#is toga really dead???? hmmm

[javepot]

A Little Reunion

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Second chapter of current! Fuck yeah! (I'm writing this as I read and just putting my thoughts down, so some questions I bring up might be answered later in the chapter)

Dabi is so anxious. I mean, there's a good reason for that, but y'know. Nobody explained shit to him, just told him not to worry about it.

They are still disgustingly in love I see.

I understand why Dabi is so unsettled by everyone carrying weapons. As someone who grew up in Europe, where weapons are heavily monitored, thinking about going somewhere where everyone carries them openly sets me on edge, too.

Sire lore!! You know, I think Dabi would make for a very interesting siren. Not in this story, but in general. Hmmm.

Dabiii :(. I'm sure Tomura is happy to answer any and all questions you have.

Oooh chocolate! I really like how you portray the language barrier and how everyone is trying to work around it. As well as how some words don't exist in one language or the other!

Somehow, I don't think everyone eats that much each day.

Please, please explain eating to Dabi. The poor guy. Tomura, you know he is worried. And I know this is all normal for you, but for fucks sake.

I don't know if it's more funny or tragic that Dabi assumes they're guppies. He's trying so, so hard to deal with everything, but he's just missing so much information. He really wants to adapt, and understand. Honestly, I'm surprised Shigaraki isn't asking him more questions.

Shigaraki wants Dabi to be part of his world and sure, I can understand that. He doesn't want his mate to go hungry, but we haven't seen him really try to understand Dabi's culture in turn. Sure, he wants to know, but he doesn't ask about it, even with Toga there to translate. Might come in the future, but yeah.

Magne! Lol, finally someone who tells the others off for literally explaining nothing. Well, not nothing, but y'know. And she's right. Tomura does ask very few personal questions.

Oooh this is good. Explaining about culture for both of them! I was wondering how things in Hollow Reef are goong.

Nice touch that Magne is a clownfish, btw, since with real clownfish the biggest of the group changes gender.

Oh. Since Toga is, technically, a hunter, Dabi makes sure to eat less than her. Or maybe he wants to see how much is eaten on average. Probably a bit of both.

Oh boy! Dabi sure is going through it. But hey, they finally talk about it! About time.

"scared?" "Not of you" oh my god. They are sickeningly sweet. No wonder Tomura wants to tell Dabi that he loves him. They're both so down bad. Oh my god.

Ah, yes. Arena fights and challenges that end with one person dead and eaten. That sure is a way to resolve conflict. Especially since I'm sure Shigaraki totally has the option to refuse a challenge, as prince :)

(that was sarcasm. The eggs I understand. It's a solid system. But we still don't know the rules about fights, so idk about that)

Ah yes, death threats. Pretty sure Spinner only won because they were on land and Shig was distracted, but imagining him just getting pushed into the water and later coming oit again, dripping wet and seething, is very funny.

Oooh, I can't wait for the magic reveal. I think your magic system here is really cool! With all the little details and stuff. Since Rei has told Dabi about sirens, maybe that was just people who couldn't control their gifts? I do think Dabi will end up having one, btw, though I'm not sure which one. Could be it only works above water, if it has to do with fire? But it would be really cool if he could create/control/maintain fire underwater. I wonder if the hunters learn how to use magic?

Disgustingly sweet. Spinner agrees, lol.

I wonder how Dabi plans on hiding his necklace once he has to go back to Hollow Reef. He won't leave it on the island, or maybe he will? But he can't wear it. Too much risk of it being taken away.

Oooh, the finally have the mate talk!!

Learning how to express all that sexual stuff sure is going to be an experience, lol. Dabi's oral fixation is true in every universe. Shigaraki is being responsible and wants to talk first but it's hard when both he and Dabi are so desperate.

Poor Toga has to teach Shigaraki dirty talk in another language. Do it for the chocolate!

Party time! This is where the sneak-peek you gave us is from, right? Nice.

Poor Dabi has a hangover. Good thing Shigaraki is there to take care of him. Dabi just spitting out his whole stomach when he vomits and Shigaraki being caught so off guard by it.

Using a party so there is less to talk about the next meeting is very much unprofessional. Like yeah, that might work, but that doesn't mean issues will actually be resolved.

The meeting sure is something. I'm sure Shigaraki just didn't think of it when inviting Dabi to join them, but the ritual to see if someone is fit to join the sirens is brutal. Good that the kid made it and Dabi didn't have to watch him die? Magical awakening or something, I don't know.

Of fucking course Overhaul causes trouble. I understand why you want to make fried shrimp now. And of course a challenge can't be avoided. Knew there was something up with that law. Like, I'm sure that Dabi will win, simply because Overhaul is too much of a bitch to be able to beat him, but he is at a disadvantage here. I wonder if that fight might activate Dabi's magic? Actually making fried shrimp out of Overhaul would be funny as fuck. (And also tasty)

Oh, too bad. I wanted to see Dabi fight, but I understand he isn't ready yet. Shigaraki will make Overhaul regret ever challenging his mate :)

Oh boy! Dabi sure feels guilty for putting his mate in that position!

Oof, imagine your dad died and you eat him (you know, to pay respect) and suddenly a guard shows up because your king/prince wants a bite too. Kinda fucked up, not gonna lie.

Ah, I suspected eating others is somehow tied up with the magic. I love hearing more about all of this, though "following the natural order of things" is not as good of an argument as you make it out to be.

"I want you to be strong." Dabi has spend so much time forcing himself to be small, he would never want anyone else to starve themselves for his sake.

Overhaul is blocking his own vision with how much sand he's throwing around. And of course his magic causes trouble. Can't wait for Shigaraki to rip his arms off.

Oooh poison! Nice!

Dabi is a shark, after all. And there is a lot of blood in the water :)

Shigaraki holding onto Overhaul's arms because those are his now, dammit.

Dabi is trying so, so hard to adapt and take care of his mate. He just wants to not be small, he just want friends, and family, and to properly live.

Welp. At least Overhaul tastes good, even if he has no other use.

Dabi isn't used to going days without eating anymore. And he's a shark. It's no wonder he's hungry. Especially with so much blood in the water.

Yay! Cannibalism! Shigaraki just wants what's best for him, and he's so worried he fucked up. Oh, they're so sweet to each other in the most deranged way possible.

So much for making sure Shigaraki eats, lol. I mean, he sure eats out, but somehow I don't think that's what Spinner meant.

Oh, Spimner is so mad. And Dabi is being protective of his mate <3. He's letting his instincts take over more.

Oooh! Dabi developed his magic, since he ate "actual meat". We already know it strengthens it, so it wouldn't surprise me if that, combined with him giving in to his instincts more, is what did it. Now, is his magic healing or is he a sorcerer like Spinner?

(also, i'm pretty sure his touch was healing, no matter how funny the thought of healing cum is. Maybe even his tears, since Shigaraki licked those up too?)

Hm, if Dabi didn't heal Shigaraki, it was probably Overhaul's meat, somehow. Sped up the healing process for both of them.

It will be interesting, when Dabi comes back to Hollow Reef (because he promised Natsuo) and while everyone else is weaker coming out of the coma, he will be stronger. And bigger. That might cause problems.

Oops, All for One is home. Surely that will all go over well. Him walking in on them making oit is very funny, though. Welp, it was nice knowing you Dabi.

Hm. I'm interested to see how this version of All for One is like. I don't trust how friendly he acts.

Ooooh, Compress' magic is so interesting! I like how it now also includes other aspects outside of physically shrinking things.

Interesting that Tomura formed the court. I mean, it makes sense, especially considering canon, but still. Monarchies never work well, having a court helps that. Hmm. I'm surprised All for One allowed such a big change.

Hm. It's so hard to tell All for One's intentions. He's obviously talking down Hollow Reef on purpose, trying to use that to make sure Dabi is loyal to Graveforge, but still. He seems to want Tomura to succeed. And unlike canon, this version of AfO isn't as old.

Still, he's making me uneasy. I am, on the other hand, looking forward to what Dabi chooses to do with his life.

Dabi: "Tomura is so sweet. He's obviously a romantic." Almost everyone else: "With you maybe."

Him having the eggs might cause problems. I hope Dabi doesn't get found out :(. He should have hidden them at the island, that would have been safer.

Hopefully nobody asks Natsuo about the lie. Oh god, that would bring up so many questions. I mean, Natsuo knows that Dabi went away, but I don't know how he'd react to Dabi having eggs with him.

Dabi, you can't judge Shouto for his taste in partners. You are literally mated to a prince you met two months ago who you have seen rip the arms off of someone.

Oof, if Hollow Reef is eating their dead because they don't have enough food and then pretend that it's Graveforge who are the only savage ones, damn. That's fucked up. At least in Graveforge people know they'll be eaten.

Damn. Shigaraki can really just destroy magic. So cool. I really really love how you translated their quirks into magic while also switching things up to fit better into the universe.

Eri! Oh shit. I mean, she'll make it, but damn. Poor kid.

Ah, Natsuo will be pretty worried to hear about Dabi's mate. Especially if he figures out what he has been eating.

Woops, Dabi immediately blurts it out. At least he doesn't have to keep that secret from Natsuo anymore?

Oh, this conversation is painful. Very, very painful. Dabi just wants to stay where he is happy and keep his family safe at the same time. But I completely understand where Natsuo is coming from. Because while Dabi was the same, in the beginning, this is different. Natsuo never had to be small. Not like Dabi. And the beginning was hard for Dabi too. This is a lot at once. And, I mean, from Natsuo's perspective it does kind of sound like Dabi joined a cult.

I knew it! The bigger hunters eat the dead to gain access to magic. Oh damn, how much of that did Enji hear??? Oof, I hope Dabi's magic activates before the week is over, because I don't know if he'll survive otherwise. And even if he does, it won't be good for anyone involved. Obviously Enji didn't hear about Dabi's mate, because otherwise he just put himself into a lot of danger willingly.

Oooh, this story is so good! I love love love the worldbuilding.

I am feral and chewing on this ask, oh man yeah holy fuck is so much happening and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! God, this makes me so excited to work on the next chapter! Thank you so much!!! 🖤🖤🖤

[haleigh-sloth]

about well written characters, do you think any character from the hero side (just the important charas like deku, bkg, tdrk, etc...) gets to the level of shigaraki and toga with how hori writes them?

So I’ll differentiate between “well written” and “best character” for this one.

I have two characters who I think reach close to Tomura and Toga for different reasons. So on the hero side, Bakugo takes the cake as most well written. I think in terms of consistency and fluidity with his development he’s the best. But I don’t consider him to be on par with Tomura and Toga.

Mostly because he’s a very straight forward character with little uhhh, I don’t wanna say little depth or nuance but just, there isn’t a lot to unpack imo. What you see with Bakugo, what Bakugo says out loud for us to hear, is pretty much what is there. And if he’s unreliable it’s very much made obvious that it is, you don’t really have to think hard about his character or his arc.

Whereas with Tomura and Toga, you can’t trust what they say. And they say things that get uncovered as a lie many chapters if not arcs later, and they’re the types of characters where you can look back at old chapters and go 😱. To me, that elevates their characters more, and it shows a lot of skill the author has and it shows a lot of care and attention and detail was put into them to an extent I personally don’t see in other characters, including Bakugo.

Now the second character I think is fairly comparable is Endeavor. Yes, it’s been a bumpy road watching his arc play out, but I think attention, care, and detail went into him moreso than Bakugo because there is more layers to peel back with Enji. But do I think he’s the best written? Hmmm. Even now, I still think Endeavor’s entrance into the story doesn’t necessarily align with what Hori chose to do with his character, so I do think that’s a ding in his writing. And then I have issues with the whole dead dad thing. But those are relatively small in comparison to the rest of his arc that is pretty consistently handled.

So Bakugo and Endeavor (parallelograms lol) for slightly different reasons. Bakugo has the consistency to be considered very well written. Endeavor has the depth and layers and nuance to be considered a well constructed character.

But imo Tomura and Toga have both of those factors so for me, they still take the cake.

[codenamesazanka]

As I said earlier why does toga deserve to live? She's still a terrorist and people have every right to want her dead. Or are you one those gross shippers thst thinks she'll be happy leeching off uraraka and deku emotionless and end up killing them

hmmm

this is going into moral philosophy territory that I’m not equipped for. Does a 17-year-old criminal have a right to life? Is execution the only way to deal with terrorists? What do they deserve and don’t deserve, and is this just? idk man, I think you should email an ethics professor. Ask legal experts. Consult a psychic. Message a youtuber.

Who exactly are these people that want Toga dead? As far as I know, Uraraka just wants to defeat and stop her. I don’t think she’s expressed any desire to kill. I guess we can assume Toga’s victims’ families want her dead, but we don’t actually know. The people who vandalized her old house with ‘DIE’ probably? Interesting group to side with.

I don’t really ship any of the kids, and while I think it’s cute, I unfortunately barely give Toga/Ochako much thought because my brain is occupied by Spinaraki. :( Meanwhile I dislike Deku and would never debase and humiliate my girl Toga by shipping her with someone I consider the worst shonen protag ever.

Ships did not enter my mind at all until you brought it up, anon. I would’ve expect you calling me a mass murder apologist or depraved sinner, but gross shipper? How the heck does shipping play a role in this? Is there something you want to mention about your motivation in sending these asks? 👀

I think these asks are revealing more about you than any insight on Toga’s character development and role in the story. What’s up anon?

What’s got you so riled up? Will Toga’s death in the manga make you feel better about… idk, justice in this world and morality? Does feeling sadism towards a fictional character help with anything? By all means, go ahead, but remember to take breaks and drink water.

I would say I’m glad you’ve got such strong conviction in your beliefs, but the shipping thing kinda cast a strange light onto things.

Have I helped with anything? My ask box is always open. Go wild. My only rule is no disturbing images. 😔

You should write your own post. Explain your thoughts and detail your arguments. I’ll love to read it!

Anyways, my answer is still this.

Thanks for the ask!

[clickbait-official]

mbc

from @artwitch28's headcannons

masterlist

tw: implied/referenced abuse, depressive themes, and transphobia

---

Endeavor was a stuck up little bitch.

Not that a lot of people knew.

Oh well. He’ll get his revenge one day.

Touya sighs, setting his keys on the counter.

“Keigo! I’m home!”

The house was big- airy, if that was a word. Birdboy hated closed spaces. Touya couldn’t blame him, either; he couldn’t stand anything that looked like his “training” room.

There was a thunk upstairs as Keigo ran down to greet him.

“How was work? How was Dad?” He asks.

“Dad”, Atsuhiro Sako, was Touya’s adopted dad. They worked together under their agency, the League of Heroes. The League of Heroes were made up of heroes who were told they were villains, or considered outcasts.

“It was alright, Big sis Magne started asking people if they wanted interns.” Touya responds to his fiance.

Keigo comes up behind him, hugging him and wrapping his wings around Touya.

“Hmmm. Did you look for an intern, dove? You could get your brother~”

“I didn’t think about it, no. But there’s Toga already. Did you?”

Touya can feel Keigo smile into his shoulder.

“There’s one with a bird quirk.”

“Oh, I see.” Touya smirks.

His stomach rumbles as he does.

“Aww, does my little birdie need some food?” Keigo says, a twinkle in his eye. “I’ll go get you some.”

He grabs his hand and leads him to the kitchen.

They look through the fridge, then the freezer.

“Chinken nuggets?” Keigo asks, after a beat of silence.

“You did not just reference that, again.”

And Keigo laughs, loud and clear. Touya thinks it’s the prettiest thing he’s ever heard.

God, he’s in deep, isn’t he?

They sit together at the counter while they wait for the food to cook. They don’t talk for a bit, just enjoying each other’s company.

“Speaking of Shoto, how’s the family? Rumi’s been talking ‘bout Fuyumi a lot.” Keigo says, taking the pan out of the oven.

“Oh my goodness- remember that crusty kid I was talking to you about? He’s dating Natsuo.” Touya deadpans, and Keigo bursts into giggles.

“God, he could do so much better! And he chose the crustiest kid on this side of Japan!” He rants, Keigo staring from across the table.

“Hana’ll kill you for that.”

Touya sighs again, knowing that he was right. “Yeah, I know. I still don’t know why Natsuo chose her crusty brother, but he’s happy. And it gets him out of the house, too.”

Keigo nods. “Away from Endeavor.”

“Away from Endeavor.”

They sit for a while in silence at that. Touya knows Keigo used to idolize Endeavor, and he knows why.

God, out of all people, couldn’t Keigo have a good childhood?

At least he’s not hurting now.

The sun has fallen, and they’re laying on their bed.

The moonlight filters through the curtains. Keigo’s been asleep for a while now.

The slightest breeze drifts into the room.

If we lived in a harsher world, we’d be so much more cruel.

Oh, what a beautiful night to be alive with you.

---

Touya brings Keigo into the agency. He’d been curious about how it worked- the League was unprecedented.

Touya hoped he’d want to join too. He wouldn’t mind his soon-to-be husband patrolling with him.

Hero work is a dangerous game to play, after all.

The League of Heroes’s building is not very intimidating. It’s survived thunderstorms, 52 mental breakdowns (not by the same person), and now the prank the entire League is in on.

It’s time for the hero charts.

Showtime.

It had taken so much bribing, from the poor intern that worked for one of the higher ups, to one of the higher ups themselves.

Touya could only hope it was worth it.

Oh, it was worth it.

On live television, in front of nearly the entire world, Enji Todoroki, known as Endeavor, had gotten massively pranked.

First, it was the glitter. Then, the water balloons and the rainbow slime. After that, it was the chicken and the three fire extinguishers.

And of course, copious amounts of cheese.

And it was all filmed. It was all broadcasted to a live audience.

Oh- and everyone knew who did it.

But there was no evidence.

God, Touya loved trashing Endeavwhore (and that’s an insult to sex workers).

It was the night after when Twice suggested something Touya had never thought of before.

The night was young, fireflies just beginning to come out. They were on the balcony, drinking and catching up like family would.

“Hey,” He said, “Why don’t you sue him? Get your bro outta that place and over here.”

Twice was a genius.

Twice was a goddamn genius.

Headlines were all over the place. “Endeavor gets sued?” “Enji Todoroki- an abusive piece of shit?” “Endeavor loses custody!”

God, the journalists were having a fucking field day with this. Touya can’t blame them, though.

The day was beautiful. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and little kids were running around outside. Keigo was sitting next to him, listening to his music. Touya finished up some paperwork to finally, finally get his siblings out from under Endeavor.

Thankfully, there was enough evidence to prove he was at least neglectful. People could finally see just how much of an asshole he was, and how high his civilian casualty and endangerment rates are.

There was one teeny, tiny, thing.

The Commission.

The only reason Endeavor was still in the top ten is because of that fucking Commission.

God, he hated the Commission. The things they did to Keigo, the scars that still remain on his psyche.

Fuck the Commission.

It just- It made him so angry. The way Toga and Spinner were treated, how Twice wasn’t able to get help until he became a hero- God, he hated it.

And he didn’t even know how bad it was! He was sheltered from Quirkist attitudes. Well, as sheltered as you can be, living with Endeavor as a dad.

He only knew a little bit of how much they had suffered under this system. He knew there was something more to how Twice always stayed in his hero costume, or how Magne avoided that one part of town. How Toga stared at that one schoolyard for a little too long before walking away.

And he hated it. So, so much.

Fuck the Commission.

---

It’s Touya’s first free day. The hecticness of moving all of his sibling’s stuff into their house was crazy. Who knew that keeping a house was so hard? Not him, that’s who.

So, like any rational person, he goes out to catch up with a close friend.

He had met her during his time at U.A. Her name was Hana Shimura. They bonded through their shitty parents. She was the older sister of the crusty fuck, Tenko.

Why did Natsuo decide to date him? He'll never know.

Somehow or another, the conversation went from how their days went to when Tenko got his quirk.

“Yeah, he decayed the dog! Thankfully he froze up after, so I got Mom. If he didn’t freeze up, I’d be dead.”

The way she had said it- so casually...She probably was terrified at the time.

“There was a UA student that helped him, too. Oboro? I think that was his name...Anyway, Oboro really helped him! He’s kinda a father to him, if I’m being honest.” She went on, telling Touya how proud of Tenko she was.

How he had become a search and rescue hero, which he already knew, and using his quirk he had helped so many people! Because he can decay the debris trapping civilians and rescue them!

They walk down the street, still talking about their siblings and generally how life was going.

They were gonna meet up with Twice. There was a new restaurant that he noticed during his patrols.

Touya heard it was pretty good from Fuyumi and Rumi.

It looked pretty nice, too. He’d walked by it a few times.

“So how is Twice, anyway? I don’t hear much from him these days.” Hana says, pushing open the door to the restaurant.

“Guess you’ll find out, huh?”

Twice is sitting at an empty table in a corner. He was smart enough to change out of his hero costume, just like Touya and Hana.

He lifts his head as they get closer to the table.

“Hey guys! How’ve you been!” He greets them as they sit down.

“Good, good. We were talking about my brother, Tenko.” Hana says. Touya nods in agreement.

“And also how he got to be a hero, too.”

“Did I ever tell ya how I got to be a hero?” Twice asks them, barely containing a smile.

He never told them, well, not Touya.

Turns out, when he was having trouble with his Quirk, one of his doubles went and got a hero license. At the time he was barely of the streets, so he became a hero, joining up with Mr. Compress and Magne to create the League of Heroes.

Because why not? It kept him off the streets and he could help people like him.

A win-win for Twice.

Touya hated how his weird uncle was treated before he became a hero.

Because he was a person, like anyone else. Just a person.

So why was he treated so differently? Why didn’t people help him when he needed it?

God, Touya was so tired.

---

It’s late one night. Touya is alone with his adopted father.

“Dad, why’d you decide to be a hero?” He asks out of the blue.

Atsuhiro’s eyes mist over, and Touya worries for him. Touya’s told him all about the horrific shit he’s gone through, and he can’t help but wonder if he had gone through something horrible too.

Atsuhiro takes out a silver locket, and gently pries it open. He points at the picture inside.

“Look! It’s them…My perfect little family... That’s them! There’s my little girl, and the most beautiful person to ever exist. There they are…”

It’s silent for a moment, the only thing one could hear were the cicadas far away from here.

Touya opens his mouth, “What...What happened to them?”

“A hero. He didn’t care for protocol. He killed- He killed them! And no one believed me…” Atsuhiro trails off, looking down at the floor.

Touya can’t help but feel sorrow, too. He could’ve had a mom, another sister...

He really needs to stop adopting people.

He can’t imagine the pain Mr. Compress must’ve been in. To lose a lover, a child? Oh, it must hurt- so, so much. To lose what was essentially a part of you?

Oh, it hurts to even imagine.

“...They’re really pretty, Dad.”

“They...were both so beautiful in this picture. Toga reminds me of her, y’know? They are both so pretty, so grown-up, and have that same sense of humor…”

Touya’s not sure to who he’s referring to, but nods anyway.

Who’s he to question grieving old men?

“And the days fly by so fast now, I can’t help but feel as though I’m supposed to be insulted by it. But I can’t bring myself to care anymore…It hurts, Touya, it hurts. Sometimes...I can hardly bring myself out of bed...I feel like a ghost…”

It’s silent for a moment, before Touya speaks.

“Dad, I think you need to get help. This isn’t normal. And…I think they’d want you to be happy too, Dad. Don’t you deserve to be happy, too?”

“...I don’t know.”

“You don’t...know?”

“I don’t think I am. But...I want you to be happy. And Tenko, and Hana, and Twice, and Magne...But it’s so tiring, being happy. And I don’t know what to do!”

His sobs seem to echo through the building.

“Come on, Dad. Let’s get you help. You can get some rest.”

He leads Sako back to his house, Atsuhiro being half-asleep by the time they get home.

Mr. Compress takes the spare bedroom, and falls asleep as soon as he hits the pillow. Keigo notices Touya, and walks over to him.

“Heya dove~ How was your day?”

“Worrying. Dad...Dad needs some help. He’s got some shit going on...He’s so tired, Kei. We need to get him therapy or something.”

“Oh, baby…” Keigo whispers, but Touya is too tired to hear.

He falls asleep in his fiance’s arms, safe and sound.

---

The house is abuzz with activity when Touya wakes up. Keigo’s laughter echoes around the place, filling the air with a sense of home.

What a beautiful way to wake up.

Touya gets dressed and walks downstairs. Keigo’s in the kitchen, talking amicably with his sister, Fuyumi. Dad was smiling fondly at the sight, picking at his food. Natsuo was talking on the phone with someone, blushing a little.

Keigo turns towards him, and oh, he was so handsome.

“Good morning, dovely~”

Unbelievable. It was too early for puns.

“Ugh, no. Don’t ever make puns this early. Dad, you doing okay?”

Atsuhiro looks over at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“I’m doing just fine, sonny boy~”

“God, it’s too early for this shit. Keigo, get me some coffee, will you?”

“Language!” Fuyumi scolds.

Eventually the coffee is made, and tables cleaned. Breakfast is done.

Keigo helps set up an appointment with Fuyumi. She’s a part time therapist, part time substitute teacher.

Touya takes a deep breath. One day, Dad will be okay. He’ll be alright.

Time for work.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day when Touya goes on patrol again. This time with Magne and the new intern, Toga.

He already knew somewhat what the girls had gone through.

“Good morning, Magne, Toga.” He greeted them.

“Good morning!” Toga says, and then they go off.

Touya’s stuck in his thoughts as they walk to a coffee house while on break. He listens in as he reaches for the door.

“Yeah, my parents threw me out cause they didn’t think I was a girl.”

“My parents threw me out, too! I had to run away, they didn’t like my quirk very much...I got lucky, and Mom became my mom! That’s how I became a hero! How did you, big sis Magne?”

“Mr. Compress saved me from one of those fucking creeps. He let me stay with him for a while, and helped me get back on my feet. I decided to be a hero then, to help people like me.”

They sit down at one of the tables, still talking about their lives. Touya takes a bite of his muffin.

Ah, life was alright, if just for a little while.

--- requests & asks are open! (request em here) ---

@kirililbb

[autumn-foxfire]

Horikoshi is prettty bad at getting his point across tbh. If he wanted Dabi to be sympathetic, why the act? Sure, fandom loves the crazy villain act and others say Toya is an edgelord liar and has never done any real wrong. But I know there are those completely put off by this using personal victimhood at a time of extreme tragedy. Horikoshi's comments on Stain and Fleturn can imply he has simplistic US comic fanboy ideas of terrorism as social revolution and abuse is true evil behind terrorism

^instead of so many more social, religious and political issues as well as differences in countries. Among villains only the Eight Precepts and the Meta Liberation Army had scope to be something more but they are background noise, not to be explored. Twice had a more interesting and morally grey background but he is now dead and his story seems completed. Compresses story just felt rushed and inconsistent with everything about him. Its unsatisfactory and ends up feeling too simple and personal.

Hmmm, I don't think Hori was trying to show Dabi as sympathetic though? At least, I never read it that way (and if I was then he certainly failed doing that XD), I've always seen Dabi as Shouto's antithesis, in Shouto is sympathetic because he has trauma but he's trying to heal from that trauma and never uses it to excuse himself. Meanwhile Dabi isn't sympathetic, not because his circumstances but because how he uses his trauma to hurt others.

The same with Toga and Twice really, they're only sympathetic to the point of their backstories but then their actions aren't something we're supposed to sympathize with (which is why we see the heroes call them out for that behaviour as much as possible).

I do agree that how Hori's done terrorism in his manga has a lot to be desired T-T It's one of the reasons people are so conflicted about the League of Villains, because in many other circumstances a group fighting against social injustice would not be viewed as extremism. I guess because at the moment it seems to only be the villains who are tackling the major issues caused by hero society (...sorta), people have mistaken them as revolutionists. Hori has been getting better at having other characters address these issues too but it's probably a bit to late at this point.

I am disappointed with how Hori has utilised other villains though, they're all second compared to League of Villains which was disappointing to see (I've spoke at length with how Re-Destro could have been a lot more). It's interesting how he tried to use the other villains as a way to flesh out his main villains and yet made them more one-dimensional because he never actually gave them any major conflicts... If he had actually explored more of Re-Destro's and Overhaul's views, he could have fleshed his world out so much more..

[dalgikiss]

Voice Message // t. todoroki

please leave a message after the tone

genre: romance, angst

“Hmmm? What’s this?” Toga holds up an old model of a smartphone, letting it dangle between her fingers, “This is such an old phone, who would still carry this around?”

Dabi glances at it, snatching it away from her hands faster than anyone at the bar can process it as he shoves back into his pocket. 

“Don’t touch what isn’t yours” he snaps, curling his bony fingers along the edges of the old phone. The rest of his drink is drunk in one shot, stinging warmth blooming in his throat and along the tops of his ribs before he storms out of the room. 

Toga pouts, pretty pink lips jutting out from her chin as she whines about how rude you’re being! How was I supposed to know that’s your phone?

It’s short, only the briefest of seconds when she tapped the screen so it lit up but the picture of a boy with hair as red as fire and sparkling blue eyes grin into the camera as a girl hangs off his back, is burned into Toga’s memory and she wonders who they are. 

12:26am: hey, it’s been a while. how are you? I hope you’re doing okay. Are you having trouble sleeping? 

The phone rings and you know that you shouldn’t hold out hopes that maybe he’ll pick up because it’s been what, four years now since his disappearance but you are a sucker for miracles so you can’t help but wish that Touya will somehow answer. 

“Hello?” 

You hold your breath, tears beginning to well up in your eyes at the sound of his voice. 

“Hello? Is someone there?”

You inhale deeply through your nose until your lungs burn as you try to relax, to open up your mouth and utter something, anything but before you can do so- 

“Ha! Just kidding, you totally fell for this didn’t ya!”

A single tear glides down your cheek as you slump back into the chair. 

Right, this was his old voicemail, the one he had made and you had been there to watch the making of. If you strained your ears, you could hear your soft laughter in the background. 

“Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you when I can”

Beep

You clear your throat, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Did you have anything you wanted to say? Maybe you should just hang up, feeling a little silly talking to an answering machine that was probably full of messages that will never be heard, but something pushes hard against your gut and before you know it- 

“Hey Touya, it’s me” 

You wince at your own voice, since when did you sound so…. Stilted? You could practically imagine him snickering at your voice. 

“I uh-” You swallow, “How have you been?”

Bitch, i’m dead. What do you think?

You laugh nervously, “Actually don’t answer that question. That’s kinda dumb. Uh, I hope you’re doing okay wherever you are. It’s like 12am right now, i couldn’t sleep. Remember when you used to text me at 4am because you couldn’t sleep? I really miss waking up to read them”

A small puff of air escapes your lips as you remember the texts you’d wake up to- chickens do not deserve rights, if you ever call me daddy i will not be disappointed- and the ache in your heart grows deeper. 

You sniff, the base of your palm rubbing into your eyes until you see purple stars dance in and out of your vision, “Um… I guess that’s really it. I hope you’re doing well. Miss you, bye”

The phone call ends with a soft press of the screen and you are left staring with your own reflection. 

Dabi glances at the old smartphone he always keeps charged for no reason other than it being a habit when it vibrates, a single notification popping up on the screen. 

You have 1 new voice message

1:07am: i really miss frozen yogurt, not you and no, i’m not drunk. I just really, really miss froyo

“Hello?” 

The sound of his voice message rings in your ear and you’re too ashamed to admit that you’re so desperate to hear Touya’s voice again that you’ve resorted to listening to his outdated voice message again and again. 

“Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you when I can”

Beep

“Um… hi, it’s me again” 

You vaguely hear your own consciousness telling you that if Touya were alive, he’d tell you to stop spamming him. 

“You know, I haven’t had frozen yogurt since you’ve left,” you admit, “I still can’t walk past that frozen yogurt spot we used to hang out at without crying a little bit”

“I really miss frozen yogurt” you sigh, “it’s all your fault I can’t get any unless I wanna cry in public”

You’re stupid, how is that my fault?

“It’s totally your fault,” you hurriedly say, vaguely recognizing how crazy you look talking to the Touya voice in your head, “if you didn’t leave or disappear or whatever, I could get froyo without crying in the middle of ordering”

“Anyways,” you continue, “I’m not drunk, if that’s what you’re wondering, I just….. really miss frozen yogurt. That’s all. I’m gonna go now, bye”

I really miss you

You let your phone drop onto the bed as the clock by your bedside table changes numbers. 

What a long fucking night. 

The old smartphone vibrates again next to Dabi and he blearily opens his eyes to peer at the screen.

You have two new voice messages

1:23am: call me back, please?

“Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you whe-”

“Call me back,” You interrupt the recording, “I don’t know where you are or what you’re doing but it’s a little rude to be ignoring someone who’s been calling you, so you better call me back”

You pull the phone away from you, your thumb hovering over the ‘end call’ button before you press the phone back to your ear and add a single word for good measure. 

“Please?”

In the dark of the room, Dabi’s old phone lights up with another notification. 

You have three new voice messages

1:47am: i hate the color blue, by the way. It’s the ugliest color out there

“Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you when I can”

Beep

“I saw this blue dress in the window the other day,” You talk into the phone and grip the edges of your comforter, “I didn’t buy it though”

Why not?, the Touya voice asks

“Because I hate the color blue” 

You inhale, eyes closing. “It’s an ugly color and i hate it, hate it, hate it”

You used to love it, the Touya voice in your head teases you

“Well I hate it now. It-”

It reminds me of you

It reminds me of your eyes

It reminds me you’re missing 

You shake your head, “It’s just an ugly color”

You hang up the phone with your thumb jamming into the phone screen with finality and throw your head underneath your comforter. 

Dabi lets out a soft laugh as he hears your last message before letting his arm fall to the side, phone in hand.

“You hate the color blue?” he muses, “You used to love it. Said it reminded you of my eyes”

2:00am: i don’t miss you. i don’t know what i’m doing. I hate you. i don’t care. 

“You know what?” You’re not quite sure where the anger is coming from, feeling the fire in your stomach burning as it licks the crevices in your body, “fuck you”

“Fuck you for leaving. Fuck you for ruining all my favorite dessert places and boba spots. Fuck you”

“I hate you” You fix the wall in front of you with a glare meant to kill as though it was Touyai and not just an innocent wall with sweaters and jackets hanging on hooks. “I hate you and I do not care about you at all. Like 100%, I don’t care about you at all”

You pause in the middle of your rant, straining your ears to hear something other than the static because god, you miss Touya so much you think you just might vomit but nothing greets you except your own haggard breathing and you let out a strangled groan, throwing your phone onto the opposite end of the bed. 

The frustrated yell you let out makes Dabi cringe and hold his phone away from his ear. “Sorry,” he closes his eyes when he hears the phone tumbling down, “I hate me too”

2:03am: this is the last time i’m calling you. 

Beep

“Okay, this is the last time I’m calling you,” You talk into the phone but the message is more for you than for him, “Seriously, the absolute last time. You better call me back because this is the last time I’m the one calling you”

“Seriously,” You hang up the phone, resting your head against your knee. “The absolute last time”

Dabi laughs at your message and decides to time how long your resolve would last.

2:06am: okay, this time really is the last time i’m calling you. i still hate you though. 

3 minutes. Your resolve lasts three minutes. 

You berate yourself in your head, angrily cursing yourself for giving in so easily but your fingers have already punched in the numbers you have engraved in your core and the dial tone rings in the room. 

Beep

“Okay, so that wasn’t my last call but this time, this time is my actual last call. I swear on it” You hold your pinky up into the air as though he’ll see

You drop your hand, “I still hate you though. Just because I’m calling you again doesn’t mean I forgive you or anything. I fucking hate you”

Dabi laughs as your message ends, “Yeah, yeah. I hate me too”

2:15am: i don’t hate you. 

“Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now, leave me a message and I’ll get back to you when I can”

“I don’t hate you,” You admit, the roof of your mouth sticky and dry like cotton balls were stuffed inside, “I don’t hate you one bit”

“I don’t hate you at all so please, please, please-” Your voice cracks a little, “just call me back. I miss you so goddamn much”

You hang up the phone and resolve to have a good cry in bed and fall asleep in the middle of it. Sure you might wake up with puffy eyes but that’s fine and you nod to yourself as you snuggle deeper under the covers. You can already tell you would wake up with a horrible headache. 

Your eyelids droop lower and lower until they’re shut and the grips of sleep pull at your limbs until the phone suddenly rings and you shoot your hands out from underneath to covers to fumble for it. 

“Hello?” You wince at the sound of your voice, since when did you sound like a dying frog?

When no one answers you, you frown. “Helloooo?”

“Hey. I heard you hate the color blue now?” 

You freeze and sit up, heart hammering wildly in your chest. Was that…

“That’s a shame,” The voice continues, “you always said my eyes were your favorite shade”

[yellowbluemoonshine]

It just occurred to me that the LOV could be considered to be a post-left anarchist insurrection group, not a revolutionary group. They don't have a coherent ideology beyond the status quo being garbage and it needing to be destroyed. They have their individual reasons and wants, but in the end of the day they don't have a world they want to build. To them insurrection is the end goal itself. Do you agree?

Hmmm, i think its really hard to categorize them cause they are more complicated than they seemed so i think both group (anarchist insurrection group and revolutionary group) dont really fit it.

So i will explain why i think like this with every member separately. I will pass Magne cause she is dead and Twice, you know, he just wanted family. I will pass them.

And Toga too. She is not interested in world issues, she just wants to live normal life with her own way but thats not all. She tried to explain herself to Uraraka cause she somehow tried to reach out to her, trying to find a connection.

Spinner said with his own words, he wants to change things. He is even the one who questioned Shigaraki about this.

And we learnt Mr Compress's past too. And from what we can learn, he is here to change things too.

If Dabi only wants to destroy, why would he bother to talk with civillians? He obviouslt trying to reach out to them.

And the one who is the most related to this question;

Shigaraki.

Yeah, we know that he always says i want to destroıy and all but you can see his actions mostly opposites with what he says.

If Shigaraki only want to destroy and not changing things, then why he bothers to explain himself to heroes?

Shigaraki isnt someone who is not interested in changing cause he changes things with the way he treats his team. Then why he destroy it? One, he was forced into this role. Second, he truly doesnt hope for better future, he cant imagine better future from his limited perspective.

See? They all basically same things. Yeah, they are hurted by society and wants to destroy it but they also want to change things too.

Basically, what i am trying to say is;

Yes, they dont have particular ideology, they dont really have plan for better future and yeah, they want to destroy hero society but that doesnt mean that they dont want rebuild things. They clearly want to change things too, we can see from their behaviours but their main focus is destroy first. Those people lost their lifes, to them, everything is better than now. Thats why main focus is destroying society. Also this destruction of society is to change things.

Heroes doesnt want to change anything cause they are ok with society. But league does everything for it. Anything is better than now for people who werent saved.

This is why i think they dont fit both group cause their purpose is NOT just destruction and they dont really rebuild things now but i do believe that they truly want to change things but its really hard from their place. Hope you understand me.

[once-upon-a-scenario]

Breaking Point: Dabi/reader

(Warnings for pure angst, slight mentions of violence/character death, and manga spoilers!) *Reupload because idk why but the post wasn’t showing up in any of the tags? It doesn’t matter how you feel about Dabi; Twice is gone, you’ve lost a friend, and you’re not willing to let yourself hurt any longer. (Or: essentially, reader breaks up with Dabi.) (Hmmm kind of a vent fic, of sorts? So the writing quality is really not the best;;; to clarify, just in case I made it too confusing, reader is basically upset because they just want some stability and to stop losing people they love, so Reader: can you please stop Dabi, his willingness to sacrifice people for his goals, and his personal lack of self preservation: lmao...you wish? also apparently I hate Dabi because I have another breakup fic planned for him??? It wasn’t intentional, just that everything I write for this guy inevitably turns into angst lol -Mod Eve) ___________ This isn’t the first time. If it was, you wouldn’t be here right now. If you thought that everybody would get out of this alive, you wouldn’t be one of the bad guys. If you’d never lost anything before, you wouldn’t have gone to the lengths you have to protect what you have left. This isn’t the first time. But, in spite of it all, in spite of the horrible naivety of it- you hoped that Magne would be the last. You’re standing at the top of the stairs now, watching the clouds. The sky’s clear, the weather’s warm; it’s a good day for killing. In the distance, you can make out the bird-quirk kid from U.A, a black speck in the distance as he makes off with the Number 2 Hero. They’re still in your line of sight, and your quirk is a ranged one. You could, theoretically, make that shot. See if you can avenge Jin. It’s the least you could do to try. Instead, your hand falls limply to your side. A shadow falls over the cracked stone floor, and you stay silent, eyes trained on the speck that is Hawks and his savior, growing rapidly smaller and farther away. “Hey.” Dabi’s voice is scratchy, hoarse from smoke and screaming. A little frayed around the edges. As frayed as you feel, maybe. He calls your name; you don’t respond.

“You could’ve gotten him- what’re you waiting for-“ “You know,” you cut in, still staring up at the clouds and the blue, blue sky. “I always thought Hawks was a pretty nice guy.” Sudden silence. Well, as long as he’s listening. As long as he knows what’s coming. You have a feeling he does; you and Dabi, you’ve always been close like that. “I didn’t lose just one friend today.” You inhale, exhale, slowly. Try to keep yourself stable. Try not to think about Hawks staring you down, telling you not to interfere- “I just need Twice to stay put. This doesn’t have to be any harder than it already is. Neither of you has to get hurt.” But one of us did, and whose fault is it, in the end?  “And I guess you knew all along, huh. You knew…” The bloody half of Magne’s body falling to the ground. Kurogiri, captured and gone. Twice, melting away before your eyes. He knew that this might happen. “This,” and Dabi sounds strained, in pain, like he’s falling apart and it’s only his stapled skin and his pride keeping him from losing every shred of nonchalance he has left, and you won’t look back at him because if you see the look on his face right now you know that’s going to be the killing blow- “This wasn’t planned. Shit, what do you take me for? You think I’d throw away a power like Twice’s just like that?” “No, you wouldn’t.” Your nails are digging into your palms but you barely feel the sting. “Because that’s what it was about- power. Winning. It was a gamble.” The U.A kid is out of sight now. You suspect Hawks might live, if he just gets medical attention in time, and maybe you should be angry, but you meant it when you let him go. There’s no point in revenge anymore. Not now, when there’s a war raging on the ground below, one of your best friends, your only friends, is dead, and another’s a traitor, while your leader is gone, and Dabi- You don’t want to kill anymore. You don’t want a fight. You just want Jin back. You want to go to Dabi and let him hold you like he’s done in the past, tell him it’s ok, but that would be a lie. You’re so tired. “The league’s been home to me, you know.” Dabi isn’t like you, in that regard, and some part of you has always understood that this might happen, sooner or later. All you’ve ever really wanted is a chance to survive alongside the people you love; Dabi has bigger goals, and he’s willing to take risks for them. So this is your breaking point: your moment to let him go before he leaves. You turn, hands in your pockets. There’s a sharp intake of breath. “Where are you going?” You shrug. “Down. To Toga.” “You’re going to get yourself killed,” his voice cracks, breathless, on the verge of hysteria, and the sound is like a knife through your heart. You grit your teeth and keep walking. (You can love Dabi all you want, and he can love you back, and none of it will matter if his games don’t pay off, if his grand quest doesn’t end in victory- if you’ll be forced to watch more people die. If he might end up among those people.) “Toga needs me,” you reply as you begin your descent down the stairs, choosing your words carefully, blocking out the sound of his harsh, ragged breathing. “You can go. Make a few more gambles. Whatever you need to do.” It’s a cruel thing to say, isn’t it? Because you know he’s hurting, still reeling from his own miscalculation and the loss of Jin. He hides it well, but he’s suffering. He probably doesn’t want this any more than you do. The only problem is that pain won’t stop Dabi. So- you’ll go to Toga.  You hear him call your name, once, like a drowning man making his last fruitless reach above the waves before they swallow him, but you bow your head lower and walk. One step. Two step. You’ll be outside soon.  (You’ve never claimed to not be selfish. You’re only human, and you’ve lost enough. If you’re not prepared to let him leave you, then the only option is for you to leave first.)

[sketches-of-stories]

Glass Shards

It had been exactly nine days since Azar the fire nymph had been stuffed roughly into the lamp that was now her home and prison. Exactly nine days since she had been taken from Flint, her human friend, and caregiver. Azar had started tallying the days on the glass bottom with broken bits if half-burnt matches. In the nine days, she had been imprisoned by the Orc Lord, Azar had seen many different creatures. Hobgoblins, orcs, elves, the occasional human, and other nymphs but none of them were willing to help her. The door of the tent, containing her lamp, was snapped open revealing Warog the Orc Lord. 

"Light," he barked out the command as he had done for the past nine days. Azar rolled her eyes as she ignited her fire-proof hair. "Ahhh," he sighed. Even his sighs were rough, like sandpaper scratching yet forming words. "That's better." He lumbered over to the lamp and peered down at her with one yellowish eye. "But why is your light dimmer?" Azar's dark cheeks flared angrily. She thought of Flint who would never ask such stupid questions. Everyone knew a fire nymph's flame would begin to burn out when he or she wasn't properly cared for. And the nymph would begin to die. 

Azar snorted disgustedly. There was no way that she would die because of some idiotic orc, who wouldn't care for her properly. "Watch your tone missy. You'll get into a mite of trouble with that attitude," he said shaking his head disapprovingly. "So, why are you burning low?" What could she say? Obviously she couldn't just say something about how she was slowly dying because of lack of care. 

"I have a rare disease." Hmmm. How to work with this? If she said the wrong thing it would be the end of the road. "It causes my flame to burn low from time to time. That's all." Warog rolls his eyes. "Meh. I need light to calculate my sales." That was another constant over the nine days. Every night he came in to calculate his sales. Azar had begun to think this Orc Lord was a merchant type.

No matter what he was he sat at his table and added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided until he came up with a total and left the room until nightfall. Today's process seemed slower than usual, but after a while Azar saw Warog tidying up his desk area. It was strange, she thought to herself, that such an ugly, stupid-looking creature could actually be somewhat smart. She laughed softly.

"Off," he grunted. Nevermind, thought Azar irritably as she extinguished her light. The Orc Lord lumbered out of the room leaving her alone in her lamp. As soon as she was sure he was out earshot she started mumbling to herself, trying to formulate a plan I'd escape. After several long hours of planning, tears, and banging her head repeatedly against the walls of her prison, Azar hatched a plot.

Step 1: Wait until midnight. Warog and everyone else in his camp would be asleep except the Nightwatch. And she would be too small to be seen.

Step 2: Break her lamp prison. Quietly of course. Well, as quietly as possible, she reasoned.

Step 3: The easiest step by far. Climb down the table and sneak out of the camp. Fire nymphs lived in small rocky caves, so Azar was a natural climber.

Step 4: Hide for the night and rest until she could find Flint. Or died trying.

"Four easy steps, four easy steps, four easy steps." She chanted the same thing over and over until it was embedded in her mind. As the night wore, on the chant was the only thing that kept her awake.

Finally after what seemed like years Warog strode into the tent, changed (Azar averted her eyes. She did NOT want to see that ugly brute changing), and laid down on his cot. A few minutes later he began to snore. An hour later Azar began to shake her enclosure, trying to knock it over and break it.

"Almost there," Azar grunted through gritted teeth. The lamp fell to itS side and shattered with a crash. Desperately she looked at the sleeping figure praying that he hadn't woken up. He hadn't.  

She picked herself off the wooden tabletop and dusted off the ash, clinging to her tunic. "Not a scratch!" Carefully she took a step forward. A sharp pain seared through her foot. "Bandit's bum," she cursed sitting down to examine her foot. A shard of glass no bigger than a pebble had embedded itself in her foot. She had no way of taking it out safely.

"Guess that will have to wait." Gingerly Azar limped over to her broken match calendar and pulled one of the larger pieces aside. She then used a shard of glass, to cut a thin strip of cloth from her toga and tied it around her injured foot. "Alright," she whispered to herself. "Just use the match to pull yourself up," she trailed off with a sharp intake of breath, as her foot seared. “Ok. Slower this time." Over the course of about five minutes Azar managed to use the broken piece of wood to haul herself upright into a standing position. She let out a long shaky breath before hobbling nearer to the table's edge. Soon she realised exactly how hard it would be to climb down the table leg with an injured foot. Azar steadied herself and once again began to inch toward the edge. Her leg seared with every step she took but, she reasoned, if I can escape it will have been worth it.

The edge of the table was like a cliff dropping off into the sea. The hard ground was far below. The thought of hitting the ground made Azar shiver, but she didn't let it stop her. Slowly she lowered herself over the edge and onto the table leg. It had no handholds, but had a single ledge, spiraling down the side. If Azar slipped and fell from this height she would surely die. 

Softly, she limped down the ledge, praying not to fall. As she walked, the pain in her foot increased. Azar tasted blood, but still bit harder on her lip to keep from screaming in pain. After what felt like hours Azar reached the bottom. "Finally," she muttered, as she breathed a sigh of relief. The silent tent did not respond and thankfully, neither did it's occupant. Tiptoeing as well as she could with the glass shard still embedded in her foot, Azar tiptoed across the room. In a rush she ducked under the tent flap and stood triumphant in the fresh night air. A gust of cold wind whipped her hair around in her face, as she stood exposed for anyone to see her. Azar didn't care. She was free and on her way to find Flint. Life was finally going right!

The moon was still in the sky as she set out on the last step of her journey, hide and rest for the night. Avoiding the dead leaves scattered everywhere she half ran, half limped to the outskirts of the encampment. The wind whipped her hair and tunic all around her. Azar shivered as the wind began to grow cold. "Ouch, ouch, ouch." Every step caused more pain in her foot but still she continued. She was free. Nothing could stop her now! The edge of the encampment was near, she only needed to crawl under the makeshift gate that was the entrance and exit. 

Azar was biting her lip harder now. She couldn't make a sound. Not when she was this close to escape. She could see the other side through the cracks in the gate. No glass lamps, no orcs, and no burning low. And Flint, her friend and caregiver was somewhere beyond this wall looking for her. Victory was in reach.

She looked back at the tent she had been imprisoned in for the past few days. It was smaller than it had looked like from the lamp, not that Azar cared. Anger bubbled up inside of her and for a brief second she considered burning it. She decided against it after realizing how much walking would be involved, but she spat in it's general direction.

Slowly she sunk to her hands and knees, preparing to crawl under. A leaf crunched under her hand. A rustling noise sounded from the other side. Her eyes went wide. Her heart thudded. Someone or something had heard her! Silently she waited on hands and knees, eyes wide and breath held. The sound subsided.

Azar let out her breath slowly. She could see through the cracks and none of Warog's guards were outside the gate. She slid under the crack in the gate. "Hello," she called out softly. "Is- is anyone there?" No answer, the trees were silent other than the faint sound of wind through leaves. "See Azar. Nothing is out there." Still she wasn't so sure. Yes she was free, but she felt as if she was trapped again. Trapped in the gaze of something hidden. She reached down and picked up a stick from the forest floor. If worse came to worst she would us her hair to ignite the stick and burn whatever was watching her. If she got the chance.

Azar ran as well as she could with her injury and pushed through the bush ahead of her. She couldn't help it. She screamed. Azar didn't care if Warog found her. She needed to get away. Inside the bush was what looked like a dead body. The dead body of someone she knew. The dead body of Flint. The body jerked up at the sound of her scream. It was Flint but he wasn't dead. A bit scratched and bruised but alive.

"Who's there," he asked sharply. He was not half asleep and mumbly like he normally was. Tonight he was alert and wary. "Where are you? What have you done with Azar? What have you done with my friend?" He drew his dagger with a faint scraping sound.

"Flint it's me! It's Azar!" She limped to his side. His eyes widened.

"But, how? I thought you would be imprisoned in something not roaming around." For the first time in nine days Azar smiled. Really smiled. Flint had come to save her. Her best friend was here with her. She didn't need to search. She wasn't going to die.

"I um... escaped. By myself." She tried to make her tone light and casual. Flint would know the truth though. He would know how she had cried the first day and a half because if how scared and alone she had felt. He would know the anger she had felt moments before she had found him. And he would know the despair she had felt when she had begun to burn low, trapped dying in a lamp as a slave. 

"We need to go. They'll be looking for you in the morning. We need to get as far away as we can." Flint looked down at her and noticed her bandaged foot and ripped tunic. "As soon as we're safe I'll fix you up and get you a change of clothes ok."

"Ok."Azar nodded. The weight of her many late and sleepless nights seemed to be crashing down on her all at once. Flint could tell. He placed his hand on the ground and allowed her to step into his palm. Slowly so he wouldn't drop her he raised his hand to his pocket. Carefully he slid her inside. Azar curled up in the corner, safe at last. Flint rose and began to walk. As the pocket rocked Azar slowly drifted off to sleep, warm and safe in the coat pocket of her best friend.

"Good night Azar." Flint touched his pocket lightly to ensure she was safe and walked onward. No one was going to get her away from him. Flint would make sure of that.  

[jendarknight-blog]

🅰🤚👋💰😳👨‍❤‍💋‍👨💑

Favorite Member of Class 1-A: I am a Grade-A piece of Bakugo-stanning trash and I admit that wholeheartedly. He used to be my least favorite, too, but then watching the series and reading the manga happened. Also, I can relate to a lot of his insecurities and desire to be the best on a visceral level, which makes it easier for me to empathize, I think. I was also a fucking shithead when I was around that age, so there’s that, too.Most sexualized character: Honestly, I’m going to go with EVERY FUCKING MALE CHARACTER IN CLASS 1-A, especially Todoroki, Midoriya, and Bakugou holy FUCK. Like, yeah, the girls wore cute swimsuits in the pool episode, but the way the camera ogles the boys’ muscled bodies can sometimes get to Free! Levels of fanservice. Villain I’d wish would be a hero: Hmmm. Dabi? Toga (if only for the lulz)? I don’t have too much attachment to the villains in general, so this is a hard question for me, I think.Who would I go shopping with?: I’m a musician, so I’d LOVE to go instrument shopping with Kyouka. Maybe that’s just because I don’t know many people I CAN shop for instruments with irl, but MAN. That’d be so much fun.BNHA Harem?: Considering everyone’s underage, and this sort of thing makes me kinda uncomfortable anyway? Gonna pass on this one orz.Favorite gay ship: BAKUDEKU. 100 percent Bakudeku. Not so much because of the whole “WOW POWER DYNAMICS ARE HOT HERE DEKU LEMME KICK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU ABUSE IS HOT” that antis like to paint bakudeku shippers as being into? But because they’re pretty much made for each other, regardless of romantic intent, and I love seeing their relationship blossom and grow into something equal, beautiful, and unbreakable. Also, as I’ve mentioned before, this dynamic reminds me of my own marriage (minus the whole “I bullied you as kids” thing), so I’m a bit biased! XDFavorite straight ship: Hmmmm. Todomomo? I used to be really into IzuOcha until the kidnapping arc, then it sort of fizzled out and I’m just sitting here hoping that Hori will NOT make it endgame. But Todoroki’s interactions with Momo just make me grin in the stupidest way, and I’ll admit to being partial to Bakumomo, too. JirouDenki is also quite cute, though I like that less than Todomomo, Bakumomo, and TodoBakuMomo (I know it’s a straight ship question but UNGH you will pry this OT3 from my cold dead hands).

[wizardsnwookies]

Campaign Diary- TOD072617

The hall before them smelled of centuries and death, the latter emanating from brittle and dried bones that littered the floor. On either side of the hall, up against the walls stood large statues of stone, hoods pulled over unknown faces as they stood guard.

“No, this is not at all ominous.” Osborne peered down the hall as the party pressed up against him taking in the scene before Waldorf gave the halfling a gentle shove forward.

“Well, young man, do your thing.”

“...thanks.” Hitching up his breeches, Osborne began shuffling his way down the hall, bones rattling as they were gently pushed aside and echoing through the diminishing light ahead of him.

His keen eyes and instincts were working overdrive, taking care with every movement, every breath. About halfway down the hall he felt his muscles relax some, no tripwires, no switches, no pressure plates, nothing. Maybe this was all smoke and mirrors, just a big show to warn people off? It was at about that time he heard the grinding of stone against stone as each and every hooded head turned on stone shoulders, glaring at him in an empty lifeless stare.

Osborne stopped dead in his tracks. “Uh...magicky folks? A little help here? This place is clean on my end.”

Waldorf immediately cast Detect Magic, placing a gnarled finger to his head, mostly for show. “No worries, I have it.”

Do you see it? Do you see the darkness?

Not even a breath of the whisper breezed past his ear as Osborne head a disembodied voice, distant and ghostly, address him seemingly from nowhere.

Look, look deep into it. Deep into the darkness...

Osborne shut his eyes in a snap and buried his chin into his chest, closed eyes cast at his feet. “I GOT SOMETHING IN MY HEAD!”

“Yes, it appears the statures are enchanted.”

“Thank you for that very important, if not now obvious, information Waldorf. Appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, lad.”

From behind Dain spoke up in a very casual manner of speak. “I hear voices too!”

“Really? What are they telling you?” Waldorf asks, curiously.

“Secrets not meant for mortals, look away from the darkness.” Dain recites the whisper’s words than looks between the rest of the group at Osborne, frozen in place. “Just keep moving forward and don’t look at the darkness. You’ll be OK.”

Osborne laughed to himself. “I wish I had your blind confidence.” Taking a breath, he carefully shuffles forward a step with his eyes cast downward. Another step. Then another. Soon, his foot is stopped by a solid surface in front of him. He chances a peek and sees a door. Letting out a sigh of relief he waves the rest onward and forward into the next room.

The door opens to high vaulted ceilings and a mosaic floor depicting a menacing looking Chimera. To the west is a doorway with the word “Safe” scrawled in chalk above the doorway, a second door to the east leads downward but holds no such sign of safe travel.

“Well, which way?” Osborne looks up to Skydancer.

“East. If we assume the group we are following made that sign then they have clearly already gone in and back out through the Western hall.”

“Sounds good to me. Lead the-” Osborne lets out a painful cry and is thrown forward onto the floor. His back and shoulder bleeding from wounds of tooth and claw. Turning around Skydancer has just enough time to see the back legs and tail of the Chimera mosaic lift off of the floor and stand up, a two dimensional monstrosity in the third dimension.

“ON GUARD, EVERYONE!” Skydancer drew her sword and immediately leapt into battle. Behind her, Osborne brought himself up to his knees and grabbed the shimmering cloak from his pack.

“You’ll forgive me if I sit this one out?” With a whirl, the cloak covers the halfling, and he disappears. But he does not need to hide long, with seconds the beast shatters as Skydancer’s moon blade and hundreds of ceramic tiles fall to the floor.

Osborne’s disembodied head peeked out from under the cloak. “Is it over?”

Skydancer smirked. “Very dignified, especially for one who’s been through far more than that.”

“I’m still alive aren’t I?”

From there the party moved down the Eastern passage, passing a dumbwaiter and shaft, and a pressure plate in the floor which Osborne quickly identifies and marks with chalk for safe travel on their return journey upwards.

The next door opens to the smell of incense and the dancing of candle light. Tapestries hang on the wall, and on the far end a chute just barely the size of a small humanoid leads outside.

“I can hear the voices again!” Dain exclaims from the back once more. “Humility proffered and manner of Mistrel opens the way to those who seek knowledge.”

The name of Mistrel strikes a memory in the elderly mind of Waldorf. An old goddess of magic, who was reborn as the god Mistra who reformed the laws of magic as they are now. Followers of Mistra have a rather distinct way to humble themselves before their god, head cast downward and hands up as if holding a lamp.

Skydancer nods as he relates this to the group. “That might be useful moving forward. That’s the second time humbling ourself to someone has been mentioned. First the statues on the road, now this.”

The next room would offer yet more information. The chamber reeks of mildew and dust. Tall bookshelves line the walls, and tables sit in the center of the room for quite study. Floating along the bookshelves, a ghostly image of a woman turns her head to the party and her face becomes stern and cold.

“Why have you come here?”

Not knowing what else to do, Osborne casts his head down and raises his hands in the air. “We seek wisdom?”

The woman examines the halfling for a moment before answering. “You will see Wisdom from lord Didareas. If you touch any of the masters books, you will pay the price.” And with that, she turns her back them and returns to the tending of the library.

Through large double doors the group proceeds into a chamber where an bearded old man in a white toga sits upon a throne carved in the manner of a rising sun sitting upon a cloud. The throne sits upon a massive dias, and it is here at the man’s feet that sits a pile of items. Gold, jewels, and even mundane trinkets litter the ground before him.

Skydancer steps forward and prostrates herself in the manner of Mistra. But before she can say anything a booming voice echoes through the room.

“ Ye who seeks Didareus insight must first give tribute that Didareus might work his mighty magic…”

Skydancer straightens and opens up her coin purse, and tosses down a shining Platinum coin into the pile. Stepping back she stands tall and awaits a reply from the man upon the throne. 

Silence.

Another moment passes, then another. Finally, Skydancer looks back at the others, although what she wants from them even she doesn’t know at the moment.

Osborne steps forward and looks into the pile. “What did you give him?”

Once again the booming voice sounds off the walls.

“ Ye who seeks Didareus insight must first give tribute that Didareus might work his mighty magic… “

Skydancer shrugs. “I figured a Platinum would be enough. Do you think he wants more?”

“There’s more than just valuable stuff in here. A lot of mundane items. Maybe the tribute isn’t about material worth...something valuable to the individual person?”

“Or maybe this is just another illusion.” Lotus breaks his characteristic silence with a brief thought of wisdom. Looking back, Skydancer tries to see past the illusion, see past the man on the throne. The image wavers briefly, but does not falter.

“It’s an illusion of some kind, but it’s much more powerful than the one at the mouth of this place.” She looks down at the platinum she tossed into the pile.

 “Well, if this is an illusion anyways...” With that Skydancer bent forward and plucked back her coin. As she did, her fingers brushed the very real items in the pile. And with that, she smiled.

“Treasure is real enough.” Her hands greedily began picking through the pile.

“Yeah, I want none of this.” Osborne held his hands up as if to shield himself from something and took several steps back.

“Oh come on Osborne, don’t be such a-” A massive fist to the back of her head cut off Skydancer’s taunt. The old man stood upon the dias with and angry scowl, moving upon Skydancer who lay prone on the floor.

Lotus, Dain, and Osborne engage the old man each making their own blows, some harder than others. But it was not until Barton slowly lifted his hand, eyes burning in flame, and five threads of orange light burst from his palm and engulfed the old man in flames wherever they made contact on his body.

When the billowing smoke from the flames died and dissipated, the old man lay upon the floor. The illusion was still active, and no wounds could be seen upon his body. Whatever he really was, he was dead now, that’s all that mattered.

With Skydancer back on her feet they moved back into the library, finding the ghostly woman fretting at one of the bookshelves. Muttering.

“No, no, no! I must find that book. It is the master’s favorite! Oh, no what has come of it?”

Waldorf stepped forward, succumbing to curiosity, hoping to get a glimpse as to what kind of magic these books might contain. “What book might that be my dear?”

“ Transubstantialities across Potentialities.”

“Hmmm, yes. Interesting. Fear not my lady, Waldorf the Wonderous would be more than happy to help you find it.”

Sitting with Skydancer as she tried to shake the stars from her vision, Osborne tensed. “Oh yeah, this will end well.”

[teachershena]

With Flying Colours

Everything started with a morning. The sun shone so brightly that looked like everything was fine as it always seemed. The morning was sealed with reminders of change in our family. Our small and cozy house was entirely different this day where all of us seemed to be thinking a lot that you can be drown with the abounding silence. I made a coffee on my own and started to cook an omelet for our breakfast. I sautéed the garlic and onions and prepared the rice to be fried. I never did this in my entire life because I let my sister did all of these stuffs for years and now, I got to learn these kinds of stuff. When the breakfast was ready on the table, I called everybody to come and eat. They gladly went and ate the breakfast that I prepared for them. After that, we were all back with our usual routine since the last four days. Mother cleaned the tables that were used yesterday and started to wash the dishes that looked like mountains because of the different plates used. Father was busy buying food and beer for this day to prepare for the guests that were coming. Some of the visitors were starting to come and hugged my parents. My youngest three- year old brother sat on the bamboo chair that was made by my father four days ago while he played the toy car that was given by my eldest sister, Mel. I looked for Lettuce, our dog. As I saw him, I can notice that he was less cheerful this day; he laid and did not bother to go out to be with other dogs. These were some of the things that I observed for hours.

I flatted the iron on a black satin cloth while my right hand was touching the blue and gold lining of it. My hands caressed every single detail of the newly- sewed cloth, “it’s not just a simple cloth- it’s a cloth of hard work, patience, learning, and perseverance”, I told myself. I stared at it for a moment and my eyes went into tears. There were lots of things that run through my mind as I touched the dark- coloured garment--- things that made me remember past experiences. I felt a sudden feeling that I have never experienced before.

“Mona! Mona! Please make it fast. The mass will be starting at 1:00 pm”, mother screamed distracting me from thinking so deep and keeping me away from my rambling and wandering train of thoughts.

I grabbed my sister’s stuffs--- the black raffled cap and the cloth that I prepared a while ago, it was the toga that students who were graduating wore as a symbol of success and persistence. I followed my mother and got into my uncle’s car. While we were on our ride, I looked for my smart phone inside my bag and I found it inside the bag’s pocket where my wallet was located. I decided to look at the pictures that were taken for so many years ago. I seldom did this because I was so busy dealing with my work as an executive assistant in a company in Manila. I scrolled up and down and search for the one and only family picture that I have in my gallery. I took a glance at it and I reminisced the Christmas when I went home and be with my family. We were all wearing red shirts with a white cross print and a phrase saying that “I am loved by God”. I smiled genuinely and ended the gallery application. My eyes directed its attention to the car glass window and I stared at everything--- the trees, the people, and the stores that the car passed through. Upon staring, I suddenly realized a thing: “this life was a long ride- you passed people, you passed happenings, you passed experiences but you were the driver of your own car; you had the choice of where path you wanted to go” I thought of this while evoking the moment when my sister chose the path that led her to the profession of being a teacher. I brought my attention back to my smartphone and browsed the messages of my sister for the past few years when we haven’t seen each other.

These were the messages that were locked on my phone to prevent deleting them:

From Sis (

June 4, 2012,

Hello Mona! How are you? Today is the first day of my college life. Meeting new teachers, new classmates, new environment, I think of these as tough simply because I get used to my high school environment, but, everything is different now, I must be happy, I have to deal with eight subjects hmmm… not bad, it will just be as easy as the subjects that I had taken in my high school. I’M SOOOOO EXCITED!

June 3, 2013,

Sis! I’m so fine living in my new boarding house. The room is small but cute. Well, I hope this year will be good to me. I have to maintain my grades until I graduate. I’ve been a consistent Dean’s Lister in the past two semesters and also I have to maintain the scholarship that pays my boarding house and gives me the allowance for every month. I know in my own little single way, I can help you and our parents without making all of you problematic about my future. Fighting! I have to strive harder… You think I could do well, right?

September 25, 2014,

I am now in my third year. Things get tougher and tougher. I have to deal with a thesis with three group members. Joanna, TJ, and Francis. I’m not saying they are lazy but all of the works seemed to be mine as they always give their different reasons. Joanna was having her U.T.I., TJ went home because he didn’t have allowance for month long, and he said he needed to work at their mini restaurant to pay the expenses for the thesis paper, Francis, as usual, was having a problem with his girlfriend that cannot help him to focus on the tasks given. All of these things I encountered made me frustrated. I also got angry when I found out that these were not acceptable reasons but alibis. I was about to stop doing it saying “let’s all get low grades, let’s all be dead!” but there was a sudden guilt that made me pursue my task, it was my parents who rely on me, who dream a lot for me. I ended up doing everyone’s tasks. I know it was a foolish thing to do but I have to do this to meet the deadline and be on the defense- day. Sorry for not responding to your messages. I’m quite busy. I’ll call you later Sis! BYE!

March 25, 2015,

OHHHHH MYYYYY!!! SIS!!! I suddenly received a message that I passed the Civil Service Examination! I’m so happy and my classmates congratulated me for doing a good job on the test. I got motivated a lot for the next semester. I will be doing the practice teaching in my fourth year. YIPIIEE! I’M SO HAPPY.

June 8, 2015,

Finally, this is the last year! THIS IS IT! I will be graduating soon. Haha wait for me to wear my toga and I will be marching beside that wide quadrangle with one of my parents. Who would I bring for the grand march? Is it mama or papa? Hmmm I think I’ll let them decide. EXCITING!

January 4, 2016

Today will be the deployment day for practice teachers. I am assigned to the nearest high school at our house and it was my alma mater. I’m so pleased to wear my practice teaching uniform. SIS! I sent you my photos on Facebook! Go see it!

March 7, 2016

Today will be the start of the graduation rehearsal. I’m just so excited and feeling overwhelmed. “what a journey it has been…”We keep on repeating our graduation song as if it’s the only song in this world. I really want to graduate with flying colors. I think this is the best gift that I can give to our family. Sis! I hope you can come home. Please? I really want to celebrate my graduation with you.

End of messages.

I kept on reading the genuine stories that my sister told me. I had the feeling that I wanted to be with her during the times when she was telling me these stories. In the first day of her school in being a college student, I felt the excitement and nervousness just like what she felt. I felt her eagerness of having good grades because she thinks that she can help us through that way. I got angry with her research group mates thinking how bad my sister felt. I always wondered if she was eating her lunch or if she hadn’t skipped her meals for the thesis thinking that she did all the works on her own might and expense. I felt the happiness when she got back to her alma mater not as a student but as a teacher. I felt all of these things. I felt glad about the idea that she will be graduating.

I slipped my thoughts away and got out of the car bringing my sister’s toga. I went to the church for the mass will be starting. I saw my sister’s friends and other classmates wearing their togas.

After the mass, I did not imagine that I will be witnessing the greatest grand march of my family during my sister’s graduation day. I walked with my parents wearing our white clothes and holding pieces of roses and the toga that I brought earlier.

While we were walking, I told myself “But why it has to be now?”

“Now, there’s nothing left. There are no other feelings left but the feelings of pain and grief.” I cried.

This day was my sister’s burial day.

She died five days before her graduation day.

The bright sunny day seemed to be ironic and full of deceiving lies. Humbug lies like when you work hard, you get the best one and when you dream big, you achieve better. I felt like the heaven was conspiring against us, against my loving sister. It felt like the weather was having a parade while we were on our rainy, saturnine and crestfallen hearts.

My sister was supposed to be graduating today. She was supposed to be getting the award of being the Cumlaude. She was supposed to be getting her diploma and bringing home the idea that she graduated with flying colours. She was supposed to be experiencing these beautiful things. She was.

In Loving Memories of

Mel