Ishtar cackled, befitting the witch she was, as the debris kicked up by Sora's wind began to pelt her. To be perfectly honest, that hadn't been a priority of his at all; if anything, seeing how easily her power dealt with the tiniest of the mess swirling around in the air just served as more information. It wasn't everything that hit her; some smaller bits were still able to strike her, but it wasn't nearly enough to actually put her on the back foot. A fact she was well aware of as she taunted him, forming spheres of that same sickening light as she encouraged him to continue his struggle.

At this, even the serious Dericho couldn't help but let the tiniest of smiles crack across his face, though the fierce wind and debris made it all but impossible to see. "Struggling, am I? You just go on thinking that, Ishtar." He thought to himself as Gleipnir pressed the attack. The girl swung another chain towards the villainess, who allowed it to catch her wrist and cooed at her opponent in a tone equal parts fond and menacing as she used a spike of her odd energy to anchor herself to the ground.

The balls of light began to compress, and Sora had an idea of what was coming. Fortunately the smallest of her attacks were dispersed harmlessly by his wind, but in preparation for the others he commanded the wind to shield him in their directions with the debris he had lifted. He wanted to protect his fellow hero as well, but he didn't want to risk impeding her while she was connected to their foe and just had to hope that Ishtar's attacks wouldn't be as targeted near herself.

His eyes fell on the spike Ishtar had planted in the rooftop... that could work.

Sora made a show of raising his hand into the air, in the hopes that Gleipnir would get an idea of what he was about to do, and then slammed it down. A fierce blast of wind rushed from directly above Ishtar, aiming for her arm holding the spike specifically. He couldn't use his full plan yet, but he could pave the way for it; with winds precise enough to make leaves dance through the air and powerful enough to smash through buildings, it was a trivial matter for him to break just the surface where Ishtar's anchor was planted. And if her arm suffered from the force too, well... that would just be a nice bonus.

Sadako Gotoh Amano Ito Miroru Sonya Chernovna

Sora simply gave Emilia a small nod when she managed to let out a thank you for his compliment, going on to admit to having had difficulties determining additional ways of using her power. He hummed thoughtfully; he could offer suggestions and ideas, but without seeing more of her Quirk in action it might wind up being stuff outside her reach; that would definitely be more discouraging, so for now he decided to hold off on voicing his opinions. Instead he offered a reassuring smile. "Experience breeds ingenuity; the more you come to grasp your limits and the nuances of your Quirk the more you'll be able to figure out. Of course, I'll try and help where I can as we train together."

Emilia continued, explaining that she tended to rely more on her brute strength and resilience than technique or skill. But while she seemed embarrassed and unsure of herself, she nonetheless enthusiastically told him that she was up for whatever he had in mind. "That's the right attitude!" He commended her with a pleased laugh, thinking about how exactly they could begin. After thinking on her words, he nodded. "Well, by your own account, you say you aren't an especially skilled fighter, yes? I have some martial arts training; as I said before I'm no expert, but I do know proper form and how to take advantage of my strengths. I will admit that some of what I know won't be of use to you, as it's tied to my own Quirk, but I think we can get you started on your own path, so to speak. Does that sound agreeable?" He asked in his usual polite, friendly tone.

Once he did, Sora stood up from his seat on the fallen tree and taking a few steps away from it, turning to face the hero student. "Personally, I think the best way to learn something is by seeing someone else do something, and then trying it for yourself. Learn by doing, and all that. Though I'm not sure how good a teacher I am of this sort of thing, I promise to try my best." He told her, waving his hand in the direction he had come from. The tree they had been practicing with before was suddenly sliced across its trunk in several places, splitting it into a series of disks.

"For the first step of our training, I was thinking we could do with a way to test your reflexes. My idea was that, first, you would throw these disks at me, while I attempt to divert or destroy them before they hit me. Then I will do the same to you; I'll use my wind to guide them to you at various speeds and angles to see how well you can fend them off. If I see a way I think you can improve, I'll provide advice where I can. Plus I think this could help you practice something requiring more finesse and technique, when you're doing the throwing. Does that sound good to you?"

If Emilia agreed, Sora would make his way to the opposite end of the clearing and turn to face her, ready to begin. Truthfully he wasn't sure his idea for training would be worth anything; it was just the first thing that came to mind, and it sounded good in his head as he thought of it. Hopefully Emilia could find some worth in such an exercise.

Emilia Hall

Sora nodded as May asked about Aella, certain his sister would do whatever she could to help someone asking for pointers. "Oh yeah; Aella has always been the sort to help people who ask for it. She was a big help for me during my first year at UAU."

It was then that she asked about the villain he had mentioned, Don Blood. Her comparison of his name to a vampire made him smile wryly. "It's not too far off from that, actually." He informed her. "Don Blood was the adoptive father of the sisters I told you about. And he was a fearsome criminal kingpin who had been active in New York for several decades. His Quirk was, in fact, basically a form of vampirism; he could drain the blood from people and had the ability to fly on bat-like wings. But the worst part is that he could temporarily wield the Quirk of anyone whose blood he stole."

Sora crossed his arms as he thought back to that battle. "He sought out people with powerful abilities and would capture and imprison them, keeping them alive so he could have access to their quirks whenever he needed." A mental flash and Sora could see the cages that had lined the room where Blood had locked away those he had kidnapped, as clearly as if he were there again right now. "He was a twisted man. Only cared about expanding his reach and influence. I think his Quirk was like a drug to him; he was addicted to acquiring new powers."

It was clear from Sora's words that Don Blood was no longer among the living. His death and the fall of his empire was pretty big news in the United States for a good while, though the specific details about what killed him were largely a mystery... for all but Sora and the sisters, at least. The final stage of their battle had taken place away from prying eyes. And while he was fine with talking about the whole deal, that particular detail was one he preferred to avoid thinking about.

It was Sora's turn to listen with rapt attention, however, as May explained to him the origins of her name and how she got to be here today. Vaguely Sora did recall reading news a long time ago about a girl being discovered. The fact that she was here beside him, and that they had just been chatting for so long, was almost dumbfounding. He couldn't even begin to imagine how strange and unnerving it would be; to wake up in a world over twenty years after what you were accustomed to. Just two years in America had made his home of Japan a borderline roller coaster since he returned. For May, it must have been like stepping out into another world.

"I can't begin to imagine what that must have been like for you..." He told her, voicing his thoughts out loud. He wondered what she might have made of her life had she continued living in her original time. Would she have still wanted to be a hero? Or taken to a more mundane life? Would she be as cheerful and positive as she was now? Among all the thoughts to that effect, however, one was at the forefront of the young hero's mind. He smiled at his new friend.

"...but for what it's worth, I'll count myself lucky that it gave us a chance to meet. Probably wouldn't have otherwise." He told her. Maybe it was a bit of a selfish thing to say, but it was the truth. He had come out to the park today with the intent to just enjoy some peace and quiet on his own. Instead he had spent it getting to know a fascinating young woman who had led a life he could scarcely comprehend.

May considered how his Quirk had developed and admitted an interest in seeing his power in action for real. He laughed a bit at this. "I'd be happy to demonstrate, but uh... we'd need a big, empty space." He noted, scratching his cheek. "I don't know my exact limit, but I do know I can at least generate wind stronger than any ever recorded on Earth. So... probably not something to try in town, heh." He tilted his head curiously, thinking about what she said. "I wonder how a Quirk such as yours could evolve? Perhaps alternative ways to manifest your power, or maybe allow you to use it for things other than attacking?" Talking about Quirks was a good way to get Sora geeking out a bit; he loved discussing the potential and capabilities of different powers.

To his delight, May seemed appreciative of how he interpreted the way her Quirk worked. She continued to confirm that she shared his view on her power, picking up the picture that she had taken of them earlier and presenting it to him. He took it in his hands carefully and looked at the two of them, holding their cups of tea and smiling. He couldn't help but smile again, chuckling at how awkward his smile in the picture looked. "I'm just sorry this is the picture you have of me!" He joked, honestly loving how it looked. It was very... natural. Very them.

She assured him that he was definitely making his friend proud, and he smiled and gave a small nod. "Thanks. I hope so." He responded simply. Though her comment about how they were alike made him hum contemplatively, the thought rather comforting. "Yeah. I guess we are."

Her blushing and accusation of trying to embarrass her brought a confused head tilt from the pro as he collected his things, offering May one more cookie before closing the tin. "I just say what comes to mind, is all." He assured her, having not been trying to do anything with what he said. There was a brief pause before she spoke again, offering to exchange numbers. The prospect of meeting up with her again, be it for sharing advice or just hanging out again, was certainly an enticing one.

And so, when she tilted her own head uncertainly, he smiled and nodded. "I'd love to exchange numbers! Feel free to call me whenever and I'll pick up as soon as I can." He assured her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone to do just that. Sora told his new friend his personal number, opening up a new contact in his phone and typing in the girl's name as he awaited her own number. A thought occurred to him as he looked at the new contact page. "Ah, would you mind if I take a picture of you for your contact page? It's okay if not. Just thought I would ask!" Picture or not, a friend was a friend after all.

And he couldn't wait to see his new friend again.

New Contact Added

May Twenty-first

(***-***-****)

May Twenty-First

Sora nodded when May noted her desire to look into heroism in the USA, respecting her curiosity. ”Well when you do check it out, see if you can find anything on a modern hero named Zip Hop; that’s my sister. And my dad used to work as a hero support specialist back before he moved to Japan to be with my mom.” He explained, proud of his family’s legacy. His mother was also a former top hero before she retired once she went partially deaf, but they were talking about America for the moment.

He blushed a bit as she insisted on her compliment, taking a moment to grab another one of her sour snacks for himself. May asked if he kept in contact with the sisters, and he nodded. ”Ah, yeah. I do! Well, two of them. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the oldest since everything happened, but her sisters tell me she’s doing well. I’ve actually worked with one of them a few times since then; she’s decided to work with heroes to make up for the times she had to help her dad. The youngest I believe just started college. She’s actually expressed an interest in working with me once her schooling’s done since she thinks her Quirk could be super helpful, but her sisters are reluctant to let her get too involved in hero stuff. Not that I can blame them, though. Hope they find a way that makes everyone happy.”

She joked about how she could wind up being really bad, and though he chuckled he just shook his head. No, he had a good feeling about her chances. At the comment about his time, Sora shrugged. ”True, I do spend a lot of my time on duty. But at the moment, I’m not a hero. Just a guy enjoying a beautiful day with an equally lovely lady. And it’s the fact that my work helps make moments like this… little moments of just peace and tranquility… that’s the time I value; the time my hero work allows to be so nice. If that makes any sense, heh.” He hadn’t batted an eye at making his compliment to her; on some level it was because he was caught up in answering her question, but it was also that he saw such a thing as more a statement of fact than anything.

As she tossed one in the air for herself and mentioned both of them choking he laughed. ”Not exactly the sort of common ground most connections are made of, is it?” He joked back as he shook his head in amusement.

May’s face as she explained her uncle’s position amused him, though he had trouble imagining what it would be like to have a family member as a teacher at school. Attending UAU with his sister for a time was odd enough. ”I can’t picture seeing anyone of my family at the head of a classroom I’m in.”

The student resolved to search up his name when she got the chance, which made him a bit embarrassed. He was only really involved in two major cases thus far in his career, both back in America. He doubted she’d be able to find much. But May explained her own hero name, Artemis, and the reasoning behind it before asking him his own. He blinked. “Artemis! I like it! And archery is an interesting skill! Can’t say I know much about it, though. I’ve done some target practice with a blow gun but that’s it. And as for my name… well, a “derecho” is a line of intense and fast-moving wind. Like a directional storm; honestly it doesn’t match my powers anymore. But back before I moved to America, I actually thought my Quirk just gave me super strong breath. It wasn’t until a case in America pushed me to my limits that I discovered the full capacity of my Quirk; actually it was the case involving the sisters we were talking about a minute ago. And well… I like the way the name “Jericho” sounds, so I just altered the spelling a little bit. Hehe. But even though it doesn’t really fit my power anymore, I guess I’m just kind of attached to it.”

Sora glanced over at May as he saw her move out the corner of his eye and saw how she was standing up, and immediately he sat up so that he wasn’t so far below her; he didn’t want to seem like he was trying to catch a glimpse of anything, after all.

As she asked her question, however, something she said caught his attention. He looked up at the girl. “Actually, now that you mentioned it, I never asked you what your Quirk is! You said that it involves your bow?” He asked, curiosity clear in his tone.

May Twenty-First

Sora managed a small smile despite the circumstances as the mother and daughter were reunited, handing the girl to her parent so he could focus more on keeping them protected. Fortunately Kazashi heard his call for assistance, rushing to just below the window as she spoke back to him.

The pair both looked nervous at the exchange between the two heroes, the idea of jumping out of the burning building not much more enticing than the idea of staying inside it. He looked back at them and placed his hand on the mother's shoulder, offering her a reassuring smile. "Ma'am, don't worry. I promise that the two of you will be fine; you can trust me and my friend on that." He told her.

A thought occurred to him as he saw how scared the little girl was, and after a moment Sora reached down in his shirt and pulled his charm necklace off of himself, holding it out to her. "Hold this, Little Miss! It's a special necklace; whenever I'm scared, holding this makes me feel better. But you have to promise to return it once we're all safe, okay? It's really important to me."

The girl sniffled and nodded slowly, very carefully taking it in her little hands and staring at the silver charms that adorned it. Sora smiled, and exchanged a nod with the mother. "Okay. I'm going to slow you guys down so you'll be fine; even more fine than just with my friend catching you." He instructed them, guiding the mother to the window as she held her daughter closely. Sora concentrated on the wind around them, and those below would be able to tell something was going on as he gently churned the air into a soft spiral, as a way of slowing the pair's descent and cushioning their landing.

"Three. Two. One... go!" Sora timed them, and as he gave the order the mother jumped out of the window in the direction of Kazashi. Just as Dericho had promised the wind almost seemed to wrap around them, slowing down their fall significantly and directing them towards the waiting heroine below.

Once the family was safely on the ground, Apparel called up to him as the firefighters arrived. She offered him help if it was needed, but Sora shook his head. "I think that's everyone! I don't hear anybody else." He responded, looking back into the building to be sure. The fires were dying down, thanks to his earlier efforts and the work of the firefighters, so he was pretty confident that they were in the clear.

Nodding as he thought this, Sora turned back to his friend below. "I'm coming down! Wanna catch me too?" He said as a joke, hoping to reassure those around that everything was alright. He hardly waited for a response in any case, hopping out through the window and slowing his own descent just as he had for the mother and daughter.

Kazashi McCoy

Sora nodded with a quiet hum as Taka confirmed his thought about his size, not surprised that he had been right on the money with his expectations. After the boy's words he took a moment to prepare himself, noting that he hoped not to disappoint. Sora offered him a smile. "So long as you give it your best shot, there's no concern with that happening." He assured the student in a genuine tone.

There was but a few short moments before Yasashi made his move, charging directly for the smaller hero with all the ferocity and strength of a rampaging bull. "Fairly direct." Sora thought to himself, his expression showing no signs of concern despite his "opponent's" size and speed. But as the trainee approached, Sora pulled one of his hands back before thrusting it towards the giant. Suddenly a powerful, howling gale cut through the air towards Yasashi, the harsh wind slowing him down as it moved in opposition to his charge.

The hero wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation, stepping to Taka's side with the aim to grab his arm before kicking at the back of his knee in an attempt to bring him to the ground, a more localized blast of wind propelling his leg into his target with more force than he could normally manage, though he wasn't striking with all his power since this was just a sparring match.

Through his own strength alone such a tactic likely wouldn't work, but combined with the power of his wind he was more confident. Sora's fighting style made use of his wind manipulation to enhance and supplement his regular martial arts, hoping to bridge the gap between himself and more technically skilled or physically powerful opponents.

Taka Yasashi