Passing by unseen
Chimeras
Shimmering on the edge of periphery
Fringes of perception

Excerpt from Sonder, by Maureen Morrissey


Doing Community service as training is so on brand for a hero like All Might, Izuku should honestly be much less surprised than he was.

The dryness of late winter scorches his airway as he gasps- straightening as he drops a tire off to the side. It was dismantled from a sedan leaning crooked against a pile of garbage on the beach. Izuku's muscles are sore, shoulders protesting as he winces, trying to move them in circles, stretching out the muscles. His tendons crack, and Izuku grimaces.

"Doing alright, Midoriya-Shounen?" He hears All Might call from a short distance behind him, and he startles like a rabbit, snapping up with enough force to jerk his neck uncomfortably.

"Yeah!" He calls back, "just, uh, just sore!"

All Might gives him a thumbs up and a grin, the latter which Izuku shakily reciprocates, before returning to his workout.

He is so glad Ruslan taught him weight distribution and proper form. He would have pulled something at least twice by now otherwise.

Someone chuckles as he drops into a squat, shimmying his fingers under a box of old CDs. He grimaces as he feels the sand beneath his fingers- but doesn't turn to look towards the source. Over the almost overwhelming scent of the sea and old, drying, dead fish, he catches something almost grassy- like the cross section of a branch freshly snapped off a tree, bleeding still as it waits to be grafted.

'Even if he didn't, I would have stopped you, you know.'The voice says, amused.'Or, tried to. The space is a little tight in here.'

Izuku straightens, keeping the box flush to his abdomen and arms relaxed, and turns to properly face the speaker. She quirks a smile at him, a corner of her lips ticking up, legs crossed as she perches atop a pile of TV and old crates with seaweed along the cracks, a strange sight to see among all the junk.

"Miss Rosemary," he pauses to observe, "you look different."

She is dressed a lot fancier than he's seen, more like the rest of the Cetaceans he knows. With slitted billowing sleeves and a headdress like a veil, trailing from her ponytail, she looks more in line with her sisters, who he's only met in passing. As the cetacean shifts her arm to clasp onto something, he sees her forearms tattooed with words. He squints at them, but they change before he could catch a word.

'That's because you were always seeing me in relation to someone else's legacy- don't twist your spine like that,'interjecting quickly, she pushes off the top of the junk pile- Izuku hurries to correct his stance,'good. You are now seeing me as a legacy from which you will inherit- as legacy itself. Of course I look different.'her smile gains something mischievous, playing with her braids,'do you like it?'

"I don't know fashion," he protests. Rosemary laughs, sensing that he's dodging the question, "go ask Alice, or you sisters!"

'Oh, dear. You break my heart,'her voice is mirthful, and without hurt, as she fixes the sprig of rosemary she's wearing atop her head. She spots his gaze, fixated on the changing text flashing past her skin.'Wondering about the words?'

"Yeah- they're changing." She smiles meaningfully before reaching down to show him the inside of her forearm. Izuku squints at it- he catches a glimpse of something in Japanese, for a moment, before it vanishes and turn into something that looks vaguely European. He gives up, dejected, and complains. "It's too quick, I can't read any of it."

'Didn't expect you to, dear,'she says, amused as she retracts her arm, peering at it herself,'I am legacy, I change with every perspective- and it's normal you can't catch up to a whole world's worth of history,'she glances to the side,'All Might is going to look this way in fifteen seconds, start pretending to work.'

He almost trips, but manages to steady himself before jogging off with the box, sand under his nails and in his shoes, the not-scent of something like engine oil brushing across his senses.


Midoriya Izuku is a strange boy.

A spirited one, certainly- Toshinori can practically see the fire shining in his eyes as he works. He's dismantling a broken down sedan as of right now- carefully pulling the parts away without disbalancing the vehicle so he doesn't hurt himself. He makes a triumphant noise that Toshinori could hear all the way where he stands, as he takes the door apart seemingly without breaking anything- but then something tilts off the top of the car, and lands by his feet, startling him.

"Be careful!" He call across the short distance, and the boy peeks up at him, like a startled hare. "A hero must always be mindful of their surroundings!"

"Understood!"

The boy salutes him, straightening into the pose somewhat stiffly, and returns to work with a renewed vigour.

Toshinori watched, as he picked up a box, his form is proper- Midoriya Izuku is not a very well built boy, but while slight looking, he is flexible and agile enough, with some lean muscles. It would not be enough for him to handle One for All, of course, but it shows that he did in fact, have some degree of prior training- and it is enough that, for now, he knows how to use his muscles.

Well, at least, he knows when he's paying attention.

He is clearly still amateur, some methods are not yet instincts to him, and Toshinori recognises telltale signs of beginner bad habits. The young man is quick witted, however, and mindful of his own posture, as he almost always immediately corrects himself.

('Your back, broccoli!'is what the Witness of Labour holler across the beach whenever Izuku starts day dreaming, and returns to some of his bad habits. He would then scramble and sometimes trip, but Mister Archer is nothing if not a mischievous piece of shit, so he just cackles at him.)

To be honest, it's only the first week- and it almost seems like the student just started teaching himself. So far all Toshinori had done was yell encouragements across a beach with vigor, and laugh with the boy as he hollers something back.

However- though it has only been one week, Toshinori has yielded some observations regarding the young man.

He often spaces out, or stares at nothing. So often that Toshinori had brought up to the boy at some point that should he have any attention deficit disorders, do inform him so they can adjust his training manual to something that better suited him. The boy has blushed profusely and denied, insisting that he just often gets lost in his thoughts. He also seemed to enjoy music, as seen with the headphones he often wear around his neck, or the earbuds he wears all the time while working on the beach. He does remind the boy to turn off the noise cancelling, lest he gets into some kind of accident.

He also often brought his laptop with him, in a bag that almost seemed homemade— green with a silver pattern sewn onto it, resembling a whale breaching surface. When asked, Midoriya-shounen had fondly said that his mother had made it for him, and Toshinori praised the boy's mother's work. It is very beautiful.

He almost seemed sad afterwards, and Toshinori didn't know how to ask after that.

"Yagi-san?"

Toshinori startles, snapped out of his thoughts as the voice pips up far closer than he expects. He coughs, feeling a bit of iron on his tongue as he looks down, and sees Midoriya-shounen peering up at him hesitantly, a box in his hands.

This boy has no presence sometimes, he swears.

"Are you okay?" The boy asks, worried. Ah, the blood must've gotten on his lips.

"Yes! Yes, you just startled me." He cleared his throat, "what is it?"

"Uh."

Then there's a small rustling sound from the box, and the boy awkwardly raises the box in his arms, allowing the cardboard cover to fall backwards. Toshinori and the young man stare down into the box.

A litter of seven kittens stares back.


He recalls the day Tsukauchi gave him the boy's address, and the day he decided to visit with a clarity he didn't quite expect, especially with the way he had to constantly remind himself just to keep the boy on his mind. But then again- the constant reminder might just be the cause. He recalls the dark apartment, and the boy, looking a little small in the doorway, staring up towards him.

He blinked, having expecting the boy's parents, or perhaps a guardian to come answer the door, as it had been a school day. There are bags under his eyes, and he's dressed in a baggy, white t-shirt that just said 'dress-shirt' across the front.

"Al-" he started, but then his mouth snapped shut. Toshinori could almost see the gears in his brains turning as he ran through options, before the boy sighed, defeated- "...Come in."

Toshinori winced at his tone, shame rising in him as his words that fateful day returned to haunt him- but he gathered himself nonetheless and walked forwards.

It felt significant, somehow, stepping into the foyer of the dim apartment immediately he was hit with a faint scent- something like dust, something like sweat. Like any other apartment, lived in. There were plants lining the windowsill, droopy and a little miserable, a small jug of water sitting next to them. There was a laptop sitting on the coffee table, one the boy snapped shut as he wound past the furniture to sit on the couch.

There was no clattering of the dishes from the kitchen, no screeching of chairs or any sign of there being anyone other than themselves. And the apartment felt-

Cold.

He could see pictures on the wall, framed- a family photo of the boy, much younger than he looks now, and his mother, squeezed into the frame with beaming smiles on their faces- the composition is strange, as though there should be someone else in frame as well.

(His mom had told Izuku to angle the photo. They're always with you- she said, they are family- and they should be in our photos as well. The whale songs halted with a sob, that moment.

Thyme did not cry, but Izuku thought that it might just be because that she couldn't anymore.)

They look happy- and it looked warm, as opposed to the almost empty apartment around him as he settled into the armchair perpendicular to the boy.

He sat at the furthest end, squeezed against the arm of the couch, away from Toshinori, eyes averted. He looked jittery, like he was not very sure of how to compose himself in this situation. And to be fair, neither did Toshinori. His hands were clasped, fingers crossed as he sat hunched over in the armchair, eyes averted.

He took a deep breath.

"I owe you an apology," Toshinori gathered himself- apologising had always been far more difficult a thing than one would assume, "for what I said on that rooftop. I am sorry I said that."

The boy met his eyes, not fully and still glancing, his irises darted away shortly after. Like running away. "Don't be," he said, voice eerily soft and equally calm, "I understand what you were saying. As a hero, you have responsibilities- and becoming a hero has its dangers. You can't very well suggest a quirkless kid to go into a job that might kill him."

And Toshinori winced. That had indeed been his thoughts process. His eyes dipped downwards, "that is correct," he admitted, "but I should not have shut you down as such."

"It's okay, I'm used to it."

He said that with a hint of awkwardness in his voice, but those words stung still. Toshinori's eyes squeezed shut, he is intimately familiar with what the boy meant- to be used to being shut down as such. As their numbers dwindled, the systems have not been friendly towards the quirkless, and neither has society.

"Midoriya-shounen," Toshinori straightened within his chair, "after what I had seen that day, you have reminded me of something I have almost forgotten."

"As a hero within the industry- the occupation, I have somehow forgotten the essence of being a hero." He spotted then, at the corner of the couch, the boy slowly turning his body to properly face him. There is something conflicted in his expression- something nervous. "When you ran into that fire, uncaring of your own safety- towards that boy who was within the villain's grasp. A villain who not to long ago made a similar attempt towards you, you displayed more courage than any hero on scene that day. You were brave enough to do the right thing, when no one else had been." He lifted his head, meeting the boy's eyes. "And that is what makes a hero."

"I came here today to right a wrong." He said, sincerity within his words. "To apologise, and to tell you that- Midoriya Izuku, you can be a hero."

And sitting still towards the edge of that couch, Midoriya Izuku stared at him, silent. His mouth agape, perhaps trembling a little.

Then he started crying.

It was a messy thing- but quiet. And Toshinori froze up at first, joints locking as he looked around. He knows how to deal with children during a disaster, but that was completely different. He found himself scooting closer, but hesitating. The boy heaved a sob, wheezing as he wiped at his eyes- looking angry with himself.

"Sorry- I'm sorry." He said through his tears, "I didn't mean to- dammit." He cursed as a crack broke through his words. "It's just that- I've always looked up to you, and hearing you say this-" he stopped then, aburptly, eyes turning upwards and glazed over as they stared at a spot in the air.

The wind rustled his hair, as another sob wreaked the boy.

(A hand combed through his hair, as he shook with the force of his hiccups)

He sat with his hands extended a little in front of him, gripping themselves.

(He sat as hands held his own, grip gentle but reassuring)

Toshinori moved, then, shifting from the arm chair to the couch, he sat, keeping still a polite distance between them. He looked around for something, and spotting the box of paper towels on the coffee table, took a few, and offered it to the boy.

The boy murmured a thanks, and wiped at his face, sniffling. Toshinori watched as he calmed down, a little laugh breaking out of the teen in between sniffles- then he looked up, and for the first time since he knocked in the door (he didn't, actually. It opened before he could), properly faced him.

"Thank you." The boy said, sincerely, quietly. "For coming here and telling me this." He hesitated, then tentatively, "is that... All you came here for?" He asked.

"Ah- well," Toshinori stuttered- something about the boy's gaze is oddly piercing. Like he sees more than Toshinori would think. Had he been that obvious? "No, there is something else."

"Midoriya Izuku, I would like to train you."

He revealed to the boy then, about his quirk- One for All, a power passed down. He had thought long and hard, since asking Naomasa for a way to contact boy. He had mulled over Nighteye's offer, but ultimately- All for One is dead and gone. And with One for All's power to amplify quirks-

The world has no need for a power that great- not anymore. So perhaps, One for All may be better used giving a boy with a blazing soul of a hero a shot at his dream.

The boy's reaction to his quirk had been surprisingly mild- he had muttered something about quirk analysis and how he couldn't wait to learn more, questions burning in his eyes. He had asked a few, all very clever ones, before stopping himself. Realising that it likely wasn't the best time. But honestly, Toshinori thought it was endearing.

He had also started to cry a little, again, when they talked more. Toshinori offered to start the training plan that weekend, and smiling through his water works, the boy nodded.

"I learned some basic self defence, from a family friend," he told Toshinori that day, before he left, "should I, uh, tell you what I already know and everything else?"

That had marked the start of his mentorship towards the boy.


All Might goes home taking the kittens with him, and Izuku heads home dragging his feet with exhaustion. He stumbles into the apartment after fumbling a little with his keys, and slumps into the couch with a groan. Aegir was unsympathetic, and barked a laugh when Izuku accidentally smacked his thumb into the side of the coffee table.

"Thanks a lot," Izuku deadpans. The cetacean just tilts his head at him, propping his chin up with a hand as he smirked.

'Suffer.'He says, and there is mirth, not malice in his voice. Rosemary smacks the blonde over his head in his stead.

Izuku wants to fall asleep right then and there- but lying motionless on a coach is only going to get him so far. It doesn't take long for him to pick himself up and drag himself into the shower, washing the sweat and grime and stickiness of the sea from his skin. He slumps back into the couch afterwards, and Alice, from her perch on the back, gives a good natured laugh before ruffling his hair, her touch cold and tingling where it brushed across.

'Good job today,'she says, smiling,'you did well, love. Take a rest.'

"'hanks," Izuku mumbles as he reaches out towards the coffee table, flipping open the laptop. Alice tuts at him, placing her hand over his own.

'When I said take a rest, I don't mean rest your muscles and work your brain, darling. No analysis for you right now, at least not yet. That's work.'She clicks her tongue at him- the motion makes no sound, but it carries across nonetheless.'Drink some water- then freshen up. We can talk about analysis after that. I know you've got something for me about Taihaku-Kun.'

The familiar way with which she addresses villains and heroes alike is something Izuku is long since used to- so he doesn't bring it up. He lies on the couch for a while longer before taking her advice and heads into the kitchen for a glass of water, before a shower. The exhaustion catches up on him a little later, and he dozes off on the couch.

When he woke up, it's dark outside. The clock reads a little past 9 pm, and he blinks the grogginess out of his eyes. He'll have to take some melatonin later if he wants to sleep tonight. To be honest he's not sure if those worked for him anymore.

'They should work if you stay away from the phone.'Alice hums- her statement prompts a laugh from Aegir behind her, meanwhile she perches onto the back of the couch,'slept well?'

"Didn't dream, so I don't know," Izuku mumbles, yawning, "are there any shops open now? I think I should get take out." His new diet made his options a little more restricted, and Izuku still hasn't gotten around to remembering what those restaurants' closing times are. He fishes out his phone and pulls up the take out app, wincing at the glare of the screen.

'The udon place is open, but only for another hour,'Alice hums,'they're out of aburaage.'

"Oh," Izuku frowns, so kitsune udon is out the window then, "I'll just get the beef then."

He orders for pick up at the store, and jogs to the store for a bit of exercise as recommended by All Might. It's not too far, only fifteen minutes away, and he sets down his food on the coffee table when he gets back. This time, Alice doesn't stop him as he opens up the laptop, and pulls up the news.

(The store was ran by an old couple who greeted him warmly as their daughter and son in law worked diligently at the counter, the latter patiently coaching his father in law through using the new take out app. He breathed in the not-scent of purple, rosemaries and heard the not-sound of clicking clockwork. The witness of labor sat cross-legged in the corner as he watched the family, offering Izuku a wave as he left.)

The first two pages have been completely overtaken by a major arrest made by Hawks and Mirko. He sees in the corner of the picture taken for the arrest an ambulance, and by it a familiar purple figure, cloaked in black. He's not surprised to find a small note of casualties within the story.

He wasn't involved with the front page story, Izuku seldom is. His work as Vaquita with the whales are often more information sensitive ones- as with the cetaceans he earns an edge above most others for these. There wasn't any names, but he makes a note to ask later anyways.

The informant's death appears on a column on the third page- claiming an anonymous tip off lead to the discovery of a corpse, and hinting at the deceased's criminal background. Tsukauchi-san work fast, it's only been a day since his letter was sent out.

He slurps up a noodle from the takeout bowl. Quietly, behind him, Alice crosses her legs as she leans in to look next to him. "I have some ideas of what you want from my answers," Izuku starts, "I'm not that sure about it, though."

'It's okay,'the cetacean hums,'tell me about them.'

"There are only two trigger manufacturers within Japanese borders right now. Correct?" He strains his neck as he turns around towards Aegir for confirmation, the cetacean nods.

'Yes, so far only two have the proper method and supplies for it- hasn't changed,'there's a pause,'Kawasaki-gaku and Shie Hassaikai.'

"Right." Izuku turns around again, facing back towards the laptop screen. "Taihaku Yoshihide was affiliated with Kawasaki- and among the two trigger dealers they're the only one doing exports and imports- mainly due to being able to rely on his quirk. So since they lost him- they'd have to stick to local business which they don't have contacts for." He looks up, Alice nods encouragingly, smiling.

'Keep going,'she sounds interested.

"And since they now have to compete with the Shie Hassaikai for the market, they'd probably have to lower their prices- there would also be more trigger on the market, so it's going to be more accessible. And to compete, Shie Hassaikai would have to lower their prices as well... Crime rates are going to rise, aren't they?" He looks up again, meeting Alice's eyes, she laughs. "Again. Why do so many things make crime rates go up?"

She answers with a question.'Anything more you'd want to add onto that?'Alice tilts her head. Behind her, Aegir is looking on with mirth in his eyes. Bastard.

'Language, Izuku,'the blond cetacean calls over the short distance, still smirking a little. Izuku rolls his eyes, and turns back towards Alice.

"I don't think so, did I miss something?" He frowns, "I mean, trigger use is going to go up, and so quirked crimes are also going to go up and their severity will get higher and all but I think I implied it... should I have said it?"

'No, no, we both understand what you mean when you said crime rates would go up. We're both smart here,'she winks, subtly excluding Aegir in her statement, and getting a deadpan'Oi,'from the man,'you aren't really missing something, more of a reaction.'When Izuku stares at her blankly, she chuckles, and elaborates.'You said to get more customers, Kawasaki would have to make their sales more accessible, correct?'

"Yes?"

'The past few years the majority of their income had came from overseas trigger deals with Humarise- they are dependent on that income. But Humarise, being a global terrorist organisation with multiple sources of trigger, is not reliant on Kawasaki's contribution, thus would likely just- leave Kawasaki for a different source.'Alice swings her legs over so she wouldn't have to keep herself twisted around just to face Izuku, resting her legs on the coffee table, next to the laptop. The glass doesn't make a sound.

'The local market is currently still the Shie Hassaikai's playground. That creates pressure. Kawasaki won't just be lowering prices to compete. They can't be picky anymore- and will be desperate for new clients- this isn't about competition, this is survival. And so-'

"...They'd be reckless." Izuku murmurs, "you're saying that the heroes can use that window to- infiltrate? Take down Kawasaki?"

She nods approvingly.

'To take action.'She shrugs.'What's going to happen is that both dealers would keep lowering their prices, and a larger amount of villains would have access to trigger, this would in turn create a rise in quirked crimes. However, if the police or heroes intervene after the prices have reached a low enough point, and take down Kawasaki, Shie Hassaikai would have a monopoly over the local trigger supply- and then prices would, like any monopoly...'she motions for him to continue, and Izuku feels the gears in his brain going a mile an hour.

"It would sky rocket." He murmured, "they would've lost a lot of profits with the lowered prices, and they would want to earn it back. But demand would be high since a lot more people has used trigger now and probably want more. So it goes even higher. But since they're a monopoly they get to choose their clients- which means trigger would be less accessible again. Crime rates would drop."

'Shie Hassaikai has a... peculiar focus. It's likely for them to take this opportunity to hoard trigger and keeping their clients to the more wealthy ones for certain supplies.'Alice confirms,'crime rates would indeed drop. This is what I was trying to see if you could get out of- you were close.'

"Alice," Izuku stares at the cetacean, wonder in his eyes, "you're amazing."

Her expression softens.'You're young,'she smiles,'and you are amazing too. You're just not used to being able to do something about situations yet- so you often don't think about it. But darling, it has always been a choice. You have contacts. You can make a difference where we can't.' She ruffles his hair, 'the only difference I can make in this world is to you- and that makes you infinitely more amazing than me.'


They took in the kittens.

They had been healthy- if a little malnourished, no fleas or any health complications. The vet got them their shots, and ultimately after a handful of visits where young Midoriya and, well, himself as well spent cooing over the little furry creatures, they ended up bringing them home. Midoriya took with him a tiny gray tabby with patches of pale brown fur, he had stared off into the distance for a little while before curiously naming the kitten 'Rabbit'.

The one Toshinori took home himself was a female orange tabby. The vet had taken one look at the tiny little thing and said that she's going to be a big girl- and true to their words, the cat eats damn near as much as Toshinori does. And honestly who is he to deny her?

He named her Purrincess Cowboy Gunslinger of Peace, by the way. She loves the name.

He spoke of them to Tsukauchi- who struggled to pronounce the English pun. He asked him if he knows of anyone to take in the rest of the kittens, and the man mentioned a contact who might be interested.

The adoption of the kittens brought up a different question as well- while Toshinori is woefully inexperienced with caring for a cat, he is very much financially equipped for the task (in truth, there are rather few tasks that he's financially unequipped to take on). For young Midoriya, however, he assumed the problem would be more complex.

"Will your parents approve?" He had asked in concern the day the boy carried Rabbit home in a cat carrier. The Midoriyas, from what he's seen, live in a humble part of town in an apartment that isn't cramped at all, but he wouldn't call it spacious either. He had then not met any of the boy's guardians, and had no idea how welcoming they'd be to the addition of a pet.

"It's fine," the boy had replied then, squinting against a gust of mid-winter air. He had gone home that day rather uncharistically silent, keeping himself tucked in his thick scarf and eyes drifting off gazing at nothing. Toshinori was almost glad the boy chose not to complete the isolation with putting on his headphones.

The boy often kept to himself- regarding his family and school life. But he is exceptionally talkative- Midoriya Izuku has a talent with analysis and he clearly hadn't been slacking off in the cultivation of the skill- specifically in regards to quirks. It was almost startling, how detailed his observations are and how much he placed into consideration while coming up with these wild theories. It was impressive.

"They interest me," was what he said, when Toshinori asked him how did he come to these conclusions after the boy had regaled him with the details and intricacies of what One for All could possibly do- the things he never thought about, they were in the back of a cafe then, both sipping on a mug of hot chocolate, sitting by a fogged over window where children had drawn over with little doodles. It was snowing outside. "And I had someone to teach me."

Young Midoriya often mentioned his teachers- not the ones in his school, as from his stories and the way he behaved, those at Aldera high seemed alarmingly negletful. But rather a small group of possible family friends? One of them was the one who taught his self-defense. Toshinori felt his heart twist as the boy halfheartedly mentioned past bullyings, then move onto excitedly telling him about the lessons he took from the unnamed man and how he learned to dodge attacks from his fellow classmates' quirks.

The boy had always been careful not to say their names, for some reason. And though he never met them, Toshinori grow to appreciate these family friends. Young Midoriya appeared to care a great deal for them, and vice versa- He often mentioned a man who nagged him to do his dishes and take care of himself- who also tuturs him, since teachers at school ignored him. As well as two women, one who often smiled, encouraged him and taught him analysis and another who loved singing, and often kept him company.

It almost felt like they were filling in for an absence in the boy's life.

He learned the reason for it several months later. It was after training, and the boy had asked for his company to somewhere after their training, which at this point, isn't at all uncommon. By now Toshinori often found his evenings occupied with visits to a local udon place, or bakery. Sometimes he dropped by the boy's apartment to visit Rabbit the cat, curled up by the window where a row of herbs and tomatoes grew merrily as the cold slowly receded with time.

The boy lead him through the streets to a train station, travelling several stops down. They passed by a flower shop, where the boy picked out a simple batch of carnations and hydrangeas. Toshinori hesitated, but sensing the mood, also decided to pick out something of his own. The boy didn't protest as he approached the shop keeper, who only noticed them then and helped him put together a small bunch of daisies and lilies.

They made their way past streets, the early spring was chilly, and puddles of half melted snow splashed with some of their steps. He had a feeling, but still Toshinori felt his heart sink as the pale exterior of a hospital entered their view and young Midoriya made his way over, crossing the street, as the building drew closer and closer. And finally leading them in through the glass doors.

As they entered, people's eyes glazed over, staring over their way. The boy slipped into the pale white building like a cat- and no one paid him any mind. Scarcely anyone turned their way at all as he led Toshinori down the corridor. He watched and the boy slipped into a room, following slowly behind.

A slumbering, pale woman. Hair the same shade as young Midoriya's, and even though they were closed, has recognisably the same, rounded eyes as the boy. Her face was sunken, but it's shape held a similar roundness as the young man. Her clothes were fitted loosely, hair strewn about the pillow, a shock of colour against the white.

(Thyme was seated by his mother's side as they entered, eyes closed in concentration. His hand squeezed around Aegir's, who gripped back firmly.)

The apartment was always empty. Now he knows why.

He watched as the boy walked towards the bed side table, and picked up a vase with dropping flowers. He poured the stale water out into a bin- the dull colour reminiscent for the mood in the room. He fished out a bottle of water from his bag, and placed the fresh flowers into the vase. Quiet, Toshinori made his way over, and handed his own batch of flowers to the boy, who smiled and added the lilies and daisies among the green hydrangeas, little sports of white.

Toshinori helped the boy as he combed his mother's hair- Toshinori opened the curtains to the window and young Midoriya brushed off the leaves and bits of snow. He stood next to the boy as he held his mother's hand, introducing him.

"Mom, this is All Might," the boy's voice was the softest he's ever heard, he's smiling, but there's something else there, "he's training me to become a hero now- isn't that amazing?"

Toshinori didn't know what to say, for a few moments, but gathered himself, "hello, Mrs Midoriya, I am Yagi Toshinori, you might know me as All Might. I have been training your son the past several months." He paused, "He's very hardworking, and a joy to be around. Your son is truly talented."

Young Midoriya then shared details about his training, he spoke in a soft tone, about the beach, about the family friends, about the cat. About the tomatoes he forgot to water but somehow are still growing healthy, about how he learned to make better omurice. Midoriya tried to sing a melody that someone recently played him, and they both laughed a little when his voice veered off tune and cracked.

The woman slumbered.

"Car crash." Was young Midoriya's simple answer, when they left the room, turning "The driver was working overtime and dozing off, a truck crashed into us, and she just... Didn't wake up."

"...Your father?"

"Working overseas. I think he doesn't want to come back because he doesn't know how to face her."

(And that's true. Izuku knows so. But he also knows that his own existence has been gradually, quietly pulled from the man's mind by something else- the same thing which caused those glazed eyes around him, the same existence which tortures the whales.

He thought about calling, but Izuku never could quite bring himself to.)

Toshinori makes the decision to spend more of his evenings with the boy from then on.

As they left, eyes glazed over. The boy quietly noted his exit down on the visitation log, having pulled the clipboard right from the nurse's table, and slipped it back in front. The man made a small noise of acknowledgment, but didn't look up.

He asked, one day after training, while young Midoriya was stroking the back of his cat as he purred like an engine in a spot of sunlight, petals of the tomato plants a brilliant yellow in the early spring warmth, the new pots of thyme he had bought the boy a while back blooming with brilliant, small purple flowers.

"I don't know," the boy said, as Rabbit nuzzled into his fingers, and it sounded like a lie, "it's probably the effects of someone's quirk, it started a long time ago, and got stronger when I got older. We tried contacting quirk counsellors, but they all ignored us when they saw the quirkless diagnosis. Mom used to-" He paused, and lowered his gaze. "Mom would get angry at anyone who ignored me. She made sure they knew I was there but-" the breath he took was shaky, "...I stopped trying."

"...that sounds lonely," Toshinori noted, the words were weak as they left him. An understatement.

The boy made a soft sound of acknowledgment, "I'm not alone, though." He smiled, as Rabbit the cat nibbled at his fingertips, a soft not-bite that drew a laugh out of the boy. "I haven't been."

Toshinori smiled, he must mean his family friends. He ruffled the boy's hair. "And I'm glad you're not," he said. The boy dodged his hand and made a noise in protest as his curls promptly exploded outwards in a mess, sticking out in all directions. He laughed heartily, and the boy followed suit, corners of his eyes crinkling with genuine joy.


He closed the door behind Tsukauchi-san, remaining quiet as he leaned against the wood. It felt cool against his forehead, like the presence which approached then. There was watery roses and something purple in the air, and something slightly spicy- like resin, like wood- but not old wood. Younger, fresher, and a note which lingered. When he glanced to the side, upwards, he met deep blue eyes.

"Alice," he murmured, he turns, and gazed towards the couch, where someone else perches, "Rosemary."

Her eyes are green like the leaves of her namesake, and her sisters. She is once again dressed like last he saw her- just a little earlier when he ran into All Might. Braids looping back into a sort of half up-do, cape draped over her shoulders like a scarf. He blinked, and then there she was by Alice's side.

'I'm here for him,'she said, sweeping a thin braid behind her shoulder,'you know what that means, Alice.'

Legacy was here for him.

What did that mean?

Alice's eyes dipped. She looked resigned. Izuku observed her face- there's a dusting of red across her cheeks, but no sign of make up. The purple and glitter around her eyelids looked as though they are patterns on her skin. She sighed, and her chest did not collapse to follow the expel of air from her lungs- if she had them at all.

'Let's go sit down.'She finally said, facing him. She offered him a hand.

He took it. It's smooth under his grasp, and a little cold- texturless, aside from the mesh of her glove. She guided him to the couch, where he sat, and she sunk down onto the ground, onto her knees in front of him, still clenching his hand.

'You're very sharp. You noticed Rosemary following All Might,'she paused, glancing towards the braided woman. Rosemary was staring at them unblinkingly, arms crossed with a serene expression on her face,'his legacy- the one he inherited is something rather peculiar, even in our long memory.'

"...She said she's here for me." Izuku murmured. "What ever this is, am I, like. The next one?"

'Not yet. He wants to choose you. You touched him today, deeply. He...'Alice's huffed a laugh,'I'll leaves him to say this part. He deserves to do it for himself. But.'She faced him again, and her hand came up to cup his cheek, gentle, loving.'Even he doesn't know. Izuku. We want you to... Know what you are getting into. This is important.'

Izuku's mouth felt dry.

"You're," he hesitated, "you're offering to tell me something I didn't ask for."

He always asked. They would tell him it's okay to ask and only then does he do so. He always, always asked first. He first gazed over Alice's shoulder, and towards Aegir, legs crossed as he stared intently at a spot in the ground. Then his eyes found Thyme's as she slunk in the back of the room, silent. She looked pained.

'I am offering to tell you everything about this.'Alice openly admitted.'Not- quite everything. There are some things that I cannot tell you. Some I must, and some I think is best you know.'

She shifted her grip, and Izuku adjusted his own as well, holding tightly onto Alice's hand.

It would be difficult, to describe the relationship between himself and the cetaceans. Who would Alice be to him? A mentor? The equivalent of a friendly neighbour who babysat far too often? Or Thyme, who would they be to him? He didn't know. But there is one thing Izuku knew for sure, his entire life.

He trusted them. His fingers tightened around her hand. He loved them. They weigh in his heart equal to his own mother. And he knew that they loved him equally in return.

Alice's smile softened around the edges. She pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, having read his thoughts- deeply loving, something she naturally would witness. And with that, she started.

'All Might was born quirkless,'his fingers slacked for a moment, before he gripped again. What?'the legacy- the line which Rosemary witness, which All Might is a part of, is that he is one of the successors to his current quirk.'

'One for All is a quirk, passed down with the original intent to defeat a villain- one immensely powerful, and brother to the first holder of itself.'Izuku recalled All Might's confession of his injury this afternoon, and compression rose in him.'the man's name is lost to human history. So from here on, I will call him All for One.'

'The reason why he must be defeated is complex.'Alice paused,'But the fact is that he must, and his power is that he is capable of stealing, and then giving quirks to others.'

There was a clatter, and Izuku realised that he's stood up in his shock. He lowered himself back into the couch. "Stealing quirks?" He muttered, "but, how does that work? That's... Impossible." The pieces were coming together then. "He's the villain All Might defeated 4 years ago. Isn't he?" When he met her eyes again, Alice's expression was weighted, "the one that injured him."

Alice nodded. She moved to sit by his side, then.'One for All was created by All for One when he forcibly transferred a strength stockpiler onto his brother. Who they both thought was quirkless. But he wasn't. Shigaraki Yoichi,'a faint look of fondness appeared on her face,'he had a quirk- a quirk that can be passed onto another. And both of them... Merged into one. Forming One for All.'

'All Might is currently under the impression that All for One is dead.'it was Rosemary who spoke this time. She gazed at him through the veil that she and her sisters always wore.'And... He has been quiet. The past few years.'

"Under the impression," Izuku repeated, "he's alive, then."

'He is.'Alice closed her eyes,'and now, All Might wants to offer you his quirk.'

He gathered that, in truth, Izuku still had some difficulty accepting it- the quirk- the same one which could generate so much wind power and change the weather, the same one which the man used to inspire so many- the same one in all these reports, records, he's seen over and over again.

"And, since All for One is alive, that would make me a target." Izuku murmured. "...But I can't tell him that he's alive since no one is supposed to know."

'He has been careful,'Alice admits,'I don't witness him- the only ones who does are Ruslan, who only comes across him occasionally, and Azalea, she's more consistent, but she's been… difficult to contact.'

'She hasn't been the most aware as of late,'Rosemary provided, and Alice nodded,'Choices stretch her far too thin- we haven't been in touch for a while. But we know that the investigation into quirk trafficking we've been involved in stalls him.'

Izuku nodded, faintly, his mind raced through everything a villain could do with a quirk like this, and the conclusions were unpleasant. It made sense that quirk trafficking would be something that 'All for One' would be interested in, when to him quirks would be resources.

He really didn't want to know what the man could do.

'All Might wants to come find you and talk to you about it- of course, and about some more,'Alice picked up his hand once more,'give it some thought, for now. We have time. And… know that whatever you choose, we will be right there next to you.'

Whale songs embraced him.