Authors note:
Speaking: "…"
Thinking: '…'
___
Haruki POV
Recounting the events of what had transpired in the inner work of One For All, Ayato let Momo in on the secret of what the quirk actually was and how it operated, at least, how it worked before the fight with the tiger woman.
"So yeah, that's what happened. I still have no idea what this all has to do with the runes," the mostly black-haired boy explained, lying back in the hospital bed.
"Sounds like you had quite the shocking experience, haaa," the bi-colored jester quipped with a wink, getting no reaction from anyone. "Tough audience."
Kneading his chin with one hand, Toshinori seemed to be pondering something. Then he looked up and asked, as if to double-check: "You're positive that Raika said she was the sixth user?"
Giving the blond man a look that read why are you asking that, before answering , "Yes."
"That's odd. I remember my master telling me she was the fifth user."
"Well, this sounds like some things have been kept in the dark. However, besides the runes, what I'm most curious about is this void veil. Based on what happened before our fight, I think it's fair to assume that it's probably Professor Midoriya's eyes," the calm Momo stated motionlessly.
"By the way, since we're on the topic of runes right now, do you guys also have a little green minion flying around you, or is that just me?" Haruki said, referring to a green spirit-like man in Norse clothing and a horned crown, about the size of a football, lazily floating on top of his head with a mischievous smile.
Looking at him dumbfounded, they could only answer, "What minion are you talking about?"
Clearly, they were not able to perceive the tiny green man.
"You buffoon, of course they cannot perceive me. For I am a projection of the consciousness stored within that rune on your shoulder," the man spoke impatiently.
Raising his hands in defeat, Haruki sighed. "Gee, you don't have to get all angry, Plankton. I was just askin'."
The others stared at him in confusion when he responded to something they couldn't see.
"Who are you calling Plankton, you simpleton? I am the mighty god of mischief, Loki. You should be honored that I even acknowledge you as a host, instead of making you grovel at my feet!" the spirit yelled, hitting its fist on the boy's head repeatedly.
Shielding his head against the punches, Haruki made a show of it hurting. "Aw, the little itty-bitty god is throwing a tantrum. How not very divine of you."
Calming itself down, the spirit went back to laying on the jester's head. "Do not think I have no idea what you're attempting. It is impossible to fool me. I invented every trick you know."
"A shame, I was hoping I could make a god rage-quit," he shrugged before turning back to the others.
"What, do I have something in my teeth?"
"Brother, who were you talking to?"
A light lit up in his head as he said, "Ah, right, you don't see my little Shrek. Apparently, he believes himself to be Loki, says he comes from the rune. But considering that my rune is the Kenaz (ᚲ ) rune, which is often associated with him, I guess he could be right." He shrugged it off as an afterthought.
"Do not believe me delusional, mortal. I am Loki, that is for certain."
"Young Haruki, are you saying you can read these runes?" Toshinori asked, genuinely amazed.
"I mean, it's just regular Norse runic alphabet. And hellooo, I have a cheat sheet permanently on me, how could I not be curious about what's written on my own body and learn it?" he explained, pulling down his sleeve to show the rune markings that glowed with the use of his quirk.
"Are you saying that those markings actually mean something? I'm curious to know what it says," Momo said, finally getting up and sitting cross-legged on the bed with her unusual calm expression.
Waving his hands, the older Masaki shrugged her off. "It's mostly just gibberish and something about parental something, did I mention something? So, not worth mentioning."
"I see..." she answered with pity. "But can you at least tell us what our runes say?"
"Sure. Ayato's rune is called Thurisaz (ᚦ), and it's mostly associated with Thor. Its literal meanings are giant, thorn, destructive force, and hammer blow. As for yours, I can't see it," he explained with surprising clarity.
Realizing her mistake, she looked down to see her sternum covered by the hospital gown. As such, she simply removed it altogether, showing her upper body to them, with the rune on her sternum pulsing white in a steady rhythm. "So what does it say?"
Toshinori and Ayato quickly turned their heads away as they realized what she was doing.
"Young Yaoyorozu, it is not becoming of a young woman like yourself to expose yourself in such a way."
"Seems like the blessing of eternal calm is operating nicely on this one. She has quite an exquisite form, I dare say, a pity I no longer have a body," Loki complained from his makeshift bed on Haruki's hair.
"The what now?"
"The blessing of eternal calm. It's the effect of her lesser rune. It makes the bearer able to think clearly and calmly under any circumstances. It even removes unnecessary emotions like shame, as you can observe. Though it is only a lesser rune, so it does not come with a splendid guide like me, or my detestable brother, who resides in the other boy," Loki explained casually.
"Haruki, hurry up and tell me what it means," Momo insisted.
"Ok, ok it's the Dagaz (ᛞ) rune. It stands for dawn, transformation, clarity, and sudden breakthrough. But this one doesn't have any ties to gods. And from what little green beans on my head told me, it grants you 'the blessing of eternal calm,'" he exaggerated the last part with glamour.
Putting the gown back on as if nothing had happened, she tilted her head in confusion. "Did that god also tell you what it does?"
"I think it's quite obvious what it does, young lady," Toshinori sighed.
"He's right, Yaoyorozu, you're like a whole different person," Ayato said.
"Am I though? I can't really tell."
"Mortal, tell the woman to retract her energy from the rune. This shall be fun. Hehehehe," the god of mischief proposed.
‚I like your idea, O great mini Shrek', the jester thought with a mischievous expression.
"Hey Momo, if you really want to see, then I might have a solution. The almighty green bean told me that you can deactivate it by stopping to channel your energy there," he suggested.
Ayato and Toshinori wore horrified expressions as he said that and tried to prevent her from undoing it. But alas, it was too late.
"So just unfocus my energy from there? Well, that's simple enough." She closed her eyes, and before long the glowing under the gown stopped. Soon after, her face began to blush heavily.
Placing her hands on her face and looking down, she asked, "That didn't happen just now, did it?"
"Oh, you better believe it did. And I shall thank you for the gorgeous view," Haruki teased, holding a hand before his mouth.
"I just want to die," she weakly said before the glowing rune returned and she looked up calm again.
"I'm going to have Todoroki burn you later," she promised with an eerily calm smile.
"Eh?" Haruki was shocked beyond recognition. ‚You fiend of a partner, how could you deceive me like this' he mentally complained to the green spirit.
"You still need to learn a lot before you can comprehend the mind of a being like me. This was simply an act for my personal amusement, seeing you in pain," Loki clarified.
When she said that, Toshinori suddenly had a grim expression on his face. "You might need to wait a bit on that. Todoroki is currently not really available."
Tilting her head in confusion, she asked, "How come?"
"You see, while you were the only ones who got seriously hurt during the incident, young Todoroki still blamed himself, stating that he could've prevented this if he hadn't been foolishly teleported away. So two days ago, he locked himself in Gym Gamma, encasing the entire building in a thick layer of ice. He said he needed time to think about his own failures as a leader."
"And we've not been able to break it since. Even Endeavor came over to try and melt it off. However, it never even melted one tiny bit."
"That's tough, not even Endeavor," Haruki commented with an over-astonished expression.
"Todoroki..." Yaoyorozu quietly said with regret in her voice, clutching her chest.
___
Later at night
Both Yaoyorozu and Ayato were by now fast asleep, with only Haruki resisting the urge to enter the world of dreams. Having the god of mischief as his personal pixie, so to say, the young prankster allowed himself to ask some questions when they were alone.
'So, almighty god of mischief, care to explain what your deal is exactly? I still have no idea what you can actually give me or what you are, for that matter,' the bi-colored boy asked telepathically.
"Curious, are we?" Loki grinned, lounging back as if the world existed purely for his pleasure. "Very well. But if we're going to discuss such lofty matters, let's not do it in a dreary hospital room, hm?"
He snapped his fingers. The walls dissolved. Suddenly Haruki reclined on a marble balcony overlooking a golden city, with flying carriages darting between spires that glowed like fire. A golden bowl of grapes appeared in his lap.
"Better," Loki sighed, sipping wine from his goblet. "Now, shall we play teacher and student, or do you prefer truth wrapped in riddles?"
Haruki smirked. "Grapes first, riddles second. Where the hell are we?"
"My head. Your head. A little of both," Loki said lazily. "A playground I stitched from memory. Asgard, as it was... three thousand years ago. Or as close as your mind can hold."
Haruki's eyes flicked around the city, then back to the goblet. "So... I can't get drunk in here, right?"
"Sadly, no," Loki chuckled. "But you can pretend. Which is really all drinking is, isn't it?"
He conjured a second goblet with a flick, sliding it toward Haruki.
Haruki leaned forward. "Alright, enough games. Who are you really? And what's the deal with these runes?"
"Ah, the boring question," Loki said, stretching the words like taffy. "Fine, here's the short version. 3000 years ago my dear father, Odin, carved twenty-four runes. Three carried the wills of gods, noble runes. The rest? Trifles, blessings, talents lesser gods bestowed on them. He sealed us into his spear, Gungnir, like bugs in amber. Waiting to be used again ."
Haruki raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying Norse mythology, Odin, Asgard, all that, was real?"
Loki barked a laugh. "You sit in a palace of gold, drinking his wine, and now you ask? Oh, it was real, child. Whether it still is..." His grin sharpened. "...that depends on who survived."
Haruki's smirk faltered. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I peeked through your memories while you were unconscious," Loki said, almost conversational. "My father's no longer wielding the spear. Asgard marched to war three millennia ago, and I remember nothing past that moment. So either we won, and I am the only god who managed to die, which is highly unlikely considering myself, or Asgard lost, and someone else carries the mantle of All-Father now. Someone who has begun... dealing out runes like candy."
He tossed a grape into his mouth, chewed, and smirked. "Which brings me to you, little host. Two of the noble runes already claimed. Curious, isn't it?"
Haruki's eyes narrowed. "Curious how?"
"Because noble runes are picky. They only sing for those with Asgard in their blood. And you..." Loki leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "...are no mere human. You know that. You and your brother both. That birthday you bury under jokes? I know what happened."
At that moment the signature grin Haruki always sported vanished from his face, replaced by an expression of hatred and anger. "Mention that day one more time and I will personally tear your rune from my flesh bare-handedly. Do I make myself clear?" It was no threat; that was a promise that the bi-colored boy would see through to the end.
Momentarily stunned by the boy's response, Loki paused before bursting out laughing. When he finally calmed down he said, "Oh, how marvelously entertaining you are. Threatening a god in his own mindscape. Ah, this will be fun. I can't wait for the day when your brother finds out. But do not worry, for my sole purpose in being here is to make you into the next me. As such, I cannot simply divulge such information regardless of how entertaining it might be."
"Hm, I see. In that case I think this partnership will be quite prosperous." Haruki's expression returned to his trademark grin as he said that. "So becoming the next Loki, ah how great godhood sounds."
"You seem to be overestimating the power of a god. We are not some kind of omnipotent, all-powerful being. Simply judging by the fact we all died three thousand years ago, that much should be obvious. But do you really think your partially human body can withstand the full might of a god? Simply laughable. It will take your body decades, if not centuries, to fully recover my original power. Though you needn't worry about old age, even being partially Asgardian significantly increased your life expectancy," Loki explained with delight.
"Oh boo hoo, and here I thought I could be a real god," Haruki pouted.
"Do not sulk," Loki said at last, licking wine from his teeth. "I won't dump my full power into your fragile little body, not unless I want you splattered across this balcony like spilled ink. But a taste..." He snapped his fingers again, and Haruki felt a strange warmth curl around his tongue, his throat. "There. A gift. The Silver Tongue. Words that bend, persuade and shape the very essence of whats real and what leis beneath a trick. A proper toy for my successor."
Haruki raised his cup, smirking again. "Now that sounds useful. To partnerships, then."
Loki clinked his goblet against his with a grin sharp enough to draw blood. "To chaos."