16 | All Eyes On You

For no particular reason:

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Yes, this chapter was loosely inspired by the Reigen spinoff.

Warning in advance: this chapter gets a little dark in the realm of mental health.
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     Fire crackled in Deku's ear. A gentle flame. Produced just the right amount of warmth to curl up comfortably beside without fear of it consuming you. The teen's pillow was pretty warm too..though a bit stiff. Wait...was this a pillow? A hand delicately graced the boy's hair, petting his messy green curls. After a few strokes, the young hero's mind was fully in the present and panicking. "Yha-ah!" His eyes shot open, pushing his upper half up and craning his neck to peer over his shoulder. Behind him, the soft features of a woman with bright pink eyes and dull fangs smiled. "AAA!" Deku shrieked. 'MY HEAD WAS ON THE LAP OF A WOMAN!!!' He blushed profusely while scooting away. Dragging along with him was the large, coat-like green and black kimono draped over his body like a blanket. The woman too was dressed beautifully in a bright white and pink kimono, designed with the most beautiful flowers and gold stitch-work.

     The woman, who was a brunette with long, brown hair -- some orange at the tips -- tilted her head and giggled at the boy. "Why, good morning~ ...Or should I say goodnight?"

     "Uh- uh- where am I?!"

     "Calm down.. Tanjiro will be here soon! He just went scouting one last time."

     "Tanjiro?? You know him??" 

     "Mhm!" The woman nodded cheerfully. "He's my big brother!" Izuku's jaw fell slack. This must be Nezuko then!!

     "-Good, you're awake!" A new voice entered, though it didn't sound like the kind demon the young hero knew. The voice was gruffer, sterner, older. The greenette twisted, eyes bulging as a tall, dark, long haired man with a mohawk stomped into the room. He was a tad more aged than the demons, his hair featuring some graying strands on either side of his face. Other than that though, he was a well built, physically capable man. The older man's eyes were slanted thinly in anger, instantly reminding Izuku of his childhood friend, Bakugo. Nezuko wasn't alarmed, so Deku assumed this must be a friend of theirs. Didn't take long for the stranger to stride up to the kid by the fire. He placed his hands firmly on his hips and bent low to glare down at the teen. A surprising feat he managed to pull without the use of a tail. As expected, the man started yelling in Deku's face. "NOW WHAT GAVE YOU THE BALLS TO DISRESPECT TANJIRO LIKE THAT, EHH?? RUNNING OFF WHEN HE ORDERED YOU TO REST!? IF YOU WERE ONE OF MY STUDENTS, I'D KILL YOU FOR THAT!.. WHAT ARE YOU SMILING AT, BRAT?!"

     "Yep... Definitely like Bakugo.."  ◜⁠‿⁠◝

     "HUHHH!?!"

     "Calm down, Genya.." There was the familiar voice! Tanjiro arrived smiling, soaking wet with rain water. He rung out the corners of his sleeves as he entered the dark, empty room. Speaking of their "room," it was entirely concrete from top to bottom, large, and empty. Taking notice of the lines of paint on the ground, Deku deduced this must be some kind of underground parking lot. "He was just a little scared is all." Clarifying why he found no reason to blame the teen. Unsatisfied with the dampness of his own black uniform-like clothes, the man untied and pried off his shirt, exposing his top half as he laid out the cloth over the ground by the fire. A fire which was very strange, by the way! It was a reddish pink, giving off a strange glow. And instead of wood as a source, there was only a dark puddle of...was that..oil?

      "Woa..." Deku stared for a moment at the demon man's exposed arms and chest. They were absolutely littered with scars. Tanjiro followed the boy's eyes and chuckled, looking down at himself while while ringing out his hair as he sat down.

     "I know.. it's quite a lot... You have a few too!" Tanjiro pointed out. It was here that Deku paid attention to his own attire. His hero suit was entirely gone! Instead drying out by the fire on the other side. As were his cape and mask, leaving the boy only in a white t-shirt and black shorts! "The ones on your arms especially... Pretty nasty.."

     "Mhm..." Deku examined them a moment. All was still and quiet. Even Genya chilled out, plopping down to sit by the fire as well. "So... Who's that?" Pointing at the eldest looking man in the room.

     "Oh! Him? That's Genya! He's a demon slayer too!" Tanjiro explained. "Since he's not full demon, though, he can't go into hibernation like Nezuko and I can. He also ages a little faster as well."

     "But.." The little boy's eyes were still wide with amazement. "..he's still alive! How?!"

     "Hey, I'm right here!!" The man snarled. At the moment he was digging through his backpack filled with pockets of all shapes and sizes. He explained without ever lifting his gaze. "So basically, I get the abilities of the demons I eat! Eh?? --Which, by the way! These new Nomu things taste so f###ing terrible!! So many chemicals in my mouth! Eugh!"

     "Genya???" Both demon siblings gestured to the boy in the room. "Language???"

     "Give me a break!!"
     "Don't worry, guys, I'm actually pretty used to it..." 😅

     ರ⁠_⁠ರ   "I have failed as a parent."
     ರ⁠_⁠ರ   "I have failed as an aunt."

     "--Wait!" Tanjiro leaned nearer to the boy. He squinted, inching closer to the fire and to the boy across from it. "...Smile again."

     "Uhh... Sure?" The green haired one forced a grin, but it was good enough to flicker a lightbulb on in the man's head.

     He gasped, falling back to seat himself with a wide grin. Pointing over the fire, "I RECOGNIZE YOU!"

     "YOU DO?!" Pointing at himself, the smile dropped.

     "Yeah!! Your dad's the one who woke us from our-- ...oh no..."

     "Oh no..?" The teen's face paled. If it was about his dad, then...

     "...I already adopted him as my son though! You can't be my son too--! Wait." . . . "You're my GRANDSON!!" His smile wider than it honestly should be, the friendly demon man leapt over the fire and picked the boy up from under the armpits, hoisting him into the air! Tanjiro twirled the two around in his joy, Nezuko standing to clap in excitement as well.

     Deku was mostly just confused. Alright... but confused.

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     Serizawa was put in charge of the business while Reigen was gone.

Slap!

     "Hhooooooo!.. Alright." After slapping both sides of his face and squishing his features in front of the mirror in the break room, the blond could feel himself starting to calm down. "You've already suffered through the worst outcome imaginable...so it can't get any worse, right??" Smiling weakly at his own reflection, the man dropped his arms, propping himself on the desk instead. "Ohhh, what am I even doing here?!..." His eyes glanced at himself again. Slowly, his head rose. "I guess... It would be nice seeing some fans of mine in person.."

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    "Everyone, please welcome to the stage~! The one, the only, the 21st century's greatest psychic in all the world: Reigen Arataka!!" It was announced with such sincerity too. Reigen stuck out his arms and tore through two purple curtains in his way, immediately bombarded with the praise of an adoring audience! He waved at the crowd, smile big and genuine. The set here was so big and bold yet so cozy all the same. Set up like a traditional Japanese dining room with beautiful paintings of forest and mountains visible through the open doors and windows. 

     He stood before the crowd for a moment as he waved. "Thank you for coming, everyone!"

     "I LOVE YOU, REIGEN!" A guy in the back of the crowd shouted, stirring up a wave of laughter through the audience and even those on stage, Reigen included.

     He pointed dramatically in the direction from where the voice originated. "You too, man!" After that, he sat down, so much calmer and ready for this than before. He and Elyse had been preparing for this a couple days now, meaning he was at the very least not about to make a fool out of himself. The audience reception alone was a good hint that he was in the right place.

     Reigen took a seat on essentially a mat with a wooden back attached to it, facing the host at an angle so the audience could still see both of their faces. The host needed no introduction. She leaned back a little in her chair, exuding a calm superiority over the atmosphere.

Rule #1 for keeping your cool: shift your body posture into something more relaxed. Even if you are nervous, the relaxed posture will naturally calm your nerves, as well as fool others into believing you are the one with authority here.

     Such was a rule ingrained into the blond's head. He followed this naturally, getting comfortable even in the weird chair.

     Something was different about Evelyn as well. She clearly saw this stage as her domain, her every expression and subtle movement testifying to that. Fixing her guest with a timid smirk, the woman blinked slowly. Reigen flinched on the inside, knowing exactly what that meant.

     ...This woman believed she had him surrounded. It wasn't even about a debate to her.

     It was about seeing that her views thrive...

     "So~!.. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself before we begin?"

     "First of all, I just want to thank you for having me on the show!" Reigen freely gestured, having to remind himself now to not sit stiff as a brick. His first plan of attack was to lay out defensive measures. By showing respect and appreciation to the host, any attacks against his character would be easily dismissed.

     Evelyn, noticing this, decided to up her game as well. "Oh, of course! It was you who took the time out of your busy schedule to come down here!~ First time, I might add~ can we get a thank you for that, people~?" She drove up a cheer throughout the audience. Of course. Simple but effective countermeasures. Indirectly, she was reminding everyone exactly who the special one here was: her, simply for being able to get Reigen to come out of his shell. "So anyways, how have you been, man?" She leaned forward, elbows aiming out and fingers interwoven, her arms and body together forming a very strong triangular shape. A simple but effective posture that exuded dominance in this situation.

      Since two overly dominant people in a conversation would only make the scene tense, Reigen played the passive role by leaning back, arms resting on the back of the seat behind him as his own show of strength. "Oh, nothing much. Just conducting business as usual... You know, when your job has you dealing with earth shattering events every other Friday, it gets a little jarring all of a sudden when people take notice and treat you like a celebrity because of it!"

     "Oh~? Well I'd be interested to hear about these other times!" Watch out for that phrase, kids! A clear sign the speaker doesn't actually believe you.

     "Well, there was the Dragger, the Broccoli.. the Mugen Train... stitch-face..." While counting on his fingers, the man stared up at the stage lights as if he were deep in thought, mumbling  nonsense, hoping to at least make it look like he had a long list of items. "A- anyways! I really don't want to get ahead of myself!" The man chuckled to relieve himself of the task of having to delve any further into these instances. Instead, it was best for him to change topics. "I'm actually excited to see what kind of questions you have cooked up for me!" Clapping and rubbing his hands together, the man tied the theme of the show into the diversion, forcing the change of topic.

     "Sounds great! Speaking of which~!" Evelyn briefly showed off the array of snacks sitting on the table between them. Apparently, one of the dishes was supposed to be secretly spicy. A dish which even the host knew not so that she could be in on the game. "How about we start off with this!?" Leaning her elbow on the short table. "Since I am curious.. I know your business is specific to spiritual things, but being quirkless myself, I was wondering if you have ever considered hiring someone without a quirk before." Woah! Getting right into the cancelable stuff I see! From looking at the statistics, over sixty percent of Evelyn Deavor's viewers were quirkless, meaning many of them must be on the edge of their seats waiting for what he had to say. So this was where he had to take their side.

     The man confidently fidgeted with his fingers, stretching them and such, while leaning his head back a little. A trick that made him appear both genuine and confident. "Why of course! In fact, I've hired on someone already who's quirkless! Of course, since the job itself requires special, spiritual skills, I can't just take on anyone as an exorcist.. but as a secretary! Now, I have no need to discriminate~" He received a sigh of gratitude from in the audience. Seeing the positive response, he pressed on to make himself even more in the clear. The added confidence fueled him, since this was genuinely something he believed. "You see, I simply don't see the point in treating people differently whether they have a quirk or not. I believe we all have special skills in different areas. Some people are book smart, others are great at building muscle, and there are others who are great at things like cooking, coding and making movies. All of these are important skills, far more useful than the spikes you grow on your head or the spiderwebs that shoot out of your arms! Because, at the end of the day, we all share equal value!" Glancing at the crowd, he smirked as a cheer erupted through them, all excited to share their support for such an idea. He breathed in the praised, glad he found his footing in the right place. The host's brow twitched.

     Evelyn leaned in. "So you believe quirks aren't actually necessary to run a society?" It was a smile of Duping Delight. An expression Reigen dared not mimic. Reigen's brain ran double time to catch what her move here was. ...Crud. Seemed here she was going for two things. Antagonize Reigen by making him mess up and say something against her and her audience...or force him to join her side by tricking him into antagonizing the opposite point of view! And since the man didn't come here to pick sides, he was essentially forced to walk a tightrope, insanely careful about every word that escapes his mouth.

     Reigen inhaled sharply. "It depends. Because now that quirks are such a big thing, it is necessary that we keep all perspectives in mind. However, we also don't want to make society all about quirks, as there are many more things that are important to us than our powers."

     This was going to be...a very tiring "Q&A."

||| The following is merely a montage, since the debate itself lasted over an hour and it covered a large variety of topics other than talk about quirks. For the purpose of shortening it, I will just stick to the basics. All this while they snacked on the occasional treats, essentially just taste testing everything. |||

     "Have you ever had any heroes in your family?"

     "I had a, uhh, grandpa.. actually!"

     "And so what is your opinion on hero work? Should it remain a legitimate job?"

     "Oh, absolutely! How else are they going to make any money!?" Chuckling, rubbing the back of his neck. "After all, one day at the office can be pretty tiring for me. Imagine how much worse it would be if I had to run around and fight crime all the time! I wouldn't have the energy to work another job! That is why Peter Parker started the movement to make Heroing a profession in America, isn't it?!" Noticing the crowd's stillness. "As for heroes themselves.. I mean, we're all human. We all make mistakes. I bet you there's no profession around today that doesn't have its handful of hypocrites! But that's just something you have to deal with one case at a time."

..

     "What is your opinion on Endeavor's family drama?"

     "No comment. ..I'm sorry, but I haven't had the time to look into that mess yet... I have met his youngest son, though. Shoto. Pretty nice kid."

..

     "-oh and I think this color--" Evelyn bit down on a grape. Instant regret. The fruit was laced in spicy chemicals. "AGH-BEJEEBUS!!!" She cried out, forcing herself to swallow. The audience erupted into laughter, giving the blond a moment's rest. Evelyn had tears in her eyes and everything, but she laughed the startle off like a champ.

..

     These questions were starting to get scarily personal after a little while. Reigen was "winning." He had yet to make any big mistakes or be forced onto a side. Instead he walked the tightrope like a champ! Able to provide an answer from multiple perspectives and explain how his his views laid somewhere in the middle. This delicate balancing act angered Evelyn Deavor. She wanted him as either a friend or a foe. Here, he was choosing neither. And as her anger grew, as did her boldness.

     Her smile now a little harder to pass off as genuine, "So, you've been defending the heroes quite a bit, Arataka~ ...Makes me wonder why you would distance yourself from them so much, then.."

     Reigen lifted a brow. "Pardon?" His legs were crossed one over the other. A little strange looking in this kind of chair, but he was already sore in every other position.

     "Recently, when you had a runin with some protestors, you claimed you were living with a hero who was no more than a friend, however, your social media reveals the two of you have actually been dating for some time now? So what is it, then~? Is there a part of you that is ashamed to admit you are actively dating a hero~? Or does dating a hero alter your perspective a little~?" Her smile was full of glee. ..Ohh, that filthy rat.

     Reigen actually sweat a little, breaking character for a second as he thought of what he could possibly do or say.

     Oddly enough, telling the truth was perhaps his best way out of this. The blond chuckled, easing back into a calm mood as he crossed his arms loosely. "..Heh. Well, I'm sorry, but you might be reading into that line a little too much there. You see, I was a little shocked to find so many people protesting in front of my girlfriend's house, so my mind was focused on making sure everyone was safe first." Shrugging. "Queller is just as much my friend as she is my girlfriend, so sometimes those two terms are used interchangeably... Sorry if I confused you with that~"

     "Hghh.." Finally, a little of that pent up agitation shown through. Evelyn was sure she had him cornered with that!

     The Q&A went on just a little longer, steadily calming more and more down until the very end. Clearly, Evelyn had given up.

     She had to admit... Reigen was just THAT good.

...

     The two finally shook hands, fake smiles on display for the audience. "Thank you so much for coming here tonight! We all had a blast!"

     Still shaking her hand, Reigen had that sweet fake smile that practically sparkled and blossomed under the spotlights. "Why thank you! It's been an honor!" Their strong, hostile grips at last released one another, both turning their attentions to the rows upon rows of audience members. Reigen quickly bowed then waved at them all. "And thank you most of all!"

    The crowd cheered, but those whoops and hollars died out quickly, leaving only the plentiful, consistent clapping. Sounded like rain. Like water. ...Like the beach.

     A chill consumed the man's legs..all the way up to his knees. Specks of cold, biting sensation sprinkled his body. He stood there uncomfortably for a moment, two places at once.

     Realizing he needed to move, Reigen dragged his foot to the side, stumbling, almost tripping right there on stage. Moving his legs felt like trudging through shallow water. He pressed on, though, hiding the struggle best he could.

     Finally free from the line of sight, standing immobilized behind the curtains, Reigen panted. "I am not doing that again." He decided. He just stood there, waiting for his nerves to cool.

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     The familiar smells glided gently into the blond's nose as he cracked open the front door. Clearly tired, the man stumbled in through it, still a little shaky from all the stress he had just endured.

     "Reigen! Welcome back!" Elyse jumped up from the couch, Zeya not far behind her. Gojo, Jin, and Serizawa were all seated on the other couch. Hanazawa sat beside where Zeya had just been seated.

     "Why did you mention I'm quirkless on live television?! Do you have any idea what that could do?!"
     "You did good there, buddy!"
     "I'm impressed you could talk to someone as rude as Evelyn without punching her in the face!!"
     "Yooo! Does this mean my uncle's famous!? Can I have your autograph, bro?!"

     "Reigen..?" Elyse stopped in front of the man, noticing right away just how tired he was. Looked a lot like he did back when Mob was taken to prison. All the energy sapped out of him.

     Drawn to her sincere eyes, Reigen waddled the extra couple steps and leaned into her, landing his forehead on her collar bone while closing his eyes and sighing aloud. "...M tired..." He mumbled. Slowly, Elyse's hands reached out to encompass him in a hug.

     "...I get it.." Rubbing the man's back. "Do you want dinner a little earlier?"

     "No..." Sighing. He moved his head up a little more until it rested firmly on the woman's shoulder. "Think I'll just go to bed."

     "Oh.. Well, alright then." ...He wanted to stay there longer. Forever even. Just resting in her arms. But...it just didn't feel like that was his place for whatever reason. So, he picked himself back up and trudged past the living room toward his bedroom. Everyone let the man go without uttering another sound.

     After getting ready for bed, though his intention was to get some sleep, Reigen ended up staying awake late into the night...just reading about what people online had to say. Surprisingly, most of it was positive! Many even compared his performance to embarrassing the host on her own show! Yes, of course there were some haters. Even some long time ones who had a history of hating him starting way back whenever he was first canceled. But, for the most part, the response was positive.

     He spent far longer than he intended, doing nothing but reading articles and public discussions about how well he did. His composure. His words of wisdom. And even a few quotes on his impressive dedication to his girlfriend. All-in-all, the man had tears in his eyes late that night.. and it wasn't just because he was tired.

     As nice as it was...they were only complimenting a performance. An act he played to get by. So, in a way, their compliments were just as fake as the persona he liked to play...

     But, there were some compliments that still managed to strike him in the heart, feeling true and genuine. And all of those were ones having to do with his morals. Because no matter how much of an act he may be putting on, his core morals never change. So, when the articles agreed with and even complimented those traits...he actually felt touched.

     It was the only part of him that felt like...him.

     And there were people who liked that.

     ...Hm... How sweet.

     Reigen didn't end up going to sleep until about five AM, making him terribly late for work the next morning.

     And the next time he was invited on another show, this time a laid back podcast just between a few dudes who liked talking politics...he accepted.

     He actually accepted it.

     Because his soul felt heard.

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     He didn't last long with the demons. How could he? He was useless laying around doing nothing! But he sat around for a little while, listening restlessly to old tales of times long gone.

     The sun, though it did not kill Tanjiro and Nezuko like it apparently did to other demons, still made them a whole lot weaker. So.. that must be why the two preferred to fight at night, resting under the shade during the day in order to preserve their strength.

     Genya was basically human for the most part. His quirk allowing him to take on the abilities of whoever's blood was in his system. A fascinating power... Reminded Deku a whole lot of Toga, actually.

     The best thing to call Tanjiro and Nezuko's quirk I guess would be "Sun Dance" since it wasn't exactly their quirks that made them demons. No... Their born abilities were derived from the very roots of what later became known as elemental quirks. These abilities, unlike quirks, had to be trained and harnessed even to make an appearance in the user. So.. essentially. The biggest difference between now and then was that you used to have to train hard for your quirk to activate. And the Kamado siblings did just that. Sun Dance, or Sun Breathing as the elders liked to call it, was basically a complicated version of a fire quirk. But it was more than that. Tanjiro at least had the ability to master ALL elements if he truly wanted, since his quirk was essentially the root of all elemental-based quirks. Just as ESP was the base of all mental, emotional, and spiritual quirks.

     Hhhhohboy. Quirks just got a whole lot more confusing now that he had some background info to go off of...but Deku was SO HERE for it!

     Well, here for a little while. Because, after the sun had risen...it was time for the young hero to leave.

     "Deku." Tanjiro's voice jabbed at the boy from behind. The greenette turned around. Again, he was in his tearing hero outfit, mask on his face. Just by the stern look in the elder's eyes, he knew Tanjiro did not approve.

     "...I'm sorry... But I can't stay in one place for very long." He murmured.

     "How come?! I know you want to protect people, and I do too, but there is a difference between fighting strategically and throwing yourself out there for the heck of it! No one wins by throwing themselves helplessly at the enemy! Even if you find All For One, your plan won't WORK!"

     "WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Back turned to the man, the teen faced the wall of light, where just outside the parking garage shown the bright morning rays. "Every time I get comfortable.. every time I let my guard down..someone almost DIES!" His voice was so raw and broken. So..so filled with regret.

     But he didn't cry. He no longer had the tears to...

     The greenette clenched his gloved fists tightly at his sides. "...If I don't do what I can to help.. how am I supposed to live with myself?.. Thanks for trying, but I've got it... I'm fine." Swinging a leg out, the teen took a step into the light. But that's when a hand caught his wrist. When he glared over his shoulder, his whole demeanor shifted. Deku gasped. In the same wardrobe and with generally the same face and hair...was a much younger man. Not even that. But a teenager. Younger than himself even. "..How did you-?"

     "-This was what I looked like when I lost everything..." The demon started softly, his voice higher pitched than before. He stood even shorter than Deku at the moment... So small. Thirteen, maybe. "This was....what I loo-oked like." Repeating himself, his voice was weaker, diverting his red eyes to the ground as they filled with tears. His bottom lip trembled. "...My family.. my home... I had six younger siblings and a loving mother... Only Nezuko survived...and I didn't even know if she would be alright again! She was turned into a demon-- and-and! ...Point is.. I know what it feels like. Feeling worthless. Haunted by relentless guilt for not being able to do anything about it. The struggle of being the strong one who keeps on going for the sake of those you had to leave behind." The hand holding Deku's wrist was trembling. "But you don't have to be that person! You don't have to suffer this all alone, because you have people like Nezuko, Genya and I who want to HELP!" The demon aged up a little until he was about the height and age as Deku. His eyes were still full of genuine, empathic tears.

     But he smiled... Something Deku simply couldn't do...

     Staring the masked one dead in the eyes, "Wearing yourself down to the breaking point, especially when there are others here to help... is just glorified self harm! You're punishing yourself for other people's sins! Don't you see how absurd that is!?" The hand gripping his wrist, tugged Deku further into the shade. Deku's eyes widened at attention. Though they had gone wandering, he again looked the now other teen in the eyes. "You are MORE than your power! Did you ever stop and think that there are people who want to protect you JUST AS MUCH as you want to protect THEM?!" Deku gasped faintly. And after a moment of silence between the two, Tanjiro let him go. Staring down, wiping the tears out of his eyes now, "...I can't force you to stay here. That's not my job as your grandpa.. but I just want you to know that you don't have to do this all alone. You shouldn't."

     ...What a brave show of affection. Even to a stranger like him. Tanjiro was so loving.. accepting... and grieving.

     Deku didn't want to be another soul for the demon to have to grieve...

     But he also..just...couldn't.

     Deku placed his hand on Tanjiro's shoulder..which turned into a hug. It didn't last long, but both embraced each other so warmly it was like an embrace between long lost brothers.

     "...I'm sorry..." The green haired one murmured. He slipped free from the other's hug, stepping into the light. Further, this time. He was completely encompassed by it. "But I can't risk you getting hurt too..."

     Though Tanjiro stretched out his hand, Deku did not come to it. Instead, the teen used Black Whip and launched himself up the side of the building...completely out of sight.

     He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to shake that feeling. ...Like he was the world's only hope.

     You could say anything to him and he simply wouldn't believe it.

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" 'Spirits And Such Consultation Office' "

     Zeya drudged into the office with a backpack slung over her shoulders, grinning as both her hair and clothes dripped water all over the floor.

     "Hehehe.." She grinned right across the room at Gojo.

     "Is it raining?" He was presently the only one in the office, meaning he alone had to deal with this troublemaker.

     "Nnnope!" The white haired man's brows twisted around on his face, tightening as he tried to figure out what this kid had in mind. "Where's Uncle Reigen?" Scanning around the room, she noted the lack of management.

     "Hhhh," chin planted in his palm, "away.. Left Serizawa in charge, but that guy desperately needed some help running the office, so I told him to just keep doing his thing while I held down the fort for now." Clearly, the newly quirkless one was a little agitated about the sudden responsibilities. Reigen just kinda abandoned them all to chase after a new fancy toy!

     "Good~"

     "Huh?"

     "I came here to see you anyways!" That grin returning, the girl crossed the room and slid the backpack off her shoulder. She placed it on the floor in front of Gojo's small desk and bent down the dig through it. "You seemed pretty lonely, so I brought you a friend!" Standing up suddenly, the teen tore out a literal, living..breathing duck and plopped it on the counter in front of the man! Gojo's thick, white eyelashes sprouted wide open! "Her name is Puddle." The girl smirked down at the simple white duck. The man blinked a few times at it.

     Pointing at the animal, "Uhhh, where did you get this?"

     "The park! Where else?" Zeya's hands folded behind her back, snickering a little but also genuinely seeing this as a good idea. For a supposedly wild beast, the duck was surprisingly tame.

     "..." ._. "Yeah that makes sense." The elder then reached out and pet the creature, staring for a moment into the animal's deep, void eyes. "...Awwe, itssofluffy!" He smiled at it, cupping the creature's adorable head in his hands. It quacked and twisted it's neck around until its head popped free. Then the animal flapped its wings around on the desk, starting to make a fuss. Gojo laughed, though small it was, for the first time all day. And Zeya beamed to hear it. "Alright, alright.. you should probably put that thing back where you found it. You alone are already making a pretty big mess in here."

     "Awwwh, but Puddle here was getting picked on at the pond!" Picking the animal up suddenly and hugging it, she giggled hearing it quack in her arms. She stared at the secretary with two pouty eyes. "All she needs is a friend.."

     "Waaak!" The animal added. Both humans chuckled.

     Peering up at the girl and duck through his bangs, "Hhhh, I'm not keeping that thing in my apartment."

     "But she BAYBE-"

     "-However," raising his index finger. "If you can create a pen, sort out where she's going to sleep, and figure out what she needs to eat... I would be willing to share custody of her."

     The girl gasped and smiled. "My aunt's pool would be PERFECT!" She hugged the duck dearly. "Wouldn't it, little Puddle?? Yes it would!" Gojo chuckled at the sight, resting his chin on the back of his hand as he smiled faintly at the child. She was about the same age as his students... Too bad her quirk wasn't anything special. At least there was nothing he could help her with there. "Where's Reigen anyways?" The teen suddenly stood straighter?

     "Huh?"

     "He should be here, right?! So, uhh, where'd he go??"

     "Hhhhe's...busy doing other things.. at the moment." Again, it was hard to hide his inner protest. Guess he could understand where Zeya got her lack of responsibility.

----------

     It was late and Elyse was starting to get worried. Reigen wasn't answering his calls, texts, emails -- anything. Even when she knew he wasn't busy! Her own anxiety stirred. That dreaded fear of abandonment making it hard to breathe. Even if he wasn't doing it intentionally... Reigen was really starting to scare her.

     She speed dialed the first person that came to mind in this moment of need. Someone who she knew might have some answers.

     ""Yeah, hello? Is everything alright over there? You never call!"" Reigen's big sister, Seiko, was quick to answer. Elyse relaxed a little just from hearing the woman's voice. What a surprising relief her presence turned out to be. Unlike Elyse, Seiko became more anxious because of the call. It was true. The two usually just texted.

     "I...need to ask you something." Elyse dragged her back down against one of the posts at the entryway of her open kitchen until she sat on the tile floor, digging her free hand through her hair to soothe her own nerves.

     "Yeah, I'm listening.."

     "Is... Do you..? Hhh, you've lived with Reigen longer. Is it normal for him to grow distant from everyone?"

     "Wait.. What do you mean by distant? Emotionally? Physically? Mentally?"

     "All of them??? Ghhh..." dragging her free hand down her face "...He's been jumping from show to show like crazy! His employees are starting to complain about him skipping work and I-- well, whenever he's here...it doesn't feel like it."

     "..."

     "..Seiko?" Elyse held the phone with both hands now, worried by the silence.

     "Hhhhohhhman... Yeah, that might be a problem."

     Weakly, "Oh no..."

     "Hhhggg... When will that kid learn??... I'm sorry. I'm not trying to scare you, but that sounds exactly like what he did right before he left all of us... Got super distant, then just ditched."

     Elyse covered her mouth with her hand. She was usually a really strong woman...but right now all she wanted to do was cry.

     "Hey.. hey... It's alright.

     ...He just needs to remember why he's there in the first place."

----------

     "I just want to thank you again for being so kind to our team here. It's an honor having you on." Shaking hands with a familiarly dressed blond. The two men stood back behind the set.

     "Oh! It's not a problem at all! Thank you for being such a good host!" It was a fake smile. Faker than fake. An imitation of an imitation smile. ...Yet it still somehow did the trick.

     It was honestly impressive how far he could take this act. How easily he could manipulate people if he really wanted to. Scary, even. Reigen wasn't sure if he could trust himself with this power anymore! It wasn't that he ever had the desire to take control of the weaker minded. He was just.. a little scared of what he might do if someday he did. Like...he could seriously hurt people with a power like that!

     And he didn't know if he trusted himself anymore. He didn't know himself. Never did!

     ...What if his true self turned out to be a monster...?

     "No.. that's not possible." Reigen mumbled to himself as he exited the back door to the studio, hands tucked into his pockets as he strolled out onto the sidewalk. He was met with lights. Bright and plentiful. Sounds, smells, people!... The happenings of life danced before his very eyes.. but Reigen felt a stranger to it. Something turned in his stomach as he tried to step out onto the busy market street.

     ...No. He couldn't be around people right now.

     Reigen spun around and directed his steps in the other direction.

... 

     Later, Reigen scraped his heels against the empty sidewalk on his stroll back home. To his right was a railing and a dropoff beyond it into a sparkling lake under the pale blue moonlight. To his left was an empty, dark road, where only the occasional car drove by. He felt more at home here. Alone with his thoughts. Wait-no.. he hated his thoughts actually. Why was he here?

     "...It's a little late...but maybe I could take Elyse out to dinner-?" He physically flinched as pain enveloped his chest at the idea. His thoughts jumped to imagining her looking at him disappointedly, not mad but upset that he was leaving her all alone.

     ...He wasn't oblivious to the fact that he was a little more distant than usual. In fact, his self awareness was so bad it ate him up inside to think about.

     By this point his loneliness was a self fulfilling prophecy he couldn't STOP! He desperately wanted to, but he just couldn't for some reason! Because the more distant he got, the more he feared confrontation, and the more he feared confrontation, well.. the more distant he got. It was a never ending spiral that would lead to nothing good and he KNEW IT!.. But he was caught. Ensnared in the very same web that had driven him away from so many he would consider friends and family in the past before now... Why Mob was different, he hadn't a clue! Maybe because, once upon a time... Mob actually needed him.

...

     Crap, now he was starting to question whether or not Mob would leave him now too! He better stop! "Maybe I just... shouldn't eat tonight." His stomach protested angrily, for it hadn't been fed all day already! He was starting to slack on meals all around the clock. Funny thing is he'd be starving while thinking about food, but the moment he actually saw it--! Suddenly, that hunger was gone. Replaced with a feeling of disgust. Like feeding himself was equal to picking up a dead bug with your bare hands.

     Reigen walked along uncomfortably, wondering why now of all times. Why was he now struggling so much?

     Couldn't he simply be okay with being happy for once?? Nothing bad really even happened to him! He didn't lose his parents, his sister! Nobody he really cared about at least! One could even say his life was the very standard for normal! So he had no real reason to even feel this bad!

     He was just... lonely...

     The biggest lie throughout all these years..was the one that said he was fine...

     His phone rang suddenly. Reigen usually had it on 'do not disturb;' looks like he changed that recently. He let the annoying tune play in his pocket for a while, until finally he had to respond. The fake smile returned immediately. "Reigen Arataka here! What can I do for you??"

     ""Heyyy~! It's your rival! Evelyn Deavor."" The voice was slurred slightly, like she was either super tired or perhaps drunk. The man's brows tightened above his eyes.

     "Listen, if you want me on your show again, it's a no. I'm not interested." He was done with the acting, stern with her to ensure she never called about this again.

     ""Wai wai..."" Yeah, definitely drunk. Reigen rolled his eyes. ""M' just wanting t' talk.""

     "...Hhhh..." Of course he could never turn down a person in need. Reigen reluctantly nodded, rubbing the back of his head with his idle hand. "Alright, but you're going to need to pay me back via consultation fee."

     He could hear the drunk smirk as the woman breathed. ""Oh..you won't have to worry about that...""

     "Mhm, now go on." He held the phone to his ear, hoping that the majority of this call would just be her blabbering about exes and whatnot.

     ""...You know, you're not the first man to ruined my life, but I guess you are still pretty bad."" The man had no comment for that. He at least knew where she was coming from. Her show was already on the decline before he guest starred. Afterward, her reviews definitely plummeted. ""..I- ..I think it's funny, though.""

     Reigen turned a little to stick by the lake he circled in order to reach the house. "What is?" He spoke with very little regard for his tone.

     ""We have the same curse."" The blond stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't know exactly why, but something clicked in him. Reset his mind, if you will. Like, suddenly a huge puzzle in his life was just now beginning to make sense.

     "...Curse?"

     ""Mhm.."" Evelyn swallowed -- likely more wine -- before continuing. ""We both know people better than we know ourselves.""

     "I don't know what you are talking about."

     ""Psshhh! Yes you doo~! That Q&A thing! Even when we had lunch! Don't think I'm stupid!.. You only won because you were using my own tricks against me and I wasn't used to that!"" Through her complaining, her drunkenness made her sound a little happy about that. ""Your fake smiles, forced laughter, strategic poses and gestures! It's all just an act! All things I do! N' it's normal I guess..until you get t'r th' part where y' forget who you really are!.. N' doin a little research on ya made me see we're not so different at all!""

     Reigen clicked his tongue, finding it a little hard to accept being compared to a manipulative show host like Evelyn Deavor. Though... I guess.. he did manipulate people all the time...

     ""--Point is, putt'n it however you would.. I think we're inflicted with the same curse..""

     "Oh yeah? Whatever could that be?" Sarcastic.

     Evelyn was heard swallowing the last of her drink. ""Ahhh,"" satisfied, she dropped the bottle. Several seconds later, the distant crash of it shattering on the floor. Reigen flinched a little, walking at a faster pace. ""H-yiic-up... I dunno.. jus' we're both destined to die alone is all."" Reigen walked even faster, staring dead ahead as if trying to avoid this. ""All we both want is to help people.. but no matter what we do we always seem to f### it up..n' make things worse... Like h'w you took in that Kag'yama kid, hoping to make him better. But then..oopsies!""

     "You aren't recording this conversation, are you?"

     ""Course not!! As if my public image isn't bad enough."" The woman laughed, which trailed off thanks to the man's unresponsiveness. ""...You hate yourself too, don't you~?""

     "This is supposed to be about you, Deavor. So are you going to shut up about me or do I need to hang up?"

     ""...""

     "..."

     ""...You know, I always wanted my last conversation to be a happy one full of meaning. So why you gotta ruin it like that, man?"" She pouted. 

     "Wait-wait, what?!.. Where are you exactly??"

     ""On a roof somewhere.. I dunno honestly. I was just there for the wine.""

     He stopped, holding the phone in front of him now. "Listen.. I am going to need you to be more specific. You don't just threaten someone with suicide like that!"

     ""Threaten?? Nahh!""

     "You're intoxicated!.."
        ""Hey-""
     "I need you to step down from the roof"
        ""Hey-""
     "and tell me your location.-"
        ""HEY!""

     ""Why the h### do you think I called you?"" Reigen didn't know but his hands and face were all getting sweaty. The fact that he could do nothing but talk here really wasn't helping. ""...You're not the first man who ruined my life..but y'll be the last.""

    "Deavor. Tell me where you are. NOW. I- I'll go there myself! We can talk about this in person, alright??!"

     ""-Listen, Reigen..."" She could hear his breaths through the phone. So stressed and intense. Made her chuckle as she neared the edge. Each and every one of the rooftops were lit beautifully by the crystal blue moonlight. It was a perfectly clear sky tonight. ""Look at the stars."" Reigen followed. Both from their own places switched their attentions to the heavens above. ""...The world's too good for us, isn't it?.. So beautiful.. So bright.""

     Reigen swallowed painfully, speaking warily. "Evelyn.."

     ""Heh... It's cute that you act like you care so much. ...Enjoy the fame and fortune while it lasts... That is all I have to say."" ... A loud thud sounded as the phone on the other end dropped. A deafening silence followed, then a distant crash and screech of a stranger. He wasn't...sure he heard that right. Was that..?

     "...Evelyn?"

     No answer.

     In the sickest way possible, she won in a sense... Got Reigen to confess to himself...that this was not the life he wanted to live. And he may have just made the biggest mistake in his life. He should never have accepted her invitation to that debate.

     ...And he could have been a little nicer to Evelyn too...

.

.

.

=======================
Terrible place to end a chapter. Ik ik...

I always felt like Evelyn Deavor (from Incredibles 2) stole my name... So I casually stole it back and used it on a "villain" who truly deserved it (thematically). (Writing this chapter was real weird fr fr)

In case you're wondering how the HECK all that was inspired by the spinoff, I basically just took literal events that happened and made them more symbolic. Like, Evelyn is Reigen's self proclaimed rival who, in a moment of self sacrificing determination to get rid of him, passes the curse haunting her on to him. So now HE has to deal with what was eating away at her life force. ... A curse that is typically only "cured" by passing it on...

Read the spinoff! I highly recommend it! It's free!

I'm sorry if that got a little too dark, guys. Just gimmie the word and I'll try to change it up a bit.

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