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Himiko's eyes dart around the room plastered with magazine covers, all highlighting the beautiful girl. Well, that or her lavish and proud hero mother. It was impossible not to notice, and yet she had been so focused on the real girl that she hadn't paid them any mind.
They all raved about the future face of heroes; she was beautiful, powerful, intelligent, and born for the role. Her smile in all the pictures seemed fake, with sincerity plastered atop her personality. That was another similarity, but it was Himiko that had grown out of that one. Aia didn't have to pretend as much as Himiko, but she was more consistent. Because of that, she wasn't just a normal girl, rather an exceptional poster child of good.
It couldn't make more sense yet left a pit of dread in the blond's stomach. A future hero by legacy? Having an excusable story wouldn't be enough. She needed more to fill the role gap between them if she wanted to inch her way into the girl's life.
The still blissful girl in question walks back in, two teacups in hand.
Without reason, Aia had trusted her after only a face reveal. Even without being bruised and bloody, when Himiko saw her, she wanted to live up to it. There was no way to do that by being herself; that's one thing every truly normal person in her life had shown her.
All it would take is a couple of lies and pretending to be normal, just like she'd been taught. That implemented mindset of normal she once brilliantly replicated had been long dormant, only occasionally used in moderation for her rolls. Now, she'd need to channel it much more; if she wasn't allowed to hide behind a normal member of society, she would just act like one.
"Thank you, this tea is lovely." The blond gives a small smile, easily falling into the old tactics that let her survive before villainy did.
"I'm not the biggest fan but, thanks." Aia chuckles, taking back her seat next to the girl on the couch. "So, we need to talk."
Himiko sat her hands neatly on her lap, focusing on the girl for motivation to keep it together. "Yes, I think that would be best before going on forward."
"Okay? Do you need a better cushion or something first? You look uncomfortable." Aia said wearily, looking the stiff girl up and down.
"No, thank you, this is fine." Himiko gave a small, polite smile. It was like a switch had been pulled in her, an endearing attitude abandoned for a robotic interpretation of any other girl. Usually, good news, but Aia didn't seem as happy as expected by it.
"If you say so, let me know if you don't feel well or something," Aia suggested, brows furrowing in suspicion at the girl's oddly normal demeanor.
"That's very kind, thank you." Himiko took a moment to take out the pins keeping her hair in their buns, letting the long straight blond hair fall meekly onto her shoulders. Despite channeling her past self, she realized this was gradually less fun than their other interactions. Maybe looking the part will help her fall better into character.
Aia watched the way her hair fell, it wasn't highly maintained, yet there was a fair amount of heat damage. She eyes the girl carefully as she forces herself to settle with her pin-straight hair; something was wrong.
Aia went to move it out of her face, hopefully alongside the act that brought it out. Yet, Himiko spoke in a more monotone voice that completely rejected the movement. "Shall we start?"
It was one of the hardest instances of self-restraint she'd ever had to display, but her resolve would crumble if the girl touched her. The charade and newly formed relationship would surely follow.
Aia gave a hesitant nod, her focus on the girl's change succumbing to curiosity. The rejection had deflated her quite a bit, but hopefully, it was just nerves at her coming confession. Though, her voice didn't show any nerves. Really, it barely showed any emotion.
Himiko gave a curt nod before her unsettlingly practiced tone sprang out with an odd mix of her sweet voice. "You already know my quirk, but please ignore it. My quirk has nothing to do with me, and I understand it is evil to use. Your curiosities can be answered by the fact that I do not have a home; I scavenge for my items, and I'm not enrolled in school." Himiko completely detached herself as she told the lie. A combination of the engrained thoughts she held hostage at the back of her mind and the coverup she had made up blending too easily.
She has many things she used to hate. Yet, she became what she currently hates most about her past self and lied to someone important.
Not being honest with Aia sucked too.
The serpentine girl's narrowed eyes analyzed every inch of the blond's body as the dump of information quickly processed in her head. The story itself made sense, yet the attitude of its teller didn't match.
"You already used your quirk without remorse." Aia pointed out, also getting serious as she found herself putting much more effort than usual to solve another mystery. Even if her patience was running low, she couldn't help herself from trying to understand.
"I apologize. It was selfish; my quirk is not to be used. I have a bad quirk, and every use makes me worse." The words were sickeningly familiar along with the lump in her throat they left behind. The roles in her mind had quickly reversed to have the freer version of herself locked in a cage while the past programmed Himiko spoke.
It was the only way she'd be able to stay. Be painfully normal, then they'll like you. Fit in and you get to stay. Being yourself is a privilege, one that she didn't have.
When yourself is who the world hates, you pretend or get the boot without hesitation. She'd learned that lesson already; now that it mattered again--- she had to make sure to not repeat the mistake.
Unfortunately, Aia had been paying too much attention to not know something was up. "Oh, yeah? No one is that morally good. I'd use it too. Everyone else has a quirk they're free to use, right? No shame in using the advantage you were given." She carelessly shrugs, looking for any glimpse of the girl she'd come to know in her shell's golden slits.
Gulping back the excitement the words so similar to her real ones gave, Himiko shakes her head. "I'd rather be a good girl. No one would like me if I tainted myself further and used an evil quirk." She soullessly said; the league of villains' Toga fully beaten to silence in the lonely corner of her mental confinement.
"Sounds like you've had a hard life; you shouldn't be so hard about using your quirk if you had good reason. Survival isn't selfish." Aia says, fully immersing herself in the words. Himiko's story accidentally touched upon one of the subjects Aia is so secretly relentless on arguing for; having the chance to discuss with someone she hopes will understand, she was going to be as passionate as she wanted.
An hour ago she wouldn't have doubted Himiko's agreement but she was acting much differently now. Aia might not know why, but she hoped it would end soon. If not, maybe she just wasn't who she thought. Who she was starting to get so attached to.
It was disappointing to think but, but this isn't the girl she'd want around. The eccentric one from before was; if this really is who the blond is, Aia doesn't know if it's going to work out like she was foolish enough to start hoping for.
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