AshNi + OC FF: Love is all you need - Page 19

Chloe also know Sara likes Ryan....☺️

Originally posted by: Anjani9

The last scene in Ryan's house has come out very well.....parents do not know his story???

Thank you! Yes, parents do not know.

If you remember, in Chapter 3, when Anne is introducing Ryan to AshNi, she tells them he's freelancing. Later in Chapter 5, he tells Simon a little bit about what happened but not the entire story. He's afraid of disappointing everyone. I guess the dinner triggered him, and he'd had enough of Robert's taunts and digs. He just lashed out, in Sara's presence, telling them the entire truth.

I hadn't planned on revealing Ryan's backstory so quickly, but somehow as I was writing it just flew, and then when I read it, it made sense, so I let it stay.

Originally posted by: Anjani9

Sara is more deep than she thought....

Did you mean Sara is more deeply into Ryan than she thought? yes she is. She is just afraid of facing those feelings, and afraid of being hurt....

Originally posted by: Anjani9

Next highlight is how Chloe could analyze Ryan in such a short period of time......WOW...

Yes, Chloe is more perceptive than you would think. Also, she sees Ryan as a kindred spirit, someone who is similar to her in the sense of having some advantages through his good looks. But when they go for coffee and talk, she probably realizes their differences, how Ryan does not take his position in society as granted, and how he believes in meritocracy over any other advantage he may possess on account of his family/connections/ looks etc. Sara knows this too, it just took Chloe to spell it out for her! And she immediately sees the difference between Chloe and Ryan- in their outlook.

Also, good looks is a privilege. And I have seen many people abuse this privilege instead of being humble/ laidback about it. I just wanted to show that Ryan is indeed a nice guy, and not proud of who he is on account of his looks.

Originally posted by: Anjani9

Chloe also know Sara likes Ryan....☺️

Yeah she has realized it 😃! She's baiting Sara deliberately to see how she reacts to Chloe hitting on Ryan. Also, Chloe knows Sara very well, and its easier for her to read Sara's body language and facial expressions, much more than someone who's just gotten to know her. So its harder for Sara to hide her feelings from Chloe.

Originally posted by: Anjani9

Next highlight is how Chloe could analyze Ryan in such a short period of time......WOW...

I also wanted to add that Ryan is not a vain person despite his attractiveness to women. He has been sought after right from high school when he hit puberty, but he has never taken advantage of that (like maybe Chloe has, she admits it herself). He’s aware of it, yes, it gives him confidence to approach women, yes, and sometimes he may even flaunt it (like the time he’s baiting Sara when he first meets her), but it’s not out of vanity. It’s more out of an assurance gained from experience. Also, he does not take it for granted. If anything, it makes him uncomfortable. If you recall, in Chapter 3 the hairdresser Chrissie tries to flirt with him and he decides to leave in order to discourage her. Then in Chapter 8 there is a mention of stalkerish girls who have chased him. He has been objectified and this makes him uncomfortable, as was evident when Nidhi brings it up in Chapter 8. Not all men necessarily enjoy being the centre of attention for women, and like Nidhi said objectification can be just wrong. It kind of dehumanizes a person.

Ryan likes women, but he also has a deep rooted sense of morality, even for casual hook-ups. And although he knows he can probably have any woman he wants, he never lets this get to his head, and maintains this kind of adorable humility through it all. Even his ‘no-boinking’ list is created with care and thought for the women involved, so that they don’t feel used or at a disadvantage, and are well-aware of what they’re getting into. He makes sure to level the playing field and treats his partners as equals.
This is what Chloe sees. When she says he’s self-aware, she means that albeit knowing who he is and what he can be to women, of the power he can possibly wield with women, he’s still able to remain grounded without an exalted sense of self. I think a lot of this has to do Ryan’s life as a teen, because that’s usually when your head turns. And that’s when he was saddled with the responsibility for Jen. Through his teen years, he was playing big bro to a little girl and that brought in a rare sensitivity in this man, and also prevented him from turning into this narcissistic and hedonistic guy whose prime purpose was only self- satisfaction.

Ryan cares deeply about the people he loves- Simon, Jen, his friends, and also his parents- which is why he’s hurting so much at the realisation that he wasn’t wanted. That he was probably a burden to his parents and they may have not exactly welcomed him. The pain of that realization is more than he can bear right now. It’s not a sudden realization: Ryan is smart, he’s put two and two together, his parents’ wedding date, his birth, some photos from the wedding, the initial circumstances where he grew up. And even though his parents may not have directly said anything, the small gestures/ events may have helped him come to the conclusion. To add to that, his dad’s constant disapproval of his life choices and his obvious preference for Simon’s. Robert may not have meant to show this preference overtly and of course, parents love all their kids the same, but these little things have led Ryan to believe he’s the wayward son. He even says so to Sara jokingly in Chapter 1 calling himself the lost cause.

He’s now at a complete low-point in his life, where his confidence is also at an all-time low. This is bound to also affect his relationships with Sara and other women like Chloe too. He’s just not in the right place right now. So he’s fighting that attraction to Sara. Not only because he knows it’s not right (since she’s with Ian) but also because it’s not the right time for him. He’s too messed up right now, and has just come out of a failed relationship that cost him everything. And shook his confidence beyond repair. He needs someone to love him above all else, and believe in him, in order for him to bounce back.

Omg, I almost wrote an essay on Ryan ! 😳I’m guessing I have a favorite character!!! 😳

Originally posted by: LizzieBennett

I also wanted to add that Ryan is not a vain person despite his attractiveness to women. He has been sought after right from high school when he hit puberty, but he has never taken advantage of that (like maybe Chloe has, she admits it herself). He’s aware of it, yes, it gives him confidence to approach women, yes, and sometimes he may even flaunt it (like the time he’s baiting Sara when he first meets her), but it’s not out of vanity. It’s more out of an assurance gained from experience. Also, he does not take it for granted. If anything, it makes him uncomfortable. If you recall, in Chapter 3 the hairdresser Chrissie tries to flirt with him and he decides to leave in order to discourage her. Then in Chapter 8 there is a mention of stalkerish girls who have chased him. He has been objectified and this makes him uncomfortable, as was evident when Nidhi brings it up in Chapter 8. Not all men necessarily enjoy being the centre of attention for women, and like Nidhi said objectification can be just wrong. It kind of dehumanizes a person.

Ryan likes women, but he also has a deep rooted sense of morality, even for casual hook-ups. And although he knows he can probably have any woman he wants, he never lets this get to his head, and maintains this kind of adorable humility through it all. Even his ‘no-boinking’ list is created with care and thought for the women involved, so that they don’t feel used or at a disadvantage, and are well-aware of what they’re getting into. He makes sure to level the playing field and treats his partners as equals.
This is what Chloe sees. When she says he’s self-aware, she means that albeit knowing who he is and what he can be to women, of the power he can possibly wield with women, he’s still able to remain grounded without an exalted sense of self. I think a lot of this has to do Ryan’s life as a teen, because that’s usually when your head turns. And that’s when he was saddled with the responsibility for Jen. Through his teen years, he was playing big bro to a little girl and that brought in a rare sensitivity in this man, and also prevented him from turning into this narcissistic and hedonistic guy whose prime purpose was only self- satisfaction.

Ryan cares deeply about the people he loves- Simon, Jen, his friends, and also his parents- which is why he’s hurting so much at the realisation that he wasn’t wanted. That he was probably a burden to his parents and they may have not exactly welcomed him. The pain of that realization is more than he can bear right now. It’s not a sudden realization: Ryan is smart, he’s put two and two together, his parents’ wedding date, his birth, some photos from the wedding, the initial circumstances where he grew up. And even though his parents may not have directly said anything, the small gestures/ events may have helped him come to the conclusion. To add to that, his dad’s constant disapproval of his life choices and his obvious preference for Simon’s. Robert may not have meant to show this preference overtly and of course, parents love all their kids the same, but these little things have led Ryan to believe he’s the wayward son. He even says so to Sara jokingly in Chapter 1 calling himself the lost cause.

He’s now at a complete low-point in his life, where his confidence is also at an all-time low. This is bound to also affect his relationships with Sara and other women like Chloe too. He’s just not in the right place right now. So he’s fighting that attraction to Sara. Not only because he knows it’s not right (since she’s with Ian) but also because it’s not the right time for him. He’s too messed up right now, and has just come out of a failed relationship that cost him everything. And shook his confidence beyond repair. He needs someone to love him above all else, and believe in him, in order for him to bounce back.

Omg, I almost wrote an essay on Ryan ! 😳I’m guessing I have a favorite character!!! 😳

🤗

Originally posted by: LizzieBennett

Thank you! Yes, parents do not know.

If you remember, in Chapter 3, when Anne is introducing Ryan to AshNi, she tells them he's freelancing. Later in Chapter 5, he tells Simon a little bit about what happened but not the entire story. He's afraid of disappointing everyone. I guess the dinner triggered him, and he'd had enough of Robert's taunts and digs. He just lashed out, in Sara's presence, telling them the entire truth.

I hadn't planned on revealing Ryan's backstory so quickly, but somehow as I was writing it just flew, and then when I read it, it made sense, so I let it stay.

The way Robert taunts and digs at him....anyone will assume he is not their favorite child...😒

Originally posted by: Anjani9

The way Robert taunts and digs at him....anyone will assume he is not their favorite child...😒

Well, Robert is one of those parents that has trouble accepting a son who seems to him right now to be not just taking the road less travelled, but being something of a rebel without a cause. Ryan has always been like that, he’s too much of his own person to fall in line with someone’s wishes for his future. And I daresay Robert would have been happier had Ryan been really successful in the career path he chose, but seeing Ryan, all of 29 years old, browbeaten, without a job (he doesn’t know why), just frittering away his crucial career building years doing stuff that will have no bearing on his career, gets to Robert. Seeing as Robert was very young (26-27) when they had Ryan, and Anne and Robert both had to make sacrifices to bring him up at a time when focus of their respective careers would have been crucial for both of them. That disdain and those taunts aimed at Ryan probably comes from this concern that Ryan, too, like him, is going down the same path. Robert and Anne probably had to struggle to reach where they are today, and Robert is now worried that Ryan will have to go through the same struggle if he doesn’t keep focused. Of course, he’s not seeing Ryan’s interests &/or caring to know his backstory here, and is just looking at it from his perspective. Which is why Ryan’s outburst happens. He probably has had to deal with his dad’s disapproving comments ever since he landed in India, and whatever story he cooked up to stall his family (he possibly told them he was going freelance), Robert still doesn’t approve. He’s had enough of it, and decides to just tell them, but again all the resentment that he has stored up through the years comes out in full force. He assumes that his dad is speaking to him the way he is only because Ryan has always been a burden to him, and Robert doesn’t do much to dispel that thought.

I will try and dwell a little bit on Robert and Anne’s backstory in this next chapter.

Originally posted by: LizzieBennett

Did you mean Sara is more deeply into Ryan than she thought? yes she is. She is just afraid of facing those feelings, and afraid of being hurt....

I feel now the relation will definitely step up and they will get more close and they will admit it...