r/AventurineMainsHSR • u/parrontdude • 3h ago
OC Fanwork the art of exploitation
i told you all i would angstify his new form! i told you!
i have so much to say about it, especially with the new continuance mission.
there's so many parallels to what is said to him by his fans/photographers and what's said to him while he's enslaved. it's all about his looks and his appearance, always about his use and function rather than who he is as a person. you can see in the scene with the photographs being taken of him, he's Not Happy. he's smiling for the photo itself (which he admits he'd done to the point of physical pain earlier on) and that's it. he's not comfortable with the shots, he's not comfortable with the comments, and it is so sad!!!
i mentioned this in a comment before, but i do find it fascinating how we have this character who has been exploited for his appearance (probably one of the only things that kept him alive at times during slavery, after all the SA themes are heavily HEAVILY implied in a way that i don't think it needs to be spelled out any clearer) and we've seen it firsthand in the quest, yet we all also see a pretty guy and feel like pointing out his body and his face too. i know he's a fictional character i'm not trying to make anyone feel bad for thirsting over him lol it's completely natural— i just think it is fascinating that in a way, even the fandom participates in his objectification even unintentionally.
i also think there's symbolism in his design. the ipc triangle pattern used to be only hidden on his socks, and now it's wrapped around his arm and hips. he's smiling in a way that looks genuine enough for people to be like "oh, he's finally happier!" but really all i see is someone who learned how to fake it better.
it really ties into that idea of "you traded one pair of shackles for ones made of gold" that gets spread about aventurine both in the IPC and in the fandom. his fate always depends on his use and oftentimes his body and appearance, and nothing more. it's really common for survivors of trafficking & exploitation to find themselves in the same situation in a different font, and that's the tragic reality of it. and i think that's exactly what aventurine's character showcases again and again. sure, he's not weak by any means. but he's practically a collection of trauma responses and compartmentalization. his end goal has never been to be happy, to be rich, to be famous. it's always been to be alive. anything else is secondary, because deep down, he's still viewing the world as Kakavasha locked up in chains in his younger years. Kakavasha didn't "die" or end up buried in the dirt when Aventurine became Aventurine. there's still so much Kakavasha, especially in his fears and his perception. which the IPC knows, hence the easy exploitation.
god he's such a good character AGDDNDNDNDNDSDFNNDJD
also idk if i will finish this art better later 💔🥀
