isa

"Is this really necessary?" you whispered as a keeper handed you a set of Dragonian clothing.

"Absolutely! Impressions are of the utmost importance. You will be seeing the queen, you know. Now go on, get dressed. Let me know if you need help, alright?" the keeper patted your back and pushed you into a room, shutting the door behind you.

You groaned quietly and looked down at the neatly folded attire in your hands. Laying it out on a bed, you took in the view of the entire outfit. Indeed, it was very Dragonian. Fur accents, beaded jewelry, leather straps, pops of vibrant color, and tribal markings. A specific piece of jewelry caught your eye; it fashioned beautiful, prism purple dragon teeth. After a few moments of staring at the ceiling and sighing, you decided to finally get dressed. You were too tired to do this, but also too tired to fuss.

"Done," you called out, opening the door.

The keeper clapped her hands together, "Oh! Let me check that it's all in order!" she entered the room, pausing for a moment, "Oh goodness! You look absolutely breathtaking! The queen is going to absolutely love every bit of you. You look like a princess!"

You hugged your torso, "Oh, thank you. I feel a little strange, but I suppose I'm not used to revealing so much skin," you chuckled awkwardly.

Your outfit showcased your shoulders, most of your arms, some of your legs, your entire abdomen, and had a wonderful pop of cleavage. You worked past the discomfort in your mind by thinking about how your hard-earned muscles were on full display.

The keeper finished adjusting your outfit, "Alright, everything is perfect. You have some time to kill, so lounge around until you must address her. I'd suggest meeting with the prince- chief, before the big moment. Good luck!"

You smiled at her and watched her depart, shutting the door behind her. Sitting down on a wooden vanity, you heaved a sigh, adjusting your hair slightly. Your reflection in the mirror looked beautifully foreign to you. Your eyelashes were thick and black with makeup, your lips a graceful, bitten gradient. After the chaos of the last few weeks, you really did feel beautiful in this slow moment.

Two firm knocks echoed through the wooden door and you snapped out of your trance, whipping your head toward the noise. You stood up and instinctively tried to make yourself look busy, adjusting a random pillow on the bed.

"Um, come in!"

The door creaked open and bold footsteps marched into the room before coming to an abrupt pause. You peeked behind you as nonchalantly as possible, though you already knew who it was staring you down.

"...Hello," you spoke apprehensively.

Bakugo continued to stare at you, his slightly widened eyes darting across your Dragonian attire. The sight made his knees weaken immediately. The most powerful person he knew... wearing his beloved kingdom's garb. Amazingly, at that. He almost felt dizzy.

"I didn't... Uh. I wasn't aware of this," he spoke hoarsely, brows furrowed.

"Yes... uh, they made me."

You rubbed the back of your neck nervously and avoided looking at him altogether. Slowly, he paced toward you, crimson eyes glowering. A burst of heat arose across your cheeks.

"Do you um, like it?" you blurted out.

"Hah?"

"I mean, uh, does it look okay? I mean... am I wearing it correctly?" you stammered out, brushing your hands across your outfit.

His breath hitched and heaved out audibly as he examined every inch of your clothing from a strangely close distance. "...Yeah."

'Yes... to which question??' you thought to yourself.

Without thinking, Bakugo reached his hands out and adjusted the belt on your shorts. His hot breath tickled your cheek as he focused his gaze on fixing your belt. All you could hear was a loud buzzing in your head and your thumping heart.

"...There. 'S fixed," he mumbled, finally making eye contact with you.

His half-lidded eyes darted between yours and your slightly parted lips as you looked up at him with wide eyes.

"So? Still think our clothing is "garish?’" he mused, quiet enough for only you to hear.

A smile fought its way onto your face as you whispered back, "Hm. I have to admit, I feel quite powerful in these clothes. I can see why you have so much pride in your kingdom. It's beautiful."

His hand brushed your hair out of your face slowly before finding its way to your right cheek, hot with nerves. All he wanted to do was abandon every grain of doubt and apprehension he's ever felt and bring his lips crashing down onto yours. Everything you did was amazing to him, so amazing that it faded away his anger and pulled something beautiful from its depths- passion.

He searched your eyes desperately for approval, for reciprocation, anything. You grabbed his other arm and brought him closer, placing his hand on your waist. Your hand trailed up his shoulder and found the back of his neck, causing the hairs on his arm to stand up. Your fingers tugged lightly at the hair on the base of his neck and he shivered lightly. Your faces were inches away from each other as you breathed in each other's warm air. The two of you were always competing. Bickering. Arguing. Rivaling. This was a competition to see who would break first.

His brows furrowed as his breath grew heavier. He hated how crazy you made him feel. Heavy breaths morphed into breathy growls as his face grew hotter and more desperate. His forehead thumped onto yours gently as both of his hands clutched your waist, bringing you even closer to him. The heat radiating from his body was enough to make you sweat. Your lips were a paper's width away. Both of your hands found themselves tugging gently at his hair and scratching his neck, causing him to squirm under your touch. You felt something clothed poking at your thigh and didn't dare to look down. You knew you would lose if you did.

Both of you let out a sigh at the same time and pulled away slightly, still breathing hard. You felt a buzzing, heavy heartbeat between your legs and couldn't help but look up at him with desperation in your eyes.

Just as the air between you began to cool, you both crashed your lips together at the same time. Your arms pushed his head in as his hands grasped at your waist, his lips pressed hard against yours. A soft groan escaped your mouth as he bit your bottom lip gently, his tongue brushing across it.

In your fit of passion, you stumbled backward until your legs hit the side of the bed. Suddenly, an idea popped into your head and you smirked against him, causing him to finally part his lips from yours. You pulled him over and switched places, sitting him onto the bed somewhat roughly. He adjusted himself as he stared up at you with a dark grin. You placed your arms on his shoulders and your legs on the bed, hovering just above his lap and his pointed, reaching cloth. His hand groped the fabric on your hip and trailed lower. You lowered your hips slowly until you could feel his hardness graze yourself. Before you let yourself fully touch his lap, you pressed firm kisses onto his neck, trailing them to his collarbone. A low grumble emerged from his throat, and he bit down on his bruised lip. His hips bucked up before he could control them and his hand grasped at your thigh even harder.

"We don't have all day, you know," he rasped into your ear, voice breathy.

"Do you wish we did?" you whispered into his neck.

Hearing your whisper was enough to make him breathe out a soft moan. His eyes fluttered shut and his lips parted before kissing the side of your neck. He bit down gently and sucked on your skin, causing you to sigh. It was all too much for him. His face was completely flushed, his pants were getting wet, and he was getting too restless. No amount of squirming could bring him enough relief. Every time he thought about the fact that this could end at any time, he felt more and more desperate. He had been wanting and waiting to touch you like this for months, and it might end before it could really even start.

"Can you just- ugh. Come on," he whined hoarsely.

"There's a specific word I'm looking for-"

He cut you off with a barely audible whisper, "Please, damn it-"

Before he could ask again, you pressed your hips down onto him, causing his breath to hitch. You rocked forward in an attempt to quell the growing impatience between your legs. The large, poking fabric felt like everything you could ask for and not enough at all. His hips thrusted up to the rhythm you made and he quickly became a groaning mess. The friction between you grew more pleasurable and too much to bear, causing his hips to jerk up even harder.

Continuing your motions and quickening them with each moment, one of your hands moved down towards the hem of his pants, causing him to groan and look up at you with pleading eyes. Your fingers began to fiddle with his belt as you bit back any more noises. Finally, you got his belt to open, and you pulled it apart ferociously.

*Knock, knock, knock*

The two of you came to an abrupt, rude pause and stared at each other with wide eyes.

"You will address the queen in 5 minutes. Ready yourselves and make your way to the main hall as soon as possible," a voice called out from behind the door.

All you could do was stare at each other with equally troubled faces. Eventually, you moved off of him and plopped onto the bed beside him. He groaned loudly as he pressed his palm to his forehead.

"You must be fucking kidding me," he grumbled.

"...We can always continue after."

"Right, nothing's more erotic than giving a speech to your mom about needing money because it was all spent on construction.”

You chuckled, "I understand. We have, what, 4 more days here? After this, we will certainly have all day to do whatever we so please."

Bakugo suddenly launched himself off of the bed and tousled his hair. "Would you stop making me horny for one second!? We need to prepare!”

Snickering, you got up and brushed yourself off, wiping your lips. You grabbed his chin and turned his head to you, causing his eyes to widen completely. You used your fingers to wipe your lipstick off of his bruised, red lips. His cheeks flushed with a deep red as he waited for you to finish.

"Right then, let's go. Rehearse your lines in your head," you reminded him as you marched toward the door.

Bakugo sucked in a breath and followed in suit, unable to take his mind off of what could possibly happen after the speech.

“Aw man… I really liked this shirt,” you mumbled, your eyes weighing down again.

Mina gasped dramatically behind you. “Bakugou, how could you!? That top was adorable! You’re evil.”

Bakugou let out a frustrated groan and walked away to fetch a napkin for you. All you could do in your fatigued state was stand in place with your eyes closed, thinking of the warm embrace of your bed. The wetness of your clothes did little to shake away your exhaustion.

Bakugou shoved a paper towel in your hand with a glare. “Try actually waking up before you start fucking walking. I’ll take you to buy a new shirt tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

“You deaf or something? Be ready by 12 or you’re dead.”

Suddenly, you were wide awake, struggling to understand what just happened. Your rounded eyes followed him in shock as he walked to his room with his hands in his pockets.

The next morning, you woke up early to wash the smell of tea off and freshen up your hair. It still hadn’t mentally processed that Bakugou of all people invited you to go to the mall with him. You imagined he simply didn’t want to owe you for ruining your nice shirt, which was very much like him. Kaminari and Sero always teased him about having a “soft spot” for you but you refused to see it. Still, you couldn’t help but feel a small buzz of adrenaline in your veins as you got dressed. You chose to fashion a flowy, elegantly patterned blouse and flared vintage jeans, paired with bracelets and flat shoes. Finally, you threw on a simple necklace and headed to the common room at 11:50. Lo and behold, Bakugou stood waiting, focused on his watch.

“Bakugou, I’m here. Let’s go?”

His head snapped up at the sound of your voice and his eyes immediately darted across your outfit. A red shine on your chest caught his eye—a necklace with a ruby stone.

His outfit caught your eye as well. Baggy denim jeans and a black hoodie adorned with a flashy tiger design. You caught a glimpse of a silver chain around his neck as well. You had to admit, he was pretty stylish. The way your eyes slowly trailed from his shoes to his eyes made his hairs stand up.

“…You were almost late!” He shouted.

“Dude, I’m 10 minutes early.”

“Whatever. Let’s just go already,” he rolled his eyes, spinning his keychain around his index finger.

The two of you arrived at the mall and he immediately took you to the one shop he knew you always went to. You had been to the mall with him many times before, but only in a group, so being here with just him felt new.

“Get whatever you want,” he grunted.

“You can also shop around, you know. They have a pretty good men’s selection. Pretty emo stuff. I think you’d like it.”

“I’m not emo, asshole!”

Nevertheless, two of you split-off to look for your own clothes. The racks were adorned with babydoll tops, lace tanks, and patterned shirts. On the shelves were flared jeans, long skirts, and denim shorts. You wanted to buy the whole store, but with your measly internship and patrol funds, you could really only afford one or two items. Even two was pushing it. You settled for a replacement for the white top that Bakugou ruined—a wide sleeve gray-ish wrap top. You made your way to the register and found that Bakugou was waiting in line with a black shirt in hand.

“What’re you getting?” You asked him, pointing at the shirt.

He grunted and held it up for you. A black shirt with a sword design on the back. You couldn’t help but wear a disgustingly smug expression.

“I told you you’d like the emo stuff.”

“I’ll kill you!”

Finally after him, it was your turn to pay. He waited next to you as you fished for your wallet in your cluttered bag.

“Ugh, can you hold this for a sec?” You grunted as you handed him the shirt.

You kept digging for another minute before you finally found your flimsy wallet. “Jeez, sorry, I got—”

You stared blankly as you saw Bakugou grabbing your bagged shirt, the employee telling him to have a nice day.

“You stupid? Let’s go,” he deadpanned.

You walked out of the line with the same confused face. “Dude, did you just pay for me?!”

“Who cares?!”

All you could do was stammer at him with a half-angry half-confused expression. Before you could gather your words, he walked away.

“Hey! Bakugou, come on, let me pay you back,” you insisted, chasing after him.

“I owed you, remember?! It’s whatever. And I saw the faces you were making at the price tags.”

“That’s not the poi… oh fine, whatever. I guess you kinda did owe me,” you sighed.

He raised his brows at you to rub in the fact that he was right. “Uh-huh. Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

You chuckled at how easily he changed the subject, and your smiling eyes met his for seconds too long.

“…Okay. And thank you, Bakugou. For that and for taking me here. This is really thoughtful. I like this side of you.”

You only realized how intimate that sounded after it came out of your mouth. Before he could react, you speed-walked to the food court, wincing with embarrassment. He quickly followed behind with beet red ears and a concentrated stare. The way you never expected him to react rudely made his heart twist with a strange feeling. Everyone talked to him like he was a ticking time bomb, which he could be, but you spoke to him like you expected him to be mature. It spoke levels about your own maturity, as well as your expectations of him. You were never looking down on him. It made it easier for him to be himself around you instead of constantly holding up a shield of false perceptions and toxic masculinity.

As you both ate, you came to an unspoken agreement that you would pretend none of that happened. Still, he couldn’t stop replaying those words in his head with giddiness. It almost made him sick how full his heart felt when he stared at you fiddling with your chopsticks, ranting about a new fighting technique you wanted to try.

“—and it should increase the impact tenfold from that angle, especially with the spinning and stuff… are you even listening?” You paused, squinting at his half-lidded eyes that wandered aimlessly over your face.

“Yeah. Train with me when we get back. Try it out. I wanna try somethin’ new too.”

You smiled at him with gratitude. It seemed like he was one of the only people who actually wanted to listen to your rants.

“Okay, thank you,” you breathed out.

On your way home, the two of you got on the train back to the dorms. The sun had begun to set and the sky was painted with vivid golden hues. The glowing, billowy tufts of clouds almost seemed fake as bright rays peeked through them and illuminated the city below. The two of you hopped onto the train and you tugged his sleeve with a smile.

"Come here. I know a good spot on this train."

Dragging him to the very back of the train and silencing his protests, you stopped at the very back seats facing a large window that covered the entire back-end of the train. It displayed a grand view of the entire city and the sky above. You hopped onto a seat and patted the spot next to you, signaling him to sit.

He sat down roughly and crossed his arms. "How'd you even find this spot?"

"I come here often," you shrugged.

As the train started, you stared at the golden sun through the wide window. The sky was now colored with magical pinks and rays of gold. A cluster of clouds gathered into a nebula of sun rays and cotton-like purples. The magical scene lifted the corners of your mouth into a small smile as you became enraptured by the view.

As Bakugou stared at the sky with a soft gaze, a bright color beside him caught his eye. The beams of light penetrated the windows and lit your skin and hair with a radiant hue, your ruby necklace twinkling as well. Yet the only thing he could see was your small smile and bright eyes. You turned your head to him suddenly, causing his eyes to shoot forward.

"It's nice, right?" you asked with raised brows.

"...Yeah."

Your finger fiddled with your hair slowly. "When I was a kid, this was my favorite part of the whole day. Sometimes the only reason I got out of bed was because I knew I would see this if I could just make it through the day."

"What the hell? That's depressing."

"Is it? I find it comforting. No matter what happens, however bad it might seem, the sun will always rise and set, so long as you're alive to see it."

He gazed silently for a minute, watching as the sun slowly dipped behind the skyline. Without thinking, his hand reached over his pumping heart.

"So long as you're alive to see it, huh?" he thought.

You noticed how his hand rested over his heart. The same heart he lost once. You hoped your words didn't ignite the pain in him, but rather fill his heart with gratitude. Gratitude, to you, was one of the best feelings in the world. What could be more comforting than knowing you have something to be grateful for?

You heard a soft scoff beside you and turned to look at Bakugou.

"Can't believe I'm actually enjoying a train ride. I used to dread them. They were always like an annoying loading screen to me. I was just waiting helplessly to get from one thing to the next. Guess real life has no loading screens. Every moment is an opportunity, huh?"

Your eyes focused on his every word. "Hmm... every moment is an opportunity. I never thought about it like that. Seize the moment. That's totally something you'd say."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" he glared at your smirking face.

"It's a compliment, I swear. You're a tenacious person. I think it's cool."

"You mean you think I'm cool."

"So you care what I think about you?"

His eyes widened for a split second before he spat out another scoff. "Not in a million years!"

Note: 'Italicized parts with single quotations are your thoughts.'

"Italicized parts with double quotations are other character's thoughts."

・・・・・ signals a flashback

After a few hours of flying and small conversations, you finally approached the great city of Musutafu. From this height, you could nearly make out the entire city. The topography of the unfamiliar area was filled with mountains, well-developed villages, and an otherworldly beach at the edge of the city. The terrain was more diverse than anything you had ever seen. You even spotted a quaint mushroom village on the edge of a stretching green valley. Despite your hunger to explore, you continued following the red-scaled dragon ahead of you dutifully towards the center of the city. It was a clean urban area filled with tall structures, roads, and housing. Atop a steep, forested hill stood a towering building that seemed almost castle-like. You pressed forward with curiosity and exhilaration, wondering what kinds of adventures could stem from this great city.

Exhaustion snuck upon you as your group landed at the foot of the hill. Hours of flying had taken its toll on you, especially at the speed of a dragon. You and Mina hopped off of your broom while Eijirou morphed back into his human self.

“On top of that hill there is our headquarters, the rendezvous point. You shoulda guessed that by now, although I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t,” Katsuki sneered at you and Mina.

Mina scoffed. “Hey! Don’t you get tired of being rude!?”

“Shut up!” he shouted, jutting his chin.

“You’re going to age horribly from all those faces you make, you know,” you mumbled.

Eijirou cut off Katsuki’s explosion to urge everyone up the hill. Eijirou and Mina made small talk during the walk, musing on old childhood stories. You and Katsuki walked silently beside each other, occasionally making accidental glances in each other’s directions. Eventually, your party reached the halfway point up the hill, guarded by a colossal wall of metal. The gate you faced adorned intricate native designs of the Musutafu area. You remember seeing various similar designs throughout your apothecary studies. A pioneer of medical studies that you admired greatly was native to Musutafu, a healing sorceress from before even All Might’s age. As you approached the gate to analyze its detailed carvings, Katsuki stopped you with an arm.

“Don’t get too close, fool! The guard’ll get you.”

Just as he said, from behind the gate emerged a half-dog with a clasp over his mouth. He leaped atop the high gate and jumped down in front of you, cracking the ground beneath him. You held back a flinch and stood solid as the beastman straightened out his enormous height, hovering over your head. From his caged mouth dripped copious amounts of saliva, his eyes piercing you with bloodthirst. A growl rumbled from his chest as he oozed hostility. You stared back with wide eyes and a straight spine, biting back your fear. An important principle of witchery, taught by your grandmother, was to stare into the face of your fear until it feared you.

“Stand back, Hound Dog! They’re all with us! Didn’t I tell you I was bringing new recruits!?” Katsuki barked at the beastman.

Hound Dog, the guard of the Legion of Heroes, barked back, literally. He snapped with ferocity, his slobber flying towards you. Your face contorted with disgust as you waved the fluids away with a spell. Unfortunately for Katsuki, your spell (deliberately) didn’t protect him. He wiped his face, now coated with dog dribble and irritation.

“You dog! Haven’t you ever heard the phrase “say it, don’t spray it!?’”

You mustered all of your energy to stifle a cackle, squeezing your eyes shut. Mina, however, guffawed with no shame. Even the loyal Eijirou bit back a snicker, much to Katsuki’s dismay. As you forced the corners of your mouth straight, Hound Dog turned back with another few yelps and pried opened the hefty metal gate. Revealed through the crack was the great structure you saw from above.

The massive gray building was decorated with several windows on each layer. It featured five large tiers and many small structures surrounding it. The structure itself wasn’t attractive or detailed, its walls a solid gray brick all around. Seeing it this close, you recognized the style of the building to be that of a fortress. Common in military towns near rivaling nations, few cities had walled fortresses due to the sheer labor their construction required. You had only ever seen them in picture books, courtesy to your lack of exploration.

Your party trudged forward past the gate, Mina and Eijirou waving Hound Dog goodbye. Approaching the vast outer court entrance, you noticed just how many people were involved in the hero legion. You assumed it to be an unimpressive, fluke operation, so it was a much pleasant surprise to see a crowd of seemingly formidable people.

“These people seem quite strong, aye?” Mina elbowed you excitedly.

“Fortunately. A unique crowd, this is.”

Some onlookers from the group noticed your party and urged others to look. It felt awkward walking toward them all staring at you with prying eyes. They were diverse, with beastmen, commoners, nobles, and more. A tall knight with navy blue hair and modern spectacles greeted your quarter.

“Bakugou! Kirishima! I see you’ve succeeded in recruiting others. Welcome to this Legion of Heroes. Me and Midoriya have brought more as well, as you can see,” he boomed with a strict enthusiasm. Katsuki scoffed and rolled his eyes in response.

The knight held up his spectacles and studied you and Mina closely. “I must say though, I believe your assignment was a wizard, and unless I’m mistaken… I don’t see a wizard here.” Before Katsuki could voice his brazen rebuttal, you stepped in.

“You were mistaken. His assignment was me and he succeeded.”

The knight continued to squint at you with confusion. Despite how you hated taking things to heart, it did feel offensive. After years of being forced to mask your identity out of fear, you couldn’t help but feel scrutinized. A sigh left your lips as you clutched your broom closer to you, more eyes falling upon you. ‘I knew being outcast in this legion was inevitable. No one wants to associate with a witch in this age… I’m much too tired to beat around the bush, so I might as well rip the cloth off here.’

“...I’m a witch.”

“But All Might’s comrade—"

“All Might’s comrade was a grand witch, not a grand wizard. He lied. I couldn’t tell you why, but I’m assuming you can infer his reasoning.”

“I see. I meant no offense. Witches and wizards are—”

“None taken.”

You had no interest in having a conversation about semantics and society and whatnot. The air between you and the knight was thick with an aged discomfort. Thankfully, Mina was there to slice through it and save the day.

“Sooo, no questions about me? I’m an Axe Maiden from further West, you know. The name’s Mina! Pleasure to meet you all. Let’s have fun!” she waved towards the group.

A gruff voice abruptly cut through her optimism. “Fun? You came here to have fun?”

Everyone turned towards the voice that stood behind them — a sluggish-looking man with long black hair, clad in black clothing and a wrapping white scarf. His features were laced with fatigue and light stubble.

“If you’re here to have fun, go home,” he grumbled, glowering at the entire crowd.

You glanced at Katsuki for answers, but he also seemed to not recognize the man.

“I am Shota Aizawa, known by some as Eraserhead the Ninja. I will be your party leader and trainer of sorts. And if you were wondering, All Might isn’t here at the moment. Now, you’re all 20-somethings with, I’m hoping, some fighting experience. This will be a different kind of fighting. Heroics. You may not be used to it, as most fight only for themselves. But you all came here to be heroes and fight for good, and that means an inevitable change in lifestyle. Don’t worry. By the time I’m done with you lot, you’ll be ready to face the real threats. If you don’t think you have what it takes, if you don’t know what you’re doing here, or if you’re just weak, I’ll make sure you aren’t anywhere near this legion. Understood?”

The group was silent.

“I asked if you understood.” Aizawa’s eyes gleamed with a piercing red and his scarf began to move almost as if it had a mind of its own, his hair floating with it. This, you thought, must be his power. It was definitely intimidating.

“Yes sir!” Everyone called out in unison. With that, he deactivated his show of dominance.

“Your first test will determine if you’re fit to stay in this legion. Come last or fail and you’ll be removed, no hesitation.”

This statement earned several gasps, an especially guttural one from a commoner boy with green hair.

“The task is quite simple, perhaps some have done it before: a scavenger hunt. You’ll be split into groups of four, each group having a different list of three items to acquire. You’ll have 24 hours, and the last group to come back will be expelled. If one of you forfeits, you all fail. All of the items are relatively difficult to get a hold of. Try not to die. Then you’ll really be out of this legion forever.”

You could physically feel the atmosphere of the group dropping several degrees. However, you weren’t particularly frightened by the task. Years of being an apothecary meant years of scavenging for weird things most haven’t even heard of. Experience with foraging and getting into tight nooks and high spots was something you had an abundance of. You were more worried about time. Slothfulness was definitely a vice of yours, as the slow pace at which you lived had decayed your sense of urgency. You prayed that perhaps the other members of your group might be more efficient.

Aizawa began listing out the groups you were all to be in for the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, neither Mina nor Eijirou were in your group. Your group was announced last—-a girl named Ochaco, a boy named Izuku, and of course, Katsuki Bakugou. Your shoulders prematurely braced the weight of the coming day as you sighed internally. 'I thought I might finally meet nicer people. At least someone quieter. I would’ve liked to be with Mina.' Aizawa gave you a rolled parchment with your listed items and a map of the area.

Katsuki wasn’t thrilled at your group either and he made it apparent. He glared menacingly at the green haired boy, who you assumed to be Izuku, with the craziest eyes you had ever seen. ‘Yikes. They must know each other.’

“Hey there! I’m Ochaco Uraraka… I’m a, um, sorceress, by the way. It’s nice to meet you!” she smiled with a slight strain.

You introduced yourself as well and took her hand cautiously.

Witches and sorcerers aren’t exactly well acquainted communities in the world of magic. A similar craft, yet different ideals and cultures. The two classes have rivaled for centuries due to their unlikeness, sorcerers often seen as the “good” by most. Sorcerer societies often based their intolerance of witchcraft on the practice of black magic being unofficially classified as a forbidden art. Ever since the Demon King’s strike of terror, all black arts and lesser used crafts were shunned by society. That included witch societies, which were separate from the more accepted wizarding societies.

Due to your background with sorcerers, it was hard to feel inclined towards the girl. She seemed friendly, albeit cautious of you. You tried to put that past you and focus on cooperation. Unfortunately, the other pair in your group was doing the opposite. They bickered about nothing until your group was the last to leave — though the louder of the two was doing more of the arguing.

“I know you’re just going to get in my way, Deku! Don’t even think about trying anything, you fraud!”

“There are other people in our group too, Kacchan! We need to get going right now!”

'Kacchan? What a cute nickname. Now I’m really curious about their origin. Childhood friends, perhaps?'

You decided to get the wagon rolling. “Yes, let’s. You two have stalled enough.”

“My apologies!” Deku yelped.

You offered him a compassionate half-smile that signalled you were aware he wasn’t the problem in this situation. Katsuki shot you a pointed look.

“I have the list of items here,” you unrolled the parchment and read the list, “The first item is… a fairy. Perfect. I have a spell for communicating with fairy creatures. We just need to get to a forest and find them.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! I’m from here, so I know of many forests with lots of fairies! Let’s go to this one here,” Izuku exclaimed, pointing at the nearest forest on the map. He seemed like an agreeable person, though quite bashful.

“Nice! Lead the way, Deku!” Ochaco pumped her fist.

'…Deku? Those two are on nickname basis as well? I guess I’m the only one who isn’t chummy with anyone. If only Mina were here…'

“Thank you, Izuku. You’re quite helpful,” you smiled, giving a side glance to the blonde who had done nothing so far.

“The hell are you looking at!?” Katsuki roared.

Izuku led your party of four to a forest deep inside of the hills near the fortress. It only took you a half hour to reach there by foot, which was convenient for time. Sighing, you mentally prepared yourself for the task afoot.

“Wait here. I can communicate with fairies but they’re flighty when wild. One wrong step can send them all flying, and after that it’s practically impossible to find them. I have experience catching fairies, so I’ll go in alone. I’ll meet you here when I’m done.”

Izuku and Ochaco nodded compliantly while Katsuki crossed his arms.

Venturing into the forest, you searched carefully for an oasis, which is typically where fairies reside. Fairies are small, glowing creatures with twinkling wings, not to be confused with more humanoid-appearing pixies.

Before long, your ears caught the slightest sound of running water amidst the lightly swaying trees. As silently as possible, you darted towards the sound using a spell to keep your feet light. Behind a covering of trees, warm sunlight shone over a graceful oasis of gentle, clear water. The light twinkle of a few fairies rang like music across the scene. You cast a communication spell at the nearest fairy and called it towards you. Slowly, you pulled out a flask from your bag. The fairy bounced into the flask obediently as you apologized, promising to set it free once the day was over. Fairy in hand, you retreated back to the group with a small feeling of accomplishment. You’ve tamed many fairies, but you never tried to catch one.

You held up the flask for the group to see as you walked towards them.

Ochaco and Deku cheered, praising you for your swift victory. 'Maybe I don’t mind this sorceress girl. Still, I do wish Mina were here.'

“Let’s get a move on! What’s the next item!?” Katsuki yelled impatiently.

You tucked the flask into your bag with a sigh and pulled out the parchment.

“It says… one cyclops eye. Wait, there’s one final item after that… a dragon egg.” You met eyes with Katsuki and you both knew what was next. “Let’s split up. It’s time effective, and Aizawa never said it was against the rules. Izuku, you head for the eye. I’m sure you’d know very well where to find a cyclops cave. Bakugou will head for the dragon egg, obviously. Ochaco, you can choose who to—”

“I’ll go with Deku!”

“Oh, okay… I’ll go with Bakugou, then.”

After splitting into pairs to fulfill your respective roles, you walked alongside Katsuki out of the forest to find a dragon den. According to him, he knew every single den location in Musutafu. It made sense, since the Dragon Kingdom sat behind Musutafu, past a stretching desert. The closest dragon den was outside of the forest, past a valley, in the ridges of a mountain range. Needless to say, it would take a an hour or two to reach on foot. At the moment, you were reluctantly hiking up a grassy hill to reach the valley.

“If you want, we can fly on my broom—”

“The hell I will! I don’t need your magic tricks, I’ve walked ten times this distance ten times over to slay the most powerful rogue dragons. If you’re tired, you’re welcome to fly on ahead.”

“Right. Except I can’t go ahead because then one of us won’t know where we’re going and I can’t get that egg myself. Flying us there would be convenient and much faster, but we’ll have it your way, chief.” 

Katsuki grinded his teeth together as he stomped up the hill. He was aware of his stubborn streak, but he simply couldn’t back down now. In the back of his mind he knew you weren’t wrong, but he’d rather be caught dead than riding with you on your silly stick.

The two of you finally reached the flat valley, and you could see a faded ridge in the far distance. The flora of the valley glistened delicately under the gentle sun, the sky painted with hues of white. A soft breeze swept between the two of you, swaying the grass into a collective dance. You felt refreshed, breathing in the soft wind as your heart calmed from the uphill climb.

“Ah, the view is beautiful. It would be quite tranquil in a more quiet circumstance,” you remarked.

“Ha! I don’t need you here. I can acquire that blasted egg on my own. I’m not sure why you even came along! You should’ve gone along with that fool Deku. You two seemed to be quite cordial,” he sneered, mocking your intonation.

Suddenly, the view seemed rotten amidst your frustration. He spent all of this time evicting you from the comfort of your home and throwing you into this life-endangering mess just to tell you he didn’t need you. And now he was bringing his own foolish rivalry into this. 'Unbelievable! The gall of nobility!'

“You’re unsure of why I came with you? Well, I don’t know why I agreed to join this legion at all then. I should just go back home. There were people that needed saving back there, too.”

Although you were just bluffing for the sake of the argument, Katsuki believed your words to be true. His face fell as he froze in his tracks, staring at you stunned. He didn’t consider that you might leave after all of the work he did to recruit you, after he had gotten to see that you weren’t as flimsy as he had first assumed. He balled his fists and scrunched his face with a stubborn reluctance.

“You’re not allowed to leave,” he grunted.

“Do you really think you have the authority to give me orders? We’re not in that garish kingdom of yours, you know.”

“Forfeit, and I’ll fail too! Didn’t I tell you I’m going to be the greatest hero in this land!? Don’t you wanna be a hero too!?”

You chuckled dryly. “Well, cowards don’t mind quitting at the expense of others.”

“Again, this “coward” nonsense!? You fool, you hardly seem like one to me!”

To you, your entire life was filled with cowardice and hermit-like tendencies. You always avoided all danger with an uncontrollable compulsion. To hear from him of all people that you didn’t seem cowardly was disconcerting. Besides, you didn’t expect him to actually believe your bluff. Though it was high time for him to realize the value of his comrades. He needed to learn to compromise in place of arguments. You glowered at him silently in response, which made him pinch his nose and scoff in annoyance.

“Y'know, you're always going on about being a coward! Repeat it enough times and you’ll eventually become a real one.”

“...It’s not a matter of becoming. I turned my back and became scarred with my cowardice permanently.”

“That was, what, ten years ago? Who says you stayed that way?”

You avoided meeting his eyes. “You’ve only spent three days with me. You don’t know the first thing about me.”

He inhaled sharply, gathering his words with aversion, “I’ve seen you fight, and you didn’t pack up and start running. When we argue, you hold your ground better than most. That’s enough for me. If you leave, you won’t achieve those dreams of yours, nor will I.”

He felt bare having to almost beg you not to leave. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he told himself he would do anything to become a great hero. Even bending himself for such a capricious, difficult person.

Your staunch self-doubt rang against his ego. With extraordinary powers, he’d heard praise all around him his entire life. He was the heir to his kingdom’s throne, so long as he remained mighty, and he was destined to become a marvelous hero. He had no room in his life for self-doubt. Seeing someone with such power yet a lack of inner strength irritated him to no end. Yet, despite how desperately he attempted to repress the image, it was as if he was looking into a mirror. He shoved down his thoughts and turned to face you with determination. He only needed you this once to secure his own victory. Even the gentle breeze felt biting against his hot face, burning with discomfort.

Your fists unclenched as you studied the flowing grass below you. 'He’s wrong. I know how I am. I just want this to be over.' He held his gaze on you as he searched for an answer in your tight expression.

Finally, you mumbled, “Fine. I’ll stay.”

His tensed shoulders dropped as he exhaled a breath he didn’t remember holding. He studied the sky above him, which now appeared a softer gradient.

You walked forward. “I wasn’t really going to leave though. You were just irritating me.”

He shot you the dirtiest look you had ever seen. “You hag!”

You snickered in response and watched his glare soften slightly.

You both continued ambling through the lush valley, side by side. Despite having opposite temperaments, your bickering brought you to understand each other just a bit more. The Dragonian boy’s motivations still puzzled you, and yours puzzled him. You didn’t typically pry into people's lives, simply because you couldn’t care any less. But you wanted to know what made a person this arrogant, yet this hellbent on heroism. Was it expectation? Was it to honor his kingdom? Was it simple rivalry?

After you reached the halfway point, you finally spoke up.

“...I must say. I’m a bit curious. How do you and Izuku know each other?” you asked tentatively, fumbling with the strap of your bag.

Katsuki’s face turned sour once again. “He’s a powerless fool," he spat.

“Right… but when did you meet?”

“Who cares!?”

“Me. That’s why I’m asking.”

He clicked his tongue. “...As kids.”

“Oh. I understand. I, too, grew up around many other irritating children.”

You tried not to force anything out of him. Conversing with Katsuki was like poking a hungry dog with a stick.

“I only saw old people in that creepy village you came from. I didn’t see anyone your age,” he mumbled.

“Oh, but you’re mistaken. I’m from the Southern region. I came to this nation when I was around eleven years of age. And I do agree, that village is quite droll,” you chuckled.

His eyebrows raised with surprise, “So that’s why you talk like that.”

Your head turned to him with a puzzled, almost offended expression. “Mina said the same! Do I really speak so strangely?”

He let out a mean-spirited snicker, “Ha! Your face! You really didn’t notice? I thought you were just acting posh!”

A playful scowl crept onto your face at his sudden enthusiasm for poking fun at you.

“At least I sound polite.”

“You sound like you’ve a stick up your ass.”

You shot him another bewildered expression. “...What? I’ve never heard anyone say that before. What would it even imply? Do I sound… constipated?”

He bursted with boisterous laughter. “Exactly! You sound constipated!” He held his gut and folded over, stumbling as he walked.

Despite being insulted by him, you couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous the conversation was. When you first met him, you didn’t think he was capable of jesting. After both of your laughter died down, you continued walking in a much lighter silence. Slowly, you both started to seem more human to each other.

After another hour of walking and occasional back-and-forth bickering, the two of you finally reached the mountain range past the valley. A familiar dread seeped into your bones as you finally faced the daunting task ahead of you. You followed Katsuki as he hiked through the rocky ridges of the mountain with an air of experience. After a short uphill climb, you stumbled upon the sunken dragon den. Lo and behold, an olive-colored dragon slept curled beside a sizable black egg. Eijirou was a relatively large dragon, but this one seemed even bigger from this height. Perhaps your mind inflated its size due to the nerves of facing your first dragon opponent. You hid behind Katsuki as he partially concealed himself behind a rocky wall. He smirked with eager anticipation as he studied the dragon.

“This is a common one, you can find these anywhere. She’s petite, too. I won’t have any trouble taming her. Just lay back and watch,” he boasted to you.

You gave him an apprehensive look.

“Just watch! I’m not a chief in my kingdom for nothing!”

He jumped out of hiding and slid into the den. All you could do was watch anxiously as he stomped toward the dragon. You decided to place your trust in him and let him take over, a feeling foreign to you. You didn’t enjoy relying on others, but you knew he rightfully owned his title and fame as a dragon chief. 'I just hope I don’t get roped into fighting it too.'

It took notice of him and lifted its scaled head, bearing its colossal wings. Katsuki halted before it and placed his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest with confidence.

“Dragon! I, Katsuki Bakugou of the Dragon Kingdom, command you to place your egg in my care!”

After a beat, the dragon unfolded its wings and flew in front of its egg, rattling the ground beneath it. It roared ferociously at Katsuki, who suddenly seemed microscopic before the mighty beast. Groaning, you facepalmed at his unsophisticated approach.

“Why would that ever work!?” you yelled, exasperated.

“I know what I’m doing! She’s just feisty n' wild. Don’t get in my way!”

The dragon opened its mouth and spit an array of flames at Katsuki, who dodged away and unsheathed his bulky sword with both hands. It was a curved claymore with a distinct Dragonian flare, paired with a decorated hilt. With a battlecry, he threw himself at the dragon with a seasoned fierceness. The dragon backed away with another roar and ducked down, narrowly dodging Katsuki’s blade. The dust beneath him kicked up as he landed on the ground and bolted to the dragon’s right wing. He forced his sword through it and guarded himself as the dragon threw itself back, bracing the sudden pain. Within the motion, the dragon unexpectedly swung its neck and flung Katsuki into the ridge you stood on. The ground beneath you rumbled from his impact as you sucked in a breath, dropping to your knees to steady yourself. Your eyes darted below you, desperately searching for signs of life. All you heard was his sword flying out of the dragon’s wing and clanking across the rocky ground. 

“Are you alright!?”

Much to your dismay, your voice echoed across the domed den. You froze and held your breath. Slowly, you looked up with wide eyes, praying you didn’t catch the attention of the furious dragon.

Of course, you locked eyes with the beast as it stared directly at you.

It began opening its mouth in your direction, sparks gathering in its throat. You stumbled ungracefully onto your feet and held out your hands, casting a restraining spell. In your panic, all you could think to do was prevent it from attacking you. A black, hazy cord wrapped around the dragon's maw, snapping it shut. Smoke leaked out of its sealed mouth as it thrashed around in a frenzy. You cast the spell again around its wings, clasping them together. Panting with adrenaline, you watched as it struggled to break free of your spell. Seasoned with years of training, your spells couldn’t be broken easily, even by a dragon. Still, you felt a cold sweat beading on your forehead as you held your spell.

Katsuki pried his eyes open as he sat in the battered rock beneath him. The adrenaline pumping through his blood prevented any pain from processing. His eyes darted to the dragon, now shackled by your spell. Despite him telling you not to interfere, it really was the perfect opening for him to beat it down. It irritated him to no end that the Dragon Chief needed the assistance of a mere amateur witch.

“Chickenshit tricks,” he grumbled to himself, dusting off his clothes.

Katsuki’s rough voice finally ripped through your tense standoff with the dragon. “I told you not to butt in!” he roared, propelling himself off of the stone beneath you.

Shockingly, all he sustained were minor cuts and bruises. 'Wow. I know Barbarians are durable, but this is just unrealistic.'

Now barehanded, the barbarian flew forward with loud explosions booming from his palms. Within moments, he beat the muzzled beast down with several blasts at its skull, provoking a loud, muffled groan from the creature. It staggered backwards, thudding hard against the ground behind its egg. The impact created a cloud of dust that soon faded as your heart struggled to calm.

Katsuki jumped back down to the ground, softening his fall with a blast. Your jaw was slack as you watched him march triumphantly toward the obsidian-colored dragon egg. You gathered yourself and flew into the den on your broomstick. When you caught up with him, he stared at you with a strange expression.

“You never told me you could do that,” you remarked with a raised brow, still sitting on your floating broom. You didn’t want to admit it, but you were impressed.

He kicked a pebble at his feet and watched as it tumbled. “You never asked. And I told you not to interfere. I was handling things fine.”

“Well, I didn’t have much of a choice after your little siesta in the rubble. I did that for me, not for you. I knew you would be fine.”

“Huh.”

He couldn’t find it in him to be angry anymore. He hated how often you proved him wrong.

With the flick of your wrist, you levitated his sword back to him and shook off the blood. “Your sword, by the way.”

He stared for a few moments before sheathing it slowly. Pausing, he smirked at you with teasing eyes.

“Chickenshit tricks.”

“...What?”

The dragon suddenly whined lightly, putting a pause to your bickering. Both of your heads snapped in the direction of the sound and you realized the creature was still bound by your spell. You hopped off of your broom and approached it slowly, wary of any lingering anger. Guilt crept up your spine as you watched the helpless mother eye its unhatched egg with a quiet desperation. The two of you were the undeniable villains in this scenario. You had always made a point to acquire all of your materials ethically, so this scene gave your heart an unaccustomed twist that made your brows furrow with remorse. You lowered yourself to the dragon’s eye level and you felt its hot breath tickle your face as it huffed through its nose.

“I’m sorry for this. You must be terrified…” you whispered, holding your hand out at a snail’s pace.

Katsuki watched from behind with crossed arms as you placed your hand gingerly over the dragon’s large snout. It blinked slowly, as if to let you know it was done fighting back. You removed your hand and cautiously undid the binding spell on its mouth and wings. To your surprise, it actually stayed down. You let out a tense breath.

Katsuki stepped up to the dragon. “Allow me to take your egg. I’ll send you to my Dragon kingdom if you do.”

You turned to him with a frown, “Wait, you are going to return her egg after, right?”

“Uh... obviously.”

You turned back to the unfortunate dragon and caressed it once more. “Sorry again.”

The dragon huffed through its nose once more in response, closing its eyes and curling up to rest.

Katsuki was mildly, barely impressed with your ability to tame the dragon, though he was the one who beat it down. He didn’t expect you to be the sensitive kind. From the stories he’d heard as a child, he assumed most witches were mischievous brutes with no sympathy. You seemed to fit the picture after he saw your fight the previous day, but he learned now that he may have been mistaken. Even now, he wasn’t sure how to feel about your disposition. On one hand, he observed how you held your ground in daunting situations with unshakeable composure. On the other, he could tell you acted that way to guard a hidden, more meek nature. Still, a small feeling of respect bubbled inside of him. Being of the Dragon Kingdom, his ferocity may seem cruel, but it came from a place of experience and familiarity. Dragons were his area of expertise, as well as his comrades. It took some time for him to become so comfortable with dragons. Your poise and clemency despite your obvious lack of experience captivated his regard.

After you packed away the egg with a spell, the two of you headed back to the legion’s headquarters. As you both marched with accomplishment through the valley, the sun sank below the silhouette of the walled fortress. An amber glow painted the darkening sky above, and the wispy clouds became dusted with rose. A chilled air blew through your hair and dried your sweat as the last light of day flickered away. Hiking up the hill, you felt your legs ache as you approached the metal gate.

“We should be quite early. I just hope Izuku and Ochaco arrive shortly as well,” you remarked, stretching your arms

“Knowing that feeble fool, they’ll probably be gone till the last minute.”

All you could do was sigh as you entered the outer court of the fortress. Only four groups were there before you. Of the few people was Mina, along with her three groupmates you hadn’t met. One of them was a tall woman in armor with tied onyx hair. The other, a man with yellow hair that shone vivid even in the darkness of night. Finally, a bard girl with short, purple hair. Mina called out to you with an energetic wave and a shining smile. It was almost overwhelming for your heavy lids and sore limbs.

“You’re back! Both of you! Didja’ get the goods?”

“Yes. A dragon egg and a fairy. Our other two group mates still haven’t arrived, though…”

“Yikes! That’s why we didn’t split up,” she gestured to her group. The yellow-haired man offered you a small wave.

“Good evening. You’re quite dashing. Call me Denki!” he winked, tipping his hat down. You stared at him unimpressed.

The girl with purple hair perked up this time, “Ignore him. I’m Kyoka.”

She seemed charming to you. You looked expectantly at the tall, armored girl next.

“Oh, I am Momo Yaoyorozu. It is quite a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she curtseyed, earning a raised brow from you.

“Are you a noble?” you asked bluntly.

She wore an awkward half-smile, “Uh—yes. Of the Yaoyorozu clan.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” you spoke impassively. She smiled in return.

After the laborious day you had, you were too tired to wear a polite expression. Despite your lack of respect for nobility, you could admit the girl was not rude at all. She held herself with a modesty that you felt inclined to. She was quite beautiful as well.

Mina perked up after a beat, “You know, today was mad! We had to get a gnome, a golem finger, and a piece of gold from a troll!”

“Oh, wow. That’s difficult,” you mumbled.

“...Yep.”

A few moments of silence followed until Mina spoke up again, “Uh, are you tired?”

“Very… is there anywhere I can sleep?” you blinked slowly as your eyes struggled to open. Mina shrugged in response.

Things seemed too quiet for a moment, and you looked beside you to find that Katsuki had already started walking to the back of the court. It was shocking that someone so loud managed to slip away so quietly. Perhaps you were simply too drowsy to notice.

“Damn him. He’s going off to sleep without me…” you groaned.

“You sleep with him?” Denki asked.

“Pardon?”

“Nevermind.”

After another hour of intense yawning and Mina ranting at you, Ochako and Izuku rushed through the metal gate with a large eyeball in hand just after the last group. You released a sigh and let your lids succumb to their fatigue. The night was long, and all of the groups had returned before the 24 hour mark. Alas, you had failed. It was time to return home.

Your heart couldn’t help but ache as your dreams of showing society the good of witchcraft withered away. Some of your happiest memories were spent researching and watching people smile with relief as you helped them through their pain.

You stared at Izuku and Ochako’s crushed expressions, tears gathering in both of their eyes. No blame in your heart was directed at them, but you couldn’t help but wonder how Katsuki would react when he awoke. Your questions would soon be answered by Aizawa, who seemingly appeared from thin air.

“I see everyone is back in one piece. Hold out your items.”

Everyone presented their three items silently and held them out for Aizawa to count. Slowly, he began counting each group. After what seemed like ages, he finally finished.

“The expulsion bit was a lie, by the way. No one is going home. You all pass.”

A short silence followed as everyone stared at him in shock, followed by a resounding “What!?”

Yaoyorozu mumbled, “It was quite the obvious lie. I had assumed you all were aware…”

“You should’ve told us!” Mina and Denki yelled.

Izuku wiped his tears away with relief as Ochako patted his back.

“Who’s getting expelled!?” Katsuki roared from behind, emerging from the darkened columns. You could tell he had just awoken.

“No one, chief! We all passed!” Eijirou beamed. Fortunately, he made sure to leave out that Deku and Ochako returned last.

Aizawa interrupted the chatter. “Silence! Passing this test doesn’t ensure anything. I have more missions for you all to prove yourself worthy. This training is essential to keep your lives. Understood?”

“Yes sir!” everyone affirmed.

“Good. Your first mission is a rescue operation. You’ll meet with All Might here in three days time, in the afternoon exactly. Anyone tardy will be left behind. You’re all dismissed.” With that, he walked back into the darkness of the fortress.

As the rest of the crowd chatted excitedly, you turned to Mina with a withered look.

“Woah, what’s wrong!?” she jumped.

“Can we find lodging together? I’m so tired… I flew us here for hours, walked for hours, held off a dragon, and walked more. That blasted barbarian. I might just sleep on the street…”

Mina gasped empathetically at your pitiful plea and held your shoulders. “Poor thing. I’ll find us a place, just come with me. That was my plan too, anyhow.”

You two became friends in your first year at UA, though you grew closer with struggle. You thought she was too posh, she thought you were too rough around the edges. It took months of growth and experience together for the two of you to see that there was something beautiful to be understood between you. She taught you to be gentle. To act with tenderness and care. You taught her to value herself. To be assertive and impactful. You both understood what it meant to be compassionate, and her feelings bloomed from that very harmony. She admired you more than she could put into words—the way you could balance humility and dignity ignited a fire inside of her chest that she just couldn’t quell.

In the beginning, her feelings for you scared her. She tried everything to convince herself she simply admired to you as a friend. That she envied your herculean yet feminine strength. After the war, something changed in her. She realized the importance of seizing every moment—and she wanted to seize every moment spent with you. Every comfortable silence, every coy glance, every intellectually stimulating conversation. Everything about being with you excited her, and it morphed her dread into craving.

She notices everything and pretends not to. The way you avoid touch with everyone except for her, even seeking it out despite your darting eyes. The way you awkwardly place your hands on her shoulders after a hard day and tenderly attempt to press her tension away. The way you finally let your tight muscles ease when the two of you are alone, collapsing into her gentle embrace. She absolutely notices how different you are with her and it makes her heart burst into a rapid flutter when she thinks about it.

She genuinely loathes when a situation implies that she may be straight around you. A man flirts with her? She will shut him down promptly and harshly (and will make sure you see how cruel she’s being). The girls engage in boytalk? She has to use the bathroom. Valentine’s day? Her worst nightmare. She knows she’s visibly lacking a “queer look” and she doesn’t want to change that—she trusts that you’ll notice the way her eyes linger for seconds too long over your figure, as well as how dismissive she is towards any men around her.

She is shameless when it comes to your figure and muscles. She will stare and she doesn’t even try to hide it, it’s as if she’s memorizing every curve and freckle on your body. If you have a darker skin tone, she’ll wait until the setting sun’s warm glow illuminates the deep tones of your skin with stars in her eyes. She doesn’t hold back on compliments, purposely trying to fluster you to see how hot your face gets. But if you even try to slide her a flirty compliment, she will immediately and profusely refuse, melting into a puddle of nerves. The mere idea of you flirting with her still sends a hot rush of blood to her face, despite how often you do it. The way your signature smirk tugs at the corners of your lips as your eyelids hang low—she can’t even look at you.

Everyone in the class can tell you two have something going on, and they’re patiently waiting for you two to realize and just start going out. Your biggest supporters are Jirou and Iida. They both give each other ‘The Look’ every time Yaoyorozu laughs too hard at a stupid joke you crack, or when you use any excuse to have a hand laid gently on her. One evening, Kirishima and Bakugou caught you both sleeping on each other on the common room’s couch after hero training. The way you, the most guarded girl in the class, curled your legs into her lap with your face buried in her chest—they knew something was up.

Very touch-starved but also isn’t super hungry. He feels vulnerable when people try to get comfortable with him. However, with the people he’s closest to, it’s a little different. He’ll notice you gradually inching closer to him and begrudgingly invite small gestures like your hands brushing or knees touching. But he’ll feel panicked in the moment, as if this new sensation might suddenly cause him to catch on fire. He might twitch awkwardly or blurt out something stupid and keep thinking about it on loop the entire day.

Whenever he’s dragged outside by his friends, he stopped acting like he doesn’t want to be there. Before the war, he would always grumble and groan about how he “never wanted to come” and “this is so stupid.” But now, he simply invites the present moment with a quiet determination. After brushing death, each moment with the class feels like a bittersweet gift that could be snatched at any moment, and he lets no moment go unsavored. He also wakes up extremely early on planned hang-out days and makes sure everyone is ready on the dot. Sero is usually the one who’s late to everything, so he’ll bang on his dorm room door until he wakes up.

Gets hangry extremely easily. If he doesn’t eat a 3 course lunch by 12 pm, everyone within a 3 mile radius is in danger. His favorite type of hang-out with you is trying new dishes from diverse cultures. He secretly memorizes every note in the dish in hopes of replicating it for the class. But he would never admit that, of course.

One day after patrol training, the two of you took the train back to the dorms. You offered him your airpod and he grumbled about it being disgusting, but he still put it in his ear. When you played your English playlist, he was genuinely irritated at how good every song was. He sat silently, gazing out of a window, pretending that sitting next to you wasn’t making him extremely self aware of every move he made. The way the setting sun beamed through the windows and highlighted a secret bright hue in your hair made his heart jump. Afterwards, he handed you your airpod with his usual silent glare, but he felt a buzzing in his chest when he thought about how you cared enough to quell his boredom with your music. He typed every lyric he could remember into his phone and tried to find every song you played. He would never ever tell anyone, but you introduced him to a completely new world of music that added a bit more color to his life. In turn, he fell for you even harder. Every time he listens to those songs, he can’t help but imagine what your favorite part of each song is.

He’s a nerd when it comes to girls, but not in the way you would think. He isn’t particularly interested in dating or sex or girls in general, though he occasionally indulges in the thought of having a shoujo moment he saw in a movie with an imaginary person before bed (and every time, he ends up getting weirded out and forces himself to sleep). He has such a strong sense of self that he doesn’t feel an innate need to have a partner, plus he knows he isn’t easy to be around. He never expects to be in a relationship, nor does he spend any time thinking about what kind of girls he likes. People forget that he has absolutely zero experience due to women (understandably) avoiding him his entire life. HOWEVER, he isn’t “scared of women,” and he doesn’t act differently around them. To him, women are simply other people, and he doesn’t think he needs to act a certain way around them. That includes refusing to act chivalrous or courteous, which can sometimes come off as ignorant to say the least. Summarily, as wise men say, he refuses to lose his virginity because he doesn’t lose.

Note: 'Italicized parts with single quotations are your thoughts.'

"Italicized parts with double quotations are the other character's thoughts."

・・・・・ signals a flashback

As day pierced through the sky with vivid pastels, hummingbirds of fantastical metallics zipped across the forestside village you had grown accustomed to. The sun peeked through the canopy of cool-colored foliage, radiant beams of warmth decorating the fertile earth beneath you. After declaring your recruitment to the Legion of Heroes, you’d hardly had any rest, since you were to be off the same day. You felt a bit cranky, but going a day without sleep wasn’t foreign to you.

With your bag of essentials strapped across your body and a worn broom in hand, you set a “closed indefinitely” sign on your shop, Katsuki and Eijirou lingering behind you. After the events of night, they lodged in the village inn. A shaky breath escaped you as you thought of the villagers you’d sworn you had no attachment to. ‘They’d burn me at the stake if they knew I was a witch. Why do I even bother?’ Yet, your emotions betrayed you as your eyes lingered wistfully over your shop, your village, and the enchanted forest.

“You done yet!?” the barbarian barked.

He took in the surroundings of your village. It was all too quaint for him, too calm, too mundane. He felt a silent respect for your ability to stay sane in such a mild place for so long.

Your hands flew to your ears, “Haven’t you ever heard of an indoor voice?”

“We’re outside!”

You rolled your eyes in response as the three of you walked out of the village and towards a clearing in the forest.

“Alright, on my back then,” Eijirou chirped, placing his hands on his hips.

“Huh?” you asked. ‘I must have heard him wrong.’

“I can fly real fast. I’ll take you back to our rendezvous point in no time!” He pumped his fist and morphed back into a towering, red-scaled dragon.

“Oh! Thank you, but… I have my broom.”

You weren’t about to ride a dragon-boy. ‘Not only is that terrifying, it’s also embarrassing for some reason… I should really let loose more.’

“Hah! Let’s see if your shoddy stick can keep up with us.” Katsuki scoffed competitively, jumping onto the dragon with ease.

After such a horrendously long night, you weren’t in the mood for competitions at all. It disturbed you that they still had such a great deal of energy. Still, you steadied yourself onto your floating broom while they wasted no time lifting off, plowing their way above the trees.

Racing upward, you braced yourself as the wind flipped your hair in and out of your vision. Above the ancient trees, you sailed through a thick layer of misty cloud. Your eyes squeezed shut, brisk dew clinging to your lashes. As you reached the open sky beyond the haze, you were met with a boundless, dreamy blue. The intensity of the searing sun soaked your damp skin with an almost forgotten vitality as a small smile fought its way onto your face. The crisp air of the skies filled your lungs with vitalizing breath, and you could feel every inhale rush through your pumping blood as you matched the dragon’s fierce speed. You couldn’t recall the last time you had felt this exhilarated—this awake.

“Not bad catching up. I doubt you can keep the momentum!” Katsuki shouted through the whistling winds, an arrogant smirk plastered across his face as he sat smugly on Eijirou’s back.

As he turned his head, expecting to see your struggling face, he spotted a coy smile instead. His smirk washed away almost immediately. When he first stumbled into your house, you seemed withdrawn and mysterious. Seeing you enjoy a relaxing ride on your broomstick at this speed was a sight he didn’t expect. “What are your limits…?” he wondered as he snuck suspicious glances at you behind his shoulder.

“Katsuki. What is our destination?”

“That’s Chief Bakugou, to you! And the destination is a large city called Musutafu. I’m sure you know of it. All Might should be there waiting, along with a decent portion of the legion.”

“I do know of it, it’s four cities away. That’s quite far. We’d arrive after sunset, even at this speed.”

“Are you already giving up!?”

You let out a harsh “ugh” and rolled your eyes hard enough for him to see, “I was just saying.”

Suddenly, you heard the sound of screaming below you, which then came to an abrupt pause. Katsuki noticed you signaling at him to stop and paused Eijirou as well, rage settling into his veins.

“Did you hear that?” you questioned.

He grit his teeth together and wore a grotesque expression, “There’s nothing you could’ve possibly noticed before me, but go ahead and tell me what you’ve—”

You shushed him.

He inhaled, ready to yell at the top of his lungs, before he noticed the screaming as well. You looked a ways below you and your eyes found a group of goblins attacking a young man. Locking eyes with Katsuki, you both seemed to understand the next move without a word. You dipped down, landing between the goblins and the civilian. Katsuki landed behind him, Eijirou’s great wings kicking up a cloud of dust. The goblins immediately backed away in uniform before preparing to attack you. Katsuki crossed his arms and watched casually as Eijirou transformed back to man.

Eijirou coated his flexed arms in scales, taking a defensive position. “Chief, this is bad, we should-–”

“No! Let her handle it. Just get that civilian over here.”

You looked back at them in confusion as the goblins stood before you hungrily. ‘I’m being assessed? Now? That feels insulting coming from a mere member of the legion. He thinks he’s all that, enough to test me?’ You fashioned a heavy glare as you turned back to the mob.

The first one came prancing towards you recklessly, letting out a shriek. ‘My dark magic may be rusty, but I can’t let him think he’s better than me. Men like that always need a healthy dose of humbling.’ You pointed a finger at it as nonchalantly as possible as an ink-black cloud snaked up your hand. Goblins were known for committing villainous crimes against innocent families; stealing children, harming women, and killing working men. You wouldn’t feel bad causing it pain.

The goblin, still racing towards you, came to a sharp halt. Every creature in the grove went silent in anticipation as the goblin stood frozen. After a few seconds, its eyes clouded black and it dropped to the ground with a loud thud. The other goblins roared and charged towards you. You waved your finger again, felling four more.

Katsuki, despite his experience, had never seen a witch in action. He’d never seen a witch at all, as they were harder to come by these days. The nature of a witch wasn’t typically flashy or flamboyant, a harsh contrast to his manner of fighting. He fought with fire, explosions, battle-cries, and more explosions. He preferred to see a fight that invoked passion, and yours lacked that entirely. That, however, piqued his interest further. “So, she can stand her ground. For someone who flaunts the title of a coward so confidently, she hardly seems like one to me.”

There were more goblins than you anticipated, numbers emerging behind the thick oak trees surrounding you. You closed your eyes and exhaled, your breath full of anxiety. You put your casted finger away and decided to take a different approach. You brought your left hand behind your back and your right in front of you, signaling a “come forth” gesture. ‘I’d rather mix in melee to save my magic energy. Spells are my favorite, but I practice fighting just as often. I hate being a one-trick pony.’

A tall goblin sped towards you first, claws aiming for your drawn hand. You moved to the side with swiftness, coating your hand with a destructive, black-colored haze. You thrust your hand through the goblin’s hard chest, blood splattering onto your cheek as you quickly moved onto the next. You repeated the process with carefully crafted movements as if it was a rehearsed ritual. Within several minutes, you had taken the entire mob down. Thick, green blood dripped down your hand as you tugged it out of the last monster. You shuddered at your hand and used a spell to pull the fluids off of you. Slowly, you turned towards the three men watching you intensely from the sidelines.

“Thanks for the help,” you deadpanned, flinging blood in their direction flippantly.

“Uh… Hey, seems like you didn’t need it! You certainly put up a manly fight, right guys?” Eijirou chuckled, dodging the blood.

“I feel so unmanly for just standing and watching… She’s definitely an experienced fighter though. She’ll be a real asset, that’s for sure!” Eijirou reflected. It was important to assess your strength since you would be comrades going forward. They needed to know how you could fair on your own.

Katsuki held a conflicted glare in your direction, wondering why you lowered yourself despite your strength. You, however, couldn’t pinpoint why he was glaring at you so intensely. ‘Maybe he still thinks I’m weak. Well, what do I care? Maybe he’s jealous that I can fight so effortlessly! He seems like the type to be overly into dramatics.’

This time, the distressed civilian spoke to you. “Thank you, truly! You saved my life! I was collecting lumber, you see, for my sick wife and child in the village. I cannot bear to picture what would’ve transpired had I not returned… I cannot thank you enough. Please, have a recess from your journey at my home. I insist!”

You smiled politely, “That’s quite alright, we really must–”

“No!” Katsuki yelled in your direction. He turned to the man ferociously, “We’re busy, commoner! There’s no time to meander around!”

You stood frozen with shock and anger, which was rare for your otherwise laidback temperament. ‘I was about to refuse!? And he’s yelling at an already distressed man!’

You whipped your head toward the barbarian, “How many years are you?” you spat with barely concealed aggression.

“That’s none of your damn business!”

“So you’re a child?”

“No!?”

“Then act like an adult, for goodness’ sake. Didn’t your mother teach you how to speak to others in a proper manner? Or does she reward you with a kiss on the cheek for every time you yell at her?”

Katsuki lowered his head, knuckles whitening as his fists shook. You could hear his teeth grating together. Eijirou scratched the back of his neck with a weary expression as he watched his chief vibrating with rage, wondering if he should step in. Finally, Katsuki opened his mouth with a sharp inhale.

But the ear-grating yell never came. Instead, a thundering boom erupted from the trees aft of you, causing Katsuki to jolt into silence. Your eyes went wide and you had no time to process what could’ve possibly made that noise. In your shock, Eijirou took an offensive stance at the threat behind you and held his mouth agape, morphing his skin into red scales. From his throat, a scorching heat arose, embers sparking at his tongue. He puffed a fiery blaze aimed just next to you, enough for you to feel the fervor of the blowing flames. You looked behind you and your eyes met an aflame ogre of great stature. It stood at a towering height just behind you, its former blue color now scorching brown. You quickly cast a spell to transport you away from the ogre and behind Eijirou, still breathing a great fire.

From where you stood, you stared into the great fire and saw a long stick blazing in the center of it. You squinted, only to realize he was also roasting your broom.

“Hey, I think the ogre is dead, stop!” you shouted at him, shaking his shoulder.

Eijirou finally ceased the flame and released a stream of smoke from his nose and mouth. He turned back towards you in concern.

“Hey, are you alright!? That was—”

“My broom…”

“Huh?”

He studied the scene covered in remnants of fire, blood, and various felled mobs. As well as your broom, burnt to a crisp. Katsuki let out a boisterous, mocking laugh as Eijirou held his head in shock, running towards what was left of your stick.

“What!? I didn’t see that at all! Oh crap, that’s totally my bad! I’m really sorry! Wait, I think I can fix it!” He tried to pick it up, only for the charred black stick to crumble into dust and carry away with the breeze.

You sighed woefully.

“Oh, oops… um… let me help you buy a new one!” he insisted.

“Alright. I can buy one at the nearby village.”

“I’m really sorry!”

“I’m not upset, don’t worry. You saved me. What you did was heroic. Thank you.”

You were slightly upset, but you didn’t want him to feel any worse. Despite his overbearing chief, Eijirou was starting to grow on you. The longer you knew him, the more you saw his kindness.

He stared in shock for a bit before beaming brightly, displaying his pointed teeth, “Ha, it’s no problem! You’re welcome!”

You smiled forgivingly in return.

The civilian perked up, “Ah, if you’re heading to the village, let me guide you! The sun will be setting soon, you ought to get somewhere safer soon. You very well may face more of those terrifying ogres.”

You and Eijirou looked pointedly towards Katsuki, who stood with an ever-present scowl, arms crossed. His eyes darted between the two of you, offended.

“What!? The sun is setting, ain’t it!? Let’s get a move on to that destitute village. Might as well get lodging. It ought to be free, commoner!”

The man nodded his head rapidly in fear. You and Eijirou both wondered what brought upon Katsuki’s sudden change of heart about going to the village, but you didn’t want to question what was convenient. Thus, the four of you set off, the sun beginning to retreat behind the dark grove as you moved forward.

Your party soon arrived at the decently sized village filled with a variety of characters and colored decor. From musketeer to beastman, it had no shortage of diversity. You preferred this sight over your stale, one-tone town. Though peaceful, it lacked the color brought from a medley of lives. Communities, you believed, should have a mixture of many types of people who can teach each other new perspectives to life.

The buildings were decorated with banners of vivid color and unique patterns, weaving across the town’s aged buildings. Fairy-like lights decorated every corner, gleaming warmly amidst the pink setting sun. Children paced around with an unfamiliar light hearted glee, kites in hand. Paintings fashioned every floor and corner with an artistic glow. It almost seemed like a festival.

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting this! It’s quite nice, I don’t think we’ve ever been here,” Eijirou marveled.

Katsuki scoffed. “It’s alright. Where’s the tavern?”

You rolled your eyes. ‘I was peeved enough by his attitude alone, and now he’s apparently an alcoholic?’ Nonetheless, you carried on to a local magic item shop, courtesy to the civilian’s directions, while Katsuki and Eijirou went towards the tavern. Eijirou paid you generously in compensation for your felled broom, much to your satisfaction.

You arrived at the rickety old shop, much different in comparison to the rest of the town. It had a dark mahogany build with talismans and charms strewn from base to roof, stained glass adorning its sides. It was a proper magical shop from the outside, something to be appreciated in this newcoming age of “convenience,” which really just meant plainness. As you opened the creaky door, a windchime resounded across the shop with a pleasantly soft vibrato.

“Welcome… what might’ya be lookin’ for?” the old shopkeep slurred from behind his desk, eyes glued to his book.

He had 8 long arms with many joints and small, circular spectacles that sat atop his hooked nose. You could tell he’d asked that question a million times before.

“Just a sturdy broom for long travels airborne. Something that can withstand potent magic and spells.”

The shopkeep finally broke from his book and slid his glasses down with another arm to look at you. “Ah. And what brings a witch here? Haven’t seen one of ya in a good few years.”

“Just traveling. My broom was burnt to a crisp today. I’d love to buy a new one before I set off again.”

You could feel his squinted eyes prying into you, and although it agitated you to no end, you had to remain polite to save face for the reputation of all witches.

He put his book down, “I see… I’ve a few brooms that should have the qualities you seek. You’d like one bare of enchantments, correct?”

“Aye.”

Without standing, he rummaged through the various long cabinets behind him with his many hands, occasionally grabbing a fistfull of miscellaneous items and storing them in other cabinets. He finally pulled out a proper broom from a cabinet, revealing intricacies carved into its walnut wood base along with a neat bundle of pale straw.

“How does the witch fancy this one?”

“It’s perfect. Skillfully made, certainly an upgrade.”

He pushed his glasses up with his free hand. “That will be 1,000 tokens.”

You stood speechless.

“Can’t pay?” he mused.

“Er– well, no, I can pay…”

You pulled out the pouch of tokens lended to you by Eijirou and counted 900. You weren’t particularly vexed by paying another 100 out of pocket, but you had really hoped you wouldn’t have to spend all of his tokens in one place. Feeling your daydreams of tasting expensive cuisines shatter, you reluctantly handed him the tokens. The eight-handed man smiled, a glint of mischief in his spectacles as he handed you the broom in exchange for the fat pouch.

“Pleasure doing business, young miss. You’re quite the beauty. You’ve a husband, I’m sure?” he chuckled.

You forced a chuckle, “Oh, no. I prefer not to be tied down.”

“I’ll say. I’m approaching 80, happily single. Never touched a lady.”

“Ah.” ‘This is slightly uncomfortable,’ you thought. “I’ll be off then. You have a fine day sir.”

You offered him an awkward half-grin and a nod as you rushed out of the shop. After placing an enchantment on your broom, you cast a spell to fit it into your pouch and paced away.

You walked back to the tavern to meet with your new party. The sun had already set, only a faint whisper of periwinkle left in the stretching cerulean sky. Speckles of brilliant lights scattered across the blue, twinkling softly. This life, you thought, seemed like a dream. Two days ago, you would’ve never imagined leaving your home in the enchanted forest.

There was a spirited crowd bustling in and around the warmly lit tavern, drinks in hand. You ventured further inside in search of the pair and found them at a table talking to a completely pink girl, clad in fashionable armor. She had curled, short hair and black scleras with piercing amber pupils. Eijirou caught sight of you and waved you over with a grin whilst Katsuki sat next to him mildly irritated, per usual.

“I’m back. Bought a pretty good broom. Who is this?”

The pink girl turned to you with a smile, “Oh hey! I’m Mina Ashido, it’s nice to meet you! I just found these two. You must be the witch Eijirou mentioned? That’s pretty fire.”

That was the first time anyone had ever called you “fire” for being a witch. ‘Does she mean to burn me, or is that a compliment…?’

Choosing to ignore her comment, you introduced yourself instead. “What do you do?”

“Formally, I cut wood, but that’s sorta lame. I’m really an axe maiden by day, protecting any people I can from monsters and creatures and what-nots. By night, I work as a barkeep here at this village.”

Eijirou perked up, “I was just about to ask! Why this village? Oh, by the way, me and Mina grew up in the same village in the East before I went off to the Dragon Kingdom.”

“Yep! You see, my family has a lumber company, hence the whole ‘axe maiden and woodcutter’ thing. Their company has a big branch in this village, so I came here a year ago to assess the operations and fell in love with the ambience! Seriously, the people here get down! Oh, and I’ve been protecting these people from the forest monsters ever since I saved a little girl in danger.”

“So you can fight?” Katsuki interrogated.

“Yup! Not to toot my own horn, but I think I’ve got a natural talent.”

“So join us then!” Eijirou lifted out of his seat with excitement, “We’re in the Legion of Heroes led by the All Might. It’s right up your alley, no?”

Mina gasped, “No…” Eijirou’s face fell before she continued, “Way! You’re in that!? I’ve always wanted to join someday!” she beamed, clapping her hands together.

“Hold on! Do you even know what we’re training for!?” Katsuki barked at her.

“Um, saving people, duh?”

He pinched his nose bridge in annoyance, “We’re training to fight the Demon King’s lingering forces. Join only if you think you can handle it. If you have doubts, just stay home.”

You winced at his rudeness, but you had to admit he was right. From what you could tell, she was a bright young lady with a promising future. You didn’t want to imagine what the worst case scenarios would be for her if she wasn’t strong enough.

“Wait, you said you’re training to fight, right? Well, that’s just perfect then,” Mina smiled, placing her hands on her hips.

“We’re only going to be training for a few months! After that, we’re formally heroes. You better be good enough to hold yourself up in that amount of time,” Katsuki scowled.

You stood confused at this. “Hold on, you never mentioned training to me.”

“You never asked, dullard!”

This time, you pinched your nose bridge and sighed sharply. “You are unbelievable, barbarian.”

“How many times must I tell you, my title is Chief Bakugou!” he shouted with his drink in hand, sloshing it onto the table.

“I don’t recall being a Dragonian. You’re not my chief.”

By now, the tables around you were beginning to murmur, eavesdropping on the argument. Mina and Eijirou stood awkwardly beside you two as you took notice of the unwanted attention.

“You’re tipsy, Chief. Take a walk,” you warned.

“The hell I am.”

The two of you were at a standstill, engaging in an intense staring contest. He hoisted himself out of his seat and stood tall over you, leaving just a few inches of space between you. He had to admit you were gutsy, and he would’ve respected it if he wasn’t the one you were provoking. You, on the other hand, found it insulting how often he tried to intimidate you.

“Heh-hey, you two! Let’s focus on recruiting Mina. The more the merrier, aye?” Eijirou patted both of your backs with an embarrassed smile, earning a scoff from Katsuki.

“Sorry, you’re right…” you hugged your arms, “Mina, I think it would be wonderful if you joined us. You must have a lot of fighting experience. I think you’ll manage well.”

She smiled softly, “Thank you, but I also… well… who’s going to protect the village while I’m gone?”

Before you could answer, a large, rough hand clapped over her shoulder and she jolted in shock. An aged, bearded man stood behind her with a warm smile.

“I overheard some of your chat, ‘pologies for the eaves. I’m the boss of this tavern,” he offered a friendly wave and put both his heavy hands on Mina’s shoulders, shaking her slightly, “Mina, I think you should go.”

“Boss!? Wait, really?” she exclaimed.

“Aye. You’ve what it takes, I know it. Strongest girl I e’er seen.”

Mina still looked conflicted, “But… what if everyone still needs me?”

“You’re always protecting us, working, doin’ good deeds. Don’t let this opportunity pass ya. I'd had my fair share of lost chances, now I’m just a regular ol’ tavern boss. You inspired enough people to take up arms and protect this village. I promise, we’ll be alright.”

Her eyes glistened slightly as she stared at her feet with wide eyes, shoulders tensed. Her hands gathered into fists as she turned towards you, Katsuki, and Eijirou.

“Okay, I’ll join you!”

Eijirou let out a relieved laugh and pumped his drink in the air. “Alright!”

You nodded at her while Katsuki crossed his arms and lifted his chin. Despite his air of conceitedness, he could spot the potential in her. “Bringing back two promising members should prove to All Might that I was overqualified for this silly recruitment job.”

The four of you had a few drinks of celebration and conversations regarding everyone’s various adventures. Surprisingly, you and Katsuki managed to not fight again, but there was a lingering air of pressure beneath your stares. You could feel his eyes lingering over you occasionally as you peered into your cup of tea. It was mostly Mina and Eijirou celebrating, since you and Katsuki weren’t much for socializing. ‘I wonder what his upbringing was like in that kingdom. I thought he’d be more boisterous,’ you wondered.

After your drinks, you headed off to your lodging with the civilian you saved. Katsuki and Eijirou slept on the dusty basement floor while you took the finely bedded guest room.

The next morning, the three of you met with Mina in the village square. The post-dawning sky took on a pastel blue, warm weather chasing away any sign of clouds. The sun still sat low on the horizon as you tried to blink your exhaustion away. Eijirou and Mina seemed to be the only ones raring to go.

“Everyone ready? Mina, did you pack everything?” Eijirou asked.

“Yup! Gosh, I’m excited!”

“Hurry up then. Dragon. Now,” Katsuki slurred.

He was still slightly hungover from having a few extra drinks the previous night. Eijirou heeded his command and grew back into his bulky, red-winged form. Mina gasped and you swore you saw stars in her eyes.

“Smokes! Eijirou, you grew like crazy! Last time I saw your dragon form, you were still the size of a dog!”

Eijirou puffed air from his nostrils at her in return.

You pulled out your miniature broom and took off the spell, bringing it to its full size. It was much more visually appealing and sturdy than your unfortunate old broom. This new one had an air of prestige to its pristine glow that made you feel like a proper witch. You hoisted yourself onto it as it floated, unwavering.

“Eijirou, thank you for destroying my old broom. This one is marvelous. It is worlds better than that old flimsy one.”

Eijirou puffed air again.

As Katsuki sluggishly hoisted himself onto Eijirou’s horned back, Mina’s head went back and forth between the two of you as she held her chin.

“Dragon or broom… dragon or broom…”

“My broom is much easier to hold onto. Fly with me. Also, I’m sure you don’t want to be stuck with that guffawing buffoon for hours,” you whispered to her.

“Yeah, you’re right,” she giggled, hoisting herself onto your broom behind you.

She held your waist securely as you gradually floated upwards, careful not to knock off your extra passenger. Eventually, you caught up to Eijirou and Katsuki high in the air. The wind gusted past you and Mina, blowing your hair into her face. She rested her head on your shoulder to avoid your whipping locks and you caught a faint scent of freshly cut wood and something sweet. It felt oddly comforting, despite the fact you’d only met her last night. She had a sociable friendliness to her that you rarely saw in people. It was an unknown feeling after years of isolation. Your social skills, after having mostly creatures as friends for so long, were a bit stunted. In most cases, you would’ve shrugged her off of you, but you decided to let her linger as you were faced with a familiar rush of breeze. ‘Maybe I’m turning soft from all of the sun I’ve been getting.’

Mina spoke into your ear through the howling wind, “So where did you grow up?”

“A small village a great distance away, in the Southern region. I was only brought to this region when I was around eleven.”

“Oh! A foreigner! It’s no wonder you speak kinda funny! Are there lots of witches down South?”

“Uh… not everywhere. It’s a very diverse place with many kingdoms and villages, just like here. Some places have warriors, elves, dwarves, or even mermen. The population of my village was strictly witches, though small. No men or any other class were allowed. They allowed all races, so long as they were a witch. They even allowed male-borns that permanently turned into female witches.”

“Woah, a place with no men!? Sounds like heaven!”

You chuckled in agreement.

“So are you a witch for work as well?” she asked.

“Oh, of course not, you know the climate around witches since the Demon King. I worked as an apothecary in a village and kept my witchery a secret.”

“Oh, right! Sorry, I forgot about that… I’ve never met a witch before.”

“Most haven’t. Don’t worry, I’m not upset.”

She sighed in relief. “So, we’re friends now, right?”

You sat stiffly, mind blank. Every clever quip you usually had stored suddenly dissipated. ‘Do people usually become friends this fast? Does this mean she’s fond of me? Well, I don’t particularly mind her… I suppose…’

Note: ‘Italicized parts with single quotations are your thoughts.’

“Italicized parts with double quotations are the other character’s thoughts.”

・・・・・ signals a flashback

For almost a decade, your days started and ended in the same dizzying, monotonous rhythm. After struggling awake, you ventured into the village and worked your hours away at The Star Anise apothecary shop. You tended to your regulars, the elderly, and an unfortunately sick infant. After you closed up, you spent your evening trading and scouring the enchanted forest for new ingredients—arsenic, rabbit's foot, witch hazel. This was a particularly good day because you had traded a rare charm for a piece of Bezoar. As the moon peaked, you headed home to the most hidden center of the enchanted forest, ready to spend your night the same as always: peacefully alone, brainstorming your own various witchcrafting ideas and noting them down in your spell book. One day, you hoped, witchcraft could be seen as good. You often daydreamed of being a hero and contributing some good to the world. But that was all it was — a simple daydream, unable to materialize.

Gazing into the dotted sky through your bedroom window, your mind stirred, bouncing from constellation to planet. Apt in your peace, this neverending mundane life seemed maintainable. It was a waltz of easy days and simple struggle, your only opponent being your mind.

An important concept to remember, however, is the first principle of witchcraft: the mind is a most powerful force.

An abrupt thrashing some marks into the forest pulled you out of your mindless trance. Your trained hands flew to cast a spell that could answer your piqued curiosity. Forming a circle with your fingers, you brought your hand to a closed eye and cast a spell that could see miles forward.

A curious, sizable red sight greeted your prying eye.

“A dragon?” You squinted and let out an amused scoff, “That’s quite a big dragon, as well. I wonder what business that dreaded dragon society has with my forest.”

To the left of the crimson-scaled beast stood another figure—a young man with spiked blonde hair and a lit torch in his hand. He had a distinctly arrogant and irate nature that showed through his defensive stance and lifted chin.

The thing that caught your eye was his uniquely garish barbarian garb, which was typical of someone from the Dragon Kingdom. He donned a striking red cape with a fur accent, paired with tribal tattoos and practical gear. His layered necklaces were fashioned with dragon teeth that shone under the warm glow of his torch.

“Not my typical customers…” you muttered under your breath.

This was the perfect chance for you to have a bit of spontaneous fun, an allegro for this repetitive waltz. You cast a simple spell that could alter your voice and allow it to travel a remarkable distance.

“Who goes there?” Your deepened voice echoed across the clearing where they stood amidst towering trees.

The barbarian and his dragon perked up and whipped their heads around viciously.

“Katsuki Bakugou,” he spat out, drawing his sword with ferocity, “Dragon Chief of the Dragon Kingdom! I command you to show yourself at once!”

A grimace crept onto your face. Did someone send a scout to hunt “the fabled witch” of this forest? But you couldn’t grasp why a chief of a renowned kingdom would do simple bounty hunting. You hadn’t committed any crime… that anyone should know of.

“What business would your title have in this enchanted forest? In the dead of night? It’s hardly safe here, no matter how stro—”

“You dare doubt my strength!? Your pathetic forest holds nothing to me! Heed this, wizard, I’ve come looking for you. Make this easy or I’ll blow you to smithereens!”

A heavy sigh left your lips. ‘So he simply wants something. He doesn’t know who I am.’ It wasn’t unusual for a noble of some sort to come looking for service from a witch—or wizard.

“What business have you with I? A charm? A potion? A spell?”

“It’s hardly business. I, Katsuki Bakugou, command you to join me!”

The last answer you expected.

“Uh, what?”

“I’m not repeating myself, wizard! Eijirou!”

The towering dragon standing mightily at his side began morphing into the form of a young man with a daunting red mane. He, too, drew his sword, and you felt a bead of sweat gather above your furrowed brows.

“Calm yourself. You really expect one to join an unfamiliar, ear-splitting barbarian blindly? State your purpose or I’ll have no choice but to defend myself.”

Even more rage accumulated on his face as he strained, “The Legion. Of Heroes. I assume you know of All Might. He sent me here. Said a powerful wizard’s descendant lives in this hideous forest.”

‘The Legion of… Heroes? Led by All Might? The one who struck the Demon King into dormancy years ago? Does he really think I would believe him?’ This went beyond simple fun now. It was all too sudden, too abrupt, too disruptive.

Katsuki stood impatiently as he awaited another eerie response from the abyss of the dark forest. He was already peeved enough to be personally sent by All Might on such a mundane mission. The Katsuki Bakugou, reduced to a recruiter. Seething internally, he recalled the feeble green-haired boy who somehow gained the recognition of All Might.

The dragon-hybrid filled the silence this time. “Do you think he ditched us…? HEY! Come out already! Don’t be a coward, damn it!”

After pausing to mull over the risks, you finally settled on leading them to your home for a civilized conversation. ‘If they’re lying, I’ll just kill them.’ A small pink fairy circled around them at your command, its pink incandescence cluing them through the dark and foggy forest. Katsuki waved the flames off of his dimming torch and left it behind. They glanced at each other curiously and began to follow it, swords drawn.

After trudging through a dense curtain of enchanted tree and vine, they were finally met with your residence, a towering house befitting of a witch. It was crafted with pointed roofs and a stone path, dimly lit lanterns and charms strewn across its exterior. Although aged in stature, it stood youthfully among the ancient forest carved with age-old secrets. A whisper of damp fog brushed against their chilled skin as they strode vigilantly toward the structure. With the wave of a finger, your front door creaked open, inviting the unusual customers inside of your darkened home.

“Stay alert. We don’t know what his motives are,” Katsuki warned Eijirou, who nodded tensely in return.

The floor creaked beneath them as they ventured deeper into the dark unknown, fog trailing behind them. You smirked to yourself as you stood in your kitchen, casting a night vision spell on your eyes. Your favorite strategy to gain the upper hand is to create fear and uncertainty. Lest they fight you, you can at least spook them into hesitation. It was admittedly underhanded, but witches aren’t exactly known for being angels. At least, in this case, they believed you were an evil wizard. You slammed the door behind them, earning a satisfying jump from the dragon-hybrid boy.

“Show yourself already, you unmanly coward! We aren’t here to fight!” Eijirou blurted out.

After a beat, you let out a low cackle.

“That’s nice to hear. Fighting at this hour isn’t exactly ideal. It’s already half past one. Can you believe it?”

You watched their faces fall into confusion as you spoke. They looked around in the pitch-black darkness frantically for the source of the unfamiliar woman’s voice. Katsuki was beginning to regret leaving his torch behind. Unbeknownst to them, you were standing in the kitchen doorway right in front of them. You waved your finger once and lit the hanging chandelier above them.

The dragon-boy flew backwards with a yelp once his gaze met yours, while the barbarian flinched with a strange noise before regaining his composure.

“Boo. I’m a witch. I’ll brew you into a potion and have you with some bread,” you mused unenthusiastically.

Katsuki’s enraged eyes pierced yours with swiftness, his brows ever-furrowed. Those of the barbarian class have lofty and built physiques to accompany their almost inhuman strength. Now that this one was in front of you, he seemed just a bit shorter than average. Still, he towered over you with palpable rage.

Despite his aggression, he assessed your form with a deliberate gaze. Hotheaded as he was, he still possessed an analytical nature and sharp intuition. “Not a wizard, but a witch…? Why would All Might give us the wrong details!? She’s a commoner, but she may prove formidable… no, she has too many chickenshit tricks!” he thought to himself. He felt a small tickle of warning when his bright glare met your thick-lashed, mischievous leer.

“Do you want to fight… or talk?” he gritted through his clenched teeth, trying to muster any amount of civility.

You paused as if to genuinely think. ‘Obviously not fight. Fighting a barbarian this close might be my end. But it’s better to bluff, just in case.’

“Let’s talk,” you gestured towards your quaint dining table with three wooden chairs. He sighed with annoyance, and they sat on opposite sides of the table.

You walked towards a large cabinet with a ridiculous amount of drawers. “Would you like some tea? I’ve many. Witch hazel, hazel, hazelnut, earl grey, chai, saffron, pig's blood. Just kidding.”

“Enough with your stupid tea!” the blonde barked, earning a smug look from you. You wouldn’t say it out loud, but you were trying to irritate him on purpose, just for fun.

“Saffron, if you will,” Eijirou chirped.

Katsuki’s head snapped threateningly towards Eijirou, who shrugged in response.

You brought an empty cup with a tea bag and pointed a stream of steaming water through your finger—a simple trick for lazy witches—to which Eijirou made a frightened and slightly disgusted expression. He set it aside while you sat at the end of the table, staring at him expectantly.

“Uh, so… All Might sent us here in search of a wizard. Er, witch. ‘Scuse me. He needs new, strong members for the Legion of Heroes!”

“Your name?”

“Oh right, sorry,” he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, “my name is Eijirou Kirishima! Dragon-hybrid duelist and a knight of the Dragon Kingdom.”

Your fingers played with the lace table cloth donning your spruce table. “Right. And why would All Might know of me?”

“He told us about his old comrade, a great grand wizard, who is supposed to be your grandfather…? All might said he gave him a tip a while ago on where your whereabouts might be in case the legion ever needed a talented wiz— witch,” Eijirou explained.

“Right. What you say sounds true, except for one… minor detail."

“And what would that be?” Katsuki glared.

“…my grandfather was not a wizard. My grandmother was a grand witch. I know she worked with All Might.”

The two men glanced at each other with puzzled expressions. Your suspicions grew as your trust fleeted. ‘Are they lying? Why did All Might lie and say she was a wizard? I suppose the climate around witches really has become worse in common society.’

Eijirou’s hands flew up with unease as he spoke, “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m telling you exactly what he told us. Maybe he lied because witches are kinda… well, they can be… y’know…” his sentence faded as he gulped awkwardly. He thought to himself in a panic, “Yikes, we’re really messing this up. She’ll never join us at this rate… jeez, All Might, why’d you hafta lie about her grandma!?”

Your eyes closed and you waved your hand dismissively. “Right. No, no, I know. Witches are ‘enemies of all things pure,’ as they say. I keep my true occupation a secret from this village, too. Being burned at the stake is a very real danger,” you sneered, your stare ricocheting between them with heaviness.

Katsuki sighed again and stared daggers into you, “Would you make up your damn mind already!? I don’t have time for this!”

“Oh, am I not worth your time? Well then, I’m not sure why you came,” you spoke snidely, “I know there are many lingering issues in the world due to the Demon King. Even I, deep in this reclusive forest, have been affected. But I, too, have a much important duty. I’m an apothecary by day, and those villagers rely on me for their good health. If my identity as a witch is revealed, I could be hunted. I’m afraid I’m simply unavailable.”

And that was it. The end of that buzzing ambition lingering inside of you. You knew it couldn’t happen. Your life was set in stone. You couldn’t abandon what was stable for a naive pipe dream. You’re simply not that kind of person. You weren’t the type to spring into action anymore.

After a moment, Katsuki spoke, exasperated, “So!? You’re fine with just sitting here until someone else solves all the big problems? You don’t want to go out and fix things your damn self!?”

Your shoulders tensed. “...I’m aware of the Legion of Heroes. I even thought of joining at some point. But you could be bounty hunters tricking me, or—”

The barbarian slammed his heavy fists on the table, causing the cup of tea to clatter violently. “I’m a chief of the Dragon Kingdom! Is that not enough proof!? Ask anyone and they will tell you my name!”

Your eyebrow twitched. ‘What kind of adult slams their fists on a table?’ You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose.

“...Give me time to think. Sit here. Do not move. Do not touch anything. And do not dare open a single door in this house. If you do, I’ll turn you into an amphibian. I’ll be watching.”

With that, you used a vanishing spell to return to your bedchamber. A long groan echoed below you from a certain blonde downstairs. ‘I’ll give them the slip. Make them wait until they get fed up and leave. Surely they aren’t that desperate.’ A sigh escaped as you collapsed onto your bed, thinking of how you’ll wake up for work tomorrow. ‘Maybe I’ll take a sick day. Can I do that? Well, I am my own boss.’

Meanwhile, Katsuki’s leg bounced ferociously as Eijirou peered warily into his cup of strange tea.

“I’ve had it! I’m going to look for the witch. All Might told me I had to recruit her! I’m not leaving without a fight. Come if you want,” Katsuki slammed his feet on the ground as he stood.

Eijirou gripped the edge of the table, “Hold on, what if she turns you into a frog!? Witches are definitely known for that!”

“I’m not afraid of some silly bluff! That was an obvious lie if I’ve ever heard one!”

“Great, I was definitely thinking the same thing. Let’s go.”

Of course, their noisy chat could be heard from your room. Your eyes rolled as you put both of your hands onto a drawn spell on your bedroom floor. A clever protective measure against intruders; this spell could transform your house into a labyrinth of doors, confusing anyone inside without notice.

Katsuki began opening doors cautiously, his knight tailing behind him. He quickly realized how big your house seemed compared to the outside. “How many damn doors…? This hallway seems the same as the last.”

Each door he passed he took careful notice of, and soon he noticed a pattern of wooden doorknobs, alternating between old spruce and polished oak. Minutes flew by as he thrust onward, growing more agitated with each door. He came to an abrupt pause as he stared at a certain knob with a flower shaped chip that seemed to be on every third turn.

It finally clicked, much to his chagrin, and he began to blow through every door with further ferocity. “Chickenshit tricks!” he roared in his head.

Suddenly, he came to another pause and looked around. “…Why is it so damn quiet?”

Eijirou was nowhere to be found. Katsuki facepalmed so hard his nose could’ve bled and he growled with barely contained aggression.

“Witch! Come out! What the hell are you so afraid of!?” he called out.

Upon hearing his roar, you threw your head back onto your pillow and turned over with a sigh. ‘That barbarian won’t figure it out. If he does, perhaps I’ll listen.’

Katsuki continued to move through the dizzying hallways, dimmed with the same warm lighting. This time, he moved with precision. Determination flooded his veins as he recalled every path he took. He paused in the middle of the hallway and closed his eyes with focus. A violent exhale left his lips as he walked backwards, opening the door behind him with hesitation.

Before him was an unfamiliar hallway, the hallway of your bedchamber, fashioned with a long maroon rug and a small chandelier. His eyes rounded as he took notice of the single door with a polished silver doorknob. His heavy footsteps rumbled through the plank floor of your room as your head snapped toward your door.

‘Lovely. He figured it out.’

His mind emptied as he lunged to your door with a fierce tenacity. Before he could feel his fingers grasp the cold metal knob, you creaked it open instead. He stumbled back in surprise, steadying himself as you studied him with poorly disguised irritation.

He spoke first through puffing breaths, “You done hiding with your stupid magic spells? You’ve got nerve, pulling that with a chief of a kingdom.”

“I wasn’t hiding. I told you to wait. You didn’t listen to me,” you frowned.

His scowl intensified, “Yeah, right. Tell me where my right-hand man is.”

“Taking laps. Why are you so persistent in asking me to join you?”

“‘Cause All Might personally requested you.”

You scoffed, “And you think that means something to me?”

“You don’t know what the hell I’m thinking! I don’t know a damn thing about you.”

Pensively, your eyes darted between his crimson eyes as he continued staring you down. After a moment you creaked the door open further, inviting him into your bedchamber.

“...Come sit,” you grumbled, gesturing to your seating area beside your bed.

It was a quaint scene of two rickety armchairs, a spruce rocking chair, and a hand-woven rug. Your room was dimly lit by strings of lanterns and your brick fireplace, adorned with various charms and plants. He walked in with caution, each careful step resounding from the weight of his dense boots. He sat down with an air of dominance, as if every seat was his throne. You crept into the other armchair and crossed your legs and arms tightly. Every move either made was a deliberate, calculated tactic broken down by the other’s watchful stare. In the short moment, time seemed long as you studied each other, daunting silence filled by the piercing crackle of fire. Your heart beat through your chest while his face remained hot with anticipation.

After moments, you spoke, “How long has it been? Since you joined the legion, I mean.”

“A month. But I always knew I would be a hero.”

“Really? You don’t strike me as the type to be into heroics,” you smirked.

“And you don’t strike me as the type to hole yourself into your house like a hermit! But here we are!”

“How perceptive. I can admit, I don’t quite enjoy the way that I live. But not everyone can afford to achieve their dreams,” your voice lowered to a mutter, “for some, dreams can only be fairytales. Our biology betrays us. Our situations betray us. For some, the mind is simply too powerful a force. I would like to say I can achieve anything I set my heart to, but the time has passed.”

His face twisted with disbelief as his arms crossed. “There is no way this runt is older than me. Or perhaps… did she use a spell to conceal her age?” he thought. “How many years are you?”

“...Twenty. As of this year.”

“Wh—You’re younger than I am! What time has passed, other than inside of your own head!? What momentous thing is stopping you from joining us?” he gripped his knees as he sat forward.

All you could do was clench your jaw. ‘My way of thinking sounds much more pathetic when I verbalize it.’

“I’ll just show you,” you sighed.

He looked at you suspiciously as you arose from your seat and turned your back to him. You slipped down the draping cloth across your back, revealing a jagged, deep scar.

“My grandmother was an excellent grand witch associated with the legion, heroic to a fault. She accompanied All Might when he fought the Demon King. Around a decade ago, she fought one of his lackeys. I was there by chance. She told me to flee,” you covered your scar and turned to him again, ”And I ran, like a coward. When I looked back for a moment, she had been felled already. Even after running like a dog with its tail tucked, I still took this scar with me and saw death.”

Katsuki’s eyes widened slightly as his hand rubbed his chin. He’d heard of villain forces increasing in strength, but he hadn’t encountered any of Demon King’s forces firsthand yet.

You loomed over him with a disparaging expression. “I don’t think the Legion of Heroes realizes just how powerful evil has become in this world. A seasoned grand witch lost to a mere commander in moments. What makes you think you can do this? What makes you think you can be a hero?”

The Chief Barbarian of the Dragon Kingdom had battle feats beyond his years. At 21 years old, he’d slain several rogue dragons and quelled a dozen villains. He was Katsuki Bakugou, born with vigor and talent. He had no doubt in his ability to become a hero and emerge victorious from a fight. To be a hero is to be victorious. That was what he told himself as he scowled at the mental image of his rival that he couldn’t quite shake off of his back.

Still, he wasn’t blind to your logic. Only an idiot would rush into battle without ability. However, he saw that you had the internal motivation to join the cause.

After a beat, he answered, “If we don’t fight, who else will?”

Your lips parted and closed as if to say something never spoken, eyes wandering in place of words.

‘I’m not a hero. Why would I fight? How could I? I spent so long chasing peace. Chasing the mundane to outrun twisted memories. I’m lost in life.’ Wistfully, you gathered a breath and met his focused eyes. Your brows knit together as you forced out words your mind never dared to picture.

“I… I wanted to be a hero,” you whispered, “to save those who weren’t sure if anyone else would. Hell, I dreamed of it every night. But in running away, I abandoned those dreams with her. How could I ever pretend to be a good witch, a good hero, after living this life of cowardice?” you breathed out, each word new ink to your stifled thoughts, “How do you plunge into action? How do you stay in motion? And… how do you feign bravery in the face of fear?”

Katsuki carefully rose from his seat, stepping forward until he cast a shadow over you. You fixed your gaze on him, eyes now filled with shame. He felt the same unsettling prickle from when he first met eyes with you. He kept the same arrogant expression, now laced with a delicate whisper of buried understanding.

“I tell myself losing ain’t an option. I’m going to be a hero, no matter what. I know that because I’m strong. You can be a hero too, if you believe you can get over your fear.”

Thoughts coursed through your mind like a flooding river as your lips curled, his eyes refusing to break away from yours. That previous excitement you had only allowed to brush your shoulders began to wash over you in a cold wave — a waltz, turned staccato.

・・・・・

You sat on the hard oak floor of your old bedroom, cloth woven through your aching fingers. A soft scent of pine wafted through the humid summer air, gentle winds lacing through the stained glass windows. The sun painted the room with rays of dancing hues, the warmth of its beams caressing your small back. Your needle clinked gently on the plank floor as you heaved a long sigh.

“Grandmother? What’s the point of embroidering these endless cloths? I’ve poked my thread so many times, my hands are fusing with my needle!”

Her silver hair bloomed under her broad hat as she twinkled with passion. She crouched down with a deliberate slowness, careful of her fragile knees. The smell of jasmine hugged you as her kind lips curled into a gentle smile.

“That, my dear, is it. Fuse with your needle. Let it become an extension of the self. That is when you know you have done it right,” she whispered, her voice velvet with age.

You paused to articulate what you interpreted. As you thought to yourself, you giggled. She always spoke in the most amusing puzzles.

“So… to cast a spell with heart, I must understand what I act with?” you whispered back hesitantly.

Her teeth glimmered under the sun as she grinned, patterns of wrinkles cascading gently across her bright face.

“Precisely. And what does a good witch act with?”

You beamed out with confidence, “Generosity, grace, and goodwill!”

Petals of laughter bloomed from her lips as she mused. Her hand reached out to stroke your hair, its warmth traveling through your being. The skin of her hand creased into a soft story as she touched you with an unreplicable tenderness.

“You will grow to become the hero you dream to be, my dear. Do not fret.”

・・・・・

After seconds, you let out a tense exhale and took a few steps back. You allowed your chest to calm as the decision hung before you. After more pensive silence, you eyed the barbarian slowly.

“...Okay. I’ll join.”

His brows twitched up in shock for a split second before he narrowed his gaze once again.

“Finally,” he scoffed, masking a faint feeling of triumph.

The thick silence that followed was broken by your door slamming open. You were so overwhelmed with the moment that you released the protection spell without noticing. You and Katsuki both whipped your heads towards a panting Eijirou.

Pseudo-medieval fantasy setting. Not in a particular country. There are a few notable regions, kingdoms, cities, etc. that will be explained as the story continues. Everyone in the story is around post-timeskip age. Everyone has slight variations in their ages because it just made sense to me.

There are many fantasy classes in this story. Most are included in the character descriptions. There may be more written later in the story, which I will elaborate on. A few are dwarves, elves, pixies, mermen/mermaids, and wizards.

There’s a variety of classic fantasy mobs and creatures in this AU. Some of the more significant ones are: dragons, ogres, sirens, ghosts, trolls, krakens/sea serpents, harpies, fairies, golems, goblins, gnomes, orcs, pegasus, centaur/minotaur, cyclops, and giants.

જ⁀➴ Author’s note: My aim for this fic was not to make you the main character of the story instead of Izuku, but a supporting character with your own important tale to tell. So I tried not to make you a Mary Sue. Controversially, I also included a small segment of backstory to give you a motivation for even being in the story at all. I understand that some dislike when authors give the reader lore, but rest assured, I’ll try not to have it impact much of the story after the first chapter. It’s hard to craft a meaningful story and dialogue without giving you a discernable character. I also made it a point to not assign any physical attributes to the reader. Hopefully you can imagine yourself as the “you” I wrote.

Reader Information:

Name: Class - Profession (age)

(Y/N): Witch - Apothecary (20)

You live in the center of an enchanted forest near a well established village. No one knows of your identity as the fabled witch that resides deep in the forest. Instead, you’re simply known as an apothecary with a quaint shop in the village.

Witchcraft: Standard witch abilities such as potion-brewing, hexes, magic, enchantments, spells, and more. Your spells are your specialty, especially dark magic.

Note: the differentiating factor between sorcerers/sorceresses and witches is that witches use hexes, curses, and potions, which are all considered dark magic. Sorcerers can only use spells and standard magic. Wizards, on the other hand, can use dark magic but not hexes.

ִ ࣪𖤐.𖥔 ݁ ˖ Power visuals ༘⋆

ִ ࣪𖤐.𖥔 ݁ ˖ Outfit visuals ༘⋆ (not necessary)

Character Information:

Name: Class - Profession (age)

Izuku: Hero - Adventurer (19)

Born to an average civilian family in a quaint mushroom village. Had no powers, received All Might’s power as he began his journey as an adventurer (and aspiring hero).

Gained superhuman power through his sword, gifted from All Might, from previous wielders.

All Might: Paladin - Legion Leader (52)

Paladin: A holy warrior bound by sacred oath to a cause. Divine magic to fight for good, justice, and the weak.

His prime was two decades ago when he battled the demon king and forced him into dormancy. However, his injury now limits his power.

Power: legendary swordsmanship and superhuman strength. One for all, rather than being channeled through his fists, is channeled through his sword.

Katsuki: Barbarian - Dragon Chief (21)

Born to the Dragon Kingdom, a parliamentary monarchy. Son of the Queen (Mitsuki) and heir to the throne. A chief of the clan, under the Queen.

Top tier of the barbarian class due to royal blood. Barbarians have above-average strength and, though rare, genetically given powers. He has explosion powers.

Shoto: Spellblade - Prince (20)

Runaway prince of the Eldi kingdom, a constitutional monarchy. The King, Endeavor, uses fire spells. His mother is from the noble family, Págos, and uses ice spells.

Spellblade, fights with ice and fire magic and a sword.

Ochako: Sorceress - Carpenter (19)

Sorceress born into a peasant carpenter family. Studying sorcery and carpentry.

Specializes in gravity sorcery/levitation. Can use basic magic spells.

Tenya: Magic Knight - Noble (23)

Esteemed knight of the noble Iida family. His brother is a commander of his family’s army. He joined the legion through his family

Uses speed enhancing magic.

Eijirou: Duelist/Dragon Hybrid - Knight (21)

Born into a civilian dragon-hybrid family. Moved to the Dragon kingdom for work and climbed his way up to being Bakugo’s right-hand knight by gaining the family’s respect.

Dragon hybrid. Duelist melee fighter. He can control how much of his dragon form he takes on, often using his scales to harden his skin. He can breathe fire!

Mina: Axe Maiden - Woodcut/Barkeep (20)

She was born into a civilian family. She works for her family’s lumber shop and tavern. From the same town as Kirishima.

Axe maiden: female warrior with an axe.

Momo: Commander - Princess (20)

Princess of the highly esteemed, noble Yaoyorozu clan. She joined the legion through her family.

Alchemy magic (change elements from one substance to another). She can command armies with her intelligence.

Tsuyu: Beastman - Tavern Owner/Gardener (21)

Born into a civilian beastman (animal-human hybrid) family. Regular civilian with hero dreams.

She’s half frog.

Mashirao (Ojiro): Ninja - Tracker (22)

Civilian turned ninja. He was born with a tail.

He has a tail and he’s sneaky. He tracks down criminals for noble clans.

Minoru: Executioner - Peasant (18)

Born civilian. Turned peasant due to joblessness. Pipe hero dreams.

Biological manipulation. He can make his hair into sticky balls.

Mezou (Shoji): Vanguard - Sentry (23)

Vanguard: foremost/frontline part of an advancing army or naval force. Sentry: guard/watchman. Sentry for the Eldi kingdom.

Biological manipulation, metamorphosis. He can manipulate his limbs.

Koji (Koda): Beast Master/Druid - Shepherd (19)

Born civilian. He can tame beasts and has dreams of being a hero, but for now he works as a shepherd on his family’s farm.

Druid: a magic-user who draws power from nature, acting as a guardian of the wilds, and a mediator between civilization and the natural world. He can speak to animals.

Rikido (Sato): Berserker - Baker (23)

Civilian. Works at his family’s bakery.

As a berserker, he essentially has enhanced strength. His power doubles when he has a sweet treat.

Fumikage: Nightblade - Ranger (22)

Ranger: A versatile wilderness expert, blending skills of a hunter, scout, and tracker. He has his own hustle going with his trusty sidekick Dark Shadow, a huge crow.

Nightblade: a nighttime assassin with shadow powers.

Tooru: Scout - Server (18)

She works as a server at a tavern with pipe dreams.

Scout: tasked with exploring unknown territory, gathering intelligence, and detecting danger. She’s invisible.

Hanta: Trapper - Tailor (21)

Trapper: specializes in ambushes and capture tactics. He works as a tailor for big names.

He uses capture tactics to support and take down enemies.

Yuga (Aoyama): Paladin - Noble (20)

Born into a lesser noble mage family. His family is corrupt and has ties to the demon king. Still, he swore an oath as a paladin to become a hero.

Low level mage with a specialty in light manipulation. He can only do small beams. His power was gifted to him by All for One because of his family, and in return he became a spy.

Denki: Musketeer - Bard/Trader (19)

Chronically unemployed, works as a bard during the night at Jirou’s tavern and a trader of various things during the day.

A ranged combatant with a sword. He studied electricity sorcery and can imbue his sword with paralyzing electricity. Occasionally shocks himself instead.

Kyoka: Battle Chanter - Bard (19)

Works as a bard at her parents’ musical tavern, but has dreams of being a hero.

Battle chanter: frontline support, using song and fighting to support their allies. Fights with capture tactics and a sword.

Mirio: Inquisitor - Adventurer (26)

Inquisitor: a special agent who is tasked with finding and capturing villains. He works as an adventurer and was scouted by All Might.

Quantum tunneling: The ability to travel through solid matter without harm

Nejire: Sorceress - Adventurer (26)

Graduated and experienced sorceress. She’s an adventurer who was scouted by All Might.

Can do most spells. Specializes in light manipulation magic.

Tamaki: Spirit Druid - Adventurer (26)

A wandering spirit druid of an enchanted forest. Scouted by All Might for a spontaneous act of heroism.

Spirit druid: Spellcaster, draws power from fauna, specifically by communicating with, bargaining with, or channeling the spirits of fallen animals.

Hitoshi (Shinso): Ninja Student, Ranger (19)

Born into a civilian family. Shunned for his mind control powers. He works as a ranger and eventually a student under Aizawa.

His power is the same. Inherited from his mother. He uses ranger tactics.

Aizawa: Ninja - Bounty Hunter (36)

Bounty hunter with his own gig. He mainly works at night, taking down villains and promoting heroism. He works with All Might and eventually teaches Shinsou.

He specializes in ninja capture tactics.

Endeavor: Magic Knight - King (48)

King of the Eldi kingdom. Unrelenting and often cruel, he rules his kingdom through fear and power. The heir to his throne was previously Toya, who was banished, and is currently Shoto, who ran away.

── .✦ Chapters ⊹₊⟡⋆

Chapter 0: AU Information

Chapter 1: The Waltz

Chapter 2: The Broom

Chapter 3: The Test

── .✦ Author’s note ⊹₊⟡⋆