Blacklights — An AU BNHA Roleplay

[Wryneck]

♪

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​

For someone like me, it was always easy to tell just how blind people are. What happened, shouldn't have happened, but it did.

Why?

Why were they all so distracted that they couldn't take notice of the tragedy happening right behind them?

That's right... It's because of them... Those this world calls heroes.

And yet, if these heroes are so worthy of the spotlight, why is it that they failed to do something so simple as to save two people?

As it turns out, no matter how brightly I shone, their eyes would never turn in my direction...

---

Chapter One: Reflection

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​

Crimson eyes twitch open in response to a blinding light flooding the room. Even after over two years of waking up to this, Kat still couldn't claim to be used to it. This was how their father, Lighthouse, woke her and her six siblings up every morning. As annoying as it often was, a drowsy smile is all she could manage to greet the man with. To the world, he was a nobody with a quirk not worth flicking a switch at, but to those of them in that room, he was everything. There wasn't a morning that passed by where he didn't wake them up with that thought in his mind and a smile on his face. Even if no one else saw him, they did, and, at least for him, that was enough.

"Time to wake up, sleepyheads." His voice was scraggly. The type that someone would assume was always tired, or apathetic. The former was definitely true, but the latter couldn't be further from it. His announcement made, Lighthouse left the room to finish the breakfast they'd be waking up to. Despite how many he had in his care, he somehow managed to provide for all they'd want. Eggs, toast, and bacon or sausage (their choice) were provided on non-cereal-and-milk days, with fruit always being an option. Lunch was usually whatever sandwiches they'd make for themselves. Lighthouse tried to make sure dinners were special, though they'd had to settle on more than one occasion for whatever meal he'd call subpar, even if it was more than what the former orphans would ever see in an orphanage.

Likewise, the siblings shared what would be called the living room, so they weren't cramped for space. A place where they could all have their own rooms was outside of the budget he could manage as a factory employee. He'd apologized for the fact whenever he brought a new one in, but was reminded every time that there was no such need. The siblings got along well enough, of course sharing an argument on occasion amongst themselves. Those, too, were precious memories.

Kat sat up from her spot on the floor, wiping eyes both flooded with light and still held hostage by the allure of further slumber. The positions some of the others would be waking up in often afforded an early morning round of laughter, with questions as to whether some of them were even human asked.

Though not the oldest, Kat took it upon herself to act as an elder sister of sorts. Most of the brothers of the family were well enough to take care of themselves, so she charged herself more with seeing to Elvira and Makoto, the youngest of their family. Makoto, especially, was rather curious, and often needed to be roped back into reality before it "killed the cat", so to speak.

After making sure to nudge anyone who'd somehow not been woken up by Lighthouse, she made her way towards the kitchen. While not huge, it was large enough that one could serve themselves before retreating back to the living room to eat. These circumstances almost always led to a mess to be cleaned up, especially if an argument ensued. As mature as they might be, they were all still kids.

It was as Kat was spreading butter on the many pieces of toast Lighthouse had prepped that she remembered the conversation the family had the night before. It was shortly after they'd all been taken in that their father announced a means to get themselves noticed, They'd spent the last couple years training their quirks in secrecy, as using them in public without a hero license was prohibited. Last night, he told them tomorrow was the day.

Tomorrow was today.

It was a distant, hopeful thought when she'd first been adopted, but now that the time was finally upon them, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She felt nothing of actually committing a crime. Rather, she was simply worried about the thought of getting captured. It must've been evident on her face, because he took notice.

"Let me be the shoulders." When she looked towards him, his eyes were focused on finishing their meal. The way he said it made him feel somewhat distant, but Kat would have to steel herself. If for no one but her younger siblings.

Her plate prepared, a conservative serving of a scrambled eggs and buttered toast sandwich, Kat gave her father a hug, as she did every morning. This one lasted a bit longer than the passing one she so often gave, but it was no mystery why. After a ritualistic pat on the head that said "you can go now," Kat made her way back towards the living room.

The news would be on soon, and there was no doubt it would be nothing but heroes again.

 

[Stormi]

The natural light pushed through the blinds as the sun rose. Sitting in the corner of the room to optimize space was Hiroya. As the as the little light hit his face he covered his face with his hand peeking around the room. It was another day that they had all made it through. Standing up in place he smiled softly watching his siblings sleep. It was then that the smell of food hit his nostrils.

Stepping over his brothers and sisters in his Pajama bottoms, socks, and a t-shirt he made it to the kitchen. There was his father the only person he had when he was younger, cooking for them all. He sat at the counter not saying a word to the older man watching him cook. He looked down at the counter showing no emotion, that's just the kind of person he was. Lighthouse looked back at him and smiled, before saying good morning and continuing to cook. Hiroya Simply nodded back.

He waited until Lighthouse told him he could take some. Slowly standing up Hiroya walked up taking some bacon and toast and placing them on a plate. Opening the fridge he reached for the milk, grabbing a glass before pouring and returning the milk to the fridge. As Hiroya walked back to the living room his hetero colored eyes scanned the room for a suitable place to sit. Luckily there happened to be a spot open on the floor next to the coffee table.

Sitting down criss-cross as his father entered the room. He munched on a piece of toast as lighthouse turned on the lights to wake everyone else up. It was always like this, first up and last asleep. He chewed before sipping his glass of milk as everyone else tiredly rose from their slumber.

 

[Jessica]

The morning glare of Lighthouse's quirk needed only a few seconds before Elvira was woken by the blinding light, earning a small 'nyeh' before she bundled up in the thin blanket she snuggled that evening. The blanket had belonged to one of her siblings, Jeon, while her own had been a little ball at her feet. She also found that her head had found its way onto her older brother's side, a small puddle of drool on his sheets and her hair had nested on and around his person.

"Oh man..." She murmured to herself, using this as the necessary drive to sit up and rub the sleep out of her eyes. Her plain white shirt had wrinkled significantly due to her midnight turning and her fluffy bargain bin pajama pants had ridden up her legs.

Once she readjusted herself, she took her hair off her brother and put his blanket back on him. Elvira reached above her bed, taking the brush she had and quickly combed out the tangles from her hair. She did this so her siblings wouldn't have to wait 10 minutes or more to use the bathroom because of her.

"Good morning..." She said to anyone awake and or listening. Elvira, once her hair had been combed and fixed, stood up to head to the kitchen where breakfast was waiting.


Elvira slumped against Lighthouse, giving him a tight hug and muttered another "good morning" to him. Once he patted her head, she released him and got her own helping of breakfast. An apple and a glass of water would accompany it, not just for her quirk but to help her wake up.

She sat criss-cross on the floor, facing away from the television while she bit into the apple. She could never bring herself to watch the news, even with her family. She'd rather watch some mind-numbing child's show than listen to how "wonderful" the pro heroes were.

 

[Desert Bee]

The wooden log hovers motionless in the inky void. Its perfectly cylindrical form more akin to a toothpick of impossible thickness. Everything within the barren wasteland of nothing was at peace, as long as that perfect wooden log is undisturbed.

That perfection, its solidarity, I want to understand.

Pressure breathes onto each end of the log; gentle at first, but ever-growing. Something of such density would surely never break. As the weights grow heavy, I hear voices.

"Be careful."
"Don't break it."
"Stop."

I'm just testing it, I try to explain. I want to know why its so perfect. That's when a crack is heard. The perfect wooden log, though unblemished, had torn from within.

"Be careful!"
"Don't break it!"
"Stop!"

The pressure continues to accrue. Tears are running down my face. Please, I beg. I don't need to understand, it doesn't matter, let it go. But more cracks are heard. Shadows of blemishes, tears, the pulling and twisting of grain within the wood log are obvious. Each end is pulled further and further down as its center erupts jagged, broken.

"BE CAREFUL!"
"DON'T BREAK IT!"
"STOP! STOP STOP STOP!"

I can't hold it back. I want to tell them it isn't me, that I don't want to break anything. The last crack is heard, the center of the perfect wooden log bursting apart in splinters, then silence. Horrified, judgmental, angry silence.

No words need to be spoken. I've ruined everything. And there's only one way out.

* * *​

Morgan threw his arm out and grasped the blanket, squeezed tight as his heart pounded against his insides. Intense dread from a dream he no longer remembered was coiling at his throat and chest and skull.

Sinking back onto floor, Morgan held up a V-sign with his hand in response to Lighthouse then let the hand fall to his face. Splaying open a couple fingers, Morgan's darkly circled eye peeped across the shared living space. Their caretaker had left the room, and Hiraya was tip-toing over those on the floor while Katsugu was gently waking everyone.

Not wanting to be poked, Morgan crawled out of his blanket and rose to his socked feet with a tired murmur. Stretching arms into the air until his shoulders, elbows, and back all popped with his black shirt rising above his naval. Upon noting his spine had not in fact snapped, Morgan lowered his arms, the t-shirt hem falling back down to his red, skull boxers, and shuffled into the bathroom away from any prying eyes.

Morgan had been "adopted" by Lighthouse almost two years ago but everyone else had seemed to've lived here for at minimum twice that. It didn't matter. Two years, ten, he was uncomfortable being asleep next to other people. Not that anyone had really bothered him.

Pulling his shirt back up, he looked at the mirrored reflection of his torso. While he'd been living on the streets his ribs had become painfully visible through his skin. Turning side to side, Morgan caught the bathroom light against his body at different angles. Well okay, he could still see his ribs but at least it wasn't painful. Letting go of his shirt, Morgan rinsed his hands, scratched the scars on his left wrist, and massaged his face with water before sauntering back out of the bathroom.

"Good morning to you, too." Lighthouse always had a smiling face. It wasn't necessarily that he smiled all the time, but rather he exuded a genuinely friendly aura. That's what it felt like anyway. Morgan still wasn't used to it.

Giving an awkward short wave, Morgan seated himself at the kitchen bar. He wasn't sure if the other currently awake orphan--to Morgan's knowledge they all were, but then he also tended to forget what they told him so...--Katsugu, had caught his greeting, so he nodded to the girl through pursed lips and without eye-contact.

Each time Katsugu asked Lighthouse for permission or simply grabbed food, Morgan took it as allowal for himself to do the same. He was sure to wait at least ten seconds so it didn't look like he was copying her. With his plate of eggs and bacon stacked on toast and glass of orange juice, Morgan ridgedly waited in front of Lighthouse until the man patted his long hair. It wasn't so much as he wanted a pat--Morgan couldn't care less--but the other orphans seemed to enjoy it, and Lighthouse seemed happy to give it, so. Morgan wasn't going to be the odd one out.

Seating himself at the now empty couch, Morgan began to quietly dissect his plate while peripherally watching everyone instead of the television. There was a certain tension in the air. Perhaps in anticipation of today's coming event. However for Morgan, who sat nibbling an egg, that was the one thing he was comfortable about.

 

[The Wanderer]

To say that Eli was a heavy sleeper was an understatement.

A bomb could go off, while a kaiju was hosting a rave with speakers the size of skyscrapers and someone managed to record all of this and put it on Eli while he was sleeping, and he would only stir before resuming his slumber.

What didn't help was Eli's slightly messed up sleeping schedule and Eli's tendency to be extra hard to wake up when he was warm and comfortable. So when wake-up time came around, Eli would take some extra effort to wake him up. But the persistent effort would eventually elicit a small groan from him as he came back into the waking world. Seeing everyone else doing their shared wake-up routine with breakfast at the end, Eli would wait a little bit so that he could wake up a bit more. As he didn't want to sleepily stumble into someone and ruin their breakfast.

As the cloudy feeling in his head from recently waking up eventually subsided, Eli stood up from the spot he had taken up as part of the shared living room/bedroom that his siblings and him shared, before slowly stretching to help with any cramps from sleeping on the floor with just a pillow and such. Not bothering to grab his signature sunglasses.

With that done, Eli decided to go and join in on breakfast.

The plate he made was modest in size. A simple scrambled egg, bacon and toast sandwich. A combination that he found that it was a nice easy way to ensure that a big mess was made when he was finished eating. As eating the regular way required utensils. And while they had said items, he didn't want to add to the workload for whoever would be helping with dishes.

As he was finishing making his breakfast sandwich, Eli felt Lighthouse give him a head pat. A gesture that had become ritualistic. And one that caught Eli off guard when he had first became a member of this odd family. "Morning Mister Lighthouse." He said before leaving the kitchen, not wanting to leave with a head-pat being unanswered to.

Coming back into the living room where his siblings had gathered after getting breakfast, taking part in watching the television. To be more specific, the news. Which was broadcasting the success of another Hero.

A simple thing that almost soured his mood if it wasn't for the fact he was about to chow down on a tasty breakfast sandwich, and the excitement of what would be happening today. Today was the day that Lighthouse had been training them for, the day where they'd make their debut.

While excitement filled him, he couldn't shake the anxiety that came with it. One such thought was what if someone saw their faces and could later identify them. A thought that Eli gave thought to when making his mask when he had joined this family and was informed of their shared task. The mask's design was simple, black cloth sewn together to form a decent mask that could cover his entire head, which combined with the addition of goggles would hopefully conceal his identity. He also hoped that his siblings had masks. Hell, maybe he will even offer to make masks for them once more, despite the fact they all had probably already made their own masks.

Not wanting his breakfast sandwich to go cold and nasty, Eli began to take bites out of it while merely looking at the television. Not really focusing on what it was showing.

Waiting for the announcement to come for the beginning of the reason why they had all trained for....

 

[Sanctus]

A light stir was seen, a shift of the head causing ivory locks to cascade with this movement. Lighthouse woke them as he normally did, glaring radiance filling the room, shadows melting away as they were bathed in white. Jeon's brow would furrow, eye lids shutting tightly as his senses returned to him. Along with those senses came the realization that once again Elvira had found a way to rip his blanket from him, and use his body as a makeshift pillow. The young man could feel the weight of her heard pressing into his side. At first, admittedly this pissed Jeon off to no end, but gradually he had learned to kind of just accept it.

Elvira was a sweet girl, and even though he'd never admit it she was sickeningly cute. As the female stirred over him, Jeon's teal hues would drift open, grogginess still claiming him. He would feel the blue locks lift off him before being replaced by his blanket she had stole sometime during the night.

Footsteps were heard, the smell of breakfast filling his nose and light greetings ringing his ears as his siblings stirred around him. Jeon on the other hand, wasn't about ready to get up yet.. And he disliked getting woken up in the typical Lighthouse fashion. Speaking of, the memory of the first time he had met that man began to materialize...

- - - - -

Busan - Two Years Ago

Ba dump, Ba dump, Ba dump...

For a moment only a heart beat could be felt, eyes that were once blinded by fear began to clear. As his vision returned Jeon could feel the weight of someone on top of him, a knee pressing into his abdomen forcing the boy into the ground. Teeth grit as he struggled to get up, an arm lifting off the ground to strike but it was quickly pinned by a hand.

"What about this don't you get?" Eyes quickly snapped towards the face of the man who had him pinned to the ground. Lighthouse. He heard his words, but with present circumstances the young man struggled to think rationally. Low growl erupted through clenched teeth, Jeon's right arm covered in blood, a mixture of his own and others' flexed before attempting another strike.. This action quickly quelled by Lighthouse slamming a boot down onto his forearm. He was far too weak to activate his quirk.. If he had the strength likely he would have toppled the man by now.

"You've no where to go. No family.. Not anymore."

..No Family?

Jeon's teals snapped to look over Lighthouse's face quickly. Those words, they cut deep.. But it seemed to be enough to snap the young man out of his blind rage. Lighthouse's grip over Jeon tightened, he pulled eyes off of him as he looked about the current disaster.

"Look around."

Orbs lingered on Lighthouse's visage before his head turned to gaze about the carnage. Jeon's mind began to clear, and with it came the screams, the smell of ash and burning bodies.. The sky was lit with the amber hues of flames nearby, it was hot, sweat dripping off of both Lighthouse and Jeon's faces. Smoke bellowed up into the air blotting out the night sky.. Teal pools shifted and in horror they widened.. Within them he could feel the tears welling. What he gazed upon were the dulled orbs of a girl, her lifeless gaze tearing through him, her final expression being one of anguish.

He knew her..

Just hours ago those same brown hues now laden with death had bore hope, hope that possibly.. Maybe their lives would make a turn for the better.. Jeon's jaw clenched hard as he attempted to fight back tears, his throat going dry.

"I'm sorry." Lighthouse let his apology linger for a moment, but sirens could be heard nearing in the distance. Jeon felt the man's forehead press against his own, a sign of comfort, of warmth..

"But we need to go. Now." Lighthouse's grip began to loosen on the young man... Jeon's watery teals shifted to look towards the man once more, a hint of confusion within.

"I can provide you a home." A hand removed itself from Jeon's now lax arm, moving towards crimson stained ivory tendrils. The man's fingers and palm pressed into Jeon's scalp gently. "A family." At this point Jeon's eyes stared upward, but they weren't looking at the man's face.. No, they were looking through him..

"What I can not provide, is your answer.. Jeon."

- - - - -

Jeon's choice at that time was clear. The young man had chosen to give himself another chance, another opportunity at life. Likely if he had stayed there he'd be rotting away in jail over in Korea by now. A low grunt left him as Jeon moved to sit up, doing so resulted in the blanket that Elvira placed over him to fall. A few moments passed as he sat there until he opted to move over to the kitchen. Jeon's sleep attire was.. Minimal, the young man had always found himself getting hot at night so he opted for light sleeping wear. A fitted white tank top hung off his broad shoulders, muscular frame bronzed frame easy to see under the garment, below he wore a simple pair of black shorts; they were fell just above his knees.

"Mornin'." His inflection was medium-deep, a baritone ring to his greeting. He wasted no time in getting himself a plate, and before long had stacked a heap of fluffy eggs and bacon on the dish.. Along with a couple of pieces of buttered toast of course. Jeon's appetite was a big one, but that was mainly due to his quirk. Henshin! required a lot of energy to activate and maintain, this meant every meal needed to be dense in calories. Pleased with his plate he passed Lighthouse, "Appreciate it."

He did not stop for his head pat, way Jeon looked at it.. He wasn't a kid, and he did not need or want that pat. Stuffing a piece of toast into his mouth Jeon leaned against the frame of doorway to the living room. Teals tightening as news of a successful rescue was displayed on the screen. Good. The young man did not hold the same hatred for heroes as others... Though he did hold some contempt against the heroes in it for just fame and glory.

More importantly.. Lighthouse had spoken about their first job briefly before, and that day was going to be today. Teals left the tv to look at his other siblings.. He unlike them had a criminal background, this first job wasn't so much a concern for him. What concerned him was how they felt, and who could potentially screw it up... Shoveling some eggs into his mouth he munched, mind still focused. He'd need to keep an eye on them.. Make sure no one's nerves got in the way of whatever Lighthouse had planned.

 

[Crow]

Koichi Makoto was already up before all were. He had completely disappeared from his bed and was in his study room. He was examining a personal board, decorated with newspaper clippings, pins, marker lines and conspiracy.

"The government, the media, the corporations... the Pro Heroes... how does it all meld in this great web? There's a missing link somewhere... somehow... somewhat... but what is it?"

Just then, breakfast was called for all.

"... I will have to wait to find out then."

Makoto greets his various surrogate siblings and his surrogate father Lighthouse as he appears at the table in the blink of an eye, as if he had teleported, which he obviously did not, since he was the only Quirkless one.

"Good morning, all."

He held his hands to his chin, not touching his food as of yet as he looks to the television.

"What lies will we be fed alongside our breakfast today?"

 

[Wryneck]

No one would be able to tell that Lighthouse was focusing on anything other than the coffee he was preparing for himself as each member of the family passed through for their meal. He'd trained peripheral vision for that exact purpose — to be able to keep an eye on all those he called family, even if they didn't think he was watching. After all this time, some of them still hadn't quite warmed up to him. It wasn't any wonder. The path that led some of them here... It was anything but an easy road. It was his hope that putting themselves out there and making themselves known; that once everyone was looking at them, they'd be able to smile.

Their method would be unorthodox, but the society they live in gave no other options. Teeth grit. That none of their natural talents, none of the special things they could were enough to warrant a reaction from people so blinded by heroes. Any other parent could ever consider the thought of having their children be what the world would call villains. But if it meant that people would look their way — if it meant that they'd be able to be happy...

A sigh. There was no point in getting worked up now. Even though all he had planned for today was hitting a few convenience stores, there was no doubt heroes would show up to combat a group of their size. He'd do what needed to be done to protect his family, but this was something he wouldn't be able to hold their hands through. They'd grow up today. That much was certain.

---

"I just did what's right." That's what the heroes on TV would proclaim after almost every rescue or defeat of a villain. The one being interviewed seemed new though. First day on the job, perhaps? As much a beginner as they'd soon be, just on opposite sides of the field. Apparently his quirk allowed him to pull cloth from his skin, much like a magician might pull a slew of handkerchiefs from their sleeve. Despite his status as a beginner hero, he still demonstrated himself more than capable of masterfully making use of the summoned cloth. The villain that was being hauled could be seen wrapped up in what could only be this hero's work.

"This being your debut as a pro hero, would you like to give your name?"

"Ah, sure! The name's Nuu! Nuno Nuu!" The reporter laughed.

"I meant your hero name."

The hero emitted nervous laughter. "Ah, right. That'd be: Ker Chief!" He seemed a bit embarrassed to be saying it out loud.

Hero society adds yet another to their ranks. Not that they'd see anything of him again unless he involved himself with the big names. Even within the hero society, lower grade heroes are given their debut appearance, and little else. A hero is only worth the weight of their accomplishments. The media would only do so many stories on small town crime being stopped by a new name hero. That's why becoming heroes wasn't the path Lighthouse offered them. Many of them wouldn't have agreed to it in the first place, and it took far too long for as much as the young man now on TV would get out of it.

A naive hero starting out in the career to help people, but time would either put him in a spotlight that would make him lose himself to the fame, or he'd be forgotten by media altogether.

Kat finished off her sandwich feeling neither appreciation nor disdain for the man. It wasn't heroes she hated. It was society. After all, the big name heroes might not have such inflamed egos if it weren't for society putting them on so high a pedestal.

A look around the room to check the state of each of her siblings was afforded. Hiroya had seated himself near the coffee table, drinking a glass of milk, per usual. Elvira was having none of what was being spewed on television, while Makoto seemed to be glued to the screen as though he were trying to pull whatever he could from it. Eli's gaze led to the TV in a blank stare. Morgan's face bore a look of eagerness. Lastly was Jeon, whose eyes wandered through the living room just as hers did. An awkward pause when theirs met, to which Kat responded with a smile and a curt wave, not wanting to break the silence. That would be for Lighthouse to do.

"Good morning, everyone." And so he did. Dragging himself into the living room and plopping himself down on the couch beside Morgan, he rested a hand on top of the young boy's head, knowing it was an action he'd be indifferent, a cup of coffee in his left. "I'm sure all of you already know what today is." His groggy voice drowned out anything that was being said on TV, even if anything he said was only a whisper. Anything that came from that man's mouth was far more important than anything that could ever be said on a television screen.

"I also know that more than a couple of you are probably nervous, as you should be. Any crime worth doing will be one that grabs the media's attention, and any crime worth the media's attention will be one worth a hero's attention. We will definitely be met with opposition. The past three years, give or take a few days, has been for today." Lighthouse took a sip of coffee.

"The day that whatever name you've all chosen for yourselves become known. The day that society can no longer ignore you. Before I continue on, I want to know that all of you are still on board. No one will be forced to do anything they don't want to. Not in this family."

The man already knew Kat's answer. To the ends of the earth and to the end of days, she would follow the man that shone a light on her life even as darkness slowly consumed her. She would say nothing until her siblings gave their answer.

 

[Desert Bee]

The crisp munching of Morgan teething on his toast was almost indistinguishable against the TV's news audio, but it felt loud as opening a crisp bag in a theater with each munch of the crisped bread as Lighthouse addressed them all. When the man's hand came to rest upon Morgan's head, the boy took it as a request for silence, gulped, and sat his plate onto the side table exchanging it for the resting notebook and pen. Half listening to the short speech, Morgan whisked the pen in scratchy lines over 1/8 of the page, occasionally shifting his eyes sidelong in anticipation of a disapproving stare that never came.

Perhaps it was a sign of his mortally apathetic disposition, but Morgan seemed to be the only one not particularly phased, he thought while filling in the ears and tail of his drawing with black ink. Maybe Hiroya was similarly unperturbed. In the past semi two years he'd stayed with Lighthouse, Morgan had witnessed the taller boy display generalized lack of emotion not dissimilar to Morgan's own unfeeling emo-isms, though he couldn't tell if it was just Hiroya acting mature.

Regardless, no one seemed ready to speak up. Were the rest of them truly nervous about today? Morgan palmed the inked out drawing and hovered one hand over the other as black liquid oozed from his upper palm. The miniature puddle in his hand tendrilled out into a tentacle-filled, amorphous blob until fashioning itself into a 12cm inky black cat. Letting the tiny feline casually crawl around his hand, likewise uncaring about the world at large, Morgan decided he might as well break the silence.

"Yeah. Life or death, I'm not bothered," deadpanned Morgan. It was too early in the morning for him to parse out proper Japanese, but his message should have came across.

Letting the ink kitty onto the floor, Morgan shooed it off then brought his legs up onto the cushion, chin resting on knees while dark circled eyes glanced up at his caretaker.

 

[Sanctus]

As those teals scanned the room, watchful eye looking over some of the younger family members they eventually landed on familiar crimson pools. Was it awkward? Jeon did not let it get to him, if anything he held respect for Kat.. She had a good head on her shoulders, and served as a good older sister to the group.. Hell with Jeon's temper tantrums at times she was able to even cool him off. Eyes would tighten as they rested on her's before replying with to the smile and wave with a short upnod of acknowledgement. Soon after, in walked the daddy of the group, Mr.Lighthouse himself. Teals shifted to take in the father figure, Jeon honestly never spoke to the other siblings about how they felt about this man..

A stranger who regardless of his surface job took in teenagers, supported them and took care of them. Jeon himself, was skeptical, he was always skeptical; growing up in the slums would do that to you.. In spite of that he did nothing, he did not attempt to find out more about this man.. Honestly, he had been pretty open about his life.. Even so Jeon should have been looking into him the moment he came to live here, and he did during the first couple of months. Eyes narrowed.. Like a wolf domesticated he grew complacent, converting to a family dog.

Why though?

Light hmph escaped him as he pulled his intense glare elsewhere, maybe because he needed this...

As Lighthouse spoke, Jeon paid attention, his gaze now falling on the tv. Were they nervous? Likely, Jeon in spite of his rough appearance displayed compassion at times. I had listened to most of the siblings stories, how they got here, what they are hoping for and what they plan to do to achieve it. No matter how much Jeon liked to pretend he was the realest guy here.. There was no denying that each person in this room had gone through their share of trials and tribulations. So.. The starting question, were they nervous?

"Yeah. Life or death, I'm not bothered,"

Brow perked a bit in response to Morgan's short and to the point answer, an amused grin pulled at tanned lips.

"Oho~ Edgy." Jeon's commented followed after the brief silence that followed, mocking tone settling within the room proper. Though he poked fun, Morgan's response spoke of the boy's confidence.. Or more likely his indifference. Either way, Morgan had the right idea.. Let's do this already.

"You're stallin'." His voice was firm before turning gaze back onto Lighthouse. "We made our voices clear the moment we joined this 'family'.. What' the job?" Jeon trusted his siblings felt the same.

Jeon much like Morgan was to the point, but unlike the indifference that rung in Morgan's voice, or possibly Hiroya's. Jeon's tone was always firm, and fiery. "Don't tell me you're gettin' cold feet now old man." The young man settled on a smirk, heated gaze still upon Lighthouse.

 

[Desert Bee]

Dark circled eyes twitched in response to his being called edgy. While it wasn't exactly wrong, Morgan suspected the tease might be construed as mocking by the others -- if that wasn't how Jeon how meant it, anyway. A mock coming from the way Morgan spoke, dressed, or acted. And while he most certainly did all three of those uniquely, it had nothing to do with attention. It was simply... just how he did things. Morgan didn't like being pointed out for what he did.

With his hand tucked low next to his boxers and the couch cushion, away from Lighthouse's prying eyes, Morgan flicked a finger toward Jeon. That's when the ink kitty, which had been docilely attempting to scale Eli's comparative ginormous form in a bid for morning eggs, flung itself onto the floor in a bounding dash at the Korean. Like a tiny cheetah, it sped at its target then leaped at Jeon's plate intending to kamikaze dive-bomb into his eggs and leave them an inky mess, all the while Morgan was looking in the opposite direction acting innocently unaware.
@Sanctus

 

[Crow]

"There are indeed reasons to be nervous," Makoto says as he continues, "truth be told, I actually do feel bad for bringing harm to younglings that become puppets of greater society, no matter how neccessary, but it must be done. Who knows when they'll stop being the puppets and become the puppeteers. Consider me on-board, once and always."

Makoto observes the scene before him as a newly-created ink-cat begins to waltz about.

"You are aware that the two of you are not the sole individuals here, now do you?"

 

[Jessica]

Elvira's eyes had widened.

Oh.

Oh!

No, she didn't forget that today was a big day!


Elvira didn't have much time to inwardly panic since her brothers each spoke their peace. Lighthouse had given them another chance to back away from a potential life of crime and villainy. He always gave them the choice to do what they felt was right; never pushed one direction or try to persuade them into another. Each person here could have all gone Lighthouse's route and work in some factory making a livable sum here and there... But... That's not why Lighthouse brought them together.

If Elvira wanted to become just another number to the country's roster, she would have declined Lighthouse and be adopted by the other family that took interest in her.

Besides, if she chose to live a normal life, then Lighthouse would have wasted his time and effort on her. She'd be disappointing her siblings, her father figure, and her birth parents. They didn't die so she wouldn't have the chance to make a difference in this Quirk bias world. Elvira didn't want to fade into obscurity and let the bastard, murderous heroes get away with crimes because they were doing it out of justice.

She'd sooner watch the whole world burn before even thinking about separating from her family.


"I'm not backing out... I promised myself that this would be the path I take, and I intend to keep it. No matter what." Elvira said firmly.

 

[Wryneck]

As if there were even a need to beg the question, Lighthouse could've answered for them had he not minded seeming pretentious. The type of person he was wouldn't allow it to hear it from anyone's mouths but their own, though, and such is why he asked a question he already knew the answer to. There was little to be said on the matter at that point. After gently knocking on Morgan's head and glaring at Jeon to put their shenanigans to an end, he continued.

"Alright, then. I know some of you have been working on masks of your own. Some of you probably already have costumes ready." There was no doubt, with how proactive and involved some of the members of their family could be. The thought would put a smile on his face, were circumstances not demanding of a serious tone. "After you're done eating, I'd like you to show me what you have. If anyone, for one reason or another, hasn't prepared something, I bought some things that can do for now."

Lifting a bag that'd spent the night under the coffee table, and somehow gone untouched, Lighthouse revealed some masks from within. All of them resembled the ChikaRangers, this verse's version of the Power Rangers. Silly though it was, they were well made, and were probably the best bet he could afford with the budget he had for this. He tried to hide an air of embarrassment in response to his children's reactions. Of course, he couldn't have expected this would go over well. Nonetheless, his first daughter would pick up the red one and put it on. The material was well enough that it could probably take a direct punch or two before becoming useless at its function.

Kat nodded with it on. "This'll work." Her voice was reassuring, rather than sarcastic, albeit muffled by the mask. On top of everything else, it was just spacious enough that they could probably fit earpieces in for communicating, if they had access to such devices. Though, knowing Makoto, they'd have them before they began.

An inescapable grin betrayed tired eyes. He wasn't really expecting any of them to be up for using them, and he knew she was only doing it so as to not make it seem as though his money went to waste. "That'll be for after though. Let's eat."

 

[The Wanderer]

As the news went on, Eli's mood was on the verge of turnin more sour, or at least it was before Lighthouse stood in front of the TV and subsequently themselves.

Then the man in question proceeded to remind them all of how exactly special this day was.

While the older individual continued on, Eli listened on with earnest, not wanting to seem disinterested or unwilling for today's activities.

Then his attention was dragged to the minor altercation between Jeon and Morgan. Although not much of an altercation but more of a sibling quarrel if anything. Eli had to suppress a chuckle at the sight of the ink kitten.

'Hopefully this won't continue in the field.' Eli thought to himself as Lighthouse then brought up the topic of costumes and masks. Which in turn caused Eli to practically glow with excitement.

Countless chores and such to earn whatever money he could then use to snag cheap materials and clothes that now consisted of his would-be villain outfit. The old and somewhat tattered long coat, leather gloves and other clothing items were easy to obtain at some bargain stores or other sources.

The mask was perhaps the most difficult. As Eli didn't want something flashy or anything that'd be hard to repair or replace. Which then brought Eli to take some black cloth and whatever item that was needed to complete it, spent an entire night sewing and stitching together his mask.

The end result was what could only be described as a rough makeshift cloth mask that could be compared to a two eyehole balaclava. And some scars from when he pricked his fingers with the needle.

To cover his eyes, Eli just grabbed some old goggles from a store. And his mask was born.

Deciding to grab the bag that housed his outfit. Eli quickly slipped into the bathroom to change out of the clothes he slept in, and switched them out for the clothes that made up of his "villain" clothes.

After grabbing his mask and goggle combo, and placing the nightwear into the back for whoever had laundry duty when they got back.

"Sorry, mister Lighthouse. But I did spend a lot of time and effort on this." With that said, Eli put on the mask and goggles. Though he didn't flip up the long coat's hood. As he didn't wish for joining the edgy club just yet.

Although in that case, maybe his costume color scheme shouldn't have been black combined with dark grey....

 

[Desert Bee]

Ow.

The long-haired boy flinched as Lighthouse's knuckles tapped his head. Morgan withdrew further into himself, squeezing his knees tighter against his chest. Not wanting to anger his caretaker further, Morgan discreetly held up a fist beside his raised legs. The pouncing ink kitty threw out its limbs forward and tried skidding to a halt, but wound up somersaulting into a roll.

It wasn't as though Morgan had actually wanted to spoil Jeon's food, it had just been a reactionary joke. He didn't seriously care. Just in case, Morgan diverted his eyes to the floor so as not to incite further incidents. Even after Lighthouse, cheeks tinged with embarrassment, showed off the orphan's potential heist gear -- a collection of ChikaRanger masks -- the younger boy kept his lips pursed together and nodded absently in response.

While Katsugu was inspecting one of the masks -- the red colour meant leader, if he recalled right -- Eli retreated into the restroom clutching a duffel bag. Eager to show off his Villain costume no doubt, though he seemed to have forgotten his plate.

Awkwardly removing himself from the couch, Morgan shuffled over to the left-behind plate with pieces of bread crust and bacon bits strewn, and stacked it onto his own. Rigid, he filled the sink with soap water and set to scrubbing and rinsing the two plates and cups, then set them to the side to air dry. The soap water would probably be warm long enough for the other orphans to finish breakfast.

If Eli was putting on his own gear, it was probably time for Morgan to do the same. Then he could rest more while everyone else got ready. After retrieving his backpack from the main room, Morgan stalked back into the kitchen to change. He wasn't entirely embarrassed to do so in front of others, especially given he slept in boxers and a tee, but he didn't want to make too much noise around them.

He wiggled on his tight, torn black jeans -- lightly hopping a couple times -- and swapped out his black skull tee for another black tee with long sleeves. Pulling back a second zipper on the backpack, Morgan peered inside and carefully pulled out a collection of belts and chains. On second thought, he put the chains back. It wouldn't be wise to dress frivolously for a robbery. The belts were for holding a few pouches, since it was generally hard to put actually useful materials into pockets.

After cinching the chest harness, waist belt, and thigh strap, Morgan's hand moved to retrieve another item but hesitated. It was something he had always carried with him, privately, but hadn't yet shown the others. He didn't exactly want to frighten the others, though perhaps Morgan was making a big deal out of nothing. His original foster parents had always taken away items like these whenever found but, perhaps for different reasons. Morgan instead zipped that compartment, scratched his wrist against his belt. For now, it could stay within the bag.

Slinging a pack strap over his shoulder, Morgan sock shuffled to the door for hits boots, then turned and sock shuffled back to the main room. It had been almost three years and Morgan still had trouble not wearing boots indoors.

Returning the backpack to Morgan's "spot" -- a crevice between the couch and coffee table -- after plucking a random ChikaRanger mask from Lighthouse's sack, he then pulled out his baggy and worn bomber jacket, placed it onto his shoulders, and settled back onto the couch. He didn't actually plan to wear the mask, casually noting he had grabbed the pink one. Memories of Halloween in Newcastle had proven plastic-y wear like these hampered breathing and got hot quick, though there did seem to be thin slights around the mouth area. Still, he would at least carry it on his belt if nothing else in order to appease Lighthouse; preferring Morgan's own simpler cotton mouth mask and sunglasses.

Pulling his jacket tighter for warmth, Morgan once more grabbed his notebook and absently doodled while peripherally examining the room. The bathroom door had a minor opening from this angle. Flinching, Morgan jerked away feeling his cheeks redden but then took a second look with raised brow. Eli was staring himself in the mirror with a dark trench coat, full face mask, and goggles. The corners of Morgan's pursed lips curled into a tiny grin. What an edgelord.

 

[Sanctus]

The ink assailant had missed it's mark, Jeon's hues narrowed and with a quick turn to the side the kitten was sent plunging towards the floor. A brow rose before he muttered a low, "Nice try." Another forkful of eggs was lifted towards his mouth, the young male chomping down on the remains of his food. As he ate he heard Makoto's comment resulting in a snarl. After finishing his eggs he parted lips in reply, "My bad, hard to notice ya.. Bein' small an' all Sherlock." Jeon mused absently before he was shot a death glare by Lighthouse. The teen gave a light shrug and shifted his attention back onto the tv as the father figure spoke.

Masks? Right.. They were suppose to create their customs, it did help when trying to cover up your identity. Jeon turned to look towards the bag Lighthouse produced, given away by the crumbling of it's paper. When he had pulled out the masks.. Jeon stared silently, they were suppose to wear those? Blue eyes shifted from the bag towards the very tired Lighthouse, always looking like he was run ragged, like he did not sleep.. Hell, he hardly did. From the corner of his eye he could see Kat step up to grasp the crimson mask and hold it up. Her tone was one of reassurance, she was always reassuring... Supportive. Jeon moved over to the bag, peering inside he reached a hand inside to pull out one of his own, the black mask. Bringing it up a bit, his eyes studied it, a bit cheap.. But they would do the job.

"Not bad." Jeon spoke lightly, a light smirk pulled at his lips. His own pitch was firm, unwavering. Jeon's quirk granted him a ready made disguise, did he need this mask? Not, not really.. But though as small as it was, he wanted to show some kind of support, some kine of thankfulness. "Yo, Elvira. They got a blue one.. That'd work with your motif right?"

 

[Jessica]

She 'eeped' inwardly when Jeon mentioned her and the blue mask. To be honest, she had already made one, and though it wasn't fancy like the ones Lighthouse presented to them, she had modified her custom one enough that it was impossible to rip off of her face without toying with the latch on the straps behind her head.

However, she wanted to secure her place as top 2 daughters in Lighthouse's heart. He works so hard and it was so thoughtful to buy them all masks. She could always use her custom as a backup!

"Uh-huh!" She said with a big smile, putting her breakfast to the side and went over to pick up the blue Chikarangers mask.

This one was well designed and, though cheap, it was still decent.

"Are we showing costumes now?" She asked, referring to her brothers who already donned on their outfits. Elvira went to the spot that had the bag holding her outfit and mask, swiftly taking it to the bathroom so she can change. "I'll get mine on!" She called out before shutting the door behind her.


Earlier in the year, Elvira had taken a part-time job as a singer (or an entertainer by their standards) in a local restaurant making ends meet. It was their last ditch effort of getting some younger customers. Elvira's presence did help to attract teenagers and high schoolers into the business, much to the owners' happiness. Though there was only so much they could do before the novelty of live entertainment wore off.

She, in her youth, had practiced singing a lot at the orphanage and in her original home because it was free to get started. Her birth parents hadn't been able to afford the fancy drawing supplies or reading material to get started and Elvira couldn't bring herself to ask the caretakers for them. Singing only needed a voice, and so she picked up the hobby to pass time.

Elvira had been especially thankful she honed the skill enough to be able to make some extra cash. Not just for her villain costume, but for the family as well.


When she finished putting on her outfit, she stepped out of the restroom with the custom mask clipped to the belt she wore underneath her jacket.

The clothing consisted of a black jacket with dark blue cuffs, front collar, and lapels, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Underneath it was a white button-up shirt with mini flaps to serve as the collar, held together by a white lace choker, and a thin white vest. The materials for both were light and durable, allowing her to breathe easy despite how form fitting it was.

She also wore a skirt that matched the color of the jacket with dark blue lace to accent it. On her legs were black low pump boots that doubled as pants, taken from a cosplay store for gothic lolitas. Elvira, like anyone else, wasn't into the idea of flashing underwear every time she had to fight. So she believed the boots/pants combo was perfect.

And lastly, to finish off the costume, were a normal pair of black gloves on her hands. Elvira had not put her hair up yet because she didn't want to keep her siblings waiting for too long.

"Heehee~ It even goes with the colors of the mask!" Elvira smiled, holding up the mask for a color comparison.

Though said hues were somewhat off, it did match the general color scheme.

 

[Wryneck]

Lighthouse was surprised how ready everyone was to toss their plates down to get into their costumes. No hesitation, huh? They're more prepared than I thought they'd be... Taking a few sips of his coffee, the older male watched as the siblings ran about the house gathering their costumes. For Eli, it was a simple getup of a long coat, leather gloves, and a what looked to be a handmade balaclava. The man couldn't help but to loose a laugh with how goofy his son looked in such a getup. Not to say he thought it silly. It'd keep his identity hidden, that was for certain.

A quick 'thank you' was shot at Morgan as he brought the plates back to the kitchen. He always did prove himself the type to take the initiative when it came to things like that. Next to showcase their costume was the ink boy himself. A simple long sleeve black tee and black jeans combo, accompanied by several belts littered conservatively with pouches allowing for storage. While it didn't look as silly as Eli's overall getup, he knew exactly what thoughts would be going through the other boys' minds. It seemed the two were always calling each other edgy, while at the same time being engaged in a competition to out-edge each other.

Elvira's probably looked most professional of all. Like her brothers, it was mostly black, but that wasn't a bad choice for a would-be villain. It was her fashion sense that struck Lighthouse. She'd always found a way of dressing nicely that impressed her father, but he was still taken aback by what she managed to put together all on her own. Of all of them, though, he was proud. The only thing he'd managed to afford them was a decent mask, even if many of them thought ahead in that regard too.

Laughable or admirable, Lighthouse thought all of them gave off a certain air of maturity. These costumes were the embodiment of their development as people over the years. It was hard to tell if the abundance of black should be worrying, or if they did it merely because they liked the aesthetic. He wouldn't be one to talk though.

---

Kat watched her brothers and sister change into their costumes, feeling a bit embarrassed that she hadn't put any real thought into one of her own. She didn't imagine going so all-out on their first crime, and she didn't want to burden Lighthouse with a proper costume. Being akin to both mother and sister to the others, she was oft the one that would take care of things around the house so they could manage other endeavors, such as taking up jobs or socializing with outside friends.

Her pajamas consisted of nothing more than underwear and a short sleeve white tee that had a picture of green eggs and ham on the front and Japanese characters reading "Would you like them?" on the back; one of a few novelty shirts she'd picked up at a corner store. As a result of her home duties, her costume, if it could even be called that, was really nothing more than a simple change of clothes. Kat didn't like wearing anything with long sleeves, even when the weather was colder (using the excuse that she'd simply stay inside to avoid the cold), but she opted for a cheap biker jacket, this being the most stand-outish feature. Underneath was a simple green shirt with the word "Tea" on the front. Accompanying were a pair of black jeans to match the jacket, and a backup pair of sneakers, the only purchase, other than the jacket, she'd made for this occasion.

Donning her outfit, complete with the red ChikaRanger mask, Kat gave a little twirl. She felt weird for not having gone as all out as her siblings, but she was still proud of what she'd tossed together. At least it looks decent, right? Getting caught up in the shenanigans of the moment, Kat, too, had neglected to take her plate back.

---

Everyone now in full costume, Lighthouse figured it would be a bit rude to tell them they weren't leaving for another few hours and to change back. Instead, he put his coffee, which he'd barely put a dent in, down, and made his way to the bedroom. Reaching into the closet, Lighthouse pulled out the only suit he owned. A black vest with a black tie and a white undershirt, he looked like those stereotypical villains in old movies. He'd opted out of long sleeves, as his quirk wouldn't be very effective if he was fully covered up. The black ChikaRanger mask would be his choice.

Walking out of the room with his costume on, he was caught off guard by the laughter seeing what looked like a hero with a desk job probably warranted. A sigh escaped him with a quiet, "I tried."

"I didn't plan on us leaving this early, but since we're already in costume... They say the early bird catches the worm... That being said, a reminder of the rules." Pointing a finger at Kat, the girl knew exactly how to respond.

"Never cause harm, unless absolutely necessary to save the family!"

He'd point to Jeon next, followed by Eli, then Elvira.

 

[Crow]

"I'm not one for physical harm," Makoto says as he puts a ChikaRanger mask over his faceless one. "Thank you, I am always prepared, and now is a good time to show the world what we're made of."

Makoto was now Mr Mystery, a dainty man in a full trenchcoat and fedora that veiled his body. The mask didn't meld too well with the costume, but the costume, even in its properly melded state, would still stand out.

To some extent.

"If our direct target is not lives, then what is it?"