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It was a quiet dusk in December while Fumikage and Dark Shadow gathered their supplies. Fumikage held a lighter in one hand, and candles in the other. Dark Shadow clutched their menorah tightly. They meandered down the stairs, melancholy filling their soul. Once they reached the common area, they deftly dodged the curious eyes of their fellow man, ending up in the kitchen.
Dark Shadow placed their silver menorah down on the countertop, put one candle in the middle, and one candle on the right. Despite their superior stealth, Uraraka poked her head in.
“Hey, Tokoyami, hey Dark Shadow! What’re you guys up to?” She asked, bouncing in with her light and airy demeanor.
“Hello. It is the first night of Hanukkah, so we are lighting the menorah and saying prayers,” Fumikage replied.
“It’s our first Hanukkah without our family,” Dark Shadow lamented, wrapping herself around Uraraka’s shoulders and splaying itself dramatically. Fumikage frowned in its general direction, they were doing their best not to think about how lonesome it was.
Uraraka absently pet Dark Shadow as she frowned. “That sucks, I’m sorry. Would you feel better if I got the rest of the class to celebrate?
“You need not bother yourself, we will-” Fumikage started.
“Please do!” Dark Shadow interrupted, twisting herself around Uraraka. “I love the festival of lights, I don’t want it to be lonely!”
Uraraka was visibly turning the problem around in her head, and Fumikage mourned his incognito plan. She nodded after a few moments, her face showing her resolve.
“Alright, I’m going to call everyone down on the PA system, and then we’re going to celebrate all together!” Uraraka said with a smile, pumping her fist. Dark Shadow looped herself even more around Uraraka, nuzzling her head and demanding pets. Uraraka giggled, petting any fuzzy darkness she could see. “Dark Shadow, you gotta let me go so I can get everyone!”
It made a grumbling noise, and unwound itself from Uraraka and came back to Fumikage. Dark Shadow looked pleadingly up at Fumikage, making her eyes as wide as possible. She couldn’t really make her expression pout, but it sure tried its best. He sighed, and gave it the pets that it demanded while Uraraka made her way to the phone.
A chiming sound played, and an automated voice said, “From, Kitchen.”
“Code Green!” Uraraka’s voice rang out over the speakers. “It’s the first night of Hanukkah, and Tokoyami and Dark Shadow don’t want to celebrate all alone! Please come down!”
Uraraka hung up the phone and gave a thumbs up. Fumikage nodded in return. He had never been more glad for his feathered disposition, as his cheeks felt hot with gratitude. Kaminari poked his head in first, followed by Midoriya, then Yaoyorozu, and soon the entire class was crammed into the kitchen. Even Bakugou had made an appearance.
Instead of attempting to quiet everyone down manually, Fumikage whispered, “Dark Shadow, the lights?” It gave a sharp nod in response, and quickly raced its way to hit the lightswitch, draping them in darkness.
Fumikage flicked their lighter on, illuminating the faces of his curious compatriots. “Thank you for coming today. It is the first night of Hanukkah, and I will be lighting the candles and saying the prayers,” they rumbled. “The candles must burn out on their own throughout the night. If you know the prayers, join me in song.”
With that, he lit the middle candle, the shammash, and picked it up. Fumikage took a deep breath in to settle his nerves, and began.
“Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner, shel Hanukkah.” Fumikage settled as the familiar words and tune of the first prayer washed over him. They weren’t stunned that Yaoyorozu joined in, but Sero’s voice joining in was curious. Many of his fellow men had their eyes closed, or were swaying slightly in reverence as he began the second prayer. “Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu, bayamim hahaeim, baz’man hazeh.”
Fumikage nodded slightly towards Dark Shadow, and her mouth stretched into a smile as she started to swell in size. Soon, it filled the room with its presence, and she started the third and final prayer.
“Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higiyanu, laz'man hazeh!”
Fumikage lit the candle for the first day with the shammash, and then he put it back into its spot in the center. Dark shadow flipped the lights back on, shrinking back down to drape itself across Fumikage.
Uraraka bounded up to Fumikage, holding her hand out for a fist bump that Fumikage returned, and offered head pats to Dark Shadow that it happily soaked up. “Tokoyami, Dark Shadow, that was so nice! Thank you for sharing with us,” Uraraka cheered.
“No, thank you for calling our companions down,” Fumikage replied.
“It was seriously no trouble at all,” she said sheepishly. “Not being able to celebrate with your family sucks, so I hope this eased it a little bit.”
“Your light shines brighter every time I witness it,” Fumikage sagely said.
Dark shadow butted in with, “He’s trying to say that he admires your kindness, and that we appreciate you!”
Uraraka blushed, waving her hands in the air as if to dispel any positive statement. “Ahh, it was nothing! Anyone would’ve done it, I just wanted you both to feel comfortable and welcomed.”
“You were the individual who took initiative, and that deserves thanks,” Fumikage said with a small smile.
Uraraka laughed. “Alright, I get it. You’re welcome! Is it alright if I hang out while you do the prayers for the other nights too? It was really calming, almost meditative.”
Dark Shadow vigorously nodded. “We would love that!”
“Yay!” She cheered. “I’ll be here tomorrow night then!”
Fumikage nodded, and Uraraka bounded off to go talk to Midoriya, but not before waving goodbye. Before Fumikage and Dark Shadow could retreat back to their room, Sero grabbed Fumikage by the elbow.
“Thanks for calling us down,” Sero smiled. “My best friend growing up was Jewish, I’ve really missed celebrating Hanukkah. I overheard you saying that Uraraka could continue to celebrate with you, can I come down each night too?
Before Fumikage could get a response out, other members of the class close to them also called out asking to celebrate, triggering those further away to call out asking as well.
“Anyone who wants to celebrate with us can!” Dark Shadow called over the noise. “At 5pm for the next 7 days we’ll be in the kitchen, come if you wish!”
A resounding cheer was made in response, and Fumikage would later deny the single tear that slipped down his feathers as he smiled.