So I know we’re in chaos mode right and don’t have a lot of time, but I’m looking for some input on my 6.9k fic for Bonkai Secret Santa. I understand if you’re participating and don’t want to spoil anything, buy those of you who don’t mind message me.
I mean I agree. I don’t really try and defend my absurd inner BonKai fangirl either way because he still was a sociopathic murderer before the merge and tried to kill Bonnie like, a lot, but I suppose that is true to some degree.
I disagree with this on a lot of levels mainly because there are a lot of people such as myself who ship this as a dark ship pre-merge and all. And even if that wasn’t a factor that doesn’t really scratch the surface of the differences.
Chemistry: The reason why in spite of everything you love Bonkai but not Delena, and the same with most Bonkai fans, very few like Delena and that’s because their chemistry doesn’t have the draw of Bonkai. It’s visceral, it’s there the moment their on screen together. While Delena it’s lacking in a lot of ways mainly with how they portraying the characters together. They kept trying to convince us that they were explosive and had so much sexual tension, and what they ended up giving us was a repetitive mess.
Power Dynamics: While Damon and Kai have hurt both girls there is a vast difference in the power each girl has to defend herself. Not only that but there’s a vast difference in why they’re hurting them. Kai hurts Bonnie in response to her hurting him. His attacks aren’t completely unwarranted because how are you supposed to treat the girl who killed you with a pickaxe? And in kind, Bonnie can, and will, defend herself with the same force he uses. Elena can’t do that, but worse, she won’t, and Damon knows that. He holds all the cards–even admits it in season 8–Elena forgives him for everything. And when Damon hurts Elena it’s completely unwarranted. Boo Hoo, his feelings are hurt, that doesn’t warrant bodily harm to her and her loved ones.
Relationship Dynamic: As much as Plec would like to believe that Delena is a dark ship, it isn’t. It doesn’t have any of the elements of a dark ship but it does have the elements of an abusive relationship which would be dark if that’s how the relationship was played narratively. Delena, of course, was meant to be the bad boy tamed by the good girl and then is redeemed (which I’d like to note isn’t dark either, so Plec was failing even more than already was). The problem with this is Damon is never “tamed” which weirdly makes complete sense because he never has any consequences from Elena or anyone. Further, she tried to have Elena “corrupted” to tack on to the “dark ship” thing she was going for but that doesn’t work either because Elena has about as much character development as Damon does, i.e none. So what you end up with is the mess that is season 5 where the dark dynamic is forced through an on and off again relationship. That’s not dark, that’s just ship wank. Bonkai have that dark dynamic Plec was going but never had the presence of mind to create. It mostly happens due to the chemistry of the actors. When Bonnie objects to something Kai does, she truly does object and does something about it, but what separates it from the generic villain/hero dynamic is the underlying sexual tension. Every scene Chris and Kat make it seem like they want to jump each others bones but without losing sight of the characters or their motivations. You don’t have that with DE. Elena voices her displeasure with Damon, but a) never does anything about, b) keeps “hoping” he’ll get better, and c) there isn’t the same tension there as there’s with BK. You don’t feel like they want to be together, and that’s due to Nina and Ian not being able to convey what Plec wants which I guess comes down to chemistry again. And then there’s the matter of corruption, what truly dips into the depths of darkness. Kai had an effect on Bonnie, when she came back she was more fierce, selfish, and cut throat. They weren’t even a couple and he had more of an effect on her than Damon ever did Elena. The most he did was make her slightly more dismissive than she already was (and trust me she was always that flippant, she’s always been blinded by the dick).
Likability: Let’s face, as characters Bonnie and Kai have a lot more to offer in general, but are also just simply more likable. Elena, as much as they tried to make her relatable, she just became the the bland damsel in distress, and Damon, he was a character with absolutely zero motivations so he just came off as an asshole. Together they were so insufferable they tanked the ratings. Bonnie and Kai actually saved the show, they were the reason for the boost in ratings because Kai was the first interesting new character in a while, and Bonnie was finally getting some much needed screen time and development, and together on screen they were explosive. They were finally the edgy ship the show had been waiting for, but got cut for bland and blander’s repetitive nightmare.
He was right, she did not want to see him on tequila. At
first she thought he’d do something crazy like run naked through the neighborhood.
Or maybe he’d go full psycho and start killing people, but she could not have
predicted this blackout drunk man-child.
He was slouched on her couch shouting whatever thing popped
in his head, and there was a lot rattling up there.
“I used to think Pamela Anderson was the hottest person I’ve
ever seen.”
“Alright, that’s enough. Up! Up!” She grabbed his hands and tried to pull him
up off her couch.
“Whoa, you know there are like three of you.”
“I’m sure there are.”
“You’re all like really hot,” he said smiling dopily at her.
“Are you all here to punish me? Because that would be awesome.”
“No we’re not here to punish you, we just want you off my
couch.”
“Ahh,” he whined. “Come on, tie me up, have your wicked way
with me.” He pulled his hands out of her grip and pulled them together above
his head.
“As exciting as a night of sloppy kisses and whiskey dick
sounds, Imma pass.”
“I don’t have whiskey dick,” he said indignantly grabbing
his crotch. “See, rock solid.” He winked. “All for you baby,” he said proudly.
“I’ll pay you a hundred bucks if you never call me baby
again.”
I remember being annoyed by Kai when I first saw him on screen thinking he was going to be another lame villain (the dork was eating pork rinds for crying out load) until he started flirting with Bonnie. I was like at least this boy has good taste in witches. 😂
My first impression of him was in fanfic. At the time the BK fandom was surging so I was looking for Bonnie fanfiction but kept coming across Kai. As a rule I don’t read about characters who I’m not familiar with so my first thoughts about Kai were, “Who is he and why does everyone keep shipping him with Bonnie.” I was thoroughly annoyed but eventually I succumbed read BK fic and then wanted to have context for the character and thus how I ended up watching TVD again after giving up midway through season 5.
So this one had a great opener, but I couldn’t figure out what more to write so I decided to use that opener and pair it with an edit. It’s not quite a failed draft since I did end up going with it as noted here, but it’s a failed one to me because it was supposed to be something more, but my brain couldn’t come up with anything else.
Great Taste:
She’s never had great taste in men. First there was Ben, she was halfway through planning their wedding in her head before he kissed her and ruined everything. Then there was Shane, no one had ever made her feel as powerful as he did and that’s why she threw out all caution when it came to him and gave him every part of her. The consequences of that were monumental. And now there’s Kai.
She should have known something was wrong with him the moment she felt attracted to him, she’s never had great taste in men. But she fell for him and didn’t even realize it. He was first just someone she could explore mentally, magically, and physically.
She realizes she should have done her homework beforehand searched for more clues that he was a sociopath, but it was too late now, she was all in she just hoped he was too.
I don’t remember that ever being explained, it may have been a one off line from Valerie, but I don’t think she mentioned Kai at all. Even if it was I’m definitely not sold because I feel as though it should have come up more during S8 when they were siphoning Caroline on accident, even that speech Bonnie gives them, it’s not about how much they siphon it’s just about control overall.
In reference to Caroline, she dead, literally, the only thing keeping her alive was magic so being pregnant with babies who can siphon magic and have no control or probably idea what is happening literally means death for her. That’s how they got magic.
I doubt that siphoning Mama Parker would kill her because magic isn’t what was keeping her alive plus Jo was there as well so he wouldn’t even be solely siphoning her. Them hating Kai was probably just their own prejudice because if I recall, the heretics were apart of the Gemini coven before being exiled due to what they were.
So this was my first idea–the one hat I had planned to finished but never did obviously. I think I stopped because it got a little too preachy and too much exposition. I kind of remember where it was going but ultimately it having no real direction is why I stopped and wrote other things.
Dream a Little Dream of Me:
It always started the
same.
Bonnie could hear the wind outside her dorm room causing
everything inside to rattle. It seemed nature was determined to keep her awake.
She still hadn’t quite gotten used to all of the noise and the wind didn’t seem
to help. Though she hated that hell she was in and the loneliness it brought
she felt herself missing the quiet.
Caroline was hiding out at her mother’s house and Elena was
at the Boarding house with Damon. She almost wished she was there too for the
familiarity, but she didn’t want to be reminded more of her time locked up. In
fact, she shouldn’t be having a hard time sleeping since every reminder of that
time was either far away or locked up, but the feeling of unease still hadn’t
faded.
At first she thought it was because not enough time had
passed, but it had been almost a month since she locked Kai up and she still
feels this way. Maybe I need a change in
scenery. She imagines running far away from this place—the place she’s died
a thousand times, the place she’s suffered over and over. Maybe I’ll go to Paris, she thinks, and then maybe I can get some sleep there. But alas there was nothing she could do about
it right now.
She sits up and sighs angrily. She had enough to deal with,
insomnia just added to the growing pile of shit that was her life. Packing up
and leaving sounded more and more attractive. She daydreamed about it. All the
places she hasn’t been able to go because she was needed here—because she died
here, because she was sentenced an eternity here. She was starting to wonder where
the real hellhole actually was because things certainly hadn’t improved since
she got back.
Her thoughts are interrupted by a something tapping on the
window. She first ignores it brushing it off as the wind, but then it gets
louder and sounds like a fist banging on the window hard. She was surprised the widow hadn’t broken yet. Her instincts
are telling her to leave. Whatever is at the window isn’t worth her time and
energy, but her curiosity is stronger. She cautiously approached the window
magic ready at the hand. When she gets to the window, as quickly as she can,
she swipes the curtain out of the way and finds nothing.
There’s nothing there but the old oak tree that sits right
outside the dorm. For a second she wonders if she’s started hearing things. It
wouldn’t be the first time. While she was isolated in that prison world her
mind made up a lot of sounds just to cope. She wonders if her mind was still in
the same mode. But then she hears a lamp fall off the table and when she turns
around there he is.
“Miss me.”
She considers her options. She could motus him out of the way and run for the door or jump out of the
window. Either way she’s not sure how long before he catches her—he always catches her. Would it be long
enough for her to get help? Everyone was about an hour away. Did she think she
could hold him off for that long?
“What do you want Kai?”
“You know what I want Bonnie.”
“Well, you’re not getting it. Why are you are here? How did
you get out?”
“I don’t know Bonnie? Why am I here? It’s your dream.”
Bonnie stares at him with confusion. Why would she be
dreaming about him? This was supposed to stop when she locked him away.
“Could it be guilt?”
His voice interrupts her thoughts. “Do you feel bad about leaving me with those
monsters?”
She gets a closer look at him and sees bite marks, riddled
across every piece of exposed skin and she feels bad for a moment, but then she
thinks about her time away and what he did to her and the feeling goes away.
She looks at him in contempt. “No it’s what you deserved.”
“Really?” He steps closer to her. “Who made you judge, jury,
and executioner?”
“No one,” she says with a smile.
“Ahh, so the all mighty Bonnie Bennett admits that she was
in the wrong.”
“I didn’t say that,” she says playfully
“But you did something that doesn’t align with your
morality.”
“Well, I had a choice, me or morality, I chose me.”
“Where was this mentality months ago when we had the choice
to leave together?”
POC of TVD 