"So, what next?" Ryuuzaki asked as they left the noodle bar, emerging to the main boulevard.
"That depends." Setsuna asked. "Do you have underwear and all that sort of stuff?"
"Um, y-yeah." Ryuuzaki stuttered out a reply.
"Then we just need to find all the clothing that tailors don't make." Pony explained along the way. "Shoes, socks, gloves, hats… that sort of thing."
"Hmm, I guess that makes sense." Ryuuzaki shrugged her broad shoulders. "Lead the way? I assume you guys have a place in mind."
"We do." Itsuka explained as they walked. "Nothing special but, well, we figured shoes and such are not as important, since you won't need it custom-made."
"Mmm-hm."
It was, indeed, just a very normal clothing store that they ended up in, the kind that you could find just about anywhere. It sold all manner of clothes, but given that they had already acquired most of what Ryuuzaki needed from Konishi, Itsuka guided them straight to the shoe aisle, all manner of footwear lining the racks.
"So, any preferences?" Itsuka asked, clapping her hands together.
"...Not really?" Ryuuzaki said, scratching her head. "I don't… shoes are still kind of weird to me. Just… something warm, if possible?"
Finding the right shoes for Ryuuzaki turned out to be harder than expected, as the five of them worked their way back and forth across the section, over and over. Not for a lack of fitting clothing, but for another reason entirely.
"No, not these ones either." Ryuuzaki said, sitting back down on the changing room bench to take off the pair of sneakers she'd been trying.
"That's the nineteenth pair you've tried." Setsuna shook her head, earning an angry glare from Yui.
"We'll try as many as we need to."
"It's just… the sole is too thin." Ryuuzaki mumbled. "It feels funny under my foot. Not right."
"You said the last ones were too thick." Setsuna pointed out.
"They were." Ryuuzaki shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "It was too rigid. Like I was walking on stilts."
"So we'll just have to try at random to find just the right thickness?"
"Um, well..."
"Maybe Pony and I should go look for gloves for you, and bring them here for testing?" Setsuna suggested. "That way we can work towards two things at once."
"I- alright." Ryuuzaki said. "Could you… find me some fingerless gloves? Just simple ones will do, black if they have it."
"Of course, but why fingerless?" Pony asked. "I thought you said you wanted warm clothing."
Ryuuzaki hesitated, looking away while her fingers ran against the fabric of her shirt, bunching it up into a fist.
"Are you kidding me? Fingerless gloves are cool as hell." Setsuna interjected, holding out a hand for a fist bump. A decision that she soon regretted, as Ryuuzaki's response nearly dislocated her shoulder.
"Right. I'll get these changed and we'll try the next pair-" Ryuuzaki said as she got up- and then proceeded to hit her head on the doorframe, her forehead and horns leaving a noticeable dent in the wood with several splinters sticking out.
-----
After what felt like an eternity, and a lot of panicking and apologies, they emerged from the clothing store, with several pairs of passable shoes and fingerless gloves for Ryuuzaki.
"So, uh, you said it was headwear next?" Ryuuzaki asked, glancing upwards at her horns. "Because, uh…"
"There's specialty stores for people like us!" Pony announced cheerfully. "Come on!"
It was another shop along the boulevard, sunk into the wall with massive glass windows, bright lights and displays, a name written in bold, shiny letters above the entrance.
"Detnerat?" Ryuuzaki asked.
"Yep!" Setsuna said, popping the p. "They specialize in custom-order items for people with unusual biology. Like horns!"
"Isn't that…?" Yui trailed off.
"Yeah." Ryuuzaki muttered.
As the five of them approached, Setsuna heard a sharp intake of air from Ryuuzaki's direction. Following the taller girl's gaze, she found a display screen near the entrance, with a small crowd of people gathered around it.
An advertisement was running on the screen, featuring a sharp-nosed man with a receding hairline of orange-brown showing off a… robotic limb?
"-many among us whose unique bodies make it difficult for them to live a normal life, in this world of ours built for the standard, the ordinary. This gentleman with magnificent talons, just trying to make himself an honest living in an office-"
Setsuna was about to hurry the group along, just when she saw the expression on Ryuuzaki's face. The expression of astonishment, wonder and- joy?
"But no more! Detnerat is proud to announce this new product line! This proprietary technology allows those among us with non-standard anatomies to finally access aspects of life long denied to them! A compact cybernetic limb with a modular mount that can be fitted over an existing appendage, and a revolutionary neural interface that allows for fine manipulation and tactile sensation without a need for surgery, all in a compact, easy to use and remove package!"
But then she noticed her eyes were not on the commercial. They were on the people watching it. A young boy with a crustacean Quirk, clicking his claws excitedly.at his parents, tugging at the hem of their clothing. A family with mechanical features, parts of their anatomy consisting of steely machinery, talking amongst each other animatedly.
Ryuuzaki seemed taken aback by all of it, and yet… happy.
----
The shop itself was bustling with people, crowds lulling around with queue numbers in hand waiting for their turn at the service stations.
"Don't worry, I booked us an appointment online, ahead of time." Setsuna explained, pulling up her phone."Come on, it's this way. Number fifteen."
She lead them along the long row of stations until reaching the clothing department,
"Ah, you were the party with the appointment? Welcome to Detnerat! How can I help you girls?"
"We're looking for hats for the big lug here." Setsuna pointed her thumb up at Ryuuzaki, who gave an awkward wave.
"Ah, I can see the problem! Well, you came to the right place. What sort of headwear are you looking for?"
"Well… caps, probably…?" Ryuuzaki muttered, looking at her feet. "I like caps…"
"Well we can certainly help you with that!" The man clapped his hands together, and Setsuna noticed Ryuuzaki wince from the loud noise. He reached behind the counter and lifted up a large contraption. It looked like a helmet stapled together from bar code readers, with a thick cable running from the top to a machine behind the man.
"First, we'll get some measurements. Do you have a photoreactive Quirk or any other issues with light?"
"No?"
"Good. Now, please close your eyes, this will only take a moment.
Ryuuzaki had to lean down a little to let him hold the helmet over her head, the machine whirring to life as red lines ran over her face. After a moment it let out a little bleep and the employee pulled it away with a satisfied nod.
"Right, now we've got a 3-D model of your skull." He turned his computer screen halfway around to show a scan of Ryuuzaki's head in some sort of designing program. Then, we just layer a hat on top of that, size XL…"
He clicked a few buttons and a representation of a hat appeared, which he dragged over to the head with the cursor, settling it on it.
"Then we just delete the overlapping material and voila!" He dragged the 3-D hat away, with two holes neatly cut into the forehead. "We've got the specifications we can send to the production department, and they'll get the gears rolling. They'll make any necessary adjustments and then ship the finished product."
"Is it really that easy?"
"This is the proprietary technology and techniques that have made Detnerat a market leader in its field!" The man declared with enthusiasm, but Setsuna was pretty sure he'd been trained on the script. "Customized items delivered to your doorsteps in three days or less, guaranteed!"
"Sounds great." Ryuuzaki said, mustering up a shaky smile. "What next?"
"Well, I'll set you up with a Detnerat customer account so we can process the order, and any future ones you might have." He explained cheerfully, turning the monitor back. "Let me just pull up the info from the reservation…"
"Actually, I made the reservation so it won't have her info." Setsuna interjected.
"Ah, that's fine." He said, turning to Ryuuzaki. "I'll just need your name and birthday."
"Um. Ryuuzaki Tatsuma. Twenty-ninth of September, two thousand one hundred and fifty-seven."
"Huh, that's odd. There's already a profile under that name. And birthday." He stroked his chin for a moment, before pausing. Then he looked up at Ryuuzaki, then down at the screen.
Up and down.
Then he went a little pale, clearing his throat.
"Sorry, just a moment. I need to call this in real quick."
He all but fled into the back room, leaving the five of them to stare after him with confusion.
"What was that all about?" Pony wondered aloud.
Ryuuzaki shuffled her feet nervously.
"It's probably because of the-"
The store employee chose that moment to return with what looked like a manager of some sort, a portly, balding man probably in his fifties.
"Oh-ho! If my ears didn't deceive me just now, I heard that Ryuju herself was visiting our store!" He spoke in a booming voice, causing more than a few heads to turn in their direction.
"Y-yes that's me." Ryuuzaki mumbled awkwardly, and the man guffawed a hearty laugh, grabbing her hand.
"I'm Kenta Fushiro, Regional Manager here at Detnerat." He tried to give her hand a vigorous shake- emphasis on try, because her hand seemed locked in place out of sheer nervousness, and he proved wholly unable to move it, not that it dampened his enthusiasm. "Why, if we'd known you were coming we would have prepared a more proper welcome!"
"Excuse me, can you explain what's going on?" Setsuna interjected.
"Ah! You must be her friends, then." He smiled broadly. "You see, we here at Detnerat are committed to bringing specialized products to suit the needs of customers with altered bodies due to their Met- Quirks. It's not just a business to us, it's a calling."
Yeah, never heard that one before.
"Ryuju here helped bring awareness to an issue many among us have been quietly struggling with, those whose Quirks have left them unable to accomplish many everyday tasks requiring fine manipulation." He went on, clapping a hand up to Ryuuzaki's shoulder, causing her to wince. "Why, if it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have these wonderful products coming out soon to help rectify the situation!"
He gestured broadly towards the advertisements for the robotic hands. More and more people were starting to pay attention to what was happening, and Setsuna noticed muttered whispers at the periphery of her hearing.
"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why there's an account for her when she's never been to a Detnerat store before." Pony questioned, while Ryuuzaki was looking ever more embarrassed and nervous, glancing around herself.
"Mr. Yotsubashi, our CEO himself, was impressed with her presentation at I-Expo, and her dedication to our company values. He decided to gift her with a VIP customer account at Detnerat, after helping us in our mission so. All of your purchases will be comped, of course, and I'll personally supervise their completion."
"That's, um, that's great…" Ryuuzaki said with a painfully fake smile, but the manager seemed to either not notice or not care, prattling on.
Setsuna started to tune out the conversation, and focus on the people around them. The store was packed with people, long queues at most of the service desks, and more browsing through the aisles.
And a lot of those people were now watching them, following the Manager's booming voice and. With how famous Ryuuzaki had gotten from the combination of being Ryukyu's sister, the Sports Festival, Kashyyyk, I-Island and now Kamino… yes, Setsuna could see the sparks of recognition in people's eyes. And with recognition came confusion.
"-but she's human-"
"-thought she was supposed to be stuck a dragon-"
"-so was that just a scam then-"
"-typical-"
"-wonder what that's all about-"
And not all of them were friendly. And if Setsuna could hear them, so could Ryuuzaki. She was looking increasingly panicked, her skin even paler than normal. She wasn't even responding to the Detnerat manager, just frozen in place.
Setsuna had to do something.
She glanced at the other three. They seemed to have caught on too- Pony looked horrified, Yui was angry, and Itsuka determined. She gave Setsuna a sharp nod.
"I'm really sorry sir, but we really do need to get going." Itsuka explained politely yet firmly, while Pony and Yui grabbed Ryuuzaki. "You've got everything you need, right?"
Setsuna couldn't quite hear his reply as she stepped away, pulling out her phone and scrolling through her contact list for Ryukyu's phone number from her internship.
"Tatsuma here." The older Dragon Hero responded on the first ring. "Did something happen?"
"Ryuuzaki was recognized, and she's… not taking it well." Setsuna glanced over her shoulder, where Yui and Pony were leading Ryuuzaki away, a glazed look in her eyes. "Can you pick us up a little earlier than planned?"
"Understood." Her voice had immediately hardened from a casual tone to what Setsuna had identified as her Job Voice. Curt, serious and matter-of-fact. "I'll be there in twenty… no, fifteen minutes. Can't get there faster than that without breaking too many traffic laws. Meet me where I dropped you off if you can, or call me if you can't make it there."
"Sounds good. We'll see you then."
She shoved the phone back in her pocket and caught up to the others, nodding to Itsuka. "She's on her way."
Ryuuzaki was still out of it, her face pale and sweaty, her breathing rapid and shallow, but at least she had the presence of mind to allow herself to be guided by Yui and Pony. Steadfastly ignoring the stares and the mutters, Setsuna and Itsuka led the way out of the Detnerat store and out into the main boulevard.
Once more, Ryuuzaki's sheer height and size drew stares, magnified by her current state. Her eyes were wild and distressed, darting back and forth.
At the edge of her hearing, Setsuna heard footsteps behind them, coming from the direction of the store.
It all happened in a flash. As she was turning her head, out of the corner of her eye Setsuna saw the hand reach over to tap Ryuuzaki on the shoulder. The next thing she knew, Ryuuzaki had spun around with an audible snarl and had grabbed a young man by the front of his shirt, lifting him into the air with one hand, his feet dangling a good forty centimeters from the floor.
"I just-" He swallowed, eyes flickering back forth. "-just wanted to ask for an autograph!"
Immediately, Ryuuzaki's fury fled from her face like a receding tide, replaced with an expression of horrified realization. The man dropped to the floor, and she bolted away.
Setsuna hesitated.
"I'll handle this." Itsuka said. "Go."
Setsuna didn't wait a moment longer, sprinting after Ryuuzaki. Despite her clumsy, stumbling gait, her panic and long, powerful legs had carried her far in those few seconds of hesitation. Setsuna, Pony and Yui found her by one of the ancillary pathways, slumped down against the wall.
She was doubled over, dry-heaving into her hand and breathing quickly and erratically, tears streaming down her face. A part of Setsuna's brain that had paid attention during Rescue training supplied her with the clinical definition: panic attack.
Setsuna hesitated but Pony and Yui didn't, rushing by her side and hugging her. She followed them, reaching over to rub her back in what she hoped was a comforting fashion. They spent several minutes like that, until Ryuuzaki's breathing slowly evened out a little.
Itsuka followed them soon after, joining the others.
"It's alright. He was a little spooked, but I explained as best as I could. He seemed to understand." She said, putting a comforting hand on Ryuuzaki's shoulder. "Nobody is mad at you, or disappointed. We just want to understand."
Ryuuzaki said nothing,
"Come on." Setsuna said. "Talk to us."
"It's…" She choked out. "That was… that was Fujiwara".
"That's… I don't understand. Fujiwara?"
"That's what Fujiwara did." Ryuuzaki clarified. "He came up behind me… tapped me on the shoulder and… and…"
She couldn't finish the sentence, descending back into incoherent sobbing. Setsuna just continued rubbing her back. Ryuuzaki had never elaborated upon the details of the incident that had led to her being stuck as a dragon, other than that Fujiwara had ambushed her.
"I hate this." Ryuuzaki mumbled. "I hate how I shut down or have a freakout every time something goes even slightly wrong. I hate barely being able to see or hear. I hate having to explain why I'm a human now. I hate feeling uncomfortable in my own body and unable to sleep. I hate barely being able to move without tripping. I hate feeling vulnerable, like anyone I meet could be a shapeshifting serial killer, or villains could appear out of thin air, and kill me on the spot."
Setsuna winced.
"As a dragon I feel strong. I feel safe. I feel… graceful. I feel confident. But all of that goes out the window as a human. I feel pathetic. I feel like a big, dumb baby. I hate that." She drew in a shuddering breath. "I hate being human."
The four of them exchanged glances. This was… bad.
"Ryuuzaki…" Itsuka started. "How long has it been since you were last a dragon?"
"I don't know." She muttered sullenly. "Last week. Before the move."
Itsuka blinked.
"Wait, what? I thought- You haven't even-" She spluttered, before catching herself, taking a deep breath.
"You were stuck as a dragon for three years." She started slowly, measuring her words. "It's only been two weeks, and you already went cold turkey for a week straight? Of course it's going to- I mean- I don't- If it was this bad for you, why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you just turn back into a dragon?"
"Everyone was… so happy. About me being human again." She mumbled into her hands. "Excited for all the things we could do now. Expecting me to be human. Expecting me to want to be human. I couldn't just… it felt easier. After everything…"
"Look, I'm… I'm sorry if I contributed to that expectation." Pony said, looking around herself, the others nodding along with her. "We all are. I guess… we got kind of excited about the shopping trip. But that's just because we wanted to spend time with you. We don't care what form you're in. Human, dragon, or if you just want to spend some time in either form."
"But-"
"We know… you have a hard time asking other people to make accommodations for you." Yui picked up. "And that you feel guilty about everything others had to do to make sure you could be included as a dragon. But here's the thing. We don't mind because you're our friend and we love you. If you're happy, that makes us happy. If you can't be comfortable, we can't be comfortable either. That's what being friends means."
Ryuuzaki said nothing, just looking at her feet.
"Wait-wait-wait." Setsuna interjected. "You said you can't sleep as a human. Then how have you been doing that this whole week?"
"I haven't. Beyond a couple of hours every few nights."
Setsuna's eyes widened, an action mirrored by Itsuka opposite to her. Pony let out a small gasp, while Yui said nothing, her eyebrows furrowing.
"...Ryuuzaki, that's horrible." Setsuna finally said. "Why would you do that to yourself?"
"I… my room can't fit a dragon."
"Did you ask for a dragon-sized room?"
"...No."
"...Why not?"
Ryuuzaki looked at the floor, seeming miserable.
"Alright. I'm sorry." Setsuna said. "I just… want to help you."
"You're tired." Itsuka said, rubbing Ryuuzaki's shoulder. "You're overwhelmed and you're tired. And maybe… you'll still hate being human when you're not. And that's okay. But… maybe you'll hate it less. Maybe, if you're rested, and give yourself more time to adjust… it'll be more bearable. Does that sound good to you?"
Ryuuzaki still didn't say anything, but there was a wordless noise of assent.
"Alright." Itsuka offered her a hand to pull her to her feet., using her Quirk to enlarge it slightly. "Let's… get going."
-----
The car ride was quiet. Ryuuzaki mostly looked at her feet, eyes still red and puffy. Ryukyu sat beside her sister, letting her lean against her.
"It's unfortunate that the truth got out so quickly, but sometimes it just works out that way." She explained, shaking her head. "Now it's just a matter of dealing with the fallout."
"But… what am I going to say when people ask about it?" Ryuuzaki mumbled morosely. "I don't want to…"
"Tell them 'I was unable to transform back to human due to being injured by a villain attack when I was younger. But thankfully we were able to finally figure out the cause, and now I can again.'. That's it. If they ask for more details, decline. Tell them it's personal. The public is not entitled to know anything more than that."
The car fell into a silence soon after that, save for the sound of the engine and nearby traffic whistling by.
But even then, Setsuna could hear the rustling as Ryuuzaki shifted in her seat, to face the four of them, her friends, and the quiet words passing from her lips.
"Thank you."
-----
"Of course, we'd be happy to renovate your room to accommodate your dragon form." Nedzu explained, clasping his paws together behind his desk, beady black eyes sweeping over the group clustered into his office. "We'll have to combine it with the room below and shift that somewhere else, but if that means expanding the building then so be it."
Setsuna watched Ryuuzaki out of the corner of her eye, a nakedly disbelieving look on her face. As if she couldn't believe it had been that simple. That easy.
"Cementoss will start work immediately, but it will still take him a few days. In the meanwhile, you will, of course, have your pick of our facilities. I may not be able to change the law, but UA is not a public setting. You have my express permission to remain in your other form as much as you like. We can and we will continue to make any accommodations necessary for you to attend, in whatever form you desire."
"I… thank you, principal." Ryuuzaki said, unable to meet his gaze. "Really."
"Please, it is my failing that this was not addressed when you first moved in." Nedzu shook his head. "Plus Ultra, that is the motto of our school. Most attribute it to mean that we expect our students to go beyond. But it also reflects that, in turn, the school must go beyond, for our students." He sighed. "Even so, I wish that you had brought it to my attention before it boiled over so. Sometimes, simply asking for help can go a long way."
Then, Nedzu turned his attention to the other four, smiling broadly.
"Kendo, Kodai, Tsunotori, Tokage, you have my sincere thanks and commendations for your handling of the situation, and the unwavering support you have shown your friend." He steepled his paws together. "But now, it has been a long day for you, so I won't keep you any longer. And please, try to get some sleep."
"I… might have an idea for that." Pony ventured as they left the principal's office, poking a finger to her cheek. "Follow me."
She dragged the group through the hallways of UA's main building on a path that was growing increasingly familiar as they went, until Setsuna realized they were going towards 1-B's classroom. But instead of stopping there she took them past the long row of classrooms, left unused for the long months of summer, and instead took them to the changing rooms beyond.
"In here," she said, pulling the large door open, an assisting motor whirring. The girls' changing room was dominated by rows of lockers and benches, but Pony marched past them all to the far corner, to the doorway leading to the showers beyond.
The wide, expansive showers big enough for a dragon to fit under.
"Ohh… that's a great idea." Setsuna said.
"I noticed you enjoyed it the last time, so…" Pony explained said as she walked along the row of faucets, turning the heat up to max. "You can just transform and sleep here!"
"The water bill alone-" Ryuuzaki protested, but Setsuna simply reached up to clap a hand to her shoulder.
"UA's budget is not a number, it is a word. And that word is 'yes'. Now get in there."
Reluctantly, she made her way forward, closing her eyes. Her hands trembled. Then, it began.
It occurred to Setsuna that she had never actually seen her friend activate her Quirk, just as Ryuuzaki disappeared in a flash of light and flame, the smell of smoke filling the air. Her admittedly towering human form had been replaced by an enormous white dragon that dwarfed it utterly, her horns nearly scraping against the ceiling, as high as it was.
She lowered her head and let out a shuddering breath of palpable relief, the warm air washing over Setsuna's face.
"Alright! Here we go!"
Pony dashed along the row of showerheads, opening each valve in turn before skidding to a halt behind Ryuuzaki's tail, as warm water began to cascade on her white scales.
She opened her mouth to say something, but then her eyelids drooped shut and she quite literally fell asleep where she stood. Her hulking form collapsed nervelessly to the floor with an almighty thump that sent Setsuna stumbling for balance.
"Whoops." Pony smiled nervously, looking down at the floor tiles that had been cracked by the sheer weight of scale and muscle falling on them. "I'm… sure that will be fine."
The four of them watched the scene in silence for a long moment, the only sound that of running water as well as content rumbles and snuffles emanating from Ryuuzaki as she shifted in her sleep. Torrents of warm water ran down her flanks, pooling around her before falling away into the drains, while vapour wafted off of her, gathering around the ceiling.
Claw and scale scraped against tile and metal grate as she slowly twisted and turned in search of the right position, flopping over to her back for a moment before rolling back over and seemingly settling on curling around herself, her limbs held tight against her body and the tip of her tail having somehow ended up in her mouth.
"We need to make sure nobody disturbs her." Yui spoke up. "And that she doesn't try to leave before she's fully rested. Come on, I'll take the first watch."
