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#Anyway if you followed me expecting any actual academia I’m so sorry for what you’ve been subjected to
dumbassacademia · 3 years
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I am this close
ThisClose
exceptionally!close!
to just! Snapping! And making a whole new side blog! And about what? about if the Addams family and the Belcher family existed in the same universe! Because I have! So! Many! Thoughts! on what this would be like! And on the one hand I need to get them out of my brain and into the world but on the other I truly feel I would experience great remorse at subjecting the internet to these thoughts
I need someone to bully me Frfr
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zukuist · 3 years
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in the moment [hcs]
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“they are desperate for help when admirers swarm them, and they choose to seek for your assistance”
fandom/s : 僕のヘロアカデミア // boku no hero academia (bnha)
includes: h. shinsō, k. bakugō, i. midoriya
your name is shortened to y/n, last name is shortened to l/n gender neutral, use of the pretend lover trope, they’re actually pining.
further note: yes i’ve been gone for more than a week, and yes it’s because of school. i promise i’ll be posting more!!
REQUESTS ;; OPEN !!
© IZUKULIE 2021, HORIKOSHI KOHEI OWNS BNHA, DO NOT STEAL ❕
shinsō hitoshi
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finds it super annoying
and this is coming from him, someone that’s not easy to irritate
he’s conscious and aware that people find him attractive (which for some reason, he still questions why)
eventually, admirers are bound to appear like it or not, but they’re not this insistent as this girl, nope.
shinsō has never experienced something like this, in his entire life.
noriko was a familiar face, but not in the best way for shinsō hitoshi.
she used to be one of those girls that’d band wagon with her opinions. whenever people were hostile towards him
she would be hostile too
but as soon as everyone started finding him attractive, she’d change too.
and it’s.. a mess. what more when he himself is pining on someone that’s not noriko
let alone, a student from class 1-A?
and it’s not like he could brainwash her into leaving him alone
as soon as she would be released by his quirk, she’d tell everyone what he did. therefore, leaving that out of the many solutions
and now he’s backed up into a corner, with her chasing him all across the hallways.
he can only hope for a solution.
— scene —
“this is ridiculous..” taking another turn in the hallway, shinsō mutters to himself quietly, the sleep deprived student can still hear her shrill voice
and by ‘her’, he’s referring to the admirer that has been tailing him down ever since the day had started.
“there are times like this where i wished i didn’t care about looking villainous” is what he’s really thinking. damn quirk stereotypes, and curse him for not having a quirk like iida tenya
“what.. are you doing?” was he lucky, or unlucky? it just so happened to be that he bumped into y/n l/n, out of all people
“i’m in a bit of a situation,” his palm rests against his nape, and he has to hope that you get the message, when noriko’s nearly deafening voice cuts through the air
“you’re quite popular with the ladies, huh?” you joke, and shinsō would’ve laughed if he wasn’t being trailed down.
“as much as i—”
“there you are !” noriko exclaims, slightly out of breath from the insistent chase, “you still haven’t answered !”
“i have, and i said no.” he makes his intentions concrete, compared to earlier (which was a mistake) when he rejected her in the nicest way he could’ve done so, but it wasn’t enough to make her quit.
“well earlier, you’ve said you appreciated it !” the whine pains both of your ears, and you contemplate if you should just grab his hand, and make a run for it.
but, she’d just chase you down again. so maybe not.
“yes, but i also said i can’t accept your feelings.” in instinct, he backs up so he could stand next to you, and he looks at you with his own style of desperation, which was obviously different than noriko’s desperation.
“i happen to be taken.” shinsō claims, hooking his hand along yours. which might’ve been done because he’s desperate, but could’ve been done because he wanted to
getting the motive, you lock away your shock, and play along, accepting his touch.
“i don’t believe you.” noriko blurts, “you two look like best friends more than anything. i’m not stupid !”
you didn’t think it would have to resort to this.
with not much of a thought, you grabbed shinsō by the collar, and smashed your lips together. his lips are warmer than you’ve anticipated, the distinct taste of coffee makes you lean into him further. while at first taken aback, shinsō decides to accept the act by pushing you even closer to him
you let go, deciding it was enough, and when you stare back at noriko, tears dotting at her waterline, and she sputters in humiliation and rejection.
“i never liked you anyway !” she uses as a defense, before storming off. the both of you feel a sense of relief when her figure turns at the end of the hallway
“sorry for kissing you like that. it was kind of in the moment,”
shinsō chuckles, “didn’t expect our first kiss to be like that.”
“well, there are more opportunities to come for you, you’re quite popular.” you tease, and shinsō flicks your forehead in retaliation. in return, you hiss at the sudden sting of pain.
“we’ll have more opportunities when i take you out for lunch on saturday.” he pats you on the shoulder, before he presses a quick real kiss on your cheekbone.
bakugō katsuki
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also finds it super annoying. actually, he might as well just fight them and move on.
bakugō knows it well that he’s.. well-known, for all the right and wrong reasons
but what he doesn’t know is that he’s also known for his good looks, rough and boyish in nature.
so eventually, there’ll be that one brave and fearless soul that’ll take one for the team. or even two, or three.
he hates it. doesn’t his aura and demeanor alone scare off all of the suitors?
since when were they super persistent, smh.
it didn’t help that he was trying to drown and suffocate his feelings down the pipeline.
because curse bakugō katsuki for having normal, teenage feelings. he had other important things in life, right?
but he couldn’t help but wonder if you’d ever confess to him like that
(not that it would happen any time soon. you were too busy being a tough training partner)
but everything aside, he wishes that people would just take the hint already.
because ignoring doesn’t help all the time.
the girl named fumiko would be a dreadful sight he’d be constantly reminded of.
from his shoe locker being flooded with love letters that speak nothing to him, and to the obnoxious commentary on his looks
he’d think that they were just harassing him to get a reaction, but bakugō katsuki will remain unbothered!
but he spoke too soon, because he was approached directly right after his late training session.
—scene—
bakugō hates it
he hates extras, he hates being outshined, and he hates distractions. what more was there to dislike in the world? everything clearly.
he can handle things properly, and with that tough demeanor of his, and he definitely doesn’t need a quick and easy solution, from the girl that’s glued to his side.
he told himself that a persistent extra is nothing, he can just simply ignore them and look at them, like how he always looks at useless pebbles, and they’d go away. but clearly not this girl
“get off, you fucking extra” he pushes her off, grabbing his water bottle and immediately storming off, but it doesn’t convince fumiko (he learned her name unfortuantely) to finally lay off.
“c’mon katsuki! this would’ve all been over if you just went out with me!”
bakugō can’t hide the cringe on his face, hearing his first name, ugh. he doesn’t know how she found out about his late training sessions, considering that she wasn’t in his class or class 1-b
he doubts that he’d run into anyone at this hour, they’d be all in the common room, and he did say that he wanted all of them to ‘fuck off’. but luck does work in mysterious ways.
“..what’re you doing here?” he questions, clearly surprised by your presence, and his frustration would’ve disappeared at that exact mom“dinner’s almost ready. actually, why do you look so.. alarmed? is there a villain?—”
his palms are starting to sweat, and it’s not because of his training, or because of the girl that won’t leave him alone. “no! fuck no. okay, there’s just some shitty extra that’s been following me around like some obsessed freak.”
you decide to be smug, “i knew there was going to be a brave soul out there, ready to sacrifice themselves.” you rest your hand on your left side, like it was heart warming, but the blond is not amused with your gesture.
“right, right!” you hold your hands up, surrendering. “okay, what do you want me to do?”
“just don’t say a fucking thing.” you can hear foot steps get closer and closer to the both of you, and in a hurry, he pushes you closer to him, the smell of caramel evading your senses.
before you could even say a word, he kisses you. it’s rough, and it makes you feel warm, and it’s definitely not because of his quirk, or because of the large, warm palms that rest against your sides.
you get a grip on him, holding onto his shoulder when you feel your knees buck because of the butterflies in your stomach, and it seems to get worse when bakugō holds you even tighter
“okay geez, i get it. you’re taken!” you can hear the girl exclaim in humiliation and disgust, “ugh, a guy like you wouldn’t be able to handle me anyway.”
and when she finally scurries away, the both of you break the kisses, the wind out of you being knocked out cold from his sudden act of ‘romance’
“i sorta understand the hype now.” you grin, your lips still tingle from the kiss, and you’re convinced that you want more, despite the kiss being out of spite, and for fumiko to back off.
“shut up.” you would’ve laughed at him if it was any other day, but for now, you’re left silent. your heart flutters once more, when his lips press against your cheekbone briefly.
“c’mon, idiot. we’re gonna miss dinner.”
midoriya izuku
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he’s so alarmed, and honestly very scared
he wasn’t popular, or well known to begin with, and people only started treating him like he was a real person in highschool
he’s just so used to being looked at like a background character, or a npc in a video game.
so the sudden swarm of suitors, and people that want to date him shocked him to the core.
he was never treated like this in middle school, or elementary!
it flatters him, and he’s glad that people actually like him. but.. he’d never actually think about being with either of them
because they’re not you, obviously. but wait, what’s so different about you exactly?
well.. you’ve treated him with kindness, even when he looked like this.. really awkward kid that sat at the back of the classroom.
so yeah, he’d never think about accepting anyone else’s confessions, as long as they’re not you
but still, midoriya has treated all of his admirers with kindness, despite not wanting to be with any of them
knowing how it feels to be humiliated, he wouldn’t want to do that on any of them
but.. this one particular girl was one he’d never truly be comfortable with, as much as he’d like to fake it.
rieko was.. something. probably the most persistent one out of all of them.
he would’ve appreciated it, if it weren’t for the fact that she was super obnoxious to other people.
and most importantly, he didn’t understand what she’d get out of it, and it wrecked his nerves!
— scene —
standing next to you, all lined up for lunch, midoriya shifts uncomfortably as he tries his best to ignore the loud and obvious commentary that’s being directed to him.
at first, it was flattering. but now? he just wishes things would go back to the times where people had no interest in him, whatsoever.
he knows what rieko really like him for, and it’s honestly disheartening. the girl would compliment him on things like his looks, and even his new moves!
but as soon as he elaborated on how he did it, the interest would fade away from her eyes
not that it did matter though. midoriya didn’t really have any feelings for any of the people that’ve approached him, wanting to date him. he’s been kind, and they’ve been kind in return, getting the hint and backing off.
the freckled boy was flattered but, not interested
but clearly, rieko didn’t get the message, despite the way midoriya would back away uncomfortably. how he’d immediately excuse himself whenever he’d see the girl.
just.. all signs of disinterest
“go! just ask him already!” he can hear her friends encourage her, but he’s not very enthusiastic to know what they’re cheering her on for
“he won’t be able to resist! just walk right in and do it, you guys will be an attractive couple anyway!”
midoriya’s palms are shaky, and he tries his best to calm his nerves down by clenching his fists. this doesn’t go un-noticed by you.
“you okay, midoriya?” you ask, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, and the green haired boy hopes that his cheeks aren’t turning red.
the both of you guys are awfully close! not that he’s complaining, it’s just that—
“is it about them?” you ask in a nearly quiet tone, and midoriya’s aware that you’re talking about them.
“uhm..” midoriya tries to formulate a proper answer, not wanting to sound as bothered as he actually is. how would he be able to explain this? “don’t worry about it,” midoriya reassures, “it’s just—”
“do you think that he’s dating that person? you know, the one beside them?” he hears that the topic of the conversation has shifted, and the group of girls are referring to you.
midoriya wasn’t planning on telling anyone about the dilemma. let alone his crush. it was something he was going to ignore, until the mess calmed down.
but now? you’re roped into it, and his nerves didn’t calm down at all.
“izuku dating them? no, it can’t be. he’s too good for them!”
“that’s the spirit, rieko. you should just go like.. now!”
to him, it’s the other way around. you’re too good for him, and you’re out of his league. so, this comment upsets him to all ends.
he’s pondering on what he should do, and before he could take you out of the line to get food at some other place, he feels something warm enlace his hand.
he slightly shivers when he realizes that it’s your hand he’s holding, cheeks flushed with crimson.
your eyes are ahead, a lot more composed than he is clearly, but if he looked hard enough, he could sense the nervousness in your hold.
“you wanna leave the line, izu?” his first name sounds different when you say it, and he thinks to himself that he prefers it a lot more when it comes from you
“y-yes.” and you smile, pressing your lips against his cheek quickly, before tugging his hand and pulling him out of the line, walking away from the group.
it’s a miracle that he didn’t drop onto the cafeteria’s floors.
you can feel his anxiety subsiding. despite his flushed cheeks remaining, he looks better than he did a few seconds ago, and you’re glad.
deciding the both of you were at a safe distance, you peek over your shoulder. you can see the absolute defeat on rieko’s face, and the scowl on her friends’ faces as they attempted to comfort their heartbroken friend.
“thank you, y/n.”
“no, it’s nothing, really. anyhow, what do you plan on eating for lunch?”
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makeste · 3 years
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BnHA Chapter 315: I Didn’t Expect This to Blow Up
Previously on BnHA: Horikoshi was all “guess which plot that you thought was dead is actually not dead and is making a comeback!” and we were all “EVIL HPSC??” and he was all “girl you know it,” and that’s the story of how we got a sexy Lady Nagant flashback with lots of guns and murder. Flashback!Lady was all “gotta murder peeps to preserve the people’s trust,” but then a little while later she was like “actually wait that makes no sense,” and so she shot her evil boss and they sent her to jail. Back in the present, Deku was all “okay fair, the hero system might in fact be a little fucked up, but hear me out... have you considered not helping AFO take over the world so he can murder like a bazillion more innocent people??” The chapter ended with the not-all-there Overhaul finally revealing himself to Deku, and I honestly have no idea where this is gonna go.
Today on BnHA: In what is unfortunately the single worst plan ever concocted by anyone in BnHA, Nagant is all “I’m going to try and get this Deku kid to panic and freeze up by putting someone in mortal danger.” Deku is all, “[doesn’t panic and freeze up at the sight of someone in mortal danger].” Nagant is all “omg no way.” Deku, who is now all of a sudden being so OP that even I have to acknowledge that it’s OP lol, is all “[smashes Nagant’s gun arm to bits]”, which sucks but is also really cool, and which also apparently makes Nagant decide that she actually likes this kid after all. Deku is all “NAGANT I REALLY LIKE YOU AND THINK YOU’RE GREAT SO PLEASE JOIN UP WITH ME AND STOP BEING EVIL.” Nagant is all “aw shucks (✿ •͈ᴗ•͈) well okay then” and everyone is all “( ・◡・) ✰ ( ˆᴗˆ ) ( ᵘ ᵕ ᵘ ⁎)” and then Nagant FUCKING EXPLODES LIKE AN EGG IN THE MICROWAVE AND FALLS TO HER DEATH!!!! except not really because Hawks saves her??? In conclusion, (a) THE FUCK, and (b) AFO TURN ON YOUR LOCATION I JUST WANT TO TALK.
so I have to tell you guys something, which is that barely ten minutes after I made that “please don’t send me spoilers” post the other day, someone replied to the comments in a stunning fit of “tell me that you’re twelve without actually telling me you’re twelve” energy and posted what seemed to be the copy-pasted spoiler summary from reddit or twitter or whatever lol. so here is my good news/bad news rundown of all that
good news: I have very well-conditioned ABORT!! reflexes and have trained myself to immediately look away from the screen (usually in dramatic fashion) as soon as I realize that whatever I’m reading is a spoiler
bad news: unfortunately as I was subsequently deleting said comments, I accidentally read the very last one
good news??: said spoiler was so unbelievably, absurdly over-the-top that I’m almost positive this person was just trolling. like, there’s just no way lmao
bad news: but in the unlikely event that it is true I will absolutely lose my shit I swear to god
(ETA: “NAGANT DIES.” that was the spoiler I read lol. like, literally all I read from the person’s comments was “My Hero Academia Chapter 315 Title: “Beautiful Words.” Chapter starts with...” and then I noped out of there, and then of all the comments to read as I was deleting, it had to be that one lol. I seriously was just like “SURE, JAN.” all “just how gullible do you think I am” sob. but I was wrong. a troll, but an honest troll they remain.
but anyways like I’m pretty sure Nagant isn’t even actually dead lol, so in the end this whole little adventure doesn’t even have a point to it, but for me it was a journey!)
anyway, so there are apparently two versions of the chapter today?? no idea what the difference is, but I’m going to go with the Bean version, because it’s the one at the top and I don’t feel like making decisions today
huh, so Overhaul is actually more coherent than Horikoshi was letting on
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look at him having a whole back and forth conversation with her. side note, how is he still this jacked when he’s been sitting in a cell doing absolutely nothing for the past six months
anyway so he says he’ll go with her on one condition. I wonder what that condition could possibly be. do you think it could be the thing he literally hasn’t shut up about ever since he reappeared lol
yep! and damn -- maybe this guy will surprise me after all
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still would be nice if you also felt a bit sorry for the little girl you tortured and traumatized, but this is something at least. maybe Deku will yell at him for that other stuff lol
(ETA: also can’t help but wonder if he wants to make amends because he put him in a coma, or because his plan was a failure and ended up destroying the family. just hoping you’ve finally had that “hurting other people is bad” epiphany dude.)
anyways so now Nagant’s arm is transforming again, and this particular transformation happens to be the only truly unsexy thing that Nagant has done thus far so I’m just gonna skip right on ahead lol
aaaaand we’re back to the delirious ranting
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buddy. just. read the fucking room, guy
wow she really is aiming at Overhaul, then. those theories were spot-on
damn she’s really out here all “it really fucks with kids’ heads when you kill people right in front of them and make them blame themselves” like yo
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I’m picturing her saying all this in a very loud stage-whispery tone while making very significant eye contact with Deku lol
uh oh but wait
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um. okay. who’s gonna tell her. Nagant I might have some bad news for you about the kid you’re trying to capture here. specifically about the way he tends to do the opposite of what you’re thinking that he’s about to do
holy shit
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so it’s basically just “tap x repeatedly to charge up your attack” lol
and okay, so that’s cool and all, but is anyone else wincing at the thought of what that must be like on his knees. oh to be young
anyway, but so to the surprise of basically no one, Deku did not, in fact, freeze. I am very sorry, Nagant. he’s just like this
LMAO
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someone wanna tell me how getting yoloed in the fucking ribs by this fucking slingshot kid moving at literal sniper bullet speed is in any way even remotely better than getting hit by the bullet itself lol
(ETA: this is 10x funnier now that we know the bullet wasn’t even gonna hit him lmao.)
anyway so now Nagant is having an extended “!?!?!?” reaction about how Deku just moved with no hesitation, and I’m starting to get an inkling of fear that the rest of this fight isn’t going to go very well for her and maybe that’s what all the “hoo boy” is about
oh my god Deku are you about to Gomu Gomu no Rocket yourself at her you insane little man
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now Three is popping up again and he’s all “I see you’ve learned your lesson and are now only using three quirks at once instead of five” like with all this effusive praise about how great and badass Deku is and sob, okay, yeah. this chapter is basically one of those machines that shoots tennis balls at people, except instead of tennis balls it shoots hot piping discourse
OH MY GOD
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YOOOOOOOOOO but also, NOOOOOOOOOOO
lol oh my god it’s literally two opposing reactions at once wtf. do I love this or hate this. like just for once can Horikoshi actually let a badass lady character win their fucking fight without getting their arm ripped off, BUT ALSO fucking look at that absurdly cool “SMASH” onomatopoeia though. it looks like it’s about to float right off the page holy shit that’s some seriously good art
anyway so is this really the end?? do I need to break out my ಠ_ಠ faces
lmao okay yeah I can definitely see how this would piss a lot of people off
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he basically one-shotted her and she’s all “damn this kid is so amazing that I’m about to do a complete 180 turn on all of my previous angst” lmao. Horikoshi is really shounening it up today
on the plus side though, maybe this means there’s still a chance for her to join up with him after all? unless that spoiler was true lmao, then all hell is gonna break loose
YESSSSSSS
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OH MY GOD AND HE SAYS THE BULLET WOULDN’T HAVE DONE MORE THAN GRAZE OVERHAUL ANYWAY, wow, I’m actually more relieved by that than I would have expected. I mean I would have forgiven her either way, but it means that there was still more hero in her than she was letting on
YES!!! FUCKING YES, THANK YOU
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lol but I mean, it’s also like, “oh so today they get to have brain cells”, thank you so much lol. sometimes it’s really hard to tell which times we’re supposed to question these character decisions that seem dumb, and which times we’re just supposed to full on embrace them and switch off our critical thinking
but okay, so in this case it really was Nagant going easy on him on purpose, and not just her fucking up for no good reason even though she used to do this for a living and was the best in the game. and I know in this case it’s probably just Horikoshi giving us some consolation headpats to soften the blow of her losing so abruptly, but you know what, shit. I’ll take it
also you guys the light is coming back into Deku’s eyes again for just a moment here and I’m having feels about it?? the way it still comes back when he’s reaching out to save someone, and following his own hero path instead of the much darker and lonelier Christopher Nolan path that’s been laid out for him instead that he never wanted?? it’s both reassuring and also very sad
YESSSSSSSSSSS
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DO IT LADY OMG PLEASE?? PLEASE COME BE HIS NEW IRRESPONSIBLE ADULT SUPERVISION YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO
AHHHHHHH SHE’S GONNA DO IT AHHHH
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p.s. I am now absolutely scared shitless that that spoiler was actually true sob. swear to god, I will throw this manga into a fucking volcano. but we’re almost at the end of the chapter and this seems just WAY TOO GOOD to be true fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck f
UCK
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NOPE NAH SEND IT BACK, NOPE, NUH UH, DIDN’T ORDER THIS. “GULLIBLE” OKAY FUCK YOU?? “COUNTERMEASURES” NOPE, DON’T NEED ‘EM, WE’RE ALL FINE HERE. WE’RE ACTUALLY GOOD SO YOU CAN JUST GO, OKAY. PLEASE
fuck, lol, I don’t wanna do it. I don’t wanna scroll down what have I ever done to deserve this oh my god
WHAT THE HONEY-ROASTED FUCK
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WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT FUCKING VOLCANO IN ICELAND THAT I KEEP SEEING ALL THESE PICTURES OF. WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT SHIT. LET’S GO
ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW
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can someone please give AFO a really good, sharpish kick in the balls. just really let him have it. I’m so tired, what the fuck
-- ARE YOU KIDDING ME LOL WHAT
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bro. I was literally going through my Excel folders to find the spreadsheet about female characters in BnHA that I made back when Midnight died. was gearing myself up for a wholeass rant. and honestly I might just let all of that continue simmering on low to keep it warm just in case lol, because to tell you the truth I have absolutely no idea what’s happening right now
my girl straight up does not have a face. she used to have a face. people usually need those, idk. like, even if she’s alive, her gorgeous eyebrows are definitely not making it out of this and I’m gonna throw a funeral just for them
how the fuck did AFO just blow her up?? how did he know what was going on?? and if he had a quirk that could explode people at will, why is this the first we’re hearing of it?? you’d think that might have come in handy at Kamino or Jakku, like what
(ETA: present!me, who’s had more than three hours of sleep and can now actually remember facts about the series, would like to remind past!me that AFO gave Nagant a quirk, and so this is probably just more Vestige shenanigans now on his part. that’s also probably why Air Walk suddenly stopped working out of nowhere. still doesn’t explain why he doesn’t go around blowing people up more often though but maybe he thinks it’s gauche.)
Hawks just straight up out of nowhere. just Mirioed his way straight into the chapter just in time to be too late sob. here I was looking forward to seeing your face when Deku showed up with his new best friend. can’t believe Horikoshi deprived us of that moment
on the plus side, WELCOME BACK, HAWKS’S FEATHERS. I have no doubt that in this chapter of Deku being an almighty threequirk-mastering god, and Nagant losing anticlimactically only to be immediately blown up because girl characters in BnHA can only be cool for one fight and one fight only, there are still some people who are focusing solely on the “how dare Hawks get his wings back when he is a MURDERER this is an outrage what about CONSEQUENCES” discourse, and to hell with all the other discourses lmao
anyway, so yeah. wow. and now it’s just occurring to me that maybe the real reason why Overhaul is there is so he can get a head start on that amend-making by actually doing a good thing for once in his life, and using his quirk to heal Nagant. assuming he can still do that
and so now Horikoshi has got me out here actually rooting for Overhaul. you know what, on that note I think I’m just gonna go ahead and call it a day sob
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vannahfanfics · 3 years
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Electric Love
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Category: Romantic Fluff
Fandom: My Hero Academia
Characters: Izuku Midoriya, Ochako Uraraka
Hey, all! Here’s my story for the Izuku Big Bang! I had the pleasure again of working with my good friend @danyartime​, so do be sure to check out her adorable art too!
Izuku bobbed his head to the upbeat poppy tune bumping from the small speakers of his desk radio. Though the volume was low to keep from disturbing his dorm mates, the thumping bass in the background of the happy lyrics vibrated the pencils and pens in the ceramic cup beside it. The little tink-tink-tinks of the writing utensils hitting the side of the cup added pleasant harmony to the song. Izuku hummed along as he scrawled notes into his hero notebook, recalling everything he could from the joint training they’d conducted with Class 1-B that day. Just as he was musing that it may be time for yet another volume of his detailed notes, the song ended abruptly to be replaced by a particularly loud yell from the radio host. Izuku jumped and looked at the radio, turning it up in curiosity. 
“Thank you for tuning in this evening, folks! Today we have a very special offer for a lucky listener! Prepare to dial your phones, ‘cuz the tenth caller will win tickets to AKB48’s upcoming concert in Akihabara!” the host announced excitedly. Izuku wasn’t big into girl groups, but he’d often heard his female classmates discussing the idols. They must be really famous! He thought, pulling up his phone and typing up the radio station’s number as the host provided it. “All right, folks! Get ready to hit ‘dial,’ because time… starts… now!” 
Izuku waited just a brief second before hitting the dial button and holding the phone up to his ear. He honestly didn’t expect much— there were probably hundreds of people calling in with the hopes of securing the tickets— but he did get a little excited when he wasn’t immediately greeted with a busy signal or a “sorry” message. The phone rang for a second, and then, much to Izuku’s surprise, someone picked up. 
“Congratulations, Lucky Number 10! You’ve won yourself two tickets to AKB48’s concert next weekend!” 
“R-really?” Izuku stammered in shock, completely floored that a whim of a call had actually won him something. “Oh, wow! Thank you!” 
“Thank you for calling in today! What’s your name, Lucky Number 10?” 
“I-Izuku!” 
“Well, Izuku, we hope you enjoy seeing the dolls of Akihabara in action! Stay on the line so we can provide you with information on how to claim your tickets.” Izuku did as bid while the radio host switched to a private line, playing a song for those who had been unsuccessful in their efforts in claiming the tickets. They gathered his basic information and provided him with the address to the local radio station, stressing that he needed to bring a valid photo identification to verify that it was indeed him and not someone trying to make off with his winnings. They made an appointment to pick up the tickets the following afternoon, since it was too late in the evening for a student to be out and about. After hanging up the phone, Izuku found himself excited to attend the concert despite not really being passionate about the band— new experiences were always thrilling, after all! 
Now… The real question is, who should I take with me? 
By the time he had retrieved his tickets and returned to the dorm the next day, Izuku didn’t have the answer to that question. He perched on the couch eyeing the two cardstock tickets with a frown, debating who to invite. He didn’t imagine that any of the boys were that into girl groups, so he couldn’t take any of them. On the other hand, all the girls probably liked them in some capacity or another. I want to take the person who would enjoy it the most!, he thought with a sigh, flopping back against the couch as the riddle poisoned him from the inside out. 
Just then, he heard Ochako and Kyoka’s voice drifting out of the kitchen. The two girls came shuffling out in their pajamas and fuzzy socks, probably getting ready for their weekly girls’ night as evidenced by the massive bowl of popcorn tucked in Kyoka’s arms. Ochako stared wistfully at her phone, petulant about something. 
“Man… I really wish I could go to the performance next weekend, but the tickets are so expensive!” she moped. Izuku perked up, peering over the edge of the couch. 
“Ochako, I told you that I would take you if you really want to go,” Kyoka smiled wanly. 
“No way!” Ochako refused, shaking her head vigorously. “I could never ask you to spend money like that on me!” She stopped walking to look at Kyoka, then deflated like a balloon and looked back to her phone once more. “All I can do is hope that they’re still performing by the time I’m making money as a professional hero…” 
“Hey, Ochako!” Izuku hurriedly piped up as the two girls turned to head upstairs. She whirled around to look at him, eyebrows raised in confusion. Izuku flushed as he sat up on his knees to look over the back of the couch, suddenly aware that it would sound like he was eavesdropping. “I-I couldn’t help but overhear… I, um, I won two tickets to the AKB48 concert next weekend in a radio contest. You’re more than welcome to use the extra ticket and come with me.” 
“Oh my gosh, Deku, are you serious?” Ochako screamed and zoomed over to him faster than he’d ever seen anyone move, even Tenya. She grabbed his hands, clasping hers around his with the tickets still clutched in his fist. Her nut-brown eyes sparkled with delight as they bored into his emerald ones, which only made him flush darker. “You really mean it? Oh, thank you, thank you! I’m so excited; they’re my absolute favorite girl group! Oh, I’m so excited!” 
Her animated reaction made a smile stretch across his lips and a warm, bubbly feeling rise up in his chest. When she let his hands go to take the ticket, she gazed down at it like it was the most special gift in the world; tears of joy even bloomed in the corners of her eyes. “Thank you so much, Deku,” she repeated again, softly and choked with emotion. 
“Of course, Ochako! We’re gonna have a lot of fun!” He grinned widely. Ochako looked up at him shyly, batting her eyelashes to blink the tears away, before whirling on her heel to scurry back to Kyoka. Izuku leaned his cheek in his hand, smiling dreamily, as the girl jumped up and down giddily while showing Kyoka the ticket like it was nothing short of pure treasure. Cute, he thought, his smile growing more enchanted as Ochako’s own illuminated the room with the brilliance of a star. Seeing her so happy sent a light, fluttering feeling through his chest, and he couldn’t wait until next weekend so he could see that bright smile again. 
The next week passed like a blur, chock-full of hero training interspaced with general lessons and heaps of homework. Izuku busted his behind to finish the week’s assignments by the eve of the concert, determined to have no obligations so he could enjoy the outing as much as possible. After penning his last page of a small history report, Izuku slunk downstairs to indulge in some much-needed human interaction. He sank down on the common room couch with a heavy sigh, right beside Denki and Hanta, who were spending the evening playing videogames. 
“Well, well, well, look who decided to crawl out of their hole and join the world of the living!” Denki joked, nudging him with an elbow before returning his attention to the racing game he was playing. He cursed under his breath as Hanta’s car slammed into his side and sent him crashing through benches and trees on the sidewalk. “Hey, man! Not cool!” 
“Ya snooze, ya lose, Denki!” Hanta cackled, leaning back on the couch and clapping the soles of his feet together excitedly. “Anyway, Izuku, you and Ochako are goin’ to that concert tomorrow, yeah?” he asked, sticking out his tongue and leaning his body as if it would make the virtual car turn harder. 
“That’s right! She seems really excited!” Izuku nodded eagerly. He thought of that illuminating smile, of the joy simply radiating off her being, and couldn’t help but grin giddily. Denki caught his dreamy expression out of his peripheral vision and raised an eyebrow, then teasingly stuck out the tip of his tongue between his teeth. 
“So, does she know that it’s a date?” 
“What?” Izuku sputtered, throwing up his arms and curling his legs up on the couch in shock. His face had turned a bright shade of crimson in a mere instant, his freckles buried beneath the fiery warmth of his blush. “I-it’s not a date! I just had an extra ticket, that’s all, and it would have been such a shame for it to go to waste, so I was looking for someone to give it to, and I overheard Ochako talking about how much she liked the band, so n-n-naturally I would ask her if she wanted to go, because after all, I had the ticket and that’s the nice thing to do—” he babbled, his face reddening with each breathless phrase. Denki and Hanta just stared at him with matching expressions of pure skepticism, which only made his face more reminiscent of a tomato. Steam was practically buffeting out of his ears by the time he lost all semblance of words and just started gasping like a fish out of water. 
“Anyway, does she know it’s a date?” Denki repeated, deadpan. Izuku slapped his hands to his face, utterly mortified. He hadn’t intended to ask Ochako on a date; he was just trying to be nice! What if she did think it was a date? He had less than twenty-four hours until they were set to go to the concert, but if she thought it was a date, then he had to make sure it was the best date ever! After all, it would be her first date, wouldn’t it? Oh, he would hate for her to have a terrible experience— and with him, no less! What should he do? What should he do? 
“Now, Izuku,” Denki sighed magnanimously, chucking his controller onto the coffee table since his friend was clearly distressed. Hanta pouted, disappointed he could no longer clown Denki with the racing game, but paused the game so he could walk around the couch to plop down on Izuku’s other side and sling his lanky arm around his shoulders. Izuku’s emerald eyes, shining against his crimson skin, nervously peered through the gaps in his fingers. “Don’t worry! There’s still plenty of time to fix this sad, sad, sad situation you’ve gotten yourself into.” 
“There is?” 
“Indeed there is!” Hanta chimed in agreement, nodding his head and holding up his index finger confidently. “Rest assured, Izuku, the two of us are gonna transform you into the studliest of studs so that tomorrow you’ll sweep Ochako off her feet, guaranteed!” Izuku tentatively lowered his hands from his face, blinking uncertainly. Despite his misforgivings, Denki and Hanta were popular with the girls of the Hero Course; surely they at least knew something about taking a girl out on a date, right? Whether or not that was true, the two boys hoisted Izuku up to cart him upstairs, ready to give him a crash-course on wooing their adorable, bubbly classmate and taking her on the best first date ever… 
The following afternoon, after a night of feverish courting lessons and last-minute reservations, Izuku was standing in Denki’s bedroom, nervously regarding himself in the mirror hanging on the back of the blond’s closet door. He was dressed in a pair of tight-fitting, slightly torn jeans and a graphic tee— a much different look than his usual cargo shoots and simple tees. Denki fluttered around him, biting down on his lip as he suppressed excited squeals of delight. 
“Uh, Denki, are you sure about this?” Izuku asked, plucking at the white fibers of the shredded denim over his knees. “Shouldn’t I, like, dress for comfort?” 
“No!” Denki scolded and flicked him in the forehead, making Izuku whimper and press his hand over the pink mark on his forehead. “You dress to impress on a date, dude. Rule #1! Ochako’s probably gonna be dressed to the nines for this concert; you don’t wanna embarrass her! Sheesh.” 
Before Izuku could respond, Hanta descended upon him, spritzing him with cologne. Izuku hacked and coughed as the clouds of strong-smelling aroma wafted up into his face, stinging his eyes and throat. Hanta patted his shoulders and gave them an encouraging squeeze, grinning at him through his reflection. 
“You’re gonna do great, Izuku! Remember your training,” he encouraged with another squeeze. Izuku momentarily panicked, his mind flushing the last eighteen hours of grilling the two boys had subjected him to in the art of wooing women. Denki rolled his eyes and thwapped him upside the head with an encouraging smirk. 
“Relax, dude. You’re gonna do fine! Just remember to show Ochako a good time. That’s Rule #1!” 
“I thought ‘dress to impress’ was Rule #1?” Izuku blinked in confusion. 
“Every rule is Rule #1,” Denki tutted, but before Izuku could ask what good that did, Hanta steered him out of the room telling him that it was time for the show to start. They propelled him all the way to Ochako’s room, abandoning him there with no more than excited thumbs-ups and matching grins. Izuku watched them scurry back to the stairs, gulped loudly, and then nervously smoothed down his messy pine-green hair. He was already beginning to sweat; it beaded on the pads of his fingers as he smoothed them through his hair. 
Okay, Izuku! You can do this!, he encouraged himself with a roll of his shoulders and a determined sigh. He’d already informed Ochako that he intended to take her out for lunch today, and she should be ready for their outing by now. He took one more moment to steel his nerves before knocking on her bedroom door before he could change his mind. 
“Comi— oh dear!” 
Izuku winced as the cheerful call was interrupted by a loud thump and a startled squeal. He could hear shuffling and muffled whimpers and stomping around the room; just as he was about to inquire if Ochako was all right, the door swung open to reveal a breathless and red-faced Ochako. 
“Hey, Deku!” she grinned brightly as she swept a stray strand of her chestnut hair from her face, covering her anxiety with a nervous laugh. He could see her leaning awkwardly on one leg and the beginnings of a bruise forming on her other knee. “I’m ready to go!” she trilled, leaning in the doorframe and using her smile to try and hide the pained wobbling of her lips. He began to ask if she was really okay, but the words died in his throat when he finally took a moment to really look at her. 
She was wearing a pink sundress with a white ribbon around the waist, tied in a big bow in the back with lace accents. Shiny white sandals framed her feet, her pink painted toenails shining in the fluorescent lights of the hallway. A big pink-and-white bow was tucked into her hair, which framed her round face. A blush rose to Izuku’s cheeks as he stared at her, mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Ochako blinked perplexedly, eyes growing owlish. “Deku? What is it?” 
“Y-y-you look really cute today,” he finally managed. Ochako blinked again, and then her face flooded the color of her dress. She fisted the skirt shyly, swaying back and forth and trying not to let her happiness show on her face. 
“Thanks, Deku… You look nice, too…” She twirled a lock of her hair around her finger as Izuku continued to admire her beauty, her bashful little smile. After a minute of him just dreamily gawking, Ochako fluttered her eyes and politely pushed, “Um… Deku, shouldn’t we get going? We have a reservation at that sandwich place, don’t we?” 
“O-oh gosh! Sorry, sorry! Yes, let’s go!” In his flurry, he instinctively grabbed Ochako’s hand to begin pulling her down the hall. He heard her squeak in surprise and could feel the nervous sweat flood her palm, but for some reason, he didn’t feel the urge to let go. Her hand felt so soft and nice against his, which was scarred and calloused from the harsh use of his Quirk. She was careful not to touch his skin with her padded fingertips; they wouldn’t get very far with him floating off into space, after all! He did look at her briefly, however, silently inquiring if she was okay. She only grinned bashfully and gave his hand a little approvatory squeeze— and his heart rate shot into the atmosphere as that warm joy bubbled up inside of him. 
It was about a three-hour bullet train ride to Tokyo, where they would catch lunch before heading to Akihabara to attend the early evening concert before catching the train back. It certainly was a full day, but Izuku found himself excited as he joined the train with Ochako. Their curriculum was so demanding that it was rare they had a chance for an outing like this, and Izuku was happy it was with one of his best friends. Except… Best friends don’t go out on dates, he thought with a blush, looking down at where Ochako’s hand rested on the arm of the train seat. He’d let her hand go when they left the dorm, but his fingers had insistently itched to claim her soft hand once again. It felt like it had fit so perfectly in his own, like two puzzle pieces clicking into place. 
He looked away from her hand before she noticed, busying himself with the scenic landscape of Japan idling by through the window. He wasn’t sure how long he spent watching the buildings and roads and trees and hills roll by, but eventually he heard a soft thunk that pulled his attention away from the glass pane. He turned to see that Ochako had slumped over the edge of the seat to loll into the aisle, her mouth parted as she gently snored. The thunk had been her bracelet striking the plastic edge of the seat as her arm slipped off. She was bent awkwardly with the other arm of the seat digging into her side. It certainly didn’t look comfortable, evidenced by the way her face twitched in discomfort and she mumbled something unintelligible but laced with pain. 
I can’t let her stay like that, Izuku thought. Gently so as not to wake her, he leaned in to loop his arms around her and pull her back into the seat. She immediately began to slip to the side again, head bobbing, and he reflexively caught the side of her head with his hand. He flushed at the realization of just how big his hand was in comparison to hers, so easily cradling her skull. Tenderly, he guided her head to rest on his shoulder. Ochako’s face slowly became peaceful as she sought out his warmth, smacking her lips as she nuzzled into his neck. Heat flooded his body when the tip of her nose brushed his neck, but he fought the urge to spaz out because Ochako just looked downright adorable snoozing against him. 
Smiling sweetly, Izuku swept away a chunk of hair that had fallen into her face and tucked it behind her ear. Ochako hummed contentedly, her plump lips curling into a tiny smile. 
“Deku,” she mumbled sleepily. He tensed, afraid he’d actually woken her up; however, Ochako didn’t move, just continued to doze peacefully. He relaxed and then immediately tensed again when the realization struck him— Ochako had just said his name in her sleep. What does that mean? Does that mean something? Oh my gosh! Surely that means something, right? He used his free hand to nervously fidget, twiddling his fingers and jumping his leg up and down. His mind whirled for the remainder of the train ride, struggling to comprehend the implications of such a simple utterance. He was in such a whirlwind of confusion that he almost missed their stop as it chimed over the intercom. 
Izuku started with a gasp, then looked down at Ochako, who was still dozing peacefully. He gently shook her shoulder, looking up nervously as people began filing off the train. 
“Ochako… It’s our stop!” he whispered loudly. Ochako stirred, her eyelashes fluttering to reveal hazy, sleep-addled eyes. She looked up at him drowsily with a sleepy smile on her lips. Izuku couldn’t help but return it with a sweet one of his own, charmed by how cute she looked as she rose into consciousness. “Good morning, sleepyhead!” he joked. “Sorry to wake you, but we’re in Tokyo.” 
“Really?” she asked, looking around with her eyes still lidded with sleep. It took her a second to realize her head was propped on his shoulder, her short brown hair spilling over it like a curtain. When she did, however, she stiffened, and then bolted up with a squeak. Izuku only just managed to pull back in time before her head collided with his chin. Ochako covered her hands with her face, peering at him with appalled brown eyes. “I-I-I’m so sorry! How long have I been sleeping on you? That must have been so uncomfortable!” 
“N-n-no, not at all!” Izuku stammered back, waving his hands in denial. “It felt kinda nice, actually.” A split second of silence passed between them as they processed what he’d just uttered. Both of them then gasped and looked away from each other, both covering their bright red faces. The announcer pleasantly initiated the last call, making Izuku stand up stiffly. “W-w-w-we need to go! We don’t wanna miss our reservation!” 
“You’re right! Let’s go!” Ochako agreed, standing up and scurrying down the aisle while still covering her face. Izuku hurried after her, and they managed to hop off the bullet train just as the doors were closing. They stood awkwardly on the platform, heat radiating off them like a couple of steamed pork buns. They took a moment to recover from the embarrassing situation, with Izuku pulling up a map on his phone to navigate their way to the sandwich shop. He looked at Ochako, still slightly pink-faced, and coughed politely because she was still staring stressfully off into space. 
“Sh-shall we head off? I don’t think that the train station specializes in sandwiches,” he joked lightly and rubbed the back of his neck. Ochako smiled at his wisecrack, her opal-pink cheeks turning a pleasant shade of carnation as her discomfort was replaced with happiness. She nodded in agreement so Izuku turned around, standing on his tip-toes to hunt for the stairs over the sea of heads. The subway was bustling as those departing the train and those preparing for the next arrival blended together in a writhing, cacophonic mess. He and Ochako stared dauntedly at the tightly-crammed mass and the stairs hugging the wall beyond the great sea of people. 
“Um… Ochako… Would you like to hold hands?” Izuku offered shyly, looking at her with a sheepish smile. When her eyes blew wide like twin moons, his face blazed red and he hurriedly threw up his hands defensively. “I-I-I just don’t want us to get separated, that’s all! Th-there’s so many people, a-a-after all, and it would waste more time if one of us got lost!” 
“Oh!” Ochako blinked, the blush in her face fading with a sheepish smile. “Sure, Deku.” She offered him her hand and Izuku took it, careful not to touch all five of the cute little pink pads adorning her fingertips. As easy as floating over the crowd would be, it would probably present more problems than it would solve in the end. 
Clutching her hand tight and mildly self-conscious about the sweat that blossomed on his palm, he turned slightly to the side so he could shoulder his way through the crowd. He toted Ochako along, shouting “Excuse me!” and “Coming through!” over the chatter and mechanical din of the train station. Somehow, they wormed their way through the crowd and arrived at the base of the stairs, albeit a little breathless. He smiled at Ochako and moved to retract his hand, but surprisingly, she clenched down on his fingers. When he stared confusedly at her, she looked bashfully down at her feet. 
“It might be crowded on the street, so… maybe we should play it safe?” She peered out of her lashes at him, pink tinging her cheeks. Izuku’s eyebrows crept up his forehead, too stunned to even have the sense to blush, but the hopefulness in Ochako’s timid gaze chased away any inclinations of refusing. He just smiled sweetly and squeezed her hand, prompting her to look up at him. 
“Of course, Ochako. The last thing I’d want to do today is lose you.” 
She gasped lightly, then used her free hand to hide her face as it flushed bright red. Izuku, realizing how flirtatious the simple declaration could sound, did the same and looked over his shoulder. I didn’t mean for it to sound so lovey-dovey, but Ochako thinks this is a date, so I guess I should be a little flirty, right?, he thought, peering out of the gaps in his fingers at her. Though her hand covered most of her face, he could see the edges of her blissful smile poking out from underneath her fingers. The fact she was so happy at just a small comment made his heart flutter and a bubbly feeling rise up in his body. I want to make her as happy as I can today… he realized, a soft smile spreading over his lips. 
I’ll do my best to make this the best date ever for you, Ochako!
Finally, the two awkward teenagers gathered their wits enough to ascend the stairs to the street above. Like Ochako predicted, Akihabara was rather hectic; people streamed along the sidewalks, huddling close together as cars trundled by on the cobblestone roads. Flickering, bright neon signs towered over them advertising shops, deals, news, and— most importantly— the upcoming concert. Using his trusty map as a guide, Izuku weaved through the foot traffic toward the sandwich shop crammed in the small square space. 
“Wow! Look at all the cosplays, Deku,” Ochako piped up suddenly. He looked up with a confused blink, having been absorbed in following the map, before glancing around. Sure enough, a lot of the patrons moseying around were decked out in cosplay of their favorite anime characters. They flocked to the electronics and manga stores, coming out laden with goods. Others stood outside of maid cafés, chatting amicably with the girls in black-and-white dresses, thigh-high stockings, and cute bonnets trying to entice them in for an afternoon snack. Electronic music and chimes bled out of the door of a pachinko parlor as it opened and closed continuously with gamblers walking in and out, most of them defeatedly. 
“Wow! Akihabara really is as electric as they say,” Izuku praised. The air thrummed with energy; he could feel it vibrating under his skin, humming in his bones and sending a pleasant adrenaline pulsing through his body. He found himself with a prance in his step as he led Ochako on, both of them stopping occasionally to marvel at the eclectic displays that made Akihabara the haven for otakus and electronics enthusiasts. They paused so many times that they almost did miss their reservation, bundling into the shop with only a minute to spare and startling the hostess. 
Like the rest of Akihabara, the sandwich shop possessed an anime theme, specifically a popular magical girl anime that he knew Ochako liked to watch with Tooru. The waitresses strutted around in colorful, lace-laden dresses, playfully waving their ornate wands and punctuating their conversations with cute poses and sayings. Ochako’s eyes brightened immediately when they walked inside, and she looked at Izuku surprisedly as they were escorted to a table. 
“Izuku, did you pick this place because of me?” she asked as she eased into the booth seat, which was white and patterned with little pastel-colored hearts and stars. Izuku tried not to seem too proud of himself as he sat across from her, failing a little as the cheeky grin of satisfaction worked its way onto his face. 
“Yeah! They were really nice about working us in for the concert today,” he explained as he picked up the salt and pepper shakers, which were styled like fluffy alien mascots, to examine them with amusement. He set them down before smiling at Ochako, who looked like she was about to cry with gratitude. “I wanted you to have a good time, so I thought picking a restaurant themed after your favorite anime would make you happy!” 
She shrunk down a little in the booth. Her lips twitched as she tried not to smile too hard, but it broke free, stretching across her face until her eyes crinkled up into little half-moons. She played with the bow around her middle and shifted, her eyes trained shyly on the table. Finally, she murmured a soft, “Thank you, Deku. I really am happy.” 
“I’m glad,” Izuku replied, just as softly. She shifted again, her smile growing wider, though her face strained to fit the absolutely overjoyed beam. It made that fuzzy, bubbly feeling rise up within him again. He picked up the menu to hide his pleased smile. 
Everything’s going so well! 
They spent an hour or so in the shop, chowing down on scrumptious sandwiches and fraternizing with the costumed waitresses. Ochako snagged a photograph with every single one of them, and she broke down crying when the manager gifted her a free cosplay wand of her favorite magical girl because he was so charmed by her enthusiasm. She clutched it to her chest as they walked out of the shop, her eyes glittering like diamonds and her skin practically glowed with happiness. As Izuku pulled up his map again to find the concert venue, Ochako dramatically flourished the wand and bopped him on the head. 
“Am I a magical girl now?” He laughed while putting a hand on his head where she had tapped him with it. 
“Yep!” She giggled, tapping him again on his hand. “You’d make a beautiful magical girl.” 
“Thanks.” He laughed. “I’ll take that into consideration. Maybe I’ll make it my brand in a few years!” 
“Oh my gosh!” Ochako laughed, covering her mouth with an obscene snort. “I can just imagine you prancing around in thigh-high boots and a skirt with little plastic wings…” 
“I thought you said I would be a beautiful magical girl!” He whined. “What, is the image too beautiful for you to handle?” 
“Yes!”
They both began laughing hysterically at the image of Izuku waltzing around in a girly costume with his magic wand touting about the power of friendship and love. It certainly was amusing. They continued to joke about it while they strolled to the concert venue, a building tucked into the towering mish-mash of specialty shops. It proudly displayed “AKB48” in bright letters of purple, red, and blue on the scrolling neon sign, followed by a “SOLD OUT” in white. 
“It’s a good thing you won those tickets, Deku!” Ochako said when they filed into line. Izuku clutched the tickets in his hands; it would be a shame for them to come all this way only to have lost them at the finish line. They inched forward as the concertgoers were filed inside. 
“Yeah! I’m happy you agreed to come with me, Ochako. Truthfully, I don’t know anything about these idols,” he admitted while bashfully rubbing the back of his neck. “I just called in for the heck of it. I was so shocked when I found out I actually won!” 
“Really? This is gonna be so much fun, then! I can’t wait to see what you think of them!” 
“Yeah?” he said, finding himself growing excited from her infectious enthusiasm. She began to ramble about the origin of idol groups in Akihabara and the rise of the latest, AKB48. Though Izuku really didn’t understand much of what she was talking about, the way her eyes lit up and a smile painted her round face made him listen along anyway. He watched her dreamily, more watching her mouth move than paying attention to the words coming out of it. She really is pretty, he thought absently, marveling at the sheen of her glossed lips. He wondered what flavor it could be. She seemed like a strawberry or cherry type of person, but maybe she opted for something unique. 
“Tickets, please.” 
Izuku was startled out of his daydreaming by the attendant, who had apparently been asking him for the tickets for several seconds, based on his annoyed expression and demandingly outstretched hand. Izuku hurriedly handed over the tickets while sputtering apologies, but the greeter only dismissively waved them through. Ochako encouragingly patted Izuku’s back as he shuffled on, sulking with embarrassment. 
I just couldn’t help but get so engrossed in her talking, he thought with a light blush dusting his cheeks. His eyes were still engrossed with her, trailing slowly to watch as she scampered up to the merchandise table to ogle the band tee shirts. A dreamy smile automatically appeared on Izuku’s lips; she just looked too cute, her index finger pressed against her pursed lips as she carefully surveyed the selection. He moseyed up behind her, hands clasped behind his back and his eyebrows raised meaningfully. 
“There’s a little time before the concert starts… Would you like a shirt, Ochako?” 
“What?” she cried, jumping at his sudden appearance. “O-o-oh, no, I was just looking! You already paid for lunch, Deku. I couldn’t possibly ask for more!” she refused, waving her hands. She was still holding the wand from the sandwich shop, so she accidentally bopped herself in the head with it during her nervous flailing. Her face turned bright red, but she continued to insistently refuse his offer. “Seriously, Deku, don’t worry about it. I don’t want one that bad.” Yet, her eyes slid longingly back to the table. 
“Yeah, you do.” He laughed and pulled out his wallet. He danced away when Ochako tried to swipe at him, dodging her grabs while pulling out a few bills. It took a few seconds for him to get back to the merchandise seller, who was watching them amusedly, but once Izuku dropped the bills into his hand, it was over. Ochako slumped defeatedly and sheepishly slid the shirt she wanted off the table, while Izuku grabbed another that had caught his eye. Izuku slipped his own over the tee-shirt that Denki had loaned him, and Ochako followed suit by sliding hers over her dress. The fronds of her bow stuck out awkwardly underneath, making Izuku chuckle and bat at them. 
“What? Do I look funny?” she pouted, grabbing the hem of the shirt subconsciously. 
“No,” he chuckled while rubbing the soft, wilky fabric of the bow’s tail between his thumbs. “I think it’s cute how big of a fan you are that you’ll wear it over your dress.” Ochako flushed and ducked her head, the edges of her smile peeking out of her swathes of brown hair. He reached out to tuck it behind her ear, and as his fingertips brushed ever-so-softly against her cheek, she froze. Normally he would grow flustered and flail about, but… there was something about the electric energy of this place that made him bold, that made him act on the warm, fluttery feeling that had been filling him up all afternoon. 
Slowly, that bubbly warmth had become sharper, stronger, turning into volts of electricity that shot through his bones every time Ochako gifted him that beautiful smile and cute pink face. He wasn’t even sure that he wanted to make her happy simply for her sake anymore, but rather a selfish desire to fuel the electricity pulsing within him, those sparks of affection slowly coalescing into an electric storm. 
“W-we should go find our seats,” Ochako gulped after a few seconds of staring at him in stunned silence, as his hands were still resting in her hair. He hummed in agreement and pulled back, sliding his hands in his pockets as he led the way. They walked into the concert hall proper to find rows upon rows of seats surrounding a spacious stage. Large black speakers lined its circumference and purple-blue lights basked the area in a dusky glow. Thanks to winning the special promotion, Izuku and Ochako’s seats were near the front— not too far up to be deafening, but close enough to still provide a great view and ambience. They pushed past the other concertgoers to take their place among the throng. They were just in time, as the lights soon dimmed and a hush descended upon the crowd. 
The silence was instantly replaced by deafening cheers as a group of young women in school uniforms skipped out on stage, smiling and waving enthusiastically. Izuku and Ochako barely had time to jam in the soft foam earplugs provided to them before the crowd erupted into their roars; even still, Izuku’s eardrums rang with the cacophony. After greeting the crowd, the girls set up in formation, prompting Ochako to touch Izuku’s arm excitedly. 
“Ah, they’re starting!” she squealed over the cheers. “I’m so excited!” She jumped up and down, standing on her tip-toes to watch the idols with sparkling eyes, and that’s when Izuku stopped paying attention to anything but her. 
Really, if he’d paid for the tickets, they’d have been a waste. Izuku spent the entire concert gazing at the girl beside him. The strobe lights played over her form in hues of pink and purple and blue, the light playing over her round cheeks pink with exhilaration and glinting off her bright smile and shining eyes. Sweat sheened on her skin as she danced excitedly in place and belted out the lyrics to the songs as loud as she could. Every time she looked at Izuku with an expression of sheer elation, he felt his breath leave his lungs. How a girl could be so utterly breathtaking doing something so simple as having fun, he wasn’t sure, but Ochako was. 
The electricity coursed through him, simmering under his skin and filling him to the brim with his own sense of joy. I think I love her, he realized with an adoring smile, just watching her sway her hips and toss her arms as she danced to the beat. No, I know I love her. Maybe he always had. How could he not? She had been there for him from the beginning of his journey, supporting him and encouraging him. She was the perfect balance of soft and strong, a kind heart ready to harden like steel whenever she needed to. And, God, she was beautiful, so beautiful his heart ached looking at her. She was a masterpiece underneath these flashing lights, the shining sun, the glowing moon— a soft and natural beauty that was as pure as the rest of her. 
Izuku found himself reaching out to her without realizing it. He gently touched her cheek, a feather-light trace of her skin. She dropped her arms slightly to look at him in confusion, and that’s when he closed the distance to press a kiss to her mouth. He felt her tense and then melt into him with a soft hum. Her body molded against his like it belonged there, her arms winding around his neck like they’d found their way home. The poppy tunes of the idol band faded into the background as they kissed slowly, sweetly, passionately, in the thralls of a love so electric it could power cities for all time. 
Eventually, they pulled apart, a little breathless and pink-faced. Strawberry, he thought absently when he licked his lips. Ochako stared coyly up at him and batted her eyelashes. 
“I didn’t know this was supposed to be a date,” she admitted quietly, so much so that Izuku almost didn’t hear her over the blasting music of the ending set. He did, though, and his eyes went wide in shock. 
“You… you didn’t? But Denki and Hanta said…” He trailed off with a groan, realizing just how big a mistake it was to listen to those two clowns. Ochako laughed when he face-palmed. She reached up to pull his hand away, still chuckling. The show had just ended with the crowd erupting in applause around them, but the two of them made no move to leave. 
“It’s okay,” she smiled sweetly. “I had an amazing time, Deku, really. This is more than I ever could have asked for.” 
“I’m glad, but…” He chewed nervously on the inside of his check. “Are you okay with it being a date? I mean, I thought… Which is why I kissed you, but if you didn’t want it, that was totally not okay of me—!” Before he could descend into sputtering rambles, Ochako silenced him by putting a finger over his lips. He crossed his eyes to blink at the digit, while she chuckled warmly. 
“Izuku, do you think I would have kissed you back if I wasn’t okay with it?” she teased. He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. 
“Yeah, I suppose that’s true… So… does this mean we’re dating now?” 
“I suppose it does,” Ochako nodded bashfully, turning from side-to-side. Something about that made Izuku exceptionally giddy, so much so that he swooped in to press a kiss to the tip of her nose. She squealed in surprise and delight, returning his affections with a nose nuzzle. Filled to the brim with more happiness than he thought humanly possibly, Izuku just took a moment to admire his pretty new girlfriend, and her deep brown eyes that were staring at him, so in love. 
They were practically glued to one another’s side as they exited the concert hall. Dusk had descended, with the last rays of the sunlight spearing into the lavender-blue sky. Though Akihabara probably had much more fun to be had, they unfortunately had to return to the dorm before curfew. They headed straight for the station and boarded the bullet train. This time, Ochako nestled purposefully into his shoulder, watching with lidded eyes as he scrolled through his news feed on his phone. Izuku looped his arm around her waist to hold her close to him, enjoying her warmth blooming against his side with the nighttime cityscape basking them in streetlight.
It wasn’t long until she dozed off. Her shoulders rose and fell with gentle breaths. Izuku petted her soft hair with a smile, still on his phone as he idly wove the silky strands around his fingers. His phone chimed suddenly with a text message from Denki, asking how the date went. Smirking, Izuku raised his phone to snap a picture of them— Ochako dozing against him, held securely in Izuku’s grip. 
If Izuku had to say, it went very well indeed.
Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!
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bakugohoex · 3 years
Note
Are you still taking in requests? I notice they're open but you seem to have a bit right now, so I apologize if you aren't. Anyway, uhm, if they are open, could you write for Hawks walking in on reader rapping? Just straight up spitting fire at a million miles a second? I see a lot of fics where the character walks in on reader singing and being like "uwu? You can sing? How pretty! Do it again!" and I wanted to see more of a dumbfounded "No amount of words can describe how absolutely sick that was!" reaction. Sorry again if you aren't taking in requests!
“where the fuck did you learn how to do that”
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pairing: keigo takami x female reader
cw: language, kissing, fluff
word count: 1100+
a/n: hi, i made something please like and reblog and comment anythign really it’ll really help the cause of ria doesn’t know what she’s doing but she revised six hours today and is now braindead, my requests were open at that time i like putting pressure on myself 
summary: in which keigo hears you rapping in the shower and even though it was a shock he can’t help but to join you showering
↞ back to my hero academia masterlist 
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This man has no chill
He will fly into the balcony of your apartment and unpick the lock to the door just because he’s too lazy to walk up the stairs of your complex
The idiot doesn’t even realise that you’re in the shower and just creeps around the apartment looking for entertainment 
Before he hears the shower, you’d think with his stupid hawk like hearing he’d be able to hear the shower or the song playing but no.
He was in the freezer finding some chicken nuggets to cook up 
Hungry ass bitch who free loads off you
But you love the baby and even leave notes on the fridge for his unexpected visits
That’s when he hears something, he never expected
Shocked, this man was busily away putting the nuggets in the oven and he hears you belch out in quickened words
You were rapping and he was in a constant emotion of what the actual fuck and where the fuck did, she learn how to do that
He’s a perv and he goes into the bathroom and joins you in the shower
But still manwhore who likes listening to your rap at least 
The sound of the shower turning on instantly caught his ears, so you were in the apartment he thought out mindlessly. He went to the fridge freezer seeing the little note in your cute handwriting which you thought looked like a doctors handwriting.
The simple words of ‘there’s chicken nuggets in here, don’t make them all, love Y/n.’ It was cute with a heart beside your name, he smiled at the note taking it and putting it in his pocket before opening the freezer.
He ignored you completely and made all of them, he was a growing man of course but the thought of your face with the 30 chicken nuggets made him relish in your future anger. He heard the music play a song by some rapper he didn’t know, it was a Tiktok sound that you had been shoving in his ear for weeks now. He hated the sound of the one verse, but you had clearly become obsessed adding it your playlist in an instant.
He leant against the counter waiting for the nuggets whilst you in the shower waited for the verse to come on. You scrubbed at your body in delight at how you had finally learnt the verse, you both heard the ‘I’m going in tonight’.
Before you spewed out the whole Dojo Cat verse, of course you weren’t that much of a fan of hers but the Tiktok sound had become your life and you needed to learn it even if it was your life’s mission. You had rehearsed and rehearsed it and finally in the shower you were having your performance.
You were in time and everything about the verse flowed out of your mouth you had perfected it and you couldn’t wait to annoy Keigo with it even more. What you hadn’t realised was Keigo had been listening from behind the door and he was shocked to say the least.
You had rapped it perfectly and all he could think was what the actual fuck, he didn’t hesitate, quickly removing his clothes and leaving them outside the door before he slipped inside the bathroom.
You hadn’t heard as the next song came on which you hummed washing the conditioner out of your hair. You heard the ruffle of the shower curtain before arms wrapped around you, you gave a scream as Keigo’s grip tightening. “Don’t worry kid, it’s just me.”
You sign in relief leaning against him, his arms around your waist whilst you put soap on your body, he scrubbed at your body making you become cleaner. “When did you get here?” You speak getting some more soap and putting it on his own bodies, he small wings getting wet which you knew he hated.
You moved the soap across his body waiting for him to sleep, “about 20 minutes ago, I heard you y’know.”
“What?” You questioned your arms moving his shoulders.
“Where the fuck did you learn how to do that?” He retorted back, you understood what he meant but laughed it off.
You took the water putting it on the two of you as his hands wrapped around you again, his head leaning on your bare shoulder, leaving open mouthed kisses up your neck. “I practiced, I wanted to get it right and was going to show you tonight.”
“I hate the song so much.” He mutters.
You laugh spraying some water on him, which made him pout, “I know, I wanted you to suffer.”
“Whatever, it was probably the coolest thing you’ve ever done.” He mimics back turning to grab your towel whilst you turned the water off.
“Hey, I’m cool.” You mutter.
He gives a look which you take as a Y/n you are not cool in anyway and wraps the towel around you. Before going underneath the sink to get himself one of your spare towels, wrapping it lowly across his waist, with the beads of water across his body and hair drooping down.
“You’re cool to me.” He jokes out.
“We sound like the elderly.” You mutter, he grabs your waist carrying you and the towel out of the bathroom and into your room.
“The elderly wouldn’t be able to fuck like we do.” He puts you on the bed, your hair wet and spewed out on the bed but he goes to kiss you softly.
You don’t make a comeback only kissing back and feeling the water across the two of you, undoing the towel to see you all. He stays on top entrapping you between his arms whilst you kiss him lavishly, he bites your bottom lip making you moan and having the access straight to your tongue. He wanted to fuck you but instead the sound of the alarm of the oven went off and he let go of you.
“I’ve been cockblocked by food.” He mutters walking out of your room leaving you high and dry. You scoff wrapping the towel around your hair whilst putting his hoodie and shorts on before following the man.
He had worn the discarded clothes he had left on the floor, leaving his brown jacket on the sofa as he wafted the chicken nuggets to get warm. “My favourite.” You speak with love in your eyes.
“Aww am I real…” Before Keigo could continue to relish in the praise he thought was for him, you grab the nugget sitting on the counter top. “I hate you.”
“No you don’t.” You pick at the nugget letting air hit it as you smile at the boy.
“Yeah, I don’t, baby bird.” He says coming in to kiss your cheek, you watched whilst he continuously tried using his feathers to cool the nuggets, laughing at your idiot of a boyfriend.
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i’d really appreciate if you guys could leave a like, reblog or comment, thanks x
if you guys want to be a part of a tag list, just reply to any post and i’ll add you xx
@samusimp @alainarose13 @crispychannie @underratedmage @jennammaee @cathy8taffy @sugacious @moonlightaangel @kat-sukis-hoe @effmigentlywithachainsaw @swankiifiied @maat-the-prescriptive @missmultifangirl @tvwhoresblog @kuroos-world
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stellar-imagines · 4 years
Text
HEADCANONS REQUEST: ❝studious but rebellious.❞
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[ Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia ] [ Characters: Bakugou Katsuki, Todoroki Shouto, Kirishima Eijirou ]
「Headcanons of Bakugou, Todoroki and Kirishima who's studious, mild-mannered, and the typical perfect student but is secretly rebellious, tomboyish, fierce and fiery.」
BAKUGOU KATSUKI
♤ This guy probably thinks that you're a shitty model student. You were the typical student who's gentle, encouraging, helpful and kind to everyone. Anyone would find it easy to talk to you given how bubbly and mild-mannered you were on a daily basis. You always arrived at school on time, dressed properly, did your homework, actively participate in class and performed well during hero training. Now we all know that Bakugou has a superiority complex and he was a bit pissed that you were so good at everything. He sees you as a rival but he has never actually said it to your face.
♤ He would compete with you without you knowing at all. For instance, after midterms when Aizawa handed back your papers, Bakugou is already looking through all his papers, satisfied with how he had performed. He would then proceed to approach you and demand you show him your scores. Gets cocky if he actually surpasses you and angry when he failed to beat you. Because of this small exchange you have with one another, you became friends. 
♤ Gets along with you better than anyone expected. You were normally studious and looked like the type of student who would be sophisticated and disciplined, someone like Iida or Yaoyorozu. He probably thought that you would be a person who prefers studying, reading books, and all that. Bakugou was kind of surprised that you were actually pretty tomboyish. He knew this from hearing you talk about your hobbies and the things you loved to do. 
♤ He wasn't sure what kind of acts were considered rebellious. Bakugou had this certain image of you as the person who would never break rules or bother other people and act like a responsible person even outside of school. You would sneak out of your room and make a midnight snack. When you're at the movie theater, you would sneak in some snacks inside your bag. 
♤ Though, you weren't the kind of rebel who's a troublemaker ― someone who doesn't like to follow instructions and causes inconvenient disruptions. You're not really everyone's typical girl who loved dressing up and pretty clothes. You were more on the tomboyish side, preferring pants over skirts and t-shirts over blouses. Make-up? You think it's better spent on food! Bakugou thinks you're absolutely right.
♤ Bakugou has no certain preference when it comes to girls. But he definitely likes someone who's too prudent and someone who would want to live their life in their own ways even though their acts are considered rebellious. It's a bonus that you're fierce because you can put him in his place if he gets out of hand. But when it comes to sparring, he won't lose. Lowkey thinks that it's hot when you show your rebellious, fierce, and fiery side. He would rather die than admit that to you.
TODOROKI SHOUTO
☆ Todoroki is not a competitive person like Bakugou and he's the type to not really care whether you're actually really smart or not. You both like to share notes with one another and study together. He really likes having you around during study sessions. Sometimes studying alone can get a bit boring. However, even with you around, it's not like you're both going to talk anyway. But you both were comfortable with the silence and can genuinely enjoy each other's presence without having to talk.
☆ He does think that you're the epitome of a model student. A student who is on the top of class due to your outstanding grades, possessing and overall charismatic feel, kind-hearted, and excels in everything you do. Despite your popularity, you're also humble, never boasting your grades, and never looked down on people. Todoroki finds himself admiring you for this. You didn't look like the type who would be reckless and tomboyish so he just assumed that you were what everyone sees you as.
☆ This boy is initially surprised that you were actually quite rebellious at times. When you both started dating and hanging out a bit more, he learned a lot of different sides that you don't normally show to everyone. Even though it was surprising, it's not like he didn't like you any less. He feels like a very special person as he's probably the very few people that knew how you actually are. Before you both even started dating, you got along very well and went out on a few dates. 
☆ Behind closed doors, you were completely different. But not different to the point that would make Todoroki question himself if you're actually the same person. You reveal to him that you might be very diligent when it comes to studying but you really hate doing housework and sometimes argue with your mother over it. At home, you would play games, watch anime, and read manga. 
☆ You're not competitive when it comes to school but you were certainly competitive when it came to games. Todoroki was a bit overwhelmed by your sudden change but he kind of likes that you're comfortable enough to let loose in front of him. Instead of dressing up like girly girls, you always wore sweaters and pants around him. If you were to ask him for one of his hoodies, he would give it to you without asking anything.
☆ Todoroki loves you so much that when you break a few rules a couple of times, he wouldn't even say anything much. You're not rebellious to the point you commit weird acts. Studious and mild-mannered but at the same time, fiery, tomboyish, and rebellious ― he thinks its an interesting combo and that you're unique.
KIRISHIMA EIJIROU
♡ You're his lifesaver. He can't say that he's smart but just like a majority of students in the world, he struggles with a few problems related to studies. Kirishima would always ask you questions and even plead that you tutor him before tests and help him with homework. You were the perfect teenage girl in his eyes. A model student who's good at everything you do, be it studies or even sports.
♡ Super proud of having you as his girlfriend. You're smart, pretty, kind, and reliable. A student that a lot of people looked up to, not only because of their outstanding grades but also because they act humble despite their popularity and smarts. Kirishima's not dating you because you're smart or anything, he's not that type of person. He enjoys spending time studying with you because you somehow make it fun and much more enjoyable.
♡ Kirishima is a bit surprised to know that your hobbies are different from a normal girl's, you preferred playing games over shopping like normal girls. You'd spend most of your money on games instead of makeup and pretty clothes that girls prefer. When going out, he wouldn't have to think about what girls normally liked and could invite you to things that he also enjoys. But of course, he would ask you where you wanted to go beforehand.
♡ Similarly to most, Kirishima didn't expect you to be the rebellious type but he isn't complaining or anything. He's actually pretty happy about it. Since you're very studious and mild-mannered at school, he expected you to be the type of person to stick to the rules. You have confessed the little rebellious acts you've done before, like sneaking out from your house to go to a friend's party.
♡ Sometimes, you'd drag him into your antics, doing weird things in public. He knows how rebellious teens act but you weren't like those people. Driving over the speed limit, shoplifting, smoking and drinking alcohol, even blowing off homework in favor of using social media, and skipping school. Kirishima trusts you and knows that you wouldn't do anything too extreme. And if you happen to do something that might potentially harm you, he's there to stop you.
♡ Best boy to play games with but not only that, he's just super fun to hang out with. No matter what kind of things you like, he's the type of person who's very flexible and willing to get to know a person more despite having different hobbies and interests. Kirishima is very interested in learning different things and supportive so your somewhat contrasting personality doesn't really bother him.
Total: 1390 words Published: 11.09.2020
Thank you for requesting! 。٩(ˊᗜˋ)و*。 Honestly, this is basically me in a nutshell but I'm not that rebellious. Sorry but we don't write for Denki. Hope you liked it! ― author Lou
Thank you for requesting it! Surprised that there were a number of similar requests. But we hope you enjoyed this! ― author Natsuki
Requests areopen! Matchups are closed!
Please do not mind the grammar mistakes and typos.
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savrenim · 3 years
Note
hi hi hi. so I just got into the Hamilton fandom, I swear I am four years late where did everybody go, and, well. I am apparently a hamburr shipper. bcs that is my life now. anyway I saw your fic ifmlam and I swear it is my favourite of all the fics I've ever read (and trust me I've read literally thousands). I love it so so much, how do you write fics like that??? I cried about four times during the whole thing, I stayed up till 4am reading it even when I had to wake up at 7 because it is just. that. good. I could not stop thinking about it for days afterwards and ifmlam has just ruined me. I can't think of listen to Hamilton without thinking of ifmlam anymore.
on to my qursttion: is it abandoned? of course it's perfectly FINE if it is. don't let anyone tell u differently, your fic is YOURS and u are amazing.
but pls I really need closure from ur fic, it has been haunting me if its abandoned or ongoing and I've read ur other fics and they are just chefskiss and thank you so much for writing them all. thank you thank you thank you, I will never be able to thank you enough for writing this fic and for everything it's done for me. I am probably thousands of miles away but I am sending you virtual jugs through a co.puter screen right now.
(don't feel pressured to reply to this or update it flam, I know how overwhelming it can get with so many messages and after a while u get desensitized to it. u can literally reply "thx. itfmlam is abandoned" and I would still be amazingly star struck. anyway has gotten way too long and I need to sleep and I'm sorry u probably won't see this so I'm just talking to myself right now but bye!!)
and thank you so so much for writing itfmlam.
aaaah hello anon!
thank you so so much???? I am so??? honored??? that ifmlam rates so highly to you, and also that you've read my other fics??????
the answer to the "is ifmlam abandoned" question is probably the worst possible one, which is pretty much "I do want to finish it, both for the folks that still want closure as well as it bothers to me have abandoned projects that are in the public eye/ already partially published, but also, it is last on my current writing projects list"
my current actually active writing projects list, kind of in order of priority, is
I'm literally three chapters away from being Actually Fully Done with the not-quite-first-not-quite-second let's call it 1.5th draft of an actual?? full?? original?? novel?? Opus which of course then goes out to beta readers and then gets who-knows-how-much edited and then maybe beta readers again if a lot does change and then a copyeditor my mom, my copyeditor is my mom, and maybe my little brother he's one of the betas but is very good at catching typos and then I!!! get to publish it!!!! which is the single thing I am most excited for!!!!!!!!! this should be closed up in the next week or two, and then take a while for people to actually read the draft and get back to me.
I really desperately want to finish my open-but-like-90%-written fic, which means we raise it up, the final chapter of to the bottom of the river bc I realized that it was kind of incomplete, and the second chapter of a buried and a burning flame because any more work there will need to wait until the author publishes the next book in the series. this should be closed up in the next month or two.
Speedwrite the draft of the second book of the Opus series so that hopefully by the time book 1 edits are happening, I have an almost complete draft of the second book. this is mostly me side-eyeing myself about taking nearly four years to write the first book, but that is solidly in part because I had so many other open projects which point 2 is about clearing that docket. this should be done in the next year.
And then just have my major projects be, at least until books 1-5 are written and published, books 1-5 of that because that is arguably the first major 'plot arc' of the series, so if I'm looking for a pause point on writing, that's probably where to stop.
There are two or three other short side projects (a weird fun second person short story tentatively titled witch-queen, a collection of four short stories Memoirs about a not-so-evil necromancer and the shenanigans he gets up to trying to rule a kingdom, working title Perfectly Normal Recipe Blog which is a collaborative project about a perfectly normal recipe blog that definitely doesn't include anything out of the normal) that will happen when they happen
There are other projects that are on the backburner -- The Numanok Files, a series of probably 12-15 short novellas about a mercenary/ bounty hunter esque person in space whose specialty is dealing with hauntings, but, like, 80% of their jobs is actually "you are effectively a space home inspector pointing out faulty wiring reacting to solar flares/ there's a weird alien fungus/ it's carbon monoxide okay change your atmosphere filters" and 20% of it is punching ghosts; there's a post-post apocalypse novel that I want to write that I know characters and general pacing and half the setting but need to work out the other half and figure out how much aesthetic I want to commit to; there's Strangeside7 aka spacerace book that is my reaction to how much I love how Redline the anime movie commits itself to "no we are about a race, like 60% of the screentime is just fully going to be an utterly ridiculous sci fi space race"; there's even a ridiculous YA trilogy that I would have to completely transplant the setting but might end up writing because the interplay between angel-physics and physics-physics was one of my favorite things in the world. and I guess the weird ridiculous technically a sequel series to ifmlam that was going to be published as original books that was basically me having fun with 'okay I fucking love star wars prequels old rotting space bureaucracy galactic republic style' except with seers and that also still might happen because it does have some of the coolest sci fi concepts and honestly I thiiiink that's all?
but the tl;dr of that timeline is I'm trying to finish a punch of projects Right Now, so that I can write books 2-5 of Opus, and then when I'm done that (which honestly, my average fiction-writing output is close to 100k a year. if I'm concentrating purely on one project, and writing books that are about 100k, we are talking four years. although my job situation is super up in the air in that period and writing might get put solidly on the backburner as I try to make it in academia, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) I will re-evaluate which projects go next, and that's when ifmlam is likely to come up for review.
I do not have any expectations that I will make it as an original author. I'm planning on posting all of my stuff online for free, but, like. it is incredibly difficult to convince people to try out even a piece of free and easily accessibly original work even if one has a huge following, I am a very small fanfiction author, and from what I can tell the majority of the people who are interested in my work are mostly interested in me finishing ifmlam. writing is a hobby for me, and while I'm writing mostly for me--and hence the for me bit at least for the next five years is pretty solidly going to be this series that I am deeply excited about and have sunk my heart and soul into every single aspect of--I'm human, and I don't really like shouting into the void, and I expect if I spend five years publishing to absolutely no response I will either stop writing for a while and do other things gods know my life is busy enough, return to fandom in general to write some other fanfic about whatever I get deeply into, or return to a work that I actually get response to. so ifmlam will probably start getting worked on a bit at that point one way or another. unless, of course, we are in the incredibly rare timeline in which I do make it as an original author, there are people who are deeply hyped for my original works and an actual demand for them, in which case as you may have noticed there are enough ideas there to keep me busy for a decade or two, and they will just get my full attention instead of fanfiction*. in this timeline, I will do what I was considering doing a few years ago, which is officially declare ifmlam otherwise abandoned and make one more giant chapter update which is a full and cleaned up outline of what I was going to write, interspersed with the scenes already written, and have ifmlam be given at least that closure.
*I want to make it clear that I very much love fanfiction and am proud to have been a fanfiction author and in my heart of hearts would keep writing it forever, I just also have a lot of ideas for characters and settings and magic systems and Aesthetics and I have been biting at the bit to write something that is //mine// and all mine and only mine for a while, I don't see original work as superior so much as there are a dozen fandoms that I am currently in and bursting to make content about except oops these fandoms currently only exist in my head, and I want to correct that
of course given how much as writing is my vent activity and I write what I'm in the mood for, there's a chance I'll feel ifmlam cravings before then, just... expect it to take a couple of years for an update, but also for there to be an update one way of another in a couple of years? but as for right now, I'm turning to original writing, because that is what brings me joy.
but I am really deeply honored that it brought you so much joy!!! and while I will never publish spoilers in a public place, if you message me off anon I am perfectly happy to give a run-down of my current plans for the ending, bc I know "wait a couple years and see" is not the most satisfactory of answers! and hey maybe you'll be like me and once you've given Opus a try you'll decide you like it better too, it does have Seers although they are deeply different Seers than in ifmlam but imo it's very gay and fun and at least politics on one side
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fairycosmos · 4 years
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3. I know i have to 'get out there' but it's hard when you've felt your whole life that nobody likes you. i literally only have one friend. i just feel really hopeless... i feel like im not meant for this kind of life, everything feels wrong and like im waiting for something's never gonna come, some kinda magic. i want of life of adventure and paint and write but instead i have to study because i'd feel like a loser w/o an education. i dont mind working i just dont want to study.
hey love, i'm really sorry to hear that. i think it's totally normal to be disappointed and even more so to be unsure about your future - it's not an indicator of failure, it's a natural part of growing up and finding your place in the world. i'm probably ignorant and don't know what it's like to actually be in your shoes, so i apologize if i come across as frustrating at some points. this is just my perspective. but i'm wondering if maybe taking more time away is an option for you? maybe working somewhere, focusing on your mental health for a while.... because the thing is your level of education has nothing to do with your worth as a person, and even more than that, there's no set time scale for this sort of thing. you could go back to college at 35, and it wouldn't matter. your life doesn't have to follow that stereotypical linear trajectory we're all forced to chase, in order for you to find happiness and success. and you don't have to justify your own personal choices to anyone, least of all to yourself. i just think it's important to try to focus on the factors of living that are in your control, that will bring you a sense of stability and peace. i know it's hard to let go of the internalised capitalistic idea of having to prove yourself through academia and getting a 'good job', but it's always useful to remind yourself of just how exploitative and made up that entire construct is. you're here and you're experiencing the world and with that you are fulfilling your point, you are doing enough. you are enough. everything else is background noise, that we're forced to muddle through, but background noise nonetheless. you don't need anyone's permission to prioritize your own needs and wants.
however, if you're dead set on studying this topic you don't like (which, i totally understand why you'd make that choice bc i know it's not that simple), then i reckon it's alright to just let yourself feel shitty for a while. any sadness, anger, disappointment, pain you feel about it is to be expected - and even though it fuckin sucks to have to carry it, its intensity definitely won't last. one way or another, you will adapt and so will your ability to cope. just don't use those emotions as an excuse to engage in self destructive behaviour, cause that'll only perpetuate the cycle and keep you in a dark place. having to force ourselves to do shit we hate is always going to feel like an everlasting burden we're never going to escape from, even if that's not the case in reality. and i had a lot of experience with that in school too - the main tactic i can remember making a difference, was like you said, finding little things to make the weight of it more bearable. i think that often starts first and foremost with our own mental health before anything else, because it controls the filter through which we see the world. if you don't like it in yourself you won't like it anywhere. when it comes to your social anxiety, are you receiving any support/would you be open to that? i think consistently seeing someone while you're in school - whether that's a counselor, a therapist, attending a support group or even just calling a hotline to begin with - could really help you manage the stress you're so afraid is waiting for you. having someone to talk to and learning why you are the way you are, and what tools could help you specifically in terms of coping mechanisms and finding a support network can honestly do wonders for your self esteem and the way you approach others. and of course it takes time, maybe that brand of self care is a lifelong process, but it's still important to engage with it. so balancing school with prioritizing your own wellbeing might be something that lightens the weight of the experience. anxiety tends to have us anticipating worst case scenarios and drawing on old insecurities to convince us we'll be alone and in pain forever, but what you've been through is truly not a mirror image of where you're going. making friends especially as an adult is fuckin hard, and struggling with it doesn't mean there's something irreparably wrong with you. just means it's hard to get to know ppl, but that's not a personal failing on your part. it's just a fact. most of them are too worried about their own 'flaws' to take note of yours. but that doesn't mean there aren't ppl out there you haven't met yet who will love you, even if that's hard to believe rn. also a side note, it could be a good idea to build up a routine where you're engaging in something that actively makes you happy at least a few times a week. can literally just be watching netflix, or taking up a hobby, meditating, going for a walk - i know college is v busy and it may not always be possible, but having small pockets of deliberate down time to look forward to is crucial. im not saying it'll cure everything or anything, just that it might make it all feel less overwhelming. but lastly, i want to say that it's ok if you give it a go and then decide you can't do it. that's an option, too. it doesn't have to be black and white. don't fault yourself for not wanting to spend 3 years doing something you hate, but also know that it's possible to get through it if it's a means to an end for you, especially if you seek the help you need. and whichever choice you go with, neither of them are 'wrong.' it's just your path.
anyway, i'm sorry this got super long. i think discussing it with someone you trust might be a good move, just to know that they have your back whether you work through uni or not. you're honestly doing so much better than you realize and i'm proud of you for continuing to try and strive despite how painful it all is. but i really hope that you can catch yourself when your brain is being unnecessarily unkind to you, and that you can then make the conscious choice to change the narrative and approach it from a place of patience and self appreciation. i think your life is still worth living even if it doesn't match up to where you think you should be, which is something i've been trying to accept lately too. that so much is beyond our control and we can literally only focus on the silver linings of the factors that are in our hands. that we can still be okay, living like that. and none of this is permanent, not the way it often seems like it is, but especially not the confusion. it just takes time to live the answers to all the existential questions you have. take it a day at a time. ANYWAY im rooting for you with all my heart and if you want to talk about this properly feel free to message me!! my overarching point is that you're not as alone as you feel. and you won't be in college, and you won't be if you look for work instead. so many of us understand where you're coming from. much love to you, take care 💗💗
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Returning a Favor | A Marvel AU Fanfic, Chapter 1
Uhm, Ive never actually posted on tumblr before, and also never written about Marvel, so I hope if anyone even reads this, you will hopefully be nice ^^
So, anyways, this is a scene from an Idea I had, it takes place in the time between Spiderman Homecoming and Avengers Infinity War. If you like the idea or my writing style, make sure to let me know, so I can continue my Idea^^
I actually recommend to listen to some music while reading this, I suggest a dark academia, royal core playlist on youtube. (I think its suits this story the best, but you do you)
Okay I should stop blabbering, Lets go!
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Title of Chapter: Ballroom Talk
Word Count: 2,4k
Other Chapters: Ch.1, Ch.2
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The music hangs heavy in the air, as you leaned against the wooden railing of the staircase. Dozens of couples twirled and turned over the marble floor and the golden chandeliers, lit with real candles set the ballroom in a magnificent golden light. Golden specks of dust whirled through the air and the movement of the puffy skirts only made them twirl even more.
You looked down your crystal glass, hmm, empty. Sighing you placed your glass on the platter of a waiter that walked by you. Your gaze crossed the room, looking at the majestic oil paintings, probably worth thousands of dollars. Decadent.
Your eyes met brown. Great, the eyes you were trying to forget. You adverted your gaze and turned around, the skirt of your dress swaying as you made your way down the side of the ballroom, trying to get away. “Excuse me.”, said a voice behind you. You sighed.
“look, I don’t have time for this right now.” You turned around and he stood in front of you. Towering at least 2 feet over you normally, he now was eye to eye with you. Heels do seem have a good point. “I know, I’m really sorry, but I was told to do this.”, he said, so he knew too, that it was just an annoyance, rather than a mission. Gosh, he sounded so much like a teenager, it was almost embarrassing.
“I know too. But I am not joining your little team of ´Revengers´”, you painted quotation marks in the air and even though the half mask on his face managed to hide his emotion quite well, you were sure you could see him snarl. You chuckled lightly. “Let me guess, your friends are right out there, ready to crash the party any moment”. You nodded your head towards one of the stained-glass windows. “Okay, kiddo.”, you began. Actually, you weren’t quite sure how old he was, he seemed at least your age, if not older, but you liked the way it railed him up.
“I know that normally, we would have a nice fight of words and then your teammates come crashing in, saving you, because you obviously aren’t strong enough to handle me on your own. You and your friends set everything on fire, I get away and yet again you think you’ve won because you’ve killed another ten old bastards, that don’t mean anything to us. But you need the accomplishment, and we don’t want you to feel like you always destroy everything without any results. And yet you do.”
He opened his mouth, trying to defend himself, but you simply talk over him. “Let’s face it. You couldn’t find a point to start your search, so you thought you would show up here, thinking that we are dumb enough to not disguise a hidden meeting better than a ball. And you thought you could crash this meeting but then noticed, that it is a real ball. And now you want information, so they sent you in her, totally blending in with everybody here.” You reach for his neck and fix the collar of his button up.
“But now you noticed that there is no one important here, that actually has information. And I know that your teammates probably realised this, but I’m not quite sure if you are intelligent enough to do too, so I’m throwing you this bone.” You make an eccentric pause. “Peter, have you noticed that not even one important person is here.”, you pointed towards the dancefloor. “And you know why? Because there is a hidden meeting, but we all know that you and your little team aren’t even remotely clever enough to even think about this, so we sat up this ball. Of course, that’s not the only reason, its also to get rich old bastards on our side, feeding them with bacon wrapped dates and hors d´oeuvres and telling them that we are this”, you pinch your fingers together. “Close to curing cancer.”
“Are you serious?”, Peter brushes his hand trough his hair. “So this is all a setup to lead us into the false direction?”. “You look distressed”, you say and reach for the tablet of yet another waiter that walks by. “Here, try some of that, it will calm you down, but yes, this is just a setup”. You take the glass and press it into Peters’ hand. He doesn’t seem to pay attention to you though, his hand lays on his ear and the other, with the glass, he raised up to his mouth. “Did you hear that Mr Stark?”, he asked.
You try to swallow a giggle. “So, I was right”, you say and turn around, making your way down the corridor. “You really couldn’t think one step further and realise that we aren’t dumb enough to hide secret things better, tsk.”
It takes Peter a few seconds to notice you are leaving, but when he does, he is sprinting down the corridor after you. “Wait!”, he yells. “Come on Peter”, you answer annoyed, it comes out as a snarl. “Why are you so relentless? You had the mission to get information, I gave you information. Its not my fault that the information is that you suck”
“Hey! We don’t suck!”, he defends and jumps around, side to side, trying to move in front of you, but your massive skirt is blocking his way, making him dance around you. Though you must admit that even though this tight corset and the puffy skirt annoy you, you can’t seem to help but thank the 18th century fashion for making people stay away from you.
“Why don’t you just go back to your friends outside, because as you can see, there is nothing interesting here, just a bunch of old dudes, dancing with young and impressionable girls on the search for a rich sugar daddy”, You say. You are really done with this shit.
“I don’t think we have that what we want yet”, a voice came from in front of you. To be fair, you didn’t expect anybody else here, which made you stop in your tracks. You needed a Minute to calm your muscles again, trying to keep your masquerade on. “Oh, thank god”, Peter huffs out from behind you. Great, you are stuck.
You raise one side of your mouth to a smirk. “Captain America, didn’t expect to see you here. Thought you would be busy with squeezing yourself into those tight spandexes.”, you say. “Though I must say, tailcoats suit you much better, you should make them into your uniform, rather than that ridiculously patriotic Costume you always wear.” “I could say the same to you, oh, wait, you look like the wallpaper of my grandma exploded on you”, he says and grins. “Ouuh, burn”, You say mockingly. “You know you could just say you like me better without clothes”, You say and glance back over your shoulder. Only to find that Peter is blushing, you look back at Cap, he’s blushing too. Double kill.
“Well, if you would excuse me Gentleman, I’ve got a dinner date to keep”, You try to manoeuvre your skirt around Cap, but he positions himself right in front of you. “I don’t think so.”, he crosses his arms over his chest. “That’s not very nice, to keep a lady from following her plans”, You say and try once again, but he takes a step sideways, blocking your path yet again. “Let’s see it like this”, Cap begins. “You can either talk with me right now, or we will take this outside and you can see if you were right with the assumption that it takes more people than one to fight you.
You sigh. “Nice move, America. Taking advantage of the girl in heels, so it can’t run away.” You turn around and look at Peter. He has taken off his mask and you lock eyes with him. “Well then kiddo”, you say and open your hand. “Give me your glass, if you don’t use it, then don’t mind if I do” He hands you the wine glass and you throw your head back, downing it in one swift motion. You place the glass onto a side table and motion for Captain America to follow you. “You want to dance?”, you ask. He lifts an eyebrow. “So, you really wanna fight”, he asks. “Nah, not now. I mean it literally, if I have to spend more time here, then why don’t use it”
He turns around to look at Peter. “Go outside, I will meet you there, if I don’t come out in ten Minutes send them in” You can’t help but snicker at this and now its your turn to cross the arms over your chest. “Are you so afraid of me? The mighty Captain America- Oh wait, the mighty one was Thor, wasn’t it? Well anyways, I’m gonna spend the rest of my evening on the dance floor”
With those words you make your way back to the ball room. The music is still the same, eerily beautiful, like from an old historian drama. You reach the end of the hallway and look at the Captain. He reaches into the inside of his tailcoat and pulls out a velvet mask. “Glad to see you thought about bringing one yourself, I counted on the fact that I would have to lend you one of mine.” You tap onto your mask. A light beige, velvet half mask, adorned with blue pearls and light blue lace. It matched with your dress.
He holds out his elbow and you interlock your arm into his. You make your way to the dance floor, its not a formation dance, so you don’t stick out when you two join in in a free space. He places his hand on the side of your body and you reach out to place your hand in his. You begin the turn around the floor, not thinking about a choreography.
“Okay, Mr. America”, you say, now quieter, although the music and the chitter chatter all around you should make it hard for anybody else to hear your conversation. “You have this one dance, if you want to talk any longer, we will have to fight. And we both know that a fight will end in at least on person to be hurt. And I don’t know why, but I don’t think it will be me.”
He meets your stern gaze with just as much aversion. “I do think too that one dance is more than enough”. “By then, start your questions”. You turn outwards and twirl yourself back in under his arm. “Why are you doing this ball?”, he asks. “Like I said, its easier to have meetings that shall not be interrupted, if you have something where the people that could interrupt are occupied” “So, I guess that’s why you are here too, because they don’t want you to interrupt either?”, he asks and you can hear his intention right through. “I am really sorry, but I think we both know that you will not be able to question my loyalty”
He leaves your hand to place his on the other side of your waist and you place yours on his shoulders. With a swift motion he lifts you up as the music reaches its climax and with a turn puts you back down on your feet. “Next question”, you say. “You are running out of time”
“Why this masquerade?” You sigh. “I know, it’s very cliché isn’t it; I also don’t know why it has to be in this Victorian style, but I guess it should make the people here feel more at home, old people like old stuff, don’t they? But of course, I shouldn’t tell you about old stuff, I mean, you’re the 100-year-old” He rolls his eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant”. “Ugh, I know, you see, this is a disguise for a meeting, but its also a coming together of really rich people, and really rich people tend to do really bad stuff. Its easier to gather blackmail bait when people feel safe because of a mask that isn’t hiding anything.” “So, it’s a trick to steal money from the rich?” “No, its to steal Power from the rich. If you want to really win this game of power, you got to have the rich and powerful on your side, not only the handymen. And based on the facts I do know; you don’t even seem to have the handymen on your side. The Avengers, always there for the people”, you sigh mockingly. “but doing nothing more,  than leaving a trail of misery and destruction. Cut to the chase, what is really the reason you and your friends are here?”
“Where is the secret headquarters of Hydra?”, he asks, and you drop your smile. “Oh, straight to the point I guess”, You say and take a step away from him. He grabs your hands and pulls you back in, this time his hand lands on your back, holding you firmly in place. He leans down to your ear. For other people it must look like you are a couple, but the snarl in his voice is more than enough to find out the real affirmation between you two.
“Cut it, we know that you and your little crew have connections to hydra” You lean back, trying to bring space between you two and snarl back. “You should be careful who you make assumptions about, some people are not very happy to be affiliated with those people.” “Those people!?”, he gets louder. “Last time I remembered you blowing up a part of Siberia, destroying everything in a 100-mile radius. You are nothing better than Hydra.”
“I am not in affiliation with Hydra, but remember this for the next time we meet, America.”, you hiss and now you lean into him. “I will rip everything you love apart if you don’t keep your dirty hands of my business. And I think we both know that I won’t hesitate. But maybe I shouldn’t threaten you” You lean back and push against his chest, stepping away. “If you dare once again to interfere with my business, I will destroy everything any of you are fond of. Your little boy, Peter. This naïve and sweet boy. How about we start with him? Or maybe start with something that hurts. I come to know about a certain woman named… What was it? Peggy?”
With these words you turn around and storm of, you don’t hear footsteps behind you, and you are really sure that he won’t be following you.
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Thank you for reading!
Have a great day!
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some-cookie-crumbz · 4 years
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Years Wiser
Years Wiser Fandom: My Hero Academia Pairing: Toshinko Summary: Midoriya Inko and Yagi Toshinori may be grown adults with grown adult problems and grown adult lives, but that doesn’t mean they handle all of it like that. Age is most relative, after all. Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more.
Midoriya Inko felt silly. Incredibly silly. Why was she sneaking about like some kind of hooligan? After all, what did she have to be timid or shy about? It wasn’t like she was doing anything wrong! No, not at all! She was just your average woman out doing average things and-! She flinched and darted around a corner when she heard an incredibly familiar laugh coming from the other side of the column she was ducked behind. “When you say it like that, Todoroki-Kun, you make it sound like I’m careless!” Izuku’s voice was light and filled with mirth, causing her to peer around the corner at him, staying just out of his line of sight.
Todoroki-Kun and Iida-Kun were walking to his left while Uraraka-Chan and Asui-Chan were walking to his right, if her memory served right. Iida-Kun made some kind of grand, exaggerated hand gesture. “While his wording may seem blunt, it is also incredibly accurate!”
“Especially since that’s exactly what I meant,”
“W-What? But that’s so mean to say! I’m not careless!”
“You act carelessly because you care so much, kero,” Asui-Chan chimed in quietly, poking the corner of her own mouth thoughtfully.
Izuku let out a small, distressed noise in response and a fond smile stretched across her face. It filled her with warmth to see her precious baby finding his way in life and finding new friends to help support and encourage him. She knew that it had been hard for him when he’d been thought to be quirkless, how he’d been bullied and had only a few scarce friends he could rely on. But as he adapted to his powers and grew, it was clear he was leaving the past behind him. It was enough to make her lower lip tremble and her eyes mist up! But, she reminded herself, that part of this was only thanks to the man she was actually here to see. She peered to make sure Izuku was distracted by his friends again, their voices starting to taper off, before turning and continuing on her path.
Behind her, she didn’t notice the large brown eyes watching her curiously. “Huh,” Uraraka mumbled to herself, tilting her head.
“Hm? What is it Ochako-Chan, kero?” Tsu asked politely.
“Oh! Sorry, I thought I saw Midoriya-San for a second!”
“Huh? Mom? What would she be doing here?” he mumbled quietly, turning around to peer over his shoulder. Thankfully enough, Inko had already disappeared around the corner out of sight.
Elsewhere, Inko floundered her way through trying to navigate the UA campus. She’d only visited a handful of times both since and following the construction of the dorms. She encountered a polite enough young man with purple hair who was able to direct her to the faculty office, making sure to thank him several times and bow for good measure. She adjusted her grip on the circular holder in her arms and adjusted the strap of her purse, reaching inside to make sure that the little gift box tucked inside wasn’t visible. Her cheeks immediately flooded with color as she recalled what she was doing here and Mitsuki’s remarks that morning.
Midoriya Inko had never had any real interest in Pro Heroes before. She appreciated the work they did, but that all changed when Izuku was accepted to UA. Suddenly, she was being dragged into the very real life of a Hero relative. It had been horrifying and heartbreaking and difficult at first. She remembered having so many panic attacks fretting over her beloved son - her only baby - being constantly placed in life or death scenarios and constantly breaking himself. She had been torn for so long over it all, over voicing her concerns. She wanted to do better for Izuku, to support and encourage him the way she hadn’t when he needed her before, but there was still the instinct in her to protect him. He was her whole world, her pride and joy, her moon and stars. She didn’t want to take his dreams from him again, not when they were so close. She had cowered and then she had lashed out in anger and then she came to acceptance. It was a roller coaster to say the least.
And from that all, she came to meet All Might, the Pro that had started it all for her son. And, much more importantly, she met Yagi Toshinori.
The man was an anomaly when she met him. She was used to seeing the large, muscle-bound form of him on television and the posters decorating her son’s walls. But when he appeared he was broken and bandaged, seeming like a wisp of the man so revered. She expected him to be haughty and confident and assert with her refusal to let her son continue on. She had expected a fight to break out. But, he had left her startled when he instead acknowledged his fault, bowed his whole form to her floor, pleaded with her to allow Izuku back into his tutelage and vowed to give his life for the boy. In that moment, she saw the first glimpse of who he was outside of the mask he wore, saw what lurked inside him deep down.
And she had been unable to reject that. Her whole life she had been vulnerable and breakable. How could she tear this man down further at his lowest point?
And at first, that was all there was to it. She had allowed her baby bird to leave the nest they’d made and take flight. It had been hard, being alone in the apartment most of the time. She had some part time work to do at a nearby library but that only filled the void up so much. The first call came in one late Thursday evening, as she was figuring out what to make herself for dinner, from a number she didn’t recognize. She chanced answering it, a brief part of her wondering if it was her ex-husband calling to check on things. Maybe he had caught wind of their son’s newfound abilities from all the way across the ocean and wanted to try and revive that relationship, she didn’t know. “Hello?”
“Ah, hello, Midoriya-San. I hope I’m not calling at an inconvenient time,” Yagi Toshinori said, his tone even albeit a bit awkward.
Red alarms went off in her mind. “What has happened? Is my Izuku okay? Did he hurt himself with his Quirk again?”
“N-No, no! Young Midoriya is doing just fine!” he answered her just as frantically. She released a small whimper of relief as she let her body sag into one of the kitchen chairs. “I’m so sorry, I should have thought this through better. I just… I wanted to call and offer to give you weekly updates on his progress.”
She blinked before feeling a small smile turn up on her lips. “I’d like that. Thank you, All Might,”
“Oh, no need to call me by that name! Just Yagi will be fine, going forward,” he said with a relieved chuckle.
And so began the weekly calls between them. At first they stayed to the topic of Izuku and his progress; how he was adapting to his Quirk, how his control was improving, how his grades were looking for his classes and the like. For a good few months that was all it was, until Izuku’s progress was steady enough that her worries were mostly abated and slowly new topics started to slip into the conversation. They learned of a shared adoration for silly competition shows centered around cooking, baking and other such things. Yagi confessed that, despite not being a particularly skilled cook himself, he always liked observing the process and feedback that was offered. She then invited him over one night for dinner and a season finale of something, and a new tradition started up. They’d try to get together once every week or two and watch the latest episodes of this or that together.
It was all very simple and domestic and something she had missed dearly. She had missed having someone around her own age to converse with and watch shows with. She had missed sitting on the patio with a cup of warm tea, sprinkling an amicable silence with silly anecdotes from either of their times. She had missed all of it so very much and was so grateful to have befriended Yagi Toshinori. So, when she realized that his birthday - known because of Izuku - she had decided to get him a little something to show her gratitude. She had gone out and looked for a nice blend of orchid oolong tea to gift him, as well as taking the time to bake him a dark pearl chiffon cake. She had noticed that he tended to prefer his desserts with a bit of bite and tartness to them.
Bakugo Mitsuki had been over for lunch while she’d been working on the cake earlier that day, humming to herself as she skittered to and fro in her tiny kitchen, pouring the batter into the tin carefully. The blonde woman had a knowing grin on her lips as she watched her, leaning her cheek into the palm of her hand and leaning heavily on it. “It’s been a while since you’ve done some baking. Who is it for?” she asked conversationally, though there was a certain underlying tone in her voice.
Inko would have noticed it if she’d been giving her all her attention. “For a friend’s birthday today. I went and picked up a lovely tea to pair with it, too,” she said giddily, leaning over to carefully slide the tin into the oven.
“Ah, that tall blonde man, yeah? Seemed kinda familiar,” she mumbled before pushing up and heading in as well. She plucked the up the drained mixing bowl and spoon from the counter. “Anyway, I’m impressed and proud, Inko! It’s about damn time you got back in the game!”
“Back in the…? What do you mean?” she asked innocently.
The other raised an eyebrow while swirling the spoon in the bowl to get a good amount of excess batter on it. “You’re making this for your boyfriend, yeah?”
The green haired woman let out a loud squeal, the noise akin to an overheated tea kettle, while her face turned dark red. “W-What! N-N-No! Y-YYa-Yagi-K-Kun and I aren’t-!” She cut herself off to hide her face with her hands.
“Yagi-Kun…? Oh! All Might!” she hummed, lifting the spoon up and licking some batter from it. She let out a contented little sigh at the flavor. “Ah, amazing as usual, Inko. I have to say, the man has good taste; in desserts and in women.”
“M-M-Mit-Mitsuki! It isn’t like that!”
Ruby red eyes blinked slowly as they watched her. “But you want it to be, right? And so does he, if those looks he casts your way are anything to go by,” she said, waving the spoon about as she spoke, dripping a little bit of batter on to her arm.
Inko whimpered and slumped against the counter, her mind whirling. Had Yagi-Kun been looking at her like that? No, no! There was absolutely no way! Even if he wasn’t still working or able to appear as the man the public adored, this was still the All Might they were talking about! He was so well known and well loved he could have anyone he wanted! And even without the muscle, he had so many endearing qualities about him! He was kind but also bashful and overly polite, which was charming in its own way! And then there was that smile of his that, even now, still had this warmth to it that was comforting! And his eyes were such a lovely shade of blue, like a cloudless sky in early spring! He wouldn’t have to settle for someone like her; someone who was plump and anxious and meek and was raising her son all alone and-!
Her thoughts were cut off when a brief flash of pain flared up from the back of her head, making her yelp.
“I know what you were doing in that little head of yours, sweetheart, and you’re gonna stop it,” Mitsuki snorted, picking the abandoned spoon back up. She took another lick at it before pointing it at Inko. “You and Hi-Shithead haven’t been a thing for over seven years. The guy comes and visits you frequently. You two have similar hobbies and interests. He looks after your son better than that deadbeat ass that knocked you up. And you’re an absolute darling, Inko. You’re compassionate and affectionate and thoughtful. Any man would be lucky to have you on his arm; Pro Hero or not. So, what are you stalling for?” she prompted evenly.
She hadn’t known how to answer that. And, even now, with her heart hammering so hard it was rattling her body, she wasn’t sure. Perhaps it really was the fear of rejection, of being told she wasn’t good enough? That she wasn’t worth the time to invest? And what if he didn’t reciprocate? What if it ruined everything they already had, and she lost one of the few friends she had? That was a terrifying thought in and of itself.
Yagi-Kun and the time they spent together meant so much to her. She didn’t want to ruin that over what was most likely a crush.
“Excuse me,” An annoyed, deep voice barked at her, causing her to shriek and throw her arms up. She barely managed to use her Quirk to call the cake back to herself before it fell to the ground, taking a deep breath as she meekly peered over her shoulder at the form addressing her. Their appearance was dark and shaggy, as if they either didn’t have the time to put themselves together better or didn’t care enough to. She was inclined to think it was the former, though. He looked her up and down once before letting out a small hum. “You must be related to the problem child.”
She plastered on a tight smile at that, already certain she knew what he meant. “Midoriya Inko, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And thank you for taking care of my Izuku,” she said as she bowed.
He stared at her before turning to reach for a nearby door. “The student dorms are on the other side of the campus, but he may be doing some training with his friends. The grounds are-!”
“U-Um, actually!” she squeaked out, wilting a bit at how he stared at her for interrupting him. She adjusted the carrier in her hand again. “I wasn’t here for-! T-That is to say, um… I’m actually looking for All Might!” she managed to choke out, her eyes skirting about the tiled floor like mad.
“All Might?” he repeated. She nodded without lifting her head. He threw the door he’d been reaching for open and stepped inside. “All Might! There’s something going on with the problem child again!”
There was a clatter inside. “W-What? Is Young Midoriya okay? Is he in the infirmary? Or is he with Principal Nezu?” Yagi-s familiar voice asked frantically, perking Inko up and making her giggle a bit. She couldn’t blame him for the reaction.
She carefully stepped a bit closer, standing in the doorway and meekly waving at him. He was standing at his desk, hands on the surface as he looked ready to take off running. There were a few other teachers gathered in the area, reassuring her that she was at the faculty office like she’d wanted, but she could tell that even the ones that weren’t looking at them were paying attention. “Hello,” she said meekly.
“Midoriya-San? It’s good to see you, but what are you doing here?” he asked worriedly, carefully stepping around his desk and walking over to meet her.
She held the carrier up, taking a small breath to relax herself some and knowing that it would do nothing. “I, um… W-Well, today is your birthday and… I thought… I wanted to give you something! But I wasn’t really sure what kind of things you may want or need, so I thought that I could bake you something. It’s a cake! Oh, but that may have been obvious! A-And I did get a small something to go with that, too!” she rambled, reaching into her purse to hold out the little gift box where the tea tin rested.
She cautioned a glance up at him and was stunned to see his own cheeks tinted pink, one hand rubbing at the back of his neck shyly. But, a shy and genuine smile was turning up on his lips. “You’re incredible,” he breathed, the blush going darker.
She giggled and averted her gaze. “It’s nothing. Just… Just a thank you, for being you,” she said, holding his eye as she spoke.
His blue eyes widened, filling with an emotion she couldn’t place, before his smile brightened even more. “Would you like to come in for a while? I’ll start some water for the tea and we can have the cake together,” he suggested, offering one of his hands to her while ushering her inside with the other.
She nodded. “I’d like that very much, Yagi-Kun,”
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ciestessde · 4 years
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NOT My Hero Academia: Part 1 – Ch.9
"WE'LL PROCEED TO THE AFTERNOON PORTION AFTER A ONE-HOUR LUNCH BREAK! SEE YOU THEN!!" We could still hear both announcers as their voices faded out: "HEY, ERASERHEAD. WANNA GRAB SOME FOOD?" "I'm taking a nap." "WHA-?"
.
As we walked off the field, everyone drifted from our cavalry teams and back into our friend groups.
"This sucks," said Tsuyu, "But congrats all the same Mina." "Bakugo only picked me as a counter-strategy against Todoroki's ice," Mina replied, rubbing the back of her neck, "This win doesn't really say anything about my strength."
"Iida, you were so awesome, keeping us away from the other teams like that!" Uraraka praised, miming Iida's running. "Oh, no," Iida waved away her praise, "With your zero gravity and Tokoyami's dark shadow, it was a simple matter of paying attention to the different teams' locations relative to our own." "Geeez!!" Kirishima groaned, punching Iida in the arm, "And I wanted to win so badly!!" "Hey, at least we're moving on, right?" Mina cheered him up.
Todoroki cut-in, "It's Midoriya who deserves the praise, for getting such a high score in the first place," he turned to me, "And I imagine it was you who came up with that strategy as well." I rubbed the back of my head, blushing, "It was nothing, really. I mean…"
I started murmuring, "yeah, getting first place in the race was kinda tough, but the cavalry battle wasn't actually so difficult, since I had the ideal team and all, and-" Kirishima smacked me on the shoulder, a wide grin on his face. "You gotta stop it with all that! You did awesome, man! Own it! All that murmuring isn't manly!" "Yeah!" agreed Mina, pretending to be a photographer, "A hero's gotta show their stuff! Smile and wave for the camera!"
"Yeah, Deku!" Uraraka beamed at me, "We wouldn't have gotten first place if it wasn't for you!" I blushed even more deeply. "Hey, you wanna eat lunch together Iida?" She asked, turning her attention to him.
'I think…' I reflected, as I went to eat with my friends, 'this might be the best day of my life, so far.'
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As the students filed back into the stadium after lunch, Present Mic announced that those not continuing in the competition could still participate in a different activity. "HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYS THIS LITTLE RECREATIONAL COMPETITION!" He said to the audience, "ONCE THAT'S OVER, WE'RE ON TO THE FINAL EVENT. BETWEEN THE 15 MEMBERS OF THE FOUR WINNING TEAMS… WE'LL HAVE A FORMAL TOURNAMENT!! A SERIES OF ONE-ON-ONE BATTLES!!"
"A tournament huh?" said Kirishima, "So we'll be up in that ring I see on TV every year!" "Was it a tournament last year too?" Mina asked. Sero replied, "The format's always different, but most years involve some kind of head-to-head competition. Last year, it was foam sword fighting."
From the small stage in front of the remaining competitors, Midnight explained this year's competition, "The matchups will be decided by drawing lots." She held up a box labeled "Lots." "Once that's settled, we'll move on to the festivities and then the tournament itself! It's up to each of you 15 finalists whether or not you participate in the fun. I expect some of you would rather take a breather and save your strength.
"Now, let's start with the first-place team…" Midnight moved, about to step down from the stage so the students could pick from the box- When she was interrupted. "Um… Excuse me," Ojiro raised his hand, "I'd.. like to drop out."
There was chatter from all over the stadium, everyone wondering why he'd give up an opportunity to be noticed by the pro heroes. "The Cavalry Battle…" Ojiro lowered his arm slightly, not looking anyone in the eye, "I have no memories of anything that happened up until the tail end. It's probably his quirk that did it…"
Izuku looked around for -- who he assumed to be -- Shinso, the guy he remembered seeing Ojiro team up with and the one their team was named after. He spotted him standing alone, hands in his pockets and also not looking anyone in the eye. He wasn't even looking at Ojiro.
"I know this is a great opportunity. And I know how stupid it must seem to throw it away… But this final tournament…" He looked at his fist, his face tense, "Everyone else made it here by their own strength. Yet I'm standing here, and I don't even know how or why. I just can't take it."
"You're thinking about it too hard!" Toru tried to cheer him up, waving her gloves placatingly, "Just show what you're made of in the tournament!" "By that logic, I shouldn't really be here either!!" added Mina.
Ojiro lowered his head into his hand, shaking. "No… I'm talking about my pride, here… I don't think it's right."
.
After a few moments' pause and muttering from the crowd, Present Mic said, "WE HAVE A STRANGE TURN OF EVENTS…" "What will the coordinator, Midnight, decide?" Aizawa prompted.
"How naive and green… I… Like it!!" Midnight cracked her whip, grinning, "Ojiro has officially withdrawn! That brings us to an even 14 competitors!!" The screen lit up, a bracket with names displayed on it. "Here are the new matchups!"
The first bracket consisted of Izuku vs Shinso, Todoroki vs Sero, and Iida vs Hatsume; the second bracket was Kirishima vs Kaminari, Mina vs Aoyama, Tokoyami vs Yaoyorozu, and Uraraka vs Bakugo. 'If I win my first match… My second's against Todoroki!' Izuku thought.
'But before that…' "Shinso…" "Izuku Midoriya," came a voice from behind him, "That's you, yeah?"
Before Izuku could respond, there was a hand covering his mouth. It was Ojiro. "Midoriya!! That guy… Don't answer him." "?!"
.
"NOW LET'S SET ASIDE THE TOURNAMENT FOR THE TIME BEING… AND GET ON WITH THE THRILL-A-MINUTE FESTIVITIES!"
.
Once Shinso had walked away, Ojiro asked to talk with Izuku alone, leading him to one of the competitor prep rooms.
And explained his theory.
"A mind-control quirk?" Izuku gaped, "How can I hope to win against that?!" "My loss might be your gain. My memories cut out from the instant I replied to him," he said, tapping his head with his finger, "That's the trick, I think." "So…" Izuku murmured, "It's all over if I slip up and say anything to him…"
Izuku gave a small shiver. If that was the case, he was impressed. That was a powerful tool Shinso had, alright! "Not necessarily," Ojiro said, "It doesn't seem like such an almighty ability.
"Remember how I said I didn't remember anything up until the end?" Izuku nodded. He'd thought that was odd. "When Shinso had us run past to nab Tetsutetsu's headband… I think I must've bumped into Tetsutetsu's formation… 'Cause that's when I snapped out of it. I was suddenly aware of what was happening!" "So it was undone by physical contact?" Izuku put a hand to his chin, his mind already comparing and weighing strategies. "That seems very likely," Ojiro nodded, his chair creaking as he leaned back, "That said, I have no idea how strong the contact needs to be. And in a one-on-one match, of course you can't expect any outside help.
"Anyway, that's all I can tell you." Ojiro got up to leave, and Izuku rose to meet him. "No, that's awesome! Thanks!" "No problem! Uh-… Forgive me if I'm out of line, but…" Ojiro held out his fist, "Win this one for me."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Before I knew it, the recreational activities were over. It was my turn; time to face my first serious opponent outside of a classroom.
"HEY, GUYS. ARE YOU READY?! YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL TO GET HERE!! BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE ONE-ON-ONE TOURNAMENT!!" My heart was racing. But… I felt oddly calm, too. … Prepared. "YOU'VE ONLY GOT YOURSELF TO RELY ON!! EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A HERO, THIS SAYING HOLDS TRUE! YOU KNOW IT!! SPIRIT, TECHNIQUE, STRENGTH, WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE!! USE 'EM ALL AND SHOW US YOUR BEST!!"
Shinso, the audience, and I, all had to wait a few more tense seconds as Cementoss put the finishing touches on the arena. Then… we walked out.
"THE FIRST MATCH!! MAKING A SCARY FACE, AND WITH THE EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE TO BACK IT UP, IT'S IZUKU MIDORIYA, FROM THE HERO COURSE!! VERSUS… SORRY, BUT THIS GUY HASN'T REALLY DONE ANYTHING TO STAND OUT YET! IT'S HITOSHI SHINSO, FROM GENERAL STUDIES!!" My ears were ringing from the sheer volume of the crowd's cheering. Evidently, they were looking forward to this event. … I supposed I couldn't blame them. "THE RULES ARE SIMPLE! WIN BY KNOCKING YOUR OPPONENT OUT OF THE RING, IMMOBILIZING THEM OR GETTING THEM TO SAY 'I GIVE UP'!
"BRING THE PAIN!! WE'VE GOT OUR GOOD OLD RECOVERY GIRL ON STANDBY!! AND FIGHT DIRTY IF YOU MUST! 'ETHICS' HAVE NO MEANING HERE!!" Cementoss made himself a throne of stone where he could watch the entire arena. '"Ethics have no meaning"...? Isn't this a "hero" fight…?'
I didn't have time to follow that train of thought. "WELL, OF COURSE, GOING FOR THE KILL IS A NO-NO!! YOU'LL BE DISQUALIFIED! BECAUSE A TRUE HERO'S FISTS FLY ONLY WHEN IN THE PURSUIT OF VILLAINS!"
"'I give up,' huh?" Shinso said, "Get it, Izuku Midoriya? This battle's going to test your strength of will." The look in Shinso's eyes… It looked familiar to me, somehow… "If you've got any kind of vision for your future, there's no sense in worrying about how you get there."
"NOW LET'S GET THIS THING STARTED!!" Shinso's voice overlapped with Present Mic's: "Like that monkey, babbling about his stupid pride."
"READYYYYYYYYY!! START!!"
"What kind of dumbass throws away a chance like this?"
Not responding was turning out to be more difficult than I imagined. 'Save it for later! I MUSTN'T -' I kept reminding myself, '- I can't. Say. ANYTHING right now!' I told myself the best way to protect my friend's honor… 'I can't lose this!! What I need to think about now…'
.
While the two of us were just standing there, the audience unable to hear Shinso's taunting, some unexpected commentary came from above us. "I mentioned that that entrance exam was completely irrational," Aizawa explained to the crowd and Present Mic, "This kid is a perfect example of why." "Hmm? What's that?" Present Mic responded to Aizawa at a lower volume than his usual commentary. "Here are the simple specs on these two. I've got them here because we knew this would be a quirk versus quirk battle. In theory, anyway."
The sound of paper shuffling could be heard. "Shinso failed the practical part of the exam, so he lost a spot in the hero course. He got into general studies, though, and that's all he could have hoped for. His quirk is extraordinarily powerful, but… Given the format of the practical exam… his ability didn't help him out. "And yet, someone with no quirk at all managed to get past it!"
"That's right," Shinso was talking again, "Thanks to my quirks nature, I couldn't enter the golden gates!" That familiar look in Shinso's eyes intensified.
And suddenly… I realized what it was.
"But you get it. You're not naturally blessed, either. So I don't really have anything against you… That said, I'm not giving up." I swallowed nervously. 'I do get it. That's how I used to think too. But…' I realized… that I should really… just get this over with.
'… right. I… I am blessed. Even if it's NOT "natural."'
"Those people…" Shinso's expression turned furious -- hateful even. And suddenly… It stopped looking familiar. "Born with their awesome quirks… Getting to follow all their dreams!!"
'I'm blessed… by the people in my life! By Master… And by my friends! And that's… exactly why… ' Shinso took a step toward me, "Say something already!" 'That's why I'm… not gonna lose!!'
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Abruptly, Izuku charged at Shinso. 'Sorry. I really wish I didn't have to do this.' It wasn't a surprise. It couldn't be. Of course Shinso tried to run, to fight… Nonetheless, with the large gap in their training, experience, and strength…
It was a simple matter for Izuku to overpower Shinso… 'I don't… have anything against you either!' … and throw him out of the ring.
After a brief pause out of shock at the sudden… anticlimactic victory, Midnight announced, "Shinso is out of the ring!! Midoriya… moves on to the second round!!" "IZUKU MIDORIYA MOVES ON TO THE SECOND ROUND!!" Present Mic repeated, his tone of voice just a tad surprised. "GOODNESS GRACIOUS! WE'RE OFF TO AN EVENTFUL START! PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR OUR FIERCE COMPETITORS!"
.
As Shinso got up -- before he could walk away -- Izuku asked the question that had been burning in his mind, "Shinso… Why do you wanna be a hero so badly?" Without even pausing to think, Shinso responded, "We don't get to choose the things we naturally admire."
"...!" Izuku froze. Surprised, and… confused. 'His feelings… They're the same as…' Izuku looked up into the stands… but couldn't spot him. 'I still admire All Might…
'… Or…' Confused because, at the lack of feeling in his chest, he had to wonder, 'Do I…?'
Izuku was broken from his internal debate, "You were awesome out there, Shinso!" Shinso's classmates were cheering him from the stands. "You had us on the edge of our seats!" "You're the shining star of us general studies guys!" "You did just as well as the guy who got third in the obstacle course!"
Izuku smiled; it was right that they cheer Shinso. He'd done wel- "Why is that quirkless kid in the Hero Course and not Shinso? He has such a strong quirk." '...!'
.
Far away, All For One smirked. 'That's it. Listen to what the crowd is saying…'
.
"That quirk would be great against villains. I wish I had it…" "What the hell's U.A. thinking? Putting him in general studies…" "Well, they can only admit so many. That's just how it is." "There's only so much you can do… when there's such a large gap in their battle experiences. What a shame… A big loss to the Hero Course, not having a quirk like that."
Shinso's classmates heard it too, "You're awesome!" "Hear that, Shinso?" '… Right.' Izuku thought, 'Of course that's how they-'
"They'll consider transfers to the hero course depending on the results here." Izuku was interrupted again. Snapped out of his thoughts this time by the sound of Shinso's voice. "Remember that. Maybe I failed this time, but… I'm not giving up." His voice was filled with determination, although the hatred wasn't completely gone. "I'll show them I've got what it takes to make the hero course, and I'll become a greater hero than all of them."
Without thinking, Izuku responded, "Hang on. I-" 'Oh! He got me… But why? The match is already over…' "People who respond to me tend to stiffen up like that…" Shinso looked over his shoulder at Izuku, grinning. "It'd be easy to mess everything up for you now… So just promise me…"
He released him. "… you won't lose in a sorry way out there." This time, Izuku responded with just a smile and a nod.
That hatred… 'He… probably has his reasons…'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Beginning]
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Read my original book, Crossroad of Infinity for free right here on Tumblr, on my website, or on AO3!
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My Beetlejuice Academia
It’s finally done. Sort of. The first draft is done. I am actually fairly happy with it, though I am super exhausted and can’t make myself stay up long enough to read it, so this is unedited, I will come back tomorrow to edit, and then the revision process will start for transfer to AO3. Therefore, I’m not expecting a single soul to read this, but I want it out there in the real world so it doesn’t can’t keep taking up all the space I have in my brain. 
If you do want to read it, ABSOLUTELY read this warning first. This is based off Beetlejuice, meaning there are themes of death throughout, major character deaths, and themes of suicide and suicidal thoughts/actions. I think that’s all the triggers this needs. Oh yeah, and heavy themes of child abuse. Not BJ’s fault this time Endeavor can burn in hell. 
(Also, I took some liberties with characters to fit better with the plot)
A trunk slams shut on the outskirts of a small town no one has ever cared about before, signaling what should be the beginning of a perfectly normal vacation. A boy and his mom piling into the car without a care in the world, having no clue that this will be the last car ride they ever have together. No one ever told them that just down the street, before they even leave town, the brakes will give out in the car and they will both die in a crash, avoiding hitting a small dog who’s owner always leaves off leash because no one could ever get hurt because of a small dog roaming free in a small town.
Hours later, the duo stumbles into their house, cold and confused but seemingly ok.
“I’m sorry we had to miss your convention, Izuku,” Inko apologizes for the first, but probably not the last, time, breaking the silence.
Izuku turns a blinding smile on his mom and, without any hesitation replies, “Don’t worry about it! I’m just glad we’re ok, that was scary. I thought we were going to die for a second there.” A shiver racks his body then and Inko is quick to the fireplace, wanting to warm her son before he catches something.
Within moments, a fire is going and the two huddle next to it, Inko stating, “Please don’t say things like that. I don’t like thinking about you being hurt, let alone anything worse.”
Humming his recognition, Izuku leans closer to the fire. His brow furrows when he doesn’t feel any warmer, but that’s when he realizes he doesn’t feel particularly cold anyway. Even though he knows he should be, they got soaked from crashing into the river earlier. Even though it’s summer, the sun has gone down and it’s chilly outside so he has to be cold. “Hey Mom,” Izuku starts, unsure of what to even think anymore, “why isn’t the fire hot?”
It takes a second for her to answer, as if she’s just realizing that herself. “I… I don’t know, honey. But I’m not very cold,” she replies, voicing his thoughts. “Do you remember coming home?”
Her question stirs something in Izuku’s brain, but he’s not sure what it is quite yet. What he does know is that he can’t come up with those memories, either. “Did we…” he trails off, not sure how to continue, but one look at his mom makes him think she’s having the same thought.
“You sure did,” a new voice drawls, making both mother and son jump. They whip around to look at the intruder, Inko pushing Izuku behind her instinctively as they do. When they find is a boy, about Izuku’s age if looks are anything to go by, sprawled across their couch. His spiky red hair is hanging off the front and his orange and black boots are kicked up on the back. “Took you a long time to realize you were dead.”
Despite the obvious annoyance in the boy’s voice, Inko steps forward and demands an explanation. “Who are you and what are you doing in our house?”
Red eyes narrow at the pair before he pastes on a fake smile on his blue tinged lips and flips over so he’s sitting up and facing them properly. “The name’s Katsuki. I’m here to teach you guys to be ghosts, or whatever.” By the time he’s finished speaking, the friendly act is already over and Katsuki is already back to scowling at them. “You’re Inko, the kid’s Izuku, and it’s only a matter of time before this house sells. No one will know you’re still here, the living tend to ignore the strange and unusual and all that garbage. And you’re not going to be happy then, seeing as you’re trapped here for the next hundred years. So stop acting like I’m this big bad guy and let me help you keep people out of here.”
“No thank you, Katsuki,” Inko dismisses, “I think we’ll be fine. We don’t need to chase people out, anyway. I’m sure whoever buys the house will be lovely people and we can coexist if need be.” Izuku keeps a careful eye on Katsuki as his mom talks, not liking how the boy’s eyes narrow and his fists clench like he’s already prepared to get in a fight. If he’s being completely honest, he’s glad his mom said no, he’s nervous about this angry looking boy.
Katsuki takes a step forward and, just for a moment, Izuku swears he sees blood on the boy’s temples before it disappears when Katsuki heaves a deep sigh. “Whatever you say, losers. Just say my name three times when you change your minds and I’ll see if I still want to help you.” Turning to leave, Katsuki casts one glance over his shoulder and, with a smirk, points out, “By the way, your son’s on fire.”
Izuku jumps and looks down at himself, panicking when he realizes that to be the truth and both Midoriya’s frantically pat his body to put the fires out. By the time they finish, Katsuki is long gone.
“Please never call him back,” Izuku requests once they are a little more settled. “He’s kinda creepy.”
Inko smiles and nods, “Of course. He could be dangerous and you’ve already been hurt enough.” Izuku doesn’t like the hurt that flashes across his mother’s face before she excuses herself and goes upstairs.
“Mom?” he calls after her, wanting to make sure everything’s ok.
She pauses halfway up the stairs but doesn’t turn back toward Izuku, “It’s ok, Izuku. As long as we’re trapped here, we might as well just act like we’re still alive.”
-------------------
It’s all slamming doors and raised voices when the Todorokis move in. Shouto wouldn’t normally react so violently, scared of how his father might react, but he was just ripped away from the only family he’s ever known and he’s furious.
At least when he yells, “I hate you for bringing me here! I’ll find a way to get back to Mom!” before running upstairs and slamming his door with all his might when they first move in, the movers are still there so he knows there won’t be repercussions for a few hours. By then maybe he’ll have slipped out and be on his way back home.
One glance out the window tells him otherwise. Enji is back outside, pretending to supervise the workers when, in reality, Shouto knows he’s just watching the window of the room he assigned Shouto to make sure there are no escape attempts. Feeling bold, Shouto almost wants to try anyway, but all his fight is slowly leaving his system. As hopelessness sets in, Shouto collapses onto the floor, at least taking this opportunity to sleep before punishment arrives.
He’s awoken what must be hours later, judging by the low light from the moon coming in his window. When he does wake up, he’s up in an instant, even though he’s not sure what woke him. But then he hears it. The steps stomping toward him. Threatening pain behind each one.
Fear floods his system. He knows what Enji is capable of, but he’s never had the full force directed at only him before. He clearly wasn’t thinking earlier, not considering the fact that he has no form of protection or even distraction anymore.
Shouto refuses to make himself small, though, standing with his back straight and his arms at his side by the time his door is flung open. It doesn’t take much for him to realize how furious his father is. He definitely doesn’t need the quiet but menacing, “Downstairs. Now,” thrown at him as if words can be used as deadly weapons.
Smarter now than when they first arrived, Shouto ducks his head, averting eye contact, and follows Enji. He doesn’t bother looking around as the walk, knowing that this house isn’t for living in. It’s just a place to sleep and train, that’s all Shouto’s life is. And he uses the word “train” lightly. It’s not like his life is leading up to a black belt championship in anything. No, he’s supposed to take Enji’s place as a realtor, buying entire towns to ruin by selling them to the rich like Enji plans to do with this town. He stops himself from thinking what the training really is, though, not wanting to dwell on it when it’s so close to happening.
He’s not sure why, but Shouto’s surprised when Enji leads him into a fully prepared training room. Though it makes sense, of course Enji would make sure it was set up first thing, he needs to make sure Shouto knows what he did wrong today.
That surprise is his downfall, though. He doesn’t even see the first hit coming until Enji’s fist is in his stomach and he’s doubled over, already unable to breath and needing to puke. “You should’ve avoided that, Shouto,” Enji scolds, nearly spitting on his son in shame. “I’ve trained you better, you can’t be taken down by the first hit.”
Even as he’s scolding him, Enji keeps hitting Shouto, never giving him a chance to recover. First it’s an elbow to the spine, knocking Shouto to the floor when he’s already having trouble staying on his feet. Then it’s a kick to the ribs when he slowly pushes himself up onto all fours, knocking him back down. Shouto almost wants to just stay down, but he knows that would just infuriate Enji even more. So he keeps trying to get up and Enji just keeps knocking him down, scolding all the while that Shouto should be better than that.
It’s only when Shouto can’t keep pushing himself back up that Enji gets to the real heart of the matter. He puts his foot on Shouto’s wrist, putting enough pressure down to hurt, to threaten, but not enough to do any real lasting damage. “Never embarrass me like that again, do you hear me, boy?” Enji growls and Shouto wants to cry out from the pain in his hand, but he knows how dangerous it is to show weakness to his father. He forgets to reply, though, which is another big problem. Enji steps down harder and Shouto’s sure somethings got to give soon. “I said. Do. You. Hear. Me.”
Shouto drags in a deep breath and then says in his most convincing voice, “Yes sir!”
The pressure is finally relieved and Shouto sees Enji walk away out of the corner of his eye. “Good,” the man grunts as he leaves, “you have more training tomorrow. Go to bed.”
It takes an hour for him to drag himself upstairs back to his room, and he’s so exhausted by that point that he doesn’t even process the voices trying to talk to him before they remember that he can’t hear them.
------------
“We have to do something to help him!” Izuku cries, desperate for this boy that he doesn’t even know.
Inko nods and paces the attic, the only space safe from the new family in their home. “I know. But they can’t see us, so I don’t know what to do,” Inko agrees, just as lost as her son on what to do with these frantic emotions.
Izuku’s mind instantly flashes to the blonde boy from before, wondering if Katsuki could help them. But he shakes that thought away, sure that anything Katsuki would do would only make things worse for Shouto. “We could try haunting them. Maybe we could distract his dad enough that he won’t hurt Shouto anymore?” Izuku suggests even though he doesn’t have the slightest clue how he’s supposed to go about haunting people.
The night is spent trying to figure out haunting techniques, even occasionally going downstairs to Enji’s room, only to return minutes later when there is absolutely no reaction from the sleeping man. Maybe being able to wake someone up comes later, they’ll just have to wait and see.
The next morning, Izuku starts relatively small. He just waits around until Enji has his breakfast prepared and is sitting down to eat, Shouto trying to silently gather breakfast in the kitchen and not draw his father’s attention. Seeing the boy trying to eat, Izuku deliberately waits a minute to give him a chance to get something gathered, and then. He just knocks Enji’s cup of orange juice on the older man’s lap.
“What the hell!” Enji yells as soon as it happens, jumping up and tossing the newspaper he was previously perusing onto the table. Enji looks around furiously, but Shouto fled the area as soon as he heard his father yell, escaping unseen and free of suspicion of somehow being behind the prank. Enji kicks the table in rage, muttering something about it being crooked, and stomps out of the dining room to go shower.
Pride wells in Izuku’s chest when he goes to tell his mother of his success.
His trek is stopped on the second floor when a hand stops just shy of landing on his forearm. Izuku nearly jumps, even more shocked and confused when he follows the arm upward, eventually seeing Shouto looking directly at him. “I don’t know what you are, but that was probably the funniest thing I’ve ever seen,” Shouto says, a hint of laughter in his voice.
“Yo- You can see me?” Izuku questions, even though the answer is already clear. Shouto simply raises an eyebrow and nods in response. “But. How? The living aren’t supposed to be able to see the dead. Something about not seeing the strange and unusual?” Izuku racks his brain for Katsuki’s exact words, but Shouto shrugs and glances away before Izuku can explain further.
“Perhaps it’s because I, myself, am strange and unusual,” Shouto mutters, a furrow deep in his brow and his hand finally pulling back to himself.
Down the hall, a door slams and both boys flinch away from the noise. One glance at Shouto tells Izuku he doesn’t just want to leave him alone so, without thinking, he invites him to continue their discussion in the attic.
The moment they step into the attic, Inko greets Izuku, “How did it go? Oh, you brought a friend?” Inko’s eyes widen a little when she looks at Shouto and Izuku blushes at being called his friend.
“It went well. He’s furious. Turns out though, Shouto can see us. Or me?” Izuku looks back at Shouto and sees him waving politely at his mom so he amends again, “Us. He sees dead people.”
Izuku thinks his joke is pretty funny, but Inko doesn’t even acknowledge it and Shouto simply nods along. “I suppose I do see dead people,” Shouto agrees and Izuku wonders if he even understands the joke Izuku tried to make.
“Well, honey,” Inko starts, clearly not wanting to dwell on the fact that she and her son are dead, “we’re not planning to haunt you. We just wanted to teach your dad a lesson for hurting you. No child is going to be abused on my watch.”
Shouto snorts then, glancing over his shoulder as if he’s expecting his father to come stomping up the stairs at any moment. “Good luck with that. Nothing can stop Father from training me to be the ‘perfect son’. Even the fact that my face will always look like… this,” he gestures helplessly at his scarred eye, “He thinks I can still be what he bred me to be.”
Inko doesn’t know whether to be furious or so sad for Shouto, then, and Izuku knows that because he feels exactly the same. “You’re a human being, Shouto. You weren’t ‘bred’ to be anything other than yourself,” Inko argues, though her tone is soft like she’s just reminding Shouto of something he should have known all along.
“Shouto! Get down here now!” Enji commands, his voice seeming to carry all the way from the first floor. Jumping Shouto waves at the two ghosts and runs out of the room and down the stairs, not even saying any parting words.
The two share a look after he leaves and the seem to reach the same resigned decision at the same time. “We need that troubled boy, don’t we?” Inko asks with a sigh and Izuku can only nod.
“Katsuki,” he starts before Inko cuts him off.
“If anything bad comes of this, I don’t want it to be your responsibility,” she explains. “Katsuki. Katsuki. Katsuki.”
A poof of smoke fills the attic, dissipating quickly and leaving the boy with spiky hair, now blonde, leaning against the wall next to the window. His arms are crossed over his chest, but he seems generally less pissed off than his did the last they saw him. “I told you you’d need my help,” he says with a smirk.
Izuku cringes at the idea and shares a look with his mother, unsure if he’s ok to explain what they need help with. “It’s not what you said, though. We don’t mind sharing the house,” he argues, locking eyes with the demon. Katsuki raises a brow in disbelief before kicking off the wall with a scoff.
Stalking over to them, Katsuki gets right up in Izuku’s space before asking, “So what is the problem?” He circles around, coming to a stop behind Izuku and resting his chin on the shorter boy’s shoulder. Izuku winces at the smell of burning and iron, but is kept in place by the demon pressed against him. “You just that desperate for someone to show you what a real ghost is capable of?”
Cutting in, Inko pulls Izuku toward herself and leaves Katsuki watching them with a self-satisfied smirk. “We just want to stop an abusive situation. Whether that means driving the father away or making him stop what he’s doing,” Inko fills him in easily.
That puts a grin on Katsuki’s face and he twirls around, already starting for the stairs. “Answers simple. Let’s kill that fucker,” Katsuki says all to gleefully.
Izuku runs, putting himself between Katsuki and the door. “No. We don’t want to kill anybody!” Izuku cries, holding his arms out and grabbing the door frame so Katsuki can’t just push him out of the way. Katsuki does come to an abrupt stop, but his smile drops and his hair starts to bleed red from the tips, dripping down toward his scalp.
Whirling around, Katsuki paces toward Inko, stopping inches in front of her with his face entirely too close to her for comfort. “Is that so? What is the point then?” he demands, practically yelling in her face.
Taking a step back, Inko raises her hand placating. “You said you’d teach us to haunt, is that not still an option?” she questions and Izuku doesn’t need to see Katsuki’s face to know he’s not calming. The vibrancy of his now fully red hair says all Izuku needs to know.
Luckily, Katsuki is apparently above hurting other ghosts and he just turns and kicks the nearest object, sending a chair flying against the wall for one leg to fly off. “No! Of course not! Why would you waste everyone’s time doing that when the answer is so simple?” he shouts, not even looking at either of the other ghosts as he rages. “If you’d just let me kill the guy and get his son to say my name, we could be done here. That simple.”
Izuku’s brows furrow and he momentarily forgets about the danger and clarifies, “Say your name? We’ve already done that, why do we need to get Shouto to say it?”
He doesn’t even see Katsuki coming, he just knows that the next second, all he can smell is smoke and he can practically hear a gunshot in the distance. “It doesn’t matter if you say it, Deku. I need someone living!” Katsuki growls against Izuku’s throat before he rips away and stomps off. Izuku nearly loses his balance when the demon is no longer pressing against him, but he barely manages to right himself before Katsuki turns around to stare at him again.
Chest heaving on a deep, yet unnecessary, breath, Katsuki’s hair slowly drains color and he forces himself calm. “Whatever. You ever watch a ghost movie?” Katsuki asks, his voice still stiff with barely contained anger. When both Izuku and Inko nod, Katsuki waves a hand dismissively. “Just do that shit. The only thing you can’t do is make the breathers see you. It takes a lot of concentration for newbies like you guys to make them hear you, but it’s possible. I’ll be back in a few days to see if you’re ready for me to kill him yet.”
With that Katsuki grabs Izuku by the shoulders and moves him away from the doorway. As he’s walking out, Izuku calls after him, “Wait, Mr. Katsuki, sir. Don’t you have any more advice for us?”
Katsuki pauses on the top stair to throw a disdainful look over his shoulder. “I’d want to die all over again if I watch you practice. You can figure it out.”
Then, he’s gone.
----------------
Over the next several days, Shouto grows closer to Izuku until they’re practically inseparable. Shouto has never had as much fun as watching the ghosts haunt his father in his life and he has to hold back laughter every time they knock something out of Enji’s hands or hide something immediately after he sets it down. One time, Izuku took Father’s phone hid it under a cupboard, only taking it off silent mode hours later when Father had lost his mind throwing things around and yelling about his stuff continually going missing. Then, there was the day when Father didn’t bother Shouto at all, exhausted from a night of getting woken by strange noises every time he started drifting off. The best part, though, were the times Izuku simply kept Shouto company when Father left the house.
The were joined at the hip. Except when Izuku goes to whatever ghost places Shouto can’t follow him to, that is, and Shouto is left home alone.
This was one of those times.
“Pack your things, I’m selling this house.”
The words still buzz around Shouto’s brain, said so nonchalantly as Father passed him on the stairs that morning. Of course, Shouto had simply uttered a “Yes sir,” and continued on to his room. There was nothing else to be done at the time. There’s no going against Father’s will. Shouto wishes more than anything that Izuku were here to talk about it, but the ghost boy is missing and Shouto wouldn’t know the first thing about finding him.
But that sure is an idea, isn’t it?
Father can’t rip Shouto away from his happiness and only friend if Shouto is left to haunt this place, too. All it takes is one second of consideration for Shouto to decide that’s the best option. The only option.
So he scribbles out a note quickly, before Father returns home from his trip into town and stop him, leaving it on his desk as to be found later.
I don’t know how you discovered that this place makes me happy, but you can never make me leave it. Tell Mother I’m sorry. If she ever speaks to you again, that is.
And with that, he’s off running for the attic. He glances around on his way through and, for the first time ever, he’s happy to see the Midoriyas are missing. They would try to stop him and the sad look on Inko’s face when she realizes there is a suicidal child in her home might just be enough to change his mind.
Clambering out to the room, Shouto rushes to the edge. First, he checks to make sure Father’s car was still missing before moving on to find the best place to jump. He doesn’t know enough about physics to know if the height alone would be enough to get the job done. Which is why he finds the bird bath. If nothing else, impaling himself on it would probably do the trick.
He’s just about to jump, the note tucked safely in the breast pocket of his flannel, when someone calls out. “What’s happening here?”
Whirling around, Shouto sees a boy with purple tinged hair eying him curiously. Which doesn’t make sense for a number of reasons. The first one coming to mind being that the boy is only wearing a black tank top, ripped jeans, and orange and black combat boots even though it’s going to be winter soon and Shouto is chilly in his flannel and sweatpants. The second being, “Who the hell are you?”
The other boy smiles then, walking forward carefully, clearly conscious of how close Shouto still is to the edge. “I’m who you apparently want to be. I think I can help you, though. How ‘bout you let me kill your dad and you stick around a little longer?” the boy bargains and Shouto wonders how he even knows that Father is the problem.
Shouto stands his ground, watching the other boy with his eyes only, not willing to move his body at all for fear of giving the other boy and opening to pull him further onto the roof. “No thank you. I’m fine with my current arrangement,” Shouto comments, edging backwards ever so slightly.
Purple hair shrugs, though Shouto can see in his eyes that the indifference is feigned. “Alright, kill yourself. That won’t stop him, though. You realize that? He made you for a reason, what’s stopping him from doing to some other woman and child exactly what he did to you and your mom?” the boy asks and Shouto hates that logic.
If ever a time to be selfish, though, now would be it. “I guess that’s something I’ll just have to live with. Oh wait. I won’t, will I?”
Purple hair gets darker, and Shouto finally realizes that he must be another ghost with the way his hair changes color like a mood ring. “Don’t you want your dad to suffer? I can bring him so much pain. Make him pay for what he’s done. All you need to do is say my name three times.”
Shouto shrugs and turns around, leaning forward dangerously. “I don’t even know your name,” he points out and a small smile crosses his lips at the idea of finally just being done with it.
All at once, Shouto hears the ghost shout, “NO!” and then arms burning like hot coals wrap around his waste, tugging him back.
Thrashing around Shouto starts yelling, “Let go of me you ghost jack-ass!”
Then he hears the one thing he didn’t think to expect, “Please don’t kill yourself. I don’t want to do this whole being dead thing without you,” is murmured against his neck in Izuku’s voice. Twisting his head around to look over his shoulder, Shouto’s nose buries in familiar green curls and he’s met with the scent of wet, caught between stale water and a rushing river right after rain. His entire body burns where he’s pressed against the heat of ghost who’s probably never been so earnest before.
Inko’s voice cuts in just ask Shouto shuts his eyes and relaxes against the warmth that would probably be painful if the source were anyone or anything else. “Katsuki! We agreed no murder!” Shouto’s suddenly glad that Inko’s never had a reason to seriously scold him before, dreading the idea of having the tone turned on him when she finds out that ‘Katsuki’ wasn’t the one attempting to kill him.
Izuku’s grip lightens and he pushes Shouto up until he’s sitting. Turning, Shouto makes eye contact with Izuku for half a second before he sees his truth reflected in the ghost’s eyes and he has to stand and walk away, toward the window this time.
The new ghost ignores the scolding he just received, though, looking only at Shouto. “Now you know my name. How ‘bout it?” he offers yet again.
Shaking his head, Shouto refuses to look at anyone else on the roof. “These two clearly know you. If they thought that asking you for help would be a good idea, I would have done it by now. I trust Izuku’s judgment far more than I do yours,” Shouto mutters, just wanting to go back inside at this point and hopefully get away with pretending this didn’t happen.
“Who cares what a worthless Deku has to say? I can help you and that’s all that you need,” Katsuki argues. He doesn’t even see the stormy look blow into Shouto’s eyes before he’s being kicked off the roof, falling to what would be his death if he weren’t already deceased.
“Shouto!” Inko scolds, rushing over to see if Katsuki’s ok, even though the boy has already vanished. “That’s dangerous! Someone could’ve been hurt!”
Shouto shrugs and looks at Izuku, who’s trying to hide his giggles behind his hand. “He was already dead. I don’t see the problem,” he points out before slipping through the window and down the stairs to his own room.
Izuku stops long enough to tell his mom not to follow before he’s trailing after Shouto. The door’s barely shut before Izuku’s asking, “Were you really trying to kill yourself?”
Flopping face first onto his bed, Shouto simply fishes his note out of his pocket and holds it out to Izuku. There’s a moment of silence before the paper is slid from his fingers and then even more silence as Izuku reads what Shouto wrote.
The silence drags on for too long, making Shouto uncomfortable. Eventually, he just has to flip over and face Izuku, who he’s sure must be crying. Shock settles in when Shouto’s met with silent fury rather than the tears he was expecting. “I’m sorry, Izuku,” he apologizes, his voice quiet but no less sincere.
With a shake of his head, Izuku makes the note vanish is a quick burst of flame before he drops onto Shouto’s bed and holds him tight. “Don’t apologize, but never do this again. That was really scary and I don’t want you to die. I promise I won’t let your dad take you if you just promise to talk to me in the future instead of jumping to… jumping,” Izuku says, his voice steel even as it comforts Shouto’s shaken nerves.
“I can do that,” Shouto offers and he’s never felt so relieved as when Izuku’s temperature drops to something more reasonable and he relaxes to a more comfortable embrace. “Can I sleep for a while, it’s been a draining day.”
Izuku nods but doesn’t let go, letting Shouto fall asleep in his arms just like Shouto was hoping for.
---------------------
It’s now or never, Shouto needs to find a way to stay in this house, with out without his father, and if he doesn’t have it sorted out by the end of the day, Father’s going to make him move. They have a plan, Shouto thinks. Izuku has been working on possession, but he’s not willing to practice on Shouto so he’s not really sure what kind of progress the ghost has been making.
He trusts Izuku, though, so he’s sure it’ll work out.
When it comes time for dinner, Shouto is excited to go downstairs for the first time. Father notices this, commenting, “I see you’ve come around to the idea of moving.”
“Yes, Father,” Shouto responds quietly, looking at his plate and decidedly not at Izuku hovering in the corner.
“It’s truly too bad you couldn’t attend the school here, even for a day. There will be an even better school at the new house. Maybe I an even pay Aizawa to transfer so he can still teach you,” Father continues, ignoring Shouto continuing to get more tense the longer he’s able to form his own sentences. Of course, Father wouldn’t know that’s going to stop soon.
Over time, Shouto begins to tune Father out as he goes on and on about where they’re supposed to be moving to. He simply hums in all the correct places while he eats, thanks to years of practice listening for the intonations in Father’s voice requesting a response. All the while, Shouto only occasionally glances at Izuku, where the boy F
Finally, about halfway through the dinner, Izuku pulls it off. Father cuts off in the middle of a sentence, his body seizing up and just freezing, as if he’s suddenly unsure of how to control it. Eyes immediately flying to Izuku, Shouto sees him pumping a fist in the air with a massive smile splitting his face.
Looking back to Father, Shouto speaks quickly but clearly, refusing to lose this chance. “I’m going to be very clear with you, Father. You are going to leave, but I’m not going with you. There are people here I refuse to lose and they refuse to tolerate your abuse any more.”
Shouto watches Izuku’s face tighten as he focuses on loosening the reigns just enough for Father to answer on his own. When he’s able, Father growls, “You don’t make the rules, boy.”
Instinct makes Shouto flinch in his seat, that tone typically meaning pain is coming for him. All that happens this time, though, is Father is jerked back in his seat so hard his chair rocks and his mouth snaps shut.
“Change of plans, then,” Shouto mutters, pulling out his phone and opening the camera. He nods to Izuku as soon as he has a recording started.
Izuku and Enji start speaking simultaneously, though Shouto knows only one voice will be heard in the recording. “My name is Todoroki Enji. I am coming forward to admit to some crimes that I know most of you will never forgive me for. For as long as I have been married, I have abused my family. My wife did not choose to marry me, nor did she choose to be committed to a mental institution after I drove her to hurting our youngest child. Said child, Shouto, did not choose to move away from his family with me. I tore him away because they were in the way of my abusing him into being the child I wanted to create. I am a coward of a man, but I would like to change that. I’m starting the process now by admitting my crimes to you, the public, and letting my family go to live their lives as they please without me in it.”
As soon as Izuku stops speaking, Shouto stops the recording and levels Father with a look. “I am holding all the aces here. This is your last chance to leave me in peace, or I will release this video to the public. It would go viral in minutes and you know it,” Shouto reasons.
Father lunges forward then, his hands on Shouto’s throat before Shouto can even realize what’s happening. “You hold all the aces? Yeah, that’s how this looks,” Father mocks, his grip tightening to the point that Shouto can’t breath.
The next second, Father is ripped away and pinned to the opposite wall. He slams against it so hard that plaster cracks and Shouto’s sure he has a concussion.
Izuku’s on him then, hands fluttering around and tears in his voice, “I’m so sorry, Shouto! I meant to just release his voice again, but I accidentally dropped to much. I’m so sorry!” Father must fight against him because Izuku’s hand flips back and Shouto hears the wall creak under Father’s weight.
Shouto shakes his head, hope leaving him quickly, and he waves Izuku off. “It’s not going to work. Nothing we do will be enough,” he admits, hanging his head. “I can’t keep living like this, though. Forgive me, Izuku.”
It takes Izuku a moment to figure out what Shouto means, and by then he’s already started. Ignoring Izuku’s pleas that they can figure it out, Shouto chants, “Katsuki, Katsuki, Katsuki.”
There’s another puff of smoke and then, there Katsuki is, his hair bright violet in his excitement. “Hey, old man,” he greets, grabbing Father with a single hand and holding him back from rushing Shouto again, Izuku apparently having released him. “Time for you to go.”
“Don’t kill him,” Shouto requests, not really caring what else happens so long as he doesn’t have his father’s death on his conscience.
Rolling his eyes, Katsuki shoves Father away from himself and looks over his shoulder at Shouto. Father tries to move past him, but Katsuki freezes him in an instant, turning him around to run full force into a cabinet. “I can at least rough him up a little, right?” he requests, as if he hadn’t already started that process.
Shouto shrugs, beyond caring too much. “No worse than he’s done to me,” he limits, though it’s honestly not much of a limit.
It’s with a grin that Katsuki turns back to his prey. It becomes apparent very quickly, though, that Katsuki either can’t or won’t outright harm Father, he only turns his own force against him whenever the man tries to get to Shouto instead of just giving up. Which Shouto is honestly fine with. He doesn’t necessarily want Father harmed, he just wants him to leave him alone. Whatever it takes.
Luckily, it doesn’t take too many redirects for Father to lose his temper and leave. He storms out of the house with Katsuki hot on his tail, throwing taunts as they go, just for Katsuki to stop short at the door the second Father is through it.
“Thanks, kid. That was fun,” Katsuki turns with a grin, his hair magenta with glee. “There’s no way he’s coming back here after that.”
Shouto shrugs, turning to go back to his room. “I wouldn’t count on that. He’s a stubborn man. Thank you for getting rid of him, though. Do whatever you want down here, I’m going upstairs.”
Izuku follows him silently, holding his tongue until they reach Shouto’s room. The second the door shuts, though, the dam breaks. “Is that what you wanted? Your father beaten in front of you? You never mentioned wanting revenge before. Though I guess Mom and I wouldn’t have understood it, so it makes sense to keep it to yourself,” Izuku rambles, and Shouto can’t even tell if his tone is accusing or not.
Rounding on him, Shouto feels frustration bubble in his throat. Finally free after years of abuse followed by an absolute numbness as he watched Father try to hurt him again and again without being able to reach him. “That not what I wanted!” he bites out, wincing when Izuku flinches away from his harsh tone. “I’m sorry,” he utters, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath to let out some frustration. “I didn’t want to hurt him. I truly wanted our attempts at a peaceful separation to work. But you saw him, that wasn’t working. And there’s nothing on this planet I want more than to be free from him. So I’m not sorry that I did whatever it took to get him out. I’m only sorry that you seem to be scared of me now. I guess I’m no better than him after all.”
“That’s not even close to true!” Izuku argues, hesitating for the barest of moments with his hands hovering nears Shouto’s shoulders for the living boy to lean into his touch. Shouto shuts his eyes and relishes in the warmth there, letting the words sink in at the same rate as the temperature indicating that Izuku believes them to be true. “You’re nothing like him and I’m not scared of you. I just wish it didn’t come to that. Plus, I’m concerned about what Katsuki plans to do from here. Something tells me he won’t be satisfied just living here with us.”
A glance at the door doesn’t provide any answers, not that Shouto truly believed it would. Thinking back to the encounter with Father, Shouto wonders aloud, “He seems to be bound by some kind of rules. Partially whatever I command, I think. I don’t know where the other part comes from, but there seemed to be something holding him back from harming Father unless Father initiated it. So I don’t think he’s as dangerous as he led you to believe.”
Izuku ponders his words for a minute before nodding. “I think you’re right,” he agrees. “I was more focused on making sure you were okay, so I didn’t watch them that closely, but that makes sense with what I did see…” He starts mumbling to himself then. Shouto would love to hear his thoughts, but he’s too quiet and talking too quickly for Shouto to understand so he chooses to just go relax until Izuku comes to a conclusion he wants to share.
That never happens, though, and Shouto drifts off to the sound of Izuku muttering to himself.
----------------------
The next two days pass far quieter and more peacefully than anyone could have anticipated. Katsuki entertains himself with scaring anyone who comes to the house, but he never actually hurts anyone so Shouto isn’t too concerned with it. For the most part, as long as the residents of the house leave him alone, Katsuki is content to just do his own thing. On the rare occasion that they do cross paths, Katsuki is his annoying self toward Izuku but he gets along well with Shouto. He listens to whatever the breathing boy tells him to do and even tries to joke around with him or, if Shouto happens to be downstairs when someone comes to the door, Katsuki even tries to get him in on the pranks.
On the third day, Shouto decides that Katsuki is just another kid in a situation he didn’t ask for and is mostly harmless. Once he reaches that conclusion, his family passes through his mind and he wonders if they’d want to join him here.
So, on day three of living with an actual demon, Shouto starts preparing to save his family from his Father for good.
“I’m going to be gone for a couple days but I’ll make Katsuki promise to be nice to you,” Shouto says, already packing a bag and barely looking up when Izuku comes into the room. “And I don’t know how quickly he’ll come back for me, but I’m sure Katsuki will keep Father out as well, so you shouldn’t have to be worried about that.”
“Where are you going?” Izuku asks, unsure about being left with Katsuki. But Shouto seems excited about whatever he’s doing, so Izuku can deal. Surely it won’t be that bad. Katsuki will probably keep himself busy terrorizing the neighborhood and Izuku’s sure he can keep it to a minimum.
When Shouto looks up and Izuku sees his smile, he’s sure that he’d do whatever it takes to keep it there. “I’m going to get Mother and my siblings. They’ll love it here and Katsuki will protect us from Father. Mother has always wanted to live in a small town and I just know she’d love you and Inko.”
Izuku nods along, happy to see Shouto so happy but then he realizes, “Are you sure Katsuki will allow them in here? What if he just chases them away like he did your father?”
Zipping up his back and hoisting it onto his shoulder, Shouto’s easy response is, “And lose a new audience to tell him how great he is? I doubt it. But even if he does, I’m the one who made him visible. I can undo it just as easily.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Izuku jumps at the new addition, flying away from the door and turning to see Katsuki sauntering in.
“It’s almost cute that you think you’re in charge,” Katsuki smirks, strolling forward and getting right in Shouto’s personal space. “You act like I’m your new ghostly pet or something but it’s the other way around, kid. I make the calls and you can’t do any more than jump when I say jump.” Right on cue, Katsuki possesses Shouto and makes him jump. The look on Shouto’s face is a mix of fury and sad betrayal and leaves Izuku wondering if he should feel bad for him or be scared of him. “Now why don’t you just relax and wait for your next command?”
Shouto’s muscles strain as he fights against Katsuki making him sit on his bed, and he jumps up the second the possession is lifted. Unfortunately, by then Katsuki is out of the room. “I thought I summoned him to chase Father away, not replace him as my tormentor,” Shouto grumbles, clenching his fists like he wants to chase Katsuki and fight him.
“There must be some way we can get rid of him,” Izuku says, though he doesn’t have the slightest clue where to start looking for that. “He must have some kind of weakness.”
Izuku’s heart falls when Shouto barely glances at him, shaking his head. “There’s no way. I thought he’d be different but he’s just like Father. He has no weakness and all he cares about is himself. I’m sorry I trapped you with him,” Shouto apologizes, shaking his head mournfully before dropping face first onto his bed.
Excusing himself quietly, Izuku starts to leave the room, not wanting to invade Shouto’s face when he’s sad. He just knows that soon enough he’ll be pacing and muttering to himself in an attempt to find some way to thwart Katsuki, and Izuku’s sure Shouto doesn’t want to listen to that.
Crossing the room, though, Izuku kicks something on the floor. Which is weird, Shouto is the least messy person he knows, there’s no way he’d just leave a book on his floor. Picking it up, Izuku inquisitively reads the title aloud. “Handbook for the Recently Deceased? Where did this come from? I don’t know that I’d count Mom and I as ‘recent’ anymore.”
Perking up, Shouto swings around to look at Izuku like he just found gold. “That must have an answer!” Shouto rushes over and Izuku hands the book over easily. As much as Izuku’s going to help, Shouto will feel better if Izuku lets him be in control. However, Shouto’s brow just furrows and his almost hopeful expression turns to annoyance as the book doesn’t open. “Is this even a real book?”
“It looks like a real book,” Izuku replies, confused and Shouto’s troubles. The other boy hands it over then, and the ghost has no problem cracking the cover. “Maybe it’s because you’re not deceased.”
Glancing at the title of chapter one, The Netherworld, Izuku decides maybe he doesn’t want to read the book right now. After all, he’d rather just stay hanging out with Shouto than go somewhere with a name like that. So, he hands the book over and watches to make sure Shouto can turn a page before handing over the reigns officially. “I’ll read it when we’re done with the Katsuki problem. Until then, it’s all yours,” Izuku offers and Shouto just looks between him and the book.
“Are you sure? This probably has some helpful information for you. Have you and Inko even gone to the Netherworld before?” Shouto asks, reading out what must be the first line in the book when Izuku shakes his head, “All ghosts must proceed directly to the Netherworld.”
Izuku shrugs and waves him off, “It’s fine. This is more important. Mom and I can do that once we’ve fixed all this.” Izuku doesn’t mention that he just doesn’t want to leave his best friend. Shouto seems to accept that answer for now and he moves over to his desk to hunker down with the book. Izuku’s not really sure what he should be doing, though. He doesn’t really want to go to the attic and tell his mom that he found information that could help them but he’s keeping it to himself for selfish reasons. So he just flops on the bed and plays with the little plush rabbit Shouto’s been keeping by his pillow ever since he and Izuku found out that it was still hiding behind the bookcase in the living room.
A few hours later, when the sun starts fading in the window, Izuku asks, “Have you found the chapter on exorcism or anything like that?”
Shouto’s silent for a few seconds before he hums. “I think so. I’m just trying to figure out if it’ll work with a demon.”
Popping up onto his elbows, Izuku’s about to stand up when Shouto brings the book to him. Izuku skims it quickly before shrugging, “I don’t see how it wouldn’t work.”
They meet eyes briefly and Izuku doesn’t need him to speak to know that it’s go time.
---------------------
The two have a brief meeting before they go downstairs, Shouto deciding that maybe Izuku and Inko should be out of the room just in case. Izuku doesn’t love the idea, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make Shouto happy. After all, he’s the one who couldn’t scare Enji away before Shouto felt like he needed to turn to Katsuki.
It feels lonely, though, when Shouto walks down the down the stairs by himself. He has to shake away the feeling of going downstairs to “train” with Father. Unlike Father, though, Katsuki barely looks up at Shouto’s descent.
Not wasting any time with negotiation attempts, Shouto jumps straight into reading the exorcism. “Hands vermillion, start of five.”
“I don’t think that’s going to work the way you want it to,” Katsuki cuts in, not even looking at Shouto.
Ignoring him, Shouto continues, “Bright cotillion, raven’s dive.”
Katsuki actually reacts then, standing up and taking a couple steps toward the stairs. “Seriously, stop it you idiotic breather.”
“Nightshade’s promise, spirits strive. To let the living let now the dead come alive.”
Finally, a reaction Shouto expects come, but from the wrong place. That screaming definitely isn’t coming from Katsuki.
Looking up, Shouto follows the sound toward the kitchen. “Inko?” he asks, voice breaking as he stumbles down the stairs. Inko floats in the doorway, her head thrown back and a green glow surrounding her. She hasn’t screamed a second time, but her limbs are stiff and her face, what little Shouto can see of it from his current angle, is twisted in pain. “What happened?”
When Shouto reaches Inko, he hestitates to try to hold her, unsure if it will cause her more pain. Instead, he rounds on Katsuki. “What happened!? This was supposed to be you!”
Katsuki smirks and comes forward, flicking the book out of Shouto’s hands. “You shouldn’t mess with things you don’t understand, kid. I even tried to warn you,” Katsuki says smugly.
Looking back at Inko, Shouto grows desperate. He hears a gasp from the stairs and in an instant, he’s being replaced at Inko’s side by Izuku. “Please,” Shouto pleads, not even caring about his pride or the fact that it’s been years since he’s let himself beg, “save her. I know you can do something. I’ll do whatever you say, just please fix this.”
Another scream cuts through the air and Shouto flinches. He can’t look at his best friend, he knows only hatred will be looking back at him. So he just stares at Katsuki, the other boy rubbing his chin as if he’s thinking about the offer even though Shouto knows the demon already has his mind made up.
After what feels like an eternity, Katsuki grins and nods. “Alright, I’ll help her. But there will be a cost,” he offers, a dark look on his face that would make Shouto backtrack if this were literally any other situation.
“Anything,” Shouto breathes at the same time Izuku lunges forward, crying, “No!”
It’s too late, though, Katsuki sweeps Shouto into his arms and whisks him out of Izuku’s reach with a smirk. “Marry me,” Katsuki commands and Shouto’s not sure what he thought the price would be, but it certainly wasn’t that. All things considered, it could be worse.
Izuku clearly thinks otherwise though, pounding on an invisible wall that Katsuki must have thrown up to prevent any interruption. “Katsuki, that’s too far! You’re making him marry you just to spite me? I’ll leave. Save my mom and we’ll go to the Netherworld. You never have to see us again. Just don’t do that to Shouto!” Izuku yells, fury in his tone even as his words sound like pleas.
Katsuki laughs then, dropping Shouto onto the couch before perching on the back of it himself. “This isn’t even about you, Deku. It’s more of a greencard thing. I want to be alive again and marrying a breather is the only way I can do that. You losers can have this house for all I care just as soon as I’m allowed to leave it.”
Shouto holds up a hand toward Izuku when the ghost looks like he wants to argue further. “You heard him, Izuku. What’s the problem if it’s just a greencard thing. Let him save her. Please.” All of the fight leaves Izuku when Shouto tacks on the last word.
Looking around with satisfaction, Katsuki asks, “So we’re all in agreement, then?” When he gets no further resistance, he waves a hand toward Inko, the woman falling to her knees and gasping in breathes that they all know she doesn’t need. Izuku rushes to her side, checking that she’s actually ok, and Shouto’s busy watching them so he doesn’t even see Katsuki’s next move.
All attention is drawn back to the blonde when he knocks three times on a wall. “Alright. I know Shouto won’t follow through with his end of the bargain if that useless Deku is here to talk him out of it, so I think it’s about time you two head to the Netherworld.” Slowly, a door appears behind him and creaks open, bright green light flooding out of it. Shouto watches Izuku and Inko get dragged toward it, gears turning and anger bubbling under his skin.
“You said they could stay,” Shouto argues, his voice quiet under the sounds of wind unfelt by the living dragging the two ghost to the other dimension.
Katsuki hears him, though, and he shrugs with a smirk. “I lie. Get used to it,” he says by way of explanation.
Invisible bonds hold Shouto to the couch so he can’t even try to get up and save the ghosts from the fate he made for them.
An idea hits him when they’re almost at the door.
“Can I at least say goodbye? Don’t I deserve at least that much?” Shouto questions, locking eyes with Katsuki. Izuku and Inko’s progress halts for a second while Katsuki thinks, and then Shouto’s bonds are gone.
“Fine, but make it snappy,” Katsuki relents, walking away from the door, surely not wanting to hear whatever sappy things Shouto’s going to say.
The ghosts wrap Shouto in a tight hug as soon as he gets close enough. “I promise, I’ll fix this,” he murmurs in their hair as he hugs them back. Adrenaline buzzes in his ears so he doesn’t even hear what they have to say, but the hug is over too soon, the ghosts being dragged away from him again.
Izuku goes first and Shouto doesn’t know if it’s fear or Katsuki keeping him still, but there’s a split second where he can’t move.
But then he is. He doesn’t think he’s ever moved faster in his life than when he surges forward, shoving Inko back into the living room and throwing himself through the door in her place.
The door slams shut behind him and Shouto is left in absolute darkness.
-------------------
It’s cold in the Netherworld. The chill bites down into Shouto’s bones and he hates that his first thought is wondering if Izuku feels it. He shouldn’t be concerned with whether or not Izuku could use a sweater, the gaping emptiness before him is bound to be more uncomfortable for Izuku than any temperature change could be.
Shouto shakes the thought off, or maybe that’s a shiver, and starts walking. He has no clue where he’s going, there’s only darkness surrounding him, but it’s not like there’s still a doorway for him to turn around and go back. Not that he would if that were an option. He came to save Izuku and he’ll be damned if he’s not successful.
He will admit, he wasn’t expecting to somehow be deposited in an entire other part of the Netherworld, but that’s not the point either. He doesn’t let himself think that maybe he’ll never see Izuku again. Instead, he skips that part of the journey entirely and starts wondering about what to do when he does find Izuku and they go home. He ponders over what to do with Katsuki the entire time he walks, never quite settling on a stellar plan.
Eventually, when his fingers are just starting to go numb despite being jammed into his armpits due to a lack of pockets, he sees light. He wonders briefly if this is the light they talk about seeing when you die, but then he hears a voice that makes all thought lose his head. He’s too far still to hear words, but that’s definitely Izuku’s voice talking to someone, or possibly arguing, and Shouto is sprinting toward it as fast as he can.
The light seemed so far away at first, but now it’s so sudden. Almost as if it was rushing toward him even as Shouto ran toward it. The idea makes no sense, but then again, neither does anything else in the Netherworld.
When Shouto comes crashing in, he nearly trips over his own feet trying to stop so suddenly. But he doesn’t even care, he’s just so relieved to see Izuku.
“Shouto!” Izuku gasps, and it’s as if everything else just disappears in that moment for the ghost. “How did you even get here? And do you know where Mom is?”
Izuku rushes to Shouto’s side and wraps him in a hug immediately. “I followed you in,” Shouto breathes out, then pausing to catch his breath. Izuku holds Shouto at arm’s length away then and Shouto sees the million questions on his lips so he simply holds up a finger, needing a second to catch up before he can handle that. He must be smiling, though, because Izuku slowly starts grinning back at him. “I couldn’t just let Katsuki send you away like that so I stole your mom’s place. She’s still at your house,” he finally explains when he gets his breath back.
He can’t help himself then, Izuku starts laughing and he has to pull Shouto in for another hug before it turns to crying. Shouto is so hot everywhere they make contact, and that just makes Izuku cry even harder. “Why would you do something like that? We would have come back for you,” Izuku questions even though he’s so happy that Shouto came for him. Thrilled that the boy cares enough to save them both.
Shouto shrugs, and the minute drop in temperature tells Izuku that he does know exactly why he did it, but Izuku will save pressing it for later.
“This is touching and all,” a woman cuts in and when Shouto glances over, he sees a girl with long black hair, green skin, and a sash reading ‘Miss Argentina’ watching them in confusion, “but what, exactly, is happening right now?” Shouto doesn’t even have a chance to answer, too distracted by the fact that somehow, he’s now in an office of some sort. Or a reception area at the very least, judging by the chairs opposite the counter that the woman’s standing in front of. Only one chair is occupied, a boy in glasses ignoring all the ruckus to read a book tucked away in the corner.
Izuku pulls away and blushes before bowing toward the woman. “I’m sorry, Miss Argentina, this is Shouto. He moved into the house Mom and I were haunting and I guess he’s the reason Mom’s not here. I apologize for trying to argue with you that she was earlier.”
The woman seems to stop listening to Izuku halfway through, her brows raising as she takes in Shouto. “This is a breather, you said?” she questions, coming closer to inspect him better. When Izuku nods, she almost seems to jerk away. “You need to get out of here right now. If Mitsuki sees you, you won’t be breathing for much longer. And you’re far to cute to die so young.”
“There’s a breather here?” another voice asks and Shouto looks over at the boy, now noticing glass and metal protruding from his body like he was just in a car accident, jump up and run over to see the two. “That’s trouble. Listen to her. You’re in serious danger here. Why would you come in the first place? Did either of you even read the Handbook for the Recently Deceased?” The boy holds up his now closed book and Shouto almost wonders how he was supposed to read a book he’s never even seen before.
Izuku nods quickly and steps in before Shouto can challenge the boy and ask that. “We’ll gladly be on our way back home now. There’s no need for trouble.” He fumbles then to pull a piece of chalk from his pocket and Shouto will need to ask him later where he even got that.
“Thank you for keeping him safe until I got here,” Shouto says to the woman while Izuku hastily starts drawing on a wall.
Before Miss Argentina can even respond, let alone Izuku being able to finish drawing the doorway, a woman yells, “Has anyone seen my useless son? What is he up to now?”
Shouto has no idea what’s happening, but the two Netherworldly beings freeze. Then they look at each other in fear. Then they’re hastily trying to hide Shouto from whatever woman just yelled and is clearly on her way to the room they’re in now. Shouto doesn’t know where she’s coming from, but he guesses he should stop trying to make sense of this place.
When he’s roughly grabbed and shoved toward Izuku, Shouto finally looks toward where he was standing and he sees a door right behind where he just was swing open. Striding through is a woman with spiky yellow hair, red eyes, and a gash that’s hard to ignore going across her neck. Shouto can’t help but think of Katsuki when he looks at her and he wonders if Katsuki is the ‘useless son’ she just yelled about.
He can’t get any answers, though, as suddenly he’s being yanked through the door and then he and Izuku are standing in the attic of their home. They share one look before they’re hugging again, and Shouto revels in the feel of the cold boy in his arms, even as the rest of him is tingling from warming up too quickly.
“I’m happy we’re home,” Izuku utters after a moment’s peace, “but what are we going to do about Katsuki? He won’t let you live if you don’t marry him, but I won’t let him kill you, either.”
Shouto pulls away just enough for Izuku to see him smirk and he says, “I have a plan.”
--------------------
“Oh, Katsuki!” Shouto calls, making his voice soft and inviting. He first focuses on making sure Katsuki is looking at him, then he looks at the demented carnival game he has Inko trapped in. She seems suspending in some sort of dunk tank, but Shouto is sure that whatever she’d fall into when Katsuki gets bored of playing and hits the mark will hurt a lot more than water.
Descending the stairs, Shouto walks straight up to Katsuki and throws an arm around his shoulder, leaning against the slightly shorter boy. “What do you want, Half ‘n Half?” Katsuki scowls, shoving Shouto off of him immediately. Shouto makes sure to hold his attention, though, refusing to look over Katsuki’s shoulder to where Izuku helps his mom escape the dunk tank.
Shouto frowns, feigning a pout and holds his hand up, palms out, to try and placate Katsuki. “I got a chance to think when I was in the Netherworld. And during that time, I realized that you are actually pretty attractive. So I would like to marry you.”
Katsuki scoffs and stomps toward Shouto, stopping inches away from his face. “Stop the bullshit,” he growls, giving Shouto a hard shove in the shoulders and making him stumble back, falling on his butt.
Rolling his eyes, Shouto stands back up and dusts himself off. This clearly angers Katsuki, but that will just make it easier. “Fine. I realized that Izuku actually is useless. But marrying you could give me the power I need. It’s a win/win.”
“And why should I believe you?” Katsuki sneers, but he doesn’t make a move against Shouto, so they must be getting somewhere.
Shouto shrugs and takes a step toward Katsuki again, testing him. When there’s no reaction, he says, “My dad will be back again. I need a way to keep him out. You know I don’t need any motive other than that and you’re the only one who can help me do that.”
Katsuki seems like he’s almost swayed but then Shouto throws in, “Plus, wouldn’t you just love to prove that you’re better than Deku? He could never convince a living person to marry him, yet you’ve got me here practically begging for it.”
That’s all it takes. Katsuki nods and snaps his fingers and just like that, they’re in bright red tuxedos that could not be more uncomfortable and a small gargoyle looking creature is emerging from the woodwork. Katsuki doesn’t even give the creature time to speak, simply snapping out, “I do,” and looking expectantly for Shouto to do the same. Shouto says it back and, with another poof, the creature is gone again, along with all the contraptions Katsuki created when he was waiting for Shouto and Izuku to return.
“Did it work?” Shouto asks, looking expectantly at Katsuki. He looks more alive, his face actually pink instead of blue tinged white, but that could mean nothing.
But then Katsuki laughs and it’s not the sarcastic sound Shouto is used to from him. No. This sound actually joyful. “Oh yeah, here we go!” Katsuki cheers and he’s so excited, Shouto almost wants to call off the rest of his plan. Would it really hurt anything to just let Katsuki be alive? “I forgot how it felt to… feel,” Katsuki says then, the grin still on his face.
Izuku steps forward then, a smile on his own face, and Shouto can tell just by looking at him that he’s having the same doubts as Shouto. “I’m glad it worked, Katsuki,” he congratulates but the second Katsuki looks at him, the smile drops and he practically snarls at Izuku.
“No one asked you, Deku. Why don’t you just go to the Netherworld?” Katsuki snaps and, oh yeah, that’s why Shouto doesn’t want to keep him around. “I know how to send you there, you know. The fact that I’m alive now changes nothing.”
All it takes is Katsuki prowling a single step toward Izuku. In and instant, Shouto is reaching for the fireplace poker and surging forward all in one motion. Katsuki either doesn’t hear him coming or doesn’t have time to respond, but either way, the poker is soon sticking out of his back as he falls forward.
Shouto barely hears Inko’s gasp, clearly not completely up to speed with the plan, and he pulls the poker out of Katsuki’s back even as his attention is already turning toward Izuku. “You almost wanted to just go with it too, didn’t you?” Izuku asks, his eyes still on the blond boy on the floor.
Shrugging, Shouto tosses the poker to the side and takes a few steps away. He knows this is his own plan, but now that he’s done and he sees that Izuku clearly feels some sort of remorse, he can’t help but feel guilty. “How am I different from my father?” he asks, his voice low and he’s not sure if he even means for other people to hear him.
“Shouto!” Izuku gasps, rushing forward and stopping just short of putting his hands on Shouto’s shoulders. Shouto doesn’t have the heart to tell him that it’s ok to touch him, but he also doesn’t move away. Izuku closes the gap then, still giving Shouto a chance to pull away, and when he moves forward into the touch he just reenforces Izuku’s suspicion that Shouto doesn’t know how to ask for physical affection, but he will be clear when doesn’t want it. “Your father hurt people for no reason. Katsuki is a literal demon. If you didn’t do what you did, it would only be a matter of time until he did much worse to a lot of innocent people. I’m so-”
Supportive words are cut off by a bang and fog pouring into the room. Izuku and Shouto both jump at the sound, immediately looking to Katsuki, who’s still laying on the floor. Though, they don’t really know if his body will stay there or not. No one really warned them what would happen after they killed a demon that they brought back to life. Will they have to dispose of a dead body somehow?
“Excuse me,” Inko starts, dragging the boys’ attention back to the origin of the fog, where blond woman from the Netherworld is walking through. “Who are you and why are you in my home?”
Red eyes narrow and the woman completely ignores Inko, instead sweeping the room until they settle on Shouto. “You,” she snarls, finger pointing as she stomps over to him, “You’re the breather who came to the Netherworld. That’s not how things work, kid. If you want in the Netherworld, you’ve gotta be dead.”
The woman doesn’t even notice Inko stepping forward then, and she crashes directly into her when Inko plants herself between the woman and Shouto. She turns her glare on Inko and she’s opened her mouth to turn her rage on her as well when Inko cuts in. “I still don’t know who you are but you can leave now. There is no way you are going to be harming a single hair on either of those boys heads.”
At Inko’s harsh tone, the woman blinks in confusion before smirking. Shouto doesn’t understand how she’s still so confident, he’s terrified of Inko in this moment and her rage isn’t even directed at him. He’s also happy that he can’t see her face, but her hair is writhing around her head like a mass of snakes and she’s a feint green color is emanating from her body.
“I see you learned how to haunt. How cute,” the Netherworlder taunts before reaching out to push Inko to the side. That is, she tries to before she gets distracted by the body on their floor. “You killed my son? He got some sucker to bring him back to life just to get himself killed again?”
Finally, a groan sounds from Katsuki’s direction and Shouto spares a glance to see that he’s pushing himself up, as if summoned by his mother noticing him. “You stabbed me in the back?” he asks, exasperation dripping from his tone. He turns to look at his killer only to get distracted by the newest addition to the group. “What are you doing here, you old hag?”
“Katsuki, you brat! Get yourself to the Netherworld right now!” his mother snaps, Shouto apparently forgotten in her rage at her own son.
Katsuki just scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “These guys are pretty entertaining, even if they did kill me. I think I’m gonna hang out here,” he challenges and Shouto can’t not notice the way he flinches back when his mother easily side steps Inko to stalk toward him. It reminds him a little too much of himself and Father.
There’s no thought process, Shouto’s just moving the next second, trying to get between a boy and his abusive parent like he wishes anyone would have done for him.
Inko beats him there. She’s floating now so she’s the same height as Katsuki’s mother and the glow around her body is a lot brighter now. Not to mention the light shining out of her eyes that would surely blind someone if they looked straight at it. “Get. Out. Of. My. House!” Inko commands and just like that, the woman is shot back like she’s being pushed by a strong gust of wind. She just barely manages to catch herself in the doorway to the Netherworld, but the door slams shut before she can get a single other word out.
Just like that, the glowing is gone, and Inko drops to the floor and rounds on Katsuki. He balks when she puts her hands on each of his cheeks, stopping him from moving away while she inspects him. “You will have to shape up a little and be nicer to my boys. But if you would like to, you can stay here and I will make sure that woman never hurts you again,” she promises, her eyes locked with Katsuki’s. “If you’d rather move on, you’re welcome to do that, too. There’s no pressure, but my offer will always be open. As long as you promise not to kill any more people.”
Katsuki rips his face out of her hands and looks anywhere other than at any of the people in the room. “One of your boys literally just killed me,” he mutters, but he clearly realizes the fault in pointing that out when Inko’s gaze hardens and they all flash back to moments before that when Katsuki threatened Izuku’s existence. “Fine. I promise.”
With a smile and a nod, Inko stands up and looks at Izuku and Shouto. “Quite an exciting day we’ve had, huh? Why don’t we all just get cleaned up and reconvene for dinner?”
----------------
“Hey, Izuku, can I talk to you for a second?” Shouto asks after he cleans up in his room, seeing Izuku going downstairs to meet his mom in the kitchen.
Smiling up at him, Izuku pauses on the landing. “Of course, what’s up?”
Shouto hurries down the stairs to stand with Izuku, suddenly more scared of this conversation than anything else that’s happened since he moved into a haunted house. “I’m going to ask you a question. It might be crazy or dumb or something that’ll make you hate me, but I need to know the answer,” he starts, trying to steel his nerves.
Izuku laughs then, grabbing Shouto’s hands, making Shouto look at him. “Nothing could ever make me hate you. Now, what’s got you so worked up that you’re practically on fire?”
“If getting married brought Katsuki back to life, do you think it could bring you back?” Shouto asks, his nerves showing through in a cracked voice even though his eyes never leave Izuku’s and his hands are steady where they’re connected to the ghost’s.
Izuku jerks back in surprise, his hands nearly losing form for a second, only staying real from the heat emanating from Shouto. The surety in that heat shocks Izuku and he starts shaking his head before he can even think of words to say. Shouto’s eyes stay firm, though, and he patiently waits for Izuku’s explanation before pushing the matter. “You can’t marry me!” Izuku finally cries. He can’t believe this is even happening, especially since Shouto still seems so sure of his choice, his hands squeezing briefly like he’s reminding Izuku that he’s gonna need more than that if he’s going to be dissuaded. “You’re alive, Shouto! And you’re 15 years old. Don’t throw that away on a ghost. I can be here for you just like this, I don’t need life.” The words hurt Izuku to say and if he could cry, surely he would be by now. He has to look away, the intensity in Shouto’s gaze is making it hard for him to stand firm here.
“You said it yourself the other night,” Shouto says, “if we had met when we were alive, you’d have a crush on me. I know I like you, Izuku. And you don’t have to stay with me forever, but can’t you at least take another chance at being alive?”
Izuku’s heart breaks because he knows Shouto’s being serious, he always is. But still, “What happens when you get bored with me?” The words come out in a whisper, but they feel so much louder when Izuku never meant to say them at all.
The warmth leaves Izuku’s hands and he almost wishes he could cry now that he is alone. Utterly alone. But then it appears on his cheeks and he’s being forced to look at Shouto.
“I will never be bored of you, Izuku. But you deserve the chance to get bored of me.” The truth of that statement burns and Izuku wonders if that would be painful if he could still feel things like physical pain. “Besides, you heard what Katsuki said, it’s a green card thing. If you don’t want to be with me romantically, the marriage isn’t even legal for the living world anyway.”
Finally, Izuku hiccups a laugh and he begins to think this might actually be an okay idea. He’s just about to nod, about to give his consent to a lifetime of being tied to Shouto, when he hears a creak behind him and both himself and Shouto jerk their gazes to the creaky floorboard in the living room. Looking up at them is Inko, and much like Izuku, she looks like she would be crying if they should.
Shouto looks back to Izuku and he sees the conflict raging in him. He’s not stupid, he knows that Izuku feels guilty for his mom’s death. He wouldn’t be surprised if Izuku chose to stay dead just for his mother’s sake, even though Shouto knows Inko would never approve of that choice. He resigns himself to the rejection even before Izuku looks back to him with heartbreak in his eyes but a shaky smile on his face.
“I’m sorry, Shouto, but I can’t.” And with that, he’s gone. When Shouto looks back down the stairs, Inko is gone too.
Slowly, Shouto trudges his way to his room. He knows he’s being selfish, but he can’t help being upset. All he wants to do is repay Izuku for all the help he’s given him in the last week of living together. Plus, it wouldn’t be terrible to have an actual friend for the first time in his life when he starts school in a few weeks. Shouto crashes into his bed, not even bothering to change out of his wedding tux, and soon enough he decides he deserves the discomfort of the outfit. After all, it’s got nothing on how he must have made Izuku feel, trying to shove his feelings onto the boy. After all, Izuku already has so much of his own troubles, not to mention how much he’s already taken on for Shouto, he shouldn’t have to take that on too.
That thought process can only go on for so long before Shouto has to drag himself out of bed and toward the stairs. There is a single moment when he reaches them and Shouto almost goes down. In that moment, he wonders if it’d be for the best to just leave the Midoriyas and not burden them anymore, even with something as seemingly simple as a goodbye. But then he thinks about how sad he would be if he never saw Izuku again and he knows he has to at least tell them why he’s leaving. So up he goes.
When Shouto reaches the attic, the Midoriyas aren’t even there. Not that he should have expected them to be. He’d probably hide from himself if he were in their position. Looking around, Shouto wonders if he should just wait for them to come back or if he should write them a note to find when they return. Time works differently for them, so leaving a note is probably the smart thing to do, but he really wants to see them one more time.
Voices drift into the room, ripping Shouto from his thoughts. He can’t tell what they’re saying but he knows them. He follows the sound to the window, which he finds to be slightly open, and there he sees Inko and Izuku on the roof. If he didn’t know them better, Shouto would even say they were arguing.
“-eason to turn him down. I love you, Izuku, and I will always love you. You don’t need to be stuck here with me for that,” Inko says, tears in her voice even though Shouto knows she can’t produce them anymore.
“Why should I get another chance at life, Mom?” Izuku asks, his voice so broken that it brings tears to Shouto’s eyes for the first time since he got his scar. When he speaks again, his voice is muffled and Shouto looks back up from scrubbing away the tears to see that it’s because Izuku’s face is buried in Inko’s shoulder. “I’m the reason we died, Mom. If anyone should live again, it should be you.”
Inko pushes Izuku away and holds him at arm’s length by his shoulders. “Now, Izuku, I never want to hear you say that again,” Inko scolds, her voice almost as firm as it was when she was telling Mitsuki to leave Shouto and Katsuki alone. “You are not the reason we died. Just as much as I didn’t kill my baby by choosing to leave the house that day. I know it’s hard to accept, but this is just what the universe had in store for us and nothing we do can change the universe’s plan. But now it’s offering you another chance and if you turn it down because of me, I could never forgive myself.”
It’s obviously difficult for him, but Izuku slowly nods at her before collapsing into her arms for a hug. “But what if Shouto was just caught up in the moment and doesn’t mean it? I really like him, Mom, what will I do if he was just being nice?”
Shouto has no doubt that Inko knows the right words to fix it for Izuku, but he has to step in before she needs to. Climbing onto the roof, Shouto says, “I wasn’t just being nice, Izuku. I’m sure this is strange or unusual, but I would really like a chance to date you.”
Izuku jumps when he hears Shouto, but Inko just smiles at him and Shouto wonders if she knew he was there all along. “Are… Are you sure?” Izuku asks, wringing his hands and looking back and Inko like he’s asking both of them for permission one final time; asking Inko if he can really be happy and Shouto if it can really be with him.
Shouto smiles and steps forward, reaching for Izuku’s hands with both of his. Izuku knows if he reaches out for them there will be fire waiting for him, but he reaches anyway and relishes in the burn. “I went to hell and back for you, Izuku. I’ve never been more sure.”
Izuku laughs at that even though he knows Shouto’s not joking and finally. Finally he says with a certainty he doesn’t think he’s ever had before, “Ok. I’ll marry you.” Just like that, the fire is gone from his hands. With the intensity leaving so suddenly, Izuku misses the more gentle warmth and bursts into tears, thinking it was all just some massive joke the universe was playing on him.
But then, he feels the wetness on his cheeks and oh yeah, that’s what it feels like to be able to cry, and what’s that roughness on his cheeks. Opening his eyes, Izuku sees Shouto looking at him with concern flooding his eyes and a frown tugging his lips down. “I didn’t know you had so many callouses, too,” he says, reaching up to cup Shouto’s hands where they work at wiping away his tears. Just as suddenly as he came to life, a smile bursts through his tears and he beams up at Shouto.
The frown is wiped from Shouto’s face in an instant, a small smile of his own replacing it, and he leans closer to knock his forehead against Izuku’s. Izuku tries to keep looking at Shouto, but he’s forced to close his eyes when he can’t focus at such a close proximity. “Your voice sounds different now. More solid.”
“I was scared it didn’t work,” Izuku admits quietly, now that he can’t see whatever expression Shouto is making and he’s sure everything is real.
Shouto huffs out a laugh and nods, “Me too.” It takes real effort to pick his head up, and Izuku whines when he does, but he needs to see Izuku for real. Know that he’s really there. Dragging his eyes over him, he thinks he looks more real than before, but he also doesn’t really know how he expects him to look. It’s not like Shouto thought he looked dead before.
But then Izuku opens his eyes and they are so vibrant that Shouto can’t believe he ever thought that dull green from before was how they were supposed to look.
“So,” Shouto asks, and he can feel the dopey smile on his face that matches the one beaming right back at him, “what do you want to do now that you’re alive?”
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consecotaleo · 6 years
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Boku No Hero Academia Light Novel Vol. 3 -- Unofficial English Translation -- Chapter 1: “Cheers”
T/N: I saw Aitai’s translation of the Fantasy AU today and decided to throw this out there... an unofficial translation for the first chapter of the BNHA Light Novel Vol. 3. I haven’t read the other light novels, so I apologize if this isn’t how they usually read. This is a Chinese > English translation, so some of the translations could be paraphrased or totally different from the actual Japanese version.
(The following occurs around Chapter 96-97 in the manga, where Aizawa and All Might go on home visits for 1-A. You should definitely reread those chapters and at least the wiki page for the Hideout Raid Arc so you understand what’s happening. Anyways, Aizawa and All Might agree to go out for drinks afterwards, so here they are.)
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Chapter 1: “Cheers”
Hoping to better his relationship with Aizawa-sensei (despite their strong differences in personality), All Might strikes up a conversation. Unfortunately, Aizawa's responses are curt, and the atmosphere remains awkward. Though All Might can’t partake in alcohol himself, he plies Aizawa with drinks in the hopes that the man will relax and open up to him. Yet Aizawa, despite quietly finishing off several drinks, appears totally unaffected! Perhaps Aizawa has been accidentally drinking All Might’s own non-alcoholic beers? All Might despairs, but suddenly remembers Midoriya and the vow he’d made to himself on his home visit – to protect the boy and his dreams. Now he’s even more determined to better his relationship with Aizawa, who’s also a mentor for Midoriya.
“Aizawa-san,” All Might begins, “I’d like to ask you something. Can you tell me about the mindset of a teacher, or tips for teaching, or something to that effect? I’m still very new to teaching, after all.”
 All Might had hoped to kill two birds with one stone: become closer to Aizawa while also gaining some insight on teaching. But the silence stretches out awkwardly, Aizawa scratching his head.
 Finally, Aizawa replies. “If some secret teaching method existed, I’d ask for it myself. Personality, home environment, personal growth rate are totally different among the students. If there was a universal way to successfully mentor everyone, we’d live in a world with no villains at all.”
 “Well said,” All Might mumbles, abashed. The conversation lulls.
Mulling over Aizawa’s words, All Might muses that youths nowadays were growing at an almost alarming rate. It felt like just yesterday the Young Midoriya had been chasing after All Might’s shadow, but now the boy was hurtling forwards all on his own.
 Aizawa, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly chides All Might for favoring Midoriya too much.
 All Might is eager to restart the conversation, but Aizawa’s phone suddenly rings.
 It’s Present Mic, who’d called to let Aizawa know that he’d be over in 5 minutes once the secret meeting was over, and wanted Aizawa to save a spot for him.
 Mic and Aizawa have a great relationship, despite their stark differences in personality. How did they become friends in their school years, All Might asks? Mic cheerfully exposes Aizawa’s student life.
 “Aizawa in his school years?” Mic snickers. “He’d always doze off as soon as class ended. He’d never do anything beyond the bare requirements. For a while, his nickname was ‘Energy-Saver’.”
 Aizawa shoots him a warning glare. But All Might looks surprisingly interested, so Mic continues. “First he was ‘Sleeping Prince of Relaxation’, which got shortened to ‘Sleep Prince’, and eventually became ‘The Master of Sleep’.”
  “Stop saying unnecessary things.” Aizawa puts Mic in a firm chokehold. “It’s impossible to get this guy to shut up any other way,” he says to All Might’s dubious look.
Thirteen and Midnight suddenly come bustling in. Mic immediately complains to Midnight that he’s being bullied, but Midnight scoffs – Mic had clearly been shooting off his mouth again, and could only blame himself for his suffering. In the end, Thirteen kindly comes to Mic’s defense, imploring Aizawa to let him go.
 Midnight settles in next to Mic, and Thirteen takes a seat by All Might. Since All Might coming out for drinks was a rare occurrence, Thirteen passes up on his usual tea and orders some alcohol as well. Midnight, who can hold her alcohol, picks something extra strong for tonight.
 “Time to get wasted!” Midnight yells at Mic. “I’ll positively drown you in alcohol.”
 “Do it,” Aizawa agrees.
 Mic gasps. “Oi - my friend! How could you betray your own friend like this? Oh my friend! I was the one who gave you your hero name! I made you! You wouldn’t be a cool hero without me!”
 **bold = originally in English
 “If my hero name means I have to be nice to you, I might as well change it,” Aizawa retorts.
 “…”
“… So you’ll switch to Energy-Saver?”
 “Shut it.”
**Add-On 2--> Missing scene **Add-On 3--> Nickname mistake and missing line
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Meanwhile, Thirteen and All Might are chatting animatedly about the Yaku cedar, a shared interest. But being too excited makes Thirteen’s body heat up, which makes him thirsty, which means he drinks even more! Thirteen finishes off his drink. All Might warily eyes the now-tipsy Thirteen and advises him to have some water. Thirteen immediately goes off on a spiel about the delights of water.
 On the other side, Midnight has mixed together a terrifying concoction of alcohol and cajoles Mic into tasting it. He grimaces, for once speechless, after she forces him to take a huge gulp of the monstrosity. All Might looks on, a bit horrified. “A drink that tastes so bad that even Mic shuts up? How scary! It’s a good thing I can’t drink.”
All Might sweeps his gaze over the high-spirited bunch – with the exception of Aizawa, who still appears perfectly sober. Feeling rather out of place and not wanting to be a bother, he decides to head back home. As he attempts to quietly sneak away, Aizawa grabs his hand.
 After letting go, Aizawa scratches his head. “Stay a while longer, okay?”
 “Um,” All Might flounders a bit. “But…”
 “There’s something I need to tell you today,” Aizawa presses on.
 “Oh. What is it?” All Might concedes.
 All Might is expecting Aizawa to tell him off again, perhaps tell him he’s not qualified to be a teacher.
 “Because you fought out there, I can continue to protect my students. So… thank you.”
 ** This refers to the Hideout Raid Arc. Summary
All Might feels a rush of warmth in his chest. Finally, he and Aizawa are getting closer. There’s just one thing, though…
“Aizawa… that’s the Buddha…”
The whole time, Aizawa has been talking to the Buddha statue behind All Might.
“What are you going on about? I’m being serious,” Aizawa insists.
“No, we’re all pretty certain that’s a Buddha statue.”
“Aizawa’s quite drunk,” Mic confirms wryly. “He’s the sort of drunk that doesn’t remember a single thing the day after.”
When you don’t recall ever getting drunk, that means you just don’t remember all the times you’ve been drunk, All Might speculates.
 But since Aizawa already roped him into staying longer, All Might can only sit back down. It’s rather difficult for him to fit into the group, since this is the first time he’s been out for drinks. And for some reason Thirteen’s called up some other teachers to join them.
** Add-On 1--> Alternate translation of above scene
** (2/15/2018) “Buddha statue” should’ve been "Daruma figure” 
Once the other teachers are thrown into the mix, it truly becomes a shitshow. People are crying, people are singing, people are arguing (Aizawa and the Class-B homeroom teacher compare their students), people are puking (Thirteen).
 All Might, the only sober one, just wants to go home. To collect his thoughts and give himself a breather, he escapes to the restroom. As he’s pondering whether or not he should just up and leave, Mic comes into the restroom as well.
 “Everyone usually gets this wasted, huh? It’s a little scary…” All Might ventures.
 Mic blinks. “Usually?”
 “Eh?” All Might responds, “Isn’t this the usual behavior?”
 “Oh no,” Mic laughs. “Today is totally out of the ordinary! The people who usually don’t drink are making an exception, and the people who do drink are going especially hard.”
 Seeing All Might’s incredulous look, Mic smiles gently at him. “We get the chance to drink with the hero of heroes, All Might! Even among heroes, we all look up to you. Of course we’re celebrating the occasion.”
 All Might stands in the bathroom for a few long moments, astounded. Finally, he heads back towards the others. Hesitating in the hallway, he peeks at everyone else. They wouldn’t actually notice if he was gone, right?
 “Hold up, where did All Might go?”
 “Isn’t he right here?”
 “Aizawa, that’s the Buddha.”
 “Eh? He didn’t head out, did he?”
 And so All Might returns to the rowdy group. He’s immediately accosted by his colleagues, who quickly encircle him and welcome him back.
 With the exception of Aizawa, who scoffs. “I told you All Might was right here.”
 Someone, in their flailing, knocks over the Buddha statue.
 “Ah!” Aizawa cries. “All Might has fallen over?!”
 “Seriously, that’s the Buddha.”
 The other teachers, completely drunk and all vying for his attention, finally drag All Might back to his seat.
 Seriously... for real… I’m never going out for drinks again! All Might swears fervently.
 -- End of Chapter 1 --
Chapter 2
Later Edits:
Add-On 1--> Alternate translation: Aizawa and All Might have a heart-to-heart
Add-On 2--> Missing line: Aizawa never gets drunk...
Add-On 3--> Energy-saver Shou-chan nickname correction + missing line & Add-On 3 correction
(3/5/2018) Add-On 4--> Missing scenes: (1) Awkward conversation between Aizawa and All Might, (2) Midnight offers Aizawa a drink, (3) Aizawa and Blood King argue over students
2/15/2018--> the Buddha statue is specifically a Daruma doll. You can see this in Japanese fanart for the chapter (e.g. here, here, and here) and explained in Japanese in a tweet by azxxxxxxx. Terribly sorry, this was my mistake!
Extra manga context for the last section
Full Light Novel Vol. 3 Translations Masterlist
Fanart compendium for Light Novel Vol. 3 at /fanworks. 
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turtlebolt718-blog · 5 years
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My Hero America ch6 (A parody of My Hero Academia)
By: Team Sugar Russia (Aka: Zeus, Fox, SeaStar905, Festus, Darci, Pennywise, Loading…, and Wild-Tiger)
Chapter 6: The One Man Band
Curt and I were both villains for the match. We discussed our plan during the ten minute set up.
“So… You know Krieg from last year, what’s his quirk?” I asked Curt.
“Well, I’m afraid I can’t say much about him from last year. He didn’t really talk a whole lot, but I do know that his quirk has something to do with radiation, and I know that if he touches us, there’s a good chance that we might die. Luckily, there’s a small chance that he or the teacher will actually let him take his gloves off, but it’s still something to keep in mind.”
“Oh, well that’s nice.” I quivered.
“Like I said, he’s not going to make much physical contact. I’m pretty sure he is ground based, so we should probably pick one of the top floors and then you can cut off the power, so he can’t see that well.”
“Are you saying my quirk can actually be useful?” I perked up.
“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying, your quirk wasn’t working out for you because you were on the hero team, but now that you are on the villain team, it works out perfectly!”
“Oh, so my quirks really only good for being a villain?” I sighed.
“Exactly!” he gave me a thumbs up, I walked over to the corner of the room and sat down facing the wall.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Contemplating existence.”
“Was it something I said?”
“No.” but it was something he said, I just didn’t want to say it. However, my moment of pure depression ended up short circuiting the whole building, so the plan was already working out perfectly.
“Alright, Sophia! That’s exactly what we needed.” He said in the darkness. Then the  intercom blared, “Okay students, may the test of Heroism and villainy begin!”
“Don’t worry Sophia,” Curt sayed in a light-hearted tone, “We got this one in the bag!”
Just as he said that, the whole building rumbled.
“What the hell was that?!” I shouted. The whole building began to get hotter and hotter. Even the edges of the cutouts began to singe.
“We need to get out of here!” I grabbed the cutouts and began to book it to the roof, having the windows light my way.
“Sophia, wait!” Curt called after me. Since I knew this floor plan in advance I managed to reach the roof rather quickly. Curt followed soon after.
“Well now we’re stuck on the roof. Why did you do that?” he asked me.
“You said he was ground based and if we need to we could jump to another building. And the cutouts were in danger.” I explained.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Okay, well we should be safe here for now.” He let out a sigh.
“You sure about that?” We both turned around and saw that Krieg was right there, midair, hovering by the explosions coming from his hands. “Hello there.” he said. We both jumped back and white stuff began to envelope Curt.
“Sophia, get back. I’ll protect yo-” and just like that, Curt was blasted off the side of the building. Krieg Laughed.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that that idiot thought he could beat me in combat with his lack of skill and weak quirk. Anyway, I’ll be taking those cutouts now.” He held his hand out like he was expecting me to just hand them over. And I probably should’ve done it. After all, there’s no way I can beat him with his quirk. How can I be expected to incapacitate him. I began to walk over to him. What am I doing? I know I need to do something but I’m not sure what I can do. And then I realized. I’m a villain, villains play dirty. I’ve been thinking of playing the hero. I continued to walk forward, this time a little more quickly. I then tossed one of the cutouts to him and while he was distracted trying to catch it I took my chance, I rushed towards him and before he had time to react, I pushed him off of the building.
Meanwhile, outside the observation room sat Iris and Barry.
“So….should we be doing something?” Iris asked.
“My name is Barry Allen, and I am the fastest man alive.”
“Yeah, I’m too lazy too.”
I ran into the building with the rest of the cutouts while Krieg was falling. I tried thinking of my next step. I was down one hostage but I still have 4 left. If I can make it out of the building then I can probably run and try to stall like Barry. And then the building rumbled again.
Iris just stared. “....What was that about?” Barry just shrugged.
The building began to heat up again, faster this time. The whole building began to glow from the heat and I knew I had to get out somehow. I can’t run back to the roof, he would expect that. I couldn’t run out of the entrance, I was on the 3rd floor. So I did the only option left. I jumped out of the window. Luckily it was much softer due to the heat so I could actually break it. But then I realized something, I was 20 plus feet in the air with no landing strategy or any idea what a landing strategy was. I closed my eyes. So this is it, this is how I die. By jumping out of a window in a simulation. I mean, it’s probably better than having to deal with everyone else in my class but I had so much to do. Also, how long does it take for me to fall 20 feet? I opened my eyes to see that I had landed on Curt.
“Oh, sorry.” I got up quickly. Curt groaned and slowly got up.
“It’s fine, I softened some of my bones so neither of us would be harmed too much.”
“You can do that?” I asked.
“Yeah, my quirk allows me to manipulate the bones in my body however I want.”
“That’s cool.”
“Yep,” Curt flexed, “My quirk is pretty usef-” and he was blasted away. Krieg had shown up with a slightly burnt cardboard cutout in glove.
“Enough chit chat, we’re in the middle of a fight.”
I turned around and ran.
“Hey, get back here!” he shouted. I heard another explosion and saw him blast past me, he stopped and turned around, he made another explosion that propelled him towards me, I ducked but he managed to grab one of the cutouts. This continued until I only had 2 cutouts left. What the heck am I supposed to do, If I try to do anything he can just make another explosion and either propel himself or send me blasting off like Curt, who was currently nowhere to be found.
“Give it up, your quirk isn’t going to help you out here and I can tell by the way you move that you have no struggle experience.” Krieg trudged towards me. “Among other things, I’m likely smarter than you, I don't want to brag but this entire time you’ve been doing exactly what I expected you to do. So you have 2 options: submit now, or I blow you up just like that idiot in the leotard.”
While he was monologuing, I began to look around for anything I could use to help me get away from this guy, and then in the distance I saw Curt, charging in at full speed. I tried to move myself so Krieg’s back was turned to him. I turned my attention back to what Krieg was saying.
“ ...and thus, Mardoza, Guardian of the Pebble, fell to his knees, and passed from this world, leaving behind the mighty weapon, for he knew that, one day, its power would be acquired once mo-”
“SNEAK ATTACK!!!” Curt lunged at Krieg but was quickly blasted away.
“You see? You see what I mean when I call this guy an idiot? News flash,” He turned towards Curt. “Sneak attacks don't work if you yell ‘sneak attack’.”
While his back was turned I then proceeded to sneak up on him. Krieg turned around and I punched him square in what I was assuming was his jaw. Krieg stumbled back and I began to book it once more.
“How was that for a sneak attack?” I shouted behind me. Then the sirens outside blared.
“Okay, students. Time’s up. Because the hero was unable to capture all hostages in time, that means the villain team wins.” Mr. Koro announced.  
We all went back to the observation room, Curt looking mostly fine but his costume was a little worse for wear. We gave Mr. Koro the now toasted hostages.
“Okay, time for grades.” Mr. Koro snapped his tentacles. How is that possible? “Krieg, I expected more from you, your strategy was great for getting your opponents to fall into your trap, but you allowed too much harm to come to the hostages. The purpose of this exercise was to see your classmates’ strengths and weaknesses as well as putting others before yourself. So minus points for hurting the hostages, although you did save the majority.”
Krieg crossed his arms and sat down, like he was about to have a fit.
“Curtis, you did good to stay in the fight a lot longer than last time. Using your quirk to make sure your body took minimal damage from the explosions was very smart, but do try to use more strategy in the future. Charging in without thinking will only get you and others in danger.”
“Sir, yes, sir.” Curt saluted Mr. Koro.
“And, Sophia. I must say, you improved a lot in the short time between your first match and this one. You took advantage of your opponent’s restrictions and even managed to hold your own for a little bit in combat, Good job.” He held up one of his tentacles in a thumbs up motion, only without any thumbs.
“Thank you, sir.” I nodded. Compared to my last fight I was certainly feeling less useless, so that was good.
“Okay, class. That’s it for today, let’s all get changed and head back to class, you may head home once the bell rings.”
“Hey Barry! Wanna come over to my place to play video games?” Iris asked, a grin on her face. “I got Walumario Party!”
Barry just nodded.
We all got changed and headed back to class.
“Good job, newbie.” Taura patted my shoulder. “You showed that stuck-up brat.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Krieg, mr. hazmat suit guy.” She pointed at him near the front of the group.
“Oh, him? Sure he’s cocky but I don't think he’s stuck up.” I told her.
“That’s just because it’s the first day, just wait and you’ll see what I mean.”
“Yeah, he’s no good.” Iris added, stretching. “Also, Jesus Taura, where’d you learn to tie knots?”
“A ninja never reveals their secrets. Also, Where’d Killena go?” She wondered, putting her hands behind her head.
“Knowing her, probably wrestling with Dy or something.” Iris yawned.
“tttttttttaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Kil charged down the hall straight towards Taura.
“Uh oh… Welp, time to run!” Taura turned on her heel and darted down the hall. Kil raced by Sophia and Iris, cursing loudly. “YOU GOT ME IN TROUBLE AGAIN YOU DAMNED NINJA! DON’T THINK I FORGOT!”
They both disappeared around the corner. A moment later a large blast of lighting shot across the hall, hitting the wall. Killena walked proudly back around the corner, dragging Taura behind her by the ninja’s scarf. Taura looked perfectly ok with this.
“Mr. Koro also said you were getting the detention too. I’m not letting you walk out of here.” Kil growled, and Taura sighed, throwing her hands up.
“You’re the one who keeps trying to stab everyone.” “IT WAS A JOKE! I TRY TO KILL EVERYONE!” Killena threw her hands up, dropping Taura’s scarf.
“Ow.” Taura said monotoned, as she sat up. “Fine you win, I’ll go to detention.”
We all made it back to class and went home except for Taura and Killena. First day of school was….interesting…. to say the least.
Character: Krieg Blitz
Quirk: Nuclear: His body is made of radiation and can create simultaneous nuclear explosions, everything living he touches dies. Expect Dy, he feeds off that.
Age: 16
Hair: Unknown
Eyes: Unknown
Height: 5’9”
Personality: Sarcastic, Entitled
Ideals: Become CEO of his father’s business
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valkyrieelysia18 · 6 years
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(Magic Academia) Introduction to the Elements
"I hope you know exactly what it is that you're getting into."
Oscar involuntarily gulped. Of all the people who had to be helping him with this particular lesson, it had to be Weiss. Not that he thought she was a bad person (far from it), but she wasn't exactly what he thought of when he thought of a good tutor/teacher.
Granted, he'd been hoping to spend some more time with Ruby, but he was pretty sure that almost any of the others in the group would have been better at this. Well, maybe not Nora, but other than that....
Weiss' glare sharpened as her volume rose. "Are you listening to me?!"
Oscar straightened up at attention, the two of them of them completely alone in the study room at the dorms that the ice mage had commandeered for this study session. "Sorry, won't happen again!"
The white haired girl observed him before she sighed. "Look, I know that we're not the closest and you're still getting used to all of this, but it's really important that you understand the differences between the elements."
The former farm boy sighed. "I know, I know." Considering I pretty much displayed all seven elements when I got here despite having no clue how that is possible.
"So long as you understand. Now, what did you know about elemental magic before coming to Beacon?"
He scratched his head trying to remember. "Well, I knew of the four main elements: water, earth, fire, and air. Granted, that was because I was an Avatar fan..."
Weiss groaned, sitting down next to him and opening a rather large book for him to see a rather intricate magical circle with seven border points. "You and Ruby are impossible. Anyway, this is the Wizard's Great Glyph; one of the most recognizable symbols to reference the seven magical elements. They are by clockwise in this picture: fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, and lightning. Every magic user is tied to one of these elements. Well, with some exceptions....."
Oscar resisted the urge to laugh nervous and got into questions. "Yeah, well I'm not sure how this is going to work for me either."
She observed him slightly before giving her own assessment. "As someone who has the ability to learn all seven elements, I think it would be best for you to least learn the basics of each element. The downside to that is you might end up a 'jack of all trades, master of none' type when it comes to elemental magic."
"Is that a bad thing?"
Weiss shook her head. "Not necessarily, but it means you probably will not be able to learn the more higher tier spells or develop a specialization. For example, I am a water mage, or as some would call me an Aquamancer. As such, I know a wide variety of different water spells, but I'm specializing in ice spells in particular. So I would learn a spell like Blizzard while another aquamancer that specializes in water's liquid form would learn Tidal Wave."
The young man sighed, his brain already starting to hurt. "It all sounds complicated to me."
"Well, let's start with some of the more basic details about the elements and we'll work our way from there. As I saying, most people have only one element and it's quite common for children to have the same element as one of their parents. For example my mother, my sister, and myself are water mages. However, this isn't always the case."
Oscar nodded, remembering a conversation from not too long ago. "Yeah, I remember Jaune saying that each of his sisters had a different elemental magic. That must have been something."
Weiss nodded as well, her eyes somewhat dimmed at that thought. "And I'm pretty sure that's one of the reasons Jaune hasn't really been in contact with his family since coming to Beacon. I know what it's like to have one sister as an example, I can't imagine what it's been like for him."
The farm boy agreed with her. "Has there ever been an example of a mage who hasn't had an element affinity?"
She shook her head. "Not according to history, but let's focus on one unique situation at a time and today we're on your lessons. From what I understand about it, an person's element can reflect something about their nature or personality.'
"Really?"
"Yes, when you meet a bunch of different mages that have the same element, you tend to notice they share similar traits. That isn't to say that your element dictates these things, there are many who differ from what's expected, but you should probably have a general idea of what to expect from them."
Oscar nodded, for some reason feeling more interested than he felt he should have been by Weiss Schnee's analysis. "Alright."
"First off are fire mages or pyromancers. Those that have this element are very emotional, passionate people. They are risk takers, thriving on adrenaline, and while not as precise as the other elements their raw power is often enough to destroy their enemies and leave utter destruction in their wake."
He resisted the urge to laugh. "Well, if that isn't Yang to a T, I don't know what is."
Weiss rolled her eyes before getting back on topic. "Tell me about it. Anyway, next is water. Water is often said to be the most graceful of the elements, but it is also the element of adaptability. Having to work with both liquid and solid forms, aquamancers need to be aware of their surroundings and be able to flow and change their style to suit the battle itself. Like myself, that doesn't mean that they start out that way. More often than not, they need to learn to adapt.
"Then there are the earth mages or geomancers. They are practically stone walls, taking immense damage onto themselves while outlasting their opponents. They tend to be the strong, silent types that only say something when they think its necessary."
Oscar considered that description a bit. "Huh....that  really doesn't sound like Pyrrha."
She nodded. "I know, I was surprised as well, but like I said not every mage is going to be like this. I just find that most are. Next are the air mages or aeromancers. Out of the seven elemental types, they're actually most rare, but also tend to be the most creative. They're often free spirits, often doing their own thing, and using it to catch their opponents off guard. Goodness knows, Ruby's plans can be a bit...out there at times."
The young man perked up in interest. "What kind of plans?"
"I'll tell you some of them later. Moving out the main four, now we come to the more unusual elements. These ones don't really have mancer title that's used frequently like the first four. Light mages can learn offensive spells, but their primary role is that of a healer. They tend to be good support, both on the battlefield and off of it. Often times, they are the more calm and earnest types, serving as the literal heart of a group."
Oscar nodded, Ren's temperate nature did seem to line up with being a light mage. "Then there's dark mages."
"Correct, granted they do tend to get a bad reputation considering how their magic works. Like light mages, dark mages can also learn offensive spells with their element, but their primary magic works by inflicting it directly on their opponents. Whether it be healing themselves by stealing their enemies' energy, gaining more aura in the same way, or inflicting temporary status ailments, dark mages tend to face a lot of scrutiny and suspicion by those who don't have magic. They tend to be quiet introspective loners, but just because darkness is their element, it doesn't make them evil."
"Blake's proof of that."
"Exactly, then there's the final element of lightning. Lightning is perhaps the most difficult element to control. In fact, some lighting users can be even more reckless than most fire mages. People who are lightning mages tend to be very strong and energetic in order to channel it properly. They can sometimes come as a little eccentric, but at their heart are mostly good people."
Oscar wisely chose not to think too much on that with Nora before glancing down at the picture. His eyes were somehow drawn to the circle in the center with a strangely familiar rune. In addition, it seemed as if the other elemental circles seemed to connect to this other circle.
For some strange reason, he felt himself point to the detail and ask before he really thought about it. "Hey, what's this for?"
Weiss's eyes followed where he was pointing before rolling. "Oh, that is a fairy tale."
And if Oscar's interest wasn't piqued before, it sure was now. "A fairy tale?"
"That's the symbol for Divine, the fabled eighth element. Some crazy myths aside, there's no evidence to suggest that divine mages every existed or what a divine mage would even be capable of doing. In my opinion, the symbol is probably just to symbolize magic as a whole rather a completely different element."
Despite her words, the young man's hazel eyes lingered on the symbol. "If you say so..."
Weiss cleared his throat to get his attention, which worked and then she went on. "Now that you bit more about the elements, where do you think you should start? I know Jaune is helping you with the general stuff, but you're going to need someone to help you with elemental magic."
Oscar pondered that thought for a while before finally answering. "Well, if I had to start anywhere, I suppose I would prefer earth magic. I guess it's the farm boy in me, but I guess I feel more connected to the earth and land than the other elements right now."
She nodded with a smile, flipping the book a coupel of pages until it reached the earth section. "Understandable. Besides, Pyrrha is probably the best to get you started. Until then, here's some things you should read to get started...."
Yes, I used the Legend of Dragoon when thinking up the magic for this story. And I'm not sorry, it's a really good game and it's a shame they never made a sequel. This whole thing is a little exposition dump. Don't we all love those?
Oh boy Volume 5. You've somewhat destroyed some of my headcanons.  Some of which were connected to my Crown's Proving AU (which if I write I will need to fix). Oh well, them's the works.
Next time, I think I will do something with Summer and Qrow, but before that I need to go back to Fan Fiction and please my Star Wars fans. Pray for me.
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