[Shirayuki Mai]

With the recent turbulence in Tokyo it was clear that something needed to be done. Each hero could contribute greatly to the big picture but in the end they were but one piece of the whole and much like Mai herself the association believed hero society could be much greater than the sum of its parts. She'd been more than happy to offer up her own agency's headquarters as the location for this gathering when the suggestion was made. 

The Shirayuki Dojo was closed entirely for the day to account for the influx of heroes, hero-hopefuls and other agency members, its large courtyard filled to the brim with signs for agencies, sponsors and support companies. Inside on the first floor the training mats had been cleared from all but a small corner and instead a large amount of tables were scattered around the room. Taking up one wall was a large buffet table with all manner of food and drinks, the majority of which Mai herself didn't even recognize.

With a champagne glass in hand the Numbing Hero flitted from table to table, exchanging greetings and well wishes, heading outside and greeting new arrivals and then repeating the process all over. That she was slowly running herself ragged went ignored. There were few opportunities where this many heroes were gathered and Mai was determined to make the most of it.

------

Tags: Kazashi McCoy , more to be added.

[Kazashi McCoy]

''Pa had ta work an' yer grandma is busy, so Ah'm gonna need ya ta be on yer best behavior today.'' She looked at her twins, Zenji and Yuzuki. Zenji's eyes were already following a butterfly flying past him and Yuzuki was dosing off for another nap. Looks like her pep talk still needed some work. Nevertheless! She wasn't scared of bringing the lil ones to a gathering like this as they had been good around people in general so far. Putting them into their stroller, she greeted Mai with a big smile when she was there to greet them as they arrived. ''Yer doin' a great job, Mai. Try not ta overwork yerself.'' Part of her still felt guilty from being gone from heroism for so long. She could only imagine the increased workload Mai was taking on, not that she would ever tell Kazashi if it was too much.

''These are the babies that have been controllin' my day ta day lately.'' She referred to the twins, both blue like their dad with little stubs of red horns growing out just like hers. ''The boy's Zenji an' the girl's Yuzuki. Ah promise they won't cause any trouble.'' She put her hands together and smiled gratefully. ''Ah'll hunker down at one of the quiet tables, let's talk more later.'' She pulled her in for a hug before finding a place to sit with the kids. Mai was the host so Kaz knew she had a busy day ahead of her.

''See? Ah told the nice lady no trouble, an' ya wouldn't wanna disappoint Mai-chan would ya? She might just babysit ya one day!'' She rattled a couple of baby toys, keeping the twins occupied while occasionally turning to greet old colleagues and new heroes. It had been so long since she had seen some of these faces, so much so that this gathering almost felt like a reunion party to her.

Shirayuki Mai

[lonewolf]

As hypocritical as it was, Mark was not one to work together with others in order to achieve a bigger goal or vision. He preferred working with people on a case-by-case basis, as it kept involvement in departments to a minimum and partnerships to other heroes low. Especially since he was looking for one person in particular, and there were only a handful of people he felt could help in that endeavor.

And then, of course, there were events like this that gave him the opportunity to provide lip service and offered free food. Speaking of, he was helping himself to a nice hefty plate of finger foods that he was sure wasn't going to bite him in the ass later. With all that piled up he found a table, and not caring about who was there he plopped himself down, took off his hat and set it next to him, and began to dig in. Who were these people? Not a clue, didn't matter. They weren't his problem.

(Note: if you want him to plop down at your table, lemme know!)

[Penny ✾]

Ugh.

Penny did not want to socialize with the common folk. Unfortunately, due to her ex-husband’s obsession with UAU first years, she’d been regulated to the lower class. Gone were the days of yacht parties and renting out entire floors of a bed and breakfast. While she had filed for divorce, Rav kept any and all assets considering the illegal way in which he acquired them. To take him to court meant to admit she was an accomplice — as far as being a trophy wife goes, anyway.

Needless to say, she found herself with a job. Barely. Heroes were the ‘celebrity-cops’ of jobs that played to both of her strengths. Power, fame, and money were all great motivators. It’s what caused her to search out rich, powerful men and trap them into marriages. She only regrets not having a child sooner. Do you know how easy it’d be to get alimony and child support? That’d be at least a million a month, right?

Those resources would have been pivotal in Rav’s arrest. Without them, she was stuck attending The Shirayuki Dojo at an over-glorified job fair for adults. Penny walked in and rolled her eyes. A slew of hero costumes immediately offended her senses. While her outfit may have seemed simple to the average, untrained eye, she adorned the finest threads from the most reputable brand names available on the market.

Before she could list off the egregious prices for the umpteenth time, some blue-collar schmuck sat down at her table.

“Um, hello??” Venom dripped from her tongue. “I was sitting here already? Can you leave? Like now.”

---

lonewolf

[Shirayuki Mai]

"Of course, Kazashi. I intend to take a short break the moment all of this is over," Mai replied with a warm smile. Once everyone went home she'd just finish up the day's paperwork before going for a leisurely jog along her usual patrol route. "Hey there Zenji, hey there Yuzuki." She added while leaning down -far less than she'd have liked- to come face to face with them, almost cooing when she continued talking to them. "You two are adorable. Yes you are."

Accepting the hug Mai reciprocated before sending the trio along, pointing them towards one of the tables close to the banquet table. It wouldn't do to make Kazashi and her children have to move too far each time after all. Spotting one of her colleagues she gave a quick wave to Lone Wolf before the next guest demanded her attention. She'd try to pass by him later when she had a moment. For now she could only hope the American-style barbeque she made sure to include in the banquet was enough to excuse her discourtesy. 

Nerves were starting to get to her. In her head she went over the short speech she'd be giving soon once more, the worry that she'd forget parts of it increasing with every passing minute. Several guests later there was finally a lull in arrivals and she found a moment to do more than give more than a short greeting to her friends.

"How are you enjoying the gathering, Kazashi?" She began, only managing to get a bit of conversation in before a slight disturbance caught her attention. "Sorry, one moment. I'll be right back."

Walking over to the nearby table that Lone Wolf and Penny were at she put on a genial smile.

"Is there a problem?"

------

Tags: Kazashi McCoy lonewolf Penny ✾

[lonewolf]

Mark wasn't quite in hog heaven, but he was definitely content with the kind of food available to him. So much so that no rich hussy was going to get under his skin. He heard her voice, but decided to play aloof and pretend she wasn't there. It wasn't quite a defense mechanism, but it did keep him out of trouble more often than not.

But thankfully, he had a savior in the form of Mai! She was everything he could ever want in a woman: good looks, competent, ambitious. The only thing holding him back was her stature, and he learned early on to not poke fun at her for it. And now that she was here, she might help him mitigate the amount of Karen-ing this...hero? She had to be a hero, right? She didn't look the part. Damn, was his method getting around? Anyways, Mai could help him diffuse the situation before the Karen got going. "Yes, Mai, unfortunately there is a problem...my date and I were just discussing how you don't have an open bar. The food? Phenomenal, you've outdone yourself, but it would go really well with a beer." It was subtle, but Mai would have been around him enough to pick up the joke. This was as much for Mai's benefit as for the situation as a whole; she looked a little stressed, and a tad bit of levity was necessary to lighten the mood.

That was, unless the Karen was going to Karen anyways.

Shirayuki Mai Penny ✾ Kazashi McCoy

[Penny ✾]

“An open bar?” Penny scoffed. “What am I poor?” She was. But she wouldn’t let the underlying fact of the matter get in the way of her delusions. If this man so desperately wanted to be her date, he’d have to open his wallet. And considering he was looking for free beer — which was somehow worse than cheap beer, talk about new lows — he wasn’t going to make the cut. Still, Penny would mooch off this sucker for all he’s worth.

“My date and I,” Penny shot a glare to Lonewolf. “Would like to see a menu or pamphlet of the services that you’re providing at this junction. And perhaps if you had a brochure of sorts to help guide us into what associations are here and what their respective mission statements are…” Penny took on her professional approach. This was about getting a job, and she could play housewife as long as it got her where she needed to be. Or, more importantly, put Rav where he needed to be.

But Penny needs better eye candy than him to make Rav jealous.

---

lonewolf Shirayuki Mai

[lonewolf]

Mark looked over at Penny for the first time during this function, and...well, yeah, she was pretty attractive. However, every vibe she gave off told him to run as far and as fast away in the other direction. Almost reminded him of the Timber wolf ugly women his father used to tell him about.

"Actually, does make me think, I hear cat piss is a pretty good beer substitute and I hear you can get it for free. But only certain high-class bars in the States have that," he says as he leans towards Mai. "Also, do you need a breather? Every time I look up you're running from one place to another. We could trade places. You get to entertain..." he held a hand out to Penny, obvious that he didn't know her name. "You get to have some of this delicious food, and I get to talk with all the bigwigs that're here today. And I promise I'll tell you how we met later, on the condition you keep the details from Iphi. She's a prude and I'm convinced if I start the daggers she glares at me will literally gouge my eyes out."

Shirayuki Mai Penny ✾

[Penny ✾]

"Penny. -_-"

---

lonewolf

[Shirayuki Mai]

"The-" Mai began before cutting herself off once more. It appeared their argument wasn't quite over yet. She made sure to keep a genial smile on her face no matter the fact that it became more strained the more they talked. "Thank you for your concern, Lone Wolf. I'll be all right." 

She truly did appreciate the spirit of his offer. The practicality of it however made it a less than enticing prospect. For all that she valued her colleague and understood his methods were at times necessary to produce results she wasn't entirely convinced his talents extended to diplomacy. "Perhaps a story for later," Mai replied tactfully. "Should you wish to mingle do go ahead. That's what this gathering is for." Briefly making eye contact with each of them she made sure they knew she was talking to both of them when she continued. 

"Our caterers have a wide variety of drinks available ranging from local specialties to international beverages. If you flag one they can provide you with a paper menu. Alternatively you could use one of the codes at the center of the table to view a digital version on your phone, miss... I'm sorry, I don't think I've caught your name. I'm Shirayuki Mai or Yuki Onna in professional circles, it's a pleasure to meet you."

------

Tags: Kazashi McCoy lonewolf Penny ✾

[Kazashi McCoy]

She was relieved to hear that Mai wasn't forgetting to look after herself. As an introvert herself, Kaz could only imagine how demanding it would be to host a gathering like this. When Mai leaned down to greet them, both twins cooed and babbled at her. ''Looks like they love ya already, yer a natural with kids.'' She smiled, thanking Mai for pointing out a convenient seat for her near the banquet table.

''All's well!'' She grinned at Mai, in the process of chopping some food up into small pieces and mush for the babies. ''Big turnout isn't it? Ah can't recall the last time we had a gatherin' this big.'' Mid conversation she turned her leg into a scarf and caught Yuzuki's toy that was about to fall out of the stroller. Even in casual gatherings like this she didn't no how to turn off her heightened awareness. ''Take care of what ya need ta!'' She waved at Mai casually. ''Ya know where ta find me!'' It looked like some people were butting heads at another table. She didn't know their history but she was confident that her colleague and friend could help clear up the situation. ''Now which one of ya wants ta eat first?'' She scooped food up with a small spoon and cupped her other hand under it so that she wouldn't spill anything as she turned to the little ones. ''Ah'm lucky neither of ya can run around yet. Who knows what kinda trouble ya would get up ta?''

Shirayuki Mai
lonewolf
Penny ✾

[Shirayuki Mai]

"That's heartening to hear," Mai replied with a smile. "Indeed. The Hero Association appears to have extended invites to an incredibly large amount of heroes and agencies." Even Mai herself was surprised by the turnout and she'd been part of organizing the gathering. "It is fortunate so many answered the call. Recent events have caused quite some waves and need to be addressed if we are to have any luck ensuring Tokyo's safety," Mai continued in an even voice that made it clear at least part of those lines had been rehearsed in advance. Certainly not every agency -not even every big agency- had sent a representative but it was nevertheless rare to have so many pro heroes in one place.

Her mouth went dry. Not only was there a rather large quantity present but the quality was there too. A great many of them were her senior by quite a few years. Yet of everyone present she'd be the one holding the speech. Mai gulped as she waved back at Kazashi while heading over to resolve the problem at a certain nearby table. She cast a look around on the way over. Over on the other side of the hall she spotted Spark Ranger standing near a table, his horse-like legs not allowing him to sit -an oversight she hadn't even considered before now- without specialized seating, engaged in casual conversation with Capsule and Ember Phoenix. Closer yet were Willful Wisp and Electric Heart laughing at a remark made by Highlighter, one that didn't seem to amuse Ra over at the next table nearly as much.

Mai's heart thumped in her ears as she walked, so loud she was almost worried everyone else could hear it too. Channeling her quirk through the inside of her nose she took a deep breath and let the chill air coursing through her lungs calm her. She had work to do, there was no time to panic. That could come when everything was over.

------

Tags: Kazashi McCoy,Penny ✾,lonewolf 

[Shirayuki Mai]

It took Mai quite a while to get around the hall. Giving greetings, resolving a few more minor hubbubs and darting from table to table had kept her quite busy but the moment was finally here. A specific time had been listed on the brochure and Mai wasn't one to be late nor fail to meet expectations. The speech would be done here and now.

When she stepped up to the mic Mai took a moment, closing her eyes and breathing deeply in and out to send a burst of chill air through her lungs to sharpen her mind before she began to speak. When she opened her eyes once more she did so as Yuki Onna, the Pro Hero determined to create a better future.

"Greetings and thank you all once more for joining us today. As I am sure you are all aware recent events have shown the need for far greater unity than we have now. Cooperation between agencies both within their own wards and throughout Tokyo as a whole will be crucial if we are to stand strong against the storm. My friends, colleagues and fellow pro heroes. The time is now. If we do not stand up for what is right," Yuki Onna ran her eyes over the crowd. "Then who will?"

"These are not just empty words I am spouting. The Tranquil Soul hero agency is prepared to take the first step. I am happy to announce to you all that we will be the first, hopefully of many, to open our doors to this new program. Over the course of the next few months we will open up a large amount of short-term trials and temporary internships so that future heroes will be ready to get right into the fray immediately after graduating. Additionally we will be reaching out for inter-agency patrols, both involving our own members and those of several partnered agencies," she added while gesturing towards several other of the guests sitting nearby. "To further increase bonds between heroes and interconnectedness between agencies. Unity is our strength. We cannot allow ourselves to be outdone."

Yuki Onna took another deep breath, pausing for a moment to let her words sink in.

"Always remember. You never fight alone."

------

Tags: Kazashi McCoy,Penny ✾,lonewolf

[Matsu]

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[attr="class","likedotitle2"]Approved

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+5000 EXP for Shirayuki Mai
+5000 EXP for Kazashi McCoy
+5000 EXP for Penny ✾
+5000 EXP for lonewolf

PHARAOH LEAP.

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