Between a Hard Place and... Well... (SHOUKO)

A girl lightly strode down the hall, as though she may break into a skip at any moment. An odd sound emanated from her- Was she trying to hum? If so, someone should really tell her that she is totally off-key. And yet despite the lightness of her steps, each footfall was accompanied by a discordant thud- The best proof, that all was not as it seemed. Despite being surrounded by fellow students, this one in particular would stand out- For her clothing, if nothing else. While each other student was required to wear the school's uniform, since swapped out for the thicker winter uniform... The girl was wearing anything but. The light brown stood out among the gray and green, and the style even moreso- Wrapped about like a robe, the girl only wore a single piece. The sash tied around her waist both kept the folds taught, and separated the shirt from the skirt. Needless to say, it bore no resemblance to the school's uniform.

However, the cheerful revelry was soon cut short by a voice from behind. Steps froze in place, and even that discordant hum died in her throat, as Iwasaka Shouko turned around. Or at least turned her head around, looking over her shoulder at this classmate who had called out to her. Eh, wasn't he in her class? Eto, eto, his name was... "Ah, Mattimeo!" No, she hadn't forgotten his name. In UA, it was common knowledge that Shouko had given everyone in their year a nickname- Some more attractive than others, and each longer than the person's actual name- With one exception, and that was because she had complained.

Blinking twice as she worked through her classmate's suboptimal pronunciation- Not to mention grammar... Well, she got the gist of it! But what she clearly didn't get, was that Mattimeo was less than stellar at Japanese. "Eh? I'm doing pretty good! God a good workout before class, and wasn't even late! How you doing?" Talking so quickly it would be a miracle if she was understood, even by someone who was fluent, the girl flashed a v for victory. The fact that not being late was important certainly said a lot about her ability to be on time... Should it be said that it was fortunate their teacher was Blank-sensei?

"Eto, hmm..." Tapping her chin, the girl truly looked as though she was in deep thought. But anyone who knew her, would be able to tell you that that wasn't possible! She was just putting on an act, you know! An act! "Okay!" Shouko was never one to refuse the chance to check out someone else's quirk! Er, I mean, train. Yes, that's the thing she never passes up on. Who would ever accuse her of anything else? "Is your paperwork all in? Let's go! I've got some training request forms right here!" She patted the left side of her tunic, although it did not appear to have pockets to hold anything in. They must be on the inside.

As for the paperwork she mentioned- It came in two parts. The first was the set released by the school that said that the students were in any condition to fight- Usually taken care of before enrollment, except in rare cases. And then there was the individual request form- The one that told the teachers that they were using a training room and somebody should watch, just in case. Naturally, Shouko had no shortage of those, despite how many she went through. It seemed a strange reputation had begun to build because of that, but then, who paid attention to those anyways?

Even if Mattimeo had understood her rapid speech, it would hardly do him any good. The topic was already moving on! And while Shouko's English was about as good as the other's Japanese... Let's go was at least a phrase she knew! Most likely because it was a nice simple phrase that made for good gratuitous English in her favorite shounen series. Sounded like he was enthused for training! The wide grin on Shouko's face remained as wide as ever- She always appreciated someone who was enthusiastic about showing her their quirk! Err, about training! Ulterior motives? I don't know what you're talking about. Just look at the pureness in those eyes, how could such a pure love be ulterior?

However, as he continued to speak in English, her head slowly tilted to the side. What was he saying? It was starting to seem as though the boy had chosen the wrong target for conversation- Shouko was the person with one of the worst English scores in their class! No, in their year! In fact, were it not for Saito-senpai, the worst in the school was not far off! Hey wait, that wasn't a competition! The exact opposite, in fact! In any case, suffice to say- Literally anyone would have been a better choice to call out to. And yet, Mattimeo had chosen Shouko. This does not bode well for his immediate future.

"Eh? It's filled out? Great!" She exuberantly responded. If his papers were in, there wasn't a problem! "Yeah, that's what I just said! Here!" Huh, where had those papers come from? It seemed that at some point between then and now, Shouko had pulled a few sheets of paper from the folds of her robe... And a pen as well? With swift practiced strokes, the fascimile of a signature appeared on the necessary lines... Hey, it was close enough! The school accepted it! Hmph. "Here, Mattimeo! Eto, just sign, here, and here!" So saying, the brunette would shove the papers she held before the boy. The places to sign would be clearly marked... If he dared sign the form, which was written entirely in Japanese. Why would Shouko ever take the English copy?

The last part of what he said was much harder for her to figure out... "Ehh? Knead teacher four training? What kind of torture is that!" Kneading a teacher? Was a teacher a type of dough now? And what was this four training... Surely he didn't mean waiting until four! He had just asked if she was free! No, there had to be another meaning to it! A pensive look came over the girl's face as she wore a rare frown... Was this still Japanese!? Oh. Wait. That was it. "OOoooh, you meant, do we NEED a teacher FOR training! That makes more sense! Yup, but there's usually one on duty at the training grounds, so once we get this paperwork in, it won't be a big deal!" You'd like to believe that by this point, Shouko would speak in an easier to understand manner. But nope! Just as swift to chatter as ever... Got any doubts about your life choices yet? Too bad, you're stuck with them!

After all, whether or not he had finished signing the paperwork he could not read, Shouko would already be pulling him by the wrist, towards the school's suite of training rooms...

The answer to Mattimeo's unspoken question? Of course not. Anyone who knew Iwasaka Shouko well, knew that she was usually even more forceful and exuberant than this! Her confusion at the other's broken Japanese was obviously dulling her renowned ability to drag everything into her own pace. But not by much, as was evidenced by how quirckly the boy was convinced to sign the various medical consent and responsibility waivers. In short, even if they were to get hurt, they couldn't raise a fuss, because they had known it was a possibility going in! Of course, Shouko was never one to hold a grudge even without this kind of thing, but the teachers kept going on about things she didn't understand... And besides, it didn't take that much effort to do the forms, so she just went and did them~

In any case what mattered was that Mattimeo had signed, and so the training rooms were open for sparring! Don't worry about injury, the teachers on duty were watching with eagle eyes for any danger! "Gyahahaha, Mattimeo, what's that faaace!" Shouko cracked up at the other's embarrassment. His attempts to look away would be fruitless, the girl leaning in to keep the eye contact he attempted to break. "Ehh? You're so red! Are you sick? You should take care of your body, you know! We can do this another time, you know!" A misunderstanding so cliche, it was a wonder the girl did not recognize it from the pages of the manga she read. Or perhaps she was so naive, she thought that those characters truly were ill at the time. Given that it is Shouko being referred to...

Ahem, in any case, she was continually nonplussed by his broken Japanese. "Wonder Friend? The heck is that, Mattimeo!" She would laugh at a joke which had not been asked, clapping her classmate on his shoulder. But the hand would not leave the shoulder once clapped- Instead gripping tight, and pulling her new friend along. Laughing at the title of Wonder Friend all the way. The heck was that? Something like a cross between a Super Friend and a Wonder Trade? In short, Shouko didn't realize what he had said either.

As could hardly be unexpected by now, Shouko caught about half of what Mattimeo said. But, considering he was saying half the words twice, the two cancelled each other out, and she understood him perfectly! Not. In what world would that kind of thing work? "Eh? Quirk voice? That sounds cool! But the heck is with speak speak, you only need to say it once, silly!" Shaking her head at the other's verbal tics... She clearly didn't get it at all. The twintailed girl scratched at her head, but... If there was one thing he said that she did get... "That's right! A showing is worth a thousand words! Come, Mattimeo!"

That was right, if words could not get across... Then speak with your fists! As Mattimeo began speaking, Shouko took her own stance, feet planted firmly on the floor of the training room. Up above, the green light on the camera meant that a teacher was watching- But all things considered, they wouldn't be needed. After all, this was a demonstration, not even a true spar! And as such, she would not take advantage of that excessively long invocation chant to launch a surprise attack. That said... Eh? He was still talking? And since it was in English, he may as well have been chanting a spell in Latin! Even if she noticed the emphasis he put on one of those words, it didn't really mean a thing...

What did mean something, was the shimmering shield which appeared around him! "Wao! Nice quirk, Mattimeo... But let's see what it can take!" The girl would praise it at a glance, as she did with all quirks. But in the end.... Effect mattered too! And if it was a barrier, the way to test it was... Easy! And this was where the miscommunication would be a problem. For as Shouko suddenly darted forwards, kicking of the ground and charging forwards... The shimmering barrier she was aiming at, would fade out of existence.

And with the barrier gone... With regards to the attack which had been meant to test it, I shall grant three guesses as to where it would fall. And, as they say- The first two don't count.

Look, in her defense, there was absolutely no way she could have known the shield would come down so quickly! "Eh?" Came a confused sound, as her small hand crashed directly through the place where that silvery-white shield had been. This wasn't in the script! So surprised was the girl, she didn't even have time to pull her punch! Time slowed to a crawl as the extremely dangerous weapon approached the undefended body- There had to be something she could do! Come, body, obey my commands! But, as usual... There was nothing she could do~ Gomen ne, Mattimeo!

If this were one of the manga Shouko was so fond of reading, there would be a mental projection appearing over her shoulder at this moment. Perhaps with a hand held up in the traditional gesture of silent apology... Or even a dogeza. Or perhaps that pose known only as 'tehepero,' with a tongue sticking out and a hand knocking against her own temple. The meaning was all the same- 'Oops! Sorry!' But, as the one being punched, surely such insincere apologies would not reach. After all, he was still getting punched in the gut!

The dramatically slowed time returned to normal as the fist made contact with mortal human flesh, sending the other flying from the impact. For her part, Shouko froze in place, still processing what was going on- Why had he taken down the shield? Weren't they testing what it could do? It was truly unfortunate for Mattimeo that he had been unable to clearly communicate his goals, leading to this painful moment... Ah, who would believe that? Even if she knew he wasn't expecting it, Shouko would have tried to test that shield ten times out of ten! The language barrier just meant she could rationalize herself out of any guilt in the matter~

"Eh? Eto, are you okay? Why'd you take it down, silly!" The girl would ask several questions in succession, as though the other was in any shape to answer immediately. "En, but letting yourself get thrown back was a good idea! Since it means more of the force is used to move you, your body was hurt less from it!" Although this was not at all his intent, it still worked. If he had held his ground, that hit would have been twice as deadly! Not that such small consolations would matter right now.

Well, despite the blood coughed up and the fact that he could hardly even say it without stuttering... Mattimeo said he was okay, and the simpleton who had injured him took no more concern from the matter! At least she thought he said he was OK. OK was OK, right? Whatever! However, what he said next, could only fall on a tilted head and deaf ears. She recognized, some of the words he used? But, to put them together... Eh... "En, you need to train more!" Came the completely wrong conclusion.

But this time he was totally in a battle stance, right? She was right this time, right? "Nyahaha, thanks, Mattimeo!" That's right, she was good! As for whatever he blabbered after that... Something about stupid butt? En, she nodded in agreement. Not knowing what she was agreeing to. "Hmm hmm! Let's try again, Mattimeo! Keep your guard up, this time!" She reminded. She shouldn't have to, but... Well, she hadn't last time, and look what had happened!

Out of consideration for the long chant he used last time, Shouko did not immediately attack. Rather, she took her own combat stance and waited- Once that shimmering shield returned, she would immediately burst forth and see just what it could take!

Nyahaha, at least he was taking it in good spirits! Mattimeo laughing meant Shouko would laugh as well! That's right, it was funny! His face as he saw her fist coming past where his shield had vanished... Absolutely priceless! Nyahahahaha! Even if his words were as unintelligible as always... "Eh? What is there to discuss? Hurry, show me!" In the girl's mind, a discussion beforehand was just silly! Well, that was why she was the battle analyst- When she discussed, it was usually with full knowledge! A picture was worth a thousand words, and an action could be over 250 frames per second depending on the camera! That is to say, anything he could explain beforehand, would be way easier to grasp during!

As for his apology... "Nyahaha, no worries, Mattimeo!" Accepted the girl so lightly, it was as though the matter wasn't her fault to begin with! However, her casual behavior belied a twitching corner of her mouth... To a trained battle analyst, Mattimeo's pain was the most obvious of obvious! And the more visible it became, the less shameless the girl could pretend to be... Until finally, in a small voice... "Sorry, I didn't mean..." If she had thought the shield would come down, she wouldn't have attacked in the first place! Let alone with so much power. A pair of eyes glanced to the side, betraying the guilt she felt. People weren't supposed to get hurt in a fight!

But even if she felt guilty, it wouldn't hold her back for long! And as Mattimeo began to intone once more, the gleam was restored in Shouko's eyes! As usual,. it seemed she could not hold onto negative feelings for more than a single paragraph. Eyes which contained her history as the analyst of battles greedily devoured what she could see of the other's quirk... Before springing into action! "Alright! Let's see what you've gooooot!" The girl would cry as her small fist drove towards the shimmering shield.

While the girl's strength was quite significant despite her unassuming frame, and her blow would shake the shield formed of words, it was not a truly destructive impact. After all, there was only so much damage she could do without unleashing her signature heavy clubs! Even so, the force of the blow would send tremors through the arm wielding the shield. "Ehh, is that so? " For once she understood something! That his shield would keep up as long as he was talking! "Nyahaha, that's fun, Mattimeo!" A diehard fan of superpowers, a unique ability like this would inevitably make Shouko excited!

But not so excited as the challenge which followed! "Nyahaha, as hard as rock? But Mattimeo... I'm also as hard as rock!" And while her initial blow had not destroyed the shield... She had more where that one came from! Puny punch was right... But! "Myriad! Puny! Punches!" Came the shout of a girl who rarely had a chance to call her attacks, stepping forward, and unleashing a barrage of blows upon the shimmering barrier. How long could it last under such an onslaught?

As she tested her classmate's limits, the grin on Shouko's face hardly lost in brightness to the shine on his shield.

It was an excellent, and well thought out plan. One that might even have worked, if Shouko were half as silly as she looked... And often acted. Unfortunately for Matt, his opponent's eyes were one of her prides and joys- Her ability to follow stealthy movements honed by years of watching fights! However, even seeing the movement behind the shield, she continued to strike. However, it was not to lull him into a false sense of security! Nor was it a patronizing way of making him think his technique was more successful than it was! No! She just wanted, to see what it would take to break through!

And as Matt made his way behind her, Shouko finally succeeded, nodding in appreciation. "En, not bad at all, Mattimeo!" She declared. Of course, she had yet to see a quirk she would label anything less... But altogether, mm. The shield was about as tough as her own armor! Even for her, it took quite some effort to break through it... But not long enough, unfortunately for her foe. As his voice came from behind, the girl would whirl around to face him, the smile on her face making it clear this was no surprise.

The oncoming sword would be met with a quick hop backwards, into where the shield had been. But the oncoming attack would not stop just because it had been evaded! And while he assured her that the blade was not sharp... She didn't abuse that fact to block it! "Nyahaha, nice! But you don't have to be so considerate of me, you know!" She fired back. And it was true. Each slash was met with a response- Shouko either weaved away, or brought the back of her arm to meet the flat edge of the blade, forcing it off course.

Of course, it was no simple feat to respond to such a flurry of blows. Nor was Shouko able to take the offensive through the storm- As Matt advanced, she was forced to take a step backwards. But it was clear that dodging was more tiring than attacking- And that while deflecting was much preferred to taking head on, the impacts were still leaving red welts on her arms. However, despite the disadvantage, the smile never left her face! Nor did she miss the faint vestiges of her opponent's own- How could she, when she hadn't even overlooked his surprise attack?

But as all things must, it came to an end. Was Matt feeling tired from delivering such rapid blows? From keeping up the speech that maintained it? Or from watching as each and every blow was either dodged or batted aside? Whatever the reason... It wasn't an opening Shouko would miss! She darted forward, chasing the retreating sword back to its master- And, as she approached, the girl would throw out a single fist! But a single fist far stronger than before, as she had no intention to turn it into a barrage! How quickly could Mattimeo switch forms? Let's find out!