The small, upscale toy store in the Kiyashi Ward shopping mall was packed, seeing as Valentine's Day was fast approaching. All sorts of folks were stopping to pick up stuffed animals for their significant others or hopefuls. Japan had different customs from the West, that was for sure, but some celebrated both ways for fun or because their partner wasn't from here.
Mira, a woman in her early twenties with a beautiful golden retreiver's head and tail, was the employee on the floor today. She was kept busy with helping customers until lunchtime when the flow slowed down for obvious reasons. Pausing to catch her breath on a shelf nearby, she absently picked up a toy that had fallen and walked a few steps to place it on the proper shelf.
"Eek!" She froze, scared, as she came within several feet of an imposing figure.
It was a man of indeterminate age, because though his features made him appear grizzled, he moved with the type of assurance that came from physical strength. He wore a lumpy, mishapen black turtleneck and a pair of dark jeans with only one sneaker sticking out from the cuffs - the other was an eerily skeleton accurate mechanical foot. Messy black hair laid around his face, obscuring his scruffy features and hiding an eyepatch he wore.
As the man didn't seem to notice her, she quickly glanced at her watch and raced off to find her manager. She found her chatting with the cashiers up front and pulled her aside.
"There's a guy been here staring at the stuffies," Mira whispered, her ears laying back as her tail drooped with anxiety. "He's got and eyepatch and a fake leg and - and his face just... he's creepy. I'm scared."
"Well..." Her boss sighed. "I'll agree with you it's a little suspicious. I've been keeping an eye on him because he's been there longer than most. But we shouldn't judge him based on appearance, Mira. In fact, you should go see if he needs help."
The clerk's large eyes grew larger. "But -!"
"No buts. We'll be right here if you need us, but you didn't even talk to him yet."
Mira whimpered sadly but did as she was told, heading over to the stuffed section and clearing her throat softly. "Um... sir? Do you need any help?"
When he turned around and she saw his face she was even more frightened. The eyepatch sat smoothly on his face but there was horrific scarring over and below it. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a week and his visible eye was glaringly bloodshot. She took a step back, ready to bolt at a moment's notice, but then he spoke and she paused.
"Perhaps. I'm trying to pick out the best stuffed animal for my girlfriend." His voice was a low baritone, steady and calm, which reassured Mira. His cheeks blushed bright red and he rubbed the back of his neck, his posture belying his easy speech. He was nervous, and now that she knew the reason he was there she grew more relaxed.
"Oh? What are you looking for?" Mira blinked, her large, brown eyes softening.
"I don't..." He groaned in exasperation, gesturing to the giant display before him. "I don't know. I only know I want her to be happy. She likes these, but she doesn't have a lot."
Her tail wagged lightly with pleasure at the thought of him desperate to get this right for his partner. She'd seen far too many people grab and go without a thought. "Hmm." The sales clerk pursed her lips, thinking. "Does she have a favorite animal, or maybe a color or tactile preference?"
"Hnf. I think if it's really soft," he muttered, obviously still embarrassed but determined to see things through, "that would be a good starting point."
"How about something from our Hero collection? That's really popular and some of the high end plushes are really cuddly." She pointed at the row on the right, which he'd been strangely ignoring for some reason.
The dark-haired man grunted - though whether in amusement or irritation she couldn't tell. It might have been both as he vented a tiny, dry cough that may have been a laugh. He glanced over at the stuffed toys.
There sat All Might as a bunny, Hawks as himself, Endeavor and a few others that were on the top of the charts at the moment. And, hilariously enough, Present Mic lay sideways on the middle shelf dressed in his leather outfit as a cockatiel with a large plume of gold feathers.
"No, I think we can skip those." He paused, then actually did laugh this time, though quietly. "Unless you've somehow got an Eraserhead one."
Mira stared at the man oddly, trying to remember her Heroes. She thought so hard her tail stilled and then she remembered - the underground hero that taught at the school! Not many knew of him but they lived nearby, so word got around at least a little. He was a dark, scruffy-looking guy,
<i>Ohhhhhhh</i>.
He watched her realization with growing amusement. "Don't," he warned softly. "I like my anonymity. Now that you know, however... any ideas?"
"Um, I'm still not sure who you're buying for or what they like except for softness, so -" He gave her a sour look and she shook her head so fast her floppy ears whipped her cheeks. "Oh no, I'm not trying to pry or anything! But if I knew more of what they like I could help better."
He paused, scratching the stubble on his chin and frowning at a row of primates on a shelf. After trying to figure out a way to keep her anonymous as well, he sighed disconsolately. "I give up," he muttered. Then, just loud enough for the clerk to hear, "anything <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> related would make her very happy, if you have it. I read the book but I still don't know enough about it."
Mira froze, her heart pounding as she stared at the grizzled hero. <i>THIS was who Cheshire was dating</i>?! In the meantime while she was still startled her retail experience had taken over and she was already steering him to a small area near the books. "We have some stuffed toys with our display of the book, here." She woofed gently, still thinking. "Although she might not want any of herself, uh, you know, we still have the generic cats."
He picked up a Cheshire toy and this time she blinked as he actually <i>chuckled</i> - a smile lit up his face and he nodded. "No, this is perfect. Do you have anything to dress these up in?" He tucked the little purple-striped cat under his arm and walked back to the previous shelf where he added a black feline around the same size. "I'm thinking a grey scarf," he added as he grinned at the other plush.
"Oh, yeah!" Mira rushed over to a display of clothes, flipping through the racks. "Holiday... holiday, here, Christmas and snowy weather stuff."
Unfortunately there were no grey scarves, but she suggested he go to a fabric store across the way and ask for a long strip of polar fleece in the color he wanted. It would look far more authentic to what he wanted anyway, and he agreed while thanking her for her help.
As he walked stiffly off towards the other store the cashier that checked him out wanted to know why Mira had gone from frightened to beaming a great, big, beautiful smile.
She wagged her tail. "His girlfriend is very lucky."
The cashier blinked in confusion.
"We're talking about the same guy, right?"
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