#also this is clearly by no means a fully flashed out analysis

[a-slut-for-vegaspete]

Playboyy – Porn without Plot?

Initial Thoughts on/ Reaction to Playboyy Episode One

As someone who loves to study (quite literally; I’m currently pursuing a MA degree in cultural studies) and investigate depictions of sex and sexuality in media, Playboyy has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and it’s easier for me to work through my issues with a piece of media when I put my thoughts on paper or in a word document; so this post is primarily for myself.

Sex is sometimes presented as a personal, individual matter but in reality, our thoughts on sex, our dislikes and likes are a product or, at the very least, are shaped by, and of course in term can also influence, existing, dominant discourses on sex(uality), gender, class, race etc. One example of this – one most BL viewers/ queer individuals will recognise  – would of course be sex between queer individuals; an issue that remains highly debated. Some people/governments to this day like to think that they have the right to dictate who is allowed to have sex with whom and what sexual practices people can engage in without facing societal/legal punishment. So sex is never just about sex but is always also political; it’s just that this is more obvious to people who are part of a (or multiple) marginalised group(s). Sex is an entangled, complex phenomenon that always needs to be understood in relation to other discourses on e.g. (normative) femininity/masculinity, national identity etc. So any sexual act (on screen/irl), whether intended or not, engages with these discourses, subverts them and/or reaffirms them.

Regardless of whether the creators of Playboyy – or any piece of media for that matter – have meant for this series to serve as a critique or subversion of certain ideas surrounding sex and sexuality, the series (un)intentionally presents us with certain performances of sex and in doing so adds to, intervenes in and shapes existing discourses on sexuality and influences how topics such as kink, queerness, sex work (to name a few) are understood and talked about. 

Since only one episode has been released so far, and since I don't know what goes on in the writers’ minds, I, of course, can’t say for certain whether Playboyy is intended to engage with the political and social aspects of sex. However, I do think that Denice’s Twitter accounts (he is one of the writers (@ VivienneActing)) can provide us with insights into the writers’ intentions behind creating this show. In addition, the opening scene of episode one makes it clear that this piece of media, in some capacity at least, serves as a social commentary on the construction of sexual practices and sexual identities (in Thailand). The viewer is seemingly directly addressed, questions regarding sex are posed and the statement that “sex has many forms and careers in many places with many preferences” is made, which leads me to think that the creators have thought about and want the audience to critically think about how sex is often presented and talked about within dominant discourses. The character goes on to say that “it would be great if we could stop faking it and be frank about it”, which implies that the way we currently talk about sex is dissatisfactory to the character in the show/the creators of the show and that this series intends to present their own – potentially non-normative – views on sex. Especially the comment that “it’s a shame that we can’t be that free in this country” functions as a critique of how sex and the sex industry are frequently conceptualised in Thailand. (And when I say ‘Thailand’ here I of course don’t mean the entire country; I’m specifically referring to people/institutions/political parties that uphold and propagate conservative beliefs on and attitudes regarding sex. And I think this is the part of Thailand the series is critical of here as well).

However, I also don’t want to place too much importance on the intentions of the creators (in part, bc as I have said before, unless we are told specifically we can only speculate about their motives). I for one am also very interested in how I myself (and other viewers) read and interpret the narratives the series presents us with.

Little disclaimer: I watched episode 1 last night, half asleep, I don’t have the best memory and since the story has literally just begun (and there are so many ways this could pan out), my stance on these issues will probably change with the release of future episodes. So my ramblings have their limitations. In addition, I’ve grown up in the West, which influences how I conceptualise sex(uality) and gender; which is definitely something to be wary of and to be critical of, as well. 

As of right now, I’m the most intrigued by Zouey and by how he navigates sex and how he expresses himself sexually. What I find so interesting about his character is his non-normative approach to sex. While he is introduced as someone who apparently hasn't slept with anyone yet, we also see that he has sexual needs and desires. I love that the show does not limit sexual expression to intimate relations between two or more people but also showcases the possibility of exploring it on your own. 

I’m fascinated by people’s initial reactions to Zouey and what people make of his character; in particular people’s thoughts on the scene where he is in a dark room masturbating to a painting. I do wonder how much the colour grading (quite dark and gloomy) and the music (somewhat ominous) might influence or shape viewers’ perceptions of this scene and their conceptualisation of Zouey, and more broadly speaking their reception of expressions of non-normative sexual acts (in media).

The way Zoey negotiates his boundaries regarding sex is so interesting to me, as he clearly feels sexual attraction but does not feel comfortable being touched sexually. (I do wonder if there is a reason for this. Not saying that there needs to be a particular reason; I’m genuinely just curious if we might find out more in future episodes). I personally love how that doesn’t stop him from blowing Teena (twice if I remember correctly). I think his performance disrupts the normative script of sex, (or one of the normative scripts. To say that there is only one normative way to have sex would be incorrect I guess). He definitely doesn't adhere to this script/these scripts, and this seems to have created discomfort/confusion for some viewers, while others seem to really appreciate it. 

Also a little side note: the way Zouey does or doesn’t have sex can also lead us to posing the question of what counts as sex. Only penetrative sex? That seems like a somewhat outdated and not exactly queer-friendly definition of sex, right? And what even is virginity? Is Zouey still a virgin or not by the end of the episode?

I think the first episode already touches on so many different issues and I love it. People have pointed out the different social statuses of First and Soong, so we already have a storyline that highlights how sex and class are interconnected issues. We have seen a fair amount of kinky sexual practices, and sex workers have also made an appearance. So to come back to my initial question, is Playboyy porn without plot? Personally, I wouldn’t classify it as such. In my opinion, while the first episode does heavily focus on sex, sex is used as a tool for storytelling and the creators have taken the unique approach of introducing the viewers to the characters via sex. Plus, there is the mysterious disappearance of Nun/Nant(?). But also to me, it doesn’t really matter whether this is porn without plot or not. Firstly, because I think that sometimes (emphasis on ‘sometimes’, okay?) when something is labelled as porn without plot this is done to discredit a particular piece of media and to paint it as something that is inherently ‘less’ (less serious, less valuable etc.) and I don’t agree with this particular conceptualisation of plot without porn because I think it fails to recognise the value of such stories, not just for people’s own enjoyment but also in regards to academic analysis. And secondly, because I am more interested in how the series is situated (and maybe even actively positions itself) in relation to broader discourses such as (non-normative) sexualities, kink, sex work (in Thailand) etc. and for this we don’t necessarily need a “good” plot structure. So I, for one, am I excited to watch (and analyse) the rest of the show. 

[thewertsearch]

Asks Comp 4/8

The thing is, Davesprite's situation is more complicated than an unfulfilled time loop. His timeline isn't an irrelevant offshoot - in fact, it's integral to the existence of the Alpha Timeline, and presumably always was. Davesprite forms part of a weird, fully intact time loop which spans multiple timelines.

And since this is a future Dave, you have to assume he knows about Bro. The two clearly had a complicated relationship, but he's surely shaken by his death - if nothing else, it's a sign of how serious things have become.

That'll be a fun thing to check out when I've finished the comic! It reminds me of those Hunger Games simulators that were doing the rounds a couple of years ago.

That's true. Dave knows how strong the Underlings have become - and yet, he's still confident that Jade can stand up to them. Presumably she finds some sort of workaround for their First Guardian powers?

Sunslammer is so good! A standout song, even in a comic with as many bangers as this one.

Honestly, part of why I'm dragging my feet on the album reviews is because I want to hear these songs for the first time in context. If I'd heard Descend before watching Descend, I feel like it would have robbed the song of some of its dramatic weight.

I assumed it was just because witches are associated with frogs.

That would have explained why they're part of her Land, but I'm pretty sure that Kanaya's glitched planet was also a frog Land, and she's not a Witch, so...?

*The rest of Sal's response has been redacted, lest we fall once more into the Frog Theory Black Hole.*

I'm pretty sure that's a statue of Echidna, the mother of monsters and Jade's Denizen. Dave's probably close to LOFAF's Palace!

The Seer sees all - and sometimes, she understands the implications before we do.

It'd certainly be interesting. I just reread that conversation, and the biggest takeaway would have been that the kids were going to befriend the trolls, and get involved in their personal drama. This would certainly be consistent with the tone established by an Act 1 Hivebent!

Yup. Vriska was only able to 'create' Perfect Jack because Becquerel didn't object.

Really, he could have prototyped anything he liked, no matter what Vriska did. Even if she tried to shut the Entry down by incapacitating Jade, he could simply have activated the piñata himself.

I mean, that's basically what happened!

If any Aspect is geared around survival, then it's Feferi's. There's no breath left in her body, but our girl is still in the game!

Getting back to the trolls will be interesting, especially since - I assume - we'll be zipping back to when Feferi was still alive. The Veil is a much less friendly place, now - but does Feferi know this? What, exactly, is about to happen to the trolls?

I suppose. I guess there's no reason for every Carapacian to be created with knowledge of the Rings.

Actually, Sburb might not want them to know - Jack's probably not the only one who wouldn't respect the Ring's rules. There could be potential ringwielders out there who are far more dangerous.

Thank you! I feel like I've been doing a lot more character analysis in Act 5 versus previous Acts, where most of my speculation was about the lore. It's a fun change of pace.

Damn, I didn't think we'd actually be explaining these!

It's moments like these which really enhance the comic for me - justifications for things that I genuinely thought were just nitpicks on my part. It's really gratifying, honestly.

@thelegendofgreg asked: Here's some commentary from the jade enter flash, theres uh. alot to read but its all neat stuff "I talked about this way back, maybe even in an earlier book? Well, here I go again, so hold on to your ass. There are four entry items: Apple of knowledge, Bottle of wine, Crow's egg, Dog piñata. A, B, C, D. All of them are related to new life or new beginnings. You bite the apple, you fall from grace, enter a new world, begin this wild journey. You smash a bottle to christen a ship. An egg hatches, creating new life. You break a piöata to celebrate a birthday. Each involves breaking or puncturing something. Each involves a form of sustenance, or something to consume (piñatas have candy inside). Two are vessels for the substance (bottle, Piñata), two are the food items themselves (apple, egg), and one arguably counts as both (egg). Two of them drop from the same basic tree template (apple, piñata). They ramp up in complexity. John's is a simple test: bite the forbidden fruit. Not much to it. A single unit of departure, almost conceptually elemental, like an apple, as Rose goes on about later. The challenges get trickier. Rose has to break a bottle. Easy enough idea, but things go wrong, and she has to take a blind leap to get it done. A sacrificial gesture, and one of faith in a friend (Jaspers). Dave's is even more obscure. A simple test of patience, but one that's not clear. He isn't told what to do and just has to wait. Non-action is the key, and in a way it's another gesture of faith under dire circumstances. Finally, Jade's challenge incorporates a lot of these elements. It's another "blind faith" situation. She has to take a shot in the dark. There's a sacrificial gesture, but instead of risking herself (like Rose), Jade must symbolically sacrifice her friend via effigy and cannot complete the sacrifice without help from that friend. (Bec must redirect the bullet. There's no way this works if he doesn't.) It is also a signifier that the pet she knew as a friend her whole life is about to, in a way, become her enemy. Like a good dog gone bad, who now must be put down."

So they are all intended to be foodstuffs! And, apparently, alphabetical - although I think 'Crow's egg' is a bit of a stretch.

There are also themes of sacrifice and faith that I didn't really think about before. Choosing to enter Sburb at all, knowing the stakes, is absolutely a leap of faith - and it's a game which sacrifices your whole planet. Skaia's been telling us the score this whole time.

Homestuck absolutely deals with dark themes - but they start out buried under the surface, and even now, are still in the process of revealing themselves. This makes sense for Homestuck, a coming-of-age-story whose protagonists are slowly coming to terms with some dark truths about their lives.

Awful Hospital, however, immediately says: here's our protagonist. Her baby is dying. She just woke in a strange room. She doesn't know how she got here. Her baby has been stolen. There are monsters inside her brain. By the way, here's a quip, because this is actually a funny comic. It just felt... dissonant, and not in a fun way. I don't really know what it's going for, tonally.

Don't take this as a negative review, though! I only read a couple dozen pages, so I'm really not qualified to rate the comic - I just wasn't feeling it at the time, so I shelved it. I enjoy a lot of Bogleech's writing, and Awful Hospital's lore sounds pretty interesting, so I'll probably give it another shot at some point.

Not for the most part! I'm super into time travel stories, though, so I'm well-Primed to understand their intricacies.

So there might be intermittent stages between the four we've seen in the kids' session? That'd be interesting - I'd love to see the intermediary stage between John's 2D chessboard and Rose's 3D cube.

There are, at this point, too many awesome songs for me to pick favorites. Umbral Ultimatum and Sunslammer are excellent, but what songs aren't, at this point?

I can't imagine what we're in for when we reach the Act 5.2 finale...

Ooh, interesting. Considering how many accidental references Hussie seems to make, it's honestly up in the air whether that was intentional.

That said....

Jack is looking awfully divine these days.

I suppose Tavros has probably logged the most rocket-hours, yeah.

I'm sure all Breath Players probably learn to fly, unless there are some oddball classes which don't let you interact with your Aspect.

Anonymous asked: forwarding this message to you from someone who doesn't have a tumblr account. ~DJ "Important fact. Dave and Aradia both use musical instruments for time travel, but different ones. Aradia’s is a music box, it has a single prerecorded music, the only way to “play” it is to turn it so it plays the music that was always in it. Dave’s is turntables. They contain a preexisting music, but what you do with them is to jump, cut and shuffle this music, creating something new, having full control of it. - RM"

I like it! As Time Players, they both follow the set path of the Alpha Timeline - but Dave gets a little funky with it, multiplying himself with a complex series of time loops.

Aradia, ever the fatalist, instead turns to doomed clones for reinforcements. I don't think we've ever seen her make a stable loop.

[royaltyspeaking]

Hello, I have a question of a non-royal topic because I always appreciate your analysis on situations... Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, what do you think??? I can't understand who is lying and who is not...

*cracks knuckles* I'm so glad you asked lol. I was sick last weekend, and I went down a rabbit hole and ended up reading up on both of their lawsuits.

I'm gonna start out by disclosing that I've never really cared for Blake Lively or Ryan Reynolds. I find them to be highly manufactured and phony. I also have a friend who worked as a makeup artist on a Ryan Reynolds movie several years ago, and she basically said that he seemed to use humor to humiliate people as a way for him to cope with being insecure. Like she said that whenever the makeup artists would say something positive about one of his co stars, Ryan would put the co star down, but said it like it was meant to be funny. She also said that he loved to mention his famous friends a lot. Like he wanted everyone to know that Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman spend time at his house. Funny enough, she met Blake Lively once and said that she was super sweet and brought everyone some pastries that she made.

So to start with, I kind of enjoyed the initial Blake Lively take down. I felt a bit vindicated in my dislike of her. Then, when she accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment, I believed her. She had the receipts, and her list of demands made Baldoni look like an absolute pig. Also, his agency dropped him, so I assumed it was all true.

Flash forward to when JBs rebuttal became public. I wasn't convinced that he was totally innocent, but it definitely did muddy the water. He added context to a lot of those interactions, especially Blake's list of demands. Her demands used the phrase "there will be no more" before every point, however, Baldonis lawyers explajn the use of that phrase is intentionally misleading as none of those things ever happened in the first place. The wording was very calculated to make JB look like a pig. He also provided text messages and emails proving that his version of events are probably closer to the truth.

I wasn't fully convinced of his version of events tho until Blake's team responded to the video that JB released of them filming that scene. Blake claimed that he sniffed her neck and told her how good she smelled. As you can see in that video, Blake made a comment about how she was getting self tanner on him (if you are unaware, that stuff is notoriously stinky). JB casually replied, "it smells good." Part of her complaint was also that JB was speaking to her inappropriately out of character when the video shows that they were both out of character while discussing the scene. Then, in response, Blake's team said, "But look at how uncomfortable she looks!". Imo she didn't look uncomfortable, and that's not the point. They are now moving the goal post. The complaint said that JB sniffed her neck and told her how she smelled good, and we can all now see that's not exactly what happened. Her lawyers know that too, which is why they had to move the goal post. The video clearly contradicts Blake's entire complaint.

I could go on and on, but I'll leave the evidence dissection at that for now. Moving on to my next point... Ryan Reynolds. He gives off insecure and jealous vibes. I read years ago about how he was always sticking his nose into Blake's projects and was very controlling of her career. I think that Ryan inserted himself into this movie and tried to take it over. It sounds like most of the issues showed up when he came around set. I saw that Candace Owens posted her thoughts on this exact situation to her Instagram stories and I encourage you to check it out, because she pretty much said my exact thoughts on this (I'm not a Candace Owens fan by any means but I agree with her on this topic). Honestly, I think that Ryan Reynolds is gonna end up destroying his wife's career because I don't see Justin Baldoni losing this lawsuit if he really is telling the truth. It's clear to me that Ryan overstepped, and now Blake and Justin are going to pay the price.

[jillsandwhichs]

A Resident Evil Analysis

Chris & Jill's relationship in RE5

Disclaimer: This is simply an analysis on how I perceive their relationship in Resident Evil 5. Some of what I say may be canon, other things not, if you're curious on whether or not smth I mention is, feel free to ask me. With that, enjoy if you read!

Scene 1: Chris learns Jill is alive through the Delta File:

When we see Chris's initial reaction, not only is he shocked, but so are we. Could it be? Jill is alive? Chris's face is painted with pure shock and distraught. Yes, he's suspected it all these years, but to actually see it is true is surprising. Chris finally has a shot at seeing his life long partner again. In this scene, I perceive it as Chris in utter amazement, a sense of gratefulness is added to this scene. All along, his instinct has been true.

Scene 2: Chris is willing to leave Sheva behind to find Jill:

Here, we witness an act of loyalty. Pure loyalty. It is not a crazy thing to believe Chris would leave someone behind to find Jill, despite his compassion. While, I don't believe he was fully going to leave her behind, Chris isn't like that, I portray it as rather him testing Sheva and actually being willing to proceed on this mission, even if he's alone on it. This particular scene simply goes to show how much Jill means to him, he's ready to go even deeper into Africa just to search for her - Alone or not. I perceive this scene to show just how honest Chris is to Jill, ready to blow through crowds for her.

Scene 3: The Marshlands:

Chris and Sheva are seen on a rugged boat, flowing through the Marshlands on the outskirts of Kijuju. The cutscene opens with them discussing Jill and the Spencer Estate incident. Sheva is quick to point out Chris & Jill were close. Now, even Sheva notices that. I think in this scene, she realizes who Jill really is to Chris. She isn't just a partner nor a friend, she's more than that to him, Sheva respects that and is ready to help Chris out. Chris also tends to be quite secretive about Jill here, not going into too much depth about her. I view that as an act of respect and love for her, but not only that, the topic is clearly an emotional one for him. I perceive it as Chris not wanting to go that far yet, he still needs time to process the fact she's even alive and possibly well.

Scene 4: Spencer Estate Flashback:

We get to see a Spencer Estate flashback in game, rather than just in Lost in Nightmares. It's a series of flashes, displaying different events that play out in the DLC. I'm specifically going to discuss Jill sacrificing herself for Chris though. Dying for your partner is the ultimate act of love and loyalty. You don't just die for anyone. We get to see the utter despair plastered on Jill's face when she realizes Albert is truly about to kill Chris. It's like a reflex. She tackles Albert out of the lengthy window and down the cliff of depression. Not only do we get to see a blue look on Jill's face, but Chris's too. He's just witnessed the 'death' of someone he deeply loves and cares for. The way he calls out her name, it's full of anger and pure sadness. Losing her caused Chris to lose himself. I perceive this as a way to further explain their bond and how deep its roots are.

Scene 5: The capsule:

Chris and Sheva finally reach a point of possible relief. The sound of nerve wracking buzzing is heard as the large, grey capsule treads way towards the two of them. Sheva seems a bit off, as if she's ready for the unexpected whereas Chris is literally still-like. He's ready, ready for Jill. He's training every bad thought to be good ones, attempting to commit mind over matter - The matter being there's an extensive chance Jill's not truly inside of said capsule. The loud dissipating sound of the capsule opening encaptures both of their attentions quickly, especially Chris's. He stares at it with intent as it opens, his skittishness uprising. Then quickly fading. She's not there. Lividness conspires within in his head. He's enraged. He just wants her already. I perceive this scene as a way to display how eager he is to get her back to him, where she belongs.

Scene 6: It is worth it:

We see Excella, that evil bitch, on the big screen now. Her accent confuses the two of them, but keeps them on their toes. Her words only make Chris more disturbed and feisty, same for Sheva, but most likely in a different way. Chris wants to hurt Excella, hurt anyone whose hurt Jill. In this scene we hear Excella say, "There's nothing here worth throwing your life away for." Then the screen cuts to an image of Jill and how she currently looks. I take this as, yes, Jill is very much worth throwing his life away for. Chris would die for her just as she did for him, or so he thought. I perceive this is a hint to the players that Chris would do absolutely anything for Jill.

Scene 7: Excella mocks Chris:

We officially see Excella (And Jill) in person, although, they are behind a thick glass panel. Excella and Chris share some nasty banter but there is a certain line that Excella says that always has me thinking. "Jill, Jill, Jill, you're like a broken record, you know that?" Here, Excella is mocking for Chris for constantly speaking about/of Jill. Excella most definitely takes into account the fact Chris has something with Jill, or that he at least very much cares for her. She mocks him often regarding Jill, she's similar to Albert in the sense of her taunts. I find this line to be interesting because to me, I take it as everyone sort of notices how much Chris fixates on Jill, even outside of this mission, just in general. I perceive her line as a form of mockery, of course, but also possibly a form of admiration. Albert doesn't like Excella clearly, so maybe seeing a man caring for a woman, since Excella sort of seeks that, it can be admirable or envious.

Scene 8: Reveal:

After all these years, he gets to see that awfully familiar face again - Jill's. When Jill officially reveals herself, it's as if an electric wave flows all throughout Chris's body. He's naturally stunned and rightfully so. There are so many emotions roaming wild throughout his mind. She's okay, she looks different, she's suddenly evil, is she herself still, etc, etc, definitely so many emotions. Honestly, Chris looks as though he's going to break down sobbing. His eyes become so damn soft when looking at her, they don't do that, not with anybody else. He slowly puts his gun down, not wanting to place her in harms way either. I perceive this scene as showing how much Chris truly missed her, which was immensely.

Scene 9: Albert's turn to mock them:

When Jill is on top of Chris, on the staircase of the Tricell base, Albert steps towards them, a malicious leer forms on his face. If you have CC on (Captions) you actually get to see Albert call them 'partners' which to me, indicates he knows they're more than that. Albert isn't stupid. He's been there since day one. Even in RE1, I've always found it odd how he speaks of Chris & Jill, as if he knows something. In RE1, he refers to Jill as Chris's beloved, now he does the same in RE5. Albert knows how much she means to Chris, hence why he uses her as a puppet to get back at Chris. It works for him in the end. I perceive this as Albert using Chris's love for Jill to his own abilities.

Scene 10: Jill resists brainwash:

Chris calls out to Jill whilst she's pinning him down. He's desperate to get the true her back. This demented version obviously is not her. He's determined. You can tell Jill is trying her best, and, she ends up being able to push through the brain wash and literally resist it. This woman resists three n a half years worth of brainwash just for Chris, calling his name out and pulling herself off of him. She even shows off the P30 device on her chest, attempting to show Chris what he needs to do. Him being the smart guy he is, he catches on. I perceive this as Jill's love shining through for Chris, their friendship and relationship playing through her mind, giving her the strength to resist the brainwash. It was remarkable.

Scene 11: Chris yells at Sheva:

During the actual battle with Jill, one on one and you have control, Shevas AI or whomever is playing as her can actually injure Jill. In game, you're supposed to simply toss Jill around, then try to remove the red device from her chest, but there is also an option to shoot her, which will end up leading to her death, then you must restart. If you're playing as Chris, and either the AI or your friend as Sheva begins to shoot Jill, Chris will indeed yell at her. He'll say, "Don't shoot, you're gonna kill her!" "Don't shoot, please, for me." His pleas cause your stomach to twist. This is a man begging to keep his best friend/lover alive. You can hear the desperation in Chris's voice even. I perceive this as a way of showing how needy Chris is to keep her alive and well, all he wants to do is save her.

Scene 12: Mid battle:

Throughout the battle, Chris is rather gentle with Jill. Of course, he has to be a little rough at times. He doesn't want to be, yes, but he has to in order to save her at all. Whenever Chris is on top of her, taking hold of the device and trying to remove it, he's not hard on her. He's very caring. He doesn't just yank it off, he makes sure it is removed with care and essence. When Sheva is holding Jill and Chris has to remove the device whilst standing up, it is all the same. And right when she falls after the device is tossed away, Chris is at her side, holding her in a means to comfort his loved one. I perceive Chris's gentleness as a way to inform Jill there's no harm involved, only love.

Scene 13: He holds her:

This is the scene of all scenes. Chris is finally able to re-embrace the one he's been searching for all this time. The second Jill hits that hard, cold ground, Chris is out to her rescue. In a panic & a rush, Chris quickly lifts her into his arms, his eyes shooting all over til they suddenly settle on her pale, crisp face. Jill is officially conscious in the sense of her old mindset. Could it be? She's really okay? Her eyes find their way to Chris's worrisome face, they soften once she finds it. She calls out his name, so happy to finally see him after all these years. Despite it not being on her, she apologizes for the actions that were in commence not even a minute ago. Chris doesn't even care. He's just filled with glee at the fact he's found Jill. Their embrace is short lived, but so very meaningful, too bad there is evil all around them. I perceive this entire scene as a way to show how strong their relationship is, even after all this prolonging time.

Scene 14: Millions will die:

Chris ultimately helps Jill up, still keeping his hands on her soft, toned body, wanting to make sure she is stable. Jill begs him to end Albert, she's desperate for it. There is no other way. Chris fucking admits that he doesn't care if millions will die, just as long as he can save Jill. If that doesn't prove that man's God damn love for her, I have no clue what will. She grips onto Chris, telling him he's the only one who can - He is the only one she trusts. Hearing how much this means to Jill awakens that primal side in Chris, he's set to end him not only for her, but for himself and the world. Their eye contact the entire time, from the moment he holds her, has been so intimate. It's clear how much they've missed one another. Sadly, Chris must leave Jill behind for now, as she is not suitable to convey further with them. I perceive their banter in many ways here. Loving, loyalty, trust, assistance, altruism, care, it's all shot in our faces.

Scene 15: Passing out:

Once Chris leaves the vicinity, Jill's left all alone. This scene is right before the Desperate Escape DLC plays out, which features Jill & Josh on a journey to get out of the Tricell base and over to Chris & Sheva to save them. Doug also plays a minor yet melancholic role. Though, as Chris & Sheva exit, Jill begins to feel weasy. We get to see her stumble about, her eyes dreary and fighting to stay open but they fail. As Jill hits the hard ground once again, her final words are "Chris..." He is the one thing she thinks of right before she blacks out. It's him, no one else. He's been on her mind all of this time. She's worried for him, she seeks out a refuge in her mind to help her cope with the reality he's gone and off to murder Albert, as he should. In the beginning of the Desperate Escape DLC, Jill's first words when she awakens are also Chris's name. Both times, it's him. I perceive her words as a display of affection and worry, she's timid about this all. She's worried for Chris, now she needs him alive.

Scene 16: Helicopter:

Jill tosses down the ladder for Chris & Sheva. Albert is about to die, after all this time! Jill, being the kind soul she is, helps Sheva up with haste, then Chris, her soft, warm hands touch him, her eyes longing on him momentarily before fully helping him onto the platform inside of the chopper. Once he's just about in, Albert shakes the copter, causing all of them to be tossed around. If you look closely, you can see Jill holds onto Chris and vice versa. They were right beside one another, why wouldn't they? Plus, they want to protect each other, make sure they both make it out of this hell hole alive. Their hold on each other is minor, but present. It's an act of care. After Sheva & Chris take care of Albert for the final time, they all take a glance at each other in disbelief. Although, out of all the stares, Chris & Jill's is the longest and most passionate. It felt real. Intimate. It's a look of 'at last', and they actually get to share it. I perceive their embrace and gazes as affectionate. Despite the ruckus, they remain all the same.

Scene 17: End of the main game:

They're all sat down quietly, none of them saying a word til Sheva speaks up. Once they're done speaking, Chris & Jill exchange a final look. The way Jill's gleams at Chris is spectacular. It immediately shows how chipper she is to be back with him. She feels as though she's in debt to him, but Chris'll never ever make her feel that way purposefully. Chris thinks about if it is all worth fighting for, then the camera pans to Jill right before he thinks, "Yeah, it is worth fighting for." I've always took this as a sort of oath. An oath to fight no matter what for Jill and others he cares for, such as Sheva. It's a oath of honor, which Chris deserves a lot of. No matter the condition, Chris will always fight for Jill. I perceive this as a pact, of course.

Scene 18: Her death:

If you read Chris's file in RE5, you learn a lot about how he was after Jill's saddening death. To begin, he was relentless. Day and night, he was searching for her. He tried everything he could to make the BSAA search longer than three months, but they have a protocol. Once she was pronounced dead, Chris went to her grave, he went to it often even, and he'd leave flowers there for her. Those flowers have a deeper meaning, some mean love, care, loyalty, respect, all in which he has for Jill. Besides that, as her grave, he made many promises to her that we know nothing of but one can assume they were things such as "I promise I'll find you." Or "I promise our life will be okay once you're home." And more. True promises he's surely kept. Another thing, after Jill's so-called death, Chris picked up hundreds of missions, all in hopes of finding her. He even declined working with other females, but he had to with Sheva and he was willing to considering his suspicions that Jill was in Africa. All in all, Chris was obviously lost after Jill's disappearance. He went to the ends of the Earth for her. He loves her. I think he even needs her. His love for her is different than his love for any other. I perceive this all as a way of Chris coping, all of it. It's too hard for him though.

Scene 19: Post RE5:

After the events of RE5, we aren't given a whole lot of info for a while. First things first, we know Jill is in Rehabilitation, specifically, physical therapy. This makes a bunch of sense. She's withered down since the Spencer Estate incident. She's been kept weak for so very long, she'll need a whole lot of time to recover. The BSAA also runs countless tests on her, trying to figure out the whole progen virus and how it has strained from the Plaga first introduced in RE4. Besides that boring stuff though, we learn Jill's kept in touch with Barry. Barry mentions the three of them ought to go for a drink soon, which is sweet in hindsight. The gang getting back together, Chris and Jill being able to let loose and be free momentarily. Sounds like Heaven. We do learn that Chris helps to retrain Jill somewhat, considering that's part of his job as a BSAA captain. It's sweet, it's like old times, how he used to do it back when they were in S.T.A.R.S. I won't get into Death Island at all, as much as I'd like to, I cannot. That's for another analysis but their relationship is further explained as in post RE5 in DI. I perceive their relationship after RE5 to be close and distant all at once due to Jill's guilt and trauma, sadly, that is how it is sometimes.

A little thank you if you read this far:

Thank you! This took me quite a while to write so the fact you read means so much. If you have any input or questions, feel free to ask in the comments or in my ask box.

Next analysis: RE3R Jill analysis!