#morally gray women

[soyeonsbabygirl]

Ngl Jia is probably one of the most complex flirtiest person I’ve written and I fucking love her for it

[atyd1960]

Here’s possible ship names for Narcissa Black x Louise Zabini (Mrs Zabini’s first name doesn’t appear in any of them so u can use them even if u disagree with my attempts to give her a one) (yes I know I’m literally the only one who ships them) (no I don’t have a life)

DarkMystery

BlackMystery

Zablack

Narini

[rachel-sylvan-author]

"Imperial Woman" by Pearl S. Buck

Thank you @deannalovesbooks for the rec! It's the first time I heard of it, and it's very good! ❤️

[lovely-cherubs]

Kurapika's Thoughts About Haruka:

"Haruka is a complex and multidimensional individual like all humans, but even then, anything she does sends chills down my spine. She appears to be calm, collected, and sweet to those she despises, but I know that deep down she wants nothing more than to shoot a bullet into their heads, and inject them with poison till they're rotting inside out. Her vindictiveness, and her ability to hide it extremely well, is what makes her the worst person to get on your bad side."

"Another thing about Haruka that I personally don't like and disturbs me is how she so listlessly is able to harm others and lie.

Why isn't she utterly disgusted like I am when I have to kill or hurt someone? She laughed at me when I asked this and said that I should've picked a different agency to work in if I was that icky about having to kill. I didn't know whether I was shocked or disturbed with her response. I was about to argue until she added on saying:

"You can't work in or for the Mafia and not kill anyone, Kurapika. It just doesn't work that way. If you knew anything about the mafia, then you'd know that u were bound to catch a body at some point. Working here requires mental and even emotional desensitization, something that I've developed due to being repeatedly backstabbed and betrayed by multiple people in my life—most of those people being intimate partners and even now former friends."

I didn't say anything after that because I knew that she was right. But still, they way she said it sounds like she's done this before. It makes me think of the spiders."

[loquiastra]

i don’t see people saying this nearly enough so i’m going to say it:

morally gray women >>>>>> morally gray men

like, really, women who kills mercilessly, who seek revenge and have almost zero morals are the ultimate goals in a book, they always make me question my surroundings

authors, please, i beg you, write more morally gray women

[martyrbat]

if i had an evil wife id always wear a shirt that says i heart my evil wife and id carry her weapons and knives for her and move the suspiciously heavy locked trunk for her and would even manage to not hold her hand when shes in front of her evil peers and i would make her dinner and hope she would secretly poison my plate which i would willingly eat so she could feel good about pranking me and id spend my last living moments thinking woagh i love my evil wife i cant wait to be her hype ghost

[demodraws0606]

An character analysis POV as to how Hu could be the culprit (and a little bit of Nico stuff as well)

tw/ mentions of suicide

So I've seen certain Eden!Culprit truthers just not really believing that Hu could be the culprit because of her behavior during the class trial. However her committing murder against Arei and Ace makes a lot more sense than Eden does by a longshot (especially with Eden having no accomplices atp).

But I also understand why people are confused by Hu's behavior if she could possibly be the culprit. There's a lot of things that don't seem to make sense on the surface that I also accepted however digging further, you can find a version of Hu that honestly fits really well as the culprit of this chapter.

I will also throw in analysis of Nico's behavior because a lot of their behavior during this class trial is strange if Hu really is the culprit but again I think I can explain why this happened.

I also want to preface this by saying that I do think Hu is going to be a heavily flawed character but I don't think she's malicious in any way shape or form. If I find any Hu hate after she's revealed to be the culprit, I will actually fight your ass and that's a promise.

Her outburst against David :

I honestly was also in the camp of not really understanding Hu being the culprit, doesn't this go against her outburst against David ?

Well, here's the thing, I think her outburst was 100 pourcent genuine, I just think Hu is both being a hypocrite in a way but mostly she's hiding her true feelings behind her wording.

Let's take what she says in her outburst :

There's a funny thing about her wording, especially at the beginning :

"You have no right to decide wether I, whether any of us..."

I think what Hu is trying to say is being hidden by her saying "we" and "us". In my opinion, she's probably mad at David for wanting to toy with her life, not even to escape himself but simply to commit mass suicide. Which we know Hu has a very complicated history with suicide due to her secret.

I do think her anger is both a mix of projecting onto David her present (and past self) and also her genuine desire to want to continue living.

She would be mad, she's trying so hard to live and here is David who both planned to let her die not even to survive himself but simply because he gave up. Interesting to note how she interprets David's desire to stop the killing game as "Because this killing game requires us to live, you think you should just reject that notion and kill us all". She doesn't mention him wanting to end the killing game, she mentions David rejecting the notion of living itself.

If Hu was a past suicidal person who now has committed herself to continue living, of course she would be insulted by David's action, it spits in her face and reminds her of a past self that simply rejected the idea of living.

A desire to live that's shown through this outburst and also in her secret quote.

Again switching the pronouns Hu is using here with "I" really gives a new perspective that I think makes a lot of sense with her being the culprit.

"It is not and never will be your desicion as to what happens with MY life"

Because Hu wants to live now, she's no longer her past self, she won't try and throw her life away anymore.

The murder of Arei and attempted murder of Ace :

I want to discuss both the victims and method of murder here because I think it works very well with Hu. It's not really a character analysis thing as much but I didn't want to make a seperate post for it.

Hu clearly does/did not have high opinions of either Ace or Arei, like at all. They were both people that Hu reprimended heavily.

Especially with the secret motive happening, it's very possible that Hu's possible choice of culprit was done with the notion of "who deserves to be killed". Her first pick being Ace makes a lot of sense

I'm making her sound villainous when I say this but I do think it was her mindset at the time, Ace's horrible behavior towards Nico possibly being what led to her to feel allowed to take his life. However when Ace survived, she decided she was simply to deep into it and decided to go with the second best choice in her mind, Arei.

I want to also point out the method of murder...hanging

Clearly the culprit had a lot of knowledge about hanging, with it being their main method of murder. Which would make sense with Hu's past, using her past attempts as knowledge for her to take someone else's life which I find very ironic and in a way morbidly narratively compelling.

What was the motive ? :

I think Hu simply just wanted to live, it had nothing to do with the motives (and I honestly think the motives will actually not ever be involved in the murders bc it seems like they're setting it up to be a recurring trend).

I think Hu was thinking about murdering to get out ever since she was put in this killing game. However the only reason why she has never done so is because she was way too attached to her classmates.

From her secret quote, to her outburst against David, to her secret motive. All of it hints at this strong desire to want to live.

However she couldn't bear to kill anyone in this cast until chapter 2 happened.

Ace and Arei both are probably the least likable characters in chapter 2's daily life, I don't mean that in the fandom sense but I mean that in the eyes of the cast itself. Especially Ace who truly ends up falling to horrible harmful patterns out of self preservation.

We know how toxic the cast became in chapter 2 and I think that's what led to Hu feeling more comfortable killing someone. She no longer felt as guilty when she saw Ace (and Arei but mostly Ace) acting this way. This allowed her to commit murder. When it failed, she simply ended up chosing the second person on her list that she saw as nothing more than a horrible bully.

After all who would miss Ace and Arei, they're both horrible horrible people right ? Who would cry for someone who isn't a good person.

It was a murder both driven by Hu's strong desire of survival and also her view of her fellow classmates.

Nico's behavior :

Before I get more into Hu's mindset, I want to take a little detour to why is Nico being so difficult ?

I know I've made theories about Nico being an accomplice, but looking back I don't think they actually knew Hu did it. Even if they're not telling the truth about Ace's attempted murder and Hu's false allibi.

But then why ? Why would Nico ever do this, don't they know they're potentially putting everyone's lives at risk

Well it wouldn't be the first time a character in DRDT's cast is difficult to the point of risking people's lives (i'm fucking look at you WHIT.). However I think there are both actually decent reasons as to why Nico wouldn't tell the truth alongside his issues with being non-confrontational.

First, I don't think Nico ever expected the murder of Ace to be important to the case. I think they lied because everyone else made it extremely obvious what their thoughts truly were and Nico probably thought that trying to argue against them simply would just make them look more guilty or not do anything at all.

Again I would like to pull Nico's secret quote for evidence here. Because again I think it just fits with everything here.

For the alibi thing, I think Nico genuinely didn't contest it because they probably believe Hu only did that to protect them from getting blamed. Again anything that would make Nico not get yelled at or suspected probably is something they would hold onto. They still have no reason to think Hu really did it, so again with their issues with being non-confrontational I think it would make sense for them not to contest it.

I think Nico's arc is heavily tied with Hu, and vice verca. There's an empahsis on how Nico is struggling to make their true feelings truly known because everyone talks about them and the one person who thinks they are there to protect them actually are just as bad if not worse in ignoring them.

Nico wasn't ready to come out, they were instantly labelled an attempted murderer and the one person who is here to defend them is someone who constantly interrupts them. The entirety of chapter 2 has just been them being objectified and not really giving them a voice.

Which I think comes back to a part of Hu that I think is related to the murder.

Hu's relationship with Nico and Eden :

Isn't that interesting how Hu has established relationships with both Nico and Eden, meanwhile Ace and Arei both have bullied Eden/Nico.

I don't think this is a coincidence and I think it matches Hu's misguided attempts at protecting people.

Hu wants to be useful, she desperately wants to be the strong protector of the group. However there are very clear signs here intentions aren't very glamorous.

In a fucked up way, it's very possible that she sees the murder of Ace and Arei as her helping Eden and Nico. Two people she clearly wants to protect (at least for Nico it's obvious).

However Hu's actions clearly did not help them, in fact, what she did ended up backfiring on the both of them.

Nico ends up being framed as a murderer

Eden lost a potential friend

Not only that but she had to have manipulated both Nico and Eden, to accomplish her murder. It's a flimsey self excuse for Hu to keep up her belief that she's a protector.

Obviously I don't think this was her main motivation, I've talked about it before but it's yet again something that would make it more easy for Hu to swallow the idea of being a murderer.

Is Hu evil ? :

No ! What the fuck did you think this post was for !

See I don't think Hu being the culprit suddenly makes her this horrible manipulative person. Despite the dread I feel with the likelyhood of Hu getting dragged to the ground if she's the culprit, I don't think she's remotely close to characters like...Celeste for exemple.

She's a person who was desperate to live who let herself murder by making up excuses, that she was doing this for the greater good somehow that it wasn't just a selfish desire of survival.

It makes sense for a chapter all about morality right ? Justifying a horrible action by justifying that well...these people she murdered weren't really good people were they ? Plus she ended up killing Eden and Nico's bullies right ? And I mean the killing game will only really end when two people are still alive right ? So maybe she's not a bad person. Maybe she deserves to live.

But people don't to be deserve murdered (99 pourcent of the time, i'm talking about DRDT's moral here) , not even horrible people. You don't know these people, if they could change, and you don't know what consequences you bring upon others by enacting justice like this.

And in a chapter about morality wouldn't it be interesting to tackle the morality of someone who would want to live no matter what. Is it fair to call Hu a bad person because she simply didn't want to die ? Somehow her attempts at killing herself in the past is wrong but letting herself be killed in a place like this is the moral thing to do ?

Is the fact that she killed people who she perceived as bad make this whole thing better. Did these people's lives matter less than her, someone who has been trying to actually be nice to others and help them ?

Or is her attempt of being a good respectable motherly figure only just a facade to feed her ego, a person who once didn't think they deserved now hanging to every possible reason to continue fighting to stay alive ? No matter what, no matter what happens, she needs to continue living.

"A pig never hopes to grow up into a human, because it knows that a metamorphisis like that is impossible"

[nandivina]

Morally gray lesbians with knives?! Yes please

[sebbyisland]

when The Apothecary Diaries anime comes out everyone better clap and cheer for my beloved weird girl as she uncovers all the courtesan drama (read: murder attempts) at the palace. she’s soooooo neurodivergent-coded (her hyperfixation is poisons and medicinal plants/animal organs, she’s highly analytical about social dynamics to survive but has poor social awareness) and soooo catgirl (in a stray street cat way)!!!! She has a family of sex workers who she loves and who taught her the life lessons + skills she needs combined with the medical knowledge and unconditional love from her father. When she finds out she has personal ties to politicians nothing changes because she doesn’t care. She is even aroace.

Like idk maybe give it a watch maybe you’ll find something you like.

[ride-thedragon]

The worst thing about Rhaenyra is the inherent need her fans have to moralize the protagonist. Rhaenyra isn't a good person.

That's okay.

Rhaenyra isn't a feminist.

That's okay.

She is not a girl's girl and that's fine.

It's so unfair that people can unapologetically Stan Aegon and Daemon but draw the line at morally questionable women.

We love gray characters until a character is truly gray and a woman.

Rhaenyra isn't better than Alicent, nor is Alicent better than Rhaenyra. These women are both brought to the heel of their patriarchal society at the helm of the most power it affords to women.

Neither of them are intersectional thinkers or necessarily progressing women's rights. Rhaenyra would rule then her son. Alicent will just have her son and grandson's rule.

It's a disservice to her character to pander to the idea of moral righteousness or bettering.

What happens to her happens because she is a woman. At every turn, her womanhood and the role of it will pigeon hold her in this society. That does not excuse her very questionable behavior.

Two things can be true.

For example, using my favorite girl, Nettles.

Under Viserys' rule with Alicent and Otto ruling this young girl is a sex worker to sustain her life. She is assumed to have lost her virginity to eat and was disfigured as punishment for wanting to eat. That was her assumed life under their rule. The entire time she has the capability to be a dragon rider.

Had it fallen normally to Rhaenyra nothing would've changed for her and like most of the women we see in that line of work she'd die at the hands of someone or from illness or pregnancy all while being able to claim a dragon.

Women do not need to be exceptional.

( Not everyone can be Nettles)

Women can just be legally named the heir and be heir.

But to impose a moral code that these characters can never live up to is unfortunate. Again, I rise and say I love Rhaenyra, and I understand that she's been groomed by a crazy person and has the moral compass of every Targaryen after the conquest. She's that girl. I'm sorry for those who don't get it or feel the need to justify it.

I also love Alicent, and as a victim of white people's nonsense in 2020 and the Hollywoodification of the feminist movement in the 2010s, you'll never see hate a woman when men are to blame. Seeing someone try to care about something, she has no understanding or ability to truly escape from is hard and a lot of you project the lack of understanding most people have had when it comes to feminism on her as a means to seem above her and what she does. We all fall short and to villanize her for it, is crazy, especially when the person we compare her to has access to do better and doesn’t pursue it.

I'm still waiting for y'all to dislike Daemon for killing a wife, sleeping with a woman at his wife's funeral, and strangling the other after she miscarried their child. Let's not mistake splinters for planks.

[thebestusernamepossible]

‘We need more morally gray women’ you can’t even handle Ceroba from Undertale Yellow

[l-michalska-writer]

Worried prompts:

Are you alright?

What happened?

What’s wrong?

Who did this to you?!

I was so afraid you’ll never wake up…

I would make them bring you back to life if I had to.

When did you know you were sick?

What do you mean you’re not gonna make it?!

Don’t you ever again take a bullet for me, understand?

Do you need me here?

Watch out there for them, you understand?

Did you take your medicine?

You have to lay down at least for a one week.

Where is it hurting?

Can you feel something beside the pain?

Please, open your eyes.

If you got yourself killed, I would bring you back just to kill you again for your stupidity.

Did he hurt you?

Don’t you ever forget I love you.

I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you.

What is it, honey?

Don’t ever throw yourself at the knife like that again, do you understand?

[dootznbootz]

I think some folks MAY have gotten the wrong idea about how I feel about Circe with some of my posts. So, to clear the air...

Homies, I love that fucked up sorceress.

I love how we're never given a reason why she turns people into animals. That's so funny and so awful. And another potion-making magic gal?!?! I love that she's just basically vibing on an island doing whatever she wants. I even love the fact that she scares Odysseus shitless! She's morally gray and that's why she's FUN.

I just sincerely hate when people try to girlboss her or have her be a victim of SA when she never was Looking at you, Miller. Especially when she was actually the one who coerced Odysseus in exchange for his men being transformed back into humans. And even then, while he was clearly afraid of her, (it's in the language of the Odyssey) she likely meant him no harm after a certain point. He just didn't know that.

Why does she need a reason to do awful things? Why can't she just be a goddess who does whatever she wants? That's the reason why I love her!!! She's fucked up!!! :D

I hate what the Telegony did to her as well! >:( You're telling me, this sorceress goddess, who makes potions (!!!) wouldn't have magic contraceptives??? Would WANT CHILDREN?!?! WITH THE PATHETIC WIFEMAN?! No. Fuck no. Eugammon of Cyrene, I have beef with you 🤬

Anyways!!! Understand all the "#anti circe" I have is simply Anti "Girlboss Circe" or the book. I genuinely think she's neat af as her morally gray, fucked up sorceress self and just get frustrated with...everything :'D

[bonefall]

In BB, a Park cat's name changes over time. Born nameless, the first name they wear is of their mentor; Mentor's (dominant) Paw.

The Wind Runner's name was self-given. Many cats of the River Kingdom yearned for the freeness of the moor just beyond the river, and yet, found themselves embroiled in border dispute over their loose homesteads. She became the authority, uniting them under the Wind Coalition.

Her name refers to how she keeps these winds running. Like a ringleader, she is their arbitrator and their enforcer. In exchange for their services when she demands, the Wind Runner ensures that peace is kept between the smaller territories, and that they come together in times of need.

She is ambitious, calculating, and BRUTAL. A ferocious enemy, and a selfish ally. What she does, she does for herself, her family, and the Wind Coalition in that order.

It is a reputation she's proud of. She WANTS for you to fear her grudges, and stay in her good graces. A truly powerful cat is not one who has to command; they are one for whom others move willingly.

[strangesmallbard]

i see a lot of assumptions that modern au sarah alder would be effortlessly cool and charming with women, but i think this underestimates her swagless appeal. she hasn’t had a friend outside of work in at least 200 years. if she’s angry, her polycule hisses at you. when tally storms into her office in the middle of the night demanding to know the truth about nicte, her instinct is to put on a slow jazz record. when tally has a visible gay existential crisis about alder’s mushroom resurrection, sarah is literally like Hey try these sick ass nachos. when tally makes her promise to leave her behind in the ice caves, she feebly protests by saying raelle and abigail would Kill her. meanwhile alder literally can’t die again unless the mushroom says so. SWAGLESS

[feanoryen]

You can pry the headcanon of Aredhel following Fingon to Alqualondë and participating in the 1st Kinslaying from my cold dead hands.