So Ian sexually assaulted TJ? The last part of your “essay”. Thank you for the spoilers, appreciate it. Let me see what the fandom has to say after they were berating Jo for the SA, it better be the same energy!
“He and Jo make love every day, anywhere in the house. Ian wonders if he and Jo are in a relationship, since Jo is the only person Ian sees every day.”
No way he thought that. Ian wondered about their relationship? Wouldn’t he have just seen it as fuck buddies? And they make love every day? Where is TJ?
“Ian reflects that Jo has been sleeping at his place every night since the camping trip. Jo makes himself at home by putting flowers in Ian's apartment.”
Well I can see who gives him the peace anyone would want or especially him, but I’m not too sure how to feel about this. Ian is fucking with Jo while in love with TJ? It feels icky despite me being neutral or just my mind changing as I read, team TJ, team Jo, team Ian…I don’t know. Stressing.
Spaces to be removed in the following adress:
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(For some reason the dumb mangago won’t let me reply in mail so here: Yes, that is definitely sexual assault. But I’m sure some fans will try to justify or excuse that. Even if TJ gave in, it’s still coercion and sexual assault…giving consent later doesn’t take away the past SA. Some do not understand this.
I checked the comments for CH 58 and I’m laughing at the hypocrisy. Apparently one found it crazy and reeked of insecurity just because Jo was fucking with Ian and in the house visiting Ian or the other way around.
I can’t enjoy some stories cause of some ridiculous fans. I am neutral side and will go with whichever ship, as long as it isn’t lazy writing and develops nicely.)
Ian did not sexually assault tj nor was it coercion. Ian is having a trauma response/coping mechanism.
He went to tj right after killing David. He knows tj been waiting to touch him so in his thought the "safer" one would be tj but tj was questioning Ian and Ian said he'll do it with the first guy he sees, he meant literally not trying get tj to comply because it comes back to when Ian said "licking each other wounds" Ian is wounded and is using sex to forget what happen/did, whether with tj (his first/safe choice) or someone else. Tbh tj a bit in the wrong here too because he notice Ian response as withdrawal which hints that Ian is not in the right state of mind but instead of calming or sooth Ian he used this moment to have a grip on Ian "you're gonna regret this" and Ian being confused by what tj said.
The crossing the line is viewed differently from each of them. Ian knows he's crossing the line because that's his friend he knows has a crush on him but for tj Ian is crossing the line because now Ian won't ever be able get out of it because ""he started it"".
Chapters 59 needs to be looked at with the previous chapters in mind. It's not surface level reading.
But would it not be SA regardless even if consent is given later? Even before this SA has happened from TJ to Ian, it was early chapters I believe where he asked Ian: “Did you like it that much? Did he give it to you hard” after he pushed Ian against the wall and kissed him without consent, and this also led to Ian slapping TJ.
Ian having a trauma response does not justify sexually assaulting someone. That’s not how it works, SA can happen but it’s up to the victim how they react. Clearly they’re codependent and let things slide. But I agree with your other comments, it makes sense why Ian did what he did. I still think it’s SA.
Also the SA isn’t a big deal to me, like I’m not gonna drop it just cause of that, I just wanted to comment on it because of the hypocritical stans.
I didn’t read your sentences properly. And here, “ Ian is wounded and is using sex to forget what happen/did, whether with tj (his first/safe choice) or someone else. Tbh tj a bit in the wrong here too because he notice Ian response as withdrawal which hints that Ian is not in the right state of mind but instead of calming or sooth Ian he used this moment to have a grip on Ian "you're gonna regret this" and Ian being confused by what tj said.”
I agree. TJ is also a bit at fault for not realizing. I think both of them keep dragging each other down, and they’re still stuck in the past. If I didn’t know the year or date, I would’ve thought it’s only been a week since their first time together.
You know what you can kinda scratch what I said about Ian’s assault. For me I see TJ’s SA more as SA than Ian’s.
Yea most readers are thinking is only weeks apart it's not but the reason tj is a bit at fault is because he DID realize.
And no worries its not a deal to me for stories like this but this fandom loves using against each other. But with this, each case is different.
Here it's not SA at all. Because nothing happen sexually. Ian is only on top of him asking with tj noticing Ian is acting different, once tj pull his hand away Ian stop. Consent was given before anything sexual happen, not after. Maybe coercion in an aspect but that's also a reach.
Well sitting on top of someone trying to make sexual advances and touching them is SA. Nothing sexual further may have not happened but if you touch someone and they don’t want to do anything while you’re trying to, it is SA.
But yeah I don’t think it’s too much of an SA as I first said. A more better example of SA would be TJ’s scene and Jo’s scene.
Just seen the raws of Ch59, and I will try to summarize a bit. Sorry in advance for my bad english.
We learn in Ch55 that the person who drugged Ian is a famous golf player. Although TJ tried to hold Ian back to prevent him from going out, even if it meant locking him up and threatening him with death, one evening TJ went to the golf player's house to pick up Ian and found him unconscious and naked in the bathroom. He warns the golfer never to contact Ian again and TJ and Ian both go back home in a taxi, Ian still being unconscious.
In chap56 (flashback): we learn that TJ has been attracted to Ian since he was 15, we could say it was love at first sight. TJ then made sure to always follow Ian. After a while, when Ian was at his lowest point because of drugs, TJ was there for Ian and TJ said to himself "your debt became like an insurance for me" in a way like "I can stay by your side because I am useful to you and it is like an excuse, I still feel guilty but happy at the same time".
After the death of their parents, TJ and Ian joined K35 under the command of Jason (second in command of K35). Jamie is under the command of third in command (name?).
Ian in the meantime went to rehab but when he came out he was caught by Jamie's boss (but I can't remember why). Jamie's boss threatens Ian with a knife and that's when TJ intervenes by surprise by punching him.
Chap57: While fighting with Jamie's boss, TJ injures his face (the large scar he has). Ian asks TJ how he knew where he was because that day was the day a professional coach was coming to watch the fight. And TJ responds with the famous line 'I didn't want to do it anyway' or something similar (the sentence Ian said later when he fell off the balcony because TJ asked his men to mess with Ian a little to prevent Ian leaving by going pro on motorbike.) but Ian knows TJ was lying and it was because of him TJ cannot attend his boxing match.
Jason arrives and asks Ian and TJ for an explanation. Jason was about to kill Jamie but Ian stopped him (I can't remember why).
The chapter ends with Ian killing David (the golfeur?) when he stops his car at a traffic light. End of flashback.
Ian is with Jo (asleep) in Ian's apartment. Ian reflects that Jo has been sleeping at his place every night since the camping trip. Jo makes himself at home by putting flowers in Ian's apartment.
Chap58: Jo also prepares small dishes for Ian to heat up in the microwave if he gets hungry. Ian continues his quiet life, and he's not used to it. He and Jo make love every day, anywhere in the house. Ian wonders if he and Jo are in a relationship, since Jo is the only person Ian sees every day. In fact, Jo is so horny all the time that Ian has to say stop LOL.
Jo sees her aunt again and they're still looking for Chris. At the same time, Jo receives a letter from the art school, but we don't get any more details.
Ian goes for a drink in the bar where Toby works, so much so that his colleagues are wondering who Ian is. Ian and Toby chat and Toby tells Ian that it probably isn't easy being a gay man in an Asian gang. And Ian replies something like 'nothing's easy in life anyway".
Ch59: flashback. TJ (with a bandage on his face) is resting in a motel and Ian is on top of him making sexual advances because he knows how TJ feels about him. TJ resists and asks Ian to stop. TJ wonders if it isn't the effects of withdrawal that are making Ian behave like this. They argue a bit and Ian threatens to go out and sleep with the first guy he met if he and TJ keep talking. TJ tells him that he's crossing a line and that there'll be no turning back in their relationship if they continue. As they kiss passionately, the wound on TJ's face reopens. TJ is on painkillers, so Ian tells him he'll do it. And I'll skip the details, but Ian takes care of TJ with his mouth (▰˘◡˘▰)