Daily Meme
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The crowd cheered like someone just announced free food. Eri, still sitting on Nejire's shoulders, clapped with her candied apple-sticky hands, eyes wide. Nejire nudged her playfully, hyping her up even more.
I walked toward center stage. Kaminari smacked my back as I passed. "Go kill it, man."
"Obviously."
Bakugo scoffed. "Tch. If you fuck this up after all that talk…"
I shoved Bakugo off the stage. Maybe a little harder than necessary. "Shut the fuck up."
He hit the ground with a curse, but I was already walking forward. The noise from the crowd barely registered but that wasn't the poing. They were here for a show, and I wasn't about to waste their time.
Jiro stepped back, handing me the mic.
I took the mic, rolling my shoulders. The crowd was still roaring, the energy from the performance still buzzing through the air. I let it settle for a second, glancing toward the audience. My eyes caught Mom's for half a second… just long enough to see the way she was watching, waiting, probably expecting something stupid.
I adjusted my grip on the mic. "Alright, listen up."
A few people in the crowd cheered again. Some of the students up front laughed, like they were waiting for me to talk shit.
I didn't.
"There was once a single mother of two troublesome Quirkless kids."
The crowd quieted a little. Some of the background chatter faded.
"She wasn't a hero. Not a businesswoman, not some big name in society. Just a woman doing her best with what she had. And what she had wasn't much."
"She had a home. Small, but enough. She had a job. Not a good one, but it paid. And she had them… her kids. That was what mattered."
"Some nights, she went hungry so they wouldn't. Some days, she worked extra hours, not because she wanted to, but because she didn't have a choice. And when those kids asked for things, things their friends had, things normal kids took for granted, she smiled. Said maybe next time."
"She taught them everything she could. Told them stories, helped them with homework, made sure they knew they were loved. Even when she was exhausted. Even when the world made it hard."
"She was scared sometimes. Scared because the world isn't kind to people without power. Scared because she didn't know if she could protect them forever. Scared because even when you do everything right, it is not always enough."
"But she didn't stop. Not once."
I exhaled through my nose.
"She fought every battle, faced every struggle, handled every impossible situation with nothing but her own strength. And not because she had some dream of changing the world. Not because she wanted recognition. Not because she thought she was special."
"She did it because she was a mother. And that was enough."
I looked up. "The world we live in, society built around Quirks, is merciless. Not just for those without them. Everything is shaped around what is considered 'normal.' And 'normal' means having a Quirk. The strongest abilities become the standard. Everything else is an outlier."
I gestured toward the crowd. "Ever notice public transportation? Train doors, bus handles… designed for average human proportions. If you are too tall? Too wide? Have an extra limb or a tail? Good luck fitting in. Schools? Workplaces? Try getting a desk if your body doesn't match what the furniture was built for."
I paused. "You all live at U.A., right? You seen the doors, the hallways. Taller, wider, built to accommodate. Ever wonder why?"
People glanced around. No one really answered.
"It is because of Nezu," I said. "Principal Nezu saw the same discrimination, and he made sure his school didn't follow the same pattern. He ensured everyone had a space… no matter their size, shape, or ability."
I let that sit for a moment before continuing. "But outside U.A.? It is not the same. For a mother raising two Quirkless kids, it meant a lifetime of watching them be treated as 'less than.'"
I exhaled, sat on the ground. "And despite that, her kids wanted to be heroes. Because they grew up in a world where being a hero was the greatest thing someone could be. And so, she smiled. She encouraged them. Because telling them the truth, that the world would never accept them, was a pain she wasn't willing to put in their hearts."
I could feel the crowd leaning in.
"She worried every day. But she still supported them. Taught them to do the right thing. Even when it was hard. Even when the entire world was against them."
I stopped, meeting a few gazes in the crowd. "When one of those kids did something 'wrong'... when he saved a little girl despite heroes telling him not to… when he was arrested… Labeled a problem. A reckless, dangerous liability."
I smiled a little. "And you know what that mother said when she saw him?"
I let the moment stretch.
"'Fuck them. I am proud of you.'"
Silence. Then whispers. Murmurs.
I adjusted my grip on the mic. "Because that is what mothers do. They fight for their kids. They stand beside them, even when no one else will."
I got up, stepped forward, scanning the crowd. "So if you have someone like that in your life… someone who supports you, believes in you, even when the world says otherwise… remember that. And don't take it for granted."
I held the mic out slightly. "And if you don't? If you are fighting your battles alone?"
I shrugged. "Then keep fighting. And make sure the world remembers your name."
Silence again.
"I would like to finish with Morgan Freeman's quote from Bruce Almighty," I said, looking at the crowd with a grin. "'Parting your soup is not a miracle, Bruce. It is a magic trick. A single mom who is working two jobs and still finds time to take her kid to soccer practice, that is a miracle.'"
I dropped the mic and walked off.
[REALLY, I WAS EXPECTING YOU TO JUMP LIKE A MONKEY OR SING LIKE A CROW, BUT THIS… WELL, COLOR ME IMPRESSED.]
"As if I give a fuck," I muttered.
The second I stepped off the stage, the class swarmed. Mina grabbed my shoulders, practically vibrating. "Bro. BRO. That was… like- what the fuck?!"
Kaminari's hands were still on his head. "Dude, I thought you were gonna break into a rap battle or some shit, but no, you just dropped the coldest mic of the century."
Jiro nodded. "Yeah, I am pissed. That was too good."
Mina groaned. "We got outshined in our own concert."
"Correction," Sero said, nudging her. "We did a concert. He did a Ted Talk that just emotionally wrecked half the audience."
Mina grinned. "That was an explosion in emotion. Just, like, emotional."
Bakugo turned away. "Whatever."
Uraraka waved a hand in front of her face. "I swear some people were crying. Like, actual tears."
Yaoyorozu adjusted her collar. "It was certainly… impactful."
Jiro crossed her arms. "I hate that it worked. You are never gonna shut up about this, are you?"
I glanced at her. "Nope."
Eri ran up, gripping my sleeve. "That was… amazing."
I ruffled her hair. "Yeah? You have fun?"
She nodded, then hesitated. "...Do I need to make them remember my name?"
I crouched. "Not yet. You got time."
Nejire walked in behind her, hands on her hips. "I can't believe you just did that. No singing, no dancing, just bam… speech, emotional destruction, and a mic drop. I feel robbed."
"I delivered."
"You really did." She bumped her shoulder against mine. "But now you owe me an actual performance."
"Sure," I said. "Right after you win Miss Con."
She gasped. "Ohhh, you are so confident in me."
I shrugged. "I am confident in my skills. I made a killer dress, you better wear it right."
She flipped her hair dramatically. "Oh, I will wear it. And I will win."
Mina poked my cheek. "So, when is your beauty pageant debut?"
I swatted her hand away. "Never."
Kaminari smirked. "You did get that maid meme trending, though."
I turned to Shoji. "Hold him down."
Kaminari yelped, darting behind Sero. "I AM JOKING…"
Mom caught me in the middle of the chaos, arms locking me in place before I could even react. "Come here, you," she muttered, pulling me into a hug. I felt a second impact as Izuku got yanked in, barely managing to keep his balance.
I sighed. "Alright, fine, we are doing this."
Mom ignored me, squeezing tighter. "I am so proud of you both."
Izuku made a noise somewhere between a wheeze and a laugh. "Mom…air…"
I spotted Eri lingering near Nejire, eyes flicking toward us like she wasn't sure if she was supposed to be part of whatever this was. I reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her in. She tensed at first but didn't pull away.
Nejire, predictably, took that as an invitation to launch herself onto my back. "Family hug!" she declared, wrapping herself around me like an overenthusiastic octopus.
I staggered slightly. "Jesus, woman."
Eri's grip on my jacket tightened. Mom looked down at her, giving her a warm smile. "You did great, sweetheart."
Eri blinked up at her, nodding. "Okay."
Nejire shifted, hanging off my shoulders. "So, what is next? Food? Games? More chaos?"
Izuku finally managed to pry himself free. "Maybe something quieter."
Mina popped up beside us, still buzzing. "Nah, we gotta keep the energy up! We just killed it, we can't just sit down!"
Kaminari nodded. "Exactly! Adrenaline is still high! We gotta do something big!"
Yaoyorozu sighed. "Or we could pace ourselves."
Jiro shook her head. "Not happening."
Nejire tapped her chin. "Ooooh, haunted house?"
I snorted. "You just wanna scare Eri."
She gasped. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing…"
Eri tugged at my sleeve. "What is a haunted house?"
I thought about it. "A place full of people who jump out and scream at you."
She frowned. "Why?"
Mina grinned. "Because it is fun."
Eri considered this, then looked at me. "Is it fun?"
Nejire gave me a pointed look. "Be careful how you answer."
I shrugged. "Depends. You wanna get scared?"
Eri shook her head.
Nejire gasped dramatically. "But Eriiii, it is part of the festival experience!"
Eri held onto my jacket. "I don't think I like that part."
Nejire sighed. "Alright, alright. No haunted houses."
Mom rubbed Eri's back. "You can try other things. There is a lot to do."
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Neo blinks. The room is white. Infinite.
Morpheus speaks without turning.
Morpheus: "They scrolled. They read. But when the moment came…"
He turns, expression unreadable.
"They hesitated."
Neo: "Can they be saved?"
Morpheus: long pause
"Only they can save themselves."
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