Chapter Text
A frosty dew was speckled across the patches of grass that pop up occasionally between the stonework of the pavement. Sunlight flickering in between the slits of skyscrapers and apartment buildings. Fragments of sunshine flicker and sway on the path like the vibrant leaves in the foliage above. A heavy weight rests on your back carrying utensils that were for your literature classes. The additional weight is welcomed on your shoulders as it covers your blind spots.
Your steps set in a steady rhythm through the base of your heel as you trot through the elaborate streets that make up Tokyo. There's an electric tingle igniting your body as your pulse quickens and mind races. Weightless and light, a refreshed quality to your soul you never had the liberty to have back home. While there were rules for your stay here of course and those who only tolerated your presence, it couldn't stop the fact you had free choice here. So central focused on studying and passing an exam that was futile in the end, introductions and finding a nice spot your could settle yourself into within this world you had forgotten to just... breathe.
Perhaps it was the idea you could only be reassured this would work is when the groundwork had been laid?
There was still this All-Might figure you'd had yet to meet. The last person you would need to convince for this situation to be final in your opinion. Although, from what you could tell through your research and Izuku's rants of the hero, he was benevolent. A kind figure you watched over all, the symbol of peace. If he truly was as they say, you'd assume he'd extend an olive branch to you. Maintain the peace. It was reckless to let your guard drop so soon; to let the relief fill you before you and finished putting up face, but this was just so tiring.
So you let the worry go.
Besides, you had far more to think about then All-might alone, like this new school! It was fascinating considering your education was always conducted in controlled environments. Overseen by esteemed tutors and stiff nobles, so to be among peers was exhilarating. Although Aziawa made it perfectly clear what he thought of fraternizing. As far as your were concerned as long as he didn't see the blunt of it, it wouldn't matter. You had already wanted to extend friendship to multiple humans in your class and made a mental note of Uaraka and the blonde who'd helped you during the entrance exam. You'd completely forgotten to thank him after the chaos that ensued with your homeroom teacher. At least the matter of you was cleared up between the two of you.
Rounding the corner you saw a fluff of vibrant green hair turned away from you, waiting. There was a steady tapping of his sneaker tip on the concrete, rubbing some of the rubber off onto it. Peering over his shoulder you noticed he was staring at his phone in one hand and biting his nails on the other. His scent was strong and vibrant, but it contained far too much sugar in it to be mellow. It felt like getting sucker punched as you walked into his personal bubble. Inhaling it was starting to make your heart race and senses alert, like a sugar high would induce. You wonder what he's so worked up about? You plop your head onto his shoulder, averting your eyes from his phone. Instead looking lazily at the emblems that decorated his school uniform.
If whatever he's reading's got him this worked up, you don't want to stress him about it more by pressing him. He'll talk about it when he's ready if he wants to tell you.
"Whatcha doin?"
"AGH!"
The full body lurch forces you to reclaim the weight you were resting on him as he ducks away. Spinning around with wide eyes and hands clutched to his chest gripping his phone. You can hear his heart hammering wildly, a tense and frantic look in his eyes before he registers it's you. Geez, it's not like you were going to bite him or anything. You ate breakfast this morning after all.
"O-oh! Sorry (Y/N)... I was just uh- um..."
"Texting girls?"
"YES!"
...
Well that was an obvious lie, but at least it made it clear he didn't want to actually talk about it. Although you can't imagine what it would be if he was willing to throw himself under the bus to avoid discussing it. Perhaps it was a star crossed lover?
Eh. Maybe not. Izuku was pretty transparent with you that he didn't have anyone else besides you at the time you met. At least not anyone he was on good terms with. Unless it's someone from your class you couldn't really imagine him getting the guts to talk to a woman, let alone pursue one. He's mellowed out a bit the longer you talk to him and he's much better over text then he is face to face, although he's still a nervous basket case. You've really got your work cut out for you with trying to shape him up. Then again, in the heat of battle some adversaries tend to display a completely different persona then what their like normally. Maybe that was the whole idea of the hero costume and name? Convincing these kids they didn't have to overcome their flaws but rather just make an entirely new personality? One you want people to see you as. After all the mask worn long enough becomes the face right? That was pretty clever in it's own way, although a bit cowardly in your opinion.
You redirect your focus to the bundle of nerves in front of you. He's puttering and puffing like a failing engine. Probably realizing what he just admitted and seeing if there's any way to back track. He really did just give you ammunition huh? You could totally pry and pick at him about his imaginary girl 'friend', he did just lay it out for you and it would be rude not to pick it up wouldn't it?
His hands start flailing wildly, phone still in hand. Face red as ever puffing out his chipmunk cheeks as he pouts. You want to pinch them so bad.
"W-wait I mean...that's not!"
"Awe~! My treasure's all grown up! I bet you got to see something scandalous didn't you?~"
He stalls and visibly retracts. Crouching and curling into a green and red ball of embarrassment. Grabbing his backpack to plant his face in it to muffle the screams. The laugh that escapes you is loud and ugly, but you can't help that.
Maybe he'll keep find new ways to be embarrassed the longer you do this? Then again, maybe you should give him a little mercy. You have been pretty relentless lately. You nudge him your your own sneaker gently, stiring him from his ball of self loathing.
"Alright come on, before I actually believe someone sent you nudes."
The screaming gets louder, before he abruptly looks at you eye brows furrowed and frowning. You can't tell if he's more frustrated or flustered.
"Stop saying it so loud!"
"Hey, your the one who's screaming. That's not a fetish of yours is it? Being publicly shamed?"
Okay, you just said you'd stop but why is it so hard? He just makes it so easy!
This should not be hard. It's just closing your mouth, that's all you have to do. You talk a lot sure, but that doesn't mean you physically can't make yourself stop. You've done it before! Holding your tongue for ridiculous shit people say is literally something you were taught to do. Talking with Izu was just so easy, especially when he got all worked up over every little thing you said. He was attentive and sweet no matter what the topic was, but that just made it so much easier to derail him. Maybe you just liked the idea of corrupting him?
Okay, that actually sounded appealing which internally freaked you out a bit... Pushing those uncomfortable thoughts aside.
The whole point of teasing him was so he wouldn't be as embarrassed in the future right? That's why you started it. Too intense though and it would have the opposite effect. He could start getting self conscious and withdraw, that wouldn't be good for his social life. You needed to put more effort into not teasing the ever loving shit out of him. Bad (Y/N). Think wholesome things. Rainbows, flowers, unicorns... eh, maybe not unicorns. Puppies? Puppies were fine.
Oh right Izuku.
He hadn't said a thing. Was that good or bad? He wasn't screaming anymore? So maybe? You should probably apologize. You squat down next to him and talk in a soft whisper you use with children. Gentle and sweet like a summer breeze.
"Izu, I'm sorry. That was too much. You don't have to tell me what was on your phone. I know it wasn't anything weird. You're too sweet for that."
He waits for a moment before angling his face towards you, eyes wide and slightly teary. Well shit. He sniffles before mumbling out a response.
"Thank you..."
He lets out a sigh of relief following it, a smile curving his lips as he looks up hopefully to you. It makes you feel light hearted and uneasy at the same time.
He should've been mad at you, most people would be. It was obvious you took it too far and he still wasn't angry? You were well aware how sweet he was but even still.
Maybe you were just over complicating things and it wasn't a serious as you were making it out to be? But being fast to forgive sounded foolish in your line of work, it displayed a lack of respect for oneself and desperation to appease others. You didn't like the implication that he felt he needed to appease you or he'd chase you away.
"What are you thanking me for? I'm the one in your personal space."
He rubs his eyes deep into the fabric of his backpack, drying the moisture from his skin before he turns to face you fully. Rosey cheeks resulting from the friction and surprisingly not embarrassment for once.
"It's just, you don't pry me for answers. Even if you make fun of me, it's always so much nicer then what I'm used to."
"Then what you're used to...?"
You echo the words lifelessly. He was used to this? Your fingers felt numb and your chest hollow.
"I mean, wait! Let me rephrase! I like... I like the way you're so causal with me! Even if it's a comment like before, you don't really mean it in a mean way. I know that. It's just, when people talk to me it's usually just insults or something discouraging. I'm... not really sure what to say back if that makes sense? I've never really done witty banter or, or talked to girls or even close friends and I kinda just, shut down."
"So what you're telling me is this is your first time and I should be gentle?"
You're not sure if it's the proximity of your faces or the gentle way your talking, but he stumbles backwards falling on his butt. A hand going to clasp over his mouth as his faces blooms over once again. You can pick up on the way his breathing quickens and you mentally scold yourself for failing to keep your mouth shut, again.
"Crap, uh sorry! I'll try not to do as much if it bothers you! I just have a hard time not-"
"It doesn't!"
The way he shouts at you catches you off guard. His expression hardened and not nearly as abashed as before. Out of all the things he could've taken a hard stance on, it's this. Making sure you know he likes the way you act around him. He doesn't need you to change for him, -doesn't want you too- and it feels liberating. All he's asking is that your patient. Give him time to know how he should respond because he himself isn't sure.
You're giggling before you can stop yourself. Honestly, your treasure was going to be the end of you.
"Okay, but seriously, tell me if it's too much. I mean it Izu."
"R-right..."
He looks like he's staring through you, a whispy look to his eyes, a small smile on his face. If you had to put it to a word, it would be content. Relieved maybe? Definitely spacey. You stand abruptly, patting down your uniforms skirt, cursing the short stature of the garment. Seriously, whoever designed these was a pervert. The dopey look on Izuku's face slides off as you extend your hand to him. When he takes it you notice the striking differences in his skin. Soft and tender, but the clauses on his fingers pads and palms were rough and scratchy. An indication of recent strenuous activity.
It wouldn't have confused you so much if it weren't for the more tender patches of skin between the hardened skin with the addition of the thinness of his callousness. Meaning he hadn't done any strenuous activity before recently, or at least not for a very long time. It may be good to look into his routines. If he was new at this it's possible he's using the wrong forms and it could lead to possible injuries in the future. A side note for later.
Instead of clasping your hand in his, you slide your hand down past his wrist to the beginning of his forearm. It's much easier to feel his pulse instead of attempting to listen for it. Your hearing, while definitely above average is one of your most dulled senses. As you tighten your grasp you feel the blood flow quicken.
"Wha-"
You pull him to his feet in one swift motion, it's so sudden he almost falls into you before he gets the chance to catch himself. He's probably confused why you did that.
"When your helping someone to their feet, don't grab the hand. Depending on the effort exerted it can cause damage to the wrist. Grab the forearm, it's much more durable. It'll help to get in the habit of that so you do it subconsciously on the field."
"Oh! Thanks!"
Please don't ask me why I know that.
"We should probably get going, we're going to be late if we don't start walking."
"Probably. Do you know what we're doing today?"
"You really were serious when you said you weren't reading the syllabus were you?"
You vaguely gesture to Izuku as you respond. "What are you talking about? Got my syllabus right here?"
"Me?"
"You."
"Come on, I can't always be around to fill you in."
"We have every single class together and practically sit on top of each other for all of them. Pray tell when you won't be accessable? In the bathroom?"
"Something tells me you'd still come find me in there if you wanted something..."
"I mean... I won't rule it out..."
He looked at you questionably, squinting as he silently judged you.
"You wouldn't actually go into the men's bathroom looking for me right?"
"..."
"Right?"
"So class! We got that hero class with All-Might today right!?"
He points at you accusingly. "So you did read the syllabus!"
" I mean I never said I didn't."
" You never said you did either."
"Touche"
Student's slowly start trickling in. Forming clusters that group together into larger ones. It reminded you of raindrops gliding down glass as they collected into each other, forming larger droplets the closer they were to the bottom.
The day felt the same as well. The longer it went on the heavier you seemed to feel. It wasn't particularly because the subjects were boring, not that it wasn't agonizing torture you had to endure, no. It was because you were both anxious and eager at the same time. Everything was moving too slow both to your displeasure and satisfaction.
You were ecstatic to meet the man Izuku aspired to be, but at the same time you feared the same reaction you had originally received from Aizawa.
Lunch period came around faster then you were expecting however. As you waited in line you found the entire system rather amusing. It was so vastly different then what you were accustomed to. In all honesty, the idea of not being served by multiple people was rather exciting. It felt like it was affirming no one knew of your real identity, that you were just a normal teenage girl. Small things like this felt so refreshing compared to your previous life.
Gathering the food was trivial in comparison to figuring out where to sit. Your first instinct was to scout out Izuku, but he was behind you in line. Guess that meant you needed to find seating, quite possibly for the both of you.
You eyes scanned the figures briefly before resting on the brown bob tailed marshmallow, Uaraka.
As your eyes met she starts waving over frantically at you, beckoning you over. The table looked relatively empty, so there would be plenty of space for Izuku as well. A good opportunity to cement the start of a friend circle as well. It reminded you of the tea parties your mother held with nobles and foreign diplomats. High society tea parties weren't so much for enjoyment as they were for establishing relations and engaging in political matters without directly being involved.
You never had the taste for them, sticking to your father's ideology of 'get to the fucking point' instead of some mind game or five dimensional chess. Although crude, it was effective. But it's not like you would win anyone over like that here. You're fairly certain the only reason Izuku can handle your 'you'-ness is because he is an actual saint. Even if they could, you didn't want to startle them away too soon by coming on strong.
Smiling you lightly bounce over towards her, returning her enthusiasm as you approach. She pats the seat next to her as you get closer and set the tray down.
"Is Midoriyia coming too?"
"Oh yeah, I'm sure he'll join us when he's finished getting food. I remembered you said he saved you a while back in the entrance exam?"
"He did! It was really cool! I can't wait to see him in action again during our combat training today! I wonder what we'll do?"
"Eh, I mean it's only the first real day of school, but after what Aziawa did during Orientation... I don't blame you for thinking they'd throw us out in the fire."
She nods in agreement, an air of dismay around her person. You also notice the side glances she keeps giving your custard fish bun and her practically empty plate. If the goo goo eyes weren't obvious enough, you're fairly certain the drool trickling down her chin gave her away.
Wordlessly you pick it up and add it to her tray. The auditable squeak brings a smirk to your face. You could relate to anyone how liked food as much as you. The new culinary tastes in this world brought you so much joy it was a little painful giving up something you'd been oggling. You could relate to the idea of being fed to gain trust and affection, it worked well on you. Considering her reaction, seems like she had a bit of a sweet tooth as well.
"I mean- I couldn't possibly..."
Bull crap. She couldn't even look away from the added food to her plate. Drooling all the way. She really was an open book huh?
"Go ahead. I wasn't going to eat it anyway."
She chomps down aggressively, already tearing into the small fish with reckless abandon. Custard guts being slurped out from its internals. God you wished that was you devouring that little treat. It had to be so savory if it smelled that sweet and rich.
"Hey, do you mind if I sit here too?"
Izuku peeps up from behind the two of you as he tentatively places the tray on your other unoccupied side. There's a 'Mmmm!' from Uaraka and you just nod and he climbs over the bench. Before his butt can even touch the seat, the walking School handbook marches directly across from your party. He straightens his glasses and they glare slightly off the lighting above. You squint at the light briefly obscuring your vision.
"Midoryia! Would you mind if I may sit with your group?"
Yes.
"Oh, um. Sure?"
Fuck.
"I'd like to learn from your example to become an exemplimentary student such as yourself."
You could tolerate this guy as long as he stoked Izu's ego. This was an act of charity on behalf of your best friend. You were willing to suffer in this anal retentive boys presence as long as it benefited him. Besides, you did harbor a small amount of pity for the man. Everyone else seemed to enjoy his presence just as much as you considering he couldn't hold a conversation without citing proper etiquette or the student handbooks rules. It wasn't his entire personally that had you on the offensive, just most of it. He reminded you of Smith, one of the royal advisors that was always up your ass about the way you conducted yourself around the palace. His whole motto was nothing can ever be perfect so there's always something you could improve. Sit up straighter, curtsy lower, move like water, it should be like your hovering over the floor as you walk, don't forget your formalities, stop trying to spar with the noble men's sons, but they're always the ones to start it!
You were just the one to finish it...
At least if you needed to tolerate this treatment again you didn't have to wear dresses and ball gowns while you did it. On a good day at home you could skirt around some of the social standard by wearing formal military attire. Thanks the gods.
You move to rub your nose as it becomes increasingly irritated.The different scents in close proximity were starting to make your head hurt. Motor oil, Mint chocolate chip and Marshmallow didn't pair extremely well together. Ida speaks up as he makes himself comfortable across from you.
"What do you suppose Hero Basic training will entail?"
Now that is a good question. The syllabus was pretty open ended on that regard. Ether he was a newer teacher and had little idea on where to take this course, or he wanted to increase ability to adapt. You were fairly sure of the former. Maybe a bit of all three?
"Aizawa already did evals on our quirks, but that doesn't mean All-Might won't want to gauge our abilities as well."
Uaraka chokes a little from scarfing down her rice in attempting to speak, her cheeks are still stuffed though.
"Mube? Ish hawd to tewl."
"You should not talk while chewing! It's impolite!"
"Sha-we..."
The air shifts and your mouth waters as a deep savory broth wavers from behind you.
It's subtle at first. The scent reminds you of the stews you'd make on long expeditions during your dungeons hunts. Wild carrots, potatoes and onions simmering in the glistening fresh stream water. The tender deer meat slowly pulling apart in the pot from the buck you had snagged in your successful hunt. If you were lucky, you remembered to pick up some bread from the bakery before you headed out into the wildness in excitement.
Sometimes you'd even bring companions with you during your smaller trips. Majority of the kids at the orphanage wanted to become solders, it was a common route considering for majority their parents were knights who had fallen in the line of service. It broke your heart knowing you couldn't protect those people, you can't be in two places at once. The very least you could do was support the orphanage as well as you could. The older kids who were ascending into adulthood were often the ones you'd recruit to come with you. Teaching them how to fight as children and giving them experience in the wild with monsters.
That smell brought back a feeling of bitter sweetness. A sense of pride and regret. Damn you really missed those kids.
Oh god, you weren't feeling homesick were you?
"White rice is the perfect comfort food isn't it?"
A voice behind you shocks you back into existence. As you turn you notice Izuku gushing as Ida admires the -person?- before them. Uaraka's happy ass is too concentrated on her munchies as she just hums along. The guy in front of you is very questionably human. His silhouette resembles one, besides that he's all pipes and gauges. To top it off there's a puffy chefs hat covering where his face should be. Your jaw slackens a little at the sight. This place never fails to impress huh? How does that guy even function? Does he have blood? Or is he fuel powered? Maybe Ida would know more, his legs are actual mechanical pieces.
"Mmmmm, dis is shuper guwd!"
The metal man laughs a bit as he wishes your lot a good lunch before leaving and taking the smell with him. You're guessing he was definitely one of the cooks and by Izuku's star struck expression, a Pro Hero. Speaking of which, you did mean to pick Izuku's brain about your classmates quirks, as well as some of the other more obscure heroes this world had to offer. While magic may not be pervelant here, you're sure some classifications of quirks could be considered as such. Affecting physical attributes as well as effecting atomic mass around them was quite similar to how mana would work, although more instantaneous and flexible.
All in all, they'd still be prone to disadvantages, and understanding the general idea of how these quirks operated could give you more insight on potential weaknesses.
"Speaking of Aizawa's evaluation, what did you think of our classmates quirks?"
That seems to shake Izu out of his stupor, catching Ida and Uaraka's attention as well. Ida looks at you contemplatively while the other two seem relatively excited about the conversation change. Not surprisingly, Izu mouth starts running only at half the speed of his brain. You brace yourself for the verbal onslaught to your ears. At the very least you've gotten better at keeping up with his line of thinking, but once you fumble it's over and everything else that comes out of his mouth is mush. Although it is nice to hear him talk so passionately about something.
"There are a wide variety of quirks in our class, but I'd definitively say from the tests yours and Kachanns were the best. For completely different reasons of course. Yours is well adapted in strategic situations while Kachanns deals with brute force."
There seems to be an agreement of some kind at the table, it's almost flattering if you also weren't so pissed off by it. You could beat the shit out of this Kachann guy with brute force if you wanted to. It's just... you're not really at your peak at the moment, that's all!
You're still a dragon! Partly. And you could land him on his ass for breakfast! It's just... Uh, unproductive at the moment.
Marshmellow decides to join in on the topic.
"Hey speaking of that, it's crazy Aiazawa Sensei didn't give you a higher rating on the eval! Everyone saw your quirk! Teleportation could be so useful in evacuations or stealth! Not to mention how fast you were!" Oh crap. How do you explain?
"Ah yes. I have also been meaning to ask you how you were able to increase your speed. I of course have engines located in my calves which I use, but I was shocked to see you have no physical adaptations to the naked eye."
All eyes on you, waiting for a reaction or some kind of response. Should you be mad? I mean, he did give you a shitty placement but if you go down this path they might start questioning about why Aizawa wanted to see you the other day. I mean... you could try and feed them info about your 'quirk' to stall? Or hope zuku prods you to distract them from the current topic? At least that felt like the more hopeful outcome.
"Well, my quirk is called Time lag. It allows me to manipulate time to a certain degree."
Izu picks up. "Yeah, I remembered when you used it on me before the Entrance Exam. I was about to fall, but it suddenly felt like everything was rewinding before you caught me."
"Well yeah, I can move certain things forward or backwards. Pausing something in time is difficult, but not impossible. I think it's more about ' keeping the momentum' that helps."
You hear Ida hum in acknowledgement as his hands are folded together, resting his chin on them as he thinks. "Well yes, that explains how you were able to pass me if you allowed time to move faster on yourself, but how did you perform the meter jump? Like Uaraka had just said, it didn't look the same as before. Surely you can't progress your speed faster then we're able to perceive? And the reaction you had... It wasn't the same."
"Erm, to be honest. That one was new. It's weird to explain but imagine like, a book? And instead of reading normally or flipping through pages you just jump to a different chapter."
"So..." izuku mumbles through his hand as he processes what you've said. "You're skipping through time itself?"
Yeah, pretty much.
"Maybe?"
Uaraka slaps her hands against her puffed cheeks. "Das so Kool!!"
Ida starts to scold her again.
"Don't speak with you mouth full!"
"Sowieee..."
The rest of lunch is pretty uneventful, thankfully. Between the four of you, you were able to keep the conversation rolling and tilted away from you and your quirk.
The classes that followed before the hero course weren't much to look at. Standards like mathematics as well as literature.
History was the only elective that wasn't something you were looking forward too.
Ugh. Just thinking about it made you shiver, but being there was significantly worse. Not to mention your private lessons.....
A chill ran down your spine and out your limbs as you visibly recoiled. But perseverance was your middle name! You'd endure worse, so you could endure this!
Maybe.
As you made your way to your seat for the heroes course, a heat buzzed and coiled in the air around your peers. Your steps faltering in your stride.
You could attribute the new energy to the gushing excitement and chatter the kids had at meeting, 'the number one hero in all of japan' as Izu had told you. He was after all equivalent to a celebrity.
You could sense an interesting energy approaching the classroom. Vibrant and explosive, but also after notes of a rather mundane aura.
The energy itself seemed to manifested physically out of nowhere. Tangible to you in a way you knew your peers couldn't perceive.
You knew what this was. It was magic.
A high dosage of mana swirling around the room consisting of all different colors and signatures. As if you had fused multiple people together.
Your body locked as you took in this information. Trying to grasp what you were seeing. It's not unheard of to reap the souls of magic wielders to add to your own soul, however it is in the highest regard taboo. To steal someone's soul? Just for power? That was someone's entire being. Their LIFE force. The thought made your stomach churn.
The mana itself was overwhelming, seemingly comparable to yours... How many souls had they taken?
You'd never met another being besides your family that had this kind of overwhelming strength. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why combining souls was so forbidden? Beyond the disgusting act of stealing a soul... You'd never witnessed the result of it before.
Unaware students passed you as you tried to swallow down the rising anxiety in your throat. You felt numb to the tugging on your sleeve and a pleading voice. No doubt in your mind it being a concerned Izuku. An oblivious Izuku, who had no idea what kind of monster was approaching that door.
Instinctively, you push him behind you and brace yourself. Fixing a stance to lunge if need be and holding back the boy with an arm. You wouldn't let whatever monster was outside add to his collection of souls. A group of teens was probably what they assumed would be perfect prey.
Disgusting.
Muscles tensed as large figure moved through the doorway. Large and imposing.
You felt yourself bristle, your own mana flaring up in opposition as you locked eyes with the figure. Large horn like protrusions shot from the imposing figures skull and a sickly wide grin across his face. His voices echoed and rumbled through the room.
"NEVER FEAR!! FOR I AM HERE!!"