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TL;CR MEME
1. Comment with your character.
2. Receive comments from others.
3. Reply to their comments with long ballads and explanations of your characters' relationship throughout the game.
4. Suffer as we have suffered over your CR.
1. Comment with your character.
2. Receive comments from others.
3. Reply to their comments with long ballads and explanations of your characters' relationship throughout the game.
4. Suffer as we have suffered over your CR.
ochako
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So, to start, obviously they didnât really know each other well in week zero. They didnât talk much that week, so her impression of him was about the same as most people: nice, potentially a friend, but still a stranger. Even so, she did respect him for stepping up to help in the trial after the mess with Virid. Not everyone wouldâve been able to? That, to Ochako, is one of the first signs of a hero - someone who steps up without hesitation to try to help and protect others.
Fast forward to Thursday of week one, and they were thrown together into the CYOA without any warning! And then Soo-won and Xie Lian just vanished as soon as theyâd taken a few steps! Obviously, Ochako was very worried about them, and determined to find them, but first she and Chiron had to get through their side of things. And when they finally did find the other two⌠they were dead, with their bodies sporting the same injuries she and Chiron had inflicted on those monsters! Wow! That was horrifying! Sheâd connected the dots pretty quickly, and while it made her feel more guilty than anything sheâd ever done in her life, it honestly still made Ochako want to help people even more. Sheâs seen death before, you know? Deaths that she tired to help prevent but in the end, couldnât change their fate - and she really hated that Xie Lian and Soo-wonâs deaths would be that way, too.
That said, even she thought the life-saving serum was questionable? But the off-chance that it would really help was too great not to take, so. She gave them the serum, accidentally turned them both into bloodthirsty monsters, and it was just a really bad time. Still, they were alive - and Ochako desperately wanted to keep them that way, so she resolved to try. Of course we know that failed, and Soo-won and Xie Lian both had to die again, but. Her canonpoint is after the school festival, so the battle at Hassaikai and the injuries and deaths that Ochako couldnât prevent were all still fresh in her mind, not to mention the stuff with Virid.
As a hero, Ochakoâs main goal is to support her family, because heroes make good money if theyâre popular enough. But after Hassaikai, her goals have shifted a little to actively wanting to save people, so having that turned around on her so soon after⌠Actually, I donât know where you are in MHA canon so I wonât spoil who, but after a very significant death!! After that, and her decision to try to save people, being forced to kill someone was⌠pretty traumatic! Even though it was technically self-defense! Even more so because they asked to be killed! Even more so because it was Ochakoâs own actions that led to this outcome!
It was a bad time all around, basically. She was so relieved when they were revived on the way back that she could have collapsed - and afterward, Ochako kind of wanted to avoid Soo-won and Xie Lian, to be honest. She did kind of manage that with Soo-won, but Xie Lian⌠she was a little afraid to approach him, too, but Ochako felt like she owed him an apology for what happened, because it never would have gotten that bad if she hadnât used that serum. And honestly, she didnât expect him to forgive her for it. She wouldnât have blamed him if he didnât!
The last thing she expected was for Xie Lian to turn it around and try to reassure her. But he did, by using her own motivations as a hero, and reminding her that taking risks to save people is something that heroes do. And when she argued that she should have thought it through a little better, that heroes arenât supposed to hurt (or kill) people, he did it again: âSometimes, for the good of the whole, good people have to do things they would never do.â Those words stuck with her for the rest of the game. To be honest, I think the Realm would have been a lot harder for her to adjust to without hearing them. It was something that she really needed to hear, even if it didnât make what happened any easier to bear at the time, and I think sheâll carry them with her into her career as a hero. She wanted to be the type of hero that he was describing, someone who would try their hardest to save at least one person, because that would be one less loss. And it was the first step to her viewing Xie Lian as her favorite hero, albeit one that nobody will know in her own world!
At the same time⌠It made her wonder just how, exactly, Xie Lian had learned these lessons. It sounded like he spoke from experience, which honestly scared her. She had no idea what kinds of things heâd been through, and judging from how easily heâd downplayed his own injuries and experience in the CYOA, she⌠honestly didnât believe he was handling it well at all, but really just hiding it as he continued to move forward. The thing is, she wasnât how to ask about any of that, and Xie Lian was so deft at redirecting the conversation that he easily steered her away before they could even get into it. But yeah - it was Xie Lianâs words that convinced her to keep going, so after this week, she sort of just refused to show that it bothered her anymore? Which. Isnât exactly healthy, but when youâre taking cues for Xie Lian⌠well, you know.
Anyway! It was because of that conversation that she felt safe enough to swap team information with Xie Lian! Ochako may be inclined to trust people by default, but she also follows the rules as closely as she can - so without their CYOA experience and subsequent talk, Iâm not so sure she would have agreed to it. But they did have that talk, and he didnât seem like the type who would use that against her, though, so it was fine, probably.
She also just. Really appreciated Xie Lian not dismissing her ideas of trying to use more positive feelings to generate nova! Honestly, with how many folks who had already tried to shut her down when it came to trying to work together here, she might have expected the idea to be dismissed as childish or something - but he didnât. They just agreed that âstrong emotionsâ didnât have to be something negative, and that was just⌠really good for Ochako, to have someone encouraging her in a positive way instead of all the doomsday-type chatter about being prepared for the worst to come to pass. It was like seeing a little ray of sunlight peeking through the clouds of an overcast sky, and that made it easier for her to hold onto hope while everything else seemed to be going wrong. It made Ochako want to be a better hero, too - one like Xie Lian, who had the sort of inner strength that let him keep facing forward, no matter what, and one who never gave up on hope, even when the odds were looking worse and worse by the day.
And after the trial that week, Xie Lian told her about what happened between Hua Cheng and Claude, and it put the seeds of suspicion in her mind, which she super didnât like!! I mean, okay. To be fair, there was nothing telling them that they really could trust their leaders except for the leaders themselves. None of them really had any reason to believe the leaders, but Ochako wanted to trust hers, because⌠if they couldnât trust their leaders, then what did they have that they could trust? Each other would be the obvious answer, and itâs true that Ochako did trust a few of the other participants by that point. But the leaders were their only real source of information here, and if they were giving out disruptive abilities like that, it made her wonder if they were even supposed to resolve the situation at all, and if they werenât⌠what then?
That said, the fact that calm, level-headed Xie Lian just wanted to go and fight a monster made her like him more. Wanting something tangible to just punch and call it a day? BIG mood. She felt the same! If only we could just punch all our problems, life would be so much easier!
Then⌠she forgot about being a hero! Haha! And the conversation where Xie Lian realized that⌠it honestly made her wonder if sheâd done something wrong? She didnât ask him about it outright because 1. the thread didnât get that far, and 2. somehow it didnât feel right for her to pry that much into the thoughts and emotions of someone she looked up to so much, but Ochako did see how his expression changed during their talk and felt awful about it. But because she did look up to him, and because she could tell that Xie Lian was very stubbornly trying not to let her (or anyone, really) worry about him, she didnât press. Instead, she leaned into the encouragement he gave her for trying to learn about first aid. Better to focus on the positives, right? Right.
So. It was between that conversation and⌠laughs, ALL OF WEEK FOUR (yells in memshares) that Ochako realized just how much sheâd come to rely on Xie Lian for support. He was always there when she needed someone, you know? And he always understood, and never brushed off anything that concerned her, no matter how small. He always took her seriously and treated her with respect, instead of like a naive child. Sheâd come to cherish that more than she realized, especially with her most important memories falling apart enough that the only people she remembered caring so much about were the people there in the Realm with them, Xie Lian foremost among them.
Thing is⌠Ochako always had this air about her that made people think she was fragile, and after the first few weeks, it was really on her mind how weak she really felt. All she really wanted after all that was to learn to be strong, but that wasnât all for her own sake! I mean, of course thereâs the heroic aspect to it, because even if she didnât remember wanting to be a hero, she did still want to help people. But! There was a more specific goal in her mind, and that was wanting to get stronger so that she could help Xie Lian. Because, again, sheâd noticed the wisdom in the things heâd said to her and to others. Sheâd noticed the way that he bottled up his emotions so no one else would see. And, of course, sheâd seen that memory of the human face plague (which I never replied to because wow endgame but still). All of that made her wonder⌠if Hua Cheng wasnât there - because she recognized, too, how important Hua Cheng was to Xie Lian, how much they trusted each other - but if Hua Cheng wasnât there to support Xie Lian, who would be there for him? Who would help Xie Lian pick up the pieces if something happened to Hua Cheng, and he needed a moment to fall apart before putting himself back together? Though she honestly didnât think for a second that Xie Lian would actually allow it, Ochako wanted to be strong enough to be that person, if it came down to it. She wanted to be able to help him, like heâd helped her. She wanted to help make his life take a turn for the better⌠but she didnât know how to get there.
Also I just want to say - curfew that week was so funny. She wants to arm wrestle Xie Lian again someday? Stupid jocks. AND ALSO THE GHOST STORIES⌠they were very fun and she appreciated it even knowing that it was murder night and, uh, seeing such a weird memory of Ghost City. Itâs fine. They can pretend that last part didnât happen and just keep teasing Mr. Crimson Rain Sought Flower for his temper. It was a fun night! Not so fun for the rest of that weekend, but you know. Things happen, and she knew she wouldnât be able to help Xie Lian (or Hua Cheng, really) just yet, so. She let him be for now.
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Anyway! This was the week where Ochako put her own plan into motion to try to generate nova from positive emotions⌠with the spa party!! And to be honest that didnât really go as planned because it was just supposed to be the ladies, leaders, and Chinese gays (because theyâre her faves, why wouldnât she invite them? hello?) but obviously it became a free-for-all since not a single one of us knows a little thing called restraint. But thatâs fine. It meant that everyone was having a good time, which was honestly the most important part! And then the ball happened, too, which made the week even better! She saw the dance that Hua Cheng and Xie Lian shared, and she was so delighted to see them having a good time, too! By curfew time on Thursday, week five was rated a solid 10/10, best week in the Realm so far, and not a small part of it was due to the proximity to Xie Lian, because just being around him made Ochako pretty happy.
Then it all tanked when the investigation results were announced on Friday, and it turned into the worst week in the Realm so far, actually, at least, for Ochako. It was the first time sheâd lost someone she was really close to - I mean, there was Bucky, but they werenât nearly as close as she and Mob were, and losing Mob just utterly devastated her. Elsa, too, because she was in on that one, but again - they werenât as close as she was to Mob. And you know, Ochako had really tried to be strong by the time she made it back to their room that day. Sheâd already cried, and she didnât want to put another of her burdens onto Xie Lianâs shoulders. He was always helping her, after all, so she thought there should be one thing she didnât have to lean on him for. She figured that she could be strong, like he was when Hikaru had died. But when they both got back to their room, which as I said had already become something of a safe space for her, Xie Lian just - hugged her, and didnât say a single word, and in that moment, something inside of her just shattered. It was safe there, in their room where only Xie Lian would know, so she just. Fell apart, and cried and cried until she couldnât cry anymore. Mob had become her best friend since theyâd all arrived in the Realm, and the first member of her team theyâd lost, so it was a heavy blow on multiple fronts, even knowing that heâd, apparently, been splintering. So basically - sheâd lost a lot of people who were important to her within the past two weeks.
But. Xie Lian was still there.
Besides the fact that he was on Goatâs team and therefore in danger if their team took another hit, with Mob gone, there was no one in the game that she cared more about than Xie Lian. So when she needed something to hold onto, she really clung to the knowledge that he was still there, and refused to let go. And yeah, she felt guilty about having to rely on him again, but in that moment, she was just a girl who needed someone, and that someone just⌠always happened to be Xie Lian, who was always kind, who always knew exactly what she needed to hear, who always made her feel safe.
She wanted to be stronger than this, to not fall apart again - not just for herself, but for Xie Lian. That was just one of the things that led her to volunteer in her team meeting following that weekâs execution. There were other factors, too, but with what Rabbit had remembered, she was worried about Xie Lian in particular - because his team was the one that everyone knew was in danger, but did they all know exactly who they needed to protect from that fate? As far as Ochako was concerned, the obvious solution was to volunteer as the next weekâs victim, to guarantee the most minimal risk possible. Sure, people would still die, but Rabbitâs team had only lost one person so far. Even if all of their volunteers were chosen, they would be in the clear for revival, as long as the quota was met by the remaining teams. And if this was the only way that Ochako could help ensure their victory, she didnât mind being the one to take the fall.
Of course, there was no way she could do it without telling Xie Lian. The last thing she wanted was to upset him and make his time in the Realm harder⌠but Ochako thought that not saying something would hurt him even more, in the end. There were a few other people sheâd considered telling, too, but obviously Xie Lian didnât take it well, so she refrained, and clung to the possibility that it wouldnât actually be her, because to be fair, she didnât know! But she thought that, at least with a warning, Xie Lian would have the chance to emotionally prepare for losing someone else that he cared about, you know? It wouldnât make it better, of course, but at least it wouldnât be so much of a shock.
So⌠yeah, she told him. And with that came one of their most significant conversations about heroes - you know the one! By that point, Ochako had forgotten she was a hero at all, so sheâd been feeling uncomfortable with anyone telling her she was one up to now, but even more so when Xie Lian said as much during this conversation. He said she was brave, and selfless, and maybe that was true, but something about having that heroic part of her removed made it easier for her to see the way that heroes could hurt people, too - i.e. that one line, âI think... that heroes forget sometimes, that they aren't the only ones who are affected by their sacrifices.â She had no idea the effect those words had on Xie Lian, but she did know that her own death wouldnât be insignificant. Sheâd even argued with her own team about whether it was worth it, so the matter was fresh in her mind. And she genuinely hated that it would hurt anyone, especially Xie Lian - but as heâd told her before, sometimes people have to do things they wouldnât otherwise for the good of the whole, and that to try to help at least one person is what made someone a hero. Those were both heavy on her mind as she made this choice, and stood by it even if it did mean hurting the ones she cared about.
And when he sort of indirectly offered to protect her⌠stares into the void. So she didnât get what Xie Lian meant immediately, which obviously would have been the point given how that power worked. But the way he worded it kind of horrified her a little? Like, why on earth would she ask for someone to take her place? If sheâd understood what he was getting at, and what was at stake, she would have argued even harder against it - see above re: Goatâs team being in the danger zone. But also, she just⌠felt so sorry for him, once he revealed the role and power. She could hardly begin to imagine the toll it must have taken on him? But also, she figured he must be used to that kind of thing, that it must have fed into the advice heâd given her before, because the way he spoke always seemed very⌠weary? Like heâd seen too much, and just wanted to rest, but couldnât even dream of stopping when there was even the chance of helping.
But this time, he couldnât help her. He actually chose not to, because it wasnât what she wanted. She was unbelievably grateful for that. Not just because it meant he wouldnât be in danger, though that was huge - but also because she wouldnât have expected anyone else to actually listen to her request to let her die for the sake of everyone else. That meant he was, willingly or not, going to stand aside and let Ochako do what she needed to. It meant that for once, she could finally help him, too.
So! As the next week carried on, she tried to stay positive, both for herself and for Xie Lianâs sakes. It was a fun week? And very funny? The carnival was great, the curses were hilarious (she was particularly invested in wingmanning for Hua Cheng lmao). But when Thursday rolled around, Ochako couldnât really pretend she wasnât afraid anymore. So, as always, the first person she turned to was⌠surprise, Xie Lian! What she wanted more than anything was to spend what little time she had left with people she cared about, and Xie Lian was always at the top of the list. She was extremely grateful to him for allowing her to join him for curfew, and absolutely delighted to introduce him to sâmores and bonfire parties!
Then⌠she died, after all! And to be honest, she felt terrible for cursing him (and even worse when she found out that Xie Lian was the one who found her, yikes), but sheâd felt that if anyone would understand what the plan was supposed to be, it would be Xie Lian, especially after heâd told her about the role he held. Obviously that didnât work quite as planned, and once she saw Dorothy in the graveyard, Ochako worried a little about how Xie Lian must have taken it? She remembered how heavy his voice had sounded when heâd told her that he hadnât been successful yet, so⌠she hoped he was doing okay.
And also - Certain People in the graveyard had her a bit concerned about how they would treat him when they made it back to the living. Not. That she could stop it. But she worried nonetheless, because Xie Lian tried so hard to save people and he did not deserve to be treated badly for it just because he missed or saved the âwrongâ people!
Anyway, when they all made it back, Xie Lian was the first person that she wanted to see to make sure that he was doing alright, so she ran straight for him! And because sheâd accepted her fate right alongside the knowledge of how it would affect the people who cared for her, she apologized up front for hurting him - because knowing about it wouldnât have made it any easier to bear. In fact, knowing how Xie Lian held the things that bothered him so close to his chest, it might have been worse. She also had to apologize for the RSVP? Because⌠haha. She hated doing it even if it was meant to help someone in the end. But more than anything, she was just glad to be back! And absolutely delighted to fight alongside him during the trial, and put all the things he and Hua Cheng had taught her to good use! Two jocks finally got their monster punching bags, and by god, did they punch them!
All in all? Xie Lian was, quite honestly, one of her favorite people in the Realm. She looked up to him, and wanted to be like him, and she desperately wanted to be able to help ease his burdens somehow. By the end of the game, heâd really become her favorite hero, and once she goes home, sheâs going to strive to make him proud as a rescue hero herself. Sheâs not quite there yet, but sheâll never forget any of the things heâs told her, because his words were always the ones she held onto the hardest when life (and death) in the Realm got more difficult. She loves Xie Lian a lot, and plans to visit him often in the following year to help him like heâd helped her (hello, our psl), and once Hua Cheng returns, sheâll keep coming when her schedule allows. He is one of the people she wouldâve hated to lose the most, so now that her wish has been turned into reality, she wonât let him go.
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But she never really thought that he was a good person, really. Like when they first talked and Ochako told him about Plus Ultra, she was pretty sure he was making fun of her? She just ignored it because the motto means a lot to her, and she didnât need the validation of some rando for it to keep motivating her. That said, she did think it was a little sad that Kano apparently didnât have anything to try to go Plus Ultra for, you know? It made her wonder if something happened to make him give up on it, but it seemed pretty obvious that he wouldnât be forthright about that even if she asked. Ochako wanted to know, though, because she thought that people like him - people who seem alone or like they have nothing they really care about - are the people who need someone to care about them the most. So even if she wasnât sure that she could be that person for Kano, she wanted to at least try and see if they could be friends, and maybe she could help him out a little.
Then he died, so she didnât really get that chance! And she regretted it, a lot. She felt like she should have tried harder in the little bit of time that they had, or at least tried harder to find proof that Kano wasnât the culprit. Even if he was being pretty disruptive (and that was really frustrating!), Ochako never thought for a second that he was guilty, so she threw away her vote that week in the hopes that one less vote for Kano meant theyâd have a slightly better chance at finding the real culprit. It didnât work, obviously, and she and Hikaru later had a great conversation about how, yeah, maybe Kano wasnât a good person, after all. But that didnât mean he was any more deserving of being scapegoated, or any less deserving of some kind of support or friendship than anyone else. And when the execution came around, Ochako refused to look away because she thought that even if she had thrown away her vote, she was as much at fault for the situation as anyone else. Theyâd failed Kano, so she wasnât even upset with him for sneaking in scalpels and fighting back, and she honestly had a little respect for him for taking his fate into his own hands in the end, instead of just accepting the unfair hand heâd been dealt.
When she met him again in the graveyard⌠sheâd forgotten Plus Ultra, so she thought Kano asking about that was just kind of weird? Then he pulled on her cheeks for volunteering! And that was annoying! And then he started in with that pessimistic stuff about how they were dead and theyâd probably stay that way, but Ochako refused to let go of hope, so of course she argued him on it. Not giving up is part of going Plus Ultra, you know? So even if she didnât remember that, she had to hold onto something, and⌠again, she thought it was sad that Kano refused to do the same. So after this, she just⌠decided that she would prove him wrong, that they would succeed, no matter what. It didnât matter that they didnât have any way to go about it yet; Ochako just treated it like it was a fact until it came true.
So she was really glad when he started talking about his sister, honestly? It was cute, and proved her wrong in that Kano did actually have something (someone) that he cared about, even though she was dead. It was still encouraging to know that Kano wasnât completely hopeless, even if his version of hope came off more like defying the odds and spiting fate than anything. He may not be a great person, but he still deserved to have something like that, so Ochako was very relieved to hear about it. And she doesnât know what heâs going home to, or that he was the cat on the endgame log, but she really hopes that Kano still holds onto his own version of hope no matter where he goes. She might want to check in on him now and then, just to see how heâs doing - especially once sheâs a pro hero someday, just to make sure he doesnât lose that spark or forget what Plus Ultra means.
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So! At first, they didnât know each other very well, but Ochako thought she was very nice. She thought it was fun introducing Alex to new stuff like the arcade, and just chatting⌠and when she found out that Alex was a big sister, Ochako thought it made a lot of sense, because she just had that kind of vibe, you know? Like she just wanted to look out for the younger ones in the Realm, and Ochako honestly just appreciated her being there.
She was a little disappointed that Alex kept refusing help when it came to finding her brother, though. Things like that⌠theyâre always easier when thereâs a group on your side, and youâre not conducting the whole search on your own. And Ochako being a hero, she wasnât afraid of Alexâs world at all, even if Alex kept saying it wasnât safe. She just⌠wanted to do the hero thing and help however she could, but she had to respect Alexâs wishes, too, so she backed down and focused instead on telling Alex about happier things, because it sounded like that was something she needed to hear.
And thatâs pretty much how it went until suddenly the rabbits all got together, and Alex was there, too?! To be honest, Ochako was really pleased that the rabbits were all people that she liked, and that they could speak more honestly about things now. All of the rabbits kind of went ride or die pretty fast lmao, but with Alex⌠idk, they got a lot closer after that, between team meetings and just talking about their worlds and stuff. Ochako kind of felt like having Alex on her team meant sheâd gained an older sister, too, which was cool because sheâs an only child, so sheâs never had someone to look to like that before. It helped that Alex seemed interested in her daily life at home - not even the hero part, but just. School life and her friends? And that she seemed to have a vested interest in Ochakoâs own happiness in general. And yea, Ochako tried to avoid being teased about her crush and she FAILED at every turn, but with Alex, at least, it was a little better because she at least moved on quickly and didnât push.
Oof but that was also the week that Elsa and Mob died⌠Elsa was bad enough, given that it was their own team and they were all in on it, but Mob? Absolutely devastating. Ochako was more upset about that than anything that had happened in the Realm so far, but she was managing to hold it together until she found Alex. For some reason, talking about it with Alex while trying to gather another bouquet in his honor just⌠made it harder to hide how she was really feeling, when normally she can compartmentalize just fine. But that was her best friend, and here was her sister figure, hugging her because she knew exactly how bad it was, and she just couldnât hold it in. It wasnât as earth-shattering as her talk with Xie Lian later that evening, but she felt comfortable enough with Alex to let the tears fall, which is pretty significant for her. Normally, she will only open up like that for her parents, but well⌠gestures at found family, I guess?
The weekend following sucked too, for so many reasons - not least of which was that both Ochako and Chiron volunteered to be victims the following week. Alex was pretty obviously upset about it, with good reason, and Ochako felt really terrible for contributing to making her feel that way, but all the same she didnât want to compromise her ideals, and what she wanted most was to save as many people as possible, even if sheâd forgotten about being a hero by this point. Volunteering when their team definitely had the numbers to manage the loss was the only way she could see to do that, so⌠she did. I donât think we tagged much that week, and icly, that would have been because Ochako was lowkey avoiding her so she didnât remind Alex about that terrible conversation and make her feel bad again.
Then Ochako really did die! And that wasnât great! But she made it back the next week, just like she planned, so it all worked out. They did have that conversation when she returned about how coming back didnât erase the pain of her death, and yeah, Ochako did have plenty of people to apologize to for her part in organizing it. But she was just glad to be back, and honestly, quite relieved that Alex was among those that had made it to the end. The less pain she had to endure, the better - that was part of why Ochako had volunteered in the first place.
And their team won, so they got wishes?! So of course Ochakoâs first wish was to demand they all have a way of visiting each other again. There were a lot of people she was thinking of when she made that wish, but Alex and her boys were not an insignificant part of it. Besides which, she thought Alex deserved a way out of her world if she really thought it was so terrible - but yeah, only when she was ready to leave it. So sheâs glad to have given her that, and sheâs looking forward to showing Alex her own world someday. More than anything, Ochako hopes to see her find a place where she can really be happy instead of constantly worrying about this or that, no matter where it is that she chooses.
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At least not until they found the other two! Ochako, at her canonpoint, was basically fresh out of the battle that really made her think about how much she wanted to save people, so being presented with a chance to do that (the serum) after apparently being the cause of Soo-won and Xie Lianâs deaths⌠she had to fight for that, even if she was still a bit apprehensive about the serum itself. It sounded dicey? But she thought it might be worth the risk, for even a chance to save those two, but if Chiron had insisted on not using it even after she argued for it, Ochako would have ultimately done what he said. But he did agree, so... they had to fight, and that was Bad. Once again, she still had to at least try to save them, so she argued for that - but as we know, that was never going to work out, and we bad ended the CYOA and it was honestly just a very terrible experience.
But! She came out of it knowing that she could trust Chiron, no matter what - to keep her safe, to make the right decisions, or to make the hard decisions, if it came to that. She trusted him with her life, and because heâd been right there beside her, she trusted Chiron with her feelings, too. If sheâd been alone, she might have just put on a brave face for him like she had with everyone else, but heâd seen her struggle and try so hard to save them, so she didnât dare try to brush it off at that point. Chiron had her respect, and being honest about her feelings regarding the experience was one way of showing it. And she truly appreciated that he treated her with respect, too, and didnât talk down to her - and, in fact, gave her a way to keep moving forward, by learning more about first aid and how to help the injured.
Thatâs why she was⌠a little unsurprised at the explanation he gave for his memory, lmao. It was awful, sure. What he said had happened was something that Ochako would never wish on anyone, but all the same, Chiron did what he thought was right, even though it couldnât have been an easy thing to do when it meant going against someone he clearly cared for. But it fit the image sheâd had of him to a T - he was always someone who would do whatever it took to ensure the best outcome, wasnât he? She respected that about him, though she wasnât sure that she would be able to do the same if it came down to it.
And then⌠surprise!!! They turned out to be on the same team! Ochako was so delighted by this - one of the people she trusted more than anyone was someone that she could continue to work together with, and now she had no reason to keep any secrets from him at all. The fact that he seemed to think her billboard idea was a good one made her really happy, too. Honestly, she didnât think that there was a lot that she could contribute, so being able to offer that to everyone made her feel a little more useful.
I think it was sometime during this meeting that it kind of solidified in her heart how much having Chiron close meant to her, which led into the forced confession thing the following week, haha. She never would have said it out loud or even actively realized it, probably, if it werenât for that. But in the face of having forgotten her family, he was strong and supportive enough that he kind of⌠slotted into that fatherly role automatically, though she never intended to replace her actual family. He was a good substitute, though, which is why, when she and Alex decided to make those special bouquets, Ochako made a second one for him so that heâd know there was someone out there who cared. She never intended for him to find out who sent it, and it was a little embarrassing when he did, but honestly? It was enough that it made him happy.
But⌠oof, that weekâs team meeting was not great! Both of them volunteering to be murder victims⌠Ochako knew when she did it that Chiron and the others wouldnât be pleased, but she also expected that he would respect her decision. He knew she wanted to save people, after all, just as well as they both knew that these deaths would be necessary in order to win. When they arrived in the graveyard, she was not at all surprised to see him there, though she felt a little on edge at his own reaction to seeing her. It made sense heâd be upset, of course, so she couldnât fault him, but Ochako felt like sheâd let her dad down, you know? Still, she preferred to focus on looking forward instead of blaming the ones whoâd killed her for the sake of meeting the quota, and they got to dive into their memories pretty quickly, so that was easy enough. She was pretty relieved when they made it back and Chiron was reunited with his polycule (she did not really understand the polycule; like she knew something was going on there, it just confused the heck out of her but at least he was happy with them).
With her memories intact and their team having won the competition, Ochako doesnât really see Chiron as so much of a father figure anymore, so heâs somewhere in that awkward space between âdadâ and âteacherâ now. But sheâll always have a healthy amount of respect for him, and she will always trust him to do what he believes is right, whatever that takes. Sheâd easily trust him with her life again, too. Right now, though, she just wants him to be happy, and her door will always be open to him. Dad, teacher, whatever - she really does love Chiron, and that isnât going to change anytime soon.
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