[this is what happens when the internet is not my friend] pointless character rambles 1.0
In the idle moments in which I find it amusing to think about things which, primarily, only amuse me, I've considered such hypothetical things such as Sakura and her relationship with sex and her own sexuality.
First, I begin by getting my preconceptions out and away from the drawing board. While her world isn't Japan, it is much closer to representing Japanese beliefs and social standards than it is to representing United States of America in any sort of belief system. Thus I start by taking my concept of what a "good lay" would be like, and shuffling it to the side. We aren't talking Western Sexual Practices. We're talking Eastern Sexual Practices.
Idealized Eastern Sexual Practices. Of course, the joke behind this being I never studied enough to claim competent knowledge of current sexual ideals in "media" in Japan (I've read A Tale of Genji, which is eye-opening and an immensely interesting read for those interested, but is also quite remarkably historical), and thus have come to rely on presentations and interpretations from other persons to better understand what might, in turn, appear on Sakura's mental plate.
The most interesting tidbits to me related to women from the United States (or the "West" in it's inappropriately named largess) experiencing romantic relationships with men who were Japanese through and through -- and what about their sexuality challenged or upset their male partners. Even what "emasculated" them. The fantasy, the expectation some of us have about being vocal, joining in actively with our partner, trying to please them while they please us; sure, that works for us. But it's a male role, to be the one who pleases. It's a male role to be dominating, for the woman to appreciate with sounds and small gestures, but to in many ways (comparative to expectations I've heard growing up in California) be a passive participant; let him know you are there and appreciating and enjoying his efforts, but not trying to actively return them. Why? Because then you chance taking on the masculine role, and thus effeminizing your partner. No good! They are a man! They must do manly things! Like top! Like do the work! WOMAN TAKE WHAT I GIVE YOU GOD STOP IT ALREADY.
This is, of course, a simplification of a trend I've seen pop up in personal anecdotes shared by women who have, in fact, come from a western society and carried those ideals into sexual relationships, only to find they backfire in an eastern setting. Not breaking into territory where "no" is the polite, ladies way of saying "yes," as can be seen in some older works out of Japan, but staying in a slightly more modern frame of mind (in spite of Naruto's not very modern approach to, well, quite a few things), I thus envision a certain manner of Sakura's "sexual evolution."
Primarily as thus: not the instigator. In fact, being clueless as far as how to instigate, and not finding it necessary to be the one instigating. Why? Men do that. Particularly from how her canon seems to operate, taking initiatives like that would be, in short, perverse, in the sense that it would be outside the norm. Sakura holds to the norm, rather than escape from it. In fact, she's recently (in canon) upheld the norm, and the "norm" of a heroine for the series and for shoujo in general; she'll suck up her own uselessness and let the boys get business done.
In and outside of the bedroom. Once you woo your way in there, once you've romanced the stone flower, you are in for... the least exciting night of your life. There will be no tearing off of clothing. No wild shenanigans in bed. No... explicit show of the "fire" she's capable of outside the bedroom. No, in fact, what I envision, and what makes me laugh to envision, is a shy girl remembering what it's like to be shy, self conscious, and utterly wanting the lights out. You approach her, not her to you, outside of, perhaps, intial contact. Blushes that you shouldn't see if she gets her way and the lights are out, but that will be rife the entire time. Unsure hands, if not unsteady. Curious about you, but unwilling to explore, and exceedingly suggestable to the "normal" things you could bring to the plate. "Lay back." "Spread your legs." "Hold still."
Incredibly unexciting, and incredibly amusing. Anyone expecting an active, exploratory sexual partner will find one who expects them to do all the activity and exploration. Anyone expecting dominance battles will find they won before her shirt came off. Anyone expecting, well, anything, may find that it simply isn't there.
See, why this interests me, or amuses me, has to do with my own views on sex. I largely don't care about it; I don't personally find it rewarding, though I can and do recognize most people find it immensely rewarding, filling, you name it, they have it. But sex as a study always interests me. Sex as an evolution, as part of character development -- I love it. That is what I'd love to play around with and play out -- and let me get into exactly why.
Starting with why are you reading this, though I suspect the answer to that is you aren't, and I'm writing to my lovely, adorable wall of one. Hi, one. I love you. In case anyone other than me is playing along with this jest, I'll get to the actual exploration of what I already know myself.
Everything you do, in some way, shape or form, influences who you are, and what you are, as a person. It's a blanket statement of sorts, but I believe it to be true; we are reflections of how we interpreted and handled the experiences and sensations of our lives. For Sakura, at a point where she's starting to explore her own sexuality with anyone other than herself, this points me to thinking on several subjects. Let's list them below:
Self Image.
Self Confidence.
... actually, I'll begin with those two. (Lists are overrated.)
Sakura's self image has been shown to be positive, more or less, with sensitive topics. She doesn't like being addressed as "monstrously strong," being pointed out as looking like she hasn't changed from before puberty bothers her, she wants to appear as a woman and to appeal to others as a woman, and yet if she sticks at her current cup-size she'll probably be the flattest woman shown in series. (I'd personally love this, though I think if we ever see an "older" Sakura, she'll probably end up with more in the chest department, if only because everyone else has more in the chest department and Kishimoto is relatively consistent in some details. I appreciate that I can't recall her being mocked in series for chest size, however; it's a nice touch.) The point of this being that while she's been complimented on her looks, something relatively outside of her control, it's something a sexual partner (or romantic partner, far before sexuality enters the picture, but this tirade at the wall is revolving around sexual relationships) can greatly influence. Compliments will mean that much more; negative comments will likely shut her down and embarrass her long before anything happens, and stick with her a hell of a lot more personally. Taking into account that "nudity" can be similarly concieved of as a certain "baring of the soul" in addition to the baring of the flesh, anyone who has managed to get her partially or fully striped down with the intention of finding her attractive and then telling her otherwise will crush her soul! Not really, but it will hurt, and acutely. Thus compliments will also carry a greater impact of sorts; they'll feel that much more sincere for being delivered in a vulnerable time.
Which leads into self confidence, which leads into a tangent. First, the tangent. Any patient sexual partner with ideas about sexuality that run contrary to the ones I listed before (such as male = active partner, female = receiver of attention, not instigator, and the like) will find themselves in the unique position of educating Sakura to a new form or identity of sexuality. In a "safe" environment, she can move past what is considered proper into the territory of what can be considered normal for those from "western" societies; beign an active partner in bed, giving as much as taking, fighting for dominance, exploring positions, exploring everything. In a safe environment, she can come into herself in a new way, growing to a new role and embracing parts of herself and her personality that she'd otherwise section off (as she continues to do, even in current canon). How does this tie into self confidence? Any time she achieves something, or finds something she can be good at, or excel at, Sakura blossoms. Outside of the horrible metaphor that becomes, it means that what is reflected in intensely personal relationships will shine through into her everyday comportment. Being able to please someone, on her own merits, living up to expectations that are positive, being good at something so personal can inspire her into greater confidence in the other things she is good at, or she could stand to improve.
Of course, even if the model of sexuality stays at the female passivity and male activity level, being good at that would still increase her confidence, as long as she didn't get involved in any talks with people who don't follow that model, or more importantly, find that model to be horribly worthless and a sign of people lacking creativity or confidence in their sexuality.
In short, I'd love to watch outward aspects of Sakura change and strengthen as she explores something new, even if just to stay in the same model as she expects to be in. That's what interests me; the awkward sex, the realization that her partner wants something more than the submissive, willing woman lying there on the bed, being comfortable with scrutiny when nude, being able to appreciate her body, and her lover's body, without falling simply into medical evaluation; finding innocence in acts that are traditionally tinged with language implying nothing in them can in fact be innocent. (Pah, I say. Pah!) It's the only real situation I'd retain interest in playing out more than one sexual scenario with a person during; I need to be able to enjoy writing for the sake of the writing itself, and for what interest the encounter can generate for me, and sex alone isn't enough. I don't care about sex if there isn't a point (and "pointless sex" actually has a point, though that may be for another ramble-rant); it's not worth my mental energy agonizing over how IC I'm being when it is, in the end, tantamount PWP.
The point is also moot, since given her mindset toward others, it would take someone dedicated to getting closer to her (it's sad how it'd take more than that for things to work out with Naruto or Sasuke, but this is not a ramble-rant tailored to defining what they could possibly do to get "sexually" close, as that is a separate ramble-rant altogether) while also accepting that they are going to at the very least be the third most important person in her life; the first being Naruto, and the second, Sasuke.
They still rank above herself, though... one might hope they make her realize ranking others above herself isn't necessarily as good an idea as it seems from a subjective viewpoint.
Sex and the Fanfic Kunoichi:
I'm with the faction that points out Kishimoto's shinobi aren't realistic in depictions of capacity or potential; no seduction missions, and the assassination missions are glossed over or all painted as being part of the "past." This could move into the territory of a ramble-rant on death and the current ninja generation, but I'll let that slide for now.
Instead, focusing on what I play as "reality" versus what could be played as "reality;" we know the kunoichi are taught how to appear as normal civilian women in case they need to be. Likely, they have in later years recieved some for of sexual education, probably slightly above and beyond "Don't Until You Do." Sakura is a medical ninja, which, given Tsunade's thorough seeming nature, shouldn't exclude in depth information on human sexuality from a biological standpoint, or the diseases contracted in relation to this, or the sexual organ's importance to the overall function of the body. Is this touched on in canon? No, but speaking realistically even in the context of a fantastical setting, too many illnesses and diseases and impactions of the body can be tied to or require handling of the sexual organs. Tsunade is the best medic ninja around. She knows this stuff; so does Sakura. How sexy is it to learn about sexy bits? Not very; it's practical, and while there was probably some blushing or nervous tittering at one point, Tsunade likely wouldn't have stood for that, and Sakura, being Sakura, would have buckled down and treated it like any other area of study: seriously.
Does she know about seduction? Sure, people talk about it all the time, but it's a gray area she isn't trained in. For one, her talents aren't useful in those areas; for another, there's little indication anyone uses their talents in such a way in series. (We do see assassinations, however, technically, sort of, so... that lives on.) Does she know about sex? The mechanics, sure! She can and does probably imagine and fantasize about more than that, if only in her dreams, and if then, only in the dreams she doesn't remember if one must totally shut away the remembered possibility. Does she know the potential? Sure. What does any of that mean, however, in the end?
It means she knows about it all, but is not involved in executing any of it, or finding things out directly herself. She's not a tease intentionally, she won't be a seductive spy, and it would be hard for her to employ those means of communication, even in a mission setting, because it is just that alien to what she does on a daily basis. Could she learn to pull it off? If she had to. Does she need to?
Only if it suddenly becomes pressing, or presents itself as a skill of use in her given setting.
Okay, now I shall sleep, and post this in the morning. Anything make less sense than normal? Tell me! Say how crazy I am!
... Especially if you are really reading this hi there.
First, I begin by getting my preconceptions out and away from the drawing board. While her world isn't Japan, it is much closer to representing Japanese beliefs and social standards than it is to representing United States of America in any sort of belief system. Thus I start by taking my concept of what a "good lay" would be like, and shuffling it to the side. We aren't talking Western Sexual Practices. We're talking Eastern Sexual Practices.
Idealized Eastern Sexual Practices. Of course, the joke behind this being I never studied enough to claim competent knowledge of current sexual ideals in "media" in Japan (I've read A Tale of Genji, which is eye-opening and an immensely interesting read for those interested, but is also quite remarkably historical), and thus have come to rely on presentations and interpretations from other persons to better understand what might, in turn, appear on Sakura's mental plate.
The most interesting tidbits to me related to women from the United States (or the "West" in it's inappropriately named largess) experiencing romantic relationships with men who were Japanese through and through -- and what about their sexuality challenged or upset their male partners. Even what "emasculated" them. The fantasy, the expectation some of us have about being vocal, joining in actively with our partner, trying to please them while they please us; sure, that works for us. But it's a male role, to be the one who pleases. It's a male role to be dominating, for the woman to appreciate with sounds and small gestures, but to in many ways (comparative to expectations I've heard growing up in California) be a passive participant; let him know you are there and appreciating and enjoying his efforts, but not trying to actively return them. Why? Because then you chance taking on the masculine role, and thus effeminizing your partner. No good! They are a man! They must do manly things! Like top! Like do the work! WOMAN TAKE WHAT I GIVE YOU GOD STOP IT ALREADY.
This is, of course, a simplification of a trend I've seen pop up in personal anecdotes shared by women who have, in fact, come from a western society and carried those ideals into sexual relationships, only to find they backfire in an eastern setting. Not breaking into territory where "no" is the polite, ladies way of saying "yes," as can be seen in some older works out of Japan, but staying in a slightly more modern frame of mind (in spite of Naruto's not very modern approach to, well, quite a few things), I thus envision a certain manner of Sakura's "sexual evolution."
Primarily as thus: not the instigator. In fact, being clueless as far as how to instigate, and not finding it necessary to be the one instigating. Why? Men do that. Particularly from how her canon seems to operate, taking initiatives like that would be, in short, perverse, in the sense that it would be outside the norm. Sakura holds to the norm, rather than escape from it. In fact, she's recently (in canon) upheld the norm, and the "norm" of a heroine for the series and for shoujo in general; she'll suck up her own uselessness and let the boys get business done.
In and outside of the bedroom. Once you woo your way in there, once you've romanced the stone flower, you are in for... the least exciting night of your life. There will be no tearing off of clothing. No wild shenanigans in bed. No... explicit show of the "fire" she's capable of outside the bedroom. No, in fact, what I envision, and what makes me laugh to envision, is a shy girl remembering what it's like to be shy, self conscious, and utterly wanting the lights out. You approach her, not her to you, outside of, perhaps, intial contact. Blushes that you shouldn't see if she gets her way and the lights are out, but that will be rife the entire time. Unsure hands, if not unsteady. Curious about you, but unwilling to explore, and exceedingly suggestable to the "normal" things you could bring to the plate. "Lay back." "Spread your legs." "Hold still."
Incredibly unexciting, and incredibly amusing. Anyone expecting an active, exploratory sexual partner will find one who expects them to do all the activity and exploration. Anyone expecting dominance battles will find they won before her shirt came off. Anyone expecting, well, anything, may find that it simply isn't there.
See, why this interests me, or amuses me, has to do with my own views on sex. I largely don't care about it; I don't personally find it rewarding, though I can and do recognize most people find it immensely rewarding, filling, you name it, they have it. But sex as a study always interests me. Sex as an evolution, as part of character development -- I love it. That is what I'd love to play around with and play out -- and let me get into exactly why.
Starting with why are you reading this, though I suspect the answer to that is you aren't, and I'm writing to my lovely, adorable wall of one. Hi, one. I love you. In case anyone other than me is playing along with this jest, I'll get to the actual exploration of what I already know myself.
Everything you do, in some way, shape or form, influences who you are, and what you are, as a person. It's a blanket statement of sorts, but I believe it to be true; we are reflections of how we interpreted and handled the experiences and sensations of our lives. For Sakura, at a point where she's starting to explore her own sexuality with anyone other than herself, this points me to thinking on several subjects. Let's list them below:
Self Image.
Self Confidence.
... actually, I'll begin with those two. (Lists are overrated.)
Sakura's self image has been shown to be positive, more or less, with sensitive topics. She doesn't like being addressed as "monstrously strong," being pointed out as looking like she hasn't changed from before puberty bothers her, she wants to appear as a woman and to appeal to others as a woman, and yet if she sticks at her current cup-size she'll probably be the flattest woman shown in series. (I'd personally love this, though I think if we ever see an "older" Sakura, she'll probably end up with more in the chest department, if only because everyone else has more in the chest department and Kishimoto is relatively consistent in some details. I appreciate that I can't recall her being mocked in series for chest size, however; it's a nice touch.) The point of this being that while she's been complimented on her looks, something relatively outside of her control, it's something a sexual partner (or romantic partner, far before sexuality enters the picture, but this tirade at the wall is revolving around sexual relationships) can greatly influence. Compliments will mean that much more; negative comments will likely shut her down and embarrass her long before anything happens, and stick with her a hell of a lot more personally. Taking into account that "nudity" can be similarly concieved of as a certain "baring of the soul" in addition to the baring of the flesh, anyone who has managed to get her partially or fully striped down with the intention of finding her attractive and then telling her otherwise will crush her soul! Not really, but it will hurt, and acutely. Thus compliments will also carry a greater impact of sorts; they'll feel that much more sincere for being delivered in a vulnerable time.
Which leads into self confidence, which leads into a tangent. First, the tangent. Any patient sexual partner with ideas about sexuality that run contrary to the ones I listed before (such as male = active partner, female = receiver of attention, not instigator, and the like) will find themselves in the unique position of educating Sakura to a new form or identity of sexuality. In a "safe" environment, she can move past what is considered proper into the territory of what can be considered normal for those from "western" societies; beign an active partner in bed, giving as much as taking, fighting for dominance, exploring positions, exploring everything. In a safe environment, she can come into herself in a new way, growing to a new role and embracing parts of herself and her personality that she'd otherwise section off (as she continues to do, even in current canon). How does this tie into self confidence? Any time she achieves something, or finds something she can be good at, or excel at, Sakura blossoms. Outside of the horrible metaphor that becomes, it means that what is reflected in intensely personal relationships will shine through into her everyday comportment. Being able to please someone, on her own merits, living up to expectations that are positive, being good at something so personal can inspire her into greater confidence in the other things she is good at, or she could stand to improve.
Of course, even if the model of sexuality stays at the female passivity and male activity level, being good at that would still increase her confidence, as long as she didn't get involved in any talks with people who don't follow that model, or more importantly, find that model to be horribly worthless and a sign of people lacking creativity or confidence in their sexuality.
In short, I'd love to watch outward aspects of Sakura change and strengthen as she explores something new, even if just to stay in the same model as she expects to be in. That's what interests me; the awkward sex, the realization that her partner wants something more than the submissive, willing woman lying there on the bed, being comfortable with scrutiny when nude, being able to appreciate her body, and her lover's body, without falling simply into medical evaluation; finding innocence in acts that are traditionally tinged with language implying nothing in them can in fact be innocent. (Pah, I say. Pah!) It's the only real situation I'd retain interest in playing out more than one sexual scenario with a person during; I need to be able to enjoy writing for the sake of the writing itself, and for what interest the encounter can generate for me, and sex alone isn't enough. I don't care about sex if there isn't a point (and "pointless sex" actually has a point, though that may be for another ramble-rant); it's not worth my mental energy agonizing over how IC I'm being when it is, in the end, tantamount PWP.
The point is also moot, since given her mindset toward others, it would take someone dedicated to getting closer to her (it's sad how it'd take more than that for things to work out with Naruto or Sasuke, but this is not a ramble-rant tailored to defining what they could possibly do to get "sexually" close, as that is a separate ramble-rant altogether) while also accepting that they are going to at the very least be the third most important person in her life; the first being Naruto, and the second, Sasuke.
They still rank above herself, though... one might hope they make her realize ranking others above herself isn't necessarily as good an idea as it seems from a subjective viewpoint.
Sex and the Fanfic Kunoichi:
I'm with the faction that points out Kishimoto's shinobi aren't realistic in depictions of capacity or potential; no seduction missions, and the assassination missions are glossed over or all painted as being part of the "past." This could move into the territory of a ramble-rant on death and the current ninja generation, but I'll let that slide for now.
Instead, focusing on what I play as "reality" versus what could be played as "reality;" we know the kunoichi are taught how to appear as normal civilian women in case they need to be. Likely, they have in later years recieved some for of sexual education, probably slightly above and beyond "Don't Until You Do." Sakura is a medical ninja, which, given Tsunade's thorough seeming nature, shouldn't exclude in depth information on human sexuality from a biological standpoint, or the diseases contracted in relation to this, or the sexual organ's importance to the overall function of the body. Is this touched on in canon? No, but speaking realistically even in the context of a fantastical setting, too many illnesses and diseases and impactions of the body can be tied to or require handling of the sexual organs. Tsunade is the best medic ninja around. She knows this stuff; so does Sakura. How sexy is it to learn about sexy bits? Not very; it's practical, and while there was probably some blushing or nervous tittering at one point, Tsunade likely wouldn't have stood for that, and Sakura, being Sakura, would have buckled down and treated it like any other area of study: seriously.
Does she know about seduction? Sure, people talk about it all the time, but it's a gray area she isn't trained in. For one, her talents aren't useful in those areas; for another, there's little indication anyone uses their talents in such a way in series. (We do see assassinations, however, technically, sort of, so... that lives on.) Does she know about sex? The mechanics, sure! She can and does probably imagine and fantasize about more than that, if only in her dreams, and if then, only in the dreams she doesn't remember if one must totally shut away the remembered possibility. Does she know the potential? Sure. What does any of that mean, however, in the end?
It means she knows about it all, but is not involved in executing any of it, or finding things out directly herself. She's not a tease intentionally, she won't be a seductive spy, and it would be hard for her to employ those means of communication, even in a mission setting, because it is just that alien to what she does on a daily basis. Could she learn to pull it off? If she had to. Does she need to?
Only if it suddenly becomes pressing, or presents itself as a skill of use in her given setting.
Okay, now I shall sleep, and post this in the morning. Anything make less sense than normal? Tell me! Say how crazy I am!
... Especially if you are really reading this hi there.