#But I don't believe it was entirely intentional

[ladysparrow01]

I've tried to do some research into this piece but it's hard to find much about it. From what I can tell, this is part of a series that was commissioned by Percy Bradshaw in 1918. The other drawings in the series show the progress of Reynolds' artistic process. Warwick Reynolds was a cartoonist who drew for several magazines and papers. That might account for the more exadurated aspects of his work. But I don't believe that this piece was intended as a caricature or a comment on racial stereotypes. Whether or not the work plays into those stereotypes consciously, I couldn't say. I can so far find nothing about the artist's intention behind the piece.

Looking at the work, we see an image of a couple and their baby. As pointed out in a gallery description of the piece, the couple and their baby are all dressed in fashionable clothes that speak to the work's title, Prosperity. The figures appear as individuals rather than stock characters. And there is a realism to their faces and expressions that makes them sympathetic.

As for the young man's posture, for myself, I wonder if Reynolds isn't taking an opportunity to exhibit his cartoonist background. The pose is dynamic and interesting in a way that is unusual for simple portraits. There is movement in the composition that invites the viewer across the work as a whole. It isn't static. The work and the series it belongs to were commissioned with the request of it being "representative of his or her technique". This makes me believe that the posture of the young man has more to do with showcasing Reynolds' artistic background.

It is entirely possible that racial bias has an impact on this work. But from what little I've been able to find about the piece, as well as the sympathetic quality of the figures, I do not believe that the work was intended to openly comment on any such stereotype.

Warwick Reynolds (British, 1880-1926) - Prosperity

[libraford]

Hi. My entire family is ex-cult. They raised me especially to be cognizant of and well defended against cults. If I had treated them with the hostility people are showing you, I would have been vulnerable to tech bro shit and probably either joined or started one of the various tech-adjacent cults that are now trying to wreck us all today. Instead, I accepted that they have forsaken the cult, learned vicariously rather than personally the hard lessons they taught me, and have become an incorruptible force of nature as a result. I see people hating at you because hating a cult’s beliefs but not its believers is one of the most difficult pro-social positions to take — perhaps even more difficult than giving the rehabilitated a second chance, whether of addiction or of crime. Without those such as you, I would be a force of evil today.you owe no one an apology as you had no intent to harm. Regret at any pain taken away? Absolutely. But, I plead of you, bow your head to them in empathy, not in concession. Remain secure in your cognizance. You have identified something essential to a healthy society and the outrage delivered you is a symptom of illness, not of a mistake.

I think its hard for some people to have positive emotions towards people who have hurt them, and because this is a high-stakes situation its getting twisted into 'forgive them for everything, hold their hand, allow them back into your spaces.'

When the reality is much closer to 'I recognize that you were misled. I am happy that you are trying to do better. Please accept that I will be wary of you for some time, due to how you have hurt me.' Forgiveness can be selective. I can forgive a person for being in a high-control group, I find it hard to forgive them for the things they said and did when they were in that group.

Recognizing that an extremist out-group can consist of regular people who took a wrong turn wrestles with the idea that your enemy is human. And that you are human. And that you are susceptible to propaganda. And that you may one day be in their position, if from a different side.

Having seen decentralized cults form in front of me puts into perspective how fast and easy it is for them to start, how easy it is to fall for one, and how hard it is to leave once you're in. Leaving should be congratulated, even if that person hurt you. The rest is up to you, and my personal approach is 'don't be a dick intentionally.'

There's a movie version happening where there's a big speech and a montage, and then there's the reality. When my uncle left MAGA, it was met with a nod. No one has to say anything. No one has to do anything.

Overall, the notes on that post have been positive. I think most people who have interacted with it have been glad that they're taking the first step towards better days. The people who have been against it are just... well... let's say they're articulate.

[matchpointfaist]

me & you together song

best friend! connor murphy 𝜗𝜚

a/n: no smut! this is just soft connor falling in love <3

when you proposed the plan for connor to come with you on your weekend trip for a college tour, you hadn't entirely expected your parents to agree. some combination of safety in numbers and the general inseparability convinced them, though, and you were college bound with connor's black backpack snug next to your pink duffel, taking turns controlling the radio like you didn't have all the same taste.

he was in his own head, like always, thinking of all the million ways the two of you could grow apart when you left. he was never very strong academically, struggling with authority and retention and all the things you seemed to excel at. he knew, in some way, that it would always come to this; you moving on.

he tried his best to keep a smile, for you, unable to allow himself to ruin your mood. you'd been all smiles all day, wearing your "lucky sweater" and insisting that this was the one- you could feel it. the one in question happened to be nine hours from home, from him, and he selfishly could not seem to push the thought from his mind.

above everything, always, connor wanted you to be happy. so there he sat in the passenger seat of your car, watching the way the sun weaved through strands of your hair and your smile as you pointed out little landmarks. when you finally arrived at the campus, he could understand why you wanted to go so desperately- it was beautiful, lively, creative. everything your hometown was not.

you didn't have to tell him to take a million photos; one of you walking past the entrance sign, one of you grabbing a tour pamphlet, one of you with your tour guide. he had his phone out before you could even ask, capturing a million little memories that he could make a home in once you were gone.

you stayed in a hotel just off campus, courtesy of your parents, in a connecting room that you were both sure to take advantage of. you got pizza from a local place, and connor just listened intently as you raved about how excited you were to live like this every night, growing more and more uncertain in his ability to keep his thoughts to himself.

"it won't be like this, not really," he finally said, regretting it as soon as it left his mouth, "i mean, i won't be here, that's all. but you're gonna have so much fun," his encouraging smile felt more like a cringe.

"you could always come with me," you frowned slightly, and his chest ached, "i know you don't wanna go to college, but maybe you could get a job and then we could rent a place after my first year?" you'd discussed it before, of course, but it never went anywhere. he'd always shaken off the idea, not wanting to hold you down or hold you back from anything you wanted. you'd always insisted that it would be the opposite, but he couldn't shake the nagging thoughts.

"maybe," he said after a moment, "we'll see, yeah? we'll figure something out. maybe you can just come visit every month?" "i guess, yeah," you nodded hesitantly, "i don't wanna just see you once a month, con. i mean- you know i love you, and i believe in you. but sometimes you frustrate me so bad," you ran a hand through your hair, "i know your parents are overbearing, but they'd pay for you to go to school or for you to get an apartment if you'd just ask. you don't have to come with me, of course, but it seems like you want to and that's a perfect solution-"

he stopped you, standing to pace the room, his unease at the mention of his parents making him antsy. "please don't pretend to understand my relationship with my parents," he said quietly, his voice heavy with tension. "pretend?" you repeated with a scoff, "connor, i know you better than anyone! i'm the one who's always there after your fights, that's not fair,"

"just because you're there after doesn't mean you understand! your parents love you, they-" he paused, trying to calm down, "look, i'm sorry, okay? i shouldn't have come with you," you looked stricken at that, a pained, distant look in your eyes, "what?"

"i shouldn't have come, it was a mistake. this is a big thing for you and i'm messing it up," he said with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "you're not messing it up, connor. i just don't understand-" "that's right, you don't understand," he cut you off, "look- let's just go to bed, okay? i'll see you in the morning," he grabbed his phone from the bed and disappearing behind the connecting room door, leaving you speechless.

you ran over the argument what felt like a hundred times, trying to figure out what went wrong. he could be so frustrating, so single minded when it came to his potential, but he'd never lashed out at you. you'd always been the one calming him down, not working him up. you hated this, whatever this even was.

on the other side of the door, connor wasn't doing any better. he felt sick with guilt, hating the way you'd looked at him as he snapped at you, hating the way he'd said you didn't understand. you understood better than anyone else, and he knew that, deep down. you saw him in a way he could never allow anyone else to.

he glanced up as he heard a quiet knock at the door, recognizing the little pattern tapped against it, feeling silly as his heart rate spiked at the idea of you on the other side, coming to him despite his temper. "come in," he called, smoothing out the blanket to busy his hands. you stepped inside quietly, the hoodie of his that you always slept in catching his eye immediately.

"i hate when we fight," you said softly, still standing like you weren't sure how close to get to him, "i can't sleep knowing you're upset," you looked so vulnerable in that moment, he would've done anything to make it better. ask his parents for college tuition, move hours away with you, whatever it took to get the teary eyed expression off of your face. "i hate it too," he sighed, opening his arms and gesturing you over, "not mad at you, just- it's hard,"

you crossed the room, settling on the bed and melting into his arms in the way he'd grown so addicted to. "didn't mean to pressure you," you mumbled into his shirt, "i'm really sorry, con," god, you had it all wrong. "you aren't pressuring me," he said quietly, running his hand through your hair absentmindedly, "i don't even know how to say all of this," you pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him, your brows knit. "say all what?"

"i want you to do whatever you want, go wherever you want, and i hope you know that. you're gonna do so many great things, and i'm scared i'll hold you back from that, or that you'll have so many things that you won't need me anymore. and i know that's unfair, and you've always shown that i'm important, but it terrifies me, the idea of not having you in my life," he hated the way his voice cracked, "and you're my best friend, and i've sat with this and i haven't said anything because i'd never do anything to jeopardize that,"

i'm really doing this, he thought, as he continued on, "the idea of not being in your life terrifies me because i'm- well, fuck, i'm in love with you. you're so funny and so fucking smart, and you always know what to say, but you never really have to say anything. just being with you is the easiest part of my life. and i'd love to follow you to college, i'd love to get us a place just for the two of us, i would love nothing more than to make a little life with you, and i know we're so young and we're friends and if this is all wrong, we can forget it, okay? but i couldn't act like i wasn't feeling this way, it wasn't fair to either-"

"connor," he opened his eyes, not realizing he'd ever even closed them, to find you beaming and giddy and close to laughing, "i've been waiting so long for you to say that to me, do you have any idea? god, we're both so stubborn," and then you were on him, your arms around his shoulders and your face buried in his neck, hugging him the tightest anyone ever had.

he laughed, breathless and shocked, holding you closer to him, "are you serious?" "of course i'm serious," he could feel your smile against his skin, "i've been in love with you for ages," he pulled you back slightly, your cheeks pink and your smile giddy as you looked up at him, and he couldn't resist it anymore, he kissed you with all the emotion he'd been holding back for what felt like a lifetime, smiling against your lips, laughing as you pulled away to rest your forehead on his.

the two of you just laid there for a while, your legs tangled together and your hands trailing over each others arms, backs, hair, anywhere the other could reach. he hadn't even realized he'd dozed off until you were yawning softly and shifting to lay your head on the pillow. "i love you," you mumbled, a sleepy smile on your lips. "i love you,"

you fell asleep hand in hand, your own bed on the other side of the door long forgotten.

[dubiousanon]

Do you have any more kakanaru ideas?

God, you don't even know the half of it. Here have a few but I'm dead serious, they're fucking unending. Title: 'Til Death Do Us Part Summary: In which Kakashi agrees to let Naruto practice seals on him, only for Naruto to go and "accidentally" bind them together for eternity in the first ten minutes. This wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Kakashi weren't actively head over heels in love with him, and now their emotions are connected and Naruto knows it. -Post war, Kakashi falls in love with Naruto over the course of the village's reconstruction and sits silently on his crush for about two years, hoping it'll go away. News flash: it does not, in fact, go away. It gets like, ten times worse.

-Little does he realize, Naruto loves him back and the whole seal thing was fully intentional. Kakashi thinks that Naruto can't remove the seal. Naruto completely knows how to take it off, but after realizing Kakashi feels the same, he pretends he doesn't know how.

-Kurama cheers them on like the fangirl we all know he is and Naruto does his best to woo Kakashi, who is firmly in the "this is wrong, I'm a dirty old man, I couldn't possibly!" camp. So much so that, despite their emotions being connected, he remains blind to the fact that Naruto feels the same. Title: The You Inside of Me Summary: After Kakashi gets hit by a jutsu that de-ages him, suddenly he's nineteen years old again and has no idea what's going on, how he got here, or what to do with himself. When Naruto takes it upon himself to help Kakashi adjust, Kakashi can't help but notice how... pretty he is. Like, really, really pretty. -Naruto is also nineteen years old. It's just after the war and everything is kind of in shambles. Kakashi still believes himself to be ANBU and almost runs off thinking he's stuck in some genjutsu, but Naruto practically sparkles like gold in the sunlight, so Kakashi stays. -Naruto is unendingly kind to him to the point that Kakashi doesn't know how to react other than to melt. He's basically side-lined from missions while they try to bring him back to his actual age and with every passing day, he finds himself falling harder and harder for Naruto. To the point that he doesn't want to be aged back up again if it means he can't have this.

-As if age would stop Naruto Uzumaki from getting what he wants. Though honestly, he doesn't mind either way. Watching Kakashi discover Icha Icha for the first time is a true novelty.

Title: A Spoonful Of Sugar Summary: Post war, Naruto comes back to his apartment to find its been leveled to the ground. With so much destruction, Konoha is launched straight into a housing crisis that makes hunting for somewhere new to live impossible. Enter: Kakashi, who has an entire house to himself and is hardly ever there anyway now that he's Hokage.

-Kakashi thinks it's a great idea up until Naruto sleep walks into his bed in search of warmth in nothing but a tank top and the smallest shorts known to mankind and makes himself at home. Naruto's a cuddler, too, but Kakashi loves it so much that he silently hopes every night that he'll wander in. Even if the guilt practically devours him alive.

-Konoha is on pause for missions, but Naruto will die if he doesn't keep busy. Kakashi wasn't trying to get a live-in maid or anything, but the homecooked meals every time he comes home make his heart flutter. Naruto's also is helping with the reconstruction, which means he comes home sweaty. It does NOT help. -Basically, Naruto moves in, never leaves, and accidentally seduces Kakashi by doing absolutely nothing but being himself. Kakashi is helplessly enamored by it. Title: No Time (Like The Present) Summary: Naruto reaches adulthood and it's like a switch flips. Whereas he had absolutely no interest in relationships before, suddenly all he can think about is being with someone. Couple this with the strange urge he's had to let Kakashi-sensei bite him, he's pretty sure he knows exactly who he's going for.

-Or: Naruto's animal hindbrain belatedly kicks online and suddenly he's desperate to find someone. He feels naturally drawn to people who ALSO have animal hindbrains, whether he realizes it or not. This narrows his options down to Kakashi or... Kiba.

-Obviously he's not choosing Kiba, ew. After coming to the astute conclusion that he wants Kakashi to bite his neck and pound him into a mattress, he starts to relentlessly pursue him in the bluntest way possible. Which is to say he marches up to him and boldly declares that they should fuck.

-Kakashi is flabbergasted, terrified, and also desperate because now that Naruto's mentioned it, he can't stop thinking about it. And Naruto also smells really good, and Kakashi's hands would be so big on his waist, and it would be amazing. But also wrong. But also... well, he'll only hold out against Naruto for so long anyway, I guess.

Title: Planetary Summary: After a seal gone wrong, Naruto thinks he got off without any consequences. The sudden wet dreams he keeps having about Kakashi-sensei are weird, but he kind of enjoys them a ton, so he doesn't mind. It never occurs to him that they might be real.

-Naruto blows a seal up and suddenly he and Kakashi have connected dreams. Neither of them realize that they're both cognizant, that the dreams are real, and they're both lucid. Kakashi thinks he's having the same old wet dreams he's been having for the past year. Naruto thinks it's a cool, neat new feature.

-Kakashi basically ravishes Naruto every night thinking none of it is real and that he's finally just gone off the deep end and is having insanely detailed dreams as a result. Tons of filth, but also a lot of desperate kissing, 'I love you's, and various desperate apologies. Naruto is slightly taken aback but enthusiastically there for the ride.

-Eventually, a few vague mentions make it click that hey, they're both experiencing this same thing. The tension is insane. Naruto wants to climb him like a tree. Kakashi is drowning in self-righteous guilt. You know the drill.

[toastytrusty]

ok so. class/imperial dynamics between hickey and crozier. they each represent a different side of imperialism and a different way it affects people. very important to note that the major messaging of the show emphasizes how there are no "good ones" or "bad ones" within imperialism; the WHOLE SYSTEM is rotten and destroys everything it touches. the men on the expedition don't just damage and destroy the people and world they meet, the men are damaged and destroyed by the expedition itself. the whole ordeal was wretched and made everything worse for everyone. Which leads to the fundamental difference between hickey and crozier: hickey recognizes this, and crozier doesn't. Kind of. They both have similar lower class backgrounds, and looked to the navy for social mobility. Crozier played by the rules and achieved power and status through it, and he believes in the sanctity of naval bureaucracy and hospitality, if only they go about things the right way. Hickey, however, was so far removed from the prospects of this social mobility that he had to lie and commit identity theft to gain access to it. He has suffered at the hands of the british empire, and never held any illusions about the nature of it; he recognizes the class system as oppressive and the imperial system as violent. He tries to use this to his advantage and to gain power over others, but he still recognizes it and hates it. While crozier is certainly Doing His Best and has Good Intentions and all that, all of his decisions still end up being harmful or disregarding, and all the harm done by anyone else on the expedition (including hickey) is done in his name, because he brought them here and he is their leader. When hickey kidnaps silna and brings her to the ships, crozier is disgusted at the way hickey makes the violent nature of their presence so apparent, and yet he Does Keep silna on the ships afterwards. hickey is punished for insolence and dereliction of duty moreso than the actual harm he caused. Crozier’s issue was with the way he went about his actions, rather than the actions themselves. It still serviced crozier, even if he was, on the surface, put off by it. And hickey did it because he expected crozier to appreciate it. He thought crozier recognized the same things he did. But he didn’t, and that’s where the break between them happens, moreso than during the lashing. Hickey realizes that crozier Doesn’t understand the same things he does, or see things the same way he does. He has assimilated into the naval structure far too much and, in hickey’s view, lost touch. Which is ironic, given that hickey’s whole identity theft was quite indicative of him abandoning his lower class background and any perspective it gave him. There’s a very interesting dichotomy there, of crozier always being honest about his lower class background, and yet achieving status regardless, and becoming fully entrenched in the imperial machine because of it, and hickey never being honest about his lower class background, never achieving status regardless, and still resenting the imperial machine the entire time.

Hickey views crozier as the embodiment of the british empire, and the ups and downs of his respect for him are indicative of the ups and downs of his feelings towards his own potential for betterment through the imperial system. I might be stretching here but to meeee hickey’s mutiny is representative of something like a bourgeois revolution. He views crozier’s command, and the larger system, as oppressive, and he views himself as entirely separate from it in some way, when really he just wants to take crozier’s place and implement a near identical system within his own camp. Hickey’s delusions of personal exceptionalism are quite significant all the way to the end, when he tries to fully sever himself from his britishness and sacrifice crozier to the tuunbaq. He thinks he is different, and that him recognizing the empire’s brutality makes him any less implicated in it. Of course, it doesn’t; he is still british and cannot separate himself from that, so the tuunbaq kills him. However, crozier kills the tuunbaq. He is still concluding the devastation the british cause here. Also crozier’s “you could have just joined up” is really interesting because it shows that even then he still believed in the accessibility and positive potential of the navy. He thinks hickey is foolish for his reservations and ill will, and is almost denying the idea that there would be anything preventing that.

[lemotmo]

I choked on my water 😂😂😂

Q. Sarcasm goes both ways, dumbass. So that line can be read as sarcastic either way. It can be read as sarcastic towards the people who ship them or it can be read as sarcastic towards the people who don't. It depends on your opinion of the topic. So we don't know the author's sarcastic intentions because we don't know what their opinion on Buddie is. Hope that helps. I know intelligence is hard.

A. Why do you all act like you've never human'd before? Sarcasm does go both ways but not in the same line, dumbass. The wording of the line would be different depending on which viewpoint the writer wanted the reader to take as truth. So for instance the line we are talking about was saying, very clearly, that believing their just bestie bros at this point is kind of ridiculous. Now if the writer was making a statement about how ridiculous the idea of anything romantic between them is, they would have written something entirely different. Something more like:

"News of Eddie's potential move came as a surprise to his bestie Buck, weird for a supposed pair of soulmates who can read each other's every thought".

See the difference? That line is clearly mocking the idea of them as romantic partners. You can't read every piece of sarcasm as sarcastic towards both ideas. That's not a thing. Just like believing every scene we see on television is open to the viewer's interpretation to determine what it actually means is not a thing. Intention exists. And it exists obviously within the text of most things. Some things are open to the readers, or the viewers, interpretation, but not most things. Most things have an intended purpose and a particular conclusion the audience is supposed to come to. Hope that helps, jackass. I know intelligence is hard. Seriously there is no way you all are actually this stupid. And if you have to pretend to be this stupid in order for your character/ship to still sound possible then that should tell you something. Nevermind, convincing yourselves that none of this is weird or crazy behavior already tells me everything I need to know about your intelligence.

Thank you Nonny. 🤗

What is it with the rudeness of these people? There is a better, more polite way to ask someone a question or to make a point if you don't agree with someone else's take.

Anyway, Ali already said all that needed to be said in her answer.

It's like these people are willfully ignoring every single thing that is buddie-positive because they are convinced that we are all having some sort of mass-delusion that Buddie is going canon in 8b. At the same time they are convinced that BT are soulmates, which... no. 🤷‍♀️

I'm so tired of dealing with these people. I hope they all just go away during 8b as soon as they see that Buddie is really happening. 🤞🤞🤞

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[medicallyfascinating]

For the whole Ferdinand thing, that's completely chill, I get it, don't worry.

Also yes, I love a good debate. I LIVE for it so please please. I feel like we won't ever feel agree on this topic and that's fine but I'm very happy to discuss it.

I think I need to preface that I don't think Edelgard is a horrible awful terrible person with no redeeming qualities. But I also don't think she's the sun and stars and she can do no wrong.

Yes, my empathy take is she struggles to put herself in other people's shoes. Empathy in my mind is - putting yourself in other people's shoes. Sympathy - caring about someone and what they're going through. The lines DEFINITELY DO BLUR.

I think empathy is something that Edelgard has to really really really put her mind to to do it. I think it shows in her interactions with her friends where she initially cannot understand why they're acting in such a way and it's not until much later that she can attempt to put herself in their place and even then, she still struggles with seeing how other people act and how they're feeling. This does not mean I think she doesn't notice/care when others are visibly upset. Clearly when Bernadetta is upset, she tries to comfort her and she's learnt Hubert's signs of distress so she can somewhat recognise when to back off.

I understand that she is trying to pull Hubert out of unhealthy habits but I think characters can be well-intentioned and unhelpful at the same time. Hubert's boundaries are important to him and entirely rigid and he needs them and Edelgard pushes too hard. She is well-intentioned and yet she also manages to push him away and make him put his guard up even more than before. In my opinion, it is an act of sympathy and her issues with empathy show up with her struggling to understand why he is pulling away and refusing to speak up.

These moments I think show much better with her enemies. Her refusal for the most part to compromise with Dimitri and Claude and understand where they're coming from in order to create a better Fodlan. She is BRUTAL. It is stated many times throughout Hopes and Houses that the Empires methods are underhanded, brutal and criminal (not to the extent of decimating villages though).

I believe her grief towards SS!Byleth is a personal rather than political matter. It is practically canon if not completely canon that Edelgard has a crush on Byleth from the start of the game and I believe she is mourning that crush and is still in denial/depression that Byleth has defected from her side.

Edelgard sees this perceived end and I do think she has SOME understanding of what's going on but not an in depth one. Her understanding appears very surface level and when she does dig deeper, she comforts herself with "this is best for everyone" when, in reality, it is not.

Change in Fodlan is revolutionary, yes, i agree. But when in the endings characters like Sylvain and Dimitri can change the world for the better by abolishing crests and implementing new laws which heavily benefit the commoners, Edelgard's ideals and her refusal to acknowledge any other way of going about it does fuck her over.

I do agree that lots of these traits show up in other characters but again, I am not in any way saying that Edelgard is horrible and awful and everyone else is perfect, I am pointing out her flaws. I believe both Dimitri and Claude are heavily flawed. As is Rhea. As are all the other characters in this game.

I, again, think Edelgard's understanding of commoners issues are rather surface level but she DOES understand the trauma of nobility, which is inflicted by the church. So yes, she can pinpoint all the trauma that the nobles have of being forced to be the best and perfect and some being lazy because they're given everything. But when it comes down to what commoners NEED to be able to rise and have their own chance at power, she struggles to understand what is necessary for that to happen.

I also think people can enjoy politics but not always understand what's necessary for the change, but instead just that change is needed. And in Edelgard's mind the only war to do that is start a war, when in reality, that isn't the case and causes more harm than good.

I might be repeating myself a bit, but yeah, these are just my opinions on Edelgard and you're totally allowed to have your own, I won't attack you for it.

I lied. Put your clothes back on. We're going to talk about how Edelgard is a product of her environment.

Edelgard's motives for change are purely based on her own experiences and what she does want for the commoners is poorly thought through and has no more depth other than "I want them to be our equals" whilst having no planned out steps to actually do anything about it.

It is Ferdinand who makes her realise that commoners require free education to even attempt to be able to attain the same level that the nobles are given on a silver platter.

But of course Edelgard wouldn't think about that, because she doesn't have to. She had grown up Princess of a kingdom with the promise of Emperor at her feet since she was around 10 years old. Even when she wasn't promised Emperor, she was promised a comfortable life. Her education would have been paid for her. Of course she doesn't understand the struggles of commoners, because she has never had to.

Edelgard has been through hell but she has not been put through inherited disadvantage so why would she ever consider what it is like to be raised a commoner????

And so of course, when Edelgard sees the church exploiting and hurting everybody she immediately blames crests and becomes so tunnel visioned on her own experiences to make her stronger, she becomes blind to the other very real and much more important issues happening around her.

Edelgard lacks basic empathy and whether it is just something about her or it comes from the intense trauma she experienced as a child, it makes it impossible for her to relate to commoners and pretty much anyone who has a different lived experience to her. To the point where she even treads all over Hubert's boundaries, and he's the person who is the closest to her at the start of the game and agrees with her and her ideals the most.

This not to say she lacks sympathy, I believe she has a lot of sympathy for people. But she cannot for the life of her put herself in other people's shoes and think about how they are feeling/would feel.

This partially causes her lack of basic respect towards Petra and her racism towards Brigid, holding their freedom over their heads in exchange for Petra risking her life for FIVE YEARS and if she doesn't. Well then. No freedom for Brigid. However, this is also caused by being raised within the Adrestian Empire, especially within the Imperial nobility.

But her lack of empathy extends to her friends. I've mentioned Hubert already but she repeatedly makes Ferdinand uncomfortable, she gets snappy with Bernadetta whenever she's panicking, she outright calls Byleth pathetic for grieving their dead father DESPITE STILL GRIEIVING HER OWN DEAD FAMILY. There are hundreds of instances where Edelgard just simply cannot understand anything from someone else's point of view.

I don't hate Edelgard. I don't think I'm capable of hating any character but I definitely do not like the way she goes about things and treats other characters. She has many many many flaws but I do believe she is a product of her environment. As well as a victim of shitty writing (but that applies to all the characters).

[dollypopup]

thinking about the 'I would never court Penelope Featherington' scene again and how angry our fandom has been at Colin for it for the last two years and wondering. . .what exactly was he meant to say?

Lord Fife and his friends are *slimy*. They are gross. They have 0 respect for women. Fife isn't *Colin's* friend. Fife is *Anthony's* friend. Fife runs in Anthony's circles. Misogynistic circles with misogynistic language. Fife and Co. are out here saying the debutantes are only good for being 'wed, bed, and bred'. Fife is the one out here, well into his 30s and with an established title, fucking an 18 year woman raw on her first year out in the marriage mart with 0 intention to marry her. That is 10000% an act of violence in this society. And you *know* he's bragging about it. Hell, he was probably bragging about it right before he asked Colin about Penelope.

Colin's not in those circles. Colin has female friends. Colin respects his mother. Colin cares for his sisters. The worst thing Colin has EVER said about a woman was to call her 'cruel'.

So. . .what is Colin meant to say? "No, we're just friends" isn't going to fly for people like Fife. As IF he wouldn't reply with 'Yeah, suuuuuure, wink wink nudge nudge'. Thus ruining Penelope and fucking over her future completely. A lesser man than Colin would have let them think what they wanted, and that would have still ruined Penelope in their eyes. Silence? Incriminating.

And he doesn't want FIFE of all people to know about his close friendship with Penelope. Fife who has never once been seen respecting a woman. Fife who has never once viewed a woman as a person and not a sexual conquest. Penelope is a safe place for Colin. Is precious to him. He KNOWS that conversation could have destroyed her reputation.

People talk about how he 'ruined her prospects', but in actuality, Colin responding the way he did. . .likely SAVED her prospects. There was NOTHING he could have said except for a vehement refusal, completely shutting down the conversation, that would have spared her from their judgement and cruelty. Sure, they laughed, and maybe it was at Pen. Maybe it was at Colin. (frankly, how good of a twist would it be if they WERE laughing at Colin? Colin the 'green' boy back from his travels after being oh so gullible and getting lied to by his ex fiance? Anthony made fun of Colin for being a virgin, we think these men, all 10+ years older than him, wouldn't do the same?) But at least they didn't go 'yeah, I guess she's a ruined woman' about it, because that *would* have destroyed her reputation

We talk about how Colin could have worded it differently, but honestly?

I think he said the exact right thing in those circumstances

[denkies]

Wanted to mention the lyrics to the BSD 5 opening and their significance to a specific scene

「立ち止まる事でしか見えない場所が」

A place that can only be seen by stopping [movement]

「行けない場所がある」

There are places you can't go.

-

So when showing the rift between Atsushi and Akutagawa (life and death), the lyrics mention the afterlife. A place only Akutagawa can see, after death. Then, "there are places you can't go."

From Akutagawa's perspective, it would be "I am in a place only seen after death. You can't come to this place; you can't follow me."

From Atsushi's perspective, this would be "You are somewhere that I can't see, that I can't reach. You can't go there [you can't leave me]."

[Don't go where I can't follow]

-

-

-

Edit: more detailed analysis about it here

[swiftfootedachilles]

trevor saying "this is about you loving all the attention" ........uh. well yeah obviously...... did you miss the part where ian was abused and neglected growing up? do you expect him to hate the attention he got? i need you to be so fr trevor

[lyril]

this has boggled my mind for days

using this as an excuse to make you look at my human magic man also

[longagoitwastuesday]

I actually like the last chapter. I think the ideas are very good. I have my qualms on how some things were managed, as I always do, but I think shonen authors get tangled in the expectations of a shonen to the point it jeopardises their writing, often even when they're not lacking in skills

[amplexadversary]

fuck it's 2:40 and I have been typing up a ramble about Reinhard von Lohengramm that is in desperate need of proofreading because it has been a HOT minute since I watched LoGH.

Like, the FPA is my favorite faction in that show by a long shot and I'm less into the nobility drama on the other side

but someone else made a post fucking ages ago that I just saw which really ties in well to how I got an impression of Rein as a tragic figure, whose good intentions did not deliver, destroyed him and those close to him, re-enacted the very wrong that kicked off his ambition in the first place onto two different people, and left the whole galaxy worse off than it was before he took power.

[severepink]

Observing Adam

Where I go way too deep into something that probably isn't that deep. It's long, it's long as hell.

Okay, so you'd think with how Adam talks he's just a typical misogynist, right?

This man worships pussy. So much so, he's named a whole ass angel, one of his best, Vagina. You'd say that he objectifies them and thinks of them as being lesser, but I don't think that's the whole story. In fact, I think he might be the original simp.

All of these exorcists so far have been women. All of them. He refers to them as ladies or bitches interchangeably, he sees them as being completely capable of absolutely decimating leagues of some of the most vile beings who have ever existed, and they have, to the point it was only after thousands of years that there's been a risk to this hierarchy.

He's a self-centered, egotistical, loud-mouthed, arrogant asshole, no doubt about it, but I'm beginning to suspect something now.

If Adam and Lilith were created from the same dust, if they were created as equals, I am more than willing to bet... Lilith is also a self-centered, egotistical, arrogant asshole. But, she's likely far more intelligent, composed, and duplicitous.

Lilith was allowed to refuse Adam and leave of her own free will and garnered her own independence. A new wife was created for Adam, she was replaced. My guess, is she thought Adam wouldn't be able to live without her, to come back and find herself replaced entirely, she was enraged.

I believe both Adam and Lilith were both incredibly dominant individuals who fought over ideas, thoughts, and ultimately in the bedroom as well, if we take into account the creationist stories.

I'm willing to bet she likely manipulated Lucifer into twisting humanity against its original concept. What if Lucifer's intention truly was to just spark something within Eve, like independence and thought and creation, but it was Lilith's poison within the fruit that tainted her, then subsequently Adam, with sin.

Lilith thrived in hell, while Lucifer's dreams of creation were dashed. She didn't suffer as he did, instead the power of her voice grew with hell. Her voice grew so powerful that heaven found it to be a threat, her actions instigated the beginning of exterminations.

Charlie said that when she was a little girl, she didn't know Lucifer at all. I don't think this was because of Lucifer, he's seen here, picking her up, inviting her to share in his thoughts and dreams, showing her something wonderful. Something she could see within herself.

Charlie says that it's this moment that sparked her will to fight for her dreams. Which is strange, because at the very beginning of the story, Charlie says it was her mother's dream that was passed down to her.

Lilith took Charlie away. In this scene, Lucifer wasn't done showing Charlie his thoughts and dreams, he's still yearning to show his daughter these things at this point.

Lucifer loves his daughter. He loves Charlie so, so, so much. So why wasn't he allowed to build a relationship with his daughter for the longest time? He was waiting for the opportunity to get to know her, but with how much he adores her why didn't he do it sooner? He didn't comment on 'It took you a while-' he just said he missed her smile. They don't want to be pulled apart, again.

Now, we know Vivziepop has said that Lucifer and Lilith love each other, but Lilith 'wears the pants' in the relationship. We see all of the pictures all over the walls of a supposedly happy family. I don't think the relationship was as loving as originally portrayed and Lilith is a woman who desires control above all else. She likely tried to mitigate what influence Lucifer had over their daughter when she thought his angelic thoughts and behaviors became more than what she approved of.

Lets take it back to Adam and Lute for a moment. Again, Adam is a loud mouthed idiot, he's a jerk. The moment he realizes there are demons in heaven, he's ready to go on the attack. It's only because of Lute that he didn't end up doing something absolutely idiotic.

I gotta say, Lute and Adam's relationship is an absolutely fascinating one. He's a disrespectful dick head in how he talks, but how he acts is a different story. He allows Lute to man-handle him. He does listen to her, even if he's a whiny bitch about it.

Look at him, this is the face of a man listening, a dumb one, but a dude listening all the same. He doesn't manhandle her back, he doesn't even pull away until she lets go of his collar. Of all the shit he complained about, between being grabbed and being told what to do, his biggest complaint is that she's telling him to shush.

We know that Adam is the one who suggested the exterminations to begin with, so Sera says, and this was because of the power that Lilith was amassing. To him, Lilith is a threat. Even when he was willing to move on, to go to another wife when Lilith didn't want him or want to submit to him (fair babe, he's a bit of an idiot), she came back with an angel and proceeded to manipulate his new wife Eve. This is the supposed progenitor of man-kind, the original dick (hilariously enough), the reason civilization even exists at all. He and Eve had to fight for their lives after being tempted with the fruit. They had immortality, they had no ideas of shame, they were supposedly 'innocent' creatures before Lilith and Lucifer came along. He and Eve had to fight tooth and nail to survive after being cast from Eden. I think it shows in how willing and ready he is to take lead and do what he believes needs to be done, now out of a need for entertainment rather than a need to defend or protect. But, he still stopped to listen to Lute's advice. In the mythological story of Adam and Eve, Adam is the one who has to tell Eve that god said don't eat the fruit. Eve never heard god speak to her, so she was vulnerable to the snake's manipulations. She will now die because she ate it, and because she did not want Adam to take another wife, convinced him to eat it unknowingly. Funnily enough, Adam tried to explain to god that 'she lied to me and gave me the fruit' and in this actual mythology, Adam was punished for listening to his wife. Even without mentioning Lilith in the original mythology, Eve didn't want Adam to take another wife, so when we consider it within the context of Hazbin Hotel, it may be likely that's how it went down. Eve knew of Lilith, knew that she could be replaced, and decided that she would take Adam with her.

I believe that Adam does and did rely on the women in his life to help him with direction. I think Adam knows he can be an idiot and is willing to listen, even if he doesn't agree with what he's hearing. He did listen to Charlie in the beginning, he just didn't believe in her, like everyone else and he, out of anyone there, probably had the most reason not to. Cain and Abel were his and Eve's sons, his own child became the first murderer. Out of jealousy, the same kind of jealousy that no doubt has caused Lilith to act how she did. Adam isn't going to have empathy for sinners. His family, his legacy, were filled with the original sinners. He probably had to kill his son Cain in hell during the first exterminations. What do you think he would have had to feel, if it came to be a fact that sinners could be redeemed? That maybe his son, could've been redeemed? Or any of his progeny for that matter? How did it feel when his sons, his progeny, weren't given the same mercy as the Hellborn that Lucifer managed to keep protected through some deal with the angels or god? Not to mention that Charlie could've been his daughter. Charlie is the product of the people who completely and totally destroyed the paradise he'd been born into. She's the daughter who is protected and immune from the slaughter while all of his sons and daughters are judged and killed. I believe, even though he was a dickish prankster to Charlie, he was surprisingly patient and even somewhat amicable, willing to even ask her how her weekend was like he was just trying to get to know her.

Adam could just see all of the angels under his employ as being disposable. He doesn't have to name them, or think about them in any individual fashion. But, he knows Vaggie, recognized her instantly. Thought she was badass. Lute's the one who saw her, tore her wings off, and walked away. I'm surprised they even let her live, because this just goes against everything they're doing. They're an army and they saw one of their own showing empathy to the enemy.

Look at this dumb ass. He's being a shit-head, a dick, a bastard. But, he admires Vaggie's ability to pull Charlie, congratulates her, this dude isn't even judging her for being a lesbian. I don't think it's because he objectifies women, this dude loves women, he just does. He respects fellow vagina lovers. I don't think he respects liars in the slightest though. He's being underhanded, he's trying to be manipulative (he's not very good at it). I think he's brutally open and honest about everything and that's probably one of the reasons he's such a bastard anyways, because sometimes you just need to shut-up and he's not good at that.

I don't think he respects Sera for that either, he's more than willing to let others know what the hell he's doing, but under Sera's lead, he can't be open about it. I don't think it's his jam to act this way, it's why he sucks so bad at it and I think that's why Lilith is so antithetical to him. I also think that's why he's possibly even being manipulated.

It's kind of crazy that Adam is the only one who tries to come up with what allows someone to get into heaven. So here's his list: 1. Act Selfless: Maybe at one point he was! He had to have been, to be one of the progenitors of mankind, he would have had to work, sacrifice, and give to his wife and children for them all to survive. Eve would have had to do the same, no doubt. He may not seem selfless, due to his raunchy behavior, but he's served heaven since he's been there. He's served humanity in some kind of facet. 2. Don't Steal: Considering the only other humans are his spawn, he likely had to try and get them to not steal from one another for them all to have an equal opportunity of survival. He and Eve likely both knew they would need to work together to survive.

3. Stick it to the man: This, however, is interesting. Who is 'The Man' he speaks of? God? The only other people over him or were equal to him were women. He speaks like a rocker, and I think in this case he's using the term 'The Man' in a gender neutral way. I think he allowed some amount of Authority to Lilith when they were supposed to be seen as equals, it comes so naturally to him as a character when it comes to the other women he's been interacting with. I think she is the 'man' that he's been sticking it to- Pun somewhat intended. ((This third one may also simply be a tongue in cheek reference to when Alex Brightman played Dewey in School of Rock on Broadway! Thank you to the user who brought this to my attention!))

Adam is a bit of a hypocrite, isn't he? He likes to fuck, he's made that abundantly clear. Full of lust you could say. It was his original purpose after all, and he is judging Angel Dust for something he probably would've done himself at one point or has considered doing (maybe not the having sex with men part). Angel Dust does all of these things, Adam doesn't even deny it. He even looks nervous. He's angry, but doesn't deny that Angel has done those things. He doesn't explain it away or try to lie or move the goal posts, he's just asking what is an actually very valid question.

Why isn't Angel Dust there if he can do things equal to what Adam himself hasn't done? Serenity continues that line of thought. It isn't until Charlie is realizing no one knows what it takes to get into heaven.

Adam is more than willing to let Lute take the lead here, he's willing to give her the stage to clap back, he's giving her back-up antics. By all means, they could be pushing and fighting one another, there could easily be body language expressing something other than their general comfort around one another. They aren't fighting for a spotlight like you'd expect Adam to try and do considering his egotistical attitude.

Adam fucking sucks at keeping his mouth shut and he sucks at lying. He nearly blew the secret out of the bag once, this time, Sera is the only one who tries to stop him and to be honest? Lute looks a bit too thrilled at it. He knows he fucked up, but he doesn't think it's a big deal that anyone would know. For fucks sake, they've already condemned souls, his progeny, to suffer. What's the big deal if he kills them?

I have to re-iterate what's happening here. Charlie is proud she caused this chaos, that she caused these angels to fight amongst themselves, even if in this case it's a good thing. But, this is like history repeating itself to Adam, the reflection of his ex-wife, entering his domain, causing strife among his people, being happy about it.

And the venom he expresses when it comes to the 'liar' portion, god Alex Brightman destroyed when he got to this portion specifically. There is some vehement disgust in his tone when he says liar.

Adam isn't a good person now. But, I think he used to be a good person. By all means, Adam himself could've been the first murderer when his wife made her mistake. He, at one point in time, had to have been good enough to foster civilization itself with Eve. Both good and bad. Adam's original purpose was to be fruitful and multiply. Ordained by god (or maybe just angels) himself, divine power directed and created him to fuck. He didn't chase his ex-wife down, he was given a new one, Lilith was allowed to leave. When he left things alone, when he tried to move on, his ex-wife and a scorned angel destroyed the paradise he was in with Eve. He had to struggle and toil, he had to feel shame in his own body. He had to find out his first born son was the first murderer. His second son killed. We don't know if this is going to be canon in the story, a lot has changed, and if Adam is the first soul who reached heaven, then what did happen to Abel? Was Abel considered a sinner? Or did Cain kill Abel after Adam had passed? Either way, he had to witness his children kill, he had to watch his descendants behave in a range from saints and monsters. He's seen genocides, he's seen famine, war. Adam is desensitized to the plights of his descendants. Maybe he even saw it as a duty to cleanse the universe of their existence at one point, because they were his responsibility.

At the end of this episode, he is properly scolded by Sera and does seem ashamed of himself. He isn't huffy, he is reminded that he should be ashamed of acting that way.

I love Lute's enthusiasm, she's absolutely brutal when talking about Vaggie and with how she handled Vaggie. I think it's funny that Lute is so brutal she's even made Adam uncomfortable. It's cute that he's made uncomfortable by the excitement and all he does is tell Lute, the premier hype woman over here, to chill. She's so proud of herself too, look at her.

He fully expects these exorcist bad bitches to go in there and fuck shit up. But, you know it's hilarious that he's throwing horns? This dude, this angel. First human soul in heaven, loving rock n' roll, the devil's music, and throwing motherfucking horns. It's poetic really. I think we can probably assume where things are going.

Now, this is the first point we've seen Adam being a real piece of shit to Lute. I don't think Adam likes it when people think he's too dumb to notice something, especially something so damn obvious. This is such a drastic moment of vitriolic, uncontrolled anger directed towards Lute. Adam knows he isn't the brightest tool in the shed. He likely knows he's obtuse and misses shit. It's why he sucks at lying, he knows he's not smart. That is why I think he's afforded women opportunities to direct him without fighting back against their advice and their choices. I'm sure Lilith made it obvious how dumb she thinks Adam is. I'm wondering if this might be where their ground breaking fight might've come from. Who's to say he didn't allow Lilith to take the lead, or listen to her like he's done with Lute here and now? Perhaps to an even greater point? He listened to Eve and ate from the fruit of knowledge and he was punished for it. Being seen as so dumb he can't formulate a simple fact is a sore spot for him.

Adam is incredibly powerful. It took a bit out of him to exercise that power, probably because he's out of practice just like Lucifer said. At one point, he probably wasn't so sloppy and weak willed. He's gotten lazy. Sloth like.

I think it got real personal here. How viscerally and personally he attacked Charlie. No one but Charlie truly thought sinners could be redeemed, or that they were even worth it. Not even one of the original sinners. Maybe he never considered the possibility, maybe what happened really did make him see the world as black and white to cope with that happened to him, his wife, his children. Charlie's desire to fight this idea would destroy the foundation for all of his coping through the years. He stopped seeing them as family, even though he's grandiose about his founding role in humanity. Does that itch the guilt that may lurk under the surface?

I don't think Adam thought much of Charlie at all. I don't think he had any intention of coming to kill her in the beginning, despite seeing her, despite who her parents were. But, I think with the constant push, with how eager she was to disrupt the pre-conceived idea of order, it reminded Adam and reflected her parents so much, he was eager to kill her for revenge against them. I think this electrical interference on the mask is a direct reflection of sin. Namely, wrath, in this moment.

Now, this. THIS. Is something that made me want to write this whole fucking essay. Is Lucifer implying that he not only gave Eve the Fruit from the tree of knowledge, but FUCKED HER TOO? Homies, I'm sorry but holy shit. That is some hydrating tea. I'd be pretty pissed too, fucked over twice by women who were supposed to be literal soul mates, who you were made for, who were made for you?

I knew he would have a goatee, I could almost hear it. I gotta say, I'm a sucker for how he looks. I think he's hot. He is a bastard, but so are a lot of the hot dudes in this show. It's just a theme.

This exact series of lines prompted so many of the thoughts that I had about Adam and why he thinks or acts the way he does. At one point, Adam did have to work himself to the bone and learn to survive from scratch alongside Eve. He isn't entirely without cause to not think that he deserves some respect or recognition from his descendants.

But, that doesn't give him the right to act like god himself. It's... well... Blasphemous. Isn't it? One of the worst sins is to think yourself to be worthy of worship, as if you're a god.

This is the moment that gave me empathy for them both. You could probably see the kind of loving person Adam could have been at one point with how he looks at Lute, even as he's laying there, dying. He's not crying like a bitch, just looking at Lute softly. Lute screaming for him, screaming his name. They cared for each other deeply.

And this... and this.... and this. WHAT DEAL DID YOU MAKE, LILITH? Did you make it with Sera? Did you make it with Adam? Did you make it with Lute? Did you really just want a little 'vacay' away from the hell you helped create? Left her husband, depressed and lonely. Left her daughter without any care or guidance. Maybe Alastor was sent in her place, perhaps? Seven years since he was seen after all, but why wouldn't he show up sooner if Lilith did care? Did she make a deal with Lute and Adam? Did she let Adam smash it so she could stay in heaven? Did Lute let her stay in exchange for getting Adam out of a position of power? Or was it maybe Sera who commissioned Lilith with a deal? Either way, I'm in full belief that it wasn't Adam's idea to move the extermination day up. I think he's a patsy, a scapegoat. I think Lute may have been manipulated, potentially, into manipulating Adam into this position. Was it even really Adam who came up with the idea to do the exterminations? Or was he the one who simply decided to fight originally because he was told heaven was at risk due to Lilith's rising power? The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions. I think it could be any number of these. Either way, Lute certainly does think she had authority over Lilith. Is it Lute just having hubris? Or is Lilith truly bound, just like Alastor, Husk, and Angel Dust?

Of course, now that we know a soul can be redeemed... and we certainly know that angels can fall. I don't think this will be the last we see of Adam.

[ilibelle]

Imagine that your uniform is made up of several layers of different types of fabric and bulletproof shields. In addition to the extra fabric, you wear a mask and helmet that cover your entire face. Your costume makes it impossible to identify whether you are a woman or a man, and to top it off, you never speak. This leads people who aren't part of your squad to believe that you're just a short man who never speaks.

You work for the squad led by Colonel König. Recently, there were some situations that resulted in Kortac temporarily joining Task Force 141, two squads united to capture a terrorist.

You are not and have never been a sociable person. You don't talk to people you don't know and you always let someone else do the talking for you. As much as you are an adult woman, mature enough to make decisions on your own, you are shy. Very shy.

It's not unusual for other people to ask your teammates about you, always wondering why you don't speak up. They ask about the many layers of fabric that make up your outfit, whether you don't suffocate from the excess cloth and pockets.

And these people always refer to you in the masculine.

Always.

Soap is a bit of a curiosity when it comes to mysterious people who don't interact much with others in the room and who just stand in a quiet corner, far away from any living thing in the room. No wonder he made Ghost his best friend.

So believe me when I say that he's intrigued by you. The mysterious, masked guy in the dark corner of the room, who so far hasn't interacted with anyone since he arrived. You've caught his attention, but he won't talk to you because something inside him tells him not to come up to you out of the blue.

Something inside him tells him to take it easy this time, because that something inside him thinks that the outside of that guy should be molded slowly to reveal the inside. Does that make sense?

The first person Soap will ask about you is König, because them strangely hit it off, much to the unhappiness of Ghost, who didn't like König. Perhaps it's because he's taller and has stolen the role of being the tallest in the room from Ghost.

And also because he saw König talking to you about something, but you didn't use your voice and just nodded. Which led him to think that maybe you were mute.

Soap approached König with a smile, bringing up some other subject before starting to ask questions about you. He doesn't want to sound weird.

"Hm... You know, I keep asking myself..." Soap begins, waiting for a signal to continue.

"What is it?" König asks, crossing his arms and smiling beneath his mask.

"That guy in the corner... Why doesn't he join the others?"

"Oh." König straightens his posture and looks at you, standing in the corner of the room and staring at an interesting spot on the floor. "She's a bit shy, don't worry."

The gears turned slowly in Soap's head after this information.

"IT'S A WOMAN?!!??!!!!?"

It wasn't Soap's intention to draw the attention of everyone in the room, Including you, to him and König. But it just happened.

Hello:)) it's my first time posting something written by me and my English is terrible, but I tried my best with a translator 😞

[shimmershifts]

an open letter to those who have not yet shifted.

i don't know how many of you will see this, let alone how many will read it entirely. this letter is for those who have been trying to shift for two years, five years, more. those who cannot give up, and those who will not give up, and maybe even those who already have. to preface, this letter will not rehash everything you already know. you've scrolled every forum, you've seen every method, you've read every tip. you've trialed, and errored, and persevered... but you're still here. law of assumption, manifestation, belief, intention. but you're still here. you've been told all about shifting... right? you already know what shifting is... right? you should already know how to shift... right? but you're still here.

this letter is not intended to debase or invalidate those who do already believe in those things and who are satisfied with that. this is for those who have been trying that way for 2 years, 5 years, and more, and still haven't shifted. this is for those who might want an alternative perspective.

what you've been told

in my personal opinion, the online shifting community as it currently stands is very... rigid. narrow. there are a few dominant views, and then the many who drown out any possible dissent or disagreement. i do understand why this happens. reality shifting is already a marginal belief, hounded by anti-shifters and disbelieved and debunked on all sides, so it makes sense that people feel the instinct to close ranks at any sign of an outsider. unfortunately, this has led to a community that raises its hackles at even other reality shifters who simply don't believe the exact same way that you do. law of assumption. manifestation. intent. (and dare i say it, the multiverse.)

i don't believe in any of that, in the context of shifting.

now, wait! don't go yet, stay with me. it's okay if you do. i'm not intending to change the minds of those who already believe in these things. i'm not going to go at anyone and say "i'm right, you're wrong, and you must change your mind to agree with me!" that would be silly, and counterproductive. let's lower our guards, and extend an olive branch, please. if you feel these things serve your journey, then carry on. you're allowed to disagree with me, i won't be upset. you're allowed to think i'm wrong, if you want. literally no worries at all.

but i am a little tired frankly of certain ideas being treated as the only options, and often in a rude or hostile manner. if you are someone who has spent five years trying to shift, and you see yet another post that boils down to "all you have to do is want it hard enough" does that not hurt your soul? the following sections of this post are for those who these ideas have not been working for. for those who have not yet shifted. it's been two years. five years. more. and you're still here. are you open to another possibility?

what is reality shifting?

i've told you what i don't believe, but what about what i do? i'll try to keep this as concise as possible for the sake of brevity and comprehension, knowing i could potentially clarify in future posts. but please continue with the understanding that im a chronic overexplainer, and my curse is the fact that the extra words don't always actually increase understanding. bear with me.

reality shifting: broadly speaking, this refers to shifting your linear experience of reality from one, to another. this has been known by many other names in the past, across continents and cultures, even in pre-agriculture societies. i'd include ideas like persistent realms, quantum jumping, focus 21, etc. language is subjective, and people may describe or understand the same experience in different ways.

i believe reality shifting is a haphazard side effect of our limited ability to perceive and comprehend reality. let me explain. space, as we understand it, is three dimensional. but reality isn't. it's our bodies and minds limiting our perception and understanding that makes all of reality seem that way to us at surface level.

1D: let's consider a hypothetical one dimensional existence. everything would a straight line, and the only way to perceive anything else would be as a single point directly in front or directly behind you. forwards and backward. the 2D and 3D are beyond your limited ability to physically sense or feel, let alone to comprehend. Forget about the 4D (time). due to your lack of comprehension, you cannot move at will in two dimensional planes, let alone three dimensional space or even time. you are static, a single point.

2D: let's consider a hypothetical two dimensional existence. it would be a flat, infinite planar expanse. you might be a square, or a circle. you can move freely in two dimensional directions (forward, backwards, side to side), but not in the 3D. No up, no down. If you tried to perceive a three dimensional object, you would only be able to comprehend it as linear, a line on the horizon where it intersects your 2 dimensional plane. you would perceive the 3D as moving around or within you on its own, without the ability to direct it. the 4D, or time, if you could perceive it, would be static, a singular point at a time.

3D: what about our three dimensional existence? congratulations, you now are a form, such as a sphere, or a cube. you can move freely in a voluminous, infinite three dimensional space. Forward, backwards, side to side, up, and down. if you *try* to perceive the fourth dimension (time), you can only comprehend it as linear, a line where it intersects your 3 dimensional space. You perceive it as moving around or within you on its own, without the ability to direct it yourself. any dimensions higher than that, if you could perceive it, would be static, a singular point at a time.

quick 4D sidebar: clearing this one up now because this will confuse some of you who are involved in other communities. in many law of assumption and manifestation communities, "4D" has been used to refer to your imagination, inner world, a bridge to "higher vibrational states", etc. i don't use it that way. i use it in the sense of the mathematical concept, or linking three-dimensional space with time. 4D=time.

4D and 5D: so, time is the fourth dimension. that means it is four dimensional, yet due to our limitations as 3D creatures, we can only perceive it as linear. we perceive it as moving around us, without our direction, forwards, (or backwards in some cultures). what about the 5th dimension? the static one? the one we can only perceive one point of at a time? let's call this 5th dimension... reality. due to our limited perception, it may not seem like it, but time and reality are just like space in that all of it exists at once. if you were a 5th dimensional creature, you wouldn't see a bunch of different realities, you'd just see one the way we just see one 3D universe around us right now.

tip: think of it this way, if a three dimensional creature moving through time is only able to perceive it linearly, it may think that each point of time exists separately, passing by in chronological order. this would be like a character in a book, the character experiences each page one at a time as we turn the page. but we know that actually, the entire book exists all at the same time, and already did exist before we picked it up and started reading it, and continues to exist even when we set it down. the same is true of time, and reality. even if we perceive it as linear, or a point, all of it actually exists simultaneously, like space.

still, we can only perceive one point of reality at a time. i believe when we reality shift, we are by some freak of nature (or nurture) finding a way to trigger a "movement" in this "5th dimension," and therefor shifting our linear experience of time and our singular perceptual experience of one reality to another. ("movement" is a bit of an abstraction here, as movement generally refers to 3D space. you're not actually moving anywhere, you're already there, you just... can't see it at the same time as this.)

ok, so how the heavens do i shift?

if you read through all of the above, i assume that's what you're asking by now. "get to the point shimmer! how do i shift?" if you don't need intention, belief, assumption, manifestation, three gallons of water, crystals, or anything else then what do you need to shift?

if we boil shifting down to its absolute core, all you need to do in order to shift is to shift. (put down the pitch forks, and the flaming feathers and tar. i'll elaborate.)

shifting involves finding a way for us 3 dimensional creatures to trigger a shift in a dimensional direction that we do not have the capacity to perceive. so what i mean by "all you have to do to shift, is to shift" is that there is no physical movement, or secret password we can whisper that makes us shift, not inherently. it's sort of like being told to find your invisible and non corporeal primordial tail, and then swish it in a direction that doesn't spatially exist. find your "move in the 5D button", and then press it. except, there is no button.

so how do we "move" from one point of reality to the other? well, the first clue to this is in noticing what part of us is actually doing the "moving".

you don't make it happen with your three dimensional form. there is no body part or mass or motor function in your 3D body that triggers a shift. there's nothing that allows a three dimensional form to move in five dimensional directions... you just can't. your body stays here. that's good news actually, in my opinion. there is no need to force yourself into strange bodily positions, or chug water, or whatever else. your 3D body is irrelevant, because it's not going anywhere. you don't have to do anything with your body to shift. some people can shift awake, asleep, in the shower, walking around, etc.

you also don't necessarily do it with the fourth dimension, time. there is no specific amount of time that you'll shift after. it might seem you've spent a lot of time trying to shift, but the actual shift itself is instantaneous. some people shift their first try, and some of you might be on your second decade of attempts. again, the time factor being irrelevant is good news because this means it doesn't have to take time.

i also don't think we do it with just intent or belief. the intention word gets used so much it basically means nothing, but the general idea is that intent is the driving force that manifests your desired outcome. in the context of shifting, people use it like "set your intention to shift, and you will" or "intent makes you shift." or the dreaded "you just have to believe harder." personally, i don't think that's true. i don't think intention makes you shift. if it did, you all would have shifted by now, right? i think looking anyone who's been trying to shift for 4 years dead in the eye and telling them they just haven't intended to shift yet is honestly a bit cruel and unusual. some people who intend to shift will shift, but in my opinion, its a case of correlation, and not causation. there are also people who shift without intending to, or who intend to shift but don't.

it's also not really our thoughts that shift. or our mind as a concept, or our entire self. we know this because you don't turn into a comatose vegetable when you shift to a different reality. your thoughts, mind, and self here are unaffected by your awareness shifting away from it. if you successfully "permashifted" to hogwarts tonight, your self here would still wake up in the morning and go to work.

so what does shift? only our linear experience of our own awareness. so in order to reality shift, we just need to find a way to trigger our awareness to shift from one point of reality to another in a non linear fashion, and then integrate that into our linear experience. aha! you think. great! now how do i do that...? unfortunately, this is not an exact science (yet.) once you begin shifting regularly, i think it gets "easier" in some regards because you get a sense for how your awareness "feels" and what works for you. for those who haven't shifted, i can't say "take three deep breaths and recite the secret words, and then you'll shift." there is nothing specific you can physically do that will for certain make you shift. there's no secret passwords.

there is no key to shifting. the good news is, this means there is also no lock.

what we can do is get ourselves primed, into a state that increases the chances our awareness is triggered to shift. ie, find the "move in the 5D" button, (you know, the one that doesn't exist) and learn how to press it. and because it is our awareness that shifts, my "methods" have to do with priming your awareness for shifting. you don't need to believe, which is a good thing because it means doubts won't hold you back. you don't necessarily need to intend, which is a good thing because it means there are no secret blockages in your way. no "subconscious", no "reprogramming", no "delusion is the solution." you don't need any of that. you also don't have to do anything specific with your body or space unless you feel like it and want to. you don't need a script, but you can make one if you want. it's whatever, it's irrelevant darling, it's non-consequential.

these three methods below basically encompass all shifting methods out there. i might expand on techniques for these methods later, but for now i'll go over the basics.

method one: pure awareness

it basically boils down to two steps. get into a state of pure awareness, and then shift.

the first step for this method is actually a simple one, sort of, but i think it's unkind to call it easy. it can be easy, if you just happen to have a perfect technique that works for you on your first try. if so, congrats! if not, don't despair. it comes more naturally to some than others, at first. you can probably build the skills and try different techniques necessary for you to get there.

but what is pure awareness? it's currently very often being called "the void state", but i'm not using that term for a few reasons. one, i think using the term "the void state" or calling it "the void" is making people think it's some sort of place that they're trying to go. it's not. it's not a physical place at all, and that's kind of the point. most of the time, your awareness is perceiving reality through the confines concept of 3D reality, because that's the data input it's receiving from your brain and body. that grounds you in this reality, and allows you to go about your day to day life. your goal with the pure awareness method is to focus on just your awareness, absent of all 3D distraction data and input. that way, your awareness is primed to be triggered to shift its focus to the 3D perception of a different point of reality when you come out of that state.

i might make a post about techniques for getting into the state of pure awareness, but this post is already long enough.

method two: destabilization of awareness

this method gets over complicated, but it basically boils down to two steps. destabilize your awareness, and then shift.

honestly, most shifting methods i see online are in some way doing this. lucid dreams, the hypnogogic state, SATS, self-hypnosis, "symptoms", and also all those iterations of the "raven method" the "staircase method" the "alice in wonderland method" etc are all basically ways to destabilize your awareness from the linear perception it is so used to in this point of reality, offering the opportunity of triggering a shift to a different one. they're all sort of either distracting or subverting your focus on the 3D here in this point of reality.

basically, you'll be trying to discombobulate yourself to the point your awareness is not focused on 3D reality, and trigger a shift.

method three: absence of awareness

sleep method gang, rise up. i'm serious. this method involves reducing your awareness to zero, or as close to it as possible, another potentially prime state to trigger a shift. (and by sleep method, i don't mean lucid dreamers or SATS, i mean simply going to sleep here, having a period of complete unawareness, like totally dreamless sleep, and then waking up in your DR.)

this absence of awareness during sleep is (in my experience) the most common cause of accidental or unintentional shifts, but you might be one of those who can trigger a shift to desired realities with this too.

sleeping is not the only way to get to the state of the lack of awareness. i'd say total distraction methods also count for this. you're not asleep, your body is awake, but you're so "zoned out" (or alternatively in a meditative state such that) you're absolutely not aware of the 3D experience of this point of reality anymore.

this is completely different from the state of pure awareness by the way, because in the state of pure awareness you are aware. like, in pure awareness you have a full train of thought and total control. the absence of awareness is the opposite. it feels sort of like a "blip" where reality time and space passed you by and you were not aware of it.