Bright Flames, Dark Shadows: My Hero Academia

There were few things you've wanted in life. Yet, as cruel as the world was, the things that one wanted were never the easily accessible ones. The kind of goals which you'd set would turn into a long list of failures. Regardless, your mother has taught you that no matter how hard it was, if you smiled, things would turn out okay.

So you smiled a lot. Through the disdainful stares of your father, and the occasions when your mother would get that far away look in her eyes, as if she was seeing someone else where you stood. When your brother got hurt by her, you smiled, trying to cheer him up. Maybe that wasn't the best choice, he didn't seem very happy.

You haven't seen your mother since then. Your big sister said she was at the hospital, but you couldn't visit her. Dad still came home every day as if nothing had happened.

It took you years to realize what had happened. How he had broken her down until she saw no other way to escape him. How he forced this marriage on her for his own ego. Yet, despite all that, you smiled at him when he passed you in the house.

You'd show him that despite his attempts to raise your brother to become the greatest hero, you'd take that title.

Because your father, Todoroki Enji, was an arrogant prick.

A letter had arrived just a few days ago, addressed to you. Well, multiple letters really, but only one of them mattered.

What were the names written on the envelopes?

[] Todoroki ______

This is where most of your issues were stemming from. Three recommendation letters from three separate schools. You can't really attend all of them, and whichever you choose is likely going to be the one you're stuck with for the rest of your education. The fact that your name was what earned you those letters left a bad taste in your mouth, but it didn't matter-

You'd have passed any exam they gave you anyway.

In the end, though, the choice was clear.

What did that clarity lead you to?

[] U.A. High, your father's alma mater and your brother's chosen school. It has some of the best facilities in the world, not just the country, and peerless teachers.
[] Shiketsu High, a more militant and proper school. Students are expected to uphold the values of the school even outside of the premises. Some heroes from that school are in the top pro hero rankings nowadays.
[] Ketsubutsu Academy, a public-funded hero school, remarkably resilient even in the times where most children prefer the private schools. One might say it's a place for rejects that didn't make the cut elsewhere, but their students have often clashed with those of U.A. during inter school events, and not rarely come out victorious.

Sure, you haven't inherited the same quirk as your twin, but that didn't matter to you. People who used their quirks as an excuse to decide on who could or couldn't be a successful hero were just like your father. You had your own aces up your sleeves. If you had to describe your quirk, you'd say it's...

[] … like the spotlight shining onto a movie star.
[] … kind of a drag to explain.
[] … unappealing and loud, like a kindergarten class.
[] … a vegetable knife, straight and narrow.

EXP bars and the like don't fit into my idea of the setting. As you are a student, and aren't just supposed to grind power levels up to a max, you're going to make a list of goals. Things that you wish to accomplish, be their minor or major, with bonuses and perks granted based on how and how well you accomplish (or fail) those goals. Being able to come back from a failure is as important as taking the momentum of your successes and building up on them. Goals are split up into three categories.

Minor goals grant you minor perks. These might not always improve your overall skill at being a hero, but can be things like a 'healthy state of mind' for a given period, or 'a favor you can call in'. Minor goals are usually easy to accomplish. At any given point, you have three minor goals.

Major goals grant you more significant perks. Achieving a major goal can take up an entire arc, or sometimes more. There's a good chance you fail them if you don't dedicate yourself enough, and even then, not all things we set out to do might work. Achieving a major goal often comes with a good, tall step into the direction of becoming a successful hero. At any given point you have up to two major goals.

Obsessions. You, Todoroki Rin, are spiteful. There's possibly no other hero in the world who has become such out of such hostile emotions. Where others see a weakness, you have a certain drive. You can't always pick your obsessions, and there's no limit to how many you can have, but achieving them has consequences on a scale that you can't fathom. Simply having an obsession can shift where things go.