All My White Lies | bnha

seventeen | heroes and villains

"AW, YOU'RE JUST SO CUTE!" 

I let out a strangled groan, the AI mask on my face beginning to glitch with unintelligible facial expressions. The blond lady refused to let go of me, however, squealing about how my pro-hero uniform was so "cool" and "sleek" for my age. I coughed, rasping for breath as I looked at the brown-haired woman who accompanied her.

"Help me," I crumpled to the ground, my AI mask still glitching continuously before it rebooted, finally reconnecting properly enough for it to showcase my facial expression. One of anguish. Aizawa huffed, trying not to smile at my despair as the larger of the pro-heroes—Vlad King—lifted me with a single arm.

He patted me on the back once but that was enough to nearly snap my spine out of place so I quickly avoided it, sighing in relief and sending a pointed glare to 1-A's teacher. "So, you'll be the pipsqueak that'll be joining us?" I stiffened under his gaze, nodding slowly. Is that seriously all they think about me?

Aizawa finally spoke up in my favor, arms still crossed against his chest as if being vulnerable would somehow damage him. "He's more than capable. Besides, he's technically two in one," He pointed out, fingers gesturing to the superhero tattoo that was exposed across my right arm.

The blond-haired lady, who I knew as Pixie-Bob leaned forward, humming with interest and poking at the skin. "Say, what's your quirk?" She grinned mischievously as if saying something wrong would give her an excuse to tease me. I only recognized that look so well because Nejire would give me the same one.

"Um, it's ink. I don't exactly have blood, so essentially anything I draw can come to life from my own drawings." I explained briefly, picking at the skin. I tapped it twice and out came Kioshi, his sludge figure instantly forming as he shuddered. He looked disturbed, fatigued almost as he stretched before greeting everyone.

He curled with interest, white eyes sloping forward at the blond-haired lady who leaned so close. "Eh, already cheating on Nejire? Gotta say, big bro, I expected more from you. . . " Kioshi tsked, shaking his head with disapproval as my face grew hot behind my mask. Pixie-Bob seemed even more amused, raising a brow in my direction.

"I'm not! She's like thirty!"

I let out a yelp when Pixie-Bob launched herself at me, a giant paw holding me in place as it hooked around my neck. "Excuse you, I'm still eighteen at heart!" She scowled, shaking me like there was no tomorrow. I was only freed from my momentary human maraca session when Mandalay pulled her off of me, smiling apologetically.

She turned her head towards the forest, hearing distant booms and echoes. "So, kid, what's your opinion on that class? Do you think they'll make it?" She hummed. She already knew the answer to that; the lady wasn't the type to look down on future pro-heroes, but she was far more intrigued than her co-workers it seemed.

Mandalay stepped away from me, letting me regain my footing as I sighed. Even Kioshi arched forward, arms hanging over my shoulder as he peered out into the forest. He didn't fully understand what was going on, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. "I haven't met them so I can't say much," I spoke awkwardly, rubbing at the back of my neck.

"But it'd be a mistake to underestimate them." Kioshi nodded in agreement.

The little boy near her looked away disapprovingly, hands bitterly shoved into his pockets. He hadn't even bothered glancing at me once since I arrived, his little red hat tilted towards his eyes to block his vision. It was as if heroes disgusted him or something.

Mandalay hummed, patting the top of my head appreciatively before moving away. "Well, we should get to the actual camp now, yes? You can settle in there and the sooner we get there, the sooner the kids won't see you." She reasoned, looking at Aizawa next for approval who sighed heavily, nodding in agreement.