Toga Himiko's Guide to Time Travel and Convincing Your Friends and Crushes to Join the League of Villains - TequilaBard - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia (2024)

Chapter 1: A Totally Uncute Bedroom and Entrance Exam!

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Her eyes open in a warm, comfortable bedroom. The few decorations are barely noticeable in the dim light; even if her night vision is better than most, she can't really tell color apart super well. They seem... painfully generic, like someone looked up ‘girl’s bedroom’ and put it together. Who did she stab to borrow their bedroom?

She slid out of bed, walking towards the mirror. Better to get a good look at herself; she wants to look the best for Izukun and Occhan, after all, and the last thing she remembers for both of them was the battlefield. Maybe this was her victory lap? She can't remember winning, but, yannow, if she didn't, she'd be in Tartarus, and not this girl's bedroom. The face that stares back is... very uncute, if she's being honest. Deep bags, sandy blonde hair limp around her shoulders.... fangs, too. Maybe she wanted to be this girl because it reminded her of her? That'd be weird.... but she might just be out of options. She can't feel any of Izukun or Occhan's blood in her right now… and after that fight, she doesn't want to be herself

Her ‘go’ bag isn’t around here, either. She usually keeps it nearby just in case she needs to leave immediately; too many times over the last few months, she needed to bail immediately because Touya decided he needed a walk and a smoke, or Shiggy dusted a wall, or Mr. Compress wanted to practice juggling… Anyway. No matter how cute or uncute this girl is, she’s got to get going, before someone started looking for her. The heroes, one of her PLF underlings looking for a promotion, Mister Stainy… someone’s going to want to know where she’s at, and she’d rather find Izukun and Occhan and make sure they’re safe, and full of tasty, tasty blood. …that’s weird. Her bag isn’t nearby. Maybe…?

Did they... bring her here? Maybe they're downstairs, just waiting for her? Oh, that'd be the best! She knew she picked them for a good reason! In fact, she can hear people downstairs right now... She inhales, exhales, and vanishes as she creeps downstairs, her footsteps cat light, and readied to spring on her loves...

"...looks like the demon's managed to keep her urges under control."

"She's been eyeing that boy... Saito, wasn't it?"

"She knows better. If she lays a finger on him, we'll report her to the authorities."

She slunk back up the stairs, her presence diffused into the atmosphere. The door closed, and she looked long and hard in the mirror. It was... her, wasn't it? The uncute girl. A dull reflection... and that's why she didn't have Izukun's blood, or Occhan's. This was... she had time traveled. Somehow. Before.... before Saito.

She felt the wash of hunger, now, underneath her fuzziness, the endless pit of need and want. She hadn’t had blood for years, now, and she can feel the physical hunger and the need underneath, to be someone else. She needed to escape, but… if she wanted to see Izukun or Occhan, she couldn’t take anybody’s blood. Not Saito’s, or… anybody’s. She could survive another year without. She doesn’t know where Izukun or Occhan are now, but she knows where they’ll be.

They won’t let someone, a villain, like her, with a bunch of bodies in her past, into some place like UA. Unless, of course, she’d never stabbed anyone and stole their blood in the first place. Once she got in… then she’d be able to teach Izukun and Occhan to love her, and teach them how bad and wrong this whole ‘hero’ thing was, and then, she’d be able to see all her friends! Like Shiggy! And Touya! And Twice!! And… Magnee. Her and Twice, they’d be alive right now, wouldn’t they? Oh, man! This whole ‘coming back in time’ thing is turning out even better than she thought! First thing’s first, though; she needs to get out of here. The Toga house hasn’t ever been cute, and she’ll wither like some sap in Shiggy’s hands if she stayed too much longer. She moves quickly, pulling together a small duffel bag, with underwear, socks, clothes, box cutter, whatever change she can scrounge (a lifetime ago, the money she had been pinching to run away), and a map of nearby cities and prefectures. Knotting sheets together, she quietly opens her window, waves cheerily at the bedroom of the daughter of the Togas, and slips away into the night.

The second time being homeless is harder than it looks! She's really trying not to build up a rap sheet again, buuuut it turns out she survived last time by stabbing people and borrowing their apartments for a few nights, and she really can’t do that this time around. She takes her time traveling to Mustafu; it's the closest city to UA, and she wants to make sure she has an easy time getting to and getting away from the school, once she gets in.

Luckily, there's a nice homeless shelter in the city. It's supposed to be for Quirkless and mutants, but she can fake the first easily enough. She uses it sparingly, just enough to keep warm, get a meal once a week, and figure out how she'll survive the rest. A lot of dumpster diving skills got unrusty all of a sudden, and she makes sure she knows the routine to stop by the various charities for some food here and there. She also makes sure to spend a fair amount of time in the library; it turns out there's a bunch of books in there that are free to read, as long as she lets the librarians know when she's leaving! And they don't even ask her to pay anything! She'll have to remember where places like this are after she meets back up with the League; maybe she can talk Shiggy into saving all the librarians? Something to think about.

She makes sure to scrape enough yen every couple of days to get clean, and get her clothes clean. She's so hungry, but she keeps a hold on it; she kept a hold for stupider reasons years ago, she can certainly keep it in for Izukun and Occhan. They'll be so proud of her for not getting any of that tasty, tasty blood!

Life progressed as expected for the next... three months? She'd been keeping count on a calendar, and she knew it was getting close (eight months away!~) when she bumped into a tall, skeletal blonde while she was trying to pick out a treat at the combini. (she may be homeless, but she still needs something nice once in a while!) She can smell his blood on him; Before, like with Saito, it may have been enough to break her grip on herself, but the blood smelled rotten and ruined. Someone who'd been hurt a long time ago and hadn't ever healed right.

"Oh, sorry, miss. Are you alright?"

"Just fine, mister! Thanks for asking!" He looks over her, blue pupils in black eyes, and something tickles the back of her memory. He seems familiar...

"...not that it is my place to judge, but... here. If you need some help, call this number." He hands her a business card; a 'Naomasa Tsukauchi'? Who was that? Not anybody she remembered from the last time around.

"Thanks, mister?" She looks up, and the skeletal man is already walking out the door, some bento stuff in his bag. ...man, he looked so familiar, too! This is gonna bug her all day! So uncute!

As it turns out, it took her about ten minutes before a memory clicks into place, and she realized she just bumped into All Might.

"...I’m gonna avoid this area, until he's gone. That... that seems like a good idea." She may not have stabbed anyone, but she knows heroes tend to bundle up homeless kids and 'help' them over to orphanages, and being in a home would make her whole 'get into UA and pretend to be a hero' plan a lot more complicated. Plus, even odds she'd end up in one of the 'Sensei' orphanages, like Touya talked about, and then she'd have an even harder time of it. Best for her to run and keep clear of this area until after she's in UA.

(and not because she remembers seeing Shiggy's sensei and All Might matching blows, back and forth, and despite everything, All Might still coming on top; she may not be a villain yet, but he still strikes fear into her heart)

...it is a very conflicted Himiko when she found the few hundred thousand yen someone slipped into her pocket. Well, at least she'll have nice, cute clothes for the entrance exam!

It's finally exam day! She made sure she wore her new, cute skirt and cardigan, one black, one (blood) red, and she brought her gym uniform. (and everything else; on the plus side, being homeless meant she could keep all her stuff together all at once!) She showed up bright and early, humming to herself as the gates slid open; she didn't really have anywhere else to be, and maybe they gave extra points if you showed up super early?

"...and what's your name?" The teacher(? probably, anyway. She didn't have the head for all the teacher's names and quirks, that was more Shiggy's thing) asked.

"Naomasa Himiko!" As it turned out, the business card paid off! She made sure to practice the kanji over a few days, just to make sure she remembered to sign off with them properly.

"...ah, yes, Naomasa-kun. You're here rather early; I believe Lunch Rush has some breakfast prepared, if you would like." Wow, getting in on the exam early, and getting breakfast handled? Clearly, UA had no idea what they were offering to her. She grinned, the cat poised over the canary.

"Thanks, sensei!~" She ran inside, looking for... oh, there were some signs! It was probably the same place they were doing lunch later, so she followed the arrows and sprung into the cafeteria. It was... really big. Is this how the heroes lived? Totally unfair!

There were a bunch of adults sitting in here, all over the place; little groups and cliques, and she could see the different relationships between years. Then she sniffed, and she could smell BLOOD.

The room flickered in heartbeats as she moved, the pig’s blood in the porridge ensnaring her senses and reeling her in, like fish on baited hook. Her fangs clattered against the plastic as the porridge poured down her throat, chashu and greens and rice in a sticky slurry, filling her up. Her tongue swept the plate, making sure all the tasty food filled her up properly.

"...and who are you?"

"Whaaa?!" She leapt to her feet, startled, as the last few minutes finally finished rushing in. "Oh, I'm really sorry! I was really hungry, and your food smelled reaaaaallly good."

"That was a bowl of cháo huyết."

"That was a bowl of delicious! Can I get another one?" Wait, be polite. It was a hero thing, right? Or maybe just an Izukun thing? "Please?"

The man looked her over. His hair was a bright grey, and he had two fangs jutting up; like her cute ones, but more… dog-like. Like a pitbull. "...yeah, I can get you another one. Me, too, actually; why don't you take a seat and tell me a bit more about yourself?"

"...okay?" He was kinda weird. But... nice. That was the best word for it; it reminded her of when she borrowed someone else's face for a bit, and she got to pretend she was Normal. She glanced down at her hands, just in case she'd somehow managed to be someone else, another whole lifetime away.

She looked up when he came back and sat down, the bowls still smelling amazingly tempting. She took it a little slower this time, calling on old, rusty etiquette skills to look like she wasn't homeless and feral, like Compress did that one time. Two times. (twenty six times)

"So, what did you say your name was?"

"Naomasa Himiko!" Nailed it. He stirred his porridge before sticking a spoonful in his mouth.

"Naomasa-kun, huh? You're here for the exam?"

"Yep! I wanted to apply to UA!" Crap. She needed a good reason to be here, because 'I'm here to steal two of your students and love them and show them how to love me' is probably not a good idea. "I... wanted to be a hero, and... prove my Quirk isn't villainous?"

"What kind of Quirk is that?" Another spoonful of porridge.

"A... blood Quirk." That shouldn't be too revealing.

"Ah. I was wondering why you found my food so appetizing."

"Because it has pig's blood in it?" He looks a little startled that she knew.

"You can taste the difference?"

"Why shouldn't I? It tastes like chashu. It makes for a yummy breakfast with this porridge!" He grunts, before finishing up his bowl.

"I'll take this back up for you, but... I think I have something for you to take home." A teacher wanting to help her when she wasn't being Normal? UA was a strange place.

"Okay!" She hummed softly to herself while she waited. No point in trying to rush away, she imagines even the non-Hero teachers can keep up with the Heroes. Let's see... there's Eraserbrain over there... and that's actually about it. Wow, she really doesn't know that much about heroes, huh? She looks up as the guy returns with a small bag of red candies.

"Suck on these, one at a time. It'll help during the exam."

"Thanks!" She takes them, before opening the baggie and sniffing. They smell like... "Why do they smell like blood?"

"They're little blood candies."

"...thanks." She will not cry. Not in this cafeteria full of heroes. She will not.

"No problem." His hand reaches out and ruffles gently, unsettling her buns. "If you pass, I'll see about getting you into my class." She cannot speak, because her chest is close to bursting, but she makes sure she nods, at least. He gets up, a half grin, fang prominently displayed, before he walks away, giving her a little bit of privacy while she grapples with her tears.

A few hours later, she's bouncing in place while she waits for the exam to start. They give everyone a pencil and a packet (she checked; she had the time to run around and take a look), and the testing area looks... fairly normal, if absolutely massive; they could fit the whole PLF in here with space to spare!

Once people start coming in, by twos and threes, she sits in her seat and waits. No point in people watching; she might be able to pick out someone she knows in the crowd, but there won't really be a way to make contact, so why bother? Her foot taps a steady rhythm with impatience, and she waits for something to start.

She gets it when a pretty lady steps up. Her hair's long and dark, but she looks familiar; maybe one of the corpses during the MLA raid? She'll have to think about it some more.

"Alright, children, it's time to prove your youth!" She pulls the whip off her waist and snaps it forward. Maybe she could get a whip while she's here? It would give her some range, and whipping Izukun and seeing all the blood dripping off his back, his face pleased and pained... it gives her the shivers. "You have three hours to complete the exam! Any cheating will result in immediate disqualification! Open your packets on my mark!" She picks up the packet, pausing for a moment to pop a candy in her mouth. It tastes like clover and laurels, which is a cute combination for such a big man! The whip cracks, breaking her concentration, and she shouts, "Begin!"

The test isn't nearly as bad as she was worried about. Her studies, self-directed as they were, at least got her most of the way to a passing grade, she thought. Some of it was her future knowledge (Shiggy was a huge nerd, and bragged about passing the UA test with ease, just to show off how unprepared the heroes were, if even villains could ace it), but some of it was just stuff she knew. She always had been good at English, and the math stuff was something she liked Before, (always easier to have one right answer to a question, and not a bunch that changed based on mood, time of day, and the season; history tasted too much like the Toga's moods) and the Heroics stuff she knew from being on the other end of the laws.

It still ends up taking her almost the whole three hours, though.

Once the packets were pulled together, the lady sauntered off (and wow that catsuit didn't hide anything; maybe she should get one for her, Izukun, and Occhan's private nights?) and a blonde with co*ckatiel hair stepped up. She wasn't the best at eyeball measurements (that was more Jin's thing), but that hairdo had to be at least a foot tall, right? How did he style it? A ladder?

"...of them more like an obstacle, than a target." Oops. She maybe should be paying more attention? Hm... three types of... robots? Different point values... so she just needs to break robots? That doesn't seem too bad... "Good luck out there! You're going to need it."

The bus ride wasn't particularly busy, but she was more jittery than most. The boys and girls around here were super uncute; most of them looked like they thought they had already passed. So many fake apprentices here; Mr. Stainy would have a field day with most of this bus. It saves her some knives and time if they wash out now before they make even poorer heroes.

Piling out, she stretches out, letting her spine really roll all those little pops and cracks out of it, before stretching side to side, working every muscle loose. She was ready.

"And GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She breathed, in, out, and became one with the universe as she vanished into the city. "Did you think you were going to get more of a timer? This is just like real life!"

She's faster on her feet than the other examinees, so she's the first one who sees a group of the robots they're supposed to be banging up. They look at her (her breathing technique doesn't mask her from them? So uncute!), so she handsprings into motion, twirling on top of one as one of the others starts shooting at her! She dips, letting her mount take most of the gun fire, and grabs one of the metal shards that spray from the body like pointy blood from a body. She's got... a knife. No, wait, she's got two.

She carves through this batch and the next like a hot knife through butter (she laughs out loud when the joke hits her, which slows her enough to notice one of the two-point bots is about to hit a brunette - so uncute!, so she drives one of her knives into its face, another into its spine, and waves as she darts off), which gets her into a nice rhythm when she stumbles across another student. A small group of the one point bots is ringing a... boy with little balls in his hair? Quirks were weird (at least, she hoped it was a quirk, and not some strange fashion choice). She sprang forward, knives slashing power cables in throats and driving one shard into an eye sensor.

"...that was... awesome..." She grinned, fangs flashing, and she wished above all else she had some blood to go with all this cute knifework.

"Thanks!" She works another, bigger shard out of one of the ruined robots, before holding it steadily. "Be safe out there?" It should proooobably sound less like a question.

"Y-yes!" Nailed it. She sprinted back into the fray, knives flashing; she's having such a good day!

Well, up until the zero pointer arrived. She was paying attention, but they really underestimated how big it is. She starts running, vanishing from perception, as she outpaces the lumbering monster. Unfortunately, because she's moving so strangely away from the crowd, the robot's eyes are on her. This is what they use for testing here? So uncute! And they call her a villain! Well, she just has to keep it busy for a couple of minutes, right? The exam will be getting called soon? she hopes?

The next two minutes are the busiest of her life, this time around, and she makes sure this uncute sack of metal works for everything it tries. It swings at her a few times, ponderously slow, but with the full weight of all that metal behind it (it reminds her of the couple of times she tried to play knife chicken with Muscular), and she keeps just outside of its reach. Honestly, it's kinda fun! Which is why it's a bother when she hears "Tiiiiiimes up, little listeners!" The robot slows to a stop, and she pouts. Even more uncute! It should activate at the last minute and try to kill someone! It's like nobody here knows how evil robots work.

…Oh, right. Heroes. They don’t do evil robots.

"Is anyone in need of healing? The exams these days..." The voice of terror. She remembers Shiggy’s sensei's warnings; she looks ancient, but she's still capable of impaling someone on her cane, and she's perfectly capable of healing someone to death. (Touya asked if that was an exaggeration; the Doctor had a twenty six slide PowerPoint ready to explain how, and in what ways, her quirk could be used to make your death painfully slow. Super inventive!) She's just... gonna make sure she can't be found.

So she fades away again, booking it to the locker room so she can change clothes and get away from campus at all possible speed.

It takes a week before the exam results finally show up, and by halfway she's bored stiff. She took to practicing knife overhands and underhands by day four, and by day five she's practically crawling the walls. She occupies herself on day six by reading, and she begins to reconsider her ability on the exam portion. (she's gotten the math near perfect, but her grasp of history seems shaky, at best; which, she was probably misremembering from when she was in school, but still!)

It's day seven before a letter delivers itself to the warehouse she's been staying at. Her trusty boxcutter (never leave home without it!) splits the envelope, and a small disc clatters to the cement, before lighting up.

"I AM HERE! With a special announcement!" Luckily, she had scavenged a poster recently and had been training herself to get used to his face, or else she would be halfway across the warehouse by now. "Young Naomasa, you passed the written exam, if barely." Yes! "However, it is not your academics I wish to discuss today. During the practical portion of your exam, you have scored forty-three villain points, more than sufficient to garner entry. That, however, is not the FULL story! You see, we also graded you on Hero points!" Gag. "Awarded due to diligence towards one's peers and saving the lives, and scores, of your comrades... you earned thirty-five hero points!" ...at least she earned more villain points than hero ones. So uncute! "Combining the two scores, you have earned seventy-eight points, putting you at number one in the entrance exams. Naomasa Himiko, welcome to YOUR Hero Academia!" She... passed? In first place? That was...

...so cute!~ Maybe she’d give herself a candy, as a treat…

Chapter 2: The First Day of School and Some Totally Cute Crushes!

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The next six weeks were actual torture. She had gotten in… but at what cost. She had to forge parental acceptance forms, her birth certificate, her hospital records, her quirk counseling paperwork, her government quirk paperwork… she was getting really good at signing ‘Naomasa’ to everything! The other matter is designing a hero outfit. On the one hand, she had to design a hero outfit. On the other hand, she had to design a battle outfit. Her villain ‘costume’ last time around was just her seif*cku, with some support equipment, but she got the feeling UA wouldn’t accept her running around in her uniform. She also had to give them the measurements for her new uniforms, too, which was… okay, the UA uniforms were kinda cute. Only kinda, though.

She ended up needing a full week, and skipping any support equipment descriptions (she’d get Giran to get the guy who made her last rig to make it again; she’d make sure Izukun and Occhan were eating out of the palm of her hand before too long~), but she did finalize a super cute battle uniform. Plus, when she inevitably dragged Izukun and Occhan over to the right side of things with her, she’d have a cute new villain outfit! Clearly she was the best at this.

Still, by the time the first Monday in April rolled around, she was bored stiff. She rode the early train out of Mustafu, yawning all the while, her paperwork pressed tightly in a folder, her go bag slung over her shoulder. Her train dropped her off at UA’s gates by a little after six… which was enough time for her to secure her bag on campus, drop off her paperwork, get her uniforms, take a quick shower, and make it to her new class. Whew, at least she won’t have to work this hard every morning! Her stomach ached with regular hunger (she hadn’t had any time to eat this morning) and the itch for blood (the candies Breakfast-sensei had given her lasted for the first week, but five weeks was nothing to twelve years), but she was ready and dressed for school!

…jeez, getting ready for school felt weird. She hadn’t had to bother for three years. She whistled, a little tunelessly, as she walked in her new class, 1-B. She wasn’t late, but she was definitely the last in the doors; the other nineteen people in her class looked up. Let’s see… green hair, but it wasn’t Tsutsu or Izukun… Occhan? No, wrong face, but the right body. She didn’t know that Occhan's sister attended here! That was so cute~!

“You thinkin’ you’re gonna take a seat, blondie?” She grins, fangs on full display.

“Just looking at all my cute classmates!~” She walks over and sits in the only open spot, right in front of a boy with a balloon for a head? and behind the green cutie who’d called out to her. Quirks were weird. The girl in front of her turns around in her seat, offering her a hand.

“Need a hand settling in?” She blinks, smiling a little, before reaching out to grab the hand… before it fell off at her wrist joint, thudding on the table. She can hear the people around her startle; a boy with a bunch of fur, a little silver-haired boy, another blonde boy, and a silver haired girl. She points at the hand. The other girl seems fine, so… maybe a way to show she’s strong, like when Shiggy tried to dust her when she first met him? Or Touya tried to set her on fire for asking too many questions?

“You want to give me breakfast? So cute!~” The girl blinks, before her hand flips up, scuttling across her desk on its fingers. She idly slaps it, pinning it in place, before the girl laughs.

“Gotta admit, that’s the first time someone’s asked about eating me when I show off.” The girl pouts.

“That’s a mean trick, cutie. I’m all thirsty, and you’re looking like a treat.” She leers, as best she can (she used to get Jin jumping when she hooded her eyes just right, but she looks off in the mirror whenever she’s tried now, so something’s a little different). They stare each other down, waiting for the other to break first.

“Alright, class, settle down in your seats.” A man walks in, tall and broad, in a red bodysuit… wait, those fangs… that hair…

“Breakfast-sensei?!” There’s a beat of silence, before a confused giggle starts ricocheting around the room, and Breakfast-sensei clears his throat.

“That’s enough. My name is Kan Sekijiro. For those of you who don’t know, I’m also the Blood Hero: Vlad King. You’ll be coming with me; today is Orientation, and we’ll be listening to Principal Nezu first thing. After he’s finished up, we’ll be breaking for a snack from Lunch Rush, before you’ll be free for the day. Any questions?”

Nobody raises their hands, although everyone’s looking at each other, sizing up their allies and competition. Breakfast-sensei claps his hands. “Alright, everyone out the door. Naomasa-kun, hold on for a minute.” The class starts filing out, and she keeps an eye on the last person in line (he looked Chinese? his eyes looked like cats!) before turning to Breakfast-sensei. He hands her another bag of blood candies. “You probably aren’t getting enough blood at home, I would guess. This should keep you sharp for the next couple of days, and Lunch Rush has already been alerted to your dietary needs.” She blinks, a thick clog in her throat again. These heroes are so mean, making her wanna cry this much! “Go ahead and catch up with Rin-kun; I need to check on a few things.” He steps out, and she takes a few minutes to breathe, letting her roiling emotions settle back into her chest. The people here were mean and weird, trying to make her cry. So uncute.

She ends up walking into the orientation a few minutes late, fading into the universe and resetting her breathing after she finds her spot next to the greenette. She starts scanning the crowd, looking for Occhan’s bob or Izukun’s shrub on top of his head, before the girl next to her shouts, her head falling off.

“Is something the matter, Tokage-kun?”

“Sorry, Principal! I’ll try and keep my head on my shoulders next time!” She scoops her head back up and settles it back onto her shoulders with a funny ‘screw’ action, spinning it around her shoulders. Once attention on the two of them breaks, the other girl looks at her with a hiss, her pointy teeth glinting. “Where the hell did you come from?”

“The door?” She really doesn’t understand the interrogation.

“I… goddamn you’re sneaky. How in the…” The other girl trails off, looking like she can figure out the mysteries of the universe on her fingertips. She’s more than glad to let her.

The next hour and a half are boring, but there’s some useful information in there. Lunch Rush offers breakfast and lunch, some guy named Hound Dog is a guidance counselor(? what does that even mean), they have different teachers at different year levels, and there’s scholarships and on-campus work studies for a stipend. Luckily, nobody seems to have caught on that the fake bank accounts she gave UA were routed weird, so nobody’s said anything for her tuition. Nailed it.

After the principal finishes his anecdote on fur care (she took notes! this sort of thing could be really useful for her hair, too; just gotta look the best for Occhan and Izukun!~), Breakfast-sensei stands up to address them.

“You’ve got a half hour. Lunch Rush is offering a light snack in the cafeteria, and your sister class, 1-A, will be still doing their quirk assessment, if I know Aizawa. You can visit them after the break.” She has half an hour to get through before she can watch as they turn their backs on her again, refuse to understand why she is how she is see her cuties again! So uncute. But, she can’t be too weird, not Normal, never Normal or else they’ll kick her out, and then this whole plan’s sunk. A hand grips her shoulder, and she startles, a box cutter stabbing into empty air.

“Whoa, hey girl, it’s just me.” A pale hand is awkwardly patting her shoulder, and the rest of the green girl is a good foot away. “I’ll make sure not to trigger your fight reflexes again, yeah?” That’s weird. Everyone else made a game of not getting stabbed when they spooked her. (Compress got stabbed twice, Touya twelve times, and Shiggy at least thirty one; she lost count)

“Why do you care?” A look of… something darts across her face. the same look that went across uravity’s, during their fight near the mla

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“I mean, yeah, but… that never stopped anyone before.” The other girl shrugs, her hand drifting to attach onto her wrist.

“Then I won’t do it anymore. Name’s Tokage Setsuna!” The now attached hand is thrust to her. “Yours?”

“Naomasa Himiko!” She grins, fangs bright in the light.

As they walk into the cafeteria, the blond from next to her waves at the two of them. “Come over here!” The greenette Setchan whistles, counting the heads.

“I think that’s the entire class. Want to get some food and sit with them?”

“Sure!” All these hero students were being so nice to her. It was so weird. all that means is they don’t know how not Normal she is. She must have convinced them all she wasn’t actually a villain!

The ‘food break’ Vlad Breakfast-sensei told them about was like a small stall, students in lines waiting to get their food. Was that a… cash register? She pawed through her pockets, looking for some spare change. It looked like… three hundred yen? That was easy. Probably.

…well, she was about two hundred yen short of three hundred yen. She hadn’t brought any of the stash she kept squirreled away in the walls of various warehouses just in case dabi set fire to a building again and they had to evacuate something happened, so… guess she wasn’t going to eat. Wasn’t the first time, won’t be the last.

“Didja forget your wallet?” The girl Setchan asked, watching her patting her pockets.

“I did. So uncute…” She grumbled under her breath, before she saw Setchan’s floating hand, rolling three hundred yen coins between her knuckles.

“Pay me back later, yeah?” Was she… loaning her money? Why? She didn’t stand to gain anything from it. These people were so weird.

“I’ll bring some by tomorrow!” She could spare a few hundred yen from her stash to keep an ally.

“I trust ya!” no she didn’t she didn’t know how tasty she’d be split open and himiko bent over her lapping at her wounds like a drunk cat Weird. They stood in companionable silence as they moved up in line, and Setchan stepped up first.

“Can I get a bowl of chicken yakitori?” The guy behind the counter looked tired. His jacket was weird; three buttons on each shoulder.

“Uh, yeah, sure, two hundred yen.” Setchan scratched at her chin.

“Sign says three hundred, though.”

“Sign’s for a full lunch. You’re also paying a little extra for Lunch Rush to…” he sighs, the sorta sigh she usually heard from Compress or Kurogiri whenever Shiggy went off too hard in whatever metaphor he was trying to decay, “Lunch Rush it.” Setchan snickered.

“You get paid for that pun?”

“A few extra yen every time I can fit it into a sentence. The yen doesn’t ease the agony.” Setchan cackles with something like glee.

“Alright, take the yen, and the extra for making me laugh.” She slides a few coins over.

“Your order will be ready in a few minutes. And you, miss? What will you be having at Lunch Rush’s Cafeteria?” She glances over at the menu board. Nothing on there looks super tasty, but the beef cutlets can probably be made rare enough to work.

“The… beef cutlets? Extra rare?”

“Sure thing. One fifty yen, please.” She shuffles the coin across the table, and for a moment, the weirdness of the moment hits her. She was at hero school, paying a hero student hero money to eat hero food made by a hero. first time she’s paid for a real meal at something like a restaurant ever; first time she’s eaten at one in years

“Your food will be ready in a few minutes. Oh, before I forget; can I get your names?” Suspicious. Why would he want to be able to identify them? To try turning them in after they’ve eaten?

“Tokage Setsuna!”

“Togasa Nana.” Keep the counterfeit name normal, easy to recognize, and close enough to her actual name that she won’t react weirdly to it; the first things Compress taught her when she had to fake an identity. She keeps her face straight, even when Setchan looks vaguely baffled at her.

“Gotcha. Well, I won’t keep you waiting.” He bows slightly, before looking behind them at the next set of students. They step to the side, waiting for their food.

“...why did you tell him your name was ‘Togasa Nana’?” …did she honestly just trust him with her name? So weird.

“He wanted to know our names. Super uncute. Now, if someone comes after me, I’ll know who snitched first.”

“...uh, I think he was wanting to let us know our food was ready.” Ah, poor Setchan. Still not used to the real world. She shrugged, waiting to hear her name.

A few minutes of awkward silence later, they picked up their food and headed back for the tables, and she popped one of Vlad Breakfast-sensei’s candies in her mouth, tamping down on her thirst. The whole class did look like they were sitting together; near the middle was the blonde from right in front of her seat, and she ran a quick eye over him. He wasn’t built that different from her, but he had the sort of ‘overcompensating rich’ look to him of someone who was faking money, and his posture was trying to draw more air than he really had. Overall, probably two out of five in ‘difficulty to impersonate’. The girl next to him has orange hair, well built and muscled. A good second pick if she needed someone with some muscle that wasn’t izukun, coated in lightning and covered in trails of his blood, fighting so hard and bright the crimson in his veins spilled out to use her quirk on. Ugh, a martial artist. Those were always the worst because they walked so differently, and she had that natural feel of authority; probably from classes she taught? She’d have to ask. Four out of five on the impersonation front.

The rest didn’t really matter right now; it was these two who the rest of the class would be orbiting. They’d left two spots in front of them for her and Setchan; trying to leave them on the backfoot, so they were more susceptible to following their lead? Not that she cared about leading the class or anything, but the subtle social engineering irked her; it was super uncute when people tried to lead her by her nose. She knew how these things worked, it was how she made her quirk work for her! no matter how witless shiggy and dabi thought she was; she knew shiggy wasn’t planning on leaving anything alive, and by then, neither was she; she’d leave the long term plans to the people who actually wanted to put in the work

“Hey, we saved you some seats!” The orange girl waved, smiling brightly. She distrusted it instantly.

“Thanks, girl! Tokage Setsuna, if you forgot.”

“Kendou Itsuka!” The two girls waved at each other as they took their seats, but she made sure she could feel her box cutter under her skirt, against her skin.

“My apologies; I forgot to introduce myself.” The blond boy vaguely sketched a bow, the sort of thing Mr. Compress would mock behind his back. He didn’t lean enough into it, not enough personality coming through; he was probably new at it. “Monoma Neito, at your service.” The other two looked at her, expecting her to follow up.

“Naomasa Himiko!” She grinned wide, fangs bared. “Nice to meetcha!” She pulled her chopsticks out and lifted the first piece of cutlet. It looked good; the outside was gently seared, leaving the inside almost entirely red and raw. She could smell the blood dripping off of the slices of meat. The first slice vanished into her mouth, her long tongue wrapping around it and pulling it into her mouth with an audible snap. And… oh, that was so cute. The blood dripping off her meat seasoned the rice! She’d have to try it in a minute and see if she couldn’t do something similar when she got back with the League.

“Holy crap, girl. You like it rare.” She knew it. Her jaw opened, her fangs bared, and her hand shot for her box cutter - “I wish I had your courage. I always get mine medium well.” Her hand stilled. Her mouth closed, slowly.

“That looks not unlike tataki, or steak tartare. Do you enjoy your meat on the rare side?” Three seats over, covered in hair, fangs. Some sort of animal quirk.

“Hey, girl, are you okay?” Hand on her shoulder again. Too much. Too muchtoomuchtoomuchtoomuch–

The box cutter made a pretty arc around her, steel glinting under the lights as her chair went flying, and the doors to the cafeteria banged open, and she was gone.

She didn’t leave the building, at least. She didn’t need to; the main campus was massive, and she could’ve gotten lost for a year, easy, if she was careful. But… she needed the space. Too many people, pressed around. Too many eyes on a murderer, hands dripping with blood curiously splattered, she could still feel the warm, delicious red on her face as uravity helped pressed them down into the pavement. Her face. Her knife flicked in and out, in and out, in and out, and it was soothing, reminding her she could always cut and run, stab and escape, slice and dash…

“Hello Miss Naomasa.” She exploded upwards, knife cutting a silvery arc across… nothing. “Down here, miss.” Her head snapped down, and there was the smartest man alive. Even Shiggy thought he was cool. “I could be a dog, a mouse, or even a bear, but most importantly… I am here to help.”

“...that’s what you say, up until I do something weird, not normal, and then you’ll throw me out. Just like everyone else.” The box cutter creaked under her fingers.

“You’ll have to forgive me, Miss Naomasa, but I have the upper hand on ‘weird’.” His paws(?) were crossed behind his back. Vulnerability; he would have to move a fraction of a second to put them into position, but she was probably faster– “Are you well, Miss Naomasa?” The casing on her trusty knife splintered.

Silence filled the hall, as two predators eyed each other. She should be able to outrun him, but he might be able to catch her when she vanished. No good solutions, no good options, no good –

“Would you like to come with me to my office? I have some tea.” …follow the predator into his den. She always did best when her victims targets opponents were in tight quarters with her. Wordlessly, the box cutter vanished back up her skirt and she straightened up, following the principal’s small sneakers into his office.

She lounged on the chair, keeping enough pressure on her limbs she could spring across the desk at a moment’s notice. The principal busied himself by starting a small pot on his desk, before pulling out some tins of… something. Golden… what what? She’d never even heard of that, and she thought she knew more than she wanted to, her parents forcing and shouting and berating and swearing about tea than most. The whole thing was… she knew what a tea serving ritual was, the proper, hour plus kind, but this was… more relaxed, and yet, more of a ritual. Each motion was carefully precise and engineered and he meant it to make sure she knew he could take her in a fight.

“Do you have a preference in cups?” His paw is… pointing at a small cabinet of cups. Mismatched, but each one looked… carefully picked. Spaced evenly, each one given a little perimeter of home, none overcrowded, and the few that were stacked together looked deliberate, instead of needing more space. One of them had a small blood drop on the side.

“The cute one.” He nodded gravely, before standing on his desk(?! so uncute and unsanitary!) and walking across it, reaching for the cup in question. He cradled it gently, putting it in front of her, before placing a small bag in, and carefully pouring the water in.

“Make sure you remove the sachet in four minutes.” He poured his own cup, before sitting down in his chair. “Now, how are you, Miss Naomasa?”

The clock ticked behind her head. Why was there a clock ticking - focus. “...I’m fine!” She grins, the silly grin with fangs glinting, her too-long too-cute tongue pointing out between her teeth.

“Miss Naomasa.” Her grin vanished, and her hand wrapped around her box cutter.

“...there’s too many weird people, here. They keep looking at me like I’m,” not weird “normal.” Her voice warbled on the last word, the Toga woman’s sing-songy notes and the Toga man’s baritone warning. The principal pulled his bag free, before setting it on a nearby dish.

“You may want to remove your tea.” She carefully pulled the bag free, her attention locked onto the man she sat across from, before she put the bag on the same plate. “I am given to understand this is unusual for you?” She shifted in her seat; she didn’t like playing games like this, where someone was probing inside her head trying to trick her, and there were dozens of ‘almost answers’ but only one (or none) right one. “You don’t need to answer right away. All I ask, today, is that you take a few deep breaths. Has anyone led you through a guided breathing exercise before?” A what what? “I can guess not. Will you be willing to try one with me?” How is he reading her mind? “Your face is very expressive, although I would hazard a guess that it would be more difficult for someone without experience reading feline facial expressions to read you as well.” Then her secrets… her bodycount, her mission, her loves “Your secrets remain your own, Miss Naomasa. Would you be willing to let me lead you through such an exercise?” His face remained impassive, but… she could see what he meant. The little twitches of his nose and ears. He… was open in wanting to help. She nodded, slowly, hoping she hadn’t made a deal with the devil.

“Thank you for trusting me this far, Miss Naomasa. Now, breathe in, and hold for four seconds.” He gestured with his paws, simulating the breath in, and she inhaled, filling her lungs. “...and now, exhale, eight seconds.” He demonstrated, drawing the breath out slow and steady, and she followed suit. “Now, in for four….” inout “...and out for eight. In for four…” In out “...and out for eight. In for four…” In. Out. “...and out for eight. And how do you feel?” The paranoia battle instincts fear terror uncute clench of emotions in her chest loosened, a knot massaged out by breathing of all things.

“...better.” The principal’s ears wiggled, a slight twitch of the tail, and he seemed to radiate happiness.

“Good. Thank you for letting me help you. I believe your class has gone home already; Orientation day is always a half day, and for the Hero courses, sometimes even less than that. You’ll be expected to be here by eight twenty five tomorrow morning, for your homeroom class. Ah, before I forget, Miss Naomasa… welcome to your Hero Academia. Do try some of your tea.” She smiles back at him, before sipping some of her tea. It’s… very tea-like. “I assume you aren’t a fan? That’s quite alright, then. I will try and have something more suitable to your palette, the next time we talk. You may leave when you’re ready.” She dared another sip (still tea-like), before she backed out of the chair and out the door, keeping the other predator in the corner of her eyes. With a step out the door, she vanished into the hallway.

The building loomed over her, now she was outside; she suddenly whole-heartedly believed, even now, that the principal could turn it into a flying fortress if he needed to. “Naomasa-chan!” She looked over, Setchan waving and… Kendo walking behind her.

“Setchan!” She steps over a little closer, so they aren’t screaming at each other and so kendo is within stabbing distance if need be

“Naomasa-kun. Sorry for scarin’ you off.” Kendo grins, holding a hand up in apology. “I didn’t mean anything by it… but that doesn’t change the fact it hurt.” She can feel that stupid, uncute clog in her throat again. Stupid.

“It’s okay, Kenchan. I forgive you.”

“Kenchan? Are we that close already?”

“Sure!” She grins, fangs glinting. “I almost stabbed you, and you apologized! It’s a first for both of us!” They both give her a strange look, but she’s going to ignore it for right now. She’s got friends!

She catches something out of the corner of her eye… green hair. Curled, vaguely bush shaped. And a bob haircut. It’s them. It’s them. All she has to do is go say hi! After all, the last thing she remembers from both of them… hey couldn’t understand her, wouldn’t talk to her, trying to fight her even though she was trying to show them her love it was a little awkward. could they smell the blood on her knives, this time around? had she lost them before she even had a chance?

She’s so busy screaming internally and sobbing thinking she doesn’t even notice she’s started moving towards them, Occhan’s quirk drawing her in, an irresistible center of gravity. “You’re… SO CUTE!~” She can’t help herself; she hasn’t seen them in a year and six weeks bloodied and unbowed, against her and her parade of sad girls! She’s been so good and hasn’t tracked them down or anything! She springs forward, catching both around the shoulders in a tight hug, and whirls around them until she’s leaning against both, keeping them nice and cozy. and right in her grasp, where they aren’t going to run away or abandon her or try to turn against her

“Bwah?”

“Gah!”

“What in the… unhand them at once, you… ruffian!” She can feel the rumble in her chest that she keeps pressed down, as Setchan laughs, and Kenchan looks somewhere between surprised, amused, and annoyed. (like compress did, whenever she tried to show off etiquette)

“Sorry about this. I’m Kendo Ituska, from Class 1-B. That’s Naomasa Himiko; don’t mind her, she’s kinda flirty.” She pouts at Kendo. She’s not flirty!

“I don’t flirt, Kenchan, unless I’m in love.”

“...Nao-kun, you called everyone in class ‘cuties’.”

“They are cute! But these two are…” What’s a good hero pun… it’s right there… “Plus Ultra cute!” Nailed it. She can feel both Izukun and Occhan relaxing into her grip. Good!

“Naomasa-kun! Release them at once!” She turns her head to look at whoever was following them around. Tall, dark blue hair… Engine legs?

“I’ll let go when they ask me to, Legs-kun.”

“L-l-legs-kun?!”

“N-n-naomasa-chan? Can you l-let go of Deku and me?” Aww, Occhan was calling the cuddle session short.

“Only if you call me Himiko. Hi. Mi. Ko.”

“...Himiko-chan?”

“Good enough!” She lets Occhan out of her grip, instead leaning herself against Izukun’s back. She tilts her head, her breath juuust against his head. “If you wanna be free, you gotta call me… Hi. Mi. Ko~” This time, she gets the pleasure of watching his face turn another few shades red, and she thinks she can see steam pouring out of his ears.

“H-h-h-h-himi-himiko-san?!” She pouts, before slowly peeling off of him.

“Himiko-san’s so rude, Dekkun!” She catches the wince from his face. “Isn’t that your name?”

“Yeah, isn’t it, Deku?”

“Uh… well you see… Deku isn’t actually my name. It’s… Izuku. Midoriya Izuku.”

“Izukun… Izukun? That sounds so much better!~” Like the crackle of lightning and warm, raw power that comes off him whenever she drinks his blood.

“But then why did Bakugou call you…”

“Deku? Kacchan calls me that to, uh, make fun of me.”

“I didn’t realize that, I’m sorry! Although… I kinda like Deku; it’s got a real ‘you can do it’ attitude!”

“Yeah, but if he doesn’t like it, you can call him I~zu~ku~ instead~” She watches both their faces light up bright red, hands waving in front of them in fervent denial. She sidles up to Occhan’s side. “Don’t you want to call him by his given name?” Both of them are atomic red at this point; it’s really funny… and cute~ She feels a gentle bop to her head, right in between her hairbuns.

“Hey, Naomasa-kun, let’s try not to scare off our classmates, huh?” She grumbles under her breath, before forcing herself to take a step back. It wouldn’t do any good to scare her loves off; she’s got time. She can wait.

“If he’s Izukun… and he’s Legs…”

“My name isn’t Legs! It is Iida-” She ignores him.

“What’s yours?” Occhan smiles, still covering her face from the bright blush burned into her face.

“Uraraka Ochako.”

“Izukun, Occhan, and Legs-kun!” She grins, feeling a little silly and feeling her tongue slip, a little bit. “You’re my new friends!”

“Friends?!” Legs-kun looked like he was trying to work out something complicated and uncute, like history and hero law, and not something easy and cute, like trigonometry.

“You w-want to be friends? With me?” Izukun sounded like she’d said something he’d never heard before, which was surprising. He was so cute, especially all bloodied up! Why wouldn’t anyone want to be his friend? He must just be really kind.

“I… I guess we’re friends now!” Occhan started the sentence as a question, but by the end of it, it was a firm resolve. Just like her love~

“Great! I’ll see you tomorrow, cuties~ And Legs-kun.”

“My name is not-!” She walked away, Setchan walking beside her, laughing, and Kendo jogging to catch up.

“Wow, Nao-kun, that was bold. Staking your claim already?” Kenchan was laughing, a little, but she didn’t realize how right she was.

“Just claiming dibs, before someone else tries to snatch up my cuties~”

“Damn girl, already trying to work both your hands?” What? Her confusion must have been on her face, because Setchan calmed down a little. “It’s a… thing people say. ‘You have two hands’, for people who have two partners.”

“...like a boyfriend and girlfriend?” Setchan nods.

“Yeah, exactly.” She looks down at her hands.

“My right one’s for Izukun. Lefty’s for Occhan.” She nods to herself, decisively. This will make figuring out how they walk together much easier.

“You’re a little relationship obsessed, aren’t ya, Nao-kun?” She blinks.

“Why would you want to go out and risk your life if you didn’t have someone to come back to?” She was a villain to find someone and somewhere she was always accepted. If she was trying to be a hero… it would be the same. She just… wanted a place to be her, always.

“...that was oddly poetic, Nao-kun. I’ll have to remember that.” Kenchan sounded softer, for some reason. Weird.

“Wellll, now all the fun’s over and the mushy stuff has started… I gotta catch a ride out of here. Later!” Setchan broke into a run, her hands popping off and up, waving as they flew after her.

“Well, I’m taking the train back to Mustafu before I catch the next one on out to Chiba. Which train are you taking, Nao-kun?”

“Back to Mustafu. I’ve got to get home and make sure everything’s still in one place.” Damn squatters moving in on her squatting rights. She was squatting there first!

“Do you live with siblings, or…?” She waves her hand.

“Just some annoying neighbors.” She huffed. “Does Kenchan have siblings?”

“Nah, just me and my parents. My grandfather runs our martial arts studio, though.” That would explain the authority she wore like an extra pair of weights.

“That’s cute, Kenchan~”

“Are you flirtin’ with me, Nao-kun? I don’t flirt with taken women.” She giggled, grinning wide.

“I just called you cute~ Plenty of people are cute!” Even some of the hero students, reluctantly.

The two of them, her and Kenchan, giggled and jibed at each other until they split, Kenchan taking the train to Chiba, and her taking the long walk to the warehouse she was living in this week.

Today, despite everything… was a pretty good day.

Tomorrow was going to be even better!

Chapter 3: A Lunchtime Conversation and Quirk Training!

Chapter Text

She jolted out of her cot, shrieking into the dusty warehouse. She.. had a nightmare. Something… something awful, but she couldn’t remember her cute dreams, much less her uncute ones. What was the thing the Principal was telling her yesterday… four in, eight out. Four in, eight out. Four in. Eight out.

Once her breathing slowed, just a little, she glanced at her phone. It was one of those basic, brick smartphones they gave out to people like her, sometimes, so they had some way of contacting people, and she’d waited in line patiently for it. It was connected to two or three different connectors, stretching across the barren, dusty warehouse to plug into the only outlet here that had any power (and she was pretty sure even that was only because someone else had been living here before, and had wired it with the property across the way). Luckily, her phone still had some power, but… she needed to charge it up at school. Ugh, weird. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to the idea she had school to go to, much less UA. It was… five? That was too early, but… she had places to be, and loves to see.

She took a few minutes to get dressed, eating one of the power bars she kept around for breakfast, and swallowing one of Vlad Breakfast-sensei’s little candies, tasting the rush of clover and laurels. That should keep her from getting too thirsty. Making sure her uniform was neat and tightened, and gathering the rest of her stuff together in her duffel bag, she inhaled, exhaled, and vanished into the morning mist.

She tapped her foot at the train station, glancing at the clock every few minutes. It was seven forty-five, where were they? She didn’t care about her attendance, but they were both invested in this whole Hero thing, so why were they cutting it so close to late? The chime sounded, and the train that just pulled in came to a stop, and… Occhan’s bob, and Izukun’s shrub. Targets spotted.

“Occhan! Izukun!”

“Bwah?!”

“Gah!” Oh, they were so cute when they startled so easily.

“H-h-himi-himiko-san?” She pouted.

“Himiko-chan?” But Occhan wiped away her pout easily.

“There you two are!” She needed to do something here… not just ambush them and get her love charge for the day. Izukun’s tie! It was… a mess. Stubby and short, like he didn’t know what he was doing. “Izukun, did you do your own tie?”

“I-I-yes?”

“Izuku! You should have told me!” She grinned.

“Occhan, I said something, I get to fix it. You can do it tomorrow, though~” Occhan’s blood pumped hot, and she sounded like a tea kettle as her hands went to her face – but her pinkies weren’t up, so she snagged her by her ankle, holding her in place while she shrieked quietly, before letting herself down with a quiet “Release.”

“How did you…?”

“It’s a five point quirk, isn’t it?” It was; she still remembered when she’d borrowed Occhan’s body, and sent Curious on a flight up, before feeling her finger beans press together as they fell victim to gravity. and borrowing uravity’s face and beans “There aren’t too many ways to activate those, and they usually have a similar deactivation.” Even Shiggy could stop his decay from spreading, if he cared to. “When you touched your face, you had all five fingers on your face, and they glowed a little pink briefly.” Also true, but mostly because she knew what to look for. Izukun and Occhan were looking at her; Occhan was surprised, but Izukun was closer to looking at her like a dog who found a thick steak in the trash can. Kyaa~ She wasn’t going to just let him take whatever he wanted! He was too young! Probably!

“You must be really perceptive.” He whipped a notebook out of… somewhere? His pen clicked, and he started scribbling notes into the book. “Is it your-” As she stepped forward, she ran a soft hand across his collarbone and settled on the knot of his tie, and she heard the pen and notebook clatter to the ground.

“Shh, Izukun. Let me… make you look presentable.” She heard a soft keen from Occhan next to her, as she carefully detangled the knot at his throat, before putting it back together properly, with a few careful tucks and turns. “There we go. You look very… presentable, Izukun.” He gulped, his throat bobbing, and she could smell the blood right under his skin. She turned, looking to Occhan, who looked like she was jealous and hungry. Perfect. Two steps across the street, her hand mirrored the same track to Occhan’s perfectly presentable tie. Occhan froze under her touch, and she suddenly understood why some people teased their partners with gentle touches and caresses; it was so fun to freeze them under her touch. She gently pulled her tie apart, before redoing it, making it nice and neat, and just a touch askew, mirroring Izukun’s.

They both looked bright, adorably red. almost better than when the red was on the outside; she could enjoy this again and again and again She grabbed Izukun’s hand with her right, Occhan’s with her left, and gently pulled them towards the big building; they didn’t want to be late!

After dropping her cuties off near their door (they were still stumbling around, redder than anything, but she trusted them to figure out how to get into class… probably), she turned towards her own class, sliding in five minutes before the bell and popping another one of Vlad Breakfast-sensei’s candies in her mouth, along with another power bar.

“Forgive me if I sound rude, Naomasa-san.” The furry boy next to Setchan pushed his glasses up further on his nose, looking back at her. “May I make some recommendations for food you may enjoy? My own quirk comes with a palette more suited to raw cuisine.” So he… liked raw foods?

“Sure! Uh…” She suddenly realized she had no idea what his name was.

“Ah, my apologies. I am Shishida Jurota.” Like a furry Legs-kun.

“Shishida-kun?” He nodded. “I’ll try one or two, if you think I’ll like it.”

“Thank you for trusting me with your meal.” He talked really weirdly, like Compress if he was feeling particularly thief-y.

“Cutting it close, weren’t you Himichan?” Setchan’s head turned around, grinning with sharp teeth.

“I had to charge up my cuteness gauge for the day!” Setchan’s grin gets wider, if it was possible.

“What’d you do to them?” She giggled, resting her head on one hand and idly twirling one of the (carefully set) strands of hair escaping from a bun.

“I just redid their ties. Jeez, Izukun’s tie was so bad.” Setchan laughs again, closer to a bark than giggles; very cute, on her.

“And you did Uraraka’s too?”

“Well I wanted to make sure they matched, Setchan. Besides, she’d feel lonely if I didn’t~” She can feel eyes on her, but she was talking about her loves, not herself, so it made her preen instead. she was proud of her villain-hopefuls; they were clean and perfect and that made her so happy

Vlad Breakfast-sensei walked in right then, cutting the talks short as they looked forward. Under his arm was a folder, and he cleared his throat. “Good. I’ll keep this quick, then. Your schedules are part of the paperwork packet that was on your desks; Naomasa-kun, I have one right here for you.” He waves at the folder. “You need to pick a class president by tomorrow. Who gets the spot is up to you, but it needs to be agreed across the class. The Principal wants me to remind you that death matches, permanent disfiguration, and excessive quirk use are forbidden, but anything less than that is permitted.” The Principal dropped a few steps in her estimation; why wouldn’t you let the students try and thin each other out? “Your hero classes are after sixth period, Monday through Friday. We have a new teacher for Foundational Heroics, who will be alternating classes with Snipe-sensei. He’ll be working with Class 1-A Tuesdays and Thursdays, and you guys Mondays and Fridays, with myself and Snipe-sensei covering the other three days. Any questions?” A few scattered hands shoot to the air, with the… is her hair made out of vines? Ooh, does her sap count as blood?

"What time do the Heroics classes end? I have obligations I must attend, twice a week."

"Usually around five, but they can be taken a little longer. Sometimes, those obligations will have to fall by the wayside, Shiozaki-kun, especially if you want to be a hero." Shiochan nods, her hair gently rustling.

"Any others?" The rest of the hands dropped, and Vlad Breakfast-sensei nodded. “Good. Midnight'll be here soon, so look good, and act professional." He passes the folder to the boy in front of her row, who passes it back, and in a few movements, it's on her desk. Nobody thought to peek in, even. Weird.

“Uggggghhhhhhhh…” she slumped over her desk. She was pretty sure she would melt into a Himi puddle, and it wouldn’t even be a fun one for Izukun and Occhan, just a boring one!

“You okay back there, Himichan?” Setchan smiled, a hint of shark teeth.

“Why is English so much work.”

“That was our second lesson. We just finished with Math.”

“Numbers make sense, no matter what you do with them. English lies, then lies about the lies, then lies about those.” The blonde girl behind her, with the horns… Tsunochan? Pony-chan? she’d have to ask again, perked up.

“You… speak English not good?” She rolled her head across her desk, looking at her classmate from the corner of her eye. “My math bad. Your English bad. Trade?” She grins. It’s almost like having friends again!

“Sure! [I know little, from friend who gamer.]” Pony-chan wrinkles her nose.

“[Your English could use some work.]” She pouts. It wasn’t that bad!

“I’ll trade Math for English tutoring.” It was the least she could do.

“So, want to come join us for lunch, Tsunotori-chan?”

“I’m no Tsunotori! Name is Pony!” Setchan grinned, shark-toothed.

“Okay, Pony-chan~ Lunch?”

“Yes!”

The three of them walked into the cafeteria, and it was a little like walking with friends. She scanned the cafeteria, and… there’s Occhan’s bob, right next to Izukun’s shrub. Perfect. Setchan sighed as soon as she saw her head moving.

“You wanna sit with them?” Silly Setchan.

“Of course! Besides it’s also… uh…” Come on, what’s a good excuse… “Cross class bonding experiences?” Setchan snorted.

“That’s what I’ll tell Kan-sensei, anyway. Ah, Pony-chan, [the boy with the green hair over there and the girl with the bob haircut are the two people Himichan is interested in.]” Pony perked up, and she tilted her head.

“You can speak English?”

“[You can speak English?!]” Setchan chuckled.

“I’m a Recommendations student. They don’t let you in unless you’re really Plus Ultra about your studies.” Her nose wrinkled for a half second before her face smoothed back out. Right. She was here as a ‘hero’.

“[So… they’re dating, or is she pining from across the room?]” Setchan laughed, loudly, and Legs’ head turned to see the commotion. She could already see the arms mid chop. She grinned, fangs flashing, before walking over, Setchan still laughing and Pony-chan looking confused.

“Izukun! Occhan!” She cried, before rushing across the last little bit of floor, landing dead in a seat next to Occhan. She ‘eeped!’ cutely, and Izukun nearly swallowed his fork. He’d have to be careful, or else she’d have to make Occhan give him CPR~

“Naomasa-kun! Running and leaping in the cafeteria is-”

“Oh hey, Iida-kun. Surprised I didn’t see you at the Recommendations exam. Ingenium didn’t sponsor you?” Thanks Setchan! Legs stiffened, before both Izukun and Occhan looked over at him surprised.

“Why would… wait, your older brother is Ingenium?!” Izukun is so cute when he’s focused on heroes! Even better when she drags him to the League; he’d get along with Shiggy, and he’d know how to make those heroes hurt!

“I knew you were a rich kid, Iida!” She smiles, a little lovesick, at both of them. Unfortunately, they both miss it, which is super uncute.

Legs flusters for a moment, before gathering himself up, landing a decisive chop. “Yes. my older brother is Ingenium, the latest heir of the Iidaten agency. I was hoping to keep that quiet for a little longer… I didn’t want my classmates to feel intimidated that I am a legacy student. And…?” Setchan waved.

“Tokage Setsuna, at yer service.” She stretches across to offer him a hand, which he takes. A decisive shake, and her hand falls off. Man, Setchan liked that prank, didn’t she? Legs shouts, Occhan gasps, and Izukun pulls… the same notebook he dropped that morning? Huh, he must be faster with his hands than she thought.

“How did you do that? Is that your Quirk, or is it some kind of prop prosthetic you keep around just in case? If it is your Quirk, how much can you feel from the detached portion? Is it autonomy in a human-relative body plan, some form of powered autonomy, or something else? Can you regenerate your hand if something happens to it? Can you separate more body parts, or are you limited to one at a time? Is that hand able to move separately, or is it linked to your other hands movements? If you split off more than one body part, can you-” Izukun stopped talking suddenly, and the rest of the table was silent. He’d drawn every eye there; Occhan was looking at him like he’d started speaking English, Legs dropped Setchan’s hand, Setchan forgot to catch her hand, so it thumped against the table, and Pony-chan looked like she’d walked through a tsunami. “OHGOSHI’MSOSORRY! I didn’t mean to ramble like that! I know it’s freaky, and I’m trying to-” He and Occhan both jumped when her trusty boxcutter impaled the center of the table. Oh, and Legs, Setchan, and Pony-chan too, she guessed.

“Liking something isn’t freaky, Izukun. Lots of people pay other people lots of money to figure out quirks, and you just asked more questions than the hack I visited did.” Once she made her point, the boxcutter vanished back up her skirt.

“...Himiko-chan, where did that come from?”

“Under my skirt, why?” Izukun is interesting shades of pale and red. Setchan clears her throat.

“Hey, Himichan, why don’t I spot you and Pony some food? [Any request, Pony? I’m getting lunch.]”

“[Yeah, can you get me some beef? I’ve been missing hamburgers something fierce.]” Shiggy did teach her badly, then; she could only really catch a few words in ten. Occhan looked similarly lost.

“[If you ask for his international menu, I think he has a cheesesteak on hand today.]” Once again, the table zeroes in on Izukun, although Pony-chan looks excited. Which, yeah, Izukun’s awesome, but dibs, girl, jeez. Respect the line.

“[You can speak English?!]”

“[I learned it to watch All Might interviews in America…?]” Izukun’s looking pretty shades of red, and she can feel herself getting hungry watching all that tasty blood rocket around his face…

“[Nerd out about it later; cheesesteak, Pony?]” Setchan spoiled her fun. Rats.

“[Yeah, please!]”

“What do you want, Himichan? Something rare again?” She hummed, before nodding. “Got it. I’ll be back in a few minutes; Himichan, try not to stab anything before then.”

“No promises!~” Setchan slips off to go get their food, and she refocuses on her loves, sitting right within her range. If either of them were to get hurt, or try and run off… she could move faster than they could, easy. She looked down, and… yep. Both of their ties were still tied the same way she left them in the morning, including the little tilt. Her tie was matching. She smiled, feeling her cheeks warm, and relaxed into the lunch table, a tight knot in her chest was keeping itself tied up inside. It felt… so good.

“I didn’t know you were so enthusiastic about quirks, Izuku! You should’ve said something earlier!” Izukun grumbled, before carefully closing the notebook, but not putting it away.

“I… when I was younger, a lot of the other kids didn’t like it when I was writing notes about quirks. Or asking about them.” The tight happiness in her chest was beginning to dissolve in a warm boiler of rage. Knives weren’t a quirk, right? It wouldn’t technically be villainy, just ordinary assault!

“...Izuku, you can ask me about my quirk anytime.” Legs cleared his throat, before making an… apologetic chop? It was the strangest motion she’d ever seen, and she’d seen a lot.

“I must apologize, Midoriya-kun! I wish to offer the same, but unfortunately, the Iida family all share very similar quirks. Knowing too much about my Engine would tell you quite a bit about Tensei-nii’s, as well as my parents!” Izukun waved his hands, looking panicked.

“I-I wouldn’t do anything to put your family in danger, Iida-san! I’ll just keep my notes to the usual stuff I’ve noticed!” Legs’ eyes draw together a little.

“Do you have any note on Tensei-nii?” Izukun’s head bobs up and down, and his hair is super curly and cute~

“Not in this notebook, but I can bring it tomorrow!”

“Would you mind? The Iidas keep copious notes on our Engines, but I must admit, I am curious what an outside perspective would see…”

“Sure!” Hm… Legs was okay. He could keep being Izukun’s friend. She leaned over, putting her head on Occhan’s shoulder. She stiffened a little under the weight, but relaxed.

“What hobbies do you have, Occhan?” She could smell the small whiff of blood washing near her face, near her cute little blushes, but not all of it.

“I like space. My quirk is Zero Gravity, and I wanted to learn as much about it as I could, so I could use it as best as I could.” That made sense. if you weren’t a demon, they wanted you to practice and understand

“Anything else you like to do?” Occhan’s head turns towards hers, and her voice is soft and quiet; Izukun and Legs fade into the background, and she’s drawn all her attention again, the epicenter of gravity in the room.

“Why do you want to know, Toga Himiko-chan?” She smiles, gently, fangs poking out just a bit.

“You and Izukun are so cute. You draw me in like gravity.” She flushes again, smelling so cute, before turning face forward and focusing on her rice and fish. Setchan shows up, though, holding all three trays on floating parts of herself. So she could split into multiple pieces… she’ll have to grab a piece and try it, for… science? Her tray has a small baggy on it, which looked like it was… about a cup?

“Hey, Himichan, the bag’s from Lunch Rush. I was told that if you needed more, you can go back and talk to him.” She gets closer, and she can finally smell the blood underneath the plastic. It was more… muted, than that morning, or what she can smell right off of her crush’s faces, but it was still good. Still filling. She makes grabby hands as Setchan giggles, before floating the tray right to her. She twists the top off the bag, before pouring it over her rice, letting it settle in and coating the rice in super cute red.

“What is that, Himiko-chan?” Unfortunately, Occhan decided to ask that right as she was sticking a piece of rare, dripping meat right into her mouth. She gestures awkwardly with her other hand, chewing all the while, and nobody’s really able to get anything she’s trying to say (which sucks, she needs to teach Izukun and Occhan, at least, the basics of Dabi-sign), until she swallows.

“A… quirk thing. I need to eat some every day.” she couldn’t tell them couldn’t see the disappointment in their eyes how she was a demon a freak something hated and shunned Setchan’s hand settles on her shoulder, and she twitches violently. Occhan looks at her like she’s an animal, knives ready to flash out with concern.

“...vestigial cat mutations, cats don’t typically need to consume an additional supplementary liquid…” Izukun’s arm is crossed, the other hand holding onto his chin, and muttering softly under his breath; if she wasn’t so good at picking up both of them in a crowded battlefield, she would have missed it! He looks up, eye gleaming.

“You’ve got a transformation or emitter quirk that utilizes whatever was in that bag for fuel, right?” She blinks and stills. Setchan’s hand tightens a little. Occhan makes a questioning noise. Pony-chan shifts to leap, if she needs to. Legs looks shocked.

“...yeah. I… I don’t want to talk about it right now.” Super uncute, uncute, uncute, she’s proud and devastated, when they saw what she could do, what she had to do on the streets, what she was forced to, and they turned their back on her, her with a demon’s quirk, her villainous quirk of her quirk. But… it still feels too raw, a wound barely stapled back in place.

“Sooooo who do you think our Heroics teacher is? Aizawa-sensei didn’t actually say…” Occhan burbles, and she focuses on her meal, the blood less… appetizing, now. Congealed and dead in a body, rather than warm and lively.

“Well, assuming we’re sharing Heroics teachers, one of them is Snipe-sensei. The other one is someone else; you guys’ll be working with him today and Thursday, and we get him Monday and Friday.”

“...it’s All Might.” Her head snaps up, staring at Izukun, and the rest of the table is looking at him like he grew an extra head. “W-what? Didn’t you all get an acceptance letter from him?”

“I did, but they said I came in first during the practical.” She swallows another piece of meat (it was starting to taste better, now, the uncute emotions smoothing over) Setchan and Pony-chan look at her, surprised.

“You b-beat out Kacchan?!” Izukun looks like his world was rocked; Occhan frowns.

“Aizawa-sensei said he had come first in the… oh, first in the class, not in our year.” She shrugs.

“Those robots were super uncute, but pretty fragile. Anyway; why do you think he’s the Heroics teacher, Izukun?”

“Well, he said he was going to be working as a teacher here, so…” That was new. She knew Shiggy saw Izukun as his nemesis, like his sensei saw All Might, but she didn’t realize the connection went this far back.

The table broke into excited chatter over All Might and now she’s gotta keep her guard up during the heroics classes, super uncute, and she focused on her meal. Still… being here, with her crushes? Super cute.

The last teacher for the day left, and she could hear the rush in the halls as the other students started heading home. Vlad Breakfast-sensei walked in with… Snipe-sensei, probably? He was dressed like a cowboy in a gas mask, a red cloak draped over him - probably to stop people from seeing what his hands were doing, she guessed. There was a glint of a gun on his hip.

“Welcome to Foundational Heroics Studies, kids. This is Snipe-sensei.” The cowboy waves. “Head over to your locker rooms; we’ve assigned you each a locker, and your sports uniforms are inside already. Be out on the field in ten minutes.” He claps, and the class scatters, getting out of their chairs and heading towards the doors. She ends up mixed in with Setchan, Pony-chan, the kid with the balloon head, and the blond kid she was looking over yesterday.

“I’ve heard through the grapevine that you were the first place student in the practical exams.” She looked over at the blond, and she can see how he’s drawing himself up to look better, louder; he reminded her, a little, of Shiggy whenever he went on his ‘main character’ rants.

“I was. It was super uncute; the robots were easy, but that zero pointer saw me and wanted to punch out my lights! Luckily, I’m way quicker than it was, and UA doesn’t do the evil robot thing.” His face did a couple funny things, before smoothing out and settling.

“Perfect. That will give us something to put us evenly with the other class, when we begin inter-class competitions. The first, fifth, six, and ninth positions were all within our class!” He begins to laugh a little, borderline unhinged (seven out of ten; he’s lacking the truly loose hinges of a good laugh), and Setchan looks a little confused.

“Uh, Monoma-kun… why do you care?”

“You see, Tokage-san, I’ve done some research with the upper classmen yesterday, and I noticed a trend. In the last few years, at least, Aizawa-sensei and Kan-sensei divide the incoming class into two groups; I will call them the carps and the sharks. The sharks, Aizawa-sensei’s class, come in with tremendous power behind their quirks; the ‘natural elite’, the Endeavors and All Mights, those with the raw power, but little practice and control behind their quirks. Kan-sensei, on the other hand, favors the carps; those whose quirks are trickier to control, but, with practice and training, can soar the waterfall into mighty heroes, like Edgeshot, or Best Jeanist. However…” Setchan nods along.

“...those with those sorts of powerhouse quirks tend towards that kinda natural arrogance, and you want a way to compete off the bat.”

“Precisely. And now, we find one of our own carps has surpassed them!” He laughs again, as the four of them came to a stop outside the locker rooms. “I believe this is where we depart, ladies. I will see you on the field.” He heads out for the boys room, and the balloon-headed boy (who’s head was making all sorts of letters on the surface? what was his quirk) broke off his conversation with Pony-chan, and the three girls walked into the other locker room.

“...man, that Monoma-kun is a piece of work. He’s really invested in the class already.” She took off her top, folding it and putting it into the locker neatly.

“He wants to be a leader. He wants to hold up everyone and say ‘look, this is what we did’. Maybe he’s got a support quirk?” Setchan shrugged as she put on a sports bra.

“Maybe. We’ll find out soon, huh? I wanna know what kind of quirk lets you rip through a buncha robots.” Setchan grinned toothily, and she matched, fangs bared.

“I did my exam quirkless.” She drops her skirt, before folding it up and putting it away, before she realizes the room is staring at her. “What?”

“You got first place quirkless?! How?!” She shrugged.

“I got a robot to break another one down a little, got some knives, and stabbed my way up.” She finished tugging on the pants, and slips on her shoes. Eyes are still on her. “Just a lotta practice and some flexibility.” She waggles her eyebrows exaggeratedly, and the other girls laugh and turn back to their lockers. Nailed it.

She is, as she finds out, the first girl out on the field, and one of the first people out on the field, period. Vlad Breakfast-sensei and Cowboy-sensei look over at her when she trots out. “Good afternoon, Naomasa-kun. How have your classes been so far?” Suspicious. Why does he want to know?

“Great, Kan-sensei!” if she didn’t count the panic attacks, the questions, the uncertainty He looks her over, like he can see into her head, but smiles.

“Good. I want all of my students to do well.” The rest of the class starts coming out before she can really think of a good response. “Now everyone’s together… we will be doing what we call a quirk assessment. There’s no grades here; this is to get an idea of what your baseline is. Naomasa-kun, you scored first on the practicals. Do you remember what your softball throw was?”

“...no?” She hadn’t needed to know it for four years.

“That’s fine.” He lobs a softball at her, with a stripe through the center. “Throw this as hard as you can, then throw another, but with your quirk this time.” This seemed… weird, somehow, but she can’t quite put her finger on it. “Make sure you don’t leave the circle, but everything else is at your discretion.” Okay… She stretched, limbering up, before spinning, twirling, and letting go when the most amount of force had built up. Breakfast-sensei watched his phone for a moment, before looking up. “Forty-six meters, not bad. Now, your quirk?”

“Sure thing, sensei.” She started unzipping her jacket.

“W-wait, Naomasa-kun, what are you doing?” She tilted her head, confused.

“You wanted me to use my quirk?” He nodded, slowly, like he was trying to piece a puzzle together using his eyebrows.

“Yes.”

“Then I need to be out of these…” She tugs idly at the uniform; the heroes do not joke around when it comes to their equipment. “...and ready to wear you.” He blinks.

“...a shapeshifting quirk? Oh, that makes sense, now. Naomasa-kun, you’ll go last. I’ll have one of my uniforms delivered so you don’t have to… you know.” She tilted her head again.

“...get naked?”

“...yes.” …she didn’t understand heroes some days. Why was Breakfast-sensei so weird about her getting naked? She used to do it all the time!

Her classmates stepped up to throw the ball instead. It was kinda interesting; Kenchan made her hand huge, before throwing the softball using only the tips of her fingers. Setchan spins her hands like a top before popping the ball off a fair distance. Shishida-kun bulks up, before roaring and throwing the ball. One of the girls flew it with her mind; Occhan’s twin makes it small and throws it like a pebble. The mantis boy is super cute, though; he’s made out of knives. It’s interesting, but a lot; before the PLF, the League was only a handful of people to keep track of, and with the PLF, she made other people keep track of that stuff for her. Still, watching all the quirks was interesting, at least. Monoma-kun(?) had a copy quirk, too; he didn’t have to drink any blood or shapeshift, but he used Kenchan’s hands to throw his ball a fair distance.

Then the uniform arrived. Even in the robot’s hands, it was easily twice the size of the one she was wearing right now, which made sense. Breakfast-sensei was big. “Thanks. Now, Naomasa-kun, go back to the changing room, get changed, and come back.” She nodded, before taking off with the bundle of cloth, and she heard him call for toe touches.

The changing room was easy enough, and even getting dressed (when she was swimming in fabric) wasn’t too bad. Getting back was a little tricky (the hems on these pants were not happy with her), but she managed just as Pony-chan finished her set (very inflexible, which wasn’t surprising for both an American and with her mutations).

“So, Naomasa-kun, the ball toss?” He throws the ball to her, and she catches it, before pulling clover and laurels over herself, swelling up a foot and broadening. She chuckles, stretching, before moving in a loose circle and pitching it straight out.

“And… two hundred and twenty three meters. Huh.”

“You’re doing fine, Breakfast-kun.” She pats her muscles, making a passable imitation of her teacher’s mannerisms. (not as much as she’d like; she preferred having more than a day to examine the people she became, but needs must) The rest of the class stared, before chattering broke out.

“So cool!” “That’s amazing!” “How thorough is that transformation?” “Do you have his quirk?” Did she? She felt inside, and… no, whatever happened to throw her back in time, it undid her quirk awakening. So uncute.

“Alright, settle down. Naomasa-kun, the toe touch?” Clover and laurels melted off of her, a gray slurry dripping out of her uniform as she shrunk again, before folding nearly in half. “...impressive. “ He made a note on his phone.

The rest of the tests weren’t too bad; the mushroom girl was interesting, but her quirk wasn’t doing her any favors for the more physical tests. Luckily, Vlad Breakfast-sensei was a lot bigger than she was, so she was able to make his jacket more like a dress when she had to run, even if he turned interesting shades of red when she did. She didn’t dirty his pants that much!

At the end, he showed a little chart on how they all did. She did okay; about eighth or ninth, which was good, but not great. “As you can see here, quirks, and individual training, can be applied to many different situations. Naomasa-kun has demonstrated she leads the pack in terms of individual combative ability, but she isn’t the top of the class when it comes to athletics measurements. Komori-kun, I would guess that your mushrooms are an effective area denial weapon, but aren’t too useful when it comes to physical tests like these, right?” The mushroom girl, who, with a quick check, had come in last, nods, but she’s looking super sad. Uncute. “Now that Snipe-sensei and I have a baseline, we will be putting together quirk training and physical training plans for all of you. Expect to see those on your desks in two days time. We still have an hour, so I want you to start working on a basic physical plan; start running!” With groans, the class started jogging down the track, listening to Breakfast-sensei shouting after them.

“Himiko-chan?” Occhan looked surprised to see her waiting near their door.

“Hey Occhan~ Where’s Izukun?” Occhan looks a little sad.

“He’s down with Recovery Girl. He… hurt himself, during our training exercise.” Hm. She’ll have to find a way to put a couple knives into All Might, then. “He needs to stay there for a few hours, so I was going to head home by myself.”

“Can I come along?” Occhan looks startled.

“Do we even come on the same train?”

“Yep! Both of you just show up later than I do.” Occhan looks like she doesn’t know what to do with this information. So cute~

“...sure. You can come along.” Another knot of emotions in her chest, but good. She walks along next to Occhan, humming a little, duffel bag over her shoulder. “What do you do for fun, Himiko-chan?” Shoot. Stabbing people and drinking their blood prooobably wasn’t the right answer.

“I dunno!” Occhan gives her A Look.

“...you don’t have any hobbies?”

“Not real ones. I like sneaking up on people, and Izukun and Occhan, and Setchan, and Pony-chan, and Shishida-kun and Legs in small doses, but those aren’t really hobbies.”

“Spending time with friends is a hobby!”

“Then that.” She didn’t understand why Occhan was so focused on this. So what? Most of the League didn’t really have hobbies.

“...I need to take ya down to the arcade or somethin’...” Aw, her accent was cute~

“Like a date?!” Occhan turned red, spluttering.

“No! Like… friends, going out.” Aww, but that’s okay. The best relationships start as friendships!

“Can we bring Izukun?” Occhan snorts.

“Yeah, that boy needs some friends, too.” She smiles wide, her fangs glinting.

“He’s really lucky to have someone like you, Occhan, who cares about him. I am, too.” She grabs her ankle as Occhan flushes bright red and starts to lift, and waits for her to relax and quietly “Release.”

“...you’re so mean, Himiko-chan. Ah’m not meant to take that kinda sincerity.” Her accent is so cute~ and surprisingly thick; she’d never heard it the last time around.

“Your accent’s cute~”

“Stahp it~” And that was how she spent the rest of the train ride, teasing Occhan, and the warmth carried her home to her bed.

Chapter 4: A Totally Uncute School Panic and a Cute Fight!

Chapter Text

Once again, seven forty-five was bearing down on her, and she found herself tapping her foot on the platform. After her shower, exchanging uniforms for the laundry, and grabbing a small breakfast from Lunch Rush (delicious! the porridge Vlad Breakfast-sensei had always hit the spot, especially how rich the chashu flavor was), she was, again, waiting for Izukun and Occhan. Waiting here for them is… hm. Now she’s thinking of it, isn’t it kind of cute? She’s waiting, like a pining maiden, for her knights to return… super cute. Plus Ultra cute, even.

Izukun’s mess of green pops up amongst the crowd, followed by Occhan’s bob of brown. She grins wholeheartedly, fangs gleaming in the sunlight, as she leapt into the air.

“Izukun! Occhan!”

“Bwah?!”

“Himiko-chan!” She lands in front of them, her eyes roaming over them. Hm… Izukun’s tie is… neatly done. But… both their faces are still traced in bloody red; they were blushing, not too long ago, and something fierce.

“Occhan… did you wait until the train pulled in before doing Izukun’s tie?”

“...no.” Occhan didn’t know how well she knew her tells.

“You’re a liar, Occhan.” Occhan flared bright with a blush, and her mochi sweetness boiled just under her skin.

“I-if I didn’t, you were going to tease Izuku again!” Teasing implied she wasn’t planning on following through.

“O-ochako-san…” She stepped close, her hands brushing across Occhan’s lapels, and she feels the girl freeze as she carefully straightens her jacket, making sure the lapels were crisp, the buttons flat. She even took the moment to make sure her tie was neatly concealed underneath her shirt collar, and her shirt collar neatly underneath her jacket. Occhan’s mochi sweet scent is hot and pumping fast across her face, as she turns towards Izuku, whose face is preemptively hot, probably from watching Occhan get so flustered.

“Something wrong, I~zu~kun?” He backs up a little, his back thumping against the concrete pillar of the station, and she steps close, boxing him in. She’s heard of this before… kabedon? That close intimacy where she knows he could force her away with that immense strength in his limbs, but he won’t, because he likes being caught by her. Lightning and power dance across his face as her fingers trail the same lines they did across Occhan, and by the time she’s done, he’s trembling under her touch, nearly insensate. She looks over at Occhan, who’s trying to put together her universe under the new lines she’s blazed, and smiles, a little lovesick, a little jealous. “Occhan~ if you did Izukun’s tie… don’t you want to do mine to match?” Occhan’s face burns even brighter, her ears, face, throat, everything with mochi sweetness filling nearly every available space.

“I-i-izuku we gotta go!” Occhan leaps forward, grabbing her by one hand (she moves her left to be intercepted) and Izuku in the other, before running at top speeds towards UA. Ah, well. Baby steps.

“Himichan?”

“Yeah, Setchan?” She’s very carefully drawing the ‘ko’ of ‘Ochako’ onto her left wrist. She doesn’t know the kanji, but the hiragana is almost as cute; it’s probably ‘child’, for ‘tea child’, which is super cute, but she doesn’t want to risk it, so ‘ko’ it is.

“What are you writing on your wrists?”

“Izukun and Occhan’s names.”

“...why are you writing their names on your wrist?”

“So that way they know which hand is theirs!” The balloon boy makes a noise from behind her.

“Are they really just written with hiragana, or…?”

“I haven’t asked the kanji yet. Why do you wanna know?” He seems suspicious.

“I really like wordplay. My quirk works off of onomatopoeia, so name puns and language jokes were something I picked up early.” Setchan turns her head in her seat, a hundred and eighty degrees.

“What’s your quirk, then?” The balloon rotates(? the forced perspective is flat, so it’s hard to tell she wonders what it’s like, to drink his blood and wear his face for the day; so unique) before leaning in a little.

“I call it ‘Comic’. I don’t see Kan-sensei, so…” His hand cups his mouth as he leans in a little more. “Schwing.” Softly and gently, the kanji spill from the bubble, and he’s holding a small knife. More a shiv, than anything.

“Can I keep it?” The balloon bobs in place.

“The words don’t last more than a few minutes away from me, sorry.” She shrugs. It was worth a try for a back up knife.

“That’s pretty handy… f*ckidashi-kun, right?”

“That’s my name! f*ckidashi Manga! My parents were coping.” f*cki-kun(? she’ll workshop it) made a smiley face appear on his bubble.

“Do you read a lot of manga?” She was idly curious, and maybe this’ll give her another hobby she can tell Occhan about.

“Yep! I’m always on the hunt for unusual words, and besides, manga’s great! So many different kinds of stories you can tell, and both the short form and long form stuff’s usually pretty good, after you sift through the crap.”

“Do you have any recommendations? Occhan wants me to get another hobby that isn’t spending time with friends, or waiting to charge up on Occhan and Izukun’s love, or sneaking up on people and scaring them and sometimes stabbing them.” f*cki-kun question marks, before looking past her at Setchan.

“...is this normal for her?”

“Yeah.” Setchan almost looks fond. So cute.

“Anyway, Naomasa-san, I can loan you a volume or two, if you’ll bring them back after you’re done with them. Like a library.” Does that mean f*cki-kun’s like those librarians? She’ll have to tell Shiggy to spare him, then.

“Great! Do you have any love stories? Or blood stories? Blood love stories?” That’s how that worked, right?

“...I think I have a vampire manga or two? I’ll have to look.” f*cki-kun smileys again, before looking up as Vlad Breakfast-sensei walked in.

“Alright, first things to get out of the way. You’ll be meeting your other Heroics instructor today after class. Based on how well it went for the other class, he’ll be running you through the same simulation.” How well? Izukun was in the infirmary! With her! “Today you’ll need to choose a class representative. Once again, death matches are forbidden, as is permanent disfiguration and excessive quirk use. You’ll have the rest of homeroom to decide, but it needs to be done before your first class with Cementoss-sensei. Any questions?” The blond; Monoma-kun? raised his hand.

“Are we to decide our-”

“Monoma-kun, as long as none of you are permanently disfigured, dead, or causing disruption using your quirks, I am leaving the decision making of how you elect a class representative in your collective hands.” Vlad Breakfast-sensei sits back, and the class look at each other. The silence holds for a second, before she clears her throat.

“Whoever wants the job can always play for it.” She can feel the room’s attention on her, but honestly, it’s the fairest method she knows of. She flips f*cki-kun’s schwing over, holding it by the small ‘tsu’, so the ‘sa’ and ‘ku’ were sharp and ready.

“Naomasa-kun, I said no death matches.”

“It’s not!” She puts her palm flat on the table, fingers spread, but Breakfast-sensei stops her again.

“Or disfigurement.”

“They’ll only lose a finger if they’re bad at it!” She’s played it a bunch of times and she’s still got all ten!

“No, Naomasa-kun.” She grumbles under her breath and flicks the knife into the air, keeping careful track of it so she can catch it safely. It looks like it has the same general movements of a real knife, but quirks are weird. Unfortunately, Breakfast-sensei is a killjoy who coats it in tasty, tasty blood, like a particularly tasty lollipop, blunting the sharp parts. She shrugs and picks it up, her tongue long and rough as she contentedly licks at the construct. “...well, good enough for me. Any other ideas?”

“Arm wrestling tournament?” Surprisingly not from Kenchan, although that would be her first guess. The boy with the eyebrows and jagged teeth; Tetsu-something something something? She’s gonna remember and feel really stupid about it, she just knows it.

“Voting!” Monoma-kun, his arms spread wide like he’s talking to a theater.

“A rakugo contest would both challenge the intellect and prove the verbal edge of whoever claimed the first prize.” The girl next to her, with the pouty lips. She hadn’t heard a good rakugo since her parents forced her into all those traditional arts to ‘make her a better wife’ in ages!

“You’ve got five minutes left. Raise your hand if you want the tournament.” About… half of the class? She thinks? goes for it, and it doesn’t take more than a minute for people to start making the rounds. She stays over by her desk (Breakfast-sensei walks over and frees up her candy into more bite-sized pieces, although he leaves her a piece shaped like a candy knife; he’s earned back some favor), but the ultimate victors are Kenchan, who’s upper body strength beats out the competition, and her other immediate seat neighbor, a small boy who’s quirk apparently lets him explode with power, temporarily. Kenchan’s huge hand is too big to force it back, but it does force the steel boy’s hand back onto the table, (and she was right; his whole name was just ‘Tetsu’ said four times; and she thought her parents the Togas were unoriginal!) so Kenchan and Shoda(?) end up as their class representatives just as Cementoss walks in.

Setchan understands her, so she drags her, Shishida-kun, and Kenchan over to sit with her cuties. And Legs. There’s another girl with them this time, though; tall, generously chested, and black hair tied up in a ponytail. Her figure reminds her of that blonde she borrowed during the licensing exam… but even boobier. She drops into the seat next to Occhan again; Izukun’s left and right are taken up by Legs and this chesty invader.

“Himiko-chan!”

“Himiko-san! W.. wait, are those…” As expected, Izukun’s eyes narrow on her wrists almost immediately. “D-did you write our names on your wrists?”

“Of course! That way you know that my right is for Izukun, and my left is for Occhan!” They both flush bright red, their blood singing just underneath their skin, as the dark haired girl examines them, then her, before looking at Legs.

“I see what you mean.”

“What’s she talkin’ ‘bout, Iida-kun?” Aww, Occhan’s accent is creeping out.

“It’s nothing, my friends! Now that our compatriots from Class B are here, I suppose we should introduce our new class representative and vice representative!” He gestures, broadly, at Izukun and this new girl. “Class Representative Midoriya Izuku and Class Vice Representative Yaoyorozu Momo!” Yaoyorozu… Momo… Yaomomo? Good enough.

“Izukun! Congratulations!” She can’t really snuggle him from across the table, but she does beam widely, and her foot slides out of her shoe to reach across and squeeze his leg. He jumps cutely from the contact, startled. Jeez, she needs to get some more love charge or she’s gonna chase him across the schoolyard like a cat and a rabbit~

“T-thanks? I… I really don’t know why anyone voted for me.”

“You guys voted?” Kenchan sits next to her, and Setchan sits across, so 1-B and 1-A are next to each other, but not really mingled properly. “We did an arm wrestling competition. It was close, but…” She swipes under her nose with a thumb, a co*cky gesture. “You’re looking at Class 1-B’s Representative! Guess I’ll be getting to know you better, Yaoyorozu-kun, Midoriya-kun.”

“W-wait, I don’t…”

“Don’t what, Izuku?”

“Yeah, don’t what, Izukun?” Izukun looks at her and Occhan with barely concealed… terror? Why’s he afraid?

“I… I’ve never done l-leadership stuff, ever. M-my old middle school… I wasn’t popular. Or well-liked. Or had friends, really.” With each halting admission, Izukun shrinks back inwards on himself. Yaomomo looks… conflicted.

“I am afraid we are not dissimilar in that regard, Midoriya-san. I was taught by private tutors until I was allowed to apply to UA. This is, likewise, my first experience having friends. However, I have had experience with leadership roles within the Yaoyorozu Conglomerate. If you’re feeling this concerned, perhaps we can exchange roles, and you can take on the duties of the Vice Representative?” The wash of relief across his face is… hm. She doesn’t like it. But does she not like it because Yaomomo caused it… or because Izukun was that worried about leading? She doesn’t remember him being quite this… shy, last time. Well, maybe between the months, he grows into the leadership position?

“Th-that would be great, Yaoyorozu-san! Thank you!” He beams, and her heart aches from how cute it is. Occhan twitches, and it seems more from poorly suppressed jealousy than anything. Silly Occhan; the only people Izukun has eyes for are Occhan and her.

“We will tell Aizawa-sensei when we return from lunch, then.” She nods, firmly, before looking about the table. “Oh, my apologies, we began class discussions and forgot to purchase our meals. My treat, today; what would you like?” The meal calls were similar to yesterday; Izukun really likes his katsudon, which Shishida-kun also gets, Occhan seems determined to have the classic workman’s diet of fish and rice, Legs gets a curry that Kenchan also calls an order for, and Setchan hands her a note.

“He’ll know it’s from me. Usually, I’d cover the rush charge, but if you’re the Yaoyorozu heir…” Yaomomo blushes.

“Oh, yes, I imagine I can well cover any added cost, unless it’s truly exorbitant.” Yaomomo glances over the paper, before her eyes flicker up at her, and back down. “I’ll make sure he knows to… ‘Jurassic Park’ your yakitori skewers, Tokage-san.” Setchan smiles lazily as Yaomomo looks at her. “And what did you want?” She hums, looking between Legs, Izukun, and Occhan.

“I’ll try some of the curry, too. Tell him something mild, and I can share a bite with Izukun and Occhan, so they didn’t miss out on anything!” Their blood pumps hot to the surface for a moment, for some reason; she wasn’t even saying anything lewd!

“Of course… Naomasa-san, right?” She grins lazily, her fangs sharp and loose.

“Yep!” Yaomomo smiles faintly, before rising and heading off to get their orders.

Really, she should have expected everything to go to hell about five minutes after she left.

There’s a loud alarm klaxon, and there’s a loudspeaker calling out about a ‘Level Three Alert’. Someone broke in, from what she can overhear from the crowds around her, and she grabs Izukun and Occhan before they get up.

“Himiko-chan! We’ve got to get-”

“Someone broke into the school. Here’s the best place to hole up until either the-” she barely suppresses a sigh of disgust they can thank her later “-Heroes throw them out, or they leave.” Izukun looks conflicted, for some reason, but Occhan clears it up.

“Himiko-chan; even if we’re safe, that’s still a few hundred students stampeding around. We need to… wait, Izuku! The thing you did against Iida-kun in our match!” Izuku nods, before bracing his hand, aiming it upward, and boom. The sound shakes the rafters, nearly the building, as a cannon shot of raw air pressure buries a small crater into the ceiling. Everyone turns to look at it, and Occhan, standing on top of the table.

“Are y’all animals or students?” Her accent’s thick under her indignance, arm’s crossed, and she can almost imagine Occhan wearing her school uniform coat just sitting on her shoulders, a stalk of hay poking out of a corner of her mouth. It’s actually kinda cute! …and hot. she has needs! “Getcher selves in line or siddown until a teacher gives the all clear! Stampedin’ ain’t doin’ nothin’ but hurtin’ people around you!”

“And who’re we listening to? Some random first year?” Ooh, she’s stabbing that guy later. Izukun clears his throat, getting on top of the table, cradling his hand.

“T-the Vice Representative of Class 1-A! Midoriya Izuku! And… and the guy who just put a crater in the ceiling!” She winced. You don’t admit to your crimes ahead of time, Izukun! That just gives you a bigger rap sheet! But the other guy looks suitably cowed, at least. Okay, so he gets downgraded to a light stabbing. Ugh, Izukun and Occhan are making her soft.

The rest of the herd settles down into their seats, but she can taste the quirkfire in the air as energy simmers to the surface. The loudspeakers start back up a few minutes afterwards.

“Attention students! The Level Three alarm has been canceled. Press staff took advantage of a security lapse and came on campus in force. Please enjoy the rest of your lunch hour.” The Principal’s cool tones echoed over the speakers, and her classmates and Legs came back to sit down around the table, Yaomomo appearing a few moments later with several plates of food.

“My apologies; I was caught near the registers when the press of the crowds became a little too thick for me to navigate safely. I have food, at least.” Yaomomo puts everyone’s food nearby with a good memory; she even put her curry near her! It smells of curry seasoning and chashu, and she can tell immediately Lunch Rush cooked the blood into the base. Who else at UA has a blood quirk, anyway, aside from her and Vlad Breakfast-sensei? There must be a few, but… she doesn’t know if she really wants to track them down. It’s… the one time her parents tried to ‘accommodate’, she got dragged to a meeting with other people who ate ‘disgusting’ things, and she wanted to lash out, because her blood wasn’t disgusting, it was pretty awkward.

“Hey, Yaoyorozu-san, can I ask a favor?”

“What is it, Uraraka-chan?” Occhan gestures at Izukun, a rueful grin on her face.

“Couldja- sorry, could you make a splint for Izuku’s finger? He was trying to get people’s attention, and, well…” Yaomomo blinks, before her arm glows a bright, rainbow light as a splint pops out.

“Oh, wow! Can you make anything?”

“Anything I know the molecular structure of and the composition. Why, Naomasa-chan?” She grins, and her hands are on autopilot splinting Izukun’s finger back into one piece.

“Y’see, I forgot to put in a request for a knife or three for my hero uniform, and my box cutter’s kinda getting old. Can you make me a couple knives?” Yaomomo blinks, before nodding.

“I can certainly accommodate that, especially if you are undergoing the same trials we did yesterday.”

Kenchan leans in. “What did All Might have you guys do? I gotta know now.” She let the distaste and terror, can’t forget the terror keep from surfacing, but she was curious, too. Especially since it had kept her from her Izukun time.

“Well, the basics of the simulation were sound, even if there were a few injuries. The most were from Midoriya-san, actually. He had the class randomly choose a ball with a letter on it, which formed teams of two, and then had both teams compete against each other. One team was assaulting a bomb, and the other was defending it, for fifteen minute rounds.” That… actually sounded kinda fun. Heroes against villains, kinda deal? She’d never tried setting off a bomb, but at least it was novel.

“Huh. So, how’d Midoriya here hurt himself?” Izukun grumbled into his food, and Occhan lit up. And Legs looked crestfallen, for some reason?

“Izuku! You’ve gotta tell your part of it! It was so cool!” Izukun looked like he’d rather figure out the quickest way to suffocate in rice. (the trick, of course, is to have a lot more of it; compress’d shown her, once, with one of the more disobedient PLF members. she was pulling rice out of her hair for weeks afterwards!)

“I, uh… okay. I was one team, the heroes team, with Ochako-san, and against us were Kacchan and Iida-kun.”

“Wait, who’s Kacchan?” Setchan looked vaguely intrigued, a tyrannosaurus head pierced between two teeth.

“Uh, Bakugou Katsuki. We knew each other growing up, and when I was younger…”

“Gotcha, gotcha. Okay, so Bakugou and Legsgenium over there, up against the Wonder Duo.”

“L-l-legsgenium?!”

“The what? No, wait, we’re getting off topic. Izuku!”

“I… right, sorry Ochako-san. So, we were one team, Kacchan and Iida-kun were the villains. The thing is, I know Kacchan, and I knew he was going to split off and come after me, specifically, so the original plan was for Ochako-san to leave and corner Iida-kun. But…”

“I wasn’t going to leave him behind like that! Especially when Bakugou-kun started screaming about ‘killing’ and ‘die’. So, Izuku baited him into a right hook, I tagged him with my hand, and…”

“...Kacchan apparently wasn’t paying any attention during the apprehension test. He fired off a blast that wasn’t too bad by his standards… it still wrecked my hero costume, but the school said they’d replace it, since it was during a live fire exercise. Anyway, since he didn’t have any gravity…” She winces. He probably pinballed off a wall. But… Bakugou… Bakugou… wait, that little blond explosion boy they kidnapped during Kamino? That was Kacchan?!

“...oof. No situational awareness, huh?”

“He’s great at combat! He just… didn’t look at what Ochako-san could do?” Occhan snorted.

“Izuku, he shouted something about ‘some Deku without a quirk getting into UA’, despite watching you blow up your finger yesterday, and completely forgot I outscored him and Yaoyorozu-chan in the same test. No offense, Yao… ooh, boy, your name is a mouthful. Yaoyorozu-chan.”

“None taken. You may call me Momo-chan, if you’d like. I hope we girls are going to be close friends.” Ocehan grins, happy pride in every line of her face.

“Then you can call me Ochako-chan!”

“You’re super cute right now, Occhan~” She can smell the wash of blood across her face again, mochi lightness. “Anyway… so maybe some superficial burns. What kept you in the nurse’s office that long, Izukun?”

“Well, we tied up Kacchan with capture tape, then we went off to deal with Iida-kun. Unfortunately, Iida-kun is really fast. Fortunately, I figured out I can only break myself a little bit for these huge air pressure attacks, so I timed breaking two fingers to keep Iida-kun boxed in long enough for Ochako-san to grab the bomb.”

“It was a very clever tactic, Midoriya-kun. Although, perhaps you could work on breaking your bones less… and, perhaps, seek medical attention then, and not an hour and a half later.” She gives Izukun A Look.

“There was a bunch of cool fights and quirks I wanted to see! Besides, Recovery Girl fixed me up real quick! …and gave me a lecture for an hour about relying on her quirk and not getting injuries treated immediately.” The table winced.

“...at least you had a good excuse for your mom?”

“Oh, no, she started crying immediately once she realized I had been in the nurse’s office twice in as many days.”

“Oh dear.”

“I… really need to find a way to not break myself.” Hadn’t he figured out the whole ‘lightning’ thing? Or was that another secret quirk she’s not supposed to know about yet, like his cute black whips?

“You’ll figure it out, Izuku! I believe in you!” Occhan’s so bright and cheerful, it melts her heart.

“So, that explains Legsgenium-”

“My name is not-!”

“-and the Green Tea duo over here. What about you, peaches?” Yaomomo blinks.

“...peaches? Oh! My given name contains the kanji for ‘one hundred’, not the fruit. That is besides the point, I suppose. So my match…”

At least she got the knives before the end of lunch. They were both solid metal, much fancier than any knife she had, the last time around, and were broad and solid workpieces. The grips were more military-esque than the wood, tanto-like ones she was used to, too, but she wasn’t complaining. She kept one safely nestled up the small of her back, the hilt hooked into her skirt, and the other lay trapped against her sternum, her bra strap securing it. if something were to go sideways, she could get both out and shift into vlad-sensei before most of the class reacted

The whole class waited in barely held anticipation. Vlad Breakfast-sensei looked amused. “Are you guys that excited about a guest lecturer? Or… did you do some reconnaissance with Class 1-A?”

“Sensei, you know Himichan spends her morning and lunch periods with those two kids out of 1-A. If you guys were trying to keep it secret, you did a bad job of it; we knew since yesterday, lunchtime.” Vlad Breakfast-sensei grinned.

“Good. Good work using your resources to gather information on classes ahead of time. I would guess you’re all excited to meet…”

“I am here! Introducing myself as your heroics instructor, All Might!” The class gasped and cheered, and she kept him in the corner of her eye. She couldn’t do much if he decided to punch the class into a fine pink mist, but she could at least try and stab him in his side on her way out.

“[He’s in his Silver Age costume!]”

“It’s really All Might!”

“Now, now, settle down, children. I have heard rumor that you’ve not only figured out I was teaching, but you’ve also figured out the first lesson! In that case… let us take no more time! First, costumes!” He clicks a remote, and the wall opens up, cases sliding out, numbered one through twenty. Why. Did they build the wall like that… just for this moment every year? Heroes. she’d never admit it, but if she had the money, she’d probably do something similar; sometimes, you just need the flex “Costumes don’t make the hero, but they certainly help sell the image! Next, to the locker rooms, before moving on to Field Gamma! I will see you there in fifteen minutes!” And the Symbol of Peace split out of the front of class like his other lung was about to collapse.

“That was…”

“[What the hell was that?]”

“Language, Pony-chan. But seriously, what?”

“Perhaps, it is a… test?”

“A test of patience, more like.”

“Class. Are you going to get your costumes or not?” There was a heartbeat, before the whole class, including her, scrambled for the cases.

She hummed quietly to herself as she had Case Fourteen open in front of her in the locker room. It looked like they got everything, including… ooh, knives! (she couldn’t remember if she doodled ‘knife?’ on her order sketch or not, but apparently she had!) Setchan looked over at the stuff in her case, before looking at her.

“What kinda theme were you going with, girl?”

“Just… inspiration.” And who else would inspire her more than Uravity and Deku? She pulled on the jumpsuit first. Skintight and easy to move and breathe in, it also had plenty of flex in case she needed to be a classmate or something. The bottom was black, with a hint of glitter along the side of her thighs (which was there because it was cute), but the top was green, black stripes down her arms, and square panels right under her chest, filled in with more green. Chunky gloves sat right next to two large boots of soft, warm pink, which had small panels on the side for her to put knives in, and a spring-loaded knife in the ‘heel’ if she kicked just right. And, to cap off her amazing battle outfit… the skirt, which she carefully settled around her waist. It was pleated and swishy, and was made so it could tear away in seconds without letting anybody actually grapple her or anything!

“...that was some kinda inspiration, then.” Setchan had no room to talk; all she had was a bodysuit of purple, green, and iridescent scales. It was still kinda cute no it wasn’t, shut up

She set the clunky boot up on the bench while she started stashing knives inside the panels, not including the two Yaomomo made her. Those got put into the sheathes in the skirt. “The best~”

Once everyone got out onto the field, she was a little antsy. Most of the rest of the battle uniforms were cute enough (none of them matched Izukun or Occhan’s, but it was hard to compete with perfection), but knife boy just had a cloak on? That was kind of boring. All Might was explaining the scenario in the background; something about a bomb trying to detonate, and that’s why the villains were stalling for fifteen minutes? It was a little silly, but it was fun, at least.

“Now, it’s time to decide your teams!” The balls were drawn pretty quick; she got a Tsubaraba, some kid with a light jacket, black shirt, and pants as a hero costume. Honestly, good for him; bucking the insistence he have some highly marketable apparel with cheap charm points you could buy for triple rate or buy off of independent craft stores at three time the delivery time or so she was told.

The team across from her, Team H, was, however, her favorite team ever. Knife boy (whose name was Kamakiri, apparently) and Shishida-kun! Knives and a werewolf for her to fight against! Also, they were the heroes! Even All Might knew she was a villain at heart.

They were lucky enough to get first, and she followed Tsubaraba as they walked towards the bomb. “So, I dunno about your quirk, but I can breathe invisible ‘walls’ of air, so-” He had turned around, but she was already halfway down the hallway, breathing tightly controlled, and knives in hand. This was the first time in a year she could actually bloody someone and it be okay. She wasn’t going to miss her chance~

It only took them about ten minutes to start heading in. They were sticking together, which was smart against an ambush predator like her. Still, it only took a minute or two before they got a little too close, and… she sprung, a knife in each hand.

“Knives-kun! Lets play my favorite game; chicken!” She swung a lazy slash at his head, before going for a more typical stab into his kidney, which he foiled with a fan of katanas out of his forearm.

“Shishida-san! Get moving! I’ll keep her occu- where did she go?!” Silly Knives-kun. He took his eyes off her, which meant she could just give him a little kick right at Shishida-kun, with his arms made out of knives.

“There she is! And- wait, no, I lost her. Are you alright, Kamakiri-kun?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. She’s really starting to make me itch for a good fight, though.” The blades flex in and out, a little; stress response, probably? “You split off, I’ll keep her occupied?”

“Do you think we can keep her contained? It isn’t her quirk, which means it likely has downsides that aren’t strictly biological.” Ooh, Shishi-kun was clever. She really needed to introduce him more properly to Legs; she got the feeling they’d hit it off.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to keep cutting her until she doesn’t want to move.” Ooh, Knives-kun was almost scary! Super cute. She waited for Shishi-kun to make it two steps down the hallway, before she sprung at Kamakiri from the ceiling, cackling manically.

“You’re gonna cut me, Knives-kun? You wanna see me all covered in super cute red?!” Both knife blades skittered off of a sword he’d conjured on reflex, the only thing that saved him from a trip to the evil. “You don’t get the privilege of seeing me bleed… but I think a little bit of blood would bring your skin tone out nicely!” Her knives start thrusting and slashing, trying to pry an opening just large enough for her knives to dig out the red underneath his skin. She giggled as she ducked a wide swipe, and she could hear Shishi-kun just at the end of the hallway, trying to decide if he should run or stay.

“GO, SHISHIDA!” Knives splayed out in a wide direction, a cocoon of sharp, and she was, okay, a little a whole stinkin’ lot, okay?! jealous at how sharp he was on command; she had to work hard to keep and secure all those knives on her! He looked at her, and even the mantis things on his face seemed to sharpen a little extra. “Come on, Naomasa; lemme see how many pieces I can split you into before Recovery Girl taps out.”

Uuunfortunately for him, the posturing left him wide open for her to flicker a stroke or two of her new family name across his chest, sweet blood marking the first strokes of ‘nao’. She took the moment to carefully lick the blade clean, watching him watch her carefully, as she giggled. He tasted like spring steel and sharp, which wasn’t terribly surprising. “Gotta try harder than that, Knives-kun~”

The next… was it a few minutes? hours? time ceased as she danced with a UA student (wrong face, but he was a good back up partner when Izukun and Occhan were busy), knives flashing. The two of them were panting, small nicks and cuts on both of them, when All Might showed up, and he moved faster than she could perceive to stop her knife when she knee-jerked a stab at his side.

“You need to learn better control of your instincts, Young Naomasa. If I were anybody else, I could have been seriously hurt. Also, I called the match three minutes ago. Congratulations, Young Kamakiri; Young Shishida was able to overcome Young Tsubaraba.” Aww, she would’ve stuck around if she’d realized he couldn’t defend himself! Although, she should have guessed; he was looking a little noodly. “I believe the two of you merely got a little… fight happy, so to speak. Keep the enthusiasm to the training field, instead of simulations like this; I have seen many heroic operations fail due to some grudge match that started on the field that tied up too many heroes to stop the villainous plot… and I have seen several villainous plots fail because too much of their top talent was distracted trying to settle vendettas. Keep your head in the game.” That was… actually solid advice. She felt a little uncomfortable, especially with it coming from All Might. “Now, back to the situation room so I can send out the next teams.” He blurred away, and she looked at Knives-kun.

“That was… a lot of fun~” He nodded.

“Yeah. I was worried I wasn’t going to find another fight fanatic, but… we should do that again sometime.” She grinned, fangs glinting.

“I’m always ready to fight a friend!” His face did something… a grin, maybe? the mantis-like bits made it hard to tell.

“Yeah… yeah, a friend. It’s been a while since I’ve had one of those.” And the two of them headed off to watch the rest of the matches… which, unfortunately, were kinda boring, even if she cheered Setchan and Kenchan on as loudly as she could.

She missed Occhan and Izukun, but it was okay tonight; she made a new friend, Izukun bled a little, and everything felt… great, actually.

So why did she feel like she forgot something?

Ah, it probably wasn’t important.

Chapter 5: A Totally Long School Week!

Chapter Text

They’re breaking routine. She’s back at the train station, a little early (just half an hour; it’s not like she has anything she needs to do), and it’s the seven twenty five train they step off of, this time. She wonders why they decided to break routine, as she glides in between passengers and sights Occhan in prime position, near the pillar.

She breaks her breathing as she leans in, boxing Occhan against the pillar, and she can smell the blood, mochi lightness, as it floods across her face.

“Good morning, Occhan~” She should probably have anticipated Occhan’s panicked flailing, and the beans slapping against her chest, her body glowing bright pink briefly, before pulling off the ground.

“Oh! I’m sorr-” She cut the apology off with a quick underhand knife stab into the concrete, anchoring her enough to angle back down and hover in front of Occhan, her elbows right over Occhan’s shoulders. It was… so cute and intimate; she could almost see the blood tracing down her face from a cut above her eye, and she ached to kiss and bite and bury her teeth into her neck-

“...Himiko-chan?” Her hands twitched, muscle movements made and aborted, delayed, because she could still hear the sad girls in the background, and she didn’t want to look at what she and shiggy had done, the destruction they’d wrought, half of what she wanted was safely between her elbows and she felt strong, comforting hands from behind her grab and hold, the only thing keeping her grounded.

“H-Himiko-san. Breathe. In four, out eight.” In four, out eight. In… out. The blood vanished off of Occhan’s face, and she can feel the muscle of Izukun behind her, holding her in place, keeping her from floating off into the atmosphere and meeting a curious fate.

“Himiko-chan… are you okay?” She can feel… something like a tight knot in her chest, a buried feeling she’d forgotten about long ago, and she slumps into Izukun’s arms, ragdolled.

“...sometimes. I thought it was fine until…” She trails off, staring absently at the knife planted over uravity’s Occhan’s head. It felt… symbolic, or something. Like blue curtains in a bad movie. “I did the same thing to Izukun yesterday, so why today?” It felt curious weird.

“Maybe ‘cause I used my quirk on ya?” A little tremor of something ran down her throat, and she hated that it could maybe be fear or something else, buried and locked and kept deep down and dark. She shook her head fiercely, weightless in Izukun’s arms.

“I like it when Occhan has me weightless. It’s like she’s carrying me around everywhere~” Occhan brightened again, the mochi lightness just under her skin. Nailed it. She leaned her head back, rubbing against Izukun’s chest, feeling his tie shift under her hair. The smell of lightning and power filled the air, and she knows he’s matching Occhan now. “Carry me inside, I~zu~kun~?” She can feel him jerk slowly, like a nod, and she leans over, snatching Occhan’s ankle just as her hands meet her face, and pulls her gently into her lap, so Izukun is carrying both of them to class, her arm wrapped around Occhan’s waist. Despite a few minutes ago… this is a good way to start her day.

“A-are you feeling better now, Himiko-san?” They were sitting together for lunch, and for once, she didn’t have to ambush them for it; they came and found her. She was walking on clouds.

“Of course, Izukun! After all, you came to get me for lunch; so cute~” Occhan rolled her eyes at her. Rude!

“Ya can ignore her flirtin’, Izuku; she does that with everyone.” Do not!

“So mean to me, Occhan.” She lets out a piteous whine and slumps across the lunch table. “I only flirt with the cuties I see.”

“So everyone.” Even her cute accent wasn’t enough to spare her the stings from her soon-to-be girlfriend/villainous lover.

“Izukun, you believe me, don’t you?” Izukun scratches the back of his neck, the traitor.

“I, uh… a little?” So not even at all. Betrayed on all fronts. Another piteous whine as she slumps further on the table. “There there?” Izukun’s hand is gently patting on her back, and it makes up for it, a little, she guesses. She lays there in mutiny for another moment or two before straightening back up and settling in her chair.

“Where’s Legs?” The other boy was conspicuously absent.

“Aah, Iida-kun was really insistent on helping out Yaoyorozu-san and I, so I asked him to help get some packets ready for Aizawa-sensei.” She tilted her head.

“Did… which one’s Aizawa?”

“Tall, dark, wears a scarf everywhere?” Oh, Eraserbrain!

“Did he ask you, Izukun?” Izukun sweats a little. “Izukun! You tricked a friend into doing your paperwork for you?” Downright villainous. Izukun’s hands wave fast in front of him, like he’s trying to wipe the statement out of existence.

“I-it’s not like that! Ochako-san and Yaoyorozu-san reminded me that I had to delegate, and if someone wants to be helpful…” She looks at Izukun, then over at Occhan, then back to Izukun.

“Occhan, I can’t believe you tricked Izukun into letting Legs handle his paperwork!”

“W-wait, that’s not what-”

“Uuuugh.” She slumped across her desk, pouting, the next morning.

“What’s wrong, Himichan?” Setchan’s sharp teeth crunched and split the apple, like small, pointy knives.

“They don’t believe me. They think I flirt with everyone.” She’d skipped visiting them after school and before, for the day. It was Friday and she needed to lick her wounds again; why don’t they ever believe her when she tells them she loves them and wants to be them? which meant she needed to stay at school and do her homework anyway, so she wasn’t avoiding them, right?

Right.

“Hate to tell you, Himichan, but if I didn’t see it first hand, I’d think you were playing with them too.” She puffs out her cheeks, indignant. Her love was real! “Most people don’t walk into UA and home in on their crushes like you do. That’s Himiko talent, but they don’t know Himiko all that well.” She grumbled under her breath. “Take it a little slower? Try and get them to hang out, and try not to be… Himiko affectionate.”

“You want me to be normal.” It was mostly because it’s Setchan she didn’t end up with a box cutter in her throat.

“Nah. Be you, girl! Just… think of it like a video game. You’re trying to rush the golden ending, but you need to build up relationship points and stuff.” She didn’t actually play the games she’s describing, but she’s overheard Shiggy enough she gets the gist.

“...Izukun and Occhan are my golden ending?” Setchan grins, and instantly any slights are forgotten and banished under the warmth in her teeth.

“Sure are. Just gotta show them Himichan.” She makes a noise, thinking over what Setchan’s telling her.

“...not my golden ending. They’re my true end.” They’re not there to reward her for a perfect play, following strategy guides to the letter like shiggy, bent over some scrap of paper printed out while he hunched at his computer, swearing this way and that about manipulating relationship values. They’re… the culmination of her journey, drawn to her inevitably like uravity.

Setchan waves her hands. “But you get my point.” She grumbles under her breath again, before slumping back onto her desk.

“...yeah.” A huff of irritation. “You’d think this would be easier.”

“It’s love, girl. ‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’” The last line sounds awkward in the way only a translation does.

“Who’s that from?”

“Well, there was this English guy, William Shakespeare-”

She stretched in her seat, her back and shoulders popping as they settled back into position. She got at least some of her homework done and put away; enough that she could finish it up tomorrow, with the early day, but it was only six thirty, so she still had half an hour to stab.

Wandering about the ‘august halls of learning’ of UA was always… interesting. It felt very ‘cat and mouse’, which made her giggle and groan in equal measure, but she was watching the cameras, which were watching her; the principal and her, caught in a web of watch and counterwatch.

Of course, a large explosion and getting hit with a big pair of boobs tended to derail her thought process. She landed with a groan, her face safely cushioned, and the back of her head in shooting pain.

“MEI! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT EXPLOSIONS IN THE LAB THIS CLOSE TO DOORS!”

“Not ta do it if I can help it! ‘t’s not my fault my baby decided ta come out swingin’!” Besides the pain… Kansai girl’s accent was kinda cute. Like Occhan’s, but slid a little more city-like. The reminder is a little ping in her heart, but she stuffs it down; she’ll get them to come around. She tries to speak, but her sentence gets swallowed in this girl’s chest. “Hey, that tickles!” She looks down, and the girl’s pink hair bobs against her forehead. “Oh. POWER LOADER-SENSEI, I TOOK OUT ANOTHER STUDENT!” Kansai girl’s voice goes from loud to LOUD, and she grumbles into the booby hell she’s been shoved into.

“MEI!” She can hear some clanking from inside the room, like metal against metal. “You can get off of- oh, Naomasa-kun. Mei! Stop suffocating her!” Her mixed feelings get swallowed back into the marshmallow hell she’s been subjected to, before this girl (Mei?) finally seems to get the memo and sits up, planting her rear right on her thighs.

“Ah! Well, hello Naomasa! I’m Hatsume Mei, of Hatsume Industries!” Mei-chan sticks out a gloved hand, the tips smeared in oil and a few bare centimeters from her nose. “Put ‘er here!” She awkwardly reaches up and grips her fingers, trying not to get motor oil smeared across her.

“I’m Naomasa Himiko!” The other girl grins.

“Already forgotten!” So bold! “So, what brings you down to the Support Labs? Did you want… babies?!” Hm. She liked the thought of that, but it was too soon~ Also, she’s not sure she wants to have kids with this woman yet. Izukun, yes. Occhan, yes. Mei-chan? Haaaard maybe. “So what can ya do?” Mei-chan leans over her, her face a bare few inches above her own, her eyes twitching as the crosses rotated slightly. Mei-chan’s arms shift so they’re planted right next to her head, to keep her balance, and their breath intermingles slightly, with how close they are.

“I can sneak around really good, and I’m good with knives.” Mei-chan grins, and wow her hinges are only barely held on by duct tape.

“I’ve got knives! Sharp knives, dull knives, shock knives, hot knives, cold knives, knives that can vibrate, knives that can blend, knives on wire… is that your Quirk?” She makes a discontented noise in the back of her throat, before turning her head away from the crosses focusing in tightly on her face. Mei-chan has nice arms; well muscled, and a few scars criss-cross them from previous accidents.

“No. My quirk is… Transformation. I can copy someone’s appearance for a few hours, depending on how much blood I’ve drunk from them.” There. If she thinks it’s creepy, at least it’s only one random girl. and not setchan, and occhan, and izukun, and f*cki-kun, and all her classmates, staying away, making her a pariah again, because she’s not normal

“So you need some way to pull blood from range… syringe, maybe? Rocket powered? No, that’d put a hole in somebody. Hm…” She could kiss Mei-chan.

“Mei! Get off her; you’ve got fifteen minutes to clean up after you blew the door off the hinges.” Mei-chan sits straight up, yelping.

“Right! See ya later, Fangs! Come back later; we’ve got babies ta make!” And the whirlwind that’s Mei-chan vanishes back into the room, the door creaking slightly as she stresses the hinges.

“She’s not flirting, Naomasa-kun.” She looks over at Mei-chan’s sensei, who’s… shirtless? And wearing construction equipment? What? “Good luck, and have a good night. The school closes in fifteen minutes.” What was she forgetting…?

“My stuff!” She scrambles to her feet and runs for the lockers; she needs her stuff to sleep tonight!

“Soooo… what’s this about another girl?” Setchan is leering over her desk while she’s idly doodling Occhan and Izukun’s theoretical kanji. She’s not great at Japanese, but she’s willing to study for what’s important! like the best ways to combine their kanji into one surname, so she’s them and they’re her, even if she’s giving them space

“What’s that, Setchan?” She looks up, her pen finishing the stroke for ‘valley’. ‘Truthful valley’ doesn’t quite work, but she’ll workshop it; she has time.

“I heard rumor you were pinned down and makin’ out with some support course chick. Pink hair ring a bell?” Setchan looks somewhere between impressed and kind of disappointed? It’s a strange look on her.

“Oh, Mei-chan? Nah, she was working on something and it exploded and she hit me in the face with her boobs.” She starts working on another kanji set (‘lovely valley’, maybe? or ‘green day’?) before she realizes the entire class is looking at her. “What?”

“She sounds the image of a lady of sin, Naomasa-san.”

“Holy f*ck, what is your life?!”

“Tsubaraba-san! We don’t ask our classmates that!”

“Stuff it, Shoda! She just got anime’d in real life!”

“[What’s everyone yelling about? I thought I heard Himiko-chan say she got her face stuffed into some girl’s cleavage.]”

“[You would be correct, Pony-san.]”

“What?!”

Aaaand Setchan fell to pieces laughing again. Kenchan’s hands clap together, sounding more like a bomb going off than claps.

“Alright, calm down, everyone! You can ask Naomasa-chan some questions, quietly, as long as you do it politely. Otherwise…” Kenchan makes the most threatening wave she thinks she’s ever seen, and she used to live with Shiggy!

“Thank you for getting some order, Kendo-kun.” Vlad Breakfast-sensei walks into the room, folders tucked under his arm. “Before lessons start; Naomasa-kun, are you alright? Power Loader told me you took a pretty serious hit from his star student.” She waves her hand awkwardly. Why are they asking her; wanting to corroborate stories, to get Mei-chan in trouble? why did they want to know if she was alright; so weird

“Hehehe; I’m okay! Mei-chan wasn’t too heavy!” There, blame at least partially deflected. and now her friend won’t get blamed for her freakishness, shielded from her mistakes

“Good. If you feel anything, make sure you stop by Recovery Girl, even if you just need a paracetamol. Your friend isn’t in any trouble, aside from another conversation on when to make her inventions explode.” Well, hopefully she’d done something to deflect the focus from Mei-chan. “Now, for homeroom, I need to go over appropriate guidelines for requesting costume updates-”

“Izukun! Occhan!” She flopped directly into the seat next to Izukun; she’d been sitting next to Occhan a lot, and she didn’t want to give them the impression she was only here for her! Izukun stiffened a little, but settled. He still… hm. He didn’t blush nearly as badly as usual, and he seemed a little… melancholic.

“Himiko-san.” Her neck sounded like it cracked from how quick it turned to look at Occhan. Did she just get… san’d?

“Occhan… wha-”

“Were we just a game?” Occhan looked like she was vibrating with… something.

“Never! Occhan and Izukun are never a game!” Her hands slammed down as she stood up, indignancy and something boiling up from her stomach and hot around her heart.

“Oh yeah? If we weren’t no game, why were ya makin’ out with that pink haired floozy!?” Ooh, Kansai Ochako was normally hot, but not when she was yelling at her.

“I didn’t make out with anybody! Mei-chan just exploded out and hit me in the face with her boobs!”

“Is that what we’re callin’ it these days?!” The table was vibrating pink, flickering on and off as Occhan’s quirk spread throughout it. “She just hit you with her boobs?! Did ya ask first before rootin’ around her tracks o’ land like ya were hunting for truffle, or did she just let ya?” What?

“O-ochako-san…”

“You don’t let her off easy either, mister! You-”

“Ochako.” That froze Occhan in place, who huffed, before turning away.

“I’m gonna go have lunch somewhere else. See ya in class, Izuku.” Occhan stomped off, angry, and she can feel something tear a little in her chest; the girl she loved walking away from her again and again and again and Izukun sighed, his shoulders relaxing.

“She’s… not happy right now. W-with either of us.” Izukun picked awkwardly at his rice. “...why did you stop showing up in the mornings?” There was an undercurrent of something in his voice.

“...you both assumed I flirted with everyone. I don’t. I only flirt with the people I like.” She can’t quite keep the hurt and the longing out of her voice, but she tries her hardest. “When Izukun and Occhan told me that I was playing with them… it really hurt. I needed some space.” She watches Izukun’s throat bob up and down as he swallows.

“A-and… ‘Mei-chan’?”

“I just told you, Izukun, she exploded out of the support department and hit me in the face with her boobs!” Izukun looks adorably befuddled, before shaking his head.

“I… believe you, Himiko…-chan.” Instantly, his words are a balm on the little cracks Occhan left in her soul. “Why don’t you come see us in the morning on Monday? Hopefully I can get Ochako-san calmed down by then…” She sighs, but… this is probably the best she’s gonna get.

“So what was your Heroics class yesterday?”

“Oh, yeah, so All Might-”

She sighs as she comes out of her classroom. It’s been… a day. She knows Izukun said he’d talk to Occhan, but even knowing she’s angry at her just for a bit sets her teeth on edge. She doesn’t like it when one of her loves doesn’t like her, even if it’s because of some stupid misunderstanding. it reminds her of the battlefield where they looked her in the eye and rejected her, turning her away; they won’t, this time, because she’ll win them over, first, and they’ll never look at her quirk like a villain

“Hey! Naomasa-chan, right?” She barely recognizes the two girls out in the hallway. The one is… aggressively pink; pink skin, pink hair, cute horns, and the cutest black scelera. The other is… a set of clothing? Well, she’s wearing a girl’s school uniform, so it’s either someone invisible, or someone like that Mimic guy in the Eight Precepts.

“That’s me? Who’re you?” The pink girl poses, peace sign near her eye, and she thinks the clothes do too? (they shift like they’re posing, but she can’t really see the hands)

“Guardians of Love, Ashido Mina-”

“-and Hagakure Tooru, at your service!” Okay, that was really cute.

“We’ve heard rumors that you’re having relationship problems! So we decided that us, the Guardians of Love-”

“-Mina, we don’t have that copyrighted yet-”

“-that’s not the point, Tooru; we decided to help you!”

“Yeah!”

“And Ochako!”

“Yeah!”

“And Izuku!”

“Sure!”

“Tooru!” She’s watching this go down with the flair of a tennis match, the conversation ping-ponging back and forth at what feels like well-practiced speeds.

“What? He’s kinda cute, but really, this is for Ochako and Himiko!”

“I… guess, yeah.” She pouted. Her Izukun was plenty cute enough to want to help!

“Did you want to help, or just take a shot at Izukun?” The two girls whirled back on her.

“Oh, sorry! Anyway, so we heard the rumors bouncing around. I’m guessing you didn’t actually make out with the support course girl?”

“Mei-chan? No! She just hit me in the face with her boobs!”

“...god, I wish that were me.”

“Mina!”

“What? I live to meme!”

“What’s a-” An invisible hand covers her mouth.

“-meme with you? Excellent question!” Mina-chan seems to completely miss the byplay.

“Good one Himiko-chan! Anyway, so the thing is, I think ‘chako-chan’s just super jelly. Which means…”

“...you’ve got to get her something to show you’re sorry! Like a bribe.”

“Tooru! You don’t bribe someone in a relationship!”

“Sure you do! Why else does my dad buy my mom flowers every time he forgets where she’s at and puts his briefcase on her?”

“...you make a compelling point.”

“So I need to… buy Occhan a present?” Hm. What did she like, aside from Izukun?

“Yeah! So we did some footwork for you… turns out she’s addicted to mochi.” Oh, that’d make sense. She can smell it on her blood. She nods decisively.

“Thanks, Tooru-chan, Mina-chan! I know what I’m doing tomorrow! Oh, and if you need someone to cover your dates in the future…” They give each other an appraising look, before laughing.

“Nah, we’re just besties!”

“That’s us!” Arms are slung over shoulders, and the two girls walk away.

She can hear the ‘unless…?’

As it turns out, being homeless is really boring. This was the first time she didn’t have school when she woke up, and, aside from her bribery mochi, she didn’t have anything to do. She needed to rustle up some entertainment.

Dammit.

She slumped back into class, freshly showered, fed, and supplied with blood, collapsing on top of her desk. Her bribery mochi was safely stored in her bag. She never thought she would be so happy to see the school.

“Everything okay, girl?” She looked up at Setchan, her head spun around one hundred and eighty degrees, hovering in front of her face.

“Mn. It was just really boring last night. I need to find something to occupy my time better on Sunday…”

“Y’know, Naomasa-chan, I have a couple of manga here I was going to lend you…”

“f*cki-kun, if you had been there yesterday, I would have kissed you.”

“Himichan, I think that’s the exact response that led to your last problem-”

She watches from a few tables over, behind some of the decorative plants Lunch-sensei has strewn all over the place. Occhan sits down, looking perplexed at the mochi box and the little note she left on it, pinned in place with a butter knife (she had to make do, okay?). She can’t hear what her, Izukun, and Legs are saying, but… she hopes it’s enough.

“Come on, Himichan. Let's get some food, yeah?”

“...yeah.”

Wednesday morning, when she comes in, freshly scrubbed, she finds a hundred yen coin pinning a little note from Occhan onto her desk.

It simply read: “I’m sorry. -Occhan”

She’d keep it forever.

They were working through some English conjugation when Present Mic looked at his phone.

“Oh, hey little listeners! I’ve got a surprise show today, so I need Kendo Itsuka to keep the roof on and the good times rolling while I take a quick break!” Kenchan straightens up, authority settling around her shoulders.

“Alright class, let’s keep ourselves in order! First one to go for the door gets a neck chop and detention!”

It was kinda weird that Present Mic was running out the door… and she can hear Vlad Breakfast-sensei running out the door…

Oh.

Oh no.

That’s what she forgot.

The debut of the League of Villains.

Chapter 6: Another Totally Uncute Panic Attack and Her Crushes Homes!

Chapter Text

She lasts all of five minutes after Present Mic leaves before one of her knives Yaomomo gave her is in her hands, idly twisting and twirling from hours of practice. Kenchan looks over at her, concern painted on her face, but she can’t focus right now.

“Nao-kun? Everything okay?” The knife spins faster before slowing down, and she focuses on it to keep it from flipping out of her hands and landing somewhere it shouldn’t belong, like Shoda-kun’s head. “Setsuna-chan, would you…?”

“Hey, Himichan? Anything I can do to help?” Her eyes flick upwards, and Setchan rocks back from the look, like she figured out how to turn her gaze into a knife.

“I… I need my hands occupied. Something I can… I’ve got a bad feeling. About the other class. Present Mic-sensei left, and so did Vlad-sensei.” The steel in her hands picked up speed, moving faster and faster, erratic patterns just like her erratic emotions; what would she do if shiggy killed izukun or occhan before she had a chance to love them properly? could she kill shiggy for robbing her happily-ever-murder?

“Look, it’s probably something off about the security system or something. Is there anything we can help with?” Setchan was trying to be nice and polite and soothing and she just wanted to bite and slash and stab, it was her izukun and her occhan out there fighting with her shiggy because she forgot the league’s debut. She wanted to stab her for being so kind.

“...no. I just… just…”

“Need t’ see your people?” Why did Setchan always know the best way to say how she’s feeling? It’s awful and wonderful, being seen, and terrible, being seen.

“What if they’re hurt, Setchan? What if I never see them again? What if the last thing I ever see of Occhan is that stupid hundred yen piece and a f*cking-” Setchan’s arms are around her, holding her close, and suddenly she feels like she’s being caged, controlled, kept from moving around like she was at home, when her mom had enough and forced her into her room, a cage of limbs and hovering violence and she lashed out, fangs bared, biting, and she feels her fangs hit home on a limb, and she bites and drinks and gnaws and bites; she’s never getting caged again –

“Yeesh, good thing I threw an arm at the cause.” She looks down at Setchan’s pale forearm, bite marked and covered in pretty red blood. Setchan’s hand is hanging near her desk, looking like it’s stretching, but keeping close. There was really only one response.

She burst into tears, slumping over Setchan’s dead forearm.

She can hear the room burst into motion, can feel other arms wrap around her; the iron and heat of the tesseract boy, the plain paper and ink of the blond boy, Kenchan hovering behind them. It’s all background noise to her, though, the one thing she wanted to not do, the one thing she’d been so good about, and she just lashed out and did it anyway her parents were right; she was a monster, a beast with no self control, just hurting whenever she felt like it.

“Himichan, I’m not hurt, okay? I’m all good.” A hand pats at her head, but she can’t even really feel it. Everything is narrowed to the fine point of agony; she caused her best friend pain.

By the time her sobs come back down to a manageable level, most of the class is back to doing their extra homework, with just Setchan, Monoma (that was his name!) and the iron boy immediately nearby. The silver haired girl next to her… Yanagi-chan, she thinks? has her knife on her desk, and honestly, she can’t blame her. Slicey was, for the moment, best kept away until her fidgeting hands were less likely to impale someone, and besides, she still had Stabby up her shirt.

“Y’okay now?” She nods, and Setchan and the boys relax. “Alright, pack it in, boys. Thanks for the assist.” Monoma-kun sniffs, his hand poised dramatically near his face.

“Of course. I could do no less for a member of our class!” f*cki-kun stifles a giggle, but Monoma-kun looks at him from between splayed fingers. “What’s so funny, f*ckidashi-kun?”

“Y-you’re… oh my god, you’re Jojo posing!” There’s a beat of silence, before Setchan starts cackling, Pony laughs, and the rest of the class picks up the laughter after a moment, a gentle rolling wave of relief and relaxing tension. Monoma-kun looks vaguely affronted, until f*cki-kun stops giggling for long enough to pull him close to his desk, and soon the two of them are looking through some old pre-Quirk anime. Iron boy claps his hands on her shoulder, and she resists the urge to pull out Stabby.

“That was pretty metal. We oughta hit the gym sometime together, and you can practice your knives on me!” He jerks his hand up, thumb pointing at his chest. “I’m gonna be the shield for the helpless, so anything that’ll help make me stronger is fair game!” She smiles, a little loosely, but still there.

“I’ll be glad to help you… Tetsuract-kun.” He looks confused, but Setchan starts laughing again, so someone got the joke. “You’re Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, right?”

“Uh, yeah…?”

“Well, something to the fourth power is a tesseract, a square squared. So…”

“...Tetsuract. Hey, yeah, I like it! It sounds kinda manly!” She smiles, before pulling out her homework. She’s calmed down enough, she wants to get this done so she doesn’t have to wait as soon as Izukun and Occhan are free!

About an hour or so later, Present Mic’s co*ckatiel haircut slides through the doorway before he leans in. “Hey, little listeners! There was a party, so the Principal’s giving you all permission to bounce early today! Make sure you take your stuff, and you have tomorrow off, too! Be back Friday, though!” His head pulls back out of the doorway, and she can hear him hustle away. The class is silent for a moment, maybe two, before chattering explodes out.

“What happened?”

“Do you think it was the-”

“The field trip? I mean…”

“Clearly we must find a way to disrupt classes for a day in a suitably heroic-”

“Monoma, no.”

She stands up. “I’m going to wait by the…” She shudders, but this is for Izukun and Occhan, she can survive. “...nurse’s office. Whatever happened there… someone probably got hurt.”

“Want me to come with?” Setchan is… the best and worst; she hurt her, why won’t she leave like everyone else?!

“I… I’ll be okay. Maybe nobody got hurt, and I’m just imagining things!” She smiles and giggles, hollow noises and motions meant to reassure and dismiss.

“...if you say so.” Setchan does not look reassured.

“I’m coming with, Nao-kun. I want to check in on 1-A’s leadership anyway.” Neither does Kenchan.

“...fine. We’re going, though.” She puts the thoughts out of her mind, ignores how chicken-and-scissors settles in her mind and in her gut and now she can escape and become setchan, just… anyone but naomasa ‘toga’ himiko and walks towards the locus of terror in the school.

She’ll brave the nurse’s office for them.

Whatever happened, 1-A has been dismissed by the time they arrive. The only person waiting in the hallway is –

“OCCHAN!” As soon as her brunette bob is in sight, she leaps straight at her, and she can hear the air displaced as Kenchan makes her hands big. Her arms lock around Occhan, and she snuggles into Occhan’s side, little chirps spilling from her mouth.

“Ah! Himiko-chan! I’m-” Occhan grunts as her nose hits a spot on Occhan’s side, “I’m okay, just a little sore. Izukun’s the one in the nurse’s office right now.” Her head rockets up and stares up at Occhan. “He’ll be okay, he just broke some fingers again, and his leg.” Her eyes water back up, and she buries her head into Occhan’s stomach again, and the tears flow. She can hear Occhan say something softly, under her breath, before her fingers start running over her hair, the beans gently stroking at her scalp.

Once she’s wrung out more tears, (jeez, is she a water fountain now? she’s crying so much–) she shifts, cuddling into Occhan’s side. “...I was so scared. I… I had such a bad feeling that something happened, and the last thing I had of you was…” She chokes, and Occhan’s hundred yen piece is warm and comforting in the folds of her skirt. Occhan mumbles again under her breath, before her fingers start running over her hair again.

“...I’m sorry, Himiko-chan. I was bein’ stupid, then I was bein’ stubborn. Izuku-kun and my parents set me straight.” Not that straight, hopefully. “It was stupid before the whole villain thing, and now it’s really stupid.” She nuzzles into Occhan’s safer portions, her nose buried into her shoulder.

“...I don’t think I can sleep alone tonight. I’m gonna have nightmares about both of you dying.” Occhan stiffens, before relaxing.

“...yeah, me too. Sleepover at my apartment?” She grumbles under her breath. Tempting, but… she’s got her eyes on a bigger prize.

“I do, but… Izukun’ll be out of here soon, right?” Occhan stiffens in her grip, and she keeps a steady grasp in case she floats again.

“Yeah…?” She squeezes a little, just to let Occhan know she’s safe, and she still loves her.

“I’d like to be with both of you tonight, if I could.” Occhan slumps in her grip, just a little.

“...me too. It was… so scary, Himiko-chan. I was trying to keep Thirteen alive and bandaged up, and Izuku was down there fightin’ with that hand guy, and that one guy with his brain showin’... He was doin’ the thing he did with Iida-kun, and all we’d hear was these big roars of wind, and people gettin’ thrown around… Aizawa-sensei almost died, and Thirteen’ll be in recovery for a while…” Occhan’s face crumples, and she shifts around so Occhan’s crying into her uniform now, her tears soaking her shirt and a bit of her bra.

“It’ll be okay, Occhan. You’re safe now.” And she was going to kill Shiggy for making this so much more complicated. why couldn’t you be cool shiggy she remembers, her big older brother, and not the first shiggy who lashed out for no good reason! Her fingers card through Occhan’s hair, gently soothing, trying to calm the other girl down a little. “When Izukun comes out, we’ll ask if we can stay over, okay?” Occhan nods into her chest. “And if we can’t, we’ll have a sleepover, and we can tell him there’s no boys allowed.” Occhan chuckles wetly, but she chuckles, so it counts as a win.

She can hear Kenchan walk away. She appreciates her being there, but right now, she’s focused on Occhan too much to pay her a lot of attention. “Was that… Kendo-chan? What was she doing here?”

“Following me to make sure I was okay, and you guys were okay.” Occhan’s head shifts as she looks up, and she can feel Occhan’s breath against her lips, how close she is.

“...were you really that worried?” She giggled.

“Of course, Occhan! I almost spun a knife into someone accidentally, I was so worried.” Occhan blinks, before apparently mentally putting that aside entirely.

“...good. I just… good.” Occhan squeezes a little tighter, her hands bunching up her shirt a little more, like she’s an anchor, and Occhan needs to keep from spiraling off into the galaxy. Her shirt feels floatier, and she realizes; Occhan’s taken the gravity away from it.

She murmurs over Occhan’s head for the next few minutes, just nonsense noises like she wished her mom did for her, once upon a time, before the door slides open and a nondescript man steps out. Dark hair underneath a tan hat, dark eyes, and a fairly neutral expression, he’s wearing a tan overcoat and a black suit underneath.

“And can I ask who you are?” She grins, fanged.

“Naomasa Himiko!” He blinks, looking a cross between confused and amused. It’s a weird look, but he pulls it off.

“Naomasa, huh?” He takes his hat off, holding it in one hand, and looks at her with a laser focus she’s more used to seeing in the police. “That’s a weird coincidence. The name’s Tsukauchi. Tsukauchi Naomasa.” sh*t. Of all the people in Mustafu, she had to run into the one guy she stole a name off of? What were the odds?

“Himiko-chan?” Occhan looks up again, feeling her tense.

“It’s okay, Occhan! That is a weird coincidence!” Just keep peppy and cheerful, and he’ll move on and out of her life, hopefully. when is she ever that lucky? He chuckles, before rifling through his wallet.

“Here, take my card. Give me a call sometime, and I’ll buy you some lunch. It’s not often I meet someone else with a name like mine.” She takes the card and slips it into her skirt; she’s going to ‘lose’ it here soon, but not where Occhan and Izukun can see. “See you around, Naomasa-kun. And… make sure you keep that green-haired kid in line for me. Something tells me he’s going to change the world, if he makes it.” He puts on his hat and starts walking towards the exit, like he didn’t just drop the implication he knew exactly why they were there.

“...Himiko-chan, do you know who he is?” She shakes her head.

“I think he knows All Might?” It’s about the only link she can think of, right now.

“Ochako-san? Himiko-san?” Her train of thought derailed, killing sixteen and maiming another fifty three.

“IZUKU!”

“IZUKUN!” Two teenaged missiles rocketed across the room and nearly shoved him back through the door, if he hadn’t braced properly.

“H-hey, Ochako-san, Himiko-san. See? I’m all better.” She pulled herself back, looking him dead in the eye.

“Izukun, I would be happy if you didn’t keep breaking yourself.”

“That would make two of us, dear.” She froze in Izukun’s grip, but stayed strong. She was here for Izukun and Occhan. Stay strong.

“Thank you again, Recovery Girl. Please help take care of Al-the other patient.” The Voice of Terror waved, her syringe cane steadily in the ground with nary a wobble.

“Of course, dearie. Now, why don’t you take your girlfriends back to their homes for the night?” She can smell the mochi-and-lightness and lightning-and-power of blood off of both of them, but she smiles a little, buried into Izukun’s chest.”

“G-girlfriends?!”

“We’re not-!”

“You could have fooled me, dearies. Now, Midoriya-kun, you have the rest of the day and tomorrow off, but I expect to see you Friday morning for a check up. Am I clear?”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Now, off you get.” She makes a shooing motion, which she will gladly take advantage of to haul both Occhan and Izukun away from that. She thinks she hears something about ‘youth’, but she’s hardly paying attention any more.

“H-himiko-san! I need to go home!” Right.

“Izukun~ you know, me and Occhan were talking earlier…”

“Himiko-chan! Don’t make this sound like we were waitin’ ta ambush him!”

“I mean…~”

“Himiko-chan!”

“Girls!” Izukun looks like he’s in the middle of a tennis match, losing sight of the ball. “W-what did you want to ask me?”

“Oh, we just wanted to go home with you.” Occhan and Izukun choke.

“W-what?!”

“Himiko-chan!” She raises an eyebrow at Occhan. They had just talked about this!

“I, uh, what? I-I-I never-”

“Deku.” Izukun stills, like she’s used a secret key and grabbed all of his attention. “I almost watched you die. Himiko-chan figured out what happened earlier, and she’s been on edge all day. I… we’d be okay, if you said no, or Midoriya-san did, but… I want to see you, whole, first thing in the morning. That way I know that hand villain didn’t disintegrate you like I know I’m going to dream about tonight.”

“...Shigaraki. His name’s Shigaraki. …let me call my mom, first.” He gently pulls himself out of their grip, and steps off to the side, to call, presumably, Momidoriya.

“...ohmigosh I called him Deku in front of you…” Occhan deflates next to her, and she has to put some effort in keeping her upright.

“Is that a secret, or…?” Now she thought about it, Occhan called him ‘Izuku’ almost exclusively, this time around…

“‘t’s not thaat, it’s just…” Occhan sighs, sagging into her grip a bit more. “...Bakugou-san used to use it ta hurt. Still uses it ta be mean. Maybe, in another life, Izuku-kun could reclaim it, make it more his, but… here, he just wants ta forget it. He lets me use it, because he likes it that ah have somethin’ ah call him that’s just mine, but not… widespread. Ah’ve been tryin’ not to say it in public…” She looks around exaggeratedly, glancing up and down the empty hallway.

“There’s nobody here, Occhan. I won’t use it. Trust me.” Occhan looks up at her, before smiling, a little shakily.

“...ah do. For some reason.”

“Occhaaan~”

“My mom wants to meet you both first.” And Izukun pops out of nowhere, his phone in his hand. “So… Ochako-san, do you need anything from your place? Himiko-san?”

“Oh, ah should probably get mah charger and blankets… and something different to wear…” Occhan trails off, mentally counting something on her fingers.

She shrugs, hands waving. “I have everything I need in my duffel bag.” Occhan and Izukun look at her curiously, but decide discretion is the better part of valor. “Off to Occhan’s apartment first?”

There’s general agreement, and the three of them walk, close to each other, off to Occhan’s apartment. This is… the first time she’s going to see where either of them live. So…

exciting!~

The train ride out to Mustafu is quiet, for the most part. Just having both of them in one piece next to her is enough she can feel the angst from her afternoon beginning to peel off her, and her heart begin to heal. Izukun and Occhan are also quiet for what she assumes are similar reasons. The walk down to Occhan’s apartment runs through a few different streets, and they seem to get dirtier and more disused the more they walk. She doesn’t know this section of Mustafu super well (she’d only been on this side of town for a few months before she ran into All Might that first time and decided to relocate), but she was pretty sure this area was one of the more run-down ones. Not home to a lot of villain attacks, but petty theft, muggings, and the like. It looked like Izukun had picked up on it too; he was getting more notably tense the further they walked.

“We’re here!” There’s some good cheer in Occhan’s voice, but it isn’t enough to cut the tension she and Izukun feel. Her front door looks in reasonable condition, and so does most of the apartment block, if she’s being honest, but she’s pretty sure she spotted two drug dealers and a few muggers lurking around just on their way in. Izukun probably missed them he’s never had to sully himself, learning the breath of the underground, where the capillaries of crime lead, the signals to watch out for, but he looks like he’s picked up the vibe, at least.

“Well, come in! If ya’ll’ll give me a second…” Occhan unlocks the door, before they step in. Occhan’s apartment is small, but built in the Western style sometime this century; no tatami, but a thin, cheap carpet, and the walls are painted eggshell. The inside isn’t much better; she can spot a bed, a doorway leading into a small kitchen, and another door she assumes is for the bathroom. Occhan’s personal effects seem to amount to a few stuffed animals, a fan, and a bedside table, along with a charger she’s preeeetty sure went out of date before she was born. Her laundry is confined to two laundry baskets; she assumes one’s clean, one’s dirty, but it’s hard to tell which is which.

Occhan busies herself folding up blankets and pillows, and stuffing a set of casual clothing and pajamas inside (and underwear, but Izukun had turned away before Occhan even started looking for it, so she half turns in solidarity). Izukun leans in, and, softly enough she has to strain to hear him, mutters, “Ochako-san lives very frugally for a UA student.” And, well… he’s not wrong. She’s not exactly flush with belongings either, but she keeps everything in a duffel bag for ease of transport, not because she’s living in an apartment with nothing else. Still, she nudges his ribs gently, in Ochako’s defense.

Occhan turns around, having bundled everything into a duffel bag in worse shape than her own, having completely missed the byplay, and grins. “Ah’m ready for mah first sleepover!” Occhan’s accent’s getting thicker the further away from UA they move; so cute~

Izukun makes a noise. “Your first too?” Aww, that was so sad. She throws an arm over both their shoulders, pulling them tight together.

“Then we’ll be first sleepover buddies!” Which is mostly true. Toga Himiko may have spent the night at ‘friends’ once or twice, but Naomasa Himiko certainly hasn’t. “So, we’ll make sure we do all the sleepover things, like each others’ hair, and each others’ nails, and spin the bottle–”

“Himiko-chan!”

“Himiko-san!”

She giggles at their affront, and pulls them gently to the door; she can’t wait to get this started!

It takes them probably ten or fifteen minutes to walk from Occhan’s apartment to Izukun’s, and they spend the time quietly chatting amongst themselves. Occhan talks about her family back in Mie; she’s been right, Occhan does have a Kansai accent, but she’s been pretending otherwise for some reason. The Uraraka family sounds super nice, but she’s wary. the togas did, too, but she knows what can lurk behind friendly images Izukun mentions his dad works in America, and they haven’t really talked much in a few years. She wonders what, exactly, led someone to abandon Izukun like that, and decides she really doesn’t like Midoriya Hisashi. He’s definitely earned a knife or two, but she’ll spare any vital organs in deference to Izukun.

The Midoriya apartment looks nice from the outside. It’s a danchi, one of the public apartments the government kept in operation. The Togas had always railed against the developments because they were a ‘blight on the eyes’, ‘indicative of people not planning correctly’, and ‘where they live’, although the ‘they’ depended on the day, mood, and hour. The Midoriyas live on the second floor, so the walk isn’t too long, and they cluster in front of their door, ‘214’ on a neat placard next to the doorbell.

“So, just as a warning, my mom can be kind of emotional…”

“What do you mean, Izuku-kun?”

“Well…” Izukun open the door, and right behind it is a pretty woman, about the Togas age, plump with stress and light bags under her eyes. Her hair is green like her son’s, a shade or two darker, and straight, where Izukun’s is curly. She’s also teary-eyed, getting ready to boil over as soon as she spots her son.

“IIIIIZUUUUKUUUUUUU!” She grabs Occhan and drags her back a couple steps as Momidoriya launches herself at her son, clutching onto him like a lifeline as she begins to sob. Is her quirk tear production or something? The amount of water pouring out of this woman is ridiculous.

“I-it’s okay, mom, I’m fine. See? I don’t even have any bandages on.” Which, while true, is only because of her. “Y-you wanted to meet my friends?” He puts a weird stress on ‘friends’, but she’ll let it pass for right now. It’s the first time she gets to meet her in-laws!

“Right, right…” Momidoriya lets go of Izukun, before turning to her and Occhan. “Hello again, Uraraka-san. And… I don’t think I recognize you.” She grins, fangs bright.

“I’m Himiko! But you can call me Himiko-chan.” Momidoriya blinks, looking taken aback.

“O-okay, Himiko-san.” Dangit. “Why don’t the three of you come in, and I’ll put some dinner together.” Momidoriya rubs her hands together nervously, before bustling back into the apartment. Izukun looks back at the two of them, before gesturing awkwardly.

The Midoriya apartment’s nice. Immediately there’s a little umbrella stand and shoe rack for them to put their shoes in. The door on the right is Izukun’s room, by the little All Might door placard with his name on it. She takes note of the kanji; she was right when she thought it was ‘green valley’, but his first name doesn’t have ‘nine’ in it like she thought it did. The other door on the left is probably the bathroom, but she can’t tell right now. The door into the rest of the apartment is open, leading into a living-and-dining room, combining the two, and judging from the bustle she can hear, probably also where the kitchen’s at.

“So this is the closet, for your shoes and… I guess no coats, huh? Anyway, closet, over there’s my room –” Aww, the placard with his name on it has the All Might hair tufts and the All Might costume.

“Geez Izuku-kun, you’re a really big All Might fan, huh?” He flushes up to his ears, his head ducking a little, but he doesn’t deny it.

“A-anyway, there’s the bathroom when you need it… through there is the living room, and my mom’s room.”

“So… Izukun, when do we get to see your room?” His face warms again, and the lightning and power smell wafts off him, but she’s too focused on teasing him (and getting into his room) to salivate.

“H-himiko-san!” Occhan’s hand rests gently in the crook of her elbow.

“Himiko-chan, maybe we should wait a little bit. Izuku-kun’s nice enough ta let us stay here tonight, let’s not stress ‘im.” She pouts, blowing out some air. Occhan’s right, but she really wishes she wasn’t. Izukun, a little too flustered to finish his sentence, reaches back and unconsciously grabs their hands, leading them into the living room. So bold~ Once they’re in the living room proper, though, she strikes.

“Izukun, grabbing our hands like that? So bold~ if you wanted to hold my hand, all you had to do is ask~” This time she gets both Izukun and Occhan flustered, so she gently grabs Occhan’s duffel bag off her back and sets it next to the couch, along with her own. Momidoriya is busy slicing some… pork? into flat patties for frying, if she had to guess from the oil simmering on the stove.

“H-h-himiko-san!” Momidoriya looks back from the kitchen at them.

“Is everything okay, Izuku?”

“Y-yeah, mom, we’re fine.” He swallows, getting himself back under control, before looking at her and Occhan. “D-did you want to watch a movie while mom makes dinner?” Occhan brightens up.

“Yeah! That sounds like a lot of fun, Izuku-kun! Did you have something in mind, or…?” He waves his hands frantically.

“No, no, I haven’t really watched a lot of movies, mostly just older American superhero movies, and pro hero documentaries and spoofs.” Wow. Izukun was a huge dweeb. So cute~

“That makes sense. Waitasecond… Izuku!” Occhan’s finger points at him, like a judge with an impending verdict. “You’re… a hero otaku!” She can hear the glass shattering as he pales.

“N-no I’m not!”

“You kinda are, honey.”

“MOM!” Poor Izukun. Betrayed on all fronts.

“It’s okay, Izuku-kun. I still like ya.” There’s a beat before Occhan flushes. “L-like a friend! Right. Like a friend.” Liar.

“So, Occhan, did you have a movie in mind?” She’ll rescue them from themselves… for now, anyway.

“Oh, yeah! So there’s a mini-theater not too far from where ah live that airs older science fiction movies. It was one’ve the things ah got to do every other week, when mah parents wanted me outta the house, so ah’ve seen a lot of old, pre-Quirk movies. They hold up pretty well today, actually! Usually, they’re on streaming services, but we don’t have those back home, and ah don’t have ‘em now.” Occhan blushed a little, rubbing the back of her head. “Ah guess ah kinda assumed y’all had ‘em, now ah think about it, but…”

“We have Webfilms, if you want to look over it, Uraraka-san.” There was a click from the rice cooker closing and starting.

“Thanks, Midoriya-san!”

“Call me Inko, Uraraka-san.”

“Then call me Ochako, Inko-san!” They hear a giggle from the kitchen.

“Inko-san! Oh, you make me sound so young.” Izukun hands Occhan the remote, and they get comfortable on the couch. She pushes Izukun into the center, making sure he’s on her right, and Occhan’s on Izukun’s left. Not perfect, but she’ll have time to subtly ‘rearrange’ them.

“What are you picking, Occhan?” Occhan’s focused on the screen, so she misses it when she slides a little closer to Izukun, and he jumps towards Occhan. Perfect.

“Ah… have either of y’all seen Star Wars? It used ta be super popular, but then the newer movies went downhill, so it kinda died off…” She and Izukun both shake their heads. “Alright!” Occhan looks fired up. “Time for me to show ya a three hundred year-old movie!” Occhan presses the remote button, and Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope begins to play.

She’ll admit, while she was mostly using the movie for her own devices, it was pretty good! Occhan and Izukun try to do the ‘respectful distance’ thing from each other, but she keeps subtly scooting towards him, pushing him towards Occhan, until the three of them are in a comfortable cuddle bundle. They watch as the hairy alien (Chewbacca? she thinks? it was a weird name in English, and the katakana subtitles weren’t super clear either) has a medal pinned on him for valor as Momidoriya clears her throat.

“Kids! Dinner’s ready!” Izukun and Occhan seem to suddenly realize they’re pressed up against each other and squeal, trying to peel themselves off of each other as she stands, stretching, listening to her bones pop and her muscles enjoy the motions. Dinner looks like it’s katsudon, a fairly small portion for Momidoriya, regular sized ones for her and Occhan, and a monstrous bowl for Izukun. “If you need more, there’s another cutlet and more rice for the two of you to split. I wasn’t sure how much you ate. Izuku eats like four people these days!” Momidoriya laughs, and she joins Occhan in giggling at Izukun’s despair. This is really fun!

Dinner itself is fairly quiet, aside from her and Occhan both making sure Momidoriya knew her cooking was amazing. It was probably the best katsudon she’d had in her life (not that many, overall, because the Togas were very selective in their dining, but still!). The pork was juicy and tender, the breading crisp and flavorful, and even the rice was nicely seasoned, absorbing the extra oil from the cutlets. She could taste the love in every bite!

Once they finished, and dishes were washed, Momidoriya cleared her throat. “Now, I know you all are UA students, so I expect you to be mature about this. Izuku, make sure the futon is set up for them, and don’t stay up too late. I will be making breakfast tomorrow morning.” Momidoriya sniffles, before grabbing her son and holding him close. “I’m so proud of you, Izuku. Make sure to use protection.” Izukun and Occhan turn beet red, but she grins, fangs glinting.

“Oh, he won’t need protection toni–” Occhan’s hand clamps over her mouth, and she loses her gravity as Occhan’s other hand hits her own face in embarrassment, and the two of them start floating upwards as Izukun shrieks “MOOOM!”

She kicks off the ceiling, bringing her and Occhan down, before forcing Occhan’s hands together to release Occhan’s hold on both of them. Izukun and Occhan babble incoherently for a few minutes while she helps Momidoriya pull the futon out, although she keeps it rolled up, and a couple blankets and pillows. “Momidoriya, do you have some gloves or mittens Occhan can borrow?” Momidoriya’s eyes start watering.

“That’s so precious… yes, I think I have something in her size. Is her… oh, her quirk’s a five-point activation one, isn’t it?” She nods, and Momidoriya looks very satisfied with herself. “I picked up a thing or two from Izuku, after all!” Momidoriya poses, hand on her bicep, looking very proud. Now she knows where Izukun gets it from.

Occhan and Izukun have finally calmed down enough they look up, suddenly aware that her and Momidoriya had hauled out bedding for at least her and Occhan. “Mom, I was going to–”

“Oh, you’re fine Izuku. Your… ‘friend’ Himiko-chan was more than able to help.” The emphasis on ‘friend’ has Izukun blushing again, but it’s a little more controlled this time. Unfortunately. Momidoriya claps her hands. “Well, I’m going to bed. Spending the last few hours worrying if my son had gotten his arms broken again has tired me out! Have a good night.” Momidoriya heads off to her bedroom, while Izukun looks stricken.

“Hey, Occhan, you showed us the fourth movie, right?” Occhan picks up the bait.

“Right! So, there’s a few different ways ta watch the first two trilogies; ya can do chronological, theatrical, or machete. Ah think machete’s the best, because o’ some plot twists, but theatrical’s not too bad either. Chronological’s the worst; ya get some big plot twists spoiled way too early, and it just ends up a bad time. Plus, summa Lucas’ worst writin’ is in the front half, where he didn’t have an editor, so machete gets the best o’ his writin’, a dollop of his worst, then caps it off with his best again. “ She and Izukun blink at Occhan’s… surprisingly passionate defense. Occhan flushes, before thumping down on the couch. “Let’s… let’s watch th’ movie.”

They end up getting through The Empire Strikes Back and The Phantom Menace before Occhan is blinking rapidly, trying to keep herself awake. “Hey, Izukun, Occhan looks like she’s about to fall asleep. Can you help her get ready for bed while I get the futon out?”

“Uh, yeah, I can do that. Ochako-san?”

“...’m not asleep!” Occhan bolts upright, before sagging back into the arm rest. “I’m… awake. Awake, really.”

“Ochako…” Izukun’s voice is thick with fondness. It warms her right up from her stomach into her heart, and she can barely contain her blush and giggles while she hauls the futon right into Izukun’s room. It’s nice, if a little too much All Might. She should’ve come here for her desensitizing training; she’d be used to his mug after ten minutes! After laying out the futon, she starts angling fingers, thinking of the best ways to cover the posters and turn the figures away if she can convince the other two to enjoy some private times. She can tolerate looking at him now, but all those gazes staring down at her, proclaiming ‘I Am Here’ are going to kill her sex drive.

“H-himiko-san!” Izukun’s finally noticed where she’s set up the futon, it seems. He’s missing Occhan, but she can see the light from the bathroom underneath the door. “W-why is the futon in–”

“Izukun.” His jaw clicks shut. “I need to see you, first thing in the morning, and I know Occhan does too. We won’t do anything tonight. I just… we need to see you first thing in the morning. You almost died, and I… the last thing I would have seen or heard from either of you was our fight, and me watching Occhan open up her apology mochi from across the cafeteria.” She sniffles, and she realizes abruptly she’d started crying. “The last thing… the last memory I would’ve had would be Occhan asking me if I was motorboating Mei-chan, and ‘let’s get back to class’ from you.” Izukun starts forward, his arms opening for a hug, but she feels something soft and warm collide with her back, and wet spots on the back of her uniform starting to form.

“...ah’m sorry. Ah don’t know why ah acted like that. It… ya confuse me, and wind me up, and all mah emotions around y’are so tangled up… ah don’t like fightin’ witcha. Ah don’t like yellin’ at ya. …forgive me?” She sniffles and leans back against Occhan.

“...I already have. I just… I needed some personal space, for a bit. …are you going to be mad if I keep hanging out with Mei-chan? She seems like she’ll be a lot of fun.”

“...is she gonna make out witcha?” She giggles.

“Noooo, Occhan, I promise. There will be no unlicensed making out!” Occhan giggles against her back, her arms clutching her a little closer.

“...okay. Why dontcha go get dressed, and ah’ll get the futon made.” She nods, pulling herself out of Occhan’s grip, before getting her sleepwear and heading for the bathroom. It isn’t much; a tanktop with a cat face on it, and some striped shorts, but it works for sleeping in. Her bra comes off; she needs to give herself some time to rest without it, and this’ll keep it from needing to get cleaned for another day or so. She stretches again, feeling her bones pop and reset, before she heads back into Izukun’s room, her uniform folded neatly with all her underthings inside. Occhan’s got the futon set, with… three pillows? She recognizes Occhan’s pillow, but the other two look like they’re off Izukun’s bed. Izukun darts past them to hit the bathroom, unaccountably red, and Occhan looks flushed, but smug.

“Ah talked ‘im inta sharin’ the futon with us. Ah’d say somethin’ about ‘propriety’, but ah almost saw his arm get twisted off bah that Nomu thing, so…” Occhan shrugs, and she can feel another spike of bloodlust at Shiggy. that idiot! “Just… ah need to know he’s safe tonight.”

“I getcha, Occhan. I… you’re not the only one.” She thinks about what Setchan said, but then, f*ck it. She pulls Occhan in for a hug, holding her tightly, squeezing her. “Thank you for not being too badly hurt. I would’ve lost it if you got hurt that bad too.”

“H-himiko-chan…” Occhan’s voice is wavy and stuttery; did she think she only loved Izukun? “Ah…”

“R-ready for bed?” Whatever was in Occhan’s head is lost, and she blushes. “Ah, yeah, let’s get ta bed!” They settle in under the covers, her, Izukun, and Occhan, and her hand sneaks underneath to grab Izukun’s hand.

“Good naight.”

“Good night.”

“Good night~”

And it was. Izukun and Occhan, right next to her… this is what she would dream of, for the future. For their future.

Chapter 7: Interlude: A Look at Class 1-B's Representatives

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: A Super Cute 'Totally Platonic Friendship Outing'!

Chapter Text

She’s really lucky, in hindsight, that she’s the first one to wake up. Occhan’s arms are flung wide, one over Izukun’s face, the other wrapped gently around her head. Izukun’s curled up, arms close, his brush head buried into Occhan’s side. And her? She was coiled around Occhan’s leg, one hand holding gently onto Izukun’s arm, one arm wrapped around Occhan’s thigh. Izukun and Occhan must have traded places in the middle of the night. So cute~

She gently let go of Occhan’s thigh, squeezing Izukun’s arm again, before peeling away, sliding under the warm covers to straighten herself out. Her tank top was not meant to be worn when she was busy sleeping with people! After making sure she was ‘covered appropriately’ the echo of mrs. toga in her ear, she wandered into the living area. It was… too early (she really needed to get out of the habit of waking up at five; she was missing valuable hours of sleepy cuddle time!), but she didn’t hear Momidoriya stirring, so the kitchen was free. The last time around, she spent too much time with too many men who thought combini food was ‘good enough’, and while she was surviving on it, she still remembered how to feed herself with fresh ingredients. Momidoriya’s knives were… well, they could be worse. She idly spun the chef’s knife around her finger while she looked for her sharpening block; she could use the electric one, but she preferred the control to finely hone the knife edge to bone-splitting sharpness. After five minutes, she had to give up; she seemed to trust her knives to the cheap stuff. Ah, well, she’ll make sure she finds a whetstone for Mother’s Day next year. Have to butter up her mother-in-law, after all!

After running the knives through the sharpener quickly, and back through the sink to wash off the metal fragments, she begins rifling through the refrigerator for… wow, Momidoriya kept the fridge well stocked. Eggs, some dashi powder, a fairly fresh tub of miso, rice, some tomatoes… she could make omurice and miso? That sounded yummy. She took out two tomatoes, and saw some… was that pork belly? No, wait, it was cut way thinner. Was that the American stuff? Bacon? It looked a lot different than the beikon she was familiar with, fatty with meat, rather than a uniform pink. There was most of the package left; there was… four people… one strip each? That should be fine. Heavy fat on the meat, so probably a low and slow cook; people liked pork belly nice and crispy, so let it cook for a bit? She’ll experiment a little.

The bacon(?) was thrown into a pan, and soon it was sizzling under the fat melting off of it. That… couldn’t be healthy. She diced the two tomatoes she was using while she watched the strips of meat begin to curl in, frying under their own fat. It was fascinating, but not something she’d cook routinely. Oh, wait, this was in Izukun’s refrigerator… maybe a gift from the absent Popidoriya? Or something Izukun liked to eat? She eyed the curling meat with thinly veiled disgust. The things she would do for him… Oh, no, what if Occhan liked it?! Ugh. She’d learn to like it herself, she guessed. She couldn’t say no to both of them.

Once the bacon looked crispy enough (she could touch it with some chopsticks and watch it crumble into the pan), she pulled the meat free and dumped the rice into the pan, followed by two generous squirts of ketchup and soy sauce. Mixing the rice, fat, and omurice sauce together, she dashed a small bit of salt and pepper, sniffing carefully for that specific blend of ‘just right’ omurice had. Once it hit, she dumped it into a nearby bowl, bacon and tomatoes joining the mix, before she wiped the pan clean, throwing some butter into the pan, and cracking an egg. While the egg sizzled comfortably in the cookware, she opened the fridge again, and… ah hah. She did get the fancy stuff, where she could write something with it! Her ketchup writing skills were out of practice, but she could use a plate for a couple test runs before she did anything super fancy.

The eggs smelled ‘ready’, so she scooped some rice into the middle, before folding it and pushing it onto a plate. There was one… she eyed it a little closer. It was sloppy, so this one would be hers. Another butter and egg was thrown into the pan, getting ready for Occhan’s. Izukun looked like he needed a double portion, at least, and the best for last, Momidoriya. She shook the ketchup bottle, before she grabbed a clean plate and doodled ‘green day’ onto it. Not the prettiest, but better than ‘green self’ or ‘migrating day’. Assuming she’d guessed Occhan’s family name right, but… ‘beautiful day’ fit her like a glove. Anyway, the kanji worked, so she drew it more cleanly across her omurice, and she didn’t even make a single mistake! Go Himiko!

Occhan’s eggs were starting to get just right, so she dipped another spoonful of rice across it, before folding it and rolling it onto her plate. Occhan was getting something super cute; ‘beautiful valley’ was the best combination, in her humble opinion, although ‘righteous day’ was something that Izukun embodied. Another bit of butter and two eggs simmered in the pan, and she turned to Occhan’s kanji, decorating the fluffy yellow egg. It was dicey, and a little complex, but she managed to make it work. Izukun’s eggs were starting to smell a little close for her comfort, though, so they got riced, rolled, and plated, and another butter and egg hit the pan while she practiced his kanji. She had Occhan carry half his name, half her own, so part of her belonged with him, but she split her and Izukun’s names together, so they became her and each other. she didn’t want them to carry too much of her fake name, and the toga kanji were cursed, anyway; better to keep them away from the hint at all

Another egg and butter hit the pan while she drew the kanji for his new family name. It was simple, compared to Occhan’s ‘beautiful valley’ and her own ‘green day’, but ‘righteous day’ was, in itself, something that deserved its own focus. Bold, strong strokes, and while it looked simple, it promised something greater than the sum of its strokes. she understood why shiggy saw him as such a threat; he offered the same assuredness in his presence as all might, and shiggy was always looking at the creeping rot that safe haven created While Momidoriya’s eggs cooked, she pulled a pot out and started getting some water warm. She wanted to make sure they had a fresh cup of miso to go with their meal!

Momidoriya’s omurice got ‘green valley’ written in her finest hand, and all four plates were neatly on the table before she turned to finish the miso. “Did… did you do all of this, Himiko-san?” She turned, knife idly spinning around her finger, and Momidoriya stood in her nightgown, her hair loose around her shoulders. Her eyes locked on the silver glinting, and she reached up, as if to grab it.

“Yep! I made fresh omurice for everyone, double portions for Izukun, I’m finishing up some miso, and I sharpened all your knives!” She moves to flip the knife into the sink, but the comforting spin vanished, and she watches the knife spin out, in slow movements, towards Momidoriya. “Aw, thanks! I had it!” She plucked the knife out of the air with a quick gesture, and she can feel the ‘tug’ Momidoriya’s exerting. It isn’t very strong, though, so she pushes through it to place it neatly in the sink, in the little net the rest of the utensils go. “And now the knife’s put away, so you don’t have to pull it back anymore!” She glances back over to Momidoriya, who’s looking a little more worn out than she should be, for tugging on the knife like that. Is her quirk that weak? Hm… it must be. Then why did Izukun’s quirk come out that strong?

Momidoriya sits down in a small slump, right in front of her omurice. She busies herself gently stirring the miso broth to make sure it dissolves properly, a touch of dashi to give it some flavor, and Momidoriya speaks up. “Why is Izuku’s omurice decorated with Masaka?” She gives the miso another quick stir, before looking over her shoulder.

“I mixed the kanji in my name, Izukun’s name, and Occhan’s name. That way all three of us had a bit of each other in it.” Momidoriya’s face does something kinda complicated, before her eyes well up.

“That’s… that’s very sweet.” Momidoriya’s hands come up, wiping at her face clumsily. It’s… strange, to be in the same room as a target civilian. Her movements are so meek and awkward, they seem like they’re from different species, compared to Touya or Twice or Shiggy, or even Izukun, Occhan, or Setchan. Is this… is this what they hurt, who they hurt? people so frail they might as well be killing children, decay ripping through them like a chainsaw through butter?

She dishes out four bowls of miso while she’s thinking, shallow spoons clinking in the broth, and she goes to wake Izukun and Occhan when Momidoriya’s hand stills her. “Can we talk, Himiko-san?”

She’s never had a good talk that started like that. “Sure, Momidoriya!” She takes a seat.

“...how do you feel about my son, and about Uraraka-san?” Ugh. She deflates, the third time she’s heard something along these lines in a week. It can wear a girl out!

“Izukun and Occhan are very precious to me. They’re… an inspiration.” The inspiration to enroll in UA. “I wanna see them succeed, and help support them in whatever they wanna do.” Like villainy. “I wanna wake up one day and see Occhan and Izukun, first thing in the morning.” Like this morning, but more of it. A lot more, if she had her way.

Momidoriya looked super touched, her cheeks blazing a cherry red, the subtle waft of air and tears. “That’s… that’s so precious.” She’s teared back up again. “I’m… I’m very happy my son has found someone to care about him that much.” She grins, fangs flashing.

“Of course, Momidoriya! I’ll… care for Izukun, no matter what!” Momidoriya’s tears really start then, streaming down her face. “Is it something I said?”

“No, no, it’s just…” Momidoriya hiccups, the tears slowing a touch. “I wish… I wish you were there for him, when he was growing up. Uraraka-san, too.” She tilts her head, keeping quiet; sometimes, things bubble up and out if you give them the space. “I’m… I’m a terrible mother. When he was four, he went to see a doctor. A quirk specialist. They told me… told us, he was quirkless.” Quirkless? “That night… that night, he sat there, watching All Might’s first rescue, like he did every night. He turned to me, tears in his eyes, and he asked me… ‘Mom, can I be a hero like him too?’ And I just…” The other woman coughed, tears flowing harder. “I just… I couldn’t say ‘yes’. I couldn’t… they wouldn’t let him be a hero quirkless. All I’d be doing is keeping a dead dream alive a few more years… but maybe I should have. If I had… maybe he would have awoken his stockpiler sooner. Did I strangle my son’s potential, not telling him what he wanted to hear, or should I have supported him chasing dead dreams, praying for a miracle?”

…she should be sympathetic. Izukun would want her to be. But all she can hear is ‘why can’t you be NORMAL?!’ ‘demon child, we won’t love you with your curse’ ‘something’s wrong with her, to hunger for such deviancies’ her upbringing. “...did you stop loving him? Because he wasn’t normal?”

“No… I never stopped loving him. I was… am… just so worried, all the time. He’s my son… and he’s going to be my only child. I can’t have another. It would… I would die if something happened to him.” So it’s… worry. Concern, fear, twisted around so tightly it’s become a cage in and of itself. The knot in her chest eases, a touch. “I just… I was so worried he’d be miserable for all his life. All he’s ever wanted was to be a hero. And… and they’d never let him. He’d be kept from the one thing he’s wanted more than anything else. I want him to be happy, Himiko-san. And he never would be, not without a quirk.” …she sounded like… someone who’d talked to Shiggy’s sensei. Is that the root of the whole ‘nemesis’ thing? Shiggy and Izukun, both gifted, in different ways, by his sensei? She stepped over, gently rubbing Momidoriya’s back. She’s… not high in her esteem, right now, but Momidoriya’s coming from the right place, at least, but she’s going to think twice about any fancy Mother’s Day present for a little while.

“I’m gonna go wake up Izukun and Occhan, before the food gets cold.” Momidoriya nods, her hands awkwardly wiping tears away.” She breathed out, blending into the universe, before creeping down the hallway on soft pads. Occhan and Izukun had shifted around again while she was gone. Occhan was on her side, coiled, Izukun’s head buried into her stomach, her arms loosely around him. She leaned in close, her breath brushing Occhan’s ear. “It’s time to wake up, Occhan~”

Occhan starts in bed, her mittened hands snapping down to clutch Izukun closer to her. He starts almost immediately after, his arms trying to flail and only succeeding in brushing against Occhan’s sides as he tries to breathe. Occhan’s eyes blearily open, before she shrieks, Izukun glowing bright pink for a moment, before he’s thrown weightlessly across the room, bobbing towards the ceiling, and Occhan’s shrieking.

“AH’M SO SORRY DEKU AH DIDN’T MEAN TA STEAL YOUR VIRTUE-”

“I’M SORRY FOR TOUCHING YOU WHILE YOU SLEPT OCHAKO-”

“You two are loud in the mornings, aren’t you?” They both wheel on her, startled, like deer that one time she was hungry enough to take a knife out into the countryside. She hums, contemplatively. “I’m okay with Izukun and Occhan being loud, but not so much in the mornings~” They both flush bright red, their flailing getting even faster, but they’ve clearly forgotten each other in their embarrassment, so she counts it as a success. “There’s some omurice and miso in the dining room when you’re ready.” She takes a few steps back, breaks their eye contact, and vanishes back into the universe, listening for their discussion.

“...ahm sorry, Deku. I didn’t meanta…”

“It’s… it’s okay, Ochako. I… I didn’t realize you were that close when I was sleeping. If we can forgive each other, I think… I think we’ll be okay.”

“Ah’ve course I forgive ya, Deku. Do ya forgive…”

“Always, Ochako. I always will.”

“That’s some brave words comin’ from someone who’s knees are shakin’ like a leaf inna typhoon.” This was all cute, but what.

“You… never mind. I would still trust you, Ochako. You were… you were my first friend in a long time.”

“...aw shucks, Deku, t’weren’t nothin’. Still can’t believe nobody at your old middle school took a half second to find the diamond underneath all th’ sh*t they kept pilin’ on ya. Weren’t buried deep or nothin’.” She makes a mental note to find whatever middle school Izukun went to and get a list of teachers, followed by his graduating class. She’s got time; she can make it… exciting.

“...still. You mean a lot to me, Ochako.” Occhan chuckled, rubbing the back of her head.

“Ya mean a lot ta me too, Deku. Oh, hey, ‘fore ah forget, ah was thinkin’ of takin’ Himiko-chan out ta tha arcade. She ain’t got any hobbies, and ah thought the arcade would be a good way for her to get out a little.”

“I’ll see, but… I get the feeling my mom’s not going to want me out of the house today.” Oh?

“Why’s that?”

“I did kinda… get put in the nurse’s office. Again.” Oh, right, the whole reason they got to come over and she got to see this super cute scene.

“Ah, right… Ah kinda forgot it in all the hubbub yesterday. Between apologizin’ ta ya, makin’ sure Himiko-chan got her note, and everythin’ else…” Still, Occhan, to forget the whole reason they came here? Jeez.

“A-anyway, can you put me down so we can get breakfast? Mom doesn’t make omurice that often…”

“Ah, right. Release!” Izukun thumped against the ground, and Occhan’s little mittens shifted a little. “Ah should probably leave these with Midoriya-san.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll keep them here, if you need to stay the night again. For an emergency! Not because… I’m shutting up now.” They both flushed again, before stumbling out of the bedroom in their sleepwear. Izukun was wearing… a t-shirt that said ‘pyjama’ on it in katakana, and some shorts, while Occhan was wearing a well-worn Thirteen t-shirt, clearly bought a size up, and some jogging shorts. Super cute on both of them, even given Izukun’s… peculiar choice in shirts. She followed them silently into the living room, where they started for the wrong omurice portions, jeez. Well, Occhan did; Izukun figured out the double sized portion was his, but Occhan was headed straight for the ‘green day’ omurice.

“Occhan, that one’s not yours, silly, it’s mine.” Occhan, Izukun, and Momidoriya all startle, with Occhan and Izukun keeping their reactions under some control, but Momidoriya ends up flipping her empty miso bowl. She takes a seat behind her ‘green day’ plate; it’s strategically angled so Izukun and Occhan have to spend the meal looking at each other, but she has access to them both, and Momidoriya’s sitting next to Izukun. She is so good at this.

Izukun and Occhan look down at their plates, before Izukun frowns, and looks up at Momidoriya. “Mom, why did you use the wrong…?”

“Oh, Izuku, I didn’t make breakfast this morning. Your… very startling friend did.” Izukun and Occhan both look at her like she invented cooking. She has knives and knows how to use them! She’s not completely incompetent in the kitchen! the togas would never have allowed their daughter to step out of the house without knowing how to cook, sew, balance a checkbook, handle her husband, keep a house, bear and raise children; they tried to forge a yamato nadeshiko out of blood and feline disobedience, and look how that turned out; a-rank villain in one timeline, fake aspiring hero in another

“Oh. Oh, I see! Masaka… one of your kanji and mine. …I don’t think I told you what kanji make up my last name.”

“I guessed!” Izukun looks like he’s confused for a moment, before dropping the subject and turning back to his food. Occhan looks over the ketchup on hers, looks up at Izukun, back down at her plate, then over to her.

“Why’d you mix Izuku-kun’s and mah family names together?” She can hear the ‘and why not yours?’ under her breath.

“I could only fit so many of the kanji together, Occhan! But, if you look…” She spins her plate around and shows Occhan the proud mix of Izukun and Occhan’s kanji together, ‘green’ and ‘day’ meeting on the egg. Occhan flushes again, before turning back to her food.

“...this is really good, Himiko-san. What did you…?” She perks up.

“I took a few slices of the bacon in the fridge, a couple tomatoes, and some eggs! I had to be careful with the bacon, because I’ve never worked with it before, but it smelled ‘done’.”

“It’s… really well done. The bacon’s nice and crispy, and the eggs are perfect.” She smiles; Izukun praised her!

“The eggs smelt done. The ketchup took longer than the eggs did!” Momidoriya and Izukun look confused for a moment, before Izukun brightens.

“I was right! You do have cat mutations!” What? “Most people’s sense of smell isn’t that sharp!”

“Wait, you can’t smell when the eggs are done? Or when Occhan’s blushing? Or the scent when she really likes-”

“OHKAY, THAT’S ENOUGH O’ THAT.” Wow, Occhan’s loud. And very blushy. Izukun clears his throat.

“Uh, no, I can’t smell any of that. I mean, I can kinda smell the eggs a little, but not the way you’re implying you can.” He’s also kind of blushing, lightning-and-power under his skin, even from across the table. Momidoriya looks like she’s about to burst into tears of happiness again, though.

“Oh, yeah, Occhan, didn’t you say something about taking Izukun and me out on a date?” The other two blush again, and Momidoriya looks torn.

“HOW DID YA HEAR- oh, right, ya’re about as sneaky as a cat in a roomfulla rockin’ chairs. Uh, sorry, Midoriya-san, ah was gonna ask if ah can borrow yer son while we went out to an arcade for a totally normal an’ platonic friendship outin’.” She can’t win them all. She’ll make sure to take some notes on what would be a good date for Occhan; she already knew what was perfect for Izukun, after all.

“Yeah, Momidoriya! We want to go out as… friends.” Izukun and Occhan hold strong against her insinuations, but Momidoriya looks charmed.

“Izuku.”

“Yes, mom?” Izukun looks attentive. He’d make good spouse material, with how much he pays attention.

“I am giving you permission to go out to the arcade with your… friends.”

“Mom!”

“Midoriya-”

“But!” She can hear their teeth clack shut. “You’re coming home on time, young man, and we will be having a discussion about the incident yesterday. Am I understood?”

“Yes’m.”

“We can walk him home, Momidoriya!” She grins, fangs bright.

“Thank you, Himiko-san. I would appreciate it.” She won’t try for another sleepover so soon, but if everything falls into place… well, she wouldn’t be opposed.

She finishes her omurice first, of the three of them, so she grins. “I’ll go get ready for our… outing, first. I’m borrowing your bathroom, Izukun~” He waves, distractedly, his focus on his food. He’s eaten half the kanji on his omurice, and equally, so part of her and Occhan are in his stomach, part on his plate. It’s super cute. Occhan, on the other hand, has completely eaten her own half, leaving Izukun’s kanji untouched, so far.

“Ah, Himiko-chan!” She stops, turning towards Occhan. “Can ya leave yer hair down? Ah wanna see what it looks like when ya don’t bun it up all the time.” A request? From Occhan? How could she say no?

“Of course, Occhan~ Just for you~” She hummed, nearly prancing back to Izukun’s bedroom to get her things ready for her… ‘outing’. This was going to be amazing!

She was right! The three of them had gotten ready (Occhan was wearing some super cute overalls and a t-shirt, Izukun had thrown on some jeans and another t-shirt (this one read ‘I am Here!’ in English), and she’d decided to wear her cute red cardigan and super cute black skirt) and left with Momidoriya crying in the background, taking pictures. The mall wasn’t far from the Midoriya apartment, and the arcade itself took up a sizable chunk of the ground floor.

She’d played some video games before, pretty much everyone had these days, but she had only been allowed a select library the Togas had picked out for her. Dress up doll games, dating simulators, and the like. All very safe and completely bloodless, in hindsight for their yamato nadeshiko in training. Here, though…

She followed Izukun and Occhan to their favorite areas. Occhan really liked the fighting games, and she saw a side to her love she’d never seen before; Occhan got competitive. She shouted and raged at every move combination and counter combination, and while Izukun never played against her, every kid who stepped up like they’d found new prey to play against faced the full Kansai storm. It was kinda hot, not gonna lie.

Izukun’s preference was for more twitch-based stuff. He showed her one series of games that seemed to be about mounting guns onto flying magical girls? but revolved around dodging an absolute art display of glowing projectiles. She passed on trying it; she was pretty sure she’d explode after about three seconds, even if Izukun made an art form of weaving in between the shots. He’d shown her some games involving guns, too, but even when she was on the run, she’d never handled guns all that much, so her aim was… poor. It was fun, at least, shooting zombies with Izukun and watching the cute red spray like a mist over the screen.

They managed to drag Occhan over to the dance machines after she’d finally gotten so worked up she’d ended up insulting her opponent, her entire family line, and her future children, and took her away so she could calm down a little. Of the three of them, she was the best at this new type of game; she had previous musical training helping her out. Occhan wasn’t too far behind her, the flexibility and hand-eye coordination of the training at school helping her out in making even this sort of unfamiliar game easier. Izukun though… he was possibly the least coordinated person she’d ever seen. She wasn’t sure if it was nerves, or just bad coordination, but he seemed to misplace his legs every few seconds, and he nearly tripped about once every fifteen seconds or so. It was more worrying than funny, although it was pretty funny. She leaned in towards Occhan, who was smiling with gentle warmth, smelling faintly of contentment and affection.

“Do you think it’s nerves, or…?” Softly, so Izukun couldn’t overhear, her breath tickling Occhan’s ear.

“Ah don’t rightly know, truth be told. Ah know Mina does dance; maybe ah can ask her to give him some pointers?” She shivers a little, Occhan’s whispering in her ear feeling oddly intimate, but she nods anyway.

“Hm… Mina… the pink-haired girl in your class?”

“Yea… how’d you know her? Ah didn’t think y’all had a chance to talk.”

“Her and your other classmate, Tooru-chan, came by the other day. Is she invisible, or does she have a quirk that lets her possess her clothing?”

“Ah, she’s invisible. She had ta get naked to sneak around during the battle trials.” She pouts.

“That’s so unfair! Breakfast-sensei makes me wear his sports outfit whenever we practice our quirks.” Occhan does a double take.

“...why would ya need ta get naked for yar quirk?” She stiffens, before forcing herself to relax.

“I’ll tell both of you later. Just… not now.”

“...okay.” In the background, Izukun fails the song.

After the arcade, they get some lunch. The top level of the mall is the food court, so there’s a wide array of various foods to try out, which she takes some time looking around while sucking on one of Breakfast-sensei’s candies. There’s a bunch of different kinds of food here, stuff she’d never gotten to try at the Togas, and stuff she’d been too busy being on the run for to try the last time around. Shiggy had a weird obsession with pizza, so she’d had that a few times (usually whatever she stole out of the box when he wasn’t paying attention and raging at the screen, but that counted, right?), but Thai food was new. Izukun was off at… McDonalds? No, wait, that was just a Macs. She didn’t recognize the full name for a second. Occhan was fretting over her wallet, trying to decide what she wanted to get for food, but she still had a few of the thousand yen notes on her, and a need to save her soon-to-be girlfriend from stressing herself out too much.

“Occhan, why don’t you help me pick something out to eat? I’ll cover you.” Occhan looked at her like she was an angel from on high. It was… a really nice feeling. the first time she’d ever looked at her like that, something precious to be protected, and not a predator

“Alright… what’s Izuku-kun getting?”

“He’s over at Macs.” Occhan blinked, looking confused.

“Macs? What’s a… oh, a MacDo.” A what? “Do y’all use a different nickname on this half o’ the island?”

“...maybe?” Occhan snorts, looking amused and fond.

“Alright, let’s go try out what Izuku’s havin’. Better than gamblin’ on half this place, anyway.”

Izukun orders a mountain of food, but their picks are more sedate; a few different kinds of sandwiches, and some of the ‘McNuggets’ that she picks out on a whim. By the time they sit down, Izukun has already plowed through a third of his meal. Seeing the questions written across their faces, he swallows and puts down his half-eaten sandwich.

“One time, All Might mentioned his usual order from Macs, and I wanted to try it out. My quirk’s a stockpiler, so the more I eat, the more I fill it up. I think.” That made sense, she guesses, although she thought sensei would tell him if he needed to eat more for his quirk. Maybe it was part of a test?

“Ya think?”

“It’s not a caloric stockpiler like Fat Gums. I’m not sure what it’s stockpiling, just… something.” He looks a little troubled for a moment, before setting back into his sandwich. She and Occhan joined him, tucking into their food.

A little after noon, they headed back to Izukun’s house. Occhan grumbled about getting dropped off first, but she wasn’t going to have that, so they were officially escorting Izukun back, in case he bumped into more trouble. The trip was quiet, and she savored the fresh April air and both of them within her hand-holding range. Their hands were free for now while they walked, but she was ready, just in case.

“That was a lotta fun. We should do it again sometime, Izuku-kun, Himiko-chan.”

“Yeah, it was. I… I would love to do it again.” He smelled vaguely of doubt, which was super uncute, and happiness, which was super cute.

“Yeah! Soon!” She wasn’t going to let them start backsliding from here.

They stopped at Izukun’s apartment door, and he smiled, a little nervously. “Well, this is it for me… I’ll see you at school?”

“Izukun, I still need my duffle bag.”

“Oh, right… well, Ocha-”

“I.. kinda need my stuff too?”

“...why don’t you come up and say hi to my mom first?” Izukun looked defeated, but they followed him up to the apartment. “Mom, I’m home! Ochako-san and Himiko-san are getting their stuff!” Their duffle bags were quickly secured, and with a quick ‘goodbye!’ to Momidoriya, they left, carrying their belongings home. Fortunately, she didn’t have anything like a ‘curfew’, so she made sure Occhan made it home safe.

“Dontcha have someone waitin’ for ya?”

“I’ll be fine, Occhan. Just let me make sure you’re home safe.”

“...alright.” While they walked, Occhan kept glancing over at her, stealing little nervous looks and getting steadily redder. Honestly… she liked it. She liked knowing she had a grip on uravity, that both of them affected the other. It made her feel… desired. Her own blush started spreading across her face, warming her skin. It felt nice. “This is mah place. Ah’ll see ya ‘round?”

“First thing tomorrow morning!” She’d make sure of it.

“...okay. ‘til then, Himichan.” Her smile spread into a full grin. She got a super cute nickname!

The train rolled in at seven forty five. This was… the usual time. They didn’t show up super early, or try and avoid her; they were showing up at their usual time. She spotted them coming off the train, and both of them looked like they were looking for her. And… was Occhan’s tie a bundled knot at the base of her throat? Izukun’s, too? She was so lucky.

She blended into the universe and crept up on both of them, their heads turning to look around for her. “Did you see her, Izuku-kun?”

“Uh, no, not this morning. Is she avoiding us again?”

“I don’t think - eep!” Occhan jumped as her fingers began unweaving and resettling the knot, casual brushes against her shirt and jacket. Occhan froze under her touch, once she realized she was there, and that gave her the time she needed to redo and straighten Occhan’s tie, putting a slight angle to it.

“Just for me, Occhan?” Her question was soft, a gentle breath, but she knew both Izukun and Occhan were hanging on her every word….

“...maybeh.” She’d startled Occhan’s accent out at school… so cute. She patted the finished product, before turning to Izukun.

“Izukun too?” He flushed, lightning-and-power pooling in his cheeks.

“An… an apology.” She smiles, soft and gentle, and his face gets even brighter.

“You can apologize like this to me whenever you want.” She glances at Occhan. “Both of you.”

They ended up so flushed and embarrassed she had to drag them to class. But, it was worth it; her flirting was working.

“Did you have a good couple days off?” Setchan looked over her shoulder as she settled in, ten minutes before homeroom.

“I did! Occhan and I went over and spent the night at Izukun’s apartment.” Chatter ceased almost immediately as she was reapplying the ‘o’ strokes on her left hand (the shower had washed off the pen she had applied the last morning she had class).

“You did what?!” Monoma-kun’s hands slammed down as he stood up, his chair nearly knocked loose. “Were you canoodling with our rivals?!” She wrinkled her nose.

“Canoodling? Who even uses that these days, Monoma-kun? Anyway, 1-A aren’t our rivals.” She waves her hand with the pen vaguely, returning most of her attention back to her wrist. “Isn’t the whole point of team ups and the billboards thing that Heroes have to work together for the betterment of society or something?” She’s vaguely piecing together stuff she remembered from like, ten or so advertisem*nts and a few billboards, but who was counting?

“But even the billboards show off that there’s a top hero!” Geez, Monoma-kun’s not letting this go, is he? Like a little terrier with a bone.

“Isn’t the…” he’s number two right now, isn’t he? She hopes so. “...number two Endeavor? With a full agency and a bunch of sidekicks?”

“The Iidaten’s got like sixty five sidekicks, even if the front runner’s Ingenium. He regularly credits each of the heroes that help him out with a capture, and a fair few are ranked higher on the charts than he is.” Monoma-kun looks like he’s faltering after Setchan jumps in. She lines up for the kill.

“Besides, Monoma-kun… they’re just a bunch of sharks, remember? We’re the carps, and we gotta show them how we jump over the waterfall.” He looks… conflicted, but a little content.

“Well said, Naomasa-kun.” Vlad Breakfast-sensei walks in. “Now, as Monoma-kun may have already discovered, after the Unforeseen Simulation Joint has been closed for the near future while we devise security upgrades and reharden all the hardware on site. That said, this is no time to slack off! Two weeks from now, at the start of Golden Week, your newest, and greatest, test begins. The Sports Festival.”

As the class erupts into clamor, she grins. The Sports Festival? This would be…

super fun!~

Chapter 9: A Super Cute Week Before the Sports Festival!

Chapter Text

“Alright little listeners, it’s lunchtime! Give me a pass, because I am about to go get some chow! See you next week!” Present Mic’s workbook snapped shut, and he waved as he strolled out of the classroom. There was a beat or two of silence, before the room erupted into movement.

“We should have a class meeting!” Monoma-kun blustered. He was trying for thundering, but he missed the size to pull it off properly, and the… gravitas? Importance? Presence? She felt Setchan pull her along while she thought about it. “Tokage! Naomasa!”

“Copy-kun, after class. If you want ta be responsible for her missing on valuable gossip time…” Monoma-kun’s hands waved, clearly deflected.

“No, no, carry on. After class then! We need to come up with a strategy to showcase our class before all of Japan!” Setchan waved vaguely.

“Sure, Copy-kun, sure. Now come on, girl, you have some stuff to dish.” Well, she did owe Setchan this much after chewing her arm like some sort of diseased monster, teeth gnashing and biting and drinking that tasty, tasty red after yesterday.

“Alright, well…”

“...so that’s when Occhan floated- Occhan! Legs!” She watches Occhan cringe from the memory of the other morning, but manages a shy smile.

“Himiko-chan!”

“My name isn’t-! …hello, Naomasa-kun.” Aw, Legs, that kidder.

“Where’s Izukun?” Occhan giggled.

“Weeell, Izuku-kun, Iida-kun, and I were talking, and All Might showed up out of nowhere asking him to eat! It was like watching a schoolgirl ask her crush out on a date!” She stifled the spike of murderous rage with practice. She might not be able to stop him from turning her into a pink mist if he made a move on Izukun, but she’d damn well try.

“That’s… a little weird, guys. Does All Might do that with Midoriya often, or…?” The two of them look at each other, before turning back to Setchan.

“They…” Occhan looks around, before leaning in, softly. “I think All Might met Izuku-kun before UA. He’s never mentioned anything explicitly, but he and Bakugou-kun know each other from real young, diapers, almost. It hasn’t gotten a lot of play recently, but about eleven months ago, there was a villain attack in Mustafu that just about took Bakugou-kun out. The thing is…” Occhan’s voice drops even quieter, “...the thing is, someone else was on the scene with Bakugou-kun before All Might showed up. From what Izuku-kun’s said… I think the other kid was him.”

“...so you think All Might’s been, what, training Midoriya since?” She shakes her head.

“Nah, that sounds like it’s out of a bad anime. But he has been keeping an eye on him since. He might be checking in with Izuku-kun from time to time, touching bases, y’know?” Setchan hummed, before pulling back a little.

“Still weird, but if Aizawa and the Principal don’t have a problem with it…”

“Nothing yet!”

“So, what were the three of you talking about before-” Keep it together. “-All Might showed up?” Nailed it.

“Oh, why we wanted to be heroes.” Setchan lights up, and she sets her face into a generally happy expression. She might not give much of a thought towards hero work, but they do.

“So? Why did you?”

“As heir to the Iidaten Agency, I-” she rolled her eyes, coughing to break his flow.

“Legs-kun, I don’t want to know why your family wants you to become a hero. I want to know why you do.” Legs hand chops start slowing down, before ramping back up.

“If you must know… if you must know, it is due to my brother, Iida Tensei, the current Ingenium! He is…” Legs’ arms slow down again, still making chops through the air, “...he is my inspiration. Ever since I was young, I’ve wanted to patrol down Hosu’s streets by Tensei’s side. He’s the coolest hero I’ve ever met. Did you know he has over sixty sidekicks? Largely those from lesser-known heroing schools, and other people who are looking to utilize a provisional license to do a little good. Rather than focus his efforts into only one category of heroics, or one type of quirk, the Iidaten Agency focuses on teamwork and community service!” Geez, he sounds like Izukun on a roll. Legs’ arm makes another wide chop. “Iida Tensei is an exemplary hero, a pillar of his community, and I wish to be just like him!” So a copycat.

“And if Ingenium wasn’t a hero? Would you want to be one then?” Legs stills, clearly thinking about it, before making a few, abortive measures with his arm, before an indecisive chop.

“I have no idea!” Points for honesty, she guesses. “If he wasn’t a hero, my entire life would be different. You may as well ask someone on the street if they would pick up the mantle of heroics. An Iida Tenya without an Iida Tensei… would be a stranger to me. So, to be honest, Naomasa-kun, I do not know. However…” His hand chops pick up speed as he’s talking, making his point. “...the life of an Iida Tenya without his brother is not the life we live! In this reality… I would be the first Iida to bear the mantle of Ingenium!”

Well… he wasn’t a fake, at least. Stainy might not approve of his motives, but he seems sincere enough in her book.

“Occhan? What about you?” Occhan makes a little noise, before settling into her seat.

“...promise you won’t hate meh?” Occhan’s voice slid a little Kansai, and she leaned forward a little, intrigued.

“I promise.” Occhan smiled, a little shakily.

“...I want to be a hero for the money.“ Uraraka lost like a hundred points instantly. “My parents… their construction business isn’t doin’ so hot. We weren’t really… well off, growing up. And… I want to give them the kind of life I didn’t get when ah was a kid. Vacations every year, not havin’ ta worry about food every day. They skipped meals for meh, ya know? Ah offered to get a work license, but…” Ura-chan sighed, settling her chin into her palm. “They want meh ta chase mah dreams. But what good’s a dream if ah could help put food on mah parents’ tables? Dreams don’t feed a person.” …she was willing to give Ochako-chan that much. “But… they gave so much for meh ta come here and chase ‘em. So ah’m gonna do mah best!” Occhan bolts straight up, and she can see the metaphorical flames of her passion. “I’m going to be the winner of the sports festival!” Probably a little louder than she would’ve liked. She pats Occhan’s hand.

“You saved yourself a hundred points.”

“Fer wha?”

“So, Setchan, lunch?”

“Ah, yeah, sure, I’ll go get some. Curry?”

“Yeah!”

“Fer wha?!”

The end of class bell rang, Midnight departing with a cheery wave so different from the last time she remembers seeing her, a broken body on the estate’s green forest, and Monoma-kun shoots out of his seat. “Now! Before our Heroics teacher arrives! We need to have a plan to showcase the raw talent that Class 1-B has, over any others in the school! We are carps, but for one brief, shining moment, in two weeks time, we will be dragons!” There’s some scattered applause for the impromptu speech, but she can tell there isn’t any real commitment.

“So what’s the plan, Copy-kun?” Monoma-kun grins, before adopting another one of his truly awful poses.

“Simple, my dear Tokage,”

“Don’t call me your dear anything.”

“We keep our strengths masked for the second round! That way, we can catch our competition, and any heroes in the audience, by surprise!” To Monoma-kun’s credit, that would be an excellent strategy, if she was trying to infiltrate UA. It’s the same tactic she used with that busty blonde back in the provisional exam, anyway. She wonders what happened to her, anyway? Her blood was pretty airy and wispy, and she had a great body. She wouldn’t mind wearing her for Occhan and Izukun sometime.

“...you have a better idea, Tokage!” Oh, right, there was a conversation going on. Setchan had said something that set off Monoma-kun, it looks like. “If we go straight up against the powerhouses-”

“You won’t have a choice in the field.” Her voice cut through the argument like Slashy. “What if you’re up against, like, Muscular?” He was in prison this time around, right? Probably. “Moonfish? The Hero Killer?” The other heroes-to-be shivered in their seats, and she knew they were young, not ready for the real challenges to come. oh; they were all so young, weren’t they? she was helping the apocalypse before she could get married; what was she doing “Better to try and fail now, and learn, then try and fail in the field.” She idly spun Stabby around her fingers, not fast enough that she would go flying if she lost control, but enough she didn’t have to spend much energy in keeping the steel flashing.

“...Himichan’s got a point, Copy-kun.”

“...she does.”

“Hey, wait a second, where’s Tetsu-kun?”

She hummed contentedly as she walked down the halls to the Support Department. She’d gotten a bit more love charge off of Izukun and Occhan before they left, and the warmth of their affection they didn’t turn away and run from her, which made it even better! she could pretend they actually loved her, a little more, if she lied lied lied so strongly she could transform the world into her perfect image, fed by her own blood left her dizzy and warm. The door’s together, it seems, and she knocks quietly before she moves to head in. Mei-chan is sitting, working on a baby, but she hasn’t quite clued in yet. Power Loader, on the other hand, definitely has.

“Hey, Mei, I think Charlie-9’s on fire again.” Mei’s head jerks up and whips around, a spray of pink dreads.

“Not my baby!” Aaaaand she’s gone. Fast, for a Support student. On par with some of her Hero classmates. Power Loader gets up, for once outside of his yellow frame, and walks towards her.

“Let’s have this chat outside of the lab.” She follows him out into the hallway, curious. If she needs to, his kidney’s right there. “So, I know you’re probably the closest thing Mei’s got to a best friend here-”

“Power Loader-sensei, I’ve talked to her once.” It was a nice once, but even she knew you don’t make friends that fast.

“I know. Mei’s… focused. She’s popular enough with her classmates, but none of them are close, because of it. Anyway,” he waves his hand, and she catches the glimpse of metal on his fingertips, is that his quirk? That’s pretty cool. “the reason I distracted her was to let you know her birthday’s on Monday.” She jolted upright; Mei-chan’s birthday was Monday and she didn’t even know?! Wait, no, that made sense; she didn’t even know Izukun or Occhan’s birthdays. Wait, she didn’t know Izukun or Occhan’s birthdays?! She’s a terrible girlfriend. “Based on that look on your face… you would’ve wanted to know than find out a few weeks later.” She nods fervently.

“Thanks for telling me, Power Loader-sensei! I’ll have to find something for her…” She muses, stroking her chin like she saw Jin do. “I’ll be back later!”

“Take care.” With a wave, the hunched over sensei walked back into the support department, leaving her time to think on ‘The Best Birthday Present For Someone You’d Only Met Once Ever’!

…she’d workshop the title.

Slashy glints around her fingers while she waited for Vlad Breakfast-sensei to show up.

“What’s on your mind, girl?” Setchan’s head was one-eighty degrees again, the rest of her looking straight forward, prim and proper.

“What do you get as a present for someone you’ve only met once ever?” Setchan’s head dips to the side, exhausted.

“Girl, please don’t put me through this again.”

“What?” Setchan made no sense.

“Before I answer your question… talk to the Wonder Duo. I don’t want another week of drama. Once a month is enough for me.”

“Okay?”

“Good. Now, who are you buying a present for and why?” She grins, fangs flashing.

“Mei-chan! It’s her birthday Monday, and Power Loader said I was probably the closest thing to a best friend she’s got!” Setsuna blinks, but it’s the blink of someone who’s just heard the most asinine thing she’s heard in a while. “Yeah, that’s what I thought too.”

“Okay… putting aside that statement for a moment, you, what, want to get her a birthday present?”

“Yep! Plus, she’s already making Izukun and Occhan some babies, so I thought it might be a good idea to butter up my babymaker!” Setchan’s face catches red, the chicken-and-scissors scent filling the air, along with whoever was listening in on their conversation.

“f*cking- language, Himichan!” She shrugs, guilelessly, waiting for Setchan to calm down.

“What, Setchan? I’m just thinking about buttering up my support technician!” Setchan wheezes, like she’s trying to cover up a laugh or a scream, and doesn’t really hit either.

“Ha ha, okay, you’ve had your fun. Check with the Wonder Duo first, but… what were you thinking?”

“Weeeell…. I was thinking-”

“Occhan! Izukun!” She slides into place right next to Izukun, ignoring Legs on the other side.

“Himiko-chan!”

“Himiko-san!”

“Naomasa-kun! I am also-”

“Oh, I know Legs.” Legs blusters. “Anyway, I’m here to ask you something!” Izukun and Occhan look at each other, before turning to her.

“What’s that, Himiko-chan?”

“So Power Loader told me that Mei-chan’s birthday’s on Monday. She’s doing me a favor, and also apparently I’m closest to her on campus? So I want to get her a birthday present. Setchan reminded me I should probably let you know before we have another misunderstanding for a week.” They both blink, looking at each other for a moment. Silent communication between them; super cute, but a little frustrating when she wasn’t also in the loop. She needed to spend some more time with them, as soon as possible!

“...do you want any help?” Izukun’s the first one to offer the olive branch, but Occhan seems to agree behind him, so she’ll take it as intended.

“Sure! Tomorrow, we meet at the mall?” The two of them nod, and she brightens, teeth flashing. “It’s a daaaaaate~”

“Himiko-san, it’s not a-!”

“Ah didn’t agree to no-!”

Nailed it.

She took some extra time to make sure her cardigan was neat and straight (it was the creme one, and it reminded her of… different times, but now she had a chance to weave new memories into the fresh fabric and not the worn out fibers from being on the run for two years; blood and sweat and dirt rubbed and worn in), and her shoes were nice and clean, before boarding the train out to the mall. She found herself a nice spot in the back (minimal area for knives to slip into her ribs, and if she needed to sweep out, she could cover the maximum area), before she decided to try out that thing Izukun was talking about. She breathed in, smelling the train… and immediately regretted it. She didn’t pay that much attention to her nose, did she? Sweat, traces of vomit and blood underneath bleach, and the melange of misery, happiness, and emotion. She sneezed a few times, trying to clear the raw smell out of her nose. She needed some nose plugs, immediately!

The ride was short, luckily, just across the city, so she ended up stepping off the train and within a couple of meters of her two loves. She waved excitedly, and both of them wave back, broad smiles not at all like she remembered; they were so happy to see her in her villain costume, toga himiko worn across her skin. “Izukun! Occhan!” She doesn’t spring on them, mostly because they’re in public, and she doesn’t want to make a scene right now, but she does make sure she grabs Occhan with her left, and Izukun with her right. “Let’s go!”

“What about this?” Occhan’s holding up a tool set from the support shop they’re at. Even from here, she can see it’s a hobbyist set, mostly cheap metal and enamel that’s already wearing just from being in the shop.

“She has better tools already, Occhan. It’s a nice thought, but… I don’t know. She seems much more practical than sentimental.” Occhan makes a face, but puts the tools down. Occhan’s doing better than Izukun; he’s one shop over at the Hero store, ‘looking for Power Loader merchandise’. She’s pretty sure it’s an elaborate ruse to hunt for more… All Might stuff, but she won’t tease him too much right now. She’s looking out the doors, across and down the mall. There’s a soap store… but Mei-chan might take it as an insult that she’s offering soap. There’s a plushy place… but she knows if she treads on sacred ground, she may never escape with the birthday thousands she got out of her bolthole. Hm… there’s a nice knife shop down there, but that is even more dangerous ground than the plushy store. Ugh, nothing here was cute in the right way!

“Himiko-san, what about this?” She’s impressed! Izukun managed to find the one piece of Power Loader merch in the whole store. It’s one of those cell phone charms, his head and arms bright yellow, and little peaks of red hair.

“That’s super cute, Izukun! How much is it?” He blushes, rubbing the back of his head.

“It wasn’t much. I paid for it already, as an apology for thinking the worst of both of you the other week.” Occhan’s face warms, mochi-and-lightness filling the air, but she ignores that for the moment.

“...thank you, Izukun.” He went out of his way for her! That… made her feel so warm.

“Y’know, whaddya think about a binder for her looseleaf?” She turns to follow Occhan’s finger down to… a stationery store. That… that was a super cute idea!

“Thanks Occhan!” She springs, catching Izukun with a surprise hug, which makes him squeak and brighten with lightning-and-power, before doing the same to Occhan. “You’re the best!”

She finally had gifts together!

She approached the Support Department door with the air of someone ready for her to pop out of the shadows. some of the plf goons were good sports about it, so they didn’t get too stabbed; some of them weren’t, and needed the infirmary She held Mei-chan’s bag in one hand, her other out and ready to catch Mei-chan if she came exploding out of the doors again.

Luckily, no explosions came rocketing out today, so she was fairly free to open the door, Mei-chan working on something on the bench with some brass thing, flames shooting out like a sharp knife. “Mei-chan!”

She didn’t expect her to start, the flame scorching the table like a brand. “Himiko! What’re ya doin’ here?” Mei-chan remembered her name? She thought this was supposed to be Mei-chan’s birthday.

“I heard it was your birthday today!” She proffers the bag, the charm and binder safe and secure inside. “Happy birthday!”

Mei-chan’s blinks a couple times, and the crosses her pupils make whir slightly, focusing and unfocusing. “...I don’t usually celebrate my birthday. It’s… inefficient. BUT… thank you. It means a lot. T’ me.” The thing in her hand dips, fire spraying against the table like a high pressure wash, but Mei-chan’s not really paying attention. Is she…?

“MEI! Stop setting off the fire alarms!” Mei-chan jolts again from Power Loader yelling, shutting off the tool in her hand.

“SORRY!” Mei-chan put the tool down, flat against the table. “Can I take a look?” Mei-chan’s gestures are furtive and sneaky, like she expects her to go shout ‘just kidding!’ and steal the gifts back.

“Sure!” She passes the gift bag across, trying to make sure Mei-chan doesn’t accidentally set it on fire with an errant gesture. Mei-chan starts working on it like a family pet digging through trash, the cheap paper floating gently onto the ground.

“A… Power Loader charm?” She smiles.

“From Izukun. So you can remember your favorite hero! Well, at least your homeroom teacher.” Power Loader mimes being stabbed in the heart.

“Nah, he’s right. Power Loader’s my favorite.” Power Loader looks very touched. It’s kinda sweet. She’s lucky she doesn’t feel like that to any hero she’s very carefully not thinking about vlad-sensei, or lunch rush, or nezu, absolutely not. “And… a binder? Oh, for my designs.”

“We thought you might like something a little more collected.” Mei-chan’s head snaps up, the crosses whirring close.

“We?” She grins, fangs bright.

“Weeelll, I went out to get you a birthday present, but Izukun and Occhan came along with to help! Izukun recommended the charm, and Occhan the binder.” Mei-chan’s eyes whirred again, shifting left and right.

“Would they have gone out if you didn’t bring them?” She thinks about it.

“I don’t think so. They wouldn’t have known.” Something like vindication crosses Mei-chan’s face.

“Then these gifts are, ultimately, from y’. Don’t try and downplay y’r own achievements.” This whole conversation was feeling unusually weighty for some reason. “So, thank y’.” Mei-chan’s gaze is feeling a little… focused, too. She suspects she will be buried under babies soon, for some reason.

“No problem, Mei-chan! You’re my friend!” …and now Mei-chan’s crying. What is she supposed to… a hug, maybe? No, wait, that just makes her cry even harder.

Why is friendship so hard?

Pony slams a small sheaf of papers onto her desk. “Hello! With help, I have translated invites!” The papers get spread around to the girls fairly quickly, and she’s impressed by the design work, at least. A ‘sweet sixteen’, if her English hasn’t failed her. “I would like to invitation girl to come to my apartment for food and game!” The rest of the girls look interested, at least, so she smiles a little broadly.

“What kind of food, Pony-chan?” Pony-chan grins.

“The most American of food! Pizza!” Well, how can she say no now?

“I’ll be there, Pony-chan!”

“Me too!” Kenchan and Setchan sound pretty good in stereo, actually.

“I… I’d be shroom to come along!” Aww, Komori-chan had mushroom puns!

“I would be delighted to accompany you on your anticipatory celebrations of your grave.” …wow, that was archaic. She hadn’t heard slang like that from anyone under, like, seventy! Even Shiggy’s sensei didn’t talk that old!

“Mn.” …and that was all from Kodai-chan, she guesses.

“I would be delighted to accompany you, Tsunotori-san. I hope you won’t be offended if I don’t stay overnight; I have to tend to my vines carefully at home.” Pony-chan looks over to Setchan, who says something quickly in English, before Pony-chan nods.

“Okay, Ibara-san!” Pony-chan looks expectantly around the room, but everyone seems to be waiting for something.

“I’ll stay overnight too, Pony-chan!” The rest of the girls trickle in their agreements, and she smiles. Another sleepover in a week! This is going to be so fun!

“Izukun! Occhan!” They both startled. Well… maybe she shouldn’t have snuck up on them like that. “I have news!”

“..and you couldn’t have told us without scaring the crap out of us?” Occhan was in some fine fire after school.

“I mean… probably, but that wouldn’t be fun!” They both looked very tired, suddenly. “I got invited to a sleepover! A birthday sleepover!”

“That sounds great, Himiko-chan!” Occhan looks happy, but Izukun looks a little troubled.

“Is everything okay, Izukun?” Izukun startles, before shaking himself.

“Yeah, Himiko-san. I’m fine. So who are you having a sleepover with?”

“So it’s Pony-chan’s birthday, and she invited…”

“Mei-chan!” She ducked, the flat bit of metal in Mei-chan’s hand going right for her head as Mei-chan jerked. “How are you!”

“Better, now my best customer is here!” Power Loader coughs in the background. “Whatcha lookin’ for?”

“Just wanted to visit for a bit. You’re my friend, Mei-chan!” Mei-chan’s eyes whir a little, crosses oscillating back and forth.

“...of course!” She leans over to whatever Mei-chan’s working on. It looks like… a pair of boots?

“Who are you designing these for?” Mei-chan brightens up, and she smiles like she’s swallowed the sun behind her teeth.

“Myself, of course! As president of Hatsume Industries (trademark pending), I have to demonstrate my genius before all of Japan! And any available corporate sponsors!” Mei-chan’s voice shifts instantly to Tokyo-ben, all the Kansai in her voice hammered out for corporate sponsorship and a manic tinge.

“So this is for… the Sports Festival?” It makes sense, now she’s thinking about it. She remembers Mei-chan vaguely from the last time around. She fought Legs in the first bracket of the tournament, and turned him into a commercial advertisem*nt, if she remembers right.

“Yep! I haveta show off my babies t’ get a good internship!” Mei-chan’s grin is manic and desperate. Mei needs success like she needs blood.

“...would you like some help putting together some pitches for customers?” Mei-chan’s eyes still, before corkscrewing close, her eyes getting smaller and smaller. She feels less like she’s being looked at and more like she’s being examined, every expression picked apart for fine scrutiny.

“Y’ think I can’t pitch to a customer?” There’s a dangerous note in her voice, like she’s pushing against old traumas.

“It’s the only thing I can think of to help! I can’t help you make babies, Mei-chan!” Power Loader snorts, before coughing in the background, while Mei-chan’s eyes unscrew themselves, whirring in the opposite direction and settling to a normal spread.

“I accept y’r help. Only b’cause y’re offering it, not b’cause I need the help.” Nailed it. She pulls out some notecards she pilfered off of Vlad Breakfast-sensei, and a pen.

“So, how do you want to introduce yourself?”

“Setchan!” Setchan startles, her arm falling off, before she grabs it and hooks it back in place. She’s wearing a nice dress in a soft orange, cable-knight and tight in a lot of good looking places. She’s so blessed she’s surrounded by cuties.

“Himichan! Don’t scare me like that!” She grins, before grabbing Setchan’s other arm and pulling her towards the mall. “You’re a menace.” But affectionate.

“Come on, Setchan, we’ve got to get some presents for Pony-chan!” Setchan laughs.

“Yeah, yeah. What was your idea, again?”

“Getting Pony-chan a gift card over at the arcade! If we pool our money together, we should be able to buy her and someone a date out!”

“Don’t you mean a ‘day’ out?” Setchan’s grinning and warm, like she really enjoys being in her grasp. like she likes being near her, like twice She shakes her head again.

“I said a date, Setchan! I know what I’m about!” They head into the mall, arm in arm, ready for their newest mission.

Making sure Pony-chan has an awesome birthday!

She looked up at the monolith block of apartments that were UA’s foreign student quarters. She understood that Ishiyama-sensei was able to make stuff like this easily, but… it was really intimidating looking.

“Ready to head in, Himichan?” Setchan had their gift in hand, with a little note explaining what it was in English.

“Yeah!” The building itself was much warmer inside. Whoever was handling the decorating could have impressed the Togas! The couches looked warm and comfortable, and the television was nicely sized, but not ostentatious. Mostly in blues, but it was UA, after all. “I think Pony-chan said she was on the fourth floor?”

“Yeah, right hand side. 408?” They took the elevator up. If they were in the wrong room, well, they could always call her. …if they didn’t think so before, the small fleet of shoes outside the room proved them right. The door was cracked open a little, and they could hear the muttering of their class inside. when did she start thinking of them as hers? she was still a villain…

…wasn’t she?

“You alright, Himichan?” She shakes herself, coming back to her senses. Clearly, she’s managed to hoodwink all these hero hopefuls into thinking she’s one of them! She is so good at this.

“Yeah! Just thinking.” Setchan grins, before they take their shoes off at the door, stepping in. Pony-chan’s apartment was bigger than she was expecting; her bed was on one side, her desk on the other, with a television on top of a little stand and some video game things hooked up. The rest of the girls were laid all around the room, most of them on what looked like couch throw pillows blown up four or five times their size.

“Setsuna-chan! Himiko-chan! You come!” Pony-chan bounds to her hooves, and trots over to them. “I think you got lost on way up!” Setchan grins, her teeth locked together.

“Nah, we found our way up easily enough. I could tell which room was yours.” Pony-chan’s head tilts, before she brightens up.

“Oh, because of shoes!” Now she’s had a chance to look, Pony-chan had switched over to her comfort wear sometime after classes. She’s not wearing slippers or shoes, so she can see her hooves against the wood floor, and a hint of… fur? Poking out over the hoof? The rest of her legs are covered in jeans, and they’re oddly jointed, but not that far out of the standard body plan. She has the itch to try a bit of Pony’s blood, to see how comfortable her legs are to wear. Setchan gently shakes her shoulder, pulling her attention back.

“Were you intending to join us in our evening repast, class daywalker?” Working through Yanagi-chan’s speech patterns was tricky. She used a lot of really old phrasing; she sounded more like a rakugo poem come to life!

“Yeah! Sorry, I got distracted.” She grins, knocking herself gently on the head. “What are we doing tonight?”

“Well, the pizza’s over there,” Kenchan gestures, “and we’ve got some video games over here. I think Pony said something about some party games later, too.” Pony-chan nods firmly.

“Well, let’s get this party started!”

Chapter 10: A Super Cute Sports Festival!

Chapter Text

She wakes first. She freezes, before relaxing; she can smell Setchan curled up with her, and the rest of the girls are scattered around the room. Opening her eyes… Setchan’s arm is thrown across her, the rest of Setchan’s head nestled into her armpit, and Setchan’s hair is splayed across her chest. Pony-chan’s over on the bed, sprawled out like a starfish, her furry leg stuck out of the blankets, Komori-chan is on a bed of mushroom puffs, and Yanagi-chan, Kenchan, and Kodai-chan are in a clingy knot on the floor.

A little bit of wriggling and wiggling slides her out from underneath Setchan’s arm, before she straightens up, stretching. The pizza boxes haphazardly piled on the fridge smelled a little too stale to her, but everyone else maybe will like it? This whole ‘smelling better’ thing is still something she needs to get used to. The fridge itself is… well, Pony-chan probably likes her food fresh? Or she just doesn’t know how to cook. She’s honestly not sure which, and she doesn’t want to really poke Pony-chan about it. She steps over and looks at Pony’s legs, the cute little hooves (unshod, even, which is good? she doesn’t know a lot about hoof healthcare, for a lot of reasons) and gently ruffled fur of her shins. She was wondering if Pony-chan had more horse mutations or not! It was super cute, and maybe one day Pony’d let her wear her legs.

She idly poked a hoof, before standing up and bustling around, getting the apartment to something resembling ‘clean’. The clock told her it was around five, so they had a few hours to wake up, shower, dress, and go. All told, the empty soda cans, spare bits of pizza crust, and folding the errant clothes ended up taking about half an hour, which was boring. She grabbed her duffel bag and walked down to the showers (pony-chan had showed them sometime during the night, and she wanted to get a head start!).

The UA showers were nice, as always. She mostly had small bottles she had ‘borrowed’ from various motels, but they were enough to get her clean and smelling fresh for Izukun and Occhan. She was about done with her shower when the wash of scents she associated with Setchan walked in, a little strong from sleeping around on the floor.

“Himichan? You in here?”

“Over here, Setchan!” Setchan’s head pokes over the shower stall a moment later. “Kyaaa, Setchan~ I’m naked in here~” Setchan snorts.

“You’re in a shower, Himichan. I hope you’d be.” Setchan’s head descends back into the rest of the room, and she can hear her outfit hitting the floor and the shower next door starting up. “You have fun last night?”

“Of course! Slumber parties are always fun! This wasn’t as fun as the one with Izukun and Occhan, but it was still good, because it was Pony-chan’s!” Setchan chuckles next door.

“Hey, ‘fore I forget, my family’s doing a thing over Golden Week, on the fifth. It’s a big family reunion thing, and it’s kind of a pain. You wanna come with, we do a sleepover, and head back to class the next day?” A sleepover at Setchans? That sounds great!

“Of course! Setchan’s Setchan! I wanna see Setchan’s family!” She has Izukun and Occhan, but if she didn’t, she’d want to be Setchan too!

“Alright, alright. I’ll let my folks know you’re coming along.” She finishes washing the soap off, and rubbing a towel in her hair, she steps out, before slipping her head into Setchan’s stall.

“Thanks, Setchan! You’re the best!” Setchan grins, teeth sharp.

“‘Course I am. Wanna go wake everyone else up? I know Kendo takes forever gettin’ up.” She grins back, fangs glinting, before sliding out of the shower, digging out her spare school uniform, getting dressed, and sneaking back up to the room. She has people to wake up!

“Izukun! Occhan!”

“Good morning Himi-what happened to your face?!” She rubs the back of her head, being careful of the large bruise around her right eye.

“So, turns out Kenchan is really flinchy in the mornings. Recovery Girl told me I had to keep it for the day and she’d heal it after school.” A thunderous expression crosses Occhan’s face, while Izukun looks understanding. Unfortunately for Izukun, Occhan catches it, rounding on him.

“You don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?” Izukun clearly can hear the underlying threat, but his honesty compels an honest answer. She’ll put a little plaque up on his memorial in the morning.

“I mean, I’m not for it, but I can understand where she’s coming from. It’s a lesson a lot of nurses have tried teaching-” Whatever he was going to say was cut off by Occhan trying to hug him or strangle him, she’s not really sure which.

“Ah swear to gawd, Deku, ya better not ever tell me where that school is, or ah’m gonna see about payin’ Mount Lady to put her foot right through the front doors-” She loops her arms around Occhan, who stutters to a stop, mochi-and-lightness wafting off. Her mouth is just against the shell of Occhan’s ear.

“Shouldn’t we go in, Occhan? You can fight Recovery Girl later~” She can watch the blood flood up Occhan’s cheeks and ears, before Occhan grabs her left hand, Izuku’s right, and hauls them to class.

“Breakfast-sensei!” It’s after school hours, but she can’t wait any longer. Vlad Breakfast-sensei looks up.

“Yes, Naomasa-kun?” He puts his pencil down, focusing all his attention on her. It makes her feel focused on seen wanted that he’s concerned care about her why did this hero do something nobody else ever would weird.

“I, uh, heard something from the other… class…” She looks away for a moment, trying to focus on something other than him staring at her. “I heard that Tooru-chan’s outfit is her naked!” Vlad Breakfast-sensei blinks, long and slow.

“I’m sorry, Naomasa-kun, I think I misheard you. Her outfit is what?” The best spot to look at him is right above his eyes, so that’s where she’s gonna stare at. This is the best plan.

“Occhan told me she’s invisible, so her hero costume isn’t there!” Vlad Breakfast-sensei sighs, rubbing his eyes, before reaching into a drawer and pulling out a notecard. He writes down a few things and hands it to her. “What?”

“I’m guessing you were telling me because you were worried about your friend?”

“...sure, let’s go with that.” He chuckles, low and rumbling in his throat.

“Give this to her when you see her next. Aizawa’s someone who prefers ‘sink or swim’, and she probably doesn’t know you can talk to Power Loader about costume issues.” She takes the notecard and tucks it into her breast pocket. “Before you go…” He’s broken focus and looked back at his paperwork, picking his pen back up, and she feels like she can breathe a sigh of quiet relief. “I know you aren’t getting a lot of blood outside of school, but I’m not planning on being off campus over Golden Week. If you want to stop by for some, this is my apartment number. Ignore Ui, he’s loud, but affectionate.” That clog’s back in her chest, and she can feel the tears building up. heroes aren’t supposed to make her feel like this, like they care, they didn’t care about twice, magne, her

“T-thanks… Vlad-sensei.” He smiles, warm and broad, and it makes the knot in her chest even tighter. Kan Vlad-sensei waves her off.

“I’ll see you around, Naomasa-kun.” She waves, a little tremulously, and goes to find a bathroom to cry all these ugly emotions out. So uncute!

“What’re you doing out here, Himiko-chan?” Occhan and Izukun are both sweating late; it’s one of their Heroics classes, and both Vlad-sensei and Aizawa-sense are letting them use the training fields to practice. She grins, fangs broad and glinting.

“I saw you guys were practicing, and I wanted to help!” They look at each other, before looking at her.

“What were you planning on helping us with?”

“I learned how to fight mostly less… conventionally. So I decided I wanted to show you something that always makes up for my size - joint locks!”

“Now dearies, remember, the next time a classmate offers to teach you joint locks, what do you say?”

“...no thank you.”

“Good. Now…”

A loud wet kissing noise from inside the room, and she has never been happier she can sneak away from people.

Once they’ve put a few minutes in between them and the holding room for her, Occhan turns to her.

“After the Sports Festival… you’re showing us more of those.” She grins, fangs bright.

“Sure!”

She woke that morning, excitement and anticipation robbing her of much rest. She can feel the nerves in her body twist and ache; she’s ready but not ready and she wants to fight but also to run. It’s a weird mix of snakes curdling in her gut, but the festival’s here, and it’s not like she can run away now. She’d miss Izukun, and Occhan, and Setchan, and Mei-chan, and her classmates, and the Guardians of Love, and Legs (sometimes).

Like it or not… for the near future, her future was UA.

…she was still skipping and running with her cuties in tow at the nearest opportunity, though.

While she was looking forward to the actual sporting events, the set up was… less than interesting. Kan Vlad-sensei gathered them in a room, making sure all of them had their uniforms nice and neat, and any support equipment necessary pre-screened and okayed. (slashy and stabby were both denied, which was totally uncute and unfair!) It was a lot of work, and she didn’t even have anything to fiddle with, which made it drag. But, finally, they were cleared and lined up and waiting near the massive doors. She can hear Mic-sensei out on the yard from here… something about ‘screentime’? He was hard to hear over the intercoms!

Her and her class walk out onto the grass, and the bright sun overhead reminds her that she’s really there; this is the Sports Festival, and she’s on television.

…wait a second. She’s on television. Why did she think this was a good idea?! What if the Togas see her?! She ducks behind Bondo-kun, letting him shelter her from the cameras and the eyes of the audience, which works right up until she remembers, oh right, she also has to give the Athlete’s Oath.

f*ck!

She’s busy counting which bits of karma she can call on when she bumps into Bondo-kun, because apparently in the middle of her freak out she forgot they were walking somewhere. she is a mess

She barely pays any attention to the other classes coming up; she vaguely catches that the General Education, Support, and Business courses come out onto the field, but she’s so focused on Bondo-kun’s back she can’t really see anyone else out there, not even Izukun and Occhan. She’s… she’ll be okay. Even if they see her out here, they can’t take her back. She can run, and she can fight, and they can’t cage her again.

Her breathing finally starts evening out just as she hears Midnight. “And now, to give the Athlete’s Oath, the first place in the Entrance Exams, Naomasa Himiko of Class 1-B!”

DAMMIT.

She steps up to the podium with the steady march of the already-condemned she remembers the specific cadence; the carmine division often took care of traitors. Midnight smiles at her, the traitor, and hands her a microphone. She swallows her nerves as best she can, pulls on the face of the Carmine Lieutenant, and steps forward.

“We promise to take part in these games, oh, wait, there’s Izukun and Occhan!” She waved with her off hand, so the microphone didn’t go flying everywhere, “respecting and abiding by the rules and in the spirit of fair play, Mei-chan! Hi!, inclusion and equality. Together we stand in solidarity and commit ourselves to sport without cheating, Mina-chan, Tooru-chan, hi!” she waved again, “without any form of discrimination. Let’s give it our best!” The crowd, and the stadium, broke out into laughter, but she knew hurtful laughter; this was… the release of a great deal of tension, lifting and freeing all of those emotions caging you and tying you up inside. She laughed right along with them, teeth bared and giggling, letting the Togas float away into the wind. She passed the microphone back to Midnight, feeling like Occhan just hit her with zero gravity, and Midnight smiled back, a little bemused.

“That was… certainly one of the most unique athlete’s oaths I’ve ever seen. But… it’s full of youthful vigor!” Her whip in her off-hand cracks out, punctuating her statement as she walks down to stand with her class. “Now, to present the first game… Present Mic! Let’s see what we’re dealing with!” The giant billboard behind her rolls, and after a minute or two it lands on the familiar sight of the obstacle race. “The Obstacle Course! Now, the rules are simple…” She tunes Midnight out and takes a moment to look around her, now she’s not paralyzed with terror. She recognizes a larger chunk of 1-A than she expects to; there’s Legs, the Bakugou kid they kidnapped, the traitor kid, Aoyama, there’s Tsutsu, Yaomomo, Touya’s brother… about half the class! There’s Mei-chan, out in the Support crowd, but none of the other kids ring a bell. In General Education… hm. That purple-haired kid over there… didn’t she rescue him during the entrance exam? He looks like he’s hit the gym, at least. Good for him!

The crowd slowly clusters near the starting line, and she sees Monoma-kun edging towards the front, trying to get close to Touya’s little brother, the half red, half white kid. Midnight’s whip snaps, and she hears a ‘GOOO!’ just as heat and ice descend on the entrance. It seems like Monoma-kun was able to get within arm’s reach.

The last time around, she watched these tapes a bunch, so she could watch Izukun, and later, Occhan’s first big showing on the world stage. The cavalry battle was a little more scrambled, but the obstacle race had some big moments right at the beginning; few bigger than Touya’s brother’s giant burst of ice. She’d mentioned to Monoma-kun on the sly she was expecting him to do something along those lines, so Monoma-kun’s plan was to steal his thunder. From his left side, a giant gout of flame erupted, leaping upwards and lapping at the ceiling, thawing the ice. “Todoroki-kun! I finally understand what it means to be a shark!” The rest of them scrambled, breaking free of the weakened ice and running.

The whole race wasn’t too complicated; she mostly followed Occhan around, blending in with the universe. The ropes were neat, she guesses, but child’s play compared to her sense of balance, but she does catch Mei-chan flying overhead with those boots she was working on, and Legs-kun zipping by, the purple-haired boy clinging onto his back. They’re almost to the minefield when she hears the explosion that means Izukun just cinched first place (and Mic-sensei confirms it, a couple seconds later), and she dips, dives, dodges, and slides through the minefield as Occhan flies overhead, her tether to the earth canceled out. Occhan rolls in at twelfth place, and she cinches thirteenth.

“Occhan!” Occhan startles, whirling around, but she’s already inside her guard and hugging her quickly. “We made it!” Mochi-and-lightness burst across her senses as Occhan scratches the back of her head.

“We sure did! You were right behind me?”

“Yep!” She hears some more names called out, but she’s not really paying attention. What does catch her attention is Mei-chan at thirty second. She cheers, but the milling students are getting a little hectic, so Occhan misses Mei coming in. The bell cheers at forty two students, and she catches the traitor boy gasping for air as he slides in at the last wrong second. Sorry Aoyama-kun!

Midnight-sensei starts talking again, gesturing towards the big screen. She remembers the cavalry battle rules, so her biggest concern is focusing on Izukun, who’s looking more and more gradually like Midnight rolled in a guillotine with his name on it. As soon as Midnight-sensei gives the word, she splits across the field. “IZUKUN!” He jumps, startled, like he’s expecting her to bleed him white, all his blood on her lips and on her knife attack him. “I’m joining your team!”

“Me too!” Occhan’s just a hair slower; she was probably actually listening to Midnight-sensei. Izukun tears up, looking incredibly touched that they immediately went by his side (but why would he? they both loved him; did he think they would abandon him so easily?).

“Th… thank you guys. This means so much to me, I can’t…” He sniffles again, wiping his tears away. “Thank you, guys. Who do we want to ask to join us?” She opens her mouth, because Izukun left such an opening, when a loud voice breaks her concentration.

“Hello! My name is Hatsume Mei, and I am here to help you with my inventions!” Her head snaps over to see Mei-chan walking up, notecards in hand. “I have seen your performance and I think you would benefit best from my various inventions! In exchange for your enhanced performance, I intend to utilize you for exposure for my most useful inventions! Thank you for listen-” Mei-chan finally looks up and notices her, and beams. “Himiko! I thought I was goin’ t’ talk t’ Ten Million!”

“You did! This is Izukun!” She gestures at Izukun, “and this is Occhan!” She gestures at Occhan. “Izukun got first place, but Occhan got twelfth!” She turns to look at them, and they’re both wide-eyed, a light blush crossing their face. They must be really surprised at Mei-chan! Mei-chan smiles, her manic grins tucked behind a polite face, and thrusts out her hand.

“Hatsume Mei, CEO of Hatsume Industries, trademark pending! …Izuku and Ochako, right? Himiko’s talked about y’!” They both flush a little brighter, but they do shake her hand. “Now what can y’ d’?” Mei-chan’s eyes whir a little, zooming in.

“I, uh, I have a really powerful stockpiler that enhances my body. The problem is, I can’t really regulate it well. If I channel it into one limb, it tends to, uh, break. Badly.” Mei-chan hums, her eyes spinning side to side in thought.

“That sounds like a bad circuit, and y’r limb’s the breaker.” Izukun blinks. “For an electrical circuit, if y’ put too much force in one area, a ‘breaker’ snaps shut, keepin’ the power from flowing and breakin’ somethin’.” Izukun blinks again, a couple more times. “So if y’ let-”

Izukun is alive with sparks. She wasn’t looking too closely, so she missed the red lines, but lightning is furiously arcing off of his body, thick cables of power leaping from limb to limb, surrounding him in a corona of energy. “I… I did it! I figured it out!” She can see the bright smile on his face, as if he’s finally hit a goal he’s been striving for his entire life. He looks at Mei-chan like a starving man looks at a steak, or she looks at Izukun. It’s a good look on him. “Thank you.”

“’f course! Gotta make sure my customers are satisfied, and a friend ’f Himiko is a friend ’f mine!” Mei-chan’s head snaps over to Occhan. “An’ what d’ y’ d’?” Mei-chan’s eyes twitch, swirling back and forth. Occhan gulps, her blush a little brighter than usual.

“I, uh, I can cancel gravity on something I touch.” Mei-chan hands her a wrench.

“Show me.” Occhan yipes, grabbing the wrench, and it glows a bright pink. Mei-chan snags it out of her hand, examining it, watching it bob in mid air. “Y’ aren’t cancellin’ it’s gravity. Y’r doin’ somethin’ with it’s gravity, but ‘t’s’not cancellin’ it.”

“Whaddya mean ah’m not cancellin’ it’s gravity?! Mah whole thang is zero gravity! Mah hero name is a gravity pun!” Occhan’s cute when she’s riled up, but Mei-chan’s also cute when she’s rambling like Izukun. She is blessed, truly, to be surrounded by cuties.

“Uh, Ochako-san, she’s, well, she’s not wrong.” Occhan whirls on him, betrayal etched into her face. “I mean! You can’t really be cancelling its gravity, because if you were, you’d end up sending whatever you were cancelling into orbit!”

“Precisely! Y’ have t’ b’ tetherin’ it somewhere here; either y’rself, or a nearby object-”

“Wait! She gets sick if she levitates something up to her max weight limit!”

“Well there y’ go! She’s tetherin’ it t’ herself and the nausea’s either the energy keepin’ the object light-”

“Or it’s sensory input she can’t process!” Izukun and Mei-chan high five, Occhan looks like she’s been tossed into a dryer, and she’s wishing she had some popcorn right about now.

“Are teams ready?” Izukun instantly freezes up, before she grabs him from behind.

“You’re a circuit, Izukun. Be… electrifying.” He snorts, before giggling, before laughing, and still laughing, he jogs to go pick up his headband. Mei-chan is busy strapping Occhan into gear.

“So y’see, if y’ zero somethin’ out, y’ should be able to move it. It’s part of y’r orbit; just will it.”

“Do… do you have an emitter quirk too?”

“What happened t’ yer Mie accent? It was cute.” Ignoring Occhan’s bright flush, she ratchets down a strap. “Nah, but y’ pick up some tips listenin’ to other people natter on ‘bout their own quirks. Mine’s a mutant.” Mei-chan finishes attaching the boots to Occhan, and grins. “See, these babies are pretty simple…”

She focuses back around the track. The teams look different then she remembered, but, then again, she wasn’t really watching most of them, focusing on Occhan and Izukun. Maybe they were the same, and she just has a bad memory? Monoma-kun’s in a different team, she thinks, but she doesn’t remember him doing much last time, so maybe she’s just forgotten. Izukun comes back with a headband, a pretty 10,000,345 printed onto the white fabric. “Himiko-san? Will you be our rider?” She smiles, before grinning, and she can feel the blood wash over her face. Izukun… was asking her… to ride him? And Occhan? And Mei-chan?

He trusted her that much?

“Of- of course, Izukun! I’d love to ride everyone!” She can smell the flush from Izukun and Occhan, but only a faint hint of motor oil-and-gunmetal from Mei-chan. Izukun hands her the headband and flusters an explanation, but she remembers how this game is played. The headband gets tied around her head, where people can get it, and not tied into her hair, because that’s cheating or something. She didn’t really get the rules, but whatever, she just had to make sure Izukun, Occhan, and Mei-chan won. They hauled her up onto their shoulders, and everyone waited, the clock ticking away, excitement and anticipation high.

“BEGIN!”

“JUMP!” Mei-chan’s gear whined into motion as Izukun, clad in sudden, green lightning, leapt, catapulting them almost over the dome. She thought she heard shocked gasps and shouts as they shot towards heaven, before Izukun’s jetpack kicked on, blasting air out. She heard Izukun hiss, and she looked down at her lead rider. “Izukun! Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I-I’ll be fine, Himiko-san! I put a little too much power in that jump, but I’ll be okay after a couple of minutes!”

“Y’r legs aren’t a circuit breaker, Ten Mill! Take it easy!”

“Thank you, Hatsume-san!”

“Call me Mei!”

“O-of course, Mei-san!”

”Close enough, Ten Mill!” Ochako’s beans tap all three of them, before she leans against Izukun’s backpack, the air blasting to keep her upright.

“Mei-chan! How long can these keep us up here?!”

“The backpack c’n probably hold f’r twenny minutes!”

“Good! Ah think ah can… what the hell is that?” Small explosions near the ground, but they’re getting bigger and bigger as the Explosion kid starts rocketing upwards. “Is that Bakugou-kun?” Her knife hand itches. She wishes she had Slashy.

“die diE Die DIe DIE!” With a last blast, the blond was nearly upon them, an explosion building up in one hand… then Izukun’s electrified fingers flick, and the clouds detonate. The shockwave nearly throws them out of the stadium, only some fast course correction on Mei-chan and Izukun’s behalf keeps them in place, and blondie goes spiraling off. She can spot his hands exploding as he lands, reasonably safely, on the stadium roof… but she’s pretty sure that’s out of bounds.

She can see his teammates on the ground… Tetsuract’s cousin, the shocky boy, and someone else she can’t identify from up here are all gesturing, and he’s gesturing back, but the noise from the sudden air bursts muffles all of their shouting. Izukun was reeking of stress and fear, but now… it’s just unmitigated shock.

From their throne up top, she can see the rest of the competition. The battlefield has exploded in quirkfire, blasts of ice and fire racing across. it echoes of deika and jakku; quirks flying everywhere, nowhere safe, and you had to be lucky and quick not to get caught in the back on accident or on purpose. She shivers in place, and immediately three hands are on her, touching her, holding her, grounding her. She reaches down, squeezing them as she reaches, and leans back, basking in the bright, cloud-clear sunlight.

To nobody’s great surprise, after the bell rings and they descend from their perch, they are in first place. Touya’s little brother’s group, with Yaomomo, Legs, and Monoma, placed second, the other purple-haired kid, Shishida-kun, Setchan, and Mina-chan placed third, and last was that kid with multiple arms, the purple-haired kid from the exams, Tsutsu, and Pony-chan.

“And that’s all for the second round! The teams are on the billboard,” huh, so the two purple-haired kids are Shinso Hitoshi and Mineta Minoru, and the arm guy is Shouji Mezo. Neat! “but for now, we will be breaking for lunch! There are some recreational festivities you may participate in, or you can break for lunch! We expect you back in two hours!” She can hear Mic-sensei repeating something similar to the crowds, but she’s more focused on Izukun, Occhan, and Mei-chan.

“DEKU!” Burnt caramel, and the popping of firecrackers. “I don’t know how the f*ck you keep managing to chickensh*t your way out of a fair fight, but-” his hand reached out, and she snagged his wrist, springing high, pulling it over his back, before carrying him flat to the ground. He gasped as he hit the grass. ‘-the f*ck? Who the f*ck are you? Wait, you’re that first placer, the one who made a fool of the entrance speech!”

“Not a lot of room to talk, dynamite boy. Izukun, you want me to…?” Izukun’s eyes widen in horror.

“No! No, let Kacchan go. He knows he can’t start a fight here.”

“The f*ck I can’t, Deku-”

“In front of heroes?” The question is low and cutting, and the blond freezes, before looking to the side in a huff. She lets go of his wrist, and he sits up, rubbing it.

“This isn’t over, Deku. I’ll see you extras later.” It was a cheap taunt, laden with poor violence. Shiggy made a better threat after every game on his computer.

“Well, that was-”

“Midoriya.” Touya’s little brother appeared, face placidly blank. “May I have a moment to speak with you?”

“Uh,” he looks over at her, Occhan, and Mei-chan. They look together, before nodding. “Sure, Todoroki-kun. Where would you like to…? Oh, okay, we’re going. I’ll find you guys later!” Izukun finds himself kidnapped by Touya’s little brother in lieu of Touya himself.

“Y-you’re Naomasa Himiko, right?” There’s the little purple-haired boy she noticed earlier; the one she helped in her entrance exams. “I’m Mineta. Mineta Minoru. I don’t think you remember me-”

“I do. You had those five robots around you, right?” Mineta-kun brightens visibly, nodding his weirdly-shaped hair.

“Yeah! I don’t want to take up too much of your time; it looks like those other girls are waiting for you. I just wanted to tell you that you inspired me to be a better Hero… no, a better person. I asked around after I got to UA, you know. People know that you did the entire exam Quirkless, but you still got top marks. If I got in, I would’ve been bottom of the barrel, and content to scrape by the rest of my life. You showed me that I could be cool, not because of my Quirk, or because of just being a Hero… but by being cool. So,” he bowed, straight backed, and this was the weirdest thing she’d ever been a part of, “thank you. For saving me, and showing me a better way to be a Hero.”

“No problem, Mineta-kun!” That was the right way to respond, right? She had no idea what to say here. “I’m glad I helped you out!” She attempted one of those incredibly cheesy All Might smiles, but she might have put too much fang into it. He bowed again, before running off, looking to catch up with.. Shouji, wasn’t it? She hoped they got along.

“Occhan! Mei-chan! Wait up! Let’s go get lunch!”

The day was bright, the air was warm, and she’d just scored first place with some of the most important people in her life. Could her day get any better than this?

Chapter 11: The Sports Festival Tournament~ (Part One, of course!)

Chapter Text

The festival was amazing! She hadn’t been through the last time around (being on the run kinda ruined things like this), but there was food and games all scattered around! Today was only the First Years festival, so nothing here was that impressive (she overheard that the second and third year festivals were always the showstoppers, with the second years competing with their senpai) but the nice easy simplicity of this festival was just what she needed. She cheerfully dragged Mei-chan and Occhan with her into the fracas, Mei-chan borrowing Izukun’s hand (she’d apologize later), and Occhan on her own hand.

“Himiko! Careful wit’ th’ merchandise! I need my hands!” She giggled, sharp teeth glinting.

“You’ll be fine! I’m not pulling that hard!” She glanced around, looking at the displays and food (did she mention the food? they rushed this morning, so she hadn’t had breakfast, and she was paying for it), but also keeping an eye out for Izukun. When was Touya’s brother going to be done with his kidnapping?

“Do you think Todoroki-kun is done with Izuku-kun? I don’t want to go get lunch without him…” She shrugged.

“Either they’re still talking, or Todoroki decided to kidnap Izukun and try and take him out before the tournament.” Occhan paled, before looking around frantically.

“We gotta stop him from kidnapping and seducing Izuku-kun!” She blinked. Where did that come-

“Sorry I’m late!” Izukun comes jogging up, small bits of lightning arcing off his body. “I just… got held up.” She narrows her eyes, looking over him. He looks… a little off, quiet, but no visible burn marks or frostbite.

“Are ya okay?!” Occhan zips over to his side, running her beans over his shoulders and arms, pinkies raised, just to be sure.

“Yeah, Ochako-san, I’m fine. He just wanted to talk.” Izukun runs his hand through his brush of hair.

“...ya sure? Ya look… stressed.” That was putting it lightly. It wasn’t anything huge, but the little tics on his face gave it away.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just… Todoroki decided to open up.”

“...must’ve been some openin’ up.” She absently reached out and snagged Mei-chan from wandering off.

“A-anyway, I think I heard something about lunch?”

“Yeah! I’m starving!” She pulled them deeper into the thick of it, letting her nose lead her towards the tastier tents. The scent of octopus is a siren song to her tastebuds, and it’d be nice to have the treat; the Togas preferred she didn’t have anything too fishy, but they weren’t here to stop her, now were they?

“Wow, there’s a lotta food here…”

“What’d ya expect? The gen-ed students gotta do somethin’ over their break. This isn’t their time to shine, but they aren’t gonna slack now. Business gotta build up their portfolio, too, and a lotta the mechanisms on these stalls are made at UA.” Mei-chan gestures over to a takoyaki machine, and she can smell the hot batter and octopus rolling inside the cast iron. “One o’ my classmates made that; burnt through three circuit boards before he got one insulated enough from the heat.”

“Should we go get some?”

“Yeah! It smells really good… ooh, and I want to get some ikayaki, too…”

“I’m… not a huge fan of ikayaki, but I think there’s a karaage stand nearby I wouldn’t mind trying out.”

“Karaage’s a little messy f’r me, but I think I see a hot dog stand just over there. The one with th’…”

“Giant hair spikes?” Izukun zeroes in on the stand, and she can see the gleam in his eye, just like Shiggy whenever one of his video games got a new release.

“Why don’t you and Mei-chan go try a hot dog, and Occhan and I’ll get some of the seafood?” Another of the bills she’s saved up is in her pocket for this, so she’s ready. she’s trying not to think about what happens when she runs out of the bills; she’s still got half the stack, but every week she frets when it eventually runs out

“...’f yer sure, Himiko. C’mon, Ten Mill, we got some food t’ get.” Mei-chan grabs Izukun’s wrist and starts hauling him off, and she giggles at the flush of electric and power as Izukun turns bright red.

“Occhan, you…” Occhan’s face was weird; a cross between jealous and longing and want. “Something wrong, Occhan?”

“Huh? Nah, ‘t’s nothin’. We gonna go get food, or…?” She narrows her eyes, looking over Occhan’s face, but whatever she was thinking about is tucked back away behind her eyes.

“Sure!” She’ll dig it out later. She’s got the time to figure out what’s wrong.

The takoyaki was delicious, and the ikayaki was fun to snack on the tentacles and chew on the main body. Occhan settled on a container of takoyaki and a few sticks of yakitori, but it looked like about as much food as she usually got, so she wasn’t going to push. Izukun and Mei-chan return with veritable mountains of food for both of them, three or four of the hot dogs loaded with red, green, and yellow, and something spicy off of Mei-chan’s, and Izukun’s got another container loaded with karaage. “Himiko! Gravity girl! Wanna go get a table so we c’n eat?”

Occhan pouts. “I’m Ochako, not Gravity Girl.”

“Sorry, can’t usually remember names. Easier to remember ID numbers an’ cross reference them in m’ head.” Mei-chan grabs one of her hot dogs and bites off the end while Izukun and Occhan stare. “What?”

“...nothing, Mei-san. That’s just… very impressive.” Mei-chan grins.

“I am gonna take Shield Corp off the map, after all.” A thumb jerks towards Mei-chan’s chest. “Y’ll remember th’ name ‘Hatsume Mei’ after I’m done with it!”

“...ah don’t think either of us are gonna forget ya any time soon.” Occhan and Izukun share a furtive look, before all four of them head towards one of the picnic tables scattered near the stalls. “Did ya always want ta go into Support, or did ya wanna be a hero too?”

Mei-chan waves her off-hand, the enormous dog in the other. “Nah, m’ Quirk isn’t the most ‘heroic’, and m’ classmates made sure I knew it. Got the last laugh when I hit all their lockers with m’ patented stink pellets. Some say y’ c’n still smell the stench…” Occhan and her both giggle, and Izukun looks a cross between horrified and interested. “...f’r Support, our gear is our way of heroics.”

“Yeah, but Power Loader does both.” Mei-chan scoffs around a particularly big bite of hot dog, what she now can identify as a jalapeno stuck between her teeth.

“Power Loader has a good quirk on ‘is own, he doesn’t need gear. It helps, but he doesn’t need it. I d’.” She finishes swallowing her own takoyaki, before opening her mouth.

“You probably don’t need as much as you think. Your quirk has something to do with your eyes, right?” Mei-chan nods, hesitantly. “You can do the Snipe-sensei thing, or that one sniper lady, and fight from ranged.” She vaguely remembered the sniper lady; Shiggy had called her a ‘rare pull’ or something, and threw a bit of a fit when sensei sent her after Izukun during that whole ‘vigilante’ thing. She ignores Izukun muttering under his breath, making little ‘notes’ on the palm of his hand.

“...I could, couldn’t I? Y’r quirk doesn’t help y’ with th’ knives, either.”

“Exactly!” She pops the last takoyaki into her mouth. “You just need to get good at shooting stuff!”

“...Lady Nagant?!” Izukun finally looks like he’s shaken himself out of his stupor from earlier. “You were thinking of Lady Nagant?” Oh, that was the name of that sniper lady. That’s right.

“Yeah, I think so. I kinda forgot her name, though.” She taps her knuckles against her head and sticks out her tongue playfully; it was supposed to disarm Izukun, but he and Occhan are a little too distracted watching her tongue. “So, do you want to talk to Snipe-sensei, Mei-chan, or…?”

“Ah, nah, ‘ve got m’ plans set. Thanks, though.” All four of them tuck into their food; they were all really hungry!

The rest of the festival was something to see! She manages to keep all three of her teammates together for all the festival games, and it’s probably twenty minutes before they need to start heading back to the stadium when Setchan crashes in.

“Hey, Himichan! I need to talk to ya real quick.” She catches Izukun, Occhan, and Meichan’s attention. “I mean, the rest of ya are good to listen, too, I just really need to talk to her.”

“What’s the matter, Setchan?” Setchan focuses back on her.

“Right. So, I wanted to warn you; that Shinso dude, your first fight? He’s got a mind control quirk.” That catches Izukun’s attention. “I don’t even remember really talking to him? He came up to Mina-chan and me, said something, and the next thing I remember we’d won the cavalry battle. Pretty sure it’s voice-activated, keyed off you saying something to him. If you have ta talk to him… make sure he doesn’t say something first.” She nodded; that made sense, why Setchan and Mina-chan were so conservative with their quirks. Setchan especially; usually she’d have been a swarm of limbs around the arena.

“Is… is that all that fair? Talking about his quirk like this, I mean.” Izukun looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, but something in him compelled him to speak up. It was super cute, but probably would have gotten Shiggy to threaten him with something and for her to stab shiggy again.

“Eh, probably not, but you can think of it like… recon. If I were another hero agency, and you were going up against a villain I’d fought before…” Izukun sighed.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. It feels wrong, but… it’s the smart thing to do.” Setchan reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, this is just a sports thing. Aizawa-sensei probably hyped it up majorly, but this stuff isn't the end of the world. We’re supposed to use this as practice for when it’s actually important.” Izukun’s face softened a little.

“...that helps. Thanks.”

“You’re not the only one worrying about making a bad showing, yeah? Relax a little; you’re already doing great.” Setchan looks over to her. “See you over in the stands, Himichan?”

“Of course!” With a flick of her hair, Setchan strolled off, and she could see Occhan staring at her hips. “Occhan!” Occhan jumped.

“Wha?!”

“Just seeing what you’d do.” A surprisingly cute growl coming from Occhan, who started running, beans extended.

“Imma get ya for that!”

“No, save me Izukun!” With a shriek of laughter, she bolted, staying just out of reach of Occhan in the sunlight.

She strolled down the cement hallway, humming to herself. She just got a super love charge off of her loves, and Meichan even gave her a ‘good luck!’ She was super stoked for this. Setchan and Mina-chan’s warnings were in mind, so she was ready for any of this Shinso boy’s tricks.

The arena itself was huge, a concrete pad big enough for Gigantomachia to take a power nap on and use the grass around it for a pillow. Her opponent… Shinso-kun, right? was walking towards the pad across from her. Her first estimation was… he needed to work out more. He was a very noodly boy, and his walk reminded her a little of the old Shiggy; someone who was so confident in their quirk and its power he didn’t think he needed anything else. He was the perfect example of heroes. was he? She had seen her classmates over the weeks, all her friends, and they all worked and strived, unlike this boy She shook her head, stretching as she walked up to the starting point on the ring. She needed to not respond to whatever he said. That was the quirk trigger.

“Must be nice… to be someone who was born lucky, I mean.” Her breathing equalized with the universe, and she started fading from whoever wasn’t watching her. “To have a heroic quirk from birth… better than having a villain’s, after all.” The mask her parents the Togas forged slipped over her face, and she blurred to the side, slipping out of his eyeline. “My Quirk… my classmates would make fun of me for it, you know? Mock me for wanting to be a hero. Nobody thought I could be one, and then the exam proved them all right. Not much use Brainwashing would do against-”

Whatever he was going to say got muffled when his skull bounced off the concrete pad, his arm locked behind him and her weight pushing him flat to the ground. She leaned in close, her fangs a hiss from his head, her hand threaded through his hair and holding his skull, waiting if he started trying to Brainwash her to bounce him off the ground.

“You have no idea what discrimination is, you self-absorbed idiot.” He mumbled something unintelligible, and her grip on his hair tightened. “Did your parents take you to a quirk counselor to keep your quirk silenced and stifled? Did your parents call you a demon?! Did you try to make someone feel better, only to be blamed for the injury?!” Another mumbling mutter, but she didn’t care. “Mockery is nothing, little noodle boy. You rely on your ‘curse’, letting it define you. I got first place with nothing but knives. You lose, then and now, because you’re a hypocrite, crying over the only advantage you have.” Her knee digs into his kidney, and he lets out another pained groan. “As he would say… git gud, scrub.” And his head bounced back off the cement, before she stood up. “Midnight-sensei, he’s…”

“...HITOSHI SHINSO IS OUT! NAOMASA HIMIKO ADVANCES!” She holds up her fist, like she saw All Might do that one time, but the victory… blegh. Tasteless, in her mouth.

She’s still in a bad mood by the time she makes it back up to the Class 1-B stands. Her cuties were off doing their own thing with their own class, and she had to… stew on what the noodle boy was rambling about. She pouted, arms crossed.

“Everything okay, Himichan?” She glared over at Setchan, who was settling in next to her.

“No. The noodle boy down there… put me in a bad mood.” She blew out a raspberry, folding herself deeper in her seat. “He’s just… wrong. About everything.” Setchan’s hands gently rubbed her shoulders, while Setchan’s arms were tucked carelessly behind her head.

“Sometimes people are like that. They think they have answers, then they don’t, and they get their ass beat.” She giggled, relaxing into Setchan’s hands. “Still… what’d he say?”

“People told him he had a villainous quirk.”

Setchan’s hands still, for a moment, before picking back up. “Is that right?”

“Little… uuuuuugh. ‘My classmates made fun of me’, at least they didn’t drag you to a quirk counselor to get you to stop looking for-” She grunted, frustrated and annoyed and she just- “Uuuuugh. Can we talk about something else, Setchan? I don’t want to think about him any more, and I can’t go cuddle Izukun, or Occhan, or Meichan.” She looks over at Setchan, with the look she knows used to work on Twice whenever she wanted him to do something for her. “Let me cuddle with you? Pretty please?” Setchan laughs, sharp toothed.

“Yeah, sure, c’mere.” They rearrange and settle, her head resting on Setchan’s bosom. “Monoma and that Todoroki kid are up next.” She makes an agreeable noise, before turning her attention down to the pad.

Both Monoma-kun and Touya’s brother walked out onto the field. A good distance between them, but nothing Monoma-kun couldn’t try to rush. He was trying to loosen up, but Touya’s brother… Todoroki, right? (probably for the best if she started thinking of him like that; she didn’t want any slip ups later!) stood across the field, unmoving.

“In one corner, we have the hot-and-cold ice prince of Endeavor, Class 1-A’s Todoroki Shoto! In the other, the copycat of UA, Class 1-B’s Monoma Neito!”

“START!” Midnight-sensei waved, and Todoroki started… walking across the field? No giant ice blasts off the bat… this was going a lot different than she remembered! They said… something; it was too quiet on too loud a surface for her to pick up, but they were definitely talking, before Todoroki extended a hand. Monoma-kun shook, before the two sprang apart, and then twin icebergs shot out of the arena, both splashes of spiky ice shooting towards the heavens.

_{“DON’T BE AN IDIOT, TODOROKI! COMING AT ME WITH HALF YOUR POWER… IS POINTLESS!”} Monoma-kun’s left side caught, and, blazing with fire, began melting the ice away. Todoroki was on the move, ice lancing forward in small, concentrated bursts, but Monoma-kun’s flames kept the ice safely away, the fire blazing from both his hands and his feet. _{“NOW… I WILL DEMONSTRATE WHAT, EXACTLY, YOUR POWER CAN DO!”} In tandem with the blaze, ice began carving paths towards Todoroki, trying to trap him… and it was working. His own ice was barely enough to fend off Monoma-kun’s, and the flames were too far away.

She saw the moment the ice overtook him, and he hit the ground, kneeling, frost spilling out of his mouth. Midnight called an ‘TODOROKI SHOTO IS OUT! MONOMA NEITO ADVANCES!” as Monoma-kun approached, brushing Todoroki’s hair, before both of them were encased in a warm hug of flames. She can’t make out what they’re saying… but it probably wasn’t that important in the long run. Meichan was up next!

It was only a few minutes after Todoroki and Monoma-kun left before Meichan and Legs walked out onto the field. He was… hm. He didn’t have any support equipment. Instead, Meichan was decked out; her hoversoles, the jetpack, and a bunch of other bits and bobs she had talked about, but she forgot.

“In one corner, the boy with a six-stroke cylinder in his calves, it’s Class 1-A’s Iida Tenya! In the other, the mad scientist of the support labs, it’s Class 1-H’s Hatsume Mei!”

“AND BEGIN!” Legs-kun blurs forward, smoke trailing out of his calves and his arms held out to push Meichan out… but Meichan’s boots whir, and she slides out of the way, just out of Legs-kun’s reach.

“Legsgenium’s got his work cut out for him if he thinks she’s just gonna let him shove her out of the arena.” She murred an agreement as Meichan went to type something on the bracer on her wrist, before she ducked underneath the softball roundhouse Legs-kun threw at her. She yelled… something, but it was swallowed by the crowd, the same with Legs-kun’s reply. There was some more shouting, and gesturing, before Meichan grabbed a pistol off her waist and fires, a blob exploding into a net of thick cabling. Legs-kun skids out of the way, but Meichan had planned for that? She kicked into the air, the clunky boots shutting off as poles shot out of her backpack, balancing her as she reached out for another bulky pistol.

“What’s her quirk, anyway? All she’s used is support equipment.”

“Her eyes zoom in real close. Like a microscope.” Setchan hums.

“Yeah, I can see why she’d rely on her own gear.” Meichan finally sighted in with the pistol, before firing off a swarm of little metal teeth, each sparking as they fanned out, a brace of taser lines biting into the concrete as Legs-kun dipped, ducked, and dodged… right into the net Meichan fired next, wrapping him up and throwing him onto the concrete. He thrashed on the concrete, engines firing and trying to fray out the cabling, but it wasn’t working… especially when Meichan walked up, an irritated expression on her face, before slapping something on his chest that flared up and carried him out of the ring.

“IIDA TENYA IS OUT! HATSUME MEI ADVANCES!” Go Meichan! She cheered from her headrest, arms in the air, and she could hear Monoma-kun coming to sit next to them. She glances over, and he looks disheveled.

“Naomasa, your boyfriend is the only tolerable member of 1-A.” His head hits the headrest as he sighs.

“Strong words for someone from the dreaded Class 1-A.” Setchan’s voice is teasing, but Monoma jerks like she stabbed him in the heart. just like that yellow-suited hero; eel? something?

“Don’t remind me, Tokage. But… Midoriya’s acceptable. Jury’s out on Uraraka, of course…” He wheezes when her knuckles hit his ribs, but she doesn’t retaliate any further.

“Who’s next, Setchan?”

“It’s… uh… 1-A’s vice rep against the other gen ed kid.” Meichan didn’t damage the arena too much, so she can see both Yaomomo and Mineta-kun walking out onto the field. “Wonder how that’s gonna turn out?”

“Hm… Yaomomo’s good, but I don’t really know what Mineta-kun’s quirk is.” The two square off, facing each other.

“In one corner, she makes the economy cry under her command, Class 1-A’s Yaoyorozu Momo! Up against her is the underdog of the races, both literally and figuratively, Class 1-D’s Mineta Minoru!”

“AND BEGIN!” Mineta-kun’s hands shoot to his head, pulling off the little balls (apparently his quirk?) and begin tossing them with some accuracy as Yaomomo unzips her sweater, pulling something out of her stomach with a faint glow. Which… gets balled. Her hand was free, apparently, so she starts making something else from her hand… which also gets balled, but it was a staff, so she at least gets it out and in a ready stance, a purple ball stuck on one end. A bigger gun; a shotgun, she thinks? clatters to the ground, a ball glued to its muzzle. A few more balls get thrown, and Yaomomo is on top of it, deflecting them and building up more and more on the staff ends, with extra balls getting scattered around. Setchan leans forward.

“He’s… doing something. There’s a plan here.” Mineta-kun throws a few more, before running, taking a short hop, and blurring forward. He zipped around her, bouncing off each ball, more of them flinging at her. Her forearm glowed as a shield emerged, catching a few, but Mineta-kun was surgical, working to trap down her limbs, binding her jacket as much as her arms, and soon she was pinned to the ground. He turns his back, looking towards Midnight-sensei, raising his arm to ask her to call the bout.

The crowd can see it before Mineta-kun can. Her jacket begins to bulge, before it rips, tatters fluttering to the concrete as a cannon barrel emerges from her back, pointing at Mineta-kun. He has enough time to turn and open his mouth before a net is shot out with a dull boom, flinging him and the netting across the ring and onto the grass.

“...IN A SURPRISING TURN OF EVENTS, MINETA MINORU IS OUT! YAOYOROZU MOMO ADVANCES!” Yaomomo is slowly working to free herself of the balls when Mineta-kun gets himself free, before walking across the grass and up onto the concrete, and over to his opponent. He unzips his jacket before handing it to her; it… isn’t big enough to cover anything, really, but the thought counts? and the two work together to free Yaomomo from where she’s pinned. They bow to each other, respectfully, before they separate, Yaomomo using Mineta-kun’s jacket to cover herself, and Mineta-kun in his tanktop. The pad quivered, before the balls sank into the concrete, sealing them inside for the next round.

Setchan patted her shoulder. “Hey, Himichan, I gotta get up and go get ready for my first round. Wish me luck?”

“Always! I’ll be cheering for you from the stands!” She waves as Setchan heads down to the waiting room, getting ready for her match, while she turns her attention to Occhan and Pony-chan stepping out onto the field. …Pony-chan wouldn’t be too mad if she cheered for Occhan, would she…?

…nah, probably not. Occhan and Pony-chan strolled out onto the field, and she swore she could hear little ‘clip clops’ from Pony-chan. The two of them square off, and Present Mic-sensei starts shouting over the microphones.

“In one corner, the mistress of gravity, Class 1-A’s Uraraka Ochako! In the other, she’s an All American superpower, Class 1-B’s Tsunotori Pony!”

“AND… BEGIN!” Occhan darts forward, slower than the Occhan she remembers, but Pony-chan’s head dips, both horns firing off and aiming to pin. Occhan tries to dodge, rolling out of the way, but the horns are harassing her, getting a little too close for comfort. She’s going to be pissed if Pony-chan makes Occhan bleed. She deserves the first blood!

“Is everything okay, Naomasa?” Monoma-kun is hovering nearby, and she can smell the iron and heat of Tetsuracy behind her.

“Shh, Monoma-kun! I need to watch!” She waves at him while keeping her eyes glued to the stage. And… there. Occhan’s beans smack the horns as they pass overhead, and they start wobbling and wavering, two forces acting in opposite concert. Occhan’s Zero Gravity is pushing against Pony-chan’s Horn Cannon. Occhan’s eyes are closed, the pink around the horns flickering, but they’re flickering away from her fingers. Is she learning something new about her quirk?

The horns bend to gravity’s whims, beginning to spiral around her in a loose orbit, before Pony-chan gives them up for good, dipping her head again for a fresh pair. Occhan’s eyes open, her beans still glowing faintly, as the new horns charge at her, and she slaps them also out of the air. Again and again, horns and beans match, before Occhan has a full swarm of horns orbiting her, gently glowing, a disk of starlight. Pony-chan’s eyes narrow, before kneeling, getting ready to take a runner’s sprint. Occhan’s stance widens, fingers at the ready, limned in a faint glow and looking like a goddess of starlight.

Pony-chan dives in, her horns firing off this way and that to deflect the loosely spiraling horns, as Occhan moves closer to engage. The orbit pulls in quickly, closer to an accretion disk, and Occhan charges with a ring around her waist, flipping up and down to block whatever Pony-chan shoots. The two match in the middle, and she can’t quite make out who successfully hits what… until Pony-chan moves to turn, spiraling too quickly and pirouetting into the air, before joining the orbit around Occhan.

Pony-chan gets a good rotation before Occhan concentrates, and flicks, and the entire disk wings itself off the stage and onto the grass.

“TSUNOTORI PONY IS OUT! URARAKA OCHAKO ADVANCES!” The whole crowd cheers, but she cheers the loudest, and she knows she’s the reason for the flush on Occhan’s cheeks. Monoma tuts from his place next to her.

“Must you cheer so loudly? You’ll hurt Tsunotori’s-”

“Nah, Monoma bro. Pony sis’ll be happy she’s cheering for her girlfriend.” Monoma-kun pouts, before settling into his seat.

“You seem rather delighted that your paramours are succeeding so well. Are you not concerned you’ll have to find yourself facing them on the field of battle?” Reiko-chan had snuck up behind her, with Yui-chan right next to her.

“Well, I wouldn’t want them to do bad, y’know. If they do well… I’ll get a chance to get my teeth in them. Nothing feels better than fighting a little bit, y’know? It’s fun when you get to rough up your loves!” She can smell the flush of blood across everyone’s face, and she’s hungry, but she keeps it stifled down. She’ll get some after the tournament.

Setchan and Mina-chan stroll across the field, stifling any responses from her friends classmates. Both are stretching, both are loose and ready for the fight. Setchan throws off her jacket, prompting Mina-chan to do the same, and both of them are well built and baring their arms to the world.

“In one corner, we’ve got the girl with the most parts, Class 1-B’s Tokage Setsuna! In the other, the breakdancing, acid-spitting queen, Ashido Mina!”

“AND BEGIN!” Midnight-sensei’s whip slices the air as Setchan’s arms split into pieces, flying straight for Mina-chan. Mina-chan tucks into a roll, before kicking up in a spin, light acid sprinkling out. Setchan winced, but her hands and arms kept moving to get into a position to pin her pink opponent. Mina-chan’s skin glistened with a gray goop, and she could watch Setchan’s hands burn as Mina-chan looked on, horrified. The hand flops to the side, palm down, as another one starts forming next to her, skin first, before filling out and firming up.

Mina-chan looks shocked, before grinning, and the two chat for a minute, before Mina-chan’s arms really start pouring out acid. What follows is something out of a horror movie (one of her favorites, too!) as limbs keep getting fired off and trying for tricky angles, while Mina-chan dances in increasingly acidic puddles. Finally, Setchan regenerates back and waves at Midnight-sensei.

“AND WITH THAT, TOKAGE SETSUNA TAPS OUT! ASHIDO MINA ADVANCES!” There’s a wave of… noise as the two walk off the stage, headed back to their waiting rooms, and she keeps a close eye as Cementoss pipes some more cement in to repair the stage.

“I can’t believe that 1-A girl managed to beat one of our recommended students!” Monoma-kun flusters in his seat.

“It was a bad match-up, Monoma-kun. Setchan can regenerate, and I bet she’s really careful with that acid, normally.” She knows he knows that, but she can hear him grumbling from his seat as Setchan walks into the seating, her jacket thrown over her shoulder. “Setchan!”

“Yo. Yeah, before you say anything; I know I lost. However…” Setchan grins, sharp toothed, “I think I won in the end. This lucky lizard’s got a date.” There was a beat of silence, before the class exploded.

“WHAT?!”

“Dammit Tokage! It was that pink-skinned chick, Ashido, wasn’t it?”

“Good job, Setsuna-kun!”

“[Good job, Setsuna-chan!]”

“I wish you the best of luck with your newfound partner, Tokage-san. May the seeds of your newfound relationship sow the fruit of misery for your enemies.”

“It’s just a date, Yanachan. I’m not proposing.”

“Yet.”

Setchan dropped next to her, and she took full advantage to squeeze up close. She missed her Setchan rest! “Anything I miss while I was out?”

Her eyes were drawn back down to the field, though, as Izukun and Shishida-kun stepped out onto the field. She’d apologize to Shishida-kun later, but there was no way she was supporting him over Izukun.

“In one corner, the Shakespearean Beast, Class 1-B’s Shishida Jurota! In the other, the leader of the Sports Festival, the lean, mean, green bean himself, Class 1-A’s Midoriya Izuku!”

“AND BEGIN!” Izukun exploded with electric power as Shishida-kun roared, swelling and musclebound. What followed looked more like one of those old anime she’d caught once or twice, in the middle of the night, after the togas had gone to bed. Izukun flickered in and out of sight as he blitzed across the arena, each kick and punch releasing a burst of air pressure, as Shishida-kun roared, each swing denting and shattering the cement. Both were strong and fast, and it was immediately clear whoever lay a clean hit was probably going to be the winner.

“The Beast of Gevaudan has been practicing using his feral mind. I am impressed he has managed so much progress in such little time; truly, he has grown from a child’s creature to a King of Beasts himself.”

“I’m surprised he’s gotten that good that quick. Kinda makes me want to sharpen a knife or two on him.” Spring-steel and sharp flickered as Kamakiri-kun flexed his quirk.

“Hell yeah! I wanna fight him too, now!”

“Shh!” She didn’t want to miss a minute.

Izukun proved to be not only faster, but better; two solid punches followed by a roundhouse sent Shishida-kun sprawling, and he pounced immediately afterwards, pulling Shishida-kun’s arms back into a lock she taught him a few days ago. Shishida-kun wriggled, a little, but he knew he was beat.

“SHISHIDA JUROTA IS OUT! MIDORIYA IZUKU ADVANCES!” She can hear Monoma-kun’s theatrical groan as she settles back into Setchan’s bosom.

“Of all the… there are two of us that made it to the quarter finals, and we’re both fighting each other next!”

“We have done much better than the past or future will dictate, Monoma-san. As you have said, repeatedly, in various volumes…”

“Carps versus sharks.”

“Quite. Thank you, Yui dear.”

“Mn.”

“It’s… Tsutsu up against Shouji-kun?” The two most visible mutants in the third round, probably. According to Izukun, she had her ‘vestigial cat mutations’ or whatever, and Setchan’s teeth probably weren’t supposed to be that sharp, and while Mina-chan was pink, it wasn’t that weird. Tsutsu looked pretty froggy, and Shouji had six arms. The only one who had them beat was Shishida-kun.

“Yeah, they’ll be next. Hey, where’s…?”

“Most likely with Recovery Girl. Naomasa’s boyfriend kicked him fairly hard.” She grinned, so very proud of Izukun.

“In one corner, the frog with some super strong legs, Class 1-A’s Asui Tsuyu! In the other, six arms and one of the best huggers around, Class 1-A’s Shouji Mezo!” She wrinkled her nose; was Present Mic-sensei getting worse at these?

“AND BEGIN!” They both lived up to their titles, she supposed. Tsutsu leapt forward, tongue lashing out, and Shouji went for a bear hug, all six arms spread wide. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite fast enough for all his strength to snag Tsutsu’s tongue, and the two fought, Tsutsu bouncing around and trying to get a good angle on hooking and throwing him, and Shouji trying to get within range to actually grapple her.

“She’s playing too defensively. Shouji-kun’s strong, but she can probably outkick him, if she tried.” Kenchan was leaning forwards, her chin propped on her fist. “She’d just need to land one solid blow… but she’s not going for it.”

“Hmph. Probably aiming for ‘rescue’, I’d guess. Thinking all the fighting in the world is useless if you’re out saving people.” Kamakiri-kun sounded annoyed and… regretful?

“Who saves the rescue heroes, though?” who saved them from her, and people like her; who saved the rescues from villains?

Punctuating that, Tsutsu finally got fed up and landed three hard snap kicks into Shouji’s chest, sending him spilling out across the concrete pad and onto the grass.

“Damn. Well, we’re getting a half hour intermission before the quarter finals. Who wants snacks?” A bunch of her classmates raised their hands (and her too, to be fair!) but that thought was still there.

Who saved the real heroes from villains?

Chapter 12: The Sports Festival Tournament~ (Part Two!)

Chapter Text

Time (and snacks) waited on no one, so her melancholy was laid to bed as her basket of fries made it back to her. “You sure that’s gonna be enough, Himichan? You’re fighting next.” She grins.

“It’s just Monoma-kun.”

“Hey!” She shrugs carelessly.

“Even if you copied my quirk, you wouldn’t get anything useful out of it.” Monoma-kun huffed in indignation.

“I… I… I could copy Todoroki-san’s quirk again!” She gives him a long, hard look.

“If you could hold onto quirks that long, you wouldn’t have waited until the match started to do something.” He splutters as she viciously decapitates a fry between her teeth. “I wouldn’t worry too much, Monoma-kun. You haven’t made me mad.” unlike that little purple haired idiot swanning his precious childhood trauma in front of her face, a dinged life held up in equal standards to her misery

“...I’ll take that under advisem*nt, Naomasa.” Another fry was sacrificed to her maw, the potato split between her fangs. Monoma-kun looked uneasy as she mercilessly fed the prime royalty of potatodom into the guillotines of her teeth.

Setchan sat nearby, looking… weirdly smug? She eyed her carefully for a moment, before dismissing the facial expression. Her match was up next. “Meetcha down there, Monoma-kun?”

“I wouldn’t miss my grand debut for the world.” Another pose and hand gesture, which sets f*ckidashi-kun off, and the two of them head down into the cement hallways and waiting rooms.

She was stretching and bouncing on her toes by the time she got back out onto the concrete. Monoma-kun approached from the other side, and… something’s off about his stance. It’s loose, like he’s walking on catspaws. like her The hairs on the back of her neck begin rising; something’s fishy, and she doesn’t know what.

“In one corner, we have the classy cat, Class 1-B’s Naomasa Himiko! In the other, the class copycat, Class 1-B’s Monoma Neito!” Midnight-sensei waved a fan, her other hand disabling her mic.

“I want a good, clean match, am I understood? You shouldn’t go ‘Plus Ultra’ on your opponent’s face.” They both nod, and it feels like she’s dragging this out to make it worse. “Good. Now, LET’S START!” The mic flared to life before her whip cracked, and her breathing matches the universe as she dashes to the side, breaking his eyeline. The only problem was… Monoma did the same thing. She skids to a stop, her fingers gently scraping against the concrete, and she realizes that he, too, has vanished from sight.

“Surprised?” She screeches, back arched, as her hand whips back at him; he easily deflects and aims for a solid punch at her side, which she whips herself around, trying to tangle his arm to bring him down. The two break apart, her low to the ground, and him, back straight, as if he’d appeared like -

“...you know how to do the trick.” He smiles, his hand brushing his hair out of his eyes.

“Indeed. You know me as Monoma Neito… but I am also the heir of techniques passed down by Hanzo-sama.” He smiles, a wide, sharp grin, and she can feel her own mouth stretching to match it, her fangs fully displayed as a threat. “You are, possibly, the most talented amateur I’ve ever seen… but you are not trained in ninjutsu. Let us see who is the better-” his hand blurs, blocking her strike for his kidneys, and he hops over the leg sweep she tries next to get him off his feet, before she has to twist out of the way of the neck strike and out of reach of his grabby fingers for one of her favorite joint locks - “...the amateur, or the apprentice.”

Hands blur between them as they struggle for victory; they manage to avoid any of the nastier locks or organ strikes, but dominance is fleeting and ephemeral. Fighting Monoma-kun is like wrestling smoke, and she simultaneously appreciates what a massive pain in the ass she must have been to fight against while simultaneously having the time of her life. Few people can keep up when she’s trying to kill them, and while she doesn’t want to see Monoma-kun’s red, this is the closest she can get.

All things, even great fights like this, must come to an end. Monoma-kun slips on his dodge, barely in need of a correction, but it’s enough of a window for her fingers to dig into his kidney, before her leg hooks on his hip and finishes spinning him into the concrete. He has about a second to cough before she’s on him, arm twisted back and hand making a knife gesture right above his spine.

“...well done, Naomasa. I yield!”

“MONOMA NEITO IS OUT! NAOMASA HIMIKO ADVANCES!” She grins, wide, and stands up, pulling Monoma-kun to his feet.

“You kept me busy, Monoma-kun! Now I’m all hungry again!”

“I hope such a display is enough to attract attention! …and I, also, am hungry. Would you like to go get some food together, or…?” She thinks for a moment, but then she remembers.

“I can’t. Mei-chan is up next.”

“Are you looking for a third hand, Naomasa?” Monoma-kun looks amused, but she can’t quite put her finger on what.

“What?” He shakes his head, smiling.

“Never mind. I will find some food, then, but you’ll have to put up with whatever I find.”

“Thanks, Monoma-kun!” She jets off the platform, into the waiting rooms. She has a Mei to find and pump up!

She finds her muttering under her breath and adjusting some screw on a different set of boots than she was expecting. “Mei-chan?”

“AH!” The screwdriver pirouettes into the air, before deft hands snatch it from the air. “Don’ scare m’ like that, Himiko!”

“Sorry, Mei-chan! Is everything okay?” Mei-chan huffs hot air, returning her focus to the boots.

“The whole day’s gone screwy ‘cause o’ you. I had a plan.” She shoves the boots away, before slapping the screwdriver on the table. “Had.” The other girl whirls on her heel, pink dreadlocks flaring. “What is ‘t ‘bout you and those other two? I w’s just gonna be a support tech. You - all three of y’ put the whole crazy thought of heroics in m’ head, and then y’ kept distractin’ me from m’ plans. The other two kept m’ from chattin’ up the 3D printer f’r the break period. I have goals!” Her foot stomps, but her eyes are red and puffy. “Goals I keep compromisin’! Dammit, I’m Hatsume Mei, o’ Hatsume Mei Industries!” A shudder ripples through her shoulders. “..but now I’m thinkin’ o’ bein’ Hatsume Mei, dual Support and Heroics.” She steps forward, her arms open, and Mei-chan collapses into them, and she can feel her tears on her shirt, again. “I jus’... I want things t’ be normal. Jus’ lemme invent and people stay outta m’ life. Let m’ live mine, and the rest o’ y’ can do whatever.” she can feel the chord, the similarities; she never met mei-chan the last time around, but they would have been kindred spirits, she thinks “But y’ never leave. I keep makin’ stuff thinkin’ it’d be useful, f’r y’. I don’t know why, and I don’t want t’, not if I don’t know th’ reason. I think about y’ more than anyone else.” Another choked sob. “I want t’ see y’ more often. Just… just see y’.”

…Mei-chan was just like her. So starved for people. Both keeping people away with masks.

Her hands rub her back, as Mei-chan shudders under her fingertips. “‘t was a simple plan, y’know? Nothin’ complicated. Jus’ m’, m’ babies, and clients. That’s it. …why do I want more?”

“...we always want what we don’t have.” Her answer is smoke, barely heard on the brush of the wind, but Mei-chan hears it.

“Hatsume Mei, your match starts in five minutes. Please report to the ring.” Midnight’s voice breaks them apart, and Mei-chan spends a minute wiping her face clean.

“...m’ cue, I guess. I’ll see y’ after the match.” Mei-chan finishes strapping the boot on, before shrugging on her backpack. Her hand is gentle on Mei-chan’s shoulder.

“...I wanna fight Mei-chan. Win for me?” A splash of red across her cheeks, motor oil-and-gunmetal simmering.

“...y’, I c’n d’ that.” Another quick hug, before she runs up the stands to see her Mei-chan fight. She kinda wonders what her blood would taste like…

She makes it up just as Present Mic-sensei start announcing the fighters.

“In one corner, the mad scientist of the freshman, Class 1-H’s Hatsume Mei! In the other, the economy herself, Class 1-A’s Yaoyorozu Momo!”

“AND BEGIN!” A swish of her whip, and Mei-chan’s boots kicked into high gear as she bolted across the battlefield, chunky pistol in hand. Yaomomo’s arm glows as a shield forms, just in time to swat aside a barrage of teeth, electricity sparking across the concrete. Mei-chan’s boots glow briefly as she springs into the air, another shot that gets deflected again, before she lands, firing… a different gun? She must have changed while she was coming down.

The nets are met with a swiftly emerging bo staff, the shield tossed to the side. Three blasts, and three thick wraps of netting around three staves, before Yaomomo tosses them to the side, too heavy for her to carry. Yaomomo shrieks as teeth bury into her calves, the last shot of the stun gun in Yaomomo’s hand dropping the shocks downrange. Mei-chan jets close to throw her out, before Yaomomo pulls herself under enough control to land a broad swing, sending Mei-chan spiraling away. Yaomomo hit really hard!

Mei-chan rifles in her pockets, before sprinting forward, kicking from side to side, as Yaomomo pulls a shotgun out of her chest, racking it, and firing. Her heart leapt to her throat as she felt her classmates grab her from going over the railing, and she watched as beanbags flew as Mei-chan dodged them with whining bursts as she circled closer. Yaomomo finally threw the gun aside, and went for something - a mortar? cannon? large and metal - as Mei-chan connected with a bunch and a burst of electricity, and Yaomomo hit the ground with a shriek.

“...YAOYOROZU MOMO IS OUT! HATSUME MEI ADVANCES!” Mei’s arms are spread wide, and she can almost see the laurels of blood on her brow in victory.

Once she’s settled back down from cheering, Monoma-kun leans over her shoulder. “Planning on cheering for your girlfriend, Naomasa?”

“Of course! Mina-chan’s Mina-chan, but Occhan’s Occhan. In a fight… Occhan, always.” She nods, decisively.

“And if your partners conquer their next fights, and are up against each other?” She shrugs.

“I’ll cheer for both, and make sure whoever loses gets a big make up hug, and the winner gets a big victory hug.” Monoma-kun sniffs, before settling into his seat, and Setchan’s chin settles on her shoulder.

“Where were you at, Himichan? Your match ended like ten minutes before you showed up.” She absently grabs the food Monoma-kun hands her.

“I had to help Mei-chan with something.” She bites into the taiyaki, tail first, the flaky pastry coming apart in her mouth. “She needed a hug.”

“Trouble in paradise again?” There’s a leer and a warning in Setchan’s voice, and she rolls her eyes.

“No, Setchan, I’d tell you if Izukun or Occhan were mad at me again.” She drums her fingers on the chair seat; it’ll be Mei and her, then… either Izukun or Occhan in the finals. She can feel her mouth watering from the desire; she’d finally be able to get her teeth on…

Her fangs grind together. Right, she was trying this ‘hero’ thing. Heroes don’t rip and tear, teeth sinking into solid meat and pulling the blood from thighs and shoulders and bicesps bite people like that. She’d be a NoRmAl good girl.

“Himichan? You okay?”

“Yep!” She turns her attention back down to the arena as Occhan and Mina-chan walk out onto the field. She can do this.

“On the right, the mistress of gravity herself, Class 1-A’s Uraraka Ochako! On the left, the dancing queen, Class 1-A’s Ashido Mina!”

“AND BEGIN!” Both Occhan and Mina-chan dart forward, Mina-chan splashing acid down to slide down it, Occhan charging low to the ground, beans extended. It’s a cute game of tag for the first minute or so, Mina-chan effortlessly whirling away from Occhan’s attempts to catch her, but it can’t last.

“Why isn’t she using her quirk more offensively?” Setchan snorts.

“I’ve got regeneration; wonder girl down there doesn’t.” The two girls twirled and danced around each other; Occhan was much more aggressive, charges and leaps, with Mina-chan twirling and swirling around. It was pretty, and she found herself jealous of Mina-chan, that she could coax such movements out of Occhan.

Eventually, though, even Occhan got tired of it. She feints once or twice, before taking off her jacket and reaching through it. There’s a faint sizzle of smoke, but Mina-chan also glows pink, before gently lifting into the air. Mina-chan makes some hand gestures, before shrugging.

“AND ASHIDO MINA IS OUT! URARAKA OCHAKO ADVANCES!” She rockets up, cheering, and she can hear the roar of the crowds cheering along her Occhan with her.

It takes a few minutes for her to finally settle, which is predictably immediately ruined when Izukun and Tsutsu come out on the field. Her fangs are out and she’s as loud as she can manage, which unfortunately, isn’t that loud. She’ll have to make sure she steals some blood from someone with a good sound quirk before too long.

“And on the left, the green machine, the number one of the Sports Festival… Class 1-A’s Midoriya Izuku! On the right, it’s not easy being her, Class 1-A’s Asui Tsuyu!”

“AND BEGIN!”

Izukun blazes bright with power, before blitzing forward. Tsutsu leaps up, her tongue lashing out, but Izukun is faster, dipping out of the way of the tongue and the subsequent heel drop onto the concrete. The fight itself is fast; both Izukun and Tsutsu are nimble and strong, but all it really means is after about two minutes, Izukun manages to land a punch, stunning Tsutsu, before grabbing her around the waist and whirling, throwing her out of the arena.

“ASUI TSUYU IS OUT! MIDORIYA IZUKU ADVANCES!”

She cheers loud for Izukun’s victory, but… the real treat is getting her hands on whoever wins next… really, she’s just spoiled for choice.

“Hey, Himichan, you gotta fight to go to.” She snaps her head over to Setchan. “With the inventor girl, right?” She sighs, melting over the barricade. That’s right, she had to get going, but… it wasn’t too terrible, it was with Mei-chan, after all.

“Right. Thanks Setchan!” She straightens back up, before jogging down the stairs. She has a fight with Mei-chan to win, after all!

hr>

She’s stretching as she walks out onto the cement, letting her body limber up and loosen. Mei-chan isn’t going to be a pushover, and she’ll have to be on her toes to avoid whatever Mei-chan’s about to whip out. Mei-chan’s looking surprisingly stripped down; just the boots she used against Yaomomo, a backpack, and the knuckles glinting on her hand.

“Taking it easy on me, Mei-chan?” She’ll be disappointed if Mei-chan is. She’s pretty confident she can take Mei-chan out, no matter what fancy gadget she whips out of her sleeves.

“Nah! Only brought stuff f’r one fight, so I’m ‘bout outta stuff t’ use.” Mei-chan knocks her knuckles together, and she can see the spray of sparks. “But I’m not out yet. Putcher hands up, Himiko, and y’ll see what Hatsume Industries c’n d’.”

“In one corner, the cool cat and the year’s representative, Class 1-B’s Naomasa Himiko! In the other, the mad lady of the support labs and mistress of invention, Class 1-H’s Hatsume Mei!”

Midnight-sensei’s whip cracks almost before she makes the call to “BEGIN!”. Now she’s across from her, she can hear the whine of her boots almost deafeningly, and she rolls to the side moments before Mei-chan bolts forward, her boots licking the ground with a spray of electricity. Mei-chan skids to a stop, swearing, and she takes the moment to spring at her unprotected back, narrowly rolling over her arm as the taser knuckles try to make contact with her face. If she gets hit with those…

She springs away as Mei-chan snarls, stomping on the ground. “These… f*ckin’... boots!” Were her…? She springs into a tight roll as Mei-chan lurches forward, another spray of lightning as her boots free her from the ground. She can hear the knuckles hitting the ground, sparks playing out, and she goes again for Mei-chan’s back, only to have to fold herself in half underneath the wild swing. “Goin’ f’r m’ back twice, Himiko? Thought y’ were good at this.” Her grin widens, teeth bared, and she breathes out into the universe, before circling. Mei-chan’s head is on a swivel, hunting around for her, but she has blind spots, the same as anyone else, and it’s right along her ribcage that her knife hand strike lands, forcing a squeal out of Mei-chan’s lips. Another wild swing, with another knife hand landing in her armpit, and Mei-chan curls up, defending herself.

She lets Mei-chan feel the press of her body against her, just for a moment, before her hips twist, throwing her body weight against her side, slamming Mei-chan into the ground. Mei-chan’s arm twists across her back, knuckles pressed firmly against her spine, as she leans in.

“You made me work for it, Mei-chan…” Her teeth are wide, and she can feel and smell the one-two, one-two of motor oil and gunmetal. She was so close… her pulse... she could just drag the tip of her tongue right along the heat and bite down…

no, she was a good girl, she wasn’t a MoNsTeR, she was nOrMaL She breaks away from Mei-chan’s neck, panting hard.

“HATSUME MEI IS OUT! NAOMASA HIMIKO ADVANCES!” She shakily climbs off of Mei-chan’s back, before turning and leaving for her stands. She can keep herself calm… under control… she’s a good girl…

but is she? uravity only offered in the dint of struggle, the worst possible circ*mstances; when they aren’t trying to keep her from killing them all… would they still?

It’s Kan Vlad-sensei that finds her, curled up in one of the concrete hallways.

“Everything okay, Naomasa-kun?” She lets out a pathetic noise and curls a little tighter. “Want to talk about it?” Her body wobbles a little in a ‘no’. “The next fight hasn’t started yet, if you want to watch it on the screen with me.” …she doesn’t really want to leave her curl, but it’s Izukun and Occhan. With a petulant sound, she uncoils, keeping her eyes down. Kan Vlad-sensei offers her a broad, scarred hand.

She takes it. It’s… warm, she finds. is this the first time an adult has done this for her? held her hand while they walked, for safety? a presence she can’t ignore or forget?

His hand in hers is… calming. Grounding, even. and she finally understands the meaning of the term, like she could crash land and burn into the concrete and he would help put her back together; what did that even mean The television’s on, and Kan Vlad-sensei sits down with her in one of the cheap plastic chairs in the room.

“On the left, the green machine of the class, lightning in a boy-shaped bottle, Class 1-A’s Midoriya Izuku! On the right, the mistress of gravity, you can’t ground her, Class 1-A’s Uraraka Ochako!”

Izukun dashed forward, a blur of green electricity, and Occhan swung wide with her beans. A lot like the fight between Shishida-kun and Izukun earlier, it was really down to whoever made first contact.

“They’re showcasing their stuff pretty well.” She murred in an agreement, as Izukun leapt skyward, trying for an ax kick Occhan dodged, before kicking off himself to avoid her swipe. “I think I’ve heard something around the water cooler about how close the three of you are.” Her throat clogs up again, just a little.

“...I really like them, sensei. But… I don’t think they’d like me. Not if they knew.” everybody ran when they found out; her parents, them the last time, even setchan His broad hand squeezes, gently. Izukun goes for another few rattling punches, throwing off Occhan’s aim, but she almost gets his shoes with a hand.

“Do you trust them?” Did she? can she? does she have the right to rest her trust on their shoulders, make them carry the weight of her choices and actions? make them condone what she does, because they trust her, and she trusts them? Izukun’s finger booms and flings Occhan like a ragdoll. She leans, her head hitting his shoulder.

“...I want to, sensei. I’m just… scared.” it felt so good to just… let this loose; the roiling knot in her chest she can rip out, beating, and let someone else see without judgment He hums, as Occhan starts weaving a shield of cobble around her.

“Sometimes… the best things for us are the things that scare us the most.” Izukun bursts forward, exploding through the rubble and grabbing Occhan’s wrists, carrying her to the ground. For a moment, she thinks they’re about to kiss on national television and leave her behind, like they did the last time but after a few heartbeats of Izukun and Occhan staring at each other, Izukun straddling her, they both glow bright red, and Izukun scrambles off just to tug her by her wrists and hurl her out onto the grass.

“URARAKA OCHAKO IS OUT! MIDORIYA IZUKU ADVANCES!”

“...thank you. Kan-sensei.” Izukun helps pull Occhan to her feet, and they’re both flushed, but they don’t look scandalized.

“Anytime, Naomasa-kun.”

They sit there, together, for a few more minutes, before she squeezes, just a little, and stands up. “I gotta go make our class proud, sensei.”

“Knock ‘em dead… Himiko-kun.” She grins, fangs bared and wide, and skips towards the entrance. She’s got an Izukun to fight!

It’s come down to this. Her and Izukun, out on the field. She’s missing her knives, he’s missing… most of his quirks. This is probably about the fairest he’s gonna get, if she’s honest.

“And we’re onto the finals! In the one, the lead of the exams, the girl who scored the highest and the brightest, the star of her class, 1-B’s Naomasa Himiko! In the other, the boy who lead the pack, the first place contender for EVERY round of the competition so far, 1-A’s Midoriya Izuku!” “AND BEGIN!” Izukun moves almost immediately, his finger booming as a blast of air rushes through where she was. It’s unfortunate she’d already slipped away, cartwheeling out of sight. Electricity slowly coats and solidifies along his limbs, and she can feel the power rolling off of him as she circles in. It’s so cute, and makes her shiver with anticipation. He wouldn’t miss-

No, she was a good girl. for now. She wouldn’t take his blood without asking. for now.

She darts forward, springing at his kidneys, before he blurs like her when she’s fed and stocked, sliding out of her knife hands. He throws a pretty basic punch (she thought he knew how to fight better than this, tsk tsk) that she springboards off of, trying for a heel to the back of the head, but he throws her off and onto her feet. Her grin couldn’t be broader, and she can feel her tongue falling out, hunting for his blood pumping hot and fresh along his veins, so close she can taste it.

“What’s wrong, Izukun? Scared to HiT mE?” the rush of the fight, his blood so close, she only got a droplet last time

“Never… Himiko-chan!” Her whole body tenses, and she has to have his blood.

Swing. Spring. Slide underneath. Hands going for his throat. Dodge. swing. spring. slide. go to hollandgrabandbiteand-

Power and lightning fills her mouth. It’s delicious and euphoric, and everything she’s ever-

Izukun is underneath her. She’s pinned him, and her mouth is on his neck, and she’s tasting his blood because she lost control isn’t nOrMaL is a monster bit his neck. Like an animal. She barely even registers it as Izukun brightens and throws her gently onto the grass.

“NAOMASA HIMIKO IS OUT! MIDORIYA IZUKU ADVANCES!”

“Himiko-chan?” She can’t take it, right then. She’s gone.

She blinks, and she’s in her tan cardigan and seif*cku, her bag next to her. She blinks and she’s on the train, circling UA. She blinks and she’s in the rain, wet and tired. She blinks and she’s outside the teacher dorms, the sun long set. She blinks, and Kan-sensei’s standing in his doorway.

“...can I stay for a bit? Please?”

“...of course, Himiko-kun.” He gets out of the doorway, and he’s holding a big pitbull back by the collar. It almost makes her smile.

the taste of izukun’s flesh under her teeth convinces her otherwise

Kan-sensei’s apartment is mostly beige and red. The carpet is covered in dog hair, and the bulldog on her knee (ui, kan-sensei tells her) is begging for pets. She thinks she gives them; her arm is covered in dog hair now, and her hand is wet.

Kan-sensei is pressing a hot bowl of food into her hands (she vaguely remembers chashu, but that could have been the porridge from the first time they met, both times around). She thinks she tells him it’s good, but it’s only there for a few minutes or a few hours

Her seif*cku and cardigan are gone, along with her bag, but she can smell laundry detergent. She’s dressed in Kan-sensei’s pajamas, closer to a full dress on her.

It’s lights out, she’s sprawled out on the couch, blanket over her, Ui a comforting mass near her side. She can hear Kan-sensei, just outside, and the faint, acrid smell of cigarette smoke.

“Am I a dog, a mouse, or a bear? It doesn’t matter, because I’m signing your paychecks!”

“Good evening, Nezu-san. She made it back to my apartment about an hour ago, soaking wet, and looking more like a drowned cat than a person. Her clothes are getting washed, and she’s got some warm clothes and some soup I got her to eat.” Did he? She can feel a faint… something, she guesses. Was Kan-sensei looking after her, or keeping her in a prison?

“Good. Thank you, Kan-kun. I trust you’ll be able to keep her there tonight and tomorrow morning?” Prison it was.

Izukun’s pain as she lashed out like a animalbeastdemon

Maybe it was for the best.

“Yeah, I think I can. Mind asking Nitrodart to cover my shift?” Who?

“Would you really ask your principal to-”

“In this case? Yes.”

“...you care quite a bit about her, Kan-kun.” She heard him shift his weight, crossing his arms.

“...I could’ve been her, if I had the same parents. Blood quirks still aren’t looked well on.” …was Kan-sensei like her? a demon No, he clearly wasn’t. He was a ‘hero’. They didn’t get to be demons. but then, what was endeavor?

"I understand. However, you must also understand that I have an entire school to look after. I will not sacrifice them for her."

“...I understand, sir.”

“Good. Fortunately, in this case neither of those situations will come to pass. The Midoriyas do not seem like they are interested in disciplinary measures. In fact, I just got off of the phone with Midoriya Inko, Midoriya-kun’s mother…”

She tuned the rest of the call out, turning to look at the wall. She could… maybe get used to this. It wasn’t so bad, house arrest. She smiled, a little, tremuloously.

with a mouthful of izukun’s blood

Chapter 13: Decisions, Consequences, and the Aftermath

Chapter Text

She didn’t so much as come to as startle awake. The living room was still comforting black, but she could smell dog and coffee and blood like izusaitokun’s between her lips, drinking and drinking and feel a blanket on top of her.

…was she wearing silk? Who owned silk pajamas? They were comfy, though.

The kitchen light nearly cut off as Kan-sensei moved in front of the doorway. “Ui, get over here.” The bulldog huffed, before getting up on scrabbly claws and lumbering off the couch. She missed his warmth immediately. “Here, eat up.” Ui got to work crunching his breakfast up, and Kan-sensei gently put a bowl next to her face on the table. “When you’re up, Himiko-kun.”

Even her ability to sneak around the heroes was busted. This was the worst.

Her arm snakes out and pulled the bowl under her blanket fort. It was the blood porridge she had, that first day…. chao something? the thing that tasted like chashu. It was warm on her tongue, but the chashu taste was bittersweet. did she even deserve blood, after-

“Your clothing’s dry when you’re ready.” The blanket over her head pulls back, a little bit, and she watches him go about his morning.

…why was he acting so… she was a monster, a monster on live television, why was he -

why was he treating her like a person, like ochako, hand outstretched, covered in blood, ‘you can drink mine for the rest of my life’ that liar, she’d never, nobody ever gives sympathy to the devil in the seif*cku

His hand settles on the blanket over her head, warmth diffusing over the fabric. “I can smell you thinking from over here. …you can stay here a few more nights, if you want.” It was… nice of him, to make the overture that this wasn’t house arrest. Still, it was warm and soft, and she’d been sleeping in worse.

She slips the bowl back out from under the blankets and drew the covers a little more over her head. She was going to enjoy the warmth while the house arrest lasted.

The door opening woke her from her light doze. She could hear… Kan-sensei, and Nezu-sensei, out at the door.

“Thank you for opening your door, Kan-kun.”

“Of course, Nezu-san.” She could hear him shuffle out of the way, and Nezu’s scent comes in. Ui looks up for a moment, before settling back down on the couch, and she scrunches further into her blanket fort.

“Naomasa-kun? May I have a moment of your time?” She shuffles the blanket out of the way, so she can look at Nezu-sensei properly. “Ah. You do have a tapetum lucidum adaptation. Fascinating!” A what. “I see the confusion on your face! A tapetum lucidum is a reflective layer on the back of some eye structures to allow you to see better at night.” She has good night vision? …the League never did seem comfortable with the lighting whenever she picked out the hideouts (it’s why they stopped letting her after the second or third). “It also comes with the side effect of particularly shiny, or ‘glowing’, eyes. Quite fascinating to see first hand!” Her eyes glowed in the dark?! That was super cute!

Her head starts to inch out of the blanket, before she remembers, right, hero, and she retreats a little further into her fort. “...are you going to take me to jail, or back to my parents?” There’s a weighty silence, before Nezu-sensei stands carefully, so she can see his whole face through her fort entrance.

“Naomasa-kun, your parents are in prison.” He says something else, but the roar of her heartbeat in her ears drowns out everything else. They’re… in prison? The Togas never go to prison, not the last time, they just ran and fled and disowned her, pretending they weren’t the reason for their dEmOn DaUgHtEr -

She gasps, sucking in a breath, as the room has shifted. Nezu-sensei is in the kitchen, helping himself to tea, and she can hear Kan-sensei in a chair nearby. “Feeling better, Himiko-kun?” Her fingers clutch a little tighter at her blanket fort.

“...why did they get arrested?” Her voice was croakier than she’d like. He said something, but she didn’t really catch it. “...sorry, Kan-sensei, I didn’t -”

“For now, trust this much; they were arrested for their crimes, tried, and found guilty at court. To ‘send you back’ would involve sending a minor with no criminal record into prison, which is something that we frown upon.” Nezu-sensei was in the doorway to the kitchen, holding a cup of steaming tea. “Even with your current mishap on television, you are still a student of mine.” Nezu-sensei takes a moment to sip his tea. “For your sake, the camera angle and distance from the stadium made it difficult to determine what, precisely, was going on, and Midoriya-kun covered up any weeping blood quickly.” His eyes focused on hers through her blanket fort. “Based on your reactions, I can only assume you did not mean to bite Midoriya-kun?” She shook her head underneath the blanket cover. Nezu-sensei smiles. “Would you like to come out of your nest?”

She shuffles out of the blanket fort, the pillow walls falling to the side. Kan-sensei’s shirt was still too big on her, but the button at her throat kept it reasonable, even if it was falling off a shoulder. “...what happens now?”

“That depends on you, Naomasa-kun.” Nezu-sensei’s paws fold in front of him. “UA is not in the business of forcing its students to be places they don’t wish to be in. Kan-kun and I have discussed living arrangements on campus for you, like your classmate, Tsunotori-san. If, of course, you wish to take them.” She tucks the blanket around herself.

“What’s the catch?” Kan-sensei shifts, a little, but Nezu-sensei raises a paw.

“Merely that you continue attending our institution. As long as you are a student here, you will have a home on this campus.” She stares into Nezu-sensei’s black eyes, watching the little twitches on his face. He seemed… sincere.

“...and I can leave whenever I want?”

“Within reason. We ask that any of our students let a member of faculty know when they’re off campus, for safety reasons, and that you not venture too far outside of Mustafu, for similar reasons. The latter, of course, is a request that can be extended with faculty permission.” Hm… nothing worse than the League had asked for… actually, better, because Nezu-sensei wasn’t like Shiggy, who’d complain about ‘having to put a f*ckin’ leash on her to keep track of her’.

“...and where do you want me to stay?” Her fingers tighten on the blanket; she couldn’t help it, but even just Kan-sensei’s couch felt the closest she’d ever been to home nice and comfortable. It was probably Ui’s fault. Her hand (and gaze) were focused on the bulldog, gently petting him (and remembering it this time! she’d never really pet a dog, the last time around).

After a few weighted moments, Nezu-sensei clears his throat. “You may stay in the exchange dormitory on campus, along with your classmates Tsunotori Pony and Hiryu Rin.”

“Or you can stay with me.” Her head snaps over to look at Kan-sensei, slouched in his chair with his book cracked open. He’s… it’s hard to read her teacher, sometimes, but he looks open. And… hopeful. like he actually wants her around

“...can I think about it for another day?” She looks back over to Nezu-sensei, trying to ignore the disappointment in kan-sensei’s eyes and he nods.

“Of course, Naomasa-kun. Take your time. I would like a proper answer by the end of Golden Week, however; perhaps we can have a discussion in my office then?” She nods. Nezu-sensei takes another sip, pulling from the dregs, she thinks. “One final thing. The day after tomorrow, once the Sports Festival has concluded, I would like you, Midoriya Izuku, Uraraka Ochako, and Hatsume Mei to report to the stadium. After you ran off, it created enough of a stir we weren’t able to group the first year winners together for their photo finish. We do, however, need those photographs for both archival and marketing purposes.”

They… didn’t accept the medals? What? She wasn’t Bakugou-kun, she wasn’t chained to the post… why did they delay the medals? Nezu-sensei chuckled at something, before looking over to Kan-sensei. “Kan-kun, would you mind showing me out?” Kan-sensei puts his book down (something about cats? she was having a hard time reading the spine at this angle) before rising, walking Nezu-sensei out to the door. It was kinda funny; if Kan-sensei had found her that first day, she would absolutely have gotten her knife deep into his guts just like ochako’s. It was only a minute or two later before Kan-sensei comes back and settles down, looking over his book.

“If you want to turn on the television, the remote’s right over there. Let me know if there’s anything you want or need to do today, okay?” She nods, hesitatingly; there’s almost always a trick. “Your friend… Hatsume Mei? was interested in visiting, but I thought you needed the sleep.” Mei-chan wanted to see her?

“...and Izukun? Occhan?” He blinks, before smiling, and she finds herself smiling in return, fangs bared to fangs.

“Midoriya-kun would also like to visit, although he was less… forceful than Hatsume-kun. Uraraka-kun’s parents are visiting, and she told me she wanted to check up on you, but she was with them.” Meeting Occhan’s parents early? So… scandalous. She looks down at her hands, and immediately realizes her dilemma.

“...can I see all three of them together?” That way none of them feel like she’s favoring them. she knows the sting of the ‘favorite child’, her parents preferring her mask over her, and she’ll never do that to her loves, any of them

“I can certainly ask.” Kan-sensei glances over at something behind her head. “It’s… one, now.” Hm. She does want to see them, but… Kan-sensei’s silk shirt is still hanging off of her, she’s only had porridge this morning, and she hadn’t really showered from the fights yesterday.

“...when we get together, for the photographs. I’ll see them then.” She’ll have a day to be clean, and play with Ui, and forget the feel of izuku’s flesh between her teeth and his blood on her lips eat. Kan-sensei looks like he can see through her, but joke’s on him, he clearly can’t, or he’d see she was a monster villain already.

“Sure, Himiko-kun.” He picks up his book again, and she pets Ui one more time, before braving the rest of his apartment for her clothes, and hopefully a spare bedroom. She likes the couch, but she’d stab for a bed!

The whole next day was eaten up in just getting… used to the rhythms of living in an apartment again. She hadn’t lived in one she wanted to live in intended to be in for more than a few days in three years, so remembering things like the dishes and trash were tricky, and Kan-sensei supervised her letting Ui out the first couple of times before he trusted her to do it by herself. Ui made up for it by being an absolute cuddle fiend, though, so she considered it a net win overall.

Still… the first of May arrived with less fanfare than she would have liked. The birds were singing outside with all their blood in them, mother, the air was refreshing, and it was bright and sunny outside. Couldn’t the weather cooperate with her anxiety?

“Ready, Himiko-kun?” Kan-sensei was dressed in his pro hero outfit again, the bright red bodysuit freshly cleaned.

“Yeah, Kan-sensei.” She stretched, arching more than she probably should, but after a day being cooped up in an apartment, she needed to move. “Just some photos, right?”

“I think All Might wanted to actually pass out the medals, so a few minutes talking with him, too.” She nodded; she’d put up with All Might for Izukun’s sake. She started jogging alongside him, before the built up energy in her limbs left her cartwheeling down the sidewalk, just trying to work out the riot of movement in her limbs. She’d never felt this much need to move before; sometimes the buzz was enough for her to flap her arms or run around a little, but this was less of a buzz and more of a hive of bees in her bones. “You okay, Himiko-kun?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, it’s just… I really gotta move, Kan-sensei.” She threw herself into a backflip, which ended up being a few different handsprings, but something needed to be burned out, or she was going to drive herself crazy. He chuckled.

“Getting the ‘zoomies’?” She stopped, propping herself on her hands.

“The what?” Kan-sensei had the decency to look down at her eyes, rather than address the air. “Kayama-san was telling me about her cat, Sushi. From what she’s said, he gets so wound up sometimes he bolts across the apartment at the dead of night; calls it his ‘zoomies’.”

Zoomies… that felt just about right to her. She was nearly vibrating with need to move, and the cartwheels only burned off so much. “What do you usually do for these?”

“I don’t know! I’ve never had them like this before!” She kicks into a full flip and twist, and Kan-sensei’s face looks sad for half a second before it vanishes, like blood on the streets. She jogs back up with Kan-sensei, arms moving in the breeze. “We’re heading to UA, right?”

He shakes himself out of whatever thought he was trapped in. “We are, yes.” He starts jogging, and she has to start sprinting to catch up. “Come on, Himiko-kun; we can beat the rest there if we run fast enough!” She bares her teeth, fangs glinting, and chases after her sensei.

Why did she think trying to race Kan-sensei was a good idea. She was so caught up in the run, feeling the movement through her limbs, the sun on her hair, hearing Kan-sensei run right alongside her, that she forgot all of her anxiety! until they hit the stadium. Then she remembered why izukun’s blood and flesh warm between her lips and her teeth. “Kan-sensei! You tricked me!”

“Did I?” He was laughing a little, on the inside. She’d let him be amused. For now. “Now, come on, Himiko-kun. You’ve got photographs to take.” She pouts, but follows, her eyes fixed on the floor. If she doesn’t see him, his blood pooling on the concrete her cuties, maybe it’ll hit less.

“...is safe?” Izusaitokun’s talking; she can hear the eagerness and brightness in his voice.

“Nezu-san said she was…” Occhan. both of hers, bleeding from stomach and neck, one a knife, one a bite

“...she better be okay.” And Mei-chan. the only one not doubled up; the only one she met this time around

Kan-sensei’s hand is on her shoulder, the warmth steady and comforting. She looks up at compress twice Kan-sensei, a broad smile on his face, and she feels… warm. Comforted, even. she’d never - why - why here with this hero WhY She shakes herself, recollecting herself, and the two of them march into the stadium.

Here, it’s… quiet, the crowds gone. There’s a camera crew, Momidoriya, who she can only assume are the Urarakas, and… Power Loader? What was he doing here?

And… Izukun, Occhan, and Mei-chan. Izukun’s neck is bare. even though she can still see the blood and bite marks. All three of them are like her, in the UA sports uniforms, with Occhan’s jacket unzipped, and Mei-chan’s wrapped around her hips. Their eyes brighten as they see her, and the roiling in her heart almost matches the blush on her face.

“Himiko-chan!” All three echo together, and her legs start moving without her as she races across the grass, the three of them running to meet her. They hit about center of the field, collapsing into a hug, and her heart was fit to burst.

“Are you okay? W-we were so worried, and you just ran.” She can feel her neck get wet from Izukun’s tears.

“Yeah! ‘f y’ had t’ run, y’ could’ve said somethin’! I woulda helped!” Mei-chan’s voice, a little too loud and rough right in her ear, but she can’t even find it in herself to mind.

“Ah thought yah were gonna show up dead, Himiko-chan! Don’t do that again!” Occhan’s arms nearly crushing her around her neck, but she wouldn’t trade that assurance for the world.

All the coil in her heart and stomach, all the tension, anxiety, everything, came bubbling out, and she broke down sobbing into her cuties loves partners peoples arms, and it felt so good knowing that none of these hands would ever turn against her. She was safe, here.

then why didn’t she ever feel safe with the league, like this?

Chapter 14: A Super Cute Golden Week!

Chapter Text

They break their (huddle? cuddle? emotional support pile?) hug, once the tears are wrung out, and she, at least, feels like she’s been bled of stress and fear. “I’m sorry…” She can feel the muscle in both Meichan and Occhan’s arms tighten around her, and the press of muscle is both worrying and comforting she can’t escape, but she doesn’t want to, and the sensation is tearing into her heart as much as it reassures.

“...ah wish ah knew somethin’ was gonna go wrong before it did. Ya disappeared f’r three days, Himiko-chan. Ah thought ya got hurt, or…” died, occhan thought she might’ve died, and someone worrying about her that much…

“‘f y’ got hurt… ‘d’ve made the bastards pay.” Vengeance and protectiveness bleed around Meichan’s voice. something else slips in her chest, clicking in place, and it’s painful, like putting a shoulder back into the socket

“...I would have never stopped looking. What kind of hero… what kind of person would I be if I let you get hurt like that?” Izukun’s honesty, the same honesty that led deku to turn her down, push her away at the island was the final knife in her heart.

She burst back into tears, pulling them close. She… tried, saying the words in her throat; ‘I am a villain’, ‘I tried to kill two of you’, ‘I’m not even fifteen’, but it chokes under the weight of her tears.

“Naomasa-kun, are you going to be…?” Kan-sensei’s warm hand is on her back, and the scent of holly-and-laurel is enough to keep her from lashing out with Slicey. She nods, her head buried into the narrow crevice of Izukun and Meichan’s combined cleavage. “Take another ten minutes, then go wash up your face. All Might’s schedule isn’t completely open.” He pulls away, and she almost chases the warmth, but her cuties are giving her enough to power her for at least a year.

“Ochako-san? M-mei-san? Can you…?”

“Yeah, Izuku-kun. We can take her down to get washed up.”

“‘course, Ten Mil!” Meichan and Occhan’s arms wrap around her and pull her away, and she almost reflexively pulls him along, but… even as tired as she is, she knows he probably wouldn’t be very comfortable in the bathrooms.

“I can walk, Occhan, Meichan…” Everything feels wobbly and weak, like she just went another day with ‘Machia, or the MLA, curious screaming to the ground at too fast to react, but she can manage a photo and cleaning her face up.

“Ya sure? Ya cried a lot.” She nods.

“I’m… worn out, but I’m not dead.” She shifts, a little, putting more weight on herself and less on her cuties, and starts walking again, with them rather than dragged in their wake. “...I’m sorry I scared you.”

“...ah’m sorry ya had such a bad reaction. Was Izuku-kun…”

“...I’d like to talk about my quirk just once.”

“Alright. Ah’ll hold ya to it.”

The actual photoshoot portion’s kind of boring, to be perfectly honest. They’re arranged on the podiums (she’s second, and that makes her feel all sorts of weird things she probably shouldn’t) and the cameras are pointed carefully to ignore the stands. She’s almost ready to slide a knife out when All Might flips from the roof and lands in front of them, a real ‘superhero’ landing.

“Well! I see the winners of the first year sports festival are here, ha ha!” He is way too loud for how good at his job he is. “And I see… ah, yes, the medals!” He reaches into his pockets, pulling out four medals; they seem a reasonable size, but his hands are the size of dinner plates, so they’re a little… small.

“Young Uraraka, you have shown an amazing ability to adapt your quirk to new challenges, and persevered against opponents with more direct combat applications. You have grown, and you have earned this.” The bronze went around Occhan’s pretty neck, and Occhan’s arms wrap around All Might’s neck. Once she lets go, All Might turns to Meichan. “Young Hatsume! You’ve demonstrated that the Support and General Education students, with perseverance and hard work, can match with our Heroics students! This medal, and the honor, belong with you. You have earned this.” It slips over her hair, and she doesn’t hug All Might, but it looks like it’s a close thing. Betrayed on all fronts. it’s not like he’s the number one hero or anything, not like she had once hoped he might even be able to save a monster like her

All Might approaches her podium, and she makes sure to keep her face calm and serene. “Young Naomasa, you have demonstrated both considerable battle skill and the restraint that will do you well as a young hero. You have certainly earned this.” His arms drop the silver around her neck, and the smell of his cologne and the worn, sickened smell of his blood conflicts terribly. and reminds her of sensei, the two times she met him

Finally, he approaches Izukun, who’s readied his tear ducts for some quality Midoriya-grade flooding. “Young Midoriya, you’ve grown and improved by leaps and bounds upon entering UA. From someone who could barely handle the tempest of power within you to someone who has managed it well enough to defeat your yearmates; you have show the world that YOU ARE HERE. I am very proud of you, my boy, and I am honored to bestow this medal upon you. You have earned this.”

“Th-th-thank you, All Might. I’ll never wash this medal ever again!”

“Let’s not go that far, kid.” He steps back, spreading his arms wide. “I think we have enough people for this… one good ol’ plus ultra! Ready?” She keeps her eye roll subtle, but she’s sure Kan-sensei caught it, based on the mildly annoyed look.

“PLUS ULTRA!”

A few more pictures later (including some shots with all might), and they’re sent off to go change into ‘casual’. She decides she’s wearing her crimson cardigan and black skirt, which looks super cute! Meichan’s wearing a scuffed pair of jeans (Meichan called them ‘distressed’, she called them ‘four months on the streets’) and a cute tank top, and Occhan’s in a cute pair of overall shorts and a t shirt. Izukun’s wearing a shirt just like saito used to with ‘Sometimes Tuesday’ branded across it, and his own pair of shorts.

“Kids, gather ‘round for a minute.” Kan-sensei’s loud, but ‘teacher voice’ gets the four of them together in front of him. “We,” he gestures to himself, Momidoriya, Occhan’s parents, and Power Loader(?), “decided to share a meal for the first year champions. Majima-san and I need to change out of our hero outfits first, but after that…”

“So! Any recommendations?” Momaraka looks over to Momidoriya, who hauls her phone out and starts flicking through. She turns to her cuties, a broad smile on her face the one occhan called ‘the cutest in the world’

“We get to see each other for another few hours!” Her cuties smiled back, warm and inviting.

“Yeah. We will. …oh gosh I hope they have katsudon…”

“Katsudon? ‘t’s alright, but a plate o’ curry really hits the spot.” Izukun looks personally betrayed.

“Curry over katsudon?! You’re no better than Kacchan!” Occhan winces.

“Ya really didn’t haveta put it like that…”

It takes a little bit (and a surprise visit by All Might again, this time in a reasonably tailored suit and being small, with a smoothed over explanation about training times on the beach that makes her head spin and Occhan look increasingly suspicious) before the ten of them are off. All Might, Kan-sensei, and Power Loader-sensei are walking near the back, and she can overhear something about ‘Midnight betting pools’, but she stops paying attention pretty quick. She’s surrounded by cuties, after all~

Well, cuties she and Occhan have tethered and are letting float in mid air. It turns out both Izukun and Meichan can get incredibly passionate when they start arguing, and they’re both really strong. Izukun’s looking away at the sidewalk, pouting, and Meichan’s given up and started working on something procured out of her pockets, but she and Occhan aren’t taking chances.

“Shouldn’t ya let yer friends down, ‘chako? Thought it was illegal ta be usin’ yer quirk like that.” Paparaka pulled back, walking alongside them.

“Ah’m on UA property with UA faculty, papa. If ah’m doin’ somethin’ wrong, ain’t it their responsibility ta correct me?” They both look over their shoulder to the three UA faculty members that are… doing something on their phones? “See?”

“...maybe ya got a point.” Paparaka takes a moment to look before he tears his eyes off of the three men behind him, looking forward. “Ah’ll let ya have yer time with yer ‘friends’, ‘chako.”

“PAPA!” He laughs and picks up the pace. Occhan grumbles about ‘lousy old men’ and ‘parents interferin’, and even her grumbling is cute. She is so blessed~

The ten of them pile into the shabu shabu joint; she’s never had a proper hot pot meal, but she’s at least familiar with the concept the togas complained, at length, and loudly, about how she kept them from visiting because of her taint. Somehow, Kan-sensei does whatever weird teacher thing he does and makes sure she sits near him and her cuties.

Kan-sensei and Power Loader-sensei are both… strange, dressed down. Kan-sensei’s in track pants, a shirt, and a hoodie (she can smell traces of ui all over it, and she’s pretty sure she sees a few stray hairs land on the table as he gets comfortable), while Power Loader-sensei’s in jeans, a long sleeved shirt with ‘HOLE’ printed on the front, and his hair mostly covers his face. She knows they aren’t heroes all the time they’re lucky they get that luxury; she never got time off unless she was wearing someone cute, but it’s still jarring, like seeing her villain outfit in the mirror her only good set of clothes emblazoned as her, or her new villain outfit while studying ‘Heroics’.

The parents and senseis are clustered at one end, around two hot pots (All Might’s a little close to Momidoriya, but so’s Power Loader, so she decides to let them figure out what’s going on), while her and her cuties share one at the other end. The menu’s large and intimidating, but Kan-sensei’s at her elbow, softly muttering some of his favorites so she has a touchstone to navigate. He also nudges All Might in the ribs, who starts.

“Oh, right, before I forget…” He rifles through his pants, before pulling out his wallet, and he flips out a solid gold card, All Might’s face imprinted on the front. “We’re covered under Might Agency tonight! Feel free to order to your heart's content.” The lingering tension over the table seems to snap instantly, dissolving into laughs as the Urarakas relax.

Soon enough, a waitress shows up, and orders go around the table. The broths are weirdly named, and she lets other people handle it, but Kan-sensei makes sure to order an extra plate of raw beef for them both to share, on top of her own order of beef, chicken, and seafood. Izukun leans in, quietly.

“Is this your first time ordering, or…?” She nods.

“My… I wasn’t allowed at these restaurants when I was younger.”

“Because of your quirk?” She starts, almost feeling her hair bristle, but the electric-and-power still singing in her stomach forces her to relax, a little, and she nods. “...I’m sorry you had to go through that.” The punch of emotion’s a little easier for her to swallow down, and she squeezes his knee under the table.

“... thank you, Izukun.” He smiles, a bright, warming thing and she understands suddenly why all might is a symbol to so many, if his smiles felt even a smidge like izukun’s.

“So! Mei-chan, ya mind tellin’ us why Power Loader-sensei’s here?”

“Oji? Ah, yeah, Higari-oji’s my uncle.” She shrugs, ignoring Izukun and Occhan’s concerned looks. “M’ mom died when I w’s born, and m’ dad… well, he wasn’t ready for takin’ care of a girl like me. Higari-oji took me in like six years ago.”

“Ah’m so-” Meichan waves her hand.

“Don’t be. M’ dad and I aren’t… really like each other at all. Hard ta connect wit’ someone more focused on the rat race than important things, like orbital strike cannons, or giant robots.”

“...you don’t have any orbital strike cannon plans right now, right, Mei-san?”

“Oh, hey! Food!”

“...right, Mei-san?”

Dinner was delicious. If this was what her parents were abandoning… well, she could understand the anger. A little. The feel of sharing the broth with her cuties, all the indirect kisses… she’d faint from the excitement! Plus, the raw meat was nice and chilled and satisfying, the little trickles of animal blood soothing her stomach just the same as the meat sashimi filled it.

She sighed, leaning against the chair, and watched idly as Power Loader-sensei and All Might seem to be… sparring with their chopsticks? Adults were weird. Why not just share with everyone?

“Whatcha lookin’ at, Himiko?” Meichan was leaning close, nearly over her shoulder.

“The adults.” Her voice drops a little lower, and Izukun and Occhan lean in, too, and she feels a little… conspiratorial. “A… Yagi-san,” (she gags a little, inside, that she knows all might’s real name, but she swallows it for her cuties) “and Power Loader-sensei are both trying to flirt with Momidoriya.” Occhan looks vaguely startled, but Meichan and Izukun look like she tried to take a hatchet to their knees. She shrugs. “If they both want to date her, I don’t understand why they both don’t go for it.”

She watches them angle at each other for some weird dominance tactic for another minute or so before she turns to her cuties, who are looking at her, then each other, then away, then back to her, like they were caught in some weird loop.

“Are you all -”

“WELP I GOTTA GO USE THE BATHROOM, BYE EVERYBODY-” Occhan bursts from her seat and vanishes into the back of the restaurant, while Izukun melts under the table. Meichan, on the other hand, has pulled out a small notebook and a pen, and is doing some… math?

Her cuties are so weird.

“Enjoy yourself, Himiko-kun?” She’s walking alongside Kan-sensei now, headed back to his apartment with a spring in her step.

“Yeah! A-Yagi-san and Power Loader-sensei were really silly, though.” He grunts.

“They’re idiots, but I know for a fact both of them are fairly new to relationships. Sometimes you need the space to make mistakes.” She hummed, thinking it over. “Like a certain disaster I remember overhearing. Something about ‘tracts of land’?”

Heroes were just the worst.

“Got everything you need?” Kan-sensei was standing, arms folded, while she finished straightening up her socks and made sure her outfit was super cute for Setchan’s family thing.

“Yes, Kan-sensei.”

“Including the pass, back up money, and a little extra money just in case?” She sighs, showing off the billfold.

“Yes, Kan-sensei.”

“Phone charged? My numbers in it?”

“Yes, Kan-sensei.”

“Good. Have fun; Ui’ll miss you while you’re gone.”

“And I’ll miss him!” She drops down and hugs Ui, who takes it with grace and patience. “You too I guess, Kan-sensei.”

“Thanks.” She stands, brushes off her skirt, waves cutely, and heads out to Setchan’s Once a Year Family Thing She Got Invited To!

…she’ll workshop it.

The park she has directions to is crawling with various hues of green, and a lot more lizard mutants than she was expecting, given Setchan. Maybe she’s just the least heteromorphic?

“Uh, sorry miss, this park has been rented out for the Tokage clan today. We’ll have to ask you to-” She waves her hands.

“No, no, I’m here with Setchan! Uh, Tokage Set-” She jumps as Setchan’s hand lands on her shoulder.

“Thanks for the save, cous, but I have some things to talk over with my bestie.” Setchan’s cousin shrugs, yawning.

“Don’t get in too much trouble. My folks are already gettin’ tired of bailing me out, can’t imagine yours’ll be much better.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t been doin’ all that vigilante work…”

“Hey, it’s puttin’ food on the table! Kinda!”

“Yeah, yeah…” Setchan’s other hand gently pulls her off to the side, before she rounds on her. “Okay, Himichan, what the f*ck.”

“I… maybe had a little mistake, so I panicked.”

“No sh*t. Why didn’t you call me?” She looks at Setchan’s face, and she can see the pain and hurt, that she didn’t trust Setchan enough to get help.

“I… ran. I wasn’t really thinking of anybody in particular. But I got help! I showed up at Kan-sensei’s apartment, and he got me some food and blood. And there’s Ui.”

“Who the f*ck is-” She pulls out her phone and pages over to the Gallery of Ui. “...Y’know, fair enough. Can’t believe sensei’s keeping this cutie from us.”

“...I’m sorry, Setchan. If I was thinking more clearly…”

“Nah, ‘t’s fine. I forgive you.” Setchan pulls her in for a hug, and she relaxes into her arms. “Now, lemme introduce you around. Oh, you look nice today; don’t think I’ve seen that dress before.”

“It’s an old one. I trimmed off the lace and stuff, and cleaned it up.” She looks over Setchan, in her fancy dress and boots. “You look great, Setchan! I’m so jealous~”

“You make that sundress work for you, girl! Nothin’ to be jealous over~” And now the universe is aligned again. She’s gonna have to do something nice for Setchan soon, though…

“So this is Akari-obaa, and…” She was trying to pay attention, she was, but something was tickling her nose. Like bloody she’d smelled before, just right on the tip of her tongue. And… there. Talking to that rude door guy, was that… Spinner?!

Wait, Spinner was Setchan’s cousin?!

“What are you lookin’- Shuichi-kun? Really?” She waved her hand absently.

“Can you introduce me? He looks kinda… familiar.” Setchan looks her over, looking close at her face, but something must’ve passed muster, because she shrugs.

“Alright. C’mon - HEY! SHUICHI! HOLD STILL FOR A SECOND!” Spinner turns his head (and yes, it’s actual, honest-to-god Spinner, what the hell) and looks over the two of them, and it’s really hard not to burst into tears when he doesn’t recognize her at all.

“MAKE IT FAST, I GOTTA GO BEAT RAPT IN LEAGUE!” Setchan rolls her eyes.

“Swear he spends more time playing League than doing anything else… you sure you wanna meet him?” She nods. “Your funeral.”

Once they’re actually within talking distance over shouting distance, Setchan waves. “Yo, Shuichi, this is my bestie, Naomasa Himiko. Himichan, this is Iguichi Shuichi, my older cousin from like two or three marriages out.” Spinner shrugs, before extending out his hand.

She remembers, from the year they spent together, where his hands are sticky and not. She carefully maneuvers her hand in so they clasp without sticking to her, and he looks surprised. “Nice to meet you, Shuichi-kun.”

“Same… Naomasa, wasn’t it?”

“Nah, you can call me Himiko-chan.” He smiles, and oh it hurt to see him happy and healthy and not falling apart at the seams, trying to keep shiggy patched up, tired and worn.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Himiko-chan.” He pulls away, and she almost wants to pull him in just so she can keep him close, but…

This wasn’t her Spinner, now was it?

“Everything alright, Himiko-kun?” She groans, before collapsing on the couch, face first.

“Weren’t you supposed to be out for another hour or so?” She mumbles into the couch.

“Ah.” Kan-sensei flips the page of his book.

“Nezu-sensei’s appointment’s tomorrow, for four. Make sure you’re ready.” Another aggravated mumble groan. Kan-sensei flips another page.

“Teenagers.”

Nezu-sensei’s door glides open before she even reaches it, again, and she’s pretty sure at this point he does it just as a flex on whoever comes through the door. “Come in, Naomasa-kun.” His office looks the same as the last time she saw it; the shelf of tea cups, two cups of hot tea, and Nezu-sensei, paws crossed.

“Please, take a seat.” She does, matching Nezu-sensei’s gaze. He gestures, slightly, eyes slightly wide. She nods, her teeth carefully tucked behind her lips. His gaze flickers over to his tea cabinet, before back at her, and she shakes her head slightly. Nezu-sensei settles back comfortably into his chair.

“I’m glad you and Kan-kun were able to come to an agreement. For the record… you are interested in staying with him for the rest of your time at UA?”

“Yes, please.”

“Good. Now that matter is out of the way… please, take a drink.” She sips it, and the tea is lukewarm, but… it isn’t bad. It kinda reminds her of nutty and a hint of Occhan’s mochi-and-lightness. “I’m glad you enjoy it. I must confess, I had other motives for asking you here.” His cup clinks as he sets it down.

“Heroics is a field I am passionate about. However, there are frequently programs, or other avenues, for people to enter heroics from another path in life. Unfortunately, many of these are… under discussed, and my own avenues into less legal spheres is limited. Many find it difficult to trust I don’t have anything up my sleeves!” He smiles, but she’s still tense, her eyebrows knitted together faintly.

“You wonder why I’m asking you this, yes? Well, to put it simply; while you have no criminal ties and a clean record that we can find, I hoped you would have found a sympathetic ear or two while on your hiatus from schooling last year. I would like to help those who have… slipped through the cracks.”

…assuming she could trust him (and she wanted to, his body language is completely open, she can read him, but he knows she knows, and he could fake it so easily)...

Jin-kun.

But…

It wouldn’t be her Jin. Not her bestie, not her onii-chan, not her Jin.

(not the jin that bled for her, died for her, was her in the last fight, the tornado of hers wreaking his vengeance)

But…

Wouldn’t that be alright? She couldn’t save her Jin, but maybe she could save this one?

…was she allowed?

“Naomasa-kun?” She starts, chirping. “Do you happen to know anyone?”

“...promise you can get them help.”

“As much as I can, legally.”

“...there’s this guy…”