IBAW Bonus 8: Dreams

Bonus Comic to this Nuzlocke:
[link]

Have a Bonus Comic!
This was done largely on livestream.

_{I think I'd be a bit creeped out by Cheren in real life.}

I didn't quite get to explain the whole psychological implications of this strip, so I'm going to write this. It's interesting, but not vital, so you may skip it if you wish. (Or believe that psychoanalogical analysis in a literary context ruins the piece of literature.) However, I find it interesting, and it was the reason why I did this kind of… yeah. Just read.

Cheren's strange relationship to Bianca somewhat mirrors his own attitude to himself. What is notable is that Cheren tends to dismiss Bianca, especially in terms of strength, most notably in part 17, where he claims that she doesn't stand a chance against Lenora. At the same time, he is quite in love with her. On the other hand, as can be read from this short bonus comic, he is waiting for her to make a move, very passively – even in his fantasy – instead of making a move himself, something which one might consider strange for a man (who, culturally, is expected to be the first to talk to a woman). However, in the context of his self-perception, it is not strange at all. He has always felt as if he was underappreciated, so he longs for other's appreciation, acknowledgement of his status, almost. To approach Bianca would almost be the recognition of her above him, which does not compute well with his self-perception. He has the almost narcissistic image of him as someone who is strong, who is better than other people, while at the same time as someone who cannot establish this on his own. He is, almost, waiting for others to recognise his status without doing something to induce it, expecting others to realise his effort and emotions without making an effort himself. He is blind to the fact that there is no way others can see into him.
In this particular fantasy, there is also a moment of "recognition", when she leans onto him, almost as a sign of "I'm yours", submission. Willing submission, mind you, but submission nonetheless. It shows his narcissistic side very well, and his craving for control and power.
Furthermore, his relationship to Bianca is both loving and filled with envy, if not more so. Bianca, though we are only given hints, has chosen a life away from home. She is very strong, she is independent of other's judgement, she is an entity on her own – something Cheren desires to be, consciously or not. On some level, he both wants Bianca and also isn't really ready to face the inner conflicts that go hand in hand with this kind of relationship.

Y'know, when I started doing literary analysis at school, I believed: "There's no way the authors think about all that shit while writing."
Now I know: THEY DO. They really think about the shit they write. Reason? They have to make a decision about every single detail. Even the unimportant ones. Hm, is this shirt black or green? Hm, am I gonna put his hand over here or over there? Should they say "great" or "awesome"? You inevitably start thinking about that, and inevitably there's gonna be reasons for decisions.