#even more so then say Enji dying before he sees touya

[sarahjtv]

My Hero Academia Chapter 426 Spoiler Talk: The Hellish Todoroki Family Conclusion

Whew, what a chapter goddamn. The Todoroki Family, especially Shoto (my favorite character 🩵), is one of my favorite and one of the best arcs in My Hero Academia. We all knew that their conclusion was coming this chapter and now that we're here, let's talk about it:

First off, in case you didn't hear, Weekly Shonen Jump and MHA mangaka, Kohei Horikoshi himself, confirmed that this is the first of the last 5 chapters of My Hero Academia. The series will end in early August with 430 chapters total if all goes well. I made a post about this when it was announced 2 days ago, but I want to briefly say that I am going to miss this series so much. It has had such an amazing impact on my life and surely saved me during many rough times. I will be so sad to see it end, but happy to see Horikoshi finish his beloved story on his own terms after 10 long years of publication. I will make sure to see it through myself.

We start off the chapter with a Todoroki Family reunion. We see the whole family about a month after the war ended. Everyone has burn scars of some kind now with Rei's having the largest that even covers the left side of her face like Shoto's and Endeavor's do ironically enough (I see what you did, Horikoshi). We don't see if Endeavor got any burn scars on his face because it's covered with bandages, but given he has the highest fire resistance next to Shoto, I doubt it.

Also, pretty much everyone got a haircut from their bodies getting torched trying to stop Touya (I'm going to call him that from here on). Fuyumi and Endeavor got a few inches off, Natsuo cut quite a bit off to the point where he's looking like his father again (oh, the irony), and Rei got a significant portion cut off to the point where it's back to the length it was when she and Enji first met. I think Shoto got a slight trim, but it's hard to tell. His hair is definitely scruffier than it was before, though. Honestly looks-wise, they all still look really good. Those Todoroki/Himura genes are doing good work.

But, despite those good looks, everyone is here to see Touya in his own operating tube (?). The doctor says that Touya's slowly dying and Endeavor tells everyone that he's retiring. Both things are what everyone saw coming. There was no way Endeavor was going back to hero work after everything that happened to him during the final war. It was just never possible. Even with prosthetics, I think his own mental state and where he is in life with his family would have prevented that from happening. I'm surprised that Touya is alive at all, but I'm glad to see that he's alive to see his family for a little longer before he eventually dies which I assume may happen in the final chapter of the series.

Also, Touya can still talk! Bro still can't move for shit, but he's conscious enough to talk to his family. He still hates his father and I get it. I don't think there was any way Touya was going to forgive his father after everything that happened. It's good to see that Endeavor still is trying to atone and wants to talk with Touya as much as he possibly can to his eldest son, but that won't change anything right now. The least Endeavor can do is listen to what Touya might want to say.

Fuyumi and Rei try to talk to Touya too, but the doctor is telling them that talking more would be a burden on Touya's heart. And then Shoto asks his oldest brother "What's your favorite food?" and Touya responds "Soba..." just like Shoto. I can't do this tonight, guys! I'm screaming, crying, throwing up! WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN! THEY COULD HAVE EATEN SOBA TOGETHER IN ANOTHER LIFE!!! HOW DARE YOU, HORIKOSHI! I'M IN YOUR WALLS 😭

And right as his family leaves his room, Touya slowly cries tears and says "Shoto... I'm sorry..." I don't need to explain this one. This fucking hurts. Touya has regrets, but it's too late. Touya may be Dabi the murderous villain who ruined a lot of lives, but he's also still a young man who deserved a better life than what was handed to him and does still care for his family even if only a little. All around a tragic character. If this is the last we see of Touya, I think it's a good albeit sad send-off.

As the Todorokis start to part ways, we get an idea of where their lives are going now:

1. Natsuo wants to start a family with his girlfriend (isn’t he only 20 btw and he started dating her like, what, a year ago? I get it, Natsuo, but this is too early don’t you think? 😭) but has no intention of having a ceremony for it specifically because he doesn't want her or himself to ever see Enji again. I don't blame him for this. Even though he helped stop Touya from literally exploding which did save his father, Natsuo made it clear from the start that he was never going to forgive Enji no matter how much he atoned. The reason why he was even born was because Enji wanted a perfect Ice/Fire child, but he didn't get that until Shoto was born afterwards. Natsuo saw Enji hurt and abuse his family for pretty much his entire life and Enji suddenly wanting to fix what he broke wasn't going to change Natsuo's mind on what he thought of his father. Cutting ties with his father is for the best. It's a miracle the rest of his family still want to see Enji at all, especially Shoto.

2. Fuyumi has also quit her teaching job, but a mother of one of her students found another one. This is also understandable. The public slander of her family on her is what probably pushed this and I'm sure her good reputation got inadvertently damaged from it. I hope she is treated better at her new job.

3. Enji is going got continue to pay for his crimes for the rest of his life whatever that takes. He even understands if the rest of his kids never want to see him again either. He will still do everything he can to make sure his kids are unharmed by the whole Dabi thing. He even accepts that he's going to dance with Touya in Hell one day. Honestly, regardless of what you think of Endeavor, I honestly think his atonement/development arc is one of the best in the series. He has definitely become a better man than what he started out as when we first met him during the Sports Festival Arc, but what I love about this is that Horikoshi never let him off the hook. He made Enji face his sins head-on and suffer through every consequence that came from his abusive actions. If Enji Todoroki is going to atone, he's going to atone the very, very hard way. Enji may be a better man and father, but that doesn't mean he's going to see the pearly gates when all is said and done. The best he can do is pay for his sins for the rest of his life and pray that Rei, Fuyumi, and Shoto don't leave him completely too.

4. And finally, there's my favorite, Shoto 🩵! He's going back to school and reassures his parents that he will be fine with his friends as they help him become who he wants to be. This essentially concludes Shoto's arc as well. When we first met him, he was a cold, anti-social teen who didn't want to make any friends. All he wanted to do was to become a hero with his ice alone to spite his father. Since then, he's opened up to his classmates, made amazing friends especially in Izuku, Iida, and Bakugo, rekindled his relationship with his mother and siblings, come to terms with his father and Touya, and finally accepted his Ice/Fire powers as his own. He says he's on the path to becoming the hero he wants to be, but I'd argue that he's already there. Again, it's an incredible development for Shoto and I think this is a great conclusion to his own character arc.

After Shoto leaves, we transition to Hawks! He's still there for Endeavor if he needs him which is nice. He's also the president of the Public Safety Commission! Dude may be Quirkless, but that doesn't mean he can't do anything! I'm happy to see him thrive in this new role of his and I hope he can reform the PSC into something good as opposed to how they treated him in the past.

We also catch up on Lady Nagant WHO IS NOT DEAD 🎊, but chooses to stay in prison for a bit longer. And Gentle and LaBrava are ok and free too! Good endings here!

The final panel shows Spinner and someone is opening his hospital door 🤔

Phenomenal chapter! 10/10 would read and cry over again. Thank you and fuck you for everything, Kohei Horikoshi. 4 Chapters left. Fuck, my hands hurt 😭

[starstruckzine]

A little AU lore...

"Your old man is going to lose it." Keigo chuckled as he watched Touya towel dry his freshly dyed hair. The snow-white locks were pitch black, and his white tee shirt was splattered with patches of purple that matched the scarred tissue covering the lower half of his face and arms.

"Like he'll even notice." Touya scoffed as he grabbed his guitar off the bed. "The only way Endeavor would ever pay attention to me is if I set the city on fire," he paused, a wide grin crossing his lips as he added, "or killed someone."

"Don't even joke about that, you psycho."

Touya played a few chords and laughed at the worry in his best friend's voice. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Birdie. I've got a different plan in mind for the future."

🌟

Dabi read through the email he'd received a few minutes earlier from the band's manager. Their record label was putting together a tour; some big, fancy music festival that would travel the world over the span of a year. The details were being finalized, and Cremation had been invited to take part in the event.

A faint smile curled his lips as he turned and stared out the window of his penthouse apartment. The sky was dark, but the city was an ocean of colors: red and gold and bright white sparkling into the distant horizon. Maybe he hadn't become a hero like his father, but Touya Todoroki made a name for himself. And he did it on his own terms. Now, millions of people admired him, listened to his songs, and crawled over one another to buy his merchandise.

In a lot of ways, he'd surpassed Enji Todoroki, was living for it.

His phone rang, vibrating against the desk. He didn't need to glance at the screen to know who was on the line before he answered the call. "Hey, Birdie. I'm gonna guess you saw Compress's email."

Keigo chuckled. "World tour, huh?"

"That's what it says."

"Ever think we'd see the day?"

Dabi glanced at the display case in the corner of the room. A soft blue light illuminated the interior where a single guitar hung. It was just an old acoustic model, plastered with a collage of skulls and crosses. The brand name had worn off long before he ever touched it, but he never cared about labels anyway.

"Of course, I did. Everything worked out according to my plan."

A small blue flame lept from the palm of his hand. He watched it flicker as he listened to Keigo rattle off a list of places he wanted to visit during the tour. The bird's early childhood years  made him desperate to explore as much of the world as possible. Dabi's determination to succeed had almost as much to do with giving Keigo that freedom as it did with showing up his old man.

Now, all of their dreams were about to be realized on a scale he never dared to imagine.

"You're gonna run me ragged this entire tour, aren't you?" Dabi groaned as he extinguished the flame, but a grin stole across his lips. The social media opportunities would be limitless. So many chances to throw his fame in Endeavor's face.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you there's no rest for the wicked?" Keigo was laughing now, the excitement obvious in his voice.

Dabi chuckled, too. He'd strayed towards more nefarious paths when they were younger, considered actions that would have gotten him branded as something worse than "bad boy rock star". Somehow, Keigo always managed to drag him back in the right direction, kicking and screaming at times, but he was grateful for the support. Thinking about how things could have ended up without the bird made him cringe.

"Seriously, though," Keigo said suddenly, no trace of humor left in his tone, "I don't think I've ever thanked you."

"Thanked me? For what?"

"Are you kidding? For the music. The band. For making sure I didn't end up like my old man... Or yours."

"Like hell you'd - "

"Touya, shut up and let me finish. I'm just saying that my life could have gone a lot of different ways, but I'm grateful for where I ended up. I don't have a single regret about where I'm headed, and it's because of you."

Dabi was silent for a long moment, unsure how to respond. He glanced over at the desk and saw two new notifications on his phone. One was a text from Himiko, and the second was another email from Compress, titled "Please Review".

"If you're really grateful, you'll swear not to snore the entire tour. I need my beauty sleep."

"Don't change the subject. I'm trying to be vulnerable here."

There was a long pause before they both busted out laughing. Dabi sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. "We should go out and celebrate. My treat."

"Not gonna pass that up. Want me to invite the others?"

"We can plan something with them after we sign the contract. Tonight, we'll go haunt that little bar where we played our very first gig."

"You don't mean..."

"That's the one."

"No wonder you offered to pay."

The place was a small, hole-in-the-wall, dive bar where they'd played some gigs when they were still pretty young - too young to be in a bar - but the owner overlooked that little detail and paid them under the table. It was just the two of them in those days, but the money they made helped to pay for new equipment as their band and their popularity grew.

"You can pay then."

"Hey now, slow down. You were kind enough to offer, and it'd be rude of me to refuse. I'll let you pay."

"Sounds like a plan. You can pay when we take the rest of the band and Compress out to celebrate."

Dabi pictured the shift in Keigo's expression as he realized what just happened.

"Now wait -"

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Birdie." Dabi interrupted, chuckling. "It was a joke. I'm gonna jump in the shower then hop on my bike and ride ovrr. Meet me there in an hour."

ZINE INTEREST CHECK

[thyandrawrites]

how would you feel about a canon divergence last arc where Enji is killed entirely anticlimactically by a horde of Twice clones, Shigafo or even kills himself by overheating?

none of the Todorokis would be happy about it, but his absence in the ending and in Touya's final arc leaves a lot of space for the family members drama/bonding without Enji's atonement arc hogging away all the spotlight.

/thanks for the answer in advance! >o</

hi!

I feel like I should preface this by saying that I hate the guy, so my reply will be biased and not to be taken as objective meta! 

I’ve come full circle about how I feel about Enji dying before the end of the manga. I used to think that him dying in battle before he could make it up to his family would just make him a martyr. But after seeing how Horikoshi made him a martyr anyway while also keeping him alive, I think his death would’ve actually improved things. For one, because as you said, he would be removed from the Todofam plotline, giving the story more room to explore all the povs he overshadows in canon by robbing them of screentime. And this is just my opinion, but I feel like him dying while on the job would’ve given his arc a much more thematically coherent ending too tbh. 

The thing is, until the very end, Enji never delivered on the challenge that the narrative set out for him through Shouto. That is, demonstrating that he can be a father. To do that, the story repeatedly calls attention to how he should stop showing off as a hero and hoping that’s enough for his victims. But that’s a lesson he never accepts. 

You can trace this back in every single one of his pov chapters / introspections. Every time he thinks about how he should be doing right by his family, he always, ALWAYS, refers to himself as Endeavor or mentions his duty as a hero. Up until the end, where his way of owning up to Touya is to almost commit murder-suicide with him so that he can keep… protecting the greater good, I guess. And then when his family shows up and kicks his ass for it, he still doesn’t learn from it. When he visits Touya in the tube, guess what the first thing he mentions is?

as usual, ¾ of his monologue is about how he failed his own vision of how he should’ve acted as a hero, followed by a spiel about the shame he feels over his own shortcomings. None of that ever meant anything to his victims, 

but he always mentions it first. His self-image is always at the forefront of his mind, and it is important to him to always lead with it. That’s cause Endeavor is the persona he created to deal with his guilt as a father. It’s not just his job, it’s a mask he always donned to justify his actions in his head. It is important to him that he atones as Endeavor to his family because he wants to forgive himself for the actions he committed in the name of that hero persona. That’s why he never actually steps up as “just” Enji. 

It’s for that reason, though, that I think a death on the job would’ve been thematically appropriate for his arc. 

Remember how in the lead up to the second war arc, Enji made it a point to ignore not only Touya, but refuse to face Shouto as well until Shouto lured him out with an excuse and confronted him? That shows us how Enji ranks his priorities. Family? Negligible, hard to face. Work? The only thing he’s willing to put any active effort into. The only thing that keeps him functioning, in fact. His only source of escapism from the consequences of his actions. 

Now, if Horikoshi had any backbone as a writer, he could’ve written that to its natural end. If Enji keeps turning down any chance to own up to his shit and give priority to work instead… If he actively chooses to push himself close to death every time in a misguided effort to redeem himself… then that should be his fatal flaw. 

If growth isn’t possible with his unwillingness to face the past, then he should’ve died a tragic death. And by tragic I mean in the sense of greek tragedies. His hubris and inability to change his ways should lead to an eventual downfall caused by his flaws. He wants to prove himself as a hero, even when times and times again he was told and shown that won’t be enough to his family? Good, then let him attempt to fistfight his way to redemption and die pointlessly in that struggle. Imo that would’ve been better than what canon did by letting him have the cake and eat it too. It would’ve also sent a better message, by showing that it was his choices that led to a preventable death. He could’ve done better by his family and gotten to live. Instead, he chooses to persist in his old ways, and the narrative doesn’t give him a free pass for it. This would’ve also tied in very nicely to Shouto’s narrative because Shouto firmly believes in personal responsibility over fate and predestination. If his father had actually suffered any consequences for making the wrong calls in the war arc, then it would’ve brought the story full circle from the question Shouto asked him several arcs prior. 

Endeavor is strong, but how will you atone as a father? 

and the answer would be “he won’t”, because Enji chose not to be a father, but a hero instead. 

Also, Enji dying as a consequence of his choices and not as the outcome of Touya’s actions as a villain wouldn’t have impacted Touya’s own arc, or Touya’s own redeemability in the eyes of both the audience and his family. 

So. I’m not opposed to it. It would’ve been a win win situation honestly. Enji surviving against any logic and staying stagnant until the end for shit and giggles actively makes the story worse. Letting him die a thematically coherent death would’ve been better for all the Todorokis arcs, but it also would’ve made a much more poignant argument about how choices matter. Which, you know. would’ve been a nice way to end a subplot about how a single man’s choices almost led to the downfall of a country.

[dark-night-hero]

Imagine being the oldest sibling among the Todoroki siblings, family.

Imagine leaving the household at an early age due to lots of circumstances.

Imagine as years have gone by, the more guilty you become upon realizing you might have abandoned your own siblings in such shitty household. You were the oldest and yet here you are unable to protect your own siblings. Although the fact that you were still a child, a teen when you left the house. You should have taken them with you. But you were still young, unable to make meals and money for you own, what more could have happen when you take them with you, although your father never make back your allowances as per your request, it hurts your pride that you were still dependent on him.

Imagine as years have gone by, you grew apart from you siblings. Fuyumi understand, Natsu has more violent rection but he still understands, maybe the memories fo Touya still hunts him and he didn't want you to get pushed to that point too. And Shoto, you started seeing him less than before. Of course there were times that you visit the house, but only when your father wasn't around.

Imagine being in a relationship with Hawks, a man fast for his own good as well as a man full of secrets. It's funny that you don't even know his real name and only know him by his hero name. Still that's enough, after all, you have secrets of your own.

"Your phone has been beeping for a while now, (First name)(Lastname)." "What's up with the full name?" You laugh as you grab your phone delivered by one of your lovers feather. "Because if I don't you'll take a while to get then again like always." "I see the point and?" You roll your eyes at him before going through your phone.

Imagine as it was one of those rare days where your lover was by your side. And upon seeing the familiar 'Little Brother' on the lock screen, your eyes widen. After all it's been a while since he contacted you. In the first place you never sent him a message first, it was always him. It's just you couldn't bring yourself o contact him first.

"Who was it?" Your lover asked as he join you in the bed, warping his arms around your waist and resting his face on your tummy. "My little brother." "You have a little brother?" "Hmm yeah, three.. two little brother and one little sister." You smile bitterly but quickly brush it off. "What did they say? Was it an emergency?" "No, he was asking me if I could watch him at the sport festival." "Sport festival? He's at U.A?" You could only humm in agreement as you sent Shoto a reply. "You're going?" "He asked me if I could come, so I will." "As much as I want to go with you-" "Your busy." You cut him off before tossing your phone to the side and rub his hair, no words followed as he snuggle close to you. It's better if he doesn't come, after all, he was an endeavour fanatic and he was pretty much looking at your father unfavourable as you once told him a little about your background.

Imagine as you walk inside the academia you once strive to became a part of, you bitter chuckle left your lips as you once again check on the message left by your brother. The match won't start until after lunch. Adjusting your tinted glasses to hide away those turquoise eyes of your, brushing back a strand of your dyed (hair color) locks. You still have a lot of timme to waste so you just started having a food trip on the stands.

"I'm not using his power to win, I- I will refuse him with everything that I have." "Shoto-" "You- and then mom." You see his look down and grit his teeth. "Look here Sho-" "Shoto." Both of you turn around to see a figure you haven't seen in person for so long. "Enji Todoroki." You utter the name of the man right in front of you. And by the sound of his name being called, your eyes met his. "You left the detached house." "I'm old enough to handle my own." You replied without much thought.

Imagine as you were requested to leave per request not by your father but by your brother, you have no choice but to leave. With a bit of unease and consern, you left with a heavy heart. You barely see Shoto around. So the looks and state that he has lingers in your mind. Maybe because in some way, the way he looks remind you of Touya in a different way. "I can't do anything at all this time too." You spoke your thoughts out loud. And you stop, holding a hand to your mouth as your eyes widen upon realization and then you laugh.

Imagine the odd feeling on your chest as Shoto dominates his opponents only with his ice quirk, refusing to use the existence of his fire ones. It's odd seeing him like that. Makes you wonder if you did fail your duty as the oldest sibling, leaving your sibling in that household. While you gain freedom, your little siblings suffer under that household. You're just as guilty as you were back then. And even if you do want to reject his quirk, it was the only thing that has been keeping your body from being frozen by your own ice. The small flame deep inside your heart.

Imagine the shock as you see him use his flames. It was odd, and yet strangely refreshing. It was a sign of hope, that he was yet to fall on the same wrong path. It may not be you who guide the way, but you were glad someone did.

"I decided to visit mom." There was a moment of silence after that. "Are you mad?" "Me? I'm not." Suddenly you wanted a fresh air. But it's true that you're not mad. "I was never in a position where you need to ask for my consent to forgive someone." You shrug. "It was you who got hurt by Rei's action." "But that event made you leave." "That's one thing, Shoto." You spoke with a sigh. "Besides, it's better to forgive." "What about you?" "Hmm? Me?" "Do you forgive her?" "Once again, I have never in a situation where she has to ask for my forgiveness." "Then do you hate her?"

Imagine the short silence after that before you shrug once again. "I'm not sure." You spoke "And if you ask me the same thing about Enji, I would answer the same." You don't know. "When Touya died, I thought I hated father, then Rei did that, I thougt I hated her. But maybe I was just looking for someone to blame so the self guilt and hatred won't eat me." You added. "Be the one to forgive. You're kind, Shoto." You smile and messes with his hair. "And when the time comes, maybe I could too." Forgive yourself.

Imagine as you sat down the bed, the apartment empty with only you inside, you sat there in silence. It was then again a night where your lover wasn't around. Not that you were complaining, he was rarely around after all. Still as you sat there, towel around your neck as you were freshly out of the shower. It was cold, or maybe that was just your quirk. But it was cold. Then you chuckle, lifting your towel off your neck and give hair one last dry before putting it back on its place and lay down the bed by your lover's side of the bed. It was just your typical normal night after all.

Imagine it was one of those times where you visit the house, you knew Enji wasn't around so it was just you, Fuyumi and Natsu around as Shoto was still at school. "Shoto started seeing Mother again." "Hmm, he told me himself." You spoke before eating your usual cold soba. "Speaking of soba, leave Shoto some." "He likes soba?" "Yeah, it seems like he got it from me, he likes cold soba." You spoke without much thought. Then you heard someone dropped their chopstick. "What's the matter Natsu?" "We never knew that." He sounds so disappointed to himself it made you smile bitterly before reaching out a hand to pat him.

"Can I stay with you?" "Don't you have a dorm?" "But I still have to stay in here. Can't I just stay with you?" "Natsu, very one knows you're the son of Endeavour, you're much safer here." You hold on into his shoulder and gently squeeze it as he look down in disappointed. "Im sorry-" "Forget it, everything was his fault." You exactly knows who he was referring to. "You're leaving even before Shoto get home?" "Unfortunately I have to. I got a call from work I needed to arrive earlier than usual."

Imagine in your way back at home to your shared apartment with your lover, the one he got for both of you not too long after being in a relationship with him. You bumped into someone and you who happened to be going through your bag dropped it. "Oh shit, sorry!" Busy picking up your fallen things, you failed to see the guy you bumped with staring at you with a blank look on his face, nor did you notice the scars on his hand and face, hidden beneath his hoodie and mask.

Imagine as you apologise for the last time, you turn around and starts to walk away, this time paying attention to your surroundings as you walk. "Wait." "Hmm?" Turning around, it was the same guy earlier but this time he was holding on something as he seems to be reaching out to you. "You dropped this." It was a key chain, the only memento you have of Touya. It is a custom made key chain for Touya and you. A thing that glows when the other half was pressed for so long. "I- Thank you-!" As soon as you look forward, the man was missing on sight.

Imagine as you were busy looking around trying to find the guy, you failed to notice the way your key chain glows for a moment. Nevertheless, looking for the man you bumped with, you sigh and eventually give up. Still you had an odd feeling on your chest, earlier, even just for a moment when your fingers brushed upon his. It was warm, not just warm but it has a familiar warmth. "Touya?" Your eyes widen at the name that unconsciously came out of your lips.

Imagine the way you stood there in the middle of the side walk, in the middle of the night. But then you snap out of it. "Impossible." You shake your head, your twin dead a long time ago. Impossible, right?

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2023°

[crows-ramble]

I have a lot of thought with this new chapter and mostly just todoriks not hawks for now, i make my life easier and go charater to character.

Spoilers 426 of Mha

Fuyumi: I dont have much to say about her more then I wish we got hear more how she feeling now and what how she wanna move forward more then getting a new job. But I be saying her new hair cut is cute.

Natsou: Im happy Horikoshi did not ruin his character by making forgive Endeavor and stick to his words and cut of Endeavor and more forward with his girlfriend. I love that he never shown as bad person for choosing that, its just how he want to move forward to be truly happy.

Enji: I'm glad he reterie from being a hero but i dont like he did not have a choice anyways. It would be more impact full if he could keep going but choice to retire to pay attention to his family and Touya specilfly. I feel sure he got physicaly disable but that not really a concicent from being abusive but more just being a pro hero.

Rei: She got sidelined so bad just so we could focus on Endeavor, she said how many things she wanna say but never got to see it. I know they said touya could only talk for a few minutes per day but god i wish we got to hear her say something. If not with touya self at least how she felt outside ahe have to feel so much seeing her son like that after all those years. Also for some reason i have bittersweet feeling how she got similar haircut now like before she got married and scar on the same side as Shouto. Also hate the fact it look she the care taker of endeavor even if she trying to be a better mother she sjould not need to take care of her abuser no matter what.

Shouto: i don't have much to say about him as his devaloment since most likey see more of again in these last chapter but it went as expacted in a good way. But i be honest i love how we again got to see how his way of showing love with others is thrue food. And he willing to ask about Touyas favorite food to try get closer to him even in the state Touya in.

Touya: Im devistaed over his end. I know he proably would not be completly fine in the end but that he was just slowly dying.It hurt both for him since he deserved to be able to move on to live for himself and sad for Shouto to be fighting so hard just for him to be slowly dying. He was able to reach Touya out of Dabi just for his effort to be for so little compard to his effort. I am happy we got a moment where Touya apoligized to Shouto showing how he got reached and proably regrat what thier realtionship endup like and finally saw his brother as his just little brother and not a masterpeace that took endeavor away from him. I like how both Touya and Shouto got the same favorite food and even in small scales they got paralles. (Loved even as he slowly dying he still got his sass against Enji.)

[shadowed-dancer]

BNHA 426 Thoughts (based on leaks)

I feel conflicted. There's a lot about this chapter that I like, and a lot about this chapter that bothers me. So the best way I can think to explain the jumbled mess of thoughts I have is to separate them into positives and negatives. This is mostly to help me organize my thoughts and to get it off my chest

Positives

I LOVE Touya liking soba. I could go into a whole analysis about the importance of soba (and food overall) in the Todoroki family but the fact that it's his favourite is so right. And the way he reveals it

Natsuo going no-contact YES THAT'S MY BOY. Natsuo was always the sibling who hated Endeavor the most (yes, really) so it would have felt weird if he suddenly forgave him

I'm glad Touya is still giving attitude to his dad and I'm so happy he's calling Enji out for doing this after everything was over. I'll talk about Enji in the Negatives part, but the fact that Touya acknowledged the cowardice is very positive (my boy is smart. Let him use his analytical skills). Like, he's probably happy based on his heart monitor, but he still recognizes Enji's behaviour

Touya apologizing to Shoto AND CRYING??? Ugh my heart. He's able to cry again

Negatives

The biggest negative is the context that came later into leak-night: TOUYA IS DYING. Just as this family is starting to crawl their way to a happy future Horikoshi has to kill him off? Really?

The fact that there's 4 chapters left of this series really puts this chapter into a whole new context, and this in combination with Touya dying really sours the chapter

So with limited time left, there's a good chance that this will be the last time we ever see Touya. And it makes Endeavor's promise a lot more hollow because we don't even know how much time he'll have to honour that. If Touya were fine, I'd be able to write it off and say "well, even if we never see them again, we know that this is the trajectory for the future". But now the future might literally be a week. We don't know! And it frustrates me because Touya deserves better than that

The rest of the family doesn't get to say much to Touya, which wouldn't be that bad if it weren't for the fact that the series is ending in 4 chapters. There's a very real possibility that this will be the last time we ever see the ice-wielding Todorokis as well, and they didn't get any closure with their brother

The fact that this chapter has to share screen time with Hawks, Nagant, Gentle, and La Brava isn't the worst thing but it's also not the best. If this is the last time we'll see the Todoroki family, I'd have loved one last chapter dedicated entirely to them

Speaking of them, yeah all their endings are fine. Makes sense for all their stories. Back to the Todoroki family

Let's talk about Enji. On a personal level, I'd have loved to see Touya realize he doesn't need his dad's attention. However, I recognize that Enji giving Touya his acknowledgment is the point of their backstory, so Horikoshi was likely going in that direction. But that fact that Enji's only doing this now when it's convenient is so frustrating! Touya deserves better!

I've touched on it before, but the Todoroki plot would have been better if it stayed between Touya and Shoto (even if it meant Endeavor dying). So seeing Endeavor take up so much screen time and not giving the ice-wielders a chance to speak... yeah. Just stop man. The only good thing is Shoto got the last word to Touya but Endeavor really stole his son's whole plot line. Unbelievable.

[bury-me-in-potatoes]

BNHA 426

I'm very satisfied with this chapter! While I wasn't expecting the focus to shift away from the Todofam so quickly, I'm glad to see that Touya is still alive (for now lol), and that the entire family is taking steps to reconnect with him, especially Enji.

There might be some backlash over the fact that he seemingly hasn't really been punished for what he did, but I think having to live with the fact that he ruined his family with his own hands is probably more than enough. I'm not sure if jail time is in his future, but I'm sure if it came to that he'd accept it, unless it meant going back on his promise to Touya.

The scene where Shouto asks Touya what his favourite food is and Touya says it's soba was equal parts heartwarming and funny, even if I did call it a little bit lol. I'm glad Touya seems to have let go of his hatred for his younger brother. Hopefully they can begin to repair their relationship before Touya (presumably) dies.

I wasn't expecting Touya dying to be confirmed, but most of my worry was that he'd die before the family got to speak with him and reassure him of their desire to reconnect, so now that that's happened, I feel better about this. I don't think Touya was ever really making it out alive, due to turning himself into a charcoal briquette, but hopefully he still has some time left before he passes.

Another thing I wasn't expecting was Hawks being with Lady Nagant! I never really considered them as a duo before, but I'm glad they get along. I think Nagant is right in not immediately trusting to not be used again, especially since it's happened twice now, but it still sucks. Gentle and La Brava are always super enjoyable to watch lmao and I'm glad their contributions were recognized.

I never really considered that Hawks might be made the new chairman for the PSC, but I'm looking forward to what he does. I'm sure he's clever enough for the job. To be honest, I still don't really know what they do, but I'm sure he'll do better than the last couple chairmen. And I'm glad Spinner seems to be alright, albeit unconscious (?). I'm assuming that we'll get a scene where Izuku relays Tomura's last message, which I'm excited about.

This chapter was kind of bittersweet in that the Todoroki family storyline does seem to have been wrapped up nicely, and things are really looking up for everyone, but at the same time I know this means the manga is coming to an end. I'm still excited to see what Horikoshi has in store for the rest of the chapters, though. Thanks to @pikahlua as always for translating the chapters!

[problemswithbooks]

So, I think I just saw one of the worst takes for ch. 390--that being that Enji is being his asshole self because he's talking over Touya in his last moments.

I understand hating a character but I really don't know why people have the need to read everything they do from the most malicious angle possible. I get that Enji was a bad father, and even now makes mistakes, but it's really unfair to see him apologizing to Touya who has already been aloud to use what little breath he has left to speak, as him talking over him.

And the thing is people were shitting on Enji for not apologizing earlier, but now that he is, they have to find some other reason he's being terrible. I'm 100% positive that if Enji had just listened to Touya rant about hating everyone and wanted them all to die, these same people would say he was bad for not saying anything/apologizing.

Touya was barely coherent before Shoto froze him and now he's freezing from the inside out. He's charred to the bone and it's clear he's having trouble speaking the few times he did. For all the family knows, including Enji, Touya is dying. Does Enji really have the time to wait to apologize? And it's not like we see Touya trying to speak but getting cut off.

Saying Enji is making everything all about himself and speaking over Touya is overly harsh and clearly not the point the story is trying to make. It's just Enji finally apologizing to everyone, including Touya. The apology may not be enough, but even if it's not, it won't be because Enji talked over him and more that it came to late, or that words don't speak as loud as actions.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

You all knew how much I want Endeavor to stay alive in order to pay for all he's done. I've been very vocal about it, in fact.

For me Horikoshi did something amazing with the Endeavor storyline. First of all because the sequence of Endeavor fighting AFO has little to do with action and a lot to do with self-realization.

Enji not only exposed himself. Keep in mind all I have explained about younger versions of a character appearing as a why to symbolize the character core or soul or true self. Done? Well, we saw Enji facing a younger version of himself as a graphic description of the internal turmoil he was going through. This is Enji at his absolute limit, on the verge of dying, finally admitting all the wrong he has done, how awful he has been, how much damage he had caused. Even more, he's accepting he's not truly good. Hell never be what he wishes he could be, he can't reach the 1# spot as a hero. He even recognizes that the future heroes shouldn't be like him, that the future generations shouldn't have to carry the issues and mistakes of the past generations.

And I can't say this enough: this is huge.

I don't know if you hate or love Endeavor, but that doesn't matter here. We all know he was getting a redemption arc and it starts here. Not before. Here. Redemption starts with the person recognizing they have done something wrong or been someone bad. There's no getting better without the recognition phase, because you can't fix a mistake if you don't know it exists (not in this case). Yes, Endeavor must hate the person he is right now ane that's good for him. I'm not saying he's getting forgiven and all his sins had been forgotten. What I'm saying it's that it took a fight to death with the biggest villain on the bnha universe for Endeavor to recognize he's a major bastard, that he's responsible for what happened to Touya (hey, Touya is also responsible for his decisions but that's another post), that he's an obstacle for the future generations and that he needs to be a grown ass men, do his job right, deal with his issues and stop messing with people's lives.

For me, this is perfect. Endeavor dying would solve absolutely nothing. In terms of storyline, it'd be only a wound that's there to bleed, but it doesn't furthers anyone plot, it doesn't serve an option aside being dramatic, it is useless.

Endeavor LIVING? That's the move. There's a reason why he had that vision of Shouto walking towards the future, his back to his dad, facing the light. Enji owns the Todorokis for all he has done. He needs to take responsibility for the Touya thing (Shouto had to go stop his brother, something Enji should have done before), he needs to support Shouto in his career after all the trauma he inflicted, he has to answer Rei and be there for Fuyumi, he even has to endure whatever cold treatment Natsuo give him.

And if we talk about Hawks, I guess Endeavor's redemption is the path that opens up Hawks' redemption. Hawks is still young and he projects his issues a lot in Endeavor, his idol. If anything, Hawks depends way more on Endeavor that any of the Todoroki kids.

The graphic components of the chapter (357), like Endeavor basically murdering his past self in order to fully embrace how bad he has been it's a major step. Someone probably would give an explanation based on Freud about this, but I refuse to do so. You have Hawks making wrong guesses about Endeavor, which speaks a lot about how idolized is Endeavor in Hawks' mind and how Endeavor is not exactly feeding such narrative in the middle of the fight.

And because this is an Endeavor centered post, I won't even talk about how cool it was to see AFO's popping just one eye and one ear, and amazing way of showing how he only sees and listens to one side of the story.

All you have to know if that I'm fascinated on how things turned out ane I'm ready for more to come my way.

[rainygirl2399]

Being Lied to and Discarded vs Just being neglected

A lot of people would like to point out that Fuyumi and Natsuo were neglected but grew up to be good natured people yet place Touya as the scapegoat for his own problems but you forget that they weren't lied to like Touya. The reason Natsuo didn't see anything wrong with being Neglected until he was an adult was because Endeavor didn't drill his obsession, ambition and beliefs like he did with Touya since he gave up on Natsuo immediately. The cruel thing about this is that Endeavor is aware that Touya knew this and hoped he would give up since he was replaced by Shouto and Touya knew as well that his father had replaced him.

Of course we know that Touya's motivation was always to gain his father's love and respect, he was the most important person in his life and of course his role model (unfortunately). He thought so highly of his father that he wanted to make him proud and prove he wasn't a failure, when in reality it was Enji who failed himself by trying to create an heir to surpass him and All Might in the first place.

The sad part for me is how Touya was in denial of his father being a bad person since he placed him on a high pedestal but even when he questioned it, he noticed no one in his family would listen and they would think he was the problem for pointing out Endeavor's flaws and provoking him since most of the family never wanted to admit the family was broken either out of fear for Endeavor or resigning themselves to their family's situation due to powerlessness.

His Father may have discarded him but his mother is also to blame as he saw right through her hypocrisy. Rei married Endeavor only for her family's sake and she of all people tells him he should not be bound by his bloodline. Telling him he should look beyond his father was good advice sadly Rei did nothing before and Toya was at the age where it was too late to do anything about it since he only saw her as a bystander who agreed to have more children to give Enji an heir to surpass All Might and replace him.

Rei also did nothing before to help relieve his emotional distress, from being a failed creation, since she was dealing with her own and when she did comfort a child it was Shoto, it was to relieve Shoto's pain since he was being physically abused through Endevor's "training". To Toya, Shoto was the masterpiece worthy of attention and care while he was just a failure who caused trouble for the family for trying to do what was his reason for even being born but told to quit while Endeavor never did.

And finally we have the incident on Sekoto Peak where Toya's tears became flames and he incinerated the entire mountain. He died because Endeavor never came since he was just a failed creation and thus not worth his father's time and even if Endeavor's reason was because he didn't know what to say to him he did nothing to for him as a father or even comfort him before and when Toya lashed out it became too much for him so he hired help and told Rei she should do it. Toya died knowing he was replaceable and discarded and the fact that Endeavor couldn't even bother to stop his goal despite his death means he meant nothing. It took Toya to almost die by burning alive on top a mountain where he used to be happy training with his father to realize his family never cared for him. The same father and well renowned Pro Hero Endeavor couldn't even come to see his own son...

HELL He couldn't even save him from being burned to death or ever taught him how to regulate his flames because Toya wasn't worth his time. He's a hero and his job, career, and ambitions will always be more important and because he's a HERO he can get away with discarding him after he outlived his usefulness. On that day when he burned a top Sekoto Peak Touya died...and so did his love for his father....and his family.

Unbeknownst to anyone Toya survived albeit with horrible burns, and managed to leave the accident without anyone noticing him.(imo he must have had help from Ujiko)

After that incident he would not let his pain and suffering go unnoticed and knew that he couldn't go back home not that that place was a home to begin with.

On that faithful day he burned and rose from the ashes and was reborn as a Villain with a newfound purpose in life and one his father will surely look at.

Endeavor's greatest crime was best foreshadowed here in chapter 85 from Shigaraki explaining to Bakugo the crimes of hero society and the panel that has Dabi during Tomura's rant:

Endeavor's greatest crime was abusing his family, creating a family for his sole ambition, Endeavor never did anything as a father for his children or as a husband. He dodged responsibility and it resulted in his eldest son dying.

He did too little too late

[hamliet]

What Does It Mean to Save?

I keep seeing it said that Deku, Ochaco, and Shouto will “save” Shigaraki, Himiko, and Dabi, but that there will be no redemption and/or no survival for them. I’m truly not trying to vague these posts and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but literary criticism is fundamentally responsive so I’m writing this anyways.

I personally think that’s not BNHA’s definition of saving nor of redemption. So here, have a deep dive into literary tropes related to redemption, genre, and character arcs as they pertain to BNHA and the question of: what does it mean to save Shigaraki, Touya, and Himiko?

Before we begin, let me say that while we might be personally uncomfortable with redemption (there’s a redemption arc in BNHA I am personally quite uncomfortable with), that doesn’t inherently mean the narrative won’t go there. The key principle I’m operating on here is BNHA’s message that heroes save people. It’s held up as the highest ideal. 

So let’s talk redemption in BNHA-verse. With this guy, whose redemption arc I dislike in principle but accept as part of the story so don’t come for me stans and/or antis. I’m analyzing because it shows us what redemption means in BNHA-verse, whether or not that is satisfying to you personally as it fits/does not fit with your own morality/philosophy.

If Endeavor can be redeemed and live, and he’s Bakugou’s negative foil, I highly doubt Shigaraki and Deku as well as Touya and Shouto and Ochaco and Himiko will be any different. Why? Because Enji is an adult character. The others--well, Himiko’s age we don’t know, but we do know that Shigaraki and Dabi are technically adults. But does the story consider them adults?

(It doesn’t.)

Child-coded characters are generally more likely to survive a redemption, which I’ll explain more later. First I have to define what I mean by child-coding, because I DO NOT mean this in the way it’s often (mis)used in fandom wank. Child-coding is a real thing, but it is not done to infantilize and it has nothing to do with shipping.

Child coding frames the character as a child for a few narrative purposes to convey a story’s theme or purpose. For example, if it’s a coming of age story coding a character as a child even if they legally are not emphasizes their journey to an understanding of self-actualization, or a true understanding of self with self-awareness and an understanding of self-value. An example of an adult coded as a child is The Kite Runner, wherein Amir is a legal adult for half the story, even married for fifteen years so we’re talking 30s-40s, but he does not truly become an adult until he returns to his homeland and takes responsibility for a childhood sin. In Attack on Titan, the main characters are now nineteen, but are still struggling to take responsibility as adults and have only started doing so now that their mentors/parental figures have started dying.

Along those lines, in any kind of story, you can code a character as a child of someone, regardless of biological relationship, to convey the type of relationship they have (usually a mentor one). For an example of this, see Bungo Stray Dogs’ Dazai and Akutagawa. Despite their two year age difference, Dazai recruited him to the mafia, abandoned him, and Akutagawa desperately seeks his approval. Usually in these stories a character will “overcome” their parental figure. This can be done through overcoming their need for the parental figure’s approval in stories where the parental figure is kindly (such as in Harry Potter, when in the final book Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave the Weasleys to find the Horcruxes despite Mrs. Weasley’s please) or through like, killing/stopping/leaving the parental figure when they are abusive (see fairy tales like Rapunzel and Cinderella). The parental link to self-actualization is because it is childlike (and a part of actual psychology that is reflected in literature) to see yourself as a part of your parent; self-actualized person would see yourself as a distinct person from your parent, but also acknowledge the ways in which they’ve shaped you.

So, how do you code a character as a child? BNHA isn’t subtle about it, because Horikoshi seldom is subtle about anything. The villain trio are all coded as children.

Shigaraki Tomura:

Who cannot achieve self-actualization so long as AFO has access to his body, as he’s literally trying to possess him. He’s trying, but it’s not gonna work because Shigaraki can’t keep AFO and become an adult at the same time. It’s a choice the narrative is setting up: your dream of destroying, or your freedom? (To get the latter, he’ll probably have to destroy AFO).

Todoroki Touya, who is repeatedly emphasized as a small child when compared to his siblings, and yes, I know he’s now tall. Specifically he’s spotlighted as the child of Endeavor:

And he’s the least self-actualized one in a lot of ways, contradicting himself constantly. I’m not Endeavor, DUH! But these are Endeavor’s flames! He’s gonna have to choose one or the other, because the tragic irony is that the more he takes out his rage on those around him, the more like Endeavor he becomes.

And Toga Himiko (who might well literally be a legal child), who is actually the most self-actualized one thus far, because she rejects Curious’s child insistence (Curious holds her in a Pieta pose, based on Michelangelo’s statue wherein Mary holds a deceased Christ):

She’s still got, like, a way to go though:

Because Himiko also wants to be like the people she loves to the point where she loses her own identity in them, which is er, not self-actualization. So she’ll have to choose whether or not she really wants to be like the people she loves or whether she wants to live her own way, which she herself tells us how that would end (death):

Deku said it himself: it’s good to focus on what someone is doing now. And look, I have issues with this statement and how it’s framed. I’ve talked about it at length and it was doomed to fail because Shouto himself told us long ago that it was annoying to hear a righteous speech by a stranger when you hadn’t gone through the same, plus Endeavor kinda failed by choosing being a hero over a dad here. But, the principle is that if the past doesn’t preclude Endeavor from seeking a better self, why would it preclude three characters coded as children, one of whom is literally somewhat the product of Endeavor’s sins? BNHA doesn’t think the past keeps someone from a better future. 

So what about Dabi’s counterpoint, which is indeed valid? Well, redemption doesn’t mean the past forgets, either. It’s complicated and nuanced, and we can debate how well Horikoshi strikes this nuance (it’s got its flaws), and admittedly I don’t know how this will go down in the future. But it is asking Endeavor: how do you redeem yourself to the people you’ve hurt? And we have Endeavor asking this question to Touya’s shrine. I mean, the foreshadowing is obvious. Endeavor has to redeem himself by trying to save Touya. However, it will still probably come down to Shouto to save Touya.

For our three villains, it’s a little harder to predict... well, sort of. For Shigaraki it’s extremely obvious: he has to help take down AFO. Dabi probably has to do something to help his family (siblings probably), but it’s vague. Toga needs help and not condemnation, but presumably she’ll help Ochaco with something.

So, is this redemption? I’d define it as redemption in the eyes of the narrative. To address what makes a redemption is another essay unto itself, but if we bring in the oft-compared Star Wars example: did Darth Vader get a redemption? Did Ben Solo? Everyone says yes to both. However, only Luke witnesses Vader’s redemption, and only Rey Ben Solo’s. So the rest of the galaxy? Doesn’t think so. When I say they’ll be redeemed, I’m defining it as their role in the eyes of the narrative, not whether or not society will accept them or even whether their victims will forgive them (of note, in canonical novels, Leia never forgave Darth Vader despite learning he was her father and obviously knowing Luke’s account of his redemption was true).

So, redemption in a narrative doesn’t mean all of society has to forgive and accept them. Dabi has still like, murdered 30 people--many of whom were thugs, but he himself acknowledges they didn’t deserve to die. Additionally, he himself also acknowledges that the families left behind--their feelings matter:

But why does that mean they have to die? Why even does it mean they have to languish in prison forever? (If there’s even a safe prison at the end of BNHA which I kinda have doubts about.) Heroes have also killed: see Hawks as Exhibit A. In fact, some people want revenge on the heroes precisely because they arrested or killed their loved ones (jail isn’t held up as a rehabilitative place in BNHA’s world. In most countries it isn’t in real life, either, but again that’s for another essay). So why don’t the League’s feelings on Twice’s death matter just as much as the feelings of unnamed and unseen (and thereby less important narratively) characters?

Additionally, regarding death... the villains routinely get called on their death wishes. Himiko’s determination to decide how/when she dies is called out because this is right  before Twice overcomes his trauma to save her, and the next arc they appear in is when Twice dies trying to save her again. Dabi’s suicide wish keeps him from getting close to others, and it keeps getting thwarted. Shigaraki’s obsession with destruction and death is clearly not a good thing, and his rejection of his family’s desire for them to join him in death this past arc is growth.

In other words: what Dabi said and what Snatch said about families and how they feel matter for the villains too. The villains are their own weird found family (Dabi as the deadbeat prodigal brother of both his families). Their deaths--Magne’s and Twice’s thus far, and I’m not ruling out further deaths in the future--affect the others. People’s feelings on losing loved ones matter. The villains are people, as Himiko said herself this arc:

Their feelings about each other matter:

How would Touya dying affect the Todorokis? At least they saved him spiritually, I guess, but that’s absolutely lame narratively, and if you have Enji eventually do a sacrifice to save Dabi (pretty likely, even if I personally think Enji will survive said sacrifice) then what’s the point of Dabi dying? How would Himiko dying affect society? As a martyr like Curious wanted her to be, even a redeemed one? A tragic warning story? What even is the point of Ochaco saving her if that’s the case? If Shigaraki dies, well, who would mourn besides Deku? How would Shigaraki dying affect the surviving members of the league? He just couldn’t be saved physically? 

It’s not impossible some of this happens, but it doesn’t seem like great writing, especially with panels like, oh, these that show us BNHA’s perspective on death:

Sacrificing something is a type of death that occurs in stories; this should happen in a redemption arc, which is why I’ve been saying Enji needs to sacrifice his hero reputation to help save Touya and even then it’ll still be Shouto imo who does the saving. But physical death?

If you want further analysis of the latter two panels and how they relate to the ending, see here.

We already have another villain who will definitely die redemptively (Kurogiri--an adult coded character--because he’s already, like, dead), and Spinner and Mr. Compress aren’t coded as kids so I hold them with anxiety towards the end. But again, this isn’t me being ageist or saying this is the way things ought to be in fiction or real life: it’s me looking at writing tropes and saying that child-coded characters tend to survive their redemptions. See: Zuko. Why? Because the death of children or child-coded characters is a tragedy. When a child-coded character dies redemptively it doesn’t feel like a happy ending and if framed as such, it’s often criticized for bad writing (see: Ben Solo). Curious even called this out in her fight with Himiko. I would hope Horikoshi doesn’t end the story being like yeah Curious was right that’s the best use of Himiko’s/Dabi’s/Shigaraki’s arcs:

Additionally, as for the believability of a character getting a new chance after so much destruction and murder... well, it’s kinda a thing in shonen and even in seinen? For better or for worse, it’s a thing. We have Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z and Kaneki Ken in Tokyo Ghoul (Kaneki, by the way, is absolutely an inspiration for Shigaraki). We can debate how well-written these redemptions are (I personally have been quite critical of Kaneki’s despite wanting it to happen narratively), but it can be done. BNHA’s Japan especially isn’t as harsh a world as Tokyo Ghoul’s Japan, so it would make even more sense for something like Kaneki’s ending.

The reality is that the cycle of revenge via hurting people and then leaving hurting families and loved ones has to stop somewhere. Someone has to be the bigger person and step up and be like “naw.” That���s heroic. That’s brave. That’s sacrificial itself. Justice itself doesn’t really exist in its purest form without mercy.

There’s another genre-reason I don’t see death or jail as likely (I could see, like, maybe a mental health ward like Rei’s? But it’s too soon to speculate).

If saving is considered a good thing for the story, if it’s truly the highest ideal, then saving someone should be rewarded by the narrative. The characters who save should have a positive result to show us this a good thing.

This is why it doesn’t work for the heroes’ end journey to be accepting that some people cannot be saved. The notion of just accepting that you cannot do something, you cannot save everyone, you cannot, cannot, cannot, is called out as a flaw of society. Determination, on the other hand, is rewarded.

We see it with Deku as well as with Mirio.

So, what if they save them and the redeemed characters then go on to sacrifice themselves in their redemption and die (come to the same end)? If saving changes absolutely nothing for the saved person, if it’s too late for the saved from themselves to change and/or do anything that matters besides die, then the narrative theme of saving as important is left unemphasized at best and undermined at worst. Simple intrinsic knowledge that the kids “did the right thing” doesn’t cut it for a story with so much focus on physical saving when the kids are already doing the right thing; moral struggles about whether to choose to be good aren’t really Deku, Ochaco, or Shouto’s arcs. It works for Aizawa’s arc with Kurogiri, but not for the kiddos. If BNHA was more of a philosophical/spiritual text, that would indeed make sense, but it is not. Genre-wise, BNHA is a fantastical superhero optimistic story, not a gritty real-world set drama.

[h3l10tr0p3]

MANGA CH. 284 SPOILERS

OF REDEMPTIONS AND ATONEMENTS:

We all been knew, man. We all knew this was coming.

And godDAMN does it fucking HURT. (oh the sweet sweet angstfest this whole chapter is, just *chef's kiss*)

But i legit cannot put into words how deep the choice to 'Atone' cuts on my bleeding bkdk heart. Let's first take a step back and see how Katsuki went from DvK2 to here- that one keystone moment that has given us this beautiful chapter: And I meant ALLLL the way back to Chap. 252

I have already written a whole-ass post based on this panel, which you can check Here.

TL;DR Katsuki was actually paying real close attention to Endeavour in this part. He came to Endeavour to learn exactly what he was missing as a Hero, but he learnt so much more.

This scene in particular left a momentous impact on Kacchan. Here, Natsuo is resistant to the idea of forgiving his father for all his sins just because he is more involved in their lives now. And Endeavour had been dreaming for a while about a Home where he is not present with the rest of the Todoroki's which ultimately gave him the idea of buying a house for the others to live in apart from him. This is HUGE. This is what actually drove Endeavour's Redemption home- the perfect understanding and the perfect compensation, the two elements of a brilliant Redemption Arc. NOT THE FORGIVENESS, just as Enji says it. It is NEVER ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS.

Endeavour understood that it was his presence that caused his family distress, and although he dearly wanted to be a part of his family again, was even making efforts towards it by being cordial and accepting of Shouto's friends, inviting them to a family dinner, etc. etc. Endeavour realized the only way he can compensate/atone was to give up something that would cause him suffering, and them happiness. The idea that your family doesnt want you, when you just started to show some effort and HOPE that they might see you in different light, maybe forgive you and then to just terminate those ties entirely, punting yourself into a void where NO ONE CAN COME IN AND SAVE YOU FROM YOUR SUFFERING, is exactly what Endeavour did. He is actively shutting down the ONE window through which his family could see that he was suffering, and miserable, and wanted to be a part of the family again. Endeavour CHOSE to not be forgiven. To writhe with the knowledge of his sins day in and day out with only the shrine of Dabi Touya to haunt him every waking minute.

I cannot explain just how much determination it takes to do that, man. It's just- WOW.

Excuse me for ranting on Endeavour in a bkdk post, but I swear this has a point. And All Might says this the best:

This is the fanlation, the official release (which I couldnt get my hands on) also mentions that "When I meant you were like Endeavour, I meant the Change"

This here is an important bit that AM has caught onto.

In the 252 panel, where Endeavour says 'It's not like I want forgiveness' (Because Endeavour understands he cannot be, should not be, forgiven) "I just want to make up for everything I have done" (and to back this up, Endeavour shuts down the one communication link that could have offered him forgiveness, and thus salvation from the weight of his sins and his guilt)

Katsuki understood Endeavour's idea of redemption very well here, although he might not be shown with that light-bulb moment. He may have already known this wayyy before Endeavour said anything, but those words lent a solidity and to the path he must persue to acheive redemption: And it's Not forgiveness.

Let me tell you why I think Atonement is the greater factor here, even greater than Redemption itself. Redemption has an end-point: Forgiveness. But Atonement doesn't. Atonement has no expiry date. Atonement is purely propelled by the understanding of self, and the weight of guilt the self bears, whereas a Redemption is All About The Forgiveness.

Forgiveness is an external force, it may or may not be given to you and that is completely up to the person who has been wronged. Atonement is self-imposed, it is a meditation of the soul to forgive itself against the guilt it carries.

If Redemption is a marathon with a banner at the finish line, Atonement is trying to drag a twenty pounds of rocks through the Sahara desert without water, food or a compass- it's endless, hopeless.

And this is why Atonement is greater than Redemption.

And do you think someone as stubborn as Kastuki will ever find himself atoned of his deeds? No. And That, my friends, is The Point. In 252, when Endeavour says, "I dont want forgiveness" it's not just him saying it- it's also Katsuki. "I just want to make it upto you", is also Katsuki.

And to prove it, Katsuki will never ask for forgiveness. A verbal apology will be nice, sure. Especially since dumb-ass, gay-ass, 'Kacchan-sugoi' ass Izuku Doesn't even See it as Atonement. He is just #Blessed that Kacchan and he can talk almost-naturally again. And that is also Katsuki's intention- because the moment Izuku knows, he won't be able to atone this way anymore.

So, as much as I HATE to say this, the chances of a voluntary verbal apology are slim. If allowed to go on like this, Kacchan with continue to shadow Izuku through his life, worrying about him, LOSING SLEEP OVER HIM :

LOOK AT THOSE BAGS UNDER HIS EYES. /*shoves panels in yo face*/LOOK

Can you believe this bitch-ass gremlin who goes to sleep at 8:30 got bags just from stressing over his Deku??????

LOOK AT HIM DOING A HECCIN' MAJOR KOKORO-STOPPING CONCERN.

(He is flipping his shit because he worries, and he worries so much, and has worried for him for a long LONG time.)

- Katsuki will continue on this path of being Izuku's support.

Forever if it takes.

Forever, he hopes, it takes-

Because the only way he will stop is in death, either his own or Deku's.

This is his Atonement: To undo everything he once did, to support Izuku's dream instead of squashing it; To help him get stronger instead of perpetuating the narrative on his weakness; To protect him from all harm, when he once hurt; To be on his side when the whole world is against him, because once he was all, but, for him; To save Izuku as he wins, to win as he saves.

And, To deny each oppurtunity of forgiveness even as he desperately longs to be unburdened of his guilt.

Because Katsuki knows:

He knows Izuku is that one of a million, he is kind and humble and considerate and loving to a fault.

Katsuki knows that Izuku will forgive him in a heartbeat. That is just the kind of selfless, beautiful person he is.

Unlike Endeavour, who had no guarantee to forgiveness, Katsuki does. And that is what makes Katsuki's Atonement more powerful than Endeavour's. He recognizes it is in his grasp, just an arm's length away...

....Just an arm's length.

And Katsuki will deny himself that. Because he does not believe he deserves it. He hasn't atoned enough for it.

"Keep At Arm's Length"

He says. Because this is the critical distance between them. Not "Stay an arm's length away", because Katsuki doesn't wanna run away from Deku, and he doesn't want to be too far away to protect him, nor does he want to get too close to finally recieve the forgiveness that will give him salvation.

This is the fine balancing act Katsuki must maintain indefintely till he believes he has acheived his idea of atonement. (And when has he ever been happy just the bare minimum?)

I know I said Katsuki will never ask for forgiveness, and a voluntary verbal apology is very unlikely, because in it's very nature, it is inviting a forgiveness from Izuku, which we have established, Katsuki wants to avoid. And if this were any other manga, we would have been doomed to this conclusion. But, there is a scenario when Katsuki might issue a verbal apology and that is when Katsuki knows there isn't enough time to be forgiven in turn, or, hasn't atoned enough and can no longer continue to.

Like when Katsuki launches off, to deliver a final kamikaze blow to a villain, and he has only enough time to tell Deku a short "I am sorry", but not enough time to wait for a reply. Or when Deku is dying and at his final moments, when Katsuki knows however much he has atoned isn't enough and isn't how Deku should leave, without closure.

Whatever the future may hold, my dear readers, Katsuki still has a long, long way to go. And I hope to see him live through everything, to be there -

To survive these wars with Deku, To fight alongside him, To protect him. To win. To save.

To Live.

To hear Deku say "I had forgiven you a long time ago";

and ofcourse,

To forgive himself.

[paragon-arthur]

White Hair, Scarred Heart

Something exceedingly fascinating to me from recent MHA chapters is Dabi’s physical development- specifically his hair.

At the start of his appearance, he was dark haired, dyed as we now know. It was from that and his physical resemblance we got the very first theories that he was related to Shouto and the Todorokis even if it wasn’t truly hinted at for some time. 

With his dark hair and countenance, Touya undoubtedly molded his Dabi persona off of his long training sessions with Endeavor- essentially, molding himself into what could be called a Villain Endeavor. He maintains many of the same characteristics as his father, that he experienced first hand through his abuse as a child. 

Single handed determination, uncaring of anyone else’s perspective but his own. Even his flames, as shown in the anime, match the colour of Enji’s when he goes to his strongest at Hosu to eliminate a Nomu. They do not take prisoners and they do not show mercy- Enji and Touya, at the end of the day, show complete and utter mercy.

And, to be honest, dying his hair dark like his father’s very much shows a complicated side of Touya’s character. One he most definitely doesn’t want to acknowledge.

That he still wants his father’s attention, even a little.

This was Dabi’s true beginning. Before the abuse got to its worst, before Touya burned himself and before everything went to hell. This is where it started.

The dark hair of the Todoroki family symbolizes Endeavour’s hold on them- and the white Rei’s influence. As long as Touya had his father’s dark hair and his flames, he was taught- trained to surpass his father. In a way, he was the spitting image of his father’s resolve to surpass All Might in a more healthy fashion. 

But as Touya reached his limit, over and over, and succumbed over and over to the strain of living up to his father’s expectations...

His hair turned white from his own Quirk. Something that he had no control over, but which undoubtedly caused Rei’s infleunce to exert itself over his Quirk’s control. And once that happened...

Touya couldn’t pretend or fool himself that he was his father’s golden child anymore. His hair turning white to reflect his mother- the woman who was abused by Enji verbally and physically as we see in Shouto’s flashbacks- symbolizes the end of Touya’s dream of living up to Enji’s expectations... and crumbling under the weight.

Look at this.

This is a child. Bags under his eyes, crying for his father to show him unconditional support for once in his life... tearing at his hair as if to say “this is me! It doesn’t change anything!” But it did to Enji, who decided Touya was just dead weight and could no longer be the trophy piece the man wanted.

Touya, up to 290, had his hair dark as a reminder of his goal- to completely destroy the man who had caused him so much trauma and abused him. He hid his natural white hair because it stands as a stark reminder that his father did not want him anymore once it changed completely. He is a criminal, that has to be accepted and must pay for the horrible things he has done- but Touya has to be sympathized with, if only for this.

It’s important to note, then, that after 290 when he washes away ‘Endeavour’ from his hair, that he keeps his natural white hair despite having time to dye it back.

Touya has nothing to hide anymore. No reason to hide who he is. Not when he’s torn down his father’s reputation, when he’s getting what he’s been working toward for years. He has no reason to hide himself when it’s far more advantageous that he exposes every single thing here and now, going forward.

It’s deliberate that Touya’s hair staying white coincides with Rei confronting Enji in his hospital room. She wants to talk about her son, about Touya, and to hold Enji accountable for what he has done. 

Touya, in the end, is still that child tearing at his own hair in self-loathing for his father not affording him the basic right of loving him as his son. He is still the child that looked up to his father and wanted to be just like him.

Touya’s hair is white... because he has not changed from that day when his world came apart. And it’s so very important it stays white, because it shows that under the persona of Dabi- the arsonist, terrorist, criminal, murderer- that Touya still lives. 

And because he lives... he can be saved from himself.

[burndownyourparade]

Dabi x Reader - Crossed My Heart

This literally had zero direction. It’s my first reader insert piece and it has nothing to do with the Olivia Rodrigo song, the lyric was mainly used as a loose prompt inspiration. It’s also been a long as heck time since I’ve sat down and really written anything so oof. But, I do plan on writing some more drabbles here and there. I’ve got Dabi/Touya brain rot bad. So expect a lot of him.

You used me as an alibi. I crossed my heart as you crossed the line.

pairing: dabi x reader (gender not specified)

length: 2k words

genre: angst, fluff if you squint real hard

warnings: mentions of death, the burning at sekoto peak. nothing detailed.

You’d been there. You had watched him go up in flames. The beautiful bright blue dancing across your eyes and you knew you’d never see him again. He’d be lost to you forever, but you promised.

And you were willing to do anything for him. Even if it meant breaking your own heart. 

So when you’d sit up at Sekoto Peak every year after his disappearancedeath you’d curse his name. Curse him for leaving you behind, for not coming back to you. Not even a single sign of if he was okay.. If he was still out there. 

When you’d seen this new villain on the news, just a few years ago, you had an inkling. A thought that maybe it had been him. He talked big about getting back at his father. Dishing back out everything he’d had to endure as a child. And at age 15 when you encouraged him, you never thought it would come to this. 

So today, when you sat up at Sekoto Peak, ten years after the incident, the spiteful, “Fuck you, Touya.” That left your lips didn’t go unheard. 

In all honesty he’d planned on coming clean. He had planned on coming back to you. After all, you were the only person who really meant anything to him. But then he got way too involved with Stain’s cause and the league, there was no way he was going to risk putting you in any danger. If that meant having to write you off, then so be it. 

Eventually you’d find out that Dabi was Touya, eventually you’d know that he was still alive after all these years. No more doubt would cloud your mind, but he had a feeling you’d come to hate him for waiting so goddamn long. 

It was when he’d heard his name, the anger dripping from your sweet voice that had him moving his feet towards you. He wasn’t planning to reveal himself, but he needed to at least try redeeming himself before even thinking of continuing his plan to bring down Endeavor. None of it would have meant anything if he couldn’t come back to you. If he wasn’t going to be able to run away with you like the two of you had planned.

“You have to promise you won’t tell anyone about this.” Touya held your hands in his, begging you. He was tired and run down. Bandages wrapped around his arms from his most recent burns. He didn’t know how he was going to do it. But he was going to fake his death. He was going to run away. 

You stared at him, wide eyed and reluctantly nodded your head to his plea. “Will I see you again?” The fear was evident in your voice and if that quiver didn’t give you away, then the way that your hands shook in his would. The tears in your eyes blurred your vision, but you could still see him. You could see his messy white hair fall into his bright blue eyes. You could see the bruise that was forming under the left eye, no doubt a result of training. And you wondered if this was his only solution. If this was really the only way that he’d be able to outrun this.

He could practically feel the pain reverberating off of you, it bounced off of him too. He didn’t want to leave you. But he had no other choice. He was trapped and all he wanted was to make something of himself. To prove to his father and everyone around him that he wasn’t worthless, he wasn’t a lost cause. He could do it, too. He was powerful just like Shoto. 

Touya was torn, he knew that this hurt you… Leaving you hurt him too, even if you couldn’t see it. Even if he was acting selfishly. “Of course.” He nodded, snow white hair moving wildly with the frantic nodding of his head. “I’ll come back for you and we’ll run away.” He promised, you could see the makings of a plan in his head. The way that his eyes moved when he was deep in thought, “We can start a life together. Build a house and adopt all the cats and dogs you want!” His hands moved to your shoulders, shaking you lightly with excitement before pulling you into him. His arms wrapping around you tightly.

He never cried in front of you, but today was different. He didn’t know when he’d see you after today, but he did know he refused to break his promise to you. A single tear slipped down his cheek.

“I love you, Touya.” You murmured into his shirt, breathing him in. If this was the last time in a while, then you were going to make the most of it. You tilted your head, looking up at him. Sadness washing over you and feeling your own tears begin to slip. You leaned up on your toes, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth and felt the way his lips turned upwards in a soft smile. An almost dreamy looking flashing across his face. 

“I love you too, (y/n)... I’ll come back for you, I swear.” His hands shifted again, this time to cup your cheeks and bring your lips to his. This kiss was soft and sweet, not unlike ones you’ve shared before but there was a sense of urgency to this one. Almost like he had been trying to convey every single thing he felt for you in this brief moment. He didn’t want to pull away, but when he did he felt your hands tighten around the fabric of his shirt. Just barely hearing your whisper begging him not to go, but he shook his head, gently moving your hands to take a step back from you.

“Please don’t watch…” Touya asked, giving you a gentle shove away from him. “Once you see my flames run… Run and tell someone about the fire and then go home. I’ll see you again soon, I promise.”

You bit your lip and nodded your head, running a safe distance away into the trees. Waiting to watch his flames burn around him. You stuck around a little longer than he’d asked you to, only to make sure that he was safe… That he was still okay. But you couldn’t make out anything other than the heat and Touya’s screams. 

At fifteen your heart shouldn’t have shattered that hard.

He didn’t know how you’d react to this. Hell, he didn’t even know what he was doing. Dabi had never planned on this. He was merely moving on pure emotion now. On things he thought he had forgotten, but when it came to you he was always weak. The only reason his resolve had even broken in the first place was because of how angry you sounded. The villain hated the thought of him becoming nothing to you. Ironic, when he was practically nothing to everyone else.

You stood in the same place where you both had parted ten years ago and he was quietly standing just a few feet behind you. He was uncertain of if he should reach out to you or just turn and run, was this even a good idea? But his feet wouldn’t stop and then his mouth started moving and before he knew it, he was speaking. 

“This Touya guy must have really fucked up, huh?” He cringed, ten years and this was the first thing he was saying to you? Ideally, in his head, whatever he’d dreamt up in his spare time was grandiose plans of sweeping you off your feet. He’d be done with the league, ready to pack up and start brand new. He’d have taken down Endeavor’s credibility and shattered Enji’s entire world. Yeah, that son of his who wasn’t going to amount to anything? He was something now. He was his greatest nightmare and deepest failure. And the consequences of his actions were coming back to bite him in the ass. Then, he’d be there for you. In the night he’d have found you, confessed his deepest feelings and that nothing had changed. Then you’d run away like he promised.

Your fists clenched at your sides, you recognized that voice, of course you did. How wouldn’t you when his promise haunted your dreams every night? His voice was a little deeper, raspier, richer. And for a moment, you hesitated in turning to face him, but when you did you couldn’t stop the way that your heart picked up pace. It was him, in the flesh, Touya was here. But he wasn’t Touya anymore… Not on the outside.

“Yeah, he’s a fucking asshole.” You played along with him. Both of you knew this was just a game, testing the waters to see if anything had really changed. “Promised he’d come back for me, but never showed up.” There was a smile on your face now, a sad one and Dabi felt his heart clench in his chest when he saw it. “Waited ten years for him.” You pressed, watching his reactions.

He deflated, he didn’t have an excuse. He could have come to you sooner and he knew that his whole keeping you safe excuse was bullshit. Dabi was just afraid. He was afraid of what you’d think when you saw him again. Dabi wasn’t Touya. He didn’t look like the boy you’d fallen in love with before. Smooth, pale skin was now rough and charred, the white hair with tufts of red now dyed black and coarse from the years of mistreatment. “I’m sorry.” Was all he could say.

“You could have come to me.” Your voice was soft and he knew that you were hurt. “Why didn’t you come back for me?” The way that your voice cracked made his heart break. He prided himself on being hard, on not allowing himself to feel petty emotions anymore, but unbeknownst to his comrades; you’d always be the only exception.

He was honest with you, “I was afraid.” And it was the first time in ten years that he’d been vulnerable, he was almost ready to run off with you. Dabi was ready to give up on his revenge plot against Endeavor, he just wanted to run away with you. To be just (y/n) and Touya.

“Of what?” You asked, nearly breathless and unbelieving. There was nothing he had to worry about. It didn’t matter who he was now or what he was doing. He would always be Touya to you. A boy who suffered more than he should have. The boy that you were ready to drop everything and run off with. The only boy you had ever loved and would ever love.

“I’m not the same.” He looked at you, uncertain. He still hadn’t gotten any closer to you and his hands twitched with anticipation. It had been so long since he’s held you. Dabi wanted to close the distance, to pull you into him and feel whole again.

“You’re still you.” You countered, shaking your head. You weren’t about to give the villain any room for excuses. He was still him and that’s all he’d ever be to you. You knew that he knew that. 

“I’m sorry.” He repeated, this time Dabi took a step closer to you. Carefully watching your movements, gauging on if he could move any closer. When there wasn’t any move on your part to shift away from him he took another step. And another.. Another, another, until he was wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you into him. His lips gently touch the crown of your head, inhaling your scent. “Run away with me.”

You returned his touch almost immediately, arms wrapping around his thin middle. Melting into him and letting out a sob of relief, you were home again. “I thought you’d never ask.”

[afictionalwhore]

Little Miss Perfect

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A/N: I have so many plans for this bad boy that’s been sitting in the back of my mind for a hot minute now after a conversation with @jadequeen88. Thank you bby for reading over this!

T/W: dubcon/noncon; religious references and religious guilt; cheating

4.5K words

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There wasn't much at all in your little town in the middle of Nowheresville: population just over 300. The nearest Walmart was at least a twenty minute drive over to the next town, but you had a Dollar General Market to do your weekly grocery shopping. There was a school that ran from pre-k all the way up to high school, where you graduated from with a senior class consisting of a grand total of sixteen. The Dairy Queen down the road from your high school did best in the region, thanks to bored, local high schoolers on Friday nights. Your town also boasted the birthplace of the state's governor years ago, but no one remembered him, having three other governors since his last term. Despite the dullness of everyday life, you were happy. You had grown up best friends and high school sweethearts with the most respected boy in town: Natsuo Todoroki.

Of course, your quaint little town also had a church, as any well-to-do Southern town would. The church was like any other Southern Baptist affair, pristine, white, and much too large for such a small town. A long hallway behind the sanctuary led to a few classrooms, a choir practice room, and a stairwell to the basement. In the basement were the kitchens, a few more classrooms, and a large empty room where church events were held that doubled as the town’s community center. This was where bingo nights for the elderly members of the community were held, and the occasional baby shower or wedding reception could be held there. Pastored by Enji Todoroki, or Brother Enji as the town lovingly referred to him, the church congregation contained essentially the entire population of your small town. Even the local alcoholic your town was very hush about would make his way to Christmas and Easter services. 

Being Natsuo's sweetheart, volunteering at the church was naturally what kept your what would otherwise be boring life busy. There was always something to be done, be it a simple cleaning of the sanctuary or helping cook for the elderly's monthly bingo nights. Not only were you Natsuo's sweetheart, but you were the town's darling, working dutifully every Sunday by Natsuo's side with the church's children. You were a natural, studying early childhood education at a small, private Christian-based university just a few hours away where Natsuo had earned his pastoral ministries degree, aiming to take over the congregation when his father retired. The old ladies of the community constantly hounded you about when you and Natsuo would get married and give the church a baby to dote on. 

"After I graduate," you would say with a smile, dusting your flour-covered hands off on the aging pink apron that had to be from the 1950s before setting a timer for the hawaiian roll sliders in the ancient oven in the church’s basement kitchen. “I want to work a little, give back to the community before becoming a full time mom.” 

This was the only thing you dared fight Brother Enji on. Natsuo, two years your senior, had already been graduated for a year, and Enji had been adamant that you go ahead and marry after he had graduated, as eager as the old women that whispered to each other during bingo nights for you two to continue the Todoroki line. 

But you would not falter, stating that while you had every intention to marry Natsuo and sign your life off as a Todoroki, the least Enji could allow you was your education. You had dreamed since childhood of teaching at the school where you and Natsuo attended elementary together. You loved children, giving your all to the church children you worked with multiple times a week, but you were not at all ready for your own. You were just barely twenty-one years old; Natsuo a young and hopeful twenty-three. The thought of having children now scared you and Natsuo both. It scared you more than saying “no” to Enji.

You may not have had the loftiest goals of your small graduating class, but you were sharp and knew that education was not something Enji would take lightly. Surely, Enji wanted an educated woman as his first, and perhaps only, daughter-in-law, seeing as Shouto was likely to move across the country for college and never come back, and Fuyumi had no intentions of marrying. Touya, Enji’s oldest son with piercings and tattoos as numerous as stars in the coal dusted skies and his hair dyed black to match, was another situation entirely. 

Everyone, Touya Todoroki included, believed that he would have left by now. Touya had tried to leave, fleeing to a state university the moment he had graduated from your pitiful high school. Unsurprisingly to you and the rest of the congregation, Touya, with his undeclared major and runaway attitude, had been swept up in the party lifestyle of state school fraternities and quickly failed his way out of college. Brother Enji had been swift to bring him back home, ashamed and embarrassed at the congregation’s whisperings about what Touya had done to the Todoroki name. So here he was, Touya Todoroki, local rebel and stain on an otherwise perfect Christian family, begrudgingly coming to Easter service, listening to his father preach and watch his perfect brother, Natsuo, clean up the mess he had made of the family reputation.

You were there, naturally, front and center and practically glued to Natsuo’s side, in your pretty pink Easter dress. The pastel flowers decorating your dress seemed to float down the modestly lengthed skirt. Touya felt his blood boil, watching perfect little you with his perfect little brother listen intently to whatever biblical nonsense his father spouted off. He stretched, his suit feeling hot and tight, as though he were trying to discreetly scratch an awkward itch. You shifted in your seat, leaning slightly more into Natsuo, blissfully unaware of Touya’s hot gaze from the back row. 

Touya knew the routine, after a brief sermon to the entire congregation, his father would send you and Natsuo off to take the children to children’s church and youth group. You and Natsuo rose from your seats in the pews after Enji's final blessing on the children, your pretty skirt twirling with you as you spun to face the children. Your smile was as bright as a porch light on a Southern summer night, and the children flocked to you like little moths. They clung to your skirt and pulled you towards the door while the older kids trailed behind with Natsuo. Natsuo stood straight, as though he were a shepherd and you were his most beloved lamb. 

Touya made eye contact with his brother as you made your way down the aisle to the back of the sanctuary where he sat with Shoto. Natsuo looked at the older Todoroki with pure disgust and hatred, as though willing the gray ice of his eyes to freeze Touya to death on the spot. Touya broke the stare with his brother only to find that his bright aquamarine eyes met your own round ones just in front of him. Your brief surprise at his presence quickly melted into pity, a sad smile gracing your face, before you were swept out the door by the children.

The anger rose in Touya as you and Natsuo disappeared with the children out the back of the sanctuary. His blood boiled so hotly he felt he may burst into flames in the middle of Easter service. Before he could stop himself, Touya found himself rising from his seat. He needed a smoke, a drink, the floor to open up and swallow him down to hell like his father prayed it would. He just wanted out of the damned sanctuary. Shoto, who was feigning sleep beside Touya, cracked his eyes open to give Touya a quick glance, quirking an eyebrow in a silent question, “where are you going?”

“Bathroom,” Touya hissed. Touya knew Shoto could see straight through the outright lie, both of the youngest Todoroki's eyebrows now raised in further silent interrogation: "really?" Touya dipped his head below the back of the pew in front of them and mimed a cigarette. Shouto shrugged and closed his eyes again. Lucky for Touya, Shoto cared just as much about their father’s godly ramblings as Touya did, perhaps even less. Who would he snitch to that Touya had slipped out of Easter service for a smoke? If Shoto weren’t at least decently scared of their father, he may have even joined Touya.

Touya left the sanctuary and strolled down the hall towards the back entrance of the church, in no immediate rush to get back to his father’s sermon. He had almost made it to the back exit doors when he noticed a flash of pink fabric rustle down the stairwell to this left, accompanied by the graceful pitter-patter of your low heels against the hard stairs that led to the church basement. 

Touya didn’t mean to follow you. He really did mean to go out for a smoke. But he couldn’t help but overhear what was unmistakably your sweet, soft voice comforting who Touya guessed was one of your and Natsuo’s youths, egging him forward to eavesdrop and hoping to catch something he could one day use against you.

You and the girl from youth, a high schooler Touya would have to guess, finally arrived at an abandoned classroom in the basement.

See. There's nothing to worry about,” Touya heard you say. “If you want, I can get rid of it for you. Just go back to Natsuo and the others before they get suspicious.”

“Thank you so so much,” the girl sniffled. "But what about you?"

“Easy,” you laughed. Touya could hear your perfect smile in the gentle laugh. “Just tell them I had to stop by the restroom if they ask about me.”

"I wish I were as perfect as you," the girl said. Touya thought he would vomit.

"Nobody's perfect," you laughed. Touya thought he'd get a headache with how hard he rolled his eyes. How much more cliche can you get?

The loud scraping of the chair against the tile floor signaling that you were leaving broke Touya from his thoughts. Lucky for him, the basement hallway was dark with plenty of shadows for him to jump into as the youth girl made her way back to the stairs to join the rest of the youth. 

You had decided to stay behind for a few moments, examining something in your hands that the high schooler had given to you. When he was sure that the girl had gone back upstairs, Touya left his shadowy hiding place and slipped into the room, slamming the door behind him and clicking the lock.

You jumped up out of your seat at the sound of the door, turning quickly with a rustle of fabric and throwing your arms behind you to hide whatever it was that you were holding.

“Whatcha got there, doll?” He cocked his head to the side, as though his question were from an innocent puppy. The fire in his eyes and the smirking tugging at his face proved he was anything but.

“Oh! Nothing,” you stammered, stepping back into the table behind you as Touya stalked forward towards you.

“You sure about that?" he smirked.

It was as though the chairs parted themselves to make way for Touya.

"Drugs maybe? Ya know, if it’s weed you’re after, you can just come talk to me. I’ve got good connections still and can hook you up better than these high school wannabes. Maybe I could get ya something a little stronger even?”

You blushed at Touya’s insinuation. Your blush grew deeper, a perfect Georgia peach flush, when you realized the closeness between you two. It was the first time you got a good look at Touya. He was handsome, as all the Todoroki boys were, but there was a sharp edge to him. While Natsuo was handsome in the way that a freshly fallen snow is beautiful, Touya’s beauty resembled that of broken glass: dangerously sharp, potentially harmful, yet mesmerizingly beautiful.  

"No, it's nothing like that," you said, lifting yourself up to sit on the table in a pitiful attempt to escape him. His fierce blue eyes staring you down made you uncomfortable at the least. 

Touya didn't notice that he had reached you during his small speech until he was towering over your smaller frame, and you were scrambling to get away. You had to bend your neck back to look up at him. Touya felt a surge of power over you. This was the first time that Touya felt you were actually beneath him. Touya had gotten a taste of dominance over you, and it was something he wanted to savor and make last as long as he could.

Touya wasn’t obsessed with you in the sense that men like him typically obsess over pretty girls like you. Sure, Touya was a man with various unsatisfied needs, and he had thoughts of dreams of kissing you, of fucking you senseless. But his feelings for you went beyond just wanting to fuck you. Touya absolutely hated you and everything you represented. You were the exact opposite of him. You were actually wanted into the family by his father. You were loved by everyone you met. You were perfect, something that Touya could never begin to hope of being.

What Touya felt for you was something he’d never felt for anyone. Touya hated his family just as much if not more than they hated him. He hated your whole godforsaken town as much as they hated him. But you were different. The rage Touya felt towards you paled what he felt for his family or your hometown. He was used to being looked at like he was worthless, less than, a stain on the otherwise spotless community, and he was content with this. But you, with you perfect ways and perfect heart, never looked at him with that disgust, instead your eyes were filled with pity everytime they fell on him. Touya wanted you hurt just as much as he was hurting. He wanted to ruin you and your perfect world, and watch the pity in your eyes turn into a hate that rivaled his own. 

Touya grabbed at your wrist behind you, causing what was in your hands to clatter onto the table and bounce on the floor below you. Keeping you firm in his grasp, Touya looked down to see a pregnancy test on the floor: positive.

“Is that yours?” Touya inquired, his mouth pulled into a sneer that caused your stomach to twist with disgust.

“No,” you flatly replied.

“Okay,” Touya mused, mocking. “So if it’s not yours, then it’s the girl that just left’s?” 

“Why does it matter to you, Touya? Who are you to judge her?”

“I don’t care what the young slut does in her free time. Or should I say, who she does,” Touya laughed more at the discontentment in your face than at his crude joke. “But I know a lot of people who would care. Number one being my dad.”

“Don’t, Touya. Please don’t say anything.”

“Would you let that poor girl shoulder the blame herself?” Touya’s brilliant blue eyes were burning into yours, causing you to freeze like a deer in headlights. “Or would you help take up her cross? Isn’t that what a good little Christian girl is supposed to do? I guess you’re not really a good Christian girl though, what with all the lying and secrets. Does my brother even know about this?”

“No,” you dropped your head to break Touya’s stare. “Nobody but me and you know.”

“What are you going to do to keep it that way?”

“Touya, what do you want from me?” Your voice trembled at the thought of how Touya could wreck your reputation with just the slightest slip of his tongue. “There’s nothing I have that you could want.”

“You have so much I want and you don’t even fucking know it,” Touya growled. 

A feeling of dread rooted in you at the drop of Touya’s voice. You looked back up at Touya with wide doe eyes, blushing under his intense blue gaze. As Touya gripped your smaller wrist in his large hands he realized the one thing he wanted to see in your eyes more than hate—fear. Touya could feel himself growing hard at your fearful expression. 

Touya pushed you down onto the table so your legs dangled awkwardly off the edge and grabbed the fabric of your skirt and lifted up, exposing your white lace panties.

“What are you doing? Touya!” you exclaimed. 

“Oh lace? What a sweet surprise; though I think black would suit you more,” Touya said, ignoring you. 

“What’re you doing? Touya! Stop!”.

“You don’t want me saying anything do you? You said there’s nothing you had that I wanted. Well that’s a lie.” Touya smirked at you while pulling down your panties. “I want to wreck this sweet, perfect pussy. Now just stay still. You’ll feel so good.”

Touya hadn’t meant to take it this far. He had only meant to scare you a bit. But seeing your fearful eyes wet with tears threatening to spill over and ruin your perfect makeup was too much for him to continue holding back. He realized in that moment that his hate for you was just a sad attempt at burying the admiration he held for you at standing up to his father about marrying Natsuo so soon. He wanted to be the one to take you. You were going to be his, not Natsuo’s, but this would be the only chance he would get at having you. Touya wasn’t going to pass up that opportunity.

Touya’s long tongue flicked out against your newly exposed cunt, licking up and down from your tight hole to your sensitive clit, getting you sufficiently wet from your own growing and betraying arousal and his spit. The ball of his piercing rolled against your clit. You jumped with a small yelp and pushed your hips against him to get away, which he mistook as a sign of pleasure.

"Don't hold back, doll. I know you feel good." Touya said. You could feel his smile against your heated flesh.

You didn’t feel good, not at first. His tongue felt slimy and foreign. You weren’t used to being spread open, and your legs felt like they were going to cramp at the angle Touya had you pinned. You felt dirty, especially as you began to relax and enjoy the sensation of Touya’s tongue against you.

As the wet noises from Touya drinking in all you had to offer increased in volume, you found your hips bucking up not in an attempt to push him away but to draw him in more. Touya slipped a finger into you, and you gasped, having never been filled before. You felt like a harlot, but the pleasure Touya was giving you overtook the guilt.

“Touya, please,” you begged, praying for Touya to finish soon, that he would take your pleas as a begging for him to stop. You mostly prayed for forgiveness.

“You close, baby?” Touya asked. You nodded, despite having no idea what you were close to.

Touya inserted another finger, curling them against your wet, gummy walls as his mouth enclosed around your throbbing bud. The sound of your panting and the wet slopping noises coming from between your legs felt too loud. It was all you could hear along with the pounding of your heart.

You felt a twisting in your gut as Touya’s finger quickened their pace. It was like a knot forming deep within you that was threatening to break, stretched too taunt at your tensing muscles. Touya lavished you in sweet praises as he continued eating your dripping pussy, humming against your clit how good you taste.

That was all it took for the knot to break. Touya finally released his grip on your thighs to allow your legs to close tight around his head. Your inner muscles sporadically twitched around Touya’s fingers, attempting to milk him. Your vision grew hazy, and you couldn’t hear anything outside the distant voice of Touya egging you on as you rode out your very first orgasm on his face.

When you had finally come down from your high, you noticed Touya supporting your legs as they trembled around his head.

“Did you feel good?” Touya asked, sickening smirk still plastered on his face.

You only had the energy to nod.

“I guess you aren’t so perfect after all. I mean look at ya, doll, cumming all over your boyfriend’s brother’s face.” Touya chuckled as you turned away, face burning in shame.

How could you face Natsuo? As you turned away from Touya a poster of the Ten Commandments mocked you. You had no hope after breaking the seventh, “Thou shall not commit adultery”. You began to cry at the thought of betraying Natsuo. Even if it wasn’t originally by choice, you were still, in your mind, an adulteress. Never being one to keep your own secrets, you feared that you were also breaking the ninth commandment, “thou shall not bear false witness”, through lie by omission. 

“So is she keeping it or what?”  Touya’s unexpected question brought you out of your self loathing.

“What?” you replied, not understanding what Touya was referring to, brain still foggy from your first orgasm.

“That girl. She keeping the baby? Or is she ya know?” “I don’t know,” you slowly said.

“Would you keep it?” Touya pressed.

“Yes, of course,” you replied in your perfect godly manner, despite just having your boyfriend’s brother’s face buried in your cunt while Easter service continued in the sanctuary above.

“Even if it were mine?” Touya asked, taking you off guard.

“I don’t know what you—“

Before you had time to question him further, Touya had pressed the tip of his cock into you.

“No no. Touya please don’t. Please.” You cried, trying to piece together when he found the time to undo his pants.

You had already given away so much of your body away to Touya and felt yourself growing sick at the thought of Touya taking away what you and Natsuo fought to save for marriage.

“Now I know it’s big, much bigger than my fingers, but you’ll get used to it.” Touya grunted as he pushed himself to the hilt, hips flush against yours. You gasped at how full you felt, and your muscles squeezed around his cock at the larger intrusion, sending shivers down his spine. 

“Hey, hey. Just relax,” Touya said. “Didn’t I just make you feel good?”

You cried, fat tears rolling down your cheeks, as Touya fucked into you, his thick cock hitting every nerve. You clutched at Touya’s arms, nails digging into his tattooed skin as you tried to find purchase. The stretch to accommodate Touya burned and the slap of his skin against yours stung. With each heavy thrust, the head of Touya’s cock knocked on your cervix, as though he were the beloved asking to cum in. 

Eventually the pain subsided into pleasure and your sobs quieted into sniffles before turning into soft moans. Your tears had dried, leaving your makeup remarkably intact.

Touya pressed a hand against your mouth in an attempt to muffle the noises spilling out of you.

"I bet you thought your first time would be perfect, didn't you?" Touya punctuated the thought with a particularly hard thrust that had your body jerking like a ragdoll. “Bet you thought your first time would be with Natsuo. Slow, soft, perfect love making, right?” Another rough thrust that would have thrown you off the small table had it not been for Touya’s other hand holding a fast grip on your hips to keep you pinned 

You answered with a sniffle and moan, and turned your head away from him to hide your tears.

“Well, princess, we don’t have the time for that shit,” Touya laughed, noticing the fat tears threatening to roll down your flushed cheeks and effectively ruin your makeup.

"I may not be perfect, doll, but I'm still pretty good, right?"

You turned your head back to Touya, blushing furiously at the hungry look in his turbulent eyes and hating yourself for how your body had reacted to his touch. The knot in your stomach was forming again, making you desperate for release. Touya laughed as you involuntarily pulsed around him, your body’s traitorous attempt at pulling him in deeper. 

"Just hang on, doll. It'll be over soon." Touya leaned down to trail hungry kisses along your neck and jaw, nipping here and there at the modest amount of exposed flesh on the top half of your body.

You whimpered at how cool Touya’s wet kisses felt against your heated skin. With no real strength in your body, you weakly wrapped your arms around the back of Touya’s neck, desperate for something to hold on to as you and Touya quickly approached your ends.

As his thrusts lost their rhythm and became more desperate, Touya’s hand left your mouth to join its twin at your hips. Touya lifted your hips slightly, giving himself deeper access into you. The new angle had your head spinning and you cried as you felt the knot once again threatening to break.

“Just like that, doll,” Touya chanted as he rolled his hips into yours, pelvic bone hitting against your clit with each roll of his hips. Your warm, wet walls squeezing around him in waves like an earthquake had him toppling over the edge, spilling hot white into you, causing you, in turn, to follow him off that ledge.

Touya laid his heavy body over you, propping himself on his forearms so as not to crush you. You took a moment to regain your breath before reality came crashing down on you.

Touya assaulted you, and you enjoyed it. Touya took away your first time, and you let him. You didn’t fight him back hard enough. You didn’t want to fight him back. You fucked your boyfriend’s brother and loved it.

You started crying, kicking and beating at Touya to push him off of you. 

“Get away from me!” you cried. You sat up painfully straight and clutched at the fabric of your dress at your chest.

Touya chuckled seeing you act like a feral kitten. He tucked himself back in and fixed his pants, acting like nothing had happened. 

“You better hurry up before Natsuo asks where you were. You’re smart I’m sure you’ll come up with some lie, you perfect little sinner.” Touya winked and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of your head before exiting the room to join Shoto back in the sanctuary where their father was sure to be finishing up his sermon, leaving you to sit in confusion at what had just transpired between the two of you. 

You wept.

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

[linkspooky]

You once mentioned that Dabi's symbol of rebirth is the Phoenix. Ever since I read that post of yours a long time ago, I haven't stopped thinking about it. The imagery hit me profoundly! Do you mind elaborating? Thanks!

Is Hawks more like Icarus or like a Phoenix? I'm not sure if it makes a difference or not...

It’s my theory the actual rebirth / phoenix imagery is associated with Dabi rather than Hawks. If only because death and rebirth symbolizes a change in a character. In Tarot the Major Arcana “13″ symbolizes Death as the idea of a great change being brought, and a symbolic death of the old previous life or old self, rather than just straightforward dying. 

This rebirth imagery is connected to Dabi rather than Hawks, because not only has Dabi already experienced a death and rebirth by fire - Toya burning to death, and ressurrecting from the ashes somehow as Dabi. His new name literally meaning “cremation” a death by fire. The way Dabi is written now is also meant to be a “change” from who Toya used to be, Toya was someone who at some point was eager to become a hero, Dabi is a villain dedicated to bringing his father down. All of these ideas of change are associated with Dabi, not Hawks. 

1. The Phoenix

Dabi has already committed a lot of symbolic steps that would make him a phoenix. As stated above, he already experienced a death and rebirth once, Todoroki Toya dying and coming back as Dabi. The first time we see him named in the manga, comes from his father staring at his funeral portrait wishing for him to come back. 

Hawks has wings, and Dabi does not. However, I would make the argument that Dabi is the phoenix because he’s the one whose entire character is written around change. Dabi has even done a few phoenix related things already. We’ve seen him fly. 

The phoenix is also a bird that famously burns itself. The fires it’s reborn out of are, flames of self immolation. Hawks quirk is vulnerable to fire yes, but using his quirk doesn’t actively harm him. Dabi is the one so committed to burning himself over and over again, and burning in his own flames, in the hope that he can make a positive change on society. 

Say whatever you want about Dabi (you won’t hurt his feelings, he doesn’t have any), but at least ideologically Dabi follows Stain’s ideals, he believes you have to commit a purge or in other words, burn the previous society so that a new society can be reborn from the ashes. This is also once again, phoenix imagery, rebirth from ashes. 

Dabi is a character written around the concept of change, and being a bringer of change. 

2. The Light

Okay, before I start let me say I believe both Hawks and Dabi have the potential to learn healthier behaviors and grow as people. Seeing Hawks deteriorate mentally, and fall back on worse and worse behaviors isn’t I want to happen, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s what is being shown in the writing. 

Hawks and Dabi both have the potential for great change, but we are shown Hawks being given the oppurtunity continually and not taking it. Dabi is set up for redemption, and Hawks is set up to take a fall. By redemption literally all I mean is that Dabi looks like he’s going to have a character arc where he improves in some way and unlearns his unhealthy, self-destructive behaviors. Hawks also has an oppurtunity to unlearn these behaviors, but he can’t really do it if he refuses to change himself or his beliefs in any way. 

Hawks moves towards the shadows, Dabi moves towards the light. The writing around Dabi also suggests several times that rather than putting down Dabi, there is going to be reintegration of both the Dabi and Touya personalities. 

If Dabi and Enji are truly foils, then if Enji is given the chance to learn to be both Endeavor the Hero, and also Enji Todorokit the father, then why wouldn’t the same chance be extended to Dabi? If the message of Enji’s arc is that you can at any point, turn around, and that the smallest things can chance people. If fire you thought once only existed to burn can be redefined in a much more healthier lens, then why would not that same idea be extended to his son? Enji even reflects on this, what about the future I cut short? 

The future he cut short, sounds like he’s referring to Toya. Natsuo also brings up Toya for the first time shortly before this reflection. Endeavor accepts the idea that like Natsuo said, Toya’s death was his fault. Enji expresses twice, first that he wanted Toya to return to the dinner table, and second that he never truly believed Toya was dead even after they discovered in jaw bone in the fire. 

Shoto’s words to his father as well, you can become a better person from here on out, even if you’re not forgiven from what you did in the past because small words, can change a person. 

The path forward is not destruction, but reintegration. In a jungian sense that means accepting both sides of yourself, both the conscious mind (the light) and the unconsious mind / repressed self (the shadow). In terms of character, it would be Enji being able to view himself both as Enji Todoroki the man who failed his family and Endeavor the hero. It would be Shoto being able to accept both his fire and ice sides. It would be Dabi being able to accept both Toya the hero-hopeful, and then Dabi the villain. You notice how all three of them are split down the middle in this way, all three of them experience a split self that they need to reintegrate. 

Self destruction doesn’t work. Enji tries to burn his past self when he kills the High End and what does everyone in his family say to him. None of us forgive you just because you beat up a hero on the television. You haven’t done anything yet to change yourself. 

Enji attempts to just kill the past and move forward and that doesn’t work for him, as Dabi himself says so, the past never dies. If Dabi insists that the past never dies, he has the same immortality as the phoenix. 

Hawks is someone when given the oppurunity to change his mind, just doesn’t do it. He has someone who sympathized with him and trusted him and offered him a path forward that he didn’t take. Let me put it simply. If Hawks is Twice. If Hawks wants to be like Twice. If Twice is Hawks path forward, and then Hawks kills twice what does that say? 

If Hawks kills the guy he wants to be like - if he sees himself in Twice then murders him then, what does that say about the way Hawks views himself? I’m not reacting to whether or not Hawks is a good or bad person, but the framing. Hawks is framed tragically, Twice even says this out loud, it’s sad, pitiable that Hawks can’t make friends or trust people. That he’s so committed to doing everything all alone. 

Destruction isn’t the path forward, but reintregration. If Shoto’s ultimate desire is to learn to love himself, and be at peace with himself, then why would he hunt down and kill the person he views as the same as himself?

“I was also burning”. I agree that Dabi does not have an arc. Rather, his arc hasn’t begun yet. That’s because we’ve only been introduced to Dabi as a character when the Touya reveal happened, before that he literally was just a mystery lingering in the background. 

However, the set-up with Dabi points to this arc of change and rebirth. All of the foreshadowing around Toya is “we want Toya to come home” and “Dabi reflects the part of myself I needed Midoriya to save me from”. Dabi and Hawks both have the potential to change, however, if you look at the framing Dabi is framed with the chance for redemption because the idea of change is written into the center of his character, whereas Hawks is someone who tragically stays the same. It’s been brought up several times, Hawks is the bird who stays in his change, who does the same things over and over. 

The bird stays in his cage because he can’t survive out of it. Dabi is the phoenix because he symbolizes both this change to society, a change in endeavor that has to take place in order for him to be there for his family, and a change in himself he needs to make in order to continue living. Hawks is icarus, because he’s set to take a fall. His inability to change in time, his desire to keep flying towards the same sun will only lead to his fall.