#xamassed

A couple of weeks had passed since her meeting with Tamaki, and one more after the most exciting event in her life since she moved to Tokyo -- being saved by a professional hero.

Both events had left a strong, yet different mark on Haruko. After her encounter with Fat Gum, she had started collecting any newspaper mentioning her saviour, holding her breath whenever he appeared on TV and asking her parents to turn the volume up when he spoke. Her mother obliged with a smile, while her younger brother, Keitaro, answered with an eyeroll while Haruko listened to her hero with her lips pressed in a tight line and her eyes shining at the sight of his wide grin -- the same he had dedicated her on the day she met him.

At school, she had found out Fat Gum was popular among girls, but not as much as other pro-heroes. Her female classmates liked to fawn more about guys like Hawks or Best Jeanist -- Fat Gum had a different kind of charm, to them.

"He's cute," they agreed, "kinda like Totoro!"

"Yeah! He's all big and cuddly, right?"

Haruko nodded, not too convinced. To her, Fat Gum was way more than cuddly -- he was valiant, reassuring, bright, charming... And whenever she recalled being in his arms, her heart started racing like crazy, making her cheeks burn.

Ever since he had promised her he'd visit her at the Coffee Bean, Haruko's head kept jerking up and her heart missed a beat whenever the bell on the door announced a new client walking in. But day after day, her hopes started vanishing, and she kept lowering her head with a sigh and a disappointed pout when the face on the door wasn't the one she wished to see. She had been a stupid for really hoping for him to pass by; he was a pro-hero, and certainly a busy one too. It made sense for him to be short on time, and he was certainly not going to dedicate her the little spare one he had on hand.

Tamaki, on the other hand...

She hadn't seen the shy boy in a while, but their meeting had rooted in Haruko's head in a surprising way, making a hundred questions bloom inside it. She kept wondering about quirks, how strong they could get, how they could be trained... And even more weirdly, she kept coming up with questions about his quirk specifically, so much she even kept a small list of them under the counter, where she noted them down each time a new one popped up in her mind in the hope to discuss them someday. She was looking forward to seeing him again, to asking him more about his skills... But Tamaki hadn't showed up again. And while she could understand he might be busy too, just like Fat Gum (he was his pupil, after all, as she had found out), she also wondered if she maybe hadn't put the shy boy at unease without realising it, and maybe that was the reason why he hadn't shown his face at the Coffee Bean anymore. The mere thought made her stomach twist with guilt and disappointment -- she had hoped she had made a friend, but clearly, she had read too much into it.

So, after some days, Haruko had stopped perking up with excitement whenever the door to the cafe rang open. And it felt just as an ordinary, dull day when, one afternoon, her boss called for her while she was busy preparing some mixtures in the back of the store.

"Are you busy?" He asked. "A bunch of clients just arrived, I think they are looking for you."

"I'm coming," Haruko replied, without particular enthusiasm, too busy dosing the juices to notice the amused grin under the man's moustache.

But when she walked back to the counter, her heart did a sommersault -- no, a double sommersault. Because not only Tamaki was back, but his whole squad was with him. Fat Gum included!

Rima was sitting at her desk, tapping her pen as she focused on her work. She was allowing herself to get lose in the inspiration, until something caught her attention.

A face, and a voice that pulled her focus away.

Magnolia had quite a large purse after doing work for the Luofu. Granted, that's what she did to prevent being thrown in the Shackling Prison, but at least she was paid for her work. But following her release and pardon after the incident with the Stellaron, she didn't really know what to do with herself.

So, she decided she needed a long overdue vacation.

The woman miraculously found a block at the hotel in Penacony, after being told over and over that the Charmony Festival would prevent it. She was very generous with her tipping to the employees, as it would be very difficult for them to enjoy the festival, and drifted to the Golden Hour.

The sights and sounds were quite overwhelming, and Magnolia didn't exactly feel right. It was her first time in the Dreamscape, granted, but she was still disoriented. She wondered if sitting would help her collect herself a bit. Finding herself a bench, she wondered if the dizziness would subside soon.

The Devildom was indeed a scary place. One minute she was out shopping with Mammon, the next she had gotten separated from him. Not only that, but her (quite adorable) outfit had no pockets, so Mammon was holding on to her D.D.D. Emma was about to call out to him over the crowd, when a firm hand suddenly grasped her forearm. Did Mammon find her? He was holding her awfully tight-

A hand clasped over her mouth and Emma was being dragged away. Her panic was setting in droves. They knew that invoking her pacts and magic took verbal spells, so they knew how to stop any of those possibilities. Her human strength was lackluster compared to a demon's, so fighting back physically wasn't an option either.

"Make sure to keep her mouth covered. Dealing with any of the avatars will be a pain in the ass." She heard that through the haze of her fear, and she could vaguely register being pulled behind an alley.

Out of mindless fear, she bit the hand of her attacker (attackers? She had no idea how many there were...) and her mouth was freed just long enough to shout one word: "Beelzebub!"

Seemed he was always hanging around in alleyways, the darkness something he was more comfortable inhabiting. It was familiar and he was able to watch the world around him without drawing too much attention to himself. Taking a final drag on the cigarette between his lips, he smashed the butt out beneath his boot. Dabi knew her. He'd approached her before, planting seeds of doubt in her very impressionable mind.

@xamassed

"Well well well would you lookie here, the heroes are already here," Togame drawls the words without looking to the hero that had made their appearance. Before them would be quite the odd sight... a villain currently tying themselves up around his own wrists, and while it was a struggle, they were doing it diligently.

At the height of summer, the ripples of the sea were nigh irresistible. To those not permitted easier access, travel was the easy solution -- and the grassy greens of Mondstadt didn't have enough space to squeeze in a nice, leisurely beach! Which was a shame, Yoimiya thought, the sight would've fulfilled years worth of festival firework inspiration. If that were the case, though, Yoimiya wouldn't have gotten time with a certain 'lil spark!

“We could go for a swim - ooh, do you know how to swim?! I'll teach you! - we couuld build a sandcastle - I'm an expert! - we cooould see if a certain Oni's done building his sand fortress and ask if he wants to play a round of chicken... or, hang with me here... we could do all three!”

The options were infinite, and with Captain Kaeya's permission, all doable in a reasonable amount of time! Today was Klee's day, however - and whatever she said went! Pocketing spare bundles of energy, Yoimiya leant down to her height, adjusting the near-toppling sunhat balanced atop her head.

“Are you ready for the best summer ever?”

isamu peaks out and grins. just a little bit. like she's trying to be more brave than she actually is in this moment. " my name is midoriya! i have a crimson riot lunch box that i take to my school! my papa says you like him too. " / @xamassed for izuku & minisamu for kirishima