He'd heard about the Princess. She was from a new country that'd been born of the conflict in the Early Quirk age in Europe, which caused the consolidation of many countries into a single super country, much like China or Russia, and reverting it to a Monarchy.
The King and Queen ruled absolute, with a council filtering laws and such to ensure control and protect against corruption. So far though, the Royal Family had remained totally loyal to the wellbeing of the people.
Princess Elise Soleanna was the princess' name, and she'd decided to come to Japan on an apparent mix between a vacation and as an envoy.
And apparently she was making a visit to Musutafu after Tokyo, to visit UA.
Maybe he could've met her, if he went to UA.
Of course, he didn't go to UA. He had no quirk. He couldn't make it into the Hero Course like he'd dreamed, even if he was still receiving the mail for the course due to some cruel mocking twist of fate and an accidental slip up in the mailing system.
He hadn't even thought about entering the General Education course, so he couldn't get the best education anyway.
Instead he took to homeschooling on the internet, and had a part-time job at the only place in the city that would take him. The dingy little cafe on that one corner street.
But he wasn't there now. He was out in the mall strip, sitting on a bench, and drawing.
A pass time of his, a simple one, which he earned a bit of money on here and there.
He sighed to himself sadly. He often felt he'd made a mistake in life, that he hadn't done what he could to make it the best it could be.
'At least I don't have to see Kacchan everyday now…'
He went back to drawing in silence on the large canvas he'd brought, having memories of the basic shape of the street already, not needing to look up.
He didn't notice when the area seemed to fall silent, save for some footsteps.
He didn't notice the people in suits walking past.
He didn't see when a young woman saw the sixteen year old sitting on a bench and drawing in silence, not even paying attention to her.
It got her curious, and she stepped close to him, even as the suited men stepped closer to Izuku.
"Excuse me sir, may I ask what you are doing?"
Izuku startled slightly in surprise, having not expected the sudden interruption and looked up. "H-Huh? Oh um, d-drawing the s-street, miss?"
The woman tilted her head slightly. "Drawing? That's a curious pass time. Do you do it often?" She asked as she sat down beside him, wearing a soft smile.
He blushed and picked at the sketchbook, lifting it up to the front page then letting at least sixty pages fly by all with incredibly detailed and intricate drawings. "I g-guess you could say that…"
Her eyes lit up slightly. "May I see? I haven't met an artist in person before." She asked as she got a bit excited.
"W-Well I'm j-just a s-self-taught amateur, s-so don't expect anything too good, but s-sure i s-suppose?" he tilted his head, then turned to her, handing over the sketchbook.
She couldn't help but note he hesitated for a moment as though scared to let it go.
She looked at him curiously for a moment, then looked down at the sketchbook and began to slowly look through it.
With each picture she looked at, her eyes slowly grew wider and wider. "Oh my…"
"L-Like I said, self-taught so I-I'm sure others could do better but-"
"This is incredible!" She exclaimed suddenly as excitement truly lit up on her face, and she turned to him. "You drew this yourself? Really?"
He nods his head. "I d-did yeah, it's how i p-pass the time when I'm on break."
"You are incredibly talented. And this is a pass time? You do not do it professionally?" She asked with surprise clear in her voice through the excitement from before.
He hums and sighs, deciding he should probably stop this before his own hope gets too high. "Y-Yeah, p-people aren't keen to buy art if it's associated with a quirkless artist."
She was visibly taken aback, and for a moment Izuku expected the disgust.
"What? Why would your status as quirkless be an issue?"
Izuku blinked, then turned to her and furrowed his brow, before pausing. "O-Oh, I d-didn't notice your slight accent before, s-sorry. I guess it's better in some places but Japan isn't… it isn't a fun place to live if you're quirkless and younger t-then twenty f-five nowadays…"
Her brow furrowed. "My country does not allow quirk discrimination such as that…" She turned to look down at the picture for a moment.
"...I believe I know what I will speak with the Prime Minister about now."
Izuku blinked thrice before looking up and furrowing his brow in confusion. "The p-prime minister?"
She turned to him and smiled. "Yes, of course, that is why I am here. I am the Princess of the Empire of Soleanna, Elise Soleanna. I came here to speak with the Prime Minister in regards to possibly further cooperation between our countries."
Izuku stared for a moment, seemingly not comprehending his words. Then his eyes slowly widened as his jaw solely dropped…
Then he leapt to his feet in a moment and instantly bowed. "I-I d-didn't realize, I'm s-so sorry your highness!"
It made the princess jolt, and her guards jolted to rush him, only to stop when they realised what he was doing.
"No no, no, please it's fine, I don't mind in the slightest. Please, sit again, I enjoyed our conversation," she said as she smiled at him, though she seemed a bit awkward.
He gulps and stands back up, before sitting down. "O-Oh… s-sorry…"
"No no, it's quite alright. I assume you never saw a picture of me when it was announced that I would be here?" She asked with a small amused smile.
He blushes and shakes his head. "N-No, I think it's only been fully announced to U.A. students and t-the people who really need to know. I o-only even know you w-were coming d-due to a mistake on the mailing list…"
Elise blinked, then frowned. "It wasn't announced publicly?" She asked with confusion.
He shakes his head. "N-No. T-They were probably waiting until you were a-actually in the country s-so no villains w-would try to intercept you on the w-way."
Elise hummed. "I suppose… villainy is a deep issue here?" She asked further, as if unused to the idea of people being prone to such actions.
Izuku nods. "L-Look around hard enough and you c-can find one villain attack a d-day around here."
Elise frowned again. "That is… very worrying…" She turned to look ahead for a few moments.
"...What is your name, sir?" She asked suddenly as she turned back to him.
"O-Oh, um, Izuku Midoriya, your highness."
Elise smiled. "Please, call me Elise. I have a request I'd like to ask of you."
Izuku hesitated, clearly worried about being rude but looked up and met her eyes. "O-Oh? W-What do you need…. E-Elise?"
"If you're available, would you be my guide for today? You'll be compensated for your trouble, but I feel there is much about the country I don't know, and which I'll only know from your perspective," she explained with a polite smile, but there was a hopeful expectancy to it.
...Or maybe it was just hopefulness?
Izuku blinked in surprise, before despite himself a genuinely happy smile started to light up his face at the thought of someone actually wanting his help in any way.
"I-I'd be e-extremely happy too!"
Elise brought her hands together as she smiled. "Wonderful! Thank you very much Midoriya." She looked up at her Guards. "Show him courtesy, he is my guest," her voice became a bit sterner as she said this.
Izuku blinked in surprise at this and the guards nodded, all bowing their heads slightly to him before backing up just an inch each.
She turned back to him as her smile reappeared. "I have to be a little forceful to ensure they understand the importance. They have a duty and they take it quite seriously," she explained with a slightly apologetic tone.
"It's o-okay, I understand." He nods, before standing up. "I s-suppose, is there a-anything you'd like to start with?"
Elise hummed as she thought for a moment. "...I suppose… I would like to see what this city is truly like, not what I've been told by the government." She frowned. "As it is clear they have already been withholding such information…"
Izuku hesitated, then nodded. "A-Alright. B-Before we g-get into the… more complicated stuff, w-would you like to visit a local cafe? They're especially popular in t-this city so it's the best place to get a more complete view of the various types of people in the city."
Elise smiled. "I would like that. Do you have a cafe you know of?" She asked with some cheeriness returning to her voice.
Izuku nods with a softer smile. "Y-Yeah, I k-know a really good one nearby. Especially if you like cat's."
Elise's eyes lit up. "You mean one of the famed Cat Cafes I've heard of?" She asked with excitement really growing in her voice.
Izuku's smile grows despite himself as he nods. "Yes, t-there's one I love to go to not far from here called 'Claws and Coffee Cafe', it's really interesting and calming. It a-also has some of the best Katsudon a-around."
Elise hopped to her feet. "Then please, lead the way! I've always wanted to go to one of these cafes," she said, bouncing, almost literally, with excitement.
He chuckles and stands up himself. "F-Follow me then." He tells her and begins leading her down the street, and as they walk he points into the distance. "O-Oh, and since it's about Twelve, if you l-look over there Mount Lady should be a-appearing in about three, two…"
Right on time, a massive woman appears a moment later, looking around over the city.
Elise's eyes widened slightly. "Oh my. A Gigantism quirk user? They're rare." She remarked with some awe.
Izuku chuckles. "Y-Yeah, they are. T-That's Mount Lady, she's a newer pro hero who debuted about a year ago now, she's… tenacious, for sure, although she may be trying to use her quirk for a m-more than she should."
Elise hummed quietly. "I see… I always thought their quirks would be too… damaging to be used. I don't mean to discriminate, but their size and increased weight causes damage to the streets, and buildings if they aren't careful."
"They can be." Izuku nods, tilting his head. "In her defense she's much more c-careful now, although not without incident, still she's at least one of the heroes with a higher rescue rate than incident rate. S-Still… I t-think she's a good example of one of the few problems I d-do think Japan has…"
Elise turned to him. "Problems? What sort of problems?"
Izuku hesitates before continuing. "J-Japan can be very… quirk focused. There are a lot of p-people who see a strong q-quirk as synonymous with being good for heroics, without p-pausing to consider the nuances in r-regard to that, while many weaker technical quirks might be w-written off even if they have more uses."
Elise frowned. "That's… worrying. Is it truly that-" She stopped as she remembered his own predicament, and fell silent for a few seconds. "...It seems there are many, many things I may have to discuss with the Prime Minister…"
Izuku hums. "I g-guess… this particular topic I can t-tell you about in more detail, but let's get to the cafe first before we get into that." He says, continuing to walk and pointing out a building up ahead with a large neon cat sign. "T-There it is!"
Elise turned and smiled again at the sight. "Oh my. A neon sign as well?"
Izuku chuckles. "W-We're um…" He blushes. "W-Well, actually maybe that's too… crass to mention, but I c-can at least say this cafe is open 24/7 s-so they need the sign to light up at night."
She hummed. "I see. That's unusual for a cafe, but I suppose it must be very well liked then." She turned to Izuku and smiled. "Shall we enter?"
He nods with a smile. "Let's." He says and walks up to the door, opening it for her and the guards and holding it open. While he did, he turned to the cashier and waved to them knowing they'd recognize him.
They smiled. "Heya Midoriya. Who's…" The cashier paused. "Um… you're not in trouble, right?" She asked, pointing at Elise's guards.
Izuku shook his head. "N-No, I'm not. T-They're bodyguards for the P-Princess."
The cashier blinked again. "Princess?"
Elise smiled and dipped her head ever so slightly. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, I am Princess Elise of the Empire of Soleanna."
Izuku nods to the cashier to signal it's true.
The cashier stared for a moment, then her eyes widened with recognition and realisation.
She immediately bowed her head. "I'm very sorry your majesty, I didn't recognise you for a moment." She raised her head and gestured to the side. "Please take a seat, anywhere you please. I'll be with you shortly to take your order," she said with a wide, but clearly nervous smile.
Elise put up her hand. "Please, don't worry yourself, I am just another customer and would prefer to be treated just the same as Izuku here would be."
The cashier visibly hesitated for a moment, then turned her eyes to Izuku, a silent question in her eyes. 'What do I do?'
Izuku just smiled and nodded to another customer nearby before walking up to a booth and patting a cage gently. "S-Snowball, you in there kitty?"
There was a quick meow from inside the cage, and a moment later a white ball of fur jumped out of the cage and began to rub all over Izuku's legs while purring quite loudly.
Making him chuckle and lean down, picking up the ball of fur before turning to Elise. "If you h-have a seat, Elise, I'll introduce you to the cuddliest c-cat in this whole establishment."
Elise smiled wide and went to sit in a nearby window seat, while looking expectantly at Izuku and the cat in his arms.
Making him smile and sit down next, before putting the cat down who turned to Elise and blinked slowly, before making her way over to her and sitting in front of her, tilting her head. "Mrow?"
"S-Snowball, this is Elise. She's friendly, don't worry."
Snowball turned to Izuku for a moment and stared, then turned back to Elise.
After a moment, the cat crouched for a split second, then jumped up into Elise's lap, and after a quick bit of patting in a circle, the cat curled up into a ball in the Princess' lap.
Izuku smiled before looking up to Elise. "She's a-actually a rescue, but she's surprisingly cuddly and trusting. I think she's realized no one can get away with mistreating her without the owners coming down hard on them, so she feels safe and gets very cuddle happy. She won't leave you alone until you leave if she has a choice."
Elise giggled and softly reached down and began to pet the cat, who began to purr again at the pets. "She's warm, and soft." The princess said as she raised her head to beam at him.
"I k-knew you'd like her." Izuku smiles softly. "She can worm her way into anyones' heart."
"I can see how she would. She is such a sweet thing." She sighed a bit wistfully. "I wish I could bring her home… but her place is here."
Izuku chuckles. "Yeah, e-everyone has that moment of wishing they could take them home. D-Do you have pets of your own, or?"
Elise shakes her head. "No. I did once suggest perhaps looking after a hedgehog that wandered into the palace if possible but everyone seemed to think a princess and a hedgehog shouldn't mix for some reason."
Izuku hummed quietly. "I don't see the issue. Hedgehogs are cute, and they can be nice if you domesticate them," he said, frowning slightly at the idea she had no pets.
Elise nods a little faster. "Yes indeed! Yet this was when I was younger and the royal caretakers had more control. They were weirdly convinced I'd end up in some… frankly bizarre situations with it. I believe one of their quirks may have been messing with them mentally at the time. Why would I paint a hedgehog blue, after all?"
Izuku shrugged. "I don't know. Some quirks are really strange, and can be… frighteningly negative to the user," he said with a small frown.
Elise blinked at him. "You sound… knowledgeable."
Izuku hesitated… then reached into his bag he'd brought with him and began rummaging before pulling out a book and putting it on the table, showing her the title.
'Quirk Notes for the Future'
"I a-analyzed a lot…"
Elise blinked. "Quirk notes?" She asked curiously.
Izuku blushes. "For as long as I can remember, I'd always wanted to be a hero. A-As a kid, I always thought that the coolest thing you could do was save others, b-but… with n-no quirk of my own, no one believed I could be one, and I was at a disadvantage as n-no one wanted to help me change that. A-Analysis became my way of t-trying to make up for it… If I c-can't use a quirk to f-fight back, then I c-could use my knowledge of quirks to still keep up…"
Elise stared at her for a moment, then turned to the book. "Can I see it?" She asked curiously.
Izuku nods with a shy smile. "Mhm, I t-think that's all the notes I wrote from age twelve to thirteen? Either way, they should be more comprehensive than some of my earlier entries."
Elise nodded in understanding as she reached out and took hold of the notebook, then opened it and began to read.
It didn't take more than a few seconds before her eyes began to widen. "Oh my… This is…"
"Messy?" Izuku hazarded a guess in good-humor.
"Incredible!" She exclaimed suddenly.
Izuku blinked in surprise. "I-Incredible?"
Elise nodded with excitement. "Yes! These notes are incredibly detailed! I haven't seen anything so incredible in the past, and I have seen many Quirk Analysis in the past."
Izuku blushed hard. "I- Well… that's… t-thank you, I'm glad you like them. I really just do it as a hobby though…" He tried to shyly brush the praise off.
"Midoriya." Elise's voice suddenly became serious. "I am confident that with these notes, you would be able to make millions. These notes are beyond valuable, to heroes and criminals."
Izuku sits up straighter in shock, before looking down stunned. "R-Really? I… I'd always thought a-about sending them to the heroes b-but… I always got laughed at by my c-classmates when they saw me writing so I always thought…"
Elise gestured to the notebook. "Midoriya. I know that if you were to prove that you wrote these, any hero agency, analysis center, anywhere would hire you and give you any amount of pay you wished. In fact…" She looked down for a moment, seemingly in thought.
Izuku tilts his head. "E-Elise?" He asked, still feeling weird for being able to call literal royalty by their name only with permission. "Is s-something up?"
Elise was quiet for a moment, then seemed to make a decision as she raised her head. "Do you have any… obligations, here in Japan?"
Izuku blinks and thinks, before shaking his head. "N-Not really, I have a part time job but I c-could be replaced really easily, and my mom moved away not long ago. S-Since I never got into U.A., I'm h-homeschooling so… nothing really…"
Elise smiled. "Then I would like to make you an offer." She closed the book and put it on the desk.
"I would like to offer you a position in the Royal Castle of Soleanna, as a Quirk Analyst."
Izuku's eyes blew open as he straightened up entirely. "As… you w-want me to-" He looks down shocked for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking back up. "I g-guess… w-what does it involve?"
"It's quite simple." She said with a smile. "The Royal Castle has a sect that helps train new heroes for the country and doubles as an… 'Over Agency', essentially an Agency that oversees all other agencies.. You would be employed within the Over Agency, where you'll provide functional analysis for students and fully employed heroes. It's not a position easily reached by those who want it," she said as she gave a small wink at him.
"You'd r-really want me there?" He asked softly, in amazement as he stared at her with wide eyes. And there was a slow light coming to them even more than there had been before.
Like he'd just found a reason to feel like he had worth again.
Elise nodded. "I do. I believe your skills would be invaluable to our heroes." She side eyed the window. "Seeing as this country cannot see your worthy past the simple title of quirkless…" She sounded a bit angry as she mumbled this latter bit.
Izuku paused, thinking. "...W-Will I be able to analyze heroes on my own time as w-well as presumably any assigned?"
"Of course! Pay is devised per report and the satisfaction the reports bring. The more you do, the more pay you recieve. And of course, you can keep them for yourself." She tapped the book. "However I have to ask that it be encrypted, to protect it against being stolen."
Izuku nodded immediately. "I c-can do that. I… guess I'm available for whenever they want me to interview?"
"Oh, there'll be no interview. The job is yours," Elise giggled.
"J-Just like that?" Izuku asks, surprised. "I… g-guess you do have the authority to do that as princess, I j-just didn't expect... "
"Well you'll be heavily scrutinised. A recommendation from the Royal Family is quite serious, and rare." She smiled at him, but there was a slightly pointed look in her eyes. "You'll be watched closely. If you don't live up to the expectations that such a recommendation places on you, it'll reflect badly on you, and myself."
Izuku immediately bows slightly with such speed it was clear just how seriously he was taking this. "I p-promise I w-won't let you down, P-Princess!"
Elise waved a hand. "I know Midoriya, that's why I offered it to begin, and I know your natural analysis will be plenty to impress the other analysts," she assured warmly, and with minor amusement.
He looked up with a smile. "I-I guess in that case… W-When I'm d-done being your guide, w-what should I do?"
Elise made a small wave. "I'll send a message to the capital. They'll send all the necessary papers to you and Japan, and you'll be a citizen within the week. However, you are going to be required to take language classes, but if you're good enough with English we'll not have any problems," she explained simply.
Izuku blushes and smiles at her. "Well then hopefully this will impress them enough, eh?"
Elise blinked. "Oh my." She giggled. "Yes, I think that'd be more than sufficient."
Izuku smiled, but a blush started to grow on their face. "H-Hopefully they don't quiz me t-too hard on how i learned.."
"They might, to see how they can become better themselves. The lack of an education into it won't subtract from your reputation, what'll matter is your results." She assured him with amusement.
He smiles but his blush worsens. "A-Ah, well that's good, though I more meant t-that… I k-kind of learned by watching All Might videos growing up?"
Elise blinked, but then giggled. "No, I'm sure they'll be more amused than anything."
Izuku nods. "I g-guess so. And I g-guess you learned J-Japanese through normal education?"
"Yes, the culture always fascinated me, so I wanted to learn. It's also part of why I'm here," she explained with a wide smile.
Izuku blinks, then suddenly giggles. "A-And, by interested in the culture, if you don't mind me asking… The festivals and actual culture… or the O-Otaku version of the c-culture m-most westerns get from anime?"
Elise blushed. "I-I admit it's a mixture of both, but mainly the actual culture," she assured him with embarrassment.
Izuku chuckled and smiled at her. "D-Don't worry, i l-like anime too, it's just a-always a little funny seeing how much it has affected visitors' expectations."
"I'm sure," Elise giggled shyly. "But I was introduced to the culture before the anime, which is likely the only reason I know the culture at all."
"Fair." Izuku nods, before humming. "W-Well, i think I've put it off long enough. You w-wanted to know more about quirk issues?"
Elise's expression immediately changed into something more serious. "Yes, if you don't mind."
Izuku nods and sits up straighter. "I mentioned before that I h-have experience with the issue of strong quirks being overly valued… I was… When I was diagnosed as quirkless, my s-school, my classmates and my best friend turned on me."
And so, he spent the next few minutes explaining to her all about Bakugou and Aldera Junior high, as well as Elementary.
It left Elise with a bad taste in her mouth, and not from the drinks they ordered midway through.
"...That's… Horrible…" Elise muttered as she stared down at her coffee.
Izuku nods. "Y-Yeah… but I think the day I remember most, and t-the one that really drives home just how m-much the idea of strong quirks making you a-able to do no wrong c-can get in people's head… About a year ago, the s-same day as Mount Ladies debut, I was writing notes when Bakugou came for me again. He'd just found out I wanted to apply to U.A. and he wasn't happy about it… he wanted to threaten me into n-not even applying… and then he told me he had some actual advice if I wanted a quirk." He went quiet before repeating. "'Jump off the roof and pray for one in the next life.'"
Elise let out a genuinely infuriated sound. "Disgusting… And he wants to be a hero? He sounds…" she chose her word after a moment.
"Insane."
Izuku nods. "A-And it took me until I w-was able to be away from it all to r-realize that myself. I w-was actually made to think he was right because of how everyone seemed to enforce it. A-Anyways, after that, ten months later was the U.A. exam. Two students from Aldera applied for the hero course. O-Only one of us got in. A-And like I told you, I'm homeschooled…"
Elise seemed genuinely distressed. "The school allowed his entry?!" She exclaimed with shock.
Izuku nods. "We both p-passed the theoretical test… but I had no quirk to f-fight their robots for the practical portion, w-while Bakugou g-got to first place with his. I was told I did g-get some rescue points for helping a girl who g-got trapped under some rubble, b-but since I was quirkless, I was automatically ranked lower then I usually would be 'for my own safety'."
Elise stared at him for a moment.
She looked Izuku in the eyes. "Midoriya, I'd like to make another request from you."
Izuku blinks but nods. "S-Sure, what is it?"
"I'd like you to come with me when I go to UA later today."
Izuku's eyes widened. "To U.A? D-Do you need me f-for something there?"
"As a Princess- No, as a living human being, I cannot allow someone so dangerously unstable to become a hero. Therefore, when I speak to the principal, I would like you to recount your experiences to him, if Bakugou hasn't been expelled already, which would worry me even further…" She muttered the last bit with a grim tone.
Izuku stared and hesitated for a moment. In another time, he'd be on the floor, worrying his head off about whether or not he should be messing with Bakugou like this.
This wasn't that time.
"I'll d-do it."
Elise smiled at him. "Thank you, Midoriya." She let out a sigh and leaned back in her seat. "So much bureaucracy…"
"A-At least you have a cat to help you through it." Izuku jokes lightly, and Snowball nuzzles into Elise's stomach.
She giggled as she petted the cat. "You're right, very right." She looked up at Izuku. "My meeting with the Prime Minister isn't until tomorrow. Would it be possible for me to call for your help tomorrow with more questions?" She asked with an awkward smile.
Izuku nods. "T-To be honest, i'd love that. A-And… E-Elise?"
Elise looked at him. "Hmm? Yes Midoriya?"
"I k-know its most just been a p-polite dinner and conversation s-so far, but… t-thank you for being friendly. I'm n-not trying to be presumptuous about anything, i-it's just been so long since I had a friend… I a-appreciated the kind attitude."
Elise smiled softly. "You are welcome. And thank you, Midoriya, for likewise being friendly with myself. I do not get to interact with many people who are willing to speak frankly with me."
"W-Well it's better to be honest rather than deceitful, e-even if the truth isn't always nice." He hums thoughtfully as his smile turns more shy.
Elise hummed. "I mean in general. You give honest opinions in regards to my beliefs and ideas. Many people would simply say what they believe is likely to please me. It's… annoying, not what you do, what others do," she said, hastily ensuring she was clear in her meaning.
Izuku hummed quietly, nodding with a sigh. "I c-can imagine. F-Feels like you c-can never take anyone seriously because you don't think they're b-being honest?"
She nodded. "Precisely. I do not know if I can actually trust their words, or opinions." she smiled. "That is why I enjoy speaking with you. It's… liberating, beyond simply being joyful."
Izuku blushes, hunching on himself shyly as a bashful smile appears on his face, making him look just as cute if not cuter then the white kitten sat in Elise's lap. "A-Ah, t-thank you Elise. That's really good to hear."
She giggled softly, then she hummed softly as she lowered her head to look at their drinks.
A comfortable silence settled over them for a few minutes as they finished up their drinks with smiles, before Izuku hummed. "S-So um, if you don't mind me asking, is t-there anything else you're planning to do other than going to U.A. a-and meeting the prime minister?"
Elise hummed as kept her eyes on her drink for a few moments. "I had otherwise intended to spend some time relaxing, to escape the bureaucracy of my home country so I might de-stress an amount," she explained as she raised her head to reveal a sheepish smile.
"W-Well, even royalty needs a holiday." He smiles gently with a small chuckle. "F-Fortunately Japan does have a lot of nice w-ways to relax."
"Yes, I have been told. My intention was to spend a vast amount of my time at a local Onsen hotel." She sighed. "I long for the hotsprings of this country. I have heard they are divine."
Izuku blushes a little harder and hums, tapping his finger against his drink. "Well, i w-wouldn't know personally, I've never been to one."
Elise blinked. "You haven't? Well that won't do," she huffed lightly before smiling. "Would you like to come with me then? A significant portion of the hotel has been reserved entirely for myself. There will be plenty of room for a guest."
Izuku sputtered slightly, struggling with his drink before swallowing and going a little more wide eyed. "A-Are you sure? I d-don't want to to i-intrude-"
"You would do no such thing," Elise interrupted warmly, but with a firmness to her tone. "I enjoy speaking with you Midoriya, spending time with you. I'd be overjoyed if you were to join me, it would mean I have the chance to speak with you more," She explained with a happy, and hopeful smile.
Izuku blushed, but his smile grew as he put his now empty cup down. "W-Well, then how c-can I possibly say no? I'll g-gladly join you."
Elise excitedly clapped her hands. "Wonderful!" She turned to one of her guards. "Please tell the capital please that I will be joined by a guest during my stay at the hotel, ensuring everything is prepared for our arrival tomorrow."
The guard gave a nod of understanding, and turned away to make the call, while Elise turned back to Izuku with a smile. "I look forward to our time together."
"T-Thank you for letting me come with you during it." He said, still looking bashful yet very pleased. Snowball looked at him and in a rather intelligent move for a cat seemed to roll her shoulders as if laughing at him.
"Meow."
"O-Oh hush you."
Elise giggled. "Did she tease you?" She asked with amusement.
Izuku blushes and gestures to the cat. "A-Ah, Snowball's pretty intelligent for a cat. She doesn't have an intelligence quirk or anything, she just has this… humanity to her and you c-can learn to read her with time. Right now s-she's laughing at me f-for being shy." He pouts.
Elise giggled loudly. "Oh my! That is funny," she said between giggles.
"A-And now you're both teaming up on me?" He asked, but with an amused hint to his voice. Snowball seemed to lid her eyes lightly and nuzzled into Elise will letting out an almost smug sounding-
"Mrow".
Elise giggled as she reached down and patted the cat. "Oh I am so very tempted to ask the owner if I would be able to adopt this wonderful cat," she said with fondness.
"Meow." Snowball purred, suddenly jumping up onto the table, turning, patting her paws then jumping up onto Elise's shoulders and curling around her neck.
Elise blinked as this happened and she looked at the cat. "Oh my." She turned to Izuku with a confused frown. "What was that meant to mean?"
Izuku smiles gently. "I t-think it means she just adopted you E-Elise."
Elise giggled softly. "Then do you believe it would not be rude if I were to ask the owner?"
Izuku chuckled and hummed. "I'll… be r-right back."
He stood up at a general pace, walking to the counter and leaning over to the cashier, where he started trading words with them, before pointing back at Elise. The cashier's eyes lit up before they nodded and disappeared, before coming back with some paper.
Izuku smiled and took it, thanking the cashier before coming over and sitting back down, pushing the paper into Elise's view.
'Cat Adoption Form.'
Elise blinked, then looked up at Izuku with surprise. "So easily? They do not want to question me?"
"I v-vouched for you, so they're trusting my judgement." He explained simply. "S-So it's just up to you w-whether you want to sign that or not."
Elise looked down at the form again, then after a few seconds turned to Snowball. "Would you like it, Snowball?"
"Meow!" The cat purred and nuzzled into her neck rather excitedly in answer.
Elise giggled. "I will take this as a yes," she said with amusement as she looked down at the form.
She pulled out a pen from a pocket, then began the process of writing down the essentials on the document. She was well versed in signing documents, so it was no issue for her at all.
Izuku watched with a small smile as she wrote down the new home it would have, how she intended to look after it and who would be its named owner while checking the time on a clock nearby.
It was starting to get a little late. Not late late, but it was past two o' clock.
"There."
Izuku turned back and smiled. "P-Perfect, I'll go hand this in for you. It's t-two o'clock b-by the way, w-what time do you need to get to U.A at?"
Elise blinked, then gasped. "Oh dear, I need to be there at three!" She exclaimed, then turned to the guard. "Call for the car, please."
Izuku hummed and quickly went to the cashier as she did so, handing it in and smiling with the cashier, before getting confused as they looked between him and Elise before winking. Brushing it off though, he headed back to her and hummed. "S-S-Sorry if I m-made you lose track of time.."
Elise quickly shook her head. "No no, not at all. I have enjoyed speaking with you very much, and it has been informative." She cleared her throat. "Are you ready to come to UA with me, Midoriya?" She asked as she suddenly became a little more serious. A regal kind of serious.
Izuku took a deep breath before nodding. "As ready as I can be."
Elise's expression softened slightly. "All will be well, I assure you. You are my guest now. If any person attempts anything, they will feel the weight of the Empire of Soleana come upon them."
"W-Well, with all the industrial m-machines m-made there, i'd be really concerned about that weight." He jokes quietly, more to relax himself than anything.
It brought a surprised laugh from Elise before she managed to control herself to make it into a giggle.
Making him smile. "H-Hey, look at that, m-maybe if the analysis t-thing doesn't work out I c-could still work on being a court jester." He says jokingly as she stands up.
She giggled again. "I believe you would be a wonderful one if it came to be," she replied with a smile as she played along. "Now, shall we go before we are late?" She asked as she gestured to the door.
He nods. "L-Let's. You mentioned a car? I w-would of thought it would be a limousine? Or is it a c-car to avoid people realizing?"
Elise nodded. "It is an armoured civilian vehicle, much the same as I believe many presidents around the world use," she replied, before pausing to turn to the cashier and politely bowing. "I thank you for the hospitality, and I assure you I will take the greatest care of Snowball that I am capable of," she said with a warm smile as she raised her head again.
The cashier bowed as well, a tad nervous but also smiling more than when she had come in. "Thank you for your business, Princess Elise, I hope Snowball will make you as happy as you seemed to have made her!"
Elise smiled and turned to Snowball, who was still resting on her shoulders, and she reached up to pet the cat's head. "I am certain she will."
Snowball purred happily, making them all smile before nodding, Elise stepping outside to the car. The guards held the back door open for Elise, but seemed to hesitate on whether they should allow Izuku in or not.
Izuku noticed this and paused nervously before getting to the door.
Elise in turn noticed this. "Midoriya, is something wrong?" She asked with minor confusion and worry.
"N-Nothing." He quickly said, and one guard stepped up.
"Perhaps I should escort him separately for safety's sake." He suggested hesitantly, clearly cautious of the princesses reaction.
Elise didn't hesitate. "There is no need. Midoriya is my guest and friend, and he shall be trusted as such," she said with an authoritative tone and looked at the guard.
The guard nodded and backed up sheepishly as the other guards also backed up a little and let Izuku climb in beside her, putting on the seat belt and noticeably relaxing. "T-They take their jobs really seriously."
"With good reason," Elise replied. "But it is unneeded with you," she replied with a smile.
He smiled gently as the guards climbed into the car next and began driving down the streets. Izuku hummed as he looked out the window and at one point hummed. "Oh, t-that's my old school…"
Elise looked up in time to see what he was pointing at. "That was your school?" She asked with a small frown.
"Yeah, A-Aldera Middle School." He nods, sighing as he noticed the familiar uniforms hanging around in the courtyard.
Elise stared at the school as they drove past.
'That is the school that caused him so much pain…' She thought to herself.
She would make sure that school paid its just dues for its horrible behaviour.
After they passed, they soon reached the start of the hill and Izuku took a deep breath to keep himself calm, turning to Elise. "S-So, um, w-what exactly are you here to talk to U.A. about anyways, a-aside from the extra stuff you f-found today?"
Elise hummed. "I was here to make a speech on the influence Japan's heroes have on many other countries' heroes, and how their behavior once they become fully fledged heroes will set the standard for heroes all across the world, including within Soleanna."
Izuku blinked for a moment before humming. "W-Wow, I g-guess that means a l-lot of the stuff I w-was talking about w-was more relevant then I realized…"
"Quite," Elise agreed. "I hope that it will bring more weight to what this 'Bakugou' has done. Regardless, it will have an effect on our relationship with UA as an institution of heroics."
Izuku nodded quietly, as they continued to climb the hill. Eventually the car pulled up, and the doors were opened on either side, letting Elise get out on the gate side while Izuku got out in the street, before walking around to walk behind her as the guards seemed to be making them form a line formation.
"Ah, greetings Princess," a chipper voice said.
Izuku blinked and tilted his head ever so slightly to see ahead of the princess, and saw the principal of U.A. standing at the gate, his paws behind his back and a chipper smile on his face.
Elise smiled. "Hello Principal Nedzu," she greeted as she bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you in person finally."
He bows himself. "The pleasure is all mine." He rises and raises a brow as he briefly catches a glimpse of Izuku. "And it would appear, you are not alone. And I do not refer to your well-armed guards."
Elise stepped to the side and gestured to Izuku. "This is my friend, Izuku Midoriya. He is here as my guest," she explained politely.
Izuku quickly bowed, a little more awkwardly. "It's n-nice to meet you sir."
Nedzu nodded in return. "It is quite nice to meet you as well Midoriya." He then hummed and turned to Elise. "I was not expecting you to bring any further guests." It was simply a remark, there was no meaning behind it.
Elise nodded. "It wasn't planned until recently," she replied, not mentioning that 'recently' meant just an hour or so prior.
"And what has caused an alteration to your plans, may I ask?" He raised a brow, and she sighed.
"I'm sad to say, I fear it's due to discrimination and a belief U.A. has made a mistake."
Nedzu stared at her for a moment, then frowned. "That is… worrying, but I understand your Highness."
He gestured through the gate. "Let us discuss this after the speech. I do not believe this is a conversation to have outside."
Elise nodded. "Indeed, in the meantime all I ask if you remember that Midoriya is my guest and my friend, and any issues that befall him shall be treated the same as if they were to befall myself."
That was not a declaration that was made lightly, but it made the seriousness of the situation come across well to Nedzu.
The Principal bowed. "I understand your Highness."
He then guided them on campus, and towards the auditorium, the same where the hero course had their introduction into the physical entrance exam.
Izuku walked with them, all the way to the stage. He was very nearly ready to ask if he should stand in the crowd, but before he could even consider it Elise turned to him and nodded her head silently.
She wanted him to join her. With a deep breath he followed, and just quietly hoped Bakugou either wouldn't recognize him, skip the lecture or would be too concerned about the princess to react. He didn't want to deal with his old bully right now, in person.
He walked behind Elise, who was walking behind Nedzu, who was walking up to the podium at the center of the room.
He hopped up onto a chair, then looked around for a moment, at the students, and news crews that had been allowed on campus for this event.
"Greetings Students. I thank you all for coming, as asked." he said to begin with. "As you have all been made aware, we have a very special guest with us today, who wishes to send a message to you, and the rest of our country."
He gestured behind him. "Allow me to welcome Princess Elise Soleanna of the Empire of Soleanna."
The students applauded politely as Elise stepped up to the podium and nodded her head to them all. "Hello everyone."
The students all bowed, as they'd clearly been instructed to do, in their chairs before raising their heads respectfully.
Elise, taking care of Japanese custom, bowed her head in return, before raising her head again, as did everyone else, and got seated.
Seeing this, Elise continued. "I have travelled to Japan to see first hand the influence this country has upon the rest of the world, in many different forms. Your country has no greater influence than that of your heroes."
Very briefly, many eyes travelled to either the staff, or the hero course students in the front rows who immediately sat up a little straighter.
Elise focused on the hero course students for a moment, searching across them for anyone who was acting 'differently'.
She found one. A red eyes ash blond.
He was scowling, deeply, clearly furious.
And he wasn't looking at her, but behind her. At Izuku.
'That must be Bakugou,' she mused, before refocusing on her speech. "As such, as the 'number one' hero school, UA represents the peak of heroics training, a goal to reach for all hero schools, so they may train equally as competent heroes as this institution."
She looked across the rest of the students. "Of course, heroism is not all that this school excels at. Its General Education Courses, Support Courses and Business courses are likewise at the top of the respective fields. An incredible feat for a single school to accomplish."
"Which is why you hold a greater weight on your shoulders to treat everyone equally."
In the crowd, Bakugou's sneer grew ever so slightly and he rolled his eyes, before refocusing his glare right behind the princess, while the rest of the students were being good and attentive, taking in her every word.
"Do any of you know what the greatest law of the Empire of Soleanna is?" She asked suddenly as she looked around.
She was waiting for an actual answer.
Some hands raised, and picking at random she pointed at a tall girl with raven black hair. "Yes?"
"I believe it has to do with treating others the same and fairly, regardless of their quirk?"
Elise frowned, something that was very apparent to everyone.
"You are close. The law reads, 'All shall be treated equal, regardless of stature, position, and physical form'." She shook her head. "Quirks matter little in the Empire. In fact…"
She looked down, focusing on the angry ash blonde in the front. "You, do you know of my father, the late King of Soleanna?"
To her surprise, before he even answered the entire room had gone tense. While not everyone knew why, it seemed his classmates around him anticipated something very bad to happen when he spoke, and his teacher looked as though he wished he could tape his mouth shut rather than let him speak.
"How should i know about some old extra who doesn't even live around here. I don't even know who the fucking prime minister is. No one fucking cares."
His teacher promptly put his hands in his face and let out a quiet groan as his entire illusion of peace seemed to shatter.
At the same time, a deathly stillness fell over the room.
Elise stared at the boy for a moment, her expression holding only a small frown as she held the glare the boy was sending him.
She momentarily turned back to Nedzu, who looked quite ashamed.
"This is not the standard I expected of UA," she said as she turned back ahead. "Letting a bully enter a school of heroics."
Many in the room startled as this was heard. The first part they all heard, and had glared harshly at Bakugou for, but then they'd heard the second.
No one quite knew how to react. Even Nezu seemed somewhat confused, as while he had been beyond disrespectful and problematic, he hadn't seemed to be trying to bully anyone in that moment, so where had the princess drawn that conclusion from.
Only the two closest to Bakugou, a tall blue haired teen with engine legs and a red haired boy with spiky hair, heard the small angry growl of "Deku…" emanating from the blond.
Elise turned, picking up the microphone as she began to pace. "You are all wondering what I mean with this. It is simple. There is a school, local to Musutafu, called 'Aldera junior high'. I have had the fortune of speaking with a student who went to the school, who told me of what happened there, of what he experienced."
She stopped suddenly and turned, and for the first time, she let proper emotion show on her face.
She was furious. "He told me of what they did to him, day in and day out, simply because he was quirkless."
The entire room stilled, and many braced for a coming rant. Clearly, a calm speech was not what was destined for today. In his seat, Bakugou was starting to twitch.
Izuku took a deep breath, sitting back and hoping this wouldn't be too hard to get through.
But Elise had no intention of ranting. She was going to be concise and direct. "As you all likely well know, such actions are extremely frowned upon in my country, and very punishable. Imagine my disappointment to know that it is encouraged to look down upon the quirkless as subhuman." She shook her head. "It saddens me."
She turned to walk the other way across the stage. "It saddens me further to know that UA has allowed the main bully of my friend to not only enter this institution, but among the hero course."
She stopped, and turned to Izumi for a moment, staring, before smiling softly.
"I didn't want to discuss it this way, but…" She turned back to the students and cameras. "I must say it."
Her expression hardened again. "The Empire of Soleanna will not cooperate with a country that treats it's people in the form of a caste system, dependent entirely on a single human trait."
She looked down at Bakugou. "And its hero system is corrupt so long as people such as Katsuki Bakugou are allowed within."
The entire room was stunned silent at the verbal call out of a student, the room going so silent you could hear a pin drop. Several eyes swiveled to Bakugou whose eyes had shrunk to pinpricks as they twitched, and his mouth was slowly curling up in a snarl.
Elise watched him for a moment, then turned to the class at large. "I am not angry with you, only disappointed. Disappointed that you have decided that this is any way to treat another human being."
She walked up to the podium again and put the microphone back in it's stand. "Quirks are not defining qualities of a person, that is the same as saying that a person born without an arm is not human. It's silly, it's cruel, it makes you a lesser human." She said as she looked around, watching for anyone who might flinch at her words.
"I will not continue my speech further, but I would like for you all to remember." She looked directly ahead. "Be better, or you will no longer be the world's example of what to strive for, but a warning of the worst to become."
Several hung their heads in shame, others sat back with blank looks, likely those who agreed with every word said even before she spoke, some were glaring at the hero course as there were always some who would blame others.
But there was only one reaction Elise was truly concerned about, as her eyes drifted to the hero course students again.
Bakugou was fuming, so much so that there were small pops and crackles coming from his palms. His quirk, Elise surmised.
Elise saw that he wasn't moving, even despite the glare he was now actually sending at her.
So, she turned back to the room at large. "I thank you for taking the time to listen, and allow me to speak. I hope that you will take my words into consideration."
She lowered her head as she made a polite Japanese goodbye, then she turned and stepped away.
But, evidently she should've waited a moment.
"DEKU YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"
The entire room yelped, as the guards immediately turned to full alert mode, Izuku went rigid in his chair and Elise whipped around just in time to hear a loud BOOM! Fill the room.
Explosions were ripping from Bakugou's hands as he flew forward. Very briefly, she caught a glimpse of his class below, many had also activated their quirks, but unlike Bakugou who was being offensive, they had clearly been trying to contain him only to miss him due to how sudden his movements were.
And she saw immediately where he was going.
Not at her.
At Izuku.
The guards couldn't make it. The hero teachers neither.
She didn't think….
Izuku's eyes widened as he felt his entire body stiffen in the chair, watching the rapidly approaching blonde.
He knew it didn't matter if the guards made it close or not, their duty was to protect Elise and even if they tried to protect him too, Bakugou could throw them aside with ease if he truly wanted to.
For once, that wasn't even Izuku being pessimistic, sadly the power of explosions often would knock back anyone not as durable as All Might himself.
The only thing keeping him from scrambling was the fact that his only escape route lead to Elise, and he was not going to put her in harm's way, so he remained, braced for what he knew he alone could take even if it would hurt like hell.
Then suddenly….
"Iblis!"
It became very warm…
There was sudden light from Izuku's left, something that definitely wasn't one of Bakugou's explosions, and an intense wave of heat followed.
Time still seemed to be moving at a crawl as Bakugou flew at him.
And then, something red and glowing came from out of the left side of his vision with surprising speed, and impacted Bakugou, hard.
Izuku took a deep breath and quickly leaped back just in time to avoid a wild angry explosion from Bakugou, before turning to Elise in confusion.
His eyes widened with surprise.
Standing just behind and reaching over the princess, was a large creature, seemingly made of magma.
"...Woah…" He muttered quietly, before turning back to Bakugou.
He was surprised to see that Bakugou looked hurt. Not bruised, but burnt.
"Don't presume that you can attack my friend in front of me, villain," Elise's voice said.
A large hand of magma moved over Izuku, hovering over him protectively, and surprisingly didn't feel too warm.
"Is… t-this your quirk?" Izuku asked quietly, hesitantly putting a hand on the rocky face and being shocked to feel it was cool to the touch when he went to it.
Elise turned her eyes to him briefly, her expression softening for a moment, then turned her attention back to Bakugou, who was pushing himself to his feet.
"Nedzu. I expect this 'student' to suffer severe punishment for his actions. Attacking someone with their quirk is highly illegal, in all countries," She said, her voice clearly holding anger as the creature above her let our a snarl, it's other hands readying to strike, should Bakugou try to attack again.
She may be a princess, but the Empire made sure all of their royalty knew how to fight with their quirks like a hero.
"Yes, indeed. This situation has become far more grave than I would have ever predicted before today." He muttered, eyes shadowed. He gestured to a scruffy man approaching. "Aizawa is erasing Bakugou's quirk now, you may let go and we will escort him to a holding cell. Unfortunately for him, even at his age life sentences can apply."
Elise huffed. "I should expect nothing less after all of his crimes…"
A moment later, her quirk rapidly began to shrink, the magma seemingly collecting itself at the center of her back and entering her, before the magma creature was completely gone.
Izuku hesitantly backed up away from Bakugou, reaching Elise's side as the blonde was wrapped up in the scarf of the scruffy looking man, who quickly began leading the blonde away without a word at speed.
"That was…. S-Surprisingly tame."
Elise turned to him. "You would consider that tame?" She asked with light incredulousness.
"W-Well, t-there isn't a crater where his seat used to be so knowing his full power… Y-Yeah." Izuku nodded, sighing. "Plus at least he just w-went for me, at least if no o-one had managed to step in i k-know i c-could take it…"
Elise turned to him and put both hands on his cheeks very suddenly. "I do not want you to speak in such a way again, please. That you would… know you can take it…" Her expression became clearly sad, but she was trying to suppress it. "I do not like that you would know such a thing…"
Izuku winced. "I'm s-sorry Elise, i d-didn't mean to upset you. I j-just meant… I'm just g-glad no one else got hurt?" he tried to explain himself with a wince.
Elise stared at him for a moment, then let out a small sigh, but instead of saying anything, simply moved her hands to his back, and pulled him into a hug.
She may have forgotten for a moment that there was an entire room of people present, and cameras streaming the events on live TV.
Izuku however, was very aware of it and coughed awkwardly. "Uh, Princess-"
"Elise." She reminded him quietly.
"...E-Elise, the camera's are still on."
Elise paused for a moment, which stretched into a few seconds.
"...To hell with the cameras…" she mumbled quietly. "I need to be sure you're still alright…"
Izuku hesitated, then hummed and quietly raised his hands and held her back in a hug. "W-Well, t-twitters going to be having a field day." He murmured unthinkingly to himself before pulling her in a little closer.
"Twitter?" She questioned quietly.
Izuku blinked quietly. "W-Wait… You don't know what Twitter is?"
"Is it a form of social media?" She asked in return.
He nods his head quietly. "Yeah, it's one of the most… r-reactionary ones. If you want to know how people are generally reacting to any n-national or international incident, you can usually find out on here."
Elise hummed. "I see. I was discouraged from utilising social media. It was told it is… toxic."
"Then you're lucky, although I'm n-not sure how practical that is from your position. T-Then again, you seem to make it work." He hummed, now clearly just muttering out loud more than anything. "But yeah, if I had to guess, this whole day will have spawned at least three new hashtags or s-something on there."
"Perhaps you can introduce me to 'Twitter' later," she suggested with an amused tone, as the things he had said meant little to her.
"G-Good idea." Izuku chuckled quietly, letting out a small sigh. "It will certainly be something to do, a-and that way we can see how people are reacting to all of… this, as soon as possible. I'm k-kind of curious if All Might is going to have any reaction to all this happening at his old school…"
Elise hummed. "I would certainly be surprised if he has nothing to say. It would not make him look very good."
She sighed after a moment and let go of him. "Thank you, I apologise if I made you uncomfortable." She said as she smiled slightly sheepishly at him.
Izuku returned it with a shy but happy smile of his own. "N-No, it was nice. It's been a long t-time since I've f-felt that… safe, and nice with a friend." He then let his eyes drift behind her and chuckled nervously. "W-Whether the guards approve or not may be a different story t-though."
Elise turned and saw how the guards were standing close, clearly thinking about how to separate the two of them.
Normally, she'd tell them off politely.
Not today. "No." She said simply while giving them a very pointed look.
To Izuku's surprise, they all immediately backed up with sheepish, and slightly fearful looks. Izuku blinked, before looking to where Bakugou had been taken down moments before then looking back up to her.
"...W-Why do I suddenly get the feeling you're a lot stronger than your own guards?"
Elise giggled as she turned back to him and she winked. "Because I may be."
Izuku chuckled quietly. "W-Well, we should probably get away from the stage before any of the o-other students get any ideas about trying to take more photos or v-videos then they probably already have."
Elise hummed. "You may be right. Regardless, my parents will see this and…" she sighed. "They may make assumptions…" she said as she began to pull him off stage.
"A-Assumptions?" He asked as he followed her, tensing a little with concern.
He couldn't see the small blush appearing on her face. "They may assume we are… together."
Izuku's face lit up redder than the creature in her quirk had been. "You m-m-m-mean- Oh..."
"Y-Yes… Oh dear, they're going to think this is the case for certain…" She said with an embarrassed tone of her own.
"S-Suddenly very glad you d-didn't invite me to the Onsen Hotel while you were on camera." Izuku muttered quietly, his mind naturally going off on random diverging paths as it was known to do sometimes.
"I as well," she agreed, but not for the reasons he was.
Once off stage, and in a somewhat private corner, Elise let out a sigh and stopped. "This did not go nearly the direction I wished for it to go."
"I'm so-" Before he could even finish the apology, a finger was on his lips in the classic shushing motion making him blink, going cross eyed for a moment to look at it before looking back up at Elise.
"You are not at fault for this," she said firmly. "The fault lies with this country and how it behaves. You opened my eyes, that is something I will thank you for, nothing else."
Izuku blinked, before nodding. "R-Right. G-Guess I am just a little too used to a-apologizing."
Elise managed a small smile. "You do not have to do so any longer, only when you are truly in a position where you must do so." She pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment. "Now… I must have a conversation with Nedzu, and then I believe I would like to eat, and return to my home," she said with a tired voice.
"Your home?" Izuku asked quietly, a little concerned, unsure if he was misunderstanding. "D-Do you mean where you're staying here, or do you mean…"
She giggled softly. "I mean where I am staying here in Japan, yes. I am not returning to Soleanna until the week is over," she assured him with warm amusement.
He sighs in quiet relief, noticeably losing some tension. He didn't say anything, but clearly he wasn't keen for his new unexpected friend to disappear so soon.
Elise, while not adept at social interactions still, could tell this, and let out a small sigh as she raised her hand to hold his.
When he looked up at her, she smiled softly. "I will not leave this country without you Izuku, I promise." She said, using his first name for the first time.
"..." Izuku smiled a small but joyous smile as he looked back at her. "Then I'll stick by you as long as you want, Elise."
And that was how Izuku found his best friend, in a princess of all people. A princess who would stick to her promise, just as he would stick to his and as they stuck to each other.
Until one day, the assumptions of parents were no longer assumptions, but facts. Yet those were matters for another day, in the here and now, it was just Izuku and Elise, and their little cat snowball…
And they were happy.