Chapter 38: What Does It Mean To Be An Entertainer?

What does it mean to be an entertainer?

It is a question that eventually flows into the mind of every entertainer at least once in their career.

However, even though this question can be interpreted in many different ways, the real answer, or at least my answer, can be summed up in two words.

To entertain.

It's as simple as that however those mere words are better said than actually put into play.

Because to entertain means to have the audience's eyes light up in amazement at your performance, or gaze at you in awe when you do something spectacular.

Though of course those feats are troublesome the longer you remain on stage because to constantly captivate the audience's attention you must be ever changing in your performances.

Always bringing something new to the table while not letting yourself become too predictable.

That is what it means to be a true entertainer however like I explained before it's not that easy.

The road to be an entertainer was a rocky one, at least for me it was.

Growing up with a drunkard of a father really destroyed my self-esteem at a young age.

It wasn't until I saw my master perform for the first time did my gloomy eyes, that seemed always hollow, finally lit up in amazement.

His stage name was Mr. Wizzo and he was a simple entertainer but to me he was an inspiration, a role model, and last but not least a father figure.

Mr. Wizzo saw how my life seemed ever so dull and offered one day to take me in as his apprentice.

For the first time in what seemed like forever did the feeling of joy sprout anew in my heart, letting me finally see color once again in a world that always seemed so black and white.

The ways he taught me to utilize my quirk for the sake of the audience's gasps filled me with wonder.

Even when the days became dull when I had to leave, the color of the world never faded even when my father beat me.

Because the sight of someone gazing upon my performance in awe made all the pain I experienced worth it.

The days passed so fast, too fast, and before I knew it I had already become a teenager.

It was then that I discovered what the true meaning behind mortality was after my master collapsed to the ground one fateful day.

He did not make it and that was the day I realized that sometimes a performance can leave someone heartbroken.

But that did not mean I diminished Mr. Wizzo's performance of life, No!

I celebrated it because every person's life is a performance and I deeply cherished the acts, the stages, and time I spent with Mr. Wizzo.

He taught me what it meant to be whole and I'll never forget his kindness as well as his sincereness.

Though once I returned to my humble abode I was once again met with my quirkless father gazing upon me with disdain and hatred even though we are of the same blood.

Over the years I have pieced together a story from my fathers drinking ramblings as he beat me to quell his inferiority.

I learned of my grandfather through these minor pieces of stories, and it was then did I understand my father's disdain towards me.

I possessed my grandfather's quirk and that made my father hate me, his own son, and even though I had done nothing wrong in the end my father could never let go of the jealousy he had towards me.

When I realized this, I no longer hid in the shadow of fear that always seemed to lurk over me whenever I came face to face with my father.

It was on that day, my life change, and I became reborn as Mr. Compress.

"You're an entertainer right! ENTERTAIN ME DAMMIT!" The drunkard roared, throwing his glass beer bottle at me as it hurled right at my forehead at a frightening speed.

Though I only tilted my head as the bottle exploded behind me with some of the contents splashing against the wall.

"WHY DID YOU DODG-" His rambles and shouts were cut short as I turned him into a marble.

After all this time it was ironic that the method to deal with him was as simple as that.

"You are nothing." I said while holding the marble between my fingers as all my father could do was gaze in horror.

"You are a hollow man that knows nothing except to pity himself while drowning out his constant sorrows with booze to forget about all the problems that you yourself have caused." I let out my grievances as the weight constantly pressing down against my heart became lighter at every word I uttered.

"For thirteen years I stayed idle hoping that one day you would be the father I always hoped you would be but after today I realized something." I closed my eyes while gazing up into the sky.

"My real father has already left this world while giving me the most spectacular performances that I will cherish for a lifetime." A smile formed on my face hoping that Mr. Wizzo was in a better place.

"But you, you're just someone I share the same blood with." My eyes turned cold as I turned my gaze back down onto the marble in between my fingers.

"A man like you does not deserve to have the title as my father which is why today you are nothing more to me than a weak, pathetic, drunkard of a man." I finally let go of all my grievances as I flicked the marble allowing for my father to be set free.

"Y-You can't use your quirk against me, it's illegal!" The man in front of me showed a scared expression as he pointed at me in shock.

"Your right but do you know what else is illegal?" I asked while tilting my head before taking a step forward to which he crawled back a little.

"Beating your son." I took another step as he hit the wall behind him.

"Beating my deceased mother." I smiled, taking another step as the man in front of me put up his hands signaling me to stop.

"But none of that matters in the end right?" The look of horror on his face made me feel delighted as I bent down.

"If you're wondering if I'm going to kill you then fret not." I patted his head trying to show him some relief before I showed a cold expression.

"Because I want you to live the rest of your life knowing that one day I could come back and kill you in cold blood." Then all the fear I had of him was finally let go as I slammed his head into the fall.

As I turned my back and left that shithole I called home, I took in my first breath of freedom, and oh did it smell good.

Then my life as Mr. Compress started and it was a marvel to be seen.

The crowds of anticipating people would always crowd around me and I would make sure to give them a show of a lifetime.

But as the fate of an entertainer is, when there are highs, there are lows, and sadly once I turned twenty did I realize what it meant to be at the bottom.

The bored gazes of people I thought I would never see always seemed to hover around me until there was no one left for me to entertain.

Life became like it was before I met Mr. Wizzo, hollow.

That's what everyday felt like knowing I would never reach the heights I did in my early days.

Until I came across another fateful day.

I received a storage key courtesy of my dear old man's liver finally giving out, and how the sight shocked me once I opened the storage unit.

Treasures all the eye could see littered this storage locker, and at first I was in shock.

Then my curiosity gave way leading me to rummage around the storage locker until I found a journal.

It detailed the feats of my ancestor the Peerless Thief, and after reading the first page.

I became entertained.

Even though he did the same thing, my heart never stopped beating in anticipation.

The way he wrote his adventures made me feel like I was there, with him, and we were obtaining these achievements together side by side.

It was then a realization hit me.

I want my performances to be like this, I want to be able to captivate even a passer by into wanting to know each and every detail of my adventures.

It was then I decided to be a villain.

The core of my performances shifted into that of crime, however my goal to entertain always remained the same, because no matter what I do, I will always be an entertainer at heart!

A year passed and I started generating buzz around the underworld though not as exciting as I imagined however progress was still progress.

Then one day I stumbled upon what looked like a runaway camp which made me have a since of deja vu.

At one point in my life I was like these people so I decided to inspire them like the day I was inspired.

That day was the day I met the man known as Shin, a curious fellow that seemed so mysterious yet captivating that made you always want to know more.

His associate, the goth fellow known as Dabi, not so much.

He immediately spotted my presence which greatly shocked me however I am a man of many talents so a little improv was nothing to me.

I introduced myself yet the introduction I received was such a poor one that I could not be satisfied with only that!

So I decided to entertain the idea of including these two in my performances only to be once again surprised!

When he offered me a chance of a new environment, I became greatly intrigued.

I had never done a performance like he suggested however would I be perturbed, never!

I am an entertainer, and I strive to entertain to the best of my abilities and that means constantly improving myself for any situation my shows go in.

So I acquiesced but that day my life changed forever.

It was then that Shin started telling me what it meant to be a villain.

At first I was sure of my answers but as the conversation dragged out, did my resolve and my beliefs start to waver.

His logic made me rethink my standpoint of what I labeled my ancestor since I always thought or at least what the association wanted me to believe, my ancestor to be a villain.

Only when my thoughts came to a stop did I realize what I had done.

I had falsely labeled what my ancestor was without even thinking of what such a title could mean for him.

He probably felt the same way I do when someone calls me a clown, immense anger.

Once when I came to that conclusion did I apologize deeply to my ancestor and decide not to label him as a villain but as a man who stood firm in his beliefs.

That is what became my opinion and my new goal which was to believe in my beliefs, and my beliefs were always to entertain as many people as possible.

It was why I showed myself in two days time to the allotted point that Shin had requested.

I arrived and was informed of the plan to which I graciously accepted since I became even more curious about the fellow named Shin.

My performance went underway in the forest and if I might say, it went specularly!

However that couldn't be said for the kid named Dabi as he was in need of help and after I finished aiding the goth kid known as Dabi did I have to watch a side character succumb to the cliche plot of them dying in order for the audience to feel the feeling of loss.

The news would be heartbreaking for the man known as Shin however it was a crucial building block for his character growth in the future which would be a marvel to see.

But of course there has to be a twist!

There I saw a man actually bring someone back to life.

Then there was another twist!

Shin actually used my quirk to shrink me down, the amount of shock and worry I felt could never be compared in my whole life.

Once he pulled me out of my pocket, my thoughts immediately ran to the idea of him being All For One.

But there was another twist!

I could still use my quirk, and so could he!

Oh what a show this turned into whenever I look back upon this fond memory however in that moment I was the most frightened I had ever been because of the implications of a quirk like this.

A quirk that lets the user copy any quirk without the original user's knowledge could bring vast destruction in the future however deep down buried behind all the fear I felt another emotion, excitement.

Imagine the performances I could take part in and watch if I followed along with what seemed like a man who truly fit the qualities of a main character.

When he asked for me to join him the only reason I stopped and really thought about it was because joining him would mean I would become a side character.

The fate of a side character is either detrimental or expendable and my greatest fear in life is being a passing moment.

However this chance was too good to pass up so I accepted, and when I did my life changed.

My performances made leaps and bounds under my new boss Shin.

Everything felt like a riveting story instead of just a plain performance and I couldn't be more enthralled.

Until he said something that shocked me to the bone, something that made my body tingle in excitement, and something that made me jump for joy.

Even when I discovered he could give quirks like his father did I heave out a breath of enthusiasm at the thought of all the performances I could achieve but it didn't stop there, a monumental event appeared!

The chance to grace a stage as big as a city appeared before my eyes once his words graced my ears.

The opportunity that only few truly get to experience!

A show like never before!

I knew at that moment I needed to grab ahold of that straw, this chance, this moment!

And to my delight he graciously gave it to me with the exception that I develop the story, and develop it I did!

I spent hours upon hours, and days upon days writing and rewriting what would be the biggest feat of my career.

One week passed and with it did my masterpiece flourish!

Oh the delight I had once I gazed upon it! The sheer amount of happiness I felt in that exact moment could not be put into a single object, yet it was!

Then the pieces all started to align before the day that I would shock the city, the nation, and the world with my performance.

Even though no one would know it was me, it didn't matter as the mere mention of this performance would be recorded for future generations, and that was enough for me!

Right now, I'm dressed head to toe in robes while playing my character, having a camera that would broadcast my performance to all the residents of Musutafu.

So in this situation I found myself in, I did what an entertainer like myself knows how to do best! Entertain!

"Greetings citizens of Musutafu." I spoke out in a calm manner yet my heart never seemed to stop buzzing.

"I am Fusao Shima, a loyal servant of my goddess, and today I will release you from your binding shackles that you have been tricked into thinking is life!"

POV Atsuhiro End

Author's Note: Oh no, I accidentally dropped this filler chapter.