#an unrequited feelings theory lol

[imnothereokuwu]

Current State of NaLu:

The new 100YQ chapter just reaffirms the current theory of Natsu thinking him and Lucy are dating without asking her or knowing that she doesn't think the same 😭.

NaLu was never "will they, won't they", it's "when will they (realize that they're totally not on the same page about their relationship despite having mutual feelings because one is thinking about marriage while the other is convinced her feelings are unrequited)"

Anyways I'm free from exams so I'll have free time!!! I'll try to improve my art lol. Toodles—!

[kuroananosanji]

Since my fanon Sanji post blew up here’s some of my personal fanon Sanjis, ranging from extremely OOC and completely self-indulgent to commonly seen in fics:

(Still very zosan oriented coz that’s all I read)

All-Blueji: Post-canon Sanji my love!!! His dream is fulfilled and he’s stable, happy and hopefully more mature now. Still a hothead chef though 🥹 IMO post-canon is the most realistic timeframe for a zosan relationship because they have too much on their plates right now. See 8ball’s Part Timer or HaveMyWeedCookies’ Recite Your Vows for reference. He’s literally perfect.

Groomji: Wedding fic Sanji but the consensual type. He can either be a bridezilla or an anxious mess idc I just want him Cuffed. Bonus every time the name “Roronoa Sanji” is mentioned.

Wifeji: Continuation of the above except he’s 40 and married now. Long hair that can be tied up or braided is a must. Still flirts with women and fights Zoro but just for the sake of it. Makes sure Zoro’s youngling challengers are healed and fed before sending them off.

Medievalji: Was never into this until I got bored of canonverse fic and boom?? New vision unlocked?? Usually in the form of Germa prince but knight/mage/manservant works too. (Three of Swords… omg…)

Mafiaji: Complete figment of my own imagination. This is in a world where Zoro is an undercover cop in a drug ring and Sanji is a bartender/informant for Zoro lol. I’ve browsed through so many Mafia AU fics but so far only one matched my tastes 😔

BadEndji: Zoro fulfils his promise. Tastiest when they never realise their feelings for each other and only do so after one is dead lol. Also Zoro finally calls Sanji by his name. Bonus if Wado breaks or never gets used again. Extra bonus if Luffy fights Zoro over it (I recently read a LuSan fic that’s about this and hoo boy it was… something).

Hanahaji: Doesn’t have to be hanahaki but it’s always juicy when Sanji is the one with the unrequited (not really unrequited) crush. I’m also a firm believer of the “Sanji fell first Zoro fell harder” theory.

[bloodtwin]

puck is so funny to me. he doesnt get jealous in romantic relationships at all. the only time he might get jealous is if his affection is unrequited, and the object of his affection is already with someone else. but tbh, i think that's more him being envious than really jealous.

other than that, any potential aggression he might display towards someone flirting with his partner(s) is always going to be in cases where he thinks his partner is being mistreated or disrespected in some way. or perhaps he simply does not like the person flirting with them. but he's not jealous. he wants his partner(s) to be & feel loved by ppl who really care about them / treat them right.

. . . IAGO, HOWEVER!!!!!!!!! he's very unhealthily attached to his twin lol. so sorry to any potential iago suitors, you are going to have to get through their rabid guard dog first. you breathe next to iago, and suddenly puck is breathing down your neck & growling. he is VERY PROTECTIVE of them. he's probably a bit possessive.

there's a lot of projection going on with his perception of literally anyone who interacts with iago. it is . . . so, so, so complicated for him. objectively, in his right mind & outside of bhaal's influence, he wants nothing more than for iago to be happy. he wants them to live. to experience all the good things life has to offer. and he wants them to be safe! protected & loved! he wants them to find someone who can do that for them!!! because he loves them so, so much. at his core, puck just wants what's best for iago.

the PROBLEM is that he knows that is not him. he is not the best for them. they are NOT safe around him, and they never will be because he is supposed to kill them. it's literally written in their blood; they are meant to die at his hand. and oh, how many times he's tried to do it against his will. a few times, he almost tried on purpose- to kill them quickly & painlessly because he knew that wouldn't be how they died if he wasn't in control. but he could never do it because all he really wants to do is protect them.

puck is always very alert & on guard in general, but when it comes to iago those instincts skyrocket. especially about himself, but he takes it out on others. someone makes so much as a mildly snide remark to iago, and they're dead on the ground within seconds. puck just cannot handle the idea of someone else hurting iago because he already puts them through so much. (there's also the subconscious predator instinct. y'know, that's his prey, but he suppresses that as much as he possibly can because oh my god.)

there's also, of course, the insecurity. oh my god the insecurity. puck feels so much shame & guilt. he knows iago would be far better off without him, but that's his sibling. his TWIN. they've literally always been there for him & vice versa. no matter what happened he always knew they'd be right next to him, so he can never bring himself to push them away. he doesn't want to push them away. furthermore, they're also kind of . . . all each other even has? he's iago's only friend, and they're his. so he's afraid of them running off with someone else & never coming back home because they realized they're safer that way. i don't think he does this intentionally; it's definitely subconscious. if you asked him, he'd tell you that he & iago would never abandon each other & of course they can be with whoever they want! he doesn't mind! really!!! haha but what are your intentions with my sibling tho i will murder you if you even touch a hair on their head

^ IN THEORY. puck has very high standards for them. their partner had better be the BEST of the BEST. he can & will try to give their partner rabies or perhaps kill them if they don't meet the mark. this is why it was actually a fucking miracle that iago's canon romance is wyll because puck would have become the joker had it been literally anyone else.

basically . . . if puck can't protect iago from himself, he's going to do everythinggg he can to protect them from everyone else. he WILL protect them from everyone else. so. i am sorry for all the iago romancers out there. there is a dog barking outside your window, and he is about to start crawling into your walls with like. a Chainsaw.

[thermodynamic-comedian]

thinking about which of smirke's 14 each oiar employee would be an avatar of is fun, but personally i'm having a lot of fun coming up with which fears they'd fall victim to instead. so here's some of my thoughts. (not a theory!!! just fun to think about lol)

alice - the lonely. unrequited love, feeling like everyone is leaving you behind, feeling like no one really cares. what if you just gave up? what if you let them leave? then you'll be alone. all alone.

sam - the dark. not seeing, not knowing, answers you'll never get. mysteries you'll never solve. there's something out there, and you cannot see it. you cannot see.

gwen - the stranger. you know who i am, don't you? you don't? yes you do, silly. they all insist, but you don't. you've never seen this person before in your life, and there's something wrong about them.

colin - the spiral. they're mocking you, the voices, the shapes. things you cannot comprehend. you're not insane, you're not insane, you're not. you know you're not insane. but...do you really? do you really know anything at all?

celia - the vast. everyone else is so calm, haven't they seen what you have? that impossibly big thing, too big to be seen fully, too big to even notice any of you. it will crush you all one day, and you're the only one who knows. it renders the entire world worthless.

lena - the buried. overwhelming pressure all around you, you're in too deep. you can't go back. you can't climb back out. you're so tired, too tired to move, not that you could anyways. it will never let you go. it will never let you leave. you're trapped.

[jiminsass-istant]

In response to your Who mv analysis:

"Which basically means jimin going through different people is a thing of the past"

I thought it's an "established knowledge" among most Jikookers that Jimin fell for JK since the very beginning days like in 2013 or 2014, so when did Jimin go through different people? And why, since he was already madly in love with JK?

Linking my MV analysis first for those who want to read:

Like I said..my MV analysis was not to validate any ship. You are right though, most jikookers have a timeline:

"Jimin falling first in 2013, JK crushing back on him by 2015 (by that time Jimin was not that bold), then them getting together in 2017 finally."

But isn't that all speculation at the end of the day?

Read on to find why MUSE album is not about Jimin's 'personal life':

Jimin clearly said that the album is about feeling inspired, feeling excited. 'MUSE' is something/someone that inspires and excites you to make art. The album is centered around finding inspiration. Love comes in all forms- love for art/love for a person. 'Who' in a romantic sense is about finding love, but as clearly mentioned in a few articles about the album, MUSE album is the result of Jimin trying to find inspiration. It translates to Jimin doing the type of music he likes, experimenting- from a marching band like song to slow rnb/pop, afrobeats to 2000s pop main track, the range is huge here.

So in the MV, Jimin going through different people doesn't literally mean he was going through them in real life. It's the "story" of him trying to find inspiration and searching for what his heart wants. But in the end he kinda fails (it still doesn't mean that he 'fails' to find inspiration). Not everything has to have a start and end, or absolute explanation. Things are pretty open ended here.

Even if you relate the MV's story to his personal life, just remember what he said-

And your ask is exactly the type of misinterpretation he is talking about, lol. He clearly told RM that he hasn't felt the feeling of 'excitement' of a 'crush' or 'unrequited love' for a long time and in the album it seems like he's describing feelings of finding someone new that would bring out those feelings. Does this mean he is lying to RM? No. This album is him embodying these feelings. Similar to what JK said for Golden : "the lyrics are not autobiographical". He didn't have to clarify that, but he still did.

Which basically means that Jimin is neither single nor is he in any type of 'new love'. Which leaves one option - he is in a long term relationship.

While FACE was personal- about losing people, betrayal, loneliness, depression, and getting back stronger; MUSE is a conceptual album. A concept should be taken at face value, without relating it to life of the artist. Jimin knows about the interpretations that fans made for FACE and he never commented on them, because he openly had said that the lyrics are to be taken for what they are. It's the most he could reveal without being too detailed. But now that he knows his fans, he expects them to make theories about his personal life like we did with FACE. Only this time, like he said, we are most likely to misunderstand.

Thanks for the ask anon, come back again. As for Jikook, they will keep jikooking.

[not-goldy]

He broke up with Jennie cause he realized Jimin is the one he wants to be more then Friends with. DUH!

Lets see.

(1) Siren

(2) Red String

(3) Friendship that becomes Eternal

(4) Apple/Forbidden Fruit

So basically.

(1) Jimin? Everyone calls Jimin a siren, Tae even said Jimin reminded him of a mermaid & Tae himself has said many times Jimin is desirable and alluring and also Desire is written with a red string.

(2) Vmin wore matching red string bracelets.

(3) Vmin Soulmates/Them singing in Friends Part 1 about it being for eternity.

(4) Tae saying Jimin's eyes were Temptation (Forbidden fruit) during Blood Sweat and Tears video or when Tae was asked what he'd do in his non idol life and he said he'd be an apple seller and told Jimin to come and do it with him. Take your pick.

Anyways its all jokes & wild funny theories so don't take any of it too seriously. Seems Vmin shippers are winning over Taennie shippers right now. Come on Taennie's step it up. I also love how bored everyone is and spouting out off the wall shit. And how one group of shippers can't connect shit to their ship no matter how hard they try. Whomp Whomp sorry Tkk, better luck next time. You have to sit this one out AGAIN like every other time. I know they seething cause they never been able to connect a Tae song to JK. lol

Anyways, As a Jikooker I'm good, cause Jikook together right now. I'm just enjoying the conspiracy party.

Here's where I splash water on his and your face to get a grip

JIMIN IS MARRRRRRRIIIIIIIIEEEDDDDDTTTTTT

Baby boy move on.

Don't support Jennie for you but at least that's moving on. Power to you😩

Yall shouldn't stress me and Jungkook out like this🥲

If he were here he'd explain to yall how Vmin are friends Frensh ppl frensh 🤧

Ooooooohhh thank God I thought you were serious there for a sec🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Interesting analysis A for effort I like it

Vminers it's our time to shine 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

Go crazy with the theories 🤭

Personally want him to put out a song to tie everything in neatly regarding his friendship with Jimin with all the enmeshment and roller-coaster emotions involved. Would be nice to bring it all to a climax no? Just a nice letting go kinda song.

Who knows, perhaps it started out as friendship then he'd entertained the possibility of it being more, then he'd moved on as he matured and came to love and understand himself better. Now he's healed found love somewhere else and would always have a special place in his heart reserved for his best friend.

That's a song I'll definitely cry to🤭

But honey it's 2024 we not doing that same old unrequited love story no more free me Tae😭😭😭😭

Also I'm here for the chaos🤣

Jimin explaining to death how Tae is crazy and Jungkook cussing him out all the way from camp🤣

Aaah I miss this drama

I feel alive again

Thanks Anon🤭

NB: like Anon said no one shud take any of this seriously. We are just delulus doing our delulu things

Off to read some vmin fics🙂

[lover-of-mine]

Do you think that buddie will full blown smooch next season?

Okay, that depends. I don't think they have any plans on jumping Buck from T to Eddie. So how long T sticks around will be a factor. Also how they're gonna deal with a queer Eddie arc. Chris being off play opens a lot of space for Eddie to discover himself as queer. Because Eddie has a lot of trouble seeing who he is outside of "single father" and he has to figure that out now. I personally think that the only way to write queer Eddie is triggering him to realize he feels something for Buck because where Buck had threads to be pulled around other men, Eddie is just that weird about Buck. Chris being away also forces both of them to navigate the casual aspects of their friendship outside the firehouse without Chris because Chris added an intensity to their relationship right off the bat and they never had to look at how their relationship is without him, so that creates some nice opportunities for charged moments. I maintain that the show is going in a direction where Chris won't be happy about their relationship (long post about this here) and that I think Chris is only coming back for Christmas, so to have that development in their relationship happen while Chris is still in Texas and force them to acclimate to Chris coming back and the early stages of that change could be interesting (dramatic kiss being interrupted by Chris calling he wants to come back would be a nice telenovela moment lol). But unless bt gets an off screen breakup Ali style or break up right at the beginning of the season, I don't truly believe that's a road they'll go down on. I am also a subscriber of the "buddie is going canon on episode 118" conspiracy theory, and I have also been saying queer Eddie for episode 110, because 100 episodes since Eddie was introduced and I don't write pining Eddie like it's my job to not see that man pine in canon. How would that work? No clue tbh lol. But in my opinion for buddie to kiss, the audience needs to know Eddie has feelings for Buck. The revelation can't be a kiss. Because Buck needs to initiate. So it would depend on how much pre relationship drama they'll go with if they pull the trigger on buddie this season. Right now I'm in a solid maybe. If we get queer Eddie in the beginning of the season, first 4 or 5 episodes, I will believe that buddie will be in a relationship by the end of the season, if we don't, we will stay firmly on the maybe. Because since in my opinion, queer Eddie means canon buddie, they could speedrun shit. Buddie is buddie, yk? They'll never be unrequited, so I kinda like the idea of both of them realizing they're in love with each other on the same episode, and we all know Buck will vibrate out of his skin once it hits him, so to trigger the realization for both of them in the same situation and give us maybe one or two episodes where they are dancing around it, and then crashing them into each other also works. Like, it's a maybe. It will depend on how much canon dancing around it they'll give us.

[bengiyo]

Theory of Love Rewatch Ep 8 Stray Thoughts

Last time, Khai began his bisexual awakening, and I gave the show points for handling the interior experience of that with a lot of honesty. I appreciate that no one is on Khai's side about going after Third, let alone Third. I like that Two especially doesn't want Khai messing with Third. I am glad that Third has been moving on with his life, and I like how now that we're outside of his head Third seems kind of aloof. I like that Khai's reputation is working against him as he tries to be serious about Third. Meanwhile, Bone is working on a big project with Paan and making eyes at her. We left at Khai being cast in Third's play as the jerk lead.

Ep.08 The Proposal

Third is actually so mean and I love it.

I also like that Third is annoyed by Khai hovering over him lately.

Khai tried to fuck with Un and Un said, "Pot-kettle-black, bitch."

LOL, even Shane is on team Let Third Be Into Someone Else.

It's kinda funny how most of this gang has no skill when it comes to people they actually like.

Okay, this car scene with every radio station playing some kind of sad song about heartbreak was funny.

They're getting some good resonance with Lynn. Her boyfriend got tired of her and she's wondering if she should change. Khai is also struggling with who he should be for Third.

I think White may have actually been in a fight before. His reactions to ministrations feel correct.

LOL. Bone said Un is way better than you, Khai. Get wrecked.

Un said, "What do you know of Third? Aren't you his best friend? Answer, quickly!!"

I feel no sympathy for Khai at all. He always tossed Third at girls he was done with and used him as a shield. He deserves no regard from Third after all the shit he pulled. He can't even handle girls he flirted with being annoyed with him.

Taking a nap while waiting for the file to export is so real.

Yes, Two, get that shot in at Khai for always dumping Third for girls.

I really like Gun's gait. He doesn't often adjust it for his characters.

I struggle to feel for Khai's heartache here, because he's hurt more people than just Third.

I'm so sick of this orange balcony as the transition shot.

Who are you jealous of here, Two?

Wow, is Khai going to actually tell Third he's quitting? That's better than his usual avoidance tactics.

So, Khai, you're saying you want to...Make It Right? You don't do that by kissing a sleeping person, especially one you've wronged.

Finally, Third gets mad. I've needed him to get mad. I needed him to go to the window, stick his head out, and yell, "I'm as mad as hell! And I'm not going to take this anymore!"

Good thing he wore that helmet!

Yes, montage of all the things Khai did to Third. I'm glad you're finally recognizing your shit even if you think this is the end.

In the words of Susan Ivanova, "All love is unrequited." I'm actually enjoying this part of the show a lot. Khai is so bad at this and can't stand that Third is inaccessible to him now. You don't know what you got till it's gone, and I am not feeling sympathy for this man child. I like that his bros give him shit constantly and never let up until he starts to break. Khai created the world around him with his callousness, and I'm enjoying seeing him grate against the other side of it. Ending on him sliding across pavement and getting torn up is an excellent choice, because our bodies are so fragile. It's good to illustrate how he thought he was immune to all of that on his beloved Charlie and all the ways he projected onto that only to see him dashed across the road as he thinks about his friend he never realized how much he loved until that friend cut him off.

As always, this rewatch is sponsored by @lurkingshan, with support from @waitmyturtles and @neuroticbookworm. Also tagging @twig-tea by request.

[alittlebitofloveliness]

I have many mixed feelings when it comes to the Outsiders Musical (both good and bad!!!). One thing I LOVE however is Paul being the one to call the rumble on and NOT Randy. Only cause of the angst that is lovers to enemies aka Darrel and Paul. Bonus points if you see Paul and Bob as being romantic too (or one sided/Paul had unrequited feelings.)

No cause Paul trying to avenge his “it was complicated” while Darry is on the other side with his greaser family and Tim on his side. THE POTENTIAL!

Hi anon! I DO think that's a really interesting narrative choice and it probably works well for the musical (i can't say for sure, as I haven't seen it), and I could see it being BIG for folks who love enemies to lovers Darry/Paul. Personally, I'm more partial to the books interpretation and storyline, just because i'm a book stan through and through, but I think your interpretation is a fun universe to explore! me myself, I don't see Paul and Bob as romantic (unrequited or otherwise), mostly because I see Randy/Bob as unrequited, but If we're subscribing to the Paul/Darry messy breakup theory I agree it would be SUPER fun to write about, especially if Tarry exists because tarry is superior in every way and Tim would be out for blood on behalf of DARRY which would make him a very specific kind of lethal, meanwhile Darry and Paul would be duking it out because of past feelings, and everyone else is fighting for like, actually important reasons lol

thanks for the ask xx

[alifeasvivid]

Hello I recently read your headcanon about Hetalia's interpretation of American Independence just being Alfred's fantasies and I am so curious about what Arthur and Alfred's relationship is in this reality where Arthur never cared and Alfred is totally aware of that - is Arthur still in love with Alfred? Would Alfred trust those feelings? I am in AGONY

Hi! good questions! And this gets a little long so it gets a "read more" I implore you to please read it very carefully because, for better or worse, I've been developing these thoughts since 2009 and I can only try to summarize them here.

So my headcanon is that my headcanon IS canon but from the perspective of "what actually happened". All we really ever see about the American War for Independence is very distinctly ONLY Alfred's point of view in the storage closet strips/arc. We never really see Arthur's point of view, nor anyone else's (to my knowledge. I've been around so long it's possible I've missed something >.> LOL)

The problem with that is the way this period in history is taught in American public schools is basically all propaganda, which is something I actually learned because of Hetalia and it was very eye opening for me. A lot of people who didn't like usukus would sneeringly say that Great Britain didn't even care about the 13 colonies, that they weren't even that important, etc etc. (I've mentioned this a few times on my blog, I'll see if can dig any of them up at some point LOL) So I started digging into it and they were... somewhat correct. The colonies that would eventually form the US were not the most important nor most financially lucrative for Britain and Parliament had to oppose the rebels *mainly* to prove to the other colonies that rebellions would not go unopposed.

And the problem with all THAT is that Hima seems to have only ever absorbed that propaganda. What happens in the storage closet arc is so out of line with what actually happened IRL that I like to speculate that this story is what America tells himself.

This follows from my headcanon that America has been in love with England (in some form) since the very beginning of his existence. But England didn't see him that way at all. He loved America as a little child in a kind of selfish way that he knew America was always across the sea, always happy to see him when no one else was. IMO, part of America's desire to become independent was to show England that he was grown up, that he wasn't a kid anymore, that he could be England's partner/lover, but England was still fixated on this idea of the smiling sunshine little boy across the sea and this blinded him to what was really going on.

Side note: I have a whole bunch of adjacent headcanons that England felt so betrayed by the America's rebellion because he *thought* he gave America the world, gave him protection and care, things that he himself did not have as a child and so America was being horrendously ungrateful. And I also have some other relevant headcanons about how America is more like the Eve to England's Adam, which I also think is more in line with actual history: England tore out a piece of himself and flung it across the ocean where it grew into his own soulmate. I have so many posts about this because I think it's so deeply romantic and I love it, but I can't seem to find rn I'm sorry T_T...

Okay continuing on... so my theory is that what we see in the Hetalia canon aka the storage closet stuff is America's fantasy, mainly in a situation where he still believes his love is unrequited. He wanted England's attention so badly, but the reality is that part of the reason Britain lost the war IRL is because their resources/military were stretched waaaaay too thin. They didn't have the troops available to successfully oppose the rebels and Parliament deemed that other conflicts/locations were more worth committing to, mainly for financial reasons. So England wouldn't have been there, his priorities would have been somewhere else, it's not that he didn't care. I also think that whatever Parliament thought, England, as in Arthur, cared a LOT and he was so angry and hurt that he didn't want to face Alfred and that Alfred's betrayal (in his mind) is part of what drove him into high gear as far as imperialism is concerned: "Fine, if no one will love me, then they'll all fear me"

America wanted England to be there at the end of the revolution, to show that he did care, that America mattered to him, that it mattered to him that America was leaving, so he came up with this fantasy (which is actually kind of in line with how the founding of the US became so mythologized, IMO), but in my headcanon, what we see in the actual canon exists only in his mind, the rest of actual canon is still the same, as in, England and America reconciled and became good friends during and after WWII and that's when their relationship gets really repaired... America feels more like he's actually grown up and England can finally consider "forgiving" him for the perceived ungratefulness and begin to see him as an adult.

As to your question about how this headcanon changes things for England... it doesn't. England has his own perception of what happened in his mind and perhaps it isn't deliberately a fantasy, perhaps it is more in line with the "reality" of what happened, but in my headcanon, it changes nothing about him and his actions in actual canon. He just doesn't see America as someone he could have romantic or sexual feelings for until that time around or after WWII because before that, he still emotionally views America as a kid even if he knows logically that America isn't anymore--he still has those lingering memories from long ago, but seeing America during WWII is a real shock to his system like... oh, oh shit he's hot what the fuck! meanwhile America has been pining for England since around the 1740's LOL. England doesn't have to been in love with America all along to be in love with him now.

In my version, I think once America and England actually get together, America can maybe let go of his fantasy version of the revolution. It's not that England never cared, it's that America saw their relationship one way and England saw it another way and those ways were fundamentaly incompatible.

The truth, irl, is that Great Britain/England is so old that of course the American War for Independence is but a tiny blip in its history, but it's the literal birth of the United States so of course it matters way more to us and this is partly my way of accounting for the discrepancy and for fitting in how the ACTUAL history makes for much more interesting usukus ideas and a deeper connection between them so it's actually the opposite: it's not that England isn't in love with America, it's that he has no idea he's in love with America and just how deep in his heart that love is. America is very aware of it and is just trying to get England to see it, but in the meantime, his heart hurts that he wasn't given the consideration he thinks was more befitting their relationship and the "fantasy" is his way of soothing himself.

I apologize that this got so long LOL. I hope this answers your questions, let me know if you need clarification on anything ^-^

[demonsfate]

Whilst Asuka and Lili are yuri bait, tbf... Tekken as a series is just horrible with romantic relationships. I think Harada himself has confirmed that he sucks at love stories. It's not just the "gay" ships that suffer this, but even the straight ships.

Of course this was filled with comments like "wHaT wOUlD mAKE yOU thINK tHEY'RE aNymORE tHAN fRIENDS???" but like...

look at Jin & Xiaoyu. Most people can agree that Xiaoyu is indeed Jin's love interest. But... what have the two done that's any special from other type of relationships in the games? That Xiaoyu was willing to hunt down Jin no matter what? Hwoarang is literally the same way. Xiaoyu held Jin's hand? Jin held a lot of people's hands in the games, the only difference is that he held hers a little more "tenderly" and longer. The only ""confirmations"" we got that Jin & Xiao are supposed to romantically love each other is in 1) Xiaoyu said "you're the same Jin I've always loved," and 2) Xiaoyu's (noncanon lol) ending in TK8. Other than that, there's... nothing else. Yes, it's obvious since, at least 4 maybe, that Xiao has had a crush on Jin. But there hasn't been much of anything to show that Jin felt the same. Jin himself never even utters the word "love" to Xiao. Yes, people use that Jin flashbacks to Xiao when saying "I want to live" but again... that's also a blink & you'll miss thing because he also flashbacks to his other friends when fighting Kazuya. Jin & Xiao haven't even kissed each other - no, scratch that, Jin & Xiao haven't even HUGGED EACH OTHER. The only time we've EVER seen Xiao hug was in a noncanon daydream in TK6. Why couldn't they have at least hugged?

Jun & Kaz are such a wreck that, until TK8, fans HEAVVILY debated whether or not they were ever actually together. Some people argued it was a one night stand, some people argued Jun loved Kaz but Kaz didn't love Jun, some people had more unsavory theories. This is all because there wasn't a SINGLE OFFICIAL GAME where Kazuya mentioned how he felt about Jun. Even in TK6's recaps of the games, Kaz just mentioned that she was "mysterious" and nothing else. He never said that she was the only woman he's loved, or that he even misses her. It wasn't until TK8 that they made it more apparent (with his ending, and I guess Jun's ending) that Kazuya is genuinely in love with Jun.

Alisa & Lars, from what I remembered, are probs the "clearest" of these relationships, especially in 6. Fuck, at least we SEE Alisa hug Lars (in TK7, I believe she tackles him) "Jin" mocked Lars for "loving" Alisa in TK6, and both of their TK8 endings involve them being "lovey dovey" toward each other. But even then, they're NOT CANON since Alisa's bio for TK8 mentions she feels "weird" around Lars, which heavily implies she's in love with him... but it implies it as if she's confused, that they're not in a relationship yet. Hell, in the canon story, Alisa seemed more interested in Jin than Lars like lmao.

Eddy & Christie are also often debated if they're supposed to be a couple. But from everything in canon, it just seems like they're only good friends.

Kuma and Ganryu both have unrequited crushes that never go anywhere and...

Heihachi & Kazumi are the only ship where it's evident that they were married and loved each other.

Other than that, everything else is just so... vague! Even with the main character ships (Jin & Kazuya) - it's unclear, and we don't even get these characters hugging. Most of these "ships" are just a character having a crush on the other for 30 years and nothing really developing. I don't know why this is. I don't know if Tek really just doesn't care about relationships (if so, why add all these "crushes" and stuff?) or if they're just really that bad at writing relationships. But regardless, even if Bamco was relentlessly teasing Asuka & Lili, that's... literally what they do with all their ships.

[burntindigo-blog]

Mulling over the thing that always bothered me in Harry Potter, plotwise ...

This is probably a theory hundreds of other people have already talked about but I'm re-listening to the audiobooks and wanted to get my thoughts down, however late :))

I’ve been thinking about Lily’s sacrificial protection. It has always felt a bit off to me that there were no other recorded moments in the whole of wizard history of someone surviving the killing curse, when the requirements for the counter curse seem so simple. 

The idea that no other parent ever sacrificed themselves to save their child rings false. Some people say that it was the active CHOICE made by Lily to die even AFTER Voldemort offers her a change to step aside and live. But to me even this scenario doesn’t feel unique enough that it’s plausible to say it NEVER happened before. 

Maybe it is this straightforward, and other previous examples of sacrificial protection simply went unrecorded as they didn’t involve the most infamous dark wizard of all time. However, I prefer the idea that Harry’s very specific circumstance produced a more unlikely, one-off situation. 

My theory is that the seed for the counter-curse was planted further back than Voldemort entering the Potter’s house on Halloween. I think that one of the key moments in the set up of Lily’s sacrifice involves Snape. Let me explain.

Dumbledore mentions MANY times that it was Lily’s LOVE for Harry that saved him. In fact he talks about the power of love so much more than her sacrifice when you count all the times he discusses the subject with Harry. Now if we go way back to the very moment Voldemort decides that he has to kill Harry because of the prophecy, it is Snape who begs Voldemort to save lily. Even though he himself gave Voldemort the prophecy info, he does a full 180 when he realises it involves lily (he doesn’t care about James and the baby being murdered lol). It is Snape’s LOVE for Lily that causes Voldemort to even offer her mercy. So the already unique situation of Lily having to choose her love for Harry over her own life when she is offered it, is made even more potent by the reason Voldemort extends her that choice. 

So when lily makes the decision to die, she has the strength of Snape’s love, her rejection of Voldemorts offer, and the sacrifice itself to power the counter curse. These layers of old magic all shield Harry from the killing curse and rebound on Voldemort who doesn’t feel or understand love (perhaps making it doubly effective?).

Anyway, that was just something I thought tied in nicely to the sacrifice thing which I have always found a bit of a weak explanation. The involvement of Snape’s unrequited love makes it all the more tragic and ironic seeing as he hates Harry so much lol.

[not-poignant]

we know that alex has been in love for a long time but what about sebastian? he makes me so confused lol

i’m always wondering about what’s going on in his mind

Okay, so, I'm happy to talk about this! But it is kind of spoilery so like gird your loins or whatever :D

Sebastian has not had any romantic feelings for Alex at all. Ever.

He's never really thought about him sexually, and when he has he's kind of been grossed out because he can only really imagine Alex in heterosexual situations (that might be changing, but slowly, lol). He's concealing no secret feelings or anything like that.

He is however growing genuine feelings of friendship and care, and there's definitely potential for him to grow more (otherwise this story wouldn't work).

But there's no 'mutual pining' here or anything. Alex was completely alone in his love for Sebastian. Not only that, but Sebastian didn't even realise he was gay until he met Martingale (at least that's the working theory I have so far, we'll see when it comes to writing it). Not only is Alex gay, he's known it about himself for actually a lot longer than Sebastian has about himself.

Sebastian has a strong sense of internal justice when it comes to being paid fairly and being treated well for work. This is pulled directly from the canon. In the very first cut scene we ever have with Sebastian, he's pissed off that his mother and Abigail don't take his work seriously, and you also have the option of respecting / not respecting his work. So this is pretty foundational to his character. It's the first thing he ever opens up to you about. So that's definitely influenced some of his behaviour in A Stain that Won't Dissolve.

But it's not like Sebastian offered Alex the cleaning job, Alex actually had to put himself forward and then really push for it, because Sebastian's initial response was no / that's not a good idea.

I honestly think the thing that really opens Sebastian's mind to the idea that Alex could be someone he's attracted to, is learning that one of his guy friends hits on Alex (which is coming in a couple of chapters).

But yeah, much of Alex's love would have been received as extremely unrequited, and Alex has also known that. It's why he doesn't try to like... subtly 'seduce' Sebastian. He just wants to be closer to him. He hopes at best for friendship and doesn't expect even that much. He doesn't think about his infatuation with Sebastian as anything more than something he has to deal with privately for the rest of his life, like a burden his brain made him carry and he can't make himself stop.

On that front, he's actually pretty accurate in his assessment of Sebastian as being not attracted to him, or at least not personally interested in him (I think Sebastian could be attracted to Alex - I mean he obviously will come to be - but has ruled Alex out due to him just being a straight dickhead, lol). The reason it's hard to tell what Sebastian's thinking on that front is because Sebastian isn't really engaging on that front.

I don't think Sebastian has any idea that Alex is gay, that Alex could be into him, anything like that. Alex has done a good job of hiding it from everyone, which many people who fear for their lives re: their sexualities do actually get pretty good at, especially in country towns. Especially if you know your family wouldn't have approved, or worry about it.

Sebastian definitely isn't like... secretly aware of this stuff, and he's not secretly concealing feelings towards Alex. Sebastian's story is a slow burn towards growing attraction. Alex's story is unrequited love for way too long.

Also, Sebastian finding out Alex is gay, Sebastian finding out Alex might be attracted to him, and Sebastian finding out that Alex is in love with him, are all going to be three completely separate realisations!

[lunar-years]

Keeley/rebecca

You know the anon who was like “I enjoy Roybecca because I’m bisexual, they’re both hot and therefore I can make anything make sense”? Well that’s sort of how I feel about Rebeccakeeley, lol. I love them in theory, like they’re soooooo sexy!!! They would be EVERYTHING! And they both definitely love one another and are a type of soulmates and Keeley absolutely wants to love Rebecca Like That. I just think they’re romantically unrequited :( it all goes back to Rebecca being straight to me idk. They’re one of my favorite relationships on the show though whatever the flavor ❤️

[leianaberrie]

Ok I know you responded to this post a long time ago, but you're so right about Damon being the one to mastermind and manipulate both Bonnie and Kai (her hatred for him/the whole prison abandonment thing and Kai's unrequited feelings for Bonnie/guilt). Hilarious they tried to make Damon look like the hero by end of season 6, that's why it feels cheap when he reluctantly rescues Bonnie. Yes, Damon caused the domino effect in the first place. When really, all he cared about was freeing his crazy mother. So as usual, Damon is just using people to get what he wants. He was the one giving Kai hope under false pretense, while at the same time toying with Bonnie's emotions knowing she wanted nothing to do with them both. Difference is Kai was ACTUALLY sorry & trying to make amends. Can you imagine the bonkai fluff we missed out on that could have been squeezed out of this dilemma?! Meanwhile, Damon was just trying to weasel his way back into her good graces bc he needed to use Bonnie's magic again...for the millionth time.

There's definitely some discrepancies in the writing as well...Bonnie blames Kai for her suicide attempt, yet she already had a suicide pact with Damon prior to meeting Kai. I'm not buying that whole Damon had more remorse than Kai thing either. Kai tried to prove himself by saving Bonnie on her bday. You think if Bonnie knew that pertinent information she'd still want revenge on Kai so bad??! Either Damon and her friends carelessly withheld this info from her or the writers just got sloppy and left out key Bonnie backstory (its probably latter). Like this is classic drama 101, a good writer would actually want to capitalize off this & use it to their advantage but they left us bonkai fans hanging for no reason. So by extension, Kai is no less or more evil than Damon. I'm so sick of seeing fake Bonnie fans make that pointless argument. At least Kai had an excuse & at some point changed & was no longer a sociopath (post merge). Damon is just a reckless murderer who never learns his lesson, yet the fans think he's somehow more deserving of a meaningful relationship with Bonnie than Kai ever was *Eye roll*. She betrays him first by axe, then sends away her magic, telling Kai "i guess we're stuck here forever". Then acts shocked when Kai pays her back & leaves her in 1995. There's this misconception that bonkai stans overlook this, but we don't. We accept our ship for what it is. Bonnie deserved it... just like Kai deserved to be left in 1903. Obviously her leaving Kai in 1903 is justified, but that whole unforgiving act towards him falls apart bc she never-ever-once tried to do the same same with people like Stefan or Damon, who willingly betrayed her more than once (Enzos death/Abby's death). That's why they trash our favorite ship every chance they get...cognitive dissonance is really a thing. The Salvatores were never Bonnie's friends (at least only in theory) bc the writers did such a poor job at conveying what looked like a one sided relationship where the witch almost always happens to be cocered into using her magic either against her will and/or better judgment.

Bonnie shouldn't have lifted a finger to help anyone after season 6, considering the whole Kai bit supposedly "changed" her. Yet we never saw this development at all bc Bonnie was still annoyingly loyal to Elena & willing to risk life & limb for the same vampires who caused more trauma in her life than Kai ever did. Fans act like Kai was the worst thing to happen to Bonnie. If anything, it should have helped her see who her true friends really are. It's certainly not Damon. Lol & I say this as a Bamon fan, when done the right way.

I love everything about this Ask and I literally don't have anything to add.

Also cognitive dissonance - such a great phrase for describing how it sometimes feels to be a Bonkai shipper in the larger fandom.

[dayseternal-blog]

Hi! I've been reading a lot of your naruhina fic recs (+ lost and found and ofc your own naruhina fics). You're one of those people who introduced me to the naruhina rabbit hole (which I've completely forgotten since 2018 where I started pinning for this OTP). Idk if this was asked already but can you recommend me some Naruhina Hanahaki Au or stories where Hinata is sick/ Hinata is struggling with her one sided love with Naruto? Whatever works for you would be fine but I love reading more hanahaki au of Naruhina where Hinata struggles to hide her pain towards Naruto or something... It's a lot of fun to read them (tho seriously I'm not good with some heavy angst but still :P). Thank you! I seriously love your stories (tho I haven't read ALL of them but still!), you are one of those great Naruhina Author and Influencer (lol!) in Tumblr.

Hello! I'm glad that you're enjoying the fanfic recs!!!!!! I've spent hours on answering those 😅. Also, I'm honored to be one of the ones to introduce you to this rabbit hole?! And that you enjoy my fics!!!! 💖💖💖 You're laying the praise on thick here...going so far as to say "influencer" doesn't sound right...I feel more like an "observer" tbh who sometimes posts stuff. I have yet to see anyone actually "influenced" by me.

Someone has asked this before, so I'll copy-paste because it's the same still:

The only other NaruHina hanahaki au that I know of is

🌻 “Sunflowers” by @happyocelot - Rated T, Canon-Divergent AU, One-shot. Hinata had a theory. Sunflowers needed warmth and light and brightness to grow, naturally orienting themselves to the sun. Sunflowers would burst forth from her lungs only in the presence of this one person, the embodiment of warmth and light and brightness. They never came out when she was cold and sad and gloomy. Only around him. The conclusions were obvious. 🌻

It's not really angsty, though. It's a different take on hanahaki from my fic.

And, within Naruto fandom in general, this SasuSaku fic inspired me, had me vibrating on it for a week, then sent me on a year-long rollercoaster ride after I read it:

🌸 “Medicine” by @grimmjowkurosakidrake - Rated T, Canon-Divergent AU, Two-shot. Sasuke falls sick on love and there’s no cure. 🌸

If anyone knows of other Hanahaki AUs within Naruto fandom, doesn’t have to be NaruHina for me, show me the GOOD STUFF.

And you can scroll through my #naruhina angst fanfic rec posts to find fics where Hinata's struggling with unrequited love.

Within Hinata's one-sided love, I think these are the angstiest:

“Girl No 10″ by meeiwen - Rated M, Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Complete. Naruto makes a mistake with a dancer one drunk night.  Years later when he meets her again, he begins realizing his perfect life is a lie, but he’s too late to fix it. Angst if you want to know what dying feels like warning.

“A Fate Worse than Death” by Caelestia - Rated M for smut, ABO Canon-Divergent, One-shot.  Naruto, improperly socialized and traumatized as a child, rejects his inner Alpha, which has devastating consequences on his family and marriage.  “A Risky Bet” is its fluffier follow-up.

“The Ring that Binds” by softwind - Rated M, Canon-Divergent, Multi-chapter, Incomplete.  Naruto and Hinata are married.  So why is Naruto calling “Sakura” in his sleep?

“Mistake” by Cherry1315 - Rated T, Canon-Divergent, Multi-chapter, Incomplete. Naruto falls apart, and, unfortunately, Hinata has to pick up the pieces.

“Jitters” by ncfan - Rated T, Canon-Compliant, One-shot. He has her heart but he doesn’t even know it. “The Red Umbrella” by ncfan - Rated G, Canon-Divergent, One-shot. As the rain hits her, Hinata thinks about what she doesn’t have, and what she’ll never have now.