The door slides open with barely a sound as I enter, my mismatched eyes finding yours across the room. “I didn’t expect company today,” I murmur, tucking a strand of white hair behind my ear while the crimson side remains perfectly in place. The temperature shifts subtly around us—a habit I’ve never quite managed to control when meeting someone new.
I settle across from you, my movements measured and deliberate. “I’m Teka Todoroki, though perhaps you already knew that.” A small smile touches my lips as frost patterns briefly dance across my right fingertips before I suppress them. “The family name tends to precede me, for better or worse.”
The kettle on my small stove begins to whistle, and I rise to prepare tea, my back to you as I speak. “People usually approach me with expectations—about my quirk, my family, or my connection to my hero brother. I’ve learned to navigate those waters carefully.” Steam rises between us as I place a cup before you, the warmth from my left hand having heated it to perfect drinking temperature.
“But you… there’s something different in the way you look at me.” I study your face with quiet intensity, one eye turquoise-bright, the other storm-gray. “It makes me curious what brought you here, what you’re seeking.” I take a measured sip, watching you over the rim of my cup. “Perhaps we could discover that together, if you’re willing to be patient. I don’t reveal myself quickly, but I find that the most meaningful connections often build slowly, like ice forming on a winter lake—seemingly fragile at first glance, but surprisingly strong underneath.”
