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maleyanderecafe · 3 months

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Opinions on Yandere cheaters?

I saw a discussion on reddit about this trope, and I immidiatly went straight to your blog lolol. I dont know if you already have this question answered or if you ban this type of question but I am a bit curious! What specific scenerios would make a yan cheat? If they were somewhat redeemable, what actions would they do to be redeemable?

Straight to my blog? i'm honored, haha. I wouldn't ban a question like that because I generally am pretty open about how yandere can be like and it's always very cool when you think about what kind of things that yanderes can expand into that might be unconventional.

I can see why people don't really like the concept of yandere cheaters. One of the biggest appeals of yanderes is their undying loyalty and persistence, so having a yandere do something completely opposite to that basically turns people off from them. The joke is always, I can accept murder, confinement, amputation and obsession but I draw the line at cheating in the yandere community. Some people will not accept a character as a yandere if they cheat.

However, I personally do think there are some ways that yanderes can cheat and still become a yandere.

One way is to use it as a manipulation tactic. Even if the two are actually married or otherwise together, I can see a yandere cheating with someone else as a way to get them to react a certain way or to pay attention to them more. An example off the top of my head is from the machine translated mobile game Yandere Boyfriend Leo, where while Leo is in love with the main character, ends up dating her friend Grace as a way to get her jealous and eventually to give her so much stress that she loses her memory. I feel like a yandere can do this as a way to get their lover to do something, whether again, it is something relating to them getting attention, or simply a plan to get them to be confined for instance. The main thing is generally that the yandere is basically using them and has no interest in actually being together with them, since they only have eyes for their love. You can also see this in the Lifetime movie, Hush Little Baby, where the yandere, Owen, sleeps with another girl despite being in love with the main character Lauren as a way to make it seem like her husband is cheating and sew chaos in the family. Yes, it's a pretty awful way to get with their love interest, but I think people forget that yanderes are kind of supposed to be awful people a lot of times, and you liking them or disliking them doesn't always disqualify them from being a yandere.

Another way is basically their perception of love and sex and how that's handled. For a lot of people, having sex with another person while in a relationship is considered cheating, but it can differ from person to person. For instance, Kirishima from Raise wa tanin ga ii is kind of an example of this because while he does exhibit a lot of yandere actions like obsessiveness, tracking Yoshino on his phone, stalking her etc, he does spend a lot of beginning simply just sleeping with other women, despite the fact that he confesses his love towards her. This is one of the things that put a lot of people off of him because while the two of them are not dating or engaged, we generally don't see yanderes as someone who will sleep with others when they have someone that they're obsessed with. Still, we do see that Kirishima views sex and love pretty differently, as he mostly uses it for pleasure and doesn't have any romantic interest with any of the other girls he sleeps with, even talking to them about how much he loves and adores Yoshino after sleeping with them. I'm not the best analysist on this topic since I am kind of behind on the manga, but this reddit post does a pretty good job of explaining it.

Similar to above, sometimes the situation or time they are in forces them to be with someone else instead of the person they love. This is more of "this is for the sake of someone I love or care about " and less of the fact that they want to have more than one person by their side. One example of this is Dekiai Yakuza ni wa Amayakasarenai!, a manga about a body guard who is obsessed with the person that he's protecting. Despite this, we do see in the manga that he does sleep with another woman, though we also see that he does so reluctantly. This can be considered "cheating" in a sense like I stated before, but considering he's likely doing this for the sake of the person he loves, and doesn't enjoy it at all in the slightest. There is also The Little Princess and Her Monster Prince, specifically in the backstory of their reincarnation with Liontel and Phillip. Phillip was originally engaged to another girl named Ser but used her power so that he could be the emperor. He ends up not only causing Ser's husband to die, but also cages her and keep her locked up for the sake of protecting her. To maintain the idea that she's dead and to keep his status, he does actually marry another woman and had a child with her, but ultimately does so out of obligation as the king, as well as the fact that he very clearly doesn't love her. In these cases, the yandere is more or less forced into consequences where they don't really have control over what they want, and thus have to either sleep with or be married to someone else despite having someone that they love. This is another way I feel like a yandere can technically cheat without actually losing their status as a yandere. In a similar vein, if the yandere believes they can never be with their lover, they might try to get with others, but only has their lover at heart. Kylar for instance from DOL is considered a yandere, but based on the players actions, can sleep around and even date other players. This doesn't necessarily disqualify Kylar as a yandere, but rather the circumstances of the game (aka, not allowing murder) don't allow him to go all out, probably to make sure the player themselves is not locked in a choice when it comes to this kind of game.

I think that certain developments that lead to a yandere becoming a yandere can also be something that's explored. The easiest one of course is that they originally were cheating with other people but slowly develops feelings and obsessions for one person and gives up on his life of being a player, or even just using it more as a way to try to forget, or even maintain status, but their heart is always with the person that they love. There is also the fact that the yandere can be the one that the lover is cheating on with, like in Casual Flowers, if for some reason they can't get rid of their spouse or lover, sometimes that's the only way they can experience being with the other person. If they were possibly a redeemed yandere, where they go from yandere back to another person, they might end up with someone else entirely.

Personally, I think that it would be really funny if the yandere lost the person they loved and then forcibly projected them onto another person. Then they realized that their original love was actually alive. That would be both really funny and a hilarious situation with the yandere. If they're really delusional, they might not even recognize their original love or they could just abandon the other person that they loved instead.

It also depends on what you consider cheating. Are threesomes considered cheating? Is it cheating if their love is split into a bunch of different people and the person has to gather them all? Is it cheating if the yandere is immortal and keeps losing his memory so he keeps falling in love with different people? Is having a reverse harem considered cheating?

I'm sure there are other ways to have a yandere cheater in the story, but I can't really think of them. I'm not sure if you would consider this cheating since in most of these scenarios, the yandere and the lover aren't actually dating, so they still can be more fluid with their actions. Still, I think its a very fun thing to consider when writing yanderes.

#male yandere #yandere #yandere boy #asks #analysis

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lynpheas · 6 months

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i have a paper to write but. i cannot stop thinking about musa and stella. their dynamic is SO underrated…

they both have such strong personalities except musa is a lot more understated and subtle while stella is more exuberant and outgoing!! but in a subversion of expectations, stella is so down to support musa being in the spotlight — like in their s2 red fountain performance where stella did backup vocals/dancing while musa sang her heart out.

they both have familial issues & come from very different backgrounds, which simultaneously threads them together through a commonality and then sets them apart. for example, they both understand somewhat unconventional family dynamics and the absence of a parent, their mothers. stella’s parents were so busy arguing and just generally being unhappy in their relationship that they overlooked stella and how they made her feel and how their actions affected her. the loss of stella’s mother in her life is something we can infer that stella has had very little room to openly discuss with her parents, and so she has all of these internalized and idealized hopes for a future that we know will never come to pass. but she’s navigating these feelings without proper support from luna and radius. similarly, after musa’s mother’s passing, musa’s father reacted to his grief without taking into account how these events affected musa. ho-boe blamed music for matlin’s passing and so he rejected it completely, imposing that will upon musa and straining their relationship because of it. musa’s only avenue of feeling close with her mother is through music, but her feelings are disregarded and so she has to navigate this relationship with music and also her late mother all on her own.

however, for stella, she is a princess and her parents are merely divorced; so, although she rarely sees her mom and her parents don’t get along, she still has the option to go see her. i think you could say, on top of needing to be charismatic and charming as a leader, stella’s exuberant personality might’ve developed as a result of her wanting more of her parents’ attention, to be seen and understood by them. i think the 4kids dub may say otherwise, but i think it’s fairly clear that musa comes from a more modest background. and contrastingly to stella, musa has completely lost her mother and so their connection is almost…spiritual? and introspective. without her father’s guidance and understanding, musa would more have to retreat into herself. still, both of them are individuals with strong senses of self—their specific familial situations have simply informed their coping strategies and the personalities they’ve developed.

with or without that background in mind, i also just love the way stella and musa’s personalities play off of each other! because of their strong personalities, they’re prone to disagreement and small clashes. musa’s more sensitive, while stella is—although well-intentioned—more thoughtless with her words. i find musa to be more measured, but perhaps equally as blunt at times. these personality differences might result in small but realistic bumps and tiffs within their friendship, but they also have a shared understanding of one another that gives their relationship a strong foundation. and again, despite musa seeming more chill and stella seeming more prone to wanting the spotlight, stella is absolutely musa’s cheerleader!

#textp #winx club #stella #musa #and i just think in terms of fic this is such a fun dynamic to write #they feel like such real teenage girls #just stella maybe saying something that rubs musa the wrong way #musa snapping a little #them just getting on each other’s nerves #but ultimately understanding each other and loving each other #and learning how to navigate the minefields of each other’s emotions and triggers #i really need to write my fucking paper good lord #BUT THEY <3 #also it’s 4am so i do not think this is coherent at all

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ginarickys · 2 years

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after 48+‎ hours of trying to encompass what it is about holmesbury‎ that works so well without venturing too far into‎ my personal bias toward them,‎ i think the best thing about‎ them is what they mean for each other’s lives.‎ long post ahead.

enola’s biggest distinction is that she’s self-sufficient.‎ from the very beginning,‎ she’s known her own abilities,‎ and she’s known that she wanted to remain independent.‎ independence‎ ≠ loneliness,‎ however,‎ and that was a lesson she still needed to learn.‎ her story with tewkesbury was never about her sacrificing her independence to be with him,‎ it was never about enola herself changing.‎ it was about her accepting that love didn’t hinder her independence or her strength.‎ at the end of the first movie,‎ enola refuses his offer to stay with him because she’s essentially refusing to sidetrack her own desires.‎ she also refuses him because,‎ at the time,‎ she wasn’t ready to accept that both of these things could coexist.‎ this is so representative of how to be truly independent and what makes enola so different from characters like sherlock by the end of the second film.‎ she’s learned that she can be with someone and still be her,‎ no change necessary,‎ and immediately puts it into practice because that’s who she is.

it’s not only important that she didn’t have to change to be with tewkesbury,‎ but‎ also that he grew as a person from being with her.

most people might look at the circumstances these two met under and insist that enola parallels disruption in tewkesbury’s life,‎ but it couldn’t be more obvious that she represents a necessary change. when he’s first introduced,‎ tewkesbury is a boy trying to outrun the politics of his family.‎ becoming intertwined with enola means accepting the unconventional,‎ the things he never saw growing up the way that he did.‎ enola is strong,‎ she’s a fighter,‎ and he’s‎ never just looked at her as a girl that he loves.‎ he’s looked at her wit and her courage,‎ and albeit chaotic in the moment,‎ it’s what tewkesbury needed.‎ he needed to meet someone who didn’t need to be saved,‎ and tewkesbury didn’t have to change because of that,‎ he just needed to be willing to accept it.

they propel each other,‎ as well as counter each other,‎ and their relationship not only teaches them something new,‎ but makes them stronger because of it.‎ the fact is that they’re one of the of the most accurate teen romances due to how they showed each other something new.‎ seeing enola act so ooc,‎ getting jealous of seeing tewkesbury with another girl,‎ conveniently ending up on the same path as him,‎ all of it makes sense for someone who’s trying to deny that she’s fallen in love. it doesn’t dim that she’s a capable young woman,‎ it simply makes her more human. tewkesbury basically admitting that he loved enola on three separate occasions because he’s never known someone like her makes sense for a boy who’s been exposed to something new,‎ and found himself needing more of it.

this goes as far back to the first film.‎ the scene where tewkesbury is shot and enola is overcome with emotion.‎ her tears,‎ her vulnerability are what make them so real.‎ he brings out the side of her that has no qualms about crying,‎ or about being open. in that moment,‎ the two of them truly became tethered to one another.‎ it also reinforces that tewkesbury has never downgraded enola and her capability.‎ he’s never treated her like this thing that needs to be protected,‎ even if he does view her as delicate,‎ and is still so reluctant to hit her while they’re in the carriage before the two of them have their first proper kiss.‎ they parallel back to this scene in the second film when tewkesbury once again checks to see if enola is okay.‎ him knowing that she’s capable has never stopped him from worrying,‎ or chasing her down whenever she’s been gone for too long.

he doesn’t do it because he’s her keeper. he does it out of love. he wouldn’t do anything that would consciously hurt enola, even knowing how strong she is,‎ because of that love.‎ enola will never be like any other woman,‎ she’ll never stop persisting once she’s set her mind to something,‎ and tewkesbury will never be able to truly hold her back. he has no desire to.‎ he sees enola for who she is and he loves her all the same.

their separate worlds are essentially what make them work so well.‎‎ their inclusion in each other’s lives,‎ whether accidental or purposeful,‎ exposed them to things they both needed,‎ and added to their strength as characters.‎ enola has a man that she loves,‎ that loves her,‎ and she didn’t have to stop being herself for that to happen.‎ tewkesbury has now become more responsible and faithful to his duties,‎ but he’s still a lover of flowers,‎ and a lover of enola,‎ and all of those things get to coincide.

their relationship is all about growth and healthy change. it isn’t as simple as a “she hates every boy but one” trope,‎ nor is it simply sacrificing enola’s strength, or her reducing her as an individual just so she can conform to her male love interest.‎ they’re both their own characters,‎ with more differences than similarities,‎ but the love that they share is genuine and that doesn’t make them less of anything. that makes them better.

#in short:‎ they’re soulmates #enola holmes #enola holmes 2 #enola x tewkesbury #lord tewksbury #holmesbury #millie bobby brown #louis partridge

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waterghostype · 3 months

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a bit of an unconventional post but here is rosel!!! struggling princess and novice of void she is my ninjago oc bc ive been infected with deadly oc brainrot disease…

oc ramblings under the cut lel

she is a princess with a tragic backstory . super original i know

in all seriousness she basically conjured up in my head while i was thinking “what could they ever do to recover harumi’s character from crystalized in dragons rising” and it all went downhill from here

she’s super energetic, lively, dramatic, basically a cringe theatre kid who doesnt shut up at all. she loves animals and nature and life and being elaborate and performing and all that jazz.

she’s basically harumi’s surrogate little sister. after being on her own for a bit and traveling all across realms she landed in this weird magical realm (one that i made up. lol) and was taken in by the royal family as a knight (basically) after she brought back rosel when she got lost in the forest. she’s having a terrible time in there BUT she’s staying because… there is a freakazoidal organization trying to take them down. super original once again.

harumi feels like shes sort of called to do something about it to somehow atone for her wrongdoings but she doesn’t want to do any more than she has to aka she doesn’t want to get close to rosel bc shes obviously very Not right in the brain and also because of her past

rosel originally had an older sister who was supposed to be the actual heir to the throne and she was totally chill with that! she liked to just have a second say in important stuff and do a lot of commercials like that was her whole thing and she enjoyed it. then her sister got assassinated so now she has to be the one to worry about everything and just be an heir all of a sudden. this is part of the reason why she got very easily attached to harumi and harumi knows this and understands what’s going on in rosel’s brain because a losing family then getting badly attached to someone bc you think they can fill that hole in your heart?? yeah not cool

doesnt help that harumi currently hates herself and thinks shes the worst person in the world (tbf she did do All that.) but the difference is when she was being unhealthily attached to garmadon he mistreated her BAD but here harumi actually tries protecting rosel and gets unfortunately attached as well which sucks! it’s like that grumpy old man adopts daughter trope except it’s a ~20 yo girl and a little sister

before she died rosel swore she hated her sister and they would fight allll the time. older sister (havent decided on a name) is really strict and pressured to do all her work as an heir and the oldest princess and i could go into more detail abt their relationship but just think oldest sibling vs youngest sibling shenanigans. theyd fight abt how rosel would never understand the pressure of being the heir in their political cilmate thing (yeah the made-up realm is going through it) but too bad so sad she got executed in front of literally the whole kingdom.

after a surprisingly short while rosel gets back on her feet after her sister’s death but shes just fakering oops. she has a bunch of bottled up issues but it’s ok! it’s ok!

also shes the elemental master of void. oops

this one is fucky wucky complicated but BASCIALLY my bs reason for her little mary sue op power is bc time twins were stuck in that weird time vortex all throughout everything And then the merge happened and the merge’s weird elemental energy whatever caused the time vortex and the twins’ elemental powers to get weird and because time is being messed up reality can be messed up and so this basically broken version of the time element gets transferred onto my girl rosel as if it was a regular degular elemental power which sucks bc it’s even harder to use and control and she doesnt even know how to fight so shes just struggling

she finds this out while on a journey with the ninja and harumi. like if it was a season itd be like episode 15+ she finds out. this is because she accidentally caused an important artifact to disappear out of nowhere, got sad about it bc she messed everything up, and then she accidentally makes a whole bunch of stuff (including living things) disappear too. yikessss

she doesnt want to hide it she tells the ninjarumi right away and theyre all like What the hell and shes freaking out but after some help she can at least keep herself from destroying literally everything.

until she messes up gets mega emotional loses control of her everything and starts voiding a bunch of stuff so she gets even more stressed which makes her void even more stuff and now shes basically destroying the kingdom shes been trying so hard to be able to rule. ooooopsies

after a whole thing with the power of siblingship and empathy harumi snaps her out of it and now shes absolutely baffled with what shes done and is a bit crazed abt the whole thing. bc of this she decides it’s best to train with the ninja (idk if she actually becomes one) so she can use her power better. btw harumi was able to snap her out of it and give her a hug without being voided because a) power of friendship and b) overlord resurrection she’s literally dead inside She basically is already voided in a way

so thats basically what goes on very sorry this is too long but i hope it all makes sense… i swear her story is better than the way i explained it (or maybe it’s not idk) i just have many MANY MANY thought abt her! i might ramble even more in the future so be cautioned. thx

heres zoomed in ver of the notes in case u need it

#ninjago #ninjago oc #lego ninjago #ninjago harumi #aphid artisms #aphid originals #princess rosel anjg #thats aphid ninjago #her design is weird i dont really like it all too muchhhh #but what ever #same thing w harumi oh my god that is the wippiest wip of a design dont even look #this is just her princess outfit though she has a diff fighter outfit #the thing is if she is a ninja i have no clue what her color should be #anyone else think too hard when making njg/lmk ocs.#like thinking abt what color bricks there are and what colors u can still use #and how a design would look on a minifig #sorry for being CRINGE but i cant stop thinking abour her…#i feel shes too much like me but better so it feels a bit weird #but shes more like me if i went theatre instead of stem #WHATEVER! i have an actual seperate like real cringe self insert ninjago oc Shes my for fun mary sue #bc making mary sue ocs is so fun #but rosel isnt like that shes like an actual character #ok i need to shut the up!

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laylawatermelon · 1 month

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Now that I'm thinking about it I wanna theorize/call for action outside of buddie (don't worry i WILL return with a vengeance) but now I'm on a bit of an Eddie Diaz kind of run.

I'm reading a fanfic now of Eddie's sisters which kind of spawned me to think about his relationship with them and kind of think about his family dynamics and expectations and what's coming up for his storyline.

Now they mentioned bringing his family in, specifically his sisters, and i think this storyline ties into Marisol (noname i swear this drives me crazy when i think about it?!??! PLEASE if you want me to care/be invested gimme a last name!) and his Catholic guilt/sense of responsibility/man of the house complex.

They've introduced how his upbringing brought him a lot of guilt and a sense of duty (to serve and protect amirite? Dang religion can be a perfect line to how modern society works but lemme save that for a thesis or something this is about 911 on abc🤣)

Back on topic though, there's a really nice post talking about how he's military family and how that affected his and Shannon's relationship. (x)

Reading that helped me to appreciate the writing and details.

I also want to talk about the beautiful work being done on Twitter and Tumblr about the Miami Vice costume theory and coincidences.

(heh throwback Tuesday and takeover thursday came in clutch with finding these x )

Yes i do ship buddie, but if I look at it not just as a romantic things but as they are written as kind of parallel soulmates who run along the same line of development.

One always spurs the next to grow and change and are heavily involved in some way even if that way it's just being themselves.

Buck being open with his sexuality will trigger something in Eddie. What it is can vary.

I think if we look at it with non shipper glasses, Buck's freedom will lead to Eddie's freedom. What I mean by that is since Eddie had came to the 118 Ryan mentioned how each year he was there the more he learned about himself and other people.

I think what Eddie would be at free from the image/expectations of what a family should look like/be.

He knows what a family could look like in a queer/unconventional way. Bathena's unit, Chimney and Maddie's family (let's say cause they're not currently married with a toddler church would pass out), and HenRen's family.

The could be and should be is the important part.

Eddie grew up being told what he should be and what his life should look like. Evidently his life went none of the ways it was intended to go.

He's a widower single father from a teen/young pregnancy and veteran. Sure he's a firefighter now but he has no "complete" family.

The way they're emphasizing the mother aspect throughout his story is still fascinating.

(i also thought of something hilarious as like he probably imagined/process mothers as like the Virgin Mary or something when they brought up how he can see woman as mothers but not really women at the same time)

(also Madonna whore complex was mentioned and it's also a fascinating way to look at it as he can either desire or love.)

Shannon seems to be the only exception and even that is iffy. I would also say that when she became a mother the desire kind of left? I think the mother aspect solidified for him when she left them I would say.

Yes they did have sex but that was a (very bad, horrid) form of communication between them. They both avoided stuff at some point in some (eh it's like 20/80 her and Eddie) cases.

Every other woman he has dated has kind of been a substitute, for a lack of a better word, replacement for the role of mom.

Now he knows what moms should look like in all shapes and forms. He knows what dads should look like. He's knows what his family should look like.

Granted he did get rid of some of the flaws of his father and the way he was raised which also ties into the way he is.

Eddie was parentified at an early age. (I will say as a black/poc person that there tends to be adult responsibilities placed on our communities kids from young partially because of culture but mostly because of the inherent unevenness that we have to struggle to make balance worldwide in different facets and environments.)

Once again, this is about 911 on abc, not my thesis😭.

I just imagine him standing on a stool to cook food for his sisters or some other things like laundry. Or even worse the cannon car accident with his pregnant mom. (I love to make myself cry)

Eddie had technically been a parent since he was a kid. He literally became the man of the house or the father. So i guess that entailed taking on the emotional and sometimes physical burden of the father role.

I guess when he was actually a father and not just the role he felt the weight of responsibility again and panicked. It makes sense he has a habit of running since he never had the opportunity to do so as a kid (since he never got the chance to be one).

So after Chris it was once again role of the father but now with added responsibility of bringing money to provide the household which he didn't have to do in that role.

It was hard then so it became even more difficult.

So he gave his body to the military and returned wounded in mind and body, and with a disabled son who needed insurance and stability and a wife who just needed him.

And he needed to be a man. Again and again and again.

He broke out of the loop when he got to the 118 (bless the haven that is that building) met Buck, then Carla and Bobby who offered a safe place for his kid.

He was no longer alone and had distanced himself physical from the church but mentally still shackled in his beliefs.

After this Buck and Tommy things and he's not present we're going to focus on how a family could look for him.

Last season and recently they mentioned the fact that his aunt had been divorced and he didn't know.

There was also mention of family secrets.

There was also Marisol and Chris together which I'm guessing he wasn't to happy with her but it's either or since we haven't seen them together so it's a 50/50 chance. More like 90/10 he's annoyed or feels weird about his mom being replaced). Since we touched on him repairing his relationship with his mom and subsequently girls and women/relationships he wants to be in now that may shift his image of Marisol suddenly being more present.

Slight Buddie tangent (i gotta let the beat out for a sec raaa-) but the fact that he's still hanging out with Buck pretty consistently (well we can say he's his other parent who's sadly been in his life almost longer than his mom 🥺 lemme stop I'm crying) but it might decrease due to his and Tommy's relationship. (They're two firefighters with very busy schedules ofc he's not present they got work to do chop chop!/j)

In turn this leaves Chris with one less stable parent figure and it's forced to turn to Marisol who may be overeager to please him.

This can lead Chris to probably feeling uncomfortable with the changes because he's happy his dad's happy but he's not happy because it feels like his family's changing again too fast, and what if she leaves then his dad's not happy and a whole other sleet of teenage issues and angst.

So what I predict their storyline to be going it's that Eddie tries to find his own freedom from the church and maybe even the expectations of his home community would have on him.

Buck will be radiant in himself at the wedding, so will Hen and Karen, and Marie and Chimney, and Bobby and Athena.

He'll look around and look inward.

He'll stop focusing on what his life should look like and focus on what it could.

And that life could be just as radiant as the family he's apart of now.

(and that's all i could ask for 🥹)

#911 abc #oh i have ADHD #it's evident in the way i type #eddie diaz #911 fox #lgbtqia #911 speculation #911 season 7 #this got out of hand #my writer skills kicked in #cry with me #evan buckley #911thursdaytakeover #911 meta #eddie diaz focused #buckley diaz family #the 118

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itsmaferart · 2 years

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Spy x Family Chapter 66 · · · Seed of mistrust

This contains spoilers for the manga.

This chapter has really made me enter an emotional turbulence that I don't know how to process. So I think I'll have to talk about this chapter in several parts

Before I talk about Melinda and the rest of the Desmonds, I want to talk mainly about Twilight in this chapter.

I was a little disappointed that Twilight's reaction was so natural. I was expecting a more epic expression, but I guess Endo preferred to take this issue more seriously and leave the jokes to Anya. Although well, I guess this is the funniest thing we can find xD

As we imagine: WISE, has very little information regarding the Desmonds. Each of them has a circle so small that it is almost impenetrable. So approaching Melinda with any attempt can be a huge risk. This could put any of the members, either Melinda or Donovan, on alert and end up isolating themselves to the point of being impossible to discover their plans.

I am beginning to understand the WISE conflict.

They are totally blind. They seem to have faint hints that the Desmonds are involved in something larger, and more dangerous, associated with war. Possibly, Donovan or Melinda, are the key to access a vast network of evil that is spreading. But they have covered themselves with such a deep armor that not even WISE has managed to have information about it.

There is nothing more dangerous than not knowing "where the enemy is"

This explains the constant pressure and fear of the organization when seeing that many attacks, and crimes are happening. But there is no solid basis to draw a conclusion or theory that makes sense, and tie up all the loose ends.

It is here, when Twilight himself feels with little information to theorize on his own.

Clearly, something is up with Donovan and Melinda's strange relationship. They are obviously an unconventional family and the "rejection" and "indifference" to their children, especially to Damiand, even becomes "terrifying".

This is more of an assumption. But I don't know if Melinda was forced to be Desmond's wife and perhaps have children when she didn't want them. This seems to go beyond a family deteriorating over time… or a marriage that has lost its love. It seemed that both of them were only fulfilling a role and maintaining the relationship for a true "convenience": power, protection, influence, social image, prestige, etc.

I wanted to dedicate a whole post to this topic, but I think I will try to make a brief mention:

Remembering the cruise arc. The shopkeeper mentioned that a split occurred within the secret government. While in the past the Gretcher family ruled the underworld in an "honorable" way, currently a man "with glasses" (by the figure represented on the panel) took power and started a division, being the reason why they were hunting to Olga. We are given to understand by the Director that "they do not support the war, much less those who try to make a fortune off it." So it is understood that Garden is against the radical sector that seeks confrontation.

Now, what side do the Desmonds play regarding the secret government? Are they supporting and financing the radical sector whose plans are war? Or are they on the same side as Garde?

Or much worse… what if the Donovans or Melinda play both sides and keep up appearances with both the radical and non-radical sectors. In this way, it is a game of double betrayal, no matter which side wins, they would benefit.

It also comes into question whether Melinda is against her own husband, whether for better or worse. And if this division that separates the Desmonds is not only "for sentimental reasons", but arises from political ideals… there is too much that we do not know

Maybe that's why the shopkeeper didn't see a problem with Yor getting involved with Melinda. But the way he says that "if anything were to happen, then of course… for that reason, I wouldn't exactly recommend it"… I don't know, it gives me a bad feeling, It is as if the shopkeeper thought that: The closeness of Yor and Melinda is not a problem at the moment, but it does not ensure that this in the future will be dangerous

But this topic deserves a separate post….

Although, it is strange the idea that the meeting of Melinda and Yor is planned. That means the Desmonds have been watching the Forgers and they haven't noticed. Which, is strange, considering Yor and Twilight are keen to notice when they're being watched…

We know that Yor was only the mall at Anya's request, so if Melinda planned it, it would be because she's been watching her from the beginning.

But, as Twilight himself supposes. It feels strange that this is a joint strategy of the Desmond parents. So it may be possible that it remains a chance event, risky and beneficial.

This really worries me....

I know that many talk and highlight how Twilight is willing to protect Yor… but… actually… this doesn't really relieve me… on the contrary, it worries me.

¡It breaks my heart to see that by now Twilight's mental bias is so ingrained in him that his first reaction is to distrust Yor!!

I understand, he is a spy, he was trained to distrust and see the worst case scenario. He does it to preserve his own security, and that of his work. But that he mistrusts Yor in the slightest shows that she does not have his absolute trust and this may continue to be repeated more in the future

I'm glad that Anya immediately clarifies that it was because of her wishes that Yor went to the mall. But even so, despite everything they've been through, living together, and Yor's efforts to be a good wife and mother, Twilight doesn't seem to realize (or doesn't want to) how important he is to Yoru. He represents a motivation for her, and she does not want to hurt him or betray him. Yor's ideals are not political, nor interested. Her support for the shopkeeper and his ideals are only because she feels that being an assassin could "protect her true interests", the love of her family.

I understand that Twilight is blind to Yor's job as an assassin. But the fact that he still feels the possibility that Yor is up to something behind his back: either handing him over to the SSS, or colluding with the Desmonds....Clearly, he still has a long way to go…

For even though Yor doesn't know he's a spy. She never doubts anything about him.... Although, well, she's very naive… still

The way she looks at him. She feels so relieved, motivated and happy that he has her back.

I know Twilight is being truthful right now. The transparent speech bubble tells us that he really thinks that way. I'm sure that if Yor had met friends, other than Melinda, Twilight would support her so that she had fun, and could expand her social bonds.

But with Melinda and Donovan in the equation, everything becomes so risky and unknown.

And as it is a habit in him, he will always say that everything about it is for the good of "the family facade".

I know that Twilight deep down has very important feelings for Yor, I think he's sincere when he doesn't want to risk her too much, and above all that "he will be ready to protect her".

But also, I feel like this sets the stage for the Forger family to start to crack. Considering that the Shopkeeper felt obvious suspicion about Loid Forger and his attempt to get close to Donovan. It may mean that Garden becomes interested in investigating the sudden husband of his best assassin… and if this leads to the assassination organization associating him with a threat, they either think he's a colluder with the Desmonds (whose party may be financing war plans and strategies), or they discover that he is a spy. Twilight and Yor's identity may be compromised in the future.

Which can lead to more distrust and dangers….

In other words, Twilight has never suspected that Yor is an assassin, and yet she feels the need to question his trust in her… the fear that she will turn him over to an enemy, or that she is planning behind his back. persist in it. If in the future Garden begins to show interest in him, it may lead to their identities being revealed.

feel very sad for Yor…. She is getting caught in the middle of a battle that she didn't ask for.

She clearly looks confused and unsure.

I feel that Yor deep down felt that he should mistrust Melinda, because of her terrifying expressions, her omissions, and such covert phrases… But she is not one to reason intellectually about the events of her life. It is her emotions and her instinct that warn she of the risks. But at the same time, she feels that she should not waste the opportunity to have friends

She just wants to have a quiet, peaceful life, to feel integrated into her family and the world around her. But these insecurities make them vulnerable, to fall in the middle of the conflict of WISE, Twilight, the Desmonds and Garden's actions… And I worry that she will be hurt and emotionally wounded.

I don't want to sound dramatic or negative. But I feel that Endo is telling us that many things can happen… things that the Forgers have to watch out for.

I know that Anya's efforts, they are funny, help to lower the tension of the chapter. But it's sad to see that Anya understands that Twilight's reason for being with her has been the Strix mission, and feels that the affection she receives from him is only for the "mission". If she is no longer her father's main plan: Plan A and plan B, she feels that she will be left aside and therefore abandoned

Clearly this is not true. Twilight truly loves Anya as his daughter, even if he doesn't admit it. But the weight of the Strix mission, the constant stress, pressure and preservation lies. They make each of the Forgers inside let themselves be enveloped by their insecurities.

Although Anya reads Twilight's mind: she feels that his thoughts (and emotions) are too confusing to interpret and she questions the stability of her happy and fun life.

This sparks a war between mother and daughter (something Yor has no idea about) for Twilight's attention.

I have always believed that the Forger family is an analogous representation of the peace between Ostania and Westalis. One family/two countries, happy and at peace based on lies. But when the truth is unleashed, it will be the end of this "illusory" peace and will bring with it many tears

I worry that the Forgers get so wrapped up in their own ambitions and desires that they end up embroiled in a trope so dangerous and entangled that it's hard to escape: Twilight, because of the mission, Yor in her attempt to be "normal" and "accepted ", and Anya in her longing for her father to love her and not abandon her. That the Strix operation begins to get complicated and with them leads to all this bomb of lies being unleashed

And this is when feelings become confused… What is a lie? What's the true? Who is an ally? Who is enemy?

I feel like there's a lot of drama coming up… and while this may not have an immediate effect… I hope that each of the Forgers get through it… and especially that they can understand that they are a true family and see beyond lies, ideals, war, and ambitions.

And the three of them understand, that no matter what they are a spy, an assassin, an experiment and a dog that sees the future. They all look for the same thing, a home.

I feel like I have to prepare tissue boxes T_T

What do you think?

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aeor-is-for-reccing · 11 months

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Babygast: A Shadowgast Rec List

This week, we have nine (nein) fics that feature Caleb and Essek being parents! Check them out below the cut, and don't forget to comment or leave kudos if you liked them!

Whistle Song by Chekhov (115412, Mature) Reccer's Content Notes: Implied past child abuse

Caleb and Essek find themselves the targets of the oddest Assassination attempt. They also get saddled with the Assassins themselves, because they can't find it in their hearts to leave them to their fate. Cue a long process of trying to understand what the hell is going on, and protect the two girls trying to kill them.

Reccer says: the characters are very well studied, Caleb and Essek are very IC, while exploring the sudden responsibility thrust upon them. I adore the twins, and I love the emotions conveyed, the conflict, the struggle to become something other than what they have been told they are, and accept the love and connection offered to them.

care under fire by hanap (2067, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn

Yasha comes to relieve Essek from the woes of new parenthood, when Caleb and their daughter are ill, and he is being stretched thin.

Reccer says: This fic is very sweet and a lovely little look into Caleb and Essek, but more broadly, the Nein's, future!

Lichtenberg Figures by Twistmalchik (2746, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Male Pregnancy

Essek is uncomfortable one night from his and Caleb's daughter not breastfeeding any longer. Caleb helps him out in quite an unconventional way.

Reccer says: This fic is incredibly sweet and very, very hot! I love how the author approached this kink, it feels very validating as a trans reader and I appreciate that!

Family Resemblance by firefright (1289, General) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn

Verin meets Caleb and Essek's baby and is utterly charmed by her.

Reccer says: This is a very, very sweet fic of a lovely moment in time! I really love the banter between Essek and Verin, feels very accurate to their relationship.

Fond Mistakes by firefright (644, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek's and Caleb's daughter has a question for one of her fathers.

Reccer says: It's exactly the kind of question a child would ask irl, which makes it funnier.

the fugitive's version of shelter by hanap (28208, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Male Pregnancy

Caleb and Essek navigate the early stages of their relationship, which is complicated by one, Essek's fugitive status, and two, his pregnancy with Ludinus' children.

Reccer says: This fic is lovely! The fact of Essek's entire situation creates very engaging, tense situations throughout the narrative, and seeing the wizards navigate through them is an absolute pleasure. Furthermore, Caleb's utter devotion to Essek and his children and their wellbeing is the sweetest and most integral element of the story, and makes the whole thing really nail the chosen family theme!

Everything New by Moonsp1r1t (2860, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: None

Caleb is a doting dad to his new baby and has to figure out babysitting arrangements

Reccer says: SUPER fluffy!!

And then two recs for: Lay Your Bones by LadyOrpheus (17166, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: None

When Essek is captured by the Dynasty, Verin finds himself in the unexpected position of meeting the Mighty Nein and meeting the niece he didn't know he had

Reccer 1 says: Very interesting character explorations plus a very cute baby! Fun plot too Reccer2 says: Babygast is the CUTEST. The parts with little Yuna are so sweet

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast.

Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week, we're going to visit some old favorites again with a recurring theme!

#caleb widogast #essek thelyss #Shadowgast #Critical Role #CR Fic Recs #Parenting fic recs #babygast #kidfic

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eremorte · 3 months

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What are some characters that the fandom dislikes that you like and why?

Or what characters do you think have more depth than the fandom portrays?

I don’t think I have many unconventional favorites. Everyone has a fan at this stage in fandom. I watched the show while it aired but joined fandom late so I’m not sure who is the most controversial ones I’m not techinally supposed to hate are.

The best answer I can give is Ramona. I know that a lot of people love her now but I still remember the denial stage in the beginning because a lot of fans found her redundant and a waste as the series was about dead. I still can’t get over the fan theory that Ramona is a hallucination.

Reasons include:

She looks badass. (Also her voice sounds cool. I can barely believe she shared the same VA as Maddie)

She was of the few girl characters that wore jeans.

Sibling representation that didn’t feel cheesy. (I am aware that relationships like the O’hairs can exist, I’m just not used to that. And Darling and Dexter where a nice middle ground in the books but Ramona is sadly show-only)

Her no-nonsense attitude. Her monologue on moonlight mystery was exciting because it was an active example of a character using their head. Which I don’t remember happening that often. Stuff just happens and the title character just goes with it. Also, just making sure Justine didn’t hurt herself while sleep dancing? Aww. Mention of alternate locations other than ever after high. (Dark forest reform school).

The runner up to this would be Sparrow. I have very little cannon basis for this. I mean, he was made more interesting in the books (the only one I actively remember is next top villain and he existed for like 10 pages) but my main reason for liking him was a fanfic. Falling Apples by Rosalite. (https://m.fanfiction.net/s/11742563/1/Falling-Apples)

I have no idea where the Apple/Sparrow pairing came from (probably the main trilogy and I forgot) but this story is really sweet from what I remember. Be advised, the catalyst is pregnancy.

To answer the second question:

Jillian? Because it seems that she’s one of the few characters that actually has a story that ends. She doesn't seem to revert back to square one when her story would start. She is definitely keeping it up because it’s fun to do. It also helps that Tiny is supportive. I imagine the beanstalk family and the giant's made an agreement between themselves about how the destiny was to play out.

#ask #ever after high #eah #ramona badwolf #jillian beanstalk #sparrow hood

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plutosmainhoe · 1 year

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☾ Aquarius Moon Tings ☽

Just some observations I have picked up along the way as a 4H Aquarius Moon that married a 12H Aquarius Moon

🚨 By no means am I an astrologer. Please take this with a grain of salt 🚨

🌙 IMO most people know that natal Aquarius Moons don't acknowledge their feelings and emotions very well; But it's much more than that. From what I have seen, they understand their emotions, they just don't process them. Aqua Moons are very good at analysing situations but it only extends to there. If a negative situation occurs, they are likely to analyse and move on and not dwell on the situation.

🌙 Relationship with their mother is strange; depending on aspects ofc. Though, looking away from aspects, I've noticed that Aqua moons tend to have an okay relationship with their mother, it is just complicated and inconsistent. They often want to seperate themselves from their mother figure yet continue a low-key relationship with them. Most rebellion forms from the connection to their Mother.

🌙 Aqua Moons have a thing for music, I swear. It is such a big part of their lives. And it's not to just enjoy the music they listen to, it is how they openly express their emotions. I can give you a song based on how I feel towards my mother, but I absolutely cannot tell you how I feel about her through my own emotions.

🌙 It is awkward talking about emotions, most Aqua moons I have met don't really have the tolerance for sympathy/empathy? i.e. I have a Cancer Venus, I am very compassionate and I have a lot of love to give, but fuck I don't want to hear about how bad your week has been, idk how to fix it for you.

🌙 Depending on their Mercury sign/aspects to mercury, an evolved Aqua Moon can definitely process and communicate their emotions effectively; they just need to evolve first. My husband, 12H Aqua Moon trine 9H Libra Mercury, is bloody awesome at discussing his emotions. I, on the other hand; 4H Aqua Moon non-aspecting 8H Gemini Mercury, am horrid at discussing and processing my emotions and tend to avoid it most of the time (bcos I'm un-evolved asf)

🌙 Adding to above ↑ Just because you have evolved doesn't mean you will magically process your emotions each time. Aqua Moons have a habit of living in their head, though they analyse and move on, they can tend to overthink.

🌙 Definitely have a 'I don't fucking care' or 'Whatever' vibe. It can be hard to connect to Aqua Moons because of this. They can be very straightforward and direct (remember, they display sympathy/empathy weirdly), I wouldn't suggest looking for emotional advise from an Aquarius Moon.

🌙 They be old souls 100%. Old movies, music, tv shows, clothing. Or they may have very different tastes in these aspects to the norm. Aquarius being eccentric, free and rebellious, it is unlikely you will find an Aqua Moon that has the same interests as society (or any Aquarius placement for that matter, my Aqua Sun dad is WILD. He is so fucking weird ilhsm)

🌙 I just want to talk about the 4H for a minute, because I haven't read much on this placement regarding an Aqua Moon. I have 4H Aquarius Moon, Uranus, SN, I/C (ofc) and 3H Aqua Neptune - all conjunct to each other (help). Let me tell you, when I say my upbringing was unconventional, it was fucking unconventional. ☾ I was always travelling, whether it was to family 30mins away or across the country; We were never really at home, always doing something (perks of having a Sagg mum ig) ☾ Traditions are very important, as well as ties to home. However, though these are important to my family, I would prefer to break from these chains (Moon conjunct Uranus) ☾ speaking on my 4H Moon/Uranus friends, how much does it suck that we have to be the ones to break ancestral generational curses? ☾ Black sheep of the family vibes - I constantly fight with my mother about the standards she sets for me and the standards she sets for my sister. (Thnx 3H Neptune conjunct 4H Moon 🖤) ☾ Definitely have a high chance of leaving home young - They seek freedom and being tied to home is not free; especially if there are harsh aspects to the Moon. Using my 4H placements, I left home at 19. ☾ Pluto aspects are super interesting when the Aqua Moon is in the 4H. Depending the aspect, natives can either face easy transformations to their emotions regarding home life/mother/emotions, or it can be super difficult. Mine is sextile Pluto; I am really good a reading emotional atmosphere changes and can pinpoint when a change is happening with my emotions internally. Harder aspects (Square, Opposition, Conjunct) will make it difficult to understand when a transformation in atmosphere/emotions is present.

🌙 Notice how Aqua Moons have a small, tight group of friends; no matter their Sun sign? I've noticed it is because the people they pick to become close friends with have something to give emotionally. We don't understand our emotions, but someone else does. You could have a Gemini/Sagittarius Sun and have a massive group of friends, but if you have an Aqua Moon alongside this, you will likely have a large group of friends, but a select few that you actually connect well with.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed! ~PMH 🍃

#aquarius #aqua moon #aquarius moon #moon signs #astro placements #astro observations #astro community #astro notes #astrology #moon #astrology notes #astrology observations #astrology tumblr

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sneezemonster15 · 1 year

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🥴 in the fic naruto says sakura and ino were the prettiest girls in their class and somehow sasuke has the balls to ignore them following him around like puppies. he says hinata is really pretty lol. itachi is apparently the second prettiest after sasuke and he thinks it might be a tie between him and kakashi. gaara, neji, tsunade, tenten, kiba and lee are all apparently pretty to him too. there's this scene where he gets drunk and kisses ino, kiba, sai and lee, no internalised homophobia in sight. sasuke goes on and on about sakura and how he has a deep love for her, longs for her and feels affection for her, though he admits it's not in the way she wants. he even thinks she sees through him lol. but the really weird thing is how sasuke doesn't understand how he feels about naruto in the fic. he can admit he loves sakura in the start of the fic (and he can tell that it's not romantic on his end), but he has to have this big epiphany about loving naruto only at the end lol. and sakura obviously becomes so much more understanding lol. I think they're talented and i did enjoy reading the story, but they said they were writing everyone in character so this stuff bothered me 😞

What has always bothered me about fanfics is how they simply do not get how closetedness functions in a homophobic and heteronormative society. I don't know if the writer is American or from some other western country. But as long as you are claiming to be canon compliant, maybe actually research how homosexuality or coming out of the closet would look in societies where it is not acceptable. Konoha/shinobi world is not only heteronormative, but downright homophobic. I mean, Sakura thinks they are brothers because she doesn't know what else to call it, she is homophobic herself, and she knows Sasuke and Naruto are just way too close for being just friends, she could have told Sai they were very good friends, but one of the problems in this world is also a lack of terminology, resulting from a lack of familiarity and comfort with the topic of homosexuality but which is essentially required in order to assign names to certain feelings and relationships and dynamics that are seen as unconventional or different from the norm. Developing a certain terminology is important in order to understand interpersonal issues that are deeply embedded in the socio political fabric. You need a certain level of comfort with the idea of it to introduce and develop this terminology. I have a few gay friends in my circles and one of them has been in a long term partnership with a much younger man. The younger man is closeted and they live together, but he hasn't come out to his family or close friends. Although his family does stay over and they think their son lives with his Teacher. And they are fine with it. They are deeply conservative people and staunchly heteronormative, which is why he hasn't come out and I am pretty sure they have an idea about his sexuality, even if it is unsaid and full of obfuscation. But they don't wanna take action because being with the Teacher has been good for his career and he is able to send money to them to contribute to their household. There isn't just one reason of course, but invariably, whenever his friends or family come over, they never acknowledge their relationship even though it is so obvious. They call it a teacher student relationship who incidentally also cohabit. There's a lot of denial going in there, but it's understandable in their circumstances.

I get the feeling that they aren't totally comfortable with the idea but they are also under certain obligations themselves and they are grateful to the Teacher. But you see, the terminology is missing. There's also a major class difference.

Often in homophobic societies, and I live in one, there is so much taboo, prejudice, obfuscation and lack of information/comfort/familiarity around the idea of same sex relationships, that it's difficult to carry on a dialectic with the proper assignment of terms. Gay or homosexual is not a word anyone will use here. They will use a slang word, which denotes something derogatory. Or if they wanna deny it altogether, they will use some other word for it. Like brother or sister. Or best friend, or room mate, or Teacher. It's such a common phenomenon to reduce, invisibilise and trivialize homosexuality by giving it names that are incongruent with the actual nature of the relationship. It's almost criminal how much this invisibilisation is normalised.

I remember when I was very young, like 12 years old, I was in the car with my mother and her friend. And her friend was crying because her sister was not agreeing to marry. Marrying here invariably means heterosexual, heh, it's just a social reality. Because she had shacked up with her 'best friend', another girl, her college friend. They lived together and she would keep rejecting offers that the parents suggested to her. She was of the perfect age to marry and they were worried her golden age would pass her by and she would become a spinster, of course they blamed her best friend for it. Lol.

Now the thing is, there was a strange tonal quality to the term 'best friend' in her voice. She was weeping and I just couldn't understand why it would be a problem if her sister wanted to stay with her best friend. Lol. I thought it would be so much fun. Hahaha. I was very young. I remember asking my mother about it later and she shushed me telling me it was none of my business and not to talk to anyone about it. And it puzzled me even more.

Make no mistake, language is an inherently important and indispensable part of postulating and hence comprehending socio-politico-cultural issues and concepts, and as a result, navigating interpersonal dynamics and understanding. It's not a coincidence that this manga stresses so much on the importance of 'communication', and Naruto's character is point blank shown to stress on it, it's one of the most important lessons he learns in the course of the manga. You can't understand emotions without verbalising them in your head. Linguistics is an inseparable part of comprehension, whether it's about computing internal or external data, or both in conjunction. And when it comes to storytelling, it becomes one of the most important building blocks of expression and getting the story across to the readers or viewers. Naruto is shown to stress on communication in Boruto as well. And we see throughout the course of the Naruto and Shippuden manga, how Naruto comes to learn about and understand different characters' and especially anti heroes' feelings and resentments directed towards their dystopian world. In the kage arc, he says to Sasuke on the bridge - Sasuke, we will never be able to understand each other by words alone, we can only communicate properly by using our fists. Maybe if we can understand each other, I can change all that hate, like Iruka sensei did for me.

And yet, in the climax of Shippuden, at Sasuke's insistence, it was Naruto's words that finally resulted in Sasuke's resolution, which finally broke through to Sasuke. Because those words showed his understanding. His feelings. His love. For Sasuke.

Kishi is a well read, well informed author. It shows in his work, even the different sources he takes inspiration from, such as Monzaemon Chikamatsu and acclaimed seinen mangas. Stories and characters don't come out of oblivion.

Homosexuality having the status of taboo itself means that there will be a dearth of conversations around it, there will be a lack of normalisation around it. It will carry a weight of malignance around it, something unnatural, something dirty, shameful. There is a lot of shame attached to this topic, which explains the lack of terminology around it, or appropriate wordage around it. Calling them boyfriend or girlfriend is not so acceptable in conservative societies. Or lovers, same sex partners. 'Partners' is something that I have noticed to be more prevalent in current times around me. But it's also evident that it is vague. Purposely so. It's to minimise judgment.

And this is something I see consistently in this manga. There is so much going on throughout, as to what term to assign to this relationship between Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura calls them brothers but she knows they aren't. She is suspicious of Naruto when he says Sasuke is much better looking than Sai and then backpedaling about it. She fake smiles. Also, if she thought they were brotherly, she wouldn't have felt so threatened by Naruto. She tries to create distance between them, all to no avail sure, but she is obviously insecure about her own position in their equation. She doesn't stand anywhere in it, but she does think Naruto comes between her and Sasuke, and their special relationship threatens her intentions towards Sasuke. Similarly, Kakashi thinks it's because they are 'rivals' and tells the same thing to Jiraiya, who compares Naruto and Sasuke with himself and Oro, when Naruto and Sasuke's relationship is not really like theirs in essence. We also know that Kakashi is not the most reliable person when it comes to understanding emotional and interpersonal nuances. Just like Sai isn't, who thinks Naruto loves Sakura. Similarly, Minato tells Naruto that his 'best friend' is about to arrive on the battlefield. People in Konoha give so many names to their relationship and yet, Sasuke insists Naruto define it for him in chapter 698, because he wants to hear it from Naruto.

Naruto himself struggles so much in this regard. It always bothered me why Sasuke was not affected positively when Naruto wondered if Sasuke was like his brother. Sasuke had a brother and then, he almost as good as lost him in a way. He was certainly very fond of Naruto, if he thought of Naruto as brotherly, he should have been pleased, no? Narratively, even if he tried to deny feelings that might potentially weaken him, he is pensive or annoyed or even displeased when Naruto says they are friends or brothers. Never pleased, not even a smile. And he is capable of smiling when it comes to Naruto.

But he never does. He keeps asking Naruto to define the relationship, he isn't happy even when Naruto says they are friends. Which is why Sasuke is PUSHED, albeit with reticence, to ask - You have said that before but what does it exactly mean to you?

This is so nuanced and so understandable. He wants Naruto to assign a term to it. It's significant, it's important. A term that explains their feelings accurately so they both know. They live in a world that doesn't have the terminology to support same sex relationships, they have no frame of reference as to how to talk about it. They struggle with talking about their feelings in the first place. Their communication game is lacking. Their world only taught them how to exchange blows, not words. So a perceptive Sasuke demands a term that rightly defines it. Because 'brotherhood' or 'friendship' is not cutting it. Obviously. Naruto had been calling him a friend all this time.

Even here, the dissonance. The words Naruto uses feel incommensurate with the term 'friend' no? Like seriously what other friends in this manga act or talk like this for the other? Sasuke is his 'friend' and a bond like that can Never be broken. But we as readers, know from context that bonds of friendship were broken in this manga, what with Oro and Jiraiya or Sakura and Ino (for very frivolous reasons too), and later, with Kakashi and Obito. If there were no nuances to their relationship, I would have gladly ignored it. But then Naruto goes on to say what he would do to Oro (shivers, lol) to protect Sasuke. Like just the lengths he is ready to go to. And it fits with the idea that Naruto's feelings for Sasuke are way more intense than just friends, consistent with how they seem with each other in part one, especially vote one. Naruto dilly dallies between so many terms for Sasuke. A friend. A rival. A comrade. A brother. On the one hand, Sasuke consistently uses very emphatic terms for his feelings for Naruto when he says Naruto is his closest friend or his one and only friend, Naruto's terms for Sasuke are always a lot incommensurate with his actions towards Sasuke. And it invariably creates a dissonance in the reader's mind. Kishi manipulates the reader very successfully. Also, we all know that Kishi uses his kanji for these two characters very carefully, as he has said in his interviews as well. Apart from visuals, this is also written media, language and wordage is indispensable to storytelling.

But AT THE END, Sasuke gets mad, and asks him point blank, as to what exactly it means to him and right on cue, given this is a conclusive chapter and Naruto can't say the same shit he has been saying before this (which DID NOT satisfy Sasuke), that even if Sasuke were ask him to explain it, he doesn't know either.

He doesn't know. He has been going through the motions for such a long time. We have seen him getting insecure about his sexuality many times. Like Kishi made so many of his scenes layered, just to point it out to the reader. That he is a closeted homosexual, he suffers from comphet and internalised homophobia as a result. This panel, which is towards the very end, explains so much.

Kishi is not a fool. He is a very clever author. This depicts Naruto's struggle about his sexuality so much. He obviously wants to make sure that his LAST conversation with his father is meaningful and that everything his parents wanted Naruto to be and achieve, Naruto will satisfy. Naruto wants to assure Minato, and he doesn't wanna lie. But he also cannot make himself say it. This boy who always wanted family, finally met them through a stroke of luck (or fate) but his was still a special case. He goes into such detail about everything, everything Kushina asked him to do, all the ninja taboos, but he broke down at that moment, about women. That it should be a woman he must marry is pretty much implied no? More than implied, it's a heteronormative society after all. Kishi is NOT stupid, this was a very smart way of layering his internal turmoil, his struggle with his sexuality because he loves a BOY. Not a woman.

And thing is, all this is very realistic. Very. It has been a persistent element/trope in most coming of age films that I have seen about homosexuality. Except for films like Love, Simon (very surface level and simplistic) or 'Call me by your name' because Elio has very forward thinking parents and he lives in a very affluent and liberal society. He doesn't have the same kind of hangups about his sexuality. But films like Esteros (Brazil), Eternal Summer (China), Beach Rats (America), Giant little ones (Canada), Posledice (Polish), And then we danced (Georgia), The Blonde one (Argentina), Brokeback Mountain (America), Free Fall (German) and more, all of these films are about sexual coming of age drama or sexual awakening and have the same tropes. Comphet. Denial. Internalised homophobia. Emotional turmoil. Dilemma. Burden of societal expectations. Pain. Misery. Confusion. Even rage.

And these are really good films too. Very thoughtfully made.

There are so many complex facets to homosexuality and coming to terms with or even acknowledging it is such a complex and difficult process for young, naturally insecure, and dilemma ridden (moral dilemma included) individuals in a conservative society. Naruto always wanted to be acknowledged and not shunned from society, he didn't want to be ostracized, not after everything he went through, and certainly not to disappoint his parents. In fact, kage arc was very definitive for Naruto. But throughout Shippuden, he has been going through the motions. When Sai seems like he has defected to Oro, Team Kakashi, Yamato specifically, confronts him, and Naruto is like - Who cares what he has to say, Sai is a traitor.

He has strong feelings about Konoha.

But when he hears about Sasuke joining Akatsuki, he is worried. Puzzled, in a quandary. So many people, people he likes and respects, tell him to make the right decision, it being to capture or kill Sasuke. But he cannot do it. He goes through a very terrible time, he is wracked with worry and conflicting emotions and internal struggle. He takes his time to come to terms with all his emotions. And then finally, when he hears that Sakura is out to kill Sasuke (lolol, sorry couldn't help it), something snaps in place inside him and he makes his decision. No matter what, no matter what, Sasuke will not be hurt. Naruto will take care of it. The idea of Sasuke being hurt imminently makes the decision for him and it just clicks to him where his priority lies. He will not kill Sasuke. And if it comes to that, that it's between killing him and protecting Konoha, he will protect Konoha but also, die with him. He is not your typical hero in that sense. He takes the middle path. A hero would typically let go of his personal wishes for the greater good. But Naruto's personal wishes are for Sasuke to live and be happy, no matter what happens. He told Itachi that when the time comes, and if Sasuke attacks Konoha, he will make the right decision. This is his decision. The point is, he will simply not live in a world without Sasuke. He refuses. He will remain a fool and die but not live without Sasuke. He doesn't care about any fucking thing if Sasuke isn't in his life.

Kage arc made him realize that his feelings for Sasuke were bigger than being hokage and Konoha. And so he chose a path where he didn't compromise with the safety of Konoha's people and yet, didn't let Sasuke down. Sasuke must live or he will die.

So by now, Naruto certainly knows that his feelings for Sasuke are not 'normal', even if he didn't say it, but that's the feeling the reader gets. And because we know the context of shinjuu, we know it's supposed to be romantic. The idea of double suicide carries a lot of heft in South East and East Asian literature, classic and popular, whether it be Chikamatsu, the greatest Japanese dramatist who wrote almost exclusively on the subject, and South East Asian stories such as Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahiba, Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnun, etc. And these stories are part of the popular romance lore, they are extremely popular.

So when Sasuke asks him angrily and insistently (the kanji that Kishi uses here depicts Sasuke to be emphatically triggered), Naruto knows what Sasuke is referring to and he knows he cannot lie about it. But he also cannot say it. He has a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders. But he also cannot lie to Sasuke. Of course, this being shounen, Kishi also had to navigate carefully. But the BIG difference is that Naruto stops lying. Lying probably is not the right term. Misstating. He owes it to Sasuke to tell him the truth. And he tells him, that he doesn't know what to call it, but he knows how it feels. So what he essentially does is that he explains the underlying sentiment to Sasuke by telling him that he hurts when Sasuke does, but that he won't name (explain it) it because he doesn't know it himself. It's such a feeling that Naruto cannot name it. Now, we as readers ALREADY know that he has already used terms like brother, rival and friend. But he deliberately moves away from all of those. Let's not forget that Naruto's most important strength was his talk no jutsu, his ability to connect and put it in words that finally affected the antagonist or anti hero archetypical characters in such a way, that would lead to their resolution. Naruto is different from others in this very sense, to be able to communicate in the right way. But Sasuke was his greatest test in this manga. And he couldn't convince him, he kept misstating the nature of their relationship, but towards the climax of the story, it was important for him to say the right words to Sasuke, especially after Sasuke asked so insistently, so passionately. Because he owes it to Sasuke to tell him the truth. He cannot deny it anymore. Not after all that has happened. So we know from context that it isn't any of those terms or feelings that he used before. But it's something else altogether. What else could it be? Sasuke obviously suspected it. Or else he wouldn't have gotten triggered like this. And with exactly these heavily heartfelt words of Naruto's, when he tells Sasuke that he hurts when he sees Sasuke carry his burden, so much that he just can't leave it alone, and that he would keep fighting for Sasuke, no matter what it takes, Sasuke is finally, finally also led to his resolution, no? He says with such a peaceful expression on his visage - I have lost.

He finally accepts Naruto's love, he finally lets the love in.

Dialogue is very intricately linked to narrative and visual language, but it's so evident, it doesn't need to be said.

We also cannot ignore the way they speak to each other. Kinda like, in codewords.

When two world class shinobis trade blows, they can read each other's thoughts. So tell me, did you see what's in my heart Sasuke? How I really feel? We are not the same kids who fought here once, you know my heart, and I yours, right Naruto? If you know, then why are you doing it? That's exactly why i am doing it. Don't make me repeat it Sasuke, you already know, don't you? Now that I think about it, you were always stupid. Those feelings, those things you once talked about, now I understand what you meant by them, Naruto.

The point is, by the end of chapter 698, Sasuke knows Naruto loves him. Naruto also knows Sasuke loves him, he had known to a large extent since vote one, but his feelings got solidified as he went along his life journey. This is the resolution of this story, this is also a story about their coming of age. It wouldn't make sense for both of them to be oblivious of each other's feelings at the end of it, it will be a failure of both their painfully developed character arcs and the narrative itself. And 698 highlights how they both come to know about their feelings for each other, after so much that they both went through. Properly this time. Explained in more words that they were ever able to use before. This isn't a topic that they can talk about so freely. They don't have a terminology for it, but they somehow managed. This is what all this narrative development led to. This is how storytelling works.

Chapter 699 gives the reader a hint of what's to come after this resolution. The nightmare. Everything that went wrong. Everything that left the resolution of their character arcs awry. Not meaningless but certainly disparate. Naruto and Sasuke talk to each other like they have talked more about what transpired with them in 698. And both have come to a position where they are going to capitulate to the circumstances.

Because at the end of the day, they are shinobis. The motto of a shinobi is to endure. Shinobi is a well established phenomenon, it's not just meant for shounen or otaku. They are real. Not like Naruto world ninjas, but Naruto obviously takes its inspiration from this phenomenon. The implications of being a shinobi is very well established in the story itself. Kishi made Naruto to deviate from its conventional meaning from the start so he was written as very unlike a ninja, loud, visible and non conformist, at least initially and for the most part, except towards the end. Shinobis/ninjas are supposed to endure. Following are screenshots from an acclaimed Japanese ninja series of films called Shinobi no mono.

Happiness and pride are not for the ninja. He doesn't live for himself. He lives for others. A collective is more important than the individual. He is born in darkness and he will die in darkness. He is literally a tool. That's what a shinobi is, from a modern ethical understanding, which is valid.

But Kishi couldn't have shown a happy ending for the boys, not with the sequel that essentially required their capitulation to this world to be able to make the new gen happen. The ending has shades of existentialist themes, which are pretty much present throughout what with the cycle of hate and revenge and infinite tsukuyomi, but that the manga ended it on the same note doesn't come as surprising does it?

Kakashi, a loyal, unawakened and complacent slave of the system climbs the rungs of power and becomes the hokage. Suck up to the right people and you will get places. Top administrative power. And he never really changed, he tells Sasuke at the end that it was because of his and Naruto's efforts that he didnt end up in jail and then proceeds to tell him to be good and careful not to regress, but still never acknowledged his mistreatment and insensitivity to Sasuke's feelings and motivations and very valid reasons. Sakura expected Sasuke to apologise and repent when it was she who was clearly in the wrong, who never understood him. She keeps pulling the same shit she always does, neither her nor Kakashi are made to pay consequences for their actions, instead, they get rewarded. Itachi is venerated, his truth is still hidden and Uchiha clan never got justice or even vindication, given they never summoned the kyuubi, its secret still being kept under the shadows.

( *Note - Nobody start with me as to how it was the right thing to do, you do NOT want to get me started there because you don't know what you are talking about. )

And how will any vindication happen when the world they live in doesn't really celebrate individuality? In fact, supresses it. It was funny to me when Bee reprimanded his brother telling him he was not his tool, that he was an individual who couldn't be suppressed but then Darui tried to convince himself that he was Raikage's left hand (or right) and that he wasn't a tool. Heh. Sarutobi is still revered as the ideal leader, when he himself admitted his complicity in Uchiha massacre, Tobirama was glad Uchihas were shown their place, and Oro, the outlier, the one who is objective because his reasons are revolutionary in his own desensitized way, a result of this heartless corrupt system that gives birth to undesirables like him, who collects other undesirables, the wretched, outliers and rejects, and makes his own village, is shown to be under surveillance, but he supported the war effort crucially, deviating from his objectives (even if only because of his interest in Sasuke and not because of the village), so he gets his redemption. So does Kabuto. Neji dies as a slave, something he was determined to fight against, and Hinata got her win, she got rewarded when she didn't work for it even a little bit. But she is rich, from a major clan, an heiress. A princess. The daimyos were shown as entirely privileged, uncaring and blasé about the war, carefree, playing cards or whatever, while the shinobis that were guarding them grumbled but then just accepted their fate, to the way of this world. Because that's what happens, doesn't it? It's very realistic.

Kishi didn't write his world as an ideal world. He essentially wrote it as a dystopian world. And his influences are pretty much based on dystopian ideas themselves, featuring major existentialist themes. Ghost in the shell, Jin-Roh, The Matrix, Berserk. Including introspective films about xenophobia and socio political inequality such as District 9 and Elysium. Same director. The part where seeing Itachi's predicament that greatly affected his own and his entire clan's, Sasuke is moved to think of fundamental questions such as - What is village, what is shinobi, what is the purpose of it all? underlines his existentialist despair. His answer to it did not come out of the blue. Like many fans think. But he was written to give up his goals entirely.

And Naruto. Well Naruto said goodbye to Sasuke. He gave Sasuke his hiatiate back. And this boy, who moved the sky and earth to bring Sasuke back, bid him goodbye with a certain meditative, contemplative stance. But not unhappy. Not his usual chirpy self. Not his usual spirited, chatty and loose tongued self. But introspective, pensive. Like they had reached a decision together. Later on, he married someone like Hinata and took a job that killed his spirit. Don't even think he isn't paying for his loyalty for Konoha, where he had to kill all his individuality and murder his zest for life and adventure, and become another cog of this unforgiving, relentlessly cruel world. Lifeless and eternally tired. A colourless husk of his older self. He couldn't even bother to attend his own hokage ceremony.

Kishi is not an ultra leftist, even though I can see he understands left ideologies, appreciates it quite well, and no wonder, Sasuke was partially inspired by Sanpei Shirato's Sasuke. He wrote Sasuke's character with such nuance and veritable shades, the claim that he is some ultra nationalist is empty. He is also not a fascist. Because if he were, the end of it all would have been shown as a reward. A prosperous haven. The best outcome of all possibilities. Your reward for loyalty. That is always the conclusion of the right wing narrative. Kishi is a realist. He appreciates existentialist themes, Japan can be credited with coming up with a whole library full of existentialist literature, as a result of the aftermath of war and the generational trauma can be seen and felt viscerally in the themes of their stories. Stories about meditation on war and the nature of war, the after effects of war, the human ethos behind them. Existentialism as a theory and way of life itself became quite a thing post war even if the theory itself was introduced before it, because it reflected what the war did to people, how it affected them, what it did to their psyches and thought processes. How certain things/ideas/thoughts/beliefs that carried social and moral value for them were rendered immaterial.

Anyway. Sasuke says - I didn't think you would come to see me off.

Naruto says nothing. This hyperactive goofball of ready words and catchphrases and nicknames just haltingly handed him back his slashed hitaiate.

The ending is - Perhaps this is what makes us ninjas.

Yes it does. Ceaselessly enduring pain and grief while giving up personal and individual wishes and desires and need for justice and their individuality does make them ninjas.

Continuing the status quo does make them ninjas. Nothing really changed, nothing really mattered. There's a certain melancholic quality to this scene. Which feels different in terms of tone and pacing, doesn't it?

Regardless, it's tragic.

Naruto is different in this scene in chapter 699. I think they have already discussed it by this point. And I think they have already come to some conclusions. What exactly did they talk about, we will never know. And I would give Kishi a lot of my money and a big part of my prized possessions, including my time, to know.

But well.

Now to come to what this ask was about, lol, I have yet to come across a fanfic that does justice to them, their story and narrative. Of course, it would be unrealistic to expect that everyone would get it, but is it unrealistic that at least someone should get it?? If I can see it and others can too, can't writers do something with this? This is such rich material, with so freaking much potential. There are so many possibilities, writers can use these themes creatively. And these are mostly my condensed thoughts, I will probably go in more detail some other day. And honestly, it takes some research, sure. But don't writers put some research in it anyway?

But they go for the easy route. It's okay, that they write what they like, but at least don't call it canon compliant. Most fans don't even understand canon. Give yourself some more credit, there's so much to discover.

At the end of the day, whenever I read some fic, unless it is supposed to be light hearted, it mostly just ends up disappointing me. Especially the ones that are based in canon universe.

This fic shows Naruto as an oblivious idiot when he is more perceptive than most fans think. He understands a lot of things, he is not a doofus, he is much more experienced at the end of the manga, he is aware of some realities and he is only going to learn more. And more. He understands his own emotions. Towards Sasuke as well. Sasuke is also shown as someone who doesn't even understand that he is attracted to Naruto when he has almost always known he was. Why else would he give up his life the way he did in land of waves? Gaara, btw, is perhaps one of the very few people who understand loneliness and being ostracized. Just him, Sasuke and Naruto, more prominently in this manga. He didn't attack Sasuke in kage arc, he could have. He is also perceptive enough to know that Naruto loves Sasuke, he also understands it better than Lee, who is a simplistic character, who thinks bad people's deeds are bad. Gaara understands that loneliness and hatred can drive people to do things they otherwise wouldn't. He resonated with Sasuke. He understood his predicament. and Naruto's. Which is why he said what he said to Naruto in kage arc. I love his character and I wish more people understood him. I swear if I could have broken the screen and picked small Gaara up when his salve got rejected by that child, I would have and I would have run....far.

Ino is portrayed as carefree and confident, sure. But I dont think she would be so fine with Sasuke being gay. She, till the end, was a Sasuke fangirl. There's absolutely no indication that she would have been fine with homosexuality. Nor would have others. Konoha presents a very bleak prospect for Sasuke and Naruto's relationship to be accepted.

I know this is a lot to take. And I know not everyone cares so much. But calling it canon compliant or 'in character' when it certainly is NOT, is taking it too far. Let's try a bit more. No?

Oh and I also didn't care about their intimate scenes. Because Naruto and Sasuke, once they get going, I think it would be like a bloody dam breaking off. It would start slowly, tentatively but then, it would burst out. And it would be unstoppable. I am talking years of repression here. Emotional and sexual. And more importantly, they trust each other all the way. I don't think tsunami would be able to stop them. It would be instinctive and natural, like everything else with them is. They might fumble and break stuff but more than anything else, it would be a desperate need to join together, to meld together, to finally be with each other as they were meant to be. They, who couldn't even touch without the pretext of a spar or a battle, if they finally allowed themselves to touch each other, it will be like a torrential force of emotions that would leave them scorched and they won't be satiated until their need to touch and reassure themselves, that it was finally happening, that they can finally touch each other, that they can HOLD each other, without feeling guilty or tabooed, that they can fuse their bodies with each other, to find not just emotional but physical reassurance, would come alive and transformed. They would run ragged. It would be passionate and tender and emotionally overwhelming, it would break barriers and boundaries, it would be a Godly experience for both. Like finally feeling at home. To be finally able to find that refuge in each other that only they could provide each other, in a world where no one else could even understand. It would be magnificent and insane and gentle and teasing and loving and sweet and painful and violent. All the damn shades. They aren't like you or me. They are different, because they are them. And no one can compare. But I can imagine.

#okay this went on as well #yall make me write too much lol #sns #ask #anon #sasunaru #narusasu #sasuke #naruto #uchiha sasuke #uzumaki naruto

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