#but they both have an understanding of izuku's friendship powers and acknowledge that they both got swayed by him

[mettywiththenotes]

Rody and Tomura being the only “bad” characters Izuku saved/wants to save is so funny to me on account of the fact that one was a criminal who was providing for his little siblings while the other is a murderer and in fact one of the biggest villains in the world. Can you imagine if they met?

Like imagine Rody is going to visit Izuku in Japan, ready to see the guy who helped him, who gave him - an ex-criminal who he probably shouldn’t have even been working with at the time that they met - a chance

As he is greeting Izuku, he also runs into Tomura Shigaraki THE famous Villain who is kind of tagging along like a recently adopted rescue dog learning to trust again. Izuku introduces Tomura, as if he needs it

Rody slowly turns to Izuku, eyes wide, “Deku, I knew that you could befriend anyone. It just makes sense given how hopeful you are. But a Villain?”

Izuku laughs, “It’s a little more complicated than that, Rody. Besides, weren’t YOU once working against the law?”

“Yeah but THE NUMBER ONE VILLAIN THOUGH??”

[greenhappyseed]

BnHA Ch.337 - Review, parallels, and comparisons

Hagakure is the hero of this chapter, saving Izuku from Aoyama’s laser attack and preventing another brawl in the UA forest. Her quick use of her quirk allowed Izuku to use Blackwhip for restraint until the police could show up to arrest the Aoyamas, which is how heroes and law enforcement are supposed to work.

BUT. I’d like to start off by focusing on Bakugo, which is kinda rare for me (I feel like his panels are picked over by the fandom and there’s usually nothing new to say.) Here, for the first time, I think we see Bakugo truly, TRULY understand Izuku. Not just apologize to him. Not just acknowledge Izuku’s innate heroism. Hell, Bakugo even refers to Izuku as “one of us who” just happened to “start out quirkless” — and that’s NOT his biggest moment of the chapter.

Bakugo finally grasps that the heroes can defeat AFO by saving. Saving — particularly saving villains — is a legitimate battle strategy with a compound effect that tilts the numbers in the heroes’ favor.

Saving isn’t just sacrificing yourself to save a friend. It’s not some uwu goody-two-shoes pseudo-power for people who can’t throw a punch. Saving means your side has more reinforcements in battle. Last chapter, both Bakugo and Momo recognized that survival against AFO is a numbers game. Endeavor and the Lurkers recognized this in earlier chapters too, talking about how too many heroes were quitting.

What’s the best strategy for racking up the numbers? Is it saving Izuku, the civilians at UA, and the people on the street? Ofc, that’s what’s at stake and what they have to protect.

But is it how the heroes will WIN? Will citizens sheltered at UA defeat AFO and his legions of “friends”? Not quite…..

Converting villains to the hero side is what tips the numbers. Every converted villain is -1 for AFO and +1 for the heroes. It’s not just about saving Aoyama (although having a spy on the hero side is a good start and gives the heroes a solid opening move). The full path to victory is about reaching out a hand to the enemy to deplete their ranks. Perfect victory, no villain casualties, is the best strategic move the heroes have. Killing an enemy removes them from your opponent’s side, but it doesn’t ADD to your own.

At this moment, Izuku is showing Bakugo that saving villains is possible. Bakugo knows AFO doesn’t have “allies.” AFO’s “many friends” are just tools he’s using, and when they are of no use to his goal, he will toss them aside. Like Endeavor with Toya. God, AFO’s “lighter” reference was so painful to read. Bakugo knows, from first hand experience, Izuku would never leave a friend behind. He doesn’t think in terms of a person’s utility to him (he’s too self-sacrificial for that). In return, Izuku’s friends are genuine. They share his resolve, they run alongside him, and they smile together. To Izuku, Aoyama’s life isn’t disposable — even though Aoyama is a villain. And Aoyama, as a villain, doesn’t see Izuku as his enemy. It’s heartbreaking to watch the poor kid try to convince himself that the friendship was fake because he and Izuku were proxies of AFO and OFA, unwittingly trying to stop the other.

Luckily, Izuku had never seen such bullshit before. He knows his friendship with Aoyama is real. Lemme shout that louder: THESE BOYS WERE ON A MISSION TO RUIN EACH OTHER AND BECAME FRIENDS ANYWAY. If they can come together and be heroes together, then why NOT other villains? Especially once the villains know AFO isn’t a true “friend”? It’s becoming clear the LOV is disillusioned with AFO. The cracks have formed. The panel of Spinner comforting Shigaraki, still writhing on the ground in pain, after AFO stopped patting Shigaraki to return to his throne, shows exactly how much AFO cares about his “new me.”

From here, my ideal headcanon is Bakugo untying Aoyama so he can take Izuku’s hand, with All Might watching proudly as the “ultimate hero” duo arises to win by saving a villain. I don’t think it’s an accident we see All Might surrounded by focus lines, staring wide-eyed at Izuku right as Izuku reaches a hand to Aoyama. When All Might is close enough to Izuku, he can feel what his vestige, Aura Might, is thinking and feeling. All Might knew, from Ch.305, that Izuku wanted to save Shigaraki and Aura Might supported this. But given the mess of the Nagant arc, it doesn’t seem that All Might and Izuku ever actually talked about it. I’m hoping this panel means we’re finally going to see All Might, whose calm chat with Stain gave the heroes intel AND renewed All Might’s own heroic soul, support villain outreach.

Last… I noticed Aoyama and Toga have similarities in their background stories. Born different, unappreciated by their parents. driven by a desire to fit in as they are. Both have parents who take “responsibility” for their children’s “evil,” but are also the source. (Toga bc her parents don’t help her find a constructive outlet for her quirk; Aoyama bc his parents get him mixed up with AFO, which turns him into a criminal.) Neither wanted to be a hero OR villain, really. They got pushed into their roles because their parents forced them to make awful choices.

…BUT REALLY, HOW DID AFO LEARN ALL MIGHT WAS TEACHING AT UA BEFORE THE ENTRANCE EXAMS? Clearly, Aoyama is not AFO’s only “friend” at UA.

[itsclydebitches]

About Bakugo, I actually think his original characterization is partly why his arc doesn't work for me: it seems like his contempt for others and desire to hurt them is innate, because he was already insulting and humiliating Deku for fun when they were in kindergarden, and at this age I'm not sure it makes sense to blame the adults around him for this behavior. This is also why I don't buy the "childhood friends" narrative, even before the infamous river scene Bakugo was toxic to Deku.

Hard agree, anon. I'm willing to give some wiggle room to the "Bakugo had a messy childhood and that's why he's like this" argument just because I'm not caught up (and thus might be missing some flashbacks/revelations), no one's life is ever perfect, and there's a subjective line between what we read as innocuous tropes vs. realistic traumas (example: is his mom hitting him something we take seriously, or just classic anime "comedy"?), but honestly I'm... not persuaded by that stance. Largely due to what you've said about this contempt being around since the very beginning. Bakugo's cruelty is the introduction to the entire series, the very first thing we see:

First, they're young here. Maybe not kindergarten young, but as we see in the above narration, it's at age four that Bakugo acquired his "I'm the best" thinking (more on that in a second). They're kids. This is not something that developed slowly over the years until Bakugo crossed some kind of line, he's been like this since the very start. Since a kid is capable of forming thoughts, opinions, and making decisions: like attacking another. In what way does this establish them as friends? Izuku literally shaking as he tries to protect another kid Bakugo is has hurt? Bakugo calling him worthless? Gleefully attacking and punching Izuku in the face? They were never friends! Izuku followed Bakugo around because he was paid some kind of attention by him and Bakugo poisoned the well — no one else in class will befriend Izuku. We see this both by the two willing to help beat him up here and, later, when Izuku says he wants to got to U.A. the entire class laughs at both the idea and Bakugo blowing up his desk in response. The bullying is the only kind of "friendship" Izuku has, so he embraces it with a smile and a nickname. Meanwhile, Bakugo allows Izuku to tag along because he makes him feel good in comparison. All Bakugo needs for an ego boost is to look at Izuku. He's the useless, quirkless nobody whose name can be read as "Deku." What's not to like? Izuku makes Bakugo feel good because Bakugo will always come out on top — always win — when pit against him. Did they have a few good moments gushing over All Might? Yeah, but anyone who has been bullied knows that it's not a clear cut "They were consistently awful every second of every day." Sometimes, those moments of pretend or conditional friendship make everything worse.

(As a side note, I keep hearing the more intense fans of Bakugo saying that those who criticize him identify with Izuku "too much" and it's like... yes? He's the protagonist. You're supposed to identify with him. To say nothing of the question of why you'd include such an explicit bullying subplot — arguably at the heart of the narrative in regards to characterization — if you didn't want readers who had experienced bullying to relate to this story. So it's all about victims like Izuku, you're allowed to care, just don't care in a way that holds Bakugo responsible?)

"But Izuku cares about Bakugo. He tried to help him out of the river." Yeah, because Izuku cares about everyone. Overlooking his warped idea of what friendship is due to having no one but Bakugo, Izuku is the kind of person who is going to extend his hand to anyone who needs it, just like All Might would. His extreme compassion and lack of other friends is not good proof that he cares for Bakugo in any true, healthy fashion, let alone that Bakugo cares for him.

As for when this all started, yeah, it was when they were even younger than in the scene above. Toddlers when Bakugo realized he had a strong quirk and Izuku was told he had none. Bakugo's reaction to these events — deciding he's better than everyone else and that justifies harming those "lesser" than him — is instantaneous. That desire was there all along. He just needed an excuse to act on it. After the conversations about the adults' influence on him, I went back to the anime scenes of Bakugo showing his quirk to his class and it's... pretty normal? I mean yes, there's praise, but in what world wouldn't there be praise? A bunch of other kids are going to ooh and ahh over mini explosions and the two teachers, unless they're entirely heartless, are going to tell this kid that he'll indeed make a wonderful hero someday. Those are standard responses for very young kids who aren't going to understand something like, "That is a powerful quirk and you could be a great hero... just don't let that potential go to your head!" There's nothing in those scenes that imply an excess of praise, at least so much that it would totally warp a kid's perspective of others to the extent Bakugo has going on. If I recall correctly, Bakugo's parents are quite disappointed in his behavior, but that never had an impact on him. And as I mentioned previously, we have incredibly talented characters like Momo (getting into U.A. on recommendation), people like Ida who come from families with other heroes they want to impress, Todoroki dealing with a crazy legacy to live up to, tied up in his abuse... yet none of them turned out like Bakugo. All of that didn't kill their compassion, but adults telling Bakugo he has a strong quirk made him into this person? Bakugo wanted to be that person, right from the start.

Honestly, I think a lot of fans latched onto Bakugo — which is awesome! — but didn't want to admit how horrible he actually is. So they took moments largely out of context and repeated them enough until they became fandom staples. Bakugo and Izuku were close childhood friends who just had a falling out they need to come back from. Bakugo was only like this because the adults in his life drove him to that behavior. Izuku loves Bakugo because he can see how good he is, deep down inside, and definitely not because he's been stuck with him since they were toddlers, unable to escape him even at U.A. It's a very sanitized look at their relationship, embraced because fans want them to be friends or lovers. Which is fine! God knows I'm into a ton of "problematic" ships, I just like acknowledging that they're problematic, not trying to sweeten the situation because fandoms have made others feel guilty for liking anything that's not squeaky clean and pure. Bakugo tormented Izuku for their entire childhood. He encouraged him to commit suicide. He tried to keep him from achieving his dream, both by undermining his confidence and outright threatening him (remember burning his shoulder?). He then reworked that obsession when they both got into U.A., trying to prove Izuku's uselessness, failing, and continually struggling with the thought that he's actually a great hero. And it's like... why do I care? This guy is a horrible person, he's been a horrible person since he was a kid, and his greatest challenge for more than half the story is acknowledging that other people aren't worthless trash. His improvement still hasn't gotten him to the standard of an average person, let alone a hero. If Bakugo were a villain, great, or if the story was going to really highlight the corruption of the hero career as a whole (we take anyone with powerful quirks, no matter how awful they are), great, but as a main character hero whose behavior is supposedly just a cover for a fantastic guy, please overlook everything he does and assume he's worthy of your respect anyway? Ehhh. Why do I care about him as a good guy when there are characters like Ida and Uraraka I could stan? To be clear, I'm not saying other fans can't enjoy whatever characters they enjoy, just that from a storytelling perspective I think it's a failure to introduce Bakugo as such an extreme, make him one of the heroes, give him such a selfish struggle, and then expect a lot of the audience to care. Bakugo either needed to be more balanced from the start — regular flaws instead of such an intense adoration for cruelty from the age of four — or the story needed to unpack his behavior in a way it never bothered to.

[sarahjtv]

BNHA Chapter 327 Spoiler Analysis: Home Sweet Home

OH MY GOD, GUYS!!!  DEKU GETS A BATH!!!! 🎉🛁 🧼   My broccoli boy finally gets squeaky clean, gets some sleep, and we finally get some R&R time with the Class 1-A kids.  It’s not close to the happy-go-lucky days of old, but it’s some time with the kids nonetheless.  I’m glad Horikoshi put some heart and humor in this chapter because god knows we needed it.  But, let’s be real, this is the calm before the storm:

The chapter starts off with what everyone and Horikoshi has been wanting for Deku since he went on his mission: A motherfuckin’ bath 🛀 🧼🛁!   Kaminiari and Kirishima lead the Class 1-A boys to carry Deku into their side of the UA Alliance bathhouse (looks real nice btw) and give him a good power-wash.  The whole sequence is very comical!  The boys are rushing in and poor Deku has this O_O face on him like “what is happening?” 😂 We also see some of the boys butt naked 😳  It’s clear that Horikoshi had fun drawing this thing and it was fun to read 💚

Bakugo is with them of course and you can actually see his scars from when Shigaraki stabbed him.  He’s not bleeding, but you can see those scar patches on his skin.  I’m curious of how fan artist are going to draw him from now on.  I would like to see that fan art 👀

There’s also some bubble sfx coving Bakugo’s crotch and a translator said it might say dick or penis.  I’m curious what the officials will say.

But, Bakugo being Bakugo is still aggressive towards his classmates.  More playfully than before, but still.  He reminds everyone that he still intends on being the best there is and that everyone is still his rivals (also friends, Bakugo).  HE EVEN MAKES AN ATTEMPT TO CALL DEKU IZUKU!  LIKE HE ALMOST SAID “DEKU” BUT HE CHANGED IT TO IZUKU AT THE LAST MINUTE!  AND DEKU SAYS THAT CALLING HIM DEKU IS JUST FINE LIKE THAT ANGER THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE NICKNAME ISN’T THERE ANYMORE AND IT’S A FREINDLY NICKNAME BKDK FRIENDSHIP GROWTH YOU LOVE TO SEE IT 🧡💚  

After Deku’s bath, he’s sitting in the commons talking to the rest of Class 1-A.  Well, most of them.  Mina tells Deku that Ochako and a few other students went to bed after everything became ok again.  So, I definitely didn’t see Tsuyu, and it looks like Shoji, Aoyama, and Hagakare weren’t in this chapter either.  Ochako I understand; her speech must’ve been emotionally taxing.  Aoyama and Hagakare are the top suspects for being the traitor in the fandom and this isn’t helping their cases.  I don’t know about Tsuyu and Shoji though.  They’re both mutant-types, but characters like Ojiro or mutant-like people like Jiro, Mina or Tokoyami didn’t get outcasted.  Horikoshi did hint that Shoji would be getting something soon.  But, I really am just speculating here.

Now that Deku’s back, everyone has questions for him.  Though I understand why, this has gotta be overwhelming for Deku.  At least they’re not mad at him for hiding OFA.  They seem very understanding actually.

Then my ❄️🔥 boy, Shoto Todoroki, comes in all handsome right out of the baths 💙  He’s drying his right side while you can see a steam cloud on his left.  So, it is canon that Shoto drys himself naturally with his heat. His entrance is so pretty that even Mineta’s questioning it (shut up, Mineta, you’ll never be as beautiful as him).  And yes, I might be a Shoto simp, don’t judge me I see y’all too 👀

Anyway, Shoto asks everyone to let Deku sleep since that was pretty much the whole reason they brought him back.  Problem is, Deku can’t because he really needs to apologize to All Might for abandoning him.  AND AFTER HE SAYS THAT THERE’S A DETAILED PANEL OF SHOTO POINTING TO ALL MIGHT LIKE “UH, MIDORIYA? HE’S RIGHT THERE” AND ALL MIGHT LOOKING FROM THE WINDOW LIKE A HORROR VILLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE 😭

All Might comes in and apologizes to Deku for not being able to support him when he needed it, but Deku says that All Might support him more than enough.  Mina also scolds All Might for not saying anything when he left.  She wants All Might to apologize to everyone for that.  Though I’m glad Deku and All Might have reconciled (I honestly thought that last convo between them was going to be THE LAST for a hot minute), Mina has a point.  All Might did bail on all of them without any warning.  Kinda messed up in general.

All Might apologizes and he is going to fight with everyone regardless of his physical state so that he can see that flame continue to shine.  However, he warns the kids that they got info on the villains and that the final decisive battle is coming soon.  If the whole “Final Arc” thing hasn’t been hammered into your head, there you go.  I’m also glad that Stain’s speech did end up motivating All Might further.  Who knew?

So, All Might is off to help Endeavor since he’s got unfinished business to take care of.  But, the kids are wondering why Endeavor (and probably Hawks) isn’t entering UA entirely yet.  Shot reminds them that Endeavor is still connected to Dabi and that his presence alone would cause more discourse.  People’s minds can’t change that easily.  Shoto of all people would know.  

As Deku FINALLY SLEEPS 💤 and Shoto puts a blanket over him (possibly warmed by his left side 🔥) 💙💚 Shoto acknowledges how his presence might be making people anxious too even though it’s not his fault at all (thank you, Kirishima for doubling down on this btw ❤️🪨).  But, things are different and Shoto’s going to show that so that everyone can be at ease like he wants as a hero.  There’s even this sweet small smile on his beautiful face as he says this.  He’s grown so much and he’s pretty to boot I love him so much *HANDS IN FACE* 💙❄️🔥 

EVEN KIRISHIMA’S CRYING FROM HOW MANLY SHOTO IS I LOVE THESE KIDS!!!!

And now Jiro steps up and says her piece.  That she knows how hard it is to convince everyone to change their minds for the better.  Like with those two critics from the Culture Fest.  Even so, they accomplished this before, so she thinks they can do it again.  She even gathers all the band members to emphasize on this.  I love how Jiro uses her earphone jacks to rally the band and how she literally drags Bakugo by the shirt for a cute group shot.  None of these kids are afraid of Bakugo anymore LOL 😂!  Also, Momo is the tallest out of all of them in this line up shot (except for Bakugo who’s still being dragged on the ground).  I think she’s roughly 5ft 6-7 inches?  She’s the tallest of the girls I know that, but damn.  She towers all of them.  Even me...  She’s also very pretty in this shot and it’s her birthday as I’m posting this, so happy b-day Momo ❤️

And we get a beautiful panel of Jiro leading everyone to make sure that they’ll go beyond with making everything better than it was before.  We get a nice group shot of the rest of the class agreeing with her with a smile including Shoto with a small one (did I mention that I love him?) 💙💙💙 And Deku’s in the center still sleeping away.  I hope he has good dreams *kisses forehead*💚  And go Jiro for stepping up to the plate too 💜!  All these kids have grown so much.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Finally, the last pages show Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist going somewhere, maybe Tartarus.  They got info out of Dr. Ujiko via polygraph and the Nomu Research Group at Central Hospital.  They predict that they have 2 months until Shigaraki’s ready to go again, so they’ll need 1 month of preparation.  But, the info Stain gave All Might gave them more info.  His letter ended up being a personal letter to All Might (Stain really is that nuts...), but there was a microchip in the blade Stain left containing the security records from Tartarus.  It’s not stated how this info affected the mission at hand, but it sounds like it has to do something with the time frame.  So, I’m curious if they have less time to prepare or more?  Given how this is the Final Arc, Imma say less.

Finally, the teaser asks “How are the villains moving?”  I wonder if that means we’re switching to the villain’s next week.  I would love to hang out with the kids more, but I would also like to know what our villains are up to.  Like, where the hell is Himiko Toga?  Is Spinner still questioning shit?  What happened to Mr. Compress after he mauled himself to help Shigaraki and the others escape?  Also I think we need more info on this dude’s backstory given he’s the grandson of the famous Robin Hood villain who’s name definitely didn’t escape me... 😐  Is Dabi laughing his ass off from the utter chaos he started?  Is AFO still smiling like the evil mastermind he is?  Is Shigaraki as crispy as he was earlier?  I was going to ask about Twice but... 😭

So, yeah!  Love this chapter.  Really good transition chapter into whatever happens next.  I’m kinda sad we didn’t see Deku fight off more past villains during his vigilante days.  We got Muscular and Overhaul and I think that’s it?  Didn’t see any of Overhaul’s minions or that teeth-blade villain (Fish-something?; he broke out, but we haven’t seen him since) or Re-Destro or his goons.  I don’t count as Gentle or LaBrava as villains anymore and they were never truly evil to begin with.  Regardless, it was a really cool arc to see a more dark side of Deku.  I’m really glad Horikoshi made great use of his bunny hood and metal mask finally.  Deku really did look demonic for some time.  Also, seeing Deku badass is always a plus.  And seeing the deconstruction of hero society and the possible reconstruction of it was really good too.  Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately, but we can do our best to make it that way.

I’m also glad that we finally got our kids back in top form.  Not just being heroes, but being teenagers too.  They all had great moments especially Iida, Ochako, and now Shoto as they should.  But, Bakugo’s apology was peak for me.  Over 320 chapters of development and build-up lead to that moment and it really is one of the best in the series.  It lives in my head rent free.

So, we got 1-2 months in-manga-time until what is probably the final battle of the series.  God, I can’t believe we’re actually nearing the end of this series.  I started reading it back in 2018 when shit was rough for me. I found this series after listening to the music and reading the hype around it.  I watched the show then I read the manga and it really helped me.  Saved me from a dark place actually.  I will miss this series when it’s done and I will be greatly for the joy Horikoshi has gifted us.  I’ll try to save the farewells for later.  I’d say this series has at least 1-1 1/2 years to go.

Me @ the kids and All Might:

[thequietmanno1]

Thelreads, MHA 241, Replies Part 1

1) “Except it was more than a year ago. Good fucking lord, what a ride it was so far, we had a lot of fun on Vigilantes, and a lot of… less than pleasant experiences, but now it’s time to let Koichi rest for a while and return to the original king.”- Like switching from Anakin to Luke Skywalker as protagonists, though Ironically, Izuku’s the one dealing with a potential dark side that might or might not be tied back to his possible father and ability to wield multiple powers at once, whereas Koichi is too sweet and good-natured to have any kind of possible corruption happening to him, meaning that Izuku is actually the darker and edgier protagonist between them, despite Vigilantes being the ‘lower decks’ gungier counterpart to MHA and Izuku supposed to be emulating the resident superman, as opposed to Koichi’s absent batman mentor.

2) “WAIT HOLD ON EVERYTHING CLICKED INTO PLACE NOW

ALRIGHT I’M BACK I NOW UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN THE STORY

This is just after Boomeranian and Zoku defeated that Captain Waterjet and Peter Griffin showed up, right?”- In fairness, I don’t think soda pop got name-dropped at all during his brief fight with the two high-schoolers, so his existence is one you can forget, alongside slide and go, who basically just was sorta there during the MLA arc. I don’t think we ever got confirmation if he was squished by Machia mid-rampage straight to Tomura or not in the aftermath-last we saw he was hearing his ominous approach like the proverbial T-rex

3) “BAKUGO SHUT UP JUST ACCEPT THE FRIENDSHIP GODDAMMIT

Oh my- it’s almost like we never left… Nice seeing ya again Midoriya, how have you been? Me? Well, I’ve been traumatized by Vigilantes, no bid deal, we can talk about it later, alright? Let’s-a go!”- Bakugou will accept friendship when his pride and ego have been crushed into a fine powder, as evidenced by the last couple of times he teamed up with Izuku, and even then he’s not outright willing to use the term ’friends’ with him or anybody- more like ‘strenuous teamwork’. Everybody else bar Izuku he sees as a rival to becoming No:1, which is a neat acknowledgment of their skills and worth, but he’s still prickly about it and he’d rather eat his own explosions than ever engage in some sappy friendship building activities outright- only ever reluctantly at best. His pride being puffed up by how awesome he was in beating down those villains and getting his licence means he’s on a hair-trigger when it comes to implying anything that takes away from his image of ‘cool, one-man army badass’ and having actual friends is something he sees as a big demerit to that.

As for Izuku, it looks like he spent the intervening time away getting traumatised by Bakugou’s own lack of self-awareness through second-hand embarrassment. He shows later on he wouldn’t be much better in an interview, but he would at least try to answer the question and not come off like an anger-prone teenager who just got socks for Christmas.

4) “The glorious return to U.A…”- In the magazine release, Izuku’s returning the word ‘hero’ to the title above whereas Bakugou is the one removing the word ‘villain’, symbolising how both of them embody different aspect needed to become the number one- uplifting the value of heroes and removing dangerous villains form their seat of power- as well as how the time as come for the heroes to take the stage again. The MLA arc was about 22 chapters long, which doesn’t seem like much, but with how much Horikoshi crammed in there, the wait to return to the original protagonists was noticeable towards the end, even with how well the League did for their tenure as the ‘heroes’ of their own story.

5) “Funny that the story and real life almost matched, as we currently sit on the second week of December, the dreaded Friday of the year… Let’s see how they are cooping with the impeding doom that is Mariah rising to destroy humanity.”- Well, when Hawks finds some way to let everybody know how the league basically hijacked themselves an army with practically nothing to their name, they’re gonna have such fun times training to meet that impending doom, but for now, they’re blissfully ignorant of the oncoming danger, which is both worrying and at the same time, very much heart-warming after the intensity of the last arc. These fun moments won’t last forever, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy them to the fullest whilst we can.

6) “And Bakugo is pissed that he was left out of the interview, even though he was pissed off that he was doing the interview- Make up your goddamn mind you bastard, good lord I’m like, 3 pages in and I already want to hit you with a chair. Truly, it’s like we never left…”- Bakugou’s default state of existence is being pissed, the only thing that changes on a dine is whatever sets him off, which can range from being in Izuku’s vicinity, to getting a low score in training, to the fact that he wants to be noticed and recognised for his deeds, but not having to put on a goody-two shoes attitude to appear on live tv, as evidence by how he acted during the sports festival. Truly, the day when Bakugou gets broadcast unfiltered across national television will be the end times.

7) “And don’t fret over that Momo, he still hasn’t get through his head that he needs to tone down his attitude. He got a few vibe checks before, but he needs another one it seems. But having him shout at Midoriya from the other side of the classroom was funny, he was paying attention it seems.”- As part of being Bakugou’s perennial anger button, he’s fine-tuned to any comment he make about him, to the point of it bordering on super-hearing. Were it not for the fact that Izuku already has a pseudo-girlfriend in Uraraka, this would be good grounds for the shippers to put them together- not that they haven’t already done so multiple times before now.

8) “Oh, we’re gonna talk about the things that happened during the Villain Academia arc? Yeah I remember that, it was probably one of the best damn arcs this manga had, I still get chills just remembering the things that went down there.”- Yeah, um…. You got some messages about this, but the Villain Academia arc got done dirty by the anime. I don’t know the reasons why, but a lot of the symbolism and emotional nuance got cut out of their fights, the MLA sorta just appears out of nowhere with minimal warning, and were sorta reduced to generic bad guys rather than narrative foils to the league- Re-destro in particular got his establishing character moment with Miyashita cut, so his first appearance was his as the suave, collected leader of the league messaging Tomura, rather than showing his vulnerabilities and motivations to the reader before they got to see him as the ‘leader of liberation’ persona he had to put on. I didn’t really watch it, especially since technically it aired out-of-order in regards to the arcs, so we got this current arc animated before the villain one, but I’m sorta hopeful that they won’t do something like that for season 6.

9) “Also, 20? What? As far as I recall the league had considerably less people than that, unless we count Twice’s clones. Or the people that the league were fighting were also counted there, which would make sense now that I think about it.”- Since the PLF don’t want to tip their hand too early about the merger, and gaining access to the league’s powerful members and Ujiko’s high-ends- and they still want to promote their pro-liberation agenda- they’ve manipulated the media to obscure the details of what went down whilst also using it as a springboard to spread their message around, though how they invented a plausible excuse for Tomura cratering the city is beyond me. Seriously, look at it, it looks like a meteor hit the place.

10) “I mean, yeah Ida? Kamino was like just a small section of the city, a neighborhood at most, while Deika was a whole goddamn city- sure, a small city, but a city nonetheless. And about the casualties, well, I can assume this was the paranormal liberation front manipulating the media, because we saw that those number definitely weren’t small.”- Yeah, Tomura managed to rack up the single biggest body-count in the series, bar possibly AFO himself over the long generations he’s been alive, in a single move- and even worse, it’s unblockable. Izuku’s new quirks better include some defence against that, or any fight against Tomura is going to be laughably one-sided and highly destructive to the surrounding area and civilian population.

11) “Alright, we seem to have taken a detour and returned to the topics that Vigilantes were supposed to be tackling, like people stepping in to save others even though they aren’t pro heroes is right or wrong- although the point is kinda moot here since we know the truth behind the event.”- It’s an interesting viewpoint, because whilst we know that the spiritof the concept is correct, and can be pulled off well by genuine heroes like Koichi and Knuckleduster for the good of many, the fact that the PLF is propagating this message to push their own viewpoint for an eventual bloody revolution of the current hero society sours the outcome, because we know it’s going to lead to bad things for everybody down the line, even though it’s a noble sentiment. Even a good message can be twisted to evil ends by the wrong person choosing to interpret it in a way that benefits their personal objectives. In fact, I’m doubtful that any of those interviewees were genuine civilians and not PLF supporters disguised as random civilians to help sell the illusion that the majority of people think the same way.

12) “is that a

is that a devil’s advocate? is that a literal devil’s advocate advocating in favor of the paranormal liberation front? is that it Horikoshi? Is that what you’re doing here? Is that it? huh? tell me Horikoshi, is that it?

I’m going to shatter your knees Horikoshi, you spent too much time with Furuhashi and you forgot how to be subtle.”- Horikoshi might do subtle narrative better than Furuhashi, but he’s not above dropping an obvious joke here and there for fun.

13) “Oh god it took me a moment for me to remember what they were talking about, but it’s from Endeavor fight against the high-end Nomu, isn’t it?”- Building into the above point, the honest message about believing in heroes spread by an actual uninvolved civilian on the scene has had more positive impact than anything Endeavour himself was doing simply because said message was spoken from the heart, without any ulterior motives involved. People see that dude as more of a symbol of what the public’s support and faith in heroes should be like than the hero he was referring to at the time, which is, in itself, a heroic act, because he ended up fulfilling the part of the job that Endeavour always sucked at- reassuring the civilians that everything was going to be ok and putting their hearts at ease, even if ‘can’t ya see kid’ didn’t mean to do that at the time.

14) “…

I was going to say “ah, so you’re the ass that came to ruin the fun” but then I looked down and, well… Yeah it seems we have found who’s the ass that said that.”- I think Mt lady has more butt-related jokes attached to her than Ace Ventura.

15) “Anyway, Mt. Lady is here, and in a surprising twist, is saying that the heroes have put too much of a show in front of the cameras and that now they need to focus on actual heroism. Huh. Weird. I feel like I’ve walked on the wrong dimension once again.”- It’s a sign of how dire the situation is in the wake of All Might’s retirement that the hero we’ve so far seen as the least altruistic from the current roster is the one giving tips on how to be more heroic in public. Granted, her specific skillset of ‘appearing’ more selfless and heroic to the cameras than she is in reality is a good thing for 1A to learn, especially camera-shy Izuku, but if this keeps up, the next hero they’ll ask to do lessons on how to portray a funny personality as an ice-breaker will be Aizawa.

@thelreads​

[yandere-daydreams]

A Yandere!Shoto/Yandere!Izuku/Reader piece for a very lovely, very trusting anonymous commissioner, featuring your daily dose of Dicku, for the soul. I haven’t been very kind to the Reader-Inserts, lately, but I feel like it’s fitting. Especially when they’re caught in the middle of a relationship so... *layered*.

Word Count: 2.9k

TW: Non-Con, Male!Reader, Semi-Public Sex, Groping, and Anal Sex.

Izuku didn’t want to hate Shoto. 

He didn’t, he really, really didn’t. Izuku wasn’t the kind of person who could hate anyone without a good reason, and certainly not someone he’d put on such a high pedestal. He was nice, like that, a little too nice, some would say, but his patience was understandable. Shoto was a friend, after all. They’d gone through the hero-course together, graduated hand-in-hand, and spent too many nights to count training ‘till the sun rose and fighting together and being close, regardless of whatever feelings they harbored below the surface.

They’d been friends for close to ten years, now, and Izuku had known about Shoto’s crush for nine.

He’d only avoided having to acknowledge it for eight, though.

And now, as he sat on the other side of Shoto’s desk, overlooking the city through seamless, crystal-clear windows, he wasn’t able to shake the feeling of those heterochromatic eyes boring into him, unwavering and unyielding, regardless of how many nervous smiles Izuku put on during their ‘meeting’. Shoto was always cold, the quieter of the pair, and Izuku really didn’t mind. He liked being the one to fill the silence, he enjoyed it, but this was too tense, too rigid for him to fill. Luckily, Shoto seemed to sense his discomfort, taking up the mantle of conversation. Even if Izuku wasn’t exactly grateful for his choice in subject matter. “I’m not an idiot, Midoriya,” He started, bluntly. “Neither are you. We should both know why we’re here.”

Izuku forced a friendly grin, leaning back in his stiff, industrial chair. Maybe his next contract with the Todoroki Agency would include a clause that called for more comfortable furniture. “Because there’s a new group of villains planning an uprising, and we’ve got to use the power of our friendship to bring them down?”

“This is serious,” Shoto countered, but a flush was still spreading across his pale skin. As it seemed to more and more, these days. “You know about my feelings. I know you don’t feel the same way-” Lies, lies, lies. Shoto knew, but like hell he accepted it. Izuku couldn’t count on both hands how many times he’d caught Shoto gritting his teeth when he brought up a mutual friend, or how Shoto always seemed to find himself in the possession of one too many seats at a gala. Still, he let Shoto continue unimpeded. “-but you can’t do what you’re planning to with (Y/n).”

Oh, that got Izuku’s attention.

You

You’d just been one of Shoto’s sidekicks, at first, a young Support Hero just out of Shiketsu Academy. Useless in any meaningful fight, but you were good with damage control, something Shoto was desperately in need of. And yet, you were more than that, so much more. You were adorable, and caring, and so helpless, just thinking about how vulnerable you’d be in a serious fight made Izuku’s heart skip a beat. The two of you weren’t close yet, sure, but that could change, it would change as soon as Izuku got a minute alone with you. He’d tried before, catching you during your patrols and offering to walk you home (he already had your address, but it’d be nice of you to offer it willingly), but your employer always got in the way, so protective, so jealous. The latter more than the former.

Izuku huffed, slouching back. “And why is that, Todoroki?”

He averted his eyes as Shoto glared, wondering if you’d be in the office, today. “You… you can’t, what else do you need to know? He’s been working with me for less than a year, you barely know him. It’s one thing to reject me, but you can’t reject me, then turn around and go after a…” Shoto trailed off, fingertips starting to drum against the wooden surface. “It’s wrong. More established Heroes have been taken down for smaller crimes. If you cared about the Number One Hero’s reputation, you’d stop.”

Izuku didn’t want to stop. Why couldn’t anyone see that? Izuku was in love, and he found his soulmate and why couldn’t anyone be happy for him? Shoto was just being unfair, everyone was being unfair. Maybe when he got you away for all of this, from the city and the agencies and smothering office politics, things would be different. He was sure it’d be easier, after he could work past the obstacles blocking your happy ending.

But, hopeful thinking alone wouldn’t get rid of those obstacles. They were still standing tall and glaring at Izuku over a small stack of paperwork.

Luckily, Izuku was always talented when it came to overcoming adversity.

“Don’t be so negative.” His smile was renewed, the slightest hints of something genuine pulling at the corners of his lips. “It’d be a real shame if we couldn’t come to a compromise, wouldn’t it?”

~

You weren’t afraid to say you didn’t like being alone with Izuku.

Not to say anything against him - you had the utmost admiration for Deku. He’d been your motivation while you were going through the Hero Course, and you still couldn’t bring yourself to pass by his frequent merch releases without a lengthy consideration of the merits of a few more figurines. Sure, you worked under Shoto, and you were much closer to him than you’d ever care to be to Izuku, but you didn’t look up to him in the same way you did with Deku. You were Deku’s biggest fan, you admired Deku, you respected Deku.

But, you weren’t so fond of the man behind the mask.

He stood too close. It wasn’t the biggest problem, but it unnerved you, making you flinch as he stepped into the elevator you’d caught less than a minute ago, too busy smiling and staring to notice the metallic doors that nearly closed around his ankle. You did your best to return the gesture, stepping to the side and giving him space as you reached for the panel of buttons. He reached too, resting a hand on his shoulder, laughing as he pretended not to have noticed you were doing the same. “Todoroki’s office, right, (Y/n)?”

He used your name, too. Never your alias or your title, only the given name you never told him. You still haven’t figured out how he’d learned it. “Right,” You confirmed, politely. “I just want to make sure he doesn’t need any help before I leave for the day.”

You’d just gotten off patrol, and judging by his minimized get-up, he had too. His familiar green and black body-suit was still in-tact, but his face-guard and gloves had been left behind, his utility belt also noticeably absent. You didn’t bother asking why he was there, you didn’t want to know. 

“Todoroki works his sidekicks hard, huh?” He asked, unprompted. His hand was still on your shoulder. “Maybe you should come over to my agency. A sweetheart like you would be a lot of help around the office…” He trailed off, but corrected himself quickly. “For morale, of course.”

You wondered how long this ride was going to take. “I like working here, sir.”

He chuckled, at that. Ingenuine and over-enthusiastic, the kind of laugh you wouldn’t be able to stand if it was coming from anyone else. That was another thing, everything you said was hilarious, to Izuku. “You’ve only worked here,” He whined. He was rubbing circles just above your collarbone, now, and you wished you chose a thicker uniform. Spandex worked best with your quirk, but it did little to separate the heat of Izuku’s fingers from your skin. “If you were with me, I’d make sure you know you’re appreciated.”

You took half a step back, trying to make your discomfort clear. Izuku took forward, closing the small distance you’d created easily. “I don’t want credit,” You assured him. “Todoroki’s success is enough.”

Izuku didn’t seem to like that. One moment, you were glaring at the tile, and the next you were being shoved against the mirrored wall, your back colliding harshly with the reflective surface and Izuku appearing in front of you, an arm coming up to stabilize him and its twin dropping to your waist, effectively trapping you between the elevator wall and his chest. His smile was still in place, but it was stretched, forced, his expression only growing more disturbing as he pressed his face into the crook of your neck, that same fucking grin pushing against your jugular. You shifted uncomfortably, shoving at his chest, but if Izuku noticed, he didn’t seem deterred, only moving to wedge his knee between yours, keeping your feet apart. You couldn’t be sure why, but you had a feeling you wouldn’t like the explanation.

“You’re such a good boy,” Izuku said, voice steady and patronizing. He squeezed at your hip playfully, but his attention drifted quickly, fingertips brushing over your thigh before moving inward, in no particular rush to claim territory. You shuddered as he kissed your neck, sucking and biting at whatever he could get to, but your discomfort was swiftly eclipsed by the complete, all-consuming dread that flowed into your veins as Izuku’s palm ground into your crotch, pressing down for a moment before he took to tracing the outline of your cock. The sensation was stifled by layers of fabric, but unignorable, Izuku’s determination making up for any limitations he might’ve faced. “Todoroki doesn’t appreciate you, not in the way you should be appreciated. I’m gonna fix that, alright? And you’ll forget all about that creepy, sociopathic pervert by the time I’m done.”

You opened your mouth to contest, but Izuku didn’t give you the chance, forcing his lips sloppily against yours in the bastardization of a kiss. It was too forceful to be one, too rough, too insistent without any of the cautious, hesitant care a real lover would have. Meanwhile, the hand on your cock groped and squeezed carelessly, as if he was more focused on the actions themselves than the effect they had. The resulting pleasure was brutal, apathetic, frigid as it entered your system, never wavering despite your attempts to stave it off. You were hard by the time Izuku got bored, his lips moving to your shoulder and his nails digging into the fabric over your hip, latching onto your uniform and tearing, forming a jagged, uneven rip, only lengthened as he wrenched his side upward.

That was what got to you, really, the sound, the feeling of his skin on yours as he worked at shredding your clothes beyond recognition. You crumpled, slightly, letting out a small whimper as the utter misery of your reality set in, but Izuku only cooed, pecking at your jaw in a fruitless attempt to comfort you. “It’ll be alright, angel. I’ll make this good for you.”

As if on cue, the elevator doors slid open, and Izuku glanced over his shoulder absentmindedly. Shoto stepped into the small space immediately, his eyes narrowed and a grimace tugging at the corners of his mouth, but hope flooded into your chest regardless, unwilling to yield to your common sense. You shoved at Izuku, moving to call out to him, but you didn’t need to. He was already walking towards you, his hands balling into fists and latching onto Izuku’s collar as soon as he was close enough, jerking him back and…

And kissing him.

You could’ve ran. You could’ve made a break for the fire escape or thrown yourself through the nearest window, but you didn’t. Your knees buckled under your weight, your body slumping forward as you took in Shoto’s brutal form of affection. It was more shocking than anything. Confusion, about their relationship and your own, hysteria around the thought of what was going to happen next, but you were beyond the point of trying to guess. All you could do was watch as Izuku pushed at Shoto’s shoulders, separating him from his counterpart begrudgingly. “Later,” He promised, Shoto’s glare sharpening. “You already got your turn. You promised I could have (Y/n), first.”

You clenched your eyes shut, pulling your knees to your chest, but it didn’t make a difference. You were nothing compared to Izuku, compared to Deku, and your form was hauled off the floor easily, thrown over his shoulder and left to writhe and struggle as he dragged you into Shoto’s office. It was just as neat as it always was, professional and sterile, but you couldn’t find security in the suspended modern art and coffee mugs Shoto always forgot to take home. You tried to, momentarily, to lock onto something and let it absorb you, but your attempts were made futile by the clatter of pens and folders hitting the floor as Izuku cleared off Shoto’s desk with one arm, using the other to all-but throw you down, your chest hitting the tabletop with a muffled thud. Your wrists were caught behind your back in a matter of seconds, leaving you pinned and helpless under Izuku’s weight.

The tears only started as Izuku stripped you of what was left of your uniform, hooking a finger under the waistband of your compression shorts and dragging them downward, letting the fabric pool around your ankles. You heard something unzip, and Izuku’s own costume fell away, too. You might’ve been curious, a few days ago, spared a glance or two, but he wasn’t pawing at your ass a few days ago. “Lube?” He asked, talking to no one in particular. Shoto just nodded to one of the drawers under his desk, and Izuku opened it, evaluating the contents with a long, low whistle. “You’ve been stocking up for this, haven’t you?”

Shoto didn’t respond, but his eyes never left Izuku. You had a feeling they wouldn’t, anytime soon.

Izuku took his time coating two fingers with oily fluid, as if he didn’t have anything better to do. He was just as lethargic as he probed at your entrance, his movements measured, planned, Izuku drinking in your reactions as he scissored you open, pulling a ragged moan from your lips. He wasn’t aiming for your pleasure, that much was obvious, but the thought of being opened up for one of your idols, stretched apart for someone you’d admired for so long… The idea sent a sickening, begrudging stroke of electricity to your cock, and Izuku seemed to feel it too, his hips bucked impatiently against your ass.

There were so many sensations, you almost couldn’t tell when his patience gave out, his fingers pulling away and something bigger, something hotter replacing them. If he planned on acknowledging his minimal preparation, he didn’t make a show of it, thrusting into you harshly and refusing to stop until he was completely hilted. The intrusion tore a wordless, pitiful whimper from your throat, the sound short-lived but painfully audible. You tried to bite your lip, to silence yourself as Izuku started moving, but it was too late. His chest pressed against your back as he ground into you, pelvis snapping against yours in tiny, feverish ruts, as if he’d been waiting for this too long to go about it thoughtfully. He didn’t try to be delicate, he couldn’t be delicate, letting your wrist go in favor of taking your hips, his fingers burrowing into your skin in a bruising hold. The small freedom didn’t make a difference, not when the only thing you could think to do with your hands was brace them on the desk, keeping yourself stabilized despite Izuku’s attempts to topple your control. It hurt, the way he pounded into you, your occasional tear becoming an unrelenting, unfaltering onslaught of cries and sobs as he abused your hole, your prostate, everything he could get his hands on - all of it hurt. “Please… please stop,” You gasped, more out of instinct than anything. “Stop, you have to stop-”

He silenced you with a wet kiss to the nape of your neck, a hum soon strangled by a grunt. “Poor baby,” He whispered, the words stifled by your skin. “Bear with me, alright? You’ll feel good, too. My angel just has to bear with me.”

You hadn’t noticed Shoto moving, not until he was standing in front of you, less than an arm’s length away and supporting himself on the edge of the desk. There was a low whine as he entangled his unoccupied fingers in Izuku’s hair, dragging the man forward and catching him in a kiss, demanding and fervid but soft, barely there, pecks and nips that barely fazed Izuku’s pursuit to slam into you. Shoto’s goal was an affectionate one, driven by the want for attention and little else. It was innocent, in its simplicity, Something you could’ve seen yourself doing, with Shoto.

Something you used to want to see yourself doing, with Shoto.

You clenched around Izuku without thinking, your end approaching like the sudden drop of a cliffside. His cock twitched, his pace stuttering and losing rhythm, and Shoto gave him the space needed to lean against you, to keen and mummer nonsensical praises into your back. A fist closed around your cock, pumping in time with his uneven thrusts. How generous.

Your climax was a sobering one. You seized up, your body going stiff as you jolted against Izuku’s hand, hot jets of cum soon staining your stomach and Shoto’s carpet. Izuku barely lasted a second longer, filling you to the brim and refusing to pull out, letting the excess drip around his cock and onto your thighs, the sensation making you choke on whatever air was left in your lungs.

Izuku only panted, taking a deep breath before kissing your cheek. The gesture was almost loving.

Almost.

“We’re going to be so happy together.” His voice was heavy, but contented. For the moment, at least. “Me and you, just me and you. Everything’ll be perfect, once I get rid of everything trying to keep us apart.”

[kewltie]

“So this is where you’re hiding, Freckles.”

Startled, Izuku swivels around and sees an approaching dark figure cloaked by the shadows of the Astronomy Tower. “Touya,” he says, warmth resting on the surface of his chest. “What are you doing here?”

“Your little friends were running around like headless chickens looking for you all dinner,” Touya says with a careless shrug.

Izuku winces. “I wasn’t hungry.”

Touya’s legs carry him right beside Izuku. Elbows brace on the railings as he leans his back against it, adopting a casual and dismissive posture, but the intensity of his focus is all on Izuku. “Did the Angry Bird do something to upset you again?”

Izuku’s lips thin out and he looks away briefly, unwilling to meet to meet Touya's expectant gaze.

Silence.

“Ah,” Touya clicks his tongue knowingly, “should I kick his ass for you?” he offers, flexing his right hand pointedly. He always liked to resort to his fists more than his wand to get his point across, even though Izuku knows he’s arguably one of the best duelists in Hogwarts.

Coolly indifference and aloof, Todoroki Touya neither stood out nor slipped under the radar completely. Purposely not showing off all cards he wields, keeps all his secrets and talents close to his chest. It’s something that upset the Todoroki patriarch gravely, which is precisely why Touya never give his all to any of his classes. The hateful mind games that Touya often play with his father is equally confusing and troubling.

Izuku has little hope in ever understanding it.

“No, thank you,” he politely declines, turning back to look at the stars once more. It’s quiet up here. Just the perfect place to hide and sulk in peace. Mostly. “I think I’m more upset with myself than him. I stupidly thought that we were far past that now.”

Touya doesn’t say anything to that; his face is a placid mask of inscrutableness. The only sound that cut through the air between them as silence reigns is the steady rhythm of Touya’s fingers tapping against the metal railing.

He waits patiently for Izuku to continue.

“I-I,” Izuku chokes up on the hurt he had been nursing all day, “I forgave him a long time ago because, you know, for all his arrogance and sense of superiority over lowblood muggleborns like me he wasn’t necessarily cruel. He just didn’t like the idea of having a mate this weak.” He can still vividly recall the revulsion in Katsuki’s eyes when even at six, Izuku still hadn’t shown a trace of magic in him. “Kacchan is practically a wizarding world royalty; a strong pureblood lineage with a powerful tie to a magical beast. His mate should be someone of his worth and standing, but he got me instead.” He laughs humorlessly. “No wonder he had hated me back then. I was a squib for the first ten years of my life before I met Professor Toshinari,” he says. It’s not as much of a black stained of his past anymore, something he’d long accepted it, but the scar is still fresh in his heart. “Then coming to Hogwarts I was sorted into the house he’d thought was the weakest and most pathetic.”

For someone as prideful as Katsuki to have to settle for a mate like him, it must have been a crushing blow to realize this at such a young age. It was no surprised to Izuku that Katsuki had chosen spurn him, but even as he gets the why of it all, it doesn’t make it any less hurtful then and now.

He wraps his arms around himself as though it can protect him from the memories of those painful first years. Alone and adrift with nobody to lean on, Izuku had fought long and hard to earn his place and friends he got now, but in his darkest moment he doesn’t feel it is enough.

Katsuki always manages to shine brightly no matter where he is and who is around him. So strong and smart and a juggernaut in magical power, he is Izuku’s ultimate goal. He didn’t even dare to dream to being Katsuki’s mate just as long as he was allowed to stand by his side, but even that was an unforgiveable wish.

“S-sometimes, I think he only bothers to even look at me now is because I’m not that useless little squib anymore,” Izuku confesses his deepest and darkest fear, setting it free into the world at last—the thing that had haunted his dreams for so long. “He never shown any romantic interest in me and now suddenly he wants to take me to the Yule Ball?” he demands heatedly. “Without even asking any of my opinion on it?! Especially when he’d told me how he hated the idea of having a mate in the first place because he was stuck with someone like me!”

Upset swiftly gives way to a deep seeded hurt as he recalls that afternoon in the library and the look on Katsuki’s face when Izuku outright rejected his assumption that they were going to the Yule Ball together.

He didn’t bother to ask. Didn’t seem to care about how Izuku feel at all. 

“He’s a stupid, arrogant little shit,” Touya says cuttingly. It’s the first words he had spoken since he’d let Izuku took over their conversation. “Should have hexed him when I saw him earlier.” His fingers curl tightly around the handrail.

Izuku smiles crookedly. “Please don’t.”

“Some people aren’t worthy of your forgiveness, Freckles,” Touya states quietly, but the words carry weight. It hangs heavy in the air between them like a knife edge. The words are meant for Katsuki, but the intent behind it is aim as much toward Todoroki Enji as Touya, himself.

His knuckles go white as the railing seems to bend under force of Touya’s resolution, because for all his callousness toward the world, Touya is even harsher to himself.

“That depends on me, doesn’t it?” Izuku muses, looking at Touya pointedly. “Don’t I get to decide that?”

“Not everyone deserves your kind of absolution,” Touya bites back. “There is a wretched lot of people in this world who should just be left alone to rot in their sins.”

Izuku heaves a sigh, turning around to face Touya with grim determination. “Kacchan had messed up, and I was hurt because of it,” he admits, “but I don’t think he did it out of malicious intent. Ignorant, yes, but hardly cruel. If he was anything like that, he wouldn’t have to look so wounded when I confronted on it. Acknowledgement is the first step to righting a wrong. Regret is the second.” He smiles softly at Touya, carefully running a hand down his scarred arm covered up by his robe—a crisscrossing map of untold violent left behind by a sectumsempra curse thrown his way.

Touya doesn’t flinch, but it’s a near thing. That bloody night was only a year ago, but it’s still have been still fresh in his mind.

“I forgave Kacchan for how he had mistreated me, and I forgave you, Touya, for the wounds you’ve given me.” His smile widens as Touya deliberately turns his gaze away, his fingers tapping an insistent beat that ring into the night. “It may be stupid of me, but I feel lighter for it. Now, forgiving yourself is another matter entirely,” he says cheerfully.

Touya raises a hand to his face and groans into it. “Are we still talking about Bakugou or is this some kind of subtext I’m supposed to read between the lines?”

“Both,” Izuku answers with a grin.

“Your hopeless optimism is truly revolting,” he grumbles, flexing his hand once more.

“I try,” Izuku says, lips twitching. He glances down at Touya’s hand, clenching and unclenching around the handrail. It has been twitchy all night. “You know, I can see you trying to resist lighting up a smoke. Just do it already.” He shrugs.

It’s a habit Touya unfortunately had picked up since he’d seen it in a film in Muggle Studies—a class he’d chosen mostly to rile up his father and to go against his family’s pureblood code, but Izuku thinks it’s also because he’s actually like it.

Tenya, who is also in that class, always came back with a complaint about how weird it is that a seventh year Slytherin pureblood like Todoroki Touya, who adopted the moniker Dabi just to spite his father, easily took to Muggle Studies and even bother to go to Izuku for tutoring on it.

Izuku simply shook his head and smiled in answer to his friend's general confusion. It’s the same way he also responded when they question of his strange and enigmatic friendship with a rebellious Slytherin boy two years his elder, an outcast even to his own house.

It’s not so much that Izuku won’t answer, it’s because he can’t.

Their friendship is as mysterious to outsiders as it is to them. There is Touya. who comfortably and easily wields the dark arts like he was bred for it and just on the edge of slipping over to the dark side completely, and Izuku, who is born to the light and destine to forever fight the Dark Lord until one of them die, who stand on the opposing side—the Savior of the Wizarding World and the One Who Will Fall; Izuku and Touya. Touya and Izuku.

Opposite and opposed in their ideals. But that is not all they are. Not all they have chosen to be.

Touya, who had found Izuku at his worst, saw a crumbled mess in the boy’s bathroom in Izuku’s first year when he was beaten by the older students for his polluted blood and his lack of magic, and had broken all the bullies’ arms that night as he laughed at their pain and suffering.

This was how they met, Izuku who had suffered under their cruelty and Touya who had dealt the callous hand victory. One fell victim to violent and other begot it. 

Touya didn’t do it for Izuku, he didn’t even know Izuku then. But to an eleven years old who was far away from home and didn’t have a single friend who he could turn to that first few months, Touya was his saving grace even when he couldn’t rightfully call Touya a friend then.

So, no, Izuku couldn’t explain his friendship with Touya, not for the scars that Touya had given him and certainly not for the way he would sometimes catch Touya looking at him with such inscrutable longing in his eyes that Izuku’s heart would throb at the sight of it.

His friends had strongly tried to discourage it, Katsuki had tried to forbid it, and even Touya’s youngest brother, Shouto, had tried to warn him against it, yet here they both are alone and sharing the same space in the Astronomy Tower, and Izuku has never felt safer.

“No.” Touya scowls, stilling his anxious hands that have been itching to hold a cigarette all night. “I won’t smoke.”

Izuku blinks. “Why not?”

He grimaces and looks heavenward as though Izuku was being frustrating on purpose. “You don’t like it,” Touya finally says.

“Oh,” he says stupidly for lack of any better word

“Don’t read into it,” Touya snaps with a furious, embarrassed growl.

Izuku stifles a giggle as he says, “Too late.”

Touya scowls even harder now. “So are you going to let me know if I should punch Bakugou or not?” he says, trying to divert the topic to Izuku’s earlier problem. “I don’t mind teaching him a lesson.”

Holding back a sigh, Izuku roll his eyes. “I said already no, so please don’t pick a fight with him.”

Katsuki is already annoyed at the thought of Izuku and Touya’s somewhat amicable relationship in public so if he finds out that they actually often meet up in the Astronomy Tower alone to have a heart to heart talk often that Izuku couldn’t even share with his closest friends, he would be beyond furious. Enough to even trigger to his veela’s anger and set the castle on fire, possibly.

“Then are you going to go to the Yule ball with him?” Touya asks with a pinched look on his face, like the thought of it pain him, but he has to ask, anyway.

Izuku frowns. “Yes, wait—no. Maybe, I don’t know.” He shakes his head. “The pain is still fresh right now, so I’m not sure I can say yes if he asks me again this instant.”

“And what if he apologizes?” he presses.

Izuku chews on his lower lip in thought. “Well, perhaps then. But I might not even go to the Yule Ball at all. It only gives me headache so far.” Why does the Yule Ball require dates, anyway? So embarrassing and stressful. 

Touya sighs, rolling his head back. “Who cares, just go with your friends instead. Screw Bakugou and his stupid feathers brain.”

Izuku pouts, crossing his arms. “All my friends got a date for the ball. I would be the awkward third wheel in the group.”

“You kids and your teenage drama,” he mutters like he isn’t one himself as Izuku sulks beside him. A significant beat passes between them, then, quietly, he says, “Just go with me then.”

Izuku opens his mouth, stops, and opens it again. “You hate this kind of thing,” he accuses, staring at Touya with heavy skepticism. The Todoroki likes to host a lot of these social functions as the premier pureblood family in wizarding society and Touya can’t stand any of it, always finding a way to either crash it or avoid it as much as possible.

“I do,” he admits grimly.

Izuku’s brows furrow. “Then why?”

He straightens up, pushes himself away from the railings, and turns to Izuku with a glare. “Because I’ll do it for you.”

“Oh,” Izuku says again, and just as stupid as the first time around. “Oh.” And blushes furiously, hoping Touya can’t see any of it. Merlin, he hopes the moon and the stars are the only witnesses to his embarrassment. “W-well, um,” he starts, grasping for an answer as his brain frizz out at the sudden proposal, “you know that is, uh, I would love to, but Kacchan and I, well, we’re—”

A hand flies toward his face and almost crashing into it as it cuts off the rest of his rambling speech. “Just stop it already, I can see you struggling.” Touya roll his eyes, dropping his hand back to his side. He heaves a sigh, square his shoulders, and stares at Izuku right in the eyes—a stormy sea of turquoise that threaten to swallow Izuku whole if he’s not careful. “If you want to go with Bakugou that’s fine, but if you want to go with someone else, also fine. It doesn’t matter who you take as long as you’re happy,” he tells Izuku firmly. “I’m not asking you to go to the Yule Ball with me. I’m telling you that I’m an option. You can make me your last resort if you don’t want to go alone.”

Ah, there is that throb again, Izuku thinks as he reaches a hand over his heart. “And you’re fine with being use like that? It doesn’t seem quite fair to you.”

Touya’s hand rises like he’s about to reach for Izuku, but it quickly falls and tucks behind his back. “It doesn’t matter to me, Freckles,” he says, shrugging carelessly.

“You’re very kind, Touya,” Izuku tells him as a smile makes it way toward the surface and seemingly settles there permanently in the face of Touya’s scowl. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“Shut the fuck up. That’s a lie.” Touya glares at him with the full force for ten thousands suns before pointedly diverting his gaze. His cheeks are unusually flushed and somehow Izuku doesn’t think it’s because of the cool air.

An off-kilter Touya is too cute sometimes.

Izuku giggles and extends a hand out to wrap it around Touya’s arm, because he always has to be the first one to do it since that horrid night that had led to a hundred cut on Izuku. He has to be the one to reach out first. “C’mon I’ll treat you to some dessert in the kitchen. The house-elves always leave something extra for me just in case I wanted a snack.”

“That’s because they love you,” Touya grumbles, but allows himself to be dragged along. He would always put up a fuss about it like he couldn’t be bothered, but he doesn’t have in him to ever reject Izuku’s hand on him. Never.

For someone capable of so much violence and hatred toward the world and himself, Touya tries to be ever so careful with Izuku. So gentle that it hurts sometimes. Izuku isn’t breakable in any way, but the way Touya is so devoted to not consciously reach out for him unless Izuku instigate it first and only when he let himself give in to Izuku’s touch, his resistance crumbles away so easily like his resolve was held up by faulty walls; it’s heartbreaking.

Touya may not understand why Izuku was so quick to forgive him for the scars that he has now, but it’s because Touya made it so easy to do it when he’d visit Izuku’s hospital bed every night afterward to watch over his sleep like a silent sentinel. He didn’t say a single word to Izuku during those nights, but his guilt was palpable. It was carved into the lines of his shoulders, into the agony of his eyes, and into his flesh and bones, because after that horrific night when Izuku bled in the Great Hall, Izuku wasn’t the only one who had his own scars.

Touya’s own just aren’t visible to the eyes. 

So it’s not that Izuku’s heart is big and capable of so much, it’s because the people who seek his forgiveness want it so badly that to look at their face is to stare into their open wound—yearning, hopeful, and so full of self-loathing.

He had seen it first in Touya. Then in Katsuki.

That’s why he will mostly likely forgive Katsuki after this when he stops being so dumb and stubborn and decide to come to Izuku for another chance, but till then he would like to see some groveling done first because Izuku may be kind and open-hearted like everyone say he is, but he’s no pushover in the end. 

[loveart248]

KIRIBAKU SHIP DEVELOPMENT

I love many BNHA ships but Kiribaku holds a special place in my heart since it has so much positive canon material and I am always a sucker for the "Best friends who fall in love" trope since I enjoy slow burn with character growth. However, even taking the romantic possibility out of the equation, I just love that their relationship is so well developed in the story with subtle changes in their behavior all throughout as they go from 1. strangers who don't think much of each other to 2. reluctant allies who need to work together to complete certain tasks to 3. sort of friends with Kirishima pushing for a friendship to 4. best friends with an equal balance of respect and appreciation for each other. Below I tried to break down their relationship as it develops throughout the manga so...

WARNING: This is a long post and MAY contain spoilers for non-manga readers and anyone who has not seen the BNHA movie (not by much though).

Back at the beginning of the series, Kirishima used to think that Bakugou was a terrible person just like the rest of class 1-a, especially due to how he would treat Izuku. He was all like "That Bakugou is crazy and fights dirty" while Bakugou didn't even care about his existence yet. The only thing on Bakugou's mind at the time was beating Izuku and proving his superiority over everyone else. Thus, Bakugou was definitely not looking for friends as the only people he was used to having around him were "followers" as shown during his middle school times.

Then during the USJ arc, they automatically started working together to fight the villains as they were right next to each other during the initial attack. This right away showed how synchronized they were as a team due to their personalities and compatible quirks. So from the get go, they just seemed to flow well together.

Afterwards, they were sent off in the portal together giving them more time to fight villains side by side alone to get a feel of each others' personalities. During that time, you can slowly see Kirishima change his perspective of Bakugou from "This guy is crazy" to "Huh. This guy may not be that bad. He seems pretty cool right now".

This scene may seem minute but it is the moment that ignites Kirishima's interest in getting to know more about Bakugou. Kirishima basically starts to become more interested in Bakugou as a person as he starts to recognize his positive qualities despite his original assessment of Bakugou's personality.

Kirishima can't help but start to find Bakugou "manly" even after he tells off the other classes at the beginning of the Sports Festival arc. Even despite Kaminari's warning of "Don't let him play you" lol And this is just great because it shows that Kirishima was still somewhat hesitant about liking Bakugou as a person but was willing to give him a chance.

Kirishima begins to want to hang out with Bakugou and get on his good side as shown by the interactions above and some of the interactions at the beginning of the Sports Festival. Bakugou still doesn't think much of him but he let's him be for the most part. You also start to see Kirishima more impressed with Bakugou than before.

As the Sports Festival progresses, Kirishima finally gets his opportunity to prove his skill in Bakugou's eyes while also appealing to Bakugou's desire to win against Izuku. This moment shows an understanding of Bakugou's personality as he knows how to get Bakugou to agree with him despite Bakugou not thinking too much of him yet. It also shows a shift in Kirishima's preference of Izuku since now he would much prefer to be in Bakugou's team as he didn't even try to get in Izuku's team and barely tried to get into Todoroki's team based on his commentary.

THAT moment is when their friendship is truly born as Bakugou starts to acknowledge him and call him "Kirishima" afterwards as a sign of respect. During the match, you can see their dynamics in action with Kirishima trying to calm down Bakugou as Bakugou starts to lose his cool with opposing teams lol So basically the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The two are eventually paired off against each other and Bakugou wins but he STILL respects him as an opponent. He even comments on how difficult it is to get past Kirishima's defenses which is why he basically lets him reach his quirk limit to win. The fight is short but pretty funny because you can see them kind of teasing each other all throughout like good friends.

After the Sports Festival, the two are often seen around each other hanging out with Kirishima definitely feeling more comfortable around Bakugou to the point that he easily jokes around him and teases him. Slowly, through Kirishima's influence as he basically gets along with everyone in class 1-a, you can see more of the other students also feel more comfortable around Bakugou, especially the ones who were on his team at the Sports Festival.

Characters like Kaminari, Sero, Mina, etc. Sero is one that automatically attaches himself to Bakugou's group soon after the Sports Festival as he is shown comfortably teasing Bakugou for his haircut with Kirishima.

By the time the Summer Training Camp Arc happens, the audience already has some understanding of their friendship but it's still not in full display yet. It's more subtle and in the background than anything. During the summer camp though, you can finally see how much Bakugou means to Kirishima as a friend and as a fellow student after the villain attack that results in his kidnapping.

He feels guilty that he couldn't help his friend so he tries to convince the others to help him save Bakugou despite that being illegal. He only manages to convince a select few, two of which were already there when Bakugou was kidnapped and felt responsible too (Todoroki and Izuku) but the fact that he felt that much about it shows how much he cares.

In part, knowing Kirishima's character and motivations, you can tell that he wants to save Bakugou to prove to himself that he can be a true hero but you can also tell that saving Bakugou means more to him than that since Bakugou is not just "some guy" but his close friend.

During the entire rescue arc, Kirishima is all about doing his best to save Bakugou alongside the others to the point that he buys expensive night camera lenses to spy on the warehouse and chooses the disguises for the others (which were pretty funny disguises that make you wonder why Kirishima has such terrible fashion sense but can choose decent outfits for others XD).

Later on, Bakugou pays him back the money for the camera as a form of thanks for saving him. If BNHA Smash is anything to go by, Bakugou apparently did ALL kinds of odd jobs to get that money as quickly as possible (i.e. Nude modeling, dress like a bumble bee, bake cakes, etc.) 🤣

During the rescue arc, the most Kiribaku moment ever occurs in which Izuku comes up with the "Rescue Bakugou Without Confronting Villains" plan that ends up working ONLY because of how Bakugou views Kirishima as a friend and equal by that point. This is an important moment of development from Bakugou's side as it shows that he holds Kirishima in high regard and does not feel like Kirishima saving him is him looking down on Bakugou's own skill. This is significant since THIS specific detail is one of the factors that causes Bakugou to react in anger towards characters like Izuku and Todoroki most of the time: his belief that they are looking down on him and consider him inferior. So him accepting Kirishima's hand basically confirmed that their relationship is mutual as they both consider the other a friend without fear of judgment.

After this arc, there are countless other subtle moments throughout the series that show how close they are such as:

1. Bakugou tutoring him and going on study dates (a lot of that in the light novels). Also, the fact that Kirishima clearly wanted Bakugou to tutor him from the beginning since he never seeked out Momo like the others when he saw his grade.

2. The BNHA movie moments (assuming they are canon) which happened before the summer arc and add MORE development and insight into their relationship (i.e. Bakugou inviting Kirishima to i-Expo, sharing a room, Kirishima buying them suits, etc.)

3. Kirishima constantly complimenting Bakugou but also making sure he's not too rude to others (Literally them every panel in the manga nowadays lol)

4. Kirishima apparently helping Bakugou move all his stuff to his dorm and then...

5. Kirishima knowing that Bakugou went to sleep at 8 pm when showing off rooms hinting that they were hanging out prior to that

6. Bakugou's motivational speech to Kirishima that motivated him to push himself harder to create the "unbreakable" form/also basically a compliment from Bakugou to Kirishima.

7. Kirishima implying that he and Bakugou spar together sometimes (i.e. Bakugou asking to test his technique on him and Kirishima being fine with that while the others are scared lol)

And don't get me started on all the BNHA SMASH moments! Seriously, those are not canon at all but there are many. And Kirishima is extra affectionate in those 🤣 He has the power to make Bakugou do pretty much anything there.

To conclude this long post, whether as brotp or otp, the Kiribaku relationship development is undeniable. Just like the character growth they both experienced due to each other. Now, just because they help each other grow does not mean they are the only ones there for each other. Kirishima is not the ONLY one that understands Bakugou in the story nor is he his only friend or person he respects since Bakugou has many other people he respects and calls by name (i.e. All Might, Aizawa, Uraraka, etc.). Likewise, Bakugou is not the ONLY person Kirishima admires or considers a close friend (i.e. He has Kaminari, TetsuTetsu, etc.).

However, they clearly mean a lot to each other and help each other develop where they need to. Kirishima helps Bakugou open up to others more and Bakugou helps Kirishima believe in himself and his ability to be a hero. And that is enough for them. 😁

[bakudaddy]

ICY COLD

[ todoroki shouto x reader ]  — birthday gifts

“For your eyes only,

I show you my heart.”

»»————-　♡　————-««

Izuku eyed his heterochromatic friend from the corner of his eye. Todoroki seemed to be absorbed in thought, a look of contemplation frozen on his handsome features. Well, he always looked like that; he was a nonchalant person after all.

He was oblivious to the lesson their teacher was presenting, All Might was just commentating on a recap of everyone’s latest rumble in the simulation arena. Todoroki stared outside the window for the duration of the period, absentmindedly tapping his pencil against his cheek before jotting a small phrase down in the pages of his college ruled notebook.

Izuku knew those notes weren’t related to the lesson at hand, that was for sure. All Might merely congratulated him for his outstanding and remarkable fight when it was his turn, then continued onto the next person, which was Toru.

He continued to stare outside in an almost brooding manner, even after the bell rung to release them for lunch. Usually, you’d come by and walk with your boyfriend to lunch, happily chatting to him with a smile on both your faces. But today, you had offered to take Sero to the nurse’s office after a particularly nasty fight with Koda.

Thus, Todoroki was left alone in the empty classroom. Izuku was almost reminded of the first time he met Todoroki: bitter, resentful, cruel, and above all, lonely. But with your helping hand, he changed for the better.

You showed him joy, friendship and kindness, and with that he finally bloomed into a happier person, just like a flower in spring. Izuku watched from afar as he discovered how to live life again, to be happy, to be himself. His father no longer held him back, Todoroki Shouto was his own person.

Izuku approached the half-and-half hero, catching his attention with an abrupt cough. “Oh, hello Izuku,” Todoroki greeted, his pencil laying abandoned on his notebook. “Did you realize the bell for lunch rung?” He questioned, receiving a quiet “no” from his friend.

“Since [Name] isn’t here, would you like to eat lunch with me, Iida and Uraraka?” He offered, a sheepish smile framed by the freckles on his face. Todoroki contemplated it for a second, then gave him a nod in response, “Thank you, Izuku. I need to pack up first though,” He replied, beginning to place away his supplies.

“That’s no problem!” Izuku exclaimed, “I’ll wait, it’s fine.” As Todoroki packed up his material to head to lunch, Izuku caught a quick peek of Todoroki’s notebook, the one he was writing in only minutes earlier. It was a nearly blank page, save for a few words scrawled across five lines underneath a heading.

The title caught his attention the most. In small, neat lettering, the words “birthday gift ideas for [Name]” was written across the top of the page. Izuku found himself smiling softly, you really did have Todoroki Shouto wrapped around your fingers. He didn’t have enough time to read the five things he had listed by the time Todoroki closed his notebook.

“I’m ready,” Todoroki spoke up after placing away his notebook, his bag now slung over one shoulder. “Uraraka and Iida should be there already, I’m sure they won’t mind us coming by so late,” Izuku commented, walking out of the classroom. Todoroki followed him diligently, walking side by side the smaller boy.

“Izuku, you know [Name] a lot, right?” Todoroki inquired. Sure, Izuku and you talked often, mostly about quirks, but he was nowhere near as close with you like Todoroki was. “We’re good friends, why do you ask?” He responded curiously, although he already knew the answer. After all, there would be no harm in teasing Todoroki a little.

“Well, [Name]’s birthday is coming up and—” Todoroki hesitated, trying to find the right words to say in his scrambled mind. Izuku looked up towards his friend, spotting the slightest touch of pink dusting his cheeks. Izuku blinked once, then twice, then thrice; his eyes had to be tricking him.

Never had Izuku seen Todoroki blush, not once in his life. It had to be an illusion, he expected someone to jump out—Mirio and Nejire, maybe—and tell him he got pranked. It just seemed to far out of reach to be true, Izuku was nearly frozen in disbelief.

Then again, he was talking about you here; the love of his life. To say Todoroki didn’t love you would be a lie, he truly did. The love he held for you was as fierce as his flames. Izuku realized Todoroki smiled the brightest, laughed the loudest and enjoyed himself whenever he was in your company, and the feeling was mutual.

You two were truly a power couple.

Todoroki looked to the side forlornly, “Her birthday is coming up, and I want to get her a gift as special and important as her,” He finished with a deep breath. “So you need help getting her a gift?” Izuku pieced together. Todoroki nodded his head, “In a way, yes,” He murmured, as the two of them entered the busy cafeteria.

“Izuku, Todoroki!” A feminine voice called out. The two students looked towards the source of the voice, only to see Uraraka standing up from her seat with her right arm waving in the air. Iida sat besides her, ushering her to sit down in her seat and to be mindful of the people surrounding them.

She paid his nagging no mind, continuing to wave her hand in the air so they couldn’t lose her in the sea of people. Todoroki and Izuku swam through the bustling crowd, each and every student desperate to get their lunch from the renowned hero in charge. Lunch Rush was no doubt one of the best cooks around, it was easily understandable why so many students craved his hearty meals.

Both men dropped their backpacks in the two empty chairs in front of Uraraka and Iida, then departed to go get their lunch. The line had died down considerably, to the pleasure of Todoroki. He had never been one to like long lines, especially when he was hungry.

He and Izuku were quick to order and pay for their meals, immediately heading back to their shared table when the transaction was done. Izuku flopped into the chair in front of Uraraka, his tray being set just as elegantly on the table. Todoroki sat in front of Iida, who was engaged in a conversation about pastries with Uraraka.

“Iida, we should go get some danishes from that new bakery tomorrow!” Uraraka suggested through a mouthful of rice, eliciting more scolds from her neighbor. She ignored his reprimations, instead she chose to enjoy her rice and chicken to its fullest extent.

“Todoroki, [Name] said she was going to stick around with Sero in the nurse’s office,” She added on, by now Iida had given up on scolding her. “Sero didn’t have enough energy to get healed completely after getting attacked by a dozen of Koda’s bunnies, so she brought him lunch. She’ll be back next period though,” She continued, a hum of acknowledgement coming from Todoroki. He had a spoonful of noodles in his mouth, but he had the manner to not talk with his mouth open.

“Isn’t [Name]’s birthday soon?” Iida enquired to his group of friends. Uraraka snapped her fingers, as if she just realized something. “You’re right, Iida! It’s this Sunday, I think,” She replied. “What are you guys getting her?” Izuku questioned, before eating a spoonful of rice with a piece of breaded pork cutlet.

Uraraka placed a hand on her cheek, stuck in deep thought, “She told me about this shirt she wanted recently, so maybe that if I can afford it. I’ll have to look at my expenses later, oh the struggle!” A troubled sigh left the girl’s lips as she swooned dramatically onto her neighbor’s shoulders.

“I’m planning to buy her clothes as well,” Iida remarked, “a new jacket and a pair of sweatpants for training. Shoes, too, if I can find out what her shoe size is.” Izuku listened intently, then revealed his own gift idea to his three friends, “I saw this dog plush the other day while shopping with my mom, and it reminded me of [Name]. I’m thinking of going back to the store and buying it for her.”

The three looked towards Todoroki, whose lips were pressed in a thin line. It was hard not to notice how he stared off into space again, obviously stuck in deep thought like Uraraka was only moments before. The odd behavior elicited another curious question from Uraraka, “Todoroki, what are you getting [Name]? I can already imagine how extravagant it’ll be,” She teased.

“I actually don’t have anything yet. . .” He trailed off, somewhat abashedly. Uraraka’s jaw dropped, “No way! You’re kidding, right?” Uraraka exclaimed, eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets.

He shook his head softly, his red and white hair copying his movements, “I don’t know what to get her. I want to give her something as important as her, that’s the least she deserves,” He explained further, causing a chorus of “aw”s to resonate from his classmates.

Suddenly, the bell rung without warning, it’s annoying chime interrupting their lovey-dovey cheers. The four students slung their bag over their shoulders, and departed for their homeroom classroom of 1-A. As they passed the threshold of the door, Uraraka looked up and spoke towards her bi-colored friend.

“If you need help, the girl’s and I are hanging out today after school!” She offered, a smile on her face, “we could try to help you. [Name] won’t be here today, ‘cause her parents want to take her out to birthday before they go back working overseas.”

At the mention of parents, his thoughts wandered towards his own mother. He should probably write her another letter soon, she loved the little stories he’d share about you and all his new friends after all.

Maybe he should write you a letter, too. It’s the little things that count the most he realized.

“Thank you, Uraraka,” He thanked, returning her kind smile.

Uraraka’s offer lingered in the back of his mind for the rest of the day. It was always there, begging him to accept her offer. It was too tempting to pass up, no matter how taboo it felt to interrupt girl’s night.

That’s why he found himself standing in the middle of the common room. Momo and Jirou sat on one of the couches in the expansive room, a light pink blanket loosely thrown over their legs. Momo held a bottle of red nail polish in one hand, the other holding a brush that gently applied nail polish onto Jirou’s awaiting hands.

The other four girls sat on the floor in front of the couch, each one dressed in comfortable clothing. Tsuyu sat besides Uraraka, painting her nails with a pastel pink polish. A floating brush applied vibrant teal polish onto Mina’s pink fingers, Todoroki could only guess that it was Toru painting the other’s nails.

The large T.V. in the common room played an unknown show in the background, filling the white noise that filled the room. There was an air of contentment in the room, all the girls happily chatting with one another as they got their nails painted with vibrant colors.

Mina was the first one to notice him. She met his gaze when she looked away from her nails being painted, then cracked a wide smile at the inexpressive hero. “Dressed for the occasion, I see,” Mina joked, patting a spot besides her with her free, already painted hand.

Todoroki looked down at his choice of clothing. He wore a white, loose fitting, short sleeved baseball tee. It’s left sleeve was a vibrant vermillion, while it’s right sleeve was a contrasting midnight blue, both correlating with the sides of his quirk. Covering his legs were a pair of simple, black sweatpants.

His shirt, one apart of a rather expensive collection based off U.A.’s newest heroes, was a gift from his adoring mother and loving older sister. He could still remember the day his mother presented it to him when he arrived in her hospital room, a soft smile on her face.

Of course, you had a matching shirt. It was only natural, and his mother’s heart was sent over the moon upon seeing your matching outfits.

He took a seat in between Mina and Tsuyu. “Uraraka told us that you might come today,” Momo commented, adding one last coat to Jirou’s nails. “You need help with getting [Name] a birthday gift, right?” Jirou questioned, receiving a firm nod as a response from Todoroki.

“How cute!” Toru gushed. Although the bi-colored boy couldn’t see her, he imagined there’d be a wide grin on Toru’s face. “Todoroki is such a good boyfriend, ribbit,” Tsuyu added on, voicing her classic ribbit.

“Mhm, you’re right about that, Tsu-chan!” Uraraka acknowledged idly, chocolate eyes focused on the nails Tsuyu carefully painted. “Where is [Name] anyways?” Mina looked around the room, trying to spot her [hair color] haired friend.

“Her parents took her out to birthday dinner because they’re leaving for America tomorrow,” Momo answered, her hands rummaging absentmindedly through the case of color nail polish bottles. She produced a milky white bottle of nail polish, setting it aside in favor of digging through the various bottles once more.

“Oh! I totally forgot,” Mina responded with an amused laugh. “I miss her already,” Tsuyu said with a saddened sigh. She placed the brush stained with pink nail polish back into its respective bottle, having finally finished painting Uraraka’s nails.

“Don’t say that, Tsu! You’ll make me miss her, too,” Mina retorted playfully. “Ah, now I miss her! It’s spreading like a curse,” Toru whined. “I miss her, too,” Todoroki commented offhandedly, inadvertently starting a conversation with the girls of Class 1-A.

While they continued to talk, Momo dug through the tub filled with various bottles nail polish. It wasn’t long until Momo found what she was looking for: a bottle of chili red nail polish. A pleased smile crossed her face, and she handed the bottle to Tsuyu.

“So, can you help me?” Todoroki asked once more. “Totally! But, on one condition,” Mina declared. Todoroki raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue. She cleared her throat, a way to add to the tension and suspense in the air, “you’ve got to fill in for [Name] tonight.”

“That’s it?” He reaffirmed, only to be answered by each girl nodding their head. “Fine,” He relented, “but only because I love [Name].” A chorus of “aw” filled the room, as Toru gratefully took the milky white bottle of nail polish from Momo.

He extended both his hands, letting Tsuyu and Toru paint his fingernails with the colorful enamel. Instead of painting straight away as he thought, Toru pulled out a pair of nail cutters and began to trim down his nails.

“Todoroki, you have nice nails! I’m jealous,” Toru whined as she filed his trimmed nails into shape. She filed away the rough edges, turning them into smoother curves. Once she was done, his nails had a perfect shape.

“First things first, [Name] absolutely adores the stars,” Jirou informed, “astrology is one of her favorite topics besides, you know, quirks.” He took note of that, saving it for later. You often talked about the constellations you loved during the nights you two stayed up and stargazed together on the roof of the dorms. His mind began to create possible gift ideas, something perfect for a person as amazing as yourself.

Toru placed his hand into a cup of lukewarm water, and let Tsuyu perform the same treatment on his left hand. Having his nails done was relaxing in a way, Todoroki could see why you all cherished girls’ night so much. They treated his nails with care, and treated him as one of their own. He silently debated whether or not to join next time; surely they wouldn’t care, right?

His left hand replaced his right hand in the cup of water. He wasn’t exactly sure why they placed his hands in the water in the first place, but made no action to question it. If it was apart of their girls’ night rituals, he’d just have to deal with it.

Toru poured a generous amount of something on his fingers. All he knew was that it was cold, and she slowly massaged it into his cuticles. “Don’t worry, it’s just cuticle remover,” Momo chuckled, catching his confused look.

She took a towel and wiped it off as fast as it was applied. Toru carefully pushed back his cuticles with a wooden cuticle pusher, then clipped the dead skin away with a pair of metal cuticle clippers. As grotesque as it looked, it was surprisingly painless.

Toru poured lotion onto her fingers and massaged it into his hands in practiced motions. It felt nice to be pampered in a feminine way, he thought. “I think my manicures are getting better!” She cheered, showing the girls Todoroki’s freshly cut nails.

They all agreed eagerly, encouraging the invisible girl with compliments and praise of all kind. “Aw, you guys are too sweet!” Toru giggled bashfully.

“Now that we’re moving onto the nail polish, I’ll tell you another thing [Name] likes.” Uraraka’s statement grabbed all his attention, his eyes and ears were both focused on her. “She liked rings, gold rings especially. They don’t have to be real gold, she’ll appreciate it either way!”

Rings, huh? With your quirk, he shouldn’t be so surprised. Your quirk, transmutation, gave you the ability to manipulate and change the form of an object into something entirely new. You always wore jewelry on you, just in case you’d need to transmute something suddenly. It was a smart idea, and it’s saved you more time than he can count.

Toru uncapped the bottle of white nail polish, a strong smell emanating from the liquid enamel. She set to work immediately, meticulously painting coats of white nail polish onto the blank canvas of his right hand.

Stars, rings and quirks: an odd set of interests. His mind was doing somersaults, trying to scrape together an idea for your perfect birthday gift. “What do you think I should get her?” He asked the group of girls.

“You don’t need to give her much to make her happy,” Tsuyu pointed out, starting to apply red polish to his left hand, “just make it memorable, as if it’s your last time telling her ‘I love her’ okay?” Todoroki’s heterochromatic eyes widened, the pieces of the puzzle of his mind finally coming together.

“I agree with Tsu! If it’s too bland, you’re not gonna get a good reaction from our sweet queen. Try something that’d bring a girl to tears,” Mina suggested, giving Todoroki a wink. Toru placed his hand in the nail dryer.

“Words mean just as much as actions do,” Uraraka told him, a heartfelt look in her eyes. He closed his own eyes briefly, gathering his thoughts into one coherent idea.

“I think. . .I know what to do now,” He spoke rather tentatively. Before he could say anything else, the girls of class 1-A were instantly upon him, each of their eyes sparkling with newfound interest and curiosity.

“You aren’t getting away without telling us!”

The black boots that covered your dainty feet tapped loudly against the concrete sidewalk, courtesy of the thick soles on your shoes. You clutched the thick, black jacket tighter around your small frame as the wind gained speed. The wind carried around stray strands of your [hair color] hair, prompting you to tuck it behind your ear once more. It was a cold, windy night, yet Todoroki had asked you to come to the park anyways.

The cold reminded you of many things: winter; snow; ice cream; and above all, your boyfriend.

You loved Todoroki Shouto with all your heart. While you were the sun, he was the moon, living together in perfect harmony. You were the light of his life, and he brought peace into your own. The two of you balanced each other out perfectly, it was no wonder how the two of you became so close.

Speak of the devil and he shall come. It was hard to miss the mop of red and white hair among  the empty park. Apparently you caught his attention as well, as he perked up once he caught sight of your smaller person. You gave him a small wave, one that he returned.

You picked up the pace, going into a small jog to catch up with him. Soon, you stood before the love of your life, a small smile plastered across your face. “Hey, Todoroki,” You greeted, staring up into his heterochromatic eyes with your own [eye color] ones. Puffs of air left your mouth, turned smoky by the crisp winter air.

It was silent between the two of you. His eyes darted to the side nervously, as if he were debating something internally, then they focused back on you. Before you could question his odd behavior, his hands reached out to cup your own.

His hand were contrasting in temperature, like always. You welcomed his touch though, letting your hands rest within his. While his right hand was cold, his left hand was warm. His quirk amazed you, it was always fascinating to see the aspiring hero tame fire and ice.

Just like your personalities, your quirks worked in harmony as well. He could generate ice for you to transmute with your quirk. Ice was essentially water, and with that you could create many things. If things became bad, you could always transmute the ice leftover from his attacks into projectiles and weapons. You two were strong individually, but stronger together.

A heart made of ice appeared in your hands, swirls of cold air emanating from the product of Todoroki’s quirk. The rush of cold air nipped at the hem of jacket’s sleeve, causing miniscule snowflakes to dot the material. You gazed at it with curiosity, wondering what trick Todoroki had up his sleeve. “What’s this?” You mused playfully, head tilted ever so slightly.

“Before I met you, [Name], I had a cold heart. One made of ice, even,” Todoroki spoke softly, “When you came into my life and gave me a hand—a reason to keep on living—you melted this cold heart of mine.”

Your eyes widened at Todoroki’s words, heart beating rapidly in your chest. Suddenly, the heart of ice melted away, revealing a ring that rested in your cupped hands. It was a beautiful ring, one made of gold with a star shaped diamond.

“You shine like a thousand stars in the sky, even through thick and thin. I want this ring to remind you that you’re my star, the one who shines brightest in my life.”

He gently took your left hand, then slid the ring onto your ring finger, “This is a promise that I’ll love you forever.” You looked up at him once more, too shocked to say anything besides gape at him like a fish.

“Happy Birthday, to the one who I love the most.”

[driftingglass]

You: I want to protect Deku from all the harm in the world!! / Also you: *ships him with the very person who caused him suffering for 10 years*... huh, okay

I actually kind of want to thank you for being cordial about this instead of just… insulting me anonymously like others. 

Granted, I just ignore them/delete them, but still. It’s appreciated.

Since you honestly seem a little bit curious and confused, I want to answer this with a more specific response! So thank you for being reasonable about it. 

There are some things I want to clear up first.

You’re completely entitled to your opinion on a ship, my anonymous friend, and I also respect and understand why people hate the ship and even Bakugou as a character. 

Do I share the same feelings? No, not at all, but I definitely understand it. 

It would be dreadfully boring if every human who experienced the same artistic medium had the same exact opinions and points of views on a character/ship, no? 

At least, I would think so. I love the variety in opinion and watching different people fall in love with anime/books/movies, whatever, in totally different ways and coming out of them with multiple conclusions is wonderful to witness. 

It… almost feels similar to getting angry with someone for picking green as their favorite color, and because it’s not your favorite color you argue about how the different shades don’t make sense and shouldn’t be acknowledged as a favorite.

(Not you, specifically, Anon, but more of a general “you,” if that makes sense.)

Alright. So.

What draws me to the the Bakugou Katsuki / Izuku Midoriya ship, and the two characters individually (as well as their canon dynamic) is based on the concept of healing, forgiveness, growth, redemption, understanding, mutual respect, and genuine deep-rooted pain and realistic acknowledgement of the gratuitous and toxic elements of their relationship. 

And this only scratches the surface, believe it or not.

Yes, Bakugou Katsuki treated Izuku horribly while growing up (hell, he’s still an egotistical asshole). The infamous line in the manga/anime with Katsuki suggesting Izuku “find a Quirk in the next life” is inexcusable, and he should be held accountable for this. 

We’ve been allowed glimpses of their dismantled friendship at Katsuki’s doing, and Izuku’s equally flawed and dangerous perspective in placing Katsuki on a pedestal for his admiration. 

Before I go further with this, I want to touch on things about how I view Izuku as a character, since something in your anonymous message struck me, with the quote you had written: 

“You: I want to protect Deku from all the harm in the world!!”

The thing is, when it comes to characters, and Izuku in particular… I don’t think I’ve ever adopted the mindset of “must protect the precious baby,” because I personally view Izuku as a very relatable and human character. 

I know that this doesn’t cancel one idea out from the other, since many wonderful authors/readers/viewers/consumers, whatever, who like BNHA have this same viewpoint. Clearing this up so that nothing is miscommunicated.

So.

This may seem strange, and a bit… actually yeah this is a little weird, but as a viewer, I see him as someone who strives for an incredible goal, is very determined, much stronger than he appears (and believes) both emotionally and physically, and it’s slowly becoming a surprise to both himself and everyone around him. 

But I see him as not just a character, per say, but a definite reflection of the other side to his dynamic to Bakugou Katsuki. 

(Will touch more on this later.)

He’s been acknowledged as a beloved presence, and I actually don’t like viewing Izuku as a “precious cinnamon roll,” because he’s so much more than that. 

QUICK NOTE HERE: I do not think it’s wrong to think of him this way. This is how I personally think, and how I want to hopefully portray the character in fics I write, or just in a general acknowledgement of him. 

He’s a character that thrives on a complex personality and series of motivations that make sense for a character his age, with his history, and with his flaws and strengths as a protagonist. 

Izuku being “adorable” falls to the very bottom of my list of reasons why I love and relate to him as a character, and when he engages in horrible situations that challenge him, I live for those moments. 

(I know I’m not alone in this. Bear with me.)

I love seeing characters like this suffer and get thrashed and struggle in the face of their darkest times. It shows depth, and a sense of darkness that defies the overly comfortable image that comes across in an anime that is, quite objectively, a bit less of a risk-taker in the earlier arcs in comparison to others.

So, with that in mind… it makes sense why people can’t stand Bakugou Katsuki as a character for treating Izuku like he does, and it also makes sense why Izuku is shipped with just about anyone who can grant him that feeling of “must protect.” 

Again, there is nothing wrong with this. 

In fact, I want to point out, for the sake of people who can’t stand BakuDeku and enjoy other ships, that I see, respect, and completely understand why you feel the way you feel. 

There’s even a strong sense of admiration for it, because you wonderful people are coming from a place that wants Izuku Midoriya to have a stable dynamic. 

This is an incredible, awesome, respectful thing, and shows so much love for Izuku as a character. 

So at this point, it may seem that I’m arguing against myself. That I’m shoving my own argument into the ground for why BakuDeku is my Number Two OTP, and how I’m arguing for its validity.

But, this is where I want to put some light onto the perspective that I have for this ship, and I don’t think I’ve ever gone this deep before on Tumblr.

I mentioned a little bit earlier that part of what makes Izuku shine as a character is how he affects other people. He brings out elements of characters that they won’t even realize themselves. (Todoroki Shouto, Shinsou Hitoshi, and All Might are both huge, and popular, examples of this, even though they’re not the only ones). 

His drive and his motivations are directed towards an incredible goal that is founded in the roots of his passion. And this aspect of Izuku? This passion, this drive, this embodiment of equal strengths and flaws balancing and cancelling each other out as he grows and learns? 

They are reflected in none other than Bakugou Katsuki.

I’m in love with the depth to this dynamic, with the potential that’s built on what they could accomplish together. 

Izuku cares deeply for Katsuki, and admires him and respects him, but even with that in mind he knows that Katsuki is an asshole. It’s important to acknowledge this, that Izuku will not let Katsuki take advantage of him in any way. 

And Katsuki, quite evidently, hasn’t attempted to take advantage of Izuku at all; in fact, he’s been only focused on what he wants to accomplish, and is overly obsessed with Izuku potentially surpassing him and “looking down on him” (as confirmed in the story.)

Katsuki is dreadfully immature in a lot of ways, but the fact that they contain so many similar ambitions, balanced on top of a quite impressive tower of flaws that parallel each other perfectly… this, is what draws me to them. 

Izuku and Katsuki are both incredibly ambitious and determined. They both work exceptionally hard. 

I wrote a list awhile back that needs to be updated again anyway, so…

Here are some general contrasts/parallels to them:

Izuku is humble, while Katsuki is egotistical.  

Katsuki is prodigiously talented, while Izuku had to go the extra mile, despite them both being hard workers.

Izuku lacks self-preservation, and Katsuki looks out for himself, first and foremost, and how he will accomplish his goal.

Katsuki exhibits elements of both an intense superiority/inferiority complex, while Izuku… doesn’t. 

Katsuki is more instinctive with his actions, while Izuku is analytical and a definite planner. 

Izuku’s Quirk is more focused on the all-embodying element, like a supercharged mechanism that can both protect and damage in spurts. Katsuki’s Quirk is designed as more of a shield for himself only, and can release constant bursts of power. The more they develop, the more similar their Quirks can become in terms of balance.

Katsuki is exaggeratedly egotistical and lacking humility, pushing others away and immediately accepting himself as the greatest priority. Izuku is the exact opposite, but with a quality just as exaggerated and vast: his anxious hesitation and lack of confidence in himself and only believing that he can succeed with others. 

Izuku’s struggles in confidence is mostly internal and how he thinks of himself. Katsuki’s confidence is both too bloated for him to handle and in the exact same plane as Izuku’s.

Izuku admires All-Might for being the ultimate protector and savior of lives with a smile on his face. Katsuki is focused on the idea of winning, and how heroes always prevail in the end. 

I could go on and on with this… but yeah.

Something I noticed, as well, while writing this, is that Katsuki and Izuku’s contrasts, while very prevalent, are often rooted in similar, if not the same, bedrock of emotions that affect them differently because of their personalities. 

Sometimes their points of views and emotions are so balanced and imbalanced at the same time that it takes awhile to look back and think through all of those individual moments.

And so, before this gets too unbearably wrong, I’m going to bring this home with emphasizing the main point of why I love writing this ship: it’s a challenge. 

A huge. Fucking. Challenge.

It begs the question: how can you make this ship work? How can you make their potential dynamic come together and brush through those layers of misunderstandings and reckless emotions? 

How can Bakugou Katsuki pull his head out of his ass and realistically come into his own while learning to appreciate the person who’s respected and admired him for so long? 

How can Izuku Midoriya learn to stick up for himself when it comes to Katsuki and allow them both to be on equal ground, rather than Izuku always chasing the other? 

How can they get over their differences, and develop something beautiful and, dare I say it, healthy, after a possible length of years and years of mending?

For me, this ship demonstrates the gray areas of relationships, and the possibility of redemption for even the vilest people. 

For me, this ship revels in the depths of Izuku’s character as well as Katsuki’s, and how their dynamic can develop into something founded on equal respect, grounding, and healing. 

For me, this ship focuses on the damaged elements to both characters and embraces the toxicity to their current circumstance, as well as the awful and wonderful elements of their relationship down the line. 

For me, BakuDeku | KatsuDeku focuses on drama, realism, emotion, and the ultimate idea behind rebuilding, protecting, forgiving, and learning to pick up the pieces from one person to another.

There are no excuses for the damage done between these two. 

But there is something really beautiful, and tragic, about the potential in the horizon. 

So those are my thoughts. 

Thank you for inboxing, Anon.

[airquietworks]

The One Thing I’d Change About You (IzuOcha Oneshot)

Summary: Izuku Midoriya and Ochako Uraraka absolutely adore one another. From each of their eyes, they can find so many different things to love about their partner.But nobody and no relationship is perfect. Both of them have their hangups and insecurities that have kept them apart. Flaws that could threaten their relationship in the future. Neither Izuku nor Ochako is content to let that be. Each of them makes a plan to help complete the other.

Some of the first things Ochako had noticed when she befriended Deku were his incredible little quirks. Not to be confused with his superpowered quirk, of course, although that had certainly grabbed her attention quickly. But as she got to know him, she started to observe a lot of little habits that piqued her curiosity. First, it was the muttering. When Deku got really focused on something, whether it be math homework or heroics class, he would retreat into himself and start muttering a stream of consciousness about how to approach a situation.  It was a little off-putting at first, seeing him spiral into intense self-debate. But over time, she came to admire how much thought he put into everything he did — far more than she herself tended to. It was endearing, in its own way. Then she started to notice the little exercises he worked into his daily routine. Whether it be leg movements, lifting a weight or strengthening his grip, it slowly became rarer to see him not working out. Seeing that level of dedication inspired her to push herself even more, despite how impossible catching up to Deku seemed to be. She tried to mimic him and although it took some getting used to, she also started borrowing a couple of his training routines. It helped that he was all too eager to offer advice. There were many other little foibles Deku had. His face always used to heat up when he talked to her, although that faded with time — and somehow that blush migrated to her own cheeks. There was the stuttering whenever he got nervous, or him pinching his lip when he got really deep into contemplation. As her crush grew into attraction, and then grew into love, she came to appreciate every one of his little quirks. But there was one habit she started to notice that she didn’t like so much. One that came to unnerve her in its intensity. It was the fact that he could never be satisfied with himself. Ochako didn’t really notice it as anything problematic, at first. He was always going on about the need for improvement and his focus motivated her in turn. But there were times where his single-mindedness to self-improvement became a little...awkward. He would seem to shrink when she gave him praise, from winning the race at the sports festival to the little compliments about his work ethic. He would tend to brush those compliments aside like they were nothing. It came to a head when they started dating in their third year at U.A. After Deku astounded the class by taking out five massive robots with one kick in a training session, she couldn’t help but burst with excitement after it was all over. “That was incredible, Deku! Do you have any idea how cool you are?!” she shouted as she swung her arms around him after he got out of the change rooms. By that point, she was long since accustomed to physical contact with him. “Thanks, Uraraka,” Deku replied timidly, a now-rare blush staining his cheeks. “Think I overdid it a bit though. My leg’s pretty bruised up. Don’t think I can do that again for a little while if I don’t want to break it.” “Oh shoot, was it that bad?” Ochako replied, looking down pointedly at his leg, frowning at the thought of him injuring himself. “I’ll be okay,” he tried to reassure her. “But I still got a lot of work to do to stretch my limits. Feels like it’s getting harder the farther along I go.” “You’ll get there. I know you will,” she said earnestly, beaming up at him. He nodded in acknowledgement, smiling back politely. “I gotta get going to some training with All Might. See you tomorrow after class?” “Definitely,” she responded, before he rushed off, leaving her behind again. She frowned as his back disappeared into the distance, left a little dumbfounded by his focus. It was subtle, but it was the first time she realized she had never seen him take a compliment in full stride. He never stopped looking upward. He was never really content with where he was or with what he had already achieved. He would never cheer or bask in the moment, instead focused on the next thing or contemplating how he could have done better. The world was his mountain, one he would never stop climbing until he reached the stars themselves. It wasn’t a bad thing. Todoroki and even Iida had similar qualities, shrugging off their successes in the pursuit of the next victory. Over time, many of their classmates tried to emulate what the best and brightest were able to accomplish. But Ochako started to suspect the issue deeper than that with Deku. She remembered the nervous little boy he was when he met her, stumbling over himself and barely able to say a few words to her. How nervous he could be about succeeding despite having a truly awesome power. She had learned enough of his history to know how years of bullying had degraded any sense of self-worth that he had. In time, she decided she would work on that little quirk of his. Of course, she didn’t want to completely change him and see him be a braggart or lose focus on his goals. She doubted she could even if she tried. But she wanted him to be more aware of how awesome he was in the present. Maybe let loose a little more to celebrate his successes. It would take time, but Ochako knew it would be worth it. She wanted him to see in himself the incredible person that she did. 

When Izuku first met Ochako, he was mesmerized by everything about her. Beyond just the fact that she was a girl — although, in hindsight, he lamented how that fact alone had made him so flat-footed — it was that she was...special. Her cheery and friendly personality had made an immediate impact on him, leaving him a sputtering mess. As he came to know her, he was incredibly touched by her selflessness, both in trying to help him and, as he learned, help her parents. The more he came to know her, the more he wanted to know about her. Over time, he started to analyze her and her habits. As much as he did any of their classmates, he tried to lie to himself, for heroic study. He gathered a pretty good understanding of her quirk quickly, but beyond that… Izuku noticed how often she was smiling, whether by herself or in greeting someone. Her sunny disposition was strangely alien to him, with his own tumultuous childhood rendering him unexposed to such unfettered positivity. At the best of times, it made her hard to look at as he thought his heart might fly out of his chest when he did. But despite that bubbly exterior, he could see it was masking pure steel underneath her surface. She would let it out in bursts that were hard to ignore as she charged headlong into whatever came their way. No matter the challenge heroics class threw at them, she was eager and ready. Her fiery fighting spirit was something to behold, igniting with a brilliance that often left him flabbergasted. But there were also the smaller things he noticed that he found...adorable if he was being honest. How she would sometimes float when she got embarrassed, covering her face from view. How she was extremely frugal whenever they all went shopping together, even suggesting to classmates where they might get better deals on various items. There was also her tendency to get flustered around him later on in their friendship — something that took him far too long to understand. But despite how open she was and how much he came to understand her through various quirks, part of her always remained an enigma to him. It was subtle, at first. When he was first getting to know her, she would sometimes get this far off look, as if contemplating something serious. Whenever he asked her what she was thinking about she would snap to attention and brush them off, defensive about her musings. Then there was that moment after their first sports festival — where despite coming off of a crushing defeat, she wore a bright smile in front of him. He knew she probably in a lot of pain, both physical and emotional. He knew she was probably going to collapse as soon as he left the room for his match. But Izuku didn’t do anything. He didn’t think he could, at the time. Ochako’s foible manifested itself in a lot of ways over the ensuing months. She started getting more evasive around him. Even though she wore the same bubbly demeanour, he always got a feeling that she was hiding something. Hiding so as to not bother anyone. Keeping her grief bottled inside. The habit had, in hindsight, played a role in how long the two of them remained apart. But as their romance started to blossom, he decided he was going to address her little quirk. He didn’t have to wait long. On one of their earlier dates, out at a pleasant cafe, he noticed her starting to lose focus on the world around her. He wondered what exactly was disturbing her and this time decided to confront her about it. “Hey, Uraraka, is everything alright?” he asked as he gently reached a hand across their table, ghosting his fingertips across the soft skin of her wrist. She jumped with a vigour that surprised him, snapping her face and vision back onto him. Her face was slightly panicked as she spoke out in a quick huff. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine Deku! Sorry, just got a little distracted,” Ochaka replied, managing to put on a shadow of her usual bubbly self. “Guess I’ve just been a little out of whack with how tough class has been lately.”

Were he a little younger, he probably would have taken the explanation. Once upon a time, he didn’t have the social wherewithal to take action. But this time, he knew could do more. “You know, if something is bothering you, you can tell me about it,” Izuku replied gently. He stroked a thumb across the top of her hand comfortingly, flashing her his best smile along with it. “Anything at all, Uraraka. I am here.” She looked taken aback by the intense sincerity, and her face quickly sank. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, letting her mouth crease into a frown. But as quickly as it came, it was gone. She looked back up at him with the same empty smile. “Thank you, Deku,” Uraraka replied as she intertwined her fingers in his. “I know I can. I’m just...not ready, not just yet. But I promise I’ll let you know when I am. Okay?” Her eyes shined as they bore into his, pleading with him desperately to drop the matter. Izuku’s mouth stayed in a hard line. He had made a sliver of progress and felt somewhat compelled to press the matter farther. But it wouldn’t do to try to force her into something she wasn’t comfortable with. He could wait. “Sure, Uraraka. That’s just fine,” he said while maintaining a now fragile smile. He let a brief pause come between them before giving her an out to the subject. “So, what were you thinking of ordering?” His date eagerly leapt at the chance, considering the menu with an overblown amount of enthusiasm. Izuku laughed through it all, letting himself enjoy her company. He knew what she was doing wasn’t healthy. It was an extension of the same selflessness that attracted him to her when they first met. But over time, he wanted to get her to open up. He wanted to be a shoulder she could lean on, to be a confidant to all her troubles. Izuku knew personally how hard it was to bear one’s misery alone. And how important it was to rely on friends to help you through your tough spots. That was something she had taught him, after all.

AN: Written for IzuOcha Week Day 3: Quirks. Thank you all for your support! I have lots more in store. =)

[franeridan]

this post is probably completely and utterly unnecessary but since I wrote that chap90 thing on my other blog and I’ve been reading some of the tags under it I can’t stop thinking about this so, you know, let me just say that the Bakugou&Izuku relationship isn’t as confusing as a lot of people think it is? 

all you need to realize is that Izuku never really tried to be Bakugou’s friend, and it all makes way more sense - he’s always tried to be friendly towards him, sure, but neither of them has ever tried to establish a friendship. As long as you keep on thinking I don’t understand why Izuku would want to be Bakugou’s friend when Bakugou treated him like he did you’re just not gonna come out of it, because the premise is wrong 

what Izuku was trying to do wasn’t being Bakugou’s friend, he wanted to be acknowledged by him while at the same time, every single time Bakugou found himself in the slightest form of trouble, he wanted to help him. Not because it was Bakugou specifically, but because Izuku has a goddamn hero complex - it could have been anyone else in Bakugou’s same position and Izuku would have wanted to help them anyway, it’s nothing specific to Bakugou at all (you have actual proof of this during the training camp arc when Izuku has to pick between helping Bakugou or Tokoyami and he can’t)

have you ever realized that both Uraraka and Iida have had, early in their friendship with Izuku, to point out that they couldn’t keep on relying on his help? That’s because Izuku thrives on feeling needed and useful, he can’t avoid pushing his help onto people who aren’t asking for it and can’t sit and wait for others to help when he knows he could at least try to do something

Every friend Izuku has doesn’t mind that about him, actually makes a point of accepting his help while at the same time offering their own, establishing a mutual and equal relationship of helping-and-being-helped, and that’s the type of friendship that works best for Izuku because being a meddler and a worrywart is just part of his personality - but a relationship like that with Bakugou, a relationship in which Izuku is the saviour to Bakugou’s damsel-in-distress, is just not gonna fly

If Izuku had ever actually wanted to be Bakugou’s friend he would have adjusted his approach to offering his help (made it more similar to what Kirishima and Kaminari do, avoided using sentences like you needed saving/do you need my help/you can’t do this alone or generally avoided words like saving or rescuing, which completely dismiss Bakugou’s potential agency in his current situation and put Izuku in the hero position) but Izuku hasn’t ever really wanted to be Bakugou’s friend, he just wanted a civil relationship with him - and honestly, Bakugou has never given him reason to want to be his friend, so why would he even try to go for it

Anyway all in all what I mean is, Izuku’s hero complex makes him treat Bakugou like a victim in need of saving and Bakugou’s superiority/inferiority complex makes him unable to accept help from someone in a power-position compared to him and that’s why their relationship was the disaster it was until Izuku realzied he needed to stop trying to be Bakugou’s hero and Bakugou was slapped with the knowledge that Izuku had never seen himself as superior to him, I swear it’s not as impossible to understand as it seems

[multi-fandomtrashtm]

So I binged Boku no Hero Academia (SPOILERS BELOW)

So I binge watched and binge read this entire series up to date in about 4 days straight. And let me tell you; this is some good shit. 

It’s a very refreshing and welcome change of pace to a lot of other big shounen. 

To start off, the protagonist, Izuku, starts off as a average guy who wants to become a hero- typical underdog plot, it’s fine. You know what I really enjoy about him? Everything.

I like that right off the bat, he has to train like hell to even start to be able to use his powers. I like how his powers have logical limits. I like how he gets around his quirk’s double edged sword in the beginning with strategy. This is the only shounen lead I’ve seen use strategy constantly and doesn’t have a craving for fighting in some form. I like his design because he doesn’t just have black dots for eyes. I like that he isn’t crazy ripped. I like that he isn’t afraid to cry. I like that he’s both striving for the top and improving himself in just about every way, not just in power. 

The art in this series is great. Personally, I find it to be my aesthetic. I like how the women don’t have huge knockers, though this series certainly isn’t the first to not have it. 

I like how the quirks and designs are unique for each character (except one, but that’s an acceptable gag). Because of their personalities and appearances, I like all of the 1-A class. 

Except Bakugo. 

Holy shit, he was such a cunt. His irrational anger at pretty much everything and him pulling a Leeroy Jenkins was more than annoying. It really bothers me how he never, ever got payback for him bullying Deku for years. Every time he opened his mouth, I just felt so irritated because he would never chill out for even a second, it seemed like. Eventually, his dickishness did tone down a little and I could acknowledge him being smart. I’ll probably never outright like him, but I can tolerate him a lot better now. Bless Kirishima for giving this boy some much needed friendship. 

For story, I’ll just go by the arc. 

Entrance Exam Arc -  Battle Trial Arc

Kind of slow paced. The first time I watched the series, I didn’t get past this because things were just so slow. 

Anyway, just exposition, character introductions and reasons to hate Bakugo. 

Unforeseen Simulation Joint Arc

Very dramatic. I like the fights in this arc. Tomura genuinely creeped me out after I got past his weird design. And his quirk...ouch. Poor Aizawa. 

Sports Festival Arc

VERY good fights and even more characters. It was during this arc that I finally acknowledged Bakugo’s intelligence and started tolerating him. 

I respected Uraraka’s fight with him. It reminded me a lot of Sakura’s fight when she cut her hair. Both girls were seriously outclassed, but tried their damndest try to win through cleverness and strategy. Both still lost, though. I appreciated Urararaka’s endurance, attitude and strategy. I’m sure that it would’ve worked against someone else. Good try. 

Ok, Deku vs Shinso is the only instance of an asspull win thus far. What happened to make Deku break out of the brainwashing just didn’t make sense. I hoped that the author would explain it down the line with All for One, but nope. 

Todoroki’s subplot was interesting. First and foremost, his dad is a dick when it comes to being a father. Experimenting with your own kids to try and project your dream onto them? Stop. Just stop. If you can’t beat All Might with your own strength, then you’ve lost, it’s over. Also, don’t tell me that Todoroki isn’t almost an anime Zuko. Because he is.

I liked Deku giving him some spur of the moment therapy and it was nice to see Todoroki surpass his trauma, if even for a short bit. The art and animation for their fight was stunning. 

Bakugo vs Todoroki was certainly epic. I’m pretty sure that Todoroki could’ve won if he’d used both sides. But I understand him stopping at the last second. A motivational speech from Deku isn’t going to magically erase a lifetime of trauma, I’m afraid. 

Sidenote: I really like Hatsume. She reminds me of Iruma from Danganronpa V3 but less bitchy. 

Field Training Arc

Gran Torino is neat, but cliche. The badass grandpa mentor? He’s this exact trope. 

Stain and Tomura’s interaction was...okay? I guess? It was an interesting conflict in ideals. It also made me realize how much of a manchild Tomura is. 

Wasn’t expecting Iida to have a revenge arc going on. It gave character depth I just wasn’t expecting. Sad that he got stomped immediately. Didn’t expect Todoroki and Iida’s bond at all, either. It’s nice that he’s reaching out, I suppose. 

Stain’s quirk was oddly specific. Deku being un-paralyzed first because of his blood type made me want to call bullshit. But I just..can’t. We knew Deku’s blood type from his profile. We knew that Stain’s ability works with blood. It’s just crazy specific. Anyway, Stain’s death was disturbing. 

End of Term Test Arc

On some level, I knew that Deku and Bakugo would get paired up. Them being able to compromise on fighting and running was a surprise given how stubborn Bakugo is ;especially with Deku. It was nice that Deku went back for Bakugo when he literally got stomped. It’s amazing how he doesn’t hold a grudge against him. 

Wasn’t expecting Yaoyorozu to have a subplot about her lack of confidence, though I had noticed it earlier. Her and Todoroki’s teamwork was neat. I didn’t see him to be the type to give a motivational speech. 

School Trip Arc

Oh boy. When shit hit the fan in the woods, I could feel how scary that would’ve been. Here you are, in the middle of the night, in the woods, probably alone or with 1 other person, surrounded by a CLOUD OF POISON, all you can hear is explosions/screaming/silence and you know that you’re a sitting duck because you don’t know where anyone else is or how strong he enemies are. 

Deku’s fight against the guy that killed Kouta’s parents was a nice show of strength. Fukami’s raging dark shadow was a nice way to get rid of a villain. Overall, I liked it. Just 2 things: 1) Bakugo saying “Don’t come, Deku” was ominous. Nice. 2) I feel like Dabi may know Todoroki somehow. Not like “heard of”, but know him, even if Todoroki doesn’t know him. 

Hideout Raid Arc

Let me tell you; this arc was beautiful. Bless Kirishima and his friendship with Bakugo. Yes please. And the Pro Heroes charging in on the League of Villains was hype as fuck. Everything about that just made me hype in a way that I hadn’t been in months. 

The play on words with All for One blew my mind. “All for One” as in “all abilities for one person” = Stealing quirks so that belong to one person only. 

All Might vs All of One was...beautiful. His determination, the visuals of him cradling the last of his power just for this fight, everyone finding out his secret, everyone cheering him on anyway...Almost got a little emotional there. 

Deku’s mom was being logical in those last chapters. I’d be wary if my son’s school kept constantly being hunted down by just about everyone and he kept getting injured every time. But through the power of Kouta’s sweet letter and All Might begging (this was also nice), she caves. 

Hero License Exam Arc

Man, everyone in this is just interesting. Not much to say except the Shapeshifter using Uraraka’s appearance was smart, but not smart enough. 

The whole Rescue Maneuvers thing was very necessary. It’s cool if you’re strong, but if you don’t know how to actually save anyone, you’re not even a hero at that point. Case and Point- Bakugo. Sure he could see who should be prioritized, but I don’t think anyone would be comforted by the way he handles things. Also, it’s hilarious that there’s actually a job of being a Professional Victim. 

Internship Arc

Of course Bakugo wants a fight. Of course. A least he’s not doing it out of irrational anger this time. 

The big 3 are kind of hilarious. It’s Kaede, Sasuke and Vault Boy. Jokes aside, Nejire is the definition of Innocently Insensitive and Tamaki is kind of adorable. 

Nighteye is perfect. I love his dead serious attitude and love of humor. His process of hiring Deku was neat. It’s funny how they’re both huge nerds when it comes to All Might. Look at all that merch!

Eri is cute and I can already see the fandom calling her “an innocent, sweet cinnamon roll to be protected.” Overhaul is intimidating and he reminds me of Law from One Piece. With his ability he could literally annihilate you. Damn. 

Kirishima and Fat Gum’s alliance (even though Kirishima got stomped immediately) was sweet. More than that, I just like the fight itself and Rappa’s attitude. And Toga is joining the fray, well, this is going to be messy. 

 AND THAT’S ALL CHAPTER TILL NOW! 

Whew, that was a lot. 

That said, I really do like this series. It’s my new weekly read. 

[recentanimenews]

Becoming Heroic: What My Hero Academia Teaches Us About Growing Up

From Bakugo’s explosions, Kaminari’s short circuits, and even Mineta’s sticky balls, My Hero Academia’s prestigious U.A. High School is fertile soil for the growth of tomorrow’s heroes. With a strict curriculum of learning, training, and competitive sports festivals, the individual quirks of the up-and-coming are refined like muscle, so that one day their users may stand as the next symbols of peace.

  Being a hero doesn’t just mean being the strongest, however, and taking a stand against evil means more than just punching it in the face. A true hero is also someone people can look up to and depend on, so it’s no surprise that the path to heroism is about more than just maturing one’s powers. While still fresh out of the gate, this journey has already begun for some of Class 1-A.

As the protagonist of this underdog story, a lot of the physical and emotional growth we’ve witnessed so far has naturally come from Izuku Midoriya. One of only a fifth born without a “quirk” ability, Midoriya’s spent his early years as the timid target of teasing and bullying; even expressing his dream to join the hero course was met with laughter. As we know, his efforts paid off. Rushing in to save childhood friend and tormentor Bakugo from a villain spurred even the hero of peace to action, who rewarded Midoriya with the mysterious “One for All” power.

  Midoriya’s story has been one of celebrating the little victories. The power of One for All is a lot for a young body to contain; especially one not used to a quirk at all. Over three seasons we’ve seen him progress from struggling to focus his power into just throwing a ball, to landing significant blows on a villain whose power is to create literal muscle armor. This progress has been slow and steady, and came hand-in-hand with the development of more than just his abilities. The enthusiasm that once drew ridicule grew as well, becoming a source of inspiration for more and more people around him, earning not only their admiration, but also their friendship.

Midoriya has always chased the ideal of heroism, but over time has faced opposing realities of what this superpowered society represents to others. Being molded into an icon’s successor is his dream while it's Todoroki’s nightmare, and he's seen that the death of a hero in the line of duty isn’t quite as “honorable” to those left behind. Other shonen protagonists would go out guns blazing in their defiance, yet Midoriya has shown an eagerness to listen, learn, and understand before determining the best way to help someone – a sign of not just a great hero, but a great person.

Next up – for someone with the ability to negate gravity, Ochaco Uraraka’s goals are pretty grounded. She’s chasing the superhero life not for fame or glory, but for the more humble goal of a comfortable retirement for her parents. Her powers aren’t exactly suited for high stakes fighting, but Uraraka has learned and embraced valuable lessons from some of her most traumatic experiences to date.

Setting her heart on specializing in rescue efforts felt like a natural fit for a quirk that could lift the wreckage from a toppled building. The villains’ attack on the USJ training exercise and her desperate match against Bakugo in the Sports Festival proved invaluable lessons for Uraraka, who surprised her classmates by accepting an internship with the combat focused hero Gunhead.

Realising that she lacked in physical strength and that the opportunity to learn martial arts would greatly benefit her endeavors as a hero, this decision revealed a more important strength Uraraka possesses. Her loss to Bakugo was humiliating; her one desperate strategy literally blown away in an instant. After shedding the tears that needed shedding, however, she turned that humiliation into motivation to better herself. She not only identified how she needed to improve, but went out of her comfort zone to take the initiative in doing so. That kind of resolve is sure to shine not only in her superheroine career, but in the wider world as well.

  Many would consider superpowers a gift, yet for Shoto Todoroki what flows through his veins is a curse; a reminder of the broken home from which they came. Todoroki’s very existence was born from a more disturbing underbelly of the superhero society: quirk marriages. His pro hero father, the fire-bearing Endeavor, chose his wife solely to produce a child with both their quirks; a skill set he hoped would rival All Might’s One for All.

Todoroki only saw his powers as the sum of their parts, so refusing to ignite the fiery side inherited from his father was an act of rebellion and rejection against the abusive patriarch who drove his mother to despair. A lot of Todoroki’s earlier appearances were defined by this dark cloud hanging over him, but like so many of us growing up, we are changed by the people around us.

Despite rejecting his father’s ambitions, Midoriya’s connection to All Might still led Todoroki to view him as a rival. The battle of inherited quirks waged at the U.A. High Sports Festival where, amidst the action, Midoriya aimed for a prize other than victory. Through his match with Midoriya, Todoroki was able to remember that we are not defined by our parents, that the lives they give us are our own, and finally unleashed his flames.

Like his freezing body, Todoroki’s ice-cold heart was thawed. While he won, the once distant prodigy gained a great deal of respect for Midoriya and has slowly started to open up, even referring to him as a “friend” when coming to his aid when they faced off against Hero Killer Stain.

After the match, Todoroki took his first steps towards reconciliation with his mother, and although his relationship with Endeavor remains understandably strained, he at least acknowledges his father’s hero achievements enough to accept an internship at his agency.

My Hero Academia has taught us that the path to heroism isn’t easy, but all because we don’t have giant tails or produce acid, doesn’t mean that its lessons can’t also apply to us. Whether it’s learning to address our faults, overcome past trauma, or even just to appreciate progress one step at a time, the heroes can inspire us as we grow alongside them.

Which hero’s story inspires you? Let us know in the comments!

Josh A. Stevens is a freelance PR with anime industry experience, and a writer at Anime UK News. You can follow him on Twitter @Joshawott.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[kewltie]

dabi & izuku's relationship is platonic but there is an underlying of longing from dabi but he'll never pursue it bc sometime the end goal is not to a romantic 'ship but their crush's happiness bc dabi is no good guy but the only good thing in his life is izuku & their friendship. dabi treasures their friendship so deeply that he'll never risk it for a chance to be w izuku and beside he knows izuku deeply loves katsuki despite bkdk's up and down relationship lol /o\. his happiness is simply watching over izuku and making sure that izuku is safe and happy.

it's probably one of the most selfless and kindness thing he *thinks* he is capable even though he is such a wretched, horrid being that his own family spurn him (which is not all true) but his self loathing & hate is super deep even izuku's friendship cant heal him from that. that is something he has to do himself bc his redemption story may be initiated by izuku's friendship but izuku alone cant lead him there, he must walk that path himself. right now he is buckled down by his resentment of his father, family, and wizarding society of him.

wizarding society is super rigid and traditional, there is sense of superiority to blood status and magical power and v v v black & white view of dark & light magic as though it exists separately so if have an aptitude for the dark arts... you get heavily discriminated. the todoroki is an old & super traditional pureblood house that kept to the light side for generations. unfortunately, touya was born w magic that lean toward the dark side so he was cast aside as the black sheep of his family even tho they d love him but they dont understand him. touya long ago pulled away from his family & acted out in defying of them by actively seeking dark magic & mastering it which make his family draw away from him even more which caused him to resent them for it. rinse and repeat. he falls hard bc what else is he supposed to do? there's def a cycle of him basically doing horrible things but bc he did that he doesnt deserve a 2nd chance so continue doing horrible things which pull him further and further from his road to redemption. then he met izuku who shown him the first act of kindness. it didn't *change* him. no, not at first. but slowly and willingly as they get older izuku's steady and faithful friendship is the only thing keeping him from truly committing great atrocities and he'll realize one day he'll have to choose b/t the dark forces or izuku.

so how is a person like izuku so steadfastly good and kind can be friend like someone like dabi, i think in life occasionally we meet and love ppl who are capable of horrible things like that one friend who is super nice but homophobic or does drug but lay down their life for you. ppl are multifacet and not everyone is perfectly good or bad. there are good ppl who do horrible things as there are bad ppl who can do good things, it's where we draw the lines of where we stand w them and decide when is enough is enough that it is too much for us. right now dabi does have an inherent streak for violent and cruelty but he hasnt unleash it so completely into the world in a way that make izuku turn away from yet. if the day he commit such atrocity... that is a day that will test their friendship greatly.

izuku was the one who extended hand to dabi bc they were both outcasts in their own way; dabi bc of his violent dark inclination and izuku bc he was a squib/lack power in a society that equate them to pariah. they were drawn together bc of it so their friendship is deeply rooted. so even as they got older and dabi remains a lone wolf who got the worst kind of rep and made himself even more of an outcast, thriving on it; izuku gains new friends and popularity as ppl realizes how wonderful he is!!! but their friendship remains STRONG as ever. they may never hang out in class or freely in public but that doesn't mean their friendship isn't equal to his other friends bc they meet up in the astronomy tower at night which is their /thing/ solely for them and only there is izuku allow to dump his insecurity & doubts. only in front of dabi can izuku can be stripped down to this his barest self bc dabi had already seen him at his worst. dabi knows him and accept that he can't always be such a good poster boy for the light all the time. he can be a little messy and broken and it's ok.

izuku may or may not be fully aware of dabi's feelings for him but even if he'll never acknowledge it bc he's afraid if he does than it would ruin their friendship forever not when dabi is just happy to be allow to be stay beside izuku bc their friendship is everything to them.