#tsubasa katsuki

[do-you-ship-it-polls]

Do you ship it?

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Girls Group 3 Match 17

SUBMISSION PROPAGANDA:

Robin -

"Morbid sense of humor leads to lack of verbal filter, special interest in history, barely emotes, prefers to be alone though is perfectly fine with being in a group."

Tsubasa -

"She's a published mangaka who makes a shonen manga, which is her special interest! She even tends to dress up as and act like her main character, especially when crunched for time as it helps her channel the feeling of her manga. She doesn't really pick up on social cues or notice other people paying attention to her, but she can also be very perceptive of her close friends' feelings."

[charlietheepicwriter7]

bnha au where All Might discovers that All for One is still alive super early because Izuku and Bakugou discover that the winged kid, Tsubasa, went missing and they're determined to find him. Together they uncover the whole noumu operation.

[delawaredetroit]

All for One is fighting everything to not call him Kudou here

[catgirlkatsuki]

Wanted to sell stickers of this but redbubble said no :( this is from a talent show in fourth grade where katsuki convinced his friends to do wannabe by the spice girls and massively showed up the rest of the competition

(they didn’t win)

[bnhaobservation]

BNHA Observation: Chap 1 [Ep 1-2]

As I was rereading the manga and rewatching the anime for my "Keeping up with the Todorokis (anime version)" series, I took notes of things that weren't really related to the Todorokis but that still were worth noticing.

I thought I could as well share them in case someone else is curious especially since reading about how the series started helps to understand why it ended this way.

The things I observed are splits into: anime only scenes, characters info, continuity problems, cultural info, history time, Japanese language info, places, points to ponder, relevant quotes, timeline info, wordbuilding.

The order in which they're presented try to follow the order in which you face them in the manga, so that you can re-read the manga/re-watch the anime and, at the same time, follow them.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: ORIGIN

The first chapter (as well as the first volume and the first episode) is titled “Midoriya Izuku: Origin” (緑谷出久：オリジン ‘Midoriya Izuku: ORIGIN’).

The name of the character + the word ‘origin’ will become a recurring way to title chapters (and volumes and episodes). We’ve origin chapters for Todoroki Shōto (Chap. 39), Bakugō Katsuki (Chap. 62), Shimura Tenko (Chap 235-236), Shigaraki Tomura (Chap. 237) and Yagi Toshinori (Chap. 398) but, although those are all the chapters with the world ‘origin’ in it, in the story we’ll see ‘origin’ stories for other characters, Todoroki Tōya/Dabi, All for One, Todoroki Enji, Kirishima Eijirō, Bubaigawara Jin/Twice, Toga Himiko and so on. All this to say even if to a first reading/watching we might have missed it, the story places importance on the ‘origin’ of the characters, who they were at the start. It makes easier in a way to track their evolution and evidences how they’re characters who’re meant to evolve and yet keep something of that origin inside themselves. ‘Go back to your origin’ is what they’re told in some hard moment of the manga.

XX RELEVANT QUOTES: “People… are not born equal. That’s the hard truth I learned at age four. But that… was my first and last setback.” Midoriya Izuku (Deku) [Chap. 1/Ep. 1]

It’s basically the starting line of the story. Midoriya will go back to his statement “People are not born equal” in the final chapter of the story, but looking at it from another perspective.

In 4-year-old Midoriya, the fact people aren’t born equal is a problem. Inequality generally spawn division, discrimination. The fact he doesn’t have a Quirk leads to him being mocked when not outright bullied, his dream denied.

It’s worth to mention a more literal translation is:

‘Hito wa, umarenagara ni byōdō ja nai. Kore ga yowai yon-sai ni shite shitta shakai no genjitsu. Soshite, boku no saisho de saigo no zasetsu da (『人は、生まれながらに平等じゃない。これが齢四歳にして知った社会の現実。そして、僕の最初で最後の挫折だ。』 “People are not born equal. This is the reality of society that I learned at the age of four. And it was my first and last setback/failure/frustration/discouragement.”

The truth is ‘Shakai no genjitsu’ doesn’t mean “hard truth” but “reality of society” and you might have noticed that, in the official translation of chap 430, Midoriya doesn’t talk anymore of “hard truth” but of “truth about society”… which is also a call back to this first sentence.

(‘Hito wa, umarenagara ni byōdō janai. Bokura wa hitorihitori katachi ga chigatte, soreyueni tasha o omou. Katachi no chigau sono mi to kokoro o. Dakarakoso hoka e hase kōten o sagasu. Kore ga yowai 17-sai ni shite shitta shakai no genjitsu.’ 『人は、生まれながらに平等じゃない。僕らは一人一人形が違って、それ故に他者を思う。形の違うその身と心を。だからこそ他へ馳せ交点を探す。これが齢17歳にして知った社会の現実。』 “People are not born equal. Each of us is different, and that is why we care about others. Our bodies and minds are different. That is why we reach out to others and search for common ground. This is the reality of society that I learned at the age of 17.”

XX PLACES: THE PLAYGROUND

Midoriya’s living place is near the playground but not so close to it. In the anime it seems closer.

XX TIMELINE INFO: WHICH TIME IS IT?

The anime sets the time in which the kids are at the playground at 3:15 PM. In the manga the watch is barely visible but it seems to sign 12:00 PM.

XX CULTURAL INFO: THE WATCH AT THE PLAYGROUND

Often in Japanese manga you see that playground often has a watch. That watch exists so that little kids might know when it’s the time to go home.

Often, near to it, there are also loudspeakers mounted on poles, part of a broadcast system that stands ready to alert residents to impending natural disasters or other large-scale civil emergencies.

The system is tested, nationwide, every weekday at 5:00 PM (although it can be postponed at summer). It doesn’t play a scary Klaxon sound but a collection of Japanese folk tunes or other melodies (the most common choice being ‘Yuyake Koyake’ (夕焼け小焼け “Sunrise, Sunset”), a folk song popular among schoolchildren). This is known informally as the “5 pm chime”.

While this is a daily test of an emergency broadcast system, it has also come to be seen as the evening bell, a ‘go home’ signal for children, telling them to go home before it gets dark.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: THE KIDS WITH MIDORIYA AND BAKUGŌ

In chap 9 we see how, when Midoriya and Bakugō were in preschool, their childhood group had 5 members. One of them is the kid Bakugō hurt, the others are the kid with wings, that we will learn from the "Ultra Archive" guide is named Tsubasa (翼) and the kid whose fingers can stretch that will help Bakugō beat Midoriya.

When we’ll see them as older, Bakugō is still flanked by two kids and we can assume they’re the same who had helped Bakugō beat Midoriya that day. One of them is clearly the one who can stretch his fingers. The other though can’t be Tsubasa as, according to the “Ultra Archive”, he kept on playing with Bakugō and Midoriya only through Elementary school but then went to a different middle school… or, more likely, that was the time around which Garaki began working on him to turn him into a Nōmu.

The interesting part is that then the other boy could be the kid in their group, the one Midoriya defended.

BTW if you're worrying about why the hair color seems different, remember that the very first pages of the first chapter were printed colored. The other pages were colored much later, the coloring usually following the anime coloring (with the result they colored Tōya's hair red same as in the anime, even though Horikoshi left them white in the manga... and generally colored red hair in black, hinting Tōya's hair were meant to be white from the start).

On an interesting note, in the anime Tsubasa’s wings are completely foldable while in the manga they can shrink but they still remain always partially visible.

Other points to ponder is that those two kids will appear in the one-shot in two parts "Deku and Bakugō rising" printed in the 2nd volume of "Team-Up Missions" and in "A Learning Experience", a story in "School Briefs II".

XX WORDBUILDING: QUIRK, DEAD QUIRK AND QUIRKLESS

“Quirk” in the manga is always written as 〝個性〟  “Kosei”.

The kanji are always between quotation marks, likely so as to imply they don’t intend them to refer to their original meaning “Individuality/personality/individual nature/individual characteristic” but to the “paranormal abilities” (超常 ‘chōjō’) people started having. The story takes place when the 80% of the population has a Quirk. Who has no Quirk like Midoriya is starting to get always more and more rare and is called ‘mukosei’ (〝無個性〟 “Quirkless”) and yes, this too is always between quotation marks.

A word you might have missed because the English version didn't put too much emphasis on it is ‘bokkosei’ (〝没個性〟). This is how Bakugō later on calls his classmates' Quirks and, as you can see it's also between quotation marks.

‘Botsu’ (没) means “to sink, to be drowned, to die”.

Basically Bakugō is criticizing them for their Quirks calling them “dead Quirk” or something along the line that implies their Quirk are meaningless, which also fits with how Bakugō likes to use the word 'shinee' (死ねえ "die"). In the English manga he said they're 'crappy Quirks'.

This chapter will also tell us Quirks can manifest at birth (think the Luminescent Baby) or later in life, generally by the age of four a kid should manifest his Quirk though it’s possible it’ll happen later (think Yoichi). A safe way to know if one has a Quirk or not is to check the presence of an extra joint in the pinky toe. Who has two joints has no Quirk. Who has a Quirk instead normally should manifest one of his parents’ Quirk or a combination of both, though we'll later learn there are case of mutations in which the kid manifests a completely new Quirk.

XX CULTURAL INFO: THE 4-YEAR-OLD KIDS BEING LEFT UNSUPERVISED

Countries have different laws. In mine it would be a crime to leave 4-year-old kids unsupervised. In Japan it’s still okay to leave children unattended, even when they are that young (that's also why the over mentioned “5 pm chime” is used as a signal to tell small children to go back home... because their moms not only leave them to play alone in the park but won't even come to take them and bring them home).

To give you an example of how this is still okay I'll tell you in 2023 in Saitama, capital and largest city of the Saitama prefecture, it was proposed an anti-child abuse ordinance that would ban parents and other caretakers from leaving children of third-year elementary school age (8 years old) and below alone at home or in other places, as they could be vulnerable to heatstroke, accidents, kidnappings, fires and falls. The ban has stirred controversy, with criticism nationwide it could place an undue burden on child-rearing households and, in the end, it had been withdrew. Another excuse given to justify leaving children alone and fight the ban was that being left alone promotes their independence.

In the story this will have more relevance when we'll see people not being overly concerned about 5-year-old Tenko wandering alone for the streets or 3-year-old Tōya being left unsupervised and therefore free to use his Quirk, even though this hurts him.

XX RELEVANT QUOTES: “A giant Villain!” Midoriya Izuku (Deku) [Chap. 1/Ep. 1]

14-year-old Midoriya’s first quote.

Midoriya Izuku ‘Dekkee teki (read: VILLAIN)!!’ 緑谷出久「でっけー敵(ヴィラン)！!」 Midoriya Izuku “A huge enemy (read: villain)!”

While the quote in itself says nothing the quote as well as the structure of the spread page are repeated in chap 306, which takes place 2 years after, to show by contrast, how the situation has changed and how the back then enthusiast Midoriya now sounds void of said enthusiasm and worn out.

The panels are also reversed to underline the reverse in the situation and how they now present a lone Midoriya, clearly in a Hero pose as he stands up on a roof, where before he was clearly a civilian but, with around himself plenty of people.

The shining Hero world has turned a lot less shiny...

By the way, yes, ‘Dekkee’ (でっけー) more correct translation is not “giant” but “huge”. This will become relevant in chap 306 as Midoriya is talking about Muscular, who's huge but not a giant.

XX PLACES: TATOOIN STATION (田等院駅 TATOOIN EKI), TATOOIN STREET (田等院通り TATOOIN DŌRI) AND TATOOIN SHOPPING DISTRICT (田等院商店街 TATOOIN SHŌTEN MACHI)

The story mentions a Tatooin Station and a Tatooin Shopping district. The anime also adds a Tatooin street next to Tatooin Station. This tell us Tatooin is likely the name of a fictional ward in the city in which the story is taking place.

Tatooin is the home planet of the protagonist of the Star Wars Trilogy, Luke Skywalker, and of his father, Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader).

XX CHARACTERS INFO: HEROES

The first pages show immediately a world filled with Heroes.

We have:

Backdraft (バックドラフト)

Baseball Hero: Slugger (ベースボールヒーロー・スラッガー)

Buster Hero: Airjet (バスターヒーロー エアジェット)

Kayama Nemuri (香山睡), also known as the R-Rated Hero: Midnight (18禁ヒーロー ミッドナイト Jū-hachi-kin HERO MIDNIGHT)

Nishiya Shinji (西屋森児) aka Kamui Woods (シンリンカムイ SHINRIN KAMUI)

Takeyama Yū (岳山優) aka Mt. Lady (Mt.レディ)

Todoroki Enji (轟炎司), also known as the Flame Hero: Endeavor (フレイムヒーロー エンデヴァー)

Yagi Toshinori (八���俊典) aka All Might (オールマイト)

Mind you, we won't learn all their names and Hero names right now, I'm just listing them so as to make things simple.

In the manga some are cameos of characters who'll be relevant later in the story (Midnight and Endeavor), some others have barely a role here and later in the chapter, with the exception of Kamui Wood and Mt. Lady who'll appear short after.

The anime will give more spotlight to Death Arms and Backdraft, but will completely erase Endeavor and Midnight's cameo appearances and will never show Airjet who will appear in the one-shot in two parts "Deku and Bakugō rising" printed in the 2nd volume of "Team-Up Missions". In the manga he's mentioned in chap 27 and we see a glimpse of him in chap 370.

Midnight is in a poster commercializing BVLGORI...

...which is clearly a nod to Bulgari (stylized as BVLGARI), an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods. It's also a nod at how, later in the story, we'll learn not only Heroes are often used for commercials, but we'll see that Yaoyorozu and Kendō's experience interning with Uwabami will be focused more on recording a commercial with the anime having Uwabami stating she chose them because they were cute... which is a not so subtle nod to how female Heroes tend to be used often as eye candy.

Differently from Midnight, Endeavor isn't doing a commercial but he's speaking on TV. We can see he's wearing his prototype costume.

Regarding Death Arms, his whole name "Punching Hero: Death Arms" is revealed in the anime, his name being a wordplay that seems to be a combination between the English word "death" (transliterated in Japanese as デス 'desu') and the Japanese words 'te' (手 "hand") and 'koro/goro' (殺 "kill"). Alternatively it can also be a combination between the English word "death" (transliterated in Japanese as デス 'desu') and 'sutegoro' (ステゴロ), a Yakuza term for "hand-to-hand/barehanded combat".

Backdraft was hyped by the anime, but he wasn't given an extra Hero title, the anime saying only he's a rescue specialist. In the manga he'll have another cameo in the Paranormal Liberation War Arc. Horikoshi will also use him for a 'commercial' for the Musutafu fire department on the second volume back cover.

This commercial has generated the impression the story takes place in Musutafu, when it's more likely it's not the case.

Kamui Woods' real Japanese name is Shinrin Kamui. ‘Kamui’ means “god” in the Ainu language while ‘Shinrin’ (森林) means “woods” so his Hero name is actually “God of the Woods”.

Slugger will have no other apparition.

XX HISTORY TIME: HOW IT ALL BEGAN

In Keikei city (軽慶市) in China there were news that a luminescent baby (発光する���児 'Hakkō suru akago') was born. After that, individuals with “paranormal abilities” (超常 ‘chōjō’) started appearing all around the world. While the cause on why this started was unclear, slowly having paranormal abilities became the new normality with 80% of the people having them which lead to the emerging of the profession of Heroes.

Later though we’ll learn this is a pretty sugarcoated, when not outright false, version of what had happened that completely hides how people with paranormal abilities began appearing BEFORE the birth of the luminescent baby, or how among the causes for their appearance were listed diseases that made the individual with paranormal abilities a sub branch of humanity with new genetic factors, leading to discrimination and what could be equated to wars between people with Quirks and people without it.

Interesting enough, among the Quirks shown appearing first, there were some sort of fire monster Quirk (which we might see as a variation of Todoroki Enji's fire Quirk), an ice Quirk (same as Todoroki Rei) and a telekinesis Quirk (same as Midoriya Inko).

That's how the text narrates it.

‘Koto no hajimari wa Chūgoku Keikei-shi. "Hakkō suru akago" ga umareta to iu nyūsudatta! Ikō, kakuchi de 'chōjō' wa hakken sa re, gen'in mo hanzen to shinai mama toki wa nagareru. Itsushika 'chōjō' wa 'nichijō' ni…'kakū (read: yume)' wa 'genjitsu' ni! ! ! Sekai sō jinkō no yaku hachi-wari ga nanrakano "tokui taishitsu" dearu chōjin shakai to natta genzai! Konran uzumaku yononaka de! Katsute daremoga kūsō shi akogareta hitotsu no shokugyō ga kyakkō o abite ita! !’ 『事の始まりは中国・軽慶市。〝発光する赤児〟が生まれたというニュースだった！以降、各地で「超常」は発見され、原因も判然としないまま時は流れる。いつしか「超常」は「日常」に…「架空（ゆめ）」は「現実」に！！！世界総人口の約八割が何らかの〝特異体質〟である超人社会となった現在！昏乱渦巻く世の中で！かつて誰もが空想し憧れた一つの職業が脚光を浴びていた！！』 “It all began in Keikei, China, with the news that a "luminescent baby" had been born! After that, "paranormal" phenomena were discovered all over the country, and time passed without the cause being made clear. Before we knew it, the "paranormal" had become "everyday life"... and the "imaginary (read: dream)" become "reality"!!! In the present, where approximately 80% of the world's population has become a superhuman society with some kind of "unique constitution", in a world in turmoil, one profession that everyone once fantasized about and longed for has been thrust into the spotlight!!”

It's worth noting that in what in English was just "fantasy became reality" the kanji for "imaginary" (架空) are meant to be read as 'yume' (ゆめ/夢 "dream") which implies it's not just fantasy that become reality but that a dream came true. Keep this bit in mind, it'll come back later.

XX WORDBUILDING: HEROES (ヒーロー)/PRO HEROES (プロヒーロー)

Midoriya describes it as the profession everyone dreams about, as, along with “paranormal abilities” (超常 ‘chōjō’) came an explosion in the crime rate (or so Midoriya says... in late chapter of the manga it seems more a war between people with Quirk and people without it due to people with Quirk being discriminated). So, while nations struggled to overhaul their legal systems, brave individuals took up the mantle of Heroes straight out of comic book protecting the people form evildoers and, with public support, some quickly acquired the right to serve as Heroes in an official capacity. Depending on their performance they have the potential to earn government pay and fame and glory.

Interesting enough, when the manga describes it, it shows a cameo of Japanese and American superheroes from manga and comics.

We've Wolverine, Superman and Spiderman for the American version and Devilman (デビルマン), Kamen rider (仮面ライダー), Ultraman (ウルトラマン), Gekkō Kamen (月光仮面) for the Japanese version.

XX JAPANESE LANGUAGE INFO: WHY FEMALES TOO ARE CALLED HERO AND NOT HEROINE?

The word 'HEROINE' (ヒロイン) in Japanese is generally not used to mean "female Hero" but "female main character".

All the female heroes in the story are referred as Hero with one single exception, Recovery Girl whose full Hero name is 'Myōrei HEROINE RICOVERY GIRL' (妙齢ヒロイン リカバリーガール "Youthful Heroine: Recovery Girl").

It can totally be she chose such name because she wanted to be seen as a 'youthful female main character'.

XX PLACES: KEIKEI CITY (軽慶市)

Keikei city in China is a fictional place. Keikei is the Japanese reading, the Chinese reading would be Qing Qing City. In Japanese the kanji used to write its name would mean "light jubilation" while 'keikei' can be associated to various Japanese words with different meaning which range from "glaring (e.g. eyes); piercing; penetrating" to "indiscreetly; thoughtlessly; carelessly; frivolously" to "salutation at the end of a formal letter".

XX TIMELINE INFO: TEN YEARS LATER, APRIL, 8:15 AM

Midoriya is 14 and in the last year of middle school, meaning 10 years have gone by from when he was 4 in the very first scene of the story. The blooming Sakura tell us we're in April, if it's not the first day of school (middle school start on the second week of April), short after it. The watch on the television screen on which we can see Endeavor is speaking tell us it's 8:15 AM.

XX WORDBUILDING: THE VILLAIN’S CRIME

Kamui Wood says:

Shinrin Kamui ‘Tsūkin jikantai ni nōryoku ihō kōshi oyobi gōtō chishō. Masani jaaku no gonge yo!’ シンリンカムイ「通勤時間帯に��力違法行使および強盗致傷。まさに邪悪の権化よ！」 Kamui Wood “Illegal use of abilities during rush hour and robbery resulting in injury. A veritable incarnation of evil!”

If this is an incarnation of evil I don’t dare to picture how he would define what All for One does.

The quote though is here more to inform us on how using Quirks if you aren't a Hero is illegal, in fact Kamui Wood first list ‘illegal use of abilities’ implying this crime is more serious than the crime that the Villain committed before it, the robbery resulting in injury.

XX WORDBUILDING: THE HETEROMORPH PROBLEM 1

Much, much later in the story it will be introduced what can be called "the Heteromorph problem", which causes people with a Quirk classified as mutant/heteromorph-type (異形型 ‘igyō-gata’ Lit. “fantastic/grotesque/strange-looking/suspicious-looking/irregular shape”) to be discriminated.

From the name of the type of Quirk, we can understand it regards not just people with an animal Quirk but people who just don't have a human shape... through it's hard to say how much of a not-human one must look.

The guy with stars on his head calls Kamui Wood 'Jumoku MAN' (樹木マン “arbor/tree man”), clearly not thinking ill of it even though h also has a shape that's slightly different from humans exactly due to the stars on his head.

Horikoshi waves away the problem saying in big cities there's no discrimination, so it's possible this man never experienced discrimination nor think his way to refer to Kamui Wood is discriminatory. Hard to say as it can also be Horikoshi hadn't planned yet the Heteromorph problem.

The anime even adds 5 girls cheering for Kamui Wood with even hearts around them the way fangirls would do which seems to further imply people has no problems with how Kamui Wood looks.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: MT. LADY (Mt. レディ)

She’s the first obvious use of ‘female eye candy’ of the story, basically wearing a skintight costume which is partly of her own skin color so that her lower body looks naked, showing her backside in a provocative pose for people to take pictures at and even making a wordplay that references it as she greets people.

Mt. Lady ‘Igo omiSHIRI oki o!’ Mt.レディ「以後お見シリおきを！」 Mt. Lady “Please look after me from now on!”

The word ‘omiSHIRI’ resembles in sound ‘oshiri/shiri’ (お尻/尻 “Backside”), which is remarked also by how ‘shiri’ is written in katakana to underline it.

The anime even underlined it by having her move said backside. Mt. Lady is also depicted as someone who's in the Hero business solely for government pay and fame and glory. Later on she'll continue on being shown with unflattering character traits until she'll fight in the Paranormal Liberation War.

XX WORLDBUILDING: MIDORIYA'S CAMPOS NOTEBOOK

Midoriya's notebook is actually based on a Kokuyo Campus Notebook. Kukuyo is a company half Japanese half Indian which produces stationery geared towards students.

Nowadays you can find for sell even ones with the same writing Midoriya placed on his own, ‘Shōrai no Tame no HERO Bunseki’ (将来の為のヒーロー分析 “Hero Analysis for the Future”). Midoriya has compiled 13 of them, the first anime opening showing them all.

Some even have the cover singed as it should have been after Bakugō blasted it and contains the drawings and notes Midoriya put on his own as well as All Might's autograph, though I'm not sure if they're original or fanmade.

What's less known is that in the "Boku no Hero Academia Jump Pack 2015" among the gadgets there's a booklet with this same cover but the content is more of a guide similar to "Ultra Archive" and "Ultra Analysis".

XX CHARACTERS INFO: THE GUY WITH STARS ON HIS HEAD

This guy who encourages Midoriya into becoming a Hero without knowing he’s Quirkless will show up much later in the manga during the Dark Hero arc in chap 325. He's the one who proposes to hear the Heroes out and let Midoriya stay at U.A. for a while.

XX WORLDBUILDING: HANDLING VILLAINS

When the Giant Villain (巨人化敵 Kyojin-ka VILLAIN) is captured we can see not only he gets tied but also muzzled, the police holding the cables tying him as the Heroes are the ones who fight and defeat Villains but the police is the one who takes them into custody... which had lead them to being nicknamed 'VILLAIN uketori-gakari' (敵受け取り係 "Villain custody officers"), often with not so positive connotations.

The muzzle will come back when they'll take Aoyama into custody, albeit it will be of a different kind.

Midoriya in chap 309 will call that type of binding '"MAIDEN"' (〝メイデン〟), clearly a short for '"IRON MAIDEN"' (〝アイアンメイデン〟). The choice of the name isn't an happy one for who lives in the west as iron maiden is the name of a torture device, consisting of a solid iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike-covered interior, sufficiently tall to enclose a human being.

Although it used to be assumed this device was used in middle age, in truth this is a myth as the first stories citing the iron maiden were composed in the 19th century.

I've however seen such name being used in manga/anime for fictional, completely binding devices so Horikoshi likely chose it because it ties completely a Villain, not because it's meant to torture him with spikes.

XX PLACES: ALDERA MIDDLE SCHOOL (折寺中学校 ALDERA CHŪGAKKŌ)

Midoriya and Bakugō’s middle school. Usually public middle schools take the name from the ward they’re in so it’s likely that it is in Aldera Ward.

Aldera was the capital city of the planet Alderaan in “Star Wars”. It was ruled by Queen Breha Organa and represented in the Galactic Senate by her husband, Senator Bail Prestor Organa, They were Princess Leia’s adoptive parents. The planet played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Rebel Alliance against the Empire and was destroyed under Princess Leia Organa’s gaze. Aldera used to host the University of Alderaan, a renowned university with a successful philosophy of isolation to allow students to contemplate their studies.

Honestly, beyond the fact that it’s a name popular in the “Star Wars” franchise, I’m not sure why Horikoshi picked it up for Midoriya and Bakugō’s school if not to mock it as the school is implied to be definitely not prestigious.

In the manga the school is barely visible, it seems slightly different from the anime but it's hard to say with so little visible.

XX CULTURAL INFO: GAKURAN

Midoriya and his male classmate wear the ‘Gakuran’ (学ラン), a school uniform.

The color of a Gakuran is normally black, but some schools use navy blue. The top has a standing collar buttoning down from top-to-bottom. Buttons are usually decorated with the school emblem to show respect to the school. Pants are straight leg and a black or dark-colored belt is worn with them. Boys usually wear penny loafers or sneakers with this uniform. Some schools may require the students to wear collar-pins representing the school and/or class rank.

His female classmates wear a ‘sailor fuku’ (セーラー服). The uniform generally consists of a blouse attached with a sailor-style collar and a pleated skirt. There are seasonal variations for summer and winter; sleeve length and fabric are adjusted accordingly. A ribbon is tied in the front and laced through a loop attached to the blouse. Several variations on the ribbon include neckties, bolo ties, neckerchiefs, and bows. Common colors include navy blue, white, gray, light green, and black.

Shoes, socks, and other accessories are sometimes included as part of the uniform. These socks are typically navy or white. The shoes are typically brown or black penny loafers. Although not part of the prescribed uniform, alternate forms of legwear (such as loose socks, knee-length stockings, or similar) are also commonly matched by more fashionable girls with their sailor outfits.

At middle school Tōya and Shōto also wore Gakuran similar to the one Midoriya has while Himiko had a blue and white Sailor fuku.

It's worth to mention school uniforms are also considered a formal wear you can wear at ceremonies.

XX CULTURAL INFO: TANNIN SENSEI (担任先生)

It's generally translated as "Homeroom teacher" but it actually means "teacher in charge (of the class)".

In fact the Tannin follows a class through its whole permanency at school and are responsible for every aspect of the student's total education, working also as counselor and therapist for them, organizing school trips and experiences, informing them of school activities and school problems and even visiting their parents. Long story short they're supposed to establish a strong bond with their students.

Among the duties of the ones in charge of a third year middle school class there's to hand out 'Shinro kibō no PRINT' (進路希望のプリント "Career aspirations form") in which the students are meant to write the high school at which they aspire to attend and therefore for which they aim to try the entrance text exam and he's also expected to help them choosing a high school if they're unsure.

XX WORDBUILDING: EVERYONE WANTS TO BE A HERO

Tannin Sensei ‘Omae-ra mo san-nen to iu koto de!! Honkaku-teki ni shōrai o kangaete iku jikida!! Ima kara shinro kibō no PRINT kubaruga minna!!!… daitai, HERO-ka shibōda yo nē.’ 担任先生「お前らも三年ということで！！本格的に将来を考えていく時期だ！！今から進路希望のプリントを配るが皆…だいたい、ヒーロー科志望だよねぇ。」 Homeroom Teacher “You are all in your third year now!! So it's time to start thinking seriously about your future. I'm going to hand out the career aspiration forms now... I think most of you want to go into the hero course.”

While he says ‘most of you’, basically the whole class raises his hand as the kids show their Quirks.

Fundamentally the whole class want to go to the Hero course. This makes Midoriya an outcast because, since he's Quirkless, he's the only one who's mocked for wanting to go to a Hero school. This will become also relevant when Enji will tell Tōya to give up on being a Hero and make friends at school and Tōya will counter everyone at school wants to become a Hero. Probably in Enji’s school time this wasn’t that marked yet, so he had no idea of the problem, but by the time Tōya goes to school, this is a given.

Later, with Kirishima's backstory, we'll learn as they progress in their last year, many students realistically give up on such dreams as they feel they don't have the right requisites to pass the entrance exams and, among those who don't give up, some try out minor Hero schools.

XX WORDBUILDING: USE OF QUIRK AT SCHOOL

It's forbidden to use a Quirk at school, even though the homeroom teacher is clearly not enforcing that rule.

XX JAPANESE LANGUAGE INFO: BAKUGŌ'S WAY TO INSULT HIS CLASSMATES

I've already said how Bakugō calls them ‘bokkosei’ (〝没個性〟 “dead Quirk”), what I didn't add is that, to be exact, he calls them ‘bokkosei-domo’ (〝没個性〟共).

'-domo' (共) is a plural suffix which implies speaker is of higher status than those referred to, meaning he’s implying his classmates are below him.

He then will call them “mob” (モブ ‘MOB’), a reference to mob characters in video games, ‘mob’ being short for mobile or mobile object, a computer-controlled non-player character (NPC). In Japan, when referred to people, implies they’re generic people who often remain in the background and have no real role. The English version translates it as "extra".

XX POINTS TO PONDER: BAKUGŌ, THE HOMEROOM TEACHER AND BULLYING

Generally people gets upset at Bakugō for the way he bullies Midoriya but I want you to look at this scene.

Bakugō is seated in a totally disrespectful way, insulting the whole class. The teacher, instead than scolding him, informs the whole class Bakugō is going to U.A. High, a school in which it's extremely difficult to get in. As we said before, that's the sort of info a homeroom teacher would know.

Bakugō takes his chance to brag on how he aced the mock exam and even goes and stands on the table which would probably give Īda a fit as it's an extremely rude things to do.

Then the teacher catches his chance to inform the rest of the class Midoriya too is trying to go to U.A. high.

This causes all of Midoriya’s classmates to laugh at him, Bakugō using his Quirk on Midoriya’s desk to scare him (remember, use of Quirk is forbidden by law and Bakugō is risking to damage the desk and hurt Midoriya), and then points out how Midoriya is even below the ‘Bokkosei’ as he’s a ‘Mukosei’, in short he’s worse than the others who have weak Quirks as he doesn’t even have one.

Of course this scene is meant to be exaggerated because it’s a manga and normally you can't cause explosions, but I want you to focus for a moment on the homeroom teacher, who's in charge of the class and present during the whole exchange.

If Bakugō will manage to get into U.A. high the reputation of the school will increase... hence the teacher turns a blind eye to all Bakugō does as he is realistically the only one who has chance to get inside it.

However that’s not just all he does.

As homeroom teacher he's there to counsel the students... but he chooses a way that doesn't really includes talking to them.

By setting up a contrast between Bakugō and his classmates, he subtly tries to force them to revaluate their choices, they aren’t like Bakugō who aced the mock exam, dreaming is nice but not everyone is cut for the Hero course. Remember Kirishima’s friends coming up to the same conclusion they weren’t cut for it and giving up?

What’s more by mentioning how Midoriya wants to go to U.A. as well, he basically paints on Midoriya a giant target. All the class feels the duty to mock Midoriya for this, as if they’re not up to U.A. high, they think Midoriya has even less chances.

The teacher says nothing through all this, not even when Bakugō uses his Quirk against Midoriya’s desk. He’s enabling and subtly encouraging the bullying, so as to discourage Midoriya from trying for U.A. high, failing and embarrassing the school.

That's because in Japan "bullying" (いじめ 'ijime') has been handled for years as an 'educative strategy' that would force the students to conform.

'Deru kui wa utareru' (出る杭は打たれる “The nail that sticks out must be hammered down”).

Quirkless Midoriya, according to the teacher, has no chance to make it in the Hero course and doesn't have to shame the school with his failing. By using Bakugō and the rest of the class to threaten and humiliate Midoriya he hopes Midoriya will be dissuaded.

We can see something similar in “Koe no Katachi” (聲の形 A silent voice), who digs a lot more into bullying so I recommend reading it.

On a sidenote... as the bullying has grown out of proportions in Japan, now things are slowly changing (for example, as Midoriya points out, is a crime encourage someone to commit suicide) but in the past the school had more or less the same attitude Colonel Jessep had in relation to the "code red" in "A few good men". They just couldn't order it, but they surely encouraged it and turned their eyes away from it when it was committed.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: BAKUGŌ'S GOALS

Bakugō claims he'll surpass All Might and will become one of the richest people in the world.

This is interesting for two reasons.

The first is that much later in the manga, Hawks will comment no one apart from Enji was genuinely trying to surpass All Might and yet we'll have plenty of students at U.A. trying to do so. The only Watsonian explanation we can give to this, is that times have changed.

The second is that we'll learn in chap 430 that Bakugō will spend most of the money he'll gain as a Hero to pay for a suit/costume/armor for Midoriya that'll help him to go back on being an active Hero, which underlines how much he changes from how he was at the start of the story.

XX PLACES: U.A. HIGH SCHOOL (雄英高校 YŪEI KŌKŌ)

The school at which Midoriya and Bakugō wants to go. As high school isn’t mandatory, students usually need to pass an entrance exam to be allowed to enroll in whatever high school they choose. U.A. High is a national school (国立) meaning it was established by the national government, which requires a minimal standard score (偏差値 ‘hensa-chi’) of 79 to be accepted, there’s usually a huge competition to be allowed in and Bakugō aced the mock test. Interesting enough tuition is cheaper at public high schools.

Just in case you’re wondering, no U.A. doesn’t take the name from the place it’s in, it’s a word play on how, if we read in reverse the kanji used to write U.A.  we’ve ‘eiyū’ which means Hero in Japanese.

As for where U.A. is, the manga will never reveal it but at June 2021 Drawing Smash exhibition they showed provisional hero licenses and the licenses had U.A. high’s address on it which was “Shizuoka Prefecture, Koriri City, 1-2” (静岡県垢離里市1-2 ‘Shizuoka ken Koriri-shi 1–2’).

Koriri is a reference to planet Corellia, a “Star Wars” planet with a strong culture of training pilots and which is therefore known for producing many excellent ones, such as Han Solo and Wedge Antilles. It would fit since Koriri, having U.A. high instead produces many excellent Heroes.

XX TIMELINE INFO: HOW LONG THE WHOLE INITIAL DISCUSSION AT SCHOOL LASTS

The anime takes care to give us the time by showing us the watch more than once.

We know the teacher starts speaking at 8:45 AM. When Bakugō speaks up is already 8:50 AM. When the teacher mentions Midoriya also wants to go to U.A. high is 8:55 AM.

XX CULTURAL INFO: THE FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

Very likely what we’re seeing is Midoriya’s first day of his third year at middle school.

SHR or ‘SHORT HOMEROOM’ (ショートホームルーム) is the morning homeroom meeting which may include health observations, announcements for the day, and talks by homeroom teachers. It usually lasts 15 minutes.

The following periods typically last 50 minutes each, for a total of 6 periods for 5 days a week with around 10 minutes of break between each period, and a lunchtime which last around 40 minutes and then there’s a recess time of around 20 minutes.

The first schoolday is one in which 3 ceremonies are held.

They have: 'Shinnin-shiki' (新人式 “Welcome Ceremony”), the ceremony in which new teachers are welcomed into the school then brought on stage to give short self-introductions. This ceremony is only for the second- and third-year students and includes a few speeches and chorus singing. This is followed by 'Shigyō-shiki' (始業式 “Opening Ceremony”), which includes another speech and more singing (including the school anthem) plus the second- and third-grade teachers now come on stage to be quickly introduced to students. Then there are speeches from the student affairs chief and student guidance chief. Everything ends with the 'Nyūgaku-shiki' (入学式 “Entrance Ceremony”) to welcome the new first-year students, which, in importance, is comparable to the Graduation Ceremony and that can be witnessed by the students’ parents. The upperclassmen sing the school anthem, national anthem, and a song for the new students. A long speech from the principal is given. Several current students read some words of encouragement to the new students. Teachers introduce themselves.

Normally in middle school joining a club is almost mandatory.

XX TIMELINE INFO: WHEN THE SLUDGE VILLAIN APPEAR

Manga and Anime agree in saying he committed a robbery at 12:02 PM.

XX RELEVANT QUOTES: “I am here!” Yagi Toshinori (All Might) [Chap. 1/Ep. 1]

All Might’s catchphrase is usually translated as “I am here” but it’s exact meaning is actually a little different.

ALL MIGHT ‘Watashi ga kita!’ 担任先生「私が来た！」 All Might “I have come!/I have arrived!”

All Might in fact means to put the emphasis in how everything will be all right because he has arrived, because he's here now, not on how he was always here.

By the way All Might uses ‘watashi’ (私) as a personal pronoun, which is fundamentally a polite/formal way to say “I”.

While this is All Might's catchphrase, we see that in chap 429 that it's meant to become 'everyone's catchphrase' as the idea the story promotes is that everyone can come and help others.

XX TIMELINE INFO: WHEN CLASS ENDS

The anime tells us it's 3:31 PM.

XX CULTURAL INFO: REINCARNATION AND BUDDHISM

Bakugō Katsuki ‘Sonnani HERO ni tsukiteennara, kōritsu ii hōhō aru ze? Raise wa "kosei" ga yadoru to shinjite... okujō kara no ONE CHANCE DIVE!!’ 爆豪勝己「そんなにヒーローに就きてぇんなら、効率良い方法あるぜ？来世は〝個性〟が宿ると信じて... 屋上からのワンチャンダイブ!!」 All Might “If you're so desperate to become a hero, is there an efficient way to do it? Believe that you'll have a "quirk" in your next life, and take a chance diving off the roof!!”

Although Bakugō aims at bullying Midoriya, when he mentions reincarnation he gives us our clue that the manga follows Buddhist beliefs and not Shintoist ones (Shinto is the most popular religion in Japan with 48,6% of the total population of Japan participated in Shinto practices. Closely behind is Buddhism, with more than 46% of the population adhering to its practices).

In fact Shinto does not include a belief in reincarnation. After death, the spirit of the deceased becomes a kami through prayers and sacrifice by the family. Rather than reincarnation, Shintoists believe that the kami of their ancestors will protect them from evil and harm.

Buddhists instead believe that when someone dies, they will be reborn again as something else. What they are reborn as depends on their actions in their previous life.

XX CULTURAL INFO: OSANA NAJIMI

As they know from preschool Bakugō and Midoriya are ‘Osana najimi’ (幼なじみ “childhood friends” Lit. “acquainted child”) which is kind of relevant in Japan they’ll be referred as such for the rest of their lives… even though they clearly have a poor relation. Still it’s relevant how they still call each other ‘Kacchan’ and ‘Deku’ same as when they were kids.

People generally don't think ‘Osana najimi’ should have poor relationship among them and expect them to be so comfortable among each other they can show to each other their true feelings freely.

The boy with stretching fingers and the other boy who hangs with Bakugō instead calls him just ‘Katsuki’ while they call Midoriya ‘Midoriya’.

XX HISTORY TIME: ALL MIGHT'S DEBUT

All Might debuted by saving hundred people involved in a big disaster in ten minutes, smiling and saying his catchphrase.

Midoriya loves to watch that video from when he was a kid. By the way the video lasts 7:31 minutes.

XX WORLDBUILDING: THE PLACE IN WHICH THE ALL MIGHT VIDEO IS

According to the anime it's on 'yotube.com' which is clearly based on YouTube the American online video sharing platform.

XX WORLDBUILDING: ALL MIGHT GADGETS

As a child Midoriya has already posters of him and a toy figure.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: MIDORIYA'S DOCTOR

It won't appear again for many chapters and, for a while, all we know about him thanks to the “Ultra Archive” is he's Tsubasa's grandfather, also sharing with him his surname Tsubasa (翼) owner of the Tsubasa clinic. Later, much later, he'll introduce himself first as Ujiko Daruma (氏子達磨) then as Garaki Kyūdai (殻木球大), also known as Doctor (ドクター), an underling of All for One. None of those name is his true name. He's the one who informs Midoriya and his mother of how Midoriya has no Quirk.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: MIDORIYA'S PARENTS

They're Midoriya Hisashi (緑谷久) and Midoriya Inko (緑谷引子), through we won't learn their names in this chapter.

Midoriya's father will never appear in the story and all we'll learn of him is that, thanks to his Quirk, he can breathe fire and that he's working oversea. His mother's Quirk allows her to pull toward herself small objects.

As far as Quirk go, Inko is a fourth generation, meaning her son is a fifth. This also means Quirk started appearing more than 100 years ago.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: MIDORIYA'S MOM APOLOGY

After Midoriya learns he doesn’t have a Quirk, after watching again the All Might video, crying he asks his mother if he can become a Hero as well. Inko cries too, hugs him and apologizes to him. This though wasn’t what Midoriya wanted and needed to hear.

She apologizes because she feels guilty because she believes he will never be able to fulfill his dream (and be like the other kids), but what Midoriya needed her to say was “You can be a Hero”, showing she believed he could do it and supporting him.

Inko loves her child, whom she raised basically alone as her husband works oversea, and Horikoshi said the concern and guilt she felt toward her son were what caused her to gain weight. However, by her own admission, she didn’t offer him support and gave up on him, leaving him alone to chase after his dream.

It’ll be only after he’ll gain a Quirk she’ll try to support him as hard as she can… but who basically saved Midoriya was All Might, the first one to trust in him and who told him he could be a Hero (what Midoriya wanted his mother to say).

It’s also symbolic how Shōto himself gets saved when he remembers his mother told him he could be a Hero.

Other characters like Tenko or Tōya won’t have such luck and will, ultimately, ruin themselves as no one in their family supported them.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: SLUDGE VILLAIN

The Sludge Villain (ヘドロ敵 HEDORO VILLAIN) is a robber who at 2:02 PM was spotted by All Might escaping with the money.

We aren't given his true name, same as for the Giant Villain, we only learn he is fluid and can hijack people's bodies and tries to do so with Midoriya.

Normally it takes him 45 seconds to do so, during which the victim can't breathe, weakening them and making them feel as if they're dying. It's unclear if a full hijacking would kill them.

All Might defeats him thanks to shock wave and put him into bottles.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: ALL MIGHT (オールマイト)

Right from here, we're informed All Might is the Number 1 Hero and that he's not familiar with working in that area. His profile page says he's born on June 6th, that his height (in his muscle form) is 220 cm and that his favorite things are Yakusugi (屋久杉), a type of Japanese cedars from Yakushima island, and movies. His profile page doesn't reveal yet how his true name is Yagi Toshinori (八木 俊典). Possibly Horikoshi wanted to let his readers wondering if the guy is a real American or a returnee... or he just hadn't chosen his name yet as for a while we won't know it.

XX JAPANESE LANGUAGE INFO: ALL MIGHT'S WAY TO SPEAK

You might miss it but All Might, in addition to have all his special moves in English, actually uses English, or more likely American words when he talks.

He starts with 'Hey! Hey!' (ヘイ！ヘイ！) where Japanese people would instead say 'Oi! Oi!' (おい!おい!), 'okay' (オーケー), shit (in English, not even in katakana), 'no!' (again in English not even in katakana) and so on, all to drive home his tie with USA.

He also writes his name with western letters.

XX CULTURAL INFO: KIKOKUSHIJO

Everyone by now knows All Might is Japanese... but All Might is also the adult version of a ‘Kikokushijo’ (帰国子女 “returnee child”), a general term for “children who have returned to their home country (after living for a period in a foreign one)” .

Those who return from a foreign country often find themselves in the middle of two or more cultures, which of course lend the terms “bi-cultural” or “multicultural”. Because Japan projects a mono-cultural society, kikokushijo are simultaneously lauded and shunned. To put it simply, kikokushijo are viewed as resilient and cosmopolitan when it’s convenient for Japan’s image in the international community. But they’re often chastised for their cultural differences by many in Japanese society because they are expected to still “be Japanese”, as in to have a perfect grasp of Japanese culture. For example, their ability to “read the room” (空気を読む ‘Kuuki wo yomu’) is supposed to be innate, as ‘Nihonjiron’ (日本人論 “treatises on Japaneseness”) —the history, collective cultural identity and borderline stereotypical representations of Japan–suggests that Japanese culture is passed down through nature rather than nurture. In truth the ability to read the room is instead really hard to grasp for who doesn’t know such unspoken etiquette without being explicitly told. This leads this people to be at the same time discriminated and privileged.

We'll learn this later in the manga but All Might is a returnee as he left for U.S.A. at 18 and studied abroad, coming back to Japan at 23 and Horikoshi remarks it by showing how he occasionally can’t read the room and uses western words. Actually in story the characters remark he’s even draw different (with the same style as Star and Stripes) and Enji will even call him with a slang word for American.

XX WORLDBUILDING: ALL MIGHT'S BOTTLE

In the manga the bottle in which All Might put the Sludge Villain has over the writing 'Coala' but it's likely inspired to Coka-Cola the extremely famous cola soft drink. In the anime it's changed to 'TORRENT'.

XX WORLDBUILDING: BAKUGŌ'S DRINK

In the manga his drink is called 'lip service'. In the anime it has no name. I've no idea on what it could be inspired... if it's inspired to something.

XX CULTURAL INFO: WHAT ARE BAKUGŌ'S FRIENDS DOING/PLAN TO DO

In the manga they're smoking which is illegal in Japan as they're below the age of 20. Recently depicting minors smoking in anime has been forbidden, so the anime had to change things. In the anime they propose to go to the arcade. The sign the boy with the long fingers is doing in Japan doesn't mean 'okay' but 'money' and, in addition to how they say there are a lot of preys there, it might imply they plan to go rob someone.

In both cases Bakugō yells at them because if he's caught with them while they commit a crime he'll also be forced to share the blame even if he did nothing.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: CAN A QUIRKLESS PERSON BECOME A HERO?

It's one of the biggest questions of the series.

What it takes to be a Hero?

Midoriya Izuku ‘"Kosei" ga nakute mo, HERO wa dekimasu ka!? "Kosei" no nai ningen demo, anata mitai ni naremasu ka?’ 緑谷出久「〝個性〟がなくても、ヒーローはできますか！？〝個性〟のない人間でも、アナタみたいになれますか？」 Midoriya Izuku “Can you be a Hero even without a quirk? Can someone without a "quirk" become like you?”

While All Might ultimately will say Midoriya has what it takes to be a Hero... and later will reveal he was Quirkless too... in order to chase his dream and enter into the Hero profession Midoriya will need to inherit All Might's Quirk. When he'll lose it at the end of the series he will have to leave the active job.

Both he and All Might, in order to fight Villains after losing One for All will need a special suit/costume that basically replace their Quirk. Ragdoll, who also lost her Quirk instead remains in the Hero work but as an office lady.

We might think the answer the series gives if that without a Quirk you can be a "hero" (英雄 'Eiyū') but not a "Pro Hero" (プロヒーロー) unless you compensate your lack of Quirk with support items.

While yes, Quirks make easy to fight Villains, not all the Quirks have fighting power. For example Shinsō' has's Quirk can't help him to fight, which is why he had to learn to fight with a capture weapon like Aizawa. So maybe the real answer isn't that you need a Quirk or a support item to be a Hero, it's just that they'll make easier for you to be one.

All Might's suit provided him the means he lost when he lost his Quirk, helping him to fight the way he knew how to fight, but in the end it was All Might the one who fought, not his Quirk.

Even without the suit, if Midoriya wanted to keep on being an active Hero, he would have had needed to rely on something to fight because, without One for All, he lacked in strength. So it's possible the grand message is that we also need to rely on support (of others, of things) to reach our dreams. I'm still pondering on it though.

XX HISTORY TIME: WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL MIGHT?

5 years before Midoriya and All Might met, not only All Might fought a Villain called Toxic Chainsaw but also All for One (albeit he won't name him in this chapter) and the latter managed to nearly destroy his respiratory system and his stomach. This caused him to waste away and rendered him unable to do his Hero work for more than three hours a day. The public never knew because All might asked not to make it public.

XX CHARACTERS INFO: TOXIC CHAINSAW

Five years before Midoriya and All Might met, All Might fought Toxic Chainsaw (毒々チェーンソー Dokudoku CHAINSAW) and won him easily as he was just a thug (チンピラ 'Chinpira'). His fate is unknown but there's who wonder if there's a connection between him and the Nōmu with chainsaws that appears in the Forest Training Camp Arc.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: ALL MIGHT'S ANSWER

All Might's first reaction is to tell Midoriya he can't become a Hero without a Quirk... albeit although the kanji say "Quirk" the reading given is the one for the world "power".

ALL MIGHT ‘Hitobito o egao de sukuidasu! "Heiwa no shōchō" wa kesshite aku ni kusshite wa ikenainda. Watashi ga warau no wa HERO no jūatsu soshite-nai ni waku kyōfu kara onore o azamuku tame sa. PRO wa itsu datte inochi gakeda yo. “'Kosei' (read: chikara) ga nakutomo naritatsu” to wa totemo janai gaa... Kuchi ni dekinai ne.' Hito o tasukeru koto ni akogarerunara keisatsukan-tte te mo aru. “Teki (read: VILLAIN) uketori-gakari” nante yayu sa recha iruga are mo rippana shigotoda! Yumemiru no wa warui koto janai. Daga sōō no genjitsu mo minakute wana, shōnen.’ オールマイト「人々を笑顔で救��出す！〝平和の象徴〟は決して悪に屈してはいけないんだ。私が笑うのはヒーローの重圧そして内に湧く恐怖から己を欺く為さ。プロはいつだって命懸けだよ。『〝個性〟（ちから）がなくとも成り立つ』 とはとてもじゃないがあ...口に出来ないね。人を助ける事に憧れるなら警察官って手もある。『敵受（ヴィラン）け取り係』なんて揶揄されちゃいるがあれも立派な仕事だ！夢見るのは悪いことじゃない。だが相応の現実も見なくてはな、少年」 All Might “I save people with a smile! A "symbol of peace" must never succumb to evil. I smile to deceive myself from the pressure of being a hero and the fear that wells up within. Professionals always risk their lives. "You can do it without a 'quirk' (power)" is something I can't possibly say out loud. "If you dream of helping people, you could become a police officer. They may mock you as an "enemy (read: Villain) custody officers," but it's a respectable job! There's nothing wrong with dreaming. But you have to face the reality that comes with it, boy.”

Basically, like Endeavor will later on, he believed power is the key. He also says something that will be changed slightly later on. Here he says he smiles to chase away fear and pressure but later on we'll learn it was Nana who told him to smile to reassure the ones he saves, not himself.

It's unclear if this is a retcon or, when he spoke to Midoriya the first time, in the same way he prioritized power, he had forgot Nana's words.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: WHAT IT MEANS TO GIVE UP

After All Might tells Midoriya he can't become a Hero, Midoriya goes through a moment of great depression as he hears in his mind all the people who had told him to give up and thinks he should do so.

Midoriya Izuku ‘(PRO no... TOP made iunda.... Nakuna! Wakattetaro!? Genjitsu-sa…... wakatte takara... hisshi koi tetanjanai ka…...!! minai yō ni minai yō ni tte.)’ 緑谷出久「(プロの...トップまで言うんだ。泣くな！わかってたろ！？現実さ…わかってたから必死こいてたんじゃないか…...！！見ないように見ないようにって。)」 Midoriya Izuku “(Even the top... professional say that... Don't cry! You know that, right? It's reality...... You knew that... which is why you were trying so hard...!! Don't look, don't look, it's what you told yourself.)”

'Facing reality' for Midoriya isn't being freed from an impossible dream, it's sinking into darkness which the anime well depicts.

BNHA often points out how ripping away a dream from a person often makes more damage than good. We'll have characters that'll turn into Villains when their dream will be ripped from them.

That's why, in a way, All Might saved Midoriya by later telling him he could become a Hero.

XX POINTS TO PONDER: THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO BUT WAIT

When Bakugō gets captured by the Sludge Villain, the manga shows how everyone just does nothing to help him (the anime shows the Death Arms making an attempt before giving up) for a reason or another.

Mt. Lady complains there's not enough space for her to pass, Kamui Wood says he is weak to explosive fire, Backdraft is busy, Death Arms says the Villain is too slippery, the civilians are just watching and cheering like usual, All Might, having finished his three hours of power, regrets he has no power to act.

Basically they're all waiting for someone more fitting to solve the situation while Bakugō is fighting alone, enduring the pain that the Sludge Villain causes him with his attempt at possessing him, fighting alone while everyone else watches and does nothing.

Midoriya too at first just watches, thinking he can't do anything else but wait for a Hero with the right Quirk.

Midoriya Izuku ‘(Boku no seida…!! Kare wa ugokenai!! Aitsu wa tsukamenai! Yūrina "kosei" no HERO o matsu shika nai!! Ganbatte…!!! Gomen!! Gomen nasai…!! Sugu ni tasuke ga kite kurerukara… Dareka HERO ga sugu…...)’ 緑谷出久「(僕のせいだ…！！彼は動けない！！あいつは掴めない！有利な個性のヒーローを待つしかない！！頑張って…！！！ごめん！！ごめんなさい…！！すぐに助けが来てくれるから…誰かヒーローがすぐ…...)」 Midoriya Izuku “(It's my fault...!! He can't move!! That guy can't be grabbed! We have no choice but to wait for a hero with an advantageous quirk. Do your best...!!! I'm sorry...!! I'm so sorry... !! Help will be here soon... Some hero (will be here) right away...)”

But then Midoriya sees Bakugō's gaze asking for help and jumps into action and while he had plenty of personal reasons to want to go there this is what really moved him.

Midoriya Izuku ‘Kimi ga tasuke o motomeru kaoshiteta.’ 緑谷出久「君が助けを求める顔してた。」 Midoriya Izuku “You looked like you were asking for help.”

Midoriya's actions might seem stupid because there's nothing he can actually do. He doesn't have the power to save Bakugō... but his selfless actions will move All Might into action as well.

All Might too will set aside the fact he might have not enough power quoting his own words "Professionals always risk their lives" and will go to save Bakugō... and he will do it.

Later the Pro will insist there was no need for Midoriya to put himself in danger and praise Bakugō for how he instead endured the situation.

While yes, Midoriya risked his life... if Midoriya hadn't done it, All Might might not have found the courage to move as well and Bakugō's life might have ended up lost. Later in the story it will be remarked how Midoriya didn't just inspire All Might but also Kirishima and Death Arms, despite scolding him, was impressed as well.

The ending moral of the story was that if everyone helped instead than just watch and wait more people could be saved so ultimately this means the story confirms Midoriya was right (if you had doubts).

Midoriya's actions also proved to All Might that Midoriya has the heart of a Hero because his body moved before he could think to save Bakugō.

XX CULTURAL INFO: NOTHING CAN BE DONE

People being passive in the scene above doesn't come out of nowhere.

Two often said sentences in Japan are ‘shōganai’ (しょうがない “it can’t be helped”) and ‘shikata nai’ (しかたない “there’s no solution”). Both fundamentally means “nothing can be done”. These phrases are commonly used by Japanese people in everyday situations where there is no alternative but to accept and move on. They convey a similar meaning, expressing a sense of resignation or acceptance of a situation that cannot be changed. They reflect the Japanese cultural perspective of embracing circumstances beyond one's control and finding peace in acceptance.

By the way, ‘shōganai’ is a casual expression while ‘shikata nai’ is the casual shortened form of ‘Shikata ga arimasen’ (しかたがありません). As you can see, the particle ‘ga’ is omitted, and ‘arimasen’ is shortened to ‘nai’, therefore, in formal situations, ‘shikata ga nai’ or the more formal ‘shikata ga arimasen’ is more appropriate.

The general idea is that Japanese people place more value in resilience, the ability to accept and withstand a disturbance/difficulty/problem more than in resistance, the ability to refuse to accept and fight a disturbance/difficulty/problem.

While this can lead people to avoid complaining, focus on the present situation and be realist, it can also lead them to be passive in face of problems and not to search for possible solutions.

This is one of the many instances in the story in which people just think nothing can be done and therefore remain passive when a person is in trouble.

XX RELEVANT QUOTES: “Fantasy... became reality. I forgot to mention this, but... this is the story of how I became a great Hero.” Midoriya Izuku (Deku) [Chap. 1/Ep. 2]

It's the closing line of the chapter but it's also a tie with the starting summary of how the Quirk society started and with the ending chapter... as well as with one chapter in between.

But let's look at it in details.

‘"Kakū (read: yume)" wa "genjitsu" ni. Ii wasure tetakedo, kore wa boku ga saikō no HERO ni naru made no monogatari da.’ 『「架空（ゆめ）」は「現実」に。言い忘れてたけど、これは僕が最高のヒーローになるまでの物語だ。』 “"imaginary (read: dream)" become "reality". I forgot to mention that this is the story of how I became the greatest hero.”

So the first thing to point out is in the first bit. Remember when we talked of keeping the whole "imaginary (read: dream)" become "reality"" in mind? Here's why.

If you read it in this sentence as dream, aka Midoriya's dream, it gives the sentence so much meaning... while tying nicely to how the fantasy idea of people having superpowers became reality as well.

But let's continue.

In chap 324 the following sentence comes back, this time including everyone.

‘Kore wa boku ga saikō no HERO ni naru made no monogatari soshite minna ga saikō no HERO ni naru made no monogatari da.’ 『これは僕が最高のヒーローになるまでの物語そしてみんなが最高のヒーローになるまでの物語だ。』 “This is the story of how I became the greatest hero, and the story of how everyone becomes the greatest hero.”

And then again, in chap 430

‘Kore wa boku-tachi ga saikō no HERO ni naru made no monogatari.’ 『これは僕たちが最高のヒーローになった物語。』 “This is the story of how we became the greatest heroes.”

...only to be changed again as we reach the final line...

‘Te wo sashinobe tsudzukeru monogatari.’ 『手を差し伸べ続ける物語。』 “This is the story of how we keep reaching out our hands.”

...with the story coming to full circle.

[johannepetereric]

My latest statement about Ren Krawler:

”Bro gets possessed by Tsubasa before going back to Bakugo—I mean Kyoya.”

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

A short angst-ish Drabble where Tsubasa arrives home to the two Pro Heroes being beaten to a pulp and faint to the floorboard, please?

((Hello there or good evening anon. I see you wish for an anguish drabble? But of course, just give me one moment and sorry this is late. Due to work and trying to think of what to say, this took a while but I think I got something.))

Silver butterfly mun/Peahen mom

"I wonder if Tsubasa is still out right now. He said he was getting something right?" Shoto checked the time seeing it was late but he was worried. Tsubasa said he would be back after running to the store so where was he? He might be still there or it was busy.

"I don't know. I could go and find him. He shouldn't be out so long but knowing he he tends to be." Bakugo was waiting too. They knew Tsu was going to be alright but they couldn't help but worry about him.

Well, they didn't have to worry much longer as they heard the door open and they heard. That had to be him. "See? He's back home. Lets go and welcome him home." Shoto got up and Bakugo did too. When they were about to head to the front door, a sudden thud was heard to make the heroes look confused. What was that noise?

Rushing to the front door, both Shoto and bakugo looks to see that made their eyes widen in shock. Tsubasa did return home but he was beaten up with blood seen on him. His new clothes were dirty and ruined and he seems to be ready to pass out. His eyes were half way open but he was leaning against the wall.

"T..Tsu?" Shoto said but he slowly looks to him but as soon as he tries to speak, his body gave out to fall to the floor passing out with a thud.

"Tsubasa!!" Shoto rushes over to get by him but carefully picks him up in his arms. "Tsu, what happened? Who did this to you?!"

"..............."

"Who the fuck did this!? I'm gonna kill whoever did this-"

"You won't! Just help me get him to the room." Closing the door, the heroes takes a knocked out Tsu into the house but worried of what the heck happened. Hours later, the two did patch him up, cleaned him of the dirt and blood. He was bandaged up carefully and resting in bed. Shoto stays by him worried with Bakugo angry but worried holding his hand. The two had to figure out who did this. Who would dare beat him up like this?

But for now, they focused on taking care of him first.

[huiiiooo]

Hi, I already made a post about this but I decided to make a more elaborate post on the subject

as we know after failing to steal One For All from Banjo and En, All for one realized that he would need a greater will than the user and his predecessors to steal the OFA, as he could not, he proceeded to find a Suitable Successor/Receptacle with enough will to steal the One for all

Due to the Connection with All Might, the Shimura family was the main sieve of All for one, but it was not the only one, as we know Garaki had several Orphanages and All for one probably Evaluated and tested possible Vessels there, including Number Six

This shows that even though he was working at Tenko, he was never the Only Possibility, because that doesn't suit someone who is always planning all the variables.

but he didn't limit it to Garaki or Shimuras, as shown with his experiment with Touya Todoroki

as All for one was coincidentally already at the mountain that day, it is possible that he used "Forced Activation" to cause the Fire, These three Shigaraki, Dabi and Number Six all have their hatred shaped based on some kind of heroic obsession.

What if this was also the case for Izuku Midoriya, but perhaps this would be a slightly more complex Experiment because of this because of this he was secondary, it would be an even more ambitious Vessel, since All for one would play a little with the Quirk Singularity, and your own genetics by having a child with someone from the fourth generation, the first generation that demonstrated the concrete Signs

the goal was not only to create an All for one with the ability to Hold the complex Quirks of the future, but also combined with Inko's Quirk it would be able to Steal Quirks without the need for direct touch, as it is already difficult to copy the All for one in a perfect and functional way, it is impossible to create something even more powerful in the laboratory

to avoid attracting attention All for one blocked his son's Quirk at birth, just as he removed the Tenko factor

Just as he encouraged heroic desires in Number Six and Shigaraki, the same would be done with Izuku, being from birth imbued with heroism and All Might, all so that when he saw himself Quirkless, society and reality would crush that dream, transformed into hatred and resentment, creating the will necessary to Steal One For All, he knew Izuku would be bullied (Maybe he even encouraged this behavior)

In order for the child to be monitored more closely and by a specialist, All for one asked The Tsubasa Family (Garaki's pseudonym) to move close to where he placed the Midoriyas

interestingly Koga (AFO Construction Site) Musutafu and Jakku Hospital then connected in a triangle close to each other, for easy accessibility to AFO and Garaki

and both families knew each other, little Tsubasa played with Izuku and Katsuki, and Izuku's mother knew Tsubasa's mother, probably that's why they went to Garaki since the families were already friends

Tsubasa was eventually transformed into Nomu for reasons currently unknown.

However, the Bullying did not have the expected effect and did not generate in Izuku the hatred and resentment that AFO wanted and neededIzuku was too good, he didn't create a grudge, he didn't get that hatred for society that Tomura got, which made Shigaraki Tomura the suitable Vessel for All for one, which made all for one leave this family adventure aside and focus on Tomura, leaving an automatic network sending money under the banner of a "Hisashi working overseas"

Maybe the reason AFO categorizes Izuku as Useless, and criticizes Yoichi for trusting him with the OFA is because he didn't become a Suitable Vessel and didn't live up to expectations, almost a parallel to Dabi, right?

Maybe he left it to use Izuku's Quirk when it was really necessary in the future

[easy-a-b10g]

THE GIRL WITH THE ENDEAVOR DOLL 

"Nova Kamiya, Izuku Midoriya, and Katsuki Bakugou all grew up together in the Shizuoka Prefecture, before Nova was born her mother moved to Japan from America after loosing her husband to a rouge villain attack making friends with Mitsuki and Inko during her stay, Nova grew up in japan alongside Kacchan and Izuku bonding more with the latter over their love of heros and missing quirks (and missing fathers lMAO) join this messy journey of love and soul searching between Nova and not just her childhood best friends but her future classmates aswell.  Stay tuned!!👀.  I'm trying to make it like A/B/O but I've never written for it so please be patient.😭

(A little on that a/b/o so your not confused in this story. In my a/b/o children can sorta be predestined to be alpha, beta, or Omega, like you can kinda tell by their pheromones and demures, or simply by their parents gender. It's kinda like the genetics of eyes if that makes any sense like how two blue eyed parents could have a blue eyed baby but if the parents of the blue eyed parents were all brown eyed parents they could have a baby with brown eyes or the baby could carry the gene of brown eyes. Like two Omegas male and female because I also believe that male and female Omegas can have children together as well as male and female alphas because you know male+ female =pup not necessarily Alpha+Omega=pup. So two Omegas have a baby and it could be an Omega but if their parents were all betas on both sides the baby could be a beta or carry beta genes???? Does that make any sense let me know )

Anyway Katsuki's parents are both alphas so he's an alpha Izuku's parents were both Omegas so he will be and Omega and Novas mom is an Omega and he father was an alpha and idk what I want her to be she probably going an Omega lol

   Feed back is greatly appreciated just please be nice. It's kinda proof read lol but not really. 

"Why are you being so mean?" Izukus voice trembled and whimperd with fear as he raised his fists in the air his distressed pheromones permitting the distance around them, "You're making her cry, Kacchan!  If you keep hurting her, uh ...I'll, uh... I'll stop you myself!"  These words tumbled from 4 year old Izuku Midoriyas lips as he stood at the end of Mesou Park, in front of his very best friend Nova Kamiya defending her from the bullies that decided to pick a fight with them.

  Nova was on the ground cradling her bruised arm, and her all time favorite Endeavor toy to her chest, trying to hold back tears and keep her sad smell to herself. She looked down at the doll which had been ripped in half, the stuffing was spilled all along the ground and even in her lap, with a trail leading to the other half of the doll which was left in the clutches of Katsuki Bakugou or Kacchan as Izuku and Nova liked to call him, he is the worst bully Nova has ever met. 

But first here's what happened.

Nova and Izuku had decided that bright Sunny Sunday morning that they were going to go down to Mesou Park and play heros together till super time.

Nova all but begged her mother everyday to see him since she couldn't last weekend, all because Izuku was at home sick with the flu, but her mother promised her as soon as he was better that they could play together again as much as she wanted but only until after Izuku got better.

She was so excited for this day, jumping with joy when seeing Izuku on the swing set at the end of the park waiting for her arrival. His favorite All Might figurine sat in his lap as he swayed with the wind on the rusty seat. 

 So you can imagine their dismay when halfway into playing Kacchan and his minions, Tsubasa and Tesaki or dumb and dumber as Nova like to call them, showed up to the park causing a ruckus and disturbing the other pups as they played. Nova told Izuku they weren't going to let them bother them today not like they did the last time and Izuku agreed with her and they continue to play without incident. 

 Up until Tsubasa had zeroed in on Izuku and Nova playing together by the swings and came over to spy on them from behind the giant tree near the swing set. That's when he overheard Izuku and Nova talking about All Mights Special combo moves and Endeavors furious flames before he decided that was all he needed to hear before he ran back to report his findings to Kacchan.

Izuku always chooses All Might when they played heros together always, just like she always chooses Endeavor. It's not like she likes him tho, no infact she thought he was a mean mean bully just like Kacchan and his friends, but his quirk stopped a lot of bad guys and in her book that was enough to make him a good hero despite his attitude. She also secretly really loved All Might just as much as Izuku did but she let him have All Might every time they played heros just to see him happy. 

Unfortunately for them Kacchan just happened to be one of THOSE moods today. "Are you guys seriously playing heros right now?" Nova and Izuku stopped playing and turn their heads to the voice addressing them. Tesaki and Tsubasa are seen snickering into their hands while they stand behind Kacchan who has his arms crossed with a smug smile on his face.

"Yeah so what?" Nova replies with a snark hands on her hips as she turns her nose up at him. "Well if your really a hero then how about you dodge this weakling!" He yells as he dashes for her, screaming she closes her eyes and braces for the impact of his push but it doesn't come, instead she feels a harsh tug on the doll in her hands. Her head snaps up immediately and she cries out for her special doll.

"Hey that's not yours!" Kacchan laughs at her waving the doll above her head once he was able to get it from her grasp. "Your a hero aren't you," he teased  "Don't heros share their toys? Hey guys catch!" he then throws the doll into the air over to his friends who then shove Nova into a involuntary game of monkey in the middle as she tries to rescue her stolen doll.

 With one final jump Nova finally claims the doll again but so has Kacchan and he's NOT letting go. "Let go of it Kacchan, give it back it not yous!" A tug of war begins between the two of them not lasting long before Nova could hear the tearing of the stitches as Kacchan continued to pull. "Wait Kacchan stop your going to-"

"RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPP"

The doll comes apart at the seams splitting this way and that until the stuffing from the Endeavor doll comes spilling out around her and into the air like white dandelion ploofs, without warning Kacchan shoved Nova to the ground where she hit her elbow really hard against the metal bars of the swing set. That's when Nova finally let out a distressing smell, not a very strong one but one strong enough for Katsuki to wrinkle his nose at her in disgust. Izuku finally ran in front of her yelling at Kacchan and the others to stop their antics.

"Hmph. You both wanna pretend to be a heros?" Kacchan proceeds to blow up the half of the doll he managed to snag from Nova with a wide grin. The tears Nova tried so hard to hold back came spilling out. "Neither of you stand a chance at becoming REAL heros without a quirk not to mention your just going to turn out to be a bunch of weak Omegas so why bother." Laughing he and his friends finally jump Izuku and and Nova. Kacchan went for the other half of Novas doll, the others  went after Izuku kicking and shoving and hitting him calling him a Deku over and over again. 

Nova tried her best to protect her doll but unfortunately Kacchan was stronger than her. Kacchan snatched the other half of the doll right from her tiny hands and burnt it to a crisp. The ashes falling in Novas face slowly and silently much like her tears did. Kacchan and his friends laughed and taunted them both until they finally decided they were done torturing them and moved onto the next group of pups to mess with. 

Crying Nova moved to Izuku to make sure he was alright. Izuku was just lying there in the dirt looking up at the sky tears streaming down his face. Sniffling and wiping her own tears away Nova sat Izuku up and dusted off his clothes and hair and asked if he was ok. With a nod he started to cry harder, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save your doll Nova, I'm so sorry." Pulling his hands to his face he started rubbing at his eyes, " It's not your fault zuku, Kacchans just a big ole bully whole likes to pick fights for no reason." Nova crossed her arms in anger. " Why does he have to be so mean just because he has a quirk does not make him any better than us!" She says with a huff grabbing a fist full of dirt and tossing it in anger. 

Here's the sad truth, all men are not created equal.

By the time they were both 4 years old, Nova and Izuku had learned that some kids have more power than others especially if you have the right secondary gender to back up that power. But that won't hold them back, if anything it pushes them to do even better. Being a hero is everything to Izuku and Nova. Despite not having their quirks yet they know they are going to be the fiercest heros around when they do get them! No matter how many people teased them for not having their quirks yet, they had each other to lift the other one up and encourage them to keep going and to keep believing that one day their quirks would finally show.

[princess-of-the-corner]

crack fic idea: OP Izuku, except he’s in gen ed and just wants to be a househusband. (BakuDeku is already canon at this point)

Ha!

On one hand I can't really imagine Izuku going full house husband he's gotta be doing /something/ whether it's Heroics, Support, or even just base Analysis.

On the other hand.

This is the funniest outcome.

Most powerful motherfucker somehow. And he just. Doesn't really bother or care. It drives everyone a little bit insane when they find out. But ya know what he's happy with his choices!

There's never a bkdk falling out for some reason (maybe without Izuku interested in Heroics it doesn't get bad? Maybe their parents intervene early?). So they're just like "when we were six we got married on the playground our rings were made of woven flowers(which we still have tucked in a scrapbook) and our friend Tsubasa was the ordained minister so we call each other 'husband' and the literal second we're both legally able to do so we're getting for real married on paper'.

No one knows what the fuck's going on with those two because you still have Katsuki 'Great Explosion Murder God: Dynamight' Bakugo yelling at you meanwhile you just have Izuku next to him like :) just literally like

[harukamitsuki]

(This is a stupid idea, but please bare with me 🙏) How do you think it would've effected the plot if Izuku Midoriya had been born with a combination of a Healing and Shield Generation Quirk? You think Katsuki Bakugo would've felt threatened by him and his treatment would be more worse (unless others stepped in to help him realize his behavior is not healthy at all)? Let's say in this scenario, Inko Midoriya has a healing Quirk (I can imagine her being a doctor in turn as a result) whilst his father has a Shield Generation (akin to force fields) like Quirk instead of their canonical Quirks. I know this is already changing a lot of things, but their Quirks are rather lackluster in the canon series. One major issue is that of Dr. Tsubasa (i.e., Kyudai Garaki) would realistically have stolen his and his parents' Quirks, but let's just say that that the Midoriya family instead of living in Japan, lived in the USA and thereby were away from him, OFA or their associates (unless we're counting OFA also having associates in the USA 🙃) As a result, Izuku would as a result, probably not be childhood friends with Katsuki as a result (but perhaps he has heard of him through his mother being friends with Mitsuki). So Katsuki would probably be a bit worse (in the beginning at least?), unless a different Quirkless individual took Izuku's place??? (I know at that point, they're just becoming OCS and really OOC compared to their canonical counterparts, but these ideas are just for fun and for a fanfiction rewrite, it won't affect the main series at all) (Also tempted to change Hisashi Midoriya's name in my BNHA rewrite since I get confused a lot between his name and Hizashi Yamada/Present Mic, ngl) Sorry for this long rambling and if the ideas sound stupid, lol.

It would change the plot a lot.

Izuku having a quirk as powerful as that would probably mean All Might wouldn't offer him OfA. And, yes, that quirk is powerful, and I've already started analysing it and how it could coexist despite being wildly differing.

Instead of Izuku focusing on strength and combat, I would imagine him to focus on protecting and healing people, maybe even becoming a support hero rather than an action one.

Also, it's heavily implied that the reason Izuku started analysing quirks in canon was because he himself didn't have one. He was quirkless, so thinking about the quirks he could have had was inevitable. By being born with a quirk, unless he has a reason to, he wouldn't really analyse quirks as he does in canon.

Changing Inko and Hisashi's quirks is fine, as they don't impact canon anyway. Inko could have had the fire breathing quirk, and nothing would change - so it's perfectly fine to change it. Hell, in my rewrite, I'm changing quirks too, with the analysis stuff.

With Izuku in the US, I honestly believe Bakugou would somehow be tamer. Without Izuku, someone he percieved as the weakest of the lot, reaching out to help him, he wouldn't feel incredibly challenged in his ego. He would still be a bully, but I doubt he'd go after someone as intensely as he did to Izuku.

(He'd still be a bully because he was shown to bully others.)

I doubt Izuku would have heard about Bakugou, however. Mitsuki and Inko being close friends is fanon - they barely if ever interact in canon, the fandom decided they were close because Izuku and Bakugou used to be friends when they were four.

Finally, let me just shed some light:

All fanfiction is OOC. Because you are not the author. You are putting these characters in non-canon scenarios, and those reactions will never be confirmed as canon, (unless the author makes the exact same story arc and it's basically a copy).

Plus, characters are the way they are due to their backstories. If you change their backstories, of course they're going to be different. Some of my favourite fics, and really popular fics, change the characters' personality.

For example, in 'Why Are We Here Again?' everyone is OOC, because their backstories are different. But nobody complains about it, because it's still a good story with strong messages, themes, and writing.

I hate complaints about characters being OOC, because authors aren't trying to be canon compliant 90% of the time.

You're fine. Don't worry about being OOC, because it's always going to be OOC, even if you can picture those canon character doing it exactly. Because it's not canon.

Anyway, this sounds genuinely interesting - keep at it!

[thecatduet422]

Chapter Three: Blood of the Dragon

Dragon King!bakugou katsuki x reader

Taglist: @genderfluid-anime-goth @iam-thevillain-of-thisstory @nnubee @reddriot

Rating: Mature

Tags: violence, blood, dragons, its wartime babes so people might get booboos, romance, sexual tension, medieval politics, northern!reader, knight!midoriya

Summary: With the fury of winter on the precipice, and food provisions deathly short, you have no choice but to represent your House and speak with the Dragon King. The only problem is your Houses have been at odds for centuries, and the fearsome Dragon King is not exactly easy to convince... (GoT-inspired AU)

A/N: Also, highly recommend @vampyrsm's forbidden flame series!

Chapters: 3/? (20,590 words)

AO3 LINK

Chapter One Chapter Two

Some translations for this chapter: *Dragons: Kanibaru = Cannibal, Kinba = Gold Tooth, Shiroi Tsubasa = White Wing. *Commands (taken directly from GoT): Dracarys = Dragon fire, Rybas = Focus, Naejot = Forward, Dohaeras = Serve, Umbas = Wait

Chapter Three: Blood of the Dragon (12.4k)

Darkness…

An echoing song…

Can't breathe…

You woke up gasping for air, only to be greeted by the sun shining its inferno through the lazy breeze of the curtains that guarded you. The silk sheets wrapped around you slipped across your skin like water as you entered into the morn, nightmare temporarily forgotten.

How useless, you thought suddenly. What’s the point of a blanket if not to keep you warm?

You roughly kicked the sheets off you, finding them to be a total hindrance. But then as soon as you did it, you felt strange. Almost vulnerable in a way, not unlike when you were on the boat, abandoning your extra layers of clothing. 

You’ve been guarding yourself against the outside for as long as you could remember. To meet it head-on, bare skin to sun, it felt like you were heading into battle with nothing but a horse. 

And how the southern heat seemed to target you, causing you to sweat constantly . You were always fighting off against the gross feeling as your body struggled to adjust to the new land.

You missed the cold air of the North, the smell of the grass, the sound of your little brother’s laugh. You missed the peace of the whispering woods, the roars of laughter in the Hall, the secluded comfort of the library. You missed home.

And yet, The Dragon King insisted you stay. 

“Until we both see fit," he had said.

Well, you saw fit to leave once the agreement was signed. That seemed to be the sensible thing to do. Your business would be done, so why stay?

And what was taking the contract so long? Surely, it must be done by now…

"We're gonna do it right this time… We reform our relationship, and in return, our alliance…"

Reform our relationship…

Something about that itched your mind, like the tune of a song you couldn't quite remember. Like any other trueborn of the North, the history of the Great Blacksmith has been engraved into your head. The tale of him and the Dragon Queen is very much a repeated one, back at home at least. But you imagined it would be popular in the Southlands too…

Does the King mean to…

No. Of course not.

You take a deep breath in, smelling the sweet smoke that was slowly beginning to waft into the room. 

“To cover the smell of dragon,” Lady Mina explained to you.

Apparently, the dragon caves weren’t far from the city, and the wind tended to drift the stench over. You smelled it more than a couple of times now; fire, soot, and something else you couldn’t place. The best way you could describe it was wet dog , and yet you knew that wasn’t right. Either way, it wasn’t exactly offensive, not when you’ve spent your entire childhood around livestock. Besides, you thought the incense more than did its job. Whether it was the soft floral scents of jasmine, sweet pea, and lilac or one of the stronger, spicier scents of cinnamon, clove, and frankincense- they all seemed to give you a jolt of energy, giving you the muster to start the day. 

And already there was Lady Mina, ready to start with you as she walked across the other side of the room, lighting the perfumed sticks as she went, soft tendrils of smoke marking her path like footsteps.

“Morning, Lady Mina,” you greeted, ignoring your slight unease.

You almost forgot that it was normal, a lady’s maid waking you up, helping you get ready for the day. And as more servant ladies walked in with clean linens, fresh tea, and food, you found your stubbornness winning over. 

“You know, I’m perfectly capable of getting ready on my own-”

Lady Mina easily countered with a wave of her hand. “Nonsense! You're our guest . Besides, you brought no maids of your own.” 

She shrugged nonchalantly, as if it weren't a problem, but you still found yourself squirming with embarrassment. Was it considered unethical, not bringing any maids with you? It’s not like you had a choice. The outlook of the war forced your lady mother to dismiss them all.

"Knights and guards must be placed over butlers and maids, sweetling. Can’t you see?"

And for a tiny moment, an arrow of sorrow punctured your chest as you remembered your goodbye to Jirou, your lady-in-waiting and best friend. The sad look in her eyes as you told her to pack up her things and go home…

A breakfast tray interrupted your memory, pulling the arrow along with it. As the tray was delicately placed over your lap, you were greeted with a mouthwatering assortment of bread, fruit, and cheese. You dug into all of it without a care as Lady Mina gleefully walked up to an assortment of dresses.

Oh, not again, you thought with an eye roll.

“And I was thinking for today,” she sang, eyeing through the garments, “You can wear… this! ” 

She pulled out a lovely silk dress, dyed the color lavender and bare on one shoulder, the otherside held together with a golden dragon pin. You could pick out the outline of the scales and teeth all the way from your place on the bed. Its jaw was open mid-roar, its eyes studded with tiny rubies, its tail snaking down to wrap around the waist.

It was… a lot.

You gulped down the lump of food in your mouth, feeling it plump down into your stomach. “Don’t you think it's a bit too much for me, Mina?"

Mina pouted. “We can replace the broach with one of your own, if you like. But you can't deny it isn't pretty…”

She dangled the dress in front of you, as if the fabric could somehow hypnotize you into saying yes.

You gulped down your guilt, almost wishing you would've fallen for it. But the truth was, your father raised you to ride on horseback, to swing a sword, to hunt alongside your brothers. Usually, you couldn’t be bothered with dresses.

"The thought is appreciated, trully,” you said with a mouthful of bread. You swallowed it down before continuing. “But I have training this morning. I very well can’t fight in, well, that .” 

You gestured to the dress as if it were a wild animal with rabies and foam spilling out from the mouth.

Lady Mina huffed, not forgiving you. “All you ever do is train...”

You gave her your best pleading face, trembling lip and the biggest eyes you could make. A trick you’ve pulled since you were a child.

"Ugh, fine ," Lady Mina relented, handing the dress back to a maid. "But the King is hosting a tourney later this week, and I insist on getting you ready for that!" 

She wagged a finger at you. "All of the highborns of the South are going to be there. You need to look like a proper lady of your station. Got it?"

“Yes, Lady Mina,” you nodded in fake agreement.

It wouldn't be a lie if you were gone by the time of the tourney, which you hoped to be once this damned contract was signed…

You shoved a final fistful of food into your mouth before getting ready.

And it was true when you said you could get ready on your own. A simple cotton shirt, breeches, and your boots were all you needed. You’ve forgone most of your armor since the boat, finding it all to be utterly unbearable in the Southern heat. You now only bothered with your arm braces and your scabbard.

However, as your eyes traveled over your form in the mirror, they caught onto your chestplate, tucked away in an open chest. It’s cool steel peeked out, the curve of the white fox stealing your attention with a twinkle of light, a reflection of the sun living in the fox’s eye.

Can't breathe-

Air hitched in your throat, and it was then you felt something unpleasantly strange; a cold air that brushed against the back of your shoulders and shivered into your chest.  

You pulled out the chestplate and strapped it on.

"Uh, are you sure you want to do that, my lady?" Mina asked you, cautiously. "It's a very hot day, today."

"I'll be fine," you insisted, finding a strong sense of pride in the fox that guarded your heart. With that one, and the necklace you wore underneath it, you felt like you knew who you were.

A northerner, through and through.

But as a show of respect, you did let Lady Mina do your hair. She brushed it back and weaved it into a braid as you worked on fastening your arm braces.

When Lady Mina stepped back, finished, you simply couldn't afford to linger anymore.

“Thanks,” you told her, not bothering to look before leaving, too busy fidgeting with the final clasp.

You heard her scoff all the way from the door, but hopefully, she knew you enough by now to realize you meant no offense. You simply had more important matters for the day.

You walked out, and as always, Ser Midoriya stood patiently by your door, waiting.

“Good morning, m’lady!” he greeted brightly.

“Good morning, ser.” You couldn’t help but feel warmth in your heart when you saw your friend. He reminded you of your littlest brother. Eager, innocent, hopeful.

“Any ravens from home?” you asked as the both of you headed towards the grounds.

“Yes, actually!” Ser Midoriya pulled out a scroll sealed with blood red wax, stamped with the outline of your familiar.

You eagerly ripped it open, eyes meeting your mother’s perfect handwriting.

Dearest Daughter,

I insist that you return home immediately.

Of course.

The savaged prince will cut off your head-

He’s a king.

You’ve surrounded yourself with beasts, sweetling. Can’t you see? It’s only a matter of time before they gobble you up.

You snorted.

Come home, before I lose a daughter as well as a husband.

You huffed. Using your father’s death against you was low, but unfortunately, unsurprising.

“Any news on the little lord?” Ser Midoriya asked.

You skimmed through the rest of the letter, worry pinching your face the farther you went down.

“No. Nothing.”

You crumpled the letter up into a ball and handed it back to Midoriya, who took it with no response, long-used to your mood when receiving a raven from mother. 

A couple of courtiers passed by, their gazes straying down to the fox on your chest. You saw them lean into each other in a conniving manner, whispering.

“The Lady of the North...”

You expected the stares. You were probably the first northerner to walk through these halls in decades afterall, and nothing fueled the court more than whispers, rumors, and gossip. 

You imagined that you were the main topic of all three today.

But what did surprise you were the glances cast at your knight.

“The green hair? He’s the one that jousted against the King...”

You showed no sign that you heard them, keeping your head forward. But once you passed them, you looked over to your knight. “It seems your reputation is quite bigger than I've been led to believe, ser.”

And as you predicted, Ser Midoriya flinched and stuttered to answer. “I-I told your lord father everything when I arrived at court, m’lady! I swear!”

“Maybe so, but now you must tell me,” you leaned in to talk quieter, in case there were any stray ears. “Without a written agreement, the Dragon King can have second thoughts on the trade. Perhaps he already is , and maybe that's why it's taking so long… You must tell me your tale, ser."

Ser Midoriya just looked at you, confused. "But, m'lady, Kacchan would never do that. He gave you his word."

Your eyebrows shot up to your hairline, bewilderment making you louder, " Kacchan? You have a nickname for him?"

“W-Well, we grew up together,” Midoriya explained, face turning red as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. His eyes roamed down, up, to the side, everywhere but at you.

You stopped, grabbing onto Ser Midoriya’s shoulder so he would do the same. When he still refused to look at you, you shook him gently, forcing him to do so.

“There’s no one I trust more than you, ser, can't you see? It’s your opinion that I value the most. Not the Dragon King’s.”

Ser Midoriya stood there, twiddling his thumbs. “It’s just that… it’s embarrassing m’lady. A-And" –he suddenly looked up at you, fists now clenched and eyes sparkling with determination– “I’m not that man anymore. I’m a knight now, and I’m going to be the best in all the lands!”

You gave a small smile at his declaration. Truthfully, it didn’t surprise you. You found that the ones most often looked down on were the ones with the biggest dreams, and Ser Midoriya was probably the most doubted knight in the entire realm. It was easy for the world to do so, with his naturally scrawny frame, panicked attitude, and lack of name.

But you've seen the knight grow. You've seen him be the very first one on the training grounds and the very last one to leave. You've seen how seriously he takes his duty in protecting you, how he treats your family with the utmost respect.

You've seen the boy become the man.

“You forget, ser. I train with you," you reminded him. “If I thought you were an embarrassment, I would have said so.” 

You held onto both of his shoulders now, hoping your persistence would be proof of your honesty. "I already believe you capable of anything. There is nothing you need to prove to me, ser."

You released your hold on him, crossing your arms stubbornly. 

“Now, tell me.”

Midoriya released a shaky breath, tears brimming in his forest-green eyes, and for a fearful moment you thought the knight would outright weep, but then he shook his head, wiping them away. 

“Okay.”

He pulled you away into a corner, where his story could be hidden by stone and shadow. 

“As you know, I was working as a stable boy here, in the Southlands. But, I’ve always dreamt of becoming a knight. My favorite story as a boy was always-”

“-Ser Toshinori Yagi, the All Mighty Knight of the Goldlands,” you finished for him.

Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, well. I would run into Kacchan a lot back then but… but often times Kacchan didn’t want me around." 

You narrowed your eyes at his hesitancy. You could read inbetween the lines. You knew how cruel men like the Bakugou Katsuki could be.

Midoriya went on. "He was training to be a knight too, you see. He kept talking about us going to war soon-”

“And how would he know that?” you interrupted snootily. “The Old Lord of the South didn’t even suspect war, so how did he ?”

“Kacchan has the blood of the dragon, m’lady,” your knight explained. “He has dragon dreams.”

“Dragon dreams?”

Ser Midoriya nodded.

Your oncoming dislike of the King hindered for a moment as you absorbed the information.

You’ve read about the blood of the dragon. The last known carrier was the  Dragon Queen. It was written that she never burned, that her dreams were premonitions, that her shouts could make dragons heel, while her whispers could make them roar.

And, it was written that she was the last who could do so.

"Is this true?" you asked carefully.

Midoriya nodded. “He claimed a dragon when he was five, m'lady.”

Shock flowed through you at the idea.

Five years old…

“Well." With a heavy sigh, you slumped against the wall. "I guess that would prove it.”

You looked up, eyes roaming over the stone of the ceiling as you mused. “I never expected the Dragon King to be a dreamer.”

Midoriya looked down sheepishly, almost as if he were guilty of something. “If you ask about it, he'll deny it, m'lady. Kachaan thinks it makes him look superstitious…"

Is that what happened to you, ser? You made a mention of his dreams, and he beat you for it?

"B-But anyways," –Midoriya shook his head, clearing whatever thought that clouded it– "when the tourney was announced, we all thought that this was it; this was how we can prove ourselves and become knights. Kacchan kept talking about how he would win and be named Commander-”

You snorted. “From one tourney win? Doubtful.”

Midoriya shook his head, correcting you. “By then, Kacchan had a lot of influence, m’lady. He was able to command a dragon, and he was in the Old Lord's favor."

“Really?” you asked, astonished. “So just like that? He won and was named Commander?”

Midoriya nodded, tears brimming once again as he recounted shamefully, “The very first round, Kacchan was put up against me and…” –tears started to fill more as Midoriya choked– “And as soon as I charged, somehow the girth came undone…”

“And you fell off.”

“And I fell off!” Midoriya cried.

His sobs bounced off of the walls as Ser Midoriya could no longer hold it in. He doubled over, completely consumed by his emotions, and you saw curious courtiers start to peek their heads your way.

“There, there, ser.” You patted his back reassuringly. “Your riding skills have improved tremendously since you’ve been with me. Your fighting skills, too.”

“I know that.” Ser Midoriya wiped his tears away. “And even then, I knew I could do better. I stood up and went to mount my horse again.”

“As you should,” you nodded.

“But…” Midoriya hesitated. He looked up at you, and you knew then that you wouldn’t like what he had to say. “But Kacchan wouldn’t allow it, m’lady.”

“What?!” you exclaimed. “ Why? You did nothing wrong.”

"He said I was hopeless, that there was no way I could fight, and if I wasn't fit to represent the Southlands on the battlefield, then I wasn't fit to represent them at all," Midoriya recounted in sorrow. "And the Old Lord listened, m’lady, so I was banished."

“That is-” you choked on your anger, too steamed to finish.

Unfair . Dishonorable . Cowardly. Those were the words that came to mind.

“I don’t like this King,” you decided, making your way back towards the light of the hallway.

Anger and guilt twisted your stomach as you realized, that’s why Ser Midoriya begged you to let him fight the other day. He saw it as his chance to regain his honor, and you didn’t let him. You thought it was your duty to challenge the King yourself, in the name of your House.

You peeked over your shoulder, at Ser Midoriya, who was now dejectedly following behind you.

“There’s a tourney coming up later this week. You can fight then,” you decided.

Ser Midoriya’s face brightened immediately. He reminded you of a child seeing his first fall of snow. “Really, m'lady?! You'll let me?”

Your anger melted at the sight of his excitement. “Why, of course, ser. You will be the sole representative of the North. I swear.”

Midoriya’s face turned serious, his determined nature taking root once more. “Yes, m’lady! I will make you proud.”

You didn’t doubt it, but now you'll have to deal with Mina…

Fresh sun hit your face as you reached the grounds. Along with it, the air, tainted with the smell of sweat, blood, and the putrid stench of dragon caves, their presence out of sight yet far from forgotten. Your gaze traveled from the men moving about- from the knights, squires, and stableboys maneuvering through the chaos of work- to the main sparing area, which sat directly in the sun. 

Can't hide your weaknesses when you're basked in light, you thoughtfully observed.

“Are you sure you wish to train today, m’lady?” you heard Midoriya ask. “You’re wrist-”

“It’s fine ,” you assured him, flapping your wrist around to prove it. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Besides, we need to practice.” You walked into the sun and pulled out your sword, it’s thin blade pointing at Ser Midoriya’s chin. “Let’s go .”

Your knight stared in surprise at your showmanship before promptly furrowing his brows, looking back with fiery confidence. “Right!”

He pulled out his own sword, and as sudden as lightning, you two began, your motions turning into a dance you knew very well.

“Keep your guard up!” you told him.

Midoriya listened and moved to correct his stance, but that was when you had him. You knocked his sword away.

“Keep your head as well,” you joked.

Midoriya huffed in amusement, resetting himself for the next round. You followed.

The both of you simultaneously began once more. You danced around your knight mercilessly, fighting him with the same sly brutality you showed the King.

Ser Midoriya was your knight, afterall. If he couldn’t hold a fight against you , then there really was no point to him, was there?

But just like you knew he would, Midoriya kept up, though be it, with a very strained look on his face. You weren't sure if he was afraid of you hitting him or he hitting you . You knew if he actually gave you an injury, Ser Midoriya would never forgive himself-

You felt a solid tap on the chest, sword hitting your armor with a solid tink.

“Yes!” Midoriya cheered.

“Nicely done,” you complimented. 

It was what you deserved, with your mind wandering about.

Head in the clouds, ears in the trees, your father used to say.

You both repositioned, swords high and eyes pierced into one another, waiting to see what the next move might be.

Ser Midoriya was smart enough to keep his eye on your hip, where your dagger was hidden. You've been known to pull it out when least expected, surprising your opponent when their attention was focused on your sword. A trick that helped you with Bakugou, but unlike him, Midoriya has sparred with you many times now. He knew your tricks.

You both circled around each other, waiting.

"JUST GO ALREADY!" Somebody screamed, and immediately, everyone in your peripherals stood at attention.

Perhaps out of spite, you broke your stance, refusing to do so.

You could feel the glare of the Dragon King once more, this time from the shadow of the balcony.

You remained tall and glared back. 

Just because you were making a trade with the Dragon King didn't mean you had to bow to his every whim. He was the King of the South , and your loyalty was to home. To your people.

To your knight, you thought furiously, Ser Midoriya’s tale taking center place once more.

"Good morning, Your Grace," you greeted curtly.

Bakugou continued to glare, eyes searching for a sign that you'll buckle. However, he seemed to find none, for he turned his head away with a huff.

"Mornin'," he grunted before making his way down the steps. Obnoxiously slow, obnoxiously loud.

He wore a fresh cape today, still sporting the blood red color of his House. His chest was still bare, still proudly exposing the tattoos he earned in battle (and yet shamefully, your cheeks flared as if it were all new). 

However, what was new was the chain he wore around his neck, made out of tiny sharp teeth.

The baby teeth of his dragon, perhaps?

When he reached the ground, the King's eyes immediately latched onto your knight, burning with an unmatched fury. 

"Deku," he growled. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

You noticed your knight's hands shaking by his sides, and so you interjected.

"He's my knight, and I asked him to help me train," you answered coolly. "What's it to you?"

The King barked out a laugh. " Right . I've seen the worm fight before." He inched closer intimidatingly. "More like you were training him ."

And then a sword appeared between you two.

"I'm a knight of the North now, Kacchan." Ser Midoriya's voice was tight but steady, and you saw Bakugou's eyes flare even more. "I must ask that you keep your distance from m'lady. She's already close enough to hear whatever you have to say."

The King's face twisted into a deadly scowl. "Stop calling me that! I'm a king-"

"But not his," you cut in, your own eyes piercing coldly into the dragon's. Ice to the fire. "Ser Midoriya belongs to the North now. Remember?"

You saw the King's scowl pinch in, just slightly before it turned into a cruel, arrogant smirk. 

"Must be where the cowards go."

Anger flared within you, contained only by the hard steel of the fox that protected your chest. In fear that you would snap and ruin the agreement before it was even written, you said nothing.

"You northerners won't last five seconds in the dragon caves," the King went on.

You felt a brow perch up, asking, "Oh? Is that what we're doing today?"

The King's scowl returned. "I told ya' I was gonna show you how we get blackstone, didn't I?"

"We’re going to mine blackstone?" you asked with genuine curiosity, anger gone for now. 

But, how ?

"Just come along, will ya'?" The King growled darkly before walking away.

The way he said it cowed you into obedience. You were both curious to see how the southerners attempted to mine, as well as the sudden seriousness that seemed to possess the King.

And in following him, you got to see the true power he welded.

Everywhere the Dragon King went, the people would stop. Women dropped to the floor in curtsies. Men would bend the knee. Knights and guards would stand at attention and salute, any hint of life gone in the presence of their liege.

You expected he liked it that way.

And how the King wouldn’t stop or even nod at his courtiers. Instead, he chose to act as if they didn't exist at all, keeping his head forward as he marched towards the gateway. It wasn’t until you were halfway there when you noticed…

“You don’t have a guard?” you asked curiously.

The King snorted. "Like to see someone try . In my own castle…”

Good point. Only a fool would dare to slay a dragon when they're in the belly of its lair.

The three of you reached the gateway, reintroduced to the sky once more, and the sight in front of you brought a smile to your face.

“Oh good! We’re riding there!” 

The first horse you saw was the one in front, a bay gelding with a tail that wouldn't stop flicking. The sootiness of his coat shined against the sunlight, bringing attention towards his strong legs and dark snout, his eyes dark as night. He wore a gold trimmed saddle with blood red padding, all bearing the sigil of a golden dragon breathing flame. 

The Dragon King's.

But then you spotted the light-gray mare behind him, her coat reminding you of snow. Not the pure white snow that blessed the North deep within the winter season, but the real snow you used to see every day; the slush that squished under your feet when you walked to the stables. The half-melted snow that cornered the gateway, forming into small mountains you and your brothers used to climb, and then later fall in. The dirty snow your older brother dared you to eat once (and you almost did, until mother saw you and screamed bloody murder).

It was the type of snow hardly anyone ever thought about.

And how the mare's eyes bled into yours, her stature unmoving and calm, her long tail occasionally flicking with the unearthed energy that she was, no doubt, reserving for the ride.

You walked past the King to greet her, making sure to keep to her side, so that her eyes could be on you as you approached carefully.

"Hello, there," you spoke to her in a gentle tone, holding a cautious hand to her nose so she could catch your scent.

She took some sniffs and sighed into your touch, her own sign of welcome. She then nudged her nose into your palm, urging you to pet her.

You let out a giggle at her persistence, finding a light-hearted joy you haven't felt in a very long time.

“I take it you like to ride, my lady?” a voice startled you, bringing you back to your surroundings. 

You didn't even notice the man next to you, which was saying something given his solid build and eccentric red hair. Everything about him read strong and warrior , yet he wore a gentle smile with kind eyes to match.

You bashfully answered. “As soon as I learned how to walk, I learned how to ride. The North is full of open land, you see. It’s far more practical to be on horseback than inside a carriage.”

The large man smiled, showing off his sparkling sharp teeth.

“You’ll like Yuki, then. She’s nice, but she sure likes to run.” The man patted the horse's neck affectionately. 

Your chest panged with heartbreak once more, as you remembered how you had to give up your own stead for the northern cause. 

Another sacrifice for the war.

The man turned towards you, and nodded his head in the form of a bow. “Kirishima Eijirou, if it pleases my lady.”

It was then that you spotted the gold broach holding the man’s cape together. It was a hand, palm open in a show of promise.

“You're the Hand?” you asked, surprised. But then again, perhaps it was unsurprising that someone like Bakugou Katsuki would want someone equally built along his side.

“Indeed, I am!" Kirishima cheerfully replied. "Sorry for not greeting you at the gate. We had a-”

“Oi, Ei!” The King barked. “Quit yapping and get on a damn horse!”

The Dragon King was already on his stead, ready to go.

“Best not to keep His Grace waiting,” you grumbled sarcastically.

Kirishima leaned towards you, whispering as if in conspiracy. “You’ll find that he’s more roar than bite, my lady. I promise.” He tossed you another smile before leaving to head to his own horse.

You felt your brows furrow in confusion. 

Somehow, you doubted that.

You mounted Yuki with ease, her steady nature being a welcomed gift after dealing with the fiery tempers of this morning.

And, you were sure, the fiery tempers you still had to deal with.

“M’lady is one of the best riders in the North!” Midoriya excitedly proclaimed, mounting his own horse clumsily. “She raced against all of the lords and knights of the land and beat them all! Even her lord brother.”

The King snarled. “As long as she’s better than you.”

Anger flared inside you, and quite suddenly, you felt the need for a challenge. “Have you ever raced against a northerner before, Your Grace?”

The King scoffed, jutting a thumb towards his chest as he bragged, “I’ve ridden dragons, Lady! I doubt you can beat me.”

You smirked.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” you said smoothly. Then without any warning, you hit your reins, urging your horse to run with a loud “Ya!”

And you left everyone in the dust.

You could hear the shouts of the King behind you. “Oi! This is cheating! Get your ass back here!” 

You also heard the cries of your knight. “M’lady, please! You can’t just leave like that!”

You looked back, catching the sorry sight of them struggling to catch up, and your laugh carried you over to the other side of the Bridge. Out of mercy (and also because you genuinely did not know the way), you slowed Yuki down to stop.

The King caught up to you within a second, halting right next to you. 

“That doesn’t count!” he scolded, eyes burning angrily into yours.

You rolled eyes and shrugged. “It was a joke, Your Grace. Nothing more…”

He scoffed, melted gaze fading into curiosity. You felt his eyes stray to your posture, how posed you looked on a horse, but then they stopped at your chestplate.

"You wearing that for the whole day?" he asked you calmly.

For some unknown reason, you felt a prickle of nervousness creep up to the back of your neck. "Yes, Your Grace. I was planning on it."

You watched as Bakugou's brow arched up, his face contorting into a look of confusion and disgust.

He thought you were stupid.

But just as quickly as the expression appeared, it fell as you heard him grumble quietly, "Fine. It's your funeral."

Then he rode his horse ahead of you, leading the way, and as you watched his retreating form, you couldn't help but ponder over his sudden cut off from you.

It was almost as if he were disappointed in you.

And then you found yourself questioning your choice, wondering if perhaps it was a stupid idea, wearing a chestplate on a day like this.

You were starting to feel it- the strong band of heat trapped inside the plate. The weight of it was starting to drag you down, and when you looked, you saw that no one else was wearing anything to a similar degree. Even your knight, who wore his whole uniform on the very first day, was now only wearing his pauldrons over a light shirt.

Doubt started to sink in, and your fingers started to play at the clasps holding the plate together.

Can't breathe-

All of the air suddenly escaped from your lungs, like you were punched in the gut, forcing you to take a greedy breath in. The chill that tickled your skin returned, making the sweat that coated your skin turn ice cold. It was like a ghost was passing through you, inflicting you with the feeling of his bloodless fate.

So you decided to keep the chestplate on as you rode alongside your party, more of the King's soldiers following close behind.

Silence filled the time of the journey, as dirt and land started to give away to sand, beach rocks, and tall grass peeking through it. Even though this was in the Southlands, you felt as if Tochiryuu was an island, a place of its own with nothing but the things inside it; the beat of the sun, the white of the sand, and the roar of the ocean that was slowly growing bigger and bigger, its water twinkling like it was made out of stars.

Maybe the sea wasn’t such a sorry sight after all. 

And as you turned your head around, marveling at the beauty of the beach. You couldn’t help but think there was a battle here, not that long ago.

“So, tell me about Sunset Beach.”

A wave of tension seemed to pass through the King and his Hand, and for a moment, you thought perhaps you got it wrong.

“This is where you had your big victory, yes?” you asked the King directly.

His crimson eyes seemed to darken into the color of blood as they peeked back at you.

“Aye,” was all he said.

You huffed. "Well, King of Victory. Wouldn't you like to tell me how you earned the name?”

Surely he expected you to ask about it?

But oddly enough, the Dragon King didn’t reply. He just turned away and completely ignored you.

You didn’t understand. You'd imagined an arrogant man like Bakugou Katsuki wouldn't dare miss the opportunity to brag. Was his success exaggerated? Or was the battle more gruesome than how the songs described it to be?

Either way, you got it wrong, and you found yourself looking back at Ser Midoriya for guidance. But, he looked just as puzzled as you, his face scrunched up in deep concern as he met your gaze.

The heat within your chestplate started to curl up and tighten your throat. You suddenly felt panicked at the idea that the King didn’t like you. Personally, you wouldn’t have cared. You didn’t necessarily like him either, but your country was on the line. The King could decide not to follow through on the agreement. You needed to stay in good graces, at least until the bloody contract was signed and you could get the hell out of here.

You decided the best route was to just keep your mouth shut for the rest of the journey, and try to impress later.

“Have you been to the caves yet, my lady?” Kirishima suddenly asked you. He sounded kindly, and he even slowed his horse down so he could be by your side, better to hear you.

So much for keeping your mouth shut.

You swallowed down your reluctance to speak. “Not yet, but I’ve read about them, my lord.”

You eyed the King warily before going on. “The caves live just south of the Arashi Mountains. Not only are they the only known caves that hold blackstone, but they are home to many other gems as well- blood rubies, yellow diamonds. But…” You looked back at Kirishima. “But because of all of that, they're a natural attraction for dragons.”

Kirishima nodded. “That’s right. Dragons love treasure. Many of them end up making their nests in the caves. They're crawling with them.” And then, perhaps fearing that the comment would scare you, the lord backtracked. “B-But not to worry! The King and I have been in the caves many times. Right, Your Grace?!”

The King grumbled under his breath before begrudgingly replying, “Know ‘em like the back of my hand.”

“I trust you,” you told Kirishima, but your eyes did briefly wander over to the Dragon King.

The Arashi Mountains grew bigger. You could now pick out the lines of smoke that punctured various corners, curling up into the sky and beyond it, making the peaks disappear. The stormy-black of the rock seemed to swallow the sun that touched it, painting its entire aura gray. You caught the smaller pieces of rock circling around the base, how jagged and sharp they appeared to be as they covered the pitch-back that was the entrance to the caves.

You then spotted the white tents lined up around it, the small ants of men moving about to the faint sound of metalwork, as more lines of smoke traveled up from the ground, signaling the presence of bonfire.

But then a mighty roar vibrated through the sky. You looked up behind you and saw a tiny black speck flying, growing bigger and bigger until you struggled to see under the brightness of the sun. You felt a rush of wind fan your cheeks and whip through your hair, and the darkness the dragon brought shielded you from the torture as it flew over you. As it passed, you saw the familiar colors; red shimmering into black and green as it headed towards the mountains before you, letting out another roar as the dragon reached its home.

You saw the King smirk with pride.

"Katsuko" he greeted.

"Yours?" you asked.

The King whipped his head towards you, and for a moment you thought he would ignore you again or at least give you another half-ass answer, but pride seemed to take over. He boasted,"Of course. It's only right that the King has the best dragon."

"Is he the biggest?"

Bakugou snorted, hopping off the horse to walk the rest of the way towards the caves. "For his age. He’ll only grow bigger as he gets older, don’t worry."

You weren’t.

Truthfully, you weren’t too keen on the dragons yet. You admitted they were beautiful creatures and that they held a charming sense of power and grace when they flew in the air, beyond any danger or limitation. But you faintly wondered about the consequences of taming such a beast…

You went to unmount as well when a dizzy spell hit you, knees buckling as your feet touched ground. You held onto the saddle to keep yourself steady.

Ser Midoriya raced to your side when he noticed. “M’lady! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, ser,” you gritted determinedly, still feeling light-headed. 

“Are… are you sure you need the chestplate, m’lady?” Midoriya asked quietly. “If it’s your safety you're worried about, don’t worry! I’m sure Kacchan knows what he’s doing, and I’m here-”

“I said I’m fine, ser,” you seethed, hating to snap at him, but now the ghostly feeling has increased tenfold, from brushing against your shoulders to now trapping you in a bear hug, whispering in your ear…

Can't breathe…

You squirmed under its warning.

Your eyes peeked open to find Ser Midoriya staring at you in worry.

You gave a short, exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry, but my gut is telling me to keep the plate on and so it stays on. And that’s that.”

Ser Midoria nodded silently in agreement, although the worry was still plain on his face.

You both followed behind the King and His Hand, who were currently being greeted by a familiar face.

“Ah, great! The Dragon Whisperer has arrived.” Kaminari approached, a wide grin on his face as he bowed to the King.

Bakugou grunted in response and simply moved past him, heading towards a large slab of stone set in the middle of the base, sanded down so that it resembled a table. Some men were huddled around it, but quickly stepped aside for him. You had a feeling if they didn’t, the King would’ve just plowed through them anyway.

Lord Kaminari didn’t seem phased however, and instead his gaze landed on you.

“My lady,” he said with another bow. “I hope your ride was pleasant.”

“Better than the carriage,” you muttered grumpily.

It was true. Although the heat was gruesome and it was currently racing through your veins like snake venom, it was still a better journey. Afterall, you had yet to throw up.

A canteen floated right in front of your face. You grabbed at it- delighted to find it was real - and saw that it was your knight that gave it to you, worry still etched onto his face.

You ignored it, and drank out of the canteen heavily, fresh water flowing down your throat and branching through the rest of your body in heavenly relief.

You wanted to pass it back to Ser Midoriya, but he beated you to it by insisting you needed to catch up to the King, who was studying the slab. As you went to do so, you eagerly eyed the men working on the tools- pickaxes, hammers, and spears you quickly noted. You squinted in on them, and was shocked to find they were working with steel. Not blackstone.

Then, how?

You reached the King, approaching on his left. You looked down, curious of the source of his attention, and saw that the slab was carved with many lines, some short and some stretching to the opposite side, all of them connecting like the roots of a tree. At certain points, there were names, some of them faded so that you had to squint to read- Kinba, Shiroi Tsubasa, Kanibaru -and some of them were new, freshly carved- Musouka, Katsuko …

It was a map… and the names must be where the dragons live.

"So, which path are we taking?” you asked.

Bakugou huffed, dragging a finger from the older end, passing through Kanibaru and following the main line all the way down until reaching Katsuko , and then Musouka .

Your heart dropped to the bottom of your stomach.

“We’re going through their nests?” you asked in quiet horror.

“That’s how we find blackstone,” the King shrugged, as if it were no big deal. “The dragons are attracted to it, so they nest where it’s at.”

“And luckily for us, Musouka’s expanding her home!” Kirishima joyfully informed you. “She must be laying eggs soon.”

“‘Means she’ll be even more territorial,” the King grumbled. “We have to be careful bringing Katsuko in there.”

“We’re bringing Katsuko?” you asked.

“‘Need him to melt down the rock,” the King answered before turning towards Kaminari. “Oi! Where’s Musouka now?!”

“On flight, Your Grace. The watchtower last reported her heading east.”

“Then we need to move now,” the King stated, and in the wink of an eye, everyone did, and with such urgency that you found yourself looking in every direction, utterly lost.

“W-Wait! What if she comes back?!” Ser Midoriya cried, looking just as confused as you.

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you know,” Kaminari winked, handing each of you a torch, top end wrapped in cloth and reeking of alcohol. A heavy pack was suddenly tossed your way, and you peered inside it to find a pickaxe, rope, gloves, and a fresh canteen.

“You’ll also need this. The smell is quite strong down there.” Kaminari then handed each of you a large white cloth. 

You gave a good whiff and found that the putrid scent of the mountains, which was once tolerable in the city, was now churning deeply in your stomach.

Oh, you can not throw up again.

You secured the cloth over your nose and mouth, as tightly as you could. Then, you faced the pitch black of the cave’s entrance. No torches lined up against the wall, nor any wagon tracks. The only physical sign that man has been in that cave before was the slab of rock right next you.

Steeling yourself, as much as you could with the heat and the smell, you marched towards the black, but as soon as you met Kirishima at the entrance, you heard something big walking up behind you. 

You turned to find none other than Katsuko the Dragon, being way too close to your comfort with the King riding on top of him, looking as smug as ever, even with the cloth over his mouth.

It made you feel more sick than the stench ever could.

You all scrambled to get out of the way as Katsuko continued to march past you. 

“Just follow me, northerners, and you’ll be fine,” the Dragon King bragged.

Torches lit, you, Midoriya, and Kirishima silently walked behind Katsuko, who led the way. Wings tucked and body flat, the dragon scurried through the tunnels almost like a lizard, his tail slithering after him.

As rock and dirt crunched under your feet, you observed the walls around you, your torch light capturing the indented black that swallowed you whole, its tiny glimmers shining from your fire. It looked solid. Strong. And yet you knew you could easily take your pickaxe and pick a piece off.

It wasn’t blackstone. Blackstone only shined in sunlight.

Your eyes strayed down to find a white line of rope tied to the sides, a bell attached every few inches. You followed the line all the way until darkness stopped you.

Kaminari.

That’s what he meant. If Musouka comes back, he’ll pull the rope and ring the bells.

You all continue your path silently, letting the distant echoes of the cave consume you. It was somehow calming, the sound of the caves; the small drip of water from somewhere in the dark, the small roar of fire that came from your torches, the small shuffles of your footsteps, even the small sounds of Katsuko as he sniffed and scampered his way ahead.

All of these small sounds being casted out into the vibrant air of the cave, traveling through and meeting into one singular song. It gave you this strange, lulling sense of tranquility, one you were only familiar with through the whispering woods of home.

You hated to interrupt it, but you had questions.

“Why aren’t we using the blackstone tools?”

Everyone stopped to look at you. Even Katsuko.

“What blackstone tools?!” The King barked, the echoes of the cave capturing his voice and making it louder.

And it was such an offensive response that you couldn’t help but stare at him, speaking full of snark. “You know, the ones my family made…"

The Blacksmith's Hammer. The Anvil. The Five Pickaxes. Tools that have been passed down to your family for generations, that is, until the truce was broken.

“Eh?” the King asked. “Why the hell would we have those?!”

All you could do was look blankly ahead, the flare of your annoyance washed away into stupor.

“You… you don’t have them?” you asked quietly, fear and heartbreak creeping in with the thought that your ancestor’s creations may be gone for good.

“No, my lady.” Lord Kirishima shook his head . “At least, not us nor the Old Lord.”

“Do…" Your throat clogged with emotion, forcing you to clear it out and adjust your mask. "Do you think the Dragon Queen did something to them?”

“I wouldn’t know, my lady.” Kirishima shook his head again, sadly .

You let the sharp pain of grief curl up around your throat before stubbornly swallowing it down, ceasing the sting in your eyes along with it.

“That’s why our pickaxes are plain,” you roughed out, continuing your walk. "And why we need Katsuko to melt down the stone."

Dragon fire.

Except for blackstone itself, it's the only thing that can affect it. Without the Blacksmith’s tools, it would be the only option.

"And what do we do if we run into a stray?" you asked nervously.

No one answered.

Swallowing down the lump in your throat, you took the silence for what it was and moved along.

You let your hand brush along the cave wall, feeling the coarseness scratch along your palm, and you wondered distractedly, how far down were you? Then, how far down did the tunnels go? You haven’t even passed through the first dragon’s nest yet…

The sound of your footsteps began to grow louder, crunchier , and then,

Snap.

Startled, you looked down, absent mindedly thinking you somehow stepped on a twig.

But that couldn’t be right.

And when you brought your torch down to the ground, you saw it- the stick of bone white, coated with ash.

You swallowed down your fear over the sickening realization that, you were getting close.

“Kanibaru. That’s the first nest, yes?”" you asked nervously.

The King rumbled, “Aye.”

“And, do we need to worry about him?”

He let out a snort. “Kanibaru’s been dead for years, lady. We’ll be fine.”

"Not too far now, m’lady," Kirishima assured you.

You looked over towards your knight, who's been oddly silent since entering the caves, his eyes downcasted in deep thought.

“Are you alright, ser?”

Midoriya blinked, startled back to reality by your voice. “Oh! Y-Yes, m’lady. I was just pondering over the name.”

“Kanibaru?”

Ser Midoriya nodded solemnly. “Cannibal.”

Ice cold dread ran through your veins, making you feel cold once again despite the warmth of your armor.

The temperature of the air was fine, but the strong stench of dragon was fully watering your eyes now. You found yourself furiously wiping away your tears with your arm.

“Watch your feet!” the King called behind him.

You immediately looked down, seeing the bones in Kirishima’s torchlight. No longer were they fragments, hidden in the earth, but fully exposed and bigger.

And bigger…

Bones grew and multiplied. While once you were watching your step, now you were actively maneuvering around them- stepping over a ribcage only to narrowly avoid what appeared to be a broken sheep skull.

But then the bones went on, until they formed tiny mountains of their own and it was impossible to ignore the sickening crunches and snaps that formed under your feet, as you had no choice but to fully step on them now. 

And then you reached the nest.

Large white pillars sat on both ends, forcing Katsuko to tighten himself so he could crawl under it while Bakugou ducked, the rest of you huddling closer into the center. As you carefully stepped through, you looked up, seeing the roof that was the spine. And once you passed the pillars and the broken off roof, there were a few steps of nothing, and then…

The skull. 

It was facing away from you, so you couldn’t quite see it in all its glory yet, but Katsuko could, and he didn't like it. The dragon growled softly at the bone, sniffing at it and nudging it with his nose before his jaw opened slightly, growl growing louder and more rattled.

“Oi, Katsuko,” The Dragon King warned, “Rybas.”

The dragon let out another growl before turning his head and continuing walking.

And when you circled around the great white marble, you caught the side of the jaw, and then, the heavy spears of the teeth. The ones toward the front of the mouth were chipped off and broken, but the ones towards the back were completely intact, and so large- you imagined all it took was one strong bite for any prey to be turned into a slush of meat.

Your eyes traveled up the eye sockets, the one on the right torn and shattered all the way down the cheek.

The final bite that killed it.

When your fascination began to drag you behind, Ser Midoriya grabbed your elbow, nervously urging, “C’mon, m’lady! Best to keep moving.”

Sweat coated the palm holding your torch. You grasped it tighter, suddenly fearful of any small sound that passed through, your peace dampened with the idea that a dragon had no qualms killing one of its own.

But the bones soon disappeared, and the regular pathway of the tunnels returned, turning your thought into nothing but a shadow in your own mind.

Your chestplate grew heavier and heavier the farther you went down, and soon you found yourself being the last one in the group. At least, you would’ve been, if Ser Midoriya didn’t insist on staying by your side, making sure you were keeping up. 

And you tried to, you really did, but the weight of the chestplate felt heavier than stone, and every slight breeze that passed through seemed to tickle the back of your neck and crawl down to the bottom of your spine, making you shiver as the haunting came back again and again.

You kept waiting for the bells to ring, or worse, the small rumblings of a beast to poke through.

But besides the sounds of your party passing through, there was nothing, and Katsuko seemed to not be worried at all. In fact, he seemed to be going faster now, eager to reach his own domain.

The pathway began to grow wider. You, Midoriya, and Kirishima now free to walk with a bit of space, nothing but the darkness of the void and the small specks of torchlight warding it off, until Katsuko suddenly took a left turn, leaving you all chasing to follow.

The dragon took a few more steps then abruptly stopped, causing a domino effect for Kirishima, Midoriya, and you.

Katsuko grumbled softly again, flapping his wings slightly as he entered his own home. The white pieces of bone once again resurfaced from the ground, this time, only the remains of sheep scattered along with it.

But glittering light soon caught your eye, and you squinted closely to see the shadows of gold. You brought your torch in front of you, illuminating the hoard of treasure in all of its sparkling glory; not only gold, but diamonds and rubies as well, all hidden safely within the darkness of the caves and further protected by its owner, Katsuko The Dragon himself.

“Don’t you dare touch any of it,” The King commanded, yelling over his shoulder. “This is his , got it?!”

You nodded silently in agreement.

You lingered on the treasure until your eyes traveled up, meeting the giant hole in the wall.

“Is this where you got the blackstone for your throne?” you asked innocently.

“Aye,” the King grumbled. 

If they had the Anvil, they would’ve been able to make more tools…

Katsuko suddenly decided that he had enough walking for the day. He marched up to his hoard and started digging into it.

“Katsuko,” the King scolded. “Naejot!”

Katsuko ignored him and continued to dig.

Bakugou huffed, annoyed. “Katsuko, dohaeras. Naejot!”

Katsuko grumbled, before turning it into a growl, and then, a sharp whine. His tail swung out dangerously, whipping left and right,  hitting the cave walls.

You backed away nervously, as Ser Midoriya pulled you back even more, behind him.

“Oi,” the Dragon King warned. He started speaking in full sentences, in the language you didn’t understand.

But Katusko cocked his head, listening. Then, with a great huff, he turned around and continued down the path towards Musouka’s domain.

By now, the smell was so strong, your nostrils burned. You tightened the tie on your cloth to no avail, stuck with the stench attacking your nose hairs, and the long journey wasn't just weighing on Katsuko. Everyone was starting to feel fatigued, tension and impatience was starting to build in the air, and you feared that a single sneeze would cause the King to snap at you.

"Getting close…" he grumbled, stretching out his back while Katsuko carried him.

Easy for him to say. He didn't have to walk…

But then, shortly afterward, the King was proven right. You arrived.

Musouka’s home was definitely the biggest you’ve seen so far, with gold and jewels completely blocking the walls with its tall peaks, while bones and carcasses painted the floor, all of it forming into one very large nest of treasure and death.

Katsuko rumbled greedily as heavy steam began to leak out of his nostrils, with his tail slithering sinfully to and fro.

"Katsuko, umbas."

The dragon grumbled, shaking his head at the command, before begrudgingly, sitting himself down, staying.

The Dragon King hopped off his back, heading towards the back wall to move all the gold. Kirishima moved to help him, while you and Ser Midoriya held your torches high so they could see.

They exposed the smooth, black surface of the wall, not a single hint of shimmer reflected anywhere.

You walked up to touch it, feeling the familiar smoot-yet-rough scratch as it grazed your palm.

Blackstone.

“Get your asses back,” the King told everyone, and once again, you felt Ser Midoriya gently guide you back, making you to be the farthest away from the wall.

You peeked over Midoriya’s shoulder, watching Bakugou walk up to Katsuko, standing by his side.

“Katsuko.”  The King nodded towards the wall. “Dracarys.”

Katsuko scrunched his neck, growling deeply as a burning ball of flame formed deep in his throat.

Then, the dragon roared with all his might, a great wave of fire shooting out of his mouth and hitting the wall in all its fury.

The whole cave seemed to come to life, suddenly illuminated by the dragon fire as every shadow disappeared, and all the smell of dragon was burned to a crisp, replaced entirely by the smell of fire. The dry heat was hitting your face, burning your cheeks and making your heart pound furiously in your chest, its thump bumping the steel fox in front of it.

Then the roar died, the cave returned to darkness once more, and the wall of blackstone now glowed a fiery red.

“Quick! Put your gloves on and start picking at it!” Kirishima shouted, hurrying to do the very thing himself.

You threw down your bag, and dug in for the gloves, made from a very thick leather and a bit too big for your hands, but you put them on, grabbed your pickaxe, and ran to the wall.

“Careful. Don’t let the stone touch you,” the King warned. “Only grab it by the glove, got it?”

“Aye,” you answered him, moving to take a swing.

You managed to pick a chunk off, much to your delight. You grabbed it carefully with your gloved hand, and ran back to grab your bag- deciding to put the rock in there once it cooled.

You all kept picking at the blackstone, slowly gathering as much as you could in silence. The wall was now chunked to pieces, while the rest of it began to cool, the glow of dragon fire beginning to fade away.

You went to take what was maybe your last swing, and then…

A low, soft rumble echoed quietly down the tunnel.

You froze.

"Stop!" you whisper-cried, panicked.

Everyone halted, and listened.

But there was nothing.

“Calm your nervous ass!” The King yelled at you.

“I heard something,” you insisted.

The King rolled his shoulders back, eyeing the progress on the wall. “Probably a rat. If it’s anything else, Katsuko will let us know.”

Your ax felt numb in your hands. You stood there, petrified. You knew you heard something, but everyone else went back to work, swinging at the stone. Prickled flesh ran up your arms,  your shoulders, your neck.

Nothing but silence.

Then a deaf defying screech pierced through the air as a large blue dragon jumped out from a deep crack from within the wall. It launched itself onto Katsuko, and everything went to chaos. The torches went out. The roars and screams of the dragons bombarded the tunnel as they tumbled and rolled over one another, their fight illuminated only by the breaths of fire they were spitting at one another.

You heard Midoriya from afar, but you couldn’t find him.

“My lady! My lady!”

“Midoriya!” you called back, trying to run towards the voice, but then the large thwack of a tail came from somewhere above, forcing you to duck and cover our head as rock rained down. When you felt it stop, you got up and went to keep running, the sounds of the dragon fight still lively behind you.

Before you could even take a step, something hit you strongly in the chest, knocking all the air out of your lungs. Another thwack of a dragon tail. It sent you flying into a wall, its impact strong.

And then, black.

You didn’t know how long you were asleep. All you knew is that you blinked your eyes open, only to find that you still couldn’t see. Everything was black, your chest hurt like hell, and when you took your first breath, a sharp pain shot up from its right side. As you layed there, on the ground, face cloth lost somewhere in the struggle, you pinched your eyes shut and focused on breathing slow and even, hand naturally clutching the place of injury. You could feel the metal of your chestplate, now dented and digging into you.

“Help,” you whimpered, desperately hoping someone could hear you. But you heard no voices, no footsteps, and the sound of the dragon fight was long gone.

How long has it been?

Clenching your teeth, knowing it was going to be a bitch, you shot yourself up, immediately crying out from pain.

But you had to move. So you felt around you, thankfully finding a wall. You leaned against it for support, pulling yourself up, the sharp pain stabbing you from the inside. Sweat poured freely from your body, your forehead utterly slick with it as you just stayed there for a moment, focusing on your breath before you took one step. Two.

“Midoriya,” you tried calling out, the sound of you bouncing down the tunnels, but nothing came back.

What happened to him? To the others? Did they get blocked off from the fight? Crushed by the falling rock? Or did the dragons…?

You swallowed down your agony. You could not dwell over the fate of your poor knight. Not now. Now you had to figure out what to do.

You didn’t know where to go. You couldn’t even see , but you knew you couldn’t stay. Not when a dragon could come by any minute. You remembered, Musouka’s nest was the farthest one on the map. Depending which side you ended up on, you would either be heading towards the exit or heading deeper into the cave, into untrodden territory.

“Fuck,” you groaned, anguished over your predicament.

Sending a quick prayer to the old gods, you began your journey into the darkness, alone. Thankfully, besides your chest and the throbbing bump on your head, you felt fine, so you stumbled your way down, keeping a hand along the wall and your ears open for any sign of life.

You don’t know how long you spent walking, as time seemed endless in the caves. Five minutes could’ve been thirty. Thirty minutes could’ve just been five. The only hint of time you had was the soreness of your feet and the all-over ache of your body.

You wondered what your father would say, if he could see you now. Would he scold you for being stupid? For ever going into a dragon cave to begin with? Would he disown you for ever stepping foot in the Southlands? Perhaps, if things turned more sinister, you would know soon enough.

A sickening crunch halted your thoughts, and you froze, listening.

Let it be a footstep, let it be one of the others .

But then a low growl rumbled through the night, soft and slow, like the creaking of a mill. It crushed your hopes and filled them with terror. 

Goosebumps ran up your flesh as your breath quickened. The thrumming pain of your ribs seemed to echo the beat of your heart as you could feel the strong pulse of your blood racing through your veins.

You reached for your sword, but paused.

Only a fool would dare to slay a dragon when they're in the belly of its lair.

And then you could finally see again as the dragon opened its jaw, a dim ball of light starting to brew within it. You could see the outline of its teeth, just as big as the skeleton you saw eons ago. As the fire grew, rumbling deep with the dragon’s throat, more was illuminated for you; the beady eyes staring directly at you, the blue scales glimmering into green.

“You must be Musouka,” was all you were able to say, coming to the conclusion that this was your fate.

The dragon released a sizzling exhale, hot ghastly air steaming out of its nostrils and onto your face and hair. It gave another low rumble, as if agreeing with you.

The rumbling began to crank up, growing louder as the jaw was released more, fire growing brighter as the full, monstrously beautiful face of Musouka was revealed, her fire reflecting in her eyes as she inched closer to you, sharp claws digging through the earth.

Yes, I am Musouka, mother dragon to be, you imagined her saying.

And you are a stranger in my home.

As you closed your eyes, waiting for the inevitable, a soft melody seemed to echo from somewhere beyond. You thought it was a part of your imagination, that your mind was simply conjuring up a sweet, distant mirage before you faced a gruesome death.

But then you felt Musouka cock her head to the side, listening as well. The silkened words grew closer, more present.

When you felt her finally looked away, you opened your eyes, and you were glad you did, because you would’ve never believed it if you hadn’t. 

Blonde hair peeked from within the soft glow of his own torch flame, crimson eyes reflecting its ferocity as the Dragon King stepped up, bringing Musouka’s attention fully on him.

He didn’t seem scared as he sang his sweet song. He seemed calm, confident, and strong. He stood his ground as Musouka drew near, and it was like his honeyed words only grew more powerful as she did so.

The blood of the dragon…

The fire in the King’s eyes seemed to match Musouka’s completely, the only proof of the invisible string connecting them. The song was so hypnotic, it felt like it would never end. An endless song of beauty that could never be broken, like the bond between a dragon and its rider.

It is magic. It must be, you thought.

But as endless as the song felt, Musouka suddenly turned her head away from the King and from you. She went up to another deep crack within the wall. She folded her wings and flattened herself before scurrying inside the broken rock, sharp tail slithering away and disappearing with her.

You felt the magic disappear, broken for good, and your senses returned to you as you begrudgingly stood up straight, feeling the throb of your knees, shaking.

You were now alone with the King. A heavy silence passed through the both of you as you worked on regaining your nerve.

“Thank you for that.”

The King grunted, as if it were no big deal. “You okay?”

You found yourself nodding, “Yea-Yes. I’m fine. I think I have a broken rib, but that’s the worst of it. Thank you, again.”

His eyes seemed to wonder over you, checking for himself. They simmered over you head-to-toe, making you shiver under its gravity. Then they lingered over your damaged chestplate.

“Here,” he spoke quietly, moving to undo it for you. You grabbed his torch for him, as he worked to undo the clasps, freeing you from the literal weight on your shoulders as the warmth of his proximity brushed your skin.

Feeling your cheeks flared, you stumbled for a distraction. "H-How did you find me?"

"Told ya', didn't I?" He carefully guided the plate over your head, granting your freedom, as he met your curious eyes. "I know these caves like the back of my hand."

Cheeks flared again once he reminded you.

Of course he knew where to go. He was the Dragon King.

“Let’s go,” he said gruffly, stepping away and taking the torch from you and handing back your chestplate in return.

Before you could even ponder over the lost proximity, he grabbed your free hand and started dragging you away.

He led you through the dark, and feeling just utterly helpless and out of your depth, you let him, putting all of your trust and dependency on the Dragon King as he guided you through the caves, occasionally halting to listen, occasionally pulling you left and right on a random notice.

And perhaps because your mind was tired and numb and you finally felt a sense of safety again, but your thoughts began to wander, fading into faint dreams of the stories you grew up with, of the Blacksmith and the Queen. Perhaps the Blacksmith got lost in the caves the first time around and the Dragon Queen had to rescue him, just like this. You imagined that this was how their friendship was formed, with trust being put into one another and the threat of death waking them up from their ignorant and childish feud. Maybe this was how the idea of the Bridge came to be…

Through the rush of being pulled this way and that, and your mind being lost in its fruitless thoughts, the rustling in your ears came forefront. The sound of the whispering trees bending violently in the wind, their words growing louder…

A broken oath…

A dragon only knows greed…

What do they know of honor …

“Head in the clouds and ears in the trees," your father's voice whispered.

You reached fresh air, and you found yourself gasping for it greatly. The muffledness of your mind faded away, making everything clear the more you breathed. You hardly even noticed Ser Midoriya fretting over you, his mouth moving in frantic motions you couldn’t hear nor decipher. You did however see the tear tracks staining his cheeks.

“She’s got a broken rib,” you heard the King say behind you, his voice low and close. “We should take her to the maester.”

A blanket was pulled over your shoulders, and you realized then that, you two weren’t holding hands anymore as the palm that was once in his now felt cool and naked. You tried to make up for the strange feeling of vulnerability by rubbing your palm against the blanket, willing it to go away.

How silly, you thought. Escaping into dreamland and fretting over his touch while he was just saving you.

“Oi! Dunce Face!”

You turned just in time to see the King grab onto Lord Kaminari, holding him up by the collar. “Why the hell didn’t you ring the bells?!”

“I did Your Grace! I was ringing thrm the whole time!” Kaminari screamed, holding his hands up in front of him in mercy. “Something must’ve happened to the rope.”

It occured to you quickly.

“Katsuko," your voice croaked.

Both Kaminari and the King paused to look at you.

You cleared your throat, speaking again. “It must’ve broken off when he swung his tail.”

Realization dawned on the King’s face, as Kaminari slipped away from his grasp, retreating.

"Did… did you at least get any blackstone?" The lord asked hopefully.

You looked towards everyone you went into the caves with.

Midoriya looked down, defeated.

Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

And the King… The King looked ready to kill.

You don't know what came over you. Maybe you were coming down from the highs of what happened, maybe you were just overwhelmed with the relief of being alive, or maybe you simply found the irony out of the situation, but you started to laugh; small giggles that bubbled out of your mouth soon became full-on laughter that hurt to do, but broken ribbed be damned. You couldn’t help it and you certainly couldn't stop it.

Everybody stared at you, not sure of what to do or how to read your reaction.

You finally calmed down, wiping a stray tear from your eye. "Well, Your Grace. If you wanted to prove the value of your people's work, you needn’t go to such extremes.”

The King simply looked at you, dumbfounded by your reaction.

You sighed, feeling tired and ready to go to bed.

“I would've believed you, if you simply told me,” you told him quietly, a smile on your face as Ser Midoriya guided you to one of the tents.

“Wait.”

You stopped and looked back, waiting for the King to say what he needed to.

“How’d you know to wear it?” He looked down at the chestplate, which was now in Midoriya’s grasp.

You looked at it briefly for a moment, the fox that was now covered in soot. Unsure of what to say, you looked back up at Midoriya, seeing the look of warning in his eye, his words from before coming into mind.

" If you ask about it, he'll deny it, m'lady. Kachaan thinks it makes him look superstitious…"

You looked back up at the King, and  shrugged innocently. 

“Just instinct, Your Grace.”

[w-wedge]

I need lore on these mfs not even kidding cause like they all showed up like once and never again

LIKE, TSUBASA IS FUCKING DEAD? THAT BIG KID IS GONE, DID HE JUST GO MISSING AND HIS HOMIES WHERE LIKE ���idc” WHAT HAPPENED

idc abt bakudeku or what’s happening in cannon now yall, I just wanna know what happened with their old friends. Like I feel like the kids Katsuki was sorta buddies with since childhood till middle school are atleast worth mentioning again maybe? What about the big kid that went nomu? 😭😭I gotta know

[aimportantdragoncollector]

In the Boy who cried Boogyman, what happened to the bullies afterward? Would Katsuki suspect something was not right with Izuku?

The unnamed bullies believe that Tsubasa was killed by the boogeyman. They are young enough to believe their dreams and what they saw, no matter what the adults say. As the fic just started to show, the other boys turn on Katsuki as a result. They have a sick combination of fear and guilt. Since he was their leader in the bullying and in ignoring the boogeyman threat, they decide to blame him for everything including their own actions.

The other boys realize something is strange about replacement Izuku, however they believe it's because he has magical powers now. They don't know Izuku well enough to realize he's been replaced by someone else. They no longer bully him, but they definitely don't want to become friends with him either. Instead, there's a combination of fearful deference and avoidance.

Katsuki refuses to believe in the boogeyman, because he is stubborn and because he doesn't want it to be true. However, there's a lingering doubt in the back of his mind. He knows that something is very, very wrong with replacement Izuku. But he can't decide what he wants to do about it. He keeps avoiding the situation until Inko and her "son" mysteriously leave town.

Katsuki will be very much changed by becoming the school outcast and his suppressed guilt. It will take him years before he decides he wants to find out the truth. By then...who knows what he will find if he seeks out Izuku?