Izuku POV

Friday. I start to get ready for my date with Ochaco. During one of our previous dates, I learned that she likes anything relating to space, so I'm thinking of going there together with her. The weather's pretty good too. Underneath a canopy of cerulean skies, the sun casts its golden rays like a painter's brush, illuminating the world with warmth and promise. A gentle breeze whispers through the air, carrying the scent of blooming flowers and fresh-cut grass.

She seems pretty particular about my clothes, so I decided to put a little more effort into choosing what I wear on this date. It's a black semi-formal shirt under a green jacket and black pants. I don't have that many clothes, but it balances out being both stylish and comfortable if I do say so myself.

Ochaco and I decided to meet up at the train station instead of taking off together from the dorms. Mostly, we don't want rumors to start going around, revealing my relationship with Ochaco. I'd say it's already too late for that, but this is also for Ochaco's peace of mind. Besides, Ochaco said this way it'll feel more date-like, whatever that meant.

I walk through the crowded streets toward our meeting spot, only to find her being hit on by three guys I don't know. It seems she's blatantly ignoring them but they won't take the hint. Well, I'm sure she can ward them off without a problem, but the sight's still irritating me so I approached them.

"Heya, Ochaco! Didn't keep you waiting, did I?" I said, only to be hit with embarrassment the next moment.

''Heya'?! Seriously, Izuku?'

One of the guys, the one with a mohawk, looked like he was thinking of intimidating me, only to gulp loudly once he saw the height difference between us. They look like a bunch of kids compared to me. I looked calmly into their eyes and said,

"Scram." Which is enough as they started running away at full speed.

"Hello, dear Knight," Ochaco said. "No worries. You're right on time," she told me.

'She really didn't pay them any mind, huh,' I thought as I tried holding back my laughter. It's not going so well, so I tried changing the subject.

"Hey, Ochaco. Isn't that a little excessive? The weather's not that cold outside," I told her, observing several layers of clothing she had on her person. In fact, it's not cold at all.

"Perhaps not to you, dearest Knight. But then I have seen Evokers shrugging off Dragonfire. Compared to that, I guess even Japan's springtime temperature is not so bad,"

"Don't Enchanters have something to ward off the cold?"

"Yes, we do. It is called clothing," she said with a playful grin on her face.

"Very funny," I said, which earned a giggle from her.

We started boarding the train towards our destination in Ikebukuro. It's just a couple of stations away, so we were able to get there pretty quickly. To my surprise, not many people were at the station during this time for some reason. We spent the time with her in my arms, talking about small things.

Konica Minolta Planetarium "MANTEN"

"Uwwaaahhh~ It looks so good on the outside," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Yeah, I've been wanting to go here for a while now. I heard the show they have is amazing," I said with a charming smile.

We spent the time going from exhibit to exhibit. While it's true that the main attraction of this place is the show, there's more to it than that. They also have sections about Heroes here, which I appreciated. There's even a section for Thirteen-sensei and her parents, Mercury and Vostok. Ochaco's...err...enchanted, for the lack of a better word, while looking at the meteorites exhibit. It was all fine and dandy until I started hearing her muttering something about magic circle formulas and something about tons of TNT while (cutely) looking at it, which made me sweat a bit.

The inky night sky seemed to stretch endlessly above me, a breathtaking tapestry studded with thousands of glittering stars. As my eyes traced the spiraling arms of the Milky Way galaxy, its ethereal glow enveloped us in celestial wonder.

Beside me, Ochaco let out a hushed exclamation of awe. "Can you believe this incredible view, Izuku?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, heavy with reverence.

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, feeling a profound sense of peace and possibility wash over me in this sacred space beneath the cosmos. The delicate string of lights surrounding us cast an almost dreamlike ambiance.

After enjoying the displays and eating lunch for a bit, we enjoyed the show on top of what they called, the Cloud Seats. They weren't kidding. It truly does feel like I'm on top of the clouds here.

"That sure is a great show, huh?"

"Truly," she said, her eyes sparkling not unlike the stars we've just watched just then.

"I've been reading quite a lot since we met. It said that Arthur's Seat was one of the possible places Camelot was in. What do you think about that?" I asked her, flexing the little trivia I had about her homeland.

"No," she instantly answered before continuing, "Camelot was originally located in what is now Kent."

"Was?" I asked about the weird choice of words as if she's saying...

"Merlin moved it into Elsewhere when he built the Court," she answered. Holy...

"Wait. How do you...move a castle?"

"A city. And I do not know. It is the frustrating part of Merlin's feats; most magical tasks I can understand the underlying process. I may not have the power or skill to achieve them yet, but I can see the steps I would need to walk to get there. With much of Merlin's magic, there is no such path," she uttered in both awe and defeat. And possibly irritation at herself for not getting it.

If you were to ask me, it only speaks volumes about Ochaco's talents. I may have more raw power than her, especially with the addition of OFA, but except for bashing heads, the power has little use with how little control I have on my part.

"What kind of magician was he?" I asked, curious about the legendary man.

"An Enchanter? Probably?" she answered before settling into a thoughtful pose and continued, "Though judging by raw power, there may be Evoker blood involved. And some of the old books refer to him as a Sorcerer as well. So it's possible he was all of them," Ochaco says this, but it's obvious she herself doesn't fully buy it. It's because it's impossible to have two or more types of Spark. But perhaps the reason he's so legendary was because he's the exception? I wonder.

"Except Ceremonial Magic, I guess," I said in a joking tone.

"There is indeed no mention of him sexually gratifying the monsters from the beyond, no," she said with a frustrated tone before going, "Argh!"

"What?"

"I do not understand why I'm enrolled in that class," she said.

"I don't really mind," I said.

"Only because you get to ogle me indecently," she said while pouting.

"Well, not only because of that," I admit. No reason to lie here. She'd probably see through me anyway. "But it certainly helps. It's fluff class, right? Like the social studies we have. Extra credits won't hurt."

"Perhaps. All my studies were with tutors before this, there was no fluff."

"Anyway, let's not spoil the mood. I love watching the stars with you today," I told her.

"Oh? Only today, my Knight?"

"You know what I mean," I said, which earned a giggle from her.

"Hehehe~. It is certainly beautiful. And while this was never Camelot, you can sense the ley lines connecting here. It is a place of Power. They sparkle in the night," she said.

"Hmm...I wonder if I'll be able to see them someday," I wondered out loud.

"I doubt it. Evokers rarely see leylines, for much the same reason a flame rarely sees shadows. Your Spark is too bright, it washes out the subtle shades of the world," she explained to me. I get it, but it's disappointing and...

"It's frustrating, how other people see these things in the world I'm blind to..." I said.

"Your power is still young, much of it will come with practice," she said before pulling out a deck of cards, "Actually, there was a little trick my mother taught me, it might help you," she said enthusiastically.

"Wait, is that a pack of cards?" I said. 'What is it with Magic and playing cards?' "Nevermind. So, how do we do this?"

"First, hold my hands," she said while holding out both of her hands.

"Is this so you can create a bond for the magic?" I asked, curious what we were going to do.

"No. My hands are cold, and yours look nice and warm," she said.

'Finally, handholding? How lewd,' I joked inside my head while reaching out to both her hands. She's not kidding, it's pretty darn cold. Did she go through a freezer or something?

"Better?" I asked while holding her hands and wrapping my arms around her shoulder.

"Yes. Thank you, Sir Knight. I am...unused to this temperature. It is always summer at the Court. Arthur was the Summer King, after all. Never mind the lack of air conditioning," she told me before continuing. "So...scrying. It is a simple enough spell. Focus on the cards and channel magic into them," she said.

"Like this?" I said while putting down a single *One Pair* to the cards.

"Gently. Gently, Dearest Knight. Not everything requires the sledgehammer of Evoker might," she said.

"This is gently," I said, trying to lower the output, which is a challenge in of itself, but I seem to have managed...a little. "Okay, so...just...caress the cards?" Limiting the output is taking most of my concentration and talking on top of that is like trying to balance an umbrella with your tongue while riding a unicycle.

"The cards, Izuku. Not my hands," she said with a grin on her face, but her blush can't be missed from this close. Hehe.

"Okay...I think I've got it. I can feel the cards responding," I said. The feeling's quite novel, to say the least.

"You are still using ridiculous amounts of magic, but at least the cards are not in danger of combusting this time. Next step. Focus your mind on someone, and draw a card. The deck will respond," she guides me through the process.

"How about you?" I asked.

"Okay. I will be a mid-tier Diamond card suit. Diamonds for Enchanters. Hearts for Healers. Clubs for the weaker powers, and I would guess Ceremonial Magicians. And Spades for Evokers. The suit of War and Power," she explained to me.

"Hmm? Why mid-tier? Isn't your family a line of powerful Mages?" I asked, confused.

"We are. But I am still young, and inexperienced," she said.

"We could fix that, you know?" I told her with a smile.

"Stop smirking and focus on the cards," she rebuked me but I'm not missing the slight upturn of the edge of her lips.

"So...the card changes over time?" I asked, going back to the topic of scrying.

"Everything changes over time. The person changes, and so the card will change to match the reality it mirrors," she told me.

It's awfully interesting and convenient. I can already see a few ways to make use of this in the future.

"Gotcha. So, focus on you and draw a card?"

"You do not need to focus...quite that hard. You are intense enough as it is."

"Sorry."

"Keep an image of me in your mind, and draw a card," she said.

"Let's see..." I said while doing as she said. The card turned up to be...

The Queen of Diamonds!

"That is...not right," she said, confused.

"Got the suit right, at least," I told her.

"The high cards are all Powers. My Father is the Jack of Diamonds. But while I may one day be one, I am certainly not a Power today," she explained before continuing, "Put aside that card and try again."

So I did. And the result did not change. Still the Queen of Diamonds.

"What in the name of the Horned One is going on..." she said, confused, while checking the card out.

"Looks like you're the Queen in my heart, regardless of what your rules say," I told her, slightly tightening my hold on her palm to express my feelings.

"That is sweet of you, Izuku. But Magic does not work like that..."

"You keep saying that."

"You're a terrible influence on me."

"What's next?"

"Well, who else do you want to scry?" she asked.

"Hmmm...Why not Ashido-san?"

"Ah yes. The young Ceremonial Magician. Why did your thoughts jump straight to her, Izuku," she said while looking intensely at my face. She's smiling, but I feel like she's not being happy right now. Is she...jealous?

"Just curious...nothing else, I swear," I told her.

"Hmm...Okay then," she lets go of the topic for now.

I drew a card and pulled up...a Queen of Clubs.

"Another Queen in your heart, My Knight?" She asked, her smile scaring me a little right now. "If I didn't know any better, I could be convinced that you were a randy lecher," this time her tone is more teasing than the previous cold fury. Of course, I won't point out that I am. I'm not dumb.

"Totally not," I told her.

"Though...it felt as if the card...flickered. Strange." She said before returning the card to the deck.

"Could be just your imagination. Let's try Nana this time," I told her, which earned raised an eyebrow from her.

"Your fellow Evoker?"

"Yeah," I said as I drew the card and got...

The Queen of Spades. What the heck?

"Uh huh," Ochaco said to me. "Sure you don't have something to tell me, Sir Knight?"

'Dang it, what's happening here?'

"No. It's just simple flirting here and there. Nothing more than that," I explained myself.

"Again. The suit is correct the value...simply is not. Shimura-san has the potential to be a Power, but she is still young and untested. Who else do you want to try?" she said, seemingly dropping the subject.

"How about Midnight-sensei?"

"You are unlikely to get anything from her. Sorcerers tend to distort the laws of Magic, and one of the side effects is that they are impossible to scry," she explained.

"Let's try anyway," I said, wondering what happens. And I drew...

Rear of the card? Again, what the heck?

"There you are," she said, completely expecting this confusing result.

"Wait. So this card has two rear sides? How does that even work?"

"That is Sorcery for you. Exactly what it will do is anyone's guess, but I've never successfully scryed as Sorcerer," she said.

"Weird. Let's try my Healer friend, Yui," I told her. A little excited because of how weird it is. So I drew the card and got...

A Jack of Hearts. Huh. That's...unexpected, to say the least. Did I just hear Ochaco breathe a sigh of relief?

"Well, at least she is not another Queen," she said. Her eyes half-closed.

"We're not like that...I swear." I told her, my hands gesturing raised and palms facing her.

"Same thing, huh? So, this is not just random there is logic at work here," Ochaco said, contemplating what this all means. Sadly, it's not my expertise so I can't exactly help provide alternative explanations.

"I wonder what it is..." she said while snuggling closer to my embrace. "This is most curious. The scrying spell is simple enough that a child could do it. And you are getting it wrong, somehow."

"Well, why don't you try it?"

"Nothing should change there. But if it makes you happier. Who should I scry?" She asked, readying to draw from the deck. The amount of magic is something I can barely sense.

"How about Mina?" I just blurted out the name that seemed innocuous enough. She drew a card and pulled up...A Queen of Clubs.

"She is still coming up Queen of Clubs. What have you done to my scrying, Izuku?" She said, seems ready to pounce on me at any moment, and not the fun kind of pouncing.

"I'm innocent. Try scrying yourself and see what happens." I said, where she simply shook her head.

"You cannot scry yourself. And even if I could, I fear it would just give me the same results as you had. It appears you have corrupted the ritual itself. And I have zero idea how," she explained to me, which gave me a little idea.

"Why don't you try scrying...me?" I suggested.

"I already did. After the first time we met with the Minotaur. You were a 3 of Spades. Maybe a 4 or 5 now. Your powers are growing at a frightening pace." she told me.

"Try it, anyway," I insisted.

"Sure," she said while drawing from a card. "I...Wait. What is going on, Izuku? Who are you?" she said, her tone grim before letting me see her card. It's a Joker card.

"Hmm...Looks like another distorted reading."

"This is a 52-card deck. It does not have a Joker. Never have. I've only seen this..." she paused, before suddenly coming to a realization, "Are you a Sorcerer?! The only times I have seen this have been when trying to scry a Sorcerer..."

"Not that I know. And it worked the first time, right? Everyone's been telling me my father's a god or something. Maybe he was a god of gambling or cards or something," I threw the idea and see if it made sense to her.

"It does not work like that. Divine Blood makes you stronger and tougher, but you do not gain their primary characteristics. The son of a God of Gambling would not manipulate cards, any more than the son of the Horned God would be born with antlers," she explained.

"My mom's like the least magical person ever. Nobody in my family on her side has any connection to magic. It can't be her," I told her.

"And yet a Power chose her. Why, I wonder."

"Cute, hot, and willing? Isn't that the story of most of these girl-meets-god tales?" I asked her.

"The willing part is largely optional. But this was not a casual fling on your father's part. Your mother, your location, everything was planned. What does a God fear, to hide his offspring like this? And what did he see in your mother?"

"Wait, so you think he picked my mother specifically for this? That I'm some kind of breeding experiment?" I asked her.

"It is possible. Sorcery is found in the bloodlines furthest from magic. Evokers are found only in the mingling of Divine Blood with the human. A Sorcerous Evoker would be...quite scary, to be honest with you," she said with a tone lacking in playfulness.

"Why do you say that?"

"Sorcerers have an uncanny ability to find what they need. And Evokers have the raw force to take what they want. The two together have the potential to become a God in their own right," she explained, still a little shaken by the possibility.

Is that what I am? A Sorcerous Evoker?

"Well, I at least don't feel like a Sorcerer. There's no nudges or hints, no controlling entity pulling my strings or giving me directions," I told her. Surely, I have felt things before, like the time when I first met Ochaco, but it seems different from how Sorcerers' powers are described to me. Granted, I only have one sample, but still...

"And Evokers rarely become Powers. They tend to burn out gloriously in quixotic last stands before their power matures," Ochaco's tone is sad as if almost anticipating it's the same future I'll reach someday.

"Don't worry. I have no intention of dying," I hugged her tighter and gave her the most reassuring smile I could do.

"A worthy goal. It is a pity no Evoker has ever thought that way before," she said in playful sarcasm, but she leaned further into my embrace. "Izuku," she said, her tone surprisingly meek while looking at my face. "Evokers almost always follow the same pattern. They keep raising the stakes, fighting stronger and stronger opponents, defending hopeless causes, and fighting lost battles until one day their luck runs out."

Her words reminded me of what I answered to ALL MIGHT right after the USJ incident.

'Perhaps. I don't want to die, honestly. But if it meant I'd be saving one more life, I don't mind paying the ultimate price.'

Is that how those Evokers thought?

"And if their luck holds?"

"They become Gods? I...do not know. None of the Gods are particularly forthcoming with their origins. But it is certainly possible, even without adding Sorcery to the mix."

"Would your father be happier about you dating a god?" I asked, trying to find the angle where I could openly go out with Ochaco without her dismissing her Duty.

"My Father has no great love for Gods, Izuku," she said. In my mind, I think how troublesome her father is. "And even if you somehow survive to reach Godhood, that's a hundred years or more into the future...I rather fear I will be married off before that," she said.

"Hey, you already had one suitor get blown up. I could get you a T-shirt that said, 'My Real Boyfriend is an Evoker BattleMage Hero.' Maybe that would keep away unwanted advances," I told her, half-joking but half-serious. I better search up sites that do custom shirts at home.

This earned a giggle from her.

"Hehehe. My Father would have conniptions. Poor Lord Yarkow's family, they would be furious," she told me.

"But you'd still like one, right?"

"Oh, yes. Though I would only wear it in private. Or with you."

"So I'm being upgraded to boyfriend, then. Does that come with a kiss?"

"Izuku...I..."

"It's the fifth date. Surely, the rules allow for a kiss on the fifth date."

"Fourth!" she said, splitting hairs.

"Fifth. I count the study date."

"The rules have a lot to say about chastity, and not a lot to say about dates or kisses," she said.

"Then I doubt they'd approve of this," I said as I kissed her. A gentle one.

"Mhmmm!" Surprised by the act, Ochaco didn't know how to react.

"MhmMmhmm~!" She lets out a moan, her left hand finding itself wrapped around my neck. Her right caressing my hair. The kiss eventually became more passionate, with our tongues getting involved. Eventually, we let go but not without my tongue caressing her lips first. "Hmmmmm~"

"See? That wasn't so bad," I told her.

"I do not know...perhaps I would need to try again to be certain," she told me, her eyes closed as she closed the distance between our lips.

"Happy to oblige," I told her.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmm" she moaned. At this point, I can tell that the people around us are giving us a look of disapproval, but I don't care about them at all.

"And?"

"Definitely not bad. I feel...like I am walking a path of clouds," she told me.

"Are you sure it's not just this bed?" I teased.

"Yes, I'm sure," she replied in affirmation.

"That's good, right?"

"In some ways, that is amazing. In others...not so much. I feel one wrong step will send me plunging from the clouds into the abyss."

"I'll be there to catch you if you fall,"

"That is what scares me, Izuku. Oh, Izuku...Why was I born into this duty? Why is all this difficult?"

"Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?"

"More Wherefore Am I Ochaco. This should be...simple. And yet it is very complex."

"How did your parents meet? Another arranged marriage?"

"Hardly. It was a big scandal at the time. My Mother was a Fae noble, they fell in love and married without my Grandfather's approval."

"So it's a 'Do as I say, not as I do'?" I said. That sounds...hypocritical on so many levels.

"It was a different time. A stronger Court. And even today, there are Fae that hate my Father, and me, for what they did. It nearly split The Great Hunt. I cannot drive that rift even further. I have a Duty to my people and the Court."

"So...where does that leave us?"

"It leaves us watching the stars together. Let us enjoy this, while it lasts. Could you...could you kiss me once more?"

"Always," I told her as I kissed her and hugged her as if I'd never let go. I rummaged through my bag to find something I've been wanting to give her since last week.

"Here, Ochaco. Here. My gift for you," I said as I handed her a limited edition Thirteen poster with her autograph. I actually got it between the time when she was introducing the USJ and the time when the villains barged in on our class. I've been holding onto it, thinking back to how much of a fan she is of the Space Hero. "Are you okay, Ochaco?"

"I will be. Just...hug me," she said as she buried herself into my chest. I hugged her tightly. Eventually, I felt something wet on my shirt.

"Wait. Are you crying?" I immediately looked at her face, and sure enough, her tears were flowing down her cheeks. "Is it something I did?" With panic, I wiped the tears from her eyes. I felt like my heart was about to burst when I saw her crying.

"It is not you. You have been perfect. It is knowing that someday this will all end, and I will go back to the Court to marry some cousin of Lord Yarkow. Perhaps that would have been easier if I never met you. But I regret nothing,"

"You don't have to do anything. Your father can't force you to marry some jerk."

"No cage is stronger than the one we weave for ourselves, Izuku. And Duty is ever heavier than a mountain,"

"Fuck duty. You deserve better." I said. I get it's the kind of person Ochaco is, but if Duty will only make her cry then...

"I did not choose this Duty. But I will not fail it," she said resolutely, "In time I will be Queen of the Court-in-Exile. I will protect it as I can, and hopefully, I will leave a stronger Court for my own children. One where they can marry for love, not for Duty."

"Damnit, Ochaco..."

"Shhhhh...let us just enjoy this moment. Who knows how many more we'll have."

"Okay, but is still bullshit," I said as I held her tightly.

"Thank you, Izuku. For the wonderful date. And for being there for me."

We stayed there for the rest of the time allowed. By the time we walked out of the planetarium, it was already night time so we rode the train to go back to UA. The entire time, we're in each other's hands, seemingly inseparable.

We wait outside the dorms.

"Good night, for now, dear Knight. I will...I will always treasure the memory of today," her face seemed ready to cry at any moment.

"Hey, this isn't over yet. We can spend as much time together as we want," I said, which somehow cheered her up.

"You are of course correct. My thoughts have run ahead of me. So I will see you later," she said.

Yay~ We finally got the second Izuocha date chapter. Well, Izuku would say it's the third. Did you like it?

As always, let me know if you have questions or feedback about the story.

I'm thinking of making the next chapter about Elsewhere exploration, considering it's barely been touched.

Classes will start back up for the Heroes soon as well. They rarely appeared in the past few chapters so I'm thinking of adding a POV chapter for them as well in the future.

Thanks again for reading my story!

Next up: Intermission 1 - Normie POV