First of all, I know he’s not real, and yes it’s strange but it’s honestly quite harmless. Many people view this as some kind of cope or delusion but it's really not that serious, I'm simply pursuing what brings me joy! Lately I haven't been yumeshipping quite as actively, mostly due to the fact that I'm in an irl relationship after 2 years of being a riako. I'm keeping this web shrine up for sentimental value because Heathcliff is still my favorite character and I've put a ton of time and energy into this site. ♡
The thing about me is that I’m utterly insane so there’s nothing more attractive to me than a character with a temper and an inferiority complex. I also like characters who are straightforward, angsty, clever but not booksmart. I love stormy nights, purple hues, the vaguely existent baseball bat delinquent trope, and well… you learn all that about him immediately after visiting the website. So I read his intro and instantly I was like what the hell, they basically made my dream character. The more I learn about him, the more I feel like he *is* tailored to me. Every major trait and minor nuance of his resonates with my preferences.
More specifically, there's something very raw and human about Heathcliff's perception of himself. Heathcliff isn't perfect and he knows that about himself, perhaps too well. And yet this doesn't deter him from expressing himself in a genuine and honest way.
Even if the people around him disapprove of his behavior and beliefs, he doesn't bend to their conformity. He's a strong willed and committed person with a solid connection to his innermost "gut" feelings. I think it takes a lot of strength to have gone through so much without losing sight of yourself, especially in a world that keeps punishing you for being the way that you are. Despite everything he still cares, and he hasn't stopped fighting for himself or given up on the people around him.
When I look at him I always daydream about giving him a world where he can be happy, to lean on each other and grow together and not have to fight through life alone. I've wanted what he has with Cathy, to "be with him, always," to have an idealized love unattainable in reality or even through the restrictions of a non self-indulgent fiction. The nice thing about being a yumejoshi is that I have complete freedom to write my own story and create that. I've never felt bad about my devotion to a fictional character, because the act of loving something unconditionally is so rewarding to me in and of itself.
