#a fic based around these concepts allows me to further these agendas:

[thevegetablewhichnoonedaresname]

if i finish writing my fic about chilchuck teaching marcille to knit it'll be over for you guys

[echodrops]

Fanon vs. Canon Shigaraki

Belatedly:

This post gained a lot more traction than expected, so quick edit: the “canon” discussed below is only my personal interpretation of canon, and this post is definitely not intended to be a guide for characterizing Shigaraki in every fanfic! Please don’t use this meta to criticize anyone else’s writing, as that was not my intention. Everyone should feel free to create what they enjoy! 

Look y’all, I ain’t one to judge, but I love canon-based fics and sometimes the massive gap between Shigaraki in fanon and Shigaraki in BNHA’s canon just has me going whaaa???

I mean, like...

Fanon Shigaraki: Abhors all human contact. Lurks in his bedroom 24/7. Never speaks to others except to bitch them out. A vampire who will combust upon setting foot outside his lair.

Canon Shigaraki: Seen alone in his bedroom a grand total of one (1) time in the series; the only other time his room is shown, the rest of the entire League is squeezed in there too. Never out of contact with his followers except Dabi who is the real antisocial bitch here. Longest he’s ever been drawn spending time by himself without another major character to keep him company? Two pages. Gets mad... GOES TO THE MALL.

Fanon Shigaraki: Vocabulary consists of 80% “I’ll kill you” and 20% “Fuck off.” 1000% RAGE ALL DAY ERRYDAY. Has no concept of a good mood. Wouldn’t know how to smile if he tried. Either one step from a temper tantrum or one step from murder, there is NO IN BETWEEN BUT THERE IS FREQUENT OVERLAP.

Canon Shigaraki: Demonstrates the development of remarkable restraint, even when Bakugou damages precious “Father”...

Constantly comments on other people’s bad manners all right, this one might be a little hypocritical, but at least we know he knows what proper manners are... Is referred to on multiple occasions as being pleased with the League members’ work, implying they’ve seen him actively happy... Compliments people (even heroes) when they impress him... The second most likely villain to say “Thanks” (behind only Toga)...

Master of both the goofy grin:

And the soft smile:

Fanon Shigaraki: Can’t insult his comrades often enough. Say something nice about another human being? Hard pass. Friends? Quote: “I would rather die.” Only suffers the League because he’s forced to have allies to defeat the heroes; zero emotional attachment to his comrades unless he’s written as sleeping with Dabi and even then half the time this is still true. Would not give a fuck if half of them died except for how it would inconvenience him.

Canon Shigaraki: Is he still manipulating the League members to use their strength to further his own agenda? Oh for sure. BUT AT LEAST HE’S DOING IT POLITELY.

Since the formation of the core “League,” he frequently talks positively about his comrades, even when they’re not around to hear it:

Knows his allies well enough that he can send them out without instructions and still trust that they will act in exactly the League’s best interests:

Expresses concern for the other members’ well-being:

And has zero hesitation about throwing himself into potentially deadly situations to protect the rest of the League:

Fanon Shigaraki: An innocent, traumatized angel who had no choice but to become evil; he definitely wouldn’t be this way if he knew better! Sometimes written as a weakling who needs to be defended from anyone, everyone, the world, and especially All For One. Feeble waif, constantly on the edge of wasting away. Might cry himself to sleep at night. Never Been Touched/Don’t-Touch-Me-I-am-the-NIGHT™.

Canon Shigaraki: Craves violence like candy...

Close combat quirk means he’s always up in other people’s business... Personal space bubbles are for the weak.

Easily capable of controlling the bickering and assuaging the concerns of his team members...

An unmitigated badass who carries on whole conversations while bleeding out from bullet wounds to every limb...

And jumps from speeding vehicles without a moment’s pause. There was literally no reason for him to be on the roof of the truck EXCEPT for it looking badass. This boy is just Extra AF and I won’t hear any arguments to the contrary.

EDIT to add one more because this is also bugging me:

Fanon Shigaraki: Absolutely the worst at adapting to new scenarios. Violently rejects any form of change. Has a comfort zone the size of a wasabi pea and only ever comes out of that comfort zone kicking and screaming, dragged by another major character. Every ounce of character growth will take twelve chapters and a dramatic mental breakdown to overcome.

Canon Shigaraki: (Deliberately) Tied with Midoriya for being the most adaptive character in the series.

Never tries the same strategy twice...

Learns from, consumes, and grows by flexibly incorporating the plans and attitudes of other villains...

Actively and intentionally changes entire facets of his own behavior to further his agenda...

And to motivate his allies... From:

To:

What MAKES Shigaraki so terrifying and effective as a villain is that he is so flexible and capable of change. He demonstrates the ability to admit and learn from his mistakes, to build new plans on the fly, to gain deeper understanding of how other people work (and can be manipulated) and to quickly and easily put everything he learns into action to forward his goals. He’s fascinating in his ability to simply pick up or discard new attitudes to suit his own ends, and his actions continuously call into question what aspects of Shigaraki’s personality/behavior are genuine and which are merely a construct he’s built up deliberately to further his own and All For One’s dreams.

Shigaraki Tomura is incredible at adapting to challenges, can blend in exactly when, where, and as much as he needs to, and is significantly more open to change than virtually any other villain we’ve seen so far in the series.

But I feel like it’s rare to see this side of him in fandom portrayals?

Sure, Shigaraki is still violent, unhinged, quick-tempered, and definitely keeping things secret from the rest of the League to use them to his benefit... But uhhhh...

He’s also become a ferocious defender to his men. His actively antisocial behavior (always exaggerated) has become increasingly reduced in the story--Tomura is virtually always seen in the company of others (contrast Twice and Spinner, who we’re deliberately shown spending time alone, and Dabi, who appears to frequently work without the rest of the League). Shigaraki exhibits a reasonable gamut of emotions, including many of which are not “Go die,” and he shows a positive and grateful attitude towards his comrades (might be fake, but still at least he’s bothering to fake it, unlike Chisaki). He’s also been shown to be a great actor, both in serious scenes and in silly ones, such as his doofy reaction to Uraraka...

In terms of leadership, Tomura has advanced to the point that he’s the one promoting group solidarity, allows and wants others to think of the League as close-knit, and knows his comrades well enough to rely on them in meaningful situations. We’re led to believe he was earnest in his attempts to recruit Bakugou, that Toga has seen him happy on at least a few occasions, and that he’s okay with bringing the rest of the League into what likely qualifies as his home (something none of the other League members have ever done, at least that we’ve seen).

Furthermore, every confrontation he’s been in in the manga can only lead readers to the conclusion that Shigaraki is an absolute beast on the battlefield, easily the League’s strongest and most dangerous player, and more likely to be protecting the other League members than being protected...

So like, I ain’t out here about to criticize anyone else’s portrayals of Shigaraki in their own works, and this isn’t intended to be a guide on how to write or not write Shigaraki in fics, but I do find myself wishing his characterization in fanworks showed the same evolution as his character in the actual story.

Why write level 1 Tomura behavior when my boy is out here grinding his way to 99???

Send me your Shigaraki fic recs fam, I’m dying...

[kyouryokusenshi]

Homecoming

Summary: Post MSIV. Doggett welcomes Reyes home. SMUT. Written late for the @xfpornbattle .

Read on ao3

Also tagging @today-in-fic

Thanks so much to @marinafrenzy for beta-ing!

Notes: This is in the same universe as "Into the Unknown" where Monica and John make an appearance and reunite with one another. I didn't include this piece in that story, because I'd have to change the story to mature and since it started as an Instagram fanfic, it wouldn't work to post this on that platform.

Monica Reyes just finished explaining to John Doggett that she had spent well over a decade working as a double agent. It was a difficult concept to entertain at first, and to be honest, the mere mention of her working for the smoking bastard was enough to make Doggett shiver with discomfort. But something in him told him he owed it to Monica to hear the whole story. And what a story it was. A depopulation of the entire planet, with William being the key, a virus. He didn't believe it at first, it was his nature to question everything. It was a lot to contemplate, even if his years on the X-Files made him a little less rigid about extreme possibilities.

"He wanted William to fulfill those plans. I decided to put a stop to his agenda by contacting Agent Scully and giving her and Mulder a lead on William’s whereabouts, so they could find him before he did. Then Skinner shot me," she mused with a wry smile.

"So he's dead...for good this time? The smoking man?" John asked.

Monica nodded. "Yes, though I have my suspicions. The man survived a missile strike."

Sensing her fears, John reached for Monica's hand. "Let's not focus on that right now," he said huskily.

His familiar touch sent shivers down her spine. It had been too long. An overworked workaholic,that's basically what she had been for the past decade.

That familiar look in his eye was one she recognized. One that had craved intimacy following cases and that brought back memories of the many occasions when they consummated their relationship.

"Are you sure about this, John?" She didn't want either of them to make decisions they would later regret.

"Shut up and kiss me, Monica," he pulled her towards him and she fell into his embrace.

He cupped her face as their lips connected and she felt the tension slowly melt from her body as she returned the kiss.

Monica reached her arms around him, snaking her hands around his neck and up to his head, clasping threads of his hair between her fingers.

John took it a step further by slipping his tongue into her mouth, to which she happily obliged as their tongues danced together.

Their lips broke apart and Monica threw her head back, moaning as John began to tease her neckline with slow kisses and nibbling.

"Oh God, John. You're killing me," she said breathlessly.

"You like that huh?" He asked, clearly enjoying what this was doing to her.

Monica pulled forward and grinned. "You shouldn't start things you have no intention of finishing, John," she whispered as she moved to grip the hem of his shirt.

John grinned as he happily assisted her with removing his top.

Monica placed her hand on his bare chest and slowly teased his chest hair as she admired his physique. He had filled out in all the right places yet was still impressively fit.

"Don't stop what you started, Monica," he leaned in to whisper in her ear before he Began to lift her top.

Monica moved her arms and allowed him to remove her shirt in one swift motion.

She pushed him forward as he walked backwards, towards his bedroom. "I'm ready for that house tour," she whispered before nibbling his ear.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said as he moved his hands to unfasten the clip of her bra.

He managed to undo it in one attempt, and Monica threw the garment across the room, not watching as it landed onto the sofa.

John felt the strain of his erection against the confinement of his jeans at the sight of her breasts, perky and firm. Keeping fit and never having been a mother probably attributed to that.

The next few moments were a blur until John felt himself falling back on the base of his queen-sized bed.

"Someone wants to say hello," Monica grinned deviously as she pressed her hand against his erection.

John moaned. "Oh Monica,"

"Did I ever tell you how I love it when you cry my name?" she asked as she moved to straddle him.

Slowly she moved on top of him and trailed her tongue down his chest.Her nipples hardened in anticipation.

The sight of her was almost too much to bear for John. He reached out and cupped her breasts in his hands, teasing her nipples with his thumb.

Monica pulled back, never losing sight of him as she moved to undo his belt.

To facilitate the process, John reached out and unzipped his zipper, eager to be out of his constraints. His pants were off as fast as he had undone her bra, and he watched as Monica slowly slipped out of her slacks.

Moving towards him, she returned to her place on the base of the bed. She was already wet with desire after spending countless nights thinking about him in order to get herself off. Had he felt the same about her? Or had he moved on and didn't tell her? No, John wouldn't do that. He was always faithful and loyal, just like...well, a dog. Speaking of which, he really should get a dog.

Watching her was killing him and it was only making John realize just now how much he missed not only her unusual theories and brilliant mind, but how she always seemed to know exactly what he wanted, in and out of the bedroom.

The next thing John knew, Monica was slowly removing his briefs until they fell to his ankles and she took him into her hands and massaged slowly back and forth.

Once they were undressed, Monica returned to her place on top of him, easing herself down onto his rock hardlength. John placed his hands just above her hips as they rocked back and forth in unison.

"God,Monica,” he rasped.

Bothwere aching for release after years of deprivation. Monica often relied on her personal massager as it wasn't realistic for her to have any semblance of normalcy while being undercover.  John had dated a few women since Monica, but all were short term. No one had been quite on the same wavelength with as Monica. She understood him through and through.

Monica moaned, throwing her head back as she came, not once, but twice. No one had been able to take her to the promised land quite like John did. Aside from their personal chemistry, the sex had always been amazing.

Soon, she felt him stiffen beneath her, gasping as he reached his own release. Falling to their  sides, they both heaved heavy breaths before John turned towards her.

While his refractory time was about twenty-five minutes, John wasn't done. Just looking at her made him realize how much he had missed her in the past several years. He struggled to get in the mood with the few short term relationships he had had and often suspected that's why they ended up being short term. None of those women were Monica Reyes. Beautiful and intelligent...amazingly sexy and great in bed. Just looking at her as she undressed had always gotten him rock hard. He turned to face her and surprised her by slipping his fingers into her wet folds, taking her by surprised as she let out a gasp.

He moved so that he was right above her and began to tease her already hardened nipples with his tongue.

"Christ...John..." she moaned.

God, did he love it when she said his name. "Say my name, Monica," he demanded.

"John...JOHN Jay Doggett.FUCK, don't you dare stop!" she cried.

His tongue danced along her nipples before moving down her navel. He pumped in and out of her before his tongue was just above her mound.

Clenching her hands around his arms, Monica felt John move lower and cried out as his tongue teased her clit. He held onto her slender legs as he positioned himself, andhis tongue slid into her.

Monica ran her hand through John's hair as she helplessly succumbed to him and came several more times.

Slowly, John felt himself begin to build up.

"I have this amazing shower," he breathed finally.

Monica sat up. "Oh really?"

"I promise you won't be disappointed."

John helped Monica off the bed as they made their way towards the master bathroom.

As John promised, it was immaculate with marble walls and multiple showerheads, perfect for two. Next to the shower was a large Jacuzzi.

"You've really outdone yourself here, John," she whispered.

He dimmed the lights to complete the ambiance for the occasion while Monica fumbled with the shower faucet.

John brushed his girth along her ass before he slipped himself in behind her, causing her to cry out in surprise. She had to admit she was impressed with his refractory timing, but he always was amazing in bed. Sex with John Doggett never disappointed.

Monica braced herself against the marble walls with her open palms as he pumped in and out of her.

"Fuucck....harder!" she cried.

John wrapped his hands around her waist for leverage. Being close to the same height had its advantages, he thought, as the shower water spilled over them both. He continued as he lathered up a sponge and ran it over her shoulders.

"Never leave again," he said, leaving no room for argument.

"Never," she said breathlessly. "You're going to have a hard time getting rid of me, John Doggett."

"Oh...and John?"

"Anything for you, Mon."

"We're getting a dog."

FIN