Charisma- cha·ris·ma

/kəˈrizmə/

noun

1. compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.
"she enchanted guests with her charisma"

Syn. charm, presence, aura, personality, force of personality, strength of character, individuality

2. a divinely conferred power or talent.

~12:34 PM~

Children laugh as they run around the playground, giving chase and having fun. A group surround a young girl as she happily showed them her hair.

"Wow!" one child said, absolutely in awe. "It's so pretty!"

"I wanna touch it!" another exclaimed.

"You're so lucky! I wish my hair was like your's!"

The girl blinked then smiled. "Why would you want that? I think your hair's really pretty, too."

"What?" the other asked bashfully. "You can't mean that!"

"No, no, no," she insisted. "I really like it! Promise!"

This caused the other girl to beam proudly. The chatter among the group quickly turned to the topic of quirks -if they had one yet, what their parents had, what they hoped to get, etc.-. The young child in the center of the -still growing- group happily explained her quirk to her classmates.

"Mama says I have Papa's quirk, that's why my hair's this way," said the girl at the center of the group.

"What quirk is that?" a curious boy asked, which received murmurs of agreement.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Mama said she'd tell me when I was bigger."

Before the conversation could keep going, one of the teachers called the end of recess. The group quickly dispersed and headed back into the school building, chattering and giggling as they went. Just as the little girl was about to go inside with her friends, the teacher stopped her, a kind smile on his face.

"I need to speak with you after class. Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

~3:16 PM~

The school day ended soon after that. The girl from before staying seated at her desk. She waited patiently for her teacher to approach her.

"Now, Mayumi," he said, pulling out the seat in front of her and sitting down. "I noticed you've gotten close to some of your classmates. It's good to see you making friends, but don't you think they're a bit unnecessary?"

The girl looked confused.

"What do you mean, Sensei?"

He sighed and shook his head as though the answer was obvious.

"Well, it's half-way through the school-year, after all. Soon, you'll be moving up a grade, and you probably won't have the same friends next year. People outgrow one another quickly. And, considering your quirk came in before most of your peers, they may become jealous of you."

A smirk settled on the man's face as he took a strand of her hair and let the vibrant colors run between his fingers.

"Such a fascinating color. So much more appealing than the plain brown it used to be."

The girl shifted, uneasy. She may only be four-years-old, but she couldn't doubt the odd feeling of fear that started in her belly. In response to the unease she felt, she shifted in a way that caused her hair to slip out of his grasp.

"Sensei, Mama will be here soon.."

She stood up out of her chair, and her teacher did the same. His large frame blocked the door from her view.

"'Mayumi: truth, gentle, beauty.' That's what your name means, right? Your parents named you accordingly, I can see."

"S-Sensei, I really should be going. Mama will worry."

He chuckled a bit, fixing his glasses on his nose. "There's no need to fret, Mayumi. I'm sure she wouldn't mind us chatting a while longer. Say, what's your favorite candy? I can take you to go get some. We'll be back before your mother-"

A voice cleared their throat from the classroom doorway, causing the teacher to scowl before turning around with a smile.

"Mayumi," the woman said, voice hard as her brown eyes never left the man. "Go out front. Your father's waiting in the car."

The little girl hesitated before nodding, scurrying around her teacher and out the door. She felt relieved that her mother arrived, and easily found her way to the parked car in the front of the school. Her father sat in the driver's seat, smiling at his daughter.

"How was school, Mayu?"

She and her father chatted for a bit before her mother came out of the building and got in the passenger's seat with a sigh. Making sure her daughter was buckled up, she gave a tired smile.

"How about we have your favorite for dinner tonight, sweety?"

A happy grin stretched across her face before she nodded her head enthusiastically.

10:46 PM

Mayumi brushed her teeth dutifully in the bathroom, wearing her soft pink nightgown. It was late, but she had stayed up to read one of her favorite storybooks. Usually, she'd be asleep by now, which is most likely why she heard her mother sobbing from the kitchen. Curious and worried, she rinsed out her mouth, dried her face, and quietly tip-toed down the hallway.

She couldn't see her mother, but the older woman's shadow stretched on the hallway wall. Soon, her father's shadow encompassed her's in a hug.

"It's already started!" her mother wailed, trying to keep her voice and crying low in volume. "Her teacher was..! Oh, my poor baby!"

"Shhh," came his gentle and smooth voice. "Calm down, Cheiro. We knew something like this would happen the moment her hair changed. All we have to do is-"

"I will not put our daughter through home-schooling! She needs to socialize like a normal child. It's that damn quirk! Why did she have to take after you?"

"M.. My quirk?" Mayumi said softly to herself, one hand unconsciously grasping her own hair.

"If we don't do this, then she could be kidnapped by any number of people. Classmates, teachers, neighbors; anyone who sees her and has a bad reaction from the quirk could be a threat. Would you rather our daughter be safe and lonely, or social and gone?"

The sobbing grew louder for a moment. Clearly Cheiro was distraught.

"Heide…" she managed to croak out. "You know I love Mayumi. But I don't know how much of the stress I can handle. If we hadn't showed up in time today, then Mr. Sotashi would have…"

Her father sighed.

"I know. My mother had to go through the same thing when I was a child after my quirk first started showing." He ran a hand through his dark blue and silver locks that mimicked a cloudless night sky full of stars. "She was just as concerned for my safety as you are with Mayu, but look how I've turned out? I have a beautiful wife, and dazzling child. If she could do it, so can you. Okay?"

The little girl could hear her mother sniffling before giving an affirmative 'alright'. Her dad pulled her mom into another comforting embrace.

"Everything's going to work out just fine. I promise."

'Oh, father.. If only you could have kept that promise. Then maybe things wouldn't be the way they are now.'