#so i kind of wonder. izuku's the only other character who was there in chapter 1 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dekusleftsock · 1 year

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Did anyone see this? I feel like it’s a small detail in the pile of evidence for Izuku’s “control your heart” thing going on.

Hell, even Bakugou Katsuki Rising is referenced in the same chapter.

(Side note: me and my friend ended up spending 20 minutes identifying that flower, ty @the-real-loverboy for being my favorite flower nerd—regardless it’s called the Paris Japonica, a rare flower native to Japan that has the largest genome to our knowledge. Only problem? I can’t find any symbolism on this flower, and every source is written by white people in the west on how to care for the flower so. If anyone knows literally anything important about this flower, I’m very very interested. I know that it can bloom in the early winter and is more tolerable to colder climates, so maybe it’s a reference to rei/the general himura family? Who knows)

Going back to the original thought, I think the line “I wonder what changes we’ll witness… come tomorrow” has been kind of disregarded. And, as the newest spoilers have shown, the entire todoroki family is undergoing this evolution of the heart ALONGSIDE their own personal quirks.

Now, what does that have to do with bkdk and Izuku specifically? We have ofc, the plot line of Izuku not being able to control his heart for Katsuki, but what makes this situation unique is one for all itself.

Ofa, as I understand it, is a quirk closely related to romance. It’s surrounded all of Izuku’s emotions and close relationships, along with Nana’s signature line describing ofa as romantic. And, if we’re talking about near death experiences making these hidden parts of their quirks pop out unintentionally, then that would explain why Katsuki has a connection to ofa. From the ofa stars DURING Bakugou Katsuki Rising, to being able to meet and then talk to the Allmight vestige.

So, uncontrolled emotions, rejection of vulnerability, creates an intimate connection to anyone that Izuku the character, cares about.

On top of all of this, all of Izuku’s inner quirk stuff is so closely tied to his heart, that he doesn’t even need to be in life or death situations—it just has to feel like it. Anger so palpable, he literally unlocks blackwhip. Fear of his friends and fellow heroes demise so strong he unlocks float. And the list goes on and on, with him unlocking most of his quirks during his lowest low, his depressive episode.

Izuku doesn’t have to be dying like Touya does to lose control, he just has to vaguely feel like it.

And of the characters I feel have not evolved their hearts as much as their quirks, Katsuki and Izuku I feel will be the most passionate.

But I digress, here’s the people I believe will have this inner life or death quirk “awakening” because of their hearts: Toga, Ochako, Deku, Katsuki, Shigaraki, and the entire Todoroki family.

Now, controlling your heart and near death experiences, lets see—why are these two ideas so closely tied to each other? What makes them inherently unique in comparison to each other?

Or rather, a better question, what connects them?

I’d argue it’s acceptance. Pain could be another argument sure, but I feel like it’s way more common to just accept that your dying when you’re almost dead, than to actually register the pain from it.

And acceptance of the heart often comes hand in hand with those experiences—Endeavor knows he will die with Touya and he has accepted the fact that he was never enough for him as a father, but that if he can bring him to the sky, it will be okay because he can die with his son as penitence for his wrongdoings, while keeping the rest of his family okay. Probably better off without him because of his actions.

And Katsuki, during his death, has accepted his fate. But while doing so, he has also accepted that he won’t catch up to Izuku, that he truly has been a dorky fan of Allmight, that he can die loving him. (Love doesn’t have to mean romantic in this example, like yes I do believe they will be canon, but love is a loose term here because of what his death truly meant) Because that death meant accepting his care and his admiration of Izuku, that he’s always been looking behind him.

And this circles back to Izuku, with parallels between Rei chasing Endeavor into the fire paralleling Izuku chasing Katsuki into fire during the sludge villain fight, because endeavors death is—while poetic—ultimately only harmful. Yes he is saving the city and Japan, he is dying as a hero and protecting his family, but as Shoto said, they have to do it together. This isn’t Endeavor healing his heart, I would argue it’s meaningless sacrifice born out of guilt. Rei SHOULD help, Natsuo SHOULD help, Fuyumi SHOULD HELP! Shoto shouldn’t have tried to fight dabi on his own, because Enji and Shoto both feel entirely responsible for what Touya has become, when they aren’t!

People forget that Touya is a fucking adult. He’s a serial killer and an arsonist because he chose to be. That doesn’t mean he’s forever going to be the worst person in the world, but no one person is responsible for his actions other than him. And that’s a reality we have to accept with our trauma, our parents can exponentially fuck up and make us terrible people, but you as a person have every opportunity as an adult to change what they have made you become. Touya could have gotten a job if he was that mad at his dad, he could have just fucking knocked on the front door of his house, he could have chosen at ANY POINT in his life to say, “No, I shouldn’t do that.” But he simply didn’t.

And not Endeavor, not Rei, not Natsuo, not Fuyumi, and certainly not Shoto are responsible for that. Dabi is selfish. I love his character but that’s a fact. He is selfish because of his trauma yes, this is all born out of an innate childhood need for his fathers attention yes, but that doesn’t make it justified.

“But Sock what about what you said earlier about saving him together!” I still stand by both my points.

Dabi can both need to be saved AND can also be selfish for needing to be saved in the first place. Those aren’t opposite ideas, they can still coexist. And they can coexist because Dabi is a character written well! He’s not a “villain with the right ideas taken too far”, he’s a complex person with an interesting backstory who has still killed people. (Fun fact dabi has committed several war crimes under the Geneva Convention LMAO)

MHA describes heroics as oftentimes “sticking your nose in places where they don’t belong”, meaning even people who don’t necessarily want to be saved. Dabi can still be selfish and wrong while still needing to be saved and supported.

There’s this line in a fanfic I read, something about human beings sometimes not having enough time in their life to become a better person. For person A, maybe it takes a couple months and a few simple ideas. For person B, maybe it takes your whole life and then some to understand the weight of your own actions. And that doesn’t make person A or person B incapable of change, they can still just need a proper opportunity to understand, or practice to implement a new idea into their mind.

Maybe person B just needed better luck, maybe person A was just a teenager growing up, but they both can still change.

Tangent over about the Todoroki family, back to Izuku. Like Endeavor in this instance, Izuku is often the type to have this martyr mentality, but unlike Izuku, Endeavor is the one currently in the fire, or more rather, he is the one currently dying. Like Katsuki.

Katsuki has accepted his death in this war, that ship has sailed. He has come close to death and then actually died, and the todoroki’s are currently going through the process. So that leaves Izuku. (And technically Toga too, maybe ochako, but that’s for another meta one day maybe)

Will Izuku have to come close to death? I’m excited to see.

Idrk how to end this meta, I think I had other thoughts and ideas I wanted to share, (along with a better conclusion), but I forgot those ideas and stuff about half way through writing this.

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aconstantstateofbladerunner · 5 months

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What are your thoughts on Hawks as a character in BNHA? I know a lot of canon tends to mischaracterize him (Hense Why I can’t read any fics w him despite him being my favorite character next to Izuku), so I was wondering about your take on his canon self, and what choices you’d make in writing him into one of your fics

Gonna be honest, I’m very biased because Hawks is actually my least favorite character. Once he was introduced, he suddenly became super important out of nowhere and took up a lot of screen time away from characters I actually cared about like Izuku and the other students. We’re talking months of chapters with this new random guy as acting protagonist when we already have a perfectly good protagonist getting shunted to the sidelines. Even when we did get Izuku back, it seemed like the guy just wouldn’t go away. If I had to pick a reason I never warmed up to him besides oversaturation, one thing would be that despite him being so involved in the plot, he didn’t have much personal stake in it for a long time. He had this cocky attitude (already a character trait I’m not fond of) and lack of drive compared to other characters that to me came off as apathetic to what was happening. If he doesn’t care about what he’s doing, why should I? I get that he has a secret tragic backstory past that explains why he’s like that, but that came out pretty late in the game and wasn’t enough to switch my negative perceptions.

Now, if I were to write him into a fic, I would lean into the questionable ethics of his acts and lack there of as a double agent. It’s very likely he knew about some of the League’s murders and didn’t do anything about them in order to stay in their good graces. So we have a very interesting set up for the morality of letting a few people die in order to save even more in the future. One thing we never got from canon that I wanted to see is how a character like Izuku, who wants to save everyone, would react to something like that. A top hero, and the heroic ruling body at large, deciding that some lives were expendable for the “greater good.” Not to mention the fact that (and correct me if I’m wrong, I haven’t reread the whole series in a while) that Hawks himself doesn’t really grapple with this contradiction other than being personally frustrated. How would he react to be confronted? Would he succumb to guilt, or double down to preserve his self image as a good hero? He did it for the greater good after all. He meant it to be good. That’s what matters, isn’t it?

I actually have a couple fic ideas where this idea gets explored, but the only one I can tell you without spoiling anything is my scrapped plans for Angel’s Egg. Hawks was going to be the final boss of that fic. As Izuku learned to use his wing quirk better than he ever could have imagined, it starts going to his head. Hawks worked as a parallel to that, a cocky hero who didn’t have to think too hard about what he was doing thanks to his overpowered quirk. Unquestioned power and adoration from fans made him complacent. So he didn’t question the morality of using the two hero students he was mentoring as two different kinds of bait for a dangerous organization. it all worked out in the end, so what’s the harm? He was just following commission orders besides, so none of it was his fault. This would have been my only fic that ends with Izuku questioning if he wants to be a hero anymore.

#answers #hawks #sorry to dunk on your blorbo

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buttercupshands · 15 days

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So... Ch 423 spoilers huh...?

Just read them... since, yeah, they just appeared and stuff

I... don't really have much to say other than.... I guess this is over? The battle, the arc... basically everything?

I'm... glad that it is, since it was really slow from all of the breaks, but at the same time it's... a little sad, or, actually, just... nothing

I think it's time to... reflect on... whatever happened in this arc or just in general, so... a personal story tie ig

I've been following mha for almost 5 years since I first watched and read it as my first "real" anime and have been following stuff ever since ch 240-241 came out and I caught up with manga, so it was pretty obvious what characters were the most interesting ones

Ever since the volumes became available to buy in 2019 I've been collecting them all up to the very recent ones and it was fun to do even if calculating how to buy them was a challenge for 'I just graduated high school' kind of person. But it was worth it every time with how LoV appeared basically in every single volume since they used 2-in-1 way of publishing so since LoV appears ever so briefly sometimes every 2 volumes it was a win-win situation

I took a break from buying them last year after the exams and stuff and after chapters of Toga's death came out I just took a break from mha in general, focusing more on other stuff like hsr, genshin or just my life while helping with stuff

I still followed the spoilers every week they came out just to see how Horikoshi wants to end the LoV story or at least how would Izuku fight Tomura in the end

And... it's the last chapter of that. After 2 years since the Final arc started and a year since Tomura actually started fighting Izuku inst

It feels right in a way, even if I'm a bit sad how... this is it? AFO just dropped info in ch 419 for it to be irrelevant in the end just for AFO to have control for 4 chapters and Tomura yelling to say that he's still alive in there

It was odd to actually read the spoilers one by one this time since I sometimes wake up too late so I just go through them quickly and that's it

I wondered halfway into the chapter that Tomura would just die soon but I didn't expect it to happen this chapter even more so at the end of it

It's... really is over now?

Defeating LoV was literally just finding a way for them to self-destruct instead of making Class 1-A be the ones who kill them showing that they're still good in the end. It's not like I'm complaining - it's the way I wanted them to be defeated because them staying alive in the end felt unfair, especially when fans were the ones who wanted it. Just leaving them in Tartarus for a way to say that Izuku can't save villains or changing the story so the LoV is left alone is not the way this manga would deal with it, I thought

And I was right in a way, even if it took Toga's monologue to actually be more sure that this is where it's going

It felt too much like how Twice's death was done - without any regret from him

Maybe it made me a bit... off from how other people wanted it to end with heroes "getting what they deserve" or something, but it would've stopped being MHA after something like that happened, especially in a final arc when all of the LoV (except maybe Compress who is not on the battlefield) is literally wearing death signs with Dabi being the most loud one with it - and we still haven't seen him have this "alright, goodbye" moment like Twice, Toga and Tomura now had

And I don't believe that Dabi will survive this arc - he's literally too far gone with his body less alive than before and with him living only to be angry at Endeavor I guess it's a matter of time we get a goodbye from him too

With how this chapter handled it it seems that Spinner might survive this arc after all, but again - it makes it all the more sad since Horikoshi did remind us that Tomura befriended Spinner, in a way making it... a bit sad that it means that Tomura didn't expect others to make it or at least since they were more focused on their own goals Spinner was caring more for Tomura's goal than for himself.

Which is... even more sad considering that Tomura literally tells Izuku to say that he was destroying until the end instead of telling how Tomura lost everything and couldn't do anything anymore even before dying from basically decaying from the quirk that AFO gave him

And that's... Not dissapointing, no. It just makes me sad that his arc ended like that after all those chapters ever since he debuted 10 years ago.

Is you want it to be correct, since Horikoshi based Tomura off his oneshot about Tenko - it's been 17 years since the concept of his character first gained form and only now he's gone

Like... really gone. Nothing else left.

You can probably tell that I didn't take it well even if I wanted this ending to be this way not the "everyone survives way", but it still hurts to see the character that clicked ever since first watching and reading MHA and the character who is basically responsible for me even trying to check first the anime then wiki and then manga just... dying like that

Granted Kurogiri was the one who showed up in the end and I'm just glad for this because ever since ch 419 came out and even before that I just hoped for it to matter in some way and it did

I remember reading some fics that dealt with this arc in a way that was satisfying for me, but I still crried a lot and I still am crying now from thinking that Horikoshi did in fact give LoV a break instead of leaving them in jail.

I do need a break tho. Not in a "I leave and no more sketches or anything from me", no

I need a break from this manga, thankfully next volume isn't close so I'm free to not buy it right after that, especially since it's Toga's volume and I'm not ready to read it again but this time as "read every volume" way

I also can't leave Ultra Impact since I suddenly became a leader for a club I was in alone after everyone left, it's now full with 30 people appearing from s7 starting ig, but it gave me some responsibility to support the new players who decided that a weird club which name I can't even change from what last leader called it, so I might continue playing just to, at least, have all or the LoV characters fully leveled up just for fun

But in a way a need a break from Tomura. I had one or two when it was becoming unberable with how manga was going and with how things are... yeah

I have some sketches ideas but other than that... it's a bit hard to touch something LoV related right now.

I also don't think that doing something like this again is a way I want to cope with what happened - it happened and I already have two different posts about both how depressing and hopeful ch 419 is, and in the end both were true.

Nothing changed what happened in ch 419, Tomura just decided to destroy AFO when the plot wanted with Izuku and OFA together which is definetely something that people made theories of

He didn't get time to get at least something before he's gone and whatever happened with Nana was happened off-screen so we might as well see it as Tomura dying with his life never meaning anything, never actually having any purpose and only by helping to destroy AFO did he do at least something that helped others and was his own choice, but was it? Did he ever have a choice at all?

As it is now and will be for the end for MHA Tenko Shimura or Tomura Shigaraki never really had a choice in anything he did, not in a "I didn't have a choice!!!" dramatic way of how Nana Shimura left Kotaro. No. He didn't have any choices to choose from to begin with.

But with how Kurogiri still wanted to protect Tomura and reminded him of his friends at least it's not just the first part of the post that was right, in the end last words that Tomura said were connected to LoV and what he wanted to do for them, not that AFO was to blame for everything which is true still, but that LoV, even as broken as it is, is still a priority in Tomura's head after all this time of having AFO's quirk twist his mind and anything Tomura said outside of that headspace should've been carefully checked since it could've been AFO who's talking

It's not the ending for Tomura that people were hoping he'll get nor is it something that everyone will agree on, I can feel people arguing from here even if I didn't check Twitter or tags here on Tumblr to be sure. I don't need to.

So... those are my thoughts, a bit emotional in some places a bit chaotic in other, since my head is a mess right now and this was a way to say "this is it... are you happy?" to myself and answering it.

And the answer is no. I'm not happy. This arc, Tomura's personal arc and the way Izuku "helped" Tomura is still some of the worst things, even if I'm glad that this is over and I'm not obligated by myself to wait every week nervous that Tomura would suffer, and he did suffer, a lot.

From how his only way of getting his memory back was to suffer again to the fact that he had to suffer to get rid of his hate that AFO so carefully nurtured for 16 years. It wasn't great, especially since I joined after MVA was over and nothing after that was good to LoV getting worse every chapter from Twice dying and Toga learning that she'll probably die too, to Tomura never actually meeting LoV again as himself after he got AFO's quirk basically making him oblivious to the fact that Dabi is Toya or that Spinner followed what AFO wanted just to be useful, that Toga gave away her blood to save Ochako or that Dabi burned himself to death probably and Mr. Compress compressing parts of his own body. And the only person he saw before talking to Izuku was Kurogiri who was literally melting away at that very moment.

It's... a bit unfair.

Yes, villains lose at the end since we're reading a manga even if the manga itself isn't sure if it wants to go "no this is REAL" or go the way every shonen goes with the main character getting what they want. LoV lost at the end just because the manga needed them to lose, even if the way it was shown wasn't disrespectful to their character arcs, all of them making sense in the end.

It's still unfair that their only choice was to die and in a way bring everyone with them if they can, it was the way Dabi almost did it, it was the way both Toga and Tomura did, only for their respective Heroes - Shouto (and Todoroki family as whole), Ochako and Izuku being saved from dying from something that would've worked ONLY there and then. While the villains are not in the My Villain Academia version of manga anymore, so they don't have a way to survive anything like they did in MVA. For Toga, Twice and Tomura it was the only way to survive, if they weren't the main characters of that arc they would've died.

So, in the end it's miracle that we even had that arc in the first place with how Horikoshi wasn't planning for the villains to become the sympathetic characters for the fans - they were supposed to be just scary, and it's clear when you read stuff before volume 23 comes with MVA - they were always just evil and scary without any hope for us to get something out of it. You may say that the chapter with Toga helping Twice and having Tomura talk to them after the conversation with Overhaul was the first sign of Horikoshi not just showing them as those evil villains, and in a way it's true.

Nothing from before that arc actually helped LoV aside from showing some poins of "Dabi might me Toya" or first points of AFO and Tomura talking face to face. In the end everything important was in Overhaul arc and MVA tightly connected to each other.

I'm glad that for the 5 years of my life I've been analysing LoV and took my time getting every volume, I'll still hold them dearly. But aside from couple of chapters at the end showing us what happened to others... it's really the end of it.

With how long this post is I don't expect for people to read everything, since it was mostly just me talking about the new chapter for an hour and a half, sharing my thoughts, feelings and... whatever else there might be.

Because it was important thing in my life for a long enough time that I would miss it.

I can talk for hours more and just loop around this topic, but this is long enough post and I'm tired, but thanks for reading

I'm happy that this is over

#important #not art #bnha #bnha manga spoilers #mha 423 #personal post #personal thoughts #shigaraki tomura #I debated on do I want to tag him or not #but it is heavily Tomura related #tenko shimura #toga himiko #it's related to her too #for the past months I've been thinking a lot #what do I think of MHA what do I think of LoV and what do I think about Horikoshi and his writing #I enjoy it in a way #Izuku is still a good hero and I'm glad that he got what he wanted - he's a main character #but it doesn't make it any less sad that LoV were just obstacles for him and his friends even if they were just as well written #they would've had a terrible life after this final arc so at least they chose not to go through it #and I did read couple of good canon divergence or coping with canon fics for me to be okay with this like... they're probebly in the bar no #I wanted to add a screenshot from Ultra Impact at the end but I didn't it wasn't fitting there but I did rearrange some stuff #*sigh*#thank you #edit: fun fact I was listening to Might+U for the last half of this post this track is horrible for making me cry even more

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anyon-else · 1 year

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Falling Young (The Hunger Games pt. 6) | As Aizawa does his best to help you and Keigo from outside of the arena, you run into possible enemies and possible allies. – spotify playlist | read on ao3

Pairings | Hawks | Keigo Takami x Reader + Aizawa Shouta, Yagi Toshinori, Jin Bubaigawara, Himiko Toga, Bakugo Katsuki, Midoriya Izuku, Shouto Todoroki

Warnings | angst, hurt/comfort, descriptions of violence, descriptions of injuries, weapons, minor character death, discussion of themes present in The Hunger Games trilogy

Word count | 6.4k

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Aizawa hadn’t seen an arena like this in a very long time.

As was routine each year, he was attending one of the many Capitol-sponsored viewings of the games. These events made him sick, and he always had to force himself to attend, but they were crawling with sponsors. They were always his best opportunity to make connections for his tributes.

Today, though, he was having a hard time concentrating on anything other than the broadcast of the games.

The arenas in the past were, at the very least, able to sustain life. It was a basic necessity for the games; given the right skills and resources, tributes had to be able to survive the chosen environment. There were always those who starved or didn’t know how to protect themselves from the climate, but this arena was cruel. He had underestimated Kurogiri’s immorality.

He had seen his mentees die in dozens of ways. At this point, nothing would’ve surprised him, but he was starting to get tired. He felt selfish for it, but each year he became more desperate for his tributes to win so that he could pass off the burden of his role.

He did have some hope in you and Keigo making it through, though he wasn’t sure what state either of you would be in if you won. Tributes were traumatized at best, but your reliance on one another was an impossible obstacle. You were willing to die for one another. That kind of devotion made the games very dangerous, and it made life as a winner hopeless.

He wondered if death would be the best option for you both.

“Aizawa!”

Yagi Toshinori always seemed to appear when Aizawa most needed peace and quiet. Although he had become tamer over the years, he was still just as chatty as he had been when he and Aizawa first met. Back then, he was recovering from an injury he sustained at the end of his games. Aizawa knew that it had never fully healed, but he hadn’t imagined the toll it would take on the man. Despite the smile that lit up his face, he looked twice his age.

“Toshinori,” Aizawa murmured an acknowledgement, sinking into his scarf.

“I didn’t see you at the interviews. Your tributes did well.”

Yes. Keigo’s proposal was a brilliant idea, and Aizawa hadn’t been surprised that he already had a ring for the occasion. Aizawa had kept his distance from the crowd of tributes and mentors and stylists, only approaching you and Keigo when the interviews began in earnest and the others were distracted.

“They did,” Aizawa admitted. “They’re good kids.”

Silence followed his words, and Aizawa couldn’t help but notice the tension lifting Toshinori’s shoulders. While the man was, for lack of a better word, sickly, he was usually more relaxed than this. He’d been in the public eye for a long time; he knew how to act in front of a camera, and he knew how to force himself to stay calm in the face of confrontation.

“Well,” Toshinori finally smiled, an awkward laugh escaping him as he turned to Aizawa, “I should go. Many people to speak with, as you know.”

“Mm,” Aizawa hummed, taking Toshinori’s offered hand. He froze when his hand met not skin, but paper. Toshinori was careful as he pulled his hand away, making sure the note was pressed firmly into Aizawa’s palm with no risk of falling between them. With only a moments hesitation, Aizawa pocketed the paper and watched as Toshinori approached one of the many sponsors in attendance, smile just as wide as before, but eyes just a little less bright.

Day three of the 74th Annual Hunger Games

“This is ridiculous.”

“This is our only source of food. If you want to keep eating snow, then keep eating snow.”

Keigo couldn’t believe the effort you’d gone to in preparing for today’s task. It had taken at least an hour to find the materials to make hooks and find something that worked half as well as fishing line, and then another hour to create a hole in the ice big enough for fish to fit through. it felt ridiculous to be so out in the open like this, but his paranoia about an unexpected attack didn’t stop him from complaining.

Now you were just waiting. Your hunch that the water was the only part of the arena capable of sustaining consumable life was the only working theory you and Keigo had come up with. His aversion to seafood made him hesitant, but it had been days and you still had no other ideas.

“Stop being a baby,” you rolled your eyes, “it’s just fish. And it’ll be fresh.”

You heard him gag behind you, turning away from where you were fishing and composing himself. He really was a baby.

“Fresh is even worse,” he groaned, “it’ll be all slimy.”

“The slime will cook off.”

“Ugh.”

You hoped that Keigo’s little performance was endearing. At the very least, you hoped that it was lighthearted enough to get you some sympathy. It almost seemed domestic, taking away from the reality of why you had to resort to fishing through a hastily carved circle on a frozen pond to survive. Domesticity shouldn’t have existed in such an environment, but desperate times.

His disgust also gave him an excuse to pace in a wide circle around where you were sitting, keeping an eye on the surroundings of the Cornucopia. It was deserted when you arrived, and anything useful had been taken, but it wasn’t uncommon for tributes to return if left with no other options.

“Jin! Look what I found!”

Your heart stuttered as you registered who had stepped onto the ice with you. You would’ve recognized that voice from miles away. It came from behind you, but you stayed hunched over the line in the water. You willed yourself to turn, but you were frozen with your hands clutching the stick that you’d fashioned into a fishing rod.

You could hear Toga’s cleats digging into the ice. You could tell that she was running towards you, and you tried to turn, to stop being such a coward. You’d promised yourself that you’d protect Keigo, and now you could barely move enough to protect yourself.

When you finally stood and faced the newcomers. Keigo had backed to your side, taking the fishing rod from your tight grip and throwing it to the side.

“I’m just in love with you two. I wish I had someone to look at me like you look at one another! Do you have any secrets to tell me?” she leaned forward, still keeping her distance as her partner caught up to her. He looked significantly older, and much more concerned with your presence than Toga was. She looked ecstatic. She was bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet in a show that you could only describe as giddy.

“I know!” she froze, though the smile didn’t fall from her lips. “Maybe you’ll tell me if I make you bleed a little. Then we can be friends!”

When Toga launched herself at you, you barely noticed Jin curse behind her and rush at Keigo. Her weight on you felt more like a hug than an attack. She wrapped her arms around you and fell back with you as her cushion. You landed with a crack as your head hit the ice below.

“Let’s talk about boys, hm?” she giggled. She straddled you and sat heavily on your hips, keeping you pinned to the ice as she pulled a knife from the side pocket of her pants. You saw the glint of her weapon through your blurred vision and struggled against her weight. Her knees were pressing your hands into the cold, biting ice, so all you could really do was throw your weight up in an attempt to throw her off

“I have a crush,” she ignored your struggle, sitting back and tapping the knife in her hand to her lips. “his name is Izuku. He’s just perfect. And there’s Ochako, too! I would just love for them to bleed for me!”

“Get off,” you bit out, finally forcing your hand out from under her knee. She slashed at you immediately, cutting into your hand with a laugh.

“Oh, you’re strong. We should team up!” she gasped. “Then you can give me advice about how to ask Izuku if he feels the same way!”

As she spoke, Toga’s wide eyes drifted to the blood coating your hand. She licked her lips and leaned further towards the cut, eyes hungry. She lowered her knife until it was against the bandage covering your wounded neck and sliced through the cloth. You winced when she nicked the already damaged skin, trying to sink back as far as the ice would allow.

“Someone already cut you,” she pouted, leaning back with a huff, “that’s too bad.”

You hissed when she pressed her hand against your neck, closing her fingers around it as the smile dropped from her face.

“On second thought, you’re not very fun,” she pouted, hand tightening around your throat. Panic gripped you when you felt your wound open again. You kicked hard at her, but she was just out of your range from her position on top of you. “I think I’ll just kill you.”

You heard Keigo shouting your name, and you realized with lethargic frustration that this was the second time you’d been the one at someone else’s mercy. How could you ever hope to protect Keigo if this kept happening?

Toga was raising her knife, steady in all of her movements. Her hands were practiced, and you weren’t surprised to see dried blood under her nails from previous kills. The observation was enough of a distraction to keep you from closing your eyes as she grinned at you, knife glinting in the sunlight and milky-white teeth on full display. This was the last thing you were going to see before you died. This was it.

“No!”

You’d barely done anything for him. You were more of a hindrance than an asset. You felt tears burn behind your eyes. Useless.

When you heard a crack, you thought it was your unsettled mind playing tricks on you. You ignored it and waited for the sharp sting of the knife carving through your chest.

Instead, you felt yourself falling, and then you were surrounded by the bite of ice cold water. Toga anchored herself on the ice above, and you saw Jin’s hands dart out to hoist her up. Then they were both gone, and all that was left above was the blue sky, muddled through the rippling water.

You propelled yourself forward in a surge of adrenaline, finally fighting past the initial shock of hitting the water. When you surfaced, Toga and Jin were blocking Keigo from the hole. His face was hard, and he glanced back for a moment when you broke through the water with a gasp. You clawed at the snow, nails burning as ice shards lodged beneath them.

When you felt secure enough to concentrate on something other than your ragged breathing, you focused on the confrontation between the others. It seemed that Keigo had forced a stalemate, lips turned up in a smirk as he watched Toga look between him and her partner. Jin was bent over his leg, breathing uneven and exhales harsh. You squinted, hardly able to focus on anything with the chill taking hold of you. However, it didn’t take long for you to see the rope trailing from Keigo’s hand to Jin’s leg, ending where he was cupping his hands over his thigh.

Through your muddled thoughts, you remembered Keigo grabbing the rope from Shizuku as she prayed, both of them unaware of the incoming disaster.

“Take it out, Jin,” Toga ordered, not taking her eyes or her knives off of Keigo. She had a wide, crazed smile on her face, but her eyes were furious.

“Ah, I wouldn’t,” Keigo smiled, and you recognized the sinister intonation of his words. Toga seemed to hear it as well, and she tilted her head to the side as her smile widened.

“Why’s that?”

“I hit an artery,” Keigo nodded towards Jin, whose face was paling at an alarming rate. Blood dripped between his fingers despite his best efforts to put pressure on the wound. The rise and fall of his chest began to pick up as Keigo spoke, “take that out, and he’s as good as dead. Make a move at us, and I’ll pull it out.”

The hand with which Toga held her knife twitched, and she fidgeted in what looked like a painful strain to keep from lunging at Keigo. Instead, she grabbed Jin’s hand and wrapped his arm over her shoulder, leaning to the side to accommodate his weight. You stood on shaky legs, numb down to your toes. Still, you felt like dead weight just lying there, watching the scene unfold as a bystander.

When you rose to your feet, Keigo’s eyes shifted towards you for only a second before he was once again focused on Toga and Jin.

“Are they up?” Toga asked, voice strained, “shame.”

“Leave the pack you have,” Keigo pointed his knife towards the bright orange bag on Jin’s shoulder, then to his waist, “and that knife. If you do that and leave, I’ll drop the rope once you can’t go any further. Try and cut it yourself, and I’ll pull.”

“Toga, just go–” Jin gasped, “go after them. Don’t worry about me.”

Toga didn’t answer. She just stared at Keigo, then leaned back and gave you you a casual once-over.

“I changed my mind,” she finally sighed, “you guys are interesting. Shame I’ll have to kill you for hurting Jin.”

Toga reached for Jin’s pack and dragged it over his arm, her other hand reaching around him to take his knife from his waistband. She dropped them both at her feet, readjusted Jin’s arm over her shoulder, and began walking towards the edge of the lake.

“Just don’t die of hypothermia, ‘kay Y/N? We have unfinished business now.”

Keigo held the rope until they got to the edge of the lake. He dropped it carefully, but Toga had seemingly lost interest in the two of you for now. She trudged on through the snow until only her and Jin’s silhouettes could be made out through the chilly fog. You stumbled forward, vision glassy as you fought to stay conscious. The cold had faded into a burning heat, and you felt a strengthening urge to strip off your coat. You assumed from your rapidly dulling senses and inability to force any words out that you were hypothermic, and you didn’t realize that you’d unconsciously begun taking off your first layer until Keigo caught your hand. He was looking at your severely, eyes wide as they assessed your wavering body and wet clothes, still dripping lake water.

“We have to find shelter and warm you up,” his voice was firm, and you recognized the tone through the haze of your thoughts. It was the detached way of speaking he had when he knew he had somebody to save. It was the first time he’d spoken to you like that, and while part of you longed for his usual softness, a much larger part of you didn’t really care. You were verging on passing out now, but you shuffled forward as Keigo guided you over the ice. He was watching it carefully, as if it would break again at any moment. At some point unnoticed by you, he’d led you back to your original camp and lugged the fish you’d managed to catch over his shoulder, all still attached to your crudely constructed fishing-line.

“Leave me,” you slurred, picking your head up and facing him with squinted eyes. Everything had become too bright. Really, you just wanted to go to sleep, “I’ll jus’ hold you back. Jus’ get outta here and win.”

Keigo turned towards you, and the firmness in his gaze told you that he’d expected this request. He huffed in response, securing your arm over one shoulder and the fish over the other. You tried to will your frozen fingers to grab the thick fabric of his jacket, or the strap of the backpack he’d picked up, something to anchor yourself to him and be of any use at all, but your body wouldn’t respond to any commands. Instead, you let him guide you with languid steps, feet dragging over the ice at a painfully slow pace.

“’M sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“I fucked up.”

“You didn’t. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you have nothing to apologize for.”

“You’re mad.”

“Not with you.”

“With who, then?”

“I don’t know.”

Keigo’s quiet frustration was something you’d seen before, but it was rare enough that it made you uneasy. He was never this silent, and he never let his confident mask drop. Only when he was truly exhausted did lethargy catch up to him like this.

You let yourself fall into something of a trance, the movement of each foot in front of the other becoming robotic as your mind wandered. The numbness had begun wearing off in your toes the further you walked, but a painful, biting chill replaced it. You felt too exhausted to care anyways, and your thoughts drifted again.

When you finally stopped, you felt like you were dropped back into reality, and your exhaustion hit you all at once. If Keigo hadn’t been holding onto you, you would have collapsed to the ground and promptly passed out. And died, probably.

He set the fish against the wall of a structure that looked to be about as put-together as any of the buildings you’d seen in the arena. Once each corner had been carefully searched for another tribute, Keigo sat with you against one of the walls and leaned you against his chest. You let him guide you, unable to move now aside from the shallow rise and fall of your chest.

“Don’t sleep,” he muttered, quiet and direct. You nodded, aware to some extent what sleep would mean, but it felt like part of your brain had gone numb, and that part really didn’t care what happened as long as you got to close your eyes.

He began peeling away your stiff layers. You winced as the first finally came off, trying to force a question through your frozen lips as Keigo began on the next layer.

“What...are you doing?”

“These are just going to keep you cold,” he explained, not pausing in his movements, “there’s a blanket in the pack. We can both take our layers off, and body heat will warm you up. Tomorrow, we’ll worry about your clothes. Right now I just want to get your temperature up.”

By the time Keigo had gotten to your final layer, you had leaned back against his chest, eyes only open because of his repeated reminders not to sleep, complimented with light taps on your cheek when he felt your head begin to fall to the side.

“Stay with me. Almost done.”

He pulled a thin green blanket from the orange pack, unfolding it and draping it over you carefully.

“Covered?”

“Mhm.”

At your confirmation, he peeled the remaining layers off of your soaked skin, immediately rubbing his hands over your arms once he’d finished. The heat felt heavenly against your skin, but each pass was fleeting. By the time his hands moved up and down your arms at least ten dozen times, the spot he’d begun with was no warmer than it had been before.

You tried to keep track of his movements, counting in a desperate attempt to stay awake, but you must not have done a good job of focusing. You hadn’t noticed when he’d stripped off his layers until you felt the warmth of his skin pressed against yours.

He adjusted you both so that the blanket was protecting you both from the cold concrete while still keeping you covered. When he was satisfied that you were both hidden from any cameras, he guided your arms over his shoulders and pulled you closer until you were chest to chest, shivering at the press of your cold nose against his neck

“You still can’t sleep,” he murmured, startling you awake.

“I know. ‘M not.”

“‘Course not. Just resting your eyes, right?”

“Shuddup.”

He chuckled, the sound low as it rumbled against your bare chest. He held you tighter, rubbing circles on your back in an attempt to warm you up faster. Your shivering had begun dying down, and your breathing wasn’t as shallow as before, but the pit of anxiety in his stomach remained. He tried to keep you occupied with mindless rambling, but he knew even that was starting to lull you to sleep. Your eyes had fallen shut, and you’d ceased your occasional hums of acknowledgement.

He shook your gently, watching your eyes crack open miserably.

“I’m sorry, angel,” he brought a hand to your hair and pressed his lips to your forehead. It was the first time he’d ever used the pet name, but he knew that people would eat it up. If you were lucky, it would help you both get some sympathy from sponsors.

“Are you okay?”

Your voice, while weak and completely worn out, was more alert than before. He tried to laugh, if only to ease the tension from his own shoulders, but it didn’t do much good.

“Now why are you asking me that?”

“You’re upset,” you pulled away enough that you could meet his eyes, “you’ve been upset since we left the Cornucopia.”

He wanted to laugh again. He bit it back.

“As a matter of fact, I am upset,” he pulled you close again, if only to keep you from looking at him like you could see right into his head. You always did that, and he thought he might break down if he looked at that expression any longer. “You were on the verge of freezing to death earlier.”

“No, there’s something else. What’s wrong?”

This time, he did laugh. It was quiet and completely involuntary, and he felt your irritated huff of air against his bare skin.

You always did this. You always knew exactly how he was feeling, sometimes before he did. It amazed and terrified him; he’d never been so vulnerable to anyone. With you, he felt like he was laid completely bare.

“The ice,” he finally answered, looking back at your waiting eyes. “We spent an hour making a hole, and it was half the size of the one you fell through. And on the first day, it held all twenty-four tributes at once.”

He paused, replaying the moment you disappeared from view in his head over and over again. A phantom terror filled him, crawling out of the recesses of his chest where he’d forced down the image of you, drowned and sinking somewhere he couldn’t find.

“The gamemakers broke the ice on purpose. That had to have been what happened. And...I should know by now not to be surprised with their twisted games, but that’s all we are to them. We’re just pieces on a board, and all of the moves are meant to satisfy the viewers. I mean, fuck...we’re not people anymore. We’re characters. We’re...we’re not real to them.”

It shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did. He knew all of this going in, and it had only been confirmed now that he was a tribute. Nothing had changed.

Except now, he couldn’t stop seeing that scene in his head. Couldn’t stop seeing you falling, couldn’t stop seeing Toga crawl from the hole alone, couldn’t stop wondering if this was just a hallucination and you had actually died down there while he was laying here, alone and cold and out of his mind.

“You’re spiraling, Kei,” you brought a hand to his cheek, and he was pleased to feel that it wasn’t ice cold like before. “You’re going to drive yourself crazy if you keep thinking about this.”

“I already feel crazy. How can people leave this place and not lose it?”

You thought of Aizawa. Thought about how much he cared for his son, and how often you saw him looking out for people in the district just like Keigo. Really, they weren’t all that different. You wondered if Aizawa had been like Keigo before his games. You wondered if Keigo would become like Aizawa.

You pressed a kiss to his chest, feeling his heartbeat pick up when your lips touched his skin. You hoped that the blanket was enough coverage to give you some privacy from the constant watchful eye of the camera, but you doubted that they missed any angle. In past years, you’d seen tributes attempt to find safe spaces to speak without being picked up by the mics, but their attempts were always unsuccessful. The Capitol pooled their infinite resources into broadcasting these games, and any moment missed was revenue lost.

The laugh that bubbled up in your throat and escaped you in quiet, short bursts must’ve made you seem insane to anyone watching. Even Keigo paused in his attempts to warm your still-chilled skin, his hand frozen on your back as you giggled. If you’d had the willpower to stop yourself from making any noise, you would’ve done so. This probably wasn’t helping with your image, but you just couldn’t keep it in. Everything was just so absurd. This whole competition was a joke. It was a useless fucking joke, and it was morbidly funny.

“Maybe tomorrow they’ll release a plague on us. What an unexpected twist for the viewers.”

Keigo’s giggle was just as unexpected as your own. It made you jump, but he just pressed his head into your neck and laughed like you’d just made the funniest joke he’d ever heard.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you reminded yourself that saying things like this during the games was dangerous. The gamemakers were nothing if not petty, and tributes had been killed in “unfortunate accidents” for less than the comment that you’d just made. But at some point, a large part of you had stopped caring.

A crunch of snow just outside of the structure made you both freeze, and the quiet curse that followed stopped your breathing altogether. You reached for your clothes and began slipping back into them, ignoring the chill they brought back to your skin and throwing Keigo’s clothes at him.

“I know someone’s in there,” a gruff voice spoke from outside. They were quickly hushed by a second tribute, and a quiet argument gave you and Keigo time to gather your weapons and press yourselves against the concrete.

“Why don’t you just come out now and I’ll make it quick,” the same voice spoke, closer to one of the entrances now. There was no attempt to quiet them this time; instead, they both continued towards the already kicked down door, hung uselessly on bent hinges.

You took Keigo by the arm and pressed yourself into the space between the broken door and the wall, trying not to shake from the cold fabric pressed against your skin.

“You were probably just seeing things,” the second boy said. He was met with silence, but the comment didn’t stop them from entering the building and surveying the space. You peeked through a crack in the door and saw a head of blonde hair and a head of green hair.

Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya. It was an unlikely pair, and you couldn’t help but remember how adamant Bakugo had been about winning with no help from any of the other tributes, his partner included.

The terrain must’ve tripped everyone up.

Bakugo was looking away from the door now, backing towards you and Keigo to get a better look at the entirety of the space.

The moment he was in range, you pushed past the door and pressed your knife against his neck. He froze, turning his head enough to glance at you. He was furious, eyes wide in a stare that was almost deranged. That seemed a bit more in character from what you’d seen so far.

“Put it down,” Keigo stepped beside you, pointing towards the spear in Midoriya’s hand. He huffed, but did as Keigo instructed and dropped the weapon at his feet.

“Fucking great,” Bakugo spit, giving Keigo a once over. You pressed the knife further against his skin in warning, but it didn’t seem to phase him.

“I told you,” Midoriya shrugged, also largely unfazed by the knife pointed in his direction.

You glanced at Keigo, trying to convey a silent question. Do we kill them?

They were just kids. All of them were. They were Shoto’s age–

The arrow that came flying through the broken window landed just inches from Keigo’s head, bouncing off the concrete and falling to the ground. You faltered, gaze darting towards the direction of the shot and grip loosening on the knife. Bakugo acted only a split second later, grabbing the knife by the blade and throwing it to the side. From the corner of your eyes, you saw Midoriya move at the same time, scooping up a piece of broken concrete and hitting Keigo in his own moment of distraction. You grunted, instinctually moving towards him, but Bakugo wrapped an arm around your neck and trapped your arms behind you. When he turned you towards the window, you realized that he was making you into an easy target, presenting you to their archer like a bullseye.

“Shoot, you idiot!” he screamed when no arrow was loosed. You kicked backwards, trying every move that you knew to throw Bakugo off of you, but he was stronger than you’d given him credit for. “Goddammit! Todoroki, you bastard!”

You froze, suddenly motionless in Bakugo’s grip. The change seemed to have more of an affect on him than your struggling did, as your lack of movement made him stumble.

“What the fuck?” he muttered. “Hey! Are you deaf? Do it now!”

“Shoto!” you shouted over Bakugo’s cursing. “It’s Y/N!”

Silence followed your words, and you wondered for a moment if he really would kill you. You hadn’t seen him in three years. Was that enough time for him to sever any attachment he had to you and Keigo?

“Don’t shoot! Just...just hear me out! We can help each other!”

Your nerves consumed you the longer you waited for something. He had been training for the games for three years; he’d likely been told that he couldn’t let emotions cloud his judgement daily during those years. Still, hope still bubbled in your chest as more time passed and you hadn’t been shot.

Bakugo and Midoriya seemed to be waiting for Shoto to do something as well. While Bakugo’s grip was still firm, there was no indication that either of them were going to kill you themselves.

You were opening your mouth to continue your pleas when you heard something drop into the snow. Shoto had come from the trees, bow in hand and quiver strapped to his back. When he stood, he shifted the bow to his left hand and pulled a knife from his waistband with the right. While the caution was warranted, it still stung to see that he was so suspicious of you.

“Shoto,” you took a step forward, forgetting that Bakugo was still firmly holding you and grunting when he yanked you back, hissing at you to stay still, “you’re alive.”

“I swear, Todoroki, if you don’t shoot her right now, I’ll slit her fucking throat.”

“Bakugo,” Shoto finally spoke, now close enough that you could see how much he had changed since you saw him last. He’d had a growth spurt, and his hair fell to his cheeks. The only thing that hadn’t changed was the scar that covered half of his face. “Let them go.”

“What?” Bakugo spit. His grip on you loosened, and you thought for a moment that he would release you altogether and lunge for Todoroki, but he seemed to think better of it and tightened his hold on your arms again.

“They’re strong. They’d make good allies.”

Shoto was looking at Bakugo meaningfully, and you searched the boy’s eyes for some hint of what he was trying to wordlessly convey. You were certain that Bakugo wouldn’t take on anymore allies; at this point, half of the remaining tributes would be grouped. From what you’d seen in past games, that always led to infighting. Bakugo was a career. He’d know better.

“I trust them.”

Bakugo snarled, arm tightening on your neck for a moment as he contemplated Shoto’s words. To your shock, he released you, turning towards Midoriya with a frustrated shake of his head.

“This isn’t going to fucking work.”

“Thank you,” you whispered to Shoto, unsure of how to proceed. Three years of training had likely changed him, and his willingness to let you live didn’t mean that he still saw you as a friend.

You knelt next to Keigo, examining the wound on the back of his head with shaking hands. You could feel the chill coming back to you, but fought to keep your body from trembling as you cradled Keigo’s head in your lap, resting it on your legs and watching Bakugo and Midoriya cautiously.

“Relax,” Midoriya knelt next to you with a smile, “he’ll be okay. I didn’t hit him hard enough to kill him. Or damage him permanently.”

“Why not?” you asked, voice hard. You shielded Keigo from Midoriya as best you could, shifting so that his head was protected from any more possible damage, “what’s your game?”

“I...” Midoriya seemed shock, and his smile twisted in confusion. “I thought you’d...be happy.”

“That he’s okay? Of course I am. But you’re telling me that you just let him live out of the kindness of your heart?”

“Um...” Midoriya faltered, glancing back at Bakugo. The blond shrugged, and Midoriya winced as he turned towards you. “I...yes?”

“He’s just like that,” Shoto spoke from behind you, looking over your shoulder at Keigo’s motionless body, “don’t think too much about it. It won’t become any less confusing.”

You wanted to question him further, to ask why they all seemed so willing to take on new allies when there were only twelve tributes left, but the words stalled in your throat when Keigo groaned, twisting in your lap and lifting a slow, shaky hand towards his head.

“Don’t move. You hit your head,” you scolded, grabbing his wrist and pushing it onto his stomach. He put up little resistance as he pried his eyes open, and you glanced back at the two strangers to make sure they weren’t coming too close. Surprisingly, they had stopped paying attention to you altogether. They were standing in the far corner of the room, speaking in hushed whispers.

When his vision had seemingly cleared enough that he could make out your features, he closed his eyes, covering your hand on his cheek with his own.

“Ouch,” he muttered, sitting up and scanning the room. He began to stand, but froze when he spotted Shoto waiting at your side, watching him with careful, curious eyes.

“Shoto?”

“Yes.”

You almost laughed at the response. It was so familiar that you felt like you were sixteen again, back in your district with Dabi, Keigo, and an eleven-year-old Shoto. His bluntness had always gotten him into trouble with his father, but it seemed that no amount of time had changed him as much as you’d feared it would.

Keigo’s relief was palpable, and he stumbled over himself as he stood, barely catching himself on your shoulder as he reached a hand towards Shoto’s head. The boy backed up, eyes widening slightly at the movement.

“Sorry,” Keigo sighed, smile still wide, “habit.”

“It’s...okay.”

“Did you hit me?”

“That was me,” Midoriya spoke from the corner of the room, looking between the three of you with a wave and a smile, “sorry.”

Keigo seemed to realize then that there were two other tributes in the building with you. He backed towards the opposite wall, grabbing your hand and guiding you away with him. Bakugo had been one of the more memorable tributes, and Keigo’s reaction was soundly based. He was one of the competitors you were most worried about going into the games.

“Shoto, are they with you?”

“Yes. They’re my allies.”

Keigo glanced at you, looking for any confirmation that Bakugo wasn’t a threat. You really didn’t have much more confidence than he did, but you wanted Shoto as an ally more than you didn’t want Bakugo and Midoriya.

You wondered if Bakugo would even let you leave alive if you tried.

“Would you like to join us?”

The question was so formal that you almost laughed, but Shoto was looking at you so hopefully that your nod was practically involuntary. When you glanced at Keigo, you knew that he wanted to stay with Shoto as much as you did. Despite your promise to yourself that you’d get Keigo out alive, and your promise Dabi that one of you would come back, Shoto deserved a chance too. And if things did end badly, you knew Dabi would be happy knowing that you had tried to protect his brother.

You took Shoto’s outstretched hand, shaking it in a manner of agreement that seemed far too formal. You pictured Dabi laughing at the absurdity of it all, and wondered if he was watching now. It felt like the past three years of wondering if Shoto was okay had ended here, with the knowledge that his father hadn’t sent him away to be broken by his training. He was still the same Shoto you knew before. That fact gave you peace of mind where you hadn’t fully realized you needed it.

It only took a few moments for you to remember where you were, and why you were making this agreement. By the end of this, two of you would be dead, and one would return alone.

Now that you were allies, you hoped Dabi would forgive you if you chose Keigo over Shoto.

#hawks #hawks x reader #hawks x you #hawks x y/n #hawks imagine #keigo takami #keigo takami x reader #keigo takami x you #keigo takami x y/n #keigo takami imagine #mha #mha x reader #mha x you #mha x y/n #mha imagine #my hero academia #thg #emwrites

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lovesaibo · 2 years

Text

A post I’ve been wanting to make for a while is of the nicknames Shidou’s called others in JP. Most of them are exactly the same as what’s in the translation by Pair of Two but I kinda wanna highlight Shidou’s constant use of -chan for the other boys.

This is for Chapters 88~148 and pretty long so I’m sorry in advance :)

Igarashi:

He gets called mainly Igaguri/Igaguri-chan.

Kunigami:

Kunigami is referred to as “Hero/Hero-kun” and interestingly he’s the only character that Shidou uses -kun for so far. I wonder why?

Reo:

Reo kinda has a funny one. It’s “Murasaki chonmage” with「ちょんまげ」chonmage referring to his teeny ponytail/bun. So Purple Top-Knot.[EDIT: I somehow mixed up ちゃん and ちょん but it's fixed now! It'sdefinitely not murasaki-chan lol]

Yukimiya:

So far he’s only been referred to as “Goggle Man”. At least one other character I recall has called Yukimiya this as well.

Isagi:

Isagi has been called by his full name, Isagi-chan, and there’s also「チョロ男」. I tried to figure this one out with a friend. 「チョロチョロ/ちょろちょろ」 is an onomonopia used for small animals skittering around quickly, which would make sense for Isagi since he’s a) smaller than Shidou and b) had been popping up in places where Shidou wasn’t expecting during the match. So skittering boy or darting boy? Though it’s not really easy to make that into a sensible phrase in English? This got translated to “Lover Boy” in the Fan Scan.

Rin:

Rin is fun. He gets called by his full name, Rin-chan, RinRin, 「下ますげ」”under eyelashes” 「下ますげ弟」 “under eyelashes little brother”, and 「お兄ちゃん大好きっ子ちゃん」which if you wanted to do a direct translation I would say just says “Big brother loving kid”, which feels like a mouthful just to call him a brocon. Once Rin goes into flow he gets called 「ベロ凛」 “bero Rin”; bero means tongue, while berobero is the onomonopia for licking, so “Licky Rin” would be what makes the most sense.

Sae:

Alongside 「天才」 “Genuis” like everyone else calls him, he gets called by his full name, Sae-chan, 「下ますげ兄」 “under eyelashes elder brother”. He uses Sae-chan the most!

Gagamaru:

Gagamaru is 「ちょんまげ丸」 chonmagemaru, which combines chonmage, a top-knot ponytail style and the maru kanji from his name. Shidou also refers to him as 「ちょんまげGK」 “Top-Knot Goal Keeper”.

Sendou:

Sendou... Gets it bad from both Sae and Shidou lol. Shidou (+Sae) calls him 「ヘボストライカー」 which roughly means “Poor/Unskilled(you could also use Shitty if you’re feeling especially mean) Striker” . Additionally, this one is funny:

This is “furuchin sutoraika”. Furuchin means to have one’s penis exposed, and with the context of Sendou and his new resolve to marry a hollywood actress, not a Gravure idol like Sae has been teasing him about since they first met, it seems like Shidou is calling Sendou “Striker with his dick out” or “Striker who thinks with his dick”. That’s kind of clunky for dialogue, so it makes sense that “dickface striker” was used instead!

Karasu:

Karasu only gets called Karasu-chan so far. But with the both of them being on PXG we might see if that still holds as the only name.

End Note:

Nicknames aside, from what I know, Shidou is being very overfamiliar with everyone he speaks with and insists on referring to everyone with the cutesy -chan rather than -san or -kun (Again, interestingly enough the only character that he seems to have used -kun with is when referring to Kunigami as Hero-kun once). As far as I’m aware, Japanese boys don’t really go around calling each other “-chan” generally unless they’re close childhood friends? (Think how Midoriya Izuku from Boku no Hero insists on calling Bakugou Katsuki Kacchan even into their teens. This is in contrast with Kaminari Denki who seems to call Bakugou Kacchan a couple times not out of closeness but just to tease him).

The only character shown to be bothered by his overfamiliarity is Rin though lol.

“Who are you calling RinRin, damn bug.”

Bonus!

Aiku also uses -chan sometimes!

Here, he calls Shidou 「仔犬ちゃん」”koinu-chan” which means Puppy. I’m not sure why the translation was squirt in the Fan Scans?

Sae gets called 「天才ちゃん」tensai-chan which is just Genius(-chan)

During the whole cops and robbers speech of his, he calls Isagi(?) 「泥ちゃん」”doro-chan” or just Thief/Robber(-chan)

#Blue Lock #Shidou Ryusei #Oliver Aiku #I won't tag the other characters since this is a Shidou-centric post with a bit of Aiku at the end #Also Pair of Two does a great job this is just what I've read and how it differs from the fan translations #+ lol Shidou why do you speak so... cutesy?

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acerathia · 2 months

Text

The Lament of Erebus || Chapter 2: The silent plea

Summary:

They appeared in the dead of night, ripping people out of their homes and lives, only leaving scattered clothes fluttering in the wind. There was nothing else left of the missing people. OR Midoriya Izuku is quirkless, despite his protests, despite the feeling churning in his insides. It seems like fate has a cruel way to show its affection, as this lead to a social death sentence. And he has lived like that all his life. That is until society began to shift, creatures of the night swallowing people residing in the dark. The question is, what is the connection between them and Izuku?

Wordcount: 3.5k

Read it on AO3 || Masterlist

Tags/CW:

Minor Characters Death, Abuse of Power (Government), Censorship, Isolation, Alternative Universe, Kidnapping, Witness Protection, slightly illegal activities, Midoriya has a quirk, Panic attack

Note:

I know i said i'm on break, but i posted it on ao3 days ago and i just remembered to post it here oops, anyway, enjoy lolol

Sometimes people think everything might be their fault, that the consequences of their actions finally caught up to them. I reckon Izuku was such a person. After all, he was considered the weird, quirkless Deku. Yes, like his hero idolisation the name Deku seems like a fixture in every possible variation of himself. Due to his so-called weirdness, his uncanny vibes, people blamed him for everything, he brings bad karma, the spirits follow him or any other variation of the same spiel. A try to explain whatever was going on. Poor Izuku didn't have any other choice but to accept these baseless accusations, taking the blame for everything and everyone. Even if whatever was about to come, was not his fault, no, he was just unfortunate enough to be there at the wrong time.

Now, enough with that, we need to focus on Izuku, to understand the story properly.

----

There was something going on, Izuku knew, but he had no idea what exactly. The government just implemented that nightly lockdown, no one was allowed to step outside if the sun had set, unless they were accompanied by a hero. But even then, they would get a hefty fine, for allegedly obstructing justice. Which didn't make sense to him, after all the heroes were supposed to help people! Especially if it was true that the nightly crime rates really have been rising. And this reason didn't make sense either. If the crime rate really got that high to be a risk to the population, there would have been any kind of early indication or any kind of statistics. But Izuku didn't encounter any of this in all his nightly deep dives into the forums and, sue him, the police archives.

No one could blame him for distrusting the information they had been given. There was something else going on and he wanted to know what. But every question and answer to this particular topic vanished from every forum, even in the ones specifically for conspiracies. He knew, because he looked and dug, but everything was gone. Even if he finally found someone wondering and asking the same thing, he couldn't do anything but watch as the question got deleted in front of his eyes.

He groaned with frustration as it happened again. Once again he lost some discussion about the current events. He even forgot to note the name of these people in hopes to contact them later on again. The need to bang his head against the table slowly grew with each post lost. Was this how losing the library of Alexandria felt like?

But he didn't have time to despair just yet, his mother was calling him for breakfast, and who was he to ignore her? So he shut his laptop down, softly closing it before emerging from his room, almost forgetting his bag.

Letting his schoolbag lean against the table he took a seat. In front of him a plate with toast and jelly and peanut had been put, with some orange juice to the side. With a bright smile he thanked his wonderful mother before digging in. He allowed for the crunch and the sweetness to distract him from his conspiracies for at least a moment. Of course he wouldn't call them conspiracies, but we all know they were, as none of them were even close to the truth.

After finishing his quick meal, he slung his back over his shoulders and gave his mother a goodbye kiss. He didn't let his weariness show until he was out of the door and turned at least once around a corner. He slowly grew tired of his middle school, the whispers and isolation starting to take a bigger toll on him than he would have anticipated. Some tiny sliver of hope told him to wait for something to happen, for something to turn his life around. And he grabbed that hope with desperate hands, with all the weights of his shadow. Maybe that was a reason for him to go looking for some kind of explanation or possible future events, even if it meant filling his brain with baseless rumors and conspiracies. Like that one about undergro-

Something pushed his shoulder, taking his balance away, leaving him stumbling. But he didn't fall down. Probably due to his increased agility or because he started working out the tiniest bit. In truth the shadows hung deep over his ankles, grounding him. But that was something he wasn't supposed to know yet, so his reasoning had to suffice.

He turned around to look for the perpetrator, but they had already left the scene. He should've expected that. People loved to push him, acting as if he wasn't just there, as if he didn't exist for them at all. That was why he was so accustomed to living on the edge, to barely exist. He was only protecting his body, if he couldn't even shield his mind from that silent torment.

With a soundless sigh he turned, almost slithering into his classroom, trying to avoid getting noticed. Before anyone could even raise their heads, he already sat in his place, pulling his notebook out of his bag. In this universe he never had to worry about his belongings getting taken away, his bubble too big for any bully to dare walking up to him, he was too unnerving for no reason, his existence in their periphery already sending shivers down their throats.

He opened the book to his new entry, 'The change of Hero Society'. A little dramatic, but for Izuku everything about heroes represented a far away world, every little change seemed like a myth.

With nimble fingers he took notes in bullet point form, trying to put everything from that one lost post before he could even dare to forget it. The possibility of the boogeyman returning, the strengthening of the yakuza and if there was any power struggle wrangling underneath society. Any of these possibilities had some kind of potential to unleash havoc upon them, in multiple ways and forms. But even if he put down every reason the current events could be connected to any of these reasons, he felt like missing something. Something was pulling him, whispering to him, wrong, wrong, wrong. So even if everything made sense, nothing clicked for him. He felt almost like pulling on loose, interconnected strings, like trying to grasp into delusive shadows.

He almost missed the start of the lesson, but even if he didn't pay attention, the teacher would not warn him. They barely managed to talk to him, so keen on ignoring him. He had in fact to teach himself the subjects, his questions receiving no answers from the teacher. At least they didn't grade him unfairly, and he supposed they were too afraid of repercussions if he failed due to their incompetence. And studying the subjects on his own turned out to be pretty fun, as long as he had time to look into everything as much as he liked.

Still, he tried to pay attention to class, to show some respect to his elders, and to know what the next topic could be. At least he looked like listening. Yet, his thoughts were still trying to dig into the dark, into this feeling of wrongness he has been getting lately.

Before he knew it, the day was over, without anyone even calling his name, even batting an eye at him. And he packed his bag, his notebooks heavy in them, filled with wrong knowledge and yet.

His way home turned out to be unspectacular, even if he felt like his feet floated over the ground. The whispers urged him forward, run, run, run. And for some reason he resisted. There was no reason for him to run, was there? His home would be where it had been that morning, it wouldn't move. His mother worked, maybe at home, didn't she? Yes, today was her usual home office day. So everything should be in order.

Still, for some reason he couldn't help but hurry, the usual weight on his ankles gone for this one moment, the shadows trying to push him, and yet.

And yet it wasn't enough. It never would have been enough.

He stopped in front of the door. Standing ajar, jarring him to the darkness of his bones. His mother would never allow the door to stay open, there was no reason for that but to invite unwanted shadows and guests in.

His breath got caught in the depth of his lungs, choking him for a moment. There was something wrong, wrong, wrong, and he should have been faster, run, run, run.

Hesitancy made his fingers tremble pushing the door open. But he didn't dare to look into his home yet. There was no reason not to, everything was fine, wasn't it?

Yes, everything was going the way it was supposed to, but that didn't necessarily mean it was fine. Eventually, everything would be fine, but everything needed to lead there first.

He finally stepped into the space he once occupied with his mother. Or at least that was what it was supposed to be. His recognition of the simplest thing failed and he didn't dare take another step.

The blue vase, mother's favorite, had shattered, its corpse laying in dust on every corner of the place.

For some reason he grabbed his phone, dialing the police. He didn't understand why either. He just pressed the phone to his ears, letting it ring and echo in his head. The moment the line clicked and someone asked him about what happened, he started babbling.

"My… my mother's vase, it broke. I- I don't know how…", his voice creaked and a gasp fled his lips, allowing for the sobs to lodge free.

The person on the other side didn't belittle him, rather they calmly asked for his address, staying on the line with him until someone arrived. And even then, they talked with him, trying to distract him from the state of the place, from the state of his mind. They only bid goodbye to him once they were sure he wasn't alone anymore.

A hand had been put onto his shoulder, bringing his attention to the crouching police officer in front of him.

"Hey buddy. I'm sorry that this happened to you. Do you mind coming to the police station to explain everything to you?", he asked with a soft voice, almost like talking to a frightened animal.

And maybe he was, his whole body felt jittery, almost like it wanted him to bolt immediately. But the heaviness had returned, grounding him somewhat. So he nodded, taking the offered hand to stand up and follow him to the car.

He didn't speak, didn't dare to even think about what could have happened. He just stayed silent, counting every blue car on the way to the station.

Arriving at the station meant to sit and wait. To sit with something to drink between his too cold fingers, and to wait for the adults to finally talk to him, to explain the situation properly for him. Because for Izuku, it didn't feel real, not until someone saw the same thing and mentioned him. He was refusing to accept the possibilities until someone confirmed it with him. But what kind of adult would tell a child, barely a teenager, the harsh truth? No officer wanted to lay it down on him, but he deserved the truth, as much as it was going to hurt him.

A police officer with black hair and simple features, no mutations, his mind supplied, crouched in front of him.

"Hello Midoriya, my name is Tsukauchi Naomasa, I will be the lead detective in this case. And you might be wondering what case I'm talking about, well…", he took a deep breath, "you mother seems to have been kidnapped and we don't know the reasons or who the perpetrator could be. And while we investigate you would have to be put into witness protection…"

He talked more, but Izuku couldn't listen to him anymore, couldn't process anything he said. His dear mother, gone? And someone ruthlessly took her? He couldn't even protect his own mother, he was a weakling, a Deku. A whimper escaped him and the tears already stained his sleeves once again. He won't ever be enough, couldn't even save his own mother.

He felt the arms of the officer around his twitching shoulders, letting him cry his pain out, leaving an aching hole in his lungs. He already missed her so much, his bones creaking her name.

After he was empty, Tsukaushi-san repeated the latter part, the part he missed while drowning. They were going to put him into witness protection, he was going to live with a hero. The thought should have been exciting, he was going to live with a real hero! He could learn so many things from them. And yet it wasn't enough. Maybe heroes would never be enough if his mother wasn't by his side.

In the end he didn't have any choice but to agree with whatever they were planning with him. A police officer would once again return with him to the apartment, it wasn't his home anymore, no, to collect some of his stuff, if unscathed. That was how he had to return once again, driven by a police officer, and he could have been the same one, but he didn't remember and he didn't care.

In front of the steps, he hesitated for a small moment, not wanting to crush the shards of the vase any further. To avoid breaking them, he calculated his steps, only looking at his feet until he stopped in front of the door of his room. What used to be his room. He peeked inside, nothing out of order. A stark contrast to the living room. No broken vases, no shards. Almost like a limbo, unchanging, stuck in time.

He was scared everything would rupture once he stepped inside, but he had no other choice. His feet slowly dragged him into the room, the air stale, he forgot to open a window before leaving. He didn't open one now either. Just grabbed the first bag he found and filled it with anything. Some things were not necessary but some things? To some things he had emotional attachments. And in this situation he needed those more than anything.

After ensuring that he had packed truly everything, especially his identifying papers and cards, he joined the officer outside. Even if the police would take those for safekeeping, he would rather have them on his person, at least until they hand him his new, shiny identity.

Once again he climbed into the police car. He began to grow weary of traveling with the car. At least the officer wasn't driving him back to the station, but rather to the first available hero. He wondered if he was going to get passed around in shifts, or if he was staying at one place with the same hero. Either way, he was stuck. They were taking his freedom away and it was for his safety. Because he couldn't do it himself, he was too useless, too weak, too weird.

Before he knew it, they had arrived. Hopefully for the last time he climbed out of the car. In front of him was a big building, resembling a luxurious hotel of some sort. Everything was clean, shiny and bright, and apparently safe. There was even someone to greet them at the entrance.

They didn't enter yet, they weren't allowed to do so, the hero had to pick Izuku up. So he waited while the officer made whatever call needed to get rid of him at last. He understood that sentiment, that was how everyone treated him, everyone but his mother. But that was over. He had to get accustomed to never having that sort of comfort ever again. Even from the people supposed to give him safety and comfort.

They both were lucky. The hero didn't take long to come down, looked like he had been in his home at that moment. And even if Izuku's feelings towards heroes were slightly numbed, he couldn't help himself but get a little excited. Because even if his hair wasn't in that complicated hairdo, he recognized the haircolor and of course the glasses.

Out of any choices, he couldn't believe he hit the jackpot. Present Mic was one of the few heroes to vocally support quirkless and mutated people, despite the discrimination many of them face, even by heroes (most of them didn't comment on such topics, too afraid of any backlash).

He hoped with the depth of his soul that Present Mic wouldn't be put off by him, he didn't know if he could handle such a rejection. So he immediately bowed.

"Good morning, my name is Midoriya Izuku, thank you for having me!", he exclaimed, nervousness and excitement tinting his voice.

"Hello, Midoriya-kun! It's nice to meet you.", Present Mic smiled and bowed slightly, before turning to the officer to discuss some details.

He saw how a package had been exchanged and he was aware what the contents could be. His temporary papers, his new identity. They were going to put some costume on him, acting like it was so easy to get rid of his life, as if the last years were nothing but an act, which could be changed at all times.

He grabbed his green locks, picking on them and letting their color shine in front of his eyes. Were they going to make him change it? Get rid of whatever feature of his mother etched into his very being? He hated that thought. Wasn't losing his mother already enough? Was dusting him of any remains necessary? He scratched his scalp, trying to remind himself that nothing is permanent, yes, once they found his mother everything would go back how it once used to be. He was not stuck with their shallow whims.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to the person opposite of him, and he wished they would stop touching him like that. Still, he smiled at Present Mic, noticing the absence of the officer.

"Ah! You're back! Let's go inside, Imma explain how this place works.", he grinned and led him inside the building. He seemed so unaffected by him, a stark contrast to everyone else, it surprised him.

Inside he told the portier to allow him in, unless stated otherwise, before striding to the lifts. Izuku was struggling to keep up with his long steps, especially with the added heaviness to his own. But he listened nonetheless. The hero explained the concept of these apartments. The way the security worked and how their privacy was protected. No one could enter without permission and no names exist at the entrance, lest someone sneak a glance at them. He told him how he doubted anyone truly knew everyone living in this complex.

Finally arriving at his apartment, after making sure Izuku had memorized the way just fine, he showed him around. The kitchen, the soon to be shared bathroom, and the guest room, well his room now. Present Mic allowed him to 'go ham' with the decorations and the way he wanted the room to look like. At that moment it only had blue sheets, and bare walls. And he still was thankful for those.

He put his bag onto the bed and followed Yamada-san, the hero told him to use his name (and he tried to comply to his wishes, even if Izuku felt the need to continue calling the man by his hero one) into the living room, sitting on the edge of the couch, burying his feet into the dark underneath.

For some time there was nothing but silence, and then Yamada-san dropped the information, their plan for his safety. He handed him his new identification, his new name, explaining his transfer to a new school, close to his workplace, related to UA. That way they could be there at a moment's notice, as fast as the shadows at night.

He didn't mind the change, still harboring the hope of some friends, or at least classmates who talk to him. And if the school was close to UA, that meant he had the possibility to meet more heroes!

After the hero finished telling him his worktimes and giving him his number, with a new phone of course, he asked what his favorite food was and who his favorite heroes were.

The second question led to a tangent and an in-depth analysis of his top five heroes, which Present Mic belonged to. Said hero didn't seem to mind, rather enjoyed his talking and only interrupted him to ask questions, give him input or when his delivered food arrived.

Digging into the take-out he thought that maybe, maybe this wasn't as bad as he thought it could be. Nothing could replace his mother, of course, but he didn't have to suffer without her, some people still cared, somewhat.

And the same way his heart got a bit lighter, the shadows let go of him, solely dragging his soles, rather than ground his ankles.

#midoriya izuku #izuku modoriya #midoriya izuku centric #midoriya centric mwah #midoriya fanfic #bnha fanfiction #mha fanfiction

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bakudeku-recommendations · 1 year

Text

BKDK Time Travel AU Recommendations

Note: some of these contain smut, suicide, or death of some kind. Make sure to check tags!

P.S. Let me know of any other recommendations you would like! I will try my best to find some good ones :)

1. Second Chance

By: SaysiWrites

Summary: Izuku Midoriya grew up thinking he was Quirkless - turns out he just needed to face death to activate it.

Tags: Canon Compliant, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Protective Bakugou Katsuki, Angst?, Fluff, once you get through all the dark shit, Canon-Typical Violence, Time Travel (kind of), suicide (kind of), Depression (briefly), Non-Graphic Violence, Short Chapters, slowish burn, Temporary Character Death, Don’t copy to another site

2. Fantasia for Two Gentlemen

By: pandoras_thomg

Summary: Pro heroes Ground Zero and Deku get caught in a time-travel villain’s quirk and end up spending the night with each other’s middle school selves. Truths come to light, feelings find their home, and destinies change in summertime.

Tags: Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Pro Hero Midoriya Izuku, Pro Hero Bakugou Katsuki, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Middle schooler Bakugou Katsuki, Middle Schooler Izuku Midoriya, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Size Difference, Age Difference, Mirror Sex, Izuku is adorable, Rutting, Creampie, Masturbation, Voyeurism, Explicit Sexual Content, Bottom Midoriya Izuku

3. Time Travel

By: bkdkwritingsdump

Summary: Izuku swaps places with his future self due to the effects of a quirk and finds himself in the apartment he shares with... Katsuki? Who is his boyfriend? Things get emotional as he realizes not only just how wonderful his future is, but that he won't remember any of it when he returns.

Tags: Fluff, Light Angst, Time Travel, Quirk Shenanigans (My Hero Academia), Emotional, Sharing a Bed, Soft Bakugou Katsuki, Jealousy, Hurt/Comfort, POV Alternating

4. Do it For Them

By: Yuhime

Summary: Katsuki does everything he can to make sure that damn nerd and their apparent daughter from the future are safe until they can figure out a way to return her to her own time.

Tags: bakudeku, class 1-a - Freeform, or atleast most of them, Minor Character Death (Mentioned), More tags will be added as the story progresses, Not Beta'd, Slow Burn, Like real slow, Swearing, eventual smut for the teens, smut for the future couple, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Class 1-A Shenanigans (My Hero Academia), Morning Sex, Kidnapping, Shower Sex, Blow Jobs, Rough Oral Sex, Minor Kaminari Denki/Kirishima Eijirou, Minor Iida Tenya/Uraraka Ochako, Minor Todoroki Shouto/Yaoyorozu Momo, Public Blow Jobs, First Time

5. hero duo

By: lu_marii

Summary: Pro hero duo Kacchan and Deku are thrown into the past, have a conversation with their old class, and drive their teacher insane.

Tags: Time Travel, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, twinstarsweek

6. My future?

By: Bkdklover95

Summary: Izuku wakes up and he is older? Also why is Kacchan so nice and also who exactly is the future him???

Tags: Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Soft Bakugou Katsuki, Bakugou Katsuki is a Good Boyfriend, Cute Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku is a Tease, Quirk Shenanigans (My Hero Academia), Future Fic, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Time Travel, Daddy Kink, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Fluff and Humor, Funny

7. Off The Clock

By: mythical_song_wolf

Summary: Pro Hero Deku is sent back in time, two months before he ever meets All Might... But it seems like somebody follows him soon enough...

Tags: Parental Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Swearing, Canon Rewrite, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Probably ooc, im trying okay?, Fluff, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Compliant, Fix-It of Sorts, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Hugs, Cuddling & Snuggling, Angst, Protectiveness, Tooth-Rotting, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Established Relationship

8. You're My Type

By: Gbo

Summary: Midoriya has a definite type even if he refuses to admit it. With the new edition of 'Top Sexiest Heros', said type becomes painfully clear to the ladies of class 3A. The teasing session that results leaves tensions high... But what would happen if his ultimate type is thrown back from the future.

Tags: Aged-Up Character(s), Third Year Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Everyone's 18 y/o, Shinsou Hitoshi Replaces Mineta Minoru, IDFK Mineta died or something, Midoriya Izuku & Shinsou Hitoshi Friendship, Midoriya Izuku Loves Bakugou Katsuki, Embarrassed Midoriya Izuku, Izuku has a type and it's blondes, You'll see what I mean, Quirk Accident (My Hero Academia), Time Travel, They get swapped, 28-year-old Bakugo Katsuki, 28-Year-Old Midoriya Izuku, Characters Are Pro Heroes (My Hero Academia), Sex God Bakugo Katsuki, no beta - we die like Sir Nighteye, Eventual Smut, Canon Compliant, Kaminari Denki is a Little Shit, Uraraka Ochako is a menace

9. Every Day, Again and Again

By: bundie

Summary: Stupid fucking quirk accidents. One minute, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight was fighting some C-List villain side by side with his hero partner Deku, and the next, he was blasted through some swirling mass of violet light. The last thing he heard was the broken call of “Kacch–!” before he was slamming face first into a brick wall. Where the fuck was he?

Tags: Characters Are Pro Heroes (My Hero Academia), Future Fic, Quirk Shenanigans (My Hero Academia), Quirk Accident (My Hero Academia), Bullying, Middle School Student Bakugou Katsuki, Middle School Student Midoriya Izuku, Time Travel, Established Relationship

10. once upon a younger year (when all our shadows disappear)

By: ArbitraryCategories

Summary: 25-year old Pro Heroes Deku and Dynamight have been bringing Hope and Victory to the citizens living in AFO's Japan for years now. Unfortunately, a new League recruit calling herself Vanish gets in a lucky shot, and suddenly the Wonder Duo finds themselves in a strikingly undamaged park—face to face with their 13-year-old selves. Stuck in the past, they decide that there's only one thing to do: save the future.

Tags: One For All Quirk, Haunted by Past One For All Users' Ghosts (My Hero Academia), Time Travel Fix-It, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Pro Hero Midoriya Izuku, Pro Hero Bakugou Katsuki, Middle School Student Midoriya Izuku, Middle School Student Bakugou Katsuki, U.A. High School (My Hero Academia), U.A. Teacher Midoriya Izuku, Teacher Bakugou Katsuki, dadmight, Parental Yagi Toshinori | All Might, villains made up for plot, time travel villain for no reason other than i needed SOMETHING, Engaged Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku, found family except he found them from a distance, Class 1-A as Family (My Hero Academia), Overuse of italics, I will add character tags and relationships as they show upor as they are mentioned insert evil laughter here, realized i forgot to tag swearing, Swearing, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Toga Himiko is Not a Villain, Adopted Toga Himiko

#bkdk #fanfic #time travel #fanfic recommendation #fanfiction #ao3fic #ao3 #ao3 link #ao3 bakudeku #mha smut #fluff #time travel au #bakudeku #requests open

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haleigh-sloth · 2 years

Note

I read a post that suggested maybe the reason this info has only been talked about in a heteromorph-centered chapter is because the subject isn't talked about at all with the human characters

Like, what if hero society just doesn't talk about these things?

And so, in a heteromorph-centered chapter, the incidents mentioned are only remembered, and considered more crucial, to those who still suffer from the discrimination in the present

I agree that maybe these incidents should have been touched on, or at least mentioned, in the story at some point, but I wonder if this could be part of it too. That hero society just doesn't talk about it

Plus, the setting of the entire story has been in cities or in UA, places that are said to have more acceptance towards heteromorphs by being exposed to them earlier on in life and therefore taught more about diversity. (Also, UA's classrooms have those big doors, remember? To accommodate for heteromorphs, any student at all. A few of the teachers are heteromorphs, including the principal)

So, it's kind of a reach, but maybe that's why the subject hasn't been talked about either? Because it's already accepted enough in a place that already shows acceptance, and we've usually always centered around UA?

What are your thoughts on this?

Ehh...maybe.

I can't say that's not a possibility, but I'm more inclined to think it's just a flaw in the story's balance of its plot points.

I think this take WOULD make more sense to me if the story was very strictly told from Izuku's POV. And I mean strictly--like everything WE see, Izuku is seeing and narrating. But that's not how the story is told. We see things happening on screen that Izuku isn't there to witness in canon. All of MVA for example, but also just, a great portion of the story happens without him, too many to list actually.

So because it's set up this way, imo it very easily could have been touched on more than it was. Because it's set up in a way where it doesn't have to be from a certain person's POV to be seen on screen, if that makes sense.

The other thing is Shouji as a character. It's not particularly a huge complaint of mine that he's suddenly important. I got over that issue BNHA has a while ago. But just the fact that Shouji was SUCH a very very background character for so long, but now is representing the other half of the fight that is posing as the build up and pay off of this plot point, kind of feeds into how unbalanced it is.

But on the other hand--Horikoshi's writing is just really weird like that sometimes. I agree when people say he's a slow burn writer and that we have to wait for things to pay off--BUT, I still think in comparison to some of the other slow burn things, Shouji's build up isn't nearly on par with say, the Touya reveal or Aoyama's reveal. There were hints dropped and things in the story that fed into those two characters becoming important later on. Shouji I think has some moments, but not nearly enough for me to put it in the "bnha slow burn" pile.

Then again I can't deny that it may be because I personally didn't look too hard at Shouji throughout the story. Maybe I need to go back and re-read some parts. I've seen people point out moments here in there, but I still think that in comparison to the rest, this plot point as a whole, along with Shouji's prominent role feels kind of thrown at us.

The most well writtern and consistent part of this plot point is Spinner's character. He himself is a great character, and him rejecting the idea that the movement he is the face of is important to him because he didn't set out to BE the face of anything is a pretty good personal challenge to navigate. That on top of his self-worth (lack thereof), his faulty loyalty to Shigaraki, and the effects that the discrimination he's faced has had on him but he ignores it, all make for a really good challenge to see him work through, which I'm excited for.

I just....I agree with the complaints that it was all just shoe horned into one section of the story. I see what they mean.

Then on the other side of it, I have pretty much always thought that as much as BNHA tries to make the "we live in a society" message a big part of the endgame conflict, it just isn't able to. I've said it before, but Shigaraki, Touya, and Toga may all have issues with the world they live in and how it's run, but the story very very blatantly puts their personal demons in the forefront. Explaining all of that would be its own post so I won't dive into that here. But idk if it needs to be explained how, yeah even though Touya and Shigaraki talk about society and heroes failing and all that, "society" isn't their biggest obstacle. Society isn't what is holding back the main 3 villains from salvation. And "fixing society" isn't the answer to saving those three either. That much is also clear.

So idk, I'm open to it being because of perspective not focusing there. I can definitely see that. I can definitely see a topic that is swept under the rug in the greater public--like in big cities and stuff. But at the same time--this is a story with multiple perspectives and the capability of showing them. So I am personally more inclined to think it's just unbalanced, a flaw. Which is okay. For me it's not a make or break type of thing. I just agree with the criticisms of how it's been handled.

#long post #mettyyy #bnha asks #bnha 370

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irontragedyreview · 2 years

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I'm pretty excited that Mirio joins the fight against Shigaraki/AFO because he's the kind of wildcard that will ensure the survival of the heroes inside the floating fortress. Since the fight started I wondered why Mirio didn't appear against Tomura considering that his quirk is much more useful in this type of fight not only to go through objects but also in case Tomura activates his decay, Mirio would be in a safer position than those heroes who have contact with any surface, I also wonder if like Shinso, Mirio could have improved his use with his quirk and spread it to others, since in this way he would ensure the survival of the heroes in case Monoma fails to continue erasing the decay or Tomura continues to evolve to the point that even Aizawa's quirk becomes completely useless.

Possibly in the next two or three chapters we will have a definition of this encounter and move on to either Izuku or Ochako, since so far the fights like Touya and AFO have lasted a total of four or five chapters for each one. Surely there are no casualties, I doubt that Horikoshi kills any character but that he isn't afraid of hurting them seems great to me, since it gives realism and tension to the situation, it's a war and the villains are going with all their power.

#bnha spoilers #bnha 359 #bnha #personal ramblings

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makeste · 3 years

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“but I thought about how I needed to say this”

a.k.a. yet another meta dissection of The Apology. I actually wrote most of this up on Friday night based on the original Japanese (@pikahlua has an excellent translation up here, and I also used @hanashimas’ translations as a reference as well), but I wanted to wait until the official release, though that turned out to be a mixed bag to say the least lol.

I would also recommend reading @pikahlua and @class1akids’ breakdowns of this scene (here and here, respectively), because they are excellent, and because if any scene deserves to have as many meta breakdowns written about it as possible, it’s this one.

anyway so here goes.

Caleb did a more accurate job with this than the fanscan, even if he did try his best to take us out of the seriousness of the moment by throwing in that swiss cheese line lol. anyway so there are two things I want to talk about here. the first is the line about Izuku not remembering, which I thought was a nice touch. of course he doesn’t remember what Kacchan said back then. he wasn’t exactly in the soundest emotional state after seeing one of the people he cares about most taking a near-fatal blow that was meant for him. I’d be shocked if he remembers anything about the aftermath (including the way he flew into a mindless rage afterwards) right up until the point when he entered the OFA Interstellar Party Void with Tomura. anyway, so I thought that was a nice callback.

and speaking of emotional states, the other thing I wanted to talk about is the part that Caleb got right which the fan scanlation didn’t. “but I had more to say.” in other words, “stop trying to win on your own” wasn’t just a one-liner; it was meant to be the beginning of a much longer speech. “there were other things that I needed to say.”

like, can we just stop and talk about that for a second. because basically what this means is that in that instant, when Kacchan pushed Deku out of the way and got impaled, his one and only thought was that he needed to apologize to Deku. his life was presumably flashing before his eyes, he had no idea if he was going to survive or not, and the only thing on his mind was how urgently he needed to make things right with his former childhood friend.

moving on!

so I have a confession to make, which is that I am relieved to see Katsuki describing this as the reason why he bullied Deku, as opposed to Horikoshi trying to retcon it into some sort of “secretly he was just trying to protect him and keep him out of harm’s way because he was worried” thing, which ngl would not have gelled very well with me. the thing is that I’m really not a fan of the whole “Kacchan Did Nothing Wrong” mentality that some fans seem to have. like, I have seen all sorts of convoluted attempts to find excuses for Katsuki’s shitty behavior, but in my view those attempts undermine what I love about his character in the first place. Katsuki is such a great character specifically because he is not perfect. his redemption arc is so compelling because he was such a giant asshole at the start. he was completely at fault, and he acknowledges this, and takes full responsibility for it. and that is fucking fantastic.

his arc is so great because it doesn’t rely on garnering sympathy by giving him a Tragic Past, or by trying to foist the blame for his behavior over on someone else. it’s an arc that acknowledges that redemption isn’t something you achieve by making people feel sorry for you; it’s something you have to earn by actively working to change and do better. and by forgoing the “misunderstood/tragic past” route, Horikoshi is making a statement that anyone can go down the wrong path, but that more importantly, anyone can also choose at any time to turn away from said path. there is only one requirement for doing so, and that is realizing that you’ve done wrong, and deciding that you want to change.

anyway, so in chapter 284 Kacchan of course had that whole speech about Deku not taking himself into account, and mentioned how that made him want to keep his distance. and a good chunk of fandom took this to mean that Katsuki’s bullying was actually a misguided response to Deku’s reckless tendencies -- sort of an “if I show him how weak and powerless he really is, I can get him to accept the reality that he’s quirkless, and that being a hero will just get him hurt or killed” type of thing. and I won’t lie, for a good while I was wondering myself if Horikoshi was really going to go down that route. and like I said, I am honestly relieved that he didn’t. not only for the reasons stated in the previous paragraph, but also because the message that would have sent -- that there are certain circumstances in which bullying can almost be excused because the bully had Good Intentions and was just trying to save the other person from themselves, and so it Wasn’t That Bad, Actually -- is all kinds of fucked up to say the least. so yeah, I’m glad we ended up steering well clear of that.

(ETA: this post was long enough already so I edited out the 3 additional paragraphs I originally wrote analyzing the dialogue from 284. but just to be clear, I’m not trying to imply that Kacchan worrying about Deku’s recklessness is a retconned thing that Horikoshi only threw into the story recently, because there are multiple instances throughout the story where he clearly is worried and in total denial of it. but I firmly believe those feelings are not what led to the bullying. they’re two separate things. Kacchan worrying about Deku is what prompts him to yell at him in chapter 1 when Deku comes to save him. but it’s not what incited him to burn his notebook and taunt him earlier in that same chapter. that action had a much meaner and more selfish motivation behind it, and I’m glad Horikoshi didn’t try to change it up last minute, because it wouldn’t have felt right.)

thankfully as of this chapter I think we can safely cross that out as a possibility, as we’re given the true explanation straight from Katsuki himself. and the truth is that he bullied Deku out of insecurity and jealousy and fear and intolerance. there was nothing noble about it. there were no good intentions concealed in his actions. there are no justifications given, no excuses offered, and no mitigating circumstances to be considered, other than the fact (which neither he nor Horikoshi bring up) that he was and is still a child, and that children make mistakes.

it’s an explanation that challenges many of fandom’s ideas on who is and isn’t eligible to be redeemed. there is no Ozai in Katsuki’s backstory. there’s no great tragedy that he spent a lifetime trying to rise above. the only villain in Katsuki’s story is Katsuki himself. the only darkness that he has to overcome is his own. and it’s challenging, because I think many people believe the only way someone can be redeemed for doing bad things is if bad things happen to them in return. but what Horikoshi is saying here is that that’s not the case. bad doesn’t erase bad. and the one and only way to truly earn redemption is by doing good.

and that’s what makes this such a phenomenal scene for me. by not shying away from Katsuki’s flaws and failings, and having him take full responsibility for them, Horikoshi keeps the apology from being self-serving, and underscores the true depth of Katsuki’s character development. the level of self-awareness he has here is something most people can only dream of. which is very fitting, as that’s perhaps the most important takeaway from his character arc -- that it’s only by acknowledging your own weaknesses and flaws that you can learn to overcome them and reach your full potential.

one last thing to point out here, which is that in the panel where Katsuki finally acknowledges his terrible treatment of Deku, Deku is not even visible. instead, Horikoshi drew the panel from a perspective that makes it appear that Katsuki is addressing this particular line not just to Deku, but to all of his classmates.

again, he shows him taking full responsibility and admitting his wrongdoings in front of the people whose opinions and approval he cares about most. and just to clarify in case there’s any confusion from Caleb’s translation, Kacchan’s wording makes it very clear that he wasn’t just “mean” to Deku, but that he full-on bullied him (he uses the same verb -- “ijimeru” (苛める) -- that he did back in chapter 284). there’s no attempt to downplay his actions here.

moving on now, this chapter also reaffirmed another thing about Deku and Kacchan’s relationship which I was glad to see revisited -- Kacchan’s unwavering belief in Deku’s ability. this is one of those paradoxical things about their relationship which I’ve always been fascinated by, but which is also kind of hard to explain, because I don’t want it to come off like I’m trying to put a positive spin on something which was unequivocally awful. like, please don’t think I’m trying to say that Katsuki’s bullying of Deku was in any way a good thing. but that being said, there’s also a strange irony at play here, which is that Katsuki’s jealousy and insecurity also betray the fact that even at his very worst, he never once underestimated Deku. he has always believed in Deku’s strength, even when that strength pissed him off and made him afraid and uneasy.

no one else -- not All Might, or even Deku’s own mom -- believed from the get-go that Deku could become a hero. but Katsuki never once counted him out, even when he was calling him a pebble in his shoe. he confesses here that even though he “tried to act superior by rejecting [Deku]”, in truth he was never able to shake the feeling that Deku was above him. long before he ever understood the concept of “win to save”, he knew instinctively that there was a strength in Deku’s heart that couldn’t be measured, and which had the potential to surpass even his own strength. and I’ve always felt that this was so important, because it’s the one aspect of their early relationship that hinted that on some level, however subconscious, Katsuki held the same type of faith in Deku that Deku always held in him. it was one of the few things that hinted at there being a possible path towards reconciliation one day. and it paved the way for the most important shift in their relationship to date, when Katsuki finally realized who Deku got his quirk from, and responded not with resentment or spite, but with acceptance.

moving on, I also really love the way we see them portrayed at the different stages of their childhood throughout this speech, and how it perfectly lines up with the dialogue. from small children (when Katsuki talks about his insecurities first manifesting), to middle schoolers (when he talks about the bullying), to high schoolers (when he talks about the past year and everything he’s learned at U.A.). Horikoshi really didn’t have to go that hard, but he did, and that’s why we love him.

and then we finally get to That Part.

where do I even start with this there are so many things omg.

the bow. this is the one and only time Katsuki has ever bowed to anyone of his own volition as far as I recall. and this absolutely is a bow, just to be clear, even though his form is straight-up garbage (very Kacchan-esque, with his feet and arms spaced apart because he’s still a punk after all). this is Kacchan showing more humility and respect than he’s ever shown to anyone else in his entire life.

regarding “Izuku”, I actually have mixed feelings about this to tell the truth. I think it was a good call here because it was incredibly effective in setting the tone and showing just how serious Kacchan is. however if he continues to use “Izuku” rather than “Deku” from here on out, that would give the impression in hindsight that all his past usage of “Deku” really was meant as an insult, which would undermine some of my favorite scenes. I would really like to believe that since DvK2 or thereabouts, Kacchan has (mostly) been using “Deku (affectionate)” rather than “Deku (useless loser)”, lol. but if he switches to the “nicer” name on a permanent basis following his apology, it implies that the previous nickname was indeed being used cruelly. and so honestly I hope this was just a one-time thing, because I do think that in Katsuki’s mind, the name “Deku” hasn’t been meant as a slight to him for a long time now.

“my truth/this is what I truly feel” -- the word Katsuki uses in Japanese is honne (本音), and if you’re familiar with the concept of honne/tatemae, that’s the same “honne” he’s talking about here. it means that he’s casting aside all of his walls and facades and expressing what he truly feels. and of course, one of the fascinating things about Katsuki’s character is that he’s the exact opposite of most people in that he chooses to put his meanness on full display to the public, and ironically it’s the kindest parts of himself which he tends to keep the most carefully guarded and hidden away. this also means that while his rage and anger are very often insincere and put on just for show, those relatively few occasions where he lets his humanity truly shine through are pretty much 100% genuine, as is the case with this one here.

and Deku’s face says it all when it comes to how powerful those moments can be as a result.

and this, right here, is why it wasn’t enough for Katsuki to atone solely through his actions, and why he needed to actually say the words as well. it’s not that the words are more important; obviously the actions are far and away the most important part, and carry far more meaning. but the reason why Katsuki needed to say the words as well is simply because Izuku needed to hear them. needed to, and deserved to, because this is one of the most important people in the world to him.

and so he deserves to know that the relationship isn’t just one-sided, and that he is just as important to Kacchan as Kacchan is to him. he deserves to know that Kacchan understands how horribly he treated him, and that he’s sorry for it. and he deserves to know that Kacchan, without any expectation of it changing their relationship -- meaning that he will continue to feel this way regardless of what Izuku says or does from here on out -- cares about him. now more than ever, with AFO out there doing everything in his power to make Izuku feel as alone as possible, this is something that he really, really needed to hear.

so this part has some interesting wordplay which neither Caleb’s translation nor the fan scanlation was really able to get across. basically, in the Japanese version, when Katsuki talks about “those ideals”, Horikoshi uses the kanji for “ideal”, but pronounces it as “All Might.” obviously the meaning of this isn’t too hard to decipher, as we all know how much both boys admire All Might. to them, he absolutely is synonymous with the Ideal. so this is a way of showing that respect they both have towards him, even as Katsuki goes on to point out the one fatal flaw that All Might was never able to overcome.

and speaking of interesting wording, as others have noted, at this point in his speech Katsuki switches from “temee” (which he was using earlier during the “your strengths and my weaknesses” part) to “omae” (“omae” being a less insulting word for “you”, though still very manly and tough-sounding), which is definitely a big deal. though fwiw this is not the first time he’s used “omae” for Deku (he switches to it briefly right after DvK2, when he tells Deku “you had the strongest guy lay the groundwork for you -- don’t lose”, and then later when they’re walking back to the dorms and he says he’ll learn and get stronger by watching everyone around him just like Deku did). it’s definitely a good choice on Horikoshi’s part though, as it makes this last part of the speech sound more earnest and sincere.

just a quick note, he does indeed use a plural pronoun here, as in “the obstacles that you can’t overcome, we will overcome.” but as @pikahlua pointed out, the “we” here is ambiguous -- it could either mean “we” as in class 1-A -- “we will overcome them for you” -- OR it could mean “we” as in all of them -- class 1-A and Deku. “we will overcome them together.” idk about you, but I know which one gets my vote.

anyway, and so this is the line that finally wins Deku over and allows him to let go of his fears, however briefly. what I love about this is Kacchan’s utter conviction. one thing that Caleb’s translation doesn’t quite get across is Kacchan’s use of the word morenaku -- “without exception” -- when he talks about how they’re going to save everyone and win. it echoes that same sentiment he showed back during the Joint Training arc -- that it’s not a perfect victory unless they save everyone. every last person. and he explicitly lists Deku among their number, just so there can be no doubt.

and Deku’s response to this (or at least his thoughts, since he’s not really able to get many words out) pretty much brings everything full circle here.

he acknowledges that everyone else has gotten ahead of him. which is especially meaningful given who he’s standing directly across from. because for most of the series, as we all well know, it’s been Kacchan who was woefully lagging behind Deku in the character growth department. but now Deku himself is acknowledging that not only has Kacchan finally caught up at last, but that he and the others have surpassed him. which is only temporary, I should add, as I have zero doubt that Deku will catch up again soon. but the fact remains that just as Deku’s rapid increase in strength and skill left Kacchan scrambling to keep up earlier in the series, Kacchan’s extraordinary character development has now left Deku in that same position. as All Might once put it, “when he’s starting at level one, and you’re already at level 50, it’s only natural that you’ll be growing at different rates.”

and what’s so wonderful about this though is that the two of them are finally approaching that point where they’ve both caught up to each other and are finally starting to level out. Deku is a full-on badass, and Kacchan is out here talk-no-jutsuing with the best of them. the two of them have been chasing and chasing after each other this entire time, and now they’re finally just about ready to meet in the middle at long last, with each of them fully embodying both of those two crucial aspects -- win, and save.

just about. because Deku still needs some help catching up. but seeing as help has already been offered -- and accepted -- I can’t imagine it will be very long now, and I can’t wait to see him finally overcoming those fears and doubts with his friends by his side. it’s going to be such a powerful moment.

and last but not least,

or, as I prefer,

you had one job, Caleb. flkjsdlk.

but at least this provides a good opportunity to note that unlike the “we’ll help you handle it” line earlier in the speech, here the phrasing is left up to interpretation, as he doesn’t use a pronoun. so it could be “we know”, or, as the fan scanlation put it, “I know.” or it could be both. regardless, it’s good stuff.

anyway, and so Deku passes out, and in the process Horikoshi gives us one last parting metaphor, just in case anyone still thinks Kacchan is all talk because they haven’t been paying attention for the past 322 chapters (more likely than you think). once again, Katsuki’s actions speak louder than his words (even his nice words) ever could: he is literally there to catch Deku when he falls.

so that’s it! my sincere thanks to anyone who actually read through all of my endless ramblings about this scene which I have been waiting for since day one. props to Horikoshi for taking on an impossibly difficult task, and pulling it off with all of the emotion and care and nuance that I’ve come to expect from his writing. imo he delivered on every single level with the exception of the aftermath, which I don’t consider to have actually happened yet. Deku’s part of this is definitely a “to be continued.” but yeah, as far as Kacchan’s part goes, 10/10. so fucking proud of this kid.

#bnha 322 #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #bakudeku #bnha meta #bakugou meta #deku meta #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha

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loganelfreeces · 2 years

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Tododeku Fic Rec Month - Week 2

I’m back with the next round of fics for the prompts. Here’s the Twitter page of the event and the Carrd page.

The fourth prompt is: “he’s something special.” a fic that’s left its mark on you in a way unlike any other fic has before. you regard it with fondness, with wonder. it’s taken up permanent residence in your heart.

"i'm so sorry that you have to have a body" by bangchanly https://archiveofourown.org/works/28775067 Trans man Izuku is having a really dysphoric episode but Shouto is there to support him. As a trans person myself, it really hits close to home to see these kinds of struggles and I'm glad that Izuku has Shouto to support him.

"Love Is More Than the Press of Your Lips" by clippymagnet (LilDoodleCat) https://archiveofourown.org/works/28887450 Shouto and Izuku are very physically intimate without sex or kisses. Sex and kisses are fine, but it's so nice to see other forms of affection being shown so sweetly, especially as an asexual person.

"Talking In Tongues" by Gallifrey101 https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042242 Shouto shows off his hickies in class. The first fic is funny crack and the second fic is wonderful communication, which is always nice to see.

"In Which a Successor is Never Enough" by RJKazooku https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344582 In a world where Shouto is the oldest Todoroki, things change. One of my favourite authors of all time, this story first planted the seed of my own take on the concept of Big Brother Shouto and writing that has felt like fulfilling my life's purpose, so thank you RJ.

"A Path To Recovery" by whathappenedbro https://archiveofourown.org/works/29807553/chapters/73333236 In which Shouto tells Aizawa about Endeavour after the fight with Stain and is saved. I almost wanted to save this for "hallowed heartbreaker" or "pitch perfect", but I knew I had to include it somewhere, it's too amazing not to include.

The fifth prompt is hallowed heartbreaker a fic that hurt you but you hold dearly. reverently, even, you might say. it's that good.

"every time is too often" by conamor https://archiveofourown.org/works/24201955 Izuku is a paramedic and Shouto is the Pro Hero who comes crawling to his house to get patched up. A few graphic descriptions of injuries and fears that someone is dead, this definitely hurts.

"a mighty ocean or a gentle kiss" by unreemarkable https://archiveofourown.org/works/30388731 After the War, Shouto shows up in Izuku's room and has a breakdown. Mild spoilers for the War Arc and more friendship than romance, this is still a good fic.

"A Collection of Masks" by Anonymous https://archiveofourown.org/works/28247424 Izuku is a faker, hiding all his pain behind a smiling suit of armour and Shouto is the only one who can see through it. Possibly some depression for Izuku and a lot of faked happiness, this is an intense fic.

"They don't know you like we do" by AgarJelly https://archiveofourown.org/works/33638899 The Deku Squad's fun day at the beach is crashed by some bullies who hurt Izuku in middle school. Links into another of Agar's work, the Tododeku King hits hard with this fic of angst.

"The Melodies We Can't Forget" by Aurigardyn https://archiveofourown.org/works/32045782 In a modern world where Shouto ran away to New York City and never fell out of love with Izuku, he's returning home for the first time. Lots of angst over childhood heartbreak, this hits hard.

The sixth prompt is pitch perfect a fic where izuku and shouto are characterized perfectly. their voices and their mannerisms, from the big things to the little details—the author has them all down to a T.

"Decadence" by giirlswhocrii https://archiveofourown.org/works/20090863 A normal day in Class 1A finds Izuku and Shouto sharing hot chocolate in the evening. The entire class is pretty in character here, it feels like an episode in the show.

"Love is simple, yet so hard to understand" by Ejrin https://archiveofourown.org/works/20412172 A story where Shouto discovers what it means to be loved through his classmates at UA. More character study than story, I really enjoyed this one since it paid attention to his friendships and romantic relationship.

"The Heart of a Hero" by WingsofaBird https://archiveofourown.org/works/29455998/chapters/72354714 While Izuku lays in the hospital after the training camp incident, Shouto and Toshinori meet and talk to one another. An interesting conversation between the two, even as Shouto's theorises run a little wild.

"fame is what it is" by monado https://archiveofourown.org/works/18162227/chapters/42952118 Shouto has been famous his entire life, not that he enjoys it. Another fic/character study, I'd say this holds both qualities in equal amount.

"the sun to my sky; the moon to my stars" by smallmightysmash https://archiveofourown.org/works/26155969 A recounting of canon up to the Endeavour Internship Arc from Shouto's POV, detailing how he fell in love with Izuku Midoriya. A cute story and character study.

I hope you enjoy these stories!

#My Hero Academia #Tododeku #tddkFRM #Izuku Midoriya #Shouto Todoroki #Class 1A #Touya Todoroki #Fuyumi Todoroki #Natsuo Todoroki #Rei Todoroki #Endeavour #Shouta Aizawa #Katsuki Bakugo #Deku Squad #Tenya Iida #Ochako Uraraka #Tsuyu Asui

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foryoumyheroes · 4 years

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Otaku

[Bakugou + Todoroki] are in love with the anime character [Name].

A/N: Gender-neutral reader Crackish??

Bakugou Katsuki:

He’s sort of picky with the genre, be it fantasy, horror, shonen, but his favorite character has to be a super cool, super powerful one. No excuses.

You know, the type of anime character that’s probably introduced through a silhouette of them posing dramatically with their notorious group whose image is teased throughout the first few episodes/seasons.

He goes pretty hard for All Might, and he’s definitely the same for your character.

Reads the manga (but he buys it super secretly, like in a hoodie at night and the cashier probably thinks that they’re being robbed until he brings the entire [Series] collection to the register). Watches the anime the moment it’s broadcasted, reads metas and watches youtube videos that talk about conspiracies/analyses of your character.

NO ONE CAN KNOW THOUGH.

He’s taking his anime phase to the grave.

For some reason gets super aggressive when you’re being flirty or being shipped with another character?? He hates all the scenes that tease any potential romance between you and other characters. asdfgj He’s like, “No one is good enough for [Name]!!! Except for me.”

He even tries to think up ways he can legitimately square up with them LMAO. Like he wonders how he could defeat your potential S/Os in a fight but y’all are like ,,, anime characters SO WHY DOES IT EVEN MATTER LOL

“Three-sword style?? Tch, I’d fucking blow that bastard to bits.”

“Who’s this Gaara of the Sand looking ass and why is the author getting so bold.”

He even tries to think of how well your abilities match up with his own Quirk, this dork.

THE LENGTHS HE WOULD GO FOR YOU.

If you were a real life person and your dislikes are lets say spicy food or loud, overbearing people, Bakugou would be like, “Tch I’m right, they’re wrong. Shut the fuck up!!!” But if his ultimate wifu/husbando has those dislikes he would be like, “Omg...😳😳 opposites attract...👉👈”

He honestly tries to be a low-key fan (as in, not be a fan at all to outsiders), but if one day during class Kaminari ends up saying that in [Series], you’re the weakest character in your group/squad, Bakugou would get super angry.

“Hey, Dunceface!! It’s so fucking obvious that you’re an anime-only fake fan, so don’t talk as if you know shit!”

Bakugou is those “um actually” ;; fans

Bakugou is a manga reader, so by the time your introduction scene or Ultimate Attack scene is being aired he becomes super OOC. He’s hyped for it for days, incredibly nervous at how the animators handle the scene.

By the time he watches it??

THE ANIMATION!! THE VOICE ACTING!! YOUR COOLNESS!!! PLS ORA ORA HIM IN THE CHEST!! HE’S BEGGING YOU! IF YOU’RE GOING TO UNISON RAID WITH ANYONE PLS LET IT BE HIM!!

He’s legitimately sweating buckets by the time the episode is over. A whole-ass fire hazard.

Probably knows how to play your character theme on the drums.

Omg but if your character dies/is hinted toward dying/or the most recent chapters ends with a cliffhanger where you’re fatally injured he will become legitimately depressed.

Like holes himself in his dorm room for a whole day without contacting anyone and with the blinds drawn type of depressed.

When he comes to class the next day with eye-bags and is slouching and his classmates think that something horrible has happened, it’s probably only Izuku who knows what’s going on.

He’ll say, “You’re upset about the most recent chapter of [Series], right? I know it must be hard for you right now.” He’ll give Bakugou an officially licensed rubber strap of your character and Bakugou will just ;; cradle it in his hands softly.

In complete seriousness, your character is probably someone who is strong physically, but publicly rallies for things like, “Failure is fine.” Your character arc would probably explore what it’s like being not good enough or feeling constantly disappointed, so he feels comfort in your character.

Todoroki Shoto:

In comparison to Bakugou, he’s probably a more low-key fan unintentionally, but goes just as hard.

Buys all of the merch, limited-edition or not, has your picture set as his phone lockscreen and homescreen, has a little acrylic charm of you on his phone, follows several fanartists that draw your character on social media. He buys enough merch that his room looks like a glorified shrine.

It’s canon that he reads manga, but I headcanon that he’s even less picky with his genres and willingly reads things like slice-of-life or shojo all the way to shonen or adult fantasy, so your anime could come from any possible story.

Your character is probably someone who is sweet and kind but has a traumatic character backstory.

He probably ends up thinking stuff like, “If [Name] was with me, I would never let them get treated like that.” asdhj he’s a dork too.

Unironically dramatically quotes you during battle and thinks that it’s still badass because he’s a teenage boy in his anime phase.

Doesn’t get into debates with people who don’t like your character. He’s like, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion :)) even though they’re wrong. >:(.”

If you’re from a sports/competition anime he’ll try to learn all of the rules, and even try it out for himself (if it’s not fighting) but he finds out that he’s... not very good at it. That doesn’t make him any less amazed though!

If your character is from a different culture with different customs and traditions, he’ll even learn more about them outside of your anime!

Forces his siblings to watch the anime with him. They don’t necessarily have to, but the Todoroki household has one big TV and he hogs it all the time watching your anime over and over.

Natsuo is begging him to watch something else and Shoto will just pout angrily from the other side of the couch.( ￣＾￣)

It’s so jarring because he doesn't look or appear like a hardcore anime fan, but sometimes he’ll just butt into conversations randomly and talk about you.

Like you know those tumblr Naruto posts that talk about it as if it’s some sort of Renaissance literature. That’s Todoroki.

[”Man, they’re so hot--!”

“You want to see someone hot?” Todoroki asks with a perfectly straight face, and he’ll just... turn his phone around and show them a picture of an anime character.]

When his dad tries to set him up with someone else: “You think they’re my type? Do they watch [Series]? Do they know what true friendship is?? Do they understand pining and love the way [Name] does?”

Endeavor: who the FUCK is [Name].

Gets into fanfiction because of your character and series. He’ll just be reading on his phone during break times at school and everyone thinks that he’s being so well-read but he’s just reading pure smut with a straight face.

Doesn’t mind when you’re shipped with other characters necessarily but he is super picky. If your character is hinted toward a potential romance with another character that’s pretty crass and doesn’t necessarily treat you well but you’re sticking together through the power of friendship, he won’t ship it.

He’s just like “[Name] would be so much happier with someone else like me.” :////

And if your character goes through something traumatic or terrible during the series he’ll be so sad, like soooo sad. :((( Deku would probably be comforting him on the couch in the common room and everyone is concerned because he looks like he’s mourning a lost pet, but it turns out to be over some anime character pshhhsdfh.

Deku would just be patting his shoulder trying to console him and Todoroki’s just sitting there with a big frown on his face going, [“But they’ve been through so much throughout the anime already...”

“I know, Todoroki-kun, I know...”

“The author can’t do that to them... It’s just not fair.”

“I get it,” Midoriya says mournfully.]

Plot twist: They like the same anime character

They’ll probably find out when they have to retake the license exam together.

Todoroki will just take his phone out during off times and Bakugou’s eyes looks over because it’s drawn by the noise but then his head just snaps to the side when he realizes its a little charm of you, like, he’s going to get whiplash from that.

“What the -- is that [Surname] [Name]?!”

Like they have never really hung out together before this, so when they both first realize that their favorite character of all time is [Name] they’re left ,, just standing there ,,, pointing at each other like the spiderman meme.

At first they’re both inwardly excited because FINALLY someone cultured and with taste. They spend the entire time talking about your stats, your attacks, your post-timeskip character design, and your personality, and then they delve a little bit deeper and then they realize ,,, oh.

Bakugou says that you don’t belong with the dumb protagonist, you should be shipped with someone strong, confident and loud, but Todoroki is like noooooo they deserve to be with someone that treats them gently.

They connect the dots.

[“Bakugou, you aren’t compatible with [Name]. It says so in their trivia page.”

“Says you! They won’t want some bland-ass pretty boy! They would want a real man!”]

They’re such fanboys ;;; they do realize that you aren’t real, right asdfghj?

One day Kaminari and Sero separately invite them to an anime convention, but they both say no and that they have plans or “something better to do” that day.

Then Bakugou and Todoroki both turn up to the convention at the same place because they both reach for the last limited edition [Name] figure and they just stare at each other wide-eyed (ʘoʘ╬) like that.

They start verbally fighting each other over the last figure and then physically fighting each other andddd then they get kicked out of the convention.

Izuku ends up swooping in and getting the last box.

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itsclydebitches · 3 years

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I kinda wonder, what could bakugou do (hori write bakugou to do) to make him less popular with the "anti" crowd. Like He was a horrid child no doubt and people who try to put blame on Deku or lessen the terrible shit bakugou did aren't great. But as we don't rly see it, we have to assume bakugous behaviour wasn't stopped, we only ever saw his mum "punishing" him when he was being rude after getting kiddnapped. Nothing will excuse what bakugou did, but he has stopped? He's overall a harsh person but he's not harrassing and bullying people anymore, specifically not deku, he's trying to attone for what he did to deku and has now apologised for it. His behaviour was never viewed as justified or good in the series, he's a scary figure in middle school, we're not meant to like his behaviour, so the series itself hasn't justified his actions.

As someone who relate to both bakugou and deku more than I'd like to admit (never told someone to jump tho, that's fucked lol) so I can 100% understand not liking or even hating bakugou but as someone who's not 15 anymore, looking back I also made a lot of really shitty decisions and like bakugou have tried to make up for it, and like deku I was 'friends' with people who hurt me.

Is there anything he can do for the "antis" to just dislike him rather that be "anti"?

(I'm very sorry if you've talked about this somewhere, you can just tell me to look for it if you have, I'll continue to look for your posts on the subject)

Hey there, anon! I think I’ve spoken about this only tangentially and/or in my main Bakugo meta, which is too big for anyone sane to read. So yeah, let’s chat here!

For me personally—and that’s all I can ever do: speak personally. I think it’s important to keep in mind that there is no single solution to please the “anti” crowd. Each fan will be looking for something slightly different in Bakugo’s character, much of which might contradict what a “stan” is currently enjoying. Given how charged a character he is, I'm not sure it's possible to get the entire fandom to like him—what I’m looking for hinges on having a different reading of the story than you seem to. Meaning, I think the series does justify his behavior. Not in any overt, super obvious way like having all the characters go, “Wow, Bakugo! I sure do love how you threaten people all the time. That’s super cool and heroic!” Things are rarely that straightforward. Rather, it’s in a more subtle, but consistent manner that paints a rather conclusive picture across hundreds of chapters.

Simply put, Bakugo is continually rewarded for his actions. Or, if not outright rewarded, his actions are ignored in a way that implies silent acceptance. Characters may not always like what he does... but they're willing to let it slide because Bakugo's heroism was always treated as a given, not something he had to earn and prove.

With the ever necessary disclaimer that I’m not fully caught up yet, here’s a list of some of the things that stood out to me in the first half of the series:

Bakugo’s bullying made him the most popular kid in school.

Bakugo’s bullying was ignored by/outright supported by the teachers.

Bakugo’s bullying did not hinder him from getting into U.A., one of the most prestigious hero schools around.

Despite acting horribly throughout his time at U.A. too, this behavior was continually ignored by the teachers and other authority figures around him.

Bakugo’s struggle to realize that other people aren’t “trash” doesn’t hurt his achievements in any way. He still gets top scores, still wins the tournament, etc.

Bakugo’s behavior gets him special attention from All Might, the greatest hero and Bakugo’s personal idol.

His behavior doesn’t make others dislike him in any manner that’s taken seriously. Everybody is still willing to not just put up with Bakugo, but—in time—start treating his behavior as a quirk (no pun intended lol) that they’re secretly fond of, rather than something he should legitimately be striving to change. Kirishima is the most overt example of this.

This is compounded by his behavior constantly being framed as humorous. Much like with Mineta’s perverted actions, characters might superficially go, “No, that’s bad!” but the story never demands any significant development because then we’d lose the “joke” of Bakugo screaming in rage at the slightest inconvenience, threatening to murder someone over nothing, constantly belittling everyone around him in a “funny” manner, etc. When fans talk about development of a manga character as archetypal and extreme as Bakugo, most don’t really want to see significant change to his base personality. Because then that would result in someone who doesn’t look like the “real” Bakugo: someone nicer, more even-tempered, more mature, etc. But for those of us who were never drawn to that personality in the first place, the continued acceptance of his rude, egotistical, and violent behavior is discomforting. The easiest comparison I can draw is between this and Bakugo’s mother slapping him. That slap is meant to be another “joke”—we see it constantly in shonen anime, something "humorous" you shouldn’t take too seriously because haha, it's just an overprotective mother—but many fans do take it seriously, using it as the basis for a whole “Bakugo was abused and this explains his behavior” reading. Well, I take the “joke” of Bakugo’s threats and insults seriously, especially in a story that starts with something like telling Izuku to jump off the roof. In the same way that many fans want others to treat Bakugo’s mother as a serious topic that has had a negative influence on his development, I want the series to take Bakugo’s everyday actions seriously as a negative influence on… well, everyone around him. But it doesn’t. His base personality is grudgingly adored.

The above two points are seen most overtly in Izuku, who never wavers in his respect for Bakugo despite how Bakugo treats him. Not just prior to U.A., but during their training too. Izuku, as the protagonist, is the emotional heart of this tale, so when he talks about how inspiring Bakugo is, it encourages the reader to see his behavior as inspiring too. Rather than, as said, something that needs to change. Izuku's continued friendship with Bakugo, his adoration of him, and his acceptance of the way he's treated has severely warped how the entire story sees Bakugo's actions. After all, if #pure Izuku can see the good in Bakugo, why can't everyone else? He must not be that bad after all.

I could get into detailed analyses of all the above—like how Bakugo was the one comforted after attacking Izuku outside the dorms at night and how the messed up relationship he has with Izuku is upheld as something to nurture; how the remedial courses he had to take were made to be rather silly, thereby undermining their supposed importance to his development; how Bakugo’s kidnapping had nothing to do with his flaws, but much of the fandom uses it as a way to dismiss any appropriate consequences because, “Hasn’t he suffered enough?” etc.—but in the interest of keeping this within a readable length, I’ll leave it at that. The point is that Bakugo has always been privileged when it comes to his behavior, resulting in others either outright praising it, ignoring it, or demanding that he change a miniscule bit, which always keeps him far below the standards of both his peers and the expectations of a hero. Everyone in 1-A must learn to be even better than the good people they already are... Bakugo needs to learn that other people aren't dirt at the bottom of his shoes. It's never been a particularly impressive development when pit against the rest of the class. All of which can make something like an apology feel pretty hollow. Yes, he’s apologized and I say with all seriousness that that’s great! But how does that apology stack up against 300+ chapters of content? As Bakugo’s words highlight, he's been a really awful person up "until now": he was consumed by Izuku being “miles ahead of [him],” he “looked down on [him]” because he didn’t have a quirk, he “didn’t want to recognize that,” he “hated that,” “grew distant,” “tried to beat you down,” “opposed you and tried to show my superiority over you,” and ends it all with, “it probably doesn’t mean anything telling you all this” before finally getting to the “I’m sorry.” This is basically a laundry list of how horrible a person Bakugo has been for the entire series, with an acknowledgement that this apology is coming really, really late. This is the moment where I could START to like Bakugo, depending on how he acts form here on out, but that pivotal moment arrived after six years of content and in the final arc of the story. It’s too late. Bakugo needed this kind of self-reflection and positive action 250+ chapters ago so he could (hopefully) grow into a better person across the story, not at the story's end. What we got instead is 322 chapters of him being a really horrible person, but the story going out of its way to excuse or even praise that behavior the majority of the time.

As a quick comparison to end on, I think what Bakugo needed was what Soo Jin got in True Beauty. You don’t need to have seen the drama to follow along. The tl;dr is that she has a lot of the core qualities of Bakugo: an all-consuming drive to win that was created due to abusive parents with high expectations, resulting in her bullying a peer to a pretty horrific extent. The difference between them is how the story frames their actions. When Soo Jin becomes the bully she loses everything. Rather than succeeding academically, her grades plummet, making it clear that this anxiety and self-doubt (things the fandom keeps insisting Bakugo is struggling with, but that rarely ever show up in the text) is actually impacting her day-to-day life. Her best friend drops her because she’s not going to support her choices. The boy she likes rejects her. She’s eventually forced to start over somewhere new - which importantly separates her from the girl she was bullying - and get some distance from her parents, resulting in the growth needed to become a healthier, happier, good person again. So when Soo Jin apologizes to the girl she hurt, it feels earned. The story continually recognized how horrific her actions were and put her into a place where she either had to change, or continue losing at everything else that was important to her. Bakugo? Bakugo doesn’t lose. Oh, he claims he does because he’s comparing himself to Izuku constantly, but that’s just him thinking in extremes. He still wins academically. Still wins many battles. Still wins at having friends. Still wins by maintaining the prestige of being a U.A. student. Still wins by getting All Might’s attention. Still wins by receiving Izuku’s respect and an agreement to maintain this rivalry that Bakugo is so obsessed with. Bakugo comes out well 99% of the time, he just thinks he's "lost" because he can't stand not being the absolute best.

For me, the story needed to have Bakugo face consequences for his behavior, not receive rewards and/or have others ignore it, and that revelation/apology needed to come way, way sooner. For me the issue is not a specific action that Horikoshi can have Bakugo do in the next chapter and them bam, I like him now. The problem is Bakugo’s entire concept, how he’s received by the entire cast, and his run across this entire series. "Entire" is the key word there. Which is why the “But he’s apologized. What more do you antis want?” reactions don’t sit well. What we wanted is a better written redemption arc across those 300+ chapters, not a single scene that’s meant to have us forget all the other problems inherent in the story. At this point it’s a far more complicated situation than, “Bakugo just needs to do X, Y, and Z and then we’re golden.” At the end of the day, Horikoshi failed to make me like him as a person and I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to change Bakugo enough to make him likable to me. Bakugo was never the sort of character I’d be inclined towards without a serious, nuanced redemption arc, but sadly, a core, crucial part of that redemption arc took six years to arrive. At this point there’s no way to change the problems in Bakugo’s writing for that huge chunk of the series and not enough time left in the series, it seems, to do the work we should have seen across the entire run. Honestly, idk if the Bakugo we'll get going forward is someone I can just dislike as opposed to being really uncomfortable with, but my money is on there being too little story left and too much investment in upholding Bakugo's base personality for that to happen. I could absolutely be proven wrong! But I think the problems are structural and needed to be better dealt with from page one, not hastily patched over in the final hour.

#BNHA #My Hero Academia #anti bakugo

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