Absolute primogeniture: "Absolute, equal, or lineal primogeniture is a form of primogeniture in which gender is irrelevant for inheritance. The oldest surviving child without regard to gender inherits the throne." -Wikipedia
Journal entry number: 42
If my story was an anime, there would probably be some montage of me exercising for almost a year. But real-life doesn't work like that. It has been a grueling and intense past few months. I built up my stamina, athleticism, and even some muscle mass. Although that was only the beginning.
I worked hard in school, pushing myself to graduate early, so I could focus on getting in. It paid off, and I had enough time to devote extra work to my plan. I was working on quirk training, as well as martial arts. I have hope, but I am not over the hill yet. I have been doing as much research into the rules as I could.
I didn't find much, but what I did find was encouraging. There wasn't anything specific about the age restriction that I could find. I'm taking it one step at a time. I still need to talk to my parents. A reference would go a long way to helping me get in. But I'm don't think we know anyone who could get me a recommendation. Anyway, that's my update for today. Bye. -Mari
The young girl finished journaling and headed off to talk to her parents. She walked over to the main room and over to her parents, who were sitting at the table. "I was wondering if I could ask you a question?" The older two looked over at their daughter and motioned for her to sit.
"What's up?" Her father asked. "I was thinking about the process of getting into UA. And I think it would help if I could get a recommendation. Do we know anyone who could do that?" Mari knew it was a shot in the dark, but it was worth trying. Her parents glanced at each other briefly. "Well, we might know someone. But it's not guaranteed."
Surprised, Mari asked. "Really? Who?" They both looked uncomfortable with the topic. "Let's wait for Shun to get home from school. She's going to want to know as well." Mari became nervous. This wasn't how she expected the conversation to go.
To keep her mind occupied, Mari decided to go on a run. She slipped into some running shoes and headed out the door. Mari wasn't paying attention to what was around her. She must have been running for at least an hour when she came to a stop in a residential area. Glancing around, she noticed that the sun was beginning to set.
"Shoot." Mari was about to pull out her phone, but she saw the house she had come to a stop in front of. It was a run-down, one-story shack. Cold washed over her like a painfully familiar ghost from the past. Mari couldn't breathe. In front of her was her old house from her past life.
It looked so run down and sad, yet not too far off from what she remembered. Mari stood there for a few minutes, not daring to go in. Memories flashed across her mind, but she stayed steady. A few minutes later, Mari pulled out her phone to call her Mother. "Hey, I got a bit lost on my run. Do you think you could pick me up?"
She got chewed out over the phone. "Do you have any idea how bad this could've ended up?" Eventually, Mari sat down on the street corner and waited. By the time Sara arrived to pick up her daughter, it was dark enough to need her headlights on. Mari hurried into the car, sitting quietly in the stationary vehicle. "How did you end up out here?"
Mari stared at her hands. "I guess my feet took me where I needed to go." The silence grew. "I realized while looking at these houses, we're very fortunate. You and dad have a business, and we have a comfortable home. And you can afford to have me trained. Other people don't have as much luck." She hummed in agreement.
Starting up the car, she replied, "You are a considerably intelligent kid. I don't think I would have realized that when I was your age." By the time they got home, it was pitch black. When they walked in, they all settled down to talk. "Your mother and I wanted to talk to you about something." They sipped on their tea as they listened.
"Shun, you decided you didn't want a recommendation to get into the business course." She nodded. "I didn't need one." They continued. "But because of your age Mari, you feel like a recommendation would be helpful." She agreed. "This might seem random, but what do you remember about the Yamato Dynasty?" They were both thoroughly confused.
Shun spoke up. "I think they are still the raining monarchs. But they don't have any political power." Mari continued. "Before quirks were discovered, they changed the rules of succession. I think it was historically male-only primogeniture. Then they changed it to absolute primogeniture for equality. Basically, males and females have an equal chance of inheritance."
Her father smiled at her. "That is exactly correct." Their mother resumed, "Well, it might surprise you. But I was a former noble." Mari was getting a headache from the conversation. "Excuse me, what?" She held up her hand to silence them.
"Let me continue. I was nowhere near the line of succession for the throne. But I decided to abdicate my title to marry your father. That's why we've never struggled financially." Shun shuffled awkwardly in her seat. "What's the point of all this?" She asked.
"I'm getting there. If you would like Mari, I could talk with my grandfather to discuss getting you a reference." The two girls sat there, shocked. "Are you serious?" The two adults looked earnest. "We wouldn't joke about this. Although, you two don't have royal status. Our lineage was removed from the line of succession. I maintained my relationships the best I could."
They sat quietly for a few more minutes. "Do you think they would even give me a recommendation? We haven't even met them." Their tea sat cold and untouched. "I think it's worth a try." Mari looked up at both of them. "Just for the record. If you guys are keeping any other secrets from us, now would be the time to tell us." Her dad laughed. "When you were a baby, I dropped you on your head." They all started laughing. That night, even though they had lied to them for years, they all grew closer together.