Name: Yvaine Briarwood

Year: 3

Quirk: ?

Chapter 1

/*\

As unquestionably cruel as Yvaine's world was, it was still nowhere near as cruel as it could be. Though she had been born with a less than desirable dynamic, she'd more than won a different kind of genetic lottery. Despite the unwelcome advances she faced, she possessed near unmatched strength to defend herself with. Though being sent to the other side of the world was not ideal, it was better than the other choice she had been presented with. The airplane had been quiet. People spoke to each other in hushed whispers, in a language she'd been forced to learn over the course of just a couple of months. The seatbelt sign was written in an alphabet she still sometimes had trouble reading. As she stared out the window, unable to tell if the sun was rising or setting, she knew that the jet lag would wreck her.

A car had been there to pick her up. The woman with the sign at the gate had helped her get her things from the luggage claim. As they drove off, Yvaine couldn't stave away her apprehension. It seemed awfully dangerous, this arrangement. Putting someone like her in a dorm seemed sketchy enough, but to put her in a dorm with alphas? She was strong. She was sure she could put any one of them in their place if they stepped out of line. Still, she did not like it one bit.

The drive went quickly. As they pulled in through the gates, she could see a ton of people trying to get in. They had cameras and microphones. That also seemed suspicious. It felt like mere seconds before the dorm itself loomed ahead. The car stopped, and Yvaine made no move to get out. Not yet. Not until she'd seen who was around. It was almost completely silent, the only other human being in sight was the woman who'd brought her here. She came around and tapped on the window.

"It's okay," she said, "everyone is in class. You can go in without worrying." Yvaine wasn't sure if the woman was trying to be comforting or not, but she didn't have much choice. She got out of the car and retrieved her things. At this point she was tired, cranky, smelly, and all she wanted was the chance to take a shower and maybe have a nap. Or did she want breakfast? It had been ages since she'd flown anywhere. The walk in felt like a blur. She was so mentally checked out that she barely noticed the weight of her suitcase as it dragged behind her. She didn't pay attention as the elevator pinged floor after floor. All she cared about was getting to her room and locking the door behind her. She couldn't even remember what pleasantries she'd exchanged with the woman before she set all her stuff down and flopped onto the unmade bed.

It seemed irrational that a plane ride could leave her this tired. All she'd done for the last eighteen hours was sit after all. She groaned and got up. She could smell the sweaty stench of her hoodie, the uncomfortable feeling of clothes that had been on her body for too long. Making a mental list of things to do, she unzipped her suitcase. As she retrieved various types of soaps with one hand, she checked her email on her phone with another. The newest addition to her inbox was written in Japanese. She didn't like how long it took her to decipher it.

It was an introductory letter, welcoming her to the school as far as she could tell. She was moving in during class time so as not to attract unwanted attention from curious students. She would have a week to get comfortable until it was time for her to join her dormmates in the classroom. She was welcome to sleep off the jet lag, and it was entirely her choice if she wanted to meet everyone in the common rooms in the afternoon. On the other hand, there was no rule stating she had to make her presence known. If she wanted, she could just introduce herself on her first day of class. That would require an awful lot of hiding in her room though.

She didn't think about it too hard until her shower ended. She brushed out her soaking hair, feeling much better about the way she smelled. Her long brown hair finally felt clean, and her skin felt fresh. She huffed at the mirror, but all in all it wasn't a bad bathroom. The sink didn't have much counterspace but there was a cupboard beneath it. The shower stall was plain, but it had a bathtub to go with it. Things could have been worse. That was what she told herself as she exited the bathroom and took in her bedroom. One suitcase, and a lot of boxes. She sighed. This was going to be a long, long day.

But first, food. She rethought that. No, first she'd get the bedding sorted on her bed. Then she'd have food, because she could feel it deep in her soul. As soon as she was full, she'd want to sleep. Yvaine opened box after box, rifling through the things she'd had to send through the mail. She'd been grateful that was an option. First was the box of nonperishable food she'd wanted for that first week. She wasn't about to go anywhere off campus for anything, not when she was alone and unfamiliar with the city. The second box was books. So many books. She was glad that there were already shelves up and waiting for her. The next box contained knick-knacks and a disassembled table. Someone had been kind enough to assemble her bedframe for her. Metal didn't hold scents well, but she could have sworn she caught a hint of cinnamon. She appraised the rest of the room, sighing. The rest of her things still needed to be put together. She had been provided a desk and a dresser, but if she wanted anything else, she'd needed to bring it. She would have to find her little toolkit later.

Finally, the familiar smell of her favorite blankets graced her nose. She plucked them from the box and inhaled deeply. She always found the prospect of asking alphas to scent her things for her to be embarrassing and unnecessary. Besides the scents of soaps and flowers suited her far better than the sweaty, grimy smells of any alpha who'd approached her back home. Synthetic scenting was the way to go.

It only took a few minutes, but she sighed in contentment as she placed the final pillow. Yvaine had a ton of unpacking to do still, but for the now this was enough. Now it was time for food, and she had found her dishes and pans in a box prior. She'd been informed that certain foods in the small common area kitchens were provided by the school. She just had to be careful not to grab anything that had someone's name on it. But then she was still having trouble reading Japanese. She could grab someone's stuff without even realizing it. She took an instant meal from her box and that was that. It would be easier to tote a fork than two pans and a bowl anyhow.

She peeked around her door before leaving her room. The hallway was clean, save for the scents of the other residents. She couldn't hear anything, except for the electricity in the lights. She didn't see anyone out the massive windows either. She was all by herself in the dorm, and for now that made her quite happy. She inspected the other doors on her floor. The other residents had strong scents. The other three doors smelled – overall – sweet. One smelled like lychee and sunflowers. The next put her to mind of cotton candy, a little overwhelming but not unpleasant. The third caused her to scrunch her face up in confusion. It wasn't a bad scent necessarily but under the smell of rivers and waterlilies she swore she smelled a frog.

Two alphas and one beta on this floor, and then Yvaine herself. There wasn't any hint of anger, frustration, or even lust on this floor. If the scents were anything to go by, it seemed her new neighbors would be nice. She hoped that supposition was correct, and she hoped that nothing would change. She tilted her head. Placing her on the same floor as two alphas was a ballsy move. It had her wondering just what everyone else was.

She took the stairs. The next floor down was all boys. At least they all smelled like boys. Unlike her neighbors she found this floor mildly terrifying right off the bat. She wasn't sure what was going on in the door right next to her, but it smelled vile. Like rotting fruit and unyielding lust. That was someone to keep an eye on, regardless of his dynamic. She couldn't tell what he was beneath the stench, though she was certain he wasn't like her. The next door was puzzling. It smelled much cleaner to be sure, but the only word she could find to describe it was winter. It was cold, spiced, and minty all at the same time. It put her to mind of Christmas, but that wasn't the point. Though he smelled pleasant, he was an alpha. There was no malice or rage here either, so that was good news. As she explored the halls of the dorm, she found that many of the doors were like this. They smelled of contentment with no hints of anything strange. It was reassuring to see that they seemed to be in control of themselves, but the sheer numbers were alarming.

Except for maybe four or five doors, all the smells were immensely strong. They all had that familiar overbearing musk she was used to finding on pushy men and women who never wanted to take no for an answer. None of them smelled anything like Yvaine.

As she counted the number of alphas in the building, she felt her heart sink further and further down into her feet. That would explain why they were all content, happy, and comfortable here. There was nothing to fight it out over. But then, alphas were competitive. Always vying for control in almost any situation. They didn't necessarily need a reason to fight, they could get nasty and competitive over anything. It didn't have to be over an omega. Regardless, she sensed none of that here. They seemed to be at peace with each other. Maybe they saved it for training? She hoped so.

/*\

The class trickled into the dorm, one by one. Every single person seemed to be interested in the new scent that had ingrained itself into the walls, the air, maybe even the carpet. Her scent was all over the common area, even on a little single-use tray in the trash. It stained the halls by all the bedrooms. It seemed she'd wanted to explore a little bit before returning to her room. At least they assumed she was in her room. Though her scent was strong, recent, she was nowhere to be found.

Some of Momo's classmates seemed intrigued but unbothered. Others turned incredibly pink as the intoxicating smell hit them in their faces like bricks. And still a handful more wore pinched expressions in what seemed to be concern. Kirishima and Sero were fixated on something by the TV in the commons.

"This is some fancy paper." The redhead muttered.

"It's polite of her to ask. Kind of weird that she didn't just stick around to do it in person though." Sero said, a single eyebrow raised.

"I get it," Kirishima said, twirling the embossed notecard in his fingers, "not only is she a foreigner, but she's also the only omega in the dorm. It makes sense she'd want to be a little cautious."

She left them to their conversation, taking the elevator the top floor. As Momo passed by a previously empty room, she found the scent stronger. She heard a large thud, as though something large had fallen. Then she heard the voice. A few exclamations in a language she only had a basic understanding of. She had been correct. Their new friend had not left the building. It seemed a few others realized this as well. As she unlocked her own room Momo noticed a small crowd was amassing around her new neighbor's door, the name clearly written above the peephole. "Briarwood." She had no doubt the newcomer could hear their whispering, smell their curiosity and excitement. Momo internally sighed.

She knew her friends meant well, but they would probably do nothing but scare her.

They had been fascinated before, when Aizawa had explained to them that they'd be getting a transfer student. That part hadn't been especially interesting, transfer students weren't exactly unheard of. But then she was from the other side of the world. Then he told them how powerful this girl was, insinuating that she would be a strong contender for anyone vying to be number one. And then he explained that she was an omega. He'd made a huge emphasis on self-control and respect, staring at Mineta the entire lecture through. It had nearly taken up an entire class period.

Momo had braced herself for a disruption of the peace, but she hadn't anticipated for that disruption to be so intense. She didn't find the scent to be bothersome or even exciting, but even she had needed to take a step back before entering the building after a long day of class.

The omega smelled like the forest, but not the domestic kind of forest that was just ten minutes away from the house. Briarwood didn't smell of hiking trails or campfires. She wasn't that mundane. There was something almost floral to the scent that now dominated the public spaces, but no name of any flower Momo could think of matched. In fact, her scent put Momo to mind of the old fairy tales she was studying for an extra credit project. Briarwood smelled of the wilderness, the deep places of the earth that the children of eras past were taught to fear. She smelled of wild trees where unnamed flowers grew, where women and children and arrogant men were spirited away by beings not of their world.

Her scent could only be described as naturally dark. Enchanting but foreboding. Had it not been for that slight overly sweet twinge hiding beneath it all, this newcomer could have easily been mistaken for an alpha. Though it was a nice smell that didn't do much for her personally, Momo could completely understand why it might have others salivating. As Momo pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair, her eyes searched the room. She'd bought a small gift for her new neighbor, virtually everyone had. A little introductory housewarming thing. She wasn't sure now would be a good time, but she wanted to make sure she knew where it was.

Stuffed animals had seemed the way to go. No one knew if traditions like this existed in the United States or if they even had the same connotations if they did. Momo's research on the matter had turned up surprisingly little. A stuffed animal was innocuous enough, probably wouldn't spark off any misunderstandings. Aizawa, at least, said that should be okay.

Momo studied the toy cat she'd chosen carefully. She knew scenting was something of an intimate activity. She'd never done it for anyone before, but this was small. It was just an introduction, and she hoped that Briarwood wouldn't take it wrong. She could just imagine the foreign omega staring at her in alarm, wondering just what the hell this presumptuous alpha was doing. She shook the thought from her head. The girl was smart. She had to be smart if she was at UA. A simple explanation would be all it took even if there was a misunderstanding. It would be fine. There was no reason to feel embarrassed over it.

The others would call her silly for her trepidations. It would be fine. That's what she told herself as she set the cat down on her bed, doing her best not to shake. There was nothing to worry about, and then another thought struck her.

Briarwood's scent was beyond strong. Momo knew her classmates wouldn't do anything vile, but she didn't know the rest of the people on campus well enough to be sure. She might have to have a talk with the other alphas of the class about this. At the very least Iida would be willing to hear her out on the issue. After all, it was the class rep's job to keep everything in line, and that included – to an extent – the safety of others.

/*\

Eijirou had called dibs on the notecard. Not because the scent was nice, even though it was, but because it was just an interesting piece of paper. The message had certainly helped. Given that so many of the video games in the common area technically belonged to him, chances were good that the game she wanted to borrow was his. She had seemed uncertain of the rules, and her lettering was shaky. She had gotten a couple of words wrong too. She was clearly not used to Japanese just yet, but it was cohesive enough for him to understand.

He studied the iridescent embossing on the side. It was a thick piece of paper, sturdy. The design was a pretty bluish green color. Appropriately girly at first glance. It was a series of interwoven lines that eventually turned into the gaping maw of a fire breathing dragon. Was it a family crest? He rolled his eyes. He should have kept the dragon stuffy he'd bought instead of letting Bakugou use it instead.

Despite his minor annoyance, something else was bothering him. Her scent was overwhelming, but anyone with a nose would be able to see what had happened while she'd been exploring the dorm today. As she'd wandered the halls, she'd grown more and more terrified. The stench of revulsion in front of Mineta's room was where it seemed to start, the mixture of curiosity and concern quickly giving way to horror. Even when he was inside of his own room, he could still detect some of it. It made him just the faintest bit sad for her. She knew just how many alphas were in the building, and she'd found it to be a source of fear. It would be a miserable year for everyone if this continued.

It had been bothering him ever since her arrival had been announced in fact. There were special dorms for people like her. But then, people like her didn't usually have such strong quirks. Aizawa hadn't revealed any details, but if the adults felt it wasn't unsafe for her to be in an alpha-heavy dorm then clearly she had to be capable of holding her own. But it still had to feel isolating for her. He shot a glance over at the little stuffed lizard on his dresser. He really hoped she wouldn't take their little welcoming ceremony wrong. It would be so bad if she thought the entire class was propositioning her or something. Especially if she was as powerful as Aizawa seemed to be implying. He absentmindedly pushed at the punching bag in his room as he thought about it.

He'd gotten distracted. He got back to the task at hand. He wasn't sure she'd be okay with any males approaching her door just yet, so he'd just do what she did. It was beyond unmanly to push boundaries like that. His paper wasn't as fancy, and he had to rewrite the note a few times. He didn't know English, and he didn't want her to misunderstand his messy handwriting. He didn't care if she borrowed something so long as she gave it back undamaged. He was sure to add a smiley face before heading back down to the common room with a piece of tape. He didn't think it would be appropriate to say he couldn't wait to meet her, or something else along those lines.

Despite the scent all over the place he'd have figured that the class would have calmed down. At the very least Sero and Kaminari should have been bickering in front of the TV. It wasn't even on. In fact, very few people were in the commons. The only people he saw were Yaoyorozu and Iida, quietly talking to each other as they sat on one of the couches. Now that was interesting. It wasn't often that they acknowledged each other all that much. As he knelt to tape the note to the entertainment center, he couldn't help but casually eavesdrop for just a moment.

Unfortunately, they'd gone quiet the moment he entered. He shot a glance over. Yaoyorozu sipped at her tea, seemingly calm and collected. Iida, on the other hand, was the opposite. Eijirou raised an eyebrow at the class rep. He remained silent, despite the steam coming out of his ears. Eijirou did his best not to roll his eyes as he left. If Iida was that worked up about something, they'd all find out soon enough.

/*\

Yvaine could hear them. She had been trying to sleep when they'd come back that afternoon, their classes having ended for the day. She woke the moment she heard that door open on the bottom floor. She wondered why it wasn't quieter. Or maybe her senses were just on hyperalert because she'd been so uneasy.

She couldn't get back to sleep. She could sense people just outside her door, their curiosity palpable. Nothing predatory just yet, but her instincts screamed at her to be on red alert. After all, there were quite a few alphas in this dorm, and if she'd heard the chattering correctly, she was the center of their attention. Already she knew the school year was going to be exhausting.

Well, she thought, I may as well get some unpacking done while I'm awake.

She decided to put up her table and nightstand first. She would need them for the things that were in a few of her boxes. She placed her rugs as she wanted them. As the chittering outside continued she told herself that this was a good thing. This room was like a massive nest that she could have all to herself. It didn't have to stay confined to her bed. She could keep the rugs, the tables, even the bed itself wherever she wanted.

In fact, about the bed, she didn't think she liked having it underneath the window like that. The blinds would undoubtedly shed dust all over her, and she immediately decided that before she went back to sleep, she was going to pull it to the other wall. It did not go as planned. She'd figured it would be easy. The bed was much smaller than the one back home, a tiny wrought-iron twin frame with a single mattress on it. It shouldn't have been difficult to move, but it seemed to only move in increments. She was glad for the rubber bottoms on the legs. She could only imagine the scratches it would have left on the floor otherwise.

For a moment her fingers slipped, and she felt a few choice words spring from her lips in surprise as she fell to the ground. Yvaine grimaced as she heard her audience laughing. Alphas judging the quality of their would-be prey? She approached the door, silent on her feet. The only way they'd ever know she was right there was through scent. She hoped that some of them would be nose-deaf, as unlikely as that was. When she looked through the peep hole, she saw exclusively women. A dainty girl with a brown bob, a pink girl who vaguely reminded her of a moth, and what appeared to be a floating set of clothes. As Yvaine sniffed the door she realized that only one was an alpha.

She could see the confusion on their faces when they tasted her relief. She wondered what to do. She didn't have to open the door, but she didn't want to come off as rude either. So Yvaine compromised. She left the top lock done and opened the door just slightly.

"Hello?" She said, as politely as she could muster. They all immediately turned pink. At least the two she could see did.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The brunette girl said, "Did we bother you? We didn't mean to interrupt your unpacking!" Immediately another sniffed. The pink girl. The alpha. Her eyes widened.

"Oh, you're nesting. We didn't mean to disrupt, we just wanted to introduce ourselves!" She exclaimed. She had the good graces to look embarrassed. Yvaine had no idea what to think.

"It's okay. I wasn't that invested yet." She tried to joke. She opened the door just the slightest bit more, allowing it to strain against the chain. There was no threat here. "My name is Yvaine Briarwood," she waved, "And you are…?" She led. The three in front of her seemed relieved.

She got their names, and they welcomed her to the dorm. The brunette one, she thought her name was Uraraka, explained that the other students had bought housewarming gifts for her. Yvaine was sure she'd turned pink. That was incredibly nice of them. And then they told her that each item had been scented for her.

"We realized that you might not be familiar with the tradition, and we didn't want to risk scaring you." Uraraka explained. "We wanted to start off on a good note! It's just an introductory thing."

"Oh, well thank you," Yvaine was going to say more, but she'd been interrupted by a huge yawn.

"You must still be tired from your trip," the pink girl, Ashido, interjected. She looked almost guilty, "I'm sorry. We got a little ahead of ourselves, I guess. Go get some rest!" And just like that, the three girls had vanished as quickly as they appeared. Two being shooed away by the third, one protesting that she'd barely gotten to say anything. Yvaine closed the door, just slightly baffled but also cautiously optimistic. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. As she appraised the unpacked mess on her floor, she almost felt guilty. She'd been so busy worrying over the worst-case scenario that she'd forgotten it was totally possible that they'd be nice.

She finished her task. It had taken her about half an hour to get that damn bed moved but it was worth it. No more sun shining in her eyes. She arranged her body pillow just so, and she climbed back in under the softest blankets she'd been able to persuade her parents to take with her. Just like that, the noises of the dorm faded into nothing. Though initially taken aback, Yvaine had found Ashido's behavior reassuring. Her sleep was only interrupted when her stomach rumbled at four in the morning. She groaned, pulling the blankets back up over her head. Her stomach did not let up.

Her stomach growled and she groaned. She had been so comfortable too. She wasn't sure she wanted to go downstairs, but she knew sleep would be impossible until she got something to eat. Besides, it was four in the morning. There was no way anyone would be up.

When she exited her room, she looked back and forth down the hall. Fresher scents lined the hallway, covering up her own. All she heard was the light snoring of other people, comfortably asleep in their own rooms. She let her door fall behind her silently, and she gave in to a momentary dilemma. What would be quieter, the stairs or the elevator? When she opened the door to the stairwell she paused, listening. Nothing was down there as far as she could tell. Her steps were quiet, careful not to create too much noise as she made her way to the common room.

It was dark on the bottom floor. That was to be expected at this time of day. As she turned on the lights she paused. She hoped the sounds of the lights weren't enough to wake anyone. She'd brought a small container of cereal with her as well as a teabag and a few sugar packets. She'd woken up fully the moment she got out of bed. Maybe she could watch the sun come up and just have a slightly early night tonight. It would be cool if she could get over the time change. She inspected the fridge, looking for just a little milk to pour into her cereal. As she crunched through the flakes, she eyed the tea kettle skeptically. How much noise would it make? She stared at the doors for a moment. Surely that would be enough to block out the sound, right? She wasn't sure. If they were asleep and unworried it would be fine. If anyone was feeling disturbed over something, they'd be on hyperalert just like she had been.

She decided just to see what happened. She wanted tea, and so she would have it. Given the time she figured she had at least an hour before the other students started waking up. The kettle, thankfully, was quiet. It didn't make that heinous whistling sound, only clicking off when the water had stopped boiling. Yvaine had finished her sparse breakfast by this point, tossing the little cup in the garbage and washing off her spoon. As she left the kitchen, settling into one of the couches with her tea, she took notice of something. She had just about forgotten. There was another note on the entertainment center, and a flicker of excitement went through her.

Making friends via notes didn't seem so bad.

She set her tea down and went to inspect it. She hadn't been sure if the games in the drawer were public property or if they'd been brought in by other students. It could go either way in the dorms back home. Even if it might have seemed like a silly question to ask to them, she wasn't going to risk getting reprimanded over a game on her first day in. She should have thought to bring down another piece of paper with her. She took a misplaced pen off the table and responded. She took a moment to inspect the scent on the paper. Cinnamon and ginger. Chocolate too maybe? Was that soap? What do you know, she thought wryly, an alpha who understands proper hygiene. She wrote the letters as clearly as she was capable of. Her tea stood near forgotten as she sifted through the drawer, curious to see what was there.

Lots of two-person fighter games. Not really her speed. Some multiplayer shooter games. Also, not quite to her liking. Story driven games? Hell yes. Yvaine clutched the little plastic case triumphantly. It was then that she heard the undeniable sound of a footstep behind her. How had someone opened that door without her noticing?

She reacted strictly on instinct. She whirled, her power flaring to life. Her hindbrain growled as she incapacitated her would-be attacker. People will understand that we are not to be ambushed. The faint voice told her. As strong as we are, we can afford to be picky.

A boy stood before her, the familiar look of abject terror on his face. She studied him for a moment, holding an arm defensively over her chest. She noticed a glass in one of his hands. That was when she realized this was someone who lived here. She recognized his scent from one of the other floors. She released him immediately.

"Oh my god I am so sorry are you okay?" She whispered, unsure if she should get any closer. After all, she was the cause of his current predicament.

This one smelled like fresh cut wood and sunshine. A nice smell overall, but she did not take kindly to alphas who thought it was okay to sneak up on her. But is that really what he was doing? She didn't think so. It just looked like he'd come downstairs for some water. He had collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. Sweat and fear assailed the air. Yvaine rushed over to the kitchen, coming back with a new glass for him. Gingerly she offered it, and he took it without question. He chugged the water. He looked at her, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"My apologies," he muttered, "I didn't mean to scare you like that."

Immediately she felt all the guiltier. She would have bet money she'd scared him worse.

"It's okay, really. I shouldn't have reacted like that–" He waved her off.

"It's fine. I should have made sure you knew I was there. I know how things can be for your kind." Okay now that stung. But he was right, wasn't he? She'd reacted defensively because of past experiences, not him specifically. That was, in part, how she'd gotten herself sent here in the first place. She took a step away as he stood up. She muttered another apology before turning back, placing the game back in the drawer and swooping up her teacup. Before the boy had the chance to say anything more, she went out the door and took the elevator back up to her room.