Chapter 16: The Talk
Name: Luna
Quirk: Bast – She can assume the abilities of any cat, from regular housecats and lions to hybrids such as ligers and tigons. Her quirk is named after Bast, the Egyptian goddess of cats.
Appearance: Though usually taking on appearances of the cats' abilities, her usual look has been compared as eerily similar to a character of the anime RWBY known as Blake, however she has a tail, and they are complete opposites in terms of personality and choice of dress. She's 14.
Warning: Language and Adult Themes
Specific Warnings: Mental Health Problems, Child Abuse
Luna awoke somewhere completely different than before, now very uncomfortable. When she tried to move, she found herself completely bound to a chair, almost completely immobile. When she tried to open her eyes, it felt like someone tied dumbbells to them, and after what felt like an eternity of struggling, she managed to crack them open, only to find a bare room, swathed in darkness.
Despite the lack of light, Luna saw the room as if there was light on, a perk of being half-cat. Her nose, however, was her best friend in this space. Or, maybe not, as Luna came to find out. The room smelled musty and old, obviously not well maintained. However, those scents were almost entirely smothered by the smell of something metallic and something acidic. Luna frowned, concentrating on what they could be. She should have been able to guess it instantly, but, this time, her brain worked at the speed of a snail crawling through jelly.
And then, it hit her; the smells were of blood and puke, and it wasn't all recent, either. A plethora of different smelling blood assaulted Luna's nose, making her crinkle it with distaste. Obviously, this was some sort of torture room. Luna tried activating her Quirk, but she couldn't do anything; it's like she never had one in the first place. Even Bast's presence wasn't felt, her mind now strangely empty without the deity's aura.
And then, all of her senses took a nosedive into terrible. Her throat instantly felt parched, as if she had been travelling through a desert for days. Her stomach was painfully empty, quietly mewling for Luna to feed it. Her body felt bruised and broken, heavy and limp. However, she felt a peculiar sensation in her body, in her veins, in her blood. She felt … different. Luna couldn't tell if it was good or bad, but she felt sluggish because of it. Luna reasoned it must have been some Quirk suppressant medication, thus explaining her inability to conjure it forth.
Suddenly, Luna heard footsteps approaching. They were slow, calm, almost methodical in their rhythm, neither in a hurry nor dragging along the floor. The door was unlocked and pushed open, and a towering figure stepped inside, not bothering to close the door or turn on the lights. Even with her enhanced senses, Luna couldn't make out much regarding the figure. He seemed to be hidden by some baggy clothing, a hood obscuring the figure's face. Despite that, she managed to perceive brilliant white canines from within the hood, pulled back into a humorless smile.
"So, you've awoken, huh?" The rich, baritone voice sounded, almost musical to Luna's ears. But instead of enjoying it, Luna's body began to shiver in fear. Despite Luna's confusion, her mind refused to answer, instead wailing like a kitten faced by a hungry wolf.
"Who are you?" Luna's cracked and broken voice pleaded, but the figure merely shook his head, tutting quietly.
"I am the one who asks the questions here, little cat." He slowly approached, almost seeming bored, and Luna began to shake even more, until it was like she was a lone leaf being blown by harsh autumn winds.
The figure clasped its hands behind its back, and bent over slightly, making itself stand face-to-face with Luna. Scarlet eyes searched the very depths of Luna's soul, burning with a terrible hatred and rage, but also with a hint of curiosity and amusement.
"So, you're the last one? Disappointing, really. Osiris gave me a harder time, and he refused to even take a host. He worried, though I can't imagine why." Luna didn't answer, instead having been frozen in fear. The voice … it sounded so familiar, and yet, so foreign to her at the same time. "He warned me of the monster I could unleash. The deity that fought Apophis to a standstill while my pathetic excuse of a father relaxed in his comfortable boat. Tell me, did Bast ever resent him? Forcing his own daughter to fight his battles, watching as she sustained wound after agonizing wound, yet did nothing to aid her? Did he ever cry out in fear or panic as he saw Apophis sink his fangs into her, causing the poison to spread through her body like a wildfire? Was he ever concerned when she could no longer fight, her body limp and broken, only to see his grandson Anubis take her place?"
"R-Ra is incapacitated d-during-g his v-voyage through the u-underworld." Luna said, the fear scent from her palpable and thick. "B-Bast never b-b-blamed her father f-for it."
The unknown man hummed, seemingly lost in his thoughts. He straightened back up, zoned out. His eyes flicked back and forth almost as if his thoughts were floating upon an invisible papyrus scroll in front of him. He finally sighed, pulling out his clawed hands to rub his eyes. Wait, clawed hands?
"Quite unfortunate. I hoped she would see the blatant favoritism he held for Osiris, his perfect child, while he cast his other children aside like useless nothings." The figure snarled quietly.
Despite her fear, Luna bristled slightly. "B-Bast wasn't cast as-aside. S-She was loved by him, as w-were you."
The figure froze, the idle tapping of his clawed finger finally still.
"I suppose you would know about paternal love, speaking from experience?" The voice was now a dangerous calm, and instantly, Luna knew she was in massive trouble. She gulped, observing the figure with terrified eyes. Yet, even with her enhanced senses, Luna didn't even see the blow that sent her chair flying against the wall, causing it to splinter and shatter.
Luna tried to rise, only to have what felt like all her ribs shatter in one kick, causing her to choke on bile and scream as the pain erupted and spread. She was picked up by the throat and slammed into the wall, struggling feebly against the hand that held her. The red eyes were now aflame with a bitterness and agitation that would have terrified the Devil himself. The hand began to squeeze, sinking his claws deeper and deeper into her throat. Luna tried to scream, to cry, but the only thing she felt was the air squeezed out of her, her puke and blood bubbling and beginning to cascade from her mouth as she felt the fragments of her ribs puncture her lungs.
"Look me in the eyes. I want to see the life fade away from them, the realization that your boy toy and adoptive family won't, in fact, gallop in here on magnificent white steeds in shining armor. I want to see the realization that you were nothing to them appear in your orbs, sending those sweet little tears down your cheeks. I want you to suffer like I have suffered, agonize and wallow in pain and sadness as my father made me. When I was first conceived, I had no time to love my father, as he plucked me from my crib and dumped be deep in a Saharan sandstorm. My experiences were well known among my fellow gods, and yet, for some reason, they seemed so eager to paint me as the villain. The only one that even partially understood me was Sobek, but the fool tried so hard to be accepted, only to be shunned for his natural instincts. He should have …" the man's, no, creature's voice faded, his mouth opening and closing, yet Luna heard nothing but a faint buzzing. The thing's deranged monologue greatly confused Luna, but she only partially registered it, every neuron screaming from the amount of pain she felt.
Luna's arms dropped at her side, her eyes beginning to flutter. She felt so tired. Everything hurt. Perhaps a quick nap would solve her issues. And yet, something begged her not to. A feminine voice, also frustratingly familiar, shouted and yelled and begged Luna not to. But why ever not? Why should she continue to endure this? Finally, Luna's eyes closed, and she felt herself drop. And then … nothing.
Luna awoke with a scream tearing its way out of her lips, eyes panicked and wide in fear. She felt herself be surrounded by a figurative blanket of safety, of calm, and yet, Luna couldn't shake the feeling of the hand on her throat, her lungs torn apart by the shrapnel created from her broken ribs. Luna shoved her face deep into her blankets and began to take shuddering sobs, unable to get those malevolent, scarlet eyes from her mind. She felt them searing their way through her brain, not letting Luna get over the scene she just witnessed.
Shhhh. It's okay. It was just a bad dream. You're safe, kitten. Nothing can or will hurt you. Bast cooed, trying to get Luna to finally relax.
This was the fifth time Luna had woken up that night, her nightmares constant and without respite. Bast could only do so much, comforting the girl when she woke. Unfortunately, Bast couldn't do anything about the nightmares, as Luna's body was asleep, when Bast required it to be awake to do anything.
The door slammed open, Aizawa's tired eyes scanning the room, only to find a frightened Luna flattened against the wall farthest from the door, her hair fluffed up in an effort to seem bigger and scarier. He sighed before sitting on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to him to tell Luna to sit near him.
Luna peeled herself from the wall, carefully sitting next to Aizawa. The two sat there for a few moments, both silent before Aizawa carefully draped an arm around the trembling girl's shoulder. Luna leaned into the man, snuggling against his surprising warmth in an effort to drive those terrifying orbs of hatred from her mind.
"I'm sorry for waking you." Luna whispered, smelling the heavy sleep-scent on the man.
"It's fine. I needed to get up in a couple minutes anyways." Came the soft-spoken reply, yet Luna merely sighed. She knew better than most of how much the man needed his sleep, and yet, here she was, taking it from him. "Another nightmare?"
Luna bobbed her head, not wanting to talk about it. Not because of how much it scared her (though it did. A lot). No, this one felt so much more … real. And disconnected. The others consisted of the people Luna valued gunned down or tortured right in front of her, and yet … What did that man have to do with anything? That was the first time she ever saw him or smelled him for that matter. And the familiarity she sensed from him was … disconcerting, to say the least.
"I … I can't get the idea out of my head. The idea of you or Ichika or my classmates tortured and killed because of me." Luna confessed. "Whenever I close my eyes, my head just …"
Aizawa squeezed her shoulder gently, taking care not to put too much pressure too close to her wound. And Luna's tension vanished, making the girl sink into his warm embrace even more. He understood. He didn't expect Luna to explain it. The simple gesture expressed so many things, which Luna would be forever grateful for. Despite loving Ichika dearly, Luna just … clicked with Aizawa more. The quiet man didn't say anything more than he had to, hated loud noises, and hated being social.
"Want coffee? Decaf of course." he finally asked, and instead of refusing, Luna just nodded wearily, following him downstairs. She only now noticed she was in her pajamas, and absently hoped that it wasn't Aizawa's doing. She clearly remembered collapsing in bed with her clothes on.
She sat down in the kitchen, her head propped up by an arm as Aizawa poured the two of them two cups of coffee, handing one to Luna before sitting down in front of her, studying her. Luna fiddled with the cup before hesitantly taking a sip. She tasted no caffeine in it, almost pure liquid hazelnut than anything, really.
Luna had informed Aizawa and Ichika of her dietary restrictions, with caffeine, dairy, sodium, and sugar being the four most pressing things. Food items like poutine were okay if given rarely, and Ichika and Aizawa were surprisingly quick to accommodate the girl and her needs.
So Luna wasn't worried by the taste at all, recognizing the sugar-free sweetener and decaffeinated coffee wouldn't harm her in any way. Unfortunately, Luna was indeed lactose-intolerant, one of the few curses of being part cat. Instead, Luna took quick but frequent sips from her warm mug, relishing in the coffee's warmth. Aizawa, in contrast, took infrequent but large gulps, finishing before Luna was even halfway through hers, despite them drinking from the same type of mug.
Ichika soon wandered into the kitchen, pouring herself a cup, and sitting down at the table wordlessly. Though she arrived late, she had sprung from her bed in a panic when she heard Luna screaming herself awake from her nightmares. The three sat in somber silence, not wanting to discuss the topic. Instead, they just watched the sun rise through the window, watching it cast everything aflame in yellow light.
Suddenly, Aizawa got up and grabbed the three empty mugs, placing them in the dishwasher before plopping himself on the couch, with Ichika and Luna trailing him like two chicks following their mother hen.
"Luna, have you ever watched Harry Potter?" asked Ichika without warning, causing the girl to send an arched eyebrow her way.
"I've heard of it, but … no, I never read it nor watched it." Luna said, growing slightly nervous as Ichika began to brighten considerably.
"Well, let's put it on!"
And so, the three spent most of the morning watching the first three movies, which Luna wholeheartedly watched. Even when her two guardians fell asleep, cuddling, Luna sat, watching and turning on the next when the previous finished. She wholeheartedly liked it so far; the characters were enjoyable, though she liked Hermoine the most. The dedication the girl went through to catch up with almost everyone else was astounding, soaking everything up like a wet sponge. She didn't like Ron that much, considering him too loud and emotional.
Suddenly, her ear rotated, hearing the ringtone on her phone go off. She scrambled upstairs, barely managing to pick up the call, though she didn't really get to see who it was. She looked it over for a second, seeing it was Todoroki who called.
"Hey, Shoto." Luna said, smiling slightly.
"Hello. So, I was wondering … when would be a good time to meet up?" Shoto asked, and Luna sighed, remembering the rules set in place for her.
"Well, um, I would have to ask Aizawa-sensei, but … I can't leave the house right now."
"Why not?"
Because that would only lead to you being hurt because of me. Because the people who are targeting me would also target you. Because I don't want to see you hurt.
Luna bit her lip apprehensively, not exactly sure how to communicate her mind's thoughts to the boy.
"Luna? You there?"
"I, uh, yeah! Sorry. Um, well, you see …"
And Luna described what happened the other day at Yaoyorozu's mansion. Todoroki thankfully didn't interrupt, listening with what Luna hoped was with rapt attention. When she finished, Todoroki didn't speak.
"Shoto?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I am." Luna's voice wavered ever so slightly, and she was sure he heard it too.
"So, I'm assuming you're not being allowed to leave anywhere alone, then?" He didn't address the waver, thank the gods.
"Pretty much."
"How about if I visit? I can, can't I?"
"Yes, Aizawa-sensei said people could still visit. I need to ask first. Don't hang up, please."
"All right."
Luna hesitantly moved downstairs, not wanting to wake her guardians. Instead, she found Ichika in the kitchen, humming a tune as she prepared something.
"Ichika?" Luna asked, and Ichika turned to look at her, setting the knife and bell pepper aside.
"Yes dear?"
"I was wondering. Could … Could Todoroki-kun come over today?"
"Absolutely! Invite him over to lunch in an hour."
"Thank you."
With a smile, Ichika went back to the bell pepper, continuing to hum the pleasant little tune.
"Shoto?"
"Yes?"
"Could you come over within an hour?"
"Yeah, should be possible. See you."
"Bye." Luna said, and the call was ended.
Luna practically collapsed into the dining room chair, feeling both apprehensive and excited about what was to come.
Oh, this is so exciting! Your boyfriend is coming over! Bast squealed.
He's not my … Sigh Whatever. I have a feeling that you won't call him anything else.
Nope!
Look, just … If the need arises, don't embarrass me. Please?
Cross my heart and hope to die, kitten! I wouldn't ruin something so special!
Luna merely sighed, finally going upstairs to make herself presentable. Her bandage needed to be changed. Actually, it should have been changed when she woke up, but Luna was a bit preoccupied at that moment. Luna frowned, looking at the faint dark rings beginning to appear around her eyes. Nothing she could do about that. Well, technically she could, but Luna didn't want to have to put on more makeup. To her, it just felt like applying a layer of clay.
And so, that hour flew by in what both felt like a second and an eternity, with Luna nervously awaiting Todoroki's arrival. She fidgeted in her seat on the couch, picking at her favorite purple skirt, pulling it taught before smoothing it out.
Luna growled, annoyed that she was so worked up over a visit.
Come now, kitten! You'll rip your skirt at that rate! Unless, of course, that's what you want? Bast asked suggestively. Luna could imagine the deity waggling her eyebrows, eyes shining with mirth.
You're disgusting.
Hey! That's mean!
Luna didn't answer, frowning.
I didn't actually offend you, did I?
I … I don't want to known as the girl that wormed her way into his pants. I don't … I can't …
You want to be known as the girl he really likes, huh? Not just a fling?
Luna visibly flinched, prompting a cursory glance from Ichika before realizing that a conversation was going on between herself and Bast.
What he said in that room hurt. It still hurts. A part of my mind thinks that he's coming here to just set me up and toss me aside once he's done with me. I … I don't want to be told that I mean nothing to him.
Oh, kitten. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that your conversation was still such a sore subject. Tell you what, I'll avoid implying those type of things.
You will?
Won't stop me from teasing you about your crush.
Luna's frown lifted into a small smile.
Thanks, Bast.
The doorbell rang and Luna looked at the time. It was exactly an hour from her conversation with Todoroki. Aizawa grunted, standing up from the couch and opening the door. Luna peered past him to find Todoroki dressed up. Nothing too fancy, but it wasn't exactly casual, either.
"Todoroki."
"Aizawa-sensei. How are you?"
"Fine. Come on in."
Todoroki stepped through, accepting the guest slippers given to him, and made his way to the living room, giving the place a curious inspection. Until his eyes met Luna's. He coughed into his fist awkwardly and sat down on the other end of the couch from where Luna sat.
"What's with the awkward mood? Time to eat, people!" Ichika practically shoved everyone into the dining room, where four plates of Cold Plates sat. Cold Plates was another Canadian dish, though it was most prevalent in Newfoundland. It technically counted as both a formal and informal meal, being given at both weddings and fundraisers. The dish itself consisted of several different foods, including turkey breast, ham, roast beef, pasta salad, potato salad, a bread roll, and coleslaw.
The four sat down and began to eat wordlessly, as if in an unspoken agreement to eat first before talking. The food was delicious, like always, and Luna smiled a bit when she saw that Todoroki was eating it with almost the same gusto as her homeroom teacher was. When they finished, the four sat in content silence before Ichika grabbed the four dishes, going into the kitchen and grabbing dessert.
Ichika practically skipped into the room in excitement, holding what was revealed to be a flapper pie. Flapper pies were native to the middle of Canada, specifically from the regions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. It consisted of a graham cracker crust layered with creamy custard filling, topped off with a very fluffy meringue. Without sugar, of course. Ichika would later reveal that she used a sugar-free replacement called Monk fruit sweetener. She gave everyone a large slice, and the four devoured it, none more pleased than Ichika that her new plates were a success.
"Thank you for the meal. It was delicious." Todoroki finally said, and Ichika waved him off.
"No, thank you! I was waiting for the opportunity to whip the flapper pie out, and you gave me one! Really, it was no problem!" Ichika said, her voice all bubbly and happy.
"Ichika. I need to talk to you." Aizawa said gruffly, taking his wife by the arm and dragging her away, while she squawked in indignation.
That left just Todoroki and Luna at the table, both uncomfortable with the prospect of being alone. Wordlessly, Luna got up and motioned for Todoroki to follow. She went upstairs and heard the soft footsteps of Todoroki as he followed, before entering her bedroom and sitting down on it. She patted the spot on her left and Todoroki sat down quietly, not uttering a single word.
"So, uh, how would you like to start?" Luna asked, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. She side-eyed Todoroki, who was currently side-eyeing her as well. Her cheeks flushed slightly before turning to face him, as he did the same.
"Do you have any siblings?" he asked suddenly.
"No, I'm an only child. What about you?"
"I have … had three older siblings. Now there's just two. Fuyumi's my older sister; she currently works as a teacher. Natsuo's my older brother; he's in college right now, studying to get a degree in medical welfare. And then there's me."
"And then there's you." agreed Luna. They sat silent once again before Todoroki slammed her with a heavy question, one that Luna normally would have ignored if it had been anyone but Todoroki.
"What are your parents like?"
Luna swallowed thickly, wondering why her throat got so dry all of a sudden.
"My mom was nice. I apparently look a lot like her … I think."
"You think?"
"She … left me and dad four years ago. I don't remember that time well. Some psychologists said that's normal, just the brain trying to stop the flow of traumatic events, or something like that. She didn't even say goodbye though." Luna whispered.
Heavy silence filled the room, with Todoroki shifting uncomfortably while Luna sat unmoving.
"Dad … Dad was once good. When Mom was still around. He hated heroes, sure, but … he treated me well. Doted on me. Brought presents from his business trips. But when Mom left … he sort of broke down. He turned to alcohol and made us move here. I managed to get him off of the stuff, but … he's changed. For the worse."
Todoroki sighed through his nose before speaking. "Mom … Mom was nice. She understood me, protected me from my old man. But then, she … lost it. I walked into the kitchen one night, wanting a glass of water, and heard her speaking on the phone. I think it was with her mother." Todoroki paused, touching his burn scar.
"What happened?" Luna asked, though she had a feeling she knew,
"In my memories, my mother was always crying. She was crying that night, too. When she saw me, she looked insane. 'Your left side is unsightly,' my mother said as she poured boiling water on me."
Luna didn't try to console him, which Todoroki was thankful for. When he looked over at her, he expected pity. He expected Luna to try to pretend she cared, like many others did. Instead, she had tears in her eyes. She didn't judge him. She didn't pity him. She was sad that he had to go through it.
"After that, she was institutionalized. And my old man got his filthy hands on me. And he forced me to train. Train everyday until U.A." Luna read between the lines and understood of what else had happened to the boy. When they looked each other in the eyes, Luna saw how vulnerable he looked. How fragile. Like a glass rose, it seemed like Todoroki would shatter with the slightest touch.
Despite them both sitting there, they both understood they weren't ready to discuss everything with each other. They wanted to, truly, but … their pain is not something so easily spoken about. Though they trusted each other, they were both hesitant to go all the way, a part of them worried that the other would go around and indiscriminately blabber about what they heard. So they didn't go farther than that. Instead, they decided to build upon each other's trust, so that, one day, they could speak of their pain.
"What's your favorite color?" Luna asked, and Todoroki had to do a doubletake to make sure he heard correctly. When he did, he understood. A terrible icebreaker it may be, but it was a start.
"Light blue. You?"
"Purple. What do you like to do?"
"Rest. Read. Meditate on occasion. What are your hobbies?"
"Reading. But mostly designing." Luna gestured to the drawings tacked onto a board, and Todoroki stood up and looked them over. "I know it's not anything great, but … I thought, if this doesn't work out … maybe I could go into home design? Or something like that." Luna rubbed her arms self-consciously, but Todoroki didn't even address the doubt that was in her voice.
"These are great."
"Eh?" Luna was stunned. Sure, Bast and Ichika said they were, but Luna just assumed that they said it to not hurt her feelings.
"Seriously. They're really good." Luna felt her face warm up at the compliment. Todoroki sat back down on her bed, and they both locked their eyes on one another. Luna squirmed, not used to the warmth that appeared in her stomach and spread along her body. She felt incredibly hot, and yet, it was clear that the room was fine.
Is this what it feels like to like someone? Luna thought, but no response came. Clearly, Bast wanted to give the two as much privacy as possible.
"Shoto?"
"Yes?"
"Can I … Could I ask …" Luna trailed off, not knowing how to ask the question. It was a very insensitive question to ask someone, and she really didn't want to seem like she was prying.
"Luna. Just ask the question. You let me ask what I wanted at the sports festival; it would be hypocritical of me to refuse you the same kindness."
"Oh, um, could I ask … what happened to your … third sibling?"
Todoroki sat quietly, giving Luna a strange look. She gulped, thinking she went too far, but to her surprise, he answered.
"Toya was my eldest brother. He was the one that my old man first tried to train, but, unlike me, he took it to heart. He tried his best to be the strongest, yet he could never truly get approval from that bastard. When the old man began to train me instead of him, he still tried to show that he was powerful, but my old man ignored him. Toya became obsessed, focusing on his desire to be strong so much that he often burned himself from his fire. One night … one night, there was a massive fire. All of us except Toya made it out, but, when my old man went back for him, he … he found nothing."
Todoroki clenched his hands into fists, to the point where they became white and shook from strain. His eyes grew stormy and fierce, betraying some of the inner turmoil inside of him.
"Yet another reason why that man … no, monster … is scum. He destroyed the family my mother sought to preserve. He made my mother go insane. He hurt me and my siblings. He … Because of his idiotic selfishness and ego, he led to … Toya died because the moron didn't pay attention to his child that he raised to depend on him alone." Todoroki hissed, and Luna saw his breaths began to come out in small puffs of cold air, his arm beginning to crystalize and frost over. It all melted, however, when he felt a small hand latch onto his arm, turning his attention away from his anger.
Luna didn't know what to say or do. She didn't know how to console him, how to validate his beliefs. He lived through something much worse than she did, and as such, she had no idea on how to comfort him with words, so she conveyed her feelings with actions. The boy would undoubtedly be uncomfortable with hugs, so … this would do. For now.
She saw his body ease itself of its tension, finally releasing his clenched fists and sighing tiredly.
"Luna, I'm … I'm just tired. So tired of feeling angry and bitter all the time. How … how do you deal with these … emotions?" Todoroki asked, though it sounded more as if he was pleading for an answer.
Luna kept her hand on his arm, not letting go. "Shoto, I'll be honest … Even two years ago, I was so like you it's scary." Todoroki looked at her, now curious. "I was so angry and scared and alone … I didn't know what to do. 'Should I run? Tell someone? But would they really believe me over him? What would he do when we got back? Would it even be worth it in the end? Where would I go? What if my foster parents were worse?' … These questions would run through my head every day. I so desperately sought something that would help, and truthfully? I still get like that sometimes. Sometimes, my emotions are so rampant and chaotic and wild that I succumb to them, almost like a sailor dragged down to the depths of the sea in a massive storm." Luna paused for a moment, letting Todoroki catch up. "But then, I remember my friends. Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Midoriya, Bakugo … you."
Todoroki blinked at her, surprised by the statement.
"All of you are the reason I'm able to bottle it up and throw it into the ocean. Even if I can't keep it together for myself, I keep it together for them. Because all of you chose to accept me, the least I could do is try to act normal. I won't lie, there are days when it's hard to act normal, to be happy or content. But being around you, my friends … it lets me drain all my negative emotions away."
Todoroki sat silent for a few moments, thinking. Luna slipped her hand off his arm, though she didn't really want to. Her entire hand was tingly and warm, and Luna scowled at it, feeling betrayed by her body.
Stupid teenage hormones making my body act stupidly.
"I … I think I get what you mean." Luna looked back up at the boy, who was now intently looking at her. "When I'm talking to you, or even just near you … everything seems like it'll be okay."
Luna blinked, surprised, before her brain and heart caught up with what he said. While her thoughts came to a screeching halt, her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. Luna swore her breathing became erratic, and she swallowed dryly at his confession.
Did he really mean that?
"But … could you help?" Todoroki continued.
"With what?"
"Making friends. Um, I know that a lot of the class probably doesn't like me all that much, besides you and maybe Yaoyorozu."
"That's not entirely true. I'm sure Midoriya would be willing, and if he's willing, then Uraraka and Iida would be, too. And that would somehow extend to everyone. Maybe even Bakugo."
Todoroki smirked slightly at the thought. "Really? Even Bakugo?"
Luna shrugged with a small smirk of her own. "I don't know. I think it's too early to count out the influence of Kirishima. They seem to have become friends, along with Mina and Kaminari."
Silence once again blanketed the room, but this time, it was a comfortable silence. The two looked at each other and tentatively smiled at each other, finally feeling like they were getting somewhere.
"What's your sister like? I know you said she was a teacher, but could you describe her?" Luna finally asked, and their conversation took on a more lighthearted tone. Todoroki would speak about his siblings and the shenanigans they managed to get themselves into. Luna laughed especially hard when Todoroki described how Natsuo and he once confronted Fuyumi on her questionable manga collection, which they found hidden behind her regular books. To say that she was red in the face and stuttering like mad was an understatement.
Whenever things took a turn for the worse, Luna gently altered the path of their conversation, which didn't go unnoticed by Todoroki. He didn't comment, but, for the first time (probably ever), he found himself willing to talk about his personal life. Maybe it was the fact that Luna never really interrupted. Or maybe it was the fact that she didn't judge him? Either way, to say that Todoroki was relieved would be heavily underplaying the fact.
Then, Luna and Todoroki swapped roles, with Luna speaking about her early childhood, one that was still untainted. She spoke about her cat that she had, Princess. At the name, Todoroki snorted in amusement, which led him to get quite the earful from Luna.
"Look, I was like three when I named her, okay? I was in the Disney princess phase back then." Luna defended.
"Okay, but couldn't you have named your cat after a specific one instead of naming her Princess? That's like you saying your old bedroom was drowned in pink."
Luna blushed slightly and looked at the floor, prompting a fit of poorly restrained laughs.
"Oh my god, your room was actually all pink?"
"Hey! Not entirely!"
"Oh yeah? What other colors were in there?"
Luna opened her mouth to retort, only for her to close it with an audible clop!
Todoroki smirked triumphantly. "Well, my point remains proven."
"Psh. I'm sure you went through a robots phase once."
This time, it was Todoroki's turn to color in embarrassment.
"Oh, yes! What was it? Hmm? Transformers? Gundam?"
"I … I still like big robots." Todoroki admitted quietly.
"There. You can't just go on bashing me for my girly stereotypes from a decade before when you haven't even gotten over yours yet."
"You better not tell anyone about this." Todoroki warned.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'll get you a nice, bright Optimus Prime action figure for your birthday."
"Don't you dare. They'll never find your body."
The last statement caused a fit of giggles to erupt from Luna, which prompted Todoroki to begin to laugh as well, which only made Luna … well, you get the picture. Five minutes later, the two teenagers were gasping for air, breathless from laughing. Occasionally, one would look at the other and cause a small wave of mirth to emerge from their mouths, but they soon stopped.
"Shoto?" The boy hummed in response. "When is your birthday?"
He groaned. "Don't tell me you're actually planning on getting me one of those stupid figures."
"No, just curious."
"January 11. When's yours?"
"November 13."
"I thought you were going to say October 31 for a minute."
Luna snorted. "Imagine that. A cat girl with black hair and amber eyes, with a stereotypical cat name born on Halloween, on the day known for their black cats."
The two once again fell into a pleasant silence before Todoroki spoke once again.
"Luna?"
"Yes, Shoto?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For …" Todoroki waved his hand around the room. "For this. It's been so long since I've genuinely been happy or laughed at something. It's been too long."
Luna gave Todoroki her signature small smile, which made his heart do a cartwheel or two.
"It's no problem, really. Everyone needs a good laugh now and again."
Luna only now realized how close she was actually sitting to Todoroki. Over the course of their conversation, the two shuffled slightly in each other's direction, and now their legs were pressed against each other's. The warmth they felt from the other was incredibly comforting and pleasant, almost intoxicating. It seemed like Todoroki too just realized their proximity, and when their gazes met, they froze.
In each other's eyes, the two saw a swirl of emotions. They saw happiness, sadness, mirth, joy. But most important of all of them, longing. Though they themselves knew not what they longed for, their souls called out to the other's, wanting something.
That was, until Ichika barged into the room, grinning cheekily.
The two teenagers leapt apart from each other, startled by the sudden intrusion.
"Oh, my, I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Ichika said suggestively. Todoroki merely tilted his head, confused, while Luna turned bright red.
"Ichika!" hissed Luna, now thoroughly embarrassed by what the woman was insinuating.
"Interrupt what?" Todoroki asked, still confused. Ichika and Luna exchanged glances, leading to a rapid conversation communicated without words.
I'm going to tell him. Ichika's eyes warned.
Don't you dare! Luna practically shouted.
"Well, you see, when I asked, 'I didn't interrupt anything, did I?' I meant-"
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"
The two females exchanged glares before Ichika was the first to break her gaze away.
"Todoroki-kun, your father called." Ichika said.
Luna felt the boy stiffen near her, and she snaked her arm to his back, without alerting Ichika. Todoroki relaxed slightly from Luna's touch, though he was by no means relaxed.
"What did he want?" asked Todoroki.
"He wanted to know when you'll return. He said you didn't inform him when you left home yesterday."
Luna pursed her lips, now staring at Todoroki. Did that mean he didn't return home yesterday, from wherever he went to? But where did he sleep?
"Tell him … I'll be back before dinner." Finally came the reply.
"Well then, I'm sure Azi can drop you off so you're not late. It's almost dark."
The two teenagers looked at the clock in Luna's room in alarm, noticing it was indeed almost seven in the evening.
Todoroki stood, making his way to the door, with Ichika leading and Luna following behind. When he exited the door, Todoroki turned to look at Luna over his shoulder.
"Thank you. For today. I really needed it." He said, his eyes focused solely on Luna.
The fact didn't go unnoticed by Luna's two guardians, who shared a look before Aizawa exited the house, keys in hand.
"No thank you required, Shoto. I needed this too." Luna smiled and his face seemed to turn a bit pink before he nodded and entered Aizawa's black Lexus IS 300h.
Luna waved until the car turned the corner, causing Luna to watch even after the sound of Aizawa's car was lost in a sea of other cars driving the streets. Luna felt a bit sad when he left, but she entered the house regardless, sitting with Ichika, who began to mend one of Aizawa's torn shirts and hum the main theme of Harry Potter.
"So, how did your conversation go?" Ichika asked, her eyes glued to the black shirt she held in her hands.
"It was nice. We talked about our families, mostly about his two siblings. They seem nice."
"Any chance you could meet them?" Luna sent a sharp glare at Ichika, but there was no suggestive undertone to it, just genuine curiosity.
"Even if I could, I don't want them to be targeted just because I met them. I'll probably wait until this whole thing blows over."
"I'm sure you'll be fine. If Todoroki's siblings are anything like him, you have nothing to worry about."
"Ichika …" Luna warned, not wanting to discuss it. "I'll go when it's safe, both for them and for me."
Ichika huffed, though she didn't sound annoyed. "Fine, fine. You're probably right, anyways."
"What did Aizawa-sensei want to talk about, anyways?"
To Luna's surprise, Ichika blushed profusely. "Nothing!" she squeaked, and, this time, it was Luna's turn to tease.
"Oh, my, nothing naughty I presume."
"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?" Ichika said, making her voice very deep and nasally. Though she recognized it to be a mock impression of Professor Snape, she didn't get the reference. Luna quirked an eyebrow. "Ah, you'll get it later."
The two sat in content silence, waiting for Aizawa to return. When he did, the three began to continue watching the Harry Potter series, stopping only when Luna fell asleep on the couch, leaning on Ichika's left shoulder. Aizawa and Ichika carried her off to bed before preparing themselves for the night.
Meanwhile …
"FUCK!" Liam roared, slamming his fists again and again into the poor punching bag. Eventually, he hit it with a particularly nasty right hook, causing the bag to tear and sand to begin pouring out of it.
Despite it, Liam didn't feel relaxed at all, so he tried to burn off his stress in the gym. He was currently in the process of doing some pushups when a knock sounded on the door.
Liam slammed it open, glaring at his lieutenant who merely stared back coolly.
"The fuck you want, Scald? I'm busy." Lian grunted, turning back to the gym, and continuing his pushups.
"Sir, I have received word from our inventors of a new concept they are working on."
"Well? Shit better be decent, not like their last bull idea. The fuck was it, anyways?"
"I believe it was something to do with imploding grenades."
Liam snorted. Implosion grenades. The hell was the point, if grenades were meant to cause explosions? What, they wanted to repair damage? Hell no.
"And what is their new, brilliant idea?"
"I believe they called it the Capture Marble? Basically, it is able to capture the person inside when in contact with the person. Like Pok balls, I believe." Liam gave Scald an unimpressed deadpan while Scald went on the defensive. "Hey, I like the games, okay?"
"Fine. Sounds like a good idea. Give them the go ahead."
"Sure thing, boss. Oh, and another thing. He's been neutralized."
"Did he spill?"
"No, he kept quiet. Not a peep, as far as our sources say."
"At least he's good for something. Oh, and bring me another one, would ya?" Liam gestured to the torn punching bag, which now lay on the ground like a wilted flower.
"Sure thing. Want me to call someone up to clean the sand?"
"No need."
Liam pointed an index finger at the sand, and in what could be described as a small sand tornado, was sucked into his finger before it all disappeared, leaving the punching bag as the only evidence of what had happened.
Scald whistled appreciatively. "Damn, is your Quirk versatile. First weapons, then this?"
Liam chuckled, though it wasn't filled with humor. "Oh Scald, you haven't even seen the extent to which this Quirk goes. Maybe one day."
"Hopefully. I'll take my leave then."
"See ya."
Scald left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving a now much more relaxed Liam in the room. He sat down on one of the bench presses and drank the entirety of his water bottle as if his life depended on it. A side effect of the Quirk; Liam had to drink about a gallon of water per day, which was annoying in the fact that it was so frequent, and the number of times he had to go to the bathroom. Seriously, the amount of times the urge to take a leak leaped upon him midbattle was an annoyingly fair amount.
Hey guys! I'm not dead, and neither is this story! If you've read my other story, the Tale of Qin, the author note there explained everything, but long story short I came back from Covid and am stuck catching up with all the assignments. Seriously, it's ridiculous in the fact that the moment I was gone, my teachers began to churn out assignments like crazy. Caught up with most of them, so hopefully I get to get on a more frequent upload schedule. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, a bit of foreshadowing in this one. Stay safe out there! – Bananaman out!