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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 15, 2023 19:04:21 GMT
Hiromi's office was an unusual sight. One might expect the office of a teacher at the most prestigious hero school in the country to be organized, professional, and clean. And it would be an assumption that couldn't be further from the truth  Hiromi's office could be charitably described as the embodiment of "organized chaos." It was true that she knew exactly where everything was in the room and could pull out an obscure file from a decade ago out of a stack of papers without hesitation... but looking at the room you'd never guess it. She was an oddball like that, but it was how her mind worked best. It did make one thing a bit awkward though... her office hours. As the teacher for class 2B she made time each day to address student concerns, provide advice and tutoring, and the like. And that meant they had to endure the chaos of her office to come visit her. She made time every day for her students regardless, and patiently waited in her mess of an office for anyone who wanted to speak with her. |
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Post by notdomino on Apr 16, 2023 6:58:44 GMT
U.A. The campus wasn't quite like the academy back home, but both were just like full blown college campuses with plenty of real estate for training. The most agonizing part of his day, was this damned interval between classes. To be honest, he'd gotten a full tour the day prior... and another in the morning, but Ivan requested another because he'd already forgotten his left from his right in this place. He was assigned "interval aid"(something Terebii made up on the spot) to assist transit between classes. It was actually his reason for being late to every class on his first day. The woman would explain the corridors and pathways as she led him to class. Ivan had a free period, and his guide hadn't come to get him(he scared her away). Terebii would send the big guns... The boisterous Murakami "Big W!n" Josei. Ivan detested this aid more than the last one, to the point he clammed up and just let Murakami lead the way.
A soft knock at the door would be followed by Big W!n's voice filling the room, "POLTERGEIST! You weren't in your room, so I thought to check here." He smiled big, pulled Ivan by the sleeve into the office. "Gigabite sensei is fully booked, and I think Mr. Ivan could use a one on one." Ivan would only stare at the all star hero. Annoyance would be written on his forehead if possible... He wanted the spineless crybaby assistant back. This Big W!n guy was doing the absolute most. "He's forgetful and has a bad sense of direction because of it. He is not to leave until they send me back to lead him to the next class. SO! Adios!" He sprinted off, though his voice took forever to actually trail off. Perhaps Ivan had found the first person he hated at UA...
Ivan would pull up a chair before plopping down and handing the same letter he was to hand to every teacher.
-- Ivan Sir the 3rd, Hero Name: Crest
Quirk: Clad - Champion Type
Year: 3A
Staff Comments:
INTENSE(Terebii)
I like him (Nocturne)
Get him a gps (BIG W!N)--
Ivan's glare had softened up to Hiromi, though he hadn't actually said anything yet. He'd stare, assessing her before speaking. Perhaps he wasn't really that inste-"Is this normal procedure? Am I a wrong for being a bit offended? The school wants mandatory mental health checks, so they just dump kids on you teachers? Well, that's just the piss, innit? As if something was wrong... I wasn't even asked. That loud buffoon just looked at me and said follow me. I thought things like this were post-villain fight, home issues... what else? Hell a school fight, or something post-traumatic. DO I LOOK POST-TRAUMATIC TO YOU?! " He was seething despite being calm just a moment ago, eye twitching. The accent, and the explosive amount of chatter in a short period of time, he was probably hard to understand in all honesty... He could snap at any moment, intense indeed. Somehow he dialed down on his own, within milli-seconds almost.
"I'm a dullard. You've yet to say a thing. How rude of me... Well, I do apologize, but that walking ball of testosterone was so loud I could hear him in my flashback of going to school in London. " He looked around the room. " Place is quite the STY, but I'm to assume it's a good sign of a busy worker. Anywho! Ivan...charmed. How is your day goingggggg-" He'd nose around in search for a name among this sea of... stuff. "Hiromi?" No sensei, or any honorific. He spoke as if they were the same age. Like Murakami who came in like a whirlwind, this boy was his own natural disaster.
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 16, 2023 17:08:31 GMT
Hiromi wasn't actually that hard to find, having been seated at her desk, which there was a clear path towards despite the mess. She smiled gently at Ivan as he vented, patiently waiting for him to get it all out of his system.
"Addressing your questions in order. No, nothing about that man can be considered normal procedure, no you're not wrong for being a bit offended either. I know he's a lot. As for dumping kids on teachers, that depends largely on the kid. I don't mind it though, I wouldn't have become a teacher if I didn't want to help kids out after all... as for post-traumatic, your ranting doesn't make the best case for you NOT being post-traumatic" Hiromi said as one of her spectral hands formed and pulled out a chair for him to sit in, while another reached into a seemingly random pile of files and pulled Ivan's file from it as if it had been neatly organized the whole time
"And yes I'm quite aware this place is messy, but my brain works differently than most people, this chaos actually works better for me than most neat and orderly organizational systems. I understand that sounds weird but do bear with it, I believe the phrase 'method to the madness' is apt here." Hiromi added "and your final question, my day has been going fine, thank you for asking. Now please have a seat."
The spectral hands floating around would produce a tray and arrange some cookies on it as well as a tea pot and cups which would be set on the desk between them. "care for some tea? Feel free to choose whichever flavor you prefer if so" she said, gesturing to a container with various teabag options.
Hiromi also notably didn't seem to take and offense to the lack of honorific, she'd dealt with far worse treatment before and would so again long after Ivan was gone. It came with the territory of being a teacher after all, and she was clearly one of the more patient teachers around.
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Post by notdomino on Apr 18, 2023 4:24:09 GMT
Ivan was actually happy to finally talk to someone who wasn't scared of him. Well, Murakami wasn't scared of him... Murakami didn't even allow a word in for Ivan edgewise. Hmmph. Still, an eye would twitch in annoyance as she stated how he was presenting himself. "Mental eh? I did come in pretty hot, but this place is running me ragged so far. Unorganized madness is what it is." He'd sit, and look over the tray. With a picky hand, he'd grab at a few cookies, and a cut of hot water, where he'd chose a raspberry tea packet. His movements were precise and delicate as if an etiquette instructor were watching over him. From his posture, to how he perfectly ate small bites at a time in case he wanted to talk, it was clear his background was far more refined than his personality.
"I always dreamed of living in America, but my family stuck me here. Good enough, beggars can't be choosers they say. " In this calmer state, he was much more tolerable. It was more accurate that the mess made him forget why he was angry in the first place. He ignored her thoughts on an organized mess. At the very least, while he rested the cup between his legs, he'd check a few papers, and group them by subject. It wouldn't get rid of the mess, entirely. In fact, it wasn't really rearranging much. It just seemed ever so slightly tidier. Within a minute or so, he'd made 3 rough draft piles that she could do whatever she pleased with. He flinched, realizing he'd been messing with someone else's belongings. "Apologies..." Snapping out of the tranquil zone of completing a task.
"So what do you usually talk about? The loudmouth was right, it's not like I can just waltz out of here. We've got a whole period apparently, and I can't find my way from West Tokyo to the bloody boys' bathroom in this place. You talk about what's going on in people's noodles, yeah? So let's get noodlin'. " He knew how to push buttons, but upon further time spent, it was easier to understand that this was literally just how he communicated. He meant no actual harm by his sharp tongue.
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 20, 2023 3:25:44 GMT
"Understandable, I grew up locally and I still remember being overwhelmed a bit when I started at UA." Hiromi said "and back then we didn't have BIG W!N shouting in our ears"
Hiromi considered saying something about Ivan messing with her stacks of papers... but it seemed the activity was calming for him so she just resolved to let it be for now.
"Usually when a student needs counseling I'm given some sort of sense as to what the cause of the stress or emotional baggage is. But since this is even more impromptu than that, I guess we can start with why you're here." Hiromi said as Ivan asked what they'd talk about "you mentioned your family stuck you here. Tell me more about that."
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Post by notdomino on Apr 23, 2023 7:47:23 GMT
He'd paused, clenching his fist tight. Despite showing a distinct sign of nervousness, he still confidently looked her in the eye. While body language never lies, he was polished enough to pretend like he was just fine with talking about them. He'd brush any crumbs off himself before starting, as hard as it was. He wasn't quite sure where to start from or how to get the conversation rolling. At his very best, he "I hate them." The purest statement he'd said so far. Though he'd quickly pivot into making a proper point of conversation. "Legacy families... ya know. There are prolly plenty of those kinds of kids floating around these halls. Kids that come from affluent heroes, and aim to become one themselves Even your country's number 1 is from an affluent family. It's not them I hate. It's the community that they create around themselves that I hate. The appearances, the fakeness, the paparazzi... " It likely was a next step to say he hated hero culture in general, but he'd withhold that much. He'd become number 1 and shape hero society how he saw it fit... that was his dream anyway. Reasonably he realized he wasn't properly answering her questions.
He'd sigh long and hard before just tackling the question outright. "I'm a Sir... Ivan Sir... My father and Grandfather are both top heroes in the United Kingdom, alongside the likes of Emily's grandfather Grail." He clutched his arm almost instinctively, not even noticing that he did it. "A shitty silver spoon and the works. I know it sounds like some real first world problems, yeah? But the shit I had to deal with... with these people. I had to get away. I'd always dreamed of living abroad in America, but they chose hear, because of "UA's glowing Record of Graduates"" He'd mocked his grandfather's voice. "It's just another way to keep an eye on me without their usual microscope."
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 23, 2023 18:36:13 GMT
"Huh, there seems to be a lot of kids with parents pressuring them into becoming heroes or other career paths this year" Hiromi commented "I think Gigabyte has three in his class alone. But I digress"
Hiromi poured herself a fresh cup of tea with a spectral hand, then took a sip before saying anything else "I'll admit my experiences aren't the most similar to yours. I had my own family issues growing up, and in some respects there are similar elements to your situation, but I can't pretend I understand exactly what you're going through. I won't insult your experience by pretending otherwise." she said "I can only imagine what kind of hell you were put through by a legacy hero family trying to shape you into one before you were ready. There's a reason we only offer hero courses in high school, not middle school or lower.
Hiromi sighed "the past can't be changed, but the future can be. You're far away from them now, enrolled in a program of their choosing yes, but they can't micromanage your life here. So do you want to continue training to become a hero like they wanted? Or do you want something else from your time here? And once your time here ends, you can go live anywhere you want. Getting licenses in countries you weren't taught in is a bit of a hassle but entirely doable." she said "seems to me like your family's attempt to keep an eye on you can easily be made to backfire. As of now you're in control of your life and choices, not them. So what is it you want to pursue?"
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Post by notdomino on Apr 25, 2023 1:59:55 GMT
So there were others. Yeah, made sense. Just because he was in a different country didn't mean the issue didn't exist elsewhere. He wanted their names, but would settle for answering Hiromi's tough questions. "They want me to become the best hero, and so do I but," While they wanted him to be a top hero for their personal gain, the boy had different plans. Ivan held a determined light in his eyes. "all for different reasons. They just want a puppet who will move and do as they say. As some of the top heroes it'd be stupid not to learn from them...Not like I could disobey anyway..." He clenched his fist with a fiery glare. Quick to glaze over that detail, he stood up, passion taking over his actions. "I won't just roll over and have them devour my dreams! "
He was back to fuming again. His anger triggered his quirk to clad his arm in armor. "I'm going to conquer the hero world with my own two hands and dominate so that I'll be the undisputed best. Nobody will be able to manipulate me, or even touch my greatness." The metal clattered from the stress he was employing, but would slowly crackle and dissolve as he reeled himself in.
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 27, 2023 1:19:32 GMT
"An excellent goal. And an applaudable take of deciding to learn what you can even from those you despise" Hiromi said "do remember you don't need to necessarily be number one to be beyond their reach though. I've seen what the pursuit of number one can do to students here... especially ones who have a driving motivation behind them like yours. You aren't the first to come to my office with a story and background like yours... but at the end of the day there can only be one number one hero. I do urge you to keep that in mind and have realistic expectations for how difficult this will be."
Hiromi then cracked a smile "of course even having said that, I'm more than happy to provide what aid I can towards your goal. I just don't want you to get frustrated when the uphill battle begins. Take it from an old lady who's been there before" she said "I have full confidence you'll do well though. You have a fire in your eyes that bodes well for your future. At this point I can pretty much tell which students are going to be going places in life and which will falter... you've got what it takes to be great.
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Post by notdomino on Apr 28, 2023 3:15:41 GMT
Ivan would huff, and resume taking a seat. Deep down he knew he needed to get his temper under control, but he couldn't help being so high-strung. He was conditioned to tolerate and accumulate high stress for so long, that he was used to. Hiromi not reacting was actually comforting. No one was cracking down on him, almost urging him to react.
"I do urge you to keep that in mind and have realistic expectations for how difficult this will be."
"Trust me when I say I'm deadly serious about doing this. It's my dream. " To be brutally honest, he saw this goal as realistic. The one good thing that was instilled in him was that he was destined for greatness. In fact, the boy would mirror Hiromi's smile and even crack a smile right back when the teacher mentioned he had potential. He's tilt his head, and press a bit on his neck to get a good crack. "Could you tell me a bit about your experiences as a hero when you were young? What were some of the hardest things to overcome?"
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 30, 2023 0:04:56 GMT
"Well there's all sorts of things, for one thing the more popular you become the more difficult your fights will get... partially because you might be going after bigger targets but mostly because your quirk and capabilities are on display for all to see... and that includes villains." Hiromi said "eventually they'll start coming at you with specific counters to your abilities and tactics. Everything you learn here in school will get you started, but you're going to constantly have to learn new things with every fight and be able to adapt to handle any and every situation... that's a large part of why agencies and sidekicks exist. Hard for villains to tailor-make a counter to every member of an agency."
Hiromi took a long sip of tea before adding "that won't always save you though, even your most trusted allies and comrades can fail you at a critical moment. You need to be able to overcome even your worst case scenario all on your own. I learned that one the hard way."
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Post by notdomino on Apr 30, 2023 5:07:03 GMT
Her words. They were like THEE SIR's... Gramps talked a ton about tackling situations, but it sounded a lot nicer coming from Hiromi than a condescending old fart. He wanted to raise a counter-argument for the agency comment but thought a bit more. When he was at the agency at home... he was the only trainee. As for sidekicks...? To be honest, the Sir agency consisted of a marketing team, an inbound emergency call service, and operators who did in-depth field support with the heroes via comms. It was more of a stout hero team lined up with nepotism and powerful heroes than an ordinary agency that had sidekicks. If his case was a special one, he probably didn't have enough knowledge to speak on other agencies. Not only were they all different, this was a completely different country. They likely had their own setups as well. He wouldn't say this to Hiromi but based on his own experience, Ivan found operators extremely important. To an extent, a good operator could coordinate a hero through the roughest of outcomes. It almost made him want to pay a visit to the general course and find one... someone good at strategy. With some luck, he could probably find another hero course student he could team up with.
Ivan would repeat her words out loud to himself. "You need to be able to overcome even your worst-case scenario all on your own." He made an effort to try and keep himself from going on a tangent. All he could do right now was do compare and contrasts between his homeland and here. He wanted to just experience it all without the extra noise inside his head. " And the classes... they do get better right? I want to meet with each teacher if possible. I know I won't be taking all the classes but, a Sir should be one with their community." Another thing his family etched into him. He hadn't even realized he said it. Sadly, these teachings... the same things that cause so much internal turmoil, were the only thing he could find comfort in within this foreign land. He desperately wanted to create a feeling of home here. It would greatly calm his nerves.
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 30, 2023 17:08:58 GMT
"Well the teachers are usually rather busy with their own classes, but I'm sure you'll meet them all eventually if you seek them out. I'll see what I can arrange on my end for you and..." Hiromi began, but was interrupted by a beeping from her phone "ah, that time already? Shoot, I don't like having to do this in front of students but... bear with me."
Hiromi would get up and retrieve a bottle of some sort of medicinal ointment, then sat down again "don't be alarmed" she cautioned Ivan, then proceeded to fiddle with something in her shoulder, rolled up her sleeve... and popped her arm clean off. She then began applying the ointment to the stump "I have to apply this ointment periodically to keep the nerves numb, the struggles of living with a prosthetic and all. I'll be done shortly."
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Post by notdomino on May 7, 2023 1:20:03 GMT
Ivan's mouth snapped shut when Hiromi detached her prosthetic arm. Wait. WHAT WHAT WHAT?!!??!? It was as if she'd just shown him the secrets of her soul. It was just an arm, but it's just an arm! "Quite the bad-ass. Shoulda led with that, eh? Catch a new student with the razzle dazzle. I see your game plan, but it won't work on me. " It obviously worked... despite it honestly just being some maintenance. He laughed. He took a moment and thought back on what was said so far. "With meeting them... can I meet some of the kids too? I know it's not the most fun topic to talk about, but it'd be interesting to hear their stories. "
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Post by cmd1095 on May 7, 2023 1:33:05 GMT
Hiromi chuckled at Ivan's reaction "I dislike revealing my arm is fake. It makes people either pity me or look down on me and I hate both of those things. It's pretty rare I meet someone who sees it as impressive" she said, her expression tired and... sad. "Personally I don't see it as impressive myself. It's a reminder of my greatest failure as a hero... and as a person... but that's something for me to live with."
Hiromi's moment of melancholy would pass as the subject pivoted "Well meeting the other kids will come naturally with time, but I'm sure I can arrange some meetings if you think that'll help."
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