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archivalofsins · 3 months ago

Text

How I'm feeling right now,

Me: Gah-

Mikoto: Get back to work!

Me: It's my day off-

Mikoto: Those don't- exist we don't stop working around here!

Me: Fuck this post and fuck your birthday! We do this every year- it's the same thing it's never ending! Why can't people just fucking read-

Mikoto: Why can't you stop bitching and write?! Huh?

Okay all joking aside I did read the timeline on the app and since it's Mikoto here comes the age old game of guess who. Where everyone tries to discern if it's Mikoto or Mikoto (John) based on the language and pronouns used. So, let's go over my opinion on that and why I think it's just Mikoto.

Well, with all that out of the way let's clock in for-

UNPAID OVERTIME

(Star who's trapped in this hell with me after seeing this probably: Yippee.....)

TIME CLOCKED

Gunsli: 16 hours (Not the longest I've worked on a post honestly. At least it's actually done.)

Star @sinfulequity: 7 hours (tired... also I wrote some stuff. Not a lot though)

Gunsli: Ahn, I say we made good time.

My, oh my what harsh language you use~

Why, one could say it's like a punch to the face.

Mikoto within his birthday timeline today was using casual language that could lean towards antagonistic or combative to some. The wording here served to invoke imagery of delinquency.

What I want to interrogate is if only the words used were harsh or his tone overall. Also, why that may be.

First of all in the text provided through the portal timeline today there is no indication through punctuation that this is a hostile conversation. One could say that the words being used allude to the tone.

Yet, that may simply not be the case.

It would have been immensely easy to put in exclamation points in order to illustrate that if it is the case. Especially since the text provided was very capable of adding a coma.

Kayano: Wait, Fuck- uh, get back.

Outside of this instance, previous portal timeline interactions have had exclamation points and other punctuation marks to allude to tone.

This timeline mainly uses ellipses. Those have been shown to usually denote either a long dragging pause or nervousness within the Timeline. Ellipses have also been used in the context of all the characters to denote discomfort or anxiety outside of just registering a long pause.

It's been used this way with Mikoto from the beginning of the series. One could say Mikoto and Mahiru are the first display of the use of this punctuation and the tone it is meant to convey,

Mikoto: ……I’ve really got caught up in some trouble, huh. What even is this place? It’s probably a TV reality show or something. ……but to think someone in this day and age would try to do a project that could land them in so much trouble. Uh……

Mahiru: Ah…… I’m Shina Mahiru! You can just call me Mahiru. And you are……?

Mikoto: Kayano Mikoto. I’m fine with just Mikoto too. Ahh, I’m glad there’s someone here who’s easy to talk to…… It’s nice to meet you, Mappy.

Mahiru: ………… ……Mappy???

So, let's take a look at this new timeline,

23/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday) @doctorbunny (translation)

Amane: …….Who are you? How peculiar. Could it really be that you aren't Kayano Mikoto?

Kayano: Huh, who am I? Yeah, that's what I wanna know. Wait, Fuck- uh, get back. I'm in my rebellious phase, so I can't guarantee I won't beat you to a pulp. So just keep your mouth shut about this and get lost.

Amane: ……I'll be sure to heed your warning. However, if you wish to be saved, you should come to us, let's pray together. No matter who you are anyone can be saved.

Kayano: That's stupid….. If there really is a god, he should just show up and save us. I'd pray to a god like that as much as he wants.

This translation is by DoctorBunny; he used Kayano here instead of Mikoto to keep to the vagueness of the timeline. The timeline itself uses the self-referential pronoun ore. This and the harsh language used has led people to believe that the one speaking is Mikoto (John). I'm not here to completely debunk that idea, just offer an alternative interpretation along with my reasoning behind it.

I said that I believed this to be Mikoto speaking pretty early.After I’d woken up, before there was even a proper translation for the timeline. I just went off the tail end of what was provided on the app and the machine translation there.

Unlike many others I didn't assume a hostile tone when reading the timeline interaction. This is because I read text in monotone then assign tone to it through context clues, about, on the fourth or fifth read through. I believe this is a very normal thing to do and won't take criticism on it.

I also don't tend to project tone onto text conversations generally.

This makes it easier to avoid miscommunications. Since I won't go creating them in my head by projecting a tone on something without one based either on my feelings at the time or feelings towards the subject speaking.

In my opinion, anyone who may have assumed a tone from the text provided today which has very little textual indicators of hostility choose to do that for reasons they can interrogate or not. It’s not as though this is a bad thing either. This is just something everyone’s brains may go to due to someone’s perception and relation to the subject speaking.

Ergo it’s none of my business or my concern. If someone wants to think the text on the screen is angry or happy that’s their perception, not my responsibility.

But the words used were harsh!

The punctuations weren't; I don't know what to tell anyone other than when the characters are upset or excited within the timeline the writing punctually does a good job at displaying that.

Now don't make me pull out this song again guys~ Come on I really love this song but this can't keep happening.

"Interjections! Show excitement or emotion. They're generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point or by a coma when the feelings not as strong!"

It's not difficult or scary! I swear it's writing and everyone loves it~

Let's look at a timeline conversation as an example. Preferably an interaction with only one speaker that still manages to highlight the spectrum of emotion punctuation can convey.

But could there be such a perfect example that could pertain to our topic of the day?

23/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Mikoto: …… (ellipses a dragging open showing the character may be hesitant to speak or pondering) I wonder if there really is another version of me. (Hard stop or period denoting the end of sentence and a statement.) And the fact my clothes are in rags and everyone is scared of me is his fault. Even being a “murderer”…… but it’s hard to just believe something like that.

Mikoto: If I talk like this can you hear me? If you can hear, (use of a coma because the feelings isn't that strong yet remember the song) please respond. Why would you do something so horrible. Hey, it’s all your fault, right? ……answer me! (exclamation to highlight this is a interjection this character may be upset and exclamation highlights that along with other context clues.)

Mikoto: ……Aaaaa!! (Oh no this character may be screaming in abject agony or frustration. The reader can tell from not only the word illustrated but the exclamation points.) But I did it for me……! (Trailing off but still frustrated.) If not, I would’ve broken!! (The context implies that the subject may be frustrated at not being able to communicate something or trouble by what could have occurred. All insinuated by you guess that exclamation point!)

Mikoto: ––What am I even doing…… (this character isn't upset just trailing off and probably tired or at a lost of what to do. Illustrated through the ellipses.) Of course I won’t conveniently just get a response like that. I should just stop thinking about everything now…… I’m tired……

What I'm getting at by bringing up the punctuation is Mikoto in his October 06, 2024 birthday timeline Mikoto isn't speaking angrily. He's speaking crudely. Something that can be done without raising one's voice or even getting emotional in anyway.

Something alluded to by the punctuations being used.

Now the other thing being ignored here is context. Mikoto makes these statements towards Amane. Amane Momose the child abuse survivor, the person who was electrocuted, waterboarded and beaten by her mother regularly.

Beaten with a blunt object and or rod. He calls her a brat and states that he can't guarantee he won't-

Amane has very real in character reasons to be greatly bothered by this sort of thing possibly happening to her again.

Yet, with Mikoto Amane would have very little reason to believe that he would do something like that to her. Especially since she did attack him once and he did not hit her. Unlike Shidou who threatened to fight her.

21/04/16 (Amane’s First Trial)

Amane: …………

Mikoto: Oh, welcome back Amane! ……what’s with the grim face? Ah, right, the guard summoned you! How was it? Did you cry? I bet you were so scared you cried, right!?

Amane: ……alright then. If it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get.

Mikoto: Huh? Oooi! Hey, are you listening?? Ooooi!

22/10/24 (Shidou’s Birthday)

Amane: ……Kirisaki Shidou. How long do you plan on continuing this foolish behaviour?

Shidou: I wonder what you might be referring to there. I’m just doing what I need to do. If anything, I’d be happy if you would lend me a hand.

Amane: I warned you. I can no longer turn a blind eye to this wickedness taking place right in front of us. You’re bringing ruin unto yourself. Do you understand?

Shidou: No, I don’t understand. It’s my job as an adult to teach you that throwing a temper tantrum isn’t going to make everything go your way. If it’s a test of endurance you want, I’m happy to oblige, Amane.

So, Amane's response to Mikoto making what could have been an incredibly triggering statement being to invite him to pray. Highlights to me that contextually he was showing enough genuine concern for her to be able to tell this is something he didn't want to do and he needed help.

If not Amane is really dedicated to the cause and has no interest in her own personal safety. Something that very well could still be the case. Something that would strengthen her similarities to Kotoko and Haruka. People who find themselves and their feelings secondary to what they seek to do or protect.

But we'll cross that bridge if it's built. For now this is quite a calm and leveled response for her to have to words like that given her background.

Secondly, while Futa has called her a brat too, she responds in a different manner. With Futa, she snipes back.

20/06/03

Futa: ……huh? What’s your problem? You’re just leaving all your meat? What a weird kid.

Amane: You say that, but you’re not eating all of your food either.……are you not able to eat your vegetables? Even though you’re an adult.

Futa: Huh, what, so you’re just eating grass? What are you, a rabbit or something? Since you’re just a brat, you should be eating your meat properly. You won’t grow if you don’t.

Amane: ……you make some really funny jokes, don’t you, Futa-san.

However, she's more willing to let it pass by with Mikoto. Taking his words for their face value instead of any tone that could be read in them. You could argue that it's ruder with Futa, since they knew each other for less time here. However, it's also another instance where, if you just read the words as is, someone is showing concern with abrasive phrasing.

Mikoto also uses this word right before he issues this warning (well, more of a demand as the language he uses is more commanding apparently)-

-which indicates that he was startled or thrown off. Whether that be from realizing something, Amane sneaking up on him or something else is up to interpretation. However, he has a history of becoming too comfortable with Amane and letting his guard down before she reminds him that she's younger than him.

So it's possible that's what happened again here. Since she asked if he really wasn't Kayano Mikoto (something brought up to her by Es in her own voice drama). She even goes far as to comment about how peculiar-

-or maybe interesting it is to her. The idea of lacking a singular "identity" may be something that is of personal interest to her. Given how she refers to herself within her second voice drama.

Es: … We’ve digressed. So – just what are you right now? You’ve been saying “we” this whole time. Does that mean you are not Amane Momose right now?

Amane: Right now, I am both Amane Momose and I am not. I am speaking on behalf of our faith. I am speaking as “we”, who believe that dialogue and warnings are in order since you made the misjudgment to not forgive us.

Es: So you’re saying I’m talking to the very concept of your faith right now?

Amane: We don’t mind you thinking of it that way.

That being said, she still refers to him in the same pattern she refers to almost everybody as pointed out by DoctorBunny. The pattern being referring to people by their full names. And, to go further, in kanji when her speech is written down. To be more specific, when she asked if he's really Mikoto Kayano.

Examples of this can be seen with,

Futa

Yuno (23/06/27)

and Shidou (22/10/24)

Whereas an exception can be seen with Mahiru here. Since Amane does not refer to her by her full name but by just Mahiru it's unclear if she would remain an exception if Amane does refer to her by full name at a later date.

(evidence shared by DoctorBunny)

According to DoctorBunny, the usage of kanji for everyone's first name is a bit of a peculiarity as they're usually just written in katakana. He also cited an incident that happened in a manga. Where a character switched from using kanji to katakana for their given name as a shorthand to show a partial loss of identity.

I believe these are interesting narrative tropes to take into consideration in regards to Amane and her dissociative displays. Especially since in the instances she's used kanji she was either trying to invite someone to her religious endeavors (Futa & Mikoto) or scorning them for breaking a tenant of them (Yuno & Shidou).

This further gives credibility to the Mahiru being an exception because in this time line Amane is giving her a warning for taking Shidou's help but still does not use kanji. The use of katakana here could imply saying a persons name with emphasis of some sort either harshly, gently, or in a way that makes it feel as though one is looking directly at them and their being.

"…….Who are you? How peculiar. Could it really be that you aren't Kayano Mikoto?"

The Timing

After Mikoto’s guilty verdict he became closed off. This resulted in other prisoners avoiding him out of discomfort. Not necessarily because he became violent but because to them, he was no longer the Mikoto they had gotten to know. Something that scared some and was off putting to others.

Q.07 Are there any prisoners you get along with?

Shidou: Kayano-kun has become like that, and I can’t spend my time smoking at the moment, so the smoking trio has disbanded, which is a bit lonely.

After his timeline interaction with Futa Kajiyama on October 06, 2021 Mikoto no longer spoke in the timeline.

21/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Mikoto: ……ah, Futa? What’s up? Did you come to celebrate my birthday?

Futa: Hah!? Like I care about your birthday. ……what’s up with you, though, you’re usually a lot more excited. I thought you were the sort of idiot who’d make a big deal over your birthday.

Mikoto: Yeah, usually that’d be the case. ……I think I must be getting tired. It’s like I’m anxious over something but I can’t really explain what it is…… Like, the feeling that I’ve been totally wrong about something. Haha, but it’s not like talking to you about it is gonna do anything.

Futa: Yeah, yeah, just like you say. Talking to me about it isn’t gonna help. ……but, it’s not like I don’t get what you’re saying. Or rather, I understand exactly what you mean. And if it’s the same thing as I’ve been feeling, then it will just get stronger as time goes on…… probably. But anyway, rather than talking to someone like me you should go and bother the others. Go and get showered with their stupid birthday wishes.

He didn’t begin speaking in the timeline again until after the second trial of Milgram had officially commenced after August 3, 2022. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChehsI3E4OQ&t=62s)

22/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Haruka: Mikoto-san. Um, are you ok……?

Mikoto: Ah, Haru-kun. It’s been a while since we last talked, huh. Yeah, I’m fine. Are you doing ok……?

Haruka: Ah, I’m fine. I’ve been enjoying myself, a lot. Um, I’m sorry, for avoiding you. I was a bit scared. Of you, honestly……

Mikoto: Ahhh, yeah. I’ve been lashing out whenever I go to sleep, right? ……it’s fine. Even I think you’re right to be scared. You know, I kinda just hate that I don’t even know what’s going on myself…… haha. Ah, but despite all that you still came and talked to me because it’s my birthday, right? Thank you, you’ve grown into a good man.

The reason that Mikoto was no longer as present in the portal timelines as he had previously been, is stated to be due to Mikoto (John) coming to the forefront as a response to their guilty verdict.

The impact this has had on his relationships within Milgram is made apparent during his 2023 birthday timeline interaction where he goes from being wished Happy Birthday by only Haruka to no one,

23/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Mikoto: ……I wonder if there really is another version of me. And the fact my clothes are in rags and everyone is scared of me is his fault. Even being a “murderer”…… but it’s hard to just believe something like that.

Mikoto: If I talk like this can you hear me? If you can hear, please respond. Why would you do something so horrible. Hey, it’s all your faut, right? ……answer me!

Mikoto: ……Aaaaa!! But I did it for me……! If not, I would’ve broken!!

Mikoto: ––What am I even doing…… Of course I won’t conveniently just get a response like that. I should just stop thinking about everything now…… I’m tired……

Something even worse when you considered he’s went from getting birthday wishes from everyone to that.

20/10/07 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Mikoto: ■■…… gh…… Gah…… ■■…… aaa…… nh…… ■…… ■■■■■……!!

Kotoko: …………hm. Have you finally calmed down? Kayano Mikoto.

Kotoko: ………… So you want me to wish you a happy birthday? I don’t really mind, but is that really something for you to be saying to me?

Mikoto: You’re the last person I need to have the whole group. If there was just one person left it’d be bugging me all night and I’d never get to sleep, right? At times like this you have to abandon your pride and just say something, right~?

Kotoko: Ok, here you go. Happy birthday. ……if this is what will help you sleep soundly.

Mikoto: Oh, thanks! Now I don’t need to worry~

Put a pin in this timeline by the way we'll be talking about it again soon. Point is, after Mikoto's birthday on October 6, 2021 before the end of the first trial and even the beginning of Kotoko's-

Mikoto stopped talking in the timeline and didn't speak again until trial two began.

21/10/26 (Kotoko’s First Trial)

Kotoko: ……come, Es. Let’s fight together.

Jackalope’s “Second Trial Commencement Notice” Date: August 3, 2022

After that we saw Mikoto in the timeline again on his birthday 22/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday) where he spoke to Haruka.

Mikoto: Ah, Haru-kun. It’s been a while since we last talked, huh.

Then he bluntly states what one could already assume from everything else that has occurred on Kotoko's birthday,

22/12/15 (Kotoko’s Birthday)

Mikoto: Ah, Koto-chan. It’s been a while. Both of us have kinda split off from the group, but how’ve things been? A lot’s happened, but fr now let’s try to get along. I mean, it’s your birthday today, right? I got the feeling nobody else was going to do anything, so I came to celebrate.

Kotoko: ……how carefree. It doesn’t matter, a villain like you won’t be forgiven next time either. And when that time comes, it’ll be the end for you. I’ll make sure of it myself.

Mikoto: Ahh?? Just try and do it, you nutjob. I’ll crush anyone who hurts me…… You’re gonna be totally beaten at your own game……!

Kotoko: Hm. The border between the two is getting a lot vaguer. Your entire existence is a crime. And I will see you’re punished for it. That is what Milgram, and Es, and I have chosen.

Plainly for everyone to see. He just straight up says that they've both split off from the group. Comparing how he's alone to how Kotoko is on her own as well to an extent.

All of this illustrates to me that Mikoto (John) was not communicating with anyone over the course of the first trial intermission in general. Not just from what we as the audience could tell.

So, this drastic shift from not appearing at all during the intermission to appearing within two portal timelines over the course of this trials intermission is a change that could be considered a direct result of the change in verdict.

On top of that, unlike before, none of the prisoners seem to be afraid to approach Mikoto or be approached by him. This could very well be because they know it’s the Mikoto they got to know from trial one. Unlike the situation with the previous intermission where he became

"Like that."

In Shidou's vague words,

Shidou: Kayano-kun has become like that.

If none of that is enough- which it really should be. I cannot state enough how much that up there should be enough for this point to stand on its own.

However if it isn't this framing is further supported within his voice drama,

Mikoto Voice Drama 2 Neoplasm

5:03

“But, you know… This isn’t a good thing, probably.”

What do you mean?

“I (boku) might be trying to disappear.”

…

“Evidently, the time I (ore) have been fronting has been getting longer, so this “me” has been able to stabilize. Isn’t that the reason we can talk properly?”

So, if during the time even Mikoto (John) themselves stated they were out longer out of the them was spent being completely antisocial and avoiding speaking to anyone. Why would that suddenly change with now? Why would he start directly antagonizing people especially the youngest person here.

Wouldn't the bigger threat be the guy built like a wall that walked up and basically went if you need help keeping yourself and check I can fold you any time. Not Amane the middle schooler? Like he didn't feel threatened enough to intervene in any part of that conversation but certainly this child inviting to him to pray deserves to be beaten to death for offering him salvation.

Because,

“I” (boku) will save “me” (boku)

Yes, I'm dead ass right now- Both uses in MeMe are just boku.

Oh my gosh it's like people can use whatever way to refer to themselves they want at their convenience or something. Wow, shocker oh my gosh.

Or does anyone want to posit the idea that Mikoto (John) also referred to as ore did not appear in MeMe at all? He visually appeared. That much is for certain no matter how you slice it.

However, this plays into what's said in the subtitles of Double that Mikoto (John) is Double and Mikoto is as the cover of Double alluded to MeMe.

So, that's just Mikoto's song he claimed that shit. He claimed that shit heavily. Under that framing MeMe using boku predominantly throughout while Double uses ore,

Would make a lot of sense. However it would raise the very compelling question of Mikoto what the fuck?

Since MeMe is very much the,

"I did that shit and I'd do it again too."

Song out of the both of them. Where he literally goes fuck you I'm not sorry you're just fucking wrong and-

"The truth will come to reveal itself- I will NEVER forgive you if this is happening to me even though I’m right." - "Why, hey why, please let me out of here."

Well that's some boku shit right there, can't argue with preferred pronouns. Boku all the way through. That's just how Mikoto is. Killing that man, discarding the evidence, having a nice bath after all boku damn. It's hell of unfortunate that things simply were that simple. Yet, ya know all that anger, resentment and hate was simply all Mikoto.

Then there's the whole issue of what Mikoto (John) said within their second trial voice drama. Which not only continues to support the idea that Mikoto (John) was the one mainly out and about during the intermission,

5:45

“As for alters… Why do you think they’re born?”

In precise terms, it’s called dissociative identity disorder. Generally speaking, when a person experiences severe pain or stress a new personality is created to try and isolate the original from the resulting trauma.

“Yeah. I… probably come out to ease the stress I (boku) experiences. The fact that I come out for longer just means that I (boku) is constantly under extreme stress.”

Stress… Namely the environment of Milgram, right?

“Right. Especially the fact that you judged against forgiving Boku is causing a lot of stress. That’s why he’s entrusting me with his heart.”

I see.

10:06

“It’s true that I was the one who wanted to destroy everything… and the weakness of Boku, who couldn’t stand up for himself all alone, might have been the origin of that. But… that’s all there is to it. Is that a sin?”

I’ll be considering that after this.

“After talking to you, I get that you couldn’t forgive what I did. And I’m fine with that.”

…Yeah. That’s right.

“The one Milgram is supposed to judge is Boku – Mikoto, right. He’s not me – so, not John.”

Precisely.

“Please, forgive Boku. If you don’t… I’m sure he won’t be able to deal with this any longer.”

“A sin committed by another personality isn’t a sin”... you’re telling me that’s how I should judge?

“Yeah. If you forgive Boku… I’ll disappear.”

After this Mikoto Kayano regardless of how either refers to themselves was found overwhelmingly,

Innocent. So, if all of this were true (which it doesn't have to be he could have just lied) then I have one question,

Why the fuck is he still here?

If it was as simple as Mikoto (John) presented it to be within their second voice drama then why is he still being implied to be here or here at all?

Why is Mikoto telling Kazui he's concerned about lashing out again?

24/08/05 (Kazui’s Birthday)

Mikoto: ––No, it’s just…… I’m happy for the thought…… But I don’t even know myself what I’ll do next. So I can’t really hang out at the moment, y’know? But…… haha, aren’t you scared, Kazu-san?

Kazui: Hmm, I guess because of my work, I’m used to dealing with rowdy youngsters. Obviously you have your reasons. I don’t feel like prying, though. Well, whenever you feel like it, you’re always welcome. If you’re always on your own it’ll just make you feel worse. I’ll be company if you need to relieve some stress.

Mikoto: Yeah…… I’m not really, y’know, used to relying on other people. Like, I start to worry that I’m being a burden. And it’s hard for me to deal with feeling so pathetic…… If I do say so myself, I’m super Japanese, haha……

Kazui: Hm…… well, I’m fine whatever. If this is what’s easiest for you, I won’t force you. But you know, being in your 20s is still super young. It’s great that you’re so disciplined, but most people won’t worry if you’re a bit of a burden. I mean, I’m almost 40, and I feel like I’m still a kid now.

Now let me shot down my own point real quick-

It makes sense that Mikoto would tell Kazui to stay back because he's concerned that he may lash out again. He doesn't know about the deal Mikoto (John) made with Es. The one where he blatantly states that he will disappear as long as Mikoto is voted innocent. For all he knows it could happen again.

So, let me rephrase,

Why the fuck would Mikoto (John)- Someone who would know about that deal and under this framing have the unrestrained capacity to just destroy Amane and anyone else here warn her about himself?

If he doesn't want to hurt Amane he can just not fucking do that. That's a very real option he has and has taken in the past with others. He fought Kotoko back without injuring her at all- Furthermore, why would it even be necessary for someone only interested in defending themselves to throw hands with anyone else here outside of an instance where there's an attack happening already?

Neoplasm 11:03

"That’s right. I’ll have to disappear eventually, anyway… Disappear, and take all of it with me. I… was born to protect boku, after all."

You were… born for it…

"Yeah. If it’s for boku, I’ll… do anything."

Trial two Written Interrogation

Q.16 Is there something you'd protect at the cost of your life?

Mikoto: MIKOTO'S LIFE.

Even when Mikoto attacked Kotoko it was when she had already begun attacking others. It isn't unreasonable to interrogate the idea that he attacked her while she was preoccupied because he knew she might come for him next. Especially given he was aware of their verdict at the time.

Unless everyone has conveniently forgotten the details of their altercation that Kotoko herself admitted to,

Yonah 0:23

"I attacked everyone in order, but because of the interference caused by Kayano Mikoto and Mukuhara Kazui, who was protecting Kajiyama Fuuta, I couldn't finish it properly. But I was still able to do some damage. After attacking Shiina Mahiru, I had no time left for Momose Amane."

Even so I don't even have to go this far to display that the autheticity of this warning is questionable at best. Because again working under the assumption that the warning is from Mikoto (John) makes it a moot point.

Since as I said before if he didn't want to attack Amane he could just not do that. It makes sense for Mikoto to be concerned about what could happen without his knowledge. He has no control over Mikoto (John) or their actions to our knowledge at this time.

But for Mikoto (John) to behave in a manner that implies that his actions may be out of their immediate control as well and tell Amane to keep her distance- Is noticeably odd. Again he can just not do that shit no one is holding a gun to his head telling him to kill more people or attack anyone.

23/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Amane: …….Who are you? How peculiar. Could it really be that you aren't Kayano Mikoto?

Amane: ……I'll be sure to heed your warning. However, if you wish to be saved, you should come to us, let's pray together. No matter who you are anyone can be saved.

Kayano: That's stupid….. If there really is a god, he should just show up and save us. I'd pray to a god like that as much as he wants.

Based on the punctuation this isn't a hostile conversation. There are no exclamation points used. It's mostly ellipses and full stops. The only time Mikoto gets noticeably startled in a way that is readable is when "- " is used to show an abrupt cut off.

This may imply that he may have taken a step back from Amane as she tried to move closer to him. Amane also doesn't respond to his warning harshly instead stating she'll heed it. Then invite him to pray together with her. Something that an individual who was just overtly threatened wouldn't usually do if they can safely get away which she can.

She can just leave, she's inviting him to another thing. Directly after he told her to leave. All of this together gives the impression of a hushed and anxious conversation. Not a particularly hostile one.

Under this framing, it could be Mikoto (John) warning Amane about Mikoto. Which would could explain why the text can read as jumpy and concerned about who may be overhearing.

Mirroring the conversation between Kotoko and Haruka in a lot of ways,

23/12/15 (Kotoko’s Birthday)

Haruka: ……please, don’t tell anyone. And also, please, don’t get involved. All I can do, is ask, you……

Kotoko: ––Fufu, fufufufufu. That’s a crazy thing to be thinking. Honestly, it’s weird. But I don’t hate it. If only all the wrongdoers were like you.

Haruka: No…… that’s wrong…… That’s not, why I’m doing, this…… This, isn’t for me…… I have to protect…… so, Kotoko-san……please……

Kotoko: Eh? Ah, yeah, yeah. Well, I promise I won’t get in your way. Honestly, if I could, I’d love to do it myself, but I’ll step back this time. As for what happens next…… I wonder. It depends on Es.

Mikoto (John) is very much in control of his own actions but he doesn't know what Mikoto may do. Now that he's innocent and during the intermission the prisoners are unrestrained.

It's also incredibly different from how Mikoto conducts himself when talking to Kazui about keeping his distance. In that interaction he stays calm and is even somewhat curious asking Kazui,

"But…… haha, aren’t you scared, Kazu-san?"

Then proceeds to have a leveled conversation with him after that.

Unlike when Mikoto was talking to Kazui on August 5, 2024 where Mikoto is calm and leveled. If this is Mikoto (John) his panicked anxious and speaks in a way that implied he physical jumps back to keep away from Amane.

Now if this Mikoto (John) why would he be discussing this in such a way to imply he doesn't have control over his own self. Why would he be pondering about who he is as we see Mikoto do throughout the timeline and in his voice dramas,

"You know, I kinda just hate that I don’t even know what’s going on myself…… haha." - 23/10/06 (Mikoto's Birthday)

Neoplasm

"It’s pretty tough, isn’t it? (laughs) Ever since I came here, so much has been happening that I don’t understand…"

… You really… do laugh when you’re suffering, huh?

"Huh?"

You don’t get angry. You don’t scream. You laugh, like it’s a minor inconvenience.

"Ah… I guess so. I might have that kind of trait."

20/07/08

Yuno: Hey, Mikoto-san. Don’t you get tired being so conscious of others all the time? I mean, you’re free to do what you want though.

Mikoto: Eh…… Aha, what are you talking about? I’m not being conscious or anything. It’s normal to make sure to get along with everyone, right? I mean, when you put it like that, aren’t you the same, Yun-chan? You’re always smiling and getting on with everyone too.

Yuno: I don’t smile unless I actually want to. But with you, when you’re talking with other people it’s more like you only smile deliberately. So I kept thinking, don’t your cheeks get tired? Ah, is this just what happens when you become a working adult? ……you see people like that sometimes.

Mikoto: Haha, you don’t mince your words do you. …….that was never my intention, but now that you mention it, yeah, I guess I do. This might’ve been since I started my job too…… But like, if I was rude to everyone I met, all my efforts would come to nothing, right?

"Why, hey why, I’m nowhere to be found?"

Mikoto has repeatedly brought up difficulty with understanding himself and his habits. Along with put his anxiety when it came to being at fault or to blame for all of this on full display out the gate-

"I’m probably not to blame, it’s probably nothing I’m probably just having a bad dream, I need to wake up soon."

In contrast Mikoto (John) isn't shown to have this crisis of identity bluntly stating in the second voice drama that he was born to keep Mikoto safe and in the second written interrogation that he's willing to give his life for that.

Q.16 Is there something you'd protect at the cost of your life?

Mikoto: MIKOTO'S LIFE.

"I… was born to protect boku, after all."

So, why would he be questioning this now? When he was so ready to to end his own life just to make sure Mikoto wound up innocent. Why would he suddenly feel uncertain about his identity?

Insecurities so similar to the same ones put on display through all of MeMe where boku is only the term used.

"Is this selfish? This isn’t too much is it?" - "Ahhh, it’s the same anywhere I go. It’s like what’s wrong isn’t wrong- I’m already the fake one."

"Could it really be that you aren't Kayano Mikoto?"

"Wait, fuck- uh,"

20/07/15

Amane: Eh, my studies? I enjoy it. To me, studying is something I do for fun. Do you not think the same, Mikoto-san?

Mikoto: Not at all! It’s just a means to an end…… I just did the bare minimum needed to get into a good company. I actually went to an arts uni that had a pretty low subject requirement to enroll, and from there I studied curation and…… uhh, you don’t really know what that is huh. Hmm. Since your way of speaking is so mature, I keep forgetting I need to explain myself properly……

Amane: It’s fine. If there are any words I don’t understand I can look them up later. An arts university, though…… Does that mean you’re good at drawing, then? It may be a bit rude to say, but that’s rather unexpected.

Mikoto: No, not really…? I mean, I could do the bare minimum needed to pass the entrance exam though. Even though it’s called an arts uni, there’s still subjects where you don’t need to draw at all. I’m the sort of person who tries to be efficient, so I worked backwards from the job I wanted to get into and chose to study subjects like direction and management~ ……ah, I’ve done it again……

It seems like Mikoto may have a habit of letting of his guard down around Amane and saying too much as a result or as he says it,

"I need to explain myself properly......"

Not explaining himself as properly as he should. Because he starts speaking too casually and a lot because Amane won't stop him and will just listen. Which can lead to him possibly saying some things he shouldn't have-

"Wait, fuck- uh,"

Mikoto (on his last resort if I picot and act like the other guy I can get out of this): Fuck you kid I'll kick your ass don't tell anyone about this-

Amane (understanding the dissociative horrors): . . . You can always come pray with me sometime.

Mikoto: That's stupid. (So stupid of a suggestion that I actually forgot what I was upset about.)

Amane: ... (He may have to die with the doctor.)

Amane hitting him with the let's pray together was the equivalent of that one post that's like I told somebody I was having an episode and they asked if it was a beach episode- or even the are you like for real sad post. It was such an outlandish fucking suggestion it just balanced him right back out. Like that "That's stupid." ws the most blunt and immediate response he's ever had to anything in this series and it greatly amuses me.

Because like sir-

Q.19 Do you believe god exists?

Mikoto: I don’t believe, no. I don’t feel so strongly that I’m gonna deny the possibility but like, what do I gain from believing?

"That's stupid….. If there really is a god, he should just show up and save us. I'd pray to a god like that as much as he wants."

Like still true he's not denying the existence of god outright and still saying his faith is dependent on what that god can do for him first. So again definitely just Mikoto. Like I'm sorry it's just clearly him.

Even down to going save me and then I'll pray to you aligning directly with his-

"But like, what do I gain from believing?"

All of that self doubt and insecurity throughout MeMe is fully attached to boku meanwhile Double does only use ore. However in the case of Double that is blatantly stated to be a conversation between the surface and the underneath.

Source: Maristelina

This timeline also seems to begin in the middle of a conversation not at the beginning of it. Since I doubt Amane would start a conversation with Mikoto asking who he is.

Outside of that the beginning of this timeline mirrors the end of Amane's one with Mahiru,

23/01/17 (Mahiru’s Birthday)

Amane: Happy birthday. Mahiru-san. How is your body feeling?

Mahiru: ……ah, Amane-chan. Thank you. Yeah, I’m fine. Now I can move around if I use a wheelchair…… It’s all thanks to Shidou-san looking after me……

Amane: I’ll give you one warning. The two of you are dabbling in something tabooed. If you continue to go against the way of nature like this, you’ll just bring an early death upon yourself. Think hard about this.

Mahiru: Amane-chan……? Are you really Amane-chan……?

Also Amane unlike Mikoto when it came to Kazui's timeline where he didn't wish him happy birthday isn't impolite. So this conversation probably began with her wishing him happy birthday and they cut past this to here.

It would also align with Amane's recruiting habits as she went up to Futa and propositioned him on his birthday as well. Using his the day it was as a pretense of sorts.

22/04/19 (Futa’s Birthday)

Futa: Ahh…… I’m not wrong…… I wasn’t doing anything wrong……Shut up, why are you going on an on about something so minor…… It has nothing to do with you…… Aaahhh……

Amane: Oh, were you talking to yourself, Futa-san? Or maybe there’s something there you’re able to see?

Futa: ……! O-oh, it’s just you. It’s nothing. ……but well, on that note. Hey. Don’t you have anything happening too? Since being in here, just suddenly getting anxious. Feeling as though loads of people are all there condemning you, telling you you were wrong.

Amane: ……I’m fine. I don’t know what you’ve done or what it is you’re worried about, but I think if there’s something you believe in, you should stay true to it. It’s not something that should waver just because other people said something. I personally don’t plan on changing my own beliefs even if I’m told I’m wrong either…… ……today is your birthday, correct? I’ll pray for God to keep you under his care.

23/04/19 (Futa’s Birthday)

Futa: ……! Oi, is it just you. Don’t scare me like that. You shouldn’t just stand there saying nothing. Hah, what? Did you just come to laugh at me for being weak? Dumb brat.

Amane: No. I just came to observe. To see what people are thinking. To see who is being corrupted. What about you, Kajiyama Futa?

Futa: I understand even less of what you’re saying than I did before. Brat, you’re on the side who weren’t forgiven too, right? ……so why can you still stand. Don’t you can hear it too? The voices blaming us. ……I don’t have the energy to do anything like this.

Amane: It goes without saying. Because there’s something far more important than the voices of people we can’t even see. People are able to get back up again. As long as there’s something to guide them. Kajiyama Futa, by coincidence today happens to be your birthday, correct? Don’t you think it’s a good opportunity to be reborn? If, right now, you could shake off those around you trying to drag you down to depravity, and could change––

Since this interaction ended with a similar proposition and Amane has wished Mikoto happy birthday before. Implied in his very first birthday timeline she'd remember it. Just as she remembered Futa's without needing any reminding. So she probably wished him a happy birthday prior to the point we were allowed to listen end.

Making this the tail end of their conversation and why it seems to start so abruptly.

Outside of that there have been some interesting things with time concerning Mikoto's timelines.

The one between him and Kazui was released at five pm JST August 5, 2024 and the one today was put up at seven pm JST. This aligns with the times that Amane and Mikoto state to be up and sleep at during Milgram.

Q.15 What time do you go to sleep and wake up?

Amane: I sleep at 9pm and wake up at 6am.

Q.20 Are you more of a morning person or a night person?

Mikoto: I used to be basically nocturnal. Recently though I’ve been falling asleep pretty early.

Something that conflicts with the timing of his first birthday timeline that from comments that can be seen on that was posted in the middle of the night.

Though this very well could be a manner of time zones and there's no way for me to tell when exactly this was posted. Not for lack of DoctorBunny trying.

But the timeline itself implies it's the middle of the night as well. Not only that but Mikoto (John) was lashing out because Kotoko not wishing Mikoto a happy birthday was troubling Mikoto.

And as we learned trial two-

Q.15 What's something you can't forgive?

Mikoto: THINGS THAT TROUBLE MIKOTO

20/10/07 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Mikoto: ■■…… gh…… Gah…… ■■…… aaa…… nh…… ■…… ■■■■■……!!

Kotoko: …………hm. Have you finally calmed down? Kayano Mikoto.

Kotoko: ………… So you want me to wish you a happy birthday? I don’t really mind, but is that really something for you to be saying to me?

Kotoko: Ok, here you go. Happy birthday. ……if this is what will help you sleep soundly.

Mikoto: Oh, thanks! Now I don’t need to worry~

Yeah, remember when I said put a pin in that. Okay, time to take that out. This timeline serves to foreshadow Mikoto being unrestrained. Since here Mikoto (John) attacks Kotoko while the first trial is still underway. Something that we learn in trial two the prisoners aren't allowed to do.

"By the way, fighting between the prisoners will be prohibited once you’ve woken up. It’s for the sake of MILGRAM progressing. So relax, and take a breather for the moment. That is to say, anything note-worthy will happen after the end of the second trial."

Jackalope specifically says it's for the sake of Milgram progressing. So, this measure was more than likely in place from the start. Just like the barrier that was meant to protect Es from the prisoners attacking them. It just didn't work on Mikoto (John) because he's not the prisoner.

This also serves to highlight that the portal timelines do have foreshadowing within them that aligns with the information observed from other parts of Milgram Something I feel better highlights the point I'm trying to make. There isn't just one thing that will allow people to know what's going on at a glance when it comes to this series. Milgram is a series that actively rewards viewers for engaging with it.

Trying to keep things simple will just make Milgram into the joke many of the prisoners already believe it to be. Well, there's nothing wrong with a good joke every now and then just try to make sure it isn't on you though.

It's like the series said from the start-

“UNDER” Which way will you throw down your weight? To be the deceived, or the deceiver.

It's up to the audience how far this goes. Backing out is always an option but if the audience is unthinking then the only destination from here is hell. And a lot of those innocent verdicts were done with very little thought weren't they?

#milgram #mikoto kayano #amane momose

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hannahfortune · 11 months ago

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Analytical Application 2: Structuralism and Semiotics

Connotation :: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Definition:

Connotation refers to the additional meaning or associations that a word or image carries beyond its literal definition. Ferdinand de Saussure, in "Course in General Linguistics," emphasizes the importance of the connotative aspect of signs. He states that the “bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary,” (1), also mentioning that the sign is based on “tradition” (2). This means that the associations or connotations we have with linguistic signs and symbols are based on personal experience and arbitrary societal tradition/association.

Analysis:

The poster, featuring exaggerated and sensuous lips adorned with bold red lipstick, embodies a myriad of connotations that resonate with the film's themes of rebellion, sexuality, and unconventional identity. In this context, the lips serve as a potent signifier, conveying layers of meaning through their visual representation.

The bold red lipstick, a hallmark of femininity is often used as a symbol alluding to sexuality. This symbol traditionally carries connotations of passion, desire, and empowerment. Depending on the viewer’s personal experience, this could symbolize confidence and defiance of societal norms, reflecting the film's exploration of sexual liberation and the rejection of conventional gender roles. The exaggerated size and central placement of the lips amplifies their allure and intensity, heightening the sense of desire and indulgence associated with the film's narrative.

Furthermore, the absence of any other visual elements besides the lips and the text accentuates their significance within the composition, emphasizing their role as the primary signifier of the film. This minimalist approach allows the viewer to focus solely on the evocative power of the lips and the provocative message they convey based on the symbol’s connotations.

The tagline "a different set of jaws" serves as a linguistic sign with its own pop culture and personal connotations, possibly referencing the popular film "Jaws" while also playing upon the lips (and teeth) pictured in the poster. This juxtaposition of the familiar with the unexpected captures the essence of the film's unique appeal and cult status, inviting viewers to embrace a cinematic experience that defies traditional conventions. In all, this movie poster utilizes the connotations of both symbols and signs to appeal to a certain audience and encode a message to the viewer.

(I don’t have the space to talk about the font for the title but that has its own connotations with ‘horror’ as well!)

Diegesis :: Nuns on the Run (1990)

Definition:

Diegesis refers to the narrative world depicted in a film, including the characters, events, and settings. Christian Metz describes the diegesis as “the fictional space and time dimensions implied in and by the narrative, and consequently the characters, the land-scapes, the events, and other narrative elements…” (3). Something that is diegetic is included within the film’s universe in order to add context or further worldbuilding in one way or another.

Analysis:

The film poster for "Nuns on the Run" (1990) presents an interesting interplay of diegetic and non-diegetic elements, particularly with the inclusion of a wanted poster within the poster itself. Diegesis, as defined by Christian Metz, refers to the narrative world depicted in a film, including the characters, events, and settings.

In this poster, the diegesis is primarily represented by the characters portrayed by Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane, who are dressed as nuns hiding behind a wall as Brian Hope, Eric Idle’s character, looks into the camera. This imagery establishes the narrative premise of the film, which revolves around two small-time criminals who disguise themselves as nuns to escape from the law.

However, the inclusion of a wanted poster featuring the characters' mugshots and names (as well as the crime they committed in the film’s narrative) adds an intriguing layer to the diegesis. While the characters themselves are part of the film's narrative world, the wanted poster is a diegetic element being used for a non-diegetic purpose. It serves as a meta-narrative device, bridging the gap between the film's fictional world and the story of the movie, advertising the film’s concept. The inclusion of the wanted poster within the film along with the 4th wall break also highlights the playful and comedic nature of the film, following comedy movie poster tropes.

Overall, the film poster for "Nuns on the Run" (1990) effectively utilizes a diegetic element in a non-diegetic way to establish the narrative premise and genre of the film. The inclusion of the wanted poster within the poster adds depth and complexity to the diegesis, inviting viewers to consider the film's narrative world from a meta-narrative perspective.

Filmic Narrative :: Flatliners (1990)

Definition:

Filmic narrative refers to the storytelling techniques employed in cinema, including the arrangement of events, characterization, and thematic development. Metz explains the filmic narrative as the storytelling techniques and structures employed in cinema to convey a coherent sequence of events, characters, and themes to the audience (4). It is made up of the techniques that are used and collocated to present the narrative to the viewer.

Analysis:

The film poster for "Flatliners" (1990) offers a glimpse into the film's narrative through its composition and imagery. The poster features a striking visual of five silhouetted figures walking across a narrow beam of light against a backdrop of darkness. This imagery immediately evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue, hinting at the film's exploration of the unknown.

The arrangement of the silhouetted figures suggests a group of characters embarking on a collective journey or quest, a common trope in narrative storytelling. The use of silhouette enhances the sense of anonymity and universality, allowing viewers to project themselves onto the characters and engage with the narrative on a personal level. The beam of light that illuminates the characters serves as a visual metaphor for enlightenment or revelation, symbolizing the transformative journey they are about to undertake.

Aside from the outfits of the ghostly, translucent characters, the heart monitor behind the title of the film implies the setting and premise of the film, with the sound of heart monitors having a strong association with medical environments. As well as medical environments, the heart monitor (particularly when it flatlines) represents death, or at the very least the stopping of the heart.

The tagline "Some lines shouldn't be crossed" adds an additional layer of narrative intrigue, suggesting that the characters' actions may have unforeseen consequences that blur the boundaries between life and death. All of these elements work together, or collocate, to present a peek into this narrative to the viewer. This is a perfect example of how filmic narrative can be utilized outside of actual filmmaking as a form of storytelling. Although the poster only alludes to the film’s themes and story, by analyzing the many elements in the poster, we can extract a form of the narrative that draws us in further.

Language (cinema) :: Poltergeist (1982)

Definition:

Language in the context of cinema and film refers to the unique visual and auditory elements used to convey meaning and evoke emotions. Christian Metz explores how cinematic language utilizes various techniques such as editing, framing, and sound design to communicate with the audience (5), forming its own kind of film language!

Analysis:

The film poster for "Poltergeist" (1982) exemplifies the concept of language in cinema or filmic language as defined by Christian Metz, emphasizing the unique visual and auditory elements used to convey meaning and evoke emotions within the cinematic medium. The poster employs a combination of visual elements and symbolism to communicate the eerie and supernatural themes of the film, effectively engaging viewers and setting the tone for the cinematic experience.

The poster features a young girl sitting in front of a static-filled television screen, her hands reaching out towards, if not touching, the screen as if drawn into its depths. This imagery serves as a powerful visual representation of the film's central premise, which revolves around a family haunted by malevolent spirits through their television set. The static-filled screen symbolizes the intrusion of the supernatural into the domestic space, blurring the boundaries between reality and the unknown.

It is also worth noting that static has a very notable and distinctive sound. When one thinks of television static, they likely think of the sound that goes along with it. This use of a symbol with connotations of sound is a clear use of filmic language to convey the uncanny themes of the film’s narrative.

The poster for "Poltergeist" utilizes visual elements such as lighting, composition, and symbolism to convey meaning and evoke emotions in the viewer, all elements of the language of cinema. The static-filled television screen serves as a visual signifier of the supernatural phenomena depicted in the film, while the girl's body language communicates fear and fascination due to the uncanny nature of her pose. Through its use of visual language, the poster effectively sets the stage for the cinematic experience, inviting viewers to watch the film and properly engage with the language of film that it utilizes.

Sign :: Jackie Brown (1997)

Definition:

A sign in cinema refers to any element within the film that carries meaning, including images, sounds, and notably, language. Ferdinand de Saussure defines a sign as a combination of a signifier and a signified. He argues that signs are arbitrary and derive their meaning from cultural conventions and tradition (6).

Analysis:

The film poster for "Jackie Brown" (1997) offers a plethora of signs to analyze. The central signifier in the poster is the image of Pam Grier as the titular character, Jackie Brown, positioned prominently at the forefront. Grier's confident stance and assertive gaze serve as visual cues that signify Jackie's strength and resilience as a character. She embodies the archetype of the empowered female protagonist, a key signifier of the film's narrative focus on themes of agency and empowerment.

Accompanying Jackie Brown are signs that provide additional layers of meaning and context. The presence of other characters, such as Robert De Niro's Louis Gara and Samuel L. Jackson's Ordell Robbie, serves as signifiers of the complex web of relationships and conflicts that drive the film's plot. Their positioning and expressions convey subtle hints about their roles and motivations within the narrative.

Moving away from the film’s narrative and toward the signs imbued within the poster’s text, actors’ names are highlighted in a bright red against the gray background, with the director Quentin Tarantino’s name outlined by a golden bubble. With his name and the colors and font as the signifier(s), the signified meaning of this highlight is Quentin Tarantino’s prestige; effectively branding the film as prestigious, given his history of critical hits.

Overall, the film poster for "Jackie Brown" effectively utilizes signs to convey key aspects of the film's narrative, characters, and even to highlight the creators. Through the strategic arrangement of visual elements, including characters, color, and typography, the poster engages viewers and encodes messages about the film and its background and creative process.

1) Ferdinand de Saussure. Course in General Linguistics. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966, 67. 2) Ibid, 74. 3) Metz, Christian. "Some Points in the Semiotics of Cinema" in Film Theory and Criticism, 68. Edited by Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. 4) Ibid, 68-70. 5) Ibid, 67. 6) Ferdinand de Saussure. Course in General Linguistics. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966, 67-75.

#oxyvisualanalysis #structuralism #semiotics #@theuncannyprofessoro

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2n2n · 2 years ago

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miss 2n2n... ! ! can you list your absolute favorite outfits for Tsukasa? Across canon, AUs, or even one-time illustrations? (Maybe... Amane also? If you wouldn't mind! 🙏)

YOSH! HERE WE GO! I'll do my best ... to remember them all!!

I'll put it under a cut because it will be so damn long

TSUKASA!!! first!

Honestly, #1 best most favorite outfit is... his stock-standard kimono+hakama+western shirt set-up. You know in many series, you really are chomping at the bit for an outfit change, not SO for Jibaku Shounen!!!!

every detail is so entrancing. and so fitting for Tsukasa. The dark black silk with a shimmering texture, very oversized and slouched over his shoulders, nearly falling off, carelessly slack. It conveys his demeanor perfectly ... a kind of sloppiness that actually is naturally graceful and feminine? The kimono bowing outwards creates an amazing 'frame' for his chest, and the slit at the center, creating some sort of, truly intoxicating Zone. The shirt lacks prominent visible buttons, more sleek than Hanako.....

~~~~ zone of pure luxury~~~~~~~

The hakama meanwhile with its front-bow, just continues the party, attention drawn there for shots when Aida wants you to be forced to gaze at his crotch uncontrollably. The many straps also pulling everything in about the waist, pinching, remind you that he's really tiny under there, under all the extra kimono fabric. I really like how utterly microscopic he feels beneath it all. The hakama really billows and floats and lifts up with twirls and air like a pleated skirt, so scenes of him showing off are breathtaking. But the shoes+socks that match Hanako ALMOST lend this, bizarre, crossdressing vibe to the whole feminine allure, I have no idea how to put it. But I love that the red finally comes into play there, and his top and bottom mirror his brother to call back to their twinhood.

I love that the inner fabric is often colored a blood red, it's just again so lurid and entrancing.

so hard to really order the rest! it'll get looser.

TANABATA MATCHING YUKATA BOYS!!!! ACK ACK ACK

The reveal of these yukata hit me like a truck at the time I saw them. Amane in the dark, moon-themed yukata, while Tsukasa wears the light, sun-themed attire; for both boys, this is one of the top outfits for them. GORGEOUS, HEARTBREAKING, MAKES ME EMOTIONAL. I LOVE that they are TRADING their usual symbolic imagery, adorned in one another's imagery .. some lovely symbol of, connection, adoration? I LOVE THE BIG BOW OBI!!!! I love that Amane's is a rich, vibrant color to contrast his, while Tsukasa's is dark! MATCHING DINOSAUR MASKS!!! This-- image is everything, it's like, eviscerating me every time. I wish they could figure out kissing at this day,,, like this. Beautiful utterly agonizing outfits.

I really love Ghost Hotel boy!!!

the night-time blouse is just so cute and... thematic? Scary, haha? It implies so much so quickly, so narratively effective, it's a perfect pairing for the overtly sinister vampire Amane. I love, love the pillow and blanket, further alluding that he was killed in BED, and, the little frills and flounces on it. He feels so simple and humble, and yet, the long trailing tail also makes it feel like a dress or night-gown, right? White is always nice on an innocent Tsukasa!

now we get into more ah, random boys?

fucking dinosaur kigu boys top tier amazing

incredible. I dunno I love that Tsukasa's is red and purple. Amane's is this green and red (green feels so basic in a way...). I love that Tsukasa has the really cool and exotic toys of mosasaur (?) and plesiosaur (?) while Amane has more basic triceratops and trex. He really is 'normal'. I love that they have, on their, white tops under the kigu??? Why lol? Their respective different collars are seen. Why did this image happen? I don't know, but, it's fantastic, and, I love to see it.... please have fun boys....

a boy of jimmy jams....

from a random Picture Perfect era image. Little dinosaur in his pocket... holding his halo in his hand... long looong shirt, like dress, cute bow on chest.... his top looks longer and more dress-ish than Amane's, which has a trim more similar to his gakuran. Tsukasa looks nice in white as always! I wish he was always this comfy looking.

overall, I love Tsukasa in more frilly, fanciful, ornate clothing. these petal-like sleeves... evoking flowers or feathers... he is Amane's protected treasure, isn't he?

a delicate flower, your otouto you killed. Wonderful! I guess in this kind of garb, it feels like taking what the hakama+kimono provides, and, just increases the volume, this, graceful and pretty quality of Tsukasa's, something Amane lacks.

overall, I love traditional clothing for Tsukasa, so I loved this boy, too.

in particular I REALLY like the striped bow cinching it, and the placement of the bow more askew, all irregularly off to the side and slack, it's very 'Tsukasa'! It has so much going on with its patterns.... and with this emerald butterfly fan, again that, wonderful feminine grace is happening, right? Love it.

the. grim reaper

the Tsukasa from the 'Ace King' or whatever cardset AU. This Tsukasa's Amane is implied to have taken his fucking eyes out? And now he appears to live beneath Amane's DERANGED EVIL CORPSE ARMY KINGDOM OF ASH AND BONE castle. Amane is so overtly VILLAINOUS in that AU, and the Tsukasa to match him is this-- CLOWNISH, SILLY, FUNNY LITTLE GRIM REAPER THING???? WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THIS AU??? Will we EVER know more???? But like the look is wonderful, I love the jester collar drooping around his neck, I love the striped pants, I love the scythe, gloves. I think about him. Would love to know you.

this guy....

now this 'sort of' outfit isn't typically my thing but it has a lot of details that make me go, "hi?" like, seemingly Tsukasa wearing the world's shortest shorts under his ...... skirt? hakama? I cannot tell where the shirt/top ends and the 'hakama' begins so it has a weird dress vibe, but a dress with the big hakama slits in the side, making it some sortof slutty outfit. I could stare at this for a long time and still not UNDERSTAND what his clothes are doing. He really feels like he forgot to wear pants.

AND NOW.... AMANE TIME!!!!

well, honestly, it's all the same as before: his standard outfit is, phenomenal. Change nothing about it. I LOVE the gakuran, and I LOVE the mods AidaIro have made to the standard gakuran to customize it to Amane.

He feels like a labor of love, as he didn't ALWAYS have the red trim along the edges of his jacket .. it was added in after the pilot. It really creates this lewd picture frame, and like Tsukasa's hakama bow, it makes you zero in on his crotch in some images. All this... shocking red, right at his waist, in a perfect ^. Ugh... what deranged madman came up with that trim? As a result of it, his red motif carried from hat, to trim, to socks-- HIS SOCKS, WHICH ALSO, DID NOT USED TO SHOW ALL THE TIME!!! In early volumes, Amane's pants are long enough to basically always cover his ankles, save for certain poses! BUT AIDA BECOMES.. OBSESSED WITH EXPOSING HIS RED KNITTED SOCKS! And... I don't blame her!! They are the PERFECT little flirtation of color, but at this point, his school slacks are like capris, lol. It's so unique, then.

The material of his jacket is so... vividly thick, but tight, it always wraps around his ribcage tightly. I love how viscerally it 'shelfs' on top of his thick, leather belt; you can always make out the shape of his belt beneath the jacket. It 'rests' on top of the belt. The belt, which almost always peeks its buckle just through the ^ of the gakuran's petals, which so resemble the roof of the red house in their shapes-- ALSO A DETAIL AIDA DID NOT START THIS MANGA DOING, but gradually became addicted to depicting..... perfected.... the belt.....

His ever-deeply-tucked-in shirt often baaaaarely teased as the jacket rides up, ugh, this flash of white, I live for it, it feels tantalizing.

Meanwhile, the high collar feels tight, enclosed, so the moment even 1 button of the gakuran is wrestled open by shenanigans, it feels like a great loosening of Amane's strictures. The softer, wrinklier fabric of his undershirt feels delicate beneath, but is so clustered. His neck is such an incredibly busy zone, shots that detail it are very captivating to me. The double-collar is decadent.

His buttons are so cartoonishly big they make him look like a gingerbread man, he has 1 fewer than the typical gakuran, for some reason, so there are too few of them to be spaced sanely at a normal size, so they have to increase in size to spread over the area it seems. They are like huge gumdrops. I want to eat them off. Homf. The sakura detail beveled on the buttons is pretty normal for a gakuran of certain era, very ornate and beautiful detail though on an otherwise sleek boy. A touch of something delicate for flower-boy....

The gakuran has shoulder pads, which make these pointed tips out of Amane's slim weedy shoulders, giving him a more traditionally masculine appearance. It's imposing and impressive and boyish, I dunno...

Amane feels like a sleek sports car, he's so tastefully tricked out in key zones, but mostly a smooth silhouette ... and then his tsueshiro adds that little flavor of, what at first comes across as heroic and mystical, but carries a kinda, Villain In A Cape vibe as the manga goes on.

He feels.. incredibly 'held in place'-- everything is TIGHT, MULTILAYERED, KEPT IN LINE. When merely his HAT comes off or is pulled askew, it feels like Amane is falling apart!! If I think about him just finally taking off the jacket, I'll faint.... its the perfect outfit, it makes you want to peel him apart, beg him to let go of, something, let loose, untie-- perfect contrast to Tsukasa's loose, draping, pleating, billowing, floating fabrics, falling off his shoulders, pulling from his chest....

DELUXE VERSION DINOSAUR ACCESSORIES SPECIAL BOY!!!

THE DRIP!!!!! HE HAS IT ALL.... HANDSOMENESS OF GHOST, CHARM OF NORMAL BOY WHO LOVE DINOSAUR, IT'S THE POWER OF AMANE--!!!!

as for other Amane......... I love TURTLENECK BOY. who is FREQUENT

in random images, in AUs, whenever wherever possible, Amane's gakuran is replaced by an equally stylish and captivating black turtleneck.... fucking sexy!!!!! fucking elegant!!!!!!!! hot!!!!!!!! I have nothing else to say, it just looks soooo good!!!! PLEASE, 100 MORE IMAGES OF TURTLENECK AMANE...!!! High collars are just suited to him through and through... in any world!!!

if I had to pick a fav here though it'd be the ice skating boy, I really love the slack jacket over top the turtleneck... and he feels so small, beneath everything, its nice to see him wearing less. All the other boys have multiple layers as Amane typically does, a jacket over top of the turtleneck.... but that one at least has it shrugged down, which makes him feel so small..... ♥

As much as I like Tsukasa in beautiful traditional clothing, I love Amane in it, too! But it's rarer for him to wear it (and often he wears his ENTIRE GAKURAN underneath it, which honestly ruins it, come on!!!)

this gold color is utterly irresistible on him, matching his eyes.... I love when Amane gets put in gold, overall, but its rarely an outfit I really like... I feel so lucky he has gold in this! Rare illustration! the white shirt more exposed is gorgeous.... its so rewarding to see Amane in an outfit like Tsukasa's... he can be beautiful too sometimes maybeee~~ heehee~~

on a similar wavelength, I really like the shroud he dons to save Yashiro from the village people in Sumire's boundary .... despite that he's wearing his whole damn outfit under it,

the veil being a golden-orange is just so beautiful on him, his eyes brought out... the white fabric otherwise, quite rare on the sinful Amane, its very lovely...

next up... I love when Amane looks so Normal.

when he is just a normal boy in normal clothes, extremely... simple... plain... I don't know... he feels so 'Amane'.... this feels like the ... earnest... real.... boy. The boy, Amane... its like. He is my boyfriend suddenly. My normal, normal boyfriend. In his shirt and pants and sneakers. We will ride the bus home. I would love to go on a date with him *touches screen* ah.... so nice to see like this... I want 100 very normal Amane images..... he likes to, read books. He likes rocket ship and dinosaur. Normal normal normal boy

speaking of normal boys,

urrgghhh normal boy ... bandaids on his knees... all over his hands....... it's AMAZING to see AMANE in such, utterly mundane, modern day clothes, this dressed down, this casual, it's like WHAT???? red sweater. He is so cuuuuuute argh. Going to take care of his hamster,, and rat, Nene and Tsukasa. Godbless, what a wonderful caretaker I'm sure he is. I'm sure they have no hope of ever escaping him. And who would want to...? This is a once in a lifetime boy....

Speaking of normal boys,

I like Amane in pajamas too.... ♥ ah so simple and charming and cute and sweet.... its so nice to see him in something comfortable and easygoing, loose. A simpler time, right? Not so preened and conditioned, not held in place.... rolling around with his brother... sigh!!

Those are the ultimate favorites for Amane, but there are more wildcards of 'images I sure do think about a lot or look at a lot'.................................

I think about this Amane a lot. He's dressed like some sort of, 1950s, dad, what the fuck ... the plaid pants, its like, christmas morning and he's come down to sit on his special leather chair with his, wife, Nene. He's wearing like. a smoking jacket or something. The textures on it are absolutely tantalizing though, I'm pretty weak to this era of robes actually ... and Amane in such casual slack flannel pants, urgh. What an inexplicable look. It's somehow still pretty 'Amane' .... why is he in a tie if hes otherwise in such "just chilling around the house" wear? I'll never know ... he's pretty nice with it though. I would like to blow him...... ?

this is one classic boy.

very captivated by his knitted undershirt's thick texture, its tightness, and his legwarmers or thick socks... his red, tights...?? His short jacket is VERY alluring, just covering his shoulders like a tiny cape.... ornate around his wrists, big button in the center, he's simply incredibly handsome ....

ohhh the valentine's boy ....

This sort of outfit is honestly more 'busy' than I typically like (I'm not really the sort of shotacon who likes victorian aesthetics ... I'm no Ciel stan, you know?) ... but I'll be damned if Aida doesn't make me, like it, with the crazy details. I cannot believe Amane is in a CORSET? CORSET? REALLY? Ugh its cinching so appealingly around his waist, accentuating his ribcage JUST like his gakuran does. Feels so small as a result Pinched. The .. METAL COLLAR???? ???? his, married jewelery. His big feathered wings .... this Amane feels like he is, wearing, fetish gear, appalling that he can just look like this. I think the corset combined with the shoulder pads, giving him the same broader shoulders as the gakuran lends, is such a crazy look. I hope some day we get a really nice full-color full-detail illustration of this boy fullbody....

he's. funny

crab boy. from the, era of time where Iro kept going on crab-buffet binges every time the manga got a reprint ordered by the company as it sold out, and went insane only ever sending Aida crab emojis and constantly talking about crab. So you have this Crab Shirt Amane. He looks insane, on the beach in his full fucking black slacks and vintage shoes and knitted socks and an UNDERSHIRT under his CHILL SHIRT because he CANNOT BE IN ANY LESS LAYERS TYPICALLY. He's like, the epitome of Amane's, bizarre, broke ass clothing rules that cannot be broken in canon (unless its as extreme as PP), I don't know, as a result he's quite charming to me .... I look at Crab Boy a lot. I guess as well, Iro used to be so trembling and sobbing and whining and scared of the manga's success, begging it to do well, hoping people liked it, that the Crab Buffet era Iro feels so powerful and like, the energy of this charm is in the beach boy, lovingly so, I would love to go to the beach with him.

here's one very random boy I think of.... stained glass demon lad...

stained glass themeing is so, intriguing, beautiful really. Wonderful colorscheme. He has THIGH HIGH BOOTS and, GREEN, leggings/tights? Very weirdly lewd and eccentric. I like how long his jacket is, I like the colorful shimmering buttons. I like that the stained glass motif is carrying all the way to his hat, unusual. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE his red, red gloves, and sharp nails. Mmm... who is he? We will probably never know a single thing about this aesthetic illustration. Oh yeah, and this Amane has the typical sortof military aesthetic to him.

the white rabbit. pervert . demon haunting me periodically

this is one of those illustrations I typically shrug off as "not exactly 'my thing', I'm not really the Alice in Wonderland AU type, nor am I big on like, almost uh, RPG style crazy weird outfits with like zippers and trenchcoats. BUT. This Amane is like lock-and-key themed. And. it feels. perverse? the. shape of the key ... Nene's decorations being these. red circles. this guy is so . creepy and awful looking and I hate his penis key. I hate his weird GIANT ZIPPER. That he is somehow both lock and key and zipper themed is like, jesus christ, what the hell is going on . I like, hate him, it's such a weird, image, he looks all creepy and gross, HIS WEIRD GLOVED HANDS WITH NAILS ON THEM ........ but it, is also, sortof, sexy, all of this, this, demon of, unzip and unlock. I've just spent so long wrestling with this image, this Amane. But at the end of the day, he can have me. Sigh.

#avvy's JSHK

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hannahs2cents · 11 months ago

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Poetic License

Nothing Gold Can Stay

By: Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” is a famous poem written by Robert Frost in 1923. The poem starts by discussing the beauty of spring and what it brings. In spring, days begin to get longer, flowers begin to blossom, and cold days start to come to an end. However, the turning point of the poem is when Frost states, “But only so an hour”. He is referencing the idea that spring is a short-lived season, and winter is soon approaching. In winter, days become shorter and duller, and cold temperatures take over. When Frost states, “Nothing gold can stay”, in a literal sense he means that the joys of spring quickly become the misery of winter. However, in a figurative sense, Frost wants readers to understand that it’s important to take advantage of the joys and beauty in life because no good thing can last forever. Throughout the poem, Frost uses imagery, metaphor, allusion, rhyme, meter, symbolism, and poetic devices to convey the theme that nothing good or precious can last forever. The poem consists of an iambic meter following an AABBCCDD rhyme scheme. Frost includes the usage of imagery by using a rich description of the first spring and how it quickly turns into a long winter. He utilizes a metaphor throughout the poem by comparing the first buds of spring to the fleeting beauty of youth. Finally, when Frost states, “So Eden sank to grief”, he is alluding to the Biblical story about The Garden of Eden, where Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, disrupting the perfect paradise. Overall, the unnamed narrator speaks confidently on the idea that beautiful, young things in life fade away so quickly. This leads people to believe that the narrator is old enough to have a perspective on this topic. I was drawn to this poem because it reminds me that nothing good can last forever, and it is important to take advantage of the good in life before it's gone.

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drew-mga2022mi5018 · 1 year ago

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Development | Scene V Impact Frame Break Down

After studying impact frames for a bit, taking note particularly of the work of Yutaka Nakamura, I decided to go in and add them into my animation. These were simple strokes of colour that I used to convey extreme values and shadows.

The first frame was the impact itself, framed by two beams of light emitting from the source of the impact - the pick striking the pickguard. I also added lines being emitted outward from the source to allude to the beginning of the impact itself. From here, I used thin brush strokes to hint to the silhouette of the character causing the impact. The source of impact is also the source of "light" in this frame, so I adjusted my values accordingly. It also helped to use a textured brush, as many impact frames I found were done traditionally using charcoal and then scanned and compiled digitally.

The second frame depicts the flashbang of light caused by the impact, with shockwaves enveloping the singer and almost their entire silhouette being lit up by the light. The initial impact has ended, and as such I made the initial lines much thinner and faded out. Adding supplementary blobs and strokes really helped sell the visual impact of the scene too. I paid close attention to the planes and contours of the face as well to add more striking imagery to the piece. Finally, I added a red in the middle to hint towards the next frame.

This scene was wholly inspired by how One Piece handles their impact frames, with pops of colour to make the animation feel even more bombastic. The two bands on either side of the frame are the after effects of the shockwave seen in the previous frame. I chose a colour palette consisting of the primary colours as these are also the main accent colours seen throughout my film. Using three tones of blue really helped sell the almost amoebic effect I had going here. I wanted to make this frame feel as if the singer's blood was pumping as he prepared for the first stroke of his power chord. I also noticed that One Piece incorporates random blobby shapes in their impact frames, and thought it would be fun to reference them in the animation.

The final scene is basically broken down into pure white and pure black, light and shadow after the impact. The remaining accent colours are seen fading away from the screen as a transition from the previous frame into this frame, and this is also seen through the light representing the singer's "eye" in both frames.

Overall, these were lots of fun to do and I feel they really make the build up to the final scene worth it. Now all that is left to do is compile all my 2D scenes together to see how it all looks.

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dertaglichedan · 2 years ago

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First There Were Neo-Nazis, Then There Were No Nazis, Then There Were

Authored by Patrick Lawrence via Scheerpost.com,

I tell you, serving as a New York Times correspondent these days cannot be easy. You have to convey utter nonsense to your readers while maintaining a straight face and a serious demeanor.

You have to suggest the Russians may have exploded a drone over the Kremlin, that they may have blown up their own gas pipeline, that their president is an out-of-touch psychotic, that their soldiers in Ukraine are drunkards using faulty equipment, that they attack with “human hordes” (Orientalism, anyone?) and on and on - all the while affecting the gravitas once associated with the traditional “Timesman.” You try it sometime.

I am reminded of that pithy passage in Daniel Boorstin’s regrettably overlooked book, The Image.

“The reporter’s task,” Boorstin wrote in 1962, “is to find a way of weaving these threads of unreality into a fabric that the reader will not recognize as entirely unreal.”

Boorstin reflected on America’s resort to imagery, illusion, and distortion as Washington geared up its gruesome follies in Vietnam. The reporter’s task is a whole lot harder now, given how much farther we have wandered into illusion and distortion since Boorstin’s day.

And now we have the case of Thomas Gibbons–Neff, a square-jawed former Marine covering the Ukraine war for The Times—strictly to the extent the Kyiv regime permits him to do so, as he explains with admirable honesty. This guy is serious times 10, he and his newspaper want us to know.

Tom’s job this week is to persuade us that all those Ukrainian soldiers wearing Nazi insignia, idolizing Jew-murdering, Russophobic collaborators with the Third Reich, gathering ritually in Nazi-inspired cabals, marching through Kyiv in Klan-like torch parades are not what you think. Nah, our Tom tells us. They look like neo–Nazis, they act like neo–Nazis, they dress like neo–Nazis, they profess Fascist and neo–Nazi ideologies, they wage this war with the Wehrmacht’s visceral hatred of Russians—O.K., but whyever would you think they are neo–Nazis?

They are just regular guys. They wear the Wolfsangel, the Schwarze sonne, the black sun, the Totenkopf, or Death’s Head—all Nazi symbols—because they are proud of themselves, and these are the kinds of things proud people wear. I was just wearing mine the other day.

The slipping and sliding starts early in “Nazi Symbols on Ukraine’s Front Lines Highlight Thorny Issues of History,” the piece Gibbons–Neff published in Monday’s editions. He begins with three photographs of neo–Nazi Ukrainian soldiers, SS insignia plainly visible, that the Kyiv regime has posted on social media, “then quietly deleted,” since the Russian intervention began last year. “The photographs, and their deletions,” Gibbons–Neff writes, “highlight the Ukrainian military’s complicated relationship with Nazi imagery, a relationship forged under both Soviet and German occupation during World War II.”

Complicated relationship with Nazi imagery? Stop right there, Mr. Semper fi. Ukraine’s neo–Nazi problem is not about a few indiscreetly displayed images. Sorry. The Ukrainian army’s “complicated relationship” is with a century of ultra-right ideology drawn from Mussolini’s Fascism and then the German Reich. As is well-known and documented, the neo–Nazis who infest the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the AFU—among many other national institutions—have made idols of such figures as Stepan Bandera, the freakishly murderous nationalist who allied with the Nazi regime during the war.

This history is a matter of record, as briefly outlined here, but Gibbons–Neff alludes to none of it. It’s merely a matter of poor image-making, you see. In support of this offensive whitewash, Gibbons–Neff has the nerve to quote a source from none other than Bellingcat, which was long, long back exposed as a CIA and MI6 cutout and which is now supported by the Atlantic Council, the NATO–funded, spook-infested think tank based in Washington.

***No... Just wrong on so many levels

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aspoonofsugar · 3 years ago

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Semblance of the Soul: Lie Ren

What beautiful blossoms we have this year, but look! This one’s late, but I’ll bet that when it blooms it will be the most beautiful of all.

Mulan, 1998

Ren’s story is full of flowers:

His own family name, Nora, his hometown all reference specific flowers. Moreover, his semblance too makes use of flower imagery to convey its effects.

Why is that so and what do all these flowers mean?

Tranquility gives us the perfect lens to discover it. Let’s use it to explore all the different colors and fragrances that make Lie Ren the “most rare and beautiful flower of all”!

THE LONELY LOTUS

Ren: I've found a flower on the water! Can we take it home and plant it in the garden?

An: Oh no, sweetheart, that flower lives here.

Tranquility lets Ren mask emotions, so that he can protect both himself and others from Grimms. Still, what is this power really about? And why is Ren thematically able to activate it? Moreover, why is the lonely lotus in focus when Ren unlocks his semblance?

The answer lies in Ren’s flashback. There it is shown that he used to be a happy and sheltered kid. In particular, his childishness is highlighted in many ways:

He can’t wield a weapon, he can’t buy alcohool and he is enchanted by the pastry shop. All these attributes fit his young age, as his reaction to this situation does:

Ren is immature and even if he wants to help Nora, he freezes and can’t bring himself to act out of fear. His father directly calls him out on this:

Li: Do you wish to run with the rest of them? Sometimes the worst action to take... is taking no action at all

However, Ren is forced to grow up suddenly because of a huge tragedy:

Ren alludes to Mulan, but he is also the child who loses his home because of the huns:

His hometown is destroyed, his parents die and the flowers are left to rot. However, Ren is still able to make a first step into adulthood.

He is finally given a weapon:

And he is able to protect Nora and not just from some bullies, but from real monsters:

Ren manages to do so because of his father’s words:

Li: Listen to me, son. You have to be brave now. Do you understand?

Ren: No, please. Please, I can't!

Li: Yes, you can! Take action, son.

Ren unconsciously follows Li Ren’s teaching. He is so scared that he can only watch and cry. His feelings, just like with the bullies, are preventing him from acting. So, out of stress, he unlocks a semblance that masks these emotions and helps him control them. Tranquility is a magical coping mechanism that helps Ren doing what he is unable to do on his own, aka keeping his strong feelings in check, so that he is free to act.

In other words, mere minutes after losing his parents, Ren is already upholding their legacy and surely making them proud. This is specifically why him unlocking his power is juxtaposed with the image of the lotus.

Ren himself is the lonely lotus. Quite literally, since ren (his family name) means lotus. Not only that, but Ren, just like the flower, can’t stay safe with his family forever (he can’t be taken home). So he finds himself alone, just like the poor lotus isolated in the water.

Still, Ren, just like the lotus, can’t be so easily eradicated because his roots are deep. He might have lost his family and his hometown, but they keep on living in Ren himself (that flower lives here). This is conveyed through Ren’s choice to be called by his family name, his clothing and his weapon being designed after his father’s dagger. Ren can’t go home physically, but home is always with him spiritually and it has the shape of a lotus flower. Just like the emblem he inherited from his family:

Ren: How do I bring a flower?

Jaune: I- Uh- No, it's your symbol!

FLOWER POWER

Jaune: Flower Power is Ren and Nora! Ren brings the flower, Nora brings the power!

Ren brings the flower and Nora brings the power. Is that really so?

Superficially the answer is yes and it is confirmed also by the two characters’ semblances and emblems.

As shown above, Ren’s emblem is a lotus and fittingly his power lets him and others find “tranquility”, inner peace. Nora’s symbol is instead a hammer like the one she happily smashes around. Not only that, but her ability lets her absorb electricity, so that she can become super strong.

That said, when one takes a closer look, things are revealed to be more complicated:

Ren: We have to be brave. We’ll keep each other safe.

Nora: No. I won't let you kill yourself like this. After everything we've been through, I won't let it end. We can do this.

Nora receives her weapon, her emblem and so her sense of identity from Ren. He is the one that symbolically gives her the power, so the strength to keep going. Nora is deep down very frail because she is rootless. So Ren becomes her roots:

Nora: When my mom ran from the Grimm and left me behind, you found me. We became Ren and Nora. But I realized on this mission apart, I don’t know who “Just Nora” is.

At the same time, Nora is actually much more emotionally intelligent than Ren:

Nora: Ren. This... is... happening!

Ren: Wait, what "is happening"?

For example, she is able to easily see Pyrrha’s feelings for Jaune, is honest about her feelings for Ren and understands where Blake and Yang’s relationship is going.

In short, the twist with Ren and Nora is that they are not naturally “calm” or “strong”. Ren is actually a mess at handling emotions and Nora has deep insecurities and identity issues. Their semblances are just coping mechanisms that help them overcome these weaknesses. However, it is precisely because these issues are their major struggles that these mechanisms have limits.

Nora hurts herself while she tries to be strong:

Nora: Be strong... and hit stuff.

Ren has problems dealing with his most complex emotions and this is evident when he goes back to Kuroyuri and has to face the same Grimm who killed his family. It’s important to note that Ren is not frozen by fear anymore. Still, he is blinded by hate to the point that he puts in danger both himself and others.

It is only thanks to Nora if he manages to calm down:

In a reverse to their childhood, this time it is her that gives Ren tranquility while they are hiding under the bridge. She manages to do so without a magical power simply because this is Nora’s strong point:

Ren: You put everything you have into what you do. You support everyone around you, you help without worrying about how it might hurt.

Nora brings the flower because she herself is part of the bouquet of Ren’s life. After all, Nora is probably called after the Nora Barlow Columbine aka a pink flower.

After this confrontation, Ren is able to finally face the Nuckelavee and in this way his own grief. As a child, he could only imitate his father, like repeating to both Nora and himself they had to be brave. Or giving Nora the imitation of a weapon just like Li gave him the dagger. Now, he can overcome his dad. Li was a hunter, but Lie has become a Huntsman. Li could not kill the Grimm, but his son succeeds:

Ren: (in his thoughts) For my mother. For my father. For all those that you've slain. (aloud) For myself.

In this way, Ren can finally move forward. He can make another step into becoming his own person.

Kuroyuri is the perfect setting for this step. Not only because it is Ren’s hometown, but also because its name means black lily, a flower symbolic of both love and curse. Kuroyuri was a happy heaven for Ren (love), but it was destroyed (curse). Still, despite grief (curse), Ren meets Nora (love). Now he doesn’t have to let himself be defined by the tragedy of his childhood (curse). He can keep moving forward with his partner and friends (love).

THE FLOWER OF EMOTIONS

Nora: You shove people out so you don’t have to feel things that are hard!

Ren has learnt that he should not let negative feelings (fear, anger) go in the way of his decision making. Emotions should be managed. How, though? Ren’s answer is to shut them off completely.

Throughout volume 7 and 8 Ren pushes others away:

Ren: It's just, there's a lot of things going on right now.

Nora: Well, how can they figure things out if they don't talk about it?

And stubbornly represses his feelings:

Just like Ironwood and the Ace Ops.He thinks that only in this way he can become strong enough:

Ren: I thought if I just focused on working harder, getting stronger, that we...I, wouldn’t fail.

It is a flawed idea that emotions should just be ignored because they are a weakness. However this is just another way fear has to mess you up. Ren is able to overcome this idea thanks to his meeting with the Ace Ops in volume 8:

Harriet: I really had you pegged as the most level-headed of the bunch, but I guess you’re just as naive. Feelings don’t matter, the job matters. When you lose someone on your team, you move on. Replace them.

A great part of Ren’s life has been about dealing with grief. Grief for his family’s loss and grief for Pyrrha’s sudden death. Fear over the idea of losing either Nora or Jaune. This is why he can’t absolutely accept a mentality that just replaces lost loved ones:

Ren: No! No one is replaceable.

And once he admits this to both himself and the Ace Ops, he is finally able to evolve as a person:

He has been trying to get stronger by focusing on physical strength and on himself. Still, his major power comes from emotional intelligence and in observing and understanding others. As a result, Ren develops his own private flower language that lets him see unexpected sides of people.

The inspiration for Ren’s semblance might come from Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions, also known as The Flower of Emotions:

It is a model made of many “petals” of different colors. A specific primary emotion is associated to each one. I do not think that all the colors and emotions overlap in the show (some fit and some do not). Still, the basic idea is the same and it is an interesting trivia fact to know.

When Ren becomes able to properly see this Flower of Emotions, he starts discovering more abt others and fear itself.

For example, he sees the way his friends manage it:

Yang: Well, at least you guys being friends again takes the sting out of impending doom.

Ren: It's okay to be afraid, you know. You don't always have to hide it with a joke.

And he also discovers that sometimes fear can also bring people together:

Yang: You're gonna have to try and summarize it. Why should we trust you?

Ren: Because she's scared. Just like us.

Because of all these discoveries, he is now able to open up to Nora:

Ren: That’s why I... I love you.

Fear of being vulnerable and of losing her has gone in the way of their relationship up until this moment. Now, he is finally ready to take a risk. And this risk, just like many others last volume, does not work out:

Nora: But I still got to get mine sorted out before I can be the partner you need. Is that...okay?

He has figured himself out, but now Nora has to do the same. Despite this, Ren has become good enough emotionally to understand it. It is now his turn to support her with everything he has:

Ren: Boop!

THE MOST RARE AND BEAUTIFUL FLOWER OF ALL

The flower tha blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.

Mulan, 1998

Ren’s semblance comments his emotional growth. Not only this, but its two effects are thematically tied to important messages of respectively the Mistral arc and the Atlas arc.

On one hand, it is important not to lose yourself to negative emotions, like fear (Raven) or anger (Jaune). On the other hand these negative emotions must not be repressed (Ironwood and the Ace Ops), but accepted as part of one-self.

Only in this way a person can grow healthily and bloom. This is what Ren is able to do. He might struggle, but when he finds himself in a storm, he has the ability to move forward in the right direction. He blooms even in a storm (StormFlower). This is why he is an amazing person and the most rare and beautiful flower of all.

#rwby #rwby meta #lie ren #nora valkyrie #renora #semblance of the soul #my meta

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meyhew · 2 years ago

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I'm here, I'm right here. First things first, I love your brain so thanks for using it for analysis again and for sharing it with the class. I would like to add that as you said Louis has had vague religious references in his lyricism but that combined with how his cryptic coding (369, mercy designs, Dali's clocks, etc) has been lately his beliefs seem to be borderline spiritual, belief in a greater force (it's bigger than me) but religion might not be part of the equation. That being said, all that the singular eye signifies can be traced into Louis' journey, so it's all very fitting. However, I wanted to ask that Harry too has used the eye in visuals on tour. do you think if take that into account, where do you think this eye thing is heading? Or anything you'd like to add really..happy to hear your thoughts.

yeah absolutely! no idea what his actual beliefs are but he does seem to allude to certain things that are definitely pulled from that side. anywho! in regards to harry... i'll be honest i've not kept up with his tour At All so i've no idea what imagery he's been using. knowing the two of them tho i wouldn't be surprised if they've got similar ideas they're trying to convey. it would check out with other stuff they've done in the past

#or could be the good vs evil thing. if louis' future is looking brighter & harry's more tightly bound to something it would make sense #im pulling things out of my ass for harold i do not know what he's been doing lately #anonymous #answered

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space-snake · 3 years ago

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White/golden feathers, staircase leading in the sky... How come no one talks about how this part of Blitzo's nightmare has Heaven austetics??? (extremenation, am i right?)

Idk what extremenation means or what you were trying to say instead but the angelic imagery definitely says to me that Blitzo kinda wants to worship him, not in a literal way, but still. Or maybe he just subconsciously puts him on a pedestal or the imagery is meant to convey that he thinks Stolas is out of his league or something? Too good for him or whatever?

Or maybe it’s just alluding to how Stolas used to be an angel

The golden feathers at the end of that bit seems distressingly like a foreshadowing of heaven in someway tearing Stolas and Blitzo apart though. Maybe Stella uses the footage the humans have to justify an angelic assassin going after him? Or the three angels we met previously become demon assassins?

#stolas #helluva boss #blitz #blitzo #stolitz #Stella #angels #demons #anon #anonymous

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call-sign-shark · 1 year ago

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Baby Brummie, thank you so much for this long comment!! I’m smiling so much my cheeks hurt and while it’s reading outside you still brightened my day. I know for the gif, I struggled so much to find one that fits with the story and when I stumbled upon this one I almost jumped from the bed because… That’s literally Heaven? Since I’m not proficient with my English like an native speaker I try to counterbalance my lack of words with images/moodboards, so I’m glad it adds something powerful to the stories I share! I feel you for the woods, there are fascinating place. I’ve grown up facing a forest, right at its edge and I got frightened more than once. And at the same time there’s definitely something magical and eerie in them. I chuckled when imagine a little you freaking out on your bike 🤭🖤 Thanks for sharing this awesome childhood memory.

I am so happy you picked up the reference to Reb’s moodboard with the biscuits, I wanted to include her wonderful Nina in this ‘cause I wrote it for her celebration. 😬 And the biscuits were a great foreshadowing of her hunger! OH WHEN I TOLD YOU I SMILE AT THE “C’est une bonne maladie”. This was the exact idiom I was trying to translate. I love when you speak French!! Also this is an excellent question. I don’t recall any tales nor myth with drums and whispers coming from the forest. I made up this whole taking inspiration of Wendigo possession by dream — which is in the original Algonquian myth.

The scene of Heaven bloody and broken but still asking for more is heart wrenching, I completely agree with you. And that was what I wanted to convey in the smut part — like her compulsive “greed” is an absolute torture. She’s exhausted, she hurts and still it’s not enough. Let’s all give a crown to Arthur “best husband” Shelby Jr for doing his best to support/help his wife. 🥺 I am so thrilled you mentioned the cannibalism scene in which he just gives himself to her, not minding to be eaten as long as she feels better?? How twisted, romantic and sincerely fucked up he is? But as you said it’s them, and I thought it suits them. In love à la folie. 😈

AND YESS SHE IS A WENDIGO!! Did you guess or did you read the notes? Either way she is! As I wrote I tried to respect the native myth as much as I could despite still going for a Western imagery (the antlers and deer-like complexions is a western twist I think). Now I am just over the moon knowing that you’ve actually SEEN it. Maybe not as precisely as the wendigo legend itself but the fact you’ve always felt an animalistic and supernatural scene in the murder of the five men in the forest. That’s why I try to keep the mystery around it, it weren’t murder, it was an enraged and animalistic bloodbath. That’s also why I often refers to her link with the forest or the fact she’s quite slim and that something is “off” with her despite her angelic appearance. Anyway, I’m so sorry for the long ramble but I’m just so happy to discuss this. It’s been MONTHS since I wanted to allude to it.

You’re being too kind with me Brummie. I’m so touched to be a part of your fav work, thank you so much babe I love you to the moon. 🖤

The Woods Whisper ||Part 1/2

Summary: After a terrific nightmare, your and Arthur’s life change for good. You start to suffer from a mysterious and excruciating hunger, which always seems to lead you to the forest.

Words: 3.2k

TW: Extreme violence, angst, cannibalism, graphic depiction of mutilation, blood kink (wow no one is surprised), piv, rough and unprotected sex but it’s short, supernatural AU.

Notes: written for @peakyswritings's 2k celebration and Halloween. Nina belongs to her. + important notes at the end of the post.

Reader is Heaven from the series Heaven in Your Eyes.

Since the first night they shared together Arthur knew of his wife’s violent nightmares. It seemed that the demons of your past waited for you to close your eyes in order to plague your dreams with the terrific memories of your family's murder and the men who hunted you down in the woods. After a while, Arthur became accustomed to your sudden screams at night and helped you calm down when you thrashed your limbs, fighting against some malevolent ghosts only you could see. When it happened, the tall gangster secured you in his strong arms and gently forced you to rest your head against his lean chest. With his long fingers lost in your snow-white mane, he would then cradle you with indescribable tenderness and whisper in your ear with his hoarse voice, rendered even more raspy by sleep. He didn't stop until your whole body relaxed, sinking in the soothing combination of his warm skin, chest hairs, lean muscles, and musky perfume. A familiar cocktail you assimilated with love and protection: as long as he was here, you knew that the monsters that were lurking in your most twisted nightmares wouldn't hurt you. Or at least they didn't until that one night.

This time you struggled with such violence that you threw a nasty punch to his face when Arthur pinned you against the mattress in a desperate attempt to calm you down. Taking advantage of his confusion, you jumped from the bed with supernatural agility, hurtled down the stairs at lightspeed, and ran outside, barefoot in the dawn-sprinkled weeds. The only thing covering your delicate frame was the thin and immaculate bedsheet that floated behind you at the winter wind's discretion.

“Angel!” Arthur yelled, running behind you as he saw your frail silhouette reaching the vast and dangerous woods that were at the edge of your property. The gravel of his voice echoed with the rumble of the thunder as he called your name, but the savage drums you heard in your trance were louder than him. Arthur had no other choice than to pounce on you before you disappeared into the frozen forest all naked, that was why he shoved you to the ground. A chilling scream escaped from your plumped lips as you fought under his grip but fortunately enough he had more strength. Keeping you pinned on the muddy soil, he tried to make you come back to your senses by shaking you “Wake up! Please, Heaven, wake up! This is just a bloody nightmare!"

“They whisper to me! They whisper to me!” You cried out, moving your head from left to right and fighting like a demon, eyes still shut.

“Fookin’ who?!” Arthur shook you a bit more bluntly, panic kicking in him as he realized that you were still deeply embedded in a profound sleep he couldn't pull you from.

“The woods whisper to me!” You whimpered, your inexhaustible and unusual strength mysteriously increased by your psychosis, “They are calling me home!” Your siren-like voice turned into a banshee's laments and, with one powerful push, you suddenly managed to turn around to lay flat on your stomach and dug your nails into the ground in a desperate attempt to crawl closer to the forest. Overwhelmed by the situation, Arthur had no other choice than to resort to physical violence.

"For fuck's sake, Heaven!"

He didn't know how he managed to throw you over his shoulder just like a floor bag but he did and, wasting no time, he brought you home without minding how hard your tiny and muddy fists banged against his back or how you tried to kick him by thrashing your legs like a wild animal fighting for its life.

“Sleepwalking it is.”

“I don’t sleepwalk.” You mumbled, hands cupping your warm mug filled with hot cocoa, and your knees, which were pressed against your breasts, tightly glued together. Nina got up from the sofa and walked towards the gargantuan dining table of Arrow House’s living room to grab a plate of homemade biscuits she had baked for Tommy even though her husband thrived off whiskey and cigarettes rather than edible and healthy food. As she did, your crystal eyes followed your new sister-in-law’s every move, losing yourself in your thoughts as you watched the Sicilian girl’s elegant gait. With her beautiful tan skin, honey-pooled eyes, and long black hair, Nina Ferrante was your strict opposite. She was made of sun and fire, lava probably running through her veins. When she put her warm hand on the frozen and porcelain skin of yours, you batted your Bambi lashes to shoo your thoughts away and looked at the young Sicilian woman.

“It's nothing but sleepwalking and it tends to get better with time. Maybe Arthur and you should spend a few nights here, away from the forest?”

“Hm.” You replied absentmindedly, putting the mug on the coffee table only for your fingers to reach for the delicious biscuits Nina had made, “I don’t think it would solve the problem. Even when I’m not sleeping at home I still hear them at night.” You took a bite of the biscuit, its hard dough crunching under your sharp teeth. The sweet flavor of sugar and strawberry jam melted on your tongue -- You closed your eyes and hummed with satisfaction.

“What do you hear?” Nina inquired, visibly worried for you for your angelic complexions were undermined by the red bags under your eyes and the weight you had lost. In truth, you had always been thin and tiny, but your adorable cheeks and the voluptuous curves of your thighs proved you were in perfect health. That was just your body shape. Yet, since the night of this horrific nightmare, you had started to lose a great deal of weight and looked more and more gaunt.

“Drums. I mainly hear some odd drums coming from the woods,” You ate another biscuit, “And there are the whispers. It's not someone whispering to me but it’s more like an unintelligible mix of people murmuring incomprehensible things together.” Another biscuit, they were good, “Maybe I’m just becoming crazy.” You finally said, attempting to lighten the tense atmosphere with a joke and a small shrug. Your glossy lips curled in a faint, reassuring smile but it didn’t work: Nina still looked deeply concerned.

“At least you’re eating well.” She said encouragingly when she noticed you had just eaten the entire plate of biscuits by yourself.

“Fuck. I’m sorry.” Surprised by your own appetite, you brought your hand over your mouth, aquamarine eyes wide open in shame.

“Don’t be. I’m glad someone ate them ‘cause Tommy doesn’t anyway. And you know… My aunts used to tell me that eating is a sign of good health. But that's an Italian thing.” Nina’s beautiful smile shone as bright as her honey eyes, but the worried glow in her iris betrayed how serious she thought the matter was.

A few days passed and Arthur noticed brutal changes in your habits. It started with snacking between meals and, even if it seemed to be anodyne, it was something you never did. While not particularly picky with food, you were careful with your diet, taking care of always eating very balanced meals that would suit your small appetite. At first, Arthur thought that your insatiable hunger was due to an unexpected pregnancy. Maybe the baby and your hormones asked you for more energy? But your snacking habit soon took another extreme turn. Constant cravings turned into frenzy binge eating. You ended up waking up in the middle of the night and emptying the kitchen's cupboards. Anything edible disappeared crushed under your teeth as you compulsively ate until your jaw ached. But no matter the amount of food you ingested, nothing seemed to fill the void inside of you. You ate, you ate, and you ate but you were never full.

Moreover, this ravenous hunger wasn't confined to food only. The gaping hole inside of you craved sex. Unhealthy, messy, and nymphomaniac sex. A restless rhythm even Arthur had trouble keeping up with, and God knew he had stamina. The oldest Shelby brother had barely hung up his long black coat when you threw yourself in his arms and devoured his lips, drool running from your chin. You didn't leave him time to catch his breath or to reach the bedroom. In fact, your sly and cold fingers were already tearing his shirt apart and unbuckling his belt while your whole body quivered with excitement. To hell with the bed, the floor would do the trick: you wanted him now.

Adrenaline shot through your veins and gave you enough strength to push him on the ground. Confused but equally aroused, Arthur's back leaned against the couch and he let you rid him. A cry of pleasure escaped from your starving mouth as you took him entirely inside of your tight core with one brutal thrust. He stopped breathing for a short while and dug his nails into the flesh of your hips, starstruck. Considering your size difference, your husband knew that you usually needed a bit of time to adjust to the sensation of his cock stretching your throbbing walls, even after years of marriage. Sometimes he used this characteristic of you to his advantage when he wanted to see you scream his name between two sobs. And yet, you didn't seem to mind the pain anymore. On the contrary, you immediately went for a furious pace, hopping on his lap with your small and round breasts bouncing. With his mouth agape, Arthur's calloused hands clenched on your pale flesh and he closed his eyes, letting out a compendium of moans, grunts, and cuss words. That was fine with him -- he liked it rough and he knew that his angel-looking wife could be the naughtiest whore.

The simple sight of you fucking yourself on his hard shaft, growling like an animal, made him higher than the purest opium he had shot in his veins. He only started to understand the extent of your despair and greed the moment you kept moving your hips fiercely even after you both came. The gangster had done his best: he had worked you with his long fingers, buried his face between your legs until his jaw hurt, and filled you countless times in every position he knew, but you had never enough and it was starting to become painful for him too.

"Easy angel, ay? Easy -- oh fuck." He threw his head back, his lower lip trembling and his mustache twisting from time to time, "L-last round ay? I'm fookin' empty." But you weren't listening.

"More! More! Need more, Art! Please..." You begged. In the depths of your soul, a voracious maw of desire yawned. It was a starving abyss, a giant crevice in your being nothing could ease. Making your two bodies snap faster, you didn't notice the thin trickle of blood that had started running down your inner thighs. The pain should have made you stop but you couldn't. "I'm gonna --" When Arthur felt your pussy clenching around him, he worked you through your orgasm despite being a breathless and sweaty mess. Closer, closer... The moment the knot in your stomach snapped, you instinctively sunk your teeth into Arthur's freckled shoulder.

"Fuck!" Arthur grunted through gritted teeth, a searing shock of sensation coursing through him. The piercing pain that followed, acute and unexpected, made him reach the stars. He came in a long and raspy groan, releasing his load for the umpteenth time deep inside of you. "Heaven!" Pleasure exploded in you like fireworks, resulting in you rolling your teeth and biting Arthur even harder. His blood brimmed over your mouth, gushing from the wound in long crimson trails. Your teeth were so deep into his flesh that you could have ripped a chunk of him. Silent fell again in the living room, only broken by the fire crackling in the hearth and the melody of your panting breathing. You remained like this all the while you cooled down, breathing fast through your nose as your starving tongue still licked the blood of your husband, relishing its metallic and slightly sweet taste. "'S'Alright, love." Arthur's shaky hand gently stroked your back to tame your wild spirit. "Your Arthur's here." He whispered softly, tenderly, for you had started to quietly sob in agony.

"M-More..." Tears fell down your rosy cheeks as you realized that something was definitely wrong, "Fuck me more. Hurt me, breed me, I don't care but please... Please do something I can't take it anymore..." You whispered with your bleeding mouth, exhausted, your whole body sore, but still starving.

Arthur had told the family you were sick to keep up appearances and explain your absence. No one asked any questions nor showed signs of doubt except for his cunning sister-in-law Nina, who would stare at him in disapproval. But how could he explain what was happening to you now that the situation had worsened? In fact, Arthur would frequently find you nestled in the middle of the kitchen at night, your delicate form cradled in a graceful curl and your knuckles met by your tender lips as you bit them until crimson tears trailed down your porcelain skin. You did so only to hush the unrestrained, agonizing crescendo of hunger that writhed within you, rendering your sobs into whispers only the silent home and your helpless husband could fathom. The lanky gangster had tried everything to help you alleviate the pain but nothing had worked so far. The one and only trick that would get you relaxed for one to two hours was when he allowed you to take a bite of him. So each time he would find you crying, he wouldn't think twice. Arthur slowly unbuttoned his shirt and opened it, exposing his chest to you as you both sat on the kitchen floor.

"Go ahead, love. Bite me."

“No!" You protested, anger flashing in your crystalline eyes. As much as your husband's support helped you go through it, you hated the idea of hurting him. An intense feeling of shame and sorrow would shake you when you looked at his scarred body. His freckled skin was littered with deep and swollen bite marks, which constantly reminded you of how monstrous you were. But Arthur wouldn't have it — seeing you in pain was torture to him. He would give everything he had and never had only to content your bottomless hunger, even if it meant sacrificing his own flesh. His strong and calloused hands grabbed you by the hips and pulled you to him. Nestling your nose in the crook of his neck, you let out a shaky sigh at the soothing sensation of Arthur's fingers massaging your scalp and bringing your face closer to his skin in a silent invitation. The delicious scents of his natural perfume intoxicated you, leading you to take a long inhale of him. You wanted to resist, you really did, but all your goodwill couldn't compete with your husband's exquisite taste, a taste that was already making you salivate. Finally, you abandoned yourself to your vices and gave Arthur's neck a few little licks before diving your teeth into his juicy flesh. His body jerked a bit against yours but the stinging sensation quickly released endorphins in him and turned the experience pleasurable. Or maybe he was just completely fucked up.

"A good girl you are, eh." A gravelly moan escaped from his mouth as he felt you lapping the blood that was gushing out of the fresh bite like a famished kitten licking milk. The relief you would feel following your twisted cannibalistic ritual would only be momentary, but at least you might enjoy the luxury of a good nap. After a short while, you eventually pulled your head back from his neck, your otherworldly pale eyes staring at his complexions with great attention. His dark blue iris met yours as your frozen fingers ghosted over his face, tracing the lines of his appetizing lips and the crowfeet at the corner of his eyes.

"I don't deserve you." Your hypnotizing siren-like voice was mainly a whisper. Arthur laid a tender kiss on your fingers before arching one of his thick eyebrows, "Look at me, I'm a fucking monster."

"Ye ain't a monster, angel." He immediately corrected you, leaning over your face to steal a kiss from your bleeding mouth. Far from being undisrupted by the crimson hemoglobin he smeared on his own lips doing so, the lanky gangster kissed you again but with more passion this time, tongue waltzing with yours. A shiver of desire ran through your famished body at the dizzying taste of blood and whiskey. When he broke the kiss, your breath was slightly hitching. "You're the most dazzling creature I've ever seen, and I promise I'll do everything in my power to find a solution to soothe yer hunger." Arthur swore, the glow of a mad and obsessive love dancing in his eyes, "That will be our secret ay."

"Our secret." Your mouth, painted in a gruesome shade of crimson, curled into a wicked and enamored smile. The blood, thick and vicious, clung to your lips and stood against your otherwise delicate and angelic features.

Dead branches cracked under your feet but apart from them, a stern silence lingered in the forest, only disrupted by the eerie howling of the wind. Your pale locks seemed to shimmer and merge with the ethereal glow of the night, casting an unsettling radiance on their fresh-fallen snow color. As you walked all naked with a haunting grace, your steps echoed softly in the silence of the woods. A winter breeze caressed your bosom, making your nipples harden, but you didn't react, unable to feel cold anymore. Surprisingly enough, no animal had dared cross your path, as if they sensed what kind of lethal and inhumane creature you had become. The only exception was the majestic deer that was by your side, accompanying you like a silent sentinel with ashen fur. The black pools of darkness that constituted its eyes contrasted with yours, glassy like the clouded gaze of a corpse. Yet, you still bore one common feature: an uncanny malice shone in them. In your trance, you reached for the deer antlers, your fingertips gently stroking its bony texture. Guided by the drums and the whispers, you disappeared into the depths of the woods, tired of fighting against this alluring call.

How long did you wander in the woods? And what had happened in there? No one could knew. What Arthur knew though was that when he woke up, you were sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapped in the sheets, and your tiny shivering being painted in red.

"Arthur... I think I did something bad..."

"What... The bloody hell..."

He mouthed, his steel blue eyes gawking in shock at the majestic and bony antlers on your head.

notes: While this is mainly a supernatural AU written for both Halloween and my lovely moot’s celebration, the myth of the Wendigo is one of the inspirations that brought the character of Heaven to life. From her aesthetic (forest, antlers...) to the whole atmosphere and story of her hunting down men in the woods prior to her coming to Birmingham, the myth of the Wendigo is embedded in the essence of her character. This is partly due to the fact that it’s my favorite creature along with the myth of the boogeyman, but also because of my long-term fascination with cannibalism. Admittedly, the myth of the Wendigo is Algonquian and has been twisted a lot by Western media. Yet, I tried to respect some aspects of the original beast the best I could and sincerely hope it won't pass for cultural appropriation.

✞ Any comment, review, reblog, or constructive criticism is welcome. Your reactions really motivate me and keep me alive, so please don't be shy. English is not my first language.

✞ Taglist: @adaydreamaway08 @theshelbyclan @jomarch-wannabe @esposadomd @zablife @woofgocows @anathemasworld @anastasia000 @kate654 @kxnnxy @babayaga67 @meowtastick @shelbyssins @sarai-ibn-la-ahad @bluevenus19 @raincoffeeandfandoms @kishie8 @zablife @alexandra-001 @dearshelby @alexizodd @helen06dreamer @kmc1989 @emotionalcadaver @peakyswritings @peakyltd @chaosinkest1996

#Brummie 🖤#comment rb #my mutuals are better than yours #HYE squad #The Woods Whisper

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archer3-13 · 3 years ago

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its frustrating cause as a total package of a story i genuinely do believe that AOT is at its core an inherently anti fascist work. The use of real world imagery with historically fascist connotations has a lot of ethical questions and implications yes, but by that same token those allusions and implications are very much intentional as visual shorthand and metaphor.

the marleyian eldians wearing bargin bin star of david armbands and stiches on their cloths for instance is a very non subtle connection to the real world holocaust, but thats also i would say by design to highlight and allude to the persecution ghettoization and international status and struggles of the non paradis eldians. it is by narrative design a bad thing that they have to wear those.

or take the lite fascist iconography of the scouts. no specific imagery being lifted mind you, not from what i remember anyways, but as has been noted the saying and salutes that the scouts make such a heavy use of or directly coin do take on a bitter authoritarian twist and even something of a joke as time goes on especially once the yeagerists come into view. 'dedicate your hearts' for instance and the unique salute that generally accompanies it is initially presented as a unique salute the represents giving your all to your duty as a soldier. by the time the rumblings undergone its an unironic slogan shouted by angry and insecure nationalist protesters and actual fascist goons seeking to assert their authority and legitimacy. the only person who genuinely says the phrase without a hint of irony or ulterior motived is levi by the end and even then its a singular unique occasion as part of the symbolic farewell to the old survey corps and an actual one to hange, and even then its more so used as a bitter joke and twist of the knife before the emotion of the scene really kicks in.

that is to say, theres a very clear line in retrospect that isayama is drawing of proto fascist and authoritarian behaviors and ideologies present in the survey corps that gets gradually drawn out into further prominence the more truth of the conflict thats before them is drawn out. when its amorphous monstrous titans for instance its a glorious battle for the liberation of mankind, but as we learn more about the truth the more messy that conflict becomes until the survey corps are instigating the same destruction they once fought against ultimately resulting in the core cast of characters that aren't psychopaths ditching the survey corps literally and ditching its iconography.

which is also why it sucks that isayama aint the most graceful at handling this shit. I personally blame it on an overly fond opinion of his characters, for a guy that garnered a reputation for killing people off hes in practice either surprisingly shy about it or heavily telegraphs that fact. and i say overly fond cause its clear that he does have attachment to eren despite knowingly writing him to be a monster which causes him to not be as harsh on eren and his actions as he needs to be to properly sell the thematic conclusions he wants to convey. that is narratively we should regard eren as awful a person as we narratively regard the first king fritz if isayama was going to stick the landing.

#aot #boy is this a mess!#attack on titan

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slowlyreadinghouseofmirth · 3 years ago

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Page 7

In truth, he had never liked her as well as at that moment -> Selden's affections here are plain to see, made so especially by subordinate clause 'in truth' which conveys an honesty and freshness about his feelings. Most importantly, he likes her when she is being her true self, unconventional, and willing to take risk. It's likely informed by his disillusion with high society and finding commonality in someone willing to disregard its etiquette. This is where Lily is unique.

There's also this sense that Selden likes Lily because she is impulsive and this sparks his curiosity to try and understand why she does the things she does-- understand Lily as a person.

He knew she had accepted without afterthought: -> This reaffirms Lily's lack of hesitancy, which alludes to how willing she is to be in Selden's company. It also shows how comfortable she is with him as she is aware of the rumours that could occur but never merits them with being a possibility, showing great trust.

Alternatively, being aware of the risks and having not afterthoughts could suggest that she doesn't fully understand the risks' depth and nuance as in future the situation at Monte Carlo would suggest, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

he could never be a factor in her calculations -> there's a colon that separates this clause from the previous one which suggests this is an explanation for Lily's certainty. To me this would point more towards Lily not really associating the risk of rumours with Selden because she trusts him so much. i.e she does not think of him when she thinks of the risks. But given that they are going up to his apartment it seems strange that Selden would not think himself a factor in her decision. It's therefore possible that he thinks that Lily does not think of him worthy of great consideration.

Also the noun 'calculations' would suggest a lot of thought had gone into the decision where it was previously implied it was one of impulse. This seems like Selden thinks that Lily is playing an intricate game, which further demonstrates his curiosity about her and need to understand her.

there was a surprise, a refreshment almost, in the spontenaity of her consent -> This further contrasts Selden's perception of Lily's 'calculations' and I think the narration is a fine weave between objective reality--where Lily is impulsive-- and Selden's subjective perceptions-- where Lily appears impulsive but there is something more complex informing her decisions. I think this is meant to show that Selden is blinded somewhat by his affections for Lily, seeing things deeper than what are there or what everybody else sees. Alternatively, we as the reader lack Selden's sight into the complexities of Lily and so she is introduced to us as other people see her, which isn't well at all, and we have to learn how Selden sees her. It's a challenge to care for Lily as he does.

The spontaneity invokes a light hearted and refreshing feeling of being in love which mirrors the honest of truth mentioned earlier.

So there's Selden's surprise at Lily being so spontaneous which draws back to a previous point about she is unique for being impulsive almost reckless. It's like we get a sense of her character and her environment from how the two are at odds with each other. Lily is impulsive; noone else of her class should be like that. In a way that makes her free from the system and yet shows her struggle against it but ultimately her struggle will be more defining.

She noticed the letters and notes heaped on the table -> I assume that this is a reference to future letters although I don't know if they would be the same ones. If they were, I don't even have the mental capacity to unpack that. Just the thought that Lily's fall is inevitable, that even when she is happy, having a nice time, an unknown omen lurks within the same room that will bring her sorrow... oh its symbolic, for sure. But I don't want to think about it.

Lily sank into one of the shabby leather chairs -> the verb 'sank' shows how at home Lily really is with this kind of surroundings, how the shabby whilst not fashionable or expensive, is comfortable. From this we and the the pile of letters we get an image of a a slightly disorderly but well-lived in home. This is one of the tragedies where we see the possibility of what her future with Selden could look like where it is unconventional but Lily is comfortable at home even with it.

"How delicious to have a place like this all to oneself! What a miserable thing it is to be a woman," -> I love Lily's exaggerated turns of phrases like 'delicious' and the exclamations; I think Wharton's emphasis on these exaggerations is to capture Lily's innocence through her speech by making it similar to that of a child who is easily excitable.

Again with the exaggeration but this time with 'miserable', we get the sense that Lily has found the world difficult as a woman to live in but miserable seems too strong of a word, certainly at this stage in the book and is sort of hidden within her other hyperbolised expressions. Maybe this creates a kind of cry-wolf situation where, when Lily properly starts to struggle, people don't take notice not only because it wasn't the done thing to do to talk about struggles but also because of her melodramatic personality, everyone thought the same stuff was happening as it had before and Lily was making a big fuss over nothing.

There is repetition of 'miserable' in association to being of female sex further down the page which is another example of Lily's melodrama. But at this point we as a modern audience start to question if she is actually alright (or at least I did). I'm not sure if a contempary audience if the time would have given the strict taboo over discussing any kind of struggle financial/physical health etc. let alone the discussion of mental health. From the impression I get of the time, the only real source of outlet for people struggling with mental health beyond self medication was art, which makes me wonder as to the position Wharton is writing this from.

she leaned back in a luxury of discontent -> The juxtaposition of 'luxury' and 'discontent' raises an important theme that wealth does not equate happiness and that Lily is not happy as a socialite but happy in the company of Selden, and that actually money is the source of Lily's unhappiness. In this specific context, she is lamenting her lack of freedom to live the lifestyle that Selden does.

"Even women," he said "Have been know to enjoy the privaledges of a flat." -> Putting the discourse marker directly after the subject of 'women' breaks it apart from the rest of the sentence and emphasises the extraordinariness of women being able to live independently. But it also raises the possibility of it and suggests that Selden thinks Lily is extraordinary and unconventional enough to achieve the possibility if she chose to.

"Oh governesses– or widows. But not girls– not poor, miserable, marriageable girls!" -> Again we have the breakdown of womanhood into distinct classes like governess, widows, and girls,which creates the idea that there's no intersections between any of them and is a reflection of of societies fixation for categorisation which loses sight the complexity of situations and problems. And it also makes it easier to place social stigmas like those on governesses and widows. Those stigmas are made apparent here but in contrast to how Lily describes girls, being a governess or a widow seems desirable.

In the list of adjectives 'poor, miserable, marriageable', marriageable is equated to these other adjectives and we see that Lily associates marriage with a poverty of kind, of the heart.

It's also interesting that Lily talks about herself as a girl where Selden speaks of her as a woman. Lily plays up her innocence as she has probably been taught to to make desirable marital match, but with that Lily carries around an air of immaturity and naïvity; she's still very child-like. Perhaps that's a part of her that's trying to cling to her youth so she doesn't have to face her future where she will need to marry to survive. Lily sees her adulthood as a constraint on her and her desires whereas Selden sees her potential.

"you mean Gerty Farish," she smiled a little unkindly. "But I said marriageable–" -> Okay so definitely a little tone deaf on Lily's part buts she's honest to a fault and her honesty is refreshing and entertaining.

I'm no expect on autism and don't claim to be but there's something about Lily's mannerisms here that reminds me of people who I know and am very close with who are autistic. And it makes me wonder if Lily was autistic and neurodivergence was recognised in her time if her fate would have been any different.

"Her cook does the washing and her food tastes if soup. I should hate that you know." -> I just love the imagery of the first sentence, it strikes my funnybone. I guess it also illustrates that Lily's privileged upbringing if she thinks this is a bad situation to live in.

Okay I'm going to bring in a bit of a technical term to describe the verb 'should'. So it's a modal verb (expressing possibility based on context) but specifically a deontic modal verbal, meaning that Lily's hate depends on social rules. When she says she should hate it it implies that society wants her to hate it but she wouldn't necessarily hate it. That's what that verb phrase implies in today's english, but language has changed since the time it was written so it may not have been written with this meaning, especially as a signifier of an older text is the use of modal verbs in places we wouldn't today and a lot more of them.

The shift from Selden's reflections to the quick dialogue and short simple sentences of action creates a lively and charged atmosphere that feels almost flirtatious in its rhythm but by the nature of the content is more domestic (preparing afternoon tea). The balanced turn taking feels comfortable in that they both have equal power in the conversation, being allowed to say what they want to and being listened to. It goes towards simulating what a possible future could be and also shows how happy they are in this moment.

#House of mirth #hom blogging #hom meta #Page 7 #Okay so I'm writing out these explanations ant half two in the morning off an emotional high/low of finishing sex ed s3 so apologies #I also did an English exam today so I may be more formal than usual sorry

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sepublic · 4 years ago

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Sorry about the double ask so here's a fun idea, Emperor Belos wrote The Good Witch Azura books. Like he wrote them in his younger years before becoming a parasitic tyrant. - Pixel Anon

That seems like it’d be the perfect opportunity to segue into a lesson about Death of the Author, which- Given Sense and Insensitivity, and how this show already discusses how fiction affects reality and connects with it… Would be VERY refreshing to see, especially as a moral that I don’t really see other kids’ shows exploring! I do recall OK KO bringing it up with the Hero Cards not representing Kappas, but the more the merrier. It’d also be fitting to discuss Death of the Author, and separating a work from a terrible creator- Given the show’s frequent references to Harry Potter, which has a rather infamous author…

For neurodivergent kids who really get into hyperfixations and fandoms, which Luz and Amity basically are- It’d be fascinating to see them navigate this kind of twisted revelation! And it’d also force them to really re-examine The Good Witch Azura, because sometimes a work can’tbe separated from the harmful ideas of its creator, especially if it was made to transmit them… If Azura ever talks about dealing with ‘savages’, that’d be VERY sus and make matters a lot more complex. But then again, Azura also reconciles with Hecate, so it could be a matter of recognizing a work’s more problematic areas and criticizing them, while still enjoying it.

And, this makes sense, as The Owl House really does convey that experience of engaging with media and fiction, and how it relates to real life… And how media and fiction CAN mean a lot to people, it’s perfectly valid for one’s hyperfixations to mean the world to them! It’s treated as objectively terrible for Luz to throw away her Azura book, and bar a few social misunderstandings, the Azura books have otherwise brought nothing but happiness for her and Amity, and even functioned as something for them to bond over!

It’s perfectly okay for fiction to mean a lot to Luz, and she’s not being childish for wanting to hold on, to keep enjoying it- So it’d be an interesting discussion when Belos’ authorship is thrown into the mix, amidst potential problematic bits here or there. Then again, Luz is an ND-coded kid who continues to find solace in these stories, which would suggest that there isn’t anything there that would bother her- At least, nothing she’d have really noticed until someone pointed it out to her.

Then there’s the appropriateness, of Belos’ own fantasy being what could’ve led to Luz being deluded in her own right, projecting fantasies and dreams onto reality, wanting to be a chosen one… It’d be an extension of the kind of harmful delusions and ideas he puts into others, tying it back all the way of Luz herself, prior to arriving on the Boiling Isles! It’d give us insight to Belos as someone who really gets people to believe in the idea of being special, of being chosen, specifically for the Emperor’s Coven… And how this could relate to HIS character, if he himself is also a victim of these kinds of issues. If Belos is Luz, in that she never learned to differentiate fantasy from reality, and felt entitled towards bringing her stories to life.

Perhaps Belos isn’t REALLY chosen by the Titan, he just likes to think of himself as a Chosen One- Or he was, but others can also quality for this honor, which is something that aggravates Belos because it alludes to him not being more special than others. Because to Belos, it’s not enough to be unique and valid in your own way; You must be actively better than others, and the creation of the Emperor’s Coven above all reflects this. The belief that magic is a privilege, a luxury, something you must actively earn or be more worthy of than others for…

It’s also an interesting contrast, as if Belos has also been influenced by his works, or his works are a reflection of that- Then it’d set him apart from Luz as someone who actively deludes himself. As someone who is voluntarily blind, and willfully ignorant- Just like Lilith, who was inspired by Belos and looked to him as a role model when she was younger. Even before becoming a parasitic tyrant, Belos was a dark reflection of Luz, subjecting others to fantasies and delusions… Maybe not initially maliciously nor willingly, maybe it was just him having fun like any author. But then this innocuous action became very dark in retrospect, as Belos and his ‘hobbies’ worsened and took on a more harmful role for the people of the Boiling Isles.

I suppose it’s worth noting that Belos’ imagery invokes a lot of white, which is also seen with Azura’s predominantly white-and-purple robes… While Belos is white-and-gold. If Belos is a dark deconstruction of Luz’s assumption of a Chosen One narrative and fantasies, then maybe he’s also a deconstruction of Azura herself; And this of course suggests that he actively emulated his own creation. He’s artistic and a writer like Luz is, but it seems Belos got TOO convinced by how good he was, and couldn’t take constructive criticism- Which could be like King as an author in Sense and Insensitivity, up until he realizes that Luz’s input helped make him so great!

Luz and Amity can still engage in fantasy and fiction, the show always lets them find joy in this… It’s just a matter of finding the distinction between the two and recognizing it. Fully indulging into fantasy is what could’ve led Luz to accepting Adegast’s illusions… But entirely rejecting is is the path that is the Reality Camp, which would’ve sucked the fun and joy out of Luz and turned her into a hollow, soulless imitation of herself. It’s okay to find comfort and media and even be inspired by it, to even take lessons from it; And while you should always prioritize listening to real life when it says otherwise, I think it’s worth observing that Luz’s quest to be a good person like Azura… Well, influences her to be kind!

And it’s this desire to emulate Azura that influences Luz to learn magic, which creates yet another hyperfixation that brings the girl joy, and leads to her connecting with Eda and everyone else in the Boiling Isles in the first place by staying there! Perhaps Belos will contrast with Luz in that while he recognized media’s ability to make him feel happier, he ultimately used it as a crutch, a substitute for actual meaningful interaction and connection with other people- Thus creating the monster we see today. There could be the idea of finding role models, people you want to emulate- But also recognizing their flaws, where to criticize them, and not be like them. That could tie into how Eda is a teacher to Luz, but isn’t always right and excels by taking Luz’s feedback into consideration, instead of assuming she always knows better and will never be wrong.

All in all, this is a fascinating idea Pixel Anon! Even if Belos has no literal connection to the Azura books, I am a big fan of the idea of him being a dark reflection to Luz… A Luz as we see her start out in the series, only to be a Luz who never learns the lessons we see her go through. Belos wanted to be a hero, a main character; But he never went through the actual arc and character development of one, and instead ended up as the static villain, the main antagonist who causes problems for actualheroes. If some characters become what they despise most by trying to avoid that, then perhaps Belos is someone who avoids becoming what he wanted to be, in his attempts to be like that.

Whether or not media has played a role in Belos’ life has yet to be seen, but there is the idea of him having lived out a traditional ‘fantasy’ without realizing it as such, because to him this IS his reality- So it’s ironic then that Belos deludes himself while Luz doesn’t. Maybe it’s because of this, because Luz has that self-awareness to consider the divide between her fantasies and what reality actually is; Because she has an actual frame of reference for what fantasy and fiction is. Suddenly I’m reminded of that joke in Lost in Language, when Gary sees “Fiction-Fiction” because the Non part, the reminder of reality, was erased; And he has an existential crisis, wondering if any of his life was real…

Imagine this being foreshadowing to BELOS, of all people, having an epiphany- Realizing that so much of his ‘reality’ was just his own fiction, that he questions what things were real and what things never were. Belos realizing he forgot to consider reality, and now he’s questioning everything he knows, if his arcane knowledge is all for naught if he can’t even distinguish facts from fantasy… etc. What is real and objective- What if all of his ‘Non-Fiction’ was simply just Fiction, and Luz the troublemaker must reveal this to Belos? I’m just imagining Luz very awkwardly cringing and navigating around Belos’ breakdown, but also sort of relating to his dilemma and helping him recover; At least for the sake of everyone else, because a reformed Belos makes life easier than a dead one.

Plus, Luz is very compassionate in that sort of way… And while Belos’ radiance has blinded him for so long; Now, it’s Luz’s less harsh Light, which helps open his eyes and allow Belos to properly see the world around him. Eyes DO seem to be a major motif in the Boiling Isles, and with Belos, whose eyes need to be fixed by some palisman bile… If Belos’ light has blinded all, himself the first victim; Then Luz’s more Night-time, Star-oriented Light can bring a sunset to Belos’ shining era, for now the sun sets on his empire after all these years. And with the lights dimmed, Belos can appreciate the darkness around him as a contrast, and truly recognize things for what they are… And Luz can metaphorically open his eyes and mind.

If Luz illuminates others to the truth of their situation and what they’re doing- Then maybe her final obstacle can be Belos… Alongside her mother Camila, when Luz reunites with her and reveals just how much happier she’s been in the Boiling Isles, instead of the Reality Camp that was actually going to hurt her. THAT would be an unusual parallel, Belos and Camila, as two significant adults in Luz’s life… Potentially ones who taught Luz everything she knew prior to Eda, with Camila providing social interactions to the girl, while Belos provides lessons through his Azura fiction and media. If Azura and Camila were all Luz knew and learned from, it’d be interesting for her to teach THEM something herself- Again, a continuation of that theme of the teacher having a lot to learn from the student, and not being so infallible and all-knowing themselves. Even a teacher like Eda can still enjoy the wide-eyed opportunity and curiosity to learn as a student, once more…

#the owl house #owl house #the owl house belos #emperor belos #the owl house luz #luz noceda #the good witch azura #speculation #ask

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seyesnyl · 4 years ago

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Critical analysis of a Comic book

During my search for books and articles to aid my practice-based research, I came across the text “Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods”. This book offers a look into the critical analysis of books and the theories and methods their authors employ. It focuses on four essential aspects of a graphic novel/comic which are: Form, Content, Production, and Reception. In each of these parts, contributors with comic criticism expertise discuss their methods of analysis and put into practice these methods on selected comics or graphic novels.

It is an insightful book and going through it made me understand different ways a comic could be analyzed and further understood. I had recently purchased a comic book called X-Men Red (Fig. 01) and wanted to try out the procedures that some critics had employed in their analysis.

Peter Coogan in Chapter 15 Genre: Reconstructing the Superhero in All Star Superman, discusses the superhero genre and its characteristics. He offers a guide towards analyzing the superhero comic book and its context. His procedures entail multiple readings to properly critically analyze.

First reading: Familiarize yourself with the events and characters of the story.

Second reading: engage with the text at a deeper level, note the conventions (heroes, villains, love interests, etc.). Note how are they used; seriously or comically or problematically? Observe structural pairs (events, characters, icons, and settings) that reflect and comment on each other.

Third reading: attend to the sequential artistry of the comic book.

After these three, the analyst should assemble their notes and try to identify patterns in the story, using conventions, and the sequential artistry that leads to discovering the thematic concerns of the authors.

He mentions that superhero comics are usually intertextual in that they reference other texts and those should be watched out for. He also says to consider the general tendencies of comic books produced at the time the text you are analyzing was published.

Lastly, it should be noted how the characters represent oppositional attitudes (both semantically and syntactically) and how these oppositions are mediated. Then determine what you have to say about the story and how the text supports and reveals the points you want to affect.

(Smith and Duncan, 2012)

Fig. 01 Cover of Taylor, T., Alixe, P., Lee, S., Kirby, J. and Asrar, M., 2018. “X-Men Red - The Hate Machine”. New York: Marvel Worldwide.

After three readings and making notes, I assembled this analysis on two chapters of X-Men Red (1 and 2).

The comic starts with a one-page introduction of Jean Grey back into the comic universe, back from the dead. It’s a sequel to her actual resurrection chapter, but this first page helps bring the reader to speed with synoptic text and imagery (Fig.02). “I was the Phoenix”, “I burned so brightly”, “And then I was dead”, “And everything was dark”, “I’m alive again”. She is pictured in the last panel of the page recollecting this and reflecting on the events straight after her resurrection.

Jean’s death as the Phoenix is a famous story in the X-Men universe, and just last year, a second live-action movie adaptation was released in theaters worldwide. The first was released in 2006 and there have been many adaptations in comics and animated programs over the decades since the story of her death was first introduced in 1980.

Fig. 02- Excerpt from Taylor, T., Alixe, P., Lee, S., Kirby, J. and Asrar, M., 2018. “X-Men Red - The Hate Machine”. New York: Marvel Worldwide.

From the first page to the following pages of this chapter, Jean acts as the narrator of the events that happened just before she died, and after she came back to life. This is done through green text boxes in the chapter. She catches up with the rest of the X-Men team, and we watch her move from here with her blue-skinned teammate Kurt, to another setting where we get the first glimpse of intolerance towards mutants that will be the focus of this story. Kurt is the target of discrimination by a passer-by and through this, we also get to see a glimpse of Jean Grey’s strength as she deals with this situation. It is revealed throughout the book that Jean can use her powers to its extent without fear of the Phoenix entity taking hold. The extent is yet unknown to her, but she knows she was being held back before.

This theme of intolerance towards mutants (people with abnormal abilities and sometimes appearances) is a topic frequently explored by the X-Men franchise more popularly and taken more seriously compared to any other comic in the superhero genre in my opinion. The seriousness is similarly conveyed in this comic book.

There are similarities in the discrimination mutants face with what minorities in our real world go through. In this instance with Kurt and Jean, it is indirectly shown that even though they are both mutants; Kurt is singled out by a normal white-passing man because he outwardly presents to be different with his blue skin and long tail while Jean is overlooked because she appears like a normal human. Likewise, in the real world, the more obvious your difference is, the more bigotry you are likely to face. Darker skin, non-Eurocentric features, gender-queer appearances, disabilities, etc.

Fig. 03- Excerpt from Taylor, T., Alixe, P., Lee, S., Kirby, J. and Asrar, M., 2018. “X-Men Red - The Hate Machine”. New York: Marvel Worldwide.

It is obvious Kurt faces this all the time, and he seems to brush it off, but Jean is coming back into this world as sort of fresh-eyed and is appalled the hatred has become more emboldened since she had been gone. It is an added effect she is a mind-reader and reveals the hateful man is scared and does not understand half of the things he professes to hate, which is a common belief about bigots. She also alludes he is among the infamous internet trolls that write bile to strangers from the anonymity and safety of his room. It is fair to say that the “internet troll” in recent times is one of the most prominent social bullies. This man is a clear representative of today’s social and digital hate culture

The first chapter concludes by panning back to the image of Jean in the setting of the first page’s panel, narrating the story of her coming back to life and what she has faced so far. It is from here and the following chapters that the story moves into the present. Jean says that with her new life she will ensure to change this hateful world.

The art of this chapter is a bit unusual to me. It tends to be abrasive. I haven’t paid much attention to western comics recently so that might be a factor in my unease. The artist Pascal Alixe uses short dark lines that don’t flow together for shading and this gives the character’s faces and bodies a rough appearance. The art also doesn’t follow the regular pin-up styles for female characters that comics are famous for. They appear stockier and more muscular than the typical comic representation which, realistically, makes sense for the jobs they take on.

In chapter 2, since Jean has been revealed to be a strong mutant, and we are following her quest to save the world, it is curious to witness how she goes about it. A fascinating way she does this is by using her telepathy to link the brilliant minds of others to solve a specific problem. She does this when she invites distinguished thinkers from all over the world for a meeting and links their minds with her powers to develop an idea to make the world better. She pulls a similar feat later in the comic when she uses Black Panther’s neurological knowledge and the powers of Trinary, a new teammate, to remove an item from a person’s brain. Doing this passes across the message that complicated problems can be solved by bringing together the skills and talents of different people. A telepath might not be realistic, but someone with empathy and good interpersonal skills may achieve this.

In a United Nations meeting, Jean pleaded her case to the world ambassadors. Referencing Professor Xavier’s intent for ‘mutantkind’ – who believed mutants could win normal humans over by being heroes when needed and being invisible when not – she says mutants should not need to be heroes for acceptance. This is a fascinating sentiment as she (or rather the author) could be referencing other superheroes in the superhero genre and the terms of being accepted. This calls upon the intertextuality of the superhero genre. Superman, Spiderman, and other heroes with powers have often had complications with public acceptance until they proved they are useful to society by using those superhuman powers to save their citizens. This also translates to real-world issues. For example, how black people often need to be exceptional before they are thought of separately from stereotypes.

In an examination into ‘homo-normativity’ in children’s literature, Lester (2013) posits that in most queer literature for children, there is an emphasis on the queer or gender non-conforming character to earn approval as opposed to being entitled to it. She states in the article that “This motif of having to prove oneself means the main characters are accepted only after those around them learn to appreciate their differences, the implication being that there is ultimately something unacceptable about gender nonconformity for which young male characters must compensate”… “These cases of privileging individual exceptionalism as the only way of gaining acceptance still maintain that gender nonconformity is unacceptable and should be avoided”.

Fig. 04 - Excerpt from Taylor, T., Alixe, P., Lee, S., Kirby, J. and Asrar, M., 2018. “X-Men Red - The Hate Machine”. New York: Marvel Worldwide.

Unfortunately, this chapter ends with Jean being framed for the murder of an attending ambassador by the villain of the story, Cassandra Nova. Even though Jean had made some progress during the meeting, the situation has now become worse than before as it is publicly witnessed a mutant has murdered someone that appeared to have opposed her. Before the frame job, a message from Nova was passed to Jean informing her that she had upset the status quo with her actions and would face the consequences. Taking this back to the real world, this alludes to what many social activists and minorities discern, which is that systems have been put in place to ensure that the oppressed remain oppressed for the benefit of the oppressors.

In the subsequent chapters, the story develops further; however, it is noticeably told from an intriguing point of view. More common superhero stories find their heroes playing a more passive role. They live their lives until an accident happens nearby or a super-villain wants to take over the world or rob a bank before they act. In X-Men Red, Jean could have waited for the anti-mutant tensions to rise and actual conflict to ensue before she acted, but she takes on an assertive role and is seeking to achieve a goal and is now being thwarted by the villains.

I researched on remarks from the author, Tom Taylor, about the comic, and he states “this book is Jean Grey coming back to life, but not coming back to the life she left behind. She doesn't want to come back to that life either. She's seen that the world has moved on. It's changed and she doesn't like everything she's seen. She's very empathetic and she feels so much of what's going on around her that she wants to make an actual change to the world. Not just for ‘mutantkind’ or humanity, but for everybody”. He doesn’t out-rightly mention the subliminal social commentary and that is likely because it speaks for itself and is not heavily nuanced.

I find this book pertinent to current times and it is thought-provoking without losing too much on the entertainment factor. As a consumer of superhero entertainment, it is usually difficult for me to grasp how a really powerful protagonist can lead an engaging story, but when faced with the seemingly insurmountable problem of bigotry, discrimination, and changing the hearts of people, it is a worthy challenge and I can’t wait to see how it culminates.

This has been an insightful task for me and the text that assisted my analysis has expanded my outlook on comics and the different facets of it that I never paid attention to. This will undoubtedly help me in my practice to be more intentional about the choices I make in the comics I create in the future.

References

Lester, J.Z. 2014, "Homonormativity in Children's Literature: An Intersectional Analysis of Queer-Themed Picture Books", Journal of LGBT youth, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 244-275.

Smith, M.J. & Duncan, R. 2012;2011;, Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods, Taylor and Francis, Hoboken.

Taylor, T., Alixe, P., Lee, S., Kirby, J. and Asrar, M., 2018. “X-Men Red - The Hate Machine”. New York: Marvel Worldwide.

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