Chapter 69 - Truths and Incidents!? The Aquarium!?

The two students quickly retired to the guest room that Beni had set up for them, Tokoyami pulling out his phone at their earliest convenience to see just how bad the barrage of missed messages had been. They had been out of contact with the class for two days straight, so sending a quick message to their group chat to let them know things were okay was probably for the best.

Tokoyami didn't dare to utter anything regarding the situation that the pair had been dealing with, seeing as it seemed the incident was purposefully being kept on the down low. At the most, Hayate had mentioned earlier in the day that they were part of a mission to capture Akumi, carefully avoiding the truth to the public that Shouji had actually been captured by the villain. It would reflect badly on U.A. and given that times were already strained after the USJ incident, they really didn't need any more problems moving forwards.

Not to mention, discussing the incident would inevitably mean talking about Akumi and Tokoyami found himself wanting to distance himself from the subject as much as possible, Dark Shadow humming in agreement.

Shouji was sprawled out on the bed above them, also on his phone, the pair lost to the technological world for the moment as they tried to catch up on the different updates from their classmates.

It was around nine thirty in the evening when Tokoyami finally noticed the object of his interest come online, noticing that unlike most of the class, it seemed the trio that was involved in the Hosu City incident had barely sent a message. They were in the hospital, after all, so Tokoyami decided to start out with a message of concern.

Tsukuyomi - Midoriya, we heard you were in the hospital and wanted to wish you a safe recovery.

Midoriya didn't reply immediately, Tokoyami feeling his stomach tighten as he waited to see whether his friend was even willing to reply. He had no way of knowing what had gone on with Midoriya, but he sincerely hoped things were okay now.

Deku - Tsuku! Don't worry about me, are you and Shouji okay? Everyone's been talking about a villain in Fukuoka who managed to escape capture, it's on the news!

Tsukuyomi - The news? I apologize but Shouji and I have been rather busy as of late, we haven't had time to check.

He really should have expected that the story would have reached some of his classmates. There was no way that Shouji and Tokoyami could be edited out of the media given they were seen by so many people and hospitalized for twenty-four hours, but reading about Midoriya's concern only made him feel guilty about not contacting sooner.

Deku - It was on TV here. We didn't have our phones so all we could do was watch the news! Apparently, Airdriver and Hawks both failed to capture this tough villain called the Crimson Shadow and when I saw that, I knew you guys were probably involved so the moment I got my phone I came online to check and saw your message-

Tsukuyomi - I think I understand now Midoriya. Shouji and I are fine. We were involved but we merely acted as back-up for Airdriver and Hawks.

Deku - But you guys were apparently wheeled away by paramedics! Everyone was worried about you two!"

"It seems our escapades are on the news," He muttered to his friend, Shouji glancing back at him with a look that seemed to suggest he was tempted to just go to sleep, rather than deal with the aftermath of the incident, nor the barrage of questions that he was sure they were bound to receive.

Tsukuyomi - Trust me, we're fine, Midoriya. Shouji has a broken wrist and a few cuts, but it's nothing Recovery Girl cannot fix when we return to U.A.

Deku - Oh... That's great then! I'm glad you're alright, Tsuku!

Tsukuyomi - What about you? I hear you fought the Hero Killer.

Deku - Yeah, we did! I mean, I wasn't planning on fighting him but then when we got to Hosu, we ran into him and one thing led to another and we ended up fighting. Todoroki and Iida were there too.

Tsukuyomi - I'll admit, when I heard that something had happened, my mind flashed to Iida. I feared that he might have tried to avenge his brother's attack and done something foolish.

The fact that Iida had gone to Hosu in the first place had left Tokoyami with more questions than answers, given he knew the student was capable of much more than the smaller agency he visited, and Iida certainly got some great offers as well. He was certain that there was more to Iida's choice than had been made known and he suspected that Iida had sought after Stain, the Hero Killer.

Still, thinking back to that night, Midoriya's explanation...

Deku - Iida was helping out the Heroes in Hosu when we arrived. Stain showed up soon after.

Tsukuyomi - And you were with your mentor the whole time as well?

Deku - Yup, Gran Torino really helped out.

That didn't sit right with Tokoyami. Because he recalled the night that the incident had happened - That message that had been sent through the Class 1-A group chat with the address in Hosu City. Why would he use that to call for back-up if he had Pro Heroes on hand?

Tsukuyomi - Midoriya... Please do not take my words the wrong way, but something about that night still bothers me.

At this, Midoriya tellingly didn't reply back to his statement. Whether it was because he was waiting to hear what Tokoyami had to say, or he was genuinely upset by the implications Tokoyami was sending, the bird boy wasn't sure, but it felt like his suspicions were being confirmed.

Tsukuyomi - That evening, you sent out a text to everyone in the class with an address in Hosu. If you had your own mentor, Iida and the Hero Agency he was working at, why would you need more backup?

"Izuku's totally lying," Dark Shadow drawled, his voice catching Tokoyami off guard, as well as Shouji who glanced down at the pair with a surprised look.

"Midoriya is lying to you?" Shouji asked, shifting himself to stare down at Tokoyami on the futon.

"I have a suspicion, nothing more," Tokoyami replied back, still staring at the phone screen, waiting for a reply.

"That address text was weird, doesn't make any sense if Izuku had help around," Dark Shadow quickly summarized for Shouji.

"Would you stop calling him by his first name. It's rude," Tokoyami sighed, flicking his Quirk away from his shoulder out of annoyance.

Dark Shadow merely slid back, hissing, "Not my fault you're too afraid to ask if you can call him Izuku. I mean, we've known him for like seven months now."

"He'd probably combust into flames if you called him Izuku," Shouji drawled from his spot, a sly grin on one of his dupli-arms. "Either that or start crying."

"I know you jest, Shouji, but with Midoriya involved, I would not put it past him."

At that moment, his phone gave a small ping as a reply finally found it's way into his inbox, Tokoyami glancing down once more to see Midoriya's reply.

Deku - Hey, this is Todoroki. Midoriya's currently having an episode in the corner, figured I'd answer.

"Todoroki?" Fumikage replied, surprised.

"Todoroki?" Shouji parroted, one of his dupli-eyes hovering over Tokoyami, Dark Shadow also staring at the phone in bewilderment. "He must be with Midoriya and Iida in the hospital."

Deku - The situation's a little more complicated than the media made it out, that's all we can say.

"That sounds familiar," Dark Shadow commented, Shouji nodding in agreement. Tokoyami couldn't help but also agree - Those were pretty much the exact words behind their own incident here in Fukuoka, and given the Hero Killer was involved, was he really surprised that something had happened that needed to potentially be covered up?

"I'd say we don't grill Midoriya any further," Shouji muttered. "I imagine he'll tell us what happened in his own time."

Nodding, Fumikage quickly typed up a quick reply.

Tsukuyomi - Understood. We will not ask any more questions about the incident.

Deku - Alright, passing you back to Midoriya now. He seems to have calmed down.

With that rather odd conversation out of the way, Midoriya returned a few moments later and the trio settled back into their usual spots, deciding that it would be best to not bring up their respective incidents any more. Though Fumikage couldn't help the curiosity that was spreading through him as he wondered just what had happened during Midoriya's time in Hosu and rather selfishly, he hoped Midoriya would confide in him at some point.

Though given he wasn't sure if he wanted to confide to Midoriya about his own experiences and revelations in Fukuoka, he furrowed his feathers and leaned back with a discontented sigh.

"We should tell him," Dark Shadow drawled in his head.

"And why do you think that?" He asked back, both curious and concerned that Dark Shadow was about to start making another joke about crushes.

"Remember what Hayate said? If Akumi's with the League of Villains, we'll probably encounter her again and I imagine we'd not want Izuku to find out the truth from her."

"That's... actually a rather sound reasoning. Are you well, Dark Shadow?"

"Of course I'm okay," Dark Shadow huffed, Fumikage pretty sure that he'd be crossing his arms and rolling his eyes if he wasn't inside of him at the moment. "I can be smart."

"Sometimes."

"Don't push it Fumi."

"I was only teasing - You know, that thing you constantly do towards me during every waking moment of the day."

"Oh haha, very funny," Dark Shadow groaned, a playful annoyance in his tone.

"Still, I think I agree with your option to tell Midoriya the truth. But when we're back at U.A, of course."

Leaning back, Fumikage glanced up at Shouji, who had actually fallen asleep on the bed above him, his form rising and lowering slowly with every breath. Here he was thinking about Midoriya, but when he glanced up at the rather toned form of Shouji, he felt his feathers fluff up, turning away to face the doorway, Dark Shadow giving him a lascivious grin.

"Don't even start with that again," Tokoyami quickly warned, sensing his Quirk's intent.

"Oh, I wasn't going to say anything. After all, it was you who called him 'Stupid Sexy Shouji' the other night in the hotel," Dark Shadow stated bluntly, much to Tokoyami's horror and mortification.

Being a teenager was difficult. They were just friends, he enjoyed the company of all of his friends, his hormones had nothing to do with it. Not that Dark Shadow seemed to agree given he was effectively a representation of most of Fumikage's inhibitions, much to his own annoyance. His Quirk always held a grain of truth in his actions - A fact that Fumikage had accepted from the beginning.

But when Dark Shadow was effectively trying to set him up on dates with Midoriya and Shouji, despite the fact Fumikage wasn't even aware he swung that way, so to speak, until Dark Shadow had voiced those opinions of his.

Shaking his head, Fumikage groaned inwardly. He couldn't imagine really being with either of the pair in any romantic way, not yet. He cared about them as friends to an equal measure and wanted to get to know them further, but both of them were still strangers going by the time they'd known each other. One month of physical contact for the pair, with an extra six months of online discussions with Midoriya... That wasn't enough to make any decisions.

Why was he even thinking about this anyway?

"Because you liiiike them."

"Buzz off!"

The next morning, the two boys awoke to find a fresh breakfast on the table and a note beside it written in Beni's scrawled handwriting. She had already headed off to work at the Agency and had apparently cooked them up a delicious meal to start the day.

"You boys be careful sightseeing today! And make sure to be back before eight, we can't have the school worrying about your wellbeing. I've left a spare key next to this note in case I'm not back. Have a great day!"

"Beni truly is a kind soul," Tokoyami muttered as he wolfed down some scrambled eggs with a honey-apple sauce, something Fumikage didn't know he needed in his life until now.

Shouji couldn't help the hilarious snort at Tokoyami's rather pronounced eating, a far cry from his usual etiquette standards. Shouji couldn't help feeling content in that Fumikage was more than happy to act just a little more casually in his presence. It solidified their already tight friendship, something that Mezou treasured with all of his heart at this point.

They'd been through enough together in the past week that their friendship certainly was stronger than it ever had been before. It all sounded quite cheesy in his head when he thought about it - How close they had become in such a short time, and not just himself and Fumikage. Kouda, Midoriya, the rest of Class 1-A, despite their short time together, he had come to treasure those in his class more than anyone in his life before.

Then again, these were his first proper friends that he had, given his middle school days were fairly quiet when they moved to Musutafu following the bullying he received at Irube.

"So where do you want to go today?" He finally asked, snapping out of his trance to glance at his friend, who had just finished the eggs.

Tokoyami shrugged. "I think we've both done enough walking in our patrols that a simple stroll won't be too special," He said. "But as for a specific destination, I have no ideas."

"Well, it's just an idea but Beni did mention once that we could go to Uminonakamichi, you remember, the marine park?"

Tokoyami nodded, recalling that the conversation had happened after Beni took them patrolling on their second day, the day before everything seemed to hit the fan. After everything that had happened, that chat with Beni had completely left his mind, but thinking about it, a marine park would be quite the exciting place to visit.

Not only was it a tourist spot, which meant less chance of being attacked should something come up, but he could get the chance to take Tokoyami on a journey through the aquarium they had there, a personal childhood highlight for Shouji when he used to live in Fukuoka.

"It's funny how the first thought that popped into my head was how safe we'd be due to it being a tourist hotspot," Shouji mused, chewing on a piece of toast wistfully. "At this point in our training, we're getting used to analyzing situations and locations, it's weird."

"Well, how about we try not to think about our training for today and just enjoy the sights like you suggested," Tokoyami replied, a wry attempt at a smile on his face, or at least what he could attempt due to his beak.

"Uminonakamichi, it is then."

It was weird for the trio as they sat on a bus, headed for the marine park. They had done some quick research on ways to reach the marine park and found a suitable bus service that was taking tourists straight there - The joys of being in a populated city where tourism was a source of income. That being said, sitting on a bus and travelling, without patrolling or without a purpose that was for their training - that was different.

Dark Shadow had taken to staring at various members of the public while stating what he thought of them in rather snide remarks to the two students, who humoured him with good-natured chuckling.

"Loser."

"Cheating on his wife."

"Looks more emo than Fumi."

His antics were harmless and Tokoyami had to admit, some of the western tourists did seem a little out there for his tastes. It didn't help that he could barely understand the conversations going on around him since they were all speaking in different languages, leaving him to brood next to Shouji rather than eavesdrop on the lives of people he'd never see again.

Shouji, meanwhile, was almost bouncing with giddiness in his chair as the bus turned to the seaside, following the shoreline along a massive winding curve of land towards Uminonakamichi. They could see the land it was situated on from the bay, a four-kilometre stretch of parks and attractions, fun for the whole family or for those looking to sight-see.

The taller boy had already mentioned how much he enjoyed the ocean and sea life in general, to the point of practically naming himself after an octopus's tentacle. The aquarium was something Tokoyami recalled Shouji had visited in his earlier life as well, so getting the chance to have a nostalgia trip that was more pleasant in comparison to the Irube Incident would certainly be a nice change of pace.

Fumikage, meanwhile, was actually more excited for the vibrant flower fields that could be traversed by bike. The aquarium would be a great time-waster and he was sure to enjoy it, but the promise of verdant fields of flowers, all different colours, shapes and sizes, that was more to his own interests. Being at one with nature was a way of, not only soothing himself but Dark Shadow as well. And with all the stress on their plates, it would do them all some good.

When the bus arrived, they hopped out into a carpark, where they could see a large bike rental stand at the far end.

"You want to rent a bike or walk?" Shouji asked as they started walking across the tarmac.

"Definitely bike," Tokoyami replied, relishing in the chance to ride a bike after having his old bike stolen a month prior. It would do him some good and hopefully give his legs a bit of exercise that they hadn't really received in some time.

Stepping up to the rental place, Shouji was able to acquire a pair of bikes that they could rent for the day, being told to stay on the marked cycling paths which were lined with light blue strips on the sides.

Glancing towards the direction of the aquarium, Tokoyami found his heart beginning to flutter as he noticed the sakura trees in full blossom, pink cherry blossom petals drifting in the wind, just as they did in cheesy romance anime. The bright green grass and well-kept cycling track looked so inviting and the excitement must have shown in his posture because Shouji was smiling from beneath his mask.

"This is pretty cool," Dark Shadow hummed as Tokoyami hopped up onto his rental bike, experimentally feeling the handlebars, getting one foot planted on a pedal, the other balancing him on the ground as he glanced over at Shouji.

"Ready?" He asked, Dark Shadow wrapped around his neck.

"Let's go," Shouji replied confidently, lifting his foot up to push his bike into a pedal.

It was a wonder that Shouji could competently ride his bike given that he still had two injured hands, but having six arms certainly helped him out when it came to strenuous activities, and while Tokoyami felt a slight twinge of guilt for making his friend use his arms as he was, he couldn't help but feel enjoyment out of the activity, pushing off and letting the wind rustle through his feathers as they set off down the cycling road.

"I haven't ridden a bike in such a long time," Tokoyami stated with a wistful sigh, cycling at a leisurely pace beside his friend.

"Same. Been quite a few years since I last chose to ride a bike," Shouji replied. "Still, I figured you'd enjoy it. I remember you lost your bike when we first got to U.A. This isn't exactly a replacement but-"

"I appreciate the sentiment, Shouji," Tokoyami nodded back.

"He really appreciates it, if you know what I mean," Dark Shadow stated teasingly, sticking out a spectral yellow tongue at Shouji, who rolled his eyes at the Quirk's comments.

"Must you always be so crude," Tokoyami muttered to his Quirk, though surprisingly there was no anger in his voice at the blatant teasing. Perhaps he was simply in too good of a mood to have it ruined.

"I just meant that you really take compliments to heart," Dark Shadow replied with faux shock.

"Sure you did," Shouji quipped, meeting Dark Shadow's eyes with a sly raise of his brow, from beneath his silvery hair.

"I do appreciate the kindness in your gesture though. Not many would inconvenience themselves to such an extent, especially with your... uh... injuries," Tokoyami stated, voice trailing off towards the end as embarrassment set in.

"Not a problem, Toko. You saved my life, after all, a bike ride is nothing!"

As they cycled past the sakura trees, they spotted the aquarium coming up ahead of them, large glass windows and reflective walls, all lined in a large semi-circle. The marine park was absolutely massive, towering in size compared to anywhere they had been previously in the city, around a similar size to one of U.A.'s practice arenas.

When they finally reached the main building, they locked their bikes up next to the entrance and made their way from there across a large open plaza, complete with two dolphin sculptures playing with a bright red ball in the centre. There were tourists taking photos next to the statues and the trio couldn't help but do the same, Shouji holding the camera as his arm length acted like a selfie stick.

With a few pictures taken, one of which had Dark Shadow startle the pair, they made their way to the main building, walking up the many steps to the entrance, where they could see a ticket booth and a short black-haired woman at the desk.

"Hi, two tickets please," Shouji asked, holding out some money for the woman, who quickly charged them a pair of student tickets, apparently a discount that hadn't been explained on the website, and promptly let them in with a smile.

Walking in on their right, the lobby was lit up with the shining sunlight of the day outside, but they could see large entryways leading to darker halls, exhibits lining every hall.

"We're on floor two," Tokoyami thought aloud as they looked at a rather detailed map on the wall. We're right by the Open Ocean exhibit, want to go there first?"

"Toko, we're going everywhere," Shouji simply replied back, hooking his arm around Tokoyami's and dragging the raven-headed boy across the lobby towards the first exhibit, eyes shining wide with excitement.

"You might want to let him go before he bursts into flames from being so manhandled," Dark Shadow quipped as they entered the Open Ocean exhibit, noticing many visitors were pressed up against the glass, looking at the mystical world beyond.

Shouji promptly let his friend go, muttering a quiet apology, while Tokoyami tried to compose himself. Spoilers, he was failing to compose himself.

The Open Ocean exhibit was a large stunning tank of dark blue water, spanning a full twenty-four meters across the aquarium. Behind the glass, it was another world entirely. Fish of all shapes and sizes swam in content harmony, drifting through the shimmering blue depths with adept speed and agility. There were some small coral reefs on the bottom of the tank, with forests of seaweed hiding some of the more quiet fish.

Tokoyami found himself enveloped in the community of the tank, so much so that he didn't realize Shouji was tapping on his shoulder to move on until Shouji waved an arm in front of his face.

They decided to take out the rest of the main attractions on this floor as quickly as possible, next taking a step into the sensory overload that was the Jellyfish of Kyushu exhibit. The hall of the attraction was a darkened black, with purple highlights glowing from the walls, where large pictures of jellyfish had been set up with some readable plaques beneath them, which taught visitors about the different jellyfish of the region.

Dark Shadow and Shouji really got invested, despite Tokoyami's reluctance due to finding Jellyfish to be rather uncomfortable, quickly moving them through the lucid exhibit and into the Coral Reefs of Amami hall. This was a much more pleasant experience, with many smaller tanks set up with beautiful coral patches in every tank, of different colours, shapes and sizes.

Unlike the Open Ocean tank, the coral reefs here were more contained and easier to view, with the water being crystal clear and easy to see through. Though he didn't know the species, dark blue fish with yellow tails swam across the glass, some even looking straight at the trio as they walked.

"This really is quite a place," Tokoyami muttered to himself as they left the exhibit quicker than he would have liked, though when the trio saw their next destination across the hall, all thoughts of prior exhibits faded from their minds.

Because just a few paces away was the Sea Otter Pool.

"I want to be one of them," Dark Shadow oogled, watching as an otter dove into the water from a large rocky platform, which they were watching through a little window.

Shouji could see a trio of otters all faceplanted on the ground away from the rest, just relaxing in each other's company. It looked so calming, so inviting. He honestly envied these little otters who wouldn't have to worry for the rest of their days. They could be content just living in each other's company.

"Sea Otters are truly communal creatures, are they not?" Fumikage mulled, trying to sound somewhat mysterious, though the giddiness in his voice was not lost on Shouji, who felt extremely happy they had chosen to come to the aquarium that day.

"The rest of the class would love this," He muttered, his mind drifting to the other classmates who would love the wildlife here. Kouda would probably try to talk to the fish, Midoriya would be cataloguing them all for some sort of notes, Bakugou would be standing outside the aquarium, not being allowed in due to being a hazard to the glass tanks. One day, they'd have to make a day of it. Go to an aquarium closer to home, the whole class.

With the second floor scoured, they turned their attention to the third floor, seeing as it was higher up and there were fewer attractions than the second floor they were just on. And the first exhibit on their third floor stop was Kyushu's Inshore Waters. Walking across at least half the expanse of the aquarium, the Inshore Waters exhibit was unique in that it seemed to change as they walked, recreating various regions of Kyushu's oceans within the aquarium.

As with before, they were both lost in the serenity of the tanks, Shouji excitedly pointing out an actual octopus that was slithering along the bottom of the much darker, almost misty blue, tanks. The colour was less pronounced, whites and cyans melding into a monochromatic scene of beauty that had Fumikage smiling the whole time. Dark Shadow was constantly trying to scare fish away from the glass with stupid faces, though he never was allowed to leave Fumikage's shoulder for fear of breaking the glass.

Getting banned from the Marine Park would be a rather awkward way to end their internship after all.

From the water, they moved into a water-nurturing forest exhibit called Aso, which, according to the guide, recreated a spring from the wilds of Kumamoto, known for its water. It was hard to believe they were in a building thanks to the many trees and shrubbery that dotted the landscape, as if they were in an actual forest and away from the ocean for the time being. This was a setting where Tokoyami admittedly felt the most at peace, reminding him of the woodlands behind his home.

It was nice.

"I'm glad you took us here, Shouji," Fumikage stated, when they came to the end of the Aso exhibit, lingering before the exit door as Fumikage looked back at the greenery around them. "It's been so relaxing."

"I aim to please," Shouji smiled. "I just wish everyone else were here to see this."

"Midoriya would probably enjoy the Coral exhibit," Tokoyami mused.

"Kouda would be talking with the sea lions all afternoon," Shouji laughed.

"Tsuyu would love it here too. I bet she goes to aquariums all the time," Dark Shadow added, a rare comment that wasn't a scalding tease or a sarcastic quip.

With their friends on their mind, the trio began the trek down to the first floor, where the last of the exhibits were left, spotting another portion of the Open Ocean exhibit where manta-rays and even a few sharks seemed to be swimming around, a far cry from the smaller fish on the second floor portion of the exhibit. From there, they headed to the Deep Ocean Waters exhibit, which was similar to the Coral exhibit with smaller tanks that depicted and showed some of the creatures that lived at the deepest of pressures.

Tokoyami imagined that if he were a fish, he'd be one of these. All the pressure on his shoulders as a student training to be a Hero, who had evolved to look different from his compatriots... Glancing at Dark Shadow, who had been one of those pressures all his life, as well as his own appearance, the irony was there.

"I'd rather move on, if that's okay," Fumikage muttered, feeling his spirits lower.

Shouji placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly and steered them away, only two more exhibits left to go before they had seen everything, having spent upwards of an hour and a half in the aquarium already.

Their spirits perked up as the next exhibit was a bright, almost ice-like tank filled with the most adorable dolphins they had ever seen. The cure facial expressions of the finless porpoise were enough to perk Tokoyami up from his momentary stupor, leaning against Shouji ever so slightly in contempt as they continued to watch the Dolphins swim and poke at those watching them.

"They look cute but they'll get you if you're not careful," Dark Shadow bristled, a little less high on the idea of the dolphins than the other two.

"They'll get you?" Tokoyami asked snarkily, arms folded. "Are you scared of dolphins, Dark Shadow?"

"A high and mighty Quirk like you, afraid of a little sea creature?" Shouji stated in surprise.

Dark Shadow turned his head away, giving an irritated, "When the dolphins rule the world, don't come running to me."

"Right," Shouji stated pointedly.

Walking away, the last spot on their tour of the Aquarium was perhaps the oddest experience Tokoyami had ever had.

Stepping outside into the sunlight, they were taken to a place known as Creature Island, where sea lions, seals and, to Shouji's delight, Penguins, interacted. Shouji had wandered off, looking at all the different sea creatures lounging around and playing together, but Fumikage was in a completely different spot.

He sat off to the side, looking at a single penguin that was just staring at him, it's black and white coloured wings folded by it's back, gazes locked as Fumikage could feel a kinship of lament forming.

Penguins, flightless birds.

"Flightless birds..." He bitterly muttered. "How do you do it, casually go about your day with no problems at all, despite the fact that you can't fly even though you're classified as an avian species that predominantly knows how to fly. I was not blessed with wings either, I can't fly... We're the same, you and I."

"You're complaining to a penguin, Fumikage."

When Shouji came to check on the pair, he came across Tokoyami trying to strangle his Quirk while a lone penguin watched, giving a loud caw at the pair before hopping back into the water.

"Even the penguin left you, bahahaha!"

"I think it's time we leave the penguins before you have an existential crisis, Toko."