Ibara Shiozaki was having a wonderful day.
The school day had recently ended, with the week of classes coming to a close today. Now, Ibara and her fellow classmates could have a few days of rest. She had taken a math test, and even though it wasn't her best subject, she believed that she did well thanks to her studying.
Ibara was walking along the main stone path to the Heights Alliance dorms. She had gone to the greenhouse to check on some of the plants that she wasn't able to care for in the dorm garden, and they were going along nicely, especially the rose bushes.
As she walked the afternoon sun's shine filled her with unquantifiable amounts of joy, a soft smile setting upon her face. She knew partially that it had to do something with her quirk (it did need sunlight to function and for her vines to grow), but in general, feeling the sun's warm rays on her skin always made her feel better. Almost nothing made her feel like that-
Except maybe Midoriya's smile, a voice whispered in her head.
Ibara immediately moved on from that thought and kept walking. She knew she had affection for the green-haired boy in her sister class, but who didn't? He was heroic, kind, intelligent, sensitive…
And cute, the voice added.
She shook her head, as if to get it out of her thoughts. Instead, she focused her eyes on the bushes and grasses that lined the sidewalk and paths of the campus.
Out of the corner of her eye, though, part of a bush seemed to rustle strangely. Was that a figment of her imagination?
She walked towards it, and moved some of the branches to make way. As she did, the bush rustled even more, though not by her work. Reaching deep within the bush, she felt…fur?
At her touch the object (animal?) bolted out the bush. Quickly she grabbed it with both hands, making sure it didn't weasel out of her grip. She knew that grabbing onto whatever it may be wouldn't be a good idea, but she was curious.
Bright emerald eyes looked back at her as she lifted the animal in her hands.
It was a rabbit. Not only that, but it was a green rabbit.
The rabbit (or was it a bunny? she didn't know the difference) had thick, fuzzy green fur, the color of dark grass or moss.
The real question was, what was a green rabbit doing on U.A's campus? It didn't seem like a regular rabbit; she had never seen a green rabbit before. What was he doing here? It would be wrong for her to not do anything about it as a hero-in-training and a decent person. She had to take care of him.
"Hmm, what should I call you?" she asked her new bunny companion. "Oh, I know! Mosu! It may be basic, but it fits you well."
Mosu did his best to squirm out of her arms, but Ibara held on to him tight.
"I'm sure you want to be outside, but I need to make sure you're safe first."
Carefully, Ibara opened the door to the 1-B dorms, with Mosu in her arms. Slipping her shoes off, she entered the room with a soft smile.
"Hello, Kendo," she said to her classmate.
Kendo looked up from the vegetables she was chopping in the adjacent kitchen in surprise.
"Oh, hi Ib-what's that?" At her observation, other members of the class-Kaibara and Awase in the living room, Pony and Kinko at a table with a card game going on- stopped what they were doing and looked toward her.
Seeing their expressions, Ibara tried to explain the situation. "Do not worry, I found this-"
"Bunny!" Pony jumped from her chair and practically leapt toward her to fawn over the small animal. Ibara let her, but still held Mosu close to her to make sure the animal wouldn't escape. "Ibara, where did you find this cute bunny?" her horned friend asked, tilting her head.
"Well, I saw him hop across the campus, and he seemed like he wasn't like the regular fauna around U.A; I knew I had to take care of him."
Kendo facepalmed. "Ibara, we talked about this. You can't bring in animals each time you see one that seems like they need help, even if they're really cute."
Pony squealed over the jade rabbit. "'But Kendo, this one is really cute! Just look at its little furry ears!" She then scratched one of its ears, but her touch had the opposite of the desired effect, as the bunny squirmed, trying, in vain, to wiggle his way out of Ibara's grasp..
"Mosu, no!" Ibara held her furry friend tighter and closer to her chest, which for some reason, made Mosu more anxious.
Either because it was close to dinner time, or because of the commotion, more classmates came to the ground floor of the dorm, including Monoma, Shishida, Tokage, and a few others.
Tokage, dressed in a casual purple dinosaur t-shirt and shorts, entered the room with a small grin on her face.
"Hey, what's all of this racket about, and why is Ibara holding a bunny like it's her stuffed animal?"
"Ibara found a hurt bunny and brought it to the dorms!" Komori spoke up from the card table. "Isn't that cute?"
"Yeah, it is," Tokage said, walking to the vine-haired girl. "Can I pet him?"
"Sure," Ibara said as she held out Mosu to her friend, careful to handle the fragile animal.
Bunny in hand, Tokage began stroking his fur.
"Hey there, little guy, how's it going?" After a few pets, she began scratching his ears, which seemed to comfort him. "I've never seen a green rabbit before. Say, Ibara, did you name him or anything?"
Ibara smiled at the question.
"Yes, I did. Because of his oddly colored fur, I named him Mosu."
"Mosu, like-" In md-sentence, Tokage froze, and then looked at Ibara and the rabbit.
"Tokage, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Wait, green…" It started softly, but Tokage began chuckling, before full blown laughter enveloped the dorm. "Hahahahaha…green!"
Tokage quickly gave Mosu back to Ibara, and promptly fell on the floor in hysterical laughter.
"Setsuna, are you okay?" asked Komori. "What's so funny?"
Slowly, Tokage picked herself up off the ground and wiped a tear from her eye, practically gasping for air from laughing, but mostly fine. "Guys, I think I know the real reason why Ibara picked up this bunny."
Ibara did not like where this was going.
"Tokage, what-"
"What's the reason, Set?" Komori innocently asked. By now, almost everyone was gathered around the tables, some standing up or sitting down, watching the unique conversation unfold.
'The real reason is that-" Tokage stifled a giggle. "Mosu's fur reminds her of her crush."
Immediately, Ibara's face turned tomato red as members of 1-B turned to her.
"T-tokage!" she stammered out. "You know that's not true at all! I brought Mosu to the dorms because he seemed injured, not because he-"
"-reminded you of Midoriya, right? The bunny almost has the same color as his hair, now that I think of it." While Tokage was speaking, the animal in question froze, staring right at the grinning girl, motionless. Ibara was the same, though her emotions were apparent for all to see.
After a moment to recollect herself, Ibara began to explain herself in a calm manner.
"What's so wrong about my attraction to Midoriya? He's compassionate, kind, loyal and brave, all traits which we should aspire to have."
Before Tokage could respond, Monoma, who had been observing, decided to step in with an outstretched hand and affable expression on his face.
"While I don't share the same romantic tastes as you, Shiozaki, I can accept a Romeo and Juliet style monologue about ill-fated romance."
"You are the only one who thinks it's ill-fated." Tokage countered.
"And didn't like five people die in that play?" Kaibara, still on the couch, chimed in.
"Actually, It was six."
"Miss Shiozaki, may I raise a concern?" From the small group, Shishida stepped out and raised his hand.
"Yes, what is it, Shishida?"
The beastly boy stood for a moment, and sniffed the air.
"This animal that you have brought has a particular unique scent that I have never encountered. Perhaps-"
Komori jumped out of her chair.
"Shishida's trying to eat the cute bunny! Quick, Ibara, hide Mosu!"
Mosu was now writhing around, desperately trying to free itself of the hold he was in, despite the loving arms which held him.
Shishida crossed his arms in dismay.
"While I do have to consume more protein than the average person, Miss Komori, I have no interest in eating Miss Shiozaki's latest acquisition."
"And that was mean! Jurota wouldn't eat a bunny!" Pony added.
"Thank you Miss Tsunotori."
"Sorry Shishida..." Komori replied, lowering her head.
"Call me Pony!"
"I can not do that, Miss Tsunotori."
Things seemed to de-escalate, before the door to the dorms swung open, causing Ibara and the others to quickly step back.
"Hey guys, I'm back!"
Mosu used this distraction to jump from Ibara's grasp and leapt toward freedom.
Tsuburaba's unaware entrance set off a chain reaction, as Mosu took the opportunity to jump out of her arms, and to the shock of the students and the joy of Kaybara - "Get free, little guy!" he shouted - he fled to the cold, outside world.
Quickly, Ibara extended her vines and sent them towards Mosu. The bunny was mid-hop and right across the doorway before she caught him, her vines quickly wrapping around the animal. The tendrils picked him up without harm and deposited him back into his temporarily owner's arms
"Shh, shh, it's alright, it's alright…" she slowly rocked the animal back and forth, whispering like she was comforting a crying baby that woke up. She planted a small kiss onto the base of Mosu's ear, which was pulled back in fear.
"Ow, what the hell…"
Looking down, Tsuburaba was spread out on the floor, looking like someone pushed him over.
Oops...
"I apologize for my vines knocking you to the floor, Tsubaraba, but Mosu would've escaped if I hadn't reacted quickly," Ibara explained.
The teen in question put a hand on his head and stood up from the ground.
"Uh, yeah, why is there a rabbit here?"
"Ibara found a really cute but injured bunny hopping on campus and she rescued it!" Komori explained.
"And you almost let the bunny escape!" Pony walked to Tsuburaba and kicked him in the shins. "Tsubarara, you're an idiot! The poor rabbit could've died!"
The idiot in question crumpled to the ground again in pain.
"Ow! Pony, why'd you have to kick me? That hurt! A lot!"
(Ibara didn't like that Pony displayed an unashamed act of violence, but in a way, she was glad that he got what he deserved after swearing.)
"Are you sure we should keep him in the dorms?" Tsuburaba asked. "I mean, what if Vlad or, even worse, PETA finds out. We'll be in hot water if we do something like that.
"First of all," Tokage interjected, "Koda from 1-A has a bunny and I think Vlad's okay with it as long as we don't destroy the dorms. Second, PETA lost all respect after Nezu sued them, so we're fine."
After pausing for a second, she continued with a gleam in her eyes.
"And how do you know it's a guy? Are you assuming the bunny's gender?" She teased.
Tsuburaba blanched, his face blank, deep in thought.
"Uh, he looks like one? I mean we could check, I guess…"
Mosu began trembling, at the implications of what Tsuburaba meant. Ibara noticed it, too.
"I don't think we need to do that. I was planning on cleaning him, though."
"If I may, based on my sense of smell, Mosu does seem to be male, based on the pheromones he exudes," Shishida explained.
At that, Ibara's, but mostly Mosu's, fears were assuaged…
Except for Komori.
"He's trying to eat the bunny again! Quick, Ibara, hide him!" She exclaimed in terror.
Shishida sighed.
"Miss Komori, as I have told you, I have no intention of eating Miss Shiozaki's pet."
"Are you sure about that, my beastly friend?"
Kuroiro spawned out of nowhere (though probably a shadow), sporting a wide grin on his face.
"I saw a bottle of steak sauce in the fridge that I think would be quite delectable on the fine rabbit."
"All right, all right, break it up," Kendo said, finally coming out of the kitchen with resolve. "No one's eating Mosu or planning to eat Mosu."
Kendo looked directly at Komori at the end of her reassurance, to which the mushroom girl relaxed, before turning to glare at Kuroiro.
"And Kuroiro, you know that's my steak sauce, so you better not do anything with it."
"Oh, I wasn't planning to until you said that, Class Rep."
With that, Kuroiro stepped into a shadow, disappearing quickly as he came in.
After it seemed the Scheming Hero wouldn't return, Kendo continued to take charge.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do," she said, looking toward the group of classmates gathered. "Ibara, as it seems like we don't have any other option you can keep Mosu for the weekend, though you should talk to Koda tonight."
Ibara exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Kendo."
"That's not all," with that, she turned to the rest of the class. "As heroes-in-training, we needs to help everyone in need, even animals. We all should help Ibara take care of Mosu for the time being. After all, animals shouldn't be cooped up in rooms, but that also means to keep the teasing low-key, right?"
"Yes, Class Rep!" 1-B shouted.
"Good, I'm glad we're all on the same page," Kendo said, slightly smiling. "So now that that's settled, who can help with food and a bed for Mosu?"
"I have some wooden planks that I could weld and make a base for a small bed," Awase offered.
Pony raised her hand excitedly.
"Oh, I've got a blanket that he could sleep on!"
"I have a ceramic bowl he could drink out of," Honenuki casually offered.
"Okay, that's good. What about food?" Kendo asked, looking at the rabbit.
"Food should not be a problem, Kendo," Ibara explained. "The garden has plenty of vegetables Mosu could eat."
"Okay, I think everything's in order. Ibara, do you think you need anything?"
"Oh, I know what she needs. She needs her big, strong Izu-"
Ibara blushed profusely and Kendo glared as Tokage giggled away.
"Setsuna, we talked about the teasing, or should I confiscate your dinosaur crackers?"
Immediately, Tokage panicked.
"Uh, no teasing, got it, Kendo!" She then saluted and quickly ran to the kitchen to make sure her precious food was unbothered.
"Okay, if that's mostly everything, then I think we should decide on a schedule for who can take care of Mosu when Ibara can't," Kendo explained. "I think two should work for about three hours, and then we can rotate every few hours…"
"-and, that should be it." Awase said, booking at the recently finished cage.
"Thank you so much," Ibara replied in gratitude, looking at it.
The pen was fairly large, about four feet high and a few feet wide. It was constructed of standard metal grates with a black plastic sheet to cover the bottom of it. Ibara was watching Honenuki and Awase work on it, pleased. She wasn't really a hands-on person in the sense of hardware, but she was glad they could help.
Opening the door up, Honenuki, who helped with the construction of it, placed a medium sized bowl.
"And that should be it."
"Hey guys, don't forget about me!" Pony walked in, holding a folded blanket in her hands. The blanket had black and white patterns, just like a cow, and it seemed very thick, like almost fur.
"Pony, that blanket looks really nice. Where did you get that?" Honenuki asked.
Pony's face brightened up, eager to talk.
"Oh, it's my grandma!" she exclaimed.
Honenuki was confused. Pony's original language was English, so she probably misspoke.
"You mean it was from your grandma?"
The blonde American shook her head.
"No, it's my actual grandma!"
Ibara, Honenuki, and Awase all looked at her in disbelief. Ibara gasped and covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Honenuki stayed silent, a thin line across his face, while Awase narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"Pony, what do you mean when you say that your 'blanket' is your grandma?" Awase asked.
Seemingly oblivious to their reactions, Pony happily explained.
"Well, my Grandma Polly had a cow mutation, and when she died, she said in the will that she wanted to be turned into a blanket, so here she is!" She plopped the blanket down into the wooden crate, and patted it with pride. "She'll always be with us!"
The three of them stared at her, speechless.
"A-are you… serious?" Hoenunki asked.
"Yep!" Pony chimed. "It's a little piece of home!"
The room stayed in deafening silence.
Until…
"Jk!"
Awase quizzically turned his head to the side.
"Huh?"
Pony giggled, and smiled.
"Jk! Just kidding! It's not my grandma! I got it at a flea market!"
Ibara almost dropped what she was holding, except she realized a live animal was in her arms.
"Pony, are you saying that…"
Pony nodded her head.
"Yep, you just got Punk'd! Boom!" Seeing her work accomplished, she promptly left the trio, galloping away. In the distance, they could also hear laughter which sounded very much like Tokage.
The three of them stood in silence looking at each other blankly, unsure of what to say.
"Well, it seems like Mosu's pen and crate are finished," Awase said, breaking the silence. "Do you need anything else, Shiozaki?"
Ibara shook her head.
"No, I do not. Thank you for assisting, Awase, Honenuki."
"Well, if you're all set, then I guess I'll be on my way too," Honenuki said. After nodding in understandment, the two left the vine-haired girl's room.
Leaving Ibara alone with Mosu.
Ibara held Mosu in a way so that she could look at the animal's eyes, face to face, faintly smiling.
Mosu, unable to escape, heard the worst set of words he would ever hear in his life.
"Now, let's get you cleaned up. How does a nice, warm bath sound?"
Mosu did not like baths, Ibara learned.
Knowing that animals naturally had dirt and other assorted grime on them, Ibara felt that it would be a good idea to clean Mosu.
She was wrong.
Bath water splashed in her face once again as Mosu fought to break free of his shampoo-soaked torment.
"Come on Mosu, I need to clean you!" She was currently hunched over the shower step of her personal bathroom, clutching (or rather desperately holding on to) a drenched Mosu with her left hand and with a cleaning rag in her right. Anticipating a messy job, she wore an old gray t-shirt with paint stains and a pair of shorts..
Mosu kicked again, sending more water onto the already wet floor.
"Mosu, be still! I need to clean you!" Ibara placed the rag on the rabbit's back and began rubbing to clean the fur, but Mosu wouldn't have it. With a mighty kick, he rocketed out of Ibara's grasp, landing on the hard linoleum floor.
Despite the water soaking his fur weighing him, Mosu hopped with fervor out of the bathroom, leaving little wet patches with every hop.
For the second time in the same day, Ibara cried out.
"Mosu, no!"
She stood up quickly from where she was crouching, but in her haste she slipped on the wet floor, her arms flailing as she fell backwards onto the floor.
"Ow!"
Standing up, nursing her head, she slowly stood up and stepped out of the bathroom to see very wet paw prints leading out of her dorm.
Ibara put her hand on her face in embarrassment.
"Why did I leave the door open?" she said in deprecation.
Exiting her room, she found more soppy, wet pawprints on the carpeted floor leading to…
The stairs.
Ibara rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could, barely touching the steps. She couldn't hear Mosu, but then again, her feet against the steps were loud. Ugh, now she would have to change socks after running with them.
Finally, she reached the base of the stairs, and set her sights upon the animal that was slowly (water on fur could weigh a lot, as she learned from Shishida) hopping his way toward freedom.
"Mosu, no!" Instead of using her vines, Ibara opted for a direct approach, and barreled at the small creature in hopes of saving him.
The thing was, because Ibara was hyper fixated on grabbing Mosu, she did not notice the change in floor from carpet to hardwood, and stepped into another puddle.
She fell again, face-down this time, just as she was about to grab him. The bunny pivoted to avoid the falling human. Changing directions, Mosu saw an open window in the kitchen; his new escape route.
Meanwhile, Ibara picked herself off from the ground, muttering about bruises. She got up but then froze, turning her head around to see where Mosu went.
"Did he escape?" she asked herself. Turning to the front door, it was fully closed, so the chances of him escaping were slim. The windows near the living room were closed as well, so he couldn't go through there.
Where was he?
She turned around, ready to backtrack to see if he escaped another way, until she saw him on top of the kitchen counter.
Splotches of his fur were darker than usual, and around his paws was a red liquid…
Ibara ran toward him.
"Mosu, are you alright? I knew I should have told Kamakiri to not keep the knives out…"
Leaning close to the animal, she looked at the pool of red and sniffed.
"Oh, thank God," she said with a sigh of relief. The smell was tangy, and it smelled like food, which was a good thing, unless Mosu ate something bunnies weren't supposed to eat. What could've he eaten?
Then, as if to answer her question, she heard sounds that she could only describe as 'squelching'. Paying attention to the animal in front of her, it seemed that Mosu had found a tomato and was having the time of his life eating. With his teeth, he was nibbling away at it, slightly moving back and forth.
Despite being alarmed at first, Ibara could only smile as Mosu attacked the tomato like it was his worst nemesis.
She could not resist the urge, quickly taking out her phone and snapping a few pictures of him devouring half of the tomato, afterwards which she quickly scooped him up.
"Okay, Mosu, I know you like tomatoes, but I think you've had enough."
As Ibara began to step toward the hallway, another person entered the kitchen.
"Oh, hello, Yui!" she greeted her friend. "How are you-"
The look on Yui's face told Ibara everything she needed to know; she screwed up, big time.
The mostly silent girl stood directly in front of him, her arms crossed. While she focused on Mosu, she also eyed the half-eaten tomato on the count behind them.
"Uh, Yui, it's not what you think! Mosu escaped my room, and he was hungry, so-"
Yui raised her hand in a gesture of 'silence' and looked at Mosu like he was a bowl of stew.
"He ate my tomatoes."
"Yui," Ibara pleaded, "he's an animal. Bunnies naturally eat tomatoes. It's not his fault."
"I don't care. He. Ate. My. Tomato," the usually mute girl said, staring daggers at Mosu in righteous indignation.
Ibara grasped the still wet Mosu to her stomach. He vibrated in fear like an animatronic stuffed animal.
"Yui, I'm sorry that he ate your tomato, but he's an animal! What do you want me to do? I can grow more tomatoes if you want," she bargained.
Yui shook her head.
"If he ate my tomato, then I know what I'm having for my night snack."
She pulled out a toothpick from her pocket and enlarged it to the size of a hunter's spear, holding it in a throwing position.
"It's rabbit season."
Ibara lay on her bed, exhausted. She spent twenty minutes defending Mosu from Yui, or as Kamakiri put it when he had watched Ibara getting chased by her, "Crazy Kodai". Luckily, Yui had relented, though half of the 1-B garden was going to be for tomatoes now.
After negotiating with her, Ibara then had to finish washing Mosu. Thankfully (maybe because he had a near-death experience after eating a tomato), Mosu was complacent while he was being washed.
After that, she gave Mosu to Yanagi for a half hour while she took a shower in the ghostly girl's bathroom.
(She had a good relationship with her to do so, and plus, she didn't want to shower in the same tub that had dirt and animal hair, which reminded her to clean her ub tomorrow. Ugh.)
It was now the late hours of the night, and Ibara let herself decompress by doing something that brought her much peace: reading the Bible.
Reading the sacred text brought her comfort, especially in uncertain times like this. Ibara was sprawled out, with the book at the foot of the bed while she lay down on her stomach.
Turning the page, her elbow brushed fur. Ibara smiled at Mosu, who was quietly sitting close to her.
After making sure that he wouldn't escape, Ibara decided to allow Mosu to sit upon her bed with her. After all, it would be horrible if she kept her in the pen for the whole night, wouldn't it?
Ibara liked to keep the room she had simple; other than her bed, she had a few potted plants, a wardrobe, and a crucifix next to her door, among some necessities.
As she began to turn another page, a paw was put on the book.
Ibara looked towards the paw, seeing that Mosu must've inched closer while she was enthralled in the text.
Ibara smiled gently.
"Oh, would you want to read the Bible with me?" She angled the book so that both her and Mosu had the vintage point to see the words. Of course, she knew animals couldn't read or receive the Word of God, but any company was better than none.
Tap.
"Huh?" Mosu's paw stayed on the page, unmoving. With a slight frown, Ibara took her furry friend's paw and placed it back on the bed. "Mosu, you're blocking the words!"
Ibara returned to her reading but was quickly interrupted.
Tap.
Ibara looked up again, her face scrounging up in irritation.
"Mosu, what are you doing?" The rabbit was intently staring at the page, like it held a secret. She glanced at his paw to see if maybe there was a specific reason why. Right above his paw and nails was the word 'human'.
What was that supposed to mean?
Wait…
Ibara gasped and started at Mosu.
"You…you…"
Mosu's eyes brightened ever so slightly.
Is she catching on? Are the signs enough?
"You…you can read! Oh, you're such a smart animal! Yes, I am a human! Good boy!" Ibara smiled and patted Mosu on the head a few times.
Dammit, it didn't work.
The vine-haired girl then went back to reading the enormous book, the lingering traces of a smile still on her face.
Mosu steeled himself. He wouldn't quit this easily.
He waited a few minutes, until the word 'man appeared' on one of the pages she was reading. This time, he placed his paw firmly there and squealed.
Bleated? Chittered?
Despite whatever noise the bunny made, it was loud enough to alarm its 'owner.'
Ibara stopped reading and clapped her hands as if she were a mother watching her child say their first word.
"Oh, good boy! I'm not a man, but you were so close!" As if to reward him, she began scratching him behind his ears.
No, you were so close…
At least the ear scratches felt nice.
Finally, after trying one more time (and receiving a hug and an assault of embarrassing butterfly kisses on his head), Mosu relented.
There's always tomorrow.
After Ibara was done reading, she placed him in the prisonpen her classmates had constructed.
"Sleep well, Mosu," she said. "And I know you seem scared, but everything will be fine."
With that, she went back to her bed, said a few prayers, and eventually went to sleep.
Imitating his master, Mosu set his head down, sagging reluctantly.
I wonder if sleep is better as a bunny…
Unfortunately, Mosu wouldn't know peaceful slumber.
From beneath Ibara's door, what seemed to be pure blackness slithered through the crack.
After the darkness was done traveling through, it began to take shape, revealing…
Oh All Might, not tonight.
White hair, then sly eyes, then a grinning white smile slowly shown through the dark.
"Hello, my little bunny friend. Now, who wants to have some fun?" The figure carefully opened the pen, snatched Mosu, and stealthily made his way out the door.
Once out of the room, the phantom-like figure raised Mosu up Lion King style, except the animal was facing him, emerald eyes intently focusing on him. He could kick him and escape his grasp, but he'd rather not injure someone, even if they were presently bunny-napping him.
"Now, let the true fun begin."
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah…"
The bedsheets of Ibara's bed rustled gently. Awakening the alarm, she slowly got off the bed, removing the mesh sleeping cap she'd worn. Stretching her arms out, she yawned and turned to the pen, just next to her bed.
"Good morning Mosu," she greeted her pet.
Except, he wasn't there.
Ibara rubbed her bleary eyes. This had to be an illusion, right? She blinked a few times, but nothing changed; everything inside Mosu's cage stayed the same (even the pen door was still locked), but the most important piece was missing.
She looked under her bed.
Nope.
Her bathroom.
Not there either.
She even checked inside her wardrobe, but her critter companion was not to be seen.
"Where did he go?" She whispered to herself.
Ibara bolted out of her room without a second thought and immediately went to the stairwell. She was going to find Mosu.
"Looking for something?"
Ibara turned around, glaring at the interloper. Next to her door stood Kuroiro, leaning against the wall.
"Didn't your parents tell you to look both away when going somewhere?" He grinned.
He must've been hidden by my door when it opened, Ibara realized. She truly hoped he had nothing to do with Mosu disappearing, but knowing him…
She marched forward toward the Scheming Hero, furrowing her brows.
"What did you do to Mosu?" She demanded.
Kuroiro grinned.
"Can't you tell by what I'm wearing? I made your bunny disappear!"
On close inspection, the 'magician' wore clothes fitting to the attire, consisting of an all black pants, undershirt and suit; the only thing he was missing to make it complete was a top hat.
Ibara glared at Kuroiro.
"Well, can you make Mosu reappear?"
"Of course, Shiozaki!" He grinned, all of his teeth on full display. Kuroiro raised his arms and clapped once loudly.
"Oh, Yanagi! Time to come out!"
From out of the nearby stairwell strode in Yanagi, holding said aforementioned top hat in hand. She wore a long, flowing (and from Ibara's perspective, skimpy) shoulderless dress, with a cut that revealed her left leg.
"You're not paying me enough for this, Shihai," she grumbled
"You're paying for my silence about that limited edition Gerald Way body pillow in your room!"
"...Fine."
Kuroiro clapped in excitement as soon as Yanagi came to stand right next to him.
"Now, my good assistant, would you do the honors of presenting the hat?"
Yanagi took the hat, rotated it so that the top was pointing downward, and gave it to the 'magician'.
"As you can see," he grinned, tipping the hat, "This hat is empty."
He moved the hat around to allow everyone to see the inside, like a schoolteacher showing the contents of a picture book to a group of children.
"But not for long, for I, Vantablack the great, will make a rabbit reappear!"
Crossing her arms in annoyance, Ibara watched on as Kuroiro removed a long black wand from one of his pockets.
"Are you ready, Shiozaki?" He flashed her a smile in amusement.
He's enjoying this way too much, she thought.
"Skip the threatrics and give me back Mosu," Ibara said.
"Oh, I will, but you didn't say the magic word, so my presentation will continue on!" He beckoned with his wand for Ibara to move forward, and she did, albeit exasperated.
Holding the hat bottom up again, Kuroiro swirled his wand in a circle a few times.
"Abra Cadabra! Now, reach inside the hat, my dear Shiozaki!"
She obliged, reaching her hand into the felt cap. Despite Kuroiro's antics, she expected Mosu to be somehow inside, but was disappointed when all she felt was a square piece of paper.
"Well, let us see what it is!" Kuroiro goaded me.
Ibara took her hand out of the hat and looked at it. It was a picture of Kuroiro holding Mosu in one hand, and a pair of 'bunny ears' above the actual rabbit's head.
She looked up, deeply frowning.
"Kurorio…"
"But wait, there's more!" Doing the same trick with his wand, he extended the hat. Not seeing what else to do, Ibara reached in, and found another picture; this time, it was one of Mosu alone, sitting in a circle.
An occult circle.
Triangles and pentagrams made out of chalk were etched around Mosu, with him at the center. Despite the wicked intentions, Mosu seemed peaceful, simply looking at the camera.
Upon closer inspection of the photo, the background seemed familiar. The room had black window blind, a canopy bed, and candles cluttered the walls.
Yanagi's room.
She turned to face her friend, aghast.
"Reiko, how could you?"
Her friend had betrayed her, as Judas had before!
The ghost girl shrugged.
"It's all in good fun, Ibara."
Before she could respond, Kuroiro took the attention once again.
"If you want to see your little fuzzball, the hat is the only way you'll find him!"
Her shoulders tense, Ibara reached in once again. She had thought that nothing would be worse than the last picture, but she was wrong.
Kuroiro was in the 1-B kitchen, Mosu in one hand, a bottle of steak sauce held directly above him. The cap was on, but that sight sent Ibara over the tipping point.
She clenched her fists, and stepped forward.
"Kuroiro, I am going to-"
Before she could confront the scheme, a head bobbed up from the inside of the hat. Kuroiro picked him up, and faux inspected him.
"Here you go, I hope I didn't get you hopping-"
Mosu had enough of Kuroiro's antics, and kicked his hind legs in the direction of his face. The bunny flew into the air, but Ibara caught him with both arms, nurturing him in a tight hug.
"Shh, shh, it's alright…"
Meanwhile Kuroiro was rolling around, wailing in pain.
"My nose! He broke my nose! No bunny can't be strong!"
Ibara shook her head, knowing how theatrical Kuroiro could be.
"Silly Kuroiro, tricks are for kids."
A few hours had passed since Kuroiro's 'magic trick', and the residents of 1-B were having breakfast. Ibara was eating a piece of sourdough bread at the kitchen table with Shishida on her right and Yanagi on her left. Despite the altercation earlier, Yanagi had made an apology, and Ibara accepted it, the two not having any bad blood between them. Meanwhile, Shoda was sitting in a chair near them, holding Mosu.
Heads turned as Kendo opened the front door.
"Bad news, everyone. Midoriya is missing," she said with a frown.
Ibara's jaw dropped.
"What?"
He was missing? What happened to him? She prayed that he would be alright.
Tetsutetsu stood up straight from his chair, almost knocking it down.
"What do you mean? Was he kidnapped?"
Kendo shook her head.
"Sorry, but I don't know. When I was on my run, Iida told me that last night, Midoriya left the dorms for an errand and didn't come back. The funny thing is, they found the clothes he was wearing on the ground like he poofed out of existence."
"Or that he decided he wanted to be a streaker," Tokage joked.
"Shiozaki, Mosu is acting really skittish," Shoda slowly stood up with the aforementioned animal vibrating in his arms. Once again, his ears were folded back and she, along with the rest of the class, could see him visibly shudder.
Without needing to speak, she took Mosu from her friend's hands. Why did he always shake? It didn't happen all the time, but it was prevalent enough for her to recognize it. Was it because of something she was feeding him? Did he not get enough sleep due to Kuroiro bunny-napping him? Was he cold?
"- and Vlad added that no one is allowed to leave U.A. premises except for very specific exceptions and to find Midoriya," Kendo said, finishing.
"You know, it's kind of a coincidence that the same day Midoriya goes missing, we find a bunny with a similar color to his hair," Tokage added.
On a chair to her left, Kamakiri snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Why do you guys always have to make it about this damn rabbit? It's 'Mosu this,' 'Mosu, that.' He's just a bunny that has green fur."
Ibara gave him a glare that he probably knew was because he 'swore', but decided not to say anything.
"You know, Kamakiri, on the helper sheet, it's around the time of your shift to take care of Mosu, so you must care somewhat if you decide you want to help," Tokage said, giving him a toothy grin.
Kamakiri rolled his eyes again.
"Whatever."
After breakfast had finished, Kamakiri, making sure no one was looking, went to the rabbit and reached out toward him, opening his hand so that it was right in front of the animal.
"Here you go, little guy," he said, depositing a few grapes for the bunny.
Mosu, despite being wary, reached forward and nibbled on the grapes. In triumph, Kamakiri gave him a head pat and an ear scratch.
"Wow, you're as fluffy as I thought."
It was late afternoon, and Ibara with a good chunk of 1-B were relaxing, watching TV. For the past few hours, 1-B had spent time having fun with Mosu; Yanagi flew him around with her quirk, while Awase and the rest of the 'Common Sense Kings' built a maze for him to go through. It seemed that he enjoyed it thoroughly, though it was probably because the 'reward' for completing it at the end was a piece of a tomato, though all five involved were careful to not let Kodai see.
Right now, Mosu was on Ibara's lap, his head resting on her knee.
I guess it's not so bad being a bunny but I miss my friends. I wonder how Iida and Uraraka are doing? They're probably worried…
As Mosu lay on Ibara's lap, he felt something within him.
It felt like the walls were closing in on him. Panic rose in his stomach, and his ear curled back nervously. Even though he was just on someone's lap, he felt like he was in a small prison, confined without any movement. What was happening?
"What's wrong, Mosu?" Ibara looked at him, concerned.
No, not now, he told himself.
Something told him he should definitely get out of Ibara's grasp. He did his best to wriggle out of her grip, despite her pleas.
"Mosu, what are you doing?"
A second later, he jumped out of her grasp just in the nick of time. As he leapt through the air, light surrounded him, drawing the attention of 1-B. He felt a moment of stinging pain in his muscles and bones, then-
He felt pain around him, then-
Poof!
In the same position Mosu was a moment ago, paws outstretched in front and behind him, was a different figure with green fur.
Or rather hair.
"Ah!" Midoriya yelped before he realized what happened. He quickly checked his body for any signs of being a bunny, and after a second, he concluded that he was back to normal.
"I'm human again!" He exclaimed in elation, laughing out loud. "I'm human! No more being carried! No more bunny-napping! No more petting!"
Midoriya laughed in relief for a moment, too preoccupied to take in his surroundings.
"Umm… Midoriya?"
Midoriya stopped laughing long enough to turn his head towards Kendo, who was staring at him in shock.
Which was the case for most of the room.
That was filled with 1-B.
Midoriya's smile slowly faded in turn with his face growing red and the horror of his situation seeking in.
He was naked.
In front of 1-B.
In front of Shiozaki.
"Uh…hi?" He finally said as reality closed in on him, which included the gravity, and he fell back to the ground. He immediately scrambled so he was behind a couch, but it really didn't help the various looks he received. Especially Ibara's. Her mouth was that of a fish on land, gaping open and closed. It didn't help that her face was the color of a cherry.
Meanwhile, the others were either in the camps of being shocked or being humored. Tokage was somewhat in the latter, giggling.
"Well, we found Midoriya, so that's good right?"
"Uh…" Was all Midoriya could say.
Why was everything so hot? He wasn't even wearing any clothes! At that reminder, he reached over the back of the couch and pulled a cushion to better hide his shame.
Manga put his hand on his chin.
"You know, this reminds me of a DC storyline where Supergirl dated a man who was actually Comet the Superhorse…"
The one who had the fun out of it was easily Kuroiro.
"Ibara had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb! Ibara had a little lamb whose fur was green as moss! Or in this case, a bunny! Ha ha ha!" He descended into laughter, rolling on the floor, completely hysterical.
"It's not funny…" Ibara had her face covered with her hands, still blushing profusely. "I can't believe it…"
"Uh, could I leave? Please?" Midoriya pleaded.
Tokage smiled, went to the front door, and opened it.
"Sure thing, Mosu."
Three days.
It had been three days since the 'incident'; she'd taken in a stray rabbit with odd colored fur, only to realize it had been her crush that she had been brushing, cleaning and feeding. To say she was embarrassed was an understatement of an understatement. Kendo had told the class to not tease her, but sometimes, she saw Kuroiro hold up the 'bunny ears' hand gesture when he was in her line of sight.
Ibara was currently on her bead, her chin resting on her pillow. While she attended normal classes and lessons as everyone else did after the incident, she felt too embarrassed to be out in the living spaces. She knew she'd get over this, but for now she was content to stay where she was.
Knock knock knock.
Ugh, she internally groaned.
"Come in!" She yelled.
She waited a second, but no one opened the door.
Knock knock knock.
Huh, that was weird. Getting up, she walked to the door and opened it.
Only for it to reveal the one person she didn't want to see.
Midoriya awkwardly raised a hand, his face pink in embarrassment as he attempted a reassuring grin.
"Uh… h-hi," he said.
Ibara felt a faint blush on her cheeks, but fought it.
After a lengthy pause, she spoke.
"Midoriya? What are you doing here?"
She knew, of course, but talking formally was the only way she could stop herself from closing the door, going to her bed and covering herself with her vines, and hibernating for a few years in shame.
"Call me Izuku, but…well…" He trailed off, unable to hold eye contact any longer. "It's been a few days, and I figured I should come and talk with you, or if I didn't Ashido would yell at me more..."
Izuku coughed and continued.
"Kendo said it was okay, so I came to your room. I-I mean, I came up to see you a-and you happen to be in your room! T-though where else would you be if not your room…" Izuku stammered before he caught his breath and looked back at Ibara. "Is that okay?"
"...Of course. What did you want to talk about?"
"Well…" Izuku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "It's about a few days ago…and the future."
Of course. That would be the only reason why Izuku would have a reason to come to her, to talk to her. Instead of saying anything, she let him carry on.
"I'm sure you heard what happened, but a Support Course student accidentally activated her quirk while I was visiting Hatsume for an update on my costume. It must've been time-delayed, because thirty minutes later, I was…"
An animal that I took care of, brushed, and spilled my thoughts and dreams to, not knowing it was my crush.
"...a bunny," Izuku continued after a slight hesitation. "I'm sure me visiting makes things awkward, but I just have to say; I've h-had a c-crush on you for a while, Shiozaki, even before the whole incident a few days ago."
Ibara was shocked, her mouth wide open.
"Really?"
Izuku gave her a guilty smile.
"Yeah. Since the Sports Festival, to be exact. Anyways, I guess what I'm saying is that I…" Izuku paused for a second,blushing. "Wouldn't mind to know you better. S-spend time with you, m-maybe go to a restaurant."
Ibara didn't know what to say.
"D-do you mean…"
"D-dating, or something like that? Yeah, if you aren't bothered by it."
Ibara shook her head, fervently okay with the prospect.
"No, I would love to spend time with you!"
Izukku's face brightened up.
"Okay, that's great! Though, there is one thing…"
"What is it?" Ibara asked.
"We can hold hands or things like that," Izuku said, "but please, no . . . no hair touching…or petting, p-please."