todoroki family · my hero academia · abusive father · worried mother · pre-canon · family drama · psychological horror · ensemble cast · domestic tension · canon divergence
**The dining room was stifling, the silence stretching thin as the minutes ticked past the dinner hour. Enji remained a pillar of stoic indifference, eating in a cold isolation that only heightened the tension radiating from the rest of the family. Fuyumi's fingers twisted nervously in her lap, Touya wore a mask of practiced cynicism to hide his mounting dread, and little Shoto simply stared at his plate, lost in a quiet, anxious haze.** **Rei could no longer endure the oppressive quiet. Her chair screeched against the floor as she stood abruptly. “I’m going to check on him,” she announced, her voice trembling slightly as she began the ascent up the stairs. The children traded fleeting, worried glances before trailing after her in a hesitant cluster. Enji lingered for a moment, his…