The aroma of freshly ground beans lingered in the air; Mina stood in front of the coffee pot; her gaze fixed on the swirling patterns forming in the depths of her steaming mug. The ceramic felt warm against her hand as she absentmindedly stirred the creamer into the ebony abyss. The rhythmic clink of the spoon against porcelain seemed to echo the quiet cadence of her melancholy thoughts.
Muted sunlight filtered through the window, casting a gentle glow across Kirishima and Midoriya's features as they sat around the island. Mina let out another long sigh, picking the mug up as she turned, Katsuki walked into the kitchen just then, perking the pinkette up.
"Oh-!" She excitedly quickly sat her mug on the island. "-did you hear anything!?"
"No." Katsuki replied, plopping his phone down without a care. Mina frowned, eyes falling back into the steaming liquid of her mug as Katsuki made himself a cup of coffee in a to-go cup.
"I'm sure we will hear something soon." Kirishima weakly smiled.
"When!?" Mina growled, "Mr. Aizawa and All Might left yesterday to Tartarus, they should be here by now!"
"They probably got back late-" Midoriya suggested, "-and didn't want to wake us, so they waited until they had to drive us today."
"The fact that the strike in front of the Bronze Gate is still happening means she didn't get out." Mina responded; her voice shadowed with frustration.
The front door opened, in walked Ojiro and Kaminari.
"Hey?" Ojiro instantly spotted his classmates around the kitchen island. Kaminari's eyes—one blacked—dropped to the floor, feeling the distained glares seeping off his friends. "Any word on when they'll be here with the bus?"
"No." Mina answered, turning her head as Jiro and Ochaco's chatter entered the room.
"You picked them up?" Midoriya nodded towards the picket signs in the female hero's grasp.
"Yeah!" Jiro grinned, "We just got back how do they look?"
"Um..." Mina tilts her head, reading a few of the signs.
"You said you had good quotes to put on them." Katsuki cuts in, placing a hand on his hip, glaring at the first sign reading 'Free the Three'.
"These are good!" Ochaco defended with a stomp of her foot, placing the dozen signs on the kitchen island, Mina quickly snatches her mug before it is knocked off.
"How?" Katsuki questioned, pointing to the same sign. "It doesn't make any sense."
"Gray's name is Three!"
"Shouldn't it say the Third Bullet?" Kirishima wondered, "I-I mean they aren't bad, I like this one!" Kirishima quickly points to the sign reading '#JusticeforFiveSevenThree'.
"I'm not holding any of these." Katsuki declared.
"Come on!" Ochaco pouts, turning to Midoriya for support. "These were hard to make, and they charged by the letter!"
"We wanted them to look nice, Momo did reach out to one of her reporter friends, so we might have one news channel there covering the strike."
"I'm really hoping for like a dozen people." Ochacho breathed, "It'll be so embarrassing if we can't get many people there!"
"We will be there." Shoji walked up, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I am sure that will mean the most to (y.n) in the end."
"Yeah-" Ochaco smiled, "-you're right Shoji, thank you."
"Why didn't you have Momo make them?" Ojiro wondered, spinning on one of the bar stools.
"She isn't here." Jiro sighed, "Her parents made her go home, they don't want her at the strike, same with Camie."
