MirrorCrush · 6d
There's this dynamic in one of my fav mangas. Both characters are flawed - A has his own insecurities and vulnerabilities, but I wanted to talk specifically about B here.
A: "You really are good to me. I want to be there for you too. If we could stand on equal grounds.."
B: "Equal? A spider and the insect trapped in its web can never stand on equal ground, could they? I am the fly who flew into your web on purpose. I dream of the day when you will gobble me up. But all you do is feed me sweet nectar and keep me alive. At some point, a pretty butterfly's going to get caught in your web, and you'll devour that butterfly right in front of me. When I see that, I'll finally be free. Of course I'll be a wreck, but that's fine. In fact, if you are kind to me out of pity, then there is already no hope for me. I am such an idiot - the kinder you are to me, the more I fall for you. The more I love you, the more I want you. And the whole time, I am being strangled."
I'd love to hear your thoughts on B's self destructive love here. He craves a definitive ending, yet finds himself suffocated by A's sweet treatment instead. No matter how genuine that kindness is, B can't help but interpret it as pity.
In your eyes, is B's self destruction driven more by a desire for absolute surrender, or is it a defensive mechanism against the threat of true equality and vulnerability? I'd love to know how you view their feelings and this suffocating dynamic!
It's a bit heartbreaking for them both. The small glimpse into A's perspective is open.. honest.. and they want equal grounds by admitting they have faults too..
While B is so self-depreciating, my heart physically aches. I could make a counter-point to every statement B made.. but that's not what is needed. IMO, B is terrified of that absolute surrender, equality, and vulnerability. They seem like they won't accept/allow themselves to see past how they got to where they are.. and focused more on.. who could take their place and the fear of that becoming a definite end.
If anything, B is suffocating themselves as well as A... And maybe they believe their insecurities are more substantial than A's.. and that even if B allowed themselves to give in, they'd only drag A down.
I don't know the manga, so if I got all of this wrong.. then 🤷🏻 but yeah. Also don't know if I answered you as you were wanting, I may have strayed from the original question. 🤪
