Unsolicited Feedback

Kyoto stirred with a languid sigh as good students rose to their morning repast. A reward for completing their nightly rest. One student, who was not so model, was already walking into school at full throttle. He walked straight past the shoe lockers without slowing down. And he came to his classroom wearing a frown.

Christopher rubbed his eyes as he walked into the classroom. He was early, earlier than he would’ve liked, but he hadn’t slept again last night and had got bored waiting for 8. He expected to be the first person in class, but as he raised his head and scanned the room, he found it was already occupied. Noah, Christopher’s team leader during yesterday’s exercise. Noah, the cherubic boy, was sitting in the front row head on his desk. From his breathing, Christopher could tell Noah wasn’t asleep. Christopher frowned at the boy’s state.

“You okay?”

Noah jumped at the sudden voice. His head jerked towards Christopher and he smiled, that same smile that had the girls, and Inigo, swooning whenever the angelic dork turned it on them. Christopher didn’t get the appeal honestly. He didn’t know how a girl could look at Noah and not worry about breaking him with one unkind word.

“Chris! Yeah, I’m fine.” Noah asserted unconvincingly.

Christopher frowned. Noah was probably the only person in this school that was an objectively worse liar than Christopher. The angel was lying now.

Christopher shrugged as he made his way to his seat. If Noah wanted to talk he’d talk.

“You remembered your slippers today!” Noah exclaimed as Christopher walked past his desk. Christopher looked down. Looked back at Noah. Looked at his slippers. He hadn’t even noticed he wore those to school again.

Noah’s eyes narrowed. “You forgot your shoes yesterday didn’t you?”

“Correct.”

Noah smiled tightly. The kind, tight smile of a parent worried his child had a learning disability. “Do you want me to remind you after school?”

Christopher shrugged as he sat down, plopping his bag on top of his desk. “Eh, don’t bother. Even if I’m caught I just have to wash them.”

“Yeah but… people kindof laugh at you when that happens.” Noah said in a whisper.

“And?” Christopher dug through his bag. He knew he had it here somewhere.

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“No.” Christopher said flatly. He finally found what he was looking for. “Hah!” He fished out a thin stack of papers and handed them to Noah. “Here.”

Noah looked at the stack of papers with a bit of confusion. “What is it?”

“Feedback from yesterday. *Yawn* Sorry. The teachers will probably ask for our thoughts on our performance and I wanted to make sure you didn’t find any of my insights objectionable before I blabbed in front of the class.”

Noah looked at the thin packet. “This is all?”

Christopher shrugged. “Wasn’t a complex situation. Cliff notes version is we should’ve fought in the open using our overwhelming mobility advantage. An ideal situation would be, you and Kaylee distract them from the sky, while I use Hifumi’s quirk to get into their blindspot, mirror Edith’s quirk. Take her out, then take Yui out. After that, even if I get immediately neutralized, you still have a man advantage and your mobility advantage is insurmountable. Alternatively, we could’ve done exactly what we did, but when they split up expecting an ambush Kaylee and I should’ve used our mobility to join your’s and Victor’s engagement, forcing a 4v2. Then after Yui and… what’s-her-face.”

“Orochi?” Noah ventured, head spinning from the tirade he was just subjected to.

“Right that one. After Yui and Oruki were neutralized, Edith and Sora are dealing with a fresh 4v2. It’s a strategy popularized by Napoleon called Defeat in Detail. While Alexander the Great was the first who did it as a tactic, that I know of, Napoleon made it a full blown grand straaaaaa-- what the fuck was I talking about again?”

“Language.” Noah managed weakly.

“Sorry. Oh, right! I was talking about the packet. Anyway, go over the notes, tell me what you find objectionable and I won’t bring it up.”

Noah stared at the packet in his hands meekly. There were only 3 pages here. That entire night torturing himself over every sentence, every command and Christopher had reduced it to 3 pages.

“You should’ve been the leader.” Noah said.

“It was random Noah, there’s no ‘should’ve’ here.”

“Then I should’ve listened to you.” Noah asserted. “If I had maybe Victor wouldn’t have been--” Noah couldn’t finish the sentence. Christopher frowned. He hadn’t realized the boy was taking Victor’s injury so hard.

“Maybe, maybe not.” Christopher shrugged. “My tactics are better on paper, sure, but they’re aggressive and thus high risk. Maybe, if we do what I wanted, we blitz them, win with no casualties. Maybe Yui still lands that hit. Maybe I just get us surrounded because Yui figures out what we’re doing and we’re all in the hospital. End of the day? Victor got hurt cause he got beat and he’ll probably tell you the same thing.”

“He probably will.” Noah agreed. “That doesn’t mean he’s right. It was my plan that put him in a bad position. If we’d done things your way, or if I’d just listened to the 3 of you when you objected to my plan, he’d be fine. I don’t know why I was so arrogant.”

Noah blamed himself entirely for Victor’s injuries. Stupid. Christopher sighed. He reached back into his bag, pulled out a thick packet and slapped it on Noah’s desk. Noah looked at the packet bewildered, there must be a hundred pages here.

“What’s this?”

“Feedback to myself. I screwed up a lot. When Sora pushed Edith towards me, I knew I wasn’t going to outrace her. Knowing that, I should’ve immediately switched my directions, best case scenario the abrupt change in G-force would’ve knocked her out, worst case scenario I maintain our stalemate.

“Even before the exercise started, I screwed up. I should’ve mirrored Maru’s quirk. Given we had 10 minutes to find the prize? Her quirk would’ve been game even without a supporting quirk, but copying Edith’s on top of Maru’s? It’s double game.”

Noah continued staring at the packet bewildered.

“There were also a lot of instances where I could’ve used the building itself against the enemy team. That’s pages 20-35. Then there’s the part where I could’ve forced the defeat in detail I told you about, that’s 11-19. Page 36 is just a lot of cursing, don’t read that… actually don’t read anything after page 36, I ramble.”

Noah looked at Christopher. Christopher couldn’t read the expression. So he pressed on, hoping he’d be able to convince Noah that despite the flaws in his plan, Victor’s predicament wasn’t his fault.

“Point is. I screwed up. Kaylee screwed up, I have a packet for her too actually… somewhere. You screwed up. Victor probably screwed up too. I admit, I didn’t see Victor fight, but it wouldn’t be fair if he was perfect while the rest of us sucked. It was a snowball of failure and we all deserve shit for it.”

Noah laughed. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders just hearing Christopher admit he’d screwed up too. That Christopher had been just as critical of himself as Noah had been. That yesterday’s defeat wasn’t just eating at him. He was so relieved he didn’t even correct Christopher’s language.

“It’s hard for us to do worse anyway.” Christopher continued leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling. “Again, snowball of failure.”

“Thanks.” Noah said, head held a bit higher, holding the packet like it was a present. “For taking the time to write this and for talking me through this.”

“Don’t mention it.” Christopher yawned, then grimaced. “Though, you might be the only one thanking me after our feedback later. I took notes on the other rounds too…”

Noah’s eyebrow rose. “Were you harsh?”

“Maybe? I have a hard time telling.”

“Want me to read through those too?”

“Probably a good idea.”