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Chapter Text

Kouji nearly cried when the realtor handed him the keys to the building he bought. He had been working towards opening a hybrid daycare for years and he’d finally saved up enough. The relevant degrees and licensing had already been taken care of. He’s just been focusing on saving up for the actual building by working as an assistant at a veterinary clinic. 

In an age when 80% of the world’s population had superpowers called quirks, Kouji had the ability to speak to animals. Originally, he wondered if he could be a pro hero. What child didn’t dream of being a pro hero? But as he grew up, he recognized that he was too timid and he would be happier in an occupation that let him work with animals regularly. 

One day, while taking a class on animal mutations, amidst animals with unique coloring and animals with quirks, he met his first hybrid. Hybrids were first created about a decade before he was born. In an attempt to create more animals with quirks, a criminal group of scientists introduced human DNA to over 5,000 animals. Approximately 2,000 survived the process, resulting in creatures that looked a bit like human children wearing animal costumes. 

The hybrids were eventually found and rescued, but it was quickly discovered that they were fertile and capable of breeding with any subspecies of hybrid. The public was against the idea of eradicating them, calling it a genocide of a species that didn’t ask to be created. So hybrids became a part of their world. The majority were already a domestic species, so they became pets. 

Now, despite their increasing popularity, Kouji was from a small town in the Iwate prefecture. There just weren’t too many hybrids there. Which is why he didn’t encounter one until that class in his first year of university. And it took him by surprise when he realized his quirk worked on hybrids the same as it did on animals. He could understand them.

After that, he threw himself into hybrid studies. At first, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He just knew that he wanted to work with them. As he took more classes, he eventually decided on opening a care facility. He would watch them during the day and, if needed, even offer boarding for overnight trips. 

Specifically, he wanted to offer hybrid care for heroes. Many pro heroes publicly lamented the issue of leaving their hybrids behind while they worked. Either they were left home alone, bored and lonely, or they were harassed at care centers. Hero-obsessed civilians often tried to use their own hybrids as an excuse to get involved with humans. There had been incidents of forced matings. Since hybrids mated permanently, it was a serious issue. 

Having once wanted to be a hero, the idea of helping heroes by providing a safe space for their hybrids, free of fanatics really appealed to him. And so he started choosing his classes and internships with this goal in mind. He was older now, 28. It had taken a decade since that first encounter. But he was finally here, in Tokyo, holding the keys to his new business. 

Now he just had to set it up and decorate!

“I assume we’re starting with painting today?” Oboro asked. He was one of Kouji’s long-time supporters, after saving him three years ago when he first moved to the Tokyo prefecture. His cousin’s apartment building had collapsed due to a villain attack. Oboro found them and talked with them until rescue services could get them out safely. 

“Walls and then flooring,” Kouji’s dad replied. His parents and sister had come to Tokyo to help him with the setup. Of course, his uncle and cousin were also here since they already lived in Tokyo. “What are the plans, Kouji?”

“Oh, um, well… I would like the largest playroom to resemble the outdoors. It will have artificial grass flooring and sky mural walls with white, wood paneling. The smaller playroom will have an off-white wall with multicolored pawprints and cream birch flooring. Those are probably the two most complicated. The rest are solid color.”

“So we’ll need the most artistically inclined in the playrooms,” Oboro concluded before calling for his hybrids. “Nemuri! Hizashi!”

The Belgian sheepdog and cockatoo hybrids ran into the lobby from wherever they had been exploring. Shouta, a Norwegian forest cat hybrid, trailed after them at a much slower place. “Can you paint something for Kouji?”

“Um, I need a cloud mural painted in the biggest room,” Kouji explained, using his quirk. He still spoke in his own language, but it enabled animals to understand him fluently and vice versa. 

Nemuri’s tail wagged. “I can do that! Clouds are easy!” 

“And fluffy,” Hizashi added. 

“What about the pawprints?” Oboro prompted. 

“I got foam stamps for those actually, so anyone can make them,” Kouji smiled. They wound up splitting up. Starting with the playrooms, Oboro, Nemuri, Hizashi, and Kouji’s cousin worked on the sky mural. Hizashi and Nemuri made the actual clouds but the other two put down the blue base for them. Kouji, his parents, his sister, and his uncle worked on painting the smaller playroom off-white and then speckling it with pawprints of different colors. 

Those rooms took the better part of the day but they finished the rest of the rooms fairly quickly. Pastel yellow in the nap room, lilac in the bathroom, blue-green sponge-painted bricks in the lobby, and everything else painted white. It was dark by the time they finished so they all went home and reconvened the next day. 

Day two saw artificial grass in the big playroom and white-wood paneling on the bottom third of the walls. There was also a strip of dark, oak flooring made to look like a patio. The smaller playroom got cream, birch flooring. The lobby got grey-stained, wood flooring, The nap room got white, vinyl flooring. And the rest of the rooms and the main hallway got a white, hexagonal tile flooring that had pawprint tracks scattered throughout. 

On day three, they started putting up shelving and setting up furniture. That took about a week to finish, even with all the hands. Oboro’s hybrids, of course, tested the new playground equipment set up in the outdoor playroom. All three were considered adults within their species but in terms of intelligence and behavior, they were more similar to human toddlers and actual animals. A lot of the entertainment for them was either something for a pet or for a child. 

Shouta loved the scratching posts set up around the room. And Nemuri didn’t take more than five minutes to discover the ballpit under one of the slides and start pelting Hizashi with orange, plastic balls. She considered throwing one at Shouta but the warning glare he gave her made her change her mind. Hizashi wound up distracting her by throwing one back and accidentally starting up a game of fetch. An odd combination of child behavior and animal instincts.

“You’ll be selling things too?” Kouji’s uncle asked, watching him set up some shelves in the lobby with prices. 

“Mhm,” Kouji confirmed. It was mostly toys and treats for the hybrids. There were also empty frames and keychains for owners to put pictures in. “To help cover additional expenses. I’ll also offer grooming services separate from the daycare and boarding services.”

“Good plan, diversifying your income like that,” his uncle complimented. “I think you’ll do great here.” Kouji blushed slightly from the unexpected encouragement. A lot of people had faith in him. 

After they finished setting everything up and getting the daycare ready for the hybrids, Kouji had to wait a little bit longer for an inspector to come and make sure everything was up to code. Spoiler alert: It was. He also took the initiative to bring flyers to hero agencies to try and get some customers on opening day. Oboro said he’d help spread the word too. 

Kouji already watched Nemuri, Shouta, and Hizashi when he wasn’t working at the veterinary clinic so they were his first official clients. He resigned from the clinic already so that was settled. And so, about a month after receiving the keys, his business was finally ready to open. 

He had mentally prepared himself for it to take a while to get clients, so he was surprised when three pro heroes showed up within minutes of the opening time. And Oboro came too, of course. Despite his anxiety, he pulled the care and consent forms for them to fill out. 

It was surreal to have Best Jeanist and Gang Orca sitting in his lobby filling out paperwork. They were both top 10 heroes. There was also a newer, American hero called Rocketti. Sitting together on the rug in the center of the room was a bunny hybrid, a cat hybrid, and two dog hybrids. The bunny, believe it or not, belonged to Gang Orca. 

Best Jeanist finished first and Kouji looked over the forms. He had listed his name as Hakamada Tsunagu but he’d remain Best Jeanist unless he requested otherwise. The cat hybrid was his. A blonde Maine Coon named Katsuki. Under quirks, Jeanist had written ‘can make sparks in his palms like sparkler fireworks.’ He also mentioned that Katsuki likes spicy food. 

Hybrids with quirks were rare but more common than animals with quirks. They were usually fairly weak and were more comparable to a child’s untrained quirk. It certainly wasn’t a problem. 

Gang Orca finished next. Or rather, Sakamata Kugo, as his forms say. His forms introduce Izuku, the holland lop hybrid. The green coloring was most likely a mutation from his human DNA. There was a warning about the hybrid’s intelligence and clumsiness. Orca also mentioned that Izuku cries a lot, for every emotion, so it doesn’t necessarily mean anything’s wrong. 

Lastly, Rocketti, or Tsunotori Pony turned in her forms. She had brought in Rikido, the Burmese mountain dog hybrid and Hanta, the border collie hybrid. She described both as being fairly mellow, so long as Rikido doesn’t eat anything with a lot of sugar in it. 

Kouji accepted their forms, filing them away to be further reviewed later. He left the office, appearing in the hallway just outside the lobby. After the hybrids and their owners said their goodbyes, Kouji led the hybrids into the outdoor playroom. Seeing their eyes light up made all of his hard work worth it.

Chapter Text

Just some pictures for accessibility!

This is the whole center. There are windows on the front (Side with the Lobby)

This is the "Outdoor" playroom with the cloud mural.

Hybrids have more dexterity than regular animals, which is why Hizashi and Nemuri could paint.

This is the playroom wall design! 

This is the lobby wall and floor. All shelving and furniture are white or silver.

This is the paw tiling that was mentioned. 

This is the playground equipment they've got. 

The nap room looks like this but without the window.

In terms of Hybrid sizes:

Depending on the species, juveniles are one of the first two heights. (Size 2 & 3)

Also depending on the species, Adults can be either of the next two heights. (Size 4 & 5)

Hybrids do not get any higher than Size 5. 

(By Lizard Puke on Tumblr and Twitter)

This is the kind of hybrids everyone is. (For how mutated they are.)

The exception is bird hybrids since they are fully feathered.

Birds don't have wings but they do have long feathers that hang from their arms.

(Also by Lizard Puke. They have great art.)

Approximately the height difference between Juveniles and Adults.

I'll show the animal breed they're based on as they're introduced. 

(Secondary sexes get explained next chapter. They're kind of different than normal ABO.)

Nemuri - Belgian Sheep Dog (She's an Alpha)

Shouta - Norwegian Forest Cat (Omega)

Hizashi - Sulfur Crested Cockatoo (Alpha)

Izuku - Holland Lop except he's green (Omega)

Katsuki - Blonde Maine Coon (Omega)

Hanta - Border Collie (Beta)

Rikido - Burmese Mountain Dog (Beta)

Chapter Text

Understanding animals and hybrids was a passive, always-on part of his quirk. Which is why at this moment, Kouji was privy to the… conversation taking place. “I get to be the highest because I’m the best!” Katsuki insisted, blocking Izuku from climbing up on the platform to use the slide. 

“I just wanna go down the slide, Kacchan,” Izuku whined, eyes already watery. Gang Orca was not kidding about the hair-trigger on Izuku’s tears. 

“Dude, quit being mean to the bun,” Hanta spoke up. Katsuki just hissed at them both. 

Kouji knew cats had a thing about high vantage points, which is why he made sure that his daycare had both high ceilings and tall equipment to climb on. Just as he wondered if he should step in, Shouta interrupted them, approaching from the other side. “Be logical, brat. He’s not going to be up there for more than a moment.”

“But I’m the best so I should be the highest,” Katsuki argued. 

“And the best takes care of their lowers,” Shouta hissed. “You’re only the best if you take care of them. Making him cry does not make you the best.”

Katsuki’s ears flattened as he considered this. “Tch! Fine. Up, stupid Deku.”

Kouji sighed in relief. Thankfully, hybrids were usually capable of handling tiffs on their own. Although the younger ones sometimes needed intervention. He was glad he had a few adult hybrids who could keep things calm. 

A chime from the front door drew his attention. He had set up an electronic bell that would broadcast to all the rooms so that he could hear it from anywhere. “We can watch the pups!” Nemuri offered as he glanced back at the younger hybrids. 

“Okay. Thank you, Nem. I’ll be right back,” Kouji promised before heading back to the lobby. Standing there a little awkwardly and alone was a person with short pink hair and piercings. He wondered why they didn’t have a hybrid with them but decided to wait and see. They could be asking a question before bringing them. 

“Hello. Welcome to Anima Daycare,” Kouji greeted. “How may I help you?”

“Ah, hi! Um, my name is Haya Yuuyu and I saw your hiring flyer at the bookstore down the road. I was hoping to apply,” they told him. Right. He had done that. He couldn’t run this place 24/7 all by himself so he put up hiring posters in nearby stores. 

“Oh, okay! I’ll go grab an application,” Kouji replied, heading to the office. He should probably have someone placed in there permanently to greet people and hand out paperwork. 

“Sorry, he said, handing the application to them through the window separating the lobby and the office. “I’m the only person here so far. That’s why I’m hiring.”

“You just opened this place, right?” they asked, accepting the forms and pen. 

“Yep. Hybrid care services for heroes,” he responded cheerfully. 

“My friend’s a hero,” they told him as they started filling out the application. “Neijire Chan. The shockwave hero. She used to pet sit for these two hybrids back in high school. I know she’s still in contact with the heroes that own them. I could ask her to recommend you to them.”

“That would be amazing if it's not too much trouble!” Kouji exclaimed. 

“None at all,” they smiled. They looked over their form again before passing it over. “Ah, well. Here you go. My number’s on there if you need anything else. I can start whenever, honestly. I just had to leave my last job a few days ago because it went bankrupt.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Kouji said. Scanning over their application, he saw no issues. “If it wasn’t so abrupt, I’d let you start now. But I’m sure you have things--”

“I can start now!” they insisted. “You don’t even have to pay me today. I’ve got nothing going on and it’ll give me something to do if we start training.”

“Oh, then I suppose I should give you a tour, huh?” Kouji smiled. 

“And then this is the outdoor playroom,” Kouji said, finishing off the tour. Haya loved the place. She, he asked for her pronouns, loved the nap room. She said the rainbow theme of the bedding was her favorite part. 

Hizashi ran to him and collapsed on his knees, hugging Kouji’s legs. “They’re menaces. Save us!” 

“They aren’t that bad! They’re just pups,” Nemuri barked from where she laid, being smothered by Hanta, Rikido, and Katsuki. 

“I don’t know, Hizashi. Even Shouta seems to be doing fine,” Kouji teased, pointing to where the cat hybrid was curled up with the young bunny. 

“Izuku’s an angel! He doesn’t count!” Hizashi exclaimed. 

“Um, did you just talk to him?” Haya interrupted. 

“Right, I forgot to tell you. That’s my quirk. I can understand them and they can understand me,” Kouji explained. 

“That’s so handy!” she beamed at him. “This is the perfect career for you! Although, I suppose you knew that and chose this intentionally.”

“I did but I also genuinely enjoy it,” Kouji smiled. 

“Sorry, this is probably really boring,” Kouji apologized, yet again while showing Haya around the office. 

“You’d think but this is pretty much what I did at my last job,” Haya dismissed. “And here, if I sit at that desk, I can see the hybrids through the windows. As long as they’re in the outdoor playroom, that is.”

One side effect of their artificial creation was that hybrids had secondary sexes. Contrary to popular fiction, it doesn’t really affect their behavior or so-called ‘pecking order.’ It strictly has to do with their reproduction. It’s theorized that it’s what enables them to reproduce across subspecies. It was still important to know their secondary characteristics to prevent accidental matings and medical accidents when they go into heat or rut. 

All omegas can carry regardless of primary gender. All alphas can impregnate regardless of primary gender. In fiction, it is often depicted that male omegas can only carry, but the reality is that they can carry or impregnate. Female alphas are the same way. 

There were mixed opinions on the breeding of hybrids. Many believed that they seemed too much like people for it to be morally acceptable. In his studies, Kouda had learned that their reproduction was more ruled by animal instinct than other behaviors were. They would mate and breed regardless of human intervention. 

The only thing he personally disagreed with were forced matings since scent compatibility affected their mental and physical health. Hybrids mate for life, even if they are incompatible or the bond is unwanted. Breaking up mated pairs usually resulted in death. 

Of the hybrids already in his care, Hizashi and Nemuri were alphas and Shouta was an omega. Since he cared for them before, he already knew that Hizashi and Shouta were mates. Of the new hybrids, Izuku and Katsuki were omegas, and Hanta and Rikido were betas.

Gang Orca seemed like the kind of person to dote on his pets so he was surprised to overhear Izuku talking about the hero getting an alpha for him with Katsuki. “But Kacchan, what if he’s scary?” Izuku asked, whining in fear. 

“Attack him!” was Katsuki’s helpful advice. “Then cry. Kugo adores you. If you start a fight and then scream and cry, Kugo will punt that alpha fucker out so fast!”

Kouji looked at Haya through the windows with wide eyes. ‘What is it?’ she signed. 

They had figured out they both knew sign language when he instinctively signed to her earlier. ‘Hybrid drama,’ he replied. He watched her mouth ‘ooooh’ before settling into a wide grin. 

Absently, though, he wondered if he should mention Izuku’s concerns to Gang Orca. Or was this not really his business?

“How was your day? Did you have fun?” Best jeanist asked Katsuki when he picked him up. 

“Ko-san make spicy snack,” Katsuki told him in broken Japanese. Hybrids could learn human languages but they rarely figured out the proper pronunciation. It was too difficult with the mutations that occur in and around their mouths. “Good ‘nuff.”

Best Jeanist smiled at Kouji. “Impressive. People can rarely appease his picky taste buds.”

“Thank you,” Kouji said shyly.

“Speak us!” Izuku said brightly, hopping into Gang Orca’s arms. 

“Right! I remember that being mentioned on the flyer,” Jeanist commented. “That your quirk lets you speak with animals and hybrids. Do you get fluent speech from that?”

“I can’t make them speak our language fluently, but I hear theirs as a fluent translation in my head,” Kouji explained. 

“What do they have to say?” Gang Orca asked. 

“I’m the best!” Katsuki yowled, which Kouji translated. Best Jeanist chuckled at that. 

“Um… I’m scared about the new rabbit,” Izuku whimpered. When Kouji translated, Gang Orca looked devastated. 

“Aw, I didn’t mean to scare you, buddy. Come on, let’s go home and I’ll explain it better,” Gang Orca promised his hybrid. 

Everyone said their goodbyes and Kouji waved as they exited. 

First full day complete!

If you don't know Haya Yuuyu, this is her!

I just think she's neat. 👉👈 Let me have this!

I like rarely mentioned side characters and never mentioned background characters.