#except for being a selfless idiot with no regard for his own safety :(

[basingstokemercury]

adam no

[makeste]

save no matter what.

so this is going to ultimately be a post about Deku. however, if you’ll be so kind as to indulge me, I would like to start things off by making a point about Bakugou. specifically, I’d like to point out that back in the day before this kid got Character Development no Jutsu’d, people weren’t always so inclined to view his attitude towards winning in the best light. which is a nice way of saying that he came off as unhealthily obsessed, not to mention more than a little unhinged.

sorry for the image spam btw, I just think they’re funny. he’s so demented lmao. KILL DIE CRUSH.

anyway so we’re gonna do the rest of this below a cut before it gets long. but I promise it really is a Deku post lol. don’t let the pre-readmore stuff fool you. I PROMISE THERE IS A POINT, AND WE WILL GET TO IT.

anyway! so yeah, we really didn’t have the best impression of Bakugou’s whole winning fixation at the beginning there. and I mean, it’s not like we had the best impression of Bakugou himself at the start of things either. we were already primed from the very first chapter to see this kid as an adversary to Izuku. the story goes out of its way to paint him in pretty much the worst light possible. which is why what happens next is so interesting.

because one might see all this and think, “holy heck, this kid is off the shits, somebody needs to set him straight pronto and get it into his head that winning isn’t everything.” because that’s almost the natural conclusion to draw. “look at this kid, he doesn’t care about helping other people at all, all he cares about is winning, someone needs to come along and show him that he’s got it backwards.”

except that’s not what happens, is it? because this is where, much to my delight, Horikoshi came along and started subverting expectations. because not only is Katsuki not rebuked for being so obsessed with winning -- it’s pretty much the exact opposite.

the one and only time Deku ever straight up hands Katsuki’s ass to him is when he says he doesn’t want to win. Deku is IMMEDIATELY all, “THE FUCK KIND OF BULLSHIT DID I JUST HEAR OUT OF YOUR TRASH MOUTH,” and that’s when he sets him straight.

the important people in Katsuki’s life never tell him, “hey you need to cool it with the whole winning thing.” All Might and Aizawa never scold him for it, or tell him that he shouldn’t try with everything he has to win, or that wanting to win is a bad thing. on the contrary, they both commend him for it. and ultimately, he’s told by All Might that this desire is actually one of the two fundamental qualities that every great hero needs.

he completely turns the whole thing on its head. not only is it not a bad thing, it’s actually crucial. essential. because what the desire to win really is, at its core, is tenacity. it’s the fiercest kind of determination. it’s not something he should be ashamed of; it’s something that sets him apart, something that makes him worthy. he is someone who refuses to back down no matter what. refuses to give up, no matter what. and this quality, which is initially misunderstood by some to the point where even the villains mistakenly take him for one of their own in the making, is eventually validated to the fullest degree by the person that Katsuki looks up to the most. his desire to win goes from being this awkward “son wtf are you doing” thing to being one of the core philosophies of the series. and ever since then, we pretty much don’t question it.

so why do I bring this up now? well, the answer to that can basically be summed up in one word.

“parallels.”

so here’s the thing. there’s been a lot of talk lately about Deku’s ridiculous, reckless, and absurdly self-destructive desire to save others while having little to no regard for himself. currently he’s lying in a hospital bed, having broken approximately 218 out of the 206 bones in his little hero body (yes, somewhere along the way he found an additional dozen bones to break). it is worrying. it is Concerning. and it’s raised a lot of questions, such as “???” and “wtf is this idiot doing.”

and a lot of people have been pretty critical of him! this is, of course, an ongoing thing with this child, and people have been giving him grief over it going as far back as chapter 6.

while others have been bothered by it going even further back than that.

and I’ve seen these sentiments being echoed pretty frequently in the fandom as well. and there are basically two talking points that I want to address here. the first is the idea that Deku’s aggressive brand of selflessness stems from an inherent lack of self-worth. in other words, because he prioritizes other people’s safety and well-being above his own, and is willing to go to such drastic lengths to save them, there’s this feeling that he doesn’t value himself enough, that he must not care about himself.

but I don’t think that’s quite it. let’s go back to those parallels first, though. let’s take another look at Kacchan.

what I mainly want to call attention to is the intensity here. again, it’s something that at first strikes most readers as being absurdly over the top. the truth is, I think a lot of people simply can’t relate to it. Katsuki cares about winning with a ferocity and a fervor that most people, for better or worse, simply don’t have. I certainly don’t, lol.

but he does. to him it’s not a shallow, superficial thing at all. it’s important to him, perhaps the most important thing. I think we often talk about it in terms of it being a desire, but imo a more accurate way to define it is not as a want, but as a need. in other words, it’s the opposite of the question “what is it this character wants” (i.e. “what is it they can’t live without”)? instead, it’s a question of “what is it they don’t want” (i.e. “what is it they can’t live with”)?

and in Katsuki’s case, the thing he can’t live with is feeling like he hasn’t tried his absolute best. he needs to give his all in everything he does. he wants to win, but winning just on its own is not enough.

it has to be earned. he has to prove to himself and to everyone else that he deserves it. anything less than that is unacceptable. anything less than that, and he can’t be at ease. he can’t be settled. he can’t rest. and so he puts everything he has into winning, even if it means going to extremes. because it’s that important to him.

it’s something that’s at times alarming and even disturbing for others to witness. but nonetheless, it’s a part of who he is, and at the end of the day his teachers accept that, and the story acknowledges that it’s his greatest strength.

so now, to finally bring this back around to Deku, this is what I keep seeing in his character as well. only in his case, the thing he can’t live with is knowing that he didn’t do everything he possibly could to save someone. or to put it another way, Deku, at his core, is someone who cannot rest until he knows that everyone is safe. simple as that. it’s not just a desire to protect people; it’s a need. he needs to know that everyone is safe and protected. otherwise he can’t be at ease. it’s no different from how normal, everyday people aren’t able to feel at ease unless they know that they are safe and that their loved ones are safe. it’s just that in Deku’s case, this same fundamental need extends to everyone, not just himself and his friends and family. everyone. he can’t live with himself knowing that someone was in trouble, and he had the ability to do something to help, but didn’t. and so, if you literally can’t live with not doing something, you basically have no choice but to do it.

and this is what in my opinion defines Deku’s character. Kacchan, in trying to understand it, noted that Deku doesn’t seem to take himself into account. but I think OFA Prime summed it up a little more accurately. “he rages for the sake of others. for them, he does his best until he can do no more. this young man is possessed by a drive to save others that eclipses all common understanding.”

so yeah. it’s not that he doesn’t care about himself at all, it’s that he cares about others even more. he has that same intensity and ferocity towards saving people that Katsuki has towards winning. and just as it was difficult at first for fans to understand Katsuki’s feelings, it’s hard to fathom the sheer depth of that “save everyone” feeling that compels Deku to break his own body in that pursuit. it’s scary, not to mention extremely destructive and dangerous. and so really, it was almost inevitable that there would be some backlash.

but just like Katsuki’s desire to win was ultimately validated in the end, I think Deku’s desire to save others will be as well. in fact it already is being validated, for starters by the other denizens of OFA, led by Lil Bro as mentioned above. let’s go back for a moment to that same scene.

here we get a huge hint that “Deku gets taken down a notch and chewed out and scolded for his recklessness” is not, in fact, the direction that the story is going in. because in general, when the main villain starts mocking the hero and saying that they’ve done something wrong, that’s a very good sign that said hero is actually on the exact right track. like, no offense, but as far as character critiques go, AFO is probably the least qualified person in the entire manga to start offering those up lol. so yeah. if AFO is denouncing Deku for something, and OFA Prime is praising him for that exact same thing, I think it’s safe to say that means he is in fact doing something very, very right.

“okay but makeste, he nearly got himself killed and broke all of his arms AND legs and is now lying in a fucking coma,” you say, gesturing emphatically to the last page of chapter 298. “so I mean, that’s all well and good that Wonder Boy has the best of intentions and all that, but at the end of the day he’s only one kid. he literally can’t save everyone, and if he pulls one or two more stunts like this, he’s going to get himself killed.”

and okay, but this here is the other talking point that I wanted to address. because it’s true, Deku does need to learn a specific lesson here. but that lesson is NOT that he can’t save everyone. this is a superhero story, guys -- “you can’t save everyone” is never going to be the underlying message, ever. it’s the OPPOSITE of the message. Deku is the hero because he tries to save everyone. because he doesn’t give up on saving people no matter what. that is literally the core of the story. it has been since the very first chapter.

so then what is it that Deku actually needs to learn here? well, once again, it all comes back to those parallels.

btw, I really just love how he’s carrying Katsuki there lol. he’s just so done with him.

but anyway. so, the final exam arc. Katsuki initially wants to win at all costs -- but there’s a hitch. because even though he wants to win, he refuses to do so while working with Deku. enter Deku’s left hook, and one impromptu Rival Encouragement Speech later, our boy has thankfully come to his senses.

but here’s the point -- the lesson here wasn’t “you can’t always win.” rather, the lesson that Katsuki needed to learn was that you can’t always win alone.

yeah. so now you can see what I’m getting at here.

“...on your own.”

that’s the key. this is the one and only thing that Deku actually needs to get into his head. wanting to save everyone is fine! his will to save others has never been a weakness -- it’s been the most admirable thing about him from day one. it’s what makes him strong. it’s why All Might chose him. it’s why OFA has chosen him. it’s what sets him apart, and I firmly believe it’s what will ultimately help him save the day and defeat AFO as well. because what other character would look at Shigaraki Tomura, the person who just impaled his friend and destroyed an entire city, and instinctively reach out a hand to try and save him? and if you don’t think that’s going to wind up being key to the final battle, you and I have very different ideas about this series’ endgame.

Deku’s determination to save everyone isn’t arrogance or futility. it is and always has been his greatest strength. but what he’s missing now, what he needs to learn, is simply to trust. y’all might have seen that theory about the Fourth’s quirk, and why All Might was so hesitant to tell Deku about it. basically, the theory (which is based on an attempted translation of the crossed-out parts of All Might’s OFA notebook) goes that the Spidey Sense was so overwhelming that the Fourth -- whose cause of death was one of the things crossed out -- eventually couldn’t bear it, and went to live alone in the middle of the woods somewhere. and possibly wound up killing himself?? all of which is just speculation right now of course. but it makes sense. and it would certainly explain why All Might, being all too aware of Deku’s self-destructive tendencies, would keep that from him.

but if this is the case, that means it’s clear that the Fourth’s solution didn’t work. “give up and accept that you can’t save everyone” clearly is NOT the answer to be had here.

the answer is trust. trust that his fellow heroes have his back. trust that they’ll be able to help him reach the people he’s not able to reach on his own. trust that they can work together to save everyone. that he doesn’t have to rest the entire world on his shoulders alone.

it’s the one lesson that All Might, his predecessor and his teacher, never learned himself until it was too late. but of course, All Might never had a prickly and determined rival who was ready to step in and deal out some tough love if need be. a rival who, perhaps, just might soon get a chance to repay an old favor.

“I don’t wanna hear you say you can’t save someone.”

I’m just saying. just as Deku has been watching Katsuki all this time, and admiring his determination to win, and emulating it himself, so has Katsuki recently begun to emulate Deku’s determination to save others. we’ve seen it not just in his recent act of self-sacrifice, but even in little things like his habits and tricks of speech. just like Katsuki is Deku’s image of victory, Deku is becoming Katsuki’s image of saving others.

and so I’ll bet you anything that if Deku ever starts to doubt himself, or starts feeling like his dream and desires are futile, Kacchan will be there to set him straight with a good old fashioned Rival Encouragement Speech of his own. possibly with his own left hook to match, though his left shoulder is currently out of sorts atm so he might need to modify that approach a little bit. but the point is, he’ll be there. and he will not allow Deku to give up on himself. he will be there to remind him that he doesn’t have to face this alone.

so yeah! finally managed to wrap up my giant Deku meta which I’ve been working on for ages and rewritten like fifteen times lmao. just in time for this to be relevant for all of a day, probably, depending on what happens once chapter 279 drops lol. but yeah. tl;dr, local boy tries to do too much, but his heart is in the right place, and hopefully all he really needs is a good pep talk from his tsundere bff to set him to rights again. r.i.p. to the Fourth, but he’s different.

[holyblackspear]

For the OC OTP prompts - how about,,, every other emoji :3

Ahah, thank you for asking dear, I was in the mood for some writing about these idiots! I’m going to continue with Johnathan and Bull as in the previous ask ;) Since it’s long, I’m putting this under the cut!

❣️ When did your OC first realise they were in love? How did they react to the realisation? I’m actually writing a fic about this I hope to post soon, but to sum it up: On a mission, when Bull got hurt in his place and risked his life for him. It made him feel horrible and guilty, but they talked a few hours later. They both opened up a little about their past, and that gave him perspective about his own story and about how he wanted Bull to be happy. It was the first time he consciously realized he cared for the Qunari, that it wasn’t just about desiring him physically but rather something far bigger and more rooted in his heart.He didn’t take it well. Actually, he got terrified. He had seen Bull for being the type to sleep around, his upbringing not contemplating the idea of a stable relationship. Love had hurt him in the past already, so he was more scared and upset about his feelings and their impossibility to be reciprocated (that’s how he thought to be back then) than happy.

💝 What kinds of gifts does your OC receive from their partner(s)? What kinds of gifts do they give in return? Jonathan knows Bull likes dawnstone, so he likes to collect it when he’s on missions so he can forge weapons and stuff for him with it. He’s also aware of his love for food, so he likes to sneak away silently from the group and fetch snacks here and there to show him all of a sudden. The one he likes to give him the most is chocolate, since it’s canonically rare.He insists with Bull that the best gift he could receive from him is his time and presence, but Bull doesn’t listen (luckily). He’d bring the elf books about the sky and its stars and planets, something Johnathan is very passionate about. He’d also bring him herbs for his pipe since he’s kind of a heavy smoker (though he’s trying to slow down a little).

💕 Describe an ideal date form them! Ideal date? As stated here, obviously for these two dorks: Hunting down a Dragon! The surprise when seeing one, the adrenaline pumping as they face the beast and the triumphant shout when they come out of it alive and successful … I mean, can you think of anything more romantic?On a more common note, however, a night spent stargazing talking about their lives would be perfect. Johnathan loves the sky and the stars and loves hearing about Bull’s stories. It makes them feel closer to open up under the infinite mantel of the universe, giving them a sense of intimacy that nothing else can.

💔 Has your OC had a bad breakup or nasty ex? If so does this have any affect on their current relationship? He did, and a very bad one actually.Back to the days when Johnathan was still young and unmarked, around fifteen years old, he had fallen for a wandering elf that had asked to be taken in by clan Lavellan for a while, waiting for the spring to come and the weather to get more clement. He was older than him and his knowledge for life, hunting and human culture fascinated him. Plus, he was a teenager eager to experiment with love and sexuality, so the elf’s flirting and teasing flattered and excited him.Having no previous examples of how a relationship should work he didn’t interpret the plenty of red flags that were there. He didn’t complain about being left alone for long periods of time, about not receiving proper attention after they got physical for the first time and most importantly he didn’t think it was bad to have sex in a rush, sometimes without explicitly consenting, only to be left alone after his partner had climaxed.To top it off, he kept it a secret to everyone else because he was shy and feared to be seen badly by the clan for liking a man (since the elves are usually concerned about having children to continue the race exterminated by the humans), so nobody could actually tell him. Plus, when he expressed the possible desire to open up to at least his friends and parents, his partner would get mad and oppose strongly.The real hit came when Spring actually arrived. Johnathan thought that he was going to stay in the clan in the name of the love they shared, but the man simply went away with a shrug, telling him he had a wife and children to go back to in the clan he belonged to. Of course, poor Johnathan was shattered, and his heart considerably hardened in regards to romantic love.He didn’t become untrustful, however. Years passing by made him realize that what he went through was an exception, rather than the rule and that most people weren’t anyhow similar to him.

💘 What do they love most about their partner(s)? What do their partner(s) love most about them? Johnathan loves Bull’s beard. Seriously! He doesn’t grow it, it’s scratchy and black, perfect for snuggling (and even better for … added sensation)That and the half-smile he makes, that sort of little grin Bull does. It drives him mad in a positive way.Bull likes his eyes and ears. Johnathan is a very serious person, mostly has a resting bitch face. Those two traits, however, are always highly expressive. His ears twitch and move, plus they’re long and sensitive, so it’s fun to tease the elf. And his eyes, well … they’re big, they’re colourful, they’re freaky, and the truest and most sincere part of the Inquisitor. So much’s hidden behind them, only waiting to be seen by a sufficiently attentive glance.

💖 What are some little subtle ways they show that they love each other? Bull stops Johnathan while he’s working, sometimes, cups his face and kisses him. It’s brief and simple, sometimes not even on the lips, but when he breaks away and whispers “Kadan” with his soft voice, the elf remembers he’s not alone, and that he’s loved more than he ever thought possible.Johnathan, on the other hand, takes care of him. Bull’s not very good at doing that himself, so the blond says nothing and simply acts, putting balm on his horns, massaging the leg when he wears the brace and such. Also, both of them do little things for each other. Sharpen the other’s weapon, fill in a document while the other’s asleep … things like these.

💗 Describe your OC’s partner(s) from their point of view! What do they really think about them? He thinks Bull’s a beautiful man, both in and out, that has suffered too much and still managed to remain kind like few others. At first he’s scary, he’s good at lying, too good at hiding what’s not quite right underneath his skin.But he’s sweet and caring, sometimes too selfless to believe. Plus he’s a walking paradox, so full of antitheses it’s funny. He’s surprising, knowledgeable and unexpected and all Johnathan could ask for and more. His heart tightens every time he stares at him for a while and his mind starts wandering.

💞 What do their respective families think of their relationship? Since Bull doesn’t have a family in the common sense of the term, I’d say the Chargers have nothing against it. They grew accustomed to the Inquisition and to Johnathan more specifically, seeing how caring of a leader he is. They probably tease them for being their “mommy and daddy” since they’re always worrying about their safety. The mom is Bull, of course.Johnathan’s parents, on the other hand, had a brief moment of disbelief and implicit opposition. They were hoping to see their child happily married with one of their kind and to have grandchildren, so being told their little boy was in love with a Qunari mercenary was … a lot to take in.It lasted very little, however. Johnathan’s dad saw how he was starting to get emotional and how his son was hurt by their reaction, to the point he was almost crying. He hugged “his little elf” while talking to his wife, both realizing that the whole Inquisition had changed their son and how he was happy with the man at his side. Eventually, the grew found of the Qunari (who has the same shitty dad humour of Joni’s father) and found happiness in their son’s. Plus, they adore their adoptive grandchildren.

🖤 Have they ever had a really bad argument where they almost broke up? I don’t think so. They’re both rational men who don’t let their feelings drive them. They had fights, most likely, especially about how careless and selfless the other was being towards himself, but never so bad they’d get close to breaking up. I think they’d rather spend some time alone to figure it out before sitting down and talking it out.

💌 Write a love letter from your OC to their partner(s). BONUS: write a reply! Fun fact: Johnathan is not good at expressing his feelings, let alone if he has to write a long, heartfelt letter.So the exchange would probably go like this:(Fancy letter with sigil and rice paper from Johnathan)Bull,let’s find and fight a dragon.My necklace’s missing the thrill of the fight.Yours, JohnathanI’m not even joking.

💜 Give a random fact about their daily life together! Sometimes Johnathan wakes up still tired and complains about the make-up he has (wants, rather) to put on. Bull is happy to apply it for him, all focused and dead serious.The result is close to atrocious, but Joni doesn’t have the heart to kill his toothy smile and leaves his quarters regardless, proud of his green racoon eyes and the fard too heavy on the cheeks.Pretty much everyone has figured out what’s going on. They find it very sweet, though it looks ridiculous.