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Post by Beriadan on Feb 20, 2023 9:51:09 GMT
The city of Musutafu City was... huge! Umi was used to her small home town, where the buildings rose no higher than three stories, and to crowds of a few dozen, not... this! She looked around in amazement from her position, standing in the middle of a main causeway that led into the shopping district. People moved around her, a towering and large figure but one who seemed entirely blind to what was going on around her. Umi was enthralled, until someone bumped into her tail.
"Hey, don't stand in the middle of the pavement if you're big enough to cause an obstacle!"
Umi felt her face flush immediately and, apologising profusely, retreated to the side of the sidewalk, feeling her breathing increase and her heart pound. She had forgotten... her size was a matter of contention in her heart. On one hand it had got her to U.A., and everyone told her how powerful she was, how much she could save people with her size and strength... but deep in the darkness of her heart, lurking like a sprawling beast, there was the voice that whispered how she was too large, an inconvenience, a great lumbering beast that should stay out of everyone's way.
Umi shut her eyes, willing herself not to get emotional or cry. This was embarrassing... she should have stayed back at the dorms!
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Post by Bixir on Feb 20, 2023 15:56:42 GMT
"Hey, YOU watch where YOU'RE going!"
A strangely familiar, gravelly voice barked out, seemingly from below. When Umi looked down, there wouldn't be any surprise as to who that voice belonged to. Miyuki had run up to Umi, and looked ready to run after the guy that had given her grief just now. The little boy dragon was fuming, enough that purple steam was huffing from his nostrils like some kind of show bull. His arms, spry as they were, tensed with the anger of someone eager to protect his friends, preferably with a fight. Unfortunately, the culprit seemed to have already moved on with their day. That was smart. They would've lost a fight with him...
Miyuki tugged at Umi's arm to get her attention - which was more like her fingertips if anything, given their disparity in size - looking up at her with a sheepish grin. Miyuki was hot to the touch, but less because of his Quirk, and more because of his stoked temper. He had seemed so relaxed before...
And yet, his heart was racing. He had barely said two words to this girl when they had met at the dorm, and already he was willing to get into a fight on her behalf. But that was what Heroes did, right? The boy blinked. Miyuki knew that he was short, though so far he had met two of his classmates who were taller than he could ever imagine. If Umi didn't appreciate what Miyuki had done... His tail wagged incessantly, shaking off the remaining adrenaline of that "confrontation". "Are- Are you okay? That guy was a total jerk!" The boy's free hand balled into a fist. "What makes them think they can be rude like that? And to a Hero! Err... hero in training. But still!"
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Post by Beriadan on Feb 20, 2023 16:48:35 GMT
The marshland of her anxieties seemed to be drained Way as a voice cut across the crowd, from a fair distance below her but with familiar tones. Miyuki, out of nowhere, with a steely assertive voice! He had come to her aid, and it made the large girl's heart flutter. How sweet of him! Umi gave him her best smile, still slightly flustered but instantly feeling better about the situation.
"T-thank you, Miyuki! It's okay... I was in the way, and he had every right to tell me to move..."
She looked back towards the crowd, watching the sea of heads rushing back and forth. Uni swallowed, but shook off her imposter syndrome. A large mutant working as a hero in the city... it had always sounded preposterous. People told her otherwise, but that one nasty voice at the back of her head...
Umi focused on Miyuki. He was hot to the touch! She had never seen someone literally boiling with anger before. She brushed down her dress absently, a piece that was as blue as the sea and fell to her knees (tailor made to fit around her tail, and beamed. She did feel more relaxed.
"You didn't have to... thank you! I'm okay, don't worry. What are... how come you're out here too?"
Umi had been wandering around, sight-seeing. Was Miyuki doing the same, she wondered?
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Post by Bixir on Feb 20, 2023 16:57:04 GMT
It was hard for Miyuki not to look like he was snarling at any given moment, but the way his mouth was moving, he was trying to smile at Umi. He gesticulated with his hands. In this moment, he was an animated speaker. "B-But I did! No one should be made to feel like they don't belong! I hate those people!..." The boy's attention wandered off, before it was brought back by the fact that she had thanked him. Twice. "...you're welcome." He looks at his feet for a moment. Now that Umi was at his eye level, it was more evident that he was wearing the same clothes that he had been wearing when they had met: that custom pair of shorts, and nothing else.
Already, most of the anger seemed to be gone from him, now little more than a lingering spark. There was a righteous indignation in the boy's red eyes that refused to go out. He rustled his mane, trying to find an answer that he was not expecting to give. "Ehh? I used to live to here before, uhh..." His face grew distant, and pensive. He rustled his mane again, eventually reaching the back of his neck as he forced himself to smile. "N-Never mind. What about you, Umi?" His eyes watched her fervently, eager to change the subject.
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Post by Beriadan on Feb 20, 2023 18:07:43 GMT
Miyiki was... Umi watched him with careful eyes. There was something he wasn't talking about, and clearly uncomfortable with. She didn't like to pry. People could hide uncomfortable things about their past if they wanted. He was trying to change the subject, so she obliged graciously.
"Well... I come from a small seaside town, so I've never seen a city like this before. Usually, my family and I stand out in a big way, but here... it's like I fit in! Well, kind of," she finished, with an embarrassed laugh and a wave towards the long vanished man who had been so rude. Had he been rude? Umi wasn't sure, and she had been in the way, after all.
"Actually... I was on the look out for a clothes store. It's hard to find any for someone my... height!"
Umi blushed furiously at this, but her eye focused on Miyuki's guard, or lack of.
"Do you... want to come shopping with me?"
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Post by Bixir on Mar 4, 2023 21:36:51 GMT
Miyuki nodded along to what Umi said... to, everything she said, actually. He caught himself staring, still in awe that people could be as tall as she was. It wasn't a look of disgust or fear, but he was definitely taken in by her appearance. The dress helped, too. "Yeah..."
The boy blinked a few times in rapid succession. S-Shopping?! When did that come up?! Miyuki wasn't expecting that, but he didn't look like he didn't want to, either. That would be even ruder!
"Uhh, err, umm... I-I, I guess? Sure, Umi. That sounds like fun." His tail swished back and forth again, nearly as quickly as before. He looked around with a familiar eye, then stopped and looked up at Umi again before reaching on his tippy toes to grab her hand. "So... where do we start?"
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Post by Beriadan on Mar 6, 2023 21:01:12 GMT
The handholding was a surprise, but not unwelcome. She blushed slightly, but gripped his hand with a smile. How sweet! The large girl looked around, a head over the crowd. There were a few shops lining the street, but nothing stood out. Umi frowned, then down at Miyuki. There had to be a mutant-friendly clothes store somewhere in this big city. She took a breath, one to steady her nerves, then pressed a smile forward again.
"I'm not sure! But it would be fun to explore anyway. How about down the street, that way?"
She pointed with her free hand, to a square where the crowd seemed to be thinning, at the entrance of a large complex building. It would be somewhere to start! Umi began to make her way towards it, careful not to move too fast in case she dragged Miyuki along behind her.
"So you used to live here? That must have been amazing. How long have you been away, Miyuki?"
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Post by Bixir on Apr 17, 2023 23:44:32 GMT
What was Miyuki doing?! He didn’t have any reason to grab Umi’s hand like that! Though he tried not to let it dominate his thoughts as they started down the way, but it was all that the boy could think of as he pulled her along (it wouldn’t be the other way around if he could help it). Miyuki moved quickly, managing to keep pace with Umi’s larger strides.
Oh. She had asked him a question. Uhhh. His expression turned sheepish, for a moment, then pensive, when his eyes looked around them. His eyes looked tired. "I, err… it’s, been a while. Miss Flashfire took me away when I was very little.”
Miyuki strained his neck to look up at Umi. Though he was looking after her, being around her made him feel safe. He didn’t want to say that out loud, but… ”What about you, Umi? What, uhh, what’s your home like?”
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Post by Beriadan on Apr 21, 2023 8:21:52 GMT
"Shimonoseki? It's..."
Beautiful. Quiet. Alive, but not overwhelming. Tethered to nature with plenty to learn, from the mountains and the sea and the sky. The seafood, fresh from the ocean's bounty. The call of seabirds overhead, the smell of fishing boats coming back to land. Salt on the air and on the tongue. The ocean breeze as it came in across the coastline. The buildings, the people, the festivals. She smiled as she fondly recalled everything from her home. It had only been a short time away, but she already felt homesick.
"We're known for our fugu. Have you ever had pufferfish? It's scary to eat something so deadly, but it's so worth it! There's a festival every year where they fill out the harbour with stalls and games, it's a tradition of my family to always go."
She squeezed his hand absently, smiling into the past. Her siblings, far more nimble than her, speeding off ahead. Time with her father, visiting their uncle's seafood stall. Umi sighed.
"Compared to here... everything seemed more connected. It's smaller, but everyone moves slower, and it's quiet most of the time. Not much need for many heroes. It's got a very low crime rate!"
She looked down at Miyuku, beaming.
"I think you'd love it! The ocean air is amazing. It always smells like salt!"
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Post by Bixir on Apr 28, 2023 21:21:04 GMT
Miyuki was quiet as Umi explained her home. It sounded… nice. Really nice, actually. He didn’t want to admit it, but he had never really known anything like that. He wasn’t sure if he would share that information with anyone, but if Umi was willing to talk about these things with him, she must trust him at least a little, right?
The dragon boy smiled, fangs and all. ”I’d like that. I’ve, uhh… never been to the beach. I’ve only been in Hosu and Musutafu. It’s kinda hard to imagine life outside a city.”
When Umi squeezed his hand, Miyuki’s body felt warm all of a sudden. He quickly squeezed her hand back,, with his own meager strength. When he did this, Miyuki tried to avoid eye contact. Was this weird? He’d never hung out with people his age until now.
“Uhh… Oh.” Whatever thought Miyuki had was cut off by the front doors of the store sliding open to greet them. With an extra spring in his step, Miyuki hopped across the threshold into the store. “So… where do you want to go first? I… have never shopped before.” His ears leaned back, embarrassed.
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Post by Beriadan on May 2, 2023 8:43:25 GMT
"You've never been to the beach? But Miyuki, there's one right on your doorstep! It's not massive, but Musutafu beach is a great place to visit!"
Umi was shocked. What kind of parent never took their child to the beach? Mustafu's stretch of sand had been the first place she had gone after arriving at U.A., and while it was a bit run-down it was still a lovely place to swim. She looked down at Miyuki, seeing now that, like her, he had things to discover about himself. His hand felt warm as he squeezed it back, and she felt herself grinning.
"Well we'll have to change that. We could go today, if we had time! You'd need swimming shorts, and a towel, and maybe some goggles if you want to go underwater. Oh, it's so amazing! Every beach is a treasure to discover."
When he asked her where she needed to go, Umi's cheeked reddened.
"I need... a speciality shop. Not many places back home tailor for mutants, especially not someone... like me."
She swished her tail, embarrassed to talk about it.
"Even among others like us, my family are far larger in size! It's the downside of having our whale quirks, I guess. So... I need some nice clothes that I can wear outside of study, that will... fit."
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Post by Bixir on Jun 3, 2023 19:19:10 GMT
Miyuki blinked. Was it that weird he never went to the beach? It sounded like such a hassle. He tried not to grimace, but with how his face worked, that was hard to pull off. The idea of going to the beach today made his heart jump up to his throat. His hands, like the rest of his body, flashed warm. "T-That's, uhh. I mean, sure! That, uhh, that sounds nice, Umm, Umi."
He seized on the opportunity to change the subject. "Then let's go find one! Someone around here's gotta know! Hey! You!" Already Miyuki was walking off, tugging Umi along if she let him... which, Miyuki wouldn't go far, rooted as he was to an immovable object, but that wouldn't stop him from projecting his voice at the nearest person he could find.
"Yeah, you! Where's the specialty store! My friend and I need clothes!" Miyuki craned his neck to meet Umi's eyes for a moment, lost in thought. "Err... beach clothes!"
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Post by Beriadan on Jun 6, 2023 19:22:31 GMT
Umi was pulled along (or at least let Miyuki pull her along), feeling a warmth in her heart at his enthusiasm. He was such a nice guy! Still... she felt a sudden jolt of fear as he called out to a passer-by. Embarrassment flushed her, and she stared wide-eyed as a man turned, looking down at Miyuki and up at Umi.
To her horror, the man smirked with a nasty flash in his eyes.
"Heh, sure. What, the big girl needs a new bikini, huh? I doubt there's enough material for you, though, big lass! Heh, though you could turn your underwear into a full outfit for shrimpy. Hey, Tahoko, check these two out!"
Another nasty looking man, coming out of a shop with a pack of cigarettes in one hand, saw them. Smirked. Raised an eyebrow.
"Bit of an odd couple, you two. Still, people like you have to stick together, right?"
Umi felt frozen, the look in the men's eyes pinning her to the spot. Dad had warned her... in the town they came from, heteromorphia was still a thing in certain areas. The big cities didn't have it so bad... but in bad places lurked bad people. Mustufu obviously had those who disliked mutants and heteromorphs. Umi clutched Miyuki's hand tight, and he could feel her becoming warm, clammy.
"Come on, let's go, Miyuki..."
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Post by Bixir on Jul 29, 2023 8:02:55 GMT
Miyuki's mood soured immediately. On account of the boy's scars, it was often difficult to tell when he was getting angry, but this wasn't one of those times. Miyuki's nostrils flared, enough that steam visibly shot out of them. His arm connected to Umi's tightened, while he pointed his free claw into an accusatory pointing at the two men who thought they could talk to them this way.
"Oh yeah? People like what? People that can trounce dummies thrice their size?" Miyuki looked up at these losers, then down at their feet. It would be so easy...
He looked up at them with a daring, fanged grin. He knew people like this back home. In Miyuki's experience, there was only one way to get them to stop. 'Cause if you're buyin', I'm sellin'!"
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 8, 2023 19:47:09 GMT
"Eeeeeeh? Shrimpy wants to rumble, huh?"
Despite Umi's protests, Miyuki wanted a fight, and this man seemed to revel in it. Grinning, he stepped forward, his friend jeering him on. Umi tried to pull Moyuki away, frowning. What good would it cause? Yet as she gently tugged him away, she saw the main raise a leg, and she knew what was coming next.
The man's foot lashed out at Miyuki's head. Yet it didn't land, instead hitting something soft, yet thick like a brick wall. Umi had moved in front of Miyuki, the man's foot hitting her side instead. She didn't even wince as she looked down at him, slightly taller than even this fully grown man.
"You shouldn't call people names."
Umi let go of Miyuki's hand, taking a small step forward. The man, suddenly slightly nervous, stepped backwards.
"Miyuki is a kind person. He's going to be an amazing hero one day. You should be polite to someone in U.A.'s hero course. You should be nice to everyone."
Something seemed to glint in Umi's eye. Her expression was dark and stormy, especially for her. The man tightened his fist, grinning nervously.
"Heh... the big lass wants a go too, huh? Well-"
The man's friend stepped forward, grabbing him by the shoulder.
"Hey, they're hero students... what are you playing at? Let's go, or else we'll be in real trouble!"
The man shifted slightly... it was as if he wanted an excuse to fight. A scent of sake wafted from his breath. Umi clenched her fists too, arms by her sides. It wad a showdown... and it would take just a spark to set the whole thing off
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