You knew this day would come.
Everything led up to it after all. Even if you didn't know it at the time, there were many things about your childhood that indicated your family was cursed.
Or blessed, depending on the perspective.
Even while you attended terakoya regularly and seemed like an average girl, the occasional frightened stares of your teacher and the jeering of your classmates added up. Bit by bit. You were a merchant girl in a school full of farmers, girls from productive families who made the foundation of society.
Merchants could never make anything; they only sold wares others produced. Therefore, they were the lowest on the chain, and the only thing you were above was notice.
However... You had a Quirk only given to those chosen by the gods themselves.
Every so often, something possessed you, and you had to find the nearest instrument to write with. The gods then force your hand to draw shapes and figures that make up your prophecy. You don't remember what you write. But when you came around, there's always paper and ink strewn across the room freely.
Whatever you write will come to pass. That was the nature of your Quirk.
As you offer no interpretation, you're not a seer. Merchants don't produce anything. They only offer what is already in circulation.
You remember that a few springs ago, in the middle of embroidery class, you had written that a storm was coming. A fate-changing choice was approaching, and what you decided then would alter the fate of many.
To you, a child then, it was a mild annoyance that came with a volatile Quirk.
To the adults...
The gods were speaking.
Apparently, all of Edo had open ears.
You finished your education quietly, learning to handle an abacus for your family's business. Producing paper was common, but selling it took connections and good-standing.
While the merchant was barely tolerated, paper was needed everywhere. How convenient.
One day, while you were busy organizing the records of sales in Musutafu, your aunt and uncle finally approached you after whispering amongst themselves for the entire day.
They had been doing that for a while now. You were young, not blind.
"As you know," Aunt began gruffly, "We have taken you in since your parents perished in that dreadful fire years ago."
You nodded, knowing that your aunt only began with that when she wanted to remind you of the family's stakes in something. You have no memories of your parents.
"And you have bloomed into womanhood. Getting you to flower has taken much of our time and expense."
Ah. Somehow, the matter of your womanhood was also only brought up when Aunt wanted to talk about...
"We must consider your options for marriage."
Yes, there it was. You prepared yourself, playing with your hair idly knowing that your aunt was about to launch into a tirade about responsibility while listing some boring bachelors you'd be pawned off to.
Instead, your aunt took your hand and squeezed it earnestly. Her eyes glistened with pity.
"Forgive me, child. And may your mother forgive me. But we received a letter from Edo, and... There's nothing that we can..."
Edo? The capital? What would that city full of pampered snobs have anything to do with you?
Before you could recognize your aunt was close to crying in front of you, your uncle appeared to comfort her and take her away.
"Girl," he began. Uncle almost never called you by name. You wondered if he even remembered it.
"You must meet a matchmaker tomorrow. She's come from Edo as a courtesy and favor of the shogunate. Nothing like this has happened to any of the merchant families, so don't disappoint us."
A matchmaker? You knew for a fact that your family couldn't afford such a service nor would they think it necessary. What was going on?
Before you could ask, Uncle hushed his wife as he led her away. It's not as if the rice paper screen doors muffled much though... You heard the barest whisper of your aunt as she cried, "They'll eat her alive."
You still had your duties to attend to, things to be cleaned, dinner to be served.
They went past like a blur, your mind still occupied by the possibilities. Why now? The harvest was being collected, and that meant paper would be at high demand to record rice yield and taxation. This was not the appropriate time for your family to negotiate marriage when they needed everyone to handle the workload.
Morning came and the matchmaker was here. She arrived by kago, and you thought to yourself how lucky for the bearers that their mistress was so small.
She was a very short woman who carried her age on her back. A stick helped her along, and she greeted your uncle. Aunt lavished her with apologies and inquiries of how difficult the journey must have been.
"To receive the venerable Shuuzenji Chiyo at our doorstep is an unthinkable honor...!" Your aunt concluded.
"Ah, has my reputation reached even here? I can't wait to get to work." She turned to look at you, her eyes widened just enough for you to see a twinkle in her eyes.
The matchmaker spoke as she walked towards your home, not even allowing your aunt to guide her. "The day is early but the journey back is always long. No good for these bones. I need private audience with the girl. And some tea please."
Shocked, Aunt stood still for a moment before rushing to get the door. "Excuse me, but shouldn't we be present to discuss—"
"Oh no. What I have to say is for the bride-to-be's ears only."
You were confused because this went against everything you knew about the process. No one dared to question the matchmaker though. Before you could react, you were whisked into a room separate from the rest of the house. Tea and seat cushions were prepared, and the wizened woman took a sip before speaking.
"You must be very confused. It's annoying that even in my old age I have to assuage the fears of the shogunate."
You followed her action, taking a sip to stall for time.
The matchmaker was obviously impatient as she said, "Nothing to say? Speak girl, your future is at stake!"
She certainly wasn't mincing words.
You couldn't either. You said, "I'm unused to people asking for what I want. But please... tell me what's happening."
Shuuzenji sighed before replying, "Your Quirk. It's a danger to Edo, my girl. Let's say you write something that can be interpreted as a challenge. Depending on who reads it, it can be good or bad news for the rest of us."
You had a feeling that had something to do with it. You knew that whenever you wrote something, your writing was confiscated by either your sensei or aunt. Were they sending it to Edo all along?
"But it's not something I control," you said.
"Exactly," the old woman said as she almost slammed her teacup back on to the table. "They expect you to be controlled like any other young woman— through marriage. And I'm sorry to say, no matter how clever you are, marriage is unavoidable for a woman your age."
With how unexpectedly this situation came about, the reality hadn't sunk in. What she said was true— you were to be married, and that was that. You asked, "Will I ever see my family again?"
"If your parents were still alive, they might have been able to prolong the negotiations until the court tired of you. But it seems your uncle just wants to be finished with this business as quickly as possible."
At least that didn't surprise you. "Uncle never did like it when he had to handle capital business."
"He's a smart man!" the matchmaker laughed. "It would be best for you to finish this business as quickly as possible as well."
"… You mean find a husband? Who would that be?"
"Now, we have to figure that out don't we? I usually do a full reading of your chart and Quirk for the best possible match, but considering your predicament... I will give you a choice."
"A choice?"
"Yes. Lucky you, getting to choose your husband! Many women would beg to be in your position."
Would they? You think it's an abhorrent concept to be pressed into this position in the first place. Nothing was demanded or asked from you and suddenly, all the merchant families expected great things out of this one-sided affair. "If I must do this... Then please, tell me the families I have to offer myself to."
You must have either looked frustrated or pitiful for the matchmaker snorted as she drank more tea. "Don't give me that look, girl. I'm not about to throw you into a den of wolves."
From her obi, the matchmaker took out a folded wad of paper. Spreading it out on the table, you could see that it was an ornate illustration of the zodiac, all twelve animals inked around a circle.
"I'm not about to throw you at someone twelve years your senior or junior either," Shuuzenji added teasingly. "This is sensitive information to be hidden away from prying eyes. Look closer."
Indeed, something was off about the chart. The matchmaker pointed at several points of the paper, and you saw that there were names inscribed.
Iida Tenya - Shinsou Hitoshi - Bakugo Katsuki - Todoroki Shouto
It dawned on you that these were the names of the men you could marry.
You had to ask something though.
"... Why give me a choice?"
The matchmaker was silent for a moment before speaking, "That has baffled me since I was told to match you. But you must know you are the not the first with such a Quirk— the shogunate knows well not to strangle fate but to guide it. You wrote that the day will come you determine the fates of many others. This is the day."
As you contemplated her words, Shuuzenji spoke on.
"You understand now? Then let us begin. My first and warmest recommendation would have to be Tenya. He is of a good family of excellent standing. Their Quirks generally improve their movement speed. They will treat you well and fairly, as they have treated their subjects in their position as shugo— governors."
An auspicious match... But this list was sent from Edo. "There must be a catch."
"Smart child. There's always a catch. Since his brother's death, Tenya has become withdrawn and too serious. His parents believe a wife will cheer him, but there's no guarantee."
You thought that of all the reasons to marry, that one was certainly less ignoble than you expected.
"The second is Hitoshi. His family has served Edo for as long as I can remember— but now, they are but retainers to a tozama daimyo."
"Retainer to whom?"
"A daimyo whose family was on the wrong side of the Battle of Yuuei."
You knew vaguely from lessons on history what that was—the battle between the man who stole Quirks and the man who was the pillar of justice. No marks in guessing which side then.
"The marriage will be a quiet affair, if you wish this whole thing to be discreet. I must say... I have little information to give you on the boy. I don't even know what his Quirk is."
If the family didn't divulge his Quirk then you knew this couldn't be a Quirk marriage. What Quirks children inherited depended on the parents after all, so what did they gain from this?
The matchmaker continued, "You might have heard of Katsuki. He's the samurai who led Yuuei to victory in many battles with his explosive Quirk and temperament. He's since been charged with training the men in Yuuei, but who knows what he truly wants? I say its likely he's seeking marriage as a stepping stone to whatever agenda he has."
You've heard of him certainly; many men and even more boys thought him to be the epitome of what samurai should embody. But for you to be the wife of one? It's entirely different worlds.
"It will be difficult. But not quite as difficult as the last one."
The one name you recognized for sure.
"Shouto. Yes, the very one. The youngest son of the daimyo of Musutafu."
You were a merchant girl, the furthest thing away from the light of the lords. This couldn't be possible...
"... You will not be able to divorce him under any circumstances. With the marriage, your connection with your old family will be almost entirely severed and without a mother, you have no home to return to."
Those were the hard truths.
"Think wisely, child. Edo is abuzz with news of the patriarch's viciousness. Don't let the fine silks deceive you. You will not enter their household unscathed. It will be either your sanctuary or prison."
With how thoroughly the matchmaker gave you these descriptions, you had much to consider.
Today was the day. For better or worse, where would your fate take you?