#and neglect

[weareweirdpeople]

Maybe its just me but I think its really fucked up that the only way teachers can "help" a child is with cps and the fucking police. I think its really fucked up that they're constantly talking about "tell a trusted adult" when sometimes you just don't fucking have one. Because all of them were bad options. I think its fucked up that my, and many many many children's only fucking options have been tell someone and put everything in danger or do nothing and continue on in silence. I think its fucked up that even without saying it I had to start understanding that no matter how kinda a teacher, or counselor, or school staff member was to me at times, that they would never put me over them being held liable or their job. I would never be that important. They get to pat themselves on the back while I get put in handcuffs and put treated like an example of what not to do as if im not even there. I think its really fucked up that at a certain point it will never matter how nice a teacher is, no matter how many "I know it sucks...." or "I'm sorry but it's my job..."s or "I don't want to have to do this..."s you get, because its always the same fucking thing. Your a liability, and no adult is going to risk their job with a child that they could easily just hand to someone else more 'qualified' to handle.

[void-occupation]

The O'Carrick Curse

I just talked about a headcanon in the comment section of a fic that I just read, and realized that maybe I should post it here too.

In the fic ("who you are" by mipmaps on A03) Will ends up offering the surname 'Treaty' to Halt, who accepts, which I am absolutely in love with because of the headcanon that I am about to share with you guys.

I feel like Halt sees the surname "O'Carrick" as a curse, especially when he considers how miserably and/or tragically every O'Carrick (that we know of) has lived and died.

~ Halt mentioned that his parents argued all the time and were pretty much straight-up neglectful to everyone but Ferris. (I also headcanon that they were abusive, but I'll go more in-depth about that another time).

~ Ferris was so blinded by greed that he tried to kill his twin brother multiple times over a throne, and did so terribly at being king that he was most beloved by the people when that same twin was pretending to be him - not to mention that when he finally started to do better, he was instantly murdered for it.

~ Caitlyn spent her childhood being neglected and forced to grieve as the one person who truly cared for her apparently died, and she was the only one who really knew who was behind it. She also spent her whole life being sickly, and it was eventually what killed her, leaving her son (who I'm sure Halt was grateful didn't carry the same name) alone with her snake of a brother.

~ And Halt. He was also neglected his whole childhood to the point of being so afraid of hurting his parents' relationship that he would rather run away and leave everything he had ever known and loved behind then tell his parents that his brother was trying to kill him. Speaking of, his twin brother - with whom he spent his entire childhood, and loved in a way that only twins can - tried to murder him on three separate occasions for a throne he didn't even want in the first place. Shortly after this, Halt lost the man who he had come to see as a father, and had to deal with the survivor's guilt brought on by being saved by Will's parents, and leaving Will himself orphaned. He also didn't tell a soul about who he really was until literal decades later. He had to give up a second home in order to save his son apprentice that he felt responsible for losing in the first place (whom he has almost lost multiple times - the majority of which he felt responsible for). Then, he lost the man that he considered a brother (or perhaps a lover????). Not to mention the fact that by book 8 - aside from Sean - his whole family was dead.

I feel like Halt was bittersweet about his standing as the last of the O'Carricks. One reason, is he's glad no one else has to carry the burden of the (in his mind) cursed name. A part of him however, wonders if perhaps Halt was the curse all along. That was another reason that Halt didn't offer Will the O'Carrick name at his graduation, he was afraid that sharing a surname with Will would leave his former apprentice vulnerable to his curse.

When Will first offered his surname to Halt, the older ranger teared up, and Will was startled when Halt seemed to be on the verge of breaking down.

Before Will could start apologizing, Halt found himself pouring out all of his thoughts about the curse that he had feared his whole life, and his fear of inflicting it on Will and causing him the same misery. Will was completely stunned, because the only other times Halt had been this vulnerable were when he was telling Will about his mother, and when he spoke about his own childhood, and even then, those times were nothing like this. He had never heard this self-loathing from his teacher before but as he processed the words, he realized that it must have been hidden deep within Halt all this time.

Will took Halt's hands in his own, cutting off the older ranger's uncharacteristic rambling, and looked deep into his stricken eyes. "Halt," his quiet voice cut through Halt's mind like an arrow, "You are many things, but a curse is not one of them." Halt's eyes misted over, and it was all he could do to maintain eye contact. Will had never seen this level of vulnerability and hurt in his teacher's gaze, and he would do anything to take his pain away.

"You are not a curse, or a burden, or a monster, and it is not your fault that things with your family turned out the way that they did. You were as much of a victim as they were, if not more so." Here, Will took a deep breath, and bent slightly to maintain eye contact with the Hibernian whose dark gaze had drifted downwards to hide his shame. "Do you know what you are?" The soft question was rhetorical, for Will needed no one to give him answers besides his own heart and memories, "You are a protector, a kind soul, and the greatest man I have ever known. And I am proud beyond belief to call you my friend, mentor, and father."

At this, Halt's gaze snapped back up in shock. How could Will still say that after seeing him like this? After all the broken promises, and the hurt and heartache cause by simply being associated with the former prince? However, before he could speak his thoughts, Will plowed on. "I offer you my surname, not out of a sense of debt or obligation, but because I love you, and I wish for the world to know that we are family, and nothing - no self-believed curse, no painful pasts, and certainly no self doubt - will ever stop me from seeing you as my father. I offer my name because I see how much pain your own brings you, and if I can do even one thing to show you the same care you have always showed for me, then I will gladly do so."

By this time, tears had begun to flow freely down Halt's face, and Will's own eyes burned as well. Slowly, Halt nodded and whispered his acceptance which Will had to strain to hear. The younger ranger pulled his father into a strong yet warm embrace that he could only hope expressed the love he had for the slight man before him.

As Halt melted into the embrace, he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and though it would never truly leave him, the pain of his curse finally melted away as accepted the family he had feared for so long.

[lil-gae-disaster]

i literally went to school while my mom was ignoring me because I INSULTED HER by calling cps 😭🙏

I think I also had a test during this period.

[happyherringbonkpickle]

[cremanata]

brazilian miku ♡

twitter | ig | patreon

[wanologic]

reminder to take care of your loser human body

[soaked-doors]

happy birthday zoro 🎉🍾

[purregrine-sokol-arts]

painting a whole bunch of toothlesses is good for therapy

[weyrleaders]

being good friends with evelyn and george but barely knowing alex is so funny. like bro i didnt call for you put your grandparents on the phone i have a recipe to swap with granny and a news broadcast to complain about with peepaw

[asynca]

my parents never came to anything I did.

I have so many memories about this, but one in particular: when I was away at camp with 89 other teenagers, and at the one-month mark the post was collected distributed to all the dorms. 89 other children tore open their boxes and, shovelling handfuls of sweets their parents had sent them into their mouths, read pages-long letters and handed around photos of their brothers and sisters.

I didn't. I didn't get anything, I sat on my empty bed watching them. The teachers had to call my parents and ask if perhaps the post had gone missing...? but my parents were surprised they were required to interact with me while I was away.

Well, today, my 3-year-old daughter had a fun-run. The childcare centre invited parents to come but stressed that if we weren't able to, it was alright. There was no fucking way I wasn't going. My daughter wasn't going to be the only child there without a parent watching.

I got time off work and stood there in the beating sun and plastered in greasy sunscreen waiting to see my little girl emerge from inside the centre and stand on the track.

When she did, her little eyes searched through the crowd person-by-person for me, and absolutely lit up like the sun when she spotted me.

Mine filled with tears as I waved at her and cheered.

I'm breaking the cycle.

[arcane-gold]

the inquisitor has far too much on his plate these days

[alonzoarts]

Watch Spamton try to tie a bow tie forever.

[bioethicists]

it's very important to understand how a personality disorder diagnosis functions in the psychiatric system, even if you identify with the diagnosis or find it useful.

personality disorders on your medical record will be used to discredit anything you say or do. they indicate "don't bother listening to this person; apply treatment regardless of their wishes but also they're probably manipulating/attention-seeking so maybe don't bother treating them". needing support becomes attention-seeking. behaviors that would be treated + supported in someone without this diagnosis are ignored or treated as manipulative. providers are instructed to "withdraw warmth" (a real thing in the DBT provider's manual, btw) in response to self-injury or suicidal ideation.

if you have been dx'd with a personality disorder professionally, you likely understand this.

now, here's the important part: this is not an issue of 'stigma' against a politically neutral, pre-discursive True Disease which is being Unfairly Maligned. these diagnoses were formulated based on the idea that some patients cannot be trusted, that some patients seek care too much. they are applied to patient charts as a justification for withdrawing care or as a dismissal of someone "not getting better" fast enough. in the uk, they are often employed by the nhs to shame or problematize people who use large amounts of nhs resources, arguing that receiving a lot of care through the nhs is a negative behavior stemming from a disordered personality.

there are elements of personality disorders which resonate strongly with many people, including myself, but you need to be clear-eyed about the origins + functions of this diagnosis. as a whole, they were created + function as ways to discredit + mistreat noncompliant or "difficult" patients. 'reclaiming' them is not going to change how they function systematically- it is going to make it easier to engage in this systematic neglect by evoking 'ableism' or 'stigma!' when people question the utility or application of the diagnosis.

[tiger-grace]

Tim: momma ain’t raise a quitter

Jason: well, actually, momma ain’t raise nobody

Tim: …

[aspenforest732]

Bello Licentiae Chapter 4: Discoveries

Summary:

tw: arrest, mentions of: bribery, child endangerment, child abuse, and neglect Akira meets the League properly this time 'text' JSL Text thoughts

As Akira walked up to their door, they belatedly realized they didn't make enough onigiri to feed ten people. Maybe they already ate? With a huff, they jimmied the door and placed their crutches a little harder as they walked through the genkan to signal who entered. The smell of miso soup wafted out from the living room tinted with alcohol.

"Aki-tan!" Toga cheered, running full tilt at Akira out of the living room.

Startled, Akira pivoted to the side and whipped out a crutch against her shins. They blanched and quickly signed, ' Sorry! Wasn't expecting that, ' as they helped her up.

Dabi and Twice cackled from the living room as Magne ducked through the doorway, concern written on her features. "Are you kids okay? She didn't stab you, right?"

Gaze flicking between the two, Akira shifted slightly away from the towering woman. 'I'm fine, and no, Knife Dancer just startled me. I brought onigiri, although I wasn't expecting this many people, ' Akira signed awkwardly.

"Good, we told you to avoid that at least the first time," Magne gently scolded her. Toga pouted but let Magne herd her back into the living room. "My JSL is a little rusty, but that's a cute call sign for Toga. Come on, we'll introduce everyone properly now that you're one of us."

The first time? Akira hesitantly followed, giving a small, awkward wave as they eyed the cramped space. Shigaraki sat with his back against the closer armrest of the couch. Twice sat closest to him and Dabi on the far side. Toga flopped in between them as they sobered up under Magne's disapproving glare.

Kurogiri leaned lightly against a tiered cart with multiple types of alcohol and mixers set up by the sliding glass doors. Magne grabbed a fancy pink drink off it and settled on one of the floor cushions between a tense Aoyama and Mr. Compress. He tipped a cup of tea to her that was definitely not from the apartment. Spinner stood brooding on the far wall while looking out onto the balcony, which was empty of even stray birds.

Akira froze, lightly worrying their lip as all eyes turned to them. After a moment, realization crossed Dabi's face and he stood up. "Double Trouble, off. Stabby, slide over by Hand Job." Shigaraki bristled at the nickname but just flipped him off as Toga slid over.

"Okay," Twice piped up. "Fuck off!"

He scrambled off the couch when Dabi swirled cerulean fire from his hand. Akira flinched, taking half step back. ' It's fine, I can manage for today, ' they hurriedly signed.

"Pipsqueak, you're fine," Dabi drawled as he settled in the middle of the couch. "They're just here to officially meet you." His calculating eyes promised a conversation after they left, but his body language held the protective tension they'd come to recognize whenever he spoke of the League.

Akira hesitantly moved to the couch and set their crutches against the side furthest from Shigaraki. Dabi lightly rested an arm across their shoulders without weighing them down. They let themself lean into the grounding touch while looking around at the assembled villains.

After a long moment, Kurogiri broke the silence, "Would you like some tea?"

Akira nodded and busied themself with taking the yaki onigiri out of their backpack. They set the bag of treats on the low table next to a pot of miso soup and unzipped their dedicated medical compartment for some cold compresses. Magne introduced herself with the call sign Polaris, Aoyama said Sparkles was fine, Mr. Compress with Marbles, Shigaraki with Calamity, Spinner with Gecko, Kurogiri with Black Fog, Toga liked Knife Dancer, and Twice with Double Trouble.

"Are you okay, Aki-tan?" Toga asked, leaning forward to look at them more closely past Dabi.

Akira nodded and gestured for Dabi to explain as they unhooked the lower part of their pants and adjusted their braces to hold the compresses in place.

"Their family's a bunch of bastards like my old man, so they need pain management," Dabi said bluntly. Akira snorted but nodded again as they felt the room refocus on them. Sitting back up, they noticed Aoyama in particular looking at them strangely. He quickly looked away, taking interest in his own tea.

"Why'd you main hero brat if your family's so awful?" Shigaraki spat out.

Akira took a long swig of tea before signing, ' Justice. Or revenge, depending on how you look at it. ' Chamomile. Good for calming nerves. After a moment of focusing on the warmth from the mug, they added, ' All for One offered the resources and quirks I need to carry that out. His solution would've resulted in the least deaths and least innocents and civilians in danger. '

"My dear, we would certainly like to help you take down the Inoue. I think I speak for all of us when I say that from what we've seen of you, they must be truly horrific individuals," Mr. Compress said.

Akira shook their head, ' There's not much you can do right now without the Doctor and All for One. They have the quirks I need for testing the viability of my Plan A. Since Wildfire said everyone was here, I'm assuming you don't have a way to contact the Doctor? '

"No," Kurogiri said before Dabi finished interpreting. Akira looked over to him in surprise even as the mist briefly flickered and shifted. After a moment, he continued, "Will you require contact with the Doctor before you start working with us?"

Akira swallowed thickly around the lump in their throat and took another sip of tea. Eyeing the League, they tried not to linger too long on Dabi. Who knows what they'd discovered about his situation. ' What would you want me to do? All for One never got to specifics. '

"Sparkles told us about you and the green brat's habit of cataloguing peoples' quirks, strengths, and weaknesses," Shigaraki said, standing up with a gaming console hanging from its wrist strap. "Bring us some of your assessments on the students and teachers, and we can talk."

Akira briefly froze before letting their now-shaking hands set the cup of tea on the low table. ' I'm not giving you information that could get them killed ,' Akira signed stiffly as they tried to hide the tremors. ' You can't forcefully take them, either, since they're heavily encrypted. '

Shigaraki scowled and started scratching at his neck, drawing Kurogiri closer. Akira cocked their head as they recognized the agitation and the scar patterns. With a glance at Dabi, they dug back into their pack and pulled out moisturizer. ' Pink Queen insisted I add it to my kit. This should help Hand... Calamity, ' Akira explained as Dabi gave an amused snort at their slip.

Kurogiri shifted back to them and asked, "What is that?"

' Moisturizing cream? Pretty sure they make ones specifically for dehydration quirks, too. I thought the scar patterns looked a bit off for disintegration... ' Akira's fingers twitched towards their notebooks, but they just made a mental note to correct their entries later. As Kurogiri helped Shigaraki apply the cream, Akira was struck by a thought. They reached back into their backpack and fished out two of their notebooks.

Aoyama's eyes went wide as he stiffened, and Spinner finally looked up with interest. His voice dripped with contempt, "So what, now you're going to help us?"

Akira waved him off as they flipped to the entry for Shigaraki. All the villain entries were in plain text, so they just erased his quirk description and scribbled down a few notes next to questions about the scar patterns and lingering effects. ' I have entries like this for each of you. I can give my analysis, and if you answer my questions, I can tailor it more. ' Akira flipped to Toga's entry and handed it over.

She pouted, "What do you mean, 'severe fluctuation repercussions?'"

'You don't drink blood on a regular basis, right?' At Toga's nod, they continued, 'Quirks fueled by blood require daily intake. Otherwise, you go into starvation mode, which negatively affects your physical and mental health. You wouldn't need much, only twelve ounces or so once you get used to not needing to gorge yourself.'

"Do me!" Twice said eagerly before his expression under the mask darkened. "We don't need to know more about our cursed quirk," he snapped.

Letting Toga keep the notebook for now, Akira hesitantly signed, ' I was actually hoping to get your help at some point. I'm trying to figure out an aspect of my own quirk that is similar to yours and Ectoplasm's. My clones should theoretically be able to use my quirk, but I'm struggling to get them to activate it. Your quirk is one of the few Stranger primaries I've seen trained. Knife Dancer's is another, but blood quirks work very differently. ' They passed their nomu notebook to Dabi to give to Kurogiri, who watched them with an unreadable expression obscured by the haze. ' Calamity's entry is later in the notebook Knife Dancer has, but this is what I have on you and other nomu. '

"Kurogiri's not a nomu," Shigaraki snapped, but he seemed marginally more relaxed with the moisturizer shining on his neck.

Akira cocked their head, ' You're listed as one, though, in All for One's files. I didn't look much into your file since I was pretty familiar with your quirk, but... ' Taking in the League's shock, including Kurogiri, they frowned. ' You really didn't know? How far back can you remember? '

Kurogiri hesitated then his mist started to distort and whip about, exposing flashes of a more solid form underneath. Shigaraki stumbled back as Magne leapt to her feet and took an uncertain step forward, hand outstretched. After a moment, the mist settled and Kurogiri answered flatly, "I can recall very little before All for One. Approximately fourteen years ago."

Akira squinted at Kurogiri, trying to make out the flash of a face they saw underneath. ' We can try to find out who your base is from breaking down your quirk but seeing your face would probably help. '

"I..." The mist distorted and stretched as Kurogiri clutched his head. Leaning forward supported by Dabi's arm, Akira could just make out ashy, tanned skin and fluffy blue hair before it settled again, and Kurogiri stiffly straightened. "That will be unnecessary."

Something about the blue hair tugged at the back of their mind, but Akira brushed it to the side as a wren darted onto the balcony, landing to rest on the railing. Their phone dinged a reminder. ' The arrest should be happening soon. I don't know if you want everyone here...? ' Akira trailed off, glancing between Dabi and the others.

Dabi huffed and started playing with a small flame over his knuckles, "You should go before someone sees you. You've met Pipsqueak now, so fuck off."

"Bye, Aki-tan," Toga waved, tossing back their notebook before she followed the group through Kurogiri's gate. After a moment, Kurogiri gave them the nomu notebook back then disappeared through his own gate.

Akira slumped back into the couch, utterly drained. Curling up, they switched on the news as Dabi lazily rolled a glare their way. "So, All for One?"

Akira silently groaned and shifted to lean against Dabi, carefully avoiding his skin grafts. As they explained what happened after All for One took them, Dabi carded his hands through their hair and awkwardly rubbed gentle circles on their back. As Akira finished explaining why they couldn't go to the heroes they otherwise trusted, Dabi froze and stared at the screen.

Embarrassed heat flooded their cheeks as Akira remembered why they'd requested the weekend off campus in the first place. They jolted up, signing a quick ' sorry ' and setting up the onigiri and tea. Tsukauchi, Fat Gum, and Present Mic led Endeavor in quirk suppressant cuffs out of his agency while sporting a few burns that seemed mild from what they could see. Eraser slipped away with a flicker of movement the reporters didn't comment on. Endeavor was clearly fuming and glared daggers at the arresting heroes and any who dared come close to the group as he was roughly maneuvered into Tsukauchi's patrol car.

Dabi stared at the screen as the reporters started speculating on the charges and whether the people arresting Endeavor were under some kind of quirk. Akira hesitantly started to reach out but retracted as they realized he wasn't aware of his surroundings at the moment. Instead, they poured a bowl of soup and pressed it into his hands. His shaking hands slowly slowed as warmth seeped into them.

Once Dabi's fingers curled around the bowl instead of simply supporting it, Akira shuffled a little closer and draped a cool, damp towel on his neck. Eventually, the news cut to a press conference hosted by Tsukauchi and Fat Gum giving an overview of the charges of child abuse, neglect, bribery, and child endangerment. Dabi finally let out a shaky breath and set the soup down before reaching a hand up to the towel and glancing over to Akira.

"Hey, Pipsqueak," he said with a rough voice. "It's finally happening, huh?"

' Yeah, ' Akira smiled back, ' it finally is. '

Both jumped as Akira's phone dinged several times in a few seconds. Unlocking it, Akira snorted and showed Dabi.

flamingo: did you know about this?

what did he mean four counts?

child endangerment not manslaughter?

is Toya alive?

Sorry, he probably changed his name

reaper: yes, all Endeavor's children

Akira hesitated, looking to Dabi. "Pretty bird can figure it out himself," he drawled.

flamingo: he's got a blue fire quirk

probably some scarring from Sekoto Peak

Dabi opened his phone as Akira muted theirs, the chimes grating on their nerves. Akira looked over and gave a small, lopsided grin.

wildfire changed unknown's name to flamingo

wildfire: stop spamming my friend

flamingo: ???

Who's this?

Wait

Are you the sometimes nice one?

Dabi rolled his eyes and flipped Akira off as they silently snickered.

wildfire: mcnugget, the don't spam me was implied

flamingo: *gasp* I thought I was a flamingo!

When did I get downgraded to a chicken nugget?!

...or is that an upgrade for you? 😉

I'm more of a fried chicken man myself, but I don't judge

Akira groaned and lightly shoved his upper arm before teasing, ' Kami, why did I think this would be a good idea. '

Dabi didn't quite cackle but it was close enough for Akira to relax back into the couch. Keigo could be a good distraction for now, the bi disaster continuing to flirt with their roommate from the rolled eyes and light blush creeping onto his cheeks. The Mad Banquet group chat, which now included Shoto, had a video call going, but Akira let the others handle it since they hadn't been tagged.

Akira spent the rest of the day making sure Dabi ate and felt safe while he made poor attempts to flirt with Keigo. As the last beams of sunlight filtered through the doors, Dabi turned to Akira with a serious frown. "You should have someone in your network you can talk to about this. If you can't get in touch with Fat Gum, you should talk to Aizawa on Monday at the latest. You're not doing this without someone on the outside."

Akira nodded, letting out a breath in a woosh. ' Thanks. I probably shouldn't be late to my own send-off. Don't wait up. '

The much more tolerable night air still left a light sheen of sweat on Akira as they took the slightly longer way to base. They passed a few familiar faces on the mostly barren streets and stopped to reassure them that yes, they were fine but no they wouldn't be around as often.

As Akira made their way deeper into Blue Fang territory, the hair on the back of their neck rose, and Akira made a point to not check over their shoulder every few steps. They adjusted their path to be more directly on Eraser Head's patrol route for the night, but the feeling of eyes on them only increased. About halfway to base, Akira purposefully stumbled and checked the rooftops just in time to see a familiar shadow duck back.

With a heavy sigh, Akira ducked into an alleyway and gestured at the roof with one of their crutches. ' I know you're there, Eraser. Why are you following me? '

Eraser lowered himself into the alley past a nesting pigeon that cooed at being disturbed by his capture weapon with a huff. "I wanted to check how you were doing after the arrest today.'

Akira rolled their eyes, ' You would just ask if that was the case. You gave me a phone for a reason. ' They rolled some of the tension form their shoulders, wincing slightly at the crackles.

"You're walking alone through gang territory – yes it's your own, but still – at night," Eraser stared flatly. "Is there a reason someone isn't with you?"

Akira shrugged, clock ticking in their head as they tried to act casual. ' Roommate's had a rough day, and base isn't that far. Didn't think I needed someone with me 24/7. '

Eraser sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You were kidnapped by the League, which has a long-distance warper. One of the conditions for you leaving campus was that you wouldn't be alone."

Akira bristled, gaze snapping up into a glare. ' I'm fully capable of getting away or at a minimum getting help! Why do you think I stick close to your patrol routes? If something happens, I just warp to a roof and start hopping to where I see or hear you. ' Aizawa snapped his mouth shut and stared at Akira. They pulled back slightly at his confusion. ' Was that not obvious? Sticking to your routes is a roundabout way to get to any safe house, so I assumed you'd notice. '

"Are you alright, kiddo?" a familiar voice called from the mouth of the alley.

Pivoting around, Akira smiled brightly at Cho as ey eyed the pair. They signed ' safe adult ' and eye relaxed. Turning to the hero, Akira signed, ' Just checking in. Not a great look to onlookers for an adult to be towering over a child. '

"Weren't ey the night cashier for the corner store?" Aizawa asked, eyes darkening slightly as Cho froze.

Akira sighed, ' Yes, and ey've helped many people out of bad situations with that trick. I didn't trust you that much yet, so ey got me out of a compromising situation. ' They gestured for em to go on, repeating the sign for ' safe adult ' but pushing it forward slightly. Catching on, Cho nodded and continued on eir way.

Taking in Eraser's slightly more vigilant than usual posture and tension, Akira sighed. ' Would it make you feel better for me to ask who's available to walk me there? '

"I'd feel better if I walked you there," Eraser said, expression tightening as he peered at them. "I'm not losing you again."

' And what would you do with that information? ' Akira asked slowly and pulled their phone out.

"What makes you think I don't already know its location?" Eraser shot back, crossing his arms.

Akira gave him an incredulous look. ' It hasn't been raided yet. We recognize the delicate balance between helping the community and stopping crime, so we give you the courtesy of not putting the decision in your hands when possible. '

Eraser rattled off base's address.

Akira froze in their one-handed typing of a message to Boss and slid their phone back into their pocket. ' How long have you known? '

"The trafficking investigation," Eraser said simply. "I needed to know who would be handing off one of my kids, and watching your base was the logical choice."

Just over a month and nothing's happened... Akira quickly deleted their message to Boss and instead informed her of the development. ' And why haven't you initiated a raid since then? There would've been sufficiently illegal deals for you to have sufficient cause several times over by now. '

"I'm aware of Fat Gum's arrangement with gangs in Esuha," Eraser started, eyes darting to their phone as it lit up. "I'd like to work towards something similar with the Blue Fang, and he's been advising me on gaining their trust."

Glancing between him and their phone, Akira eventually replied, ' Boss wants to meet you. She's not happy about your spying but understands the complexity of the situation we were in. You're fine escorting me back, but you're to stay on the ground. While we're in base, refer to me as Mortis. '

Eraser raised an eyebrow but nodded and started to lead the way. "Your hero name is your street name?"

Akira smirked slightly, ' Of course, that way people from around here can immediately recognize who I am. It's just Mortis, though. ' Their expression fell at the reminder, 'Umbra is the name my twin and I picked out. '

Akira occasionally caught glimpses of runners and muscle spreading out in a net formation as they drew closer to base. A glance at Eraser told them he noticed it, too, as his neutral expression ticked into a slight frown and his gait became a little more tightly coiled. Mortis hoped the talk wouldn't come to that, but they couldn't blame Boss for being cautious of who would be entering and milling about the area.

As they entered base, the few heads in the room turned to scrutinize them. Ayaka and Azumi were fortunately absent, only Haru, Isao, Au, and the night's bartender, Itoh, present.

"Eraser Head, Mortis," Au started, pushing off from the wall. "Boss will meet you in her office. Mortis, would you feel more comfortable having Haru or Isao with you?" As Mortis started to protest, Au narrowed her eyes. "You're getting one of them, nonnegotiable."

Mortis huffed and signed for Haru. He was Quirkless, so Erasure would be of limited use if it came down to a fight. He startled but gave a warm smile to Mortis and a calculating look to Eraser. Placing himself on the opposite side of Mortis, Haru's suspicion was met with a steady, protective look from the hero. Mortis sighed and pushed on, leading the group to Boss' office as Au joined behind them.

"I hope you understand our position, Eraser Head," Boss said as Mortis and Eraser sat down. "We do our best to respect your boundaries as an underground hero, and here you come knocking at our door with the threat of dogs hot at your heels."

She put up a hand as he opened his mouth. "That's not to say I do not also understand your position, but this puts our tenuous relationship on rocky ground. Up until now, I have respected Mortis' need to keep your personal affairs private for the sake of their relations. But that was always contingent on you or the information not posing a threat to my people."

Boss leaned forward, hands forming a pyramid over her desk as her eyes searched his face with a dangerous glint. "So, tell me, Shouta Aizawa," Eraser stiffened near imperceptibly at his civilian name, "are you a threat?"

Notes:

comfort? In one of my hurt/comfort fics? Unheard of XD Fun fact: the hand print in Akira's design is specifically to leave a mark from necrosis. That no longer lines up with my story's canon but I've kept the design element because it's a nice distinctive feature that's easier to replicate and recognize than their eyes. Along those lines, I should technically warm up their skin tone since the initial ashiness was (I think) from anemia due to their constant fluctuation at the start of Mortem ad Wrens, but meh Note for the Twice has DID tag: his characterization does start out as pretty canonical because everyone is off-kilter. I have a whole section in my Characters document for alters with triggers, personality, etc. so it does move to better representation as the story goes on. I guess another fun fact: my initial deep dive into DID was because of a Big Hero 6 fanfiction. The author wanted to give people a better look at what at least a 2-alter system looks like irl, and it piqued my interest. Since then, I've been more conscientious of doing research before writing about anything even in fanfiction. Me: oh we'll have a nice lil scene reinforcing the positive aspects of their relationship with Dabi Also me: takes like 1600 words to get the two alone

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[schizoaffectively]

You are well within your right to be angry about the help you didn't get and should have gotten.

You are well within your right to be angry about having your needs neglected.

You are well within your right to be angry.