Himiko's mood lifted when she saw Tenjo at school. His initial sadness was replaced by a loud confidence. His eyes shined brighter like the glistening blood of a fresh cut under the streetlights.
"Outta my way you freak!"
'tch!'
Himiko's mood was interrupted by the arrogant pomeranian.
'Really what's his problem? Quirk too big to fit in your blood? Need to find a mate to stuff it in? Are you looking for greenie?'
She didn't linger to long on mr. puffy though, her focus was set on one guy only.
Tenjo had his face buried in a sketchbook as they walked to class.
"What're you drawing?"
Tenjo, half aware, answered instantly.
"All Might."
Himiko moved herself around Tenjo's field of view, trying to see if he would react.
"I didn't know you were into heroes Tenjo-kun."
Tenjo's pencil continued to move slowly.
"I'm not."
Himiko brought her face closer to Tenjo's, making sure not to cover the sketchbook in his view.
"Then why're you drawing All Might?"
Tenjo scribbled a few notes to the side of his drawing before continuing with the shapes.
"His muscular anatomy is perfectly symmetrical. It's just the perfect reference for me to use as warmup."
They passed by a broccoli haired boy who looked like he had something to say.
Himiko kept moving from one side to the other.
"Warmup? For what?"
Tenjo finished one last shape and resisted the urge to start shading.
"Posture and posing."
He showed the finished All Might sketch to Himiko, who scrutinized it to the best of her ability.
"Woah, this is pretty spot on, but how is it good warmup? Aren't you just drawing people?"
They took a turn in the halls, their class still some distance away.
Tenjo nodded, using his pencil to point at parts of All Might while he explained.
"The shapes and symmetry helps me with my line work. That is making sure that I put down what I see myself putting down. Think of it like, drawing blood from the right spot."
Himiko nodded, making sure to show Tenjo she was listening.
He continued on.
"His bodybuilder physique emphasizes all of his muscles to a great degree, making each muscle group display their unique shapes. Think like the difference between every type of blood vessel being highlighted. Capillaries, veins, arteries."
Tenjo took a pause to think about his next point.
"And finally, he's non-mutant, which means his body, though large and kind of unrealistic, helps create a general reference for most human and lesser mutated mutants. He's like a template that I can resize shrink or balloon in order to emulate most body types. I-uh, try to think of those textbook pictures of the cardiovascular system. It's not perfectly the same for every human, but generally every human shares all its features."
Himiko looked at the sketch anew, with a new smile.
"Wow that's so cooool!"
(AN: My lacking social skills rears its head here, wtf should Himiko's response have been?)
Himiko drew out her words, expressing her admiration after Tenjo's explanations.
Tenjo simply nodded his head along, agreeing with her assessment. He too was captured by the biological marvel of All Might's physique.
"I know right? It's like All Might was born with the perfect human genetics and raised with the sole intention of the perfect image of bodybuilding. The chances of a human being born with such symmetry is like, infinitely close to zero. Especially if you nitpick about the environmental factors. That he grew up to embody that symmetry is yet another plus on top of that, since in everything, even for the ambidextrous, different activities create preferences for different sides."
Himiko listened to Tenjo info dumping more about the miraculous nature of All Might, her nose giving her a pleasant scent of fresh paint and freshly dried laundry.
She let some words flow into Tenjo's ear and out his other while he talked.
"Yeah, yeah it really is a miracle."
Trrring!
For the pair, it became a beginning of many peaceful schooldays.
"T-Tenjo-san!"
Today, there was a new interruption in Tenjo's school life. Though it was still within the first week of his new school, the first three for everyone else.
He looked up from his lunch with Himiko. They were kicked away from the rooftops, safety concerns and whatnot.
He ate a single piece of rice, turning his head at the exact same time as himiko. She simply paused chewing, half a bundle of vegetables lay out of her mouth while her chopsticks kept them up.
'Hero autist?'
'Broccoli head?'
both were confused by the stammering mess looking for them.
Himiko because she simply ignored everyone who reacted even remotely negative to her quirk introduction.
Tenjo because he thought the boy was nonverbal.
Himiko slurped up her vegetables and slowly reached her chopsticks over, looking to borrow Tenjo's food.
Tenjo grabbed another rice grain.
With a new rice grain on his chopsticks Tenjo responded.
"Yes?"
Moss-head fidgeted about as he gave his introduction.
"I-I'm Izuku Midoria, I sit next to you in class Tenjo-san!"
Tenjo nodded, now that he knew who, he only needed to know why. He shifted his posture in a way he believed meant {Go on.}
Izuku took a moment to compose himself, taking deep breaths in and clenching his hands on a pen and a notebook.
"I would like to ask questions about your quirk please! If it's not too much of an issue!"
Tenjo glanced at Himiko, an eyebrow raise asking if she also received this kind of attention.
She merely gave a shrug with an eye-roll.
'I dunno, I didn't pay attention. They're all hero-villain idiots anyways.'
He glanced between Izuku and a seat before returning his eyes to Himiko.
'You mind if I do answer his questions?'
Himiko smiled and propped her head onto one of her hands, leaning in.
'I kinda wanta hear his questions.'
With a consultation finished, Tenjo turned his attention back to Izuku.
"Sure, have a seat."
Izuku beamed, his quirk obsessed joy evident on his face.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
He was incredibly enthusiastic to learn about a quirk up close.
Tenjo resisted the urge to wave away the gratitude. He felt like waving would seem rude, dismissive, and put down Izuku's innocent enthusiasm.
"It's no problem, what was your first question?"
Himiko leaned in. She didn't have her turn asking about Tenjo's quirk, much like how he treaded carefully around hers.
Izuku opened his journal to a page, already filled with a decent sketch of Tenjo and a two line description of his quirk. There were also physical measurements approximating height and weight based on the shown muscle mass.
[Quirk: Color projection]
[* Can be used to create 3-d images]
[* Uses at least 7 colors including black and white]
"Aright so first! When you used you quirk do you imagine a mental image or do you draw with the colors you project?"
Tenjo froze.
'What do I do?'
He picked up a chopstick and applied a few colors to it, then he drew a few shapes and images in his hand. He let go of the colors and responded.
"Both, I can go super manual and apply it to aspects of a thing, apply it to a whole thing, or just draw with the colors."
Izuku wrote down furiously in his notebook.
[* Implements by applying color to things]
He wrote without even looking down.
"When you draw with your colors, is it instant based on mental images or do you use your drawing skills?"
Tenjo could answer this right off the bat.
"Mental image template into rendering and shading."
Izuku made an addition to his notes.
[* Draws from mental image and then polishes]
He paused, more questions passing across his eyes. Tenjo could almost see words flying past Izuku's sclera.
"When you apply your colors onto objects, how does it affect the object?"
Tenjo thought for a second.
"It depends on the color."
Izuku mirrored Tenjo's words as he raised his pencil.
"Depends on the color. Depends on the color? Your colors have effects?"
Tenjo nodded, Himiko smirked.
"Yeah, when I limit my palette, they get effects."
[* Using limited color palettes means realworld effects]
"Examples?"
Tenjo picked up one of his chopsticks, using blue to dampen its gravity and red to multiply air resistance. He then pushed it and used blue to dampen horizontal air resistance.
"Blue lowers things, generally it lowers energy. Red does the opposite."
Izuku held himself back from writing.
"What set of colors are you using?"
Tenjo used a moment to think.
"White, black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple."
Izuku created a section just for that.
[Set colors: White;Black;Red;Orange;Yellow;Green;Blue;Purple]
[* -, -, increases energy, -, -, -, lowers energy, -]
[* Mostly physics based??]
"Can you tell me what each color does?"
Tenjo tilted his head.
"I'll try, they're not exactly clear cut to me."
Izuku shook his head.
"That's fine."
Tenjo looked into the heavens as he thought about his quirk.
"White, I usually use it to hide the other colors because in terms of light every color exists within white. Or something like that. When I use it with other colors it kind of sets a cap on how destructive or harmful the effects get."
scribble-scribble
"Black, I think of it like outlining, over and over again until eventually you just say screw it and erase the whole thing. With other colors it makes the effects a little more destructive I guess."
scribble
"Red we've done already, Orange just makes things more unpredictable, like a laser and a munch of mirrors bunched together. I use yellow to speed myself up but it doesn't really add or subtract anything from an object. Maybe it optimizes things? I can't tell with it."
scribble scribble
Himiko looked on with a raised brow.
'Why yo colors do so much? Aren't they just colors?'
Tenjo shrugged.
"Green doesn't excite or depress things, it just makes them move smoother, and I can't stress this enough, smoother, not faster. You know blue already, and purple is just weird."
Izuku stopped scribbling for a moment.
"Weird?"
Tenjo just nodded.
"Yeah, weird, let me show you."
He colored izuku's pencil purple and then took it away, leaving a full purple pencil in the same spot.
"Now move the purple pencil."
Izuku did but his hand fell asleep.
"Huh?"
He tried using his other hand to move the attached arm. It worked, though Izuku's arm still felt like it was in the same spot, holding the pencil.
He brought his free hand to his mouth as he began muttering.
"So it makes a phantom object that feels like it is still there. The red and blue should cancel each other out but instead it makes a nonexistent hard to move object. The object makes direct contact and direct movement difficult, so then I need to shift its position through a nonlocalized tool. Its range of effect is in the muscles responsible for holding the object at the time of coloring."
More and more mutterings left Izuku as he analyzed purple.
Tenjo quietly removed his purple and returned the pencil to Izuku.
For the rest of his meal he shared the "silence" with Himiko, enjoying her company. They observed Izuku's theory crafting and physics related attempts to understand Tenjo's quirk.
Taking a glance at Izuku's notebook Tenjo saw his quirk entry.
[Quirk: color projection]
[* Can be used to create 3-d images]
[* Uses at least 7 colors including black and white]
[* Implements by applying color to things]
[* Draws from mental image and then polishes]
[* Implements by applying color to things]
[* Using limited color palettes means realworld effects]
[Set colors: White;Black;Red;Orange;Yellow;Green;Blue;Purple]
[* hide/decrease consequence, delete/increase consequence, increases energy, makes unpredictable, optimizes, smoothes out, lowers energy, paralysis through spacial superimposition?]
[* Mostly physics based??]
Izuku was still theory crafting as the bell rang, having the students return to class.
On their way back Himiko teased Tenjo about his quirk.
"You have essentially every emitter quirk in the world. And you're using it to draw all might."
Tenjo responded in jest.
"What else am I supposed to do with it? Peek into the locker rooms?"
Himiko gigled.
"Pervert! You could be doing much more than that!"
Tenjo bantered with her, enjoying the companionship.
"Like what? stealing chips from the convenience store?"
Himiko glomped on him.
"I dunno! You could fly! Pretend you won the lottery! Drive without a license!"
Tenjo slipped out of Himiko's grasp, twirling around her repeated grabbing attempts.
"Have you seen the people on the streets! Car accidents already account for the most hospital visits in Japan! No way I'm driving!"
Himiko disappeared from his sightline for a moment, making Tenjo swirl around trying to find her.
She stepped past him into their classroom.
"First! I win!"
Tenjo turned in surprise.
"Hey! We weren't racing!"
Himiko turned around as she walked backwards to her seat.
"That's what losers say."
That got a few laughs from the students close enough to hear.
Tenjo sat down with a sigh, his defeat etched on his face.
From his Pomeranian explosive seatmate he heard a resentful mutter.
"Tch! Lovey-Dovey Extras!"
'Lovey-dovey? Huh?'
Tenjo had not yet considered the possibility nor the existence of romantic interest in his life. With no knowledge even of its existence, he didn't understand what Bakugo was complaining about.
Meanwhile to his left.
"The first color wheel of colors, based on the first taught color wheel. What if he uses RGB? What other color sets could he use? Or will they all be slightly physics based?"
'Heh yeah, hero and quirk obsessed. What strange people.'
Tenjo laid his head around, dodging the teacher's eyeline by hiding behind Himiko.
Much to her amusement.
'Haaii-iish, what's Sifu going to have us do today?'
[Finished school, going to the dojo for practice.]
Tenjo sent the first of many texts to his worried mother.
It wasn't much of a bother to him. In terms of his own privacy it didn't impede him at all. It's not likely for any of his hobbies to enrage his mother.
He got a reply in two seconds.
[Stay safe! Make sure to look both ways before crossing the street! Twice!]
"Wow your mom texts fast." Himiko drank a bloodpack as she walked beside him.
"Maybe she uses voice to text." He stuffed his phone back in his pocket.
"Do you think that Izuku guy goes up to everyone to ask about their quirks?" Himiko preemptively broke the silence.
Tenjo brought a hand to his head. Scratching it as he formed his words. "I think he only does it if he, uh, finds the quirk hero-viable and finds the confidence to open his mouth."
Himiko stepped ahead of Tenjo. "Hero-viable?"
A nod from Tenjo and some continued scratching preceded his words. "He had a notebook labeled hero studies, he was writing stuff about my quirk in the same book. I think it's safe to assume that he put my quirk in because he thought about how it'd work for a hero."
Himiko nodded with an "oh!" exclamation of comprehension. She stuffed the bloodpack into her backpack.
Tenjo eyed the bag. "Whose blood is that by the way?"
Himiko skipped a step.
"Careful." Tenjo caught her arm before she fell further. Though she would've caught herself easily. The assistance was just reflex.
"It's some random donor from the nearby hospital." Himiko shifted foot to foot, rubbing her palms together. "I think it was a middle aged lady. I can show you if you want."
"Show me?" Tenjo's hands returned to his pockets. "You have a picture?"
Himiko shook her head. "No it's my quirk."
Tenjo tilted his head. "Wasn't your quirk just the need to drink blood? Vampirism?"
Himiko shook her head again. "It's Transform, didn't I tell you?"
Tenjo shook his head.
"Alright, I'll just tell you now then." She traced over Tenjo's arm. "I take blood from a human recipient." Her finger stopped at the wrist. "I drink that blood."
Tenjo found his wrist close to Himiko's mouth.
"And then I can transform into that person based on the amount of blood I drink."
After two seconds Tenjo opened his mouth.
"Do you need to drink your own blood to transform back? Does the transformation include clothing? Quirks? Do you gain strength if you transform into a stronger person? What if they're a huge mutant?"
Closing his mouth Tenjo looked behind him. Himiko looked too, to see a green haired nerd with a notebook opened.
""How long have you been following us?""
"My house is this way."
After three seconds of silence Izuku's face started going red.
Himiko broke the silence again. "I thought you didn't like me because my quirk was villainous."
Izuku's red face couldn't even stammer a response.
Himiko looked at Izuku for a moment longer before realizing. "Oh you just can't talk to girls."
It was at this moment that Tenjo noticed Himiko still held his wrist. He took no action.
The duo continued walking, Himiko leaving behind an invitation for Midoria. "If you can manage to ask me those questions again then maybe I'll answer them."
They moved along further, Izuku trailing behind.
With Izuku far behind Tenjo started talking to Himiko again. "Do you see him on your way to school?"
Himiko shook her head. "He's probably a few streets further into the neighborhood. Sifu's house is on the outer part anyways."
Tenjo nodded. "How about everyone else in class?"
Himiko put a finger to her chin, drawing from her memories. "Most of them are from the opposite direction, the popular kids are always late so they're probably like Izuku. Further in the neighborhood. The only people I see when I walk are the elementary and kindergarten students."
They turned a corner, Izuku still going in the same direction.
"Not even Bakugo?" Tenjo asked.
"The pomeranian is Izuku's neighbor. He's further in." Himiko popped her finger away from her chin. "Enough about me, who do you see while going to school?"
Tenjo glanced away.
"Don't tell me you just admire the scenery during your walk."
Tenjo nodded. "For the most part, but I think I saw eye popper and long neck on the way today."
Himiko stifled a laugh. "Do you have nicknames for everyone?"
Tenjo shook his head. "Just for the names I don't know."
Minor dissatisfaction appeared on Himiko's face. "What's his nickname?" She pointed behind them.
With nary a glance Tenjo replied. "Hero autist."
Himiko whacked him. "That's so offensive!!"
Tenjo defended himself physically and verbally. "What's wrong with that?! He's clearly a step beyond everyone else in hero culture! And you're laughing! It can't be that bad!"
Meanwhile-
'Hero autist! No way! That's what I look like?!'
A green haired boy's jaw dropped.
"Don't hit me! I thought he was autistic with a fascination for heroes!" Tenjo's defense was crumbling under Himiko's swatting.
"It's still so rude!"
Izuku's spirit crumbled.