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Whatever plans Izuku had for the next day were halted when he saw how sluggish Ochako was the next morning.

"Good morning Izuku," Ochako said slowly as she pushed herself upright. "My limbs feel heavy. Is there a problem with the gravity I should be worried about?"

"No," Izuku assured her. "I'm not surprised, after what happened to you. Your body's probably still pretty weak right now. It'll take some time to recover from what that Moonfish did to you."

"I do not like it," Ochako said. Grabbing the hem of her nightshirt she pulled it upward to examine her chest, and Izuku yelped in surprise as he felt the blood rush to his cheeks. "My wounds have closed, although I still see traces of the attack left behind."

"T-those are scars!" Izuku squeaked out. "Marks left behind on our bodies whenever we suffer injury. Unless your body heals those, too!" Izuku held up his bandaged arm. "I'm gonna have one from this as well."

"They should fade then," Ochako said confidently before lowering her shirt and glaring at her hands. "Your bodies are not suitable for combat, if they feel so weak after a single battle."

"You- if you were human, the attack last night would have probably killed you," Izuku said softly.

"It is good that I am not human then," Ochako replied. "I hope that we do not have another attack soon. I need time to recover properly."

"Y-yeah." Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "It was hard seeing you hurt like that!"

"I remember, you cried for an hour last night." Ochako tilted her head curiously. "I was worried you would suffer from dehydration."

"It was scary," Izuku admitted. "But if we don't deal with it, who will?"

"You are correct," Ochako admitted. "If these were isolated incidents I would have left it for humanity to deal with. But they are not."

"'There's something strange happening on your world,'" Izuku said, parroting Ochako's words. "That's what you told me. But you never explained what you meant."

"I suppose you deserve to know." Ochako sat up and smiled at Izuku. "Since you are still here, even after everything that happened."

"How bad is it, really?" Izuku asked as he sat down in his armchair.

"Normally a creature like that Moonfish would show up once every hundred years," Ochako explained as she stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, retrieving Izuku's book on Japanese mythology. "Many of these legends stem from a single truth - that a creature not of this world had slipped through the veil between worlds and arrived here."

Returning to the couch, she sat down and opened the book, flipping to a page displaying a stylized Oni. "As the stories go, a single monster wrecked havoc across the land. Until a brave individual, alone or as part of a group, managed to defeat the monster. While I do not know the specifics," Ochako flipped to another page, telling the legend of the blacksmith Masamune, "there are hints that people may have found otherworldly objects to help combat these creatures."

"And there's been three different instances in the past three days."

"That is correct." Ochako slammed the book shut. "Even in the depths of space, I felt it. Something, or someone, is assaulting the veil between worlds. Weakening it. And if they succeed and actually create a hole in the veil…"

Izuku paled. "Would you be able to repair something like that?"

"I could, yes," Ochako explained. "But it would take time. Although I do not know what would come through the breach in the time it would take for us to locate it and for me to repair it."

"If a whole group of those Moonfish or Voidslimes came through…" Izuku felt himself shudder. "Or- whatever else is out there…"

"It would be a disaster for humanity," Ochako confirmed.

"So we need to stop whatever is causing this?"

"Yes." Ochako looked over at Izuku.

"Why start in Japan? Why start here?"

"Does it not seem strange that Mustafu has had three incidents in the past week?" Ochako asked curiously.

Izuku's eyes went wide. "You think that whatever's causing this is here in Mustafu?"

"If not here, then nearby." Ochako bobbed her head. "Certainly on the main island of Japan."

"Why Japan though?" Izuku mused.

"Whatever the reason, they are here, and therefore I am here," Ochako said definitively. "And I intend to find the source and stop it before they breach the veil."

"Don't you do something like that already?" Izuku asked.

"What do you mean?" Ochako asked, tilting her head curiously.

"You- those rifts you make. Don't you do something similar every time you bring out your tentacles or travel somewhere?"

Ochako pressed a finger against her cheek as she thought about it, before she shook her head. "While similar, my manipulation of space is different."

"Oh," Izuku's face fell, "I just thought if- the two were similar then maybe you could use your powers to find whatever's causing this."

"I wish it was that easy," Ochako said. "Unfortunately I must use more simplistic methods. And to do that I need to be able to move around freely."

Izuku could detect a hint of annoyance in her voice as she once again glared at her hands, as if they offended her. "I've still got a few more days off, maybe we can start looking for clues together?"

"That would be wonderful." Ochako's face lit up.

"And if you're still recovering, I have a few ideas that might help."

"Like what?"

Picking up his book, Izuku walked back to his bookshelf and placed it back. "You've learned a lot from this one bookshelf right? What if I take you to a place with hundreds of them?"

"A place of learning?"

"Yeah, exactly!" Izuku turned around and smiled at Ochako, who smiled back at him.

He hadn't been to the Mustafu library in years - not since high school, in fact, but it was as good a place as any to start digging.

Two days later, Izuku was greeted with a new surprise when he walked out of his bedroom.

"Morning Izuku," Ochako said as she pushed herself up, rubbing her mocha-colored eyes with pale pink hands.

"Ochako- your skin!" Izuku said excitedly.

"Oh," Ochako looked at her hand, a dreamy smile on her face, "that is good. The attack did not cause any additional delays in building my body. Pigment is one of the last stages of creation." Sliding out from under the blanket, she stood up. "I want to see how I look."

"You're still a little pale," Izuku said as she walked past him into the bathroom. Following her in, he turned on the lights and began to look at her face.

Her hair was currently a faint, sandy brown color, which matched her pale skin. Along her cheeks, where the light of stars used to shine through, there were two darker patches of pink, and Izuku wondered how they would look once she was done. Her eyes seemed to be the furthest along, already a deep mocha color, as she looked over herself in wonder in the mirror.

"This is what I look like as a human," Ochako said in awe, before turning toward Izuku. "I mean, I knew the shape my body took, but now I am getting pigment!"

"It'll be much easier going out now," Izuku admitted. "Does that mean you won't need to stay close to me anymore?"

"Hmm," Ochako poked her cheek as she stood there deep in thought, "we need to test this! I need you to call my phone and attempt to leave the building."

"What?" Izuku asked. "Right now?"

"Sure!"

"But I'm," Izuku gestured to his clothes, "I'm still in my pajamas! I just woke up!"

"Oh," Ochako said softly. "It can wait until after we are ready for the day then."

Izuku sighed in relief. "I'll go start breakfast; do you want to shower first?"

"Okay!" Ochako looked down at her arms. "I wonder what the rest of my skin looks like now."

Trying his hardest to not think about Ochako that way, Izuku retreated from the bathroom to the kitchen, to prepare their morning meal. Fortunately making breakfast served to be a good distraction, and soon enough Ochako returned from the shower, dressed in a tank top and jean shorts over top black leggings. Izuku had to admit that now that she had pigment in her skin, she looked really good in that outfit.

"Thank you," Ochako said.

"For what?" Izuku asked in confusion.

"For the compliment." Ochako smiled at Izuku. "I am happy that my choice of clothing compliments my skin."

Crap! Izuku thought I said that aloud!

"It does," Izuku confirmed, bobbing his head rapidly. "I-it looks better even! Now that you stand out, I mean! Everything sort of just… ran together when your skin was gray."

"Mmm," Ochako pondered as she examined her arms, "that might be a disadvantage when I am forced to fight. However if this allows me to blend in among humanity, I will make do." Turning back toward Izuku, she eyed him curiously, and Izuku saw how, despite her eyes appearing human now, they still sparkled with anticipation as she asked her next question. "What are you making for breakfast today?"

After breakfast and a shower, it was time to experiment.

"So you just want me to walk in the hall and leave the apartment?" Izuku asked, his cell phone in hand.

"Yes," Ochako said. "I will know right away when you have gone too far."

"Just like last time," Izuku said, remembering their test from a few days before. He had barely made it to the end of the hallway when Ochako collapsed, having foolishly been pacing while waiting to see how far Izuku could go. She was surprised by how forceful Earth was in trying to reject her, and was unprepared for how much effort it would take to fight the effects.

"And this time I will not fall," Ochako insisted as she sat in the armchair and got comfortable.

Izuku bobbed his head in acknowledgement. "Alright, here goes nothing?"

"It will definitely be something," Ochako responded.

"It's a sayin- nevermind," Izuku said as he unlocked the door. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Stepping into the hallway, Izuku dialed Ochako's number and waited for her to pick up. Then he began walking to the stairwell at the end of the floor. Living on the second floor, he always preferred to use the stairs, only taking the elevator when necessary.

Although for right now that answer is 'never,' at least as long as Ochako was around.

"Alright, I'm at the point where you collapsed last time," Izuku said. "Continuing on now."

Izuku took a nervous step, before looking at his phone expectantly.

"I am still fine," Ochako's voice came through. "Please continue."

"Okay," Izuku then reached the end of the hallway and made it down the stairs. He continued out of the building and made it to the parking lot before Ochako finally interrupted him.

"It finally happened," Ochako said, sounding utterly exhausted.

"How are you feeling?" Izuku asked.

"Not as bad as last time. I was more prepared to fend off the effects." Ochako paused. "While I could theoretically investigate, I do not want to attempt to fight under these conditions."

"So not a good state to leave you in for eight hours," Izuku said.

"I am sorry, I know you wish to return to work tomorrow."

"N-no, it's okay!" Izuku insisted. "I've got an idea, actually!"

"What is that?"

"Let me come back up to the apartment, and I'll tell you," Izuku said as he turned around and began walking back.

"Okay, I will see you soon," Ochako said, her voice immediately different now that Izuku was close enough to her.

Hanging up his phone, Izuku hurried back up to his home.

Starting the next day, they attempted a new routine. Ochako followed Izuku to his work, where he led her to a nearby park. There she would be able to keep herself busy with her books and cell phone while Izuku worked. When it was time for lunch, Izuku visited her, and they returned to his apartment to let her swap some of the books out.

It wasn't as active as Ochako wished it was, but she understood patience, and this was a suitable compromise until she was in a better position to move freely.

When Izuku was done for the day, they explored the town for several hours as Ochako attempted to become more familiar with the town. After all, if she knew what normal was like, she'd be able to pick out the differences better.

As they returned home with dinner, Ochako agreed that it was a good compromise for now, until she was granted more freedom of movement.

Over the next several days Ochako's skin continued to develop until it was a healthy shade of pink, and her hair continued to darken until its auburn color matched her eyes. This new development granted Ochako new freedom, allowing her to satiate her curiosity without having to come up with an excuse for her strange appearance.

Once she realized this, she began to take full advantage of it. She made a game of it, choosing one new place to visit every time they explored the city.

"Can we go in there?" Ochako asked as they were passing through the shopping district.

Izuku looked and saw that today she had chosen a small boutique tucked away between two larger stores. There were no windows, having been painted over with black with evocative designs painted in grays, whites, and reds. From the sign hanging above the entryway, Izuku gleaned that the place sold fashion accessories.

Looking back at his companion, he bobbed his head. "Sure, let's go."

Entering the store, Izuku found himself overwhelmed by the sheer variety of accessories and colors available. Next to him, he heard a small gasp from Ochako as she took in the sights, before the bored looking clerk wandered over to them. "Can I help you?"

"My friend was looking for some stuff," Izuku explained quickly, gesturing toward Ochako. "She's um, well she went through a wardrobe change and needs something to go with it?"

"Like this!" Ochako said as she spun around, holding a spiked collar in her hands. "This would be useful protective equipment!"

Izuku laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "She, um, just moved to Japan so her Japanese is sometimes garbled."

The clerk looked like he didn't believe that for a second, but he also didn't seem to care. "Let me know if you have any questions, but she looks like she doesn't need any help finding things out on her own."

Looking back over at Ochako, Izuku had to do a double take as he saw her trying on a pair of fishnet arm stockings. He hurried over to where she was, hearing a quiet chuckle from behind him - apparently the clerk was amused by what he was seeing.

"Ochako," Izuku asked quietly. "What are those?"

"Arm leggings!" Ochako smiled brightly at him.

"What would you do with those?"

"Wear them?" Ochako tilted her head, curious why Izuku asked such an obvious question. "We bought leggings to pair with my shorts, I should have leggings to go on my arms when I wear my tank tops."

"I-" Izuku found himself unable to argue with the logic.

"Here you go," The clerk said with a hint of amusement in his voice as he offered Izuku a basket. "Since it sounds like you may be buying a lot."

"T-thanks," Izuku said. He held out the basket for Ochako, who dumped her small selection of items into the cart before she ran off again.

As Izuku watched her wave the clerk over as she looked at rings, he couldn't help but smile. After the last several days of wandering around Japan, seeing something so mundane about the being in front of him made her feel more… human.

An hour later, the pair walked out of the building with Ochako happily wearing her new spiked choker while carrying two bags full of accessories.

"You know," Izuku said once they were finally outside. "Those spikes are just for decoration. They aren't really for defense."

"Oh," Ochako paused to look at Izuku, "I can fix that. I will just reshape them when we get home so they are sharp."

Izuku paled slightly. "Just - be careful. You don't want to hurt yourself by accident."

"I will be!" Ochako promised, before looking at her bags. "I think we are done for today. I want to go home and sort all of this out."

"Okay," Izuku said, smiling at the woman next to him. "Let's go."

"The town is quiet tonight," Ochako said as they were walking through the warehouse district on one of these investigations. The last week had been thankfully uneventful, allowing the pair time to adjust to their new routine, and Ochako was pleased by her growing familiarity as she explored more and more of the town.

"It happens sometimes," Izuku explained. "It's early in the week, and we're approaching the middle of the month, so there aren't a lot of scheduled activities. People don't have a lot of reason to be out-"

"Quiet!" Ochako hissed, cutting his words off. Izuku looked at her in concern as she looked around cautiously, a half-dozen points of light expanding over her shoulders as she summoned her tentacles, the void of space surrounding them protectively.

"Ocha-" Izuku whispered, and that's when they felt it.

The ground beneath their feet started shaking.

"Earthquake!" Izuku said. Instinctively stepping forward, he grabbed Ochako and pulled her away from the buildings, dragging her to the open air of the street despite her protests.

"I can move without your help!" Ochako protested, her tentacles swaying in agitation.

Just as quickly as the shaking began, it stopped.

"You can send them away," Izuku explained. "Earthquakes are a natural phenomenon - you can't fight them. Well…" He rubbed the back of his head. "You could probably do something about them, but not with those."

"If you say so," Ochako said as the portals behind her closed, her tendrils dissipating into the air. "Can you explain what happened?"

"Earthquakes are rare events caused by two plates of the Earth's crust pushing against each other," Izuku said. "Normally they cause the ground to shake, which can cause buildings to collapse - which is why I wanted to get us out in the open. They can also cause-" Izuku gasped as he heard the siren go off, confirming his fear, "-tsunamis!" The last word came out as a high-pitched squeak. "Ochako, we have to go!"

"Go where?"

"We need to get back to my apartment and climb to the roof. We- Tsunamis are large tidal waves that can be ten meters high, or more! They sweep along the shore-" Izuku frantically pointed at the end of the warehouse district toward the nearby docks, "-and cause a lot of destruction in their wake!"

Ochako looked at the docks, and then back at Izuku. "You want to reach safety?"

"Yeah! We only have a few minutes tops, and if we're here, we're going to get swept away!"

"You do not wish to stop it?"

"Of course I-" Izuku caught himself. "Wait, you can stop it?"

Ochako looked toward the ocean, her gaze expanding outward to take in the whole of the Mustafu, gauging how many kilometers bordered the ocean. "It will be difficult, but I can."

"Will you hurt yourself?"

"It will strain this body," Ochako admitted. "But some rest will suffice."

"Then, yes," Izuku balled his hand into a fist, "I'd like you to stop it."

Ochako smiled at Izuku. "Your resolve is admirable. Let us go then." As Ochako spoke, she tore open a rift in reality beside them. "It will be easier if I am on the beach."

"Okay," Izuku said. "Let's do this."

Stepping into the portal, the pair stepped into the dimension between worlds and out the other side to appear on a hastily abandoned beach. Izuku saw lunches, games, and towels strewn about the beach as people scrambled away from the beach, seeking shelter. As Izuku watched the people moving away from the beach, he looked at his companion. "At least we won't have an audience."

"Good," Ochako said as she turned toward the ocean. "There will be fewer questions then."

Ochako extended her hands toward the water and furrowed her brows as she stood in deep concentration, extending her reach out to the edge of town. She knew the theories behind how waves worked, and while she couldn't halt them directly, she could compress the air until it became a solid wall, acting as a physical barrier to stop the waves.

"Ochako-" Izuku breathed as the waves rushed toward the shore, growing higher with each passing second. One meter - five - ten…

Her eyes became stars as Ochako expanded her reach and manipulated the space above the ocean, compressing billions of particles of air together to form a solid, shimmering mass.

"Ochako!" Izuku yelled as he saw her shaking, the color in her hair fading away while her skin began to turn gray.

"I will be okay," Ochako explained. "Your atmosphere is harder for me to manipulate than the void between the stars."

Izuku bobbed his head before stepping behind her. "I can't help, but I can keep you standing."

Ochako felt Izuku wrap his arms around her shoulders. Free from having to worry about her body, she focused on compressing the air, forming an invisible barrier between the water and the town. Now she just had to hold it long enough…

Izuku felt Ochako's body grow clammy as she continued to revert to her monochromatic state, but he trusted her. The waves were almost twenty meters high, and he felt himself flinch as they threatened to crash down…

…Only for them to crash into the shimmering barrier. Izuku couldn't help but gasp as he watched the water rise higher and higher, trying to find a way over the barrier, but it found no gap, no weakness in the defenses Ochako had erected. Seconds seemed to stretch on for an eternity, but eventually the water stopped rising. It began to recede.

"You did it, Ochako!" Izuku cheered.

Ochako didn't respond until the waves had fully broken against her barricade. Once she was sure the town was safe, she released her grip on the atmosphere, the air exploding back outward to fill the vacuum she had created with a thunderous boom.

"That took," Ochako took a deep breath as she turned around in Izuku's arms, not trusting herself to stand unsupported, "more effort than I expected."

"Can you get us home?" Izuku asked. "If not, I'll carry you-"

"That will not be necessary," Ochako said, opening a rift next to them.

Nodding in understanding, Izuku scooped up the petite form of the woman next to him in his arms, carrying her bridal style through the rift and into their apartment. Ochako was grateful for his assistance, closing the rift with a thought as he lay her down on his couch.

"You stay here, I'll make us some dinner," Izuku said softly.

"I would appreciate that," Ochako said. Shifting around on the couch to be more comfortable, she closed her eyes, hoping to recover her energy.

From his vantage point in the kitchen, Izuku watched Ochako fall asleep, and he couldn't help but smile at her. "Thank you. I know that you didn't need to do that but- Thank you." Turning his attention back to his fridge, he pushed cartons aside to find a small packet of Mochi that he had managed to hide from the woman. She was addicted to the sweet treat, and even though it was difficult, Izuku managed to keep some hidden away in case they had something to celebrate.

He'd say today certainly qualified.

Izuku heard a knocking at the door. He looked at Ochako curiously, only to find her returning his stare.

"Should I be prepared?" She asked.

Izuku shook his head as he stood up. "It's probably nothing." Walking to the door he looked out the peephole, only to be greeted by heterochromatic eyes staring back at him. "Shoto?"

"Izuku, we need to talk," came the monotone voice in reply.

"Alright," Izuku said before looking back at his couch. "Follow my lead. Shoto thinks… differently."

"Okay," Ochako bobbed her head, waiting curiously to see who this mysterious person was. She had yet to meet any of Izuku's acquaintances, mostly due to her strange appearance, but she had to admit she was curious what sort of people Izuku associated with.

Swallowing his nervousness, Izuku undid the locks on the door and opened it, revealing his friend, Shoto Todoroki.

"Hey Shoto, what's the occasion? Normally you call ahead when you want to visit."

"It was a surprise," Shoto explained as Izuku stepped aside and allowed him to enter. Looking around the room, his eyes locked on Ochako immediately. "I didn't know you had company."

Izuku laughed nervously. Despite Shoto's neutral tone, there was something hidden there that gave the impression that Shoto was expecting him to have company. "Y-yeah! She started staying here a couple weeks ago."

"I see," Shoto said, not taking his eyes off of Ochako. "Allow me to introduce myself then. I am Shoto Todoroki, son of Enji Todoroki, the owner of Endeavor Energy." he bowed his head slightly, "and good friend to Izuku. Although I may have to revoke that title. You didn't tell me you had someone staying with you."

While Izuku choked nervously, Ochako seemed unphased as she smiled from her position on the couch and gave a small wave. "Hi there! My name is Ochako!"

"Ochako…" Shoto said expectantly.

"Ochako…" Izuku panicked, quickly wracking his brain to come up with a last name. "Ura-Uraraka!"

"Ochako Uraraka?" Shoto said, his eyes narrowing as he shifted his attention to Izuku. "You've never mentioned anyone with the name 'Uraraka' before."

"It's because… I met her last summer! When I was out in Nabari on all of those hikes! Since it's four hours by train I haven't really seen her since."

"Yes." Ochako bobbed her head. "Exactly. Until I had an urgent job here in Mustafu."

"She needed a place to stay and didn't have money to rent an apartment, so I told her she could stay here and sleep on my spare futon."

"I see." Shoto rubbed his chin. "I'm still disappointed. You should have asked, I would have happily set her up at a long-term hotel or arranged for her to have her own apartment."

"Your friend is that generous?" Ochako asked Izuku curiously.

"It's a long story," Izuku admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "Shoto's relationship with his dad is-"

"My dad is a terrible father," Shoto said bluntly.

"And spending his money brings you joy?"

"It does." Shoto smirked at Ochako. "It may be an act of petty rebellion, but I don't care."

"I see," Ochako said as she thought about this.

"So why the sudden visit?" Izuku asked his friend.

Shoto unslung his bag and opened it, fishing out a folder. He offered it to Izuku. "Like everyone, I was grateful for the Miracle of Mustafu, where the water just seemingly hit an invisible sea wall that appeared out of nowhere to break the waves. However, the incident bothered me. Something about the whole thing felt wrong, so I began digging. It took me several days, but guess who I found on the beach?"

Izuku nervously took the folder and opened it, revealing a grainy photo of Izuku and Ochako. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he looked at it.

Think! There's gotta be enough plausible deniability here!

"I just see a grainy photo with two shapes. The only detail I can pick out is that one of them had green hair? The other one looks more like a shadow than a person!"

"Uraraka is wearing all black, isn't she?" Shoto asked.

"Is there a problem with my choice of clothing?" Ochako asked curiously, tilting her head up at the man.

"Sure, she's a goth, but- look at this!" Izuku jabbed a finger at the photo. "This person - if they're a person - is gray and white. To duplicate this Ochako would have to have gray skin and look at her," Izuku waved a hand in her direction as he continued quickly. "Her skin is definitely pink! With brown hair! Not white!"

"That is true," Shoto mused, rubbing his thumb and forefinger along his chin. "Unless she has some sort of magical transformation."

"Magic?" Izuku forced out a laugh, although it sounded more like a manic giggle than anything. "No matter how much you insist it does, Magic doesn't exist!"

"You do not have magic here?" Ochako asked.

Izuku let out a strangled cry as Shoto turned to the woman, dropping to his knees in front of her. "I can perform some spells, but have yet to find a formal teacher. Do you know someone?"

"Shoto!" Izuku cried.

"Oh," Ochako looked up at Shoto, "I did not mean that I know magic myself. I have just heard things." She picked up a mythology book from the table. "Japanese lore is fascinating, trying to find the truth buried in the legends."

"I see. So you are curious, even if you haven't confirmed it yourself yet," Shoto said, suddenly very interested in Ochako. He looked up at Izuku with a wry smile on his lips. "Given how fervently you deny my own theories, I'm surprised you're friends with someone like her."

"I-" Izuku sighed. "Or maybe I've just gotten so used to your crazy ramblings that I didn't notice them when we talked."

"Hmph." Shoto closed his eyes as he allowed himself to look amused for a brief moment. Opening his eyes again, he looked at Ochako. "Perhaps we can speak more later? I can invite the two of you to some of the most expensive restaurants in Mustafu and we can exchange ideas? Perhaps I can give you that final push you are seeking?"

"That sounds like an enjoyable evening," Ochako said.

Izuku groaned. "Be careful, once Shoto gets his claws into you, you'll have a hard time getting them out again."

"He is your friend, is he not?" Ochako asked, tilting her head.

"I guess you're right," Izuku said.

For the first time in many years, Shoto seemed genuinely excited as he stood up and reclaimed the folder from Izuku. "I'll be in touch then. Once Izuku and I work out the details, that is." He said as he shoved the folder in his bag. "I don't want to keep you from your… friend," Shoto said as he gave one final glance to Ochako. "I wanted to catch up since we haven't really talked in a few weeks, but we can do so over dinner instead."

"I am looking forward to it," Ochako replied.

"See, even she's excited."

"I guess you win this round," Izuku said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Text me your schedule?"

"Of course." Shoto placed his bag over his shoulder and politely bowed to Ochako. "I welcome you to Mustafu and hope you enjoy your stay."

Shoto left just as suddenly as he came, and once he left Izuku felt his legs give out as he collapsed onto his knees. "That… could have gone worse. But it was still stressful!"

"Is there a problem with your friend?" Ochako asked curiously.

"Shoto is…" Izuku's brows furrowed as he tried to explain his friend's strange behavior to his guest. "He has a tendency to examine a series of events and connect them together. However his explanations are always a little unconventional."

"Like knowing magic is real?"

"Exactly!" Izuku said. "It's always the most ridiculous-"

"Is it really that ridiculous?" Ochako tilted her head. "After everything you have experienced these last few weeks?"

"I-" Izuku opened and closed his mouth several times before sighing. "So what you're saying is he might be onto something?"

"He does appear to be very observant," Ochako pointed out. "He was able to work out that it was us in that blurry photograph, despite my temporary appearance. Perhaps he would be willing to aid us in our investigation?"

"No!" Izuku said quickly. "No- that-" He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, if we ask for his help, then he's going to start asking questions. And that means he's going to find out what you really are…"

"I understand," Ochako said before she looked down at her hands. She had only just recovered from pushing herself to stop the tsunami, and while she was able to operate much more freely away from Izuku, she was not fully independent of him yet. In a few more weeks it might be worth the risk, but to bring someone else in meant risking Izuku's life as well.

She didn't like that idea.

"Perhaps we can tell him when I am more acclimated to your world," Ochako suggested. "If our search continues to prove futile."

"Y-yeah," Izuku said, bobbing his head. "And we can work out the rest of your cover story!"

"Cover story?"

"What I told Shoto - that your last name is Uraraka, and you're from Nabari."

"Ah, those," Ochako looked at Izuku curiously. "Why did you choose to give me the second name of Uraraka?"

"It-" Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat.

Damn it, why did I have to pick the phrase 'Beautiful Day' for her last name? I mean sure she's beautiful, but she's also an eldritch being who created that body out of stardust! There's no way you can tell her the real reason for calling her that - she'd just laugh at you.

"-was a name I read in a manga once," Izuku said. "I just said the first name that came to mind."

"Oh, okay. And did you actually visit this 'Nabari'?"

"Mhm! I guess we should look up more about the town if you're supposed to be from there, let me go get my laptop."

As Izuku stood up to go to his office, Ochako was struck by a similar idea. Grabbing her phone, she looked up her new last name. She didn't get very far before Izuku returned with his laptop, setting it up on his coffee table. Locking her phone, Ochako set it down.

She'd have to look into it later.

Izuku began typing as Ochako leaned into his side, watching the screen intently as he pulled up page after page of information on Nabari. Settling in, the two prepared for a long night of research to build a backstory for her.