#but it’s sad not to see Toshi

[createandconstruct]

Posted this on Twitter but

Idk man… I think what gets me is the weight of this chapter. 430 had a bittersweetness to it but this feels doubled. Perhaps because this is very likely the last time we’ll see these characters but the send off in this extra chapter feels so quiet and melancholy…

[bread-is-my-life]

I love when I post a drawing of ONLY Toshi it immediately becomes popular and everyone is liking it etc BUT the moment there's Stain in sight the post doesn't get that many notes lol. Even if he is just mentioned it automatically makes the post flop BHASHBSBSBDBDH. And you might think I'm sad or mad but tbh? I fucking love posting stainmight. When I post it there's so many people reblogging it and straight up ANALYSING the work and it makes me SOO HAPPY!!! My popular Toshi drawings are all just funny memes and people just have a quick laugh and move on. With stainmight I have people looking at it for DAYS or even WEEKS AND MONTHS???? HGGHHHHH WHAT???? I seriously love all the stainmight fans because most of them will shower ANYONE who even mentions them let alone draws them hahsgdgdhhd. We were starving for too long and now we gotta get as many soldiers as possible 🫡

I love all of you and I wish you all the best things in the world like GHRHRHRHRHHDHGGGG I LOVE YOU ALL. Stainmight fans are so cool I''m just *drops on my knees and DIES*

[hirazuki]

Hijikata:

Also Hijikata, in the previous episode:

There is no one he lets off the hook less than himself 😔

[roboraindrop]

Did you guys know that,,, I love my f/os,,,,,

[ilylovelyz]

⍣ ೋ the times they cried because of you

☆ includes ushijima, iwaizumi, atsumu, kageyama, bokuto

USHIJIMA WAKATOSHI — he never cries. you met this guy when the two of you were young freshman in high-school, and you quickly became a good friend of his. that being said, you never saw him cry. even when the two of you began dating in your senior year, you still never did. years passed, and it was the same as the previous years. sure, he occasionally got upset, but even then, he still put on a stoic display, never really letting you in on that side of him. even at your wedding, he sure showed some emotion but he didn't cry. then came the birth of your first child.

"she's so cute, isn't she 'toshi..?" you said weakly, forehead still damp with sweat, bodu trembling with the aftershocks of your hard, long labor. your eyes fluttered open, focusing on the sight of your dear wakatoshi holding your newborn baby.

your heart fluttered at the soft image of your husband holding the tiny baby closely again his chest, his forehead mere inches away from the baby's forehead. it was barely there, barely noticeable. if it weren't for the reflection of light, then you wouldn't have been able to see the way his eyes were glazed over, corners red, tears brimming at the borderlines of his eyes.

he was so memorized, so in love with this product of you, this product of his and your love. god, you just make him the happiest guy on earth.

with a grunt, he sniffled lightly, trying to mask his emotions. "yeah.."

IWAIZUMI HAJIME — he hates crying. but being the responsible and knowing person he is, he knows that crying is inevitable. but the "strong", reliable guy in him wants to punch himself every-time he feels his eyes sting at the feel of salty tears brimming at his waterline. unbeknownst to you, he would avoid you every-time he felt like he was going to cry, usually hiding in the locked confides of the bathroom. he thought he was hiding it well, until one fateful day where it all came crashing down..

"haji?" you said on the other side of the door. he immediately shot up, his eyes darting to the doorknob. he always made sure to lock it, but today, he was just so exhausted and down that the idea of a lock was forgotten. crap, "hey wait-," before he could even rise up from his slouched kneeling position on the bathtub's side, you opened the door unknowingly. "i just need my–hajime?"

there he was, in all of his fucking glory, hunched over, his face long and clearly expressing his hurt feelings. his heart fell to his stomach, his vision going cloudy as his day just kept getting worse. "hajime?" you called out once more, only your tone had softened, more light and tender. you reached a hand out to him, eyes full of concern. he couldn't help but jolt away from your hand, eyebrows furrowing at your softness.

he didn't like your tone. why are you looking at him like that? like some sad kicked puppy lost in the middle of nowhere? it made him feel so small, so weak. "haji.. are you okay?" you whispered, crouching down to his level outside of the bathtub. you attempted yet again to touch the side of his face, lightly pressing your fingertips against his cheekbone before fully pressing your palm against the side of his face.

his lips trembled as he was just a second away from breaking down, his eyes locked on a single object as to hold on to the last of his will. you sighed softly at his resistance, of course he wouldn't want to cry in front of you, but you don't understand why, afterall, what makes a person weak for crying? "it's okay, hajime."

with that, fat tears finally ran down his cheeks, his eyes shutting close as he finally broke at your words. he could only grab onto your hand as you climbed into the tub, his head going straight into your chest as he sobbed and wailed.

MIYA ATSUMU — surprisingly, you've seen this guy cry many of times before. he cried when getting accepted into nationals, winning nationals, just crying at things any normal person would do. but he never cried for you. no, he held himself to higher standards. he'd never cry for someone, not even for you. yeah, he loved you, but he wasn't about to cry for someone like a little child. all high and mighty, he never thought you would actually have an affect on him like you do now. him being someone who wears his heart proudly on his sleeve, he found himself getting into an argument late at night with you, too prideful to back down.

"are you serious atsumu?! you know i'd never do that!" you yelled, voice hoarse and scratchy due to the ongoing screaming match between you and your boyfriend. "oh really?! then why were ya' 'll over that fucker earlier? huh?!" he yelled back, pointing out the way you were seemingly flirting with a guy at the club earlier.

but you weren't? you would never do that, you're not a scum. "what?! we were just talking?! am i not allowed to TALK to people atsumu?" you scoffed, arms crossing defensively. "if you wanna consider talking as flirting, then let's talk about that girl you were laughing with the other day? huh? let's talk about that!"

his eyebrow raised at your counter, fumbling nervously as he wondered what to say. "w-wh- you know what?! fuck you! i don't know why i'm even dating a bitch like you!" he said, almost immediately regretting his words when he saw the way your eye's widened at his harsh words. the apartment was finally silent as you registered his words, he wishes you had any sort of expression on your face, but you had nothing but a stoic and emotionless face.

"okay then," you finally said, arching your eyebrow in a taunting way, resting your hand down on your hip. "bye." you followed, grabbing your bag and your keys, turning your back on him.

he watched, frozen in his spot as you exited out the apartment with your composure. his body jolted when he heard the slam of the front door, finally letting out that breath he was unknowingly holding. he scoffed at what you said, clenching his jaw tightly as he tried to hold onto his pride. "damn it." he said.

he felt the tear roll down his cheek before he could even register that he was crying. "..damn it!"

KAGEYAMA TOBIO — to him, life is volleyball. his childhood consisted nothing of volleyball, and so will his adulthood. maybe his obsession with volleyball was a little extreme, but you never really minded. he respected you greatly for your patience, he wasn't dumb, he knew that his priority of volleyball was evident, so he always tried to make it up to you by spending time with you whenever you wanted. but it seemed like after awhile, he began to take your patience for granted. it wasn't until the nth time when he didn't show up for the nth date was when he realized.

kageyama was careful to shut the front door as quiet as he could, tiptoeing as he took off his shoes and walked throughout the dark hallways and into the master-bedroom. he jolted like a cat when he sat you sitting up on the side of the bed, back facing the doorway.

"y-you scared me. what are you doing up at this time? it's nearly 10PM." he stuttered obliviously. it was silent for a few seconds before you sighed, slowly turning your head to face him. "you forgot." you muttered before turning back to look at the wall. forgot? forgot what? it was then he noticed the way your hair was done, still clad in a pretty dress.

"o-oh.. the date! i-i'm sorry y/n, i promise i can make it up to you"— "don't bother." you interrupted, voice stern yet monotonous. what do you mean 'don't bother?' you love going on dates don't you? his lips pursed into a straight line, chewing on his bottom lips nervously. "w-what do you mean? i really promise, this thursday i have a free day.." he trailed off when you suddenly stood up from the bed.

"i mean that i think we should break up." his heart dropped at your words, eyes widening. break up? his mouth was agape, mind spinning with different solutions and apologies. before he could detest, you walked over to the corner of the room, pulling up a suitcase that he didn't even notice.

"b-but why? you said yourself that me and you are meant to be together?" he cried out, quickly rushing over to your side and grabbing onto your wrist. he watched your face closely, eyes taking note of every single feature of yours. you inhaled deeply, still refusing to look at him.

"i said that when we were in high-school and didn't have any major responsibilities. things have changed, we aren't in high-school any more. you're now a pro-volleyball player with big responsibilities, and i'm.. someone who clearly has too much time on their hands, wasting it on someone who can't give me any of theirs. it's not your fault, kageyama, but we just don't align anymore."

you finally said, tugging your hand away from his grasp. before you could take a step, his hands were once again on you, gripped onto your shoulders, forcing you to look at him. "but.. you said you would be there for my game at nationals.." he whimpered out, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

it was then, when you were finally walking out of his apartment, out of his life, was when he finally did realize, that maybe, he did take your patience for granted..

BOKUTO KOUTARO — this guy cries a lot. he's cried so many times you might have to start writing it down somewhere. he rarely masks his emotions, he's an open book. thats what you love so much about him, that he's so open and honest. you love the way he's so eager and sweet, you love the way he's always willing to talk to you and so damn clingy it's like you have your own personal koala. aside from the times he's happy, he's sad, sad because he didn't perform well, or because you didn't kiss him. but you never really made him cry, you'd never do that. or so you thought.

"y/n!! i missed you!" you hear a booming voice yell, his footsteps speeding up at the sight you. he paid no mind when you didn't respond to him, as you were currently hunched over the your work desk, laptop gleaming at you brightly. your back was turned to him, so you were basically calling him for a back hug.

"y/n!" — "not now koutaro." you interrupted, tone serious and stern. he raised his eyebrows at you with surprise, his arms a few inches away from your shoulders as they stilled in their preparation to hug you. "babe? is something wrong?" he asked curiously, lips pouting at your stern denial. you never decline a hug. you love them. right?

"i'm working. can't you see that?" you spit out, sighing deeply. you pull away your cramping fingers away from your keyboard, rubbing them over your sore eyes. "my gosh." you mumble under your breath, eyebrows intensely furrowed with stress. you had been working for a few hours straight, staring at nothing but a bright screen with words that were becoming incoherent to you.

you yelp out when you're suddenly pulled from your chair, being lifted up into bokuto's strong arms as he spins you around. "don't be so sad!" he says cheerfully, hoping to cheer you up with a big warm hug. only— this seems to make you mad. "put me down, koutaro!" you yell, pushing his chest away and forcing him to practically drop you.

"don't you see i'm working?! why are you so damn clingy? you're so annoying, god, why don't you just leave me alone?" you spit out. your words are like venom, stinging his heart greatly as his hair is quickly deflating once your words reach his ears. you simply return to your laptop once you've finished, typing mindlessly once more.

him? annoying? he didn't mean to annoy you..

he couldn't help but softly whimper, left standing in shock. he opened his mouth to say something before your previous words were reminding him to stay silent—leave me alone. he clutched his palms, looking at your turned back with teary eyes. he hopes you don't find him annoying for long..

[shima-draws]

Scrolling through the BNHA tag on AO3 and while it does make me very happy to see so many Aizawa + Izuku centric fics it also makes me sad bc WHAT ABOUT ALL MIGHT. I know canon has established how much Aizawa cares about his kids and Izuku specifically but Toshi loved him FIRST!! Toshi was the one to take Izuku under his wing and train him and care for him and help raise him and mentor him and LIVE for him despite everything telling him he couldn’t. And he was the one who refused to let Izuku go off on his own and did everything in his power to make sure he was at least eating and sleeping and being cared for despite being and feeling so powerless. Toshi’s such an important part of Izuku’s life and people need!! To address that more!! That’s his DAD!!!!

Anyway I see the ‘All Might bashing’ tag and immediately scroll past. I don’t trust you if you don’t love and appreciate Yagi Toshinori and his place in Izuku’s life like he deserves

[tsukimefuku]

the hero i was, the man i am :: toshinori yagi/all might

Toshinori is having a hard day, and you decide to help him out with a much needed pep talk.

content warning: true form toshinori x reader, gender neutral reader, hurt and comfort, mention of scars.

wc: 600

notes etc.: thank you @actuallysaiyan and @g00miato for getting me into the all might agenda. I see the vision (and it’s wonderful from here 💜).

Toshinori wasn’t one to usually wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

Yet, here he was, staring at himself in your shared bedroom’s mirror while dressed in his old All Might attire. His eyes glanced down his lean form, clearly not enough to fill the clothes that draped and bagged around his thin frame.

His hero uniform, once worn with a proud smile, felt like a poorly made costume from the thrift shop.

Perhaps, even worse than that.

“Toshi?” your voice echoed into the room, and he turned his face around towards you, trying to spare you a smile. However, it felt like a mask. 

“Oh, darling. I didn’t hear you coming into the house. You got those groceries incredibly fast.”

“I was gone for a few hours, love,” you replied, walking towards him, with slight concern tightening your chest. “are… are you okay, my dear?”

He tried keeping his smile going, but it quickly morphed into a frown as he diverted his gaze back to the mirror.

“What do you see?” he asked in a low voice.

You hummed for a second. “What do you?”

“I…” Toshinori’s voice dragged for a short while, as if he picked apart a dozen different words, but none of them felt quite right, “I see a shadow. An immaterial shadow that cannot touch things as the body that has cast it once did. I cannot do much in this form, if at all, to help people. Not anymore.” 

You took a pensive expression and held his hand, turning him to face you.

“Do you want to know what I see?” 

Toshinori seemed sad and disappointed with himself as he nodded. His shoulders hung low, with a weight you would never be able to fully comprehend — a beacon of hope, Japan said — and you thought, for a second, that he blamed himself to a great extent for what had happened since his last fight with All for One.

“I see…” you started, taking his hands in yours and slowly peeling his gloves away, “the hands that have taken hundreds of people from under debris.” 

You stepped closer, and held the hem of his shirt, sliding it off his body from his shoulders, “I see the shoulders that have carried me and so many others to safety in times of need.”

He sighed softly when you put your hand over his scar, and locked eyes with you before you slid both your hands down his body and undid his belt, letting his pants fall to the floor. “I see the legs that have carried you to all the places you were needed. Even when it was to your own detriment, you did it, and did it with a smile.”

Finally, you held his face in your hands, and smiled at him.

“I see the face of the man that inspired and supported so many students. That still does. The face I fell in love with. So that’s what I see — I see you. How could I ever see anything else?”

He sighed and smiled back at you, pulling you into a hug. Toshinori nuzzled your hair, and took in the smell of your preferred concoction of shampoo/conditioner and whatnot, which he absolutely adored. Your smell. 

“Thank you, my love.”

“Whenever you need, Toshi,” you replied with your face pressed against his chest, hugging him back tenderly. “Now, silly, I need your help to put the groceries away and we should start prepping for dinner. What do you say?” 

He sighed contently still holding you in his arms. That, they could still do.

He was thankful for that.

“Sounds lovely.”

written by tsukimefuku ㋡ comments and reblogs are appreciated. do not copy, translate or repost. copycatting is for losers.

[cottonlemonade]

Just Use Me

word count: 649 || avg. reading time: 3 mins.

pairing: Tendou x chubby!Reader x Ushijima (by proxy)

genre: hurt, angst, unrequited love, heartbreak

warnings: I mean it, this is sad

synopsis: Tendou falls for his best friend’s girlfriend

When you start dating Ushijima, Tendou is happy for his best friend until Toshi introduces you and, unfortunately, you turn out to be his absolute dream girl from your sweetness and perfectly cuddly figure to your weird humor, taste in music, hobbies - everything seems to match him more than Wakatoshi and a small part of him really begins to hate his best friend for meeting you first.

Especially, because he comes to Tendou for dating advice and it feels horrible to coach his friend how to be romantic with you, to give him suggestions for dates, pointers for compliments and remind him to show you physical affection, too. He hates to see how the perfect gift Tendou had helped Toshi pick out makes your face light up and you wrap your arms around your boyfriend, barely reaching up to his neck. Having to stand on your very tippy-toes you give him an excited Thank You kiss.

To his credit, Toshi immediately informs you that Tendou helped him and the red-head’s heart stops as you turn and your blindingly gorgeous smile is then directed at him.

When you hug him he freezes for a moment before returning the embrace, holding you so closely that it’s almost natural to take a deep breath of your scent. He wants to scream in frustration when you laugh and let go way too quickly. Your warmth still clings to him.

After weeks and weeks of this torture you come to him one day for help because you feel like Toshi might not be the right fit for you as he seems rather confused by the fact that you like to show affection by hand holding, hugging and “… and kissing” you add quietly, cheeks blushed.

That small part of Tendou begins to roar and claw at his throat, trying to make him tell you to dump him then because you deserve better. But he also knows that his best friend is kind and loyal and while he is awkward at showing it, he likes you very much.

And so Tendou encourages you to talk to your boyfriend about your concerns. He feels his lungs burning from suppressing the words he really wants to say instead.

For another few excruciating weeks after this, things seem better for you. He sees you around town, holding Toshi’s hand, glowing with happiness.

But after two more months he spots you sitting on a park bench by yourself. It’s late and he knows you had plans with Toshi that evening.

He comes up to you and asks what happened.

Every fiber of his being tenses when you tell him that Toshi broke up with you. His reason being that it was too much for him to satisfy your need for closeness.

Although, Tendou knew that his friend meant that he wanted to but didn’t feel like he could, he curses him because he could have worded it better.

You begin to cry - again, judging by the puffiness of your eyes.

And now Tendou begs for the words to stay inside. But all the soundless pleas are in vain.

“You can just use me to forget him.”

“What? Tendou, I’m - I - I could never do that to you.”

“Sure you can. I don’t mind. - Really.”, he adds, brightly.

When you don’t say anything but just more tears spill from the eyes he adores so much he lets out a shockingly convincing laugh, “Just kidding, y/n. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. I’ll talk to Ushiwaka.”

And your face lights up a bit.

“Really? Thank you! So much. You’re amazing.”

“I know.”, he says casually, but feeling like he might break into a million pieces if he stays a second longer, “I’ll call you later, alright?”

And he leaves, not stopping the tears running down his cheeks as soon as his back is turned to you.

a/n: why is my brain making me so sad at work? I love Tendou🥺

[monstrousvoice]

A Chance

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Relationship: Toshinori Yagi/All Might X Female Reader

AN: With my love of BNHA coming back, so too does my undying love for Toshi rise from the depths to inconvenience everyone who tries to have a conversation with me lasting longer than 5 minutes. This drabble was inspired by the following mood board as part of a challenge prompt in the discord server I’m in!

Tags: Fluff, Knight!Toshinori, References to past sexy times but nothing explicit

Summary: You are given the chance to pursue your own happiness with the one you love.

Read it on AO3!

“It really is unconventional my dear.” Your mother clucked her tongue at you before blowing on her steaming tea and taking a careful sip. You took a deep breath to keep your composure. It took nearly all your courage just to speak the words you had been sitting on for months at this point, and you had been prepared for a far harsher response. You gently swirled your spoon in your own tea cup, watching as the sugar cube melted away. You hated this blend, but it was Mother’s favorite and you needed any help to get her in a good mood.

Your father says nothing, simply watching you with a stoic expression. His tea cup sits full and untouched.

“I am…aware, of how odd it is-” Mother scoffs at your words.

“If you are so aware, why even entertain the idea? Honestly child.” She rolls her eyes at you. You bite your tongue, and take another deep breath.

“I simply think after all he’s done for us, for me, that he would be a good choice,” Another scoff. “And that he would…” make me happy, you want to say but don’t. Mother didn’t care about things like happiness in marriage. Marriage was a tool in a royal’s arsenal, like anything else.

“Oh yes, everything he’s done for us, and every neighboring kingdom from here to the coast! The man has no loyalty! He would sooner give up the crown to an invader than fight them! He has too many ties to too many people.”

“That isn’t true!” Mother narrows her eyes at your raised voice. You stiffen and look to your lap in a show of submission. “I-I am sorry. I just…”

“It is a foolish idea.” Mother takes another sip of her tea, opening her mouth to further admonish you for your proposal, but your father speaks.

“I disagree.” He rumbles. Mother closes her mouth with a sharp ‘click’. Your father may be content to let her rule the castle, the staff, and you as she sees fit, but every once in a small while he steps in. Those few times are almost enough to convince you he may care for you in some way.

“Father?” You prompt.

“He was born here. He trained here under my own father’s best knights. He has helped our neighbors as his warrior spirit demanded, but never to our detriment. Now that he can no longer fight the same way, why not reward him for his servitude?” Father blinks passively at Mother, the wisdom of many years of leadership in his eyes. Mother looks at him in shock, her own protests sounding weak now that she doesn’t have his support.

“Bu-I-! He is-! Why, he is too old now my lord husband! He-”

“He is as old as I am, and that brings wisdom and experience.”

“Wh-what of heirs!? He could never-with our daughter-!”

“Men older than us both have produced children before. It will be fine.”

Mother looks like she wants to protest further still, but you don’t pay her stuttered words any more mind. You stare at your father, a man you have spent most of your life fearing in some capacity. Fear of failure and disappointment, fear of losing him and leaving your home in disarray with no king to lead them.

Fear of being married off to some horrible man that would decide your fate, who would crush and break you under the weight of unwanted motherhood and wifely duties you would have no choice but to complete. Of one day suffering the quiet shame of having a husband who brings strangers to bed, of being an object meant to look pretty and nothing more.

And within this moment you dare hope that your life will not be as sad and grey. 

Father looks at you and nods his head. You stand, your fingers twitching with the effort to hold back your excitement. Never before have you so badly wanted to hug Father, but you refrain. It would be improper, Mother has always said. You bow low instead to show your gratitude.

“Th-thank you Father. Mother. I must-...I need to step out for a moment, please excuse me.” And with that you rush out the door to the private study and nearly collapse against the stone wall opposite you. The cool, rough texture against your palms and catching the fabric of your gown helps ground you.

This is real.

You can-you can marry the man you love. Bring him into a life of luxury and happiness you’ve wanted to give him for so long-

The click of the door behind you opening and closing echoes in your pounding head. With hazy eyes you look to see Father standing behind you, proud and tall as ever. He is smiling softly at you, a gentleness you didn’t think he possessed. It's an odd but not unpleasant expression to see on his face.

“I…” He starts, lifting a hand into the air and holding it there, fingers pinched. With a sigh he drops his hand back to his side, looking to the floor.

“With age comes wisdom.” He begins. “I regret many things when it comes to how you were raised.” You blink in shock at his words. You can see in his face…a quiet longing you hadn’t noticed before. It makes something in your heart squeeze.

“I wish…I wish I had been…” He sighs, his shoulders slumping as he looks to you. “I had you trained and molded to take charge of the kingdom after my passing, consort or no. I made sure you knew every battle tactic, every political game, every form of self defense I could cram into you to make sure you could be safe. I just wish I could have taken the time to…let you be you. To be my daughter, not just my heir. I wish I could have gotten to know you.”

The back of your eyes burn. You swallow and blink. You cannot show such clear emotion, not to anyone.

Well…to one person and one person only. 

That person is not Father.

“I married your mother because of the things she could teach you, the benefits she brought to our home.” Father steps closer to you. His arms lift, as if to reach for you. He freezes, hands shaking before he forces them down to his sides again. “I wish to give you a chance to be happy. If only in some small way. A way I never got to experience. Go to him, and you will be happy with him, I’m sure.”

Father has taken time out of his day to meet with you, to hear your proposal. He agreed to your proposal and gave you his blessing for the man you chose. He is standing before you and restraining himself from giving you a hug.

You take the final step to close the distance between you both, and your stiff arms wrap around his even stiffer form. You feel his hands slowly and carefully come to your back and rest there.

It is awkward and stiff and slightly uncomfortable.

It is the first hug you’ve ever received from Father.

You will cherish its memory for the rest of your life. He has made you happier on this day than you have ever felt.

Well, perhaps not happier than the day you met your fearsome and brave knight. It is close, however.

“Thank you Father. If it is acceptable, I wish to go see him.” Father’s arms drop from you as you step back, and he nods his head. You turn and rush down the hall.

~~~~~~~

You ignore the whispers that trail after you as you hunt through the castle hallways.

“Ah, her royal highness the cold fish. Wonder what has her in such a hurry.”

“Her highness is moving rather fast, do you think something’s happened? She’s normally so stoic and cold.”

“Just like her father, that one. Unfeeling and scary.”

Their words sting, but you hold your head high. You had thought you had been getting better at interacting with the staff, but apparently not if they still gossip in such ways about you. Your knight had been trying to help you be more approachable and open to others, considering he shined with charm and charisma like a beacon, but apparently you needed more work. 

It didn't matter right now, in any case. You have more important news to share with him. 

A tall figure, a flash of blonde, catches your eye down the corridor. You race after it and round the corner to see your knight and his young charge walking away. 

“Toshinori!” You call, and the two figures freeze, turning to look back at you. You rush closer, breathless and excited. Neither of them are in their full set of armor, only wearing the thickly padded tunic that has your kingdom's blazon proudly on display. You take a moment to admire the way your knight’s cloak drapes over his broad shoulders. 

He may not be as strong as he was when younger, but that thin, tall frame holds strength and resilience you can't help but love.

“G-good morning to you both. I apologize for the interruption-” You start, nodding at Izuku who stares up at you with shining eyes. Toshinori straightens up, his smile professional and calm as he addresses you. 

“No trouble at all, your highness.” He bows low to you, and for a moment his hand twitches as if to reach for you, but he forces it still. Izuku jolts as if shocked, quickly blowing low as well with a muttered ‘good morning’ of his own. He's still learning proper protocol, Toshinori had told you. The boy shows great promise as a knight and you know Toshinori is more proud of this boy than he is about any other accomplishment he has in his long career. 

“If I may, Ser Knight, I would like to speak to you about something…” Your eyes dart to the boy at his side. “Urgent.” Toshinori catches on, his eyebrows raising in surprise and slight concern before he turns to his student.

“Young Midoriya, make your way to the stables and complete your usual duties. I will find you later.” Toshinori smiles at the boy with a tenderness that makes your heart squeeze in your chest. The urge to kiss the laugh lines on his cheeks is nearly overwhelming, and you barely stop yourself from doing so. You need to talk to him first. 

Izuku hurries down the hallway with an eager stride, no doubt wanting to impress his teacher when they meet back up. With your own barely restrained enthusiasm you grab Toshinori's hand in your own and drag him to the closest private spot you know of. He stumbles for a moment as you pull him, letting out a choked noise of surprise. You can feel calluses from years of hard labor under the pads of your fingers, rough skin and scars that make your heart flutter with excitement. You've had those hands on you so many times, and now you know for certain you can feel them again for the rest of your life. 

If he wants such a thing, that is. 

“Y-your highness-! What is-” You ignore his questions, making a beeline for the nearest hidden alcove you can think of. It's a hidden spot right outside the entrance to the gardens, one you and Toshinori are very familiar with. Memories of his fingers, long and thick as they brought you to completion over and over while pressed against his chest flash through your mind as you pull him closer. It seems the same thoughts are on his mind as well, judging by the growing pink blush spreading over the bridge of his nose.

The sunlight bleeds through the leaves of the many trees planted, flowering blooms bright and colorful as fat bees buzz to and fro across them to collect nectar. A slight breeze picks up and you watch, mesmerized, as the golden hair of your knight seems to shine as it’s ruffled.

To think, you’ll be able to see him like this everyday for the rest of your life…if he accepts that is.

His voice startles you despite it being a whisper.

“My love, what is wrong? Did something happen…?” Despite the concern you see in his eyes, his mouth pulls up in a shy smile. “Or were you looking to…” One of his hands cups your cheek, his thumb brushing against your cheekbone in such a tender way it makes your very soul ache. Your eyes flutter shut as you turn into his palm, pressing a kiss against the rough skin. His blush deepens.

“I am flattered darling but is this really what you would consider ‘urgent’? You had me worried for a moment!” He chuckles, a deep soothing sound that sends shivers down your spine. You squeeze your thighs closed at the sudden rush of heat you feel at the sound. You manage to find your voice and speak.

“N-not entirely, beloved…” Your voice comes out as soft as his, a whisper to be carried away on the wind. Toshinori pulls you closer, his free arm wrapping around your waist to settle on the small of your back, his long fingers spreading to grip the meat of your ass. You squeak at the feeling, your hips pushing closer to his where you can feel his cock hardening under his tunic. He hums in interest at your words as he buries his nose into your hair.

“I was speaking with-...with Mother and Father today-” You feel him stiffen against you, and not because of arousal. He pulls back to look you in the eye, but his arms stay wrapped snugly around you. Toshinori’s brow is furrowed with concern as he looks at you.

“Are you alright? I know talks with Her Majesty can be…difficult for you. Is that why you came to me?” His eyes widened in panic. “A-and here I am trying to-! I am sorry love, you must be upset and I’m just-” You can feel his arms loosening from where they hold you tight, pulling away to give you space you most definitely did not want at the moment. You grip his wrists, tugging his hands back into their rightful place on you.

“No! No, I’m not upset please! Please-” You nuzzle into the hollow of his throat, “please hold me. I want to be held.” Your lips brush against his skin as you whisper and you hear him choke. Those strong arms wrap around you once more.

“Ah, a-as you wish…” Toshinori’s voice comes out breathless, and you feel him press a kiss to the crown of your head.

“It was a good talk. I was…” You pause, trying to think of the best way to phrase your question. “I was granted permission to…to court whomever I wish…”

You feel him suck in a sharp breath, his shoulders tensing under where your hands grip him to hold him close. You can hear the sound of his heartbeat where your head rests against his chest, and you know under your cheek is the very spot where his scar resides. You want to spend eternity like this, just being held by your knight like you’re something precious for once.

“...Truly? That's-that's fantastic my love…” You hear Toshinori gulp above you, his arms tightening their hold even further. 

“I think so too. I wanted to ask…” You pause and breathe deeply, grounding yourself. He wouldn't say no, there was no reason to say no. “I wanted to ask if you would consider…allowing me to court you, Ser Knight? And to one day be my King Consort.” You press a kiss to his cloth covered chest, right above his heart.

“My love…” You feel his hand, rough with callouses, cup your jaw and angle your head up to look at him. Piercing blue eyes that glow with resilience and determination stare into your own. “There is nothing I would love more, than to be by your side.”

And he seals this promise with a kiss.

[lucidsjournal]

GINTAMA REVIEW

After finishing Gintama: The Very Final, my journey with Gintama has officially come to a close, and I must say it has been an amazing ride. Within this post, I will discuss my overall thoughts and feelings about various aspects of the series.

The Groundworks of Gintama:

First, I wanted to talk about my experience with the comedy episodes because I think they are the heart and soul of Gintama. Though at some points the comedy episodes were underwhelming, they steadily improved and became funnier as the series progressed. Some of the best episodes in Gintama are comedy episodes, many of them being filled with life lessons that can genuinely resonate with your own experiences.

I also think a lot of the comedy episodes are excellent because they lay down the foundation for the series by introducing so many new and interesting characters that you dive into. This is also accompanied by exploring many aspects of their lives and relationships with one another, portraying them as a close-knit, if unconventional, family. Seeing their dynamics play out is a joy to watch and though they may joke around and tease one another, they are always there for each other when it counts. As you grow attached to these characters, the serious arcs become even more impactful. Especially in arcs like Benizakura, Four Devas, Shogun Assassination, and so forth. During arcs like these, the stakes are raised higher than ever and the characters' unity in the face of common threats are deeply moving and satisfying.

Gintama's Mastery in Character Revelation Through Vulnerability and Tragedy:

Gintama has a rather large cast of characters, and despite its size, it manages to gently draw you in and make you care about these characters through these individual and personal moments. A lot of the times the show depicts these characters in a more vulnerable fashion and could even change your perspective on them through further context. A good example could be seen with the character Oboro, who is initially depicted as this intimidating assassin who is loyal to Utsuro. But as the show progresses, more is shown about his character and the tragedy surrounding him. Through the presented flashbacks, it is revealed that Oboro lost everything and was saved by Shouyou, eventually becoming his first student. Later on, when Oboro is assumed to be dead after protecting Shouyou, he comes across Shouyou again. But during this instance, Shouyou is seen with new students at the school that Oboro inspired him to open. It is pictured how abandoned Oboro feels when he sees his former teacher with other students, believing that Shouyou no longer even recognizes him. So essentially, this envy and sense of abandonment he felt is what drives him to betray Shouyou and assist in his capture.

As Oboro's character continues to unfold in his final moments, it becomes clear that his deepest desire is to be with his teacher, Shouyou, and the other students as a sort of family. This scene provides so much more context and depth to Oboro's character in painting the regret and sadness he feels. It is such a tragic underline to his character, which only strengthens his dynamics with the other characters, especially with Takasugi.

This ability to effectively provide substance to these characters, often supported by flashbacks, is something Gintama has done consistently well. This could even be seen as far back as in the Mitsuba Arc. Throughout the Mitsuba Arc, Sougo's character past is explored as well as his relationship with Toshi and the newly introduced character, Mitsuba, Sougo's sister. Up until this arc Sougo is shown to be primarily sadistic and conniving, who seemingly holds a grudge towards Toshi. But throughout this arc, we delve deeper into Sougo's character, revealing a vulnerable side to him as he mourns the passing of his sister, which emotionally impacted me a lot.

What Gintama Means To Me:

So I have rambled for a while on well Gintama is able to explore these characters in an emotionally resonant matter. But what does Gintama mean to me? Well to me, Gintama is fundamentally about finding the will to persevere through any struggle and tragedy we may experience, an idea that is strongly supported by the bonds we form, giving us purpose and the strength to overcome any adversity.

The idea of what it means to live forever is something that is a motif throughout the series, as it demonstrates how people's influence and impact on each other leaves a lasting imprint on their souls. This can be shown within the Yorozuya themselves, where upon meeting Gintoki, Shinpachi is bewildered by him and follows in his footsteps to learn the way of the samurai, and this bond that Shinpachi forms with Gintok is strengthened and immortalized as the series progresses.

Kagura, who initially lived with Gintoki solely because she needed money to go back to her homeworld, realizes how much she has enjoyed her time with Shinpachi and Gintoki. Ultimately staying back with this newfound family of hers. The impact Gintoki had on Kagura could be seen through the fact that she has picked up so many of his mannerisms and habits, such as picking his nose and his sense of humor.

While also referring to Gintoki as her, "earth father" on a couple of occasions.

Kagura and Shinpachi to me, share a sibling-like bond. Shinpachi, is the older, rational brother, while Kagura is the younger more brash sister. These two characters have such different personalities and backgrounds, yet still function as siblings. Much of their personalities clash and lead to frequent bickering and playful jabs as many siblings would. Yet beneath all of that lies a deep affection and willingness to support each other through thick and thin. One of the greatest examples that showcases their bond would of course be in Yoshiwara in Red Arc. In this arc, lies a powerful sequence where Kagura loses herself after seeing Shinpachi being beaten up almost to death, which then leads Shinpachi to having to save her as well by reminding her of the bond they share. It was such a touching moment to me and showcased how strong their relationship has become.

As you can tell, I love seeing the character interactions between the three of these characters. There are so many memorable ones and it only shows how much you become attached to them. The emotional beats never seem to miss and it is something that continues to be strengthened as the show progresses.

Gintoki Sakata, Gintama's Soul:

So I talked about Gintoki a bit previously, but I wanted to talk about him more. This will tie into the previous section in what Gintama means to me because I think Gintoki encapsulates the whole premise of the show best. Through Gintoki, we see how deeply the Yorozuya and the many other characters in the series have impacted him, just as much as he has on them. Not only that but it is revealed in the Red Spider arc that another character had a significant influence on him, his teacher Shouyou.

It becomes clear that Gintoki carries the teachings he learned from Shouyou. When the two first met, Gintoki was merely a child who was thrust into a life of killing by circumstances beyond his control. Gintoki had no clear purpose besides trying to survive by defending himself. As the two grew closer, Shoyou laid the foundation for a much different path for Gintoki, one where he would have a purpose. This sense of purpose would lead Gintoki to use his sword to protect his very soul. What this means is that Shouyou was essentially trying to prevent him from succumbing to emptiness, which would only lead to despair. Shouyou himself struggled with this, as Utsuro, his other personality, greatly encompasses. And despite experiencing the death of Shouyou at his own hands and among other tragedies, Gintoki honored the teachings of Utsuro by finding the will to persevere. He started all over again and found this new sense of purpose in The Yorozuya and the entirety of the Kabuki district, forever living on within all the souls he has touched just as much as those very same souls influenced and saved Gintoki from falling into despair.

He encompasses what Gintama is all about, as someone who is constantly met with adversity. Gintoki continuously fought himself, tying into what Kamui said to Gintoki during the Battle Rakuyo arc, that Gintoki was not fighting Kamui, but was instead fighting something else.

This essentially means that whenever Gintoki is fighting someone, no powerful how they are, he is battling himself- facing his weaknesses, fears, and the prospect of becoming empty. This is exactly what Shouyou had taught him. Instead of running away from his weaknesses, he fights them head-on in battle. By doing so, he is simultaneously protecting the bonds he made with countless characters. These bonds have molded him into the new name he now possesses "Yorozuya Gin-Chan," a name that symbolizes the connections he treasures and fights to defend.

It also contributes to why Gintoki is such an endearing character who is so empathic to others who have lost everything and still can provide them with the hope to keep moving forward and fight against their inner weaknesses, just as Shouyou had taught him. He is one of the most life-affirming characters I have experienced and he has so many moments that moved me, especially times when Gintoki comes in to save the day and provide some wisdom that not only applies to the characters he is talking to, but to us as the viewers. There have not been a lot of characters who have been able to have this level of impact on me, but I am thankful that Gintoki Sakata for being one of them.

To Be Hollow:

Within this section, I wanted to discuss more on Utsuro and Shouyou. To me, Utsuro is one of the most nuanced and compelling antagonists I have seen in anime. Supported by a demanding and engaging presence in the same vein as other phenomenal anime antagonists such as Johan and Dio. Similarly to Gintoki, he also masterfully encompasses the ideas of Gintama. But he serves as the direct contrast to Gintoki. Utsuro is physically immortal due to the Atlanta in his body. He eventually became "empty" or “hollow.” Such that he was exposed to the worst of humanity, and was not able to form meaningful connections and memories much like Gintoki and the others did. Unfortunately, he tragically fell into despair, lacking a clear set purpose apart from destruction.

 The Shouyou personality, on the other hand, represents the hope and humanity that resides in all of us. Despite all of the suffering we have endured we can instead strive to change, and fight against our inner “Utsuro."

And though Shouyou eventually lost, he was still able to save and pave the way for his students. Gintoki himself is the actualization of that hope and so I believe Shouyou was able to reach 'true immortality' by bonding with the students he saved just as much as they saved him. He continues to live on within them. I think this just makes Shouyou/Utsuro's dynamic with Gintoki so much more interesting. Especially considering how it recontextualizes the first time Gintoki and Shouyou met. In essence, Shouyou saw himself in Gintoki and realized how dangerous the path he was taking. So by influencing Gintoki, he was able to prevent another 'him' from being born.

Utsuro's Last Stand

The final confrontation between Gintoki and Utsuro/Takasugi marks one of the best fights I have seen in anime, with an absolutely devastating conclusion for Takasugi. The idea of Utsuro taking hold of Takasugi's body was an amazing twist. It initially places Gintoki into such a fascinating predicament, forcing him to fight the shadow of his mentor in his dying friend's body, Takasugi. This tragically parallels the moment when Gintoki was previously forced to kill Shouyou in order to protect his friends during the Joui War. The recurring motif of true immortality is made clear during this fight and it makes Utsuro's conclusion so much more satisfying. This is supported by the reappearance of Oboro, who despite being dead, is revealed to be inside of Takasugi's body alongside Utsuro. This is because of the promise Takasugi made to Oboro, and though Takasugi briefly knew him, he understood his pain and frustration in wanting to be with the other students. So by honoring Oboro's death and working to fulfill his wish to stop Utsuro, Oboro continues to live on within the body of Takasugi, strengthened by their shared resolve. (I'll touch up on this more in a bit as I discuss Utsuro's conclusion).

The Death and Reincarnation of Takasugi:

So as we know, Gintoki was in a position where he had to fight his mentor and friend, Takasugi. Takasugi is well aware of the burden of having to slay down his mentor and friend on Gintoki, which drives some of the reasons why he inevitably sacrifices himself.

Upon Utsuro's death, we see a stunning sequence where Gintoki and Takasugi are on a boat, with many butterflies and petals surrounding the two of them.

Even though Gintoki knows Takasugi will soon die, Gintoki still clings to this idealized dream, one where Takasugi will still live; explaining that he would have loved to enjoy a drink with him. But this is rejected by Takasugi, who reminds Gintoki that even if he still lives, they would still be fighting against each other as rivals. Gintoki himself is aware of this because before the fantasy appears, he mentions that this was inevitable, that Takasugi had not grown at all. Yet Gintoki still fantasized about this possibility, and it made this sequence so much more tragic for me. Afterward, Takasugi places his hand into the water, dissipating the idealized dream and showing him the true reality before them, that he is going to die. There is nothing Gintoki can do about it. During this sequence, Takasugi reminds Gintoki to keep persevering and maintaining the many relationships he has made. He even states, "There is plenty left to protect with that thing, right" where it briefly pans to Gintoki's sword. This ties into the whole idea of what Gintoki fights for, as recontextualized during the Battle Rakuyo arc as I discussed above. Takasugi's desire for Gintoki to let go of this dream and continue forth in life just makes his sacrifice even more significantly moving to me. Now towards the end of the film, it is revealed that Takasugi was reincarnated.  

Initially, I was not sure how to feel about this because I felt as if it might contradict and diminish the significance of Takasugi's death. Then as I continued to reflect on the scene, I began to see how it incorporates some of the show's messages, while strengthening Takasugi's dynamic with Shouyou. The “reincarnated” version of Takasugi that is shown, is a new version of himself metaphorically, similar to how the Shouyou personality was birthed from Utsuro. Essentially, he was given an opportunity, a second chance to find purpose. This new version of Takasugi that emerged has the possibility of not being blinded by hatred and a desire to destroy. It also helps that Shouyou was the one who bestowed this gift on Takasugi, in hopes that he would truly strive for a new path. Through this interpretation of mine, it feels more rewarding considering Takasugi's sacrifice against Utsuro and I believe it still respects the sequence of Takasugi passing in Gintoki's arms. It also ties into the whole idea that it is never too late to change. Though it may have seemed impossible initially, this could provide hope that Gintoki may one day reunite with Takasugi and fight him anew, but with a Takasugi who is not blinded by his weaknesses.

My Favorite Sequences

When reflecting on my favorite moments in the series, three stand out. The first was Utsuro's final say in Gintama: The Very Finale, which was truly incredible. His speech sums up a good bit of what I have talked about previously up until this point, that being the connections and relationships we form give us meaning and ensure that we will live forever.

This is Utsuro's acceptance of this idea. He initially saw a glimpse of the power of immortal bonds through Gintoki's perseverance during the Silver Soul Arc. But the difference is that he ran away and rejected this idea completely because he still believed his belief in humanity was correct. He could not accept it because he knew it would invalidate his actions up until this point and his very identity perhaps. But Utsuro can no longer run away now and there was no turning back.

In the end, he was proven wrong. He saw how humanity can persevere through impossible odds and these characters embody those ideas so well. Oboro who was dead, was now revealed to be alive in the end, attempting to stop Utsuro. Takasugi who sacrificed himself to not only honor Oboro's wishes but to save Gintoki and what he was protected. Though Takasugi is dying, it is revealed that the bonds he shares with Gintoki are stronger than ever, and though Gintoki will ultimately slay his friend alongside the shadow of his mentor, Gintoki will preserve as he always does. This made Utsuro's plan of hollowing Gintoki by forcing him to slay his mentor and friend useless in the end. It is through these sequences of events that Utsuro finally understood what immortality really was, something he tragically never experienced despite being physically, "immortal." The second is when Gintoki reunites with his teacher, Shouyou. It is a beautifully cathartic sequence that feels like the culmination of what the entire series has been building up to. Watching Gintoki share what he has accomplished and the purpose he found within the Yorozuya was incredibly moving. The Yorozuya, a group that helps people no matter what the issue is, whether it is walking someone’s dog or saving the planet, embodies the essence of what Gintoki has become, the little monster who became human.

This leads seamlessly into my third favorite scene, that being “the skies have cleared up,” which I think brilliantly serves as the Final Say of the series, highlighting how Gintoki has let go of all of his burdens, guilt, and pain, fully embracing a life that has been enriched by the countless relationships he has formed. Beautifully showing the idea that it is never too late, that you can still fight your weaknesses, form meaningful connections, and strive to live a life that is colored by the bonds we create. This scene also compliments the scene with Gintoki and Takasugi on the boat so well, because it shows how Gintoki carried on Takasugi's wishes. Letting go of his pain, essentially being 'rebirthed," paralleling to the rebirth of Takasugi shown in the film. Which will make their reunite all the more beautiful.

So that is everything, for now, it is quite evident that Gintama is a special series to me. It is probably my favorite anime at the moment lol. I really hope you guys enjoyed this. These are just my rough thoughts, I may expand on some of the ideas I have brought up here in the near future :)

[whenanafallsinlove]

HI ANA !!

lmk if your celly is closed and if so just ignore me !!

i had another idea for

✒️"SAD PROSE" - send a character + your favorite folklore lyric, and I'll write a short blurb

hitoshi + “cause you never gave a warning sign (i gave so many signs” from exile 🗣️ in the mood for a lil angsty angst

aahhh i loved writing this so much! i hope you like it elle! <3

✒️"SAD PROSE" - send a character + your favorite folklore lyric, and I'll write a short blurb

"I GAVE SO MANY SIGNS" - HITOSHI SHINSO x reader

You liked Hitoshi, you had liked him for a long time. Ever since you became friends, he always showed care and kindness to you. But you always felt the very thin line in your relationship where your feelings fluctuated between friendship and something else.

Since the beginning of the frienship, you had felt a special connection with him. Neito was your best friend, and he had introduced you to Hitoshi after a few weeks into U.A; but Hitoshi was just different to everything you knew.

It was very easy to talk to him; he wasn't shy or quiet like he seemed to be. Actually, he was the complete opposite; he always told stories about his classmates in general studies, his life before U.A, and he always tried to get a smile or a laugh out of you. You quickly became comfortable with each other, slowly getting more touchy in a playful manner.

You were as close to Shinso as you were with Monoma; but there was an evident difference in the way you acted around each of them; and an even bigger one in the way you felt about them.

Hitoshi slowly became the main reason why you enjoyed school. He was something you looked up to see everyday.

After the sport's festival, you had gathered enough courage to confess to him. Maybe it was the emotion of the moment, but as soon as you blurted out your feelings to Hitoshi, he kissed you. It was slow, but with a lot of emotion. You were sure that now that you knew how his embrace felt, you would not be able to live without it.

Hitoshi had decided a few days later to tell you that he would need to focus on his hero training. That Aizawa would be very strict with him if he wanted to get transfered into the hero course.

Of course, you understood that. It was slightly disappointing to be asked to wait, specially after something so important happened between the two of you. But you knew that it was Shinso's dream, his future, and if waiting for a few weeks would make you part of it, then it was worth it.

Although, days became weeks, weeks became months, and months quickly became a year.

Neito always told you that as much as he liked Hitoshi, you were a fool. Because, it had been a year and Hitoshi had not asked you on a single date, and he would not adress the situation unless you did. Not much had changed between the two of you, and he always used to tell you to just wait for him.

"You just don't look as happy anymore. I'm worried." Neito said everytime Shinso was brought up.

And it was partially true; it was a little emotionally draining to wait for him, but everytime you showed some impatience, he would just shrug it off.

It was safe to say that after a year, your heart was already worn out; specially since he had already managed to make it into the hero course.

His eyes when he asked you for patience, just added insult to your aching heart. So one day, you finally managed to speak with him.

"Toshi, I'm not going to wait for you anymore."

You caught Shinso by surprise, so he wasn't sure what you were reffering to.

"What? What are you talking about pretty?" He asked, and placed his hand on your cheeck, which you shook off.

"Please don't call me that. I'm saying that I am done waiting for you to decide whether or not you want to be with me."

Your tone was firm, but you could feel the tremble in between words. Shinso took a deep breath before speaking.

"I told you I would need you to be patient, you said you were okay with that."

You scoffed, and your vision started to become blurry.

"But it's been a year, Hitoshi! You said it was until you got transfered to the hero course!"

"I don't get where this is coming from. Please calm down."

"Calm down? Hitoshi, this shows that you didn't even hear me out everytime I brought up the subject!"

"So what do you want me to do now, huh? You were my friend, and then you confessed and we kissed. I told you I liked you too, isn't that enough?"

"You should really put all those months of training into practice and at least learn to read my mind!"

"If you were so upset you should have told me! I swear you never gave a warning sign, Y/N!"

"Shinso, I gave so many signs! You just decided not to see them!"

Your eyes finally gave up, and your tears started to flow down your face. You both stood there in silence, knowing that everything had ended.

"Well I guess there is nothing I can do to turn things around." Shinso finally spoke. You didn't know if this made you more sad or upset; you wished that he had at least made an effort to not lose you in the end, but he didn't.

So you just nodded and made your way through the door, not looking back.

a/n: I had no time to proof read this! excuse any mistakes!

[super-paper]

Truly Yours: A Defense of "Iron Might"

"My dear, In the midst of hate, I found within me an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found within me an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found within me an invincible calm. I realized, through it all, that… In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better – pushing right back "

Disclaimer: The above quote is famously misattributed to Camus-- who seemingly only wrote the midst of winter/invincible summer portion of the original piece-- and the author of the expanded quote remains unknown. Nevertheless, it fits Toshi's character perfectly.

Iron Might remains a polarizing love-or-hate-it topic within the fandom, with many fans expressing their concerns that it ruins Toshinori's character/arc. It's no secret that I fall pretty firmly on the "love" side of camp-- and as is the case with all things I love, I can't love quietly or in moderation. So here's another really really really long post on all the reasons why I love it, and why I don't feel that this was character assassination in the slightest.

Breaking the key points down, I aim to discuss:

A) How Iron Might acts as a sort of resolution to Toshi's complex relationship with his body and injuries, and reconciles the divide between Toshinori's body and soul.

B) How Iron Might embodies MHA's definition of "love" and acts as a love letter to everything Toshinori wants to protect and everything he's ever wanted to protect. Iron Might is not meant to be read as a suicide mission, but as Toshinori weaponizing the joy of living as "Yagi Toshinori" and pitting the weight of his entire existence against AFO.

C) How Iron Might further cements MHA as "meta-fiction" through discussion of what being "quirkless" means on a narrative level + the dismantling of popular but overdone tropes that people have come to expect in comics. Toshi is also fighting for his right to exist in a battle manga against a toxic comic nerd who thinks that Toshi's role ended in Kamino and that he contributes more to the story by dying.

D) How Iron Might functions as a narrative device (i.e. It gets Toshinori to Izuku and Tomura). This is the battlefield where Toshi's character was always destined to end up because this is where all his unfinished business is at. Simple as!

"The body and mind are two halves of a whole" Iron Might as Toshinori coming to terms with his injuries and his body:

Kicking things off with this point bc I feel like... understanding how Toshi's relationship and struggles with his own body have been a major part of his character arc is something that's, like, absolutely essential when it comes to getting an accurate read on what Iron Might means to Toshi's character. Iron Might ultimately functions as a reconciliation between Toshinori's wounded body and heroic soul, so it's a bit sad to see people repeatedly dismissing it as "ruining Toshinori's character arc" without ever taking Toshi's relationship with his own body into consideration. Like, this is not some "insignificant" part of his arc that's being prioritized over everything else:

A collection of very relevant panels! Side note: Tsukauchi fumbling the toshibowl so hard that Toshi's car seems like the better romantic choice in comparison will never stop being funny. Aiba ur the only person in that control room i respect btw.

For the longest time Toshinori has viewed his emaciated, ill body as something pathetic and shameful. His body was something he felt that he *had* to hide from the world, in order to maintain the illusion of being a hero who could never possibly succumb to evil. His injuries and the state of his body cleaved his identity/self-perception in two-- he begins the series treating his actual body as the "secret identity" instead of his authentic self. The story doesn't spoonfeed this to the readers because it expects its readers to have enough empathy to put two-and-two together on their own-- That Toshi doesn't simply struggle with the loss of OFA & "All Might/heroism" in the aftermath of Kamino, but also the loss of what he felt was his "true" body.

Toshinori is very easily read as someone who suffers from intense body dysmorphia-- and him forcibly changing himself back into his muscular form over and over again can also quite easily be read as Toshi attempting to cling to whatever time he has left with the body that doesn't make him feel like a stranger in his own skin. It's him holding onto the self he views as "actually him" for as long as he can.

Toshi's arc is something that resonates with a lot of people who have disabilities or suffer from dysphoria-- So it's frustrating when some fans decide to take the least gracious interpretation of his character and issues and run with it, instead attempting to frame Toshi as some washed up attention seeker who ~simply can't let go of his glory days~. Toshi's character has been hit with a lot of ableism both in-universe and out of it, with the fandom only really acknowledging that he's a disabled man when it conveniences them and otherwise disregarding how this aspect of him plays a major role in his arc.

Iron Might is built to specifically resemble Toshi's "ideal" body-- to the bitter cynics, this supports their idea that Toshi is unable to let go of "All Might" and hasn't learned to value himself or his life as Yagi Toshinori. To those who understand what Toshi's been going through and understand that his arc was never *just* about "living," though, it's a different story altogether. So much of Iron Might symbolizes Toshinori coming to terms with the fact that he is a disabled man, accepting that there was never anything shameful about this, accepting that it never needed to be "hidden away" for him to be a hero-- and ultimately, accepting that his body is 100% him and an undeniable aspect of what makes him a hero, no matter how injured.

"Who's that skinny guy?" KID, LET ME TELL YOU A STORY.

There is a noticeable shift in Toshi's relationship with his body during Act 3-- We go from practically begging that Toshi's true form not be exposed to the public during Kamino, to Toshi encouraging that this fight be broadcast to the world. In the aftermath of Kamino and after losing the last embers of OFA, we still see Toshi forcibly shifting into his muscle form multiple times whenever he wants to "reassure" others, even though this process obviously hurts him:

The implications behind this are obvious: Toshi is not coping with the loss of his body as well as he lets on, and all those implications finally come to a painful head during the dark hero arc.

During his meeting with Stain, Stain outright refuses to recognize Toshi's "Muscle form" as "All Might" and instead makes it clear that it was Toshi's heroic soul that earned him the right to call himself a "true hero"--and that this "soul" still exists in everyone Toshi has ever saved. It never went away. The embers of OFA might have vanished, but the flames of Toshi's own heroism remain all around him-- they keep him warm and allow him to keep shining.

Toshi begins to accept his own body for the first time after his meeting with Stain-- we see him starting to reassure his friends as his authentic self instead of scrambling to shift back into his muscle form. During his last stand against AFO, he boldly shows the world his injured back, and wordlessly asks that they still express their faith in it and feel protected by it. His injuries are a part of him and his lived reality, and they're part of what makes him a human.

"--Because a hero's back exists to reassure others!"

Toshinori's body itself is ultimately included among his blessings that he weaponizes against AFO: his bonds, his origin, and his body-- no matter how badly injured it may be-- are all what defines him as a hero. Even if his back is no longer "broad," it will always be something that reminds others that "he is here."

During this fight, Toshinori reconciles his fractured identity by finally embracing all the aspects of himself that he'd previously grown distant from. Reflecting on the life he's led as Yagi Toshinori-- the life he led before he ever became "All Might" and the life he led after receiving his injuries and losing OFA-- is what gives him the strength to laugh in AFO's face, and it's what causes the light to finally return to his eyes. In the midst of a battle between life and death, we witness Toshinori being reborn.

He fully embraces his humanity during this fight, and then weaponizes that humanity against AFO (and considering AFO's character/how AFO is constantly attempting to escape his own humanity... it's pr delightful to see him getting his shit wrecked by another "god" who fell to earth and was forced to live his as a mortal, but ultimately realized that he loved it).

The battle ends with "All Might's" iconic shading now being used for Toshi's true form-- symbolizing the reconciliation between Toshi's heroic soul and his wounded but nevertheless heroic body.

As an aside: I also feel the context surrounding Iron Might/Toshi's body touches on MHA's theme of "consent versus nonconsent" as something that separates true heroes from true villains (starting from AFO forcing a quirk on Yoichi, cumulating with Toshi offering Izuku OFA and later making it clear that the quirk requires Izuku's explicit consent to be passed on-- OFA being born from an act of utter violation and then turned into something that explicitly requires consent always been one of my favorite aspects of MHA's lore, but I digress). During Kamino, AFO forcibly exposed Toshi's body to the world in an effort to completely humiliate him and destroy the public's image of him. Now, Toshi taking his power back and exposing his true form to the world entirely on his own terms.

"All that I've been blessed with will bear its weight against you!"-- or, Iron Might as a love letter.

I've talked on this point a lot bc it's what enamored me immediately with this fight (which is really about the depth of Toshinori's love and the love others have for him and his willingness to BE loved by others -versus- a man who takes advantage of the love others have for him and is utterly unable to leave his fragile heart at the mercy of others out of fear of ppl perceiving him), so I'll try to keep it brief:

Iron Might embodies the essence of how MHA defines love (love is admiration, love is imitation, love is seeing/watching, etc) while also acting as Toshinori's love letter to everything he wants to protect (himself and his life as "Yagi Toshinori" included). It also embodies the essence of how MHA defines true heroism (those who have been blessed should use their blessings for those who have not been blessed, those who can still act must act, etc etc etc ).

Toshi would not have been able to pull off Class 1A's moves or found the best way to integrate them into a cohesive fighting style without love as imitation/watching/admiration. (again, versus AFO, who at this point just randomly fires off powerful quirks without any actual respect for how the quirks work or how they can support each other, & who doesn't admire his own student beyond his capacity for rage).

This battle is a celebration of the bonds Toshi has allowed himself to form. It's him using everything he's ever been given and everything he's ever been blessed with to fight against a man who only knows how to take things away. Toshi has learned that OFA was never what made him a hero, that he can live without OFA-- and he's pitting the weight of that life against a man who is convinced that OFA is everything, who can't move on from it, and who has built his entire existence around getting it back. AFO wins the physical battle, sure, but Toshi remains the clear winner in the war of existences.

"This story is still being written, Toshinori."

Another aside: Names are everything in MHA, and that's especially true in the final act. MHA treats names like incantations, and “Do your best, Toshinori!” is the magic spell Toshi is using to motivate himself. Hori frequently uses how a person chooses to refer to themselves during key scenes as a way of emphasizing a person's mental state. From this, we can deduce that Toshi doesn't view this fight as All Might vs. AFO-- he views this fight as Toshinori vs. AFO.

Toshinori has weaponized his blessings and bonds and is now hitting back at AFO with the full weight of his complete existence. In this fight, he carves the joy of living-- of being Yagi Toshinori-- into AFO's barren, empty soul. Every scene he flashes back to is a scene of the life he has lived as Toshinori, not as All Might. This fight, just like the rest of the war, is all about "love" in all its various forms. AFO's abuse of love (both of his own deeply hidden love and of the love others have for him) is why he cannot win in a war where love is the essential element-- love is what keeps motivating everyone in this war to keep getting up, to keep struggling, to keep reaching out, etc etc etc.

Moving on.

"I'm quirkless. Born without a role." or, Iron Might as an act of defiance against both the narrative and the expectations of the 'battle manga' genre.

MHA being an example of stealth meta-fiction is something I've talked about before, particularly so with these two posts (plus... basically any post about our favorite cringefail LARPer, AFO).

Horikoshi takes full advantage of the medium/the fact that MHA is a manga and uses every tool that's available to both tell and enhance the story, and these chapters have cemented him as someone who has mastered his craft-- The decision to draw Toshi's true self with thick/bold lines after his armor breaks, the dark shadows finally leaving his eyes, Toshi consistently referring to himself by his own name instead of his hero name, the chapter titles, the backgrounds, etc etc etc all of it. Absolutely everything has meaning.

Through Iron Might, we once again delve into how the series chooses to define "quirklessness"-- the idea that quirklessness is meant to be a disability allegory gets more or less debunked (thankfully, since MHA already has a fairly good track record with depicting ACTUAL mental and physical illnesses/disabilities), with the narrative instead framing the possession of a quirk as something that determines what "role" a person gets in life. The implication being that not having a quirk means you don't get a role, period. You don't get to shine brightly on stage, you don't even get to be an "extra." This fits into the previously established idea that society's biases against "villainous quirks" basically railroad a lot of people onto the path of villainy (plus, the treatment of heroes/villains as fictional characters by the masses instead of viewing them as actual people). But, quirks are just quirks-- they're neither good or evil, and they aren't what determine whether a person is a hero or a villain. And as such, having or not having a quirk isn't what determines whether or not someone is truly a hero.

Toshinori is now defying the narrative that states that not having a quirk means you don't get a role. At the same time, he stands up against AFO-- our resident toxic comic book fanboy who sincerely believes Toshi should have picked Kamino as the best time to "bow out" (read: die) as a character-- who spews all sorts of vile things about the state of Toshi's body and how this is the primary reason why Toshi has no place in the story. The satire practically writes itself.

Like so many other characters, Toshinori uses the "role" of All Might as a coping mechanism for much of the series. As already stated, there is a disconnect between Toshinori's body and his soul--Toshi begins to use All Might as a mask to hide his feelings, his fears, and his humanity from the rest of the world. The series draws attention to the fact that the people forgot about the heart and soul--that is, the person-- behind All Might and started treating him like a character instead of a real person, and it's made clear that Toshinori forgot, too.

AFO is still trying to hide his true self in the role of the demon king, but Toshinori is no longer trying to hide himself behind All Might. AFO thinks Toshinori should have died in Kamino because that's where his "role" as a "character" ended, but Toshinori refuses that end. Both men find their origins in fiction (AFO from captain hero, Toshinori from Anpanman) but only Toshi has managed to reconcile his identity, break free of the story, and meet AFO head on as a human instead of a character. AFO is still hiding and refusing to engage with this story as a real person.

Toshi's overshadowed eyes are also heavily implied to be a side effect of him completely losing himself in the role of "All Might," rather than merely being the result of the injury he got from AFO-- we see that his eyes were already overshadowed long before he ever received his fateful injury, and the emphasis on shadowed eyes is also a design quirk that ties him to AFO (whose eyes were constantly hidden by shadows bc he was constantly LARPing as a demon lord instead of being authentic-- To drive this bit of visual story telling home, Hori emphasizes AFO's eyes whenever the "demon king" mask starts to slip and we start seeing peeks of what an utter sad sap of a person AFO is beneath the mask). It's a clever bit of show-don't-tell and another testament to Hori's art direction. Eyes are forever the window to the heart and soul in MHA, and Toshi reconnecting with his heart and soul-- with what defines him as a person-- is what finally causes the light to return to his eyes. The mask is fully off.

"Midoriya Izuku and Yagi Toshinori ~ Midoriya Izuku and Shigaraki Tomura ~ Shigaraki Tomura and....?"-- Or, Iron Might as a Narrative Tool.

(reminds u that the pivotal/trajectory changing chapters known as 304 and 305 were titled "Midoriya Izuku and Yagi Toshinori" and "Midoriya Izuku and Tomura Shigaraki". These three are the key!)

Changing gears for a sec and speaking purely from a writer's perspective: Iron Might simply couldn't have been included at Gunga and Toshi simply couldn't have remained locked up in a surveillance room for the entirety of the final battle-- because Toshinori's final destination as a character was always supposed to be the Izuku and Tomura fight. That's where his role as a character was always supposed to reach fruition and find his resolution:

"--I want to save that little boy!"

Aura!Might shedding tears when he realizes that Izuku wants to save Tomura and that Izuku has redefined OFA as something that exists to save is one of those underrated character moments that deserves more attention, because it's like. Everything. One of the most important scenes in the series by a large margin.

Izuku's declaration tells us everything we need to know about the trajectory of the series. Aura!Might crying in response to that declaration gives us everything we need to anticipate where his character is heading and to understand why Toshi's arc isn't over until he finally reconciles his business/regrets with Tomura & OFA/Nana.

it's heavily implied that real!Toshi was crying, too, after he felt what vestige!Izuku said. His eyes are hidden, but we see him briefly wiping his tears away. (and this is one of the many things I love about MHA-- there are so many lovely little details that add so much to the story. You just gotta be willing to look for them.)

Anyway! This point really speaks for itself, so I won't get into it too much: Tomura/Izuku's battlefield is where Toshi was always supposed to end up-- it's where he obviously needs to be to wrap up the loose strings in his arc, hear Izuku's "I am here" moment, and "change fate" by Izuku's side (not necessarily just his own fate, but also Tomura's). Iron Might is just a way that gets Toshi from point A to Point B while allowing Toshinori's character to shine as brightly as possible.

TL;DR The stage is finally set, the main characters have finally assembled, and now we get to see how the grand finale plays out.

-- -- -- -- --

In summation: Iron Might is sappy, sentimental, and fueled entirely by heart rather than logic-- and it's everything I love about this series.

[mtchacrvle]

• 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 •

ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ ᴜsʜɪᴊɪᴍᴀ ᴡᴀᴋᴀᴛᴏsʜɪ x ғʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ : you and ushijima used to date in high school, but unfortunately you guys broke up. after years of broken up with you, he felt empty. he have became the top 1 professional volleyball player, have millions of money, people love him but he still felt empty, week and he knows why.

⚠️ 𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙶𝙴𝚁 𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶 ⚠️ : ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴋɪʟʟɪɴɢ, ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇʜᴀᴠɪᴏᴜʀ, ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴠᴇ ᴜsʜɪᴊɪᴍᴀ. Aɴᴅ ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟᴇ ɢʀᴀᴍᴍᴀʀ

___🤍___🤍___🤍___

"ha I'm so tired" you said with tired voice. it was Wednesday 5pm, ushijima just finished his usual volleyball practice and you guys are currently walking home. you could notice that ushijima was quite the whole time so you try to make small talk. "i saw the spike you did earlier and God you look so cool!". silent, you were holding ushijimas hand so you lightly squeeze his hand trying to get his attention.

nothing. "ushi?" "baby?" "toshi" you said little louder. he finally came back from day dreaming. "yes name?". "toshi are you alright?". he didn't say anything just stared at his feet. after felt like forever he finally spoke. "I think we need to break up". you just stared at him with full confused face. "what why? did I do something wrong?" you said concerned. he saw your expression and quickly interrupt "no no it's not that, it's just I want to focus on volleyball more. since we only have 4 months before our graduation. I really really need to be focusing on volleyball. I want to be the professional volleyball player and I can't have distraction..". he mumble the last three words but you heard him loud and clear.

you just stay quiet, trying so hard to to cry. "w-well if you want to focus on volleyball more sure i-i don't mind, we can just focus on volleyball more..t-there's no need for breaking up" you said hopping that he'll changed his mind. "sorry name I just can't. I'm sorry" he then let go of your hand. you felt like your falling at that time but you stay strong. "I see, if that's what you want, I'll respect that. didn't think you see me as distraction. well sorry if I'm distracting you or holding you back from your dream ushijima, I'm sorry. thank you for everything". and then you walk away he'll be laying if he said he's not sad. on the outside he may look calm or he doesn't care. but in the inside he practically crying, how could he not the person that he has a crush on for 4 year left him. well more like he let it go.

after you came home you just fell to your feet. you just to heartbroken. Is that how he really feels? that I'm holding him back..? you spent the whole night crying your heart out. the next morning you came as usual. you didn't like showing your weakness nor your sadness so you just bottle it up.

well your Best friend notice and you told her the whole story. since that you try to ignore ushijima as hard as you can. no matter what way if there's a way you'll use it. you then going out more trying to move on with the help of your best friend. mean while with ushijima, after he break up with you he didn't think bout you at all well almost, there's a few time where when he saw you and he wants to greet and hug you but stops bc he just remembered that you guys already broken up. slowly he forgets about you. he only have 1 priority and that is to be the number 1 professional volleyball player. eventually you already move on and so Is ushijima.

after 4 months you graduate and after that you immediately apply to a cooking school. you really wanted to open a cafe shop so you worked your butt off for this.

4 years has pass and you've been doing great, well can't say the same to ushijima. the last 4 years he's time and energy been paying off he is now the top 1 professional volleyball player. he's in the Schweiden Alders team. but something felt off, he didn't know what. he just felt unhappy, and he was confused. he got what he wanted, he has millions of money, thousand of fans, most of the branded company payed him to model for they're brand. but still he felt empty, weak, unmotivated. everytime he walked and saw a sweet couple he felt sad.

tendou eventually notice, "you must felt lonely ushikawa". "lonely..?". "well you haven't dated anyone since you broken up with name right? maybe that's why you're sad. you don't have shoulder to relax and relay on". ushijima didn't think that was the problem but after breaking up with you he somehow didn't have any interest on anyone sure there a lot of people hitting up on him but he just shook it off. it's not like he didn't think of having a s/o it's just no one attract him the way you do. maybe that's it he didn't want anyone else he wanted you.

"have you talked to name this past 4 year?". ushijima asked tendou with pure curiosity. "yea quite often, since I'm dating her Best friend we often talked". ushijima just stared at tendou. what since when tendou and name best friend dated?. "since when did you guys dated why didn't I know anything?". "I did ushikawa I told you almost a year ago. I said I'm dating someone". "you certainly did but you didn't mention who". " oh I didn't?" tendou chuckled. "it's name best friend, name tell me that she have been crushing on me and I've been crushing on her so here we are". ushijima knows that he shouldn't felt jealous hearing that tendou and name often talked but he knew he didn't deserve name attention after what he did to her.

"can you maybe tell me where name is? or where she currently live?" he actually shock himself up. why do he wanted to know where name is? they already broken up why that's that matter?.

"no clue I did ask Yuri (name best friend) but she refuse to tell me". that comment actually made ushijima mad. "why not?" ushijima asked with a annoyed voice kinda sound like he's angry. tendou saw the sudden mood change so he calmly reply "Yuri knew I'll tell you that's why she refuses to tell". ushijima just stay quiet.

after the talk with tendou ushijima rushed home to do some digging. unlucky for him and lucky for you he find nothing. days turn into weeks soon became into months. he was a MESS and thank God he still have few of your pictures everytime he's sad, angry or even he felt neutral he still look at your photo.

his everyday routine is usually come home around 6pm, shower, eat,and sleep and everytime before he slept he would open up his phone and look at your pictures imaging that you're still here with him.

after almost 9 months of searching you he still found nothing, Yuri refuse to talk to him nor give him your information, all Yuri said was "name is doing just fine".don't get him wrong, he's happy and relieved that you're doing fine but the information was not enough. everyday, every second his obsession grew bigger and bigger he became more crazier without you. during the months he search for you he kept blaming himself. he's the reason you broke up, he's the reason why you're depressed.

and all of those backfired to him.its been 1 year and still no sign of you. tendou would be lying if he said he's not worried for his best friend but he tried he's best helping him find name.

"Ushikawa you need to move on" tendou said with a worried tone."how can I, I'm the reason why me and name are in this mess". yuri overhead the conversation and what she told ushijima next made him regret his decision.

"when you broke up with name, she kept blaming herself for you guys break up. she felt bad for you bc she feels that she's holding you back. everyday she tries to avoid you." "what..why is she trying to avoid me?". " God bc what you've said. plus she don't want to break down in front of you, bc she knew if she face you she can't hold her tears" Yuri said sighing "she really love you yk. that's why I didn't want to tell you where she is. bc I don't want you to repeat the same mistake again and hurt her." and that Yuri got up and left leaving tendou and ushijima alone.

the thing that Yuri told him still playing in his head. I really hurt her. he went for a walk after he finished working out, and he went to a walk a little bit. while he was crossing the road he noticed a familiar face. he ran to the other side and ran to the girl. in his mind he knew he could be wrong but he doesn't care. after he felt like he have been running forever he cought the girl wrist.

when the girl turn around he was shocked to see the face that he has been searching for the past 1 year..the love of his life. "name.." name eyes were widen she has so many questions how did he find her? how did he recognized her? "name its you right" he ask the girl hoping that it's not his imagination. "uh yes I'm name". oh do you know how happy he is. "it's me wakatoshi" ushijima said with a happy voice.

Tbc....

This has been in my draft for MONTHS now, didn't think it was good enough to post but eh. It's a cliffhanger so I might do part 2 ? Hehe but that could take a while since I'm working on a new story, so stay stunned (⁠◠⁠‿⁠・⁠)⁠—⁠☆

[pocketramblr]

For the AU ask game, what about a roleswap between Izuku and All might?

Fun fact: a role swap does not necessarily mean an age swap. It really depends on what roles are being swapped.

1- The Symbol of Peace, Dekiru, has been the Number One Hero for a few decades. Happy, bright, and always moving, his smile is the only part of him not covered by his lucky green rabbit costume. Toshinori was a few years out of college when he was rescued in Dekiru's debut, and sometimes when he's sad or needs motivation, he goes back and watches videos of it. Which is why what he's seeing is impossible:

2- Dekiru's mask torn off, revealing a child's face, still round and freckled even with the pale skin and dark eye bags. Toshinori would think he was just a kid cosplaying the hero, except that kid definitely just saved his life from the villain now knocked against the wall, and even as the kid is passed out on the ground too, a thin layer of smoke is flowing from the neck of his costume, trying to obscure his face, too late. When Toshinori gets closer, black tendrils flip out from his arms and stand threatening over him. Toshinori holds up his hands, "I just need to check your pulse and airway" and he's allowed closer to do that. The kid wakes a few minutes later, and in a crack of green lightning, they're dashed away to the roof of a nearby building, the kid panting. Toshinori asks what's wrong, how can he help?

3- Dekiru sighs, and then tells Toshinori everything. He was created in a lab by a villain trying to get a very specific quirk. He couldn't wait however long it took babies to manifest, and he didn't want to deal with adults, so Dekiru has always been a child. But even then, the villain would not get the quirk he wanted. Dekiru escaped with some help- don't ask- made pro hero, made number one hero, and went and killed that villain a few years ago. However, doing so weakened him- he used to only need one hour of sleep a day to reset and get 23 of quirk usage and crime fighting. Now he only gets two hours of energy from each hour spent asleep, though he really does try to push it. Hence, just passing out now. He's swaying on his feet now, actually. Toshinori offers to carry him to his agency- he could throw his bright yellow suit jacket over the kid and carry him on his back, without the mask no one would realize who he was, just assume he's taking his kid home. Dekiru says it's fine, actually, and flies them both off the roof- only to fall the last few feet. Bright red, he agrees, though he tries to use float to be as light as possible as Toshinori's back. Not that it's needed, the man isn't as fit as he was when he was younger, but he's still plenty tall and strong.

4- except, ah ha, you know how they kinda left the villain from earlier there? Whopsie attack number two a few minutes later, and Toshi just puts Dekiru down behind him and grabs a pipe to fight back with. With the villain defeated, Dekiru looks up at Toshinori, and asks if he wants his quirk. He'd make a great hero, and probably would be able to do more with it than Dekiru can, since he'll only need to rest more and more over time. Toshinori accepts, walks Dekiru back to his agency, and gets a number to talk about it later.

5- later, Toshinori asks what will happen to Dekiru when he gives up his quirk. The kid is evasive, and Toshinori is pretty sure he'll lose his repowering speed even more until it goes away. He asks if Dekiru has ever done anything besides sleep and fight. Dekiru hasn't, and Toshinori ties his acceptance of the quirk to the fact that Dekiru has to gain something too. A normal life, friends, school, something. Toshinori suggests UA- they changed their rule to allow quirkless students, so Dekiru could get his license that way and prepare using support gear, have a second run at a real career and life instead of giving it up all to Toshinori. Dekiru admits that Nedzu was one of his fellow lab rats kept by the villain and would probably be all too excited to approve of this, but don't expect not to end up owing Nedzu a favor after this. So, Toshinori begins training physically again, this time to receive a quirk, and Dekiru begins studying, since he never needed school before and has several years to catch up on if he's going to be ready for high school in a months. Toshinori gains a provisional licence in the winter and can get a full one after a year at an agency, which Nedzu insists be UA. After sending Dekiru off to the entrance exam with a good luck and double checking all his support gear, Toshinori gets invited to watch, and almost has a heart attack when Nedzu stamps "Accepted" on the paperwork as Dekiru dismantles a giant robot, sliding the stack over so that he can see that on the top of the boy's form, his name is listed as "Midorya Izuku" and for emergency contact, "Yagi Toshinori (Uncle, legal guardian)"

[mimez-meme]

My angst present mic headcanons🤭

In reality he Overthinks and is a rlly anxious person

Tried therapy, didn’t help. Hates therapy now.

Has a deadbeat dad and mummy issues and he has barely any contact with them but occasionally visits his mum and gets messages from an “unknown number” (his dad) which he ignores because he knows it’s him, and he refuses to talk to him

He hates his quirk mostly but sometimes loves it cuz it can be used for fun things and he likes being his loud self but ever since Oboros death he’s had a dislike for it and believed he’s only made for villain work because of his quirk

Beacuse he’s use to hiding in all his emotions when he cries he gets confused and doesnt know what he’s feeling, he tells himself to stop being so weak and to ‘man up’

Has eye bags but his glasses hide them and he kinda hates his eye bags cuz every time he looks in the mirror he just gets reminded of the nightmares he gets and that’s why he has those eye bags (and from overworking)

(Before he found out about kurogiri)He went to Oboros grave every Sunday if he can with aizawa occasionally , if it’s just him he would sing this song oboro and him made up as a joke and always apologise for “killing him” but even after he found out about yk he still does that to remind himself what it was like before he knew about it cuz it’s all still overwhelming (now that he’s officially dead again, he goes to his grave to beg for forgiveness and to apologise because he believes oboro hates him now since his last words to him were dead threats)

He’s wrote songs about how he feels, no one has heard these songs, it’s just for his ears, writing songs about how he feels kinda became a comfort thing.

Struggles to answer the question “who are you?” Cuz tbh he doesn’t even know himself

Sometimes has hallucinations of something bad happening to aizawa or of oboro

He knows he’s annoying and shota finds it hard to put up with his personality sometimes, so he distances himself when he feels like he’s being too much and apologises

Finds it hard to believe when someone says “I love you” ether romantic or platonic or when anyone compliments him

Was bullied in school for a short while

After finding out who turned oboro into kurogiri (the doctor) he’s had a hatred for doctors cuz everytime he sees one he just gets flashbacks to Oboro and he hates it. (Kinda same with aizawa)

His drinking problems got bad again after s6-s7

He’s trained himself to not cry due to being told to not cry beacuse if he cries he’ll hurt those around him growing up, and so he fears he’ll hurt people if he were to cry and he just doesn’t want to seem weak or for anyone to worry.

Tends to not eat if he’s stressed, not in a good mood or sad. He tries to break the habit but it’s hard, people who know about the habit (who are very few like nemuri, aizawa and toshi.) try and get him to eat when they know he’s stressed ect but it’s hard to do so, sometimes he throws up when given food

Headphones are the things that seems to give him comfort, he’s grew up with headphones, grew up with music being his comfort, he cannot go anywhere without headphones or AirPods if he doesn’t bring them everything will just become overwhelming.

He hears Oboros voice sometimes telling him stuff mostly negative. Like “you killed me.” “I hate you” ect ect.

[createandconstruct]

toshinko dadmight headcanons you say?? 👀 pls tell me more!!

Ask and you shall receive (because I want to tell. I'm so ill about this family)

Warning again for end of the manga spoilers

From the end of Izuku's second year things shift. Everything becomes about Izuku. Not to say it wasn't before but after Izuku essential throws in the towel toward his dream with a smile and tears streaming down his face Inko and Toshinori go about dealing with it in similar and yet very different ways

There had been this very tentative start of something between the two of them. Moments shared, outings planned, time spent where it was just the two of them and only enough to count on two hands. Neither would call it a date(s?). Something it felt too fragile to name

Which is why it all takes a pause

From Izuku's second to third year the family dinners don't stop—the three of them spend ample time together—but free time is spent elsewhere. Spent on Izuku. Not each other.

It's Inko researching university costs. Monitoring him when he's home. Constantly checking in. She draws into herself again because she knows that sad smile on her son's face. Knows it so well from the 14 years she'd seen it plastered there when he'd come home from school only to say with an defeated, weepy smile that it was "good."

Toshinori throws himself into spending time with the kid. He knows the embers of ofa have begun to grow more and more dim. Every internship, every leap into action, every selfless act his boy does because he can't help himself makes the remains fade a bit more. It's something Toshi can't stop. And Izuku is stubborn on his decision to go into education. Stubborn that he's "fine." That as long as he can make a difference then that's "all he needs."

Somehow, Izuku has accepted the end before Toshi because even now he can't help but see that fire in Izuku to save. And he doesn't know how to fix this so he just throws himself at it. He's checking in on Izuku at the dorms. Keeping an eye on him during class. Inviting him to lunch, asking him to join him for a morning run.

He's pestering Aizawa and the other teachers about Izuku's mood, his performance, his everything. They're willing to share but even they have their limits and think he's being a little overbearing. Luckily Bakugou is a very helpful inside eye on things and he sees it too—the hidden sadness in Izuku's eyes.

Which is why, when Izuku's not seeing his friends and the schedules align, Toshinori invites him to come along to a meeting or two with Hawks. They visit some on site restoration efforts, get to see the pros and even a few recent UA graduates hard at work, and Toshi tries to stress, to show Izuku just how many people Deku did save.

And Izuku... he knows what Toshinori's doing, knows how much his mother's worrying. So... despite his own loneliness as his friends discuss graduation and their entering into hero work (many opting for the field immediately instead of hero studies at university to address the societal issues that remain after the war) he does everything he can to smile and resolve that he'll be okay, if not for himself, then for them. For All Might and Mom.

In all of this... Inko and Toshinori don't really collaborate. Or rather they don't rely on each other as they should. They'll sometimes share with each other during their rather routine weekend dinners (perhaps when Izuku steps away for the bathroom) when they've noticed anything of note. There's one time when Inko breaks down in front of him though. One time where she cries quietly and he reaches cross the table to rest his hand on hers. But they don't really speak. Don't really share. Their conversations stay focused on Izuku. For right now, it's not about each other.

Izuku feels it, too. He'd noticed an air between them, knew that they had been on what all his friends insist are dates, has seen the way they'd smile at each other, had even stopped outside the door to the living room a few times during his second year and heard them laughing. Had seen them sitting on the couch together, a little too close for a parent and teacher, and had felt this nervous bit of hope. Felt like a puzzle piece he didn't know he was missing, a possibility of something he never even considered, could slot into place. And now that possibility (this idea of the three of them, not just Inko and Izuku, but Inko, Izuku, and Toshinori) is slipping away because of him.

So he tries to fix it.

Izuku does enjoy teaching, and the prospect of it as a career. He loves analyzing and planning and coming up with solutions to difficult problems. Discussing his career choice with Aizawa makes him realize that teaching is actually quite a lot of that which actually makes him excited! Sure teaching wasn't his dream but it was something he could be good at, something fulfilling for himself and others! (as well as something that would keep his quirkless-body safe and his mother's eyes dry) He just needs to show mom and All Might that he really believes that and that yes he's sad but he's also happy and optimistic about the future!

Izuku starts making it a POINT at their next ..."family dinners" (he's not really sure what to call them but that) to share the different classes for a few of the universities he's looking. He starts bringing out his entrance exam prep books and asks if they can help him study (even if he doesn't always need it). He asks Toshinori more stories about his college days with Dave, asks his mother about her time at university before she'd apparently settled down with his father. Watches as the two light up at every opportunity he gives them to help him. And even if he'd meant for it to be helping them, he finds it helps him too.

But more importantly with every real smile he gives he sees the tension from his mother's shoulders as it begins to lighten. With every excited and honest ramble he goes on he observes the shadow across All Might's brow lessen once again. And finally he watches on with satisfaction as, sometimes, their little study sessions (All Might quizzing Izuku with flashcards while his mother brings some tea) dissolve into the two adults laughing with each other over some inside joke he doesn't quite get. As, sometimes, the two will break into a conversation all their own after Izuku has started one.

It begins to feel like the unsaid, unlabeled air that was there is returning (along with that possibility of family, which, Izuku realizes, he craves maybe as much as he does his dream)

And so when entrance exams come around Izuku absolutely kills it. He aims for some top schools because why not? And he gets in.

Him, Toshinori, and Inko go out for a celebratory meal when the exam results come out because Izuku insists. He's actually quite adamant he's okay with just the three of them despite Toshinori and Inko saying it's alright if he wants to celebrate with his friends. Afterall, he's been so busy studying (not to mention plotting to keep whatever spark had been flickering between them to keep going).

But Izuku says he'll see his friends later at the dorms (they're 100% planning a celebration he's not entirely aware of for when he returns) and that he wants it to just be the three of them.

And so they go out together. The three of them. Inko, Toshinori, and Izuku. No one is blind to how Izuku beams the entire time. Toshinori and Inko see it, they feel it, they've been relishing in it and even throwing each other unspoken signals about it (even before the entrance exams) because it seemed like Izuku's happiness was real.

Inko is so overjoyed. It feels like now, more than ever, Izuku is practically glowing. Even during his first year, when he had his full quirk, he had struggled so much. There were only small moments, so few and far in between for him to enjoy. She watches now as Izuku talks up a storm, eats up Toshinori and her praise, begins discussing all the exciting things to come before he begins life as a college student and she feels like he's going to be alright.

And as he vacuums down his food a little too fast, choking and needing to clear his throat, she finds herself drawn to the man at Izuku's side who laughs and pats his back to help him work it down.

This man who has been with her for these ups and downs. Who has been there for Izuku whenever she can't be. Who has shown her so much of himself and who stayed during these last few months even when she showed that no matter what her son always came first. Who looks across the table at her and smiles as Yagi Toshinori always does: kind, open, reassuring, and as if he doesn't deserve the smile she returns

They head home from the restaurant: Toshinori planning to take a taxi back to the dorms after escorting them both back, Izuku pouting a bit as he's staying for the evening and heading back in the morning, and Inko musing at all that changed.

It's a big step, one she never thought she'd take, not after all the heartbreak in her first marriage. But now, as the three of them sit on the train, Inko finds herself wanting to take it and knowing that if she doesn't the man beside her never will

And so on that train ride home, she quietly finds Toshnori's hand, and slips her fingers between his.

It means so much, more than she can ever say, that despite his startle, he doesn't pull away