#failed to abandon the villain

[lindoesntwin]

I FAILED TO OUST THE VILLAIN!

A girl was transmigrated into the body of an accomplice of the villain where she was heavily abused by her father and exploited for her high level alchemy powers when one day, she received a "pet" and that "pet" will be the death of them, or so she thought.

Other titles: Failed to abandon the villain; I failed to abandon the villain; I failed to throw the villain away

[erikaalexi]

I Failed to Oust the Villain!

『 Reinhart x Valeta 』

[mimiszz]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ୨🌹୧ vᥱnᥙ᥉ ♡ ƙᥙnzıɬᥱ ֶָ ׁ ㅤ⪨  ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎﹙ 愛 ﹚ . . . ᥉ɑıℓⱺɾ ɱⱺⱺn ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♡ !

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ( pℓᥱɑ᥉ᥱ, gıvᥱ ᥴɾᥱძıɬ᥉. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ pⱺɾ ẜɑvⱺɾ, ძᥱ ⱺ᥉ ᥴɾᥱძıɬⱺ᥉ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ხч: @mimiszz ! )

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ⱺvᥱɾℓɑч/ɬᥱɱpℓɑɬᥱ ხч @pınɬᥱɾᥱ᥉ɬ (@ɑnıƙıng)

[cautiouslyyyoptimistic]

Iirc, it's implied that luo binghe wasn't the first young talented disciple that shen jiu took harsh measures towards in an attempt to drive them off the peak (the treatment being just as bad as lbh's abuse is unclear. But I assume that since shen jiu hated binghe the most, the abuse he inflicted upon him was a lot harsher compared to past disciples. Considering shen jiu hated him so much that he attempted to kill binghe multiple times and all).

So wouldn't it be an interesting scenario if some form of luo binghe encountered these runaway failed disciples later in life? What would either bingmei or bingge feel about that?

[anrisimps]

Peg him. Please

[arolesbianism]

Just realized I forgot to post these

[lyc4ris]

oh they’re KISSING kissing ..

[cupidwithaknife]

[futurefind]

On: Background Themes

//While it's not something I think anyone here considers a 'plot hole' or the like (especially when it comes to characters like Sarah, her godmother)—something that's very important to Sasume is the themes of her background/upbringing? And by that I mean: all the different ways society can fail its children.

Lyra: Unintentional 'abandonment'/leaving one's children behind (i.e. via death)

Tomas & Oshidad: Stealing one's parent/s from them (i.e., murder) & when you'll do anything for your child except be there for them (direct , 'justified' abandonment)

Sarah: Sticking head in the sand and simply presuming things will never get worse, if not get better, even when all the evidence points to the contrary (i.e. witnessing abuse and not taking the child out of the situation). When being there isn't enough but that's all that is done.

Shida: Parentification & generally putting unreasonable responsibilities onto the children themselves

The Town: Societal neglect & abuse; turning a blind eye to all of it and letting them slip through the cracks because 'not my problem'

'Mayor': The codified and legalized defense of all of the above; blaming even the worst tragedies on the children themselves. Up to and including all the collateral you intentionally put into the fire.

I think a post very relevant to Sasume's bg/how to view it is the one that's like "we need to remember villains as narrative devices and not real life people that need to be accurately punished for their real life crimes". It's not about the 'implausibility' of an entire town dehumanizing orphans/a single family into literal bogeyman and scapegoats for the better part of fifty years, and absolutely no one doing anything meaningful to counteract it— it's about the fact that it happens at all. That's just how it is! The same with Sarah and never taking or even just sending her away.

Sasume is very much an epitome of "being who the child-you needed most", because what May-chan needed could've been called a grand HeroTM or a paragon of kindness or the like, but at its core was just any protection at all.

She's so easy to use and manipulate and betray not just because she's so attention starved, but because she refuses to deprive anyone who might— at all— need such trust or kindness from any at all. She knows better than most what it's like, after all.

[dirtytransmasc]

@cyren-myadd

ok, so, I hardly know where to start, and this might not even make sense, but I'll say this:

Spider and Lo'ak parallel each other heavily, and because of that, have similar traumas, but they are still very distinctly different issues.

Spider and Lo'ak both struggle with identity issues. but Lo'ak's struggle comes more from the fact that he does not live up to Jake and Neteyam, than anything else. yes he has body issues, yes he struggles with his whole "demon blood" mentality, and having a fourth finger, and some of that is genuine dysmorphia, of sorts, for lack of a better term, and self-resentment for being more "human". but at the end of the day, his self image issues are like a crutch for his bigger issues, which is that he feels like he fails to met the standard set by Jake and Neteyam. he looks like his father, but can't act like him. and Neteyam is perfect in every way. and that's a lot for a kid.

Spider had identity issues because he is human in body, and has been punished it every single day of his life, but in every other way he is Na'vi. in mind and in spirit and in knowledge. even in how he learned to exist and move and connect with his own body. he is Na'vi. he does everything their way. thinks their way. believes their way. sees their way. but he is still human. it's not about feeling like he failed, or that he isn't good enough, or anything of that sort. Spider's struggle with identity is that he is human.

now combined in this aspect of them, is the whole talk of blood and fathers, and I'll come back to that.

but the problem here is that a lot of people strip Spider down as some weird copycat appropriating Na'vi ways, and Lo'ak is the one who has the oversimplified version of Spider's trauma. now Lo'ak is the one who bases all of his pain around his body and how it's caused him to be outright rejected and hated and that's the reason he has self image issues... as if he is not the chiefs some and basically his carbon copy...

like not to say that he doesn't have literal self image issues and that there have never been times where his looks have caused issues, but that's not his main problem.

that's Spider's main problem. his trauma's come from the fact that he is visually human, and therefore rejected by most people in his life.

the other issues is fathers. they both have daddy issues. they both have a complex relationship with their "demon blood" (oh brother...)

people love to conflate their daddy issues as if they are one in the same, or as though Spider "has it easier"... somehow... I don't know how they manage to reach this conclusion, outside of just ignore Spider's entire character, arc, and part in the plot, but I digress.

Lo'ak is the son of Toruk Makto. the Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya. and while Jake has had his fuck ups and there is still some dislike of his status as a former dreamwalker, he is not considered human, and he and his children are respected, even with their "demon blood".

Spider's father was a literal war criminal who was very much human and very much committed a genocide and very much died trying to wipe out the Na'vi (alongside Spider's mother, who was also very human, and very dead after the war). he is not respected. he is pure "demon blood", every drop of it containing the sins of his parents.

those are two insanely different things.

and Spider always "deserves" the abuse and neglect and hate and belittlement he receives because of his blood, while Lo'ak is depicted as being hated and torn down and otherwise treated how Spider was treated in canon. instead of Lo'ak almost being treated like a "royal bastard" for lack of a better term, respected even when his blood comes into question, he is treated like a literal outcast. he is punished for the "sins of his father" while Jake is still given the respect of being the former chief and toruk makto and a trusted war advisor and such, which makes oh so little sense.

then there's the actual relationships with their fathers. this one is pretty cut and dry.

now, I don't like Jake, it's a personal thing, so I won't sugarcoat it, but Jake is not a *horrible* father. he's a pretty shitty one, but he loves his son. he wants whats best for him. he tries to do what's best with him, even when he lets all his own shit get in the way. he is a traumatized man trying to save his sons from war while not knowing how to go about doing that in a constructive manner.

Quaritch is an evil man with serious mental illness who does not, even with the love he holds for his son, truly want the best for Spider. he has moments where he sees through whatever haze he is in, where he puts Spider first, but he is routinely more focused on the mission than anything else. unless Spider's life and place in Q's own life is challenged, the kids mentally back burner'd. Q does massive damage to Spider in this way. he had walked away from his infant son and let the boys mother follow, orphaning him on an alien planet at mere months old. he kidnaped the kid and allowed him to be tortured (even if he does end up stopping it). he forced him to watch him commit crimes against the Na'vi and Tulkun, and put his sibling's lives in serious danger, one of his men killing his baby brother in the process.

so. clear difference.

Spider's dynamic with Q is written off or played up as Spider genuinely siding with Q and that's why he saved him, instead of it being how Spider is traumabound to a terrible man, cause he spent months as his glorified POW, being the only one to see what little good was left in the man, being dependent on him for life, and being loved by him after 16 years of abject neglect and even abuse at the hands of his foster family. none of that matters. Spider is ashamed of his father. ashamed of being his son. ashamed to be like him.

but Lo'ak is apparently hated by Jake, to the point of outright and intentional abuse and neglect, which leaves Lo'ak begging for scraps from everyone.

instead of the actual arc being 'Lo'ak being Jake's carbon copy and that scaring the ever loving shit out of the man, which leads to him trying and failing to protect Lo'ak from the cycle bound to happen'. Jake loves his son, even when he struggles, and always puts him first, even if he doesn't do it right. his world revolves around his sons, even if he struggled to see eye to eye with them. and Lo'ak is proud to be Jakes son, hence why it hurts him so deeply to not be "good enough", why the "demon blood" comments hurt, why he wants Jake to be proud of him. he wants to be just like him.

I feel like I'm talking in loops and not making much sense, but you get the point.

the nuance and beauty and complexity of both boys's stories is lost everytime this happens, and it's ruined how the fandom looks at both characters and shapes their dynamics with one another and the other characters in the story.

and instead of the two characters being able to compliment each other storywise.... people want Lo'ak to kill his big brother, cause that makes sense in the fucked up storyline they've created in their heads.

I refuse to go into more detail, but, I will no longer hold my tongue. my biggest gripe with this fandom is the way a majority of it erases Lo'ak's actual trauma and struggles (with his identity, his father/family, his clan, etc), and essentially gives him Spider's traumas/struggles in some idealized form (whether for over the top and oversimplified "hurt/comfort" scenarios, or max woobification), while absolutely dragging and/or ignoring Spider's entire character and the realistic depictions of those traumas and what that does to a kid.

like I can't exactly put words to it or go into a deep analytical post, but I've been thinking about it, and some other stuff I've seen online have been making me think about it.

stop doing a disservice to both of my boys. they both have such interesting and complex stories and you're ruining it!!!

[sunderwight]

Been thinking about the potential of a Luo Binghe transmigration fic where he has a similar experience to Shen Yuan's -- meaning, he transmigrates into a story that didn't originally have a "Luo Binghe", but rather a different character with a similar name, and Bingmei himself still has his canonical personality and broad strokes modern version of his backstory (i.e. abandoned, adopted, orphaned, struggling with the foster system, etc), whereas the character he transmigrates into has a different background and personality.

So, concept: Luo Binghe transmigrates into Su Binghe, the spoiled prince of the demon realms, son of Tianlang Jun and Su Xiyan and scum villain of the novel he read.

In said novel, Su Binghe was driven by a perpetual lack of satisfaction with things. He had almost everything handed to him on a silver platter, but none of it seemed to actually matter to him. His parents were powerful and loving, but also extremely busy and somewhat distant. His sibling relationships were soured by the fact that they were all basically raised separately by different groups of servants and expected to compete with one another for the supreme throne of the demon realms one day. The servants who raised him also had only limited authority over him, thanks to his rank, so he was encouraged to be self-centered and tyrannical from an early age because behaving that way helped him get whatever he wanted. Yet he felt ultimately purposeless and lonely, lacking any actual friends or companions.

Shen Yuan, the main character, was the third son of a wealthy noble house and was stolen by demons during a raid on his family's properties. He was rescued by Tianlang Jun's people, who officially disapprove of attacks on humans (special cases like Huan Hua Palace being an exception), but not before the rest of his family was killed or else sold off into less friendly territories. Shen Yuan himself was subsequently taken on as a ward of the emperor, as a sort of apology for the whole deal, and inserted into the somewhat younger Su Binghe's household as a companion and tutor to try and curb the prince's loneliness. The empress also took Shen Yuan on as a personal disciple, as the only person able to teach him human-style cultivation.

This worked about as well as anyone expected, which was to say that the spoiled prince treated his weakling human tutor like his own personal chew toy, blowing hot and cold, manipulating and mistreating, jealously resenting Shen Yuan's attention from his mother while also taking every opportunity to insert himself into the additional lessons as well.

Eventually the situation came to a head, with Shen Yuan lashing back after being pushed to the limits, and Su Binghe using the "attack" as an excuse to exile him in the midst of hostile demon territory. Thus began the protagonist's power-up montage segment, where he was forced to fight and survive, leveling up his skills until he came across Xiu Ya.

Xiu Ya was a legendary sword that had been wielded by an equally legendary human cultivator, an actual secret ancestor of Shen Yuan's, long ago. It was sealed away by a past Heavenly Demon emperor, after its wielder managed to use it to successfully kill one of their kind (a difficult feat). By sealing the blade deep within the demonic realms, the past emperors had assured themselves that no human cultivator would successfully venture so deep into their territories nor uncover its hiding place, and so they mostly warded it against other demons (who might want to return it to the humans in order to sabotage the Heavenly Demons). Thus, Shen Yuan successfully liberated the blade, and after winning a harrowing battle against an ancient evil (boss fight!) with it, he ascended to godhood.

But, even the heavens weren't merciful in this story, and Shen Yuan was tasked with using Xiu Ya to end the threat of the Heavenly Demon race once and for all before he could claim his rightful place among them. If he failed, his soul would be forfeit and Xiu Ya would shatter, eternally condemning the mortal plane to the tyranny of demonic rule.

Luo Binghe absolutely loved the character of Shen Yuan, even though his story was kind of trash, and he did not want to transmigrate into Su Binghe, especially not with a mandate hanging over his head that he had to one day cast his favorite protagonist out into the wilds, and then let him kill Binghe in order to fulfill a mandate from the heavens!

Featuring:

-Modern day culinary student Bingmei, absolutely revolutionizing food prep in the demon realms and desperately wishing he could change the genre to one of those slice-of-life cozy escapist novels instead.

-Bingmei being actually a thousand times sneakier and more self-aware than his predecessor, taking Su Binghe's absolutely pathetic attempts at politics and making it work for him instead (between the foster care system and the food service industry, Bingmei takes no prisoners).

-Su Binghe originally had a sprawling harem by the time Shen Yuan reunited with him. Luo Binghe wants nothing to do with it, so he has to just keep on dodging his parents attempts to set him up in political matches.

-Some of Shen Yuan's original household and family actually did survive, so Luo Binghe dedicates himself to rescuing the rest of them to try and farm points with the protagonist. This results in him retrieving Shen Yuan's brother, Shen Jiu (asshole rat bastard feral cat of a guy, Luo Binghe almost wishes he'd failed), Shen Yuan's personal companions the Liu siblings (terrible decision, Shen Yuan's always waxing poetically about how beautiful they are), Shen Yuan's younger sister Yingying (annoying but nice), Shen Jiu's situationship Yue Qi (there is something deeply wrong with that guy), and the son of the family's head servant, Shang Qinghua (weird rodent man, somehow has evil advisor vibes despite also looking sort of like the designated non-threatening one in an idol group).

-Bingmei identifies Mobei Jun as a fellow transmigrator pretty early on, when he absently whistles the notification sound for a smart phone and Mobei reaches for his pocket. Mobei Jun's approach to transmigrating is basically to say and do as little as possible. Bingmei subsequently doesn't find out that he is in fact the author of the original book until some time after the main plot has passed.

-Despite not wanting to, Bingmei is fully prepared to die in order to secure Shen Yuan's eventual destiny as a god. He only hopes he might go out cleanly and with more sympathy than the original goods got. Imagine his horror when Shen Yuan decides he's going to fight the gods instead of wiping out the Heavenly Demons.

[mimiszz]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ୨💛୧ ɾᥙხч ♡ ızᥱƙ ֶָ ׁ ㅤ⪨  ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎﹙ 愛 ﹚ . . . ɦⱺɯ ɬⱺ gᥱɬ ɱч ჩᥙ᥉ხɑnძ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⱺn ɱч ᥉ıძᥱ ♡ !

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ( pℓᥱɑ᥉ᥱ, gıvᥱ ᥴɾᥱძıɬ᥉. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ pⱺɾ ẜɑvⱺɾ, ძᥱ ⱺ᥉ ᥴɾᥱძıɬⱺ᥉ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ხч: @mimiszz ! )

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ɑᥙɬჩⱺɾ᥉: ⱺɾıɡınɑℓ ɯⱺɾƙ ხч @ƙıɬɬч

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ɑnძ ᥉pıᥴᥱ᥉

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ɑɾɬı᥉ɬ ხч: @᥉ıɾᥙ

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ⱺvᥱɾℓɑч/ɬᥱɱpℓɑɬᥱ ხч @pınɬᥱɾᥱ᥉ɬ / @ɑɾıᥱℓ

[imastoryteller]

19 Most Common Character Flaws in Horror Fiction

Curiosity: Characters who are overly curious may investigate dangerous situations or places, leading to their downfall.

Arrogance: Arrogant characters may underestimate threats or refuse to heed warnings, putting themselves in danger.

Recklessness: Characters who act impulsively or without considering the consequences may find themselves in perilous situations.

Naivety: Naive characters may be easily deceived or manipulated by villains or supernatural forces.

Overconfidence: Overconfident characters may believe they can handle any situation, leading them to take unnecessary risks.

Stubbornness: Stubborn characters may refuse to listen to advice or change their course of action, even when it's clear they're in danger.

Greed: Greedy characters may prioritize personal gain over safety, leading them to make unethical or dangerous choices.

Distrust: Characters who are overly distrustful may alienate allies or miss crucial information, making them more vulnerable.

Cowardice: Cowardly characters may abandon others in dangerous situations or fail to confront threats when necessary.

Impulsiveness: Impulsive characters may act without thinking, leading to mistakes or putting themselves in harm's way.

Lack of Empathy: Characters who lack empathy may disregard the well-being of others, making them more susceptible to manipulation or isolation.

Overprotectiveness: Overprotective characters may prioritize the safety of loved ones to the detriment of their own safety or the safety of others.

Addiction: Characters who are addicted to substances or behaviors may make irrational decisions or be more easily controlled by external forces.

Obsession: Characters who are obsessed with a goal or idea may pursue it at any cost, even endangering themselves or others.

Paranoia: Paranoid characters may see threats where none exist, leading them to take extreme measures or isolate themselves unnecessarily.

Lack of Self-awareness: Characters who lack self-awareness may fail to recognize their own limitations or the impact of their actions on others.

Insecurity: Insecure characters may doubt their own abilities or judgment, making them more susceptible to manipulation or self-destructive behavior.

Ignorance: Characters who are ignorant of the true nature of the threats around them may underestimate their danger or fail to take necessary precautions.

Desperation: Characters who are desperate may make rash decisions or ally themselves with dangerous individuals or entities in hopes of achieving their goals.

[learningtelepathically]

I think it's an interesting dynamic between the two leads. Even Carlon Delphine says that both of them are broken (I love Carlon, he's such a sweet guy who apparently ages real well? haha). Yes Reinhart is inherently twisted and Val is emotionally aloof. Yet without a doubt they can create a space to bond together, I have no doubt Reinhart would stay with her under any circumstances this time around now that he is obsessed(eventually becomes more like love with a hint of obsession), he'd hate it if she were dead so that stops him from causing her harm. He also wants her to care for him and tear that wall down so he can be close to her, he wants her to be happy and he wants to be loved by her. Val keeps to herself because that's her way to protect herself and others. She appears to go along with Reinhart at times (and others) because he won't leave her alone and it would be too bothersome otherwise, especially since theirs no good reason to rock the boat, but slowly she has come to expect his presence and even relies on him.

An aside: I love the Sugar Apple Fair Tale reference haha I'm also reading that one.

I had given up of ever finishing the novel of this one which I love, as well as the manhwa since I thought it had been dropped, but it looks like for both they are still ongoing. This one is one I find my thoughts crawling back too, it was just so different from my previous reads.

Forgot to mention Leon! I'm glad he and Carlon are their to slowly rehabilitate and resocialize these two.

Its been a while since I enjoyed a shoujo isekai manhwa after Beware of the Villainess. I found this interesting one called "I Failed to Oust the Villain". You can read it legally in Tapas.

Story: Heroine (Valeta) find herself isekaid in a novel where she is the villain's master. In the original story, her character is madly in love as in obsessed with the villain who's still her slave back then (Just imagine Bridget mistreating Shall Fen Shall from Sugar Apple Fairy Tale) but the villain will kill her eventually once he's done with her and didn't return the romantic feelings so to prevent that bad ending she decided not to be attached with anyone as her self-preservation and that made her apathetic at times (like everyone is dying but she's like it has nothing to do with me so let's ignore it) but as you can see she still failed from cutting ties with him no matter how much she push him away because the villain who's the ML (Reinhart) find her cold-heartedness interesting instead. He find it amusing that heroine manage to avoid any reason to get killed by him because she's not too kind to him nor treated him too badly. Its like she's obviously playing safe.

As to why I like it beside for having long haired ML, both heroine and ML are very complex characters to the point I find myself being entranced by their interaction as characters and the fact that ML said their relationship don't have label really piqued my interest. I think the best way to describe their relationship is they are home or solace for each other, they can handle and understand each other because of their shared trauma. Heroine and ML grow up together and both are abused during their childhood in the same house so they are basically Childhood Friends trope. That explains their twisted mindset and its hard for them to accept kindness easily. They are very damaged individuals.

I also like that I can feel both heroine and ML have actual brains. They are both testing the water when they talk to each other. I love that the ML really have a villainous as a character. That he's complex, creepy, terrifying, calculative, cold-hearted and eccentric like a true villain. I find that very refreshing that the story didn't tone down this side of him because usually once they became affectionate with the heroine, their villain side is gone. But Reinhart? He's not afraid of showing this scary side to Valeta. He knows something is wrong with himself and with Valeta. In a way, they look like a unhealthy villain couple to normal people but they are just very damaged goods that need time to improve themselves. Watching them grow as a person despite their obvious flaws is so good for my heart.

WARNING: Don't ever read it if you don't like bad people as characters. You need to look deeper at the characters to enjoy this. Its like Tian Ya Ke (Faraway Wanderer). Its about broken people so expect them to be heavily flawed. None of them are good people but they are trying to be the best version of themselves for each other and that's what matters.

Special thanks to these two characters who act like their Parental Figure and teaching them human common sense. I love that scene when ML want to join the dining table so he's like "Should I kneel before you? Do you want a payment? You must have ulterior motive." and this confused gentle dude is like "You can just ask me. Can I just be kind without needing anything in return?" Its so funny I swear. They are very patient with these two dorks and I love them for that. They can fix them!! I believe in them!

[anrisimps]

They match each other's freak so well oh my god I love them

[swiftdove]

bleeding crimson

pairing: rio vidal x agatha harkness x fem!reader

summary: no matter how much you try to run from the truth, the road leads you back onto the path, forcing you to confront the thorns from your past.

content: angst, tension, knife-play, dark actions, slight smut

a/n: this is my first time ever writing a part 2 i feel like this is a very monumental moment for me

part 2 to collateral damage

Later that night, you had found yourself leaning against the trunk of the tree, willing yourself to sleep. Yet, despite your best efforts, the earlier conversations seeped into your mind, forcing out any rational thought. 

It wasn't right, how easily they managed to pull you back under their spell. They knew exactly which buttons to push to get what they wanted, whilst your skills had rusted over time. The way they treated you; it was as though they'd never left. It was almost comical, how little they'd suffered over their abandonment of you, how they expected everything to be the same as it was. You knew they were wicked, downright evil, but you hadn't expected them to be this selfish. Your sympathy for them was fading, as was your will to fight against their seductive charm. There must've been something grievously wrong about you to have even looked their way. Perhaps it was the mutual damage, the way you all understood each other so perfectly. Perhaps it was that that let you excuse their past actions. The idea that maybe, just maybe, you could fix them.

You had snapped right out of that attitude when you had seen Agatha act so apathetically about Sharon's death. It may have been the one thing that could have finally let you move past her. But earlier today, when she had tried so desperately to save Teen, redeemed her. You hated that about her - the way she flickered from evil to morally gray. 

And Rio, who balanced out Agatha's wickedness. You felt it, how her eyes always lingered on you. But never for longer than she did with Agatha. 

The reasons against them were stacked, and yet there was still that one part of you that wondered about what a reconciled relationship with them would entail. Most likely more damage to your already fragile mind. Then again, you'd always found that pain turned you on.

The sound of footsteps jolted you out of your train of thought, immediately waking you up from your half-asleep state. 

"Who's there?" you called, failing to mask the fear in your voice.

"Your worst nightmare," a demonic voice resounded, which you instantly recognized to be one of Rio's attempts to humour you.

The witch came into sight, accompanied by the last person you wanted to see right now.

Despite your pronounced hate for them, you couldn't deny that they looked perfect - especially under the glow of the moonlight. 

"What are you doing here?" you murmured, smoothing out a wrinkle in your blouse. 

"Couldn't sleep," Rio replied truthfully, eyeing you up and down. Her gaze finally rested on your hands, where you were nervously playing with your index ring, a habit you'd picked up years ago when she'd first bought it for you. 

However, your attention was directed at Agatha, who had adopted a villainous smirk. Something had changed in her tonight; behind her icy blue eyes hid macabre intentions. It was almost comedic how you still felt like you knew every serrated, damaged inch of her soul. Old habits died hard, you supposed.

"What is it, Agatha?" you asked, failing to hide the tremble in your voice. 

"Oh, nothing," she replied, her tone lilted, "it's just ironic, I suppose. All that 'I'm not yours' bullshit and defiant attitude..."

You tensed as she neared you, noticing the way her eyes glinted at your recoiled stance. In a split second, her fingers wrapped around your throat, trapping you in a chokehold.

"... when we both know why you came."

Her grip tightened, her veins becoming more defined as your breathing shallowed.

"Agatha," Rio admonished, prompting her to relax her grip. 

A soft cackle rang through the air as Agatha stroked your cheek with her free hand, reveling in the way you trembled under her touch.

Flashbacks of the life you'd had with them echoed in your mind, memories of your past encounters hammering at the walls of your skull. It was always the same. Agatha, skillfully inflicting the sweetest torture imaginable on your body, whilst Rio sat back and watched. The mocking, saccharine tone Agatha adopted whilst Rio carved their names into your flesh. The way they forced you past your limits, the long, euphoric nights. 

"So helpless," she jested, dragging out her words. "Now, where have I seen that before?"

Your reply was barely audible, interrupted by a hitch in your breath. "Stop."

Ignoring your plea for mercy, she pulled up your sleeve, releasing her grip on your throat. The faint outline of the words 'RIO' and 'AGATHA' were only just visible, having faded after decades of neglect. Agatha swiveled around, jerking your arm out for Rio to see.

"Would you look at that?" Rio marveled. She tutted softly, before brandishing her dagger. A sadistic smile tugged at her lips as she held it to your throat. You flinched away from the cold metal, beads of red decorating the blade. Your attempts to run away from the dagger were foiled when she swiveled you around and secured you waist with her free hand, the other keeping you in place.

"You were so jealous of Rio earlier, weren't you, pet?" Agatha taunted, relishing in the way your eyes narrowed at the use of her pet name. "You wanted me to leave a scar, didn't you?"

If you hadn't had a blade pressed against your throat, you would have called her out for twisting your words. But, in this instance, you couldn't help but shrink back from their towering presences.

Snorting at your silence, she continued with her onslaught of cruel jokes. "Why so silent? Cat got your tongue?"

"There's a blade to my throat, if you haven't noticed," you snapped, causing Rio to add pressure to your skin.

"There's that nasty attitude again," Agatha proclaimed gleefully, circling around you. "How long has it been since you've been properly punished, sweets?"

You recoiled at her use of the word 'punished', your gaze steeling. "Stop," you murmured, failing to mask the quiver in your voice. "I'm not going to indulge in your sick revenge fantasy."

"Aren't you?"

Rio's voice cut through the tension in the air like a knife through butter, her fingernails digging into the side of your waist. Agatha smirked maliciously, tilting your chin up with her calloused fingers. 

"I don't think you have much of a choice, pet."

Satisfied with your silence as a response, she trailed her fingers down to your blouse, roughly unbuttoning it. She pinched at the peak of your breast, relishing in how it hardened at her touch.

"So sensitive," Agatha murmured, twisting it sharply. A small yelp escaped your lips, reprimanded by a sharp cut to the throat. Hot blood trickled down the wound, staining the witch's fingers.

"Agatha -" you gasped, only to be cut off by the sound of Lilia's voice echoing down The Road.

"They're coming. We have to go."

Glancing at the direction of the voice, Agatha withdrew her hand, causing you to sigh in relief. The sound didn't go unnoticed by the witches. Visibly annoyed, Agatha grabbed your jaw, forcing you to look at her.

"This isn't over," she threatened, before dramatically whisking her cape and walking away. Rio followed, but not before dragging her dagger over your throat again. When you didn't budge, she looked over her shoulder, glancing at you expectantly.

"Come on," she said, taking ahold of your arm. "We have to go."

As you trailed behind the witches, the warm, crimson blood trickled down the small wound in your throat, bleeding into the collar of your shirt. To anybody else, it would've just seemed like a simple cut, but you knew what it truly was. A symbol, of their claim over you. Hard, cold proof that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't escape their hold over you. And for some strange, demented reason, you found comfort in knowing that. 

The dynamic between you and them remained ever the same. Agatha and Rio, your sacred protectors, and you, a wolf in the clothing of a sacrificial lamb. And despite your pathetic attempts to hide it, you knew that they understood exactly who you were to the very marrow of your bones. 

That was what scared you about them.