honestly, i love it when people REALLY get bakugou. and i mean REALLY REALLY understand him. Bakugou was NEVER evil but instead had the largest inferiority complex i have ever seen, he had a genuine fear of failing or disappointing others which made him act with that cocky and egotistical mask. i also like to think that this is the reason why Izuku never hated him
like in that one quote "the idea of victory was so tied to the image of you in my head", it is undeniable that Bakugou is a victorious person who always wants to win, but that is also his biggest downfall. Bakugou wants to be the best but how can you be the best while treating others poorly?
His growth in the anime and manga is seriously one of my favorite character development arcs i have ever seen.
your condom breaks
you feel a lump on your breast
your friends are ignoring you
you’re stranded on an island
you got rejected by a crush
you get into a car accident
you got stung by a bee/wasp
you got fired from your job
you’re in an earthquake
your tattoo gets infected
your house is on fire
you’re lost in the woods
you get arrested abroad
you get robbed
your partner cheated on you
you’re on a ship that’s sinking
you fall into ice
you’re stuck in an elevator
you hit a deer with your car
you have food poisoning
your pet passed away
you fall off of a horse
you or your friend has alcohol poisoning
you have toxic shock syndrome
your house has a gas leak
i’m at my clits end
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
if a friend is experiencing/has experienced a loss and is grieving, and you don’t have any experience in the arena of loss, please allow me to offer some advice on navigating conversations about the deceased loved one.
not every mention of their person is the saddest part of their day. sometimes saying “this was their favorite song” “oh they would have LOVED this” “God I wish they could hear the conversation happening at the next table” “I wish they were here” is lighthearted. the mention of their person can be joyful. or melancholic. or, of course, sad. it can be all of those things at once. but no matter, react to the sentiments as just another piece of the conversation.
you don’t need to drop a 55 pound weight onto the conversation and stare at us in pity or silently stare in a combination of confusion and discomfort and sadness.
it’s okay. we know they’re dead. you acknowledging that in an equal state of nonchalantness will not shock us to death, it’s not tasteless or crude. it’s a relief. our dead people are still parts of our lives just like anything else, and giving your loved ones the space and comfort and safety to talk about their person is huge.
you can always respond by asking to hear more, by mimicking their tone. your friend laughs and says “they would have LOVED this”, take it as a chance to learn why! was their favorite color yellow? did they love kitschy little throw pillows? did they utterly DESPISE kitschy throw pillows? are they referencing a specific story?
if they see someone that looks like their person and get a little sad, ask what reminds them of their person. what was their favorite feature of their person? does it make them mostly sad to see someone who looks like their person? did it make them feel a little bit happy for a moment?
we want to talk about our deceased loved ones. we yearn to mention people who shaped us. the way our society has conditioned us to behave around grief, to respond to the grieving, and to grieve ourselves is so backwards and void of empathy, so we often don’t say what we wish we could say. (bell hooks has a wonderful chapter on this in all about love, new visions (ch 11))
by offering opportunities for people to reminisce you are truly making an impact and fostering a safe environment for those around you to grieve in ways we’re often not offered.
I understand the "I will die for you" ship dynamic, but what about the "I will not let you die, I will not let myself die- we will, at any cost, survive" kind of couple?
literally kicking my feet and fucking screaming oh my god
keigo takami the man that you are
"this book has this trope", "this book has that trope"... what happened to SUMMARIES. what's the PLOT.