IN THE Snowy mountains of Japan, there sits a town—a town unlike anywhere else in the world for a tiny but significant reason.
There are no quirks.
This group called themselves the Purists and insisted quirks were the work of every evil entity coming together to poison the human race. After many failed attempts to get those born with the gene eradicated and stop the spread of its evil, they chose to isolate themselves.
Quietly, they extracted as many pure-blooded people as they could and rebuilt a new life away from the government that they believed had abandoned all reason. Their leader, Dr. Ichiji Imigashi, spoke one last sentiment, a final quote that summed up their reasoning for leaving the rest of the world to perish.
"Sooner than later, the world would burn, and quirks would be the spark that ignited the flame..."
Third P.O.V- Nari
Nari fiddled with the Pearl-toned bracelet on her wrist, twisting it round and round like a rotating saucer. It was effective for a while, but as the sun rose above the horizon, she knew she'd have to kick it in gear and change her strategy. Sighing exasperatedly, Nari moved to her bedroom dresser and opened it. An abundance of vitamins jostled around the wooden drawer, but none were what she was searching for.
There! She thinks, wrapping her hand around a small cylinder bottle. These particular pills had been at the back of her drawer for almost a year, with only one pill missing from its collection. The last time she had taken one, it had made her unbearably sick.
Desperate measures, I guess. I can handle a few days of vomiting. Nari nodded confidently, not noticing the lack of noise from the pill bottle. Upon opening it, she let out a gasp.
All the pills were gone.
"I knew you'd try that." The voice of her Mother, Henko Ori, made her jump.
She turned to the voice of her nightmares, and the familiar feeling of fear struck her heart. There, her Mother stood, with an all-white dress hugging her tightly as if it were a second skin. Her own skin resembled the flesh of a hazelnut, and her eyes were striking with a deep green. She pulled her hair back into a bun to complete her look and decorated her otherwise boring hairstyle with a pearl hairpin that clipped around it.
"Seriously, Nari, I think I'm owed more credit than that. You can't possibly think I'm foolish enough not to know your tricks by now?" Her hand slid from its folded place behind her back, and her fist opened. Revealing the little white pills that were once inside of Nari's drawer.
"I-... I'm-," Nari tried to squeak out, but fear constricted her throat.
Ori sighed tiredly, "I'm not in the mood for your antics this morning. We have an hour until the walk of the lamb. You will be dressed and presentable when I return to this room. Do you understand me?"
Not missing a beat, Nari quickly nodded and rushed to her connected bathroom to shower. It took a short time to clean herself thoroughly, and though she considered stalling just a little longer, she thought better of it. Not wanting to face the wrath that is her ornery Mother.
Stepping out of the steamy room, she felt her stomach drop.
Now hanging from her mahogany dresser was a dress. More accurately, a white dress. So bright and freshly dry-cleaned that its shine almost sparkled in the rays of the morning sun. It was a modest frock with frills and lace, long enough and tailored so that it stopped just an inch before the floor. To speak briefly, it was beautiful.
And yet the sight of it made Nari's face frown so intensely that wrinkles took over the otherwise smooth surface of her forehead.
Being in the Kohitsuji meant living in a class-based Society, and white was the color of her bloodline and her status. Its purity and lack of blemishing perfectly reflected the livelihood of all who lived among her class—solemn, peaceful, pure... and quirkless.
The latter being the one thing Nari was not and likely never would be.
The reality of her situation was unfortunate. She was among people who hated the very basis of her genetic makeup, and she had to live every day praying that her quirk would remain suppressed and quiet. Otherwise, she and everyone she loved would be at risk of expulsion from Society.
It's an unfortunate one, indeed, but Nari has lived with it for nearly ten years now, so she felt she had a strong enough handle on it to keep it from emerging. However, there were times when she felt like it would one day be too much to control, and the fears that kept her up at night might be realized.
A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Ms. Henko, you must begin to dress. Your Mother will be very unhappy if we miss the walk." Tashi, the Henko's housemaid, speaks softly through the door.
"Give me just a moment!" Nari responds, rushing to free her dark brown locs from the high ponytail she made to keep it away from the shower water.
Quickly, and while trying not to think about it, the white dress was unwrapped from the dry-cleaning plastic and thrown over her head. It was loose and barely clung to her body, but that was the way of her people; showing your figure was meant for women who were married. Not for young girls who weren't even old enough to attend the Match Ball.
A few minutes later Nari's hair was done, pulled back into a tight bun that sat at the base of her neck, and her feet were adorned with sandals. Checking over herself one final time, she nodded, walked to the door, and pulled it open.
Tashi, the purple skinned housemaid, stood in almost complete contrast to the young girl across from her, dressed head to toe in all black. She wore a black headscarf, a long-sleeve ankle-length dress, and black boots, and a steel wrist cuff around her right arm marked the placement of her class.
While Nari and her family were among the Pearl Elites, Tashi and everyone else like her sat in the lowest class of Society: the coal reformers.
"You are ready, young Miss?" Tashi asks, not even flinching in surprise at the sudden door opening.
Her accent was thick, coming from somewhere in Europe. It's quite normal for someone of her social grade to come to Kohitsuji from another country seeking asylum, but only if they were desperate enough.
And why wouldn't they be? It's their only escape from a world that has accepted filth, and embraced that which is doomed for hellfire.
"Yes, I am. Excuse my tardiness please."
Faded purple hands, reach to grasp Nari's more normal and chocolate colored ones.
"It is alright,today is no day for sullenness." Tashi smiles warmly at Nari, showing slightly pointed teeth beneath her stretched lips.
"Your skin looks great, Tashi. I can only imagine how happy you must feel."
The small grin grows to a larger one that the housemaid fights to keep hidden. Not wanting to show off her... quirky teeth.
"I am more than happy. After today, I will finally be free. I have dreamed of this day since I was a child."
"I'm so happy for you."
Although her words were true, Nari still felt bitter as they left her lips. Tashi, her dear housemaid had been granted the opportunity that so many like her dream of. After almost ten years of servitude, and twenty-eight years living in shame, she would finally be able to walk through life free of her tainted blood.
In less than an hour, Tashi and nine other members of the Coal Reformers would be injected with their final purifying serum, and be Quirkless.
Tashi came into their lives four years ago, a refugee who managed to find her way to the Kohitsuji society on ,luckily, one of their few days of acceptance throughout the year. Why she came was not only a mystery but quite frankly, unimportant. The Society never asked questions, so long as someone was willing to accept the terms of becoming a citizen. And really there were only three.
-You must relinquish all ties to the outside world.
-You must stay within your class.
-You must take the purifying serum, to cleanse your blood of all quirk DNA.
Pretty easy terms, right? Although, the citizens who agreed to them weren't given the serum right away. They were put on a waiting list that was nearly five-hundred names long. The serum wasn't the easiest to produce, so a selection process was held yearly. And the ten who were chosen would ceremoniously be injected on a stage in front of a crowd full of people they are tied to.
Tashi, the housemaid of the Henko household, was one of the lucky few chosen this year, granting Nari's family access to the exclusive ceremony.
It's called the Ascension. And Nari would give anything to be in the dusty black shoes of her housemaid. In a mere few hours, Tashi would achieve a dream that Nari had had since she was four years old.
Nari wished that it were her with all her heart. Maybe she'd feel better if it were her wearing the stuffy black gown. Maybe she wouldn't feel so unworthy.
"But you are unhappy?" Tashi said. Making Nari raise her eyebrow at the bold statement.
Bold, but true. It must've been glaringly obvious how jealous she was of the low class woman. It's not the first time Tashi has noticed, but it definitely was the first time she'd spoken on it. Perhaps, today being her last day on the job had given her the courage to speak more freely.
Nari opened her mouth to respond, hoping to redirect the conversation to anything but her, when heels clicking against the linoleum reached their ears. Both of them stand at attention. Tensing into statues.
"I see you've decided to be obedient this morning. Thank you, I would've hated to force you and ruin such an important day." Ori walked calmly down the hallway, stopping just before the pair who were still holding hands.
Scowling, she wasted no time, "Tashi leave us."
The purple skinned girl obeyed, releasing Nari's hands to rush off somewhere else.
With a few more clicks, Ori stood directly in front of her daughter, less than an inch away. Her long and perfectly manicured fingers reach toward Nari's collar to fix the tucked lace and properly place it around her neckline. Nari inwardly cringed at the verbal lashing she was about to receive.
Right on cue, Ori begins scolding.
"You never do anything with your hair. Locs are a sacred and beautiful style among your father's ancestors. You would do well to care for them more." She pulls two locs from Nari's bun and places them so that they frame her face.
"There, now no one can tell how puffy your face has gotten." Nari only nods in shame.
"The ceremony doesn't start for an hour. But, the Walk of the Lamb will be soon. You need to prepare to be around others in our class. This is the first Ascension our family has been to in over a decade. It's an honor not many in the formal shiro get to experience, so you will be on your best behavior today. No daydreaming, no fidgeting, and none of your... tricks." Ori spits the word as if it's poison on her tongue.
Nari was very aware of the importance of the day's events. It's one of the most talked about ceremonies in the Society. She'd have to be daft to not understand why her Mother was being so anal about it.
Not that being anal was out of character for her.
"Yes Mother." Nari responds timidly, just wishing that she could crawl back to her room and stay there.
"Good, now let's meet your father and sister out front." A cold hand slides up to grasp the base of Nari's neck, guiding her to the front door.
The sky was clear when they passed the threshold of their two story home. Waiting for the two are the other half of their family, Father Henko Charles, and daughter Henko Ani, who had just turned seventeen years old.
Ani grinned as she frolicked through the spring garden that just started to sprout, her white dress catching the wind. She laughed at the butterflies that fluttered around her freshly pressed and curled hair. As humid as it was one would think the curly locks would lose their silky texture and revert back to their original puffy and wild state.
But because the hair sat on Ani's head, it remained smooth. Nothing about Ani was ever out of place. She's the personification of perfection, yet another vision to turn Nari's eyes green.
The perfect teen turned at the sound of the front door shutting, her eyes wide and a beautiful brown that many people fawn over anytime they catch her gaze.
She grinned, "Nari! I didn't think you'd be coming." She rushed over and took her sister's hand in her own, unknowingly freeing her from their Mother's suffocating hovering.
At the connection of their hands, Ani released a deep sigh, "Momma said you might be feeling sick."
Nari almost rolled her eyes at her Mother's excuse.
"I just thought... Today is too important to miss." She smoothly escaped the lie her Mother had conjured up for her. It made Ani smile.
"Well I'm glad. You know I can't go anywhere without my medicine." She nudges her sister slyly. For as long as they could remember, Ani had troubles with her anxiety. As far as they could tell, the only thing that really eased Ani's nerves was the presence of her quiet little sister.
They've joked about it since their childhood, but even with their kidding, it was the absolute truth.
Nari was Ani's peace, and she always had been.
Tashi stood quietly off to the side, with her head tucked into her neck. Ani, ever the kindest, smiled in her direction.
"Tashi, you look amazing! And you must feel like it as well. I have to say, I think we'll all miss your presence here at home. But I wish you nothing but the best on your ascendance." She warmly spoke, coating every word with a sincerity that the servant girl isn't used to.
A scoff was heard, and without looking Nari knew it was her Mother. "It'll be such an inconvenience finding new help. It's nothing but bad luck that our maid got chosen for this year's Ascension, and who knows how long it will take to find another." She complained, making the servant bow to an almost ninety degree angle.
Doctor Henko made his way toward his wife and wrapped an arm around her waist, effectively quieting her arrogant ranting.
"Now Honey, It's an honor to accompany a forthcoming member of our Society. Tashi has worked hard to earn her place, and I don't mind searching for another housekeeper so long as it means we'll see this one ascend." He spoke with a suggestive tone, silently telling Ori to hold back on her ungrateful sounding gripes.
She caught the tone, and pulled herself together, "Right, I apologize. Happy ascension, Tashi."
The housemaid straightened, and frowned, "No ma'am! It's not you who should apologize. I am born, blood of the wicked. I must purify my line, and then I'll be worthy of your apology. It was an honor serving you, and earning my place, so that I may ascend into a pure body, and free myself of the evil gene." She said, unknowingly hitting Nari straight in the chest.
Everyone nodded, gracefully accepting Tashi's speech. There were a few moments of peaceful silence before Doctor Charles began speaking again.
"Well girls, we should start walking. It's nearing noon and we still have to check in." The girls look over at their clean cut father, dressed head to toe in a suit whiter than any new born lamb. His locs were freshly retwisted, and gathered neatly into a barrel style ponytail. His skin is a deep umber, almost making the white suit he wore shine even brighter.
He eyed his watch, squinting at the hand that ticked from second to second. He'd taken off for the day, so any house calls from his patients would be pushed back. It irked him to think about it, but he still had to accept whatever the Founders requested.
At his command the family gathered arms, linking together like the chain of a sparkling necklace, and began walking to their gate.
Scenically, other families dressed in white began walking to their gates. They stood there awaiting the sound that would mark the beginning of their long trek to the Capitol building, where the ascension would take place.
Just as the last family linked arms, a whistle-like bell sounded around the area.
The families who were permitted to, allowed their ascending housemaid or butler to lead the trek, and together they all began to walk at an evenly paced step.
Nari's eyes tried to remain on the large, dome-like Capitol building in the center of town, but she failed continuously.
Could the mocking sea of white make her any sicker? Her stomach turned at the sight of so many people actually deserving of their place. While she walked among them, silently imagining herself in her rightful black clothing.
...
Checking in took no time at all, being that the Henko family was a part of the Pearl Elite Class. A class second only to the Opal founders. Nari walked slowly, no longer hand in hand with her Father, and just a few paces behind her sister.
The Capitol Building was large and pristinely built, with marble floors, and porcelain pillars holding up the very tall dome like ceiling. The light fixtures twinkled in the dim room, making them look like stars in the sky.
Nari searched for Tashi but remembered that people of her class had to take a separate entrance to enter the building. She also likely had to receive her health check before the ceremony.
It's no surprise that the majority of the people in the building were wearing white, signifying the kind that normally attended these events. But the lack of gray and black in the building is almost alarming to Nari. Who among the lucky ten had a family to invite? Were they here, or would they all have to ascend while facing a crowd full of people they hardly had any close relation to?
Nari felt it was a bit unfair, but who was she to question the rules established by the founders?
No longer walking in the foyer, the class separation couldn't be clearer once they all had taken their seats. Sitting closest to the stage were the Pearl Elites, pure-blooded and all wearing white, with each family at their own respective tables. Then, a few Obsidian class citizens, either quirkless immigrants or former members of the coal class who at some point ascended.
In their own section were the small group of coal reformers who stared at the stage, awaiting their turn to become a part of the lucky ten standing on it, most of them wore masks or other garments to cover their... unsightly features.
It was that section of people that kept Nari's attention. While they looked longingly at the stage, she looked longingly at them.
In the midst of Nari's pining, the curtain slid open, and the lucky ten in black stood lined up on the stage. Their faces expressed glee and contentment, and one even looked a little scared.
With this being the absolute dream to Nari, she couldn't imagine why he would be. Maybe he was afraid of needles?
After a long (and boring) speech about the history of the Kohitsuji, Saint Rago, a direct descendant of the first founder of the Society, came forward. With his wrist brandishing an all gold cuff, the purist of materials on earth.
He roared into the microphone about the filth that had taken over the earth and how it was their job to stay within their walls. Awaiting the self-destruction that was bound to take over the outside world. The people of the Kohitsuji were spared for one reason: to repopulate the earth after it's destroyed, and rid the world of quirks once and for all.
It fired up the masses, and made those guilty of being born cower in shame.
Finally, the honorary doctor brought each ten forward and stuck a long, thin needle into their neck. The injection looked painful, and most cringed away. But not Nari.
She practically held her lids open with her fingers, not wanting to miss a single second. To think she had almost missed something so wonderful.
Soaking in the dream, she watched as the last little bit of purple hue drained from Tashi's skin, and a light ivory color replaced it.
It was done, she was pure.
Nari couldn't help but to close her eyes as a tear escaped.
One day that would be her, at least, she prayed it would.