It’s only after Midoriya flat-out
denies being All Might’s son that Todoroki realizes how excited he was about
the idea.
Feeling Midoriya’s power up close
and realizing that it had to be related to All Might in some way was an
epiphany Todoroki didn’t understand how much meant to him until after it had
been refuted. (And much later, he wonders why he never once questioned the idea
that Midoriya might be lying about his heritage. Probably because of how
flustered Midoriya became. Maybe because Midoriya Izuku genuinely doesn’t seem
like the kind of guy who could lie about anything. Which seems like a strange
enough quality for any person to have.)
But those few days when Todoroki
thought All Might had a son were actually meaningful and precious in a way he
now realizes. Endeavor could never quite make up his mind if he was scornful of
the fact that All Might didn’t have any children (“Maybe he couldn’t sire
a child. Maybe he’s not so masculine as everyone thinks”) or elated
(“You won’t have any competition, Shouto”) to disappointed (“You should have competition. You need to prove you’re the best, by far
better than All Might ever could be or his children.”)
Endeavor spent so much time talking
about All Might’s hypothetical children that honestly sometimes it seemed like
they did exist. Sometimes it seemed like the only friends Todoroki
had as a child were the imaginary children of All Might. He spent more time
thinking about these children who didn’t exist than any of the children in his
elementary or middle schools.
Would All Might’s son hate that he
was All Might’s son? Would he hate that he had All Might’s power? Or would he
be proud? Would he see me as an enemy because I’m Endeavor’s child or would he
want to be my friend?
Perhaps it had been so easy to think
that Midoriya was All Might’s son because Todoroki had grown up thinking so
much about All Might’s son.
Later, after Midoriya’s denials,
Todoroki thinks, Of course he’s not All Might’s son. Midoriya
doesn’t look anything at all like All Might. Todoroki wonders why that hadn’t
even factored into his earlier thought processes when he came to the conclusion
that Midoriya must be the secret bastard love child of the world’s greatest
hero, and that’s when he realizes just how much he wanted it to be true. He wanted Midoriya
to be All Might’s son.
Because then maybe he’d have all the
answers to the questions he had as a child. Midoriya would be proud of his
father, he would love his father, and he would, all things considered, probably
want to be Todoroki’s friend, despite being Endeavor’s child. And maybe
Todoroki had briefly, really, really wanted all of those things to be true.
But, once his disappointment
subsides, Todoroki thinks, Well, maybe those things can be true. Maybe
Midoriya isn’t All Might’s son, but there’s some kind of connection there, and
Todoroki wants to know what it is. Which means getting a lot closer to
Midoriya.
Which, all things considered, is
most likely what Todoroki wanted all along.
A/N: Wooo just briefly thinking
about that time Todoroki thought Midoriya was All Might’s kid =D
[CN: abuse]
Abuse ruins everything. It isn’t fair. It spills out all around the intended victim and pulls everything out of balance. There is no world where it’s possible to be neutral to Greg and also be cool & protective & kind to his victim, Clay. By not wanting to choose a side, you chose a side (Greg’s side). When you did that, you stopped being a safe person for Clay, someone who knew what they had been through and someone they could trust to help them navigate the aftermath of a difficult thing.
something that’s really fucked up to me and really makes like… so many arguments in fandom sphere fall flat for me is like. i see abuse happen all the time on the daily people are constantly abusing one another treating each other shittily in toxic parent-child relationships or romantic relationships all around me
BUT no, i shouldn’t write that in fiction!
It’s so jarring to me, I’m sorry. and most of the time it’s this… it just feels like people’s protections care so much more significantly about whether a fictional character is getting abused than a real person and it’s frustrating for me.
and people will argue, ah well it should just apply to ships, but romantic relationship abuse happens all the time it is not insignificant in people’s lives they should be able to write about it. so frustrating! im constantly frustrated by the way abuse has been discussed in fandom spaces so that people will 1. either advocate abusive relationships aren’t abusive to avoid being perceived negatively 2. or lambast anyone who does want to discuss abusive fictional relationships and call them ‘sick’
“Eat your fucking pity,” Bakugo spat, face contorted and red with rage, but his eyes were shinning and his shoulders shook ever so slightly. Uraraka’s mouth worked around open air for moment, trying to regain hold of her next thought, but Bakugo was barreling on.
Most of us know it when we see it, but I figure any discussion about fandom antis and how to respond to them would benefit from having a solid answer to “what even is an anti, anyway?” Laying out the exact characteristics that distinguish anti wank from every other kind of wank also helps clarify what, exactly, is going on here, why it’s appalling, and also why it’s appealing to those who engage in it.
I’m going to define it as a behavior rather than a particular type of person. The anti movement is:
1. A form of intra-community aggression within fandom, that 2. Seeks, as its primary goal, to designate out-groups who are fair game for social brutality, by 3. Categorically declaring certain forms of fan engagement (ships, characters, fic genres, fanart styles, video game mods…) to be intrinsically morally wrong and in need of stamping out, regardless of how or why one engages with them, and 4. Justifies this by claiming a causal relationship between the targeted activities and some form of (usually SJ-flavored) real-world harm that they allegedly promote.
The order is important, because it goes from most to least essential. 1 is fundamental context, 2 is ultimate purpose, 3 is the mechanism used to accomplish that purpose, 4 is the justification for using that mechanism.
There’s a narrative about abusers that, while rings true for probably a lot of people, falls short in my experience. Not all abusers are calculating and malicious. Some people just. Think abuse is the proper way to interact with human beings. (Can’t get someone to do what I want? Emotionally manipulate them! And then say that they’re the manipulative one!) not all abusers intend to be abusive or even know what they’re doing is abusive.
That doesn’t mean the abuse is any better for the victim. It usually means we question it more. Is it really abuse if they didn’t mean it? If they tell us they love us? If they’re not malicious? If they just don’t know any other way to behave?
Abuse just has many forms and they all suck balls
This is true. Shitty and unhealthy is just who they are and I believe it’s more effective than using a carefully constructed facade. They believe that what they’re doing is normal and they make you believe it’s normal. It’s so ugly.
sup bitches im here to reclaim my “unnessecary-angst-comics-of-the-most-comic-relief-characters-in-the-game” crown.
and a bonus cuz im weak:
‘if you think [blank character] was in love with their abuser, that’s gross’
‘[blank character] still has positive feelings about their abuser/doesn’t hate their abuser, so it’s not really abuse’
one of those statements tends to be thrown around by antis who don’t like people discussing abuse in fiction. the other is thrown around by abuse apologists.
similarities between those statements? incredibly fucking invalidating for anyone who ever loved their abuser, and incredibly fucking ignorant of how abuse operates like. in general. literally, if you’re going to make either of these statements shut your mouth and think it over and then never say it because neither of those are arguments.
only this time it may be more difficult for you to notice what they’re doing
your friendship with them will be used against you if you ever decide to go public with your story
the energy you invest in taking care of their feelings (because an abuser’s feelings always come first) is energy you should use to rebuild yourself instead
they will try to confuse you and make you feel guilty. they will use your compassion, don’t fall for it
THEY chose to abuse you, THEY should deal with the consequences alone
they don’t deserve your friendship
just don’t
they won’t come to their senses and change for the better magically just because you are not dating
it can actually get even worse when they realize you’re not coming back together