#like i said the other day.....UA’s will post what is relevant

[starlightbelle]

I rambled a bit too long in the tags of @sugawara--san’s post so I’ll make my own post to drop a couple thoughts so I don’t encroach on OP’s 😅 (hope you don’t mind me tagging you I just wanna credit you)

As I said in the tags of my reblog, I don't hate the teacher reveal but...it feels kinda stale, like he's giving up on his dream. Which seems like a very un-Izuku thing to do.

Izuku teaching at UA in and of itself is not a bad thing. It’s not. In fact it does kinda make sense, in its own way. Deku’s analysis of heroes and quirks and combat and all that research makes him a perfect candidate for teaching. That isn’t what bugs me about it.

For one thing, the fact that he ISN'T (also) a hero just rubs me the wrong way.

Aizawa doesn't have a quirk that lends itself to combat. So all his battle prowess and skill is COMPLETELY because of his training. Izuku could (and WOULD) have done just as much training to get to whatever level he needed to become a hero.

So he really graduated from UA but they still wouldn't let him become a hero??? What in the Jedi/Star Wars is this??

“We’ll let you graduate from the UA Hero Course but we do not grant you the rank of Hero??” Izuku is supposed to be Anakin in this scenario???

The only positives I can see from that is having Izuku and Aizawa train together, which I’d love to see explored in a fic (if we’re talking canon-compliant). In my mind Izuku, much like his (former) teacher, is a teacher by day and vigilante by night. He avoids the spotlight but cannot help his desire to help those in need.

Support equipment is expensive, sure, but a full mech suit isn’t the only option. Reinforced boots and gauntlets like he had as a student, but with a lot more physical training rather than quirk training, would probably pack a pretty good punch. Surely his other hero friends could help his raise the funds for that, or Hatsume could let Izuku test run her babies before they’re ready to be patented.

It just drives me crazy how many Pros presumably have quirks that aren’t battle-relevant but Izuku isn’t given the same treatment. Heck, Shinso made it as a Pro (good for him, it’s what he deserves!) while his quirk isn’t battle-focused either. If he faces an opponent who refuses to talk/engage, he’s fighting quirkless. How is Izuku in combat specifically any different from Shinso, or Aizawa, or Monoma in the event they can’t rely on their quirks to fight?

It’s like the opposite of plot-convenience…it’s plot-inconvenience in order to give him a “bigger” payoff later on? But it doesn’t feel like a payoff to me, it feels not unlike a consolation prize.

[deusvervewrites]

Kinda sucks that Tumblr ate the queried asks and this is likely to occur for the next few days after your ask game.

Wish Carefully AU, the only person holding back Shinso was Shinso himself, especially since this was before his canon character development post Sports Festival.

Though here a good question, while I don't remember what the canonical reason why canon Aizawa would want to train Shinso, do we have a canonical reason other than the fact that Shinso did apply for the Hero Course and that he reached the third round(and that he had a really good Quirk)? Would the Wish Carefully Aizawa even consider training this Quirkless version of Shinso who didn't even try hard enough to pass the first round of the SF? WC Shinso likely applied for the Hero Course but he didn't do anything noteworthy and Aizawa likely assumed that Shinso was one of those students that UA has in the other courses who apply for the Hero Course but never really did anything noteworthy at the Sports Festival(like how canon Shinso did it).

Since we have 42 students with all Hero Course students and Mei and it's declared that Shinso's lack of conviction will prevent him from succeeding in the first round, is it generally accepted that Togeike(or any other student) will replace Shinso for these rounds as the one that Aizawa will train up as she actually tried(if not then Aizawa is doing his job for real for 1-A)?

Heck, even this version of Shinso would likely be more pathetic as from UA's and everyone else's POV, he just a Quirkless student who just happens to be smart enough to know the school material(not counting the fact that Shinso likely wouldn't know the circularium for later on in the year). I would presume that in canon, Shinso had to maintain good grades on top of training with Aizawa in order to be allowed to transfer to the Hero Course but would this version Shinso maintain those same standards?

Now that I know it'll do that I can simply avoid queuing thing when Tumblr tries its shit but it sucks that a lot of asks were lost.

When Shinsou learns that he had a chance for One For All and that he blew it--and that, in his place, Midoriya wouldn't have and didn't--he's gonna be real upset

We weren't ever given a reason for Aizawa training Shinsou, which is in fact one of the main sources of ammunition for people who aren't fond of Aizawa's teaching since he doesn't do this for his actual students, but I digress. I doubt that Aizawa even knows who Shinsou is in this AU; they have so many applicants that he wouldn't stand out without doing something noteworthy. Which he didn't. Also Aizawa probably wouldn't approve of a Quirkless Hero Student anyway

Someone did ask about Togeike and I said yes but alas... the Asks were eaten... I need to use her more, for one thing, and it's also interesting for someone else to get Shinsou's opportunity.

Shinsou's grades are never a problem, not even in the original timeline, but that's not as relevant here as his performance elsewhere

[taruchinator]

💌 Teen & Up Audiences

💌 3.3k Words

💌 For the @/dkbkexchange!

“Kacchan?”

The blond's body jolted— sitting up straight with rigid shoulders as he clung to what appeared to be a scarf around his neck.

Turning behind him, Katsuki's red ruby eyes pierced into Izuku's green ones as he scowled. “What the hell are you doing here, you shitty nerd?!”

Gulping down any lingering doubt, the freckled teen walked closer. “I wanted to talk to you-”

“FUCK OFF!” Katsuki roared as he threw an object in Izuku's direction, missing the boy completely. Upon closer inspection however, the grenette's eyes widened.

It was an empty can of beer.

Hey everyone! Alice here! ^^

Happy late Valentine's Day! This little fic was created as part of a DKBK exchange from last month, but I forgot to post it here for some reason~

My giftee really wanted to have something where these two dorks actually talk about their feelings and such for once, and even though it's a little hard to do considering their relationship in canon, I figured a little of drunken confessions could help with that! I had lots of fun with it, so I hope you like it!

Izuku wasn't really one for parties.

Being born Quirkless came with its disadvantages, and among them was not being able to make friends easily, which would cause some trouble for people that wanted to try and be outgoing in their superhero society.

Izuku was one of these people, as due to him not having many friends during his childhood, he didn't get the chance to socialize— or in this particular case, fraternize— with his fellow classmates in outings or other gatherings.

But ever since he came to UA, things were vastly different.

He had a Quirk now, just to start off. There were so many people he could proudly call his friends, and classmates who he'd trust with his life. A wonderful array of teachers and a mentor who worried for him sometimes very similarly to his own mother.

And above all, was his rekindled friendship with his beloved childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugou. If he had a crush on said childhood friend was not relevant to this discussion.

Or at least that was the way it was supposed to be.

Once their graduation date had been announced by their homeroom teacher Aizawa, Katsuki had started acting… strange, to say the least.

It started simple.

They had built a habit of getting together after class to compare notes and study, but the blonde had suddenly started making excuses as to not show up. From being tired, to being busy, to getting sick. The grenette did find it odd at first, but tried not to think much of it since maybe Katsuki just had other things he needed to do instead.

Then came the hang outs. Whenever their friend groups agreed to do something together, the explosive teen would have a reason to be absent. He'd get called by Endeavor's agency, he'd have to finish homework, and he'd have to visit his mother because ‘the old hag will nag at me if I keep putting it off’.

Again, strange, but Izuku never linked any of it to himself, and just silently worried that perhaps the blond had some stuff going on and made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Turned out trying to ask him about it proved to be futile.

Katsuki started ignoring him altogether. When Izuku called for him, he'd pretend like he didn't hear him. When they'd meet in the halls, the blond would pick up the pace, even if that meant leaving Kirishima behind. When Deku went to his room, he'd never open the door.

It was only then that the pieces started coming together: Katsuki was avoiding him.

“Why is he doing this? I thought we were on good terms now! But if we weren't, he'd at least make snarky comments at me like before, but he's not even looking at me. Did I do something to upset him? Did I say something? Did I-?”

Izuku had pretty much gone through every possible reason as to why Katsuki wouldn't want to talk to him, and none of it seemed to make sense.

He knew that if he just talked to him, he'd have his answer. But how could he do that if Katsuki kept reacting as if he had the plague?

That was where the party came in.

With only a week left before graduating, the students of Class 3-A decided to throw a celebration to all the years of ups and downs they'd spent together in UA, and of course, everyone was invited! And everyone was expected to attend.

And so, as the freckled teen walked between his two friends towards the common area where the party was being held, he couldn't wait to finally see the blond and be able to confront him head on.

“Midoriya!”

"H-Huh?!”

Being brought back to reality by the sudden voice calling for him, Izuku turned to see Uraraka giggling and Iida staring at him with arms crossed. A blush spread across his face as he chuckled nervously. “I'm sorry, Iida. You were saying?”

The ravenette shook his head as he let out a sigh. “Unbelievable that even after three years your mind can continue to wander as quickly as that.”

“Oh come on Iida, cut him some slack! This is supposed to be a party, after all! He should be allowed to drift into space as many times as he wants.” Uraraka continued giggling as she stayed between the two boys.

“I-I swear it wasn't on purpose, I've just got some stuff on my mind, that's all!” The grenette tried to argue, but he knew it sounded vague and like a poor excuse. He'd know what a poor excuse sounded like.

“Don't you mean you have someone on your mind?” The brunette girl smirked slightly as she raised an eyebrow in the boy's direction.

Heat rose to his cheeks as he turned sideways and whispered rather harshly. “That's not it at all!”

Only Uraraka and Iida knew of Izuku's crush on Katsuki— even though he was pretty sure that some already had an inkling based on the way he interacted with the blond. They also knew of his dilemma with the explosive teen giving him the cold shoulder, and how much it worried him. That didn't stop Uraraka from teasing him at every chance she got, though.

“Hey guys!”

A new voice resonated in the hall, causing the trio to turn around and see Kirishima and Kaminari heading their way towards the party with bags of snacks stacked between them.

Iida was the first to greet them. “Good evening, Kirishima and Kaminari! Thank you very much for agreeing to bring the snacks!”

Kaminari saluted from behind his mountain of cheeto puffs with a smirk. “Not a problem, man! This way we get to bring the stuff that we want, don't we Kirishima?”

The red haired boy grinned in return as he adjusted his own pile of potato chips and french fries. “You betcha!”

Izuku quickly moved to the front of the group with a smile, but was immediately confused when he looked behind the duo and Katsuki was nowhere in sight. He turned to the blond's best friend. “Kirishima. Is Kacchan running late?”

Kirishima visibly shifted his gaze as the grin on his face faltered. “Um… yeah, about that. I'm sorry, Midoriya. But he said he wasn't coming.”

The grenette couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wasn't coming? Why was he being so stubborn about this? He tried to not let it show, but it must have still been visible since everyone was looking at him with saddened expressions. “I… I see. D-Did he tell you where he was going?”

At that, Kirishima nodded. “Yeah! I think he said something about the school roof? Not sure what he'd do up there, though.”

“You know, Deku? We can meet you inside later if you want. Iida and I have lots of taste testing to do, anyway!” Uraraka suddenly spoke, with an accompanying Iida nodding at the statement. They knew how much the boy wanted to go see his Kacchan.

With a quick smile, he replied. “Thanks guys. I won't take long, I promise! And thank you, Kirishima! Hope you all have fun!”

And just like that, the freckled teen waved goodbye to his friends as he made his way to the rooftop staircase. He was getting his answers, one way or another.

The moment Izuku stepped out onto the school's rooftop, he immediately regretted the fact that he didn't bring a jacket with him, for the chilly nights were starting to grow heavier this time of year.

His frozen skin would have to wait, however, since just as Kirishima told him, the boy could make out the lonely figure of his favorite person sitting by the edge of the roof with feet dangling below.

Approaching slowly, he spoke softly as to not interrupt the stillness of the night. “Kacchan?”

The blond's body jolted— sitting up straight with rigid shoulders as he clung to what appeared to be a scarf around his neck. Turning behind him, Katsuki's red ruby eyes pierced into Izuku's green ones as he scowled. “What the hell are you doing here, you shitty nerd?!”

Gulping down any lingering doubt, the freckled teen walked closer. “I wanted to talk to you-”

“FUCK OFF!” Katsuki roared as he threw an object in Izuku's direction, missing the boy completely. Upon closer inspection however, the grenette's eyes widened.

It was an empty can of beer.

Looking back at the blond, Izuku finally noticed the six pack that was sitting right next to him. His body quickly shifted gears as he felt himself flare up with anger. “Kacchan, are you drinking?! You're seventeen, you shouldn't be drinking this stuff yet!”

“Don't tell me how to live my life, you damn nerd! Now GET LOST!” Katsuki roared and proceeded to throw another can, which this time didn't even make it past a few feet away from him. Katsuki had a great arm to throw, but this wasn't a good example of that.

This worried Izuku even more. “Are you drunk right now?”

“You think I'm some lightweight prissy?! 'course I'm not!” Katsuki said that, but the slurring in his voice told Izuku otherwise.

“That's it, I'm taking you back to your room!” The grenette quickly closed the remaining gap between them as he tried to pick at the boy's torso to get him into a standing position. There were about two packets of six packs remaining, and all Izuku could do was wonder where he even got them from.

“LET ME GO, YOU NERD! YOU'RE NOT MY FUCKING BABYSITTER!” Katsuki began swatting at Izuku's attempts to pull him upwards, throwing what could only be described as a tantrum. The freckled teen was getting impatient, the accumulated stress of the cold shoulder treatment during the past weeks getting to him.

“Well, I might as well be with all the stupid stuff you're doing! If I sneak you from the back, the teachers won't see you and hopefully you won't get in trouble-” Izuku started mumbling, but was quickly interrupted by a cry.

“YOU DON'T HAVE TO BABYSIT ME ANYMORE, DAMMIT! JUST GO LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT ME!” The blond's screams turned into wails as he began pulling at the other teen's arm with little to no strength left, sobs escaping his lips occasionally.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Izuku was beyond confused at the sudden change in his friend's demeanor, but noticed the seriousness of the situation and tried acting accordingly by standing still.

“I'm always holding you back… Making you pity me so that I can walk all over you in the end! Telling you to fucking jump off roofs and hope for the best in the next life— what kind of hero does that?! No hero does that! NO HUMAN BEING DOES THAT! ONLY ASSHOLES DO!” Tears began pouring down the blond's cheeks as he continued speaking aloud, refusing to look up from his position on the ground.

Izuku could only stare in silent disbelief at what he was hearing. The rooftop incident… Well, not just that, but everything else. The boy had forgiven his best friend for that a long time ago. Sure, they had never openly talked about it, but he'd assumed it remained as an unspoken understanding.

To know he was still clinging onto it was very heartbreaking to see. “Kacchan… You aren't like that anymore. It happened so long ago, it doesn't matter-”

“Of course it fucking matters, Deku! I destroyed your life! I made it a living hell! And I'm supposed to be graduating in a week to become a ‘true hero’ when I couldn't even apologize to the one person I hurt the most?! The one person I love the most?!” Katsuki finally dared to look up at his friend with teary eyes and streaked cheeks, this time reaching for the grenette's hands.

The more Katsuki said, the more Izuku started to understand.

Why he was being ignored, why he was being pushed away, and why it all began the moment Aizawa told them when they'd be graduating— his Kacchan was holding all of this in, and never allowed himself the chance to think that maybe Izuku had forgiven him.

But that wasn't all—

“L-Love?” The freckled teen mumbled the word to himself in disbelief. Katsuki… loved him? Him? There was just no way! Was there?

The blond's eyes widened, and he immediately turned his gaze downwards once more. “Shit! You weren't supposed to know! You were never supposed to know! If anyone deserves to jump off a fucking roof… it's me.”

As soon as he heard that statement, Izuku's blood ran cold and his body moved on its own as he engulfed the other boy in a hug, refusing to let go. “NO! KACCHAN, YOU CAN'T DO THAT! DON'T YOU DARE EVEN THINK THAT!”

Katsuki's body went rigid for a moment, not daring to make a move as if he'd break something if he did, but slowly went and returned the embrace as sobs began to hiccup past his lips. “I-I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Deku! I'm sorry for being a dickhead back then! And I'm sorry for falling in love with you when I don't deserve it!”

Izuku's own body began to shake as tears of his own began to flow, the emotions he held back for years starting to come out. “It's okay Kacchan… It's okay! I forgive you. You did some really bad things, but everyone deserves a second chance… And you've earned it!”

Pulling back slightly, the freckled teen pushed the blond's bangs out of his face as he began to place gentle light kisses against his forehead, mumbling sweet words of encouragement as he tried to get his beloved to calm down.

Despite enjoying the treatment he was getting, Katsuki quickly pulled away as soon as he came back to his senses— or at least as many senses he could have after drinking so much alcohol— and stared at Izuku with an incredulous expression. The grenette couldn't help but chuckle at the cute display.

“Why are you kissing me?” Katsuki's tone was the softest Izuku had ever heard, and it only melted his heart even more.

“Because I love you too, silly. I always have.” He smiled as he wiped the remaining tears from the corner of his Kacchan's eyes. He then proceeded to lean forward and kiss his eyelids, softly and gently so as to not break his precious one's heart any more than it already did that night.

The blond tried to wiggle his way out, mumbling grumpily. “B-But… How could you love someone like me? Someone who did awful things to you?”

“Easy. I see how much you've grown and changed over the last three years, and how hard you try to make amends. I see the way you treat those around you, and even though they might just see an angry guy, I see the real you. The Kacchan who's selfless, and strong and so very kind. My Kacchan.” By the time Izuku finishes his speech, the blond's eyes are filling with tears once more, which the freckled teen knows don't suit him at all.

“I-Is it okay? Is it really okay to love you? To tell you how much I want to make you happy and see your smile everyday?” Katsuki continues to mumble, so Izuku takes initiative for the first time in his life.

He takes the other's face gently between his hands, staring into those ruby eyes he's seen in his dreams many times before, and slowly leans in as his lips gently touch Katsuki's.

The kiss is short yet sweet. Filled with unspoken feelings, promises, and love. Izuku can feel the blond's tongue gently trace against his lips, and so he parts them to allow his loved one access. Their tongues have a slow dance before exploring each other's mouths and then going back to the courtship.

Katsuki let's out a sound that Izuku can only describe as a moan, and he has to hold himself back as he reminds himself that the blonde is drunk and most definitely not in the condition to do any of the sweet yet naughty things the grenette has been yearning to do with him for so long.

A few seconds go by, and that's when Izuku notices the sudden heavy weight of Katsuki's body against his. Pulling away from their kiss, the boy panics for a moment, only to realize.

Kacchan had fallen asleep.

The soft snores are more than enough to make it worth cutting their make-out session short. Izuku smiles and leans forward, kissing the other boy's temple one more time. “Goodnight, Kacchan. I hope you will still be mine in the morning…”

And with that, Izuku shifts Katsuki's body weight against his own and begins his perilous descent back into the dormitory.

After the events of that night, he merely placed the blond back in his bedroom and proceeded to head towards his own, sending a message to Uraraka that he wouldn't be able to make it.

Laying down in bed, the freckled boy smiled as he had nothing but beautiful dreams filled with the love of his life right by his side.

Partners in more ways than one.

The next day, Izuku just wants to stay in his bedroom forever and scream into a pillow until the floor decides he's worthy of being swallowed.

He can recall the events from the previous night in great detail, but he's pretty darn sure that Katsuki won't, which will definitely be an issue since now that his feelings are out in the open, he's not sure if he can contain them anymore.

Still, he realizes that he'll have to face his favorite blond eventually, so might as well do it sooner rather than later.

Either Katsuki remembers and threatens to kill Izuku if he even dares to mention anything, or he doesn't remember and Izuku has to live with the fact that the other loves him back, but just won't admit it.

No matter the outcome, he'd lose.

Still, he had to press on.

Once he changed into his uniform, he headed to the dinning room where mostly everyone was already gathered and having breakfast, sounds of groaning and complaining from pulling an all-nighter here and there.

As Izuku heads for a table after serving himself a bowl of cereal, he stops dead in his tracks as he sees Katsuki walking into the room. Trying to avoid eye contact, the grenette attempts to power walk past him.

“Deku.”

Katsuki's voice freezes him, and he begins to prepare for his funeral as he gulps and turns towards the blond with the largest smile he can muster. “Yes, K-Kach-”

He isn't allowed to finish, as the explosive teen holds onto the other boy's head and pulls him in for a kiss. It's not gentle like last night's, but rather rougher and sloppier. But the message behind it was crystal clear: ‘You're mine and I'm yours.’.

Once he pulls away, Izuku stares wide-eyed at the red plump lips he now loved so much— just like everyone else in the room, who had immediately stopped eating to witness the scene before them.

Licking his lips, the blond turns sideways as a small blush spreads across his neck. “Good morning, nerd.”

As Izuku spaces out, he can only faintly distinguish Uraraka's ‘you owe me $20’ followed by a groan that seems to come from Iida, along with all the cheers and pictures being taken by his classmates.

And in that moment, everything is truly right in the world. Everything is perfect, and Izuku wouldn't have it any other way. And as such, he smiles at the person he plans to spend the rest of his life reminding that he's worthy of love.

The person he will love until the day he dies.

What could be more perfect than that?

“Good morning, Kacchan!”

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[retracing-my-steps-again]

Spider-Man: Expiation (Ch. 1 Notes)

My rant, personal notes, and story notes for chapter one of my Spider-Man MHA fusion fic (Izuku as Spider-Man).

Spoilers for Ch. 1 below

First a quick rant:

I'm not yet satisfied with the editing of this fic nor have I finished writing it all the way but you know what? I need some will to live and if I post this it means I can't die until I've posted the whole fic ! Jk but fr life is looking dismal these days so I need something else to focus on. And if I try to be a super perfectionist like usual about this fic and don't start posting it there's a chance it'll live in my computer forever, never to be perceived by a single other soul. A part of me is fine with that but the other part of me thinks I've spent hundreds of hours on this and some people might enjoy it.

I need to stop holding myself to such a ridiculous standard this is a my hero academia fanfic and I don't even get paid for this shit -_- I can't spend all my time forever writing it as much as I would like to.

Author Notes:

Like I said in the end notes on the chapter itself, I know the Spider-Man Izuku phase of the internet is long over. I still see posts about it from time to time though so I suspect some people will still want to read this. In my defense, I’ve been writing this fic since that phase of the internet when it was popular. So… I’ve been writing this fic for literal years now.

I’m a huge fan of in medias res, so I would’ve rather kicked off the beginning in a much more interesting way, but I actually think it worked better to start at the beginning for this fic. So hopefully all the setup isn’t unbearable. I’m sorry there’s so much exposition/recap of the canon universe. I wanted to include it in case people haven’t watched the show or read the manga in a while and still wanted to have context without getting confused. I also wanted to provide a bit of my character analysis so you can get an idea of how I'll be writing this fic. There's a bit more character analysis in Ch. 2 as well.

Also it’s very funny to me how much of MHA has Star Wars references. There’s so many goddamn Star Wars references. So many locations are borrowed from Star Wars. Even the entrance exam robot names are named after star destroyers (which I don't include in this fic because it's not really relevant).

I still have no idea what to do about suffixes, so it may just remain a mess. I can’t really get rid of them completely (or rather translate them to the best of my ability). Mainly because “Kacchan” is a nickname utilizing a Japanese suffix and many of the characters refer to each other by family name, so sometimes the suffix is an important distinction. But like with doctor ? I just used Dr. so it really is just a mess. I still don’t know what to do about it but hopefully it's not too off-putting and inconsistent.

Chapter 1 Story Notes:

Funny story, the first chapter used to just be called "Origins" and it ended with Izuku getting bit by a radioactive spider and now it's been split up a whole lot ! It used to be very generalized and kinda boring though so I don't feel bad about it lol

This story involves a major divergence from canon (obviously) right at the beginning.

In canon, Izuku only decides to stop going after his dream of being a hero when he hears it from All Might himself. Of course, he still runs in to save Katsuki immediately after this but still. Up until this point, he wasn't letting anyone else deter him from trying to be a hero. Then, of course, he's chosen to be All Might's successor.

So, in this fic there's none of that. Izuku hasn't met All Might at this point (outside of the sludge villain incident, where in this he doesn't have a chance to talk to him at all because Katsuki is attacked first). He still wants to try and go to UA and become a Hero but doesn't really physically train or get a Quirk obviously.

I feel like Izuku running in to save Katsuki is an important part of the canon story that I wanted to be a part of this fic. So in this fic, even though Katsuki is attacked first, Izuku still has to run in to save him before All Might shows up. (I'm pretty sure I actually talk about this at some point later during the fic but it's not a spoiler to say it now as it technically already happened and isn't super important to this story. It's more that removing it entirely felt like too much of a divergence that I didn't want to deal with.)

Honestly, I've spent many hours stressing about keeping the characters as accurate as possible to canon, but it's sometimes difficult because this fic is so different from canon. There are a lot of parallels to canon though so hopefully that's enough to keep people from feeling too thrown off. I feel like I have a good understanding of the characters in canon (largely referring to Izuku and Katsuki) so I really do my best to keep them in character even with such a different story.

I thought I might as well also add in some of my scribblings somewhere in case anyone would find it interesting or helpful. Below were my first notes on Izuku's injury. I needed to plan it out and ensure I could keep consistent with stuff. Also for the sake of my own visualization. Not all of it is relevant to the fic and is just me thinking through things medically.

Also because this is obviously not in our universe and they have accelerated healing and stuff, I had to try and visualize what that could mean for long term healing and everything.

TW: semi-graphic descriptions of injury/injury recovery (no graphic images so basically just don't read below if you don't want to)

Disclaimer: obviously don't take any of this as medical advice. These are my personal notes for the sake of visualization. They're very generalized and were largely off the top of my head.

[stylesinthewild]

I feel stalker-ish following harry's friends on instagram, especially adam's wife, but you never know if harry when pop up lmao

I mean.....it’s up to you. If someone has a public account then I guess......do whatever you feel is right? I follow his band, I follow some of his friends but no one too obscure you know? Like they’re all public figures?

[bciwasinlove]

So this half-written post has been in my drafts for a couple weeks now didn't really think I would bother finishing it but after tonight thought I should. I have seen some [on both Tumblr and Twitter] have such a double standard when it comes to H&L and don't really care for both like they claim. Maybe some should just be say their a solo stan bc you only care about Harry bc he's Louis bf not for much else and are always one foot out the door from stanning Harry.

PSA This is my thoughts if you don't agree or don't do any of this just please keep scrolling. Also, some of these points may be relevant to only Twitter while other points only Tumblr but I'm posting this on both apps so I'm just putting all my thoughts collectively into one post.

From what I constantly see from my time on both apps especially this last year is that there is a huge double standard when it comes to L&H...

1) Some of you will defend Louis against every little piece of hate he receives but the problem lies when you turn a blind eye to some of the awful stuff said about Harry.

2) Some have stated [actually a lot] that they won't call themself a harrie bc toxic solo harries exist and they hate Louis but are fine calling themself a louie even tho toxic solo louies who hate Harry exist. Sounds like you only pretend to care about Harry as stated before bc he's Louis bf.

3) Back when we got Italy Elounor date pics everyone made memes and jokes about it or kept saying things like "poor Louis hate that he is forced to stunt with Eleanor" [did not blame Louis at all for it] but when we got Holivia Italy date pics I saw some of those same people [including a former mutual] get mad and fully blamed Harry for it as if it isn't the same situation. Where is the difference between both stunt vacations ?? Neither had a say in it and both were forced to do this bc both are closeted.

I feel like some think just bc Harry gets more media attention and promo that means he has more say and is more free but that is not the case. It's been pretty clear since last October when Jingle Ball was filmed Harry has not been well. He seems so fuckin done with everything since than and the only time he seemed decently happy was when he was filming a movie where he plays a gay man and slightly when performing bc he has missed doing so.

Don't even think some heard the full line correctly bc after he says it's about sweetness and a fan yells p***y he says "It's about female o****am" AND THAN "that's totally different it's not relevant" [the name of the song came from a book about that.] A lot of major UAs cited it as "so that settles that" which isn't correct and changes how to perceive what he meant. Also some seem to forget their are three other guys on the writing credits for WS who are into women.

4) We all know the solo harrie UA HSD who was exposed in a way for hating Louis and being very toxic saying lies about Louis and a ton of larries were like I dont care if they give fast/good updates on Harry they hate Louis so don't follow there's other UAs. Well some time later a popular solo louie UA got exposed for being run by a tumblr r*d who says awful stuff about Harry.

They even claimed Harry and his team helped start BG to ruin Louis careers and some of those same larries who said unfollow HSD bc they hate Louis said "I don't care what this acc [the SL UA] says elsewhere I'm here for updates" so when it's hates against Louis unfollow but when it's hate and lies about Harry it's turn the other way who cares ???

5) Just a few days ago we had that ss of Eleanor's text about football from "daddy" clearly meant to mean Louis and having him listed as "daddy" is sexual but everyone just found it funny and brushed it off like who cares we know they aren't actually together but when H says one line at a concert everyone loses their shit.

So that could easily mean the sweetness part is about himself and the other meaning [that he says isn't relevant] is about the other writers who most likely know what THAT is like compared to Harry [who regadless of his sexuality] has been with Louis since he was 16. Or like stated the book he read that gave him the idea of the song title.

Here is a good ask/post about WS meaning and how it can have multiple meanings NOT just one.

https://daisiesonafield-blog.tumblr.com/post/663910079575326720/hiii-im-from-argentina-and-last-night-on-midnight

TBH I don't even see a big deal in this and why it really matters. The biggest reason I have seen people complain about it is we will get more hate for this but how much more hate can we really get that makes a difference or is anything we haven't heard before? Whether this was said or not I had already been told every phrase in the book like "you're delusional" "go seek help" " go to a psych ward" ext. and it doesn't change the fact that Larry is still real. I know some can't handle those things [those who can't should definitely step away from online fandom for a while] I'm just saying we got told all those things before it's nothing new the amount we get at this point is a blur.

The second biggest reason I have seen is this gives antis the incentive to sexualize him but didn't they have enough incentive before when they kept shoving the WS meaning down our throats along with the womanizer image? Plus whenever Harry did something before Illuding to something sexual [example medicine and how he acts on stage when singing it mainly with his mic] everyone would be like yeah Harry 🤩 but now with this people are saying he shouldn't have said this bc this eggs antis on to sexualize him ??

So he just shouldn't have done half of the things he did on stage during HS1 tour bc a lot of how he acted on stage mainly during Medicine egged them on. We could get a picture of Harry sitting on a chair and they will find a way to sexualize him [I have personally seen it happen.] They have never had human decency and would have still acted whatever way they will act in the coming future regardless of this.

If I get hate from antis for what he said well I got told all those things after Louis bullshit tweet, Liam calling Larries delusional, Gemma saying false goodnight when asked if Larry was real, the twins saying Larry isn't real, Louis saying he will marry Eleanor one day ext. And anyone else who was around for those event mostly just ignored what all of them said or laughed at it so why is Harry saying this much different? All those things fueled antis just as much as this would so what does it matter at this point? The bullshit tweet from Louis 2012 was enough for them say all they had I really don't see this changing much.

This isn't the first time something like this has been done clearly and it won't be the last if it's an issue for you every time this happens it is probably best for you to just leave the fandom. If it's ONLY an issue when it's Harry saying something to allude to Larry not being real or playing into the "I'm straight" image just unstan Harry.

Someone did dmed me saying I think those mad at Harry from a newer stans perspective are not used to this type of situation and were expecting Harry to be coming out but got things like this instead and an older stans perspective has seen shit like this time and time again like in 2014/2015 when we thought they might be coming out but we got Dani and babygate instead.

If you were/are only here bc you want or expect them to come out just leave now bc you will not survive another year in this fandom where the endless cycle of them going one foot forward out the door to two steps back in the closet keeps happening. I've been a fan for 10 years I've seen it all became a Larrie after Haylor happened I guess I just became numb to all this.

My main point of this post is I'm tired of seeing people treat L&H differently when it comes to them being in the closet and having to go about being seen as straight. You can't say one is "forced to do and say things" but than say the other is "free to do and say as they please" when things related to closesting happen.

For any stunting related thing either both choose to do what they do and to be in the spot their in or neither is anywhere near free and has a say in what they do. One getting more promo and media attention doesn't make them any more free when they are heavily tied up in s*ny's ropes as their "golden boy" money maker 🤑🤑🤑. If you treat Harry completely different than you do Louis for the same thing then just be a solo stan please.

[azucanela]

So i have a phrase “How do I look? Do I look okay?” “You look beautiful... you are beautiful.” with Kirishima, Shinsou, Todoroki and Keigo? Is it okay to ask for something like this? If it's not feel free to ignore🙈

DIALOGUE PROMPT SCENARIOS [ft. keigo takami, kirishima ejirou, shinsou hitoshi, todoroki shouto]

SUMMARY: Y/N wonders if she looks okay, not that she could ever look bad.

WORD COUNT: 2.1k

WARNINGS: kissing, insecurities, thats it though

A/N: that’s perfectly fine bb <3 but you didn’t specify scenarios or headcannons but scenarios felt more appropriate so here we are

KEIGO TAKAMI | PRO HERO HAWKS

Staring at herself in the mirror, Y/N found herself despising her job as a Pro Hero, mostly because of all the extra things that came with it. She’d gone to UA High School to learn how to save lives, and Y/N had learnt just that. Nobody prepared her for the interviews and the galas and the publicity that came with the job, especially if you were successful. The social aspect that nobody discussed was the worst part of the job, the random reporters photographing her as she went about her day, the brutal comments in regards to basically everything.

Seeing as she ranked in the Top 5 Pro Heroes, Y/N considered that successful, and the fact that her boyfriend was Number 2 Hero Hawks, well that didn’t necessarily help. There was a ridiculous amount of attention focused on them individually, but as a couple? Y/N L/N and Takami Keigo were viewed as a potential power couple to the public, they had yet to confirm their relationship, though Y/N had a feeling that their appearance together at the gala that night would confirm the suspicions the public had.

That would likely be catastrophic. 

Sighing, Y/N smoothed down her red dress, the color matched Keigo’s wings, something she’d requested specifically. It was a subtle hint to their relationship, something for her, Keigo, and both their publicists, seeing as the announcement of a relationship between two top heroes would likely only benefit them. Now, Y/N wondered if it was too much, eyes scrutinizing every inch of her look the same way she knew dozens of magazines, reporters and posts would do the moment she stepped out onto the red carpet.

She was distracted by Keigo’s entrance into their shared room, moving past her quickly to snatch his red tie off a dresser, he moved to fasten it around his collar. Y/N found herself reminded of the fact that he was considered a very fast paced hero as she watched him, a small smile finding its way onto her face. He opens his mouth to speak, only to pause when he turns to her, and Y/N can’t help but squirm under his gaze.

“How do I look? Do I look okay?” There are about a dozen thoughts running through her mind as he practically stares her down, maybe he doesn’t like the color, maybe she looks bad, maybe this was a mistake. 

Instead, a smile breaks out on Keigo’s face as he tilts his head dopily, “you look beautiful...” He responds, hand coming to hold her cheek as he leaned forward, “you are beautiful.” 

“Thank you, baby.” She’s smiling too now, leaning her face into his hands as she brings her arms to wrap around his shoulders.

Keigo pressed his lips to hers, mumbling against them, “you’re wearing my color.” His mouth moved to press against her jaw as Y/N hummed in response, hand coming to grip his hair tightly as she watched his wings flutter slightly. 

There’s a grin on Y/N’s lips as she tilts her head further back and responds, “yeah, I am.” Raising a brow she asked, “you like it?”

“I love it.”

KIRISHIMA EJIROU 

Kirishima finds himself smiling as he knocks on Y/N’s door. They were going to meet his for dinner, and it would be Y/N’s first time meeting them, something she had been stressed about for the past week since he’d told her. Though Kirishima wasn’t necessarily worried if he was honest, seeing how often he talked about Y/N, he wouldn’t be shocked if his parents felt like they already knew her.

Y/N on the other hand, was panicking. This would be her first time meeting her long term boyfriend’s parents, meeting the parents meant a lot of things. First off, Kirishima expected her to be in his life for an extended period of time, and he trusted her enough to introduce her to his parents. Secondly, it meant she had to make a good impression, though their approval didn’t mean everything it was important to both her and Kirishima if she wanted to continue being in a serious relationship with him.

Upon hearing the knock at her door, Y/N found herself grimacing as she looked into the mirror once more before making her way to the door. Unlocking it, Y/N opened the door for her boyfriend before rushing over to her dresser and taking the earrings on top to put them on. “Hey, sorry I’m not ready I just-” She inhaled deeply, turning to him as she fixed the earrings, “I really want this to go well.” Y/N returns her gaze to the mirror for a final look at herself, frowning when she realizes Kirishima has yet to speak, “How do I look? Do I look okay?”

Kirishima’s mouth has gaped open as he looks to her, eyes trailing over her outfit as he nods rapidly, “you look beautiful!” He exclaims, bringing his hands to her arms as he beams at her, “you are beautiful.” His voice quiets as he says these words, the look in his eyes soft. 

Y/N’s cheeks warm at her words, nodding slowly in response, “great. Great. We should go.” She mumbled, a small smile on her face.

But Kirishima’s hands remain on her arms, keeping her in her spot as he says, “you are amazing Y/N, and they are going to love you, okay?” When she doesn’t respond, Kirishima brings a hand to her chin, forcing her to look at him as he repeats, “okay?”

Y/N bites her lip as she nods, “okay.” A shaky breath escapes her as she leans forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips, temporarily catching him by surprise as her hands come to rest on his chest. Kirishima recovers quickly, pulling her face closer with the hand gripping her chin as his other hand comes to her waist. 

When Y/N pulls away, she wraps her arms around his torso and places her head on his chest, “thank you, Kiri.”

He simply smiles at her, wrapping his arms around her shoulder and rocking them side to side, earning a laugh from her as he says, “of course, Baby.”

SHINSOU HITOSHI

Sighing, Shinsou runs a hand through his hair as he sits on the couch, awaiting Y/N’s great reveal. She’d insisted that he stop working so that she could show hims something, though it took a lot of convincing, she’d managed to get him on the couch. If Y/N was honest, this was a last ditch attempt to get Shinsou to stop overworking himself, he had already done so much to get into the Hero Course and he needed a break. Now she was searching for something, anything that could be considered relevant enough for her to pull him away from his work and force him onto the couch. At this point just hoped he was eating the food she’d left behind for while he waited. 

Tearing through her room, Y/N groaned, moving to her closet when she realized she had nothing interesting to show him, after all, he’d seen everything in her room dozens of times. Her closet on the other hand? There were dozens of things she had yet to wear. 

Y/N found herself glaring at the dress she’d bought months ago, she’d thought it was gorgeous but there weren’t many opportunities for her to wear it, and even if she could, Y/N couldn’t help but feel nervous at the possibility. What if it looked bad? She never tried it on, so this would be a surprise for not just her, but also Shinsou. Y/N couldn’t help but scowl as she snatched it off the hanger.

Meanwhile, Shinsou finds himself eating the bowl of fruit Y/N had left behind, he couldn’t help but wonder what she had to show him that was taking so long to prepare, but he didn’t mind. Though Shinsou would be lying if he said he hadn’t considered getting up to check on her. 

He’s about to call out her name when she exclaims, “you ready?”

There’s a soft smile on his face as he places the bowl of fruit down on the coffee table before him and leans back against the couch, “I always am, kitten.” Comes his response.

Shinsou was wrong. He was not ready for what Y/N was showing him. 

She’d moved into his line of sight to reveal a black dress that he’d never seen her wear before, and to put it simply, he was kind of upset that she hadn’t. Shinsou is grappling for words as his mouth opens and closes in shock, eyes trailing of Y/N.

“How do I look? Do I look okay?” Y/N asked, his lack of response hadn’t been reassuring, but at least he had eaten some of the fruit she had left for him. Spinning in a circle, Y/N let out a nervous laugh as she looked to him.

Shinsou nodded slowly, “you look beautiful...” He assured, a small smile making its way onto his face, “you are beautiful.” Y/N found her cheeks warming at his words as she moved over to him, falling into his lap with a smile.

“You’re too nice to me, Toshi.” 

She can see the faint blush in his cheeks as he wraps his arms around her, burying his head in her neck in an attempt to hide it, “it’s the truth.” 

Y/N simply hums in response as she runs a hand through his hair, leaning her neck further back when he begins to press small kisses against it, “so what do you want for dinner? You’ve barely eaten all day.”

“Pizza?”

TODOROKI SHOUTO

Shouto didn’t know how long he’d been sitting on Y/N’s bed, but it had been a while, a long while. It was their anniversary and he had insisted on using Endeavor’s shiny black credit card to the fullest, much to her dismay. Y/N had never liked when Shouto spent an excessive amount of money on her, but he didn’t seem to care. They’d gone out earlier and if Y/N so much as looked at something for more than a few moments, Shouto was already taking it to the cash register, card in hand.

Now, she was trying on a dress they’d bought earlier that day, and seeing as they had a reservation at some fancy restaurant Y/N had discovered in the next hour, Y/N was taking her time to get ready. Not that Shouto minded how long she was taking, especially since the restaurant was supposed to be booked until the following year, until he dropped his name that is. He sincerely doubted they’d mind if they were late.

Y/N was, of course, panicking. It was a really fancy restaurant and when she’d off handedly mentioned how good the food seemed, she didn’t expect Shouto to get them a reservation. Much less take her shopping beforehand. Stepping outside of the bathroom with the black dress she’d selected, Y/N found herself incapable of preventing the insecurities from flooding her mind when she saw Shouto look up from his phone. 

He set his phone to the side when he saw her, and Y/N finds herself looking away as she mumbles, “how do I look? Do I look okay?”

There’s a small smile on Shouto’s face as he gives her a small nod, “you look beautiful.” His eyes are analyzing her entire figure as he extends a hand, gesturing for her to come closer, and Y/N moves into his arms, hands gripping his shoulders as he continues, “you are beautiful.”

Y/N can feel her cheeks warm at Shouto’s words as his hands come to her hips and pull her between his spread legs, “you’re too kind to me Shouto.” Y/N’s hand comes to his cheek as she smiles nervously at him.

Shouto simply shakes his head, “I don’t deserve you.” His voice is quiet as speaks, looking to her in awe.

She simply swats gently his shoulder, “don’t say that.” Y/N grumbles, frowning at him as she leans down to rest her forehead on his, “you deserve everything.”

Shouto is silent when leans backwards and pulls her down with him, determined to make her smile once more, he finds himself grinning as she bursts out into laughter on top of him before capturing her lips. 

“We’re gonna be late, Shouto.” She mumbles, removing her lips from his and burying her head in his neck as she sighed.

He simply hums in response, arms circling her waist, “I doubt they’ll mind.”

A/N: these were fun to write :D also wow im NOT posting at 2AM? whaaa so weird.

TAGLISTS[lmk if you want to be added via askbox or replies]

BNHA: @shawkneecaps

[liyawritesss]

In The Name of Love

Pairing: Fashion Designer!Shinsou Hitoshi x Singer!Fem!Black/POC!Reader

Genre: secret dating

Synopsis: Rumors of your relationship to famous fashion designer Shinsou Hitoshi arise. The two of you decide to finally break the ice during New York Fashion Week with a new song you’ve written just for him.

Warnings: tba, fem!black/poc!reader

A/N: it’s valentines day my loves! Whether you got a boo or you’re treating yourself, today is a day that should be full of love in every sense of the word. I hope you all enjoy this piece, and remember that your love, whether it be for you or someone else, doesn’t stop when Valentine's Day ends. Love yourself and those around you every chance you get !!

    The hustle and bustle of the busiest fashion event of the year was at its peak the moment designers and guest stars started to appear on the red carpet. Artists of every caliber attend New York Fashion Week as if it were an annual ritual amongst artists of the same kind, supporting the budding designers in their first show or commending experienced designers for still being relevant in such an ever changing society.

    And, as for any social event that included artists of different calibers, the paparazzi was there to cover every piece of the event. While their purpose was to initially take elegant photos of the designers and other guests and perform interviews about the newest set of trends for the season, the paparazzi wouldn’t be the paparazzi if they weren’t ready to uncover a juicy rumor that the tabloids stirred up from time to time.

    Currently the rumor of a hot up and coming singer and a well experienced fashion designer having a relationship behind closed doors was on the rise - and it was spicy in allegations and evidence. The two have been claimed to know each other since their high school days at the critically-acclaimed school of the arts, UA Academy. That being said, naturally their relationship would be that of close friends. 

However, questions began to arise when fans of each artist noticed just how present the other was in their work.

Well renowned fashion designer Shinsou Hitoshi held an immense amount of respect in the fashion community thanks to his intricate, dream-like designs that fit any season despite it’s release date. Holding several successful fashion shows since his graduation, he’s won several awards and has received praise from the highest of fashion icons, eventually receiving the title of “King of Fashion”. Despite such fame and popularity, the man is rarely seen at his own events, creating an air of mystery around him.

Shinsou’s inspiration varied on the season, on the theme of his designs, but one part of his creation process always remained the same.

(Y/N) is an up and coming artist who seemed to hit worldwide fame overnight from a cover she posted on YouTube. Since her video went viral, the singer has put out several hit singles, and has a full-length album in the works. Beautiful, with a heart of gold and a voice of an angel, she steals the hearts of anyone she captivates with her music and personality.

Their personalities vary heavily, so one would find it hard to see the two as close friends, much less anything more. However, fans have discovered several hints that could prove that the cold-hearted Fashion King is indeed, in love with (Y/N).

The two follow each other on all known social media platforms, and although they don’t publicly interact, one can see that they like and repost each other's posts a fair amount. At many of Shinsou’s runway shows, (Y/N) is there to perform throughout the events. While never public with his inspirations, Shinsou does remark on how music is what brings him peace, so it isn’t too far of s stretch to assume that (Y/N) is a muse for the designer. Similarly, the singer has promoted Shinsou’s fashion pieces heavily, and seems to have access to custom-made designs that have not and may never be released to the public.

Despite the rumors, both parties have remained silent on the issue - however, paparazzi and fans are determined to get their answer tonight as Shinsou Hitoshi’s long awaited Spring lineup is revealed.

Shisnou watched the coverage of the event from his dressing room’s monitor, scoffing at the reporters remarks on the rumors regarding him and (Y/N). One thing he always hated about the fame that came along with his well-recognized talent, was that people never knew how to keep their noses out of personal business.

“They’re just tabloids, baby. As annoying as it is, it’s their job.” You say to the purple haired man from your seat at the vanity, watching him watch the monitor through the glass mirrors. 

The public’s relentless pursuit to uncover your secret relationship irked the both of you, albeit getting to Shinsou more than you. Shinsou was a private man who enjoyed his private life. He didn’t need cameras in his face and snobby reporters asking him the same recycled questions from years on end. He always wondered how you could deal with it, how you were just so naturally good with people. His resolve would’ve broken, and the foulness that would have escaped his mouth would land him on the front page of every magazine in no time flat.

“I admire how you can just ignore them like you do, angel,” he replies, taking a sip of his iced coffee. He sports a royal purple dress shirt, crisp and unbuttoned at the top to make the eyes wander in awe. The dress shirt was paired with a black blazer, which laid on the back of a chair, black slacks and dress shoes. He considered his outfit to be rather plain compared to what you would be wearing tonight at the opening ceremony.

The purple haired man approached you from behind, setting his drink on the counter as his dipped down to lean his head on your shoulder. Thanks to the vanity lighting, your skin glowed so beautifully that it was almost blinding. The few accessories the man wore - his chained necklace hidden underneath his shirt as well as the one earring he wore on his left ear - dangled with the weight of gravity as he pressed a kiss to your cheek.

You received the affection happily, placing your hand on the other side of his face to press the kiss into your cheek so that it would be etched into that area, knowing you probably wouldn’t get any more of his love for the night until you were tucked away privately in your hotel room, away from the public's prying eyes. 

You took the opportunity to snap a quick picture of the two of you like that, your phone having been out anyway since you were scrolling through TikTok out of boredom. You relished in his comforting scent and the strong arm that came to wrap itself around you, holding you close to your lover. Soon enough, his show would be put into pre-show, meaning you’d have to return to your own dressing room to get ready. 

You hated parting with one another, but you told yourselves that it wouldn’t be for long. You had a plan, that may or may not upset your PR teams, but as someone once said - it was all in the name of love.

The time for Shinsou’s runway segment came, and the audience was jammed packed - or as jammed packed as a fashion show could get. The lights dimmed, you entered the stage, and the announcer introduced the segment:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the runway showcasing of the “In The Name Of Love” collection by Shinsou Hitoshi - with musical performances by the great (Y/N), singing her new single "Way Back Home!”

Remember when I told you

No matter where I go

I’ll never leave your side

You will never be alone

Even when we go through changes

Even when we’re old

Remember that, I told you

I’ll find my way back home

Music filled the atmosphere as models lined up and strutted up and down the runway. The light, airy, dreamlike music added to the beauty of the pieces on display, and the audience ate it up. You also interacted with some of the models, whether it be silence encouragement or a little dancing as they strutted their stuff. There were so many beautiful pieces that were modeled, and you could tell well before the show ended that it was already a success. 

    Cuz i told you right from the start

    You just say the world and I’ll go

    No it doesn't matter how far

    Cuz your love is all that I know

    Baby you just stay where you are

    Cuz you know I won't be too long

    C’mon

    C’mon

    The song you were singing was not just something you put together for the sake of the fashion show. In fact, it was not made for the fashion show at all. It was a scrapped song from your upcoming album that you wanted to keep for yourself. It was a song written frantically, composed and produced with such intense care that it took years before you finally came to the version that you were satisfied with - but all out of love and adoration for the man watching your performance now. He had asked you to perform this song at his show, but you gave him one better.

    “Why not kiss me on stage when it’s over?”

    What was originally a joke became your stellar plan to finally debunk the outrageous rumors the tabloids had created, and lay it out to the world that Shinsou Hitoshi and (Y/N) (L/N) were happily in love. You thought you would be scared, nervous, petrified of the idea - but if it was with Shinsou, for Shinsou, you’d do it ten times over, again and again and again.

Remember when I told you

No matter where I go

I’ll never leave your side

You will never be alone

Even when we go through changes

Even when we’re old

Remember that, I told you

I’ll find my way back home

    As the last model left the stage, the crowd roared for your performance as well as the stellar show the models put on as well. Each of the beautiful women gave their respect before exiting the stage, but just as the audience believed the show had ended, the announcer had spoken once more.

    “I’m sorry, it seems we have an impromptu speech on the schedule to be performed by…..Shinsou Hitoshi himself!”

    The crowd gasped and murmured, confused bewildered by the sudden news. People rushed back to their seats, cameras at the ready to receive the mysterious Fashion King as he walked down his own runway, claps and whoops and whistles thrown at him from every which way. As the spotlight was on him, you shuffled off stage to watch the Fashion King speak.

    Shinsou was bad at speaking in front of people, despite the constant rehearsals he had gone through and speech classes he had attended, none of them helped the bubble of anxiety that burned in the pit of stomach when it came to speaking in front of an audience. However, seeing you in the front row, your bright smile encouraging him onward, his troubles eased.

    “I’m not one to speak on my personal life,” Shinsou began, “in fact, I firmly believe that professional and private life should remain separate. However, that becomes hard to maintain when you find aspects of the two merging into one.”

    “As a designer, as an artist, my inspirations can be very great, or very little. I think it’s time I introduce you all to the one muse I’ve had that has never failed me.”

    Shinsou reached his hand out to you, and the audience gasped in response as you stood to take it. Helping you onto the stage once more, Shinsou begins to speak again:

    “I present to you, Ms. (Y/N) (L/N); the love of my life, whom which this collection is dedicated to,”

    Shinsou pulls you close to him, violet eyes boring into yours with a newfound fire and passion that you had never seen before in him, “and the reason why I am here in front of you today, raw and bare with emotions I had not thought possible to feel so strongly.”

    The audience is on edge, anticipating every move that Shinsou makes, clinging on to every word that slips from his lips, aching for the confession that the public had been aching for for the longest time. Yet to him, there was no audience, there was no runway show happening at that very moment.

    Shinsou saw you and only you, and smiled the most genuine smile that he had ever done so, and said “And it is all in the name of love.”

    And with that, the purple haired man whisked you into a deep, breathtaking kiss that muffled the cheers and hollers of the audience surrounding you.

If you enjoyed, please leave a like, comment, and reblog for others to see! And don't be shy to send a request!

[a-crimson-lion]

I Need To Stop Reading Into Things…😂

Yet again for @kiricookie .

[Check out this post first.]

So… we’re here again. Lord forgive me, I’m back on my bulls***.

Okay, jokes aside, I really should stop doing these things, but I am a stubborn individual. Plus, I wanna see how our notes compare, and try to have more civil discussions on the internet than I see on average. I’d reblog, but again, your post is already long as is (not incredibly long, but still), and I’d rather not occupy dashboard space more than I need to.

Alright, I think I’ve said my piece. Let’s talk about your post…

Oof. Starting right in the heart of the issue, really.

I am aware that Izuku is… incredibly likeable. I am aware that some of his issues, while perceived by some as noble, are heavily problematic and probably need to get sorted out before the boy gets a close audience with death. I am also aware that some of his habits are less than courteous in some circumstances, though like you said, Izuku has the benefit of having no malicious intent when it comes to these actions, even if they can come off as annoying.

Now, regarding Katsuki’s snail pace development… I get what you’re trying to say, but that doesn’t make it come off as any less frustrating...

As much as I want to believe that Katsuki’s upbringing in society is what’s stunted his growth so badly, I wish the narrative was more willing to show it. All we’ve gotten of Katsuki’s past are flashbacks from Izuku, remarks during the visit to the Bakugo household, and the “raised with violence” line from the Remedial Course arc. Now this understandably paints a pretty terrible picture, but uh… what has Katsuki done to try to fix it? How has Katsuki tried to demonstrate that his upbringing wasn’t justified? Why is he imitating the behaviors he supposedly despises, that supposedly keep him held back, instead of trying to find a workaround? I’ve only seen a few growth/redemption arcs of antagonistic characters, but even if the arcs took long, there was always an ultimate reason for doing so. And Katsuki doesn’t have that. At least, not yet.

It’s been implicitly established that Katsuki’s growth will be the mother of all slowburns. I’ve mentioned it in this old post of mine, but this is doing Katsuki no favors, at least for me. Now don’t get me wrong, I love myself a flawed character, but there’s only so much I can stomach before a flawed character becomes less “flawed” and more “asshole.” I personally believe that his true growth doesn’t get started until “Deku vs. Kacchan 2” (Episode 61), but if we really wanna consider that “Bakugo’s Start Line” (Episode 8) is his… well, start line, then that only makes it worse. Because again, his character arc is, as we’ve established, slow. But the fact that it’s slow enough for several other character arcs to transpire (Shoto, Tenya), as well as slow enough to allow “background characters” some significant development and return to relevancy (Eijiro, Hitoshi), I start wanting to stop holding my breath for his arc’s supposedly inevitable conclusion. Now I know you personally consider the suspense a positive, but it’s the opposite for me. I’d chalk it up to impatience, but again, MULTIPLE character arcs have transpired, and a few have been far more believably gradual compared to Katsuki’s.

While it is impressive that Katsuki was willing to pour out his feelings to Izuku, I’d like to argue that it wasn’t as… well, sentimental. Remember that society and Izuku’s peers before UA regarded him as the lowest of the low. The weakest, the most worthless. “The pebble in the path.” Considering that Katsuki lost the Training Exercise AND technically got outsmarted by Izuku, who was considered this until VERY RECENTLY, I’d imagine that’d be one hell of a blow to his ego. It is still significant that he’s willing to talk to Izuku about this, but it’s not exactly because he’s humbling himself. It’s because he’s begrudgingly admitting that he’s not the best, and it’s been well established that he HATES not being the absolute best. And I don’t know about you, but suddenly getting your high expectations crushed after years of nothing but “positive reinforcement” should not be made as big of a deal as it is here. I’m not saying to get over it, because you’ll never get over it, you have to live with it and learn from it, but don’t make it seem like it’s the end of the world and a half like Katsuki did in that scene. Plus, didn’t he essentially reaffirm that he was going to do what he planned to do from the start of his tenure at UA? I mean, good on him for his dedication, but you’d think the guy would want to take a step back and actually try to learn from others if they were so impressive.

Now, the DC Superhero franchise falls in and out from my radar at times, but I don’t think Katsuki and Batman are a good comparison for the point you're trying to make. Yes they both use violence, and yes they’re both intimidating, but for entirely different reasons. Batman uses fear tactics because he finds them efficient; I don’t know what they’re doing with his character nowadays, but from what I can gather in his earlier incarnations, Batman’s not out for blood. Vengeace, sure, but he doesn’t waste time getting there beating the snot out of his enemies. He takes care of them, sends them off, and keeps on trucking. Before they tried making him even more edgy, he didn’t kill and he kept away from firearms because he was well aware of any issues he had. He may not be a goodie two-shoes like most heroes, but he does show definitive empathy in some of his earlier incarnations. Remember, Batman was the kid who lost his parents to injustice. That was his entire reason for taking up the cowl, for becoming more than Bruce Wayne. In the Justice League Unlimited Episode “Epilogue,” he has the option to kill Ace, a teen villain with dangerously growing psychic powers. He doesn’t do that. He takes the seat next to Ace as she begins to die. He offers his support as Ace has to confront the terrifying realization that she is dying. He’s helping another scared kid, because he knows what it’s like.

That’s heroism. That’s Batman.

Katsuki’s motivations and actions aren’t as sympathetic. Him lashing out isn’t for anything strategical; early on in the series and even after his “Start Line,” up until the Endeavor Agency Arc, I believe, Katsuki’s sole motivations are victory and bloodlust. Even if it seems like he’s growing more chivalrous with his resolve, he backslides so many times back into the angry loudmouth trope its hard to want to keep hope, because if he can backslide multiple times before, what’s to stop him from backsliding again? It ruins the suspense for some people. And people are intimidated by Katsuki, but that’s because he’s borderline unhinged. I’d be scared s***less too if a pyrokinetic powerhouse was gunning on me with his eyes glowing like the fires of Hell as he radiated killing intent (an exaggeration, but still). I have yet to see Katsuki use this intimidation “tactic” of his beyond the fact that he appears to be enjoying it, either.

Alright, enough of that, let’s analyze that penultimate question: why hate Katsuki? If you asked me early on, I would say that yes, I don’t like him because he hurts Izuku. But as I’ve continued looking throughout the series, I now say that I don’t like him because, contrary to what he says, virtually everything is handed to him. Most of the time, its people mistaking his battle thirst as chivalrous determination, whether it be against a villain or just a standard opponent. He never tries to make himself any more “likeable,” and while Class 1-A is quick to call him out for this in the USJ Arc, by the Sports Festival they’re all flocking to him, and I have yet to understand any proper reasoning for this. It’s less like Katsuki proving there’s more to him than meets the eye and earning the respect of his peers, and more so that people latch on to the abstract concept of Katsuki’s coolness and strength, and he just begrudgingly tolerates them from there.

I mean, Eijiro was wholeheartedly against Katsuki’s actions during the Battle Trial, yet by the USJ the difference is night and day, and it doesn’t help that he’s interpreting Katsuki’s desire to beat up villains as “faith in his classmates.” Shoto was abused by Endeavor, so the fact that he can’t at least draw some comparisons between Katsuki and his sperm donor is slightly concerning, and while I want to chalk it up to his stunted social skills, I feel like Hori and/or his editors trying to shove in a friendship to increase their overall likeability (especially Katsuki’s) is more likely. Don’t even get me started on the hoops they jump through in the Joint Training Arc. Not even gonna touch that…

Okay, finally made it to the last paragraph. So, here’s something about me you may or may not like: I don’t like people dying, good or bad. Unless their actions are comparable to that of Satan, or at least close, then they shouldn’t get the axe. Why?

Because a dead person can’t change… and a dead person can’t suffer.

Believe me, even though I’ve fallen off the bandwagon a long time ago, I want Katsuki to change for the better. And he can’t do that if he’s dead. The manga’s most recent arc has been hella frustrating because of that, and no spoilers, but the two deaths that did occur did not leave me in high spirits. Hawks, Shigaraki, you both are on thin f***ing ice I swear. So no, lucky for you, I do NOT want to see Katsuki dead just because he happens to be an ass. What I wanna see is proper repercussions that go beyond being a villain hostage and having everyone else’s potential trauma downplayed for the sake of giving Katsuki more sympathy points.

Also, I’m well aware Katsuki’s death would absolutely ruin Izuku. I am also well aware that it is one of the few concrete facts I hate with nearly every fiber of my body. Not because of what it says about Izuku…

...but because I am sick and tired of Katsuki continuing to be the arrogant s*** he is, whether it be his genuine feelings or merely a front. I am sick of the fact that for as smart and aware that someone like him is, he still insists on trying to act like a badass when there is no need or overall expectation to do so. I am sick that he continues to decide to put himself and others in jeopardy, all for the purpose of maintaining his ego. I am sick that he gets all this support, all this help, and yet his development is still worse than a snail’s pace, and the narrative continues to keep letting him off with love taps and leaving him unfairly unprepared for the kill shot.

...maybe Katsuki deserves to get better. But is this really the best way to do it? Really?

Thanks for listening. Hope you got something from all of that.

-Crimson Lion (24 August 2020)

[weekendwarriorblog]

The Weekend Warrior 5/7/21: WRATH OF MAN, HERE TODAY, THE UNTHINKABLE, MONSTER, THE WATER MAN and More

It’s a new month, and I guess going by previous years pre-COVID, this weekend would normally be the start of summer. This year, we’re instead getting a summer with a lot of movies that would normally be dumped into April or February or some other uneventful month. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t or won’t be any good movies, but really, there’s nothing that feels like a summer movie until A Quiet Place Part II and Disney’s Cruella open on Memorial Day weekend.

There’s been lots of great developments, though, including the Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn reopening this Friday and then in a few short weeks, theaters may be allowed to be open with no capacity rules although social distancing and masks will probably still be in place. Believe me, it’s been a confusing week as the city that got used to being on the backburner when it comes to reopenings, especially with movie theaters, is now dealing with arguing politicians competing to see who could throw open the then most doors fastest. It’s actually pretty embarrassing.

That aside, this week’s The Weekend Warrior column is brought to you by the new album “Coral Island” from Liverpool band The Coral, which I’ve decided to listen to on loop until I finish this column, because it’s taking me so long to get through it. (Eventually, I switched to Teenage Fanclub’s “Endless Arcade,” since I hadn’t had a chance to listen to it yet…. And to an old standby, Royal Blood, with their own excellent new album, “Typhoons.” At least the record business seems to know it’s the summer!)

Before we get to this week’s new movies, a couple tidbits. First of all, I’m thrilled that my friends Larissa Lam and Baldwin Chiu’s documentary FAR EAST DEEP SOUTH can finally be seen by the entire world, or at least the United States. It debuted on PBS World Channel on Tuesday night as part of the “America ReFramed” series, but for the entire month of May until June 3, you can watch it On Demand HERE, and that is huge! (There will be other ways to see it that you can read about here.)

This is an amazing MUST-SEE doc that looks into the little-known Chinese communities that took root in Mississippi in the early 20th Century and how they became such a huge part of that area with their markets, also bonding with the African-American communities that were similarly dealing with racism from the typically white post-Civil War South. It’s not just a history lesson, and it’s an incredibly moving story about a family trying to find its roots in the most unexpected places. There was a good reason why the couple’s short “Finding Cleveland” won the Oxford Film Festival while I was on the jury that year, and Far East Deep South similarly won an award there last year after its World Premiere at Cinequest was almost scuppered by COVID. It’s amazing how much more relevant and important this film has become since I first saw it last year, since both Asians and African-Americans are dealing with serious racial issues, and this movie shows that more than anything, they should be working to boost each other rather than fighting. Do check it out On Demand this month if you get a chance!

Another musician making movies is Mr. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters. I mentioned his documentary WHAT DRIVES US last week, but I actually only got to watch it on Thursday, and like his previous film Studio City and HBO mini-series, Sonic Highways, it’s a fantastic look at the music biz, this time through a variety of artists who began their careers by piling into vans and driving around the country. That is, except Lars Ulrich from Metallica, who mentions that the band was never so small or indie that they didn’t have a bus. But Grohl has used his vast connections to bring in a lot of great musicians including The Edge from U2, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more, making this a very entertaining movie both for fans of the various bands but also live music fans in general. I gotta admit that as much as I loved What Drives Us, it did bring me down a bit since it’s been almost 14 months since I’ve seen any live music, and I really miss it. This is now streaming on The Coda Collection, which you can subscribe to through Amazon Prime Video.

Guy Ritchie is back with his latest movie, WRATH OF MAN (Miramax/MGM), which reunites him with Jason Statham for the first time since 2007’s Revolver, I believe. Statham plays the enigmatic Paul “H” Hill who works at cash truck company Fortico, responsible for moving hundreds of million dollars around Los Angeles each week. Fortico has recently been hit by a lethal robbery, and H’s team soon learn that there’s a lot more to their new coworker, who happens to be looking for revenge against the man who murdered his son.

(Unfortunately, reviews for the movie are embargoed until Thursday at 6pm, so I can’t tell you whether it’s any good or not. Until Thursday night. Sorry!)

But I will talk about the movie’s box office prospects, because why not? Ritchie’s last movie, The Gentlemen, opened in January 2020, during the “before times,” with $10.6 million, but that was more of a classic Ritchie ensemble crime-comedy. Wrath of Man is more of the type of movie Statham has been making over the past few years, a cross between a revenge thriller and a heist flick. In fact, Statham has done a pretty good job creating his own brand through a variety of action-thrillers as well as a number of franchises including “The Transporter” movies, “The Expendables,” and eventually joining the “Fast and the Furious” franchise as Deckard Shaw with Furious 7 in 2017. Statham then went off to make Hobbs and Shaw with Dwayne Johnson, which didn’t do bad with $174 million. Before that, Statham starred in The Meg, a summer shark attack movie that grossed $145 million. Statham going back to help his old mate i.e. the director that gave Statham his start is pretty huge.

But as I said earlier, those were all in the “before times” and with the box office the way it is, it’s hard to imagine that the exciting reunion of Statham and Ritchie can open with more than $10 million but maybe closer to $8 million, because MGM/UA just doesn’t have the marketing clout of a Warner Bros. or Universal. Even so, that should be enough to be #1 this weekend as both Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer continue to fall away. Unfortunately, if the movie *is* any good -- and I can’t tell you one way or another -- then by the time reviews hit, people will already have other plans for the weekend than to go see the movie. So yeah, that’s pretty dumb on the part of MGM, huh?

UPDATE: MGM is putting the movie into 2,876 theaters and maybe I'm being overly optimistic, because, as you'll read below, the movie IS pretty good and reviews have remained positive with the American reviews rolling in last night, still at 70% Fresh at this writing. Maybe that'll help the movie do a little better, maybe as much as $9 million, although I'll probably owe MGM an apology if it cracks $10 million, and I don't think it will.

Mini-Review: If you’ve seen the trailer for Wrath of Man, you might go into Guy Ritchie’s latest thinking you know what to expect, because it’s sure being sold as another typical Jason Statham revenge thriller. Don’t be fooled by the marketing, the movie really is Ritchie’s chance to make his own version of Heat, an L.A. heist movie that owes as much to Rashomon as another movie being released this week.

Wrath of Man begins with the heist of an armored truck that turns deadly with the wanton murder of a couple guards. From there, you might think we know where things are going when Statham’s “H” company whose truck was hit, and on his first day, he stops a similar heist by killing the truck’s attackers. H is immediately the hero of the company, although he still has quite a few suspicious coworkers and the feeling is quite mutual. Ritchie’s film then slips into the second episodic chapter which goes back five months to that initial heist where we learn that Statham’s son was killed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I don’t want to go too much deeper into how the movie and story play out, because like The Gentlemen and some of Ritchie’s more intricate films, there’s a lot that purposefully isn’t made very apparent at the beginning. To many, this movie will be seen as even more macho than most of Ritchie's films, to the point where even the only woman guard, Dana, being just as macho as the men. As the movie begins, there’s a lot of joke-cracking and crotch-grabbing, all while Statham’s character silently observes and only acts when necessary.

The film’s shift to more of a classic Ritchie ensemble does slowly take place, but by the third chapter, it shifts to the group perpetrating the cash truck heists with an “inside person,” taking the movie to yet another place that makes it more obvious that this is Ritchie’s attempt at delving into the L.A. heist genre that other filmmakers have done so well.

Oddly, Statham doesn’t have too many lines, acting almost like a Terminator in his determination to right wrongs, but as always, Ritchie puts together a fantastic ensemble cast including a number of great American character actors who we rarely get to see in such great roles. I was particularly impressed with Jeffrey Donovan, who has appeared in a number of otherwise forgettable crime films this past year. The same can be said for Holt McCallany as H’s truck driver “Bullet,” but Ritchie also cast the likes of Josh Hartnett and Scott Eastwood in smaller yet still significant supporting roles, all of whom become more interesting as you start figuring out who all the players are.

Like I said, the movie is fairly macho and the few women play very small roles, but it’s how things are set-up in the first few acts to then change course and build to an absolutely amazing third act that will undoubtedly bear comparisons to Heat. And yet Wrath of Man (which is actually based on a little-seen French crime-thriller) does branch away from some of Ritchie’s standards, first of all by being far darker and even more violent with any of the wisecracking humor that pervades a lot of Ritchie’s work to counterbalance such violence disappearing once the flashbacks begin. It’s all punctuated by a fantastically tense score by Christopher Benstead, which seems a bit much at first but eventually settles into the perfect pace and tone for the action.

Despite disappearing for a good chunk of the movie, Statham is still great, basically killing everyone as his characters are wont to do, but watching how all of the different ideas come together leads to such a satisfying conclusion that one hopes those who might be put off, thinking they know where it's going due to the somewhat pathetic and obvious marketing will give it a chance to see how Ritchie has changed gears as effortlessly as he did with Aladdin a few years back.

Rating: 7.5/10

After even a longer time since he directed a movie, Billy Crystal once again takes the helm for HERE TODAY (Sony/Stage6), a movie in which he plays comedy writer Charlie Burns, whose chance encounter with Tiffany Haddish’s lounge singer, Emma Payge, leads to an unlikely friendship, as he struggles with early stage dementia.

I’ve known about this movie for over a year now, and I was pretty excited to finally get to see it, since I was such a fan of the other movies Crystal has directed, 1992’s Mr. Saturday Night and 1995’s Forget Paris, and it’s just amazing to me that he hasn’t directed a movie since.

At first, it seems like it’s the type of meet-cute we’ve seen so much in Crystal’s past filmography, but his pairing with Haddish isn’t something that might work on paper, but in fact, their comic styles mesh so perfectly together that it’s amazing that no one thought of putting them together before.

Crystal wrote the film with comic Alan Zweibel, who adapted it from his own short story “The Prize,” which refers to Haddish’s character winning Charlie in an auction for a lunch. Actually, her ex won the lunch, and she decided to use it because… free lunch! It’s a pretty simple set-up but one that allows the filmmakers to explore some of the odder things that happen in life.

Much of the movie’s humor plays upon the differences between the two characters, and how unexpected their friendship is. I can totally relate, because I have a lot of good long-time friends who most people might never expect us to be friends, but Crystal, Zweibel and Haddish pick up on that and create a movie that’s very funny but has enough other characters around the duo toa allow their characters to show how they’re just really nice people. We see that with how Charlie takes a young writer at his late night show under his wing or how Emma livens up the bat mitzvah of Charlie’s granddaughter. Oh yeah, and Haddish sings. She actually has a number of great performances in the movie, and seriously, anyone who watches this movie is gonna wanna see a smart filmmaker put Haddish in a musical immediately.

The film also acts as a truly touching tribute to Crystal’s friend, the late Robin WIlliams, who was diagnosed with the exact same type of dementia after his suicide death, and knowing that fact, makes the film even more poignant. More importantly, it doesn’t use Charlie’s condition for laughs, and for that alone, I feel like this is ten times better than that overrated Oscar winner The Father.

Here Today’s biggest problems come in the third act when it feels like the movie is starting to over-extend its welcome, even going into somewhat expected places, but it recovers from that rough third act to land a really nice ending. Crystal has always proven himself to be a really strong mainstream filmmaker (ala Rob Reiner and others) who makes crowd-pleasing movies, and it’s so nice seeing him going behind the camera for a movie that’s obviously very personal but also highly relatable.

As far as box office, I certainly have high hopes that Crystal still has an older audience of fans who might want to see him on the big screen again. I’m just not sure if this will be in more than 1,000 theaters, and though I’ve seen quite a bit of marketing, I just haven’t seen Crystal or Haddish do nearly as much in terms of getting out there that would be necessary to reach an audience that might want to venture out into movie theaters to see the movie vs. waiting until it’s on cable/streaming. There’s also Tiffany Haddish’ fanbase, and there could be some benefit for the movie coming out the same week as her new CBS show “Kids Say the Darndest Things.”

I’d love to be optimistic with this making $4 to 5 million but it’s probably more likely to be closer to $3 million especially with capacity limits still in place for most theaters and the audience generally being older.

UPDATE: Maybe I was a little too optimistic, because I enjoyed the movie so much and it will probably be closer to $1 or 1.5 million since other reviews aren't as great.

Next, we have two movies finally being released many years after their festival premieres…

The Swedish apocalyptic thriller THE UNTHINKABLE (Magnet), directed by Victor Danell, is finally being released after playing genre fests in 2018 and 2019. It stars Christoffer Nordenrot as Alex, a young piano virtuoso who ran away from home due to his abusive father Bjorn (Jesper Barkselius). Years later, he returns home for his mother’s funeral after she’s killed in a terrorist attack on Sweden. At the same, there’s a virus that’s erasing people’s memories, but Alex is still in love with Anna (Lisa Henni), the girl he had a crush on when he left, and the three of them will have to help each other face all the horrible things hitting their home at the same time.

As I was watching this movie, a lot of it felt eerily familiar to me, but I couldn’t figure out why. The more I watched it, the more I realized that I actually HAD seen the movie before. Sure enough, I saw this movie over two years ago at the “What the Fest?!” in New York two years ago, and I honestly don’t remember loving it. Still, I decided to give it a fresh look, hoping to get more out of it on second viewing.

Some of the same things bothered me on this second viewing, because it’s really hard to figure out exactly what is going on and whether the horrific events are natural, man-made or a combination of both. For some time, we get so mired into Alex’s lame relationship with Anna, and when he returns home, his conspiracy theory-driven father is busy protecting a bunker that’s being invaded by foreign military troops he thinks are Russians. We cut between these two disparate scenarios while sometimes returning to the capital of Sweden and throwing in a few big set pieces. It’s so disjointed that you feel like you’re watching a lot of random unrelated events, maybe a bit like last week’s About Endlessness -- maybe it’s a Swedish thing?

There are aspects of The Unthinkable that are quite commendable, particularly those action moments and how the mystery about what is happening develops as the film goes along. Eventually, the film does find a more consistent pace, and things start becoming a little clearer, which makes the final act better than much of what we’ve watched earlier. Even so, it’s still quite annoying how long it takes to figure out what’s going on, even on a second viewing, and for most people, that may already be far too frustrating to get through it.

Hitting Netflix on Friday over THREE years after it premiered at Sundance is music video director Anthony Mandler’s directorial debut, MONSTER (Netflix), based on the novel by Walter Dean Myers. It stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves) as Steve Harmon, a 17-year-old film student put in jail, accused of murder in a bodega robbery. His defense lawyer (Jennifer Ehle) is trying to help him be released, but he’s fighting against the odds of a judicial system that sees him as a “monster” because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have to be honest that I did go to see this at Sundance the week it premiered, and for whatever reason, I just wasn’t feeling it, so I only really caught about twenty minutes of it. Watching it now with more time and a little less weary than I usually am towards the end of Sundance, I was able to appreciate Monster more for what it is. On the surface, it’s just about Steve’s case and how what really happened unfolds before our eyes and we learn more about those around Steve and how their influence may have pulled a smart and studious young man into the criminal world that now has him in prison with much more violent life-long criminals.

We already knew that Harrison was a great actor, but Monster shows us that he was already on his way to greatness with this movie that for whatever reason got buried even as it dealt with issues that have been in the headlines almost every day since this debuted.

Mandler takes an interesting approach, both non-linear and also with blatant nods to Kurosawa’s Rashomon, which is even cited by Steve’s teacher, played by Tim Blake Nelson. Jeffrey Wright and Jennifer Hudson are decent as Steve’s parents, but they’re generally smaller and non-showy roles compared to the moments between Harrison and Ehle. Much of the film takes place in the courtroom with flashbacks showing what happened through the viewpoint of whomever is on the stand, which eventually includes Steve himself.

The way Mandler handles the material may lean more on the artiness rather than something more mainstream -- Michael B. Jordan’s Just Mercy comes to mind -- but it’s just as powerful in showing how someone like Steve can be othered by society into being a criminal. Sure, there have been other handlings of this sort of material that I thought were better films, but if you know anyone who has ever had dealings with the “justice” system and know how unfair and horrible it can be even to the innocent, then Monster will certainly strike a chord.

Also hitting Netflix this week is the new series based on Mark Millar and Frank Quitely‘s comic books, JUPITER’S LEGACY (Netflix), another kind of twist on the superhero genre ala Amazon Prime Video’s series based on Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys. I love the comics, and I can’t wait to finally get around to seeing Netflix’s first adaptation of a Millarworld property.

David Oyelowo makes his directorial debut with THE WATER MAN (RLJEfilms), a movie about a young boy named Gunner Boon (Lonnie Chavis), whose mother (Rosario Dawson) is battling leukemia. In an effort to cure her, Guner goes off on a journey along with a teenage girl named Jo (Amiah Miller) to find the mythical Water Man, who can provide them with a magic token that might save Gunner’s mother’s life.

I’ve interviewed Oyelowo a few times before, and I really like him a lot, so I had really high hopes for him as a director since I feel he’s just a terrific actor. Unfortunately, the material here is just not strong enough that I think even a far more experienced filmmaker could make something out of it.

Set in PIne Hills, we meet Gunner, a bright kid who loves drawing comic books, but he has trouble connecting with his father (Oyelowo), so when he has an idea that might help his sick mother, he goes off with a head-strong teen named Jo, in search of the Water Man, a summertime adventure permeated by a lot of very bad low-budget visual effects.

Honestly, I’m not even sure where to begin with where The Water Man falters, because Oyelowo has such a great cast, including Alfred Molina and Maria Bello in tiny parts. The story is a problem, as is the writing, which is just so bland and dull, that there’s really nothing in Oyelowo’s direction or any of the performances that really can salvage it. Neither of the child actors have much charisma or personality, and even Dawson’s performance, which would normally be a showstopper is repeatedly lessened by the constant cutting back to the kids. (And as someone who beat leukemia myself, I’m never a fan when cancer is depicted in movies as a death sentence rather than just another hurdle in life that needs to be overcome.)

Oyelowo himself may be one of his generation’s best actors, but he brings so little to the role of Gunner’s father, maybe to not take away from his younger star, but it hurts that he doesn’t do more to create a stronger conflict by making the character more horrible to drive Gunner away. The actual Water Man doesn’t improve things when he finally shows up, essentially talking like a pirate but not even remotely paying off.

Honestly, The Water Man seems like such a misguided venture -- Exec. Produced by Oprah, no less -- and it might have been totally forgettable if the characters didn’t keep saying the title of the movie every five minutes.

Hitting theaters Friday after a festival run is Tran Quoc Bao’s action-comedy THE PAPER TIGERS (WELL GO USA), starring ALain Uy, Ron Yuan and Mikel Shannon Jenkins as martial artists once known as “the three tigers but now middle-aged men must set aside old grudges and dad duties to avenge the murder of their teacher. I’ve had a screener of this since last summer when it played at Fantasia Festival in Montreal, and I just never got around to watching it, but if I’m able to squeeze it in before the weekend, check back here for my review.

Streaming on Shudder this Friday is Ryan Kruger's South African comedy-thriller FRIED BARRY (Shudder), starring Gary Green as Barry, a violent street junkie who is abducted by aliens who take over his body in order to… well, actually… they do a lot of drugs, have a lot of sex and other craziness. It’s a pretty strange and bizarre movie that reminds me a little of movies like a lower-fi Under the Skin or Beyond the Black Rainbow, and much of it is driven by the insane and unique performance by Green and the odd characters he encounters that I think will find its fans for sure, but it will definitely be for a very select audience of genre festival fans, as this is by no means a mainstream genre film.

Speaking of which, another movie out this week which I wasn’t allowed to see in advance is Gia Coppola’s MAINSTREAM (IFC Films), starring Maya Hawke as a young woman seeking internet stardom by making YouTube videos with a charismatic stranger, played by Andrew Garfield, until “the dark side of viral celebrity threatens to ruin them both.” Yup, it’s one of THOSE movies. It also stars Nat Wolff, Jason Schwartzman and Johnny Knoxville, but I haven’t heard anything good about it, and I’m not sure my curiosity is piqued enough to spend any of my own personal money to check it out.

Hitting Amazon on Friday is the doc THE BOY FROM MEDELLIN (Amazon) from Matthew Heineman (City of Ghosts, Cartel Land), a portrait of musical superstar J. Balvin, as he prepares for a massive sold-out stadium show in his hometown of Medellin, Colombia, which is hindered by the growing civil unrest in the area.

Lots of other movies this week, but a few that i just wasn’t able to get to this week, including:

ABOVE SUSPICION (Lionsgate) INITIATION (Saban Films) ENFANT TERRIBLE (Dark Star Pictures) QUEEN MARIE (Samuel Goldwyn Films) SILO (Oscilloscope) CITIZEN PENN (Discovery+)

That’s it for this week. Next week, Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson star in SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW (Lionsgate) and Angelina Jolie returns for the thriller THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD (New Line) and Timur Bekmambetov’s thriller, PROFILE (Focus Features). That’s right. This will be the first weekend in over a year where we’ll have three or maybe even four new wide releases.

[unfortunatelyilikebnha]

I say the sports festival arc is my favorite but in reality we all know that just means “‘it’s your quirk not his!’/‘it’s your power Todoroki!’ lives in my head rent free” I don’t even necessarily like the other parts that much.

I mean don’t get me wrong the other Midoriya-centric parts? Love those. Him strategizing his way to first place in the first round without ever using his quirk? So fucking cool I’m proud so proud of him. Him in the second round choosing his team, specifically picking some people and having some people come to him and then figuring out the most effective way to use all their skills (and Iida having his moment to shine on Todoroki’s team)?! Incredible thank you. Midoriya inspiring so many characters to do their best to beat him including Iida, Uraraka, and Todoroki?! Amazing 10/10. Him fighting Shinsou and sympathizing with him but being unable to reveal he understood how he felt and the fact that what provoked Midoriya to get brainwashed wasn’t an insult about him but one about his classmate/friend? Super interesting (though how he broke out of Shinsou’s control was weird & kinda unsatisfying & confusing but whatever I wanted him to win sorry Shinsou)!!!

But like,,, if it’s not about Midoriya, chances are I didn’t like that part of the arc (and I swear this isn’t just me being a Midoriya stan, the parts that didn’t involve Midoriya were just generally disappointing to me) like,,, Midnight???? She’s “the R rated heroine”, who decided it was a good idea for her to work at a school for children? She made a comment that a student’s decision “turned her on” like wtf they’re 15 that’s nasty and illegal? Why can’t Horikoshi write female characters right wtf. I don’t have a problem with her being sexual but her being sexual in an environment with kids and especially towards the kids is gross af!! Even if her comments are just part of her hero persona (which is something I’ve seen people argue), that’s not acceptable in an environment where there are children and she needs to be replaced (also not relevant but her costume is ugly af and horikoshi apparently doesn’t know how boobs work).

The fact that class 1B actually had a really good plan and effectively used their teamwork skills was really cool but of course since they decided to go against Bakugou, they had to fail despite their extensive pre planning. Yes I know that Bakugou is really strong and super determined, but Monoma had figured out almost to the exact number how many students would make it to the next round and analyzed 1A’s quirks and specifically chose his team to be the most effective so I think it would be so interesting if they could’ve made it to the next round (and I’m not even saying Bakugou shouldn’t have made it to the next round, there’s four spots available. Could’ve had him run into Shinsou during the cavalry battle which I think would actually be super interesting considering how easily provoked he is, and if he won against Shinsou it would’ve been interesting to see him go against Monoma in the tournament, if he didn’t win against Shinsou he would’ve gotten the learning experience of actually losing and realizing he can’t just assume he’s better than everyone and can automatically beat them).

Also the Bakugou vs. Uraraka fight? She should’ve won. Bakugou had been using his quirk a LOT throughout the sports festival and he SUPPOSEDLY gets backlash on his hands when he uses his quirk too much. Uraraka was smart and had a solid strategy, one that nobody predicted, and she utilized a LOT of rubble, yet Bakugou, after using his quirk numerous times to explode her, was apparently able to summon a giant explosion which he seemingly received no backlash for at the time. It just doesn’t seem right, and I personally think it would’ve been much more interesting for Bakugou “I’m gonna win” Katsuki to suffer an actual loss & start to realize that he can’t just look down on everybody and assume he’s better than them. Also I hate that people use this fight to be like “omg feminist king Bakugou!” as if he didn’t 1) change his entire fighting strategy (mostly staying on the defensive, only exploding when Uraraka got near, letting her rush him vs. his usual charging at other people, explosions blazing) for his fight with Uraraka, something he didn’t do for any of his male opponents, and 2) assume Midoriya gave her her strategy, not that she was smart enough to come up with it herself.

While we’re talking about unsatisfying fights involving girls, the whole last part of the sports festival deserves a mention. Yeah Shiozaki and Ashido easily got through round one, but then they were pretty much immediately picked off after that so what’s the point? Shiozaki beat Kaminari easily, but then was pushed out of the ring by Iida (no hate to Iida, love him & he deserved his third place win, but it just seemed a bit too easy for him to beat an opponent who had almost effortlessly beaten Kaminari the round before). Ashido won against Aoyama, but similar to Shiozaki, Tokoyami beats her easily. Momo, who up to this point had been pretty confident and sure of herself and her abilities, and had been shown to be pretty adept at using her quirk and thinking on the spot, was suddenly overcome with self doubt and was beaten by Tokoyami in the first round in like 8 seconds like wtf. Mei, who it would’ve been interesting to see what she did if she advanced in the tournament, voluntarily stepped down in the first round because she was only interested in showing off her support items. I know the series isn’t focused on the girls but seriously none of them made it past the second round of the tournament (not to mention the fact that way fewer of them qualified for the third round than the boys)?

Since I’m talking about the girls in conjunction with the sports festival, I feel like I’ve got to briefly mention the cheerleading outfit scene, which I obviously hate for multiple reasons (m*neta being gross, kaminari going along with m*neta despite the fact that he’s actually FRIENDS with the girls and in doing so he is betraying their trust - I could write a whole separate post about kaminari and why he interests and frustrates me but in not gonna do that here cause this post is already too fucking long -, some of the girls being uncomfortable in the outfits, especially after realizing they’d been tricked, etc) but I feel like those r obvious problems so I’m not gonna spend time unpacking that cause it’ll just make me angry. Neways.

The Bakugou vs. Tokoyami fight was kinda disappointing in that he had been such a tough opponent for the girls but is easily defeated by Bakugou (and yeah I know it’s cause Bakugou’s quirk was a bad matchup for Tokoyami but how convenient it was that Bakugou’s quirk just HAPPENED to be Tokoyami’s one weakness (and how come Dark Shadow was that strong earlier, it was really bright out and he even fended off Bakugou, explosions and all? But I digress)).

In the Bakugou vs. Todoroki fight I don’t necessarily disagree with Bakugou winning since it made sense for Todoroki to use only half of his power bc you don’t magically get through trauma in a day (although tbh I think if Todoroki was completely on his game and not distracted trying to start processing the fact that his fire is his he could’ve won against Bakugou, fire or no fire, BECAUSE they’ve both been using their quirks all day, BUT while Bakugou’s quirk had a physical drawback that should’ve weakened him, aka the aforementioned joint pain or w/e - and reminder that Bakugou used his quirk a LOT in the first and second tests, as well as a LOT against Uraraka, and a LOT/for a long time against Kirishima and some against Dark Shadow, so even with resting periods in between matches, unless he got healed by recovery girl which I find unlikely both because I think he would’ve seen it as an insult implying he couldn’t win in his current state and because UA and recovery girl both have a concerning attitude towards healing children, his hands should be in a LOT of pain and he should be over his limit - whereas Todoroki, while also having used his quirk a lot, had the advantage that the drawbacks of his quirk cancel each other out, and even if he wasn’t using his fire DURING matches, he obviously used it some in between - for example, to melt sero out - so he doesn’t have lasting drawbacks in the same way that Bakugou does, AND he trained for 10 years with the number 2 hero, which while end//vor is an absolutely awful person he’s obviously good at fighting meanwhile Bakugou’s only “training” that we know of prior to UA was using his quirk to bully people and even if he HAD trained I don’t think his training would match end//vor’s training so yeah that was a really fucking long winded way of saying I think Todoroki would win if he wasn’t distracted) and it made sense for Bakugou to not think of his win as a win because Todoroki wasn’t trying his best (and had brought out his full power against MIDORIYA, who Bakugou hates).

That being said I obviously have problems with how Bakugou treated Todoroki cause like,,, what the fuck he overheard him telling Midoriya about his trauma and then was a complete and absolute dick about it. Granted Midoriya didn’t handle it quite right either, but he was mostly doing it to help Todoroki rather than prove himself by beating him (don’t get me wrong Midoriya absolutely wanted to win, but once he found out Todoroki’s story he deemed helping Todoroki was more important than winning whereas Bakugou’s first priority was obviously still proving himself) so I still don’t really like that fight (and another thing: it’s really hard to watch Bakugou be so aggressive towards Todoroki after he decides not to use his fire like ik he’s mad bc he thinks Todoroki insulted him by not trying his hardest but that’s uhh none of his fucking business he even fucking KNOWS why Todoroki has such hang ups about using his fire and still!! Registers it as an insult!! He’s smart he should be able to see that some of the reason Todoroki used fire against Midoriya is Midoriya fucking SURPRISED HIM. Even if the people in the stands/watching the broadcast couldn’t hear what they were saying - I don’t remember if they could or not - it should’ve been obvious that Midoriya said SOMETHING that impacted Todoroki enough to get him to use his fire. Bakugou’s approach of yelling at him about it obviously wasn’t gonna work like it worked for Midoriya because Todoroki had already been thrown off too much by Midoriya and hadn’t had time to process it, and nothing that Bakugou said to him was a new emotional revelation. Todoroki himself later states the reason he used the fire at all in the Midoriya fight was that he forgot all about end//vor) and anyways I think the final shoudve been Todoroki vs. Uraraka.

Finally, though I’m obviously not a Bakugou stan, the fact that they fucking muzzled and restrained him just so they could force him to accept a medal he didn’t want? That’s fucked up like I know UA does a really bad job of caring for its students but who thought that was a good idea. Who?!?! It’s probably pretty fucking traumatizing to be muzzled like an animal in front of a crowd of LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE and have that played off as a joke, not to mention the fact that I seriously doubt being restrained is a good experience for him after the sludge villain. If he doesn’t want the medal he doesn’t want the damn medal, either give the gold to Todoroki and the silver and bronze to Iida and Tokoyami or just don’t hand out the gold medal your ceremony isn’t more important than the well-being of your students!

(Also while I’m talking about the well being of UA students uhh why the fuck did UA think HAVING the sports festival was a good idea in the first place? They hype it up so much that students are willing to seriously injure themselves over a fucking sporting event in the name of “plus ultra”, not to even mention the fact that it SHOWCASES THE QUIRKS AND BY DESIGN DISPLAYS THE WEAKNESSES OF THESE STUDENTS WHO ARE TRAINING TO BE HEROES WHICH IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS JOB ON LIVE FUCKING TELEVISION SO THAT ANYONE COULD EXPLOIT THEM - something literally every other school takes advantage of at the provisional license exams! Like,, literally Who thought this was a good idea???)

In conclusion, I hate love hate the sports festival arc and the writing really annoys me

[uozlulu]

Given some spoilers I’ve seen for chapter 291, I’m going to post some snipets from my giant TodoBaku soulmate AU relevant to upcoming spoilers.

I used canon-typical plot points to pad the fic and guide the soulmate plot because since the soulbond is the ability to feel each other’s emotions, it’s a very slow burn fic about growing up and maturing as people as much as it’s about Todoroki and Bakugou being soulmates

I decided to do this fic preview since some sections might change or might not depending on how the canon goes. I was trying to come up with ways to do anticipated plot points like the upcoming spoiler and Midoriya vs. Shigaraki in ways I thought the canon wouldn’t do them, so there might be nothing to change in the end. 

Anyway, warnings and such under the cut. I’ll provide relevant context to the snipets. Please keep in mind that these sections have only gone through the first edit phase so they are still rough and will be tweaked further before posting. 

I’ll probably get around to posting the fic in about idek probably 3 - 4 weeks since it took about 10 days to put half of it through the first edit. 

Okay so generalized fic summary is basically: Todoroki and Bakugou share a soulbond that allows them to feel their emotional states. When in a shared emotional state, this soulbond can vibrate and increase their quirk output. After finding each other in high school, they go on a journey from soulmates to classmates to friends to boyfriends. 

Some general warnings: canon typical abuse (though in canon it’s more implied and this gets into it a bit more than that), canon typical violence, suicide, immolation, death, kidnapping, cursing, major character death, gruesome injury (not in that order, I’ll be more exact about warnings when I post the fic properly)

So, you know, read at your own risk. 

If you’re curious why I did what I did I either a) forgot, b) didn’t notice, c) it’s in the pocket of story I haven’t read yet, d) chose to ignore it (like Mineta or Yaoyorozu flashing people to use her quirk), or e) it just wasn’t working out for the fic  (Hatsume unfortunately D:).

I’m going to post all the sections Dabi appears in and provide context before each scene. I should also note it’s my headcanon he was born just under two years before Fuyumi, making him nine years older than Shouto. 

Please keep in mind there are several sections in-between what I’m posting, so these sections have lighter moments and so forth in-between when the fic is whole

===

Basically at the start of the fic, I establish when the soulbond began. The following is the second scene of the fic. The previous scene was Bakugou’s POV and established how things work in universe and teased that Midoriya’s soulmates are Uraraka and Iida. 

This scene is Todoroki’s POV because their POV alternates throughout the fic. Todoroki grew up sheltered from things like how the soulbond works so he thinks Bakugou’s emotions is a part of his brain acting on its own rather than another person’s emotional state (this will get clarified to him later in the fic)

***

For a long time it was just Todoroki Shouto, one mind and one body. Then one day, his brain decided it was tired of this routine and became sentient. When Todoroki was sad, his brain was mad. When he was content, his brain was aggressive. When he tried to feel no emotions at all, his brain was endlessly frustrated. It was worrying. It was too much like his father. On television, Endeavor was commanding, confident, and capable. He dispatched villains easily and everyone complemented him as strong, fast, brave, and exceptional. At home, Endeavor was angry, violent, demanding, and commanding in a different, more stressful way. Todoroki did not want to be like that. He did not want to be two people, and he definitely did not want to harm his family.

Todoroki’s brain became another person soon after his quirk manifested and Endeavor began training him. No matter what Todoroki did, thought, or tried to feel, his brain stubbornly felt other things. Luckily it was not always aggressive annoyance. Right now, for example, it was content like a day at the playground. Maybe his brain was just nostalgic. Todoroki could not remember the last time he went to a playground. There was no way to train there after all.

It was afternoon, not long after Todoroki’s birthday. He was hungry and bored from studying. As he approached his bedroom door, he froze. Voices drifted to him from his oldest brother’s bedroom. Ever since Todoroki started training, his siblings did not talk to him much anymore. His father said it was going to make him a better hero. Todoroki was not sure. It seemed like heroes should play with their siblings, give them presents on their birthdays, and help them with their chores.

“I don’t want to play it,” Touya murmured.

“It can’t be that bad,” Fuyumi said.

“When I use my quirk, I get blisters. Sometimes I just set everything on fire. I don’t want to be Blister Man, so I just didn’t use it,” Touya said. “It was that bad.”

“He’s got Shouto now,” Natsuo said. “Maybe it won’t matter.”

“You know it will.”

A long silence followed. Todoroki frowned. He knew he should not keep listening but he could not move from his door.

“Play it before Father comes home,” Fuyumi said. “We’ll figure something out.”

“Fine.”

Todoroki kept himself against the bit of wall beside his door. He held his breath. What were they watching? Why was it so bad? Todoroki put a hand on his door and then removed it. No matter how curious he was, he could not look. He should not look. He could not get them in trouble. He should ask his mother for a snack before their father came home. He remained against the wall. He let out a breath he did not know he held.

“Thank you for participating in UA’s hero entrance exam this year!” All Might’s voice boomed.

There were hasty whispers and button pushing to reduce the sound as much as possible.

“All of you showed great skill and achievement, however, only so many students can pass,” All Might continued.

“Shit,” Touya whispered.

“I am sorry to say that you did not pass the entrance exam this year,” All Might said in a firm but not unkind voice. “That does not mean your hero journey stops here! Cheer up and –”

There was silence. Todoroki held his breath again. After a moment, the disc ejected and the laptop closed. His brain commenced a power trip. Why? There was nothing to feel powerful about. Todoroki bit his lip. Heavy footsteps sounded in a far hallway.

“I…I got to get rid of it,” Touya said.

Todoroki should say something. He should do something.

“He’s going to want to see it!” Fuyumi  hissed.

The footsteps only drew closer, making the door shake as they passed. It was too late.

“I don’t care. I’ve got to get rid of it.”

“Get rid of what?” Endeavor’s voice seemed to echo through the house.

Todoroki’s heart stopped. He pressed himself against the wall more even though no one could see him. His brain continued on its power trip with a twinge of spite.

“That’s it,” Touya said. “This is fucking it!”

Todoroki braced for the sound of a hand on skin.

Instead there was a whoosh of flames and everything seemed much hotter than it ever did when Endeavor used his quirk inside the house. 

“Touya! Don’t!” Fuyumi shrieked.

The smell of burning flesh, fire, and smoke filled the hallways and surrounding rooms.

“Touya!” Natsuo cried out.

“Get back! I’ll handle this!” Endeavor commanded. Not even seconds later, Endeavor ran down the hall and out the door. Fuyumi or Natsuo cried. Todoroki could not move.

“Why would Touya do that?” Natsuo whispered.

Fuyumi did not answer. Maybe there was no good answer. Todoroki remained against his wall. Endeavor did not return for hours. Touya never returned. His photo appeared in the family shrine. No one explained anything. Todoroki did not know when or how to ask. Rei snapped two days later and then she had to live at a hospital Todoroki could not visit and she could not come home again.

Todoroki did not want to feel anything. He could not feel anything. His brain continued its parade of incorrect disembodied emotion. Maybe Rei was right. Maybe he was too much like Endeavor. Todoroki wrapped himself in muted numbness. He would make sure he did not become Endeavor. He would find a way.

===

This next scene is Bakugou’s POV. This first part of the fic explores canon events with the soulmate lens to help me get a feel for how the soulbond works and also a feel for the character development journeys both Todoroki and Bakugou would have to take. So this is set immediately after the League kidnap Bakugou during summer training after the sports festival he got tied down to a cement pillar because he didn’t want to accept the gold medal. 

This is also a scene in which the soulbond’s ability to amplify quirks comes into play. I called it the resonance since the ability for emotions to resonate together is what amplifies quirks. So for Todoroki, his fire and ice  become easier to draw forth and for Bakugou that means increased sweat production and increased explosion power. 

***

There were no windows. There were few doors. There was a bar of all things. Sweat puddled around Bakugou. When the villains attacked the training camp, everything went sideways quickly. The resonance began to vibrate as Bakugou’s sweat production skyrocketed. His arms ached from holding back his quirk. He could no longer estimate the size of his explosions. If he let one off against his leg, he could just blow his leg off instead of bust his restraints.

Bakugou’s jaw tightened. Every time his mind wandered, it returned to Midoriya staring back at him as he disappeared into Kurogiri’s quirk. Midoriya’s eyes lit with determination. He totally did not listen when Bakugou told him not to follow. How long would it be before Midoriya was here too? Before both of them were completely fucked?

The room grew colder. Bakugou froze. The mist had been cold and suffocating. He took a deep breath. The bar’s air was normal. The resonance kept vibrating. Of course now would be the time Todoroki would finally allow himself to feel so freely. Todoroki definitely looked terrified enough before the mist made everything dark.

“You can’t stop thinking about the consequences can you?” Dabi asked. He looked like some kind of Frankenstein reject and smelled of death and ash. They were the only people in the room right now while the other villains took care of whatever villains did after a successful kidnapping.

“All of us have this rage,” Dabi flexed his fingers as though his joints were stiff, “because we want control.” He looked from his fingers to Bakugou. Dabi’s laughter was quiet, mirthless, and hoarse like his voice. “Who controls you?”

“Not you,” Bakugou said.

“That’s right,” Shigaraki said as he entered the room. His voice was thin and quiet. Hands gripped his body like some kind of bizarre fetish. It set all of the hair on Bakugou’s body on end. “We aren’t here to control you. We’re here to give you control.”

Bakugou narrowed his eyes. “Then free me.” Would it be that easy?

Several other villains appeared like some reject disco revival group.  

“In time,” Shigaraki said. “We want to give you control, but we’re also not idiots.”

The resonance began to lessen. The sweat began to dry. Fear and terror transformed into resolution and determination. Bakugou’s jaw tensed, his stomach tightened. Midoriya had a dumb plan. What else could it mean? He had to come up with his own plan to counter it. If he freed himself then there would be no need for a stupid reckless plan. The resonance fluctuated between aching and normalcy. Bakugou would have to act sooner than later. Bakugou could still feel his quirk aching in his arms. He had to find the right time to act and find it fast.

===

In the fic the hospital raid goes differently like the whole Shigaraki vs. Midoriya thing doesn’t happen, though Shigaraki has been enhanced so he can use his quirk without destroying his body in the process. 

Anyway, after the hospital raid, Endeavor finds out that samples obtained from Ujiko’s lab are a DNA match to Touya. Now the heroes are doing a preventative raid against multiple targets in different cities. Endeavor’s group is targeting an apartment complex full of villains and civilians. Bakugou and Midoriya are helping Burnin’ get civilians out of there while Endeavor wants Todoroki in his raid group in the off chance they confront the villain he assumes is Touya (aka Dabi, but Todoroki doesn’t know who Endeavor suspects is Touya). The ring goes back to a theme of jewelry, adornment as an expression of rebelion. 

This sequence is set during second year in late April maybe the very start of May. It’s after Bakugou’s birthday but with enough time for students to recover to do the sports festival the weekend at the end of Golden Week. I decided to include Bakugou’s POV between the two Todoroki POV involving Dabi so it would flow as intended. When you see a ~ the POV changes. 

***

Todoroki fought Endeavor many times. Frequently as an intern he was support and rescue. Only on rare occasion did they fight in the same place at the same time and even then Todoroki was not sure he would calling it fighting alongside each other. Today was different. Endeavor was deliberate, swift, and dramatic like always. He expected Todoroki and the heroes with them to keep up and assist without direction. Todoroki did not have to blink. He knew Endeavor’s attack patterns, the pauses, the direction and intensity the fire would take. He knew when to shoot his ice and when to shoot flame.

As they traveled upwards through the building, the fighting from below grew fainter. Sometimes there were ambushes, sometimes the villains attacked head on. Endeavor motioned for Todoroki to meet him on the next floor. Endeavor took stairs to the right and Todoroki to the left. The sidekicks finished securing the villains on this floor.

Todoroki charged up the stairs as silently as possible. There was no one in sight. He looked at the numbers on the doors. None of them matched the numbers he memorized.

“I told you. Get your ass downstairs!” Dabi kicked a villain with a tiger quirk near Todoroki. There was door open at the end of the hall that was closed when Todoroki arrived.

Dabi ran his hand through his hair. In the hallway light he seemed more grotesque than he had in the dark woods at the training camp. His flesh seemed to slip from the staples in places. Dabi looked at him. “You’re not my enemy.”

“You kidnapped my friend.” Todoroki slid into a stance. He drew his quirk to his hands. Dabi did not look away.

“Still doesn’t make you my enemy.” Dabi put his hands in his pockets. His shoulders almost slouched out of their sockets, but he managed to keep them where they should be.

“Touya.” Endeavor’s voice seemed to echo.

Todoroki did not move. He kept his eyes on Dabi. Endeavor was just in his line of sight down the hallway over Dabi’s shoulder.

Dabi held Todoroki’s gaze for a long moment and then rolled his eyes, turning his body so he could keep Todoroki’s movements in the corner of his eye but also look towards Endeavor while keeping himself between them. His chest moved with each breath, and he wheezed occasionally. His fingers contorted but he did not draw flame to his hand yet. “That name means nothing to both of us.”

Endeavor approached. Dabi remained where he was. His shoulders angled like a shield. For the briefest moment, something through Todoroki’s mind. Touya with his body almost in the same position except with a hand stretched out to block Todoroki even more, body tensed. Endeavor’s footsteps loud and decisive against the flooring. Touya’s hair was pale. His flames were yellow and blistered his palm and fingers. The memory faded as quickly as it arrived.

Dabi bounced on his feet. His attention turned more and more towards Endeavor.

“Your quirk was so unpredictable, I never imagined it would consume you. It was a shock. It seemed impossible.” Endeavor approached them. “So I pushed myself. I resolved to become even stronger, even stricter. Then I lost your mother, and again, I pushed myself farther. I kept pushing, I kept winning, but also losing.” Endeavor stopped walking. His flames shrank but did not extinguish. “You started me down this road. Finding you again now is a sign that my actions are the right direction now.”

“Yeah, and that direction is down!” Dabi called flame to his hand, intense and blue. The smoke carried the smell of meat turning from burnt to beyond salvaging and intensified the smell of death wafting from Dabi. Dabi lunged forward in that same instant, his flame engulfing his arm. It plunged into Endeavor’s chest and intensified further.

A low rumble approached. The building began to shake, bits of ceiling began to crumble. Dabi pulled his arm back, his hand covered in blood and arm charred to a crisp. His unused hand shoved Todoroki towards the stairs.

Todoroki stumbled. He could He could not look away as blood oozed from Endeavor’s wound and Endeavor fell to his knees. Todoroki’s feet remained stubbornly planted to the floor as the building began to creak and squeal in agony, the shaking building. Dabi grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the stairwell. Todoroki called his quirks just as the floor gave out from under him.

~

This was it. This was officially one of the worst days of Bakugou’s life. Bakugou bit his tongue. He wanted to curse. He wanted to shout. He had to keep his voice down. He had to keep his movements to a minimum. He was trapped between floors and a wrong choice could compress the debris further. Midoriya’s teeth were just about to bite through his bottom lip. His eyes flickered up towards the debris hanging centimeters above their heads dim from the emergency lights attached to their costumes. Midoriya’s gaze returned to the body between them. They landed on Endeavor when the building collapsed. They managed to dig him out without compromising things further. Midoriya pressed his undershirt firmly against Endeavor’s chest wound, trying to keep it closed. “We have to cauterize it, Kacchan.”

Bakugou took a deep breath. Yes. Yes of course. Use nitroglycerin sweat to cauterize the wound on a fire user. Bakugou grit his teeth. Even with their first aid gear they really didn’t have a better option for such a deep, gaping wound. “Fine,” he hissed, already formulating a plan. He was not going to be the reason Endeavor died. He was not. Not after Best Jeanist.

Bakugou removed his storage tanks and gloves, setting them down slowly. He waited for signs of their perch settling with the change of weight distribution but there was no movement. “Move your shirt. Hold the wound closed.”

Midoriya did so. His lips became a fine, thin line, and his brow furrowed with focus.

Bakugou took a deep breath and thought about a small amount of pressure, small sparks, a line of very excited tiny sparklers. He took two fingers and showered the wound with sparks, energetic but controlled. It did not work. Endeavor’s skin was too used to heat. Bakugou grit his teeth.

“Maybe if you –”

“Shut it.”

Midoriya surprisingly did. Bakugou breathed through his nose. Fire resistant skin meant higher heat. But even with a low level explosion he could cause organ damage. Sweat trailed down his forehead and nose in the heat. The resonance remained quiet. Bakugou frowned deeper. “I need metal.”

“My mask,” Midoriya said. “Use it. Destroy it.”

Bakugou freed it from Midoriya’s costume. He put his glove on his right hand and began heating it with his quirk from his left hand, trying to keep everything low-level. The metal did not warp or melt. It did heat. When he could feel the heat through his glove, he pressed the metal along Endeavor’s wound. The wound finally sealed.

Midoriya leaned back and removed his hands. Bakugou set the mask aside and put his gear back on his arms. If he wore them, he had more control on their weight distribution.

Endeavor continued to breathe. There were no other sounds.

“It’s eerie when you can’t feel them isn’t it?” Midoriya murmured after a long time.

Bakugou did not answer. He had not thought of Todoroki since finding himself in this collapsed hellscape. He searched the resonance a moment. There was only a dull buzz like there was when Todoroki slept.

“I can’t feel either of them,” Midoriya murmured. “They were probably on the ground floor when it happened. They were both in the final wave.” He continued to murmur to himself, his voice becoming quieter and hard to distinguish syllables.

Bakugou’s jaw tensed. The constant whispery noise almost made his ears hurt and set his brain on fire. He should probably tell Midoriya why he hated it, but then Midoriya would write it in one of those notebooks and who knew what would happen when villains got their hands on those things. Bakugou took a deep breath. He could not shout. He could not lunge for Midoriya either. “Will you shut up?!” he managed a gruff hiss.

Midoriya blinked. “Ah…sorry.”

Bakugou kept his eyes on Endeavor. He was still breathing. They already sent out a distress signal. Now all they had to do was wait.

~

Todoroki opened his eyes and then immediately closed them when his futon shook beneath him. Something gave way and he fell just a second before everything settled. He groaned and coughed, dust filling his lungs. When did his room get this dusty? Why was his futon so uncomfortable? He opened his eyes and blinked. Everything was completely dark. It felt like the ceiling was much closer than it should be. Debris seemed to lay underneath him instead of a futon. He was not in the dorm or in his bedroom. What was the last thing he remembered? His head hurt too much.

“I wouldn’t sit up if I were you,” a voice rasped.

Todoroki’s instincts and the dizziness in his head agreed. He tried to ignore his growing nausea. The resonance was full of sharp annoyance and frustration, maybe fear. It was hard to discern. It did not quite feel normal, but it was a good sign. Wherever Bakugou was, he was awake and possibly with Midoriya.

“You should talk,” the voice said.  

Todoroki tried to place it, but it was hard to concentrate. The person seemed to be laying down nearby. The smell of death wafted from the same place. “Why?”

“Because you hit your head.”

Todoroki’s eyebrows drew together. He went to touch his head and then reconsidered and lowered his arm.

“Tell me about the ring.”

“It’s just a ring.”

“Endeavor wouldn’t think so.”

Todoroki frowned. “How would you know?”

“I’m his number one enemy.”

Todoroki tried to see in the darkness. There was nothing to see. “I like the ring.”

“Good. You’re not completely their dog then.”

“I’m not…a dog…” It was hard to make words. Maybe he really did have a head injury.

“All heroes are dogs.”

“No…. Just the dog ones.”

“Which are all of them.”

Todoroki opened his mouth and closed it. He tried to focus on Bakugou’s emotions. If he could just latch onto them, maybe he could stay conscious. There was more fear now and stress. Whatever was happening wherever Bakugou was must be dire and terrifying. Maybe the adrenaline would transfer.

“Shouto, keep talking.”

Todoroki opened his mouth but there were no words. His eyes fluttered closed. The darkness seemed less claustrophobic this way.

Todoroki opened his eyes. Sun filtered into a white room. The smell of death was gone, replaced by something distinct but sterile. An alarm somewhere kept ringing. It was near and then far, left and then right. Maybe there was more than one alarm. Activity rushed past. Todoroki’s brain could not focus or process it beyond acknowledgement. He tried to speak but only managed a faint graon.

“Oi!” Bakugou’s voice rose above the din before saying something unintelligible. Someone answered from nearby. Midoriya also said something. Todoroki could not process any of it. He closed his eyes.

Todoroki’s eyes opened again. The room was white again but this time there was barely any light. There was a television in the corner. There was an IV hookup in his arm and a heart monitor clamped to his finger. Fuyumi sat in a chair beside him, using a reading light to work from a binder. Todoroki blinked. Fuyumi was still there.

“What…?” his voice barely functioned.

Fuyumi closed the binder, turned off her light, and set both aside. “You’re in the hospital. Looks like the doctor’s quirk finally worked. I have to call the nurse now.” She reached over and hit the button by Todoroki’s bedside.

A medical team appeared and started poking and prodding. Todoroki slowly sat up when allowed. There was no dizziness or pain. After some water, his voice began to work properly. This was his second day at the hospital. He was in and out of consciousness for that entire time due to a healing cranial injury. He also sustained an injury to his left side, but it healed first and even when Todoroki prodded his side through his hospital gown, he felt no evidence of it.

“We should be able to release you tomorrow morning,” the doctor said. “Unless there are any more complications in the healing process. These types of injuries are always difficult even with my quirk.”

There was a long silence after the medical team left. The clock said it was about the time Todoroki would turn in for the night. He did not feel sleepy, though he could feel Bakugou’s sleepiness, exhaustion, and stress acutely.

“What do you remember last?” Fuyumi’s voice was quiet.

Bakugou and Midoriya were there, but maybe it was Dabi. It was dusty but also sterile. Strong terror and yellow flame flickered. He might have used his quirk in a building. There was blood. So much blood. Whose blood? What was clear? Endeavor must have been there but Todoroki could not remember. What was clear? What was solid? “Waiting for the signal,” he said. The memory was well before sunrise. Everyone was silent. Endeavor was just seconds from turning his flame on full. It felt real.

Fuyumi frowned. She tugged at her bottom lip in thought. “Shouto,” she said carefully, looking towards him in the dim light, “Father’s also a patient here.”

Todoroki tensed.

“They told me there was a building collapse. That makes sense with your injuries, but his…” her voice trailed.

Todoroki shivered involuntarily. His first thought was blood, All that blood. Except there was no source. Just blood. “What happened?”

Fuyumi continued in the careful voice, choosing her words deliberately. “Something happened to burrow into his chest and damage his heart. They’ve done all the healing they can, but the injury weakened his heart significantly.” Fuyumi paused to let Todoroki process the information. Then she said in a quiet voice, “They’re optimistic about his prognosis, but he’ll have to retire.”

Todoroki pulled his blankets up around himself. Even his right side felt cold. What if Endeavor did die? What if Endeavor did not die? What would retirement even look like? What would Endeavor do with that much free time? What would an Endeavor who could not use his quirk at full power be like? Would he just push himself to death even if he survived?

“I’m going to help while I can,” Fuyumi said. “So, don’t worry about Father.”

Todoroki’s frown deepened. Was he worried? Was he relieved? Guilty? Afraid? Which emotion went with which outcome? “You don’t have to do that.”

“I…I know.” Fuyumi stretched her legs out and looked down at her hands on her lap. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “But I want to. I know our childhood was beyond stressful, but things aren’t so stressful now. Maybe it can keep improving.”

Todoroki did not know what to say. Staff walked past their room. Someone’s heart monitor crashed across the hallway. There was a rush to help.

“Your friends are okay,” Fuyumi said. “I’m not sure about your classmates or teachers.”

Todoroki nodded. He was one of the people everyone waited for this time. They probably made food for him. How many others had not returned? Did they get up early and fall asleep in the common room waiting again? They should not sleep on the sofas for his sake. His shoulders slumped and he ran the hand without the IV hookup through his hair.

“Why don’t you lie down?” Fuyumi suggested. “You’re still recovering.”

Todoroki did so. Slowly exhaustion crept over him. He did not remember falling asleep.

 ===

One of the points of the fic is to get Todoroki, Bakugou, and Midoriya to a point in which all three of them become something different than they set out to become as first years. Todoroki steps out of Endeavor’s shadow, Bakugou becomes less of a King Explosion Murder, and Midoriya diverges from being an All Might clone. Part of what encourages these journeys is the corruption of the Hero Commission. That’s why, after Dabi’s captured after the building collapse, this scene happens because the Hero Commission wants what it wants and what it wants right now is confirmation that Dabi is Touya and also confirmation none of the Todoroki sibligns are working with him. 

Narratively though I wanted to do this scene so Natsuo and Fuyumi are now both in on the Touya is Dabi circle. 

This takes place after Todoroki is released from the hospital following recovering from injuries sustained in the raid from the previous section. The reason they’re not at Tartarus is Shigaraki eroded Tartarus when he broke Kurogiri out of prison a few sections ago. 

***

Golden Week meant a break from internships in lieu of the sports festival and this year also meant a time for recovery from the recent raid. Today was one of the days off school, and Class 2-A planned an outdoor lunch. It sounded fun, but Todoroki would have to skip it. That morning, All Might arrived at the dorms to collect him with Detective Tsukauchi. They picked up Fuyumi and Natsuo and began a long drive. Detective Tsukauchi drove, choosing a playlist that had a mix of music from several decades. All Might hummed along quietly frequently especially to the songs that were in English.

The car ride kept going. Where? No one would say. Why? Still no answers. Todoroki stared out the window as mountains, houses, and fields passed. They were on the road with the whole of Japan it felt like. When Detective Tsukauchi turned off the music, they entered a section of tunnel that required his ID.

There were several forms to fill out, all of which Fuyumi had to sign as Todoroki’s present guardian. There were still no details.

“It’s like we’re going to meet a prisoner or something,” Natsuo murmured.

“What else would it be?” Fuyumi whispered.

“But why?” Natsuo whispered.

Todoroki said nothing. He glanced at All Might. All Might kept watch.

Once the papers were signed, All Might cleared his throat. “I’m sorry we could not say anything sooner. This matter is highly confidential.”

“About what?” Natsuo asked.

“Even I am unsure of all the details.” All Might’s eyes seemed to soften. His lips were a thin line.

Todoroki stared at him for a long moment. He glanced at Natsuo and Fuyumi. Natsuo’s jaw tensed. Fuyumi stood straighter.

“Are we in danger?” Fuyumi asked.

“No,” All Might said.

“Is this something Shouto should really be doing?” Fuyumi asked.

“The Hero Commission believes so.”

“But do you?”

All Might was quiet a long moment. “From what I understand, there is no reason he should not.”  

Todoroki watched All Might’s face. It was that face when Midoriya broke his fingers. The face when Bakugou and Midoriya fought after the kidnapping. That face. All Might did not like this. Todoroki tensed and looked around them. There was no one out of place. There were no windows. There were only two doors in view. His eyes returned to All Might. All Might held his gaze. “You are all safe,” All Might mouthed.

It seemed that way. Todoroki remained silent. He followed his siblings, Detective Tsukauchi, and a pro with a wasp theme down the hall. All Might brought up the rear. There was an observation room at the end of the hall. The siblings sat in the chairs provided. The room on the other side of the glass was dark.

“I will be outside the door,” All Might said. He closed it behind him. The siblings were alone.

“I don’t like this,” Natsuo whispered.

“If they were going to do something I think they would have done it by now,” Fuyumi whispered.

Todoroki remained silent.

The lights in the other room turned on. Todoroki’s heart caught in his throat but in a way vastly different from how it moved when he was around Bakugou. Fuyumi froze, her fingers curving but not quite curling.

“Touya!” Natsuo exclaimed, his voice thin.

Dabi stared at them. He was strapped to a chair and there were reinforced gloves on his hands to smother ignition. He laughed a dry, hoarse cough. “The assholes running this place must be desperate for fun.”

Fuyumi’s fingers curled into fists. Todoroki tried to keep his attention forward. He tried to keep his mind focused. It kept flickering back to the villain raid. The fire. The blood. The collapse….

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Natsuo said. “What the hell is this? What kind of sick entertainment….?” his voice thinned further. “How long have you been alive?”

“Who said I was alive?” Dabi snorted. “Surprised you were let in here without the chimney to supervise.”

“I’m in charge here,” Fuyumi said firmly. Her gazed locked with Dabi’s gaze.

“Ooooo….teacher voice,” Dabi said. “What are you going to do? Expel me?”

“I’m in charge here,” Fuyumi repeated. “This is cruel and unusual punishment for all of us. I work hard. I don’t use my quirk on others. I pay our bills. I make sure everyone has what they need. What has Natsuo and Shouto done to deserve this shock? Why couldn’t you people tell me and let me handle this? I’m the oldest. This is my burden. There was no reason to do this to my brothers.”

“Fuyumi…” Natsuo murmured.

“No.” Fuyumi’s fists tightened steadily. “No, I’m serious. Shouto is only sixteen. He’s fighting a war. Natsuo is working so hard to become a nurse, which must be so stressful. How does this help them? How does this help anyone? It doesn’t. This is unproductive.”

“Then what are you going to do about it, Fuyumi?” Dabi asked. “You don’t use your quirk on people.”

“None of us should!” Fuyumi said. “Isn’t that what we all should have learned?”

Dabi snorted. He leaned his head back as much as the high back of his chair would allow. “If these freaks want a show. I can give them one.”

Todoroki tensed. He turned the palm of his right hand upward and curved his fingers, keeping his movements small so not to draw attention from anyone observing. He did not call his quirk, but waited.

“When Natsuo was two he was a fucking prodigy. He opened his mouth one morning and let out a bunch of misty icy fog into the playroom. It was ridiculous like a fucking frog or something.” Dabi smirked but there was no mirth in his eyes. “Anyway, we had a blast. We played swamp monster for hours. Fuyumi and Mom would have loved it, but Fuyumi had a fever so they were busy. This was before we had anyone else watching us.

“Anyway, Endeavor comes home and the playroom is a fucking disaster. Everything’s been stewing in frozen mist all day. Mom never saw it so no one gave a shit about it, so we just didn’t realize you know what was coming.”

Todoroki’s heart rate sped up involuntarily. He could almost finish the story though he had not lived it.

“So Endeavor comes home and he’s pissed already because that’s who he is. He starts roaring audibly fire and voice. No clue what the fuck he said it was all noise. He grabs Natsuo because the last time he grabbed me he left bruises without even trying. I had to make a choice. I had to do something. So I light myself on fucking fire.” Another breathless coughy laugh escaped. There was still no mirth. “It hurt like a bitch. I was covered in blisters immediately. Endeavor shoves Natsuo aside and starts shouting at me and rolled me up in this carpet in the playroom until all the fire was out. So now I couldn’t run, couldn’t hide. Natsuo is crying.

“Mother appears.”

Dabi’s face contorted. “She should have stayed with Fuyumi. Mother could do this thing where she could cover her body in ice, so she had this shield. I tried to get out of the rug but it was too tight. I couldn’t do anything. Natsuo kept crying. I didn’t know what to do. So that night I took Natsuo and ran away.”

“What…?” Fuyumi whispered.

“We got picked up by the police immediately. So I made up a bullshit story about a villain with a fog quirk. It worked? Endeavor actually told me I was brave or some shit. How the fuck did that work? Everything got stricter after that.”

“What the heck…?” Natsuo whispered. “What the…? I don’t remember any of this! My quirk’s too weak to even show up!”

Dabi wheezed. “Lies.” He sighed. “My story is true. You can prove it. Open your mouth and let it fly.”

“Don’t,” Fuyumi whispered, her teeth close together.

“I read the agreement,” Natsuo whispered. “Besides, we all know my quirk’s a dud.”

“There’s more proof of the story,” Dabi said. “You’ve got burn scars on your elbows.”

Natsuo tugged at the sleeve of his shirt self consciously. He pressed his lips together. “Endeavor’s grabbed me like that lots of times because I’m as good as quirkless.”

“Who said that? Endeavor? Fuck him.” Dabi snorted.

“Well maybe you’d know if you didn’t disappear! I saw you die! Fuyumi saw you die! Endeavor saw you die! Mother saw him carry your body out the door! And here you are!” Natsuo’s chest heaved. His lips trembled. Tears formed but did not fall. “We’re just some freak show. Can’t even take you home.”

“That’s not my home.”

“Touya –”

“Dabi. My name is Dabi. Touya died from his injuries in a white room. I’m going to die in a ball of fire.”

“You’re just going to die again?! What kind of BS is that?!” Natsuo’s fists were so tight his knuckles paled.

“Do you really think the heroes will let me live after I ripped Endeavor’s heart out? Natsuo, you’re a genius. You can do math like some human calculator. They’re not going to let me live. They already took the bad doctor away. It’s already set in stone. I just got to do it first before I fall to pieces.”

“Wait,” Fuyumi said. Tiny snowflakes began to appear instead of tears. They melted the instant they touched Todoroki. “I didn’t hear that right. You did what?”

“I ripped Endeavor’s heart out. You can thank me later.”

Fuyumi sucked in a breath. “You did that?”

“Yeah.”

Fuyumi’s fingers trembled. Her arms trembled. The tremor worked its way to her torso, her face, her legs, and feet. “I….” More snowflakes appeared. “I didn’t want that!”

“That’s because you’re too steeped in Endeavor’s bullshit –”

“I AM NOT!” Fuyumi held Dabi’s gaze. “He was terrible to us! He used his quirk on his own family! That’s not love! But….but that doesn’t mean he deserved what you did! He was changing!”

“He wasn’t changing! He can’t change! If he was going to change, then he should have changed the first time he used his quirk against Mother! He should have changed when –” Dabi tried to shout but it led to coughing and a quiet, wheezy, “Fuck.”

Fuyumi waited for the coughing fit to pass. She sat straight in her chair. Her fists were so tight her nails drew blood from her palms. More snowflakes fell from her eyes, some gathered around her fists. “Did you even think about the consequences?! Did you even think about us?!”

“Of course I did! I didn’t even attack Shouto in that stupid forest or at the raid.” Dabi’s hand moved in Todoroki’s direction vaguely despite being restrained.

“No! No you didn’t think of us at all! This isn’t cathartic, it’s a nightmare! I woke up in the middle of the night and Dad and Shouto were both unconscious and in the hospital and had been for hours! I had to sit there and watch them decide if they were going to live or die! Now I have to deal with you as a villain in this place. I…” Fuyumi shuddered with a silent sob. “I…” She could not finish. She removed her glasses and put her hands on her eyes. Snowflakes kept falling from her hands and face.

No one spoke. Todoroki saw every sob but Fuyumi made no noise. How many times did she cry and they just did not know? How stressed was she? What could he do? What was he supposed to do?

“Do something, Natsuo,” Dabi said.

Natsuo’s hand hovered above Fuyumi’s head. “Do you…? Should….?”

“I don’t know,” Fuyumi wailed as quietly as possible.

“For fuck’s sake. Just wrap your arms around her. That’s what you do. She’s a crier,” Dabi said.

Why was it so hard? Todoroki frowned and then put his hand on Fuyumi’s shoulder. “Is it too hot?”

“No….”

Natsuo slid as far over as he could in his chair that was bolted to the floor. He put an arm over her shoulders.

Fuyumi just cried harder but still silently.

“We should….We should go,” Natsuo said. “Fuyumi’s This isn’t productive.”

Todoroki looked up at the ceiling trying to find the camera. He could not locate any. Perhaps a quirk recorded them instead or the cameras were too well hidden. “Let us out! We’re done!”

There were several voices outside the door.

“Then you’ll have to arrest me!” All Might boomed.

Silence followed.

The door unlocked. All Might appeared, breathing labored. “Let’s go.” He looked at them a long moment and then looked at someone behind the wall in the hallway. “We’re leaving.” It was firm. Final.

Natsuo and Todoroki helped Fuyumi to her feet. She could not stop crying. Natsuo wrapped an arm around her shoulders and helped her to the door. Todoroki paused and looked back at Dabi.

“See you later, little brother!” Dabi called out. The lights on his side of the glass went out.

Todoroki lingered. The other room remained completely dark. Was that really Touya?

“Todoroki-shounen, we must go,” All Might’s voice was barely audible.

Fuyumi still cried snowflakes. She still made no noise. Natsuo offered her some tissues. Todoroki swallowed something in his throat. He followed All Might out of the room.

===

So, I needed a subplot for Todoroki so he didn’t like disappear in the word count. I was also not really sure what to do with Gang Orca who’s his current internship. I kind of didn’t know what to do until I decided when the League broke Dabi out of prison, the Hero Commission put the Todoroki family basically under a type of house arrest to prevent Dabi from interacting with them. This evolved into the Hero Commission trying to bait Dabi into attacking Endeavor or any of the other sitting ducks in a bid to recapture Dabi. 

Meanwhile, after resonating so much Todoroki and Bakugou double knocked each other out with their amplified attacks at the sports festival, they realize they have to train this soulbond resonance thing. Aizawa is helping them do this, since Aizawa has done it before (though this is just heavily implied in the fic, Aizawa never tells them why he’s the one training them). 

So, this section picks up in October or so of second year after the cultural festival. Class 2-A put on a play Kouda wrote about superhero insects. That’s what the first part of this section is going on about. Also, as a side note, Bakugou’s new internship is with Miruko. Natsuo and Todoroki have been messaging each other since the family dinner incident. since part of the goal of the fic is for Todoroki to grow closer to both Natsuo and Fuyumi. 

***

The play was a success. The jokes for the most part landed and the audience seemed to enjoy the ending when Hagakure sent Bakugou sliding across the stage. They won their year but the overall school champion was Class 1-J and their maze. After the festival wrapped, it was time to study for midterms. The mornings grew increasingly chilly making jogging easier. By the end of the month, Todoroki was running faster and found he had more strength and endurance during his resonance training.

Today was the last day to train the resonance before midterms. When their cellphones buzzed to indicate the end to the session, Todoroki and Bakugou walked over to Aizawa. Aizawa observed them a long moment. “For the last few weeks, you’ve gotten to a point I don’t need to use my quirk during some of our sessions. You’re showing greater control when attacking and greater control when you try to disconnect from the resonance. After midterms, I think you will be able to start practicing attacking simultaneously. Custom dual attacks can come later after you prove you won’t create indiscriminate bombs you can’t control.”

“About time,” Bakugou said. He let off a series of sparks, each spark diminishing in intensity as Todoroki calmed and Bakugou’s excitement grew.

The session ended. After cleaning up and changing, they headed to the cafeteria, walking in step with each other. Todoroki’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and then accessed his messages with Natsuo.

Natsuo: I did it! Behold~

Natsuo:  [a stack of Japanese style pancakes sitting on a plate]

Natsuo:  Be jealous.

Todoroki silently snorted. He texted as he walked, too hungry to pause.

Todoroki: No syrup?

Natsuo: I put the sugar in the batter.

Todoroki’s lips turned upward as he put his phone back in his pocket. While stuck in his apartment near campus, Natsuo started cooking regularly. He always sent Todoroki a photo of his successes. Todoroki hoped the pancakes tasted as good as they looked.

That phantom tightness returned to Todoroki’s stomach. Bakugou looked away casually like Todoroki could not feel the tightness.

“Are you okay?” Todoroki asked.

“Of course I am.”

Todoroki’s phone buzzed several times like a phone call. He frowned and glanced at the screen. It was a call from Natsuo. Natsuo never called. Todoroki slowed and answered the call.

“…going to kill you,” a faraway voice murmured.

“You don’t know that!” Natsuo hissed. He also seemed far away from the phone.

Todoroki froze. His heart started beating faster but it was different than when Bakugou made it beat faster.

“How can you trust the Hero Commission to do anything? They looked at Mother’s medical assessment and said, ‘Yeah nothing to see here,’ and then locked her away.” Dabi was the faraway voice.

“She has a legitimate mental illness you know. Oh wait. You don’t know. You decided to fuck off on us!”

Todoroki looked down the hall. Bakugou stood only two paces away, eyes fixed on him. “Get Aizawa,” Todoroki mouthed.

Bakugou disappeared back towards the gym.

“Do you think I chose to die?!” There was a raspy, breathy chuckle.

“Well, you’re still alive, so I don’t know!” Natsuo shouted.

There was a scuffle. Something or someone seemed to hit a wall possibly.

“Shut up! Shut up! Do you want to get busted?!” Dabi hissed. Then he said something too quiet for Todoroki to discern all the words.

Aizawa and Bakugou appeared. Todoroki bit his inner lip. There were no more voices, but he did not dare take the phone from his ear. “Sensei…I….” his voice trailed. He tried to ignore his own rushing, cycling emotions. “Natsuo’s phone called me. Dabi’s there.” His voice was not as firm as he wanted it to sound. He hoped no one on the other end would hear him and end the call.

There were still no more voices on Natsuo’s end of the call.

Aizawa pulled out his own phone. “I’m going to contact Detective Tsukauchi. Don’t hang up.”

On the phone, someone in another apartment turned on the television or maybe the radio. Someone honked multiple times outside the window. There were no other noises.

Todoroki’s heart kept pounding. He did not move.

Aizawa greeted Tsukauchi barely. “I’ve been alerted that Dabi is at Todoroki Natsuo’s location.” He looked at Todoroki. “Are they talking?”

Todoroki shook his head.

“There are no voices on the call now.” Aizawa was quiet for a long moment. “Alright. Thanks.” He hung up and looked at Todoroki. “He’s going to forward the information.”

Todoroki nodded. The television kept playing. There was the sound of a door barely. Then nothing. Absolutely nothing. The call ended. Todoroki’s phone slipped from his hand. He took a step back and leaned against the wall. His hands kept trembling. He was sort of certain Dabi would not hurt Natsuo. He was not sure about the Hero Commission. Now what? What about Fuyumi? Was Dabi going to try and take her too? Would he come to UA? What kind of battle would that be this time?

Aizawa’s hand hovered beside Todoroki’s arm and then withdrew. “Todoroki, I need you to breathe.” His voice was low, steady.

“Natsuo’s not a villain,” Todoroki whispered. “Fuyumi’s not either….”

“I know,” Aizawa’s voice was quiet, still firm.

“But do they know?” Todoroki put emphasis on the word they.

Aizawa did not answer. Maybe he could not answer or did not know.

Todoroki took a few deep breaths. What could he do? He could not leave campus. Even if he could leave campus, then what? Even if he was there, then what? Could he have stopped it?

“Todoroki,” Aizawa said, pausing until Todoroki looked at him, “you can’t let what ifs and unknowns overwhelm you. If you need things, ask for them. We might not be able to let you leave here, but there are other things we can do.” He paused and waited. When Todoroki said nothing, Aizawa said, “I’ll let you know if there are updates.”

“Thanks.” Todoroki took a deep breath and stepped away so he could pick his phone up off the floor. “I’ll…let you know if there’s anything.” Did he want anything? Did he need anything? There was a rushing in his ears with no sound. His shoulders tensed. He wanted to scream.

Aizawa left.

Bakugou watched the direction Aizawa left in for a long moment. He was either calm or his emotions so much quieter than Todoroki’s own that Todoroki could barely feel any of them.

Todoroki remained standing in the hallway, clutching his phone. What should he do? Should he call Fuyumi? Was she in danger? Should he text Endeavor? He was definitely in danger. Did they already know? If they asked for details, Todoroki would have none to give. He could not even prove Dabi took Natsuo, though he doubted Dabi would kill Natsuo. Kurogiri probably used his quirk. Todoroki’s grip on his phone tightened. His jaw clenched.

Bakugou approached and extended a hand. When Todoroki did not step away, Bakugou carefully worked the phone out of Todoroki’s grip. “Breathe,” his voice was louder than a whisper but still quiet.

Todoroki inhaled and exhaled. He lowered his head and then ran a hand through his hair.

“I’d kick your ass in the gym but we already did that. Miruko says what we need most now is protein and rest.”

“I don’t know if I can eat.” Todoroki’s stomach rumbled in protest.

“Do you want to bother with the fucks in the cafeteria or eat at the dorm?”

Todoroki rubbed his face. His thoughts were still all over the place. “I want…to do something normal.” Maybe. He had to do something at least. He also had to eat. Maybe things would seem steadier after eating.

Bakugou nodded. He handed the phone back to Todoroki, who put it in his pocket.

“Thanks.” Todoroki tried to breathe deeply. He put a hand on Bakugou’s shoulder. It made things seem more real. Todoroki dropped his hand and headed to the cafeteria.

A few seconds later, Bakugou followed. They parted on their way to get their food as they always did. Todoroki took another deep breath and kept his face neutral. His emotions were still anything but.

===

While Todoroki’s stuck on campus indefinitely, he’s been interning with Present Mic temporarily since he can’t go to his internship with Gang Orca. This will be Dabi’s final appearance in the fic. 

I decided to kill Dabi because I wanted to keep a 1:1 hero : villain death ratio. So since Best Jeanist died earlier in the fic, Dabi was the League member to die. 

***

Everything seemed surreal. Todoroki sat on the floor in Aizawa’s and Present Mic’s apartment with a cat nestled against his left side. Eri stretched out on the other side of the cat. She had a blank notebook she was filling with doodles. She sang softly with the pop act preforming on the New Year’s variety show on the television. Present Mic and Aizawa were in the kitchen preparing food. The apartment was a modest two-bedroom apartment in commuting distance to UA. Artwork and photos decorated the living room. On either side of the TV were two picture frames. One was a selfie of Present Mic and Aizawa that had to be almost ten years old from when they first moved in and the other was a timed photo with Eri on the sofa from last year. The same cat against Todoroki’s side was the cat Eri held in the photo. The second cat was more aloof and remained in Aizawa and Present Mic’s bedroom on its own volition.

After lunch, Present Mic received permission from the Hero Commission for Todoroki to leave campus under certain conditions. Todoroki could only go to the off campus apartment, he could not tell anyone outside of UA staff that he was not on campus, and he had to return to UA by noon tomorrow. How Present Mic made it happen, Todoroki did not know.

Paper ripped, drawing Todoroki’s attention. Eri sat up and smiled that same awkward smile from the photo except it reached her eyes more now. “I drew this for you.” The picture was the two of them sitting on the floor with the warm cat and the aloof cat. She drew the cats better than the people. Across the top of the drawing was “Happy New Year” written in hiragana.

“It’s really nice.” Maybe more than that. It was the first drawing someone gave him. Todoroki rolled it up carefully and set it where it would stay nice. He would put it up in his dorm room later.

“Maybe when Mei-chan gets used to you she’ll come out of the bedroom. She’s very soft.” Eri smiled a little bigger. “Last year she curled up with me on the sofa. I want to stay up all night this year!” It was an ambitious goal.

Eri made it to about ten thirty before she reluctantly fell asleep between the cats on the floor. Aizawa put her to bed. Close to midnight, Present Mic cracked the window and they listened to gongs from a nearby temple. By twelve fifteen, Aizawa was in bed. Present Mic and Todoroki finished a movie that started a little after midnight. By three in the morning, only Todoroki remained in the living room. He could not sleep. The futon was comfortable but his mind kept wandering. He scrolled through his messages.

Fuyumi messaged him leading up to midnight and a little after before disappearing. Bakugou sent him pictures of food that Todoroki responded to with little cat stickers he found in his phone options. The Class 2-A chat finally quieted for the night for the most part. Todoroki put his earbuds in and opened a music app. He opened a user profile that had several playlists of music sorted by century. He was several playlists in, but still in music made before quirks. This playlist was a bit peppier than the previous playlist. He saved songs he liked to a playlist of favorites. Todoroki watched colorful lights shoot across his phone screen, moving somehow in rhythm to the music. It was hypnotizing 

His phone buzzed.

Hero Highway: Endeavor spotted in Shinjuku! Live feed!

Hero Highway was a service that tapped into local security cameras and provided live streams of events in real time, some of which never made the news. Midoriya suggested it along with some similar services that also specialized in rare footage and news. Todoroki hesitated and the alert disappeared, returning him to the light display and music. He paused the music and closed out of the app. He opened Hero Highway.

The video angle was from the perspective of a security camera second story balcony on the same side of the road. Endeavor stood almost unrecognizable, his muscles considerably leaner and his shirt almost a size too big. The building behind Endeavor glowed orange, setting a familiar glow in absence of flames.

Dabi stood a few meters to the left facing Endeavor, his shoulders surprisingly relaxed. Cars sped past them on the other side of the road. People nearby gawked. Some wore kimono, others street clothes.

“Where’s Natsuo, Touya?” Endeavor asked, his voice barely carrying to the microphone.

“That’s not my name now,” Dabi hissed, his voice carrying slightly more. “Natsuo is safe.”

“Your lair isn’t safe!” Endeavor’s posture changed to the one he struck most often before igniting. There were still no flames.

“It’s safer than being surrounded by Commission pricks!

“It’s safer than surrounded by Commission pricks! I mean look what they did to Hawks. Who would trust them with their children?” Dabi’s voice grew louder.

“Touya –”

“You know when I was twelve I reported you to the police,” Dabi said, projecting his voice as if on stage. “They threatened me! They said I must be desperate for attention! That if we angered you, we were at fault! That I lied about Mother! They said it was discipline! That wasn’t discipline!” his voice grew in intensity and volume. He let over several wheezy coughs after.

Endeavor said something in response, but it was too quiet for the camera to record.

“No! I won’t! Everyone should know! If the Musutafu police office is worth their asses, they’ve still go it on record! It’ll be from March fifteen years ago at midnight. I detailed everything. If anyone wants to go digging, it’ll be the file about the father who uses his fire quirk against his family. Sometimes it’s ‘training’ sometimes it’s an argument, sometimes it’s ‘discipline’ which leaves blistered and marks. It sucked ass when it was me. I hated waking up to an immediate fight or being covered in burn salve gauze, but then Shouto got his quirk that February and everything changed.

 “Who fucking trains a three year old by attacking them? Who fucking does that? Surprise attacks. Constant fear. Constant vigilance. I had to watch you fuck him up like you fucked me up. I started trying to stand up to you, but my fucking body isn’t made for this shit. I just couldn’t take it. I just stressed out and lit myself on fire. I didn’t even fucking think.” Dabi snorted. “I can still remember standing up to you, trying to protect Shouto. I would still have the scars on my palm, but…” Dabi bent his arm at the elbow and made a gesture with his hand, “well, this skin isn’t really mine. The bad doctor kept patching me up with treated cadaver skin.”

“I know I made mistakes,” Endeavor said, his voice carrying this time. “I’ve been working to atone for them. I want everyone’s lives going forward to be better than they were. That’s why I built that house, that’s why I told the doctors it would be all right if Rei transitioned away from the hospital. It’s why I’ve made promises to everyone I intend to keep and have kept. It’s why I need to find Natsuo.”

“If you find Natsuo, they’ll just send him to jail now. You know that.” Dabi snorted. Flame flickered to his hand. “I’ve been thinking about revenge for almost twelve years – Hell, maybe my whole life. When you captured the bad doctor, my body started falling apart. Not even Natsuo can do what that geezer’s laboratory could. I’m royally fucked, but it showed me what I should do.” Fire shot up Dabi’s arm. “Fuck killing you! Fuck this body! Fuck your mistakes! Fuck your promises! Fuck everything! Live with this! You can’t save what you throw away!” Dabi’s entire body erupted in blue flame. There was a cry of shock and fear from the onlookers.

“Touya! Touya!” Endeavor ran towards him.

Dabi’s flames grew more intense. When Endeavor reached him, his flames ignited even brighter, leaping to Endeavor’s clothes and skin. Dabi fell to his knees, his flames becoming a blue beacon in the street, his body too weathered and dry to fight his quirk. Endeavor kept trying to extinguish the flames, ignoring those on his own body, but they were too intense and fast. All too quickly, all of the flames extinguished as Dabi’s quirk stopped. Endeavor sat back on his knees. A howl echoed through the street and buildings. It was not quite a cry or wail, not quite a scream or shout.

Todoroki dropped his phone. His hands shook. Tears threatened but did not fall. Touya was important to him even if his memories were faint and short. Dabi terrorized his friends and committed so many crimes even if he did not attack Todoroki directly. Dabi made Fuyumi cry and kidnapped Natsuo. Todoroki did not like Dabi. He might have loved Touya. Endeavor’s howl echoed in Todoroki’s ears even though he no longer wore his earbuds. What kind of noise was that? Was that even real? Was any of it real?

Todoroki pulled his blankets over his head. He shut his eyes tight. All he could see was Dabi burning. Todoroki opened his eyes. He did not know what to do.

[drink-n-watch]

I’ve never spoken about this before but did you guys know that Crow is the one that adds in all the links in these posts? Even when I’m the one hosting, Crow just goes through my paragraphs and adds all the relevant links without ever being asked and without ever even mentioning anything. He just sort of naturally does it. To help me out and give you all a better experience. Some people are like that. They gravitate towards helping whenever they can in any way they can. If the rest of us are lucky enough, we can meet someone like that. There’s a name for it…

Thank you Crow, I do appreciate these little things. I’m sorry it took me so long to say something.

You’re most welcome! I don’t even notice I’m doing it anymore; it’s kinda automatic. In the back of my mind, I worried that I was taking liberties with your text, which wasn’t at all what I intended to do! Glad it came across in the right spirit!

Oh, I’m bold, there will be spoilers, etc…

  I’m writing this before Crow reads it but I bet he’s gonna hem and haw and play it down. Of course he is. He isn’t the sort to hoard credit. And he’ll find some excuse to blow it off, like say that I must be in a particularly good mood. And maybe I am, ‘cause this was a fantastic episode! Doesn’t change that I really appreciate what Crow does.

So, do I send the small, unmarked bills to the same address as usual? You were even more kind than usual, so I feel like I should include a bonus or something…

  One thing I appreciate is when a series has some reverence for its own lore and history. This is why I love subtle throwbacks. Like the opening scene of this episode which recalled the first moments of the series. Just that already had me in a happy place. But when I saw that Froppy and Uraraka were in fact fighting and holding their own, well I just cheered.

It was fantastic to see the ladies front and center like that. And kicking behind at it! The scene was a short opening tag but it gave me all I needed. The action was fluid and fun to watch. The girls were efficient, powerful and worked very well together. And their mentor, Ryuko, who was on screen for less than a minute, somehow manage to come off as one of the best hero mentors in the series. She gave encouragement and tangible practical advice that was easy to follow and understand. Plus she let the students do the actual work but made sure everything was under control. I am impressed by this agency! One of the best pro heroes, possibly aside from Eraserhead, I’ve seen so far!

It was great to see Froppy and Uraraka again! Froppy was her usual cool, efficient self, and even though she was nervous, Urakaka showed how far she’s come in her training too. 

I’d read some Tweets where fans were talking about Ryuko, and I tried not to pay attention because I didn’t want any spoilers. I came away with a vague idea that we should expect great things from her. Based on everything you noticed about how she handled herself and the students that were her responsibility, I think I see signs of greatness.

Or tragedy. They could be setting up a non-core cast member who we grow to love. Just before her final encounter with Overhaul. Seriously, the more I see of that guy, the more worried I become on behalf of our heroes…

That was a lot of text about the little scene before the opening credits. This episode wasn’t about the girls. And normally I might think that’s too bad. The fact that I don’t should clue you in on how this post is about to go.

If you remember, 3 1-A students had been contacted by members of the Big Three. Tsuyu and Uraraka by Neijire (who seems delightful) and Kirishima was contacted by the usually reserved Tamaki. It seemed odd from the start for someone so introverted as to feel the need to constantly hide his face to reach out to someone, and someone as loud and boisterous as Kirishima at that. Only it wasn’t, because as it turns out, Tamaki is smarter than me… But we’ll get back to that.

Tamaki is currently under the tutelage of pro hero and Totoro lookalike, Fat Gum, and he has enlisted Kirishima to join the agency. And what a time to be a professional hero! Behind the scenes Overhaul and Shigaraki seem about ready to strike a deal.

Watching these two together was chilling, but what struck me most was just how calm Shigaraki was. I thought the loss of All for One would have broken him, but it doesn’t even seem to have phased him. In fact he sounded more confident and mature than ever before. I have a feeling that’s a very bad thing…

I think his earlier encounter with Overhaul affected him quite a lot. I got the sense he actually felt responsible for the survivors like Himiko and Mr. Compress. Instead of hurling himself in a despairing fury, he’s regrouped and has begun to exert some self control. As you said, that’s a very bad thing!

In order to secure his place in this wild new world and protect his assets (I have a feeling this guy doesn’t really have allies), Overhaul has devised a plan which would let people considerably boost the power of their own quirks for a short period and also render other incapable of using their quirks for some time. Both through the use of drugs. A devious plan indeed. Super strengthened villains against powerless heroes. I guess we’re about to find out if the quirk makes the man.

Or woman!

But at least the heroes know about this plan now. Now that Fat Gum, Kirishima and Tamaki have been confronted by it. In their first actual chance to work as a trio, our heroes easily catch a group of villains trying to escape after a robbery. Well Fat catches most of them and Tamaki takes care of the one that manages to get through. It’s a very smooth operation, both heroes are obviously quite skilled.

Everything should have ended there. Bright headlines the next day and Kirishima feeling a little bummed he didn’t get to do anything. That was all it should have been really. It was dumb stupid lack of luck that made it so that one of Overhaul’s minions, some guy so far down the line that Overhaul’s probably never even herad of him, happened to be in the crowd of onlookers. Just some guy frustrated by his lack of power, bitter at the display of skill right in front of him, and possessing the one thing that could destroy that power, at least for now. A gun capable of shooting drug capsules. And one manages to hit Tamaki straight on. Of course there are two more Heroes there and Kirishima immediately jumps in to avoid Tamaki getting hit again. Kirishima’s hardening skills makes him ideal as a human shield and the second capsule bounces off him without having the chance to inject anything. This is when I started realizing Tamaki was smarter than me. Kirishima really is a hero, wouldn’t you say?

Yeah, and we see that in all its awesome glory in a few moments. He moved almost like Izuku, before he even received his Quirk, had moved to protect Bakugou. It’s not something he did to look good. It’s something he did simply because of who he is.

At this point the situation isn’t quite clear. The first batch of villains have been handed off to the police. The gunman has run off and Kirishima took to the chase. Tamaki seems unhurt so Fat is about to follow the other two but suddenly it becomes apparent that the boy can’t summon his quirk. It just won’t work.

I’ll give it to Tamaki, he was upset, of course, but he really reacted calmly all things considered. I must say, I like Tamaki a lot. The cast needed an Eeyore to even it out!

Not only that, but did you notice that Fat Gum listened to him instead of continuing to speed off? I’m really glad we got to meet both Fat Gum and Ryuko this episode. They seem like the middle class of heroes — people trying to live up to their calling and pass on their wisdom to the young ‘uns. Just good folk!

It will be nice to have someone like Tamaki to balance the relentless (and sometimes exhausting!) positivity from Izuku and even Mirio and Neijire (or maybe especially those last two!). 

The focus changes to Kirishima and this minor villain. He’s just some guy with a weak quirk who saw his team of villains get taken down without being able to do anything. He’s a bad guy, for sure. He’s also just a guy who wants to help his friends and needs to get stronger to do so but doesn’t know how. His fears, and frustration perfectly echo those of every UA student. And Kirishima is a big softie, so his sympathies get immediately engaged.

But there’s a job to do and a confrontation to win, and villains don’t play fair — what would be the point? When Kirishima obviously has the upper hand, the other guy (I should really look up his name – I couldn’t find it; even in the Fandom Wiki, the closest think I could find was a page about Trigger, the drug) decides to play his trump card and injects himself with something that immediately makes him way stronger.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Utena, Crow, but seeing that guy with all the blades through him really reminded me of the symbolic imagery in that show.

It was impressive. Even more impressive with that it cut into Kirishima! I admired how calm he remained, even as the blades were cutting into him. His calm under pressure it going to serve him well!

So this is it. Big decision time. The proper thing for a student hero with no real practical experience would be to fall back and get reinforcements. That sounds reasonable. But there are bystanders around and this guy doesn’t look like he’s about to go peacefully anywhere…

I always liked Kirishima. I like nice guys and he was a bright smiley good natured type. I figured that’s why I liked him. Also I like redheads. That wasn’t it, though. I was a bit slow to pick up on it but, Tamaki knew all along. There are a few general types of heroes in My Hero Academia. The cool and reasoned ones like Eraserhead and Tamaki, the efficient result oriented, slightly power hungry ones like Endeavor and Bakugo, the practical ones like Uraraka and Froppy; and then there are the optimistic idealist dorks like Mirio, All-Might, Deku and… Kirishima.

This kid is a hero to the core and it’s completely unrelated to his ego or circumstances. He’s just an uncomplicated straightforward good guy. The type I scold for their lack of foresight and roll my eyes at their single mindedness; and hold in my heart relieved that there are still heroes out there. Determinators are not a particularly interesting character archetype but I don’t hate them. Not at all. I always liked Kirishima, this little sequence, made me admire him.

He not only stayed put to actively protect the bystanders. He tailored his attack to attract the villain’s blades! Sure, he had just powered up and was reasonably sure the blades couldn’t skewer him, but only for another 30 or 40 seconds. And he had no way to know for sure that his strength was enough. Yes, he was so dedicated to protecting everyone he just did it. 

Did you notice the minor flashback we got? The one where he drew inspiration to charge “forward like a horse?” To me, it was the most astonishing thing I saw in this episode, and it ranks right up there in the whole series.

It was Bakugou! He actually inspired someone! I was absolutely astounded.

You what? The very few instances of Bakugo we’ve seen have been mostly positive. His presence also seems to have calmed down Deku  and spur on Todoroki. I wonder if the writers are trying to make a tiny character rehabilitation.

Kirishima manages to hold his own but it takes pretty much everything he’s got. At the very end, Fat manages to catch up and cut off the bad guy’s escape. It was an exhausting fight but a very enlightening one. Not only did Kirishima get a chance to figure out what type of hero he wants to be, but it also got everyone a little closer to figuring out the villain’s plan. But is it already too late?

The first step to thwarting a trap is to be aware of the trap… I think I learned that in Dune.

During those last moments of the evening, Kirishima and Tamaki get to chat a bit. Tamaki clearly tells Kirishima how much he reminds him of Mirio. I don’t think Kirishima caught on though. It’s a nice compliment for sure, but coming from Tamaki it takes on a whole new meaning. Tamaki idolizes Mirio and considers him an example of what a hero should be. He didn’t randomly pick some loud first year to help with their internship, he chose someone who he thought worthy. And he is saying as much. Even if Kiri might not understand it just yet. I hope these two can partner up for a while. They make a good odd couple.

They’ve certainly learned that they can rely on each other. There’s nothing like a dangerous fight to learn someone’s character!

This whole quirk nullifying storyline has a lot of very personal implications for Deku. On the one hand he is potential the most experienced and best placed person to fight without a quirk, having grown up quirkless. On the other, gaining One for All is possibly the most important defining moment in his life, and losing it again might break the boy. Either way, it would make sense that having his quirk locked up would hit Deku drastically differently than anyone else. Man! I can’t wait to find out which way he goes!

I’m betting this is how it’d go: His emotional devastation would almost overwhelm him, even as his tactical mind was working out alternate solutions. Plus, there’s that burning desire in his very soul to be a hero. He charged that blob that was attacking Bakugou, after all! He’d end up being less effective but really well organized — while being depressed about it.

I know I was subtle about it but this was my favorite episode so far. I am pumped! What did you think Crow?

I thought it would be hard to beat the exhiliation I felt during Izuku and Mario’s confrontation with Eri and Overhaul, but you know what? Kirishima’s fight was vintage My Hero Academia. Not only that, but seeing some of my other favorite characters back in action was a joy. Outstanding episode over all.

I’m also dying to see what Ryuko’s power is! 

me too

My Hero Academia s4 ep68 – I Want to Be Strong I’ve never spoken about this before but did you guys know that Crow is the one that adds in all the links in these posts?

[snicketstrange]

What is the explanation for a secret letter in TSS?

This is part 8 of the Strange Interpretation of Jean Lúcio from Brazil

To understand this text, it is necessary to read my previous texts.

 Today we are going to talk about my interpretation of the secret letter found in TSS. The letter is as follows:

"My dear sister, I am taking a great risk in hiding a letter to you inside one of my books, but I am certain that even the most melancholy and well-read people in the world have found my account of the lives of the three Baudelaire children even more wretched than I had promised, and this book will stay on the shelves of libraries, utterly ignored, waiting for you to open it and find this message. As an additional precaution, I placed a warning that the rest of this chapter contains a description of the Baudelaires' miserable journey up the Vertical Flame Diversion, so anyone who has the courage to read such a description is probably brave enough to read my letter to you I have at last learned the whereabouts of the evidence that will exonerate me, a phrase which here means "prove to the authorities that it is Count Olaf, and not me, who has started so many fires." Your suggestion, so many years ago at that picnic, that a tea set would be a handy place to hide anything important and small in the event of a dark day, has turned out to be correct. (Incidentally, your other picnic suggestion, that a simple combination of sliced ​​mango, black beans, and chopped celery mixed with black pepper, lime juice, and olive oil would make a delicious chilled salad also turned out to be correct.) I am on my way now to the Valley of Four Drafts, in order to continue my research on the Baudelaire case. I hope also to retrieve the aforementioned evidence at last. It is too late to restore my happiness, of course, but at least I can clear my name. From the site of V.F.D. I will head straight for the Hotel Denouement. I should arrive by - well, it would not be wise to type the date, but it should be easy for you to remember Beatrice 's birthday. Meet me at the hotel. Try to get us a room without ugly curtains. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket P.S. If you substitute the chopped celery with hearts of palm, it is equally delicious. "

Because of this letter many fans believe that Daniel Handler made chronological mistakes in ASOUE. The reason they think so is evident: in this letter Lemony Snicket states that he will meet with his sister at the Denouement Hotel. Lemony said the hotel was fully operational. However, in TRR and TAA, Lemony implies that several years have passed between the major events reported in the books, and the publication of the books themselves. However, the main events reported in the books happen in full in a maximum of 2 years. (To confirm this, just remember which books Klaus and Violet celebrated their birthdays.) The first of these two years is recorded from chapter 1 of TBB to chapter 13 of TE. At the end of chapter 13, the death of Kit Snicket is recorded. At the end of TPP, there is a fire that destroyed the Hotel Denouement. So how could this letter, which was written at the time of the publication of the book TSS, be considered with the recipient about the hotel Denouement still in full operation? And how could this letter be destined to Lemony's sister, since she died in a maximum of one year after the fire at the Baudelaire mansion?

In order to try to justify this apparent contradiction, some fans created the following theory: Lemony wrote ASOUE during the main events recorded on them, hence Lemony sent these originals to Kit. From there Kit sent Lemony back, Lemony revised the books and then, many years later, books have been published in their current format. Dante explained this theory to me recently. I will call this theory "The theory of writing ASOUE books shortly after the main events and publication in the final format many years after these events".

 Frankly speaking, I do not like this theory at all, and I do not believe it. I respect it, of course, as a possibility. But I do not agree with the theory. Nor do I agree with the statement that Daniel Handler made chronological errors. If you have accompanied all my Threads, you know that I created the theory of the Great Hiatus, which is very logical and coherent from my point of view. The theory of the Great Hiatus results in the assurance that many years have passed between the events recorded in the books TMM until TE, and the publication of these books in Lemony's universe.

 On the other hand, "The theory of writing ASOUE books shortly after the main events and publication in the final format many years after these events" leaves several points loose. And I'm going to list some of the loose spots here.

1 - In writing this letter, Lemony does not know the location of his "sister".

There is only one reason to hide a letter in a book that will be published in various parts of the world. Lemony explains: "this book will stay on the shelves of libraries, utterly ignored, waiting for you to open it and find this message." If Lemony knew where her "sister" is, he could send her a message by letter, using some code. But instead, Lemony expected his "sister" wherever she was, to buy a copy of the book and then get the message.

2 - In the secret letter printed in TSS, Lemony demonstrates that it intends that the letter be printed in what would become the final version of the book TSS.

Note these excerpts: "this book will stay on the shelves of libraries,"

"I am certain that even the most melancholy and well-read people in the world have found my account of the lives of the three Baudelaire children even more wretched than I had promised"

These excerpts show that Lemony was convinced that this book would be sent to various parts of the world. If he really did draft the book early, this letter was not sent in advance draft, but the letter was sent in the final version, where readers around the world would have access to that letter. Thus, the letter could only be referring to relevant events many years after the major events recorded in the book. So this letter does not help prove that Lemony wrote the books, sent them to Kit, and these were returned to him by Kit and then revised by Lemony to be published in the final version years later.

I am not saying that I do not believe that Lemony began to write what would one day become ASOUE a few months after the main events recorded in TBB. Or even some time before the events recorded in TBB. According to The UA pag. 177 and 178, before the Heimlich Hospital was destroyed, Lemony was already trying to write what would one day become the introduction of TBB. However, his plan was to write a story about his own life, the plan was not to write about Beatrice's children.

"" The writing theory of ASOUE books shortly after the main events and publication in the final format many years after these events "does not explain how Lemony knew the content of the particular dialogues of the Baudelaire siblings.

This theory depends on another theory that does not make sense to me either. I found out about this theory by reading some posts here. The theory says that Lemony was following the Baudelaire siblings, and listening to what they were talking about, which is why Lemony knows the contents of the dialogues. But that does not make sense.

 Some places where the Baudelaire siblings only talked to each other were completely isolated, such as an elevator shaft, a caravan about to fall off a cliff, a trunk of a car, a jail cell or a submarine at the bottom of the ocean. Also, in TBB the rare edition, Lemony says that access to Count Olaf's house was hindered, so Lemony did not enter Olaf's house to be able to write TBB. Thus the dialogues that took place inside Olaf's house, as recorded in TBB, could not be heard by Lemony if he were following the Baudelaires siblings.

"" The writing theory of ASOUE books shortly after the main events and publication in the final format many years after these events "does not explain how Lemony knew the content of the particular dialogues of the Baudelaire siblings.

This theory depends on another theory that does not make sense to me either. I found out about this theory by reading some posts here. The theory says that Lemony was following the Baudelaire siblings, and listening to what they were talking about, which is why Lemony knows the contents of the dialogues. But that does not make sense.

 Some places where the Baudelaire siblings only talked to each other were completely isolated, such as an elevator shaft, a caravan about to fall off a cliff, a trunk of a car, a jail cell or a submarine at the bottom of the ocean. Also, in TBB the rare edition, Lemony says that access to Count Olaf's house was hindered, so Lemony did not enter Olaf's house to be able to write TBB. Thus the dialogues that took place inside Olaf's house, as recorded in TBB, could not be heard by Lemony if he were following the Baudelaires siblings.

Another theory states that Lemony invented most of the dialogues. This theory I heard in my own country, which in case you do not know, is Brazil. The people who created this theory agree with me in stating that Lemony is an unreliable narrator. But I disagree that Lemony invented the dialogues because he assured himself in TUA that he would make an accurate record of what happened to the Baudelaire siblings.

(Personal note: It is interesting that these people believe that Lemony may have invented part of the main story, but they severely criticized me for believing that Lemony lied about Beatrice's death. They called me crazy several times. I do not force anyone to agree with me, but my theory is well grounded and deserves respect as any other well-founded theory. I promised myself that one day ASOUE fans from around the world would hear about my theory, and I thank J. and her friend F., N. his twin brother E. from Brazil and D. F. from 667 Dark Avennue very much for giving me support. And I thank SS for being my example, and for now he is evaluating my work.)

The more I think about it, the more I'm sure that Lemony read the book on the island, where the Baudelaire siblings recorded their dialogues, and the events they lived through. But for this to be so, Lemony must have written and published all the books of ASOUE after the Baudelaires siblings had left the island. If you accept this as fact, you will allow yourself to think of other possibilities to explain the secret letter in TSS. That's what I did. And I found the following possibilities.

1 - The true recipient of the letter is not Kit. Because Kit was already dead when the letter was written.

2 - Lemony can call other sister people besides Kit.

See the dictionary definition:

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sister

"Sister: a girl or woman regarded as a comrade."

A similar definition was used in THH chapter 3:

"I'm confused," Klaus said. "I always thought that brothers and sisters are people who share the same parents." "Not always, brother," the bearded man said. "Sometimes brothers and sisters are just people who are united for a common cause."

3 - Hotel Denouement was rebuilt during the many years that have passed since the first destruction of the Denouement hotel until the publication of the book TSS. And between the publication of TGG and TPP the Hotel Denouement was destroyed again.

If you have understood the Great Hiatus Theory, you must have noticed something important about how the ASOUE books were published in Lemony's universe. The natural consequence of the Great Hiatus theory is the need to accept that most of the ASOUE books were not published in a short time between one book and another in Lemony's universe.

ASOUE contains two stories that do not happen simultaneously. When Lemony Snicket narrated the main story, he told events of the past. But when Lemony recounted the events of his own life during the publication of the books, including how his research was conducted, Lemony was talking about events that occurred over many, many years.

 According to Lemony, he devoted most of his life to the investigation of what happened to the Baudelaires.

Note the excerpt below TSS 10 Chapter 13:

"Even for an author like myself, who has devoted his entire life to investigating the mysteries that surround the Baudelaire case, there is still much I have been unable to discover."

Lemony spent several months of his life only to discover or confirm some details of the history of the Baudelaires.

In THH Chapter 4, Lemony states that he spent more than 9 months just to be reasonably certain that Hal was not a spy. In TSS Chapter 13, Lemony states that he investigated the whereabouts of the two white-faced women. He even searched for bones and took these bones to a specialist several times. Imagine how long it took Lemony to carry out the verifications of every detail of what is recorded in the main story of ASOUE! It is interesting that Lemony to write TSS spent a lot of time looking for the caravan where Violet and Klaus were and did not find the caravan.

The world in which Lemony is publishing his books undergoes great changes over time. For example, after the publication of TRR, Prufrock Prep closed. Valorous Farms Dairy was burned down. Mamba du Mal was killed.

So, all this leads me to believe that the Hotel Denouement was rebuilt over the period of many, many years that Lemony took by writing and publishing each of the books of ASOUE. Accepting this helps to understand that the letter is talking about another quest for another sugar blow at the Denouement hotel.

In addition, D. helped me by explaining to me a something about The Bad Beginning Rare Edition. The Author's Notes says:

p.2 The three Baudelaire children lived with their parents in an enormous mansion at the heart of a dirty and busy city, and occasionally their parents gave them permission to take a rickety trolley-the word “rickety”, you probably know, here means “unsteady” or “likely to collapse”-alone to the seashore…

P.2 - ... That the trolley has since collapsed, and its remains were recycled into the foundation of a hotel.

D. said to me: "At the time of publication, the hotel in question was widely assumed to be the Hotel Denouement; and indeed the idea of the last safe place remaining hidden from the fire-starting side of the schism simply by merit of having only been built recently made a lot of sense. But there's no suggestion in TPP that the Hotel Denoument is of recent construction; indeed, the existence of the underwater catalogue and the sheer quantity of evidence stored therein strongly implies that this is a location with extensive history."

Thanks D.!

However, between the day Lemony published TSS and the day he published TPP, the Hotel Denouement was destroyed again. Remember, "Daniel Handler doubles events to confuse you." The evidence that I have that the hotel has been rebuilt is as follows: Lemony states that he wrote ASOUE many years after the events in ASOUE, including the destruction of the Hotel Denouement. Still, when Lemony published TSS, he wrote a letter to a woman reserving a room at the Hotel Denouement, the only way to make sense of it, is to accept that the hotel has been rebuilt. There is other evidence:

You should remember the secret signal to tell one of the hotel managers that a VFD member is on the outside calling for him. Kit explained:

TPP chapter 3:

"Frank should be watching from one of the windows of the hotel, unless of course Ernest has intercepted my message and is watching instead. In any case, when you're ready to meet him, you can throw the rock into the pond, and he'll see the ripples and know you're on your way. "

 Now notice what Lemony says:

"... even after months of research, and many sleepless nights, and many dreary afternoons spent in front of an enormous pond, throwing stones in the hopes that someone would notice the ripples I was making, I have no way of knowing if the Baudelaires should have been sad or relieved to see him go either. "

Lemony was at the hotel doing his research on the Baudelaire case. In the letter, he said he would go to the hotel and actually went there. When Lemony went there, he picked up some papers from some notepad at the reconstructed hotel desk. Lemony used these papers to write letters to his editor, which are printed at the end of TGG.

However, probably while writing TPP, the Hotel Denouement was again destroyed. Notice what Lemony said:

TPP Chapter 11:

"If you were to put this book down, and travel to the pond that now reflects nothing but a few burnt scraps of wood and the empty skies, and if you were to find the hidden passageway that leads to the underwater catalog that you have remained secret and safe for all these years, you could read an account of an interpretation of sausages that went horribly wrong. "

It is interesting that Lemony again makes a point of emphasizing that years have passed since the events narrated, and the moment in which he is writing history. Daniel Handler made that clear from TRR to TPP. At no point was there a change of plans in this regard. And by the time Lemony wrote Chapter 11 of TPP, the hotel was again destroyed. But the Secret Library was intact.

So briefly. From my point of view the best way to interpret the letter is as follows:

1 - Lemony is writing to someone else, not to Kit.

2 - The hotel Denouement has been rebuilt.

3 - Lemony arranged a meeting with the recipient of the letter, in the hotel where he would find the proof that would clear his name.

This proof is probably inside another sugar bowl. It's not the same sugar bowl Olaf had been looking for years before.

Who could be the other person to whom Lemony wrote this letter? Speaking frankly, all the evidence points to Beatrice. As explained in the last Thread, Beatrice remained alive for many years after the fire of her house. According to TSS chapter 6, Sunny recalled that her mother could prepare a salad exactly with the same ingredients as the recipient of the letter. Lemony states that the recipient of the letter could remember Beatrice's birthday. And Lemony asked the recipient of the letter to book a single room for himself and her. All this points to Beatrice as the recipient of the letter. But now think of a few more details: Lemony made a point of pointing out that Beatrice should arrive at the Denouement hotel before him. Lemony was probably throwing rocks at Pond to get Beatrice's attention. But he could not get her attention. Soon after, the hotel was burned down. Lemony had said that the evidence that would clear his name was in the hotel. But apparently the proof was from the secret library. The wrong question is, "Did someone who read that letter try to destroy the hotel again to destroy the evidence that would clear Lemony's name?" However, Count Olaf was already dead by then. So the other wrong question is: "Did the proof inside that sugar bowl indicate that someone else had started the fire at the Baudelaire mansion? Was this person doing everything for Lemony not to find out the truth? "I will talk about these my hypotheses in a future text.

But we have come to an important part of our research. There is strong evidence that Beatrice survived the fire at her house. There is strong evidence that Beatrice is the true recipient of the secret letter in TSS. But in addition, there is strong evidence that Lemony, in calling her sister Beatrice, was collaborating to conceal Beatrice's identity. There is evidence that Beatrice was pretending to be Kit, many years after Kit's death. Remember that Kit died on a deserted island where few witnesses witnessed her death. Few people in the world knew Kit was dead. So Beatrice took advantage of this to pretend to be Kit. Miss K's account of Prufrock Prep is evidence of this, as I have already explained. But in addition, in TGG, Lemony told a purposeful lie.

Lemony wrote in TGG chapter 10:

"As the hook-handed man circled the brig, it was as if the baudelaires were picking through the chef's salad, mostly of dreadful - and perhaps even poisonous - ingredients, trying desperately to find the one noble crouton that might save their sister, just I am, among the paragraphs, am picking through this salad in front of me, hoping that my waiter is more noble than wicked, and that my sister, Kit, might be saved by the small, herbed piece of toast I hope to retrieve from my bowl. "

Lemony states that Kit is alive and could be saved by him. Lemony is lying because Kit was dead long ago. He's protecting Beatrice's secret identity.

It is very important to understand this part of my theory. The sugar bowl that Lemony said he was picking up at the hotel while he was writing TSS is not the same thing Olaf had been looking for many years before. Do not forget: "Daniel Handler duplicates events to confuse you." In the next Thread we will answer the question: "What was in the sugar bowl that belonged to Esmé, according to the Strange Theory of Jean Lúcio from Brazil?" and "What has to be that Beatrice survived the fire with the contents of the sugar bowl? "

[erasethedarkness]

Day 7   |   December 19 - Secret Santa

Summary: UA’s staff is actually incredibly close, which isn’t really a shocker despite the professional and even aloof attitudes they can have towards each other *cough*Aizawa*cough*. The Secret Santa exchange was something they’ve been doing for a while, and while everyone else gets awesome normal (to them) gifts, it’s generally a running joke to see how outlandish and ridiculous Aizawa’s gift can be. This year, however, his Secret Santa got him something useful.

Note: This segment does not involve the reader at all, but does refer to them. I’m super behind on these prompts because I’ve been working on commissions on top of work and writing! Holiday business doesn’t make it easier, either. I will be posting the second half of Day 4’s prompt (yay NSFW sexy time), and the prompts for Days 5 & 6 eventually, but I wanted to post something relevant to the current prompt day! Honestly, I want to come back to this one and add more to it, too. I’m posting all of this on my AO3, so you’ll be able to find it all in chronological order eventually! Here is the link to “12 Days of Christmas (Aizawa x Reader)”!

@mha-xmas-challenge

Aizawa honestly hoped there wasn’t going to be anymore surprises this holiday. From the surprise trip to Manhattan to the reactions he received for bringing a date to the UA holiday party (which, really, why was it such a big deal and shock that he was seeing someone, and that she was gorgeous?), he’d had enough excitement. Unfortunately for him, Christmas was less than a week away now, and the holiday cheer and energy showed no sign of mellowing out. He didn’t mind it so much in the past, but did this year have to be so excessive?

Today was the big reveal for UA’s staff Secret Santa exchange. Despite his protests, Yamada insisted that Aizawa was participating, putting his name in to be drawn. Unwilling to let someone go without a gift or be disappointed, he ended up relenting, and took to heart finding a gift for the person he drew. The whole staff went through a lot together in the last year and a half, with One For All and the uprising of the League of Villains, so he wasn’t going to slack on this.

Everyone sat in the conference room together with a large pile of gifts in the vacant space that the tables made since they were put together in a square. Present Mic wore a festive ugly sweater that resembled a Christmas tree with blinking lights and a headband with a star bouncing around above his head. His enthusiasm was met by a few others who decided to get festive with him. Midnight took the opportunity to sport a Santa dress, complete with the red and white hat and knee high black boots, while Thirteen even dressed up their space suit to look like a snowman!

Mic threw a Santa hat over Aizawa’s long and messy hair, meeting no resistance from the fellow teacher who sat in his chair in his black clothes and gray scarf. Technically he wasn’t in his hero costume, but it was hard to tell the difference when he generally still only wore black, and he never went out without his scarf- not even at UA.

“Aaalllright, everyone! Let’s get this exchange rooollling!” Yamada started, making himself sound like a sports announcer. He rolled his shoulders, hands in excited fists making little circular motions. “Everyone grab a number to see who gets to find and open their gift first!”

In a matter of mere minutes, the pro heroes teaching and running the most prestigious hero academy in Tokyo were reduced to children opening their gifts on Christmas morning. Wrapping paper was savagely ripped off and excitement overflowed from them. Even as professional heroes and teachers by day, they deserved to have moments when they could let their guard down, too. This was one of those few special occasions.

“Alright, Eraser, are you ready to wrap things up here? You look ready to fall asleep… like always,” Midnight laughed. Earlier, Yamada found Aizawa’s gift while looking for his and just placed it in front of him to see if he could entice some excitement out of him. It didn’t work. He left it there untouched, watching everyone and making comments now and then, even chuckling every so often with a smile. He was in a good mood and having fun, but he never showcased his joy so outright like others tended to.

“Yeah, sure,” he said, voice vacant of excitement while he eyed the box curiously. It was a rectangle about 18” x 10”, rather thin, and very light. A gold ribbon was wrapped around it and tied into a bow, contrasting the red box. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, leaning forward to see what Aizawa’s secret Santa got him this year. It was generally a running prank to see what ridiculous item could be gifted to him since he was such a minimalist person with simple needs and wants. He’d gotten everything from a ridiculously oversized Hello Kitty plush to random adult toys that have amassed into a fair collection. If they weren’t gifts, he would have thrown them all away, but they were and he had some feeling of sentimental value to things people have given him. He just kept them all secretly stashed and tucked away.

“Open it alreeaadddyyyy!!” Yamada whined, shaking his friend with excitement and making everyone else wait longer. Midnight tugged on his shirt and pulled him away from Aizawa so he could open the box that she got for him.

“Alright, jeeze,” he sighed under his breath, acting annoyed. Unlike his coworkers and friends, he decided to take his time opening the present, especially since his was the last one. He pulled the end of the bow, making it crumble as it was undone, and removed it completely before his hands came to the lid. He lifted the edge of the lid closest to him, taking a glance at it before deciding not to reveal it and close the box again. It didn’t show much, but he was flustered, but Yamada could tell from the way subtle he became just barely more rigid due to having to keep his blush at bay and face straight.

Just about everyone let out a groan of disappointment when the box closed again.

“What? C’mon, Shouta, don’t be a party pooper,” Yamada pouted, crossing his arms over the blinking lights of his sweater.

“It’s just clothes,” he answered with a bored tone, keeping his hands on the box to make sure it remained closed.

“Then why don’t you share it with everyone?” Kan taunted, challenging him with a more playful rivalry. Aizawa’s glare immediately shifted to him.

“It’s boring. Now that we’re done, I’m going to get ready for patrol,” he tried to brush their curiosity away, only piquing it further as he got up and walked toward the door of the conference room with the box tucked between his arm. Fortunately for everyone else, Kayama was closer to the door and blocked it.

“Now, now, Aizawa, share with the class. It can’t be worse than the hyper-realistic dildo you got from me two years ago, or the three sets of kitty ears and tails from Yamada because he couldn’t pick just one to give you.”

He sighed and leaned his head back, debating whether or not it was worth it to use his scarf on Midnight so he could leave, or to swallow the embarrassment of revealing this year’s gift.

“Fine,” he agreed, hoping that she would move away from the door so he could just leave without showing them. When she didn’t show any sign of stepping away, he turned around with his lips tight and eyes closed so he wouldn’t have to see their reactions. He opened the box and counted to three in his head before shutting it and turning around.

“‘Boring’ my ass!” Yamada shouted. Three seconds was more than enough time to elicit squeals from his peers. Were they all really adults, and teachers at that? Inside the box was a strappy red teddy, clearly meant for Aizawa to have you wear. It was Christmas themed with a large bow that would dangle between your breasts and another one over your ass, making you the perfect Christmas present for him.

‘Not a bad secret Santa gift this year, is it?’ Kayama thought to herself with a smirk. When he turned back to her, she stepped out of the way so he could leave, his peers cheering for him, the implications obvious.

“You’re welcome, Tiger. Now go wrap up your pretty kitty,” she whispered in a low and sultry voice as he passed her. That was the comment that broke him, and a red blush bloomed on his cheek as he left the room, leaving behind the chaos he knew was going to break loose, especially after that reveal.

[vegalocity]

So like I said yesterday I finally found the perfect niche to make a Shameless Self insert for BNHA, so I used one of my old Imaginary Game names (Danielle S. Cromwell) and started expounding on ‘scientist whose only a pro hero through a technicality’.... i’m probably one of a very few who only uses self inserts to expound on other ideas and am too lazy to design a full character on my own.

(I played with her being a Practical Chemistry teacher at UA (see: second doodle) but realized she’d be the kind of science teacher talked about in tumblr text posts who puts points on the board for different periods and the injuries sustained within so idk if i’ll actually plot that to work out or not)

Quirk: Sing, Her vocal chords have mutated strangely and when she sings can vibrate at an imperceptible frequency that goes straight to a person’s temporal lobe and limbic system. Basically getting people to feel what the song implores you to feel by stimulating relevant memories of the person.

Danielle is an American hero, second born to a small-time Pro hero, Renee Rodriguez, aka The Furious Flame (She had a decent following in her heyday but is long since retired) and a civilian Engineer David Cromwell. Her older sister Gwendolyn has a language quirk (allspeak, can understand and speak languages within mere moments of listening to them) and has been working in the peace corps, while Danielle was a woman of the sciences.

She got her PhD in Biochemistry and has been spending most of her days in field research teams far off from civilization. It was one too many times hiding in a cave while Professor Duncan radioed the closest Hero agency while a villain stalked the wilderness looking for their own team of Captive Scientists, and listening to the vaguely bored contacts lady tell them it would be about an hour’s wait for a hero to be able to find them wherever the fuck they are.

Danielle ended up getting a Pro Hero license just so she and her fellow scientists could take care of these things on their own. It was far less tense than holing up and waiting (and lbr the licencing of pro heroes def. works differently in america, probably just putting a couple odds and ends onto Cop Boot Camp) 

So birthed Chemaestro, The live-in hero for her research team that is also a scientist so the grant people can’t say that the team is using their grant money extraneously. 

Due to the passive nature of her quirk, her abilities in a fight are far more reliant on her knowledge of biology in relation to chemistry, a propensity for setting traps, reflexes, and creative thinking. Like a mix between Kevin Mcallister of Home Alone and Honey Lemon of Big Hero 6

She makes song covers she posts online in her down time, making sure to put a minor run down of her quirk in every video so people won’t be surprised at their own reactions.

If I do have her become a teacher at UA it’s probably because they were in between grant projects and her Hero Contacts told her there was a teaching opportunity she qualified for, she did it for the heck of it and... ‘welp I guess i’m moving to japan for a bit’ If so she probably works with the Support Kids most.