#and the little quirk/trait things he's ended up with so far are so perfect for him

[tiktowafel]

personal lore dump for Shihai Kuroiro!! (where i'm probably a little mean to him but it's out of love guys i swear)

verrry late for his birthday but it's here!! :] love this kid. so many thoughts about him to share

i'll just start with the part that i find the most important - the core of his character, to me, is that he is not what he says he is and not what he desperately tries to convince himself and everyone else that he is.

i'm mostly basing this off of how ultra analysis gives him one of the two lowest wits scores in his class (as shown above) despite the fact that he calls himself "the scheming hero" and spends half his joint training match dramatically talking about trickery and psychological traps - while i like to ignore canon sometimes, this little piece of information is something i could never disregard. it's so endearing to me, plus him apparently trying really hard to seem way cooler than he actually is fits with the chuunibyou archetype he's supposed to represent.

severe headcanon territory & a generally slightly lengthy textpost under the read more lol

now, why do i hc he's that way in the first place? well, basically: his whole life he's admired underground heroes very strongly and ended up developing this very idealized mental picture of the perfect underground hero - a mysterious lonely mastermind who hides in the shadows and avoids the spotlight, quietly pulling all the strings and relying on plans and schemes instead of a powerful quirk and flashy moves. but despite all the dirty tricks they're capable of, their heart is in the right place - in fact in a way their motivations are far more noble than those of all the popular celebrity heroes, because they don't care about fame or recognition, they act out of a genuine want to do good. this is what Kuroiro aspires to be and what he bases his entire persona on, pretty much.

and that's because this is also the only kind of hero he could ever identify with - he was always an odd, withdrawn kid who had trouble making friends. he couldn't see himself in all those shiny charismatic always-in-the-spotlight heroes that everyone else seemed to love. so when he learned about underground heroes, he fell in love instantly and decided this is who he wanted to be, over time forming this perfect underground hero image to set as his goal.

except, again, a lot of traits possessed by this ideal of a hero aren't really in line with what Kuroiro himself actually is. he's nowhere this badass. he's nowhere this smart. he kinda sucks at this whole scheming thing actually! he's sneaky, sure, that's by nature of his quirk - but his schemes are way less elaborate than he likes to make them seem, most of the time they're just ways for himself to catch people off guard. he doesn't have the multi-step coordination-based planning capablity of Kendo or Tokage, the adaptability of Honenuki or the sheer sophistication of Monoma (note that almost all of 1-b's plan during joint training match 2 was invented by Kendo and Kuroiro's only strategic contribution was tricking 1-a into thinking he was gonna target Tokoyami so he could ambush Aoyama instead - which is something yeah but still nothing particularly complicated). and he hates that about himself, because intelligence is something that he values and admires so so much - so he exaggerates his strategic prowess a lot, with his hero title and dramatic speeches and all, and does everything in his power not to be perceived as stupid (often failing miserably). it's out of insecurity.

he's also not that much of a lone wolf, either. he does have a strong tendency to isolate himself from others, which is partially because he's convinced himself that he's destined to walk a lonely path in life & content with it (what's a better way of coping with your childhood loneliness than romanticizing it) and partially because the fact that he's constantly putting up a facade does by itself kinda prevent him from forming proper relationships, BUT he's not really happy this way. he's introverted but ultimately not meant to be alone. he does need friends! and he does wish for a romantic relationship, too! but, of course, he sucks at managing those feelings, as we can judge by his interactions with Kinoko and his general incapability of normally talking to girls mentioned in ultra analysis.

i actually really like that he has a crush on Kinoko specifically because it plays really well into everything that i said earlier in this post! remember that something he admires a lot about underground heroes is that they don't care about fame and recognition, and therefore in his view have the most genuine motivations? i like to believe that odd as it is, he actually has a very strong moral compass and greatly values selflessness. so, imagine how he feels when he learns that Kinoko, whom he already has a crush on because she's cute and she's nice to him and she has a really cool quirk (something something mushrooms like darkness so they must be meant to be), wants to be an idol hero. bro's devastated. those people are the epitome of modern hero society's shallowness and superficiality, and she wants to be one! she apparently wants to spend her precious time doing silly little dance routines and shaking people's hands at conventions instead of dedicating it all to proper hero work! and Kuroiro still has a crush on her! that witch...!

and you see, Kinoko isn't actually a shallow person. what motivates her to become and idol hero isn't selfishness (refer to my old Kinoko headcanon list - some things in there are a tiny bit outdated but my headcanon on why she wants to be an idol is still the same!). except Kuroiro doesn't get to know that at first so he remains bewildered and conflicted for quite some time - and i just think that's funny y'know? he eventually learns more about her (second hand, they don't directly talk to each other much, in canon i think Kinoko doesn't even pay much attention to him in general 😭) and starts to change his mind, probably falling even harder in the process - but still the whole thing is complete disaster on his side. he was always shy around her, now there's also... all this, no wonder he can't talk to her at all!!

so, to sum it up: Kuroiro is intense, he's surprisingly idealistic, he's tragically insecure, and he has some very rigid ideas about himself and the world around him that he probably needs to let go of. he's just a mess of a teenager with a lot of to figure out - and he does figure it out, he does get his happy ending eventually! (a conversation with Kinoko, among other things, is something that definitely would be a crucial part in his,, character arc, i guess? and y'know what, while i do really like them as a couple, i think them just getting to talk things out is a "happy ending" regardless of whether they end up together)

OH and by the way: i'm not saying that he's like, going against himself at all times! he's not an actual master schemer or a complete lone wolf but a lot of things about how he acts are perfectly genuine. his affinity for all things dark is genuine, his interest in taboos is genuine, and his love for theatrics is also genuine! in that matter, it's actually not a phase lol he's just like that :] would be blasphemous to say otherwise, that's what we all love him for..!

aaand this concludes my little essay about one of my favorite 1b kids!! the picture of him that i have in my head is very clear, that's why he's the first character that i chose to write this kind of post about - i'm just pretty confident about the hcs i have for him haha. i'm also thinking about writing a more lighthearted list of hcs to complete the vision (ya know, like the good ol days) because there's STILL so much that i haven't shared since it didn't fit this post - so stay tuned for that if you enjoyed this!! see you next month probably

[rebouks]

Robin is the bestest boi..

[mossy-opal]

Instinct

Shuichi Iguchi x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Animal Instincts, Smut, Breeding Kink, Overstimulation

You were always so warm.

Being what he is, he was cursed with a hell of a lot more animal traits than he'd like to admit. He was always cold, always trying to stay warm. It used to be hard to do, sleeping alone without a heat lamp, that was why he played so many games. The consoles and his PC always let off plenty of heat to keep him comfortable. But ever since becoming a villain, heat was a lot harder to come by, and he'd be damned if he asked someone to cuddle with him.

But when he met you, that suddenly wasn't a problem anymore.

He liked sitting next to you, you were like a heater for him, and he never felt awkward being so close to you.

He liked playing games with you and showing you all the things he enjoyed.

He liked sitting next to you while you read to yourself.

He especially liked being able to hold onto you.

You two had an unspoken agreement, he got to use you for warmth, you got to enjoy his company. It was really nice.

It only became a little bit awkward around January. It was exceptionally cold during the months, and... Well it was also that time of the year for his kind. There weren't many lizard-quirk people, and even less of a Gecko breed specifically, so it wasn't like it was a common occurrence, much less a common practice.

Shuichi had never really gone far with anyone, most people who've tried ended up being odd-balls or weirdos, so when the time came and he started having odd dreams of you he.... Didn't know what exactly to do.

He started getting protective of you, especially around the males of the group.

He started catching small animals for you to eat, and you were thankful, but let them go.

Whenever the days would start you'd always get up and go on about your business, Shuichi close behind you to push you back into the warm bed nest, to keep you safe.

You weren't daft to it either, you knew how he felt about you, and you tried making it obvious about how you felt for him.

When the changes started, you went along with them easily, if anything you got him gifts too. Warm scarves and sweaters, and you were sure to stick close to him, so he would always know where his mate you were.

He appreciated it.

He especially appreciated you making the first official move on him.

For as long as you two were in the league, there was no need for more than just cuddling and closeness, but when you held his hand one day, in the midst of his mating season, he knew he had to mark you as his.

Permanently.

You were really, really warm.

Tight, too.

His arms wrapped around your body as he held you close to him, bucking into you as fast as possible, pressing you even further into a mating press without giving you much space to move.

His whining and pleading were matched with your moans and kisses, as you tried to hold onto him for dear life.

His breathing was quick as he fucked into you- His mate. He needed to get you full of him, needed you to take every drop of him- He'd be good for you, he'd be good for the eggs, he knew he would be. He'd protect them just like he protected you, he swore it as he bit into your shoulder. He was drooling as he kept drilling into you, almost deaf to how overstimulated you were.

You'd be fine, you could take it- He was sure you could take it. You would take every ounce of cum he'd give you, and you'd be happy too- So full of him, round with his child because you were his mate.

Your cute face covered with tears and drool, your beautiful eyes rolling into the back of your head as you arched your back against him, clenching around his cocks as he fucked himself deeper into you.

"One more- f-fuu- Just one more honey, you- You'll be the perfect mother- I kno-Oooh~ you will-aah~"

"Sh-shuichiii- T-too much- T-t-toooh~ f-fuu-full~!"

"N-nnngh~nah... S' okay... W-warm... So warm... Good... Nnngh..."

And he'd keep going, taking such good care of his perfect mate.

After all, it was only natural.

Tags: @slayersins @shadowsandshapes @dabislittlemouse @dabispreciouslittlebean @the-milk-anon @shockinglysubmissive @kelin-is-writing @elias-fable

Enjoy this short little one off, just so the Spinner fans can have some food while they wait their turn for their Sugar Baby.

[moodymisty]

Bad batch & tooka hybrid reader?

I had the funny idea of the bois cuddling there s/o and then there s/o randomly starts purring

I actually finished reading Neon Junkie's(NSFW) 'In the heat of the Moment' series, and that whole time I imagined reader be a cat/tookagirl-like race(hey its starwars; Anything is possible), so you sent this at the perfect time. Whether you want to be a lil'tooka or your own race is up to you readers, I kept it open <3

✦ Hunter ✦

Hunter has interacted with Lothcats before, so he was vaguely familiar with purring and other cat-like behaviors before you.

It doesn't mean that he really knows why you do the things you do however, but he just figures each one is it's own little quirk.

He internally overjoyed to have another person on board the ship that has better than human hearing he can relate to; Though it's quite a bit cuter when you hear a far away sound and you perk up than when he does.

It's not the only thing he finds cute, however.

At one point during one of their many stints in hyperspace Hunter decides to go take a rest, and walks to the back of the ship when the bunk racks are. When he looks he ends up finding you nuzzled up on his bunk, content as can be as you sleep and audibly purring even over the dull hum of the Marauder's engines.

He ends up just sleeping in the co-pilot's seat, because he feels too much like a monster at the idea of moving you. He could absolutely slip right in there beside you and you wouldn't care, but he only realizes that once it's too late. Missed a perfectly romantic moment, that.

All snuggled up as can be, the only thing better is if you'd done so on his lap. You had once, and he still thinks about it sometimes like it was some sort of ultimate honor.

Over time you end up realizing that he wants you to do that (shuffling closer and making sure his lap is perfectly flat and open), and you'll gladly take the cuddle time with just him, so you end up just getting cozy while he futzes with the navicomputer.

Next time Crosshair makes a joke he's gonna throw something at him, since he can't get up to punch him without moving

✦ Tech ✦

I hope you like being an experiment. Joking. Maybe.

In all seriousness Tech finds species that differ from humans fascinating; Particularly ones that share similar traits but at some point split away from humanity, like the Chiss.

In fact the first time you met you were bombarded with questions, though he pretty quickly leveled off with time.

He just can't help being a curious man, especially when you have so many interesting little quirks that he keeps noticing the closer he becomes with you.

Like when your ears twitch when there's a loud or interesting noise, or when you purr and get sleepy when he cranks the Marauder's climate controls to the max.

(He almost boiled everyone on board alive at one point just so you'd be happy and snug with your head on his lap taking a rest after a rough mission, enjoying the heat while everyone else was sweating buckets.)

It's research(he thinks it's adorable) he brushes it off as, while allowing you to bend the co-pilot's seat from you sitting in it sideways.

It's also a time Tech gets much more lovey dovey than you'd expect, both having a rare rest on his bunk and he gives you sweet kiss to the forehead.

✦ Wrecker ✦

Wrecker is absolutely a fan of the snuggles. It's pretty quickly that you realize Wrecker is the absolute best heat source, and if you need some, all you need to do is cuddle on up near or on him.

Even before you ended up romantic you always stood near him when you were cold, though now you just flop all over him now instead.

The first time you had done it and he heard the purring Wrecker doesn't really quite know what it is, and assumes you snore weird. It's after Tech informs him what purring is that Wrecker loses it.

You have a noise just for being happy? Besides laughing?

It's now sort of a secret goal of his when you're beside each other to get you to purr.

Which is not that hard at all, just just needs to recline back enough that you have space to get on his lap or lay on his chest, and it's game over. Especially if he kisses your cheek, then absolutely. So much love in this cockpit tonight.

Hunter hates it though, because it prevents Wrecker from wanting to do anything. He doesn't want to move you! Or himself.

Especially if you fall asleep, then it is game over. He refuses to wake you up. (He almost punched Crosshair one time when he quietly walked up beside Wrecker then clapped loud enough to startle you awake)

Wrecker is king of the snuggles, all in all. You win the jackpot with this man.

✦ Crosshair ✦

Crosshair is an ass, at first. Who's surprised.

You remember not fondly when he snuck up on you and scared you, causing every hair on your body to stand on end.

He found it hilarious of course, but you notably did not.

He pretty quickly stops however, as once he starts getting attached, he doesn't like seeing you hate him.

But for the first long while however you really couldn't get anywhere near him with him recoiling, given Crosshair's standoffish attitude. As time passes however, he'll eventually let you close. But it's a slooowww process. And even then, he really doesn't want to do anything snugglin' or hugglin' when anyone is in sight. He says it's because he's embarrassed, but reality is you're cute and he doesn't want anyone else to see.

At one point he was working on cleaning his gun after a particularly messy mission, having to take apart multiple pieces to clear out the mud and other gunk.

You noticed him doing so and decided to join him, and he seemed mellow enough.

Since he was a sedentary target, you came over and sat down, tucking yourself in close to his side while he continued working.

He pretends not to notice and react to you doing so, while interning he's melting down.

You're just casually watching him, while you're hands grasp the seam of one of his armor plates to keep him close.

He ends up slowing down his progress to a complete crawl, just so he can enjoy the feeling if you cuddling on him for as long as possible without having to admit it.

✦ Echo ✦

He'll never tell you; But Echo loves the soft little bit of fur by the base of your ear.

it's just so soft...

After a particularly stressful mission, Echo was a little rattled, and in an attempt to give him some sort of company, you laid your head down on his lap, and Echo gently pet that part for what felt like hours.

He's not too much of a talker, at least anymore, so he enjoys that you just cuddle and relax with him and help him mellow out.

It's like your contentment is contagious, as whenever you stay close to him and relax and purr, it isn't long before he 's content too.

It's one of the things he loves about you, and secretly wants you to always do.

Echo is secretly someone who loves and gets greedy for affection, he just often thinks he isn't exactly deserving of it.

If you snuggle up on him he'll usually say that it isn't worth it because of how much colder he feels compared to the others, especially with his metal limbs.

However you usually still end up snuggling with him and purring anyways, and Echo will secretly be the most content man in the galaxy for a bit.

[dreamcrow]

★, ■, ♦, ♒, ☼, ൠ ample headcannons for a boring workday! whatever character you want :33

(from this headcanon meme; thank you for the ask!)

★ - sad headcanon

ren didn't actually die when bellroc burnt down their house. :) i'm toying with the thought of them somehow discovering this, not very long after dying but maybe in the space of only a few human lifetimes—learning that she was still there, that they didn't kill her, that they could have gone back? god. god.

(originally this was filed as one of my fun "early days bells n nari bonding activities" but i can't remember how her magic made it work! orz)

■ -  bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

all of the order have multiple "rooms" within the vast interior geometries of the fortress; but of all three of them, skrael's bedroom is…dare i say, the most utilitarian? to have a single room dedicated only to a bed is, even now, a hideous luxury to his mind! he really uses it mainly only for sleeping, in an extremely plush nest of soft, silvery furs. of course it's also where he stores all his secret treasures (the knife bellroc gave him, for example—he's just as old as the other two, and just as much of a collector), but i always imagine it as a space that's perfect for sleeping, blissfully cool and dry and dark.

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

nari is extremely serious about her greenhouse. one of the first (if not THE first) in the world. when she sneaks back into the fortress after [my timeline's equivalent of wizards], and sees that they've kept it up and in good care—even in her long absence, even for all the cause they might have to be (perhaps justifiably) angry with her—she feels something sharp and awful pierce right through her heart.

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

bellroc is the only (mostly) lactose-tolerant member of the order. (nari doesn't count, she cheats by making friends with bacteria.) they're the only one of them to come from a place where lactose tolerance was rewarded as a survival trait!!

☼ - appearance headcanon

oh god i have so many. what small hill do i want to die on this time, hmm lol. at the time i received this ask i was coloring this dopey little thing (fond), so how about:

skrael isn't actually technicolor blue. he's certainly pale (he'd say washed-out), he's clearly got…some kind of frostbite/peripheral cyanosis from the whole. freezing to death. thing. (though the marks on his wrists and ankles are a different kind of livor.) he's sparkly and even vaguely iridescent, yes! definitely, self-admittedly, the blue oni between him and bells. but to his own eye—he always thinks he looks [frozen; within a believable, if sub-optimal, range of human complexion] rather than what he'd describe by [the word for the color blue].

(which is of course, among other things, his dad's name. :)

ൠ - random headcanon

they don't know what we would think of as their birthdays. even if they could calculate modern calendars back that far—i don't think any of their birth cultures would have been able to remember such things so precisely! but they do remember, even at such distance, the season: bellroc in late summer, skrael in midwinter, and nari towards the end of monsoon season, just at the beginning of fall.

[dirt-cup-draco]

In His Touch- Fili x Reader

Prompt: Casually reaching out to play with someone’s hair

The sting in your eyes from the abrasive smoke was nearly as permanent as the ache in your bones but you couldn’t find yourself bothered with either as you sat on the dewy grass, a bowl of Bombur’s stew in hand. The fire before you was raging, casting violent shadows against everyone’s otherwise gentle features. Thorin’s hard expression was made further sinister by the flickering of the light and your heart panged in sympathy for the leader you had come to respect so fiercely. 

The dwarves and hobbit around you laughed, hollered, and hooted. Each of them speaking over each other and sending their voices bouncing off of the tall trees above you. Tonight the weather was mild and there was no danger present or near, so much so that Fili and Kili were not stopped even as they shouted and fought playfully. You sighed happily as you leaned against the felled tree stump at your back. It was nearly as wide around as the horizontal span of your arms and made for as good of a backrest as anything. 

Your contentment could not only be attributed to your, nearly, carefree friends and the fine weather. Nor could it only be Bombur’s stew which was often enough to lift your spirits on even the worst of days, especially when the company’s resources became low and rations had to be cut short. Tonight, your joy was brought upon by the beacon of light who was not quite two yards from you, sweat glistening on his brow as he grappled with his brother. 

Fili’s smirk was sharp at the corner but his eyes were bright with mirth and you longed to see that joy directed at you, because of you. It was no secret to many in the company where your heart was being kept. Thankfully, the dwarf himself wasn’t aware of how twisted around his finger you were. You’d spent many of your nights on this perilous journey frightened that you wouldn’t see the next morning and that Fili would never know of your dedication to him, yet when you found yourself with the words on the tip of your tongue the fear of losing him to rejection became more terrifying. 

You could survive anything so long as you could keep Fili in your life, no matter in what capacity it would be. 

Unaware that you had drifted off into a dreamy state, eyes glued to your loved one, you startled easily when Bombur sat beside you, bumping your shoulder with his. 

“If ye stare much longer, I fear your eyes won’t be able to see anything but him,” Bombur chuckled lowly, keeping his voice subdued so the others around you would not hear. You were grateful for it, even on the off chance any of them tuned into your now private conversation.

A warmth crept into your cheeks and it had nothing to do with the fire that was now quite a bit shorter than the last time you’d taken notice, the crackling of the wood now a pleasant instrument in the night’s symphony. 

“I hadn’t even realized I’d been looking,” You admitted truthfully. You were certainly the dedicated moth, but Fili could never be the flame. There was not a single bone in his body that could ever cause harm to someone he cared for and you were gratefully someone he called “friend”. To be more accurate, he was the sun and the moon. You were dependent on his warmth and his light and without him you were certain you couldn’t go on. 

“I think it’s time to tell him, lass,” Bombur spoke gently but firmly, velvet laid over steel. It was one of your favorite traits of your best friend. He was unmovable in many things but he was also tentative and caring. You were grateful that he hadn’t pushed you more on this subject but you could tell he was growing wary of your pining. 

“Now is not the time,” Your voice sounded weak in your ears, the argument flimsy in the face of Death, whom you met with nearly daily. 

“Let us hope nothing keeps you from the future you wish for,” Bombur sighed, lips curled up in loving melancholy. You knew he didn’t mean for the words to bite at your skin and pierce your heart but you also knew he was not wrong in voicing it. 

You lived an uncertain life and “now” was the only certainty you had. 

Fili and Kili had tired themselves out by the light of the moon, their playfighting dying down into insults wrapped in brotherly love and the repetitive bump of a shoulder and now the two had come to sit at the end of the very trunk you found yourself leaning against. Bombur had left you with your thoughts for the better part of an hour and now the very topic of your worries and hopes and feelings was seated a foot away and you were surprised to find his eyes already on you.

“Gehyith, what is it that has you frowning so?” Fili asked, his mustache twitching at the ends as he smiled gleefully, “Could it be Kili’s stench? I told him we’d all die from the severity of it if he does not find a lake soon,” 

You couldn’t help the laugh the bubbled up from deep in your stomach, your head thrown back with the force of your amusement- especially once Kili let out a dignified and offended gasp, shoving his brother off of the stump before he took his leave with only an eye roll. Fili couldn’t help his own chuckle, knowing Kili wasn’t bothered by his comment. 

Kili’s absence brought you relief and a swirling anxiety all in the same breath. Alone time with Fili seemed a precious gift, yet you feared every second with him would lead you closer to your end. Now, you were certain tonight- this stunning, perfect, night- would be your last. For Fili had taken it upon himself to slide closer to you, even going so far as to slide off the stump and sit beside you, his thigh and shoulder warm against yours. Not sure what to do with your hands, you folded them lamely in your lap. 

“How was-” 

You were cut short, a pitiful whimper falling from your lips when Fili’s fingertips drifted delicately against your cheekbone, a strand of your hair pushed behind your ear. His skin was well-worn leather and your stomach was in knots. 

“Come again?” Fili asked innocently, his brow quirked up towards his hairline. His fingers trailed down your neck, his nails making a shiver break out down your spine despite the balmy air. 

“J-just was wondering how you are fairing today,” You mumbled when his path continued to the ends of your hair, his fingers tangling easily there as he played with the loose and wild strands. 

Those rosy lips of his were upturned, his eyes molten gold. “I think it has been one of the best days I’ve experienced yet,” 

Growing comfortable in his affection, you were able to contain yourself enough to jest. “You are ancient, so that must be quite the feat,” 

Your love’s boisterous laugh was your most favorite noise and you felt your smile grow painfully wider. “Y/N, you are so cruel to me,” Fili teased, pulling the ends of your hair and then returning his hand to your scalp to lightly massage your aching head- another permanent sensation you had grown used to on this adventure. His strong and determined hands eased the dull throb for a short while and the relief was so wonderful you let yourself lean against his open hand. 

It was not strange for you and Fili to be close, he was a dwarf who cared deeply for his friends and he was not above pulling each and every one of them close to share hugs, shed tears, and celebrate. You felt some pride, however, recognizing that you had never seen him play with anyone’s hair but yours. It was a treat for you alone and even though it nearly rendered you speechless every time, you were glad for his continued practice of turning you to mush. 

“You know I love you,” You spoke honestly, but the words themselves were innocent enough to Fili’s ears as you had told him this sentiment time and time again without revealing to which depth you loved him. 

“Aye, I know it, gehyith,” He hummed, head leaned back and eyes closed. The low firelight flickered against his throat and you wondered what he would taste like if you placed your lips there. 

“One day I will get Bombur to tell me what insult you have chosen as my nickname,” You giggled, giddy off of his presence. It surely was no help to you when he brought his arm around your shoulder, only to keep his fingers twister in your hair- his hand now cradling your head. 

“One day I will tell you myself,” Fili said with suddenly certainty, his eyes capturing yours with an intensity that made you feel as if you had missed something. 

“One day,” You mimed back, your gaze only parting from his quickly enough to peak at the inviting curve of his mouth. 

It was a promise to yourself, and him, that one day in the future you would tell him that your chest had been empty for months now, your heart having stole away to find a home in the palm of his hand. 

For now, you could not jeopardize the slice of heaven you found yourself in. 

Your future was not promised, yet in his touch, the present seemed to be a gift worth holding onto. 

--

Gehyith = Little Dove My guide to Khuzdul found----> here

[saynotoshityouhate]

photo from pinterest

Across the Alley (Adam Sackler x Reader)

summary: Your new neighbor likes to put on a show - but little did you know, he knows you’ve been watching.

note: this was a piece I wrote for the Summer 2021 @adcuficexchange for AO3 user 1986_Special, who also wrote my gift fic! I had so much fun with this prompt - maybe I’ll work on a part two?

cw: mutual masturbation, solo masturbation (male and female), watching your neighbor play, playing with cum like only Sackler can

Adam awoke as your bedroom light shone through his window. You were home; it was late. He wondered how the date he correctly assumed you’d been on, based on your many outfit changes, had fared. Poking his head up from his pillow, he looked across the alleyway to see you sitting on your bed, head in your hands. Must not have gone well, he thought.

Adam had been watching you since you’d moved in. He had noticed the moving trucks outside one day and, being curious, he looked out to see who his new neighbor would be. He ended up very pleasantly surprised. Over the course of the next few months he picked up on your little habits and quirks, like your love for black and white films, your morning dance parties in your underwear, and your favorite chinese food order. He found himself craving more from you - like why haven’t you brought anyone home, or why the pink vibrator is your favorite.

He’d also love to know your name, so he could hear it pass through his lips, tasting every vowel and consonant as he came.

----

After getting unceremoniously dumped by your long-term boyfriend, you needed a major life change. Moving to New York City as a single young adult was the absolute dream...right? You’d been surrounded by romantic media portrayals of life in the Big Apple growing up - Friends! Sex and the City! Will and Grace! How I Met Your Mother! As soon as you handed “he who must not be named” your set of keys, you knew this was the logical next step in your life plan.

It was your first night in your apartment by yourself when you noticed him. You had yourself all cozy in bed, watching your favorite old movie, when you heard a loud growl coming from across the alleyway. Carefully peeking out of the window, you saw a large man swinging a 2x4 around his apartment - wood and dust and glass were flying around his muscular frame, dressed in only a pair of low slung jeans and safety goggles. You called your best friend in the morning to let her know you had found your first crazy New Yorker - a right of passage and something to check off your NYC bucket list.

You worked from home, giving you plenty of opportunity to study this man across the alley. He had an odd sense of style - it was either the same pair of jeans (no shirt needed, a trait you quickly began to appreciate) or a dingy onesie that looked like something his great grandfather may have worn. He was some kind of carpenter, and was always shouting at something or someone. He had a dog, but only for a day, and didn’t often have company.

You were lonely - your friends were across the country, and every date you had been on so far had been a disaster. You were starting to reconsider this decision, but you were too stubborn to truly admit you were wrong. Plus, there were other ways to fulfil those lonely feelings.

When he didn’t have company, he had a certain nightly routine. He’d grab a tall glass of milk and a tattered old book from his extensive collection, and head into the bedroom. He’d read a few chapters until the milk was gone, and then make himself comfortable propped up with pillows against the headboard. He’d wiggle his hips, moving his tight black briefs down past his knees. He’d squirt two pumps of some kind of lubricant into his enormous hand before slowly, and not at all gracefully, bringing himself to orgasm.

You were usually already in bed when this routine would begin. Covering yourself with your blanket, you’d get comfy enough to watch the show, bringing your trusty pink vibrator along. You wondered if he knew you were watching him, if he knew you were touching yourself along with him, mirroring his long, languid strokes with your fingers, wishing it was his thick veiny cock that brought you to your release instead.

——

Adam caught on quickly that you were watching him too. He could gauge how your day was going based on how many trips you took to refill your coffee cup throughout the day. More coffee meant more stress, meaning more urgency for a way to relieve that stress. Who knew he’d have a dirty little voyeur move in next door? Adam had some kinks, but voyeurism was never one of them - until now. Tonight, however, Adam had a plan.

——

“Oh god, yes, yes,” you whimpered, eyes shut tight. Your head was full of the dirty things the man next door could do to you. The guy you had dinner with tonight was a total loser, some Wall Street know it all with a fancy apartment but zero social skills. Your neighbor was already asleep, so you had nothing but your own thoughts to put you in the mood. Thinking of his broad chest, muscular back, and endearingly goofy mannerisms tightened the coil in your lower belly. The image of his two hands pumping himself up and down while his entire body flexed in anticipation snapped that coil, causing your back to arch almost unnaturally, moaning louder than ever before. As you relaxed back down into the mattress, you turned your head towards your sleeping neighbor’s apartment. Only to see that he was not asleep.

——

As soon as your light turned off, Adam snapped to attention. He watched you reach into your bottom drawer, pulling out your favorite toy. He smiled. Show time. He gave you a bit of a head start, watching your body movements slowly increase in speed and intensity. He palmed himself through his briefs, wanting to last a bit longer. He saw the way your toes began to curl, spurring him to jump out of bed, kicking off his briefs in the process. He stood in front of the window, cock in hand, and watched as silent words spilled from your perfect lips, as your forehead furrowed and your back ultimately arched, stroking himself the entire time. It was the most erotic moment he had ever experienced. As his legs began to shake, he leaned one forearm against the window keeping his eyes on you from beneath his dark eyelashes.

—-

This was how you saw him, chest heaving, right arm pumping vigorously, a flush crept across his chest and neck, punctuated by his hair, dampened from sweat and stuck to his forehead. His eyes were trained on you.

You sat up in bed, fascinated by what was happening before your eyes. Your mind was reeling - so he knew what you were doing…and he was more than okay with it? How long had he known? Oh my god what if you saw each other on the street? He didn’t seem like a murderer - a bit erratic, maybe, but not a murderer. For every panicked thought, there were two that sent quivers throughout your already overstimulated body. You crawled to the edge of your bed, sitting cross-legged and watched as your neighbor climaxed, spurts of cum hitting the windowpane in front of him.

——

Adam closed his eyes for just a moment, regulating his breath and heart rate. Slowly opening them back up, he saw you were literally on the edge of your seat. He laughed, more than satisfied with his performance. Leaning down, he smeared some of the mess on his window, letting him write a crude “hi” message. He saw you laugh, covering your face and shaking your head. Adam scampered across his bedroom, wiping his hands on a dirty towel before grabbing a notepad and pen. He wrote a message and held it up against the dirty window for you to read.

“Hi! I’m Adam! Same time tomorrow?”

[keilemlucent]

I saw your requests were open and this thought has been on my mind FOREVER- I saw you wanted some Gang Orca asks and I'm his slut so- He has a mutant quirk which gives him animal characteristics like how it does with Hawks right? Okay now hear me out; Gang Orca going into rut. How does his demeanor change? Does he stoically sort it out himself or does he call y/n and ask you to come over? What is his behavior like pre and post rut? 👀 Okay- thanks for thinking with me 💀(I love you btw, thanks♡)

okay first off, THANK U for this request, i once again get to indulge my monster-fucker tendencies

second off, THANK YOU for the love, i tried to fulfill this one with a bit of world building!!!

warnings: rut cycles, a wittle monsterfucking, no actual smut, opulent interior design

----

You swallowed down your anxieties as you stood in front of the door to Kugo’s quiet, residential home. The gardens were preened to perfection, the walkup clear of any fallen leaves or seeds.

You had a small suitcase with you, all of your essentials and several outfits, though based on what Kugo described to you, they were inconsequential at the end of the day.

It was unlikely you’d be wearing anything most of the month you were staying with him. 

It was scary, at first, when Kugo sat you down and explained more of the intricacies of his anatomy. You’d seen his cock already, but you didn’t truly know how far his animalistic traits ran at that point. 

You worked at Kugo’s agency as a PA for his publicist, so it wasn’t hard for him to pull some strings and get you an entire month off to be there for his summertime rut. 

You’d learned, through his rolling bass and gentle words, that the whole biological process was one of the reasons he wasn’t higher on the hero charts. Being knocked out out of the field for nearly five weeks each year took a toll on his numbers and popularity, especially since he wasn’t particularly open about the reasons for his absence. 

It was all daunting, but you stepped up to help your partner without question.

Kugo had prepped the week prior, calling you at least once a day to sweetly ask your preferences and opinions on particularly... weird things. 

“What are your favorite smells? Textures?”

“Do you have an aversion to any types of tastes?”

“How good is your hearing on a scale of one to ten?”

You’d been exercising more at his request as well, slowly pushing your stamina to be at least a bit more solid.

(Not like it was going to matter, Kugo was going to break and ruin you even if he tried him damndest to be gentle and cautious. You knew that going in.)

Once again, you swallowed, this time forcing your fear back down your throat.

You rang his doorbell.

It only took a moment for him to answer, the door opening with more force than you’d expect. 

You both took sharp inhales.

Kugo was barely dressed, just a tight-fitting t-shirt and sports joggers. You tried not to stare, you really did, but when you caught the outline of his tapered cock, your breath caught hard in the back of your throat.

“(Y/N),” He gestured inside. “Come in, please.”

He’d leased a new home for his rut this year. He wouldn’t tell you why, but as soon as you stepped in the door, you understood.

The house seemed to be one floor, all rooms off a main atrium and living space. It was grandiose, well-furnished with hard-looking stone and bright fixtures. The center of the room held the focal of it all.

A massive pool.

Gurgling, blue-lit water swirled in the tiled pool, different lips and varying heights of cement visible underneath the ripples. There was a floating basket tethered to one of the side. Even from your distance, you could see the large bottle of oil-based lube, differently elegant bottles of oils, ear plugs and other assorted and very necessary items.

(This did include, you noted, a slick black collar you and Kugo had used a few times. You rubbed your thighs together at the thought.)

You leaned into Kugo’s side, staring the opulence of the whole set up, “This is... amazing, Kugo.”

He hummed, seemingly calm, but you could feel the sweat coating his skin already, “Overwhelmed, I assume?”

“A little, but it’ll pass,” You leaned up on your tiptoes to press a kiss to his slick cheek, though you weren’t able to pull away much. Kugo’s hands, clawed and curled, circled your waist and dragged you close. You could feel his cock, hard and writhing against your thigh.

You gulped as your feet were lifted off the ground, Kugo nuzzling into your neck and nipping, though the pressure and sharpness of his teeth were more than enough to get you gasping and squirming.

“It will,” He placed a kiss under your ear. He palmed as your ass, rolling his hips lightly against your own as you hooked your thighs around his waist.

There was something heady about it all, warmth prickling over your skin as your eyes went half-lidded. You vaguely noticed you were already dripping slick, despite hardly being touched.

Kugo sharply inhaled, growling and gripping under your ass, squeezing and walking into the threshold of the atrium as you clung to him.

“Let me show you how well I can take of you, dear,” Despite the sweetness of his words, his tone was low and rumbling. You keened, tucking into his neck as he slowly descended into the pool, not even bothering to disrobe.

You had no doubt he’d show you plenty during that month. 

[thatslikely]

we - g.w.

we - george weasley x fem!reader

warnings: mentions of food, tooth rotting fluff

word count: 1.3k

a/n: ok... this was meant to be 800 words ish but I guess I just can’t write blurbs?? i think my shortest work ever was 800 soooo

“Hey, Georgie,” you said hesitantly, tapping him on his broad shoulder, “we need to talk.”

The laugh that quirked his lips and crinkled the edges of his chocolate eyes you weren’t shy of adoring fell as flat as the icy Black Lake during the harsh winter months. The slightest wrinkle formed between his eyebrows, nonchalant concern seeping through his pores.

The phrase you just uttered never led to anything remotely good. Those four dreaded words are what ended his juvenile relationship with Katie Bell all the way back in fourth year. Bill had stated the four words as he sat down a ten-year-old George so many years ago, who loved his older brother dearly, and broke the news that he would be indefinitely moving to Egypt. 

It was safe to say he didn’t have a great history with the phrase.

With worry wincing his features, he agreed. “Sure, darling. Everything all right?” You nodded, grabbing his wrist and dragging him away from the group of Gryffindors that he had previously been enthralled with in conversation.

He sat on your curtained dorm bed with a creak uncomfortably, as if he were a guest visiting your house for the first time. “You look like you’re about to explode Georgie, relax,” you meekly smiled. “I just have something to tell you.”

The heel of his shoes lifted up and down, causing his knee to bounce every so slightly, a habit that was only expressed when fear truly racked his body. With a dry mouth and averted gaze, you said, “you see, after Hogwarts, there’s been a little change in plans.”

“I want to attend a Muggle college.”

“The Muggle world’s a lot bigger than I thought,” George said thoughtfully as his tongue licked vertical stripes up the scoop of ice cream in his palm. “No one ever told me there were so many places to go and see and do.”

“Yeah, they never did talk about its expansiveness back at school. Even Muggle Studies barely scratched the surface.” 

As your mind swam through the previous school year, which was packed full with laughs, pranks galore, romantic dates with your titian-haired boyfriend, and an awful case of senioritis, George swiftly lurched to steal a bite from your cone with a mischievous smirk.

However, you were too quick for him, you always had been, and your treat was safe from his stomach. “Not today, Weasley.”

“Bummer. I regret not getting that flavor, ‘looks delicious.”

“I guess I’ll let you have one bite.” You turned your cone in his direction, and unsurprisingly, he snatched it from your grasp, dashing away from you, laughs interspersed with joking taunts escaping his strawberry cream-coated lips.

“Get back here!” you shouted at the lanky, retreating figure, moving your legs swiftly after him.

The sun had risen tranquilly to the center of the dreamy, blue sky above, and its golden beams were trickling down from overhead. The weather fostered the perfect atmosphere to tour one of the college campuses you had been accepted into, accompanied by no one but the doting, red-haired boy you could call your’s.

The brilliant idea of attending Muggle college had stemmed from Hermione, who one day in the library, when stacks of yellowing books and dusty pages crammed with research enveloped the two of you in a world of strictly academia, mentioned in passing that it was on her list of possible things to do post-Hogwarts.

Before you had learned that the blood coursing through your brains contained traces of magic-harnessing abilities, university had seemed some distant end goal expected from you after graduating high school. That notion had been quickly swept aside when you learned of your wizard ancestry and you received a letter informing you that you would attend Hogwarts first thing the next fall.  

But now, observing the cliques of college students sauntering around the open-aired quad, you realized that this was the next step for you. The only next step for you.  

“Hey, Y/N, I have a question,” a sixth-year George asked as his thumb lovingly caressed your skin, leaving warm, tingly patches in its wake. “When me and Fred open the shop the moment we’re out of here, will you come live with us? Me?”

“There’ll be a homey flat above the shop, perfect for us. Fred’ll be there too, of course, but I reckon we’ll have plenty of time just the two of us.” George’s umber eyes scanned your face in an attempt to know what thoughts and opinions ran through your mind. He meant what he said: he couldn’t imagine not seeing you after the both of your educations concluded.

“I’ll live anywhere as long as you’re with me, Georgie,” you replied with a grin.

A small chip of guilt flaked off your heart when you knowingly broke the promise you had sworn by not even two years ago. You outright refused to attend any universities not within the UK, as part of your internal compromise for leaving George.

George was beyond happy for you, though, and he was not shy of showing it. He’d unabashedly boast around the Great Hall or common room practically every day, saying with a smirk oozing with pride and joy, “I’ve got the smartest girl ever. She’s going to college.”

You and George strolled along the brick-pathed sidewalks and trails, admiring the different buildings with elegant architecture. When you two walked past the dorm rooms, varicolored flags could be seen draped from the windows; in the patches of well-groomed green that dotted the landscape, students were tossing frisbees and eating sandwiches on picnic blankets.

It was like no school you had ever attended, and you were undeniably enamoured by it.

As the afternoon faded away, conquered with a sweeping tsunami of darkness, the silver moon encroached closer to the pinkened sky. You and George treated yourselves to a nice dinner on the river, at a restaurant that you wouldn’t dream of dining at again if you chose to enroll.

You and George had covered all the logistics of college: how it worked, where you would live, when he could visit. 

“Maybe Fred and I will open a shop down here someday,” he said, forking a bit of the food before him. “You think college students (or to-be college students in your case) would like pranks?”

“I wouldn’t put it past them, by the looks of campus so far.”

He gave you a genuine, innocent smile (his mouth still full of food, not unlike a squirrel’s), as if to say ‘it’s settled then.’ “You never were the neatest eater,” you giggled.

“I can be sophisticated if I want to!” he rebutted.

“Oh, yeah?”

���Definitely. One-hundred percent. No doubt about it. I’ll take you to another nice restaurant one of these days and watch me have the best manners ever!”

The string lights illuminating the patio looked great, the beads of contained golden light highlighting every detail about him that you love so much. It shone on the faint, near indistinguishable scar on his eyebrow from a failed prank when he was six. The glint of pure love in his eyes that he held ever since he laid eyes on you back in fifth year. The way one specific tessel of his soft ginger hair would never sit quite right, no matter how many gels and spells he’d apply.

The boy opposite you was so easily tempted to simper and tease you for so blatantly staring at him, every inch of him it seemed, as it was a trait him and his twin could never rid. But instead, a fuse in his brain finally clicked; the final piece of a undeniably complex and breathtaking puzzle fell into place, and he finally made up his mind.

He smiled warmly, his eyes prickling with joy. It wasn’t a grin of the same nature as one derived from one of his pranks, or a clever jab Fred would crack: it was an expression of ultimate contentment, resulted from the pure emotions that sputtered through his chest like a firecracker. 

“You think we should apply here?” He’d accepted the fact that he had been grappling with for so long: there was no way he’d live without you, and if that meant leaving Fred the shop for a while, or even delaying its construction, then so be it.

“We?” 

“We.”

general taglist:

@amourtentiaa @anchoeritic @accioweaslcy @theweasleytwinsgirl

twins/george taglist:

@horrorxweasley @hufflepuff5972

send me an ask or dm to be added!

[vs-redemption]

Aaa im so sorry for bothering you! Can uou do my request from before (homeless kid) but now with hawks, shigaraki, and fatgum please? Im so sorry if its any trouble but your writing isFANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!

A/N: Phew! Sorry for the wait, but I wanted to make sure I gave you something I was proud of. And don’t worry! You aren’t bothering me. I was actually kind of wishing you’d included Hawks in the first request, and Shigaraki was a fun challenge to write! I really hope these meet your expectations.

A Surprise Meeting (Hawks, Fat Gum, and Shigaraki meet their abused child)

Warning:⚠️Mentions of child abuse and homelessness.⚠️

You can read the same scenario but with Bakugo, Iida, and Aizawa HERE You can read the same scenario but with Todoroki and Dabi HERE

Hawks

Hawks knew his patience would be put to the test whenever the Hero Commission called him in for a face-to-face meeting. He’d opened up his agency as far away from the head office as possible for the sole purpose of avoiding their overbearing attempts to control not only his career, but his personal life as well. He appreciated everything the Commission had done for him to an extent. After all, he never would’ve ended up as such a successful hero if they hadn’t taken him in as a child and given him intensive training to perfect his quirk. There were a lot of things he’d hated about living under the Commission’s thumb though. Because of that, he really hated whenever he had to go back there.

“Thanks for coming today, Hawks.” The president of the organization herself had come to greet him. He gave her a roguish grin despite the fact he wanted to role his eyes. He hated when they thanked him for obeying when it wasn’t like he had a choice anyway. “There’s someone we’d like you to meet.”

Hawks followed the president as she led him deeper into the facility than he’d been in a long time. His wings twitched behind him as unpleasant memories began to surface in his mind. He felt confused and uncomfortable when he was brought into a small observation room that had a view of one of the commission’s training spaces behind a large two way mirror. “Are you going to explain what this is all about?” Hawks jokes to try and ease his own tension, “Or are you keeping me in suspense on purpose?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” The president’s face remains stoic as she turns away and speaks into an intercom. “Bring her in.” Hawks looks into the training room on the other side of the glass and sees a random agent of the commission step through the door with a tiny little girl following closely behind. She looked to be around two years old. Hawks’ jaw drops in disbelief when he sees the two fluffy wings sprouting from the child’s back. He’d seen other people with wing quirks before, but this kid’s resemblance to him was uncanny. Her hair was darker than his, but the black markings around her golden eyes had his mind reeling.

“Of course we did a DNA test,” the president says flatly. “She’s definitely your child.”

Hawks steps away from the glass and runs a hand over his face, letting the information sink in. The commission had so much influence over his personal life that he’d mostly stayed away from any sort of relationship, knowing that there’d be too much drama over maintaining his image and reputation for him to actually enjoy having that kind of connection with someone. Admittedly, he had bent his own rules and caved into pressure once or twice after graduating the commission’s program. He wasn’t proud of it, but he’d mostly done it out of spite for all the years he’d spent being micromanaged.

“A woman dropped her off a few days ago,” the president’s voice turns sharp. “How could you let this happen?” Hawks wasn’t interested in a lecture at the moment, so he ignores the question in favor of moving closer to the glass and looking at his daughter more intently. She was cleaned up and wearing a standard uniform provided by the commission, but Hawks didn’t miss the painful looking scratches on her face or the raggedy, burned up ends of the feathers on her wings.

“What happened to her?” he asks, surprising even himself at the low tone of his voice.

“The mother admitted to doing most of it,” the president rattles off the information in a clinically detached way. “They’d also been living out on the street for a while as well, so who knows what might’ve happened.” The news was heartbreaking for Hawks. He hadn’t lived in ideal circumstances at that age either, and he wouldn’t wish that sort of life on anyone.

“Your wings didn’t start to grow back until you were a bit older, so we’re assuming it’ll be the same for her,” the president seemed oblivious to the emotional state of the hero standing next to her. “We’ve already started her on a special diet though, and she’ll begin her training regimen at the beginning of next week.”

Hawks wasn’t sure if it was some bird trait related to his quirk or just the knowledge that he was the kid’s father, but some sort of instinct kicked in with such intensity that it washed away any feelings of duty or habits of obedience that had been programmed into his brain.

“You’re not keeping her,” he says fiercely. The president just raises her eyebrows at him.

“The mother left her in our custody,” she states. “You should be thankful that we’re willing to overlook your mistake. With any luck, we’ll be able to groom this girl into a hero just as spectacular as you.”

“If you don’t release her to me, it’ll be you that’s made a mistake,” there was a promise of something terrifying in Hawks’ tone that seemed to finally shake the president’s resolve.

“You really think you’ll be able to be a decent parent?” she asks coldly.

“I won’t let her be robbed of a childhood like I was,” Hawks declares firmly. “If she wants to be a hero, she can make that decision when she’s old enough to do so.” Thankfully, the president decided not to argue any more. Hawks turns back to the window and allows himself to relax a bit. Looking over his daughter again, his heart filled with a love so strong it threatened to overwhelm him. He made a vow to love and protect his little girl so that she had the safest and happiest life possible.

Fat Gum

There was nothing quite like the feeling of walking around the lively streets of Osaka at night. People of all walks of life tended to come out around this time, and the delicious smell of cooking food filled the air. Taishiro Toyomitsu, better known as Fat Gum, could think of no better city to do his hero patrols. The crime rate was a little higher than in other places, but it was worth it for him to have easy access to the yakitori, yakisoba, and okonomiyaki stands that kept his quirk plenty fueled up.

Tonight he was in high spirits as he walked down one of the more famous shopping streets, stuffing his face with incredible snacks, and having friendly encounters with both locals and tourists alike. A couple of young musicians were playing on one of the street corners, so he tossed a few coins into their cup. Everything seemed to be fine basically, other than a few people who’d stumbled out of bars and needed help getting to a taxi. It was one of his more tame patrols, but he wasn’t going to complain about that.

He noticed that he was being followed near the end of the night, when most of the shops and restaurants were starting to close up. The busy streets began to empty as people hurried to catch the last few trains, and only when there were just a handful of people left out sweeping the sidewalks did the figure emerge from the shadows. Fat Gum was surprised to find that his pursuer was a young boy around nine years old with strange, aquamarine colored hair.

“Hey there, kiddo!” he kept a huge grin on his face but still kept his guard up just in case. “Can I help you with anything?” The kid looked to be in pretty rough shape as he gazed up at the BMI hero who towered over him. Fat Gum didn’t like the poor condition of the boy’s clothes, or that he appeared extremely dirty. The most concerning thing of all was how emaciated the boy looked. He could practically see the bones in his arms, and his cheeks were sunken with hunger. He wondered when the poor thing had last eaten a proper meal.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” the kid finally speaks up after a moment. Fat Gum finally noticed that the boy had started shaking like a leaf. He wasn’t sure if the boy was just cold, or if he was actually afraid. He watched as the kid reached into his back pocket and pulled out a tattered old photograph. “By any chance, do you know this woman?” The boy flinches away while holding out the paper for Fat Gum to see.

“I’m not gonna hurt ya, buddy!” the large hero says while taking the photo as non-aggressively as possible. “Let’s just take a quick look at this and… oh.” He recognized the woman staring back at him from the picture. He hadn’t seen her in almost a decade. He’d lost contact with her once she’d broken his heart after a short romantic affair. “Uh,” Fat Gum felt a little awkward, “Is this your mom?” The boy nods his head while keeping his eyes closed. “Then,” Fat Gum chuckles nervously, “am I your dad?”

“Yeah,” the boy mumbles before letting a few tears slip out, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” the need to be a hero for this boy was stronger than his discomfort with the situation. “If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. How could I have not known about this until now?”

“Mom wouldn’t let me tell you,” his voice cracks with emotion. “She said you’d be mad.”

“Well, that’s just silly!” Fat Gum shakes his head in disbelief. “Where is your ma’ now?” The boy finally glances up and meets his eyes. They were the same shape and color as his own.

“She got arrested yesterday,” he admits, sounding embarrassed. “Another hero caught her pickpocketing. She sometimes asked me to help her, but I haven’t been feeling well lately. We don’t have a place to stay either, so we had to find a way to get food.”

Fat Gum hated the thought of that woman not only keeping the existence of his son a secret, but also forcing a young boy to break the law. Perhaps that was why the boy looked so scared. He probably thought he was going to get in trouble too. Fat Gum had other ideas though.

“I’m really sorry that happened to your mom,” he says sincerely, “but she will have to pay for the crimes she committed.”

“I know,” the boy looks back down at his feet.

“But there’s no reason you have to follow in her footsteps,” Fat Gum says cheerfully. “I’m more than willing to take you under my wing. That is, if you don’t mind.” The boy finally allows a tentative smile to grow on his face. He clearly liked the idea.

“Well then, first I think we should get you to a doctor,” Fat Gum reaches down and gently pats the boy’s head. This time, he doesn’t flinch away. “And after that, I’ll make sure you get a decent hot meal! No kid of mine is going to look like skin and bones.” The boy eagerly agrees and allows Fat Gum to scoop him up into his arms. He had a feeling it was going to be a dream come true to finally have the fun and affectionate father he’d always imagined.

Shigaraki

People were always going on and on about how hard public servants worked and how important their jobs were. Heroes, police officers, firefighters, health workers… sure, they all had hefty responsibilities, but nobody ever considered the absolute nightmare it was being the leader of the League of Villains. Shigaraki wanted to see someone else try to manage the group of ragtag, lawless, misfits that he’d been left in charge of. It’d be one thing if they were all there to support him and his diabolical plans, but unfortunately a good number of his followers were just hanging around in the hopes of an opportunity to continue the work of the Hero Killer, Stain.

Stain had always been a sore spot with Shigaraki, ever sense the man had shown up at his hideout just to criticize him for not having a clear goal. He’d never admit it out loud, but the jerk might have had a point. At first, he’d just wanted to kill All Might, but that was only because it was what his master, All For One, had wanted. After All For One had been arrested, Shigaraki was sort of left without a guiding hand or a clear path to follow. He still wanted to kill All Might. And he wanted that annoying Midoriya kid dead too. When he really thought about it, Shigaraki just kind of wanted everyone to be dead.

The door to the villain’s hideout clicked open suddenly, making everyone in the bar turn to see who’d arrived. It was just Dabi, trailing in the scent of burnt corpses. Shigaraki clenched his teeth and sighs in annoyance. That ugly fire user was supposed to be out recruiting people to the League, but all he ever did was incinerate any potential members he came across.

“I didn’t know we were running a daycare service now,” Dabi comments lazily while grabbing a stool at the bar and signaling Kurogiri for a drink.

“What are you talking about?” Shigaraki felt the prickling urge to scratch at the flaking skin on his neck, but managed to control himself. Dabi was always trying to get a rise out of him and the worst thing he could do was take the bait.

“Some crusty looking rugrat is hanging around outside,” Dabi shrugs. “You might want to do something about that.” Shigaraki wasn’t sure if the annoying man was messing with him or not, but he sent Twice to check it out just in case. The last thing they needed was a lost child attracting the attention of any heroes. A few minutes later, Twice returned with what looked like a four year old boy trying to claw his way out of his captor’s arms.

“Put me down!” The kid protests before opening his mouth and biting down on Twice’s fingers. The villain drops the kid who lands with a thud on the floor.

“There really was a kid out there!” Twice gestures to the boy dramatically, “He’s completely rabid though! It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

“You picked the wrong place to run away to,” Shigaraki walks up to the boy feeling irritated. “You should’ve stayed with your mommy and daddy.” The boy glares up at him from the ground and Shigaraki gets a big shock. Aside from the hair color, it was like looking into a mirror. The boy had the same piercing red eyes as him. The skin around those familiar eyes was dry and irritated, just like his own too.

“You ARE my daddy!” The kid blurts out and the atmosphere in the bar gets extremely uncomfortable. Of course, the silence is broken by a snort from Dabi.

“Oh man,” he shakes his head. “I can’t believe someone actually had the stomach to sleep with you.”

“Shut up, Dabi!” Shigaraki tries to swallow down the panic and horror bubbling up inside him, but the persistent itch on his neck seemed to double in intensity over this unexpected news. He gives in, reaching up to scratch at the damaged pale skin below his ear. It had been All For One’s idea for him to have an ‘experience’ with a lady. He’d said it was an important part of becoming an adult, but now Shigaraki could only see it as a huge mistake. A voice drifted through his mind, telling him that it would only take five fingers to make this whole problem go away.

“Where’s your mommy?” Toga skips over happily, unable to resist inserting herself into the situation.

“I don’t know,” the boy was putting on a brave face, but it was clear that he was afraid. “We had to leave our house and sleep outside. Mommy said it was because my dad was a villain, but then she was gone when I woke up.”

The story struck a chord in Shigaraki. He’d been left abandoned without a home as well at a very young age. The last thing he wanted to do was sympathize with the brat though. What he wanted was for the kid to disappear. The idea of a guy like him being a parent was laughable. He was barely an adult himself, and he had enough on his plate right now. A small child was only going to be a burden. His fingers twitched, ready to activate his quick as he continues to look down at the helpless boy at his feet. The conflicting feelings inside him were making the itching flare up terribly. Every inch of skin on Shigaraki’s body felt like it was on fire now.

“You’re just like everyone else, aren’t you?” the boy suddenly slumps forward, the fight going out of him. “You hate me.”

A weird resolve washes over Shigaraki at those words. No. He wasn’t like everyone else. If there was one thing all the member of the League of Villains had in common, it was that they’d all been rejected by friends, family, and even heroes for traits they had little or no control over. This boy was just as much a victim of this crooked society as the rest of them.

“You’re forbidden from ever leaving this building,” Shigaraki states flatly. “And don’t expect anyone here to coddle you or clean up after you. The moment you become a nuisance you’re back out on the street.” The boy nods in understanding while finally pushing himself off the ground. Shigaraki wasn’t sure what he’d just signed up for. The only thing he knew for sure was that his job had just gotten a lot more complicated.

[kumeko]

A/N: For the @setlethzine Courage, My Love zine! I wanted to give the Seteth the rom-com he Flayn deserves.

…

…

…

…

In his many, many centuries of living, there were a few things that Seteth knew to be true: Flayn was adorable and needed to be protected, Rhea was far more secretive than she ought to be, and he definitely wasn’t developing feelings for the new teacher. Well, new might not be the right word to apply considering everything, but the point still stood. No matter how much Rhea teased and Flayn blushed, he didn’t have one of those so-called ‘crushes’.

The only reason he had even started watching her was because Rhea had been so adamantly quiet about why she was even here, and someone had to protect Rhea and Flayn. The world was dangerous. Their foes were hidden in every corner. Fortunately, his extensive research proved that Byleth wasn’t evil. Strange and mysterious, certainly, but not evil.

And if his eye was still drawn to her, it was only because he was used to watching her. His ears strained for her every word out of habit. He was so used to his role as investigator that he hadn’t adjusted to co-worker. That was all, honestly.

That was also the reason he was sitting right now in the courtyard, strumming his fingers impatiently on the metal table as he glanced around for Byleth. At this point, she was five minutes late for their meeting. Tardiness was a terrible attribute for a professor. Seteth brushed a finger against the teapot; the ceramic still felt warm. That was a relief. After acquiring one of Manuela’s finer teas and a spread of snacks from the kitchen, he would be rather put out if Byleth didn’t get to enjoy them. It took a lot of effort to ensure the meal complimented the tea.

A shadow fell on him and Seteth looked up as Byleth slid into her seat. Frowning, he crossed his arms. “You are late.”

“My students had questions,” Byleth explained simply, straight to the fact. It was one of the few traits he admired her for. When one worked with the long-winded Hanneman, the boisterous Alois, and the dramatic Manuela, he was grateful that Byleth was the exact opposite of that. Very few words escaped her mouth, each one carefully picked, and Seteth only hoped that she would be a good influence on the others.

“That is the mark of a good teacher. It is your duty to ensure your students get the best help possible. Do not apologize for it,” Seteth praised, giving her an appreciative smile. This was definitely better than certain teachers’ propensity to arrive late due to alcohol or obsessive experimenting. “Would you like some tea?”

Byleth shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” She shook her head once more and he felt a little disappointed at that, but it couldn’t be helped if she wasn’t interested. Still, tea wasn’t the only item he’d prepared. “Perhaps a biscuit or a cookie?”

Once more, Byleth shook her head. “What did you call me here for?”

“Well, that is…” Seteth trailed off. There wasn’t really any particular reason he called her here, he just wanted to get to know her better. He smiled reassuringly. “I was hoping to spend time with you.”

Somehow, she didn’t look the least bit reassured. If anything, her back straightened slightly and she was as tense as she was on the battlefield. Perched on the edge of her seat, she wore a determined expression and asked, “Have I done something wrong?”

“What?” Well, now he knew what her enemies must have seen before she defeated them. Perhaps he had said something erroneous. Clearing his throat, he clarified, “No, nothing of the sort. As I previously stated, I merely desire to spend time with you. You have had tea parties with the students; think of this as one of those.”

Byleth nodded slowly. She clasped her hands on her lap, looking at him expectantly. “Then I made a mistake with the tea party.”

“No, that is not what I intended…” Seteth trailed off, recalling the few times he had spotted (not spied) Byleth in the courtyard. Actually, now that he considered it, there had been a few things that had bothered him. This might be the chance to rectify all that. “Very well then, since you have mentioned it, your hosting etiquette does have a few flaws. We will go over the appropriate manners expected of a professor of your status.”

-x-

Seteth rubbed his brow as he climbed the stairs to Rhea’s chambers. How did everything he did turn into a lecture? That was supposed to be a casual, cheerful meeting. Instead, it had become a two-hour lesson on the art of tea parties. No wonder Manuela tensed up whenever he passed her. If anything, it was a miracle that he was even able to have normal conversations.

He would have to repent and correct his ways. Later, though, for now he stood in front of Rhea’s doors. Rapping firmly, he waited for Rhea to call him in before entering the massive chamber. The afternoon sunlight flooded through her ceiling to floor windows, casting a warm glow in the room. As expected, the archbishop was out on the terrace. She liked to tend to her flowers at this time, claiming it was a form of meditation.

“Seteth.” Crouched next to a flower, she gently lifted its bloom and admired it as she greeted him. “As punctual as ever. I do not know what I would do without you.”

“Many things, I imagine,” Seteth responded succinctly, coming to a stop next to her.

Without her headpiece on, she looked younger. It was only when they were alone, away from prying eyes, that he could see the woman he had met all those centuries ago and not the archbishop she’d become. Her eyes crinkled as she stood up and she laughed. “Seteth, are you still sore over Byleth?”

“There is nothing to be sore about.” He crossed his arms, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. “While I still think you should have at least informed me first, if not consulted, I do not mind that anymore.”

“You do not mind?” Rhea’s lips quirked as she studied him. He wasn’t sure what she was looking for, only she had found it when she smiled teasingly, “I thought I noticed a change in your demeanor.”

He stopped cold at that. Giving her a bemused look, he asked, “What do you mean?”

“I heard about your date with the professor,” she replied easily, mirth colouring her tone. “You are moving faster than I expected.”

“A d-date?” Seteth sputtered, his neck burning at the very suggestion. “Preposterous! Of all the things to suggest—we were not on a date or anything of the sort.”

“Really?” A finely shaped brow rose and she pressed, “Even though you had tea together in the garden?”

“That was merely a formality to know her better!” Seteth tried to keep his cool and not hiss. This was clearly a mistake. After all, Rhea had lived a long time and most of it alone. Perhaps she had forgotten about courtship entirely. “After all this time spent distrusting her, I wanted to improve our relationship.”

“Is that so?” Rhea answered, in a tone that suggested she did not believe a word of it.

“It is,” he replied firmly.

Rhea squeezed his shoulder before heading back to her bedroom. “It is cute to see you smitten so. Now come, we have to get through those reports.”

It was childish to continue the argument. It was childish and that was the only reason he wasn’t retorting as he followed her in.

-x-

“That is a date!”

Of all the responses he expected his daughter to utter, those hadn’t been on the list. Seteth stared at Flayn, jaw slightly open as he struggled to understand just what was happening. How did both Rhea and Flayn get such a simple thing wrong? “It is not.”

Flayn wasn’t listening to him. Hands clasped, a faraway look in her eyes, and a dreamy tone in her voice, she continued to ramble as though he hadn’t spoken. “Oh, this is the most delightful of news! I did not think the professor had caught your eye.”

Well, he couldn’t entirely argue that. “That was only to ensure your safety.”

“Love blooming from adversity—it is like one of my favourite books.” Flayn turned to him, a gentle smile on her face. “If you are concerned about Mother, do not fret. I am sure she would approve of this too.”

“That wasn’t—I wasn’t…” Seteth trailed off, not sure how he had ended up in this mess. Flayn must have been reading too many romance books recently; it was eating away at her brain and casting everything in a similar light. “While that is reassuring, that is simply not the case here. I was only trying to create a sense of camaraderie between Byleth and myself.”

“The best romances are a slow burn.” Flayn nodded her agreement. He had a feeling she hadn’t heard a word he said. “For your next step, might I suggest a gift? It is always heartwarming to receive one.”

“Why would I—” Seteth paused. Actually, now that he thought about it, a gift was a great suggestion. A well-picked one could deepen their bond and show Byleth how he intended to change their relationship. It could even serve as an apology for all the mistrust he had shown her. “A gift is perfect. Thank you, Flayn.”

“No problem.” She smiled brightly at him. “I will root for you!”

It would be a headache to correct her, so he didn’t bother.

-x-

“A gift?” Standing near the docks, Byleth looked at the long, thin package in Seteth’s hands and then back at him. Her brow furrowed as she tried to understand. “For me?”

“Yes.” Seteth held the package uncertainly. It had been hard to pick something for Byleth. The more he had thought about it, the more he had realized that he knew very little about her despite his watchful gaze. Certainly, he knew her habits in the school—how hard she worked to teach her students, the skill she showed with a weapon, the soft way she would look at the students sometimes. Yet those were habits, nothing more, and one couldn’t buy a gift based on that. While he had finally figured out what to do, it was still mostly guesswork. He hated this level of ambiguity.

“What is it for?” She still didn’t take the gift. Instead, her frown deepened.

This really wasn’t going how he had planned. Seteth held out the package insistently. “There is no particular reason. I merely thought it would suit you. Now please, accept it.”

Byleth quietly studied his face for a long moment before nodding and taking it. “Thank you.” Without another word, she tore through his meticulously folded wrapping paper.

“You could unwrap it late—” Seteth sighed, giving up when she showed no signs of stopping. Well, this was embarrassing. His cheeks warmed and he clasped his hands behind his back.

It took her a total of two minutes to remove the wrapping paper. He hoped that eagerness meant she was warming up to him. Now holding a fishing rod in her hands, Byleth gave him a puzzled look. “A fishing rod?”

The very situation he had been dreading: explaining himself. Clearing his throat, he resisted the urge to mutter. “You won the fishing tournament, a feat of skill that indicated you spend a lot of time fishing. I had inspected your rod earlier and noticed it was a little worn. It would be terrible if a fish escaped due to your gear breaking at the wrong time.” He tried to smile again. “I thought you could use this. It is a good model. I have used its like before.”

Still looking bemused, she nodded. “Thank you.”

Well, it wasn’t the joyous response he had hoped for, but it wasn’t the scared reaction she had given at the tea party either. A step forward, at least. “If you need any help with it, just ask.”

She didn’t reply, her focus already on the rod. Byleth wasn’t quite smiling, but her lips turned up as she examined the hook keeper. That was a good sign, right? That had to mean she was pleased.

Maybe.

Hopefully she wasn’t laughing at him.

-x-

“A fishing rod?” Flayn glared at him, her hands balling into fists as she paced in his bedroom. “Fa—Brother, that is not a romantic gift at all! It does not tell your loved one that you are thinking of them!”

Seteth crossed his arms defensively. “We have gone through this already, Flayn. There is nothing between the professor and I.”

“A fishing rod is too practical for a courtship gift!” Once again, she wasn’t listening to him. Maybe he should block her access to the library for a while, or sneak in some proper books into her reading. At this rate, she was going to think his every interaction with another was a sign of love. “No wonder she looked confused!”

Byleth hadn’t only looked confused. He was certain he hadn’t imagined it, the curve of her lips, the amused look on her face. It was an expression entirely unlike her usual ones, and he would know, having watched her as he had. Even her students hadn’t provoked such a reaction. The thought sent a rush through him. Perhaps he was the only one so far who had seen it.

“There is only one way to correct this mistake.” Flayn was in his face now, an earnest expression in her face as she grabbed his hands. “You must give her an even bigger gift. I have heard that serenading a lover at dawn is the purest form of love.”

“Serenading?” It was an idea he ought to reject immediately and in its entirety. Yet Flayn’s last suggestion had given him the gift of Byleth’s almost-smile. Perhaps this one could generate another smile. What would she look like, radiant and glowing, unable to hide her happiness?

He didn’t hesitate before nodding.

-x-

Standing in front of Byleth’s door, a lute in hand, Seteth silently cursed himself. This was a terrible idea. An utterly terrible idea. Not only was a serenade a romantic thing, he was also disturbing someone in the middle of the night. Just because he often rose at dawn to attend to his duties didn’t that mean Byleth did.

What had he been thinking, agreeing to this? Seteth knew the answer to that. He hadn’t been thinking at all, distracted as he had been by Byleth’s expression. Instead of smiling now, the moment she laid eyes on him, she would glare. Their relationship would go back to what it had been. This was a mistake. The only good thing was that he had come to his senses before he started playing. There was still time to turn around and leave.

There was still time—the door in front of him slowly opened and Seteth froze.

A very drunk Manuela stepped out, her hair disheveled, her dress crumpled. She stared at him for a long minute, then at the lute in his hands. “My, I must be drunker than I thought,” she mumbled, shaking her head and stumbling back into her room. “That’s it, I am not drinking for a week.”

Not only had this been a mistake, but he had gotten the wrong room. Seteth walked (not ran; he was definitely not running) away in an undignified manner.

[lofitojii]

ONE SHOT: Revival

Summary: Your husband has gone back to work, leaving you home alone for the first time in a long time. Once Aizawa leaves for the day, you are greeted by a new villian with an ice quirk who has been watching you from the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Aizawa is distraught when he comes home to find everything but your shoulders and up, frozen. 

Word count: 1.8k

Content: Sad. :(

“I’ll see you tonight. I love you!” His smile was endearing, so pure and genuine. You wanted so badly to beg for him to stay, just one more day. But you knew that if you asked today, you would ask tomorrow, and the next day, knowing he had a job to return to. It wasn’t because you were being selfish, you were scared. You had encountered your first villain while being out with Aizawa, something you had hoped to never experience, even though you knew your love interest was a Pro Hero. You put your fear of villains aside so you could try your best to love Aizawa the way you wanted. It was hard, your fear being the underlying issue for you to be able to fully love. 

That’s why you didn’t ask for him to stay with you. You had to try your best to adapt to the new life of being married to a Pro Hero, and that meant dealing with life alone while you two were apart. Even if that means trying to deal with the anxiety of being left alone in your house. 

Being alone wasn’t something unusual to you. You were quirkless, losing your parents at a young age. You had grown up under the care of your grandmother, who was also quirkless. You had learned a lot of your traits from her, everything but her courage. She had told you about an experience once where she was taken hostage in a bank heist by a villain who wasn’t afraid to kill anyone who tried to interfere. She had told you that she remained calm even though she was fighting back a panic attack. You wanted so badly to be as brave as she was, but your endless amount of anxiety constriced you, telling you that you were nothing like her. 

That was, until you met Aizawa. He was a serious man but a man of wise words, something that attracted you to him from the get go. He was good about reminding you that your strength lies within your mind and if you choose to ignore it, it will continue to be ruled by fear, causing the human mind to grow weak. He was never negative towards your feelings, always making sure to validate them when he needed and reminded you that you are in control. But today, it felt different. You felt uneasy, like something was going to happen. 

And you were right. The knock at the door startled you, causing you to jump in reaction to it. You weren’t expecting visitors today and as far as you knew, no one was supposed to come by for any maintenance. Your heart felt like it was beating out of your chest as you slowly made your way towards the front door. You took a peek through the eye-hole, seeing a woman with white hair, dressed in a business type outfit. You let out a sigh of relief, unlocking the deadbolt on the door, being greeted by the unknown woman standing there, smiling. “Good afternoon. Is the owner of the house around?” 

“I’m half the owner,” you replied, wrapping your cardigan closer to your body. You felt uneasy, a chill flowing through your spine. She smiled, handing you a paper flyer with bold letters that read ‘THE NEW WORLD’. 

“I’m here to recruit heroes for a new business my company is starting. Do you mind if I come in?”

“I’m sorry but my husband has a full time job already and I have no interest.” You pushed her hand away, her skin ice cold to the touch. She furrowed her brows, tilting her head to the side at your refusal. 

“Surley I can still come in though?” 

“I’m sorry. I have to go and you should leave.” You tried to close the door, her foot stopping it from latching shut. You began to feel yourself panic as she refused to let you leave. “Ma’am please, I will have to call the police if you try anything further.” She was silent, her sinister smile growing as she forced the door wide open. You had little time to react, stumbling back due to her forceful push. Your focus was on the phone, trying your best to keep a steady rhythm as you rushed for the kitchen. 

You were pushed back once more, this time by a wall of ice restricting your from the kitchen doorway. Your body felt drained, fear completely taking over your movement. You were frozen, trembling as the woman slowly approached you. “Quirkless Y/N, Aizawa’s little flightless bird,” she cooed, touching the end of your hair, fiddling with it between her fingers. You wanted to push her away, to scream for help. You felt helpless within this moment, your fear of being defenseless becoming a reality. The pit in your stomach had tightened so much that you could feel the urge to vomit form in your throat. You were completely vulnerable to the mysterious woman. “I wonder how he’ll react if he came home to you dead.” 

“Please,” you whimpered, body quivering in reaction to the woman’s ice quirk. “I beg of you.” 

“Beg?” she smirked. “Yes… Please, beg for your life. I want to see Aizawa’s precious toy beg for her life!” And so you did, you pleaded with the rest of the energy you had built up within you. You wanted to run, to defend yourself, but you couldn’t. You had fallen victim to your own fear, cowering in front of the villain who had taken over your free will. “I guess since he’s not here, I’ll just leave a little surprise for him.” She placed her hand on the wall, a snow-like layer coating the side emerging with ice as it made level contact with you. Your body was frozen, leaving your neck and head free. Your body felt numb, unable to move, think, hard maintain a steady breath. “Tell Aizawa I’ll be back. You’ve been lovely Y/N, but you’re quite horrible at being a host.” 

The woman opened the front door, locking the door behind her. You couldn’t move, could barely think. You had to stay awake, regardless of the hypothermia that would set in within hours. It was solid, thick frozen ice. It was going to take hours to thaw out, but you had to do it. You couldn’t die, not like this, not without living a life that wasn’t controlled by fear. 

You weren’t scared in this moment, you were more regretful than anything. You wanted to tell Aizawa how you felt, you wanted to go outside again, feel the sun kiss your skin once more. You wanted to be able to start a family, build that house in the woods like you and Aizawa talked about. You wanted more from life that was slowly being ripped away by the tips of your fingers.

The only thing you could do was wait, to do your best to stay alive until Aizawa got home. You could do it, you had to do it. Just wait it out, he’ll be here soon. 

By the time he was to arrive home, frostbite had formed around your exposed skin, the air being thin around you. You were having a hard time keeping a steady breath, the ice restricting you from taking the deep breathes you so desperately needed. You heard the door click, slowly swinging open to reveal Aizawa holding a paper bag from the shop. When he saw you there, frozen solid, he stood just as frozen as you but was quick to react, dropping the shopping bag to the floor.

“Y/N!!!! Y/N what happened? Your lips...” he stuttered. “Hang in there Y/N!” He was in a panic, unsure of how to handle to situation. Regardless of unknowing what to do, he ran to the thermostat, cranking the heat as high as it would go. He began to boil water on the stove, trying his best to keep a steady hand as he made his way over towards you. “Y/N stay with me!! Please don’t die!!!” You wanted to stay coherent for him, to let him know you were okay. He was home now, you could finally release yourself. You were exhausted, unable to show any other emotion other than a weak smile as he began to pour boiling water on the wall of ice. 

“I love.. You.. Aiza-....” You couldn’t keep it up any longer, your body was numb, your eyes heavy. You wanted to hold out, wanted to be able to hold Aizawa again once he was able to get you out.

“Hang on Y/N! Please stay with me.” Your vision was blurry, the last thing you were met with was Aizawa giving a full blown punch to the ice. You could hear it subtly crack from the inside but you couldn’t keep yourself awake any longer, leaving you limp in the frozen capture surrounded by darkness.

You woke up to the sound of a repeated beeping noise, eyes fluttering open to see the white walls of a hospital room. You groaned in pain, trying to adjust to the bright lights that illuminated the room. Aizawa was quick to move from his spot, leaning over the side of your hospital bed. He gently took your hand in his, pressing it to his swollen face. “I thought I lost you,” he whispered, tears threatening to spill over as he choked on his words. 

You slipped your hand from his, moving a strand of his hair from his vision as you cupped his cheek. You couldn’t help but cry, being alive and able to feel again. You were in an immense amount of pain, your body still frozen to the touch. “The doctor said you’ll be okay. Young Todoroki will be here shortly. I asked him if he would help you out.”

You had thought you had lost as soon as you fell into acoma. You don’t remember anything after you blacked out when Aizawa was desperately trying to remove you from the ice capture. He was successful, his injuries on his hands being the confirming factor that he was successful in your rescue. 

“You saved me. Again,” you managed to whisper. 

“And I’d do it again. And again, and again,” he reassured, leaning closer to your face. “I can’t lose you. I can’t.” He pressed his forehead to yours, tears slowly falling from his cheeks. You had almost had your life taken away in the blink of an eye. That woman spared your life knowing Aizawa would suffer more knowing he could’ve done something if you did die. Either way, the villain was successful in causing Aizawa the stress and pain she wanted to cause. 

But you were alive. Aizawa did what he could to save you. You no longer feared death, nor did you fear the thought of being captured by a villain. You knew that deep down, this was a second chance for you to be able to live the life you’ve dreamed of, the life you had yearned for. You weren’t thankful for the villain but you were grateful that you were alive and able to prove to both Aizawa and yourself, that you were ready to live life, to take on your internal battle, free of anxiety.

[blu-joons]

DATING DAY6 HEADCANON A⇴Z ⇴ Yoon Dowoon

A ⇴ AFFECTION

Dowoon can be quite needy when he wants to be, which means he craves a lot of affection from you. Affection will usually make him turn quite shy, so he’ll often nuzzle into the crook of your neck whilst he’s holding you.

B ⇴ BEFORE DATING

It will take a lot for Dowoon to approach you, especially when he knows that he likes you. He’ll turn to the elder members for a bit of advice on how to play it cool and approach you without making a fool of himself. He’ll be nervous, but with their encouraging words, he’ll find it in him to go over and introduce himself.

C ⇴ CONFESSION

Just like saying hello, confessing will make him incredibly nervous. He’ll turn to the boys yet again to try and help him plan the perfect way to ask you out. A lot of planning will go into it, Dowoon is a perfectionist when it comes to impressing you, he wants to make sure that he sweeps you off your feet. With that, he’ll take you out to a fancy dinner and make sure to make a whole evening of things before confessing to you.

D ⇴ DATES

He tries hard to be the perfect guy for you, you’ll often tell him that you’re happy with a pizza and a movie at the dorm, but that simply won’t be enough for Dowoon. He’ll feel like he has to take you some place nice or do something to impress you otherwise he isn’t doing his job as a boyfriend properly. You love how much effort he puts into your dates and how sweet he is making sure that the two of you are able to do enjoy yourselves. At some point you always imagine this trait will stop in him, but somehow, it never does.

E ⇴ EXPERIENCE

You were the first girlfriend that Dowoon had had, in fact, you were his first for everything. You were his first kiss, first love, and he definitely hoped that you’d be his last too. Being a first for him, he wanted to make sure that each of these milestones that the two of you reached together were special. You would know when something was coming as Dowoon would put a little extra effort, if that was even possible, into your time together. He wanted to make your firsts as a couple memorable, things that you’d look back on when you were old.

F ⇴ FIGHTING

If you were to ever pick a fight with Dowoon, you’d definitely make a mistake. He would refuse to ever argue with you, even if you were desperate for one. He was far too focussed on making you happy to ever snap back if you made a comment or groaned at him. If you had a complaint, he’d take it on the chin and listen, and figure out what he needed to improve rather than try and protest against you. You loved and hated the considerate side of Dowoon, sometimes you were itching for him to give you a bit of a fight back, but he never did, he was far too respectful to even try and disagree with your opinion.

G ⇴ GETTING TO KNOW HIS FAMILY

His family trusted Dowoon that he was ready for a relationship, they knew his career was important to him, but if he felt that he could balance a relationship too, then they’d definitely support him. They knew how happy you made Dowoon, and that was all that mattered to them, anything else was just a bonus.

H ⇴ HOME

You knew how happy he was at the dorm, so each time Dowoon mentioned finding your own place, you always said no. For now, his focus was on the music, you knew you had plenty of years to live with each other, but it was more important for him to be around the boys for now and be accessible for work than away and with you.

I ⇴ “I LOVE YOU”

Dowoon was of course, the first to say, ‘I love you.’ He said it quite early on in your relationship, to be honest, he was a little nervous that he’d ended up saying it too quickly. But as you always reminded him, he had to follow his heart, and if that was how his heart was feeling, you were more than happy to hear him say it again and again.

J ⇴ JEALOUSY

At times he couldn’t help but be a little jealous if you were with someone else. Even if you were at the dorm and talking to one of the other boys, he couldn’t help but feel a slight twang of jealousy that you were talking to them and not him. Whilst he trusted that nothing would ever happen, you’d all be able to tell how he was feeling as he’d casually slide into conversation, pretending that he’d been there all along. You’d constantly be on hand to reassure him, but secretly you loved how protective he often got.

K ⇴ KIDS

There were definitely no immediate plans for Dowoon to settle down and start having children, but he wasn’t afraid to admit that it was definitely something he wanted in his long-term future. He hoped that it would happen with you, but he was real, and he knew that in a few years a lot of things might have changed. He tried not to get his hopes up too much, but most of the time he couldn’t help but run away with his dreams.

L ⇴ LAUGHTER

He loved to make you laugh more than anything else in the world, you embraced his quirks and randomness more than anyone else in the world, so he always made sure to act a little bit crazier around you. Just like Dowoon had his quirks, you definitely had yours too, and Dowoon would always laugh and encourage you with all of them too. The two of you made the perfect pair as you both shared such a similar sense of humour making it impossible for the two of you not to always laugh around each other.

M ⇴ MISSING

Dowoon would definitely pretend to be fine whenever he was on the road, the boys, and you, would constantly push him to be honest, but he’d still always lie and force a smile. He didn’t want to be the young one that everyone needed to protect, he wanted to be strong and the one to protect you and care for you whenever he missed you. However, when he was alone, he’d often take a few moments to himself just to catch his composure. There were a few times when one of the other members had walked past his hotel door and heard him snuffling, but they knew Dowoon was too proud to ever really admit to them how, he was feeling, reminding everyone again and again that he was doing just fine.

N ⇴ NICKNAMES

You tended to call him ‘dimples’ because you loved how his cheeks would turn up whenever he smiled. You’d often poke against his dimples which would only make them more prominent as his smile grew bigger.

O ⇴ OBSESSION

He was most obsessed with your smile, he loved knowing that he was making you happy and doing all the right things that as a boyfriend he should do.

P ⇴ PDA

From time to time, Dowoon wasn’t afraid to be affectionate with you in public, a lot of it depended on where the two of you were. Around the boys and staff, he didn’t mind too much, but if the two of you found yourself in big crowds or around the fans then he’d be a little more cautious about how he handled himself around you.

Q ⇴ QUESTIONS

He loved to spend as much time with you as possible, so he’d often get in contact with you to see what you were doing. If you were at work, then he’d often stop by, or at the end of the shift he’d be there waiting to take you home.

R ⇴ RANDOM FACTS

For your first anniversary together, you bought Dowoon a pair of drumsticks, and to this day, they were a pair that he never used. It never quite made sense to you why he didn’t use them, but Dowoon wanted to keep hold of them forever and he knew using them on the drums would only ruin them. He used all the other pairs that you bought for him, but that one pair always stayed in their box and were never played with.

S ⇴ SEX

Dowoon loved to try and be the dominant one, but he would always end up getting too shy and taking himself out of the situation. You were a lot more happier being the dominant one in the relationship, you loved to see the effect that you had on him and you definitely loved to tease him about it when the two of you were intimate. He’d lose himself often under your touch, he couldn’t help but be guided by you.

T ⇴ TEXTS

It’s a very rare occasion for Dowoon to text you, he much prefers to ring you and hear your voice. If he calls you, he can gauge a lot better at how you’re doing as well rather than just guessing from a text.

U ⇴ UNIVERSE

At times it felt like Dowoon had found his twin in you, the two of you were almost identical to each other in your personalities and interests. It felt like a dream that he’d managed to find someone as perfect as you in his life.

V ⇴ VACATION

Dowoon loved to spoil you when it came to your vacations together. He’d go all out to find the best places for the two of you to visit and make sure that you had the time of your life. He wanted to make sure you felt special and appreciated whenever the two of you went away, as he finally managed to escape from work.

W ⇴ WHINING

He’d whine quite a lot if he didn’t have you with him, the boys would often get fed up with listening to him go on about how much he was missing you.

X ⇴ XXXXX

He knew that his lips were one of your favourite features about him, so he definitely used that to his advantage. He loved to take you by surprise when he kissed you, doing it as frequently as possible. Dowoon would also always make sure that he kissed you every night before you went to sleep and did the same first thing in the morning when the two of you woke up to remind you that he was there with you.

Y ⇴ YOU

You were like his shadow, together you were the perfect match for each other.

Z ⇴ ZZZ

His arms would always be around you when the two of you fell asleep, Dowoon would want to make sure that you felt as comfortable when you slept and would often try and stay awake for as long as possible to make sure you were asleep before he did.

---

Masterlist

[script-nef]

Fluff alphabets | Oikawa Tooru

Others: Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima

Category: fluff

Affection: How affectionate is he? How does he show affection?

Oikawa is comparable to an overgrown puppy when it comes to you.

He leaves messages and notes on how much he loves and appreciates you every day. 

He wakes up early every day for his morning run, leaving you to sleep away in the bed. By the time he comes back, you’ve gone off to work.

So before he goes out, he packs a lunch with a little post-it which says things like “I hope everything works out great today” or “Don’t forget I love you!” which brightens up your day.

Baby: Does he want to start a family?

He’d want to wait a bit even if he did. Oikawa is realistic about his work and yours, the amount of time and effort needed to raise a child along with the financial implications. 

He would want to be there for his kids, but is also unwilling to leave his career. So he would try to find a middle ground with you and try to juggle a half-half home and work life because he believes both parents need to share responsibilities equally.

Cuddles: Does he like cuddling? How often does he like hugging?

Every time he sees you, his automatic and reflexive action is a hug. 

You could be covered in mud, wearing a truckload of fragrance (a specific one he doesn’t like), sleeping on the sofa, cooking dinner; his body just moves before he realises it.

It makes him feel safe and loved, even if he’s the one caging you in his arms.

Date: What is a typical date?

Because he’s so popular and everyone can notice him when you guys go out, he prefers indoor dates or isolated camping. Just so that you can be together with no one to bother and ask for autographs. 

Either just doing simple things like finishing puzzles or making new recipes, anything he can do with you is fine. 

During camps, he loves making campfires and roasting marshmallows. You told him about s’mores and now that has become a necessity for him.

 Experience: How much has he dated before? How does that reflect in this one?

He’s gone out with plenty of people before, but only because they were part of his fan group and confessed first. He’s the one who confessed out of the two of you, and he was blushing so much while asking you out.

Still, he picked up a few tricks and experiences to help with his boyfriend skills for you. He never forgets anniversaries, always asks for your opinion first, remains attentive and spends a lot of time with you.

A girl once broke up with him because he was spending too much time with volleyball, but he vows to never let that happen with you.

Fight: Do you fight often with him? How does it usually end?

The problem is that he’s hot-headed sometimes and does not understand the meaning of limits. Arguments happen often but they end relatively well, when you both calm down and talk about your problems.

You both know that fights are necessary to help the relationship grow and understand each other but it doesn’t make it any easier. Feelings get hurt and you spend time apart, but in the end, it gets mended over late-night talks.

Gentle: How does he treat you?

Like you’re the ruler of the world and he’s just a humble servant. He’s literally willing to do anything (except illegal deeds) for you. This boy is whipped.

If you ask for anything, he’ll find a way to get it for you. Unless it takes an exorbitant amount of money. He constantly buys you clothes, cakes, games, everything. 

He makes sure you know you’re loved by him and will take every chance he gets to show it to you. 

Hand: Does he like holding your hand? How often?

Hand-holding is like a greeting for him. Just like with hugs, this boy cannot get enough physical contact when it comes to you. 

His finger laces with yours firmly as if to say “I’m here right now” and he hopes it fills you with assurance and love as it does for him.

Impression: What was your first impression of him?

A popular ikemen with a never-ending smile who gets hit a lot by this other dude.

Oikawa is famous in Seijou and everywhere else, so it wasn’t hard to get an initial impression from all of his fans’ squealing and gushing. Apparently, he’s this perfect prince who’s as pretty as hell and an amazing volleyball player.

His first impression of you was a kind and different seatmate. You had the (mis)fortune of getting placed next to him which garnered a lot of envy from his fans. He liked you since you weren’t squealing and obsessing over him like the others.

Jealousy: Does he get jealous easily? What sets him off?

Gets jealous really easily but tries to play it off. Like “Ah, [Name]-chan, are you confessing your love for other people when your one and only boyfriend is right here? I feel so neglected!” or other whiny comments.

Subtly latches onto you during and after matches, smiling threateningly at the other boys.

“Tooru, knock it off. You have no reason to be jealous. I don’t like them.” 

“I know, but they like you. I can see it in their eyes.” 

“Really? How?” 

“They’re looking at you like I used to when I started falling for you.”

Kiss: Is he good at kissing? When does he kiss you?

Thousands of pecks or light kisses every day and hundreds of deep ones in private. Oikawa kisses you so damn much that it feels like he has a disease which will kill him if he doesn’t kiss you at least once every hour or so.

His favourites are forehead kisses and neck bites. He nibbles on your skin which makes you shriek and hit him repeatedly, but he absolutely loves it.

Love: Who said “I love you” first? And when does he say it?

He said it first while trying to cheer you up. He’s noticed how you were feeling a bit down lately and tentatively asked if anything was wrong.

Then you mumbled about all his fans and if you were enough for him, which just completely shattered his heart. So he rattled off all the things he admired and cherished about you, like how you’re always so dedicated or caring.

He pressed kisses to your hand and whispered “You know I love you, right?” and squeezed you half to death when you said “Me too.”

Memory: What’s his favourite memory with you?

The moment you cried during an argument. This gets a lot of weird looks from people, which once included you, and they ask “Are you, by any chance, a sadist?” or something along those lines. But he isn’t.

Oikawa loves that moment because it proves to him you’re willing to be truthful and vulnerable to him, something he struggled to do in front of you. It showed him you care about this relationship and that you’re invested in it.

There’s plenty of other memories with you he treasures, but this one always warms his heart. (He doesn’t like seeing you cry though.)

Nickname: Does he give you a nickname? Do you have one for him?

He gives you a whole lot of really, really cheesy ones. Like “if you call me this in front of people I know outside, I’ll die from embarrassment” level ones.

Examples include: my everything, cream puff, the radiant sun, sugar bear etc. Overly sweet ones. He likes how you blush and squirm away when he calls you these. 

Everyone looks at him like “what the hell, dude” but he doesn’t give a damn.

Open: How open is he about his feelings?

Oikawa doesn’t hesitate to tell you about his moods and feelings. He once hid them from you, thinking he needs to be stronger than that, but you lectured him for about an hour about it. Now he tells you everything he feels.

Says if he’s sad, lonely, happy, excited, everything. You share all of your feelings with him as well and it makes it feel like you’re closer together now.

PDA: Is he fine with PDA? How far can he go?

He’s casual and comfortable with PDA, but it gets more intense when you’re with his friends. Like the third year gang from Seijou.

He doesn’t really get it either, but seeing you interact with his friends makes a bubble in his chest which feels like it’s going to explode at any moment. He gives you plenty of kisses and hugs, gaining boos from all his friends. He just sticks his tongue out at them, saying “I‘m dating someone and you guys aren’t!”

Quirk: Habits or something he does which is unexpected?

He likes stargazing. It stems from his love/obsession of aliens, which continues to this day, but he realised how expansive and beautiful space is. He becomes quiet every time he gazes up to the night sky, his thoughts just drifting away.

Some of the constellations have fun myths behind them which he enjoys as well. He sometimes recites it for you as a nighttime story, to help you fall asleep.

You bought him a projector once as a present. It now illuminates your bedroom every night.

Relax: What activities do you do with him to relax?

Going to a spa together, getting facials and massages. Oikawa cares a lot about his beauty and the state of his muscles, so a spa is one of his favourite places in the world. 

He would talk to you for the entire massage, saying random and stupid things which makes you laugh and move around a lot. You have to apologise to the masseurs all the time, even though they’ve become used to it.

Support: How supportive is he of your dreams? What do you do for him?

Oikawa constantly reassures and cheers for you as you do for him. He gives you tips and hacks on solving certain problems or brings you your favourite food to bring your mood up.  

He has unwavering faith in your words and pushes you to finish the assignments to the best of your abilities. If you’re getting burnt out, then he just takes you off the laptop and makes you sleep.

For him, he loves seeing your face in the bleachers, calling out and screaming for him. It fills him with extra energy which helps him nail a service ace.

Talk: What does he like talking about?

What it would be like if you stayed with him forever. He loves imagining a future with you, from a year to a decade to the moment he dies. 

“My best traits are my sappiness and my love for you, [Name]-chan!”

He sees older couples doing little activities together and takes photos and sends them to you with “Maybe we can do that!”

Umbrella: What’s his favourite weather/season?

A day with a clear sky, not a single cloud to be seen anywhere. But the sun isn’t too hot either, just the right temperature. The breeze will be light, cooling him down to a perfect temperature.

He’ll lay with you in the back porch, just staring up to the sky in silence. His hand will be linked to yours and eventually fall into an afternoon nap. It’ll be nighttime when he wakes up but you’ll still be sleeping. Then he carries you inside to the bed and starts cooking dinner.

Vaunt: Does he like showing you off?

So much. So, so much. Once Oikawa starts talking about how amazing you are, he’s not going to shut up for another half an hour or so. The record, timed by you, was 47 minutes and 23 seconds. 

The other person will literally start walking away and he won’t notice.

After his long and emotional speech with no audience, his expression will turn into that pea-eyed face (☉_☉) and he’d be like “where’d they go?”

World: Where does he take you for vacation?

A new place for both of you, a country where anything and everything can happen. On the rare occasions he gets a long time off, he makes sure to create new memories for you.

He even bought one of those scratch-off maps to record all the places you visited with him. Most of South America is done and he hopes to finish the U.S. soon.

He loves meeting new people or learning new customs and knows you love them as well. He especially loves how your eyes light up when you see amazing landscapes and beautiful festivals.

X-ray: What happens when you’re injured or sick?

If it’s a simple cold, then he tries to cheer you up by being bright and happy while taking care of you. Feeding you plenty of food and water, bringing you medicine, watching TV shows together, a perfect experience.

If you’re hospitalised, then he’s instantly crushed and cannot function. He spends every single second he can next to your bed and holds your hand, pressing kisses onto it. 

Waterworks starts the moment you wake up and he becomes a leech, pressing himself to your body and refusing to let go.

Yearn: How much does he miss/pine for you when apart?

He texts you every chance he gets, updating you on the most mundane and little things in his life. It’s because he knows you enjoy them, learning about his life away from you and all the new people he met.

He once received a little plushie version of you from his fans, modelled after one of his photos with you on social media, and he sleeps with it every day. Every night before he goes to sleep, he sends you a selfie with something like “:( Nothing beats the original though <3”.

ZZZ: Does he have sleeping habits?He’d want to wait a bit even if he did. 

Covers you with his body regardless of the season and hugs you so tightly against him that it feels like you’re in the grasps of an octopus. It’s great in winter but really annoying in summer, especially if it’s a humid day and you’re both sweating.

Even if you try to push him off, his iron grip on you doesn’t relax and somehow even tightens. After weeks of that, you basically just gave up and invested in better air conditioning.

[elkian]

I was gonna do a “missing the point”-style meme but I’m honestly not sure that would even work tho so:

Harry Potter and My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia have similar issues with introducing and then immediately ignoring ENORMOUS issues re: ableism.

I think these two series in specific come to mind bc it’s ableism within a specific empowered community, and in both cases the series are pretty well-known and the community (Wix/Heroes) are immediately identifiable to many audiences.

[WARNING: Discussions of ableism, child harm, and abuse on multiple levels.]

What’s the problem?

SQUIBS.

[This post got stupid huge SO here is a tl,dr for all you lovely people who understandably have no time for this.

TL, DR: Both Harry Potter and Boku No Hero have a bad tendency to implement or imply a level of disability regarding unempowered people in empowered societies. They then continue on to completely disregard important conclusions to these implications, such as how heavily it is implied that these unempowered people (Squibs) are so ‘worthless’ to those societies that their very deaths are merely a byline rather than an actual tragedy.

This is especially troubling in MHA/BNHA when so many other political and worldbuilding considerations HAVE been planned out, and seems to be less-discussed in the fandom as a whole, so that’s a much larger chunk of this post.]

That’s your tl, dr!

Here’s the Harry Potter angle:

HP has a bit that I’ve seen people discussing already: Neville’s magic was discovered when his uncle dropped a literal child a potenial lethal distance. 

Neville activating his power and surviving is celebrated, and then JKR immediately glosses over the glaring issue this has introduced: the heavy implication that a Squib dying from this incident would have not have been mourned or even really commented on.

The few adult Squibs (and isn’t that a whole new slice of wonderful /j) are generally disliked and ridiculed for some reason or other. Now, while obviously there are plenty of places where the Venn diagram of “disabled” and “asshole” intersect irl, when your ONLY presentation of a disabled character or group is, every time, an asshole or a fool or both, boy! That’s bad!

Neville (who is generally presented as magically, physically, and mentally weak and often treated as comic relief) is a bit better via the POV Character constantly having positive interactions with him, but this is still a mess. Yes, Neville canonically is not a Squib, but it’s not subtle that he’s on the cusp OF being a Squib, and that is a key element of ridiculing him in many situations (also the whole trauma thing multiple times, like if I really get into it I could do a whole double-size post of how Neville was done dirty or nearly dirty by JK all the time but this isn’t that post).

This isn’t even the point of this post. Let’s move to MHA/BNHA

Hero Academia has differing but honestly even worse issues. And I’m aware that different countries handle ableism and accessibility in different ways, but if you think too hard about it this is an absolute clusterfuck.

What is the problem now?

Squibs! Or rather, the main character of the series, Midoriya Izuku.

Deku (a nickname meaning “useless”! Imparted after his disability is recognized! hilarity!!) is also born without powers. Even worse in some ways, he is born without powers in a world where the overwhelming majority of the global population has some kind of empowerment. I can’t recall if it’s outright stated or only implied that someone with a functionally useless (and hoo boy, usefullness to society is its own post nope not today i do not have that much energy) Quirk is still more of a person than a Quirkless human.

That sink in? Okay, let’s move on.

In a narratively not-uncommon turn of events, Deku gains power. This is partially a product of, and directly tied to, his own work and determination, as well as his willingness to help even when physically outmatched.

To an American audience (NOT the intended audience though I wouldn’t doubt it if Horikoshi meant to have international appeal more or less from the start), this is a deeply satisfying narrative. Who doesn’t love an underdog story? And we even learn that the strongest hero of all time (til this point, anyways) was ALSO born Quirkless!

However, from here, things take a nosedive.

The key problem is a combination of story progression and overall thought put into worldbuilding. Horikoshi’s efforts may not be the MOST thorough, but he has put a great deal of work and thought into his creation (he at least understands the concept of implications and sometimes plans accordingly, looking at you JKR). However, that tied with story progression and personal repercussions actually works to the detriment of the matter.

Especially given recent turns of events.

 [BIG MEGA SPOILERS FOR FAIRLY RECENT PLOT

 STOP HERE IF YOU’RE NOT CAUGHT UP

 SERIOUSLY]

 What I mean by this is the current state of events re: two particular recent/recent-ish plot arcs.

First, Quirk Removal, and second, Endeavor’s comeuppance.

Quirk Removal/Loss was the start of my realization to what the narrative was doing regarding Izuku’s Quirklessness and the state of being overall.

This arc was a perfect time to bring up Midoriya’s past! A lot of Western works certainly would have done so! And yes, it may be bordering on done-to-death, but many elements of Hero Academia put new twists on common themes and cliches; it wasn’t unreasonable to hope that he might do it again.

Instead, little to NOTHING is discussed during this time! In fact, iirc I’d go so far as to say Midoriya straight-up never considers his past at any point during this arc!? If I’m wrong then it obviously made little impact.

NOW, not every disabled character needs to incorporate their disability and/or skills gleaned from living with it in every narrative. In fact, it would get tedious and questionable if they did (note: this does NOT mean ignoring/forgetting the character is even disabled when convenient. Like, I’d like to think that’s the obvious point of this post but... *gestures at tumblr*). 

But the complete lack of it here feels really weird. Like, almost hollow. I think Midoriya makes some kind of suggestion to Mirio of his former Quirklessness at the end of the arc, but nothing that made any kind of impact.

Let’s move on.

Endeavor.

Now, the problem with Endeavor’s arc is not the arc itself. Or, rather, it’s the fact that Endeavor’s Comeuppance is pretty good.

This is a problem because someone else should be getting this exact same arc, yet the issue is never even RECOGNIZED, let alone addressed.

Endeavor’s abuse of his wife and children, all in the name of creating a Heroic legacy, is publicized and tanks his popularity. The general public is now aware of what he’s done to the people closest to him, which aside from giving him a more correct reputation, means they can’t trust him to protect them if they can’t trust him to protect his own family.

This isn’t the goal of this post and I’m no expert regardless, but up to this point (around chapter 290) this was handled in an interesting way. Endeavor is humanized and often shown interacting with people in a way that, while often domineering, isn’t always aggressive or abusive. He runs a Hero Agency for crying out loud! But abuse in the real world often isn’t constant, nor happening to everyone in contact with the abuser. So this is a surprisingly good lead up to the reveal, where you can understand how most people never realized this was an issue.

But here’s my main point. Let’s examine some traits and actions that come up:

physically abusive to a child (often dangerously so) to the point of permanent trauma and severe scarring in some cases

target of abuse was weaker (physically and/or regarding Quirk power)

often abused victim emotionally/psychologically, bringing this weakness up again and again

own immense power led to rising in the world of Heroics

comrades, fellow Heroes, UA teachers etc. not aware of prior abuse issues

Who does this sound like?

Endeavor, who has a whole fucking arc dedicated to this reveal and repercussions?

Or Bakugou?

Reminder: This isn’t a hate post. This isn’t a character post, or even an abuse post. This is about ableism.

Bakugou exhibits many, many traits and actions that Endeavor was literally just punished for. So why does the treatment of these characters in-universe differ so drastically?

Two primary reasons I can think of, which feed into each other:

1) Bakugou was a child (still technically is a minor, remember! Still a first-year high schooler!) when this started. This doesn’t mean he’s strictly innocent, but it’s an important point, because it leads us to

2) Bakugou Katsuki’s abuse of Midoriya Izuku is socially accepted.

Reminder of the audience’s first encounter with Katsuki. The very first page with him is him and his grade-school posse picking on a kid that Izuku is trying to protect. His posse is showing off their Quirk powers and mocking Izuku’s lack thereof.

Then we flash forward to late-middle school versions of the kids. Bakugou, in front of a fucking teacher and entire class, is verbally, physically, etc. abusive to Izuku. He trashes his stuff, threatens him, tells him to kill himself (which, as Izuku notes later, is a fucking felony in Japan too).

No one stops him.

No one criticizes him.

We don’t even get a shot of like, some more ‘regular’ students being like “man Bakugou’s kinda fucked up but we’re too scared to do anything about it” NO. NO. Everyone more or less either backs Katsuki up or straight up doesn’t care.

Remember that this started when Katsuki and Izuku were four. Remember that Katsuki’s power is absurdly dangerous, ie. LITERAL. GODDAMN. EXPLOSIONS.

Izuku has scars. He probably has hearing loss! He may have gotten at least one concussion which can cause serious neurological issues and open him up to further risk!

He could have died.

And?

NO ONE. DOES. ANYTHING.

THIS is the point of the post. THIS is the value placed on Quirkless people in this society.

And yet. Despite Endeavor’s comeuppance. Despite All Might and Izuku’s blatant ‘value’ to society through Heroics. Despite so many other political implications and quandaries address in the Hero Academia series.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing about this is addressed. The nearly-lethal ableism towards Quirkless people in this society is never ONCE brought up properly once Izuku receives One For All.

There is so much potential here! There is so much worth talking about! And yet we’ve moved into what feels very much like the Final Battle without it being addessed, despite numerous, numerous opportunities for a meaningful conversation about it along the way.

Mirio losing his power! Hell, Mirio’s powers’ drawbacks (and pretty much every Quirk’s drawback! if acknowledged properly!) border on a disability-analogue, and even more when Yuga’s laser comes up, and yet again and again we fail to truly engage with the matter in a meaningful way.

At this point, even if it comes up in the finale, I’m going to be disappointed in this particular aspect of the series due to the complete and total shut-down it’s been given so far.

What the FUCK, Horikoshi?

[mira--mira]

One obvious for the ask game. The main protagonist; Naruto Uzumaki and Izuku Midoriya.

@shiryusamarkanda it’s so nice to hear from you again! <3 

I totally didn’t forget to post this and had it fully finished in my drafts for days...totally. 

Naruto

What I love about them:

Naruto's a bratty kid who’s not afraid to speak up and challenge something he thinks is "wrong". This, of course, is part 1 Naruto. I actually like when he's a bit insensitive without being explicitly malicious bc its very fitting for his background/how he grew up but also gives him a clear path forward as he learns how to work as a team/starts to grow. It wasn’t exactly a smart move, but I really liked how he continued to challenge Zabuza in the Wave Arc saying “he’s still my enemy” after Kakashi told him to back off. This is all good and strong characterization that, to me, was more often endearing than it wasn’t. Naruto had goals and a purpose and in early Naruto that was still clear.

What I hate about them:

Part 2 (Shippuden) Naruto. There’s a lot that goes into this but the core deviation is getting away from the underdog story. In Shippuden Naruto is the son of the 4th, the Child of Prophecy, a reincarnation of the Sage of Six Path’s kid, makes friends with Kurama, and has the most OP power of the them all: Talk no Jutsu. What makes all of this even worse is Naruto went from a loveable bratty kid to an insufferable messiah figure. To be “perfect” his natural personality is shorn down until he’s only allowed occasional “stupid” mistakes rather than mistakes that emerge from his characterization. This also makes his ideological “wins” with villains...completely meaningless. Shippuden Naruto doesn’t really...have beliefs. He wants to be hokage and bring Sasuke back to the village. “Being hokage” was fine as a kid but I expected the progression into shippuden to be “what kind of hokage do I want to be?” This seemed natural bc we get in the Wave arc Naruto pushing against “what a shinobi is supposed to be: a tool” from Haku and declaring he’d make his own ninja way. Flashforward to the chunin arcs: hates Orochimaru for messing with Sasuke (esp when he eventually leaves to join him) and Neji for treating Hinata the way he did until he learned more about the Hyuga before declaring it wasn’t fair and you had to fight against fate and destiny. Tsunade’s arc was more about reemphasizing the village was something worth protecting and the Sasuke retrieval arc, while focused on Sasuke, at least kept up this theme. But these moments of growth are only alluded to in shippuden and by the time the war arc and ending come around...nothing changes. Naruto didn’t upset the status quo, he only maintained it. And once that ending was established it was a lot easier to go back and pick out exactly when his characterization started to fall through and the weird messiah figure took over instead. Part of this, imo, is the focus of his ultimate goal being “bring Sasuke back to the village” rather than understand what Sasuke is doing/why he’s doing it and then deciding to help him or stop him. 

Favorite Moment/Quote:

“You’re cute when you’re chubby” [in reference to the frog purse] 

I really love the quiet moments Naruto has and watching him live out his daily life. The frog purse is absolutely adorable and I love seeing it crop up time and time again. A close second is when Gai kicks Jiraiya in the face and, a short time later, offers Naruto the green tracksuit which he’s appreciative of. 

What I would like to see more focus on:

In Part 2 Naruto having a long-term goal alongside bringing Sasuke back to the village or trying to seriously think about why Sasuke does what he does and how that would potentially affect the plot. If I could go back to the very start, keeping the actual heart and intent of an underdog ninja story rather than everything turning into superpowered mecha/kaiju battles and aliens from space this is the big point that I’d want to address. In general, I really like fics that focus on training and give him a range of jutsu besides spamming shadow clones and rasengan variants. I’ve said this before, but if Naruto really wants to keep the “number 1 unpredictable ninja” moniker, learning a variety of small, diverse jutsu and using them in interesting/creative ways would be the way to go rather than spamming the aforementioned two. I also really like fics that buckle down and just go ham and create their own variety of jutsu, especially if it’s small practical jutsu rather than the latest and greatest OP Power #839281 kind of jutsu. 

What I would like to see less focus on:

The messiah figure. Talk no Jutsu. The obsession with having a morally pure hero in a world that routinely employed child soldiers and put them in war. I understand Naruto was a shonen manga first and foremost but like...this was the setting/world Kishimoto decided on having. However, I will say some fics take it to far on the other extreme for my taste, creating a edgy nihilistic Naruto that hates everyone and everything. 

Favorite pairing with:

Uhh...I don’t actually have a strong feeling for this one LOL. The most I’ve read has been SasuNaru (Sasuke x Naruto) because I’ve found really interesting set-ups. I like the ship and it does have a decent amount of backing in canon but it’s the little moments (or my ability to see possible little moments) that really make or break a ship for me. SasuNaru is all Big Declarations and I struggle to see how they’d actually settle down post Shippuden time into something sustainable. My favorite iterations of the ship is focused when they’re genin age and have a better relationship...but then I recognize that this is getting closer and closer to Hashimada. The other big things I run into with shipping Naruto with Sasuke is 1. Sasuke needs a shit ton of therapy/willingness to process his family related trauma and 2. Naruto needs a good support network/family outside of a romantic partner because it personally makes me uncomfortable to read ‘you’re my one and only’ (here being: I have no other friends, family, loved ones outside of you). It’s a ship that can work but it’s not my personal OTP.  

Favorite friendship:

Canon/OoT - Naruto & Sakura

I do have a softspot for fics where Naruto realizes his crush on Sakura is actually a desire to have friends/someone to care about him and then they do become close. In canon Sasuke was clearly the favorite of Kakashi (if chunin arc is kept the same/similar and he takes him away for the month to train) I really like Naruto and Sakura sticking together and trying to help each other. They’re both loud and can wind each other up but Naruto can help Sakura relax a bit from her rigid view of herself and she can help keep him on track/encourage him. 

NOTP:

Again, no real strong opinions here. Probably harems? I remember seeing a lot of those a couple years ago and I fundamentally dislike the harem so it will never be ‘done well’ to my personal taste. 

Favorite headcanon:

Naruto is smart, he just needs things to be explained in a way he can understand. 

I’m not a fan of ‘he’s the smartest person in the entire world’ trope but Naruto is creative, he created the oiroke jutsu before he graduated to genin and has a lot of stubborn determination. He’s just really bad at typical ‘book learning’ and traditional testing and he’s not a genius/prodigy like Sasuke or Neji.

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Read line for BNHA manga spoilers

Izuku

What I love about them:

He’s such a smart kid and while he’s unsure/insecure about himself he still does his best. Honestly the premise of BNHA is amazing and I was so excited to watch this little quirky (heh) boy do his best and outthink heroes, utilizing his intelligence and knowledge of quirks. I really love early Izuku and how he has to approach situations from a different angle bc he grew up quirkless/can’t properly handle OFA. The sports festival arc remains one of my personal favorites and really showed his ingenuity. I also really love that Izuku is openly emotional, he cries, he gets super happy about things, he’s angry, he’s sad, etc.  

What I hate about them:

Why do stories insist on calling themselves “underdogs” when for a majority of the time, they’re not? Or not as much as they would be from the original premise? Look, TDP came about exactly bc BNHA was billed as ‘quirkless boy becomes number 1 hero’ it changed rapidly into ‘Izuku gets the strongest quirk but can’t control it’ and while I was...disappointed with that, it happened so quickly I wasn’t really upset. Fast forward to apparently OFA has...what seven(?) quirks inside it and I just...it’s frustrating. Even more the longer we go the more Izuku strays away from a character that is forced to use his intelligence and creatively outthink his opponents and instead becomes...I just have to hit him harder! The Muscular fight already inched towards this but the Overhaul fight just felt like Super Shonen Smack-down 728329. Which, isn’t an inherent problem, it just doesn’t match up to the expectations I had about BNHA I had at the start and how I hoped the series would go. For a character trait that I hate: Izuku is stupidly self-sacrificing. It makes sense with his character but he shoots beyond what is safe and reasonable and I wish there would be more internal emphasis on the question “is it better to save one person today if it meant I couldn’t save ten people tomorrow?” I think he’d choose the former or forsake the question altogether (we touched briefly on this during the overhaul arc with Eri) but I think it’s a serious question needs to be touched on (or I just need to go back and rewatch things again LOL) 

Favorite Moment/Quote:

See entire sports festival arc. I don’t really have a favorite moment because I love the entire arc and we get so much out of it. 

What I would like to see more focus on:

Quirkless Izuku. There’s already a lot of fics, but I really do love them. It deviates a bit, but I do like the creativity of giving Izuku his own unique quirk and then exploring what he can do with that/how it changes canon. Really I want Izuku to keep his original characterization and not trade his smarts for more punching power or deus ex machinas for quirks hidden inside of OFA. If OFA!Izuku is kept, I like story ideas where he still has to rely on means outside of his quirk. Preferably this is isn’t because he injuries himself so much, but I like toying with the idea that Izuku never gets OFA to All Might’s level so he really does have to make the quirk his own and still rely heavily on his intelligence and quirk journals to become the number 1. 

What I would like to see less focus on:

Quirks hidden inside OFA. Strength should have been enough, it was already billed as the most powerful quirk of all. I know this is a common theme for shonen stories, and I don’t mean to harp specifically on Izuku, but again the premise of BNHA was an underdog story. 

Favorite pairing with:

Tododeku (Todoroki Shouto x Midoriya Izuku) 

Friends to lover and battle couples lads, I am weak to them. I like the contrast between their personalities as well as origins (Shouto being the number 2′s (now 1) kid and Izuku from a quiet civilian background). At the end of the sports festival arc both of them are extremely well characterized and it’s easy for me to imagine how their relationship progresses from there and how they can support each other and help each other grow. It’s a very sweet and wholesome ship the way I write and read it and it’s v cute.

Favorite friendship:

Canon- Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochaco & Iida Tenya

I really like the core trio and think their interactions are really sweet. They balance each other out well and their friendship was immediately believable to me. I also like later when Tsuyu and Shouto start to get included in the group and out of the “main” core friends I’m endlessly entertained whenever Izuku and Tokoyami interact with one another. (This is also because I love my bird son, but you know.)

TDP - Midoriya Izuku & Ashido Mina or Midoriya Izuku & Hatsume Mei

Really, I love all of TDP’s kiddos interactions. Their chemistry is one of my favorite things about the fic and all the villain school kiddos meshed really well and had hilarious interactions. Mina and Mei are my faves but just barely. Mina came out of left field for the fic but she plays a similar role that Ochaco does in canon as a usual source of positivity (but unlike Ochaco with additional chaos). She’s Izuku’s first real friend even before starting HIVVE and wouldn’t hesitate to call Izuku her cousin as she views him as family. In return, Mina’s someone Izuku can completely count and depend on if necessary. Mei is...Mei. Izuku is her best “useful customer” and it’s actually terrifying how similar their thoughts are, just Mei has an (un)healthy dose of Hazmat’s insanity and her own business acumen added into the mix. They have slightly different fields of interest but are intellectual equals that work well together and that’s something new to both of them.

NOTP:

Bakudeku (Bakugo Katsuki x Midoriya Izuku)

It’s unhealthy. Unless it’s an AU that changes what the start of their relationship is like, Bakugo and Izuku will always have a toxic friendship to me and I can’t ever see them in a healthy relationship. Both of them have a lot to learn and I am of the opinion that Bakugo should get the opportunity to grow and become a good person and leave behind his past as a bully. However, I’m also of the opinion that no matter how good of a person a bully becomes their victim is never required to absolve them of past wrongdoings. Izuku and Bakugo were friends once, their relationship turned toxic, and now it’s in the interest of both of them to grow apart from one another. I even hesitate to really say they’ll be friends again because the early characterization of their relationship was so imbalanced to me, but for the right author and the right work I may see them being on good terms. It’s still a romantic relationship that I dislike. 

Favorite headcanon:

Crack headcanon? Izuku does have a natural quirk, the force of his tears is clearly superpowered 😂 Regular headcanon, (that is canon in TDP and kindaaa in regular canon(?)) when Izuku gets really engrossed in a super stressful fight he focuses on what will work rather than what is moral. It has...mixed results. 

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For the ask game.