I hope this isn't too vague but could you please write something about Paulina and Valarie mending their friendship over a school project??
Please and Thank you!!
@youmaycallmeyourhigness: Um for your prompts maybe something like Paulina trying to rekindle her friendship with Valerie. Valerie's been around her enough to know a genuine attempt. It's up to you if it is. Thank you~
If you think you're seeing Paulina/Valerie undertones, you're not wrong.
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“Valerie, are you gonna be done soon?” asked Paulina as Valerie walked by her booth at the Nasty Burger. “You didn’t forget we need to start on our English project, right?”
“Uh. Yeah. Sorry.” Valerie held up the rag and spray bottle in her hands. “My shift’s about done. I just need to finish cleaning some tables first.”
“Okay. It’s just I have other things to do,” said Paulina.
Valerie gave her a frosty smile. “What? Like shopping?”
“Yeah, I need to retire some of my dresses, replace them with new ones.” Paulina tugged at the lacy panel trimming the top of her shirt. “Can’t repeat any outfits, you know.”
“Right. Of course,” said Valerie, remembering a time when she used to live by that philosophy herself. She looked down at her work shirt splotched with grease stains. “I’ll be back.”
Paulina clasped her hands on the table. “Please hurry.”
Valerie gave her another smile before swiftly turning and starting on the first table she saw. She scowled at the globs of ketchup and scattering of salt on its surface. A wet piece of lettuce clung to the seat of one of the chairs. She stuck out her tongue as she carefully picked it up and flung it into the nearest trash can.
At another booth, a group of Casper High students she knew pointed her out and started giggling.
Why did she think it was a good idea to work at a popular hangout spot for kids at her school?
Why did Lancer have to pair her with *Paulina* of all people?
When all the unused tables were cleaned, Valerie clocked out and collapsed in the booth across from Paulina. She took off her hat and fanned herself a couple times before setting it on the table.
Paulina made a face, her tongue sticking out just slightly past her teeth.
“What?” asked Valerie.
“You’re really sweaty,” said Paulina.
Valerie rolled her eyes and pushed a damp curl behind her ear. “Yeah. I get hot working this job.” She took a napkin from the table dispenser and wiped her face. “You wanna get started?”
“I’ve been waiting half an hour to start.”
“I told you when my shift would end. You didn’t have to come so early.”
“It’s fine,” said Paulina with a small smack of her lips. She laid out the instructional packet Lancer had passed out that day. “So you know what we’re supposed to do, yes?”
“Yeah,” said Valerie. “We’re supposed to write a biography on a famous person.”
“Right. Any famous person we want.” Paulina pulled out a list written on notebook paper. “These are the people I’ve been brainstorming. Which would you like to write about?”
Valerie read through the list. Paulina’s handwriting was cute and bubbly, complete with tiny hearts dotting the “i’s.”
“Who are these people?” she asked.
“Famous fashion designers. Models. Instagramers. Influencers. I follow all of them on social media and I think any of them would be interesting to write about.”
“But they’re not famous to me.” Valerie scanned the list again. “Yeah, I don’t think I know even one of these people.”
Paulina pursed her lips. “Well, if you read my blog, you’d know all about them.”
Valerie resisted making a face and handed the list back to her. “I don’t want to write about any of these people.”
Paulina took the list. “None of them? What’s wrong with them?”
“These people are famous for having a lot of money, wearing high-end fashion, taking luxury vacations in exotic places, or just looking really pretty on camera while reviewing hip places to eat.”
“Yes? And?”
Valerie huffed. “I want to write about someone who’s famous for doing, like, real things.”
“These are real things!”
“No, like someone who’s had to overcome a lot of hardships and obstacles. Someone who was still able to succeed despite the shit life they were born into. People with struggles who still do great things, you know?”
“Oh!” Paulina gasped, smiling. “Yes! That’s a great idea!”
Valerie sighed with relief. “Glad you think so. So let’s—”
“We could write about the ghost boy!”
Valerie balked, shaking her head in recoil. “Wha—what? The ghost boy, you mean—”
“Danny Phantom, yes!” Paulina clapped her hands a few times in quick succession. “Ooh, this is going to be so much fun!”
“But why—”
“He’s famous! And he has plenty of struggles every day protecting us all from ghosts!”
Valerie groaned. “That’s not what I meant.”
“No, really! He has to dodge ghost catchers and also fight really tough ghosts—”
“Paulina, please,” said Valerie, tired already of Paulina’s gushing. “I don’t want to write about Phantom.”
Paulina frowned. “Why not?”
“Because I hate him.”
Valerie could feel the rage already searing through the veins in her neck and face. She pressed one hand into the other, cracking her knuckles.
Paulina’s frown only deepened. “You...hate him?”
Valerie looked off to the side and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Really?”
Valerie turned back to Paulina, glaring. “Yeah, I really do.”
Paulina creased her brow. Valerie cracked the knuckles of her other hand.
“But everyone loves the ghost boy,” said Paulina quietly, sounding bewildered.
“Not me,” said Valerie, her voice just above a grumble.
“But why?”
“Why do you care?”
“I just don’t understand.” Paulina clasped her hands as she sat up straight. “He’s done so many wonderful things. He even saved my life once.”
“Yeah, right.”
“He did!”
“Whatever he did, it was probably his fault you were in any danger in the first place.”
“No. He’s the reason I was safe.” Paulina’s eyes were round. “He’s good, Valerie.”
“How can you be so sure?” asked Valerie with a bitter bite in her tone.
“How are you not?” Paulina retorted, sounding incredulous.
Valerie folded her arms and stared down at the table, scoffing just a little. “He’s the reason you and I aren’t friends anymore.”
Paulina quirked a brow. “What?”
“He’s the reason I was kicked out of the A-List,” said Valerie, looking up.
“No, that’s not true,” said Paulina. “You just weren’t able to do stuff with us anymore when… Well, you just didn’t have the money for it anymore.”
“Yeah. Remember why?”
Paulina bit her lip and rubbed her arm. “Because your dad lost his job.”
“And how do you think that happened?”
Paulina’s eyes darted around the area a couple times. “The ghost boy?” she asked tentatively.
“Yeah.” Valerie pressed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Asshole cost my dad his job. And all our money. We had to sell our house and give up a ton of things that wouldn’t fit in our new crappy apartment.” She gestured around the restaurant. “I had to take on all these part-time jobs to help support us.”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean to get your dad fired,” said Paulina, sounding almost pleading.
Valerie scoffed. “You don’t know him the way I do,” she muttered.
The two fell silent. Around them, customers bustled and laughed. Cashiers at the front rang up orders and yelled them to each other.
“I’m not the one who kicked you out of the A-List, you know,” said Paulina, not looking at her.
“Yeah, but you let Dash do it, didn’t you? You didn’t try very hard to stop him,” said Valerie.
Paulina bit her bottom lip.
“And all you cared about was that I sold my concert ticket to someone cool,” continued Valerie. “Because you didn’t want to sit next to any losers.”
Paulina threaded a lock of her hair through her fingers.
“You thought I forgot about that or something?” asked Valerie.
“I’m sorry I said that, okay?”
“No, it’s not okay.”
“It’s just—” Paulina threw up her hands, blew out a breath. “You know, you just sold it without even coming to me first and asking for help. You just kind of sprang that on all of us. Like you were just so sure we wouldn’t care about you enough to help.”
“That’s not what I—”
“It’s how I felt, okay?” Paulina sighed. “You just made me feel like you didn’t see me as a friend, as someone you could go to for help. We had been planning to go to that concert for months, and I was the one who found the seats so we could all be together and get a great view. And then you just come out of nowhere saying, ‘Oh, no, sorry, can’t go, sold my ticket to some stranger. Hope you don’t mind.’”
Valerie’s expression hardened. “Would you really have helped me if I told you?”
“Yes, I would have!” Paulina asserted.
Valerie leaned back, softening just a little with surprise.
“I would have offered to pay for the ticket for you—like an early birthday gift maybe—or let you pay me back later if you wanted,” continued Paulina. “Or maybe I would’ve sold my ticket too and we could’ve just let the boys go without us. We could’ve done something else, something you could afford. Maybe even something with Star since she couldn’t afford a ticket either. But you didn’t give me that chance to help you.”
“Look, don’t make this about you,” snapped Valerie, emotion worming into her voice, cracking it. “I lost everything that week. Including all my friends.”
“I am sorry about all that.” Paulina’s voice also morphed with emotion. “I wish that I handled it better. I just felt hurt that you didn’t want to confide in me. And then you took on all those jobs and stopped being available to hang out at all.”
She looked down at her hands, rubbing her fingertips over polished nails.
“I thought you were the one who didn’t want to be friends anymore,” she said more softly.
Valerie relaxed her shoulders, releasing a breath. “It’s not that I didn’t want to be friends. I just…needed to help my dad.” She paused. “We were really struggling. We still are.”
“I just didn’t realize how serious it was for you,” said Paulina. “And I’ve never experienced anything like that myself. So I didn’t understand. I said things I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry.”
Valerie studied Paulina. She hadn’t hung out with Paulina in a long time, but she still knew her well enough to know when she was being sincere. Her expression of remorse now seemed genuine.
Something touched on Valerie’s heart, loosening the squeeze on it.
“I guess I should’ve talked to you before I sold the ticket.” Valerie sighed. “Honestly, I was just…embarrassed. I didn’t want to ask for help.” She looked right at Paulina. “It’s really not because I didn’t trust you.”
“Well.” Paulina clicked her pink-polished nails against the table. “Maybe someday, you can trust me again.”
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
Valerie smiled. Paulina smiled back. Not her practiced glamour smile that kept her lower face soft, her lips plump, her eyes round and large. This smile creased the lines around her mouth, thinned her lips, crinkled the corners of her eyes.
Valerie hadn’t seen this smile in a while. Sprawled out on Paulina’s fuzzy pink area carpet, loose shorts billowing around her thighs, pleated skirt hem rising above Paulina’s. Berry-blasted shaving cream and sweet almond moisturizer. Freshly shaved legs, knees bent, painting their toes with glossy purple and shiny gold. Giggling over boys starting to fill out their shirts with new pecs and biceps. The smell of acetone and nail polish, damp cotton balls stained with glittering rainbow colors.
It hadn’t been that long ago but seemed so nostalgic now.
Valerie shook her head and cleared her throat. “But maybe we could just start by getting this essay written.”
Paulina picked up her list and read through it. Her mouth puckered in a tight frown, creating a small sucking noise.
“What is it?” Valerie leaned over with her forearms on the table to try to get a look.
“I guess I can see now why you would rather write about someone with struggles.” Paulina turned over the list even though there was nothing written on the back. She then set it down and looked at Valerie. “But are you sure you don’t want to write about the ghost boy?”
Valerie sat back in her seat and nodded. “I’m really sure. Please. Anyone but him. I’d even take someone on your list over him.”
Paulina chuckled and waved a hand to dismiss the issue, her rose gold bangle bracelets jangling. “Okay. No ghost boy. But only because we’re friends.”
Valerie found herself nodding before even thinking about it, but she didn’t stop once she realized it. “Yeah. We’re friends.” She reached across the table and tapped the list a couple times. “But I’d also like it if we didn’t write about anyone on the list either.”
“Okay, okay.” Paulina laughed and placed a palm on the list, crumpling it in her fist. “We can write about someone else. Someone we both like.”
“Thanks,” said Valerie. “That would be great.”
Paulina dropped the now balled-up list onto the table. Valerie stared at it for a moment.
“But, ah…” She cleared her throat. “Maybe I’ll read up on those people on your blog sometime.”
A small gasp escaped Paulina, her eyes lighting up. “Really?”
“Yeah. You know, in my free time.” Valerie looked around the restaurant with a sigh. One of her coworkers was mopping up a soda spill. “Which I don’t have a lot of these days.”
“Well. Anytime you need some help, you can reach out to me.” Paulina placed both hands on the table, her fingers splaying. “Even if it’s just to talk.”
“Thanks,” said Valerie, admiring her polished nails, trying to remember the last time she herself had a manicure. Something she and Paulina used to love getting together.
Maybe she could splurge on one this weekend. If Paulina maybe wanted to join her.
Valerie checked the time on her phone. Her dad would be expecting her home soon for dinner.
“We really should get to work,” said Valerie. “We need to at least choose our topic.”
“Right, yes. I’ll start a new search.” Paulina held up her phone and began tapping away at the screen.
Valerie stood and moved to sit next to her.
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Ummm, may I have baby Izuku in a stroller being lost because of a crowd incident and All Might knows he should just give the baby to the authorities but he's smiling and laughing so maybe we can stay on the bench a little longer
Ummm, may I have baby Izuku in a stroller being lost because of a crowd incident and All Might knows he should just give the baby to the authorities but he’s smiling and laughing so maybe we can stay on the bench a little longer
“Hey, All Might!”
The Symbol of Peace turned away from the cleanup site at the sound of his name. Just outside of the crowd was a group of young heroes crowded around something. One motioned him over and the crowd parted easily around the 7’3 man.
As he approached, the heroes murmured and nudged each other out of the way to reveal…
A baby
A baby wearing a onesie matching All Might’s costume.
As soon as he set eyes on All Might, the little one squealed in delight.
Green eyes, flush cheeks, and whispy curls melted All Might’s heart.
“Oh you are adorable, aren’t you?” he said, crouching down in front of the baby’s stroller.
The baby’s hands reached out and he kicked his feet.
“We’ve already talked to the police, his mom is on the way,” one hero said, “His name is Izuku.”
“Izuku?” All Might asked the baby. A gleeful laugh rang out and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Can we take him out of the stroller?” All Might asked.
“Yeah, she said just to keep him safe,” another hero replied.
All Might made quick work of the restraints and lifted the baby out. Unsurprisingly, Izuku was light as a feather. Surprisingly, he latched onto All Might like his life depended on it.
“Oh!” All Might said as Izuku held tightly to his collar, “Not keen on letting me go, huh?”
Izuku smiled, tongue peeking out. All Might held him to his chest and leaned his cheek into Izuku’s curls. He smelled like a baby.
“Your mother will be here soon,” All Might said, “You’ll have to let go of me then.”
Izuku hummed and nuzzled into All Might’s neck.
“Yeah,” All Might sat down on a nearby bench, noting how the young heroes had dispersed at some point, “If I’m being honest I’m not keen on letting you go either.”
—–
And when he would meet the boy again a few years later, he would keep true to that.
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