Chapter 28: Confrontations

Name: Luna Aizawa

Quirk: ?

Appearance: ?

Warning: Language and Adult Themes

Specific Warnings: Language, Panic Attacks

Luna hesitated, standing in the hallway. She seriously didn't want to move forward for several reasons. The first, being what she saw up ahead. She knew that Tiger and Takahashi-sensei were dating, the man told her at the summer camp, but seeing them together was actually very different to being told.

Currently, the two were sitting in front of Ragdoll's room, the patient inside still not having woken up from her coma. A few people were called from across the country to dive into her mind with their Quirks, but most fled in a panic, describing some sort of dark dimensions with broken televisions and demonic people guarding them. They never did manage to find Ragdoll. Thankfully, one remained and continued to work to help the woman, despite the fears he expressed. Luna didn't know much about him, just that he was widely known across the world. He was actually from South Korea, on a break to see some family here, but came here to help.

The rest of the Wild Pussycats … weren't taking the news well, which was to be expected. Mandalay and Pixie Bob were sometimes seen sobbing quietly in each other's arms, while Kota himself was nowhere to be seen. Tiger, well, he was a lot more reserved with his feelings, but his anguish was clearly seen by the way her was currently sitting. Er, laying. His head was placed on Takahashi's lap, downcast eyes watching the door to Ragdoll's room. Takahashi, meanwhile, was murmuring something in his ears, a hand quietly drifting through his short, brown hair.

Luna's issue was that she didn't want to even let them know she was passing through, because the fear of being blamed for Ragdoll's fate was ever present. And, in all reality, she was at fault here. Ragdoll wouldn't have been attacked or kidnapped by the League of Villains had she and Bakugo not been there at the training camp. She wouldn't have had to defend them all while putting herself in the situation. Speaking of, that applied to All Might, too. In the wake of his close victory against All For One, he retired. His secret was out to the world, and he revealed that he couldn't keep his form for very long. Perhaps a maximum of two hours, if he truly pushed himself. Endeavor, likely going to be the number one once the polls were released to the public, was probably having a field day. Finally, he was number one.

But Luna had to pass them, and she didn't know of a separate way to where she was going, hence the next reason she didn't want to go. Her scheduled appointment with Midnight was today, in about twenty minutes actually, and that unnerved Luna. Apparently, the woman had a degree in adolescent psychology, or whatever the technical name of the major was. So did Hound Dog, with whom Bakugo was supposed to be meeting. Though that seemed like putting a loaded gun on a table and turning the light off, to be honest; a disaster waiting to happen. For both of them.

It was then that Takahashi noticed her in the hallway, motioning her over. Luna cursed silently but approached hesitantly. Tiger looked towards her direction, a soft smirk appearing briefly before it fell and turned back to watch the door to Ragdoll's room. Takahashi, instead, was the one to speak for their behalf.

"How're you doing?" Takahashi asked, slightly gruff.

"I'm okay." Luna answered softly.

"Yeah right, quit the bullshit kid. Remember, I can smell your emotions."

Luna sighed. "Not … good. Most of my senses seem to be on par with a regular person's, after … whatever happened." Takahashi grunted. "Also I'm … sorry, for what happened to Ragdoll. Has she not …?"

"Nothing yet." Tiger answered, not looking up. "Doctor Lee said he hasn't had any luck finding her in that hell."

"Oh."

A wave of awkward silence arose, something that Luna was coming across more and more frequently, yet wasn't having any better luck dealing with them. She shuffled, looking away. What now?

"I must go to my therapy session. I hope Ragdoll wakes up soon. I'm sorry." Luna bowed slightly before hurrying away, her heart hammering in her chest with … something. She didn't know what this emotion was. All that Luna knew was that it was unpleasant. She shivered and fled.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Luna's desire at the current moment was to avoid any people she knew, but it was like the universe was playing a sick joke on her, for not a hallway or two later, she ran smack dab into Egypt-Chan, who was just leaving a room, laughing at something that was said. When she saw Luna, however, she froze uncertainly.

Luna scowled at her reaction, moving past her without giving a single remark. It was uncharacteristic of her, she knew that. She also knew, however, that she didn't particularly care. Perhaps it was just how she subconsciously internalized the actions of the adults around her, or she was letting her emotions take the driver's wheel, she didn't know. Say what you want, but neither Aizawa-sensei, Apophis, nor her fa – Nadeau were particularly good role models. Sure, there were certain aspects Luna could take note from. While Nadeau was a horrendous person, he was a fantastic businessman, one who knew how to get what he wanted. Aizawa-sensei knew how to keep himself grounded, and understood how to motivate himself with unyielding facts, caring little for the opinion of others. However, this was also the same man who barely acknowledged people he didn't particularly like, regardless of how good they were as an individual. Apophis was petty and had cruelty in spades whenever something displeased him. He was cocky and overconfident, leading to several instances where he had lost in his practice bets with Bast, as well as Present Mic. However, he did have his good qualities. He was kind of like Bakugou, except not nearly as crass. Wait … Was he like Monoma?

"Nadeau-san?" Egypt-Chan interrupted Luna's train of thought, which was something that Luna did not appreciate.

"Yes … Nakata-sama?" Luna asked with forced nonchalance, turning to face the woman.

Egypt-Chan looked very perturbed that Luna knew her surname, which was ridiculous considering it was merely one Woogle search away. Luna internally sighed as the woman hesitated, realizing that she would be late to her appointment if this was the pace of the conversation.

"How are you faring in your recovery?" Egypt-Chan finally asked, stuttering ever so slightly. Luna's eyes narrowed slightly at the question. Several days with no inquiries, but now she was curious?

"I'm … recovering." Luna answered, letting the woman read between the lines that she was not doing well in the slightest, causing the woman to wince.

"Ah, I see. That's … That's good! I merely had another question if you would humor me?"

"As long as it's not too long. I have an appointment I must go to."

"Of course! No, my question is a quick one. Have you heard any news about … Apophis?"

Luna's blood boiled at the question; at the familiarity with which the woman thought she could address the god. So, that answered her suspicions regarding the question of her health, it was all a ploy to get to this. Luna scoffed, realizing the woman only cared for her goals.

"I wouldn't know, he's been missing. Goodbye."

And with that, Luna shot away from Egypt-Chan, her heart beating wildly as adrenaline flowed through her veins. The tension caused Luna to hiss quietly, the people around her giving Luna worried glances as they parted for her. Luna's desire to scream was only magnified.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"You look upset, Luna-chan. Is something wrong?" Midnight asked, her usual sultry and sly tone now a lot more standard. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Ah, no." Luna shook her head, her scowl lifting. "Merely an interaction with a person I wished to avoid."

Midnight hummed in response. "I see. Would you be able to tell me? I would understand if you would wish to keep it to yourself, we aren't well acquainted, after all."

Luna hesitated. Well, at least Midnight wasn't trying to force an answer. Luna could feel the genuine want to help from the small, hopeful smile on Midnight's face as she sat across from her on a similar couch. Luna decided to humor the woman.

"I ran into Nakata-san." Luna began. Midnight indicated to continue with a 'move on, please' gesture, so Luna continued. "She tried to act like she was inquiring about my health before instantly switching to Apophis."

Midnight's lips twisted slightly. "Ah. You think she was using her inquiry about your health to make it seem like she genuinely was interested, instead of asking about your tenant."

Luna nodded. "I would've been fine if she asked outright, but she thought she could fool me like that."

"I see. Is that something you dislike in general?"

"I would prefer someone be blunt rather than fake their way to an answer."

"Hmm."

Midnight had opened her laptop, typing a few things rapidly before raising her gaze back up. It was a few seconds more before Midnight spoke, her sky-blue eyes piercing the depths of Luna's amber ones.

"I think that this first session should be spent getting to know one another, hmm? I don't think you're quite ready to discuss Kamino Ward."

Luna bobbed her head, grateful for Midnight's understanding. She was most definitely not ready.

"Well, you know me as Midnight, the pro heroine, but here, I am merely Kayama Nemuri. You may refer to me however you wish, I just ask not to use my first name. Only a few special people get to do that." With a cheeky wink, she smiled as Luna coughed at her statement.

"Um, okay … Kayama-sama."

"And how do you want me to refer to you, hmm?"

Luna hesitated, the immediate 'just Luna' stalling in her throat. "Could you … um … Aizawa? Luna is fine too, just not … Nadeau …"

Midnight's smite only grew at the statement. "Of course, Aizawa-chan. How about I start to make things comfortable?"

At Luna's nod, Midnight began to speak of her life. She spoke of her early life, growing up with only male role models in her life, constantly citing strict and traditional views of her own gender. However, Kayama decided to take the blatant sexism in stride, making sure to drive her guardians and teachers up a wall with her fashion statements in every way possible. They couldn't do much about it due to the nature of her Quirk, much to Kayama's amusement and their horror.

She spoke of her schooling experience, and her subsequent befriending of Aizawa and Hizashi (aka Present Mic), despite being a year above them. Somehow, her teachers were all too willing to let her leave whenever she wanted.

"I dunno, might've been that they just couldn't handle all of this." Kayama gestured to herself with a dramatic wave, making Luna's lips twitch. She knew her Art History teacher's attitude to her students, and they were still minors. Gods only know how she treated her teachers. She gave a brief synopsis of her hero career before deciding to teach at U.A., managing to drag both Aizawa and Hizashi with her, much to the former's chagrin.

"You know I was supposed to be the homeroom teacher for 1-A? Our dear headmaster decided I was a bit too, ah, lax, so he had Aizawa take my place. I'm fine with it, of course. I love my General Studies students. Their passion is just oh so contagious. Mmm."

Luna grimaced, causing Midnight to laugh. Dear gods, if she had Midnight as her homeroom teacher … she was pretty sure there would be an uproar from the students and their parents.

"With all due respect, Kayama-sama, I'm pretty sure U.A. would descend into chaos at that point." Luna replied.

"Oh, shush, you. I'm sure I would've handled it just fine." She flicked her hair over her shoulder dramatically, though she too looked amused. "Besides, you have plenty of your attention, hmm? A certain heterochromatic boy in your class, perhaps?"

Luna flushed. "Yeah …"

"Well, tell me about it! How did it start!" Kayama perked up. "I mean, of course I just knew you two were eventually going to get together, but … would you let me know how exactly?"

A knife plunged into Luna's heart at Kayama's actions, reminding her of Bast. She shrugged it off, but somehow, Kayama knew about it based on the downwards twitch of her lips. "I'm … not exactly sure. It just sort of … did?"

Kayama pouted. "You, girl, are a complete buzzkill. Come on, details!"

"You sound like Ashido-chan and Hagakure-chan, Kayama-sensei."

"Aww, you think I'm only fifteen? I'm flattered."

"No that's not …" Luna trailed off at Kayama's sniggers, smiling. "What is a buzzkill?"

Kayama seemed to pause. "It's kind of like … you know what a wet blanket is?"

Luna perked up. "Ah, like Aizawa-sensei!"

Kayama stared at Luna with wide eyes before devolving into helpless laughter, bending to her knees. Luna watched, confused as Kayama continued to laugh mirthfully, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as heaving gasps escaped between unending laughter. Luna's gaze softened when she observed Kayama's face seemed to grow even younger when she laughed. Perhaps she should try to do this more often, the adults in her life seemed to need it. The problem was that Luna didn't know what she said. She couldn't just repeat that sentence over and over, it would lose its appeal, no?

Finally, Kayama straightened, sighing as she wiped the last vestiges of tears from the corners of her eyes. She pointed at Luna with her index finger.

"You have great potential for dry humor, you know that? Not like Shouta, he's mean."

"But … what did I say?"

"Ah, can't tell you that, love. You have to figure it out for yourself."

Luna pouted slightly. "Okay …"

"Well, come on then!"

Luna sighed, though a foolish little smile appeared over her face. "It was … very gradual. I think Shoto and I … we were very hesitant. We were friends at first, and then it kind of … grew further. It was unimportant things at first. Occasional glances, then glancing touches … He found my weakness on terms of my tail, and … well that story's just embarrassing."

"Come on, you can share! We're all girls here!"

Luna hesitantly recounted the tale, much to Kayama's delight. A sweet little smile crossed her face.

"And … well, that was that. It kind of grew to a … relationship at I-Island, though."

"Oh? Pray tell."

"We, um …" Luna flushed.

"No way! Omigosh, did you kiss?!" Kayama shrieked, causing Luna to jump.

"Not so loud!"

"Sorry." Kayama didn't look sorry in the slightest. "How did that happen?"

"Well, something happened, and I was upset, so I left the I-Expo. He came and found me and … it just happened. He looked so … good. He was kind and understanding and …" Luna lowered her head slightly. "Sorry, I don't know how to describe it. Feelings are … hard to describe."

Kayama, who has moments before looked so jovial, was now frowning as she typed something, her finger pausing.

"Could you … tell me what happened?"

Luna swallowed, her apprehension now visible.

She'll make fun of me, won't she? What kind of normal kid has their mother know of their situation only to ignore them?

"I found out that … That my mother … she was living with another kid. A boy. And she never, ever mentioned me. I just … it hurt." Luna audibly swallowed. "I thought she … that she would come back. Maybe she was just waiting for … for him to leave but … she never thought of me."

Luna's lip wobbled before she shook her head, and Kayama had her heart bleed as she watched Luna visibly shove her emotions down below. Luna laughed, though her laugh had none of the earlier joy that Kayama had shown.

"Sorry, I know it's dumb but …"

"I don't think so." Luna felt her eyes widen despite her struggles. Kayama was watching her closely, a frown etched onto her face.

You put it there.

"H-Huh?"

"It is not foolish to yearn for a parent's love and attention. My father …" Kayama sighed. "My father was a hard man to please, but even he didn't deprive me of his attention. What you went through … I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. I am truly sorry that you had to go through that."

Luna felt her guilt magnify. It appeared that Kayama's father was a sensitive topic.

"I mean, it's okay now, right? I mean, Ichika's like the complete opposite to them. And Aizawa-sensei … he's gruff, but … he still gives me compliments and … stuff."

Kayama's frown lifted slightly. "It doesn't make it okay, but … that's good that Ichika and Shouta take care of you. Speaking of … How do you like living with them?"

"Oh, they're great! I have a large room all to myself, and even my own closet! You know the ones with those sliding mirrors? Oh, and the bathroom! There's a physical tub there! Like, I don't like to stay under the water for too long because it tends to gather into my ears … well, ear now, I guess. But the option is still nice."

Kayama nodded, Luna's brows furrowing at the somewhat forced smile that Kayama had adopted. She looked up when Luna trailed off hesitantly. "Something wrong?"

"Did I say something incorrect? It looks like you're forcing your smile, is all."

Kayama looked stunned that Luna caught onto that, but she shook her head, her smile becoming a lot more rueful. "Ah, no. Sorry. Go on, please."

Luna was now frowning, thoroughly confused. Kayama had evaded the question and didn't look like she was going to answer it anytime soon. Why not?

She doesn't trust you.

The realization hit Luna like one of All For One's attacks, and that disheartened her greatly. She thought they'd be honest with each other, but it appeared she was wrong. Luna proceeded with her explanation, but her response lacked the earlier emotion. When she finished, Kayama was typing at a furious pace, her tongue poking out of the side of her mouth. When she finished, she looked up at the clock, which said that an hour passed since they commenced had originally started. Luna hadn't noticed how quickly the time passed, and she was honest when she confessed to herself that she was glad it was over, at least for now. She felt strangely … drained.

"That's it for today's session, Luna-chan." Kayama clapped her hands together, closing her eyes and giving Luna a small smile, her head tilted to the side. "Thank you for being honest with me, I'm sure it can't have been easy."

Luna merely nodded, getting up before pausing. "Uh, how often will this happen?"

"Twice a week. If you need to come in earlier than the next assigned date and time, you're welcome to."

"I see. Thank you." And with that, Luna left, closing the door behind her with a quiet thud.

0-0-0-0-0-0

When Luna left, Nemuri sighed, rubbing her face tiredly.

Christ, that kid has more issues than I know what to do with.

She saved the file, adding it under Luna's folder before going over them a second time, her eyes now uncharacteristically serious as she reread the information she typed. There were some positives, of course. Luna genuinely seemed happy with living with Shouta and Ichika, which was always good. The information that she gave, and the thing she were happy about however were … concerning, to say the least. Her own room? A bathtub? Her own closet? The situation these things implied were gut wrenching, to say the least.

Then there were the … negatives. A big one seemed to be Luna's struggle with identifying her feelings, and her inability to express them. She went through the motions, of course, she smiled and laughed and frowned, so it's not like she didn't know what they were. She just … didn't know how to explain them. Alexithymia wasn't unheard of as a condition; the problem was that it didn't usually appear by itself. It was usually a symptom of something worse. Nemuri saw glimpses of the main problem, but not enough to know what it was, or how to tackle it.

Her relationship with Todoroki seemed beneficial, at the very least. Aizawa didn't seem to be overly demanding towards it, just enough to make sure Luna wasn't slacking off or performing worse because of it. Ichika, being Ichika, probably ribbed Luna regarding it, but she wasn't the type of person to be mad about it. She'd gently encourage it to blossom.

Of course, Todoroki wasn't an easy individual to get along with, either. He had the blessing of both Aizawa and Ichika, but … his father seemed like a very big threat to the relationship. He had invited them to dinner, after all. It was very possible that something could come off it. For Luna's sake, Nemuri wished nothing did.

Closing her laptop, she stood up, stretching her arms above her head and groaning softly as she felt her spine pop in several locations. She needed a drink.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The Lounge, a simple name for a simple bar. The inside was pretty standard as well, just a few well decorated booths and a bunch of stools near the bar itself. A few pool tables were there for entertainment, along with a jukebox or two occupied the space between. However, it was special in one way: it offered a safe haven for the pro heroes. Nemuri, along with Hizashi, had come to love the place, partly because of its charm and partly because this was the only place that Aizawa would come with them. The booths offered adequate privacy, Aizawa had told them. The reality was that it offered enough privacy to mask their drunken adventures when they were younger. None of them were alcoholics, but they could appreciate a nice drink after a hard day. After Aizawa got married, Ichika had managed to drag him here more often. The pictures they had were enough for several years of blackmail, much to the raven-haired man's chagrin.

Speaking of, Nemuri was nursing a small shot of Pineapple Upside Down Cake, which, contrary to its name, was not a cake. Hizashi was mighty disappointed when he first found out, but its fruity taste and pretty colors cleared his rather adorable pout.

"It's nice to be here." Hizashi began, breaking the silence. "It's been a long time since we all gathered here."

"Yes, well, considering most of us are teachers, we won't have time to gather like this often." Aizawa responded dryly.

A quick swat to his shoulder ended his victorious smirk and started a bout of chuckles from Hizashi and Nemuri.

"Azi, stop being mean." Ichika remonstrated. "You have to agree, it's nice to spend some time together as friends. I mean, the last time we met up was … what, May?"

"May 7th, yes." Nemuri finally spoke up, downing her glass. She shook her head, sending her hair to the sides. "Damn that's good."

"Another, Midnight?" a voice sounded across the rather empty bar, the owner in the process of cleaning his already clean glasses. The man was a workaholic, always doing something to improve his business and appeal to customers.

"Sure thing, David!"

As the man busied himself, pulling out the grenadine and vanilla vodka, the four returned to their conversations.

"So, the dorms, huh?" Ichika asked somewhat nervously. "That's the plan for the students and teachers?"

Hizashi nodded. "Yeah. It should be much safer students."

"It better. I'm not giving Luna up without guarantees."

"Is she even … open to the idea?" Nemuri asked, nodding her thanks as David brought over another shot. "She doesn't seem like she would be."

"I haven't brought it up yet." Aizawa answered. "I'll do it when we go around with All Might and Vlad-King next week. It would make sense for her to accept."

"You aren't gonna force her, right?" Hizashi frowned. "The dorms were only supposed to happen if a majority of the students agreed to it."

"Wow, nice opinion of us you have, Hizashi." Ichika pouted, but the amusement sparkled in her bright eyes. "No, if she doesn't want to, that's fine. Honestly, she's become so clingy. Not that I blame her, of course! Poor dear has gone through too much." Aizawa hummed his agreement.

"How about your kids, Nemuri? You going next week as well?"

"Nezu wants us all out at the same time, same for Power Loader and his support kids. It's more efficient that way." Nemuri nodded. "I hope they all agree. Should make Shouta's secret sesh with one of my kids much easier."

Aizawa glared at her as Nemuri whistled innocently.

"Secret sesh … Wait, are you talking about Shinsou?! Yo, why didn't ya say anything to me?! I thought we were friends!" Hizashi sobbed, comical tears slipping down his face.

"This was exactly why. He could still fail to meet expectation if he slacks off." The man grumbled into his drink, the hilariously named Girl Scout Cookie. This shot was not, in fact, made out of girl scout cookies, but of coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and peppermint schnapps. A weird list of ingredients, but they all combined pretty well. Honestly, when they found out there was coffee in the ingredients, they all deadpanned. Man was more addicted to coffee than anyone they knew.

"But it's going well! Shinsou's a nice boy, he's polite, and he does well based on what Azi says. Kind of socially awkward but Azi had a trial run with Luna, so it should all be fine. Hopefully he'll be able to transfer to one of the classes by the second year at the latest." Ichika smiled.

"I'll miss him!" Nemuri sobbed in mock-grief. "Such a good boy!"

David raised his head to witness Hizashi and Nemuri crying in each other's arms before sighing in exasperation and returning to his restocking. He witnessed this exact situation too many times for it to be bizarre. Honestly, he was kind of worried, but he didn't say anything. Eraserhead seemed to have his screws in place, surely, he'd send them to a hospital if something was wrong.

"Honestly, it was kind of awkward having Shinsou at our home sometimes. We'd originally wanted Luna to avoid meeting him for the time being, but …" Ichika sighed into her Tootsie Roll. Again, not actually a tootsie roll, just a shot of Kahlua and orange juice. "She kind of ran into him."

"Oh, pray tell." Nemuri stopped her tears, leaving Hizashi to cry by himself. "Did anything … naughty happen?"

Aizawa gave Hizashi a not-so-gentle bop on the head before giving Nemuri a deadpan so dreadful Nemuri began to sweat. "Do you honestly think we'd allow that, much less the two of them come up with such ideas?"

Nemuri pouted. "Man, Luna was right calling you a wet blanket."

Ichika choked on her shot, Hizashi recovering enough to give her a few thumps on the back, while Aizawa merely raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, she called me that, did she?"

Nemuri paled. "Uh, w-weeellllll, can't elaborate. You know, patient confidentiality and all that jazz."

"Sure."

Nemuri let out a breath of relief.

I live.

"I'm going to get you back for that, by the way."

I'm dead. 100 percent dead. My perfume collection … noooooooo!

0-0-0-0-0-0

Luna was currently sitting next to Tokoyami, who she wanted to visit for quite some time. She felt guilty about not spending nearly enough time with him and Tsu, which was clearly demonstrated by Dark Shadow, who had spent the entire time up to this point pouting and sniffing loudly. Tokoyami didn't seem to mind Luna's lack of interaction with him, but he was kind of annoyed by how Dark Shadow was acting.

Luna, feeling bad about the whole situation, held out her arms to Dark shadow, beckoning with her fingertips. "Alright Dark Shadow, come here please."

Dark Shadow instantly darted into her arms, resting his head in her lap and whining. "Why didn't you visit us? Fumi was sad. I was sad."

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami hissed, though it was clear he was more embarrassed than annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Dark Shadow." She began to stroke his shadowy head, making the creature rumble in pleasure. "I admit, I should have spent more time with you and Tokoyami-kun and Tsu-chan. What with I-Island and the Training Camp and …"

Luna trailed off, a troubled expression on her face. Dark Shadow, sensing Luna was not visiting happy memories, lifted himself out of her arms, awkwardly patting her head with his massive, clawed hand. It engulfed her entire head and wasn't extremely comfortable, but she appreciated the effort.

"Okay Luna! If you promise to spend more time with us, then I'll forgive you!" the demon crowed.

She smiled. "I promise."

"WAHOO!"

The shout of happiness caused the two teenagers to jump up in alarm, before Tokoyami began to severely reprimand Dark Shadow. Dark Shadow seemed to take it in stride, complaining about how his victory in assuring Luna's future presence was a good reason for being so loud. The bickering made Luna laugh, making the two pause.

"I'm sorry for laughing, I don't want to seem rude. It's just – you two compliment each other so well."

"Yes, well … I would have preferred if Dark Shadow was a bit quieter." Tokoyami muttered.

"HEY! You're mean! I'm staying with Luna, she's nicer!" Dark Shadow complained.

Without any warning, Dark Shadow coiled around Luna and huffed, which would've been fine … if she could've moved. The constricted feeling made her heart jump into her throat, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Tokoyami, seeing the expression on Luna's now terrified face, tried to act.

"Dark Shadow, get off her."

"No! You're just jealous!" Dark Shadow replied childishly, constricting Luna even more. She let out an inaudible whimper, trying to push the dark behemoth off of her.

"Dark Shadow!"

"No!"

"GET OFF HER!"

Dark Shadow seemed to realize that Tokoyami wasn't being petty, and when he reluctantly unwound himself, he paled when he saw Luna's teeth chattering, pushing herself away from the two in a state of panic.

"Luna, I'm –" Dark Shadow tried to follow her, but this time Luna let out a gasp of fear, causing Dark Shadow to flinch away. This wasn't right. Luna wasn't supposed to be afraid of him! What did he do?!

"Stay back, Dark Shadow! You can't just do something like that without asking!" Tokoyami looked absolutely furious, causing the shadow bird to whimper and flee back inside Tokoyami. Tokoyami himself sighed, before slowly standing up and approaching Luna with his arms held out, showcasing he was unarmed.

Luna, for her part, merely watched warily, before she grit her teeth and looked away. Tokoyami stopped a few feet away.

"Luna-chan, I sincerely apologize for what Dark Shadow did. I should've warned him -"

"No, it's – it's not his fault." Luna sighed. "I just … don't like not being able to move. Not after -" she shuddered violently, hugging herself. Tokoyami bowed his head in understanding. "Could you …apologize to him later, for me? I feel bad a-and …"

"Of course. Don't apologize." Tokoyami looked kind of pained, so Luna carefully stood up and approached him. She grabbed his sleeve hesitantly, with Tokoyami watching carefully. Realizing that her body was okay with Tokoyami, she embraced his rather suddenly, causing Tokoyami to let out a sound of surprise, but he carefully embraced her back.

"I'm so tired." Luna whispered to him. "I'm so tired of these swings, of feeling terrified when I shouldn't be."

Tokoyami hummed quietly. "Sometimes, the darkness is necessary for us to face. We may feel fear and anger and exhaustion, but we are strong enough to stumble through. There is no light without darkness. Luna-chan, you are strong enough to not only stumble, but sprint through it."

Luna's eyes filled with tears at the kind words, fisting his jacket.

"Thank you."

"You are never alone, Luna-chan. We are all inside the abyss with you."

They stood like that for a few more moments before Luna released Tokoyami's jacket. He nodded to her, a small smile on his face, before giving his farewells. Dark Shadow peeked out just before he left, waving sadly to Luna before he vanished once again.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Tsu visited a bit later in the day, possibly due to Tokoyami having to leave and not feeling comfortable with leaving Luna alone. She was grateful for it, considering that Tsu had a very calming presence overall, but the moment the amphibious girl walked in, Luna frowned as she saw Tsu's state.

Tsu wasn't an overtly extroverted girl by any means. She wasn't Kaminari or Kirishima, but she had this presence that was unmistakable, after spending so much time with the girl at lunch in U.A. She seemed … utterly drained, with eyebags under her eyes, which were watery and tired looking. She was walking sort of hunched over, kind of like Bakugo, though Bakugo walked like that because he wanted to.

"Tsu-chan? Are you feeling unwell?" Luna asked, worry evident in her amber orbs.

"Kero." Tsu looked stupefied for a moment before forcing herself to relax. "I'm not sick, I was just worried."

"About?" Tsu hesitated, looking plenty awkward. "You don't have to answer, Tsu-chan. I'll be here if you need to talk about whatever is bothering you."

"Thank you, Luna-chan."

"Just one question. Was it anything I did?"

"N-No! You're fine! It's just … complicated."

"Would a … would a hug make you feel better?" Luna asked awkwardly.

"A hug would make me feel a bit better, kero."

Luna and Tsu embraced, with Tsu practically melting into Luna's arms. They stood like that for a while, with both of them being uncertain with how long they should keep it up. Eventually, Tsu pulled away, rubbing at her eyes.

"Thank you for the hug, it helped me a bit." Tsu gave Luna a slightly wobbly smile.

"Well, that's good, right?" Luna asked uncertainly.

"Yes."

Luna had Tsu lay down on her bed as she pulled up a chair, much to the latter's protest. When Luna's eyes flashed yellow, Tsu simmered down, much to Luna's relief. She spent the time talking to Tsu about everything that happened at the hospital (not about Kamino Ward, she wasn't at all prepared for that mess). Tsu offered some advice at certain points, which made the situation seem a bit more normal. Normally, Luna wouldn't have wanted it, but Tsu seemed in need of some normalcy, so Luna let Tsu do her thing.

By the time Tsu had to leave, she looked a bit better, her black eyes clear and alert, though Luna couldn't do much for the eyebags. She grimaced at the thought; of all the students in her class, she wouldn't have anticipated Tsu having them. And that brought her to her next thought: what happened?

The fact that Tsu was so reluctant to share at first made it seem like Luna had done something, but Tsu had reassured her it wasn't anything she did. Though, that didn't eliminate the possibility of it still involving her, did it? Maybe Luna was paranoid, but Tsu didn't seem all too eager speaking with her at first. Not because Tsu was angry with or gods forbid afraid of Luna, but … it's possible the situation involved her. Perhaps she should call Tokoyami; they were pretty close, after all. He should know.

The issue with that, however, was that Luna didn't have her phone on her. She had left it inside her cabin when she was still at the summer training camp, and then … well. Yeah. The worst possible thing happened. She assumed Aizawa had taken it back with him, but … she wouldn't have faulted him for just straight up forgetting her things. The thought made her pout slightly. Her tent …

0-0-0-0-0-0

A few days went by, along with another meeting with Midnight, and everything seemed to be getting better … slightly. Tsu and Tokoyami had visited once or twice apiece, while Shoto had visited every day. It was very sweet of him, to be so worried about Luna like that, and it was something the girl had heavily appreciated. When Tokoyami had reappeared, Dark Shadow had tearfully begged her forgiveness for smothering her, to which Luna had merely told him that there was nothing to forgive; he had no idea of that trigger, why should he be faulted for it? He spent the entire visit laying his head in her lap, eventually falling asleep and actual z's appeared over his head, to which Tokoyami had rolled his carmine red eyes and Luna had covered mouth to mask her giggles.

Her meeting with Midnight was still plenty tense after the realization that the woman didn't fully trust her with some information, a fact that stung every time she ran into it. Midnight had explained that it was information they would get to later, but Luna had a feeling that Midnight wasn't telling the truth. Or the full truth. White lies were still lies, regardless of how much of it was true.

Luna was relaxing in her room, resting in the bed with her eyes closed, when she heard the mechanisms of the door open up. When she opened her eyes and looked up, her eyes widened when she saw All Might and Aizawa enter, dressed in full suits. Aizawa had even shaved, combed his hair, and put it in a tight bun, giving him a modern and professional look, despite his perpetual look of exhaustion. All Might, however, was in his shrunken form, his eyes seemingly hollow of anything. The suit was several sizes larger, probably in case he wanted to transform to his hero form.

She shot out of her bed, somehow managing to fix the bed by the time the two managed to drag over some chairs, sitting down heavily. Luna, meanwhile, sat on the hospital bed.

"Er, sorry about …" Luna vaguely motioned to her body, which was still wearing a hospital gown.

"No, no, don't worry about it, Young Luna." All Might reassured her, hands held in the air placatingly.

"We're here today to tell you about the future of your schooling experience." Aizawa stated. "We're implementing a new dorm system, to make sure all the students can remain safe and in close proximity to U.A. in general. We were hoping that you would agree to transition as well."

Luna bit her lip at the idea. It was an interesting one, to say the least. Safety in numbers, considering the other courses, would be a massive advantage. However, most of the courses weren't trained to fight, so they might as well have been civilians.

"How many others have agreed?" Luna asked hesitantly.

"So far, we have visited eight other students, and they have all agreed, along with their parents." All Might answered calmly. "Young Jiro, Young Asui (Tsu sneezed, rubbing her nose as her siblings chorused 'Bless You!'), Young Kaminari, Young Hagakure, Young Koda, Young Sato, Young Mineta, and Young Aoyama."

"Uh, ok … Aizawa-sensei? As my guardian … what do you think?"

"As your guardian, it is my honest opinion that you should agree to this. Not only will you be close to several pro heroes, as well as your classes, but Midnight will also be there, so going to your therapy appointments won't be such a hassle, considering students will need explicit permission to leave the premises. Ichika, while also more hesitant, agreed to it. However …" Aizawa sighed, looking directly into Luna's eyes. "We both agreed that we would listen to your decision. If you wish to transition, that will be without problem. However, if you decide to refuse … we will abide by it, despite our own thoughts on the problem. Please, do not let our decisions influence yours. We have failed you numerous times. I have failed your numerous times. We beg you, find it in your heart to trust us one more time."

Aizawa bowed his head, Luna's heart twisting at the expression on the man's face. All Might too looked very uncomfortable at the moment.

"I, also, must apologize to you, Young Luna. It is due to our failures as your teachers and pro heroes that we have let so many grievous errors occur, from the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, to your kidnapping at the training camp. Tiger, Pixie Bob, and Mandalay also wish to express their sincere apologies the next time they gather formally, together. Please, forgive us all."

And after that, All Might bowed his head as well, the frustration and sadness swirling in his sunken eyes, glaring at the floor.

"Please, don't … don't apologize to me. Raise your heads." Both did, All Might staring at you in slight bewilderment as Aizawa looked a bit guilty. "You both did all you could to ensure my, and my classmates, safety. It is not your faults as my protectors that All For One, and Nadeau -" Luna's face twisted into grimace of anger and fear. "had such long reaches. It is thanks to you all, and only you all, that both were stopped. Nadeau is in a coma, while All For One is in Tartarus."

Luna stood up, bowing deeply to both adults, much to their shock. "I would be honored to move into the U.A. dormitories. Please take care of me."

0-0-0-0-0-0

Hello everyone, welcome back! Sorry if you're coming from my other fic, I kinda have writer's block on it, but the next update will definitely be in regards to it. Regardless, a sort of fluff/interlude chapter, where everything's starting to settle. I included Tokoyami and Tsu, and they'll continue to be included because I feel shitty for the lack of their presence. Anyways, I love Dark Shadow and he deserves love and affection and kisses and –

Anyways, some thing I kinda want to go over. One, we have some hints towards Tsu acting funny. I thought it was a cool little nod to later when she confesses what's been bothering her. Two, Luna has been shoving more and more emotions into a safe. The problem is that this safe is going to explode sooner or later, so be on the lookout for some more … hints. Third, Midnight's therapy sessions. Technically, it would make sense if she recommended someone more experienced for this kind of thing, because she's (at least I think she is) supposed to be like a school nurse compared to a doctor … Although with Recovery Girl … Actually, since this is U.A., shouldn't they be better, considering Recovery Girl? Anyways, you get the point, right? Just wanted a bit of Midnight in here. Another thing, I'm going to be including more of Aizawa and gang in the fic, because again, I've kinda been skirting character relationships … sigh … sorry.

Also, unrelated but should I post my fics on other websites as well? I've been thinking about Quotev, and maybe AO3 but that shit looks complex af. Sorry for the cussing.

And … yeah, that should be it. I'm kinda running on five hours of sleep and three bottles of caffeinated tea, so if I've missed something, sorry. Braindead moment confirmed. Stay safe out there – Bananaman out!