#questionablehero

@questionablehero​

“Oh sure,” he grumbled to himself, “let’s send Donnie out to get the pizza . Let’s play rock, paper, scissors for it while he’s out of the room and can’t defend himself.” He scowled, drawing his hood over his head, brows furrowed in a rather grumpy scowl. Of course, they’d decided to place the order at a time when it’d already be dark outside, leaving himself scrambling to disguise as many features at once. “Ugh, dumb-dumbs. Couldn’t they just leave instructions to leave it outside the door like usual?” Or you know, order a little earlier? Like before the sun went down? 

To make matters worse, he was starting to think his brothers were playing a little joke on him, as it was fast approaching thirty minutes. That meant the pizza would be free if the delivery person didn’t get there in, what, fifteen minutes? A wise man once said, forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza. Truly, inspiring words of wisdom. He huffed out a sigh and slid his hands into his pockets, glancing around as he rocked on his heels--and that’s when he noticed someone’s legs sticking out of an alley. 

He blinked, confused, and cast one more look around before jogging over. It was probably just some drunkard passed out. But despite his aloof bad boy image, it wasn’t like he could just completely turn away from a person who might need help. Carefully, he lowered himself into a squat, a soft pop followed by a whir sounding from his so-called Battle Shell beneath his hoodie. A mechanical arm extended from under the fabric and gently prodded at the body. What? He wasn’t going to use his bare hands like an animal. Who knows what kind of germs this person had?

“Hey, are you alright? This really isn’t a good or comfortable place to sleep. This neighborhood has a really big rat problem,” he called, a small smirk tugging at his lips at his own joke. Still, the person didn’t seem to respond. “Hello?” 

That’s when he noticed the metallic tang of blood hanging in the air, and using another mechanical arm from the other side of his shell, examined the unconscious person. Well...at least, he hoped they were unconscious...but sure enough, there was a pretty big bloodstain on the male’s stomach. He didn’t look that much older than Donnie himself.

@questionablehero​

The streets of Shizume City were always abuzz with activity, people going to and fro, lost in their own little worlds. Regardless of all the people milling about, going from point A to point B, there was much more beneath the surface that people were blissfully unaware of. During his time as a homicide detective, Narihisago saw some of the more gruesome things lurking beneath the usually busy air of the city.

The time of Narihisago the detective was years ago. Now, there was just Narihisago the former convict under the thumb of Scepter 4, spirit so broken that most of his former acquaintances probably wouldn’t even recognize him as the same man. He had nothing anymore, and that was probably a contributing factor to why he was the one chosen to undergo the mission at present.

Narihisago recognized this area as being one of the shiftier areas of the city, bordering on the territory of some of the more underworld organizations. If someone went missing here, no one would notice. Except Scepter 4, apparently, who suspected strain activity in the area and sent Narihisago out to gather information.

A trail of blood, ranging from a few drops to small puddles, caught his eye. What sent the gears in his brain spinning the most was the fact that the blood was still very fresh.

He quickly followed the trail, rounding the corner to find a young man there against the concrete wall, the smell of blood heavy in the air. He immediately ran to the young man’s side, examining his body for wounds, but the extent of the damage made it hard to pinpoint exactly where the blood was coming from.

Today was the long awaited day. Yata had been checking the calendar ever since the announcement of Monster Hunter 5 at E3. He’d made sure to set his alarm hours in advance and then braved the traffic to the nearest gaming store that had the game in stock. The line was already long but each store should have a decent amount of the game in stock. Even so, he still peered around the person in front of him, trying to get a good headcount.

Little by little, more and more people lined up behind Yata and then at 8′O Clock AM sharp, the game store workers began ushering the line into the store. Yata kept his faithful skateboard tucked under one arm as he inched closer and closer to the door, his fingers curled around the visor of his hat, adjusting it nervously as anxious thoughts ate away at him. What if he didn’t make it? What if they sold out of all the copies before he could get there? He’d taken the day off just for this too!

Sweating nervously, it finally came down to Yata’s turn in line. He wore a complicated expression on his face, a mixture of nervousness and excitement. “O-One copy of MH5, please!” The cashier rung him up, bagged the item, and slid it over the counter to Yata once he had forfeited the cash. 

Yata stepped out of line, and unable to control his excitement, thrust his fist into the air. “YEAH!” he exclaimed, the bag swaying at the sudden movement. 

“Sorry, sir. Our last copy was just sold.”

The groan Yata heard from beside him made him turn in curiosity. Just how many people had missed out? Now that he had secured his copy he was relieved, but also what amazing luck to have received the final one! The male beside him was clad only in a track suit, and Yata momentarily thought that he must have just crawled out of bed wearing that, most likely in a hurry to get the game. But the words he uttered were so depressing that Yata couldn’t help but feel for the guy. He rubbed a little at his cheek, thinking over his words for once before turning to face him.

“Hey, what’s with that attitude? You’re a man, ain’t ya? This isn’t the only store. Isn’t it too late to be giving up!?” That had come out a lot more heated than he originally intended it, but he figured these fiery words of encouragement were much better used on a guy who was dressed to go for a jog anyways. Besides, he wasn’t HOMRA’s vanguard for nothing! Getting people fired up was what he did best!

@questionablehero

Maruki didn’t enforce strict appointments at his place of practice, and sometimes his staff chastised him a little for his carefree attitude in managing his schedule. As far as he was concerned, his practice wasn’t big enough that someone coming in while he was seeing another patient was a common occurrence. Of course, some people felt more comfortable with a rigid time frame, and Maruki respected that as well. His receptionists took their jobs seriously and did it excellently, and he couldn’t thank them enough for that.

On today’s agenda, there were no appointments, and no one had walked in yet. This wasn’t out of the ordinary, and Maruki was honestly a bit relieved he wasn’t more popular in the world of counseling; it allowed him to keep his schedule open and flexible.

A knock came at the door to his office, and Maruki set aside the paperwork he was working on. “Come in!” he called. The door opened to reveal a young man in a tracksuit, and Maruki stood from his desk to greet him.

@questionablehero

The cafe was usually peaceful on days like today. Of course, there were unsavory patrons who came in every now and then, but she always handled them. Her sharp tongue was usually enough of a deterrent to keep from trying anything, and also gazing at them as if they were lower than the dirt on her shoe. Well, there were some that liked that sort of thing, but she made it clear she was disgusted by their attitudes. As long as they weren’t causing trouble for the other girls in the cafe at least.

Because of that, she could definitely tell when a pervert had entered the shop. Today had been too peaceful though, and she knew when the bell chimed over the door, that that peace was about to be shattered. It was her turn to greet though, so she turned around, giving a dainty curtsy as she did.

“Welcome back, Master. Would you like some te....geh.” 

She couldn’t help the noise of disgust that left her lips as she finally laid eyes on the figure who had walked in the door. A tracksuit? Really? Could he be any more low effort? Had he even tried? Who went to a maid cafe in a tracksuit? He could have at least dressed up a little. 

Of course, her disgust was clear on her face, making no effort to hide it from the sloppy patron. When she realized it, she schooled her expression into one of indifference before she tried again.

@questionablehero​

Lucy stretched her arms over her head, grateful that the worst of today was over. She’d had the day off today, but she still had classes to attend, but leaving the Konohana campus brought her a sense of peace. Of course, she’d also hung out in the club room for a bit to do the usual manager business. With this month’s budget, their request for another telescope had been approved which meant that there would be less crowding and taking turns looking through the one they already had. She couldn’t wait to let everyone know at the next official club meeting.

So it was only natural that she made her way home with a spring in her step and a smile on her face as she hummed happily. Today had been a good day, all things considered, and she didn’t think there was anything that could bring her down. Of course, thinking that was definitely a jinx. No sooner had the thought run through her mind, she heard a scuffle from the alley near the bookstore she worked at as she started past. 

Her happy smile immediately formed a frown, and she moved closer, hiding behind the corner as she peered into the alley. It looked like three people had surrounded another, a victim she couldn’t quite make out, but the reflective glint in one of the guy’s hands was clearly a knife. That meant the others could be armed too, or they were Strains. Lucy swallowed hard, furrowing her brows. She wasn’t worried. Nervous, sure. But she was a King. She’d be fine, right? But she couldn’t tell if their victim was as they laughed loudly. Did they not care about being caught?

With a mentality like that, they probably thought they were untouchable. That was probably a trio of Strains then. Normal people were no threat, and as long as Scepter 4 didn’t find them, the rogue Strains didn’t seem to fear anything. Maybe she was a weaker King but there was no way she could just turn around and pretend like she hadn’t seen anything, especially if their victim was hurt. 

“Libra,” she murmured to herself, feeling her aura expand around her. A soft, pastel yellow glow, no more gentle than a sunbeam cutting through a gray cloud on a stormy day. Then she raised her hand and pushed at the wind, and suddenly the three muggers were thrown off their feet, the wind keeping them pressed to the wall at the end of the alley as she strode forward, appearing confident despite the anxiety clawing at her stomach.

@questionablehero​ 

V tended to get some strange looks whenever he went out and about with Griffon, but he was glad that most of the time, people in Shizume were too wrapped up in their own business to really ask him about it or go out of their way to make a scene of V’s odd “pet.” When the two spoke, they spoke quietly, since seeing such a strange bird speak so fluently would definitely attract attention.

“So are we going back home now?” Griffon asked. “The sun’s startin’ to set, and I don’t want you out past your bedtime, your highness.” V knew the title was said in sarcasm, but he’d long since gotten used to Griffon’s condescension.

“I suppose we could. I don’t have any other business out here besides taking you for a walk, and the walk home should be sufficient.”

“What am I, a dog?”

“Does the implication ruffle your feathers?”

“Oh, ha ha, V. Nice joke. You’re getting better at that.”

The back and forth was interrupted by a rat skittering across V’s feet, causing the king to raise an eyebrow. Rats in the city were an incredibly rare sight indeed, and what was even more odd was that it seemed to have... blood on its feet and muzzle.

“Ugh, disgusting!” Griffon exclaimed before remembering it was wiser to be a little quieter than that, lowering his voice again. “Wanna check it out, V?”

“I guess so, although I didn’t think one rat is cause for alarm.”

Tanjiro looked into his wallet for the hundredth time that day, as if by simply hoping for it to be full, the universe would comply. Sadly, this was not the case. He had spent weeks trying to save up some extra money to buy Nezuko a gift: a new kimono. It was something she was never able to treat herself to before, and she deserved something nice. Especially now. But the measly change in his wallet didn’t seem to agree.

Finally looking up from his wallet, he resigned to wait another month or more before purchasing the kimono. That is, until his eyes landed on a flyer on the side of a building.

A flyer for a beauty pageant…with a cash prize. But that would be ridiculous.

-

Tanjiro thought he made a decent-looking girl, after all. It was a weird visit to the store to gather the makeup, but he managed. Now, he was surrounded by dozens of young women, all dressed up to the nines, but he figured that maybe, if he was confident enough, he might could pull something off. Maybe even earn some of the prize money. Maybe be able to buy Nezuko a new kimono. Maybe be able to make her smile. His confidence grew more and more by the minute. That is, until he heard-

“Alright, ladies, find your partner! The pageant will begin shortly!”