folklore: ₆₇₇₉₉₂₆ ∗ ᴘɪxɪᴠ ⊛ ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (🗱 ₀₁₁)
ʟʏʀɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ, ɪ'ᴍ ᴏᴘᴛɪᴍᴜs ᴘʀɪᴍᴇ ([personal profile] folklore) wrote in [community profile] laography2016-09-09 10:54 pm
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i didn't come for a fight, but i will fight 'til the end

name one hero who was happy.
PSL DROPBOX 
because mira is a goddang starter monster and snow is weak to AUs.
selfinflicted: (You can never be a star)

MMA coach

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
[Midoriya "Deku" Izuku has been in the MMA fights for six full years, retiring at age 28, her record ending at 14 wins 1 loss and 0 draws. Her trainer? All Might, the legend of the male MMA world before retiring to train her. She's in the lightweight division, and she's an absolute terror in the ring. Every move of hers quick, deliberate and effective, a calculated strategy behind each and every one of her encounters. Often it seems like she knows her opponents better than they know themselves. The moment her opponents hit the mat, they're done for.

Except for her one loss. It was brutal, a crushed bone, a surgery, and being cautioned to stop doing the sport she loved so much. She heads their words to stop doing professional fights, but she can't just walk away when she's spent so long pouring herself into this.

Luckily plenty of people know her name, and the fact she relied on a mix of pure power and strategy in the ring. She's well sought after, and the person at the top of the bidding list is Todoroki Shouto. She notes the name, as in Endeavor's son?

Well, an offer is an offer, so she goes. Her own style is a mix of Kickboxing, Judo, Muay Thai and wrestling, with a heavy, heavy emphasis on grappling. After all, her wins were generally submissions. Her strikes are painful when they land, knowing just where to hit for the maximum efficiency. She might not be doing it professionally anymore, but it's clear her skills haven't deteriorated a bit.

It's been three months of this and she can see the improvement in Shouto. He's planning ahead, his quick, decisive nature is still there, but he's rounding himself out, picking up on her grappling and adapting it for himself.

Still, she's the one who's got him pinned to the floor today- like most days. And as always she's perfectly comfortable talking to him while he's stuck in an arm bar.]


Good job, Todoroki-kun. You've learned a lot haven't you?
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (046.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ Some days, Shouto thinks it's unfortunate that even MMA isn't a co-ed competition, because they never met in the ring when they were closer in weight classes. Not properly. On one hand, it's good - because Endeavor would have been even more ruthless in his training and Shouto knows it, what with "Deku" being All Might's technical successor. But on the other hand, he would have wanted to fight her when she was at her prime. She regularly pins him down now, he can only imagine how it'd go if they were going at this seriously.

Not that their training isn't serious, given how these sessions tend to go. There isn't much of a point in him going to the gym on the days they meet, because this is a workout all on its own.

And unlike most people, especially his fellow fighters in the heavyweight class, Shouto is generally placid when Izuku pins him. The first couple of times he'd gone wide-eyed when his center of gravity shifted and the world seemed to tilt on its axis, but nowadays he just accepts his lot in life and settles in to catch his breath while they talk before he either breaks free, turns the tables, or taps out.

He flexes his wrist where she's holding it, testing how good the grip is. (It's great, as always.)
]

I'm still figuring out how to better incorporate your grappling techniques into my arsenal, but it's better than what it used to be. [ He's a fast, efficient fighter, but Endeavor hates ground fighting and grappling as a whole, so he never thought to train Shouto in it. Counter attacks to avoid it? Sure, but not actual grappling.

He knows why, looking at All Might and Izuku. But that's what makes this even better. Todoroki Shouto, after training all of his life in a limited field of styles, is brutal in speed and power, with a keen eye for defense - both his own and his opponents' - but has been looking for some means of rebellion for years now, taking every opportunity he can to spite his father and ex-coach. The best opportunity came in the form of Izuku's retirement from the fights, something that'd slap his father in the face and get Shouto what he wanted: someone that can fill in the blanks in his fighting style.

What he did not anticipate was friendship, though. The past three months have given him what he wanted, but also something he needed.
]

That took longer than last week, though.
selfinflicted: (Burn that guitar)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
[She's small, quick, and strong. Stronger than Shouto, if they were measuring pound for pound, even with a career ending injury. Izuku's arsenal in a fight is well rounded, even if she prefers a ground fight. Her grappling gets a little more polish whenever she goes a practice match with Shouto- not that there's anyone else to use it on. But still she appreciates being able to stretch out her skills.]

Mm, you've concentrated on standing fights before me. You're good at keeping upright, but sooner or later somebody's going to knock you to the ground. [They'll have a hell of a time of it though, between Shouto's training before her and her own imprint on him, he's becoming more and more of a threat and she couldn't be more thrilled.

The first few times they met she was sure it would be nothing more than a professional relationship. He pays, she teaches- but he's sweet in his own awkward way and they fall into step. They're friends now- though Izuku is still very much his teacher.]


It is! You're making progress.

[She puts a little more pressure on his arm, waiting for the tap out or him to try to get out of it. It's simple to tell he's trying, but her grip is tight, not giving an inch.]
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (074.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ Before this, if asked him, Shouto would probably have been skeptical about someone saying she was stronger than him. There would have been no denying that she was strong, because he's not an idiot, but stronger?

Yeah, no. Midoriya Izuku is a powerhouse and can benchpress him, and his weight class starts at 93 kilograms and ends at 120. And she's practically light as a feather when he lifts her, which says a lot. She is, undeniably, stronger than him. Which makes the training she puts him through effective, because even with the differences in their body types and height, she knows how to throw her weight around and how to use her size to her advantage.

Exactly why he's stuck where he is right now.
]

You know how my old man fights. He figured that I'd be able to bear down with my height the same way he does. Bastard didn't account for evolution. [ His face scrunches like he bit a lemon, for a second, but then she puts that pressure on his arm, and Shouto blinks back into proper focus.

He doesn't want to twist or strain his arm, so he doesn't try to swing around while still in her hold. Instead, he takes his free hand and pushes into the top leg she's got over him, following it so that he winds up between her legs, until he can twist and get her legs around his waist instead of his ribs, looking down at her thoughtfully.
]

It's because of you, so thank you.
selfinflicted: (You can never be a star)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
[She knows, logically, that Shouto is heavy. He's in the heavyweight class for a reason, after all. But she can throw him around with no strain, could lift him up like he was nothing. Still, Shouto is strong, and he makes for a fun fight, each time.

Especially when she notices when Shouto picks up her techniques, her skills, and starts to use them more naturally.

Like right now. She's practically sparkling as he manages to get out of her arm bar, and she settles into her new position. For the moment content to see her student adapting.]


I do, but you're your own person, Todoroki-kun. You can grow and change how ever you wish.

It's only because you pay such close attention. I'm so proud of you.

[But she's also not going down without a struggle, that's for sure. She shifts her legs, wrapping them around Shouto and managing to flip their positions from the sheer strength in her thighs.

Once his back is to the ground, she moves her left hand to his throat, slides her knee under his shoulder, moves her hand around his head, a foot pinning down his other hand for just a second as she puts him into a triangle choke.]
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (055.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 06:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ There's no delusion that she's not going to fight back, but he's pretty comfortable with the way they can talk throughout the more casual wrestling that they get up to. Sometimes, though, he's just tempted to lay on her when she looks at him like that, because he's used to praise. He's just not used to the variety that Izuku gives him, especially when she says things like that. ]

I forgot that.

[ For a very, very long time.

With a cut off noise, Shouto raises his eyebrows and takes a deep breath from where he's found himself in yet another pin. This one's a little harder to get out of, but there's an obvious beat - within the typical countdown's parameters - where he seems to be contemplating how to escape.
]

Ignoring it and refusing to learn are why my father never beat All Might. [ Instead of making any real attempt to free himself, Shouto uses his abdominal strength to sit up, using his previously pinned hand to support her weight between her shoulders so that he doesn't hurt himself or drop her. And then he just sits there with her legs around him, because this isn't at all weird or hilarious. ] At least you don't go for the kill. It makes it easier to think when you're not cutting off blood flow.
selfinflicted: (That'll never slow me down)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 06:12 am (UTC)(link)
[Sometimes, on occasion, she wants to reach up and ruffle his hair, pat his cheek. Be a little more affectionate than somebody should really be with their student. She hasn't done it yet, but she's sure that day is going to come soon.

There's a startled little noise when Shouto just sits up instead of trying to get her off. But then, she's still light and easy enough to deal with, especially when she's deliberately not going for a kill.

Still, she doesn't see the problem with it, if Shouto's supporting her like this. She moves her arms so their crossed over Shouto's head, and rests her chin on them. Shouto's face is definitely right against her chest now, but she doesn't care.]


I want you to get better. You need to be able to think properly in practice so you can use what you learned in real matches. My going for the kill wouldn't help you at all.

You definitely couldn't do this against another heavyweight.
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (011.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 06:21 am (UTC)(link)
[ Apparently this is something that he inspires in people, considering Momo and Fuyumi both do it to him, and his mother still makes him bend forward so that she can do it to him. But Shouto isn't quite sure how he'd react if Izuku did it, considering he's a little unsure of how to respond to her sometimes in general. The warm feeling that she inspires is a little intimidating, too.

Ten years ago and he'd have no clue what label to put to that. While he's still uncertain of it now, it's... easier to figure out. He's come a long way from the angry teenager he was, though he's been a jaded, bitter, and disgruntled adult for a while now without much difference.

Being around Izuku helps, even if things like this wind up happening a lot of the time.
]

It's fun when you do, but during training not so much. [ His voice, of course, comes muffled from where he's got his face tucked against her chest. The first few times he wound up with his face or a limb pressed like this he was a little uncertain, but Izuku's nonreaction has effectively desensitized him to it. (That, and having Yaoyorozu as his closest friend has sort of helped in that department.) ]

I'd probably risk bucking to take them off guard and knock their balance before going from there, but your center of gravity is lower than theirs so it's harder to get you off when you're attached like this. [ p h r a s i n g + p o s i t i o n ]
selfinflicted: (Burn that guitar)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 06:30 am (UTC)(link)
[There's just something about him that makes her like him. On occasion when she's been flipped like earlier she wants to just rest a hand on his cheek.

She tries not to think too much about it for the sake of her job. Unlike some people, she's actually in touch with her emotions, and so deliberately does her best to ignore them.

As for having Shouto's face in her breasts- look, when you're grappling, limbs get places, faces get places. She's been desensitized from years of fighting other women, it's nothing new to have somebody's face pressed against her chest while she's grappling them.]


There's a lot of challenges when you're fighting somebody smaller than you, aren't there? I'm not getting off until you make me or you tap out though.
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (079.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ "Unlike some people," namely him. Not that he isn't aware that they need to maintain more of a working relationship than a friendship, but that certainly doesn't stop them. Midoriya Izuku just has a way of getting under your skin, in a strangely good way. She's just so earnest, and he likes her both out of the ring and in it, the two facets of her that exist.

She's approachable and oddly comforting to be around. Calming. So it lets him relax from the rigorous attitude he's been brought up with, even if he doesn't shed everything that was conditioned into him from a young age. But so far, Shouto's managed to take that and the new things he's learned about himself in stride.

Such as:

There's a very long beat, before Shouto lifts his chin up enough that his eyes peek out from his disheveled bangs, just enough for him to try and get a better look at things - namely, her, when he asks in a deadpan:
] How ticklish are you?
selfinflicted: (A thousand disbelievers)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
[She looks down at him in slowly dawning horror. If she was a better liar, she would say she wasn't. At all. She was, in fact, not at all ticklish, and people would believe her.

Unfortunately for her, she's not. And her usual calm demeanor in the ring is quickly getting overwritten by her day to day nervousness.]


Y-You wouldn't!
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (014.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 06:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well.

He'd originally been joking, in that dry way he has, but now he's locked onto her stutter and the nervousness that bleeds back in, and Shouto narrows his eyes. The way they are, his other arm is sort of pinned into place, so he has to brace her weight with his free forearm instead of his hand. Without hesitating, he skirts his fingers up her ribcage, even at the risk of flailing limbs and injuries.

Worth it, probably.
]
selfinflicted: (Cause I feel it)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
[It is absolutely not worth it. She yelps in laughter, triangle choke loosening. Her hands move from folded on top of Shouto's head to actively trying to get his fingers to stop-]

Qu-Quit it!

[She's going to fall straight back onto the mat unless Shouto can catch her.]
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (070.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 06:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hup. The second she starts to loosen her hold on him, Shouto shifts, crossing his legs so that he's sitting properly on the mat. It's mostly to stabilize himself, but also in preparation for when she starts wiggling around. Because as she tries to get at his hand, he has to adjust for her movements.

And that means down she goes. But he's prepared to catch her in his lap, now freed hand shooting up to cradle the back of her head before it can hit the mat.

It does mean that he stops tickling her, but, well. Still worth it. Izuku's all bright and happy when she laughs, even when it's via cheating. It a little like the sun came out.
]
selfinflicted: (I can I can I can so)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 06:58 am (UTC)(link)
[Down she goes, and yet Shouto's caught her- and she's blushing. She catches that soft smile of his, feels her heart throb in her chest at the sight of it.

All the calm confidence she has in the ring is gone embarrassed enough to dodge his gaze. Bringing her arms up to cover her incredibly red face.]


Ch... Cheater, Todoroki-kun...
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (064.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 07:03 am (UTC)(link)
You didn't specify how I had to break your hold, Midoriya, only that I either had to make you get off or tap out.

[ Matter of fact, although there's a bit of another dry tease in his tone as he carefully lets her shoulders and head settle on the mat. She's still basically in his lap, but much like when he had his face pressed into her chest he's fairly unperturbed by the position.

... though, he is very aware that she's turned scarlet. It's interesting how different she is from the fighter in the ring.
]
selfinflicted: (I can I can I can so)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 07:12 am (UTC)(link)
[In the ring she knows what's expected, she knows the moves her opponent knows, how they usually like to fight, their favorite counters. All of that is accounted for.

Outside of it she's hardly so sure of herself. Yes she's still clever, yes she generally knows what's going on, but she doesn't have as much control as when she's in the ring. It's easy to make her emotional, and even easier to make her flustered.

Though despite that, being in his lap doesn't bother her a bit.]


M-mph... That's never going to work in a real match.

[She's still not looking at him.]
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (077.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's something almost charming about Izuku when she gets flustered like this. Shouto rarely gets embarrassed, and definitely not enough to color like this - his scar actually makes it so that he only blushes on his right side, anyways, when he does - but with her, it's such a contrast to the calculative fighter that he knows her to be.

She was also quickly humanized for him, versus his father's rants about All Might and his pupil, when he saw her outside of the ring for the first time. Both are the same person, but in different contexts. He likes it.

He pats her on the hip with one hand, rubbing his neck with the other.
]

One day I'll tickle an opponent just to see what happens. [ And the thing of it is that he's serious. ]
selfinflicted: (That'll never slow me down)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[She lowers her hands to look at him. It's so hard to tell when he's joking or being serious, he uses almost the exact same tone for both.

She really hopes he's joking about this. And just like that she's back to teacher mode.]


Todoroki-kun, take your opponents seriously.
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (004.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-10 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The trials and tribulations of knowing Todoroki Shouto.

He shrugs at her, moving to fold his hands together on her stomach, his elbows on either side of her where she's settled. The position continues to unfaze him, mostly because he's waiting for the moment where she decides whether it's time for a break or if she's going to grapple him again.
]

I always take my opponents seriously, even when it's just the two of us. But it's interesting to see what unexpected things might work.
selfinflicted: (You can never be a star)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-10 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[She seems content enough to have Shouto over her for the moment. Her hands are still free to do whatever they'd like, of course, so getting out of it wouldn't be too much of a problem.

She studies him for a moment.]


Just watch out for elbows.
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (082.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-09-12 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Expression deadpan, Shouto lifts his own elbows like he's playing at having wings, though he doesn't flap them. Instead, they're raised for only a moment before he drops them back down again. ]

I'm just lucky no one's realized my vision's weaker in the left eye, otherwise I'd have elbows in my face more frequently.

[ But, no one can ever say that his defense is weak on his left side. He's made up for weaker eyesight with instinct and training. ]
selfinflicted: (You can never be a star)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-09-12 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[She laughs when he lifts his elbows, it's just such a strange sight considering how serious he usually seems.]

You've made up for it. I don't think anybody could guess just by watching you fight.

Ready for a break?
icyhot: ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ ∗ ᴅᴡ (103.)

[personal profile] icyhot 2016-11-12 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
Generally, no. I might have to play catch up with grappling, but I have that covered. [ And he doesn't mind this, really, considering he comes to Izuku constantly.

But he inclines his head in a faint nod.
]

Sure.
selfinflicted: (You can never be a star)

[personal profile] selfinflicted 2016-11-12 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
[She'll start wiggling out from under Shouto.]

I'm looking forward to the day you get to use what I teach you in the ring!