#bnha chapter review

[bbq-hawks-wings]

HAWKS HAWKS HAWKS HAWKS: Chapter 353-354

Hey, folks, we're finally at the end ready to review the latest couple of chapters after only... *counts* SIX full-sized posts in so many days.

By the way, kids, go look up what "scope creep" is some time. The knowledge might save your sanity some day, assuming you properly plan for it unlike me.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Shouto's victory over Dabi is an inspirational force among the heroes when the news rings out. All of the other heroes are facing enormous, existential fear on an individual level despite being more than willing to fight and that's understandable - they're only human. Nevertheless, a young, teenage hero who had barely received his provisional license faced his own brother - one of AFO's top fighters, nonetheless - and all but single-handedly took him down. It's a major morale boost which also understandably serves to rattle the opposition.

Btw, knowing that Spinner accepted AFO's offer to make him stronger before the strike, I really want to know how his story's going to play out. He isn't near Shigaraki, AFO, Dabi, or Toga, so this could be interesting to see him spotlighted alone once again.

I'm also excited to finally get some quality screen time with Tentacole whom I believe to be criminally neglected in the series as a whole. Rooting for you, Cephalopod Son!

The news of Dabi's fall reaches Endeavor and the other heroes facing AFO.

And now I'm so glad to have gotten these chapters all at once. Hawks knew going into it that AFO would taunt Endeavor specifically where he was sensitive exactly like he did, but I don't think he anticipated AFO being able to find any fodder that would actually get under HIS skin, and that will likely really come into play later, even if we don't see the results of the battle for a few more chapters, and that's where I predict anything new or unsure about Hawks and his feelings are going to come out.

Now, I love this interaction and series of events. We all know it was Hawks that rose me from my dormant state on this blog. Up to this point there's only so much we had to talk about, especially since what was being speculated in the discussions of leaks that I saw were really far off from what the official translation wound up to be.

The panel about him calling himself "crippled" when AFO tries to make him feel weak and Hawks just deflects it, AFO not getting anything out of him by calling him "Nagant's replacement", and the comment Hawks made about him making "a clean break" from his family history were very sensationalized and taken out of context when I saw them. So far, everything seems to be well within character for Hawks, and literally none of that stuff bothers him. He knows AFO is just the villain trying to get his way, and Hawks has already put on his armor for whatever he anticipated AFO to throw at him.

The only thing that AFO did that actually got to Hawks was wound Endeavor. Hawks' weakness far more than his need for prosthetic wings are those he cares about and his mission. And now, Endeavor has been impaled like the shish kabob.

Damn it, Endeavor. It's okay, though, this is actually the spot I wanted to catch up to, because this is where i think we get the best Hawks characterization crumbs of the chapter.

Up to this point, the main motivation for Hawks as a whole has been the same since he woke up in the hospital- "Finish the job I started as soon as possible because we're running out of time!" It's been weeks. Things have only gotten worse. The goal has never changed - only the logistics and limitations it took to reach that goal. He needs to end it yesterday. Hawks has long accepted that his death may be a necessary price in that equation, and he's at peace with that if it really will bring about the change he wants to see. Sacrificing himself so Endeavor can live and defeat AFO is more than reasonable to him.

These two, though. They weren't in the plan. They weren't in the calculations, ever, because unlike him these were never acceptable potential loses to Hawks. In the moment, he doesn't consider their abilities or the fact that they just saved his life. He can't risk losing them, so they were never a consideration in this fight before.

On the subject of mind games, I think it's safe to say that AFO is going to try to leverage Hawks' protectiveness of the kids to get him to slip up later on, but Tsukoyomi is the one who'll help him psychologically stay on task, while Earphone Jack plays more traditional power support. Tsukoyomi has experience keeping up with Hawks in real time, plus he has a good idea of how his teacher thinks. He also has known and worked closely with Earphone Jack as her classmate for more than two years now, and as she doesn't have to be the one maneuvering she can just focus on communicating with Tsukoyomi to set her up for success.

It's a clutch impromptu support team and one that only gets better if Endeavor is able to rejoin them. There's likely going to be bumps and hiccups, I predict predominantly on Hawks' end and difficulties keeping Jirou airborne, just because of the desperateness of the situation; but the actual important things here is we're going to hopefully get some real quality Bird Bros material in a moment and get to see the goths kids kill it out there. I'm here for it!!!

[black-and-yellow]

Working on something

[stillness-in-green]

Chapter Thoughts — Chapter 390: Todoroki Shouto Rising

O  I wonder if the busted pipes mean Iida’s going to have to go back out to the woods to pull them out so he can grow in a new set?  Yowch.

O  It's really odd to credit this moment to All Might’s chops as a teacher?  Like, I’m hardly the world’s foremost expert on the 1-A kids, but the absolute most I remember All Might doing for Shouto is being an encouraging presence, and for Iida, rather less than that.  Iida’s faster pipes are a result of his family’s knowledge; Shouto’s Phosphor is, as best I recall, largely his own invention.  At most, we might say he went to Endeavor for help getting his fire on par with his ice, maybe as preparation for this very move.  But All Might?  All Might’s Deku’s teacher; in fact, he’s so little focused on the rest of the kids that he wholeheartedly pulls in three of them to teach their moves to Deku with no thought at all given to Deku or himself teaching them anything in return.

All Might’s big advancement in teaching circa the one-hundred-chapter mark was not giving Deku easy answers, but rather giving him a hint*; it took remembering one of Gran Torino’s lines and a visit to the Support Course lab for Deku to figure out that answer.  And maybe I’m just forgetting something, but I don’t remember All Might doing much after that on the teaching front?  Certainly not that actually got extended to Shouto and Iida!

And sure, maybe this is just Tsukauchi being ignorant, but like, credit where credit is due, and while All Might is the one that had the confidence in Shouto and Iida to do what they just did, he damn sure isn’t the one who taught it to them.  Hell, given that he specifically instructed them to go after Dabi, it’s not even in keeping with his aforementioned teaching breakthrough: giving a student a problem and then stepping back and letting them solve it themselves.  Partial credit at best.

O  Sorry, gang, but I just have virtually nothing to say about the big centerpiece.  I appreciate that Dabi’s got at least a semblance of his mind back.  I like Natsuo’s open acknowledgement that the way ahead is choked with thorns.  I have a thin ghost of emotion for Dabi’s hopeless whispers of hatred and Endeavor encouraging him to keep going, because certainly the silence and refusal to grapple with their problems head-on was a huge part of the family’s damage.

All of this, however, is hobbled by the lack of agency in the family choosing this outcome, as opposed to being pushed to it at every turn by outside forces.  Dabi only gets to have a whisper of coherence at the very end, instead of in the middle of the fight when it would have made him more of a challenge to deal with.  Natsuo nods to what should be a fascinating story of the family having to pull together to save Touya (and with him the family's precarious path to recovery) from the future in store for him, but we’re already in the endgame, so I already know we’re not going to get to see more than a hint or two about that fascinating story.

And, of course, the family continued refusing to actively grapple with their problems until the last possible second, only getting here thanks to the plot handing them a load of conveniences, contrivances and work from outside actors that their own actions up to now failed to earn.

I want to care about this, but god, It all just feels like Too Little Too Late.

O  I do very much like that closing image of the Todoroki family alone at the center of the ice, only them and their family issues together in that field of desolate white, but at least all together at last. It's super evocative and visually powerful.

I would also very much like it if they would stay there for a while.

O  GOOD LUCK, TOGA.  So far you’re the only one League member who’s been in control of yourself mentally for this whole fight, and I would really, really like it if you could hang onto that.

--------

* Note that he immediately walks over to Kirishima and gives him very concrete advice about just breaking through like a bulldozer, not any kind of “hint” at all.  All Might’s gotta save his ‘A’ material for his protégé, I guess.

[myherobirdbros]

BNHA Chapter 403: Review by Birdbros

First let me just say that baby Toshinori is so cute I can't breathe. Now, to the actual review. I love that his childhood was good and beautiful. That he didn't grow up in tragedy and had a loving mother and potentially the reason why he's so invested in being a hero. Because she didn't discourage him and instead fostered his dream so he could be proud of who'd he become one day. Also may I just say that this entire All Might arc has been giving. It has given so much and I've loved every second off it because honestly some people needed to be reminded why this man was the number 1 hero. Still though, just the thought of his mother dying and All Might having to take on the world and fix it without here breaks me in a way I can't fully explain.

Yeah no, nop, no. I won't let you do this. He's not gonna die. Not All Might. Not after everything. I refuse to accept it. He has so many other steps to take Okay! Stop it. What do you mean and end of an era?! AFO you absolute fucking clown, do not hurt him! I mean it!!!!!!!

Damn..... he really cut off Toshinori's backstory just like that. Wtf man. We rarely get this man reflecting about himself and you had to go and do that!!!! The fuck is wrong with you!!!!! I hope you die a painful death AFO it's all you deserve you piece of shit......I'm getting way too emotional *sigh* Okay, let's try and be more logical here. Now that All Might hasn't been able to use Bakugou's quirk it means Bakugou might come back right? My boy might finally come back and save him, right? Right?! I mean it makes so much sense. Feels like the story has been building up to this. Midoriya fighting to win and Bakugou fighting to rescue. Like a reverse role. Please please Hirokoshi. You can't have taken Edgeshot from me and Katsuki too. You can't T_T Don't Nobara me man, please. Also once again, fuck you AFO your arrogance will def be the end of you. Toshinori won't die a hero because HE WON'T DIE AT ALL!

Thanks a lot Stain. Seriously thanks man. You could not have done anything but lose your quirk to this man (turns out I lowkey hate Stain *sigh*). Ugh, I know it's not really your fault and you sort of tries to save my man a little while ago but fuck, did you have to lose your quirk to this loser too?! I'm already mouring Hawks damn it. I can't do this anymore. Look at Toshinori's face T_T No one should ever make him look this hopeless, ever. This shit is illegal. Also, imagine loving killing someone so much you literally tear your mouth wide open joker style, the fuck AFO, the actual fuck? My dude you really need to sit down and finish that ancient comic book of yours because this aint it fam. This really aint it. You're so villain it's not even funny anymore.

Shoutout to Tobita (my absolute favorite villain - he makes me so soft protect him at all cost) and star's crew who just like me would have hesitated to fire at All Might. I love you all and I hope when Bakugou comes back he beats the shit out of AFO for you. (Horikoshi do not make a liar out of me). Also psycho eyes AFO. Once again this man does not fail to creep me out. Die!

Is he... is he planning to tear All Might in two? Is he really about to do this?! WTF WTF WTF STOOOOOOP. I can't do this. My sanity cannot handle this. Someone stop him! Fuck Midoriya crying is breaking my soul. This is not okay. I'm not okay. Shigaraki you bitch stop laughing! Everyone just stop. This can't be happening T_T This is so grusome I'm legit tearing up. And Midoriya's eyes is killing me. This is so wrong so so wrong. Someone please please please.

I...... Oh my God..... my baby. My baby. He's back!!!! He's back yall. I..... Katsuki..... oh sweetheart T_T

I'm so emotional I legit walked away from my screen to take a break from this rollarcoaster. Thank you thank you thank you Hirokoshi! Thank you!!!! Also can we take a second to appreciate the beautiful art people. U.I exploding, Midoriya's tears blowing in the same direction. The light that shines on that tiny figure on top of U.A and then that zoom in on Bakugou's weathered figure. It's all so *chef's kiss* beautiful. I'm in love. And def will print this panel out and hang it on my room because my baby is back!!!!!!!

I take that back. I'm hanging this up. Me and Best Jeanist sobbing over this right now. Our baby is alive!!!!!!! But look at him, he's so tired and haggered and back from the dead. He deserves a nap, not to fight a psycho who can't just quietly go into ground and never come back. Also theory: now that Bakugou has essentially come back from the dead, might his quirk have evolved to the extreme edge like we've seen for many before him such as Touya and Uraraka? And since Katsuki literally died maybe his evolved even more? My biggest hope. Beat his ass Katsuki. Make him regret that he was ever born.

Not a bakudeku shipper but I'm 100% a bakudeku friendship apologist so this, seeing Midoriya look up, tears flooding from his eyes because he's so fucking terrified he'll lose his mentor just like he lost his childhood friend only to then look up and see Bakugou is doing something to me I cannot explain. And Katsuki.... Katsuki with the ancient All Might card he's still holding onto for dear life. Katsuki remembering their baby selves. Katsuki being so out of it but standing up to fight for All Might like All Might stood up to fight for him at Kamino..... *sobs hysterically in a corner* Also the symbolism of All Might always having looked back at his past because all the steps felt so important just to now look forward because the steps his kids are gonna take are the important thing for him now..... yeah I'm not okay.

This is truly the beginning of a new era huh. Bakugou and Midoriya, carrying on All Might's dreams and hopes..... Hirokoshi you bastard. How can you do this to me. WTF MAN WTF!!!!!! And look at Katsuki's eyes. The explosion within them. It's so beautiful. I love it so much. And now him and Izuku's feelings are one; they'll save All Might and redefine hero society.

*stands up and applauds like crazy* There has been several misses for me in this manga but moments like this is why I'm happy I never gave up on it.

Welcome back Katsuki darling. Welcome back, it's been too long.

[gentrychild]

ALL FOR ONE IS IN THE CHAPTER. I REPEAT ALL FOR ONE IS IN THE CHAPTER. CRAZY CHAPTER HONESTLY, WHEN ALL FOR ONE BEING IN IT ISNT EVEN THE MOST INTERESTING THING TO HAPPEN. LOTS OF DABI WHO GOT TELEPORTED TO ENDEAVOR. TWICE CLONES HAVE APPEARED, SO SAD GIRLS PARADE. ALL FOR ONE THERE THOUGH AHHHHHH

Wow.

[iingeniums]

Wow I never took Koda for a classic thriller fan

[greenhappyseed]

BnHA Ch.363 leak reactions:

Jeanist seems to be confirming Bakugo is dead BUT he’s also unwinding his clothes like he did in Vigilantes, so he’s stitching/binding something together. He’s gonna end up naked again, isn’t he?

Dabi fights back! He’s so badly burned you can see his bones. His eyes and hair are still ok though. No word on his white outfit. Quite possible he’s naked.

CONFIRMED NAKED AFO (except he’s missing his left eye!!). I mean, sure, look at his face if you want, but man is showing off his demon goods. Hawks is scared but also kinda intrigued.

Skeptic is having his moment, mapping out mecha UA’s escape routes (are the civilians ok???) and tagging the locations of every villain. He is not naked and I think that’s a good thing.

Seriously, this chapter ratchets everything up nicely. Izuku, my friend, you have your work cut out for you. [Edit: my full chapter review is now up here!]

[ms0milk]

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[ilovereadingandstuff]

BNHA 406 Review!! SPOILERS AHEAD

Love to see her again, resisting the pain and injures. And she really integrated the idea of Izuku as a hero...remembering him by his actual name, as it was the only thing left in this world...It's kind of endearing.

You're prettier every time I see you, Shiggy. That's not fair.

And this little guy over here is gorgeous every chapter too. But he's so haggard. There are probably so many emotions buttling up inside him...(I don't know how to interpret his panels anymore)

I really want to know what's up with this hole in his hand. Shiggy obteined it way back at PLF war, but I still don't understand where it came from. That's from AFO's quirk, right? With that hole is that he and AFO steals quirks from others?

Funny to see you trying to convince yourself of a lie. Try harder, Shigaraki.

That's the face of a maniac. A guy who's laughing at his own pain, a guy who's hitting on the pavement, flying in an insaly high speed...I love him.

Your face is so pretty Mitsuki. I hate you...but you're so pretty.

So it's canon?? IT'S CANON THAT AFO KILLED HIS OWN BROTHER!?! I'm not going to lie: I always supported the idea of 2nd user being the one who actually killed Yoichi...as a way of saving his life because AFO would take him capture again AND also as a way of not letting AFO win with the sweet achievement of getting rid of his own brother...but now that it's canon that AFO killed Yoichi...I like it. Love to know it... Some really good angst there. And now we can most likely say that AFO was crying because of that.

I like this part, right here.

AFO is a narcissistic who does not respect nor see other people besides him. So the simple idea of him actually recognizing someone as a person, like he does with Izuku, All Might or Tomura, is a big deal, but then...the idea of him recognizing someone as a threat...That's HUGE!! EXTRAORDINARY!! UNTHINKABLE!!

Wait, that's 2nd holder's name?? THAT'S 2ND HOLDER ACTUAL NAME??!! I've been...ages...wanting to know what is his true name...And...I accept it. If that's canon, I'm going to embrace it as it is, as the new information we got...But I don't like it. Sorry, but kUdO as his name??!! Could it not be another one?!? There were not other options??! I only like the fact that it starts with a K, similar to K-atsuki. (And how do we mix it with Yoichi's?? How is that even possible?? Kudoichi?? Yodo??).

I don't like that paraphrase of this sentence but the concept it's undertandable.

Good chapter. I was getting impatient, and also the idea of 'Kacchan Bakugo' was getting on my nerves. But now: I'm good.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Asleep In The Keep: A DP x BNHA fic

Summary: Danny and Aizawa talk and bond

Word count: 3284

Chapter 23: You Hungry?

Danny and the Mummy stood awkwardly in the store. Maybe Danny was the only awkward one, considering that the man not only saw him during a low point, but Danny also thought he was his dad in his haze. Danny sighed, just trying to get it out. Everything would be so much easier if the man didn’t help Danny (he would’ve been fine on his own), now he felt like he owed the man some kind of explanation. 

‘Oh hey, thanks for helping except totally didn’t need it cause I’m already dead, yay!’ and what, would he just say, ‘oh totally cool and normal, have a good day!’ and leave? The ancients wouldn’t be so kind.   

At least he respected Danny’s “no” for a doctor- more than he could say for most of the adults in his life. There still could be something he could do. 

“Uhhh you want something to drink?” Danny pointed his thumb behind him at the counter, which he just noticed was covered in frost. He looked at the man and saw the same frost on his arms. Mummy man followed his eyes, and wiped it off, not letting his facial features betray anything. Danny eyed him suspiciously, but let it go. The guy had been the opposite of a threat so far (but that didn’t mean that he won’t be). Danny had to silence that part of him, he didn’t sense any malicious intent from the man. He was probably still strung up from his little episode earlier. 

Danny walked behind the counter, entering customer service mode. The man followed behind him but at a distance to make Danny comfortable. He appreciated it.  

“I’ll take a black coffee.” Danny eyed him again, but not from suspicion. 

“Are you sure?” He chuckled, “You had to choke it down last time, and I haven’t gotten the best reviews since then.”

“I’m sure. I like your coffee. It’s…” He paused, obviously thinking deeply, “like an old fashioned dark roast.” his face didn’t betray him, so Danny decided to believe it. 

“If you say so,” Danny rolled his eyes and started cleaning up the mess. “uhhh it’s gonna take me a minute to clean everything up, you can just sit down somewhere” he gestured to tables and booths. Fortunately the tables were screwed into the floor, so they were mostly alright. Same could not be said for the chairs. Danny groaned. 

“I got it,” Mummy said, already moving to put the chairs up. There was something casual in the way he said it, like he had known Danny for a while and it was expected. 

He did know Danny was Phantom, right? Like, that was what the whole, “I won’t tell anyone,” was about, yeah? Maybe he just hadn’t seen the news? Or maybe he just didn't care? Regardless, Danny would still keep an eye on him. It wouldn’t make sense for his luck to suddenly turn to gold.

Mummy had gotten a few chairs up when he moved to the door. He flipped the ‘OPEN’ sign to ‘CLOSED’. 

“Thanks,” Danny called out, but his voice felt too sudden, “I probably would’ve forgotten and then someone would come in, which would be hard to explain.” He scratched his neck.

“You’re welcome,” he nodded, “I’m going to shut the blinds as well, you should try to get the power back on.

“What?”

“The power-”

“No, I heard you. What do you mean it's-oh my god!” Danny facepalm. He blew the power out. “Uhhh just stay there.” 

It’s not that Danny trusted the man alone, it was more ‘what more damage could he do?’ than straight trust. He ran out the back to the fuse-box, leaving the door open to see inside. He flipped the switch but the lights remained off. Danny growled in frustration as he kept flipping it on and off, with no results. 

“Work you stupid thing!” He felt a zap from his fingers and all the lights turned on. He yanked his hand away and stared at the box. He can think about that later…

The man was closing the last of the blinds by the time Danny walked in. Danny really needed to learn this guy’s name, especially if he was gonna come here often, which seemed to be the case. Instead of asking, Danny turned around to make the coffee. 

It was quiet in the cafe, save for the sounds of machines and chairs scraping. There was a tense air that floated between the two, something that wouldn’t exist until it was spoken. After all the chairs were set up, the man just sat at the same table he did last time and pretended to look at the wall. They were both in a secret staring contest. 

Danny only wasted 3 cups of coffee until he got one that wasn’t burnt, and walked it over to him. The man took it gingerly, and placed it down, using a napkin as a coaster. He eyed the seat in front of him. 

“How about you take a break?” He said. He tried to make his voice sound smooth but it ended up being more forced, like a kid standing at the front of class. 

“I still have a lot to do before the end of my shift.” Danny wasn’t lying. Although the chairs and machines were cleaned, there was still a lot of debris on the floor. Coffee grinds crunched under his foot with each step he took. 

“You’ve done enough for now, it’s important to take breaks. Otherwise, the people who care about you get worried.” Danny laughed at that. Even when he did have people like that, he would always lie about how much work he was doing to make them feel better. He missed that…

“Do you have people who care about you?” the man asked. 

“Not anymore.” Danny sat down across from him, watching his reaction. He nodded, seemingly excepting that answer. “Does anyone care about you?” The question came off harsher than Danny wanted, but there was a smile in the man’s eyes.

“I do,” His face relaxed slightly and his lip twitched into an almost a smile, “I have a husband and a very good friend.” he rubbed his ring, and it clanked on the side of his cup. Danny didn’t say anything in response. 

“Do you have a place you’re staying at? Somewhere safe?” Concern leaked into every word. He seemed to be genuine, but it was clear he was hiding something, adults always were. Kids' motivations were easier to understand, especially when they wore their heart on their sleeve like Deku. Adults always wanted something or had an angle. 

“Yes. I’m safe.” That is all that he would give him. 

“That’s good,” The man watched him and Danny felt studied. He became violently aware that he was still in his ghost form (his true form). He never felt self conscious of it before. In Amity, when they saw Phantom, they just saw the persona, not Danny (except the few who knew). The man in front of him saw Danny completely. It felt violating, like a stranger reading his diary. 

Danny closed his eyes and pictured his human self, the life he lived before and was owed. Tingles like limbs falling asleep traveled down his body. When he opened his eyes, the man’s mouth in front of him was open. 

Danny shrugged, trying to make it seem like a smaller deal. He had forgotten that people don’t usually show their quirks off in public. He may have just crossed a social norm and made him uncomfortable. 

Good, the bitter teenager side of him said. He didn’t know this man enough to care. 

Zzz

Tommy replaced Phantom in front of him. Shouta tried to suppress the shock on his face, but honestly how do you react to something like that? It looked like his face was melting off, only to have another face underneath the goo. At least now he knew how Phantom turned into Tommy. Phantom glared at him in a way only teenagers are able. Shouta shut his mouth and took a sip of coffee. He gagged slightly as the flavor hit his tongue. It tasted like spoiled burnt rubber, a slight improvement from last time. Fortunately he was better at hiding his disgust this time since Phantom stopped glaring. 

“So,” Shouta wasn’t sure what to say, “Is that a quirk of yours?” He pretended to take another sip of coffee, his eyes scanning the teen over the brim of the cup. 

“Yes.” He answered curtly. Shouta didn’t know if the boy was being honest or not, but he had to take it for what it was. If it was true, maybe his quirk was similar to Ectoplasm’s, both being able to manipulate the unique matter. In Ectoplasm’s case, he could only make clones while some of Phantom’s body seemed to be made of it. That would line up with what was said in the reports, at least with the fight last night. 

The list of his quirks were so far; ice/cold manipulation and flight, both seen in the Nomu incident. Intangibility, witnessed by Fat Gum. Perhaps some form of invisibility, as detailed in the report when he disappeared. Although the last two may be limited since he doesn’t seem to be using them more. And then as he witnessed today, electrification, similar to Kaminari’s except that it doesn't affect his cognition. That could either be because he’s trained with it more or it's a different strand. And finally, ectoplasm. It was suspected Phantom also had some kind of regeneration quirk based on the reports when Stain cut him, but that could be explained by the ectoplasm. It could be that his base quirk was the ectoplasm since it's a mutation type quirk, and those can't be manipulated, then everything else was jammed in later. The source of his glowing was unknown since Ectoplasm’s quirk didn't seem to do that. He could very possibly have more powers that no one has witnessed yet. All in all, he had almost every power from a ghost, just rammed up to 11. 

Shouta could feel a headache coming on. 

“You hungry?” Shouta said, partly to distract himself, and partly for the boy’s sake. Using energy based powers, regardless of what they were, took a toll on the body. He was surprised the boy hadn’t blacked out yet. Possible result of quirk endurance training by All For One.

“I’m fine.” At least he was answering Shouta’s questions. At any point, Phantom could get up or kick Shouta out, and yet they both still sit together. There must be some part of him, however deep, that must want help. 

“Are you sure, kid?” Shouta eyed him skeptically, “You just used your quirk a lot, you must be feeling exhausted.” On the outside, it almost looked like a quirk awakening. However, based on how causally Phantom was reacting, it must’ve been a common occurrence. That line of thought only brought up painful possibilities. 

“What are you, my mom?” Although the kid sounded playful, he was starting to look uncomfortable at Shouta’s questioning. Shouta could understand that. As a teenager, he was annoyed when people asked about his well being. He wasn’t used to it. It felt like they only pretended to care, or that he was being talked down to like a child. How could he get Phantom to understand that he meant it?

“For right now, yes.” He responded dryly. Phantom rolled his eyes at that, which mitigated the tension. Shouta let a small smile travel across his face, but it only lasted a second. “I can pay for it if that’s the issue?” He intentionally didn’t let pity into his tone, in case Phantom might react negatively to it. 

“No, it’s not that, uhhh,” Phantom started playing with his gloves again, “I have a…special diet?” He sounded unsure. 

Shouta signed, “Alright.” It could be true, or it could be a lie, the result was the same. 

“Let me grab something,” Phantom got up, but before he ran off he asked, “You like tuna?” Shouta just nodded, and with that Phantom disappeared behind the counter. 

Shouta went back to focusing on his coffee. It was half gone, but even that didn’t ease him. His tongue was numb as a trauma response. It made what he was about to do a little easier. He rose it to his lips, and gulped down the rest. Although he couldn’t taste it, he could still feel it slide down his throat. He shivered. 

Phantom returned before long. In one hand, he held a plate, balanced on his palm like they do at a fine dining restaurant, in the other, he limply help onto a metal cylinder. He placed the plate onto the table but kept the cylinder on his lap.

“What’s that?” Shouta asked, glancing at the chunk of metal.

“A tuna wrap. Why? Never seen one before?” Phantom cocked his eyebrow playfully at Shouta. He leaned back in his chair, “That was the only sandwich left, so you have to eat it.” 

The kid obviously knew what he meant but was ignoring him on purpose it. Shouta wasn’t gonna get any answers by asking again, so instead, decided to quietly eat the wrap. Phantom was bobbing his head and body while rhombically humming, clearly thinking about something. He would occasionally glance over at Shouta, then look away. Shouta just ignored him. Teenagers were like cats; if they knew you wanted their attention, they wouldn’t give it to you. It had to be on their terms. 

Seconds ticked like minutes as Shouta just sat and ate. It wasn’t uncomfortable, Shouta actually enjoyed quiet meals (or where Hizashi would talk and he would listen), but there was some sort of anticipation between then, like winding up a jack-in-the-box. 

Phantom decided to act. He placed the mysterious cylinder on the table and started fiddling with something. The cylinder looked to be made of meddled together scrap metal with a few dents on the side. It looked old too, what clearly was once a silver color clouded over time and looked like iron. There were a few patches of color, neon green and black ascended the weird object. The green was a similar color to Phantom’s eyes, or at least in his true-form. Now he sported a more human blue with a slight green ring around the pupil. 

It was interesting, although he was clearly looking at the boy, he wasn’t able to imagine him in his other form. If it wasn’t for the weird vibe he gave off or the white streak in his hair, Shoua wasn’t sure he would be able to pick Phantom out in a line up. Some type of hypnosis quirk? No that wouldn’t make sense. In the reports, witness weren’t able to describe him consistantly, even from far away. He would also have to be constantly emitting it, even if he didn’t think people were around. Perhaps it had to due with why he glowed? There were studies about different types of light affecting your brain, that could have something to do with it. Shouta looked at Phantoms face, studying every feature he could. Phantom was still wrapped up in whatever he was doing to notice. Shouta closed his eyes and concentrated on that visual, but it faded away like a blurry after-image. But Phantom wasn’t glowing anymore. Could it be that you only need to see it once to affect you? No wait- 

Shouta looked closer at the boy. There was a slight sheen to him, around his outline and especially his eyes. He still glowed, it was just softer now, like a glowstick in a lite room. Is that intentional, or just a result of overloading his quirk earlier? No, it seemed to be intentional. The glow vanished as soon as he changed forms. It could be he uses a less powerful light since he doesn’t need to worry as much about being recognized as “Tommy” than Phantom. It could also help conserve his energy. Smart kid…

There were a few beeps across the table and Phantom smiled. It was too wide and full of teeth. Strangely, it fit the boy in front of him. 

“I just had to charge it up a little and, voilà~”  The thing whirled to life, lighting up a few buttons in odd places. “This thing hasn’t been charged since, I don’t know, since I woke up?” he shrugged, but his eyes were giddy with excitement. Phantom was talking as if it had been years, rather than the few hours between then and now. “It worked earlier, but I think that was because of the radiat- anyway” He laughed. 

What was he gonna say? Before the question could escape his lips, Phantom hit another button and a loud ‘pop’ sounded out, surprising Shouta, and the top part of it opened. Phantom peered into it with one eye and swished it around. It glowed slightly, but Shouta wasn’t sure if it was from the device or the stuff inside. Without wasting another second, Phantom raised it to his lips and chugged it. 

“Is that…a thermos?” Shouta was gobsmacked and just watched with an open mouth as the boy kept chugging. It seemed too impractical for everyday use, not if you had to do that everytime. Well, Phantom did say he has a ‘special diet’, maybe it had to be kept at a certain temperature? And all those buttons could be a security measure. 

There were a few raids on abandoned warehouses and underground bunkers. They were believed to belong to All For One, and in them were found vats of a green liquid holding Nomu’s in different stages of development. Only 3 were recovered for testing. Perhaps the thermos held that same fluid to keep Phantom stable with so many quirks. How much more does he have left? 

After a few gulps of, whatever that was, the color returned to Phantom’s cheeks. Whether that be an indication of his health or quirk power was anyone’s guess. It could’ve been both if what Shouta thought was true. 

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” Shouta couldn’t help the concern leaking into his voice. Phantom just looked at him, wiping some green goo of his face like it was a milkshake. 

“I already told you, I’m fine.” Phantom’s body was immediately tense. How many people had hurt him for him to be so distrustful? “I can take care of myself.” He sat straighter and there was a look of determination in his eyes. 

“I know you can.” The boy had already come this far after all, “But you can’t do everything alone.” Shouta slowly reached into his pocket for his card, watching Phantom. The boy seem to almost unravel and his form changed again- not to  his true form, but a mix between the two. His hair becoming more wispy, like smoke and his sclera turned an inky black but his pupils kept a touch of blue. He vibrated in his seat. It was like he was trying to hold it in. 

Shouta took his hand out of his pocket, showing nothing was in it. 

“I think I should go,” Shouta slowly stood up, careful to keep his body langue open and readable to show he wasn’t a threat. Phantom was still sat down, looking at Shouta like a feral animal. He looked so scared in that moment. 

“I really do want to help,” But he couldn’t help him like this, he couldn’t force him to accept it. 

★

“I know you do,” Danny said to an empty room.

But the man wasn't there.

[sundeathh]

Thanks to the Elevator

Part 1

Fanfiction | Masterlist

Pairing: Aizawa × Fem!Reader

Fandom: BNHA | MHA | Word count: + 4,4k

Categories: Workplace romance, enemies to lovers, tsundere, angst & fluffy.

CW: Cursing, smut and some bickering. This chapter is SFW but the whole story is not.

SUMMARY: A headcanon where Aizawa is an emotionally constipated man; but is a sweetheart inside. It also relies on my headcanon that his love language is physical contact, quality time, and acts of service. The reader is a psychologist, so you know how it goes!

NOTES: I tried to write him as close to the OC as possible. However, this is my first story. I wrote it randomly during the day, at dawn, under the influence of sleeping pills, and so on. So, apologies if I messed up. I'm reviewing it several times and will publish it in parts so that it won't become an extremely long post. Reposting is not allowed. The events in this fiction are before All Might starts working at U.A. Also, I left out the cannon events, so I can explore them properly later if I change my mind about the plot.

It was your first day at work as a counselor at U.A High School. Although you had been to campus before to attend your job interview, you weren't used to the new surroundings.

Principal Nezu was waiting for you at the front gate. After your mutual greetings, you headed to the building for a little tour before starting your day at work.

He promptly gave you a few instructions to familiarize you with the new space and routine; unfortunately, though, you are not that good at paying attention when feeling nervous.

So, as soon as Nezu left you alone, you started to wander around, uncertain about how you would get to the classrooms you were supposed to watch.

You didn't let your nervousness show, though. With all the confidence you could afford, you just walked to the nearby student and politely asked for directions.

However, before the student could respond, you heard a deep voice come from behind you as a tall man with long black hair spoke. 

"I can guide you from here, miss."

You turned around to face the source of the voice and met a pair of tired eyes and messy hair that almost made you giggle at the relaxed figure that seemed out of place compared to the workspace surrounding you.

While you were holding back your laughter, the student greeted the both of you before leaving, since someone else offered to fulfill your request.

You waved at the student with a gentle smile, while the man only replied to them with a slow nod.

"Hi. I am Shouta Aizawa. The principal told me about the work you will be in charge of." He told you, and you quickly accepted his handshake and shook it as you introduced yourself back.

You could imagine what awaited you in the first days of work beforehand, as you were told you would follow each class in the early hours for a week to gather information and remain in an office for the rest of the day to accompany students who would need individualized follow-up.

Just as informed, you'd start with class 1-A, being then bullied by a weird loud blonde after about who would be your first coworker to interact with;

So, fighting your initial apprehension, you tried to break the awkward silence.

"Sorry to bother you like this, but I don't know where the classrooms are. The principal mentioned that I would get more orientation later, but I was hoping I could unravel the place myself..." You explained your predicament as you nervously played with the ends of your jacket.

The man nodded in response, and hummed for a second before giving you a proper answer.

"I can direct you there." Came the reply after staring at you for another second. "Follow me. If we stay on this path, we'll reach the classroom in no time." He instructed. 

As you followed him, you glanced around at everything. U.A wasn't like the high schools you used to work at in your country. This one looked way more modern and futuristic than most of its peers.

While absorbed in admiring the architecture, you felt a hand ghost over your shoulder. Turning around, you saw the tired man pointing to what you assumed was an elevator.

Without waiting for an answer, he stepped forward and entered it. After a minute or two of silence, the elevator reached its destination, and the doors opened.

Stepping out into the big hallways of the building, you tried your best not to make any unnecessary noise while following behind as the apparent stoic countenance of the man was replaced by a bored expression, which only made you worry more about working with him.

Before you could overthink it, though, you were standing outside the door to the classroom which students you were supposed to observe.

"Here we are," The teacher announced while opening the door. He stepped aside so that you could enter first.

Most of the class was already there, with only two spots missing its students. Some were chatting amongst themselves while others sat silently in their assigned seats.

Aizawa cleared his throat and raised his voice. When everyone looked up, he motioned for you to follow him further inside the classroom.

"Everyone." He called. "This is Y/n L/n. She will follow the classes over the next few days to gather information about your student profile and to offer psychological and counseling support."

He stopped to take a deep breath before adding, "she will supervise your behavior during training and provide personal assistance when needed." The kids nodded at the announcement.

"So, now, please feel free to get to know each other," Shouta stated as he gestured toward your direction.

The class erupted almost immediately with various questions at once; some of the students seemingly excited.

Taking a deep breath, you stood in front of the class and prepared yourself to speak. The students immediately went silent as soon as you started talking.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Y/n L/n! I am here to guide and assist your learning by monitoring your behavior and providing all help necessary!" You greeted enthusiastically, trying to hide your nerves.

“If I may ask, what exactly do you teach?” An enthusiastic girl asked after she raised her hand.

"Well, I am not here to teach a specific subject. Instead, my role is to assist you in the overall performance of the course through psychological support to prevent the stress from causing difficulties in your school life." You answered with ease. "In addition, I will provide my counseling services for those who require them, but I can also give practical assistance if necessary."

"What is the practical part?" Asked another student.

"For most purposes, I will analyze your performance and write reports based on my professional perception of each of you during the semester while working alongside the teachers. So, you can come to me personally to request your analysis to work on improving your strengths by recognizing your flaws and learning to improve them."

Once again, an array of responses ranging from excitement to confusion hit you. It took a bit longer this time before the class settled down and quieted down once again.

"Okay, I believe that was enough introductions! We can continue our talking later as you are free to approach me for help. For now, I will stay in the class to observe and will not interfere with the teaching." You finished with a small smile and walked to the corner of the room to watch the class at hand.

As the hours passed, you observed each of them closely. By the end of the class, you already could tell which students would be more challenging and which would be easier to work with;

Before you left the classroom, the tall teacher gestured to get your attention, asking your initial opinion about the students. You answered as briefly and objectively as possible, receiving just a nod in response.

Once he turned his attention away from you without saying anything else, you excused yourself and left.

To you, it appeared to be a pretty quiet morning for a first day at work.

It was a little weird, sure – you caught Aizawa sleeping in the corner of the classroom like a yellow worm when you returned from lunch – but everything else was going well.

You let the weight off your shoulders after realizing that your initial nervousness was not all that justifiable.

The man that supposedly would be a headache for you did not seem so intimidating anymore.

He seemed to be just eccentric, and that was fine. You could handle it.

Or so you thought.

- - -

On your first day of work, the rest of the staff was introduced to you, just as well. And, a few weeks after that, you already had adapted yourself to your workplace and coworkers.

That is, with most of them. Working alongside Aizawa was quite intriguing.

At first, working with him was not much different than it had been on the first day, as you only talked to each other about what was necessary and convenient to work.

After a few weeks, however, for no apparent reason, every time you would step into the same room as him, his sharp gaze would immediately lock onto your frame and scrutinize you without a single word, almost like he was angry at you.

His eyebrows would contract ever so slightly, but his expression remained unreadable.

He would, eventually, act normal and talk to you to ask your thoughts on the students but would say nothing more than that.

Other times, though, he seemed to completely ignore you as you talked about your perception of the students during training classes, eventually grunting at you, annoyed, as if that was any kind of response.

At the end of the work shift, however, he would pressure you to deliver your notes and reports to him as soon as possible.

After a few weeks of working with him like this, you concluded that he didn't like having someone else influencing his work directly, as he seemed to be rigid and have his way of doing things.

He seemed to prefer just reading what you had pointed out and drawing his conclusions. And so you went on with your workdays.

You barely spoke to each other, except during the rare social formalities the two of you would exchange.

On one particular morning, though, he was sitting on the couch in the teachers' lounge grading papers by himself when you arrived.

"Morning." You muttered quietly. You hadn't expected him to even acknowledge your presence, so you were surprised when he spoke.

"Morning. Didn't expect you to arrive early." He answered.

"Oh. Yeah, I had to come early to finish a report." You said monotonously. You knew you would have to deal with this awkward aura every time you interacted with the man, so you always tried to cut the dialogue short and narrow the subject down to professional matters.

"I see. You can sit down here, then." He said without even looking up at you as he gestured to the empty seat beside him. You only nodded and obliged.

As you settled down and started to pull out your laptop from your bag, you were slightly startled by the sudden noise of Aizawa clearing his throat.

He looked up from his papers and stared at you for a moment as if considering something.

"Yes?" You asked, studying his stare.

He blinked before looking back down at his papers. "Nothing." He responded, returning to his grading.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, he suddenly spoke up again. "What's your quirk?"

You looked at him with furrowed brows since you didn't expect him to talk to you or ask about anything not correlated with work or his students, and the fact that he replied to your good morning with small talk and asked you to sit with him was unusual enough.

While this was unexpected, it was not all off-putting. Maybe Shouta was only tracking you to see how else you could affect his students.

"Your quirk. What is it?" He repeated, faced with your lack of response.

"I can access the memory of people I touch. I can also modify them, create one or erase it. However, I can only do the last three properly if the person is willing to and wants it. It was good to help people deal with trauma before; that's why I became a psychologist in the first place." You explained.

His gaze seemed to darken slightly at that statement, and he just resumed to his grading. After some seconds, though, he lifted his head to look at you again. "Have you ever tried to get the advantage of this quirk? Manipulate people without their consent?" He inquired.

You shook your head, unsure of where he was going with this line of questioning. "Never. I only used it to help. Sometimes it was useful because it lets me know if people were abused and allows me to erase or modify memories that cause a person suffering, with consent. But it does not always work. As I said, it works best if the person is willing and relaxed." You admitted truthfully, trying not to sound too bitter or offended.

"It seems like a quirk that could go misunderstood easily." He paused for a moment to check if you wanted to reply. You just nodded at his statement.

He seemed to sigh as though relieved. "I guess that was why I asked. I assumed you might have a mental quirk since you are not a hero and work in counseling." He said, looking at you for a second before adding: "good luck on your job," then turned his attention back to his grading.

You smiled faintly and gave him a short bow before returning to work. You couldn't deny that the idea of manipulating people through their memories was a pretty tempting one. But you were sure that there was no chance of you succeeding.

If you found yourself using your power on someone else for the bad, your life would be hell. No matter how tempting, your moral nature wouldn't allow you to use that effect on a living being.

Maybe that was why he started acting weirdly towards you, you thought. Perhaps he mistrusts you with his students. Maybe, he thinks that your job is not good enough. Or yet, maybe he thought less of you because you are not a hero.

With a soft sigh, you pushed that thought to the back of your head. Both of you kept working in silence until it was time to head to class.

- - -

It’s been four months since you started working at U.A.

Present Mic and Midnight were the coworkers with whom you developed a friendly relationship the fastest.

They were also the people you turned to solve any disagreements you'd have with Aizawa. And, as usual, when the worm man would take his lunch break to sleep, you'd join the duo for lunch.

"So," Nemuri began the conversation while picking a piece of meat from her rice bowl with her chopsticks. "How are the students attending the counseling?"

You shrugged as you put another spoonful of soup into your mouth. "They are alright. I haven't come across anything too out of the ordinary yet." You replied.

"Oh! That’s great! And how about Shouta? Any progress?" Nemuri probed.

You froze in place for a couple of seconds before shrugging again.

Nemuri narrowed her eyes at you suspiciously. "Y/n, I think we should stop beating around the bush here. Is he treating you alright? Or did anything happen between you two?" She questioned.

You sighed, "we are fine," you stated nonchalantly.

"Really? Because according to Mic, he keeps staring at you during lessons and is practically glaring at everyone whenever you enter the room." Nemuri continued.

This time it was your turn to narrow your eyes at her suspiciously.

Midnight didn't seem to notice the slight change in your look, however, as she quickly switched to her innocent facade. "Maybe he is jealous that the kids get to spend so much time with you?" She suggested.

That was a possibility. It was true that Shouta had been staring at you strangely lately; at times, he almost seemed like he was waiting for you to do something. Or maybe it was just a figment of your imagination.

Who knows, right? You tried not to put much thought into it. You got along fast with everyone, but then again, Aizawa didn't seem like the type of person that would allow people to get along that easily. And it was alright to you, besides the fact that he stared at you weirdly most of the time.

You were brought back from your thoughts by Hizashi's exclaim. "Ooooohh! Y/n, maybe you should go on a date!"

Nemuri choked on the sip of water she was drinking and nearly spat it on the table.

"What?" You inquired.

Hizashi glanced at your confused reaction.

"Why don't you go on a date with Shouta? If I didn’t know any better, I would say he wants to be at least friends with you!" He added with a cheeky grin.

"I don’t think so." You firmly denied it.

Nemuri was still recovering from her coughing fit. After finishing, she placed her chopstick back in the bowl and sighed.

"Oh, Y/n, how oblivious can you be?"

You raised an eyebrow at her. "That just doesn't seem likely." You argued.

The other two exchanged glances.

"Well, what makes you so certain?" She pressed.

You thought for a moment before replying. "Aizawa looks uncomfortable around me. Annoyed, even. And I am just doing my job."

"You know what, Y/n, I’m sensing some sexual tension," Hizashi smirked. You choked on your soup.

"Don’t make fun of me!" You glared.

"No one is making fun of you," Nemuri chuckled at your comment, "it is more like we are thinking about you."

"What?"

"You are just so oblivious. We noticed that you keep staring at him at random times. And it seems like he stares back sometimes too." She explained amusedly.

"That proves nothing." You defended, though you were starting to doubt your words.

"Really?" Mic asked with a smirk on his face. "How often does he stare? Do you think you could count them?" He teased you.

"Shut it!" You snapped as you felt your cheeks start burning.

Both of them snorted and laughed. While you felt embarrassed, you couldn't help but smile at how easily their teasing worked on you.

"Do you want us to try and catch him staring at you? Or do you want to do it yourself?" Hizashi said slyly. You blushed furiously at his offer.

"No!" You shouted. The blonde grinned at your outburst, clearly enjoying teasing you. Meanwhile, Nemuri looked at you with amusement, her cheeks slightly puffed.

The rest of lunch went by quietly, with you awkwardly trying to finish your soup as you planned how to avoid eye contact with the man who looked like a demon every time you saw each other.

When you returned to your office, however, you couldn't stop thinking about what the heroes said. Did they mean to imply that Shouta was interested in you?

Even if it was just a crush, that couldn't be right. You didn't even know if that man liked anyone. And even if he did, you doubted he would choose you.

A small voice spoke up in the back of your mind, telling you to consider the possibilities. It was almost like it was calling you out on your naivety.

You shook your head violently. No way.

He didn't look at you as anything other than an annoying coworker, right? There was not a chance.

Then, after your work day ended, you went home, feeling conflicted over what had transpired during lunchtime.

What the hell was that? You thought to yourself. Why would they tease you about it out of the blue? And, more importantly, why did you bother with it in the first place?

You didn't know, so you decided to drop the issue and focus on the paperwork you had gotten in the week.

Hopefully, it would distract you from the fact that your mind started to race with the possibilities of what that all could mean.

- - -

The next few weeks passed with you avoiding Shouta even more, and you didn't even know why you were bothering with it so much.

Also, it didn't get any better when you couldn't help but notice how hard his gaze was fixed on you when you passed him in the lounge to get a cup of coffee.

Or yet, how he seemed annoyed whenever he caught your gaze but also slightly amused at the same time.

You were pouring your coffee into the mug when you heard Hizashi heading toward Shouta.

As soon as the blonde sat down next to his friend, he immediately began rambling. The ravenette just looked at him blankly, nodding his head to whatever the other was talking about here and there. Nevertheless, you could tell that he kept glancing in your direction, although you still avoided eye contact.

"Hey, Y/n! Care to join us?" Mic called over to you.

You turned around to meet his gaze, which appeared not to notice the sudden tension in the air.

Phony.

"Sure." You replied dryly before walking towards them, taking a seat on the opposite side of Hiz.

Hizashi gave you an encouraging smile as you set your mug on the side table before turning to face them properly.

"Alright, Eraser, we need to talk about our last lesson for the week." Hizashi declared, trying to break the awkward silence that had descended upon the group. Shouta merely grunted in response.

"Are you okay? You seem kinda distracted." Hizashi began, concern evident in his tone.

"I'm fine." Came the reply.

Mic raised a brow. "Then tell me why you kept looking over there?" He queried.

"Look, whatever you are implying-"

"-is absolutely nothing that concerns you and Y/n. What I meant was that you seemed kinda off today." Hizashi interrupted.

Aizawa sighed deeply before giving up trying to defend himself against Hizashis' interrogation. Then, he ran a hand through his hair. "It is just a headache." He mumbled.

"A headache? Caused by stress? Or is it-"

"Hey, Hizashi. What are you trying to do?" You intervened.

Shouta looked surprised by your interruption, and Hizashi looked taken aback by your question. But the loud man only gave you a cocky smile. "I was going to say that Aizawa has probably been drinking too many cups of coffee." He said. You rolled your eyes.

Both of them glanced at each other, silently debating whether or not to continue talking.

Finally, after few seconds passed, the blonde spoke up again. "We will drop it for now," he said, "but I assure you, he is just acting a bit weird." He stated.

You knew better than anyone that you would never convince Hizashi to drop the topic. "Right." You replied.

"Good," Hizashi said with a smile. Then, he turned to face Shouta again, "but seriously though, what is it?"

Aizawa huffed in annoyance and looked away. Hizashi chuckled. "Sorry, man. I was only messing with you!"

Shouta remained quiet.

"So, where are you headed after work?" Hizashi inquired.

"Home."

"Oh, come on! It's Friday! You have to hang out with us at least a little bit!" He whined.

"I can't. I am busy with paperwork, so I need to go home after work and get it over with." Shouta said, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

Hizashi frowned before turning back to you. "Come on, Y/n! Join us! I won’t let you skip out on me too!" He pleaded.

You smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Hiz. I should go home after work too." You replied.

Hizashi frowned even more at your answer. "Ah, come on! Just one drink? Please!?" He asked dramatically.

You chuckled before answering with a short sigh and a smile, defeated by his persistence. "Okay, okay, fine! But just one drink." You stated. With that, the blonde was gladly satisfied.

To your surprise, the day went by strangely smoothly after that. You went to your office to asssist some students individually and didn't cross paths with Aizawa or Yamada until the end of the day.

At lunch, you spent some quality time chatting with Nemuri and Ishiyama, happy to have a break from Hizashis' insinuations and teasing for a while.

After that, you were busy updating confidential records about the students on your laptop, and the time went by quickly. Before you knew it, it was time to leave – the school was quiet, indicating that the classes had ended for quite some time. 

Packing your things, you quickly organized your office and headed for the exit, turning off the light and locking the door as you left.

You took your cell phone out of your pocket as you walked through the hallway, checking the notifications you received during the day.

[Hizashi]: Are you still coming????? Nemuri started to let things slip out of her mouth!!!! o(≧∇≦o)

God. Were they already there? How long has it been since the shift ended?

[You]: Sorry, Hiz. I got caught up doing stuff. ( ꒦ິ–꒦ີ) But I’ll make my way down soon!! See ya soon!!!

You put your phone back in your pocket as you rounded the corner that led to the elevators. Glancing ahead again, you came across the tall, black-clad figure that had been haunting your mind lately.

Awesome.

You slowly walked towards the doors, pausing to wait for the elevator that Shouta had already requested.

As you approached it, he glanced at you briefly before turning his attention back to the screen of his phone.

When the elevator arrived and opened its doors, both of you stepped inside, waiting for the ground floor. Once the doors closed, he glanced at you briefly from the corner of his eye.

Then, he cleared his throat.

"I thought you'd be hanging out with Mic?" He asked, casually.

"I will. I just needed to take care of some stuff before I left. Why do you ask?" You questioned as you turned your head to face him.

He hesitated for a second before shrugging. "No reason."

You stared at him for a moment before nodding, turning your head back forward. But you couldn't let this opening to get something out of this guy pass. You wanted to know what had been going through his mind for a while now.

Glancing up at him again, you asked, "by the way, how are you? Mic insists that you've been acting weird lately. Not that this is any of my business, anyway, so…" You trailed off.

He seemed to stiffen a little, and you could tell he gritted his teeth before he sighed. "I’m alright." He replied, his voice remaining expressionless. Regardless, you thought that you made him feel uncomfortable.

So you nodded in agreement, giving up on questioning him as it seemed he wouldn't speak again. And anyway, your desire to know more about him was not worth his discomfort.

Silence fell between you two one more time, but somehow it did not feel as awkward as it used to. That is, until you heard a soft click and the elevator stopped in its tracks, the lights going out and leaving you in complete darkness until the emergency light came on seconds after.

Likes, reblogs, and comments are appreciated! Check the fixed post for requests.

[sleepingpopplio]

MHA chapter 378 and moving forward with purpose

I’m currently writing a different analysis related to character design, but this chapter in bnha was so incredibly important that I just had to talk about it. As we know, this chapter had the same name as a previous one, that being “The Story of How We All Became Heroes Part 3”. I and many others saw this detail and immediately thought that Horikoshi might’ve made a mistake. But after rereading the chapter translations and reviewing the manga I realized that he actually made an incredibly purposeful decision. When we begin to really see what the villains are going through and thinking after the first war arc, it was titled “The Story of How We All Became Heros Minus 1”. We would’ve been at a part 4, but we subtracted 1 so now we are back at 3. Why is that? Well, the in the “Minus 1” chapter we get to see just how much in pain the league is. They are not celebrating their supposed victory, because in the end all they got out the war was loss of friends and increased manipulation at the hands of All For One. Therefore, they can’t become heroes yet because they still need to be saved themselves.

This chapter is a repeat because it’s entire purpose is to finish setting the stage for the rest of the battle and for saving the villains. We see former villains such as Gentle, La Brava, and even Nagant helping in the battle against All For One and his forces. More specifically, we see how Izuku Midoriya’s efforts have not been in vain, and how he has inspired them to do good. The theme of finding the good in people and believing in their power to change in be better, which will ultimately pay off in the end due to said goodness, is alive and well though the integral character that Izuku is. It’s incredibly cathartic for the audience, because Deku is rarely rewarded for his good deeds, and by the former villains showing up not to help the hero’s, but him specifically, it demonstrates to Izuku that his goal is possible. He can save the villains. He can save Tomura. Now, how does this play into the genius behind the title?

We cannot move forward until we make sure that no one is left behind. Never again, at least

The villains have to be given the possibility to grow and become heroes themselves, or else nothing will change. The cycle of violence and conflict will only continue. With this chapter, the end of the cycle has been cemented. We can now move forward because we have been 100% ensured that no one is going to get left behind. Thus, now that we’ve been shown all the villains that Deku has already helped, the only one left for him is Tomura. The stage has been fully set, Horikoshi has fully laid all of his cards out on the table, and now we as the audience just have to wait to see how the league of villains can be heros too.

[cactusspatz]

November recs

Between Thanksgiving and Yuletide canon review, I didn't do a ton of fic reading in November, so I've got a nice short batch of five superhero fics: mostly DCU, one BNHA.

Frame the halves (and call it a whole) by tucuxi (gen)

Jason gets it, gets the space between them, the way Red Robin keeps his distance. Of all the ways Jason fucked up when he first got back to Gotham, Pit-mad, green-tinted, and chock-full of Talia’s half-truths, breaking into the Tower and nearly killing a kid is the one he regrets the most. Dick or B probably would say something pointed about regretting committing multiple homicides and putting heads in duffel bags, but Jason doesn’t regret any of those deaths one bit. Maybe he’d choose a different duffel bag, but that’s about it.

OR: The one where Oracle calls Red Hood and Red Robin in to deal with a Crane-shaped incident at the docks, a brand new strain of fear toxin is released, and Jason is horrified to discover that he’s NOT Tim’s worst fear.

Tim and his abandonment issues, oh my heart. Also really nice work getting Tim and Jason over the hump into a better relationship without them really talking about things, which is hard to do well but the author nailed it.

To Eat Well by SilverSkiesAtMidnight (gen)

“Here,” Jason says, passing the tray over to Damian. “Go bring Dick this.”

Damian redirects his scowl, but the furrow in his brow looks more curious than angry now. “What is it?”

“Papanasi,” he answers. “It’s, uh. It’s something his family used to make.”

Damian accepts the tray, holding it as carefully as he would delicate electronics. “And this will…make him happy?”

He doesn’t laugh at him. “Nah, kid,” he says wearily. “He’s not going to be happy until he knows his family is safe. But it’ll help."

The ransom call comes the following morning.

In which Tim is kidnapped and Jason stress bakes because he was present but too injured during the kidnapping to go out looking. Lovely character work.

buy back the secrets by sundiscus (Tim/Kon)

He takes a long, slow breath. Ignores the glares from the other students. “Superboy,” he murmurs. “It’s me. If you’re listening, I could use some help.”

Or: 5 times Superboy saves Tim Drake, and one time Tim Drake saves Superboy.

I hardly ever rec WIPs, but this one is SO GREAT and the two chapters so far are standalone so it's easy to hop in. Definitely a loose relationship with canon/timelines, but creative and smart and feelsy, good with the classic problem of h/c vs Tim’s independent streak, with generally amazing voices for Tim and Kon.

Freefall by sage (Tim/Kon)

Kon is asleep, all of his homework finished for once and the farm quiet and peaceful around him, when Tim screams.

In which Kon catches Tim. Harrowing, and then sweet.

One Percent by redrobin1989 (BNHA, gen)

Midoriya Izuku is a boy who stands on the crossroads of many potential realities. In one percent of all realities, he meets All Might and accepts an impossible offer. In others, very different fates await him. A man with the ability to see those alternate lives catches a glimpse of Deku and sees what could have been.

A sharp collection of what-ifs from an outsider POV.

[candycandy00]

So this might seem like a controversial opinion, and please keep in mind that this only applies to me personally, but I don’t mind at all when someone Likes a bunch of my fanfics without reblogging them. 

Let me be clear, of course I prefer reblogs or comments. Of freaking course. But if you just click Like on my post? That’s great! I’m flattered and I’m happy you enjoyed my writing enough to click that little heart. I honestly can’t imagine not being happy with a large number of Likes. 

So I’ll explain why I feel this way, and bear with me because I have to delve into a bit of my history as a writer. 

I started writing fanfiction in my early teen years. When the internet was still young. When fan-run forums were a great place to post them. When we all had “shrines” to our favorite characters hosted on Geocities, joined thirty web rings, nervously posted our first lemons, and fought off flamers. 

I wrote fanfiction for many years, for lots of different fandoms. And I loved doing it. I loved the feeling of being part of a community of fans. I loved being creative with the stories I enjoyed. But most of all I loved the feedback, the engagement. Regardless of the quality of my work (and let’s be real, those early fics were super cringe), I got reviews, comments, people telling me to continue. And the feedback came almost immediately. Within hours of posting something, there would be at least a few comments or reviews. These pushed me to keep writing, because I wanted more. More reviews. More encouragement. More reactions. Feedback and engagement are the most addictive drugs to a writer. Knowing someone read your words, and even better, knowing they enjoyed them? Instant high. 

However, my true passion has always been original fiction. I’ve been making stories since I was a small child. I’ve had “novels” in progress since I was ten years old. And at some point, after basking in the feedback of fanfiction, I decided to focus more on my original work. My dream was always to be a published novelist, after all. So after many many years as a fanfiction author, I left fanfiction behind. I returned to it very briefly a few years later, wrote exactly two fics, then left it again. 

I worked on my original fiction. I wrote and actually finished multiple novels. I edited, rewrote, etc. Then I excitedly began querying literary agents. And the result? Form rejection after form rejection. Not a single request for the full manuscript or even a partial manuscript. Not a single word of feedback. And this repeated with each novel I wrote. 

Desperate for feedback, I started posting my stories on various places online. Wattpad. Here on tumblr. Various forums and other websites for posting original work. I even joined Facebook groups specifically for sharing your unpublished novels to get feedback. The result was still a resounding “nothing”. No comments. No likes or votes or reviews or reblogs. A small handful of views on Wattpad was all I got. And I’m talking small. Like less than 20 per chapter. On some stories, less than 5. It was like my work was invisible. No one would give it a second glance. 

After all of this I started to question myself. Was I actually any good at writing to begin with? Had I just deluded myself into thinking I had any talent whatsoever? Getting zero feedback or engagement on all of it was crushing. I would much rather get negative feedback than none at all. It was like screaming into the void, to keep posting work that would be totally ignored.  

At some point I remembered how wonderful it felt to get feedback on my fanfiction. And I craved that again. I’d been following a few blogs on here that took requests (blogs like this one I’m currently running). I actually sent a few anon requests into them. And at the same time I was thinking of how much I missed writing fanfics, I got a few ideas for fics that just would not leave my brain. So I wrote my first BNHA fanfic, and my first fanfic in general in many years. That was Break Time, a Shigaraki x Reader fic. It was my first x Reader fic as well, and it took me a bit of effort to get used to the format. But I did it. I wrote it. And then, I nervously posted it to this blog, and waited to see if anyone would spare it a glance. 

When those Likes started coming in, I literally teared up. It was like, “Oh so I can still entertain people with my writing. People still like my work.” Coming from the barren wasteland of zero feedback, those dozens of Likes early on were like an oasis. Each one meant more to me than you can ever imagine. 

So for me, it absolutely boggles my mind that anyone could actively hate getting Likes. I get it, reblogs and comments are so much better. But are Likes that terrible? 

To me, it’s like this: Likes are like small pieces of candy. Reblogs and comments are like big strawberry parfaits. Do I prefer a big strawberry parfait to a piece of candy? Of course I do. But if someone walks up to me and gives me a piece of candy, I’m not gonna be mad at that person. I still like candy, even if I get way more excited about the parfait. And when you spend several years getting no candy whatsoever, you definitely appreciate it when people start giving you some. 

And yeah, it’s definitely frustrating to see other people getting strawberry parfaits and all you ever get is candy, but does that make it alright to be a total jerk to the next person who gives you candy? To angrily scream that you’re not accepting candy because people aren’t giving you enough parfaits? Honestly, it just makes you seem petty to me. 

(And to clarify, saying you’re frustrated about not getting parfaits is not what I’m talking about, yelling at the people giving you candy and being super rude about it is what I’m talking about.)

If you’re someone who is getting genuinely angry at people for Liking your stuff, I invite you to try a little experiment. Write an original piece of fiction. Just a short story, but put a lot of effort into it. Then post it. Literally anywhere. I can guarantee you that the next time you get a bunch of Likes on your fanfics, you’ll appreciate them. 

All this to say, feel free to Like my stuff! Spam Like my stuff! I’m cool with it. Will I get all squishy and blushy if you reblog or comment? Yes. I most definitely will. But if for some reason you only feel comfortable Liking it, it still makes me smile. 

Also, end note here, but I don’t reblog fanfic. I reblog art, gif sets, etc. but not fanfic. That’s because this is my fanfic writing blog and I have this fear that people will confuse the reblogged fanfic for being my work, and I hate the idea of getting credit for someone else’s work. I know this might be an irrational fear. I am planning to make a secondary blog just for reblogging fics I enjoy. I’ll link it when I do in case anyone wants to follow it for a curated list of really great fics! 

[ebonysficcollection]

BNHA Fic Recs: Family/Friendship Feels

make this feel like home by carolinaa

The Todoroki siblings all come together for Christmas for the first time in years when they hear that Endeavor will be out of town during the break. Very painful, but also the most realistic depiction of estranged siblings that clearly love each other, but don't know how to act around each other. Fantastically written, and it's told from Natsuo's perspective, which is a refreshing take on this genre of Todoroki family recovery fics.

Tickets to the Todoroki Trauma Drama Are Buy 1 Get 1 Free by miniongrin

Touya and Fuyumi are twins and get body-swapped and learn about the lives they've developed since being separated and grow closer as a result. Fucking hysterical, great characterization of Fuyumi specifically, and surprisingly sweet and sad when it wants to be.

journey to the past by aloneintherain

When Izuku's classmates are pro heroes, they time travel back to when Izuku was little and save him from villain attacks repeatedly over the course of his life. This is heartbreakingly sweet. It shows all of Izuku's baggage and loneliness while simultaneously giving us the best friend bonding that is Pro Hero Class A playing with baby Deku. It's like getting an ice cream after getting decked in the nose.

Confusion by bortzy

Todoroki and Kirishima bonding over being gay. That's kind of it, but it's cute. I like Kirishima and Todoroki being friends. It's just uncomplicated friend stuff.

Movin' Out by momojirounation

Todoroki and Yaoyorozu not knowing how to function so they ask their partners for help. Very cute and funny, I love platonic Todomomo, and also they're both autistic, which is just--yes.

i. shaky hands by rexcorvidae

Izuku has chronic pain on account of being the human embodiment of poor impulse control, so Dadzawa steps in and helps him deal with it. It's just nice. It's just nice seeing people treating Izuku well. It's vicarious catharsis.

If We're Being Honest by thequeenofwhump

Class 1A is hit with a truth quirk that causes them to spout "fucking word vomit" for almost a month, and because no one can lie, all the couples get together in, like, the first chapter, and it's great. It's hilarious, especially the internal narration of the characters, and there's a lot of really good friendship moments between everyone involved, and I do mean everyone. It's not just the usual angst-ridden characters like Todoroki and Bakugou. I have a whole review typed up for this bad boy, but I'd say it's worth a read.

Imperceptible by lunarecrypt

A Hagakure-centric fic was something I did not know I needed, but now I'm glad I have it. Hagakure needs stealth advice from Todoroki, and she finds out the barest bones of his backstory and why he is the way he is. I always love fics about less popular characters, and I especially love them when they're told from the perspective of an underappreciated character. I really like Hagakure, and I wish there was more available content about her.

Terrible Twos by PotterheadAvengerDemigod

Midoriya is hit with a Quirk that de-ages him back to when he's four years old, and since Bakugou is the only person he knows and remembers, Bakugou has to babysit him. Tooth-rottingly adorable and features Bakugou struggling not to swear in the presence of innocent baby Deku, lest his friends hit him over the head with a rolled up newspaper. It's great, fucking love it.

all according to keikaku................. by carolinaa

Kirishima gets sick of Midoriya and Todoroki's pining, so he decides to flirt with Todoroki in an attempt to not-so-subtly force Midoriya to confess by taking advantage of Midoriya's competitive streak. The characterization is really solid and features teenagers being teenagers, with all the hell that is high school put on full display. I just love it when class 1A is depicted as just the most Gen Z kids to ever exist. This fic is almost literally every conversation I've overheard or been apart of in homework group study sessions. It's great.

(Honestly, just go read everything by this author).

bff (brother friend forever) by carolinaa

A collection of snapshots showing Iida and Uraraka's friendship, where they're really just bratty siblings that love each other just so much. As always with this author, great writing style, fantastic characterization, and hit me in the fucking feels.

(Seriously. Read everything by this author. Especially if you want good Erasermic and Todo-family fics).

[figurativepieceoftrash]

Can I ask why you hate Vacation? Don't have to share if you don't want to, I'm just curious.

I wrote Vacation specifically to appeal to fandom trends and create something popular. I noticed that bnha readers tended to gravitate towards ridiculous, non-constructive, low-stakes crack fic with fandom humor, which I personally dislike reading/writing and find quite boring, and decided to attempt regardless bc my work never achieves the kind of engagement I want and I thought the dopamine hits would be fulfilling

Initially the insane stats were really nice! I got maybe thirty comments in the first day of posting (INSANE for my work) and a higher kudos to chapter ratio than I knew what to do with. Big fandom names who had never engaged with my work before were leaving stellar reviews, and I finally felt like something I'd written had a chance of going viral. The only issue was that I felt absolutely nothing for the story I was writing and in many cases outright despised the tropes I'd engaged with

I hate the badass Inko trope, the clueless, incompetent dfo trope, the genius Midoriya Izuku trope, fandomized dadmight, etc. etc. etc. the list goes on, but I'd realized that each of these tropes enable a fic to perform better despite how inherently reductive they tend to be. Which would be fine except that it led me to despise the way I'd portrayed characters I know I'm perfectly capable of liking in the right depictions and thus absolutely loathe writing them

Beyond this crack fic is. Just absolutely, monumentally, most definitely, infinitely and forever Not My Thing™️. Fandom humor relies on warping the characters involved in ways I feel are reductive and sticking them in situations they'd never realistically be in for the sake of a type of tongue in cheek "haha isn't [character a] so smart and wisecracking and [character b] so incompetent?" farce that just in no way appeals to me. Call me a fun killer, but I've always hated ooc comedy imagines and characterizations (the Izuku stealing a dead nighteye's merch/merch hoarding in general, Uraraka being a money-grubbing mizor, Aizawa loving cats/constantly adopting kids, Izuku is snappy and sarcastic and dfo doesn't impact him at all he says so what, etc. etc. I'm sure you can think of many more), incorrect quotes blogs, big bnha blog joke aus taken as canon, etc.

I tend to prefer comedies like Arrested Development, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Curb Your Enthusiasm where the humor arises naturally from the characters being the way they were designed to be in natural situations rather than like,,, warped funhouse mirror versions of characters losing or gaining a skull's worth of braincells to adhere to ooc characterizations the fandom collectively deems as funny on some arbitrary, indiscernible basis. I get fandom humor it just doesn't amuse me at all, and honestly I've blocked way too many bnha blogs for constantly shoving it in my face. No hate, it's preference, I just really prefer not to engage with it

Vacation was me shilling out my values and preferences to be popular and it didn't even perform as well as it could've to boot. Frankly writing it was really tiresome and unfun for me and I personally don't vibe with the brand of humor it has at all. It was a slog from start to finish and it was only two chapters long

I'm definitely not judging anyone who likes it, but it probably isn't something I'll ever revisit unless I'm in a REALLY bad place mentally and need writing validation lol