![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
VILLAINS open post
(fanart source here)
Doesn't it feel good being bad? The age of heroes is over, let's act like it. ... in a single open post where it can't contaminate the pure threads. Sorry, villains, I don't make the rules.
For all of your:
• Kidnapping, hatemance, revenge and dark threads.
• Well-thought-out, planned, serious Villain AU threads OR what-plot, trashy, sexy, Villain AU threads.
• "I'm the U.A. Traitor" threads in either and all directions.
• Villain-hero roleswaps with varying degrees of effort put into it.
• "well yeah shigaraki is a villain and i hate him but he has a very entertaining speedrunning stream that i watch at 3am when i can't sleep" AUs
• or anything else we goddamn want
sometimes a family can be one tired hero and two wards of the state
It was just sad all around. The grandson of the mentor to the world's greatest hero, fallen victim to villainy. Fate had not treated him kindly.
But there was hope for him. An effort was made for him to steer him back on the path of righteousness. It was a slow process, one that would be riddled with bumps in the road for years to come. But after a few months of therapy and police questioning, it was decided that Shigaraki Tomura could be reformed. But he was not entirely pardoned of his crimes either. Someone still had to pay for the damage he'd wrought. But jail was too much for someone who was also a victim. There was an agreement that he'd take on community service to make amends for what he'd done wrong and that house arrest would be justifiable to keep tabs on his progress. Someone had to keep him in line because he was still wrought with emotional immaturity. He was still learning to be good. That's when the U.A. principal got involved, volunteering to help with this rehabilitation and it was sorted out from there.
Today would be the first day he'd be under the care of his new primary guardian.]
no subject
[The former leader of the League of Villains would be joining them in the faculty dorms. In the back of his mind, he's irritated. If part of his importance was tied to All Might's mentor, why wasn't he being stuck with that job? He knows why, though, he knows logically that even without the League behind him it was stupid to put those two together. All Might had lost his former power and Shigaraki- Shimura Tenko- may still have an unstable reaction to him.]
[And, of course, like Eri before him, Aizawa's Erasure made him an ideal candidate.]
[She's with him as he waits, standing outside the U.A. dorms. She hides behind his leg as if he were a very tall tree or something. If it were entirely up to Aizawa he'd want to keep these two separated longer. Nezu was hoping that the tiny girl would serve as a positive example. Still, he can feel the way she tenses up at seeing the police escort, even after all these months.]
Hey. [He'll nod to the escort first, with his usual degree of casual professionalism. Then, he'll turn his eyes back to their new charge. Despite everyone's efforts, he still looked a mess. His hair was still a scraggly mess (not that Aizawa was much better), his lips still a mess of chapping and scars, and there were some fresh bandages to imply the anxious scratching hadn't been solved yet. This was the spoiled child who had led to his face being smashed in, who slowly started to grow and honestly attempt to overthrow the status quo of the world.]
This is where you'll be staying as of today. I'm sure you had information about its layout, so I hope you find it comfortable.
[He's allowed to be a little prickly, although not outright aggressive.]
no subject
But he looks at Aizawa when he's spoken to, looking at the dorms and nodding politely to show he understood. He opens his mouth to try to say something, letting his mess of gray hair shield him. Everyone's watching him. Expecting things from him. There's a lot of pressure riding on his shoulders again. It makes him nervous as he brings a hand up to his neck to scratch two fingers at a fresh wound he'd picked at on the car ride here.]
Thank you for taking me in.
[No one moves to stop his anxious tic but one of the officers steps forward, trusting a small box at the ex-villain. Shigaraki barely has time to grab the box with his pinkies out, nearly accidentally setting off his quirk from the rashness of the officer. There wasn't much inside the box, just some donated clothes that barely fit him and a few hygiene products. Shigaraki didn't have much in the way of personal items, most of them had been confiscated and would never be returned to him for fear of relation to his former Master. But there was also a small journal that he was supposed to use to help track his recovery- something they could use to see if he needed an intervention or if there were any lapses.
He swallows hard, looking over at Aizawa again and down to where he could see Eri peeking out. His gaze doesn't linger long. Not when one of the officers hands over some paperwork for Aizawa and start to reiterate the rules of Shigaraki's stay. Strict curfew. No usage of electronics without supervision. No quirk usage without supervision. Attend scheduled therapy and community service. That the police and the school were allowed to look through his stuff at any time if they suspected him of skirting or breaking any of the rules. That Aizawa and the school was allowed to make additional rules. The usual spiel he'd already gotten from Nezu and his therapist when the news broke to him that he would be released under house arrest.
On and on the rules were yammered at him but he listened quietly. Only mumbling a few "yes sirs" and "no sirs" to show he understood. With that cleared away, they have him step to the side so they can configure the ankle bracelet. Making sure that it was in working order. Shigaraki just looks off into the distance, looking upset and moving his head against his shoulder to try to stifle that anxious itch. He really just wanted to be out of the spotlight.
Eventually they turn to Aizawa to make sure everything's to his satisfaction.]
no subject
[That wouldn't work for any sort of recovery. All that would do was continue to grow his anxieties, his hatred, and no good could come of it.]
[With the paperwork signed off on, he nods to the policeman closest to him.]
We'll take it from here.
[He could only trust Nezu and that there was an opportunity to improve, there. When leading Shigaraki into the dorms, Eri changes up to still keep Aizawa between herself and the stranger. There's plenty of time in the elevator for introductions.]
This is Eri. She was involved in the Eight Precepts incident. [Remember when you fucked Chisaki up? Good times, buddy.] She's also under our protection. [he glances down at her, patting her head.] Say hello, Eri.
[She stares at Shigaraki with wide, red eyes, and mumbles a "hi" before sneaking back behind Aizawa's leg.]
no subject
Hi.
[Shigaraki doesn't have his own Dadzawa to hide behind so he just stares at his box. He shifts a little, having a hard time keeping his arm strength with the way he has to hold his pinkies out. If the cop had actually given him a heads up instead of trusting the box into his arms, he could have had a better grip on the box. Everyone was just trying to get rid of him. Maybe they were hoping he'd slip up amongst the heroes and that he'd wind up in the very same prison housing the other more dangerous villains.
The moment he gets some alone time he is definitely picking at the scabs on his arms and neck. Today has been nerve wracking for him and the cold shoulder treatment hasn't exactly helped in this emotional time. He wonders if maybe there's a nice hoodie in the box of donated clothes. This navy blue t-shirt makes him feel too exposed. Like everyone can see his scars and hate him even more. At least a hoodie would cover them up and give him a place to hide away into.]
Is it just us?
no subject
[The world didn't work like that, though. If the principal saw the shades of gray here and respected them, then Aizawa would work with that. He could put aside any personal feelings about a villain that had threatened his students multiple times and smashed his face in. Right now, he was the sort of wreck that reminded him of captives and hostages.]
There are other U.A. staff as well. Thirteen is probably here the most often. I've been spending more and more time here because of Eri. [the little girl hangs her head a bit and Aizawa absently drops his hand to pat her head. It was just a fact; she wasn't a burden.]
If there's something you need, you'll ask whoever's around to get it arranged. I'd say that you could just text me but... [No unsupervised electronics usage. Giving him access to communication outside U.A.'s walls was risky at this point.] We'll see if we can swing that after we've cleared a few hurdles.
no subject
I won't need anything. [He's forgetting something.] Sir.
[His words might come across as Shigaraki trying not to be a nuisance but really? He's just scared of the treatment he'll get. The escorts had already chaste him for 'being a waste of U.A.'s time' and scolded him for being a leech to the heroes. Threatened him that if he asked for too much or caused too much trouble and was too much of a burden to the teachers- he'd be the one to blame for the next crisis. Shigaraki didn't want that, didn't have the emotional capacity at the time to think logically; that he couldn't possibly be blamed for the next attacks unless he personally orchestrated them.
The ex-villain shifts uncomfortably, jumping a little like a skittish animal when the elevator door opens.]
no subject
Everyone needs something.
[Shigaraki was able to ask for things. There was a stipend for his care from the state and U.A.'s ridiculous budget on top of it. Denying himself would just lead to more agitation, more scratching and more scabs. If they wanted to leave him to rot in prison, they would have. The doors open and they'll head out into the lounge area.]
Eri, you can head back to your room, if you want. We're going to talk a while longer. [Another gentle pat to the girl's head. She nods and scurries off, down the hallway to the rooms. He'd have to show Shigaraki around soon, set him up in his room, let him unpack, but there was one last thing to check.]
Hey. [Once Eri was out of earshot. She didn't need to know every detail. As far as he was concerned, Eri could think Shigaraki was the same as her: a victim of circumstance.]
What do you want to be called, now? [Shigaraki Tomura. Shimura Tenko. Aizawa didn't care much either way, he would work with either, but which one was easier to hear at this point?]
no subject
Tomura. Shigaraki Tomura. [He says it without hesitation. It was possibly the first thing he'd done in confidence since his arrival.
Try as he might to get used to people calling him Shimura Tenko, it didn't stick with him. He hadn't been called Tenko since that fateful day. In Shigaraki's mind, Tenko had died the night his father had also died. Both lost to that awful bloody mess.
He had concerns about keeping the name he had grown up with. Namely that if he was still going by Shigaraki Tomura- wouldn't everyone assume he was still plotting to do bad? It was a topic that his therapist worked with him a before his release. Reassuring him that it was ok to be either Tomura or Tenko and that by choosing either name he wasn't damning himself or earning himself redemption. It's what he did with his actions that would show others that he'd changed. Not a name. She'd also suggested that by keeping his identity, he could better come to terms with what he'd done and have an easier time rehabilitating back into society.]
no subject
Right, then, Tomura. [It's a degree of formality dropped. He could have his own way of separating the past from the present. He'd hardly even had a name in mind when the Nomu slammed his face into the dirt. Then it was Shigaraki, leader of the villain alliance. Now it was Tomura. First name, same as Eri, this was a child he was looking after.]
So you can drop the "sir" with me, got it? [He pauses, scratching the back of his neck in an idle gesture.]
I'm not your prison warden, that job's never interested me. I don't need someone calling me "sir" to stroke my ego. Aizawa is fine. Eraserhead is fine.
no subject
His eyes watch the other scratch at the back of his neck and he breathes sharply. Suddenly reminded of his own]
What are the rules here. [He knows the rules of his rehabilitation but he's not foolish to think that the teachers he haven't placed some measure of rules in the dormitories for him. Especially after meeting Eri and finding out that she was slightly connected to him.] Can I set my box down Aizawa?
[He really has to scratch that itch.]
no subject
Yeah. We can put it down in your room. [Since he assumes he'd like to do that soon he'll start heading in the direction Eri went earlier. His room is pretty close to the lounge area with only one or two doors in front of his. One is Aizawa's, so movement at any hour could be more carefully tracked.]
[The room is a bit more sparse than a student's but it's passable. He'll let Shigaraki set down the box while listing off the rules about curfew, stipends, and when to be ready for transport to the scheduled volunteering and therapy hours. He keeps an eye on the back of the younger man's neck. He could see the little nervous ticks building up.]
[He'd make a note for the therapist. They were probably already aware. They probably had a laundry list of issues to tackle already. It was a stressful day.]
Any other questions? [He could leave him alone. Or, well "alone." There were cameras that he'd probably put on his tablet while he was working.]
no subject
No. No questions from me. [Actually, he's reminded that he didn't really eat today. Couldn't stomach the prison breakfast and he's not even sure he could eat lunch right now.] When is dinner?
[Shigaraki assumes he's supposed to eat with the others. At least that's what his therapist tried to encourage him to do; socialize when he can. Even if he doesn't want to say anything it might do him some good to be surrounded by people's conversations. Especially since all he really had to occupy his time was whatever was planned out for that day and his journal.]
no subject
We'll be eating around seven. [He didn't like the group meals but, well, he'd make an appearance even if he didn't eat. They'd started getting in this habit with Eri anyways. Not all the teachers swung by every day but those who could, did. It was a hectic dinner table. Hopefully not overwhelming.]
Your fridge is empty right now but we can get you some snacks eventually. ... apples, or something. Eri likes them. [he was getting very fast at peeling and slicing apples these days]
no subject
[He sits on the bed, using his free hand to touch the sheets gently. Pinky raised. They're softer than what he had at prison. Soft and welcoming, it puts his mind at ease knowing that this wasn't just some fanciful prison that gave him more opportunities to fuck this all up.]
Am I needed for anything today?
[Because if not, he wants to be alone for a while. The lighter scratching is really only feeding into his anxieties and making him want to scratch harder.]
no subject
You can rest for now. If you need anything I'll be in the lounge. [Grading, monitoring, and checking Neko Atsume on his phone.]
[And he'll come back to check on him close to dinner time.]
no subject
Everything hurt.
Shigaraki knows there's no point in feeling sorry for himself. He eventually pulls himself together to look through the box of his belongings. The clothes are the first thing he goes through and he sort of haphazardly pulls them out one by one. He drops them all on the floor as he goes. It's all hand-me downs and donated clothes, mostly sweatpants and t-shirts. There was a new bag of underwear and socks too but no long sleeved shirts like he'd hoped for. He's about to despair at the sad state of his clothes when the last thing he pulls out is a soft gray hoodie. That one goes on the bed as he kicks the pile of clothes into a corner.
The rest of the box has his hygiene products and his journal which he carefully places on the desk he'd been given. Unlike the clothes, he actually shoves the box into the closet.
With everything unpacked, he opted to take a shower. Using the bag that once held the new hygiene products for him as a barrier to protect the ankle bracelet, Shigaraki takes a quick warm shower. Letting the water wash over the fresh cuts on his neck.
Once he's done with the shower, he gets dressed. Putting on a fresh shirt, his new hoodie, and a pair of sweatpants and socks. There's a few hours left till dinner so Shigaraki uses the time to write in his journal, sitting at his desk with his hand gripping his hair.
I don't know what to write. Nobody wants me here and I don't even want to be here. I'm scared. He continues to write out his woes, pulling the hood on his hoodie over his face at one point because this felt pointless and stupid. What good was a journal going to do?
Dumb. This is fucking stupid.
Instead of pushing himself to write further he lays back down, staring at the ceiling while he waits for the time to tick away.]
no subject
[Somewhere in-between the notes scribbled on various assignments there's a paper that's half grocery list and half notes to pass along to whatever professional the man was seeing.]
[There's a bit of understanding at that repeated action of scribbling in the notebook then giving up in frustration. He'd been forced to go once or twice after particular operations. He always hated it. He'd much rather be given the freedom to deal with his issues on his own. He could generally have that freedom, though, because he worked hard and didn't cause trouble. Shigaraki had caused everyone a lot of trouble. No matter how many times he'd show up with an empty journal or no reflection, he'd be stuck there.]
[He gets a bit more grading done when Shigaraki embarks on the arduous task of staring at the ceiling. That's interrupted by Present Mic showing up. The dinner group was slowly assembling. Today had himself, Thirteen, Present Mic, Ectoplasm, Midnight, Lunch Rush, and, of course, the principal. Snipe was available but, well. Maybe they'd wait a week or so before putting him and Shigaraki in the same room.]
[There's a knock at Shigaraki's door.]
Hey. It's time. [In the background there was the very faint sound of "HEEEEEEEEYYYY, ERI, BABY GIRL, IT'S DINNER TIME!"]
no subject
Shigaraki hated it though. It felt like he'd been cornered. At least the principal understood what he must have been feeling because they didn't force the ex-villain into every conversation. Only the occasional "and what about you?" to make sure to give the other some room to participate. Simple answers and head nods were how Shigaraki chose to participate.
After dinner was, of course, the discussion with the principal. It was serious, addressing the issues that Shigaraki would have to overcome and the understanding that it would take time to change. For everyone. But it was also positive, with plenty of support and hope coming from Nezu.
The first week crawled by miserably for Shigaraki. After therapy, he'd always excuse himself to his room and stay there for the remainder of the day. Usually sleeping or scratching irritably at his skin. He caught on to the cameras in his room pretty early on, or at least suspected that there were cameras because he'd made it a habit to scratch underneath his blanket or with the closet door opened. He also had a hard time sleeping. Laying awake in his bed or pacing around the room out of boredom.
By the second week he was handling the changes a little bit better. With a note from his therapist stating he wasn't allowed to lock himself in his room after therapy. He could go to his room still but he had to leave the door open. Only with permission from Aizawa or the therapist could he close his door after therapy.
The scratching stopped for a while with this rule. It was also good for Shigaraki's benefit because it forced him to see what was going on beyond his room. A few teachers had even caught him curiously peaking out into the hall way to see what the commotion was. He didn't leave his room willingly though. Most of the time he sat at his desk by the door, scribbling in his journal and watching the people pass by.
Improvement was slow but it was gradual. There was still a laundry list of things to fix; the scratching hadn't stopped entirely, his journal entries were fruitless, and he was still anti-social.
And then a curious thing happened by the start of the third week. About an hour before dinner, Shigaraki was working on his journal in bed. He was lost in frustration and didn't hear the surprise visitor that wandered into his room. Only Eri's small weight dipping into the bed alerted Shigaraki of her presence.
At first he stared at her in fear. Worried he'd get in trouble. But then he noticed she had her own journal, a coloring book probably, and she was scribbling like he'd been doing. She didn't say anything, too shy probably because her face was fully focused on the coloring book. But that was alright. Shigaraki didn't want to say anything either and turned his attention to his own journal. Until the dinner crowd started showing up, Shigaraki and Eri sat in silence and worked on their respective journals.
The next day Shigaraki walked out to the lounge, journal in his hand, asking Aizawa;]
Can I... sit out here?
[It's the first time he'd come out of his room that wasn't for therapy or food.]
no subject
[The scratching slows. He's showing some improvement. At one point, Eri came to him, curiosity finally overcoming her shyness. She had noticed how Shigaraki stuck to his room and stuck to himself. She said it looked lonely. She didn't say it in those exact words but she probably saw a big of herself in someone much older. She asked Aizawa, if the door was open, was it okay for her to go into Shigaraki's room.]
[Aizawa says yes and barely gets anything done the next day when he's watching the camera feed intently. He stares so long that his dry-eye acts up and he's grumbling and complaining all throughout dinner that night.]
[He's a little surprised by seeing Shigaraki the next day and it shows on his face. The tablet is up by apparently he was tabbed away in relative trust and didn't see him leave. He's got papers scattered on the table as usual and a glossy cat magazine on the couch next to him.]
... Ah. [There's a separate chair that he'd probably pick just to have the distance. Still, Aizawa grabs his magazine and tosses it to the other side so there was space on the couch if he cared.]
Yeah, sure. [It was new and surprising but Aizawa was still a person of few words. He knew better than to draw attention to something that was different and therefore give it a stigma.]
You can mute the TV if you want. Mic left something on and I haven't cared enough to change it. [It's some entertainment news show, talking about some pointless issue like how few clothes an artist was wearing in a music video or if an idol might be- gasp- dating someone.]
no subject
[He could hear the TV from his room anyways. Shigaraki had come to know when certain teachers were in the lounge based on the TV shows playing. He knows now who is here when Aizawa isn't. Not always but sometimes.
Even though Aizawa takes the time to clear the couch, he still picks the separate chair. He takes the time to acclimate himself to the surroundings which were basically brand new to him. Tired red eyes looking at the decor, glancing briefly at the papers Aizawa's grading, and even stares at the TV for a bit. Have you heard the latest meme craze!? It's called Y-posing!!
Shigaraki visibly relaxes once he's taken in the surroundings, his gaze lingering a little at the hallway that had the dormitory doors- like he was waiting for someone. He doesn't ask about Eri or say anything but it's clear that her little stunt yesterday had some unforeseen impact on Shigaraki. He looks at Aizawa, watching him silently before opening his journal.
It's different from the other times he's been hunched over his journal because he actually looks relaxed and thoughtful. Not at all stressed and bored from this tiring exercise. He's actually writing things down rather than the bored doodles and scribbles. It keeps him pretty occupied but he does look up occasionally at Aizawa, and over at the hallways every once in a while.]
no subject
[From the hoodies to the way he hid away in his room, Shigaraki didn't need extra eyes on him.]
[But apparently he was fine with company. So, Aizawa doesn't move. Even when he finishes his pile of grading he simply shuffles them into a neater stack and leaves them on the table. He flips through his magazine. There's apparently a special on sphynx cats inside. Whatever idiot was editing it didn't find it important enough to be the cover story but there was a small picture of one in the corner that had caught Aizawa's eye in the first place.]
[He takes small looks occasionally. It's a relief to see him actually working in that thing. At one point he glances up at the exact moment Shigaraki is looking at him and-]
[He freezes, for a moment. Just a moment. He's a pro, after all.]
You know, if you went and knocked on her door, she'd probably come out.
[Eri had clearly made some sort of breakthrough. Aizawa's not going to give himself any credit for Eri's bravery. He doesn't assume any actual interest from Shigaraki besides as a guardian.]
no subject
I don't know what to say. [That's fair. He hasn't really had much interactions with anyone since his arrival here. Only the minimum with Aizawa and the few forced conversations out of the dinner group. His therapist is probably the one person who gets more than a few words out of him a day and even then it's exhausting on Shigaraki's part and like pulling teeth for the therapist. Hopefully Eri's bravery has opened up the door for Shigaraki to finally come out of that turtle shell he's wedged himself into.
He does stand up though. Despite not knowing what to say or even where her door is. Shigaraki's still gently picking at his neck]
no subject
... if you want, [there's a bit of hesitation to his voice. When it came to teaching or hero work, he never hesitated. This was just unsteady footing for the both of them.]
You can tell her I asked for company. [If it were easier and less anxiety-inducing, he could free himself from the experience. He would just be delivering a message for Aizawa. Eri could come out and sit with them without him feeling examined and evaluated for it. It was just a scaffold for what he wanted to do.]
You don't have to know what to say right away.
[That he could say with certainty, turning a page in his magazine.]
no subject
Um. [He looks over at Aizawa and sheepishly points.] Aizawa wants our company.
[There's an emphasize on "our" so he has an excuse for being there. But it doesn't matter. Eri seems to be more than happy to accept this for fact as she scurries back into her room to grab some things to keep herself, and the others, entertained before heading over to the couch.
Shigaraki on the other hand waits a little bit, trying to calm down from the encounter before going back to his seat. There's the briefest of smiles on his face as he picks his journal back up, watching over Aizawa and Eri on the couch and then finishing up his writing. It's long, whatever he's writing about, since he has to flip the pages twice to fully get every word down.
Aizawa's going to get a very happy phone call from the therapist tomorrow for sure.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)