"Huh?" Khepri said while looking up from their phone and blinking in surprise. 'Who are you?' That was a big question for someone that had at least three branches in their hair at the moment. "What do you mean your people?" The catbug managed to fire back just before the bugman was picked up and thrown their way. Immediately Khepri's pupils dilated, the mix of a fast-moving target and someone in harm's way triggering their instincts and turning their dial from 0 to 100 in an instant. Using their quirk to expand the muscles in their legs as they instantly dropped to a crouch they shot off like an arrow.



They'd aimed so they'd fly right next to the sidekick in question instead of crashing straight into him. With an arm extended to the side they'd arrest his momentum causing both of them to spin should they succeed in their endeavor. Mid-spin Khepri would glance back at their friend. "Wendy, catch!" They'd shout right before letting go so the sidekick would fly at them. They had full faith Wendy would be able to safely catch him after all. The rest of their momentum should carry the catbug to the side of a tree from which they'd be able to kick off again and get right back into the fray.

Of course, that was only if they succeeded. If they missed, well, perhaps they could get a swipe off at Surtr before crashing into the abandoned shrine.

---

Tags: Fanthes Wendy Jack Orion

"Knock knock," Khepri said loudly from the other side of the door as they stood outside of the room they were supposed to meet Counselor Sadako in. They wondered what this was about. Had they done something that someone else might have taken offense to? The only things that came to mind were that thing they did yesterday, the jar of beetles they accidentally dropped in the dorms last week, the blackboard incident, someone noticing the cutlery had been changed out, that book they borrowed seven months back without asking and forgot to return or maybe…

"I found my lost secret stash of Tilapia in the support labs before it began to smell this time. I didn’t even have to air them out, promise!" Khepri happily explained while finding a wide variety of objects, walls and decorations in the vicinity extremely interesting. "Is that why I was called here?"

---

Tag: Sadako Gotoh

Embrace the feeling to change yourself.

Stellar’s words were repeated in Khepri’s head. In front of them just beyond the extent of their hand they saw a mirror leading to a whole new world. One where they were faster, closer to the target and able to get where they needed to be in time. Their pupils dilated. One where they focused wholly on their target and nothing else. Their arm began to shake but their gaze was clear and pure. They weren’t looking in front of them. No, in a way they were. Just differently. They were looking to the future. A future where they succeeded. Where no one had to cradle someone they failed to save in their arms while lifeblood spilled from them.

The vision in front of them parted. Like a painting sliced in half. Their hand had moved before they’d realized. A crucial moment unslowed by thought, physical hindrance or contemplation. A simple act, one so small it was unnoticeable but one that heralded a change so large it was unfathomable.

“「Splitting the Atum」”

The whispered words left their lips with an air of reverence. As if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders or a chain tying them to a heavy burden had been severed they stood just a little bit straighter. It would take a lot more work to render it usable reliably -already they could feel that using their quirk this way for more than a single move right now would cause it to fail once more- but a new path laid open. One where they wouldn’t-

Khepri shook their head to get rid of the thoughts that were sneaking up on them again. This was a time for doing, not thinking. Or was the doing part over if they'd overstrain themself by trying more? Hmm…

That sounded like a thought so either way acting without thinking was no longer succeeding. Khepri nodded to themself. They may as well think while sticking around in case Auden needed any help. Overdoing it and rendering themself unable to move wasn’t smart. It wouldn’t do for the person that was counting on them to be falling to the ground while they stood there helpless and just out of reach, unable to intercept in-

Time!

That was it. They’d found out how to be able to precisely do things at the right time now they just had to figure out what that right time was. It didn’t always strike with a loud noise to alert everyone like Stellar clapping her hands, most of the time Khepri would need to figure it out themself. Even then they would still need to be listening, for just like when Stellar clapped her hands if Khepri was too caught up in something else they might miss the opportunity entirely. Their hand trembled again. That was the opposite of what they wanted to accomplish.

“「Splitting the Atum」” Khepri repeated, this time louder. Swallowing and clearing their throat they happily launched into an explanation. "Oh! Atum the evening sun is the Egyptian god of creation. He’s said to be the one that made everything up and that will finish it at the end of the cycle. Ah, that’s what his name means. The complete one. Sort of the god of everything. The super move’s name Splitting the Atum means letting nothing stand in the way of your goal. To sever everything that would stop you from protecting someone's life, even reality itself. Oh! Atum as the evening sun is the one that makes the sun fall…" They trailed off for a moment, tears prickling in their eyes and blurring their sight for a moment, just long enough to reflect a different scene and a different fall. "Then, Mafdet the huntress would guide it through the afterlife." Another blink and another scene, limbs hanging limp in their mind’s eye. "...And Khepri the morning sun would renew it and bring it back."

A tear ran down their cheek unbidden, spilling as if a crack had formed in a dam, one holding back the ocean of knowledge. Taking a deep breath Khepri felt as if they were on the verge of something. Something important. A smile crested on their features. This Super Move was a new beginning. A new dawn. One that would light the way to a better future for everyone. That was the feeling they had deep in their chest.

---

Tags: May Twenty-First,Stellar,Farrin,Yanai Yoko,Auden,Mafdet Khepri,Jack Orion

It was a well known fact that cats were red-green color blind and Khepri's mutation wasn't just for show. While their bug features alleviated the problem and allowed them to mostly distinguish between the colors to some extent it was far from easy. Especially when their hunting instincts locked on to a balloon. Thinking before acting was difficult in high-speed situations like this and every balloon they didn't go for was one that could potentially fall to the ground. 

Six, seven, eight. Minus two, minus one, zero. Phew. That had taken some effort but they were back to the starting line. That was always a good place to begin. They blinked twice when they spotted the next target their instincts had locked on to. Khepri had seen another balloon spill glitter all over someone when popped so they knew some were different but they hadn't expected one to have a torso and limbs. Wait, maybe this wasn't a balloon at all? Khepri wasn't sure but as a human cat bug hybrid they were well aware that there was no such thing as a single definition for anyone. Manually reigning in their hunting instincts they came to a stop next to Michael and decided to ask just to be sure.

"Hi, I'm Khepri. Do we have to fight? I don't want to. No one should put a hole in anyone else's head."

---

Tag: Samaritan

"I remember! I was the one with cat features and a bug skeleton!" Khepri enthusiastically responded to Michael. "Yeah. It's hard for me to choose too because the knight made me these really cool spoons but the yuki onna is a good fri-" They cut off mid-sentence, their tail drooping a bit as they remembered what Ylva had said. "Oh, right. We never were. I'll vote for the knight." Even though Ylva was nice enough to have helped them before Khepri somehow felt like voting for her other friend whose name they definitely remembered. Did that make them a bad person? They'd have to ask someone later.

"Are you okay?" The catbug asked Yoko when she spat out her drink. They'd been startled at first thinking it was a hiss but turning to face Yoko had fixed that misconception. Hearing someone else approach they turned around just in time to spot the person they hadn't voted for. 

When Ylva pulled out the mirror Khepri froze in place despite her not using her quirk on them. Their breathing began to speed up and their pupils trembled while their tail stiffened. From where they were standing they could see the closest to them reflected in it. A blonde girl, a red covered face, someone that looked just like themself right next to the-

They were shaken out of it when a hand grabbed theirs. Blinking twice they looked down and up again. "Oh yeah, I'll take the drink!" Khepri happily responded while smiling brightly at Yoko.

Hearing Jun explain that they'd misunderstood Khepri tilted their head. If they'd misunderstood then why did they hear those girls that were with Jun at the barbeque say it to her and each other? With a frown they thought back on both it and the conversation with Jun, Ylva and the mirror just before.

"Oh, I get it now," they clarified with a nod before turning to Michael again. "Yeah, Karaoke sounds fun, let's go!" Khepri responded to both him and Yoko while pointing with the hand holding their glass and setting off in the wrong direction. It was a good thing they couldn't stray further than two arms' lengths or they'd have gotten lost once more.

---

Tags: Samaritan,Takanashi Misaki,Masao Ando,Ylva Riis,Freja Helt,Kei Hada,Mafdet Khepri,junsuina,𝕐 + 𝕐,𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐲,Sumi Okita,Yanai Yoko

By the time the bartender had finished their drink Khepri had already wandered off once more, their jokes flowing like water instead. Much like water the quality of Khepri's jokes varied from place to place as they darted between people, influenced by the maintenance of the distribution system, competence of the one calling the shots and time spent doing cost and risk analysis. So too much like the previous metaphor had Khepri gotten lost completely in the short time they'd been left unsupervised. Luckily not for long as the yacht wasn't big enough for that and they were spotted before they could find any lifeboats.

"Pumpkin!" They enthusiastically called out to Yoko upon seeing their costume. "Why did the pumpkin and the scarecrow get awards? Because they were outstanding in their field!"

Stepping closer with a smile they waved at the phantom as well before their eyes widened in realization. Wait, was that Michael? They hadn't recognized him until Yoko said his name! That costumes really worked. Briefly Khepri wondered if they'd already talked to anyone else they knew before this too. Nah, probably not. 

"I got a drink, it's right over-" They pointed at an empty spot to the side before looking around, their index finger moving along with their gaze until they spotted the bartender they'd spoken to. "-there! Oh! That reminds me!" They continued while turning to Michael with a wide smile. Now that they knew who he was they had to tell another joke. Jokes had to be tailored to the audience after all.

"What's a balloon's least favorite drink? Pop!"

It was a shame they'd given their sewing kit away already.

---

Tags: Samaritan,Takanashi Misaki,Masao Ando,Ylva Riis,Freja Helt,Kei Hada,Mafdet Khepri,junsuina,𝕐 + 𝕐,𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐲,Sumi Okita

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