that-dumb-blond

[that-dumb-blond]

Spoilers for Arc of a Scythe

Wow Citra and Rowan love each other, but are consigned to different sides of an ongoing war in which those around them die horribly and it ends in sacrifice and OH MY GOD ITS ROMEO AND JULIET

[that-dumb-blond]

Blinked and it’s been two weeks. Here’s my Analysis of Chapter 4 of Scythe!

-This chapter has the best name, hands down. There’s no beating “A learners permit to kill” for pure comedic effect. And the fact that it’s FARADAY who says it? Brilliant. He’s my favourite charecter for a reason, because he doesn’t let stereotypes control him and follows every single one at the exact same time.

-There are a few bits of writing technique that I love, and the start of this chapter highlights a few of them. Faraday’s advice is given not in speech marks by him, but sprinkled in in italics. This makes it seem ominous, god-like almost. It definitely reminds me of how the Thunderhead speaks to Citra later, and (intentional or not) it’s a great parallel. This is going in the box of “the Scythes are treated like deities” that I’ll probably write an essay on later.

-This chapter properly introduces Rowan and Citra’s dynamic, which is great because I love those crazy kids. Faraday says he will “not tolerate childish pastimes or vapid communications with friends” which cements that they only have each other. It makes me think of all the other Scythe apprentices who were completely on their own. In that way, Citra and Rowan are lucky.

-I do wonder if Faraday knows how pointless telling Citra and Rowan that they can’t fall in love is. I mean, he’s not entirely a robot. He knows that teenagers gonna teenage.

-THE ENDING LINE!!!!!!!! “There was only one person now who shared his plight. That was Citra. If they couldn’t find a way to trust each other, then what did they have beyond a learners permit to kill?” AHHHH THIS SCRATCHES MY BRAIN IN ALK THE CORRECT WAYS

That’s it for this chapter, actually. I’m sure I will have more to say, but it’s pretty short. Until next time!

[that-dumb-blond]

Survival Tip No.686

REPEAT AFTER ME: “It’s being handled by a different department.”

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OH MY GOD I JUST UNDERSTOOD THE NAME OF “ARC OF A SCYTHE”. I JUST THOUGHT IT WQS ARC OF SCHTHE FOR AGES BUT THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. BECAUSE ITS ABOUT TWO SCUTHES STARTING OFF AND ABOUT HOW ALL THE OTHER SCYTHES CHANGEEE

[that-dumb-blond]

I’m back after a short break (due to a ridiculous amount of homework) with Chapter 3 of Scythe. Spoilers for a good chunk of the series ahead

-This chapter has the first of MANY mentions of destiny in this series. Destiny is a concept that reoccurs again and again. First, with Rowan and Citra becoming Scythes, the various deaths that follow, and the ending. It’s pondered a lot when they regret something, which I think is very accurate to how people think.

-Them seeing the opera “The Force of Destiny” cements this idea into my head. They may not have religion, but Destiny is as big in their world as it is in ours.

-Right off the bat, some cheeky worldbuilding. “Letters from the eccentric - the only type of people who still wrote letters”. In the series a lot of things are just Shushterman having fun with what he can put in, but there are definitely elements of prediction. Like this : today a good portion just email or text things, but there are still letters. Shushterman took this a few hundred (?) years into the future and figured that letters were probably VERY rare by then. It’s not a new concept by any means, but I think it’s cool.

-There’s a lot of foreshadowing in this book. I do tend to over-analyse things, since I can’t help myself, but I think that the thing Citra says about whoever invited her is pretty obvious. “It’s probably some loser’s way of inviting me on a date”. There are a few problems. Rowan didn’t invite her, and in my books he is most definitely not a loser. But my point stands!

-Genetic indexes are introduced!!! I find this fascinating because you can see how much people have mixed, so race is now a pretty fluid concept. In this chapter we only discover what two of them are. The third number is PanAsian, and the second number is Afric. This is a great way of giving a base idea of what your charecters look like, without going into an out-of-place detail sesh.

-Faraday commands respect when he walks into a room. And I think that the line “Honourable Scythe Faraday was not a figure you soon forgot” doesnt only refer to the fact that people respect Scythes, but that people respect Faraday. And fear him.

-Rowans reaction is great : “You?”. There are a lot of ways to interpret this, but I can feel the contempt radiating off of the pages.

- Rowan understands a lot, he has great observation skills, and he’s similar to a scythe Faraday. No wonder he clocked that he wasnt going to glean them before Citra did. He knows that’s not the only outcome.

-I don’t have anything to add to this quote, I just love it. “With nothing to aspire to, life has become about maintenance. Eternal maintenance.” Because that’s it. That’s part of the point of the book. That humans will always try and find a way to live

- The decision not being difficult for Rowan makes sense. It’s also a great contrast to Citra who has to leave a lot of stuff behind to be a a scythe. It’s pointed out, but Rowan already knows what it feels like.

-Faraday taking them to a mortal art exhibit is so good. Like, of course. Faraday, who is ao obsessed with humanity, who has ridiculously high empathy levels, loves art. And Rowan does too. He says it himself “In the end it was the art that did it”. Him and Faraday are very alike.

-The contrast between Rowans and Citra is very clear in this chapter. “We’ll support you either way” compared to “if you think that’s best”.

-Scythe Faraday gets to shine in this chapter. He “breaks” into an art gallery, and when questioned by it he just says “perks of the position”. He got the kids he’s going to make into killers to meet at an Opera. He loves art so much, you can tell.

-THIS QUOTEEEE “Tonight we will witness yeh spectacle of human folly and tragedy. Tomorrow, we shall live it.”

That’s all for today, but chapter four should be soon!

[that-dumb-blond]

As warned, I am returning with chapter two.

I’ve got to be honest, on every single reread I skip this chapter. Not because it’s bad, but the opposite. I cannot handle Rowan doing the right thing and still being penalised for it, it makes my tummy hurt. That being said, I do read the first half and appreciate it very much so.

-Straight off the bat, it is an AMAZING introduction for Rowan. His defining trait is his empathy and strong moral compass (similar to Scythe Faraday) and that is amazingly introduced here. It also foreshadows the rest of the book, with him being “told off” and isolated by the rest of the Scythedom by doing what he perceives as the right thing. If Scythe Curie haunts the general narrative, then Kohl haunts Rowan’s. It shows him that he will always be isolated, wrongly penalised, and maybe even hated for doing what he thinks is right. Yet he does it over and over and over again. Not for himself, but for humanity. And THATS why Faraday picks him as an apprentice.

-It’s said later in the book, but Rowan already knows what it’s like to be a Scythe. Because he’s already been an instrument/involved in death. He was feared and isolated by his peers, and his family ignored him. When you’re a Scythe, never having these things is a privilege. Faraday knew that that would be what happens, and that’s another reason he makes him is apprentice

-With that out of the way for now, the opening line is one of my favourite ways of charecterisation ever : characterising someone via someone else. This isn’t the most extreme example, but it is funny. “Tyger Salazar had hurled himself out of a nine story window, leaving a terrible mess on the marble plaza below. His own parents were so annoyed by it, they didn’t come to see him. But Rowan did. Rowan Damische was just that kind of friend.” First of all, it’s funny. Second of all, it established Rowans empathy, and Third of all, it introduces one of the funniest charecters in the book. It also introduces splatting, which I will make a post fully dedicated to at some point because it’s so amazingly human.

-Turning the corner is introduced here using the same method as in chapter one! Joke, information, slow explanation.

-I stop around this point, but one thing I remember very well is Rowan asking Faraday for mercy. And it gets me every time. It feels like asking a god for respect, but Faraday does give it in the way he knows how. A quick and painless death. This just shows how amazingly isolated being a Scythe is, the idea of death being a mercy in someone’s eyes just gets to me.

Anyway, that’s all for now. And this is actually the only chapter I can’t finish.

[that-dumb-blond]

I have some thoughts on the first Scythe book that I need to scream into the abyss about. Spoilers for all of the Scythe books ahead

-I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated before how well Curie haunts the narrative of these books. She is the first Scythe we hear from, the first journal we read, and the second Scythe Citra and Roman meet. She haunts the narrative before she even arrives, the same as how in the book people hear of her before meeting her.

-The opening line. THE OPENING LINE. “We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill”. What a BANGER line from Shusherman. It hints at the scythe commandments, it’s a terrifying line if you don’t know why scythes kill, it sounds amazing!

-The second opening line. THE SECOND OPENING LINE. “The scythe arrived late on a cold November afternoon”. Not only is it inanely atmospheric, it also fits well with the previous opening. We know Scythes kill, and now one has shown up at our protagonists door. It’s terrifying, it’s beautiful, it’s poetic.

- This is our first introduction to Scythe Faraday and it does NOT disappoint. He’s described by his robe first, which signifies him being a a Scythe. This shows how people view Scythes, and how Faraday views himself : Scythe first, human second. His robe is described as like the white “flowing robes of Renaissance angels”. Religion is mainly focused with this book on the Tonists, but I view the Scythes as their own religion. Religion was made first to reassure people about Death, after all. Why not the new givers of it be worshipped like angels or gods. They’re powerful enough.

- His features are described amazingly too. “Dark eyes that seemed themselves almost to be weapons” This really shows how every part of him is devoted to being a Scythe. Devoted to violence.

-And as SOON as we get the terrifying part of him out of the way, he becomes his truly human, ridiculous self. He was on a gleaning, smelled some delicious bread, decided to stop by and not tell the people there that he’s not going to glean them. There are times where you can tell that being a Scythe for as long as he has means that even though he is very kind, he can be an asshole and get away with it.

-Introduction to Patron Historics which deserve a full post so I will not go into them here!

-There’s a football card version for Scythes. They’ve managed to literally monetise death, well played Shusterman, well played.

-There’s so much world building in this chapter, but turning the corner is briefly mention, and so is immunity. It’s not all Scythe stuff.

-Faraday determines he wants to apprentice Citra from the point she says “Why are you doing this? If you’re here to glean one of us, just get it over with and stop torturing us!”. He knows from that point that she’s make a good Scythe because she points out his unkindness and assholishness. I don’t think he went looking for an apprentice, I think he’s just an asshole, but he certainly found one .

- He was a number one asshole for getting a knife out and PRACTCING SLICING SOMEONE UP WITH IT. Seeing him do that is so funny when you’re reading it, it’s just so ridiculous, but it would be TERRIFYING living it. Like, THIS is the guy that’s gonna glean us? Seriously?

-In the first chapter, there is an exchange that echos through the rest of the book.

FARADAY : You see through the facades of the world, Citra Terranova. You’d make a good Scythe.

CITRA : I’d never want to be one.

FARADAY : That. Is the first requirement

Every time I read it I get chills.

-Another Dickish Faraday moment, no matter the wonderful symbolism is him BRINGING THE KNIFE BACK TO THEM. After he gleaned their neighbour. And just. Telling the teenage girl to keep it? I don’t blame Citra for throwing it away.

I’ll come back at some point with chapter two!

[that-dumb-blond]

Lovelace did NOT listen to this one

Survival Tip No.646

You are not Marco Polo, Ferdinand Magellan, or Neil Armstrong. You are not a brave explorer setting off to make a name for yourself by conquering the great unknown. You are a skilled technician with a very particular, very specific job. Unless you receive explicit instructions to the contrary: don’t try to be a hero.

[that-dumb-blond]

Currently rereading and analysing the first Arc of Scythe books and I’ll be definitely posting my favourite quotes and my thoughts on them throughout

[that-dumb-blond]

Oh yes yes yes yes yes. My mind definitely has a mix of “that’s really unfair on him” and “yeah he deserved that” and that’s how it’s supposed to be! Wolf 359 is about humanity at its core, and humans aren’t perfect in any way shape or form. That’s why the characterisation is so good, they have flaws and you can love them because of them and in spite of them. Eiffel being out down a peg or two cemented his place from “comedy” to full on big boy charecter and it’s the same with him and Minkowski’s dynamic. It makes him so much more likeable because he’s still funny afterwards, he’s just also a better human being. Anyway I’m rambling.

I hope I'm not bothering you but the creative is moving so I'm moving too.

Do you know what the problem with the Scapegoat Character *cough cough, Eiffel, cough cough* is?

They have some trait that makes them annoying. They're lazy, loud, mean, paranoid, can't read a room, something like that.

But there has to be a reason for them to be there so they have a good trait too. Usually loyalty or competence.

They also are usually the Comedic relief (a notable exception being Oliver Queen from Arrow) and have just inexorable amounts of self-hatred but that's beside the point.

The first trait justifies the Scapegoat treatment and the second stops them from leaving.

The problem is that the Scapegoat Character tends to be the one that feels the most morally correct simply because, by design, they are the only character who is willing to take responsibility for their actions. They have to take responsibility for their own actions, their friends' actions, their enemies' actions, luck's actions, nature's actions, all of it. And they do. Which makes them sympathetic. Which makes it frustrating when everyone, including their friends, hate them for reasons that are somewhat to completely out of their control.

I used 9,229 words to say it before and I'll say it again. Episode 52 can die in a fire. I mean what are they mad about? He mispronounces Minkowski's name, not knowing it hurts her, he insulted Hera when he first met her, he was insensitive about Lovelace being an alien.

All of these people have either fantasized about or actively tried to kill him multiple times!!!!

And what does Eiffel say about that? Nothing! Because he forgave them instead of holding on to petty grudges! Because what purpose does the Scapegoat have if they make everyone take responsibility for their own actions?

I'm not mad that they're bad people, I'm mad that they pretend Eiffel is one of them.

(This didn't mean to be a dissertation, sorry lol. I was looking for the episode where Jacobi tries to get Minkowski to kill Kepler and ran across episode 51 and 52 which I will never stop being mad about. Anyway, enjoy my mental breakdown about this character.)

Not gonna lie, I got caught up with school and I forgot this was here. BUT. I fucking LIVE for character analysis and this is absolutely wonderful.

I won't lie, I think Eiffel needed a kick in the ass because, even though his transgressions seemed small, they added up over time and can wear even the most resilient people down (See: Minkowski)

Now, do I think it was a bit overboard? Abso-fucking-lutely. They took it to a point where Eiffel felt like the best option was to remove his presence from their lives entirely and, when he opened up about this (using that fairly loosely), they essentially told him to get over himself. They yell at him for being a fuck-up constantly, they tear into him for these digs that he makes and expects him to apologize (rightly so), but refuse to do the same. And that is what pisses me off.

It's a complicated situation, but they treat Eiffel as though he's undeserving of an apology just because he can be insensitive which is complete and utter bullshit. They seem to forget that their funny asshole friend has actual feelings and doesn't simply exist to be a punching bag.

Anywho! I have lots of feelings about Eiffel and a desperate need to give him a hug :))

[that-dumb-blond]

happy new year’s eve to the dysfunctional work polycule ever <3

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FINALLY!!!!!!!! TMAGP LENT ANIMATION HAS BEEN FREED FROM PROCRASTINATION HELL!!!!!!!!

This took way too long bc the malevolent brainrot got in the way so,,,,,, yeah I hope y’all enjoy!!! started this I mid-march so that’s why this has more first half of s1 vibes :))

also the YouTube link!!

[that-dumb-blond]

I wasn’t expecting to find so much poetry under the Malevolent tag but here we are

i first listened to Malevolent season 2 while wandering aimlessly through a hillside park in August, snacking on the blackberries along the edges of the lawns, sitting at shady picnic tables in the summer heat, watching the tomatoes in the community garden ripen. no plan, no restrictions, no goal. the dreamlands will always taste like blackberries to me.

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I feel tricked

dont care + didnt ask + you turn into us. remember that.

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He’s so

Today I have for you all: Nobody themed collage

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if you’re cold, he’s cold. put him in your wall

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It’s that time of year again when I listen to the Wolf 359 Mission Mishap happy holidays and cry!!!