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#i mean he started off as a generic villain
ozzgin · 1 day
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Hi!! Your writing it truly lovely 😭<33 If i could request anything with Zzy? Thank youuu
Yandere! Demon x Gloomy! Reader (II)
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Featuring the goat-legged boy Zzy and a gloomy, newly employed detective Reader! By the way, his name is a little tribute to a series I like. Can you guess who inspired it? Hint: it's Jhonen Vasquez's first comic :D
Content: female reader, perverted goat demon yandere, dark/crass humor!, monster romance, mildly NSFW
[Part 1] [Monster masterlist]
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The detective man, at the very least, kept his word. The pay is good, and you barely have any work to do. The jobs themselves are similarly not too challenging: so far you haven’t had to deal with any murder mystery out of an Agatha Christie novel. Rather, most of the time, it’s someone asking you to investigate their cheating partner, or sending you to do a background check for an employee. Every now and then you’ll get the odd client, but that’s something for another day.
Your boss isn’t all that bad either. You were initially quite hesitant to be alone in the room with him. He always seems to be surrounded by an eerie, dark aura, and you’ve only seen him smile in a menacing, villainous way. Now you’ve gotten used to his strangeness. In fact, it’s almost comforting. There’s something refreshing about another human being honest about their misery. He seems to be just as uninterested in this job as you are, spending most of his time reading at his desk. Despite his unkempt, scary appearance, he's pleasant enough and looks after you. Which, now that you think about it, is a little suspicious. You've seen him act around other people: curt and to the point, disinterested, even potentially rude. With demons, he's ruthless.
"Have you had lunch yet?" the man asks, standing up and dusting his knees. "I can get us something."
You nod and flash him a flaccid smile, although you can't help but ask:
"Listen, aren't you being a little too nice? I mean, I'm not complaining...but I've seen how you behave in general, and I have a hard time coming up with a reason for my special treatment."
He ponders your question for a moment, before his sunken eyes look ahead, somewhere behind you.
"Well…If I’m being honest, you’re kind of pathetic, aren't you? I’m just a little worried that if I’m too harsh, I’ll find out you hanged yourself in your apartment or something. Not that I’d care, but if you’re gone, I’m the one stuck with…that thing.”
Ah. That’s what it was. Almost immediately, a shiver runs across your spine.
“(Y/N)! Are you done yet? I’m booooooored”, a prolonged whine erupts from the neighboring chamber.
“I’m about to have lunch, actually. Do you want any-”
“You know I do! Spread those legs and I can start”, the goat demon declares with a grin, clacking his hooves in your direction.
You sigh.
Of course. Months ago, you were tricked into signing a lifelong contract with Zzy. It was the detective’s way of washing his hands off the matter and warmly welcoming you into the agency. It makes sense that he'd treat you with utmost care, otherwise he'd have to deal with this pest from Hell once again.
How's your life with Zzy going?
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You've since found a way to seal your bedroom, in order to avoid waking up with his groping hands under your sheets. Sadly, the stubborn creature keeps finding ways to bypass your safety measurements. Who would’ve thought that lust is such a powerful driving force?
On top of the nightly shenanigans, you obviously have to deal with him during the day, at the agency. “Listen, it’s like…one of those fidget toys. It helps with stress”, he explains fervently while pointing at your chest. “You want me to do my work properly, don’t you?” He concludes theatrically. “You’re not holding my boobs. This is the end of the conversation.”
If you’re having a bad day, it won’t go unnoticed. “Boy, what a smell, what a delicacy. You’re even more miserable than usual”, Zzy will exclaim, throwing his hands together in a graceful prayer. “You know what the best medicine is? A quick fuck. Let me pound that sadness out of you, eh?”
Despite his constant clowning, the demon does have moments of clarity. He becomes particularly serious when jealous. “What have you done?” You shout in despair, gawking at the client - now morphed into a pig - foaming at the mouth and running around the room. “He was staring at your ass. Only I can do that.” The horned man stands proud, arms crossed, nodding at his own courageous act. His most treasured belonging has been defended once more.
As expected, the jealous curse has gotten both of you into time-out. Zzy because he cursed the client in the first place, and you - despite your protests - because you didn't stop him in time. "Can't you wear something easier to take off? It takes two business days to unbutton this crap", the demon complains as he fiddles with your shirt. You're laying on the sofa, hands behind your head, gazing at the clock on the wall and counting the minutes passing. Unbothered, compliant. The peacefulness of someone who's given up. "Zipper is to the left", you add, aiding the process.
Another irritating detail is that the damned beast can detect the slightest arousal coming from you, and will make sure to announce it loudly, regardless of who is around. "Someone's horny! Whew, getting me all worked up, too." You slap a hand over his mouth, a deep red blush rapidly spreading across your cheeks. You turn to the detective and apologize profusely, but he remains unconcerned, flipping another page. "Let me take care of her first, Mr. Detective", Zzy manages to mumble through your pressed fingers. "As long as you get the task done", your boss responds plainly, never bothering to look up from his book.
"You should visit me down there sometimes", the horned creature suddenly mentions, his head resting in your lap as you idly browse your phone. You stop to glance down at him. "In Hell, you mean?" He snickers at the thought. "No one believes me when I tell them I have a human girlfriend. I need concrete proof, ya feel me?" You raise an eyebrow. "Girlfriend?" He disregards your inquiry and continues: "At least give me a pair of your panties to take back home." Absolutely not.
"Were you this much of a menace before I showed up?"
"What's that supposed to mean?! You can't blame a demon for being in love."
You sigh once more and roll over.
"Does that mean we can go for round two~?" Zzy is grinning at his own suggestion.
"Just go to sleep. Or something."
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zzthekaiju · 1 day
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Best of the Reptiles in Media - 01 - Godzilla (Monsterverse)
I figure that while I'm using this blog, I might as well post my ramblings on a subject dear to my heart: That being the representation of reptiles as characters in media. And not just villainous or vile ones like we're so used to. I'm talking about ones that inspire me. The ones that are legitimately compelling to me. And these posts are an excuse to espouse why.
Plus, it's just fun. You can thank the likes of @tyrantisterror and @bogleech for inspiring me to do these.
So who better to start with than with the lizard who's been an inspiration to me for almost my entire life. That being the one known as Gojira. AKA...Godzilla.
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This is the one character in these posts who probably needs no introduction. Ever since his debut in 1954, the walking embodiment of the horrors of nuclear war, among other things, has been nothing less than an icon. This is the beast people think about when they hear "giant monster" or "kaiju". This is truly the King of the Monsters.
My introduction to Godzilla was a children's book called "Godzilla on Monster Island". It was a fun read full of neat monsters living together and teaming up to stop an evil plan. And it left me wanting more. I wanted more stories of these fantastic yet friendly beasts being friends and living together while having fun adventures. Little me was a bit disappointed to find that Godzilla spent more time fighting his fellow kaiju and trashing cities instead.
The truth, as I would find out, was that Godzilla is never just one thing. He is a fun defender of the Earth. He's the terrifying consequences of our tampering with both nature and science. And in recent memory, he's been a lot of other things. But most of the time, he's either hero or mankind's hubris on two legs. To me, he was a giant dinosaur that could fire thermonuclear breath, and that was all that mattered. It was after hearing about the historical significance of him that my respect doubled.
Back then, I would tell you that my favorite Godzilla from a design standpoint was the 2002 version. Personality wise, almost every Showa appearance post-1964.
But in 2014, everything changed. In came a Goji that seemed to have everything I could ask for. So, we're going to look at the one that resonates with me the most. The Monsterverse version.
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That right there is perhaps one of the most awe-inspiring entrances I've ever seen in a cinema.
Before the release of Godzilla (2014), the franchise had entered something of a slump period. The last film was all the way back in 2004, and sadly, the kaiju genre was still something of a niche thing growing up. Here in America, you either liked superheroes or real-life celebrities as a kid. If you liked monsters, let alone giant monsters, you were one of the weird kids. That, or one of the kids who never lost their passion for dinosaurs. But those were rare.
Then Gareth Edwards unleashed this film, and while one could argue that Pacific Rim (2013) got the ball rolling, THIS ultimately resurrected the entire franchise of the Big G, and got him a degree of general respect from most film-goers (so long as you ignore the irritating internet drama regarding screen-time back then).
But let's get to the meat of this post. Why is this Godzilla so much better to me than the rest? A few things, really.
First off, there's Godzilla's role in the Monsterverse's narrative. For the most part, he is a guardian of the natural order, a means of bringing balance to imbalance. He is a metaphor for how nature is capable of righting itself, and how we either have to deal with it, or live with the consequences. In practice, Godzilla ends up going up against almost every monster, most of which are only a threat because we awakened them/created them. Yet despite this, he doesn't go out of his way to destroy us. He's not mindlessly destructive or particularly vengeful either. He knows we're a part of the world too. We just tend to grate a bit more on his nerves because of how much we screw up. If there's one thing this series isn't afraid to show, it's that...well, "the arrogance of man is thinking nature is within our control, and not the other way around."
Design-wise, this is one of the best Godzilla's around. He's bulky, has a killer stare, and there's something oddly endearing about how...well, meaty he is. He's like if my aforementioned previous favorite design, the 2002 one, put on both a lot of muscle and weight. It also ties into his fighting style, said to have been inspired particularly by bears. Even the sounds associated with him are amazing. From that hype-inducing charge of his thermonuclear breath to what might be the best rendition of the classic roar.
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Then there is the body language. This Godzilla's usual gait is slow, almost plodding at times. He shows clear signs of exhaustion in some scenes. What he goes through is hard, and his job is even harder, but he still does it. It really helps sell his personality most of the time.
Part of why I like the Monsterverse so much is that, for the most part, the kaiju are treated as characters in their own right (that's not to say they weren't in previous iterations, far from it, but it's a bit more pronounced here than most of the post-Showa stuff). Sure, some films in this verse are better about it than others (more on that later...), but I like how you can glean what Godzilla is thinking of just by looking at his eyes. Of particular note is how they widen in "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" when Ghidorah gains the upper hand during the final battle, his absolute sneer of anger in the first movie when the male MUTO approaches him, or...this.
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This scene. This one right here encapsulates so much of what I love about this iteration. Where Godzilla, dazed and thoroughly battered by both the fight with the MUTOS and having a building fall right on him, locks eyes with a tiny little soldier. You see a sense of tiredness, of pain, of acknowledgement, and maybe even a little wonder. This is not just some mindless beast fighting for its turf. It's a thinking being. And he's hurt. The most powerful creature on the planet isn't invincible, neither on the outside and definitely not on the inside.
And you know what? I've been there. There are times where I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world, that there are things too heavy to bear, and its suffocating. Godzilla constantly shows throughout the Monsterverse that his job as a living balancing act is wearing on him. He gets put through so. Much. Crap. From getting buildings dropped on him to being personally dropped from a distance above the clouds to watching his symbiotic partner/mate die, it's almost unfair how we're expected to not really sympathize with him as much as...I'll get to that later.
But he never gives up. Despite all the pain and fatigue, he gets back up, and he fights. And he fights. And he continues until the deed is done. Someone has to rise to the occasion, and it might as well be him. If not him, then who?
That is the biggest reason I resonate with this Godzilla. His awe-inspiring design is one thing, but he gave me the strength to persevere. I don't give up, because he never did. Never before had the Big G been such a hero to me. Such that in 2014 I found myself silently sobbing to myself when it seemed like he was dead near the end even though that was clearly not the case. It's hardly a surprise that I based my personal Godzilla AU on him, albeit with the moer sympathetic traits dialed up. Stuff like this made G14 and KOTM some of my favorite kaiju flicks...
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...which made it more than a little disappointing when Wingard took the helm and basically said "screw that, this is about the monke now!" Yeah, GvK is the weakest entry in the series for me for a reason. Godzilla's more redeeming qualities are buried under a narrative that clearly is not interested in giving him the time of day or even the benefit of a doubt. Both it and it's successor, GxK, are Kong movies through and through, and that means poor Big G is put out of focus.
I cannot tell you how much I HATE this idea that the only way a monster can be relatable is if it either looks almost just like us or is really cute. Yes, I understand the universal appeal, but they had such a good thing going for Godzilla! And they throw almost all of it away just so that they can make Kong look better by comparison.
Credit where it's due, these issues are slightly improved in GxK. It's not only firmly established that Godzilla is an overall benefit to the world for keeping the other Titans in check, but we get some interesting bits with him like how he instantly responds and prepares to answer the call of the Iwi and help them. It shows that despite his tenuous relationship with humans, there are ones he clearly gives a lot of thought to. And there's also how he makes the Roman Coliseum his own personal bed. Not only is it kind of hilariously adorable, but if you remember how in KOTM he had his own man-made temple, you get the impression that he has a bit of homesickness. That's the kind of thing I like to see! More of that and less "he's only ever angry and he only ever fights, character is for primates only".
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Also, while the Evolved design has nice details, I WANT THAT GUT BACK! it just looks weird otherwise with that disproportionately skinny waist.
But thankfully, our prayers might be answered:
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With GxK's roaring success (ha!), it's more than likely that the next Monsterverse entry will finally give Godzilla an overdue character arc that doesn't begin and end with "destroy everyone and act big and scary and nothing else". Just please make sure that he doesn't have to die to get that. There are plenty of ways you can make us invest in the guy's story without having to kill him. I WANT to see more of that emotional vulnerability teased across the movies. I want to see him come to terms with how he's been going about his job. And more importantly...I want to see a more explicit Mothzilla scene. A nuzzle and everything. But that's just me.
Whatever the quality of his current status, nothing is taking away how much I love this version of Godzilla. He's taken me out of some very dark places, and for that, I say long live the king.
Also, he brought Mothzilla into the public sphere and every Mothzilla pic made since is the cutest thing ever, so I just love him even more.
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tavina-writes · 3 days
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I started reading LOCH after seeing do many posts about the adaptations, and now I can't help but wonder: Do you think the Jin Sect in MDZS was an intentional reference to the Jin dynasty villains, what with their flaunting an imperial color in their clothing and their lots and lots and lots of scheming as opposed to bald-faced battle skill? Or are "Jin" villains in general just enough of a genre convention that MXTX passively absorbed it?
Okay so, I think this is a bit of a conflation of a number of different things, and I'll explain in more depth, but upfront:
No, I do not believe the Jin "villains" in LOCH share any similarity in any way with the Jin Sect in MDZS passively absorbed or otherwise.
Let me explain:
The Jin mentioned in Jin Yong's Legend of the Condor Heroes, especially the Wanyans -- Wanyan Honglie and the rest of the Jin imperial family -- are based firmly in the real history of the fall of the Southern Song dynasty. (circa 12th century). The Da Jin/Jin Empire was created by the Jurchen people and occupied much of what used to be the northern portion of what, at the time, was considered Song territory. (see wikipedia article here for more nuanced discussion of what the "Jin Empire" was.)
The Jin Sect <- aka a bloodline sect of Presumably Han Chinese People Surnamed Jin (we have no canonical evidence to believe any of the sects presented to us in MDZS are of any ethnicity besides Han btw), are based in Lanling County in the Shandong Province of a historical fantasy time period. There is no resemblance between the two. The Jin in MDZS presumably wear a lot of yellow/gold because their surname itself means...yellow/gold.
If I DID have to say "I think the Jin were inspired by xyz from Jin Yong's novels" I would probably think that they were inspired in part by the Songshan Sect in one of Jin Yong's later novels Xiao Ao Jianghu, because their sect leader Zuo Lengchan is a greedy despotic semi chief cultivator type persona who preys on jianghu infighting and the youth of various sect leaders in the Five Mountain Sword Sect Alliance after he's politically knocked off other older more experienced sect leaders, is obsessed with a cultivation manual that will make him #TheMostPowerful, commits atrocities like massacring whole sects, and the Songshan Sect wears....a lot of yellow.
Also as an addendum: "Jin" villains are not remotely a wuxia genre convention. They can't be passively absorbed. The discussion of the Jurchen people in LOCH and why they are cast as villainous in the novel is directly correlated with the colonization of the Han Chinese during that time period in history.
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blueteller · 5 months
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THERE HE IS
THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF OUR POPE
✨CLOPEH SEKKA~! ✨
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ystrike1 · 17 days
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I hate doing this but there's drama in the horror webtoon community and I have to vent.
Do NOT support Hanza_art
If you don't want to be spoiled/involve yourself in a toxic situation do not read further.
My Deepest Secret was infamous for its overly miserable plot twist ending. The main character turned out to be "crazy" and "delusional". Somehow that protagonist was capable of living a normal life and being a serial killer at the same time. This character never got real professional help, and they were left to suffer in their delusions.
The horror community is often wary of authors that portray mentally ill people as unsalvagable or monstrous. Personally, I was horrified.
The backlash was horrible because the plot twist made no sense in general. In addition the story was marketed as a romance and by the end nobody had paired off. I felt my time was wasted, and I was disgusted by the way the "true villain" was discarded for the crime of being mentally ill.
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When Hanza returned with a more level-headed protagonist and a more violent psychopathic villain....some readers gave the author another chance.
I don't blame them. Paranoid characters like Rozy are very interesting! Especially as main characters!
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Hawa, the secondary female lead, grows out of her "naive victim" stereotype as well. It's very satisfying to watch. It was tied together nicely by the handsome villain, Adam.
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Adam is extremely evil and irredeemable. When the story begins he is a serial killer who targets "innocent, sweet" girls like Hawa.
Rozy is overprotective and she doesn't trust men. In fact she's a known man hater. The characters are all adults, so their character traits and desires aren't just quirks. They are all deeply flawed people.
It was a very promising start.
Plus, it wasn't marketed as a romance so I was sure it would be written better! The weakest part of My Deepest Secret was the romance (by the end I mean) so yay!
Or not...
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I do not keep up with TGU on a regular basis. The plot slowed down considerably and I noticed a worrying trend. Frankly, I'm not shocked by this immature behavior in the slightest.
Every single male character in TGU is a sexist abuser who harbors violent thoughts about women.
Hanza is very good at writing scary, irredeemable, sexist pigs that belong in jail...but it was a worrying trend all the same.
Adam was a smart, handsome serial killer who liked to hide in plain sight. By about chapter fifty he was alot dumber, and I cannot stress this enough.
Every male character that associates with Rozy or Hana turns out to be a stalker or harasser. The kind that would get charged in real life.
That kind of hatred towards "all men" is worrying in a thriller comic, and it was very annoying.
I wanted Rozy to outsmart Adam.
I don't want to watch her and Hana be abused by multiple men (mostly former friends!).
I came for the girl boss mystery, and I got alot of sexism instead. What a slap in the face.
Past a certain point I was only checking in to see how bad the story had gotten....and...yup....the male police officer helping Rozy is also a weird guy.
............first of all that's boring.
Second of all it's insulting.
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Hanza hates toxic romance, and it shows, and that's perfectly ok. It's not for everyone, but Hanza has built their entire career on top of sexy murder men...so their attitude is extremely hypocritical and annoying as heck to watch.
"I hate toxic romance but I'm also going to sell suit merch of Elios and Adam."
Like, what did you expect?
Hanza is an adult creator, and they do know who they're catering to.
At this point they are absolutely insulting the fans that pay their bills, and that's unacceptable.
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Authors are public figures now. They have been since the Facebook Era. Random internet trolls should not influence how you speak to your fan base. I understand that working for Webtoon is brutally hard, but Hanza is a popular artist despite their fumbled first story.
It's like watching somebody blow their nose on a golden ticket.
TGU was their second chance. A very generous second chance, that got great reviews in the beginning.
I'm astonished that Hanza somehow managed to concoct another dud plot twist. Their rude attitude has to be the nail in their coffin. They should not get a third generously funded chance.
Don't interact with their posts.
Don't review bomb the webtoon.
Don't give them any more attention.
They've made more than enough money off of fans they clearly don't respect.
Every creator worth their salt knows trolls and super perverts are only 0.05% of any given Fandom.
If Hanza wants to spit on the 99.95% fine.
Just don't give them any more money or support. That's the only punishment fans have the right to inflict.
Why am I so upset?
Well, as you can see Hanza posted spoilers. They spoiler bombed Twitter because they don't want to finish TGU.
That's right. On top of insulting everybody who paid for this comic they also don't want to finish. Despite the fact that the story reached its climax recently. The girlboss alliance is finally forming against Adam but...too bad I don't wanna write it (suckers).
The sibling plot twist is just abysmal as well.
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Shame on you Hanza.
You damn well know that this sibling plot twist is completely out of left field and unexpected. (and boring. I am convinced you are trolling your fans.)
The shipper trolls and the edgy Rozy/Adam fans had no idea it was coming before you randomly spoiled it.
For the record I don't ship anything in this lackluster comic, because I know better. Again, My Deepest Secret was marketed as a Romantic Thriller and then there was zero payoff. Sure, this one isn't a romance, but I don't think anyone signed up for every guy on the block being evil. Just the guy upstairs. Since the story isn't even about love I never imagined so much drama would come out. It feels very pointless and petty. Every time I hear about this artist it's a drama issue and I can't help but think they're part of the problem. Their recent behavior on social media hasn't left me with any other options.
Hanza, you are being manipulative and childish on purpose because you don't want to finish what you started.
You pandered to horror and toxic romance fans on purpose just to get money.
You spoiled a story millions of people have been reading regularly just to satisfy your childish need to bully your own fans.
You took their money.
You signed your contract.
Nobody made you do it.
If you really are super conservative and you think romance must be pure LEAVE US ALONE, and go write pure romance.
Nobody is stopping you, but you wanted to milk more money out of people you don't respect.
It's sickening, and I'm happy that TGU will never get a physical release.
You don't deserve a dime of that money.
Shame. On. You.
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bl4ckth0rn3 · 3 months
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Okay no fuck you guys it is 2am and I am gonna fucking rant cuz, respectfully, some of y'all are being so dumb. Like i get that different opinions are valid but the opinions are wrong and they're fuckin annoying as shit. More than anything, the criticism of the tv show changing details from the story is starting to really fucking piss me off.
1) the book is told from Percy’s perspective - there is NO WAY of making an adaptation 100% faithful from that because you don’t have insight into when he starts noticing when something’s wrong. To me, going into it knowing that Aunty Em was Medusa or Crusty was Procrustus made so much more sense. Not just because it made sense for the audience but also because we got to see how the characters acted in that situation.
2) PLUS, Percy is the definition of unreliable narrator. We finally see this shit from outside his dumbass-12-year-old-boy brain
3) if i see one more fucking comment about the solstice deadline passing I am gonna start throwing shit. It ADDED A NEW DIMENSION. It made it seem like all their work up until that point had been hopeless which was SO POWERFUL and gave us real insight into Percy's fucking resilience. Fuck yall.
4) the pearls as well. Not being funny, but that was literally one of the greatest changes. Wanna know why, fucknuts? BECAUSE the story wasn't just from Percy's POV which meant that we got more of Sally's backstory w Poseidon which means it makes sense that he would want to save her. He loves her.
5) the story is nearly 20 years old. Let Rick update it and write it the way he wants to write it in 2024. (Prime example: Medusa = still a villain, but acknowledged as a victim)
6) ABOVE ALL, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THIS ADAPTATION WAS STAYING TRUE TO THE CHARACTERS (which a certain film or two pointedly failed to do). The characters are why Rick wrote the book in the first place, giving his kids a place to feel seen in mainstream media and offering up really positive role models whilst he was at it. Percy is loyal, and determined, and kind, and brave. Annabeth is proud, and brilliantly intelligent, and strong, and independent. Grover is true, and just, and innocent, and good. If you all really can't see past changes that really didn't ultimately dramatically effect character development/more general plot progression then honestly i wonder what you ever thought you were gonna get out of it.
7) it’s Rick’s story. Let him do whatever the fuck he wants with the world he very kindly gifted to us. This was an excellent tv show, y’all are just bitter because it wasn’t copy+pasted from the book.
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creaman · 28 days
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—BECAUSE KUNG FU PANDA 4 KILLED MY GRANDMA, OKAY?
To preface, I watched this movie and I'm genuinely tweaking right now so I had to write down a very brief (lie) criticism on this film — which you should boycott, by the way.
Starting with the things I liked, before briefing my primary points of criticism:
Po's Character Regression
Po and Zhen's Dynamic
The Chameleon
I'd also yap about Lord Shen and the death of the art style and the entire narrative and pacing and use of the staff of wisdom but my therapist says being such a hater is 'unhealthy' or something. My heart is full of hatred.
SPOILERS for the entirety KFP4 for the 2 people who care.
KFP4 undermines and ignores the previous three movies — Unwriting character developments, outright removing the Furious Five, straying from the character design philosophies and is completely inconsistent with the established lore.
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Things I Liked About Kung Fu Panda 4
The Chameleon's character design
Visual gag in the Tavern where Po uses a recently thrown axe as a hat rack (made me laugh)
When Mr. Ping did this:
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so cute! the little heart!
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Po — Character Writing
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Po, as established in the previous movies, is confident in his abilities and identity — he’s learnt inner peace, he’s matured as a character. However, in KFP4, his character has completely regressed. He’s immature again (such as KFP1, possibly worse) and says verbatim, “only knows kicking butt and taking names” — UNLEARNING inner peace and insisting that “…being the Dragon Warrior is all I know.”
It’s childish, and sort of Hotel Transylvania-esque.
Which isn’t helped by the comedy, the dialogue — a large chunk of which are jokes in the style of:
Master Shifu says something philosophical
Po quips off of it / doesn’t get it (i.e. Whoa!! beat I don’t know what that means.)
Oh, it’s great, yeah, very tolerable. Po’s shenanigans are normally reeled in by the presence of the Furious Five who are generally more serious in nature, creating a much needed balance in the dynamic — So without them, it’s just Po becoming increasingly obnoxious and insufferable with every consecutive quip throughout the screenplay.
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Po and Zhen — Character Dynamics
[No more graphics sorry I'm too angry]
As if it wasn’t obvious that Zhen was going to be the next Dragon Warrior the second she was introduced.
Zhen, as a character, has no depth besides being a quippy thief. She quips, she steals. This character has no motives — it can be assumed that the writers intended on a ‘change of heart’ thing, but she isn’t established as evil, her working for the Chameleon is written as a (albeit poor) twist reveal.
By which point, her taking either side wouldn’t make sense, given that she has shown no loyalty or attachment to either Po nor the Chameleon.
The movie artificially strengthens their bond by having Zhen start opening up about her backstory out of nowhere for no reason but they have done nothing to grow closer to each other.
Small tangent, her backstory is exactly what you’d expect it to be with no subversions or even emotional weight. Woe is me I was so small and hungry I had to steal to survive. Glossed over in about a minute.
The majority of the dialogue between Zhen and Po is spoken exposition — explaining how powerful and badass the Chameleon is, explaining how ‘we have to go here to do that’ and ‘this place was cool until the Chameleon did such and such’, and the rest of their time together is spent engaging in filler chase sequences and fight scenes.
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The Chameleon
Where do I even start…
This is where it becomes apparent that the movie relies heavily on telling rather than showing —
She is the weakest villain by far, not only in universe but as a written character; which is particularly disheartening because I genuinely adore her character design and feel as though a shapeshifting character has great potential.
The movie artificially inflates her power by insisting through exposition that this is the most capable antagonist thus far (lie).
The audience is TOLD by Zhen and various restaurant patrons that the Chameleon is a powerful shapeshifting sorceress and that she 'dominates the city' whilst the film does nothing to showcase this.
'Dominating the city' meaning letting her henchpeople run amock and bully the civilians just like Lord Shen's wolves in KFP2... uninspired.
I just realised they didn't even give her a NAME what the FUCK is going on
She describes HERSELF as ruthless, clever and unsentimental when comparing Zhen to herself.
She says HERSELF that she’s “Stronger than every opponent you’ve ever faced.”
Let’s see what vile reprehensible things she’s done, shall we?
Gently push someone down some stairs
Her first appearance is through Zhen’s exposition, as opposed to the dramatic and memorable entrances of the previous villains. Her motives or character aren’t established until the final third of the film. She doesn’t even FIGHT anybody until the final third of the film; and even then, her fight sequences are uninspired and she never really poses a real threat. (She goes down in two hits.)
That being said, WE CAN STILL SAVE HER GUYS WE CAN STILL GET HER OUTTA THERE I'M COMING FOR YOU CHAMELEON I'M GONNA DRAFT YOU A PROPER BACKSTORY AND MOTIVE AND YOU'RE GONNA BE THE MOST THREATENING VILLAIN THUS FAR
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There's a scene after the climax of the film where all the kung fu masters and previous villains from the spirit realm bow to Po. I'm not going to provide my thoughts on this because I fear I may burst a blood vessel. Good day!
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Closing Statements
To put it simply, Kung Fu Panda 4 was my Megamind 2.
The film rejects its predecessors in every way. It really feels as though they brought in somebody with no prior knowledge of the franchise to direct the movie.
It's a film that relies heavily on telling rather than showing — banking on the previous three movies to carry it through the box office.
It's just really disheartening to see studio execs turn one of the best franchises into a safe sequel cash grab and regress every character's development.
Nevertheless. I do adore the chameleon's character design so I might do my own take on her character.
As far as I'm concerned, there is no fairy godmother, there is no tooth fairy, and there is no kung fu panda 4.
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soupthatistohot · 9 months
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BSD 109 Spoilers!!!
I will always always ALWAYS come back to this panel when talking about Asagiri’s storytelling.
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At its very core, BSD is an absurdist text, Kafka Asagiri having been inspired by many absurdist authors. Franz Kafka, who he took his pseudonym from is one of them. Albert Camus, basically the most well-known absurdist is referenced with the Mersault prison, the name of which comes from a character in his most famous absurdist work, The Stranger. 
Absurdism is the belief that the world around us is irrational and inherently absurd and that explicitly seeking meaning is pointless. In his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus explains, that there is value in the act of rebellion, though. Sisyphus, who has been doomed to roll a boulder up a mountain only for the boulder to tumble back down each time he reaches the peak, finds meaning in the act of continuing to push the boulder. Even though he will continue this cycle for all of eternity, he doesn’t just lay down and give up, he rebels against the absurdity of his situation by continuing to push the boulder, despite the seemingly futile nature of the act. 
As I said earlier, BSD is an absurdist text. All of the animanga’s main characters are on a journey of discovering their meaning in life, and their place in the world, and they do this by rebelling against its absurdity — especially Dazai. 
Dazai sees the absurd world for what it is, and when he was in the PM, he hated it. Thus, he sought suicide as a solution. I will note here that absurdists generally view suicide as a failure to rebel against the absurd, just giving up and giving into hopelessness. But ever since Dazai left the PM and took Oda’s advice, he’s been rebelling against this, doing good despite his inherent beliefs about morality and the world, and he’s absolutely gotten better for it. 
Other characters embody this idea of rebelling against the absurd, hell, that’s kinda what this whole arc is about. The world is literally ending, and things seem to be at their absolute worst, but someone like Atsushi still has hope that he can change the minds of the hunting dogs and save reality as we know it. He even has hope that he can get through to a vampiric Akutagawa when the guy is literally brainwashed and attacking him. Aya as the “last hope” right now embodies this, too, deciding that she can’t just sit around and do nothing and then trying to remove the sword from Bram even though the effort appears futile. 
But everything is going wrong right now. Fukuzawa is bleeding out, Dazai has just been shot through the forehead and appears to have died, Atsushi’s had his limbs ripped off and is at Akutagawa’s mercy, and Fukuchi is literally going to end the world! How can we have hope?!
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Think about BSD. Think about the story that’s been told so far. Surely Asagiri isn’t killing everyone right now, surely the world isn’t gonna actually end. I’m not entirely convinced Aya’s plan is gonna work— but please consider that the point of absurdist storytelling is that even when everything seems to be at its worst, even when life seems completely meaningless, there is inherent meaning in still continuing to fight against this. 
BSD has never been a story where the villains win, and I don’t think it’s gonna start being one. I think, as usual, Asagiri wants to scare us, to make us feel hopeless about the situation, only for someone to pull through and completely turn the tides.
Dazai laying down and accepting his death at Chuuya’s hands is not going to be the end of his story, because it goes against everything Asagiri seems to stand for. Dazai wouldn’t just give up in his fight against Fyodor, because he needs to prove he’s right about what he says in this panel:
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"The ones who actually make the world turn are those who scream within the storm of uncertainty and run with flowing blood."
I think this reflects Asagiri's own beliefs and is also the reason why he is not going to let Dazai die like this, because in a way, that would be proving that Fyodor is right. From a storytelling perspective, it’d be saying “everything I’ve communicated up to this point actually means nothing and life is truly hopeless!” 
Dazai has cheated death before, as has basically everyone else in danger right now. I promise you, something is going to happen and they’re all going to survive, because BSD is not trauma porn, for lack of a better term. It’s a story about how a group of people fight against the absurdity of their reality, even when everything seems completely and utterly hopeless. 
There’s a lot of theories circulating about how things could work out, especially Dazai’s “death,” and I’m not here to repeat all of them, but I will say that a lot of them have credence, especially because Asagiri isn’t the type of author to make mistakes, every single detail has a distinct reason. 
So even though I don't know how things are going to work out, I have full faith that they will, including Dazai's current situation. None of these characters are done just yet, they've got too much fight left in them to just give up.
[original twt thread]
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septembercfawkes · 3 months
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Writing Negative Character Arcs: Types & Principles
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What is a Negative Character Arc? 
In a negative character arc, the character grows into someone worse--or perhaps more accurately said, someone more misled. Stories that feature protagonists with negative arcs typically function as cautionary tales and often leave the audience feeling "sadder, but wiser." Some examples of negative arcs include Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, Coriolanus in A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Light in Death Note. These also serve as good reminders that not all protagonists are "heroes."
Of course, though, negative arcs can be used for side characters or antagonists as well, such as Harry Osborn in Spider-Man, or Javert in Les Mis.
A common misconception is that negative arcs are always for "bad guys." While the majority of villains will embody a negative arc, not every negative-arcing character is a villain. For example, Winston has a negative arc in 1984, but no one would call him a "bad guy"; he was tortured until he lost his way.
Despite negative arcs being uncommon for main characters, chances are you'll need to write one for at least one important character at some point. This article will go over the two basic types of negative arcs, dig deeper into what a negative arc actually is, and offer four principles to help you craft one.
Buckle up, writers, because today we are on the "highway to hell!" 😈🔥😉
The 2 Basic Negative Arcs
First, though, I need to make sure we are all on the same page, so here is a brief review on character arcs in general. . . .
A character arc is how a character grows through a story. And at the most basic level, there are really only four types: positive change, negative change, positive steadfast, negative steadfast.
Those are your only options.
Why?
Because there are only two ways a character can grow internally:
1. They can change their worldview or beliefs. 2. They can grow in the resolve of their worldview or beliefs (remain steadfast), becoming more of something.
And each of these can happen in one of two ways.
1. Positive (becoming someone better) 2. Negative (becoming someone worse)
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There are many other approaches to character arcs, and you can get more detailed, but theoretically, any character arc will fit into one of these four types.
The character arc is an internal journey and is almost always directly tied to the theme. In fact, it's one of the secret ingredients that make up theme. This journey will ultimately represent a worldview or belief system that the story will put a value on.
Positive-arcing characters end the story representing an accurate or "true" belief system--a reality. The belief system is what the story is arguing for; it's known as the thematic statement. The journey is viewed as an internal victory because the character is better off and a better person, for believing the truth. 
Negative-arcing characters end the story representing an inaccurate or "false" belief system--a nonreality*. This belief system is what the story is arguing against; this means it's (almost always) the anti-thematic statement, the counterargument to the theme. The journey is viewed as an internal failure because the character is worse off or a worse person, for believing a lie.
For more information on all arcs, check out "The 4 Basic Types of Character Arcs (with Examples and Variations)."
*Some negative-arcing characters have a last-minute redemption in the falling action, but they will represent a false worldview at the climax.
(This is all generally, simplistically speaking, of course. There is room for variation.)
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Negative Change
In a negative change arc, the character starts the story with the true belief system--the thematic statement--even if he doesn't fully recognize what he has, but by the climax, he converts to a false or inaccurate belief system, rejecting his initial worldview. This leaves him worse off.
Frequently he starts as a morally good person who has a promising trajectory. But when faced with the struggles of the plot, he questions his way of life and makes wrong choices. 
There is usually something he greatly wants, and he will try to use the anti-thematic statement (or the "lie" according to some approaches) to try to get it.
This is a character who should have had a positive steadfast arc, but lost his way.
For example, in Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker starts the story believing in and upholding the light side of the Force, but his thirst for greatness, and, above all, his fear of loss leads him toward the dark side. To be a true Jedi, he must be humble and accept loss, but instead he is so driven to save Padme that he turns his back on the Jedi ways, and ultimately becomes morally corrupt.
More examples: Light in Death Note, Winston (with variation) in 1984.
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Negative Steadfast
In a negative steadfast arc, the character starts with a false belief system--usually the anti-thematic statement--and at the climax, refuses to let it go. In fact, she may believe in it more deeply than ever. This leaves her in the negative; she's likely even worse off than initially.
Frequently when the main conflict hits, obstacles will highlight her flawed worldview while opportunities will offer her the "high road." She will have her resolve tested as she is invited (directly or indirectly) to change for the better, and she may or may not try to change through the middle. But at the climax, she ultimately holds stubbornly to her initial ways. She will reject the thematic statement, and sink deeper into her misbeliefs.
This is a character who should have had a positive change arc, but refused to.
For example, in Cruella, Estella starts as misbehaved and vengeful. She may "try" to be "good," but inside, she wants to be bad. She befriends two orphans, who later give her the opportunity to work an honest job in the fashion industry, but instead, she embraces her cruel ways. Despite Jasper trying to convince her to change, Estella chooses to become even more immoral as Cruella. She embraces the belief that it's better to be cruel than kind.
More examples: Coriolanus Snow in A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Javert in Les Mis.
~~
Worth noting is that there is one more type of arc that is often considered negative, and this is the disillusionment arc. In this arc, the character comes to the accurate worldview--the thematic statement--but the truth is sad and disheartening. Because I view this as ultimately a good thing (it's better to accept reality than hold onto a flawed belief system), I consider this a version of the positive change arc. However, many people view this as a negative arc, because it doesn't leave the audience cheerful and optimistic. Whichever way you choose to view it is fine, just understand it works by the character embracing the theme.
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At the Heart of Negative Arcs
When talking about negative arcs, people often use words like "bad" or "immoral," and as stated above, typically view these characters as more villainous. I, myself, have and will likely continue to use such words, because it's a simple, generalized way to get the idea across without having to explain all the mechanics of themes and belief systems. 
However, it's not the most accurate explanation (ironically).
Not all negative-arcing characters are immoral. Nor, as I stated above, are they all villainous bad guys.
At its heart, negative arcs are about a character ultimately believing in something that isn't true--a nonreality.
And it's an untruth within the context of the thematic argument of the story.
In this sense, you may have a story that argues "Good guys finish last." We may not like that truth, but it's true in certain scenarios in life (it's possible to be too "nice"), and it can be true within the context of a given story. So, a negative steadfast arc might be a character who fails to accept this. It's a character who should have completed a disillusionment arc, but refused to. This character may, technically, be a very moral, good-hearted person, but because he chooses to cling to a nonreality, he's in the negative.
Believing in something that isn't real, isn't usually helpful. It's harmful.
(Of course, though, we all have some different beliefs on what is real and what is true. This is why it's a nonreality within the framework, within the context of the story, within that story's theme.)
It's perhaps most accurate to think of negative arcs as being about someone who is lost or misled, even if they don't see it that way themselves.
This is usually the key to making their arc empathetic.
No one hates Winston for embracing the beliefs of the Party in 1984. Instead, we view his brainwashing as tragic. We understand he ends up more lost and more misled than he's ever been--than he could have ever been, if he hadn't embarked on his quest for personal freedom and truth to begin with.
This may be true even of legit villains. As much as we hate Voldemort, we understand through the Harry Potter series, that he is incapable of recognizing that love is the most powerful force--most powerful magic--in the world. Sure, he may be a bad guy, but the author shows us how he is lost and why he is misled.
Compare that to Umbridge. Because we don't know those things, readers actually tend to hate her more than Voldemort. We don't like what we don't understand.
Depending on your project, you may or may not want your negative-aching character to be empathetic. Or you may want him to be a little empathetic or a lot of empathetic 😉. Often this will be controlled by how much you decide to include about how the character got lost and why they are misled.
If you decide to delve into such aspects, you will find that writing negative arcs can be a surprisingly empathetic experience. Everyone loves a hero, but there can be something unequivocally tragic about the downfall of the lost.
Regardless of which type of negative arc, the end result is a sort of self-damnation. You can move forward toward becoming an individuated human being when you hold the truth--no matter how long the journey takes you. When you believe in something that isn't real, a lie, you are Sisyphus endlessly pushing a rock up a hill. A lot of effort, to ultimately get nowhere. That is the true punishment, the true damnation of hell.
You'll never find your way out, if you're worshipping a nonreality.
4 Principles of Negative Arcs
Most stories feature positive change arc protagonists, and most writers are frankly taught to write positive change arc protagonists. This means that a lot of writing advice comes from a positive-change-arc-centric perspective (yeah, I just made that term up). If you are writing one of the other three types of arcs, it can be difficult to find helpful resources. And applying positive-change-arc advice to a different arc doesn't work very well.
So, let's go through the most important principles when it comes to writing prominent negative arcs.
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Reverse the Climax: Thematic <--> Anti-thematic
As I touched on above, what makes a negative arc, negative, is that the character doesn't represent the true belief system, the thematic statement, at the climax. Instead, she represents (what I call) the anti-thematic statement.
See, every great story has a counterargument to the theme. 
Harry Potter argues love is the most powerful force in the world, but the counterargument to that is that fear and hatred (prejudice), as illustrated by Voldemort, are more powerful. 
Star Wars IV: A New Hope argues that we should rely on faith (the Force), but the counterargument to that is that we should rely on technology, as illustrated by the Empire and the Death Star.
The Hunger Games argues that we should sacrifice ourselves to save others, but the counterargument to that is that we should sacrifice others to benefit ourselves, as illustrated by the Capitol and the Hunger Games themselves.
The counterargument is the anti-theme.
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If you are familiar with K. M. Weiland's work, she refers to this as the "lie," while Lisa Cron refers to this as a "misbelief." It is also sometimes referred to as a "flaw." (I mean, we could get more nitpicky and differentiate these more, perhaps, but that's a different post.)
Frequently such terms are used in reference to something within the main character--it's the main character's misbelief, it's the main character's flaw. But it's important to understand this counterargument often exists outside the main character as well. It can exist in other characters, or even a society (which is the case for Katniss).
Nonetheless, because we are working with negative arcs, the anti-theme (or some variation of it) will undoubtedly exist within the character. What the character ultimately believes or represents at the climax, is in the wrong.
A positive-arcing character will prove the theme true by ultimately embracing and using it toward a victory at the climax (at the bare minimum, an internal victory).
A negative-arcing character will also prove the theme true, but by ultimately embracing the anti-theme and using it to reach a failure at the climax (at the bare minimum, an internal failure). The negative-arcing character illustrates how the anti-theme is false.
To be a solid negative arc, the character needs to act on the anti-theme. 
Anakin needs to show he refuses to accept loss in the final duel, by jumping at Obi-Wan, despite Obi-Wan standing on higher ground. Obi-Wan cuts him down, and Anakin loses everything. The climax illustrates that he was in the wrong. He should have accepted his loss (in more ways than one).
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Want Before Need: Sacrificial <--> Selfish
A core characteristic of positive arcs is that the characters are ultimately willing to sacrifice their personal, perhaps worldly, desires, at the climax. They may be eager or they may be reluctant, but when it gets down to it, they'll do it. This is what makes them, in some sense, "heroes." Even a positive-arcing "anti-hero" will ultimately be willing to sacrifice something he values, to do what is right. What is necessary. (And in some cases, this may mean simply casting off, sacrificing, the anti-theme.)
Positive-arcing characters do what is needed.
A core characteristic of negative arcs is that the characters are ultimately unwilling to sacrifice their personal desires at the climax. They may consider it, but when it gets down to it, they'll choose what they want, over what is needed--over what is necessary or right. They are unwilling to let go of their flawed beliefs because they do not consider the alternative path worth the cost or risk.
Like all well-written characters, they have an abstract want that manifests into concrete goals. The goals may even begin well-meaning. Anakin intends to save Padme. Light intends to rid the world of criminals. Coriolanus intends to win money for his family.
But as they pursue these things through the plot, they are ultimately unwilling or unable to pay the required costs to win the most critical journey of all: coming to the truth.
Instead, any "sacrifices" they make, are really more like collateral damage on the way to their worldly or selfish goals. They prioritize their own goals above all else. Even negative-arcing characters who claim to be sacrificial, are often "sacrificing" things and people they actually care little about (like Light)--which means it's not a true sacrifice; it's a payment, a means to their end.
In regards to this principle and the last, often to be most effective, the character is given a climactic choice. A choice between what is wanted and what is needed. And/or a choice between the anti-theme and the theme.
This is typically true of positive arcs as well.
At the climax, Katniss must choose between risking death to possibly save Peeta, or to kill Peeta to save herself. She chooses to risk death, despite her deep desire to survive. Her sacrifice illustrates the theme.
In Wonder Woman, Diana must choose between fighting for a better world to defeat Ares, or joining him in dealing out the punishment she feels humankind deserves. She chooses the former.
Negative-arcing characters make the opposite choice.
In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Coriolanus must choose between forsaking everything he wants and knows to live freely in the wilderness with the woman he loves, or to remove the woman he loves and return to governing society to gain what he wants. He chooses the latter.
In 1984, Winston must choose between staying true to Julia and facing additional torture, or betraying her and becoming brainwashed. He betrays her. 
Please always keep in mind, though, that these are still generalizations to explain the principles--they aren't laws we are enslaved to. (But typically, you must understand generalizations before you can successfully create variations).
For more on wants vs. needs, check out "Character's Want vs. Need."
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Constructive <--> Destructive
Positive arcs result in building people or societies up.
In a positive change arc, this emphasis is usually put on the character herself. She overcomes the flaws or misbeliefs that are holding her back, and becomes a better version of herself. This offers a personally promising future.
In a positive steadfast arc, commonly this emphasis is put on the society. The character helps others overcome their flawed beliefs, and leads the "world" into a promising future.
But of course, these aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. A positive-arcing character can both improve herself and those around her.
Generally speaking, negative arcs are about destroying these things.
Rather than building up themselves or their societies, negative-arcing characters are tearing them down--whether or not it is intentional.
It may be very intentional, like in Cruella, but it may be, from the character's perspective, a necessary price for the want-driven concrete goal, like in Death Note. 
Regardless, when the character acts on the anti-theme, it's destructive.
Theoretically, each type gets the same emphasis as the positive arcs.
In a change arc, the destruction is often emphasized internally. We focus more on the fact that Anakin is lost, than on the ruin he's creating around him (though he is doing that as well).
In a steadfast arc, the destruction is often emphasized externally. Coriolanus is bringing destruction and death to others, specifically Lucy Gray and Sejanus (though Coriolanus is sinking deeper into negative ideology as well).
An important element of working with negative arcs is to make sure we aren't condoning all the destruction the characters are doing. This can be tricky to balance, because at the same time, we don't want our work to come off as preachy.
The best way to address this, is to make sure we are showing the theme and character arc, more than telling them. 
And one critical component of that, is to show the consequences of the character's behavior.
Recall above when I said that the story puts a value on the belief system.
Often that value is illustrated through consequences.
Those who act on the theme are "rewarded" in the end.
While those who act on the anti-theme are "punished" in the end.
Katniss not only gets to save herself, but Peeta too, all while sticking it to the Capitol.
Anakin loses not only his fight with Obi-Wan, but his limbs, his wife, his children--everything.
This is again, simplistically speaking though, and I'll mention some variation in the next section.
But the truth is, you could write the darkest story in the world, without condoning the characters' behaviors in it, without promoting that way of life. 
In addition to consequences, tone is also useful in conveying what is and is not an acceptable worldview.
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Internal Journey: Victory <--> Failure
Regardless of what ultimately happens externally, positive-arcing characters' internal journeys will be viewed as a victory. These are characters who came to, or upheld, the truth. This betters them, as they changed or as they grew in their resolve of their beliefs. Nothing can take that away from them.
Regardless of what ultimately happens externally, negative-arcing characters' internal journey will be viewed as a failure. These are characters who embraced, or upheld, an untruth. This damns them, whether they changed or grew in their resolve of their beliefs. Nothing can redeem them, if they are unwilling to give up their ways.
Negative-arcing characters end up "lost," and not "found."
While it is most common to have an internal victory paired with an external victory, and an internal failure paired with an external failure, it's not a strict rule.
Having both journeys end on the same value, makes it easier to drive home the point of the story. 
But it's possible to have an internal victory paired with an external failure, and an internal failure paired with an external victory. 
In the former, the story ends with the sense that the victory was worth the cost of the loss. Doing what is true is more important than winning the world.
In the latter, the story ends with a "hollow victory." The character has gained the world, but has lost her soul, so to speak.
So while Coriolanus succeeds in winning the prize, redeeming his surname, and bringing wealth to his family, he fails as a person, as illustrated by Tigris saying he looks just like his father. Coriolanus is damned to go through the rest of his life loveless. Even if he doesn't see that as a problem, the audience recognizes it as one.
One last thing that is also worth mentioning here, is it is possible the negative-arcing character gets a last-minute redemption in the falling action. Because of what happened at the climax, and what followed just after, she may realize the wrongs of her ways, and spend the last few beats of the story changing.
While I suppose you could ultimately consider this a positive arc, because of the very very end, I find it's more helpful to structure such stories as negative arcs, since the climax we've been building toward is negative.
In any case, as I've said throughout, all these are principles, not rules, and they are meant to help, not hinder, your writing.
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Why We Need Stories with Negative Character Arcs
Negative-arcing characters offer us cautionary tales about what we should not do and why.
While today, stories are often viewed as a form of entertainment, another purpose is to teach or educate.
Just as it's important to know what can go right, it's also important to know what can go wrong, and how.
Imagine telling a child to always look before crossing the street so he can be safe, without ever explaining to him the consequences of failing to do that.
What do you think will happen eventually?
That's right. Splat.
(Okay, yeah, that is a little morbid, but I think you get the idea.)
We need to look at both the positives and negatives, the "rewards" and the "punishments," and what leads to each. Not because we are trying to control people, but because that's how humankind gains the discernment necessary to navigate this journey of life. 
In other words, that's how humankind gains wisdom. If we only ever look at the positives, then we stifle our abilities to discern.
When we learn about everything, it's clearer to know which way to go, what choices to make, and why.
Stories also provide a safe means to discuss and explore life's dangers. It's better to tell the kid he could get hit by a car and explain the ramifications of that, than to let him follow your rules blindly. It's not that talking about it is promoting kids getting hit by cars, it's that we are warning that kids can get hit by cars.
Frankly, most well-written stories will be looking at both the positives and negatives of an argument (theme vs. anti-theme). And they will do this by illustrating both sides. This is why, even if you are writing a positive-arcing protagonist, chances are, you'll have a negative-arcing character (often the antagonist) somewhere as well.
In any case, if the negative-arcing character's journey is prominent, I hope you'll find these principles more than useful.
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lizzaneia-elizalde · 6 months
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you do historical au right? So how about a Villainess who actually is a regresser but she saw too much hardships in her previous life that this time she's all set on herself (you can add revenge or not if you don't want). A tyrant disguised saw her real self which is extremely kind to general public (she built orphanage, hospital and schools for her people) (she's the heir but got scammed in previous life, so she used all that knowledge to get even more riches with beneficial businesses so she's practically richest aristocrat). She's evil and rude on the looks (because she hates limelight and does all good will anonymously). So yeah. The tyrant is real deal evil and he's obsessed with our Villainess now. Oh dear. What a plight..
Sorry for the request being all over the place, i didn't know how to put it better :(
Yandere! Villain x Regressor! AFAB! Villainess! Reader
Anon, you know how to capture my attention. And the request is comprehensive, don't worry!
Another historical AU for the roster. This time, rather than starting off with the villain, let's start of with the MC/you! (Because most of the time it doesn't really focus on the ML now, does it? Hope you don't mind.)
Yandere! Villain name: Eros
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You don't remember how you got here, except for dying by a stupid woman who can't aim for jack shit.
You just got home from a grueling day's work. Always getting ahead of yourself and working yourself to the bone just to please your boss who's a major asshat, and loves when his employees curry favors with him.
It's a dog eats dog world, so you curried favors with him.
You're his favorite employee. Always giving you snacks and an extra day for your vacations. But that meant working harder than what's needed. Overtime, going home late, it drained you. But hey, it's worth it.
Yet, this wouldn't happen, and you would still be living like a young princess if it weren't for the damn mistress your fiance, the crown prince, has.
Elysia, a daughter of the baron, spent the night with the crown prince, Yuno. Earning the affection of the prince since...
Actually, you don't remember how Yuno became infatuated with Elysia.
Is the fuck really that good that Yuno neglected his fiancee?
And you, the daughter of the second Ducal household (who's not related to the royal family, of course) was blinded by rage and betrayal that you made Elysia's life a living hell.
Erm, why not the crown prince's too, then?
Remembering your past life made your head hurt. From the cliche love story down to the way you were treated made you scream to the oblivion.
After all, after Yuno figured out how you treated Elysia, he made your family kick you out. Powerless against the royal family, they had no choice but to exile you.
You got employed by your employer by then, an eccentric man who spoke of other worlds called 'Earth' and is bringing 'modern day capitalism' here. Whatever that means. But hey, he developed these things called 'cellphones' that made him skyrocket with money.
He's a weirdo, but at least he's easy to please.
But the bitch Elysia "accidentally" blasted light magic to your way, killing you instead of an assassin. Great.
But, then, you're only the minor villainess. The main villain was someone named Eros. The other Ducal household and your father's rival.
As young as 16, he already conquered the ducal household he's in and then, 6 years later, he had wealth rivalring that of the royal family's. Heck, maybe even surpassing it.
"Hello? Where's the checks and balances of this world?" That's what you usually ask yourself.
You never saw him outright, since he's always been so busy. But you clearly remembered when you're in and out of a coma back then after you got struck with the magic, a war broke out due to him.
Fortunately, you regressed into a baby still, so you could avoid being engaged to Yuno, and being involved with Elysia.
Growing up again with your mature mind was weird. Unlike last life, you weren't a brat, but a proper, cold, and an unattainable standard of what a noble woman should be. Well, if you exclude the coldness and the bitchy attitude sometimes.
In all honesty, your family loved you dearly. A clear contrast from your last life. You're a role model, perfect in every way. Beautiful, smart, talented, and shows clear interest in politics and business.
The previous life, you were only a mouth to feed with a pretty face and a political pawn to integrate yourself into the royal family.
And as usual, you got engaged to the crown prince, much to your dismay.
Yuno was easy to read. He doesn't like clingy women, and he likes the chase. He's dumb, and only knows how to spend money.
"Ah, he's worthless."
What did you saw in him in the previous life, really?
Since you were unattainable to Yuno, he became attached to you. Wanting to conquer you.
And you always returned his advances with a flick of your fan and covering your face with a glare with your sharp eyes.
You're the thorned Rose of the Kingdom. Beautiful, yet prickly. It brought you to the limelight, but also, not. Due to you being closed off, news of you rarely get out.
So in the free time you had, you always disguised yourself with your dark magic and filled up your own coffers with the help of your knowledge of business last life (from your employer.)
You built hospitals, made schooling accessible... You were basically the saintess rather than Elysia.
Oh, did I mention that Elysia, with light magic, was the saintess, and you with dark magic was the prophesied Villainess? It's complicated.
But right now, with Elysia failing to bed Yuno in his crown prince coronation, due to him being only attached to you, you were free to do what you want while thinking of your next plan.
What you didn't know is that a certain pair of crystal blue eyes followed you.
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You walked along the street of the outskirts of the Kingdom, inspecting the newly built school.
You just got out of the ducal household and immediately went here after being confronted by Elysia once more, who "accidentally" stumbled into the chateau and into you and Yuno. Can she get more obvious, really?
You never used your dark magic here in the outskirts since you felt safe in the people's arms. They never judged you, nor used you for your money. They're just glad more and more accessible facilities are being erected by the young lady.
While walking around, you got into the councilor's office who's busy with enrolling the children. He's the chief of the town, and is one of the few people who graduated fully back in the capital.
He graciously accepted the position of being the councilor after you approached him, since you genuinely wanted to help the outskirts.
You saw children happily playing around while the parents lined up, excitedly talking to one another.
When they saw you, they immediately curtsied and said hi.
"My lady! Hello!"
G-greetings my lady..."
"Oh my stars! It's the lady!"
"Look over here, my lady!"
You giggled and decided to mingle with them more, talking about mundane things in life and what other facilities can you put here.
"Okay, so a shopping center, huh? Okay, that's noted. Also, I think a gymnasium would work well also, so that there will be a place where all of you can have meetings, and also have children play."
They all excitedly nodded and bid you goodbye as you went out.
You felt like yourself here in the outskirts.
Maybe you can convince your father to give you this part of the territory, and your brother can manage the main household?
Your thoughts were interrupted by children pulling your skirt to play, cheekily grinning and playfully pushing a ball up to your arms. You grinned and chased them around, roaring loudly like a monster and pretending like you're a dragon.
The giggles and screams of delight of the children filled the lively streets, along the chatter of the townspeople.
"Sir? Are you okay? What are you looking at?"
"..."
Eros' eyes widened, then softened as he saw you, chasing the children around, playing with them and not minding the dirt clinging to your outfit.
He gulped, suddenly feeling his heartrate pick up as he cleared his throat. Red flushed his cheeks, as foreign yet also the familiar feeling of infatuation filled his heart.
The noise that surrounded him faded into the background, and somehow, everything seems so bright and colorful. All he could see is you, and you, and you...
You...
You...
Beautiful, thorned you.
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Eros.
The name itself sends shiver down the spine of people.
Of fear? Love? Or arousal?
He's a man of few words, only letting his actions talk to other people.
Such an otherwordly beauty like him garnered unwanted attention since he was a child.
Other than being extremely handsome, he's also very talented with politics and business, also with physical activities like horse riding and hunting.
Due to this, his mother developed a twisted inferiority complex, and also an almost incestious relationship with him.
She always hurled words that hurt his soul and emotions.
Then she'll hug him while saying sorry.
This cycle would continue on and on until he's 16.
It was supposed to be a joyous day, not until his mother forced himself on him.
Disgust, fear, and rage filled his body that time, and all he remembered is awakening his dark magic and consuming his mother.
After that, he was knocked out cold.
When he woke up, he remembered his past life on Earth.
He's a business man of such a high position, CEO.
He clawed out of his way from poverty. Stealing, investing, selling, he did everything just to get out of the clutches of being a plebian.
And, when he struck gold when his stationery business thrived, his genius made it possible for him to talk to investors and convinced them to invest in his work.
God, he's rich.
And once he reached the age of 24, he's a rich man.
Then he died due to being assassinated by his rival.
With now his previous life in his roster, he became a formidable business man. Eccentric even.
By some weird cheat, he developed cellphones.
Something so revolutionary was first met with skepticism, but it boomed in popularity when his friend, the crown prince Yuno, bought and used it.
it was weird, really. Yuno approached him to employ his ex fiancee in his company and take care of her.
Eros, who didn't mind, employed you.
Sweet, lovable you.
It was funny seeing you struggle to curry favor with him. Not used being the one who had to try to get close with him. The way you struggled to hide a frown when he mentioned over time, the way you hide your disdain when he talks about extra work...
God, you're so cute.
He spoiled you in the best he could do. Extra vacation days, snacks, all he could do without being too obvious.
Then you died.
You... Died.
By the hands of his friend, well, ex-friend's mistress.
Elysia.
That damn bitch doesn't know her place.
Then and there, his eccentricity died down, and all he knows is revenge back then.
You were in and out of coma, and seeing you swim between life and death made his heart roar out in pain.
He felt so helpless seeing you pale and vegetative, something that wasn't you.
So, with a soft promise leaving his lips, he waged war in your honor.
He fought blood, sweat, and tears in your name.
All he could think is you.
All he could see is you.
And as he ignored Yuno's plea, he beheaded Elysia.
The damn bitch raised the notion that dark magic users are evil, despite dark magic being only an another element.
She turned the tides on you.
Why should she live?
Yuno also. He betrayed you.
Once the royal family was dead, he brought your comatose body to the throne, and killed himself with you at the throne.
He made you ingest poison, something that doesn't cause pain to your already pained body.
Meanwhile, he killed himself by striking a sword down to his chest, and to his heart. The very same heart that loved you dearly.
Then he woke up,
a child again.
Back in time.
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Getting away from the busy bustle of the ball, you got out to the garden and sighed. Letting the cold air bite into your skin.
Dread filled your heart as you realized once more that Elysia was nowhere to be found, and so did Yuno.
Your nerves got to you and you left the scene, overthinking the worse of the worst.
Did Elysia actually bed Yuno successfully?
Albeit just a bit late?
You covered your mouth, shaking dreadfully. The pain of your last life was getting to you once more. Trauma trembling you to the core.
"My Lady? Are you okay?"
A deep voice broke you out of your reverie. Something so silky, smooth, and familiar.
You turned around, your heart pounding as you saw your employer, Eros. He's dressed in noble clothes, gold, black, and blue.
He looks more uptight and strict this time around. What happened? Why does he look like that?
You never connected the dots, since you thought your employer and Eros were two different people.
But this?
Your heart trembled.
"G-greetings, your lordship." You curtsied, fighting back a frown just like how you did with him last life.
"You're still the same as ever."
"What is it?"
"Oh nothing." Eros waved his hand.
This life, Eros was more brutal than the previous life. He exposed his mother, a pedophile who touched him and stole money from the household, letting her get beheaded by a rusty axe in the middle of the colosseum. After that, he joined the interkingdom war, and won it much earlier than before.
He's basically a warlord. A tyrant to his territory who imposed such strict rules that you doubted yourself if this was the same Eros you knew.
You both silently stood in front of each other before he took off his coat and gently draped it on your shoulders.
"It's cold out here, my lady." He whispered. His long eyelashes fluttering as he blinked.
He inhaled your scent, his lips trembling.
He missed you so much.
His precious rose.
He gently brought your hand to his lips, kissing it softly and lingering there, with his eyes screaming obsession.
His grip was strong yet also loving.
It made you blush.
"My Lady, if my friend, Yuno, hurt you, approach me."
Your eyes widened.
"Approach you?"
Eros smiled. His handsome face blinding you momentarily.
"Yes, i'll help you take revenge."
Eros eyes swiftly looked at the balcony up above.
"Like this."
Eros swiftly dipped you and kissed your lips.
God, you tasted so divine upon his lips.
His tongue delved into your mouth, sweeping and tangling with your much more timid ones. He cupped your cheeks, bringing you impossibly closer to him.
His eyes were glaring at Yuno back at the balcony, who was naked on their bottom half with Elysia, shielding you from the scene.
Yuno's eyes widened, and he hastily dressed up, his eyes boring into Eros', and you.
This life, he'll protect you from pain.
He'll protect you from Yuno and Elysia.
He'll burn down the ground for you.
Just say the word.
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Hmm, twist upon twists. I love it. HEHEHEHE
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lebbys-world · 12 days
Text
Secrets, Soba, & Smiles
Todoroki x gn!reader; teenagers in love, fluff, reader gets caught off guard a bit
notes: thanks for all the love on my last post :) im glad that so many people enjoyed my writing !! the kitchen scene is very artem from tot coded, which makes sense bc ive been obsessed with that game recently. anyways, hope you enjoy !! <3
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You peered down the hall, checking to make sure it was clear, before walking towards the elevator.
The soft hum of the door opening led you to walk inside, pressing the button for the fifth floor.
You looked down at your phone to check the time, quickly noticing you’d received a follow up text from your boyfriend.
Before leaving your dorm, you had sent him a message letting him know you were about to be on your way up. 
You smiled to yourself as the elevator made its way up the floors, shooting him back a quick reply.
More often than not, you found yourselves having these late-night dorm dates as a means to compensate for the lack of public relationship.
Throughout the school day, you two were just seen as close friends, allowing any suspicions to just be laughed off. After all, there was no sense in blatantly lying about your relationship to your friends.
But if you both feigned ignorance, it managed to keep their suspicions at bay. 
With all earnest, you weren't necessarily trying keeping your relationship with the icy-hot boy a secret from your peers.
You never had concern for them finding out - albeit the barrage of questions and attention may be a bit overwhelming.
If anything, the concern you had was for the general public finding out that two rising heroes had feelings for one another.
You feared the worst case scenario: a villain using your adoration for each other as a weapon.
Maybe you were overreacting, but the nightmare situation it was, you wanted to prevent it in any way you could. So, as a safeguard, the both of you had agreed to just keep things to yourself.
This agreement worked well anyways, as you and Todoroki settled into the awkward ins-and-outs of first time teenage love.
So, yes, for now, things were okay being a sort of ‘secret’.
It was a secret for you two to share.
You were his, and he was yours.
The elevator door opened once more as you reached the fifth floor, stepping out into a familiar, yet different, hallway.
You made your way to your boyfriend’s room, before giving a gentle knock on the door.
Soon enough, the doorknob turned, the door creaked open, and heterochronic eyes met your own. 
You laughed to yourself before commenting, “well, I made it here in one piece.”
He gave you a soft smile back, “yeah, you did.”
That was the smile that always managed to killed you.
A smile that you never saw him quite show to anyone but you.
The way his lips turned in adoration, a genuine love and joy meeting his face. His eyes would crease with that smile, and, every time, without fault, you’d melt at that smile.
It was a smile that felt like it was only for you.
Interrupting your star-struck daze, Todoroki tilted his head.
“I meant to tell you before you got here, but I still wanted to grab some snacks from the common room.”
You stood up straight, pulling yourself back together.
“Oh, I could’ve just picked them up on the way.”
“It’s not a problem; I’ll just go now. You can set your stuff down. I'll be back shortly."
He started walking past you to begin his quick mission, when you followed on his heels. 
“I’ll come with you! Two people are better than one!”
He paused, gave a nod of appreciation, and the two of you carried on towards the main floor.
The short trip there was spent debating what snacks would be best for this late night excursion, with you insisting that your favorite food was the only way to go.
By the time you'd made it to the kitchen, Todoroki had been pleading his case for soba - per usual.
“Look,” he said, now pointing to a something sat on the shelf of the pantry. “They still have some left over. We could probably make two servings.”
He met your eyes with diligence, looking like a young child begging for a toy at the store.
As much as your favorite snack was calling your name, you thought to yourself that maybe some cold soba would be nice as well. 
“Fine, but I’m making the sauce.” You sighed, accepting his pleas. I mean, how could you not when he had given you such a cute look?
He smiled, his invisible tail practically wagging as he pulled out a pot and began to fill it with water. 
Nearby, you opened up the fridge and pulled out a few ingredients to start making into a light sauce.
You swiftly put on an apron, and started mixing things together before feeling complete with your makeshift recipe.
You took a spoon and dipped it in, giving it a taste. Having it meet your own liking, you called your boyfriend over, making sure it would suit his taste as well.
Continuing to stir, you thought to yourself how something about this unplanned cooking trip had just felt so right
It was almost as if you two were a married couple, working on making dinner together after a long day of work.
The idea made you blush.
Deep inside, these calm nights were the kind you hoped the future would bring many more of.
You were about to turn around and call to him again when you were suddenly met with two arms wrapped around your waist.
You let out a small gasp of surprise as Todoroki took the spoon from your hand, following through on your request and trying the dipping sauce you had made.
He hummed a tone of satisfaction and let his head rest atop your shoulder. 
“It’s really good, Y/N. Thank you, for your help.”
At that moment, you thanked God that your boyfriend couldn't see your overwhelmingly red face.
You doubt you would’ve even been flustered if Todoroki wouldn’t have pulled that hugging-you-from-behind cliché.
I mean, heck, he probably didn't even realize he was doing something that even could catch you so off guard.
Your boyfriend probably just thought he was hugging you, sharing his adoration for your cooking and determination.
And here you were, heart going overdrive all over his simple motions.
Having felt your heart rate spike, he let go after a moment, returning back to the care of draining the pot of soba. 
You took a moment and collected yourself a bit, finally giving a delayed reply:
“Yeah, anytime, Sho. It’s what I’m here for.”
He looked at you again, turning his gaze away from the sink, and gave you that melting smile of his.
That smile that makes you feel like everything in the world is okay, even if just in this moment.
Somehow that smile managed to calm your panicked heart, reminding you to take this all one step at a time.
You returned his smile with your own. A smile of your own that you hoped he admired just as much as you did his.
“…”
“...SHOTO, THE SOBA-”
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arealphrooblem · 1 year
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Mutually Assured Destruction
Snyopsis: Villain x Civilian. Civilian can sense other people's powers through auras but hides this ability. They are terrified of the most boring person at their office job, who hides the most powerful aura Civilian has ever felt.
Being the first person out the door undoubtedly did Civilian no favors to their work reputation. 
Anytime someone joked about it, often with an edge, Civilian would make excuses:  their dog needed let out (they didn’t have a dog),  they had to get to the bank before it closed (they use their banking app 90 percent of the time), they liked having a work/life balance (that one’s true). 
The real reason, of course, was to avoid any encounters with them.  Their newest colleague -- Jonathan Anderson. A bland, forgetful name for a bland, forgetful person. He arrived two months ago in her data entry division, dressed everyday in the same unremarkable navy suit with a grey tie, gave generic responses to small talk at lunch. 
And he scared the shit out of them. 
Luckily for Civilian, their paths didn’t cross that often and when they would, Civilian had found ways to neatly side step them -- emails instead of face to face conversations, calling in favors, and once, even taking a sick day to avoid a meeting. 
It worked great -- until it didn’t. 
The elevator descended at an agonizing snail’s pace. Civilian stood in the back, gripping the railing behind them with a sweaty hand and tried to breathe slowly and evenly. 
 The only other person in the elevator with them -- and the only other person in the building -- was Jonathan Anderson. Because of course he would be working late the one time Civilian had a deadline change and a mad scramble to get everything read by tomorrow. 
He stood in front of the buttons, his back to them, plain brown leather briefcase dangling from his hand. To everyone else, he looked harmless. But the sheer power of his aura radiated like the sun. It made Civilian light-headed being in such close contact with it. 
Thirty more seconds, they thought to themselves. That’s all this elevator ride would last. After that Civilian could scurry off to the parking garage and screech out of here. 
29 . . . 28 . . . 27 . . .26 . . . 
The elevator came to a sudden, sickening halt and Civilian’s heart with it. They waited for the emergency alarm to blare, but the elevator stayed eerily silent. 
“Is there . . is there something wrong?” Their voice came out shaky and hoarse. They cleared their throat. 
For a moment Jonathan didn’t respond. Instead he turned around to lean casually against the wall and survey them, his face as bland and unreadable as always. 
“That’s a question I think I should be asking,” he said, adjusting his glasses. 
Instantly their hackles rose.  It took considerable effort to keep the panic from their face, to force their shoulders to relax, to look confused and concerned. 
“What do you mean?”
“You’re afraid of me.”
The truth struck true, lodging itself between their ribs. Civilian swallowed, suddenly dry mouthed, and tried to find the air again. 
“You’ve trapped me in an elevator and you’re bigger than me,” they pointed out. 
“That is rather nerve-wracking, I’ll admit. It’s almost believable. But this started a long time ago, didn’t it?”
He straightened and took a step towards them. And another. All while speaking in that affable, level tone, as if commenting on the weather.  
 “Since my first day here. Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you never shook my hand that day. Or that I don’t notice all the little tricks you pull to avoid me. Yet we’ve never had a negative encounter. You’ve never given me the opportunity to create a bad impression. It’s rather baffling, don’t you think?”
He stopped a safe distance away but close enough to prevent any attempt to escape. Despite being only a couple inches taller than Civilian, they loomed in the small space. 
“So tell me -- how do you know?”
“Know what?” 
It was their only defense, this wide eyed denial.  To pretend they were discomfited by a bizarre encounter with their coworker, rather than straddling the edge of a panic attack while stuck in an elevator with a man who could kill them with a snap of his fingers probably. 
He snorted. “You gave up the ability to be coy when you stepped into this elevator. Please don’t make me ask you again.”
Though he made no threatening movements, the swell of his power spoke for him, the pressure of it nearly suffocating. 
“I can feel it,” Civilian whispers shakily. “Your power. Anyone’s power. They have an -- an aura about them and I can feel how strong it is.”
“So you can tell, instantly, who is and isn’t a powered individual?” he clarified, his focus sharpening like the sun through a magnifying glass. 
They only managed a nod, their throat tight. 
“Fascinating.” 
The hint of awe in his voice would have been flattering if Civilian hadn’t spent so much effort to avoid this kind of attention. 
“And which organization is benefiting from this power? Who is keeping tabs on me?”
“No one,” Civilian said hurriedly. “I haven’t told anyone.”
A wicked smirk spread like slow poison across his face, transforming a visage that no one looked twice at into something terrifying. 
“Do you think I’m as stupid as I pretend to be for work? There is no possibility that any organization would allow someone like you to walk untethered. Now, answer the question before I show you exactly why my aura frightens you so much.”
His hand hovered just over their heart, the beat of which a cacophony in their ears. Nothing happened -- yet. But the anticipation of it, coupled with the fact that Civilian still had no idea what such power was, made their whole body start to tremble. 
“They don’t know about me,” they said, throat tight. “No one knows about me. I’ve kept it a secret my whole life.”
Jonathan still surveyed them with suspicion. “Why? I imagine you would be an extremely valuable asset to them. And those tend to be very well compensated. You expect me to believe you’d rather be a data clerk for a bank?”
A flash of rage breaks through the fog of terror. “My father was an extremely valuable asset. It didn’t stop him from dying an excruciating and unnecessary death. I’m not following in his footsteps.”
For a moment he looked taken aback at this confession before his eyes narrowed in what almost seemed like approval. It emboldened Civilian. 
“Look, I don’t know what you’re doing here and I don’t want to know. If I tell anyone about you, it will blow my secret too. So just . . . let me stay out of your way?” They swallowed, tongue darting out to moisten cracked lips. “Please?”
For several agonizing seconds he just looked at them, his face blank as printer paper. Civilian tried to meet his eyes, to look trustworthy, but the weight of his flat, calculating stare was too much. Instead, their gaze fell onto his hand, still hovering over their heart, ready to crush them or incinerate them or dissolve them or whatever ungodly thing he could do. 
And then his hand slowly slipped down further between them and flipped up, palm open. 
“What take out do you enjoy?” he asked. 
“ . . .what?”
“It’s a bit late for a restaurant, but I know several takeout places still open this time of night. Do you have a preference?”
It was Civilian’s turn to stare at Jonathan with their brow furrowed. 
“You -- you don’t need to buy me dinner,” they stammered. 
“Of course I do. It’s customary for a date, yes?”
“For a what?” Civilian choked. 
That wicked smirk appeared again, giving life to the void of his neutral expression. 
“You know what they say. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
“I -- I’m not your enemy!”
“And you will never have the opportunity to be one. I’m ensuring it. And since you refuse to acknowledge my presence here at work,  there is only one other recourse. Now choose or I shall choose for you.”
A date. Dinner. With him. Someone with the strongest aura Civilian had ever encountered. Someone who was definitely planning something illegal. 
“I like tacos,” they said faintly. 
With a wave of his hand, the elevator shuddered back to life and continued it’s gentle decent to the ground floor. 
“Then we shall get tacos,” said Jonathan, taking their hand.
Part Two
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I don’t think Jason has ever hated Tim
I recently revived my Jason Todd hyperfixation from its torpor and realized I had... Means and Ways of reading as many comics as I want for free, so I made the transition from Fanon Only to having read Lost Days, Under the Red Hood, Teen Titans #29 (where Jason fights and beats the tar out of Tim), Hush, Red Hood and the Outlaws (the majority of both runs), Red Robin: The Grail, Batman and Robin: Streets Run Red, Green Arrow #70 - #73 (where Jason kidnaps Mia), Battle for the Cowl, and a smattering of other bits and bobs, all within the last month.
I have come to the conclusion that the idea that Jason hated Tim before slowly learning to be okay with him is completely backwards.
Jason starts respecting Tim as a fellow combatant after basically their first meeting, and was sympathizing with him even before. Fandom talks a lot about how Jason repeatedly tried to kill Tim, but I think there’s a good argument to be made that actually Jason has never tried to kill Tim, and there’s a better argument that Jason has never tried to hurt Tim out of a dislike for him.
Tim is the one who feels viciously betrayed by Jason, hates his guts, and depending on if you blend in the New 52 either learns to begrudgingly like him or just stays hatin.
Obviously I need some proof here, since this goes completely against the grain of every relationship interpretation I’ve ever seen for them, so approximately seven miles of character analysis under the cut lmao
I’m gonna try to go in chronological order of the characters’ history here, which means we’re starting with Lost Days, and Jason’s first reaction to finding out there’s a new Robin:
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This does not look like anger to me.
Lost Days is only six issues long, and this is the entirety of the pages devoted to Jason’s feelings on Tim. Jason succeeds in a plan that would have almost certainly killed Batman if Jason had gone through with it. Jason undeniably has Joker dead to rights at one point, but lets him go. Jason at no point in this story attempts to harm Tim at all.
Now for Hush.
Context for fanon only folks: this is where the “throat slitting” bit happens.
Context for a lot of confusion: I don’t know if Jason is the one who holds Tim hostage or not.
In the original Hush plot line this is only Clayface; Jason isn’t here at all. It was later retconned in Under the Red Hood that Jason was actually in this fight for... some amount of time. It’s highly unclear to me when they swap out. Probably because originally, they didn’t swap out. Oh well! In either case, it’s now canon that Jason coached Clayface on his acting, so for the purposes of this essay, Imma hold Jason responsible for the throat damages and the words said regardless of who did what!
Right off the bat: this is a hostage taking, not a murder. Yes, Clayson Jayface does nick Tim’s neck and absolutely makes the threat of murdering him to Batman, but it’s clearly a threat. Like, look at this panel:
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He is talking a lot. This isn’t an attempt to kill Tim, it’s an attempt to screw with Batman. No matter who this is, they have every reason to expect that Batman will stop them before they do any permanent damage. Can you see that little, blurry, half-hidden line of red? Lets look at what the damage was later on:
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The bleeding was stopped by a bit of cloth, some pressure, and he’ll need stitches eventually, but they can clearly wait, and Tim doesn’t seem alarmed. That’s enough to scar, and enough that it is perfectly reasonable for Tim to assume that he would have died if he hadn’t been rescued.
However, Jason being deeply protective of kids is a reasonably consistent character trait. “You really think I’m gonna bring the pain to a ten year old?” Even at Jason’s most villainous, he is willing to put himself in danger in order to protect his own sidekick Scarlet. I think it would be very out of character for him to have gone through with it. Combined with Jason’s later actions and the general fact that a hostage is pretty useless dead, I come to the conclusion that Jason was bluffing.
It is ambiguous though, and I admit that this is probably the weakest link in the “Jason never tried to kill him” chain.
But enough of that, was he angry with him? Is the hate there?
I argue no, and that really there’s no emotional investment in Tim at all. In terms of hard numbers the pages Jalay Toddface spends holding Tim hostage is 3 and the number he spends fighting Batman is 13 and the number of times he even so much as LOOKS at Tim is ZERO, like actually, literally ZERO TIMES. He does not spare poor Timmy a SINGLE GLANCE.
Now make a special note here because those three pages of no eye contact from someone who might not even be Jason are the ONLY times that Tim is called Pretender or Imposter.
I’m relying on this research done by Kiragecko: https://kiragecko.tumblr.com/post/128411908944/bat-sibling-interaction It only goes up to Battle for the Cowl, (as does this essay it turns out, I just don’t know how to bridge between that and the New 52) so it isn’t every interaction ever, but it’s still excellent research, go leave a like.
According to them: “Comments: Tim thinks about Jason a lot while he’s first training. He imagines the former Robins giving him pep talks, and uses them to fight off fear gas. When Jason comes back, though, Tim’s really nasty, especially in his head. Jason, however, is somewhat respectful. He usually calls Tim ‘Tim’, and seems to kind of like him. ‘Pretender’ and ‘Imposter’ are things that CLAYFACE said, not Jason.“
How many times are those said? Once. Each. That’s it. As a comment under the Jason and Tim post done by Kiragecko points out, “Replacement” doesn’t even get used.
Under the Red Hood is basically THE Jason Todd comic. To my memory he doesn’t interact with Tim in it. However, it does contain that aforementioned reconning! So we get to see his reasoning during this encounter.
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And it very very clearly isn’t at all about Tim.
Moving on to Titans Tower, which is indisputably focused on Tim: When he fights Tim, he is absolutely violent and over the line, but he’s NOT out of his head. Jason is clearly very lucid and careful about what he’s doing.
Is he angry? Of course! He’s angry at the Titans who in his mind cared about him way less than their other members, and accepted a replacement robin as though his life, his whole flesh and blood self, was something that could be so easily forgotten and swapped out.
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But I think it would be a mistake to assume that Jason’s at all mad that he isn’t Robin anymore.
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A very interesting direct parallel to this fight is when Jason kidnaps Mia, Green Arrow’s sidekick Speedy, fights her, appeals to their commonalities and encourages her to solve crime his way rather than Green Arrow’s way.
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In both scenarios Jason engineers a way to isolate a sidekick and attempts to teach them something through combat. He makes a direct appeal to them against their mentors, and seems genuine about what he’s saying. He also lets both of them live, and with Mia is honestly pretty damned polite about it all. At least, as polite as a guy can be about kidnapping you and encouraging you to try to kill him in your high school gym that he definitely should not know about.
The plain fact of the matter is that Jason knocked Tim out, had time to paint his whole ass name way up high on a wall, and did not kill him. This is the same Jason who just prior to that took out all of Tim’s allies non-lethally. The same Jason who kept Mia’s protector’s busy non-lethally. The same Jason who cuts Mia free and gives her weapons back and starts slow in their fighting to make sure he doesn’t hurt her too badly. The same Jason who seems to feel very strongly that killing, trafficking, or selling drugs to kids is an unforgivable offense and very clearly sees Tim as a kid.
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Quite frankly, this reads not like a murder, and not like a jealous beatdown, but an attempt to convince Tim that he’s going to get himself killed and needs to get out while he still can. In Jason’s mind before they meet, Tim is purely A Robin, a kid who deserves better than to be put into danger against the same monsters over and over again until he finally slips up and dies.
Is this a hairbrained and back asswards way of doing that? Yes! But it does track for someone who tries to do all of his talking through his actions, which do speak louder than words, but unfortunately C-4 loudness is not actually a significant boon to nuanced communication.
If you want to put it in a less charitable way (and maybe we should, this is a bonkers asshole move on Jason’s part no matter how you slice it) then we can say Jason is testing Tim, trying to see if this one has what it takes to be better than he was, to survive where he couldn’t. Personally I think it’s a mix of both, and for this end of that emotional mess: Tim passes the test.
Jason leaves while talking about Tim in present tense, showing that he has every expectation of Tim being alive, and praises him in the process:
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Did you know that the fun panel of Tim kicking Jason in the nuts is actually from the same comic run, about twenty or so issues later?
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Did you know that the argument they were having starts with Dick and Tim wrestling with Jason and accusing him of a murder he did not commit, and in fact tried to save the victim from?
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Did I mention yet that the death in question was of Duela Dent, aka the JOKER’S DAUGHTER, whom Jason caught attempting to hold a young woman hostage for ransom? And that Jason repeatedly shot her getaway balloon instead of her and then tried to save her life immediately afterwards despite the fact that she was going to let the hostage plummet to their death? And it is implied that part of the reason he’s so easy on her is because of “Once a Titan always a Titan” loyalty, with this being our first clue that Jason isn’t the one shooting at her anymore?
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Did I also mention that he comes to her funeral in part to be around Donna (the starry leotard lady whose statue he smashed) because it’s nice to be around people who understand being displaced by their own death? And that the one who sticks up for him in this scene is Donna?
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At risk of negating my own thesus here, I’d say it’s reasonable to think that maybe Jason feels rage-hate for Tim in this “kicked in the dick while Dick grins smugly” moment.
Lets go now to Robin #177 at the tail end of the 1993 to 2003 run - Bruce has “died” and Tim hasn’t yet gone on his epic quest to find him. Tim finds Jason unifying street gangs with the intent to bring them under control and solve the current crisis. He appeals to Tim for help with this, in fact he comes off as almost puppy dog eager to work with him, and seems really sad when he says fuck no.
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This is one of the first fights in which Tim really holds his own against Jason, and I am very proud of him, yes :3
This gets Jason arrested. Then Tim actually goes through with a heavily modified, less violent version of Jason’s plan that Jason didn’t think could work. A few issues later, when Tim decides that he’s going to try to honor what Bruce would have wanted by springing Jason out of jail, Jason makes note of that.
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Jason is pretty damned civil at their next meeting, even though Tim makes it pretty damned clear he doesn’t want him around.
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And now... we have to talk about Battle for the Cowl.
I’ve seen it described as a masterclass in how NOT to write Jason Todd, due to it portraying him as being an absolutely off his rocker anger murder violence man. I am inclined to agree.
In this three issue comic Jason Todd has been dRiVeN mAd (in the most bullshit comic sense of that word) by Bruce’s will... telling him to go to therapy. Yeah. So uh, he dons a Batman suit to shoot people in AND pretends to be Black Mask so he can enslave a bunch of villains Amanda Waller style, and like it gets weird from there. It is an extremely jarring transition from that last scene to GUNS BAT HATE MAN.
He still does not hate Tim in it. I really, seriously thought I was going to have to make a lot of excuses for this portion but then the more I read of it the more vindicated I was cause let me repeat: One of the most unhinged with Bat hate and crazy juice versions of Jason ever put to print does not hate Tim at all.
Hell, he likes Tim! He compliments him!
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And on top of that, even though he is MUCH more lethal against his fellow robins when they attack him - Jason straight up shoots a ten year old Damian in the chest. It’s fucked. - There is still evidence to suggest that Jason deliberately didn’t kill Tim when he had ample opportunity.
Jason first of all never hunts Tim down. I’ve heard Battle for the Cowl described as Jason tracking Tim down or kidnapping him or going after him to force him to Be His Robin, but that’s just not how it goes.
Instead he waits for Tim to come find his Batcave, disorients him, and goes for a ton of surface cuts. He only actually goes for a real body blow after Tim picks up a crowbar and beats Jason across the face with it a few times.
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(Again, proud of you Timmy)
After the stabbing, Jason doesn’t just leave Tim there; this isn’t a matter of hurrying on before he could check. He’s seen dragging Tim off. When Nightwing later comes to rescue him, Dick is downright certain Jason is lying to him about Tim being dead because Jason is refusing to show him the body and Dick figures it’s because he knows there’s no body to show (if in part because he can’t let himself believe Tim is dead without hard proof).
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Tim himself wonders about this, noting that the batterang was rusted and shattered on his armor.
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Sure, Tim used playing possum to make his pulse slow to a near stop for a while, maybe that fooled Jason, but keep in mind that BRUCE taught Tim that skill, and if there’s one thing these comics have established, it’s that Jason is dangerous precisely because he is so intimately familiar with the techniques of the Bat. Jason even makes specific note of the fact that Tim being trained like Bruce and fighting like Bruce would be his downfall at the beginning of their fight.
The whole comic leaves me wondering just how much of what happened went completely according to Jason’s plan. I really would not put it passed him to engineer a ‘death in the family’ recreation for the next Batman in line! As much as I agree that this is garbage characterization for him in many many ways, I do think Jason makes a fantastic villain. I love to see him run rings around the Bats in some places, and make lemonade out of getting his ass kicked in others.
No matter how we interpret the stabbing here though, what does seem very clear to me is that Jason makes the Be My Robin offer to Tim first and foremost because he thinks pretty highly of Tim! He’s been rejected by Tim at least three times over but keeps holding a hand out for him. This does not seem like Tim hater reaction hours here!
Also that whole thing about kids being dragged into this vigilante life irresponsibly? Yeah that’s still there!
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I have TRIED to find evidence that Jason hates Tim at like literally any point here. I have gone through the shit people point to. I have looked at the context around those and dug up more obscure interactions for second and third views. Everywhere I look I just see more instances of Jason complimenting Tim!! It’s driving me nuts!
The only conclusion that I can come to is that people read this stuff and just trust that Tim is right about Jason. Tim’s internal view waaay more closely resembles fandom interpretation. Tim assumes that Clayson Toddface would absolutely have killed him in cold blood, that Jason beat the shit out of him purely to prove he was stronger, that he’s a brute, a moron, an active danger to society, and that every bit of leniency given to him will result in betrayal and death.
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I don’t have clearer proof for it, but I also don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Tim probably believes Jason has it out for him and holds him responsible for his replacement.
So yeah. As a fascinating reversal of my expectations going in: I don’t think Jason has ever hated Tim, but boy fuckin howdy has Tim HATED Jason.
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babyleostuff · 9 months
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Pls pls make an ot13 fic wherein the reader is an actress and an idol at the same time and she get paired with svt and they have a kissing scene or an intimate one. without anyone knowing, theyre daiting and the amount of teasing the members eill receive??? Just like juns recent drama
members teasing each other because of an intimate scene in a drama | ot13
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*ੈ✩‧₊˚ SEUNGCHEOL
He’d try to pull the leader card, but it would NOT work, whatsoever. The teasing he’d get from Mingyu would be ASTRONOMICAL (he’d waited his entire life for that). It would also be Chan’s villain origin story, because that would be the perfect opportunity to take revenge for all those years the teasing (you can practically hear him laughing maniacally in the distance).
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ JEONGHAN
I feel like it could go two ways. He’d either be like: “you guys stoooop” (shy bean) or “I know, that kiss was hot, right?” (wink wink). Even though they would definitely tease him, he wouldn’t care that much. At least he gets all the edits and thirst traps now.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ JOSHUA
They would give him a bottle of water with a label “holy water” and run off. But in the end, despite all the teasing, Joshua would not be bothered. He has better things to do (read: sing “Sunday morning” while crying over his cringy kissing scenes).
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ JUN
Well, looking at what is going on right now, we can tell that he gets some amount of teasing, but a lot of praise too. I think generally with Jun, they are proud of him for pursuing acting and showing his talent in something other than singing and dancing. Still, I feel like he kind of hibernated for the first 48h after the release, to avoid the clowning of the members (but he has seen the memes).
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ HOSHI
Villain origin story, part two: Mingyu edition. It would be his time to take revenge for all the mafia games AND HE WOULD NOT HOLD BACK. That man would follow Soonyoung everywhere and just clown him MASSIVELY. Soonyoung would have to lock himself in his house to avoid Mingyu and even then, the younger would spam him with messages.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ WOOZI
At first they wouldn’t dare to tease him. They would be afraid that he’d close off after coming out of his comfort zone and starting in a drama. Jihoon’d be actually ready for the teasing, so when it never came, he’d be like ???. That’s when they’d release all their inner jokes about the drama and his performance (especially the steamy scenes). He would laugh with them and not mind the teasing.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ WONWOO
He’d take it all like a champion. Nothing can break Jeon Wonwoo. Except for when he’d be alone. Then he’d turn into a babygirl and be like:🥺🫶, guys can you stop, please? But he would never tell that to their faces. Because he’s Jeon Wonwoo. 💪🏼.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ DK
They would not tease him. Period. Instead of teasing it would be all love and praise. They would practically be shitting hearts and rainbows, because of how proud they are of him.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ MINGYU
Thank god they aren’t living together anymore, because he’d HAVE to move out then. The group chat would be on fire after the first episode and the next day at work would be hell on earth for him. Some of the boys would take their time to learn some of the lines that they found particularly cringy and clown him with them. They'd also make kissy noises at him. He’d start to think about debuting as a solo artist.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ MINGHAO
There would be no point in teasing Minghao. Would not care. Would not find the teasing amusing. Would probably turn the whole situation around and make fun of the boys instead. It’s all for the art baby.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ SEUNGKWAN
The moment any of the members would even open their mouth to breath, he’d yell and walk out of the room. After a second though, he’d reappear and start explaining how it is all in the name of art and what it means to be a real actor (it'd turn out that Jeonghan only wanted to ask what they wanted for dinner).
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ VERNON
I feel like the members wouldn’t actually tease him THAT much. They’d be proud of him for doing something out of his comfort zone and trying something new. Yeah, surely there would be some teasing, but it’d more like love and praise 🥰 >>>>> teasing.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ DINO
He. Does. Not. Care. Come on, after that many years of being teased and “bullied”, he would not give a single fuck. They’d try to make fun of him, but quickly give up, as they'd realise it didn’t faze their youngest, whatsoever. Chan would enjoy all the tiktoks and memes though.
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darkmajesty-xo · 1 year
Text
Ready Player 1 ? - Shigaraki x reader
18+ MDNI | masturbation, praise , video chats, crack-humor
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most would consider it unwise for a girl like you to be in these chat rooms due to the questionable discourse and rather infamous patrons, but girls just wanna have fun right ?
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: saw an old couple today, could be me and shig but he’s playing ☹️
user2345: i think you mean planning* as in planning world domination and torment of quirkless losers like you.
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: oh sweetheart you’ll never get any pussy if you keep acting like one
user3333: damn bro, you gonna take that ?
user2345: who gives a shit about some villain groupie ?
user2345: she keeps her mouth so full of cum that it’s starting to affect her whore brain.
user2345: do you really think the true leader of the new world would make time for some dumb cunt like you ?
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: there’s probably a higher chance of tomura shigaraki and i living happily ever after than there is of ANY woman even looking in your direction.
this was a normal friday night, you simping over shigaraki in the forums and clapping back at the misogynistic incels that hid behind their keyboards in their mothers’ basements. but there was one guy that always stood up for you whenever the idiots got too out of hand. he was also a moderator so he had no problems blocking them.
the two of you would dm off and on about life , thoughts on hero society, hobbies , etc. from your chats you gathered that he didn’t walk that straight and narrow but that didn’t mean much to you. he would sometimes tease your about your crush on shigaraki and your general taste in men.
finalboss: honestly, what kind of girl likes a criminal?; who knows what kind of twisted shit the guys into— you’re not even a villain.
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: you know nothing jon snow
finalboss: that reference just confirmed btw
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: i’ll have you know that my beloved is a certified otaku fantasy nerd.
finalboss: oh yeah ? and how’d you obtain such info ?
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: i run 3 stan accounts on twitter and i belong to a shiggy fan club 🥹
finalboss: 😃
finalboss: seek help
finalboss: 😃
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: you wound me ☹️
finalboss: i’ll just leave that too your Prince Charming lol
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: oh lord , did you see the footage of his latest attack ?
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: he was dressed like a whoreee 😩😩
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: tits just out for my viewing pleasure
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: shigaraki is my shepherd, he know what i want.
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: wanna suck on those sugar nips and call him mommy
finalboss: you get weirder and weirder every time we chat
xoxo_|hisMC ✮: that means we’re becoming besties ㅤ♡ ︎
finalboss: ♡ ︎
it was nice having someone to talk to about your secret obsession, it’s not like your “real life” friends would understand. the two of you had carved out your own little piece of the internet to goof around in. he never disclosed much information about himself and typically kept the conversations focused on you, but you still felt an undeniable bond to this faceless stranger.
then he ghosted you.
weeks went by without a word from your friend. he no longer defended you in the forums and he didn’t respond to any of your dms. you’d started to get worried that he may have been arrested or worse. and at the three month mark you’d finally given up hope that you’d ever hear from your friend again. but then the unexpected happened.
finalboss is requesting to video chat.
this was completely out of character but after months with no word, you were desperate to hear from your friend.
you were prepared to chew him him out for abandoning you. thinking of all the ways you could insult him while simultaneously expressing your need for his comfort and company. but your mind went blank when the grainy screen loaded into the pixelated image of your companion.
whispy tendrils fell from his bun, framing the sculpted planes of his handsome face. his lips were dry, slightly chapped, with the only lubrication being the sheen of saliva left by the slow drag of his tongue. bloodied eyes bore into your own leaving you breathless and dazed.
“hey bestie”
his voice was low and raspy, almost like a whisper. a deep rumbling that echoed in your ear drums. it was oddly hypnotic. he was absolutely mesmerizing.
tomura chuckled into the camera, showing flashes of perfectly white teeth. he leans back into the chair, a hand on the back of his neck showcasing a broad chest and toned abs.
“didn’t expect you to be this quiet, bestie. is my outfit not slutty enough for you ? i could always take these off…” his hand fell from his neck to rest and the waistband of his black jeans.
you remained speechless, eyes glued to the light dusting of hair below his belly button.
more laughter and shifting. now you were met with the glorious girth of shigaraki’s cock clenched tightly in his fist. the darkened tip oozed a sparkling trail of pre that spilled down his length. his thumb swiped the fluid to spread over his veiny member.
“c’mon , doll. don’t leave me hanging” he teased, squeezing his fist upwards to produce more pre. “i thought you wanted to be my ‘mc’ ? seems more like an npc if you ask me”.
“y-you’re him” you stammered, eyes following the slow drag of his fist. “you’re tomura shigaraki”.
“in the flesh” he teased, shooting a wink that went directly between your legs. “well kinda, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. sorry i’ve been away so long, but you’d wait forever for me won’t you , perfect girl ?”
your nod was automatic. robotic even. you’d moved closer to the screen, completely engrossed by his ministrations.
“anything for you beyon—shiggy”
you both laughed at that. he appreciated your humor, especially with all the drama in his day to day. even in def con simp mode and being ghosted didn’t stop you from being undeniably you. that’s probably why he was as obsessed with you as you were with him.
“i know we probably have alot to discuss but todays been kind of shitty and i’d really like to explore our final fantasies”.
you snorted, “that was really bad , shig”.
he shrugged, “i’m a villain, not a comedian, beloved. “now show me that perfect little pussy”.
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kissesforsatoru · 10 months
Text
MINE FOREVER | wc: 1.1k
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BONTEN! SANZU HARUCHIYO x GN! READER
₊˚⌗ after a bad argument with sanzu, you try to leave him. he doesn’t take it very well. or sanzu’s yandere awakening
⤷ cw : general yandere themes, violent thoughts, violent outbursts, threatening violence, choking, mentioned murder, possessive behavior, a lot of cussing, reader is in love with sanzu but vv scared of him, sanzu doesn’t really understand his emotions, comfort??? maybe??? it’s up to interpretation i guess, somewhat soft sanzu
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"haruchiyo, you're being mean," you say while looking up at him through your tear-soaked lashes. your voice sounds so raw when you speak his full name, cracked and broken from all of the crying you've been doing, but no doubt the way he's been treating you attributes to the defeat in your tone.
he looks at you with an indecipherable expression, but inside of his head he's overwhelmed by thoughts assaulting him all at once at full force. mean? he's being... mean??? something about the word catches haruchiyo off guard. he's used to you screaming at him that's he's an asshole, a heartless monster, and anything else that dehumanizes and villainizes him in the worst ways, but you've never called him fucking mean before. what the hell does that even mean, and why does it hurt so fucking much to hear that coming from you? his hand reaches up hesitantly to rub at his chest where his heart is, irritated that it won't stop thumping painfully against his ribcage.
"what did you honestly expect from me, angel? i'm a murderer. murderers aren't exactly fucking nice you know," he spits, rolling his eyes. he immediately regrets it. why does he regret it?
a weak noise falls from your lips and the pang in haruchiyo's chest thrums faster, harder; he's now digging his nails into his skin with an angry growl, uncaring of if he starts to bleed. no wound, not even ones from knives or bullets, hurt as badly as whatever the fuck it is that he's experiencing right now. it's excruciating, and annoying.
you laugh, dry and bitter, "yeah, what did i expect?" you whisper under your breath just loud enough for haruchiyo to hear. you aren't agreeing with him, that much haurchiyo understands. you're questioning why the hell you're even with a crazy bastard like him.
he wants to strangle you for being so snarky, watch you struggle and beg for his fucking forgiveness for causing such a big fucking problem for no fucking reason; you should expect only bad from haruchiyo by this point, so why bother bringing up all the things he does wrong? but... sanzu doesn't move to put his hands on you even a little bit—something is stopping him. he doesn't know what.
"haruchiyo," you call, sniffling and biting back a sudden onslaught of tears, "this isn't working out."
another pang, and now a sudden feeling of restlessness itches at him along with it. shit, did he take a new drug and fucking forget about it or something? what the hell is going on with him?
"what?" he growls, finally taking a step towards you. you flinch, closing your eyes as you look away. haruchiyo ignores it despite the fact that, again, his heart aches and pounds and practically cries out in pain with the way it's beating so fucking loudly that the sound rings incessantly in his ears. 
he takes three more steps before he's right in front of you, bending down a bit so that he's face to face with you sitting on the couch. "you wanna fucking repeat that for me, sweetheart?" he hisses. you flinch again, leaning back a little bit so that he's not so close to you. you're shaking, which almost makes him smirk, but he's honestly too pissed off to really find any sort of amusement in your fear right now.
"this isn't working out, haruchiyo. i can't do this anymore," you whimper pathetically. a sob slips past your lips when haruchiyo slams his hand on the couch beside you.
"that's really too fucking bad. you're not leaving me," he snarls, pushing you down onto the couch and crawling over you to pin you under him. you whimper again when you feel his hand on your throat, right at the juncture of your neck and jaw, squeezing with enough force to be threatening, but not painful. he watches as you sob uncontrollably, hiccupping and choking on tears that slip between your pursed lips.
"haruchiyo, please," you barely are able to say through the scratchiness of your voice that cracks under each word, "you're scaring me. you always scare me, i—i can't live being scared all the time." you try to reason with him, but haruchiyo isn't a reasonable person in the least bit. he clicks his tongue.
"you're fucking mine. you belong to me; do you understand me? you don't get to leave me because of a stupid fucking reason like that. you don't get to leave ever." he squeezes on your throat tighter, still not tight enough to hurt you, but your hands instantly shoot up to grab at his wrist anyway. he doesn't try to push you off because you aren't a threat to him; he can easily overpower you and for that reason he lets you have your semblance of security.
"i asked you a fucking question, y/n, you better fucking answer me," he urges, leaning down closer to you to you to nip at your cheek in warning. you gasp and whine at the feeling and clamber to muster up a reply that will satisfy him in your fearful, anxiety ridden state.
"mhm, yes– yes, i understand, haru," you manage to get out, and you hope the nickname you always call him will help you to soothe him, reassure him enough for him to ease up and let go of your neck.
he looks down at you for just a few seconds that feel like hours under his intense gaze, and then, "good. don't you ever try to pull that shit with me again or i will break your fucking legs so you can't even dream of leaving me," he warns, letting go of your throat. he doesn't move off of you though; instead, he dips down and his tongue presses into your skin to tenderly lap at the tears that are still pitifully slipping down your cheeks, humming at the salty taste. you breathe out a sigh of relief and lay limply under him, allowing him to do with you what he pleases.
when he's done, haruchiyo lowers himself onto you all the way and wraps his arms around you, pulling you closer into his body. he kisses at your cheek and jaw sweetly, and you hate to admit that the action lulls you, calms you down and makes you feel safe again—haruchiyo has that effect on you, unfortunately.
the pain in haruchiyo's heart has dissipated, and he feels at ease knowing you no longer wanna leave him. he realizes he would die if he ever let you go and he's going to make damn fucking sure that you don't.
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© 2023 by kolyasobsession━all rights reserved. modification, reproduction or plagiarism of my works and theme are strictly prohibited. likes, comments, and reblogs are highly appreciated.
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