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agentark88 · 11 months

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Think: A Bittersweet Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction using characters and settings from My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not claim any ownership of characters present in this piece that are owned and created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not own My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia.

Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Warnings: This work contains blood and violence.

(Ending 8 of 8)

A Bittersweet Ending

You knew what you had to do to stop this, stop All for One. You knew what All for One wanted more than anything else. He wanted to win. He wanted power. You lifted your hand when All for One’s words left Shigaraki’s mouth.

“You’ve chosen death. I’m afraid I’ve overestimated you. It will be a shame to lose such a powerful quirk with your demise—”

“The shame is you didn’t realize how powerful it was sooner,” you bit back. You didn’t know where that courage came from, maybe it was the idea that this would be protecting your friends, that your sacrifice was bigger than you.

Shigaraki’s fingers twitched, cutting All for One off may not have been the wisest thing to do. You felt the wave of rage hit you, watched Shigaraki lift his hand in your direction.

“Insolent child.” Dark crimson and black energy shot out from Shigaraki’s fingers, coming at you from all directions.

Your mind shield was already up, protecting you from all angles. All for One’s quirk cracked against the surface. You shot out another shield, stopping the oncoming Nomus. Your quirk buzzed in approval. You weren’t sure what ancient or primitive power was at work here, but it understood your objective: Give All for One your quirk. Let your quirk thrive in a new host, rather than be destroyed in this one.

Cracks. You could practically hear your skull breaking from the strain. That was the intention. Use your quirk to its limit. Get it to the point that not even All for One could keep it under wraps, especially not in an incomplete host body. All for One spoke of consequences, but he would understand them after you were done.

Blood dripped from your nose. Wind whipped through your hair. The grasp on your quirk was the strongest it had ever been. You were giving it full power to fight.

A bloody nose is like a broken bone. The words echoed in your mind, and you held firm. You would break every bone in your body if it meant your classmates would live.

“I’m stronger than you, more powerful than you,” you said, hoping your words did not come out shakily. “If you have any hope of escaping, you will have to deal with me first. I can read every thought you have, anticipate every outcome. I can keep you here as long as it takes. I’ll keep you here until every hero in Japan is outside this forcefield if I have to.”

Breaking, your mind was breaking. You felt each strand of your quirk twist and crack under the weight of the attack from every Nomu, felt the sharp points of All for One’s quirk scrape against your shield.

“You’ve trapped yourself in here with me? Unwise indeed. You dare waste my time further?” All for One questioned. “What game are you playing at? Surely you don’t believe you could win.”

You forced a smile. “I know I can.” Break. You needed to break every facet of your quirk, let it lose control in every sense of the word. Give it to him broken; let him see the power he could have and then give it over. You let every thought in Japan flood your mind, kept your forcefields up at full strength.

Shigaraki’s struggle came into view. He was fighting, fighting for possession of his body again. All for One was using him for this body. You pulled out of his mind as to not get grabbed as you had been before.

The energy continued to scrape at your shields as soon as one spike broke through, you used your mind to shove it back out.

“My patience is wearing thin, child,” All for One snarled.

“Then, end this. If you’re so powerful, then break through.” You were absolutely terrified. No amount of confidence that you’ve perceived in your existence could have matched the words spilling recklessly from your lips.

The Nomus beat relentlessly on the larger field that you made. At this point, the bubble had started to crackle with blue energy, becoming visible. The heroes that could still move, were fighting the Nomus back as best they could as you stayed within the forcefield you’d created yourself.

The air whipped harder around you. Each coiled knot of control was beginning to unravel. The wind rushed through Shigaraki, his hair blowing back. All for One sent a different quirk at you. This one rippled and sizzled through your barrier. The radio-wave quirk had more effect on your mind than physical attacks, but you stood firm.

“You misjudged me. Now, I will show you the consequences of your assumptions,” you said boldly. You lifted your hand ahead of you, and the air seemed to suspend at your will. You caught rubble with strands of your mind, whipping it directly at All for One so fast he had little time to counteract it with his own quirks.

“Such confidence from a young hero. What would happen if I stripped you of the very thing that you hoped to defeat me with?” All for One asked. He took a step toward you, lifting his hand again.

Do it. Take my quirk. Your words did not reach past the minds and thoughts you were taking in. Break it. Burn it to the ground. Let him have what you’ve struggled with your entire life.

The wind picked up, blowing the man sideways. He had to consciously keep himself upright. Your feet left the ground. Your power fully unleashed, finally allowing you the ability of flight.

“Perhaps I have been too quick to judge you. I find your quirk much more appealing now that I know that there is so much power within it,” All for One spouted greedily. “I think I will take it for myself, for my successor.”

A wave of attacks hit your mind field all at once, beating it down. Quirk after quirk stabbed at your resistance. Piece by piece your mind was being peeled. All for One placed Shigaraki’s hand onto the outer shield. Cracks, graying brittle cracks crackled up the side of the field and then your mind. You shrieked as something ancient and powerful was being ripped apart. You fell to your knees, forcibly putting all of your energy into outputting your quirk, holding that shield up against the Nomus, giving All for One the chance to receive the gift he so desperately wanted to take from you.

You heard Shoto scream out your name, begging you to let him help. You were too pained to make out his exact words. Shinso… you heard him yelling too, felt his hand beating against the same forcefield you were using to keep the monsters out.

A cold dry palm pressed into your forehead. You looked up with tearful eyes, seeing red energy illuminate your vision, but you forced a smile. The final piece of your mind cracked like a fragile egg. The tip of your head felt like it was being chipped away, like it was decaying, and you put all of your final bits of energy into trying to protect yourself from being disintegrated.

Stop fighting! you mustered the final two words, blasting it into every single mind around you, mimicking Shigaraki’s voice. The same gravelly tone you so fearfully remembered. The Nomus would stop because they knew no different. To them, your mental words were Shigaraki’s. The Nomus would wait until your final sacrificial act was complete.

The corrupt and broken quirk left your body, filtering into Shigaraki’s. You gave it up willingly, knowing the ticking timebomb that you’d given away. You knew realization had struck the man before you, when his fingers quaked near your temple. You watched as he crumpled to the floor, a mind shattered. Not one mind, but two.

You fell back, pain replaced by darkness. You’d done it. You’d saved everyone, except yourself.

…Ten Years Later…Perspective: Shoto Todoroki…

Shoto stared at the little shop entrance, frozen in fear. It had been ten years since that day, ten years since Shigaraki and All for One had been defeated. He’d passed this shop every year for the past five years it had been open, but he never had the courage to actually go inside.

The outer trim of the small bakery and sweets shop was light blue with a glitter finish, outshining all of the gray business buildings beside it. The sign was made up of bold dark blue letters, spelling out the words “Chocolate Sharks.”

Shoto felt out of place here in his hero costume. He’d shot up the ranks, pouring himself into his hero work after the incident, after Anna Kokoro lost all of her memories. He couldn’t seem to forgive himself. He kept questioning what he could have done differently so the outcome hadn’t been the loss of such a brilliant hero. Even when Shoto reached number one, he felt empty, like something was missing. It was her. It was always her.

Shoto stared absently downward. If he stood outside the bakery any longer, he’d surely cause a scene. Perhaps, he wasn’t actually ready to go inside, to face her. The adults had told all of class 1-A to give her time, to not push her too soon. Her mind had been so fragile, so broken by the time she reached the hospital. It was a whole year before anyone was allowed to even see her, and it was mainly Mr. Aizawa and her parents that could speak with her. She remembered no one, not even Ochaco Uraraka, her best friend since she was far younger than she was during the accident. She was officially removed from U.A. shortly after, quirkless and lost to everything that she had accomplished. All of Anna’s classmates were told by U.A. faculty, doctors, and the police not to interact with her in case it could cause more damage to her mind, but that was such a long time ago, it didn’t matter anymore.

A silver bell rang ahead of Shoto. He let out a small gasp, meeting the hazel eyes of the young woman in front of him. She’d bent down to retrieve a small cup of weeds that had been left outside her door, yellow heads bobbing up and down with the over-filled cup.

“Oh, excuse me. Did you want to come in?” Anna asked. She smiled warmly in Shoto’s direction, and he suddenly remembered the comfort that she used to bring him. “There are freshly baked cookies. I’m sure hero work makes a man such as yourself hungry.” She propped the door open with her arm, and Shoto instinctually grabbed it out of courteousness.

The sweet and deep chocolate aroma hit him first, making even his mouth water. He never cared much for sweets, but the smell was so enticing he felt inclined to enter. Anna gave him another smile, her nose crinkling just a bit and her eyes twinkling like they’d always done before. She adjusted her glasses before moving back into the small bakery.

Anna moved back behind the counter, waiting for Shoto to step inside. He lingered at the door like a vampire needing an invitation. Patient as ever, Anna didn’t seem to mind his hesitancy.

"You’re welcome in. If you just want to take a seat, be my guest. You don’t need to order anything if you don’t want to. If sweets and pastries are not to your liking, would you like some tea?” she asked.

Shoto cleared his throat, taking one shaky step over the wooden floor. The place was cute, decorated with oversized food items, like strawberry chairs and cake designed tables with a cherry centerpiece. The place was clean, spotless. There was not a single finger smudge on the display glass. Shoto crossed the room slowly, his eyes surveying every item in the shop. Anna went on tiptoe to replace a set of weeds on one of her higher shelves behind the counter.

Shoto jolted back when she began to speak again, was surprised to hear her voice.

“There’s a man that leaves these outside my door every week. I think he’s a Pro Hero too. I’ve told him not to do it because I worry that I’ll forget they’re out there one day. He told me not to worry about it, and it’s more of a tradition anyway. I wonder if he knew the previous owner of this building. I’ve tried to ask him before, but… he seems like a rather private individual.” Anna tilted her head to the side, wiping absently at the front of her apron covered in sharks. “She must have been a very lucky lady for a hero to be so dedicated to dropping off flowers for her every week like that. Although I’m sure most women wouldn’t be as appreciative to receive common dandelions, I find they’re rather pretty. I take them in so that they will last longer. Besides, a little yellow never hurt a room.” Her voice twinkled like a morning windchime.

Anna leaned up over the counter, glancing between Shoto and the goods within the display case. “So, what brings you all the way out here to my little old shop?” she asks.

“Me?”

Anna giggled. “Of course, you. Sure, I have some Pro Hero regulars, but I haven’t seen you come in before.” She glanced away, stepping back from the counter and fidgeting with her hands. “I do have to admit something to you though…” she trailed off, blushing bashfully.

Shoto gulped. Admit something to him? He had no idea what that could be. Had she actually remembered him, their past together? Hope filled his chest. She tugged absently at her messy braid, some flour had managed to get on the end of it, and she quickly brushed it off.

“What is it?” he asked eagerly.

Anna’s blush deepened in color. “It’s sort of embarrassing, and I hope you won’t take offense to this.” She fixed the front of her apron. “I’m actually a huge fan. I see you on television all the time, and I know it’s silly because I’m quirkless, but I had always wanted to be a hero like you are. You’re truly an inspiration to me, especially since we both have a scar…” she trailed off again, looking away. She slowly lifted a portion of her bangs out of the way to show the scar made of partially cracked skin near her temple, where Shigaraki had tried to decay her. A streak of white was permanently fixed in her hair as well.

“Oh,” his voice dropped a little in disappointment. Shoto had forgotten about the scar on her forehead. He could barely see it when he walked in. Guilt ripped the next words out of his mouth.

“I didn’t mean to say something to make you uncomfortable.” She covered her scar back up. “I just wanted to tell you. I guess that was selfish of me.” She gave a small self-deprecating laugh that made Shoto’s heart break for her. “Believe it or not, I used to have a quirk, even went to U.A., but I don’t have any memory of it myself. You might have even seen me in the hallway because you went there too, right? It’s kind of ridiculous to think someone like you would have known someone like me though—”

“I always noticed you,” Shoto blurted.

Anna blinked at him in confusion. “What?” she asked. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Ah.” Shoto pressed his lips together. He may have said too much. Would it be bad to discuss the past with her now? Could it damage her mind even this far from the incident? He didn’t want to take that chance. “I would have always noticed you if I’d seen you,” he corrected. “Maybe we were in different classes.” He hated lying to her. He hated himself for lying to her.

Anna blushed again. “I’m sure you’re just flattering me.” She waved her hand. “It’s certainly appreciated, but you don’t have to be nice to me out of kindness.”

Shoto’s shoulders dropped. He tried to cover it up by looking over the pastries inside the display case again. Coming here was a mistake. He missed her too much. He wanted so desperately to tell her everything.

“Anything catch your eye?” Anna asked. “One pastry on the house for new customers.” She smiled again.

Shoto remembered baking with Anna. He remembered how much of a disaster he was in the kitchen too. He considered buying everything, but he didn’t want to scare her. He had the money for it, but he also didn’t want all of her hard work to go to waste either. There were only so many people at his agency that would consider eating sugar.

“The chocolate chip cookies,” he said, deciding upon the very item he had worked with her to make so many years ago. “And, a chocolate ganache cake. Make those three cakes.” He would eat them himself if no one else at the office would. He’d eat them until he couldn’t stomach it, just for her.

“Of course. How many cookies?” she asked, already packing the cakes in cardboard boxes with the shark logo on the top.

“All of the chocolate chip cookies please,” he said. That should be enough. Not too much, not too little. It wouldn’t seem like he was overdoing it.

“All of them?” she squeaked out. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m not questioning how many cookies you can eat Mr. Shoto, but—”

“Just Shoto is fine,” he corrected smoothly. Of course that wasn’t a normal amount. What was he thinking? He wished he were better at these kinds of situations, but his social interactions with the public had only gone so far. Maybe, he should have just gotten one.

“Shoto, there are over four hundred chocolate chip cookies here,” she said, scanning over the amount lined up within the case.

“Seems like a fair amount for my hero agency. I wouldn’t want to leave out any of the hardworking sidekicks after all,” Shoto said, trying to come back from what he had perceived as a blunder.

“If you’re certain, then I will pack them up neatly for you right away. If you would excuse me, there are some more boxes in the back," Anna said.

Shoto relaxed, fighting the urge to slam his palm to his forehead. This little detour was far more difficult than he had expected. His eyes floated up toward the register. Out in front of it was a purple cat with a swinging paw. A small button necklace was looped around its porcelain neck. Shoto narrowed his eyes at the object. It didn’t seem to go with the rest of the shop, and Shoto suspected who the lucky statue cat had come from. Perhaps, Shoto wasn’t the only one trying to see Anna again.

“Just enough boxes!” Anna called cheerfully as she came back up to the front. “I hope you’ll be able to carry them all by yourself,” she murmured, counting each cookie as she placed them into the open box.

The entryway bell chimed, and Shoto tensed. Anna poked her head up from what she was doing to greet the new customer.

“Welcome to Chocolate Sharks! Ah, Red Riot. It’s so nice to see you again!” Anna said. “I’ll be right with you after I serve this other patient customer.”

Shoto’s eyes widened. Kirishima came here? Shoto was beginning to feel foolish. Had he been the only one too scared to reach out after the incident? Did she know everyone else?

“No worries, Princess. I’m on break. Take your time.”

Anna looked momentarily distracted from counting. She pouted. “You shouldn’t be calling me such a familiar nickname, Red Riot. People will get the wrong idea about us. You’re my loyal customer. I don’t like spreading rumors.”

“Sorry, Princess. It’s just a force of habit,” Kirishima said.

So, she didn’t know him? Or, didn’t know the old him at least. Shoto risked a glance back toward the Pro Hero. Kirishima’s crimson gaze was already scanning him.

“First time here?” Kirishima asked knowingly.

Shoto’s muscles coiled. He nodded in shame. Kirishima patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s alright man. I get it,” he whispered. “We all missed her. It takes some people longer than others to heal.”

Shoto clenched his jaw. He wasn’t the one that needed to heal. Anna had sacrificed her dreams to become a hero for ultimate peace in Japan, and she didn’t even know she’d been a hero. She had no idea that she made the sacrifice either. She was the one who needed to heal, deserved to heal. Shoto was ashamed of himself for not trying to find her, talk to her, sooner.

“You better not be harassing my new customer,” Anna said, continuing to count the cookies.

Kirishima put his hands up in defense. “I would never! What kind of a loyal customer would I be if I scared off all of your business?” Kirishima asked.

“Uh huh,” Anna said suspiciously.

Once she finished wrapping the last box with twine, she hauled the lot of them over to the register. She slowly input all of the items, hesitating with some numbers, most likely being held back by residual damage from the decay to her head all those years ago. She read out the total, and Shoto readily handed over his card. Once the transaction was complete, Anna gave Shoto a final smile.

“Thank you for coming to Chocolate Sharks. I hope to see you again.”

“You will,” Shoto said. He wanted to tell her he should have come sooner, but he didn’t have the heart. “Thank you for such a warm welcome.”

“Any time,” Anna said almost breathlessly. “It was nice meeting you.”

Shoto paused with the boxes in hand. He wanted to blurt out all of his feelings then and there. He’d put so much work into distracting himself from her that during this small moment of peace, it was killing him to even look at her. All of the past memories he’d spent with her came flooding back all at once. He wished things had ended up differently. He wished that they could have been together. He waited far too long to come and see her. He would not make that mistake again.

“Thank you,” he repeated. The sadness was clear in his tone.

Anna’s smile faltered. Shoto turned away from her, shouldering open the door. He left, wishing that he’d visited sooner. He promised himself that he would come back every week, if only just to check up on her. He hoped their next meeting would not end with so many bittersweet memories.

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lazylittledragon · 3 months

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can't believe we're all adults being forced into the club penguin level of censorship in 2024

#ramble #if you say unalive in front of me i will personally kill you with my hands #you just can't muffle and censor and hold someone's hand through some things #some things are horrible. and they should be spoken aloud and they should upset you. because they are horrible #the second we started kidzbopifying the world was the end of taking anything seriously i think #i'm not even joking i've spoken to people older than me who won't even say the world sex #this isn't the playground you're not going to get in trouble just let us say the word!!!!!!#how am i supposed to listen to you when you won't even say the thing you're supposed to be talking about #yes this is the fault of the platforms with their censorship rules but the fact that we all just go along with it like it's not dystopian #you do know it doesn't stop with cursing right. people are already having to censor queer terms because they get flagged as inappropriate

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poorly-drawn-mdzs · 1 month

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The math just adds up!

#dungeon meshi #falin touden #marcille donato #farcille #I always loved how chapter 27 ends with them both so bloody and 28 starts with them in the bath.#not just because of how iconic the bathtub moment is but because you know they had to scrap off so much gore first.#I think everyone in the party took a very long and methodical bath but Falin was basically *all* blood*.#Being covered in blood is one of those 'just girly things' that women deserve to stop being shamed about.#I just don't think Chilchuck is progressive enough. He probably made them take a bath first B*/#Okay jestering aside I want to just highlight -#The magnitude of Marcille's joy at seeing her dearest friend again! Of holding her and sharing her presence in the same room!#Something about this reunion feels like a beautiful dream you are afraid of waking up from...

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liquidstar · 6 months

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If my mom sees a significant amount of blood she gets lightheaded, and has fainted on some occasions. Once it happened when we were kids, I wasn't there to witness it but I heard the story from my dad. Basically my brothers, around 7 or 8 at the time, were playing outside while my mom was making their lunch, and she accidentally cut her finger. It wasn't anything serious, but it drew a fair bit of blood and she passed out. My dad saw this and rushed over, but he didn't really know what to do so he just sort of started slapping her to wake her up (not recommended, but he had no idea and panicked)

At that exact moment my brothers both came in from playing, and all they saw was our mom unconscious on the floor and our dad slapping her. So, like, without even saying a word to each other they both just INSTANTLY start whaling on him, like, full blown attack mode to defend our mom. Which obviously didn't help the situation, but she did wake up and everything was fine.

Now our dad says that he's actually really glad they attacked him over what they thought was going on, because it means he raised good boys. And I still think that's true, they're very good boys.

#i think about this story sometimes like yeah I'm proud of them for that too actually. good job baby brothers #they're not babies anymore of course they're turning 20 next year which is crazy #but they're still the type of people who'd do something if they saw something of this sort happen for sure #respectful of women and everyone else too. they're good guys #I'm glad I ended up with them living in my house against my will for like 14 years #anyway i have no idea where i was for all this but my best guess is probably a friends house given the time period #i was always at my besties house lol #i hope she's doing well too actually. haven't spoken in forever...#bestie from greek elementary school... if you're out there... let's get muffins and fanta at the bakery across the street again someday 💜☮️

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bunabi · 5 months

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Using a fear of Palestinian revenge as justification for the occupation is both wild and familiar

Aint nobody thinking about vengeance after getting freedom 😭 all we wanna do on this planet is drink chilled juice and not die

#as the CEO of anxiety and paranoia I really think everyone can benefit from some CBT #you think im thinking of ending the bloodline of my ancestors' slavemasters ? wrong ! two gundams having sex

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lottieurl · 8 months

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hyperfixations are so scary like yeah this could be a month long thing or i might be thinking of it everyday seven months from now. no way to tell

#occasionally i remember that post i made at the end of february where i was like #im not responsible for the person i will become when yj s2 starts airing!#and it gets funnier every month since 😭#i occasionally think my fixation faded only to realise i just became extremely used to thinking abt yj THAT MUCH #new normal etc

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may12324 · 2 months

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She remade her, she held her bones in her hands and put each piece back together. Only to have to carry on without her.

Everything she did, she did for Falin

Inspired by The Locked Tomb and Howls Moving Castle, and also how hot these two look in these outfits/forms. This will be a future print for cons this year.

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thesinglesock · 11 months

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in a modern AU Link would be Zelda's only friend with a driver's license and their chat history would look like this

#vitpost #loz #the legend of zelda #zelink #not necessarily zelink but yknow. It fits the bill somewhat #totk #botw #she keeps ending up in random ass places and he keeps dropping everything to come pick her up #this is the only way to preserve their knight/princess dynamic in a modern setting I think.

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greykolla-art · 2 months

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Charlie: “I’m so glad my most villain-coded friend is at full power again! 🥰💕”

*throws this to you angst goblins like raw steak* ❤️

(No I will not do a part 2!❤️)

#grey art #hazbin hotel comic #hazbin hotel #charlie morningstar #hazbin alastor #alastor #auntie grey needs to take a nap now Jesus Christ #I’m really happy this fixation is pushing me to do grand comic projects like this- but I’m TIRED.#😂😂😂#my theory is that alastor wants Charlie’s soul cause she’s insanely powerful or special #and she could probably take him out in one strike #but she would never do that cause she is so sweet and lovely #she’s like a gentle giant in terms of power #but she’s not stupid or childish or meek #she’s such a compassionate leader and good friend I love her so much #and then there’s alastor with his manipulative charismatic energy #I think he’ll underestimate her in the end #man i’m so tired #hazbin hotel fanart

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ruporas · 1 month

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dragon meat, you, and me

#marcille donato #falin touden #farcille #dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #tw blood #tw body horror #tw gore #as a normal farcille fan this revival has been on my mind since i first read it and getting to watch it is like yippee!!#like messy revivals are everything - the consequences that will haunt u for the rest of the time they are alive #the initial hopeful moments where it all seemed well but quickly descend to That not being the case - losing not only the bit of evidence #evidence that your dream may work out but also someone you deeply care about in the process… marcille my Beloved #ofc wholly thruout the journey - at the forefront of it - getting falin back was the most crucial point but so wuickly :(( it was lost #on the other end its crazy to think about the compoments of falin now - human - dragon (dungeon) - marcille’s magic and desperation #the food the crew cooked (digested) - she is made of many parts!!#also i did not realize how medical it feels to draw smth like this. i dont usually explore the inner parts or use a lot of blood #in my work so rendering everything and looking up refs it felt quite magical (?)#ruporas art

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agentark88 · 1 year

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Think: An Icy Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language, alcohol, blood, and violence.

(Ending 3 of 8)

An Icy Ending

“I won’t let you hurt her!” Shoto yelled. A shell of protective ice encased you as Shoto came gliding in. He held you close to his chest, as he urged you away from Shigaraki, All for One. Ice spread out from Shoto’s palm. His whole body shook as he continued to build the shell to protect you. His chest heaved from exertion. The heat from his left side could barely even be considered warm.

“Shoto, we’re safe. I’m safe. Stop,” you said.

Shoto didn’t seem to hear you as he used the remainder of his strength to finish the ice chrysalis. His body suddenly slumped into yours, and your eyes widened. Burns, horrid burns from Dabi’s blue fire speckled his skin in patches. His fire quirk and his ice may have just barely been able to save his skin because they appeared like they could heal with time. Shoto was blue, shivering. His lips had turned purple from the cold. Ice had crept up the right side of his skin, lingering there after he’d lost consciousness.

You quivered, teeth chattering. The loud oncoming footsteps of the Nomus dissipated. Shigaraki and All for One, who’d taken control of his body, had most likely escaped. You tightened your grasp around Shoto’s chest, trying to provide him with warmth, using your body heat to no avail. You set him down in the small dome-like cave he’d made out of solid ice. Your breathing echoed off of the protective walls that now held you both captive.

You dug through your utility belt pockets, removing a small metallic blanket that would normally help civilians should they need to keep in their body heat. Unfortunately, Shoto was already covered in ice, so you weren’t sure how effective it would be for him. You wrapped him in it all the same, realizing your time was ticking. Lack of oxygen or hypothermia would likely be your undoing if you weren’t able to get out of this shell of ice.

Shoto could be your only hope in getting out, but he’d likely already pushed himself far past his own limitations. Endeavor would be another safe bet for escape, but his last attack against Gigantomachia had left him unconscious too. Bakugo may be able to blast through the dome of ice, but you were pretty sure he’d already passed out. Deku couldn’t use his arms or legs anymore because he’d broken all of his bones just to fight Shigaraki, so a Detroit Smash wasn’t likely getting you out either.

You turned your gaze down to your belt. You had explosives, but, at this range, they could kill you both. You had fire projectiles, but, again, it was a fatal and an unlikely solution. You glanced at Shoto again, rubbing your arms to bring friction and heat to your body. White condensed air was already coming out from your shivering lips. You knelt down beside Shoto, checking his pulse. It was faint, fainter than you would have liked it to be.

“S-Shoto,” you chattered out his name, hoping you could somehow get him to wake up. “P-Please, you need to wake up.” You shook his shoulder, wincing at how forceful you were being. He needed to rest. What he went through today was beyond horrible. You couldn’t imagine the emotional and physical trauma he suffered from battling his “dead” brother.

Shoto didn’t move, even as you continued to try to shake him awake. He was barely breathing. His throat must have been raw from smoke inhalation or burns because you could hear his breath rasp with every exhale. You brushed some hair out of his eyes, and the icy strands melted with your touch. As your fingers accidently skimmed his face, warmth began to spread across some of his frosted skin. You brought your palm to his cheek and again felt heat rise from his body. You grabbed his hands, holding them between your own. His left side reacted to your touch, even without him being conscious. You breathed a sigh of relief when it seemed the ice had almost completely melted from his upper body. It didn’t solve the immediate problem, but you were glad he wouldn’t succumb to frostbite.

“Shoto, I need you. I know… you’ve done more than enough today… but I really need you,” you murmured. You came closer to him, wanting desperately to huddle against him for warmth, but no action in this situation was death. The Pro Heroes available would not be able to get you out.

You blew into your hands, fingers trembling. Your attention froze. You could get out. There was a way to get out, but it was going to hurt. Deku might not be able to Detroit Smash his way in, but you could punch your way out. Heart of Hearts had trained you to punch through things, break through things, using your quirk to your advantage.

You settled into a fighting stance, carefully adjusting as to not pivot into unconscious Shoto. Your quirk swirled in your mind, reacting to your instincts. You balled up your fist, feeling wind begin to turbulently fill the space. Strands of your quirk coiled around your muscles, placing a thin layer around your knuckles. The first swing came easy, but as you hit the cement-like ice, you heard bones crack. You cried out, clutching your hand to your chest. Sweat pooled over your face, nearly freezing on sight. You let out a pitiful whimper. You didn’t dare look at the damage, afraid a finger may be out of place.

You turned your gaze up. A small fissure had begun to form in the ice. Not enough. The crack wasn’t enough to get the two of you out. You readied your stance again, switching from your dominant hand.

“Punch through it,” you said to yourself, gritting your teeth. You couldn’t afford to break both hands, but you also couldn’t hold back. You lined up your punch with the crevice. Your quirk spiraled up your muscles again. You struck, biting back another yelp. Tears came to your eyes. The ice made a hollow twang, and the crack continued to grow.

“One more,” you said. “One more, and you save us,” you assured. “You save Shoto.”

Your attention floated down to him. He was in critical condition. He needed help, your help. Shoto needed you, and… you needed him. You needed him to make it out of this alive.

You adjusted your stance again, letting out a puff of misty air from your dry lips. You pulled back. Wind roared. Your quirk connected with your body, wielded it like its own weapon. It pulsed and streamed through muscles you hadn’t realized you had.

“One more!” you shouted, driving the final punch home.

A rush of air and mental quirk energy vibrated through the gap. Ice splintered and crackled like dropped glass. The punch rippled like an explosion, shooting through the solid ice. A hole had finally been exposed. Fresh air came rushing into the small nook that Shoto and you had been trapped in. Your whole body shivered as you dropped to your knees, your arms falling lamely to your sides. The remaining ice cooled them. They were both broken, shattered. But, at least, you were free. You managed to get Shoto free.

A few Pro Heroes managed to get the two of you out. They had to have taken the injured to the hospital already. You rode with Shoto to the hospital, allowing the paramedics to attend to him, before you even said anything about your arms.

Once you’d made it to the hospital, you mentioned that you may or may not have severe injuries. A nurse rolled up your sleeve and gasped. Fretfully, she guided you into your own room. You didn’t remember much after being helped into a bed. Consciousness slipped in and out. In your delirium, you could only think about Shoto’s condition.

“Is he okay?” you murmured. “Is he going to be okay?” you asked.

You awoke to two casts on your arms, blindly swinging at nothing and wincing when you felt what punching solid ice had done to your bones. Shinso jumped back from your cot as if he’d just fallen asleep sitting up.

“It’s me! Hey, it’s okay. You’re in the hospital,” Shinso said.

“Shoto, is he okay?” you blurted out. “We… we were trapped,” you tried to explain. “He was injured.” You blinked at Shinso, and he sighed.

“He’s okay,” Shinso assured. “You got him here just when he needed to be. He can’t speak, but he’s okay, stable.”

You bit into your bottom lip, already hoisting yourself out of the hospital bed. Shinso put a hand on you for support. “I have to see him.” You paused, turning back to Shinso with tears in your eyes. “C-can you tell me where he is?” you asked.

Shinso’s eyes widened in surprised. He tried to hide his disappointment. “Room 356. It’s just down the hallway.” His hand left you as soon as you started moving again.

“Thank you,” you said, before leaving into the hallway.

You reached room 356 in no time, turning the corner in blind concern. You had to see him. You had to know for sure that he was alright. You bumped into a hard back upon entering, nearly being knocked down from the impact. You awkwardly stumbled back, unable to catch yourself with the casts on. A strong hand reached out, grabbing you before you fell.

“Oh, sorry. Are you okay?”

You looked up toward a familiar stranger. He actually looked a lot like Endeavor; his build did at least. He had white hair and gray eyes, and he appeared a bit older than you, probably out of high school.

“I-I’m sorry,” you stuttered out. “I didn’t mean to come in unannounced. I wanted to check on my classmate.” You gulped, feeling like there wasn’t a great reason to run into anybody, but you had to know that Shoto was okay. “I was told he was here, and I just… I need to know he’s okay. I’m sorry I was rushing.” Tears filled your eyes. You weren’t sure why exactly.

The young man in front of you blinked in surprise. “Uh…” He seemed uncomfortable, like he wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away but finding it difficult to not try to do something. He patted your shoulder awkwardly. “No hard feelings. I didn’t even flinch when you ran into me. You don’t need to cry or anything.”

A young woman peered her head around the taller man, immediately going into a nurturing mode upon seeing you. She rushed to your side, helping wipe your face with a tissue without smudging your glasses. “N-Natsuo! You made the poor girl upset,” she scolded him.

“She bumped into me,” Natsuo grumbled. “I don’t think I’m the reason she’s crying, Fuyumi.”

The young woman adjusted her glasses, hooking a strand of her white hair with flecks of crimson behind her ear. She fretted over you for a moment or two, stepping back in worry. “Oh, I apologize. I don’t even know your name. My name is Fuyumi.” She gestured to herself. “That’s Natsuo.” She pointed to the other man. “You said that you were here to see your classmate?” she asked.

“I…” you trailed off. Fuyumi? You knew that name. That was Shoto’s sister. “I’m sorry for the intrusion.” You attempted a deep bow but your casts wouldn’t let you get that far. “Shoto is very important to me, and—” You cut yourself short, realizing what you’d just said aloud to his sister. A deep scarlet blush brushed your cheeks. “I’m sorry. I just want to know that he’s okay. He saved me, and…” you trailed off again. You were beyond nervous to slip up and say the wrong thing. Shoto’s sister was very important to him, and he talked about her often.

“You’re Anna Kokoro then,” a soft voice spoke up from the other side of the room. “Please come in. I’m sure he’d really like to see you. I’m afraid he cannot speak right now, but he’s spoken very highly about you when he came to visit me in the past.”

“Y-yes. It’s very nice to meet you.” It had to have been Shoto’s mother speaking to you. He looked a lot like her too. You forced yourself to move into the room, despite being very nervous to meet his family. There was no turning back now. You cared too much for Shoto to just leave, even if it was so nerve wracking.

Shoto gave you a soft smile when he spotted you. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it shortly after, glancing away as if it pained him. He motioned for you to come closer, and you rushed toward him. You wanted desperately to hug him, but the casts were in the way. Natsuo quickly brought you a chair to sit down, and you didn’t hesitate to do so, just to be close to Shoto. The best that you could do was lean next to him. He patted your back gently in response.

You started crying again, despite yourself, and he wiped the tears from your cheeks, shaking his head. He pressed his palm to your face, as if to say that he was okay and that he was there, and you leaned into his touch.

…Ten Years Later…

“Are you sure they’ll be okay without us?” you asked your husband.

“Fuyumi has it handled. I trust her with my life. She can watch the twins for a night. It will be okay, Anna,” Shoto said, kissing you on the cheek.

“I feel selfish for sneaking out like this,” you said.

“You and I both know that we need to take time off now and again. The twins will be alright. I promise. We’ve been working really hard as Pro Heroes and as parents. Let’s just enjoy our free time together for one night, okay?”

You were still hesitant to leave, but when Shoto’s hand touched yours, you turned back to him. His dual-colored eyes were soft with understanding. If you asked to stay, he wouldn’t push you to go out again. He would let you stay for a family night in. But, you knew how much the two of you needed this. You were both working extremely hard to balance work and life.

“Okay,” you said. “You’re right. Fuyumi will take very good care of them. One night won’t hurt.” You gave his hand a squeeze, and he led you toward the city for an evening stroll.

Shoto made sure he was giving off enough heat to keep the cold at bay. You snuggled up close to him as you walked, glad you could spend some quality time together.

“You look beautiful,” Shoto said.

“Thank you,” you replied, blushing. You’d worn one of your favorite blue dresses on your date tonight. He bought it for you on your last birthday, but you couldn’t find an occasion to actually wear it. You were happy to know that he liked it on you. “So, where are we going?” you asked curiously.

Shoto paused. “Don’t you think that it would be better as a surprise?” he asked.

“Maybe,” you grumbled, pursing out your lips. You always liked surprises, but you were too excited to really wait to find out the surprise part.

Shoto chuckled. “Don’t make that face, Anna. We’ll be there soon enough. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed either.”

Shoto stopped in an unfamiliar location to you. He held open the door, and you were surprised at how quiet that it seemed. You meekly entered the building. Shoto strode ahead of you, pulling you gently by the hand to an elevator. Once you both got in, he hit the top floor.

“What is this place?” you asked, not remembering seeing a sign outside.

“A secret,” Shoto said softly.

The elevator doors opened up to an empty restaurant. One table was lit up with candles, glowing in the dim room.

“I rented the whole place out just for the two of us. No other distractions. No thoughts to plague your intelligent mind. I thought it would allow you some time to relax,” he said.

“Shoto, it’s too much,” you said. Your eyes moved down toward the ground to see blue petals lining the path toward the table.

“It’s never enough for my lovely wife,” he said. He led you toward the table, helping with your chair. He poured you out a small glass of wine.

“You know I’m not keen on alcohol, Shoto. It’s normally so dry,” you said. You wrinkled your nose, looking over the glass suspiciously.

As he slid the glass toward you, he slowly nodded his head. “It’s chocolate wine. Imported from America,” he said. “I thought you would find it more palatable.” He chuckled, pouring himself a glass of something else. “As for me, I will take the ‘dry’ vintage wine.”

You tentatively took a sip of your glass and were surprised to find it actually quite nice to start out the evening. There was a delicious aroma filling the room, coming from what you would only assume was the kitchen. You looked toward your husband again. He caught your inquisitive gaze.

“I hired the chef for the night as well. You know I’m not exactly a culinary expert. I hope that’s okay. Should you want a rather cold bowl of instant ramen, I would be happy to oblige when we return home. I don’t think they would have the pre-packaged ingredients in the back.”

You set your glass down, looking out toward city from the window. The lights sparkled like stars while the two of you were so far up in the tower. You reached out your hand, grabbing for Shoto’s. His fingers easily slipped between yours, intertwining comfortably. You were surprised to find his hand was clammy. For the first time all night, you realized he might not be so calm and composed.

Shoto cleared his throat, gazing at your touching hands. “Do you like it?” he asked. “The surprise?”

Your attention shifted back to him. It was so sweet of him to ask. You wish that he wouldn’t worry so much. The two of you were married after all, even had two children together. You loved him tremendously.

“It’s very thoughtful,” you said. You exhaled, finally feeling as if you could breathe. It was nice to feel so secure with him around, and it was even better that you didn’t have to worry about your quirk acting up. “I think I love it.” You hesitated to admit it. It must have cost a fortune to clear out an entire restaurant. It was rare that you’d actually let him spoil you. Guilt seeped a little into your expression. You wished the twins could be there with you. They would get a kick out of seeing Japan like this.

Shoto brought your hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. “I’m glad,” he said. “Our alone time is precious to me, and I wish I could do something like this for you more often.” He scanned over your expression. “Perhaps, next time, we could even bring the boys, if that would allow you to relax even more.”

You smiled at him. “I’d like that,” you said. “But, I’m also glad that we took this time to spend with each other, just you and me. You bring out the calm in me. That’s why I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Anna.”

#shoto todoroki #bnha shoto #todoroki shouto #mha shoto #Anna kokoro #mha anna #annakokoro #bnha anna #mha anna kokoro #fuyumi todoroki #natsuo todoroki #rei todoroki #Think Endings #Shoto Todoroki Think Ending #MHA x OC #mha x you #bnha x you #bnha x oc

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time-woods · 8 months

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simon doodle in honor of fionna and cake dropping, sad old men gotta b my favorite species tbh

#adventure time #fionna and cake #simon petrikov #hes gonna lose his goddamn marbles again #his mental issues did NOT get fixed at the end of the series- simply swapped out for a different flavor #and its somewhat worse- cause now he can think clearly which comes with some good and bad followups #hashtag get this man therapy #fionna and cake spoilers

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inkskinned · 7 months

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what is with men being mad any time a woman raises her voice where did that even come from. someone posted a video of a small electrical explosion, and the top comment was of course the woman screams. the second comment is women try not to scream challenge, level impossible. i had to go back and watch the video again. there is, somewhat fainty, a little gasp emitted off-camera, more of a yelp than a scream. it is mostly lost in the crack of the explosion. afterwards, you hear her voice, shaken, say, are you okay?

i am helping one of my friends train her voice pitch lower, because she wants to be taken seriously at work. she and i do each other's nails and talk about gender roles; and how - due to our appearance - neither of us have ever been able to be "hysterical" in public. we both appear young and sweet and feminine. she is cisgender, and cannot use her natural voice in her profession because people keep saying she appears to be "vapid". we both try to figure out if our purposeful voice lowering is technically sexist. is it promoting something when you are a victim to it?

a storm almost sends a pole through a car window. in the dashcam, you can hear the woman passenger say her partner's name twice, crying out in alarm. she sounds terrified. in the comments, she is lambasted for her lack of calm. how is that even fucking helping?

in high school, i taught myself to have a lower voice. i had been recorded when i was genuinely (and righteously) upset; and i hated how my voice sounded on the phone speakers when it was played back. i was defending my mom, and my voice cracked with emotion. it meant i was no longer winning the argument: i was just shrieking about it.

girls meet each other after a long summer and let out a little joyful scream. this usually stops around 12-14, because people will not tolerate this display of affection (as it has the effect of being passingly annoying). something about the fact that little girls can't ever even be annoying. we are trained to examine each part of our lives (even joy) for anything that could make us upsetting and disgusting. they act like teenage girls are breaking into houses and shrieking you awake at 3 in the morning. speaking as a public school educator: trust me, it's not that bad, you can just roll your eyes and move on. it does not compare to the ways boys end up being annoying: slurs in graffiti, purposefully mocking your body, following you after you said no. you know, just boy things.

there's another video of a man who is not allowed to yell in the house, so he snaps his fingers when he's excited about soccer. the comments are full of angry men, talking about how their brother is unfairly caged. let him express himself and this is terrible to do to someone. eventually the couple has to address it in a second video: they are married with a newborn baby. he was trying not to wake the infant up. there is no comment on the fact women are not allowed to yell indoors. or the fact that it could have been really alarming or triggering for his wife. sometimes i wonder if straight men even like women, if they even enjoy being in relationships with them.

for the longest time, i hated roller coasters because it always felt inappropriate and uncomfortable for me to scream. one of my friends called me on it, said it was unusual i'm so unwilling. i had to go to my therapist about it. i don't like to scream because i was not raised in a safe situation, and raising my voice would have brought unsafe attention towards me. even when i am supposed to scream, it feels shameful, guilty. i was not treated kindly, so i lack a basic form of self-protection. this is not a natural response. it is not good that in a situation of high adrenaline - i shut up about it.

something very bad is happening, i think. in between all the beauty standards and the stuff i've already discussed - this one feels new and cruel in a way i can't quite express. yes, it's scary and silencing. but there's something about how direct it is - that so many men agree with the sentiment that women should never yell, even in an emergency - it feels different.

is the word shriek gendered automatically? how about shrill or screech? in self defense class, one of the first things they tell you is to yell, as loud and as shrilly as you can. they say it will feel rude. most women will not do this. you need to practice overcoming the social pressure and just scream.

most women do not cry out, even when it's bad. we do not report it. we walk faster. we do not make a scene. what would be the point of doing anything else? no matter what we do, we don't get taken seriously. it is a joke to them. an instagram caption punchline. we have to present ourselves as silent, beautiful, captivating - "valuable."

a woman is outside watching her kids when someone throws a firecracker at them. she screams and runs towards her children. in the comments, grown men flock together in the thousands: god. women are so annoying.

#warm up #writeblr #this one has bothered me for a bit #any time a woman does something even passingly annoying we treat it like a fucking crime #hey man. women are allowed to be annoying. everyone forever is allowed to be passingly annoying #as long as they aren't hurting anyone/thing #like u wanna know something? i find it super annoying that men don't wear seatbelts #why arent there thousands of comments on driving videos thats just like : men try not to die in a car crash challenge #''this briefly annoyed me''. okay??????? AND????????????????? go get ur self a cookie and calm down about it #ur not entitled to control other ppl's experiences and emotions just so u can maintain ur own peace #if being briefly annoyed ruins ur whole day! you! need! therapy!!!!#men try not to become immediately angry about nothing challenge: level impossible #ps author is nonbinary. we didn't even get into the gender presentation thing #the fact men think it's SEXY that my voice is on the lower end....

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