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SpaceIsEndless: Thank-you so much! I've always wanted to read a MidoriyaSibling! story as well as a self-insert so I thought why not give it a try myself! I was very nervous about posting this story because SI stories aren't something I've done before but your support and praise have definitely washed away my concerns! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!
8shadesofmadness: Thank-you for the support! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
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According to the Quirk Legislation Act 2063, all children who manifest a Quirk are required to attend mandatory Quirk counseling sessions for the duration of a 12 month period.
The act was written into law to ensure that freshly Quirked children did not cause any misdemeanors and accidents with their newly developed ability and to ensure safe and legal Quirk regulation; with the focus of the sessions being Quirk analysis and practical application.
From what Ichika gathered from the classroom grapevine, a session with Nakamura-sensei - their school's Quirk councillor on call - was always something to look forward to.
She lets me fly around, Tsubasa tells her one afternoon, long after Sado and Bakugou both have gone home (and the winged-boy forgets all about the latter's hostility towards her and her brother) and it's only the three of them waiting at the park. And she lets Bakugou make as many explosions as he wants as long as he knows not to make them too big! It's so cool!
Of course to the ordinary five-year-old, being allowed to play around with their Quirk would undoubtedly be the highlight of such sessions. But seeing as Ichika is unlike most kids her age, allowing her to experiment with her Quirk isn't what she was looking forward to most. If these sessions acted as the rudimentary foundation for Quirk development, then the green-haired girl was more than interested in something other than her fire.
"I apologize Midoriya-san, I don't quite follow." And quite frankly, the eldest Midoriya was not impressed with what she was hearing.
Nakamura-sensei was a lithe woman, with sharp lines accentuating her face and an aura of faux-contentment radiating off of her. Her Quirk? Equanimity; the ability to influence one's feelings of calm. For a Quirk counselor who often dealt with over-emotional kids, Ichika had to admit that the woman's Quirk was more than well-suited for her occupation - but that's beside the point.
"We talked about my Quirk, and why I have to come to these sessions," The young girl says, hands smoothing over the cover of the brochure she'd been handed moments before.
QUIRK 101, it reads; Everything you need to know about Quirks.
"You said it's so I can learn to use my Quirk safely, and so I know what to expect as someone with a Quirk."
Across from her, a perfectly shaped eyebrow lifts.
"But when will we talk about the Quirkless; those who don't have Quirks? Do they also have sessions suited for them? What do you tell Quirked children about Quirkless children?"
At that, it looks as though what she's been trying to articulate finally registers for the woman in front of her because Nakamura-sensei nods, lips curling as she hums. "That's right, the file mentions you have a brother," she says softly, almost sympathetically, the unspoken Quirkless heard loud and clear nonetheless.
Do you pity me, sensei? A part of her wants to ask, the fire she controls rising in her chest. Does having a Quirkless relation make me pitiful to you?
To contrast Nakamura-sensei's reassuring smile, Ichika presses her lips into a thin line, rightfully unimpressed and dubious as emerald meets blue. Her frown, it seems, alerts the woman in front of her of the suspicion that taints her thoughts because Nakamura-sensei straightens a little in her chair, as one would do when it becomes apparent they've underestimated the mind of the other.
(It's not the first time an adult has had to change their speech towards her, not the first time Ichika has surprised one with her introspective concerns and queries that stem from a life already lived. Still, seeing Nakamura-sensei straighten a little confirms what Ichika already knows. Whatever will be said next will definitely be said to divert her attention elsewhere. Maybe even convince her that there's nothing to worry about, too.)
"You seem like a smart child, Midoriya-san. One who I'm sure cares very much for her brother... Izuku, was it?" Nakamura-sensei says, hands folding across her lap.
"But I'll be frank with you; with Quirkless individuals making up only 20 percent of the population, with a projection of a 14 percent decline in the next decade or so; I believe there's a general consensus that there isn't really much of a need for Quirkless consultations in this day and age. What we teach Quirked children, it should be inferred that Quirkless individuals and their safety are also included on the list of those we wish to protect and maintain."
Though her words are pretty and big, Ichika thinks of Izuku's trembling lips and tearful eyes, thinks of the way he has been made to feel both ugly and small on numerous occasions by their peers and teachers alike and knows it's not Quirks that hurt people like her brother the most.
It's the alienation by their peers; the sly jeers and taunts whenever she isn't around and even the negligence of their teachers when it comes to the matter. It's the sympathetic look from passerby's that know of Izuku's Quirk status, the difference in treatment between Izuku and herself. Moreover, it's the structural abuse that Ichika was expecting someone like Nakamura-sensei (especially the Quirk councilor in front of her) to acknowledge.
Still tracing the boldened words of her brochure, Midoriya Ichika thinks a lot of things. And when Nakamura-sensei waves a hand with a tranquil smile still etched onto her face, tells her, "They're no different to us after all, Midoriya-san, so I'm sure you have nothing to worry about when it comes to your brother," - well, the only thought that comes to mind is that she should not be surprised.
Even in her second life, adults are such obvious liars.
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By the time Ichika makes it home, she figures the Quirk brochure she'd been given is already gathering dust in the bin she'd disposed of it in.
Her mother, having attended Quirk sessions herself, doesn't question the lack of resources Ichika is meant to be digging out of her bag when she steps into the house. And Ichika doesn't offer an explanation. Instead, she lets herself fall into the circle of her mother's arms, near sighing as her mother's lips press against her mane of dark pine hair.
Izuku, who'd been waiting excitedly for her to finish to ask all about her Quirk session, appears to have fallen asleep on the couch in his endeavor and while the sight of him does help to lighten her mood, it also reminds her of the disappointing discussion she'd had with Nakamura-sensei.
"How was it?" Inko decides to gamble, after a moment or two. "Did you learn anything new?"
Ichika's eyes sweep over her brother's sleeping face (almost as though she's thinking of a solution to whatever problem she's dealing with; which, knowing her daughter, has probably been figured out long before she stepped through the doors) for a brief moment before she shakes her head.
"Not really," her daughter admits, nose twitching as if she's smelled something horrid. "Just that we have only ourselves to look after each other," she says, looking away from Izuku to meet her gaze with her own.
As emerald meets green, Inko barely has time to suppress a shiver in the face of her oldest child, already believing the chaos and anarchy her daughter's eyes promise.
In the quiet of their living room, with the only other sound being Izuku's soft snores behind them, Midoriya Ichika asks her mother a favor for the first time ever. And considering Ichika's never asked her for anything for herself (and does this even count? The young mother wonders), Inko finds herself agreeing.
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One week later, a wide-eyed Izuku and pleased Ichika are enrolled in Shizuoka's only Quirkless-owned and operated Dojo.
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Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think!