A/N: First off the new cover art was by festus_flare on twitter. Please check him out!
Secondly, I was asked about Tohru's quirk. While I still plan on explaining it in fic I'll tell you guys what it is.
Tohru's Quirk: Limit Break - Able to push the user's body past its natural limits into super human abilities for an extended period of time but if used for too long it will rebound and injure the user.
Miku's Quirk: Scan - Similar to Search, Scan allows Miku to see any injuries or illness, abnormalities in the body of a single person at a time. Overuse results in eye fatigue and migraines.
"I can't take it anymore!" Miku said suddenly, shutting her book- some novel she'd been meaning to start for weeks- and tossing it on the coffee table. She pointed dramatically across the room at Tohru, who was scribbling down potential grocery items. "Why aren't you telling me anything?!"
Tohru glanced down at the list before looking over at Miku. "I think we should try to make okonomiyaki like that place by the station we went to last month?"
"No!" Miku cried, throwing her hands in the air. "Not that!" A pause. "But yes, I think we should try that."
"Then what-"
"You always tell me everything," Miku lamented, dramatically. "Since high school! Why are you keeping this so secret?"
Tohru blinked, wondering what had brought this on. There was only one thing Tohru hadn't confided in Miku about. She sighed, "Is this about my job again?"
"Yes, this has to do with your job! You've been there nearly two weeks and you've barely told me anything about it. What's this place even called?" Miku demanded.
Tohru thought about saying that the bar was, according to the sign, called Loins. She thought about it and just as quickly decided that she would rather walk out into traffic than say Loins out loud, especially to Miku. "They're, uh, between names."
"Between names?" Miku repeated incredulously. "It's a business, isn't it? How can it be between names?"
"The sign broke so they're thinking of rebranding." That sounded plausible, at least.
"Fine," Miku conceded, though she didn't sound happy about it. "But what about your pay? Benefits? Paid days off?"
Tohru said nothing, not having any answers, and Miku's eyes narrowed.
"Ru-ru," she said warningly, drawing on the old high school nickname as if it would be intimidating. "Are you telling me that you don't know ?"
"I wouldn't say that…" Tohru said slowly, refusing to meet Miku's eyes. "It's more that I… never asked ."
Miku's eyebrows rose towards her hairline, back straightening, and looking for all the world like a disappointed parent. " You what ?"
"Okay, but listen," Tohru stressed, holding up her hands as if to placate her roommate. "You know how long I've been job searching. I was just so excited to find a place with an opening that I just jumped at it."
"But why ? You can do so much better than some sketchy bar. Natsuo told me about the neighborhood. Just because your Quirk is strong doesn't mean it's safe."
"I survived two years at U.A.," Tohru insisted. "I can handle street thugs. Some of them can even be talked down, you know."
" I wouldn't call having to repeat your second year because of injury 'surviving' ," Miku muttered under her breath. Louder she said, "Don't avoid the question."
"What question?" Tohru asked, and Miku couldn't tell if she was being purposefully dense or not.
"Why this job? Why did you have to 'jump' at a job at all? Your plate is already full with classwork and tutoring."
Tohru shrugged, fiddling with the pen in her hand. "You know what dad used to say."
Miku frowned, "Ru-ru, I know we've been friends for years now but I wasn't actually there for your childhood. I don't know what he used to say." Something obnoxious, maybe?
"Well, he said a lot of things," Tohru admitted, "but I'm talking about 'If you're not making money, you're not contributing'."
Miku's lip curled, maring her pretty face. "Bullshit."
Tohru's blue eyes widened, caught off guard by Miku's uncharacteristic language. "What?"
"Bullshit," Miku repeated, more firmly. "You do contribute. In fact, I think you contribute more than I do!"
"You're exaggerating."
Miku snorted, flipping her teal-green hair over her shoulder before lifting a finger to list things, "You do nearly all the chores, usually before I even think about doing them. You always go to the store- you're making the list right now. You-"
"Okay, okay," Tohru held up her hands to stop her friend. "Those sure are things. But you handle, like, all the bills. I haven't been able to help with rent since-"
Miku picked up the throw pillow from beside her, lifted it to her face, and screamed into it.
Tohru decided that meant it was time to drop the conversation. She sat down her pen, standing from the kitchen table and shuffling towards the door as quietly as possible, so not to attract her friend's attention again.
" Okay ," she said, so quietly it was little more than a whisper. " I'll see you after my shift. Byeee. "
At work Tohru found herself alone at the bar. While not unusual, it was a little odd that she hadn't seen Shigaraki slink through like usual. Plus, Kurogiri had been absent which was about as alarming as the thought that maybe they just left the door to the bar unlocked.
It was fine. It was probably fine.
Tohru jumped when the door slammed open, the glass she was polishing slipping from her fingers. Someone crossed the threshold and was at the bar before she could properly take them in. She'd managed to catch the glass, but she'd misjudged her grip strength and was now faced with a hairline crack along the otherwise flawless glass.
Tohru frowned at the cracked glass. That was probably going to affect her pay.
"Three cups please! No, no, not those clear glasses! Something solid, like plastic," the stranger replied with a flourish, sweeping the tails of his jacket out of the way as he took a seat.
Tohru stared at him, trying not to let the exasperation she felt boil up to show on her face. The stranger was smartly dressed, though he really liked his colors. He could have been Kurogiri's more artistic fashion cousin; fine gloves, an off yellow coat, orange formal shirt and a very dapper top hat. Who dressed like that anymore? Nevermind the vaguely creepy mask that completely blocked his face from sight; but to be honest Tohru was just glad it wasn't hands.
"Here's your cups," Tohru said, remembering her composure and customer service smile. Three red plastic cups were placed on a row in the table.
"I've lost my marbles, you see," the dapper man declared, turning the cups upside down before showing her two small, blue marbles. "Help me find them, won't you?"
Tohru leaned slightly across the counter to get a better look but the two marbles went under two cups and then were shuffled around with a frantic speed. This would all be sleight of hand but she decided to play along anyway. Usually the trick involved only one marble, so she wondered what the game would be with two.
"Well, where are they?" Mr. Dapper asked with dramatic flourish when he finished moving the cups. Tohru pulled one up to reveal nothing but a bare counter.
"Alas! Try another one, Miss!"
The second cup was also empty. Tohru frowned.
"Too slow, let's try again!" Mr. Dapper cried.
Again and again the charade went on until finally Tohru shook her head and held up her hands in defeat. "I don't think I'm going to beat you at this. You're a very talented magician."
"Thank you. It was a bit of misdirection," he said with a bow and a tip of his hat. Then he snapped his fingers.
Kurogiri and Shigaraki suddenly sprung up from under two of the cups. Shigaraki was immediately cackling in his insane way, enthusiastically clapping his hands. Kurogiri was less amused, eyes clenched shut in their usual way when his patience was being strained. The plastic cup sat on his head like a fez… somehow. Briefly, Tohru wondered if she could get away with snapping a picture.
"I like it, I like it! I think he passes. Don't you think so, Kurogiri and Ms. Love and Kindness?"
"He'll be good for party tricks," Tohru replied, choosing not to argue about her name. Kurogiri just grunted. Tohru reached up and removed his cup-fez. "But I'd probably keep him away from any card games."
"Do we have those?" Shigaraki wondered aloud, briefly distracted as he took the remaining cup in two fingers and placed it on Tohru's head. She was suddenly less charmed by the whole situation. "No matter, no matter."
"Before I join, I'd like a demonstration of what you all can do, especially if I'm going to be taking orders," Mr. Dapper cautioned, lifting a finger to emphasize his statement.
"Oh, don't worry," Shigaraki replied, launching himself off the counter. "Just be watching the news. You'll know it when you see it." He landed nimbly, which Tohru found surprising. She had been sure he would land on his face. "Ah, but, if you do that again I'll kill you ."
Despite the fact the words were coming from a walking stringbean Tohru felt her heart rate spike for an instant. Logically, she knew that if this bar and it's questionable theme was going to appeal to its intended audience that Shigaraki would have to know how to be threatening but hearing it for the first time was… jarring.
In contrast Mr. Dapper simply tipped his hat. "Noted."
Shigaraki made some vague hand gesture in response (thankfully with his actual hands and not any of the ones he insisted on wearing) and Tohru wasn't sure if he was mocking Mr. Dapper's natural showmanship or simply signalling that the conversation was over. He disappeared through the door leading to the space above the bar to continue… whatever it was he did up there. Tohru didn't know but at least he was quiet about it.
Then she remembered the cup that was still on her head and knocked it away from her like an angry cat. It clattered across the floor and disappeared under one of the tables.
"Now," she began, her best customer service smile back on her face, "Can I get you anything, Mr…?" Tohru trailed off, not wanting to call him Mr. Dapper to his face.
"Compress," the man provided with a tip of his hat. "You may call me Mr. Compress."
Two days later found Tohru sitting on the couch, flipping through the mixology book and comparing notes to recipes on her phone. Mr. Compress had become something of a regular; or, at least, she had seen him more than that one time. Maybe it was time to add another drink to the themed menu.
Her phone buzzed, breaking her planning thoughts. She glanced down as the screen changed, displaying who was calling.
An unknown number.
Tohru squinted at her phone screen, debating the merits of answering. With a shrug she decided to answer the call. If it was spam, she could always block the number. "Hello?"
There was a beat of silence, save for the crackling of the speaker and incomprehensible background noise, before a familiar voice spoke: " Sakaime Tohru. "
"Oh, Mr. Kurogiri," she said, sitting up a little straighter. "Is there a problem?"
" You won't be needed today. "
"Is… there a problem?" Tohru repeated, a little concerned. From her spot at the coffee table Miku gave her a confused look and she responded with a hand gesture that somehow translated to 'work call'.
" No. " A pause and something that sounded like a string of complaints from just outside the range of the phone's speaker. " Shigaraki Tomura has been… injured."
Tohru grimaced, imagining the man trying that leap-from-the-bar-counter move to impress another potential member to his theme bar/possible LARP group only to land face first. He seemed the type to have all the coordination of a baby deer. "Is he okay? Do you need-?"
" No. " Kurogiri interrupted, " Return Monday. Your paycheck will be delivered by messenger. Goodbye. "
"Oh, wait!" Tohru called. There was a long moment of silence where she was sure that she'd missed the chance but she continued anyway. "Is this the number I can reach you at?"
There was another long moment of silence before Kurogiri's voice crackled through the receiver. " No. Do not contact this number again ."
"You called me-" The phone call ended, for real this time, and Tohru gave her cell phone a side-long look. "They're so dedicated to that schtick," she said before turning to Miku. "Guess I have the day off?"
"They're so weird ," Miku groaned, shutting the textbook she had been reading. She stood, stretching, before taking a seat on the couch properly. The TV clicked on and Miku flipped through several channels before she realized that they all seemed to be showing the same thing.
"- confirmed. The USJ complex has been attacked by what appears to be an organized group of villains."
Tohru's attention was no longer on her phone. Miku gaped, wide-eyed, at the screen and even Tama looked up from her nap.
"Calling themselves The League of Villains-"
"That's a stupid name," Tohru said, her mind so distant from anything but the news report it took her a moment to realize she had been the one to speak.
The report continued for what seemed like hours, repeating the same limited information and insisting that while there were reports of injuries there had been no casualties.
The two women sat in stunned silence as the news report ended, or rather paused before starting from the beginning. Miku turned off the TV but stared at the dark screen for a few moments longer.
"Has...has that ever happened before?" She asked, glancing over at Tohru.
"I don't think so?" Tohru said. "It's supposed to be impossible. Or close to it. The security at U.A. is crazy."
Miku frowned. "That...doesn't make me feel better."
Before the conversation could continue there was a knock at the door. Both women jumped in their seats, startled, and looked to the door. There were no other sounds.
"Wrong apartment?" Miku offered, cautiously.
Then there was a scraping noise as something was shoved under the door. Attempted to be shoved under the door rather, as it seemed to get stuck and crinkled up on itself against the other side of the door.
"I'll go look," Tohru said, standing.
It was an envelope. Plain, nondescript, and from the looks of it stuffed a little too full to fit under the door gap. Something seemed to be written on the front. Tohru frowned and opened the door to retrieve the envelope. Opening the door and picking it up, Tohru took a moment to stick her head out of the door and look down the hallway.
Empty. Concerning.
Her frown deepened as she saw the writing on the envelope was her name. Tohru didn't recognize the handwriting but Kurogiri had mentioned that her paycheck would be delivered. Maybe this was it?
"What is it?" Miku asked. "Do I need to call the cops?"
"No," Tohru said slowly, turning the envelope over in her hands. "I think it's my paycheck?" The instant she opened the envelope, Tohru's eyes widened. "Oh my god."
"What?" Miku demanded, turning her head to frown at her roommate. "Are they underpaying you? I knew it-"
"No," Tohru interrupted, holding the envelope so Miku could see the contents. "At least I don't think so. They paid in cash. It's just cash, like some sort of shady back alley drug deal."
"Oh my god," Miku groaned, echoing Tohru's earlier statement. She placed her face in her hands, as if trying to understand this Wonderland-esque place Tohru had found herself working at. "Why are they like this? Why are you like this?"
"Hey," Tohru frowned, "You were just complaining that I didn't know anything about this job. At least I know now that they'll actually pay me."
Miku dragged her hands down her face before dropping them in her lap. "I suppose. But if they insist on cash then you should at least keep records yourself."
"Yeah," Tohru agreed, as she kicked the door shut behind her. "I wonder how I'm supposed to file taxes on this?"
