#Since 1. he doesn't feel like it or need to (No longer a virtue) and 2. stuff was craaazy taxing. Zapped away a bunch of mana AND energy | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lilacwisps · 2 years ago

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commit the oldest sins (the newest kinds of ways)

Ship: Sebastian Sallow x Ravenclaw Female Player Character, Garreth Weasley x Ravenclaw Female Player Character Rating: M (eventually) Summary: "You don't understand," Ominis told him once, "The danger of dark magic is precisely in the fact that it seems innocent at first, yet it still corrupts you - and by the time you notice the corruption is often much too late."

Sebastian only scoffed in response - perhaps, what Ominis described could happen to some wizards and witches, but it would never happen to him. He was far too smart not to notice that he was being corrupted.

Or, in which Sebastian learns that dark magic corrupts in more ways than one. ao3 link

Chapter 1

Flashes of red, gold, and blue sparks fill the air around them. She's fast and excellent with the wand - yet still no match for him. A moment later, Sebastian has his wand pressed against the hollow of Ava's throat. She's still trying to catch her breath when Sebastian slowly starts tracing the line of her neck up to her jaw. Before she can protest, Sebastian tilts her chin with the tip of his wand, making Ava look him in the eye.

When their eyes meet, it is as though a jolt of electricity reaches his very core. Sebastian's gaze drops to Ava's lips - slightly parted and rosebud rich and, oh, so tempting - and he can hardly stop from closing the distance between them. Still, he wants to savor this victory for just a moment longer - and so Sebastian forces himself to look Ava back in the eye.

"Looks like I win," he murmurs, his voice hoarse.

"To the victor go the spoils," Ava smiles, "So what is it that the victor desires?"

Sebastian's in no hurry to answer, taking in the sight of Ava so delightfully flushed and breathless and disheveled. At that instance, she feels so different from her usual calm, composed, and haughty self that it's almost intoxicating - and Sebastian intends to savor every moment. Unfortunately for him, patience has never been his virtue - especially not when she looks at him through her eyelashes and bites her lip like that.

"You," he says simply, his gaze dropping to her lips again.

"Then you shall have me," Ava breathes out.

Those words are all the encouragement Sebastian needs - next thing he knows, he's leaning in, closing the distance between them. She's so delightfully soft and eager under his mouth, and Sebastian's head spins as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He wants to keep it slow and sweet at first, he truly does - but then she whimpers against his lips in the most dizzying manner, and it feels as though liquid fire spills through his veins, and he cannot hold back any longer.

He pulls her closer and deepens the kiss, savoring how her body feels pressed so close against his. His heart is pounding as heat pools low in his stomach, and Sebastian realizes this is not enough. He thought kissing her would quell the fire burning in his chest ever since the first time he laid his eyes upon her, but now he knows that he was wrong - instead, it only made him hunger - ache - for more.

He pulls away momentarily before leaning back in and pressing his lips to her neck, tracing her throat with kisses where he's traced earlier with his wand. Ava shivers under his touch, her fingers snaking through his hair, pulling him closer. He presses his mouth firmly against her tender skin, stealing a gasp from her lips, making the heat in his stomach almost unbearable. When he pulls away, he sees the red mark he'd left on her neck - a vivid lovebite. A satisfied smile blooms upon his lips - he likes how it looks and that others will know she is his.

And yet, that still is not enough - he craves to feel her skin against his, to feel her unravel under his touch, for her to become utterly and irrevocably his. Sebastian pushes her school robes off her shoulders, and Ava doesn't stop him. With one hand, he reaches for the hem of her skirt, hastily crumpling it up - he can hardly wait a moment longer.

"Sebastian…" she gasps when his hand slides up her thigh.

"Sebastian," a familiar voice reaches him through the haze of his sleep, making Sebastian stir in his bed, "Sebastian, wake up - it's a quarter to nine already, we've got Charms in fifteen minutes! Did you forget that Professor Ronen promised to give you detention if you miss another class? I won't help you get out of it this time - get up this very moment!"

Sebastian opens his eyes - the world around him looks blurry for a moment. He blinks and realizes he's in his dorm room, in his bed, and Ominis's standing over him, shaking him by the shoulder.

"Honestly, I don't even know why I bother," Ominis scoffs, "Clearly, you don't care about missing class."

"I'm already up," Sebastian argues faintly, "There are still fifteen minutes until Charms - I'll make it to class on time."

"We'll see," Ominis says, unconvinced, letting go of Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian sits up on the bed, feeling a little lightheaded. Unbidden, the memory of last night's dream races through his mind, and instantly, bright crimson blush blooms on his cheeks. His body is still fooled by the dream - and oh so eager for its continuation - and his chest tightens with embarrassment and guilt. He's grateful that all the other students have left the dorm already and that Ominis cannot see his condition. Still, Ominis is more perceptive than most and knows Sebastian way too well, so it's best not to linger.

"You can go ahead," Sebastian says, getting up from the bed and grabbing his towel, "I still need to shower."

"You slept in way too late to shower," Ominis shakes his head, but Sebastian knows he cannot go to class like that.

"It'll be alright," Sebastian replies, throwing his towel over his shoulder, "I'll see you in class."

Mercifully, he doesn't encounter anyone on the way to the bathroom. His heart still races, and he tries his hardest to put the dream out of his mind. Once in the bathroom, he disrobes, places his towel on the hanger, and steps into a shower stall. Sebastian hates cold water - but a freezing shower is exactly what he needs.

Ice-cold water prickles painfully against his skin, forcing all the thoughts out of Sebastian's mind, and slowly, his pulse begins to steady. Sebastian takes a deep, shuddering breath, hoping he'll never have to do this again.

His guilt and shame weigh heavy on his heart. Ava is his friend - so why is he having dreams like that about her? And why did this dream feel so tempting? Sebastian shakes his head, chasing away the thought. No - it was wrong and inappropriate, and that's the end of it.

A bitter smile tugs at Sebastian's lips - if only it were that simple to will his heart to follow his command. As much as he wants to pretend that all he feels for Ava is a camaraderie of a battle-forged friendship, deep in his heart Sebastian knows the truth - he's fallen for her. He isn't sure when they crossed the line - perhaps, it was an errant smile she gave him after a successful outing to the Restricted Section or the way their hands brushed against each other one too many times when they walked from Herbology or when she slumped against his shoulder in the History of Magic, put to sleep by Professor Binns painfully monotone voice - but that hardly matters as the outcome is the same: he is in love with her.

His heart may be a fool, but Sebastian has never been one. He knows he cannot pursue her - not when so much depends on her, not when she can be the key to healing Anne. Maintaining a friendship with Ava is imperative - but he could not let himself get too close. If he damaged Anne's chance of getting cured because of some fleeting infatuation, he'd never forgive himself.

Keeping an appropriate distance wasn't difficult initially, especially after they'd recovered the dark relic a few weeks ago. That gave Sebastian the perfect excuse to stay away - he needed time to do his research. But then the dreams started. They were innocent enough, at first, the sort Sebastian imagined anyone in love would have - but the dream he's seen that night felt different. None of the previous dreams felt so real - felt so tempting.

Sebastian shakes his head - perhaps, he's overthinking it. What harm can come from these little fantasies if he's the only one who knows about them? Sebastian shuts off the water and hastily reaches for his towel to wipe off the cold droplets. Perpahs, he should stop avoiding Ava, if only for a little bit - maybe then his mind will stop tormenting him with her images.

To his surprise, when he returns to his dorm room, Ominis is still there, waiting.

"Why are you still here?" Sebastian asks, confused.

"To ensure you make it to Charms on time," Ominis shrugs, "You've already lost Slytherin enough points this semester over tardiness."

Sebastian sighs, but he can hardly deny the truth.

"I don't know why the professors care whether I'm on time or not," Sebastian grumbles as he quickly gets dressed, "As long as I pass all my exams, why does it matter?"

"They are just worried that you won't be able to cheat on the O.W.L.s as successfully as you cheat on the regular tests," Ominis chuckles, "I've heard the anti-cheating spells used on those exams are very strong."

"Every spell has a loophole," Sebastian replies, pulling on his robes.

"I'm sure they do," Ominis shakes his head, "It's just discovering one is much harder than simply learning the material."

"Speak for yourself," Sebastian laughs.

"Are you ready?" Ominis asks impatiently, "The class starts in less than three minutes."

"Yes, we can go now."

They make their way to the Floo Flame in the Slytherin Common Room - and a moment later, they are in Charms classroom, settling into their seats just as Professor Ronen enters the class. Sebastian pulls his textbook from his book bag, then looks up and sees Ava across the room, sitting next to Natty. She smiles lightly when their eyes meet, and Sebastian's heart clenches with guilt. Quickly, he looks away, unable to hold her gaze.

Mercifully, Professor Ronen starts the lesson, and everyone turns to the blackboard. They are learning the Silencing Charm, and Sebastian knows he should be more engaged in the lesson - after all, he can think of so many instances where it can be helpful - yet, somehow, he cannot focus. Absentmindedly, he writes his class notes but can hardly recall anything he's written down.

Professor Ronen claps his hands, and suddenly, a pair of frogs appear on all the desks - one for each student. Instantly, the air fills with croaking sounds, amplified by the high ceilings of the Charms classroom, and Sebastian can only sigh - he can already feel the headache approaching. He looks at the frog in front of him - the only way to stop the croaking is to cast the Silencing Charm successfully. How hard can that possibly be?

As it turns out, the Silencing Charm is much more complicated than he anticipated. Sebastian curses quietly under his breath as the frog leaps away and proceeds to skip around the desk, belatedly realizing that he should have listened closer when Professor Ronen explained the spell. Unlike Sebastian, Ominis seems to have a much easier time with the spell - after accidentally poking the frog with his wand on his first try, he managed to silence it on his second.

Sebastian can barely suppress a sigh of frustration when he tries to cast the charm again, but the frog turns yellow instead of losing its ability to croak. Merlin's beard, what did he do to deserve all this?

As he looks across the room, he sees Ava and Natty chatting - leaping around their desk are two perfectly quiet frogs. Ava chuckles in response to something Natty says, then picks up her quill and looks pensively at the frog. She turns to her notes, then pauses, biting the tip of the quill. Instantly, warmth rises in Sebastian's cheeks, forcing him to look away hastily. No, today most certainly isn't his day.

Sebastian looks at the frog leaping around his desk again and tries to focus.

"Silencio," he says, pointing his wand at it. For a split second, the frog stills, quiet, and he's almost certain that he's got the spell right until, suddenly, the frog doubles in size and starts croaking louder.

"Sebastian, are you feeling alright?" Ominis asks, concerned, "You seem really out of it today."

"Yes," Sebastian says - lying comes as easy to him as breathing, "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so it's a little hard to focus."

"You really should stop reading so late at night," Ominis scolds, frowning, "Do you think Anne would be happy if you fail all your classes because you don't sleep?"

Sebastian cannot argue - Anne may have been the most mischievous of the three of them, but she was also the best student - and expected the same excellence from both Sebastian and Ominis. Alas, even at the risk of disappointing his sister, he knows that there is no end in sight to his late nights - even if he wasn't plagued by the dreams involving a certain new fifth-year student, he still needs to unravel the mystery of the dark relic.

Both Salazar Slytherin and his student left behind extensive notes, and yet Sebastian feels like he's no closer to understanding the relic than the day he'd discovered it. He thinks it'd be much easier if he could ask Ominis for help - as a member of the Gaunt family, he had a much deeper understanding of the dark magic than he let on - but Ominis refused to even speak of the relic.

"You should not have taken it from that tomb," was all he said when Sebastian approached him, "And the best thing you can do now is to return it where it belongs."

Sebastian had no intention of following Ominis's advice. In truth, he never understood Ominis's fear of dark magic. Yes, in the wrong hands, it can inflict unimaginable harm upon others, but surely, it can be used for good in the hands of a person like Sebastian - like Ominis.

"You don't understand," Ominis told him once, "The danger of dark magic is precisely in the fact that it seems innocent at first, yet it still corrupts you - and by the time you notice the corruption is often much too late."

"I think you are doing the wand movement wrong," Ominis says, distracting Sebastian from his thoughts, "It needs to be smooth, light motion - instead, you are cutting sharply through the air."

"How can you tell?" Sebastian asks, perplexed.

"I can hear it," Ominis replies, "If you go slower, I think it should work."

Sebastian takes a deep breath and steadies his hand. Following Ominis's advice, he points his wand at the frog and slowly forms the sign for Silencio. A soft purple light erupts from the wand, and his frog plops on the desk - it proceeds to open its mouth, but no sound comes.

"Finally," Ominis breathes a sigh of relief, "The sound was driving me mad."

"I'm sure the frog would say the same about you if it could talk," Sebastian chuckles.

"Next time, I'll just leave you to deal with your own spells," Ominis scoffs.

While they bicker, Professor Ronen walks through the class, checking everyone's frogs and awarding house points for exceptional work.

"Ten points to Gryffindor, Ms. Onai," he says, "And the same to Ravenclaw, Ms. Rosier, very impressive."

Sebastian looks over at his toad and sighs. While he'd managed to silence it, he knows he won't be getting any house points - his frog is yellow and twice the size it was at the beginning. Professor Ronen finally makes his way to their desk.

"Ten points to Slytherin, Mr. Gaunt," he says before turning to Sebastian, "Mr. Sallow, you've executed the Silencing Charm quite well, but by the color and the size of your frog, I can tell it was after several unsuccessful attempts. As such, I cannot award you any house points. Better luck next time!"

Sebastian nods, accepting Professor Ronen's judgment. While he's a competitive person - anyone who knows him can attest to that - he's never been particularly competitive academically. Of course, he was pleased whenever Slytherin won the House Cup - although, with all the detentions he'd earned and all the house points he'd lost in the last few years, he knew all too well that the Slytherin victories were despite his best efforts rather than because of them - but if some other house won, it was hardly a big deal to Sebastian.

Professor Ronen walks back to the blackboard and claps his hands, attracting everyone's attention.

"Outstanding effort with the Silencing Charm," he says, "I am very pleased that most of you managed to silence your toads. Mastering this spell is crucial to attaining high marks on your O.W.L.S exam - so for those of you whose frogs still croak, your assignment is to take them home and successfully perform the spell. I will be checking your progress during our next class. For everyone else, I expect twenty inches on the potential uses of Silencio. Everyone wrote the homework down? Very well - class dismissed."

Relieved that the class is finally over, Sebastian grabs his textbook to put it away - and accidentally knocks over his inkwell, spilling the ink all over the desk. Cursing under his breath, Sebastian pulls out his wand.

"Evanesco," he murmurs, watching the ink stain disappear. He hopes and prays this was his last misfortune of the day as he's already way past the limit of his patience.

"See you later, Sebastian," Ominis says and hurries out of the classroom - unlike Sebastian, he has the Ancient Runes class next period.

Sebastian pauses momentarily, weighing his options - he has free time until Defence Against Dark Arts class later in the morning, which means he could try to get through more of Slytherin's notebook. Resolving to head to the Undercroft for some quiet time, Sebastian walks out into the corridor.

He turns left at the staircase and sees Ava and Natty talking on the landing below. Sebastian considers approaching Ava - perhaps, speaking with her will calm his heart and make the dreams disappear - but before he makes a decision, he sees Garreth Weasley come up to them.

Sebastian thinks nothing of it - until Garreth puts his hand on Ava's shoulder. Ava turns to him and smiles brightly, briefly raising her hand to her shoulder and resting it over Garreth's. Sebastian's heart drops at the sight, and a cold, sinking feeling uncoils in his chest.

"I have to run," he hears Natty say, "Mother said she needs help setting up Tessomancy stations for the third years."

"We could also help if you'd like," Ava offers, but Natty shakes her head.

"It's quite alright," she replies, "I will see you two later."

"See you, Natty," Ava waves to her.

Natty walks away, leaving Ava and Garreth alone. Taking a deep breath, Sebastian tries to steady his pulse and focus on the task at hand - he needs to get to the Undercroft and read Slytherin's notebook. He could speak to Ava later - perhaps, during the Herbology class in the afternoon. So what if she's speaking to Weasley, it's just a conversation. It's not like she can't talk to other people…

But Weasley's hand is still on Ava's shoulder, and then he leans in and whispers something into her ear, and she's laughing, soft and airy, and Sebastian cannot stop himself. Before he knows it, he's walking down the stairs toward them.

"Don't tell me that you've actually seen them together…" he hears Ava chuckle, "How is that even possible?"

"I swear on Merlin's beard," Weasley replies, "As for how - would you like a diagram?"

"I think that would only make it worse," Ava shakes her head.

"Your loss," Weasley laughs, "I make pretty good diagrams."

"Of course you do," Ava says, crossing her arms before her, "Probably as good as your potions."

"Just saying, you are missing out," Weasley smiles brightly.

Sebastian feels blood rush in his ears as his heart pounds in his chest when he finally reaches them. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart.

"Hello, Ava, Garreth," he says as casually as he can, "Sorry to interrupt - Ava, do you have a moment?"

"Hi, Sebastian - of course," Ava smiles at him, making Sebastian's heart skip a beat, then turns to Garreth, "Sorry about that - but it looks like we'll have to discuss your…artistic talents a little later."

"Of course," Garreth readily agrees, "I'll see you at lunch."

As Sebastian watches Garreth walk away, he wonders when he and Ava have gotten so…familiar. He would be lying if he said he didn't hate just how at ease they seemed around each other. He knows he made a mistake - he shouldn't have pulled away. She wouldn't have gotten so close to Weasley if he were around.

"Is everything alright, Sebastian?" Ava asks, concerned, "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Not here," Sebastian replies, gesturing for Ava to follow him. He has no good reason for the secrecy - only that he has no idea what he will tell her. The only thing he'd thought about was getting her away from Weasley, and now he desperately needed to buy time to think of something to say.

Ava walks by his side, so close that her arm almost brushes against his, and Sebastian has never been so painfully aware of her closeness. His mind tries to summon his earlier dream, but Sebastian shakes his head, pushing the thoughts away. Now is not the time.

They stop at a small nook under the staircase on the second floor.

"So," Ava looks at him expectantly, "What's going on?"

"I��I'm sorry I have been a little scarce the past few weeks," Sebastian says, "Deciphering Slytherin's notebook has proven to be a lot more difficult than I anticipated, but I am almost there. I'll need to sneak into the Restricted Section again to get this one book on dark magic - The Secrets of the Darkest Arts - not sure if you are familiar with it. After that's done, I'm hoping to visit Anne and share my findings - and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?"

Ava holds his gaze for a moment, then nods.

"Of course," she says, "I'd be happy to see Anne again. But to your plan - do you need help getting to the Restricted Section?"

Sebastian knows he should refuse - it's not wise to ask her to join him, not with how he'd been feeling about her lately - but he is too weak to do what needs to be done.

"Help?" he smiles cockily, "No one knows the Restricted Section better than me, so I don't think I'll need help. Although I would appreciate your company."

"Hmm, how tempting," Ava chuckles, "Risking detention just to keep you entertained."

"Hey," Sebastian replies, crossing his arms before him, "If memory serves me right, it was I who saved you from detention the night you needed to get into the Restricted Section."

"And I will be forever grateful," Ava chuckles breathily, looking him in the eye, "Whatever should I do to thank you?"

Heat rushes to Sebastian's face, and his heart flutters. The way she sounds, the way she looks at him through her eyelashes feels like his dream. Sebastian's gaze darts from Ava's eyes to her lips and back as his treacherous mind rushes with images. He fights desperately to push them out of his mind, but he knows that it's a losing battle before it starts. She is so close - he can reach out and touch her, and if he leans in, he could…

But then Ava laughs, bright and airy, and the trance is broken.

"Oh wait," she says, "I think me taking Crucio for you makes us even."

Sebastian hates that memory - in his worst nightmares, he can still see her falling to her knees with the faintest whimper, gasping for air.

"I think that's fair," he agrees, "Still, if you need a refresher on how to get into the Restricted Section, you are welcome to come along tomorrow night."

"Oh, so it's a lesson for me then?" Ava smiles, then leans closer, "Very well, seeing as you aren't half bad as a teacher - given all the illicit things you've taught me - I suppose I could use a refresher. Anyway, I have Arithmancy now, so I need to go. I'll see you later."

As Sebastian watches Ava leave, his heart still flutters in his chest. Merlin, help him.

#sebastian sallow x mc #OC: Ava Rosier

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autumn-foxfire · 4 years ago

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I always end up thinking it comes back to Shoto *needed* a abusive father who also abused and coerced his mom whom he bought to pop out kids, separated the family, practised eugenics, talked trash about the whole family year after year and turned his brother into a murdering villain. While being a selfish, power hungry No 2 hero who is greedy, uses money and abuses power and is known for his violent heroics and generally disliked. He is next in line to AFO for doing every unimaginable bad but in terms of family abuse.

He could have been a quirkless top cop, he could have been a disabled ex-hero and had the same story. It was important he was what he was just an asshole corrupt top hero. Also to show he was running away from hurting his body and from responsibility by torturing his bought family to suffer in his place.

It was never about Endeavor. His story is like an afterthought to give substance to Shoto's story and bolster him and later, the rest of Todofam's stories. Pro Hero Arc's objective was to set Endeavor up as the symbol of downfall of hero society after All Might era. It was foreshadowed after Kamino Arc by Jin Bubaigawara's comments no less. And Twice being someone Hawks replaced for admiring as the ideal for the man's virtues unlike the sins of a man who was more fake than All Might's true inspiration on a TV. And this downfall was pinned on Endeavor as his personal failure as if to say he isn't the victim folks, move along. It is said as if to make it seem unfair but when it concerns Endeavor the plot always flips to show that wasn't the case it really was his fault. It kind of is. His arrogance, his delusional view of himself, his average competence in comparison to true heroes and his weak hero motivation(I'm No. 1 instead of altruism), etc were clearly depicted. And contrasted with All Might who did his best and was not the one in the wrong in the system. And the Commission who were evil ar dead.

Endeavor's character is frequently contradictory or inconsistent and modt of what he says or thinks is contradicted and depicted as his misunderstandings or sugarcoated delusions. In fact it won't be surprising if Endeavor commented on Toya having only a fire quirk and Rei nervously suggesting having another child to be the Ice sidekick to Toya but Endeavor only believed in one body to be the only hero and mistook Fuyumi's role as the cheerleader. To make every interaction or connection negative than it appears does seem the current purpose of plot.

But what never makes sense from a real person point of view is why marriage and child at 20. Very few people think I'll have a child and spend years grooming it to replace me while I'm being impatient right now. People can say 20 is adult enough all they want but thats two years after graduating from UA high school and its unusual unlike in the States. Didn't he have parents? They also practiced quirk marriage doesn't feel like a good enough answer.

He could have experimented on himself like Danzo from Naruto, he could have had a child with a woman he gets rid permanently- a clone with genetic modifications like in Star Wars or a child throgh a surrogate. Instead he needed the free nanny, cook, cleaner and housekeeper that came with a marriage to look after the child while he was away doing heroics. That is what is pointed out recently was Rei's sole role according to Endeavor.

AFO and his cronies could have been hidden in plain sight as miraculous doctors. Quirks can be updated once without suspicion(Deku never raised red flags?) AFO can give and take quirks. Endeavor was desperate enough to commit a legal seeming unethical practice so if Dr Kyudai Garaki ran a legal experimental scene where he lured in people who searched enough to find him, then why not Endeavor?

But I feel if that was the type of plot then it will be explained how Endeavor's body was not suited to holding cooling quirk or extra quirk would shorten his lifespan. Since Shoto is the real character who has to exist with his mother of a origin. And most likely is the scenario that Endeavor forced Rei to undergo dangerous treatment for pregnancy in one of Kyudai Garaki's machines. Its typical shonen plot btw torturing the mom to have a extra special child.

As told through Rei, Endeavor's character is one who runs away from responsibility and pushes it onto people instead of doing anything himself or troubling himself to suffer at all and shows no remorse afterwards or makes no noticeable effort to do sone action to sepict the same. His endeavoring is only that- a show of endeavour, no substance. In terms of plot having a child makes sense but think of him as a real consistent human character, it no longer is. Rei's assessment contradicts what she excused during the Pro Hero Arc. If he only runs away why would she be so deluded to think he is trying to face his past and not just giving her flowers because he got what he wanted completely at last. It doesn't explain anything about his character beyond being empty words to explain why he should be given a chance. And currently the family really doesn't need him they needed Dabi to be saved and it was said in the raws Shoto stated he did not feel "saved" by having to lend a hand to Endeavor.

I do agree that a major aspect of Enji's character is to provide greater context for both his sons, one who is a main character and one who is a main villain, as well as used to highlight the flaws present in hero society but I disagree with that being all he's supposed to be, at least not anymore.

Hori has gone through great lengths to try and flesh out his character beyond what he originally wrote though it was kind of awkward at the time when he started to do so because he had already dug Enji into such a horrible hole, slowly retconning aspects of the Todoroki family past (such as him "buying" Rei to be his brood mare) in a way that wasn't jarring (by making the family unreliable narrators which is something one would expect) but sadly he couldn't change the image he had already built for Enji for the most part.

I also agree that because Hori had began to flesh out Enji more, there has been more contradictions in his story when you start to pick it apart (such as how he's supposed to be the most stubborn character and yet gave up before he should have), but these issues are really only something a reader that likes to analyse the story will notice, not that of a casual reader (which I guess Hori should be thankful for). I'm not sure if Hori planned to make Enji into a more likable character from the beginning or if he changed plans midstory (...which to be honest, the way his story is written does appear to be the later), but because of the drastic change, it has left us feeling a bit of whiplash.

I do disagree with your last sentences though, Enji is important to the family and important to saving Dabi (kinda). Unlike Shouto, who is trying to break free from Enji and because of that he doesn't need his father, Dabi is desperate for his father's attention which has evolved into hatred and spite. It needs to be Enji that reaches out to him (and I wonder if this is why he decided to have Enji begin to reform as well, to be in a place where he'd actually try to save his son? Hmmm...).

Enji is an interesting character but a lot of his writing has a lot to be desired at times, is what I'm trying to say T-T

#bnha #bnha manga spoilers #bnha critical #thanks for the ask!!

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borntoscratch-blog · 5 years ago

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How do dogfights work?

If you read the first blog post of mine about how dogmen care for their dogs, perhaps you can better understand that dogfighting isn't exactly as it seems. Regardless, I think it is extremely important to preface this post by saying that just as with any industry in the world, there is a dark side and I do not intend to discredit the animals victimized by heinous participants in the sport. Mistreatment of dogs happens in the dark, streetfighting operations - just as cruelty has the potential to exist in every other aspect of the dog world. As such, I am NOT saying that mistreating dogs in the way some people do in this industry is okay. I am attempting to help people understand that there IS a responsible side to this sport and that it is possible to be a humane, compassionate dogman. It should also be noted that this post is not meant to encourage people break the laws. While I disagree that they should have ever been passed, I accept and recognize that they have been. Breaking the law is not okay! Without further adieu, let's delve into some of the big questions people have about dogfighting!

Are the dogs forced to fight?

No! To force an animal to fight would be to have the animal engage in combat against its will. Yet, the very principles of how a dogfight works (all contact at the dog's discretion) makes this idea of force laughable at best.

A dog match begins with two dogs being held in opposite corners. According to Rule 10 of the Cajun Rules (http://sporting-dog.com/select-pages/cajunrules.html), "The referee says, 'Let go', but the handlers must never push or shove their dogs and handlers shall not leave their corners until the dogs are together." This is called scratching and is not forced upon the dog. The handlers let go and the dogs immediately run towards each other.

Some may wonder "What if they hurt the dogs to make them run?" but yet again, this can be disproven. According to Rule 5 of the Cajun Rules, "the referee shall search the person named to wash the dogs and then have him bare his arm to the elbow and wash both dogs in the same warm water and rinse them each in his half of the warm clean water provided for that purpose." Why? To make sure there is nothing toxic in the water that would hurt the dog - or the dog biting him. Rule 6 says, "the referee must search handlers for means of foul play and see that he bares his arms to the elbow before he receives his dog and must keep his arms bare in such a manner during the contest." Simply put, the referee will not allow any foul play to occur that would cause the dog to run because it is being coerced into doing so. This also doesn't make sense, when you consider the principle of gameness.

Gameness is a canine virtue that is essentially the determination to overcome any situation and never back down, regardless of the current state of the body. It was developed in these APBTs by many generations of selective breeding and testing (through these aforementioned matches). This trait is just as innate to the APBT as the border collie's desire to herd and the pointer's desire to point. People often quote that "to deny a dog its nature is to do it great harm" but somehow this quote fails to pertain to the instinctual gameness rooted in a dog's genetics. The idea that these dogs don't want to fight and are forced to is grasping at straws. Watch the following video of a dog in the corner of a pit, up to scratch. Even before he is let go, he is pushing with all of his might to get the other dog! The body language is the same as any other dog when faced with an oulet to fulfill their innate drives. How is this one wrong but the others are accepted?

Some may say it's a matter of "consent" or lack of "comprehension of the consequences." That sure, the dog may want to fight, but they don't understand the repercussions and would no longer want to if they knew what the outcome would be. To this, I bring up the practice of courtesy scratching which is done after a match is over to allow the losing dog to have one more attempt to go at the other dog. This means that AFTER the dog has finished fighting, usually a bit dizzy and battered up, they still have the same desire to go after the other dog. Also, it must be remembered that dogs make negative associations and can easily become traumatized by something. If these dogs "wouldn't want to fight if they knew the repercussions" then why do some of the best game dogs have upwards of five wins? Why do these dogs come home from a long match and still show the same enthusiasm to fight the next time? Just because you wouldn't want to fight for hours in a pit doesn't mean it's cruel or that the dogs wouldn't want to. We recognize certain human individuals have a desire for combat (MMA, UFC), yet dogs that are selectively bred for this same desire are deemed victims of abuse.

How far do fights go? What damage happens to them? Is it to the DEATH?

Since these dogs will fight to the death if they are allowed to, humans have to interfere before that can happen - so no, they are not allowed to fight to the death! According to The Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier by Richard Stratton, "An actual death in the pit is a rarity for several reasons. First, a bulldog, while formidable, is also tough and hard to kill. Second, the rules provide that a dog loses and that match ends whenever a dog wishes to discontinue the contest. Third, dogmen do have a feeling for their dogs and are not going to leave them in to be killed for no reason."

As you can see, measures are taken to prevent death in dogfighting just like they are taken in other dog sports. But what about injuries?

Dogs used in fighting will be picked up before extreme injury. After hours of combat, they may be a bit dehydrated at the end and have a few nice scars to flaunt, but the idea that these dogs skin one another and pull out the other's guts is nothing but lore. In case of accidental extreme injuries, responsible dogmen are equipped with extensive first aid skills. According to California Jack's 2007 Indespensible Tips, the supplies a dogman should have on hand are:

• Lactated Ringers + IV Catheters Fluid Lines, Injection Ports, etc. Purpose: to replace lost fluid.

• Solu-Delta-Cortef (or Solu-Medrol) + Dexamethasone (or Azium) Purpose: Reduces swelling and discomfort.

• Antibiotics Purpose: To prevent infection.

• Salix (Furosemide) Purpose: Prevents kidney problems and aids in urination.

• Banamine Purpose: To relieve pain.

• Leather Shoestring or Equivalent Purpose: to be used with tourniquet to stop bleeding.

• Blood Stop Powder Purpose: To stop bleeding.

• Vitamin K Injectable Purpose: Clots blood and can stop internal bleeding.

• Gauze and Leg Tape Purpose: To secure ringers, splints and braces.

• 2 Full Cotton Rolls Purpose: Setting splints and leg wraps.

• 2 Adjustable Splints Purpose: Secures a broken limb.

• Spray Bottle of Betadine Purpose: Flushes out dirt and prevents toxins.

• Spray Bottle of 1 Quart of water and 25cc of Nolvasan (Chlorhexidine) Purpose: Same as above, but for deep cuts.

• Prepodyne Swabs Purpose: to cleanse the ears.

• Staple Gun (+ Removers) and Cat Gut Sutures Purpose: In emergencies, it can be used to close off serious wounds after they have been cleaned. The shtures can tie off bleeding arteries.

• Betadine Surgical Scrubs or Nolvasan Shampoo Purpose: Will prevent infection during cleansing.

• Scalpal and/or Surgical Razor Purpose: To cut away dead tissue in order to prevent gangreen and infecrion.

• Surgical Scissors Purpose: Same as above.

• Sterile Gloves Purpose: To prevent infection.

• Rectal Thermometer Purpose: To monitor temperature if a dog goes into shock.

• Sterile Vaseline or KY Jelly Purpose: Can aid in temperature taking.

• Super Glue Purpose: Repairing split ears and tails.

• Granulex Spray/Wonder Dust Purpose: Used during healing process to remove necrotic tissue.

• Two clean, dry blankets Purpose: To cover a dog while he is getting fluids and to keep him warm during recovery.

• Two Dozen 3cc Syringes w/ 12 Gauge Needles Purpose: For all needed injections

• Cytomax + Peak Condition Purpose: To provide a dog with life sustaining fluids, electrolytes and nutrients.

• Epinephrine "Epi" Purpose: In emergencies it can revive a dog whose heart shuts down.

Now, some may see this list and say "well, these people wouldn't need these supplies if it wasn't harmful!" Yet, most of these supplies are useful for any pet owner in the situation of a dog with an open wound and are used for basic hygeine and healing. Only a few items are used in extreme emergencies and are there for the rare chance something bad happens, not because it is a regular occurance! A dogman carries splints not because he expects his dog to break a leg, but because he wants to be prepared if worse comes to worst. But anybody reading this should keep in mind that dogmen are there for their dogs during these fights. In fact, in the Cajun rules it says "The dog's owner or his representative shall be allowed at all times to be near his dog and watch to see that no harm is done him," and "The handlers shall be allowed to encourage their dogs by voice or hand-clapping or snapping of fingers."

And, as owners who are there for their dogs, they certainly do not hesitate to pick them up if they are in danger. As John A. Koerner 'California Jack' says, "Assuming that you’re a concerned enthusiast, when your dog is getting overwhelmed, or even if he is winning but the win will cost him his life, his life depends on your judgment. The first step in exercising good judgment is to know when to pick up," and "...if the thought, 'I’d better pick him up,' pops into your mind, there is probably a reason, and that reason is you feel in your bones that he is in danger, and so you need TO ACT on that gut instinct."

Later, he says - in reference to dogmen who don't pick up their dogs at the right time - "instead of tolerating this type of person in our sport, what we should be doing is culling them from it. Therefore, don’t be a player like that, don’t deal with players like that, and make sure you yourself compete with class … and make sure you only deal with players who compete with class like that … and you will take a giant step in making our sport a better one all the way around, especially for our dogs."

If these dogs are well taken care of (see my previous post), have been selectively bred to WANT to fight, are picked up before death/major injuries and receive intense aftercare to prevent infection or worse... then why are people so afraid to accept it?

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