Chapter 05 - Wisteria

By heartattak

(Chapter contains potentially triggering topics involving suicide. Please read with caution)

OP - Another Great Day — LiSA

"Kiddos, kiddettes, and just kids! You are now tuning in to Wasteland Radio! Accompanying you on your travels, as always, will be me! Mr. Wasteland! Now we've got a fair bit of news ahead of us today, so I'd like to take the time to save some of the shout-outs for our loyal viewers until after the show since I've got some deets that you'll want to hear! So sit back, immerse yourself, and?! Stay safe! Now, according to recent developments that I've wrangled from my birdies on the move, what's left of Mount Fuji is completely laid to rest! It's a damn shame, too. One of the last remaining pillars of the old world coming undone at the hands of BLOOM. To make matters worse, the small commune not far away with the etched-out settlers within the Shizuoka Prefecture (doesn't narrow it down well, I know) found themselves amid a BLOOM extermination protocol. Fortunately, my birdies tell me that a certain rogue showed up on her motorcycle and handled the situation momentarily before getting them out of dodge! Talk about perfect timing!"

"I'd say that the Shizuoka prefecture is a no-go zone at the moment, so be cautious until further notice! Besides the recent BLOOM activity in the surrounding areas, we've also heard whispers of EXILE testing happening in the next few weeks! Unless you're rolling with a society that comprises over seventy settlers or you're confident in what you've got packing, I'd refrain from venturing into unfamiliar territory!"

"It's not exactly a tourist-friendly environment here anymore, but let's not kill our spirits! Speaking of killings?! The next song we've got coming up for our round-up is one helluva banger from POW-POW PARADIZA! After that, we'll be relaying advertisements by Japan's Greatest Athlete, 9th Inning, and her SLUGGERNAUT crew! You're listening to Wasteland Radio! Pre-BLOOM or Post-BLOOM, the party never stops here!"

(Real Song Title - Matasaburo by Yorushika)

The wind was her only comfort at this very moment. The turbulence seemed almost motivational as it bellowed into her ears at a tremendous volume. It was accompanied by a prominent whistle that complemented the rhythmic tempo of her beating heart.

Everything before her seemed to twirl and twist without a moment of pause. A spiraling ascension beyond the clouds that hovered above the dystopian lands beneath her. It could easily be considered the biggest highlight of anyone else's life.

For Moxie, however, it was just another day of survival. Fun could also be a valid description if it weren't because she was almost caught within the mesosphere, all for the sake of a delicious meal.

'MoxiedumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbDUMB—!' Her only anchors were jagged tendrils of reinforced paper. This paper created segmented legs that projected from her upper back, which were ruthlessly stabbing into the slimy skin of a fleeting creature that exceeded the reasonable size of a human delicacy. Moxie was left to the embrace of the sky around her as she struggled to keep her distance from her hunt, knowing full well that the viscous slime spilling off of the enormous creature could spell a painful death for her in the blink of an eye.

This truly was a stupid decision.

'Big jelly monster won't stay still! Moxie can't cut you into smaller sizes if you flying, stupid jelly!'

WOOOOOSH

Outside of the deafening boom of the creature's resonance as it violently blurred through the clouds, everything else ceased to exist in her mind. This was good! The fewer distractions that she had to deal with, the better. Moxie concentrated on her breath as more tendrils, decorated with explosive hues, jutted from her back. Strand by strand, they amalgamated into one singular spear before rippling past her ransacked poncho and impaling the malleable skin of her prey.

There was hardly a reaction to the inference. The entity merely grew more erratic, snapping away from the tendrils with a brute force that could be felt by Moxie, even whilst she gritted her teeth because of the wind pressuring her lips to spread backward.

With little grace, the spear created by Moxie shredded and broke off in several directions as the slime emanating from the creature ate away at the fibers without a hint of difficulty. Frustrated, Moxie rolled her poncho's sleeves and forced her arms to rise from their flailing position in the winds, allowing blooming shrapnels of paper to manifest from her arms.

These insignificant shrapnels gradually became something extraordinary as they danced together in the wind's intensity. Without pausing, they began building the silhouette of a bird-like creation.

Eventually, that creation, red like a cardinal, impressively took flight and sped after Moxie and her target. Their flight was regal and careful, surprising Moxie as the slime covered her hunt slowly crawled along her, reforming tendrils once more.

She didn't hesitate before allowing the tendrils to break away from her back as she was left without support and airily sailed through the sky. Moxie knew little about math (or what math even was), but she didn't need to know any measurements to guess that a descent to the ground would kill her from this height.

Today was her lucky day, though. The origami seemed almost sentient as it soared to Moxie's flailing form. With swiftness unlike any other avian, Moxie was caught by her scarlet savior. She settled in comfortably and kept her eyes directly on the escaping monster that seemed completely uninterested in her, mostly.

Eyes gleaming with determination, Moxie grinned as the size of the cardinal-shaped origami augmented. It seemed less like a mere cardinal and more like a Firebird as sanguine-colored shreds followed behind the creation and gave it the imagery of a flaming myth.

Moxie dared to not look down below and witness the speed at which she was flying. For her mental health, she was better off shutting out her surroundings entirely.

"Hah! Moxie got flying jelly now," The remnants of the tendrils that were unceremoniously ripped away from her spine sprouted to life once more. In the blink of an eye, the paper-made protrusions resized and mingled to create a pair of angelic wings that illuminated with chromatic vigor. "Moxie and Burnbird make ground jelly out of you!"

Moxie steeled herself to prepare for what was soon to come. She waited patiently as her majestic construct aviated through the surrounding clouds to catch up on her hunt. Eventually, they were aligned in their pursuit. Even as the massive monster spun frantically to avoid the magnanimous firebird, Moxie's creation shared her resolve and matched its pace. The very instant that Moxie saw the white paunch of the slimy behemoth, exposed and free of protection, she saw the opportunity to strike.

"MOXIE HAS YOU NOW!"

Moxie then propelled from the paper-made firebird and descended for ten seconds before flapping her wings to take flight. She distanced herself from the dueling behemoths flying above them with a wicked gleam in her iris. With a flick of her wrist, she focused on manipulating the movements of both her wings and the firebird. As strenuous as this was, she knew she was built for the challenge.

'Go!'

A flourishing implosion echoed amongst the chaos as her construct exploded from underneath her hunt. Shrapnels of what remained broke off into several projections shaped like smaller avians. Eventually, there was a flock of constructs surrounding the creature, and they wasted no time going on the offensive.

With lightning precision, they soared directly into Moxie's target, piercing through at an unfathomable rate. The creature bellowed with each attack, wailing back and forth as Moxie's army of origami ravaged its body relentlessly. With every stabbing blow, they would split off into smaller pieces, though it never hindered the effectiveness of their assault.

Eventually, the creature was hemorrhaging. Ichor spilled from several open wounds and filled the skies, causing what almost resembled acidic rain. Moxie grimaced and flew backward to avoid the liquid. Food or not, she didn't feel like cleaning herself of whatever that was.

"Moxie must make this quick… take too long and big jelly might get away."

Moxie soared forward, ignoring the feeling of the wind pushing against her face as she finally surpassed the wounded creature. She knew that biding her time would be pivotal at this very moment. One wrong move could cause her losing much more than just another meal. As she pirouetted to come face-to-face with the behemoth, even more strands of paper blossomed from her tiny body. Each thread was insubstantial at first, but she continued to reinforce every inch until she created an enormous sphere of entwining paper.

What formed from the amalgamation of paper closely resembled something akin to a venus flytrap levitating above the ocean below. Visually, it was an absolute display of pure chaos, but it was exactly what she needed to bring her prey to its untimely death. Moxie waited for the creature to come closer with bated breath, focusing all of her energy on controlling the density and force of her planned attack. Once the size of her trap exceeded the measurements of her prey, any ounce of doubt in Moxie's mind was nothing more than a mere whisper.

WHIIIRRRR

But something unexpected happened. As the distance between the slimy behemoth and Moxie's trap came to a close, its blue skin pulsated with a louring shade of light green. It shook uncontrollably as the aura covered more and more of its body. There was a demanding voice in the back of Moxie's head that told her to brace herself for whatever was to come, but she would never be deterred.

Moxie hadn't even prepared, though. At a speed that should've been impossible for such an enormous creature, it soared forward and slammed through Moxie's paper-made construct.

"WAAAHHH!" Moxie had no choice but to scream as it rippled through her creation like it had never been there. She did her best to react adequately by slamming the upper roof of her origami trap upon the creature's back, but it only reeled her downwards and carried her nimble frame along with it. Despite having several rows of serrated shrapnel perforating its body, it violently dove towards the expansive body of water whilst pulling a panicking Moxie along with it. What could she even do at this point? She tried to remember all the breathing techniques she'd learned when she went hunting in water for the first time, but there was far too much going on for her to assess the situation.

God, she would've cursed her impulsiveness if she knew what that word meant.

BOOOM

Moxie's eardrums were ruptured by the horrifically powerful impact once the creature torpedoed into the depths of the ocean. All she could comprehend were the hazardous waves of water knocking her back and forth, now no longer connected to the creature as it created a rippling typhoon that pushed her further and further into the sea. The darkness despite daylight was uncanny., highlighting just how deeply they had dived. She was unfortunate enough to swallow a concerning amount of water before finally having the focus to hold her breath. Moxie struggled to keep her mouth closed. It was because of a persistent cough, since water hindered her windpipe.

Even if she didn't have to pay any heed to her inability to breathe, there was still the issue regarding the strong currents pulling her back and forth. It was far too much for her frail body to contest against. Would this be her death? Moxie lived a life of biting off far more than she could chew for a rather long time, but this gave a distinct feeling. Fear had never been so prevalent, not since she realized she was on her own for the first time.

The strain was obvious in her eyes. They were bloodshot, red like an unyielding fire, as an eruption of paper blossomed from her body. It filled out a portion of the ocean and scared any nearby sea anomalies that might've suspected her of being a predator. Moxie did not know what she could've created to save herself from her impending doom as the walls of death slowly encapsulated her. Her vision was gradually fading. The overwhelming sensation of a painful burn settling within her chest was too much to bear.

She could no longer hold her breath. Air bubbles fluttered from her mouth as the light in her eyes dwindled into almost nothing. Moxie's arms slowly lost their speed but continued to flail as much as possible. It was likely for nothing, though.

The sun was hardly even visible at this point. How ironic was it that only darkness accompanied her when she was previously high in the skies, fluttering underneath the sun? The moment of bonding with the air that she had suddenly been deprived of seemed like so long ago.

Moxie saw no alternative other than to embrace her demise. Fighting it was far too exhausting. She would perish as food to the inhabitants of an ocean that was inescapable.

'Moxie… dumb…' That was her fleeting thought. It was an observation that could not be disputed. 'Least… Moxie gets to… see you… again—-!'

Moxie used what was left of her mental strength to truly think about if this was really what she wanted to accept. To die alone in some smelly sea? Her skeleton either being stripped of its skin and bones until all that was left of her were organs being tugged back and forth between the ugliest of swimming cretins? Yeah, as she thought about it, she expected a little more than just this. Never had she imagined that her demise would be so pitiful? Forgettable? She didn't even catch what she was after previously!

Something unexplainable happened to Moxie. Deep within her inner lungs, surges of pressurized air ignited, making her feel as if her lungs had exploded entirely, but they hadn't. Instead, she had a second wind. Moxie held in a gasp as trails of translucent light traveled through her veins and ended at the tips of her bare feet. Her arms were wiggling once more. She fought to raise herself from the pitch darkness before she could sink any further.

Moxie did just that by using the sudden burst of energy within her to carry herself further. Good, she was at least not in the dark anymore, but getting out of the ocean was her newest concern. Moxie grabbed her poncho and focused on thinking of something that could help her. Before long, the waist part of her poncho morphed into a float. Its density didn't comply with the pressure of the water as Moxie quickly added layers of paper to expand its size.

Moxie only hated that she couldn't survey the dangerous beauty of the ocean a little longer, for the coral reef and other parts of the marine garden seemed untouched compared to the world above. Maybe in another life, she'd be a swimmer, but leaving was her priority.

The layers faded slowly, but she was persistent in replacing what was dissolved. Water was bad on paper, she knew this at least, but that was okay since she just needed to get to the surface of the water and she'd be okay. Heavy things in the water go up faster, right? That was the logic she was operating on and, so far, that theory was proving to be correct. Moxie was slowly ascending, which was a blessing since she could barely feel some strain as she tried to hold her breath. Whatever saved her butt previously was slowly dwindling now.

And judging by the heavy current pushing her feet along, it was perfect timing. Moxie felt it even under the pressure of the ocean. Something was watching her, and it was far more interested in her than the creature from earlier was.

From the corner of her eye, her company revealed itself. Beady red eyes as hollow as a pit of blood gazed at her, whilst algae and blood hid its serrated teeth. They were bright yellow, covered in pus. Infection riddled the creature, meaning that even if Moxie survived the attack, even the slightest bite would've brought her to her demise.

'Nu-uh, Moxie not eating you, go away!' Moxie was suddenly given new motivation and added one last layer to her float and made sure that the density was at max. The sun was visible once more when Moxie was carried up to the surface of the water.

She took the biggest deep breath that she'd ever taken in her entire life, right hurling water and algae out. God, she never realized how precious oxygen was. Probably because she didn't know what oxygen was, but that aside, being on the surface was a blessing. Now, it was just a matter of getting out of the water before she became food to that thing from earlier. That stare told her how desperate it was, how it had been tested in the waters so many times that anything smaller than itself would do. It was at least slow and sick. She didn't want to think about how fast it could've been if it were healthy.

"Bir… ahhh… dy! Help, Moxie!" She could barely utter the words needed to call attention to the remnants of bird-shaped shrapnel circling over her position in the ocean. "Come, come!"

The origami responded by gracefully folding out ribbons of paper for her to grab. Moxie was glad to still be as light as she was. Otherwise, these little things would come apart from having to support any more unnecessary, and she knew she couldn't afford to strengthen them because of how exhausted she was. Her hands were barely held tight as she allowed the birds to carry her out of the sea in search of nearby land to drop her off.

Moxie heard the water splash violently, prompting her to turn her head in the disturbance's direction. The being from earlier exploded from the sea to catch her. Its body was long, almost resembling a snake (or Earth wiggly, in Moxie's terms), but it far exceeded the size of any other one she'd seen before. It stretched far enough to reach several feet above the ocean before pitifully crashing down, letting out a whimper on its way.

Moxie wanted to stick her tongue mischievously, but she was interrupted by another violent coughing fit. The algae clinging to her throat was clearly telling her to not be so stupid again. Fair enough.

Not too far from where she was, Moxie saw land and silently directed the birds to carry her off toward it. Her eyes might've deceived her, but she could've sworn that there were huts prevalent throughout the space of land. Ew, other people. No fun at all. That was fine, though. She'd figure out something when she got onto the shore.

People were scary, but not as scary as drowning. Moxie would never get put into a situation like that again. If she saw the flying jelly again, he could have the sky.

"Me just gonna stick to squeakies from now on. Flying Jelly probably tastes stinky anyway…"

God.

Jinsoku couldn't vibe with this scenery as much as before. The previous charm of this place had dwindled when he was talked into remaining here for an extra week. Sure, the staff were nice and accommodating. Jinsoku couldn't count on one hand how many times a few women offered to comb his golden locks or massage his shoulders, but it was slowly becoming suffocating. It wasn't just him, either. It was the same for everyone.

Jinsoku would absentmindedly expect every drink given to him, pretending to be preoccupied with the taste of his beverage and not every conversation being had around him in the dimly lit hut. The tranquil sounds of ukuleles added a tropical flavor to the room, even if it seemed almost artificial. Ailurophobia seemed adamant that something deeper was transpiring beneath the surface of this wholesome resort, if you could even call it that. Jinsoku, however, had no such luck in proving anything concrete other than the staff's odd behavior. Then again, the insistence on their guest staying a little longer could simply be a business decision. The longer they stayed, the more they'd have to pay.

She must've been so paranoid that he hadn't reported a single thing to her. He wished he could, but the communicative signals were non-existent. No matter where he stood, the reading didn't get any better. Jinsoku groaned softly whilst scratching his head and trying for another time in his GiPa. Nothing again. Not even a pinch of a signal.

Apparently, it was a safety precaution. It prevented moles affiliated with BLOOM or other lecherous groups from relaying any private information to whoever they work for. If they're attempting to establish a signal to questionable sources, then the security would handle things accordingly.

'Fair enough, I guess…'

"I hope everything is to your liking, sir!?"

Jinsoku was startled out of his moment of contemplation as he stared up at who got his attention. His shoulders loosened when he realized it was the overseer. Sweet girl, albeit very odd in her way. Jinsoku wasn't picking up on anything that could make her seem untrustworthy, but he knew better than anyone how easy it was to wear a metaphorical mask. He'd indulge her for now, though.

Jinsoku gave a small smirk, winking at the girl as she sat at the table with him. "Yeah, everything's great for now. Nice selection too. If it's one thing that I can appreciate, it's a drink without artificial flavors. You make them yourselves?"

"Ah, technically, yes!" She ran her fingers through her green hair, or, well, leaves. That would've been a lot more accurate. She was a looker that couldn't be disputed. Tall, carmine-colored eyes, a smile that could enrapture any man's heart. He had to fight his urge to flirt because of what was needed of him, but my god, it was difficult. "I've been doing my best to maintain a lot of the resources needed to keep the Aokigahara resort running in tip-top shape! That includes crops, and the drinks we have here have been created with fruit grown from my Quirk!"

"Ah, that explains why it's so delicious then." Jinsoku coolly replied. Her eyes lidded at his response, so she must've liked that. Maybe he could strike up more of a conversation with her, and see if he could pick her brain a bit. "Something as sweet as this can only come from a sweeter source."

Goddamn it, just when he was telling himself to not do this, it came a little too easy. Jinsoku hated himself sometimes.

"A charmer, huh~?" She cooed softly. She propped her head into her hands as she gave Jinsoku her undivided attention for the time being. "We get a lot of those and usually, it's a bit more obnoxious than it is flattering. Something a little different about you, though. It comes a little more naturally."

Jinsoku shrugged. "Everyone has their try-hard stages."

"Agreed. Some don't even leave those stages behind, but you don't seem to have that problem." She extended a hand to Jinsoku, leaving her smile with a more rapturous edge. "I'm Banrakuken! Not the prettiest name on the block, I know, but it's mine! But I honestly prefer that people just call me Ban. It's short and to the point. Your name~?"

Ah.

"Hmm," He had to play it safe here. "Boost! Call me Boost. It's a reference to my Quirk, after all. Easier to remember, and it's what my friends call me, yeah?"

Ban nodded cheerfully. Jinsoku reached and held her hand, placing a suave kiss onto the knuckles. "Wow, Boost, huh? Fitting, considering how forward you are. It's nice to meet you, and I'm glad that you're enjoying your stay here at the Aokigahara Resort & Inn!"

"Happy to be here, but uh," Boost pursed his lips. Boost took a subtle glance throughout the bar. "Not that I'm not enamored with the rebranding, but why did you choose this place in particular for creating a resort?"

BLOOM's tyranny hadn't been too long since Jinsoku was a kid, and even at his young age, he remembered the stories of the Aokigahara forest. Tales of suicide and tragedy plagued this woodland area. Even after all that they've done to subtract the depressing nature of the area, he felt so… odd entering it. Hell, even venturing past the forest gave him a very uncomfortable feeling. It was too much to fathom, so why did everyone seem so blase about what this place once was?

"Oh, this is a rather frequent question! No need to be so hesitant about asking!" Ban smiled blissfully as she let out a soft hum. "Well, as you know, Aokigahara, once known as The Sea of Trees, was once a site commonly used for suicides. Most of the bodies from previous visitors are non-existent. We were very thorough in making sure that everyone was given a respectful burial before continuing with this project after BLOOM's rise."

Ban's smile fell as she explained things, showcasing a remorseful look while she focused on Jinsoku's eyes.

"Handling that… wasn't the easiest. But! One day, a vision was given to me! I saw an opportunity to rid this place of the tragic background that overshadows it in exchange for something better! Something much more positive for any traveler who thinks death is the only way to escape the harsh reality of this new world!"

Ban seemed much more passionate, Jinsoku noted. He raised his eyebrows whilst watching her stand from her chair and beam down on him with an exuberant grin. He couldn't stop himself from sweating a little at her eagerness. 'Where… is this coming from?'

"Because when they come around, they'll be greeted with something far more hopeful, something that'll remind them that a life is such a precious thing to waste! This forest has always had such a negative stigma attached to it, and rightfully so, but I'm here to make sure that changes! When people come here, they won't see an abundance of corpses or a pit of despair to rot away in shame within! Instead, they'll get to explore a genuine chance to see a light at the end of the tunnel and have fun doing so!"

Ban sighed whimsically before taking her seat once more, fanning herself. "Sorry, I think you can say that I'm pretty passionate about all of this. Besides, have you seen the work I've done in this place~!? How couldn't I be!?"

"Well," Jinsoku chuckled whilst clapping his hands at Ban's bright monologue. "You're right! A lady like you deserves to take pride in your work! Especially since, yeah, you've definitely made a great stride in renovations."

"I'm so glad we can agree on this!" Ban's smile deepened. She seemed as if she was going to go on yet another monologue, but Jinsoku noticed someone next to her whispering in her ear. He couldn't hear what they needed to say, but it seemed urgent with how quickly Ban's smile faded into a worrying glare before nodding gingerly. "Ah, Boost, I am so sorry to cut our conversation short, but I'm afraid that I have other things to attend to. Please, enjoy yourself!"

And with that, she gave Jinsoku a curt bow before walking away. Jinsoku would've waved, but he caught sight of the girl that called for Ban's attention, staring at him with a gaze that was as intense as the multi-colored flame that was her hair. Her stare didn't linger for long, as she merely shook her head and followed behind Banrakuken.

What was that about? Was that person a friend of Ban's? A lover? No, couldn't have been with how buddy-buddy he and she were being, but it would've explained the scowl on their face when they looked him over. And that attire. It looked… militant. The more Jinsoku thought about it, the only solid conclusion he could make was that she was a guardian of this sanctuary. He could feel the danger radiating from her, though that could've just been the heat emanating from her. Fire Quirk, perhaps?

"She's weird, isn't she?"

Jinsoku blinked softly before looking over and seeing a girl sitting not too far from himself. There was nobody else there, though. Was she talking to him? Or to herself?

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but you don't have to worry about that. They don't even know you're here yet."

Okay, yeah, definitely not talking to him. He inspected the girl with a cautious stare. Her hair was fully white, almost like snow. Could be from hair dye, but Jinsoku wouldn't be surprised if it was caused by stress or genetics. Her eyes, distant and melancholic, had one being silvery whilst the other was onyx. She was beautiful. Very beautiful. He almost felt compelled to learn more about her, but he remained stationary for the time being. Still, it—

"S'rude to stare."

Jinsoku was taken aback at the fact that he'd been caught watching her. Oddly enough, though, she wasn't even… looking at him? Her eyes were cast downward, not even sparing him an expression as she kept her mouth in a taut line.

"Ah, sorry," Jinsoku said with a hint of regret and shame. "I was just confused. I heard you talking, and I wasn't sure if you were speaking to me or not."

"Mhm." She grunted. "I wasn't. You can turn around now."

And with that, she merely stood up and walked several feet away from Jinsoku before finding the furthest table away from him, all while still talking to herself throughout the way.

Wow. Well, that was a little rude. Jinsoku guessed that the girl was a little… off if she's talking to herself, but hey, he'd seen bigger nut-cases. He decided to not stir up any more trouble, nodding her head at the statement and turning around. Honestly, he didn't need to concern himself with anyone else here, anyway. He stood up, ready to make his way to his hut so he could process everything Ban told him. Because as passionate as that speech sounded, there was a lot about it that seemed… very odd to him.

"Okay. I'll have to go over all of this. And if I can just… figure out how to gain access to a comms channel in this place, I'll be set, I—!"

Jinsoku froze the moment he stepped out. Commotion immediately filled his ears, causing him to look over in the direction of the resort's entrance to see dozens of people gathered around to surround… oh, wait a minute.

'Is that… a tank?'

ED- GL — LiSA

Apologies for the quick update, but! Hello! So, um, it's been quite a long time, hasn't it? I deeply apologize for that. I suppose that this is the part where I explain myself? Because I definitely feel like I owe that to all of you. So basically?

1 - Depression. Depression tends to equate to laziness, so I have been sitting on this chapter for quite a long time because of it. I just haven't been in a creative mood for a majority of this year. This, coupled with how taxing my job is, is a huge part of why I haven't had much passion to push forward. That changes now, however.

2 - It has come to my attention that this story has caused a group to target the story of one of my friends, as I caught glimpses of a review that mentioned inflorescence and called it "batshit insane and unrecognizable as MHA". Now, if people have an issue with me, that's fine. But to judge a friend of mine purely because they are associated with me is not fucking cool. Take whatever grievances you have up with me, not them.

It's weird because I don't bother anyone on this site. I write my story, give my ideas, and mind my own business and somehow, I've sparked the ire of people who don't even fucking know me. And I wanted to brush it off like I wasn't bothered by it, but I was. Because I didn't understand what I ever did to have someone so upset that they'd go out of their way to do that.

And lemme be really clear about something. This story is "unrecognizable as MHA" because I am not TRYING to copy the same formula as usual. I'm sick of that. I'm not Horikoshi. I'm heartattak, and I wanted to do something different. That's exactly why it's called FANFICTION. I hate this idea that I have to adhere to nonexistent rules just because people are obsessed with everything aligning with canon. No. I'm not doing that. That is BORING. It is creatively STIFLING.

So if this story isn't your cup of tea, then that's fair. You're entitled to feeling that way. However, please remember that you do not know me. You can only make assumptions about what kind of person I am, and that's it. So despite being very discouraged by that entire situation, I've decided to stop moping and continue onward. I hope you'll stay around, but it's fine if you don't.

The first arc of the story has officially begun~! I hope you'll stick around for the ride~!

PS: I'll be PM-ing some of the people who've submitted but weren't able to make the official cast very soon! I have a surprise in store for all of you! ;)

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