Colors in the Dark

[3] Preparations

After enrolling in UA's Class 1-A of the hero course, Ayami had been introduced to the school and those who worked there, given a personal tour by Principal Nezu himself and walked through her schedule.

Plus, she learned there was a third-year student that had also named his quirk Manifest, though it dealt with things he ate and transforming his body accordingly.

She had been assigned a few remedial lessons for learning to hone her quirk enough that it wouldn't get set off in the middle of class without a good reason, as well as for catching up on her Japanese and math that she missed out on as an orphan. Plus, she had to submit her design ideas for her hero costume, which she didn't really have an idea of what to do beside something that would reduce the strain that came with holding a shared form with any of her spirits and "looked cool, but not super flashy, something that's pronounced but able to blend in."

Ayami had also been fit with a uniform, which she found she quite preferred over her hand-me-down/donated clothes that she owned, though they almost felt like a little too much. Despite being set back far, she was a quick learner with the help of her spirits, especially Asclepius' help, and finished the written version of the entrance exam.

She had been given quite a few other small tests to work on, though most were personally-based, like "Why do you want to be a hero?", " How does your quirk work?", and "What are your strengths and weaknesses as a person?"

Ayami answered honestly, which almost felt freeing after years of having to lie and pretend to be something she wasn't, especially with being able to freely speak her stance on heroes and quirks.

"Some less fortunate folks aren't able to gain their licenses easily, so making it more affordable to become a hero is something I'd like to see. Another big thing is quirks in the orphanage system: outright banning their usage and preventing them from being used is simply a means of control; if you don't have a family, you're instantly not allowed to show the world the power you were born with. It's especially unfair, so being able to prove even those without parents can be brought up learning to love their quirks and even become heroes is something I strive for."

Once she finally got all that out of the way, she began to familiarize herself with the school layout and main staff members. She found Recovery Girl to be especially kind and helpful, seeing as the elderly woman offered to heal any injuries she got from her quirk until she learned to control it willingly. Lunch-Rush was silent, but from the kind thumbs-up he gave, Ayami took it as a good thing, and Thirteen was the definition of a kind soul, making sure Ayami knew she was welcome at UA and that she could visit for rescue-type mission tips once she could control Summoner and her spirits' unique quirks.

And of course, she had a few sessions just talking to Hound Dog, the somewhat-intimidating somewhat-adorable canine guidance counselor, who was understanding about her condition and helped Ayami with anything she was struggling with.

The real problem was her actual training with her quirk. Though Ectoplasm was trying to help, so far Ayami had only been able to calm her nerves and prevent herself from letting the spirits take over at any given moment of fear with some audio cues and mental exercises. However, she still lost all control over herself once her quirk actually activated, and once it was over, she'd pass out each time.

By the second week, and she had been deemed just about fit to begin her regular classes, Ayami was growing increasingly frustrated in her training. Frustrated enough that she found herself in Hound Dog's office to talk about it.

"Well, your powers are all based on the spirit who wields them, correct?" He asked, and Ayami nodded. "All these actions take place in your head, aside from the verbal confirmation. And whenever you're scared, your instant response is to allow one of them to protect you and take over, yes?"