#and he is just legitimately the sweetest and bestest shadow boy

[dyrewrites]

I was going to complain that I have a "friendly villain" problem, because I kind of do, but I realized why in the complaining.

So I deleted the complaining and will now do some explaining,

There is a difference between "friendly" and "kind". It is an important difference but not everyone notices it right away.

Because they overlap, they share traits and phrases and even actions.

But not intent.

A "friendly" person may not always be a "kind" person.

The inverse is also true.

Someone can be the kindest human being you've ever met and still call you an asshole while they're helping you up out the hole you dug yourself into.

While the friendliest person you've ever met might just spit on you instead...because their kindness was an act and it does not benefit them to help you in that moment.

This is not absolute, of course. Just an observation of mine from having one too many "friendly" people in my life who turned out to be anything but "kind".

It is still better to assume kindness. Even if you get burned in the process, it is always better for you--for them, for society as a whole--to assume good intentions than to go in with distrust.

But that is my why. So, you catch the friendly villains in my stories, and you wonder why they're so accommodating and charming even when they're being absolutely wretched.

That is why.