Chapter 22: Hello Darkness My Old Friend
I'm in a place of shadow. As far as the eye can see, there's only an all-consuming darkness. It's intimidating. Ominous. Familiar.
"Back again, are we?"
The only change is a single circle of light, in which I sit across from a professionally dressed woman at a bamboo desk. The source of light; a single lantern striving to combat the creeping black.
"Yep!"
"What was it this time?"
"I had Himiko Kali Ma my heart. We found a stash of pre-quirk era movies and kind of got excited to experiment with some of what we saw. Man, am I glad that I don't feel pain anymore! Given how the guy I did that to reacted, I'm sure that it would have been painful!"
I've become pretty comfortable here, given all the experiments with my quirk that I've been conducting with Himiko. I've even managed to get close to the lady that's always waiting for me! Well, sort of. At the very least she stopped looking annoyed after the fifteenth time I showed up. Still! Progress!
"I am quite aware. A few of my colleagues have informed me that some of their recent… charges, were ranting about a child in green having ended their lives. I do believe that one of them had an entire unexpected batch show up within a few minutes of each other?" She raises an eyebrow and I feel the urge to whistle innocently.
I mean, I am innocent! Totally! Doesn't that one religion say that murder is wrong, but doesn't clarify about killing in general? Then I'm totally innocent!
But since it's clear that she wants to know more about what happened, I suppose I can explain. "Well, you see, some gang guy with a weak teleportation quirk decided to harass Himiko. Normally teleportation quirks are highly sought after, but this guy could only teleport clothing."
I scowl at the memory. We were just walking down the street to get some celebratory ice cream after killing a guy who was mugging some woman (ignore the fact that Himiko drained her dry afterwards because her blood she tasted like 'chocolate syrup') when this random punk grabbed her by the shoulder and leaned in close to her ear.
Normally she would have just stabbed the guy the moment he grabbed her, but she really wanted to pour that blood she'd gotten onto some pomegranate ice cream. How chocolate syrupy blood and pomegranate ice cream taste together, I have no intention of ever finding out. But anyways, instead of stabbing him, she just punched him in the stomach.
Oh boy, did he get mad about that. While clutching his stomach on the ground, he shouted something about how his gang would 'show her her place' and made a grabbing motion at her. Since we'd already moved out of his reach, neither of us thought anything of it. But in a world where the extraordinary has long become ordinary, we should have known better.
All of a sudden her shirt and skirt had disappeared from around her and ended up in the bastard's hand. Now, obviously Himiko isn't shy about being seen in her underwear. It's kind of a given what with her quirk working better if she strips naked beforehand.
But I still have no idea how her quirk is able to copy clothes! Especially since we got blood from someone and followed him until he changed clothes, and when she transformed she was in the clothes from when she'd gotten the blood! It bothered me so much that I killed the guy! WHAT DOES IT MEAN!?
*Cough* Sidetracked. Anyways, being seen in her underwear, while a bit embarrassing for her, isn't overall too big of a deal. But the way he was leering at her and talking about how he and his friends would 'have fun' with her? Oooohhh! The only reason I didn't gut him then and there is because my dear precious vampire held an arm out to stop me.
After letting the guy take a picture while covering herself, he ran off. Obviously we followed at a distance after I covered her with my jacket. It took a bit of time, but he eventually ended up at what looked like an abandoned warehouse.
I was shocked. Really.
…
It was whatever, honestly. But given how confident he was acting, couldn't he at least have had the decency to be part of more than some small-time gang? Like, abandoned warehouses are the lowest of the low in terms of criminal organizations. Hell, they don't even qualify as villains! In fact, given how dilapidated it was, I would say they even barely passed the bar to be qualified as a 'gang' and would better be classified as delinquents.
Off track again. Anyways, after confirming their location, Himiko sent me off to get something burny, and something explodey. A quick robbery of a gas station later (thank goodness that I stole a second jacket on the way. And always keep my mask stashed in my hood) and I'd returned with four gallons of gas and a box of matches.
"Ok, so you can pour one of those cans around the doors of the warehouse and light it so they don't run away. Then go cause a distraction, and after I find my knives I'll give you a signal. Then you can blow up the second one right in the middle of them! I'll stab anyone that survives in a super mean way!"
I nodded along with her explanation. Obviously Himi wasn't mad about what he'd done to her - well, not too much. Maybe fifty percent? What really had her mad was that the guy stole all her knives!
To make a medium-ish length story short, most of the delinquents got blown up or burned to death, and the unlucky ones met an adorably angry vampire.
Oh yeah, and I died for the second time. It's actually what started me on fully studying my quirk! But given how that was literally what sparked my second visit, I have to wonder why she's bringing it up now of all times…
But I decide to just shrug the question off. It's not like it's important anyways. She probably only recently met up with the colleague in charge of that group, so she hadn't heard of it before.
After telling her about the incident, she simply nods in understanding before raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "I see. It seems that you are living quite a bit differently than you were when you first appeared here."
I nod happily. "Yep! It's like you said: 'Guilt and regret are bitter'."
I get a sagely nod in reply. "Indeed. Though do try to avoid dying so much. It does have a tendency to disrupt the flow whenever someone who appears returns to the living realm. Though I must admit that it is refreshing to have a visitor who has the ability to retain their memories of this realm."
I tilt my head, taken aback by this new information. "Do you mean that people who only half-die don't remember coming here? If that's the case, what makes me different?"
The deadpan look I get reminds me of Shoko. There's absolutely no change in expression, but you can just tell that they think you've said something incredibly dumb.
"The fact that your quirk specifically has to do with dying and returning to life might have a hand in the situation."
I gasp, holding my hands to my mouth in mock surprise. "You sassed me! That's the first time you've done that! That means you're starting to like me~!"
Her eyes narrow into a glare. "You are fortunate that the effort it would take to force your soul to remain here is not nearly worth it to do."
That puts me in a serious mood. "You can force people to become fully dead if they're half-dead?"
She nods. "To simplify it, that would be correct. Although it is more accurate to say that we do not release our claim on their soul. Usually this is only done with incredibly desirable or atrocious souls. I am aware of one of my colleagues who has a team constantly on guard in case of one specific soul's arrival. He claims that it is incredibly slippery, and that he does not intend to allow it to escape."
"Huh. Who's that? Maybe if I see them I can send them down. Y'know, since you've been so patient with me."
She taps a finger on her pursed lips while she thinks before eventually shaking her head. "That will not be necessary. Not only is the individual they desire incredibly powerful, far outside your capabilities to kill, but I also do not care for that colleague. They are unpleasant."
I nod in understanding. "Yeah, I get it. They steal your lunch from the company refrigerator, right? Or did the two of you used to date?"
Ah~, another deadpan stare. There's something refreshing about getting those. Especially when paired with that certain look in their eyes~.
Just then I start to feel a faint pulling sensation, making me smile. After showing up here so often, I've started being able to feel when my soul is getting pulled back to my body. The lady tells me that's not how it's supposed to work, but oh well~.
"Guess I'll be heading back soon. I'll see you later! Ooh! Maybe I'll get you to tell me your name next time!" I wave my hands excitedly as I get pulled out of this place.
As everything vanishes from sight, I think I hear her say something, but I'm not sure. And since I'm opening my eyes to the familiar sight of Himiko leaning over me while sipping on a blood shake, it's too late to ask her.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Nartleb
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Well today sucked. Dropped a pole on my toe, my brother's car broke down when I was driving it back to him from the auto shop, and now there's some overly loud fly buzzing around my head.
Anyways, read ahead on patreon, stab a nemsis, and watch Nimona. #shouldnothavetakenthemback
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