#factor's fics

[eleventhhourfactor]

Following up on something @jayyydez tagged me in, in regards to a "writing wrapped" of sort. Call it vain, or reading more into things than I ought to, but given my current burnout situation, I figured I ought as well take stock of all my works from 2024, and perhaps rope in the other writers and see how we're faring.

So, if you wish, here's my Writing Wrapped, originally by @jayyydez and extended forth by yours truly because what else am I supposed to do for my lunch break besides sit at my computer and ignore food, chores, cross stitch, and a whole load of other things for the latest attention-grabbing post.

Should I tag some of you nerds? Yeah. Get tagged @peaches2217 @itsavee4117 @megamagimugi @vulpixfairy1985 @silenzahra

Writing Wrapped

How many words have you written this year?

90,985. Considering I kicked things off in May, I'd say that's pretty decent.

How many works did you publish this year?

14. All but one of these were for Mario, Luigi's Mansion, and Sonic.

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

How dare you make me pick a favorite child? Why I oughta—

Enjoy Your Stay at the Last Resort. Let me manifest my Luigi's Mansion movie, alright? I liked the chance to blend the games together, to introduce some stakes for everyone, to weave Daisy into the story and make her truly distinct. Also, writing E. Gadd was a blast. I love that little dude, and I love his interactions with everyone.

What work of yours has the most hits?

Enjoy Your Stay at the Last Resort. You're more than welcome to be in that number.

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

In terms of volume? Both Enjoy Your Stay and The Fourth and Final Time got their fair share of comments.

In terms of the responses themselves surprising me? Worth a Shot. Touched some nerves in a bittersweet way.

Favorite title you used?

Again with picking favorites! Can I at least break down my top three by why I named them? Yeah? Then I'll do that.

The Fourth and Final Time has its roots in tetraphobia, especially the Japanese superstition of four being unlucky (due to its pronunciation being very close to the word for "death"). We've had three successful ventures out against ghosts, so why not seal Luigi's fate when he tries his luck for, well...it's in the title. Luigi's Mansion 4 when, Nintendo?

Sparks and Butterflies is all about being anxious, of feeling something funny in your very core when you're going through some major changes. In English, there's the idiom of "butterflies in your stomach"; for Mario, it's literal fire in his belly. The title later turns from feelings of dread to feelings of joy upon the arrival of twins, turning that dread into love as he holds his fiery little butterflies close.

S(t)ealing the Show on Christmas, of All Days! let me work a pun in like I'm Mr. Peabody. What better opportunity to reveal to your extended family that you've become a selkie than with an elaborate Christmas Day prank? Have to convince them you're the real deal of a seal somehow.

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

I didn't really pull from many songs this year, except to name some chapters in Enjoy Your Stay. Those chapters? "Standing on Ghosts" (a banger from Two Door Cinema Club) and "Give Me Your Answer" (a line from "Bicycle Built for Two", which I chose for Daisy and the fact that it was the first song sang by a computer. I swear it makes sense in context).

Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

Bowuigi. I'm sorry, I'll change it up this year. The autism gripped me hard with this one. I didn't see it coming, either.

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

Yakko Warner/Max Goof was nice to revisit for A Zany, Goofy Christmas. A breath of fresh air from all the green man and turtle stuff.

What work was the quickest to write?

Out in the Rain. About 1100 words, originally written for @lu1g199 in an ask, so it took me a few hours at most.

What work took you the longest to write?

Both of the Luigi's Mansion-centric fics, Enjoy Your Stay and The Fourth and Final Time, took me four months apiece from start to finish. I have to admit, with the long break I took between the third and fourth chapters of the latter, that one felt like it took me longer to complete. I was also running everything by the original creator of that AU, @giddlygoat, and I didn't want to tread wrong!

How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

Crud, I was dreading this one. In terms of what I've actually begun work on, I've got these:

So You Were Bitten by Dracula Himself - already started this one, still need to write three chapters of varying lengths that are effectively one-shots all shoved into a single work. Luigi once again suffers under my hand, but things get better. Mostly.

Steady Steps in a Tangled Tango - started outlining this and I need to finish, dammit. Basically, post-Enjoy Your Stay stories about Luigi and Daisy, developing relationship and all that jazz. Title might change.

Light Reading for a Dark Evening - need to work on the concluding second chapter of that where OH NO IT ALL WENT WRONG!!

As for things I haven't even started? There's one I want to do with Luigi gaining weird ghost powers, and then there's the Pinky and the Brain works that I've sworn to rework and repost for a couple of years now. I need to get my priorities in order.

What’s your longest work of the year?

Enjoy Your Stay at the Last Resort, with 32,330 words.

What’s your shortest work of the year?

Out in the Rain, with 1,161 words.

What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

Everything in the list above, plus a follow-up chapter for Love's Capacity if I get the time.

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

Hurt/Comfort.

Your favorite character to write this year?

oough that's hard. Movie-verse Luigi is fun because I get to infuse him with the mannerisms of Charlie Day. The Count Bleck crew was fun to bring together, too.

Gonna have to go with Sonic, though. That technically falls under 2025, but like man, sometimes you need a Sonic to pull you out of your own head.

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Goofy. Yes, that Goofy. On the surface, he shouldn't be that difficult. Once you dive in and break down how he speaks, and how he enunciates his sentences, it becomes a balancing act between writing something that's coherent and true to the character and completely butchering him into a yokel. He's no yokel. He's just fucking Goofy, with facets and flaws and hidden depths.

I do love him, though. Best dad. Like PJ, I'd take him over the Pete I was dealt.

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

Luigi and Daisy. I really started something with them and then dropped the ball for gay shit. Not that gay shit was the worst way to go! Just that my brain really, really needs to switch gears for my sanity.

Also, I want to put Brinky back in the rotation. So much for switching gears, I know.

Which work of yours have you reread the most?

I've given everything a fair share of rereads, both to keep the story in line and for my own entertainment.

How many kudos in total did you get this year?

802. Not too shabby, methinks.

Which work has the most comments?

Enjoy Your Stay at the Last Resort.

Did you do any collaborative works this year?

Collaboration is what got me started writing again, so three cheers for that.

Off-Hours was the start of it all, a one-shot paired with an excellent work of art by @snakeeyesdraws for a SPM collection. There was also The Fourth and Final Time with Gidds and the entire tarot reading from Light Reading for a Dark Evening by @jayyydez.

Did you write any gifts this year?

Quite a few! Most of these were because I saw something neat and latched on and made tributes to it, like:

Aftereffects for [where the heck did you go wahooitsamee]'s half-Koopa Mario AU,

S(t)ealing the Show for @loud-kid2's Folklore AU,

Out in the Rain for @lu1g199's Plant Luigi AU, and

A Zany, Goofy Christmas for @wheres_waddle19 (Animaniacs Secret Santa).

Did you receive any gifts this year?

I received a really nice fic from @magical-octopus for the Animaniacs Secret Santa: A Wintery Zoo Night.

Other than that, nah. I mostly give.

What’s your most common category?

Gen.

What do you listen to while writing?

Most of the time, background YouTube video essays. Most of the music I listen to for inspiration happens before and after I sit down to write.

That being said, that really depends on what story I'm writing, though some bands stay in my rotation no matter what (like TDCC and Saint Motel).

Favorite work you wrote this year?

Could've sworn I answered this one already. You want something out of left field? Something truly written for the guilty pleasure of doing it?

Literally Lovestruck and Love's Capacity. Shameless smut promotions. There.

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

You are once again asking me to pick my favorite child. Some of these stories were multi-chapter, people. How the heck am I supposed to pick just one?

You get a collection of passages from the Mario fics, and that's final.

From Off-Hours:

“Get out.” Mr. L was fuming—a hilarious expression for such a silly-looking sap, Dimentio thought. “Out of where? Town? Dodge? Your field of vision?” “Get out of MY WORKSHOP!” Predictably, Mr. L chucked his wrench at Dimentio’s head. Unpredictably, this throw had impeccable aim.

From Enjoy Your Stay:

“Assimilation was inevitable, and all I did was hasten it.” E. Gadd stood up, kicking at some microscopic mote on the concrete. “The fact that Luigi would tap into the goo’s innate knowledge to save Daisy’s life was also a factor I hadn’t accounted for.” “Really?” Kamek cocked his head, trying not to roll his eyes. “You didn’t count on one of the Mario Brothers saving a Princess?”

From Tarragon, Tails, and Koopa Scales:

It was the sort of attack that required another level of ruthlessness, bordering on the feral urge to destroy. How ironic, then, for this to have been done by a hero’s hand.

From Literally Lovestruck:

“Mm?” He had to admit that this was a first, especially in the position they now found himself in. There was so much she could do with him held down the way he was, and yet she took the opportunity to close in with kisses. What else was there for him to do except reciprocate, perhaps even try a move of his own?

From Another Point of View:

“Insufferable little cretin,” he muttered the moment they were out of earshot. “If he weren't already dead, I'd kill him.” “I know you would,” Luigi said softly, running a single scaly finger over the tousle of dark curls that were normally his. “But we need to stay calm and get through this, okay?”

From The Fourth and Final Time:

Peach put her hands together. “As much as I would love to go on about him, I feel now would be a good time to let another speak.” Bowser raised his hand.  “You don’t have to raise your hand, Bowser,” Peach said. “Just say what comes to mind.” “Um, okay.” The great dragon turtle shifted from foot to foot. “When I first met Luigi, I was trying to kick his ass.”

From Worth a Shot:

He shouldn’t have tried to punch a ghost. Luigi had told him time and time again that physical prowess meant squat against the dead, but when push came to shove, well… Bowser shoved back as hard as he could.

From Light Reading for a Dark Evening:

Without a word, Amy drew another card.  “Trust me, you’ll want more context for this,” Amy said, flipping the card between her fingers. “Mostly to see why this didn’t work out.” “I kinda already know—” “Five of Lightning,” Amy interjected.  Bowser drew in a breath. “What’s that mean?” “It means you have a habit of getting into situations you really shouldn’t be in.” Amy twirled the card between her fingers. “A selfish, one-sided pursuit of a certain Princess, perhaps? Or the pain and defeat that your thwarted schemes brought you? I’m thinking all of the above.”

And finally, from S(t)ealing the Show:

Any number of things could happen at midnight. Marilyn Moretti hadn't counted on seals.

Biggest surprise while writing this year?

How many friends my efforts have gotten me, as well as how much more open I became as a writer. I really wasn't expecting much, and look where I am now: with way too many stories under my belt in areas I hadn't expected to write in. Thanks, y'all.

[eleventhhourfactor]

Eh, I'll reblog. I'll either write for a fandom or write about my OCs. You decide, should you want to hear.

Drabble List #2

New drabble prompt list! Feel free to reblog!

“That’s how the story goes.”

“None of this is your fault.”

“I know it hurts.”

“Are you serious?”

“You’re safe now.”

“No one’s going to hurt you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“This isn’t what I wanted.”

“My head hurts.”

“I’m right here, okay?”

“Wow, you look… amazing.”

“Are you okay?”

“Who did this?”

“I made a mistake.”

“When I’m with you, I’m home.”

“There’s nothing I can do anymore.”

“This is going to hurt.”

“That was kind of hot.”

“Please don’t let me be alone.”

“Don’t try to fix me. I’m not broken.”

“It’s never too late to get back up again.”

“What if one day I wake up and you don’t?”

“I immediately regret this decision.”

“I’m not okay.”

“I’m scared.”

“You’re the one thing keeping me sane right now.”

“Please stay with me.”

“Please help me.”

“It’s okay to cry.”

“Is that blood?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“You’re everything to me.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Are you testing me?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I think you’re beautiful.”

“I’m lost without you.”

“You have my word.”

“I’m just tired.”

“It just… hurts.”

“Do you promise?”

“I’m not drunk enough for this.”

“Why are you shaking?”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

“Is that my shirt?”

“Please don’t shut me out.”

“Go back to sleep.”

“I can take care of myself just fine.”

“This is new.”

“Take off your shirt.”

“Be you. No one else can.”

“I can’t breathe.”

“Are you going to talk to me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“They’re gone.”

“Just smile. I really need you to smile right now.”

“Would you just hold still?”

“I miss the way things used to be.”

“Am I dead?”

“Look at me.”

“Can we just pretend like we’re normal for once?”

“I told you not to fall in love with me.”

“Please shut up. Just shut up.”

“Please tell me it’s going to be okay.”

“Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something, anything.”

“When you smile, I fall apart.”

“If I die, I’m never speaking to you again.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it then say so. Don’t lie and pretend to be fine when you clearly aren’t.”

“This isn’t what it looks like.”

“I just really miss talking to you.”

“I can’t do this on my own.”

“I’ve got you.”

“We’ll figure this out.”

“Please don’t say goodbye.”

“You’ve shown me what love can feel like.”

“You make me feel alive.”

“I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

“There is nothing wrong with you.”

“I’m just looking out for you.”

“Be careful.”

“You owe me.”

“Come with me.”

“I trust you.”

“I didn’t want you to see this.”

“I’ve been praying for you.”

“Take my jacket. It’s cold outside.”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“Let me help.”

“Come here.”

“You’re holding back.”

“Remember when we were little?”

“We’re all a little stronger than we think we are.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

“This isn’t who I am.”

“I’m willing to wait for it.”

“Are you ready for this?”

“You can do this.”

“Your life was my life’s best part.”

“You were always gold to me.”

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“I’m fine with where I am now.”

“We all want to be somebody.”

“Promise me you’ll come back.”

“I don’t know anyone else who can make me feel this way.”

“I’ve never felt stronger than when you’re with me.”

“I believe in you.”

[bubblingsteam]

[sentient-stove]

“Wait, wait, wait, short baby Robin, back it up. You followed a radioactive green dog into the sewers? With no weapons?”

“Don’t be an idiot Grayson, I always have a weapon on me. It’d be counterproductive if I didn’t. Anyway- the dog disappeared and I was already down there so I followed the voices to this room—”

“You followed voices?!?”

“Do try to keep up.” Damian snipped. “Yes, and there was a room down there, like some sort of tomb and then I pulled this guy out of the coffin there.” And subsequently gave himself mild frostbite he was guessing by the way he still couldn’t feel his hands. Dick looked mid aneurysm at Damian’s minimal explanation but that had the benefit of him not asking anymore questions as he let them into the apartment, offering to take the teenager from Damian wordlessly.

“Did he tell you anything?” Dick pressed fingers to the teen’s wrist, brow furrowed. “Low pulse, okay. Okay. To the living room then. Was he awake when you got him out?”

“For a few moments.”

“And did you ask him for a name?”

“No.”

“Damian.”

“I was preoccupied with finding a living person in a glass coffin Grayson. He did say one thing though.” Besides thanking Damian but he was keeping that to himself for as long as he could.

“What was it?”

“The Packers suck.”

“Like the football team?” Dick questioned and Damian shrugged.

[awhoreintheory]

Peter in the Iron Spider, playing audio from the Aliens movies when he's following/fighting someone to really freak them out would be amazing

The formal reason is that criminals are more likely to make mistakes when they're scared shitless

The real reason is he's trying SO hard to sell the cryptid theory (spoiler: it works)

The millisecond someone recognizes the audio tho is the moment Peter's cyptid status is revoked

He goes viral on Twitter tho so at least he has that going for him

[mzminola]

AU where Dick Grayson is just continually suffering: after Jason's attempt to be Gun!Batman results in Jason falling off a bridge, instead of coming back as Red Hood With A Different Helmet, he instead takes a gander at Dick As Batman, Damian As Robin, Stephanie As Batgirl, and goes "Oh we're all trying on each other's mantles, got it," and digs out his old Nightwing suit from Brothers In Blood.

Everything else about Jason's appearances in this Batman & Robin run is exactly the same. He still kills people, picks up a sidekick, and prod relentlessly at the Bats. He's just doing it all as Gun!Nightwing.

[whiskeyandcigarsmoke]

Trying to gauge interests...

So there's quite a few Wade/Deadpool sickfics, but is anyone interested in a Logan sickfic????

I've been loosely writing a series of connected Logan sickfics, but I've been mainly writing them for myself since I wasn't sure if anyone else would really vibe with them.

[persicipen-archive]

would it be problematic of me to say that i get this feeling that genshin used to be more popular in terms of fics and fanarts like a year or two ago? something about alhaitham, and then neuvillette and wriothesley just made people absolutely positively feral after they became playable

[gods-perfect-idiots]

something something blood-soaked hands cradling your face something something

anyway here's the post btw

[threalcrabbysamantha]

sometimes it feels like i’m existing on a different plane than some of the atla fandom, like when people complain they can’t find zutara fics that also contains a positive depiction of the friendship between Aang, Katara, and Zuko

baby, I read them all the time - are we using two different AO3s??

[slavhew]

only able to draw by tricking my brain into thinking thats not what we're about to do

[mamawasatesttube]

man it would really be so cool if there were fics in the timkon tag that were about timkon, instead of 5000 fics about ~the batfam~ that include like maybe one line about tim wearing a superboy t shirt

[kittykatninja321]

If I were in charge of making a Knight Terrors style psychological horror dream sequence for Jason my first step would be making him young and small again

[screamlet]

118 daily drabble (day 19; probie)

@118dailydrabble

notes: tommy and the old 118

---

It was a ritual he knew too well from losing guys in the army: one guy during a freak accident in basic training, a handful when he was overseas. Bury them, then tell their stories. That's what Tom heard in the booth over his shoulder as he stood at the bar.

Eli stood next to him, didn't say a word. Looked at him and waited, but waited in silence.

"Tim and Tom, what dumb fucking nicknames," Tom finally said. 

"It was cute and you know it." Eli sighed and clasped his shoulder. "He's gone and that's tragic. Don't let him take you with him, probie."

He nodded, tears in his eyes, and asked, "Could you call me Tommy?"

[lunar-years]

What do you think is the most character accurate fic you've ever read??

Ever read? That's an impossible question lmao. I have been reading fanfics since i was twelve. I have read fanfics I don't even remember 🫡

Obviously it's a subjective question to begin with but part of the fun of fanfic to me is exploring different avenues for characters according to different author's preferences and putting blorbos into incredibly un-canon Situations. But in a lot of those settings what is "in-character" is even more thrown asunder because it's so far removed from anything that would even remotely happen in canon.

I guess what I mean by that is a lot of the fics I read and love don't necessarily align with my personal ideas of/headcanons for a character, yet still remain "character accurate" in my esteem, if you will (I'm thinking, for example, of that one Gay!Roy fic which is EXCELLENT and incredibly in-character imo and yet I still don't personally think Roy The Character is gay. But even though that's generally not how I think of his sexuality I still liked exploring that alternative verse and still recognized that story's Roy as Roy. Does that make sense?)

ANYWAY. going to veer off the specific question and instead just list some miscellaneous recent(ish) favs (or at least ones I think were published after I made my last rec list):

Paperwork by @pghumfort (Roy/Jamie)

Tits Out! also by @pghumfort (Jamie/Keeley)

if anything could fall (it's the world that falls away from me) by scarlettroses (Roy/Jamie)

i came prepared for absolution (if you'd only ask) by scarlettroses (pre-relationship Roy/Jamie); I've definitely recommended this one before but it's SO good on character exploration, especially for Roy. really really complex and meaningful look into his brain. I love it.

I should know (what turns you on) by Dancey96 (Roy/Jamie/Keeley)

It's Fine With Me (if you wanna stay the night) by @shortcuts-make-long-delays (pre-relationship Roy/Jamie/Keeley)

screaming crying throwing up by @morethanslightly (Roy/Jamie/Keeley)

that four letter word by @izzyspussy (Roy/Jamie)

5 Times Phoebe Meddled in Uncle Roy's Love Life... by darkesky

An Invitation by Laurasaurus (Roy/Jamie, Roy/Jamie/Keeley, Roy/Keeley)

Not exactly Cyrano by @destinationtoast (Roy/Jamie/Keeley); I may have recommended this before but now it's finished!! go back and re-read it if you haven't finished it yet...it's so worth it!

Also the Gay Roy one I referenced earlier is so afraid that time will take it all from me by LikeAMovieIOnceSaw. Really such a lovely fic 💕

as always please read the tags and story descriptions and ratings before diving in to make sure they are right for you and your needs etc.

[mishy-mashy]

Kudo is actually such a kind, soft-hearted guy that had to toughen up because he cared too much

He looked at AFO's rule, and even though he was weak, he had that glint in his eye that has been referred to as the "will of a hero" to oppose him. A hopeful glint shared with Midoriya, Bakugo, and Hawks

He even parallels Hawks when they talk about that particular look in their eye

From a glimmer in the eye, to which eye is shown, how much of the face, a similar angle of the face, and placement of text questioning the existence of that light,

He stormed to kill Yoichi with Bruce, but couldn't, once he saw the state Yoichi was in. Even knowing he was the enemy, he still reached out his hand and never let go, even when they were running

When Yoichi died, even though they'd only been together for two months, Kudo still cried and froze up.

This is a reaction from a man who repeatedly used lives as a stepping stone for his own goal.

Kudo said himself, that victory was life, and defeat was death. He had killed and seen his friends killed over and over, but still cries when it happens again. And to someone he only knew for two months, at that.

Kudo gathered allies under his cause, and they were loyal enough to die for him. Bruce cries (still smiling tho) facing AFO, tried protecting Kudo when he froze up at Yoichi's death, and we see all Kudo's comrades dead in the end. Maybe Bruce was suicidal when he went to face AFO, knowing he'd die, but most of his comrades (and Kudo) were already gone. Their cause was snuffed out, but the will persisted.

Kudo is a bit like Aizawa.

A bit crass and blunt, doesn't like beating around the bush, but he can clearly see what kind of person you are. He's not openly kind, but you know he cares so much, but has also lost too much once. He's seen his friend(s) die, and shouldn't it have been him in that spot? Shouldn't he have died instead, but was forced to continue living for that dead person's sake?

His speech about why we call Abilities "Quirks", recognizing people's intent over raw power is the real power. (Ch 369)

He's blunt and goes straight to the results rather than beat around the bush, but it doesn't mean his heart is frozen and he doesn't care about you. (Ch 408)

He cares so much, and that's why he has to do so much. (His whole Resistance thing, figuring out how Yoichi's Factor works to make sure Yoichi and his will can live on in some way)

He recognizes that Midoriya isn't driven by duty, but that he genuinely adores Quirks too much. (Ch 414) He could look at Midoriya, read that immediately, and even though he looked through his memories, Midoriya's character was his takeaway. Not that Midoriya is an idiot for letting himself be stepped on, or that this kid was bullied, but that Midoriya could see the goodness in others.

Like how Aizawa saw that Midoriya was relying on the reason [It can't be helped] whenever OFA broke his bones and told him he can't always break himself just because he could be fixed (Midoriya's recklessness that showed itself on the first day of school). He called out something that was an underlying, innate belief to Midoriya, that was so normal to the teen, and no one else had brought up as wrong to him.

The first thing they perceive is a person's character.

When Aizawa tied up Midoriya on the first day of school, he wasn't telling him off over his Quirk destroying him being a PR thing or too gruesome for the public. It was out of the fact that his Quirk shouldn't destroy him, because it's dangerous for Midoriya.

Aizawa came off antagonistic, but he was looking out for Midoriya. He didn't want him to keep breaking his whole arm, he didn't want him to get stuck in the mindset that he had to get hurt to use his Quirk, he was looking out for his wellbeing from the start. A kid he didn't know personally until that day.

Kudo did a similar thing. He turned his back, and refused to help, because they were putting their hopes in a delusional boy who would go too far. When the vestiges realized their gathered Abilities and Quirks were letting Midoriya have the freedom to do as he wished, Kudo already knew, only saying "His path is the right one". He could relate to having to run full-sprint to see your goal realized, even if everything opposed him, but didn't want Midoriya to go through that same path alone.

If he were alone, he'd be like Nagant. He had to have comrades to be like Kudo, able to continue and stand for their beliefs, but having comrades to fall back on, or pull him back when it's too much. That's why he follows up in that moment with, "But, if there's something Midoriya does need..."

Kudo and Aizawa could see themselves or their comrades in others, and knew how to approach those character flaws that were normalized to others and said person.

Kudo could see others for who they were, and I think it's this, and his caring nature, that he gathered so many allies with him. He knew when to be blunt, when to show kindness, that the truth hurts but needs to be seen, was actually very logical and witty, and when to step aside and let people do their thing, even if it wasn't the best move (like saving All Might). Because that was what was best for that person.

It's not like people would join someone so wholeheartedly without conviction and being left unseen by that person. So many people were willing to die with and for Kudo, and Bruce believes in him so much.

When All Might's vestige was fading and becoming more solid, Kudo had to look away. They knew it meant All Might was dying in the real world.

Kudo was telling Midoriya not to intervene with Gearshift there. But once he saw All Might genuinely dying out, he couldn't look at him, and kept quiet. He stopped hanging onto battlefield logic of necessity, shut up, let Midoriya do his thing, and it saved All Might. It saved Midoriya from seeing his idol die in front of him, and Kudo didn't have to see another ally die beside him.

The chapter is literally called [We Love You All Might!!]. Even if it's just meant to focus in Bakugo and Midoriya, and only has 2 exclamation marks, it can't discount the world is watching. The vestiges care about All Might too.

When the vestiges come up with the plan to forcibly transfer themselves to deal damage, Kudo volunteers himself as the test dummy. Sure, he backs it with a lot of reason too, but he didn't want anyone else to go first as a test drive

He, with a Gearshift Ability that resembled a manual car, was the test drive. Ha ha pun- *gets shot*

En tried going first. Kudo rejected him, saying he would go first.

"Part ways with Gearshift [me], and you'll be free of the crippling recoil too."

Too. TOO.

KUDO JUST WANTED TO GO AND BE DESTROYED FIRST. HE PUT THE FREEDOM OF RECOIL DOWN AS AN EXTRA BONUS SO THEY'D AGREE WITH HIS CHOICE.

I'd cut the image so it looks better, and I can use Bruce's words elsewhere, but this is an image limit, so,

- Kudo refused to let anyone else go first. This was before giving reasons to convince them he should leave first

- En gives reason to why it can't be Kudo. Kudo just says, "Listen." and reminds them of now.

- Look at Kudo's face when he says that. The guy knows what he's doing when he cuts off En, and would probably be a horrible liar. He might as well be pulling this out of his ass.

He's said "The world will end" "You have to or else" "Five minutes" "You're going to die" a few times in this fight already. DUDE STOPPP

(Terrible liar and a guy who purposely eggs you to torment? What a great friend he would be [yknow, when u make ur friends freak out by being ominous or reminding them of stuff. Like Toast to Lilypichu in a game of Observation Duty])

- "Too."

- Bruce's trust in him, but knowing when to pull Kudo back from going too far

Also, when he's transferred, he smiles to Midoriya. He knows he's about to die again, but the last thing he does for Midoriya is

1) Take away the recoil of his existence as a Factor on the boy

2) Reassure him that it's okay, so it doesn't weigh on his conscience

Even if only in thought, STILL!

KUDO LOOKED SO PROUD OF MIDORIYA!

I bet Kudo is suuuch a sentimental fool

> [Be me and watch your new friend die]

> [I have Yoichi's Factor]

> [It's like I carry his will now]

> [Have a glint of opposition in my eye that drives the Demon Lord and my comrades (Bruce) crazy]

> [Hey Bruce, let's figure out how it transfers]

> [Bruce's common sense VS my rabid ideas]

> [I win]

> [Bruce was unwilling the whole time and still ends up with the Factor]

> [The Factor is named One For All, after something in Yoichi's favorite comic book series]

> [We pass it on to the future to carry forward]

> [Even as everyone else and me dies, I make sure Yoichi and his will are safe from his Demon Lord brother that locked him up]

> [Decades later, my sweet vaulted friend reminds me of when we met]

> [I turn around and give my whole-hearted support to believe in some 15-year old boy because Yoichi believes in him too]

SEN - TIM - ENT - AL!

When Shinomori was stolen by AFO, Shinomori pushed everyone away before they could really notice the invader. Kudo called out for him.

Everyone is in shock, but I don't think it's a mistake that the text bubble calling out for Shinomori is pointing from Kudo.

All For One made it through and is ready to steal them, but the first thing Kudo did was call out for the one at the very front.

[On the post I made that mentions Shinomori pushing everyone away] What if Kudo wasn't pushed away? What if this was him at the front, realizing the danger and turning around, but being unable to do anything for Shinomori when he saw?

Like Bruce, Kudo communicates. He doesn't expect you to just follow or understand him. He actually lays it out and makes sure you keep up.

He explains

- the transfer of vestiges, and why he should go first

- his Quirk

- why Quirks are Quirks

- reports to Midoriya what's happening and what's next

- to Yoichi why they couldn't trust in a delusional boy. In a way that wasn't Bruce's roundabout "we lived in a terrible era and a leader gathered us"

When En panics, he barks at En to keep up. By barking at him, rather than any other way he could've used his tone, it shuts up En in his frantic babbling. Kudo also lets Vestige Might put in his thoughts to understand better, and uses it.

Eye reflection. Kudo can really see people for who they are, and understands others, and himself.

I can't repeat the pics cuz image limit, but look at previous panels here. For example, Kudo saying Yoichi's will lives in him, and when AFO reflected in his eyes

It's something I learned from Re:Zero. When a person in reflected in one's eye, something something that person can see the true core of you, of what you really are underneath everything. The eyes are the window and mirror [glass] of the soul. I finally see the true you.

AFO never reflected anyone.

But Kudo reflected AFO when the man accidentally killed Yoichi. He saw that AFO wasn't seeing anything, so later, Kudo smiled and mocked AFO at his own death.

"Yoichi?"

"He's gone."

"You killed him, Demon Lord."

And AFO hated that reminder.

Kudo was reminding him of what the truth was. Kudo saw it himself, and AFO blocked it out from the get-go. Kudo already knew what AFO was, what he was seeing, what he was doing to himself by blaming Kudo instead of himself.

And then, Kudo's eyes reflected his own hand when he realized Yoichi's Factor was in him.

Kudo clearly saw himself, and in himself, Yoichi. Nothing distorted it. It really was a clear mirror.

He really perceived Yoichi's will was living on, and was right. Otherwise, his eyes wouldn't have shown it.

Kudo was right about AFO. It's even implied back when he and Bruce had their backs turned; Kudo knew what AFO's real goal was. That was back when AFO preached unity and division under him.

Kudo could always see right through AFO. He really understood people from the start. And he never tried making up truths to justify what he was seeing, facing it head-on.

Kudo's lying about the world being black and white.

Kudo and Bruce saw the world as black and white. This was mentioned in the void.

Kudo also says, "Victory meant life. Defeat meant death."

But it's the Resistance. It's when Japan and the world was at their lowest. The world wasn't black and white; there's lots of gray.

Kudo and Bruce would've seen this. Kudo even admits that there's gray, just not directly.

Kudo says Yoichi knows, how he killed and trampled so many lives, to get back at AFO. He knows it wasn't right, or an amazing choice. Later, he says that when your back is against the wall, you have to make callous judgements. These hint at gray moments.

Kudo and Bruce have faced and been in the gray. But it's too hard to make the right choices, and there are times there is no right answer.

Historically, soldiers would convince themselves the enemy were monsters. They wouldn't be able to fight and kill them otherwise. They wouldn't be able to live with themselves without believing in this so badly.

Kudo and Bruce had to have been the same way. They were Meta Humans [Monsters] in a time they were viewed as diseased humans. The monsters were real. And they had a Demon Lord. Kudo and Bruce literally dressed up as soldiers.

Even if they were monsters to society, being Meta, Kudo and Bruce were still human. They knew this. The ones who tried believing in only black and white were inhabitants of the gray itself.

But they have to protect themselves. Kudo is so adamant that the world is only black and white, because he can't stand the gray. What it makes him do, what it means, that he's too weak to do anything.

Yoichi is an example of that gray area. The mortal enemy's younger brother, was actually locked up and sickly. He's just a comic book nerd. And it humanized the other side Kudo opposed so vehemently.

Kudo says victory is life and defeat is death. And Yoichi asked why he reached out to him then. He reminded Kudo of that gray area, and Kudo opened up.

Kudo might avoid the gray area because it's a matter of the heart and a moral dilemma, but it's what makes him human. When there's no right answer in the battlefield, he decides on his feelings instead.

He wishes the world was black and white, because it'd be so easy. But it's not.

Yoichi reminded him of how entering that gray area led to OFA ("when you reached out your hand to me"), and it had been the best choice in the end. The gray area is real, and Kudo's left a bare man with only his emotions when he's there.

Kudo is actually really kind and understanding. He's too soft for his own good. Thanks if you made it this far, I hope it makes sense (tag and image limit)