"This fuckin sucks," Senji complained. She was laying across the end of one of two beds in a hotel room. The only other furniture was a couch, that would be someone else's bed, and a desk in the corner with an old office chair.
"Well, you joined at the last minute," Shoto spoke up from the couch. He had been scrolling through his phone, with Bakugo in the shower and Izuku out to get some snacks.
"Wasn't the plan, but I know," Senji pouted from her spot.
"Bad enough I have to share a room with Icyhot bastard and that damn nerd. Why're you in here and not with someone else?," Bakugo stepped out of the bathroom, with a towel draped over his head.
"Beats me," Senji rolled off the mattress and stretched. She had taken the first shower, and wore a loose tank top with an open back and a baggy pair of shorts. A chunky pair of headphones rested on her shoulders, and she stuffed the phone she'd been staring at into her pocket. She shuffled toward the door, pulling her shoes on.
"There's only three spots to sleep," Shoto piped up again.
"Well I ain't sharin'," Bakugo snapped at him, throwing the wet towel in his direction.
"Fight it out while I'm gone then," Senji pulled open the door to a startled Izuku. She stepped aside to let him in, then closed the door and headed downstairs. Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she stepped outside, so she checked the two messages she'd received. One from Bakugo warning against drawing attention with her quirk, and one from Hawks.
Looks like I have some work to do here, after all, she texted the pro back before closing the app and opening up a music player. She pulled her headphones on, started some music, and took flight. The night air here was warm, and she could smell the salt from the sea in the wind. Salt, and various city smells. Hot food, exhaust from the heavy traffic, smoke and booze from the various bars scattered around.
The sparkling lights extended over a large area, but Senji headed toward a darker part. Where the lights were more sparse, and the smells much less pleasant than those of the inner city. She took breaks on rooftops, watching drunken fights and scuffles with the police here and there. Out in the more impoverished area, she dropped down and wandered the streets and alleyways where she stumbled across a small bar. She pushed the door open and made her way to an empty corner of the counter, ignoring the stares from some of the customers inside. She pulled her headphones down and fidgeted with her phone for a few minutes while the bartender handled other customers.
"You go ID?," the bartender finally made time to address her, showing clear intent on throwing her out. She looked up from the phone, keeping her expression more neutral.
"You really need it?," she asked nonchalantly. The balding man's brow furrowed, clearly growing irritated at her unbothered attitude.
"What, you some tourist? Think you can get away with whatever you want just because you deemed this the wrong part of town?"
"I can pay cash. Whatever the rate is. Gonna turn away a paying customer, sir?," Senji put her phone down and slid some cash and an ID over the countertop. She used scales to obscure any unnecessary information on the ID card, and pulled it back after the bartender had just seconds to look at it. The man still looked pressed, but gave in and took the money.
"What do you want?"
"Something light," Senji answered and went back to her phone.
While she scrolled around, through various media sites and local news, the bartender slid a glass in front of her. She examined it for a moment, noting the amber color of the liquid, before taking a sip. The flavor was sweet, but not too strong, and the sting of the alcohol was barely noticeable. She pulled her headphones back over her ears and sipped her drink while scrolling. There were occasional text updates from Izuku on the sleeping situation discussion, and Bakugo asking where she'd gone off to.
After a while, and a few more drinks in, Senji was just about ready to head back to the hotel. Most of the other customers had meandered out, and it was getting pretty late. Just as she was about to move, an oddly dressed person burst in through the door dragging in another young man. The bartender shooed away the rest of his customers, saying it was closing time. Senji pretended not to hear at first, but the older man was persistent in her leaving.
"Alright, fine," she acted busted up over it, stealing a glance at the only pair of people who were staying behind. She couldn't see anything under the hooded cloak of the taller one, but the other wasn't wearing any sort of disguise. He looked about her age, with messy brown hair tied back and held in place with a large red headband. He had a pair of sunglasses that had fallen onto his face during whatever struggle led him here, so she couldn't see his eyes. His clothes were obviously old and ratty, and he looked back at her for a brief moment.
"Go!," the bartender shouted at her, and she propelled herself forward and out the door with a lazy wave. She walked down the street, then ducked into a nearby alley and peeked around the corner. The bartender from earlier checked outside, then pulled the door shut and likely locked it. Senji flew up and hovered near the side of the building, trying to listen in on the rowdy conversation inside. She couldn't make much out, though, and cursed silently before flying back to the hotel.
"Jiro would be great for this," she thought aloud as she flew, landing on the small balcony for the hotel room she was sharing with her classmates. There wasn't any noise from inside, so the others were likely asleep already. She tried the sliding glass door, but it wouldn't budge.
"Locked? For real?," Senji sighed and plopped down against the glass, resigned to her fate for the rest of the night. There were slight pangs of pain, likely from the scales she had left behind at that bar getting hit. Poor kid that was dragged in must have been getting whooped, but Senji would have to follow up on that another day. The combination of alcohol, emotional rollercoasters, and the infiltration being a bust had worn her out completely. Her eyes hung heavy, and the warm breeze with city ambiance lulled her to sleep.
YOU ARE READING
Strays (WHM)
Action"Hey lovebirds, hate to interrupt but-Oh shit." Senji had let go of the cave mouth and fell forward into the dirt, coughing up a little bit of blood and clutching her side. Izuku, half-dressed, rushed to help her but tripped over his loose pants and...
