#e!analysis

[johnnys-helmet]

every once in a while i think about how johnny would have every reason to not be that great with kids, being (as far as we know) an only child who doesn't have kids of his own and probably wasn't around kids often before becoming a paramedic and roy has every reason to be great with them as a father of two who's been a firefighter much longer than johnny...and yet johnny is fantastic with kids, even moreso than roy. he's gentle and funny and sweet and patient and he loves them, and he'd make a great father. his niece and nephew adore him and he adores them. he's just such a good man.

[risestarkiss]

Rise Ramblings #41

He's petty, your honor.✨

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Update: This post now also exists in video form. 😌💙

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💜 RiseStarKiss Studios on Youtube | My Kofi Tip Jar 💜

[breadandlottery]

Season 1 Gi-hun + The Hero's Journey

[nyxofdemons]

i cannot get over the way that blitz screams "LET'S GO" like he WANTS to fight with him, like he's ASKING stolas to lash out at him and tell him blitz is right, stolas DOES think he's insignificant and he wants him gone if blitz doesn't accept his feelings immediately, just so blitz has a reason to keep being angry and vent out everything bottled up inside of him.

i think all of this comes back to how blitz would rather people hate him than miss him, because at least then he feels like he's getting what he deserves, and he will actively sabotage relationships to MAKE people hate him so he knows they have a good reason - like his breakup with verosika and everything he did to her. if he GIVES her a reason to hate his guts then he gets to know exactly what it is he did wrong, and it's not just because of who he is fundamentally that's so despicable. i think he's TRYING to do the same thing with stolas here - on some level his anger is justified, of course, but i don't think this is entirely that. i think he's trying to provoke stolas into lashing out at him so they can have a huge argument, and blitz can make him feel as small as he does right now, and if stolas gets angry and hates him for whatever cruel things he's going to say, then blitz gets proof that stolas doesn't really love him, gives his self-loathing monster a taste of validation by knowing he is definitely the reason that all of this fell apart, and reaffirms his own warped self-image that he is incapable of receiving love or creating a good relationship.

blitz isn't expecting stolas to take him at his word - that this is nothing more than sex, and he actually thinks of stolas as nothing more than a privileged rich asshole he HAS to put up with - he's expecting stolas to fight back so blitz can keep yelling. but stolas loves him too much to lash out (at least right now,) and he's so aware of the power imbalance between them and feels too guilty about their transactional relationship to try and argue. HE'S being entirely honest about his feelings (and he's distraught and off his meds), so he's assuming that blitz is being honest, too - he really can't stand stolas, and he's been perceiving their interactions as stolas' classism being malicious rather than simply ignorant, so of course there's no way blitz would ever want to be with him. and blitz can't grasp that stolas genuinely cares, and doesn't want to fight with him, until it's too late to backtrack.

[nineinchclawz]

Rereading Battle Tendency and I'm shocked by how little the fandom discusses the family dynamics. Speedwagon and Erina have different parenting styles, and that has a huge impact on shaping who Joseph is. Joseph was raised to be a little shithead!

Open to read more! 👇

From the very beginning of BT, it's established that Joseph's attitude is VERY different from Jonathan's. We're shown a flashback of Joseph's childhood.

When I first watched jjba, this scene surprised me. Joseph acts so aloof!! But now that I'm rereading it, I think Speedwagon told Joseph not to get involved beforehand. Or, as one of my followers on Bluesky mentioned, Joseph may have been acting like a brat in order to draw the robbers' attention away from Speedwagon.

Joseph snaps when the clothes Erina had given him get ruined. Joseph tells Speedwagon he'd do anything to protect them, as they're the only family he has.

From here on, Speedwagon is shown enabling Joseph's behavior. He's aware of Joseph's temper and bratty habits. But never once do we see Speedwagon scold or reprimand Joseph in any meaningful way, even when he's being reckless.

Speedwagon consistently responds in two ways. Giving Joseph a sideways glance or raising his voice...

"JoJo!" "JoJo..." "🥺" "😨"

In contrast to this... Erina is shown PHYSICALLY reprimanding Joseph when he steps out of line after he jokes about the implications of Speedwagon and Jonathan's relationship / Speedwagon and Erina's relationship (varies by translation)

However, Erina ALSO enables Joseph's behavior. But instead of Speedwagon's method of letting Joseph do whatever he wants, Erina guides Joseph on how to beat up a racist in public with STYLE. Joseph's sense of justice makes him wild & careless, so she teaches him how to stay in control while still doing the right thing.

Erina's background of an upper-class childhood, nursing career / teaching career, and her experience living as a woman in the 19th century shaped how she raised Joseph. Joseph inherited Erina's social intelligence, class, and kindness.

Speedwagon lived the majority of his life in the slums of London and was involved in organized crime. Speedwagon was also an oil tycoon. He's mastered the art of bartering. Joseph "inherited" Speedwagon's rebellious nature, street intelligence, and loyalty.

Joseph has a strong sense of justice, something ALL Joestars inherited from Jonathan.

But that sense of justice is what ultimately killed Jonathan and George. Erina and Speedwagon knew that Joseph was destined to get into trouble.

I believe that Erina and Speedwagon raised Joseph in such a way that he could survive the worst. And he did. Joseph is the only Joestar in the entire series that is shown to live into old age. He survived all that because of Erina and Speedwagon's love for him.

[ceaselessims]

thinking about the door imagery in the magnus archives– the threshold metaphors if you will.

jane prentiss and her worm doorway, the door in jon's mind keeping the ocean of knowledge at bay, obviously helen and michael and the distortion itself manifesting as physical doors, and of course the final incantation of "i open the door" to unleash the apocalypse

the use of the physical idea of a door to give a visual for the lines that are crossed in tma is so fascinating to me as a concept, bc as a zillennial one of the lines that lives rent free in my head since 2011 is from doctor who - "a doorway, once opened can be stepped through in either direction"

and this leads me to the literal door ways to parallel worlds in the magnus protocol and god if i had more brain power and time to do a full relisten to further Think about this

[essycogany]

Why Shadow And Cream SHOULD Be A Duo

These are mostly Headcanons. They rarely interact, so I’m here to cover all of the things.

My first reason is they'd have the BEST DYNAMIC. Shadow is the mentor and Cream is his student. I know some people like the idea of him influencing her to be more violent, (which can be fun) but I prefer the idea of Cream solving problems in her own way whenever she's on a mission with Shadow. All of the crazy atrocities happening around her doesn't faze her in the slightest. She can be a tough cookie, but still soft on the inside and out. She doesn’t have to change her sweet spirit to be powerful in her own right.

Second reason. They would complement each other in the best way. Shadow could use someone to protect and I know Amy’s a good option, but there’s something about Cream that works better in my opinion. She’s younger, less experienced, brave, encouraging, kind, and ADORABLE. No, she isn’t and shouldn’t be a Maria replacement. I don’t want any character to have a good dynamic with Shadow just because said character reminds him of Maria. BUT Cream does have similar traits to her. More than Amy to an extent. The pink hedgehog is much more aggressive. Shadow would have a unique dynamic with Cream. Why? Because Cream is a literal child he needs to protect her at all costs. But she’s too stubborn to care about her safety. The older Cream gets, the more determined she is to go on adventures with him.

Because she’s so persistent, Shadow would feel obligated to teach Cream Chaos Emerald abilities. She would do terribly at first, but once she finally concentrates and takes her training seriously, she’d ace it.

The third reason I believe they’d be a great duo is because Cream would do her best to help him emotionally. But that’s not all. Shadow would notice how hard she’s trying and how much she struggles with failure. I’d imagine her taking it very badly due to a few issues in IDW and Sonic Dream team. Don’t get me started on the Metal Virus. She had to be the emotional support for Whisper (and the sweetheart did an amazing job) while she still struggled internally. Cream was the truest MVP during the Metal Virus.

But yeah! She’d definitely need someone with more experience with loss to help her with her self-esteem issues. Cream has so little confidence in herself when she shouldn’t. I know she has Sonic, Blaze, Amy, her mother, and many others but I believe Shadow would be the one to turn that emotion into action. He’s been through plenty. He wouldn’t just cheer her up (though he’d probably still try) but give her direct action base proof that she’s wrong with her training. She might not only need to be told she’s cable but also be physically shown.

I’d like to think she’d be able to pull as much weight for Shadow as he’d do for her. The tough love and support system. Like Sonic and Tails but with a Good Cop Bad Cop dynamic.

Cream still has Gemeral/Cheese and of course, they’ve already protected her the best way, but I’d like to think Shadow would be the one to teach her how to physically fight so she’d be able to help Gemeral. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about her too much. It’ll be like a training session. It helps that she’s already physically strong but Shadow would only help her enhance it.

She’d be an honorary member of Team Dark and would sneak into their missions. I’m not sure how Vanilla would feel about it but maybe this would be a situation where she’d find out when Cream’s older. Like a superhero reveal or something. Maybe Vanilla would have a long conversation with Shadow and Cream would stand up for him and take all of the blame. She’s loyal to a fault.

Their friendship also just sounds adorable to me. I can imagine Cream being surprisingly mature and intelligent and Shadow is always shocked. They'd talk about the different planets and stars together, daydreaming about a more peaceful world. Then instantly start kicking butt with Rouge and Omega and take down a giant monster and work with GUN. I think Rouge would question Shadow every time Cream came with them.

Rouge: Ugh! Shadow, why did you bring her here?! AGAIN?!

Shadow: I didn't. She came on her own.

Rouge: And you ALLOWED HER?!

Shadow: You can't say “no” to Cream. I've learned that the hard way.

It’s either letting Cream go with him or dealing with her whining for the rest of their picnic. Shadow isn't patient enough for that.

What kind of fun names would you guys give these two? Good Cop Bad Cop? Emerald Besties? Rebel Do-Gooders? Let’s give them a name!

That’s all the ideas I have for now. If you guys have any, I’d love to read them. My ask box is always open!

Stay Creative! 💜

[fernwehreader]

ACOSF Bonus Chapter: Lit Analysis

This will be long, and I apologize in advance. But I continue to see the most mind-boggling interpretations of Azriel's ACOSF bonus chapter, that it’s impossible for me to keep quiet. If I see one more take that this chapter is unimportant, an indication of Elain's book being next, or how it's setting up an Elain and Azriel relationship, I fear I may lose my mind.

In my opinion, Azriel’s ACOSF bonus chapter is a crucial piece in the bridge to ACOTAR 5 (which will be Azriel's book). When I teach my high school students to analyze literature, I stress the importance of asking the question, "SO WHAT?" This helps to understand the purpose of the text and potential authorial intent.

So, I'd like to go through that exercise a bit with the bonus chapter (primarily for my own benefit) to underscore the critical elements of its structure and what SJM may be trying to do with it.

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"SO WHAT?" #1: The bonus chapter is meant to introduce Azriel's POV and set up his arc for the next full-length ACOTAR novel. This chapter is the first time we get Azriel's perspective -- a deliberate choice that signals something important to the reader. He is stepping out of the shadows (ha!) literally and figuratively to make the transition away from being a side character.

For the first time, SJM is deliberately shining a spotlight on Azriel to show that he, too, is fractured and facing his own crossroads. The bonus chapter offers a glimpse into Azriel's internal conflict to communicate that he has a story to tell.

I see comments within the fandom that are critical of Azriel in this chapter regarding his re-gifting of the necklace, how he views Elain as an object he is owed, or in his attitude during his argument with Rhys. Friends, THAT IS THE POINT. We are meant to see Azriel at an incredibly stark low-point. It not only contrasts what's to come later in the chapter, but it is further establishing that this character is fractured and must now prepare to embark on his own healing journey. And, as part of this, SJM begins to deconstruct the idealized version of Azriel that readers have gotten to know. The brooding and stoic warrior has been "humanized" in a sense -- in the bonus chapter, a confused male in need of personal growth emerges.

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"SO WHAT?" #2: This chapter relies on purposeful authorial intent to present a symbolic shift away from Elain which then foreshadows a future relationship with Gwyn. I know this has been discussed at length within the fandom, so I won't dwell too much on it here. But I will stress that SJM is hitting the reader over the head with the truth that there is nothing sustainable to explore between Azriel and Elain romantically. It is a surface-level, lust-filled, infatuation on Azriel's part, fueled only by the delusion that the "thirds" must be paired up. Azriel is so desperate for a mating bond that his recklessness is in overdrive at this moment. This first half of the chapter is so important because once Azriel leaves Rhys, the reader gets swept away on a pendulum that carries Azriel to a stark tonal shift (and to the House of Wind!).

What I love most about the chapter is what SJM is doing with this pendulum swing between Elain/Rhys and Gwyn/Clotho. The entire bonus chapter is honestly such a rich and interesting example of thematic juxtaposition (if I could, I’d use it in the high school English classes I teach).

EVERYTHING included within this bonus chapter is intentional by SJM when it comes to juxtaposition: the shadows disappearing vs the shadows darting/watching/singing; surface-level lust vs thoughtful emotion and genuine connection; self-loathing vs contentment; selfish taking (“the third”) vs reflective giving (the necklace).

But perhaps most interesting is how Rhys and Clotho are intentional narrative brackets, each following a key emotional beat in Azriel’s internal conflict. Azriel's moment with Rhys could be labelled "rage and responsibility" vs Clotho's scene being about "destiny and discovery." Azriel is confronted by truth (Rhys) and guided by fate (Clotho) . . . Plus, Azriel’s final interaction of this chapter is with the character who literally shares a name with one of the Moirai known specifically for spinning fate. Perhaps Clotho is spinning a new thread for Azriel in this moment -- not commanding his future, but initiating it. And, I can't help but think of all the thread/ribbon/string imagery and metaphors that continue to pile up: Clotho spins the thread of life + the mating bond string that Azriel desperately wants + Gwyn's ribbon cutting (and comment about Azriel being her new ribbon). SJM is juxtaposing Rhys and Clotho as lenses through which Azriel’s internal conflict is reflected and redirected.

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"SO WHAT?" #3: We learn a great deal about Azriel himself in this chapter that makes us invested in what comes next for him. While this could fall under my first point above, I decided to include it separately here because I would certainly want to draw my students' attention to this if we were analyzing the chapter in the classroom. An author can set up a character arc all they want — but if the reader doesn’t care about the character, then it’s pointless.

Many readers love to focus on the necklace and how much drama it will cause for Azriel in the next book. But I argue that it's one of the least important elements of the entire bonus chapter once it's all said and done. I truthfully am inclined to think we may not even see it at all in the next book (except maybe a brief Easter Egg). There is no need for it. The necklace is symbolic, not literal. It doesn't need to appear again to matter -- its entire purpose is fulfilled within the bonus chapter: to reveal Azriel's internal shift. And, as readers, we are meant to feel the signifcant weight of that shift. What does this mean for Azriel? He clearly has many issues to work through still, but he is different at the end of this chapter compared to how we find him at the start.

That shift also acts like a tug on the reader -- almost saying, "Hey! Did you see this? What do you think this means? He's different here, right?!" Because even though it isn't about the necklace, the necklace is reason for the final scene of this chapter, which really drives home this last "SO WHAT?" analysis.

In my opinion, Clotho's scene is the most important moment in the entire bonus chapter -- not necessarily because of what is said, but because of what's realized. It's where the story stops telling us that Azriel is lost, confused, angry, etc. Instead, the story starts showing us that he's capable of change. How exciting is that?! Azriel is moving from REACTING to CHOOSING. I find it interesting that in the first half of the chapter, Azriel is trying to GET something (approval, validation, what his brother's have). But, in the final scene with Clotho, he is simply faced with a CHOICE. That shift is everything and leaves the reader with a longing to know where that choice will lead him.

The fact that Azriel imagines Gwyn's eyes lighting up (no other person evokes this from him) is the emotional pivot of the chapter. Elain is never described beyond the surface by Azriel. In contrast, Gwyn -- who isn't even physically present in the scene with Clotho -- has the most vivid and emotionally rich moment of the chapter: "He wondered how Gwyn's eyes might light up at the sight of it." This is centered on Gwyn's joy, not his own gratification (a clear and deliberate contrast to his selfish encounter with Elain).

So, essentially, it's not about the necklace anymore. It's about who Azriel is when he thinks about Gwyn. I don't know about you, but when I consider this, I want to know more about where this is going. If this shift occurs after just a brief encounter with Gwyn, what happens if they spend more time together?

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The entire bonus chapter is, in my opinion, meant to serve as a pivot point for Azriel's characterization as we prepare to spend a great deal of time with him in ACOTAR 5. Azriel is meant to be at his lowest in the beginning of the chapter so the reader can feel the shift by the end . . .

And, although I will save it for another post at another time, I think we can begin to see how Azriel might be working through his issues based on his behavior in CC3. Without getting too in depth, he comes across more open and less guarded, humming, not shying away from physical touch, etc. Everyone will have their own takes on this at this point, but we only have what we have to base our analysis on. Azriel is certainly different in CC3 compared to ACOSF. And this is where I believe his bonus chapter can clue us in a bit. Assuming that ACOTAR 5 will at least partially take place before CC3, we can infer that Azriel is well into his healing journey by that point. That journey also seems likely to include Gwyn and her ability to connect with Azriel in a unique way we haven't seen from other characters. But, who can really say?! We will have to wait and see on this one . . . but my money is that there will be important clues from the bonus chapter and after Solstice in ACOSF that will help bridge us to ACOTAR 5 and how Azriel acts in CC3.

[psykopaths]

In the Mood for Love (2000)

Dir - Wong Kar Wai

[gwynethberdarasupremecy]

Why e/riel doesn’t work. This post isn’t about why the characters don’t fit together based on traits. That’s a whole separate story. But e/riel doesn’t work out, simply from a writing perspective.

The only way I could’ve seen e/riel work out is if at the end of ACOSF, Elain is already with Lucien, trying to do what “society expects of her” but there’s foreshadowing that she’s not happy. That way, e/riel would bring growth. Something would change. Imagine e/riel is endgame. At the beginning of Elains book, she is not giving Lucien any chance or attention. She is actively rejecting him. She is also already into Azriel. Nobody is pressuring her to be with Lucien, including Lucien himself.

So we have to ask ourselves: what would change? What growth would it bring her? In stories, and especially SJMs love stories, characters start with wanting A, only to go through this inner journey and realizing that they actually wanted/needed B. Feyre started acomaf with wanting Tamlin, only to later realize she wanted and needed Rhys. Nesta started her book with not wanting anyone, only to later realize she wanted and needed Cassian. Chaol started TOD with wanting Nesryn, only to later realize he needed Yrene. Aelin started HOF with wanting Chaol, only to later realize she wanted and needed Rowan, etc. They all follow the same storytelling pattern. They all started wanting A, and at the end of their stories wanting B. Because that’s what makes a compelling story.

If e/riel happened, it would start with both characters wanting A, and ending with A. Nothing would change. No character growth. No change of paths. No inner journey. If Sarah wanted to go the e/riel route, the only way she could’ve made it work, is if she had Elain accept Lucien. That way her story would start with her thinking she wanted A, and then getting B. The fact that SJM didn’t do this, tells me that she doesn’t intend for e/riel to be endgame.

Now, if you follow this pattern of characters starting with wanting A, and ending up realizing they actually wanted/needed B, the only logical pairings would be Elucien and Gwynriel.

[ceramicrambles]

E’ming I adore as a symbol of what Hua Cheng hates about himself— his red eye, his weakness, his fear. The fact that it’s a sword that causes wounds which NEVER HEAL. The fact that Xie Lian’s biggest curse is that he can’t scar and always heals. This sword is an emotional extension of a younger Hua Cheng. It’s a vulnerable part of him. And he hates himself for being weak, so he hates the sword. But Xie Lian loves Hong-Hong-er. He loves him even though he was weak and feral and homeless. E’ming is the weapon forged to protect people. Hua Cheng made him for that exact purpose. Yet he’s renowned throughout the land as an evil blade. The stories of his origin being completely fabricated, mean that the truth is that much more sweet.

And Xie Lian loves E’ming no matter the rumors.

Because in spite of everything, it’s still you.

[aintnoloveintheheatofthesun]

Upon reflection

Sinners blends several genres. Namely coming-of-age, period drama and musicals. All of these genres feature prominent love stories. This film is no different.

The Juke Joint is a place of fellowship and community. It is packed with Sinners who need reprieve and comfort. In this place, we reckon with death, resurrection and baptism.

On the way to Clarksdale Station, the best man (Stack) has already given Sammie some brothely advice on how to please a woman. Once they get there, Stack introduces Preacher Boy to a man who would be willing to officiate the ceremony.

Delta Slim is an elder that they all respect, he is the officiant. He has to be the one that weds them because Sammie's dad would be repulsed by the venue, the relationship and their love of secular music.

When Pearline and Sammie first speak, she doesn't tell him her last name (because it's about to change). She also gives him her hand (in marriage!!!), letting him know that she is interested

Later on, in this scene where its just Slim and Sammie on stage, he is teaching Sammie about the power and responsibility that comes with this choice. He addresses the congregation before welcoming the groom to the front.

'I Lied to You' is a proposal. Preacher Boy is at his most vulnerable, baring his soul, hoping the love of his life will know what she means to him.

The resonator guitar is the ring. It is the only thing Sammie is holding as he proposes to her.

Pearline spends most of this song dancing for Sammie and Sammie spends a good couple of verses, just singing to the love of his life (as we see in the End Credit Scene flashback)

"Somebody take me in your arms" is not just asking for companionship, but acceptance. Kind of like "take me as your lawfully wedded husband" without the legal bits cause you know Pearline already has a man

In the back room, Pearline happily tears off her scarf (her veil) and kisses Sammie all while he looks drunk in love

Ignore the random planks of wood in the back and tell me this isn't giving honeymoon

Sammie goes down on to his knees as a declaration of his feelings and a testament to his loyalty. Pearline accepts the gesture (the I do moment)

Of course, Pearline is nervous on their wedding night (the 'hold on, Preacher Boy' 'let me wash up first') but Sammie is a man in love so naturally, he reassures her.

The ceremony is a small, private affair. With only a few witnesses (Stack's nosy ass for Sammie and Grace for Pearline)

Moments later, we see them both looking proud and joyful with Pale, Pale Moon

This is their reception. Everyone is thriving, celebrating love and new opportunities. It is a joyful, vibrant affirmation of their love. In a cut scene, Sammie is admiring his woman as she shines on stage. There is nothing but adoration in his eyes. He found a wife, and a good thing (Proverbs 18:22)

From some angles Pearline even looks like she is wearing a whitish/silver dress. Just like a bride

Sammie is dressed like a groom with a smart shirt and a waistcoat (in contrast to the overalls Cornbread wears).

The father-son conflict comes back into play with the wedding metaphor. Jedediah doesn't approve of the Blues, let alone Pearline so when Preacher Boy walks back into the church Sunday morning - his father's first priority is getting him to renounce his vows.

Once again going back to resonator guitar = Sammie's wedding ring, because Sammie refuses to leave it behind despite his father's pleas.

In the space of two days, we see these two meet, flirt, get engaged, have their first kiss, get married and enjoy their reception.

Sammie sees Pearline when Jedediah mentions his heart because in this life and the next, that's his baby. He refuses to swear off the blues because that is what bonds them. .

These vows are yet another reason why Sammie isn't interested in Stack's offer. Why would he want to walk the earth as a vampire when the love of his life is already gone?

Side note: look at the way Slim is cackling behind them! That is a mentor, that is a father, that is a man that loves love.

Get into it:

The Juke Joint is the church

In that scene, their ancestors and descendants are present for this milestone

Delta Slim is the officiant

In the back room, Sammie gets down on his knees. Pearline tears the scarf off (her veil). This is their wedding ceremony. They kiss and walk away forever changed.

Stack and Grace are the witnesses (voyeurs, really)

Pale, Pale Moon is their reception.

The lyrics show that they are equally yoked.

Sammie's dad disapproves of this marriage, which is why he is so desperate for Sammie to repent the next day.

Putting down the guitar would be like taking off his ring. Swearing off the blues would be like renouncing his vows

Jedediah doesn't see that this is a married man standing before him. One who plans to honour his late wife for the rest of his days.

This shot is my thesis statement. In the Juke Joint, their descendants are on the left of them and the ancestors are on the right. Pearline's ancestor (sis with the pearls) is to her right and her descendant (sis with the strips of orange and black cloth) is on her left. Sammie's ancestor (uncle in the white bubu) and descendant (Jimi Hendrix with the electric guitar) also flank either side of him.

This blocking implies that the young couple have their families blessing. After Pearline has accepted the proposal, their families blend into one so by the end of the song, Pearline is flanked by Sammie's ancestor and her descendant while Sammie is surrounded by Pearline's ancestor and his descendant.

TLDR - We watch Sammie and Pearline fall for eachother, say their vows and kiss. Their loved ones are present for the proposal, ceremony and reception. They are married.

[cerebral-device]

The song clip is from this video starting at about 3:50 :-]

I’ve been busy/summer burn out but my love to draw will never die so soooooooooo many doodles and sketches 5ever sorry

[bibibbon]

TBHX and the disposability of man pt2

Here is part 1

Even though it is just the beginning of Yang cheng's story, the theme of disposability within a flawed society seems to strengthen within the story.

Episode 5 begins with the death of Yang cheng's parents and the plan for them to quite literally sell him. To buy something implies to later dispose of it later on when it's out of use or when it becomes obsolete and we see this language being used towards a literal human child.

On a visual note, you can also interpret this scene as Yang cheng's parents, who are now dead, symbolising that they are obsolete with a small Yang cheng whom still holds value alive and next to them.

When Yang cheng grows up and becomes an E-soul actor, he is now in his prime use and has to differentiate himself from the other E-souls. In a world of a million actors, you can easily be disposed of over and over because another actor can replace you and play the role you serve to society. This is best seen in the E-soul actor competition with all of these actors playing the role of E-soul any of them can be him and become him physically speaking however, no one will ever fully know or understand the true E-soul and his motives and no one will fully discard of their core to become a blank slate.

The battle between the two E-souls and the publics reaction it is really interesting, and I think hammers down on this theme. Even with Original E-soul serving the people for 34 years, he can be easily disposable in the publics eyes simply because they find the younger E-soul much more reliable, attractive, and a breath of fresh air. As long as there is someone with the hero name of E-soul who is eye candy and does what the public wants the people will hold them to a favourable standard until they grow old, tarnished and lose their uniqueness being replaced by another copy of them in the grand capitalist machine.

Yang chengs story ends with him becoming a puppet to Uncle rocks wishes and replacing the original E-soul. The public doesn't care, it was live and broadcasted that one of the E-souls lost their lives and that their trust values merged but as long as there was the concept and abstract idea of a quick electricity hero named E-soul the people will dehumanise and worship the hero even if he killed another man on live television.

While the battle of two E-souls and Yang chengs story is one way the story illustrates the theme of disposability another way the story does this is through the two nameless characters that uncle Rock uses as puppets to inact his plan.

I don't remember the show ever disclosing these two names, and I think that adds a lot to how the show refuses to humanise them in a way. The same goes for Yang chengs parents they are nameless people who lived lives and were killed. They were puppets in a capitalist system that only benefits the elites. We are introduced to these two, and right from the get-go, we are shown that they have money problems and will do anything for money even if it means kidnapping someone. They might sound repulsed at the idea, but they're willing to do anything for survival, and we see this happening multiple times, whether that be them kidnapping little pomelo or killing shang chao they're willing to be puppets and play the role that society has given them if it means there is a chance at an escape or survival.

I think this is why it's so distressing when we find out that they were essentially puppets there to further push along and benefit Uncle Rock, who needed them for Yang chengs story and when they become obsolete they suffer the same twisted fate as Yang chengs parents : death by drowning in cement.

Two people killed, no one cares for them, no one will look for them and no one will know the truth because while they might have their names in prison on paper they were killed trying to escape a system that immediately discards of useless powerless cogs.

[evilfarmin]

When I am in a the benefit of the doubt competition and my opponent is Baili Qingmiao 💀💀💀

[witchthewriter]

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐲𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬' 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ female, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: reader is a Rivers like Alys aka ... a bastard, however, you are not related...Also this is completely and utterly platonic!

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

INFJ

Slytherin

Chaotic Neutral

Scorpio Sun, Aries Moon, Sagittarius Rising

𝑺𝑭𝑾🌿

・Always being around her - I mean literally accompanying her everywhere. She doesn't mind. You even watch her do some witchy things but you HAVE to be quiet... you've learnt your lesson...

・You're the only person she has allowed to be close to her. No one else is Alys' friend. Only you.

・Matching her energy 1000%

・Everyone thinking you're sisters, or related, even if you don't look like each other

・She NEVER lets anyone hurt you. Overly protective of you. Has and will hiss at people who say rude things to your face. Has, and will give them terrible nightmares... maybe an upset stomach ... would definitely kill for you (probably has but wouldn't tell you about it)

・Sometimes feeling a bit lost because Alys has such an important role in everyone's lives

・You help her find specific ingredients for her potions and spells

・If she's an owl then you're a cat or maybe a crow. There aren't many people who can get close to you...

・You can't lie, you do like shiny things. Or just collecting random things; like nice rocks, shells, you love animals and once you were forbidden from bringing in strays - so Alys helped you sneak in a cat

・Whenever the cat meowed, Alys would pretend it was her (everyone thinks you two are slightly crazy, so they never questioned it)

・Even the dead mice that was found around the castle (came in handy for spells tbh)

・Having sleepovers ... but it's basically just you falling asleep in her bed while she's up until morning

・Although Alys knows everything about you; she has always had a mysterious air about her. You know she has secrets, and you detect that she may not be entirely human ... but you trust her with your life

・And you should, because many times she has saved yours without you knowing in the slightest

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Two Damaged Individuals Who Attach Themselves To Each other

 Platonic Soulmates

Scary Dog Privilege

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Intertwined Destinies

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Zanka by DakhaBrakha

Me and the Devil by Soap&Skin

Living Dead Girl by Rob Zombie