trio looked up at Aegis as she approached, each one bearing a different expression. Misaki merely raised an eyebrow, but the underlying features of her face expressed amazement. Despite working with pro heroes on the regular Aegis had a much different vibe than what she was used to. Jun was, needless to say, intimidated, but this showed in a much more aggressive fashion. She'd look away, finding a set of curtains to be much more interesting than whatever was going on right this moment. Kazuto seemed to be the only one that had any level of diplomatic sense, despite the overwhelming presence. Mrs. Taka, it is wonderful to finally meet you in person," he says, reaching out to take her hand. "I've heard a lot about you, and needless to say I am impressed with your work! I was in the dispatch office when you responded to an incident some six years ago back home, and you do tight work!" He had an infectious smile, though after a moment or two he'd look at Misaki and Jun. "Please forgive my wife and daughter if they don't take your hand. Misaki is incredibly traditional, and she raised Jun to be that way, too," he says, lightly elbowing Jun. This would bring Jun out of her spell, and almost on cue would sync up her bow with her mother's. "Youuuu guys talked about me?" Jun asks, though the moment she did she felt her mother's intensity right next to her. "This is her," Misaki says, coming up after. "It is an honor to meet you in person." Taka Yasashi

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[Taka Yasashi]

TAKAYASASHI

Kimiko took Kazuto's hand and offered a firm and business-like smile. From her perspective this was still business until they'd settled on whether or not they would start treating one another as family. Still, she was far more pleasant than she would be with a complete stranger. She nodded; "Thank you for your words, my family has dedicated itself wholly to our homeland and our people, it's just a part of the job."

She eyed Misaki and Jun, nodding, "Of course."

"Yes we did," Kimiko said, "I've been interested in your progress at UAU since I first heard about you from my peers there. You've continued to impress and after how well you handled that incident with the mystery villain, some of the others have been singing your praises. You saved lives while sticking to the rules of engagement for a student."

She looked Jun in the eye, "You should be proud."

She turned to Misaki, "Likewise, shall we go inside and introduce the two of them? After that, they'll go to speak at their own booth privately."

The Pro-Hero turned away and opened the door, stepping inside the private room where Yasashi stood. He'd managed to pull himself together enough to put on the proper poise and posture that his mother expected. His arms behind his back and his shoulders straight. He stood at his full over seven-foot height, his massive bulk making him appear as a mountain in the room. He swallowed hard as the door opened and his mother stepped in first.

"This is Taka Yasashi, my son, and a First Year at UAU."

Yasashi knew what to say, "It's an honor, sir and madam," He said with a dip of his head before looking up to see the young woman that would be coming in next. "Nice to meet you-uuhhh huh?" He froze, a blank look on his face. "You?"

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[junsuina]

[attr="class","bmsk"] in blackest night... "Unknown-" she paused, her mind racing to what that could be. The ship? No, couldn't be that. Maybe...oh that. "I just stopped a theft, and nothing else...nothing to get worked up on," she says, downplaying her own acts. Despite that, she did have to wonder who the heck that was. Misaki's lips turned down ever so slightly at the praise for Jun, taking in a slow breath. "Let us meet him then. I am sure they will find much to discuss-" "We can't stay out here all night," Kazuto says, beginning to step in. "We have a train to catch later this evening, and I'm sure in the future if the two of them decide to progress forward with this- oh my, you're tall!" He says, letting out a nervous laugh. He tilts his head as he tries to get the feel of the room, and caught that there was something amiss. Though the moment Yasashi started speaking Jun paused, looking up at him and going wide-eyed. "Wait a minute, you're the guy that got in my way and caused a coffee-like substance to get spilled all over me!" She says, frowning. Taka Yasashi

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[Taka Yasashi]

TAKAYASASHI

Yasashi's brain didn't let him fully react to the situation, he simply couldn't. His mother frowned a little, tilting her head to the right in confusion while she looked between the two of them. 

"You two have met before? Are you in the same class?" She asked.

Yasashi didn't answer, instead he stood awkwardly on the spot, looking at Jun's face and rubbing the back of his neck. "Th-that-" He paused, made a face, and stood up straight. His expression twisting into a little bit of a smile. That smile broke into a grin, and that grin erupted into a boisterous laugh.

"WA HA HA HA!" He held his ribs, "That's so funny! It was you of all people! I remember that, my first day at UAU!" He chortled, wiping his eye, "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry that happened! How are you!" He'd completely forgotten the purpose of the visit, just happy to see a familiar face in the sea of strangeness and discomfort. He gestured to the couch, "Want to sit?"

Just behind Jun, though, Aegis was staring at him with a frown.

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[junsuina]

[attr="class","bmsk"] in blackest night... The first semblance of displeasure finally appeared on Misaki's face as her frown fully formed. Jun also frowned, but it was on a level of annoyance. "Maybe if I stuck you with the cleaning bill, you wouldn't be laughing as hard as you are now," she grumbles, glancing back at Kimiko. "We ah. We had an encounter on his first day. I was training with some new support gear, and he was in my way. I had to crash to avoid hitting him, and someone else who was nearby came to help. Which resulted in some weird flavored drink getting all over me." She looked at the couch, and a sudden feeling of uneasiness settled over her. "If it's alright, I'd like to stay standing-" "Daughter, don't be rude," Misaki says, the intensity of her glare on Yasashi turning up to an eleven. While she was addressing Jun, Yasashi would no doubt feel the words directed more at him. Either way, Jun would take a few steps towards the couch to sit. "Let's settle in then, and get things started," Kazuto says, looking back at Aegis with a smile. It would be nothing compared to her commanding presence, but there would be a wash of calm coming from him as he at the very least tried to keep cool heads in the room, something that was second nature to him. "I am sure you have plenty of questions for us, and I'm sure Misaki has plenty for you as well." Taka Yasashi

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[Taka Yasashi]

TAKAYASASHI

Yasashi's joviality wilted as her expression soured. His lip twitched and he scratched the back of his head uneasily. He had been trying to disarm and diffuse with a little bit of brightness, but she had no interest in that. He didn't comment on her lie concerning him being in the way. He had just stepped out of his car into the entry platform of the school, hardly a place for testing support gear. No, he accepted the blame if it would keep things a bit calmer.

"A crazy first day," Yasashi chuckled a bit less emphatically, sitting down on the couch.

He glanced up at Jun's mother who pinned him with a stare and he felt his stomach dip out, even so, he kept his expression fixed as to not show any more cracks that his mother would disapprove of. He shifted his bulk aside for Jun to sit and glanced at his Mother.

Taka Kimiko barely gave him a glance as she turned towards the door, "We can talk outside," She said and stepped through the door.


When the parents had left them for their fateful interview, Yasashi looked down at the table ahead of them awkwardly for a moment, planting his hands on his knees. He cleared his throat, "I..." He stammered, trying to think of something to say. He'd been avoiding these interviews so hard and trying to upset them, but this time his mother wouldn't tolerate screwing it up. "Do you want some water?" He asked, "The water will come in a minute but-" he trailed off.

wordsjunsuina

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[junsuina]

[attr="class","bmsk"] in blackest night... Jun would sit tentatively on the edge of the couch, waiting just long enough for the door to close before jumping back up to her feet. Taking in a deep breath she balled up her fists as she began to pace back and forth, all the while spouting in a barely contained voice, "I cannot believe her! I mean, sure, I'm not a very good daughter and I've done things that she's disapproved over, but it's my life and mine alone! She doesn't have the right to do this to me! And I know she's blackmailed Dad in some way else he would be on my side in all this! I cannot believe her! Do you-?!" All the while the gems on her rings would get more and more bright, the intensity of her emotions building up until finally an audible POP! forced her to stop, looking down at her ring. She'd run her fingers through her hair, pulling back on it as she took a deep breath, and then another one in order to calm herself down. "Sorry, just...I've had an awful past few days, and this is just the icing on the cake. It's...I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, I'm sorry." She'd move to the other end of the room to lean against the wall, letting out a sigh. "I ah...I think I'll pass on the water, thanks. I don't want to be an even bigger burden than I already am." She finally set her eyes on Yasashi, tilting her head. "So...this is supposed to be some kind of interview...? Are...are you conducting it, or is someone else coming in, or...uh." She consulted the encyclopedia in her brain for anything and everything regarding arranged marriages. Apart from some laws she studied briefly for an intro course, she came up with a whole lot of nothing. Most items that she could remember didn't have something like this; most of the time, from all the nerd books she consumed, a marriage like this was set up between the parents without any input from those being joined. "Like. If you're interviewing me- wait, am I supposed to interview you? But if we're interviewing each other..." She took too fingers, moving them apart and pressing them together. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm so confused." Taka Yasashi

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[Taka Yasashi]

TAKAYASASHI

Yasashi would watch her pace back and forth, if his ears could droop a little, he would as she went on her rant. He felt a little responsible for the whole thing. Maybe if he just accepted the first arranged marriage that his mother had dropped at his feet, he wouldn't be putting a peer in such an uncomfortable position. His icy blue eyes drifted towards the ground when she turned towards him, his fingers tangled together in an uncomfortable pose. 

He didn't want to be here either.

Her ring popped with the build up of her emotions and he looked back up at her, letting out a steady breath and offering her the only thing he could. A genuine, honest, and apologetic smile. When she started to calm herself down a little she immediately apologized.

He shook his head, "You have nothing to apologize to me for," He said simply, his eyes carrying the weight of dozens of these interviews behind them despite the gentle smile. He shook his head but didn't press the issue on getting her water. The waiter would ask again anyway when he came in. 

He glanced at her as she tried to parse through exactly what they were supposed to be doing, he chuckled a little at her thoughts going back and forth on the topic of interviewing. She was so hung up on the word itself that she didn't realize- he let out a sigh and leaned back in the couch and tried to offer her some consolation.

"Interview is a misnomer, we're supposed to get to know eachother, talk to eachother about our plans for the future, discuss boundaries considering the plans our familes have, dating routines," He started counting on his fingers before he realized he was reciting what his mother had told him before. "I've... done a few of these already." He said with a hard blush, looking down at his hands.

"My mother has a vision for the future of the family..." He trailed off, notably not mentioning his own feelings on the topic. Instead he tried to do what he could for Jun, "Just relax with me for a bit, we'll talk, and you can say I was awful or something and that should be the end of it. I don't want to hurt anyone, let alone a good person like you."

It's what he usually did but he was taking a bit of a risk with his mother being present.

wordsjunsuina

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[junsuina]

[attr="class","bmsk"] in blackest night... Jun tilted her head, her lips pursing together as the cogs in her head beginning to turn as she took in his posture. His body language spoke in a way that he wanted to be here as much as she did, if not then more. In a manner his laid back demeanor was mildly aggravating considering she was letting her emotions get the better of her. "It's still no excuse for me to go flying off like that. If we're in the same boat, then there is no reason for me to put a few holes in the deck..." As he explained the expectation and how this wasn't the first time, she couldn't help but pale a little. "But...I already know what I'm doing in the future! And I don't intend to be dating during all that!" To an extent, she still had a slight childish view on romance and her place with it. Namely, her denial that she could hold any kind of feelings like that and that anyone could hold feelings like that for her. She was on a path that would lead to death and destruction for herself and others, and in that there was no room for romance. But more importantly: "I can't lie like that! At least, I can't lie believably...you're way too nice for me to portray as like a bad person or something like that. Plus, like...you're not the one 'hurting' me." She jabbed her thumb at the door, her frown returning. "My mom is. Ever since I died she's been, according to my dad, trying to find a way to get me off this hero path. I think she thinks this is a way to do that." Taka Yasashi

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[Taka Yasashi]

TAKAYASASHI

He smiled at her brightly, it was dazzling to see someone so passionate about their future. For someone like him, who didn't have enough agency to chart his course, the least he could do was help others stay on their own path as best they can. He nodded, not saying anything as she vented about knowing what she wanted out of her future.

When she shot back about his willingness to set himself aside for her sake, he shrugged, "Then I'll lie about it," He said, scratching his nose. He looked away when he said it, though, he hated lying, but if he had to he would. For someone who actually said that he was 'nice'. It felt good. Really good. He looked downa this feet and hid his smile before she started talking about her family.

He looked up.

"...you died?" He asked, a pained expression on his face. That expression melted away as he took in everything that she was showing to him in that moment, his lips thinned and then he broke into a smile. "And you're still working hard to become a hero," He beamed at her, "That's amazing. I can't imagine that kind of courage." He felt guilty about making such a person lie like that.

He looked to the door thoughtfully, "There is a third option... but it might not be your cup of tea..." He said after a pause.

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[junsuina]

[attr="class","bmsk"] in blackest night... Jun paused, realizing that she dropped that nugget of information on him casually and without any kind of context. It was like Kei all over again, and if she was being honest with herself she didn't like rehashing those details. Only herself and Kaida should be privy to that information, and no one else. So after a moment she held up her hands, shaking them about. "Uh, don't worry about that. Long story. Anyways, I can't ask you to lie either. That's...lying is bad, okay? Even if it could get us out of this situation, it's not something that you should rely on. At least...reliably?" Jun was a history buff and giganerd, and her lack of language skills shown perfectly here. His comment about a third option caused her to raise an eyebrow, looking to the door then back at him. "A...third option? Wait, a third option to get out of this and not overall, right?" She held up her hand, beginning to count off what she could reasonably see. "Option one is we agree that this is amicable and that we go forward with this mess, which based off of what you're saying and what I'm feeling neither one of us want. Option two is I come up with some lie about you, which I'm never going to do, in order to sabotage things. Option three is you come up with some lie about me, which...no. I'm never going to allow a lie about me even if it gets me out of something I never want to do." She held up a fourth finger, blinking. "So...you have a potential fourth idea?" Taka Yasashi

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