My Hero Academia: Romanticise Like A Raven

Prologue

The weather was as expected for the Summer-Autumn transition period. Crisp but warm, breezy but sweaty. The green leaves of one of many trees were being taunted by death with each gust as more and more of their brethren fell to the ground, soon to be eaten by the decomposers of the Earth.

Beside this particular tree was a perfectly unassuming house, but at the same time it was welcoming, greeting guests like an old friend. However, those who climbed to its top floor and turned to the first door on the left were greeted by a room that was the opposite.

It was difficult to see the black painted walls through the many posters of rock bands and horror movies, but then the whole room was dark enough that you didn't need to. They called me Fumikage Tokoyami, and I was one of many students at a top school training future heroes in Japan: U-A.

We lived in a world where 80% of people were born with superpowers; I was just one of a few who had chosen to put those powers to use as a hero, but most people with powers lived ordinary lives.

But I'm getting ahead of myself; to understand the world I lived in you first need to understand me.

I think that my favourite things at the time were the dark and the quiet, and yet also music and concerts. On the other hand, I hated that nagging feeling that everyone secretly hated me, injustice and also the fact that everyone had met up today but I was lied on my bed in my room, alone. At least I had American grunge music to keep me company.

Lying in my own solemn bubble, I ran a hand through my black feather-like hair, sitting snugly across my entire face. I even had a beak to complete the look. As one may expect, it was a reason that some older folks prejudiced against me despite the fact that I'd never do anything to hurt them. To continue my naturally gothic looks, I wore a black sweater over a red button-up shirt and black jeans over my small but muscular frame.

I was exhausted; everyone in the class was. After all, the summer holidays had been anything but relaxing, having been attacked by one villain after another until we all needed a break. It was only a few days until term started, but we were going to make the most of it. For me, that meant trying and failing to sleep.

Some may have thought that was adorable, but they were wrong. I was pure darkness, or whatever. And, of course, I wasn't going to complain about my exhaustion. I never complained about anything.

Ding went the doorbell in its effort to distract me from my inner monologue. I sighed and leapt up, pausing my song and trudging down the stairs, which is where I saw my mother reaching the door before me.

Mother looked just like me, with the same bird head and the same dilapidated smile. Our quirks (what we called 'superpowers') were even the same - shadow familiars. They may have looked scary, but just like us, they were harmless.

As if on queue, my familiar, Dark Shadow, reared their dark purple head, "Who do you think is at the door?"

"No clue. I doubt you know either." I muttered, sitting at the top of the stairs and watching Mother pull the door open.

She was dressed in a nice outfit, with a deep blue jumper she'd knitted herself atop a black dress, ending at her knees like a tulip's flower. And I could easily imagine her being pleased that she was, as the man at the door was none other than my teacher, Aizawa Sensei.

I flinched, and Dark Shadow chuckled, "Well, I wasn't expecting that."

"Begone, Dark Shadow!" I hissed, straightening my jumper as I continued on down the stairs. Dark Shadow giggled like a schoolchild as they faded into nothing.

Aizawa had his greasy black hair tied back, and was wearing a faded blue dress shirt and formal, obsidian black trousers. His shoes were shiny and also black, looking unnatural on the usually messy teacher. He didn't waste time; it was his least favourite thing. All of this was intentional. I tugged at my red choker uncomfortably; had I done something wrong?

Aizawa Sensei looked up at me from the ground, "Are you doing well, Tokoyami?"

Like baiting a shark, I answered carefully, "I'm doing fine."

And he didn't hesitate a second longer, turning to Mother and asking her, "Is there a place we can sit whilst I have a discussion with the both of you?"

Mother gave me a sidelong glance and then asked precariously, "May I first ask what it is you wish to discuss?"

"It's about the student dorms."

Ah, this again. I'd had this conversation with Mother so many times, but I was almost certainly final in my decision not to go. I could persevere well through social tasks, and in fact invited teamwork activities with open arms at school. But living with my classmates?

Some of them would be great to live with, but then I thought of loud people like Denki Kaminari, Mina Ashido and the guiltiest of them all, the ever-explosive Katsuki Bakugo. And beyond that was Tenya Iida, who would definitely fight to make it a bleak experience for all of us, and I didn't even want to get into Minoru Mineta, even in my head.

And Mother knew all of this, so why she then said, "Come on in, then!" and then seated him in a chair in our dining room was beyond me.

I slid into my chair, adjusting my choker again roughly as Mother sat in the third seat that had been empty for quite some time. I was dreading the conversation, and that helped to distract me from the fact that it had already begun.

"I'm sure you have more important things to attend to, so I'll be quick. I'm here to ask if your son would like to join us at the U-A dorms, Miss Tokoyami." Aizawa Sensei told her.

Mother turned to me, clearly wanting me to speak, but I had nothing to say and so I allowed her to continue the conversation, "Well, Fumi is actually opposed to it, and we're at a bit of a predicament. I still believe it'll be good for him, but he's having none of it."

My face heated up and I sharply tilted my face towards the floor. She really didn't need to say it like that...

"She's not wrong, Tokoyami." Sensei nodded.

"My apologies. I just... don't believe that I will do well in such a social situation." I admitted diffidently.

"The dorms could help with those fears," Aizawa Sensei suggested, "And if you're worried that the school is dangerous, I assure you it isn't. There won't be any more threats of villains, I promise."

I continued to look at the ground. I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"I know you had that run in with the League Of Villains. We almost lost you on that day, alongside Bakugo. However, we now have measures in place that will protect you and the rest of the students from these sorts of threats." Aizawa explained, bringing up the incident at the Training Camp. I remembered it clear as day. He didn't need to remind me.

But that wasn't what I was worried about more than anything, "But what about Mother?"

Mother gasped and patted me on the shoulder, "You can't stay here just because of me!"

I sighed, and placed my hand reassuringly on the fingers she'd left on my shoulder. Looking at the chair she was sat in was unbearable. It meant so much. To both of us.

"I can't leave you too." I croaked, feeling that emotion from a few years prior sneak back into my voice.

Mother now appeared more stern as she spoke, "Your father leaving us is my burden to bear, not yours. Please don't let me hold you back... I'll never be able to forgive myself."

I gave her one more melancholy stare before speaking to Aizawa, "I'll go."

"And of course I give consent." Mother smiled, the ends of her beak turning to the sky as my stomach did flips beside her.

Aizawa smiled subtly, before standing up promptly, "I'll look forward to seeing you there, Tokoyami. Thank you both for placing your trust in U-A."

And then he bowed. Mother chuckled uncomfortably for a moment, before holding out her hand. Aizawa Sensei shook it, and then he started to rush from the room. He muttered something about him and All Might still having a lot of people to talk to, and then was gone in a flash.

After that, it was just me and Mother in the room. Dark Shadow rematerialised, hovering nearby in case I needed someone to talk to, but guilt sealed my mouth too tightly shut.

"It'll be ok, Fumi," Mother smiled, using her pet name for me, "I promise."