Thank you guys for your continued support! Ive finally got the first chapter edited! Its been rough going, but I think I have adjusted the story enough that Im really liking where its going. Alice has improved and changed so much over the years. So expect more in the future!
Check out my Twitter for art! ~GobbleGator
'Support class? H-1'
Alice looked up from her phone at the plaque labeled on the wall. She had been told that due to her background she would be sitting in on the Support classes general subjects, but would be doing a independent study while the support class learned their place in hero society. 'I think this is where I need to be.' She glanced down again at her phone, double checking the device to make sure she was in the right place.
Alice had unexpectedly switched schools late in the semester after an incident at her previous school. It'd left a nasty scar on the poor girl's psyche, which had prompted her mother moving her half way across the world. Normally it wasnt ideal, but due to the older woman's success and influences- Alice had been accepted into an independent study until she could get back on her feet at the famous U.A High school. They had state of the art security systems, on-campus dorms, and real heroes actually taught most of the classes. It was safer than what she had experienced back home.
"Good Morning, Ms. Rise, are you going to come in- Or wait all day at the door?" An amused tone cut through her thoughts and Alice glanced up at the door. A short male with bright ginger hair stood in the doorway, watching her movements with a warm blue gaze hid behind a large metal mask. Although she'd spent a lot of time traveling between visiting her mother in Japan to her father back in Ontario, she still struggled reading signs.
"Sorry Mr. Power Loader, Sir." Alice bowed deeply. She might not have been from Japan originally, but after visiting her mother she sort of got the cultural differences down- she might be a bit old fashioned, but she made up for it in her determination. "I'm still getting used to reading signs." She felt her face flush a deep red.
"Its alright and please, just call me Power Loader. Mister seems too formal for this class." He mused faintly. "Ill give you a few moments to collect your thoughts, come in and introduce yourself whenever you are ready." The man turned and headed to the podium to address the class, leaving Alice in her thoughts. She shifted on her feet, trying to calm the red that crept into her ears.
The class was buzzing with excitement. She could hear the other students chattering about a new support student. It was... weird. People looking at her with excitement. 'Its because they dont know you yet.' The thoughts were pushed away rather fast. She didnt want to make a bad first impression. The girl took a deep breath, 'My name is Alice Rise, Im an exchange student from Ontario, Canada, its a pleasure to meet all of you. Thank you for allowing me to join your class for the remainder of the semester.' She repeated the words under her breath, trying to keep her brain from short circuiting. She wasnt good at social interaction. Planning conversations like this helped her try and relax.
Alice swallowed thickly before skittering in, getting a look at the small support class. Relief flooded her system, there were only 8 students. Nezu had put her in that class for that exact reason. It was small enough that she could get caught up on her lessons, while not falling behind as she most likely would have done in a hero or general course. "Hello! My n-name is Alice Rice- Rise. I-Im an exchange student from Canada, its a pleasure to meet all of you. Thank you for allowing me to join your class for the remainder of the semester." She stumbled over her words, which got an array of soft giggles and greetings in response. At least they were friendly.
Alice slipped over to her desk while Power Loader got started with his first lecture. It gave her a chance to think. The male had put a series of folders on her desk, all labeled per class and subject, but that was the last thing on her mind. She had been lost in thought since she stepped off the train this morning. Principal Nezu had said that her stuff was being transferred into the Hero dorms due to space. She knew nothing of the people there or the Hero in charge either. Which only made her social anxiety go haywire. 'Eraser Head...' What kind of hero name was that? She figured it had something to do with Quirks, but he was just there as a baby sitter for her while she enjoyed her after school activities. Although, she really didn't think she'd have too many interactions with him aside from a few hallway passes.
"So you are from Canada, Eh?" A pink haired girl leaned forward on her desk from behind her, her smile wide beneath a pair of Red goggles. Her yellow gaze glittered excitedly at the possibility of new meat in their class. "The name is Mei Hatsume. A pleasure to meet you Rice." Her grin widened and Alice felt her cheeks flush. She had /hoped/ no one heard that. "Your Japanese is pretty good for a Canadian. Dual citizenship?"
"Yeah! Thanks. My mom lives here in Musutafu and my dad is back in Canada. Mom thought itd be good if I came here to stay with her for a bit." Alice rubbed the back of her head, her cheeks still flushed the faint pink. It felt weird talking about herself like this. She normally kept to the back of the class and focused on her work, it was one of the things she had dreaded when she found out she'd be in a small class. Now there was no escaping.
"Cool cool. Have you seen the school yet? Are you going to be staying on Campus? Do you have a dorm picked out? Are you a full time support student? Whats your quirk? Are you a creator? How do you feel about inventions tailored to people's quirks being used in society? Do you want to help me test out some of my newest babies?" Hatsume got closer and closer with each question until she was almost completely laying across her desk. Alice didnt have a chance to respond, she opened and closed her mouth a few times- trying to get a word in edgewise. Her face was turning more and more red with each question. It was until Power Loader cleared his throat did Hatsume backed off.
"Hatsume, Im aware that having a new student join our class is an exciting event, but please wait until after class for any questions." Power loader couldnt help but smile. Hatsume was an intelligent girl and one of the best in his class. He really hoped sticking Alice in front of her would help the transfer student feel more at ease in such a large school.
Alice turned back to the podium as the lecture continued. It was just as it was in her old school. Boring. General classes were always something she dreaded. Most of the information they were going over was stuff she had already learned back home. She preferred to be outside- doing quirk training or more hands on material. It only made the day drag on longer than it should have.
The bell for lunch rang loudly finally catching the class off guard. They had gotten side tracked during their History of Heroics lecture on how modern day heroes compared to those 50 years in the past. Alice wouldnt deny it, she enjoyed the debate and conversation. The class itself had a wonderful atmosphere and got along great. They were able to have a different opinions and still get along well. Her last school sort of lacked that. Anyone who spoke out against the collective got looked at like they were the devil.
"So Rice- are you going to answer any of my questions? Dont think I forgot." Hatsume slid up beside Alice, a wide grin on her lips. "Because I have many many more depending on your answers."
Alice jumped slightly, almost dropping her bag. She hadnt even heard Hatsume approach. She'd been too focused on reading what was on the menu for lunch. "Y-yeah. I can. Sorry. Im not the best at reading signs." She motioned to the menu, looking a bit flustered that she was at a school in Japan and couldnt really understand the signs. "You'd think after spending Summer's here for 16 years, Id have picked that up by now." She laughed nervously to herself, trailing off at the wide smile that Hatsume had on her lips.
The pink haired girl wrapped her arm around the smaller girl's shoulders. "Dont you worry about a thing. I've got just the invention you need to help you with reading signs, but first- Lets get some lunch. We have vegetable curry and grilled fish with Miso soup. What sounds good?"
Alice relaxed and ran a hand through her hair, she felt a bit better with Hatsume around to show her the ropes. It made trying to wander around by herself just a bit more manageable.
"So are you gonna be a full-time support student?" Hatsume asked once they had gotten their food and sat down at a partially abandoned table near the windows. The sun was out, making the seats and table warm to the touch. Alice seemed to relax a lot more in the sun. She loved the warmth.
"Kind of?" Alice took a bite of the curry, her gaze lighting up at the flavors. She had missed Japanese lunches. They were always much much better than stale pizza and canned veggies. "Im taking general studies with the support class, but then I have an independent study with a tutor after lunch. Im really behind in a lot of my Quirk training. So they brought someone in to assist."
Hatsume's gaze lit up and she leaned forward across the table. "Oh, who's your tutor? Is it a Japanese Pro? Why are you so behind?" She babbled, sitting back in her seat with her arms outstretched.
Alice just laughed, "It's one of my mother's friends. She's an African ProHero- WildSpire. She specializes in Hero Support and Training, but not the same Hero support that is here at U.A. The version of Hero support that she teaches back home is basically back up pro-hero work. The agency she founded basically acquires heroes who dont want to be in the main light and uses them as backup for Heros working on the field. Its something she is working on to help with the fact that Hero society is becoming extremely congested with Heroes." Alice's smile vanished at the last question. She didnt want to explain that one.
Oh! I heard about that. A lot of Japanese Pros have been talking about that lately. Its an interesting take on the idea of a "Support" student." Hatsume took another bite of her own food, looking Alice over. The smaller girl was just over 149 centimeters and had a good build to her. She obviously had some hero training under her belt. Her black hair was cut to just above the middle of her back. Her bangs swept on either side of her face, framing light freckles that danced across her cheekbones, and unnaturally magenta gaze that tried its hardest not to make eye contact with anyone else. Hatsume was curious, she couldnt identify the girl's quirk. Most people she could, but Rise was unreadable. "So you'll be working with WildSpire until you are back on your feet? Does that mean youll be a "Support" Hero?" She made sure to make the air quotes to go along with it. Alice wasnt really a Support student, but more of a glorified sidekick- did they not have space in the Hero class?
"Kinda? I think. My mom had a couple of favors to cash in, but I had to get caught up with my generals to get my license. I had one back home, but it doesnt transfer over if you are still in school. " Alice poked at her rice, a faint smile on her lips. It was nice to hear others talk about it. Most heroes didnt know or care. They didnt "need" that sort of field support. They already had sidekicks.
So if you are gonna be a "Support Hero," what's your quirk?" Hatsume took a bite of rice and leaned forward again in anticipation. She'd wanted to ask the moment the girl sat down, but Rise was a skittish one. She had to play it safe and not scare the girl off. Power Loader had explained that she came off a bit strong after her recent interaction with the Hero course's Izuku Midorya.
Alice brightened and reached for her bag, "Only if you can keep a secret." She said setting the black backpack in her lap.
Hatsume rose a brow curiously, what was so important it had to be in a Bag? "Why is it a secret?" The pink haired girl bubbled with excitement.
"It's okay Chess, it's safe here." Alice unzipped the bag and out popped a small black cat-shaped head- or what looked like a cat. The creature was the size of a cat, looked like a cat, but obviously "wasnt" a cat. It turned it's head towards Hatsume and let out a soft meow before moving like fluid to stand on the table.
Hatsume stared the cat down. The little creature had a small mouth, four white eyes, and did not reflect light. At all. It was such a dark shade of black that the light of the sun didnt reflect off it. It didnt show a shadow. "Your quirk is a cat?" She asked, almost stunned. This girl was suppose to be "Support" and her quirk was a cat?
"Kind of? Chess is a manifestation of my Quirk. He's literally a living shadow- He has his own thoughts, actions, and can move about on his own, but we are directly connected." Alice ran a hand down the cat's back, the creature pushed back against her fingers, forming around her hand a bit like liquid would. "We had a weird name for it back home, but I dont know how that translates here. So I guess we can call it Shadow Transfiguration " She said, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "But he can transform into various objects and things based on my wants and needs."
Hatsume looked at the cat with a sense of child-like wonder. "He can transform into things?" She put an elbow on the table, startling Alice who watched as Hatsume looked the cat over. "On his own or do you command it?"
"I cant make him do anything." Alice grumbled and Chess turned to look at Hatsume curiously. All four eyes blinked in response to her observations. "We cant share thoughts, but our wills are directly connected and he feels the same emotions I do. Though he has a habit of not listening."
"That's so cool." Hatsume bit her lip in excitement, watching Chess as he shied away from Alice's hand as she went to pet him again, moving more into the sun where he could loaf in peace. "People with quirks like this are such a medical marvel. Two separate beings connected by biological configuration." Hatsume went back to her food, wiggling in her seat. "Does the sun hurt him? Id expect so due to him being a shadow."
"Although He's made directly from shadows. He's actually strongest in the light. The Sun's intensity makes him darker and sharper." She set the bag down and went back to eating, watching Hatsume poke at a mildly entertained Chess. "He's strongest at night or high noon when the sun is the brightest due to how intense the shadows are. He doesnt need to eat, but is a sucker for people food that I get to find later in the bottom of my bag." She swatted at the cat- who had reached for Hatsume's plate.
"So you'd be strongest during the day? Not at night when there are all sorts of shadows around?" Hatsume pointed at the cat and then to Alice with her chopsticks, an amused smirk on her lips.
Alice shook her head as she finished off her food. "No, he might be a shadow, but he's my shadow. So its more intense during the bright light." She held out a hand in the sun and sure enough- she didnt have a shadow of her hand. Just Chess, who sat a few inches away.
Hatsume bit her lip and looked from the cat to the girl. "That's absolutely incredible and unsettling all at the same time. I will definitely have to see you both in action. I heard that there is a Hero in class 1-A who's quirk is similar. He's bird themed."
Alice blinked. Bird themed? She had been told that a member of the Hero class with a Quirk similar to hers would be meeting her outside the Support classroom to show her the dorms. "I think Im meeting him after lunch." She said with a laugh. "Principal Nezu said that Id be staying in the Hero dorms due to staffing and room limitations."
Hatsume laughed awkwardly and rubbed her arm, "Where else am I going to keep my inventions during off hours? I sort of took over the last two rooms."
Alice couldnt keep the grin off her lips. It made sense now. She had no idea why she had to be in a whole different building than the Support classes when the support dorms were right there. "Im actually not surprised." She laughed, her smile widening. "Youll have to show me some of your inventions for me having to walk across campus to get to class."
"Oh you definitely got a deal."
After saying their goodbyes, Alice and Hatsume departed to their respected areas. Hatsume had to go back to her dorm to grab a few things and Alice had to meet her mystery tour guide at the Support course's main doors.
Sure enough, the male in question was standing near the side of the doors. He was definitely bird themed. The male had the head of what looked like a crow and the body of a human. Hell, even his cape looked like bird wings. "Afternoon!" Alice said as she approached, her smile lopsided. After her conversation with Hatsume, she had been more at ease now. She might not be great at social interactions, but once she got going- it all became easier. Transfers mid semester werent the easiest to begin with.
"Greetings, Im assuming you are Alice Rise?" The male said, turning his attention to her as the girl approached. He was taller than her, but most people were. "My name is Fumikage Tokoyami. A pleasure to meet you. Mr. Aizawa said that you'd be staying in our dorm area due to space?" He questioned curiously, tilting his head at the girl.
"Oh ho. She's a pretty one Fumikage." The boy's quirk deceived him and Dark shadow made his appearance. The bird-like creature peeked over his shoulder, watching Alice with the same curious look on his face that Tokoyami had. Tokoyami felt his face heat up and cleared his throat.
"And this is Dark Shadow, my quirk." He said sheepishly, motioning to the bird who now had pulled himself up from behind the male to get a better look at Alice, who couldnt keep the grin off her lips.
"A p-pleasure to both of you! Yes, my name is Alice Rise. Im a support student who's going to be sharing a dorm with you guys." She felt her own cheeks flush, she wasnt used to the compliments right off the bat. "Apparently the room I was suppose to be in is being used as storage. So for now, Ill be in the Hero's dorms because you guys have the most open rooms."
"Completely understandable. Please, follow me." He motioned for them to start walking to break the tension in the air. Dark shadow was kind of right, she was pretty. Her magenta gaze was such an interesting color, he couldnt help staring at her as she had walked up. "Are you a full time Support student?" He asked as they headed down the path towards the 1-A dorms.
"No. Im sort of a partial? Im just in their general classes. I have an independent study that I go to after lunch for quirk training." Alice said as they walked.
"Ah, a bit like the Hero course. We have generals in the morning and then our Hero classes in the afternoon." Tokoyami nodded as they walked. So she WASNT a support student. He was kind of curious as to why she wasnt in their class. Maybe he grades werent up to par? He pushed the thought aside. No need to think negatively on the new student.
"I got the afternoon off to get my stuff in order and explore the school grounds." Alice smiled at him brightly, keeping in step with his longer legs.
"Yes, Mr. Aizawa gave me the rest of the day to show you around if you see fit. I figured there would be a few places I could show you if you'd like and it'll be easier to meet the rest of 1-A if you have someone from the class to introduce you." Tokoyami glanced to the side, slowing down slightly so she could keep up.
"Oh, thats fantastic! I was a bit nervous that I would be stuck introducing myself to the rest of the class." She laughed, which got Tokoyami's attention. "Im not the best at social interactions." Alice tried to keep herself upbeat. She was nervous, but was trying her hardest to keep it from showing.
Dark Shadow had gone to investigate her further as they walked. They were close enough that the creature could poke at her cloths and hair, his yellow gaze getting a good look at her overall appearance. Alice didnt mind. She was so used to Chess looking at her that she didnt even really notice. "I can completely understand. Mr. Aizawa said you were from Ontario, Canada? Your Japanese is flawless." He mused faintly as they walked, trying to keep up a conversation. "And I wouldnt be too nervous. Class 1-A is a friendly group. There are only a couple who arent exactly friendly. " He could see the building appearing around the trees. The large red building was 5 stories, a main floor where they could relax, eat, and hangout. There was a small kitchen attached where they could cook snacks, or make tea- along with the various showers and storage lockers on the opposite wall.
Alice nodded, "Yes! Thank you. My mother is from Japan and my father is back in Canada." She felt weird telling her story again, but she'd get used to it as time went on. She was going to be repeating it a lot today.
"Ah, a dual citizenship. Are the countries much different?" Tokoyami asked, gently swatting Dark Shadow back from touching the girl's hair.
"Kind of? Well, Teenagers are still teenagers. People are a lot more reserved here, but its not bad. It makes it easier for me to talk without feeling obligated."
Tokoyami nodded, "That is true. Luckily you wont have to worry too much about the talking aspect. 1-A is a chatty bunch. Youll feel included without having to really talk to anyone." He mused faintly. He didnt have to talk, but he did. They did well to include him and compliment him on his abilities. Which brought him to his next question. "If you dont mind me asking. What is your quirk? Mr. Aizawa said that you and I would get a long well, but he didnt say why."
Alice smiled faintly. "Yeah. I had a feeling. Someone earlier said that we would get along well too due to our quirks." She strolled to a step, gently pulling her bag off her shoulder. The female unzipped it and right on cue- the cat made his appearance. She slithered out, appearing at their feet with a casual paw lick.
Tokoyami blinked in surprise. He hadnt expected that at all. Truthfully, he figured she'd be another person with an animal-like quirk. He did not expect this. "Oh! Fumikage. She's a shadow user like we are." Dark shadow was first to interact with Chess, who didnt move when the large bird approached him. He just tilted his head, letting the bird run his hands over the cat.
"Mhm. My quirk is Shadow Transfiguration. Chess is the main manifestation- so he can transform into various things when I need them." She crouched and held out a hand to the cat, watching as he swirled up her arm, appearing on her shoulder lazily. "He's normally out and about, hiding in the hood of my jacket or under my desk, sometimes he's just my shadow." Alice mused and scratched under the cat's chin lazily.
"Ive never met another Quirk so similar to mine." Tokoyami admitted as they kept walking. "How far can be he away from you?" He asked. Dark Shadow could distance himself quite a bit.
"Indefinitely, but that also means he needs the time to come back to me." Alice responded. "He's fast, but there is that delay between one place and another." Alice held her arm out straight. "Chess, door." She said and off the cat went. He had flattened against the ground, zipping across the grass towards the door. The pair could see him reappear and touch the door before zipping back to them.
"This is just the surface." Alice held out her arm as the cat climbed back up on her shoulder. "But you pretty much get the picture."
"Incredible, I'd love to compare notes with you sometime about various ways to use your quirk to your advantage." Tokoyami nodded almost excitedly. He knew Dark Shadow well enough that the creature would also enjoy the company of someone like them.
Tokoyami grabbed the door for her and did a light bow as they entered. They changed shoes before walking in. The place was empty due to classes still going on, but it obviously had a lived in feel. Someone had left a drink out. Someone else had left their hoodie on the back of the couch. Alice let out a breath, her smile wide. She was hoping this is what this place would look like. The soft green sofas looked great to relax on. "Definitely!" She said, hiking up her bag full of extra material to go over. "Principal Nezu said Im the second room on the 4th floor."
"Oh, youll be right next to Ochaco Uraraka." Tokoyami led them to the elevator, his hands in his pockets. Alice was a chipper one. He admired it. She acted nothing like how most shadow quirk users acted. She had a spring in her step and a laugh that could catch the attention of anyone around. "She'll definitely like you. I can see the connection already." He smiled faintly to her and offered her to go first as they stepped out of the elevator.
The room that they had unlocked was right near the elevator luckily. It was a small space, a bed in one corner, a desk across from it. The only difference was the closet jutted out a bit, making a sort of "cubby" between the end of the bed and the wall. Alice was thrilled. She didnt really mind small spaces and was absolutely fascinated by the small cubby. "This will be perfect for a beanbag." She said excitedly setting Chess on the bed.
The rest of her things were neatly packed towards the balcony, covering the door that led outside. "And I can put my plants out here!" She gasped and leaned over the boxes to peek outside on the balcony, which only prompted a faint smile from Tokoyami in response.
"You have plants? What kind?" He rose a brow as the girl dug through some of the boxes before she placed a box on her desk with a few holes in it for ventilation.
"I have Mint, Pineapple Sage, Lavender, and some Rosemary. I usually use it as a cleansing for rooms or for tea. I have a kettle in here somewhere too." She took out the large plants. It was only four, but each one was well cared for and trimmed down. Alice hadnt even realized how open she was about the use of the plants. She normally would just laugh it off, but Tokoyami seemed to be pretty easy going from what she knew about him.
The male quirked an eyebrow, "Cleanses?" He asked, sort of perking up at the mention. He enjoyed the "dark arts," and things related to it. It'd be a match made in heaven if the girl was as well.
Alice ridged up a bit and laughed nervously, "Yeah. Im sort of quiet about it. I had to be back home. My father isnt the best person to talk about religion and what not to." She rubbed her arm, not meeting his gaze."My mother is extremely spiritual, so she passed that trait onto me. She taught me a lot about room cleanses and making room for magic in your life." Her voice hesitated slight, as if she was waited for the rebuttal. The judgment, but it never came. The girl glanced over to Tokoyami, who was just staring at her with a mildly shocked expression, his mouth open slightly. He'd never met anyone like her.
They had a similar quirk and based on the things she was pulling from her boxes, similar interests. Was Aizawa playing matchmaker? He couldnt have possibly known. "Do you want to sit in while I cleanse the room?" She looked at him sheepishly, a faint smile on her lips. She didnt expect this, but might as well make the most of it.
"Yes! I'd love to." Tokoyami straightened, his gaze bright. "Ive a love for the dark arts myself. Id love to sit and watch. Ive never experienced someone else cleanse a room before." He felt like an excited kid. Especially since Alice was so open about it.
Alice smiled and began searching her boxes for her stuff. "Okay! That sounds like a plan." She knew she wasnt allowed a lighter in the dorm rooms, but had smuggled one in anyway. Its not like she'd catch anything on fire. She'd been doing this for years now. "Its not too exciting, but its something I have to do before I actually start unpacking." She pulled out a small bundle of dried sage mixed with a few other packed herbs before producing a small lighter as well. "Just dont tell anyone I have a lighter." She stuck out her tongue playfully before clicking the sharp flame against the herbs.
The smell was almost instant, a mix of the fruity pineapple sage and Rosemary. Alice moved away from the desk, ushering the smoke towards the different corners of the room, her voice soft as she repeated the four main cardinal directions under her breath. Tokoyami could only watch in wonder, this wasnt what he was expecting when Aizawa said he'd be showing around the new kid. He thought he'd end up showing her the room and then departing to go do whatever they wanted. Alice was... friendly, had almost the same quirk as him, and was a lover of the arts? He couldnt believe it.
The girl finished up her small ritual before she rubbed the embers out on the sage and placing it on the desk to cool. The whole event lasted maybe five minutes at most, she had moved around a lot due to her pro-hero parents. So she had gotten good at getting this done quickly. "See? Nothing too exciting. It always helps me feel more at ease. I know I dont have to do it, but its relaxing and makes the room feel more at home."
Tokoyami and Alice hung out in her room for almost two hours. He helped her get her room unpacked and things set up. He was surprised how quickly the time went. It wasnt until they could hear the chatter of his classmates did he realize it was getting close to the end of the day. They had almost everything unpacked, aside from her clothing and a box or two that she said she would get to later. It left the room feeling more comfortable. A brown, green, and dark purple checkered carpet was now sprawled across the floor, a brown beanbag in the corner where Alice had been excited to set up a small reading nook, and a strand of warm yellow lights were tied up around her ceiling. Her bed sheets matched the carpet and she had hung up a paid of deep purple curtains in the windows to give the room a bit of darkness. It suited her well. He'd learned quite about her too. The girl was a bit older than he was. She had been held back a grade due to sickness as a child, but had come to love a variety of artistic hobbies because of it. She painted often and loved the outdoors, much different than he had expected. She loved to cook and had her own cache of spices hidden for special occasions. She even had a small variety of teas that he knew Yaoyorozu would enjoy.
Once they heard Bakugo's yelling did they head for the elevator. Alice was a bit apprehensive, but after Tokoyami's reassurance they made their way downstairs.
"What the fuck are you going on about, Deku?" Bakugo partially shouted as he changed his shoes to something more comfortable. The male ran his hand through his blond hair, disgust written on his face. Izuku held up his hands, opening his mouth to speak, but Kirishima interrupted him.
"Dont try, Bakubro wasnt paying attention when Aziawa explained the reason we were housing a support student." The redhead rolled his eyes and nudged Izuku playfully in the arm. "He just heard that we'd be having a support student and lost his mind."
"Well? I dont want a fucking support student sitting in on our Hero stuff! There's a reason they never made it into the Hero course. So they better not get in the fucking way." Bakugo growled the words, stomping off towards the kitchen to grab something to drink. Kirishima rolled his eyes again and followed along, stopping the moment he heard the elevator ding. He watched as Tokoyami stepped out of the elevator, talking to a black haired girl.
"Tokoyami-Bro! There you are! Did Aziawa send you off to show the new girl around?" He grinned and shoved his hands in his pockets, wandering over to the pair. That got the rest of the class's attention and they turned to watch the interaction.
"Yes, this is Ms. Alice Rise." Tokoyami smiled and motioned to the girl, who gave a soft wave in response.
"You can call me Alice. I dont do well with formalities." Alice grinned to Kirishima, who matched her energy perfectly.
"A pleasure. Name's Eijiro Kirishima. You can call me whatever. Ill answer to anything." He held out a hand to her, which she took excitedly. "That loudmouth you just saw walk by was Bakugo. He's harmless."
"Shut up Shitty hair! Dont fucking call me harmless!" Bakugo's snarl came from the other room and he moved to lean in the doorway. He looked the girl over. She was pretty, but he didnt have much else to say. God, she was small. "Just stay out of my fucking way and we wont have a problem, got it Extra?" He nodded to her, a slight sneer on his lips. "I dont need anyone getting in the way of me being the number one hero."
Alice looked surprised and wrinkled her nose in response. "I have no want or need to be the number one hero. So I wont get in your way, promise. My goal is to get caught up on my studies."
"You better not, Support." Bakugo snorted and turned away to head towards the elevator. He was tired, but needed to get a workout in before dinner.
A boy with green hair approached shyly, "Awh, Kaachan gave you a nickname. That means he likes you. Im Izuku Midorya or Deku as Kaachan calls me. A pleasure to meet you." He gave her a grin and held out his hand to shake, which Alice graciously accepted. "Mr. Aziawa told us that we'd be getting a support student in one of our extra rooms, but he didnt say much else about it."
Alice rubbed her arm, "Im technically not like a true support student. Im taking the support general classes and then I have an Independent Study after lunch to catch up on quirk training. They stuck me here because there wasnt room in the Support dorms, but thank you so much for having me." She tried to bow, but the group was quick to pull her up.
"Dont worry about that!" A round-face girl stepped up to meet her, her smile wide. She had rich brown hair that curled around her cheeks, her brown gaze bright. She took Alice's hand and held it, "You dont have to be so formal with us. You are definitely welcome. Im Ochaco Uraraka. A pleasure to meet you!"
Alice smiled brightly, "Ah! We share a wall. Im in the room right next to yours." She rubbed the back of her head, her cheeks flushed lightly at the girl holding her hand. "Im excited to be here. Its so much different than how it was back home. Ill try to stay out of everyone's way."
"Dont worry about staying out of anyone's way." A girl with pink skin leaned in from the doorway. "Trust me. Also what's going on? Oh! Hey! New kid! Im Mina Ashido, but you can call me Mina. Definitely dont worry about staying out of the way. You are welcome here." She stepped in, her hands in her pockets.
Alice let out a breath she didnt know she was holding in. Tokoyami was right, she felt so much better after introductions. The class was super friendly and she didnt feel obligated to do anything.
She could just exist.
They all hung around chatting and getting to know each other before dinner. Alice actually found out that her and Uraraka had quite a lot in common. They had similar tastes in music and favorite sweets were Mochi. They both enjoyed night time walking and just watching the starlit sky. Izuku or Deku as he had affectionately been called was a shy guy, but determined. Kirishima was super sweet and offered to help Alice wherever she might need it. The entire class really stepped up to make her life easier. She enjoyed it.
It wasnt until after everyone went for lights out that Alice really got to relax. She hated working on things in her room, too much of a distraction to get things done. She grabbed her books and materials, heading down to the main room to make a nest on the floor under one of the coffee tables. She had gotten all set up before Kirishima had wandered downstairs to get something to drink before bed. "What are you doing up?" He blinked in surprise, watching the girl with a curious gaze. He wandered over, leaning over the back of the couch to creep on what she was doing.
"I cant study in my room." She admitted with a laugh. Alice motioned to the papers spread out. "I have a bunch of catch-up work to do. So I figured the best place is where I cant be distracted." She mused faintly and leaned back to look at the male upside down. "What are YOU doing up?"
Kirishima opened and closed his mouth, laughing to himself. "I wanted to get a drink before heading to bed." He leaned on the back of the couch, an amused smile on lips. "With all that work, did you even plan on sleeping?"
Alice shook her head, "Nah, I have really bad insomnia and nightmares sometimes." She shrugged. "Its gotten better over the years, but Im in a new place, new environment. Ill prolly ask Recovery girl for something if I can find her office tomorrow."
Kirishima frowned. He didnt like the idea of anyone not getting their normal bed rest. Especially someone who was new to their group. It was rough enough being in a new environment, "Well... I can show ya tomorrow, if you want?" He rose a brow.
Alice went to speak, but was cut off by a disgruntled "meow" from above. She looked up towards the door, where Chess stood defiantly in the middle of the doorway. He had his tail puffed up and looked downright irritated that his master would dare leave him behind.
"Cat?" Kirishima straightened to get a better look at the little creature. "Is that a cat?" He instantly moved around the couch, wiggling his finger's at the small animal.
"Kinda?" Alice started laughing, "Chess, come." Alice mused faintly as the cat zipped over to her, rubbing on her arms affectionately. "He's my Quirk."
"Your Quirk is a cat?" The male rose his brows and looked at her like she was lying to him. Who's quirk was just a cat?
The girl snorted and rolled her eyes, "He's kinda like Tokoyami's Dark Shadow. His name is Cheshire, but I call him Chess. Im a Shadow Quirk user."
"Oh! That's so cool!" Kirishima brightened significantly and stuck out his hand, a wide grin appearing on his lips when the cat rubbed against his hand, molding around his fingers like water. "Tokoyami is totally a strong guy too. Does this little guy have his own personality?"
"Yeah. He's completely separate from me. It took me ages to train him, but we can work together without me barking orders." Alice mused as the cat jumped from the table to the couch, settling in a loaf near her head. "He responds to my wants and needs, but has his own personality. He basically can defy me if he doesnt think something will work or it will be too much of a risk. Its called Intelligent Disobedience."
Kirishima stood up again, a bright smile on his lips. "Thats bad ass, let me tell you. Youll really have to show us what you can do after this. Im sure the others would be really thrilled to see him and know about your quirk."
"Really?" Alice blinked at him in surprise. No one had ever been excited to meet Chess. He was such an unnatural creature it made people uncomfortable. The only person who had looked thrilled was Tokoyami. Most people eventually got to know the small cat and deemed him just a normal cat. An intelligent one, but a normal one none the less.
"Yeah! Have people not been excited to meet him?" Kirishima rose a brow and tilted his head. "He's a little kitty." He reached down to scratch the cat under the chin. "A Shadow kitty, but he's still a cat. Who doesnt like cats?"
The relief on the girl's face was obvious and Kirishima tilted his head even more. "Most people find him super creepy. Even my good friend back home was weirded out by him at first." She said hesitantly. "Its something about an uncanny valley?" Alice tapped her pencil to her lips. "If thats the word Im looking for."
Kirishima laughed, "I can see that, but Im sure this class would be thrilled to meet him. Trust me. We've all seen some weird shit together." He stood straight again and rubbed the back of his head. "But get some sleep when you can. I gotta match Bakugo's Gym session tomorrow morning or he'll end up throwing me off the roof again."
Alice waved goodbye and settled back into her homework. She had lazily made her way through weeks of backlog- making sure to take her time and show her work. She was surprised how fast the night went. At some point she had dozed off for a few minutes, but most of her night was spent either stretching or studying. It wasnt until the elevator dinged did she jump in surprise.
Her phone read 5am, which was a bit early for anyone to be up, but she didnt expect to see the blond hot head walk through the doors with a towel over his shoulder- nor did he expect to see the girl sitting in a mess of papers. "The fuck are you doing awake, Support?" He rose a brow, looking up at the clock on the wall before squinting down at her and then to the black blob asleep on the couch.
"Studying." She said simply, eyeing him with the same confused expression that he had. "I gotta get caught up to get my provisional license."
"Hn." Bakugo shrugged. That was enough of an excuse for him. He walked off to shower, leaving the girl to her work again. It just left her confused, why was he even awake at 5am? Alice shrugged and went back to her work, not even responding when he came walking back out to head back upstairs. The male had stopped to stare at her for a moment. Did she even sleep? Not many people went to bed as early as he did, but he'd never seen anyone sleep less than Aizawa.
Finally he wandered over to see what she was working on after he went and got into his gym clothes. He looked down at the girl's sloppy kanji as she tried to get done with her Japanese homework.
"You spelled that wrong." He pointed out, getting the girl to jump at his voice. He smirked faintly. "You need to cross that letter there. No no, not that. Fuck, are you that useless? Come on, let me show you." He walked around the table and crouched down, taking her pencil from her. Alice sat and watched as he sketched out the letter on a piece of paper next to him. "Like this, see?"
Alice opened her mouth and closed it again before speaking, "Yeah. I'm not the best at Japanese."
"I can see that. Gods, how did you get into this school?" Bakugo handed her the pencil and motioned for her to copy him.
"Transfer? I was at the best school in Ontario."
"Oh so the bar was set pretty low." Bakugo snorted, another faint smirk on his lips.
"Shut up." She grumbled in return. Alice rolled her eyes, but a faint smile appeared on her lips. "I bet your English is shit." She grinned at him, making sure to speak English as she did.
"I bet your English is shit." He mocked back at her and stood, stretching his arms above his head. "My grades are the best in the class." He stated simply. "So feel special that I even fucking helped you."
Alice wanted to retort, but after hearing the guy yell about how he was such a bad ass and was gonna be number one hero. She kinda wasnt surprised. He had shown off just a fraction of when he could do just by threatening to blow Deku's face off. "I do feel special." Alice said simply. "Ill remember you helped me spell a word correctly when you are Number one."
"Dont mention it. At all. I cant let anyone know that Im tutoring the fucking support kid. People might get the wrong idea." He turned around and left after that. Alice just stared at the door with a confused expression. He was a mystery for sure. Kirishima and Uraraka had said that he was determined, but once you got to know him- he usually showed his tolerance in weird ways. Was this a weird way? She didnt want to get in his way. Truthfully, she wanted nothing to do with being a top 10 hero.