[Kazashi McCoy]

It was just a quick bus ride to get to the Bay area from where she lived. As she stood and stared out the window idly, her eyes lit up briefly when they drove past the UAU campus. So many nostalgic memories and it hadn't even been that long. When was the last time she had seen Mochi anyway? It felt like a while. There was their whole graduation ceremony, their celebrations after with Chuck and Futaba, but then life just sort of returned to normalcy. They were both adults working full-time, as heroes no less. It wasn't exactly the kind of job that gave the most days off on any given year, but their schedules had finally lined up.

They had agreed to meet at this nice seaside cafe. It was a great place to catch up and an even better place to combat the increasing Spring heat as they would get the gentle ocean breeze blowing on them while they talked. Kazashi arrived early and decided to get a table for the both of them, ordering herself a fruity boba tea while she waited. It probably wouldn't be too long until her friend arrived anyway. She was wearing a cozy sundress and a summer hat that managed to hide away her horns, as well as a trendy pair of sunglasses to keep the sun out of her eyes. From her outfit of choice one might even assume it was Summer already! But no, it was just Kaz wearing whatever she felt like. With her legs crossed she looked out over the ocean, smiling to herself. Life had been great to her and Chuck recently.

mochi

[mochi]

As it turned out, it really wasn't long until Mochi arrived. Thinking of arriving early herself, the blonde stepped showed up just a few minutes after Kazashi had. Baseball cap with the word 'EMPTY' printed across it in big bold letters atop her head, the short young woman was decked out in her usual mix of flowy-and-sporty fashion. A sundress with a denim cropped jacket over the top, leggings and a pair of brand new sneakers. Glancing around this way and that, the blonde's face practically lit up when she spotted her friend.

"Hoiiiii, Kaz-chan!" Mochi scurried over with one hand raised high up over head, practically bouncing between steps before plopping down in a seat. Then her face suddenly puffed out in a pout, a bit of mock grumpiness in her tone as she crossed her arms over her chest and complained: "How did you get here first? I left extra early and everything!" The pout was short lived and she broke out into a big broad smile, giving her head a tilt to one side and sending her takoyaki earrings swaying. "It's been way too long! How are you? How is Chuck-kun?"

She had to visibly restrain herself from bombarding her with other questions. One might think they hadn't seen each other in years, but in all honestly it hadn't really been that long. It just felt like it when they used to hang out nearly every day living in the same dorm and all that! They still talked plenty through texts and stuff, but with Kaz living with Chuck and Mochi living with Futaba and both of them often doing hero work or other things at different times it had been a hot minute since they could sit down together again. Maybe Mochi would have to see about trying to line up their patrol routes and schedules so they could work together more often? They were a great team anyways, so it only made sense in her book!

[Kazashi McCoy]

''Momo!'' She smiled waving her friend down. It was kind of comforting to see Mochi wear the same cap as always. Even with the world and society they were living in going through so many changes somethings always stayed the same. ''Ah took the bus, guess our apartment isn't far from this place.'' Her and Chuck were just lucky like that, finding a dream apartment together. Close to work, safe, just their own little space in their own tiny little corner of Tokyo.

''Ah'm good, work's been treatin' me pretty great, almost makes ya wonder if the school was tryin' ta scare us out of becomin' heroes or somethin'.'' She had nothing against UAU, maybe it was just a testament to how they had been prepared for actual hero life, that now that they were finally here it felt less demanding than going to school. ''Chuck-kun's doin' great too, he gets cuter by the day.'' At this point a waiter came up to ask for Mochi's order. After he left Kaz continued their conversation. ''How about ya an' Fufu? How is it bein' adults.'' She joked, something she had done commonly as a uni student was joke about graduating and having to become real adults.

When their drinks arrived Kazashi happily accepted her boba tea and took a big sip out of it. Even with the ocean breeze sitting in the sun could get toasty fast. ''It's nice ta be down by the ocean for a change.'' She took her sunglasses off and placed them on the table. ''Actually, somethin' great has happened since we last saw each other, but ya have ta guess it!'' She grinned cheekily, placing the straw of her boba in her mouth for another sip.

mochi

[mochi]

Mochi feigned disappointment with a silent snap of her fingers, more just doing the motion for the effect than anything, at Kaz's 'secret' to how she got here before Mochi did. Sometimes locations just hashed out that way when you were meeting up with people! Listening to Kaz, she chimed in with a "Right?" in agreement about UAU before giggling at the description of Chuck. Honestly, Kaz and Chuck were hopelessly sappy! Not that Mochi had any right to talk - she felt and acted the same way about Futaba... but that wouldn't stop her from teasing her friends about it.

Or it wouldn't, if Kaz shifting the topic to Futaba didn't immediately distract her.

"It's amazing!" Mochi beamed happily, practically puffing up with pride and all manner of other positive feelings. "She's amazing." She spent the short time between that question and the arrival of their drinks gushing about her life with Futaba since they had come back to Japan, letting Kaz get in her own comments about her own life if she wanted to share. Drink in hand and sipping at it, she gave a little nod in agreement about the ocean - not taking the straw out of her mouth to answer verbally - before tilting her head to the side at the cheeky grin on Kaz's face and the challenge presented to her.

Quietly sipping on her drink, Mochi's face scrunched up in focus as she thought about everything Kaz had said, thought about anything she might have heard from Chuck or Futaba, and when none of those gave her any clues she turned her attention to looking her friend over. Being a copycat and a stealth focused hero had given Mochi a lot more observation skills than her baseball cap would suggest, and after a glance she finally pulled her straw out of her mouth with big wide blue eyes and pointed at Kaz with her free hand.

"You're pregnant!" Mochi declared with the biggest, broadest smile starting to stretch across her face in anticipation of Kaz telling her that she was right. It'd be a huge bummer if she wasn't right, actually, because Kaz and Chuck having a kid would be super exciting! Would they be blue? Would they have horns? Would they have BLUE horns? The possibilities were endless, and it was a huge development in the lives of her two closest friends! Would she get to be Aunt Mochi?

[Kazashi McCoy]

Kazashi chuckled at the little snap effect. She had missed Mochi and all her little mannerisms. She continued to happily listen to Mochi gush about her girl, making a mental note to swing by and say hi herself whenever she would happen to visit UAU. Now that she was a pro hero she was working out in society, but chances were the school called her back sooner or later. Who knew! ''We helped my mom move down ta Tokyo recently, so visitin' her or gettin' visits from her has become easier than ever.'' She chimed in once Mochi gave her the moment to.

And there she was, smug as can be looking directly at Mochi. An open to challenge to guess what it was, what could it be? ~ When Mochi made her guess, Kaz damn near choked on her boba tea as she stammered out. ''H-How did ya know?! Did Chuck-kun tell ya?'' She had been a fool to underestimate the master of stealth and impersonation. Her perception was no joke and Kaz couldn't help but laugh at how impressive that was, pulling her hat down slightly to hide her blush. ''A-Ah am, but only ya an' Chuchu an' my mom knows.'' She was still a bit embarrassed about announcing it to others in her social sphere, although she would have to tell her workplace eventually. ''It's how do ya put it... Ah don't know how ta bring it up, how ta announce it ta a ton of people, ya know that sorta thing. Y-Ya can tell Fufu though!! Or Ah'll do it!'' She was so flustered all of a sudden, taking another sip from her boba tea. ''But that's not all Momo it's... They're...'' She let out a little sigh, smiling back at her friend.

''With twins.''

mochi

[mochi]

Hearing that Kaz's mom had moved to Tokyo too and that visiting was easier now got a "That's great!" from Mochi. She meant it too. Kaz's mom had been through a lot, and so had Kaz, and she was glad they could finally be a family again. A family that was going to get bigger from the sounds of it, too!

Grinning smugly and keeping her secret for now, Mochi didn't answer how she knew and let her confirm it for her. Hearing that she was one of the first to be told had her eyes watering - but the blonde held back tears as she nodded along enthusiastically. Honestly, they never really taught people how to navigate topics like that and even tv shows and movies didn't really go over it either unless it was like a super conflicted dramatic thing for some reason or other. Never just 'hey Im having a kid!' or anything like that.

Mulling over if she should tell Futaba or if Kaz could, Mochi honestly couldn't wait to tell Futaba herself but... At the same time it probably would be great for Kaz and Futaba both if she heard it right from her. Just had to find the time to get the two in the same room again.

That particular concern went out of her head though when Kaz revealed it was twins, and Mochi's eyes went wide and her smile got even bigger. "Twins!?! That's fantastic, Kaz-chan!" Mochi was probably biased but as an only child she had been incredibly lonely growing up. She knew age gaps could make things hard for older and younger siblings too sometimes, and twins probably had their share of problems as well but... At least they'd always have each other to hang out with and stuff! Plus, knowing Kaz and Chuck that was probably more of a 'so far' situation - something she made a mental note to tease Kaz and Chuck both about later. For now, she had something much more immediate to tease her best friend about as her expression turned smug once more.

"No wonder I could tell," Mochi brought both her hands up and mimed them going across her chest in a big arc before bringing one around to smack at her own hip. "You're gettin' hella big already! Bet Chuck-kun can't keep his hands off you." Then settling down, remembering their old dorm days a bit and tilting her head to one side with a cautious glance she asked: "You feelin' alright about it?"

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

''O-Oi not allowed! Ya can't tear up or Ah'll cry too!'' She threatened with a smile, wiping a tear away from her own eye. ''Right? It surprised me an' Chuck-kun too.'' She chuckled. To find out she was pregnant was already great news, but to hear that it was twins? It was like another set of great news on top of already great news! As Mochi and her gushed she would continue to drink from her boba tea. Pouting with the straw still in her mouth as her best friend teased her. ''W-What do ya mean by that ya little shit?!'' It was true, she was getting bigger and well... Chuck as far as she knew felt the same way she did. Every day they fell more and more in love with each other. To some people their love would probably be sickening, but Kaz hella wouldn't have it any other way!

''Don't make me turn my hands inta scarfs, yer well within my reach, Momo.'' She threatened playfully. ''Me? About all this?'' She smiled warmly. ''Ah've never been better. Ah grew up as an orphan an' even though my parents were both alive an' Ah reconnected with one of 'em, startin' a family of my own has always been a dream of mine.'' Her and Chuck were both orphans, to have their kids together and start the happiest little family in spite of all that? It was the ultimate defiance of fate and Kaz, rebellious as she was, was all about it. ''It's a big step, but Ah'm ready ta take it. Excited ta, ya know?''

''Do ya have any big plans yerself?''

mochi

[mochi]

Mochi laughed at Kaz banning crying for the purpose of avoiding crying herself, giving one big sniffle and then managing to keep herself composed. If the waterworks started she absolutely didn't doubt that Kaz would be bawling her eyes out - but in a good way! Hearing that Kaz and Chuck had been surprised was no surprise, and Mochi responded to the playful threat by bringing her hands up in front of her in a defenseless gesture... but the giant, smug grin on her face didn't budge at all.

The way Kaz summed it up though was more than just reassuring that her best friend was doing well, it made her feel proud of her. That she had gotten through all that stuff she had been through, even during their time at UAU, and was building a loving family of her own? It would have been really easy to let things break her spirit at a few different points but Kaz had powered through. Chuck, too, for that matter - she was going to have to tease and be proud of him just as much next time she saw him.

"Yeah, of course!" Mochi agreed. "I feel excited just hearin' about it, so you two must be bouncin' off the walls all the time!" The blonde took a moment to giggle at that mental image, before glancing up at the sky and putting a finger to her chin in thought. "Fu-chan's work is going great, streamin' and at UA. Modeling is going great for me, same for the Pro Heroinging. We get to spend more time together than ever, too, lots of date nights and cozy days at home. I think our plan right now is to enjoy life and save up money for like, any remodeling or big trips or anything we want to do down the road." Looking back down at Kaz, she crossed her arms lightly over her chest and gave a mock-pout. "Even after graduating I'm still not any taller, though - Fu-chan's taller than me now!"

[Kazashi McCoy]

Mochi might be older than they were in their UAU days when they first met as hero students, but her smug face brought her right back to those days. ''That's one way ya could describe it.'' She giggled. ''Chuck-kun took it really well, Ah was so nervous ta tell him about it. Now Ah don't even remember why Ah was nervous, we had talked about wantin' kids before an' all that.'' She took a sip of her drink and looked at Mochi as she talked about Futaba and the goings on in their life together.

''That sounds like an absolute dream.'' She sighed blissfully. ''The cozy jobs, the date nights an' the savin' funds yer gonna need someday. Ya don't need 'em right now, but knowin' they're there is just such a nice feelin' isn't it? Chuck an' Ah was savin' quite a bit too, but some of them are gonna disappear now that the lil ones are on the way.'' She grinned, thinking about how they were already preparing for having kids, Chuck putting his hands to work crafting the cutest cribs and toys, Kaz knitting and sewing the smallest socks and beanies she had ever made, all the while they both learned about being parents together. Read about it, watched videos, all that good stuff!

''That's Fufu for ya!'' She chuckled. ''Bet she eats her veggies an' oatmeal an' all that! Now that Ah think about it...'' She an index finger up to her own chin to accentuate her teasing. ''Wasn't she always taller than ya?'' She grinned mischievously. She was so happy for Futaba and Mochi. How far they had come since the uni days. Even more happy that she got to be their friend so she could continue to support them with all her heart.

mochi

[mochi]

Mochi could understand being nervous about telling something just because someone could react badly to it. Even if it was completely unlikely it actually would, it was this weird sort of fear that could creep up on you. That was why she just gave a nod and chimed in with a quick "Good!" when Kaz said she wasn't even sure why she was nervous about telling Chuck anymore. Back in their dorm days she had joked all the time that if Chuck didn't treat Kaz right, Mochi would beat him up and that went without saying to this day - and she never had to beat him up and ideally never would!

"It is!" Mochi agreed, before her eyes lit up and she gave a "Oooh, we can go shopping!" verbal realization as she realized all the baby-themed shopping she could do with Kaz now. Not to mention baby shower presents, and maternity clothes, and all kinds of other stuff!

Being teased about her height was like flipping a switch, the blonde's cheeks puffing out as she turned up her nose and crossed her arms over her chest. "Shorter, actually! A whole inch shorter!" Eying Kaz out of the corner of her eye, doing her best to keep the grumpy appearance up despite the little cracks of a smile peeking through, she added. "Besides, she might end up taller than your short ass. I heard chocolate makes you shrink over the years."

[Kazashi McCoy]

''That actually reminds me, Ah've been thinkin' about work lately. Maybe doin' part time heroism an' somethin' else that'll be easier ta do while Ah look after the kids.'' She pointed a finger at Mochi and pouted a bit. ''Ah'll tell ya, but ya have ta promise me not ta laugh!'' It wasn't really a threat so much as just the kind of banter she would do with her best friend. ''Ah was thinkin'... Maybe if Ah started a small local bakery?'' She smiled longingly, it was something she had dreams about, a nice little place to work, close to their house or maybe built into it so she could still take care of the little ones and at the same time perfect her baked goods game. She would definitely have to ask Futaba for advice there!

''Shoppin'?'' She grinned, ''it has been a while since we did, hasn't it?'' And she had to admit, it was a lot more fun to go shopping with Mochi than going on her own. Especially these days when she got tired faster than usual. She couldn't help but laugh when Mochi went into her pouting shtick over being short. Every part of Mochi was so amiable and endearing it was easy to see why she had such a successful private and working life. ''They do not!'' She immediately retorted, pointing an accusing finger at Mochi. ''Ya made that up right now! Everyone knows chocolate is good for ya as long as it's dark chocolate!'' She was breaking halfway through her sentence, laughing and sticking her tongue out at Mochi. Once they both settled down she took another sip of her drink. ''It's funny, it's like nothin' changed even after all these years.''

mochi