#morally gray

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Crafting Compelling Morally Gray Characters: A Guide for Fiction Writers

In literature, there is often a clear distinction between good and evil. Heroes are portrayed as virtuous and villains as wicked. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in the popularity of morally gray characters - those who do not fit neatly into the categories of good or evil. These characters are complex, flawed, and often make decisions that challenge the reader's moral compass. In this guide, I'll help you explore the art of crafting compelling morally gray characters and how to make them stand out in your fiction writing.

What Are Morally Gray Characters?

Morally gray characters, also known as morally ambiguous characters, are those who do not conform to traditional notions of good or evil. They may have both positive and negative traits, and their actions may be motivated by a mix of good and bad intentions. These characters often blur the lines between right and wrong, making them more relatable and intriguing to readers.

Examples of Morally Gray Characters

Some well-known examples of morally gray characters include:

Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series: Initially portrayed as a villain, Snape's true motivations and actions are revealed to be more complex and morally ambiguous.

Jaime Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series: Known for his arrogance and incestuous relationship with his sister, Jaime's character evolves throughout the series, showcasing his internal struggle between his duty and his personal desires.

Walter White from Breaking Bad: A high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine producer, Walter's character is constantly torn between his desire for power and his moral compass.

Why Are Morally Gray Characters Compelling?

Morally gray characters are compelling because they challenge the reader's perceptions of right and wrong. They are not easily categorized as heroes or villains, making them more relatable and human. These characters also add depth and complexity to a story, making it more interesting and thought-provoking.

The Power of Relatability

One of the main reasons morally gray characters are so compelling is because they are relatable. They are not perfect, and they make mistakes, just like real people. This makes them more human and allows readers to connect with them on a deeper level. When readers can see themselves in a character, it creates a stronger emotional connection to the story.

The Element of Surprise

Morally gray characters also add an element of surprise to a story. Their actions and decisions may not always align with what the reader expects, keeping them on the edge of their seat. This unpredictability makes the story more engaging and can lead to unexpected plot twists.

The Exploration of Morality

Morally gray characters also allow for a deeper exploration of morality in a story. By challenging traditional notions of good and evil, these characters force readers to question their own moral compass and consider the gray areas of morality. This can lead to thought-provoking discussions and a deeper understanding of complex moral issues.

How to Craft Morally Gray Characters

Crafting morally gray characters requires a delicate balance of positive and negative traits, as well as a deep understanding of their motivations and internal struggles. Here are some tips for creating compelling morally gray characters in your writing.

Give Them a Strong Motivation

Every character, regardless of their moral alignment, should have a strong motivation for their actions. For morally gray characters, this motivation should be complex and not easily defined as purely good or evil. It could be a desire for power, revenge, or even a sense of duty. This motivation will drive their decisions and actions throughout the story.

Show Their Flaws and Vulnerabilities

Morally gray characters are not perfect, and they should not be portrayed as such. They should have flaws and vulnerabilities that make them more relatable and human. These flaws could be physical, emotional, or moral, and they should play a role in the character's development and decisions.

Create Internal Conflict

One of the defining characteristics of morally gray characters is their internal conflict. They are torn between their good and bad tendencies, and this struggle should be evident in their thoughts and actions. This internal conflict adds depth to the character and makes them more relatable to readers.

Avoid Stereotypes

When crafting morally gray characters, it's important to avoid falling into stereotypes. These characters should not be one-dimensional or defined solely by their moral ambiguity. They should have unique personalities, backgrounds, and motivations that make them stand out as individuals.

Show Their Growth and Development

As with any well-written character, morally gray characters should experience growth and development throughout the story. They should learn from their mistakes and make decisions that challenge their moral compass. This growth and development will make them more dynamic and interesting to readers.

How to Make Morally Gray Characters Stand Out

With the rise in popularity of morally gray characters, it's important to make yours stand out in a sea of similar characters. Here are some tips for making your morally gray characters unique and memorable.

Give Them a Distinctive Voice

A character's voice is an essential part of their identity. It should be unique and reflective of their personality and motivations. For morally gray characters, their voice should reflect their internal conflict and the complexity of their moral alignment.

Create a Strong Backstory

A character's backstory can provide valuable insight into their motivations and actions. For morally gray characters, a strong backstory can help explain their moral ambiguity and add depth to their character. It can also create empathy and understanding for their decisions.

Use Foils to Highlight Their Morality

Foils are characters who contrast with the main character, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. For morally gray characters, foils can be used to showcase their moral ambiguity and challenge their beliefs. This can add depth to the character and create interesting dynamics between them and other characters.

Morally gray characters add depth, complexity, and relatability to a story. By challenging traditional notions of good and evil, these characters force readers to question their own moral compass and consider the gray areas of morality.

[sweepweep]

I truly love how morally grey Hajime is.

Like in the beginning of the game, everyone’s talking and they’re all saying stuff like “we would never kill a friend to get off this island”

Meanwhile Hajime’s off on the side like “damn. I actually really wanna get off this island”

This happens multiple times, too: Imposter was like “I wont stand for anyone killing each other.”

And Hajime’s internal dialogue is just “I could and might do it”

Man considers murder so many times throughout the game and I am living for it

[greenqueenhightower]

when you’re morally GAY

[z0mbie2b0y]

I need to see more fics where Stiles is like morally gray and would do anything to protect his pack even if he needs to get his hands dirty!! :3

[anama-cara]

[softestqueeen]

my little flower pt. 2

pairing: stalker!könig (cod) x reader

summary: You were just minding your business, planting some new flowers in your garden, when suddenly a (charming) man in a mask abducts you to use you for his pleasure. You are incredibly conflicted; the stranger seems to be kinda nice but also incredibly selfish at the same time.

Slowly you’re getting used to living with the man that was slowly becoming more than just the man who abducted you. You’re also getting used to the different ways he’s using and abusing your body.

warnings: 18+ MDNI!! mention of stalking, kidnapping and being held captive, p in v sex, non con, rape, kind of free use?, consent – never heard of it, no safe word, shower sex, sexual abuse, description emotional abuse, very possessive behaviour, light bondage, handcuffs, cunnilingus, overstimulation, gagging, spanking, 69, oral (both receiving), no aftercare

wordcount: 2283 words

read part one here!

a/n: I just couldn’t let it go and had to write a part two. Am I procrastinating with writing rn? Maybe. Enjoy <3

You couldn’t tell how long König had already kept you locked up in your room. It could have been days, but it could have also been weeks, months. The past was a bit blurry. He didn’t drug you that often anymore and the only way you could keep track of time was to try to observe when König left for work an when he came back.

You knew when he came back because he always checked on you. If you weren’t having sex, he was sometimes actually really nice to you. Always checking on your health if you were hungry or needed anything else. The two of you sometimes even have dinner downstairs on the rare occasions when he lets you leave your room. It is easier than expected to talk to him and sometimes living with him felt freeing, as weird as that sounds.

You didn’t have to work or worry about money; you didn’t really have to socialise with anyone or meet new people. You could spend the whole day reading and dressing up in the countless outfits that König hung up in your closet and await his return.

He enjoyed you company but what he enjoyed even more was using your body. It had taken some time to get used to the fact that you sometimes woke up gagged with König’s cock deep down your pussy or that sometimes when he got home from work, he didn’t care about what you were doing but just forced himself into one of your holes.

Sometimes you wondered how your parents were doing or what your friends were up to. But König was quick to fuck those thoughts out of you.

As weird and twisted as it may sound you were slowly falling for the dark man.

You were currently standing in the shower, enjoying the warm stream, and listening to some music on the CD-player König had gotten you after you complained about how quiet it was when he was gone.

You’ve just rinsed the shampoo out of your hair and were about to grab your bottle of shower gel when you suddenly felt a pair of hands on your lips. Now you could also feel a powerful presence behind you.

You didn’t get any warning before König entered you in one swift motion, making a sound between a gasp and a moan leave your lips, while you leaned forward to steady yourself against the shower wall. He started to fuck you in earnest, giving you no time to recover from the intrusion and using you in a way he hadn’t in a long time.

“I have been thinking about burying my thick cock in that sweet and tight pussy all day long, just for you to not be in your room. You’re never save from me, little flower. I will always find you.” he growled into your ear before speeding up his thrusts and adding “You” Thrust “Are” Thrust “Mine” Thrust “You understand me?” Thrust

You could only whimper and give him a weak nod while he continued to abuse your pussy in earnest. He grabbed your hair and pulled your head back while leaving hickeys everywhere he could reach. He had one hand in your hair and the other one was leaving finger shaped bruises on your hip.

You could do nothing but stand there and let it happen. You knew you were not strong enough to do anything against it, and after the initial shock it was actually quite pleasurable, and you could feel your orgasm already building.

“Say it for me, tell me who you belong to, little flower.”, he told you while slowing down his thrust a bit, but now hitting your g-spot perfectly, making nit even harder for you to answer.

“Y- Y- You, I belong to you”, you managed to stammer out.

He halted his thrusts completely and pinched your nipple, making you yelp. “You know that’s not want I want to hear, sweetheart. I’ll ask you again, who do you belong to?”

You tried to calm your breathing before answering him “I belong to you, König. Only you.”

That seemed to be the right answer because he picked up his pace again and started to drill into you again.

“When you’re going to cum, I want you to scream my name while I fill up that sweet little pussy. And then I’m going to eat that pussy out, you hear me?”, he whispered into your ear while pressing you completely against the tiled shower wall. You let out a gasp when your front made contact with the cold tiles, but nodded anyways, already feeling your orgasm etching closer and closer.

König could also feel you squeezing him and was ready to fill you up.

“Cum for me, little flower. Come for me now or you won’t cum for weeks.”, his sinful words brought you over the edge. You screamed his name while covering his abdomen with your nectar. Not a second later you could feel him shooting his cum into your pussy while slowly halting his thrusts. He kept his still rock-hard cock inside your pussy though, using it as a plug for his cum.

He took the shower head from the wall, taking his hand from your hair.

“Before I’ll eat out your little cunt and taste it, I’m feeling like playing with you a little bit more.”, he told you before using the shower head to wash over your body, the little droplets of water gliding down your skin and if he wasn’t already hard again, he would be now.

You were still pressed against the shower when he guided the shower head to your sensitive cunt, spraying it from afar but slowly moving closer. The little sprays made a shiver run down your spine and you felt König’s cock twitch inside of you, making you moan.

König guided the spray along your pussy, before focusing on your clit. The stimulation felt heavenly, the softness a stark contrast to the harsh fucking from just moments before. He concentrated on your clot before moving along your lips and then going back to your clit, building a steady rhythm.

You were embarrassingly close to coming again, the shower head feeling better than anticipated.

“Cum for me and I’ll eat you out, little flower. I’ll eat you out until you’ll beg me to stop.”, his words brought you even closer to the edge and when he concentrated on your clit and inserted one of his thick fingers inside of your tight cunt, joining his already fat cock, you were a goner.

This orgasm was softer than your first one. You came again with a loud moan of König’s name, and you could feel his cock pulsing inside of you.

He let you some time to calm down before pulling out and steadying you with one of his hands around your waist. He washed you and touched you like you were a porcelain doll about to break. You loved the rare gentleness but also knew that this was the silence before the storm.

He lifted you out of the shower and dried you up, before carrying you back into your bedroom and laying you on the bed. König didn’t bother to put any clothes on you because he knew he wouldn’t need them.

You lay sprawled out on the bed, your legs spread, his cum still dripping out of you. It didn’t surprise you that he spared your cunt when he washed you. You watched König curiously as he walked over to your closet. Did he want to dress you up?

Oh boy, how wrong you were.

He came back with two pairs of handcuffs and a mischievous grin. You just lay there while he handcuffed one of your hands to the bedpost before he repeated the same action on your other hand.

You experimentally pulled on them, but they didn’t give you any room to move. The thought of being at König’s mercy like that made a wave of wetness flow to your pussy.

König didn’t say anything while he went to lay down between your spread legs. He started at your hole and licked up a long stripe to your clit with his flat tongue, making you squirm and moan. You wished you could put your hands into his hair and pull it, knowing he would go feral.

He kept on eating you out, taking his time with you. Circling your clit, licking along the lips of your pussy, teasing your hole, and occasionally even leaving open mouthed kissed on your cunt and on the side of your thighs.

You were slowly going insane. You wished you could move against his face to use your hands in any way to touch him, but you had no chance. If you moved your hips forward, he instantly pulled his mouth away and slapped your thigh. There was already a red spot on the inside of your thigh, but every time he hits you it makes a jolt of pleasure shoot through your body.

He was slowly working you to your next orgasms and you hated the teasing. When you tried to protest, he got up, picked up his glove from the floor and stuffed it into your mouth, gagging you.

You couldn’t breathe through the glove and started to grow lightheaded, but it only fed into your pleasure and making everything feel more intense.

Before he went back to your pussy, he told you “You can come whenever you want, I just need to taste you little flower.”

He slowly brought you to your next orgasm and when you finally hit it, it made you see stars. You let out a scream, though it was muffled by the gag. Even though you came for a third time already, König did not seem to end it here. He just continued to eat you out, but now he was slowly increasing the speed until his harsh movements started to hurt your already overstimulated pussy.

Tears were now streaming down your face, and you felt dizzy again, but König seemed to be in his own world, groaning and moaning against your heat. He lapped up your juices when you came for the fourth time.

You thought he would have some mercy on you and leave you be for the night when he pulled away and got up from the bed. But when you saw that he still had a huge boner, you knew that he was not done yet.

He removed the gag from your mouth, and you greedily breathed in the fresh air in big gulps. He went to remove the handcuffs and you just let your hands drop, not being able to move them anymore, your wrists sore from the cuffs.

He joined you on the bed again, lifting your hips and putting you over his face. Your back was faced to the headboard and when you looked forward, you could see König’s errection standing proudly and already messy with pre-cum.

If König didn’t have such a strong grip on your waits, you were sure that you would just fall forward. He spread your legs a bit wider so that your already swollen pussy was directly over his lips. You could feel the breaths of his next words against you, making you shiver.

“I’m going to keep on playing with that sweet little pussy until you made me cum with your mouth, little flower. But don’t use your hands.”, he commanded.

You immediately leaned forward, your shaky arms were on either side of his hips, supporting your weight.

You licked a long stripe up his cock, tracing a particular prominent vein, before sucking his head into your mouth and swallowing his pre-cum.

You could feel him groaning against you before he started to eat you out again. You moaned around him, feeling his thighs and hips twitching underneath you. You worked your mouth up and down his length, taking him deeper with every time you moved down on his cock.

You could feel him twitch inside of you and more pre-com escaping his slit. You took him down your throat, his tip already hitting the back of your throat. He fucked your throat so often; you didn’t even gag anymore on his thick grid.

You started to move in sync, his finger now joining his mouth. He slowly worked his large fingers inside of you, until three of them were pumping in and out of you. When he entered a fourth one and sucked on your clit, you were done.

His cock hit the back of your throat when you hit your orgasm, your head stilling, while König kept on fucking you with his fingers, working you through your high.

The taste of your release and your tight throat around his cock, made him shoot thick ropes of cum down your throat. You moaned around him when you tasted his release, now slowly lifting your head. Only the head of his cock remained in your mouth, and you sucked on it, swallowing down the last drops of his sweet cum.

You completely pulled off him and he lifted you up again, pulling his fingers out of cunt and detaching his tongue from you.

He lifted you completely from him and turned you around, so your head was nestled on the pillow.

He harshly slapped your ass, making you jolt forward and force a moan out of your lips. You were so overstimulated, you hoped he was finally finished with you.

He put on his boxers again, before he looked at you naked body on more time. “Get some rest, little flower. I’m not done with you yet.”

a/n: thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed it! Please leave some notes in the form of likes, reblogs and comments! Feedback is always appreciated and comments in general help me a lot to improve my writing and always make my day!

You can also request things here and on my ao3!

taglist: @silvermagnolias @milywatermelon @BigBananaa

[made-of-stars03]

I’ve never created anything more accurate

[certaincollectionlandblog]

Domestic life with the book guys featuring the Twisted series by Ana Huang

*In honor of the fact that I have been so stressed my period came a whole two weeks early (live, laugh, love) please enjoy the absolute outpour of content this following week :)

Alex Volkov (Twisted Love by Ana Huang)

If we are going strictly off of Alex's character in Twisted Love it can be safe to assume that he is not going to be warm and mushy. This does not mean that there won't be any larger than life proclamations of love (I mean this man dropped 40k easy on a painting just because his girl wanted it), but he isn't going to be doing anything over the top in public

Following the previous point if you are expecting PDA I hate to tell you the most you'll be getting is maybe some light hand holding and a very quick hug

If there is a book man who is the definition of introverted I so see Alex fitting that description

He may not tell you he loves you verbally, but there are other ways he shows you. He might keep your favorite snacks in stock at the house so you never run out. He is going to have all of your favorite games and movies at the house so if you ever want to stay in you're able to.

Now if we're going off of Alex's character development throughout the Twisted Series and further on we can tell Alex is slowly coming out of his shell. He is still severely introverted, but he clearly is getting better at mild PDA.

Alex is as Taylor Swift would say Midnight Rain and he honestly just needs someone who will either be an absolute ray of sunshine or loves to dance in that rain (metaphorically speaking of course he would never actually want to dance in the rain for fear of getting you sick)

As we can clearly tell that man is constantly dropping a pretty penny on whatever you want. Looked a little too long at the purse in the window and boom it's wrapped up on the table when you get home. Mention wanting to read a book ONCE and he has it delivered in hardback (it's also autographed duh)

As far as like living together domestic life this man is spotless. He doesn't leave dirty dishes, dirty clothes, literally anything behind. He keeps control of his life in the form of keeping everything clean, orderly, and planned out.

This clearly follows into the bedroom because this man is never ever going to give over control. "Oh he might be a switch" No. Nope. Never. Don't see it happening sorry.

Alex is clearly not a very words of affirmation person, but quality time seems important to him. He will never admit it, but he is a cuddler like big time. Short of it being a quickie this man is not having sex with you and not getting his cuddles afterwards. Would he rather die than admit this to anyone ever? 1000x yes However as clean as this man is he is not laying in dirty sheets.

He wasn't given a proper upbringing and spending time with you doing mundane tasks around the house heals part of his inner child. You need to go to the grocery store? He's right there pushing the buggy. You need to wash dishes? He is ready to dry and put them up.

Rhys Larsen (Twisted Games by Ana Huang)

This man is about as protective and possessive as they come do we need to revise the chapter on him threatening to burn down parliament? *enter swooning here*

He is a sucker for safety because if anything happened to you that he could have prevented everyone better be praying

PDA is all based on timing. Rhys can read a room and he knows when he gets to let them know you're his and when it's not appropriate

Rhys is former military and he has gone through a lot. This man is a shell of who he used to be and the book clearly showed us that, however Rhys is the perfect example of how if you are broken once before that you won't remain broken forever. He struggles with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), technically it's known as C-PTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He is so used to giving up control to follow orders that sometimes he just needs to be reminded he's human and that regardless of the outcome everything will be okay.

He loves going on vacations where you can just get away from the world for a while and turning off the buzz of everything going on

As a way to cope with his C-PTSD Rhys uses drawing to relax. You'll often find little scraps of paper around the house with his sketches on them.

It's hard for Rhys to open up, but when he does you understand it was well worth the wait

Say what you want, but I firmly believe Rhys is a switch. This man could truly go either way and I think it depends on the situation. He doesn't have very many "no's" but if anything could seriously hurt you he is not down for it. He is covered in enough scars left by others that he would never want to take a risk that could leave you with that same lifelong reminder.

This man is the kind to show up at 3am with a dog he found on his way home and how he's only allowed to stay for one night and you end up keeping the dog forever

His phone screensaver is literally a photo of you and the dog because let's be real he can't pick a favorite

This man is a slut for emotional intimacy

If you told him "Oh I got you this cause I remembered you liked them", "I heard this song and thought of you", or "I thought you might like this" he is going to be thinking about it for forever

Rhys is going to make it well known that you're his girl

Josh Chen (Twisted Hate by Ana Huang)

*I have to say Josh is my least favorite, but I will try to do him justice*

This man is a doctor (and a bit of an ass tbh) so he would not trust anyone else to take care of you, if you get sick it's Dr. Chen to the rescue

He loves bringing you random food at work, but he also has a really tight schedule being a doctor and all so if he can't deliver it in person he will have it waiting on you when you get home

Let's be real Josh's personal life is a little bit of a mess and I wouldn't expect anything different from him on how he would keep a house. There would be rumpled clothes all over and the bed might never get made. He would pick up his trash, but if the dishes didn't make it in the dishwasher they were simply waiting till next time to get done.

Now Josh is nothing short of a playboy for the most part so the idea of him settling down will definitely be an adjustment.

Due to Josh being a doctor and still working to pay off his student loans he can't really afford fancy vacations or expensive gifts. Josh really loves just eating cheap takeout with you and watching movies

We all know Josh isn't the best with his words and is really hot headed, this often leads to Josh more so apologizing and a rather decent amount of makeup sex

Josh is the definition of all out rough, break your back like a glow stick sex. He's going to degrade you and yet have you coming back for more every single time. He's cocky and quiet honestly he has a few good reasons to be

He is more likely to fuck now and ask questions later it's just the Josh Chen way

Emotionally intimacy? Josh doesn't know her (maybe a little) but this man is more likely to have you open up to him before he ever opens up to you. He's been betrayed by some people who were incredibly close to him before and he will be damned if he makes that mistake ever again

Christian Harper (Twisted Lies by Ana Huang)

Rhys and Christian are big buddies so it makes sense that they are going to be extremely similar, but different in their own little ways

Christian has little use for moral code and much less what society deems as correct, but if you deem it correct than he is going to break his back bending over backwards to make that happen for you

Christian is the grumpy cat of the group. Sassy, grumpy and yet just the perfect combo of attractive to have that attitude forgotten (almost)

He runs his own security company and if you think he goes overboard for his clients you have no idea how overboard he will go for your safety

He is the definition of a German Shepard boyfriend; looks scary, fiercely protective, and is willing to chase down the mail man if he threatens you

Christian is a make his own rules type of man. If you're uncomfortable or upset he doesn't give a single crap he is going to do what makes you happy

You know this man makes note of everything single thing you like; your favorite drinks, your favorite movies, which friends annoy you the most and why (Christian is an honorary girlie he loves all the tea)

This man is petty to the T

If something small annoys him he is going to remember it until the day he dies

Opening up is hard for Christian and I think it would take a lot to get the point where he is open to freely sharing information with you

He is more likely to tell you about something that bothers him on a small day to day basis than telling you the big stuff from his past

Christian knows that he is the physical embodiment of big dick energy and does not disappoint

I really don't ever see Christian not being dominant, but hey I could be persuaded to think otherwise given the situation. I just don't personally see it

This is a man gives off the vibes of being downright obsessed. If you made cookies that tasted like straight up saw dust he would eat them all to see you smile before you would be able to pry the truth about how bad they were out of him

[084intheskye]

all of the draco malfoy girlies evolved into aaron warner girls 

it’s the cycle of loving the morally grey pretty boy with ✨trauma✨

[creativepromptsforwriting]

do you have any tips for making a character more interesting and for making a morally grey character?

How to write a morally grey character

@creativepromptsforwriting on IG | do not repost!

There are good guys and there are bad guys. But the world is not just black and white and neither are everyone's morals.

What makes someone morally grey?

You could also call it morally ambiguous. They are real people with their own ideas and motivations and the possibility to change their ways when there is enough incentive. They are neither pure good, nor pure evil.

Which just makes them human and to an extend that includes everyone. So in fiction, this is often a character that is unpredictable, the reader can't be sure on what side they are on. It could change.

How to create them

decide on a balance between good traits and bad traits

give them understandable motives

give them motivations that would make them work for the good cause and motivations that would make them work for the bad ones

give them a moral compass and a set of rules that they would usually follow

but also give them personal goals that interfer with that

show them having to make decisions that can lead to real consequences

Tips

don't make them overly mysterious, the reader should understand where they are coming from with their decisions

but you can create surprise by giving two good and believable options to choose and make the readers be on the edge of their seat to find out which one they choose

decide between the character making active choices or the character passively letting things happen that puts them in both the good and the bad box

Examples:

A character who sees the good that the hero is doing and wants to support them in saving the city, but doing that would interfer with their personal goal (saving their family for example) - the reader can't be sure which way they will choose

A character is generally doing good things, but when something bad happens, they tolerate it and don't stop it, passively being on the side of evil.

- Jana

[fourteentrout]

I honestly think that the ACOTAR series and it's characters are more complicated than fans give it credit for. Like a lot of fantasy readers in the modern age of booktok and all that shit always seem to crave a morally gray character, but when a character is actually morally gray they sort of...don't acknowledge it?

Because pretty much every single character in that series except for the obvious villains (Amarantha, king of hybern) are morally gray. Including Tamlin.

He's a really interesting case because he has these abusive behaviors, this consistent like Giving Up where he just heeds to his anger and his powers, but his entire driving force is that he doesn't want to be like his cruel, murderous father. Like, his essential action as a character is in direct conflict with his base characteristics, like isn't that so interesting??? But he's always just chalked up to the abusive anger issues ex who doesn't deserve any more chances because he already gave so many up. Like...do people know that even if a character is a Bad Guy, like a real bad guy, not your charming, suave, comedic villain bad guy, but like a guy who's fucked up and broken and mean and sad, can still be a compelling, multi-dimensional character?

And Rhysand. He's a super interesting character because though his intentions all come from the same place of like striving for peace and unity and other virtuous shit like that, he's still willing to overwrite his OWN MORALS if it means working towards getting what he wants--remember when he left a head in Tamlin's garden? I had totally forgotten about that because he never really exhibited any behavior that matched that, but if we think about it it was pointing to this facet of his character where, at least a the start of the series, he was willing to do a lot of fucked up shit for the greater good.

Which is like the definition of a morally gray character. But when comparing the two, often he's just taken as The Better One who can do no wrong and like rose above his role in society and would Never Ever treat Feyre like an object...which...he kind of did? Obviously not to the same level as Tamlin, or in the same way, but like for a lot of the beginning of ACoMaF he was pretty much Also using her as a piece in his personal war effort that he like didn't really fully inform her about for like...kind of a while.

Idk I know I'm rambling, sorry this is so long, but like I could make an entire other post about how FEYRE is ALSO super morally gray and like a lot of the point of her character is that she's like kinda fucked up and does fucked up things and has a lot of healing to do and makes mistakes even when she's still in the active process of like getting better, like the whole essence of her is that she's Not perfect, not that people don't get that, just that it's interesting that people will uphold these characters, her and Rhysand and the whole inner circle, and praise them and love them unconditionally, but when it comes to characters like Tamlin, they are deemed undeserving of a second chance because the bad shit they did was a) done to the main character(s) and b) magnified much more than the protagonists misgivings. Idk it's super early, I'm just rambling, I'm sorry

[alextlopez]

Imagine being able to introduce yourself with a pinterest board, like a character board. Cute and easier.

[budugu]

Oh you wanna know about my favourite fictional man?

I HATE THAT MAN! he's handsome,brooding,has dark hair and swarthy skin. If he existed in real life I would not even be within the same city as he was. I would be as far away from him as possible. BUT I LOVE THIS MAN. HE'S MY LITTLE MEOW MEOW. I LOVE HIM TO THE MOON AND BACK. I'LL EVEN HELP HIM BURY A BODY BECAUSE ITS A FICTIONAL MAN AND HIS FICTIONAL MURDER.

I'm sorry I don't write the rules about this. I have contradictory feelings.

[iceeericeee]

morally grey character that has no problems with murder but draws the line at using a water cup for soda at a fast food restaurant.

[mad-bbygrl6]

The End. 🫦

[surplus-of-sarcasm]

31st Story, Part 2

TW: Blood, implied past captivity and torture, stitches, wound description, angst, corrupt system, issues regarding figure (brief), bruises, angst, knife, touch starvation

Part 1

Guess who's back with a hella long piece. vacay from college for some time with semester 1 over, woo! enjoyyy 💙

“So how did you sleep?” the vigilante asked as she walked downstairs to find the villain sitting cross-legged on her couch. 

“Well,” he answered evenly, emotionlessness overtaking his tone as usual. It wasn't a complete lie; he'd slept better than he had in a long time, but his eyes had wrenched open a little after sunrise, even though he wasn't a morning person. He couldn't relax too much into this life, the knife he took shoved into the pocket of his sweatpants, but she didn't need to know that. 

“I'll make us breakfast,” she announced.

“I'll help you out,” he offered, even though he knew she could probably infer what his motives were. He still wasn't taking any chances anyway. 

She nodded curtly in response, leading him to the kitchen. And he'd almost wished someone had warned him about the whiplash of doing something so outlandishly casual with your enemy, as he watched her make a sandwich and soon enough followed suit, still hyper aware of the knives and the boiling water in the kettle. 

And of course, nothing was lost on Vigilante, even if she probably wasn’t half as nervous as he was, the half-frantic, wild animal wrapped in the poorly fitting garment of someone calm and collected. “Are you always this tense?” she questioned as she sat down at the table and he sat opposite from her.

“Just hungry,” he shot back smoothly, a seasoned liar. Sure, he technically was half-starved, trying to eat slowly just so he wouldn’t retch, but if that was the case, he would’ve relaxed when he ate.  

The vigilante said nothing as she took a bite of her sandwich, but her disbelieving eyebrow raise needed no further additions. 

The villain’s grip tightened on his mug as he worried his frayed bottom lip between his teeth,”What do you want? If you’re going to question every micro-gesture of mine, then why’d you bring me here?” His voice was hoarse with exhaustion, probably from all the screaming he couldn’t muffle, not that he cared.

“I get it,” the vigilante said placatingly, even though it was clear she was somewhat irritated. She wasn’t a goddamn bleeding heart just oozing compassion and patience, not that he expected any different. “You’re afraid of getting hurt.” 

“I am not afraid of crap, Vigilante.” It came out softer than he’d intended, almost as though he was the one trying to calm the situation, a new trait of people-pleasing a new and heavily despised survival skill he’d recently acquired. 

The vigilante wanted to argue, but she also knew that from the day she’d walked into his cell and pulled him out, that she’d been walking on thin ice. That the man in front of her wasn’t his normal, unflappable self that could dish out a lot worse than whatever she dared to throw at him, so for the rest of this tense, awkward breakfast, they both remained quiet. 

It had taken them about two hours of trepidation spent in the opposite ends of the living room for Vigilante to break the silence. “So, about the plan,” she started.

“Yeah?” he asked, now turning to face her. 

“We can’t fight her by traditional means. We don’t have the time to amass an army big enough to rival my sister’s own. The main thing we need to do is find some way to desecrate that shining image of hers,” she explained. 

The villain let out a low hum as though he was contemplating something, but the slight shift in the nature of his gaze indicated he’s noticed something. “Knocking your sister off of her pedestal is surely going to gain you some traction,” he noted. 

“I don’t care much for the spotlight,” she countered. 

“I know. But you seem to care about making sure your sister doesn’t have everything. Still, that isn’t the issue anyway.”

And again, he was right. There is something so utterly sickening of being born in someone’s shadow, of having all your power from someone else’s name. Vigilante was only formidable in people’s eyes because it was required of Superhero’s sister. Again, she’d never claimed to be dramatically selfless.

Still, she took note of how the villain made no effort at eye contact, his eyes trained on the pattern of her wooden coffee table, but she refrained from commenting. “Right. The general idea is, if the adoring public find out what she does to the people in her custo-”

The villain, in his most daring act of the day, had let out a sardonic snort. “Oh, save it. I don’t think you realise that how people like me are treated doesn’t really irk anyone. Because that’s how the world works, it’s easier like that. I’m not the most notorious, but it’s safe to say I’m ‘famous’ enough,” he made air quotations with his fingers, “People usually want to know about the trial, when it comes to people they’ve heard of, but no one gave a damn. No one cared to know I never really got a trial in the first place. Because they were just relieved that the Big Bad Guy was off the streets. Locked up somewhere. It doesn’t matter that my record says I’m guilty of crap I’ve never done. Because technically, I’ve committed my fair share of my crimes, what’s more to the pile? Hell, if it keeps me locked away for all eternity, then why not?” 

This time, the villain’s gaze was steely, his teeth gnashed together and his tone harsh, and yet before she’d even commented, the villain was quick to force the muscles of his face to work on pulling it into a blank expression, his hand going to his pocket. 

Where, unbeknownst to Vigilante, the knife from yesterday was. .  .

It took her a moment to register his words and realise he was right. The likes of Villain wouldn’t garner the sympathy of the same people that cheered when they were locked up, at every suffocating press conference where her sister’s airy voice seemed to ring in her ears. 

But how else was she supposed to rouse some sort of public outcry against her sister? She needed the key, the concept, the idea, and from that she could form a plan. It was why she thought of asking the villain in the first place. 

“Then what should we do to get people to notice?” 

The villain’s pale hand made its way out of his pocket, his expression still nearly unreadable. “Your sister’s clever. She’s almost untraceable, and uncovering her shady past would be difficult. Or actually, more difficult than having her do something terrible now.” 

“So you’re saying we somehow force her to commit some sort of terrible crime?” 

“Force is the wrong word. It wouldn’t be a choice she wouldn’t make on her own accord. And that’s our selling point. No one needs to make her pull underhanded crap because she’ll take that choice anyway. And from then, whatever it is you want to reveal is actually going to have a basis.” 

The villain straightened his posture, pulling his now slightly loose fitting hoodie down so straighten a wrinkle only for it to come down with a strange difficulty, like it was stuck to his skin, the man letting out a soft hiss. 

“You alright?” she asked. 

“Fine,” he answered curtly, getting up. He knew exactly why his jacket had stuck to his form in the first place, and he really didn’t need Vigilante’s supposed concern. There’s a lot worse he’d seen in his life, in those three months alone than some old scratch reopening. Walking into his room, he shrugged his hoodie off in front of the mirror only to notice that the stupid scratch was in an area he could barely reach, deeper and uglier than he thought, blood running down it in crimson rivulets, exposed tissue that was barely healing showing too. He didn’t know where the gauze was, or how he’d even manage treating the wound. And somehow, his past vanity, or rather basic awareness of his appearance that he now called vanity hadn’t completely faded away considering he noticed bone and skin where muscle used to be and the ridiculous amount of bruises adorning his figure in various shades of dusty purples and browns; every sign of how his captors had turned him into a punching bag for all their sadistic cravings. 

“Villain?” 

Hell no. He didn’t want anyone in this room with him while he looked like this, frantic again and wishing he could rip his hair from its roots. He almost didn’t care that he was still bleeding and it hurt to shift even slightly, or that his wound felt warm to the touch and was probably infected. He sat there on the bed, gripping onto the sheets like they were the only thing tethering him to the world around him. “Just,” he faltered. As much as the villain hated it, he couldn’t do crap right now without her help. He bit his lip again and exhaled slowly. “Come in.” 

She cursed softly when she looked at the wound, the scarlet already snaking down his lower back now. It didn’t take her long to come back with a whole lot of first aid equipment. “This’ll hurt,” she said slowly. 

All she got was a low grunt in response as she pressed antiseptic-soaked gauze to his back, and even though he barely let out a noise, didn’t move out of the way, his shoulders still tensed up under the pain. 

Involuntarily, she stroked a hand through his hair, a reflexive action even though the vigilante wasn’t particularly touchy, especially with her enemy turned ally of convenience. He turned to stare at her, looking nothing short of surprised, but not irritated or afraid. He turned around again as she stitched up his wound and tended to his other scratches, surprised how well he was holding out. The villain barely flinched through the process, but again the man had always been surprisingly enduring.

The villain seriously didn’t remember the last time anyone had tended to his injuries, even before getting captured. He’s sure someone did, during the times he couldn’t do it himself, but no one had ever run a hand through his hair when he’d tensed up or anything of the sort. He despised the fact that it hadn’t irritated him, instead he was left there dumbfounded, half-wishing she would do it again and half-grateful she refrained from it, from making him feel so bloody exposed like that. This entire ordeal, how strangely gentle the vigilante had been with him, how he slowly relaxed even though the idea of being this vulnerable, this close to one of his enemies terrified him.

The villain didn’t like to feel things that weren’t dry, controlled anger or smugness or absolutely nothing. So he didn’t, pretended he couldn’t until he believed it. 

Every lie dies in the end, no?

The vigilante had got up to hand him a new t-shirt that he slowly pulled on, minding his wounds but still refusing any help with it. “Thanks,” he mumbled awkwardly. 

“Y-you thank people?” she asked, half out of genuine surprise and half to lighten the mood. 

The villain didn’t smile, but his lip twitched up ever so slightly with a half-smirk, “I’m a villain, but I’m not a complete tactless bastard.” 

“I guess you could say that, and you’re welcome. I’ll just go clean up. Put your jacket in the basket over there.” The vigilante looked down at her bloodstained hands, and the villain gave her a curt nod. 

He was lucky she hadn’t taken the jacket herself, or noticed the knife somehow, and he could still keep it. It felt even scummier after right now, when she could’ve just let him bleed out, or made it worse since she was this close to him. He didn’t even know what she would try the second he was no longer useful. 

Carefully, he lowered his form onto the bed, letting out a soft groan. This was the strangest stage of his life yet, he presumed. 

So many times, life is about choosing the worst option, the choice you’d swore to never make, about condemning yourself to being at the mercy of the unknown. People will scream at you to avoid the lion’s den, but sometimes it is the only shelter from a raging storm ready to destroy you into nothing. And yet, maybe there is wisdom in the most foolish decisions, and safety in the most dangerous risks. Because even if you’re riddled with deep wounds and scars, even those can heal under care, even in the most unexpected places.

✨️Le Taglist: @larinzz @syberianjade @lateuplight @altu-interactions @enbious-prince @astr0-mj @thelazywitchphotographer @a-fucking-simp-00 @addictedsandwhichaki @justalittlecorrupted @quaggasus @theangstyclown @vernilliom @mothmancommitsarson @starssabove @kurai-hono-blog @talkingsperm @muffinrebel44 @sunnynwanda @annablogsposts @cardboardarsonist @itsmyworld23 @onlywhump @m3rakii @crotchgoblin69 @wtfevenisausername @pendarling @avloki-pal @kaiwewi @those-damn-snippets @genuinelythioehat-is-whump @ghostofnorth

Wanna be on the taglist? This'll take you there!