Mind Boggled

Chapter 40

"We're here!" Kurogiri exclaimed from behind them. The pair turned to glare, and froze. Dabi choked out a cough, and Harper's eyes slowly grew until they could grow no wider. Her arm slipped from Dabi's and fell limply to her side, her brows furrowing. She'd seen a lot, but she didn't even realize this was possible. Was she hallucinating? She wouldn't be surprised if the stress finally got to her. "Why are they gazing at me in such a manner?"

"You have a... a face? Where'd the fucking gas go?!" Dabi gaped, worries pertaining to Shoto washed away by his utter surprise. Harper opened her mouth to say something, but found no words. She close dit again. "Holy... Holy shit. I thought he was a walking ball of gas this whole time, but he actually has a human body under there. I really didn't see this coming. It didn't even occur to me."

"Of course I have a face, Dabi. Most people do." Kurogiri looked confused. Harper gaped further. "That small Nezu fellow in the mouse suit said no quirk use."

Beneath his gaseous quirk, Kurogiri was a lean man with sharp features. His cheekbones were extremely high and pronounced, giving him a severe appearance. His golden eyes weren't glowing, naturally narrow and slanted, like a cat's. His hair was slicked back expertly, pitch black with a purple tint to it that reminded her of his warp gates. his skin was a light brown color that made him look fairly exotic and foreign, all things considered. But putting that aside, small fellow in the mouse suit? Should she tell him?

"I... have no words. Let's go and get this shit over with, and we can worry about it later." Harper decided. They didn't have time for this. She didn't have the mental capacity to even dwell on the fact that Kurogiri looked vaguely like a Calvin Klein model underneath all that... what? Warp Gate Gas? She had no fucking idea, nor did she care at the moment. She couldn't decide whether or not this made Kurogiri look more or less terrifying. Maybe a bit of both. He was smiling too sunnily to be scary.

Several people glanced their way as Harper led them in. Kurogiri had her backpack on his back and was holding her hand, and the brunette had Dabi by his sleeve, dragging him as he stared in shock at the unassuming warp-gate user with them. "I can't believe this asshole has had a face under there this whole time. So you mean to tell me, that when he's been throwing food aimlessly into his quirk, he's actually been making it into his mouth?!"

"Oh my god." Harper murmured, walking faster. Kirishima was waiting by the door, with light bags under his eyes and his hair looking slightly more ruffled than usual. Any traces of exhaustion vanished the exact moment he laid eyes upon Harper dragging Kurogiri and a confused-- and slightly offended-- Dabi behind her. Harper watched his face morph into one of complete and utter shock as he realized that the happy man carrying her backpack was indeed Kurogiri without all the smoke.

"Kurogiri has a face?! What about all the gas?!" Kirishima all but shrieked. Harper sighed as he fell into step alongside her, staring over her head at Kurogiri, who gave him a bright wave, looking entirely too happy about being here. "Holy crap. He has a face underneath all that! I had no idea! Did Harper know? I don't think she did, based on the amount of space between her eyebrows at the moment. They're too furrowed. Plus, her frown right now falls between her 'what the hell' frown and 'I'm tired and don't want to be here' frown."

Harper gave him a raised-brow look. His cheeks flushed when he realized what he'd just rambled about mentally. The brunette wasn't sure if she should be flattered he knew her facial expressions so well or weirded out. Maybe a bit of both?

"Of course I have a face. And the young man in the mouse suit informed me there was meant to be no quirk usage on these grounds, lest I get kicked out. I cannot allow that to happen. I must stay, to protect Harper Rye." Kurogiri said in a matter-of-fact-tone. "The rules put in place for someone of my nature are reasonable. I will follow them if it means I get to remain with Harper."