Chapter 5!
I'm pretty sure this is a part of a big update. 2 chapters for Slice of Light and If It All Breaks plus maybe 1 or 2 single chapter updates for other stories. Don't really have much else to say about not updating, I've just been real busy with family stuff and hospital stuff. I'm not sick, I just had appointments and needed to schedule some so don't worry! Thank you to everyone for being patient and I hope that these multi updates are enjoyable for everyone despite the inconsistent gaps between them.
User/Reviewer DraacoClaye: I'm glad you found the story as well and hope that you'll keep enjoying it! I love writing in powers from One Piece and I'll certainly do more of them in the future.
User/Reviewer Logical-Tadkins: Glad you like it! Playing with Izumi's personality from fic to fic is really fun and to be able to write one where she can be very relaxed and crusing through easy is a good change of pace while also being able to explore her dynamic with Momo.
To everyone who faved, followed, or reviewed thank you so much!
Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA or the referenced power
Enjoy, more notes at the end!
Chapter 5: Highlighter
*Momo POV*
Momo could hear Izumi quietly humming a small tune beside her as the creation girl meticulously focused on her own folding, eyes every so often darting between the instructions and her project. Once more Momo had decided to venture into a new activity, origami at an arts and crafts workshop, and invited Izumi to come along with her.
The two of them had been the only younger people there, almost all the others being elderly folks, but it hardly bothered Momo as she slowly continued folding until she had created a box and some flowers to rest inside of it. Pleased with the finished product, Momo gave a small smile of satisfaction and turned to see what Izumi had made.
"Izumi what have-" the creation girl began in excitement before her gaze fell on what the light girl had somehow crafted, "What even is that?"
The greenette had her arms crossed and her head tilted back and forth in a form of inspection as the piece laid before her. Clearly the strange paper creature Izumi had made wasn't one from any of the instruction booklets and Momo wondered how the other girl had even thought of such a thing.
"I believe it's some kind of long armed scarecrow with angel wings and a lizard tail." Izumi answered, seemingly having finally decided on just what the piece should be.
"How were you even able to fold something like that?" the creation girl sighed, unsure if this was a recreatable feat.
Izumi shrugged nonchalantly, "Though, it's quite unique if not a tad monstrous." she added and all Momo could do was nod in agreement.
"What are those?" the creation girl pointed out, spotting a small stack of other completed pieces by her friend.
Shifting her hand over, Izumi gently took the four things and passed them over to the black haired girl, "Mm? These are for you. Good luck charms for when the Sport's Festival arrives." The light girl warmly laughed.
Momo flushed slightly at the gifts and Izumi's words. After the whole ordeal at the USJ, which had without doubt affected most of 1-A and some of the school, the news of the Sport's Festival was sprung on them and their class had become the target of a number of the UA students. It was enough to stress anyone out and Momo had been worrying a bit about how she would perform during such a huge and widely viewed event.
"I'll do my best," she smiled happily to herself, "though I'm not sure how far that will take me." the creation girl mused as she placed the origami pieces she received on the table, "Especially if I'm against you."
Momo watched as Izumi propped her head in her hand and gave a kind look, "Those charms will even help you beat me you know." the greenette told her assuredly, hints of amusement sounding in her tone.
"How can you be so sure?" Momo laughed along at the silly statement and Izumi held up one of the pieces, the strangest of the four she was given, and closed an eye like she was studying something. "By the way, what is that one?" Momo finally had to ask as her curiosity gained the upper hand.
Honestly, it looked somewhat like a potato in shape and Izumi had chosen to use brown paper to make it for whatever reason. The other three pieces were animals so it was out of place if anything but the greenette had given it as a part of the set regardless.
Izumi gained a slight smile that Momo recognized as one of her playful expressions, "It's taro." The light girl replied casually, still holding the item up but her open eye lazily shifted back and forth from Momo to the piece of origami.
Momo sighed in exasperation at the absurd choice of creation, "Of all the things why did you make..." the black haired girl trailed off before quickly examining the other 'charms' she was given.
The first of the three animals was a pheasant made of blue paper, the second one was a yellow monkey, and the final one was a dog that was red. Momo looked back at the so called taro and briefly thought of Izumi's words of the charms helping her and blushed in annoyance.
"That is the most ridiculous joke ever." she ground out at the other girl who smiled pleasantly at Momo's realization. "Plus, I don't think you'd lose at all unless you do so on purpose, so do your best alright." the creation girl tried switching topics to avoid her embarrassment, she could hear a few of the older women chuckling at them.
"Oh? I suppose I need to give it everything I can then." Izumi agreed as readily as her slow speaking allowed her and Momo suddenly wanted to retract her statement once she gave it more thought.
"W-well at least..." the flustered girl tried finding the words but failed.
She sort of dreaded the thought of Izumi actively trying at the Sport's Festival and at the very least it would turn into a pitiful display for the rest of the other participating students and Momo didn't quite want to be the cause for that. Then again, it might be weirder if Izumi actually did try considering she took things at her own pace no matter what. It was more than likely that the light wielder was just teasing again since she just made a silly wordplay joke using Momo's name.
Izumi smiled lazily and placed the taro piece back with the rest of the set, "Feeling better now?" she questioned suddenly, catching Momo off guard.
"I-" she stuttered in surprise thinking how much more relaxed she felt, "yeah, thanks."
While Momo had been the one to pick an activity for them, the underlying and building worry and stress had still been sitting with her until now.
"The festival isn't for some time so how about we just focus on tomorrow for now." Izumi suggested, the usual slow pacing of her thoughts showing as always.
"Then, what should we do?" Momo wondered with that usual growing excitement as the two got up to leave, the creation girl readily taking her charms, she was going to keep them regardless of the joke.
"No clue." Izumi answered back immediately and Momo nearly fell back into her chair.
"Too nonchalant!" The black haired girl cried in disappointment.
"Let's eat."
"Too sudden!"
"Though maybe I'll just cook."
"Too indecisive!"
"Hmm, how mean."
"Too sarcastic! You're not even trying anymore are you?!"
The pair made their exit, a laugh on one of their lips and a pout on the other's.
-break-
Having, slightly, taken Izumi's words to heart, once Momo woke up the next day she eagerly gave her friend a call to think up some ideas. While she reminded herself to make proper time each day to prepare for the Sport's Festival, Momo also made sure to remember that it was still a while off as Izumi put it.
It was still early in the morning, not quite 6am yet, but she was sure that the greenette was up and about already and Momo's thoughts turned out to be true as the call connected and the creating girl could just make out a soft wind in the background.
"Just waking up?" Izumi's voice gently cut through the wind and Momo wondered if perhaps the other girl knew everything.
"Yes," the black haired girl laughed as she went around her room to quickly get ready, "good morning, do you mind if I join you?" She asked back, assuming that the greenette was at her usual fishing spot on the pier.
"Hm, better hurry," Izumi's slight teasing voice prodded, "this food may not last longer."
Momo was already out the door.
-break-
"No bites?" the creation girl wondered as she sat beside Izumi, the greenette handing her a picnic basket with an assortment of food neatly inside of it.
"Some bites, no fish." Izumi mused and gave the rod a few jigs up and down while Momo unwrapped sandwiches for each of them.
"Did you let them get away?" She wondered aloud, staring out across the waves while the sun slowly began to tint more of it.
The greenette gained a pleased smile, "I certainly fish more often than I get them."
"Maybe you just want to fish more than you want fish." Momo threw the thought out, remembering her father mentioning a friend's words once, as she ate and looked towards Izumi.
"Maybe." was the short reply and Momo stared at the almost content look on the light girl's face, her eyes staring far across the water and not a single bit of tension in her body.
The pair sat quietly for a while, the waves and the wind filling their ears, before Izumi rummaged through her clothes and pulled out what appeared to be a pocket notepad. Momo took the item that was handed over to her and give it a quick turn but just from the outside appearance she could only tell that it was a well kept but old notepad. The black haired girl shifted her eyes over to the greenette but her partner's gaze was already back on the tide.
Carefully opening it to the first page, Momo skimmed the contents. The writing on many of the early pages were slightly faded and clearly different colored pens and pencils were used but as she continued on the writing became more uniform, less faded, and cleaner. However, what truly surprised Momo was finding that every single bit of writing was a list of different locations, activities, or both, with check marks on random ones.
Gifu, Monet Pond.
Chiba, Flower Fields and Tunnels.
Fukushima, Marshlands.
The notepad was bursting with all kinds of things from as simple as 'French pressed coffee' to as strange as 'Eat Katsu Curry at night' to as specific as 'Cable Car in Nagasaki' and other more small, detailed, or grand ideas.
Momo went back to the first pages, coincidentally those had the most check marks, and the black haired girl's brain sped up trying to think just how long Izumi had had such an item. It was almost as if the greenette was fixated on life in general or at least that was how Momo saw it. Even if it was just for a moment she felt as if she got a clear look at the light girl. Momo wasn't even sure what she was supposed to do with this, she had simply taken it because Izumi had handed it to her. The creation girl just continued to stare at the greenette until she finally made eye contact with her.
"How long have you had this?" Momo's itching curiosity urged her to ask and Izumi shrugged.
"Mmm, don't remember." The greenette spoke completely honestly for once and Momo became quiet.
Another bout of the waves and the wind being the only thing that could be heard came before Izumi's voice picked back up.
"Pick the ones you like."
"What?" Momo squeaked a bit, having been knocked out of her silence.
"The ones you like, we'll do those." Izumi reiterated as if there was no issues at all.
"Is...is that alright?" the black haired girl worried, the notepad had to be quite personal to the light girl. The fact that Izumi would actually share something like this with her was a bit overwhelming. Even more so Momo was being asked to influence it, though in a small fashion, which felt even heavier.
"Yes." Izumi answered her simply and Momo nodded her head, not trusting her voice to not blurt out more of her curiosities, while going back to looking through the notepad.
The somewhat directness of Izumi in this instance had caught Momo out of nowhere and it really drove another point home to the creation girl. Whenever Izumi did things, everyone, Momo included, brushed it off as it just being who the girl was and while that may have been true for some things, now Momo wanted to know just how many of them actually had a legitimate reason behind them. Perhaps it was a useless thought to ponder over but her mind wouldn't allow her to ignore it.
How much was there still to learn about Izumi herself, were her reasonings simple or was there something deeper here and there, just how did the greenette feel about all these things? While the thoughts ran circles inside of her head, Momo saw movement from the corner of her eye. Focusing her attention the black haired girl realized it was Izumi's fishing rod.
"Looks like you've got something Izumi!" Momo tried to gain her friend's attention excitedly but noticed that the greenette's eyes were elsewhere. "Izumi, there's a fish." she tried, this time getting a reaction.
The greenette slowly swept her eyes forward and gave the line a tug, "Must have been distracted by the seagulls," she remarked, a pair of them flying far off in the distance as the girl shifted the rod with an amused hum, "seems the fish was distracted too." the light girl drawled though still in a pleased tone as she reeled in an empty line.
Momo couldn't help letting the laughter that bubbled up in her chest from escaping her mouth.
Notes and Stuff
I went kinda nuts with my jokes and references this time around and that's completely how I got the ideas and motivations for this chapter.
First off, the 'long armed scarecrow with angel wings and a lizard tail' is a reference to Kizaru fighting Apoo, Hawkins, Urouge, and X Drake and subsequently 'folding' all of them with ease and on a relative whim.
Next was a bit of wordplay and a double reference. While certainly different actual symbols, sound wise if we put together Yaoyorozu's name and taro, which is a food, we get Momotaro. Add in the pheasant, monkey, and dog then we have The Tale of Momotaro which since I added the colors blue, yellow, and red we then get a reference to the original 3 admirals' titles from One Piece in the order we met them. Aokiji the blue pheasant, Kizaru the yellow monkey, and Akainu the red dog. All three were originally a reference to The Tale of Momotaro of course so I just pulled both references in.
While I do like the lax, unclear, and eccentric Izumi I also wanted to show more to her. Not to say that she'll have a grand backstory or that she'll change personalities but as a slice of life I wanted a tad more, and I may not be using the best wording, humanity I suppose. While she is inspired by and resembles Kizaru from One Piece, she's certainly not fully in line with all his stuff. I mean that man is a mystery trapped in a riddle trapped in a Borsalino hat. So I hope that ending didn't feel weird or anything.
Another thing going off the mention of slice of life is that while I'll have moments, I can't see this fic having extensive action. You all saw it last chapter and I mentioned not being excited for it for this fic since that's not what it's about but also because a fight with Izumi in this fic is going to Izumi for free. While I'll use canon events more so like a little check mark timeline there's gonna be some big changes that don't really affect much in the grand scheme of things because I don't want to lose this story's purpose and intent. Don't worry though, we'll still have some cool moments between all the daily life.
By the way, I'm curious about if anyone would care if I did a little extra genderbending, in a different new fic, but it would only be one other character. I've been wrestling a little with another One Piece power fic where Izumi has Aokiji/Kuzan's ice power and I couldn't think of a pairing. It's not like I have to do one but it does make things more fun/interesting. Considering the power, I was debating on a Fem!Izuku (Izumi) x Fem!Shouto (Shouko?) as I couldn't imagine the fic without Todoroki having a heavy involvement and also couldn't think of a pair that made sense for Izumi. Like I said, it's not like I have to do one I just think it would be more enjoyable and different from what I've done before. Let me know!
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and look forward to more updates from me!