Stepping onto campus was practically a religious experience. Izuku clutched his tattered yellow backpack tightly as he adjusted his new, equally yellow fanny pack, anxiety plaguing him. Part of him whispered that it was a some sort of elaborate prank, and his scholarship was going to be yanked out of his hands. But he couldn't think that way, he had to live in the moment. At least, that was what Sasaki kept insisting.
He slowly found his way towards what he hoped was the correct building. Today alone he was supposed to sit in on one of Meiji's classes, to see the classroom firsthand.
Izuku picked what he hoped was the correct hallway, scanning room numbers. There was the right classroom! Luckily he had only made it a few minutes late. He was going to sneak in and do his best to avoid attention, but that plan was aborted when he stumbled upon entering the room. He managed to catch himself, but the noise he made turned all eyes on him.
He swallowed thickly, internally hoping for the sweet release of death. "Is this Foundational Quirk studies?"
The professor, a composed older gentleman, turned around. "Midoriya, you made it. Come, sit. Class, I want to introduce you to the author of Analysis 18."
All students immediately snapped their attention to him. "There's no way," said a girl with magenta hair. "He's like twelve."
"I'm fifteen," Izuku mumbled, sitting down in one of the only seats left - naturally it was right in the front.
"Midoriya is undeniably the author of Analysis 18," Dr. Meiji said. "He's here today as a guest, so be respectful."
Someone in the back snorted. "He's probably got some analysis quirk."
Izuku bit his lip, unsure whether or not to speak up. He settled on simply listening, taking notes on everything Dr. Meiji was saying. He could feel the other students staring at him - he just hoped it wouldn't get as violent as middle school had been.
As it was, Izuku desperately wanted to participate in the class, but old habits die hard. Besides, he didn't even want to think about what kind of retaliation college students would be capable of.
Izuku managed to stay silent until Dr. Meiji asked him point-blank, "Midoriya, based on this picture, what would you say these two people's quirks are?"
He studied the picture, a scene from a high school hallway. It featured two students, a boy with barely visible fangs and slitted pupils and a girl with downcast eyes.
"The boy has a minor snake quirk - I would guess he produces a weak venom, but nothing that has changed his physiology too much."
"Class?"
The student with magenta hair from earlier scoffed. "It could also be something like a cat quirk."
"Yes, it could be if it weren't the faint scale pattern peeking out from his shirt collar," Izuku pointed out.
"And what of the girl?" Meiji asked.
"It could be some kind of emitter type," one student hesitantly ventured.
"Or some mental quirk?"
Meiji listened to several more suggestions before asking, "What do you think, Midoriya?"
"She's quirkless," he said simply.
"What?"
"That's not very likely."
Dr. Meiji quieted them down before saying, "Now tell us why you think this, Midoriya.'
"Well there's no evidence of a quirk, but most of all it's about her body language. The way she's junched in on herself, and it looks like she's nervously moving her fingers… It all screams quirkless."
"She could have a quirk people bully her for, though. Or she could just be anxious," someone said.
Izuku shrugged. "There's an unspoken connection between quirkless people - we just recognize each other on sight. I can't explain it."
The class stared at him in stunned silence until Meiji clapped his hands. "Unfortunately class is over now. Remember your third analysis is due on Wednesday. Now get out of here."
Izuku began gathering up his things when he noticed the magenta-haired student quietly approached his desk.
"It's Midoriya, right?"
He looked up sharply before cautiously nodding.
"I'm… I'm Uotani. I just wanted to apologize for earlier, I assumed you had an analysis quirk. That doesn't make it right, and I'm sorry. I'm just a little jaded about people deciding how to live their lives based on their quirks."
"People do tend to judge people's capabilities and intelligence on their quirks," Izuku acknowledged. "It's something that really needs to be addressed."
Uotani nodded furiously. "I actually want to compile biographies of people who live life unconventionally in terms of their quirks."
"I'd love to read it some day."
She smiled wickedly. "Maybe I'll have to write a sequel about quirkless people and feature you."
"Oh, my story isn't really interesting," Izuku mumbled.
"Somehow I doubt that. The author of Analysis 18 clearly has something to say," Uotani said, eyes gleaming.
"What is Analysis 18?" he asked, a little exasperated. "Everyone keeps referencing it."
"It's an analysis of Present Mic that Dr. Meiji read to the class to show us that our analyses are lacking," Uotani explained. "He kind of held it over our heads, telling us that the author had the same amount of formal training as we did."
"You did what?" Izuku yelped, looking at the professor with utter betrayal. "I wrote that when I was thirteen, it's basically five pages of me being a fanboy."
"It's brilliant," Dr. Meiji argued. "Truly, a work of art."
Izuku groaned before standing to join the professor, waving Uotani goodbye. When he turned to continue his complaint, he found Meiji staring at him with a brow raised. "You didn't strike me as a fanny pack-type man, Midoriya."
In truth, Izuku liked the fanny pack - it was a bright yellow that almost matched his backpack. He was just a little embarrassed about the context of the fanny pack.
When he had last been at the station, Tsukauchi did give him more information about what to expect in Hosu. However, he wouldn't let Izuku leave. Instead, he called Officer Kondo in, who walked in, fanny pack in hand.
Kondo sat directly opposite Izuku, placing the thing on the desk between them. "As you are going to a larger, unfamiliar city and you get into more trouble than should be statistically possible, the station all pitched in to get you this. Saito and Sasaki have dubbed it the Don't Rape Me kit. It currently consists of a whistle, pepper spray, a knife with a sheath that can be worn in multiple discreet places, and a flashlight taser. All of these items are legal to use in self defense when the need arises."
Izuku had choked, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "It's called what?"
"The Don't Rape Me Kit. Officer Nakamura proposed we call it the Save My Fanny Pack, but Sasaki and Saito vetoed it. The rest of us didn't care what we called it, as long as it keeps you alive."
He had stared at Kondo for a long while silently willing her to claim it was all a joke, but no such claim came. It was very real, and apparently he was not allowed to go to Hosu without it. (Izuku had half-wondered if they put a tracking device in it because the officers kept ominously insisting they would know if he didn't have it with him. But they were probably just joking, that would be ridiculous.)
Snapping back to the present, Izuku stammered, "It was a gift."
The professor looked a little more closely at Izuku's shirt - it was his favorite "T-shirt" t-shirt. "Actually, the more that I think on it, the fanny pack seems to me exactly something you would wear."
"Thanks?"
They wound through campus to a set of dorms Meiji handed Izuku a key card. "If you go through these doors, your room is the first on the left. You're welcome to stay here anytime, but especially when you come to visit me."
Izuku bit his lip. "I didn't know I needed to bring things to furnish the room." Would he even have a blanket to use tonight?
"Oh, don't worry about that, go see," the professor urged.
When Izuku swiped the key card, the door opened easily. It was easily recognizable as a college dorm room, but softer, toned down. It was inviting, the bed covered in a fluffy blue comforter and overstuffed pillows. A desk was already stocked with notebooks, paper, and writing utensils. A mini fridge hummed in the corner, and a shiny TV hung on the wall.
Izuku flushed. "This is too much! You really didn't have to do this, just a bed would have been fine!"
"Midoriya," Dr. Meiji said, "You're one of the most brilliant students I've ever taught, but you're also fifteen years old. I want to put your mind at ease, but I also want to assure your mother that you are being taken care of. Settle in, relax. Call your mother. I have another class to teach, but tonight I'll treat you to dinner outside of campus as this is the only night I can. I admire your dedication to become a police officer, but I can't help but resent that Tsuragamae gets to steal you away."
Izuku nodded faintly, a little overwhelmed. He faintly remembered Dr. Meiji mentioning that he did occasionally work with the police. He idly wondered if the professor knew Detective Tsukauchi - it seemed like Tsukauchi could be called across the country for a difficult case at a moment's notice. He felt like Meiji might have mentioned something about it, but it was hard to remember when he his interactions with the man had only been over email and the occasional video chat to discuss a particular analysis.
His phone buzzed with a text - it was from Saito. He was always at least the tiniest bit hesitant to open her texts - she was just so unpredictable.
Don't let Chief Dog Face talk you into moving to Hosu. You belong with our station! Attached was a picture of whoever happened to be on duty at the moment - Saito had an arm slung around Nakamura's shoulders, Tamakawa and Sohma idly waving, and Mori was in the background, looking miserable in the meter maid vest.
Izuku smiled. He was nervous to meet Chief Tsuragamae tomorrow, but if he was half as welcoming as Izuku's station, Izuku would be in good hands.
A/N: Back once more, and surprisingly before midnight this time around! Thanks to everyone who commented, it means a lot!