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#making villains domestic but evil
frenchgremlim1808 · 3 months
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Why Midori is such a breath of fresh air or how to actually write a Villain.
So the awaited essay, the winner of the FrenchGremlin polls of laziness finally has come! It took some time but it’s finally over. If your choice didn’t get chosen that’s okay! I’ll repost a new poll with old and newer options. Please reblog this one i put a lot of time in it, it's like, five pages long over a silly goose. Also sorry for the grammar i sucks and i'm not native. So let’s begin:
(also here is the link to the video format)
So first let’s make things clear, What IS a villain?
“A villain is a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.” That is why I do want to make a difference between a villain and an antagonist, an antagonist is a character who are a plot devices that creates obstruction to the protagonist. That means that a villain is forced to be an antagonist while an antagonist is not forced to be a villain. For example shin is an antagonist but not a villain, he is driven by selfish desires which are themselves fueled by fear anger and loss, he is the protagonist of his own story and is a sympathetic character despite it all, and Midori is just a bitch. Midori falls under multiple stereotypes of villains. Such as “the mastermind”, “evil incarnate” (lmao),”related to the protagonist” etc. Midori is evil, there is no denying in this, he is purely evil, and he doesn’t have a sad weepy backstory, he doesn’t feel empathy towards other, he is a despicable piece of shit who ruined so many lives. I won’t list everything but here is a list of his crimes, murder, assault, domestic abuse, grooming, verbal abuse, and torture, crimes against humanity lmao, stalking, violent crimes, and participation in a cult. And his worst crime is being a pussy bitch of course. So now that we have put the bases up let’s really begin.
Hollywood has a hate boner against villains and I hate them for that.
Recently Hollywood decided that pure evil bad guys is actually a bad thing, so now they decided to do stupid side story with them, to give them ”””depth””” since I guess how could we like those villains since they are bad. A great example of this is the Disney remakes which I loathe so much oh god I hate them. So first they did a maleficient it was okay honestly, then they did a freaking cruella movie where her mom gets killed by Dalmatians, that’s not a joke, in the peter and wendy movie that nobody saw they decided to have made the captain hook be a lost boy who was abandoned by the lost boys and peter, oh also they decided that PETER CUT HIS HANDS OFF AND LEFT HIM TO DIE BECAUSE HOOK WANTED TO SEE HIS FAMILY. They are going to do a freaking mufasa movie, in no time I can’t wait to have a Ursula movie where it’s discovered that ariel killed all of her family in cold blood or something’s. So you might say what’s the problem? I mean isn’t that supposed to make the story more interesting. No, no it doesn’t, because first they take all of the character personality traits and throw them in the bin, second they are supposed to be the vilain in a musical animated movies, I am not against complex villain, I love them, but by doing this, the original character doesn’t exist anymore. Just create original content with new interesting characters instead of doing stuff like this. Also it’s kind of funny than in all of those interpretation they take all the fun and sucks it out, what do I mean by fun, the gayness, Disney vilain are fun because they are camp, they are fabulous extravagant extra in all the ways possible, and that’s the reason we liked them. Not every character needs something super deep, like “my family was burned down at the stake and my dog was eaten by my ex”, sometimes we just like bad fun people, they are the story, and Hollywood hating them so bad just bothers me a lot. Also now the new thing is to not have a villain at all which can works in some narrative but not all of them, it gets boring after a while. In the past people were angry that villains are bland, but now I kind of miss it. While I will critique villains who have no purpose outside of being evil that’s dumb, like for example Voldemort is bland like white bread because his only motivation is being evil, but evil people do exist compared to what some Hollywood writers think, they should know. So that’s why I will put a difference between evil villains and villains whose only purpose is being evil; we loved Disney villains but they still had motivations, goals, reasons that to them a least were worth everything. World domination isn’t enough, why do you want world domination, what is the true reason deep in your heart, is it an inferiority complex, is it a savior complex fuelled by xenophobic beliefs.
That is how to write a pure evil villain, evil people exist all over the world, but I have never seen one who doesn’t have they own reasons to be so bad, it doesn’t excuse their actions nor really explains them. We do not want justifications we want explanations. If you are justifying evil behavior then do it, but don’t claim that it is a pure evil character. A pure evil character can be fun, can be interesting, he can be deep, it’s all about balancing all of their traits to truly make them greats. Which is why midori succeeds while current villains fail. Current stupid remake/spin off try to justify the behavior because they feel like this is what the audience wants, but it’s not what we need. So I will defend to the grave evil villains.
Creating an evil villain doesn’t make them boring guys.
Why the heck does big budget movies have either the blandest protagonist or the blandest villains sometimes both, like I said evil people do exist but comically evil character only works in satire not in a serious multiple millions of dollar movie. Example that boring ass avatar movie, the one with blue people, none of the characters are interesting the villain is one note. The lords of the rings also suffers from that, but I don’t care because the protagonist are so awesome that sauron being personality less doesn’t matter. Also sauron is more of a force of nature villains so it’s not the same. The recent kingsman movie has a bland one note villain, there is nothing entertaining, funny, about him he’s just evil, borrrrring. Every Disney remakes depiction of the characters are boring. I just feel bored out of my mind. Atla one of my favorite shows of all time has a main villain that’s kinda one note, Ozai, but he is actually intimidating guy, azula is the superior character, but I wouldn’t consider her a villain she is an antagonist though. I honestly don’t get why Hollywood thinks that just creating a character with no personality and whose only goals is to be evil is good.
So back to midori for a second, here is my question, when midori was on screen did you ever feel bored? Never right! Because despite midori being an evil character he has an actual personality, he’s fun, you want to punch him in the balls. Because midori has other personality traits than evil, midori is petty, childish, extremely intelligent, controlling, a natural manipulator, he is a trickster, he doesn’t seem to get some social norms, he is narcissistic, easily angry, and fears death etc See how I counted a lot of traits, traits that in other character would works, midori has positive traits, and I think that is the best thing nankidai could have ever done, midori has traits that a regular person could have. Which is why if I put midori in any settings his character would work.
Example, instead of a death game the cast is under the sea to discover the insane wildlife and supernatural stuff happening, what would midori do in this situation? Well he would very passionate about finding all of what’s happening, he’ll do anything to find out, even sometime sacrificing others, not only will he try to find what’s happening, but he is also going to try to find a way to make this discovery favour him in the end. Or let’s imagine it’s a vampire situation, where a vampire attacks  the city, midori would try to stop it, not because he cares, but to experiment on them to get their biology and finds the real secret of immortality since he fears death.
Here is my second advice, after creating your character try to imagine them in another completely different situation, like normal life, or a fantasy world, ask yourself the question what would they do in that environment? If you can find a real complete explanation of their actions then yes your character has multiples dimensions if not try thinking about it again. Some example of questions I do want to point out are some like “if my character had all the power in the world what would they do first or”, “if my character had only a day left to live what would they do”
Why is Current media incapable of creating good threats like bruhhhh.
Okay so first of all let’s talk about stakes in a story, let’s say you are watching a slasher movie, slowly the cast gets slimmed down and people die in horrible ways, that should set stakes right ? Well if the villain is an absolute buffoon who makes the stupidest actions and decisions in the world, you wouldn’t feel intimidated at all because despite what the filmmaker might try to say the plot armor will NEVER make a character intimidating. It’s just like a detective character who just seems to know everything without a thought, well you won’t really fear the character failing. Worse is the the final girl, who is for some reason always escaping the slasher guy by pure luck every time, she is shown as incompetent but still she survives, which make the villain seem completely incapable so now you feel nothing.
To avoid this filmmaker often use techniques such has unpredictability, I mean good I mean good ones, for example instead of immediately seeing whose going to survive because the black guys always dies first and the virgin white woman is the last survivor, change the status quo, make us think that this character is obviously safe while they actually aren’t at all. Or actually make them menacing by SHOWING to the audience how horrible dangerous they can be. Which is why SHOW DON’T TELL is so important, telling us how dangerous someone can be only to see them get beaten to death at the end of the movie makes us feel nothing.
Midori felt like a impossible person to beat, he is smart, had twenty plans in advance, even in situation where the cast felt like they might have a chance he was always armed, just like the gun he promised to use or the rocket punch. When they felt like they were finally advancing, he put obstacle in their ways, such as the collar game or the moment he put the collar on explode mode for  ranmaru. The entire point in the murder game was to make time pass, it took a long time for the cast top realize that this whole time they were losing precious time not realizing that the dummies were the real problem. The characters that made you feel the most hopeless were the dummies, if you won by killing midori they would die, but if you lost you might lose people you love (keiji or gin). It felt hopeless because they were no solutions in the end. That creates tension so that creates stakes. If we were told how dangerous unpredictable sou was then it wouldn’t hit the same, we are shown that he is that terrible. There is a scene ingame where bbg shin ai tells us that midori tortured and like to destroy people. That’s exposition so TELL, but do you why it works, because we are SHOWN before his behavior. Midori felt unbeatable, so the fact that we were shown his weakness such has his petty behavior, hatred of minors, and fear of death, for the first time it feels like there is a chance that we might survive this. And still after he isn’t shown has an incompetent buffoon, he is one, but the narrative doesn’t show us that he is.
What is also consider is good to make the audience feel actual stakes is to first really develop well the main characters, how can we feel worry for a character if we don’t know them, the audience need to feels emotional connection to the main cast to actually care. You can use things such has moments where there is nothing special happening just character talking getting to know them. Make us feel why we need to care about them possibly losing, instead of being indifferent. Or I don’t know maybe make an entire spin off game where we get to have the cast talk to each other and seeing dynamics between character that died early to get them a chance to shine and make their death even more tragic, or even make mini episodes of characters who only got a single chapter to show off their characteristic, to get us to know them better? But that’s just a silly idea of course, wink, and wink.
My favorite thing about Midori is that he is actually pathetic, like really pathetic, but weirdly realistic?
Midori is the most pathetic character in the cast, yes more than shin, shin is leagues less pathetic. No I’m not saying that midori is not intimidating or scary, I would piss myself if I saw him. He’s a scary guy. But if you look at him more closely you can see that he is a baby brat in a big boy suit.
So let’s start by something clear, Sou Hiyori clearly displays antisocial behavior, or in common terms he is a psychopath/sociopath, this illness is very badly seen in medias, I am not saying that people who lacks empathy like him are inherently bad, he is, a lot of people with antisocial behavior actually suffers a lot and have a difficult life. Sou real issues is not his antisocial behavior, it’s his narcissism and god complex. Sou feels the need to HAVE CONTROL over others, he like the feeling of being in power, he sees the rest of the world has beneath him, toys for his pleasure. He says that he “really like humans” because despite it all he seems to put himself in a different categories than regular people, they are beneath him. When he loses control his calm and cool behavior disappears and we see his true face, a grown man who has throws a tantrum like a baby. One of the best representation of this is midori views on the cast:
Midori hates kanna, like no jokes he has beef with her, a fourteen years old, actually he has beef with a lot of people in the cast. Midori views emotional people has weak, people who are loving optimistic as beneath him and useless. He preferred when sara was cruel and horrible, that’s what he loved about her, he liked seeing her scary emotionless side. But Kanna, kanna is everything he hates. A crybaby who not only puts the group in harmony, is a source of hope in general, is the reason he near got to have closure with shin (killing him), he views kanna as “not fun shin”. We have many proofs for this, if you type the word kanna kizuchi he says this: “Poor Kanna'd weep! I think a more worthless name would be better for someone like me” He mocks her, but also himself (I’lll come back on this later), he calls her worthless. Also in the electric charge minigame, when he can choose who to shocks he chooses two people in particular, kanna who he hates and hinako who ruined his fun by giving the cast a chance in saving ranmaru. But he does also says mean spirited stuff to other people, qtaro and gin. He also says some sarcastic comments about nao and joe, saying that it’s such a shame that they died so young. But you might say why kanna especially? Because he is a petty baby who is jealous of kanna, Yes jealous, of kanna, a fourteen years old. Because he feels like she stole his hubby wubby shin away from him…. God I hate him. And you know what that make him a pathetic idiot, after the scene where kanna beats his ass, he’s all mad and like “uhh I’m going to pout I wanted you to cry like a lot, now I’m gonna cry”. An that’s actually god, because it humanize him, he wants need thoughts, he isn’t one note, and that’s the most important!
Sou is a villain but before that he is a character, a fully developed character, and THAT’S WHAT MAKE HIM GREAT, Sou works because he works realistically, I mean if you forget the robot part, it’s easy to imagine a narcissist man child who needs to feel in power towards other, so his main prey are young vulnerable people.Which leads me to my next point:
Sou is a failure like really, and we aren’t sad for him.
Sou failed everything he worked on, he failed to get the paper from alice, he failed whith shin since he had to leave earlier than he thought he would leave, because of his mistake he lost his position in the death game, then he failed to kill gin or keiji, and then he died like an idiot losing his cool and acting like a toddler. And he knows it that why he is a bit self-hating (he should be). And yet none of us feel any sympathy towards him, why? Because sou is one of the most despicable guy in existence. He is a disgusting pervert, sadistic asshole, and abusive narcissistic cunt who thinks he is better than everyone. From the bottom of my heart I hate him sooooo much he is literally the character I hate the most in existence. He abused shin, ruined keiji’s life, traumatized the entire cast, literally assaulted sara like he physically assaulted her. He mocked nao and joe and kugie life as useless. He is an obsessive jerk AND I HATE HIM. And you know what…… It’s good. Like I actually feel a lot of emotions when I think about him, he fuels me with anger and disgust, and if your characters can make me feel that much rage then you did it, you created an actual perfect character. Hiyori is such a shit person that I think about him a lot, writers shouldn’t be scared to make a character such hittable assholes, example bojack horseman in bojack horseman is the vilest man on earth and I love it, because I genuinely hate him. Just like I genuinely love kanna, like really I really love her, I in the same time despise midori so bad. We hate him because he is horrible to good people that WE KNOW AND CARE ABOUT, not random npcs. There is a lot of… disgusting implications in his story with shin that I will not talk about it makes me really uncomfortable right now. SO HERE IS A VERY TACKY TRANSITION TO TALK ABOUT WHY I HATE JUNKO FROM DANGANRONPA.
Junko is boring, that’s it, she is boring, not funny not interesting, she is a fetish, she is the biggest Mary sue on earth, she is a gross character made to make fun of people with disabilities and queer people. Her only traits is being crazy, that’s it. I wouldn’t call midori that crazy actually, he’s methodical calculated, and precise. Crazyness is a term for people who aren’t in control of their actions and delusional about reality, sou is not crazy, he knows what he is doing, he is in full control, while characters like shin should actually be consider crazy, like shin is actually crazy but sou isn’t.
Conclusion:
Sou is a breath of fresh air, because nankidai had the balls to write an actually interesting deep and threatening character AND make him a villain. He didn’t fall into the trap of making him have a sad backstory or good motives, sou is just selfish, that’s all he is. He make him a fun entertaining guy who you absolutely hates, he made him threatening and at the same time a complete doofus. He made him humane and pathetic.
But the thing that make me love nankidai the most is this
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The fact that he actually killed him that takes courage as a writer to just end a character THAT WAY, which is why midori will never come back alive he is forever dead. And that take a lot of talents as a writer to just take one of the most important characters and just get him drilled to death in the anus, like dammn nankidai you are a savage. That fact alone makes him one of the best characters in game, I hate him as a person, but has a character he is a masterpiece.
Though Kanna could solo him
this was posted as a video on my blog this is mainly so people who don't want to stay there reading a 24 minute video of my stuttering can have a bit of quiet
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besttropeveershowdown · 4 months
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The Best Trope Ever Showdown: FINALS
Found Family
Propaganda:
Well all know it, we all love it
the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb
Forming a bond with friends or strangers so deeply they become your family!!! Choosing the people you want to support you, to be your backbone, to care for you and be cared for by you in return!
literally the experience! characters may not come from the best past but they grow together and give each other the support that they can't get otherwise. the attachments that form are usually amazing and I guess just. yeah! + platonic/doesn't need romance involved which I guess is a plus for myself???
Because its so cute! It's sweet, and kind, and forgiving, and just asdfghjk its just the best. Without FF we wouldnt have shows like The Owl House so think about that okay?
I mean, come on. A pair or group of people that know little about or nothing about each other become fiercely protective and loving towards the others. They consider each other family through shared experiences and traumas, loving and caring for each other as if they were kin.
Battle Couple
Propaganda:
Two people fighting side by side, or back to back, trusting the other to have their back, even while bickering. Amazing. And if they kiss, surrounded by enemies… perfection ❤️❤️❤️
Reformed, but Not Tamed
They're not Evil anymore. But like, they're also not Nice really. Still a jerk about it. (No TVTropes page submitted)
Propaganda:
All the coolness of a redeemed villain but without losing the spicy villain jerk charisma they had before. Often called The Vegeta. Get to have your cake and eat it too.
who doesn't love a villain kinda sorta turning good but being annoyed about it the whole time
We all love it when the bad guy joins the Plucky Team of Heroes because it is a) hilarious or b) reaaaaally interesting character dynamics, and "reformed but not tamed" is the superior way to achieve this. You get all the fun of having the bad guy join the team WITHOUT having to sand down everything that MAKES the bad guy interesting. In this house, we like a "domestication" arc more than a "redemption" arc. He's still an awful little shithead, but now he's OUR awful little shithead.
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jazessimpcave · 4 months
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💗Your Domestic Life with Mr. Villain 💗
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🐼a normal day routine involves an alarm waking up the both of you, he makes breakfast and lets you sleep in if he feels you need more rest
🐼he has to go off to work, but says you can call him any time (loves it when you call him to give him a random panda fact of the day)
🐼he doesn't have you do chores at the apartment, mostly because he likes them done a certain way, but doesn't mind if you dust/cook
🐼when grocery shopping, he leaves you a specific list with alternatives, requires you to call him if the alt isn't there either
🐼he appreciates it when you tape nature shows with pandas for him to watch when he gets home
🐼bath time is something he does alone, but he gets a bit flustered when you joke about going in with him
🐼was weird about it at first with cuddling with you, so you wear pjs that resemble a panda pattern so he can think of you as his own personal panda <3
🐼he often tells you that you're an exception to taking over earth and annihilating humanity, he's truly happy being your domestic partner
🐼the first time you kissed him he wouldn't shut up about it for days and even texted you when he was at work asking if it's supposed to feel like it's lingering on his lips all the time
🐼calling him pet names like "mr bad guy" or "big guy" or "evil hubby" amuses him to where he challenges you to come up with more
🐼his pet name for you is "squish" or "jiggle" names that literally is about you being a soft human he likes being around
🐼he does get jealous though, so be sure to introduce everyone in your life to him and state their status with you so he's aware to not try and bite their head off for being familiar with you 🐼he'll take you to work someday, he just has to figure out how to make that work without you dying within the first 5 minutes
🐼shares food with you, feeding each other is something he enjoys
🐼love languages are quality time, and words of affirmation
🐼dislikes PDA, but is okay with holding hands with you
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mvltisstuff · 1 year
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hi i have an eddie diaz request!
so eddie and the reader have been dating for a while, she’s also a firefighter with the 118, and after that special about them that taylor did aires, her abusive ex comes to find her. it’s kinda like the maddie and doug situation where he was looking for her since she left and she doesn’t tell eddie until something big happens and he has to save her which causes her to tell him everything.
thank you
all too well - e.d
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summary: request
eddie diaz x reader
a/n: sorry for the unnecessary taylor slander in this i’m her biggest hater!!! warning for domestic abuse, very similar to maddie in season 2.
it was an innocent new segment. that’s all it was supposed to be. an informative post about the fire station 118 and how they work. taylor and her team had sauntered their way through the firehouse, gazing at the engines and the shiny structures that surrounded them. she recorded anything she could, despite requests of space and those who didn’t wish to be recorded.
y/n had been one of those, out of her relationship from her ex boyfriend. she was in active hiding, fleeing across the country to get away from such a man. he had been watching her every move, and she’d been meticulous in concealing herself. she’d heard of the situation maddie was in, dealing with the uncertainty of her location and condition. it was nightmare fuel, the thought haunting y/n in her sleep as she lay next to eddie at night.
she wanted to be able to tell him, but the more people who didn’t know, was better. she figured she’d be putting him in danger if eddie knew, especially the people around him. if something happened to eddie, she would never be able to move on from the life she wants to put behind her. the discarded ring of a man who was never truly her fiancé was something she needed to forget about.
the moment she saw the news segment had aired, her heart dropped. she fought to have herself removed, but that was not what happened. taylor removed other details of the day gone-wrong, but didn’t remove her identity. y/n had voiced her concerns very clearly to taylor and eddie, and eddie was pissed that no one would listen. she panicked as her name was splayed across the screen with a clean view of her face, easily recognizable. she knew he was looking for her.
she tried to reassure herself, but the joke was on her. she was now sitting in the familiar car with the disgusting smell of cigarettes and the sick excuse of a man. she was jostled awake in the moving vehicle. she didn’t dare to mumble a single word, her body frozen in fright.
“morning, sleepyhead,” the raspy and evil voice entered her ears.
“what did you do?” she managed to spit out.
he laughs grimly, in a tormenting manner. “you really thought i wasn’t going to find you? i’ll give it to you, it took a while but i finally have you where i want you.”
“why are you doing this, mark? i didn’t do anything to you.”
“you said we were supposed to be together. and you lied, y/n. you know i don’t like lies. like, come on, were you that stupid?”
“you kidnapped me in this car. i’m not the stupid one.”
“whatever you say, princess,” she moves her hand up to brush the hair out of her face when he grips her wrist painfully. “but if you ever say anything like that again, you will never go back.”
her eyes remain dry, feeling completely numb as she continues to stare forward. “you literally left me no choice! i love you! you love me and you just left me? you turned into a monster, a selfish, backstabbing person and it’s not my fault!”
“no, it’s not,” she complies, almost giving up entirely to make herself feel worthy. she plays into his act of the hero, when he’s been the villain in disguise.
he had driven her two hours out of los angeles, taking the backroads to avoid any interaction with people. y/n, in a complete terror, tries to formulate a plan in her head but everything is shut down by her own fears. “i have to use the bathroom, mark.”
“what? why?”
“because i am a human, it’s not like i had the chance before we left.”
“shit, fine. say anything and you’re dead,” he threatens, pulling up to an empty gas station with only a few workers inside. he lurks around, pretending that he’s browsing the selections. she speeds to the bathroom in the back, which looks like it hasn’t been occupied in years.
something in her mind switches, so she grabs a pen out of her pant pocket and searches around for anything she can. her eyes land on the paper towels, madly ripping one off and clicking her pen. she writes a message on it, prepared to hide it in her sleeve as they walk out. idiot she thinks.
“y/n!” mark bangs on the door. “c’mon, we have to go!”
she turns the sink on and off and discards of any evidence. she grabs the door and takes a deep breath, and swings it open to be confronted by the towering figure. she felt like he was feet taller, but he wasn’t. she had been so used to making herself feel smaller that she forgot the feeling.
the workers in the front had noticed the discomfort on y/n’s face. they could make an accusation, or believe that someone else would do something. “would y’all like to buy something?” one asked.
y/n looked at mark, scared for anything he react to. y/n steps closer to the counter, “yeah, can i get a pack of marlboro?”
“sure thing,” the other says and grab the pack of cigarettes from the back. he places it in front of her as y/n fishes for her credit card, swiping the note she’d written under it. somehow, marks obliviousness had missed the piece of white under it. she praised whoever made him this ignorant. after the machine dinged and the payment was made, mark grabbed her hand and moved out of the small store.
“i’m sorry,” she immediately begins to apologize. “it was a distraction to them.”
“whatever, get in the car.”
the workers had found the paper on the counter, all folded up and ink spilling through the back.
call 911, ask for sergeant athena grant.
two hrs out of la, gray toyota, license plate 2R7-983
the first man blanked, not knowing what to do but his suspicions were confirmed. the woman was not safe, so he did what he was told on the paper. he dialed 911.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” the soothing voice came through.
“uh, i’m in solvang, and we just had a couple come in and i think the woman needs help.”
“did you get the name of the woman?”
“the name on the card was y/n, i didn’t remember any last name. she had y/c/h, about y/h tall, and she left a note asking for athena… grant?” this man was properly trained for emergencies, giving all the important details and steps they’d need.
“and what’s your name?”
“tyler,”
“ok, tyler, did she mention anything else?”
“yes! she mentioned a grey toyota and the license plate.”
“perfect, can i have the plate number?”
“it says… 2R7-983.”
“did she seem distressed?”
“yeah, she was scared and she looked tired and, i don’t know she just looked like something was really wrong.”
athena had taken the information, instantly realizing the name. she knew y/n very well, from bobby, eddie, and just being in the system she had been around her. she loved her, y/n was a great person and was good at her job. she was a gracious human, never leaving an ounce of disrespect in her tracks.
“grant!” her chief called. “we got a call from dispatch requesting you on a case, we’ve got a woman named y/n, domestic abuse concerns and she left a note with your name on it?”
“y/n? as in y/l/n? with the 118?”
“i didn’t want to assume, but i believe it is. i looked at her files and she’s had some past calls with a man named mark peterson, believed to have taken her.”
“son of a bitch,” she curses. “do we have an idea of where they might have gotten?”
“they were seen in solvang, two hours out.”
“so we get personnel out there asap?”
“exactly. we get out there and get this guy.”
y/n and he had stopped at a small inn, getting a room and a hideout for the night. he used a fake name for the both of them, lying through his teeth to the receptionist at the front desk. y/n was forced to put on a fake smile and a thrilled appearance, which she thought she should win an oscar for. they settled in the room, and she slowly started to accept her fate.
back at the home, eddie was in a slight rush. she hadn’t responded to any texts or calls. she claimed they would meet up the next day, but there were no traces left of her. externally, he put on a cool front for his son, but internally, his heart was sprinting. she could be anywhere. she could have a dead phone, or she could be dead herself. he tried not to think of the former, but he couldn’t stop himself.
eddie had loved y/n the moment she stepped into the station on her first day. he didn’t think he had any more love left to give. but, she shined her radiant smile and her adorable personality and eddie was head over heels. he’s been through hell with shannon and everything, and he wanted to never take anyone else again. y/n showed him a new side, making him realize that he needed affection, and she was more thankful to give that to him. he felt like the best version of himself when she had been with him the past few years, and that’s all he needs. he couldn’t let himself breathe until he found her, calling anyone who might know. until, he finally resorted to the police, calling athena.
“hey, athena,” he rushes out. “y/n, i- i don’t know where she is and that’s really unlike her, so-“
“diaz…” she says, making anxiety rise in eddie’s body.
“what? what happened? is she ok?”
“we believe she was taken,” eddie’s heart sinks to the floor, immediately turning his blood cold. “do you know a mark peterson?”
“no, never heard of him. i’m going to find her,”
“absolutely not, eddie. we are finding her now,” athena tries her best to ease his terror, but it fails.
“then i’m coming with you, i’ll be at the station in 10.”
eddie sits shotgun in athena’s police car after he got carla to watch christopher. he couldn’t stop his leg from bouncing up and down and his fingers to quit fidgeting. athena takes note of this.
“she’s going to be alright, we’ve got a lot of evidence for this.”
“we don’t know where the hell she is, we have no answers.”
“you’re right, we don’t. but you think she’d want you to lose hope on her?” eddie looks at her, staring at her eyes on the road before turning his phone on. he’s confronted with a picture of y/n and christopher together, pure smiles on their face as his world is out of touch. it’s only on a screen, and there’s nothing he can do about it.
y/n sat, frozen on the bed of the hotel room. she was completely burnt out, thinking that she was stuck with him forever. that news segment. if only she wasn’t shown on the fucking news segment, he wouldn’t have reappeared in her life.
his fake smiles and taunting words had become nothing but useless ones. she was living in her nightmare of having to deal with him, but she thought back to eddie.
every single memory they’d made over the past few years came flooding through her head. from her teaching him how to cook, to their first kiss, to last night where she was in his arms. it was beyond her comprehension that this much could happen in 24-hours. the time of her shifts, her normal routines that she longed for right now.
it wasn’t until mark heard knocks on doors, asking how many people were staying there until she was snapped out of her thoughts. she noticed the red and blue lights from outside the window as mark swore to himself. “fuck! get in the bathroom, y/n.”
“n-no, i wanna stay here-“ she argued as he complained back.
“get in there now! i’m not asking you again, or i swear to god, y/n…”
the darkness in his eyes was what forced her to stand up, but leaving her jacket on the bed and taking her shoes off, leaving them in clear sight. the knocks got closer, before the own piece of wood separating them was banged. mark opened the door casually, like nothing was going on. it always scared y/n the most. the way he could put up this front and act like some innocent man.
“hello, officer!” he said politely. “can i do anything?”
“hello, sir,” athena said, knowing he was the one to be holding y/n. “may i just ask, how many people are in this hotel?”
“just me, miss.”
“alright, i see. i saw this room was booked for two, and i’m assuming those articles of clothing aren’t yours?”
mark stops right in his tracks, wanting to pull y/n out of that bathroom and reprimand her for leaving her stuff. his face dropping, he didn’t know what to say. athena knew it too.
“mind if i take a look around? missing person warning, we have to be sure.”
his expression did not change, but he panicked on the inside. he was a quick man, but not quick enough to prevent athena’s abrupt hand against the closing door. she pulled him out, pressing him against the wall as she called for backup. “better luck next time, mark. let’s have a few words, you have the right to remain silent…”
y/n’s fingers were pressed in her ears, trying to block out any of the commotion or yelling that might’ve commenced. she’d already heard too much tonight, scared to traumatize herself any further. the noise concealed by her hands made her not even notice the opening of the door, and fearful to turn around and see his face again. she had been crying violently on the cold tiles of the bathroom, praying she’d be out of this mess. y/n’s instinct was to flinch at the hand pressed against her shoulder. eventually, she realized it was a humane one. she slowly turned herself around, locking eyes with athena. “we’ve got him, y/n.”
she sighed out in relief, but also in preparation for the storm of tears pouring out of her eyes. her hand went to cover her mouth in disbelief. she’d been hiding from this man for years, and she finally didn’t have to. she knew for a while that she wasn’t really free, she was just away from him. at last, the game of hide and seek ended, and it’s all going to be different.
her hand connected with athena’s, pulling her off the ground and out of the room. she was brought outside, lurking around the parking lot in desperate hopes for someone she loves. someone who’s touch can heal any wound. her dreams came true, when she saw eddie walking toward her.
“eddie,” she gasps out.
“y/n!” he runs closer, scooping her up into his arms and kissing her face frantically. “oh my god, i’m so sorry, mi vida, i’m so, so sorry.”
“i should’ve told you, i should’ve said something.”
“no, no, it’s not your fault. it never has been and it never will be.”
“i was so scared my life was over again. that i’d never see you or christopher, or hen or chim and buck or bobby and-“
“hey, calm down, ok? it’s all going to be ok, i’m here,” eddie doesn’t let go or let her release herself from his arms. she looks him dead in the eye, making sure he’s real and that she isn’t just searching for an answer. “they’ve got him, you never have to see him again. you won, baby.”
she won. she won? y/n didn’t feel like she won. the whole scenario still felt like a twisted prank, but it wasn’t. it was real, and she ended it. the years of making herself smaller and degrading herself because of one man were over. the time where she was continuously proven as less than had stopped.
she has eddie forever now, so if anyone had won, it was her.
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antimony-medusa · 6 months
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"There's just something about that guy that means I don't trust him"
Okay so, Phil has got the wrong read of Sunny. I'm gonna start off with that. He thinks they're a confident unconcerned material girl who is comfortable in the fact that their dad loves them, and potentially he thinks that they're a bit older than they are? Whereas people who have been able to see her one-on-one with Tubbo know that she's quite a bit more shy and insecure and young than she puts on! He's been taken in by the facade they're putting on, and I think that's part of why he is making jokes and comments that don't hit well. To understate how yesterday went. I think he botched the interaction with Sunny in the musuem and I hope someone tells him that, so he can apologize and fix that. And to be clear, as a phil viewer, this does interesting character work with Sunny as a sensitive child and I'm in favour of Sunnymin pursuing this line of lore. I'm staring with my little cube guy watching googles looking for the result when Phil realizes he scared a child, with great interest.
Because when you look at the musum one in context, my read is that was phil pivoting badly from an out of lore discussion into "oh hey I can explain something to sunny, who is confident and centred and knows her dad adores her" and then jokingly tried to explain the tallulah experience, and then we know from Sunny signs later that that went over like a ton of bricks. Mistake. However, when we're discussing it, I think it's fair to not have that understanding of the lore though, and to take a more pointed, villainous read of the lore! Go for it with discussing phil as cold and brusque to people who aren't his family, discuss Sunny feeling all alone in the musuem, fill your boots.
But guys, when you're discussing this as meta, I am seeing a lot of tags that are really really eager to paint Phil entirely and unequivocally as a villain and specifically cruel to children and cruel within the family, and there's an element to that that concerns me.
Phil, the cc, the guy, acts working class. He has an accent from a particular part of england that is traditionally working class, but he also has storytelling cadences and humour styles and attitudes towards challenges that are very familiar if you are from a working class or lower income community. I'm from an entirely different continuent, but the area I'm from is the sort of area that people make jokes about, and the whole way Phil acts as a CC is very familiar to me. (Note: even when he's talking about travel or stuff, he still has the "worked retail for a decade" mentality and pays attention to the staff and stuff and what they're doing, check out the brazil storytelling vod.)
And Phil's cubito, when he's not deliberately making a character like osmp crowfather, tends to have the mannerisms of someone who is working class. Even if you're not from a lower income area, I think most people can clock this, subconciously if nothing else. He swears a lot! He banters and roasts his friends and family but would absolutely do anything for them. He's informal in a very specific way.
Which is why when people pivot immediately into "why is he threatening and bullying children again" and "his wicked is showing", and "oh he's a evil stepfather/cruel stepmother" and "can we kill the child abusers now" I go Oh No.
Working class mannerisms are already stereotyped as especially prone to domestic abuse, among other ills. If you are going "oh something about him just always seemed like he would be cruel to children" maybe— push back on that one?
In the same way that during the election I was going "that may not be the play" about americans who didn't know what it was but something about Forever was just so angry and agressive (and they were talking from a perspective that viewed forever as a person of colour, regardless of how he's perceived at home), you might be talking from a perspective that encourages you to interpret Phil's behaviour with children as especially suspect. Potentially. Consider it.
And again, Phil biffed it in the musuem. That was a misstep that had me (autistic) going "oh no I see how you got there but you can all but see the sims negative relationship marker thing pop up". But I'd ask you at least to consider that it wasn't intentional cruelty, and that people can make social missteps before you jump immediately to interpreting their actions in the worst light possible.
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flying-ham · 6 months
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Names in The Hunger Games series obviously hold a lot of symbolic meaning. Whether it be a particularly on the nose name for characters like Peeta or the complete absence of one for characters like Mrs Everdeen, Suzanne Collins puts a lot of thought and care into names. One that I haven’t seen people talk about so far is Livia Cardew.
Livia Cardew is a rude, cruel classmate that Snow despises. When we are introduced to her character, Snow thinks that she, "had always been prone to gloating," (tbosas). She is assigned Facet, a strong boy from District 1 with a good chance of winning the games, and Snow hates that she acts, "As if the plum assignment was solely a reflection on her, and not on her mother running the largest bank in the Capitol," (tbosas).
The character Livia Cardew is named after Livia Drusilla, wife of the first Roman Emperor Augustus and mother of the Emperor Tiberius. Livia Drusilla came from a powerful Patrician family in Rome, with her father inheriting a substantial fortune around the time of her birth. She was married prior to her marriage with Augustus, giving birth to two sons before her divorce and subsequent remarriage to Augustus. Although he believed these sons to be proof of her high fertility, Livia was only able to give Augustus one stillborn child during their marriage. Livia Cardew reflects the early life of her namesake Livia Drusilla, in that she comes from an influential banking family that helps her get ahead in society. The advantage she has being assigned the District 1 boy only widens the gap, making her a frontrunner to win the scholarship. However, just as Livia Drusilla loses her child with Augustus, Livia Cardew's tribute dies before the games even begin, removing her from the competition entirely. Moreover, Livia attempts to "steal" Clemensia's tribute while she is ill, "demanding new tributes be brought from the districts, or at least that she be given Reaper, the boy assigned to Clemensia, who everyone thought had been hospitalized with the flu," (tbosas). Similarly, Livia Drusilla campaigned with her husband to make her son Tiberius his heir after she failed to give him a son, though she was only successful after the death of his nephew Marcellus and disgrace of his daughter Julia.
Further connecting Livia Cardew to her historical namesake, it is implied that Snow marries her after the events of tbosas. In the epilogue, Snow thinks, "If he ever married, he’d choose someone incapable of swaying his heart. Someone he hated, even, so they could never manipulate him the way Lucy Gray had. Never make him feel jealous. Or weak. Livia Cardew would be perfect. He imagined the two of them, the president and his first lady, presiding over the Hunger Games a few years from now," (tbosas). Just as Livia Drusilla became Empress of Rome, Livia Cardew would become the First Lady of Panem. Livia Drusilla was seen as the ideal matron in the early Roman Empire, as a steadfast and supportive wife who oversaw domestic affairs like the home and children. In the same way, Livia Cardew is Snow's ideal wife, a girl with an advantageous family name and no emotional ties to get in Snow's way.
Finally, Livia Drusilla was often villainized by Roman authors the same way Snow villainizes Livia Cardew. Annals by the author Tacitus portrays Livia as a murderous, evil woman in cahoots with her son Tiberius to steal the Empire after Augustus' death. Over and over he reveals his own prejudice against women in ancient Rome, inserting his personal opinions into a work he claims is unbiased truth.  He often uses negative language to describe Livia Drusilla, saying that, “There was also [Tiberius’] mother with her female unruliness,” (Tac. Ann., chap. 1).  Tacitus’ choice to specify that Livia’s shortcoming relates to her gender highlights his lack of respect for women, and his expectation that all Roman women fit a specific mold. In the same way, Snow constantly thinks the worst about Livia Cardew, thinking things like, "Unlike Livia, Clemensia received news of her good fortune with tact," (tbosas). Livia Drusilla was often associated with poison (a "woman's weapon"). There were many rumors about her killing enemies of herself or Augustus using the very method Snow adopted as his own by the events of the original trilogy.
tl:dr Livia Cardew is based on Livia Drusilla, wife of the first Roman Emperor and holds a lot of similarities to the historical figure
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backonrepeat · 7 months
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Cursed fic idea that I need to share (because I'll never write it and I need you all to suffer with me): Gortash and Dark Urge arranged marriage.
Where Bhaal is very proud of his daughters' murdering prowess but would still like some grandchildren (bhaalspawn are not easy to make), and Bane is happy to offer his Chosen in exchange for being able to direct where Bhaal's cultists will strike next (and have them help further his plans, rather than ruin them)
Of course, both Durge and Gortash are less than pleased at the plan. Durge, because she's a strong independent woman who wants to keep slaughtering people and leading her father's temple, not playing house with a bloody banite, and certainly not having him tell her who she can, or cannot, kill. Gortash because the marriage is just another thing he has no control over and is instead forced upon him (he can see the value of the alliance but chaffes at being used as a bargaining chip yet again)
Featuring:
- Enemies to allies to lovers (to enemies again if we follow the game timeline)
- Instead of super kinky sex, they start their relationship with super boring, detached, and perfunctory sex because they both assume the other doesn't know how to fuck and want the whole deal over with
- Bridezilla Gortash
- Sceleritas Fel & Orin ducking it out for the Maid of Honor spot
- They start to care for each other, but are afraid to show it because their whole alliance is mandated by their Gods (plus they both have the emotional maturity of a rock), so the sex goes from boring, to nasty, to kinky with feelings
- like, they are allowed to look and touch, but they cannot feel, so they show affection in small ways, a soft touch here, a shared look there, some joint slaughter over there...
- Them being evil and domestic, like the true villain power couple they are
- Ketheric hates them and their married antics *so much*
- Durge being introduced to the Gate's patriars as Lord Gortash's wife and having to behave in public. There's a fancy ball at some point, with dancing, UST, sex and murder
(if the game plot happens, Gortash greets Durge as "my beloved wife", the whole party starts to seriously question their choice in leadership, and Karlach has an aneurysm. Astarion just loves the drama)
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xdreamie · 3 months
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they’re also completely providing george’s point right. they’re taking advantage of this situation to tear into dream (and george) because they hate them - it’s incredibly disingenuous and they keep pushing this story to make both dream and george these evil villains who deserve to be in prison. it’s incredibly harmful to people like wilbur’s victims, who bravely shared their story of the domestic violence and sexual assault they had to go through, who are getting their stories buried because these people are pushing a story about a woman being uncomfortable with a man’s hand on her waist as the worst thing in the world
100%. i’ve seen more hatred for dream and george than i have support for caiti. some people see tearing down the person who made the mistake as an act of justice but that will NOT make the person hurt feel better nor will it take away their pain.
i don’t want to compare it to shubble’s situation, but in terms of feedback and support it is vastly different. shubble got thousands of tweets of support with thousands and thousands of likes. caiti is receiving support but only posts on hating the person she feels hurt her, not direct support to herself. that’s how you know these people are disingenuous
this situation of someone’s waist being touched has generated more buzz than someone being outed as a rapist and abuser simply because people care about being seen in the light of morality and not about the victims themselves.
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ynkfva · 2 months
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i think i finally understand why i hate luo bingge so much
i usually love the kind of character he is: vengeful, merciless, villainous. im all the way down for villains with a reason for them to be evil (and if you think bingge is anything BUT a villain, youre wrong). but i didnt felt that way toward bingge. and that really bothered me
there is a very thin line between revenge and cruelty. but its still there. and bingge crossed that line
that 👇👇 is the best way i could explain the difference
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lets be honest: in ancient china, there was nothing wrong with a teacher physically abusing a student. it was common even. im not saying its okay but it HAPPENED and A LOT. for gods sake, it was normal in my country to teachers beat students until the 90s! even after that!
im not saying shen jiu was right, or what he did a good thing, because it wasnt. abuse is always abuse, and it should be treated as it is. but lets take Bai Zhan Peak as an example. Liu Qingge beat the shit out of his disciples, and no one batted an eye
but thats not my point right now, my point is: Luo Bingge was not "cool" for "taking revenge" cause what he did was not revenge, it was pure CRUELTY
!!Spoiler alert!!
it would be revenge if he hit shen jiu with a whip several times. it would be revenge if he made him do forced domestic work. it would be revenge, if he made him go through the same suffering that shen qingqiu put him through in the abyss
but no.
he made the entire cultivation world see sqq again as nothing more than the slave he was, he ripped off shen jiu's legs and arms, he tortured him for god knows how much time, he let his wives torture him, he destroyed the ENTIRE sect that had nothing to do with it, and he killed the only person shen qingqiu really cared about
and dont get me started on how he destroyed earth by bringing together the demonic and human worlds
lets use a metaphor for better understanding: theres a perfectly balanced scale between you, and every other person. And when someone hurts you, theres this natural desire to push back. To seek justice. To bring those scales back into balance. But when you do the other side of the scale never dipped below the balancing point
and thats not what bingge wanted. he didnt want the scale to be equal
because even if things were restored exactly to the way they were before, shen jiu would never knew what bingge felt like
he would never be brought down. And THATS what bingge wanted
he didnt wanted justice for what shen jiu did to him. he didnt wanted revenge either. he wanted to be cruel
he turned into a monster
and that make me sick
i honestly cant stand seeing people praising bingge as if he was a good person for doing what he did
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stheresya · 7 months
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Here, approximately, is what happens in Gothic Romance […] A young female is stripped of her human support, her mother usually dead before the novel begins, her father or other guardian dying in the early chapters. The lover (if any) who might protect her is sent away or prevented from seeing her. Depending upon the period of the novel, she may be kidnapped, or fall into the hands of an unscrupulous guardian, or go out as a governess, or marry hastily. Out in the world her troubles multiply. People want to kill her, rape her, lock her up in a convent for life, and make off with her small fortune. Her task is to defend her virtue and liberty, to resist evil, and especially to penetrate disguises - spot the plausible seeming villains, trust the suspicious looking heroes - and thereby rebuild a support system that will restore her to a quiet life. With pluck and luck she manages these near impossibilities and is rewarded with the discovery of lost relatives and/or the promise of reliable domestic love in a household of her own. (-Ann B. Tracy, "Gothic Romance" in: The Handbook to Gothic Literature)
there it is. the description of the gothic heroine is also a perfect description of sansa stark's character journey. the isolation in king's landing after she's made hostage, guardians that seek to steal her birthright (the lannisters and petyr), the struggle to see through disguises and learning that not all that glitters is gold (cersei and joffrey) and learning to sympathize with scary-looking people (sandor, tyrion, possibly brienne in the future) plus the way that the thing she wants most right now is to go home. even the lack of supernatural elements in her story can still be somewhat on point considering that in a lot of the 'female gothic' the supernatural was often explained away with reason, because at the end of the day the real danger to these heroines was the ownership of women's bodies, the stifling of them usually symbolized by an eerie castle or mansion that enclosed them. sansa's plight in life is that she seems unable to get out of the castle. she's a caged bird trying to be free, to live in peace with her loved ones in a place where she can call home.
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itsnothingofinterest · 3 months
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So it’s looking like we might be getting the ‘AFO gave Tenko his quirk’ theory confirmed and I gotta be honest; I am not in favor. I’m hardly the first to take this position, both before and after this chapter dropped, but if I may attempt to put into words why; it’s that I don't think it can really add anything except reveal postmortem some new way AFO is bad in the best case & handing Deku a potential deus ex machina in the worst case.
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Like, the best case result of such a revelation at this point in the plot is that it's just to make AFO seem more evil by making him the root cause of the Shimura tragedy, except…only in a way that doesn’t even matter. Like, this reveal shouldn’t change any of Tomura’s motivations or talking points; he already knows AFO manipulated him & hates him for that, but he also hates Kotaro, Nana, All Might, and the greater hero society for the role they played in his tragedy, and AFO giving him Decay wouldn’t change how much everyone else I listed deserves that ire. It just means that some of the tragic happenstance of the Shimuras that seemingly could've happened to anyone was instead purposefully cause by that jerk we know.
It’s like if we learned AFO killed Endeavor’s father, leading him down the path to become the domestic abuser we know him as. Thus the tragedy of the Todorokis would also come back to AFO...but y’know…not in anyway that matters. Endeavor, Touya, and everyone else involved still made their choices; AFO’s just the root cause of it all by sheer technicality. How diabolical, I might care if he were still relevant.
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The worst case result of such a revaluation of course is that it gives Deku an unearned & largely uninteresting easy out to solving the problem that is Tomura's rage. Because if AFO gave him Decay, then he's actually the one ultimately responsible for near everything, if not just everything wrong in Tomura's life (even if, again, just by technicality in some areas). Never mind the rolls Kotaro, Nana, All Might, and greater hero society played in it; AFO's the real root cause of it all whose been manipulating Tomura for longer than he even knows, so he should just stop caring about that other stuff.
Plus it'd also mean Tomura doesn't exist to destroy because Decay isn't his true quirk (never mind how that's not why he thinks that & he never even put much stock into that quirk-identity stuff anyway) so he can just stop being a villain now please.
Yeah this all just doesn't seem like the most interesting way for Deku to tackle Tomura's trauma, talking points, or motivations.
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Plus, like a live action Disney movie, the idea's kind of felt like it’s tying up a ‘plot hole’ that didn’t need tying up; that might even work better as a coincidental tragedy. Like; people act like this can’t be just a tragedy, it's too convenient, it has to be some master machination of the grand demon lord who…is already beaten, dead, and doesn’t factor into anyone’s plot lines or themes anymore. At best, to make him seem more evil long after the point we have any reason to care; at worst, to give Deku an easy out (with the side effect of making him seem like a worse hero who can’t save villains in Tomura's position without unique circumstances to make it easy).
Also like a live action Disney movie, this almost feels like it opens up a plot hole in trying to tie one up. Because as we know; Tenko’s circumstances are identical to Eri’s, down to the signs of their quirks being random mutations. When I said the tragic happenstance of the Shimuras we're blaming AFO for could've happened to anyone; I know this because it happened verbatim to her. So if those circumstances (just so happening to get a deadly quirk that kills their families, which just so happen to be connected to the villain who'll use & abuse them, etc.) are seen as suspicious, early signs that AFO gave Tenko Decay…did he or another villain give Eri Rewind? Almost certainly not; but if not then why does she get a random mutation-caused tragedy, while Tenko must have been the victim of some villain’s plot that's already been foiled?
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So my point is: I really hope this is just a red herring. Revealing that AFO gave Tenko Decay kind of feels like it undercuts the Shimura tragedy as something that could've happened to any kid in Tenko or Eri's shoes; and I don't think any payoff you'd get for that undercutting is worth it.
We should instead get the much funnier revaluation that the man who brought Tenko home that day was, rather than AFO, a completely different man who Deku would coincidentally recognize: Hisashi Midoriya.
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butcherlarry · 5 months
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Weekly Fic Rec 47
I'M BACK! I hope everyone had a Happy Holiday and a lovely New Year :) I think this might be my longest fic rec list yet! Enjoy everyone!
5 Times Tim Spends the Night at Wayne Manon + 1 Time He Comes Home by motleyfam - Batfam, complete. Part of the Settle Our Bones series. Tim joins the batfam early. I'm pretty sure I've read this fic before, but I really enjoyed it. It was nice to read while I was on break.
Rail-Splitter, Brain-Splitter by motleyfam - Batfam, complete. Part of the same series as above. Dick, Jason, and Tim go on an outing together and Dick gets a killer migraine. Hurt/Comfort ensues.
locked in, locked out by scarletazure - Superbat, complete. Bruce gets stuck in a dating simulator. Shenanigans ensue.
Reborn as a scum villain in a novel by Speechless_since_1998 - Superbat, wip. Bruce dies and is transmigrated into the scum villain character in a novel. Shenanigans ensue.
Steady hands (ragged breathing) by loosingletters - Batfam, wip. Instead of growing up as rich heir to the Wayne family, he grows up as Bruce Kane, bastard child of Thomas Wayne, in the Narrows. Don't worry, he still becomes Batman :)
My Thanks to Ms. Monroe by loosingletters - Batfam, complete. Domestic abuse. Janet and Tim leave Jack. They go to Bruce for help.
everybody talks, everybody talks by fantalaimon - Superbat & Batfam, complete. Clark and Dick start a Bruce support group with other batfam and loved ones. Bruce finds out, feels ensue.
I saw dad kiss Santa Claus by Speechless_since_1998 - Superbat & Batfam, complete. Clark dresses up as Santa and kisses Bruce. The kids catch them in the act.
A kindred bond by Nyszu - Superbat, wip. Bruce gets kidnapped by an evil Superman, but is rescued by his Superman. I might have done a happy dance when I saw this fic update again :D :D :D
anything in your life more wonderful by januariat - Timkon, complete. A lovely, smutty Timkon fic :)))))
slow dancing in the dark by scarletazure - Superbat, complete. Omg, I loved this fic SO MUCH. I remember one of the updates happened when I was driving 10+ hours to my parents for the holidays. It was a nice little treat to read at the end of the day to decompress :) Anyway, Bruce and Clark get temporary amnesia, sleep together, get there memories back, but continue to sleep together as a "Friends with Benefits" thing. These fails when they both catch feelings for each other. Shenanigans ensue.
Sure on this shining night by mediant - Superfam, complete. Kara tries to recreate a Kryptonian dish for one of their holidays. It fails, but she gets some help from Martha, as well as some bonding time with Clark and Kon.
flash in the pan by shipyrds - Superbat, complete. Another fic where the whole "Friends with Benefits" thing fails miserably. Clark and Bruce get caught in there civilian personas making out at a gala. They try to do some damage control by fake dating and then an eventual break-up. Feelings ensue.
everybody says shipyrds - Superbat, complete. Bruce gets kidnapped by some aliens that say he's Superman's soulmate, and they want to use him as leverage to get Superman's help. The whole soulmate thing is news to Bruce. Shenanigans ensue.
Place we were made by loosingletters - Batfam, complete. An interesting take on Omegaverse! Omegas can claim territory, so Bruce (an omega) as Batman claims all of Gotham as his territory. Shenanigans ensue.
a diamond sky by TheResurrectionist - Pennywaynes, complete. Pennywaynes my B E L O V E D. From a room full of coral series. A look at Alfred, Thomas, and Martha's relationship in an omegaverse setting.
'Cause Heaven Only Knows by loosingletters, papered_king - Batfam, complete. NECROMANCER JASON NECROMANCER JASON NECROMANCER JASON NECROMANCER JA-
glitter & silk by sparkycap - Batfam, complete. A newly adopted Jason meets some of Bruce's friends after a night out as "Brucie". A neat fic about Bruce being bisexual, hanging out with some lady friends (painting his nails! love!!), and comforting Jason.
So Sweet Saluteth Me by Lishalalalalala - Batfam, complete. A sleep deprived Jason hangs out with Dick and they go to a farmers market. The sleep deprivation is why Jason agrees with Dick to take lunch to Bruce. Yeah, sure :)
bitty batty baby vigilante crew by deargalileo - Batfam, complete. BABY TIM AND STEPH AS VIGILANTES!!!! This causes some minor (major) stress for Batman.
Half in Love by timeturners - Superbat, wip. Another identity porn fic! I'll always read them, you can't stop me!!!
incendiary by pomeloquat - Superbat, complete. Fem Bruce tries to hide her feelings about Clark. This fails. Sexy shenanigans ensue.
Darkest Little Paradise by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, complete. It's New Years Eve! Bruce is lonely at a gala and Clark is alone in Metropolis, so they both need someone to kiss to bring in the New Years. Kissing happens, as well as other, lovely smutty things :)))))))))))))
i told you something safe by quidhitch - Superbat, complete. Batman and Superman get injured and pinned down in an explosion with Kryptonite. Clark almost dies. He deals with the realization that he almost dies and the emotions that come with it. Bruce helps.
hold on loosely by TheResurrectionist - Batfam, wip. A 5+1 fic! Five times the batkids get sick and benched and the one time it happens to Bruce.
10 times they slept together, and one time SLEPT TOGETHER by JarJarBlink182 - Superbat, complete. A 10+1 fic! I think the title speaks for itself :)
ship-to-ship combat by pomeloquat - Superbat, complete. THIS FIC!!!!!!!! IT'S FINALLY COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!! If you haven't read it yet, PLEASE give it a read!! An identity porn fic where Clark becomes a fic writer to pay some bills. He writes for the ship Bruceman (Batman/Bruce). Bruce becomes a fan artist for the ship too. SO MUCH SHENANIGANS ENSUE.
The Brothers Wayne by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. Bruce Wayne and Wade Wilson (Deadpool) are brothers. NEED I SAY MORE????
Toes in the Sand by minnow_doodle_doo - Batfam, complete. Ngl, I was sobbing at the end of this fic, it was sooo gooood! A peak into the future, where Jason has kids and Bruce is a grandpa :)
Just A Little Bit... by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. What if Clark was a little more alien and Bruce (as well as Gotham) was a little more eldritch? The latest chapters have been A TREAT to read!!!
Patchwork Pod by KtKat9 - Superbat, wip. Mer Bruce fic! Connor is getting to know Clark and Mer Tim a bit more. Adorable sheep are involved :)
(Love) Triangles Have Multiple Centers by frozenpotions - Superbat, wip. The latest chapter of this identity porn fic almost had me on the floor laughing, omg. Robin stole the whole chapter for me, he was so ADORABLE and SASSY!
Emergency Contract by Elegitre - Batfam, complete. Tim lists Bruce, his next door neighbor, as his emergency contact, not expecting him to ever be contacted. GUESS WHAT HAPPENS???? :)))))))
a sky of honey by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, wip. More of the omegaverse Superbat fic that I have been OBSESSED about. Jason finally meets Superman. Unfortunately, he was not aware yet that Clark is Superman.
Happy reading!
78 notes · View notes
raineandsky · 11 months
Text
#43
It’s been three weeks since the hero saw their villain. None of the other heroes have arrested them, none of the superheroes have killed them—or at least not that they’re admitting. It’s been long enough to make the hero restless, and they figure they’ll have to be the one to find out where they’ve gone.
The hero isn’t proud of the fact they know where the villain lives. They found out by pure coincidence, honestly, and once they had the information it refused to leave their mind no matter how unprofessional they knew it was. They’ve never been here before—work stays at work, and they’re not coming all the way out here just for one villain—and today marks the first of them knocking on the door.
A hero announcing their arrival is clearly unexpected, since the villain answers the door looking mildly startled. The hero never imagined them to be so casual; their usual flowing coats and all-black, slender outfits are replaced with an oversized t-shirt and a pair of loose joggers. 
“Oh my god,” is the opening the villain graces them with.
“Where the hell have you been?” the hero demands, and it’s only now that they’re saying it that they realise that it’s a little weird to ask. Why would they care?
“Why do you care?” the villain snaps like they read their nemesis’s mind. “It’s none of your business where I’ve been.”
“It is when my job is on the line because the city’s most prolific criminal is missing,” they retort shortly, and the villain scoffs.
“Well, you know I’m here now, so you’re welcome. Bye.” The villain starts to swing the door shut but the hero catches it, their foot caught between the door and the frame. They don’t want to admit how heavy the door is. They can feel the bruise forming already.
“Absolutely not.” The hero shoves themself through the doorway a little in an effort to stop the villain from their valiant attempts to shut them out. “Why’d you disappear for so long? What kind of evil scheme are you planning?”
“Just wanted some time off!” the villain cries with a surprising amount of dismay as the hero slips into their house. “I don’t know why you’re coming in, there’s nothing to see in here.”
The place is oddly domestic and well-kept. It seems that the villain is strangely… tidy. “And that makes me suspicious. There’s definitely something in here.” The hero beelines for the door across the hall from them and the villain tries desperately to stop them.
“God, I should’ve answered the door with my knife like I usually do.” The villain makes a last ditch effort to pull the hero away as they slowly push the door open. “I need my dignity intact, please don’t—”
The door creaks on its hinges, and the noise is met with small, heartfelt shrieks. It takes the hero a moment to realise the sound is coming from below them, and a glance down reveals several tiny, ferociously meowing kittens.
“Jesus Christ,” the villain mutters as the hero takes in the sight. One of the kittens is already attempting to climb their leg, sharp claws digging into their thigh.
“Is… is this where you’ve been?” the hero asks uncertainly. It feels like they’ve come to the wrong house—the place is so nice, and home to a flurry of kittens who’ve all decided to hop on the trend of climbing the hero like a tower. The only indicator that they did get it right is the fact the villain is here at all, looking particularly flustered as they try and pull some of the claws out of the hero’s suit.
“That’s none of your business,” the villain snaps coldly over the racket of kittens yowling for attention, “but maybe.”
“Why’s there so many of them?” The hero gasps like they just put the pieces together. “Wait, the cats are going to be part of whatever plan you’re putting together!”
“That’s the dumbest idea you’ve ever had. Glad you think so highly of me.” The villain dumps a kitten on the floor, which immediately starts its climb again. “But no. I’m a villain, not an immoral freak. The kittens are just fosters for a few weeks.”
A couple of the kittens have taken to trying to climb the villain now, and they just let it happen. “I can’t believe this. You put everything aside for cats?”
“Yeah, they need feeding every few hours.” One of the kittens has reached their shoulder in record-breaking time, snuggling into the crook of their neck. “Can’t exactly go and whoop your ass in that kind of time. I have to be here until I send them off again.”
The hero can only stare as the villain gives the cat on their shoulder a scratch under its chin, and it purrs so loud it sounds like TV static. “This one’s my favourite,” the villain continues idly. “He’s called Beanie, but I think Harbinger of the Apocalypse suits him better.”
The cat’s purr somehow gets louder as if he agrees, and the hero raises their eyebrows. “Okay, there is still villainy at play here. Naming an animal like that is cruel.”
“He likes it!” the villain defends, but there’s an uncharacteristic softness to their tone. “I might keep him anyway, so I’ll get to name him whatever I want.”
The hero hates this. The sight of the villain, dressed down, normally, with a tiny kitten perched on their shoulder and leaning into their fingers, it’s—Jesus, it’s making them soft. They can’t believe this is making them reconsider how they see the villain.
“It’s kind of unfair that you stay here while I do the dirty work in the city,” the hero points out, and the villain frowns slightly, finally tearing their gaze from the kitten. “I’ll go half and half on the care with you if you actually go back out and let the agency know you’re not planning to end the world.”
The villain squints at them suspiciously. “Is this an excuse to rummage through my house?”
“You have a pretty good security system.” The hero gestures to the kittens clamouring over them. “I just need you to save my job, please. I know you keep everything at your lair, anyway.”
The villain scowls as if this is somehow a bad thing, but after a moment they nod. “Alright. I’ll write down everything they need and when, and we’ll take it in turns. I need a break, anyway—they’re needy.”
The hero smiles, and the relief that they don’t have to worry about the agency’s paranoia anymore is overwhelming. The kittens might even provide some much needed stress relief. “Perfect.”
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creadigol · 5 months
Note
iff you want could you maybe continue this? this ask is a request ofc and idk if you do continuation, so if you don't want to then it's okay!! ^_^
Hey y’all! Apologies for the long absence, but I’m back in town and have finally come up with a continuation of my Hero Domestic Violence/Abuse snippet. 
I have had many requests to continue this one so I spent a lot of time trying to make it good! 
As before, there are very heavy mentions of such topics stated above in this snippet as well as mentions of violence, emotional abuse and choking. Please be safe my darlings! I love y’all!
Part 1
Hero must have blacked out or entered into some sort of daze, because the next thing they knew Hero was sitting on an exam table in what must have been one of Villain's many bases. 
Though the room itself was no doubt a medical facility, Hero knew this by the various medical equipment and smell of antiseptic, but there was a certain ambiance about the room which did not match any hospital or medical offices Hero had been to before…and Hero had been to many. 
If Hero only ever went to one, people would catch on. So Spouse was always sure to bring Hero to a different facility every time. 
Everytime. 
God, this was a mess. 
This room wasn’t lit like typical exam rooms. Rather than harsh fluorescents of busy ER rooms the lights held a warm sunlit-type glow. Welcoming, yet still bright enough to see. Instead of the stupid grey-white walls which everyone had switched to in the early 2000’s, it was bright wood paneling. Oak of some kind, Hero guessed. It complimented the warm glow quite nicely. 
And it was warm! So warm! Villain must have had the heat up to at least 75 and Hero was basking in it! 
At home, Spouse kept the heating down to 65, due to their powers causing them to run hot. Hero didn’t mind of course, they understood, but it did cause Hero to feel cold constantly. They had never had much in the bodyfat department and there was more than one night when Hero would go and take a bath just to unclench their frozen muscles. 
Until Spouse complained about the water bill that is. 
Taking stock once more of the room they were in, Hero noticed that the main door had been left open by a crack. Not that they could have gotten up and run out, not with their side, but they wondered if Villain had done this to make them feel more comfortable. 
Speaking of Villain, they had yet to reappear. Villain and Henchman had helped Hero to a car after the rather embarrassing display on the rooftop and once they had made it to this base, deposited Hero here and left. That had been about twenty minutes ago. 
Maybe they were planning something nefarious? What if this was a kidnapping? Honestly, this was the weakest Hero had ever been in front of Villain. It would be easy, tricking them into willingly walking into a trap with the promise of medical help…Hero had been a mess after all. Supervillain wouldn’t have hesitated in killing Hero on the spot. 
But then again, Villain was not Supervillain. Hero had seen Villain display acts of humanity on several occasions. Sure, they broke the law and believed their government to be the ultimate evil, but they never went in for harming those who didn’t deserve it. 
Didn’t deserve it? God, Hero was starting to think like Villain. No one deserved to be hurt. That was Hero’s motto. 
Things really were confusing right now.
Maybe they should just go home. Surely, Spouse would understand why they didn’t answer their texts for the past few hours. An hour of yelling tops and then Spouse would see the error of their ways and apologize and try to make up for the original fight in the first place by a heated night of…
Hero stopped that train of thought. No, this had to stop. Hero had to get out of the relationship and start thinking straight again…but, then again, Spouse held all the cards. The apartment and car were in Spouse’s name, their bank account was joint, the phone plan was set up by Spouse because they could negotiate better on cellular deals…not to mention, Spouse was more powerful than Hero. Much more powerful than Hero. Even back at the Academy Hero had never won at hand to hand against them. It was what made them seem so strong and confident and…perfect at the time. 
Hero suddenly realized what they were doing and how it would not end well. There was no way Villain could hold against Spouse when it really came down to it. Spouse was constantly bragging about how if Villain had been assigned to them and not Hero, the problem would have been resolved years ago. Hero didn’t want that on their conscience. 
Perhaps they should look at the texts…just to assess the situation. Damage control. 
They picked up their phone. 
As the screen lit up a voice interrupted Hero before they could look at the no doubt anger fueled words. 
“Hero,” Villain stood in the doorway holding gauze, antiseptic, a board of some kind and an ice pack. “Sorry, had a hard time finding an ice pack that was the right size. We’ve gotta get that swelling down on your neck or else you’ll never be able to harass me with those classic witty comebacks again.” 
Though it was said jovially, Hero could sense the hardness behind the tone. Not to mention the look of hatred as Villain glanced at the phone. 
Wanting to respond, but not being able to, Hero nodded once. 
“Great!” Villain strode over and placed everything on the side table. Picking up the board, Hero saw it was a dry erase. Villain handed it to them along with a red marker. 
“Henchman uses this to put up daily reminders for everyone. They thought it would serve for you to tell us what ails you.” Villain glanced back at the door, “They wanted to come in and help, but I didn’t know if you would want that. Figured I’d ask first.” 
Hero couldn’t help the small smile. They had always liked Henchman. Like Villain, they certainly had committed their fair share of crimes and violence, but they also seemed to live by a code. Unlike Supervillain. 
If it hadn’t been for Henchman, Hero was sure they would have passed out on that rooftop and who knows who would have found them if that happened. Hero uncapped the marker. 
Henchman can come in. 
Villain smiled, “Anyone ever tell you your penmanship is crazy good? God, it’s like looking at Victorian script.” 
 They turned towards the doorway once more, “They said it’s fine Henchman!” 
In an instant Henchman was walking through the door. They must have been just waiting on the other side. 
“Hey Hero,” they said. “Hope you’re doing better.” 
Hero nodded at Henchman. 
“Good,” Henchman looked between Hero and Villain for a moment, it looked like they were debating who to talk to next. They settled on both of them. “Looks like it’s just going to be us. Doctor said they couldn’t make it until morning. Still at that conference.” 
Villain nodded as if they knew this was going to be the case and addressed Hero. 
“Anything serious? Or are you okay to wait for the Doc?” 
Hero thought for a moment. Their neck should be fine with the ice, their jaw had certainly been hit harder, but their side…
I think everything is fine, but I’m not sure about my side.  Hero wrote. They gestured to their left side as Villain and Henchman read the script. 
“Alright, let's take a look then. Shirt off.” Villain ordered. 
Hero hesitated. Oh, right. To look at their side, Villain would have to have their shirt off. And to take off their shirt was to expose the…history written across their chest, back and torso. 
Hero was shy about their body. Sure, there was the occasional scar made by Spouse, but most of them were from past fights while Hero had been off hero-ing. They knew it was an occupational hazard, but they also knew it wasn’t great to look at. God only knew the many times Spouse had commented on their unsightly appearance during their intimate times. 
Villain seemed to notice the hesitation and said, “What? It’s not like I haven’t seen it all in this line of work. You should have seen Henchman last month. Supervillain’s Henchman got ‘em pretty bad.”
Henchman nodded, “Not pretty. Gained me a few cool new scars though.” 
Cool new scars, huh? Perhaps it won’t be so bad. 
Hero took off their shirt slowly. It was difficult and painful at first, as it zipped in the back, but Henchman wordlessly walked to the other side of the bed and helped. Villain supporting Hero’s side as they undid the clasp and unzipped. 
“Want to take off the mask as well?” Henchman asked. 
Hero made a face. 
“We’ve already seen your face. Remember? Three months ago it fell off while we were grappling in the snow.” Villain smirked. 
Hero peeled the mask off. They had forgotten about that. The snow had made the normally sticky mask slide off. It was something they had never told Spouse. 
Once deprived of their shirt and mask, Villain took a step back and surveyed the damage. Hero tried not to squirm under the gaze. 
Hero expected Villain and Henchman to make disgusted noises or grunts of anger at their bruised up side and swollen jaw, along with their neck, but instead Villain looked calculating. A slight hint of irritation coming though with their twitching eyebrow. 
“Alright, I’ll have to feel those ribs. They don’t look broken, but it’s best to make sure.”
Hero nodded their permission to Villain and tried to sit straight. 
“No, no, don’t straighten up yet,” Villain flew to their side. They placed one hand on hero’s back while the other poked and prodded their ribs. 
Everytime Hero hissed or flinched, Villain apologized and would move onto another part. It was strange. This whole night was strange. Hero had never seen Villain act this way before. Sure they had their own scruples, but Villain was never…gentle. 
Henchman stood off to the side looking rather anxious as Villain examined Hero. That was another strange thing. Why did they both seem to care?
“Well, good news, they’re not broken. Bad news, I’ll still have to wrap them.” 
Henchman immediately grabbed some wrappings from the cupboard behind them and handed them to Villain. 
“So, Hero,” Villain began as they tightly wrapped their ribs. “Want to tell us how this happened? We need to know if we’re going to treat your injuries effectively.” 
Once again Hero could tell Villain was stating things conversationally for their benefit. Hero made no move for the marker board. 
“We already know who did it, all I want to know is how,” Villain continued. 
Hero thought back. It had seemed like a haze when it happened. All the adrenaline and fear. The normal evening that went from good to horrific. The slight mess up on Hero’s part, the yelling, the grabbing, the throwing…the hands. The hands on their person…the hands on their neck…
Hero felt tears slip past their eyes once more, the sadness and fear coming back. Their jaw shook with unshed sobs. 
They felt the marker and board being pressed into their hands. 
“You don’t need to push yourself. I just need to know what to check on you,” Villain’s voice was soothing and once again uncharacteristically gentle. 
Hero shook as they wrote; the script that Villain had complimented earlier suffered for it. 
It’s never been this bad. Hero wrote. 
They knew it was a cliche response, but they also needed Villain and Henchman to know that it had never gone this far before. Henchman made a noise in the back of their throat as they read the words.
“How bad?” Villain prodded. 
Before, Hero hesitated in writing. How could they word this? 
Before I could always justify it as my fault. I mess up alot. I’m not so good at relationships. 
They waited for them to read this before erasing for more room. Villain had their jaw set and Henchman’s cheeks were getting red. 
I know it’s stupid. I know it’s bad. I just wanted to pretend it away. That was easier. I’m not stupid, I know what’s happening. 
Villain nodded at the words. Hero didn’t know why they were starting out like this. There was just a part of them that needed Villain and Henchman to know that they were still competent. Despite putting themselves in this situation, they weren’t stupid. There was just so much more going on. 
“I don’t think you’re stupid Hero. I never have. I meant it when I said you’re the best this city’s ever seen,” Villain said this while not breaking eye contact or blinking. As if the stare itself would get the words into Hero’s brain.
Hero nodded with a small smile. They needed that. 
They’ve never gone so far before. The other times, I knew I would recover. But this time…Hero stopped writing again. Once again looking for words. They let Villain and Henchman read. 
“What happened this time?” Henchman asked softly. Hero couldn’t tell if the softness was for comfort or if they were so angry they couldn’t raise their voice higher. 
This time, Hero spelled, I really thought they’d kill me.
Their hands shook terribly now and they had to stop and take a breath. 
Villain looked up at the ceiling for a moment while Henchman turned around. It seemed this news really affected them. 
“How?” Villain once again looked Hero in the eyes. They didn’t even try to hide the anger now. 
I can’t remember everything. I know I was thrown into our coffee table. Spouse hit me in the face, Hero paused and let them read while gesturing to their jaw. 
Villain nodded for them to continue. 
They’ve never tried to choke me before… Hero couldn’t seem to finish that one. 
“I understand,” Villain said. “Anything else?” 
Hero thought for a moment and then shook their head. That had been the most of it. The violence itself had only lasted a couple minutes, but it had been the most painful couple minutes of their life. Not only physically, but emotionally. They had never felt so betrayed. 
“Are you going to leave them?” Henchman asked. Hero looked at them and noticed fear in their eyes. Henchman was very concerned with Hero’s answer. Villain made a gesture at Henchman, but they were undeterred. 
“Are you going to leave them?” Henchman repeated. 
Hero uncapped the marker again. 
I want to. 
“But you feel you can’t,” Villain finished the sentence for Hero. 
Hero nodded. 
It never ends well. I know I need to, but they hold all the cards. Hero shrugged sadly. 
“Who cares?” Henchman said angrily. “So they have your money or whatever? That’s not worth you!”
Hero was touched by the sentiment, but felt the need to explain. 
It’s not only that. They’re more powerful than me. More powerful than anyone really. I shouldn’t even be here. The last time someone tried to help…it was bad.
Villain felt their blood freeze, “What do you mean more powerful?” 
It was hard to think of anyone more powerful than Hero. Except themselves of course. 
“Who tried to help?” Henchman asked at the same time. 
Hero grimaced, 
Do you remember Other Hero?
“Oh god,” Henchman whispered. 
“Your Spouse did that?” Villain asked, shocked. 
Hero nodded. 
I don’t know what they will do to anyone else, or the city itself if I’m not there. I hate it, but it’s the only way I know to protect everyone. 
They looked at Hero to continue.
I knew it was bad not long after our second anniversary, but by then Spouse was too dangerous. They need to be in jail, not only for me, but for everyone else they’ve hurt. I just don’t know anyone who can take them. 
Villain made a noise, but Hero raised a hand to silence them while they wrote more. 
In a way this is my ultimate sacrifice to protect my city.
“Hero,” Villain breathed. 
Henchman looked like they had tears in their eyes, “Hero, I’m going to hug you now if that’s alright.” 
Hero looked at Henchman quizzically, but nodded. 
Henchman wrapped their arms around Hero carefully and squeezed with a force that was both powerful, yet calming. 
“You really are the best the city’s ever seen,” Henchman spoke against Hero’s hair. “All this time you’ve been living in hell and it was to protect all of us.” 
Hero released more tears. They patted Henchman awkwardly on the back. 
“They’ve always been a hugger,” Villain chuckled as they watched the scene. “If you can’t tell, Henchman has been a fan of yours for a while.”
Henchman released them with an undignified HEY at Villain. Villain shrugged and turned their attention back to Hero. 
“Hero, I don’t care what danger it might put us in. I knew this was going to be messy the moment I saw you on the roof. Anyone who can take you on is going to be a threat. I knew that and helped you anyway.” 
Hero nodded at Villain’s words. 
“But what I need to know now is who Spouse really is. I don’t think I’m far off in thinking that they’re a part of the hero agency?” 
Hero nodded, there was hesitation in their eyes.
“And they’re more powerful than the other heroes.” 
Hero looked down, but nodded again. 
“And you two went to the academy at the same time didn’t you?” 
Hero winced and nodded. 
“And came to the city at the same time.” 
Hero closed their eyes and nodded. 
“Villain, what are you getting at?” Henchman asked slowly. In their voice Hero could tell they were on the same train of thought, but didn’t want to believe it. 
“Hero,” Villain waited for Hero ‘s red rimmed eyes to look up and meet their gaze. “You’re married to Superhero aren't you?” 
Hero nodded. 
“Shit.” Henchman said. 
Hero nodded their agreement. 
There was silence while everyone processed the news, Villain and Henchman the knowledge and Hero for sharing it. Finally Villain broke it. 
“Well,” they clapped their hands together, “Here’s what we’re going to do. Tonight we do nothing.”
“Hero, tonight I want you to focus on yourself. I know you want to look at your phone, but maybe hold off until tomorrow morning, yeah?” Hero made to protest, but Villain continued. 
“Look at it like this. You said this is how you protect the city. Now I don’t doubt that, especially knowing who Spouse is; but I want you to picture it like you're on a sinking ship. Lots of people need saving, but you can’t exactly help them into the lifeboats if you yourself are still in the water.” 
Hero wrinkled their eyebrows. 
“You’ve got to climb into the lifeboat first before you can pull anyone else in.” 
Hero was taken aback. That was…that was…really good advice. 
Villain smiled, “So for tonight, leave the phone and get some rest. We can make a plan tomorrow about what to do. You’re no longer in this alone. I don’t want someone like Spouse protecting my city.” 
“You’re not alone in this anymore,” Villain reiterated. 
Hero couldn’t help the smile on their lips or the hope in their chest. They weren’t alone in this. Perhaps this time, Superhero really could be caught. Hero could stop pretending. They suddenly felt so tired.
Seeing this, Henchman helped Hero lay down and placed the thin, long ice pack on their bruised neck.  
“I’ll stay here a while, there’s an all night Friends marathon on right now,” Henchman nodded to the TV on the wall, “I always fall asleep during that show.” 
Hero knew Henchman just wanted to keep an eye on them in case their throat swelled anymore, but they appreciated the company. It had been a while since they had people around them that knew everything and still wanted to be with them. They nodded. 
“Great,” Henchman walked over to the television to get it started. Villain followed them. 
“Once they fall asleep initiate plan orange,” Villain whispered so Hero wouldn’t hear. Henchman kept flipping through channels, but Villain saw their eyes harden a moment. 
“Are you sure?” They whispered back. 
Villain nodded as they looked at the channel guide.“Yes. Tell Supervillain we have a mutual enemy,” Villain glanced back at Hero, “And the key to defeat them. Once and for all.”
131 notes · View notes
mdhwrites · 7 months
Text
Why TOH really doesn't want a theme of discrimination.
Every demon in the show is depicted as evil, dumb or as good... because they don't want to be a part of demon culture.
That's the thesis and it's not an over exaggeration. In the main cast, the only demon of the DEMON REALM is Hooty who is treated as slow, less intelligent than the other members of the cast, and as a joke by the writers as he never elevates himself above being simply comic relief. Association with him seems to be the earliest sign that Lilith is meant to be seen as a joke and her relationship with Hooty ostracizes her from the rest of the cast. Makes her appear weird because she's the only one who can like the bird tube.
Otherwise, they're all antagonists. Most of them are just one note villains for that matter. In S1, every demon with a real speaking role is a villain. The monster hunters, Warden Wrath, Tibbles, the basilisk, the publisher for King and even Boscha if her third eye denotes demonic heritage. Anyone who we see at least as neutral are pretty much just background characters. The ones from the prison in the first episode are really the only ones who get a moment of heroism.
Now you might say: What about Bat Queen? She's the richest person on the Isles and she... Isn't a demon. She's a palisman. Made by, or at least for, a god with the insinuation they give. Bare minimum: Not for any demon known to the Isles. So she doesn't count.
There ARE witch antagonists in S1 thankfully. They're Matt, who goes on to obviously be a good person at heart, Amity who... Duh and Lilith who is also redeemed. None of this happens to any of the demons though even if ostensibly this is their world since the entire dimension is named after demons.
Which, as a note, also is part of why saying TOH is anti-colonial means ignoring an entire race.
Even KING, who should have been the demon representative in the main cast, was then retconned not to be one. Worse yet, only once that retcon began did the show start treating him with any real respect. As a demon... He was just a dumb comic relief character as far as the show is concerned.
So when we FINALLY get a reoccurring demon... It's Kikimora. That should be all I need to say there.
Now the final argument: Vee. Vee is a good person, right? She's not a villain or antagonist, just a good person. And you would be right. The framing on Vee is the problem. As the ONE genuinely just good demon, we have to evaluate how she is different. She is different... Because she rejected the Demon Realm. Her parallels with Luz are even supposed to make it clear that she is better at being a human THAN LUZ. Which has the awful implication, if we want to say TOH has anti-discrimination theme, that the only good demon, is a domesticated demon. One who wants to be a human.
That's. Fucking. Awful.
And just to cover my bases: Yes, discrimination is more than a race thing but the concept of discrimination on race is actually pretty much the only one ever brought up. The fact that no one gives a shit about ethnicity or sexuality or gender actually hurts the theme because you have to project those things onto the show instead. And any allegory to discrimination is explicitly done through races. Fantasy races but that still frames it as a racial issue so its theme on anti-discrimination is going to struggle to branch out beyond racial lines because it effectively ignores that any other form of discrimination might even EXIST.
And for the finale!... I don't think any of this is on purpose by the writers. Yes, they bring discrimination into the show but just like how real life conflicts will often ignore the complexities of all the groups present, such as us referring to all Native Americans as one whole group rather than their separate tribes and histories, the show effectively forgets about the demons. They're just there for flavor because if literally all of the characters of the demon realm were elves, it wouldn't feel like it fits the name at all. It adds spice to a scene and adventure if you have demons of all sorts and sizes.
But the witches are the conventionally attractive characters who are easy to latch onto and so they are the main cast. Everything that looks other becomes a target for villainy because of that juxtaposition. Unfortunately, none of this helps any sort theme of inclusivity. That we are supposed to look past the outer shell and see the person within, regardless, race, gender, sexuality, etc. like that.
Instead, TOH tells a very basic fantasy story and in doing so, falls into the fact that a lot of classic fantasy was written by racist white dudes and the fact that the term demon is charged due to LOTS of religions that paint them out as wholly evil. Without actually interrogating these concepts, it can be easy to fall into them.
So yeah, I think this is a theme people need to stop trying to apply to TOH.
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I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.
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charg3rs0ck3t · 1 year
Text
Anti-heroism
(Alt title- “Save me?”)
TASM! Peter Parker x (vigilante) reader
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Warnings: slight angst, mentions of domestic crimes, reader kills someone (not too graphic), almost death, knives, it’s really fucking long, some fluff.
((Unedited))
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Not everyone is worth being saved.
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The first time you really met Spiderman, your hands were around his neck. You were slowly tightening your grip, but, as you looked up to watch the life leave his eyes, something you had eagerly awaited, you stopped as he began to mumble.
You knew that voice.
God fucking damnit.
———————————————————————
You hated heroes. Hated how they were considered salvations to a broken society. Maybe if the rich gave a shit the divide wouldn’t be so great.
Society is run off greed.
And yeah, sometimes the rich do give a shit, you weren’t saying thats the prime evil, the problem comes when assholes use chaos and desperation to make quick cash.
New York City was a prime example of the cesspits designed by and for humanity. In the beginning, there was no night that went by without the sound of an ambulance and a hearse in pursuit with last nights leftovers.
Now they just skipped the ambulance and went straight in with the hearse.
The city chewed people up and spat them out dead.
Heroism is dangerous. It is a false alias for mass destruction and major loss of life, and yet claims to be for the good of the people. A core of wickedness, hidden in a faux utilitarian shell. A being not whole unless causing harm and calling themself in favour of those who they massacre.
Heroism is a plague of the mind, but it doesn’t acquaint to the evil it fights. In concept, the idea was perfect. That’s where you came in.
Neither hero nor villain, but one who admits and atones to their wrongs without a need to do so. You had no image to uphold, doing what was right and paying the cost that took.
At least.. at least until you decided to catch the attention of the ‘local hero’.
———————————————————————
Growing up in New York City had its perks, one such being direction. But it was still a big city, things where constantly changing, so it wasn’t uncommon for you to drop into an alley a block or so over from your intended destination.
Usually, this was fine, however how were you to react when you come face to face with The Spiderman adjusting his costume and packing away casual clothes into a duffle.
Clearly, he didn’t know either because as he seemed to be adjusting the material at his shoulders, he turned a caught a glimpse of you.
There you two stood, at a stale mate, perfectly acquainted through previous minor conflicts and slightly contrasting morals. He began to panic, it was dreadfully obvious when all he could seem to do was gape like a fish.
“Don’t worry spider-boy, knowing what you look like would take all the fun out of it!” You exclaimed, turning your back and walking away, chuckling to yourself as you scale a wall onto another building. Hoping to finally enjoy some peace.
What you didn’t expect however, was for him to follow you.
“Where are you going?” He said, trailing just behind you. He didn’t exactly know why he had followed you up here, but you confused him so and he was intrigued.
Peter knew he was no distinguished labelled hero, Hell, he was reminded by the papers every day. He knew and he accepted that, but he had every intention to be one, no matter what.
You however, you perplexed him. You seemed to hate the evil in the city, and so you did something about it. But you hated being called a hero, you didn’t do anything by the book. In fact there were times Peter found your methods barbaric and oddly personal.
He had watched you beat the literal shit out of your fair share of criminals, but you’d really let it out in cases of domestic crimes. For being so violent, you were so passionate and so caring to victims.
But you just didn’t want to be a hero. Trust that he knows that, he’s asked you on multiple occasions and that black eye from the last time he snuck up on you still aches on occasion.
“None of your business.” You retaliated to him tiredly, soon following with a yawn. You were exhausted, Rightfully so however. You had been parading around since your class ended and it was almost 11 PM by now.
All you wanted to do was get home, finish your coursework, take a bath and sleep.
But here you were, with an eyesore in tight spandex on your ass. You couldn’t go home with him tailing you, so you’d have to go horizontal to your apartment. Sitting on some random roof and hanging your legs over a darkened alley.
Hoping to have lost him, you glanced over your shoulder, only to see him staring at you from across the roof. You sighed, getting out some protein bar and opening it. Eating away as you stared into the busy streets.
The city truly never slept and amongst the ugliness and sorrow, the chaos and twinkling lights seemed ever beautiful and you smiled at the thought.
“Why do you do it?” He muttered as he sat next to you. Getting a hum in response only prompted him to continue. “I mean, you say you hate the city, that you’d leave it first chance you have.. but somewhere in there you must love it, or you wouldn’t do this, put yourself in danger just for the innocent.”
“That’s a dark way of looking at it Spider-man, I thought you were meant to be this place’s glimmer of light!” You laughed a little, majorly just trying to release the harsh tension. “It’s not the city, it’s the people, it’s the people who this place don’t deserve. I think no matter where I was I would have ended up like this because people need something to believe in.”
“Superhero speech! That was totally a superhero speech don’t even deny it! I got it all down!” He yelled accusingly but in a light tone, pointing at you. It was fond, as if you were just two old friends bantering with each other. Even if you did push him off the roof in response with a loud ‘would a superhero do this asshole!?’
But you knew he would catch himself, that he expected it was coming.
You hated heroes, but this one just seemed to be the exception.
———————————————————————
Peter was a sweet boy, respectful, but he was pained.
You could tell he was always hiding a deeper pain, sorrow he never let himself truly feel, sorrow he may never cure himself of.
He was your best friend, a shining ray of hope even through all the dirt, but even the brightest rays where darkened and scarred by the ugly smog that was the city.
Every time you talked to him, every happy moment, he never seemed to let himself truly enjoy it. He seemed to live in the future but always worry about the present.
How can one hope to fix the present if they treat it as the past? Simple answer, you can’t.
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It was another night in New York, even the lume of the many billboards couldn’t shine upon every shadowed corner. So, evil continued in the darkness.
You already hadn’t been having a great day, your job had double booked you for 2 meetings and you had spent hours being yelled at for trying to point out the issue. Plus, you had to miss one of your lectures because the meeting went over by an hour. So really you were just sick of today, wanting nothing more than to curl up at home with a bottle of wine and some shitty tv.
But, unfortunately for you, one of the gangs you’ve been trailing, notedly unsuccessfully, for the past month finally left a huge clue. They would be sending out another shipment tonight, dabbling in special enhancement drugs that made most people go insane.
So here you were, sat on a rooftop watching some goons bicker in-front of the entrance of the warehouse. You were calculating how long until the anonymous tip you’d send to the police would take to dispatch. Either way you had a good Fifteen minutes before anyone came running.
At least, that was until Spiderman decided to grace you with his presence. A presence that you really didn’t need right now, especially when already peeved off.
“What are we doing?~” He whispered mockingly, getting a glare in retaliation. But, not content with that answer he repeated the question again.
“Oh lord give me patience, or atleast a fucking knife.” You muttered to yourself. “ ‘we’ are doing nothing, you, you are going to leave me alone and go save another cat from a tree and I, I am going to go actually make a change in this city.”
He just laughed and shook his head at your response, “oh cmon! Why can’t we be partners! An iconic duo! Like Batman and Robin, Bonnie and Clyde or something!”
“We are not going to be either of those thi- wait shut up for a second.” He began to open his mouth but closed it as you stared intently below, the doors of the warehouse opening mockingly.
“Stay here!” You whispered, the last thing you needed was his moralistic hero speeches as you were using some guy as a punching bag. So as he stood obediently, you scaled down the building to an open window, Three stories high.
The room you entered seemed empty and cold, as though no one had been inside in years. Merely a week prior, their main base of operations was set up in here. It was all a trap.
But who had known you would be coming?
You got your answer in the form of a sharp stab at your side, looking down to find a knife expertly lodged in your flesh. It didn’t seem fatal or anything at the time, but it definitely hurt like a bitch.
Turning around to see the man, hands now covered in your blood, was effortless, even more so as your body seemed to simply flow, contorting in quivers of motion as you eventually left him a bloody pulp, dead, sprawled still upon the floor.
You couldn’t continue, you were tired, woozy and bleeding. Shipment or not, you would have to do this another night, plus you definitely couldn’t be around when the police turned up.
Seeing the flashing lights and hearing the sirens was what drove you to stand up and finally clamber out the window. Admittedly, not as gracefully as usual, but you got a free pass since the knife was still lodged pitifully into your side.
———————————————————————
It comes to a point in a persons life (typically as they’re jumping and weaving from one rooftop to another with their only intention to get home and patch up a literal stab wound), when they wonder if it’s all worth it.
This was that moment for you. As you stumbled from another roof, almost falling into the bustling streets below, you had to take a moment to catch a breath.
Turns out, even that seemed a bad idea because as you closed your eyes, you heard a whoosh of air and the thump of the hero, the one you seemed to come to know so much of, landing next to you.
Today really wasn’t your finest and all you seemed to want to do was sleep. It was infuriating and nothing was going your way.
“What do you want?” You hissed at him, you were in no mood to entertain. All you wanted was to close your eyes, maybe have a little nap, just so you could finally get home tonight.
He took one long look at you, staring at your slumping figure, drooping before him.
It was depressing to see you like this, he didn’t know what happened in the 20 minutes it’d been since you parted, but you were not in a good state. He was worried, and maybe, just maybe, he was scared.
As he went to go pick you up, or at least help you to your feet, his arms wrapped around you. His fingers finally trailed to the bloody hilt of the knife and he gasped, it was light and restricted, but he was shocked nonetheless and didn’t hide it well. He pulled his hand back and observing the reddened substance on his hands, before his eyes landed on your face.
“Calm down, it’s not toxic or anything- it’s just blood- not all of us can be ‘mr I never get hurt in fights’.” You slurred and hiccuped out the sentence, trying to uphold the typical rivalling ‘banter’ you two thrived on.
But He didn’t laugh.
The blank eyes of that mask just bore into yours, especially when he seemed to take in every detail of the injury.
“You are so lucky I care!-“ He was angry, thrashing his arms and pacing back and forward. “If I didn’t I’d shove you in a hospital right now and let them expose you to the world! Shove you off and not let you be my problem.” He was being mean, spiteful, but he was also saddened.
“If I recall Spiderman- you were the one who bothered me.” You laughed in a hushed tone, at least before grabbing at your side as a sharp sensation jolted through it. It hurt and you let out a soft sob.
“My name is Peter, If you’re gonna die here, tonight, on this shitty run down roof, you deserve to know my name.” He was downcast, turning to face you, to grasp a reaction. All he could see was the small shape of a smile under your own mask. How could you just sit there and smile at him? How could you do this to him at a time like this?
“I know, I’ve always known Pete. I probably wouldn’t have put up with you for so long if I didn’t…” you whispered out cautiously, causing his head to whip in your direction.
“How- wait! Wait- No- Please tell me it’s not you! Please (Name)! Please No!” He ran over, dropping to your side and ripping off his own mask before gently going to remove your own.
So you smiled at him, it’d been a few days since you last saw his real face. Even tear stained, his was your favourite.
“I’m sorry Pete, I didn’t mean for it to go this way. I knew, I knew since the first time I met you in costume. I tried to kill you, my hands were around your throat. You only escaped that night because of your voice. So maybe.. maybe this is karma? Maybe this is what I get for killing all of these people! Hell, I don’t regret it, maybe that makes it worse, but what does it all matter anyways if I die on this rooftop tonight?” It all came out in a blur, maybe it was adrenaline, maybe it was fear, you couldn’t tell.
“You’re not gonna die tonight, not now I know it’s you. I’m gonna make sure you live.” He was crying, big tears welled up in his eyes, spilling onto his reddened cheeks.
“You can’t save everyone Peter, I know you want to, but you can’t. You can’t save me, not from what I’ve done and not from the consequences of that.” You knew you had done terrible things, and you knew that you didn’t regret a single one. You didn’t regret anything, except maybe dying without apologising, without telling him how you feel.
“No, no I can’t. But you can save yourself.”
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It all went by in a flash, there were moments when you were semi-lucid. You could look around, take it all in, but you couldn’t speak, couldn’t see faces.
You had been treated, not professionally and definitely not in a hospital, but well enough. You would live.
Finally waking up, you felt exhausted. You craved the idea of sleep, but you detested the days of nightmares you had been trapped in.
Not speaking when awake was something you could handle, but being stuck in a constant terror of false reality drove you insane. You saw Peter’s face in them, he was always distorted and full of rage.
“I hate you.” He’d say
“I will never forgive you.” He’d spit.
“If you had died, I’d have one less criminal on the streets to worry about.” He’d hiss.
You knew it wasn’t real, but it hurt all the same. Whilst you knew that those things he was saying were all in your dreams, all the things you had done were very much real.
It was cliché. You had only once rethought your path before now, that was the first time you had ever met him. He was a small boy, hardly could stand up for himself, but he was something good, infinitely flowing with hope for a better future.
Now here you were, trudging your way from the made up bed on his apartments couch. You’d been here many times before, when he was significantly less aware. Before, it always felt like home, but now it felt like even the walls had eyes that looked upon you with hate, pity and betrayal.
If anything, you wished you could apologise to this place you loved so much, to the lies you told under this sturdy roof and to the cement foundations that had fallen akin a victim to your actions.
You stood outside Peters room for a long while, staring at the Chipping paint at the corners of the door. Debating returning to the couch, but before you could retreat back a voice rang from within the room.
“Are you coming in?” He seemed calm, composed and confident.
Entering the room, he seemed all but that, he seemed anxious and at the same time relieved, he was scared and he was happy. He was confusing.
Walking forward was subconscious. Peter often struggled getting to sleep so you had slept in his room many times.
This time was different though, you weren’t just here because your study date ran over.
He gestured to the empty space upon the bed, so you tucked yourself under the duvet. His bed was comfortable, but you wrapped an arm around him and rested your head upon his chest. Your bodies both suddenly began jolting, he had begin to silently sob, and so you laid there, quietly shushing him as he cried, arms wrapped around him.
Finally the world felt right again, maybe he could save you, because If the world felt this good all the time you wouldn’t have to fight.
“Never do that to me again” he muttered finally.
“Okay.. I love you..” you murmured in response, nuzzling your head further into his chest.
“I love you too, we’ll talk in the morning.” He shuffled slightly to place a delicate kiss on your forehead before falling asleep with you finally in his arms again.
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