'Wanna have a bed?' Time

With tears in her eyes, the brunette looked down at the tragedy that had once been her room. Bed frame, bent to the floor. Mattress crushed, springs sticking out. Shards of rock littered around, in dire need of cleaning up. And herself, standing in the middle of it all, wearing the ever so rare casual clothes. “There’s no way… I haven’t gained that much weight… have I?” The scale was in the bathroom, but she couldn’t find the heart to check. She was afraid of what she might see… Even though anyone with common sense would tell her that this wasn’t a problem of her weight!

Well, it was, just not of her body. After all, due to her quirk, as she slept she would naturally become encased in well over a ton of solid rock. Even the destroyed bed had been specially ordered to hold up under that kind of weight! “It just doesn’t make any sense…” The girl whimpered, knowing that the cost of a new one was not going to be cheap- And That it was coming straight out of her allowance! “I… It’s not like I meant for this to happen!!” But her please fell on deaf ears. It wasn’t like the last time, she swore! This time she really had just been sleeping peacefully! Oh, why did this have to happen on the first day of summer break!?

Unbeknownst to her, it was precisely because it was the first day of break that it had happened. Like most quirks, especially at her age, hers was still developing- And in this case, that meant getting heavier! For better or for worse. Heavier enough that a single night’s rest was enough to break the camel’s back, at any rate. But even as her mother lectured her, her father was busy in the other room. By how readily he entered the phone numbers he needed to call, it was clear he was well versed in this particular scenario…

But what was needed wasn’t simple. Since the bed they already had had collapsed so thoroughly, the new one would need to be further reinforced… And a mattress strong enough to drive a car over besides. As Shouko lamented the loss of her meager savings, she would be shocked to know what a small fraction of the cost it represented- Let it never be said that her parents did not love her! Still, even with their best intentions, it would mean several days of sleeping on stone floors for the unfortunate battle girl- As they measured just how strong it would need to be, sourced the materials, constructed the new bed- And of course, the time it took for shipping.

By the time it was due to arrive, Iwasaka Shouko had completely forgotten the troubles she had had, just a week before! It was as if she hadn’t spent the entire break at school, claiming that it was to keep her best friend company, instead of admitting that it was because she no longer had a bed at home! Well, not that she minded overly much, Mianon was Mianon after all! Fortunately, the school-provided bed was much sturdier than her original… It was just a shame that as school property, she was unable to gain permission to bring it home!

But she had to come home to receive the package at least, so there she was! Patiently waiting- Well, as patiently as Iwasaka Shouko ever waits- Reviewing old match footage as she sat around waiting for the doorbell to ring. Though as it would turn out, she hardly needed it- A low rumbling sound moved up the driveway, just loud enough to distract her from her revelries- In an instant, the girl shot up. What else could such a noise be, but the delivery truck pulling up to deliver her bed! Although normally they parked on the curb and walked up, well… Considering how big the package would be this time, it was hard to find fault with them~

However, upon opening the door, it would turn out that her expectations were subverted! “Eh? It wasn’t an engine?” Shouko would blurt out in surprise- Realizing that the delivery truck remained on the street as usual. But the noise wasn’t coming from the street! It was coming from- “You?” Shouko asked, curiously. At which point she saw the disproportionately large crate the other bore, and placed two by two… “A quirk? How cool! I could have sworn I was listening to a truck, or a bike… Amazing! And that, is it a quirk that increases your strength? Or are you just that strong!?”

Perhaps because the delivery person was close to her own age, Shouko didn”t hold back her words in the slightest. “Here, let me take that from you!” She offered, reaching for the crate- Paying no heed to it’s weight. If she hadn’t just commented on it, it might seem as though she merely assumed that it was light due to how it was being carried.

Eh? It technically was an engine? But only technically? “Really? That’s so cool! It’s gotta be a quirk, right? Can you tell me about it?” It’s no regard for the fact that the other girl was clearly on the job, Shouko would begin to bombard her with questions. “What kind of engine is it? How does it work? What does it do?” She would chatter excitedly, with the other obliging enough to answer some of her questions. It was only natural for it to be a quirk- The noise alone was enough to make that clear! And it being the source behind her strength was unsurprising. Carrying a package like that wasn’t difficult… But for someone as small as her? Not expected at all! But apparently this quirk did a lot of things… Shouko was insanely curious to know what the rest of them were!

Her help refused, Shouko nearly grabbed the package anyways… But she was rather enjoying watching and listening to this courier! Most quirks were the type to be seen and not heard… It wasn’t common for it to be the other way around! The low rumbling was coming from the other’s chest… Hmm, did she have any of those toy stethoscopes around from her childhood? Whether or not she would be permitted to use it even if she had one, never even crossed her mind! “Nyahaha, okay then! Suit yourself!” Shouko conceded, but held the door open while watching intently. What an interesting quirk! And she didn’t even know half… No, a quarter of what it did!

Before Shouko could sign for the package… “Eh! Are you okay!?” Shouko would call, diving forward to catch the other girl as she slumped over. “The sound’s fading… A side effect of your quirk?” Perhaps her years as a battle analyst weren’t useless, as she quickly caught onto what was going on. “Yosh!” She huffed, easily lifting the other body. She wasn’t too worried about leaving the package on the doorstep for now- Who would bother stealing one that size? Regardless of any complaints the other might have- And she certainly had plenty to complain about, whether it was the fact that she was being held, the way that she was being held… Or the fact that she needed to get back to her deliveries, and was instead being shamelessly kidnapped to the inside of the house, where she would be unceremoniously plopped on the couch.

“There, that’ll be more comfortable than the ground!” Shouko pronounced proudly. “Rest up here, okay? It won’t do your body any good to work in that condition!” And more importantly, if she left to get back to work, how could Shouko press her with all of her questions! Wait, was that the important thing here?

Ignoring, as usual, half of what the other party said, Shouko let out a snort. “You’re welcome!” She said, pridefully- As if she had actually done something to help, instead of something unnecessary… And which probably made things worse, considering the amount of care with which she had handled her patient. Read: None. “But really! If your quirk has a side effect like that, don’t force yourself to use it!” Shouko pouted. She’d even offered to carry the package! This one couldn’t be blamed on her this time, she swore!

But it wouldn’t be so easy to escape the Iwasakan Inquisition! “But it looks like you’re okay now, I’m glad! I wouldn’t know what to do… Momma always makes me soup when I’m dizzy, but…” Well, the less said about the cooking of the Iwasaka household’s daughter, the better? “Anyways! Tell me about it! Pleaaase?” The girl dragged out her words pleadingly. The shorts spurts of information she had gleaned from the tight lipped courier had piqued her interest, but not stated her thirst for knowledge! How could she let that stand! If she let… Eh, what was her name, again? Well, anyways, if she let her get away before she had found everything out, then her name was not Iwasaka Shouko! As usual, the brunette cared little for the existing obligations of others… Or their need to get moving in order to maintain employment.

But that had reminded her of something. “Ah, by the way, I’m Shouko! What’s your name?”

Towards the other girl, Shouko may seem somewhat like a dog- Begging to be played with. Her head nodded up and down as the delivery girl confirmed what she was asking about- Of course it was the quirk! The other's hesitance was merely a call to press harder! As she was staring down and preparing to say something monumentally stupid... the other girl finally made her decision. "Whoa, King Engine? That's way cooler than my Stone Shell! Seriously, some people have all the luck. Of course it would be my doctor who has no naming sense at all! If I were to name it, it would be- Ah, but please go on!" For once in her life recognizing that she was interrupting, Shouko fell silent and allowed the other to continue.

The rest kept her similarly enthralled. There were few things which enthused the girl more... One of which was using quirks in combat! "Ehhh, an all around improvement, is it? That's so cool! Though yeah, the downside is just as rough... We can't all be like Nikki, who gets it all without a downside! Hmm, I wonder if the sickness is your body adjusting to the lowered parameters... Or perhaps it's like dizziness, the fluid in the inner ear is used to the racket so it gets thrown off once it goes away? Anyways, that's cool! Hey hey, you don't get sick until it stops, right? Does it stop on its own or only when you stop?" The girl pressed curiously. As always with quirks, there were more questions than answers! "And mouuu, if you knew this would happen, you should have let me help! I might not look like it, but I'm pretty strong, you know!" The girl flexed her arm to emphasize.

"Viviane, is it? Viviane, Vivi, Vivi... Vivicchi! Nice to meet you, Vivicchi!" As she always does, Shouko wasted no time in twisting the newcomer's name into a cutesy nickname.

"Ehhh, is that how it works!?" The brunette would exclaim in shock. Elsewhere, two normal parents who had explicitly told their daughter the opposite shivered without knowing why. "I suppose it makes sense. I mean you have some quirks that change completely when the person grows up, like Elise-senpai!" Sure, Elise was no longer with the school, but that didn't make her any less of a senpai! "And there's no way a doctor would give a quirk a name like Shadow Monster Man! You've gotta be onto something!" Eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, and elsewhere, the shivering intensified. Iwasaka Shouko was known for many things, but a good naming sense, was not one of them!

The girl's protest fell on deaf ears, Shouko deep into musing about how how it worked. Besides, a downside that appeared when you stopped, was still a downside! "Nyahaha, don't worry about it! Quirks are weird, after all! I mean, I wake up in a boulder every morning, how do you explain that?" She laughed it off, revealing her own quirk on the side. Of course, she actually could explain it... But that was neither here nor there! "Ehh, is that really the case? But the usual company just throws it on the front step, you know! Even when it's marked fragile! Ooooh, mom was pissed about that one." Apparently, her experience with delivery services wasn't nearly so professional as Vivicchi!

Speaking of whom, as usual, Shouko entirely chose to ignore her preferences. "That's okay, Vivicchi! It was nice meeting you!" Seeing the other rise, she showed a rare situational awareness, not preventing the other from leaving. After all, she was clearly recovering from her weakness. Shouko had no excuse to keep her new friend any longer... Despite any desire on the contrary. "Good luck with the rest!" She called as she waved goodbye. It was always a good day to meet a new friend! Hopefully Vivicchi would deliver to them more often from now on!

For now... She had her own work to do! Cracking her knuckles, the girl turned to the package with a face altogether too serious for a simple assemblage of a bedframe. It was time to have a bed.