[X] Give you a proper tour around the school.
[X] Top-score on the next exam.
Thinking about it, I don't think seeking external praise is really in our character. Rin is a very self-focused person and it doesn't seem natural to just jump over and go seek approval from Papa Sunbreaker. Not to mention she probably has some issues with father figures and we aren't really close enough to Sunbreaker to justify this kind of further interaction.
It might make sense from a pragmatic perspective of gaining approval, but Rin strikes me as someone who would prefer to pursue a self-centered course where she's not really interested in appealing to her teachers, even if it's to her detriment, because her experience with her father makes her really cautious to external approval. She doesn't seem like the kind of person who gets really happy and flustered when others approve of her because what matters to her is that she approves of her. She can accept good advice but that's different from emotionally investing herself in the approval of teachers.
Breaking her out of that shell will take time but will probably be done better through interactions with classmates.
In the same measure, I've swapped "help you with your homework" for "give you a tour around the school", mostly because I don't see Rin asking others for help on her homework (she might be the type who has a very specific way of accomplishing it which doesn't play well with study groups and tutoring). There also isn't much indication we're struggling. However, she is new to the school and can acknowledge the need, as a future class representative, to get used to her surroundings and learn it all. That's something where she would really benefit from having a more experienced person help her.
Also, it's just more fun! Sitting around is booooring. I want to see Camie's sick-ass description of the school which will probably lightly infuriate Rin with its flippancy while also intriguing her with the tidbits of genuine insight hidden behind Camie's peculiar speech.
My god a Todoroki quest!
I really wanna give Rin a character arc. Like wining a public match with Shoto and walking into her house with all the smugsmug and dominating hair flips. Probably being high key bitchy to everyone until Shoto eventually gets in her face about it, they have a massive sibling fight to end all fights and in the aftermath have the first heartfelt talk they've had in years.
Also I know that Rin (and the players) want to be the exact opposite of Endeavor but wouldn't be more interesting if despite all her efforts to be different from her father, her spite fueled ambition just leaves more her more her father's child than Shoto is. The bsod from that would be a perfect lead into needing to talk to her mother.
[X] Give you a proper tour around the school.
[X] Top-score on the next exam.
I am really digging that semi-transparent cape. It really gives a Winter's Wind that carries flurries of ice vibe to it. The other cape while nice has the impression that she crawled out of snow bank that fell on her. The only thing I would want to change is the blue tone. Go with pure white or a very pale silver gray, and the contrast with the red tips in her hair would be amazing. It would make her look like ethereal being out of a fairy tale.
The sun was setting by the time you finally got home from the impromptu shopping trip. The design would be sent to the Shiketsu support team for approval, not that you were worried that they'd take an issue with it. Overall, it fit rather well with the aesthetic of the school uniform.
Your home loomed in front of you. Though Shiketsu gave off the impression of a prison from the outside, the true dread only ever came when you stood there, in front of that door. You didn't know what awaited you behind it. Some days, he's home early. Those days you'd immediately go up to your room.
Some days he'd come home while you were getting ready for the day. Those days you skipped breakfast.
Taking a deep breath, you opened the front door with your key, stepping in.
As you closed the door behind you, you noticed that no lights were on. That meant he wasn't home, at least. Your sister was probably still working; new school years were always hectic for the first week or so. Despite that, you found two plates with plastic wrap over them on the table in the dining room.
A note sat next to them.
'For my two future heroes', it read. 'Warm it up in the microwave. Don't go to bed without dinner.'
A drawn, small angry bear was glaring at you from the corner of the note. You glared back. Unwrapping the plate, you carried it to the microwave in the kitchen. Fuyumi would check every corner to see if you actually ate it. The path of least resistance demanded not to challenge her.
As the food was spinning around in the microwave, the sound of the door made you jump slightly. Between the food and the fact that the lightswitch was on the other side of the kitchen, dodging whoever was coming home wasn't possible.
The door closed. Heavy steps on the wooden floor. Not heavy enough to be your father, who all but slammed the door shut behind him anyway. The microwave announced it was finished with three loud beeps the moment Shoto stepped into the kitchen, holding his own plate.
You took your plate out of the microwave, passing him on your way out. Taking a deep breath, you turned to him.
"Long day?" you asked. It was unlikely that he stayed out with friends like you, and U.A. was closer to your home than Shiketsu was, being on two entirely opposite sides of the city.
Shoto didn't answer. You could see it, that loathsome expression that Inasa showed you today, reflected in the glass surface of the microwave. His eyes weren't focused on you. He was looking at himself like that.
You told Yuri that you didn't really care about anything that didn't affect your chances of being the number one hero. But the truth is… not caring was hard. If anything, the way that Inasa had dismissed you today was a bit of a wakeup call. You had never thought you were the only one affected by what a scumbag your father was. Your oldest brother had left home long ago, so far in the past you couldn't even remember his face.
Whether he was courageous for finally cutting ties or a coward for leaving everyone else behind to suffer was never something you could decide for yourself. But not caring was hard, and if you took the same road when your brother made such an expression made it harder. If you took the way Touya had in the past, you'd feel like a coward.
When Shoto's dinner finished heating up, he didn't take it to his room like you had planned to do. He sat down in the dimly lit dining room, turning on the TV in the corner.
You sat down as well. Just this once, there was something else on his face. You couldn't tell if it was surprise or annoyance, but his gaze jumped towards you for a split second.
"Shoto," you said. "I've met a girl today at school. She said she's our cousin. Mom's niece."
That got more out of him. A shrug. He took a spoonful of rice, as if that'd give him an excuse to continue his silence.
"Do me a favor and actually look at me when I'm talking."
You didn't want to make it sound nearly as caustic as it ended up being. He did, however, finally look you in the eye. That ugly scar made it difficult to meet his gaze, but you held steady.
"I'm not sure what you want me to say," he said.
"Something," you suggested. "Anything. We just started our journey to become pro-heroes. We haven't had a real talk in forever."
The fact that you were going to surpass him and make your father choke on his ambitions had nothing to do with him. He was more a middleman for that. You didn't hate Shoto.
You just...hated what he stood for. This pillar of abuse your mother had to suffer. You knew blaming it on him was stupid, but yet there was this part in your mind that said 'if you were the one born with those powers, you would've protected her'. That you wouldn't just sit and watch.
"You don't need to go that far," he said. You blinked.
"I'm sorry?"
"It doesn't matter how well you do, that man isn't going to pay attention to you." The line was delivered so coldly, so matter of fact.
You gritted your teeth, setting your jaw. He noticed, obviously, averting his gaze.
"I don't want his attention," you said, your voice tight. "You can't put him out of your mind for one second to have this talk with me?"
'Hypocrite,' a voice in the back of your mind whispered.
"We're not friends," Shoto said, blunt as always. "Sometimes, it feels like we're barely family. I don't see how things have changed now that we're in high school."
"You, you…" The words were coming to your mind, harsh, deep cutting insults you could throw at his head. But you knew your brother; that was his goal. That fucker wasn't just a loner by choice, he was one by design. If someone tried to become friends, he'd work as hard as possible to make them scram. "You're right, that doesn't mean we can't try. I'm… not good with fighting. I won a fight today but that was more a fluke."
Can you teach me? The words were ready to spill out. But the implications were there. Can you teach me what Endeavor taught you?
"Our teacher said that there's no fairness in the field," Shoto said. "Fluke or not, if you won, that's good, isn't it?"
You stared at your plate. The food had gone cold already. Shoto had forgotten his plate as well.
"Doesn't feel good," you admitted. He said nothing, continuing to clean up his plate.
This was still the longest exchange of words you had in a long time.
"Why did you go to Shiketsu?" he asked. You frowned.
"To become a hero, of course," you said. What kind of question was that?
"But why?" he asked, again. You narrowed your eyes. "I know it's not money, and you get angry if I say it's to get his approval. Fame? Some sense of duty? You always had good grades, you could go to a normal school, then go to college instead."
You opened your mouth to answer. The reasoning was simple, wasn't it? You were going to become number one to… spite Endeavor.
But was that something you could just tell your father's favorite? Would he even consider it a challenge or would he just dismiss you, setting this entire attempt to be family back?
######
[] Independence. To stand outside of your father's shadow is as much of an important goal as spiting him. Not being known as 'the daughter of that abusive asshole' is one of your highest priorities.
[] Duty. As Titanium said, no matter the superficial reasons; the first step to become a hero is to have a good heart. As someone who had the ability, a job where you helped people who had worse than you was a no-brainer.
[] Guilt. You never want to be put into a position where you can't protect people again. You are not going to be a bystander on the sidelines. Not after what happened to Mom.
Adhoc vote count started by BungieONI on Jan 19, 2019 at 4:38 PM, finished with 10 posts and 8 votes.
[X] Independence. To stand outside of your father's shadow is as much of an important goal as spiting him. Not being known as 'the daughter of that abusive asshole' is one of your highest priorities.
[X] Guilt. You never want to be put into a position where you can't protect people again. You are not going to be a bystander on the sidelines. Not after what happened to Mom.
[X] Independence. To stand outside of your father's shadow is as much of an important goal as spiting him. Not being known as 'the daughter of that abusive asshole' is one of your highest priorities.
[X] Independence. To stand outside of your father's shadow is as much of an important goal as spiting him. Not being known as 'the daughter of that abusive asshole' is one of your highest priorities.
Independence seems like the most obvious one from how Rin has been portrayed so far. That being said, a lot of Rin's spitefulness for instance is just in her character sheet and not the story itself. Her character and motivations are malleable. One could also point out that if one wants to differ oneself from one's father, then going into his profession is perhaps not the best way to do that - though no-one ever said feelings had to be perfectly logical.
Duty just feels weak to me. Not feeling it at all.
Guilt is an interesting possibility. It's a more empathic and charitable motivation than Independence, and has support in the narrative already. Immediately creates a conflict with Shoto, and highlights one of the reasons Rin is angry with him.
[X] Independence. To stand outside of your father's shadow is as much of an important goal as spiting him. Not being known as 'the daughter of that abusive asshole' is one of your highest priorities.
[X] Guilt. You never want to be put into a position where you can't protect people again. You are not going to be a bystander on the sidelines. Not after what happened to Mom.
One could also point out that if one wants to differ oneself from one's father, then going into his profession is perhaps not the best way to do that - though no-one ever said feelings had to be perfectly logical.
While that's true, missing that fact seems quite in character for Rin so far. Makes for interesting character growth opportunities later, I think - right now she's pretty much blinded by her resentment toward Endeavour and what happened to her mother, just like Shoto. In fact, I find it interesting that the two of them are so similar that they barely seem to tolerate each other.
[X] Independence. To stand outside of your father's shadow is as much of an important goal as spiting him. Not being known as 'the daughter of that abusive asshole' is one of your highest priorities.
Mmm, to boil it down I think Guilt is essentially the more traditionally heroic motivation. Independence doubles down on Rin being a little ball of spite that will need to someday learn the True Meaning of Being a Hero as part of her character development.
[X] Guilt. You never want to be put into a position where you can't protect people again. You are not going to be a bystander on the sidelines. Not after what happened to Mom.
After reading her internal monologue and insidious thoughts of being able to save mom if she had had Shoto's quirk, how could I not vote for this?
[X] Guilt. You never want to be put into a position where you can't protect people again. You are not going to be a bystander on the sidelines. Not after what happened to Mom.
While that's true, missing that fact seems quite in character for Rin so far. Makes for interesting character growth opportunities later, I think - right now she's pretty much blinded by her resentment toward Endeavour and what happened to her mother, just like Shoto. In fact, I find it interesting that the two of them are so similar that they barely seem to tolerate each other.
[X] Independence. To stand outside of your father's shadow is as much of an important goal as spiting him. Not being known as 'the daughter of that abusive asshole' is one of your highest priorities.
Yeah, I would hold that they're quite similar internally but they have a significant difference. Rin is a little ball of spite aimed directly at Endeavour but Shoto is also burdened by this ball of fear and messed up desire to surpass him which isn't completely anchored in spite. So they aim for the same spot but come at it from different directions and have friction.
[X] Independence. To stand outside of your father's shadow is as much of an important goal as spiting him. Not being known as 'the daughter of that abusive asshole' is one of your highest priorities.
I like this one because it's about as honest with Shoto as Rin can actually be right now.
