The clatter of tin against glass follows a canned coffee down into the disposable at the bottom of the vending machine. Akatani reaches in and takes the beverage, popping the lid open with a flick of his thumb. He was surprised that he didn't find Shinso loitering by the machine. Then again, he was very much relieved as well. He didn't come to the quirk support group meeting place for idle chit chat this time.
"Akatani!", a blonde blur rams into the boy all too suddenly. He nearly drops his drink, startled from his very brief thoughts. When he sees that it's the girl he called to meet him, he relaxes a little.
"Hey Himiko..", his eyes shift from her to another presence. A guy with patches of gnarled and wrinkled skin covering much of his face and neck looks about the place with disinterest. "Uh.. Who's your friend?", Akatani feels the need to ask.
The obvious burn victim turns his gaze to meet Akatani's, eyes drooping in boredom as he introduces himself, "Dabi." Akatani can't help but raise a brow at the name. Dabi just raises a brow right back.
"You texted me saying you wanted me to introduce you to more of my friends!", Himiko finally detaches herself from Akatani to present Dabi with a mild flourish, "So I thought I'd just bring one along!"
Akatani's eyes widen momentarily, remembering that he did indeed do that. "O- Oh!", he steps forward to introduce himself in return, bowing at the waist to be respectful, "Sorry for being rude. I'm Akatani Mikumo."
Dabi doesn't seem phased in the slightest. He's back to inspecting his surroundings, searching for something amongst the nothing. "So.. Quirk counseling.. ?", his drawl is as impassive as he looks. He doesn't seem impressed by Akatani nor the location.
"Uh.. Not exactly..", the boy chuckles awkwardly as he returns to standing up straight. Trying to think of a way to break the ice, he winds up scratching the back of his head. Feeling his hair course through his fingers, Akatani perks up, finding something to say. "What brand hair dye did you use?", he nods his head in indication to Dabi's black pointed hair.
Dabi falters, taken aback by the question. His shock quickly turns into something else, eyes narrowing. At least Akatani has his attention now, "How did you.. ?"
Akatani points to his own hair, "Takes one to know one."
Which earns a shock from Himiko next. The blonde bounces back over to the boy, leaning into his personal space. "You dye your hair?!", her yellow eyes glint in the light as she asks, "What color is it normally?!"
Akatani hesitates, unsure of whether or not he should answer. Then he remembers that this is Himiko. Even with Dabi listening in, he sighs and relents. "Green..", but his cheeks are bright red.
"Ooo! I can picture that!", Himiko plays with the boy's curly hair by twirling it around her fingers. She imagines the color matching the blood that's rushing to his face and how he'd be lit up like a Christmas tree, giggling to herself.
When Himiko switches her sights to Dabi, she's expecting him to share his natural hair color as well. The boy covered in burns sighs, "All the stress you give me made my hair turn white, so I had no choice but to dye it.", but Akatani is relieved that he's capable of dry humor at the very least.
Akatani laughs, agreeing wholeheartedly with Dabi. "Do you think I could be her next victim?", he asks in between guffaws.
Himiko looks between the two boys before pouting, "You two sure are getting along rather quickly.", and crosses her arms under her bust.
"Yeah, well..", Dabi turns his body away from them as though he's ready to leave, "I'm not really the social butterfly. If it's a friend that you were wanting.."
Akatani suddenly remembers the reason that he called Himiko here and had asked her to introduce him to her friends. "Oh! No! No–", he winces when he realizes that came out wrong, "I mean yes, but–" Dabi lingers in between Akatani and the exit, forcing Akatani to get to the point. "I'm looking for..", the boy just isn't sure how to word it, "You wouldn't happen to be apart of a league, would you?"
Dabi looks more confused than he did previously, "A league.. ?", responding quizzically.
Akatani shakes his head, "Nevermind..", before turning back to Himiko. "I just thought because of Uta and his connection to the Yakuza, that maybe you'd know where I could find..", he realizes that he should have been more direct with her a little too late. Sighing to himself, he tries to explain, "There's some bad people I'm looking for and.."
He trails off when he sees the expression of hurt in Himiko's face. He realizes how much smaller she is than him when he hears her soft whimper, "You.. Associate me with bad?"
"No!", Akatani blurts out in an initial panic. He fumbles over himself as much as his words, not knowing whether he should say something or hug her. "I just..", Dabi makes a strange noise from behind him before he gets the chance to apologize.
When Akatani turns to see what the weird sound was about, he sees Dabi's non scarred skin is rather pale. "Wha– ?", and that the burned boy's blue eyes are fixated on a newcomer. Shoto Todoroki approaches them from the opposite direction.
"Mikumo.", Todoroki nods in greeting to the boy that he recognizes before glancing between Himiko and Dabi, "Who are your friends?"
"T- Todoroki!", Akatani feels sweat beating down his forehead as he's surrounded by the bunch of familiar faces. The only way this situation could possibly get worse is if Shinso suddenly materialized out of thin air to join them. He swallows, trying to get the right words to come out of his throat, but nothing coming up. "Uuuhh..", his head swivels back to Himiko first.
The blonde has hidden her hurt, faking a smile as she waves to Todoroki. "Himiko Toga!", her introduction is briefer than usual but Akatani is admittedly relieved that's the case, "Are you Akatani's friend?"
"Yes..", Todoroki doesn't sound very sure of that answer but Akatani passes it off as part of the tension in the awkward situation. Afterall, Dabi isn't paying Todoroki any mind. He's been frozen in place, pale flesh tone making Akatani believe he really could have succumbed to frostbite. Todoroki returns his attention to Akatani, mutually ignoring the other boy, "I actually came to offer you a gift, Mikumo."
Akatani raises both of his eyebrows at that surprise, "A gift?"
When Todoroki hands him the present, he isn't expecting two pink slips. "For you and Eri.", Todoroki's elaboration doesn't do much to actually explain anything until Akatani reads what's written on the paper in his hand.
"Tickets to U.A's Sports Festival?!", the boy can't help but feel some elation. He'd always seen the event aired on television, but never attended it in person before. However, his excitement is short lived. He pauses when he realizes, "Wait.. Eri?", also confusing Todoroki. "Oh.. Shinso didn't tell you?", Akatani's grip on the tickets tightens. He's not sure how many more surprises he can take right now.
"Tell me what?", Todoroki's heterochromic eyes squint as he tries to make sense of the situation.
Akatani glances at Himiko, not all that shocked to see her staring right back. She's the only one that knows the truth, but she knows better than to call him out if he lies. Despite what he said, he doesn't associate her with bad. He hopes that the trust they share will let her know that. "Eri's father took her to America.", she tilts her head but says nothing, "Visitation rights and all that."
"Your father?", Todoroki's mood significantly darkens. Akatani swivels his head from Himiko back to him. He sees the dual quirked boy's fists are clenched at his sides. Dabi, as distant as he was, picks up on the change in attitude as well.
Remembering Todoroki's past with his own father, Akatani's eyes can't help but be drawn between the boy's scar and Dabi's burns. "Sh- She's safe! She's perfectly fine!", he tries to sound assuring before allowing himself to succumb to his sorrow, "I just miss her is all.. Ya know?"
Noticing the change in atmosphere, as well as everyone's demeanor, Todoroki also calms down. "Yes..", he has a sibling amongst his brothers and sister that he misses too. Even Dabi ducks his head in the back, relating in some way or another.
Sensing somber moods, Himiko tries to salvage the situation by jumping in the middle. "Can I have the extra ticket instead?", her bright and bubbly act pulls everyone out from their sulking states successfully, "Pleeeaasse!? I really wanna go!"
"Oh, uh, sure–", Akatani hopes that saying yes might help make up for upsetting her earlier.
It must to some extent, since Himiko stands on her tippy toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Yay! It's a date!", she cheers while snatching the ticket that she's claimed for herself.
Dabi rolls his eyes while watching the entire exchange. Having had enough, he turns his back to them. "I'm leaving..", and announces his exit.
Himiko teasingly sticks her tongue out at him, even though he can't see it. "Oh, don't be such a sour seagull!", and doesn't seem all that bothered that she made him uncomfortable.
Returning to his stoic self, Todoroki turns towards Akatani to say, "You have strange friends, Mikumo."
Wanting to retort, Akatani opens his mouth. When he realizes that he can't, his shoulders sag and he sulks while admitting, "I know.."