Chapter Text
"Ningyou!" A group of young girls squealed. Kawamura Noriko pulled the sucker from her mouth to smile over at them with a friendly wave. Her hero outfit left her arms exposed as well as most of her legs. Due to that, she had visible scars from her years as a Pro. She also had scars on her face. There was a patch of scarred skin directly under her left eye. She also had a scar stretching horizontally across the bridge of her nose. But her scarred appearance didn't deter her fans. Noriko was naturally beautiful, and she had an air about her that drew people's attention. She acted like she loved the attention, but Noriko would have been happier if she was an underground hero. Noriko gave the girls a wink before putting the sucker back in her mouth and carrying forward. Noriko may not have loved the attention that came with being popular, but she certainly knew how to play her role. Noriko was an excellent puppet master, and she was the star puppet.
Noriko's quirk was a closely guarded secret. It was common knowledge that Noriko's quirk was called Marionette. But no one knew just what Marionette was. Only she and the Hero Safety Commission knew how it worked. Activating her quirk was simple. Noriko could create and control red strings. The strings would wrap around her target, turning it into a puppet. She could make the puppets move however she wanted, or she could constrict the strings and crush her target. There was one part to Noriko's quirk that she hardly ever had to use. That was turning herself into a puppet. She could move beyond her capabilities but at dire consequence to her body. Noriko decided she wouldn't use that technique unless her limbs were already broken.
Noriko walked to the entry way for the gala. Hero society threw them every once in a while to entertain the rich. Noriko always found them draining, but she was supposed to go to keep up her persona. Noriko gave her fans one last wave as she stepped inside. It thankfully wasn't one of the events Noriko had to dress formally for. Instead, Noriko was attending the event in her hero costume. A few people's heads turned when Noriko stepped inside the event space. Noriko plastered a fake cocky smile on her face. She hated these events with a passion. Everyone was so fake. The Pros were forced to entertain the higher ups of society. Some Pros enjoyed it, but Noriko would rather eat asphalt than deal with them.
"Ah, Ningyou!" A rich man called out. Noriko couldn't remember his name for the life of her. "Sir Nighteye, have you met the darling Ningyou?" Sasaki Marai seemed as uninterested in the man as Noriko felt.
Noriko extended her hand to Sasaki. "We've met before but nice to meet you," she said with a playful wink. To the man, it seemed like Noriko's typical cheeky behavior, but to Sasaki, it was an acknowledgement of his misery. She was silently mocking the rich benefactor. A smile actually cracked at Sasaki's face for a moment, before he buried it once again. He didn't want the benefactor to mistakenly believe that he was enjoying his company. Noriko forced a little chuckle. "It's always an honor, Sir Nighteye." Inside, Noriko was praying for an escape. She didn't want to be there. She wanted out as soon as possible.
Unfortunately for Noriko, the man decided that he would escort Noriko around rather than Sasaki. He wanted ot show her off and introduce her to other Pros as if she wasn't already well known. Noriko wanted to throw up everytime he touched her shoulder. She hated that side of Hero Society. She hated being a celebrity. Noriko wanted to help people, not be a peacock. But in order to do her job the most efficiently she needed to network, which meant putting up with people completely detached from reality. Noriko fought her urge to tell the man to get lost, and let him show her around like some kind of award winning poodle. It make Noriko feel sick, but she never showed it.
After about an hour, which seemed much longer, the man lost interest in showing off Noriko. She was able to escape to a wall, away from the crowds. Noriko released a sigh when it seemed no one was looking at her. She pressed her head back against the cool wall and looked up at the ceiling. Just five minutes, she decided. Five minutes was all she needed. "It's exhausting, isn't it?" Noriko's head snapped toward the source of the voice. Her body relaxed when she saw who it was. She plastered her usual charming smile on her face. Noriko couldn't let him see her more out of character. It was important she maintained the persona she had as Ningyou.
"Ingenium," she grinned. "I don't know what you mean."
Iida Tensei was holding his helmet, allowing Noriko to see his face. "You know, I always thought there was something off about you. I'm glad to see you are just like the rest of us, not some secret assassin." Noriko internally winced at his words, but her charming, damn near flirty smile never left her face. Noriko believed he couldn't possibly know the truth, that she wasn't the person she portrayed herself as. In the eye of the public, Noriko was charismatic and bold. But inside, Noriko was quiet and exhausted. She wanted to shake the doubts free from her head. There was no way he knew. "You don't have to pretend," Tensei said. "It must be exhausting playing the role everyone expects from you."
Tensei was smiling sweetly at her. He meant well, Noriko realized. It almost made her want to drop her guard. She had only wanted five minutes, but she wouldn't be getting that. "What makes you think I'm playing a role?" Tensei raised an eyebrow at her question. It seemed obvious to him after he saw the way Noriko dropped her guard when she thought no one was watching. But it wasn't the first time he had seen Noriko like that. No, he had seen her drop her guard multiple times. The first was after an interview. Tensei thought it was odd how her face dropped when she thought no one was looking. He had seen it a couple times after taht as well. It became painfully obvious to him that Noriko wasn't as she seemed.
"Well you are, aren't you? I've seen it before, the way your smile drops when you think no one is looking." Tensei didn't say it with judgement, he almost sounded comforting, like he understood. Noriko's smile fell from her face and her shoulders slumped. He knew. There was no use pretending since he knew the truth. Noriko sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. "There is nothing wrong with that," Tensei added. "So long as you are being the hero you want to be." Noriko pursed her lips. The hero she wanted to be wasn't exactly what Noriko would call it.
"I'm more like the hero people want me to be," Noriko clarified. "If it were up to me, I'd do my hero work in the shadows. But the public needs people they know they can rely on." Tensei nodded understandingly. He also knew the importance of being a name that people knew they could rely on. He wasn't sure what to make of Noriko. She was incredible at playing the role she felt was expected of her. She drew people's attention and made civilians feel safe. She wasn't in the top ten, but she had a good ranking. Ningyou was popular and for good reason. But seeing the exhausted side of Noriko changed things. Noriko slapped her usual smile on her face. "Incoming," she whispered to Tensei.
"Ningyou, Ingenium, it's so great to see you both." The man who approached them was tall and thin. Noriko felt like she recognized him, but couldn't exactly remember from where. "We haven't met before, but I am Sato Kenji. I am a support items developer," Sato introduced himself. Noriko definitely recognized his name. He was the man who had developed the boots for Noriko's hero outfit. They were bulky and supportive. They were easily the most comfortable of the shoes she had tried out for her suit. Noriko found her smile widening.
"You developed my boots," Noriko said.
Sato smiled brightly. "Yes, I did. I must say, it's an honor to meet you both." Noriko's smile was charming and playful. She wasn't sure she trusted the man standing before them. He had done a great job on her boots, but she knew most people invited to these events viewed Pros as their entertainment. Noriko was suspicious that he was the same. "I didn't realize the two of you were friends," Sato added. Noriko smiled flirtatiously over at Tensei. She had her act down. Noriko knew exactly what Ningyou would do at all times. Ningyou was always charming and flirtatious, two things Noriko only was when she wanted to be. There was a special charm that came with Ningyou. Noriko found it a little exhausting.
"It is important for Pros to have connections," Noriko replied as she gave Tensei a cheeky wink. Tenseu grinned back at her.
"Well, miss Ningyou, I have a proposition for you. I'm sure you've heard of quirk marriages, yes?" Noriko froze, her smile tightening. She couldn't believe what Sato was proposing. Especially in front of another Pro. "You see, my nephew has a brainwashing quirk and he is quite fascinated with you." Noriko wanted to puke. She glanced over at Tensei in a panic. She was horrified by the proposition Sato was making. "Your children would be unstoppable with your combined quirks," Sato continued. "He is about six years older than you, but I can guarantee a happy life with him. He is more than willing to be whatever type of partner you are seeking."
Tensei saw the panic in Noriko's eyes and acted. He held his helmet with one arm and used his other to grab Noriko's waist and pull her against his body. "Sato, I believe you are misunderstanding the nature of our relationship," Tensei said. It was an impulsive decision. He had gone with the first idea he had. It wasn't the best idea, nor was it well thought out. But it was effective. Noriko relaxed against Tensei. She reached her hand up to his face, holding it gently with a flirty smile. She was grateful for Tensei coming in for the save. Noriko wasn't sure she would have been able to stay calm while rejecting Sato's proposition. Tensei had saved her.
"Oh, you're together?"
"We haven't told the public yet," Noriko confirmed. She tilted her head up and pressed a kiss to Tensei's cheek. Her eyes widened in horror when she heard the click of a camera. She chuckled lightly to hide her distress. "I guess the cat's out of the bag." Noriko's mind was spinning. If that picture got out, then she and Tensei could have a problem. He had stepped in to help her out of a very uncomfortable situation, but that didn't mean that he was willing to help out in the long term. That picture would force them together for the time being. She glanced at Tensei. He seemed to be without a care. Noriko wasn't sure what to make of it.
Tensei gave Noriko's waist a light squeeze. He had realized the same thing Noriko had upon hearing the click of the camera. Although they were hidden away against a wall, it seemed like attention had turned toward them. Word would get out about Ingenium and Ningyou. They were going to be forced to figure out how to proceed. But Tensei wasn't about to abandon Noriko to more conversations like the one he overheard. Tensei knew they would figure it out and he would respect however Noriko decided to proceed.