Ever since moving to Japan for a job opportunity, Siegfried King truly had not had a moments peace ever since he had moved into his new home. The crime rate was much worse than it was back in his home country of Germany, and that was with the Symbol of Peace being sighted within the district of Musutafu. But if there was one thing that he found intriguing was being able to view the Annual UA Sports Festival in person. There were so many promising students that had caught his eye and thankfully with having set up a Hero agency in the Saitama Prefecture, he felt that he was able to send in internship requests since he had the available facilities to teach a student or two about some fundamentals on heroics.
But funnily enough, a singular student had caught his eye throughout the first and second event. A distinct head of brown hair that was seen utilising her quirk to create many different gadgets and devices seemingly from the very earth of the arena. But using his own quirks passive enhancement abilities, he was able to distinguish that her creations came from drawings she made. A memory of a young girl and her mother flashed in his mind, and he could not fight the proud smile that lifted his lips as he watched her during the second event. She may not have been in the runnings for the tournament, but he knew exactly one of the students he was going to send an internship to. "I'm proud to see that you have stuck to your own beliefs, Little Scribbler." He spoke in his native tongue, turning away as the announcement of a scheduled break period was made, alongside the segue to the recreational activities.
He took this time to wander the stadium grounds, eager to take in the sights of what UA had to offer. Though while he was on a mission to satisfy his hunger he had a rather unfortunate encounter with one Yu Takeyama, AKA: Mt Lady that he would like to burn from his memory.
He was waiting in line behind a blonde woman that was having trouble making up her mind on what to order, something Siegfried himself could understand since Japanese food was relatively new to him still. Old habits die hard since he still cooks his homelands food when at home. He really should consider cooking something Japanese, to test his culinary skills.
"Oh dear me.~ I seem to have left my wallet at home, what ever shall I do?~" He was snapped out of his thoughts by the blonde in front of him, who could not have been any more shameless in trying to use her womanly charms to get free food. It seemed to have worked, since the vendor apparently didn't even care about losing profit over getting a piece of eye candy.
"If it's alright with you sir, I shall cover the cost of the lady's order alongside my own, if you wouldn't mind." He spoke up, stepping forward and setting a few notes down since he had believed he had done the math correctly, which he thankfully did as the vendor took his cash and gave him some change, along with his own food. He had turned to leave, taking note of the two male heroes that were stood off to the side, seemingly giving him looks of acceptance. Well the wooden one seemed to approve of his actions while the one with the black and yellow striped gear seemed to be giving him a rather strange look.
He soon found out why though.
"Well now how on earth could I repay such a kind gentleman such as yourself?~" He sighed, turning around with a ball of Takoyaki in his mouth, a stick still held between his teeth. Setting the stick into the tray he held, he gave the seductively posing woman his most deadpan stare before clearing his throat.
"First off. I do not know who you are nor do I even bother to care with such a shameless display of vanity. Second. I did not use my own money to cover the irresponsible outcome of you being too lazy to even consider bringing your own money just so you could leech off of another for your own gain. And finally. You're not even my type of woman, Girl. Maybe after you have matured by a decade or so then I would even consider learning and remembering your name. So if you are quite finished wasting my time I have places to be and possible interns to find." He turns to the two male heroes that seemed to have just been staring at his little tirade.
"Gentleman, a pleasure and do forgive my rudeness. Till we meet again." And with that he was off, hearing obscenity after obscenity being thrown his direction by the irate Heroine, but he did not care. She was young, vain and only cared about herself. He had seen many prospective heroes in his home country be torn to shreds because they did not treat the profession they were in like it was meant to. They are law enforcement of the highest caliber, not glamorized idols to soak up attention and approval ratings.
Shaking his head to return himself to the here and now, he tried to refocus on what he was doing and where he was going, but unfortunately he had the most rotten luck at times. With a surprised yelp, he and someone else had bumped into each other when taking a bend along the hallway, colliding into one another and ultimately taking a tumble to the floor. Reflexes kicked in and thankfully he was able to spin them around so he fell first with the person secure and uninjured on top of him. He groaned in pain, but unsure if he would have a concussion or not his ears picked up a VERY sultry chuckle.
"My my, men usually have to work their way up to being able to be hold me as you are. How bold.~"
His eyes snapped to the person speaking to him, and he could not fight the heat that rose to his cheeks upon laying eyes on possibly one of the most gorgeous women he had ever seen, The R-Rated hero: Midnight. Luckily his mental faculties returned in time, and while he was very aware she was messing with him, he was never one to back down once he had found a woman he had an eye for. "Really? Then surely I must have skipped a few steps to be in such a desired position."
She chuckled again before deciding to carefully get off of him, lending him a hand to help him up as well. "I'm sorry about that sir, I wasn't looking where I was going-"
"Think nothing of it. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, so it's safe to say we're both at fault here." He interrupted, smiling genuinely to ease any worry she may have since he did take the fall. "I believe introductions are in order? I am Siegfried King, better known as the Infernal Hero: Dante." He introduced himself, giving his coat a little flourish before bowing at the hip and taking her right hand in his and kissing her knuckles. He understood that some gestures were not universal, this one being one of them if he was correct in guessing from the rather deep red that flushed her face once he stood up. He smirked at that, taking the small victory in making the ever mature Midnight flustered.
"A-A pleasure to meet you Siegfried-san, I'm Kayama Nemuri, but I'm guessing you already know my hero name. Right?" She managed to recover relatively swiftly, but the slight chuckle he gave as a response to her question was not what she was after, frowning at his light laughter.
"Apologies, Kayama-San. I forgot that Japanese custom is to introduce yourself with the family name first before the given name. But i prefer being called Siegfried as it is natural to my home country." Once more, he saw the light red dusting her cheeks return at being caught using his given name, though his clarification to avoid any misunderstanding had her nodding her head, a casual smirk lifting her lips.
"Then it only seems fair you call me Nemuri, right, Siegfried-Kun?"
"Just Siegfried is fine Nemuri. Honourifics aren't something I can get used to even if I've lived in Japan for roughly a year or so now."
Before she could acknowledge his remark, Present Mic had announced that the tournament would be beginning shortly. He had seen Midnight be the umpire for the first year tournament, so he figured it was also the signal for her to return to her podium. "Don't think this is over Siegfried, if you're lucky we may meet again sometime.~" She gave him a wink before turning and making her way off, but before she could get too far out of earshot, he decided to take the plunge.
"Then how does Coffee once you've clocked off sound?"
She stopped in her tracks, thankful that she was facing away from him since he could not see that her entire face had erupted in a red blush. It was safe to say that while Nemuri could play the role of a dominating figure in costume, once the costume was off she was more of a playful tease than an overtly forward and over the top flirt. However despite what she had said initially, she had never really had any proper dating experience outside of quick flings and failed dates. But this guy? This guy was for sure shooting his shot and she had half a mind to jump headfirst into it. She was a hopeless romantic god damn it and she wanted to know what love is. Clearing her throat, she turned her head to look at the slightly taller man and gave him a genuine smile. "Sure. I'd like that."
"My personal number then, so you can let me know when you're on your way out." He handed her a small slip of paper with his digits on, and once again the hopeless romantic in Nemuri was squealing over the fact someone seemingly genuine was asking her out. As much as she wanted to get her hopes up, too many failed first dates had built a wall to overcome. She would give him the chance and if he was genuine in what he wanted she was very certain she would end up seeing him a lot in the following weeks.
"Midnight, wherever you are can you hurry up? It's illogical to be late as a staff member of UA." That got the two of them to focus. The two of them laughing awkwardly.
"I'll see you later Dante, it was wonderful meeting you."
"The pleasure is all mine Midnight, I eagerly await the time until we can meet again."
And with that she was on her merry way to officiate the tournament to close off the Sports Festival, a giddy smile and a slight girlish squeal escaping her as she went at having bumped into the foreign hero that was Dante. Even though her specialty back when she was a student at UA was Modern Hero Art History, she still took it upon herself to learn about the foreign heroes and heroines to learn about the history behind how those countries differed from Japan in terms of its hero profession. Out of all of them, Germany was one she was hesitant to learn about the most given the rather shaky history the country has had over the millennia. But when it came to its heroes, they were very much the best of the best when it came to law enforcement, a thought that made Midnight look down at her costume for a moment and rethink the design.
'Now that I think about it, maybe Germany had it right with how militaristic their heroes are, or at least how seriously the profession is taken there and in other countries.' She thought to herself, folding her arms over her bra-less corset and body suit in a vain attempt to hide herself, only to stop what she was doing and continue on her way. Why was she being self conscious now of all times? She thought back to her first hero costume, a trench coat, utility belt, panties, boots and two strips of plating for her modesty. Thinking back to how the Germans were treating their heroes, she visibly cringes at what her past self was thinking. Yes, it was ideal for her quirk but she was effectively trying to go into a law enforcement profession with absolutely ZERO PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. "Oh god, how the hell can meeting one man make me of all people question my life choices?" It was one of her life's many questions, and it was one she would maybe put some thought into over coffee with said man.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————
As Siegfried watched the closing match of the Tournament, he couldn't help but frown at the blonde boys attitude. From the very beginning when he made his pledge of simply being number one from the get go, Siegfried understood the type of hero he would be. "That boy with the explosive quirk would not survive in my home country." He spoke a little too loudly for his own good, which caused many people to turn their heads in his direction, especially as he took note of a blonde woman and brown haired man with especially passionate faces looking at him. Well, the woman was outright glaring bloody murder at him, the man was an unreadable mask; a commendable feat. Far be it from him to not share his views, he moves to be near those two, finding a seat next to them.
"I take it you two did not like what I had to say about the explosive blonde?" He spoke calmly, a small smile on his lips that would be seen as arrogant and smug yet it was his own way of trying to keep the peace.
"The fuck do you think you are talking about my kid like that?!" The blonde woman shouted, ignorant of the stares she was receiving from those around them. The brunette of a man simply sighed, almost as if he was used to this.
"The Infernal Hero: Dante. A foreigner in this country who has travelled from Germany to sample what Japan has to offer. And I must say your son would not last a week within Germany as a professional hero." He elaborated, causing the blonde mother to open her mouth again for a retort, only for what he could only guess was her husband to rest a hand on her shoulder to ease her back into her seat.
"What makes you say that Dante-san? Surely you can see that he has potential to go far in the profession?" The husband spoke, a calm and neutral tone that Siegfried respected. It made his smile widen just a little, but he schooled his expression into neutrality so he could very easily explain himself. Being able to converse about his home always made him joyful.
"I never said the boy lacked potential. Merely that he would not last if he were to be elsewhere other than here." At their confusion he proceeded to elaborate. "You see, in the years since quirks first came in, Germany has gone through many different changes before it's government settled on the one it currently runs on. While here in Japan the profession of Professional Heroism is seen as the ultimate goal for any starry eyed youth to say they can make it big in; Germany runs the job very differently." He began, both husband and wife raising their brow in interest with some of the crowd around the three wanting to learn from this foreigner. "You see, in my home country Professional Heroism is very much seen as the highest calibre of Law enforcement, as it is also the case here in Japan. However, the Japanese hero commission portrays its heroes as idols and celebrities to worship instead of the common man and woman fighting that little bit harder to ensure the peace of their home town." As Siegfried began to explain how Professional Heroism worked in his home country, a small camera had focused on him from within the stands, its microphone picking up his miniature lecture as the one on the other end couldn't help but grin with intrigue.
"Quirks in Germany gained you nothing except the chance to be a Pro Hero, as Pro heroes are fundamentally crisis management for when villains are running rampant, causing damage to the point your average street level police officer would not be able to manage the situation."
As Siegfried spoke, the award ceremony took place, with All-might fumbling over what was supposed to be the schools motto, and as everybody in the stands began to leave those that remained surrounded Siegfried and the husband and wife. On the giant screen of the stadium, was Siegfried unaware he was being broadcast even if all the cameras on the ground floor had ceased their recording of the event. "If I were to take a guess at the employment rate for the quirkless here in Japan, I would hazard a guess and say it was below the estimated percentile of the quirkless population in the country." He spoke that possible fact with a fair amount of disdain. But before he could continue, someone brave enough; or more accurately dumb enough to speak against the foreign hero stood to challenge this claim.
"What do you expect? Quirkless are an inherent plague upon this country, and the world at large. You can't seriously believe they hold any significant value compared to the actual average quirked individual."
Roaming the halls of the stadium, where the speaker system was playing this dialogue, the skeletal figure of one Toshinori Yagi had paused in his treck off school grounds. This was how people thought of the Quirkless in Japan? But that all consuming rage at the clearly quirkist opinion turned to self induced guilt. Mind being cast back to a time when he too put value on a quirk above the merit of a person.
Siegfried however, activated his quirk. His pale skin being replaced with a leathery hide, his long flowing hair now a carapace that protected his spine as his coat melded to his very being, yet the coat tails still remained attached to his waist, almost acting as a pair of wings. Burning, gilded eyes stared at the interloper as a razor sharp finger pointed at them, face almost skeletal with the lack of lips to hide the jaws of a beast.
"Then tell me. What is your profession in the great machine that is Japan? Are you out on the streets risking life and limb to protect your country and the ones you hold dear? Are you sitting comfortably working the average nine to five desk job with a comfortable salary and the security of knowing you can get home on time. Unlike you and this god's forsaken country, many of Germany's Quirkless make up the police force and emergency response forces. Many of Germany's Quirkless have a stable income and job placement so they too can return home to loving wives, caring husbands and adoring children. There is a reason why it is illegal to use a quirk without a license, and it is to ensure that a villain is not born from a criminal. But what would you know, for all you care there is a child out there; scared, alone and more than likely suffering either with a quirk deemed villainous because of what it entails or what it can do, or entirely quirkless who is very much on the cusp of simply ending their own lives because the people around them see them as nothing more than the very dirt the rest of you walk upon." His breaths were raged, his rage palpable at the mere prospect of someone's worth being measured by their biology.
Even though the sports festival had ended, The Infernal Hero Dante being sighted in the crowd was something that many Germans found inspiring alongside empowering since they were witness to his speech. But within the alleys of Musutafu, a young blonde girl was looking on at the wall of televisions in a shop window broadcasting the Infernal Hero and his speech. As much as she wants to hate him because he is a hero, she resonated with his words about being scared, alone and suffering. But when she thought back a little to him saying the law about using a quirk without a license was to stop a criminal becoming a villain it gave her pause. Maybe she would pay the monstrous looking hero a visit if she caught sight of him, have him answer her questions about what makes a criminal and what makes a hero.
Back at the stadium however, Dante had finally released his quirk after taking several moments to calm his anger, the interloper having promptly excused themselves so they wouldn't have to deal with an angry hero. However, before he could apologise for his outburst the speakers crackled to life, with a voice coming from it that the still on sight members of staff shudder in fear for the Infernal Hero. "That was a lovely speech Dante-san. If you wouldn't mind coming to my office for a chat and a spot of tea I would be most delighted. I'll have Midnight escort you so you don't get lost." With the squeaky voice of the institutions principle having made its offer, Siegfried stood and bowed to the still present members of the public, apologising for having kept them longer than was necessary. The husband and wife he had initially spoke to simply placated his worry and openly said that his insight had opened their eyes a little more to the world, with the wife even making an off handed comment about needing to see her friend about something.
But with that all out of the way, Siegfried managed to find his way to the exit of the stadium, an out of costume Midnight greeting him with a smile. "Hey there, are you always one to draw a crowd wherever you go?" She teased with a light chuckle, causing Siegfried to do the same and follow her along when she motioned to join her.
"It is an unfortunate byproduct of a passion for ensuring those around you are not ignorant to the thoughts and feelings of oneself. I prefer to make myself as easy to understand as possible, so that when someone tries to dissect every word I say into a misshapen and boldfaced lie, I know when it happens." He sighed, having had experience when it comes to tabloids and news outlets trying to take something he had said and turn it into a controversial headline. Nemuri's smile turned sympathetic as she rested a hand on his bicep, knowing the pain of dealing with the vultures of society.
The walk to the principles office soon devolved into a comfortable silence, the two simply walking side by side with a small smile on their faces as they enjoyed each other's company.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Siegfried King was a man of many talents. However, the art of 'holding back' was a foreign concept not too dissimilar to the remaining Japanese customs he had yet to get used to. He had always put it upon himself to put his all into everything he did. Be it from cooking his breakfast to be the most delicious he had cooked, or when he was brought in as a member of a raid he put everything into his given task.
So it was no surprise when he looked himself in his bedrooms mirror that what stared back at him was a man who looked about ready to go on a date. Smart, blue button up shirt with the top two buttons undone and sleeves neatly folded and rolled up to the mid forearm. A pair of black jeans that fit his lower body comfortably with a pair of dark burgundy slider boots.
"Why is it that only now romance decides to find me? Ah well, better late than never I suppose."
The foreign hero mused, adjusting his collar so he was presentable to his own standards before taking a hair tie and pulling his hair into a small bun, leaving most of his hair to hang neatly between his shoulder blades. Once he was happy with his appearance he checked his phone for the time, a smile lifting his lips at the picture he used for his Lock Screen, the memory filling his mind for the moment he could afford.
It was their first official date. After agreeing to another outing after they had coffee together after the sports festival, it was a moment that neither Kayama Nemuri or Siegfried King wanted to ruin for either of them. The former wanted so badly for this first date to be the real deal, and a dark part of her mind was desperate for the man to also be the real deal similar to their interaction at U.A. He had shown an interest in her as a person, and from the offset seemed to have many redeeming qualities. In the case of the latter, Siegfried wanted to see if Kayama was very much worth pursuing. While Germany wasn't exactly a place he would openly care about finding a life time partner, the thought of getting together with someone who wasn't from his homeland excited him more than 'the local delicacies.' He was always a fan of exotic cuisine and he wouldn't mind extending that fancy to his romantic life.
They had first gone to a nice restaurant courtesy of Siegfried. He would always remember the way Kayama looked in her outfit. Dressed beautifully in a nice blouse with a short denim jacket with a furred collar, her legs covered with a pair of slim fitting jeans and a pair of heeled boots to round off the outfit. Her usual glasses sat comfortable on her ears and nose with her nails painted perfectly in their usual red. He himself decided to dress somewhat casually for his liking. A deep blue polo shirt with a pair of dark blue jeans and a set of purple canvas trainers with his hair tied in a messy bun. Their dinner was brilliant and their company was enjoyable for both parties involved. They ended their first official date at a park, sat on a bench with a picture to commemorate a successful evening together with a promise for more. They both liked each other through the night's interactions and they wanted to pursue this connection. The picture came out with Siegfried wrapping an arm around Nemuri's midriff while he gently caressed her cheek, resting his head gently against hers as she mimicked him in gently caressing his cheek, her other hand holding the camera as the picture was snapped, saved and sent to her phone for the memory.