#toga himiko character analysis

[no-truce-with-the-heroes]

sitting here thinking about how Toga Himiko wanted an easy life where she could be true to herself and yet the most obvious way she could express herself after leaving her parents' influence-- the clothes she wears-- might not be something she chose of her own will.

her villain gear? she didn't want to wear it at first because she thought it was uncute. why did she end up wearing it anyway when we know she hates doing things she doesn't want to do? (perhaps she's already used to wearing clothes she doesn't really want to wear when necessary?) in any case, it seems she came to accept it at some point, seeing as she goes out of her way to put it on before she seeks out Ochako during the PLW arc-- but is she choosing to put it on because she likes how it makes her look? or is it a uniform she puts on to serve a particular purpose? seeing as she otherwise seems to avoid wearing it, i'm inclined to think the latter.

speaking of putting on uniforms for a particular purpose: Toga explicitly says that people treated her just a little kinder when she dressed like a schoolgirl. she's not wearing it because she wants to, or because she still thinks of herself as one. it's not even her uniform-- her middle school uniform is the blazer-and-tartan style rather than a seifuku. at first i thought the cardigan might have been her addition, but it looks like that's probably part of the uniform too? so Toga only started wearing that outfit because it helped her while she was on the run and she needed every advantage she could get.

even her iconic space buns are suspect, especially given that they're intentionally meant to evoke spider lilies. in that light, it'd be a little odd if Toga saw putting her hair up that way as a desirable choice on her part. it's certainly possible that she wanted to put her hair up like that as a return to a childhood preference, but in the context provided by her schoolgirl uniform... well, it seems plausible to me that she put her hair up like that so she was less recognizable while she was on the run, and then it was simply better for her survival to keep it up than leave it loose.

it could very well be that the first and only time Toga had the chance to wear something she wanted to wear for its own sake was the duffel coat she bought during the MVA arc. what does it mean that she seems to have stopped wearing that coat shortly afterward? did anyone other than the PLF ever see her in that coat? i wonder how she would dress if she were actually given the complete freedom to choose for herself.

[masochist-marmot]

Just finished watching MHA season 7

I am not okay. I am in shambles. A shallow husk of a human being. I have exhausted all my emotions and have nothing left to give. I'm sitting right there in the middle of charred earth and ash with tears frozen on my face. I might need a hero to sacrifice themselves to stitch my destroyed heart back together.

The level of character writing in this series is amazing. I stand by my (probably controversial) take that there are some issues with pacing and setup/payoff, though I haven't read the manga so I can't tell how much of that is an issue with the adaptation. But what the show does excel at is portraying a large cast of characters with deep and diverse motivations, and it somehow manages to build on them in a deliberate, believable manner. (Let me piss off another fandom real quick: JJK could never.)

I was spoiled on the Dabi reveal before I started watching the show. In fact, that spoiler got me interested in watching it in the first place. I picked up on the tiny hints that were sprinkled in from very early on and was interested to see how they pull the reveal off. I was a little disappointed with how one-note Dabi was for the entire time up until that point, and the reveal itself was far less effective without the intended shock value. I almost wrote it off as missed potential. However, the seeds that were sown were not in Dabi himself, but the Todoroki family dynamic. Once we get to the flashbacks and eventually the grand emotional showdown, we have already gone through a character arc with Shouto, Endeavor and the rest of the family, and we have seen how All For One grooms vulnerable youth to his cause. In the present, Dabi is only fueled by hatred and revenge. In the past, we see a sad little boy who is raised to believe that his value comes from the strength of his quirk, and who is then told he can't use it (thus stripping him of his value). He's practically abandoned as a failed project, and Endeavor's misguided attempts at discouraging him by distancing himself instead of showing him he's got value beyond his strength and usefulness drives poor Touya even further along his doomed path. And this is incredibly fertile soil for All For One's grooming. It's heartbreaking. The reason Dabi is so one-note is that there's nothing else left in him. He's too far gone to be saved. We can bring the entire Todoroki family together to finally see his cries for help and acknowledgment, but it's simply too late. Sometimes it's just not possible to bring the "black sheep" of the family back from the edge of self-destruction. God, it's too real, and devastating, and narratively satisfying.

And then we have our misguided pansexual queen Himiko Toga. I was pretty neutral on Toga for most of the series, because the yandere archetype never really appeals to me. Turns out there's a lot more to her than that. For her entire childhood, she was ostracised and derided for being different and gross. I see an interesting mix of autism-coding/queercoding in how her innate ways to approach love and affection are seen as wrong and abnormal, and how she fails to conform to social norms because nobody's explaining them to her. I do like how neither allegory is one-to-one, and how it's internally consistent with how the world and Toga as a character work. Her childhood environment stunts her emotional development and leaves her with a black-and-white thinking, where you are either good or evil, cute or gross, completely accepted or completely rejected... a hero or a villain (boy, the society desperately needs reconstruction). It leaves her desperate for deep connections, and the deepest connection she can get is from becoming the target of her affection with her quirk. It's a selfish kind of affection that literally weakens the other party. At the same time, she's sabotaging her relationships by intentionally showing her ugly side and looking for signs of rejection to enforce her expectation of not being accepted for who she is. As someone who's struggled with (and, through therapy, learned to manage) traits of borderline personality disorder, I can relate to her chaotic approach to interpersonal relationships and powerful but volatile emotions. When both Deku and Uraraka very reasonably condemn her actions as a villain, she takes that as a total and complete rejection of her as a person. This is an especially heavy blow to her after the loss of Twice has brought her entire worldview into question. Then, when Uraraka reflects on this more and tries to reach out to her again, she's in full defence mode. She can't risk being rejected again, so she lashes out to keep Uraraka at an arm's length. Yet despite all the maliciousness, despite being stabbed, Uraraka fights to get through to Toga and show her that she sees the beauty in her and is willing to accept her in spite of her flaws. And then, after being properly seen and accepted by someone she loves, she's able to commit a purely selfless act of affection by giving away her own blood to keep Uraraka alive. Blood is her love language, and for once she's able to give instead of taking. It's hauntingly beautiful, and it's heartbreaking, and it closes her character arc wonderfully. (Mind you, I think their relationship would have been toxic and codependent, but I don't care. I'll be a Togachako truther from this moment until the day I die.)

This season alone had a lot of effective (and also some less effective) character moments that I won't touch on because this post is already too long and rambling. I especially have a lot more thoughts about best boi Kacchan, but I'll leave that for another day.

[buttercupshands]

Chapter 419 Analysis or "How to make allies not pawns" a helpful guide from League of Villains (part 2)

This is now a second part of Tomura character analysis.

With chapter 419 being probably our last time seeing Tomura for a while, since we need to learn what happened with Aizawa now is time to remember that not only bad things exist it Tomura's life.

Warning of spoilers to the whole manga to the point of chapter 419! All of the warnings from My Villain Academy side of manga are applicable

So like... mentions of death, killing other people, manipulation, emotional abuse and many more!

This is Part 2 - See here for Part 1 of this depressing mess

With AFO being so sure that he knows better and actually controlled every single part of Tenko's life creating a Symbol of Fear without any redeeming qualities or even hope for saving after he destroys him. There's one thing that AFO still doesn't understand about Tomura and never did - and that's his allies, or the League of Villains that he created.

Even Kurogiri, being a Nomu who's views do not stray from what AFO thought was important didn't exactly understand what did Tomura think about his allies quick to assume that he thought of them as pawns all the was back in the Training Camp arc. With Tomura making game examples to explain the situation, he still didn't think of LoV as just pawns on a desk, like AFO does.

At the time of USJ arc there weren't many people Tomura called this, which could make you wonder how much it was just AFO's plan rather than Tomura's with him never worrying about those other villains yet getting so worked up over losing Nomu not only because he was strong enough to defend him from All-Might, but treating his defeat as something that must be avenged.

And that was long before Stain even entered the picture, the first of three people who greatly affected Tomura's view of his own motives alongside AFO's manipulation of literally everything else.

Tomura was terrified of fighting All-Might seconds before this and yet as this goes on it's becoming more noticeable - Tomura doesn't care for his own fear or worries as long as he's fighting for someone else's good. Not so different from how Izuku is ready to disregard himself for the sake of others, resulting in many injuries and being so close to dying so many times.

It never was a secret that Tomura is highly dependent on others to keep himself from losing confidence, or even will to fight, getting either too anxious to continue without anyone's reassurance.

And while AFO's "help" was mostly given only with some kind of lesson as we saw in "Tomura Shigaraki: Origin", with AFO literally sitting there, saying how Tenko is weak for not killing but showing some restrain instead suffering himself, never actually helping or comforting him. Only offering what he deemed nessesary for his own plan of making Tenko kill those thugs not caring that he's feeling sick from those hands.

But in USJ it's not AFO who's there with Tomura, it's Kurogiri, who was shown to still have some care that Shirakumo had that even Aizawa and Mic couldn't argue that it's similar to how Shirakumo couldn't just leave a kitten in the rain. No matter the responsibility that it would bring with taking a little one in.

A helpless little kitten that didn't get the help it needs from anyone else. Sounds way too familiar.

This never was a direct order from AFO other than he needs to "tend and protect" for Tomura, which can mean anything from just looking out when Tomura's sick, or protect him from any tread like someone trying to kill him.

Not helping him getting over his anxiety to fight or helping him and guiding him to do better as a leader of the League calming him if it got out of control. Which is somewhat opposite to the way AFO deals with Decay and Tomura's temper - letting him destroy anything even the hands that he gave him, just offering new ones when he succeedes and never really caring for his pawns, he can always get new ones.

And surely not asking if Tomura's well the first thing while talking to Heroes.

Which then leads us back to how Tomura never viewed anyone that he chose as pawns calling them his allies, with the word '仲間' which can even be translated as friends in needed context, but usually used as comrade or ally when Tomura says it. And the same thing is usually translated as "friend" when used by Twice.

In any case Tomura never once doubted his allies since he saw them as reliable, even if his first meeting with Toga and Dabi went so wrong that Kurogiri had to stop them from killing each other.

Up to the point of Training Camp AFO describes as him teaching Tomura to be independent which was at that point too far from the truth than he thought. If Tomura begging for AFO to leave with them is any indicator he actually was even less independent after All-Might almost caught them, making him doubt his own worth as a leader. Even if AFO's defeat finally let him think and wonder about himself and his past.

AFO believed that Tomura just knowing how to recruit people would suddenly make him great at using those new "pawns" which was proven wrong by Overhaul no so long after that. Showing how Tomura believed the same thing AFO did as well, fully trusting his judgement of anything including himself, all the while parroting what AFO says without fully understanding what it means.

Only after losing both Magne and Mr. Compress arm does Tomura slowly start making progress in becoming someone more than AFO tells him to do. Even if as we see in part 1 it used Decay as the ground to make it stable since he believed it was his quirk. And yet.

Even if Tomura didn't simply instruct his allies how to choose who to recruit, he never blamed them for it. On the opposite, when Twice was hard on himself after bringing Overhaul to them Tomura just looked at them for the first time without a hand on his face, or even on himself at all, showing how he trusts them as much as he would trust himself and believes that they can do it.

Taking off hands of his family would mean not relying on the conflicting feelings that they bring into the picture, something AFO would very much dissaprove, since he was now like an equal to everyone in LoV instead of being above them. He

And with this instead of making them blindly trust his decisions and following him from fear or adoration like people had been following AFO or Overhaul, he instead was an equal to them both in failure and victory that wasn't even all that guaranteed yet.

Each one of them had their own somewhat selfish goal that just seemed like they were just using each other without any worry being each other's pawns. Or maybe that's just how AFO would see them.

Yet it doesn't explain why did Toga care for Twice's trauma response of not having his mask on, since he already did his part and all that they both needed to do was done. But LoV was never about following orders or giving them, expecting for the pawns to follow without question. It was about a leader of the group that would stand up for his allies while allowing them full freedom, except when they needed to also accept that something is needed to be done for their own sake.

Like following Overhaul for a while all for cutting off his hands leaving him with nothing. Did that sound like something reasonable to do? No! They literally lost their chance at having sushi instead of just living at some abadoned building all the while occasionally searching for money or food, stealing and killing just to survive all while Tomura was just... waiting.

Nothing was really stable at the start of what we call My Villain Academia and yet no one from the LoV left while their state was... bad at the very least. No matter how AFO was teaching Tomura he was still left mostly waiting for something to happen rather than doing something to change the situation himself.

Sure, Tomura now was a famous leader of League of Villains that suddenly needed to be stopped rather that underestimated like before. But that was in the future, now LoV was laying low on funds and slowly Tomura showing his face became the norm, with him usually never wearing hands around LoV.

And with Tomura becoming more and more comfortable around LoV, the LoV itself was becoming more like a place that had one core value that accepted anything else added without anyone wondering about the past of others, like Compress said. Just some selfish people, who still followed their own needs first.

And yet somehow Toga, who joined just because she loved Stain and disliked how life was too hard found her place in the LoV alongside Twice who just needed to be trusted and trust in return. If Tomura only followed what AFO deemed to be the best way to lead no one would actually feel like they're accepted in the LoV as much as they were.

Goal or no goal Tomura succeeded even without having the whole world at the palm of his hands by just never pressing anyone to actually follow him - if they wanted to they could've just left here and there, but since they chose to follow he did what he thought was the obvious best - let his allies do what they wanted.

Which was okay for someone like Toga or Dabi who were either already comfortable by just being allowed to be themselves or being free to plan their own things for their own goals.

But not exactly that for Spinner. Who was instead literally searching for someone to show him what to do, not so different from Tomura, who still only followed whatever 'his Sensei' deemed worthy for him to look into, like letting Kurogiri go find unknown "power" that AFO left along with contact with Doctor.

And while Spinner was not fine with still being hollow even while following Tomura pretending that it's the same thing as following Stain... all it took for him to look differently at how exactly was Tomura thinking was the last real "barrier" that there was - Tomura basically spilling his whole backstory and motivations mostly for LoV to listen to, since Doctor was just testing Tomura's will all according to AFO's plan.

And after that it didn't took too long for Spinner to now follow Tomura, even if it was still not the time to really see the 'warped horizon that was waiting for them'. And yet in times where Tomura still showed some doubt over his decisions - that one old trait of his showing up like it was always at the back of his head not so different from USJ, only thing changing that Tomura got better and better at not letting his emotions control him so easily.

Since the price of that would literally be lifes of his allies.

And neither that or using their emotions to his own benefit was ever in his plans, contrast to AFO manipulating Tomura to do just that. Letting his emotions consume him completely just for his own goal and for his own sake. But as a person who was so familiar with this Tomura still was adamant at NOT allowing something like this to happen to his friends allies.

Effectively creating a bond between all six of them, including Toya that in the end kept them together until the very final arc, with Spinner keeping what Tomura would've thought and with him waking up and calling Machia to get LoV first and foremost Spinner did understand their's leader wishes, as well as Twice's who literally died for his friends.

With all that happening in the War arc the moment AFO returned with both being in control of Tomura's body and just abadoned anything that Tomura would care for like leaving Mr. Compress and Machia behind just to punish him for not getting OFA or not even caring to show any actual respect for Tomura's wishes. Instead showing how little he actually cared for anything but his own good.

But while AFO made so many pawns that he could change like gloves at any given moment, threating them and manipulating them with his power and quirks, Tomura only had 6 allies who stayed after AFO was caught and who were willing to die just to live the life they wanted.

And AFO couldn't give them that.

Even if Decay isn't Tenko's quirk and even if he has so much guilt for killing without it being a little bit justified by it...

LoV still followed him as a person who allowed them to live as they please and so what they want, not some all-powerfull overlord but an ally and a leader who had his flaws and fallings.

[yellowbluemoonshine]

Toga & Dabi Relationship;

Lets take a moment for Toga and Dabi’s relationship. Unlike the fanon idea, canon Toga-Dabi wasnt as good as now and they actually disliked each others a lot and this is why i find it interesting the later interaction they have.

At the start when they met Shigaraki, despite the fact that both of them had interest in Stain, it was completely opposite reasons. Toga for her own type, Dabi for his ideals. Toga who always honest to herself and Dabi who who always deny his feelings. You would think they are complete opposite but actually, they are similar in core. Because in the end, both of them was driven by personal feelings. Toga for idea of love and Dabi for revenge.

Shigaraki, Dabi, Toga. They had that ‘i will kill you’ moment when they met but at least, their relationship with Shigaraki changed, not much later. Every decision Shigaraki made, the fact that he made league, that he gave a speech about messed up society, and later actually become a leader, accept them, treat them with care and respect, even later to save them etc etc. With every move he made, Shigaraki eventually won their heart one by one or all together. He gained Dabi’s respect and Toga’s care.

But that wasnt the case between Toga and Dabi, really. Just because they are in same group doesnt mean that they are super close, after all. He constantly look down her and call her crazy. To him, she is just crazy and thats it. And Toga, of course, dislikes anyone who doesnt accept her.

Toga vs Dabi Smash Bonus;

-Before the match-

Toga: Dabi, you are not cute.

Dabi: Yeah, I agree.

-Toga wins-

Toga: I wanna go home. You’re annoying.

-Before the match-  

Dabi: You’ve got a few screws loose, y’know.

Toga: Uh-huh, and that’s fine!

-Dabi wins-

Dabi: See? We don’t need you.

Source.

Of course,  even their dynamic change since legaue is home for them. Toga tease him and worry about his wounds while Dabi seems to be a little softer to her than before. (He is smilling, unlike before). Like sibling dynamic.

I always thought that Toga and Dabi are the ‘selfish’ ones in the group when it comes to working together or doing things for the sake of group because they both always focus on doing their own things more than doing thigns for group. Compare this to other members;

Shigaraki is literally leader and despite the fact that he doesnt have to, he does his best to making their wishes come true. Twice is too who always live for the sake of group. Even Mr compress, he also has his own goal too but still, he become the caretaker of the bunch of children in a sense. Spinner isnt really much a caretaker of group but still, he follows his leader and after Twice’s death, he is the one who try to put the group together. I think, compared to them, Toga and Dabi didnt realize that how lucky they are to have their this weird family, until they loose it. After Shigaraki is gone (and Mr Compress too), and especially after Twice’s death.

I think thats when Toga and Dabi’s relationship truly changed because Dabi changed his perspective of her. The way she reacts to Twice’s death like that shows that she cared, that she is not just selfish crazy girl.

And later, Dabi most likely saw Toga’s home. How she was forgotten, abandonded, just like him. Maybe first time he ever really related to her and he reach out to her, comforting him by burning her house, giving Twice’s blood and telling her to smile. Thats also the first time he calls her with her name, i think. Look at Toga’s warm smile, how happy she is.

And we later see in official picture that Toga imitates Dabi’s frankeinstein move and Dabi softly smile. Note; Toga only imitate people she loves.

And later, they work together, to not let heroes forget about sad man’s parade. Of course MVP is Spinner and he did a lot but i love their character developments too. We also see Dabi’s first time saying ‘we’, not just ‘him’ because its not just about him anymore. Its about them and what society did to them.

Personally, i never thought their interaction and characters would improve this much, i am so proud of them. I might’ve made similar meta about their relationship before but anyway, i wanted to talk about them again because i feel like they grow up a lot since then.

[bsydelver]

Yap with me- Toga Himiko

(this won’t make sense because as the title suggests I’m just yapping so some things will be repetitive and this is kind of an analogy except it doesn’t make sense for the most part)

SPOILERS

Something that deeply hurts me is the fact that toga could’ve been saved if someone understood her or “caught” her earlier.

Anyone who doesn’t give any look at her except when it comes to her quirk would just think she was destined to be a villain because how could that quirk possibly make her a hero in any way but let me explain-

If you look deep enough: any quirk can make you be a very powerful villain and Toga’s quirk makes her body function off of love; making her similar to La Brava who was basically just like her with how society treated her and how her mentality was heavily reliant on her being in love with someone but she still became someone good because she wasn’t that bad to begin with (what I mean is Gentle Criminal wasn’t that bad compared to the LOV who were the ones who inspired Toga to live and do whatever she wants).

The whole reason Toga became a villain was because nobody looked at her and actually felt bad except the LOV who showed slight understanding and that just shows how easily Toga could’ve been “good” if it wasn’t for society or if someone (ONE person) helped her.

Himiko is literally a summary of what MHA is all about: the mistreatment of society to people with things they can’t control. The final war arc in the battle between her and Ochako really emphasized on that, someone who Toga kind of despised (she compared Uraraka and Izuku to her parents in terms of how they treated her/looked at her) turned her whole perspective on life around just by saying all Toga needed to hear.

Ochako was the first person that Toga loved who told her that her smile wasn’t creepy; in-fact she told her that her smile was special:

and you notice Toga’s change in demeanor at that point asking Ochako if she was cute, Ochako responding with this:

Ochako turned the switch Toga thought nobody could reach on and made Toga realize that real love wasn’t consuming blood, it was transferring it and that was all her quirk was truly about: Like Uraraka says in the recent chapter; things really could’ve been different if Ochako just knew Toga as a kid because she could’ve saved her then.

Himiko Toga died because she heard all she wanted to hear, Ochako Uraraka survived because she said all she needed to say and that’s beautiful.

Horikoshi, I love you.

[yggdraseed]

Unassorted Toga Thoughts

Because God knows I haven't emitted enough of those on Tumblr or at people in my social circle over the past few months.

I really like how Toga fills the role of a femme fatale character like you see in a ton of comic books and manga, but only the broad strokes. The female villain who's got sexual overtones, like with Toga needing to strip to use her Quirk.

But in Toga's case, Horikoshi really went out of his way to avoid making her the typical sex bomb, supermodal villainess. She's got a very average body, usually covers herself up quite a bit when she isn't using Transform, and her appearance can be legitimately unsettling.

Like when you go for the "misunderstood monster" archetype in a female character, it's easy to write other characters demonizing them right down to their appearance, but then make them conventionally attractive. I like how Toga is only going to be charming to some people. For others, her big, tooth grins and the shadows under and around her eyes will make it harder to see her that way.

Because the whole point is that a person's worth isn't in their appearance or how neatly they conform. Having aspects to her appearance that are unsettling doesn't justify how Toga was treated by her parents, just like the blood fixation that came with her Quirk did not, on its own, make her a bad person - and certainly not deserving of abuse. I think that to have made Toga too easy on the eyes would have damaged the message, that things she was born with and can't control are not her fault. Some of her actions are, but those actions were informed by people mistreating her and distancing themselves from her over things she couldn't control before she ever started to act out in any way.

I also feel like the exhibitionist aspect is an expression of how Toga wants to be seen, wants to be understood in her entirety, and wants to be wanted just for what she is. No masks, no disguises.

I know it's easy to see it as justification for a horny writing decision, and on one level it is just Horikoshi's horny side bleeding through the page, but I think there is still a creative thought process behind it. That being a sort of psychological outlet for how badly Toga wants people to see the genuine her, wants to form an intimate connection, and I think baring herself like that specifically and her overbearing, inappropriate shows of affection in general are the result of her needs for a deeper connection and to be desired not being met until she can't moderate them in a healthy way anymore.

I also just like the way Toga can be an allegory for so many different things without being locked into any one thing. The way her Quirk and the way it influences how she perceives and interacts with other people and the world in general can really resonate for a neurodivergent reader just as much as it can for a lesbian or bi reader.

Even though I don't think this is the strongest connection, I'm trans and felt a little of my own experiences reflected back at me through how Toga feels so unwanted and wants so much for someone to love her. Plus, you know... the transformation thing.

I've also got a much more organized little essay in mind for how Toga's parents and society in general have gaslit her into believing she's something she's not - i.e., a bad person. I'll get around to that one sometime soon.

[tocininon]

Hello, I need some help to find a tik tok I saw a few months ago explaining about the arc of toga and uraraka at the middle of the war

The most I can remember it is that it was a girl taking about this, and she mentioned something that it stuck in my mind, something like they were connecting as normal girls taking about crushes, being normal like if the world just didn't treat toga as a villain and that uraraka chose to finally openly admit her feelings about Izuku with anyone but toga. (that she could've talked about this with tsuyu or someone else but at the end it was toga the first to hear her)

Even If you don't have a clue of the tik tok I'm searching, It would also be really appreciated if you have another video, tik tok or post on any media analyzing the uraraka and toga connection, parallel or relationship.

[bluelizze]

IM SO SAD BC THERE WAS A TWITTER THREAD ABOUT HIMIKO’S WRISTS AND HOW THEY ARE ALWAYS COVER (even when she’s wearing short sleeves, she wears some sort of wrist band) AND DAMN IT I CANT FIND THAT THREAD 😭😭😭

[stillness-in-green]

why do you think Deku never tried to talk to Shigaraki? doylist reason is obvious but what's the watsonian reason?

Honestly, this one’s pretty tricky to answer.  It’s very hard to get myself into the headspace of Deku (and the people in his own headspace!)—mainly because I get extremely uncharitable, extremely quickly.  Mainly about Horikoshi, yes, but that does extend to Deku, too, as well as the broader world he lives in.

The brain goes immediately to answers like, “His world is so incredibly slanted towards retributive models of justice that the fact that he even thinks about wanting to know Shigaraki’s motivations makes him a candidate for mad sainthood to the people around him.  The fact that he doesn’t follow that impulse through all the way to actually asking is immaterial; while Villains have to be punished for their actions, for Heroes, it’s the thought that counts.”

See how I’m already drifting back towards meta-narrative analysis at the end there?  Deku brings a lot of that out in me, especially from Villain Hunt onwards.  Like the wooden doll he’s named for, he comes off to me as a vessel for the plot to happen through more than he does a consistently written, well-thought-out character.  Trying to think of him through a purely Watsonian lens—no refences made at all, period, to what I think the story was trying to express or what Horikoshi’s intentions towards that story were—I almost immediately jump the tracks into territory that is all but certainly incompatible with what I was “supposed” to take away from MHA as a story.

But, you did ask, so I’ll follow the thought experiment through.  If I were to try and set down to paper an explanation for Deku’s actions from a purely in-universe stance—say, for writing canon compliant post-series fanfic—what would be my explanation?

(Hit the jump.)

Right off the bat, from a cultural perspective, I think Deku is afraid that if he tries to make excuses for Shigaraki, it would be disrespectful to Shigaraki’s victims.  That’s why you get the heroic characters constant harping on about how they can’t forgive the Villains, even though, as adjuncts to the police, “forgiveness” is utterly immaterial to them doing their jobs.  Too much sympathy for criminals, in some peoples’ eyes, becomes indicative of a lack of proper regard for the victims of crime; this is very much a dynamic in play in Japan’s legal system.[1]  Ochaco initially has the same impulse, where she’s terrified that even thinking about Toga Himiko’s human circumstances puts her in danger of forgetting the suffering Toga and the League brought about.

1: That’s a meta consideration, yes, but one that I think the target audience would understand to be implicit in the canon as written, so I’m treating it as a Watsonian detail.

Ochaco and Deku commiserate and ultimately encourage each other to embrace their desire to understand their respective Villains, which leads to Ochaco talking to Toga at some length!  Ochaco must do this because asking Toga these questions if the only way she has to reach that understanding.  Deku does not have to ask, however, because he has a cheatmode to fall back on: the mindscape shared between All For One and One For All.  If Deku thinks too much open communication with Villains risks dishonoring Shigaraki’s victims, well, he doesn’t have to openly communicate.  He doesn’t have to talk to Shigaraki the person at all.  He just has to find that crying little boy in the mindscape again.

I also think it’s notable that Deku very much does stop talking about wanting to save Shigaraki after he talks to Gran Torino.  From that point on, everything he says about Shigaraki becomes about wanting to understand him instead.  Coupled with the idea that he insists upon not forgiving Shigaraki, I get the sense that what Deku wants is not to help Shigaraki at all, but rather to simply bear witness to his truth.  And even that much feels self-serving to me—as if Deku doesn’t care so much that Shigaraki is in pain, but rather that Shigaraki might have a point, that Shigaraki’s pain might be valid.  Shigaraki having a valid point would destabilize everything Deku believes about Heroes and Hero Society, and Deku has, by that point, seen enough that he’s too upright to look away, to “sweep things back under the rug,” so he has to find out Shigaraki’s story to judge it for himself.

The fact that he feels he has the right to judge Shigaraki’s story speaks to the arrogance of Heroes—the same arrogance that leads them to declare their lack of forgiveness as if it’s in some way relevant to doing the job in front of them—as well as a deeply rooted defensiveness: that they must have, and be perceived as having, the moral high ground over those evil Villains.  I think, for example, of the Flamin’ Sidekickers and their cringingly awkward self-justifications to Dabi about their continued association with Todoroki Enji.  Their reasoning has zero bearing on either Dabi’s pain or their own heroic responsibilities to assist in the arrest of a known murderer/terrorist/arsonist, but they feel the need to spell that reasoning out to the child abuse victim/volatile Villain anyway, seemingly for no in-character reason save to rationalize the deep discomfort that Dabi’s video accusations provoked in them.

Heroes must be seen as morally just—this is the whole basis for the authority they’ve been granted to wield their powers against other people.  Best Jeanist talks about this idea explicitly, as does Police Chief Tsuragamae.  Far more damningly, it’s what led to the HPSC using agents like Lady Nagant and Hawks to quietly dispose of anyone that would present a threat to the public image of Heroes and, by extension, the fragile peace that rests on that public image.

Heroes must be pure and righteous, and Deku is just as apt to believe that as any other Hero—maybe even more apt, given that he’s also had All Might leaning on him about the bearer of One For All being the Pillar and the Symbol of Peace.  All this baggage winds up conflicting, however, with the horror and reflexive need to help Deku feels upon seeing the small, crying child within Shigaraki.

Saving small crying children is the absolute, innermost core of Deku’s personal framing of Heroism—seriously, he says this nearly word-for-word in Chapter 1!—and so, like Shouji says of the heteromorph riot, it isn’t something he can ignore and still call himself a Hero.  He’s unprepared for that personal brand of Heroism to conflict with the demands of professional Heroism, because he never expected to face someone who was both Evil Villain and Crying Child at the same time.  This is what he wrestles with over the course of his time away from UA and why, ultimately, he decides to use the mindscape as a way of resolving the conflict.

(Note again that I'm talking about my fanfic explanation here. Deku's reasoning is much murkier in the canon because of the canon's late turn towards locking us hard out of Deku's personal feelings and thoughts when they're about anything more complex than chain OFA combo moves.)

Remember that Deku begins the Villain Hunt Arc with a tentative desire to “understand Villains” so that he can perhaps use that understanding to avert or at least deescalate conflicts with them—and then the very first Villain he falteringly tries to understand is fucking Muscular, who shuts him down cold.  Deku never tries that hard[2] to understand a Villain again—Lady Nagant dumps her backstory on him with very little prompting from him, he has nothing but ultimatums for Overhaul, he doesn’t seem to ask any of AFO’s other minions any personal questions whatsoever, and with Shigaraki, he goes straight to the mindscape instead of even attempting a dialogue.

2: Insomuch as you could call asking three invasive, judgy questions in the middle of combat and then throwing in the towel “trying hard”.

My take is that Muscular scared him off of trying to verbally uncover the backstories of Villains—even though Shigaraki is ready to all but hand the first Hero to ask an illustrated history of his grievances with Hero Society, Deku can’t trust that anything Shigaraki tells him will be the unvarnished truth.  Unlike Shouto, he has no one to corroborate the truth with, but unlike Uraraka, he doesn’t just have to make the best of it, either.  He can instead utilize the mindscape, an approach that sidesteps all of the issues that a spoken dialogue would entail:

Getting Shigaraki’s truth via the mindscape means he can trust the answers he gets, rather than having to filter those answers through Shigaraki’s warped worldview.  This allows him to honestly evaluate Shigaraki’s perspective, gauging whether Shigaraki has a real point that Deku has any responsibility to address, some injustice that needs to be corrected independently of Shigaraki being held accountable for his crimes.    

Having decided that—for reasons of justice, All Might’s Pillar mentality, and his own peace of mind—he has to know Shigaraki’s truth, Deku comes to feel self-righteously entitled to that truth.  Thus, even though Shigaraki always seemed perfectly willing to share his thoughts in their previous encounters, Deku can’t take the chance that he’ll change his mind and rebuff Deku like Muscular did.  Using the mindscape takes that agency away from Shigaraki, rendering his willingness to share moot.    

No one other than people with access to the shared mindscape can perceive the interactions happening within it.  This means that, no matter what Deku learns or how he reacts to it in the moment, he doesn’t risk being seen as disrespecting Shigaraki’s victims by prioritizing the feelings and perspective of a vicious terrorist.    

Finally, on a tactical note, the encounter Deku has with Shigaraki in the mindscape during the Jakku battle seems to happen nigh instantaneously.  If he can get his answers at the speed of thought, that means he doesn’t have to specifically draw out his battle with Shigaraki until he’s resolved things to his personal satisfaction.  This is ideal, since Shigaraki presents an incredibly dangerous threat to everything and everyone around him, and Deku’s Hero education has repeatedly emphasized the importance of ending battles quickly.

There's just one problem with all this: Deku is assuming access to Shigaraki’s mind.  And why wouldn’t he?  He got in there without even trying last time, after all!  I assume that’s also why he rolls up to the battle with zero plans of any kind: he doesn’t understand how the mechanics of the shared mindscape work and none of the prior bearers can advise him because it’s a brand-new phenomenon for him as the ninth bearer, so they’re just as clueless about it as he is. 

Lacking that knowledge, he opts to simply take it on faith that he’ll be able to access that mental space again, find the crying child in it, and uncover enough about Shigaraki’s history to render his own judgement of it.  He's the Deku who does his best, after all; if it doesn't work, at least he'll know he tried. The good faith attempt, however it turns out, will allow him to satisfy his own sense of justice while not interfering with whatever temporal justice the adult Heroes are planning for Shigaraki—to which Deku fully believes he must be subjected as punishment for his crimes!—be it arrest or an execution broadcast to the entire world.

Unfortunately for Deku, thanks to his being waylaid by Toga, he turns up late to the battle only to find Shigaraki’s psyche sealed up tighter than an All Might-themed wall safe.  Then, since he never had any kind of plan for talking to Shigaraki, and his own ability to plan things is strictly limited to combining quirk abilities on the fly, he has to wing it until Kudou is able to come up with a plan for him.  Naturally, because Kudou is Kudou, and Heroes’ solutions are tailored to Heroes’ strengths, this involves violent psychic assault.  And why not?  It’s not like Deku believes Shigaraki deserves the mercy of a gentler approach.  Just think of all those people he hurt!

Now, is this all heckin’ uncharitable?  Does it paint Deku as well-intended but blindly self-righteous and ethically timid? Oh, for sure.  And I do think there was a point at which Deku wanted to save Shigaraki in a truer sense—indeed, he’s quite plain-spoken about it in the OFA Mental Conference in the aftermath of the first war!  However, it’s absolutely within his established characterization to run into things that make him uneasy and take the first out an authority figure offers him that spares him the work of demolishing and rebuilding his entire world view.  Look no further than the aftermath of the mall scene. You can draw a straight line from Deku taking Tsukauchi's out (that Shigaraki is just a sore loser) to him also taking Gran's (that killing Shigaraki could be a way of saving him).

That’s the mentality I would lean on to explain Deku’s anemic efforts to truly save Shigaraki in the end: an inherent desire to help people that has been hamstrung by a learned dehumanization of Villains, a repeated emphasis on swift, unthinking action as a Heroic virtue, a culture that regards sympathy for those involved in a crime as a zero sum game, and, last but not least, a psychological complex about the basic nature of Heroism rooted in his fraught childhood.

Deku says he’ll “never forget” Shigaraki. If it were me writing the sequel, “never forgetting” would look an awful lot like, “Following a particularly frustrating day of the Pro Hero grind, Midoriya Izuku opens his eyes at 4AM one cold winter night in his early-40s with the horrible, inescapable realization that what he did as a teenager to a deeply victimized young man barely older than he was himself back then was fucked up in ways he can never repair or take back.  And further that now, not only is he going to have to spend the rest of his life trying to make up for that act, it’s going to be much, much harder than it would have been back then, specifically because he did what he did back then and let the world get away with calling it heroism.”

Thanks for the ask, anon! I hope you find the answer interesting and at least somewhat believable, for all that it certainly isn't tonally in-line with the story's portrayal of its much-lauded protagonist.

   

(P.S. On top of convincing both All Might and Deku to not pursue saving Shigaraki in any concrete sense, Gran Torino also takes partial credit for Nana's decision to abandon Kotarou. Torino Sorahiko might actually be the all-time world champion of convincing OFA bearers that preserving One For All is worth abandoning children to their grim fates. Give him a hand, everyone. What a great and admirable Hero who absolutely deserved to survive all the way to the end of the story and who definitely is not a symbol of all the most jaded and cynical priorities of the old order.)

[mha-grievances]

MHA and Hori’s Stat Rankings

Ok, so if there’s any post of mine that someone can call nitpicky, it’ll be this one cause what I’m about to talk about doesn’t really affect the story of MHA in any meaningful way. Rather, it’s just going over some supplemental information that really makes no sense.

So hardcore MHA fans and/or frequent visitors of the MHA wiki know of the Ultra Archive Book and the Ultra Analysis Book. In these books, various characters are given rankings based on several stats: power, speed, technique, and intelligence/wits being the stats shared between the two books. Cooperation, the final stat in the Archive Book, was replaced in the Analysis Book by each character having a humorous stat that tells the reader a bit about them. Denki’s signature stat is Friend (6/6 S), Izuku’s is Presence (1/6 E), etc. In addition, the Analysis Book is slightly more in depth when ranking stats. Each letter has their own tiers, either being positive, neutral, or negative. For example, Izuku has a power score of 5/6 A+ while Ejiro has a power score of 5/6 A- and Mezou has flat score of 5/6 A.

The way the stats are written are easy to understand. However, when you compare the stats of some characters to one another and what we’re actually shown them being capable of doing, a lot of it doesn’t add up. Here’s I’ll be breaking down some examples of what I mean.

Power:

Perhaps the biggest examples of this area being bullshit are Shota, Hitoshi, Stain, and Tooru’s strength rankings. Throughout both books, all four characters have had a consistent power ranking, with only Stain’s really changing from a 3/6 C to a 4/5 B and Hitoshi changing from a 1/6 E to a 2/6 D. Meanwhile, Tooru has a power ranking of 2/6 D and Shota’s is 3/5 C. However, keep in mind that neither character has any sort of offensive abilities granted to them by their quirks. Stain’s is a paralysis quirk, Tooru’s makes her invisible, Hitoshi brainwashes people, and Shota’s shuts down quirks. You can make an argument for Tooru being able to refract/reflect light based quirks, but that’s something she learned later on, so keep that in mind. Meanwhile, Izuku in the Ultra Archive Book, has a power stat of 1/6 E. Now, it is basing his strength off the fact that he’s unable to properly use OFA without breaking himself, but there is absolutely no way he should be weaker than Shota, Stain, and Tooru in the power department. Izuku is at peak human strength. You can definitely say that both Shota and Stain are as well, but Tooru isn’t, struggling to do a pull-up. Despite that, she’s a tier higher than him. Speaking of Stain and Shota, you can argue that their weapons are also accounted for when Hori gave them their ratings, but that makes no sense in Shota’s case cause his capture scarf can be cut by a knife. As for Stain, his blades haven’t been shown to have any special properties, so how the hell do his blades alone allow him to beat Mina’s 3/6 C+ power. Mina’s acid melts through stone and steel with ease. Stain’s swords have nothing on that. Speaking of Mina, her power stat’s somehow lower than Mashirao’s. Sure Mashirao’s tail is pretty strong, but his best feat in the strength department is cracking concrete while Mina’s disintegrated steel with no effort. Himiko Toga also gets screwed over in terms of a power stat, being a 1/6 E in both books. Despite not having an offensive quirk at the time of her ranking, she has shown off superior strength than Tooru and Hitoshi by pining Izuku. Sure, a successful pin does involve technique, but a twig isn’t going to be able to pin a peak level human without some sort of strength. Another character who’s rated lower than they should be is Tsuyu in the Ultra Archive Book, also being a 1/6 E despite her quirk granting her enhanced strength. This was rectified in the Ultra Analysis Book with her getting bumped up to a 3/6 C, but there’s still no way Shota, a man with no superhuman abilities, should have an equal power ranking to Tsuyu, who could probably shatter a skull with a kick. Finally, there’s Dabi, who’s always thrown in the 4/6 B category. While he might not be able to use his quirk for extended periods of time, the fact that his flames are confirmed to be hotter than Endeavor’s means he deserves to be ranked higher. There’s no way you’re telling me Katsuki’s explosions are stronger than Dabi’s flames. I can also ramble about how Kyouka’s quirk is arguably one of the strongest quirks in the series but that’s for another time. To conclude, the power rankings are wonky. Peak human characters are either ranked lower than characters they should realistically beat in terms of power or are ranked higher than they should be, and characters who should be ranked higher like Mina and Dabi aren’t.

Speed:

Arguably the most consistent stat in this series is speed. There’s really only one example I wanna talk about and that’s Mezou. Mezou has a low speed ranking of 2/6 D in both books despite having some of the best performances when it comes to raw speed. He was able to save several of his classmates at the USJ before Kurogiri could warp them all away, he easily intercepted and backhanded Himiko (someone who both Shota and Izuku struggled to keep up with even when the latter was using 5% of OFA), he ran away from a full powered Dark Shadow, and he successfully countered a full barrage of Pony’s horn missiles with only his fists. Despite this, his speed stat is lower than everyone else I’ve mentioned when it should be higher.

Technique:

Easily the most flawed stat here. For starters, Hitoshi in the Ultra Archive Book has an equal technique stat to Izuku, the guy who is able to counter people by reading their body moments, and Shoto, who has been trained by the number two hero. Mind you, all we’ve seen Hitoshi do is mind control people and flail pathetically against Izuku during the Sports Festival. Katsuki, who has a 5/6 A and 5/6 A+ stat in technique, has not received any form of training and has only fought people weaker than him prior to U.A, so he also shouldn’t have a higher skill stat than the son of the number 2 pro hero. Dabi, the guy who managed to mimic the special move Shoto had to take time to learn and has the ability to mimic all of Endeavor’s moves, only has a technique stat of 2/6 D. Mezou and Jurota, the characters Hori said were the strongest characters of the first years when it came to fighting without quirks, both possess lower technique stats than Katsuki. Yui Kodai, the girl with 5/6 A+ technique, somehow got easily defeated by Ochako, who is a tier lower than her in technique. Yes, she got a surprise attack on Reiko, but Yui should’ve been able to jump her after Reiko went down. Mashirao and Itsuka are both martial artists but they both only have technique stats in the B ranks, which is lower than most of their classmates. Pretty much Hori’s rankings when it comes to technique is either constantly ignored and/or makes absolutely no sense.

Intelligence/wits:

For this section, I wanna mainly focus on Minoru. Minoru’s intelligence stat is currently ranked at 5/6 A+. Now, I’m not saying Minoru’s not smart, because we’ve seen that he is smart, but his intelligence stat’s a bit too high. For starters, Kyouka scored higher than him on the midterms despite only having a maximum intelligence score of 4/5 B. In addition, he’s ranked above Tenya, who had the second highest score on the midterms. He’s also tied with Mei, someone who Power Loader described as a “one of a kind genius”. Now, some of you might be saying that Minoru might be better at working on his feet, hence his higher intelligence stat, but Izuku’s able to accurately read an entire battlefield and scored fourth on the midterms, blowing Minoru out of the water in these instances. Moving away from Minoru, Power Loader, the head of the Support department, only has his intellect at a 2/6 D according to the Ultra Analysis book. That’s lower than the majority of 1-A and 1-B’s intelligence stats. How is the head of the support department going to have such a poor intelligence rating? Dabi, who once again is a prodigy, was the only one who had suspicions about Hawks’ loyalty, and is capable of instantly mimicking moves that Shoto and Endeavor had to take time to develop, only has an intellect of 3/6 C, which is crazy to me. Hori really has no idea what he’s doing with regards to these stats.

TL;DR: Hori’s stat assignments are bullshit and need to be drastically reworked.

[tired-teacher-blog]

Hi, Teach!! How have you been?? I have a request, if you don't mind!!

I was wondering if I could request some Izuku, Katsuki, Ochako, and Toga w a gender neutral s/o who is essentially the human equivalent to a cat. I'm talking, can sleep whenever, wherever, and in whatever position, is extremely flexible & nimble, but their also like those cats in those videos who chase off intruders, or protect the family from danger??

I thought it'd be a cute idea to see you write about!! Hope you have a good day/night, and if your requests are closed feel free to skip :)

Hi Jay! I'm doing well, a bit swamped with work, but all in all no complaints 🥰 I hope you're doing wonderful!

I'm so sorry for taking too long to finish your request (more than two weeks I think ����) but here it is and I hope it's worth the wait!

My kitty

Characters : Bakugo/ Toga/ Izuku/ Ochaco/ Gender neutral reader

Genre : Fluff/ Suggestive themes/ Headcanons

Notes : Cats' characteristics to be referred to: Unusual sleeping positions/ Dominance and possessiveness/ Flexibility/ Heat cycles

Please do not read if you're a minor

Masterlist|Second Masterlist

Katsuki :

He pretends to be annoyed with your weird sleeping habits since you manage to get yourself into the weirdest places and positions imaginable, but in reality he enjoys them more than he's willing to admit, to the point where he would secretly take pictures of you while asleep and stores them in a private folder on his phone before carrying you back to bed.

There is something that you both have in common which is possessiveness over one another, extreme possessiveness might I add. It's not unusual for either one of you to scare off someone who's trying to get closer to the other, and Katsuki likes this side of you too much that he would purposely provoke it sometimes by ignoring the annoyed looks you give him whenever someone decides to get a bit too close to him, just so he could enjoy your clinginess.

You're extremely flexible and agile, which makes you his perfect opponent, and working out together usually leads to a competition since neither of you likes admitting defeat.

Your sex life is fun and healthy -even during your heat cycles when things get intense- Katsuki takes care of your every need, since he has enough stamina to keep up with you. He would never tell you that he keeps your heat cycles' dates marked in his calendar as he counts the days to your next one.

Toga :

She finds your sleeping habits extremely adorable, which is why she makes sure not to fall asleep until you do, just so she could find out what kind of position you've picked that night. And if by any chance you end up slumbering in a strange place that isn't your bed or couch, then Himiko would still curl up next to you until morning.

You have a bond that goes beyond mere infatuation, a bond that ties your souls together and leaves no place for anyone else to step in between, because when that happens, your savage side comes to life as you chase away any intruder, in which case violence is your first option. She belong to you and only you.

She's your biggest fan, and seeing her mesmerized gaze as you move gracefully during your missions makes you want to flaunt your flexibility even more, just so you could see that cute blush and bright smile of hers.

Your heat cycles used to be incredibly stressful before you two became a couple. You're extremely needy and intense, and none of your previous partners could keep up with you, that is until she became a part of your life, as you have finally met your match.

Izuku :

He is simply amazed by you, and it shows in the way his eyes sparkle each time you appear before him. One of the things that intrigue him is your sleeping habits and especially the unthinkable positions you find yourself in every night. His notebook is full of sketches of you in some of said positions, and each of them is labeled with his personal analysis. It's not unusual for him to carry you back to bed if you end up passed out on the floor.

He can be oblivious to people's advances to him, which never fails to bother and drives you to assert your dominance. No matter who the other person in question is, you always make sure they learn that Izuku is yours, whether it be by randomly kissing him in front them, or hugging him while glaring at the intruder, it always works.

He has asked you -even before you two became a couple- if it was alright to study your quirk since he finds your agility captivating, and that's how you two started training together every day after work. He has helped you develop your abilities so much since he understands your quirk as much as you do.

He's a gentle lover, even during your heat cycles when you get extremely aroused and demanding for days on end and don't mind seeing his rougher side. He has learned through observation and practice the things that stimulate and satisfy your body and uses them to pleasure you.

Ochaco :

She never really understood your sleeping habits, in fact, the only thing she feels when seeing you sound asleep is intense worry, since you're able to slumber anywhere that has a flat surface. She's afraid you might hurt yourself one way or another especially when you decide to adopt a particularly complex position for the night, and no matter how many times you reassure her, she still can't help it.

Your girlfriend is beautiful, strong and talented, which makes her the center of everyone's attention, and you don't mind seeing her get the appreciation she deserves, but you always make sure to stick to her side whenever someone approaches, placing an arm around her waist or shoulder, just to let the other person know that she's taken.

The best part of your day is after work training, when you get to see her bright smile and cute little jumps as she cheers you on while you smugly show off your incredible flexibility and nimbleness, you take pride in knowing that she is your biggest fan, and you never fail to remind her that you are hers as well.

Your intimate times are usually sweet and tender, however, there are those days when your hormones take over and everything changes drastically. Needless to say that poor Ochaco ends up suffering the most, but you always make it up to her with an amazing aftercare that takes away any fatigue she might be left with.

@afterhourswjay

[dumbbitchenergy17]

Mimic Chapter 45

With the reveal of Star and Stripe's sacrifice tough choices are made to determine the fate of the war plaguing Japan and the chance to stop All For One.

Words- 4156

Izuku Midoriya x Reader

Warnings: Character Death, description of injuries, All For One (he deserves his own warning), angst, some heartbreak fluff, STAR AND STRIPE ARC SPOILERS

“A deadline extension?!” Bakugo yells out. The news that Shigaraki had come out of hiding fighting America’s Number One and winning was a shock to you all. It had happened all so fast too quickly, this war taking more lives than needed.

“Yes. Originally tomorrow was the day Shigaraki would have his perfected body. But now he’ll be out of commission for at least a week. Star and Stripe…bought us this time as a parting gift.” All Might explains looking at all of you, “We’ll use this time to our advantage. And we’ll take down Shigaraki and All For One.”

“Wait, So Star dealt lasting damage to Shigaraki?!” Midoriya asks.

“Data analysis from the American fighter jets tells us…that when Shigaraki stole New Order…it ate away at him from the inside like a poison. Evidence suggests that New Order ravaged a considerable number of quirks held in his massive library.” All Might says.

“Okay, so that means…” Jiro says. “Right now is the world’s best chance to take him out!” Momo says.

“The mass civilian evacuation effort continues..and all remaining heroes are now on the hunt for villains. All For One may have suffered this setback but figuring out his next move is nearly impossible. Whether we find him or he comes to us…full mobilization and all-out war are inevitable. Here’s what you’re up against..” All Might looks at all of you, “He may be sidelined for the moment, but Tomura Shigaraki is still the deadliest villain out there. Then there’s All For One himself. His original body. Plus Dabi, the madman with flames as fierce as Endeavor’s. Young Himiko Toga is a constant thorn in our side. The six remaining near high-ends. The remnants of the liberation front. And then there are the yet to be apprehended escaped convicts who serve All For One.”

“It’s safe to assume the list goes on…” Shoji says and the former hero nods,

“Yes. They will likely amass more allies. Meanwhile, less than half of those on our side remains to face this threat. It pains me to say this just after Star’s untimely death in the line of duty…but if you hope to protect anything you hold dear at all...then I would ask you to fortify yourselves using this extension we’ve been given.”

“Already way ahead of ya!” Bakugo yells out surprising the old man.

“What he said.” Uraraka agrees, “You haven’t noticed because you and Deku left the school, All Might.”

“And when you do return, you leave without a moment’s notice,” Iida adds.

“In the wake of Gunga and Jaku, we’ve been doing intensive training with the pussycats.” Ojiro brings up.

“Where Midoriya goes, we follow undaunted, we shall fight until Shigaraki has fallen.” Tokoyami says determined.

“Kacchan and the others even agreed to spar with me..to help me complete One For All.” Midoriya says and Bakugo blows up, “HUUUUH?! I never said that! Did some prison breaker rip yer ears off?! All I wanna know is how much punch my new cluster moves are packing. Taking on One For All is just another box to tick on the path to Shigaraki and All For One.”

“Hey, don’t forget to beat the snot outta me too!” “You ain’t ready to give up the title of resident punching bag?” “Naw, I just need to take some good poundings if I ever wanna get harder!” “We gotta honor Star’s last wishes.” “How dare that piece of crap take my Star from me..” “Star fought for all of us, Mineta.”

As the class all talked amongst themselves one person stood out to the side watching them all with pride in their eyes but behind it was almost regret.

“Shimura…” All Might calls out standing beside you as you watch your classmates all confidence and determination clear on their faces, “Are you alright.”

“Star died because of the actions of my brother,” You say and All Might tries to comfort you but you keep talking, “If I was stronger and was able to stop him people wouldn’t have been hurt…Midoriya wouldn’t have had to leave…Star would be alive.”

“Shimura..” All Might says

“I could get my quirk back.” You say and All Might whips his head to look at you in shock, “Eri was able to do it to Mirio and he has his quirk back alright..it’s been brought up a few times, I thought it was better I stayed quirkless. One For All remains dormant inside me weaken by All For One but at first, it was alright. I was dead to the world...I couldn’t hurt anyone with my quirk…All For One couldn’t take control of me anymore. But now…with everything happening, everyone getting stronger...Shigaraki and All For One growing, and now Star’s death it all just kinda hit me.” Your gaze is solely focused on Midoriya as he speaks with his classmates a smile on his face.

“You told Midoriya and me that one day we would have to face off a great evil. That it was our destiny and at first I was excited to have a purpose in my life..to finally do good after everything I’ve done. For a time I thought it was all bullshit, that it shouldn’t be our responsibility we were kids…we still are kids and this pressure shouldn’t be put on us but it was. Add the trust issues and everything that happened I grew distant, from Midoriya, from you…from what this ‘destiny’ was. I thought I could avoid it. Change fate. Get Shigaraki to stop, convince him otherwise but him…my brother was long gone replaced by whatever All For One created.” You grow quiet the weight of your words resting heavily on All Might’s shoulders.

“You can’t run from destiny..it would always come true.”

“Y/n…”

“I’m going to take my quirk back…not All For One’s or One For All’s my quirk..my power..and I’ll do my part.” You say your face hardens your decision certain, “And if everything fails and we don’t win..I’ll be able to die knowing I did my part as a hero. I’ve atoned for my sins..the blood on my hands will never be washed clean but I tried my best.” You look at the hero a weak smile on your face and a tear falls gently down your face before you look back at your class…your family.

“I was able to find a family here…find love..and that is me, Y/n Shimura accepting my destiny…right Toshinori?” You look at him and he holds his composure nodding and the two of you look back at your classmates.

“Yes…yes it is Shimura.”

You stood inside Recovery Girl’s office a private room large enough for what was to happen.

“Are you sure about this Ms. Shimura…this is something you can’t just pull away from once this begins, the process will be quite painful due to the power of the quirk.” Principal Nezu asks you and you nod sharply. You had made your mind up long ago and you weren’t going to take it back despite the pain you were going to endure. All For One is such an old and powerful quirk you would revert your body to a state where you had a powerful quirk. A time when your body was suited for it and despite the training you pushed yourself into you wouldn’t know how your body will react until you received the quirk. As a child, you can’t remember the strain you went through to gain this quirk probably with help from the doctor but you survived and you would survive again.

“I have to do this..It’s the only way we can win this war.” You say looking over at the people with you in the room, Principal Nezu, Recovery Girl, Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist, All Might, Mirio, Eri, and Midoriya. You were shocked to see Mr. Aizawa had joined as well with Present Mic.

“Every time something bad is going to happen you’re always somehow involved,” Aizawa says through the screen that Present Mic held and you almost cried out seeing him, while he had lost his leg and his eye he was still your every sarcastic homeroom teacher.

“Eri’s quirk will rewind your body back to a state where you had your quirk, due to the fact the last time you had your quirk was during the battle we have a team of doctors on standby for any injuries that may appear.” Recovery Girl explains and you look over at the young girl who is playing with her fingers beside Mirio. You walk over kneeling down pushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Thank you for doing this…seems like you’re saving me again.” You say a smile on your face and she nods before her arms wrap around your neck and you hesitate before hugging her back.

“I won’t let you down.” She says and you smile standing up and petting her head Mirio gives you a comforting smile before you look over at the heroes.

“Thank you for coming.” You say to the top three heroes.

“Eh a chance we either see you gruesomely die, you gain your quirk and we have to take you down, or you’re all good. Just a normal day I guess now.” Hawks shrugs and Best Jeanist elbows him giving him a look. You smile, thankful for some humor for today.

“You’re taking a chance for all of our sakes…thank you, Shimura.” Best Jeanist says and you look over at Endeavor your mentor.

“Stay focused and strong. I know you won’t fail.” Endeavor says and you nod before looking over at All Might he steps forward his hand cupping your face and pushing your hair back.

“You’re strong Shimura…stronger than any of us right now... you can do it.” He says his hold on your face comforting and assertive you nod pulling away and you look at the last person. Midoriya was standing still trying to stay composed beside All Might but you could see through him.

“Come here you baby.” You hold your arms out and he rushes into your arms pulling you tight to him his grip tight but grounding. You both hold each other before you lean back holding his face and pushing the hairs in front of his forehead back kissing the same spot you always do on his forehead.

“I love you.” You say and his eyes widen like saucers, “I love you Izuku Midoriya and you deserve me telling you this…before I ya know…maybe die in a gruesome way. So yeah.” You say and he’s silent and you see the tears filling his eyes and you pinch his cheeks to distract him, “Hey no crying.. 'cause if you cry I cry and that’s not really cool. Besides I’m trying to do this really cool goodbye-I love you-I may die-goodbye thing so please don’t ruin it.” You say rolling your eyes and he chokes out a laugh and you smile pecking his lips.

“I’ll be fine Broccoli Boy okay.” You say and he nods keeping his tears contained.

“I love you Y/n.” His voice cracks slightly and you feel a part of your heart crack..smiling you take in every detail of him, from his hair to his brilliant green eyes, the freckles splattered across his face everything as if this is your last moment with him. He leans in for a kiss but you step back still holding his hand,

“Kiss me when I wake up.” You say and he nods the two of you heading over to the table and you lay down still holding his hand as Recovery Girl places the straps around your hands and ankles and the last one around your head to hold it down. Squeezing his hand he smiles teary-eyed stepping back beside All Might and you look at them all taking them all in…these may be the last people you ever see.

Principal Nezu steps closer, “Thank you Ms. Shimura for everything you’re doing for us as a student of U.A. and a hero.” He says and you smile before looking at the ceiling. You see Eri step closer standing on a platform to be at your level as you lay there.

“See you all in a bit.” You smile and look at Eri nodding and her horn begins to glow a bright yellow her hair floating a bit from the power running through her and you look at Midoriya a smile still on your face as you keep eye contact. Eri’s hand presses against your chest and your eyes turn a bright white your body locks up and everything goes black the last thing you see is Midoriya only him.

“Y/n come on Papa is going to be mad!” A voice calls out follow by footsteps running away.

“Be careful she’s fragile...Tenko.” A woman’s voice light and warm speak

“What’s her name?” A boy’s voice asks and the woman chuckles.

“Y/n..her name is Y/n Shimura.”

You see a ceiling and pushing yourself up you find yourself on a bed finding yourself in a home…your home. Standing from the bed you look around everything looks normal but the decorations in the room change from what would look like a child’s room to a teenager’s room. 

“Mama…” You call out your voice echoing through the house as you step into the hallway, “Papa…Hana..grandma..grandpa?” Your footsteps are light as you travel down the hall and you find yourself in the living room pausing at the sight before you. Your whole family stood in the room frozen in different poses, your mother and father sitting on the couch your mother with a smile painting on her face and her hands mid-clap. Your father sits back his leg resting on top of his other one a small smile on his face. Your grandparents sit on the other lounge chair smiling on each of their faces looking down at the children sitting on the floor. Hana is on her knees mid-laughter as Mon is licking all over her face. Tenko is sitting off to the side the tiniest grin on his face his hair all black his grey eyes widening with wonder. The perfect family…

“Y/n.” A voice calls out and you turn looking away from the display of your family and finding yourself floating in space, around you were broken memories of your life. Fragmented moments repeat on broken platforms as they present themselves before fading. Moments of you as a child repeat like a broken record you running around your yard chasing after Mon as your siblings and mother watch before it resets and begins over again.

“When I become a hero I’ll take you with me and we can be heroes together just like we said we would,” Tenko calls out to you a big grin on his face.

“TENKO! DID YOU SNEAK INTO MY STUDY!!” “KOTARO NO!!” “Stop it! Please Papa stop!” Voices scream out and you see the yard filled with everyone as Tenko cries out on the floor your father standing above him while you defend him.

The screams of your family as they die by your brother’s hands show the graphic memory fresh in your mind repeating each time.

“Y/n…” Turning around there you sit in front of your brother the two of you older. The first time you met during the U.S.J. your hand reaches out for him before Aizawa’s capture weapon wraps around you pulling you away.

“Y/n honey…” Your mother's voice calls out to you and sees standing in the middle of battle flames and screams fill the air, “My darling daughter.” She smiles holding her arms out and you move to step forward but something grabs you by the neck pulling you back. Falling into darkness you hit the ground pushing yourself up.

“I wouldn’t keep secrets from you…You’re someone I trust.” Your voice calls out and there you stand feet away from All Might outside a broken door to U.A.

“As would I, Young Shimura.”

“Y/N!” hands grasp your arms and you’re pulled into a puddle of darkness gasping for air you the cool breeze covers you.

“I’m not the bad guy in this situation.” You call out to a boy across a training ground.

“Neither am I…” He responds and fighting ensues.

“For betraying Master.” Her cold voice calls out and you're forced to watch blades enter your body blood pouring out of your body. The life from you draining as your classmates cry out to you from above.

“Shimura.”

The darkness pulls away revealing a boy pressed up the wall under a bridge tears pouring down his face. Stepping closer you bend down and he looks up and you see the light blue hair and red eyes staring back at you.

“Tenko..” You breathe out and when you hold out your hand you stumble back seeing the hole resting in the center of your palm.

“Y/n Shimura…” His voice is cold and you find yourself on a platform the world breaking down pieces of your memories around you cracking and decaying into nothingness. Moments of your past and your present melding together destroying itself standing on a platform further away shadows and power surrounding him.

“All For One.” You call out your voice echoing out in the darkness and you look down finding yourself in your hero costume, the injuries from the battle slowly growing across you and healing before reappearing again.

“You’re supposed to be dead.” He says and you shrug staring back at where his eyes should be if they weren’t covered in scars and mutilated flesh. “You won’t survive the process of regaining my quirk. You barely did the first time.”

You had begun to notice the memories of your present had begun cracking and fading away…was this dying..was too much rewinding back, you were now in your old hero costume the battle during the raid.

“It’s my power…you hold no claim on me anymore.” You shout back at him a burning feeling running through your injuries from the raid appearing making you stagger before they rewind back disappearing.

He grins, “How wrong you are Shimura…you and Tomura believe you can resist my hold but you soon will submit or suffer the consequences.” Cuts and scrapes and your nose rebreak, the night at Kamino Ward.

“Look at yourself your body is unable to handle the full nature of All For One that you are writing yourself out of existence.”

Memories fade your mind growing hazy…why were you even here? Shouldn’t you be at a summer camp?

Your chest grows tight pain growing across your body stabs and cuts from the Hero Killer’s blade reopen old wounds reopened. Your clothes are now your school uniform.

“You’re only option is to submit...I will make you stronger Shimura..” He calls out a platform separating from when you stand is created. And this pull of shadows and pain, memories decaying from your mind as your take a step forward. With that single step, the world around you shakes as each step destroys more moments of your life. Ice and Fire spread through your arm the burns on your skin leaving from the Sports Festival that memory dying as well.

“This was your true destiny… Becoming a hero was a moment of weakness.” All For One says each step growing closer to him the world around you as your life fades your free will dying as you move towards his side.

Flashes of memories during your first villain attack when they attacked your class. The flash of blue hair and red eyes causes you to stammer. “Tenko..” You whisper out taking a step back and the memory that fades lightly reappears.

“He is safe…with me. You can be with him when you join me.” All For One reassure you.

“y/n…” A light whisper of the boy’s voice rings in your ear and you continue moving forward that memory fading completely. You had just completed your first training with your class, and that memory dies. Your first exam determines whether you stay in U.A. when you first discovered your quirk.

“Y/n Shimura..” A ghost drifts past your ears the faint static electricity runs through your veins but you continue moving. Your clothes being your middle school uniform your hair loss of its white color but h/c.

“You’re almost there Shimura.” His voice lures you closer to times of your middle school years go as a child fighting for a man’s goal. To defeat the Number One, the Symbol of Peace. Hair a deep black as you stand before him as he towers over you like a building. The only lasting memory left was going with your brother, clutching his shirt as you followed after him. You had to go find your parents and your sister, and where were your grandparents?

“I’ll keep you safe,” The man before you says holding his hand out the small hole resting in his palm,

“Y/n Shigaraki.”

Your small hand reaches out just a hair away from taking his.

“I LOVE YOU Y/N SHIMURA!” A boy’s voice yells out. Turning away and there stands a young boy with green hair and green eyes wide with wonder and love. “You’re amazing. I can say it again. Y/N SHIMURA IS THE MOST FUNNIEST, SMART, CREATIVE, STRONG-”

“WHAT IS THIS?” All For One yells out as the young boy moves forward slowly aging until a teenage boy stands in front of you.

“I love you Y/n Shimura…” He says holding out his hand and you can’t help but stare at the older boy in front of you. Everything in you was telling you to ignore it, accept All For One’s hand, but just a small part of you somewhere deep inside you was fighting. You knew him…

“Izuku…?” You whisper out and a smile grows on the boy’s face.

“NO! I OWN YOU SHIMUR-” All For One bellows swiping his hand out but it’s caught by the wrist being held back. Your gaze is cold staring back at him. All For One a villain having such a deep impact on Japan causing so many people’s lives to be ruined staring back at a girl. A girl who was born with no purpose in the world but had such a deep impact on those around here for the better. White hair floats gently around your hair your deep red eyes staring back at him.

“No…you don’t.” You say tilting your head slightly, “Because this is my power…” Shadows surrounding All For One pull away from him light coming forward parts of himself cracking and being pulled into yourself as he fails to break free from your grasp, “This is my quirk…my life..not yours. You thought I was going to be your weapon again? Your sword…” You shake your head and for once you can see fear cross his face...

“You’re wrong. This is mine..always will be,” You pull him forward power running through your veins in a bright glow,

“This is my destiny.”

The shadows around him and himself completely disappear completely absorbed releasing a bright light blinding you for a second. Looking around you find yourself in the backyard of your childhood home the sun shining down on you, the sound of laughter has you looking over inside the home you see yourself with your family all together smiles on your face. Your parents and grandparents watch with smiles as their children/grandchildren play together. Your eyes widen seeing Nana Shimura in the room as well standing beside your father. Almost sensing the staring she looks out meeting your eyes and she smiles nodding at you. The sensation of part of you coming back...One For All…

“Y/n..” A voice calls out and you turn from your family seeing a boy sitting in darkness covered in hands all around him holding him down. He looks consumed by them being held captive, his eyes meet yours and it instantly hits you. He wasn’t dead he was still alive..your brother was still alive.

“Tenko..”

“Y/n…save m-” He calls out before the hands consume him dragging him into the shadows and left standing there is a man…what the boy had become..what you wished he never became.

“Shigaraki…”

“Y/n..”

Your eyes snap open gasping for air sitting up the restraints around you cracking instantly. Your eyes take in Mirio holding Eri back in his arms All Might in front of the two, the Top Three Heroes all ready with their quirks, Present Mic and Aizawa were looking at you worriedly, Principal Nezu and Recovery Girl stood back the healer ready to call the doctors in, and there he is, Izuku Midoriya.

“Tenko…he’s alive.”

TAG LIST-

@jazzylove @coochiehaitachi @me-e-mo @galaneiaeris @nothingtoseehere-01 @endlessmari @stxrrielle @one-hell-of-a-potato29

[decayingflames]

So I figured out a whole bunch of notes for my Tomura x Reader College Au fic. It is a quirkless AU as well.

I put them under the cut because a) it's long and b) incase someone doesn't want to read 'em ^^

○ Tenko/ Tomura is adopted by Inko

● Izuku is his little brother

● Inko's husband is dead and she never remarried/ got a boyfriend

○ Tomura is his gamer tag/ online persona

○ On paper is Tenko Midoriya, but has the option to go back to his birth surname Shimura (isn't sure about it)

○ Computer Science Major with a focus on Video Game design

○ Has a Gengar onesie

○ Y/N is an art major focus on graphic design

○ From a small town (nervous about city life)

○ Touya lives with Rei and his three siblings

● Rei got full custody from Enji

● Enji got charged with abuse/ neglect, but family paid to have his jail time reduced to a couple months

● Rei has a restraining order for her and the kids

○ Has some nasty burn scars from the abuse

○ Second year student

● Possible Majors: Music with focus on guitar, Music with focus on producing, Undecided (trying out electives/ getting GenEds out of way), or Social Work

○ Shuichi Iguchi is human

●parents love him, but have neglected him a bit

● Spinner is his game tag/ online persona

○ Tenko's childhood/ current best friend

● Has a massive crush on Tenko, but didn't realize it until Y/N came into the picture

○ Man games in a TMNT Raphael onesie

○ Either goes to trade school on Tenko's college campus or Majors in Computer Science with a focus on data analysis

●Side gig as a dragon V-tuber

○ Atsuhiro Sako (Compress) is a theatre professor

○ Jin is his boyfriend

○ Has adopted Himiko

○ Himiko Toga was adopted by Compress after being taken away from parents at age 10

○ goes to the same middle school as Ochako (developed a crush)

● Goes to the same highschool as Ochako and gets a crush on her new friend Izuku (still crushing hard on Ochako)

○ Helps her dad out with his plays/ enjoys sitting in on auditions

○ Trying hard to get Atsuhiro and Jin to get engaged/ married

Random notes:

○ Inko thinks Izuku might be poly halfway through his freshman year of highschool because he's close with Shoto, Katsuki, and Eijiro.

● Even though the boy says he's crushing on Ochako

○ Izuku's favorite fictional show character is All Might and still has all the merch

○ Izuku does have a crush on Ochako, but also his childhood friend Katsuki and eventually Shoto

○ Tenko doesn't like Katsuki

○ Tenko and Touya have a slight tiff later because Izuku and Shoto become friends and Touya doesn't like Izuku/ doesn't think he's good enough for Shoto (absolutely ships them)

○ Izuku is friends with Ochako and Himiko

● Tenko gets used to weird dinners when he's home because of Izu's weird friends

○ Inko tends to invite and befriend Izuku/ Tenko's friends parents so ◇possibilities◇

[rhythmic-idealist]

AFO and Second as foils:

This is all speculation, but keep your EYE on them, I think there's something there and I think there will be more.

In this post we're gonna tease out the difference between "using people as disposable lighters" and "killing was survival." Existing at a time where they had to come up with acceptable losses in order to survive, but Second was able to still ground what he was doing in kindness to someone, in saving someone.

Meanwhile I think everything AFO is doing is grounded in emotionally protecting himself. Like it has not actually worked, I'm sure the state of his emotional literacy is a complete garbage fire, but it's like—

"Well, nothing but me or Yoichi can matter. Yoichi's opinions on how Yoichi matters are inconvenient and hard for me, so I'm going to have to keep believing he's just foolish and mistaken until eventually I have to lean into being and enjoying being a cartoon supervillain"

His admiration of supervillains started WAY young, so obviously some of it was there from the start, but idk, I'm willing to bet what drew him to them was that they're the characters in the story who always seem unaffected, even gleeful. Especially considering the time he grew up in.

And how IS it that that's something so far distant from "killing was survival"?

Well, it's what distinguishes heroism, what ACTUALLY distinguishes it: save him first.

Now yes I could make an entire separate post about everything Stain gets wrong (he wants to die, he believes villains should die just as he believes bad heroes should die because he does not believe in people's capacity to change once they are too far gone, he does not care about people like Himiko Toga), but this thing is correct and played straight. Tenya Iida rolls it straight into his personal philosophy, and he brings it back in the JT arc with his announcement to the hero course that my priority is rescue, clearly framed as a triumph.

What makes a hero? Heroes must ground their fight in saving. It has to be about saving.

And one day, things will reach Izuku Midoriya's era. Deku will see the necessity of the hero who [tries to save] everyone, and Uravity will connect the pieces on the fact that we all need to become that hero.

It wasn't possible in Second's era, so Second chose what he could.

I think Second was deeply deeply messed up about the things he had to do in order to keep himself and other people alive. But I also think he kept asking himself why he did it, and kept investing in other people. There is a reason he understands "those who run alongside you."

And when Second introduces the notion of "those who will match your pace and run along side you," in that moment he means those who will STOP you when you need stopping.

There's a reason that that core Second belief is associated with what Iida is as a friend and a rival: Iida's entire philosophical rivalry with Midoriya is grounded in "neither one of us can make all the judgment calls alone, neither of us can make all the rules."

Sorry to bring Iida into it now, but Second sort of necessitates that for this analysis to make sense: The way Iida begins to stand back up and take heroic action is the advice "be the hero [your brother] would want you to be."

Iida was doing something for Tensei IN NAME, but it was based on Iida's own restlessness and putting his own emotions at ease. It was obviously something that it would be completely batshit to suggest Tensei wanted. The second he's confronted with that thought, instead of stuffing it into a very very distant little compartmentalized corner, Tenya knows that.

(Unlike AFO, Tenya also chooses to stand back up and do better this time. He chooses to take the critique, to understand that he was wrong despite how ridiculously harsh on himself Tenya is when he's wrong, and to dedicate himself to figuring out how to do better.)

Similarly, AFO takes actions in Yoichi's name, but they are, at every turn, entirely to soothe himself. They are never interested in what Yoichi wants from him. Investing in other people's answers when everything is already so hard is mandatory, but is difficult, and AFO chose the route that Second chose to rise above.

AFO had the opportunity to choose that too. There were people who, if he chose to do better, would have done the difficult work of running alongside him. I'm sure there was a long period of time when Yoichi would have— we watch Yoichi try to stop him with words, try to get him to do anything better, to at least stop this.

AFO was reacting to what it was to exist during his horrible, tumultuous time. And so was Second, and that's why I think foiling them is going to wind up essential to dig at the root of what makes AFO evil.

-

(Apologies that the picture wound up at no point being referenced in this post. Just to keep from confusing anyone, I'm gonna come out with it: that picture at the top is me finding the best AFO and Second panel I could to make this post look nice.)