#Short-term car insurance

[farooq123]

Title: Short-Term Car Insurance: A Quick Solution for Temporary Needs

Description:

Introduction: In today's fast-paced world, flexibility in insurance coverage ha become necessary for many vehicle owners. Short-term car insurance emerges as a practical solution for those seeking temporary car insurance coverage. This comprehensive guide delves into short-term car and property insurance nuances, highlighting why Insure Smart is a go-to choice for these services.

Understanding Property Insurance

The Importance of Property Insurance

Property insurance is an essential safeguard for homeowners and businesses alike. It protects your property from various risks, including damage, theft, and natural disasters. Understanding the importance of comprehensive property insurance is the first step in securing your valuable assets.

Customized Solutions for Diverse Needs

Each property has unique insurance requirements. Tailored solutions are vital in providing the appropriate coverage for different types of properties, whether residential or commercial.

The Role of Short-Term Car Insurance

What is Short-Term Car Insurance?

Short-term car insurance is a flexible insurance policy that covers your vehicle for a short period, usually from a few days to a few months. It's an ideal solution for various temporary coverage needs.

Situations Where Short-Term Coverage is Ideal

There are several scenarios where short-term car insurance is invaluable. These include using a rental car, borrowing a friend's vehicle, or when you have a guest driver. It's also a perfect fit for people who use their vehicles seasonally.

Why Choose Insure Smart for Property Insurance?

Expertise and Experience

Insure Smart stands out due to its extensive experience and expertise in property insurance. They offer knowledgeable advice and customized insurance solutions that cater to individual needs.

Customer-Centric Approach

Insure Smart's customer-centric approach ensures that the client's needs are at the forefront of their service. Their dedication to client satisfaction makes them a preferred choice for many.

Key Features of the Property Insurance We Arrange

Comprehensive Coverage Options

The property insurance arranged by Insure Smart is comprehensive, covering a wide range of risks and scenarios. This ensures peace of mind for property owners.

Competitive Pricing and Flexibility:

With a focus on affordability and flexibility, Insure Smart's property insurance solutions are competitively priced. They offer various options tailored to suit different budgets and requirements.

Conclusion:

When it comes to safeguarding your assets, whether a vehicle for the short term or a property for the long haul, choosing the right insurance is crucial. Short-term car insurance offers a quick and flexible solution for temporary vehicle coverage needs. Insure Smart provides expertise, comprehensive coverage, and a customer-centric approach to property insurance. These insurance types play a pivotal role in modern asset management and protection.

[briancampbell0706]

Why Temporary Classic Car Insurance Is the Perfect Solution for Short-Term Needs ?

For many car enthusiasts, classic cars hold a special place in their hearts. Whether it’s a beautifully restored vintage vehicle or a timeless piece of automotive history, owning a classic car is about passion. However, owning such a vehicle doesn’t always mean you’ll be driving it every day. Many classic car owners only take their vehicles out for special occasions, events, or during certain seasons. This is where classic car temporary insurance becomes an essential and cost-effective solution for short-term needs.

In this blog, we’ll explore why temporary classic car insurance is ideal for those who want to insure their prized vehicles without the commitment of a full year-long policy. We’ll also cover how this type of coverage works, who can benefit from it, and the importance of temporary cover options for young drivers.

What Is Temporary Classic Car Insurance?

Temporary classic car insurance is a flexible insurance policy designed to provide short-term coverage for classic vehicles. Instead of being tied into a long-term insurance contract, this type of insurance allows owners to insure their vehicle for a shorter period — ranging from a single day to several weeks or months, depending on the provider.

This kind of coverage is particularly useful for classic car owners who may only drive their vehicles occasionally, such as for car shows, exhibitions, or leisurely weekend drives. With short term classic car insurance, you can enjoy driving your vehicle when you need to without paying for a full year of coverage that you might not use.

Why Temporary Classic Car Insurance Is Perfect for Short-Term Needs

Here are some of the key reasons why temporary classic car insurance is the perfect solution for owners who only drive their vehicles occasionally:

1. Cost-Effective

One of the biggest advantages of classic car temporary insurance is that it is a cost-effective solution for those who don’t drive their classic cars on a daily basis. Annual insurance premiums for classic cars can be expensive, especially when considering the value and potential for repairs. If you only take your car out for a few special occasions, paying for a full-year policy doesn’t make sense. With short term classic car insurance, you only pay for the coverage you need.

2. Flexible Coverage Periods

Whether you need insurance for a single day or several months, temporary classic car insurance allows you to choose the length of coverage that best suits your needs. This flexibility is ideal for car owners who may need coverage for an upcoming event, a short trip, or just a few days of driving.

3. Easy to Arrange

Arranging classic car temporary insurance is often straightforward, with many providers offering online quotes and instant coverage. You can arrange the policy quickly and easily, even at the last minute, making it convenient for spontaneous outings or unexpected trips.

4. Protect Your Investment

Classic cars are valuable assets that require proper protection. Even if you’re only driving your classic car a few times a year, it’s essential to ensure that it’s fully covered while on the road. A short term classic car insurance policy ensures your vehicle is protected from accidents, theft, or damage during those rare times you take it out of the garage.

5. Perfect for Seasonal Use

Many classic car owners only drive their vehicles during specific seasons, such as in the spring and summer months. Rather than paying for full-year insurance, temporary classic car insurance allows you to insure your vehicle just for the months you plan on driving it, saving you money during off-seasons when the car is not in use.

How Does Temporary Classic Car Insurance Work?

The process of obtaining temporary classic car insurance is simple and designed to be as flexible as possible. Here’s how it typically works:

Get a Quote: Start by providing details about your classic car, including its make, model, and value. Most insurers will also ask for information about your driving history and any modifications to the vehicle.

Choose Your Coverage Period: Decide how long you need the insurance for — whether it’s just for a day, a week, or several months.

Instant Coverage: Once you’ve accepted the quote, you can typically arrange for instant coverage, meaning your classic car is insured and ready to drive almost immediately.

Policy Expiry: Once the policy expires, you’re no longer insured, but you’re free to renew or extend the policy as needed. If you don’t plan on driving the vehicle again for a while, there’s no need to pay for additional insurance.

Temporary Classic Car Insurance for Young Drivers

Classic car insurance can be particularly challenging for young or new drivers due to the higher risk associated with inexperience. Many young drivers struggle to find affordable coverage for classic vehicles because of this perceived risk. Fortunately, young driver temporary car insurance provides a solution.

1. Affordable Options

Young driver temporary insurance offers more affordable premiums than long-term policies, which are often prohibitively expensive for younger drivers. By choosing temporary cover for young drivers, new drivers can get behind the wheel of a classic car for special occasions or short-term needs without breaking the bank.

2. No Impact on No Claims Bonus

If a young driver is borrowing a family member’s classic car, using temporary cover for young drivers ensures that any claims made will not affect the car owner’s no-claims bonus. This is an important consideration when allowing young drivers to get behind the wheel of such a valuable vehicle.

3. Flexible for Special Events

Young drivers may only need to drive a classic car for a special event such as a wedding or car show. In these cases, young driver temporary car insurance allows them to legally drive the vehicle for a day or two, providing flexibility and peace of mind.

Choosing the Right Temporary Classic Car Insurance

When looking for classic car temporary insurance, there are several factors to consider:

Vehicle Value: Ensure the insurance policy covers the full value of your classic car. This is especially important for rare or highly valuable vehicles.

Age of the Driver: Some providers have age restrictions for temporary insurance, particularly for younger drivers. Make sure the policy you choose allows for young driver temporary insurance if needed.

Policy Terms: Always read the terms and conditions of the policy to ensure it covers everything you need, including modifications to the vehicle or any additional drivers who may need coverage.

Breakdown Cover: Consider adding breakdown cover to your temporary classic car insurance policy, especially if you’ll be driving a long distance. Classic cars can be more prone to breakdowns, and having this added protection can save you a lot of hassle.

When to Use Temporary Classic Car Insurance

There are many scenarios where classic car temporary insurance is the perfect solution, including:

Car Shows and Events: If you’re displaying your classic car at an event or show, short term classic car insurance ensures it’s covered for the duration of the event.

Special Occasions: Whether it’s a wedding, a special anniversary, or a leisurely Sunday drive, temporary classic car insurance allows you to drive your vehicle without committing to a full year of coverage.

Seasonal Driving: Classic cars are often driven only in the summer months. Temporary classic car insurance allows you to insure your vehicle just for the months you’ll be driving it.

Conclusion

For classic car owners, flexibility is key. Whether you need coverage for a single day or a few months, classic car temporary insurance offers the ideal solution for those who don’t drive their vehicles year-round. It’s cost-effective, easy to arrange, and perfect for seasonal or occasional use. For young drivers, temporary car insurance for young drivers provides an affordable way to get behind the wheel of a classic car for special events or short trips.

If you’re looking for temporary classic car insurance, make sure to explore all the available options to find the best policy for your needs. Whether you need coverage for a classic car show, a weekend drive, or for a young driver, short-term insurance provides the peace of mind that your vehicle is fully protected.

[pichardinsurance]

Importance of Car Insurance in Tallahassee and Quincy, FL

The importance of carrying insurance cannot be over-emphasized today. While the state mandates auto insurance coverage, most individuals find it beneficial to purchase home insurance to minimize risks too. Many homeowners invest in additional properties in remote, picturesque locales to obtain a second income. It makes sense to think of buying short-term rental insurance in Tallahassee and Havana, FL, once the title of such a property is secured. ​ Sure, one may try to dismiss this necessity by terming it as inconsequential. Unfortunately, such a decision may prove to be too costly for comfort. Many second homeowners rent their homes to vacationers and young students looking for temporary accommodation. While this ensures a steady stream of money regularly, it is vital to consider the cons. The homeowner may find the guests depart quickly without turning off the gas or taking care of the plumbing issues. Unexpected damages require early repairs to have another guest rent it soon. A suitable insurance cover can help meet such expenses and ensure a regular flow of money.

Buying the necessary coverage without checking the facts would be foolhardy. It certainly helps to know the insurance plans and understand the need and procedure for submitting a claim. Many insured persons are unable to grasp the facts and avail of information related to short-term rental insurance namely:

What is short-term rental insurance? It suffices to know that the homeowner is advised to buy the insurance coverage when the property is rented on a short-term basis that may last a week or a few days at the stretch. Failing to be covered by insurance exposes one to several risks that result in sudden and unexpected expenses. However, this is certainly not an insurance policy that can be used as an alternative to the conventional renter’s insurance policy.

Ideal Candidate for buying the insurance This is the perfect insurance for people who rent out their properties to guests for a short time. While one may do so directly, others use platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo to screen the renters and deal with the nitty-gritty. The insurance coverage is equally beneficial for owners renting their cabins or a cottage by the side of a lake temporarily too. The policy provides extra coverage over and above the traditional dwelling space or homeowner’s policy.

Clubbing the Homeowner’s & short-term rental insurance The conventional homeowner’s policy is not enough to cover the short-term rental risks, but the gaps in the traditional home policy can be covered effectively once one purchases the short-term plan. It is especially heartening to learn that the carrier will compensate for the financial loss when the property cannot be rented due to damages.

A self-driven automobile is an asset that is a necessity that one cannot avoid. Protecting it with the aid of car insurance in Tallahassee and Quincy, FL, can enable one to use the vehicle to fulfill the desired objectives.

[is-this-yuri]

hey yall, the situation has changed.

i've tentatively started a fundraiser to potentially work toward getting a van. i was going to wait until i got approved for SSDI and use the backpay to purchase a van, but after speaking with some lawyers, it's looking like that won't be happening in a reasonable time.

i really need to get out of this tiny car and into something bigger and more legal. i'd also like to sell my car for a chunk of cash, but i can't do that until i have something else to move into (and i certainly won't be able to do it when it inevitably gets towed if i keep driving it everywhere)

here's the link to the fundraiser

the goal is $10k. i know that's a lot, but there's no time limit on this. at $6-7k i can actually get the vehicle. maybe less if i'm lucky, and if i get any amount of donations i'll be searching the market constantly. the rest will be used to sort the registration and insurance, and of course to convert the inside. i've been researching this project for years, so rest assured i'll be using the money well.

i'm not sure what to expect with this but i will be eternally grateful if it works out for me. if it works out, i'll be posting all updates on my situation on the fundraiser and on patreon, and of course here on my blog.

i'm so sorry to be placing this burden on yall, but i really need all the help i can get, and i have no other ideas. having a van will be like having an apartment for me, and even without reliable income it'll be a massive upgrade so i can more readily work on getting reliable income one way or another. i can't even think about getting a regular job or staying consistent with my treatment until i have somewhere safer to live.

as for today i could use some cash to gas up my car and take care of some other needs, and as always i appreciate the donations i get almost daily that have been sustaining my life. if you'd rather support me in the short term, there's:

ko-fi

cashapp

or you can consider becoming a patron to allow me a small monthly income. thank you very much to my first patreon member! <3

so, there are many ways to support me now if you're willing and able! i appreciate every one of you <3 much gratitude to anyone who clicks any of the above links and for boosting and sharing! and thank you for tolerating me while i figure out this 'escaping homelessness' thing

0/10k

[anominous-user]

Double Indemnity, Veritas Ratio and Aventurine

This was originally a part of my compilation post as a short analysis on the Double Indemnity references, linking to this great thread by Manya on Twitter. However, I've recently watched the movie and found that the parallels run much deeper than just the mission name and the light cone itself, plus as the short synopsis I've read online. Since there isn't really an in-depth attempt at an analysis on the film in relation to the way Aventurine and Ratio present themselves throughout Penacony, I thought I'd take a stab at doing just that. I will also be bringing up things from Manya's thread as well as another thread that has some extra points.

Disclaimer that I... don't do analyses very often. Or write, in general — I'm someone who likes to illustrate their thoughts (in the artistic sense) more than write. There's just something about these two that makes me want to rip into them so badly, so here we are. If there's anything you'd like to add or correct me on, feel free to let me know in the replies or reblogs, or asks. This ended up being a rather extensive deep dive into the movie and its influences on the pairing, so please keep that in mind when pressing Read More.

There are two distinct layers on display in Ratio and Aventurine's relationship throughout Penacony, which are references to the two most important relationships in the movie — where they act like they hate/don’t know each other, and where they trust each other.

SPOILER WARNING for the entire movie, by the way. You can watch the film for free here on archive.org, as well as follow along with the screenplay here. I will also be taking dialogue and such from the screenplay, and cite quotes from the original novel in its own dedicated section. SPOILER WARNING for the Cat Among Pigeons Trailblaze mission, as well.

CONTENT WARNING FOR MENTIONS OF SUICIDE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

To start, Double Indemnity (1944) is a film noir by Billy Wilder (and co-written by Raymond Chandler) based on the novel of the same name by James M. Cain (1927). There are stark differences between the movie adaptation and the original novel which I will get into later on in this post, albeit in a smaller section, as this analysis is mainly focused on the movie adaptation. I will talk about the basics (summaries for the movie and the game, specifically the Penacony mission in tandem with Ratio and Aventurine) before diving into the character and scene parallels, among other things.

—

[THE NAME]

The term "double indemnity" is a clause in which if there’s a case of accidental death of a statistically rare variety, the insurance company has to pay out multiple of the original amount. This excludes deaths by murder, suicide, gross negligence, and natural causes.

The part of the mission in Cat Among Pigeons where Ratio and Aventurine meet with Sunday is named after the movie. And before we get further into things, let's get this part out of the way: The Chinese name used in the mission is the CN title of the movie, so there's no liberties taken with the localization — this makes it clear that it’s a nod to the movie and not localization doing its own thing like with the mission name for Heaven Is A Place On Earth (EN) / This Side of Paradise (人间天堂) (CN).

—

[SUMMARY OF THE 1944 MOVIE]

Here I summarised the important parts that will eventually be relevant in the analysis related to the game.

Insurance salesman Walter Neff, wounded from a gunshot, enters his office and confesses his crime on a dictaphone to his boss Barton Keyes, the claims manager. Much earlier, he had met Phyllis Dietrichson, the wife of Mr. Dietrichson and former nurse. Neff had initially wanted to meet Mr. Dietrichson because of car insurance. Phyllis claims her husband is mean to her and that his life insurance goes to his daughter Lola. With Neff seduced by Phyllis, they eventually brew up a scheme to murder Mr. Dietrichson in such a way that they activate the "double indemnity" clause, and the plan goes off almost perfectly. Initially, the death is labeled a suicide by the president of the company, Norton. 

Keyes finds the whole situation suspicious, and starts to suspect Phyllis may have had an accomplice. The label on the death goes from accidental, to suicide, to then murder. When it’s ruled that the husband had no idea of the accidental policy, the company refuses to pay. Neff befriends Phyllis’ stepdaughter Lola, and after finding out Phyllis may have played a part in the death of her father’s previous wife, Neff begins to fear for Lola and himself, as the life insurance would go all towards her, not Phyllis.

After the plan begins to unravel as a witness is found, it comes out that Lola’s boyfriend Nino Zachette has been visiting Phyllis every night after the murder. Neff goes to confront Phyllis, intending to kill her. Phyllis has her own plans, and ends up shooting him, but is unable to fire any more shots once she realises she did love him. Neff kills her in two shots. Soon after telling Zachette not to go inside the house, Neff drives to his office to record the confession. When Keyes arrives, Neff tells him he will go to Mexico, but he collapses before he could get out of the building.

—

[THE PENACONY MISSION TIMELINE]

I won’t be summarising the entirety of Aventurine and Ratio’s endeavours from the beginning of their relationship to their final conversation in Heaven Is A Place On Earth the same way as I summarised the plot of the movie, so I will instead present a timeline. Bolded parts means they are important and have clear parallels, and texts that are in [brackets] and italics stand for the names of either the light cone, or the mission names.

[Final Victor] Their first meeting. Ratio’s ideals are turned on its head as he finally meets his match.

Several missions happen in-between their first encounter and the Penacony project. They come to grow so close and trusting with each other that they can guess, understand each other’s thoughts, way of thinking and minds even in high stakes missions. Enough to pull off the Prisoner’s Dilemma (Aventurine’s E1) and Stag Hunt Game (Aventurine’s E6) and come out on top.

Aventurine turns towards Ratio for assisting him in the Penacony project. Ratio's involvement in the project is implied to be done without the knowledge of Jade, Topaz, and the IPC in general, as he was only sent to Penacony to represent the Intelligentsia Guild, and the two other Stonehearts never mention Ratio.

Aventurine and Ratio cook up the plan to deceive Sunday before ever setting foot on Penacony. Aventurine does not tell Ratio the entirety of his plan.

Aventurine convinces Topaz and Jade to trust him with their Cornerstones. Aventurine also breaks his own Cornerstone and hides it along with the jade within a bag of gift money.

[The Youth Who Chase Dreams] They enter Penacony in the Reverie Hotel. Aventurine is taken to the side by Sunday and has all his valuables taken, which includes the gift money that contains the broken aventurine stone, the jade, and the case containing the topaz.

Aventurine and Ratio speak in a “private” room about how Aventurine messed up the plan. After faking an argument to the all-seeing eyes of Sunday, Ratio leaves in a huff.

Ratio, wearing his alabaster head, is seen around Golden Hour in the (Dusk) Auction House by March 7th.

[Double Indemnity] Ratio meets up with Sunday and “exposes” Aventurine to him. Sunday buys his “betrayal”, and is now in possession of the topaz and jade. Note that this is in truth Ratio betraying Sunday all along.

Ratio meets up with Aventurine again at the bar. Ratio tells Aventurine Sunday wants to see him again.

They go to Dewlight Pavilion and solve a bunch of puzzles to prove their worth to Sunday.

They meet up with Sunday. Sunday forces Aventurine to tell the truth using his Harmony powers. Ratio cannot watch on. It ends with Aventurine taking the gift money with his Cornerstone.

[Heaven Is A Place On Earth] They are in Golden Hour. Ratio tries to pry Aventurine about his plan, but Aventurine reins him in to stop breaking character. Ratio gives him the Mundanite’s Insight before leaving. This is their final conversation before Aventurine’s grandest death.

Now how exactly does the word “double indemnity” relate to their mission in-game? What is their payout? For the IPC, this would be Penacony itself — Aventurine, as the IPC ambassador, handing in the Jade Cornerstone as well as orchestrating a huge show for everybody to witness his death, means the IPC have a reason to reclaim the former prison frontier. As for Ratio, his payout would be information on Penacony’s Stellaron, although whether or not this was actually something he sought out is debatable. And Aventurine? It’s highly implied that he seeks an audience with Diamond, and breaking the Aventurine Cornerstone is a one way trip to getting into hot water with Diamond. With Aventurine’s self-destructive behaviour, however, it would also make sense to say that death would be his potential payout, had he taken that path in the realm of IX.

Compared to the movie, the timeline happens in reverse and opposite in some aspects. I will get into it later. As for the intended parallels, these are pretty clear and cut:

Veritas Ratio - Walter Neff

Aventurine - Phyllis Dietrichson

Sunday - Mr. Dietrichson

There is one other character who I feel also is represented in Ratio, but I won’t bring them up until later down the line.

For the sake of this analysis, I won’t be exploring Sunday’s parallel to Mr. Dietrichson, as there isn’t much on Dietrichson’s character in the first place in both the movie and the novel. He just kind of exists to be a bastard that is killed off at the halfway point. Plus, the analysis is specifically hyper focused on the other two.

—

[SO, WHAT’S THE PLAN?]

To make things less confusing in the long run whenever I mention the words “scheme” and “plan”, I will be going through the details of Phyllis and Neff’s scheme, and Aventurine and Ratio’s plan respectively. Anything that happens after either pair separate from another isn’t going to be included. Written in a way for the plans to have gone perfectly with no outside problems.

Phyllis and Neff —> Mr. Dietrichson

Goal: Activate the double indemnity clause by killing Mr. Dietrichson and making it look like a freak train accident

Payout: Twice or more of the face value of the life insurance ($100,000)

Main Actor: Walter Neff    |    Accomplice: Phyllis Dietrichson

During the entire time until the payout, Phyllis and Neff have to make sure to any outsiders that they look like complete strangers instead of lovers in an affair.

Step-by-step:

Neff convinces Mr. Dietrichson to sign the policy with the clause without him suspecting foul play, preferably with a third party to act as an alibi. This is done discreetly, making Mr. Dietrichson not read the policy closely and being told to just sign.

Neff and Phyllis talk to each other about small details through the phone (specified to be never at Phyllis’ own house and never when Neff was in his office) and in the marketplace only, to make their meetings look accidental. They shouldn’t be seen nor tracked together, after all.

Phyllis asks Mr. Dietrichson to take the train. She will be the one driving him to the train station.

On the night of the murder, after making sure his alibi is airtight, Neff sneaks into their residence and hides in their car in the second row seating, behind the front row passenger seat. He wears the same colour of clothes as Mr. Dietrichson.

Phyllis and Mr. Dietrichson get inside the car — Phyllis in the driver’s seat and Mr. Dietrichson in the passenger seat. Phyllis drives. On the way to the train station, she makes a detour into an alley. She honks the horn three times.

After the third honk, Neff breaks Mr. Dietrichson’s neck. The body is then hidden in the second row seating under a rug.

They drive to the train station. Phyllis helps Neff, now posing as Mr. Dietrichson, onto the train. The train leaves the station.

Neff makes it to the observation platform of the parlour car and drops onto the train tracks when nobody else is there.

Phyllis is at the dump beside the tracks. She makes the car blink twice as a signal.

The two drag Mr. Dietrichson’s corpse onto the tracks.

They leave.

When Phyllis eventually gets questioned by the insurance company, she pretends she has no idea what they are talking about and eventually storms off.

Phyllis and Neff continue to lay low until the insurance company pays out.

Profit!

Actual Result: The actual murder plan goes almost smoothly, with a bonus of Mr. Dietrichson having broken a leg. But with him not filing a claim for the broken leg, a witness at the observation platform, and Zachette visiting Phyllis every night after the murder, Keyes works out the murder scheme on his own, but pins the blame on Phyllis and Zachette, not Neff.

Now for Aventurine and Ratio. You can skip this section if you understand how deep their act goes, but to those who need a refresher, here’s a thorough explanation:

Aventurine and Ratio —> Sunday

Goal: Collect the aventurine stone without Sunday knowing, ruin the dream (and create the grandest death)

Payout: Penacony for the IPC, information on the Stellaron for Ratio, a meeting with Diamond / death for Aventurine

Main Actor: Aventurine    |    Accomplice: Veritas Ratio

From the moment they step onto Penacony, they are under Sunday’s ever present and watchful eyes. “Privacy” is a foreign word to The Family. They have to act like they don’t like each other’s company the entire time and feed Sunday information through indirect means so that the eventual “betrayal” by Ratio seems truthful to Sunday. Despite what it looks like, they are closer than one would ever think, and Ratio would never sell out a person purely for information.

Step-by-step:

After Sunday takes away the bag of gift money and box, Aventurine and Ratio talk in a room in the Reverie Hotel.

Aventurine establishes the Cornerstones’ importance, and how he lost the gift money and the case containing the Cornerstones to Sunday. Ratio turns to leave, saying “some idiot ruined everything”, meaning the Cornerstones were vital to their plan. (Note that Ratio is not wearing his alabaster head while saying it to said “idiot”.)

Aventurine then proceeds to downplay the importance of the Cornerstones, stating they are “nothing more than a few rocks” and “who cares if they are gone”. This lets Sunday know that something suspicious may be going on for him to act like it’s nothing, and the mention of multiple stones, and leaves him to look up what a Cornerstone is to the Ten Stonehearts of the IPC.

Ratio points out his absurd choice of outfit, mentioning the Attini Peacock and their song.

Ratio implies that without the aventurine stone, he is useless to the IPC. He also establishes that Aventurine is from Sigonia(-IV), and points out the mark on his neck. To Sunday, this means that Aventurine is shackled to the IPC, and how Aventurine may possibly go through extreme lengths to get the stone back, because a death sentence always looms above him.

Aventurine claims Ratio had done his homework on his background, which can be taken that this is their very first time working together. (It isn’t, and it only takes one look to know that Aventurine is an Avgin because of his unique eyes, so this comment does not make sense even in a “sincere” way, a running theme for the interaction.)

Ratio mentions how the true goal is to reclaim Penacony for the IPC, establishing their ulterior motive for attending the banquet.

Ratio asks if Aventurine went to pre-school in Sigonia after saying trust was reliant on cooperation. Aventurine mentions how he didn’t go to school and how he doesn’t have any parents. He even brings up how friends are weapons of the Avgins. This tells Sunday that the Avgins supposedly are good at manipulation and potentially sees Ratio possibly betraying Aventurine due to his carelessness with his “friends”. Sunday would also then research about the Avgins in general (and research about Sigonia-IV comes straight from the Intelligentsia Guild.)

Ratio goes to Dewlight Pavilion in Sunday’s Mansion and exposes a part of Aventurine’s “plan”. When being handed the suitcase, Ratio opens it up due to his apparent high status in the IPC. He tells Sunday that the Cornerstone in the suitcase is a topaz, not an aventurine, and that the real aventurine stone is in the bag of gift money. This is a double betrayal — on Aventurine (who knows) and Sunday (who doesn’t). Note that while Ratio is not officially an IPC member in name — the Intelligentsia Guild (which is run by the IPC head of the Technology Department Yabuli) frequently collaborates with the IPC. Either Aventurine had given him access to the box, or Ratio’s status in general is ambiguous enough for Sunday not to question him further. He then explains parts of Aventurine’s gamble to Sunday in order to sell the betrayal. Note that Ratio does not ever mention Aventurine’s race to Sunday.

Ratio brings Aventurine to Sunday. Aventurine offers help in the investigation of Robin's death, requesting the gift money and the box in return.

Sunday objects to the trade offer. Aventurine then asks for just the bag. A classic car insurance sales tactic. Sunday then interrogates Aventurine, and uses everything Ratio and Aventurine brought up in the Reverie Hotel conversation and their interactions in the Mansion, as well as aspects that Ratio had brought up to Sunday himself.

Aventurine feigns defeat and ignorance enough so that Sunday willingly lets him go with the gift bag. After all is said and done, Aventurine leaves with the gift money, where the Aventurine Cornerstone is stored all along.

Ratio and Aventurine continue to pretend they dislike each other until they go their separate ways for their respective goals and plans. Aventurine would go on to orchestrate his own demise at the hands of Acheron, and Ratio… lurks in the shadows like the owl he is.

Profit!

Actual Result: The plan goes perfectly, even with minor hiccups like Ratio coming close to breaking character several times and Aventurine being sentenced to execution by Sunday.

This is how Sunday uses the information he gathered against Aventurine:

• Sunday going on a tirade about the way Aventurine dresses and how he’s not one to take risks — Ratio’s comment about Aventurine’s outfit being peacock-esque and how he’s “short of a feather or two”. • “Do you own a Cornerstone?” — Ratio talked about the aventurine stone. • “Did you hand over the Cornerstone to The Family when you entered Penacony?” — Aventurine mentioned the box containing the Cornerstones. • “Does the Cornerstone you handed over to The Family belong to you?” — Aventurine specifically pluralized the word Cornerstone and “a bunch of rocks” when talking to Ratio. • “Is your Cornerstone in this room right now?” — The box in the room supposedly contained Aventurine’s own cornerstone, when Aventurine mentioned multiple stones. • “Are you an Avgin from Sigonia?” —Aventurine mentioned that he’s an Avgin, and Ratio brought up Sigonia. • “Do the Avgins have any ability to read, control, and manipulate one’s own or another’s minds?” — Aventurine’s comment on how friends are weapons, as well as Sunday’s own research on the Avgins, leading him to find out about the negative stereotypes associated with them. • “Do you love your family more than yourself?” — His lost parents. “All the Avgins were killed in a massacre. Am I right?” — Based on Sunday’s research into his background. • “Are you your clan’s sole survivor?” — Same as the last point. “Do you hate and wish to destroy this world with your own hands?” — Ratio mentioned the IPC’s goal to regain Penacony, and Aventurine’s whole shtick is “all or nothing”. • “Can you swear that at this very moment, the aventurine stone is safe and sound in this box?” — Repeat.

As seen here, both duos have convoluted plans that involve the deception of one or more parties while also pretending that the relationship between each other isn’t as close as in reality. Unless you knew both of them personally and their histories, there was no way you could tell that they have something else going on. 

On to the next point: Comparing Aventurine and Ratio with Phyllis and Neff.

—

[NEFF & PHYLLIS — RATIO & AVENTURINE]

With the short summaries of the movie and the mission out of the way, let’s look at Phyllis and Neff as characters and how Aventurine and Ratio are similar or opposite to them.

Starting off with Aventurine and Phyllis. Here is where they are the most similar:

Phyllis is blonde and described as a provocative woman. Aventurine is also a blond and eyes Ratio provocatively in the Final Victor light cone.

Phyllis was put under surveillance after Keyes starts figuring out that the so-called accidental death/suicide may have been a murder after all. Similarly, Aventurine was watched by Sunday the entire time in Penacony.

Phyllis never tells Neff how she's seeing another man on the side to possibly kill him too (as well as how she was responsible for the death of her husband‘s previous wife). Aventurine also didn't tell Ratio the entirety of his plan of his own death.

Phyllis puts on a somewhat helpless act at first but is incredibly capable of making things go her way, having everything seemingly wrapped around her finger. Aventurine — even when putting on a facade that masks his true motives — always comes out at the top.

Now the differences between Aventurine and Phyllis:

Phyllis does not care about her family and has no issue with killing her husband, his previous wife, and possibly her daughter Lola. Opposite of that, Aventurine is a family man… with no family left, as well as feeling an insane level of survivor’s guilt.

Really, Phyllis just… does not care at all about anyone but herself and the money. Aventurine, while he uses every trick in the book to get out on top, does care about the way Jade and Topaz had entrusted him with their Cornerstones, in spite of the stones being worth their lives. 

Phyllis also uses other people to her advantage to get what she wants, often behind other people's backs, with the way she treats Neff and Zachette. Aventurine does as well (what with him making deals with the Trailblazer while also making a deal with Black Swan that involves the Trailblazer). The difference here is Phyllis uses her allure deliberately to seduce men while Aventurine simply uses others as pawns while also allowing others to do the same to himself.

Phyllis makes no attempt at compromising the policy when questioned by Norton. Aventurine ends up compromising by only taking the gift money (which is exactly what he needs).

The wig that Barbara Stanwyck (the actress of Phyllis) wore was chosen to make her look as “sleazy” as possible, make her look insincere and a fraud, a manipulator. A sort of cheapness. Aventurine’s flashy peacock-esque outfit can be sort of seen as something similar, except the outfit isn’t cheap.

Moving on to Ratio’s similarities to Neff… There isn’t much to extrapolate here as Ratio is more of a side character in the grand scheme of Penacony, however this is what I’ve figured out.

Neff has dark hair. Ratio has dark purple hair.

Neff almost never refers to Phyllis by her name when speaking with her, only as “baby”. The few times he refers to her as Phyllis or Mrs. Dietrichson is during their first conversations and when he has to act like he doesn’t know her. Ratio never calls Aventurine by his name when he’s around him — only as “gambler”, sometimes “damned” or “dear” (EN-only) gambler. Only in the Aventurine's Keeping Up With Star Rail episode does Ratio repeatedly say his name, and yet he still calls him by monikers like “gambler” or, bafflingly, a “system of chaos devoid of logic”.

Both Neff and Ratio committed two betrayals: Neff on Mr. Dietrichson and Keyes, and Ratio on Sunday and Aventurine. With the former cases it was to reach the end of the trolley line, and with the latter it was on a man who had put his trust in him.

As for the differences…

Neff is described as someone who’s not smart by his peers. Ratio is someone who is repeatedly idolised and put on a pedestal by other people.

Neff is excellent at pretending to not know nor care for Phyllis whenever he speaks about her with Keyes or when he and she are in a place that could land them in hot water (the office, the mansion when there are witnesses). His acting is on the same level as Phyllis. With Ratio it’s… complicated. While he does pull off the hater act well, he straight up isn’t great at pretending not to care about Aventurine’s wellbeing.

Instead of getting his gunshot wound treated in the hospital like a normal person, Neff makes the absolutely brilliant decision of driving to his office and talking to a dictaphone for hours. Needless to say, this is something a medical doctor like Ratio would never do.

Now here's the thing. Though it's very easy to just look at Phyllis and Neff in the movie and go "okay, Aventurine is Phyllis and Ratio is Neff — end of story" and leave it at that, I find that they both take from the two leads in different ways. Let me explain. Beginning with Aventurine and Neff…

Neff is the one who hatches the plan and encourages Phyllis to go through and claim the double indemnity clause in the first place. He is also the key player of his own risky plan, having to fake being the husband to enter the train as well as fake the death. Aventurine puts himself at great risk just by being in Sunday’s presence, and hoping that Sunday wouldn’t figure out that the green stone he had uncovered wasn’t the aventurine stone.

Adding onto the last point, Neff had fantasised about pulling off the perfect murder for a long time — the catalyst was simply him meeting Phyllis. Aventurine presumably sought out Ratio alone for his plan against Sunday.

Neff makes a roulette wheel analogy and talks about a pile of blue and yellow poker chips (the latter in the script only). I don‘t even have to explain why this is relevant here. (Aventurine’s Ultimate features a roulette wheel and the motif is on his belt, thigh strap, and back, too. And of course, Aventurine is all about his chips.)

Neff has certain ways to hide when he’s nervous, which include hiding his hands in his pockets when they were shaking, putting on glasses so people couldn’t see his eyes. Aventurine hides his left hand behind his back when he’s nervous: Future Aventurine says that "they don't know the other hand is below the table, clutching [his] chips for dear life", and in multiple occasions such as the Final Victor LC, his character trailer, and even in his boss form in the overworld you can see that Aventurine hides his left hand behind his back. And he is also seen with his glasses on sometimes.

Neff says a bunch of stuff to make sure that Phyllis acts her part and does not act out of character (i.e. during their interactions at the market), like how Aventurine repeatedly tries to get Ratio back on track from his subpar acting.

Neff is always one step ahead of the game, and the only reason the plan blows up in his face is due to outside forces that he could not have foreseen (a witness, Keyes figuring out the plan, the broken leg). Aventurine meanwhile plays 5D chess and even with the odds against him, he uses everything he can to come out on the top (i. e. getting Acheron to kill him in the dream).

Even after coming home on the night of the murder, Neff still felt that everything could have gone wrong. Aventurine, with his blessed luck, occasionally wavers and fears everything could go wrong whenever he takes a gamble.

Neff was not put under surveillance by Keyes due to him being extensive with his alibi. After witnessing Robin’s death with eyewitnesses at the scene, the Family had accepted Aventurine’s alibi, though he would be under watch from the Bloodhounds according to Ratio.

Neff talks about the entire murder scheme to the dictaphone. Aventurine during Cat Among Pigeons also retells his plan, albeit in a more convoluted manner, what with his future self and all.

Continuing with Ratio and Phyllis, even with their personalities and motivations being quite different, they do have a few commonalities.

Phyllis was a nurse. Ratio is a medical doctor.

Her name is Greek of origin. Veritas Ratio, though his name is Latin, has Greco-Roman influences throughout his entire character.

The very first scene Phyllis appears in has her wearing a bath towel around her torso. Ratio loves to take baths to clear his mind.

Phyllis was instructed by Neff to be at the market every morning at eleven buying things. Ratio is seen in an auction house with his alabaster head on so no one could recognize him.

Phyllis mostly acts as an accomplice to the scheme, being the one to convince her husband to take the train instead. She is also generally seen only when Neff is involved. Ratio plays the same role as well, only really appearing in the story in relation to Aventurine as well as being the accomplice in Aventurine’s own death. Even him standing in the auction house randomly can be explained by the theory that he and Aventurine had attempted to destabilise Penacony’s economy through a pump and dump scheme.

With these pointers out of the way, let’s take a closer look at select scenes from the film and their relation to the mission and the pair. 

—

[THE PHONE CALL — THE REVERIE HOTEL]

Before the murder, there is a scene with a phone call between Phyllis and Neff discussing the plan while Keyes is in the same room as Neff. Neff has to make sure that Keyes doesn’t think of anything of the phone call, so he acts like he’s calling a “Margie”, and says a bunch of stuff that sounds innocent out of context (“Can’t I call you back, ‘Margie’?” “What color did you pick out?” “Navy blue. I like that fine”), but are actually hinting at the real plan all along (the suit that Mr. Dietrichson wears.)

In a roundabout way, the conversation between Ratio and Aventurine in the Reverie Hotel can be seen as the opposite of that scene — with the two talking about their supposed plan out loud on Penacony ground, a place where the Family (and in turn, Sunday) has eyes everywhere. Despite being in a “private” room, they still act like they hate each other while airing out details that really do not make sense to air out if they really did meet the first time in Penacony (which they didn’t — they’ve been on several missions beforehand). It’s almost like they want a secret third person to know what they were doing, instead of trying to be hushed up about it. The TVs in the room that Sunday can look through based on Inherently Unjust Destiny — A Moment Among The Stars, the Bloodhound statue that disappears upon being inspected, the owl clock on the left which side eyes Ratio and Aventurine, all point to that Sunday is watching their every move, listening to every word.

Rewinding back to before the phone call, in one of the encounters at the marketplace where they “accidentally” run into each other, Phyllis talks about how the trip was off. How her husband wouldn’t get on the train, which was vital for their plan, because of a broken leg. All this, while pretending to be strangers by the passersby. You could say that the part where Ratio almost leaves because Aventurine had “ruined the plan” is the opposite of this, as the husband breaking his leg was something they couldn’t account for, while Aventurine “being short of a few feathers” was entirely part of the plan.

—

[QUESTIONING PHYLLIS — THE INTERROGATION]

This section is going to be a little longer as I will cover two scenes in the movie in a more detailed manner — Mr. Dietrichson signing the policy, and Phyllis being questioned — and how they are represented in the Sunday-Aventurine interrogation and the prior conversation between Ratio and Sunday in multitudes of ways.

Going about their plan, Neff has to make sure that Mr. Dietrichson signs the policy with the double indemnity clause without him knowing the details, all the while having Phyllis (and Lola) in the same room. He and Phyllis have to pretend that they don’t know each other, and that this is just the standard accidental insurance process, instead of signing what would be his downfall. To sell it, he gets Mr. Dietrichson to sign two “copies” of the form, except with Mr. Dietrichson’s second signature, he’s duped into signing the accident insurance policy with the respective clause.

You can tie this to how Ratio goes to Sunday in order to “expose” the lie that the suitcase didn’t actually contain the Aventurine Cornerstone, as well as there being more than one Cornerstone involved in the scheme. Ratio must make sure that Sunday truly believes that he dislikes Aventurine’s company, while also making sure that Sunday doesn’t figure out the actual aventurine stone is broken and hidden in the gift bag. The scheme turns out to be successful, as Sunday retrieves the two Cornerstones, but not the aventurine stone, and truly does think that the green stone he has in his possession is the aventurine.

This whole scene with Sunday is also reminiscent of the interrogation scene in the middle of the movie, where Phyllis was questioned by the boss (Norton) who was deducing that Mr. Dietrichson's death was a suicide, not accidental death. Neff, Phyllis, Keyes and Norton were all in the same room, and Neff and Phyllis had to act like they never knew the other. Phyllis acts like she knows nothing about what Norton insinuates about her husband and eventually, Phyllis explodes in anger and storms out the room, even slamming the door. Her act is very believable to any outsider.

Now back to the Ratio and Sunday conversation. One glaring difference between the movie and here is that his acting isn’t great compared to either Phyllis nor Neff. It never was throughout the Penacony mission. He even comes very close to breaking character several times, and is even defending Aventurine in a somewhat aggressive manner during his one-on-one conversation with Sunday, as in he literally tells Sunday to see a shrink. It’s very different from the way he was acting in Herta Space Station — like Ratio cares about Aventurine too much to keep his hands off.

It's also worth pointing out that Neff doesn't speak a word when Phyllis was being interrogated. Similarly, Ratio is silent throughout the entire scene with Sunday and Aventurine, with his only “line” being a “hm”. When Aventurine calls him a wretch to his face, all he does is look to the side. In fact, he can only look at Aventurine when the other isn’t staring back. Almost like him uttering a single word would give them away. Or his acting is terrible when it has to do with Aventurine, as he has no issue doing the same thing in Crown of the Mundane and Divine (Mundane Troubles).

So, Sunday finds out about the Cornerstones and reveals them to Aventurine, and reasons that he cannot give them back to him because Aventurine had lied. Note that in that same scene, Aventurine attempted to use the two murders that had occurred beforehand against Sunday to retrieve his own cornerstone. Similarly, when it was revealed that Mr. Dietrichson did not know about the accident policy and that the so-called “accidental death” was not, in fact, accidental, the insurance company refused to pay out the money.

Unlike the movie, this was all planned, however. The double-crossing by Ratio, the gift money being the only thing required for Aventurine’s real plan. All of it was an act of betrayal against Sunday, in the same manner as the meticulous planning as Mr. Dietrichson’s murder — To sign the policy, get him to take the train, kill him on the way, and to have Neff pose as the husband on the train until the time is right to get off and lay the body on the tracks. A key difference is that they could not have expected their scheme to be busted wide open due to forces outside of their control, while Ratio and Aventurine went straight down the line for the both of them no matter what.

From here on out, we can conclude that the way Ratio and Aventurine present themselves in Penacony to onlookers is in line with Neff and Phyllis.

—

[“GOODBYE, BABY” — FINAL VICTOR]

And now for the (in)famous light cone, Final Victor. The thing that truly kickstarted the Ratio and Aventurine ship in the fanbase, and the partnership between the two in general. It’s a direct reference to the final confrontation between Neff and Phyllis in the movie.

I’ll fire through all the similarities between the two scenes.

During the respective scenes, Aventurine and Phyllis both outsmart their partner one way or the other: Aventurine with his one-sided game of Russian Roulette, and Phyllis hiding her gun underneath the cushions until Neff turned away.

The guns are owned by Phyllis and Aventurine, not Neff and Ratio.

Phyllis couldn’t bring herself to fire any more shots after she realised she truly did love Neff. Ratio could do nothing but watch as Aventurine did what he did — he couldn’t even pull away if the LC animation is anything to go by him struggling as Aventurine firmly keeps the gun to his chest.

Neff says he doesn’t buy (believe) that Phyllis loved him. She then goes “I’m not asking you to buy […]”. The LC description has Aventurine ask Ratio “You don’t believe me?”, while in the LC animation Ratio straight up says “You expect me to believe you?” and Aventurine answering “Why not, doctor/professor?”

The visual composition of the LC and the scene are nearly identical, from the lighting to the posing to the way Aventurine looks at Ratio — Aventurine and Ratio are even wearing different outfits to fit the scene better. The background in the LC is also like the blinders in the movie, just horizontal.

In the shot where Phyllis’ face is more visible, the way she looks at Neff is strikingly like the way provocatively looks at Ratio. Even their eyes have a visible shine — Phyllis’ eyes brightly shining the moment she realised she really fell in love with Neff, and Aventurine having just a little light return to his eyes in that specific moment.

And now the differences!

Neff holds the gun in his right hand. Aventurine makes Ratio hold his gun in his left.

Neff is the one who takes the gun from Phyllis‘ hand. Aventurine is the one who places the gun in Ratio’s hand and fires it.

Three gunshots are fired. In the movie, Phyllis shoots the first shot and Neff the second and third. Aventurine unloads the gun and leaves only one bullet for this game of Russian Roulette. He pulls the trigger three times, but they all turn out to be blanks.

Phyllis does not break her façade of not smiling until the very last moment where she gets shot. Aventurine is smiling the entire time according to the light cone description, whilst in the animation, it’s only when he guides the gun to his chest that he puts it on.

So, you know how Neff meets Phyllis and it all goes off the rails from there. The way Neff goes from a decent guy to willingly involve himself in a murder scheme, having his morals corrupted by Phyllis. His world having been turned upside down the moment he lays eyes on Phyllis in that first meeting. Doesn’t that sound like something that happened with the Final Victor LC? Ratio, a man all about logic and rationality — a scholar with eight PhDs to his name — all of that is flipped on its head the moment Aventurine pulls out his gun in their first meeting and forces Ratio to play a game of Russian roulette with him. Aventurine casually gambles using his own life like it’s nothing and seemingly without fear (barring his hidden left hand). All or nothing — and yet Aventurine comes out alive after three blanks. Poetic, considering there’s a consumable in the game called “All or Nothing” which features a broken chess piece and a poker chip bound together by a tie. The poker chip obviously represents the gambler, but the chess piece specifically stands for Ratio because he plays chess in his character trailer, his Keeping Up With Star Rail episode and his introduction is centred around him playing chess with himself. Plus, the design of the chess piece has golden accents, similar to his own chess set. In the end, Aventurine will always be the final victor.

Furthermore, Neff had deduced that Phyllis wanted to kill her husband and initially wanted no part in it, but in a subsequent visit it was his own idea that they trigger the double indemnity clause for more money. As the movie progresses though, he starts to have his doubts (thanks in part to him befriending Lola) and makes the move to kill Phyllis when everything starts to come to light. It’s strikingly similar to how Ratio initially wanted no part in whatever Aventurine had in mind when they first met, but in the subsequent missions where they were paired up, he willingly goes along with Aventurine's risky plans, and they come to trust each other. Enough so that Aventurine and Ratio can go to Penacony all on their own and put on an act, knowing that nobody in the IPC other than them can enter the Dreamscape. The mutual respect grew over time, instead of burning passionately before quickly fizzling out like in the movie.

Basically, in one scene, three shots (blanks) start a relationship, and in the other, it ends a relationship. In the anan magazine interview with Aventurine, he says himself that “form[ing] an alliance with just one bullet” with Ratio was one of his personal achievements. The moment itself was so impactful for both parties that it was immortalised and turned into a light cone.

—

[THE ENDING — GOLDEN HOUR]

The ending of Double Indemnity that made it into the final cut has Neff continue his confession on the dictaphone until he realised that he wasn’t alone in the room. Keyes had come inside at some point, but none had said a thing, only listening to a dead man speak of his crime. When Neff sees Keyes, they talk for a moment, Neff says he plans on fleeing to Mexico. Keyes does not think he will make it. He tries to leave, only to collapse at the front of the elevator, Keyes following just behind him. Neff attempts to light a cigar but is too weak to do so, so Keyes does it for him.

Parts of the ending can still be attributed to the interrogation scene between Sunday and Aventurine, so I’ll make this quick before moving on to the conversation in Heaven Is A Place On Earth, Ratio and Aventurine’s final conversation together. Once Sunday mentions how quickly Aventurine gave up the suitcase, he inflicts the Harmony’s consecration on him, which forces Aventurine to confess everything that Sunday asks of. In a way, it’s the opposite of what happens in the movie — where Neff willingly tells the truth about the murder to his coworker. Aventurine does not like Sunday, and Neff is close to Keyes. Ratio also does not speak, similarly to how Keyes didn’t speak and stood silently off to the side.

Post-interrogation in Golden Hour, Ratio worriedly prods at Aventurine and asks him about his plan. He then gives him the Mundanite’s Insight with the Doctor’s Advice inside when Aventurine tells him to leave. Throughout Heaven Is A Place On Earth, Aventurine gets weaker and his head starts to buzz, until he falls to the ground before he can hand in the final gems. Similarly, Neff progressively grows weaker as he records his confession. Keyes says he’s going to call a doctor and Neff says he’s planning to go to Mexico. And when Neff collapses near the elevator, they talk one final time and Keyes lights Neff’s cigar as the other was too weak to do so himself.

—

[OPPOSITE TIMELINES AND DEVELOPMENTS]

Remember how I said the way certain events happen in the movie and the game are mostly opposite and reverse of one another? 

The Final Victor LC is the first meeting of Ratio and Aventurine, and Neff killing Phyllis is their final meeting.

Between that first and last meeting between Phyllis and Neff’s whirlwind romance, their relationship becomes strained which ultimately leads to Neff not trusting whatever Phyllis has to say at the end point of the movie. As for Ratio and Aventurine, the exact opposite had happened, to the point where Ratio trusts Aventurine enough to go along with his plans even if they went against his own ideals. The basis of the mission involved Veritas Ratio, whose full name includes the Latin word for “truth”, lying the entire time on Penacony.

Aventurine is sentenced to the gallows by Sunday after his unwilling interrogation. The movie starts and ends with Neff willingly confessing everything to Keyes.

It bears repeating, but I have to make it so clear that the trust between Ratio and Aventurine runs incredibly deep. Being able to predict what your partner says and thinks and plans in a mission as critical as the Penacony project is not something first-time co-workers can pull off flawlessly. All the while having to put on masks that prevent you from speaking sincerely towards one another lest you rat yourselves out. You have no way of contacting outside reinforcements from within Penacony, as the rest of the IPC are barred from entering. To be able to play everybody for fools while said fools believe you yourselves have handed your case on a silver platter requires a lot — trust, knowledge of the other, past experience, and so on. With Phyllis and Neff, the trust they had had been snuffed out when Neff grew closer to Lola and found out what kind of person Phyllis truly was on the inside. Phyllis did not trust nor love Neff enough and was going behind his back to meet with Zachette to possibly take Neff and Lola out. And the whole reason Neff wanted to perpetrate the murder was due to him being initially taken by Phyllis' appearance, which single handedly got the ball rolling on the crime.

Now then, how come trust is one of the defining aspects of Aventurine and Ratio’s relationship, when Phyllis and Neff’s trust eventually lead to both their deaths at the hands of the other? Sure, this can be explained away with the opposite theory, but there’s one other relationship involving Neff which I haven’t brought up in excruciating detail yet. The other side of Ratio and Aventurine’s relationship.

—

[NEFF & KEYES — AVENTURINE & RATIO]

Here is where it gets more interesting — while Phyllis and Neff are at the centre point of the movie, there is another character to whom Neff has a close relationship with — Keyes. It’s also the only relationship with no pretences, at least, until the whole murder thing happened and Neff had to hide his involvement from Keyes. Watching the movie, I couldn't help but feel there was something more to the two than meets the eye. I knew that queer readings of the film existed, but I didn't think too much of them until now. And though Aventurine and Ratio parallel Phyllis and Neff respectively, the fact that they also have traits of their opposite means that it wouldn’t be completely out of the question if parts of their relationship were also influenced by Keyes and Neff on a deeper and personal level. Let me explain.

Keyes and Neff were intimate friends for eleven years and have shown mutual respect and trust towards one another. They understood each other on a level not seen with Phyllis and Neff. Even after hearing Neff confess his crimes through the dictaphone (and eventually standing in the same room while Neff confessed), he still cared for the other man, and stayed with him when Neff collapsed at the front door. The only reason Keyes hadn’t deduced that it was Neff who was behind the murder was because he had his absolute trust in him. Keyes is also Neff’s boss, and they are always seen exchanging playful banter when they are on screen together. Neff even says the words “I love you, too” twice in the movie — first at the beginning and second at the end, as the final line. There’s also the persistent theme of Neff lighting Keyes’ cigarettes (which happens in every scene where they are face-to-face), except in the end where it’s Keyes who lights Neff’s.

Doesn’t that sound familiar? Mutual respect, caring too much about the other person, the immense amount of trust… Ratio says he’s even the manager of the Penacony project (which may or may not be a lie), and despite their banter being laced with them acting as “enemies”, you can tell that in Dewlight Pavilion pre-Sunday confrontation that Aventurine genuinely likes Ratio’s company and believes him to be a reliable person. From the way he acts carefree in his words to the thoughts in his head, as seen in the mission descriptions for Double Indemnity. Their interactions in that specific mission are possibly the closest thing to their normal way of speaking that we get to see on Penacony.

Not to mention, this is the way Neff describes Keyes. He even says (not in the script) “you never fooled me with your song and dance, not for a second.” Apart from the line about the cigar ashes, doesn’t this ring a bell to a certain doctor? “Jerk” with a heart of gold?

After solving the puzzle with the statues, Ratio jokingly offers Aventurine to join the Genius Society. Aventurine then goes "Really? I thought you’ve given up on that already", and then Ratio says it was, in fact, a joke. Solving the puzzle through brute force has Ratio telling Aventurine that the Council of Mundanites (which Ratio himself is a part of) should consider him a member. In the movie, where the scene with the phone call with Neff and Phyllis reiterating details of their plan happens, Keyes actually offered Neff a better job (specifically a desk job, as Keyes’ assistant). The two pairs saw the other as smart, equals, and were invested in each other’s careers one way or another.

Because of all this, the character parallels for this side of the relationship are as follows:

Aventurine - Walter Neff

Veritas Ratio - Barton Keyes

With the way I’ve talked about how Aventurine and Ratio take from both leads in terms, it does fit to say that Aventurine is Neff, and Ratio is Keyes in this layer of their relationship. Since we’re on the topic of Keyes, let me also go through some similarities with him and Ratio specifically.

Keyes says the words “dimwitted amateurs” in his first on-screen conversation with Neff. You can’t have Dr. Ratio without him talking about idiocy in some way.

Keyes almost only appears in the movie in relation to Neff, and barring a single interaction in Neff’s house, is also only seen in the office. Same with Phyllis, Ratio also only ever appears regarding Aventurine.

Keyes genuinely wanted the best for Neff, even offering to celebrate with him when he thought the case truly had been busted wide open by forces when Zachette entered the picture. You could say the same for Ratio, as he hoped that Aventurine wouldn’t dwell on the past according to his response on Aventurine’s Interview, as well as telling him to “stay alive/live on (CN)” and wishing him the best of luck in his Doctor’s Advice note.

Whether or not you believe that there was more going on with Neff and Keyes is up to you, but what matters is that the two were very close. Just like Ratio and Aventurine.

—

[THE ORIGINAL FILM ENDING]

Something that I hadn’t seen brought up is the original ending of Double Indemnity, where Neff is executed in a gas chamber while Keyes watches on, shocked, and afterwards leaves somberly. The ending was taken out because they were worried about the Hays Code, but I felt it was important to bring it up, because in a way, you can kind of see the Sunday interrogation scene as Sunday sending Aventurine to his death in seventeen system hours. And Ratio doesn’t speak at all in that scene, and Keyes doesn’t either according to the script.

Another thing that’s noteworthy is that Wilder himself said “the story was about the two guys” in Conversations with Wilder. The two guys in question are Keyes and Neff.

—

[THE NOVEL]

With the original film ending covered, now it is time to bring up the novel by James M. Cain. I bought the book just to read about the differences between the adaptation and the original source material, and to list a few more similarities and opposites I could gather. For this section alone, due to the changes in the (last) names of certain characters, I will be referring to Walter Huff (Neff in the movie) as Walter, and Mr. Dietrichson as Nirdlinger. The plot is pretty much the same as the movie’s apart from a couple of changes so there isn’t a need to recount everything.

From my two read-throughs of the novel, these are the following passages that stood out to me the most. Starting with Aventurine:

Walter, as a top businessman of the company, knows how to sway a deal and to get what he truly wants with what the other gives him. Aventurine is the same, reliant on his intuition, experience and whatever information he has on the table to claim the win. Him luring out Sparkle in Heaven Is A Place On Earth and his conversation with Acheron in the Nihility is indicative of that.

• "But you sell as many people as I do, you don't go by what they say. You feel it, how the deal is going. And after a while I knew this woman didn't care anything about the Automobile Club. Maybe the husband did, but she didn't. There was something else, and this was nothing but a stall. I figured it would be some kind of a proposition to split the commission, maybe so she could get a ten-spot out of it without the husband knowing. There's plenty of that going on. And I was just wondering what I would say to her." 

Phyllis, like in the movie, had been hiding her true intentions of talking to Walter in their first conversations, always saying things that she didn’t actually mean. In a similar vein, Aventurine consistently says stuff but almost never truly means any of it, which is all part of his façade.

• "And I could feel it again, that she wasn't saying what she meant. It was the same as it was the first afternoon I met her, that there was something else, besides what she was telling me. And I couldn't shake it off, that I had to call it on her."

When discussing the murder plan with Phyllis, Walter makes this comment, kind of like how Aventurine seems to operate in a way where he has a plan, but is ready to improvise and think fast when needed.

• "And then it's one of those things where you've got to watch for your chance, and you can't plan it in advance, and know where you're going to come out to the last decimal point."

Remember the roulette wheel line from the movie? In the novel, the gambling metaphor that Walter makes about the insurance business goes on for two paragraphs, mentioning a gambling wheel, stack of chips, a place with a big casino and the little ivory ball, even about a bet on the table. Walter also talks about how he thinks of tricks at night after being in the business for so long, and how he could game the system. Needless to say, insanely reminiscent of Aventurine.

• "You think I’m nuts? All right, maybe I am. But you spend fifteen years in the business I’m in, and maybe a little better than that, it’s the friend of the widow, the orphan, and the needy in time of trouble? It’s not. It’s the biggest gambling wheel in the world. It don’t look like it, but it is, from the way they figure the percentage on the oo to the look on their face when they cash your chips. You bet that your house will burn down, they bet it won’t, that’s all. What fools you is that you didn’t want your house to burn down when you made the bet, and so you forget it’s a bet. To them, a bet is a bet, and a hedge bet don’t look any different than any other bet. But there comes a time, maybe, when you do want your house to burn down, when the money is worth more than the house. And right there is where the trouble starts." • "Alright, I’m an agent. I’m a croupier in that game. I know all their tricks, I lie awake thinking up tricks, so I’ll be ready for them when they come at me. And then one night I think up a trick, and get to thinking I could crook the wheel myself if I could only put a plant out there to put down my bet." • "I had seen so many houses burned down, so many cars wrecked, so many corpses with blue holes in their temples, so many awful things that people had pulled to crook the wheel, that that stuff didn’t seem real to me anymore. If you don’t understand that, go to Monte Carlo or some other place where there’s a big casino, sit at a table, and watch the face of the man that spins the little ivory ball. After you’ve watched it a while, ask yourself how much he would care if you went out and plugged yourself in the head. His eyes might drop when he heard the shot, but it wouldn’t be from the worry whether you lived or died. It would be to make sure you didn’t leave a bet on the table, that he would have to cash for your estate. No, he wouldn’t care."

Returning home from the murder, Walter attempted to pray, but was unable to do it. Some time passed and after speaking to Phyllis, he prayed. Aventurine presumably hadn’t done the prayer ever since the day of the massacre, and the first time he does it again, he does it with his child self.

• "I went to the dining room and took a drink. I took another drink. I started mumbling to myself, trying to get so I could talk. I had to have something to mumble. I thought of the Lord's Prayer. I mumbled that, a couple of times. I tried to mumble it another time, and couldn't remember how it went." • "That night I did something I hadn’t done in years. I prayed."

Phyllis in the book is much more inclined towards death than her movie version, even thinking of herself as a personification of death. She’s killed ten other people (including infants) prior to the events of the novel. Something to keep in mind as Aventurine had mentioned several times that he attempted to kill himself in the dream, plus his leadup to his “grandest death”. Just like Phyllis, he’s even killed at least a few people before, though the circumstances of that were less on his own volition and more so for the sake of his survival (i.e. the death game in the maze involving the 34 other slaves where he was the winner and another time where he murdered his own master). Instead of Phyllis playing the active role of Death towards everybody else, Aventurine himself dances with Death with every gamble, every time his luck comes into play. Danse Macabre.

• "But there’s something in me, I don’t know what. Maybe I’m crazy. But there’s something in me that loves Death. I think of myself as Death, sometimes." • "Walter, The time has come. For me to meet my bridegroom [Death]. The only one I ever loved."

Moving on to Ratio:

Walter says several times that it’s hard to get along with Keyes, and how he says nice things after getting you all worked up. A hard-headed man to get along with, but damn good at his job. Sound like someone familiar?

• "That would be like Keyes, that even when he wanted to say something nice to you, he had to make you sore first."  • "It makes your head ache to be around him, but he’s the best claim man on the Coast, and he was the one I was afraid of."

Keyes sees Walter as smarter than half the fools in the company. Ratio can only stand the company of Aventurine in regards to the IPC.

• "Walter, I'm not beefing with you. I know you said he ought to be investigated. I've got your memo right here on my desk. That's what I wanted to tell you. If other departments of this company would show half the sense that you show—" • "Oh, he confessed. He's taking a plea tomorrow morning, and that ends it. But my point is, that if you, just by looking at that man, could have your suspicions, why couldn't they—! Oh well, what's the use? I just wanted you to know it."

After going on a rant about the H.S. Nirdlinger case (Phyllis’ husband) and how Norton is doing a horrible job, he ends it by saying that it’s sheer stupidity. “Supreme idiocy”, anybody?

• "You can’t take many body blows like this and last. Holy smoke. Fifty thousand bucks, and all from dumbness. Just sheer, willful, stupidity!"

Phyllis’ former occupation as a nurse is more elaborated on, including her specialization — pulmonary diseases. One of Ratio’s crowning achievements is curing lithogenesis, the “King of Diseases”.

• "She’s one of the best nurses in the city of Los Angeles. […] She’s a nurse, and she specialized in pulmonary diseases. She would know the time of crisis, almost to a minute, as well as any doctor would."

As for the murder scheme, they talk about it a lot more explicitly in the novel. Specifically, Walter mentions how a single person cannot get away with it and that it requires more people to be involved. How everything is known to the party committing the crime, but not the victim. And most importantly: Audacity.

"Say, this is a beauty, if I do say it myself. I didn't spend all this time in the business for nothing, did I? Listen, he knows all about this policy, and yet he don't know a thing about it. He applies for it, in writing, and yet he don't apply for it. He pays me for it with his own check, and yet he don't pay me. He has an accident happen to him and yet he don't have an accident happen to him. He gets on the train, and yet he don't get on it."

"The first is, help. One person can't get away with it, that is unless they're going to admit it and plead the unwritten law or something. It takes more than one. The second is, the time, the place, the way, all known in advance—to us, but not him. The third is, audacity. That's the one that all amateur murderers forget. They know the first two, sometimes, but that third, only a professional knows. There comes a time in any murder when the only thing that can see you through is audacity, and I can't tell you why."

"And if we want to get away with it, we've got to do it the way they do it, […]" "Be bold?" "Be bold. It's the only way."

"I still don't know—what we're going to do." "You'll know. You'll know in plenty of time."

"We were right up with it, the moment of audacity that has to be be part of any successful murder."

It fits the situation that Aventurine and Ratio find themselves in extremely well: For the first point— Aventurine would not be able to get away with simply airing out details by himself, as that would immediately cast suspicion on him. Having another person accompany him who not only isn’t really a part of the IPC in name (as the IPC and The Family have a strenuous relationship) but would probably be able to get closer to Sunday because of that means they can simply bounce off each other without risking as much suspicion with a one-man army. Which is exactly what Ratio and Aventurine do in the conversations they have on Penacony. Secondly — they knew how Sunday operates: as a control freak, he leaves no stone unturned, which is how he became Head of the Oak Family, so their acting required them to give off the impression that a. they hated each other, b. Ratio would go against Aventurine’s wishes and expose him in return for knowledge, c. there were only the two Cornerstones that were hidden. This would give Sunday the illusion of control, and lead to Sunday to lower his guard long enough for Aventurine to take the gift money in the end. The pair knew this in advance, but not Sunday. And thirdly — the plan hinged on a high-level of risk. From breaking the Aventurine Cornerstone, to hoping that Sunday wouldn’t find it in the gift bag, to not telling Ratio what the true plan is (meaning Ratio had to figure it out on his own later on), to Sunday even buying Ratio’s story, it was practically the only way they could go about it. “Charming audacity”, indeed.

An interesting aspect about the novel is that the ending of the novel is divergent from the movie’s final cut and the original ending: Phyllis and Walter commit suicide during a ferry ride to Mexico. The main reason this was changed for the movie was because of the Hays Code, and they wouldn’t allow a double suicide to be screened without reprecussions for criminals. There’s also a bunch of other aspects that differentiate the novel from the movie (no narration-confession as the confession happens in a hospital, less characterization for Keyes and instead a bigger focus on Lola and her boyfriend, the focus on the murderous aspect of Walter and Phyllis’ relationship instead of actual romance, Walter falling in love with Lola (with an unfortunately large age gap attached), etc.)

As for the ending, this wouldn’t even be the first romance media reference related to Aventurine and Ratio where both the leads die, with the other being The Happy Prince and San Junipero (in relation to the EN-only Heaven Is A Place On Earth reference), which I normally would chalk up as a coincidence, though with the opposite line-of-thought I have going on here (and the fact that it’s three out of four media references where the couple die at the end…), I think it’s reasonable to say that Ratio and Aventurine will get that happy ending. Subverting expectations, hopefully.

—

[THE HAYS CODE — LGBT CENSORSHIP IN CHINA]

I’ve brought up the Hays code twice now in the previous two sections, but I haven’t actually explained what exactly it entails.

The Hays Code (also known as the Motion Picture Production Code) is a set of rules and guidelines imposed on all American films from around 1934 to 1968, intended to make films less scandalous, morally acceptable and more “safe” for the general audiences. Some of the “Don’ts” and “Be Carefuls” include but are not limited to…

(Don’t) Pointed profanity

(Don’t) Inference of sex perversion (which includes homosexuality)

(Don’t) Nudity

(Be Careful) Sympathy for criminals

(Be Careful) Use of firearms

(Be Careful) Man and woman in bed together

What does this have to do with a Chinese gacha game released in 2023? If you know a little bit about miHoYo’s past, you would know that pre-censorship laws being upheld to a much stronger and stricter degree, they had no problem showcasing their gay couples in Guns Girl Z (Honkai Gakuen 2/GGZ) and Honkai Impact 3rd, with the main three being Bronya/Seele, Kiana/Mei (admittedly the latter one is a more recent example, from 2023), and Sakura/Kallen. Ever since the Bronya and Seele kiss, censorship in regards to LGBT content ramped up, causing the kiss to be removed on the CN side, and they had to lay low with the way they present two same-sex characters who are meant to be together. They can’t explicitly say that two female or male characters are romantically involved, but they can lace their dynamics with references for those “in the know” — Subtext. Just enough to imply something more but not too much that they get censored to hell and back.

So what I’m getting at is this: The trouble that Double Indemnity had to go through in order to be made while also keeping the dialogue of Phyllis and Neff as flirtatious as they could under the Hays Code among other things is quite similar to the way Ratio and Aventurine are presented as of now. We never see them interact outside of Penacony (at least up until 2.2, when this post was drafted), so we can only infer those interactions specifically until they actually talk without the fear of being found out by Sunday. But, there’s still some small moments scattered here and there, such as when Aventurine goes near Ratio in the Dewlight Pavilion Sandpit, he exclaims that “the view here is breathtaking” (he can only see Ratio’s chest from that distance) and that Ratio could “easily squash [him] with just a pinch”. Ratio then goes “If that is your wish, I will do so without a moment’s hesitation.” Not to mention the (in)famous “Doctor, you’re huge!” quote.

It’s not a coincidence that Ratio and Aventurine have three explicit references to romance media (Double Indemnity, Spellbound, Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince), possibly even four if you take the EN-only Heaven Is A Place On Earth as a reference to Black Mirror’s San Junipero. It’s not a coincidence that the storylines or characters of said references parallel the pairing, from surface-level to deep cuts. It’s not a coincidence that the CN voice actors were asked to “tone it down” by the voice director when it came to their chemistry. It’s not a coincidence that Aventurine has only flirted with (three) men throughout Penacony, even referring to a Bloodhound NPC as a “hunk of a man” inside his thoughts, all the while ignoring Himeko and Robin when it came to their looks — women who are known across the cosmos with a myriad of adoring fans. There are so many other so-called “coincidences” related to the two that you could make an iceberg just based on versions 2.0-2.2 as well as content miHoYo themselves have put out on social media. They absolutely knew what they were doing, and were trying to get their point across through subtle means — the extent they went to with the Double Indemnity reference while also keeping it under wraps from a “surface” level point of view is proof of this — the implications are there if you take the time to look for them, and are simply hard to ignore or deny once you do find them.

—

[CONCLUSION]

This was supposed to be short considering the other analyses I’ve seen were also pretty short in comparison, but I couldn’t get the movie out of my head and ended up getting carried away in the brainrot. I hope you could follow along with my line of thinking, even with the absurd length of this post, and the thirty-image limit. I tried to supplement context with some links to videos and wiki pages among other sources wherever I can to get around it.

I will end it with this though — the love in the movie turned out to be fake and a farce, going off track from what was a passionate romance in the beginning because of the murder scheme. Meanwhile, the whole reason why Ratio and Aventurine can pull off whatever they want is because of their immense trust in one another. What was initially shown to be distrust in the Final Victor LC grew into something more, for Ratio, someone who would have never put faith into mere chance and probability before this, put his trust in Aventurine, of all people.

TL;DR — (I get it, it’s over ten thousand words.)

Not only is the relationship between Neff and Phyllis represented in the deception and acting side of Ratio and Aventurine, but the real and trusting side is shown in Neff and Keyes. They have a fascinating, multi-layered dynamic that is extremely fun to pick apart once you realise what’s going on underneath the bickering and “hatred” they display.

Many thanks to Manya again for making the original thread on the movie. I wouldn’t be here comparing the game and movie myself if it weren’t for that.

By the way, I really do believe that Shaoji totally watched this movie at least once and really wanted that Double Indemnity AU for his OCs. I know exactly how it feels.

—

Other points I'd like to mention that didn't fit anywhere else in the main analysis and/or don’t hold much significance, have nothing to do with the Penacony mission, or may even be considered reaching (...if some of the other points weren’t). Just some potentially interesting side bits.

Phyllis honks three times to signal Neff to go for the kill. That, and the three gunshots in the confrontation. Aventurine is all about the number three.

The height difference Aventurine and Ratio have going on is close to Phyllis and Neff’s.

Phyllis had killed her husband’s previous wife and went on to marry Mr. Dietrichson, pretty much taking the wife’s place. Aventurine killed his previous master, and had taken certain attributes from him like his wristwatch and the rings on his hand and the “all or nothing” mantra.

When calling Ratio a wretch (bastard), Aventurine smiles for a moment. This is exclusive to the EN, KR and JP voiceovers, as in CN, he does not smile at all. (Most definitely a quirk from the AI they use for lip syncing, but the smile is something that’s been pointed out quite a few times so I thought I’d mention it here.)

Sunday specifically says in the CN version that he knew of Aventurine's plans the moment Aventurine left the mansion, meaning that he realized he had been played the fool the moment Ratio and Aventurine talked in Golden Hour

In the description for the "All or Nothing" consumable, teenage Aventurine says this specific line: "Temptation is a virtue for mortals, whereas hesitation proves to be a fatal flaw for gamblers." According to Ratio, this is Aventurine's motto - he says as such in Aventurine's Keeping Up With Star Rail episode. Note that in the anan interview he explicitly says he does not have a motto, and yet Ratio in the video says otherwise. They definitely have to know each other for a while for Ratio to even know this.

A big reason why Neff even pulled off the murder scheme in the first place was because he wanted to see if his good friend Keyes could figure it out, the Mundane Troubles Trailblaze Continuance showcases Ratio attempting to teach the Herta Space Station researches a lesson to not trust the Genius society as much as they did.

In Keyes’ first scene he’s exposing a worker for writing a policy on his truck that he claimed had burnt down on its own, when he was the one who burnt it down. Ratio gets into an Ace Attorney-style argument with the Trailblazer in Mundane Troubles.

Neff talks repeatedly about how it won’t be sloppy. Nothing weak. And how it’ll be perfect to Phyllis, and how she’s going to do it and he’s going to help her. Doing it right — “straight down the line”. Beautifully ironic, considering what happens in the movie, and even more ironic as Ratio and Aventurine’s scheme went exactly the way they wanted to in the end. Straight down the line.

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #11

March 22-29 2024

The Administration, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the lead responded to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Working with Governor Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott (both Democrats) The Department of Transportation promises to clear the harbor and rebuild the bride. DoT has already released $60 million in emergency funds as a "down payment" and President Biden is expected to seek $1 billion from Congress.

Vice President Harris announced a number of actions and investments designed to improve the quality of life of the peoples of northern central America. driven by poverty, lack of economic opportunities, and out of control crime people in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras are taking great risks and trusting criminal human traffickers to try to reach the US. The Administration is working to improve conditions in the Northern Triangle so that is no longer necessary. Vice President Harris announced $1 billion dollars in new investments as part of the Central America Forward public-private partnership, since 2021 it has invested $5.2 billion in the region. Harris also announced $175 million dollars of direct aid from the US to Guatemala at a meeting with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo.

The Department of Energy announced a $1.5 billion dollar loan to help restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant. This would mark the first time a nuclear power plant was brought back online after being decommissioned. The hope is keep the plant running till 2051, this 100% green power source is projected to prevent 111 million tons of CO2 emissions in its new life time, the same as taking 100,000 cars off the road. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer touted it as key for her state reaching its goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.

Vice President Harris launched a social media push to inform the public about the Biden-Harris Administration's SAVE Plan. The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan was launched last year as part of President Biden's efforts to bring student loan forgiveness to millions of borrowers. Currently 7.7 million people are enrolled in SAVE, under which anyone making $16 a hour or less has a monthly payment of $0 on their student loans. 4.5 million SAVE enrollees are making $0 a month payments and another 1 million pay less than $100 a month on their loan repayment, over 150,000 people so far have had their loans totally forgiven. Republicans are suing to try to shut down the SAVE Plan

President Biden took keep steps to ensure quality healthcare this week. Biden extended the window for low-income Americans to apply for Obamacare. The original deadline of July 31st has been pushed back to November 30th. Biden also rolled back Trump era rules that allowed subsidies for "Junk Health insurance" These plans offer very little coverage and often mislead consumers into believing they have insurance when they aren't covered. These short term plans also don't have meet Obamacare standards and can refuse coverage for preexisting conditions.

The EPA announced new regulations aimed at "turbocharging" the number of electric trucks on the road. The new rules aim to have 25% of new long-haul trucks, the heaviest often diesel trucks on the road, and 40% of medium-size trucks (box trucks and landscaping vehicles) be nonpolluting by 2032, currently just 2% are. The regulation would apply to more than 100 types of vehicles including tractor-trailers, ambulances, R.V.s, garbage trucks and moving vans. The new tailpipe limits are expected to prevent about a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2055.

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services  announced that thanks to President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, 41 different drugs will coast those on Medicare Part B less money than it did last year.  An estimated 763,700 people on Medicare use at least one of these drugs every year. Some enrollees will save as much as $3,575 per dose.

The Department of Energy announced $6 billion for an effort to decarbonize energy-intensive industries. The investment in 33 projects across 20 states will eliminate 14 million metric tons of CO2 emissions each year when finished. Each project is meant to be highly replicable and serve as a blueprint for future private sector ventures. 

President Biden signed an Executive Order to Strengthen the Recognition of Women’s History. The Order will launch a review of all historic sites run by the National Parks Service to determine ways to better highlight the role of women, from all backgrounds, in American History.

The Senate Confirmed President Biden's nominees, Ernesto Gonzalez, and Leon Schydlower to federal judgeships in Texas. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 190.

[gregorygerwitz]

apparently this is the year for this...

Please Help Us Out With Bills

Currently, I'm virtually unemployed due to health issues and my employer all but refuses to give me short term disability pay because I don't have a diagnosis yet. I'm doing DoorDash as much as I can, which brings in ~$150 a week if that. It leaves my roommate, @kitthekazoo, to cover most of the mutual bills - like rent - virtually on her own. But that does mean she can't pay her own bills (like car and insurance) after paying the second half of our rent this month.

Like I said, I'm doing DoorDash around doctor's appointments and other activities, like school (which is paid for by my employer, who I still technically work for, I'm just on an extended medical leave - it's excused time off, but I don't get paid at all), but that doesn't bring in much. My checking account (where my DD money goes) is negative almost $400 because things keep taking out and every single one of those charges also incurs an insufficient funds fee of $31.

I would need ~$750 just to get positive enough to pay Kit back for my half of this rent payment. Plus I have my own bills to pay - car insurance, credit cards I'm desperately trying to catch up with the payments on, gas so I can keep doing DD, etc.

I know it's a lofty goal, but getting $1k by the end of the month will keep us sane and housed while I navigate my medical issues. Hopefully, after we run a few tests next week, they'll have a better idea of what's going on and when I'll be able to go back to work, and these money issues won't keep coming up...

I'll link my accounts below, including my etsy where you can buy some crochet projects from me if you want something in return for your donation! Or feel free to message me here or on etsy if you want something made that isn't listed in my shop.

Thank you in advance for any little bit, even if you can just reblog to spread the word. 💜

paypal venmo: amwallace95 etsy

so far: 230/1000

EDIT: I fixed the links!

[lordnot]

If you want to get angry with every American politician who railed against socialized medicine, try making an appointment with a specialist with private health insurance.

Recall their warnings about rationing of care as you're told that the first available appointment is a Thursday afternoon four months away.

Think about the fearmongering about how the quality of care would drop as your doctor meets with you for all of fifteen minutes, half of which is asking you questions you answered on a survey before you came in, the other half doing the minimum amount of tests of your breathing, blood pressure and the like necessary to bill your insurance.

Recall the hysteria around 'death panels' as your doctor goes over the long-term risks of not having your condition treated, and then tells you to call a number to actually get tested for the condition that has another two month waiting list.

And keep in mind how many privileges you possess that others do not that prevented this whole process from being even more difficult. Privileges like living close enough to a major city that the specialist is only 40 minutes away by car and not two hours. The fact that you own your own vehicle. How you are able to take time off of work without worrying about a supervisor calling you last minute to say you need to come in. The fact that you can afford the copays, can afford to miss a half day of work, don't have to worry about whether you'll be home in time before kids get back from school, etc.

In short: it was all a crock of shit.

[ambassadortotrilliusprime]

So.

I’ve never done this. I’ve always figured things out, and never wanted to ask for help if I didn’t need too - but now I’m down bad and I really fucking need help.

On January 6th, I was rear ended in an accident and sprained my neck and my back. I was in the hospital and supposed to go on short term disability to recover (it freaking hurts). I found out on Tuesday of this week that the person hadn’t paid their insurance. They’re denying the claim, they won’t pay for my car or my medical bills or the lost wages. Which already puts me in a BAD spot.

But now my rent is so very late. I need to come up with the rest of it by this Tuesday or they will evict me, my partner (who was also injured in the accident) and my step kids.

I have $1,463. I need $2,432. (Rent + late fee). I’ve asked everyone I know. I’ve tried to sell things. So now I’m asking, Tumblr. Please help, even if it’s small. Please. I’m desperate. I can give more details if you need.

Cash app is $HarleyDax.

[briancampbell0706]

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[tittyinfinity]

Yes, it is going to be hard whenever capitalism comes to an end.

But the reality is that it's already collapsing in on itself and will only get worse from here on out.

Whenever people say they're done with the US government, it's not because they don't care about how people will be negatively affected – it's because it will be so much harder to fight later on down the line.

Capitalists have already been working together to make sure everyone is broke and exhausted. A good portion of our life is controlled by the corporate world & land-owners. Our bosses, landlords, and cops can control just about anything we do. Our phones spy on us and can send our info to the cops.

Capitalism is enforced through violence. There is public information about politicians taking money from corporations like health insurance & oil companies. There's public information about the US committing coups in communist and socialist countries to install fascist leaders. It has come out several times that our military is used to secure oil and other resources through terrorism. It's well-known that prisons are used to draft as many people for slave labor as they can. These companies that both pay off and install politicians to enforce policies that make them richer rely on this violence for their profit.

No capitalist candidate will never have your best interest at heart. Anyone willing to sacrifice lives for the sake of money will sacrifice your life the moment it's most convenient – all while saying that they're Helping The Country Get Better, Actually. And if our main goal is "less people dying," thinking short-term is not gonna save us. Especially when so many are already dying right now. Today.

If you're scared about the bad things that will happen when capitalism falls.....how do you think the people suffering & dying under the current system feel?

The people who have lost their homes and families? The people forced into slavery? Indigenous people who continue to lose more and more land?

All for the gas in your car, the lithium in your batteries, the land you live on, the job you work, and hell, most of the products we use.

You're worried about what might happen.... it's already happening, just not to you. And relying on the government to save you from the government isn't realistic.

Either you want imperialism, colonization, and genocide to end, or you don't. Stand up and fight while you have the chance.

Get your friends and neighbors together for direct action groups. Print out posters and put them all over the town. Don't just join protests, START them. Strike. Join the IWW. Get your coworkers together to start a union. Tell your boss to pay you more or you're all walking out. Stealing shit isn't even stealing shit – corporations & capitalists are already stealing tax money & the money produced by the labor of their workers. They take and take while they give us crumbs. We don't have to put up with this shit

[amyfarbright]

Still need help with money

I don't use this account very often (I've been much more active on Bluesky and Discord), but it's gotten to the point where I'm reaching out here to see if anyone can help. I've been short on work, and I'm currently about $60 short on rent due later today. On top of that, I have $400 in car insurance to pay off by the 10th. And due to having less work than I'd like (and a car that's currently out of commission), I'm likely gonna have to keep this pattern up until I find more work to cover it. So I'm asking around, on Bluesky and on here, for help until then. I've set up a Ko-fi page for:

Commissions, either to assist in smaller programming and gamedev tasks, or for making music. (I'm better with arranging/remixing than composing, and programming is definitely more my strong suit, but any skills I can use to help me survive, I'll use them.)

Donations, if you have nothing for me to work with but wish to help me out anyway.

My portfolio can be found here. My social links and other ways to contact me can be found there.

Of course, I'm also looking for more longer-term dev work, which would solve these problems better, but the money is urgent. If you think the skills demonstrated in my portfolio could benefit your team, please reach out!

Please help if you can, and share this around wherever you can.

[shocktrooper262-blog]

August 9th 1989 Plateau d'Albion, some 6,700m above the base. Time: 12:00

Final checks were being made. The BMD crews sat and waited. Squad Leaders went over the plans in one final detail. Outside the IL-76s, MiG-31s covered the force as they finally snaked their way though the Alps. The 76th Guards Airborne Division had trained months for this operation, their pilots and their troops talents being worth it more here than any future invasion of Iceland.

French ICBMs were being prepared for launch, and this could not be allowed to happen while the Soviet Army was clearing out Germany for their final drive to the Dutch-Belgian Border. With the French army bloodied yet standing, the Dutch-German corps still standing and the US Air Force still fighting- this was the time for bold plans.

For the 152nd Infantry Division, this day was another routine exercise. EBR Armored Car drove around on recon missions and garrison duty. French Commandos walked about the perimeter and regular troops did their best to pass another boring day. However, one of the more peculiar things popped up on early warning radar. A single dot. Then another, and another- before long the blob was sighted and the base went to short alert- then full alert as the first IL-76s crested in.

Crotale SAMs fired, their systems being jammed but some missiles still hit targets.

Time now, 12:08- the countdown began.

"Green light, go go go go!" Shouted the jumpmaster, dragging the first paras out of the plane. Anti-air bursts met the first man as he fell assisted. BMD-2s and 3s followed on their rocket assisted parachutes.

A flash message was thrown to Paris, the Soviets were in France. ---------

The reply came quick, "what do you mean" which was answered as the Base Commandant informed his bosses back in Paris he had BMD-2s and -3s sniffing out his recon on a head long charge to the perimeter of his base. He wanted the launch codes, and they told him he would get them soon.

The first BMD-2s and -3s broke the outer fence. Time 12:13. Desants poured out as the French Commandos opened fire with rifles and rifle grenades.

Two BMDs blew up, three others continued the charge- infantry in step assaulting towards the base. The French Platoon Leader yelled to his men falling back into the outer doorway-

"Twenty minutes, twenty minutes is all the time we have to hold them back for."

The Soviets knew this too. He was getting into his command BTR as he checked his watch.

"12:18! Get fucking moving! Double time!"

It was 12:20 when the Soviets got to the door. 12:22 when the RPO blasted the French troops defending it. 12:25 when the second set of VDV Sappers had to be brought up and fight their way closer to the command room.

12:26, the codes were passed to the Commandant

12:27- when the blast doors opened

and as the twenty minutes homed in- the first S3 missile launched from the base, as the VDV broke into the command room.

It ascended rapidly, outpacing everything minus the screams over the radio about a successful launch of one missile.

It target was unknown, but it was likely somewhere in Central Germany. It may have ruined the conventional war- had the MiG-31 on CAP not spotted it and burned its engines out insuring the missile was damaged beyond proper detonation.

The Gunfight at the Albion Plateau likely ended World War Three. Everyone had understood the scale of what happened, and just how close it was to ending the planet.

The VDV unit was trapped but as an offer- still was a good chip for peace terms, and most of NATO could accept knowing they forced the Soviets to the table first. Just with more strength than hoped for.

[abundancewithher]

Budgeting Tips

Hey young stars and hearts! As you all may know, i am on my big girl finance journey and if you didn’t know you do! Welcome or welcome back my loves! My name is Mimi if you are just coming across my posts.

My goal is to be a representation for the finance, manifestation, and money mindset for black girls and other POC. I spend a lot of money, that’s okay because i am changing my mindset about money. Instead of surviving in scarcity mindset, choosing to live in abundance mindset. Living in a state of abundance does require a little work.

As much as i changing my mindset into believing i am deserving of more money and that it flows to me effortlessly, I want to actually keep it and not over spend my money that flows to me easily by overindulging.

So, with that being said, here are some budgeting tips i will be implementing into my finances to improve my financial health:

- Assessing Your Financial Situation

Before you can create a budget, you need to understand your current financial situation. Take a peek into those bank credit card statements! This all includes:

- Bank statements

- Credit card statements

- Pay stubs

- Bills and receipts

2. - Calculate Your Monthly Income

Determine your total monthly income, this is very crucial. I cannot stress this enough! This includes your salary, any freelance or side income, rental income, dividends, and any other sources of income. Make sure to calculate your net income (after taxes) rather than your gross income. Write down an estimate in a monthly budget planner, if you don’t have one you can purchase one here, or write it on paper to stay organized.

3. - List Your Monthly Expenses

Make a list of all your monthly expenses. You actually might not have any, but what if you’re down to your last five dollars and Apple just takes that shit? That would be frustrating, right? because you didn’t know it was coming up or that you even had a subscription for anything at all, list that also! These can be categorized into fixed and variable expenses:

- **Fixed Expenses:** Rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, car payments, and subscriptions.

- **Variable Expenses:** Groceries, dining out, entertainment, clothing, and miscellaneous expenses.

4. - Track Your Spending

For at least one month, track every penny you spend. This will give you a clear picture of where your money is going and help identify areas where you can cut back. Use a spreadsheet, or budgeting app, purchase a budget planner, or write it down in a notebook.

5. - Set Financial Goals

Define your financial goals. These could be short-term (e.g., paying off a credit card), medium-term (e.g., saving for a vacation), or long-term (e.g., retirement savings). Having clear goals will motivate you to stick to your budget.

6. - Create Your Budget

With your income, expenses, and financial goals in mind, create your budget. Allocate a specific amount of money to each category of expenses. Make sure to prioritize essentials (like housing, utilities, and groceries) before allocating money to discretionary spending (like entertainment and dining out).

Example Budget Categories:

Housing: $1,200

Utilities: $200

Groceries: $400

7. - Stay Committed and Be Flexible

Sticking to a budget requires commitment and discipline. Be patient with yourself and remember that it's okay to make mistakes. If unexpected expenses arise, adjust your budget accordingly. The key is to remain flexible and adaptable while staying focused on your financial goals.

These are tips I have created according to my digital budget planner, which can be purchased below. Again, building your finances takes time and discipline but it is very rewarding once you actually start to create a flow and a plan. I am implementing this asap to get ahead of my finances. Have fun with this of course!

Budget Planner

xoxo mimi💋

[kyrathor]

Sorry, I guess I just wanted to vent a little. To the void, probably (can't imagine anyone will read this. That's okay though).

Last month I had my consultation for bottom surgery after over a year of waiting. It went well, and they told me to start hair removal.

Since then, I've had to wade through phone call after phone call, online messaging through a website (the phone system for that was so bad I just did the messaging instead), and ultimately culminating in a department I had to email (yeah, I was specifically told they only have email, and not a phone number I can call), all to find out how my insurance will cover this.

The two things I need are a letter from the surgeon who told me to do hair removal (nothing he gave me qualifies as the letter I need, unfortunately) and I need to go to one of a very short list of hair removal places, the closest one being 2 hours by car.

I absolutely could go to a closer location and do it without insurance covering it, there is a trans friendly location the next town over, convenient. However, the price is nothing to scoff at, especially if I want to get anything more than just what I need for pre-surgery (other hair removal, such as facial and body).

The good news is insurance will cover the other hair removal too, but I have to get a letter from my doctor, or possibly two? The wording is weird, and I don't know if I need a second person involved, 2 letters from her, or just one letter because she covers both categories required for the letters.

In both these cases I contacted the surgeon and my doctor through the patient portal messaging, and it's been nearly a month now, with the only response from the surgeon being the clinic staff telling me they've passed the message on to the surgeon and that I'd get the letter when it's ready.

I have a video appointment I managed to get with my doctor, in a bit over a week, so hopefully I'll be able to make sure it gets done. But even if and when she does do it, that's not the letter that can let me slowly work towards surgery.

I don't expect me to be the only person who needs something from this surgeon. The fact it took me over a year just to get a consultation proves as much. But... a letter like this can't take that long, right? Every moment, every hour, every day that I spend waiting for this letter from him is time I can't do ANYTHING.

It's funny how long term bottled dysphoria, or even just... Something I'd learned to live with for a time, can just all come rushing back once the hope I can get my surgery is introduced. I know it's going to take a while, 1 year minimum, 2.5 years a tentative (ballpark) maximum. I can wait that, because it will be progress. The sooner I get hair removal done, the sooner that A: I'm free of the hair and B: the sooner I can get my surgery. I'll still have to wait after that, especially due to wanting a specific version of the surgery, but it will be progress. I won't be waiting to move forward with something I can do, due to a letter.

Maybe at one level, it's all just waiting. But tell that to my depressed and dysphoric self. I'm so close, yet so far away.

This isn't a cry for help or for money or anything. While spending money could sidestep the insurance issue... Insurance WILL cover it given time, and the letters. There are a number of people out there who can use money more than me. Transgender people needing money to get out of a bad environment, to survive till a paycheck. Palestinians, Sudanese, and probably others I don't know of right now. Please spend money on them instead.

I'm... While very much not fine... Fine.

Even if no one reads this, my thoughts and pain are out there now. Thank you for reading, if anyone does.

[justplainwhump]

Stairs

Blanca doesn't like elevators.

[Pet Safety Masterlist]

Content / warning: BBU, caretaker is in fact the new master, implied claustrophobia, short flashes of self deprecation (BBU Romantic).

Adrian's home was a decent little apartment, a sublet from an university lecturer who'd left to teach abroad for a while. Sixth floor in a high rise in one of the better areas of town, overlooking the harbour. One living room, one bedroom, small kitchen. It had come fully furnished; his landlady kept shelves full of books and vinyl records in the apartment, and tastefully curated local art on the walls.

Nice, unassuming, revealing absolutely nothing about its inhabitant.

Perfect place for him.

Perfect place for a single.

He'd thought about it in the supermarket, when he'd bought not only the tortilla chips and cheese and the rest of tonight's dinner, but also a foldable mattress and some other small amenities. He'd thought about a place to sleep, hygiene articles, about food and clothes and all these practical things.

What he hadn't thought about, he realized, were the stares from others. Strangers in the car park. Neighbors leaving the building. The doorman, staring so hard between the pet's collar and her chest that his mouth just stayed open.

What he also hadn't thought about was that the pet would suddenly stand shock still in the center of the lobby and not move at all.

People were still staring.

"Come on," Adrian said as lightly as he could under the scrutinising gazes, and pressed the elevator button again. "Almost there. Then we'll have dinner."

She didn't even seem to have heard him. Her eyes weren't on him, but on the opening doors of the elevator.

The doorman seemed to have found his voice. "Is that... a box babe?"

Adrian hated the word, the term itself, everything it meant, figurative and literal.

"She's my guest," he said harshly. "That's enough for you to know."

"Will she live here? Do you have insurance?"

"I..." Adrian looked from the doorman to her, still frozen, the only movement the panicked flickering of her over visible eye following the elevator doors as he held them open.

Box babe. Box. Her reaction was just like the one before.

"She does," Adrian snapped to the doorman. Truth was, he didn't know. But he figured his employer had taken care of this. He'd find out. It wasn't his biggest concern right now. "Now, would you stop staring and instead do your job and bring up my bags? Just leave them in front of my door. We'll be taking the stairs."

The doorman muttered something under his breath, before he managed to tear his gaze from her and step over to the elevator, picking up the shopping bags.

Adrian stepped towards the pet - they needed to find a name, she deserved one. "Hey," he said quietly, doing his best to shield the view from her. "I'm sorry. I... I promised you, right? You don't go in any box."

She trembled, gaze going through him, still flurrying, even though he'd heard the doors close for good.

Her lips moved, but no words came out.

Adrian reached out and pulled her into an embrace. She took to it like dried plant to water, opening herself up to him, face pressed into his chest. Warm tears soaked into his shirt. "Not... not the box," she murmured. "Please, Sir, not the box."

"No," he whispered into her hair, hand rubbing her shoulders. "No. Of course not. We take the stairs. And then I'll treat you to these Nachos, okay? Is that okay? Can you take the stairs?"

He felt her nod against him, still trembling. He stifled the urge to pull her in closer, to press a kiss onto the top of her head. "It's alright," he said instead, and loosened his grip, while he turned slightly aside to change her line of sight. "You're doing so good."

She sucked in a breath before she nodded shortly, and then looked up at him. The smile on her lips was radiant, carefree, only the red rims around her eyes betraying her tears. "Oh, thank you," she replied with a soft cock of her head. "I want to be good for you." She reached out and before he could react her fingers intertwined with his. "Just show me how."

He looked her down. Underneath the fake joy, her muscles were tense, her back unnaturally straight. Her ribs were still healing. He couldn't possibly make her climb up the stairs to the sixth floor.

He guided her into the stairwell. At least there were no prying eyes here.

She looked up at him quizzically, when he stopped there and sized her up again.

"What are you up to, Adrian Delgado? I don't mind doing it anywhere."

"Not doing it," he reminded her. "Let's just get you home in one piece, alright?" He frowned. "May I pick you up?"

"I'm yours," she reminded him in return, with the patient voice of a kindergarten teacher. "You may do anything to me. Except..." She tilted her head with a smirk. "Except of course the things that will make a pet safety inspector sweep in and steal me. But you know these rules better than I do, don't you, Adrian Delgado?"

"I do," he admitted. He didn't try to hide his smile. "I like it when you say my name, you know? It's nicer than Sir."

"You're both," she said. "You're my new Sir, who owns me. And you're Adrian Delgado, who has a patient smile and who saved my life. Both of them are allowed to pick me up."

"Are there..." He frowned. "Are there two versions of you as well?"

She shook her head with a mischievous smile. "Of course not. I'm a pet, Sir. I'm not made to be complex."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're lying."

"Lying, and a needy little slut. That is what I'm made for." With a careless half shrug, she grabbed the railing and leaned back, looking up at the floors over them. He didn't even know what it was they taught them, the way her back arched, or how she teasingly stretched her legs, but the movement was eerily sensual. "Do you want to carry me?"

"Yes."

"Mh." She beamed at him. "I would like that, Adrian Delgado."

He couldn't help but smile back. This time, he didn't doubt it.

---

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