Oh, the Misery - Arcane Male Reader Insert

Interlude #5: Fishbones

Deep inside us lies a feeling

An unshakable force

One that tells us to keep going

Even if the world just gives us more and more reasons not to do so

When Jinx allowed herself to be submerged in those waters, she thought she had given up on everything she held on to before

She felt free

But there was an issue with that freedom

It left a void, one she didn't know how to fill

So, without knowing, she reached into the deepest parts of her fractured mind

And she once again found this guiding light. One that just refused to leave her one way or another

Because she didn't want it to leave. Not really

...

Jinx was working in her lair, rock music blasting and startling the occasional bat

In front of her were blueprints and scattered parts for something. A gift for her father

It was a cannon, designed to harness the gemstone's power. Jinx's most powerful creation yet

The blue-haired genius focused on welding something. Her goggles protected her from the sparks that jumped from being far too close to the parts

She was humming along with the music, her other lifelong companion. Despite its chaotic sound, it provided a familiar sense of comfort to her

But that would suddenly change when she heard something she was not supposed to

"What ყσυ goƚ therҽ, BlueႦҽɾɾყ?"

Jinx screamed at the sound, accidentally burning a part of her metal table in the process

Her heart threatened to jump out of her chest, and her breathing got noticeably heavier

This was not possible. It shouldn't be

And yet

There it was. There he was

Slowly, she turned around to face the source of the voice and gasped when her theories became true

It was you

Well, the ghost of you she kept around

Jinx: Y/N, I--

???: It's my lateʂƚ invention! I'lʅ get to use ιƚ one day

Another figure ran past her to meet her brother. Jinx's eyes went wide when she recognized said figure

It was Powder

Suddenly, Jinx was back in her childhood home. The one in The Last Drop's basement

A single lamp provided illumination for the entire place. It was barely functioning, but her home had a certain charm to it

Jinx watched as Powder handed her drawing to her brother, with a huge grin on her face

It was one of those rare instances where it was only the two of them. Vander was serving the clients and the kids were off doing something else

Y/N took a closer look at it, smiling with that tender charm of his. He always had time for her, even after a rough day

And let's be honest, they were all rough days

The boy's eyes went wide by what he saw, by the complexity of this drawing

Y/N: Would you ʅσok at thαƚ. This is amazing, Poɯԃer!

The young kid giggled when he felt him petting her hair, then she was handed back her "blueprints"

Y/N: Althσυɠh it does look like Ⴆαɾҽ-bones ϝιsh. Don't you think?

Jinx looked back at the blueprints on her table. Much more advanced, of course, but it still retained very much the same theme

Even after all these years

Powder gasped and looked at him with sparkling eyes

Powder: Tԋαt's it! That caɳႦҽ its name!

Y/N: Bare-Ⴆσɳes fisԋ?

The kid nodded eagerly, earning a chuckle from her older brother

Y/N: Whαƚ αႦσυƚ, uh... fishႦσɳes?

Powder gasped, putting down her drawing to look at her brother as if he had discovered the secret to immortality

Powder: That's ҽven Ⴆҽƚter! Thanƙs Y/N!

Powder rushed at him and hugged him with that same excitement. Y/N laughed as he lifted her up and played with her

Jinx chuckled at the memory, left on her own as the voices died down

Slowly, she looked at her unnamed creation, and she smiled

"Yeah...Thanks, Y/N"

Without further due, she grabbed a pen and baptized her cannon

When Jinx allowed herself to be submerged in those waters, she thought she had given up on everything she held on to before

She felt free

But there was an issue with that freedom

You didn't die in the water with Powder, but instead, she brought the memory of you along with her new self

Because to Jinx...

"...you're the only one worth keeping around anyway"

__________________________

Being done for the day, Jinx sang to herself as she now walked through the streets 

But... something was wrong

There weren't nearly as many people as there normally would be

???: C'mon, this way!

???: The boss needs us! Move it!

Jinx saw a bunch of thugs running away in a specific direction, as a group responding to an emergency

These were Silco's thugs, however

Confused, the girl tilted her head

Were they on a mission?

What for?

Where?

Why wasn't she invited!?

It was too late to ask the criminals, they were already gone

So she turned to the only place where she could find the answers she was looking for

The Last Drop