The horn blasted, signaling Kairi's time had run out. Once more, she placed her hands against her head and led out an aggravated cry. A cardboard cut out of an illustration of a large flame popped up from the ground, indicating the fate of the fictional situation she had been practicing.
"One more time!" she called, hopping off the overturned vehicle in Thirteen's Unforseen Simulation Joint. Immediately, she began to run back around to the other side of the fictional buildings, along the simulated streets. Thirteen, who had been instructing from the sidelines, made her way towards the center of the simulation. She folded her hands in front of her, displaying a show of caution and patience before speaking.
"Ms. Hoshino, it's been almost a full hour of the same scenario. You've excelled greatly, I actually never expected you to get as close as you have to almost getting the victim out before the car exploded-"
"I can do it this time!" Determination burned through her, her legs ready to launch herself into the situation.
"I have no doubt you will get it, you're already showing great promise!" Thirteen encouraged happily. She moved closer to Kairi, pressing an understanding hand to her shoulder. "I'm glad that you're so eager to learn this stuff. When we first began our first response training and moved to more complex rescue tactics, I noticed just how quickly you attached yourself to this kind of heroism. I immediately knew you were going to excel in this, there is no doubt you will get this soon. However, as excited as you are, you also need to know when pushing yourself is just too much."
"Thirteen, I get that and you're right. But I am among the fastest in the class without the aid of a quirk, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to do this!" Her voice was desperate, her core pleading. Impatience was pounding against her, pushing her to do more. It was vital that she complete this exercise now, though for the life of her she couldn't recall why it was so important to do so at that moment.
"But if you don't pause for a break you will wear yourself out before you get a chance to get there," Thirteen expressed. "I admire your passion. It's fantastic that you care so much about becoming a rescue hero. But Ms. Hoshino... it's Saturday." Kairi sheepishly lowered her head. She looked up at her friends watching from afar – Shoto, Momo, Tsu, and Yuga who had all willingly gave up their morning to support her. As Thirteen's words rang clearer, she gave in to her defeat. "If you want, I can run another simulation after school on Monday."
"Tuesday," Kairi said, kicking at the false road. "I have counseling on Monday."
"Okay. Tuesday I can do just... don't overfill your schedule so you suffer burnout. As much as you want to be a rescue hero and take care of others, you can't do that unless you're also taking care of yourself."
"Thank you," Kairi replied. With a simple nod, she left the training the grounds. Shuffling her feet, she headed for the entrance, Momo already throwing a hug at her.
"I can't believe how fast you moved!" Momo praised.
"It helps that I knew what the situation was before I was thrown into it," Kairi said, returning her friend's hug. "And I never actually got the hang of it."
"You will," Yuga said. "You'll do it so often that knowing how to pull people from a burning vehicle will just be second nature to you."
"And then hopefully you'll never have to use it," Tsu said. Shoto gave a small smile that said more than anyone else could see. He reached to squeeze her hand just before the group grabbed their coats and walked out of the USJ.
After Kairi's revelation, she asked to speak with Thirteen after classes the next day and within the last two weeks she gave her three short extracurricular training sessions. Recovery Girl also agreed to give her some help but her training was less hands on at the current moment. Instead, she gave her some reading material she wanted her to give summaries on and suggested a few videos for her to take notes on. Her workload had nearly tripled, but it was one she had taken on happily, even as tired as she was.
"I feel like someone tied me in a knot and sent me rolling down the street," Kairi moaned, stretching her neck from side to side.
"I think it's about time you took a break," Tsu said. "You've been going for almost a month at this point." Kairi shook her head.
"I'm supposed to give Recovery Girl summaries on recognizing the differences between infections, poisonings, and allergies. It's not due for a week but she wants a thorough report and it is difficult. Some common poisonings look like infections. And many poison reactions are almost identical to allergies." Shoto ached with concern, listening to her as she spoke. He had been fixated on training and overloading on his work when he began UA, but time had helped him relax and Kairi had also echoed the need for rest and breaks – insomuch that she arguably took too many of them. That was before the first responder classes began. As they headed into February, those classes were drawing to a close but she began her extra work with Recovery Girl and Thirteen. In addition with her other schoolwork and counseling, her plate was beginning to look like a heaping mountain. It pained him to see her willingly take on more than what was obvious she could handle at the moment.
"This is all stuff you asked to do, right?" Momo asked. Kairi nodded. She often wore a little makeup, but it hadn't done much to cover the fatigue in her eyes. "Maybe you should tell them you want the work spaced out, or put it aside til next year. There's only a couple months left in the school year and with exams coming up-"
"Oh shit, I forgot about the exams!" Kairi bellowed, loud enough so it turned the heads of a couple others on the street. A shot of embarrassment struck her and she instinctively covered her mouth. "It's okay, I can get all of this done. I need to, if I am going to excel."
"Mademoiselle, it does not do a body good to take on so much," Yuga said with concerning lining his voice.
"Well, what am I supposed to do? You all get offers for internships and have at least made good enough reputations that when you ask them, people give them to you. I don't have that history. I don't have a shining record or a stellar recording with heroics to indicate that. I missed out on all that, and I still don't have my provisional hero's license. What I got is this. These are what I have to excel. And with next year being our last year until college I have to get up there. Next year, I only have two more chances to get my own license. If I don't I... I don't know what..."
"You don't need to kill yourself emotionally to get there," Shoto said, taking her hand.
"Yes I do. I'm not considered a hero by the public like you all!" Kairi snapped lightly. "It sucks but it's not like someone is just going to walk up to me and suddenly know who I am based on my merit of being a hero rather than the scandals I've caused for UA-"
"Um, excuse me, are you the Emotive Iris?" the small voice came from in front of them, a young girl about seven staring with the widest blue eyes they had ever seen on anyone. Her smile was almost the whole length of her face. Exuberance flowed through her as she struggled to stand still, hanging onto her mother's hand.
"Uhh..." Kairi began, blinking at the small child. "I... am?" The girl laughed and pulled off the shimmery holo backpack she had on her. Her little fingers dove into its contents to then hold up a small notebook, covering in various stickers of rainbows, hearts, cats, and flowers. Her mother passed over a pen and the girl held up them both out to her.
"Could I have your autograph?" Her friends stared at Kairi, a mix of shock and also pride.
"Um, sure... do you want their autographs too?" The girl scanned between the faces, no recognition til she fell on Todoroki's face.
"I think I recognize her somehow..." she pointed to Tsu. "I don't know the others. But that's the boy who's with you a lot right? Mom says he's... Endover's son?"
"Endeavor, but... yeah," Kairi said, holding the pen.
"I mean, they're all heroes right? So... yeah! All their autographs would be fun! But I think you're the coolest hero! You're already moving really fast and jumping on things and climbing everything and you just know how to stay calm and help people and know just what to do! You use things around you and just figure out what to do and you don't think you just move and I think that's really cool! And this boy helps you right? He's your partner?" Kairi snorted, holding in a laugh at the idea of her being the hero and Shoto being the sidekick. He gave her a knowing side eye as he watched her scribble her name onto the paper.
"What's your name?"
"Ami!" she said proudly. Kairi wrote out a message and then passed it over to Shoto. "Mom says that just knowing what to do and moving like that aren't even your quirk! She says that have feelings, and then other people feel them and that changes how they feel! But I don't know how that helps being a hero? But it doesn't matter because it's super cool everything you do and it's cool that you jump into action so fast and you're just really cool." All the fatigue and the stress that was laying on her was melting away, under this little girl's adoration. Her pep, her brightness as she looked upward to Kairi instantly pulled forward a great desire to become everything this girl thought her to be. Empowered by the young girl's exuberance, she dropped herself til she was level with her. Ami seemed struck still by the proximity of Kairi.
"I'm glad that you find me so great!" Kairi smiled. "I hope I can continue to be an inspiration for other strong young ladies just like you!" Ami laughed. "But remember that heroes are normal people. If you want to be a hero that's great! But you if decide you don't want to be, there's nothing wrong with that either. Just being a girl, a person... that's a superpower in it's own right. Don't ever let anyone tell you how to feel, how to behave, or that just because you act or do something a certain way you're destined to become a certain way. Be whoever you want to be, just remember to be kind to others and treat them with respect as you do it." Awed to the point of becoming voiceless, Ami nodded slowly. Her notebook was passed back, and Ami held it closely to her chest. She flipped to the front page, slowly reading Kairi's scribbling.
"'Feelings are a superpower?'" she read.
"Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't be angry or you can't cry just because they think you shouldn't show emotion." Hesitantly, Kairi held out her arms, allowing the girl to go to her. Ami quickly hugged her hero before Kairi patted her head and pulled away.
"Thank you," said her mother kindly. Kairi beamed, her ample cheeks glowing. The group gave quick goodbyes and then continued on to venture. Kairi twiddled with her hands in front.
"Not considered a hero, huh?" Shoto said with a smirk. "What do you think about that?"
"An anomaly," Kairi sighed. But the smile wouldn't fade. "It was nice, though. To see in person that someone is appreciating some of the stuff I do. Maybe there are a few out there..."
"Shouldn't that be enough? If what we do helps even a few people, and inspires just a few, isn't it better that we helped the world a little rather than not at all?" She exchanged looks with him, struck by the wisdom he shared. Thoughts halted, she turned away, grumbled to herself. Tsu snickered while Shoto produced a healthy laugh.
Shoto kept himself close to Kairi on the short bus ride home, for her comfort. But her anxiety on public transportation was growing less, slowly. There was an extra pep in Kairi's step as they jumped off the bus, heading towards their dorm rooms. A couple of men dressed in sharp suits stood before the entrance, bulky cameras in their hands. One pointed to the group as it reached the gates leading to the dorms. Kairi quickly pulled up the hood on her jacket and raised a hand to cover her face. Her friends crowded around her again, prohibiting any good shot they could take of her. It wasn't as if they were only there to snap pictures of Kairi, but recent events had given her a little more attention. And Kairi was the one the most uncomfortable with press coverage.
"May I never make the top ten of pro heroes," she breathed as they hurried inside, away from the constant click of camera. She began to pull at the zipper on her coat. "I suppose I am just going to have to get used to it."
"Posing for photos during award ceremonies or grand opening of a Heroes Museum is one thing," Momo said. "That doesn't mean they need to be rude by harassing you in your private life and showing up to your residence to take pictures of you just jumping off the bus. Yet they still do." Her knees shook as she considered the future. Was this how it was destined to be? Her desire to be a hero was still strong and hadn't faded but how would she handle all the adoring lights? The sudden snaps of cameras? People like Shoto were used to it, considering his father. But for her, for someone who never grew up around the pomp and circumstance, could she handle it? Her stomach lurched with discomfort, a note that Shoto seemed to take as ran a tender hand across her back. She shuddered with a different emotion now, one a little more personal.
"The path of a hero you plan to take is honorable and you will garnish many fans, support, and adoration for what you are doing." She swallowed. "But it isn't a front and center path. It isn't one that's going to often be performed in front of the eyes of hundreds of civilians as you take down a villain. Fighting tends to make the front pages. The attention won't be on you as often." Her heart relaxed as he offered this word of comfort. She was only a student as well. She would have time to get used to it. He was right, of course. Between the two of them, Shoto would get more attention. As other events, the sensation around her would fade and things would feel a little more normal.
"Let's return to the previous topic - Kairi, we know you want to jump on your homework. But we insist you take a break," Momo said confidently.
"But I have-"
"Just hang out with us for a few hours and then you can return to your poisons versus infections!" Yuga pleaded. He rested his head on her shoulder, offering up dazzling blue eyes filled with a strong plead. Kairi looked across her group of friends, seeing similar expressions albeit less dramatic. The tug was so intense, her heart released the rope and gave in.
"Okay! Okay, a few hours... I am quite sore. Would you be okay if I took a quick shower first?"
"Absolutely," Shoto said. "Meet us in my room in about a half hour then."
".. your room?" Kairi questioned. He had replied so quickly, it was as if he had already decided on something long ago. "Is there...?"
"Come on!" Momo said, gripping her arm and pulling her up the stairs. Her bold grin was very suspicious. Kairi's phone buzzed against her leg, but she ignored it. Her mother had been insistent in trying to get a hold of her lately. Deciding to cut her off meant she should just block her altogether, but something was keeping her from doing that. It hurt far too much each time she tried to.
Momo nearly threw her into her room and shooed her in the direction of the bathroom, looking much too excited. Apprehension gripped Kairi. Her friends would never do something they knew her to be against or that upset her. Her trust in them was strong, so she held no anxiety for what they were planning. However, it did make her anxious and impatient for whatever was going on. Their urgency in making her take a break and pushing her up to her room had happened way too quickly for there to not be some sort of plan going on.
She took a breath, succumbing to her comfort that everything her friends did was because they loved her. Whatever it was going on, she didn't need to fear it. An epiphany caused her heart to smile - she had reached a point where she had trusted them completely, not once expecting any sort of malicious intent. Bubbling with the knowledge of how much faith she had in her friends, Kairi hummed to herself and stepped into the shower.
She took a little longer. She said she wanted to gussy herself up a little bit. :O I'm sure this is because of you! But we're on our way. Everything better be set up- Momo
We have Iida here, of course it is. He was insistent on everything being perfect.- Shoto
He was? You sure you weren't as well? - Momo. Shoto rolled his eyes at the text.
Of course I was. Just get her here. - Shoto.
Just reaching the top floor now. - Momo
Shoto tucked his phone away and motioned for everyone to take their seats at the round table placed in the center of the room. he had been forced to move his bedroll and adjust some of his belongings in order to get the folding table to fit and it was still tight. Even so, everyone had been able to find a place. Before them lay a game mat and various dice of different shapes lay before each person - Tsu, Yuga, Izuku, Uraraka, and Iida was a folding screen in front of him. Little figures covered the table, next to corresponding sheets, each representating a different kind of character. Three open seats awaited them, yet to be filled. Iida had dressed with a fancy brocade vest and wore a cape with a hood. Yuga also dressed for the occasion - wearing a bright blue cape that must have been made of silk, and a ruffled shirt. Any occasion to dress, he was there. The others still wore their street clothes from before - except for Shoto. It wasn't that far from regular clothes, but unusual for him to wear; he had chosen a pair of dark slacks with boots, a dress shirt and a more old fashioned vest.
The door knocked and the room fell quiet. Battery operated candles and several lanterns decorated the room to give it a mystical ambiance. Shoto gave his friends a look and then shut off the lights, so they were bathed in dim glow. He sat up straight and then pulled at the handle.
Kairi's mouth dropped while Momo kept on grinning. The room was dim was the first thing she noticed - the second was the crowded table waiting for them, eager expressions from all her friends. Scattered across the table were elements all obvious of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
"What is... this?" she squeaked, just as Momo ran to take a seat and Shoto pulled on out for her.
"My lady," Shoto began. His voice cracked as his self consciousness grew. he cleared his throat and began again. "My lady... As a break from the mundane tasks of every day quests, the guild here invites you onto an restful yet exhilarating adventure. Do you accept?" It took a moment for her mind to finally put together the picture before her. This was the beginning of a campaign - something she had longed for since she was young. A warm smile of mischievous gratitude fell to her. Kairi crossed her arms, looking to Shoto.
"That depends. Can you promise me fearsome beasts and and glorious treasures to behold?"
"I can. There will be plenty of that to come." Kairi stopped her squeal from being released, but the same sentiment shone across her face. She leapt into the chair Shoto held for her, just before he lowered himself to whisper into her ear.
"Of course," he hushed as the rest of the table grew excited to began. "There is no treasure more glorious than you." She was forced to hold in her squeal again. The dim light kept the room from seeing the heavy scarlet on her face, but she the heat taking over her entire form.
The game began, and Kairi tossed aside her phone, ignoring the incoming call from her mother once again.
