acatalepsy_logs | [OPEN] Well. That Didn't Go Quite As Planned

Who: EVERYONE
Where: The Temple of Beginnings
When: Immediately After The End.
Rating: PG-13, may vary by thread
What: You fall, you pick yourself back up and you move on. Or at least, you try.

Fished Out Of Water
One minute, you are witnessing the fabric of an entire world implode as it is literally ripped apart by powers unknown. The next, that tell-tale twist somewhere beneath your sternum, before you are bodily YANKED away from Akvos, away from the ocean and the Queen and the King and the Princess.

And land back on (mostly) solid, dry ground.

Welcome back to the Temple of Beginnings. Don't worry, there's no hurry for you to get back up just yet.

Hey, Howya Doin'?
Once you do get back up, now is the time to be taking stock of the situation - yours, your friends, and even those new merfolk neighbours (who may need a hand getting their fins back into the water). There is also the missing members of the Circle to consider: people who disappeared on the journey to Akvos, and those who never made it back..

(There's also that small matter with a certain 'witchess-san' that may be a cause for concern to some more than others.)

Whatever the case, it's a lot to process right now. Take the time you have, because you don't know if it'll be enough for what you need.

[[ OOC: Here's an open post for threads reacting to the end of the Akvos world hop. Feel free to use the above prompts, and/or make your own! ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kid, heroes-

[What the fuck is he doing? Telling the kid heroes aren’t real - not in the way he seems to think of them - is the last fucking thing Hank is going to let himself do today. But he needs to hear something.

Okay, fuck. How to say this.]

Where you come from, these hero types, do they ever take their uniforms off? Or do they just keep on all the time, let em get all sweaty and gross?

[A pause as he considers this in the middle of wiping his nose on his sleeve. Then he blinks and looks up at Hank.]

They go home after their jobs like the rest of us. It's just... more intense. They're often on call and expected to jump into action if the see a Villain even if they're not on duty. But they don't live in their hero outfits, no. A lot of heroes are married and have families and...

[He trails off. A little too tried to go into details.]

Right, so-

[Hank sounds maybe a little strained, sort of desperate, his already shaky confidence that this little metaphor was the way to go taking a hit in the face of the kid's clear lack of understanding.]

Uh. So, look, they got to take the cape off some time. Maybe cryin on duty's a bad idea, but- okay, I don't know heroes, no, but I know cops. We gotta go home at the end of the day too, talk to some people, have a beer, scream into a pillow- [Break down into a crying, choking, freaked out mess in front of god and everybody - but there's details and then there's details, and Izuku never needs to know about that.] -or, hell, cry a little. If you need to. I guess. So. I mean-

[Hank shrugs, curls what he hopes is a reassuring hand around the kid's shoulder, and tries another smile. This one, he thinks, comes out less shitty than the other tries, so. He's getting there.]

You go ahead and do, uh, whatever you need to. Better to uh, get it out now, right? And not later when you've got to, you know, put that cape on again, Mr. Hero.

Yeah, you're right.

[He wipes away tears again but with a little more determination and his shoulders have stopped shaking so much. He knows heroes are human like everyone else. Heck, the hero who looked up to most, who he thought was impossibly strong, had been reduced to a frail old man, unable to fight anymore and forced to retire. But he'd always put on a strong face and Izuku couldn't help but wish he always had a strong face too instead of being a huge crybaby.

Still, what Hank said made sense. If he was going to cry, cry now, when it's safe. Don't let it come to haunt you when you least expect it.]

When Hank smiles, he manages to give a watery one back. Then he looks down, sniffles, and mumbles shyly]

I'm sorry I bothered you. But... I'm glad I talked to you.

Shit, your standards are low.

[Hank's smile goes wry and lopsided and he gives the kid's shoulder one last squeeze before letting go and starting to take half a step back. He won't force it if Izuku still wants to hang on, but he also doesn't really want to push his luck with the whole magic power thing. There's not as much chance of it going bad now, though, not like there was, he feels- well, not better. Not after what happened. Whatever the fuck it was that happened. But he feels more... he feels less...

Something. Fuck it. Hank doesn't have to figure it out, so he doesn't waste time trying. This is about the kid anyway, still.]

Do you feel, uh-

[Not better. He wouldn't be feeling better after that, either.]

I mean, uh. How you feeling?

Maybe. But I'm still glad.

[And it's not exactly untrue. His dad is out of the picture and his mentor was a great hero but a rather poor teacher. So any life advice he can get is a rare gem.

When Hank pulls away, Izuku wraps his arms around himself to make sure he holds steady as he tries to decide how to answer Hank's question. The steady hand, even if it's gone, had helped.]

...Cold. Sniffly. Really sniffly. But... [he searches for the word. Not "good", not "better", before settling on-] lighter. Before it felt... like my chest is being crushed under it all. It's not as bad now.

Sounds nice.

[Hank's crooked try at a smile's only half faded, hanging on an extra second or two cause this kid confirming, one hundred percent seriously, that Hank's go at comforting him maybe wasn't all it should have been is actually a little bit funny. Anyone else might of ignored Hank's little comment, or teased him with it. Not this kid.

So, Hank's still sort of almost-smiling. Then he makes his way around back to his bottle and flops back onto the ground, leaning back on his hands and looking at Izuku, letting the smile fade.]

You can, uh. Stay. If you want. [Hank won't be able to let go with the kid around and a part of him wants to tell Izuku so, guilt him into leaving. But Hank's not that far gone yet. If Izuku needs some sort of anchor Hank can buckle his shit down a little longer.] I might not be the best company, but uh-

[He shrugs a shoulder, trying to figure out how to end that sentence. But what? He's not the best company. Period. Whatever. He lets the sentence sit like that. He doesn't need to finish it anyway, the offer's already clear.]

Yeah.

[Izuku gives him a ghost of the bright smile that he's capable of but still... it's a smile. He watches Hank flop down next to his bottle. He can tell that Hank probably needs his own time to process all of this. Izuku had sort of... intruded on that even if it was unintentional. He decides it's best to give Hank space.]

I'm okay. I'm... I should probably wash my face. [He's pretty snotty and splotchy.] And then I'll go ask my friend to spar. He probably needs it.

Umm...

[Still he stands there for a few seconds, thinking back on their conversation as his face suddenly turns a little red. Finally it just all bursts forth in a fluster.]

Um! What I said before, I know that I said that I had low standards and... that's probably true. Not a lot of people in my life have given me advice until recently... I mean, what I'm trying to say is I really do think what you said was helpful and... it definitely sounded like high quality advice! Like one of my teachers might give.

[He seems to realize that he's sort of rambling and stops himself. He sniffs loudly and stands a little straighter.]

I'm trying to say... thank you, Lieutenant.

[PAUSE. Like he's steeling himself.]

...Hank.

[He inclines his head in a small bow.]

[That little speech made Hank's eyebrows climb, and they haven't come down yet. He watches the kid, amusement tugging at a corner of his mouth. He's not really smiling but he's coming closer than he expected to without even trying, and he's not sure if he even wants to be doing it, but-

The kid's heart is in the right place. Boy, is it. He snorts, looking fond.]

Yeah. No problem. Just-

[This last part he pushes out fast, wanting to say it before the hypocrisy catches up to him and chases the words away.]

Take care of yourself, alright? Cry if you need to. It's fine. If someone gives a shit it's on them for being a shitty human being, not on you.

I will.

I'm... actually sort of a crybaby. So crying comes pretty easy to me, whether I want to or not. [He's looks a bit embarrassed but he's started to embrace that part of himself and his new classmates don't tease him about it like kids did back in middle school.]

Please take care of yourself too. I... [He pauses, trying to think of something comforting to say. But he can't quite come up with it.] We have to look out for each other. Thank you for looking after me. And I'm sorry for the trouble.

[He bows again, wipes his nose on the back of his hand with a loud sniff, and jogs off like someone going to for a nice run. It keeps his head clearer than just walking.]

[OPEN] Well. That Didn't Go Quite As Planned

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