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>So Sasami hated Ayeka all along?
Not at all...
>Seriously:
>1) Ayeka was always aware she would have to share
>Tenchi - by Juraian custom, the Emperor has multiple
>wives. If Tenchi became Emperor, the most she could
>hope for would be First Wife. Sasami would, more than
>likely, be one of his wives too.
I've never established that Tenchi would become Emperor in
Hearts' Healing. All that's been shown thus far is that
Funaho and Misaki are trying to Get Azusa to not dislike
him. :)
> Sasami *also* would be aware of that Ayeka would
>expect to have to share.
This also bears on the question of whether Tenchi would be
amenable to a co-wife situation in the first place. It's
glib to assume that since he is of Juraian stock that he
would even eventually accept the situation, which is not to
say that I won't use that angle in other fics. :) Even if
Azusa capitulated and named Tenchi heir to the throne, it
might be centuries -- or even millennia -- before the issue
ever came up with enough urgency to force him to take
another wife. Traditions of ancient Japan aside, Tenchi was
raised on Earth, and one cannot discount the effect that
would have on his morals, especially during his formative
years.
I *did* state that Tenchi was coming around to Aeka *and*
Ryouko at the beginning of Hearts', but with the
assimilation, the tone of the situation became desperate, as
Tenchi was being drawn to Tsunami/Sasami in a way he had not
been drawn to either Aeka or Ryouko. He has to know that
choosing Tsunami/Sasami hurt the other two badly, and it is
probably a case of where Tenchi is no longer comfortable
entertaining the idea of co-wiving Sasami with one of the
other girls because of their feelings towards
Tsunami/Sasami, now. (Gee, 'co-wiving' just plain sounds
bad. Puts a whole new spin on "Tenchi-sama". :)
Time heals all wounds, so they say, and Aeka may be hanging
around for more than just a lack of desire to return to
court. Who knows what the future may hold? :) Frankly, Aeka
stands to potentially gain a considerable amount by
reconciling with Tsunami/Sasami.
RYOUKO: Okay, okay, Aeka. You've played the grieving sister
long enough. Kiss and make up with Tsunami, and you two can
start working on Tenchi. I'm outta this situation!
AEKA: [Twiddles fingers, embarrassed at being caught
redhanded.] Anou...
:) [That's not necessarily a hint for the future, all you
out there in fanfic land... ]
Well, this is now a character debate, and if you want to
continue, we should do so in private mail.
>
>2) When Ayeka became aware of Tsunami, she also became
>aware that Tsunami would be stiff competition. Ergo,
>no matter *when* Tsunami appeared, Tenchi would *not*
>be off the market. And she would be aware of that -
>Ayeka openly said so in front of her.
>
>I know that when Sasami/Tsunami merged, it was
>entirely due to Sasami's depression - but I think that
>it shows a complete lack of consideration for Sasami's
>sister. For Ayeka's feelings, or even for her
>understanding of Sasami's feelings.
>
>For all that I can see that it was necessary for the
>plot, I just feel that it was a complete betrayal of
>Sasami's sister on almost every level.
:) I can say with complete satisfaction that if the
situation makes you mad, then it did its job.
I have written (and will write again, most likely) fics
where everyone ends up happy. Hearts' isn't one of them. The
best some of the cast can hope for is a reconciliation with
family members that have angered or hurt them.
Yes, Sasami disregarded her sister's (and Ryouko's) feelings
on this matter, but it was because she chose to follow her
own heart. She did, indeed, make a selfish choice, and is
now paying for that with the estrangement from her sister
and Ryouko *and* Ryou-ou-ki, although the cabbit is
primarily upset that little-girl Sasami left. For all the
talk of co-wivery in fanfiction, it is, at best, a
subtextual implication in the OAV's that only becomes
completely apparent when one is forced to view Azusa with
Funaho and Misaki against the image of Aeka and Ryouko
trying to pull Tenchi's arms out of his sockets. :/ It's
there to be taken, but it isn't necessary to assume it.
Besides, as trite as this sounds, that's the way love
sometimes is, and I chose to nudge events such that this
result came about. "Love" can be an ugly and unfair battle.
Perhaps the one to really be angry at is Tenchi for being so
easily swayed. ^_^
>
>I will keep reading, because it's a really good story.
Thanks!
>I like Ryouko a lot and she's always fun to read. But
>the Tsunami-Ranma conversation just made me so - OH!
Hehehe. The fic did its job, then. ;)
Thanks for reading and for the public commentary, Raye. Much
appreciated.
Yours,
*******************************************
D.F. Roeder
FanFiction - http://home.flash.net/~dfroeder/index.html