Kenji felt absolutely exultant during his exchange with Tanifuji. At that moment he could take solace in the fact that at least the teachers were normal here. Protective, wise, guiding hands who would show him the path to his destin--
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! SHE CAME BACK TO FINISH THE JOB!"
Kenji turned to see a very frightened student fleeing from the mere sight of the sweet woman he had just met, utterly confused. Then he remembered something that stirred him up a bit. During his own entrance exam, him and some other students were taught a very good lesson about picking your battles when they faced the croc teacher. If that man wasn't really a teacher it was wholly possible that none of them would have made it out alive. A horrifying thought occurred to Kenji that a fear response like that would likely be tipped off by something of the same scale, and that she could do just the same. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and Kenji wasted no time following the instructions of Tanifuji and continuing on inside.
These guys might not be as famous as All Might was, but they're heroes all the same. Strong ones. They could pull these bunch of misfits into something greater.
Another student bumped into him, strange as he had carefully avoided being in a cluster. Was it on purpose? He apologized, but the look on his face wasn't convincing as he walked past. Then, he overheard what he had said. Yep, it was definitely on purpose. Another competitive student trying to convince everybody that they were the best of the lot. But Kenji, all but completely used to the notion of antagonizing students by now, only wondered if that boy hurt his elbow.
Though, they have their work cut out for them.
Kenji recalls his own entrance exam after witnessing a student flee from the sight of Tanifuji, then wonders of the state of a student's elbow after being bumped into.
โHey, were you in the same exam as that guy? Is he always like that, or does he just have first day nerves or something?โ
Mari turned to address Akeno's question, "Yes, he was like that at our exam. But I saw Sakimoto-san and Yomodachi-san," Mari motions to Azukina who was beckoning the group into the main hall, "standing over the downed body of one of the faux-villains, the dinosaur-looking one." Mari left it at that. Sure, she didn't approve of Hiroki's behavior, but in a way, his cockiness was backed up by his strength, and Mari felt that strength deserved recognition.
"Er... m-my name? S-Suguro U-Umi. N-Nice to meet y-you."
"A pleasure, Suguro-san," Mari replied to Umi's self-introduction. But as the situation outside escalated, Umi's discomfort became visible, which caught Mari's eye. Was Umi averse to the very sight of conflict? How did she expect to become a hero like this? A flash of annoyance crossed Mari's face, but was quickly suppressed. Mari softly held out her hands and put them on Umi's shoulders. No spark. "L-look, just turn around, ignore it, and walk inside. Boys will be...boys..." Though Mari said it, she hated that gender was considered enough of an excuse for idiotic behavior. "Just follow the teacher, Tanifuji-sensei, was it?" Mari attempted to turn Umi around and lead her into the building.
Looking back, Mari noticed that the appearance of Guodo-sensei seemed to defuse the escalating situation outside. Mari felt honored that he remembered her from the exam, but seeing him like this jogged her memory, allowing her to finally recognize him. At home, her dad had watched a lot of television, and she remembered seeing him on all the time, whether it was toothpaste commercials, or as likable protagonists. She wondered how she hadn't recognized him before, but she supposed she had to chalk it up to exam nerves. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you as a teacher and not as a villain, Guodo-sensei," Mari said, bowing, "I apologize for the bus. Is there...any need for monetary compensation?"
"All these students, and none of them impress me. Guess I'm just gonna be the stand-out. I thought I'd at least have to try. How disappointing."
Following the teachers into the assembly hall, Mari overheard Souta's jab at Hiroki, but the statement was generalized to be demeaning to every single student present. She clenched her fists and glared at him but held her tongue. This was Jigokuraku, the bottom of the barrel. For true hero-aspirants, being here was shameful in and of itself. How did so many students' egos manage to survive the application process? How could they still remain so arrogant knowing that only the worst school would accept them? Was it sour grapes, or a bloated sense of entitlement? For Mari, this school was her only choice. It didn't matter. She was here to survive. If she got three meals a day and a roof over her head, she didn't care how bad the school was. Besides, Mari had no interest in rankings since her ideals didn't even properly align with that of hero society. She was here to unlock her potential and become her own type of hero, not the kind that chases after headlines, but one who helps the overlooked and forgotten.
Mari replies to Akeno, letting her know Hiroki's not all talk. Then she attempts to lead Umi away from the conflict, silently judging Umi. She introduces herself to Guodo-sensei, and apologizes about totalling the bus. Finally, she overhears Souta and quietly bristles at the seeming lack of humility among several of her peers. Mari continues into the building.
The commotion outside was getting to a point that it would be hard to keep contained, unless a guiding hand ushered them indoors. Azukina wasn't necessarily the person to commit to something such as that, but Goudo's words inspired confidence in her, even if she lacked it in herself. A kind of 'believe in the me that believes in you' mentality, as some nerds would put it. With a sense of purpose and duty, followed by a faithful "Yes, sensei," Checkers stood by the front door to gather her fellow classmates.
"I'm sorry Sakimoto, I'll tell you later. Could all students please follow me inside to the Assembly Hall?!" Not one who was afraid of projecting her own voice, it carried an aura of authority to it, sounding less like a question and more like an order. Many students were already on their way over, which was good, meaning the rest would likely follow. If they didn't they'd be left outside in the cold, which was a problem more-so for some than others. If they truly cared about being heroes, and becoming kings themselves someday, then they would follow in. Nobody would waste time after committing so much to the exam, after all. Some students passed by her inside the building, prompting the prodigy to follow as well, making her way to the head of the students present. "The Assembly Hall isn't so far. Please, leave your things inside by the front door for now, we will be coming back to get them later in the day." Another student, Souta, made it clear he wanted to antagonise the blue boy. While she didn't fully like Hiroki as a person, they got along well enough to somewhat understand one-another, and she felt he didn't quite warrant that kind of response. Then again, he was more than capable of handling such comments himself, so long as he didn't get too angry in the moment.
Without missing her stride, Yomodachi lead the students that followed down the hall. For a supposedly new and under-funded school, everything looked to be in order: classrooms weren't missing desks or chairs, the wood panelling on the ground was shined to a sheen, there were even a couple posters regarding the hero course around, usually the motivational kind. It had that fresh smell in the air of something new, like a room that had just been cleaned spotless, carrying with it the scent of the mountain trees. The inside of the school was noticeably warmer than the outside, though not to an uncomfortable degree to most. Passing by a right turn and then a left, the group came across the central courtyard. The frost from the lone tree within was slowly trickling off the branches, finding residence in a small water feature which was flowing ever-gently. From a certain point-of-view, it almost looked to be raining.
They would have plenty of time to gawk at all the fancy new school features in time, for the Assembly Hall was just around the corner. As she had already opened the double doors ahead of time, the students could quickly make their way inside, to which they were greeted with a largely empty open room. It made sense considering they were literally the first students to walk in there, but that didn't make the sight any less depressing. "Please feel free to pick a seat." Added the girl with hair like a chessboard, split evenly between dark and light. "We'll be starting soon."
Students, not just those that had come together, entered the open room and began picking seats out from underneath the indecisive. After a short time Yomodachi chose her own seat towards the centre-left of the front row, closest to where a small girl seemed to waiting impatiently. She was tapping her foot and was looking directly at the entrance to the assembly, where she was waiting on two teachers to make themselves known. Three, actually, however at least the third called in to let her know he would be late...
This girl with a pony tail suddenly came running up to them, nearly late but still managing to catch up with the group. After an incredible amount of words and bowing repeatedly to her submission to authority Guodo raised a hand. "A pleasure to meet you too Adachihara Yachiyo." He did everything he could to remember all their names as his duty to his class. He smiled back at her, very much akin to how he would his fans, which was entirely reflexive. "I look forward to our year together." Sparkle sparkle.
"Thank you for intervening, Sensei, it his highly appreciated."
"Your safety is my top priority. So no fighting, no using your quirk on your fellow students." He said matter of factly, not showing any hint of the jealousy of Soga for him. "After class gets started, I have no doubt all of you will be the best of friends, and more than that, a perfect hero team. Communication and watching each other's back is going to be your keys to success at this school." He was definitely all positivity.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you as a teacher and not as a villain, Guodo-sensei," Mari said, bowing, "I apologize for the bus. Is there...any need for monetary compensation?"
He laughed at this rather heartedly. "Oh please don't worry about it! If you have to save lives you're free to break whatever you need to. The exam was designed to put you kids up against the wall to see how you'd react. If that means denting a bus to get the edge on a villain, I'm sure the people you rescue won't be complaining." He gave her a thumbs up.
The last thing he reacted to was Shiki running away from the coach and he had to be honest. It was pretty hilarious. And he was already seeing his students coming to the other's aid. Coffee or not. He just laughed it off. "I know Tanjifuji Sensei can be pretty scary." he said taking a playful jab at his peer. "But shes one of the best coaches you could ever ask for. A few classes with her, and anything else you face out there is chump change in comparison. So, chin up. Face your fears and GO BEYOND!" he reminded them a fist in the air. Was he an All Might fan?
Hiroki heard the words about him, the seething venomous hate. How proud. How violent. Stay away from him. Let me know if he hurts you again. So he was the Pariah in this group. He thought about the exam, the moment just now where that smiling bastard did... something. So many new quirks, so many new faces. And they weren't just going to give him accolades this time. It was a whole new world. Time to claw up from the bottom.
"All these students, and none of them impress me," he said. Another sigh came out of his mouth. "Guess I'm just gonna be the stand-out. I thought I'd at least have to try. How disappointing."
Hiroki looked at his hand and grinned. Perfect "You freakin' better." He said to the punk that called him out then turned to face him. A claw forming into a fist.
"You better show me everything you've got. Then show me more. Cause I ain't going to give you anything less. You keep up, or you eat dirt."
Someone mentioned bottom of the barrel, a crap school for crap heroes. He looked at the front of it. A twisted grin as he realized this was day one of his Hero destiny. "We don't need this to be the elite school. I'm going to make it elite. The tougher it is, the stronger we're gonna get. All that matters is the heroes that it creates. UA trash ain't got nothing on us anymore."
He held up a claw as he eyed the back of the classes and the front of the school. An excited grin plastered to his face as he declared his excitement. "Stretch, Checkers, Pixels, Smiles, Croc, what else does this school got? Whatever it is, this is gonna be killer."
Guodo Sensei responds to the querries and questions of his students. Hiroki surrounded by such larger than life personalities and so many self adhering number ones, he suddenly gets pumped up for the school.
The interior of the school was surprisingly nice; it was decorative, welcoming, and warm. Oh sweet warmth. Just as soon as he had made it into the hall, a commanding voice asked him and the other students to leave their things by the door. Kenji looked visibly nervous about doing so and gripped the straps of his hiking back tightly. For the past three days of walking it had seldom left his back, and he wondered if taking it off now would finally let his fatigue settle in on him. It was heavy, far too heavy for any sensible student to have carried all the way up the mountain. He had practically packed his entire bedroom from home, disassembled steel framed furniture and all. Setting it down normally would make a commotion, but he didn't want to ignore a polite request. Even as the students were finally let inside the tensions had certainly not gone down between all of the highly competitive students, so he took the moment people were distracted to leave his things behind.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Kenji lifted the weight of the pack off of his shoulders by the wall. His arms shook like he was touching a live wire as his anxiety about this simple task began to overtake him, but miraculously he managed to set down the 800lb hiking bag without incident. The floor quivered and squeaked slightly under the weight of the pack as Kenji took a moment to enjoy the incredible feeling of weightlessness before returning on his way to the assembly hall. On the way, he stopped for a moment to appreciate the beautiful courtyard. The school certainly looked more impressive inside rather than what they could see from the front.
It was very plain looking, big and empty save for enough chairs for the first student body the school had yet seen. It was all expected by him though, in fact it was more than expected. The place looked beautiful for a new and less funded academy. Kenji decided to get the front-most row he could possibly achieve, he wanted to be close to the opening ceremony for the school that would change his life forever.
Shiki collided face first into what he assumed was a stone wall. There was no way the girl he saw was that tough. Needless to say, his eyes were shut before the impact. After the collision, his body weakly slumped against the towering dragon. Shiki was barely holding himself up by the dragon's sweater, occasionally twitching in pain, but still conscious.
โUhhh...What happ-โ He muttered out, slowly glancing up the dragon's massive body. His eyes widened in disbelief upon realizing the grim situation he put himself in. This dragon...is undoubtedly related to Tanifuji-Sensei and has joined in on the fun!
โAHHHHH!!!โ He panicked once more, attempting to pull himself away from Soga.
Only to find that Soga had already grabbed him by the shoulder and was really none too pleased with what had just happened. He could not disclose the actual reason why he had intercepted him, that would be just a tad too embarrassing for him to admit. He glared for a moment at Shiki, his grasp tightening ever momentarily and his eyes narrowing as if a predator was about to pounce on him instead of two students interacting.
"First of all, no running around here and..." As he said that, he realized he looked as if he was about to beat his fellow student, so, all things considered, he calmed himself, his features relaxing to the point where looked like the stoic student he had been until now. "Second, you could have crashed into someone and caused a big mess for both you and..." And as he turned towards Yachiyo, he realized he had not yet found out her name and simply turned towards her for a moment, looking momentarily confused.
Yachiyo snapped out of her heart-eyed haze upon feeling the impact of her two classmates colliding, flinching just a bit as the crashed into each other only inches away from her. She scanned the two individuals; one undoubtedly stealing more glances due to his draconic appearance. Her sense of etqiuette and gratitude snapped into place at his words, straightening her posture. "Yachiyo! Adachihara Yachiyo. Thank you very much, Dragon-san. I didn't... pay attention for a second."
Shuffling closer towards the oddly clinched pair, she examined their expressions, particularly Shiki's rather... affected visage. "Are you two alright? Did you bump your heads? I can ask sensei for medical assistance if you require it?"
"My name is Yutsuko Soga, happy to meet you, however I don't know who he is, but he was running from what I can assume is a teacher." He said pointing towards Tanifuji. "I am not sure if he is a student here if he was attempting to run away from a teacher howe-" However, before he could finish his sententce, he heard Yomodachi calling for them to enter the hall, shortly after her, Guodo reassured everyone around him, including Shiki, who he guessed to be the student he was currently holding.
So, with that entire situation solved, Soga let go of the utterly terrified Shiki to do as he will and turned towards Yachiyo putting on his best smile. "Shall we go inside?" he asked her, walking very slowly towards to entrance as to walk inside at the same time as her. However, as he walked, he could not help but look at Yomodachi once more and the authority she had ordered them, he wished he could be just like her, at least in that regard.
Shiki was unable to pry free from the dragon's strong grip. That piercing glare and predatory expression on the dragon's face effectively silenced him. It didn't help when Yachiyo recommended medical assistance from one of the teachers. He thought this was the end as cold sweat trickled down his face. However, as the conversation went on, Shiki became less frightened.
Wait...This guy is also a student?
As Shiki was gradually returning to his senses, he began to understand Soga's reason for intercepting. Perhaps, Shiki did overreact a little by Tanifuji's appearance...After all, she didn't notice him until after he screamed, so he could've simply avoided her. A sigh of relief escaped his lips after Soga released his grip. Shiki quickly bowed apologetically to Soga and Yachiyo.
โP-Please forgive me for my reckless behavior...I didn't mean to endanger anyone...My name is Tetsumi Shiki...Once again, I'm sorry...โ
Shiki wanted to explain his reasoning for his terrified behavior, but that would have to wait until later. He overheard Yomodachi call out to them and timidly followed the other students, all while trying to avoid Tanifuji-Sensei.
Interaction between Shiki, Soga, and Yachiyo. All three are on their way to the assembly.
Sitting at the front of a trundling bus on that cold, rainy day, a girl in a dark blue jacket, hood raised, glanced nervously about. As the airbreaks hissed, the slight figure lurched forward, standing meekly. Slowly a hand cloaked in a think black glove produced a collection of Yen pinched between two fingers, and gave it to the driver as she disembarked. The drizzling rain soon began to sink over the girl as she walked up the hill towards the school at the summit. As her shaded eyes met with the rather large group of students that had collected at the front door, she felt a lump catch in her throat. There were so many of them. I thought I was getting here early. Her posture immediately tensed- not that it was that different from her usual implosive slouch, but the energy was different, and her movements were more stiff. However, as if by some stroke of luck, a smiling man appeared, and began to coax the students inside. The girl let out an almost visible sigh of relief. She wouldn't have to deal with everyone at once. At least not yet. Her sigh took her sloped posture even lower, and she began running towards the gates. As much as she didn't want to deal with a crowd right now- or ever- she certainly didn't want to be late. To that end, she tilted even farther forward and began pushing herself towards the door. Her gait was somewhat awkward, but that was mostly because of her trying to mentally balance the amount of water that was falling on her belongings, versus what would have been getting in her eyes and hair if she stood up straight. Skirting as quietly as she could behind the group, the girl slinked into the school. Upon getting this much closer, the man with the short hair and the big smiled looked somewhat familiar. He must have been one of the teachers who presided over the entrance exams. Her stomach turned a bit as her mind flashed back to the physical evaluation. She had been sure she'd not be admitted after that performance, and yet here she was. The girl didn't notice the lingering blush of pure mortification that came with the memory as she slipped into the Assembly Hall. Her breaths were slow and deep- but seemed bordering hyperventilation, "It's okay. It's just Assembly. You've done this dozens of times..." she quietly murmured to herself. Almost as if by some automated process, she placed her things outside the door to the hall, and moved silently inside, and sat in a folding chair near the back of the room. Incidentally, she was in the exact middle chair in the left most column, sitting in the absolute back row.
Bat sirl is here. Bat girl is nervous. The risk of talking to people- the horror! But seriously she didn't talk to anyone. Teacher looks familiar, but that's a good thing, yeah?
Kiko thought it was hilarious how everything blew up after the putz made his big announcement. Nobody took him seriously. This was some real time humiliation. She'd have to make a mental note to watch herself around him, though. She wasn't about to let herself get pushed around like that fat kid. Come to think of it, that fat kid was one of the people she'd fired at during the exam. She hadn't actually planned on shooting at other students, but he was in the way, so whatever. If people learned to fear her tommy guns, all the better.
"I say he lasts a month, tops." Kiko replied to Yasu as they made their way towards the front doors. Talking about how long others would last made Kiko worry about herself a little. Her folks had made it pretty clear this was her once chance at being a Hero. She lamented the lack of accommodation for her life choices. So what if gangsters were usually associated with crime? She wanted to be a Heroic gangster that shot people, so that was what she was going to be. If people didn't like that, then she'd just have to do it anyway. Real gangsters didn't take shit from anybody, and neither would she.
Once inside the school building, Kiko was mildly surprised by what she found. She had been given the impression this wasn't the greatest school, but it didn't look all that bad. Maybe they could make something of this place after all? After arriving in the assembly hall, Kiko took a seat up the front. The front was where she belonged, no matter who told her otherwise. Who cares if it meant nothing right now? It was symbolism, at the very least.
As Ryota merged with the crowd entering the school he just simply watched the shenanigans around him unfold with an unfazed expression. It was what he would expect from a bottom of the barrel school, a bunch of lunatics running around frantically and yellow without having any common sense. To top it all off the teachers expected him to get along with all of them.
What a joke.
What was even funnier was the smurf at the front claiming that he was going to make this school elite, of all the people to make such a ludicrous claim was the guy going around threatening everyone. Even for the smurf it was completely irrational to say what he just said.
โYou of all people are going make this school elite? The same person who has been making threats and disrespecting everyone is the same person who is going to take us to the summit? Shut your mouth for a second and think, weโre at Jigokuraku academy because nobody else would take us undesirables. Trash belongs with trash at the end of the day.โ
Ryota walked right past him but not without dropping off his last two cents, โtake a look around at your fellow classmatesโ he said referring to the worthless lot in front of Hiroki.
โIf a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.
"... and what does Mr. Nagato think about our presentation?"
"He said it needed a bit more tuning but otherwise he thought it was splendid! He's sure the investors will love it."
"That's good to know, hon! And hey, don't forget that meeting we're going to have with the board members."
"Of course I won't, honey. Everything's already been set for later but..."
Mr. and Mrs. Akiyama continued to talk about their work, the first driving the car while the latter sat passenger, exchanging ideas and reminders for their next meeting. And the next, and the next, and the next, and for the one coming up in two months. Meanwhile, their son Hiroaki was sitting quietly backseat with his bags beside him, watching the droplets of rain fall down on their car windows as they made their way to his new school. The music he's listening from his earphones was not enough to drown out the feeling of butterflies in his stomach. Though for him, they're not actually gentle butterflies. It's more like violent wasps.
Realizing the music does not help in his queasiness, he locked his phone and put his earphones in his bag. "I'm scared," Hiroaki meekly said as he looked down on his knees.
His parents immediately stopped talking as even if they were busy chatting about work, they were keenly listening for any sign of distress from their son. Mom turned to look at him with concern, smiling gently at him. "I know it feels that way, sweetie. Why even us adults were scared of their very first day at school when we were younger. Right hon?"
"Oh yes," Dad earnestly replied, occasionally glancing at the rear-view mirror to see Hiroaki. "I believe I cried my eyes out and even pooped in my pants in so much fear that your grandparents had to take me home immediately!" He said dramatically.
"Dad, T.M.I." Hiroaki looked at his dad through the rear-view mirror with his dead fish eyes kind of look which never fails to make both of his parents laugh. Just hearing them like this was enough to destroy a wasp or two in his stomach.
Once she calmed down, Mom's expression gradually changed into a more serious but gentle one. "Sweetie, we're not talking about school because you said it yourself that you don't want to make a big deal out of it."
"I know," Hiroaki said as he looked outside at the passing infrastructures. At the corner of his eye, he saw his parents looked at each other with concern, and he sighed. "Mom. Dad. Regardless of what you... what I think... I'm going to do fine. Going to be fine. I promise you that."
Mom smiled earnestly and reach out to hold her son's hand. "Of course you will be, sweetie. You're the strongest person we have ever met, stronger than even the two of your parents combined." Mom added jokingly.
"Your Quirk is nothing to sneeze at either! The world's already a good place, but it's going to be even greater with you in. Believe in that." Dad added as he flashed a thumbs up as their car stopped at the entrance of Jigokuraku Academy.
For the first time that day, Hiroaki smiled serenely at them, and seeing him like this filled his parents' hearts with warmth. For the first time that day too, the wasps in his stomach had fully disappeared. Hiroaki waved at his parents as they drive away, probably going to work for today or back to their home. He grasped the handle of his bag, deeply breathed in and out, then turned to face the academy.
It was very impressive for him. It's been a while since he has seen an actual school up close and personal like this. This sight, along with the tons of students milling and talking around, almost made the wasps return. He deeply breathed in and out again. No, he refused to let the wasps win over him as least for today. He walked towards the mass of students, his eyes wandering around at the sight of the variety of teens joining together that day.
There were a lot of people talking at once, but the more prominent one was the one closest to him. It came from a boy with messy, curly black hair and a very hostile look on his face. He was talking so strongly about something that clearly upset him. From what he's saying, he clearly doesn't like being here.
Okay, so I've read in an internet article that in order to survive in the wild, you have to side with the lion, the leader of the pack and the king of the food chain, Hiroaki thought to himself. From the looks of it, he does seem to be the lion around here. Oh well.
Before he could think any further, Hiroaki tugged at the guy's sleeve. "Um, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about? Why are we considered undesirables, and what's so bad about Jigokuraku?" He asked as he looked curiously at him. He couldn't believe what he was doing but it was too late to back down. Oh well, at least he got to see his parents for the last time before he gets mauled by this guy. Life was good until it lasted.
One of the students she approached ran off screaming before she got an answer, apparently struck with an intense feat at the sight of one of the approaching teachers. For some reason that didnโt really surprise her; sheโd seen what some of the teachers were capable of during her own exam so the fact that one or two of the new students were a little apprehensive around them didnโt shock her. Though this seemed a bit much.
"Huh? Airplane Arms? He was like that at our exam too. And after it got called off early he yelled at me for... I'm not even sure!"
Akeno turned to look over her shoulder at the blue-skinned boy, who at least seemed to have calmed down somewhat now that the teacher was done with him. If he was acting like that back during the entrance exam then it sounds like it wasnโt just a case of him being excited by their first day at a new school. It seemed like he was going to be trouble, the kind Akeno wasnโt sure she wanted to deal with; picking fights before theyโd even set foot inside the building wasnโt a good sign, even if Kenji did kind of invite it on himself.
It took her a moment to parse the rest of whatโd heโd said however. Their exam had been cancelled? Why? Had something happened? Maybe it explained why the kid with pink hair had run off like that.
"Oh, uh, sorry. That was my name. Datari Shun, nice to meet you."
Bringing her attention back to the boy in front of her, the taller girl returned his short bow with a smile before introducing herself in turn. โIโm Kudo Akeno, nice to meet you to. I hope we can get along.โ
The door to the hall opened and a girl with two toned hair and wearing what was presumably this schools uniform stepped out. The teachers directed them to enter the school so that they could begin the assembly and the collection of students began to follow their instructions as well as they could; which in this case meant a few more late arrivals, some more shouting, a couple people trying to start fights and even one girl setting fire to some poor guys shirt.
Well, it wasnโt like she didnโt expect hero school to be livelier than her last.
Before she could move to follow the final student she had approached spoke up. She was taller than Akeno, which was rare but not unheard of, and had a slightly haughty air to her that Akeno didnโt like.
"Yes, he was like that at our exam. But I saw Sakimoto-san and Yomodachi-san, standing over the downed body of one of the faux-villains, the dinosaur-looking one."
Turning away from Mari, Akeno sought out Sakimoto again along with the other student that had been mentioned, but couldnโt see them through the crowd. Theyโd really managed to take down the teacher that the students in her own exam had had such trouble with? Granted Akeno didnโt stick around to see the end of that fight, splitting off as soon as sheโd rescued one of the dummies to find more, but the last thing she had seen was Kenji being beaten senseless while a few others tried in vain to slow the dinosaur down.
It seemed like airplane arms could do more than just blow hot air, literally in his case, and could back up his words with action if need be. She wasnโt sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Would it make him more or less insufferable if he actually lived up to his own hype? If he really was that strong then heโd be just another person who had a big head and a bad attitude just because heโd been lucky enough to be born with a strong quirk; annoying, but not uncommon and at least heโd make a good hero someday. It would, however, make his habit of picking fights with people more dangerous.
Akeno began to follow after the stream of students walking into the building, ended up near the back of the group due to her slow start. As such she was positioned close enough to hear when yet another student decided to stir up some trouble, very deliberately drifting over to be within earshot of Sakimoto before making a comment about how unimpressive everyone so far. Akeno just rolled her eyes at the bravado, but Sakimoto took the bait as everyone probably expected him to at this point. Rather than blow up or try to start another fight however, the blue-skinned student actually seemed to revel in the challenge.
"We don't need this to be the elite school. I'm going to make it elite. The tougher it is, the stronger we're gonna get. All that matters is the heroes that it creates. UA trash ain't got nothing on us anymore. Stretch, Checkers, Pixels, Smiles, Croc, what else does this school got? Whatever it is, this is gonna be killer."
Surprisingly, Akeno found herself smiling in response to the impromptu pep-talk. It was inspirational in a way, a reminder to all of them that this schoolโs reputation didnโt matter as much as what they did with this opportunity; even if none of them had made it into the Four Pillars for one reason or another that didnโt mean they couldnโt become stronger anyway. It mirrored her own thoughts on the school, and she really hoped they were both right.
Not everyone shared that sentiment, it seemed. A dark haired teen, leanly built and the same height as Akeno, walked up to them at the end of Sakimotoโs speech, undoing everything the loud-mouthed student had said. Trash, undesirables, no one else would take us.
What an asshole.
Akeno was about to say as much, turning around to fully face the arrogant teen, but was beaten to the punch when another student grabbed the guys sleeve.
"Um, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about? Why are we considered undesirables, and what's so bad about Jigokuraku?"
The pink haired student sounded more curious or confused than annoyed, like he was genuinely asking why the dark-haired teen had said such things. It was discordant enough from the Akenoโs current mood that it made her freeze up for a second, her annoyance disappearing as she just looked wide-eyed at the new arrival. After a moment she regained her bearings and stepped forward to intervene before the taller teen could say anything else. She placed a hand on the pink haired boyโs shoulder to get his attention.
โBecause itโs not one of the Four Pillars, and thatโs all anyone cares about; Jigokuraku isnโt U.A., Shiketsu or one of the others so no one thinks very highly of it. But itโs a new school and no one knows what itโs capable of, so itโs not like it has a bad reputation; it just doesnโt have any reputation yet. Sakimoto is right though; all that matters is the heroes this school creates. Weโre the first students to attend here so its reputation is going to be whatever we make of it, good or bad.โ
Akeno finds out that the other entrance exam was cancelled and that the other students managed to take down the dinosaur-like teacher she saw during her own exam. She responded to Shun and give him her name. Overheard Souta's comment to Sakimoto and his response. Heard Ryota's comment about all the student being trash and Hiroaki's question as to why he said that and replied.
Shun gave Akeno a sunny grin in response, but his attention was quickly stolen by the influx of students to the main building. This was it. Hero school. He was more nervous than he should've been. There was no test coming up, all he had to do was sit and listen. So why was his stomach doing backflips? Where was the excitement from earlier? Everyone else seemed composed; Shiki even stopped screaming, despite - or maybe because of - the massive dragon man looming over him.
Even Airplane Arms was saying something constructive, and he mentioned Shun! Although the glitchy boy wasn't quite sure if that was supposed to be a complement or not. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Worrying was pointless if everyone else was confident. He started clapping jokingly as he approached Hiroki, laughing lightheartedly like an idiot.
As he passed Ryota, his sunny disposition dropped on a dime as he narrowed his eyes into a judgemental grimace. This new kid was even worse than Hiroki. Sure, Airplane Arms was putting people down, but he at least had drive - Shun was fairly certain his actions were motivated by competitiveness and not spite. But Jigokuraku was the dark-haired boy's school too; he wasn't doing anything constructive, just dragging everyone down with him. Pixels then snapped his head back toward Hiroki, all bright smiles and neon colors again.
"I knew you weren't that crabby all the time!" He giggled, stopping before the Tsunderplane and rocking back and forth on his heels enthusiastically. "Guodo-sensei already said my name but I don't know if you missed it or not since you were calling me Pixels, so I just wanted to say you can call me Shun, nice to meet you! Even though we kinda met at the exam, but you didn't really do anything but yell at me and I wasn't really thinking straight anyway so I guess that doesn't really count." And now he was babbling in run-on sentences. It's over, he's fully awake, "Hiroki, right? Or do you prefer Sakimoto? I know some people like to be formal!"
Yasu had been hoping for a more explosive climax to dipshit's little spat. It was disappointing to see the staff swoop in and diffuse the situation. Yasu had no desire to see the instigator get hurt, but it would have been fun to see turbine boy suffer the consequences of getting violent. As it stood, the situation around them both had become a chaotic mess of people showing up, introducing themselves, getting involved and otherwise having things to say. It was all too much to follow, so Yasu didn't bother. If everyone else wanted to get in the middle and make comments, that was their business. She was just going to wait for the moment to go on in to the hall.
Eventually, they got the go ahead to head on in. Yasu nodded along with Kiko's bet as they went. She wasn't really planning to turn this into a serious bet, but it would be amusing to see if plane dude could last the distance. As they made their way in, it appeared this school wasn't half the dump she'd heard it might be. Still, it wasn't as opulent as some of the places she had been to. Nosaka High definitely had this place beat. Still, it hardly mattered to Yasu if one school looked prettier than the other. She would much rather be here than at Nosaka. Yasu opted to take her seat right next to Kiko. Sitting up the front wasn't usually her style, but she was her 'friend' of choice for the day, so it was as good a seat as any.
"L-look, just turn around, ignore it, and walk inside. Boys will be... boys... Just follow the teacher, Tanifuji-sensei, was it?"
"S-senpai. H-her name is T-Tanifuji-s-s-senpai."
With nothing more to say, Umi turned her back to Mari and proceeded to the hall without her. She knew that look that Mari had on her face before. It was a pitiful, shameful gaze, and there was no other target for it but Umi herself.
She was pathetic, and she knew it.
...
Inside the hall, everyone was talking a pretty big game about themselves. But not Umi. She was about the only student here who seemed to know her place. A lost cause. She couldn't handle a dip in temperature. She couldn't break up a commotion. She couldn't confront a villain. Hell, she couldn't even climb a mountain path. There must have been a thousand candidates that were better suited for a spot in Jigokuraku Academy, and here Umi was taking the place of every single one of them. It was a sorry state of affairs indeed...
Umi sat as far towards the back of the hall as she was allowed to be, and curled herself into a ball in her seat. She was already starting to crumble under the pressure of expectations straight from Day 1; there was no telling if she could last any longer.
Interactions: Suguro Umi @AdmrlStalfos19, anyone with functioning nostrils that's by the back.
Well, wasn't that quite the amusing turn of events. After very definitely catching the eye of the most boisterous one of the bunch, Haruka was able to spectate this fellow's great claim to fame as Jigokuraku's Number 1 only for someone more fitting for the position to open the gates to their new fate. Nevertheless, this didn't stop the man from attempting to squash the bug that had wronged him. However, what happened after that surprised her even more as she saw that Goudo, of all people, was there. It took her quite a bit of effort to keep her composture and not go over to ask for his autograph, as she was the proud owner of a poster featuring the man as one of his most iconic roles: a suave lady-killer that served as the antagonist to a cheesy action movie. Granted, such a liking to the man had been boosted by being around the older women of the family, but the fact remained that one of her idols was present and, to top it off, it seemed like he was going to be their teacher.
They were all beckoned to enter the assembly hall of the new school, an invitation that Haruka took her time to accept as the crowd of students made their way in. What they'd see is that the plant woman was pulling out a spray bottle from her bag which she'd generously apply on her face and mane of leaves before storing it back where it came from and taking a swig from a bottle of water in a manner that'd make bystanders wonder if this was a commercial for a summer refreshment. However, all of these motions were deliberately slow and careful: she was biding her time to enter amidst the back of the group. All of the other students were there and she could see that several of them were quite eye-catching themselves by their own standards. Not only that, but her presence during the Jigokuraku was relegated to a supporting role for others, something that had earned her enough points to pass but it costed her recognition. Therefore, if she wanted to leave a lasting impression on her peers she'd have to engineer it as much as she could with what she had at hand.
And that's exactly what she did.
After a couple more of moments dedicated to letting the bee fulfill its natural duty and avoid the ruckus that such creature tended to cause in enclosed spaces filled with teenagers, Haruka made her way into the assembly hall at a measured step. Holding her bag with both of her hands in front of her, a straight and proper posture and a polite smile never leaving her face, Haruka made sure to play the part of a perfect japanese school idol even if she wasn't one yet. The natural fragrance of the hyacinth on her head, intensified by them being now indoors, would only accentuate this effect, acting as a natural perfume that'd have the heads of other students turning towards her.
When the leaf-haired student reached the assembly hall, she took a couple of moments both to admire the amount of space and to let others admire her as she stood by the door before letting her bag down with the others. The downside of this was that there weren't that many seats around for her to use, and she'd rather not sit next to a male student to try and avoid having someone flirting with her when she'd rather be paying attention to the opening ceremony. Her eyes scanned the landscape and she spotted an odd sight: a lump on one of the seats that she later discerned to be actually a little girl. It took her another second to recognize why the girl's legwear was familiar: she had caught a glimpse of this girl during the exams. Moreover, she didn't remember her being this thin. Nevertheless, Haruka didn't waste any time approaching the girl and adressing her with a gentle smile. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit with you?".
Haruka shows her fellows students the true meaning of fashionably late then asks a shy sponge girl if she can sit next to her.
Still starry-eyed and leering at her future tutur, Yachiyo stepped back a bit, caught off-guard by both Soga's appearance and Shiki's adamant apologies. Raising her hands in a sort-of "there there" motion, she forced herself to smile just a bit.
โNothing bad happened, so please don't worry,โ she replied to the nervous looking boy. scanning him with puzzled intensity in an attempt to figure out what exactly made him jump so badly. With a more serious expression, she turned back to the imposing dragon student, who had introduced himself as Soga.
โThank you for intervening... Soga! I can see at least some of the students are noble natures!โ She spoke excitedly, almost more to herself than the person she complimented, her hands balled into fists; raised to her face. Her posture, combined with the chronic blush on her face, gave her a rather fired up appearance.
โWe definitely should go inside, yes!โ
Following Soga, she marched on with great enthusiasm, only for her ears to catch someone's rather unfortunate choice of words.
Trash?
Yachiyo pries her eyes of sensei, talks to Shiki and Soga and compliments him, then catches wind of smokey's bad attitude
Suzaku stepped off the bus, swirling the coffee thermos in his hand. He gave a nod to the driver as thanks for the ride, and took a look around his surroundings as he walked leisurely up the hill, straggling behind another student (he assumed, or a very short teacher) as they headed toward their destination. The memory of his previous attempt at success stung a little bit as he thought about what brought him here, but he brushed it off- he was here by his own merits, by playing smarter and harder in this school than he had at UA. It was a fresh start- time to stop dwelling on it.
He strode through the doors a few seconds after the other student, and gave a low whistle of appreciation to himself as he looked around, setting his things by the door. So far, so good. The school obviously had some resources invested in it, unlike what his peers tried to "warn" him about. He suppressed a grimace. "A reject school for hero rejects," they called it, mocking him via proxy. He had rolled his eyes then- the school had literally just opened this year; how could it have any reputation so far, much less a bad one? It all was stupid, anyway. Meaningless dick-measuring to try and make him and others feel poorly. In the end, the school itself didn't matter. It was part of a journey, not the destination. Here he would learn, here he would get stronger, and here he would finally get his chance to be a Pro Hero like Mom. That was the endgame, and he'd get there through UA, Shinketsu, or Jigokuraku. All he had to do was learn how.
A teacher showed up- one of the ones from the Entrance Exam- bid them welcome, and proceeded to lead them all to the assembly hall. Suzaku took a deep breath, a grin creeping onto his features as they entered the hall.
This is it. I'm here. I'm finally doing this. I'm gonna be a Hero.
Perking his ears up, he noticed not everyone shared his enthusiasm. Particularly one frustrated-looking black-haired boy, who was in the middle of lambasting the whole lot of them for... sigh. The same stupid reasons everyone else did. Suzaku ignored the tirade, simply finding a way to his seat and tuning out the cynics and losers. If Angry Boy was really that pissed off at being here, he could just quit, and save them all the trouble. If he stayed, though, and elected to continue with said downer attitude... well. Maybe he'd have to have a talk.
It wasn't that it would be all that discouraging to him for Mr. Negative back there to carry on in such a manner. It would just be gods-damned annoying...
Suzaku arrives at JA, listens to Ryota bitch for a little bit, and decides to sit down and ignore it for now. Currently waiting for the assembly to start.
Mari was surprised that Umi took off into the building so quickly without her, after having been so approachable. Was she just in a hurry to get away from the rowdiness, or was it something else? Could it be disdain or perhaps Umi had sensed Mari's annoyance? Mari shook the thought from her head. She wasn't here to babysit anyone. The capable took care of themselves, only the powerful could take care of others. Right now, Mari just needed to prove to herself that she was capable. Only when she was powerful could she afford to worry about others.
She followed Yomodachi towards the assembly hall, noticing that the school was not old and rundown like the rest of Kirisama. As requested, Mari left her duffel bag by the entrance near the shoe lockers. For a moment, she wass afraid to leave it by herself since everything she owned was in that bag, but Mari reminded herself that this was a school, not some back alley where one's possessions were likely to be pilfered. As they passed through the central courtyard, Mari noticeably kept her distance from the fountain in the center. Something about the clear, rippling surface reminded her of a moment in the kitchen, dirty dishes on her right, clean dishes on her left, powerful fingers gripping the nape of her neck, the muffled sound of shouting, the sting, smell and taste of soapy water as it entered her ears, eyes, nose, and mouth...
Mari slowed her breathing, clenched her fists and pressed on, pain turning into determination. "He was weak and incapable. He couldn't take even care of himself, let alone me. This quirk that you were so proud of. I'm here to make something of it. Would you be proud? Would you even care?" Upon entering the assembly hall, she looked around. It honeslty seemed like the room was big enough to accommodate all the students in a single row. Naturally, Mari headed to the front, not because she felt it was 'her place', nor because she was trying to garner attention; it just seemed rude, in such an empty room, to be in any row except to front. So she noted with some disdain that there were already people gathering at the very back. But since it seemed like there would be enough seats for twenty students at the front, Mari figured that if she sat down with a seat between her and her neighbors, it might make some students feel compelled to sit in rows further back, so to maximize space for the students coming in and to not disincentivize them from sitting in the front, Mari sat down next to another student without leaving an open seat between them. She happened to sit next to Kenji. The look on his face expressed eagerness, a sentiment that Mari appreciated, expected to see in her fellow students. "You seem excited. Me too. My new life begins here. Haruishi Mari, I hope we can get along as classmates," she introduced herself.
Seijin shuffled through the school gates along with the rest of the students, lazily rolling his eyes in exasperation at the scene put on by the more vocally inclined members of the group. "Ma ma. Why couldn't you all be less rowdy and provoking in general? And it's on the first day of school, can't we all ease down a bit? A waste of effort when you can be going along with the flow. Besides, try as you might you'll just end up being put in your place eventually." His straight off-the-top-of-head statement was accentuated by a loud, drawn-out yawn before suddenly blinking as a moment of realization fell upon him, his air-headed nature having been brought out to play.
"Oh did I say that all out loud? Well, Iโ ow." Seijin grumbled out in mild surprise as he was cut off by a sudden burning sensation on his back, he turned around to look at whoever just decided to burn him for no particular reason. Only to found an innocuous-looking, short girl, wearing a blouse of all things in this weather, with flames for hair bowing her head down while apologizing and offering to recompense him for his jacket. "Ayy settle down Torchhead-san, it's only my favourite jacket that yah burned," he chuckled while dismissively waving her off, already taking said jacket off before trying to dust it off. "I really can't be bothered to put someone through the ground on the first day, and the same for holding grudges. So let's laugh on this lil' incident and forget about it. Okay? Okay."
The blonde teen blew the mishap off on the spot, patting Elina on the head without thinking to further emphasize the whole levity of the situation, only to have his hand slightly singed for his troubles. One hand in pocket and the other holding his burnt jacket over his shoulder, he made back off with the rest who were now slowly filling the assembly hall. Not bothering to think too hard about where he chose to sit, he ended up grabbing a seat in the middle of the room before folding up his jacket into a makeshift-pillow to use for when he'd nap during whatever thing they had prepared for the new class of students. Seijin decides then that it'd be the perfect time to have that nap.
Seijin's airheadedness shows with his lack of head-to-mouth filter, he shrugs the whole 'randomly getting burned' thing off and decides to take a nap in the assembly hall.
The auditorium door creaked open just an inch, a single eye peering inside. Despite the rockstar attitude and his willingness to make a spectacle of himself, the gravity of today was not on Kaito. Dressed top to bottom in the required school uniform, but still sporting the mouth covering mask he favored, the musically inclined hero-to-be entered the auditorium with careful hesitance.
Unlike on the bus, Kaito was not carrying an instrument. Everything he could play had already been donated to the school by his grandfather the very instant news of his grandsons acceptance had caught the doting old mans ears. With the school unable to purchase quality instruments or anything with variety, it had fallen to Haruto Recordings to follow through.
Kaito had spent the morning unloading a van full of the charitable donations himself. One of the seldom used rooms in the school now stocked dozens of instruments. Guitars, brass horns, clarinets, a drum set, even a heavy piano had been brought in.
With that all done it was still early for the assembly when Kaito finally made his appearance. His nerves were so wound up tight you could have played them with a violin bow. Nervously, Kaito approached the gentleman sitting in the front row and mustered the courage to make the moment happen.
"H-hey! Is, uh.. this spot? Taken?"
Since the assembly hadnโt begun yet, Kenji decided to send a quick update text to his mom back home. He figured that out here the reception would be weak up here but he was relieved to see the message go through even on his old dated brick of a phone.
Hey mom.I made it. Talk 2 u soon.
He was so focused on trying to type on the ancient numerical keypad that he almost didnโt smell someone coming until they had asked for the seat next to him. Kenjiโs hair-like antennae perked up suddenly and he looked up to see another male student, who was so visibly nervous that Kenji could tell even through the mask that covered his face. But it was a much more welcoming sight to see someone like that than the so far highly confrontational students he had met today. And more amazingly he actually wanted to sit next to the heavy-set kid with the freaky antennae. Kenji half-expected the seats adjacent to him to go empty as usual.
โNo, uh. No have a seat, please.โ Kenji invited as he made sure he was not sitting too close to either seat, excited at the prospect of having a normal talk with a classmate and not wanting to make them feel uncomfortable. โMy name is Kenji.โ
"Kaito. It's nice to see another early riser here." Smiling genuinely, Kaito took a seat on the left of the antennae boy and dropped his simple black messenger bag into the seat next to himself. Settled in nicely, he extended his right hand out. "My grandpa always says a handshake is the first brick in a new friendships foundation. What say you?"
Having been tuning the instruments earlier, playing a few parts from various songs, the moment they touched hands would activate his quirk POWER CHORD. Like a small shot of adrenaline it would boost the recipients body, making them stronger, faster, their mind briefly more alert. Something he always forgot he could do after a good song.
Kenji saw the outreached hand as a monumental gesture, and people werenโt usually so quick to propose being friends with a bug. He had a big toothy smile as he reached his own hand out to complete the greeting.
โI say your grandpa sounds like a wise ma- WOAH!โ Kenji blurted suddenly as his armored hand met Kaitoโs. Suddenly, he felt like he could take on the world. It was as if he had never walked all that way to the academy at all and had instead parachuted in from low earth orbit and just had six cups of coffee. The sudden strength boost forced Kenji to loosen his grip and let go for fear of crushing Kaitoโs hand in shock. And he could swear that he could SMELL a plant walk into the room just then. His head snapped towards the door to see that he was RIGHT, but he turned back to Kaito promptly. โWhat just happened?! I feel amazing!โ Kenji sputtered as he tried to lower his voice during this moment of sudden enigmatic invigoration.
"O-oh! Sorry! My Quirk, Power Chord. I'm a support booster type and i must have still held a charge from earlier! Sorry! J-just.. stay calm. Your physical strengths have been temporarily amplified but it'll wear off." Of all the stupid things he could have done he just had to go and supercharge a classmate again. There wouldn't be anything to worry about since it wore off quickly but for now this boy likely had 2x his normal strengths.
"Try to be careful with yourself. Big guy like you could probably turn one of these chairs into a scrap metal ball while you're boosted. Sorry!"
โNo no donโt apologize. Thatโs an amazing quirk! I feel so renewed now, actually, thank you.โ Kenji buzzed in gratitude, even if he didnโt mean to the sudden boost was practically life-giving after the long trip. He just hoped that it didnโt work like caffeine and cause him to crash when it did wear off. โMy quirk is uh-- less so.โ Kenji admitted finally, not quite eager to explain that he was basically just a giant bug. โI guess, the easiest way Iโd explain it, is that I have armored skin and enhanced strength. I can normally lift about one thousand pounds, but right now I feel like I could lift a lot more. Also, those hairs on the top of my head that keep moving around aren't actually hair and are more like a second nose. Theyโre really sensitive though...โ he trailed off after catching himself in a minor rant.
He stopped himself before he went any further with it, and he became still save for the twitching hairs scanning the room like they had a mind of their own. He managed an apologetic grin and laughed at himself.
โSorry, I got a bit carried away there.โ
"No need to be sorry, I think your quirk sounds awesome! With a heavy lifter around to boost I think you and me should get on famously. I'll even let you join my band when we get going. Might be getting ahead of myself here but, damnit, this is so exciting!" Kaito's eyes were bright and manic with his barely contained excitement. No doubt beneath his face mask there was a broad smile across his features. "Lets work hard to become pros! You with me?"
The excitement was shared equally between them with the quickly forming bond and the apparent synergy of their quirks. Kenji nodded and gripped the sides of his chair to contain himself, inadvertently causing the metal to bend in his grip to leave a perfect hand print on each side. His antennae perked up as if they too were excited for what was to come.
"Yeah. We'll be top heroes one day, I'm sure of it." Kenji promised with an ear to ear grin.
End of Collab
Then, another student approached Kenji and quickly took the seat next to him and opposite of Kaito. Kenji turned to greet her politely, though with the accidental boost from Kaito still active he became very hyper aware of her smell. His antennae flicked about and he could tell that she was freshly showered, but there was a lingering stench that he couldn't quite place. Maybe she had spilled some food on her belongings a few days ago and the residue had gone sour, and maybe no one else could tell but him, but it was certainly there. Still, he wouldn't be improper and smiled at her through his discomfort.
"H-hi, I'm Ito Kenji. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Kenji quickly forms a bond with Kaito through shared excitement for the year ahead and an accidental use of Kaito's quirk. Soon after, Haruishi Mari sits next to Kaito and greets him. Though her odd scent makes him uncomfortable he politely introduces himself anyway.
2x Laugh
