You sigh, partially out of a false perception of indignation and partially in disbelief of you actually going along with Himiko's idea in any capacity. And yet, you can't deny that your gut is telling you to support Himiko's wishes out of your limited options.
"Is this what you truly want?" you question Himiko. "Being treated like a dog for the next week or so?"
Himiko nods. "It's the best way for me to learn how to take care of Puppy and get her the training she needs. And I trust you and Horie."
"And you don't want us to know which one you are? You realize that means you aren't getting special treatment. You'll have to do your business outside, eat dog food from a dog bowl, listen to our commands, and otherwise act as a dog would."
"I know," Himiko presses. "I'm a good actor. By the end of the week, you won't even know which one is me." Himiko laughs. "Heck, by the end of it, I'm not even sure you'll want to turn me back."
"Please don't joke about that," you beg. "And I don't care about your stupid pride; if things ever go too far for you, just change back. Nobody will hold it against you."
"Okay," Himiko agrees before picking up Puppy. "Well… please take good care of us."
"I will. Sorry, Horie, but Himiko and Puppy are my responsibility."
"No, I totally understand," Horie states. "To be honest, Himiko and Puppy being solely my responsibility kinda terrified me, so I appreciate you taking them off my hands for me… no offense, Himiko."
"None was taken," Himiko smiled. "I wouldn't wanna take care of me either."
You give Himiko one final kiss before she heads into the bedroom with her dog and the two vials of blood that will be more than enough to sate her appetite in her new form.
Horie looks at you, a bit nervous. "Are you sure this is what you want? I mean, your girlfriend's gonna be another species."
"I'm not sure of anything," you admit. "But it's our best option in such a short time frame. I just hope Himiko understands what she's getting into. It's just not on my personality to go easy on her."
"I get it; I didn't expect you to. Though that's why you're better for this stuff than I am. I don't think I could've allowed myself to forget Himiko was one of the dogs and babied them the whole time. You're… strong, Kazuha."
"I know," you smirk. "Though… don't tell Dad I let my girlfriend turn into a dog? Or mom?"
"I supported this idea as well," Horie pouted. "Do you really think I'd want to get myself in trouble too?"
"Good point," you shrug.
Before you can say another word, you hear some light scratching behind the bedroom door.
Horie grimaces. "Guess that means the change is done. Are you ready?"
"About as ready as could be expected. I mean, you two kinda threw this on my lap ten minutes ago."
As you approach the door, you hear the scratching stop. And as you open it… you find two yellow labs.
The first is inquisitive, sniffing at Himiko's discarded clothing, which sits on a pile at the door. She is quickly spooked by your entrance, backing away quite clumsily, clearly wary and on guard, relaxing only when she realizes it's a familiar face.
The second is far more energetic and carefree, chasing her tail without a care in the world. As the door opens, she perks her head in your direction but collapses from dizziness. She lets out a small playful bark as she struggles to get to her feet before charging into your arms, giving you a warm greeting.
She's soon joined by her twin, who, unlike her energetic counterpart, needs some assistance getting into your arms. As you pick her up, she kisses your cheek.
Placing them on your bed, you reach into the bag and pull out two collars. One is red, the other is blue.
You put the red collar on the energetic dog and the blue one on the more hesitant twin. The prior doesn't resist as you strap the accessory around her neck, though the latter yips and nips at you when you tighten it too much. You don't even feel the 'bite,' considering it couldn't even get past your scales.
"I'm sorry," you say apologetically, scratching her head. The blue-collared dog seems to lean into your touch, quickly forgiving you. Not to be outdone, though, the red-collared twin rubs herself against your other hand, demanding her own scratches.
As you continue to pet the puppies, Horie smiles. "Well, isn't this a cute sight? Guess dogs are a weakness for you, too, Kazuha."
"I plead the fifth," you quickly counter.
"We're not in the United States yet," Horie giggles. "Anyway, how does it feel to be a dog, Himiko?"
Neither dog responds to your sister, causing you to laugh.
"Nice try getting Himiko to break character," you tell Horie. "But I don't think it's gonna be that easy."
"So… if we don't know which one Himiko is, and Puppy can refer to both dogs, we'll need to come up with some new names," Horie suggests.
"Yeah," you agree.
"Any ideas?"
"Not really," you shrug. "What about you?"
"Well, they're biologically twins now, right?"
"Until Himiko turns back, yeah. They're basically clones. That's how the quirk works."
Horie scratches her chin, taking a moment to think before her eyes light up with inspiration. "What about Rosie and Violet?"
"Why'd you pick those names?"
"Well," Horie begins. "They're twins, so I figure a similar naming scheme would work. Roses and violets are types of flowers; coincidentally, red and blue. Red is the color of blood, and roses are typically a symbol of love. Both would make perfect sense for Himiko."
"Okay, well, what about Violet?"
"Violet is parallel to roses. I think there's a poem about roses, violets, and sugar involving love. Not sure how it goes. And violet is close to violent."
"Are you calling my girlfriend violent?" you question. "And your best friend?"
"No!" Horie insists. "It's just that violence is often associated with blood."
You sigh before smirking. "You've been thinking about names ever since Himiko called you with this crazy idea."
Horie blushes. "May-maybe."
"Alright," you relent. "The red one is Rosie and the blue one is Violet."
Horie smiles, happy to be of service. And yet, there's one burning question on your sister's mind. "So… have they eaten breakfast yet?"
Violet's stomach growling gives you all the answers you need.
"I'll take that as a no," you deduce.
Horie looks a little green in the face. "I think I'm gonna be sick. The idea of a person eating dog food, even if they are a dog, is just… blah."
"Eating dog food is probably a third of the reason you're not caring for three dogs right now," you state. "I mean, ew."
"What's the other two-thirds?"
"Being manhandled and doing my business outside," you bluntly state.
Horie looks down at the two dogs sympathetically. "Yeah… I'm starting to think Himiko might have a problem."
"I blame Sayaka."
Horie blinks as if pondering your answer before smirking. "You know what? Fair."
Turning your head back to the bed, Violet has spread out, watching you and Horie discuss inquisitively. On the other hand, Rosie isn't paying attention at all, instead more focused on cleaning her paws.
Steeling yourself for what comes next, you clap your hands, getting Rosie's attention. "Come!"
Both dogs keep staring at you, making no moves to get off your bed.
That's when realization dawns on you. "We… probably need to order an extra box of dog treats."
By the time you coax Rosie and Violet into the kitchen, it's been twenty minutes.
And this is why we need training.
As Horie prepares the two food bowls, each matching the respective dog's collar, you keep their focus on you, trying out basic commands, hoping to figure out what commands the puppies might already know. Luckily, it seems they know how to sit, stay, and heel.
Well, something is better than nothing. I probably could've just called the owner of the rescue, but I'm too stubborn. Besides, I don't want him to talk me into another sale; I've nearly maxed out my monthly allowance, and I haven't even made it to New York yet! It's that exact reason why I didn't get a dog trainer!
Horie places the two bowls on the ground. From the corner of Violet's mouth comes a little bit of drool.
"Okay," you say, releasing the two dogs from your command.
Rosie trots over to the red bowl and immediately digs in without hesitation.
Violet, despite drooling, is far more hesitant. She approaches the bowl slowly, sniffing it, before looking back up at you.
You pet her on the head. "It's okay, girl. You can eat. You're enjoying it, right, Rosie?"
The red-collared puppy doesn't respond, her snout submerged in the meal.
With a bit of additional coaxing, you're able to get Violet to eat it. Soon, she's eating even faster than Rosie, making you wonder if you should find a slow feeder with how fast they're going.
And yet….
"Are you hungry?" you question Horie.
"No," Horie admits. "Not really. After seeing this?"
"Yeah, I don't blame you."
…
"I'm gonna grab some cereal. Want some?"
…
"Sure," Horie begrudgingly agrees as you leave her on guard duty to make your own breakfast.
And yet, she doesn't have to do much guarding, as they finish eating by the time you pour milk into the two bowls and place them on the table.
As you and Horie sit down, you point to the dog bed a few feet away from your chair. "Bed!"
Both of the dogs comply, curling up together on the dog bed.
And yet, as you and Horie begin to chow down, you feel like something is wrong.
Turning back to the bed, you find Rosie sound asleep, perfectly content, and probably exhausted from all the running you saw the bundle of energy use up this morning.
But Violet? She's at your feet, tail wagging, and her eyes are drawn to the cereal.
"I think she's begging you for food," Horie notes with a smirk.
"Yeah, I noticed."
You try to move the bowl away from the edge, but Violet's eyes track it.
"This little one is quite the food hound, isn't she," Horie jokes. "Well, better you than me."
As the begging eyes come out, you bite the inside of your mouth, which has luckily grown tough enough to merely feel like you're being pinched rather than instantly shredding it to pieces.
I must stay strong. I don't know if Violet is Himiko, but even if she is, I need to give her the genuine dog experience she wants. And if Violet is Violet, then I can't risk instilling bad habits in her early… no matter how adorable those literal puppy dog eyes are.
"Bed!" you order again, causing Violet to whine.
…
Giving up, you toss a piece of cereal onto Violet's side of the bed, which she runs over and chews on happily, celebrating her victory.
This is going to be a tough week.
Shortly after breakfast, you realize that you might need more help than you first thought, especially with Himiko doubling your workload by turning herself into a puppy. For that exact reason, you've ended up at the local park; specifically, the fenced-in area is still reserved for people with pets.
Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be anyone here at this hour.
Dang. And I thought I might actually find somebody because it was spring break. Guess getting free advice isn't gonna happen.
And yet… you can't say it's a wasted trip. Reaching into your purse, you pull out a tennis ball. "You girls wanna play fetch?"
Both Rosie and Violet are drawn to the ball; it's like you have them in a trance.
"Go get it!" you command as you throw the ball, causing both dogs to instinctively chase it. Violet gets to it first.
"Good, girls!" you praise. "Now, come here."
Violet spits the ball out and just stares at you.
"Heel!"
Violet stares at you as Rosie plays with the tennis ball at her paws.
"I don't think they're moving," Horie notes.
"Wow, what gave you that idea?" you sarcastically snap.
"Wait," Horie says. "They are moving. Just… away from us."
"What are they doing by that tree?"
…
"Oh."
Horie quickly puts her finger on her nose. "Not it."
You groan.
Getting these dogs the training they'll need to make the trip to New York in less than a week is going to be tough, but I'll be doing my best. If there's one thing that I don't do, it's back down from a challenge. And these dogs?
They've declared war.
The following week goes by in a blur. Other than the Friday before the trip, which Horie agreed to dogsit while you go out with Sayaka and Natsumi as a farewell celebration, the entire rest of the week is spent training the dogs with your head buried in a manual.
Luckily, your subsequent few visits to the dog park prove to be far more fruitful, and the other dog owners are more than happy to give you a few tips and tricks you could never learn from a book. And with your natural charisma, getting Rosie and Violet to listen to you after a day or two is child's play… even if you had to replace a few pillows they chewed up and a carpet they'd had an accident on.
But you have a very important guest to meet the weekend before the trip arrives.
As the doorbell rings, you nearly sprint to the door, opening in a single, swift motion. You nearly leap for joy as you see the puff of blonde hair behind it, tackling her to the ground. "Mellissa!"
Melissa stifles a groan with a laugh. "Someone's excited to see me."
"It's been two years," you pout. "You're like my third favorite person in the world."
"Third?" Melissa sarcastically mocks. "And to think I'm letting you stay with me for the next few months."
"At least I'm honest," you stick out your tongue. "Like how you look way better with a ponytail and with contacts rather than letting your hair down and glasses."
"Really?" Melissa tilts her head. "Huh; I'll keep that in mind."
"You better; by the end of this exchange program, you'll have a whole new look. I mean, seriously, picnic-patterned stockings and short pants? Never dress yourself again."
"Hey!" Melissa protests.
"It only hurts because you know it's true, girlfriend."
"Are you sure you should be calling me that? Aren't you afraid of your actual girlfriend getting jealous?"
"Girlfriend? No, I don't have one of those anymore, you dismiss. Unless you Sayaka. She loves getting wrapped up in my tail. And wow, she doesn't just talk a big game. She really knows how to put on those night moves."
"I don't understand," Melissa says, wholly shaken. "I thought you were with Himiko? You and she seemed so happy together. What happened?"
You smirk. "What happened?! I'll tell you!"
You point at the door, where two puppies sit inquisitively. Rosie is wagging her tail, whereas Violet is a bit more on guard, defensive and jealous, seeing a new face so close to her owner.
"Himiko decided to turn herself into a dog for the week," you complain. "I've tried everything to get a rise out of her, including threatening to cheat on her with anyone I can think of, but it hasn't worked. Part of me wonders if she actually thinks she's a dog now."
"Well, they're cute, at least. Aren't you, girls?"
Violet lowers her guard, sniffing Melissa, before licking her on the nose.
"That tickles!" Melissa giggles.
"You're just… going along with this?" you question. "When I told Natsumi, she was so scared she refused to return to my apartment."
"Not at all," Melissa said, scratching Violet behind the ears. "If I had a quirk, I'd always use it. So if I had Himiko's quirk, I'd probably never be myself."
"Oh, right," you say dejectedly. "Sorry for rubbing this in your face."
"Don't worry about it," Melissa smiles. "Besides, there are some advantages to being Quirkless."
"There is?"
"We get free handicap parking," Melissa explains. "Quirkless people are so rare in the United States we're considered disabled."
"That's awful."
"I don't know," Melissa counters. "The wording isn't great, but it's the States way of giving perks to Quirkless. Suicide rates are highest among the quirkless, so they're just trying to give us a consolidation prize."
"Things are getting worse, aren't they?"
"Yeah," Melissa confirms. "Things are certainly different from when are parents' generation. And it'll be up to us to fix it; you as a hero and me as your support."
"Anyway," you change the subject. "We probably shouldn't keep talking on the floor."
"Huh," Melissa realizes. "I guess we are on the floor."
You get off Melissa and help her to her feet. "So… what do you wanna see while you're in Japan?"
Melissa smirks. "I have some ideas. Though first…."
Her stomach growls. "Think we can get some breakfast?"
Both Rosie and Violet yip in agreement.
After taking Melissa out for a much-needed breakfast, you take her around Musutafu. You take Violet while Horie holds onto Rosie as you travel around as a group, eventually meeting with Sayaka and Natsumi again to introduce them to Melissa over dinner.
Unfortunately, the day goes by incredibly fast, and with Melissa apparently spending the day with "her Uncle All-Might" on Sunday, that day is mostly packing, finalizing your training with Rosie and Violet as much as possible, and the weekly family dinner.
"Kazuha, Horie?" Chiyo asks. "Why do we have two furry guests tonight?"
"Uh… they're ours?" Horie hesitantly responds.
"I see," Chiyo accepts before looking to Nezu, who seems incredibly uncomfortable with the two dogs. In fact, from the clenching of his eyebrows, you can tell… he's absolutely furious.
"And what gave you the idea to adopt two dogs?" your father tries to ask with a straight face.
"Actually," Horie clarifies, "we didn't adopt a dog. Himiko did."
"You said 'a'; I see two."
"That's because…."
You glare at Horie, agreeing previously to not tell your parents. And yet….
"The second dog is Himiko," Horie admits.
Akia, who has mostly stayed out of the argument to this point, gasps. "Seriously? But… why?"
"Himiko figured if she was trained like her puppy was, she could use the personal experience to reinforce the training later."
Nezu stares at the two puppies, each too thoroughly invested in their meals to pay attention to anything else, before turning his gaze back to the two of you.
"You, Himiko, and Horie will leave the country for a few months," Nezu reminds you. "And you'll be living with Melissa for that entire time, correct?"
"Yes?" you respond. "But why are you bringing this up?"
"Can we trust you to take care of yourselves?" Nezu honestly questions.
"We've been doing it for the last year," you protest.
"No. You've been living next door. Akia, your mother, and I have a key we can use anytime. I wouldn't call that 'on your own' whatsoever."
"If that was true, you would've found out about Himiko far sooner."
"And if I had, I would've stopped this nonsense."
"What's your problem, Dad?" you scoff. "That I adopted some animals? I thought a dog would be a good companion for Himiko, alright? What's the problem? I've trained them well. I'm, like, totally a dog whisperer."
You whistle, drawing the two dogs to your side immediately.
"That's the problem," Nezu raises his voice. "Himiko's issues are delicate. And you seem to be underestimating them."
"She's happy! If she wasn't, she would've turned back. We aren't forcing her to do this."
"Do you want a dog or a girlfriend?"
"Don't you dare question me on that!" you protest. "I love Himiko! Heck, I only did this because it was her idea! I thought it was complete lunacy! You're just angry I have pets now because you're a rat!"
"Kazuha!" Chiyo scolds. "Don't talk to your father like that."
"Whatever," you roll your eyes. "You know Himiko has… special circumstances. You mentioned them yourself. So excuse me for trying to play hero and help her."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Kazuha. It is because of her special circumstances that you don't realize how much this could hurt her. You must stop this before it goes so far you can't take it back."
"I'm doing the right thing."
"You're not. Not whatsoever."
"So if I don't do things your way, I'm a villain?"
"I never said that. Don't put words in my mouth, young lady."
"But you were thinking it?"
Akia tries to de-escalate the situation.
"Kazuha, Mr. Principal, please. This is all just a bit of a misunderstanding. Let's just wait until we finish eating. I'm sure we'll all feel better."
"Y-yeah," Horie supports. "We don't need to fight."
Chiyo stays quiet. "She intends to turn back before the flight, correct? So long as Kazuha promises not to endorse this in the future, we can put off the issue until a more appropriate time, as our dear Akia has already suggested."
"These issues are too serious to put off," Nezu declared before turning to the dogs. "Himiko Toga, I order you to change back right now. It's for your own good."
"She'd be naked," Horie clarifies.
"Then I'll leave the room."
You can't take this anymore and decide it's in your best judgment to leave before you say something you can't take back. "As Mother said, she'll be back to normal tomorrow. Case closed. I'll see you in a few months."
You stand up from the table.
"Kazuha!" Nezu warns. "If you leave this room, you won't go to New York!"
"I might not meet your genius level, Dad, but I'm not an idiot. You and Mr. Shield pulled too many favors to make this work out; me and Horie not going now would reflect poorly on you."
You pick up your dogs and make your way to the door. "If you wanna settle this, then give me a call. Just remember there's a thirteen-hour time difference."
And that is the last time you'll see your parents for several months.
The next day, you, Horie, Rosie, and Violet get a ride from Yu to the private airstream, where David and Melissa Shield's private jet will pick the six of you up.
"Ugh," Yu grumbles as she drops you off. "I've always wanted to fly in a private jet. You're so lucky."
"Maybe if you were more focused on hero work rather than whoring yourself out to the highest bidder, you'd actually be worth something?" you snark.
"Yeah, but whoring myself out, as you call it, is so much fun."
You chuckle slightly at Yu's banter. "See you later?"
"You better. This place is too boring without you."
As you enter the plane, presenting your passport to the captain, you find Melissa sitting inside.
"Hey, girls," she greets before noticing the dogs.
"Hi, Melissa," you wave. "You're dad not joining us?"
"No, he's gonna work in his office."
"This plane has an office?" Horie questions.
"It has everything," Melissa smirks before looking around. "Uh… why is Himiko still a dog?" Melissa asks, completely stumped.
"My best guess is she drank both vials of blood," you surmise. "She could probably stay another week like this without needing to refuel. We can't exactly ask her until she shifts back."
You decide not to mention the fight from last night during the family dinner that Horie was no doubt privy to. A private rebellion.
"Fair enough," Melissa shrugs. "Though I hoped to learn more about you and her relationship. The last time we met, you two weren't a couple."
"You'll have the next nearly four months to see what they're like together," Horie reminds Melissa. "It's a strange dynamic, but I don't have any complaints if they're happy."
"You only think it's strange because you're third-wheeling," you giggle. "We really need to find you a boy."
"Maybe an American boy?" Melissa jumps in on the teasing. "It's a… a…."
Melissa sighs. "Sorry, I have no idea where I was going with that."
"Anyway," you begin. "You used to live in Las Vegas, right? Why'd you move to New York?"
"When my father took up residence on I-Island, he wanted me to be where he could easily visit me. Los Angeles and New York were the only real options for major port cities with big airports. Considering New York is the hero hub of America… it just felt fitting?"
"But aren't many support companies based out of California?"
"True, I'll probably have to move out to L.A. if I don't move to I-Island. But Midtown Horizon High is a highly recognized school as well. And with less direct competition and plenty of heroes, there are a lot of great opportunities out here as well."
You nod. "Well, I'm looking forward to seeing it. I'm especially looking forward to the Hero Camp."
Melissa's eyes brighten. "Oh, Central Park Hero Camp?"
"That's it," you confirm. "You're going too?"
"They have an incredible support course. It's technically designed for heroes who want to maintain their gear, but it should be fun. One last hurrah before I'm off to university, you know?"
Melissa peers out the window as the plane begins to move. "You know the story about Central Park, right?"
"During the dark ages, one of the big villain groups in the United States hid their hideout underneath Central Park Zoo. When the vigilantes discovered this, they planned to stage an attack. But one of the 'heroes' decided to sell the information. He got shot dead for his troubles, and the counterattack… well, destroyed Central Park and the surrounding stretch of the city. A… lot of people died," you add somberly. "Anyway, the United States government decided to turn the entire scratch of land into a national park to remind everyone of the damage villains can cause."
"Exactly. It's primarily overgrown forest and the ruins of those buildings. That's how it's been for nearly a century now," Melissa adds. "But there's plenty of other great places to go in New York. We just have to go to a Broadway show!"
"I'm sure Himiko would love that," Horie jumps into the conversation, holding the dogs closely, both seemingly frightened by the plane lifting off.
"Guess we'll know when we get there," you say, watching Japan disappear beneath the clouds.
New York - the Big Apple - the City that Never Sleeps.
It's just as beautiful as you imagined it would be.
Wanting to give you the genuine New York experience, you, Melissa, and Horie get in a classic yellow cab. You pass skyscraper after skyscraper. The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and so on. You even see the Statute of Liberty, which, ever since the original was taken out in yet another villain attack a few years back, was being remodeled in the image of America's #1 Hero: Stars and Stripes.
And eventually, the ride comes to a stop in front of yet another skyscraper, the home of Melissa's highrise apartment.
As you enter, you find yourselves staring down at an incredible view of the city.
"Wow," you gasp. "This is incredible, Melissa."
"Best view of the city," she brags. "And it's only a few minutes from school."
"How many rooms?" Horie questions.
"It's a three bedroom, two bathroom."
"Three bedrooms? But there's four of us."
"Five technically," you correct.
"Seriously, when is Himiko turning back?" Melissa says. "I don't blame her for doing this, but I'd actually like to meet my roommate."
"Maybe she's waiting for us to guess which is her?" Horie brings up. "I mean, Himiko did make a joke about making a game out of it."
"It's probably Violet," Melissa shrugs. "Himiko and I got along the few times I've met in the past, and Violet came right over to greet me. She's also so gentle."
"I think it's Rosie. Because Himiko is so energetic, and Rosie just has the same energy."
"But I thought being another species would be disorienting. Himiko's probably just been following Rosie's lead."
"Violet had a very traumatic first few days; it would totally make sense for her to be distant."
"What do you think?" Melissa asks you.
"Honestly," you interrupt. "I'm trying to figure out the rooming situation."
"We're sisters, so it just makes sense for us to share a room," Horie argues.
"I… don't want to get in the way of your relationship with Himiko if you want to stay in a room with her. I'm sure she was looking forward to… you know," Melissa blushes. "Anyway, I was kinda hoping we could catch up this summer, so if you wanna stay with me, I'm totally up for sharing the bed?"
I guess the choice is gonna come down to me? Kinda figured room assignments would be up to Melissa, but here we are. I can stay with my sister, girlfriend, or pen pal. Horie and I haven't been as close in the last year as we used to be before Himiko and I started dating. And yet, it's clear that Melissa really wanted to spend this time with me, and she is the hostess, so maybe I should do what she wants. But then… this is the first time that Himiko and I can really take the next step in our relationship without my parents knowing. It's such a great opportunity; can I pass that up? I know that if I pick one, the other two will be disappointed.
Maybe we can sleep together in the living room as a giant sleepover? Sure, it's big enough, but should we really all be using pillows, blankets, and couches like this?
And then I guess there's also my guess on if Himiko is Rosie or Violet.
Anyway, I don't want to keep the two of them waiting.
DECISION POINT #1: Who Should Be Kazuha's Roommate?
A - Himiko
B - Melissa
C - Horie
DECISION POINT #2: Which Dog is Himiko?
A - Rosie
B - Violet
