Affinity

Chapter 5 - Roaring Sports Festival

Chapter 5 - Roaring Sports Festival

Emiko felt the crowd before she heard it. Her Quirk was working overtime as the cauldron of emotions overhead throbbed like a sonorous heartbeat. Or pounded like a drum. Right now she couldn't make out the difference. With her classmates in their gym uniforms around her, she was squatted down in the corner of the room, her palms desperately shoving in at her aching temples like an improvised vise grip trying to stave off the building migraine, tears starting to build in her eyes as the assault on her senses was relentless.

Each of her temples was being punctured with a red hot blade, a searing pain burning behind her eyes and at the base of her neck. Each breath was tortuous agony, the bright lights overhead causing her already sensitive eyes to sting. She felt as though someone had kicked her in the head, with the way it thudded and thumped. She could barely focus on the room around her with the way her eyes darted around the room, wildy, like she was a wild animal caught and caged.

Her stomach danced wildly, tossing and turning with each breath. She wanted to move, to run and hide from the onslaught of emotion surrounding her, but her legs wouldn't move. She was held in place by fear and panic, concrete blocks replacing her feet.

Can't handle this, Emiko?

You really are so pathetic.

No, Miko. You're doing great. I'm so proud of you.

I'm so proud of you, Miko.

Get out of my fucking head.

She snarled under her breath and tucked her head tightly against her chest, tightened her hands against her skull. She worried her lower lip between her teeth, picking at any loose skin that sat there. It was all she could do to hold still and focus,

Lost in the haze created by her quirk, she barely felt the feather-gentle touch on her shoulder and craned her head up at the tall onyx-haired Momo Yaoyorozu. Her friend smiled sympathetically down at her before she reached to her exposed forearm, which glowed pink with the activation of her Quirk, and pulled a flexible white headband out. It looked far too small for her head, and that's when Emiko clued in, far later than she'd have liked to admit, what it was meant for. She sent a watery smile at Momo as she gingerly released one hand from her head and then the other, screwing her eyes at the onslaught that hit her once her coping mechanism had lessened, and affixed the headband in record time, sighing in relief at the uniform and blissful pressure it created.

"You're a lifesaver, YaoMomo," she groaned loudly as she hauled herself to her feet, pulling the other girl into a quick hug, her soft lavender scent dancing in Emiko's nose. She opened her bag and rummaged through before pulling out a box of Pocky sticks. "I owe you so much more than this, but I hope this makes up for the lipids you had to burn for that."

"It's no trouble, Emiko. You know it hurts me to see your Quirk stress you out like this. When's the last time you were in this big of a crowd?" she asked, opening the box of sweet snacks and handing one to Emiko.

"Never anything like this," Emiko admitted. "Shopping with my aunt is bad enough, I usually just get a light headache. But this is a massive crowd whipped up into a frenzy..."

She thankfully smiled, stuffing the strawberry flavoured treat into her mouth and grinning brightly. Sweet food had always had a warm place in her heart, and strawberry flavoured anything was always a favourite of hers.

Momo winced sympathetically and Emiko could see a few of the other 1A students glancing over at her in confusion, eyes flitting up to her headband and cluing in as to the nature of this conversation. Embarrassment coursed through her veins as her classmates realized the situation. She hated how weak her quirk made her in situations like this, hated that she was reduced to a teary eyed mess in any situation that left her in a large group of people.