Fandom Rising Like a Phoenix

[DapperCharmer2.0]

25 years. It had been 25 years since Chisuke had discovered his quirk, yet he remembered the night as if it had only happened yesterday. Even the dream, which were usually forgotten within the hour, stayed in his mind so vividly. A man with bladed hands had broken into his home and killed his father, moving next to strike his mother. But Chisuke had moved to protect her using the quirk he didn't know existed. That's when he had awoken to screaming. Until that point, at age 5, Chisuke had never truly screamed. Sure he had cried and yelled, as most toddlers did, but he had never needed to scream in such a primal way. But of course that was simply because Chisuke had never felt such pain before; pain caused by a reason he couldn't comprehend. Doctors would later tell him it was his quirk. Chisukes blood was literally ripping it way out of his skin to create an impervious armor. The doctor would compliment how powerful it was, how it could be a top quirk one day; the doctor hadn't felt how much it hurt though.

The memory of that pain caused Chisuke to never use his quirk again, save for a few raew instance where he used it subconsciously to protect others or himself. But, even with the goal of quirk abstinence, Chisuke knew he was destined to be a hero. When he took the UA entrance exam, however, his dreams were almost crushed. Chisuke persisted and trained, becoming a formidable hero known as Gladiator. He couldn't go toe to with the biggest baddest villains, but going against any of them got the Government interested. Interested enough to give him permission to test run a new school; a school that would train the basically quirkiness to be heroes. That test run began 8 years ago and created two new heroes, one of which stood in front of Chisuke now. The rest of the class had only stood at 8 students. Now, while still having a similarly numbered class size, Chisuke had full funding from the government. He only hoped his whole class would graduate this time.

Looking at the clock, 8am. It was time to open the gates. With one button press in his office, they opened and would let all the students enter the courtyard to meet before their first day began.
"Come on," Chisuke spoke to Hinata as he stood up, "we'd best get down there to greet the future heroes of the world." Saying nothing more, he headed out of his office to the courtyard.

Hinata had a big smile on their face, mostly because their face was a skull, as they followed. "Today's the day. No longer just heroes, but a molder of student's minds," they chuckled, "from UA drop out, to PA student, to hero, to teacher. Sure has been a wild ride for only 8 years. Almost makes you kinda nervous. I mean not me, I'm calm. Cool as a cucumber. You know I'm never nervous. Nothing gets by me. No nothing....." Hinata paused, "I'm doing that thing again aren't I? Talking without thinking to hide that I am actually, surprisingly, nervous. Well I'm not usually nervous. Should I be nervous? Are you nervous? I...should probably just relax shouldn't I?"

Chisuke chuckled and put a hand on the skeleton's shoulder. "Yes you should, stress doesn't suit you," he encouraged, "don't worry, you'll be great."

With a nod and breath of relief, Hinata calmed themself and followed their mentor out of the office. Heading to the courtyard where all their students would be waiting.

PlusUltra Mera Nellancholy ThatGuyWithSouvlaki Adairz_ EllieMcEllie Caedes_ AbyssFlower

 

[Caedes_]

This is it, is it?. He can't mess this up, he has to do this, don't mess up don't mess up, it's fine don't worry-.

Apollyon took deep breaths, worrying for something he shouldn't be.
He hates this, maybe he should've went to a normal school instead of dreaming for something impossible.

They looked down, contemplating over his choices and dreams.

This is a disaster.

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Lauren groaned as she stepped through the gates into the academy. Instinctively, her hand went through her hair making sure it was deep under her hood and hidden beneath her clothing. In this school where everyone was looking to show off their quirks here she was trying everything not to show it. She did not want to be here, she wanted to go to proper school and do proper subject. Not to be a dime a dozen superhero in a world that there were enough to be a significant percentage of the world population.

"What do you think I am going to? Through my hair around like one of those women in those shampoo commercials? Dazzle criminal maybe slap them likely on that face?" She had argued with her parents. "Yeah that might irritate them a little"

"Rainbow..."

"Don't call me that!"

"Lauren... This school is a fine institution even if you are not becoming a superhero. That is why you and your father suppor...."

"So that is why you're forcing me to go? Because it would look back on the great Volt and Calamity, doesnt what to have to explain while their only quirk daughter doesnt go to the school they poured all their money and represent!"

"You know it is not that. Trust us, this is the experience you need to go through whatever you decide to do. It is what i and your father to do. We are also going to make it worth your while..."

She gave another sigh before taking another step into the crowd of students. Maybe there is something to be gained to this place but she still couldnt see it now.

 

[Nellancholy]

"Nel...älskling..." Erik Ekstrom wrapped his broad arms steadily but not too firmly around the shoulders of his beloved only daughter, giving her a firm pat on the back. "I'll be seeing you." He betrayed no hint of reluctance as he let her go, allowing her to step out the back of the luxury sedan and give the driver a nod through the tinted windows. "Now go. Have fun, make friends! Go on a date!"

"Pa!" Eleonore found herself blushing at the last part, but at the last moment her face straightened as she looked back at her father. She lingered for two seconds more before she nodded, turning around again. "I'll call you, I promise! B-bye..."

She hoisted her bags on her shoulders, her nose issuing a familiar wheeze as she breathed out...and back in, taking in the fresh, cool air. The days where she couldn't smell smoke were the worrying ones. Those were the days when doubt crept into her mind. What if her Quirk stopped working? What if the power that saved her life and her father's vanished in the future? And she would not have just what she needed when more lives might be at stake again...

She brushed her finger over her nose, rubbing it a little as though bidding the smell to return. It did not.

Nevertheless, she did not break her stride, marching steadily forwards into the courtyard where the new batch had gathered.

Eleonore Ekstrom wasn't that famous amongst the ranks of industry heiresses. She'd mostly appeared in promotional videos when she was younger, CSR clips for EHI or in annual presentations with Erik. All part of the responsible, amiable image Erik had cultivated for the public.

It was just as well that no one seemed to recognize her. Sliding into the rank and file easily, she waited for what was to come next.

 

[EllieMcEllie]

The morning had started off rough, with Aeris sleeping through 5 out of her 6 alarms, leaving her with very little time to get up and prepare for the day with her limited energy. Upon seeing the time, she shot out of bed as fast as someone with chronic lack of sleep could and downed two Red Bull cans--her first set of many for the day. Letting out a wide yawn, she shoved on a sleeveless choker tank, black leggings, and her signature red hoodie with the white fluff around the hood before grabbing her school bag and heading out the door.

It was early, but her father and brother were always up earlier, patrolling the streets of Japan like the heros they were. 'Lucky' Aeris thought to herself as she locked the door to her family's shared home.

The trip to Phoenix Rising Academy was normally a short one, but with how slowly Aeris was moving this morning, it was taking much longer than it should have. It wasn't for lack of care, but more of a will to preserve her energy and limited supply of energy drinks. The bus was on time Thankfully though, she managed to get there on time. Aeris meandered into the courtyard and found herself a bench to sit on, casting a friendly, albeit exhausted smile to the others present.

"Good morning Drengir*" she murmured, hoping that it was loud enough for the others to hear, and that her accent wasn't too difficult to understand. Even after being here for 4 years, Aeris still had a fairly strong Norwegian accent that she hadn't been able to shake.

---

*Drengir- Old Norse for Warrior, plural

 

[PlusUltra]

Ika Sumi

A short jittery girl gave continued nervous glances across the courtyard, clad within a somewhat stained grey blazer, shirt and skirt, she would wring her hands somewhat, the skin already a patchwork of rainbow colours. As more and more people arrived her glances would only quicken, starting to nearly hyperventilate as the stress of the moment built up.

From those looking outward, however, there was a rapid thumping sound like an engine resounding from her as she slowly tried to move herself to the side and less crowded area of the courtyard, though in doing so leaving a rainbow trail of ink from her leaking hands across the floor.

Maybe if she just stayed quiet nothing would go wrong, she wouldn't have any fights starting from staining other people, she wouldn't get anyone trying to establish themselves by picking her as an easy target, nothing could go wrong if she just stayed quiet until everything started, the worst that could happen is they realized what a mistake they had made allowing her to attend, but that wouldn't happen so soon....hopefully.

 

[DapperCharmer2.0]

While Chisuke was busy setting up the area where he would address the students, Hinata spent a bit of time given some students a brief hello and welcome to the school. It wasn't much but they didn't mind, since they'd be able to formally introduce themself when the exams started. As if, right on cue, the large school gates fully opened and Hinata was finally able to start leading the students inside. They took everyone to the decently sized courtyard, where Chisuke stood there waiting for them. There was no fancy stage, or even a podium, just the ivory haired man standing calmly.

Chisuke waited for the noise to die down before he spoke. "Welcome everyone to Phoenix Academy. I am Chisuke Takoyami, Principal and founder of this school. To my right is Hinata Masomora, they will be in charge of homeroom and mental health services," Chisuke introduced. "You are all here today because your quirks are weak, borderline useless. Now I do not tell you this to insult you, degrade you, or otherwise undermine you. I state it as simple fact. If you went out now and fight even the weakest villain, you would all die." The look on his face and bluntness of tone showed he wasn't joking.

Chisuke continued, "but as I said, that is why you're all here. To train yourselves, your quirks, your bodies, to become strong enough to be heroes. Strong enough to protect others and save lives. It sounds outlandish, too good to be true. But I promise it's possible, I am proof of that. I served several years as the hero Gladiator. If the name sounds familiar, it's because I was the world's first quirkless hero. Mx Masomora, one of my first students, is the hero Reaper. He is proof as well. It will not be easy, rather these four years will be the most gruelling, toughest years of your life. But by the end of it, I promise you will all be heroes."

Allowing himself to smile ever so slightly, Chisuke finished. "I now leave under the care of Mx Masomora. They will lead you to your classroom and begin your first lesson." Chisuke then headed back into the school.

Hinata then began to speak, "as Mr Takoyami stated, I'm Mx Masomora; though Hinata is fine too. Follow me and we'll start your first lesson." Hinata then led the students to a classroom where the chairs were set up in a large circle, with Hinata taking a seat closet to the front of the class. "Right, so the first part of the lesson is real simple; you can hardly call it lesson really," they chuckled lightly, "I just want everyone to introduce themselves and tell us why they failed the UA entrance exam, or otherwise why their quirks present.....difficulties. I know it might be hard to bring up our failures or faults, but the first step to being a hero is reflecting on our short comings and growing from them." Their tone was calm, welcoming, clearly establishing a safe environment. "No wrong answers, except those that aren't honest." They then looked around, waiting for someone to start.

PlusUltra Mera Nellancholy ThatGuyWithSouvlaki Adairz_ EllieMcEllie Caedes_ AbyssFlower

 

[Caedes_]

Apollyon sat there, he isn't going first no way.
No matter how nice they were he isn't going first, second or third is fine but first? That's a danger zone.
His eyes moving slightly to the side, looking at other people.
Waiting for someone to say something.

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Lauren stood quietly among the crowd of student not feeling into socialising much with anyone. Just wanted to get her day over with as soon as possible. Thankfully the class soon began with school head beginning with a surprisingly frank speech. At least they were being honest. We at least up to the point as they stated d list quirk users like herself could be heroes. If her eyes could roll as much as she felt they would bee seeing behind her head.

When the announcement came for people to introduce themselves there was an expected silence. She sighed as she decided to go first and get herself out the way. She raised her hand. "Lauren StJohn Smyth. Yes that StJohn Smyth family, my mother is Volt, The Electric Marvel, and my father is Mr Bright. They are big supporters of the school. They got me in. A questionable bit of nepotism considering this is the useless quirk group...."

"My quirk... Well.. You are going to notice it pretty soon I suspect. Sufficient to say, I don't see myself being a hero and i am not too broken about it. Still I guess I can still learn something from this experience."

 

[Nellancholy]

The atmosphere was tense, and a lot of people were nervous despite themselves. Understandable, considering Mr. Takoyami's utterly honest evaluation of them. Then why have them here at all? The simplest reason was just as clear: they truly believed in this batch of students, just as they did the ones before. Even so, someone should probably show the initiative to put everyone else at ease and let them feel more free to express themselves honestly.

May as well be her.

Lauren had spoken with a certain sense of resignation, which Eleonore could barely fault her for. But it was time for someone with a bit more...confidence to step up.

Eleonore took a breath and stood.

The smell of smoke was still decidedly absent from her lungs.

"Mx. Masomora." She gave a little bow to the skeletal teacher, and then her classmates. "Please. Call me Eleonore." She didn't quite feel like bringing up her family background at the moment. "The truth is that...I always thought I didn't have a Quirk. At least, not one that had any use. And I was alright with that. I didn't need one to live, or to show everyone what I was capable of. But when Papa and I figured it out together...it had to be a gift. It...got us out of a real tight spot. And I could go right back to the way things were, just register my Quirk and never use it again. But maybe, no matter how small, I could use it to help others instead. When it doesn't look like there's hope for them...that's why I'm here."

With that, she nodded and sat down again, her face a little flushed at what she shared.

 

[EllieMcEllie]

Aeris had nearly fallen asleep during the whole speech, having been so excited and nervous the night before that she had gotten barely any rest. When others introduced themselves and their set backs with their quirks, she felt a little more at home. She did have a strong quirk, but it could only be used for seconds at a time with a long cooldown range, and had even landed her in the hospital before from overuse.

When Eleonore sat back down, Aeris stood up, stumbling a little as she fought off the exhaustion that threatened to overcome her. She held up 1 finger signaling for them to give her a moment before pulling two energy drinks out of her bag and chugged them. It gave her the temporary energy boost she needed to focus for a little while.

"I apologize. Japanese is not my first language, I am from Norway. I am Aeris. My quirk is dangerous to my health, even if it is useful to others. I was hospitalized because of my quirk when using it during the UA exams. My quirk uses my energy to complete tasks, but I have Narcolepsy paired with insomnia. I almost never have energy to spare ,which is why I carry around enough energy drinks to kill an reindeer. I tend to death grip onto things when I pass out, so try not to be near me when I do."

With her introduction out of the way, she sat back down, yawning and using the sleeve of her over-sized jacket to cover her mouth. She could only hope that they could understand her accent with how gently she had spoken. The others seemed to at least be amicable, if not a little stand off-ish. They all seemed to have the same goal; Becoming a hero.

 

[Archdemon]

Xander Woods

​

Xander arrived at the academy at probably the same time as everyone else. He didn't interact with anyone not that he was shy, but for the fact he had no time with the welcoming ceremony happening when he showed up. Still of the time he had he noticed how unique they all were. He hoped they were all as excited to be here as he was.

He returned his attention back to the ceremony and absorbed the blunt honesty that came from it. His quirk was more underdeveloped than most, having only been discovered in his teens. Still he wanted to chase that childhood dream, and if he had to go through hell then he'll walk on through. The speech wasn't long and soon the students were transferred to the rather ominous Skeleton that was to be his teacher.

He followed along to the classroom and got briefed for the first lesson, reveal their failures. Some students spoke up, explaining who they are and basically why they're here, and the rest were pretty quiet at this point. So when the current speaker sat down, Xander stood up to speak. He then noticed how casual everyone looked in comparison to him in his Suit.

"Hello my name is Xander Woods, and i discovered my quirk in my teens. I failed many examinations due to a lack of experience with my quirk as well as what my quirk is. You can add in late training as well into that list. I hope to get along with everyone here, and that we all succeed with our dreams and passions whatever they may be."

Xander sat back down. He wondered if anyone here recognized his last name. He knew how recognizable it was in America but he wasn't sure about other countries. He might have to look that up later when he has a moment to do so.

PlusUltra Mera Nellancholy Adairz_ ThatGuyWithSouvlaki EllieMcEllie Caedes_ AbyssFlower
DapperCharmer2.0

 

[PlusUltra]

Ika Sumi

Ika would flinch somewhat at the mention of useless quirks, her mood souring further at the grimness of Chisukes explanation, followed by grimacing at the prospect of what her future entailed. Still despite all of that she swallowed hard and nodded to herself, as much as she wanted to run away she befall any number of tragedies going through with the classes, she had to stay the course otherwise nothing would change.

Looking around the crowd more she ran her fingers through her stained white hair, ink staining it further as it dripped freely from her nerves. She started having flashbacks to her own attempts at gaining access to UA and the disaster that entailed her examination, that disaster was really not one she wanted to just come out and say less she ruin her reputation before she ever had the chance to form one. There was the mess with the written exam being illegible due to the stress, her hand was shaking too much to write clearly let alone be seen through the various ink splotches. That was nothing though compared to the robots, running wildly spilling ink everywhere, people and machines alike slipping and smashing into one another in the mess as she just narrowly avoided harm, leaving a technicolour mess in her wake and many upset stained students.

"Erm, I.I...I am Ika Sumi and, there were....issues in the test that, well there were slip hazards and other stuff, and the giant death machines were not really affected by my quirk. It was really chaotic, others got hurt when they fell or it got in the way of their testing rather than helping"

 

[DapperCharmer2.0]

Hinata sat and listened to all the students who shared. Of course they and Chisuke were already very aware of each student's quirks, but it was nice to get some insight into what each student viewed as their weakness; particularly what part of their quirk was holding them back in their eyes. Of course, as was to be expected, some students hadn't shared. That was okay, there'd be more time for reflection and self evaluation in the future.

"Great, now I know a little bit more about you guys. So I suppose it's only fair I share with you," Hinata explained enthusiastically, "My quirk is called skeleton; I'm a skeleton. I developed this quirk as a child and was abandoned by my parents for being.....this." They then gestured to themselves.

"Like most kids, I wanted to be a hero when I grew up. But other kids bullied me for it. They said I couldn't be a skeleton hero; quirks like mine were made for villains. I tried not to believe that, but it was hard when I failed the UA Exam. Officially, I failed because, in a combat sense, I'm basically quirkless. But I feel like my appearance played a big part into their decision."

"A few years ago Chisuke, the founder of this school, contacted me. I then trained here for four years, got my hero license, and got to live my dream. That's how I know that this place works. No matter what anyone has ever told you in life, you can be heroes too."

By the end, Hinata's tone had gotten very excited. It was clear they really believed in this school. "So, any questions? For me or your fellow classmates?"

PlusUltra Nellancholy Adairz_ ThatGuyWithSouvlaki EllieMcEllie Caedes_ Archdemon

 

[Caedes_]

Apollyon started to calm his worries abit and shook his head, should he say something?. Nah.

To be honest, he thinks Mr.Takoyami is very cool. Sort of in an idolizing way.
He was ready for what is yet to come, if he survives anyway.
But from the introductions? He's sure he's safe here.