A Birthday on the 19th
I. Apartment
IniGOAT: we hangin out?? karaoke bar?
NothingPersonnel: Can't, hitting the books with Hay.
SunlightManliest: Srry, minnie just txted to do the same
IniGOAT: I'm w/ HOGE studying too
IniGOAT: bros, we should just study together
NothingPersonnel: You know what happens when we try to study.
IniGOAT: FUN??
SunlightManleist: get nothng done
NothingPersonnel: We still need to pay for that fence.
IniGOAT: ...but im boooored
IniGOAT: btw, where's sando?
NothingPersonnel: he dipped
SunlightManliest: said he was getting somethng for his mother
IniGOAT: what a wholesome dude
Inigo pocketed his phone. The afternoon sun filtered in through the blinds of Hoge's dorm room, bathing everything in a warm golden glow. Hoge sat atop her white bedspread, textbooks and notebooks spread out neatly around her. Across from her, Inigo lounged casually with Gigan napping by the window. He groaned dramatically, "I can't take it anymore! They're killing us with all these tests. I'm about to start a protest. I say we make out in front of the principal's office until she cancels them!"
Hoge pondered, "We really should be preparing for our internships, but I agree the workload is excessive considering our circumstances. However, I prefer it this way. General studies provide important foundations for our tertiary education."
"Eh, foundations shmoundations. I just wanna graduate already so we can be pro heroes and live together with no more papers to do!" Inigo flopped onto his back. Gigan fluttered close to pat his shoulder comfortingly.
Hoge shook her head. "Many pros continue learning while working through online classes and accelerated courses. There are many great graduate programs you should consider."
Inigo sat up quickly. "No way! More school? I'm not some nerd. I'll just stick to rescuing people."
Hoge smiled shyly. "I think you'd do great in a physics program. You have a knack for it."
Inigo leaned in close with a grin. "Thanks. But I just want to go to whichever university you go to. I guess it doesn't really matter to me as long as we're together. That's why I want to do my best to keep up with you, Miss Perfect Grades." He reached out to adjust her glasses.
Hoge turned pink and scooted back. "B-Baka! Focus on studying then!"
Inigo laughed but tried to look serious.
"Speaking of our class, don't you think Chris is acting weird?"
"Oh? I'm not sure..." Her voice trailed off, her outline beginning to waver.
"I think he still has my dragon quirk from the exams," Inigo continued. "But whenever I bring it up, he dodges the subject. What's that about?" Inigo absently stroked Gigan, who curled up on his lap. "I mean, if he's having such a hard time, why not just drop the quirk?"
Hoge looked down, picking at a loose thread on her comforter. "I'm sure he has his reasons..."
He scooted closer, studying her intently. "You know something don't you, Corune-chan?"
Hoge's already faint contours blurred further, blending into the surroundings. She shook her head wordlessly.
"Hogeeeee," Inigo drew out her name pleadingly. "Come on, something's obviously up. You gotta tell me!" Inigo moved closer, his grin teasing. "Don't make me force the truth out of you."
Gigan transformed to cover the ceiling light plunging the room in darkness. A single focused light appeared behind Inigo.
"Out with it, Nyoro."
"Uwa!" Hoge squeaked anxiously, the sharp sound echoing as if from a distance. She shrank back against the aquarium plushies behind her and disappeared. "I-it's not for me to say," Her disembodied voice wavered uncertainly.
Inigo crawled close, undeterred by her vanishing act. He pressed his hands on either side of where her head would be. His voice dropped to a dramatic stage whisper. "But...we promised. No secrets between us?"
He waited expectantly. After a tense moment, Hoge's hazy form slowly materialized on the bed. She chewed her lip, eyes downcast behind silver frames.
Inigo nudged her gently. "How bout' you let me guess? That way you're not really telling."
She peered up at him warily before giving a slight nod.
"Does it have something to do with performance issues with Faith? He is inexperienced. I've been telling him to play more VN's."
"Baka." Inigo felt her tug his red tie.
"Okay. Does it have something to do with his memory?"
She eyed him blankly. "Why do you ask?"
Grinning, Inigo pointed to his temple. "I have an eye for small details. Chris told me about it before when I caught him on the roof. Something about making himself forget. That was a while back though. Maybe he did forget. But I figured it's something he'd work up to eventually."
Hoge played with his hair. "You already knew? Why didn't you say anything?"
Inigo shrugged, leaning back on his hands. "I don't know all the details but I wanted to let him tell me himself when he was ready. Plus it was kinda funny watching him try to be all sneaky about it. I always wondered why he kept forgetting stuff about Hifumi and Hailey."
He chuckled softly before his expression grew serious. "But I appreciate you trusting me enough to almost spill the beans."
Reaching over, he took her hand and gave it a light, reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. I won't let on that I know."
Hoge ducked her head, cheeks flushing as she gave his hand a grateful squeeze in return. "Thank you, Ini..."
After a quiet moment, she glanced back up at him shyly through long lashes aware that he was still on top of her. "S-so should we get back to studying then?"
Grinning crookedly, Inigo leaned in and planted a quick peck on her cheek. "You're the boss. Where were we?"
As Hoge reoriented herself within the textbooks and notes, Inigo settled in beside her. His gaze lingered on her as she stepped back into her study mode without missing a beat. He smiled. And not for the first time that day, he realized just how lucky he was.
"You know, Christopher's birthday is coming up soon. I should get him something."
II. 1-D Classroom
Christopher took his usual seat in class, setting his notebook and pens out neatly on his desk. As other students filtered in, chatting and taking their seats, he observed them carefully. Something felt off. Several of his classmates kept glancing his way and then leaning over to whisper to others. Whenever he made eye contact, they would avert their gaze and pretend to be very interested in their notebooks.
Christopher narrowed his eyes. Were they planning something? His mind raced through the possibilities before landing on the most likely explanation - they knew tomorrow was his birthday. Which meant Inigo was almost certainly plotting some kind of surprise party. He looked behind him at the blonde boy who was fast asleep at his desk near the back of the class. Maybe he can use his quirk to read their minds to see what's going on. He turned to his left and found Imai staring at him discreetly. Yep, Imai's on guard duty. Even he's been roped into the blonde boy's shenanigans.
Christopher sighed, tapping his pen in thought. Should he say something to ruin the surprise? Or would it be better to act oblivious for their sake? Knowing Inigo, he had probably gone overboard planning something elaborate.
Before Christopher could dwell on it further, the bell rang signaling the start of class. Their teacher, Rosethorn entered and began lecturing. Christopher forced himself to focus, resolving to decide how to handle the surprise party situation later. After class, Christopher headed to the cafeteria to meet up with his girlfriend, Faith. She was saving a table and waved him over when she saw him enter.
"Hey you," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "How were classes this morning?"
"Fine," he replied, taking a seat. "Although it seems like everyone was acting strange. I think Inigo may be planning something for my birthday tomorrow."
Faith's eyes widened briefly before her expression smoothed over. "Oh really? That's...nice of him. Don't forget our plans tomorrow," she busied herself with her lunch.
Christopher studied her face. She was definitely hiding something. So they were in on it together. He supposed he couldn't blame her for going along with Inigo's scheme. They chatted idly about schoolwork and hero training exercises while they ate. But Christopher felt a nagging sense that Faith was holding something back. She seemed relieved when the bell rang to head to their next class.
"'luvyou!" She gave him another quick peck and hurried off before he could respond.
Yup, something was up. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and Christopher was relieved when the final bell rang. He walked home, wondering what exactly the others planned for tomorrow. Knowing him, he had probably invited the whole class and then some. Rented out an amusement park or a bar. Christopher inwardly sighed at the thought. He'd always celebrated his birthdays alone at home with his dad. Now that he has friends... who knows?
Arriving home, he called out to see if his dad was there yet.
"In the kitchen!" his dad's voice responded. Christopher dropped his bag in his room and headed to the kitchen.
His dad was busy cooking at the stove, and the mouth-watering aroma of goulash filled the air. Christopher inhaled deeply. "Smells amazing, what's the occasion?" he asked, playing dumb.
His dad turned and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Like you don't know! Who am I making your favorite dinner for?"
Christopher laughed. "Alright you got me."
"It's your birthday, so we're doing this right. Now go wash up, it'll be ready soon."
Despite his predicament, Christopher found himself in a good mood as he wrote in his journal that night.
The next morning, Christopher was jolted awake by an alert from his phone. He blinked blearily at the screen. It was a message from Inigo from a group chat. Had someone accidentally added him?
IniGOAT: Alright people, today's the DAY! Everyone know your positions?
There was a flurry of responses:
Hiro001: yup got the food ready!
SunlightManliest: locked n loaded bro lets do this
spookyscaryskeletons: how many times do i have to say yes
(++AK++): yes omg so excited
ImaSoujyuuro: The venue's still reserved.
Patriot1776: are we sure about the guy you hired?
NeoscaleMusic: LOL
THUNDERDOME: anyone know where suzuki-san is?
NothingPersonnel: Hay and I are getting the cake.
Christopher squinted at the chat. So they were really going through with this surprise party thing. And it required positioning and reserving a venue? This didn't bode well.
Sighing, he dragged himself out of bed to get ready. His dad had already left for work, but a note on the counter wished him a happy birthday. Christopher pocketed it with a small smile. When he arrived at school, the whispering and odd looks from his classmates returned.
Morning period came and went uneventfully. Christopher's stomach rumbled as he shuffled down the empty hallway, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He had hurried through lunch and now he craved nothing more than a nice nap.
"Ah, Christopher, there you are!"
Christopher turned to see Rosethorn striding down the hall towards him, a bright smile on her face. "I've been looking for you. Happy birthday."
"Oh, thank you Sensei," Christopher mumbled.
"I have a little something for you," Rosethorn said, holding out a shiny new fountain pen emblazoned with her agency's crest. "To help motivate you in your studies."
"This looks great," Christopher said weakly, but accepted the gift. He tried not to look her in the eyes. A small part of him still resented her for not taking him as an intern. Did she know?
"What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't acknowledge my student's birthday?" Rosethorn's eyes softened. "I know things may seem confusing sometimes, but always do your best. And good luck with your internship."
Christopher nodded, tucking the pen into his pocket. "Thank you again. I'll do my best."
"You're a good kid, Christopher. Don't forget that."
With an encouraging pat on his shoulder, she headed off down the corridor. Christopher watched her go for a moment before continuing on towards the nurse's office.
He slipped inside quietly. Nurse Becky looked up from her computer and smiled warmly.
"There you are, Cain-san," she said in a hushed voice. "I was starting to worry I wouldn't see you today."
"No, just got held up by sensei," Christopher explained. He pulled out the pen and showed it to her. "She gave me a present."
"How lovely," Becky whispered. She reached under her desk and brought out a still-warm muffin on a napkin. "I saved you one of the extras. Chocolate chip, your favorite."
"You didn't have to do that." Christopher accepted. The chocolatey aroma made his stomach rumble once more. He should've had seconds at lunch.
"Now eat up and settle in for your nap. You've got a big day ahead of you still," Becky said with a wink.
Christopher didn't argue. He wolfed down the delicious muffin in just a few bites, licking the last melted chocolate chips from his fingers. Sleep was already starting to fog his brain by the time he curled up on his usual cot, using his sweater as a pillow.
Upon hearing a small tap, Becky turned on her chair to see a blonde boy by the door.
"Hello, Myoga. Can I help you?"
"Just swingin' by. You're lookin' really good today, Webber-san. Glowing too."
"Oh stop it you. If you're here for muffins. I just gave the last one away."
Inigo shook his head and stepped in to see Christopher. "He's asleep right? I'm just checkin' on him. He's been off lately and it's his birthday."
"I see. Well don't you worry, I'll be here when he wakes up."
"Thanks, Webber-san." The blonde boy grinned and turned to leave. He paused and shot her a wink. "I know he comes here a lot. I'm really glad you're around to check up on him."
Before she could respond, Inigo was already excitedly running through the hall. Becky moved towards Christopher.
"Happy birthday, Christopher," Becky murmured as she tucked a blanket over him. "Make sure you save some energy for your party later, okay?"
But Christopher was fast asleep, dreaming of soft beds and sweets. The sleepy warmth of the nurse's office enveloped him like a cocoon, blocking out the world beyond. It was just him, his full belly, and the promise of a nice, long birthday nap.
Classes carried on as normal after lunch. No one actually said anything to him. Christopher was beginning to wonder if he'd imagined the whole surprise party thing when the final bell rang. The classroom turned dark.
"Surprise!!!"
The lights flashed back on, momentarily blinding Christopher. When his vision cleared, he saw his entire class gathered in front of him wearing party hats. Inigo stood at the front, setting off party poppers.
"Happy birthday bro!" Inigo cheered. The rest of the class echoed him.
Not wanting to ruin their efforts, Christopher blinked, and acted. "I...you guys really didn't have to do all this."
"Come on, like we'd forget!" Inigo insisted. "Plus, we're all headin' to internships soon. We need a reason to party!"
His class cheered. "Alright, alright!" Christopher laughed, holding up his hands. "Thank you everyone, this is nice of you all. I appreciate you putting this together for me."
Inigo beamed. "This isn't even the best part! C'mon, we got the whole arcade rented out just for us!" He gestured dramatically towards the doors.
Christopher's brow furrowed. He really had gone all out. As they headed to the arcade, Christopher fell into step beside Inigo. "Seriously, man. I knew you were up to something."
Inigo grinned and waved him off. "Who do you think added you to the chat? I didn't want you to worry that we forgot about ya. I want your 15th birthday to be memorable. My 15th was pretty shitty, so I'm here to make up for it through you."
III. Arcade
When they entered the arcade, Christopher fell in with the excitement. All the games had been set to free play mode. Huge platters of calzones and other party foods covered the tables. In the center sat a set of villain-shaped piñatas, one resembling the leader of the infamous Five.
Inigo sidled up next to him again. "So, whaddya think? Sick right?"
"It's...definitely something," Christopher said, at a loss for words. He turned to Inigo. "This is really awesome."
Inigo grinned and slapped him on the back. "You're welcome! Oh, by the way, that reminds me." His expression turned uncharacteristically serious. "You've been acting kinda weird lately. And I was wondering..."
Christopher tensed nervously. Did Inigo know about the dragon he still had copied? The one he kept hidden away?
"I figured maybe it had to do with Faith, but now I'm thinking - is it actually because of that dragon construct you've been keeping?" Inigo asked.
Christopher paled. How did he know?
Inigo continued, "At first with Gigan, having him constantly did mess with my head, y'know? So if that's happening to you, you should probably see Hijack-sensei about it. Don't want your brain getting fried!"
Letting out a breath of relief that his secret wasn't fully exposed, Christopher managed a weak chuckle. "Y-yeah, you might be right. I'll look into that, thanks."
"No problem, bro!" Inigo said cheerfully, seeming to accept his vague answer. "Now come on, you gotta check out this piñata that looks like the dude from The Five! It's got his beard and everything!"
As Inigo steered him away, Christopher made a mental note to be more careful about his copied dragon construct. But he'd worry about that later. For now, he was surrounded by food, friends, and customized video games in his honor. Maybe this whole surprise party thing wasn't so bad after all.
Thumping music and flashing neon lights filled the arcade as Christopher's party raged on. After demolishing the pinatas containing tcg booster packs, most of his classmates were now engrossed in the free games, while others laughed and chatted around platters of food.
Hifumi challenged Bobby to a fighting game, trash talk escalating as they violently mashed buttons. Sandatsu stood next to them, making a casual decision not to be seen by Christopher.
Nearby, Sally and Noah teamed up for a cooperative shooting game, working surprisingly well together. “I got your back!” Sally yelled, blasting away enemies sneaking up on Noah.
“My hero!” Noah said brightly hugging Sally, making the girl blush and aggressively blast the screen.
"I got next - if Noah's handing out hugs!" Inigo shouted.
"Shut up Inigo!" Sally yelled back.
Chris looked at their score, "You're pretty good at that. It's not even a real gun."
Sally smiled, "Lots of practice. If you want I can teach you. Wait until you get to my present!"
Sora raced around challenging people to games. “Nice!” Hiro taunted Sora after a narrow air hockey win.
“Rematch. Double or nothing,” Sora demanded, unwilling to relinquish his title.
Nene and Orochi wowed everyone with their skills in DDR, as the a small crowd gathered to watch them earn a perfect score.
On the other side of the room, Kaylee cackled wildly as she dominated a whack-a-mole game. “I got you now!” she shouted, bopping the little heads with lightning speed. The machine was starting to get dented.
Takara was locked in a heated racing game with Shinkan and Ashleigh. They raced neck and neck towards the finish. At the last second, Takara pulled ahead by a nose. "Yes! Racing queen!" she cheered. Ashleigh's car bumped along in the back as Shinkan managed second place.
Hoge and Chihiro played a crane game together, quietly making small talk between failed grabs. “Sensei...maybe go for the panda next?” Hoge suggested. "Panda.. But I want the Fox."
"The fox is stuck between the tiger and the rabbit." Hoge said matter-of-factly. "Here! Let me help!" shouted a passing Yui as she extended threads to unstick the fox.
The Korean clique were busy staging elaborate photos around the arcade, directing each other into ridiculous poses. Attempting to pull in Chris at every turn. "Happy birthday!" Faith called out. The other girls echoed birthday wishes, absorbed in their photoshoots.
An hour into the festivities, Inigo announced it was time for presents. Christopher insisted he didn't need any gifts, but his protests went ignored.
"C'mon, you gotta open your presents!" Inigo urged, steering Christopher towards a folding table piled high with colorfully wrapped gifts.
Christopher rubbed his neck sheepishly as he surveyed the mountain of packages his friends had prepared. "Just the party itself is enough. You didn't have to get me presents."
"Don't be silly, of course we did!" Faith said, nudging him playfully.
"Come on, let's see what you got." Orochi added.
With a shy smile, Christopher picked up the first gift. The tag showed it was from Yui. He carefully tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a stylish black pea coat and two soft cashmere sweaters in neutral tones.
"The coat's for when you get tired of your usual one, and you could totally rock the Steve Jobs look with the sweaters," Yui explained with a grin.
Christopher smiled appreciatively. Trust the candid delinquent to give practical yet thoughtful gifts.
The next present he unwrapped was from Takara - a dessert lover's dream of artfully decorated cakes and a gift card to a local bakery.
"Aww, these look great! Thanks Takaras," Christopher said, admiring the meticulous piping work adorning the cakes. Their android classmate seemed pleased.
When Christopher got to the gift from the 'Korean Clique,' Inigo watched eagerly, having heard about their plot in advance. Christopher carefully peeled back the wrapping paper to a very large box revealing...an obscenely large cake topped with 15 candles. He blinked in confusion.
"Make a wish, Chris!" Hifumi called out.
As Chris blew, suddenly, the cake erupted, its top bursting open right as a grinning Faith popped out from inside. Faith clinging to the him in a very provoking red ruffled halter top. With cake splashed on everyone's faces, Faith posed with her boyfriend. Chris' face had never been redder as his friends cheered him on from the back. The girls giggled, capturing Christopher's dumbfounded reaction on video.
"What the...how did you fit in there...?" Christopher stammered, stunned by the bizarre surprise.
Bobby doubled over laughing. "That was incredible! Your face was priceless dude!"
Christopher just shook his head in amazed amusement as frosting dripped down his shirt. Leave it to the Koreans to literally explode a cake at his party.
Christopher was in the midst of opening another gift when he felt a rough tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Kaylee looming over him, an uncharacteristically hesitant look on her face.
"Hey, I made you something," she said, rubbing her neck, and looking tired. She held out a lovingly crafted wooden box.
Christopher accepted it, eyes widening as he opened the latch to reveal a complete chess set with intricately carved pieces resting on a checkered board.
"This is beautiful!" he exclaimed, gingerly lifting out a knight to examine it closer. "Did you make this yourself?"
Kaylee scuffed her foot on the floor. "Yeah, well, I know you like strategy stuff. And I wanted to thank you again for teaching me chess a while back."
She met his eyes earnestly. "It really helped me understand battle in a whole new way, so, uh, thanks for that."
Christopher smiled, incredibly touched by the meaningful gift and her heartfelt words. "Of course, I'm glad I could help. And I'll treasure this set forever."
Impulsively, he stepped forward and wrapped the giant girl in a hug. Kaylee froze briefly before gingerly returning it, patting his back with a feather-light touch.
"Wanna break it in with a game later?" Christopher asked, smiling up at her.
Kaylee's face lit up. "You bet! I've gotten a lot better, just you wait!"
After the excitement died down, he moved on to the more innocuous gifts. Orochi gifted him a pair of collector's edition controllers, partly to make up for one her hydra heads dented. Bobby had chipped in to gift him a pack of mouthwatering Texas-style briskets and a wide-brimmed hat. Sally bought him an airsoft glock and some books on ballistics incase, along with a card offering shooting lessons. Hifumi had given him a book of challenging chess puzzles along with some movie gift cards.
"It's for your next trip to the hospital, bro. I know it gets boring in there. You don't have to run around with a raised hospital gown." Hifumi called out.
"I said I was wearing shorts!" Chris protested.
"That's not what I heard," Hailey teased, the other girls giggled with her.
As Christopher neared the bottom of the pile, he grabbed a lumpy package wrapped in brown paper. He turned it over quizzically. "There's no tag, who's this from?"
Inigo's eyes widened briefly before his expression smoothed over. "Oh, uh, just an anonymous admirer I guess!" He laughed nervously. "Go on, open it!"
Looking puzzled, Christopher carefully tore open the mystery gift. Inside was a stylish bomber jacket in dark grey with orange accents. It looked expensive but well-worn, as if it had sentimental value to its previous owner.
"Huh. Weird. But it's pretty nice actually," Christopher remarked, holding up the jacket. He glanced around, but no one claimed responsibility for the gift. With a small shrug, he slipped it on over his party outfit. "Fits perfectly too. I'll have to figure out who to thank later."
Inigo just smiled mysteriously, making a mental note to tell Junichi that his covert gift was a success.
Before the birthday boy could move on the next gift, Inigo handed Christopher his gift, he stared at it in awe. It was an expertly crafted sword with a sleek black blade. The hilt was embedded with a dark red gemstone carved in the shape of a dragon's head.
"This is...amazing," Christopher breathed, holding up the sword reverently.
"Right?" Inigo said proudly. "It was a joint effort - Hoge and Chihiro helped pick it out, and some buddies from my hometown made it custom. Had it express shipped here and everything. It's more of a training sword, but since you're interning for a swordmaster. You might pick up a few things with this. Plus, check it out! Press the gemstone."
A green glow emitted from the blade like a torch.
"Whoa! It glows?"
"Cool, right!? I knew you'd like it!"
"Thank you," Chris said sincerely, meeting Inigo's eyes. "Truly. I don't know what else to say but...this has really been an awesome birthday."
Inigo beamed, clearly pleased that his over-the-top efforts had paid off.
IV: Final Gifts
The arcade was buzzing with activity as Christopher's birthday party raged on. After gorging on cake and calzones, most of the class had dispersed to enjoy the free games.
Christopher leaned against a Pac-Man machine, chatting idly with his girlfriend Faith. She kept checking her phone and shooting furtive glances across the room.
"Everything okay?" Christopher asked. "You seem distracted."
"Hm? Oh yeah, everything's fine!" Faith said quickly. Too quickly. Christopher narrowed his eyes but didn't press further. Clearly she was in on whatever the next surprise was.
Right on cue, Inigo's voice boomed through the arcade. "Hope everyone's having an awesome time! But the fun isn't over yet, because I have more surprises for the birthday bro!"
He leapt up onto a table and pointed towards the entrance with flourish. "Introducing...one of your favorite heroes...the magnificent, the powerful, the one and only Seiryu!"
Christopher's eyes widened in shock. Seiryu was here? At his birthday party? The dragon hero was one of his biggest inspirations. Christopher could hardly believe it as fog machines whirred to life and a silhouette appeared in the doorway.
But as the figure emerged, something seemed a little...off. He was dressed in Seiryu's signature dark blue costume, complete with armor and horned facegear. But the man himself seemed far too skinny and awkward. As he drew closer, Christopher realized with a sinking disappointment that this definitely wasn't the real Seiryu. In the back, Orochi erupted in laughter as she clung to Yui. Bobby nudged Hifumi and they laughed too.
"Greetings, young Cain!" the impersonator bellowed in an exaggerated heroic voice. "Your comrade Inigo has summoned me to help celebrate this momentous occasion!"
Inigo shot Christopher an eager thumbs up. Meanwhile, the faux hero stumbled over his own feet as he approached, nearly face-planting before righting himself.
"Er, yes, thank you for coming, Seiryu," Christopher said slowly.
"Of course! It is my sworn duty to aid the next generation of heroes," Not-Seiryu declared. He struck a dramatic pose, one hand on his hip and the other raised to the sky. Or tried to, but ended up whacking a hanging sign instead. "Ow!"
Inigo leaned over to Christopher, oblivious to his lackluster reaction so far. "So, whaddya think? Pretty cool right? I found a local Seiryu impersonator named Jin to make a guest appearance."
Christopher managed a weak smile. "Y-yeah, really cool..."
Jin the impersonator had recovered and was attempting to emulate Seiryu's signature move. "Behold, puny villains, the might of my Dragon Flame Breath!"
"Does Seiryu even breathe fire?" Bobby mentioned.
Not-Seiryu made exaggerated motions, pretending to breathe fire. But without any visual effects or projections, it just looked sad. After an awkwardly long bout of fake fire breathing, Jin finally dropped his pose.
"So, do you wish to battle me, young hero? I shall hold back only slightly, so as to give you a fighting chance!" He raised his fists in a comical exaggerated fighting stance.
Inigo looked delighted at the offer, but Christopher frantically waved his hands. "Oh no, that's really okay! I'm good, let's not fight today."
Jin visibly deflated. "Oh. Very well then."
An uncomfortable silence descended. Inigo was still grinning excitedly while the Seiryu impersonator fidgeted, unsure what to do next. Even Hoge looked mildly embarrassed on Christopher's behalf.
Finally taking pity, Christopher attempted to revive the spectacle. "But, uh, maybe you could tell us about your most epic heroics? I heard you recently saved a bus full of cheerleaders from a villain attack?"
Jin perked back up immediately. "Why yes, of course! It was a day like any other when I heard a cry for help..."
As he launched into a dramatic retelling, Inigo gave Christopher an approving nod, pleased his friend was playing along. Though Christopher had to force himself to smile and nod as Not-Seiryu grew more theatrical and nonsensical.
"...and so with a final mighty swing of my claws, I struck down the vile robotic dragon! The children all cheered while the nefarious Dr. Destructo vowed revenge from a prison cell. But once again, justice prevailed!" Not-Seiryu finished with a heroic flourish.
"Wow, incredible!" Christopher said, hoping he sounded sincere. Inigo and several others clapped politely.
"All in a day's work for the great Seiryu!" Jin bellowed. He turned and attempted to a flip with a flourish, but once again tripped over his own feet. Scrambling back up, he moved amongst the crowd at a more reasonable pace, accompanied by another round of half-hearted applause.
Once Jin was out of earshot, Inigo hopped over to Christopher brimming with excitement. "Soooo, that was awesome right??"
Christopher smiled weakly. "Y-yeah, it was definitely memorable."
Faith gave his arm a sympathetic squeeze. At least the impersonator's antics had lightened the mood somewhat, even if that hadn't been Inigo's intent.
Inigo beamed, oblivious to Christopher's lack of enthusiasm. "Oh, I got one more surprise up my sleeve too. You and Faith should go check out the red photo booth over there!"
He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Christopher felt his stomach sink. Given Inigo's track record so far, this surprise surely wouldn't go over well either. But not wanting to disappoint his friend, he took a reluctant Faith by the hand and led her over to the booth.
Squeezing inside the cramped space, Christopher sighed as Inigo shut them in. "Sorry about him. You know how he gets carried away with stuff like this."
"It's okay, I know he means well," Faith laughed. She leaned against Christopher's shoulder as the photo booth hummed to life.
"Hello lovebirds! Welcome to the Tunnel of Love!" boomed Inigo's recorded announcer voice from the speakers.
Christopher dropped his head into his hands with a groan. This was even worse than he'd imagined.
Cheesy romantic music began playing as Inigo continued. "Pucker up and get snuggly as we take you down memory lane with some classic romantic moments from your relationship."
Faith covered her mouth, suppressing a laugh. "Oh my god. He didn't."
"I think he did," Christopher said through gritted teeth.
The screen flashed a photo of Christopher sitting alone at a cafeteria table, staring forlornly into the distance. "Here's Christopher before you came into his life. So lonely and depressed!" Inigo narrated dramatically.
"I wasn't depressed, I was reading a book," Christopher grumbled as Faith shook with laughter.
"But then destiny brought you two lovebirds together!" Inigo continued, unaffected. The screen changed to show Faith approaching Christopher's table.
"Be still my heart, the moment you first spoke! Christopher was so awkward and shy talking to his future soulmate," Inigo said, accompanied by canned "awww" sound effects.
"I literally just asked you for a napkin," Christopher protested, his face burning now.
Several more exaggerated photos flashed by, narrated by Inigo's dramatic voiceover. One where Christopher smiled politely as Faith showed him her phone ("Behold, the first time she made you laugh!"), another where Faith asked Christopher for a pen ("An electric touch! The heat of romance."), and one where Christopher walked slightly behind Faith down a hallway ("Even then he dreamed of staring at her beauty forever.").
By the end, Faith was wiping tears from her eyes, she was laughing so hard. "Oh my god, these are gold," she gasped.
Christopher had his face buried in his hands. "I'm disowning him after this," he muttered.
"But wait, the journey isn't over yet!" Inigo declared. "Now gaze into each other's eyes, and think about all the magical moments you'll share in the future!"
Sappy music swelled as the inside of the booth lit up with tacky rotating hearts. Christopher peeked through his fingers hesitantly. "We can probably sneak out the back if you want to escape..."
But Faith tilted his face towards hers, an impish smile on her lips. "Oh come on, we have to give him the romantic photo he's expecting."
Before Christopher could react, she pulled him into a deep kiss. Caught off guard, it took his brain a moment to switch gears and start enjoying the moment. He wrapped his arms around Faith, the outside world fading away.
They were interrupted by Inigo's wolf whistle piercing through the music as the photos printed. "Woo! Now that's what I call passion! Can't wait to frame these beauties!"
Laughing, Faith broke the kiss and peeked out through the curtain. "Nice try Inigo, but we're keeping these ones!" She snatched up the photos as Christopher tried in vain to smooth down his wildly disheveled hair.
"Aww, just one?" Inigo begged from the outside of the booth. "You guys looked so cute!"
"Absolutely not," Christopher said firmly, finally emerging from the booth. But he was unable to keep a small grin off his face. Leave it to Inigo to meddle in the most over-the-top yet oddly endearing way.
V: Partying Down
The flashing games and thumping music gradually quieted as the last party guests filtered out of the arcade. Inigo leaned against a skeeball machine, watching Hoge neatly roll up the leftover streamers and balloons. Christopher had left to spend the evening with Faith.
"Whew, that was a bash and a half huh?" Inigo said, grinning tiredly. "But I'd say Christopher's 15th birthday celebration was an epic success!"
Hoge smiled. "It seemed he truly enjoyed himself. "
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
Hoge glanced up attentively.
Inigo hesitated. "Do you really think he'd forget me completely, once he drops my quirk?"
Understanding dawned on Hoge's face. "You talked to him about it, didn't you?" she asked knowingly.
Inigo rubbed his neck. "I tried to bring it up. But he got all weirdly defensive about it. I figured maybe it was too personal, so I dropped it."
Hoge nodded. "That was likely for the best. He guards that vulnerability closely." She set down the streamers, facing Inigo. "But as you reminded him today, he isn't alone in this struggle."
Inigo frowned uncertainly. "I guess I just wish he'd trust me enough to open up about it. I want to help shoulder the burden, you know?"
Hoge touched his arm reassuringly. "Give him time. He will come to you when he's ready. For now, keep being the steadfast friend I know you to be."
Inigo blinked rapidly. Then he managed a lopsided grin.
"Yeah, you're right Hoge. I gotta keep looking on the bright side, like always!" He pumped his fist. "Even if Chris forgets me someday, I'll just make myself his bestfriend all over again!"
"Now that sounds like the ever-optimistic Ini I know."
"Oh yeah! We still have this place rented for an hour!" He grinned playfully. "C'mon, I know the perfect way to unwind after all that cleanup!"
Before she could react, he grabbed her hand and led her to the garishly decorated photo booth dubbed 'Tunnel of Love'. With a dramatic flourish, he swept aside the curtain and gestured for her to enter.
Hoge planted her feet, eyeing the cramped space skeptically. "Ini, I don't know if..."
"It'll be fun!?" Inigo pleaded, clasping his hands beseechingly.
Unable to resist his antics, Hoge sighed in fond exasperation. "Oh, alright."
Inigo whooped triumphantly, following her inside. As the lights switched on, he slipped an arm around her waist.
"I made six recordings and Faith and Christopher only got through one of them."
"Hello lovebirds! Welcome to the Tunnel of Love Part II! Now that you've kissed, it's time for the real fun to begin!" boomed Inigo's recorded announcer voice from the booth's speakers.
Bonus Scene:
A phone call
"Hello Sam."
"How the hell did you get this number?"
"You sound different.."
"It's me, young man. There was a situation."
"Right. I got your number from my older brother. I'm ready to work with you guys again. I need your help to track down Luccione and take him down before he causes more trouble."
"And the complications with your friend, Cain?"
"You don't have to worry about that."
"And why is that?"
"Because he'll forget everything about me soon."