Hahaha America's gonna fucking blow up today, here's my report from a con I went to in my state.
First time at the con since the pandemic started, which was 5 years ago. Felt weird to be back, but also sorta nice? Anyways, I met a few people; Kirk Thorton (VA of Shadow the Hedgehog), Keith Silverstein (VA of Speedwagon and Coyote Starrk), Ricco Fajardo (VA of Mirio Togata and Benimaru), Dawn M. Bennett (VA of Setsuna and Aegis) and Natalie Van Sistine (VA of Yor Forger and Star & Stripe). All very lovely people.
I wanna ESPECIALLY highlight Ricco, because that guy is super nice. While I was deciding what for Ricco to sign for me, he had this little binder of cards of various characters he's voiced. I flipped through it and noticed he had a Tandemaus card in there. I was curious and asked his agent / assistant, "what's the deal with the Maus?" She explained that Ricco never played any of the previous Pokemon games, which is fair. Pokemon isn't gonna appeal to everyone. But not too long ago, he got cast in Pokemon Masters EX as Jacq. Apparently when he gets cast in a role, he tries to learn everything about the world he's entering into. He decided to play the newest release…and fell in love with Tandemaus.
…we sorta bonded over that love.
What did I get at the con? Some Pokemon plushies (Cranidos, Galarian Zigzagoon & Tandemaus), an Ochako keychain (everything else was sooo expensive for her, nothing but the best for our protagonist) and a figurine of Fuuko Izumo from Undead Unluck.
Also, there was this really cool booth with a bunch of Pokemon plushies assorted by color, so it made a cool rainbow effect. It's probably the best display I've seen.
This was probably the most varied cosplay selection I've seen in a while, there were a ton of really unique ones. I did see a Chowder cosplayer and thought "Oh cool, i'll never see a cosplay like that again"
…and then another Chowder cosplayer appeared not two seconds later and i was like "HUHHHH?"
Also shout out to the group of Senshi's doing the Spider-Man meme
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
The commercial started with a small neighborhood- a pretty standard one you'd see in any Japanese suburb. The camera panned to three individuals, walking down the road, a wide smile on their faces. The voiceover began, describing them in vivid detail.
"A classy lady who just so happens to have four arms." The voice said, focusing on the woman's multiple arms. Each one had a small bit of jewelry on them- a ring, a bracelet, carrying a purse, scrolling through a phone.
"A gentleman with a handsome coat of fur!" The camera panned to the gentleman in question; he was a humanoid walrus in a dapper suit and top hat, using a cane to walk.
"And a squishy boy with skin like gelatin." The camera moved down to show a gooey boy bouncing along the road. He had a skip in his step.
"What do all of these fine people have beyond sharing a smile? They used to belong to the minority!" A man declared, waltzing into frame. He had a darker suit, a pointy nose, windswept hair and two distinctive dots on the right of his forehead- it was the head of the Detnerat company, Rikiya [insert last name here]. "But the appearance of the extraordinary continued to accelerate, bringing us to a new era! While production and consumer culture had been expanding, the phenomenon known as 'quirks' pumped our breaks!"
Rikiya turned to face the camera, looking a tiny bit despaired. "By the time everyone realized, it was too late! These newer body types spent days trying to even find a product that matched their needs! Everyone was so different, and many found themselves in this new era for that reason alone."
He straightened himself out, and smiled. "We've made a point of never forgetting that history, while creating products to suit each and every valued customer!"
People around town began to turn in excitement as Rikiya's voice picked up. "We offer customized designs, guaranteed on your doorstep in three days or less! It's the technology and proprietary system behind this personal touch that have made us number one in the country!"
A crowd began to form, as Rikiya picked up the gelatin boy. "Tell me, child! Do you want to be a hero?"
The boy's eyes lit up. "More than anything!"
"Well, excellent news for you! And the world!" Rikiya beamed. "The world of heroes...can now expect big things from Deternat! Look out, world! Deternat's coming to save the day!"
The recording paused, as Rikiya took it in. "...fan-TASTIC." He emphasized, applauding his own performance. He was now in his office, seeing the final cut for the first time.
"You were right," His assistant, Miyashita, nodded. He was an average man with a not so average face- friends always said he looked like a 'teddy bear' or something. He never saw it. "No text, logos, bells or whistles- just wholesome Detnerat energy. Though the thing with the kid may be too much."
"I'm more wondering if they could do anything to hide my big ol' forehead." Rikiya joked, rubbing his temples. "Don't become a CEO, Miyashita! The stress alone kills more than your spirit."
"Well, I'd say that might be a selling point." Miyashita joked.
Rikiya laughed again. "Always so honest, aren't you?" His smile faded quickly, though. "Although...expansion reactions are about as bad as I expected." Rikiya looked over to his computer; multiple tabs were open to news of Detnerat's recent bold move.
Detnerat Desperately Tries To Improve Sales By Appealing to Heroes
Detnerat CEO Rikiya [last name] on Recent Shift: "Kamino Opened My Eyes"
Family Friendly Detnerat Gearing Up For Heroes? What You Need to Know
"Well, it is like night and day." Miyashita said. "We don't have a history with battle-oriented tools and gear."
"Well, our company has long catered to a wide range of meta abilities. Our track record has been solid for so long; I have confidence in this." Rikiya said, leaning back in his chair.
Miyashita looked confused. "...Huh?"
"Hm?"
"What are...Meta Abilities?"
"Ah!" Rikiya straightened himself out. "I mean quirks. I've got this book on the brain..." He reached into his desk and pulled out a red book with a black border. On the front was what looked like a Rorschach painting of a butterfly, or an eye mask. Written above it was the words "META LIBERATION WAR" by DESTRO.
"The...Meta Liberation army commander's book?" Miyashita asked.
"Yes, yes." Rikiya sighed, flipping through the pages. "Gripping stuff. Someone felt the time was right to republish this. Shame so much of the terminology has been changed in years since."
"I remember having to read it in my university's English class..." Miyashita reflected. "Didn't really feel it."
Rikiya tilted his head. "Really?"
"I get why some college kids overseas latched onto Castro or Marx, but Destro? Not so much." Miyashita shrugged. "All those acts of terrorisms disguised as liberation? I couldn't help but picture the guy as a ranting criminal."
Rikiya's painted on smile slowly faded away, as he absorbed the words like he'd just been told his dog had been ran over. He rubbed his temple, and sighed, standing up from his desk. Miyashita was just about to leave...
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," Miyashita said, not looking behind him. "Enjoy your readi-"
Rikiya suddenly put his arm around Miyashita's shoulder, and pulled him closely. His other hand pat his chest, and the CEO just couldn't stop shaking his head. It was seriously weird...
"You've got no family...right, Miyashita?" Rikiya asked.
Miyashita froze up; that was a WEIRD question to ask, but he was his boss. "U-uh, no...my mom passed last year...dad a while before that..."
Rikiya's arm tightened. "No lovers?"
"O-okay, too personal. What are you doing, si-"
SHP.
"I had high hopes for you, Miyashita. Better than anyone else..." Rikiya said, as an ominous black shade began to slowly run up his arm. "I was actually considering introducing you to the others! Even if you refused, we might have cut a wonderful deal. Maybe Compromiser would have set you up with someone who could have given you a child..."
Miyashta was grabbing at his boss' arm now, trying to rip it off. He...he was choking him! All over a stupid book!?
"S-sir..." Miyashita gasped. "PLEAS-!"
KRUNCH.
Miyashita's body fell to the ground, and Re-Destro looked at it coldly. "...A shame, really." He sighed. "I won't...forget you."
Re-Destro walked over to his desk, and tapped his secretary. "Yes, sir?" The voice on the other line said.
"He said no."
"...I see." The secretary sighed. "I'll send in the cleanup crew."
"Thank you." Re-Destro nodded, as he looked back at the body. No blood. Good.
"Oh, and sir...don't forget, you have that business student from UA coming in just an hour." The secretary said.
"Ah, yes..." Re-Destro said. "For the internship interview. He better be worth my while."
"From what UA provided me? I feel like he may be able to fill the newly opened position quite well."
Mineta looked at himself a few more times in the mirror; clean face? Check. Nothing in his teeth? Check. Suit was proper? Well, it was still feeling a little tight on his person, but no one expected his growth spurt. He'd been in this conference room for a while, and he'd hoped that the boss would show up.
He had big shoes to fill, and impressing THE head of Deternat would get him some street cred.
The door creaked open, and Mineta's heart raced. In walked Rikiya, acting as if he hadn't murdered someone an hour ago.
"You must be the budding student from UA!" Rikiya said- the charm wasn't fake. He was a little impressed to see a young student already prepping for the 'big leagues'.
"Y-Yes, sir! I'm excited to be here. I really admire Detnerat's approach to… um, customization!" Mineta saluted.
Rikiya laughed. "Please, no need to be so formal." He said, settling down and opening his brief case. From what the file said, he's a relatively new member of the business course. Only transferred in a few months ago.
"So, young man...tell me a bit about yourself." Rikiya said.
"My name is Mineta Minoru, I'm 15 years old. I used to be in UA's hero course, before I switched gears to business- I decided the best way to make a difference is by working behind the scenes- us business guys are the REAL heroes, if you ask me."
"What spurred the switch?" Rikiya asked.
"No one was giving me the respect I needed, even after I went out of my way to help them." Mineta said. "No one even visited me in the hospital...and then the whole All Might thing happened, so I was sort of on the wayside."
"Oh. I'm...sorry to hear." Rikiya said. He was genuine in that apology. Sounded like his classmates were rotten.
"I realized that if I couldn't be a hero, I could at least contribute in a way that matters." Mineta said, before looking up. "And I thought...what's the best way I can use my power to help, if I'm not gonna be on the field?"
Rikiya looked at the document; Mineta's quirk was called Pop Off. It allowed him to produce and pluck ball-shaped objects from his head; the balls grow back as fast as they're plucked. The balls are incredibly sticky and will stick to any surface.
An odd power, but then again...there were weirder ones out there.
"A month ago, I had a project in my Innovation Management class- had to develop a product concept and pitch it to the class. I decided to focus on my Pop Off." Mineta said. "Usually, I'd be chucking these things like crazy, but then I thought...now that I'm looking at it in a totally different light, what CAN I do with this? So, after running some tests- no perfect product without trial and error...and comparing and contrasting with a similar product...I was able to develop this."
Mineta set a strange product on the desk; it looked like a small, sleek spray canister, emblazoned with bright colors and a stylized logo of a bouncing ball.
"Behold, Gripperz." Mineta said. "A multi applicable polymer made from my balls. Think of it as a tool for heroes in the field or even for construction projects..."
"Interesting," Rikiya said, picking up the cannister. "What's your plan for production? Do you have any ideas on how to scale this up for wider use?"
"Already got the chemical composition for my hair memorized." Mineta grinned. "Something similar to Polyvinyl Acetate; non-toxic and safe to use, and a lot of good range."
"Sounds like you're truly going Plus Ultra for something so simple," Rikiya hummed. "Not many think outside the box like this."
"Please; I can think of like 10 other ways to use a person's quirk for something OTHER than fisticuffs." Mineta said.
Rikiya smiled; seems this boy, albeit intentional or not, shared a similar ideal of 'free quirk use'.
"In that case..." Rikiya leaned forward. "Let's take this further. I'd like you to draft a proposal for your adhesive concept- if all goes well, you might just help us expand Detnerat into the new hero world seamlessly."
"R-really?" Mineta's lip quivered.
"I believe in supporting innovative ideas, especially from someone as passionate as you." Rikiya said. "I expect the proposal on my desk by...what day is it?"
"F-Friday?"
Rikiya made a face. "...oh, Tuesday's good enough. I know I'll have a case of the Mondays, so-"
"T-thank you sir!" Mineta began bowing his head in reverence. "Y-you won't regret this at all!"
I don't think I will at all, boy... Rikiya smiled. You've just opened up a much more enticing market to me...
Rikiya's limousine drove through the old abandoned part of the city. It had long since been abandoned, and certain parties were shooting down any revitalization attempts...because of its importance to Rikiya.
The limo came to a halt in front of an unremarkable building. Re-Destro stepped out, adjusting his suit and scanning the area just in case- CEO's were so unfairly scrutinized nowadays, and someone WOULD absolutely report on him entering a shady building.
He stepped inside the lobby, went over to the elevator, and tapped in a very specific combination; 31964. The elevator suddenly whirred to life, and started taking him to the top of the building...where the others were.
The doors opened, and Rikiya was greeted by his fellow members; the top brass of his Meta Liberation Front. Curious, Trumpet, Skeptic, Captain Nemesis, Gluttony Compromiser, with his assistant Iaso, Sanctum and 92.
Once the elevator doors opened, all of the Front's top brass stood at attention and saluted their leader, placing their left hands to their foreheads in the shape of an L. Re-Destro saluted back before nodding, telling them they could continue on.
"Welcome, sir," Trumpet greeted. Trumpet, at first glance, didn't really seem remarkable. He was an average man with reasonably long, swept-back black hair with a single strand hanging down over his face, thin eyebrows, and a small mustache. Over his dark blue eyes, he wore yellow glasses with purple-tinted lenses. His attire was a plain business suit with a white dress shirt, a black tie, and a black blazer.
Now, his appearance was less important than who he was. Outside this room, Trumpet was Koku Hanabata, the head of an increasingly popular political party known as the Hearts and Minds Party.
"Evening, Trumpet," Rikiya greeted, putting his coat on the rack. "How'd your campaign speech go today?"
"Perfect—people aren't exactly happy with our 'next Number One'," Trumpet smiled. "I imagine he'll have a hard time winning over the crowd."
"Endeavor isn't exactly a people person, so that's to be expected," Re-Destro shook his head. "All that strength and yet not an ounce of social sensibility."
"All a man like him needs to fall is the smallest dirty secret being made public. He probably has plenty of stories he'd never want the public learning," Curious chuckled.
Curious was a striking presence in the room, with pale blue skin, long, pale lilac hair parted to the right of her face, and eyes with completely black sclerae and green irises. She wore a navy blue, shoulderless dress with long sleeves and an X-shaped belt with a circular buckle around her waist. Over the dress was an unbuttoned, salmon-colored jacket with black fur around the collar and hem, completed by lightly colored laced boots.
Like Trumpet, Curious was a prolific figure outside these secret meetings. Chitose Kizuki was the executive director of Shoowaysha Publishing, one of the country's largest media conglomerates.
"On that, we're agreed. Though, I have a feeling you'd have a far easier time finding his secrets than I. He strikes me as far more analog than digital," Skeptic chimed in.
The incredibly tall, lanky man sported shiny black hair that reached his waist, worn down with a neat fringe over his eyes. Not many people saw his real eyes, but those who did knew them to be wide with small gray dots. He had a long nose, a wide mouth, and notably straight teeth. He wore a long-sleeved black turtleneck with a black formal jacket and dark pants.
Skeptic's public persona was also influential in business. Tomoyasu Chikazoku was a board member of the well-known IT company, Feel Good Inc.
"He's a loose cannon. He'll burn himself out trying to be everything All Might was," Nesmith scoffed. The only American in the room, he had short black hair, a pencil-thin mustache, and fair skin, wearing a black tuxedo with an orange tie and glasses.
Nesmith was the owner of the Nemesis Conglomerate, which controlled various sectors like entertainment, medical tech, housing, charity, food, defense, and energy.
"If only he focused on the IMPORTANT things..." Nesmith sighed.
"Talk about your empire one more time, and I float you up into the ceiling," 92 hissed.
"Fine, fine," Nesmith relented.
"92, please refrain from using your ability on your peers during a meeting. It's unprofessional," Re-Destro sighed.
"O-of course, sir. My apologies."
"Though, since we're talking about you—92, Gluttony. How go things at Shiketsu?"
"92 and I are still recovering after the attack during our summer camp event..." Gluttony confessed. "Some of our finest soldiers were injured fighting that dying animal. Thank goodness for Star."
"I'm still shocked you managed to get her," Nesmith admitted.
"Having her around's like knowing a lion's in the room with you, and you don't know when it'll strike. There's no sign we're compromised, but if she ever finds out," 92 shivered.
"Thank goodness she's being temporarily recalled by madame President for a report on what happened," Gluttony said. "Then we have some breathing room..."
"Hmm, interesting..." Re-Destro mused before turning to another member of his inner circle. "On the academic front, Compromiser."
Compromiser sat up in his chair. Fukurou Tsurubami had brown eyes, a thin beard, and slicked-back dark green hair, though it was messier in the front. He wore a white lab coat over a black suit with a matching tie.
"Common ground is being laid out," he began. "Beyond that, the 'Jet Black Bride' project has borne another successful product..."
"It has?" Re-Destro leaned forward, eager to hear the details.
"I am happy to announce the birth of Naritomi Mitsumi—born 3.3 kilograms yesterday in my ward," Compromiser said proudly. "And an already visible Meta manifestation; light bent around their body when she was swaddled in her mother's arms..."
"Light bending? As in a type of invisibility?"
"More like...they bent the visible light spectrum," Compromiser chuckled. "Blinded everyone in the room! Poor parents..."
"Hmm, I'll have R start working on something at once. Do make sure the parents receive proper medical treatment."
"Oh, they are," Iaso, his assistant, assured him. She wore a burnt red nurse uniform with matching gloves and light yellow stockings held up by suspenders. She had purple eyes, dark red hair, and long painted nails on her right hand. "We ensured it."
"Excellent. One day, they will be a fine warrior," Sanctum hummed. He had fair skin, dark-black irises, dark-black hair with a single white stripe on the left and right sides, a thin strand of black hair in the middle, and a long thick mustache. He wore thin-framed golden eyeglasses and a dark-blue overcoat with golden rectangular bars and three button-like epaulettes on the collar. He was here out of respect, having raised Re-Destro.
"Oh, give them some time, Sanctum. They were just born. Let them have a childhood first," Re-Destro said.
"I'll give them until first grade," Sanctum replied.
"Good enough," Re-Destro said, taking his seat at the table. "I do have some exciting news...I met with a boy from UA today."
"UA?" 92 asked.
"Who was it?" Gluttony inquired.
"A business course student named Mineta Minoru," Re-Destro said, bringing out a can. "His drive intrigues me—he made this with his quirk."
"Are we supposed to guess what it is?" Skeptic asked casually. "Uh, apologies. That tone was uncalled for. But um...the question still stands. What is it?"
"He demonstrated it as a super adhesive...albeit temporary," Re-Destro said.
"Super adhesive...well, there are certainly applications there," Skeptic mused. "How did they make it?"
"Their hair," Re-Destro replied.
The room fell silent.
"...Liberation at its finest!" Skeptic applauded, genuinely moved.
"What was their Quirk again, sir?" Trumpet asked, clearing his throat.
"He could detach orbs from his head that acted as adhesive spheres. Surprisingly strong when applied in large doses. We'd have to stress-test it, but if used correctly, it could subdue several heroes who rely on brute strength and close-range Quirks at once. Of course, we'd need to test temperature limits, but that can be fixed easily," Re-Destro explained.
"...could be interesting if weaponized," Curious murmured.
"Very much so. And he offered it up?" Trumpet asked.
"I told him to have a proposal ready for Tuesday," Re-Destro nodded.
"Then this opens a door—we have access to UA after so long..." Gluttony mused. "This future soldier has my admiration already."
"Then I think it's time we take advantage of the situation," 92 suggested. "We need to enact the exchange program."
"A bit bold to bring that up now," Skeptic remarked, skeptical.
"Bold but perfect. I think there are already plenty of students at Shiketsu who just need a little push to be flipped to our side."
"And plenty already," Re-Destro agreed. "But more is good..."
"Compromiser, you good with it?" 92 asked, turning to his comrade.
"...I suppose so. The students have been in exceptional shape as of late. All recent physicals yielded near-perfect results," Compromiser said with a smile. "Besides..."
"I can't pass up a visit to my niece."
Medaka was doing her usual task—sorting through papers at lightning-fast speeds. The girl was a demon with paperwork. Zenkichi watched on in slight annoyance.
Stop making me feel like a slug, dang it, Zenkichi thought.
"Something wrong?" Medaka asked without even taking her eyes off the paperwork.
Zenkichi awkwardly fumbled some papers around. "No, no. Everything's fine," he muttered, pretending he was reading the reports. Paperwork was always a hassle, especially since Medaka insisted on handling the bulk of it.
"I'll admit...while the paperwork does seem rather tedious, I think tedious is good right now, given recent events of our own and those of our contemporaries," Mogana said, finishing off another sheet of work.
Zenkichi made a face. That news broke yesterday—Izuku managed to score an internship with Nighteye, right? That...was some heavy news to be handed.
...actually, come to think of it, didn't Kumagawa idolize Nighteye? Wonder how he was handling that?
Medaka stopped for a moment. "The Overhaul event has absolutely shaken some bits of hero society—news like this hasn't broken for some time." Medaka reflected. "I fear we are headed for a new, darker era..."
"Darker's...definitely on the mark, I think," Zenkichi said, remembering the attack on their summer retreat.
"I promise that we'll reach out to UA soon," Medaka assured. "I don't know who was involved in it fully, but...I imagine they'll need support."
"Right," Zenkichi nodded.
"I wouldn't be shocked if they put the internship programs on hold," Mogana sighed. "And just when I was getting a good racket with Orca..."
"Don't call an internship a racket," Zenkichi corrected. "Makes it sound criminal, like a protection racket."
"With how much he was paying me, it felt criminal," Mogana muttered.
"You were an intern. Pay wasn't gonna be the best compared to sidekicks or full-blown pros."
"No, I mean that in like...a good way," Mogana said.
"It couldn't have been that much," Zenkichi scoffed.
Mogana held up her pay stub—and Zenkichi's eyes widened. "...oh, holy crap," he muttered.
"See?" Mogana smirked.
"Good reason to be upset, I guess," Zenkichi shrugged. "Still—those poor UA kids. They've been through a lot these past few months..."
"Between the attack on their school and this new wave of villain activity, they're growing up in a crucible." Medaka sighed.
"And it begs the question...What if the next villain is even worse than Overhaul?" Zenkichi asked.
Mogana shuddered. "I don't wanna think about that."
"Sorry, sorry." Zenkichi apologized.
"I've already made arrangements for us to visit UA sometime soon- for now, we need to let them be." Medaka explained. "Besides, we have our own things to focus on."
"Such as?" Zenkichi asked.
"We're doing an exchange with Daika Hero Academy next month." Medaka declared.
"I didn't know we had an exchange program." Mogana said.
Medaka tapped her fingers on the desk thoughtfully. "It's relatively new, set up by the headmaster. Daika Academy has its own approach to hero training, different from UA and Shiketsu- they're mostly hands off."
It was true- while UA had a traditional style, and Shiketsu had a more self-governance system in place, Daika Hero Academy had a reputation for its hands-off approach, where students were encouraged to learn through experience rather than constant supervision. It was an environment where autonomy and decision-making were at the forefront of hero training.
"They believe that heroes should learn to handle real-world situations with minimal guidance," Medaka continued. "It's an interesting philosophy, but it's not without risks."
Zenkichi frowned. "So, they just throw their students into the deep end and hope for the best?"
Medaka nodded. "In a way, yes. But their results speak for themselves. Their graduates tend to be more adaptable and self-sufficient in crisis situations."
"Can't fault the school for that." Mogana said.
"They have an olive branch extended due to the fact that Headmaster Shiranui's granddaughter attends the place." Medaka explained.
"Didn't know that...why didn't she come here, though?" Zenkichi asked.
"A bit too personal question, don't you think?" Mogana said.
"If I had to surmise, she wanted to forge her own path, away from the expectations that come with her family name." Medaka said. "Shiketsu does have her grandfather's name written all over it."
"And pressure can be killer." Mogana frowned.
"Indeed." Medaka said. "That's just something I wanted to put in everyone's mind right now."
"Thanks for the info." Zenkichi said, rubbing his face. "Alright...back to work."
Kumagawa stared at the ceiling, sprawled out across his bed. He felt utterly, hopelessly numb right now. He hadn't attended class in past few days either.
...and for Inasa, it was a little awkward. Not in a bad way, but in a way that made him feel uncertain. Inasa wasn't the type to ignore someone in distress, but with Kumagawa, things were never straightforward.
"Uh, hey. How are you feeling today?"
Nothing.
"...you need anything? Food? Water?"
Nothing.
"...uh, Mr. Arc wanted to know if you'd be...attending class later on."
Nothing.
"...Saki's been tryna text?"
Nothing. It was like talking to no one. Inasa decided to just cut his losses for right now. "A-alright, man. I'll talk to you later." Inasa said, grabbing his belongings. "I'll see you after class."
Nothing.
Inasa hesitated for a moment, and looked back. He wanted to tear Kumagawa out of his bed, drag him to class, and make him attend, whether he wanted to or not. But he chose not to.
His favorite hero had just died.
"He not coming to class today?"
Inasa had barely shut the door when Saki suddenly appeared, looking very concerned. "Nope." He shook his head. "I've tried everything."
"At least we know where he is," Saki huffed. "I dunno how upset he is, but-"
"Don't." Inasa scolded her.
"I'm just saying. I don't want him to wander." Saki crossed her arms. "He knows a lot of things, more than he lets on. It's almost omniscient."
"I dunno what you mean, but…at the same time, I sorta do." Inasa said. "Let's just hope tomorrow's a better day for him…"
Inasa shut the door, leaving Kumagawa alone with his tho-
「why」
...huh?
「why」
「why did you take him away」
A-are you talking to me?
「or are you talking to yourself」
「you're writing me」
I...I dunno. What are you doing?
「i'm just asking you a question」
「why'd you kill nighteye」
…I had to. There was no writing around it, and it was so poignant when I read it the first time. I was 16, My Hero was my favorite manga, and something like that just sticks with a person. Plus, a broken power like-
Kumagawa sat up in bed. 「don't you dare talk about powers being broken」
The Omnitrix and One for All have their issues too, you know. I had to remove some aliens from Ochako's playlist because I feared they'd be too broken. And Fa Jin's off the board for-
「why do you disregard me」
...
「i feel like my life keeps getting picked up only when another story needs to be told」
「i'm not consistent」
「i'm not favored」
「i'm disregarded」
It's hard to juggle a story sometimes. And I'm only human.
「and i'm not?」
Kumagawa slowly swung his legs off the bed, staring blankly at the floor.
「you write me like a tool... a character used only for chaos」
I don't mean to. You're a complex character. There's more to you than chaos-
「then why don't you show it? why let me fall into the same patterns?」
It's difficult to balance everything. Your story is heavy, and—
「that's a lazy excuse」
「are you gonna call me reddit lord again?」
...
「if i'm not human」
「what am i」
…you're Kumagawa. You're a good loser I write out of order.
And I'm sorry about that.
「a good loser」 Kumagawa repeated, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. 「funny how that's all i ever am to you, isn't it? someone who loses. someone who's always out of order.」
It's not just that. You—
「it is just that. i never win. not really. not in the ways that matter.」 He clenched his fists again, his knuckles turning white. 「even now, when you say you're sorry, it's not about me, is it? it's about you trying to make peace with your writing. with your decisions. not with me.」
...I don't know how to fix it.
「of course you don't. because to you, i'm not something to fix. i'm just a piece in a bigger puzzle. but guess what? even pieces get tired」
「you don't write me like i'm human. because to you, i'm just chaos. and chaos doesn't need closure. it just exists to stir the pot.」
But you are human, Kumagawa.
Just...an interesting one.
「i don't belong here」
「i'm not your cutesy, wise cracking, 4th wall leaning murder loving assassin」
「i'm your toy」
「i'm something you'd pass over at a convention」
You just say that because of the author's note today.
「something to pull out when you need a twist」
「but beyond that? i sit on the shelf, collecting dust」
「you make me interesting, sure. but interesting doesn't mean whole」
...I don't want you to feel like that.
「but i do. and it's not just your fault. maybe that's all i ever was to begin with」
I can try to give you more. To show that you're not just my little pet project or whatever you want.
「don't promise me anything you won't follow through on.」
「don't make me your toy. not anymore. let me be something, or someone, for real. not just a tool to reset the game.」
「because even chaos gets tired, eventually. and so do i」
...what do you want me to do?
「remove it」
...it?
「remove my ability to even have this conversation」
「remove my ability to see this story in full」
「remove the fact that i knew what would happen to him」
「and that i couldn't save him.」
「remove that. and everything will be fine.」
Even with your friend around the corner?
「...i want to face her alone.」
「no plot armor.」
「okay?」
「retcon it」
The writer stared at her keyboard, and then at the words she wrote. Was she talking to herself, or was this something else entirely?
She didn't know.
But she had to respect it.
With a few keystrokes, she wrote the words:
And Kumagawa forgot.
Kumagawa blinked a few times- the tears in his eyes were gone. His mind suddenly felt a lot more clear, but he couldn't recall what he'd been so upset about. Yes, Nighteye was still gone, but...
It didn't hurt that much anymore.
He'd forgotten that he was going to die, all the way back then. He'd never had the thought of 'I could save him'.
He couldn't recall the details of what had been bothering him so deeply just moments ago. Something about himself, something about being trapped in a cycle—but it slipped from his mind like sand through his fingers.
He scratched his head, trying to remember why he'd felt like everything was spiraling out of control. It wasn't important, was it?
Kumagawa looked over at his desk- there was a framed photo of himself and Nighteye, taken sometime before the internship was done. He brushed it a few times, and closed his eyes.
「no more losing.」He said, setting the picture down.
I can't promise Kumagawa a linear path from here, what's written is written...but I can promise him some reprieve from being burdened by the story. He still doesn't know what tomorrow would bring, but that was okay.
The path ahead was uncertain, but at least, for now, it was his.
Not every step needs to be a loss.
...
"Aw. And here I thought I'd be showing up today."
The author flinched- this voice was new. She hesitantly turned around to see...The Non-Human Who Is Just Impartial.
Her name? Najimi Ajimu.
"I see you did the hard part of the job for me." Najimi hummed. She had dark brown eyes and very long, dark brown hair tied up with two yellow ribbons. She wore a sailor uniform comprised of a light pink shirt with a dark red trim, and a matching dark red skirt. She also wore two pink wrist bands and thigh high black socks. "Despite this being a crossover, consequences from the source text seem to echo across the world."
I didn't reform him. He's still more 'Kumagawa-y' than ever.
"What did your friends on the server call it? 'Reddit Lord' energy?" Najimi snickered.
I'd ask how you're talking to me, but I assume this is one of your millions of skills.
"Millions? Please. That number is below me." Najimi said. "I have 12,858,051,967,633,865 skills in full, and not even you could suppress that."
No duh. I had to rework your character a million times. I'm still not sure if you're gonna work in story.
"But I'm still here." Najimi giggled. "And don't worry. For the sake of the insects, I'll play my part. I just wanted to ask you for a favor."
What's that?
"Remove my ability to see the story in full as well."
...I didn't even know you had that power.
"I know. I just wanted to let you know...when you write me, I'm 'normal'."
For you, that word feels... almost alien.
Ajimu smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming with that same knowing look, as if she were already steps ahead in the conversation. "Perhaps, but even I need a break sometimes. If you gave Kumagawa reprieve from the constant chaos, why not me? I have seen, known, and experienced countless lifetimes across countless stories. I know every plot twist, every betrayal, every redemption before it even happens. I'm the impartial observer, but... that's not who I want to be here. I don't need to play God..."
Najimi's eyes flashed. "I just need to play human."
The author shuddered.
Consider it done.
"Excellent..." Najimi said, slowly fading away.
"I'll see you next chapter. Whenever you write it."
...
I...
Am haunted.