what kinda student do you think tomura was in high school? how do you think he’d behave, like what would you think he’d be like?
Good morning, lovelies ☀️
Oooh! I like this, excellent, excellent question.
First, I do feel that it’s important to split Shigaraki into Tenko and Tomura. Depending on which timeline we’re transversing, you’re going to see a vastly different kiddo.
On that note, let’s start with Tenko!
Look at that little guy, he is pure and precious and I love him. However, Tenko is already having issues suppressing his mounting quirk awakening and he is deeply repressed and smothered at home.
Now, if his quirk manifestation had occurred less, uh, tragically. I feel that it would be another thing his family (see: FATHER) would want to hide.
That seems to be that guys MO, tbh. Dislike something? Well, better bury that so deep you gotta take it out on your kids. (SORRY. This is not what the ask is about but the Shimura household has me: 😡🤬😤)
If Tenko made it out of his manifestation and his family hadn’t died & continued on their original, er, best?timeline, I think we would see a kid who is either: timid and skittish, OR bitter and sneakily hostile. I like the second, personally.
Even when Tenko was a kid, he pushed at the rules. He knows he’s not supposed to play hero, yet what does he do? He invites the stragglers over and they fucking play hero, damn his dad’s expectations.
I can see him growing into a quiet, but rebellious teen. He might push at the boundaries just to see what kind of reaction he can get from the authority figures that surround him. He would have a small, but close knit circle of friends.
This clique is either: the outcasts, or a hodgepodge of gathered students. Think something like, mm, a collection. That one goth kid, who’s not quite edgy enough? They hang with Tenko. That jock who’s a freaking ace a math? She’s eating lunch at Tenko’s table and the two of them are going to swap formulaic strategies.
That’s the other thing about Tenko: kid is smart, smart, smart. So smart, he’s bored 😑 The material and rigor of work just isn’t cutting it half the time.
With that extra time he’s going to be reading, watching the news, or consuming blogs and channels. There’s a lot of things that bother him about this society of theirs & his dad is right about one thing: Heroes spend all this time, all this energy into helping strangers. Meanwhile, their families are left to pick up the pieces. It’s not sustainable and it’s not right.
Oh? Were you thinking I’d make Tenko a hero junkie? Nah. That’s his sister’s territory. He’ll talk about hero stuff with her, but it’s always edged with some biting criticism. Tenko is more of a pessimist, he’ll leave that optimistic, heroic, bullshit to Hana.
Long story, short: Tenko is the quiet rebel. Teachers know he’s likely behind some of the alternative student newspapers (they’ve been banned, over and over, for their anti government, anti hero, and anti surveillance state content) but Tenko is too smooth, too careful. He’s got that dark hair, big, innocent eyes and he know’s he’s a handsome guy.
You sure it’s him, miss? His father is an upstanding businessman, he would never, ever want to jeopardize THAT.
Uh, The school would be closed because, oh no, he killed that guy in a fit frustration and rage.
Honestly? While I hate, hate how Tomura was raised, isolated and manipulated, the one thing AFO did that likely helped Tomura, was not sending him to a school.
We’ve had some scenes of how school life is. Well, at least middle school life (I’d argue that UA and other hero schools are strict outliers). Kids are mean and kids can be so, so cruel. Combine that with Tomura’s early, instability and repressed memories? Yeah, that’s a big, bad combo.
I can see the school trying to curb him at first. But, that’s not a long term solution. Besides, his Sensei is telling him to do what he wants, to act on those urges.
Yeah, he’s in and out of suspension and shuttled from class to class. They try small groups, they try individualized instruction, they put him in whatever Japan’s version of Special Education is. In general, he’s the leftover, the kid who’s beyond help. They’ve given up, but legally, they can’t just stamp: OH WELL on his head and call it a day.
Now, AFO is loaded, I guess 🤔 I actually don’t know, but he is hundreds of years old & has access to insane resources, so yeah, he’s rich. ANYWAY. Even if Tomura is expelled, AFO has got the clout and pull to get him into another school, or another program.
So, what’s Tomura like to others? I’d say he keeps away from most. He sees himself as a monster, something that can only destroy and wreck. He’s younger then he is in the manga and anime, so his insecurities and doubts drift into the front of his mind, pulling at him.
That being said, he does have a few friends. Most, like him, are abandoned, lost causes. They stick together and like to intimidate and hound the administration. Oh shit. They’re all huddled over there. They’re not causing in trouble right now...but all it takes is one careless turn of the head.
Tomura and his group listen to no one, especially not teachers, or kids who fit in, and are seen as normal. His rage is close to bursting most days, but AFO pushes him to keep manipulating and jabbing at others. He needs to learn how to lead and to do that he needs followers. AFO is not thrilled with Tomura’s choices, but he wants him to learn from his mistakes. He can always try again.
Being in school just hastens his indoctrination. He can see first hand how kids with strange quirks are discriminated against, pushed into becoming outliers, possible villains. This whole society is disgusting and it needs to be eradicated, preferably before his next science class. There’s a pop quiz and he hates those.
This was fun! Thanks for the ask, nonnie!
