An Unhinged Visitor

[aceinthehood]

Jack Napier wasn't enough of a household name around the hero community that most people would know him on sight. If they did it was because chalk white skin and a grin that ran so far back that it passed his ears made him a hard sight to miss. His Quirk, "Unhinged", was nothing of note - you couldn't make a hero career out of being able to open your jaw and swallow things whole like a snake, though it did make mealtimes efficient.

Jack did have a novel hobby, though, and that hobby was vigilantism. Studying vigilantism, that is. Not practicing illegal public Quirk use for social or ideological gain. Obviously. Jack researched and cataloged the phenomenon the way some people researched appearances of rare birds, from the nationalistic Freedom Ring to the well-loved Rogues of Central City. He was no academic, but in his own way he was still an expert.

Yamada had met him at a conference in New York a few years earlier. (Allegedly.) His pitch to Nezu was that their current enemies were allied around an ideology directly relating to heroism, not personal profit, and that meant security needed a new perspective. Plus, with Stain in the news the kids probably needed a little extra study on dealing with vigilantes, so they could claim him as a guest lecturer and get double the benefit out of him. Jack's Japanese was shaky but competent enough to address a class with, especially with Yamada providing support.

And Jack had neither the cash nor the inclination to turn down a free trip to Japan, no matter how busy his "hobby" was keeping him.

Comments

[heavensbrawniestangel]

Stain was in the news and the League of Villains was thriving. It was a dark time for young heroes, wasn't it? Yagi Toshinori, whether in his deflated true body or the muscleform he held on to with both hands like an echo of his greatness....

Well. He keeping a stiff upper lip and all that. So when Mic asked several teachers to meet with 'Napier-san', he was drawn in as the huge, booming All Might. He'd meet, they'd split, it'd be fine.

"Ah! A pleasure to meet you!" The English is perfect and nearly without accent. "Present Mic has told us much about you! You're from Gotham, New Jersey? Never managed to get out there, but I hear New England is steeped with early American history!"

He is larger than life, he fills up a room. His voice is like thunder, and his smile gleams. But he likes pretty much everybody, so very little of this feels fake. He just... likes to meet people. He so rarely gets to hear stories from America, anymore.

Man, he misses Dave.

[aceinthehood]

It was hard not to know All Might, even if you weren't an amateur scholar of heroics, but Jackie's first thought is 'The TV hella does not do this man justice'. If anything it makes him seem smaller. Jackie had some very large friends but this man has presence. It's spectacular. And very attractive.

"Among many other things," he says back, offering his hand as he turns away from talking with Nezu. "But you did work in America for a few years, I remember? On the west coast? What did you think of it?"

Stupid lucky west coast.

[heavensbrawniestangel]

"Well, I started on the west coast. Got as far East as the Carolinas and North as Michigan." (Detroit SMASH! and all.) "Lots of internships in the MHS grad studies, after all!"

Three years of bouncing across the country with Dave. Bliss.

"I loved America. Still miss it and keep meaning to visit UCLA, but I haven't gotten back there in many years." He laughs, and it's warm and fond. He's in love with stupid, stupid America and nearly everything about it.

Not so much the propensity to militarize heroics, but... everywhere has its flaws.

[aceinthehood]

"I'm sure we'll welcome you back anytime you want to visit. I'd love to give you a tour of Gotham sometime." Especially the bits inside his apartment--dial it back, Jackie. This is the Symbol of Peace. Words don't describe how not at your level he is.

He seems warm. Genuine, in a way that many heroes in the spotlight don't. It's impressive, even if it's likely all an act. Just because it's an act doesn't mean Jackie can't appreciate skill at it.

Jackie turns to make small talk with the other teachers who arrive, pretending that All Might isn't the most attentionworthy thing in the room. He does, at least, ask if All Might wants to catch drinks later and compare notes.

[heavensbrawniestangel]

The sad part is -- very little of it is an act. He really is That Guy. An actual good person, who likes and cares about everyone. (With few exceptions on the 'liking' bit.)

"Ah! I've heard it's a very troubled city," he says about Gotham. "Maybe someday, a consultation could be done if that's what you're interested in. Or you could just tell me more over drinks, if I have the time."

He has zero ideas about the tour of Jackie's bedroom. He's used to being a fantasy, so he doesn't really think about engaging anybody's. He's not a young man anymore, after all.

[aceinthehood]

"I mean, it's troubled but it's got its bright sides." But he doesn't have enough national pride to defend it for very long, let's be real.

"Don't you have an cannibal alligator man living in the sewers?" asks Midnight, who...well, you really couldn't get away with being a hero in America in that outfit, so props to her on pulling it off. Jackie tries to look anywhere but her chest.

"I mean, only supposedly. It's probably just a heteromorph who works nights, and definitely there's been no proof of cannibalism, so it's probably just bigotry combined with bad night vision."

[heavensbrawniestangel]

"Ah, we have similar issues. Including one No Heteromorphs cult," All Might offers, shaking his head. "Such bigotry is unbecoming of any nation."

Everywhere has their share of bigots, after all.

[aceinthehood]

And he just says it like it's nothing. No irony. No winking. He's just that fucking pure and ugh why couldn't they have him instead of Captain Celebrity as an American export. Things are just way too unfair.

"Can I take home a souvenier?" he asks Mic, after the latter escorts him to the hotel.

"If you mean All Might, no, you can't."

"Damn. How'd you know?"

"Because I'd want him too, in your position. Proooooobably wouldn't be a fan of your other hobby, though."

"Yeah, true."

When Jackie has to pause to take a few calls from home, Mic doesn't ask why so many people want to talk to him at 2am Gotham time. This is a working vacation, anyway. By day he'll be talking to UA staff and doing a guest lecture for the students in each set of courses; by night, the hobby.

And in the evening, he's going to meet All Might for drinks in the hotel bar and try not to lose his shit.

[heavensbrawniestangel]

The countdown is on. He's got some time -- and if he conserves strength instead of using it willy-nilly, he'll be fine. Extend his time by a few minutes just holding his 'flex'.

But he arrives, in his stupid yellow suit and his broad shoulders and everything else that goes with him.

"Hello, Mr. Napier!" He gives a handshake instead of a bow -- he knows how Americans sometimes get weird about customs and culture. "How did your day treat you? I was unfortunately drawn away and wasn't about to attend your lectures."

[aceinthehood]

"No worries, it's probably nothing you didn't know already." Jack's handshake is firm even though he knows this man could take it off at the wrist without breaking a sweat. He smiles - he can't do anything else - and finds them a table at the back, where they won't be as easily noticed or bothered.

"It is fascinating, how orderly you've made Quirk culture here."

[heavensbrawniestangel]

"Fascinating," All Might replies, "and necessary. While America embraces a certain wild west approach to heroism, that really doesn't work for us."

Communistic versus individualistic society. That's just how it is.

[aceinthehood]

"Unfortunately, yes. The American people have to be crept up on like a wary cat, they don't just...do things for other people easily. But that's not all of them, of course, just the ones in charge." Okay, so he's had a drink already.