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Post by ultralilly on Aug 19, 2023 21:27:07 GMT
Silverbright Industries. A corporation dedicated to the creation of high-end support gear. Though they had their roots in South Africa, their main base of operations was planted firmly in Japan. They had a firm grip of the distribution of support gear across the entire country and beyond. Their products were advertised from the city streets to ads seen online. But while most of their everyday products were advertised by the spokespeople for the company, the real more widely known products were promoted by the matron of the Silverbright family, Elodie Silverbright, otherwise known to the public eye as Platinus the Glamour Heroine. She was the face of the company itself. Even while she was barely known for her heroic exploits, her clout was more situated in the world of business. Big time companies and hero agencies were made possible because of Silverbright Industries. As such, Silverbright Industries and the family name itself were lauded as being one of the top 5 richest names across the globe. The name was synonymous with success, fame, prestige, and a cut above the rest. And Sicily Silverbright, the daughter of the company itself, had been attending U.A. to make a name for her own self. While there were several burdens foisted upon the back of the young Sicily and how she was meant to represent the family name, there were parts of her that didn't want to be above the rest. Even though she was pressured to be as such, even though she had been excelling and proving her worth to the name, there were only two people in the entire world...situated right in this country...that knew the real Sicily. One of which was her brother Stephen who looked out for her, kept the press off her back, took on most of the family burden Sicily was too young to handle, and kept her enrolled in U.A. . The second person being another student whom Sicily had met during the entrance exams who she initially clashed with but eventually opened up to. Then subsequently began dating without her mother knowing. Kitana Tenshi. Only a handful of students were aware. Even less knew her as a friend. She had been staying on campus..... Until a week or so ago when she stopped showing up for classes. Her dorm room had shown no signs of her as well. Faculty expressed concerns about it and directly contacted the family...only to be assured that everything was fine. But someone knew everything was not fine. The teachers had their inklings and the like but one for sure knew Sicily was not okay. Kitana had been given a message from Sicily herself. It was brief but spoke volumes to Kitana who had heard hints of Sicily's family life. "Mom needs me. Can't get away. Wishing you were here."Needless to say, this would alert Kitana and prompt her to make a trip to the heart of the troubles; Silverbright Industries itself. But not without first getting the help of a few classmates. What laid before them was an enormous building that looked notonly imposing but also bore a tremendous onus of pride. It looked both ancient yet modern. Fortunately, outside it laid a courtyard where dozens ofpeople passed by. Some even relaxed near the fountain to takepictures of the place. Here is where Kitana and the rest would gather. All they needed to do was meet up and enter a building which more or less looked like it belonged to a wealthy villain from a game and find what was keeping Sicily from attending. |
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Post by cmd1095 on Aug 19, 2023 22:34:46 GMT
Kitana stared up at the building as the blood drained from her face a bit... what the hell had she gotten herself into? When she'd gotten the message from Sicily she'd leapt into action, recruiting allies to come here and... do what exactly? She'd been in such a rush to come to Sicily's aid that she hadn't actually thought through what the plan was now that she was here.
What the heck was she going to do? Storm the building and demand to see the daughter of the CEO? Even without knowing the kind of person Sicily's mother was that was obviously an ill-fated plan. Use her quirk to scale the side of the building and spy? She'd be arrested in a heartbeat and that wasn't about to help Sicily. She was just a regular hero student, and Sicily's mother wasn't going to give her the time of day.
Well... unless she leveraged her family name. Platinus was wealthy enough to be in the circles that her family would have pull with. Her mother's healing powers were a popular service for "pilgrims" to the shrine that could afford to make large enough "donations." It was a pretty flimsy charade for the fact she just provided miraculous healing to anyone rich enough to pay an arm and a leg... which Platinus was. Kitana's last name would probably be recognizable to her... but using that to get an audience raised all sorts of problems. For one thing... she'd run away from her mother and they weren't exactly on good terms. She had no access to her family's wealth or influence beyond name-dropping... and there was always a risk someone would try to ship her back to her mother for a reward of some kind.
No... using that was a last resort... but she really had no idea what else she was going to be able to do here. Her ears lay flat against her head as her tail drooped "What was I thinking... what can someone like me even do." she muttered to herself... yet she didn't turn to leave either. Sicily needed her, she couldn't run away from this... even if she had no idea how to move forward either.
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Post by Bixir on Aug 20, 2023 4:53:48 GMT
“Hey.”
A blunt, gravelly voice came from behind (and below Kitana). If she looked back, she would see Miyuki’s grisly features looking up at her, arms crossed over his chest. “You care about this girl, right?” He pointedly looked up at the looming tower with a sneer. Miyuki was only wearing his signature shorts, a boy practically in rags. His contrast with the task before them couldn’t be more apparent.
“Then we’re going to do whatever it takes. I don’t need a school tellin’ me how to protect my friend. Do you?”
Though it was primarily aimed at Kitana, who had brought Miyuki and the others into… whatever this was, it was also a challenge of sorts to the others as well. Though Miyuki couldn’t be happier to have made it into U.A., there was no way he was going to let something like dumb student rules get in the way of helping a friend (of a friend). He just hoped he was in similar company. Umi was here, so obviously she was cool, but Miyuki didn’t really know anyone else that well. Could he rely on them in a fight? They didn’t exactly look like they came from the streets.
For a moment, Miyuki’s gaze lowered. Uncertain. He looked around at his peers for ideas. ”So… what is it going to take? Do we just barge in and beat up her mom?”
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 20, 2023 7:29:55 GMT
"You don't have to do anything alone."
Umi looked down at her two classmates with a smile. When Kitana had told her she needed help, she had been worried at first. Should they go alone, without supervision? But the school seemed unable to help. Sicily's family said everything was fine... but the look on Kitana'a face when she approached Umi told her everything she needed to know.
"Though I don't think we'll have to beat anyone up. I'm sure her mother will listen to us, if we ask to speak with her! We're Sicily's friends... I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding."
Umi, ever the voice of reason and optimism. She put a comforting hand on Kitana's head. Umi was more worried about being able to move around inside a building potentially full of expensive gear, and it didn't even cross her mind that Sicily could be in danger. Still, Kitana was upset. For Umi, that was more than enough for her to help.
"Let's go find out, together."
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Post by ultralilly on Aug 20, 2023 8:34:17 GMT
Whatever was going on between the group of three made little difference to a figure that emerged from the building and immediately noticed them. He was a simple-looking young man adorned in business attire. He seemed to do a double take at first, looking genuinely amused on his second glance. Then he strode over to them briskly wasting no time in doing so. When he got close enough, one could tell he was wearing glasses. He carried himself with both decorum and a fair bit of grace.  Which would make his next motion rather jarring to some. When he was within a fair distance of the trio, he would grin broadly, put up his left arm and waved at them, and spoke in a casual manner. "Heyyyyy you kids are students, right? You here for a tour of Silverbright Industries?"Even his tone of voice carried an impish sort of inflection to it. His walk and his demeanor didn't match at all! While waiting for them to respond, he took a quick glance down at his phone as if to confirm something then looked back at Kitana, Umi,and Miyuki with keen interest. |
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Post by cmd1095 on Aug 20, 2023 19:13:41 GMT
Kitana's slide into self doubt was interrupted by her classmates bringing her back to reality, and also by Umi giving her some much needed headpats. Umi would feel the vibrations through her hand as Kitana instinctively purred in response to the pats, though she caught herself quickly and suppressed it.
Her ears perked up again as she turned to face them and her expression returned to that happy-go-lucky carefree smile she always wore. It was such a total shift it was hard to tell if she was actually bouncing back, or if she was just suppressing all the negative thoughts she had to put on a brave face for others, but there was no sign of it now.
"We can't beat her up Miyuki. She's a full-fledged pro-hero and the three of us are barely even into our first year of training, we wouldn't stand a chance... even if I WOULD love to plant a super-speed slap right across her stupid face... BUT that would also be suuuper illegal so I won't! Today" Kitana said, smile never wavering the whole time "talking to her is definitely the safer bet. The trick is getting to see her. She's a CEO of a big company like this I doubt she just lets random kids walk into her office so..."
Kitana was interrupted by someone approaching the trio, a man in a suit who carried himself with a sense of poise that Kitana found all too familiar... it couldn't be another Silverbright could it? Sicily's brother? Nah there was no way they were that lucky, to just... have him find them right then and there? From what Sicily had said her brother would be the closest thing they had to an ally here... Still... whether he was her brother or not, a tour of the building WOULD get them inside and past the front desk security. All she had to do was play along for now... and playing a part was the one thing she was confident she could do.
"A tour! Yes, absolutely. We're class 1B students so when we heard that a girl from our year in class A was the daughter of the CEO of this company we just got so very curious about it!" Kitana said, lying as easily as she breathed "we'd love to take a look around the place, talking to said UA student would be even better. I mean, such a prestigious individual attending our school, and in our very own year! There's no way we wouldn't be curious about her home life."
Kitana's ear twitched, one of her consistent tells for when she was lying or uncomfortable, but unless someone knew her well, or had heard about it from someone who did, it was easy to miss. She just hoped her lie worked, and that her classmates caught on and played along well enough.
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Post by Bixir on Aug 21, 2023 4:26:29 GMT
Miyuki scoffed. As if experience had anything to do with it! They'd never win with that attitude. He kept these complaints to himself for now. Everyone else agreed, and they needed to act anyway. There was no use belaboring the point.
As if the universe had set out to karmically prove Umi and Kitana to be in the right, some poindexter was coming right for them. Miyuki tensed on impulse. Once his demeanor revealed itself, the boy let his guard down. This suit was a real poindexter (Miss Flashfire had taught him that word. It wasn't very nice.). He kicked his bare feet along the pavement while he let Kitana do the talking. If this got them into the place lickity split, who was he to complain?
When it came time for the group to weigh in on Kitana's story, Miyuki looked up at the guy with the best smile he could put on... it looked like he was baring his fangs.
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 21, 2023 5:09:19 GMT
Umi clapped her hands together, beaming. A tour! A few niggling doubts were washed away as she man spoke. He seemed like a polite individual, and she felt in her heart that this was going to be okay. Kitana had been worried, and it had felt very strange to her that Sicily had vanished from school, but it must be a misunderstanding, of course. This nice young man would give them a tour, then they'd speak with Sicily's mother and iron the whole thing out.
Umi didn't notice the ear twitches. As far as she was concerned, Kitana was speaking what they were all feeling. She placed her arms behind her back, relaxed and assured, ready to follow the man's lead.
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Post by ultralilly on Aug 21, 2023 5:51:26 GMT
The young man had his hand on his chin, resting the elbow on the other arm as Kitana spoke. He subtly shook his head and lightly smiled. His eyes seemed to scan Kitana's body language quite astutely. Kitana wasn't going to fool anyone but this one seemed to enjoy her attempt. There was a small pause before he himself smiled and stated bluntly "You're not very good at lying, are you? Very admirable attempt!" he lightly clapped. He looked to Miyuki whose grin took him aback only slightly before he tried to imitate the smile. "What a winning smile! Sure got me beat there!"
He then shoved his hands into his pockets. "No need to fret. I know what you're here for...Kitana." He let out his right hand and gestured for them to follow as he turned around and guided them straight to the front doors. Inside, it was a busied reception area seen from outdoors with the crest of the family name hanging in the farthest wall. He side-eyed a camera hanging just above the alcove to the entrance. He took an exasperated breath and talked in a rehearsed manner. "Here at Silverbright Industries, we aim to accommodate every hero! Even our doors can accommodate ones of your size and larger, miss!" he gave a thumbs up to Umi, faced away from the camera, and looked to the group. He quietly whispered "save the questions about her til I say the line 'And then here we have our beloved matron-' alright?" Those last words seemed to make him shudder. He then turned around to face the entrance as the doors slid open, inviting the group inside to a hushed reception area. Hanging above were several tapestries depicting the Silverbright crest of an S embossed upon a shield that shone bright and surrounded in the claws of a lion and a dragon facing one another as if in combat. Above the coolly conditioned room was a singular picture of a figure the young man introduced with begrudgingly cheery pride. "I'll be your tour guide for today. You may call me Stephen. Here we have the one and only Platinus, the owner of Silverbright Industries!" The crowds around paid them no mind and were all dressed as professionally as could be. The only sounds within were the murmuring of said crowds and the humming of the elevators that ran on the upper floor connected to a dual staircase. Stephen looked uncomfortable but put on a very convincing act to prove otherwise.There were cameras seen above all around them, each fixating on him. He could feel their gaze on them. "Any and all prospective students that come through these halls will be captivated and entranced by the promising Silverbright future we offer them! Do you have any questions before we press on into the gallery?" He then shrugged lightly and rolled his eyes, lightly shaking his head. |
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Post by cmd1095 on Aug 22, 2023 23:10:23 GMT
Kitana's expression didn't change, but internally she scowled at Stephen's comment. She was a GREAT liar if you didn't know her well enough to know her tell. The fact he knew who she was confirmed his identity, and no doubt Sicily had gushed about her "cute ear twitches" to him at some point. But now that she knew who he was it was even more important to go along with his little ploy of giving them a tour. If there was anyone here who could and more importantly WOULD help them, it was this man.
Glancing to the others, Kitana gave a nod to indicate they should play along. And so began the tour as Stephen spoke in that same forced tone she knew so well from Sicily. The similarities were uncanny... as he gestured to the picture of Platinus Kitana suppressed her emotions, not showing any negativity on her face, though her ear twitched some more. So that was the woman who had made Sicily suffer all these years? She'd remember that face, one day she'd slap it. But for now she kept her emotions in check and followed the tour. Her acting skills were impeccable, looking suitably awed by the grandiose lobby and decorations like she were just any tourist.
For now, she'd play along, be the bright-eyed cheerful fox she always was. Her seething rage towards Platinus, her worries about Sicily, her ever-growing self doubt. Those were emotions for later.
"No questions here, I look forward to seeing all you have to show us" Kitana said, even managing to suppress the ear twitch this time since she really didn't have any questions she could ask now, and she was looking forward to what he would show them, if not for the same reasons a normal tourist might be.
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Post by Bixir on Aug 22, 2023 23:41:45 GMT
Miyuki could barely stomach attitudes that were full of themselves, and this guy was as annoying as they came. They seriously had to listen to this? This would be so much easier if they just broke in and beat everyone up. That's what Miss Flashfire would do! Outwardly, Miyuki's complaints came out as a disgruntled mood, poorly hidden under the facade of his "smile".
Inside wasn't much better than what this guy was selling. It all looked so... fake. Apparently it was worth something if it was this ritzy, but that only made Miyuki like it even less. He didn't need any special tricks to be a Hero!... well, not that anyone here needed to know. At least he knew that Miss Flashfire's Support Gear for him wasn't from some big fancy snoozefest like this. He'd never be able to live that down.
When they got to the image of Platinus herself, Miyuki looked up and down at her. He did it for so long, it made it seem like he wasn't looking at her as a Pro Hero. Was he looking at her like an-
"Eh. She doesn't look so tough." Miyuki kept his voice low so only his friends could hear, but he wasn't exactly a subtle boy, either. And so what? He didn't care what these people thought. They had made one of his friends unhappy. All bets were off.
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 23, 2023 8:23:34 GMT
Her optimism was slowly sliding away as Stephen led them through the glitz and glamour of the Silverbright headquarters. The man spoke a few comments that put Umi more on edge than she'd like, and she felt worry ebbing into the corners of her mind. Miyuki's thoughts were echoed by her own. It was all too neat and perfect to be true. Maybe Kitana was right. Maybe there was something sour hidden behind the sweet, polished face of the Silverbrights.
It was just a picture of Platinus, but as Umi looked at it for a moment or two, she focused on the eyes. There was something dark in those eyes. She felt herself shiver, looking towards her two friends with a slight grimace. Had they been right to come here alone? But this was a pro-hero, after all... there's nothing that could go wrong, right? Right.
Umi looked down at Miyuki, giving him a slightly nervous smile, then across at Kitana to see how she was doing. Umi needed to focus on her friends, and make sure they were okay! No distractions!
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Post by ultralilly on Aug 23, 2023 13:01:21 GMT
Kitana's chipper nature put the incredulously inclined Stephen's mind at ease. What really almost made him break his ruse was Miyuki's comment about how Platinus didn't look as tough as she seemed. He cracked a smile then quickly hid it with a balled fist, letting out a stifled snicker. These friends of hers really were something special. Not many would dismiss Platinus like that but whoever did seemed to be a pretty alright guy in his books. Point Miyuki. He let down his hand and looked relieved when there were no questions to be had. The fox girl catches on quick. He was starting to see how accurate the stories he was told were true. "Alright then! This way, if you would!" he said in as he led them up the staircase. "This building was constructed by the same family responsible for the Crescent Maiden Hero Agency building...." He held his palm up to his mouth in secrecy as he followed this up with "you didn't hear it from me but I feel like more fun was had with THAT construction. Less poles up keisters. ANYWAYS.....!"
---------------------------- Basement Floor 12
Sicily grunted as she flopped on the bed in her temporary prison. Today's proceedings were about to be underway. Another show, another set of products to be shown off and tested by her. It had been the same thing for a week every day. Hardly any rest and very little time forplay. This room was a reflection of her room back home but with none of the charm. Bed. Books. Games. Fridge for food and drinks. Varied pieces of furniture. This room like it was fashioned from a cookie-cutting facility as it just had this manufactured feeling and felt so lifeless in its silvery color scheme. Her phone had been taken from her so there wasn't even that. if she needed to be contacted, there was an intercom system placed in the upper corner of her room. Her only company here were the twin snakes she had been bonded with whom did their best to assauge the distress swirling in Sicily's heart. She wanted to go back to U.A. she wanted to try and make new friends. be a hero like she wanted. She wanted that freedom. More than anything. but most importantly in her mind was the smiling face of a certain someone which made the girl smile in turn. She missed seeing that face. The one that urged her forward. The one she treasured. The one she loved. She sighed and stared up at the ceiling then at the door sealed shut. Outside the room were posted guards and high-tech mechanized units. They were taking the utmost precautions...and each one of them posted here because of her mother's behest. "Stephen...I hope you can get her here." she softly murmured. Her dual colored eyes focused on the intercom. It was usually this time when her mother's tyrannical voice blared, dripping with sickeningly sweet tones that were asking her to come up to the production floor so she could get prepped for the show. It had become a routine she'd rather be quit of. Her mother insisted that this was her intern study program but there wasn't anything being learned here other than pushing her mother's products and being a successful business mogul; two things she could care less about. It was just going to be another day of this monotony. Another day of effort with no reward. Another day away from U.A. Another day from her. ---------------------- Floor 1: Hall of Achievements Stephen had guided the trio through a room depicting the history of the Silverbright name. It mostly was about Platinus' achievements to which he spoke of with vitriolic undertones. Only showing any pride when showing off the humble beginnings of the family from their earlier days. Including the first hero of their name Cosmofist. "Cosmofist was part of the whole first batch of heroes in the world and the first real Silverbright to make a name for themselves through sheer grit and determination. They cared not for riches or fame but merely the protection of the people as a whole. He is also the one responsible for the quelling of a cult back then known as the Conclave of the Yellow King. I myself look up to Cosmofist...and wished I had even a modicum of his valor.... " This exhibit was almost stashed away in a place most people would not even see if one did not guide them over. Like it was being overshadowed and forgotten in lieu of the other more impressive-looking exhibits. This one was the only one Stephen seemed especially proud of. In a case was a suit of armor and pieces of equipment that was seen being worn above by the hero in question.  The glimmer in his eyes faded as he guided them away into another room. This room was solely dedicated to Platinus and her achievements including a massive marble statue at least 15 feet tall standing in the center. This room was the epitome of vanity and pats on the back. One could not look direction without seeing the face of Platinus or word of what she had done for the family name of Silverbright. Unlike most of the rooms, this one had way less cameras and no one but the four of them in it. The sight of the room alone was an assault on the senses with the gaudy brightness of it all. Gritting his teeth, Stephen mustered up the following words "And here we have our beloved matron-" He adjusted his glasses, tapped the sides. The cameras suddenly drooped and crackled with sparks. He uttered a disgusted sigh. "If I had to sing that woman's praises for much longer..." he cleared his throat. "Let's be quick about this. They'll only be disabled for about five minutes. By hook or by crook, we're getting my sister out of this place today." He gave a knowing smile to Kitana. "preferably in your arms, Kitana." This was Stephen Silverbright, son to Platinus and brother to Sicily. The heir to the Silverbright name who carried none of his mother's traits except maybe her eyes but at least his were honest ones. "Introduce yourselves then ask any question you want...but after that, I need to lay out what the plan will be depending on your Quirks." |
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Post by cmd1095 on Aug 23, 2023 23:46:09 GMT
Kitana played along with the tour, her cheery act never faltering. She lived most of her life playing a role, acting the parts she was expected to play. Compared to the responsibilities and expectations of home, faking a little bit of chipper tourist energy was almost disturbingly easy. The thought that she was perhaps a bit too good at wearing a mask and suppressing her emotions in order to act like she had different ones and the implications of this skillset were an existential dread for a later date. Right now she was playing her role after all.
The bit about Cosmofist was genuinely interesting though, even without acting Kitana thought it was neat that Sicily had such an impressive ancestor. The fact that the genuinely heroic person was tucked away in a corner while the gaudy soulless corporation leader took up a whole room said even more about the state of the family than ever though. Platinus was just like her own mother in all of the worst ways. The two would probably make good friends... if they could stop themselves from trying to exploit each other for ten minutes anyhow.
But those thoughts never showed on Kitana's face... not until the cameras were disabled and she could drop the act.
Like flipping a switch, Kitana's smile dropped, her tail bristled with irritation, and her eyes glowed blue faintly as the energy of her quirk rushed through her. Clenched fists, and a scowl as she glared at all the gaudy depictions of Platinus. "As someone who had to put up with her own share of this egotistical nonsense, you have my sympathies." she said, then let out a slow exhale as she brought her emotions back in check, calm washing over her body language like a wave.
"Now then, if you're acting this boldly I assume the situation is pretty bad. You know all about my quirk from Sicily already I'm sure, I can go fast, or make non-living things go fast, just so long as I don't make myself go fast too many times in succession." Kitana said, tail swishing as she she got down to business "there's also one more card we can play, I'd rather avoid it if we can... but your mother cares so much about wealth and clout...
Kitana hesitated a moment, then sighed "my family name is a card in our hand. My family might not be quite as well known in urban areas as yours, but it has a significant amount of wealth and power out in the rural areas. And as much as I don't like it, for better or worse I'm the heiress to that. Even if I'm not on speaking terms with my Mother right now... Push comes to shove, if it means getting Sicily out of here... Well you know your Mother's mind best, you can decide how and if we play this hand."
Kitana knew using her family name for this would mean trouble. Her Mother was a prideful woman, if they gave some story about Kitana being away from home to train her powers her Mother would back that up rather than admit Kitana ran away... but there would DEFINITELY be retaliation down the line once her Mother knew where she was. It was a last resort, but Sicily was the most important. She'd deal with the fallout of her own family issues when the time came, if that's what it took.
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Post by Bixir on Aug 24, 2023 19:50:34 GMT
Miyuki carried himself through this tour with about as much grace that he had entered with. All of this history stuff was boring, boring, boring. When were they gonna cut the act and jump this guy, or sneak off, or whatever Kitana wanted to do? Miyuki wasn't sure how much of this fake field trip he could take. He didn't want to abandon Umi or anyone else, but this was-
...
Unexpected.
"Wh... What's going on?! Are you tellin' me you were in on this! Well why didn't we just do that sooner!" Miyuki's cantankerous brow furrowed cantankerously, completely removed from the explanation that had just been given. He crossed his arms and paced a bit, trying to do some thinking of his own. The boy didn't get far, and he finally relented, throwing up his arms in a harumph.
He looked up at everyone with a sheepish expression. Now that things were happening all of a sudden, he didn't feel as ready as he would have liked. "I, uhh... I can fight. I-I can use my Quirk, but I'd rather not." Miyuki looked around at how priceless everything looked, even in a room like this. "My breath is hot- really hot. It can get through anything that the bi- that "Bad Mom" can put in our way. But using my Quirk is like..." Miyuki wandered over to Umi, just shy of leaning against one of her legs, which were almost as wide as he was. "I-I'd just rather not, okay? The sooner we get a move on, the better."
Maybe he shouldn't have come, after all...
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