Dragonspawn (My Hero Academia SI)

[Professor Vesca]

Wider than Vlad? Kenshin must be a walking cube.

I don't know why you'd trust a repairman, those were meant to stand up to the strength of a dragon.

Ooooh, you came so close to telling them.

Click to shrink...

Wide Kenshin walking.

 

[Kadath]

But nobody has foreseen that Japan is going to fall into a Warlord state.

Click to shrink...

Nedzu: "woah, woah, I don't like that word..."
All-might: "what, Japan?"
Nedzu: "no of course not-- it's the W word"
All-might: "warlord?"
Nedzu: "yes"
All-might, sighing: "alright, the Citizens With Powerful Quirks are-"

 

[Mizu]

"I'm sorry, Ryuuzaki. I know it's not what you want." He shook his massive head. "But as your father, it is my responsibility to look after your safety. And UA has demonstrated they cannot be trusted with it."

"You trusted them with Ryuko for three years!" Ryuuzaki retorted, folding her arms angrily.

"Ryuko's class was never attacked by villains, not just once, nor twice, but three different times." He replied calmly. "Ryuko wasn't kidnapped and nearly murdered while on the school's watch."

Click to shrink...

Ahh, the downsides of being near the Protagonist Class. Or just attending school at the same time as 'em.

"Good. To answer your question, if other Hero Schools aren't any safer… then maybe you don't need to become a Hero."

"What- what are you talking about?!" Ryuuzaki replied, anger written large across her face. "Of course I need to become a Hero!"

"But why? Why do you need to put yourself through such danger?"

Click to shrink...

Also an excellent point, and while I can understand why Ryuuzaki feels she wants to be one - desire to save folk coupled with feelings of guilt for reincarnation iirc - her dad also has a point in that other jobs involve saving folk without putting yourself in danger. Doctors, scientist, firefighters... wait, not that last one.

 

[Revlid]

I was initially surprised by the absence of one particular argument, here, which is that there's no guarantee that removing Ryuuzaki from UA would take her out of danger at all. At least three times now she's been specifically targeted by villains, and while Fujiwara might be behind bars, she personally and very publicly helped take down Stain and All For One; there are any number of people who'd want her head, possibly literally, either as revenge or to make a name for themselves. Even setting those semi-organised villains aside, Toga's still out there, presumably busily familiarising herself with the scaly fandom.

Then I realised that argument obviously wouldn't come up, not because it isn't a valid point, but because no-one in the room would point it out.

• Kenshin wouldn't say it, because (even assuming he has the full picture, which is no guarantee) it runs counter to his parental instinct of keeping his daughter close and removing her from the frontlines, and would force him to acknowledge that there might not be a safe haven for her at the moment, much less at home.
• Tatsuma wouldn't say it, because she has more fundamental, emotional objections to being removed from UA that she has to deliver first, and it might not really occur to her that her parents don't yet understand that the "frontline" is potentially everywhere.
• And Vlad certainly wouldn't say it, because it comes uncomfortably close to a) suggesting his student is partly at fault for these attacks happening at all (not true, and he wouldn't say it if it were), and b) hanging a passive threat over his student's family that would encourage them to live in fear.

Also an excellent point, and while I can understand why Ryuuzaki feels she wants to be one - desire to save folk coupled with feelings of guilt for reincarnation iirc - her dad also has a point in that other jobs involve saving folk without putting yourself in danger. Doctors, scientist, firefighters... wait, not that last one.

Click to shrink...

I mean, she's fireproof, so unless she decides to put out a housefire at the bottom of a volcano, she'll probably be fine.

 

[Byzantine]

It's true that before recent events if she withdrew she would likely stay out of the line of fire, at least until it ended up everywhere.

But she's met the big bad. She ruined the plans of the egotistical vengeful and murderous successor he's trained. She is no longer capable of running and having it succeed at keeping her out of things. They have a teleporter and they will come for her, if only because she pissed them off, and it gives them an ironic way to strike at their real target.

That's half the reason all for one was planning to kill her.

 

[Blackout]

I was initially surprised by the absence of one particular argument, here, which is that there's no guarantee that removing Ryuuzaki from UA would take her out of danger at all. At least three times now she's been specifically targeted by villains, and while Fujiwara might be behind bars, she personally and very publicly helped take down Stain and All For One; there are any number of people who'd want her head, possibly literally, either as revenge or to make a name for themselves. Even setting those semi-organised villains aside, Toga's still out there, presumably busily familiarising herself with the scaly fandom.

Then I realised that argument obviously wouldn't come up, not because it isn't a valid point, but because no-one in the room would point it out.

• Kenshin wouldn't say it, because (even assuming he has the full picture, which is no guarantee) it runs counter to his parental instinct of keeping his daughter close and removing her from the frontlines, and would force him to acknowledge that there might not be a safe haven for her at the moment, much less at home.
• Tatsuma wouldn't say it, because she has more fundamental, emotional objections to being removed from UA that she has to deliver first, and it might not really occur to her that her parents don't yet understand that the "frontline" is potentially everywhere.
• And Vlad certainly wouldn't say it, because it comes uncomfortably close to a) suggesting his student is partly at fault for these attacks happening at all (not true, and he wouldn't say it if it were), and b) hanging a passive threat over his student's family that would encourage them to live in fear.

Click to shrink...

I mean yeah, you got it in one. Ryuuzaki sort of touched on it with the "Do you think that other Hero Schools would be any safer?" argument, but when Kenshin suggested he wouldn't allow her to become a Hero at all, her first response is not going to be a rational risk assessment, but an emotional appeal on why she wants to become a Hero.

Perhaps it would have come up had the argument carried on, but it didn't. I didn't want to drag it out any further than was needed, and it would have distracted from the real emotional meat of the scene, which was Kenshin's protective parental instinct vs Ryuuzaki's hopes and dreams, resonating with his own activist past.

 

[Phyrexian]

Just caught up, seems I chose a great time to binge this story! I've really enjoyed it so far!

 

[Blackout]

The new UA dormitories were arranged in a row along a curving avenue, U-shaped brown and white buildings embodying the grandiose architecture UA was known for. Huge white stone columns, enormous oak doors and arched, wall-spanning windows were easily visible even beyond the brick fence surrounding each building, topped off with overhanging bushes. By all accounts, UA seemed to have once again gone Plus Ultra in providing for its students.

And there, on the other side of the fence, just around the corner, were my classmates. I could hear them talking animatedly, but it was like a low, muffled murmur at the edge of my hearing. Instinctively, I reached over to unplug my ears, only to realize there was nothing there.

Humans just can't hear conversations at a distance behind an obstacle.

I huffed in annoyance, crossing my arms. Vlad King raised his remaining eyebrow, turning to look at me.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no." I couldn't help the blush of embarrassment. "Just, um, trying to get used to the little things."

He nodded, closing the car door behind him. "That's the only way to do it. One thing at a time."

The lawyer my parents had retained had advised us that it was best I not go out in public as a dragon, just to avoid any legal difficulties stemming from the fact that I now had other options. But equally, it didn't seem like a great idea to have me try to make my way across the city on my own, so it had been agreed upon that Vlad King would pick me up on the moving-in day.

"Are you ready?" He asked, looking towards the entrance.

Then, there was of course the other reason I had arrived with Vlad King.

"Y-yeah. Like we talked about."

I could hear the muffled gasps of horror, as the others saw Vlad King's new appearance. Exclamations of shock, sorrow, even gladness that he was at least alive. I took the time to prepare myself, leaning against the fence, waiting until I heard Vlad King raise his voice.

"-But there is someone you need to meet first."

That was my cue.

I started walking, keeping a hand on the fence for balance.

It was funny. I could do push-ups until I got bored of counting but I couldn't walk twenty meters unsupported without tripping over my own two feet.

All right Ryuuzaki, you can do this. It's fine, they're your friends.

I took a deep breath and rounded the corner.

The others were gathered in a loose semicircle around Vlad King, standing on the steps leading up the house.

All at once, nineteen heads turned around to look at me. My skin felt like it was tingling.

"Uh… Hi, guys." I swallowed, fighting my hardest not to wilt under their stares. "I-"

"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

My train of thought came to a screeching halt as I saw the confused lack of recognition in Itsuka's eyes. I had planned it all out. What I was going to say. What I was going to do. I'd even rehearsed it in front of a mirror once. But for all that, put on the spot, they fled me like water leaking through a sieve.

Leaving me there standing dumbly as the others stared at me, the moment stretching on until it started to become unbearable, but nothing came out of my mind..

"Hold on." I saw Yui shoulder her way past Tetsutetesu and Yoarashi. "I'd recognize that voice anywhere."

She was… really short. I remembered always being a head taller than her when we were younger, but she didn't even come up to my shoulder now.

"Huh." She tilted her head to the side, looking me up and down. "I don't know what I expected."

"..." I hesitated, still unsure of what to say.

"Let me guess, it didn't occur to you that they wouldn't recognize you?"

"Uh…"

I wasn't really sure what I was about to say, but whatever it was was interrupted by her throwing her arms around my midsection, pressing her head into my chest as she hugged me close.

"You big dumb idiot."

"Wait…" Itsuka blinked slowly, realization dawning on her face. "...Ryuuzaki? Is that you?"

"Um. Yeah."

As soon as the words left my mouth, the world erupted in an explosion of noise, exclamations of shock and questions.

"Holy shit."

"Wait, but I thought-"

"Is that why-"

"Oh, wow."

"Why didn't-"

"So that's what-"

"-Eeeeeeeeeeeee-"

All of that, however, flew by me as a pair of yelling orange and blonde missiles slammed into me and Yui, enveloping us in a flying tackle-group hug.

It lasted for only a fraction of a second before my already-fragile balance was sent careening over the tipping point, stumbling and then falling backwards like a tree trunk, landing on my back with a hefty thud, the group hug transitioning into more like a group pile.

Tokage, a few steps behind Itsuka and Pony, hesitated for a few moments- and that was when an errant, floating horn gave her a push between the shoulder blades, sending her stumbling into the heap as well.

I allowed myself to relax into the embrace, tension slowly bleeding off of my shoulders.

My friends piled on top of me, laughing, squirming, hugging me- it was...

It was nice. It felt genuinely good.

I swept the four of them into my arms and then struggled to my feet, lifting them in the air. Pony was still babbling a semi-incoherent but happy stream of english while Itsuka was beaming broadly and even Yui returned the embrace with a slight but content smile. For her part Tokage seemed a mix of glad and confused, as if her brain was struggling to catch up with what was happening.

"Is that really you?"

"Yep!" I smiled, squeezing them tight, followed by a lot of protesting and flailing limbs.

"Ribs ribs ribs ribs!"

"Sorry." I relaxed my arms, letting them fall out of my hold to the ground- a drop of about a foot or so.

Pony stumbled on her hooves, disorientated, blinking up at me a few times, before smiling and throwing her arms around my midsection with a loud squee, rubbing her cheek against me.

"You're really here!"

"Yeah," I said, gently patting her in the back. "I am."

"But how?" Tokage questioned, still looking as if she was in a daze. "I thought you couldn't turn back?"

"Well. Um. It's a long story." I stuttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "But during the battle… there was somebody I couldn't save as a dragon."

An awkward pause followed, everyone just kind of looking at each other, unsure of what to say to that.

"Well, that's our Vice-President for you!" Monoma exclaimed, breaking the silence. "As expected of her."

"And yet you guys didn't even recognize your own VP." I crossed my arms and shook my head in mock indignation.

"I did!" Itsuka exclaimed, puffing a little. "It just… took a bit. I remember the old pictures when we were over at your house, but you look… different."

"Yeah!" Tetsutetsu agreed enthusiastically, looking up at me. "What the heck have they been feeding you- nothing but raw meat for the last three years?"

"The meat wasn't… raw," I replied lamely, but the others nonetheless apparently found it hilarious, erupting into laughter.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. This was fine.

My classmates crowded around me, offering congratulations, well-wishes and pats on the back.

"Tatsuma! I knew you would pull through!"

Yoarashi tried to offer me a hand to clasp but I used it to pull him into an embrace as well. Out of my classmates, besides Bondo he was the only one to even approach me in height, but that didn't stop me from lifting him clean off the ground.

"Nope, you're getting hugged too." I told him as he let out a pained wheeze, but still reciprocated the hug with his customary enthusiasm. "Don't think I've forgotten about that fire cyclone."

"A-ah!" He rasped breathlessly, before I let go of him. "A real Hero… will always find a way to help their friends!"

"Even if it means working with Shoto Todoroki?"

"It seems that I may have underestimated him!" Yarashi exclaimed with a laugh, throwing back his head. "He has some spark in him, if nothing else." He shook his head, adopting a more serious expression. "You were right. A Hero's role is to save others, not judge them. If it meant getting you back, I would have worked with Endeavour if I had to."

"I'm… glad to be back." I said, rubbing my arm. "It's just a lot to take in."

"I can't even imagine." Kuroiro said. "Coma patients often have to spend months if not years in rehabilitation."

"Yeah. Well, not quite that bad. They have to deal with physical degr- degradation." I felt the flush of embarrassment on my face as I stuttered the word. "Thanks to my Quirk, I'm still in perfect shape."

"Yeah, we noticed." Tsubaraba noted.

"So, um, I just need to get used to being human again. I mean, that's still a lot to deal with. It's… hard. Like talking. Dragons don't have lips, so the sounds are formed in the throat." I fidgeted in place, feeling everyone's eyes on me. "But, um, I think Vlad King wanted to say a few things? Before we got started with moving in?"

"Indeed." Vlad King took the cue, clapping his hands together and drawing all eyes on him. It had been his idea- he'd told me in the car that if things got too much, if I felt like I was being overwhelmed, I could nudge the conversation forward and he'd take over to give me a little bit of breathing room.

"I am glad to see all of you were able to acquire parental permission to attend." He began, standing on the steps leading up to the house. "In a moment, I'll give you a brief overview of your future dorms, and then you can get started on moving in. But before that, I wanted to say a few words."

He clasped his hands behind his back, glancing across the crowd of students.

"All-Might has retired."

It was such an obvious statement. Of course he had. Everyone had seen the broadcast- even I, as I had been loaded onto a special ambulance truck to be evacuated.

"It's your turn now."

But to hear it spoken so clearly, so matter-of-factly…

"We placed all of our hopes, all of our burdens, upon one man. And now he can no longer bear them. So it falls to us to step up. Now, more than ever, your education is of the highest priority. On the night of the attack upon the Training Camp, I was proud to see you conduct yourselves in a manner befitting Heroes. I wish, however, that I could say the same about the events of the night after. Kendo. Tokage. Tsunotori. Yoarashi." Each name fell from his lips like a writ of execution, the mood of the gathering instantly turning into nervous foreboding.

Nobody dared to say a word.

"On the night of the Kamino battle, instead of returning home as ordered, you decided to go out and search for Tatsuma yourselves. You lied to UA that you had arranged to be picked up by your parents, while simultaneously telling them you were being held in the hospital overnight. You took the law into your own hands by running head-first into the middle of the largest Pro-Hero operation in the last ten years. You abused the trust placed upon you and went against both explicit instructions and everything you have been taught at this academy. I expected better of you. Especially you, Kendo. As Class President, you are entrusted to look after the Class in my absence. I am disappointed."

"But- but the pros didn't know about the second hideout." Pony argued, crossing her arms. "If we hadn't done that- nobody would have found them!"

"Did you?" Vlad King asked simply. "Did you know about the second hideout?"

"Well, no-"

"Then how did you find it?"

Silence reigned.

"Tokage?"

"We, um, we lost the location of the first hideout. So we… started searching."

"You stumbled upon the second hideout by accident, while making illegal searches with unauthorized use of your Quirks." Vlad King stated flatly. "Then, instead of calling it in or warning anyone about the Nomu, you decided to break into the hideout of the most dangerous villain in Japan, narrowly missing him again through sheer random chance."

"We knew what we were getting into." Yoarashi replied defiantly, as Pony nodded. "We accepted the consequences."

"Did you now? What do you think All For One would have done with you, had you decided to enter only a few minutes earlier?"

"He… would have taken our Quirks," Pony said. "Or killed us."

Vlad King sighed in disappointment. "Think, Tsunotori. I know you are smarter than this."

"All For One… would have had eight hostages, instead of two," Itsuka mumbled, her eyes downcast.

"And more importantly, he would have known the Heroes were coming. Armed with these factors, he would have turned the raid into a slaughter." He turned away slightly. "It was a near enough thing already. Would we be standing here, mourning All-Might's retirement? Or would we be attending his funeral?"

Pony made a choking noise.

"You are in training to become Heroes, so you need to understand this: the consequences of your actions do not stop at you. When you take risks, it's not just yourselves you're putting in danger, but your fellow Heroes and, inevitably, innocent civilians. Did they know the risks as well? Did they accept them?"

"We-well, it didn't happen."

"Does a drunk driver need to hit anyone to deserve punishment?" Vlad King asked pointedly, stepping closer. "Or does success vindicate any amount of risks taken to reach the end result? Is that how you believe a Hero should think?"

Pony bowed her head, her gaze squarely at her feet.

"By all rights, I should expel you four, and then all the rest of you save Tatsuma, for not stopping this." Vlad King shook his head slowly. I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off before I could even say anything. "But, I have been persuaded otherwise. You did eventually call in the proper authorities, and in the end you avoided engaging the villains directly. So, in this new world we live in, without All-Might, it has been decided that you should be afforded leniency."

I saw the others glance around at each other with a mixture of relief and nervousness.

"However, even if the school will not take disciplinary action, that still leaves the four of you to answer for unlawful Quirk usage and interfering with a law enforcement operation. A detective will be by to talk to you tomorrow, but I've been told that you shouldn't expect more than a warning and a permanent mark on your records."

"But-" Pony began, but Vlad King didn't allow her to finish.

"You told me just now that you accepted the consequences of your actions from that night. Are you now refusing to accept what amounts to a comparative slap on the wrist?"

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she shook her head.

Vlad King swept his gaze across the class and nodded. "Now. Onto the reason we're here. These are the Heights Alliance." He explained, turning around to gesture towards the row of huge buildings. "One dormitory per class, in alphabetical order. 1-A is to our left, 1-C and onwards to our right. Follow me."

He led us up the stone steps leading up to the front door, a metal guard rail running alongside the path. I drew a lot of weird looks as I walked with one hand on it for support.

"Is that- ohhh I get it." Tsubaraba wondered aloud. "You're probably more used to walking on four legs."

"And with a tail for a counterweight" I mumbled. "Frankly, I want to go back in time and give whichever of our ancestors decided it was a good idea a piece of my mind, because this is ridiculous."

I pushed myself off of the rail to walk the last five or so meters to the front door, managing to only wobble on my legs once along the way until I caught a hold of the doorframe.

The inside of the dormitories was as grandiose as the outside, as we entered into a vast ring-shaped room encircling the entire building, lined with couches, televisions, tables and more. At the center of the building was an enclosed outdoors courtyard with bushes and grass visible through the ceiling-height windows.

"This is your common area. Kitchens, laundry rooms, dining areas, showers and baths can be found here," He said, gesturing at the doors lining the outside of the ring-shaped room. "And yes, those last two are separated by gender."

"Damn, the first floor alone is bigger than our entire house." Kuroiro whistled. "And this is just the common areas?"

Slowly, the sullen atmosphere that had dominated the group began to fade, as people started to take in our new living space.

"The upper floors are separated into two wings. Left for boys, right for girls. Eight rooms per floor, up to the fifth. Your room assignments are on the wall." He gestured towards a pair of placards mounted above each elevator, displaying the layout of the building. I peered closer, looking for my own name.

Second floor, fourth room on the right.

"One student per room, you've got refrigerators, air conditioning, closets and a private bathroom. The luggage you sent out ahead has already been delivered to your rooms." Vlad King continued, turning on his heel to regard us. "Today is for moving in and getting your rooms in order. Owing to everything that has happened, it has been decided that you should be allocated some time to acclimatize yourselves with your new living conditions, and as such classes will only resume next week. There will be some official activities as well, but you should take this time to establish a routine and get used to living together. You've been classmates for nearly half a year now, but as housemates you will be seeing each other a lot more. Curfew times and other basic rules are on the common room table, and a copy has been delivered to each of your rooms, but for the rest you should work with your Class Presidents to establish things like laundry rotations and sharing use of the kitchens."

-----

A few minutes later I stepped off of the elevator on the second floor, into a well-lit hallway, one side covered in a wall-spanning glass window showing the inner courtyard and the common areas and the other lined with four large doors, evenly spaced.

Belatedly, I realized Tokage had gotten off the elevator, as she stepped past me.

"You're on the second floor as well?"

"Yeah…" She trailed off, still looking downcast. "There's eight of us girls and four rooms each across four floors, so that's two per floor."

I hesitated as she walked towards her door on the other end of the row, trying to figure out what to say. When she turned the handle I finally just forced myself to blurt it out.

"Tokage?"

"What is it?"

"I wanted to say, um... thank you."

"I don't think Vlad King thinks we did anything worth being thankful for." She replied sullenly.

"Vlad King… he means well. I think he's just looking at the big picture." I sighed. "I'm not going to say he doesn't have a point… about what could have happened. But all the same, you guys came back for me. And I can't not- I appreciate what you did for me, is what I'm trying to say. So... thank you."

I paused for a moment, drumming my fingers against the drywall. I glanced at her face, at the too-pale patches of skin, the white streaks amidst her green hair.

"But not just that. Even before it… when Shigaraki was about to kill me." I looked away, the image of fingers reaching out for my face rising unbidden to the fore of my mind, the smell of preserved, dead flesh filling my nostrils.

"Even though it meant being disintegrated over and over. You saved my life."

"Well. You're welcome." She turned away, but I could see her smile, red creeping up the tips of her ears. "I just did what I thought was right."

I nodded, turning towards my own room, but just before her door closed I heard her pause.

"Tatsuma?"

"Yes?"

"After everything... you should call me Setsuna."

"Then call me Ryuuzaki."

-----

Several minutes later, I found myself still in the hallway, staring at a wooden mahogany door, the letters "Ryuuzaki Tatsuma" stamped onto a metal nameplate.

Come on. It's just a room.

After a few more heartbeats of indecision I turned the handle, opening the door.

It was a room.

A normal-sized room.

I swallowed.

Slipping inside, I saw the extra-length bed Ryuko had ordered, placed in the far corner of the room, A row of cabinets along the inner wall, and a basic desk opposite to them below a window. Several plastic storage boxes were piled in the middle of the room, and a small door led to a balcony.

I tried not to look at the ceiling, but that didn't make it go away. It stayed there, a presence I was constantly aware of at the back of my mind.

Trying my best to ignore it I walked up to the stack of boxes, carefully picking the topmost one up into my hands. The trick was, I'd learned, to just take it slowly. That way you can compensate if the weight isn't what you expect it to be.

I popped the lid open and started pulling out the clothes packed inside, before folding them and tossing them into one of the cabinets. Same kind goes on the same shelf, not that I had many kinds of clothing.

Rinse and repeat.

...

Eventually I couldn't take it anymore. I glanced upwards.

Immediately, I felt my throat tighten, my breaths becoming shallow. The ceiling felt both at once oppressively, claustrophobically close, and far, far too distant, as though I was an insect scuttling at the floor of some vast cavern.

I shook my head slowly, trying to make it stop spinning.

It's just a room.

I returned to putting my clothes away, but my hands didn't feel real. It was like I was watching a recording from behind someone else's eyes.

Slowly, methodically I picked up each piece and folded them up, focusing on the repetitive mechanical task. It helped. It felt real.

The feeling of the fabric beneath my fingers was real. It was solid, tangible. It didn't break when I squeezed it. I felt my eyes moisten as I ran my fingers over the cloth while I folded it, feeling the soft fabric, the seams, the hard metal of the zippers, the glossy, smooth surface of the letters and images...

It was a wealth of sensations I'd half-forgotten, to the point that I hadn't even known what I was missing.

Eventually I was startled out of my fugue by a sharp knock of knuckles on wood from the door.

"Uh, come in," I said, quickly wiping my eyes on my sleeve. How long had I spent there, crying over a few pieces of cloth?

The door creaked open, Pony peering inside, quickly followed by Itsuka, Yui, and To- Setsuna.

"Hi!" Pony exclaimed, bouncing on her hooves as she looked around the room. "We wanted to come in and check how you were doing, since we were mostly finished with our rooms."

Had it really been that long?

"Oh, you know, just taking my time," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "Wouldn't want to break anything."

"You know all you need is to ask," Yui stated evenly. "We'd be happy to help."

"Oh, no, thank you, but if I don't do it I'm never going to get used to it. And besides, I'm almost finished."

"Really? Because it sure looks like you've only unpacked some clothes."

"I don't… exactly have a lot of things besides clothing. And, um, there's not really any point in unpacking my computer or miniature kits, I, ah, wouldn't be able to use them right now anyway..." I trailed off.

"Ah," Itsuka said, with a bit of worry in her expression. "That… sucks. Have you been to physical therapy yet?"

"Well, um, I attended one session," I said, looking away. "They had these… plastic puzzle box things. Meant to help with fine motor skills. I, ah, I broke all of them and they kicked me out. So I've mostly been practicing on my own, and I'm starting PT with Hound Dog tomorrow. A-anyway, if you guys really want to help, I guess you could put up Ryuko's posters." I said, nodding towards one of the boxes still lying on the floor. "I'm going to hang them on every wall and door, and put the plushies and figures on my desk."

"You have an entire box of Ryukyu merchandise?" Itsuka questioned as she peered inside it, picking up a fully articulated action figure of Ryuko's dragon form. "Some of this is limited edition stuff, not easy to come by. Or cheap."

"Yeah, well, sibling privilege," I replied, crossing my arms. "Ryuko's contract stipulates she gets preview samples so that she can approve what's being made under her name and brand, but she's embarrassed by her own merchandise so she gives it to me once she's checked it out. Joke's on her though, now she's too embarrassed to come into my room."

"Why would you want to stop your sister from coming to your room?" Itsuka asked.

"Spoken like an only child," Setsuna said, elbowing her as she moved to pick up one of the posters. "Do you have pins somewhere?"

"There's a pack of blu-tack somewhere in the box," I replied. "I'm not a barbarian."

She rolled her eyes, but she was grinning as she went to hang the posters up.

"Is this… really all of your wardrobe?" Pony asked, glancing at my half-unpacked clothes. "It's just hoodies, t-shirts and cargo pants."

"Well, none of my old clothes exactly fit me. I have some of Dad's old things, and Ryuko got me some of her merchandise that she had lying around. But, um, it's hard to get stuff that fits me without going to a tailor."

"You haven't been clothes shopping since you came back?" Setsuna asked with a mixture of curiosity and slight horror.

"Well… I wasn't quite sure if I was…"

"We could make it into a group thing!" Pony exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. "A shopping trip!"

"Um…"

Before I could say anything, I heard the distinct pitter-patter of feet running down the hallway outside, accompanied by Komori's excited voice.

"1-A came to visit! Come to the common room!"

"Oh! We should go see them." Itsuka said. "They probably heard about, well, you."

"I can finish unpacking later." I said, pushing away the box containing my clothes, and getting to my feet. "There's something I need to do first."

-----

"Urrrk!"

"Come on, Kirishima, aren't you disgracing your manly spirit there?" Tetsutetsu ribbed his friend, looking up at us.

"True manliness… is not something so easily compromised!"

I gave the red-haired boy one last squeeze before setting him down on the floor again.

"Thank you." I smiled. "For what you guys did. I mean it."

"Anytime." Kirishima grinned up at me. "That's what heroes are for."

As Tetsutetsu dragged him off, hand over his shoulders and giving him a noogie, I took a look around. The common room was bustling with activity, people from both classes mingling together.

"It is wonderful to see you in good health!" Iida exclaimed as he and Uraraka approached us, offering me an enthusiastic if stiff handshake. "I only regret not being able to do more at the Camp."

"Ah, well, it's all in the past now." I replied, rubbing the back of my head nervously. "It's nothing to worry about."

"We were all worried about you and Bakugo." Uraraka said quietly. "It was good to hear you made it out okay. We just weren't, um, expecting this. What happened?"

"It's… a long story." I said slowly, trying to find the right words. "I-"

"Ah, sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Uraraka smiled, shaking her head. "You've probably been asked about it a million times already."

"It's alright." I smiled slightly, trying to seem upbeat. "I just… I'd rather not go back to that place… over and over."

"We understand!" Iida said, making a chopping motion with his hand. "We won't bother you about it! Come on Uraraka, let's go talk to the others."

Over the next few minutes, several others from 1-A approached me to offer their congratulations or express their happiness at seeing that I was alright. Tokoyami, Yayorozu, Ojiro, and others- it was more than I had ever expected.

But it wasn't a bad kind of unexpected. It made me feel… warm.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kaminari making his way towards us through the crowd, his eyes widening a little as I turned around and he got a good look at me.

"Whoa there." He tilted his head back with a suave grin and a wink, finger-gunning up at me. "You got a license to carry those kinds of guns?"

"But I don't… have any firearms?" I tilted my head in genuine confusion.

Kaminari blinked, momentarily stupefied by my response. Itsuka took advantage of the opening to step between us, shooing him away while taking me by the arm. She dragged me off towards a quieter part of the room while I tried to make sense of what just happened.

Wait.

'Guns'.

Did I… just get flirted at?

…

…

Ryuuzaki.exe has experienced a crash. Please reboot.

"Ryuuzaki?" Yui asked, waving a hand in front of me. "Ground control to Ryuuzaki, please respond."

I felt my face heat up like an oven, falling on my butt with a thump and burying my head in my hands.

"Oh god." I mumbled, the scene playing out in my head over and over. "Oh god."

"Ah." She noted drily. "So you're not totally oblivious, just running on a delay timer."

"Ssh. It's okay." Itsuka said, patting me in the back while giving Yui a death glare.

I just groaned in pure embarrassment.

"It's not like you've never dealt with romantic prospects before." Yui reminded me glibly. "You were quite the heartbreaker in middle school, if I recall."

"That was different!" I squeaked, trying to burrow my head deeper into my arms. "That was just… schoolyard crushes. Because my sister was famous. Nobody's ever been interested in me before."

"Well, if you ask certain corners of the internet-"

"Shut up, Setsuna." Itsuka snapped before crouching to my level, smiling sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Ryuuzaki. I know… this must be weird and upsetting to you. But you are a tall, athletic and yes, attractive young woman, you will be dealing with that sort of attention wherever you go, whether or not you want to."

"The muscles make you look older than you are."

"Thank you for that insight, Yui. Very helpful." She sighed.

"It's embarrassing." I whined.

"Why?" Setsuna asked. "You're buff as heck, nothing embarrassing about that. It's your body that you've worked for, you gotta own it."

"I'm not embarrassed about my body." I said, crossing my hands. "I'm embarrassed about people f-flirting at me."

"Well, don't be."

"Gee, thanks. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Let me finish, you big lug." She shushed me, giving me a flick on the nose before leaning back, hands on her hips and giving me a sharp-toothed grin. "What I was going to say is, take pride in who you are. How people react to it reflects on them, not you."

"I guess." I evaded, looking away. It wasn't… as easy as that. But I wasn't about to bring that up aloud.

"I'm… going to go to the toilet." I mumbled, getting up. "I'll be back."

Just need a moment to gather myself.

The others glanced at each other, but a sharp head movement from Itsuka dissuaded them from following me.

"Tatsuma?" As I rounded the corner, I heard a small, subdued voice come from behind my back. I turned on my heel to see Izuku Midoriya. "Could I speak to you for a moment?"

I paused. Now was really not the time… but then, when would it?

"Let's… go talk somewhere else."

Using one hand on the wall as a support I took us to one of the side rooms, which turned out to be a laundry room when I flicked the lights on. There was a row of washing machines on one side, cabinets presumably containing supplies on the other, and laundry bins and racks in the middle.

I shut the door behind us, and when I turned around I found Midoriya performing a stiff, full-body bow, hands clasped to his sides and gaze lowered to the floor.

"I wish to apologize for everything that you went through during your captivity. I accept full responsibility."

"Hey. No. It wasn't your fault." I stuttered, raising my hands, palms open towards the smaller boy. "None of it was your fault."

"I fell to the villains' trap." He mumbled, and even with his head lowered I could see hot tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

"They went after your childhood friend." I said quietly. "I can't… claim to understand your bond with Bakugo, but clearly, he is important to you. The League knew that, too. They used that against you." As gently as I could, I put a hand on Midoriya's shoulder and pushed him to stand. "If it had been Yui… I can't say that I would have acted any different."

"But I am the carrier of One For All." He sniffed, wiping away tears. "All-Might's chosen successor, like you said, back on I-Island. I have to be better. I-if I screw up… it's others who pay the price."

I said nothing for a moment, trying to find the right words.

"Do you think that All-Might never made any mistakes?"

"Of course he didn't! He's All-Might! He- he…" He trailed off, hesitating.

"What about the secret of One For All?" I asked quietly. "Would you say that All-Might made a mistake in failing to keep your identity as his successor secret?"

"W-well you can't expect him to- He had no way to know-"

"Huh." I said, twiddling my fingers. "So if you can't expect somebody to be able to avoid something… they're not at fault for it. Imagine that."

"B-but-"

"But you're going to hold yourself to a higher standard than All-Might?" I asked, my eyes narrowing, unable to keep a slight grin off my face. "Isn't that… kinda arrogant? Like you're thinking you're better than him?"

Midoriya deflated like a balloon, acknowledging his defeat.

"Even if I could be forgiven for what happened... when Kirishima and Todoroki offered the chance, I didn't come on the mission to save you and Bakugo." He admitted, guilt filling his voice. "I refused, when offered the chance."

I sighed as I sat down on one of the laundry bins, the metal creaking slightly under my weight. Idly, I noted that sitting down, I was about eye-level with Midoriya standing up.

"Do you remember what they taught us in Rescue Training? About the first thing you need to do when saving someone who's drowning?"

"We, um, we kind of missed that one. With the whole USJ attack." Midoriya mumbled quietly, shaking his head. "Aizawa has been meaning to schedule a remedial lesson, but…"

"Ah. Well." I floundered for a moment, gathering my thoughts. "The first thing you do is make sure you aren't going to drown yourself. The worst thing you can do is become the second victim, so that others need to rescue two people. You were still injured, and under guard. What if you were seen sneaking out of the hospital, and the others were caught and stopped because of that."

"That's what All-Might said." Midoriya said, averting his gaze. "Well, not in those words. But he came to talk to me in the hospital. He forbade me from going out to search for you." He mumbled, tears threatening to return. "He made me swear not to. He told me… that the best way that I could help… was to do nothing."

"Well, he is All-Might." I said. "I think he knows what he's talking about. Sometimes… even a Hero needs to know when not to do something."

We sat in silence for a long while, digesting those words.

"I still wish I could have done more."

"Me too."

"But.. you were the one who was captured?" He said, turning to look at me.

"Yeah. And sometimes, I let myself wonder… what if I was a little bit faster? If I'd caught on a little bit sooner… maybe I could have avoided capture. Maybe All-Might… would still be active."

"But-but-" Midoriya began, sounding horrified. "You couldn't have-"

"Yeah. I did what I could. It's not my fault, and all that." I trailed off, shaking my head. "I don't know. But if I'm not allowed to feel bad about that, then you're not allowed to, either."

I meant to poke him in the chest, but I ended up pushing him over, sending him sprawling on the floor.

"Uh… sorry."

"It's fine. I know what it's like, believe me." He smiled a little as he took my proffered hand and I pulled him to his feet. "But I think I understand what you're saying." He looked around. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I smiled down at him, pulling him into a one handed half-hug. "If you ever want to talk… well, I'm here."

-----

"There you are, Ryuuzaki!" Pony waved over to me as I returned to the common room. "Where did you disappear off to? Come on, we're getting something to eat."

The crowds seemed to have dispersed a little as people returned to their rooms and 1-A to their own dormitory, but those who remained seemed to have decided to grab dinner together. A large dining table had been dragged to the middle of the room, laden with food and surrounded with people from both classes, talking to each other, seemingly just having fun together.

"We saved you a plate!" Pony exclaimed brightly, patting an empty seat next to her. I sat down hesitantly, trying not to bang my knees against the underside of the table.

What I found in front of me was a cup of rice and chicken sauce, and a pair of chopsticks.

This… was going to be an issue.

I glanced up to find the rest of the table looking at me or trying not to make it look like they were looking at me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing, it's just that we were talking…" Uraraka trained off.

"We've all seen you eat as a dragon, so we were curious about your reaction to normal food." Yanagi finished for her.

Well, no pressure or anything.

Carefully, I took up the chopsticks, trying my hardest not to just snap them in half as I picked up a piece of chicken.

Slowly. Slooowly. Like you practiced.

And now-

My fingers slipped, and a piece of chicken smacked wetly against my cheek, leaving behind a trail of sauce as it fell onto my lap.

I wanted to cry.

Slowly and methodically, with the weight of everyone's eyes on me, I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand, picked up the piece of chicken, dropped it back on the cup and then pushed it away.

"I don't think this is going to work."

"Is something wrong?" Uraraka asked, her expression worried.

"I've been a giant quadrupedal reptile with negligible tactile senses and massive claws for fingers for the better part of three years." I explained, trying not to let my frustration color my speech, but I was pretty sure it was written large across my face anyway. "Fine motor skills are not my strongest suit."

"Oh." She replied quietly. "Is it really that bad?"

"It's like… imagine your left hand was swapped out for your right hand, and vice versa. And you just woke up after falling asleep with your arms held over your head. It feels like that. Except all the time. And five times worse."

"Ahaha… maybe chopsticks aren't the best idea." Pony laughed nervously, moving to stand up. "I'll get you a spoon?"

"It's fine. I ate before Vlad King picked me up."

"Well…" She drummed her fingers on the table, before her eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh! I saw some ice cream in the back of the freezer!"

I paused. A part of me wanted to just head upstairs and try to forget this whole incident never happened. But...

"...Ice cream, you say?" I let out, despite myself. "I haven't had any since..."

"I'll go get some!" Pony said, springing up. "You like ice cream sandwiches, right?"

"Yeah."

"It's been a week now and you haven't tried out ice cream yet?" Kaibara asked. "Man, that'd be the first thing I'd do, try all the foods."

"It's been a busy week." I said, crossing my arms defensively. "I've had to talk to doctors, police, lawyers, physical therapists, nutritionists, teachers, and seemingly everyone under the sun. I've had to get used to having a human body again, process the fact that I nearly died and oh also All-Might is gone, relearn how to walk on two legs, move out of the only home I've known for nearly sixteen years... It's a lot."

A moment later Pony returned from the kitchen, skipping over to me.

"Here you go!" She exclaimed as she handed me the sandwich.

"Um, thank you, Pony." I said slowly, looking down at it. The cold felt tingly against my skin.

"It's rude to drool, you know." Yui noted drily.

Despite myself I glanced down, before shooting her a dirty look.

"Well, you looked like you were about to."

I just shook my head and bit into the sandwich, before closing my eyes, sighing, and leaning back as my mouth filled up with the taste of vanilla and cookie dough goodness. I could- I could actually taste it properly, feel the texture of the sandwich as it melted in my mouth.

I was jolted back into awareness by a flash of light, and as I blinked away the brightness I saw Pony holding up a phone camera, smiling broadly.

"Okay, that was adorable."

"Are you seriously filming me right now?" I asked, feeling the tips of my ears heat up.

"I just wanted to capture the moment!" Pony replied happily, dancing away as I reached to grab her phone.

"It was pretty dang cute." Setsuna grinned, accompanied by varied noises of approval.

"Stop objectifying me!"

"I am objectifying your objective cuteness!" Pony laughed, dodging another attempt to take the phone whilst I nearly tripped on my feet, before bringing up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll delete it if you really want me to, but at least check it out first."

She stepped closer, holding up the phone screen towards me. It still felt surreal to see my own body, as if it didn't quite feel real, like I was looking at an illustration or something. My eyes were closed in contentment, my features displaying almost childlike glee as I devoured the ice cream. I looked, in that captured instant, happy.

"...Okay." I eventually admitted. "It is a cute picture.'

-----

While the others cleaned up the plates I ended up with nothing to contribute to the collective effort, not wanting to risk our brand-new dinnerware. So, as to avoid getting in the way, I found myself wandering around the common area, trying to decide if I should head upstairs when I caught sight of a familiar figure.

"Shoto!"

"Ah, Ryuuzaki." The split-haired boy smiled slightly as he turned his head and saw me approaching. "I heard about Kirishima. I suppose it is my turn, then?"

"Yep!" I exclaimed brightly, pushing off of the high-backed chair I'd been using as a support and sweeping him up into a hug as well.

He felt a bit stiff, and for a moment I began to worry that I'd overstepped, pressured him into something he wasn't comfortable with, but then he loosened up ever so slightly, awkwardly patting me in the back.

"Thank you." I said as I put him down.

"It was nothing."

"Don't say it was nothing." I shook my head down at him. "All For One… was about to kill me. I thought- I thought I was going to die." My voice hitched and I turned away, feeling something burning in the corners of my eyes. "All-Might would never have found me in time if it wasn't for you guys. So please don't say it was nothing. It was something… to me."

"I see." He nodded quietly. "Then I will say… you're welcome. I'm just glad to see you are alright."

I wiped my eyes, feeling a flush of embarrassment rise up on my face. What was it with all the waterworks today?

"I noticed you talking to Midoriya." Shoto said it casually, almost deliberately so. "You know, there's something I've been thinking about since that night."

I felt my heart suddenly sink.

"You and I were the only ones there, who saw that Midoriya was the real target of the kidnapping. Even Bakugo was just a way for them to draw him in. The authorities know it too- they had an entire squad of Heroes on standby outside his room when we saw him in the hospital." He wrung out his hands. "And I just haven't been able to get it out of my head. Why? Why him? But then it all clicked together. You've figured it out as well, haven't you?"

Shit. Shit shit shit shit.

What do I say?

"Midoriya… is All-Might's son."

…wait, what?

"It's the only explanation, and the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. At first I thought it was just normal hero worship. Everyone looks up to All-Might. I di- I do, too. But Midoriya takes it a step beyond. And I've noticed during training that All-Might seems to pay extra attention to him as well. It's as if they have some sort of a special connection."

I couldn't help but stare at him as he carried on through his explanation, feeling an intense sense of deja vu.

"Then today, I saw a picture of Midoriya's mother when he was moving his stuff in. He inherited his eyes and hair from her, not his father. I asked him about it, and he said he's a businessman, working overseas. Wouldn't that be the perfect cover story? And then there's his Quirk. It's nearly- no, it is identical to All-Might's. It all lines together. All-Might is Midoriya's father."

What do I even say to that?

"W-well, um, the thing is…" I stammered hesitantly, trying to figure out how to even begin to respond.

I can't tell him. It's not my secret.

But I can't pretend like I don't know what he's talking about, either. Not after the way I already reacted.

I felt a well of anger rising in my chest, mostly directed at myself. If I'd just stayed composed I could have pretended I had no idea.

God, what is it with me today? Any little thing and I just lose it.

Shoto merely raised a quizzical eyebrow at my antics, before his eyes widened in realization. "Ah. I understand. You've been sworn to secrecy." He nodded gravely. "I understand. I won't share this with anyone."

I just blinked dumbly as he turned to walk away, towards the main doors.

"I won't bother you any longer; I am sure you have a lot to do with your own dorm room."

"Yeah… see you." I mumbled quietly.

...what the fuck was that.

-----

Shoto wasn't wrong in that I had things to do, and several hours later I had finally managed to finish unpacking the majority of my boxes, leaving just the miniature stuff and my computer, which I'd pushed beneath my bed.

It still didn't feel right, but it had gotten easier to ignore, with Ryuko's posters on every door and wall. Setsuna had even taken my instructions to heart and tacked them onto the ceiling- an addition that I whole-heartedly approved of.

So, after a long day, I laid down on my bed to sleep.

And laid there.

And kept laying there.

It didn't feel right. I felt disorientated, like I was lying on top of a rickety tower about to tip over at any moment. The way the bed frame creaked and shifted with my movements did nothing to help the feeling that I was about to fall.

I threw my mattress on the floor, but it still didn't feel right. I felt like I was sinking into the thing, so I threw it away, wrapping myself in my blanket instead.

That felt better.

Better was not the same as good, though.

I tossed and turned, but no position seemed comfortable. I tried sleeping on my stomach, but yeah we're not doing that. Instinctively, I tried to curl up, but human spines proved to be frustratingly stiff and inflexible.

Eventually, I ended up just laying there on my back, looking up at Ryuko's poster.

Wide awake.

 

[SoHowAreYou]

Yeah its going to take a while for Ryuuzaki to get used to be being human again. On the other hand Denki flirting with her is going to be hilarious in retrospect pretty soon.

 

[Dark as Silver]

"Thanks to my Quirk, I'm still in perfect shape."

"Yeah, we noticed." Tsubaraba noted.

Click to shrink...

Carefule Tsubaraba, thats the sort of remark that accidentally launches ships

"By all rights, I should expel you four, and then all the rest of you save Tatsuma, for not stopping this." Vlad King shook his head slowly. I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off before I could even say anything. "But, by ancient U.A. tradition, Aizawa will do it instead.

Click to shrink...

FTFY

"That… sucks. Have you been to physical therapy yet?"

"Well, um, I attended one session," I said, looking away. "They had these… plastic puzzle box things. Meant to help with fine motor skills. I, ah, I broke all of them and they kicked me out.

Click to shrink...

They sound massively incompetent for failing to handle what should probably be a semi frequent occurance in a society with literal super powers.

"What I was going to say is, take pride in who you are. How people react to it reflects on them, not you."

Click to shrink...

Terrible advice. Do you think people just pick flirts out a book with no regard for the target. The 'gun show' was definitely a reflection of Zaki

 

[Blackout]

Terrible advice. Do you think people just pick flirts out a book with no regard for the target. The 'gun show' was definitely a reflection of Zaki

Click to shrink...

That's now what she meant by reflection.

She's saying that you're not responsible for how others react to who you are, if people choose to make comments about your appearance, that's on them, not you.

 

[RyubosJ]

They sound massively incompetent for failing to handle what should probably be a semi frequent occurance in a society with literal super powers.

Click to shrink...

That said it's inline with the background plot of quirk discrimination. Looking forward to where that ends up.

FTFY

Click to shrink...

Real tradition would have Aizawa give the speech, expel them all, then psych!

On the other hand Denki flirting with her is going to be hilarious in retrospect pretty soon.

Click to shrink...

Agreed. Now which part will be funnier. Denki sharing his dad's furry taste or the ew your sister is my half sister moment.

Although now I kinda want this to stay secret till they try dating. Not that that's likely.

 

[Mizu]

I took a deep breath and rounded the corner.

The others were gathered in a loose semicircle

Click to shrink...

You cut off here.

"Well, um, I attended one session," I said, looking away. "They had these… plastic puzzle box things. Meant to help with fine motor skills. I, ah, I broke all of them and they kicked me out.

Click to shrink...

Wow, the physio staff were real jerks there. If someone breaks the toys used for practice, get 'em stronger ones or work up to the point they don't break X.

"Why?" Setsuna asked. "Your buff as heck, nothing embarrassing about that. It's your body that you've worked for, you gotta own it."

Click to shrink...

You're buff

"Here you go!" She exclaimed as she handed me the sandwich

"Um, thank you, Pony." I said slowly, looking down at it. The cold felt tingly against my skin.

Click to shrink...

Did you cut off here?

Why? Why him? But then it all clicked together. You've figured it out as well, haven't you?"

Shit. Shit shit shit shit.

What do I say?

"Midoriya… is All-Might's son."

…wait, what?

Click to shrink...

This would be the reasonable explanation for their behavior, thinking on it. Quirks are commonly thought to be impossible to transfer, after all, barring kids inheriting a mix of mum and dad's Quirk.

I tried sleeping on my stomach, but yeah we're not doing that.

Click to shrink...

What was wrong with sleeping on your stomach, in Ryuuzaki's case?

 

[RyubosJ]

What was wrong with sleeping on your stomach, in Ryuuzaki's case?

Click to shrink...

It isn't just height and muscles that she has in excess.

 

[Navi-Hank]

It isn't just height and muscles that she has in excess.

Click to shrink...

Also you don't sleep on your stomach in the military unless you want a sore ass

 

[Blackout]

You cut off here.
You're buff
Did you cut off here?

Click to shrink...

Fixed now, thank you.

This would be the reasonable explanation for their behavior, thinking on it. Quirks are commonly thought to be impossible to transfer, after all, barring kids inheriting a mix of mum and dad's Quirk.

Click to shrink...

It is definitely a reasonable explanation, the only issue is that Ryuuzaki is awful at lying. She only got saved by Todoroki's confirmation bias.

What was wrong with sleeping on your stomach, in Ryuuzaki's case?

Click to shrink...

Ryuuzaki is not used to having boobs.

 

[Byzantine]

It is definitely a reasonable explanation, the only issue is that Ryuuzaki is awful at lying. She only got saved by Todoroki's confirmation bias.

Click to shrink...

Amusingly the one part he got right is that she is, in fact, sworn to secrecy about it.

which makes sense. He is actually fairly intelligent and put the pieces together in a way that basically anyone that knows the normal quirk rules and not the story of one for all and all for one would. And he knows her well enough to be able to tell she was stuck on "can't talk".

 

[Blackout]

So.

First of all, I wanted to say that I'm really sorry about the extended absence. Haven't really been in a good headspace to focus on writing. As you might remember, I went on hiatus in April-June to prepare for entrance exams, law school to be specific. And... I didn't get in. I was two points short. A sentence or two of text shy of a life-changing event. So... yeah. But anyway, I'm back, and hopefully next update will come by a lot quicker.

-----

Left, right, left, right, left, right. One in front of the other. Left, right...

The treadmill buzzed softly beneath me, the rubber material flexing softly under my feet with each step, the empty gym echoing with my footsteps.

Left, right, left, right...

It felt like I was in a continuous falling motion forward, each step staving off collapse.

"Tatsuma." Hound Dog's scratchy voice cut through my thoughts. "Your hands."

I blinked, focusing my eyes on my hands.

My hands, which were clutching the handles of the treadmill like my life depended on it, powerful forearm muscles bulging as my knuckles slowly turned white.

"Oh."

I relaxed my deathgrip and stepped off the treadmill, wincing as I saw the small impressions on the metal left behind by my fingers.

"Sorry."

"You have nothin' to be sorry about."

Hound Dog was a large, broad-shouldered man only a few centimeters shorter than myself, with a canine muzzle and skin covered in short brown fur, a wild blonde mane that spiked in all directions reaching down to his shoulders. Beady black eyes stared back at me intensely, his sharp teeth flashing as he spoke with a deep, growling voice that seemed at odds with his words.

"But I damaged the treadmill." I mumbled, averting my gaze.

"The treadmill is here for you, not the other way around." He grunted, slapping the side of the machine. "Are you up to keep going?"

"I guess…"

"Alright. Now, you need to widen your gait. You're not walkin' on a tightrope, so spread your stance a little, it'll give you some stability."

"But… when I lift one foot, won't that…?"

"It might seem a little backwards, but that's how the human hips are made. Try it, and it might surprise you."

A little wary, I returned to the treadmill and took up position. Hound Dog flicked it on again and I started walking.

Left, right, left, right…

"See, you're doing great." He gave me a thumbs up after a few minutes. "Bend your knees a little more. Yes, like that. Good."

Slowly, I was starting to settle into the rhythm. Walking on two legs still felt unnatural, like trying to balance a bucket of water on top of a broomhandle, but… it was getting easier. Running was a distant pipe dream, but I was getting the hang of slow, measured steps.

I focused on the rhythm. Left, right, left, right. Rise and fall. Thump and swish. Over and over.

…

Suddenly, my eyes flew open- when had I closed them? -and I realized I was falling. I nearly ripped off the treadmill handles as I caught myself, recovering from the stumble. Heat crept up my cheeks as I realized I'd nodded off right in the middle of therapy, but if he'd noticed Hound Dog didn't comment on it.

"Stumbles happen. To everyone."

After that, while I tried to keep going my focus was all over the place, my mind circling back to that moment of embarrassment. Distracted, I kept making more and more mistakes and small stumbles, which in turn made me more embarrassed and flustered, until finally it happened.

Left, right, lef-

I tripped on my legs with all the grace of a newborn giraffe, the treadmill sweeping my feet under me as I lost my grip on the handles. I went down like a log, landing on my back with a hefty thump and a crack, followed by a screeching sound as something in the treadmill's machinery broke apart.

I sighed deeply as Hound Dog reached over to turn the treadmill off, pulling myself to a sitting position, feeling like utter shit.

"I think we should call the treadmill practice here for now." He said, glancing at the wrecked machine.

"Probably for the best." I mumbled. "Just wasting your time here."

"You're not wastin' my time, Tatsuma." Hound Dog growled. "This is my job. This is what I do. There's nowhere else I'd rather be than here, helping you. We made plenty of progress already."

I looked down at my hands, saying nothing.

"I talked with the clinic you did your initial physical therapy session at." He went on. "They told me you didn't schedule any follow-ups after the first."

"They kicked me out." I mumbled.

"They ended the session early because you were too worked up to keep going. 'S a nasty feedback loop. You get flustered by a mistake, which makes more mistakes, which makes you more flustered. So you stop and let things cool off. That doesn't mean I'm kickin' you out."

"..."

"Do you want to end it here?" Despite his naturally harsh tone, there was no judgement in his voice.

"What else is there to do?" I said, not meeting his eyes. "I broke the treadmill."

"This is UA, you really think we've only got the one?" He shook his head. "But there's plenty of other stuff we could go over. For example, we could talk about what you're doing right now."

"...I'm doing what now?"

"Your hands."

I looked down at my hands, idly rubbing against the side of my cargo pants, running across the fabric and occasionally bunching it up between my fingers.

"Stimming, also known as self-stimulating behavior. It covers a wide range, but often takes the form of feeling familiar or enjoyable textures."

"Oh." So that's what it was called. "It just… feels good. I miss… being able to touch things. Having fingers instead of claws. Skin instead of scales."

"I noticed you doin' it a lot." He nodded. "Why'd you stop, just now?"

"I…" I trailed off, looking at my hands, which I'd shoved into my pockets. "Should I… not have?"

"You tell me. Is it helpful to you?"

"It's… nice." I admitted, turning my head aside. "I don't even really think about it."

"And are you doing it so much that your skin is blistering from chafing?"

"...No?"

"So it's calming and stress-relieving behaviour that helps you cope with your situation, and isn't hurting you." He summarized. "Why shouldn' you keep going?"

"..." I continued to avoid his gaze.

"Look, I get it." He said, squatting down to my level. "You're self-conscious. It's embarrassing. Even if you consciously know the people you're with won't judge, in your head you feel like a weirdo. So when you notice other people notice it, you stop. Tell me if I'm on the wrong track here."

A silence hung in the air for a long moment.

"...You're not." I said quietly. "It's just… hard. Being human again. Dealing with everyone's expectations."

"I understand." He nodded slowly. He rose to his feet and walked up to a nearby desk, retrieving a bag of some description before returning. "I have something that could help with that. Here."

He took out a cube of some sort, and handed it to me. It was made of plastic, with various buttons, switches, spinners, gears and other little devices.

"This is what is known as a fidget cube. It's designed for relieving stress and anxiety. Or in other words, a tool for stimming. It has a bare side with clippers so you can attach whatever texture you like to it."

"Oh." I said, perking my head a little. "That sounds nice. But how does that…?"

"If people ask, you can say it's physical therapy exercises to rebuild finger dexterity. Which is not a lie, it can also be used for that purpose." Hound Dog explained. "Or, if you'd like, you can keep it in your pocket. That way you can stim without anyone having to even notice, if that makes you more comfortable."

"But…" I glanced back at the ruined treadmill. "What if I break it?" I looked down at the small plastic cube in my hands. "I get… excited. About new sensations. Or space out. And that's usually when I… break stuff."

"That's why I ordered fifty of 'em." He said, rustling the bag in his hand before laying it on the floor beside me. "All slightly different, so there's something new every time. These are for you, and you alone. You won't be hurting or taking anything away from anyone by using and breaking them."

Carefully, I rolled the cube in my hands. It was made of soft, malleable plastic, but the buttons and switches were stainless steel, slightly cold to the touch.

I flicked the switch forward. Click.

I flicked it back. Click.

It was... nice.

-----

"I'm not taking it."

"Come on, you-"

"I'm not taking your stupid credit card, Ryuko." I huffed, crossing my arms indignantly.

"How are you going to pay for the shopping trip, then?"

"I have my own money, you know." I rolled my eyes, leaning against the wall of the dormitory's common area. The large room was mostly empty at this time of the day, aside from Tsuburaba wandering over from the dining hall with a half-empty plate of mashed potatoes, giving Ryuko a wide-eyed look. I gave him a glare over her shoulder and he scurried off.

"Which came from saved gifts and allowance." She tried to argue the point. "This is not really anything different."

"It's still my money." I replied. "I already agreed to you giving us a ride to the mall. I don't want you paying my way through life. I want- I need to be able to be- to learn to be responsible for myself. I can't do that if you just take care of everything for me."

"But this isn't just anything. You're going on a shopping trip with your best friends to acquire a new wardrobe for your human form. I just don't want you to have to worry about money of all things. Get the best and do what you want. This isn't about me- this is about your comfort and happiness."

The elevator dinged, the doors sliding open to reveal Itsuka, Yui, Pony and Setsuna. I practically saw the idea form by the sly grin emerging on Ryuko's face as she glanced towards them.

"Well, if you won't take it…"

"Ryuko, no."

"What? It's my money, I can use it as I wish~"

"Ugh, fine." I acceded with a long-suffering sigh. "Give it here."

Triumphantly, Ryuko dropped the credit card into my waiting hand, and I shoved it into my pocket, turning to greet the others.

Setsuna had interned under Ryuko and so greeted her with an enthusiastic wave, while Itsuka and Yui were more subdued in their greetings. I saw the light of wonderment sparkle in Itsuka's eyes, but she kept a lid on it, if only just. Pony, on the other hand...

There was a high-pitched meep as Pony realized exactly who was standing besides me, followed by the sound of hooves sliding on the floor as Setsuna pushed Pony forward with a shit-eating grin.

"Ah, you guys haven't met yet." I said, unable to keep myself from smiling. "Ryuko, this Pony Tsunotori, my classmate and friend. Pony, this is Ryuko Tatsuma, better known as Ryukyu. My big sister."

"Ah, it's, um-" Pony stammered for words, her eyes wide. "Oh gosh-"

I felt bad for laughing, but I couldn't help doubling over in a fit of giggles.

"I've heard a lot about you- good, I assure you."

"Will you- will you be joining us?" Itsuka asked, having finally found her voice.

"Oh, no, I'll just be giving you girls a ride." Ryuko smiled, and even without turning my head I could tell it was directed at me.

-----

It was a limousine. A goddamned limousine.

I wanted to plant my face in my hands, but I didn't find it in me to ruin the moment for the others as they fawned over the luxury car. I settled for shooting the most withering glare I could muster towards Ryuko but she just waggled her eyebrows, the bastard.

"You have a personal driver?" Pony asked, starry-eyed.

"I'm not Endeavour." Ryuko laughed. "But I do have a standing retainer contract with a limousine company."

"Indeed." The uniformed chauffeur standing by said as he popped open the side door. "Let's get you girls seated."

As we piled into the limousine, I was begrudgingly forced to acknowledge that there was a certain logic to getting a car with the kind of passenger space a limousine provided.

"Move your legs!"

"There's literally nowhere else for me to put them!"

Because if we were having this much trouble with a limousine we were never going to fit into an SUV or something.

"Setsuna, just move over and let Ryuuzaki have two seats." Itsuka sighed.

"But I want the back seat."

It also put into stark contrast just how much taller and bigger I was than my friends. Or, well, most people. As roomy as the limousine was, my horns were nearly scraping the ceiling sitting down, and between my broad shoulders and my muscular legs I probably accounted for well over twice the space as any of the others.

"Fiiine." Setsuna relented, squeezing past my bulk to sit down by Itsuka, whilst I clicked my seat belt in place after some struggle.

The inside of the limousine was L-shaped, with what looked like a fully stocked snack bar taking up the rest of the space across from the seats.

"I took the liberty of removing the alcohol from the selection." The chauffeur called out to us over the divider, once we had finally managed to get ourselves all seated down and ready to go. "Otherwise, the bar is at your disposal."

Pony and Setsuna immediately tore in, pulling out popcorn, chips, soft drinks and the like.

"Want some cashews?" Setsuna asked, offering me a bag.

"S-sure." I responded, popping the first one into my mouth and nearly swallowing the nut whole before remembering that humans are supposed to chew their food.

"So, have you girls been settling into the dorms well?" Ryuko asked as the limousine started moving, quickly leaving UA behind while I watched out the window. "I mean I liked my classmates and all, but I would have gone insane with Rumi as my housemate. I had enough of her trying to drag me to the gym every day after class, let alone in the mornings too."

"I expect we'll be hearing the same soon enough." Setsuna said, elbowing me lightly.

"I would never try to pressure people into things." I huffed, crossing my arms. "Even if working out is good for you."

"It's, um, it's actually been pretty great!" Pony exclaimed, still looking a little nervous, casting aside glances towards Ryuko. "M-maybe it's different because I wasn't living at home anyway, but being close to all of my friends has been wonderful. But of course giving people space is important too!"

"We're still figuring that part out." Itsuka added.

"Some more so than others." Yui noted dryly. "Not all of us are used to the idea of waking up at six in the morning to hear someone belting out the United States national anthem, every day."

"I-it reminds me of home, okay?!" Pony buried her face in her hands, red creeping up her ears. "I already agreed to keep the noise down so you can sleep."

"It's alright, Pony." Itsuka said, ruffling the shorter girl's blonde hair. "We know you don't mean anything by it."

"Easy for you to say, you don't live next door from her." Yui grumbled.

-----

Dantooine Mall was not as large as Nevarra, but that was exactly why it had been chosen for the shopping trip. It was still an imposing structure of steel and glass, a wide variety of signs and advertisements lighting up the exterior.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Setsuna Tokage asked Ryukyu as they were getting out of the car.

"I'd love to, but tonight's just for you girls." She shook her head. "Unfortunately when the Number Ten Hero goes shopping, it tends to draw a lot of attention."

"You just don't want people to compare us side by side and question who's the big sibling." Ryuuzaki smiled wryly, resting her elbow on her sister's head.

"With your baby face, there's no need to doubt." She shrugged Ryuuzaki off with a laugh, gently elbowing her in the ribs. "But really, it's fine. You girls deserve an afternoon to yourselves without being mobbed for autographs or something. I'll pick you up at the end of the day."

It was still fundamentally weird seeing the two of them interacting like sisters, tussling and teasing each other. Logically Setsuna knew they were siblings, but she'd only ever known Ryukyu as the stern, cool-headed Pro-Hero. Not as the slightly goofy older sister of one of her classmates- friends.

The two sisters hugged their goodbyes, Ryuuzaki lifting her older sibling into the air, before she departed, waving to them as the limousine disappeared into the traffic.

"Right!" Pony said, clapping her hands together. "Let's get going!"

The mall itself consisted of a long, winding boulevard with several smaller offshoots that spanned the length of the building, stores, boutiques, bars and restaurants lining it on both sides. Saturday afternoon crowds were in full force, streams of people going to and fro.

"People are… looking at me." Ryuuzaki mumbled, glancing around nervously as they walked.

"You're literally standing head and shoulders above the crowd, it'd be hard not to get stares." Setsuna said. "Don't pay them any mind."

"So, um, you said you guys had planned out where we'd go ahead of time?" Ryuuzaki asked, very clearly trying to take her mind off the bystanders, even as she cast nervous glances around herself every few seconds.

"Yep!" Pony exclaimed.

"I compiled and compared reviews and customer service reports on twenty-three tailoring businesses within an hour's travel time from Musutafu." Yui added. "This wasn't quite the highest rated, but it had all the rest of our destinations in the same building. I- we thought you'd appreciate only having to do one trip."

"Ah, well, um, I don't mind spending time with you guys but…" Ryuuzaki smiled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Thanks."

They proceeded through the mall at a slow pace, Ryuuzaki measuring every step, though her long strides made up for it a little. Itsuka and Pony walked next to her, ready to catch her if she stumbled, but thankfully there were no incidents along the way, only a few wobbles.

The store was out of the way of the main boulevard, tucked away in an ancillary pathway. An illuminated sign lay over the door, "Konishi's Apparel" written on it accompanied by the image of a small, cutesy spider.

The inside wasn't any more grandiose, as Itsuka pushed open the door, a small, dimly-lit store lined with mirrors and racks of clothing. There was only a single employee to be found inside, a slightly portly woman with the upper half of a spider standing behind the counter. Going by the logo, Setsuna guessed she was probably also the owner.

"Ah! Customers!" She chittered as she turned around. "I'm Hatsuna Konishi, welcome to my little store! How can I help you girls?"

Setsuna glanced up at Ryuuzaki, but the much larger girl seemed still a little overwhelmed by the whole experience.

"Our friend here needs some new clothing, since none of her old stuff fits her anymore." She said, taking the initiative.

"...Yeah."

"I see." Konishi stalked closer, clicking her mandibles as she circled around Ryuuzaki, observing the tightness of her sleeves and around her shoulders. "Put on some muscle recently, have we? Well, I can help with that."

She pulled out a notebook with one of her six arms, using another to scribble on it as she walked.

"It will have to be a custom order, at your size. It will cost you, but I offer a full satisfaction guarantee."

"That's… alright." Ryuuzaki said nervously, rubbing the back of her head again while she watched Konishi circle around her. "Better to get it right the first time."

"That's the spirit." She said, pulling out several measuring tapes. "Now, stand still and straighten your back, please. Good, keep still…"

For a few moments Konishi bustled around Ryuuzaki, measuring her height, the span of her shoulders, the inseam of her legs, around her chest, waist and hips, writing the results down as she went.

"Next, flex those arms for me, would you?"

"Is this… really necessary?" Ryuuzaki said as Konishi ran the tape around her bicep.

"Of course! Good clothing must be able to accommodate the full range of motion. Otherwise the sleeves are going to rip apart the moment you move your arm. And I only deliver quality product."

The other four waited a little ways off, watching as Konishi methodically took measure every part of Ryuuzaki's body, occasionally stopping to ask her to shift around or tense a muscle for measurement.

"Enjoying the gun show, are we?" Yui whispered to Setsuna with a raised eyebrow.

"S-shut up!" Setsuna hissed, but thankfully the others didn't appear to have noticed, too focused on the procedure.

"That will be enough." Konishi nodded with satisfaction as she stepped away, rolling up the measuring tape. "I'll need to do some calculations on the fabric I'll need and the working hours it'll take, but I'll get you the price estimates. In the meantime, while I don't have anything at your size at the ready, if you'd like to peruse the show items, you can figure out how many and which items you'd like?"

"S-sure." Ryuuzaki mumbled quietly, still looking a little embarrassed, but Pony and Itsuka were instantly at her side, distracting her and dragging her off to the clothing racks.

"So, what colours would you like?" Pony asked, pulling out a grey t-shirt and holding it up.

"Um, orange." Ryuuzaki said, shuffling her feet. "I like orange."

"Huh, I would have thought it'd be white." Setsuna mused as she followed them, looking up at Ryuuzaki's hair.

"...Is your favorite color green, then?" Yui asked, tilting her head.

"It is, in fact." She replied back pointedly. "Thank you for asking."

"Any other colours?" Itsuka asked, holding up a piece of paper and a pen. "Even if you prefer one color it'd be good to have a few others, just for variety."

"Black, white, green, blue, red, grey…" Ryuuzaki listed off. "Anything goes, really. Except yellow." Her nose scrunched up ever so slightly, in a manner that Setsuna had to hold back laughter. "I don't like yellow."

"Alright, let's say… five orange and one each of the other colours?" Pony asked, looking up to Ryuuzaki, who nodded in confirmation.

Like that they worked their way through the store, figuring out what Ryuuzaki needed and wanted, mostly practical clothing

"Cargo pants, definitely." Ryuuzaki said firmly. "I have missed pockets so, so much."

"Alright!" Pony exclaimed happily, putting the sample piece back on the rack. "I think that's everything!"

They made their way back to the counter, and Itsuna handed the list to Konishi.

"Hmm. I see. Very good." She clicked her mandibles, tapping several of her hands together. "It will be a big order, and I have others on the waitlist, so it will take some time. Would you like it delivered in installments? That way you won't have to wait for the whole batch to be finished to use them."

"That… would be good, yes." Ryuuzaki said. "Thank you."

"Oh, it is no problem." She said, before turning back to her desk. "Now, if you'll sit tight for a moment, I'll just calculate the total for you."

She pulled out a calculator and started scribbling numbers on a sheet, filling it out a rapid pace.

"Umm… could I ask something?" Setsuna ventured after a while. "Miss Konishi?"

"Hm?"

"I just wanted to ask, do you… make clothing out of silk?" She paused for a moment. "I mean, your silk."

"Ah. No, not for sale." She clicked. "I made a shirt for my husband because he thought it was romantic, but personally I find the idea a little gross. Sort of like making clothing out of your hair, don't you think?"

"Finally, somebody who understands." Ryuuzaki mumbled under her breath.

"Oh?"

"A-ah, well, you see-" She instantly went red, trying to stammer out an explanation. "My Quirk is the ability to transform into a dragon. And these guys… made clothing out of my shed scales."

"Armor." Setsuna corrected immediately. "We made armor."

Konishi blinked all eight of her eyes, before slowly glancing at the shirt Ryuuzaki was wearing, Ryukyu's face plastered on her chest.

"...You're Ryuju, aren't you?"

If Ryuuzaki had been beet-red before she was positively glowing with embarrassment now, shuffling her feet and staring at the floor, spluttering nonsense for a good twenty seconds before managing to squeeze out a quiet "Yes".

"Hum." Konishi tilted her head. "I thought you were supposed to be stuck as a dragon?"

Ryuuzaki made a noise like a dying goat.

"She recently regained her ability to assume human form." Yui explained for Ryuuzaki, while she struggled to formulate words. "That's why she needs so much new clothing, because none of her old things fit her anymore."

"I see." She turned to grab the list of price estimates- and then proceeded to rip in half. "You won't be buying a single thing from me."

"I…"

"Because you'll be getting it for free." She said, leaning forward. "My niece was at Kashyyyk Mall some four months ago getting a haircut, when the Nomu attacked. She told me quite a story, about a white-scaled dragon carrying her to safety, even while being attacked by those horrible creatures."

Ryuuzaki seemed struck speechless, mouth left hanging halfway open.

"I don't… know what to say." She finally seemed to force herself to speak. "Thank you so much. But- but I can't possibly just take this all-"

"Nonsense. I insist."

"But-"

"It will be my pleasure and honour as a craftsman to help someone who helped me and mine."

"A-at least let me pay for the materials." Ryuuzaki shook her head in a daze. "I can't accept anything less."

"Very well." Konishi relented with a nod. "I'll count up the total for you."

-----

Ryuuzaki seemed shell-shocked as Pony dragged her out the door, a vacant look in her eyes, allowing herself to be led by the arm to a small alcove by what looked like an old maintenance door. They were still some ways off the main boulevard, with barely anybody around to see as Ryuuzaki leaned heavily against the tiled wall, looking exhausted and a little pale.

"Deep breaths." Itsuka advised her. "Just calm down. You handled that well."

"A penny for your thoughts?" Setsuna asked, after a few minutes of silence had passed. At Ryuuzaki's quizzical look, she went on. "Sometimes explaining how you feel can help process your emotions."

"I feel… grateful, of course, and happy that I could help her through helping her niece… it's just… I feel bad for accepting so much charity from her. She's running a business and… Ryuko gave me money for this trip, it's not like it's even an issue."

"Well… maybe it was an opportunity to help her." Itsuka suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"How does helping people make you feel?"

"...Good. I suppose." Ryuuzaki blinked, confused.

"Then, doesn't it make sense that by helping you, she gets to feel good too? So try to think of it like this: by allowing her to help you, you're helping her. You're letting her feel good about herself, because she helped someone who helped her niece. Isn't that a good thing?"

"I guess." Ryuuzaki shook her head. "What a ridiculous coincidence."

Setsuna gave Yui a look, but the smaller girl shook her head.

Not now.

"Well, why don't we grab something to eat?" Setsuna suggested aloud, drawing the attention of the others. "Come on, there's some good restaurants up the boulevard. Ryuuzaki's pick, since we're here for you."

"Something simple." She mumbled, but pushed herself off the wall.

"I thought you said your sister gave you money?"

"Yeah. But after that, I could use simple."

-----

Simple turned out to be a generic-seeming noodle bar, with a number of circular tables filling the space. There was a counter for making orders, and a kitchen beyond that.

"Noodles with chicken and egg, please." Ryuuzaki ordered last, before swiping a card through the machine.

"Not even ice cream? Come on, you need to live a little." Setsuna elbowed her playfully as they walked to a table near the windows, opening up to the main boulevard. "Don't you want to try something new?"

"Hound Dog has me on a specific diet." She shook her head. "I need to get used to having a human metabolism again."

"Aww, you're no fun."

"I'm sorry my comfort and health is boring to you." Ryuuzaki snapped back as she sat down.

"I didn't mean it like that." Setsuna raised her hands, taken aback by the taller girl's response. "I'm sorry. It's just, what's the point if you can't even enjoy being human again?"

"It can also be… overwhelming. I'm not used to bei- eating like a human." She sank into her seat, shoulders slumping. "It's not like Hound Dog put a gun against my head, I agreed to it. It's about… structure. Building up good habits."

"Still, seems a bit harsh." Pony said. "Surely the diet is not going to fall apart if you try out one new thing?"

"I already did. The salted cashews in the limousine."

"Oh yeah."

"I just have a specific schedule on how often I can do that. At least until I've learned how to judge for myself. Because apparently staying fit and healthy is a lot of work."

"Well, it seems like you're ahead of the curve there." Itsuka commented. "Have you been to a gym yet?"

"Not until I can be trusted not to drop the weights." She mumbled in reply, looking tired. "Anyway, enough about me. Can we… talk about something else?"

"Haru's been missing me." Itsuka mentioned. "I've never been away from home for this long and, well, he's an old, old dog. We're not sure how well he's going to be able to adjust."

"Aww, that's rough." Pony shook her head. "Poor thing."

"Yeah, we're still thinking about what we're going to do."

"Hm. It really is taking a while." Yui grumbled.

"Well, it is a busy day." Itsuka replied.

"I think the kitchen started working on our order just now." Setsuna commented. "Either that, or another table of five ordered the same exact thing as we did."

"How do you know?" Ryuuzaki asked.

"I spy with my little eye." She winked back.

"That's illegal." Yui noted.

"Oh come off it, it's harmless." Setsuna waved her off. "I bet you wait for the light to turn green when there's no traffic, too."

Yui said nothing.

"But… your eye is still… there." Ryuuzaki pointed out.

"Yeah-" Setsuna started, before pausing in realization. "Shit, I never got around to telling you. Okay, uh, you know about the Quirk Awakening theory?"

"Vaguely, yes?"

"Well, after the whole thing with Shigaraki, I found out that I could regenerate body parts that haven't been destroyed. Like this." She detached her index finger, watching as it floated into the air and started wiggling around. From the stump, bones started pushing out, followed by muscle and skin.

"...Huh." Ryuuzaki said, tilting her head. "That's… neat?"

"It is. I can do some pretty cool stuff now." Setsuna shrugged. "I can show it later."

"Anyway, I'll just head to the toilets quickly, before the food gets here." Yui said, pushing herself up.

"Actually, I'll go as well." Setsuna added, rising from her seat as well. "Come on, I think the bathroom is this way."

She could see Yui's shoulders tense, but she followed her to the female bathroom. Setsuna took a look around to make sure it was empty, before turning around to look at the smaller girl.

"Did you plan that?"

"I knew about Konishi, yes. Her niece did an interview at a talk show." Yui said quietly. "I didn't plan for… that."

"You should know Ryuuzaki doesn't deal well with being put on the spot." Setsuna replied, unable to keep the accusing tone out of her voice. "You more than any of us."

"She's been feeling down. I can tell. She's… stressed. Tired. Not sleeping well. Don't tell me you haven't noticed that as well. She likes to blame herself. So I thought… meeting someone she'd helped would help her in turn. Remind her of the good she's done, what she's accomplished. I didn't think it would be… that bad.."

"Well, next time, maybe don't try to set her up?" Setsuna suggested. "At least tell her ahead of time."

"She would not have agreed to come."

"Uh-huh. Maybe that should tell you something."

"Perhaps." Yui conceded with a sigh. "I am sorry."

"It's not me you should be saying that to."

"It would be better that she not know. She will feel even worse about it."

Setsuna bit her lip. Ryuuzaki would, that was just how she was, but keeping secrets didn't feel right either.

"Fine. But no more of that sort, or I'm telling her."

"Agreed." Yui nodded. "Now, let's get going before the others start to wonder."

 

[Dark as Silver]

I don't know when Blackout updated their profile picture but that one looks much harder to eat than the dragon hamburger.

"The treadmill is here for you, not the other way around." He grunted, slapping the side of the machine. "Are you up to keep going?"

Click to shrink...

I am here for the alternate universe where Treadmills have taken over and force humans to run on them.

"I talked with the clinic you did your initial physical therapy session at." He went on. "They told me you didn't schedule any follow-ups after the first."

"They kicked me out." I mumbled.

"They ended the session early because you were too worked up to keep going. 'S a nasty feedback loop. You get flustered by a mistake, which makes more mistakes, which makes you more flustered. So you stop and let things cool off. That doesn't mean I'm kickin' you out."

Click to shrink...

Oh that makes a lot more sense.

Setsuna bit her lip. Ryuuzaki would, that was just how she was, but keeping secrets didn't feel right either.

Click to shrink...

Classic Zaki

 

[Gmerguy]

...When did they go through and make dragon scale armor? Last i remember they just asked for the scales...then this?

 

[DBDrake]

yeaaaaaaaaaah

Beef dragon bringing 18.1" 45 cals if you know what I mean.

I mean she's got big muscles, is what i mean.

Nice./

 

[Blackout]

I don't know when Blackout updated their profile picture but that one looks much harder to eat than the dragon hamburger.

Click to shrink...

You're several iterations behind, I've changed my profile pic like four times since the dragon burger.

Classic Zaki

Click to shrink...

...I'm threadmarking that.

...When did they go through and make dragon scale armor? Last i remember they just asked for the scales...then this?

Click to shrink...

Chapter 27:

She sprinted over to the stacked boxes, opening one and pulling out a folded piece of some kind of white material.

"Is that…"

"This," Tokage announced with a giant grin, "is dragonscale armor!"

She held it out for everyone to see: a sleeveless undershirt, coated in glimmering white scales.

All eyes turned instantly to me, and I sighed.

"Don't look at me, this was their idea." I pointed at Tokage and Yoarashi.

"We found out Tatsuma's been just throwing away all of her shed scales, but we thought of a way better use for it!" Tokage elaborated. "So we took a sample to the Support Department, to see what they thought of the idea. And it turns out they loved the stuff! In terms of mass and volume, dragonscale is more efficient than pretty much any armor material they had available."

"They've been hounding me for weeks to get some more." I grumbled.

"We had to wait until Tatsuma molted again to get enough for everyone, but now they're here!" Tokae gestured towards the boxes. "You don't have to use them, but after they thinned it out it's light enough to easily wear under your costume, and it's still stab- and bulletproof, even up to the higher calibers."

"I still think it's a little gross that you're wearing strips of my dead skin, but whatever floats your boat." I shrugged.

Click to shrink...

 

[Khona Moshr]

First of all, I wanted to say that I'm really sorry about the extended absence.

Click to shrink...

Well don't feel too bad about it, you are writing this for free.

And it's always nice to see some fiction where the main character has to deal with therapy and other medical stuff because of what happens to them.

 

[stads]

nice chapter thx for writing it
good to see the mc getting used to being a human form again
and seeing that some one else understand the problem of using body parts for clothing

 

[Mook]

You're several iterations behind, I've changed my profile pic like four times since the dragon burger.

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If you ever find yourself shopping for new Dragon avatars then might I recommend Delicious in Dungeon? It has a lot of great dragons, who sometimes get turned into burgers (well ok, more like steaks and stuff). They also have some great derp faces.