[intro]
Bakugou is a prideful, arrogant person. He holds himself to the highest standard; he is the best and everyone else is simply below him. Everything he has ever done was in pursuit of being number one, shining above the rest. He has to have a perfect victory, he has to be a perfect student, he has to win to save.
He pushes and pushes and won’t let anyone see his weaknesses or his insecurities. He can never lose, he can never fail, he can never show that he regrets or hesitates or that he hasn’t thought everything through. He must never be vulnerable in every sense of the word.
Then why is he standing in the rain.
To apologize shouldn’t be a sacrifice, but it is for Bakugou. To pour his feelings, to admit his wrong, to let down all of the walls he has built and be vulnerable. And in front of his whole class.
He is willing to sacrifice his pride, to fully sacrifice any superiority he could have, to bare his soul and even risk rejection. Because he knows Midoriya is more important. Because he wants him to come home, he wants him to know his true feelings, because he wants things to change.
Because Midoriya has changed him. Midoriya has opened his eyes; by showing him he’s allowed to be open, that his feelings should be expressed, that he has so much to learn, and so much of that was learned through Midoriya just existing.
He isn’t sacrificing his safety frivolously because he’s expected to as a hero; he is doing it because he has grown. He is doing it because he has finally admitted to himself that he wants Midoriya to be with him and safe.
So I will sacrifice this for you. Not because it will change anything, as much as I want that I know that I can’t just fix all the wrong with just this. And I am willing to do as much as it takes to earn your forgiveness. But I don’t need that from you, not now and not ever if you don’t want that, I just need you to rest. I did so much wrong. And I am sorry for everything. You don’t have to do this alone. Lean on us. You are so strong and being supported doesn’t discount that. You’ve taught me that.
I hate the rain. But I will brave it for you.
He would do everything in his power, admit so many things, just to get Midoriya to take care of himself. We see him being the most vulnerable he has ever been in front of people that aren’t Midoriya. He does so much completely out of character, all in pursuit of being there for Midoriya.
For Izuku.
He finally gets over himself and finally tells Midoriya the feelings he has felt for so long.
He lets go of this idea he is inherently better and finally acknowledges that his hatred for Midoriya has always been about his own shortcomings and insecurities. But he still wants to be better, they are still rivals. He isn’t going to sacrifice that part of him because that is just who he is; he is still going to push to number one.
But now it’s different.
There is verbal and vocal acceptance and respect. Before it was unspoken; their relationship had changed ever since Ground Beta. They were proper rivals, with mutual respect and care, they were actively making each other better.
But Bakugo finally verbalizes it and tells Midoriya, not only is he sorry, but he wants to actually have a proper friendship; he wants to continue to become better and earn his forgiveness. He wants them to push each other to be better, he wants to continue to fight for the top spot, he still wants to be the best.
But when did it become something else?
When was the turning point when it started to shift from wanting to surpass Midoriya and be the best, to wanting to keep up with Midoriya and stay by his side?
Bakugou has already sacrificed himself for Midoriya before. His body moved on its own; with no hesitation, he would save Midoriya. He has already risked his life for him. But there is a layer to it that I don’t think people talk about.
He tells Midoriya he shouldn’t try to win this on his own.
He disguises his concern with an insistence that he’s in it to fight for himself when he initially joins the battle. But it is to fight by Midoriya’s side and support him.
But taking the hit for Midoriya, jumping in the way isn’t just support. This is sacrifice. This is giving yourself to ensure the safety of someone. And it was second nature.
There are two reasons and both are a sacrifice of something in the moment.
It is knowing someone is so valuable, so great, in all senses of the word, that they must be protected. Bakugou is sacrificing his body and admitting that Midoriya needs to stay alive, for personal reasons and/or for the world. He needs Midoriya to be okay, Midoriya can’t fight alone and Bakugou will do anything to make sure he will be okay.
But the sacrifice of ideology.
With every development, he has relinquished parts of himself. When he sacrifices himself he is not only sacrificing his body but is admitting that he can’t do this on his own; he needs Midoriya too. This isn’t him wanting to be better than Midoriya, it’s him wanting to do it together.
Midoriya changed him.
He doesn’t die for Midoriya. He wakes up and just as his last thought was Midoriya, so was his first as he woke up. He runs to his side. People are dragging him back, trying to have him rest, knowing before he even said anything that he would lose his mind over Midoriya’s situation.
Everyone sees how Bakugou feels about Midoriya.
He sacrifices himself because Midoriya can not die on him. Midoriya has to stay alive. Midoriya has to keep fighting.
There can not be a world that doesn’t have him in it.
This is the culmination of what has been developing ever since the final exam where Bakugou finally works with Midoriya; the day that win to save, save to win was noticed. Then furthered after Ground Beta where they finally talked to each other and something changed within them both.
But the final sacrifice is the culmination of Bakugou’s character.
He knows what this decision will mean. Everyone screams for him not to. He knows that he is going to die. He knows he will not win this fight.
This isn’t dying for the cause. This isn’t just a hero complex. This is because he can help Midoriya and he will. This is for Izuku.
I will sacrifice myself for you. To give you more time, to give you even the slightest chance of winning. I will sacrifice myself for you because you are who can win. I am going to die. I am going to die and in my final thoughts, I will ask if I will still be able to be by your side.
It is no longer can I beat you. It is no longer can I surpass you. It is can I still catch up to you. It is can I still even be equal to you. He has already sacrificed the idea that he could beat Midoriya, that isn’t what he wants anymore. What he wants is to stay here with him.
I will sacrifice everything I am. I have wanted to be the best. All my life I have wanted to surpass you and everyone around me. But you. I will let that go for you. I let it go in my mind for so long now and I have never wanted to admit it. Is it even possible? Is it even possible for me to catch up to you? Is it even possible for me to stay by your side. I can’t be that anymore. I am sacrificing even that now. I will never be number one now. I will never become the person I always dreamed to be. I will never surpass you. I am forever sacrificing that now. I will die here.
But can I still be with you?
The sacrifice of his life is him fully relinquishing everything he is, admitting that he can’t keep up, losing all of the progress he has made, letting go of everything that made up his character.
And the last thing on his mind is if he can still be able to be by Midoriya’s side.
He won’t let him go again.
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Hi Uncle Nina !!
I don't wanna clog your ask box with stupid shit but this is stupid shit but it was also my bday on the thirteenth so shjdjdjs
As a fellow Monster addict ( I got a flat of Monster for my bday and collect the cans I have 30 diff ones so far <3 ) I need to know what Stan's favourite is
And on the less stupid side of things I was also hoping to potentially hear more about Stan's trans journey/Kyle finding out Raven is trans
Also I'm sorry your job has been so stressful lately :(( I hope you have a good day 🧡
- Stan 🧡
hi orange heart stan! <3
it's so good to hear from you, baby.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHSLAY, MY LOVE! i'm sorry i'm a little late, but you know me -- everything i do is fashionably late, darling. ;)
but also!!!!! call your wonderful, lovely ask message stupid shit again!!! see what happens!!! i'm gonna frown So WIDE, i'm gonna look so Upset. i'm going to hold you up to the sun!!! JUST WATCH!!!! >;/
my sweet stannie; you are a gift, a treasure. and your ask memes are a pleasure. i don't find them stupid in any shape or form, be nice. conversely, they are extremely special to me and it's why i put off writing this message for a little while because i wanted to respond to it thoughtfully, seeing as though it's your bday message.
which, *cracks knuckles* to get the ball roooollling.
i can absolutely tell you what monster energy is stan's favorite, but as a bday bonus, bc i wasn't sure which stan you wanted to know about, or if you wanted both: i'll give you both my style's fave monster flavs
and i was going to go into some ravenstan trans lore after that, but i feel like that info should go in it's own ask, yeah? i just don't want it to get cluttered. so if you feel so inclined, would you mind sending me a second anon where i can drop that info? thank you, baby! mwah
but now, w/o further ado...
please enjoy the most Refreshing part of your day <333
for context ( and actually because i got an anon once who wanted to know whether i drink energy drinks ), i don't really know that much about energy drinks/flavors because i don't really drink energy drinks.
i mean okay, i'm not really sure if it counts as an energy drink, but i will chug a guayaki yerba mate like it is the elixir of life. ( also i fully maintain that pep stan drinks the enlightenment flavor and ravenstan drinks the raspberry one -- crunchy eco kings ) my favorite one is the passion terrere one. it's like the only one that doesn't come in a can and only comes in a glass bottle...that ice cold passion terrere mate in the glass...it hits so different than the can...oh my god. so good.
and as far as monsters go, i pretty much only drink pipeline punch bc i'm a pretty pink princess and that's what hot girls drink <3 but other than that i drink black coffee because i am an exhausted teacher girlie, but that's purely for fuel. to be honest, i rarely drink energy drinks just for fun, i only have caffeine to stay upright.
which isn't a great idea...but...i am not a role model....
speaking of:
so i told riley this story the other day, bc i needed to get her brilliant genius girl insight on energy drink flavors because she is the sugar free energy queen ( riley's answer was kyle x ultra strawberry dreams and stan x ultra mango fiesta, which, everyone say thank u riley <3 )
-- also god if you are real, bring back the watermelon lime venom you discontinued, you sick fuck, it was riley's favorite, thank you for giving us lovely orange heart stan, and fuck you very much for making ME, bitch! come on down, king! you won't! why the fuck would you extend my coworkers vacation! fight me, ugly!!!! --
and i was telling her about how i am the chaotic kenny friend, i make really bad, chaotic decisions, have no self preservation, hype and gas up my extremely bad ideas and convince myself i'm big brain, wow.
and...oof. so like 2-3 years ago during finals week, i had a fuck ton of essays and projects due ( i was a very bad student btw which is funny bc i'm a teacher ) and no idea how i was gonna do them, so i had the Brilliant Idea...to buy three Random bang energy drinks...
AND SHOTGUN ALL OF THEM BACK TO BACK LIKE BEER CANS.
ohhhhhhhhhhhh my god, party girl nina. help. crying.
and yknow, i thought this was such a good idea! i was like wow i'm gonna be so awake, i am going to b invincible.
i....was not Invicible. i was...very, very sick. i was like almost catatonic and shaking on the floor of my dorm bathroom, lmao. i had to have my roomate take a picture of me on the floor and text all my teachers what happened, which, thank god they were all really nice and laughed but...i feel like that tells you everything you need to know about me...people who think i'm their hero...i am a fucking idiot.
but!! BUUUUTTT! just for You, baby. i deep dived a lot of forums and read a lot about the flavor profiles and think...i made a pretty accurate assertion of what my kid's energy drink preferences are <3
me: paris hilton pipeline punch bc i am bad as hell ;)
stan the man with the plan: okay, so i think that pep stan is definitely that ultra paradise monster energy. it just seems really crisp, clean, earthy. stan also doesn't really care for sweets or sugar, so it makes sense to me that he would be drinking a zero sugar monster ( kyle is disgusted ) idk the kiwi, lime, cucumber flavor profile just feels like pep stan. please tell me you can see the vision, help.
kyle pile: hmmm...so what i've concluded with my research is that kyle pile probably likes that pacific pipeline monster that seems to taste like fruit punch <3 it has to be the full sugar ones because of his blood sugar and stan does kind of scold kyle for drinking them bc he's not really supposed to and he gets really cracked out ahdslkshd like he's really cute but stan is like oh my god bro you gotta lay down but yeah i think that one or the orange dreamsicle one, which is hilarious because the only foods stmwtp canonically does not like are pickles and artifical orange flavoring...he really loves kp.
raven: soooooo i know that i said pep stan was the mango loco monster energy, BUT RAVENSTAN IS LITERALLY THE MANGO LOCO MONSTER ENERGY LIKE HELLO??? also i feel like he is like those mexican dads that put a little tajin in whatever they're eating and act like they've invented fire heeeeeelp ravenstan is so the dad that cuts u up fruit into little shapes and pus tajin on them and feeds u them when ur sad <333 luv u raven ;-; <3 but yeah i feel like he full on turns it into a raspado its so unserious sometimes theres a shot in there, it's usually the spicy tamarind smirnoff vodka,
...what can i say my man is a visionary and i see it
jersey: oooookaaaaay. so...sigh. for Obvious Reasons, pre and during rm, because of kyle's ed, he only drinks the sugar free monsters. for energy because he's exhausted ( my baby </3 ) but i also do think he thinks they taste good. i think he fucks with that ultra watermelon flavor that just tastes like the most beautiful, delectable, mouth watering liquid watermelon candy ever. i also think he could rock with the strawberry or the peach one sounds dank.
if the watermelon one isn't there it does stress him out, but he has a mental list of what one is next on the tier list, and acts accordingly. its kind of a nice change of pace but...his brain does not think that. however, when kyle is healing, weirdly enough, i think he ACTUALLY LIKES???? those coffee flavored ones??? which is Insane and everyone including tweek points and laughs at him
i hope...that suffices? you're totally welcome to offer me what you think is the right answer: you're the monster expert, after all. but this is what i feel in my heart! i think it feels accurate but, lmk! :')
and also...speaking of my job. UUUUUUGH. thank you baby. :((( i am actually criminally depressed because my fucking HOE-WORKER fucking extended his vacation ONE MORE WEEK! so i have to cover all his shifts for an extra week while he's on vacation. so that means i don't get to watch my testing accommodation kids who i miss very much, i still don't get his kinder reccess shift and literally??? spring break is next week like he couldn't WAIT???? holy fuck i'm Sad. :(
but i will be fine darling. but it's actually why i wanted to see if you could send me another anon so i can use that anon to talk about trans stan journey stuff? i just don't want it to get lost in this post and also, i'm not in great spirits rn and don't want to answer it until i can write something that's not flaming garbage.
but happy late birthday baby, i'm so glad you were born. <333
-uncle nina, monster shot gun queen
p.s. what is your favorite monster energy? :)
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okay, so in the vein of writing again ft. someone asking me for peppermint content, i thought i'd share this which i wanted to tack onto the end of chapter nine of pep ( where dying lovesick stan shows up on wendy's doorstep & #bendy rehabilitates bender!stan ) but that chapter was too long and i was unsure about it...
but i mentioned ravenstan's upper, inner thigh sh scars and that's an important universal headstannon to me...which i actually wrote extensively about bc of how important it is to me </3.
-- so given that i'm not posting, i felt like i should share it w/ you. :')
it's not style...per say, but it is platonic soulmate stendy and goes into stan's sh journey. there is some triggering imagery, so tw for obvious mention and discussion of self harm, suicidal ideation and a heavy blood tw, also i wrote this five months ago so be nice to me, but! ya!
tldr; i love you pep stan <3 hope you heal, baby <333
“But….Wait, Stan, there's something…”
Wendy squinted suspiciously at Stan's clavicle where right next to that faint tracheotomy scar that Kyle had made saving Stan's life, was a mark that was not made for business, but for pleasure. She ran her finger along it agonizingly, expression starting to simmer with discomfort.
“...On your neck.”
Her previously playful expression had dissolved into dead seriousness. She looked cautiously over Stan's shoulder at Bebe, who was completely distracted, shooting the shit with the Postmates delivery driver.
“You’re not…” Her voice was a horrified whisper.
“You’re not h u r t i n g yourself again, are you?”
And the very first time that day, intrepid, unbreakable Wendy Testaburger looked truly terrified.
Because Stanley Marsh was a product of harm...
And he harmed himself.
/ ***
With expensive kitchen knives that would go missing after the dishes were done, with cheap corner-store razors that cut more than just his hair, with too-hard, touchdown technical tackles, with the lighters whose artificial flame was the warmest touch he'd felt all week, with potent liquid poisons,
with words,
with words,
with w o r d s.
Stan's alcoholism was a poorly kept secret because he was loud about that one as a decisive diversion tactic. But he was dead silent about his self-harm. Dead. Silent. When you drank, you looked cool, you made people laugh and everyone liked you. But if you hurt yourself in an ugly, disquieting way, you didn't look cool, people didn't laugh and everyone hated you. That was Stan's worst fear: that people would grow to hate him as much as he hated himself.
Perfect Boy Next Door, High School Quarterback, Prom King, It Boy, Small Town Treasure Stanley Randall William Marsh had a disgusting secret and while it was hard to hide with the hungry eyes of everyone you knew on you at all times, Honest Stan learned how to lie.
And well.
It was a secret he kept from everyone. He had fooled his whole family, blindsided his best friends, even Kyle. Especially Kyle. His favorite person on planet Earth, who he was scared would find him so monstrously hideous and disfigured that he would never speak to him again in horror and disgust.
This list of people Stan had lied to also regrettably included his long term girlfriend, who knew the back of his hand better than her own.
Wendy Testaburger was summertime fine. She was as scary as she was smokin' hot. A regulation South Park High babe and betty.
Given even the whisper of a chance to sleep with her, people would go to war, but the second Wendy tried to take off Stan's pants he waved the white flag and floored it. Cartman and Kenny gave him regular onslaughts of shit about having the hottest girlfriend in the world and never nailing her, but he always insisted that they were just "waiting for the right moment."
But that moment would never come.
Because Stan wouldn't let her see.
Wendy couldn't know.
No one could ever know.
So, horny teenage boy Stan, who was actually quite skilled at baseball, never got past second base. Well, on him anyways.
He did a n u m b e r of scandalous things to Wendy, but he never let her return the favor. Ever. And more notably, he'd done all those sexually deviant things almost completely clothed. Stan nearly never took his pants off, so if you caught him in his boxers, it was high praise because that was a serious undertaking. A mishap that usually only happened when he wasted and even then, his guard was up enough that his pants never came down.
Until one day when they were sixteen. It was their anniversary and Wendy had given Stan a little card with five things on it: an address, a room number, a key card, a time and a magenta lipsticked kiss as a signature. Strawberry Seduction. Wendy's favorite.
And Stan had just hoped to take Wendy around the hotel gift shop, hit the arcade while Wendy got her nails done, eat at the fancy French restaurant and soak in the hot tub until they were both gross and pruny. But Wendy...had a different idea. Because when Stan finally flung open that hotel door, holding a teddy bear and a bouquet of roses, Wendy was waiting for him...in bed, in lacy lingerie, staring seductively, sinfully strawberry scented.
Stanley Marsh was living every South Park high school student's wet dream and it was his fucking nightmare.
Which quickly escalated as Wendy tried to rip all of Stan's clothes off and backed against a wall, Stan had front-flipped over her shoulder before locking himself in the hotel bathroom.
It was the worst fight Stan and Wendy had ever had.
And they had had it between a bathroom door.
At the emotional end of it, Wendy's throat was raw from screaming, her eyes were raw from crying and her heart was raw from trying and trying and trying as she yelled: "Is some sick joke to you? Am I a fucking joke to you, Stanley? Why won't you let me touch you? WHY? Are you fucking with me? Are you using me for something? For my body?! Or is it because you think I'm ugly? Is that why you won't sleep with me? Is it because I'm some kind of horrible monster?"
To which Stan promptly unlocked the door and stepped out.
"No, it's me. I'm the monster."
And the only sound that interrupted that insidious silence was the sound of a complementary hotel razor falling out of Stan's shaky, bloodstained hand and clambering to the floor.
Because Stan was completely naked, vulnerable and exposed in a way that he had never been with anyone else before. And every square inch of skin on Stan's legs that could be covered with a pair of boxers or swim trunks was marred with an hideous white scar, which stood out starkly against Stan's skin, jagged and odious. Save for one. It was brand new and the blood it beckoned ran down Stan's naked leg and shallowly pooled by his left foot.
But Stan didn't faint. No, the ironic and heartbreaking twist that Stan's fear of blood took was this: He only fainted when it was somebody else's blood. When someone else was bleeding, it devastated Stan, but when he was bleeding, it d e l i g h t e d him.
It was his only way out.
Wendy had finally seen it. His secret. He looked as ugly on the outside as he felt on the inside.
And he figured she would point and laugh, run or hide. But she just threw her arms around him and held him. And after a long pause, simply said. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen."
Sixteen year old Stanley Marsh did not have wild, crazy, animal style sex with his girlfriend that night. But she did give him a bath, where she lovingly lifeguarded him, washed away all the blood and tears, threading her hands through his hair, baptizing him for new beginnings.
She wrapped his wound up with gauze and sealed it with a Strawberry Seduction kiss before Wendy dressed Stan to the nine's in her oversized Nasty Woman sleep shirt and pink fuzzy pajama pants before they climbed into bed, without a note of sexual innuendo.
Stan did not smash his super sexy significant other on the night of their anniversary, but they did share uncomfortable silences, cry cathartically, talk for hours, devour room service breakfast for dinner, laugh at stupid game shows on the dinky hotel tv and start some Matt Damon movie that they'd never finished because they had accidentally fallen asleep, ironically, during the romantic part.
And since that day, Stan has been two years sober from cutting.
But when his father screams in his face, Stan notices that his pocket knife glitters golden in the low light. Or one particularly bad days, when Stan is shaving his face, he holds the razor blade a little too long over his carotid artery.
When that happens, Stan puts the weapon down and texts Wendy, who always talks him off the ledge.
And while the past two weeks had been absolute hell, Stan had not broken his promise to Wendy on the night of their anniversary.
Stan had not hurt himself.
Not with a b l a d e at least.
/ ***
He shook his head adamantly.
“No! No, nothing like that. I promise.” He met Wendy's frightened eyes earnestly, before smiling at the ghost of a memory. He looked a little embarrassed as he traced the line. Man-made. But not by him. “Kyle actually left that…when we kissed the other night. He got me pretty good, but you should see the other guy.”
Stan winked charmingly, disarmingly, but Wendy's guard never fell.
“Okay, but you’d tell me if you were. You’d --You’d tell me if you felt like you wanted to again…” She insisted, her words desperate and haunted. Wendy's grip tightened as her voice came undone.
“S t a n . You’d tell me, right?”
Stan smiled softly and knowingly.
“Of -- Of course, Wen.” He coaxed gently, carefully detaching her fingers from his forearm and placing the softest kiss there.
“You’re my girl.”
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