etrayalogs | OPERATION: YOUTHFUL DISOBEDIENCE

The fact you have to clarify that it was embarrassing for you makes it sound mighty suspicious, Midoriya!!

But Fabian is willing to drop it. He wants to drop it. He really doesn't want to think too much about their previous encounter, or he'll just start feeling bad all over again. And that isn't a feeling that will make him very productive right now, so he's actively opting to ignore it and focus on the other's question. Which is - thankfully - entirely unrelated to any of it.

"You will have to define what parts of this place you would consider 'weird American' specifically."

Considering Fabian has.. no idea what the United States are.. Obviously he could name some weird things about this place, but who knows if those would be weird to Midoriya too! There are some parts of this town that do remind him of Elmville, after all.

Midoriya knows what it's like to be embarrassing, he's trying to mitigate any embarrassment! Not awkward at all! How is it that Midoriya, world's biggest dork, could make someone who seems otherwise charming and sociable embarrassed.

He waves his palms a little. "Well—not that Americans are weird, everyone's weird to someone else. But regardless of the design of the town, it's weird no matter what. No town is like this, in America or Japan. Uh, those are countries in my world.

"So anyway—the task lists, curfew, surveillance, robots, and whatever's making those weird noises at night... Those are unusual. Stuff out of science fiction or horror stories. Don't you find it strange?"

"Most of that is weird, yeah-- Or maybe I'd rather say bad." It's not like it's totally impossible, after all. Fabian is pretty sure people back home could do that sort of thing if they'd want to, especially with magic being possible in his world.. But that does mean he can agree it sucks. "I mean, what kind of place doesn't let people go out at night? That's insane! Papa always taught me that the only good law is the law of the blade!"

.. A totally normal thing to say.

You know what, Izuku, maybe Fabian is not the best pick when it comes to finding someone to ask about what's normal and what isn't, especially when he sounds so serious about it.

"The robots are the least strange part though. We do have those where I come from. I mean-- Our school's ex-vice-principal was one."

"Swords are cool and all," —Who doesn't like a cool sword?-- "but determining your life and the lives of others by the blade is, uh, frowned upon. There's no reason someone with more might should use it as an excuse to beat someone down."

With great power comes great responsibility. All Might taught him that his power was for saving people. Whereas All Might became a symbol of peace as a byproduct of winning fights against villains, he believes that Izuku could become a true symbol of peace through his unwavering need to save others.

"I go to school to learn how to save people. We have bots too, but they're just training bots and they don't run our lives."

Izuku, you are so lucky that you are talking to Fabian right now, rather than to Fabian's dad. Because the latter would never let that first remark go, while Fabian seems more or less alright with it. He does believe in it to some extent, but he also isn't going to argue for it the way his dad does.

He thinks the way his dad speaks about it is pretty embarrassing anyway..

So rather than speaking up about that, Fabian says: "Well, yeah. That is what our school is about too-- more or less, I suppose."

Not everyone uses the lessons there to actually save people, after all. Even though he and his friends do.

"And I think vice-principal Grix was likely programmed to do normal things as well, but-- well, I am sure Aguefort programmed Grix. It was bound to go wrong just because of that."

His face brightens. A fellow not-normal-school! Maybe they can swap tips or complain about homework (he secretly misses it).

"Ooh, is school where you learned how to use a sword?" Normal. "Do you have Quirk—uh, meta powers in your world? And wait, are you saying a robot is your vice-principal?"

He has so many questions. New hyperfixation discovered.

There's a nod. It's kind of difficult to tell at first as to which question that's an answer - one of them? two of them? all of them? - but considering the thing Fabian speaks up about, it seems like it was an answer to all of them except for the one he bothers to talk about.

"Well, I'm not fully sure what you mean when you say Quirk." He imagines it's probably Izuku's powers, like the ones he showed before, back when he was defending that stuffed toy from Fabian like it was a battle of life and death. "But magic exists in our world, yes."

That has to be similar enough, right. Meta powers.. are probably just some sort of special power.. Even if it's not like magic is all that 'special' back in Spyre.

"I am a fighter and a bard," he starts. There's a slight pause, almost as if to gauge the other's reaction, before Fabian adds: "If that tells you anything."

He's met people who had no idea what that meant, weirdly enough.

Where Izuku comes from, a nod can simply be an indication that someone is listening. Pretty vague, Fabian!

"Not magic, but... sure. You can think of it like that. Most people are born with one, but they're all different. And... bard? Do you like music? One of my classmates loves music, she's really good at it."

He beams at him. In Izuku's opinion, that's very cool. Fabian isn't being as shy about it as Jirou was, but Izuku did catch that slight pause...

"Not making music," he specifies.

Not that he seems offended by the assumption. Really, those types of bards also tend to be the more common ones where he comes from. (Of course Fabian doesn't realize what the meaning of the word is in another world entirely where D&D classes don't exist in the same way they do in his own..)

"I dance. It's not all that difficult to incorporate into sword fighting once you get the hang of it. And it often makes you too fast and nimble for your enemies to hit you as easily, or you can draw the focus on yourself and away from your allies."

Sorry, Izuku. Fabian is a bit of a strategy nerd deep down. It's not usually something he talks about - he tends to put it into practice more - but it's also just not often that someone actually asks him about it like this!

"Oh! Another classmate of mine dances too! In my world we just call them dancers. She said that it helps her dodge. She has some of the best reflexes. She even taught me some moves. Visualization, awareness of space, and execution, it really helped me out. I miss her."

This dork doesn't seem like a nimble dancer, and it's likely he needed all the help he could get. He beams as he pulls out a notebook (from where?) and sidles closer to show Fabian. He's usually shy about showing his notebook since he got made fun of for being a nerd, but here is a fellow nerd!

"Let's see what I wrote... She told me not to flail around but move deliberately. Visualize where I want to be, and put more lock into it! I think what you do is really cool, Fabian-kun."

...

Wait, what's with the notebook? Something about it actually reminds Fabian - in turn - of a nerd he knows. Someone who might also have written stuff like this down in a notebook. And he also happens to be very green..

Though there's no time to comment on it. Because that last comment completely silences any other thought in Fabian's mind. He stares over at Izuku with wide eyes for a moment, like he didn't expect the sudden compliment after all the (very accidental) negging Izuku did before.

"You think I am really cool?" There's a slight pause, and as if he sudden realized something, Fabian is quick to add: "I mean-- Of course what I do is very cool! I am the most popular person in my school, you know! That's why I am maximum legend!"

As he says those last two words, he's gesturing at his 'very' 'cool' neck tattoo. Which is those two exact words in a golden font, all the way across.

"Oh—wow—you, uh, got it tattoed on your neck..." That sure is a lot of commitment.

And wow Fabian, Izuku was complimenting the whole time! Nevermind that it was ill-timed and awkward... Izuku is not the greatest at conversation. He's had people blow up at him before, sometimes literally. And if Fabian is used to being popular, all the more chance of Izuku being awkward... (Any resemblance to real or imaginary green nerds is entirely coincidental.)

But then he suddenly brightens and he stands a little straighter.

"Hang on, is that like your Hero name? Like a codename? Do you go by that in the field? Mine's Deku."

He is not getting that tattooed on his neck. No thanks.

"Uh.."

It isn't really. After all, there's no need for code names in their world, even though Fabian can imagine at least one of his nerdier friends finding that sort of idea really cool.

He's making a mental note to make sure Riz and Izuku don't talk too much. Who knows what sort of ideas Riz might pick up from this guy.. Way too many ideas that would make Fabian's life way more nerdy and cringe..

But on the other hand, Fabian takes his title very seriously! And he wants Izuku to take it seriously too because of that! So it seems the only way to get the other to that for sure is to claim--

"Sure. It's what people call me back at school." Nailed it. It's not even a lie, so he can say it very convincingly. "Everyone knows that I am maximum legend! You have no idea just how far my reputation reaches!" He's proudly puffing out his chest a little as he says it..

Incredibly humble, I know.

It's too late. Izuku and Riz have spoken and will speak again. The nerd nation will rise.

Students in the Hero course come up with their Hero names while in school. They might change them later, but it's still an important decision. They begin to be recognized by them (and might be stuck with them).

Izuku's eyes grow big and round. People who boast are often not all that, but sometimes there are cases (like Bakugo) where there is truth behind the bluster.

"Are you a top student then? I've only done my first year, but I've come very far, even got my Provisional License early and started working. It's all thanks to everyone who helped me, and I have some of the best teachers there are."

What a goody two shoes. Even his accomplishments must be cut with acknowledgements of those who supported him.

Izuku really is proving that nerd credit more with every single thing he says. Not that a cool and popular student like Fabian is necessarily all for dunking on teachers - he thinks his own teachers are pretty good too, though he would still credit himself more than said teachers for his accomplishments.

It's just what happens when you're raised to think you're the best person ever.

"Of course I am!" He easily answers Izuku's question, even scoffing a little bit. Like the idea of him not being a top student is crazy. "I get top notch grades, I'm the captain of our Bloodrush team, the most popular student at school and my adventure party has saved the world no less than three times already!"

.. Is he--

Is he just ignoring Izuku's own accomplishments? Fabian, boy, surely you can take a moment off from boasting about yourself, my dude.. Give this cute bright-eyed nerd some credit.. But no, Fabian is apparently too busy proudly puffing out his own chest. Like an idiot.

Izuku blinks a little in the wake of this steamroller. How very like Bakugo. Pride cometh before a fall. Izuku thinks being popular is a very subjective thing, and surely Fabian can't be the most popular at every single activity...

"What's Bloodrush...?"

Izuku decides to stick to one question about the thing he might know least about, for his sanity.

In the early days of being in this place Fabian would have found that a simply ridiculous question.

At this point he's kind of used to it though - mostly since it seems like Bloodrush really is something reserved for just his world, and he's kind of getting the hang of having to explain something that feels so obvious to him.

"It's a team sport, of course! You have to get the ball to the other side of the field, and you are allowed to do anything to get it there. And I am amazing at getting it there, mind you."

"Wait, what, anything? Are weapons allowed? Powers?"

Trust a Hero Course student to ask a question like that. It's from experience: The spring sports tournament features standard activities like an obstacle course or a race, but... their Quirks are involved, and sometimes there are combat robots in the mix. Izuku didn't have a good handle on his Quirk back then, so he competed using a combination of wits, grit, and careful release of One For All (injuring himself).

Rather than giving poor Izuku a direct answer, Fabian instead replies with: "What? Are you saying you'd want to play a sport where you can do that?"

It's not like Fabian can tell whether or not the other looks that way because he has experience with it and knows how wild it gets or because he's excited about the idea, really. It's clear that there is some emotion about Izuku as the other speaks, Fabian just really isn't sure of what it is.

He rubs the back of his head, surprised expression quickly fading.

"Well uh... more like it would be a challenge thrown at me with little to no warning. That's UA High for you... But even then, there are rules, like no stepping out of the arena or something."

Bakugo would look a little more bloodthirsty about it, that's for sure. Even so, Izuku isn't complaining per se. He's mild-mannered by default. He just expects to be challenged... and to rise to the occasion.

"Your school sounds fairly normal to me, you know."

...

You know, the alarming part is probably that Fabian says that so casually. Challenges being thrown at you out of nowhere? Lethal danger? Powers being used? That's all totally normal school stuff to Fabian, and he says it about as casually as two normal teenagers would while agreeing on math class being a common thing across both their schools.

He chuckles. "You're the first person to say so when they hear about it. Normally people here say, 'But that's so dangerous!' We do have precautions in place..."

It's still so dangerous.

"So after adventuring school, what's next?"

He shrugs a little bit.

"Who knows? I still have about a year and a half to get through. We'll see what happens after."

It's.. perhaps a little too casual. For some people it's rather important to have their life charted out a little bit more, if not for the sake of their livelihood.. And yet Fabian seems like he isn't worried about the thought whatsoever. Like he truly believes he can just figure it out at the last moment.

"Besides, we could still be stuck in this dumb place for gods know how long. It's not exactly the sort of place where you want to think of school on top of everything else." Please don't be a jerd about this and say you are thinking about school here, Izuku!

Izuku stares at him, an effect his large eyes cannot hide. He is absolutely being a jerd and thinking about school here. He can't slack on his studies, and that includes working out so he can be the best Hero he can be!

"Why did you go to adventuring school?" he asks as politely as he can. What plans does Fabian have for the future?!

"To become the most famous person alive."

There's no audible duh behind it, but considering the tone Fabian is using over here, there might as well have been. He's answering the question like Izuku just asked him something that's so obvious that the other - even from another world! - should have known it.

"Because I am going to carve my name on the world! That is not a thing you can just pre-plan!"

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wannasmash - 2025-05-27 06:31 (UTC) - Expand