Errands & Quirks

The door to the office of the landlord was in sight. After asking permission from Tanaka for a day to sort out her problems, Kia found herself here, just a knock away from finally being liberated.

Her knuckles made light taps on the door, and a loud voice responded, "Come in!"

Before entering, Kia double-checked the amount of money she owed, prepared to give more if asked.

Stepping inside, she approached the man she remembered as the landlord. "Tamago?" He asked, looking up from the computer he was typing on.

Kia still wasn't used to her apparent original name. Moving on from her inner thoughts, she strode confidently towards the landlord.

"How much do I owe? Just tell me."

It was as straightforward as she could get. No dawdling. No menial conversation. Only one thing mattered — removing that forsaken debt G O D had stuck on her.

Curling a brow at the abruptness, the landlord makes a few clicks before reading out the amount. "500,000 for the loan and 238,971 for your unpaid months—"

"Here." Kia fished out the small brown envelopes and suddenly tossed them onto the table, making an audible thump. "Just round it up to 240,000."

The landlord widened his eyes, grabbing the envelope and checking the bills. "You... how did you get this?"

"Don't worry, I didn't do anything... bad."

The landlord looked like he was about to say something, a solemn look accompanying his suddenly silent demeanor. He took a few scrutinizing looks at Kia, who couldn't notice as her back started to turn the moment she placed the money on the table.

Not saying a word, Kia headed back outside, eventually leaving the apartment complex with a satisfied look on her face.

"I'M FREEEEEEE!" Kia screamed in English, taking a few odd looks from morning commuters walking the sidewalk. She didn't care, though; her worries had finally gone away.

Debt was her number one on the hate list, next to death and taxes because even in death, no one escapes debt. If the IRS could, they would probably follow her through another dimension, so taxes were the second thing she hated.

Kia started recounting her plans.

She needed to finish buying all the equipment she needed for a bootleg streaming setup, which she described as a laptop, a mic, and a camera. The desk she had inside her room would serve well, and she could buy one of those comfortable plastic white chairs.

That would mean her first stop would be the music store, apparently getting good deals on that kind of equipment. It didn't make sense, but Kia wasn't going to complain since she only had 60,000 Yen left.

Her quirk needed to be tested; she had a good idea of what it could be but needed to be certain. A walk-in clinic was a fifteen-minute walk from the music store, so it made sense for it to be next.

Finally, her ID. Setting up an online wallet for all the money she would get streaming was a must. With her plans of living off welfare gone, it was the simplest and easiest (hopefully) job she could endure.

<>

The smooth glass exterior of the windows revealed various musical instruments inside. From guitars to pianos, there were the most common and probably the most expensive displays.

Though the effort was there, inside the store was nothing special. Kia guessed it was because it was early, but the only person there was one behind the counter relaxing with headphones on.

"Excuse me?" Kia started. "Do you sell webcams and microphones here?"

There was no audible response, it took a few seconds and some gesturing to get the attention of the employee. 

Slowly, the woman behind the counter looked up. "Yeah sorry I heard ya but my song was almost finished. I'm surprised you know about that. You don't look like a regular. Also, not to be rude, but you look whack."

"W-whack? I'll let you know that these are comfortable." Kia pointed at her normal shirt and pants.

"Meh, not my problem I guess. So, you're looking for a webcam and a microphone? What for?"

"Streaming."

"...I'm not going to ask what kind of streaming. I'd say you have the looks for it though. Both kinds of streaming, I mean." The girl checked Kia out before approving with a thumbs up. "Nothing specific? You don't have the vibe of someone who knows tech, so give me a budget you can work with, and I'll head out back."

"I need money for a laptop so I'll have to keep a few thousand for later… maybe around 10,000 Yen for a webcam and a mic?"

"Oh, you want a laptop too? We have those."

At this point, Kia was starting to suspect the store. "Why would you have laptops for sale?"

"Do you want a cheap laptop or not?"

"I... okay, I need it."

The woman smiled. "How much do you have in total, then?"

"50,000 Yen."

"Okay, put it on the counter. I'll be right back." The woman headed to a door leading to what Kia assumed was the storage. After taking a few bills and setting them on the counter, the woman came back. "Here you are; these are not exactly recent releases, but they're pretty good in terms of quality."

Three boxes were opened, and their contents were laid out on the counter. The girl behind the counter did well explaining all the features and even pulled up a page from an online store.

The laptop normally cost 120,000, and from online searches, it was mid-high in terms of quality. The webcam and mic were both supposed to be 30,000 together, and both were in more mid-low range compared to others in the market.

"All of it works... are you sure these are only 50,000 Yen?"

"Of course."

"...Why?"

"You don't need to ask such questions."

"...They're stolen, aren't they?" Kia quirked an eyebrow. 

The girl gasped. "Woah! They're obtained through special means. How could you accuse me of a crime?"

"Uhh... it just made sense. Don't worry, as long I get a guarantee that you had something done for these not to be... ahem... tracked as permanently borrowed then I am fine with it."

"You have my guarantee. A deal's a deal, miss. Good luck with your streaming. It'll be a hard road, but you'll be surprised how good it feels to have people supporting you, though."

With equipment in hand and a plastic bag holding them, Kia left the store with a wave. "Uhh, okay. Thanks again for the things."

"Remember, nothing is stolen." The employee emphasizes harshly. "Oh, and say hello to Matsuura for me will you?"

"Suuuureee...."

Two out of four finished. Kia's pace was impressive, unsurprising since she was used to walking around. This time in this world, she didn't have to haul around tents and personal items to live on the streets.

After some mundane errands, she'd actually look forward to what was next...

A Quirk Test

<>

"It's colder here than I thought." Kia shivered, rubbing her bare arms for warmth. "Are all clinics like this?"

To an average person, the place resembled a clinic from Kia's previous home. 'Back in the US, a check-up would probably cost $3,000.'

Approaching the reception, she garnered the attention of a girl seated in front of a computer. "Umm, do you accept walk-ins? I just need a quirk test. I know it's late; usually, this is done early with children."

The receptionist warmly greeted her. "Good morning! Don't worry, miss. It's not uncommon for adults or even the elderly to request a quirk test. Every test comes with advisory assistance. This clinic can also update the registry if you wish. Any more questions?"

"How long is the wait?"

A few keyboard taps later, the receptionist replied, "You're in luck; Dr. Tadano is available. He may be young, but he's proven adept at handling quirks."

"Thank you. Here's the payment for the fee."

After a brief wait, Kia was led to the room where the doctor worked. The anticipation of discovering her quirk heightened with every step.

She had a guess about her quirk.

Instantaneous comprehension of something entirely foreign was one aspect. It might encompass the entire quirk, but she hoped to learn more about its functions.

Technically, Kia could forgo the test. Many examples on the show illustrated individuals discovering their abilities without formal assessments.

But if Kia was correct, she knew she had something with a mental effect. Gouger was acting odd. The concept of obsession existed in general, manifested in anecdotes of stalkers, individuals consumed by intense affection, or simply exhibiting erratic behavior.

Affection — perhaps that had been a factor?

Or maybe Gouger was simply THAT unstable.

Doctors can't uncover everything, but they do provide a starting point.

Having some knowledge about the anime, Kia was aware that quirks sometimes come with side effects. If she utilized her quirk with mental effects, who knew what could transpire?

A mere migraine? Could it escalate to a mental breakdown, or worse, would her brain implode from the effort?

An outsider's perspective could offer her peace of mind regarding her quirk's potential consequences.

She wasn't planning to use it extensively anyway.

Probably.

As Kia entered the room, she took a seat as the doctor gestured. "Before we commence..." The doctor began. "I'll explain the procedures so you're informed and confident about what will happen."

Kia nodded. "Lay it on me, doc."

"There's not much to worry about. We only need a drop of blood, a full-body scan, and an x-ray."

"Full x-rays?" Kia questioned, recalling that the anime had only shown an x-ray of a foot to detect quirks.

"Naturally, changes in the physical body can reveal aspects of your quirk. Sometimes, quirks manifest accidentally or intentionally. There are cases of misdiagnosed individuals realizing they have a quirk despite not activating it."

The doctor prepared the tools for blood extraction. After a needle goes through her arm and is put in a tube, she sees the doctor do his job like a well-oiled machine, a person who has done it numerous times. Placing the sample into a complex machine adjacent to the table, the doctor began his work.

Unaware of the machine's specific inner workings, Kia waited anxiously.

"Hmm… you're registered as quirkless, Miss Osorezuki Kia."

???!!

Kia couldn't believe what the doctor had just said. Was it a coincidence? She realized that the doctor had used her actual first name, not a Japanese one she might have randomly possessed after death.

Impossible.

Kia was already an uncommon name.

So was the body's name she inhabited not called Tamago?

"Err… did you perform a DNA test?" Kia's nervousness went unnoticed as the doctor focused on his task.

"Of course, it's necessary to analyze the quirk factor you might have. There is a strand in your DNA that can reveal the primary trait of your quirk. After a quick look, yours is in your brain, which is quite rare. Congratulations. I don't know who tested you before, but they did a poor job marking you as Quirkless. DNA tests precede x-rays because sometimes the removal of unnecessary traits from the body may not apply to everyone."

Still processing the oddity of her apparent identity, Kia nodded absentmindedly. "Okay..."

"Let's proceed with the other procedures, shall we?"

Kia underwent all the necessary scans, eventually ending up back in the same room with the doctor, who now had a file containing the status of her body.

"There are things I can discern from the scans. Additionally, I might have a clue as to why you were diagnosed quirkless. You have an extra toe joint." The X-rays supported the doctor's statement. "As a professional, there are several conclusions to your quirk. See this part of your brain—do you notice that pattern?"

"Uhh, I can?" Kia answered, unsure as to what she was looking at. 

"You're definitely not telekinetic; otherwise, it would look like this."

The doctor presented photos—scans of brains. Kia assumed one was hers, and the other, an example.

"They look the same," Kia acknowledged.

"Ah, just understand that they are very different. Anyway, this specific pattern on the surface means you deal with something akin to telepathy. So tell me, what does your parent's quirk look like?"

"Er… I can't tell."

"That's alright; I won't push further. How about past experience using it?"

Kia debated whether it was wise to reveal the truth about how she managed to use her quirk. She opted for half-truths and some omissions. "Hmm… someone I know could understand my own thoughts, I could instantly learn new information, and coordinate seamlessly with others."

The doctor widened his eyes. "That seems like an advanced telepathic quirk, particularly for two-way communication. Can you try it on me?"

Kia focused on entering the doctor's mind. After some frustrating moments of silence, she sighed. "I don't know if it worked—"

"It did. I feel your frustration; you want someone to fix that for you, correct? Very interesting… there must be a trigger for it."

"Erm, I noticed it working when someone had… affection."

"I- er…" The doctor awkwardly coughed. "Ahem… you mentioned learning skills; could you elaborate?"

"Uh, I suddenly knew how to… golf." Kia refrained from mentioning any martial art.

"That's quite rare. Normally skills like that can't be translated properly since it takes an immense amount of brain power to process telepathically." The doctor pauses, sifting through the scans he took before realizing something. 

"Unless… you have two brains or have the equivalent of it." The doctor continued. You might be the first, as far as I know, to link brains. This is just an assumption for now. It's up to you to naturally discover your limits. Can you connect with more people at once? What information can you receive or give? Are there differences in learning skills from different individuals? Keep practicing your quirk, and feel free to contact this clinic for any further questions."

"Thanks." Kia stood up to leave, remembering to retrieve her bag with her streaming gear.

"Ah, one last thing. If you don't mind, we can update your quirk entry right now."

Kia pursed her lips, realizing her ID needed to reflect her quirk. If people started labeling her as quirkless, she would face prejudice. "We can do that."

"Do you have a name for it?" The doctor asked, ready to note down Kia's response.

Kia had a small smirk. "…I have an idea."

[Quirk Entry Updated: 4/12/2128]

[Collective Consciousness]