Cover art created by the author.
- The best part of reincarnation was avoiding death. Getting a quirk was a nice bonus, though with the side-effect of everything else coming along with it: Amajiki Tamaki's leftover memories and thoughts blending together with mine like oil and water.
His anxiety was now mine, and his role to play? Mine as well.
(Out, out, I'm getting out after it.)
If only I weren't such shitty actor.
- Summary of "Eating My Friends"
Eating my Friends
is a My Hero Academia Self-Insert Fic, written by ubormaci on Archive of Our Own.
For the original project this fanfic is a part of, see Oops, All Self-Inserts.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Tamaki was originally introduced along with Mirio and Nejire as UA's Big Three in the Shie Hassaikai Arc. Here, he's the main character!
- Adaptation Expansion: Tamaki, while somewhat important in-universe, is barely a side character in the original work. Not anymore! Along with the other two members of UA's Big Three, he's now in the spotlight.
- Fat Gum is the No. 59 Hero; his ranking was never specified in canon.
- Cementoss is 3-A's Homeroom Teacher.
- Snipe is 3-B's Homeroom Teacher.
- Alternate Universe: Thanks to the amount of headcanons imported by various authors, the title of Alternate Universe applies.
- Tamaki's father is rich and his mother is dead.
- Animal Motifs: Since Tamaki's quirk involves manifesting things he's eaten, he is often seen with animal features. These play into his portrayal:
- Chapter 2 is titled "Cuckoo", relating to Tamaki's struggle with feeling like an impostor.
- Chapter 3 is titled "Hound", relating to Tamaki doing investigative work, and using the head of a dog as a disguise.
- Chapter 4 is titled "Cold-blooded", relating to Tamaki's outwardly cold demeanor.
- Anti-Hero: What Tamaki is turning out to be.
- Childhood Friends: Tamaki and Mirio have known each other since third grade.
- Cool Teacher: Fat Gum to Tamaki.
- Dark Secret: How Tamaki treats the fact that he's not the original one.
- Dirty Coward: How Tamaki sees himself.
- Eyes Always Averted: Something Tamaki often ends up doing.
- First-Person Perspective: The story is told from Tamaki's point of view.
- Genre Savvy: Tamaki is aware of not just the conventions of Manga and Anime, but of SelfInsertFics as well
- In Chapter 1, Tamaki theorizes that he's in a self insert fic: he worries over whether his will is really his own, or over what would happen if the writer abandoned the project.
- In Chapter 4, when contemplating whether the break in would happen, this is his internal monologue: Of course, with how many things have already been changed, it was far from 100%. But I was beginning to suspect more and more that this universe functioned a bit differently from my own, more like a story than it first seemed: Todoroki getting awfully lucky in searching for the Shie Hassaikai base, me just happening to bump into Kirishima and Iida just in time to hear that they were reincarnates; it lined up all too well, to the point that it was making me suspicious that there was something out there orchestrating it all.
- Gleeful and Grumpy Pairing: Mirio and Tamaki.
- The Gunslinger: Snipe, the third year's heroics teacher imitates classic american cowboys with his aesthetic.
- Ham and Deadpan Duo: Mirio and Tamaki.
- High School: Tamaki attends UA High School, the most prestigious heroics school in Japan.
- Internal Reveal: Tamaki only finds out about the existence of the other reincarnatas at the end of Chapter 2, while the audience knew about it from the start.
- Keeping Secrets Sucks: How Tamaki feels about hiding his status as a self insert.
- Killing Intent: During Chapter 5, in order not to be overrun, Tamaki tries to intimidate the villains; he manages to achieve his intended effect. “I can kill all of you. Don’t make me,” I said, my voice ice-cold and my will a palpable force that could be felt around the clearing.
- Mortality Phobia: Tamaki spends a lot of money on importing the flesh of exotic animals, like axolotl's, so he can always have access to regeneration.
- Nervous Tics: Tamaki activates his quirk whenever he's worried, transforming various parts of his body.
- In Chapter 1, he reflexively transforms his hand into a tentacle, feeling reassured by the visible manifestation of his power.
- In Chapter 3, his insides 'resemble nothing human' when he's preparing to bail on Mirio.
- Non-Idle Rich: Tamaki could easily follow his father's footsteps and live a comparatively easy life; instead he decided to become a hero, which is a lot more dangerous.
- Original Character:
- Tamaki's father never appeared in the original manga or anime.
- Tamaki, Nejire and Mirio are the only canon characters from UA's third year: all of Tamaki's other classmates are original characters.
- Moleman and Lookout are original heroes.
- Parents as People: After the death of Tamaki's mother, his father buried himself in work, emotionally neglecting Tamaki during his childhood. This did not help his burgeoning anxiety.
- Power Trio: UA's Big Three, comprising of Mirio, Nejire and Tamaki.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Mirio and Tamaki: the former is always cheery and energetic, while the latter keeps a blank face, hiding his anxiety and anger under it.
- Self-Insert Fic: In line with the premise of the collection, this one is a Self-Insert Fic just like all the others.
- Socially Awkward Hero: According to his teachers, Tamaki's skills are on par with those of Pro Heroes'; it's only his lack of confidence that stops him from true greatness.
- Trapped in a Sinking Car: This is what lead to the death of the person who reincarnated into Tamaki.
- Two Guys and a Girl: UA's Big Three follows this arrangement.
- Unreliable Narrator: Tamaki is most definitely one. He's self aware enough to recognize how his paranoia warps his perception, most of the time. But when his emotions run high he stops thinking rationally, and he begins to see the world in an ever more distorted light:
- From Chapter 4: There was a cocky smirk on Goro’s face, this imbecile being joyful at the thought of triumphing over me, over ‘cold’, ‘arrogant’ Amakiji.
- Another one from Chapter 4: “Someone call Recovery Girl!” he shouted to my colleagues, and I glanced towards them, only to see the surprise in their eyes. Surprise and disgust.
- And a third one from Chapter 4: I could see with crystal clarity Tamaki’s words, because it was something common between us: the burning desire for justice.
I could easily see a more idealist version of myself striving to become a hero, to make the world a better place in a visible way. Tamaki was like that, I think.
But I wasn’t, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could pretend.
- From Chapter 4:
