DNI. Transphobes & TERFS. Zionists. Cop lovers. Ableists. Transmeds. If you do AI witch hunting with my posts you will be immediately blocked.
╰› Mythos! I'm 24. White & Transmasc. This is my writing blog where I do fics for Batman Comics, Kpop Demon Hunters & BNHA I'll be posting. Along with some original works. I follow from decayingalive!
Reblog my posts for a follow!
/ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ I'll be doing fic commissions and original work commissions soon. Any work from media below can be requested, but I may refuse to write from the POV of a character (rarely!) if I feel I don't have the depth to understand them.
Thanks for your time! |˶˙ᵕ˙ )ﾉ
Fandoms I'm familiar with:
╰› Marvel Comics (Particularly X-Men, Fantastic Four, Daredevil/Elektra, The Punisher, Kingpin.)
╰› Boku No Hero Academia
╰› YOU
╰› Batman Comics
╰› Superman / Superboy
╰› Fruitsbasket
One city, one hero. One city, one hero. As time came to pass, New York became aware that this would be allow they could allow for. Following several brutal incidents from vigilantes like The Punisher, accidents faced by others with blood now staining their hands, and the uncertainty civilians felt knowing men in masks parades through their streets, a grave realization had come to the forefront. Forcing those who held their heads in the clouds to recognize the jeopardy they faced allowing anyone to be a hero. February 28th, 2026. How could one hero afford the protection of eight million New York residents? These heroes were just as unclear, few rising to the challenge, and most shying away from the opportunity, but, keeping yourself from the glory did not mean being able to hide in the dark.
Take on the role of a hero or villain this server, paving way for the next generation as you are forced to navigate the nuances of what it means to be a vigilante in New York.
“FOR RICHER OR FOR POORER” An original stageplay Written By Mythos Wellington Mythos J. Wellington [email protected] (315
Check out my stageplay if you have any interest in script readings as well! An original, dramatical comedy about a young couple navigating class differences while on a get away with the rest of their family.
Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #641)
Please help me rebuild my life 🙏
Hello friends, I am Abdullah Salem Abdullah, 26 years old, a graduate of the University College with a degree in Information Technology - Mu
‼️ Ceasefire ‼️
Hello my friends
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and for standing by me through all this time.Thank God, the war has finally ended… but our suffering hasn’t.In fact, it has just begun — the struggle to rebuild our lives, to provide a decent life for our children, and to restore the future that was stolen from us.During the war, my wife gave birth to our baby girl, Masa, amid crisis and famine.Although the sounds of bombing have stopped, the cries of need remain — for shelter, food, water, and clothing. Prices are still unbearably high, and I have no source of income.That’s why I need your support now more than ever,to help me provide a dignified life for my family and rebuild what we’ve lost.
So please help me and donate 🙏
Hello friends, I am Abdullah Salem Abdullah, 26 years old, a graduate of the University College with a degree in Information Technology - Mu
I had a dream that people started using the 🪷 emoji as a reaction and it was universally understood to mean “kill [] and you will be reincarnated as a lotus blossom.” Like someone would talk about going to the White House and people would spam 🪷🪷🪷 in the replies, and everyone just knew without having to be told that that meant “hey you should assassinate the president.”
Rough Huntr/x cuddle doodles because these three have not left my brain alone for the past four months lord help me (don’t actually they are my will to live now)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
The office was a dreary and dully lit place. One table sat in the middle of the small, cramped room. The walls were an ugly shade of beige painted over brick and the chairs were hard metal.
Ochaco wasn’t even the one being interrogated and she was filled with dread just imagining herself in the other girl's shoes; and Himiko, she looked terrible. Heavy bags rested beneath her eyes, her hair a tangled mess hanging around her face which was damped with tears and bruised. Her eyes that were so usually full of light, wonder, and joy looked like they’d never be on a happy face again. It shattered her heart, and it was an emotion so painstakingly obvious on her face. So much so that Officer Tamakawa had stopped twice just to ask her what was wrong. She was a bad liar, but he wouldn’t suspect the truth from her, the truth of the situation was too outrageous to suspect. He didn’t push it.
A heavy glass window stood between them, Himiko, herself, Officer Tamakawa, and several other heroes and hero students who’d shown up to keep watch of the girl, and to hear for themselves what secrets Himiko would spill during the interrogation.
Himiko didn’t look at her, didn’t spare her a glance. Ochaco wished she would, even just once to read what lay behind those amber eyes. She needed to know how she was feeling. She needed her to know that she cared, that it wasn’t her fault and she didn’t betray her. Would she even understand? She wasn’t sure Himiko would even believe her.
The way the above light shone across Himiko’s skin causing an ethereal glow on her sad and empty face twisted her heart, making her remember that night she always tried to forget about and push behind her.
⎯⎯ ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯
The wind howled in Ochaco’s ears, the icy air hitting her skin in pin pricks, causing her face to flush. In a pair of worn down gloves, a winter coat (gifted to her from Momo) and a four year old pair of boots that barely fit her anymore, she was shivering from head to toe. She ignored the way her eyes watered, choosing to focus her attention on the dazzling lights and glittering decorations that adorned the homes of the more fortunate people that lived in her town. It felt like a twinkling ray of hope to see in the height of the winter when she was feeling groggy and cynical.
Her parents were both busy with work again, they would be for most of the week. Some part of her felt incredibly irked about it. School took up all of her time these days, and they already spent most of their time working. She had hope leading up to the winter season they’d get to spend the holiday off together, a warm, happy family and smiles. Instead she was spending the holiday alone, getting food from the pantry and preparing dinner for when they finally came home. They’d probably eat, open presents and immediately fall asleep. They were always exhausted.
It made her feel guilty for daring to feel upset about it. She was already a burden, and another mouth to feed, the holiday season wasn’t that important. Besides, she’d get time to spend with them the rest of the season. What was one more holiday?
The food pantry was just up ahead, tucked away in the basement of the local church. It held a lot of memories for Ochaco, good and bad. She remembered when she used to be embarrassed of coming here back in middle school when the other girls from her class found out she and her family regularly got their food there. She’d been poked fun at for a little over two weeks before they dropped it and moved on.
The week she and her family stayed at her parents friends house when they didn’t have the money for heat had been even worse. Their daughter went to school with Ochaco. She hadn’t held back from joining in on the bullying.
She was so used to being embarrassed that she’d needed any help. The guilt over needing others to bend backwards to help her used to eat her up inside, even if she knew she needed it. That was all behind her now though, now that she was becoming a hero she’d be the one giving the help, giving back for all those times people gave to her and her family. She wanted to be the one that warmed the winter in the hearts of others. She would help people like herself.
The trip to the pantry was quick and peaceful, everyone was inside, celebrating Christmas eve with their families so the streets were barren. There was no one to stare at her as she made the trip there. No one was ever polite about it.
Aside from the peace she felt knowing she could come here without being gawked at, everything was so quiet with everyone off the road in the city. Her footsteps were the loudest she could hear in the street. As much as she realized this should make her anxious, she felt surprisingly calm as she made the trip back to her apartment.
The peaceful sound of her boots crunching through the snow, and her bag swinging against her side mixed with the howling wind and distant sound of nearby chatter from a large house on the street. One of the families she didn’t know must’ve been having a big christmas party. She sniffed, blinking away the wetness that came to her eyes.
The crunching of the snow nearby became jumbled with her footsteps, offsetting the beat she made as she walked, she paused, glancing around her to make out what figure was arriving in the distance. She saw nothing.
The sound of snow crunching didn’t falter. Ochaco sucked in the air between her teeth. A small whimper and the sound of heavy breathing punctuated the howling wind. Someone was in pain. Someone nearby. She set the groceries down carefully, pulling her coat closer around her.
“Hello?” She tried, her voice coming out shakier than intended. No answer. Everything but the wind blowing through the trees was silent.
“Please? I’m not going to hurt you.. I- I promise. If you’re in pain- I can help you. I can call someone! I’m a hero student-”
“No!” The others' alarmed voice cut through her own. It wasn’t a voice she recognized, but it was enough to help her locate exactly where they were buried among the snow and ice. It was relatively easy for Ochaco to make her way around the street and up the hill where the girl lay, and it would have been relatively easy for the girl to make it herself down the hill if it weren’t for her heavy bruises, and the blood that stained the snow around her in gruesome display. She sucked in the air between her teeth, trying to keep her hands steady, trying not to show just how scared out of her mind she was for the girl. Her stomach churned uneasily.
She kept her breath steady, repressing the emotional part of her mind and letting the logic take over completely. “Is.. uhm, anything broken?”
The other girl's violet eyes widened, Ochaco noted that she looked far more hopeful to see her than alarmed. A confidence surged through her seeing that. She wouldn’t tremble and be hesitant. It wasn’t what the other girl needed right now.
“Uravity? …. I- I don’t know..” She still looked owlish, but she looked completely fascinated.
“You know me?” Ochaco hesitated, she shook off her own caution. Midoriya wouldn’t hesitate in this situation. He’d jump head first into the action to save anyone. She began to dig around in the snow, wanting to make it easier to survey the girl.
“Hm? Uhm… Y-Yeah. I saw you at the sports festival! You were amazing..” Her voice trembled as she spoke, but the pure amazement never faded.
Ochaco paused, she had been that amazing? She hadn’t thought she’d been amazing at all, for all that she had tried against Bakugou, he only took a split second to take her out.
“... Thank you.” She took a step back, but her hand was grabbed up, the girl latched on in a death grip.
“Please- don’t leave-..”
Ochacho cut her off. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise you- I just need to look at your injuries okay? I’m still gonna be right here.” The girl gave her arm a small squeeze before relinquishing her grip, allowing Ochaco to step a few inches away and look at her injuries. Ochaco only had the bit of knowledge she’d gained from her time at UA, she’d had several classes in rescue, and none of them particularly focused on broken bones, but she told herself she’d be able to tell, she’d use her logic, and the knowledge she had gained would be enough- she hoped.
She frowned deeply, taking in everything about the girl's condition. Bruises everywhere, her nose was bloody and her eyes were swollen with tears. She must have been freezing, her blonde hair was completely matted in snow and soaked, but from what Ochaco could tell, nothing was broken and too bruised to fix.
She looked beyond exhausted, and cold, and she’d probably passed out here in the snow at one point, but she wouldn’t need a hospital, and that was a positive that forced her to bring a smile to her face.
“You’re gonna be okay- Can you walk? I can call my teacher or-...”
The girl cut her off. “No. Don’t… Pro Heroes- they scare me, and, and i’m fine… I just need to rest.” She argued, attempting and failing to push herself up in a sad attempt to stand, Ochaco wasn’t so certain her leg wasn’t broken anymore.
“O-okay.. Hey- don’t put too much pressure on your leg, you’ll hurt yourself. I’ll help you.” Ochaco started, coming closer to the girl.
She paused, her eyes glimmering. “You care about me?”
“W-what?” She knelt in the snow, ignoring the way it soaked through her pants and turned her knees cold. She pulled the knitted gloves she wore off, slowly putting them on the other girl's hands instead. It wouldn’t be much, but it was better than nothing- and it definitely made up for the tshirt and jeans she wore. What had happened to her? She hadn’t even been wearing a coat.
She let Ochaco put the gloves over her fingers, embracing the warmth over her snow soaked hands, and leaned into the touch. “..Where are we going?” There was all but no hesitation in her voice. She didn’t seem afraid, just curious. She trusted Ochaco completely.
“I’ll- I'll take you to my house. I’m sure my parents won’t mind. You can warm up there okay? And- and I can call a doctor or something. Okay?” She wanted so badly to ask what happened, but she didn’t want to force anything on her. Something traumatic enough to leave her bloody in the snow couldn’t be easy to talk about. She’d have to ask eventually, she knew this, but for now she prioritized making sure the girl was safe.
The wonder on the other girl's face turned into a smile of pure joy. It was a light in the dark that warmed the situation, all of her anxieties about what she was doing being against the rules and being dangerous faded. If she could make anyone smile like that after going through something horrible, she’d throw all caution to the wind to secure that.
She placed all five finger-pads down on the girl's torso, watching cautiously as she made her defy gravity and float off the ground. She looked a lot less startled than Ochaco had expected her to be, but before she could reach out to her, her hand was grabbed up eagerly without a queue. If it hadn’t been a serious moment she’d be giggling right now about just how much the girl looked like a balloon as she was led carefully back down the hill and to her house.
Luckily for them, no one else was on the empty streets during the trip back, one hand clasped to the other girls, and the other holding the bag of food she received from the pantry. The Christmas lights lit the darkened streams beckoning them back to Ochaco’s home. The shabby apartment was one of the few on the street without lights, but it was home, and it was warm and loving.
Ochaco gently released the girl on the worn couch of the living room, silently praying none of the blood on her clothes was fresh enough to stain. Ochaco left her to get comfortable as she rummaged through the house for clothes and a first aid kit.
The way the girl all too eagerly leaned into Ochacho’s touch as she cleaned and bandaged her wounds made Ochacho wonder just how little affection she got. She seemed so lonely, and so full of love to give, it made her heart ache a little.
“... What’s your name, anyways?” Ochaco asked gently, applying the last bandage to her skidded knees. She looked taken aback, and straightened a little.
“Uhm.. Yua..”
“Yua?” Ochaco repeated, feeling the name on her lips. It was a common one, she’d known two Yua’s before from school, but never as friends.
“Takahashi Yua.” She added, her voice more certain. She must have been so anxious. Ochaco had never considered anyone would have ever been anxious to talk to her. She decided Yua must be a shy sort, it was kind of endearing.
Ochaco continued to help the girl, giving her one of one larger t-shirts to drown it, and helping her change into a pair of pajama pants she owned. It was a struggle with her own lack of ability to move her leg, but she didn’t seem to have any quants with Ochaco practically doing it for her. After the fresh pajamas, a towel to dry her hair and a good comb, It was a relieving feeling to see Yua looking so much more lively and warm.
Upon further look at the girl's leg, she realized it definitely wasn’t broken, but it was minorly twisted. It had happened to quite a few of the students of 1A before, and she was sure it would happen again. Whenever the injury was minor, Aizawa always told them to rest on it. It healed itself.
Ochaco sat on the couch next to her, her hands wringing together anxiously. “I have a phone if you wanna call your parents? Do they know where you are? They might be worried..”
“Oh.. No. They don’t have phones right now- I mean.. theirs is broken.” Yua replied.
Ochaco nawed her lower lip, sure, it was surprising to hear someone else say, but if her parents phones broke they wouldn’t have the money to afford new ones for quite a while. They'd do some other way. Her and Yua were in the same boat then, but this put a damper on her plans.
“So you must live around here then? Tomorrow I can find someone to drive you home or something. Your parents must be so worried.”
Yua’s laugh was soft, but it sounded bitter. “Yeah.. probably not that worried..”
“What? I’m sure they’re worried-..”
Her words fell on death ears. “I could walk myself there after tonight? Okay.. You don’t have to worry about me..” She glanced around the living room in interest, her eyes falling on the shabby, fake Christmas tree in the center of the living room. It was smaller than most, but it was decorated with care. Most of the ornaments were homemade, they always felt more special to Ochaco that way.
“...Where are your parents? Why wouldn’t they be here?” She asked, a frown setting in on her face.
She frowned a little. “Oh.. they wanted to be but- work is hard.. And it’s busy and we need the extra money.. So..”
“... You’re celebrating Christmas alone?”
“Only Christmas Eve, my parents will come back home tomorrow… and we’ll celebrate then.. It’s not all bad..” Ochaco attempted a reassuring grin. Yua didn’t seem convinced, her frown deepened.
“.. You don’t have to pretend it’s all okay all the time… sometimes you can be upset about things. If you keep it all it'll just consume you. Even if it’s no one's fault.”
Ochaco was silent for a moment, letting those words settle over her. She wanted to argue, she didn’t repress her emotions, but everytime something bothered her, she chose to look forward to the positive, she did repress them. It always felt easier that way. It was peaceful.
Yua spoke up with a nervous giggle. “Sorry-... But, at least.. I’m here. We can celebrate Christmas together, Uravity. You don’t have to be alone.. And- and neither do I. I haven’t.. Had a really good Christmas in a long time... Maybe it was like ‘fate’ we met.”
“You deserve one… If you do want to stay here for Christmas, I’ll make sure you get it!” Her voice was riddled with confidence now, her enthusiasm bounced off the walls like the flickering lights of houses she could make out the window, causing Yua to giggle, a smile stretching her face wide.
As much as she realized just how sudden and weird this was, she couldn’t hide just how lonely her Christmas Eve was feeling. Maybe it was fate she meant someone who was willing to spend Christmas with her on a twisted ankle.
The overdramatics were more than worth it if she could make Yua laugh like that again. “I always thought of Christmas as really traditional, something just between family, and you follow all these rules… but maybe making my own traditions with my friends, and with you- is worth even more.”
The young girl was easy going, and soft all around. Spending Christmas with her didn’t feel like a worry at all.
Yua’s smile faltered. “I’m not your friend? I mean.. I can be your friend.. Like them.”
Ochaco frowned in near unisence, her voice wavering. She barely knew Yua, but she didn’t want to insult her. “You can be my friend. Of course you can, don’t worry- Wait a second..” She halted, an imaginary light-bulb flickering on in her mind's eye. “Let me go get something!” She called, already dashing off half-way down the hallway.
It took her only a minute of scavenging around her near empty room to find what she was looking for, a fuschia scarf she kept tucked away in the nearby closet. She rubbed the material between her hands, feeling the soft and warm wool between her finger tips. It was the perfect gift to give, a touch of her and something that would always be useful. Added extra love because it was her favorite color.
She took no extra time rushing it out to the girl, and waving it in her face eagerly, the tassels waving about.
“What?” Yua looked at the thing like it was foreign, her eyebrows furrowing together.
“It’s a gift! For you. It’ll keep you warm, and, It’s nice and soft.” Ochaco replied. “What are the holidays without gifts? Y’know.” She giggled.
Yua’s big violet eyes practically watered, her cheeks turning a shade of pink to match the scarf. “I didn’t get anything for you..” She replied, her hands already grasping the fabric. She looked half between protest and agreement.
“I don’t have anything with me for you though. You don’t have to..” She held the thing against her chest like it was precious to her, something fragile, her face breaking into another bright smile that rivaled the Christmas lights.
“You don’t have to get me anything!” She exclaimed. “Christmas.. it’s.. It’s about giving without expecting in return. Just to see the other person happy! And not to expect them to make you happy, because, y’know! You’re happy that they’re happy and that’s enough. The gift isn’t about getting something, it’s about.. Being shown you’re cared about!” Her voice trailed off at the end, feeling anxious of the intensity of the words she spoke. She was probably being too dramatic and enthusiastic, but she meant every word she said.
Yua’s smile only grew brighter. “You’re amazing, Uravity.”
A flustered blush made its way to Ochaco’s face, but before she could reply, Yua spoke up again.
“Life was never like that for me!” Her pessimistic words didn’t match her cheery tone, or the happy twirl she gave the scarf, the dreamiest look in her eyes. “In my family, if I acted as the real me it was a problem. I always had to be good, and I couldn’t be myself! If I wasn’t who they wanted, I wasn’t worthy of the things I wanted or needed. My happiness only mattered if I gave my family what they wanted.” She explained.
Ochaco was silent for a while, a frown setting in. “That’s awful. You deserve so much better than that.. I’m sorry. You deserve a family who would love you for you.. With no expectations.”
“You don’t need to apologize for something you didn’t do, and it’s whatever. It’s behind me now, I look forward to the future of only all the things I like, and the freedom of getting to be myself! And, I have friends now,, and they don’t judge me… well most of them, anyways.” She let off a small chuckle at the end.
She seemed so truly content. Whatever life she lived with her friends was enough to let her put the fact that she wasn’t accepted behind her. She looked to the future, but she did so without burying her feelings about the past and ignoring them. Nothing repressed. Everything felt equally, but she was still happy. Ochaco admired that, it was the way she wanted to be. The person she wanted to become, who faced every situation head on with a cool-head and freedom in her soul.
“Good. Then, I'll be your friend too! And I'll be a family for you just like them.. If you want.” She replied, meaning it wholly this time.
Yua’s cheeks grew redder again, a grin stretching her face, rolling over Ochaco’s words in her mind. A family. She’d never thought of the league like that before, she’d never used those words, but they fit perfectly. They weren’t a traditional family by any means, but they were her family, Ochaco wanted to be her family too.
She wasn’t sure just how much Ochaco meant what she said, and just how much she was saying simply because of the ‘Christmas Spirit’, and because they were supposed to be spending Christmas together, but she chose to pretend everything said was purely true. Even if it wasn’t, she could embrace that delusion for the night.
“I’d like that! They would… Take a lot of time to get used to you.. But it doesn’t matter! Because I'd like it..”
“Good! And you still don't have to give me anything! But, if you want, you can get me a gift next christmas.” Ochaco replied, fluttering her hands excitedly, suddenly feeling very giddy.
“I will! I’ll find something you’ll love! It’ll be magical. I promise..”
⎯⎯ ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯
The police station was tightly packed by the time all the heroes called had made it. It felt suffocating. Half of her class stood outside of the office, looking in on the blonde girl as if she were a zoo animal.
It reminded her of weeks ago, when Aoyama had been discovered as the traitor. Everyone defended him then, everyone had his back, but that wouldn’t be happening this time.That realization stung. No one came to the defense of a villain. There wouldn’t be a savior for Himiko. Villain’s didn’t get saved.
The bright pink scarf she wore was the same one Uraraka had given her months ago, it matched with the bruises that marked her face and jaw, and that was a special sting to her. It only made her blame herself more for what was happening.
But wasn’t it her fault? She was a hero. She was on the opposite side. In some small way, the effort she put into her dream was causing Himiko the pain she was in now. Did she blame Ochaco too?
The night after she left, she couldn’t get any of the conversations they had out of her head. Everything Yua- or Himiko- it really was- said repeated on in her mind in a loop.
If life had been crueler to her, she wouldn’t have strayed that much farther from the path Himiko chose to walk.
“Heroes never saved me.” She could hear Yua’s voice repeat in her mind.
Heroes never saved her family either. When they were still starving, still poor, still having to work tirelessly on Christmas and have to pull themselves up from their bootstraps with little help. Superficial smiles that faded weren’t enough.
If her family hadn’t been as supportive. If it had been anything like Himiko’s, she wouldn’t be happy today.
She wasn’t even sure how happy she really was anyway. She smiled despite everything to keep up the optimistic face. To keep other people smiling. Every feeling she had was buried beneath shiny, fake golden optimism. She didn’t want to be a problem for other people, and she didn’t want to be a problem for herself either.
That’s exactly what Himiko was talking about, wasn’t it?
⎯⎯ ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯
The sky had turned dark by the time Ochaco had gotten around to starting to cook dinner.
The conversations they had about everything under the sun had made time pass by too quickly, Himiko wished they never had to end.
Himiko sat up in the chair Ochaco had been so sweet to arrange for her, sipping tea as she watched the other girl cook.
The way she pulled her hair up into a loose bun as she cooked made it almost hard for Himiko to breath. She was so beautiful, so kind, so cute. Her cheeks felt hot, and she gripped her tea cup tighter. She wouldn’t, she couldn’t hurt the girl right now. She was too injured to get into a fight. For once, she couldn’t throw caution to the wind.
The smell of chicken and spices, and warm baked potatoes glided through the air, turning the kitchen into her own personal paradise, and causing her stomach to twist. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she’d been, but the idea of getting to eat something specifically made by Ochaco made her patience even more thin.
She turned to peek her head over the chair, watching the girl as she continued to prepare every dish with ease.
She was already amazing at everything, and now even cooking. It never occurred to Himiko to even learn. It also never occurred to her just how little she might know about someone, and that put her patience over the edge even more. There were so many things she wanted to know about Ochaco, so many questions she had.
“...Why did you wanna become a hero? You could be a cook! You’re good at it.. And you like it. I can tell just from your eyes.”
She looked back at Himiko owlishly, surprised. Himiko didn’t mind taking the girl off guard.
“You haven’t even had my cooking yet! I’m sure it’s not that good. I don’t want you to be disappointed or anything..” The blood ran to her cheeks, making Himiko’s heart race.
She shrugged. “I can tell. I don’t need to taste it to know.” She replied with ease.
Ochaco still seemed flustered. “Uhm, well. I do like cooking, but I've always wanted to be a hero since I was a little girl. I remember growing up always seeing my parents stressed and upset.. We were always struggling. I decided when I was younger I wanted to work with my dad! To help support him, to ease him and my mom's burdens and be like him…” She paused in her stirring of what Himiko assumed must've been some kind of soup.
“He told me he wanted me to follow my own dreams.. and that's when I realized, heroes always bring smiles to their faces. They took away the stress, and that was the first time I ever really saw my parents look happy. I want to make people happy like that. Help people! And, with the money I make, if I become a popular hero, I can help my parents with it...”
The passion in her voice made Himiko’s heart leap, and the sparkle in her eyes was captivating. Ochaco made everyone of Himiko’s old crushes look pointless in comparison.
“You’re going to make a lot of people happy. Way more than other heroes.” She spilled out.
“I- well? That's.. I wouldn’t say better! You’re too nice..” Her face reddened again. “I’m barely high in my class.”
“It’s not about being good at what you do. It’s about being a good person.. You’ll make people smile and you’ll actually save them! Other heroes don’t really do that.” Himiko replied, still gazing at Ochaco in amazement.
“What? No, I mean, of course they do. A hero is the reason I saw my parents smile- They inspired me.”
Himiko sighed, taking a deep breath inward. “Heroes don’t save people who aren’t in front of big crowds ready to be seen. They never saved any of my friends who were hurt. They never save people who look like villains. They never really help anyone until it’s too late, and they don’t care about saving you if your quirk seems like it makes you dangerous. Heroes never saved me.. They’ve only ever hurt me. In more ways than one.”
Ochaco was silent for a while, the quiet of the room almost uncomfortable, she shifted, not looking to meet Himiko’s eyes for a while.
“... I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with that, Yua..You deserve better. Some heroes aren’t good. But, not all! I know some are really greedy. You deserved to be saved.”
Himiko smiled, meeting her eyes. She didn’t have the heart or energy to tell Ochaco heroes were bad simply for being heroes. She didn’t know how to tell her that no matter how good a hero was, they hurt people by extension. She decided it didn’t matter.
“Thank you, Uravity.” She smiled wider. Even if Ochaco was a hero, she wouldn’t care. The good or the bad didn’t matter, she was Himiko’s hero. As long as she didn’t hurt her friends, she would always be good enough.
“Hmm. You can call me Ochaco, you don’t have to call me Uravity you know.” Himiko replied, just as the timer to the oven started to beep.
Himiko froze in her thoughts, her brain turning to static. She was already on a first name basis with the other girl. She was a friend. She was a real friend.
Dinner was filled with laughter as they ate, and Himiko felt warmer than she’d felt in a long time. Having someone her age to understand her, and to laugh and talk with was freeing and cozy at the same time. She hadn’t been wrong either, Ochaco’s cooking was amazing. It was filling and warm.
She’d all but forgotten about the fight out in the snow, and the pain she’d been in. Ochaco sat next to Himiko rather than across from her. She wasn’t sure why, but she liked it.
Goosebumps crawled up her arms, feeling flustered by the opportunity to sit chair to chair with Ochaco, their legs practically touching.
It was already late by the time they’d started to finish dinner. Late enough for Himiko to assume Ochaco would’ve been to bed by now if she hadn’t been there. The crescent moon cast light through the window, absorbing their faces in a glow. Ochaco seemed more distracted by the stars than her hot chocolate, so Himiko let them catch her attention too.
“Do you have a favorite constellation, Yua?”
The question snapped her from her thoughts. She’d nearly forgotten she was putting on a facade here. To Ochaco, she wasn’t Yua. If the woman she’d murdered has been someone she loved, it would’ve made her soar, but it didn’t. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“Constellation? I don’t know any.” She replied, taking a long sip of her hot chocolate.
“Oh. Yeah, I guess most people don’t. There's tons though, and they all tell a story. My favorite is Andromeda... Her mother gloated about being the most beautiful woman in the world, and this angered the gods, especially the ocean God, so they demanded a sacrifice. That’s why her mother chose to sacrifice her. She was chained to a rock to await a sea monster, but a hero named Perseus found her chained and decided to save her. They ended up getting married later, and she became his queen.”
Himiko turned fully to gaze at her, searching her face. The story resonated with her, feeling trapped and sacrificed by one of the people that were supposed to give her unrequited love and chained by society.
The only difference was, in that story she was actually saved. She didn’t have to come out fighting for herself. A hero stepped in to take the burden off for her. Himiko couldn’t tell if she’d done this on purpose or not, but she decided it didn’t matter. Ochaco made it clear, her favorite story was one of a girl who was saved and uplifted despite the wrath of the most powerful people in the universe. She would’ve saved Himiko if they’d met sooner. She was certain of it.
She leant forward in her chair, turning closer to the other girl, and took her head between her hands, cupping her soft cheeks. Ochaco’s eyes widened, her brows furrowing deeply, but before she could speak, Himiko collided her lips into the other girls in a kiss. It was sudden, but it was gentle. She never guessed a kiss could flip her brain about like this. Ochaco’s lips were soft, but the kiss felt electrifying.
She barely registered and the other girl pulled away before she crashed out of her chair, and onto the floor. They both looked equally ashamed.
“W-what? You..” Ochaco struggled to form a coherent word.
Himiko stared at the floor. “I thought you would… like it? .. You don’t?”
“I- I- I mean, I don’t! I mean I don’t dislike it! I don’t mind- I guess? You should have asked but, uhm. I don’t really know you that well, this is really sudden... I’m sorry!” It was phrased like a question.
“I’m sorry?”
The room was filled with silence as Ochaco awkwardly helped herself back up from the floor. The red on her face seemed like a permanent addition now. Everything was awkward. She shouldn’t have done it. She didn’t think Ochaco would hate it.
Mentally she screamed at herself. She didn’t like her. But, that wasn’t what she said. She didn’t know her that well. She wasn’t wrong. She didn’t know her that well. She hardly knew her at all, and even if she thought she did, she only knew Yua and she wasn’t even sure how much longer the transformation would last for her. Himiko swallowed. She was surprised when Ochaco even began to speak.
“I’m gonna bake cookies. I would ask if you wanted to help- but uhm. I know, it would be too hard for you right now.. You can watch me though?”
“..Do you want me too?”
“Of course I do..” She replied, her voice much softer than it had been all night.
“I want to then.” She replied, attempting to be chipper.
It was still awkward as Ochaco baked. They both tried to put on smiling faces, but the tension from the kiss didn’t fade. Ochaco was particular in preparing her cookies, cutting them in tree shapes and decorating them with a jovial touch. The blond doubted she was leaving them out for Santa, she was already fifteen after all, but maybe it was a tradition she’d never dropped. Maybe it was just for the joy of it.
Ochaco looked taken off guard by the time she finally spoke up again, her voice piercing the silence.
“I used to believe in Santa really hard. I was already fourteen by the time I'd stopped. Wayyy longer than my sisters. But, I think I stopped really believing in him a long time before then. I held on to it because.. I didn’t wanna stop believing in such a magical thing. But, it was pointless, because pretending to believe in something untrue is only magical for a little while until it wears out.”
Ochaco looked up from her cookies, still idly cutting them into shapes. Himiko was surprised by how easily she took to a question about Santa Claus of all things.
“I stopped believing in him when I was ten. I think it hurt to realize he wasn’t real, but it was better to give up playing into it if I knew it wasn’t true and just be happy with the memories I made with it.. Dragging it on, I think it would have just become less and less magical.”
And those words stung, even if Ochaco didn’t realize just how close it was hitting, it was enough to let her make up her mind.
“Can I use your phone, Ocha?”
She seemed surprised, but she didn’t question it. The look in her eyes let Himiko know that Ochaco knew this was already over.
Himiko had to try three different numbers, but It didn’t take many rings for Giran to answer once she got the right one. The conversation was snappy, he was a busy man after all. But he knew she’d been missing, the league told him. She had to make a way out of here on her own somehow, and after that, she wasn’t sure, but it hurt knowing Ochaco wouldn’t care about the real her. It hurt too much to keep pretending and spend this Christmas with her like everything would just be okay when she knew it wouldn’t.
The rest of the night held an awkward air. Himiko was more distant, she wasn’t sure if Ochaco could tell, but she seemed fine also keeping her distance. She was still all smiles and sunshine and the cookies baking smelt, mouth wateringly good, but she tried to ignore it while she waited for someone to show up.
She wasn’t even sure who Giran would be sending. They had a new warp gate now, so it wouldn’t be long. Would it be enough? Would it be Tomura? If it was that only meant he’d be more likely to kill Ochaco, Himiko didn’t have much cue beforehand to ask him not to. If it were Spinner on the other hand, he wouldn’t hurt the girl, Dabi too, but the league was a mixed bag of people that all thought differently. She wouldn’t know what she was going to get.
The timer ringing from the oven was like a cue to fate, and that was where it all went downhill.
1. Himiko could feel the transformation starting to wear off, it was always a peculiar feeling, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to it. It was like her skin melting off before her, everything felt like mush.
2. Ochaco turned to the oven to get the cookies, slipping on a worn out pair of oven mitts.
3. There was a knock at the door. Himiko nearly jolted out of her seat. This could be her saving grace, or the thing that finally lands her in jail. She prayed it was a league member at the door.
4. Ochaco turned with the tray in her hands, probably ready to tell Himiko she would get the door.
5. Her transformation was fully unveiled, it was an explosion from there.
Ochacho dropped the hot tray on the floor, scattering away from Himiko, cookies still in their mush state taking up residence as goo on the floor. She looked rapidly to either side of her like she was scavenging for weapons. Himiko got on guard, but her heart raced. There wasn’t much she could do while she couldn’t walk on her leg, and she didn’t have any knives on her person anymore either.
“Him- Himiko Toga?!” Her voice was shaky, she sounded like she could barely breathe. The emotional part of her brain worried the other girl was having a panic attack, but her fight or flight mode ignored it.
“You can just call me Himiko.” She replied, racking her brain for something to buy her more time.
The door swung open.
“What do you want?“ The other girl's voice was assertive, demanding. Nothing like the soft and warm voice she’d gotten so used to. Her arms were already outstretched in a position to float her, as if expecting the girl to lunge forward and attack.
“Huh? I don’t want anything. You saved me. Now… you need to let me go back to my friends. Otherwise you’d end up being in some trouble you don’t want.” Himiko warned soberly.
“Wh- what? Saved you?- No! It’s not a coincidence I found you, Toga! I’m calling the police-…”
“If you think this was all faked you're wrong. Nothing I said was a lie, and I never came here to hurt you- but I will if you leave me no choice. Why don’t we do each other a favor and lay this to rest. I don’t want to hurt you and- … you.. don’t wanna hurt me? Right?” Her voice came out much softer now, but it was grave.
Ochaco paused in reaching for her phone across the table. The last thing Himiko remembered of her face was the wide, soft eyes. They were so full of hurt and shock.
With Giran’s muddying, Himiko had no idea just how much Ochaco remembered about their last conversation before Spinner had knocked her out.
Sometimes she wished she’d never called Giran, at least then she would've known what Ochaco choice would have been. Save her or leave her? She could have been angry at the notion but she wasn’t, she understood. They both had their own ways. Ochaco was a hero, and that’s who she wanted to be. Nothing she stood for as a hero bothered Himiko, and she was almost certain nothing Himiko wanted out of life would bother Ochaco either if she really understood. But, they’d chosen different paths.
When it all came down to it, it was always the same. Heroes don’t save villains. Only villains will save villains.
⎯⎯ ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯
Himiko blinked away tears she didn’t want to spill in front of all these officers and heroes. It wasn’t like her to care usually, but she wouldn’t let the man who killed Jin have the pleasure of seeing her in pain. She wouldn’t let the heroes that hurt all of her family know they got to her.
She spied every hero who came to attend her interrogation. She couldn’t figure out why they’d needed so many just for her, but heroes tended to be like that nowadays. Like they’d forgotten that underneath it all she was just a young girl. A human. She may have been a demon spawn from the start according to her family, but she was just a human. She felt like a caged animal with the way she’d been gagged and tied down to the chair.
By nightfall a lot of the pro heroes had retired either to go on a dinner break or retire home. They’d left about six or maybe eight in charge, but it was hard for her to tell the exact number when she could barely move in her chair. The pro hero Fatgum, and some officer with a kitty quirk were the only two allowed inside of the room where her interrogation was happening apparently. Everyone else was waiting outside. She recognized Midoriya there, and despite all the pain in her, her heart fluttered. He stood close to Dabi's brother, Ochaco.
Ochaco. Her gaze fell on the girl among the few other people there. Her gut twisted, she felt too many things at once to really identify, but seeing her face was somehow both a comfort and made her sick.
She’d grown a little, not much, but something about her seemed almost more mature. Her hair was tied back in a neat bun and her deep brown eyes were more stern than they’d been, but when she looked past that all she saw was pain.
Their eyes met for a moment, and Himiko looked away again. After that, everything erupted into chaos.
An officer she barely recognized flew through the window, and crashed into Fatgum in the far left corner of the room. His fall must have been soft, but Fatgum seemed in pain. She squirmed in her chair. The sound of the glass shattering was deafening.
She vaguely heard someone yell, possibly Deku? She couldn’t tell through all the commotion, looking to the left toward the glass all she saw was panic. She couldn’t quite make out who was doing what.
Uraraka burst through the door, her hair stuck to her face with sweat, her eyes were wild, and she seemed to barely catch her breath. Her hands grabbed around the arm of the standing officer, and he shot up forward, Himiko wasn’t sure how bad his collision with the ceiling would be.
Uraraka’s hands settled around her, and she began to panic, attempting to kick her off, but it was no use when she was tied down as much as she was, before she could even blink she was off the floor, still tied to her chair and gagged, but floating through the air with Ochaco as she held the chair that was bound to her. It made her feel nauseous, and she closed her eyes in reflex.
They must have floated through the frame of the shattered window, and Himiko could still hear the chaos take over all of her senses. Most of the yelling was Deku, she assumed most weren’t attacking because it was Ochaco. They were too shocked or cared too much to hurt her. The privilege of being a hero.
By the time the nausea of floating restrained wore off enough for her to open her eyes again, Ochaco had stopped them atop an old building somewhere, it wasn’t familiar in the slightest, but she assumed they couldn’t have gone too far. Her eyes were blown out in sheer shock, like she hadn’t even fully registered what she’d done until now.
“I- hold still okay? I’m gonna try to undo everything and get you out of the chair.”
The panic in her voice didn’t help to quell Himiko’s anxieties, but she stilled, she pushed the fear to the back of her mind.
The gag came off first, she felt like she could breathe easier, but all her thoughts were too jumbled to form a single question.
Ochacho spent longer undoing the binds around her wrist and ankles, she didn’t take a moment's hesitation to take the quirk reducing handcuffs off her arms and wrists.
She wasn’t afraid, and she didn’t care if Himiko had any kind of advantage, she was fully on her side then.
“W-why?” She sputtered out, not even fully removing herself from the chair she’d been bound to. Her hands reflixedly came up to rub her sore wrists.
Ochaco was silent for a moment, her breathing heavy and ragged, and Himiko’s anxiety skyrocketed. Was she going to say it was all a mistake? That she let her feelings take over or she didn’t know what came over her?
She began to stand on wobbly legs, slowly backing away, putting some distance between them, but still standing mildly close.
“I- … I wouldn’t be a hero if I didn’t save you. Regardless of your status.. villains need saving too. Sometimes it’s from the same people you came from. But.. I’m not them. I won’t stand by and let you face that when I can do something… especially if.. what you said was true? The reason you don’t like heroes.. the reason you’re a villain.” Ochaco looked entirely unsure of her words, but they meant everything to Himiko regardless.
“I did! I meant everything I said.. and not just about heroes. About you too. About.. me. But, I’m not Yua. I’m a villain.. I-..”
“I know who you are. When you told me everything that night, you told me it as you. Right? You were “Yua”, but Yua’s just as much you as Himiko is. When I became friends with Yua, the real you was a packaged deal- As long.. as.. everything you told me was true? Nothing was a lie?”
Himiko gaped, her brain struggling to keep up with her body. “No. Nothing was a lie.”
“Then.. I’m with you through this. You’re still my friend, and I’m never leaving a friend behind to suffer because they were dealt a bad hand. I became a hero to help people in pain. Not only the fortunate.” Her words were precise and read like a speech.
Himiko wondered just how long she’d spent thinking about this. Thinking back about her?
“Then… we should go! They could find us here. We need to go somewhere safe, we can find Tomura, and Dabi… it’ll be hard- but I’ll explain. You- … you do realize doing this- you’ll be a villain right? …. There’s no going back from this, Ochaco.”
Ochaco let those words wash over her, feeling everything deeply. Letting go of heroism hurt badly. It was something so deeply ingrained in her since she was young that it was like pulling out a piece of her she wouldn’t get back. She already knew what her answer would be, but it still hurt to say it.
“If being a villain is the more heroic feat than being an actual hero, that’s what I’ll be.”
Himiko smiled, for the first time in a long time, and it felt like the beginning of something new.
The trip off the building was complicated, but they managed to find a better place to hide in the city after a few minutes of searching, and Himiko used Ochaco’s phone to contact the leader. It wouldn’t take long for someone to find them if Tomura didn’t first, but he was family. She trusted him. He wouldn’t let her down.
“Oh- wait.” Himiko breathlessly bundled over to the other girl, a new found flurry in every move she made. “I almost forgot.”
She pulled the small silver bracelet out from her inner coat pocket, dangling in front of Ochaco’s face for a moment before the girl took it.
It was a simple charm bracelet, but every charm that decorated it was a planet or a star of some sort. A simple and easy gift to shoplift, but she’d put thought into it. It reminded her of Ochaco, she refused to get the girl just anything.
“I wasn’t sure I’d ever really have the opportunity to give it to you. But, I got it anyway. It reminded me of you and, I thought- maybe eventually I’d get close enough to Deku to steal his blood again, and be able to give it to you.” She explained it with a hint of laughter in her voice.
They were still on the run, but the past and frustrations of it felt so far away now.
Ochaco looked over the bracelet with a look of wonder in her eyes that surprised Himiko. She hadn’t expected the other girl to look at a simple bracelet like it was anything more than a mere cheap piece of jewelry.
A giggle bubbled up within Ochaco’s throat and spilled over into small breathy laughs, still clutching the bracelet tightly. Himiko wasn’t sure if she should be offended or not.
“I told you, you didn’t have to get me anything. Besides, silly, how would it be pay-back if you were pretending to be Deku?”
A small sigh escaped her lips, like a weight off her shoulders. The laughter, she realized, was one of the pure bliss you get around someone you like. A happiness you can’t contain normally in you without it spilling over and bubbling up into giggles. She’d never expected anyone to be that infatuated with her in her entire life.
“It wasn’t payback. It wouldn’t matter if you knew the gift was from me or not. Remember? Christmas is about giving without expecting in return. I just wanted to see you smile. Not get even.” She replied, a smile taking hold of her, and a giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Ochaco wore a matching smile as she put the bracelet on her wrist, the charms dangling together creating a twinkling sound she was sure wouldn’t sound magical at all if it weren’t for the moment.
She reached for Himiko’s hand, clasping it tightly in hers, and she even squeezed back when Himiko did.
⎯⎯ ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯
It would be a new year soon, and everything would be different. It was a bittersweet realization just how much of Ochaco’s old life would be behind her, but they had each other, and that meant it was okay.
It struck her that most of the time, different was better, change was good, and if it was scary, instead of comfortable, she was more likely to be changing the world.
And changing the world was better when she wasn’t expecting anything in return, even if it was hard.
The claim that Babs was "de-aged" to accommodate a romance with Dick Grayson is bullshit, illiterate and frankly sexist.
Babs was first "de-aged" in Secret Origin #20 during a time where nothing romantic was going on between Dick and her. So as of 1987, Babs was already around 18 when she became Batgirl. Barbara was portrayed younger to introduce the theme of Babs as a "gifted child", and the adversity and complications that come with that. Meanwhile, Dick, who became Robin at around 11/12, was already a Teen Titan and well into his Robin career when Batgirl arrived on the scene. So give or take, Post-Crisis Babs was only around 3 years older than Dick, more than 10 years before any romance plot-lines were planned.
1997 gave us Batman Chronicles #9, depicting Babs and Dick's first team-up and the 1987 age-gap seems to hold even though their flirty back-and-forth of the 1970s has returned.
Batgirl (2000) #45 confirms that Babs was Batgirl at 18. It is possible that she became Batgirl when she was younger too.
Babs' age then changed slightly during 2003's Batgirl: Year One. But again, this age change is to serve her story, not her romance with Dick. So a few things are important here when it comes to Babs' timeline.
First is her height. Babs is tall and always has been; standing at 5'11".
5'11"! That's taller than Dick too! And yet, during Batgirl: Year One, she is rejected from the GCPD and FBI for "not meeting the minimum height requirement".
This means that Babs must have become Batgirl before she stopped growing. So she is at most 16 when she became Batgirl. Again, Dick is already an established vigilante and Teen Titan in Batgirl: Year One. So, per Batgirl: Year One, Babs is at most 2 years older than Dick. Batgirl: Year One, although it isn't afraid to play with it, is not centred around Babs and Dick's romance; it's centred around Babs' journey to establish herself as Batgirl. The age change is there to introduce further adversity and amp up Babs' tenacity and skill, as it did in 1987.
There are two more clues, one from Detective Comics: 1) Despite their more than palpable chemistry, Babs initially saw Dick as too young and reckless (Batgirl: Year One #8). 2) Babs and Dick ended up going to "high school prom" together (Detective Comics 1940 #871).
For both of these things to be true, I'd say Dick is between 1 and 2 years younger than Babs and probably graduated high school young, just as Babs did. OR, Babs didn't go to prom in her own senior year (maybe because she was young) and "her high school prom" was actually at Dick's.
There's no further age retcon from here and age retcons were never about pairing her with Dick anyways. I get that some people don't ship these two, that's fine, but it's no reason to make aggrieved, sexist and illiterate claims about Barbara.
If there's any real interest in this fic, I'll be continuing it.
It was one of those great injustices of the world that Shuichi was expected to go to school with normal people in this new city they’d moved into.
It was the first thought that graced him the morning that he woke up seven minutes before his alarm even had the chance, courtesy of the pouring rain angrily beating the pavement. Most day’s had been bright in Musutafu, but this morning’s darkened sky punctuated his bad mood, barely avoiding tripping over the litter of boxes still laying around unpacked from the move as he prepared for hell, even if he had to use every bit of might (and guilt) to pull himself out of bed.
In the bathroom he pointedly avoided the mirror, letting the too cold water run over his hands instead. He didn’t want another reminder of what others saw when they looked at him. He much preferred the internal idea of who he was anyway, than the weird guy that he really was. In his own mind, he was normal. The same as everyone else, even if in reality he wasn’t.
He wondered if the weirdness and aversion to himself was a natural thing, or something ugly in him that grew the more others buried it in him. It was too long ago for him to conjure up any memories of a time he felt completely okay with who he was. He never looked normal. So he had his doubts that he ever really felt normal either.
He used the back of his palms to rinse the bitter water over his sleep weary face, letting the weariness of the night before wash away. Stain had been in the news a lot since last Thursday, ever since he was arrested. The stress of knowing someone he cared about so much was confined to a cell never to see the light of day really just toppled onto the stress he already felt knowing he’d have to go to school again. He’d been up most of the night tossing and turning.
He shook the feelings from his mind, drying his dampened face on a clean towel. Today would be a good day. It had to be. It was all about the positive mindset he reminded himself, trying to ignore what utter bullshit that was that his mom had attempted to drill into his head when she told him after the move that he would be “getting” to go back to school. “Getting” as if he had a choice.
He didn’t hate his mother, and he really couldn’t blame her. She wanted a fresh new start, a happy family, and a sense of normalcy. Her heteromorph son hiding out in a depression, spending all of his only effort on video games, never leaving the house for fear of the people outside and resisting all change wasn’t normal. It sure to god wasn’t happy either, but Shuichi wasn’t sure happiness was ever gonna really be on the table for him again.
It was one of life’s only great miracles that she’d stopped keeping track of what he did on the internet a few short years ago. He had a feeling her son’s fascination with Stain wasn’t on her plate for her new normal, happy life; and it was only so long before she finally gave up on him. He wondered if she’d understand if he told her Stain was the only thing that made him happy anymore, or if that would just make her freak out more.
It wasn’t surprising to him that both of his parents had already been awake that morning. Both had always been early birds and determined work-aholics, though that was where their similarities ended. It was a shock he ended up the way he did, being the complete utter black sheep of his family. He had a feeling they were both very disappointed by it. They didn’t have a son that could follow in their footsteps. Even if they never showed it.
His mother was still finishing up the finishing touches of his bento box, taking way too much care into forming his rice balls into cute shapes of cats and making everything as adorable as possible. He tried to hide his cringe.
His mother was the normal one of the family, always had been, and before his grandparents died and his aunt and uncle moved out, she was actually the odd one out of the family, but now he barely remembered that time of his life. He looked far more like his father, having inherited the family quirk. Straight pink hair and matching eyes, green scales and long claws.
His mother on the other hand was a regular beauty, curled brown ringlets, and warm brown eyes. No one would have ever guessed they were related. He wouldn’t have even given as much of a complaint if he’d at least inherited all that his father could do with his quirk. But, rather, he inherited the short end of life’s stick. All his quirk was ever really useful for was sticking to walls.
His mother looked up from her task to him, giving one of those signature dazzling, fake smiles and closed his bento box. “It’s all done for your lunch… Made your favourite sushi too.”
He struggled in an attempt to smile back, his father gave one of his worried hums from the table. “If you don’t feel like you vibe with going today, we don’t have to force y-“ He was cut short by a stern look from his wife, effectively shutting him up.
She reached over the table to hand him his bento box a little forcefully. “Go on, go. Take it and go on. Don’t want you to be late for the train..” She hurried him. “Remember, You’ll love it if you make the most of it.” She added, practically pushing him out the front door.
The trip to the train station practically soaked water through his shoes. The ground was drenched with the rain of the morning, spring’s new cherry blossoms drowned on pavement; and the sky was a shade of steel grey that made him feel sleepy. He missed the warm sunshine of being back in his old town. The hours he spent in the backyard laying in the grass and daydreaming with not a care in the world.
At that time he hadn’t been to school in years. He stopped attending in fifth grade when it finally all became too much. When his parents finally gave in after the eighth time he came home crying, begging to not to go the next day. Since that point he began to do online classes, they were crazy expensive, and he wasn’t sure how they managed. But they did.
That was part of the reason they moved anyway, that and the quirkism. It was a win-win to his mom. Move somewhere cheaper, and be in the big city where there were likely to be more heteromorphs. That old small town he grew up in was a place where everybody knew everybody. He was used to always being the odd one out, the one known as weird. Default settings were non heteromorphic quirks. He was abnormal.
The train-ride to the school was almost numbing, and a lot more crowded than he’d expected. There were at least four other students he recognized on the train with uniforms like his own, neatly pressed navy blue blazers and pin-striped ties. Tough and uncomfortable compared to anything he’d ever choose to wear on a normal basis.
He did his best to avoid eye contact with pretty much everyone on the train, having to resolve to sit wedged between a bulky man and some college student nursing a huge cup of coffee. Most of the train ride was pretty quiet, save for the students in matching uniforms who chatted with each other. His ears perked up at the mention of Stain, midway stopping himself from turning the way to them to be fully embraced in whatever conversation they were having and peaked around the man he sat next to, to follow the bits of their conversation he could make out.
Two girls with matching lavender hair sat leg to leg with each other, murmuring what latest news of Stain Shuichi had long caught up on already, pointedly looking at the boy who sat far across them. He looked like he was pointedly ignoring them, or doing his best to try to.
“I mean… I’m not saying he’s a Stain fan. But he’s the one who got involved with that.” One of the girls rambled on.
“You think he’s gonna like… become one of those copy-cat killers or something now?” The question was followed by soft laughter between the two of them. The only ones who found that remotely funny.
Shuichi’s eyes flickered to the guy in question. He must have been in the same grade as Shuichi, he didn’t look too much older. His hair was a little long, and hung in his face and over his eyes, a steely grey-blue colour that matched the sky. He watched him during that train-ride for a while, and vaguely wondered what kind of guy he was. Was he a fan of Stain like they were implying? Was he interested in the hero killer? Did he own merch? How cool it would have been if he owned merch.
The curiosity was enough of a procrastination to nearly make him miss actually getting off the train, but now he wasn’t so hesitant.
He tried his best to follow in tow with the boy from the train, hoping for opportunity to get to ask him at least one question before class, but quickly lost him in the crowd of students that pushed and prodded towards the door, budging him through the doors to the school like they were so eager for something so- in his opinion meaningless. There was no turning back now.
He stopped at his designated shoe locker for a moment, slipping off his sneakers, and on the slippers, and turned back to gaze over the crowd of students, looking for the boy from the train again.
“What are you?” He heard a nasally voice from over his shoulder. He knew it. He knew it would happen but this was a lot quicker than expected. He gritted his teeth, turning to greet the voice in question. A pretty girl with nice hair he could’ve seen himself having a crush on if she weren’t so damn rude.
“What kind of question-“ He started, annoyance laced in his voice. Maybe a little too obvious. He wasn’t supposed to be feeding into these people.
She giggled, like her question was innocent. Like she was friendly and misguided when she referred to him as a ‘what’. Bullies like these annoyed him even more than the ones who were at least blunt about it.
“Are you a dragon.. or what? Your scales look so weird. Can I touch them?” She moved in closer before he got the chance to answer, and he narrowly avoided jerking away.
A silent passerby collided shoulders with the girl, knocking her away a little more and throwing her off enough for him to skirt away into a crowd of other students. Successfully losing her.
He let himself imagine some unrealistic fantasy in which the guy that did that did it on purpose. Like he felt for him and actually wanted to help, and he didn’t see Shuichi as too different to actually deserve humane treatment.
The rest of the heteromorphs' day only seemed to tow in-line with his morning. In his class of eighteen only three others had heteromorphic animal quirks.
One had cat ears, and he silently felt bad for her and all the negative attention she must have gotten. He himself was a complete stranger to the fetishazation heteromorphs got. He’s never had an “appealing” quirk for that. But it wasn’t hard to imagine how people must have treated her.
Another in his class had a porcupine quirk of some sort, it gave them large spikes where hair would have been, but they were privileged and lucky enough for the similarities to end there.
The last animalistic heteromorph in his class was a girl with a mouse quirk. Her similarities to a mouse didn’t end at ears and a tail, but that didn’t stop her from being one of the people that snickered and whispered about Shuichi when he was forced to stand and introduce himself to the class. He guessed having a new heteromorph to pick on and redirect the class attention to was the best bet for her. Or she just found scales genuinely gross. Which wasn’t unfamiliar to him.
He held everyone’s attention throughout most of the day, and way too many people had a lot to say or ask how he looked. But most didn’t go out of their way to be openly hostile about it, so, so far it was better than his old school, even if it wasn’t the best.
Shuichi chose to only half pay attention throughout the day, Not feeling any reason to give his all in something he fully planned to give up on in a month. He spent most of his classes doing sketches of Stain in one of his notebooks and daydreaming. Every teacher that came in to greet the class blended together as the same to him. Stiff, boring and looking down there nose at everyone.
The only teacher interesting enough to capture his attention was, ironically, the art teacher, who entered the room in a whole cartwheel, and brought candy in for the class. He wore a white a bandana around his forehead, and had a bit of stubble along his jaw, the same ashy blonde colour as his hair. He was quite the character, but he stood out to Shuichi as a good guy. Even though every other student in class seemed to collectively cringe at his arrival. Something about the man was a little off, nothing that bothered Shuichi, but he would assume the reason the rest of the class looked so apprehensive toward the teacher was the way he spoke when he started.
He spoke like he was two men fighting over the same body, constantly corrected himself, and any compliment he gave he followed up with some petty insult. Shuichi could only assume it was something to do with his quirk. Whatever that quirk was, it didn’t impair his ability at all as a teacher, so he didn’t mind, and boy was he a great teacher.
Even if it was only the first day, he’d already made up his mind that this teacher was his favourite. He was welcoming and instructive, treating every student in class like he personally knew them. Like they were family. He let everyone pretty much take leisure to do whatever their hearts content was in their art, and it didn’t take a big hint for Shuichi to notice the way the man only punished the students that whispered behind Shuichi’s back. Even if punishment was a strong word. Stain would have given them harsher.
That class ended too soon, the jingle of the bell signaling it was time for lunch. This school, unlike his last, actually had a cafeteria. Which was actually a pretty devastating realization when his entire class got up to leave the classroom rather than stay to eat. A devastating realization he’d have to find a place to sit among the crowd of normals and risk rejection. Instead of risking it, he opted to check if the door to the roof was unlocked and eat there.
It was a little past the upperclassman wing when he noticed the guy from the train this morning talking to a teacher in the hall. His shaggy grey-blue hair was a pretty descriptor that made him stand out. He wasn’t sure how immoral he thought it was to eavesdrop on the conversation, but if he waited long enough for it to end he could catch the guy in a conversation. Something he’d been dying to do since early this morning.
“Look. It was an accident.” The boy's voice was smooth, but it shook, like it was taking everything in him not to explode. His eyes trailed the ground rather than facing the teacher in question, and his hands reached up to scratch harshly at his neck. Clawing at it like his life depended on it. Like he wanted to break free from his own flesh. He never gazed up to meet the teacher's judgmental eyes. And boy were they judgemental.
The man didn’t look pleased, and he looked down at the student like he’d personally offended him. “You have always been a problem student in this school and you continue to be. I’ve given you more than a countless amount of chances to be better and you continue to disappoint me. You’re disrespectful to teachers and students, you scare other students and I wouldn’t be surprised if at this point you did not graduate. You have no determination to do any real work and put nothing of effort into school. Then you even have the nerve to sneak out of school? Your run in with the hero killer has put you on record. We are a school that cares about our students' grades and keeping up appearances, even if we’re not the best in the region.”
He looked like he wanted to continue, and Shuichi’s mind raced with questions, perplexed and frustrated. But the words left his mouth before he had the chance to stop them.
“Hey! You say that like he’s some villain! He’s just a student. So what if he had a run-in with Stain? That’s not his fault. You’re punishing him for a slim reason. Something you wouldn’t even get fired over! You’re a teacher, you’re supposed to be helping your students! Not berating them.” He knew he was practically seething. He felt embarrassed.
He wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he met eyes with the other guy again, but it wasn’t wide blown eyes and gritted teeth. He didn’t expect the scratching at his neck to get worse. “I don’t need your ‘help’, you're making it worse.” He hissed.
The asshole of a teacher looked absolutely floored, and blinked a few times before regaining his composure. He spoke carefully, “young man. When you see I am having a conversation here with another student, you do not come and interrupt me and speak out of turn. That makes a detention for the two of you after school today, and if this behavior continues, that means a suspension.” Now he was just power tripping, and he looked pretty fucking pleased with himself.
“After school detention, I'll be calling both of your parents.” Fuck. “Now, both of you, get to lunch.” The red eyed boy’s shoulders slumped, and all that wrath fell from his face. He looked absolutely defeated. So much smaller. He almost wanted to ask the other boy if he was okay, perplexed by such a change in body language. But he didn’t think it would help any.
The teacher left the hallway, and suddenly it felt so much colder. The hallway felt so much more empty when it was just the two of them, standing defeated.
The gray haired boy mumbled something incoherent, practically stomping away, and Shuichi nearly tripped over himself in a hurry to follow. “H-hey wait!”
The other guy halted to a stop suddenly, nearly causing a collision between them. “What.”
He felt anxiety well in the pit of his stomach. It was already so difficult talking to students who saw him as an animal they went to school with, but talking to one who held complete indifference was almost worse somehow. “You… met Stain? You really met him?” He tried to sound indifferent, rather than hopeful and excited. He could tell he failed.
He gave a shaky sigh. “It’s always about Stain with all of you. ‘Stain this’ and ‘Stain that’. I’m not just your daily news entertainment to hear about Stain from and fantasize about Stain through. I bet you didn’t even fucking know who I was before Stain got brought up huh? Like I’m not even my own person!” He punctuated that sentence with a hiss, and the sound of his footsteps echoing as he left Shuichi standing alone in the hallway was deafening.
He stood gaping like a fish, perplexed, and when the words finally settled, so did the guilt in the pit of his stomach. What the fuck had he even been thinking bringing that up? It was pretty evident not everyone was a fan of Stain the way he was, and running into the infamous serial killer without meaning to was probably something close to traumatizing.
If the whole school knew about it, he could only imagine how much negative attention the other boy must’ve been getting. Being treated like an amusement because of a traumatic event that happened. He was no stranger to that. To being gawked at. Yet he had no sympathy and only ignorance over something he could have recognized.
The guilt sat with him throughout the rest of the day, and the curiosity over him only grew. He was a new distraction even Stain sketches couldn’t overshadow.
Considering they were in a school of over 500 kids, he was pleasantly surprised when he managed to get any information out of his classmates about the guy. His lab partner was the girl with the feline quirk, and she jumped on the chance to gossip about another student, even if she did look him over hesitantly for asking. It served as a great distraction from just how bad she was at science.
“Shimura’s in the grade just below us. I don’t think he has any friends. No one really likes him because he’s a spoiled brat. He’s always throwing tantrums. He’s gotten into fights. Breaks things. Leaves school. And, like, he always does this weird neck scratching thing. Everyone I know who’s ever tried to hang out with him came out of it like, traumatized. He is not fun. Hates everything.”
Shuichi let her words sink in, not sure how much he actually trusted her judgement. He wasn’t naive to believe everyone was right about every bad trait they labeled people with, and he wasn’t a stranger to people spreading lies and false gossip. But if any of what she said was true, it definitely explained the teacher's attitude towards him.
She happily seemed to take his question as an invitation to gossip about the rest of the school to him though. He only half paid attention, his attention only being picked up again at the mention of Endeavor’s son. He was surprised at the very least that Endeavor would’ve sent any of his kids to a public school like this one. Rather than some fancy private academy. But maybe, hopefully it humbled them, and they weren’t some rich snob who’d bully him at the drop of a hat. Endeavor didn’t exactly have the best track record being kind to his own fans, he wouldn’t be shocked if his son was just as much of an asshole.
It was only halfway through his second to last class when his parents came to pick him up early and the whispers behind his back followed him till he was finally out of the building. The scent of the warm spring air felt freeing from that clean chemical smell that hung in every hall. It was nice to enjoy what actually became of the day.
His mom followed behind him, while his father walked close by his side, every few moments looking back to him with an easy smile, expectantly, but he kept quiet. His mom on the other hand already began giving him rough pats on the shoulder, her questions never ending.
“How was it? Make any friends? Tell me what you thought.”
“Uh..no.”
“No?”
“Nah, I didn’t make any friends.”
Shuichi searched for a topic changer, talking with his family about what didn’t go well or what bothered him only ever made them feel worse, and guilty, like they’d somehow failed as parents. All attempts they made to fix problems only ever seemed to make it worse. He’d much prefer they live in blissful ignorance.
“There’s a kid in my school that’s supposedly related to Endeavor.” His mom's eyes flickered in slight interest, but her frown deepened, not taking the bait. Luckily his dad had no hesitation.
“Is there now? Wow. A kid of the number two hero even? What’re they like? Are they nice? Are they cute?”
“What? No! I didn’t even meet him. I only heard about him.” He sighed a little. “I don’t even think they’re in the same grade.”
“Oh..okay.” His father replied, the conversation dying off as it always seemed to. That’s how it always seemed to be anymore between the three of them. The walk home was filled with silence.
It was only about an hour before he would have to make his way over to the neighbors house that Shuichi was actually reminded of the babysitting job he’d agreed to take weeks ago. He silently cursed himself that his past self had forfeited him the opportunity to spend the rest of the day getting lost in Grand Theft Auto.
He’d dreaded agreeing to this job, but it was his mom who’d convinced him. Having extra money for himself to spend on games and merch was the winning factor, she just wanted some kind of activities to get him out of the house and give him some semblance of a life. More in the real world and less stuck in a video game.
He at least made an effort to pretend he was prepared, but everything he learned about this girl he was supposed to be babysitting he’d already forgotten. Hell, he wasn’t sure if he was gonna be watching a toddler or ten year old.
He checked the mail before leaving, bringing in various unsurprising stacks of bills and advertisements. It was only a little surprising to see his own name addressed on one of the various white envelopes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever actually gotten his own mail, and he was a little too excited to see his name printed on something, but he’d have to wait till later to actually read whatever it was.
The neighbors' house was, frankly, a lot nicer than their own. A white picket fence separated them from his own, white roses and peonies decorated the front garden, and a stone pond he could only guess held koi fish created a relaxing atmosphere of steady, streaming water. The picture perfect baby blue home he could only imagine a very happy, very well off family resided in. His own family’s perfect foils.
The golden haired woman that answered the door for him was beautiful, the exact kind of woman he would expect to own the practical doll-house she lived in. She wore pearl earrings and the kind of dress he’d only seen people wear at weddings and funerals. She gave him a small smile, it was just forced enough for Shuichi to catch.
“…can I .. help you?” Her brows creased.
“I’m Shuichi. I’m here to watch… uhm..”
“You’re Shuichi? You’re Kumiko’s son?”
He nodded, resisting every urge to become confrontational about her surprise.
“… I see.. oh..” She didn’t look entirely thrilled to be letting him in, but she did nonetheless.
“Himiko is in the living room practicing her little violin. Akihiro and I will be back around twenty o’clock.. I left food in the fridge for you to heat up for dinner. Please make sure she has her homework done by fifteen o’clock. She’s not allowed sweets. At all. Make sure she’s not watching any television and reads her assigned book by seventeen o’clock. If there is a problem, I left my number on the fridge.” The woman guided him as she spoke, entering an absolutely pristine living room where the girl sat.
Himiko must have been around thirteen, she still wore her school uniform, and her hair, the same as her mother's, was in neat little pigtails at the sides of her hair. She was practicing the violin, so immersed in it she hadn’t even seemed to notice them entering. He almost felt jealous watching her play, she was no prodigy but she was good. Better than he had ever been at any instrument. She looked… happy. Happier than he could ever remember himself being. The pure passion in which she played reminded him of just how empty he felt inside.
Her mother left in a hurry, jumping at the opportunity his back turned to leave. Shuichi only caught a glimpse of Himiko’s father before they were long gone.
The girl ended her playing when the door snapped closed, and looked up to Shuichi with curious cat-like eyes. Adjusting to make herself more presentable.
“Oh, hey. You’re like, twelve or so right? You seem like you got a hang of the taking care of yourself thing. Do whatever you want I guess.. but you know, make sure you get your homework done at some point or whatever. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” He rambled on for a bit, already starting to slink away.
He didn’t miss how her honey colored eyes widened, and the cheeriest smile made its way to her face. “Anything I want… Yes!” She practically squealed, and Shuichi decided maybe this babysitting thing wasn’t the way he could have spent his evening if he could make a kid happy like that.
A few hours passed before Himiko came to the kitchen to greet him again. He’d long since completed the bit of homework he had and was nursing the anxious feeling that he was forgetting something important by occupying his mind with old news reports of Stain. The young girl already had her moment to peak over his shoulder and catch sight of the article he’d be scrolling through before he could put him phone away, and her eyes sparkled.
“Are you reading about Stain?” Pure unbridled joy seeped from her voice like honey.
“Uh- yeah-no. I’m just reading the news.” He stumbled over his words, failing to find an excuse.
“Read it to me. I wanna see.”
“… you wouldn’t like it. It’s boring. Besides, you’re too young to hear about that kind of stuff.” He tried to reason.
Himiko pouted, puffing out her chubby cheeks insolently. “But you said I could do whatever I want. This is what I want.”
He paused for a moment, cursing himself that what he said really came back to bite him in the ass. She deserved the independence to do whatever she wanted as long as it didn’t cause harm, but he didn’t want his first babysitting job to blow up in shambles because his too-good-for-him neighbors found out he was teaching their daughter about the hero killer.
He did what he did best, and found a change of subject. “You’re parents… they seem really strict, huh?”
The girl's face fell, that question completely dampening the mood. “Er. Well, yeah. At some point when I was little they became strict. They just want me to be normal, ya know… and you know, I guess that takes a lot of work and effort when it’s hard to do so they have to keep track of a lot to make sure I don’t end up ruining all that progress it took. Now it feels like.. they want to be more perfect than just normal. But it’s fine, cause, I’m happy! Y’know? I can act normal and be happy. Those things go hand in hand when I keep everything together!” A large overbearing smile practically ate her face. It hurt his heart a little how utterly bullshit it all was, what a fake role she was playing.
“Well… hey. You’re as normal as the rest of us. Whether you keep trying to be.. or whether you be more.. yourself. Even if you’re a little weird or a little different. You’re.. you, and you’re as everyone else. I’ve always been labeled the ‘not normal one’ and for… for a really long time I believed it. That I was separated from everyone else by something. But everything I experience and feel is the same as everyone else.”
They were words he’d never even really thought of before that conversation. But they were words he knew he wished someone had told him a long time ago. He wasn’t sure how much what he said was just for the girl now anymore.
She looked doll-like as she blinked up at him, almost dumbfounded, she then proceeded to smile softly. “Why would anyone treat you like you’re not normal?” She shook her head. Her question was so genuine, and it caught him off guard. Part of him felt so happy she didn’t see his quirk the way he did.
“Because of my quirk… I was born with these gecko features.. and, especially in my old hometown there weren't a lot of other heteromorphs. So, I was always the odd one out. People labeled me the freaky one.”
She blinked a few times, a new pout coming to her face. “I think that’s stupid.”
He laughed. A little taken aback.
“Your quirk doesn’t even hurt anyone. It’s just how you look.. you’re kind and sweet to me.. and you can’t even hide that. It’s not fair.” She rambled on, far more sympathetic and worrying than he’d expected a preteen to be.
“Yeah, I think it’s stupid to. As long as you’re not hurting anybody, being different doesn’t make you abnormal.”
She was silent for a little while, he assumed this was a positive. “…Iguchi-San?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for helping me. You’re really nice. A lot nicer than anyone else, and you deserve to be treated normal.” She gave him a soft smile, her words so genuine. He didn’t miss how feigned her smile was.
He wanted to smile too, but the only thing he could think of was just how heartbreaking those words were to hear from a little girl. Just how ugly the world had been.
