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[swordfucker]

Guren Ichinose | Red | #A5211F

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[swordfucker]

[That could mean so many things. That something is still wrong with Izuku, that it might surface later. That he's in danger even now... or just that he suffered. Guren doesn't reply right away, his mind racing with these possibilities.]

I wasn't there. I'm sorry.

Promise me that you'll mention the moment anything feels strange or off. If you remember something, or feel like you're hurt, or ill in some way... Tell me it.

[inheritance]

Don't be, sensei. It wasn't your fault. I got too careless.

I feel way better now that my color's back to normal. I'll be careful, though.

[Speaking of fault, though...]

Actually. There is something I wanted to talk to you about.

[swordfucker]

No. Your carelessness aside, I took responsibility for you when I said that I would help you train. I should have checked on you more.

Go ahead, though. What is it?

[inheritance]

Can I come over?

[If asked, Izuku would just say that this is too important to talk about over the laptop, but the truth is... maybe he's seeking some reassurance from someone who's been willing to give it to him thus far. He shouldn't have to, when Guren has enough on his plate, and yet. Here he is.

The last few days have left him drained enough that his usual misgivings aren't enough to make him hold back.]

[swordfucker]

[Ah, that's worrying. He doesn't need to ask. If Izuku wants company, or if he feels bad now, or whatever it is...]

Yeah, of course. I'm here right now, so come over as soon as you want.

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[inheritance]

I'll be there soon.

[There's a knock on the door a little while later. It's tentative, as if whoever's behind the door is having second thoughts about being here.]

[swordfucker]

[Guren answers is fairly quickly, swinging the door right open without even checking first.]

Hey. Come on in. [And when the front door is shut, he's glancing to the stairway, and then back to Izuku.] Did you want to head up to my room, or is the kitchen fine?

[inheritance]

E-either's fine. [Well the door's open now, it's too late to change his mind! He has a feeling Guren wouldn't let it go so easily now that he's already here.]

Is there anyone else home right now?

[swordfucker]

I haven't checked. [He glances up, at the floor above.] But they won't interrupt. If you're worried about them, my room is better. We can close the door.

[inheritance]

Okay. [Izuku already has a feeling that he'll end up crying. And normally, he doesn't care if people see him, but this time it's...different. His emotions might be going a lot more haywire than usual.]

Let's... go to your room, then.

[swordfucker]

[Getting eaten by your shadow, or whatever this was, is enough to be bothered by. Guren is still worried for him, but nagging him or scolding him won't do any good at this point. Still, Izuku wants to talk about something? It's clear that it goes a lot deeper. A lot must be on Izuku's mind.

Guren shuts the door to his bedroom behind them, turning immediately to look to his student.]

What's on your mind?

[inheritance]

It's...not good. [Izuku stares down at the floor, though he does relax just a little when the door's closed.]

When our shadows were attacking us that day, right before--that thing happened. [He winces, but presses on.] Strider-kun, Arisato-kun, and I were talking about how this doesn't seem to be one of the quests, like with the cleaning. This is the first time anything's really attacked us in the town. Everything else stays in the forest, even if they chase us to the edge of it, like they did with some groups.

[Izuku fidgets, still not meeting Guren's eyes. The words spill out of him quickly, almost running together in his haste to get them out.] So I was thinking, what's different about this time? And then I remembered that Strider-kun's group ran into shadows that were like these ones, that talked to them and stripped color from them.

It's... [Izuku finally pauses to take a breath, though he struggles to say the rest of it, already tearing up.] I think the shadows followed us out of the forest, after we all went in.

[swordfucker]

I know what you're saying.

[Already, he knows, because his mind has already gone there. His group, too, saw shadows. Shadow demons. That was the theme. There were shadows everywhere. Guren steps closer, placing his hand on Izuku's shoulder, gripping firm enough to draw his attention, trying to stop his panic.]

You're right and you're wrong. I think going into the forest did cause them to follow us back out. [He lets that sink in for a moment, taking a breath.] But I don't think that what we did was wrong.

Or did you think that we'd all just sit here without exploring it ourselves?

[inheritance]

Well.... no. [Izuku's shoulders hunch in on themselves.] I know that we were all going in to have a look around already.

It's just, even if people did explore the forest, it never reacted that way until we all went in as a group.

[swordfucker]

It might not have been the group, but the number. What we did sped things up.

[He shakes his shoulder once, slightly. Just enough to draw his attention back, try to make those shoulders straight again.]

We all agreed on it. We all wanted to go in there.

[inheritance]

I know. [Izuku doesn't resist him at all when he shakes him like that, eyes still wide and watery.]

It was...already bad enough knowing that people got hurt, even though I know they were expecting trouble. This is worse, though... even people who didn't go into the forest with us got hurt because of the shadows.

[swordfucker]

That's how life is, sometimes. You just have to do what you can to prevent any further harm.

We learn from our actions, Izuku. It doesn't matter if what we did was right or wrong now.

[inheritance]

[Izuku bows his head, nodding silently as the tears spill over and fall.

He knows all about learning from his actions. That's how he's always improved his own technique, made himself better. This time, though, it feels like one mistake too many.]

[swordfucker]

Come on, you cry baby.

[His words are softer in tone than they seem like they would be, and his hand slips down Izuku's arm just a fraction before squeezing again.] None of that. I told you, it's not your fault. If you waste time feeling bad about it, it's harder to move forward.

[inheritance]

Can't help it. [Izuku mutters, but he swipes at his eyes to dry them anyway.]

Is it really okay to just...move forward even after this? [When he finally speaks up again, it's in a small, uncertain voice.] I didn't mean for anyone else to get hurt. [How do you stop feeling bad about something like that?]

[swordfucker]

That's why it's called an accident.

Just remember, no one died. [He hasn't stopped being serious, but it gets deeper now, and he looks for Izuku's eyes.] You need to keep everything in mind, but remember what worked, too. A few of you suffered more than the rest of us, but you came back.

We take what we learned, and we do better next time. We avoid the forest in large numbers and try to control how many people go in. That's our first step. If you don't know how to handle it, then leave it to me. You can rely on me.

[inheritance]

No! [Izuku blurts out, panicked, before blushing and bowing his head again.] I...I can handle it.

[The last thing he wants is to burden Guren even more, to make Guren think that he's incapable of handling himself in a situation like this. Guren's right. Mentally prepared or not, he has to keep moving forward.

Part of him is still surprised that Guren is even giving him a choice, though.]

I thought you'd be... more disappointed. [In him, he means. Accident or not, it still happened.]

[swordfucker]

I'll never be disappointed in you when you're trying your best.

[He's very clear on that, watching Izuku closely.] You can't expect one person to be able to handle all of this on his own. Not you, not me. That's why we have each other, and everyone else.

No matter what you do, you should rely on all of us as you do it. Measure what you can do and what you can't, and move forward. I'll only be disappointed if you give up.

[inheritance]

[If you want Izuku to stop being a crybaby, maybe you should stop saying things that make him cry, Guren!! At least time, the tears fall from relief rather than guilt. There's a strange, conflicted look on his face, like he wants to believe Guren's words, but still can't help but cling to those expectations of himself.]

I... [What if I'm supposed to be able to handle it all? He thinks. All Might was able to do it... so what does that mean for me? What he says is:] Then... I'll have to keep doing my best so that I don't let you down.

[swordfucker]

Cut that out.

[Reaching over again, Guren pinches Izuku's cheek harshly. It's short, at least.] Do your best because you want to. Because you're living, and because people are counting on you, but never to "not let them down." When someone counts on you, trust their faith in you.

Getting hung up on whether or not you deserve it is only going to trip you up. Trust me.