Our Hero Academia

[Divider]

Yuuei Academy!

The Department of Heroes!

It is here that the nation's hopefuls strive to acquire the necessary qualifications to become Pro Heroes! Of all such schools throughout the nation, it ranks the most popular - and the most difficult! Each year, less than one in three hundred examinees make it!

Today, however, fourteen young hopefuls arrive, ready to fight their way to a passing grade in what may be their most grueling challenge yet...

You find yourselves filing into the building where the examinees were instructed to gather, admiring Yuuei's facilities and taking in your surroundings. Some examinees look confident, some look nervous.

The entrance lies straight ahead.

@Bondo @notmi @Mortifer @Nanimani @Bladestar123 @Lichte @Sockpuppet @munchkinomatic @Nathaniel Wolff @NSMS @Joebobjoe @God and the Snake @Azrael @Wizard_Marshall

Go forth, young stars! Plus Ultra!

 

[The Fourth Monado]

Today was the day. The day he'd been waiting for.

Vellris Johanson dragged his feet nervously while looking around at his soon-to-be classmates. There was one kinda-cute girl wearing dark purple, and that biker dude looking person, and so many other people.

For some reason, he felt himself drawn toward one particular guy; a rather muscular boy with dark hair and a calmly nervous expression. Quickly making up his mind, he sped up to him and cleared his throat.

"Um, hi. I'm Vellris. Nice day we're having, right? You exited?"

Vellris couldn't keep a slight tremor of nervousness out of his voice.

@Joebobjoe

 

[Legend of Ruina]

A 195 centimeter tall giant stands around next to the door, his arms pure black, seeming to suck in the nearby light. He had arrived a bit early in his excitement and decided it was prudent to wait for the other examinees to arrive before going in.

Today was the day. The day he'd been waiting for.

Vellris Johanson dragged his feet nervously while looking around at his soon-to-be classmates. There was one kinda-cute girl wearing dark purple, and that biker dude looking person, and so many other people.

For some reason, he felt himself drawn toward one particular guy; a rather muscular boy with dark hair and a calmly nervous expression. Quickly making up his mind, he sped up to him and cleared his throat.

"Um, hi. I'm Vellris. Nice day we're having, right? You exited?"

Vellris couldn't keep a slight tremor of nervousness out of his voice.

@Joebobjoe

Click to shrink...

"Johnathan Josephson at your service. I've been looking forward to this for ages, I assume the same is true for you? Anyway, now that people are arriving it's probably best to go in."

 

[The Fourth Monado]

"Johnathan Josephson at your service. I've been looking forward to this for ages, I assume the same is true for you? Anyway, now that people are arriving it's probably best to go in."

Click to shrink...

"Yeah," Vellris replied, the nervousness beginning to drain from his voice. "You could say that."

As the two of them set off, he began talking again. "So, what do you think they'll have us do? I'm hoping just a simple orientation, but something tells me it won't be that easy..."

 

[Khawy]

Yuuei Academy!

The Department of Heroes!

It is here that the nation's hopefuls strive to acquire the necessary qualifications to become Pro Heroes! Of all such schools throughout the nation, it ranks the most popular - and the most difficult! Each year, less than one in three hundred examinees make it!

Today, however, fourteen young hopefuls arrive, ready to fight their way to a passing grade in what may be their most grueling challenge yet...

You find yourselves filing into the building where the examinees were instructed to gather, admiring Yuuei's facilities and taking in your surroundings. Some examinees look confident, some look nervous.

The entrance lies straight ahead.

@Bondo @notmi @Mortifer @Nanimani @Bladestar123 @Lichte @Sockpuppet @munchkinomatic @Nathaniel Wolff @NSMS @Joebobjoe @God and the Snake @Azrael @Wizard_Marshall

Go forth, young stars! Plus Ultra!

Click to shrink...

Hmph. These gym clothes were such a drab. Why couldn't the most prestigious, most renown, most popular of all Hero Academies afford better sets of cloth! This was an outrage, those stuck up board members will definitely hear about this! At least, make them more stylish, make them more colorful and bright or some such.

Wait, why were the others wearing normal, casual clothes? Was she the only one wearing gym clothes as of right now? Oh no, no, no, this won't do. This was embarrassing. But she can save this though. Just act all confident, no one will be able to tell that she'd messed up. Totally foolproof.

Estelle flipped her purple hair in annoyance. She'd styled them in a high pony tail fashion as to not let her long hair get in the way. Honestly, this was such a demanding exam. But it was going to be all worth it in the end. So much effort she'd put into this day, just so that she can stand by his side when the time comes. It was all going to be worth it.

She sighed to herself in anticipation. Her palms getting sticky and icky with sweats, her legs shook before the entrance. Great, now her nerves were getting to her. Come on, just breathe in, and breathe out. Just deal with one thing at a time. Now calm, stay calm...

Nope, this wasn't working. She needed to find some sap to talk down to so that she can feel better about herself. Her ego was a fragile thing after all. So Estelle spied with her little eyes to find her victim.

Hmmm... Not him, clown man was too weird. Nope, not her either, lala-land girl was too weird too. Eh, not that red head either, she's looked too troublesome. Ehhh, the foreigner looked too suspicious, better not associate with him. Better not mess with the creepy girl with blue hair either. Huh, maybe that one black haired girl would do. Nah, looks too excited for this. Big guy was busy dealing with the other foreigner. Who to pick, who to pick?

Ah ha! @God and the Snake

This wimp will do. She daintily pranced to her conservation partner to be.

"Hey, hey, hey, are you feeling nervous about today? I mean, if we fail this entrance exam, all of our efforts will be wasted, right? All that years of blood and sweats put into training gone in an instant. We might not even get accepted into our school choices because of how hard we fail this one. But no pressure, right?" She smiled brightly at the blond, wimpy kid. "Oh, my name is Estelle Angelopoulos, it's Greek by the way, but I was born and raised in Japan. So I'm as Japanese as you are. What's your?"

 

[NSMS]

Sachi folded her arms up behind her head as she walked, hanging off towards the back of group and looking slightly up rather than actually at the others. It was a somewhat antisocial pose and position, she knew, but it was what she was comfortable with; even prepared and ready for socialising, she still found it hard to get along with normal people. And even if that wasn't likely to be as much of a problem here as it had been back in school, who knew if anybody she talked to would actually pass the exam? Imagine that- she might spent time and effort getting to know someone, only to find out it was a complete waste of effort!

Looking at things that way, Sachi didn't see any problem with walking alone in silence. She did briefly considered the possibility of whistling as she went to keep herself occupied, but... no, it wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[Nanimani]

Ah, today was the day! Yuuei Academy!
Yeesh, it looked even more impressive in person! Almost hard to believe she'd be living here for the next three years... Still, less than one percent pass rate or not, she'd be getting in. Perhaps it was a bit arrogant, but it's how it is. Frankly, with her Quirk, it'd be real embarrassing for her not to pass. She'd shame her ancestors, whoever they were. More importantly, she'd shame herself. Urgh, the sheer divine level mockery she'd be getting from her family if she didn't pass after all the work they did to help her train... She had to shudder, thinking about it.

Anyways, test. Part of her wanted to go strike up a conversation with one of the other people heading into the room, but there wouldn't really be a point, since she probably wouldn't ever see them again. Just getting inside as soon as possible to find a good seat would be a better use of her time. And so that is what Keiko did, walking to the open entrance of the building, coat fluttering dramatically behind her in defiance of the absence of enough wind to do that.

 

[Legend of Ruina]

"Yeah," Vellris replied, the nervousness beginning to drain from his voice. "You could say that."

As the two of them set off, he began talking again. "So, what do you think they'll have us do? I'm hoping just a simple orientation, but something tells me it won't be that easy..."

Click to shrink...

"There will at the very least be some assessment of our quirks. Though I wonder if there might not also be a psychological exam to ensure the mental health of the students. It would be a major embarrassment to let the next big villain in. Best not to dwell on uncertainties though, let's go in and find out for sure." With that Johnathan heads into the room doing his best to avoid jostling the other entrants with his still swelling musculature.

 

[The Fourth Monado]

"There will at the very least be some assessment of our quirks. Though I wonder if there might not also be a psychological exam to ensure the mental health of the students. It would be a major embarrassment to let the next big villain in. Best not to dwell on uncertainties though, let's go in and find out for sure." With that Johnathan heads into the room doing his best to avoid jostling the other entrants with his still swelling musculature.

Click to shrink...

Vellris ponders those words for a moment. "Yeah, that does make sense..."

He then followed the giant inside, and soon gazed upon the room.

 

[Azrael]

Entering the school grounds proper from where she left her bike, Alice sheepishly walks among the other students. She was serious about wanting to be a Hero, and her Quirk was excellent, many people had said...

But even though she had worked towards this for so long, even though she poured blood, sweat and tears into managing to apply to Yuuei. Even though she worked just as hard as anyone...

To forget that the entrance exam was today...

She shook her head, feeling the heat of the engine that took the place of her heart reach her face.

Forget forgetting the entrance exam, she forgot she wanted to go to the school in the first place! Luckily her first instinct upon waking up in an unfamiliar place with no memories was to read the nearby diary... Still, what a good idea she had had. Writing down a general 'History' journal to bring herself up to speed quickly, and keeping other diaries for more specific information.

Hopefully her condition wouldn't effect her marks much...

And so, worries on her mind, Alice made her way to the entrance of the school.

 

[notmi]

Hisoka walked slightly to the side of the group, oddly dressed more like a performer than than a normal student, even a heroic one. He even had two symbols painted under his eyes, a star and a tear. Seemingly without paying attention, a deck of cards was shuffled in his hands, the cards flipping, tumbling, and seeming to disappear and reappear at random.

Hmm, hopefully this batch doesn't end up being as disappointing as they look. It would be such a shame if they proved themselves too boring to keep his interest. Why, then he'd have to find his own entertainment, and boredom can make people do the craziest things.

Unbeknownst to Hisoka, a sinister smile had spread across his face as he thought, showing anyone currently looking at him a rather terrifying visage.

 

[Sockpuppet]

Sachi folded her arms up behind her head as she walked, hanging off towards the back of group and looking slightly up rather than actually at the others. It was a somewhat antisocial pose and position, she knew, but it was what she was comfortable with; even prepared and ready for socialising, she still found it hard to get along with normal people. And even if that wasn't likely to be as much of a problem here as it had been back in school, who knew if anybody she talked to would actually pass the exam? Imagine that- she might spent time and effort getting to know someone, only to find out it was a complete waste of effort!

Looking at things that way, Sachi didn't see any problem with walking alone in silence. She did briefly considered the possibility of whistling as she went to keep herself occupied, but... no, it wasn't worth the hassle.

Click to shrink...

Today was the big day. The day that all of Haru's hard training and work would finally pay off. Both his parents, having been heroes, fully expected him to breeze through this exam, and so too did he. He was absolutely confident. Tension, anxiety, nervousness - all of these common mental pests did not dare to buzz around him. He had more than a hundred percent of belief within himself, and so he strode towards the entrance examination building with a steady gusto that exuded an energetic and fearless aura.

However, as Haru looked around him at his prospective competition, he could not help but worry. All those mental shackles of worry that he was not bound by instead found easy grip among the many students who did not have the same iron confidence that Haru did. Haru wanted to be a hero. Not a hero in just title, but in heart as well. Just because you receive the title of hero by passing an exam does not mean that you truly are one. Heroism, at least in Haru's belief, was embodied in the smaller, daily aspects of life. He could not help but wish to help in some way these troubled people that all had the same noble goal as him.

Even so, Haru was simply one person, so he'd have to settle with trying to ease out one person at a time. He spotted a blue haired girl who he thought looked worried and tapped her shoulder.

"Hey there," he said casually and calmly, an amiable smile on his face, "you ready for this entrance exam?"

 

[Lichte]

It was finally time. The chance to raise herself up, to carve her name into the world.

She didn't bother to fight off the smirk splitting her face open, her fists clenched tightly enough that her nails were drawing blood. Nothing could ruin her good mood today.

Anyways, test. Part of her wanted to go strike up a conversation with one of the other people heading into the room, but there wouldn't really be a point, since she probably wouldn't ever see them again. Just getting inside as soon as possible to find a good seat would be a better use of her time. And so that is what Keiko did, walking to the open entrance of the building, coat fluttering dramatically behind her in defiance of the absence of enough wind to do that.

Click to shrink...

Except for the sight that met her as she started for the entrance. "Ugh," Emi groaned. "You actually showed up?" Her smirk shifted into a scowl, bloody hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans.

 

[munchkinomatic]

Alex Greene hummed a little tune to himself, his feet subconsciously tapping to the electronic beat as he took in the sight before him.

Ah, Yuuei. It's been a while. And yet, it still felt like yesterday when he first looked at the iconic building.

The shapeshifter pushed his way through the crowd toward the front for a better view. His eyes darting this way and that, gauging the prospective students.

The others around him seemed worried, anxious. That, Alex could not understand. If you are uncertain of your skill, why are you at the most prestigious school there is? On the other hand, if you're certain of your capability, why waste time undermining your confidence?

Prepare, believe in yourself, relax and take it as it come. That philosophy hasn't failed him yet.

With that in mind, Alex took out his phone, took a selfie, updated his status, and checked his Twitter.

 

[TehChron]

The time had come.

The arrival of the latest batch of would-be chicks into U.A.

A time of mourning. A time of celebration. A time of steady paychecks.

But first? They needed to get past that first obstacle of where they would qualify as the embryos that would become fertilized and thus evolve into eggs which would eventually hatch into chicks. And yet, first these would-be hopefuls in the making would need to surpass that critical first step of proving themselves to be greater than merest trash.

Present Mic stood on his beloved stage, facing the approaching wave to come. Who among them would prove worthy of U.A.? He couldn't wait to find out, and get this show on the road. His hands gripped the podium before him, the material bending under his strength, the Pro Hero's wide grin spread even further in anticipation for what was to come.

He just couldn't wait.

 

[God and the Snake]

OK.

Breath in.

Breath out.

In.

Out.

In.

He could do this.

The scars say otherwise, says the white hot doubt in the back of his mind, wiggling like a worm eating through an apple.

Out.

All he needed to do was step through the door, and he wouldn't have the option to turn ba-

This wimp will do. She daintily pranced to her conservation partner to be.

Click to shrink...

Oh God there was a pretty, petite girl coming towards him.

Shit shit shit shit. What had Hideo told him to do in these situations?

'Big Bro's teeth twinkled in the sunlight as he a raised his thumb towards his little brother. "Just act natural Masahiro-kun! Women love confidence!" '

OK. Just act natural.

...Goddammit Hideo, that didn't help at all!

"Hey, hey, hey, are you feeling nervous about today?"

Click to shrink...

She was talking to him.

"Well, I -"

"I mean, if we fail this entrance exam, all of our efforts will be wasted, right?"

Click to shrink...

Well, she could probably get a retest next year like him.

But they probably wouldn't give him a third chance.

"Actually,-"

"We might not even get accepted into our school choices because of how hard we fail this one. "

Click to shrink...

Oh God he hadn't thought of that. It was bad enough that he would be entering any class two years older then anyone else, but if he fumbled as hard as he had last year, he didn't think there was a school in the country that would let him in.

"Yo-"

"But no pressure, right?" She smiled brightly at the blond, wimpy kid. "Oh, my name is Estelle Angelopoulos, it's Greek by the way, but I was born and raised in Japan. So I'm as Japanese as you are. What's your?"

Click to shrink...

Masahrio opened his mouth, but no sound came out. In his mind, he was having a breakdown.

He should go back home right now - there was nothing stopping him. If he did, he could send out some email applications to a few public hero courses around the city before recruitment season ended. It wouldn't be the school bro and Mom and Grandpa had gone to, but it would be something. And he'd taken the train here to be alone with his thoughts, so it wasn't like anyone that mattered would see him turn his back to his drea-

'But someone would.'

Another voice spoke up, echoing through his mind.

'You would.'

It was his but it wasn't. Masahiro Motochika could never have that casual confidence. Not in a thousand years.

But as it spoke, he felt a calmness wash over him, and he wondered if it was really Masahiro Motochika standing here.

'Now, relax.'

'You've got this.'

He closed his mouth.

Breath in.

Breath out.

He focused on the girl again, looking here in the eyes. Belatedly, he realized that was because he'd sunk down to his shins in the shadows at his feet in his panic. Damn. He thought he'd gotten over that.

"I'm Masahiro," he said with a surety he hadn't think he had. "And I wouldn't worry to much about the exam." He grinned a grin that was infectious. "Whether or not we pass or fail'll be decided before we step through that door."

Because the true enemy in this exam was fear.

And also giant robots.

But mostly fear.

 

[Bladestar123]

Itsuki walked up, self-consciously straightening his hair. Despite being used to attention, the gazes that followed him never grew any more comfortable. They lacked the eerie weight, that greasy, possessive look that entered the gaze of the socialites his father entertained once upon a time. He had once enjoyed those looks before he'd understood the weight behind them, reveled in being the center of attention. Far, far away from that label of "bastard" that had plagued his childhood.

After all, bastards were disposable, and a bastard for an unspecified favor was a cheap price indeed. He'd never bothered convincing himself otherwise. A kindness shown did not equate with love; merely acceptance and prudence, and he never did discover what his father thought of him.

Never would now.

Good riddance to that asshole.

But these looks...He looked around. Boys and girls watched him walk by, following him from his stride to his flowing hair.

Fucking teenagers. He'd cursed his lessons on politeness and manners, but they served him well in hiding his distaste. His looks may have been cultivated once upon a time, but sometimes he wished that he looked more like a man. What a pain. He swore to make the truth clear upon entering his classroom; he was still dressed in clothing his mother considered "cute", a form-fitting white shirt, and tight, stretchy pants. Oh, how he'd love to wear something else, but it made his mother so happy...

He'd bear with it, to see her smile. Anything.

Itsuki smoothed his hair down again, that one stupid little strand popping back up the second his hands left his hair. He's tied his hair back, but it was so stubborn...Ducking his head, he picked up his pace, ignoring the socializing people around him, quickly moving to where he was supposed to meet. He was so nervous, thought's bouncing like a pinball; there was just so much to consider. He couldn't risk failing here, there was simply too much riding on it. He wouldn't. Best to get it over with.

Itsuki kept his eyes down, hoping no one would bother him. Unfortunately, looking downwards wasn't the best for looking out, and bumped gently into a slim back. His head shot up, gently reddening, and he backed up a step mumbling apologies.

@Azrael

 

[Mortifer]

The girl in the purple cloak had been one of the first people into the hall, waiting for the instructors to arrive and begin the exam. After all, it was not as if she had anything better to do. Even as more and more people began filling in, she stood back in her corner, flipping through the pages on her book.

Telekinesis: Not That Handy by Charles Xavier was one that Raven had gone over before, but considering what day it was today, a refresher on the 'Self Defense and Superheroics' segment had seemed in order. It did have the flaw that a lot of the points it raised depended on how exactly one's quirk works, but Raven had originally gotten the idea of carrying herself telekinetically from it, and it did have other tricks which should could at least attempt to make use of.

Of course, the further she read, the more people who came in. The more people who came in, the more they talked, the more noise they made, the harder it was to focus on reading.

Eventually, Raven Poe sighed, and quietly closed her book. There was no point, with how hard it was to concentrate. All she could do now was wait for the exams to begin and hoped that nobody would approach her. She wasn't exactly in the mood for social activity.

 

[Azrael]

Itsuki kept his eyes down, hoping no one would bother him. Unfortunately, looking downwards wasn't the best for looking out, and bumped gently into a slim back. His head shot up, gently reddening, and he backed up a step mumbling apologies.

@Azrael

Click to shrink...

"Ah." Alice let out a sound as a rather solid object knocked into her. Her foot stepped forward, planted to keep her balance that was slightly disturbed by the impact.

Not that it had really done much to her, mind. One of the characteristics of a largely steel body was weight, and she was considerably more solid than she appeared. Rather, it was a precaution against potentially landing on someone with the aforementioned incredibly heavy body.

Turning to face the one who had bumped into her, she smiled softly at him.

"Oh, sorry. You aren't hurt, are you?" As she spoke, she looked him- and she was fairly certain it was a him, even if she had a small feeling of uncertainty regarding that conclusion - up and down, inspecting him for any obvious injuries. He hadn't fallen down, which was good, but she should probably make sure.

"Do you need to go to the Nurse's Office? Maybe rest a bit?" It wasn't exactly obvious, but closer inspection revealed that her eyes moved and focused oddly. Like a camera lens.

"If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate." She finished, beaming at him.

 

[Bladestar123]

"Ah." Alice let out a sound as a rather solid object knocked into her. Her foot stepped forward, planted to keep her balance that was slightly disturbed the by the impact.

Not that it had really done much to her, mind. One of the characteristics of a largely steel body was weight, and she was considerably more solid than she appeared. Rather, it was a precaution against potentially landing on someone with the aforementioned incredibly heavy body.

Turning to face the one who had bumped into her, she smiled softly at him.

"Oh, sorry. You aren't hurt, are you?" As she spoke, she looked him- and she was fairly certain it was a him, even if she had a small feeling of uncertainty regarding that conclusion - up and down, inspecting him for any obvious injuries. He hadn't fallen down, which was good, but she should probably make sure.

"Do you need to go to the Nurse's Office? Maybe rest a bit?" It wasn't exactly obvious, but closer inspection revealed that her eyes moved and focused oddly. Like a camera lens.

"If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate." She finished, beaming at him.

Click to shrink...

Itsuki shuddered a little upon her gaze, something uncanny about it ringing in his subconscious, but he quickly shook it off, and offered her an uncertainly gentle smile in reply. "No - no there is no need. My deepest apologies, I wasn't looking." He reddened further under her gaze, squirming slightly. What a stupid apology, why was he being so overblown? God, this was humiliating. He met her face, and flushed, hands meeting at his waist, and gently twisting together from nerves. He was off-balance, first bumping into someone, and then having them worry about him?!

He didn't know how to deal with kindness! His mother always just cuddled him!

And she was cute, really cute. Oh man, oh man, this was humiliating. He met a cute girl unconnected to any kind of politocal maneuver, and he immediately fucked it up. His head turned slightly away, to try and not do anything more stupid. He felt his earlobes gently burn, and her gentle words just made them burn harder. She was so nice.

Nonononono, no, cannot process, cannot deal. This was too much! It's all going bad! Super bad!

He bowed his head, still not meeting her eyes. "I'm fine, I'm very sorry for bothering you. I-I'm Itsuki! Uhm, it was very nice to meet you! I feel fine! Nothing's wrong!" nononononono, stop babbling, Itsuki, you idiot you're making it all worse stoppitstoppitstoppit "I'm, um, I have to go! Uh, the teachers should be waiting! We-I-I'm going! Sorry!"

'ahhhhhh, she thinks I'm an idiot! what kind of politician could you ever hope to be?!'

Mentally wailing, he slid around her and beat a hasty retreat, blush burning full force as he all but jogged to the entrance.

 

[Azrael]

Itsuki shuddered a little upon her gaze, something uncanny about it ringing in his subconscious, but he quickly shook it off, and offered her an uncertainly gentle smile in reply. "No - no there is no need. My deepest apologies, I wasn't looking." He reddened further under her gaze, squirming slightly. What a stupid apology, why was he being so overblown? God, this was humiliating. He met her face, and flushed, hands meeting at his waist, and gently twisting together from nerves. He was off-balance, first bumping into someone, and then having them worry about him?!

He didn't know how to deal with kindness! His mother always just cuddled him!

And she was cute, really cute. Oh man, oh man, this was humiliating. He met a cute girl unconnected to any kind of politocal maneuver, and he immediately fucked it up. His head turned slightly away, to try and not do anything more stupid. He felt his earlobes gently burn, and her gentle words just made them burn harder. She was so nice.

Nonononono, no, cannot process, cannot deal. This was too much! It's all going bad! Super bad!

He bowed his head, still not meeting her eyes. "I'm fine, I'm very sorry for bothering you. I-I'm Itsuki! Uhm, it was very nice to meet you! I feel fine! Nothing's wrong!" nononononono, stop babbling, Itsuki, you idiot you're making it all worse stoppitstoppitstoppit "I'm, um, I have to go! Uh, the teachers should be waiting! We-I-I'm going! Sorry!"

'ahhhhhh, she thinks I'm an idiot! what kind of politician could you ever hope to be?!'

Mentally wailing, he slid around her and beat a hasty retreat, blush burning full force as he all but jogged to the entrance.

Click to shrink...

For a moment, Alice thought that the boy might be sick (even though it was getting harder and harder, watching him, to remain sure of her deduction of the other student's gender). She soon reached the conclusion that, no, he was fine, simply embarrassed.

Bad at social interaction? Possibly, he might be like. Or maybe his feminine appearance meant he was teased a lot? He could be unused to talking to girls as well. She had read once (probably, she couldn't actually remember reading it, but she remembers what she learned) that in the past, men in Japan were increasingly becoming less and less outgoing in regards to romantic endeavors. She believed the term was 'grass eater'? That had largely changed since Quirks became commonplace, as apparently nothing helps a guy's confidence like the ability to breath fire or shoot lasers from his eyes...

Anyway, as he introduced himself, she simply smiled and replied "Nice to meet you, Itsuki-san. My name is Alice. I hope we get along!"

Of course, strictly speaking, that wasn't true. She had absolutely no idea what her birth name was, she was simply called 'Alice' in the diaries she left herself, and it was noted that that hadn't been her real name.

As Itsuki fled, Alice sighed. Maybe she had been too forward...? She had only wanted to help, and he looked like he could use a friend, or a calming presence to talk to.

Maybe if they both got in, they'd be in the same class!

Thinking happy thoughts, Alice continued on her way inside, and sat down on one of the many provided chairs. Thankfully, every furniture item nowadays was made with heavy weight in mind. Even if they weren't extremely large, many people had Quirks that made them quite heavy.

Sitting down and patiently waiting, Alice looked around the room, viewing it and her potential classmates with naked curiosity.

 

[The Fourth Monado]

The girl in the purple cloak had been one of the first people into the hall, waiting for the instructors to arrive and begin the exam. After all, it was not as if she had anything better to do. Even as more and more people began filling in, she stood back in her corner, flipping through the pages on her book.

Telekinesis: Not That Handy by Charles Xavier was one that Raven had gone over before, but considering what day it was today, a refresher on the 'Self Defense and Superheroics' segment had seemed in order. It did have the flaw that a lot of the points it raised depended on how exactly one's quirk works, but Raven had originally gotten the idea of carrying herself telekinetically from it, and it did have other tricks which should could at least attempt to make use of.

Of course, the further she read, the more people who came in. The more people who came in, the more they talked, the more noise they made, the harder it was to focus on reading.

Eventually, Raven Poe sighed, and quietly closed her book. There was no point, with how hard it was to concentrate. All she could do now was wait for the exams to begin and hoped that nobody would approach her. She wasn't exactly in the mood for social activity.

Click to shrink...

Vellris glanced over. The cute girl had been reading something, and honestly looked kinda bored with this entire situation. Maybe... no she'd just push him away. No use trying.

Don't you know, Brother? It's the people who push away the hardest that need friends the most.

Old words, from before. Vellris sighed, before straitening and walking over to the girl.

"Hi. I'm Vellris. Nice school, huh?"

 

[Mortifer]

Vellris glanced over. The cute girl had been reading something, and honestly looked kinda bored with this entire situation. Maybe... no she'd just push him away. No use trying.

Don't you know, Brother? It's the people who push away the hardest that need friends the most.

Old words, from before. Vellris sighed, before straitening and walking over to the girl.

"Hi. I'm Vellris. Nice school, huh?"

Click to shrink...

Ah. Of course. The hope of being left alone was a pipe dream.

"I hear it's the best." Raven replied bluntly, not looking at the speaker.

Don't give them anything to continue the conversation, let them know you're not interested, there's a chance they'll take the hint and go away. Didn't work all the time, but it worked often enough.

 

[Khawy]

OK.

Breath in.

Breath out.

In.

Out.

In.

He could do this.

The scars say otherwise, says the white hot doubt in the back of his mind, wiggling like a worm eating through an apple.

Out.

All he needed to do was step through the door, and he wouldn't have the option to turn ba-



Oh God there was a pretty, petite girl coming towards him.

Shit shit shit shit. What had Hideo told him to do in these situations?

'Big Bro's teeth twinkled in the sunlight as he a raised his thumb towards his little brother. "Just act natural Masahiro-kun! Women love confidence!" '

OK. Just act natural.

...Goddammit Hideo, that didn't help at all!

She was talking to him.

"Well, I -"




Well, she could probably get a retest next year like him.

But they probably wouldn't give him a third chance.

"Actually,-"




Oh God he hadn't thought of that. It was bad enough that he would be entering any class two years older then anyone else, but if he fumbled as hard as he had last year, he didn't think there was a school in the country that would let him in.

"Yo-"



Masahrio opened his mouth, but no sound came out. In his mind, he was having a breakdown.

He should go back home right now - there was nothing stopping him. If he did, he could send out some email applications to a few public hero courses around the city before recruitment season ended. It wouldn't be the school bro and Mom and Grandpa had gone to, but it would be something. And he'd taken the train here to be alone with his thoughts, so it wasn't like anyone that mattered would see him turn his back to his drea-

'But someone would.'

Another voice spoke up, echoing through his mind.

'You would.'

It was his but it wasn't. Masahiro Motochika could never have that casual confidence. Not in a thousand years.

But as it spoke, he felt a calmness wash over him, and he wondered if it was really Masahiro Motochika standing here.

'Now, relax.'

'You've got this.'

He closed his mouth.

Breath in.

Breath out.

He focused on the girl again, looking here in the eyes. Belatedly, he realized that was because he'd sunk down to his shins in the shadows at his feet in his panic. Damn. He thought he'd gotten over that.

"I'm Masahiro," he said with a surety he hadn't think he had. "And I wouldn't worry to much about the exam." He grinned a grin that was infectious. "Whether or not we pass or fail'll be decided before we step through that door."

Because the true enemy in this exam was fear.

And also giant robots.

But mostly fear.

Click to shrink...

Awwwww. How cute. He was bringing himself down to her literal level already. This one was a keeper, no way in hell she'd let anyone take him away from her. He's just too adorable to share with the others. Those vultures can go find their own toy to play around with.

This one was hers.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, American president Teddy Roosevelt. I think? It's hard to tell them apart with all their strange and similar names. Well, anyways." Estelle cheerfully replied, coming closer to Masahiro. "Nice to meet you! I hope both do well enough on the exams that our names won't be forever blacklisted from all Hero Academies for being huge failures."

She jumped back, walking around Masahiro's sunken form, her eyes darting excitingly from his shadow to his body. Step by step, confidently examining the boy and his Quirk.

"Wow. What kind of Quirk is that? A teleportation one, like you go into this Shadow World and interact with stuffs and it affects our world somehow. Or you sink into your shadow and move around like a creepy, shadowy cockroach?" Estelle stopped on her track, her fist slamming on her open palm. "Oh, oh, oh! Maybe you can just go down into your shadow and hide like one of those trap door spiders. Being all stealthy and spooky." Hmmm... Maybe she should give a little to incite him a little bit more.

She touched a plastic bracelet on her wrist. The accessory bubbled and stretched, white scales replacing the dull plastic surface. Yellow beady eyes stared into Estelle's eyes as the snake unwrapped from her wrist and slithered down her hand, looking at Masahiro right in the eyes.

"Mine just turns thing into snakes! All of them come out white and pretty like this one. Isn't it cool?"

 

[NSMS]

Today was the big day. The day that all of Haru's hard training and work would finally pay off. Both his parents, having been heroes, fully expected him to breeze through this exam, and so too did he. He was absolutely confident. Tension, anxiety, nervousness - all of these common mental pests did not dare to buzz around him. He had more than a hundred percent of belief within himself, and so he strode towards the entrance examination building with a steady gusto that exuded an energetic and fearless aura.

However, as Haru looked around him at his prospective competition, he could not help but worry. All those mental shackles of worry that he was not bound by instead found easy grip among the many students who did not have the same iron confidence that Haru did. Haru wanted to be a hero. Not a hero in just title, but in heart as well. Just because you receive the title of hero by passing an exam does not mean that you truly are one. Heroism, at least in Haru's belief, was embodied in the smaller, daily aspects of life. He could not help but wish to help in some way these troubled people that all had the same noble goal as him.

Even so, Haru was simply one person, so he'd have to settle with trying to ease out one person at a time. He spotted a blue haired girl who he thought looked worried and tapped her shoulder.

"Hey there," he said casually and calmly, an amiable smile on his face, "you ready for this entrance exam?"

Click to shrink...

"Gah!" Sachi said, jumping about a foot in the air in surprise at the unexpected contact. 'Wha- why would anybody try to talk to me?' She thought, torn between confusion and annoyance as the spike of adrenaline from the shock drove her heart to beat furiously in her breast. Wasn't it obvious she was choosing not to talk to people? Why would anybody...? They know she doesn't like talking with them-

-ah, right. Nobody here knew her, so they wouldn't recognise that she was avoiding conversations. Taking a deep breath, Sachi placed a hand over her chest and waited several seconds for her heart rate to slow down to something approximating normal, before turning to her unexpected conversational partner with the intent of telling him to go away...

...but then she paused. It was true she'd never been able to get along with people at her old school, but here was somewhere new. A fresh start, in a place where her Quirk wouldn't be regarded as something unusual enough to be envious of. And even if her interrupter- who Sachi now saw was a blond-haired boy- did fail the upcoming test and talking with him turned out to be a waste of effort? At least it would get her used to the idea of talking with her new classmates.

And so, instead of trying to get rid of him Sachi reached up and scratched the back of her head, smiled at the boy a little awkwardly, and said, "Mmm. Probably, I hope. I wouldn't have applied if I didn't think I could pass."