AN: Ricardo Valencia - I see you too have read Mirrond's stories.

Himiko stepped off of her train and practically raced out of the station to the meeting point, excited for her day with the others. As she stepped out of the station, she felt a tinge of disappointment when she saw that she was the first to arrive. Walking over to the statue where everyone agreed to meet up, she pulled out her phone to see if she had any messages in the two minutes since she got off the train.

"Himi!"

Himiko's head bolted up as she heard her girlfriend. Emily was walking over, dressed in a pale yellow sundress. Feeling herself smiling, Himiko walked toward her, meeting her halfway as their lips sought each other out for a kiss. Their hands found each other as they separated, and with smiles on their faces, the pair walked back to the statue together.

"So do you know what we're doing today?" Emily asked.

"Nope!" Himiko leaned into her girlfriend as she showed her the message thread with Ochako.

Emily let out a sigh. "Well, worst case we can ditch them and do our own thing."

"Yep!"

A few minutes later the pair saw Ochako and Tsuyu emerge from the station together, and they waved at the first-year girls.

"You two waiting long?" Ochako asked cautiously.

"Nope!" Emily said. "I just got here."

"And there's the final member of our group!" Himiko pointed as Momo emerged from the station in a loose-fitting shirt and a pair of jeans, looking around awkwardly.

"Over here!" Ochako called as she waved to her classmate.

"I-I'm sorry if I'm late." Momo apologized. "I hope I haven't been keeping you long."

"Not at all, kero."

"Why are you so nervous?" Himiko asked curiously.

"It's not bad, it's not like we bite or anything!" Himiko burst out laughing, and Ochako soon followed, causing Emily's face to turn red. "That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"W-what do you mean then?" Momo asked nervously, unpleasant memories of the last movie night coming back to her as she warily looked at the older Midoriya.

"She means that despite evidence to the contrary, they actually are nice people." Tsuyu stated.

"Yeah! That!"

"I assumed as much given your status as hero course students," Momo explained. "But don't you come off as a little - strong?"

"Of course we do!" Himiko responded. "It comes with being a hero!"

"Think about our classmates," Ochako pointed out.

"I guess that's true," Momo conceded.

"Besides, that's why we're here today!" Ochako said a little too loudly. "So you can get to know them better! Do you think Tsu and I would hang out with them if that wasn't the case?"

"Kero."

"Yeah!"

"Now that everyone's here, what is the plan?" Emily asked impatiently.

Tsuyu simply smiled and pointed down the street. Everyone followed the direction of her finger and saw her pointing to a sign directing them to the Shizuoka Zoo.

"The zoo?"

"Yes, kero."

"Isn't that a little… childish?" Momo asked cautiously.

"What's childish about seeing animals?" Himiko asked.

"It just…" Momo closed her mouth, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her upbringing. Was this one of the things she had missed out on?

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Ochako encouraged her classmate. "I haven't been to one in years!"

"Me neither!"

"Mom brought Izu and me a couple of times before I started UA, but I haven't been back since."

"Think of it as a learning experience, kero." Tsuyu offered a warm smile to her classmate.

"I- yes," Momo smiled at the other girls. "That was the point of today, after all."

Decision made, the group casually walked to the zoo. After paying for entry and receiving their wristbands, they entered the park and found a map, debating where to go first.

"We should go see the big cats first," Tsuyu said, pointing to one part of the map.

"Not the amphibians?" Emily asked.

"Kero," Tsuyu turned to look at the older girl. "Isn't that stereotyping?"

"I'm just saying!"

"The cats are cute," Tsuyu said with a small shrug. "And it's close to feeding time." She showed them a schedule she had pulled up on her phone. "Which means they'll be more active."

"I agree, they're cute!"

"I'm fine starting there," Momo tried to offer helpfully.

"It's decided then!" Ochako dramatically pointed down one of the paths. "Let's go see the cats!"

The group raced through the zoo, their training letting them easily maneuver through the growing crowd as they made their way to their destination. When they arrived, the group saw the zookeepers had just finished putting the food out for the lions and were currently retreating through a door to the service tunnels.

"Look! Over there!" Himiko was the first to spot the lions getting up from their nap and descending further into their den to eat their meal. "Aren't they cute?"

"Himi, I see a cat every day." Emily deadpanned.

"And I'm cuter, right?" Himiko teased, lightly hitting her girlfriend's shoulder with her own.

"Of course you are." Emily squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "And you actually like spending time with me. You're not like a normal house cat who barely tolerates my presence."

"Yeah, I do," Himiko admitted as she leaned against her girlfriend. "I still think they're cute though."

"They are," Momo agreed as she came up to the railing alongside them. "Such noble creatures. It's a shame that they are locked up like this."

"At least they are treated well here, kero." Tsuyu said from her other side. "They have plenty of room to roam, they don't have competition, and they have a steady supply of food and water. As we keep expanding our towns and cities, they have less space in the wild, and may not have those things."

"It's still sad, even if they have all of the comforts in the world, they don't have their freedom," Momo said quietly.

"You're not talking about Lions anymore, are you?" Emily asked.

Momo felt her face heating up as she looked at the blonde girl. "W-what do you mean?"

Instead of turning to face the raven-haired girl, Emily continued to stare at the lions. "Sometimes we find ourselves in cages without realizing it. Just like these lions. At the end of the day, they are confined to the pen. This fence and the walls below make up their entire world. If we stop and think about it, we may realize we're in a similar situation. We may convince ourselves that we're free, but there, at the edge of our visions, we can see the walls. We just don't acknowledge them."

Momo didn't respond. Instead, she thought about how she was raised, and her desire to become a hero. As she was trying to understand the other girl's words, she found her concentration broken as Emily spoke again.

"Come on Himi! I want to look at the panthers now!" She stepped away from the ledge and tugged on her girlfriend's hand. Himiko stole a glance at Momo, silently acknowledging Emily's words before she let herself get dragged along by the American girl to the next den.

"Are you ok?" Ochako asked as she stepped up to the ledge, taking the place of the upperclassmen. "You look a little out of it."

"I- yes," Momo said as she turned back toward the exhibit. "I was just surprised, is all. I had forgotten how observant Song is."

"You should know! You're the one in an analysis class with her." Ochako said with a giggle before turning to look at the lions. "I'm sure whatever she said, she meant well."

Momo felt her cheeks heating up. "Yes, I guess you're right." She watched the lions as they ate their meal before descending to the artificial river that ran through their den. "They really are beautiful creatures."

"Kero," Tsuyu croaked, before turning toward her classmate. "We're just getting started today."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the rest," Momo replied, feeling a smile on her face. "Shall we join the others?"

She would have to think about what Song meant later. For now, though, she found herself getting into the spirit of the day, and enjoying the animals.

After walking around for a few hours, the girls stopped by a stand to order drinks. While four of them stood in line to order drinks, Ochako excused herself to find a nearby water fountain. By the time she had returned all of the others were busy opening their cans and bottles except for Himiko, who had both of her hands full. When she saw the gravity girl, she shoved a second can in her hands.

"Himi-" Ochako protested.

Himiko rolled her eyes. "Look, you're already basically family. Besides, I already have a work-study lined up!"

While Tsuyu shot a sympathetic look to her friend as she saw Ochako's permanent blush beginning to spread, Momo seemed more interested in the rest of Himiko's statement. "Really? You've got a work-study already?"

"Yep!" Himiko beamed. "Ryukyu was so impressed with Nejire and me that she made the offer before we left. Nejire's already started working with her, but I have to wait until I get my provisional license next month."

"That's really impressive," Momo admitted before turning to Emily. "What about you?"

"I don't have one yet," Emily said with a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "But that won't stop me!" She balled her fist in determination. "Next semester I'll hit the ground running and find one!"

"It's really cool that Ryukyu liked you that much," Ochako said as she looked at the soda Himiko had purchased her. Of course, it was her favorite beverage. Silently thanking the girl, she opened the can and took a drink.

"I just hope we have an easy time next year," Tsuyu croaked as she took a drink of her sweet drink. "Selkie was great, but the nature of his operation would make a work-study hard."

"I'm sure we'll all find great work studies!" Emily said confidently.

"I hope so," Momo agreed as she sipped her beverage. "I doubt I want to return to Yoroi Musha, so I'll have to see what internship offers I receive next year."

"Oh please, your quirk is easily one of the strongest in the school!" Emily pointed out. "At the rate you're improving people will be lining up to have you at their agency in a year."

"Really?" Momo had heard that before from the girl, but usually in their analysis class. It felt different, hearing her say it outside of school.

"Yes, really!" Emily pointed to her girlfriend. "You're just like Himi. With enough time to prepare, you should just win against any villain you are forced to deal with."

"But what if I don't have that time?"

"You're one of the smartest people in the class," Tsuyu pointed out. "You need a lot less time than you think."

"Yeah! And you have all of those tricks that you can already use! You can just drop a flashbang or smoke grenade and that'll give you all the time you need."

Listening to the other girls, Momo found herself smiling. Thanks to having every decision questioned for so long, she found it easy for her self-doubt to creep in, but in two months she had found people who are the opposite in almost every way. People who were confident in her abilities.

It did wonders for her ability to push back against that doubt.

"You're right," Momo finally conceded. "I'm sure I'll do even better at next year's sports festival, and find a fitting hero to do a work-study under."

"I'm terrified, kero." Tsuyu said. "Next year's sports festival is going to be a nightmare."

"Yep! Nobody's gonna beat me next year!" Himiko boldly declared.

"I'm going to steal all of your blood before the festival."

"I'll just have to acquire more before every match." Himiko teased her girlfriend, giving her a wide smile that showed off her fangs.

Emily made a strangled noise before she finally managed to form a coherent protest. "T-that's not fair!"

"As you love to remind me, that's just how my quirk works! Or are you saying I should fight with a handicap compared to everyone else?"

Ignoring the antics of the second years, Ochako turned to Momo. "We won't be able to stop you at all, will we? You'll know all about our quirks by then, and you'll have even more blueprints stored in that head of yours."

"Izuku and Shoto may be the only two people who can win through sheer overwhelming force," Tsuyu observed.

"That-" Momo felt her smile widen. "I never thought about it that way. Thank you for the encouragement."

"That's what friends are for, right?" Ochako asked.

Momo paused, a shocked look on her face. "R-right."

"Does this mean she's going to come out to girl's nights now?" Himiko asked, pivoting away from her protesting girlfriend.

"What are those?"

"It's just like the movie nights you've been dragged to, but less scary." Tsuyu explained. "They're fun."

"I- think I would like that," Momo admitted. "I haven't been on many outings that weren't arranged by my family."

"We'll let you know the next time we're getting together!" Himiko said.

After the girls finished their drinks, they continued onward to the reptile and amphibian exhibit. Despite Tsuyu's insistence otherwise, once they arrived she showed an uncharacteristic amount of energy as she moved through the building, stopping to read all of the cards and watch the creatures inside their terrariums.

"You really do like this exhibit," Ochako observed as she walked with her friend.

"Of course, kero. I just don't like people stereotyping me like that," Tsuyu turned toward her friend.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Kero," Tsuyu turned toward her friend. "I know you don't mean it. But I've had some bad experiences in the past."

"Well, those people suck!" Ochako insisted. "You are allowed to like the things you like! Who cares if it's related to your quirk or not?"

"Thank you, kero." Tsuyu turned toward her friend, a smile on her face. "We should go visit an aquarium sometime."

"That sounds fun!"

Tsuyu nodded. "Unfortunately the best one is several hours away by train."

"Maybe we can find some time to go once summer break starts?"

"What's going on when summer break starts?" Himiko asked as she came up behind them.

"We were talking about visiting an aquarium!" Ochako said.

"I haven't been to one of those yet," Himiko admitted.

"Never?"

"Nope!"

"I haven't either," Momo said as she rejoined the group.

"I am disappointed in all of you, we can't be friends anymore."

"Aww, no fair!"

"What if we go to an aquarium together? Can we be friends again?"

"I suppose, kero."

"That settles it!" Ochako looked at Tsu. "You'll have to pick a date that works with everyone's schedules, and then we'll take a trip together!"

As Momo thought about how rigorously scheduled her life normally is at home, she decided that she would much rather make an exception and spend a day with her new friends experiencing an aquarium than whatever her parents would have her doing that day.

After they left the park, the group walked to a nearby cafe and found a table, ordering dinner. Once the waitress left, Himiko turned toward Ochako and glared at her. "You're not allowed to ask intrusive questions this week!"

"Eep!" Ochako instinctively covered her face with her hands. Thankfully she caught herself before she touched her face and activated her quirk, but that didn't stop her from feeling her face heating up in embarrassment as several others laughed.

"I'm sorry, did I miss something?" Momo asked, looking lost.

"Only how Himiko and Emily got together, kero."

"Do I want to know?"

"No!" Emily slammed her hand on the table. "I think we're good!"

"Oh come on," Himiko rolled her eyes and looked at her girlfriend. "It's cute!"

"It's embarrassing!"

"Ochako thought that Emily had a thing for Izuku," Tsuyu stated bluntly. "Instead of Himiko."

"Tsu!"

"What? It's the truth."

"I still can't believe that broke me." Emily groaned. "I fought one of those abominations in Hosu and all it did was piss me off, but asking if I liked Izuku was what got me in the end. Here lies Emily Song, may she rest in peace." She exclaimed dramatically.

"Well, it was worth it," Himiko said with a satisfied grin on her face as she gave her girlfriend's arm a comforting squeeze. "I was planning on talking to Emmy soon anyways. Ochako just sped that up."

"Wait, you were worried someone else was interested in Midoriya?" Momo asked Ochako.

"I already know none of the other girls in our class were interested!" Ochako said in exasperation before she waved her hands at Emily. "But she was another story!"

"Well good thing for you I like girls!" Emily said and, to prove her point, leaned over to kiss Himiko.

"You are going to be the death of me," Ochako grumbled as she crossed her arms, a pout on her lips.

"Oh come on! We tease you because we care."

"You know we're all rooting for you, kero." Tsuyu offered a sincere smile. "But it is fun. You get flustered so easily."

"Don't I know it," Ochako grumbled before she let out a dramatic sigh. "Thanks."

Momo simply smiled as she watched the group's interaction. "This is so different from what I'm used to. Not that that's a bad thing!" She quickly added.

"I'm glad."

"Despite our differences, it's fun spending time with the second years."

"And we get to be your mentors!"

"In more ways than one," Momo said quietly before she pressed her glass to her lips, taking a long drink before setting it down. "Thank you for inviting me today."

AN: And there's the other half of our perfectly normal hangout. These two chapters were actually fun to write, just letting the kids be kids for a little bit, but the plot will catch back up to them next week.