#they dont have a lot of overlapping letters...

[lokh]

WAIT SHUROS DAD SAID HE WANTED HIM TO BRING SOMETHING BACK INTERESTING.... AND WHO IS MORE INTERESTING THAN LAIOS....

[clownsalot]

ok so anyway double first impressions and observations!! idk if ill be repeating any points other people have already brought up since im typing this without having looked through the milgram tag. and this probably won't be all that organized despite my attempt of neatening it up but ah well. i tried grouping my observations by point at least, but they're not in an order that follows the sequence of the mv.

also id like to preface this that firstly a) i don't have any personal experience with DID whether it be in myself or with people i know so please be patient with me if i say something wrong and b) for now please assume im going with the 2koto theory? not because i dont believe in the trikoto theory but because i haven't really dug that deep into it and so id be bad at spotting evidence of it myself

also im mostly going off of what i see visually in the mv since i haven't gotten to analyzing the lyrics yet

for now im referring to host mikoto and alter mikoto as bokuto and orekoto respectively.

the rest of the post under the cut!!

1. magazine/print(?) texture

the first thing i took note of was the magazine/print(?)(there's definitely a better term for this because just saying 'paper' doesn't fit. someone please help) texture that shows up when the mv kind of fragments. there's a lot of text that shows up like printed letters on a newspaper/print(?) that floats around.

how i find this interesting is actually in contra:st to the magazine texture on cat and the magazine/scrapbook format of this is how to be in love with you:

whereas kazui and mahiru center more on the clean perfect 'advertising' feel of magazines, mikoto's texturing in double feels more like the kind of crinkled old magazines you rip and mess up for collages in primary school.

it's kind of interesting, actually: with kazui and mahiru, it's their portrayals of the idealized romanticized forms of love and romance they're being sold. so with mikoto, is it the shreds of the idealized 9-5 grind he's been sold? since it seems to be implied in double and also one of the shots in undercover that mikoto is pushing himself too far for the sake of his work, and it's well known that the work grind in japan is crushingly brutal and overtime is not only expected but actively encouraged (i may be reaching with this one though? i dunno man).

2. the eye imagery

the next thing i noticed was that double has a lot of eye imagery. it's really interesting because it's like it's carrying over the feeling of surveillance from MeMe by replacing the camera povs that feel like spying on mikoto with more straightforward eyes on him.

what else is interesting to me though is the way the eyes watching mikoto in double contrast with the eyes watching fuuta in backdraft. as far as i can tell mikoto and fuuta are the only ones in milgram with eye imagery? but there's a difference in that while fuuta's eyes are disturbing partly because of the fact that they're semirealistic, mikoto's in contrast are a lot more abstracted in comparison. i wonder what exactly the eyes in double are supposed ro represent, since fuuta's are meant to represent judgement. given the stylistic differences between them im really curious as to what the similarities and differences would be between how they both view being watched? i can't come up with anything concrete at the moment though.

3. across the train carriage

i think throughout double there's a kind of shot composition/framing that shows up a few times, and it's that orekoto and bokuto seem to be across the train carriage from each other.

in the first image, it looks like bokuto is being reflected in the window behind orekoto, meaning he'd have to be sitting across from him in the train carriage. in the second, an identical pair of hands are overlapping orekoto's image, and since i doubt there'd be a mirror cutting right through the middle of the carriage in front of the doors, it'd have to mean that they're mirroring each other's actions from across the train carriage.

(you'll have to forgive me for it being in still images, i wish i could get it in motion but i am. not a gif maker. it's at roughly 2:16 though for anyone who needs it)

it also shows up in this scene which i like a lot!!! where the camera starts from a mikoto leaning haggardly against the train door looking at something behind the camera, who im assuming to be bokuto, before it pans up towards the ceiling and down again to the mikoto holding onto the bloody bat, who im assuming to be orekoto.

the Across the Train Carriage framing is really really really cool in and of itself and i love it!! but that panning shot has me rolling it's so good and i love it so much. the way it pans back down to orekoto so he's upside down makes it so disorienting and difficult to process especially with the scribbly effects over it. this could be reflective of how bokuto feels about this whole thing himself, but i donthave much of an analysis for this point, i just wanted to point it out because i think the directing of it is really really really damn cool

4. phone call home

yea i don't have an analysis for this part either, i also just find this sequence of events really really cool. just—the calmness of the phone call over the flashes of orekoto violently 'taking care of' the things troubling them!!!! it's the juxtaposition of the mikoto who calmly tells his mom that everything is alright and he's fine vs the mikoto that takes care of things for him that allows that kind of calmness to exist in the first place. it tickles my brain

although there is the thing of: if people are right that the mv visually distinguishes between bokuto and orekoto through the presence of eyebags, it is a little odd that the mikoto on the phone also has eyebags, implying that the him on the phone is also not bokuto. and i don't know what that's supposed to signify, but it's a little interesting to think about.

5. glitching Next Station screens

it's interesting to note that as the mv progresses the screens that show the train route and what the next station is get glitchier and glitchier. do any of the train station names correspond with actual train stations on the japanese train system? do they mean something else? im really curious, but my japanese isn't great and consists of only the 2 duolingo units i did like years ago, so could anyone please give me a hand with translating or point me to someone who has already translated it?

the constant appearances of trains in both MeMe and double is really interesting to me and i wonder what exactly it could be representing or what the significance of it is, especially since mikoto apparently bikes to work and doesn't commute on public transport

anyways, that's about it for all the things i took note of upon watching double the first two times, and i haven't done any especially deep analysis or anything. i haven't touched on all the mannequins either, mostly because im not reslly sure what they're supposed to represent and so don't really have much to say about them.

also hanae natsuki delivers a banger vocal performance once again!! ive never heard him miss in any of the roles ive seen him in, but he once again knocks it out of the park with mikoto. i haven't listened to mikoto's t2 voice drama neoplasma yet, but im sure hanae natsuki did amazing work on that once again, so im really excited to give it a listen!!

as for now though, i think ill have to look at everyone else's analyses of double to understand mikoto better, since even though i love him as a character and i like doing analysis im not as great at theorizing

[eperezart]

Presentation and feedback

Feedback

Very niche commuinty - helps to focus research

maybe not a zine? have another look into other methods dont close off pathways

some secreative aspect to it maybe not wanted as something so obvious - maybe not printed ? something digital? content the same

research into accessibility? how is it distributed?

maybe redesign the pamphlet given?

look at the TikTok about boyfriend reading side effects

Narrow down on the problem open up on the solution

Overlap? pill club? a community for people to go to but also something discreet

Discreet comes through letter box as a care package?

how do you get support and still be discreet

make sure you keep going back to the brief

side effects for some women is something vital, not a choice

pill legal? illegal? religion? ethnicity?

look at the stigma towards it and try to break the stigma towards it?

other alternatives?

BRING IT BACK TO SKIN

keep the lens on, keep the links to skin and the research to skin

one pill? multiple?

look at safia rassool on aub summer show 2021

positive or negative outlook on the pill? celebrating you choosing your own body and that there are other options

true way to celebrate is to come off the pill?

be in control. control birth control

let the research carve the pathway

From having this presentation I am now feeling a lot more confident in my idea. I am definitely going with the pill and its side effects as it is a pathway that no one else has thought of. It is also the one I am the most passionate about. I will start my research by creating a questionnaire to get a better understanding of how other people have felt about taking the pill and the side effects that they have had to deal with.

For secondary research, I want to start by looking into statistics, and what kinds of things are scientifically proven to be affected. I want to try and get a hold of one of the information sheets provided in the pill box so that I can see how it is currently represented. I would also like to research current trends, businesses, influencer platforms and zines that talk about body positivity, women's choice and potentially the effects of the pill.

[elipheleh]

i am going to collate all the rwrb film stuff here so i dont end up spoiling stuff for my friend who has not read the book yet. and bc i don’t want my main flagged as mature~

not tagging spoilers* but tags list under the cut. *by this i mean once the film is released. no spoilers before the 11th.

i am an adult and prefer that people underage don’t interact with me :) especially given the film is R rated.

i dont tag any negativity - by that i mean i dont tag it w the title etc. i might find a tag like elio's negativity or something to use to make it filterable. - it’s elio is being negative.

i post stills/images/whatever that is released with little description underneath because i get annoyed easily by other peoples commentary. all my uploads will only include the source hyperlinked & any other conv will be in the tags. they might have been posted already but i dont know as i am no longer checking the rwrb tags.

i always try to remember to add alt text because no-one else seems to, but i have issues with my memory so may forget. please remind me if you notice.

i blocked a lot of people on my main blog for being negative idk how that translates across sideblogs but yeah. i block for my own sanity.

tags:

#elio's - my posts, my thoughts, whatever that's mine originally #a series of learning about things that are referenced in the book #edit - things people have created #book - when the book & film are overlapping #meta - commentary about scenes, about the film, etc #elio's meta - my meta content #stills - images #posters - pre-release posters #trailer - posts that are from the trailer, gifs etc #incorrects - text posts pasted on images etc #fanvid - self explanatory #waterloo letters - anything that is non-rwrb quotes attached to rwrb images, or the quotes from henry & alex's emails. #rwrb music - music from the book, and later also from the film. #rwrb instagram - posts from the character's instagram accounts.

[krisztamayer5]

I chose Internal hyperactivity as this is something that cant be seen from the outside by other people which is a huge reason as to why you cannot rule out ADHD if a child doesnt outwardly show hyperactivity. I used bold typefaces that is not a regular nor does it have any real system when being drawn theres a lot going on in a small space seeming as though the letters can breathe. The word internal is used and a arrow used to show its in/on the hyperactivity. However for me its not just on it its also outside it. I used lowercase as for my experience i do outwardly show a lot of hyperactivity too. This is just a demonstration on how it is so different for each female. Even though theres a lot of room so the letters dont have to overlap i have placed them so close almost like they are boucing ontop of eachother - this is exaclty how it feels inside the brain of someone with adhd - well at least for me , when i get an idea they just keep coming at a rate i cant even process and become almost unrecognisable as theres no system to document them.

 The next one i chose is inattentiveness with these letters quite ironically i have now noticed theres a spelling error. I drew a grid thats very weak and tried to maintain a system while allowing my brain to make careless mistakes. At first i had this in just black but later noticed that i really like how the red can draw out and highlight the details where theres been lack of attention therefore mistakes in the drawing. The letter forms are clearly trying to stick to a rule however really struggling to do so. This makes this sketch quite jarring to look at when you can see the guides in the background. I added little details of lining where i was resizing the page on procreate this really shows where theres no thought into double checking the work this is due to the fact that as someone with adhd this is a really boring task we tend to skip on a lot more than we like to admit. Using a serif like font base here is really crucial to communicate what i want visually as usually these more elegant like typefaces dont tend to be manipulated like this. Showing this is most likly a mistake and not intentional by the designer.

The final thing i chose to really highlight is distress this is definitely  a big one for me and a lot of females not only is this a statistic i have got from my research but as-well as this regulating your emotions is very difficult when you have adhd. This is a huge struggle i feel especially as a young female as you are just seen as an emotional girl. We really try to supress this struggle which leads to a lot of other issues when you get home from your workplace or school. This is why parents (the target audience) must be made so aware of this one! The type is just showing frustration and anger that can be built up due to lack of understanding and lack of understanding of our own emotions. With such sudden changes in feelings it can be overwhelming and this is exactly what i show with these letter forms. Changing in the pressure of the pen really shows the fluctuation in moods. 

The methods i have chosen to communicate this is really appropriate to the target audience in my opinion as the number one thing all parents have in common is they just want their child to feel like they understand, Parents are trying to understand what their kids are thinking but sometimes lack the knowledge on how to do so. This method of keeping it really stripped back and raw enables parents to feel as though they are being spoken to by their kids so they can help their familys and people close to them by educating themselfs.

[axolot-of-ideas]

im so tired man

i cant handle this

[tinyplanetss]

☺️ my name is logan

its not an announcement (we know this) im just so happy with my name its very much my own

[spicyveggiesub]

some thoughts on the official subs for the revue starlight movie (woooo!!!!!!!!) (wrt my own)

overall: IT WAS GOOD. there were some questionable things but it was good. i do think a lot of it was better than mine (i mean i would hope so bc they are paid and qualified to do this and i am not) this is a very lighthearted post about small inconsistencies and things i just burned into my brain

first of all i was like. actively trying not to fixate on the translations so I didn't really look too closely at the lyrics, but i will say some of them blended together lines that in my opinion were not meant to be connected and so it distorted the meaning (what i understood it as at least), it was only in like 3 or 4 cases though i think (i honestly cant remember which) and there were many lines i liked more than my own (i cannot remember) some were also exactly or almost exactly the same

aside from lyrics:

on the train when they listed the starira schools. it was like:

Seisho Music Academy

Siegfeld

Rinmeikan

Frontier School of Arts

i died laughing at this. i wonder if like. whoever was doing this is a frontier fan and was like Oh yeah i for sure know it's Frontier School of Arts but im not sure about siegfeld or rmk im gonna check and get back to that and then they just didn't. it's just so funny. It's like they said you know the rest anyways just fill it in with your brain. i'm like so glad they did this genuinely

For some reason they kept putting seisho as Seisho Music School in dialogue. this was baffling because at one point (the first time i noticed, maybe the first time it happened) Karen was reading the letter she wrote to hikari and her application info books were on screen and it said in big letters SEISHO MUSIC ACADEMY on the seisho book and then below it it said Seisho Music School in the dialogue. i noticed this more after this.. i don't really get why they did that. nbd, my friend didnt even notice it at all, but funny

also they put Actress Training Class, which is like, a combination of starira's Actor Training Department and the text in the movie that says Stage Actress Class? kind of hilarious... we have three official translations for this now

the official revue names are

Annihilation Revue

Resentment Revue

Co-star Revue

Hunting Revue

Soul Revue

The Last Line

ngl this whole __ Revue thing is kind of growing on me. i like it. co-star is just wrong because 競 means to compete they just. kind of fully got that wrong and i hope it is right for the starira card(s?) 😭 also they put Super Star Spectacle as Superstar Spectacle which is fair but there is a space between super and star in the katakana and Super Star Spectacle is the spotify title

they misheard Masai as Sasai due to overlapping audio w the background conversation about a new cyclorama. this made me go ??????? because. did they not have a script?? or was it just a mistake from not checking the script... or did they just not have a script???

the sign when hikari appears says Stage Right Entrance. i put it as Lower Stage Entrance and that was once again me fucking up i have no excuse for this. i actually realized i messed that up a few days before watching this, i will update it in the files in a day or two. i am aware i look like an idiot

they translated 腐れ縁 in futaba's revue intro as inseparable (bond, or something), this made me go D: and doubt mine (rotten relationship). 腐れ縁 is basically like inseparable but negative, like you're stuck together even though you don't want to be. so i guess i was leaning more to the negative (and more literal) side, for better or for worse. i think it has some sort of weight in the context of futakao's relationship though since inseparable can be positive by itself.

give a hero trials, give a saint temptations, give me a devil, GIVE ME YOU. slay. (i dont remember if its singular or plural for the first 2 dont quote me on that)

ah this is one. Pierce through me, with your brilliance. to be honest i was like, a little bit unsure of if hikari really meant through HER, i had intuited that but didn't like. I didn't want to commit to it i was scared... i might change this in the files.

the Claudine Saijo... Beautiful you are. was imo kind of unnecessary....... i get it is supposed to be like archaic speech but you can just say You are beautiful but its not a big deal

at the beginning, i wasn't a huge fan of... This is a stage(/play? cant remember) for goodbye. this kind of sounds awkward to me... also the giraffe then said something like Starlight is a tragedy of inevitable goodbye. i am just not a huge fan of the use of goodbye here...

they missed AIJO KAWAN 😭 its ok so did I.

rip nana's Thou Shalt Not Die by Yosano Akiko reference 😭

nana: I made her cry / junna: I made you cry i wish they made junna say I made her cry so it would be a 1:1 mirror and also bc Nana isn't within earshot of junna when she says this..

New National First Theater Troupe (starira) -> New National Opera Company

Anemone Troupe -> Anemone Theater Troupe

The Distant El Dorado -> El Dorado, Far Away (why not Far Away El Dorado..), Beyond the Blue Skies -> Sky singular (just a stylistic thing i guess)

i will edit this post if i think of something else that isn't completely and utterly trivial. i can think of a lot of lines that were nearly or fully Exactly the same as mine but I don't want to bore you with that.

anyway it was fun 🎉 love the three starira schools Siegfeld, Rinmeikan, and Frontier School of Arts

[corpsoir]

congrats on the internship corpse!!! museums are really cool so i cant wait to see posts about it if you ever do post about it

show me and everyone else all the cool rocks and fossils they have if possible

thank you!! we havent signed anything yet so technically i dont have it YET but almost!!

i dont think they have a lot of rocks and fossils there since this is an archive that deals with world cultures! rocks and fossils are more geology and paleontology, im studying archaeology and cultural heritage :) although im aware there is an overlap between these fields and we often help eachother out with different knowledge hehe. BUT the rocks im interested in have been altered/used by humans, for example weapons or jewelry or tools ^_^ i think one of the few fossils they do have there are 4 pieces of bone from the oldowan culture which is like the earths oldest human culture (in very simple terms lol. its about 2 million years old, but im not gonna ramble about that now)

most of the things they have at this particular archive are textiles, ceramics, old documents like letters and notebooks, wooden tools/furniture/sculptures ^_^

heres two of my favourite things i saw today. arent they adorable!!

the archaeologist who showed us around also talked a lot about the work they do with other countries to try and repatriate as much stuff as possible and just how difficult that can be, super interesting 👍👍👍

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

also here are more thoschei mcr thoughts:

-the master’s playlist is titled ‘you only hear the music when your heart begins to break’ from kids from yesterday which is on the doctors list but not on his. and im using it to reference like missy being so musical and the doctor telling her “you never learnt to hear the music”

and the doctor’s title is ‘mama we all go to hell’ from mama which is on the master’s list but not hers. and thats about her war general sort of sensibilities and how shes acting in a way she knows shes not supposed to but seems to, not be all that torn up about it? like mama shes going to hell mama shes going to die mama shes so full of lies. and mama obviously bc tecteun

bc then like, the title for each of them encapsulates a feeling that they know is there but are pointedly Not Looking At and the words to capture that feeling then come from a song on the other one’s playlist bc they will force each other to face what they cant by themselves. holding up mirrors.

-the only song they share is foundations of decay bc i think thats where they intersect. their feelings and struggles and narratives overlap in some places and completely dont in others but gallifreys ruins is where they meet.

but in the master’s playlist it’s the fifth song, basically the igniting incident if we’re using story structure terms. the first four are setting up the master’s general mindset after simm and after missy, and then foundations is coming to gallifrey and Finding Out.

for the doctor it’s the penultimate song bc for the doctor this song is about having accepted everything and then new change. standing in the ruins and deciding to keep going. get up coward. let it flood let it flood let it wash away. start over. i am not afraid to keep on living. i am not afraid to walk this (destroyed) world alone.

for the master this song is about the end. it’s apocalyptic. the rest of the playlist is him reacting to this complete destruction of everything he knows. it ends with dead because thats where this ends for him. thats where it always ends for him. dead and the doctor regenerated.

-for 13 the list doesnt basically start with the destruction. for 13 it starts with all she did in s11 bc thats where she started.

in bulletproof heart we’ve got what she offers up:

Gravity don't mean too much to me I'm who I've got to be These pigs are after me, after you

Run away like it was yesterday And we could run away, And we could run away, run away from here 

and what will come to the surface later:

Hold your heart into this darkness Will it ever be the light to shine you out Or fail and leave you stranded Or are you gonna be the one left standing? You're gonna be the one left standing You're gonna be the one left standing

then save yourself i’ll hold them back, the title basically says “get behind me now” and then theres more of the darker underlying stuff bubbling under the surface in s11:

I'll tell you all how the story ends Where the good guys die and the bad guys win (Who cares?) This ain't about all the friends you made But the graffiti they write on your grave

For all of us who've seen the light Salute the dead and lead the fight (Hail, hail!) Who gives a damn if we lose the war? Let the walls come down, let the engines roar

We can leave this world, leave it all behind We can steal this car if your folks don't mind We can live forever If you've got the time

I'm the only friend that makes you cry You're a heart attack in black hair dye So just save yourself and I'll hold them back tonight

drowning lessons is about realising yaz’s feelings and deciding not to,,, Do That. helena is:

I have had a lot of self hate.  The most recent example was the song ‘Helena’. It’s a really angry open letter to myself.

so thats 13 being aware of purposefully keeping yaz and the others at arm’s length and not being happy with herself about it but also not really able to change anything. and it’s also, bc it’s about g and mikeys grandmother who died, it’s a reference to family, granny five, tecteun

then kids from yesterday is both about how 13 is letting these times she has with the fam slip through her fingers bc she cant connect with them. it’s nostalgia for something thats still happening, it’s mourning something you havent lost yet. but also it’s about tying it back to childhood. bc with helena we go to family and so here we get 13 there too, being young. you know?

helena and kids from yesterday together also signify the like slow unfolding of the timeless child stuff. slowly getting more information. and then getting All Of It but taking a little while to let it sink in.

all of this list from helena on is just this gradual rampening up of the RealisationsTM and the AngerTM. cemetery drive is about finding the master. thank you for the venom, destroya, and nanana are basically responses to tecteun - “morality is a strength”. venom is like ‘fuck you’, destroya is like “you, me, and the end of the universe? it's personal now”, and nanana is the side of that that the fam or yaz gets to see (we’re not really going entirely chronologically it’s more about vibes. the story makes sense though right this way? the emotional journey)

heaven help us is about the despair Hitting. about the “why did you do this” and “doesnt even matter now!” and “mostly...angry”. it’s that conversation with ryan in revolution. it’s i dont even know who i am. it’s:

And would you pray for me? (You don't know a thing about my sins) (How the misery begins) Or make a saint of me? (You don't know) (So I'm burning, I'm burning) And will you lay for me? (You don't know a thing about my sins) (How the misery begins) Or make a saint? (You don't know) ('Cause I'm burning, I'm burning)

burn bright is the reaction to that despair. it’s the ‘i can make an identity out of this’, the ‘this is what the doctor would do’. it’s “have you ever been limited by who you were before?”

it’s also about thoschei. the city, the fire. their origin, which was real. “so give me all youve got” both directed at the master like come on then punk and directed at everyone else bc she knows who she is bc who she is is the other side of him and thats still as true as ever. hes still foundational to her even if he doesnt believe that anymore.

foundations of decay then is about finding the same thing he did and choosing not to do what he would/wants. get up coward, dont give up dont give in dont lean into the destruction dont find comfort there like he does. change direction. and then famous last words is about that. changing direction and keeping on living

[stuffandsundry]

Fia, Rogier, and D (Part 2)

Part 1 is here but its outdated as shit lol dont read this

Been spending much too long over the past few weeks thinking about these guys, so here's another personal theory compilation regarding these 3. Actually, you know what, don’t even read that post!!! this one is the sexier redux!!!!

Rogier

Going by the metal decorations on his outfit (notably similar to the ones on the Carian Knight set), I like to think that he used to be a Carian noble when he was alive. I think in this case, that makes Prisoner my favored starting archetype for him— “A prisoner bound in an iron mask. Studied in glintstone sorcery, having lived among the elite prior to sentencing.” and all that. So I like to think that he died in that cell, and was called back to life by the guidance of grace.

R name: A lot of the royals have first letters that correspond to the godly progenitor that’s the most important to them (M for Marika, Morgott, Malenia, etc), so could Rogier have also been a Carian royal? …I mean, sure! Why not? I think it’s hard to say that this was 100% intended, but I like to use this as secondary proof that he probably is actual nobility, mostly because of Roderika! She’s an expatriated royal (denoted by Crimson Hood description) so it makes sense to me that by the same logic Rogier is also at least distantly related to Rennala. (I think that there’s also the option that he was faking being nobility the whole time as well, but while this one is fun to think about, I don’t think it holds a lot of water.)

Rogier Trans Icon: i see so much art of trans Rogier and it gives me life. even disregarding his vibes, another point in favor of him being trans is that he’s the merchant for the Spinning Weapon Ash of War, whose description says that it was used by Carian princesses. Rennala uses a more powerful version herself on her own staff!

Rogier mentions that he used to want to be a scholar, but I do have to wonder! Does this mean that he failed to get into Raya Lucaria, or that he was disillusioned with the school itself and walked out? Both are possible, but I like the second option more. Non-Raya Lucarian sorcerers are by and large all heretics, and even sorcerers who are really good at their research, or are bestowed conspectuses aren’t immune to being tossed out (Azur, Lusat, and Sellen). Rogier’s interest in deathblight seems kind of non-kosher, so even though it isn’t Sellen’s particular form of blasphemy, perhaps he got tossed out for the same reason.

Fia

I think Deathbed Companions were directly related to the Gloam-eyed Queen in some way. See the language used in the Black Flame’s Protection— “The Apostles were all embraced by the Gloam-Eyed Queen, and the black flame was their armor within.” Which super reminiscent of the way you get Baldachin’s Blessings. Though, of course, this could just be an overlap in the meanings of “embrace” — the word could be used both as an euphemism for doin’ the do or as a literal hug.

Speaking of Baldachin’s Blessings, the way that having one in your inventory decreases your maximum health is very obviously in line with Fia’s Death allegiance as well. 

Side note, since Melina has Very Strong Ties to the Gloam Eyed Queen (check out the Beast Eye, the pattern would fit into Melina’s empty eye socket very easily!), I wonder if there’s a comparison to be drawn between her and Fia characterwise?

Rogier’s goals do NOT align with Fia’s. He sees the Dead as something to be cured, she sees them as something that should be accepted as part of the natural order. While they’re currently both teamed up, they only thing they have in common really is sympathy for the Dead. However, despite everything, I do think that Fia holds some genuine fondness for Rogier… though this won’t keep her from using him for her ends.

Did Fia have the ability to leave the hold this entire time? There’s two interpretations of the line mentioning that she’s compelled to stay in the hold: one, shes being kept under watch by D and Corhyn, etc, or two, she’s figured out that someone in the Hold has something she needs, and she won’t leave without it.

Actually, going back to the embraced thing, I do like Fia’s interpretation of her role being primarily along the lines of a mother rather than as a prostitute like others in the Lands Between think of it. Elden Ring is a game with a lot of family/lineage stuff anyways, so it fits better, and I just think it’s more interesting an interpretation! 

Devin and Darian

Ok so this is where i get a little deranged. There’s just. A lot up in the air about these guys. THERES A LOT. MARIKA’S TITS.

So, is he a Tarnished? Bro I literally do not know. It’s never stated, alas. I think the only thing that marginally points in either direction is the fact that he says “I swear, there's a blight spreading amongst the Tarnished…” upon player death if you attack him in Limgrave. Saying the Tarnished rather than us Tarnished might imply that he doesn’t count himself as one of their number… but then, this might just be because he has no interest in the throne, like most Tarnished. It’s up to you!

Devin found sleeping in Nokron: is he a native of Nokron? Hey, it makes sense to me! Would help to explain why the two are so insanely pale. Kinda interesting that some guys from Nokron would be such devout followers of the Golden Order when Nokron is most well known for treason against the Erdtree, though.

Description of their sword: “The inseparable twins found solace in the Golden Order, the only institution not to revile them as accursed beings.” Why were they reviled? I think there’s a lot of theories floating out there, but here are some of my favs:

Twins are just kinda scary, man: this ones the most boring but I can see it, if they grew up in a more insular community and were then raised in the Golden Order. “Accursed beings” is kinda strong language to use in this case, though…

They were conjoined twins, and the Golden Order separated them: YEAH! Love it. This theory is usually extrapolated into “the Golden Order snip snapped the two apart, allowing them to pass as separate beings”. The pose of the armor also lends some credence to this theory— pretty similar posture to historical images of conjoined twins— and the sword is called Inseparable, after all… Maybe there were complications after they were separated, and that’s why Devin has to be asleep? I think that this explains why they’rd have such loyalty to Things that this theory doesn’t explain: Why is Devin all the way down in Nokron?

One of the two is a Mimic Tear: So, this one is my personal favorite theory because there's a bit of fun circumstantial evidence for it. The area that you find Devin sleeping in is an area with a whole bunch of silver tears, and he’s just a few steps beyond the Mimic Tear fight as well. If people knew that one of the two wasn’t human, that would explain why there was a lot of fear directed at them. Out of the two options, I think it would be more interesting if Darian was the Mimic, and Devin was real, because summoning the Mimic Tear uses HP instead of FP— so maybe this could explain why Devin is so sleepy all the time. Having Darian active drains him. Things this theory doesn’t explain: If Darian’s a Mimic, why does he have a real corpse? How come he looks slightly different from Devin if you look at face data? Why does he know beast incants that Devin doesn’t use?

Quest/Story

So this confused me at first so let’s just start with this: the hallowbrand, mark of the centipede, and cursemark are all referring to the same thing. Because of this, Fia’s dialogue after killing D makes a lot more sense than I originally thought in my first post. 

D had the other half of the cursemark that Rogier was looking for this whole time, and it is potentially why he gave the Tarnished the job of deathroot hunting (needed to stay somewhere safe like the hold so that nobody could steal the cursemark? Or, knew that someone would come looking for it/wanted to lure them out?).

Rogier knew that D had the cursemark (mark of the centipede, in his dialogue), and since he tells the Tarnished, it’s likely he also told Fia. Thus, whether he actively participated or not in the act, it’s almost certain that Rogier had a part in D’s death. More than one part, actually, just wait til i get to that damn dagger…

The Weathered Dagger: so, obviously it belongs to D. No question about that. But where exactly did the black gunk come from, and how does returning this dagger lead to Darian’s death? What message did it send to D? And how did he know that Fia was responsible for it? Actually, come to think of it, I suppose that the Tarnished could have just told him that last point. OK THE REST OF IT, THOUGH?

One thing for certain. Fia killed D with deathblight. It can be assumed that she somehow used the dagger to do it. Since the trigger for the dialogue where she gives you the dagger is Rogier’s death, then this must consequently mean that either the dagger, or the black gunk on it, or her plan for killing D, is somehow related to Rogier.

Option 1: the dagger and black deathblight stuff isn’t related to Rogier. Devin happened upon Godwyn’s corpse at the roots, carved the cursemark out (leaving the ruined dagger there) and gave the thing to his brother, and Fia has been looking for the stolen cursemark ever since. The reason that she only gives the dagger after Rogier dies is because she uses the deathblight on his body to somehow boobytrap the shit out of the dagger, enabling her to kill D. This one's one of the most probable ones, i think, but since this is Elden Ring there are logistics questions yet again. Just when did Devin pass the cursemark to Darian?! Nokron has been cut off from the rest of the Lands Between for ages. Additionally, Rogier and D both have lines that seem to imply that D finding the “mark of the centipede” is a very recent thing…

It also needs to be mentioned that there is a possibility that rather than Rogier being a passive party in Fia’s plans, there is resentment on his part that leads to him conspiring with Fia to kill D! But he regrets it when it’s too late, and that’s why he leaves the Tarnished a note, hoping that you’ll at least be able to help Devin… this ones dramatic so I love it, hehe.

Option 2: Both the dagger and the black stuff is related to Rogier. D could have given the dagger to Rogier as a parting gift, since it seems that even though they parted, it wasn’t on especially bad terms. This theory is taking Fia at face value when she says that the dagger was a gift from someone— there’s no indication she’d have had an opportunity to receive a gift from either D brother, and the only person in the game she’s been shown to be close to is Rogier so far (not counting her dad Lionel, who shows up at the Radahn Festival). Therefore, maybe the dagger was a gift from D to Rogier, and then from Rogier to Fia. I do like this one because generally speaking in Elden Ring, characters who are not Patches lie primarily by omission, and if their lies are not uncovered eventually through the story (ie, Renna being revealed to be Ranni) then there are usually ways to piece together the truth (Gowry not mentioning the whole Rot kindred thing). This would also lead to such a dramatic confrontation between D and Fia, whoof, I LOVE that. However, does not explain

Another theory I’ve seen is that the dagger was something that D gave his brother, and Fia giving it is a sort of taunt at D, tricking him into thinking that Devin had been killed. I love the drama of this, but I do have to wonder— if they’re really one soul in two bodies, would he have felt Darian dying? It does seem that Devin has some notion that Darian is dead, after all…

Anyways, this has gone on for…. Way too long, actually, so I’ll just cut it here. As always, these are more or less just my own musings, but I hope that it’s an interesting read of someone else as well!

[swiss-cheeze]

Spencer Reid & Aaron Hotchner || ‘I love you’ ‘then perish’

REQUESTED: YES/NO

Gender: uh, they/them but there are mentions of the reader having their own kids; obviously there are single fathers so the reader 100% can be male or female or simply NB if that's what you prefer.

Warnings: child abductions/killings, normal CM crime talk, talk of trauma/abuse/drugs/drug abuse/the stuff Spencer has gone through, dismissal of trauma.

-------

Aaron Hotchner

10 children had been abducted, in less than 48 hours. We all know the statistics, which is why you didn't exactly understand why the hell you were still allowing children to go to school and out to the park. You brought it up to Hotch.

“Why is it exactly that we’re still allowing children to go out?” you questioned with crossed arms, the team looked at you skeptically but stayed silent.

“Because it’ll draw out our abductor that we can apprehend,” Hotch said, staring at the victim board. Every single photo was of a child or a family with children, this abductor didn't leave any trace evidence except for a handwritten note from the child saying how much they hated their home life, it had gone through forensic for prints and to make sure the writing was in fact done by a child; it was, each and every one of those letters was written by the kids.

“Why don't we lay low, say the FBI aren't doing their best, it'll drag the unsub out, or keep the kids home! He’ll get bored an-”

“And skip town for more children and probably leave the others behind to die (L/n)” Hotch cut in with a stern look, “I understand you have children of your own but-”

“Hotch this has nothing to do with that!” you exclaimed, the team is now filtering out of the door, “it has to do with the fact we’re trying to do our jobs the best and this isn't the best! The mayor and council are on our asses about everything and we’re still allowing more children to be taken!” you threw your arms around in an effort for Hotch to see what you’re saying, but he refused.

“(L/n) this conversation is now over,” the unit chief said harshly, “we are doing our best and our best is-”

“Agent Hotchner?” a voice called, an officer had walked into the room without realising, “more children have been kidnapped,” the officer handed you the evidence bag, or bags you should say, “four notes, four kids, but there’s um,” the officer took a breath and cleared his throat, “a body has just been discovered and the chief thinks its Ashley Leif,” and with that the officer left. You sighed as you looked down at the letters, feeling the weights in your hands, the tears, the markings, the- hold on. It's signed. You cocked an eyebrow as you placed the bag on the table.

“What is it (L/n)?” Hotch called, you didn't answer and instead took the evidence bags with you to the front of the building where the rest of your team stood waiting. Hotch could see you handing the letters to Reid, obviously to read through faster and determine if it was in fact written by a child, as your mouth moved at a million miles an hour, a lot of the team nodding along with you and talking. It felt cold without you in the room with Hotch. Maybe he should take your advice.

-------

Five kids dead, 8 still missing. Four days. You walked out of one of the offices as the wails of a child-less couple followed before you closed the door, the officers seemed to give you sympathetic looks as you stormed into the conference room yourself and the team were in.

“We have nothing,” you exclaimed as you slammed the door, causing J.J. and Emily to jump at your sudden outburst, “we have notes, we have a signed piece of paper that isn't a child name in the database for this town-” you flopped into one of the seats with your head in your hand as Emily came up and rubbed your shoulders.

“We’ll find him (Y/n)” the woman said softly, you didn't say anything as she left and the room went quiet again.

“How is he even getting these kids huh?” you asked, “they just suddenly up and leave in the middle of the...night…” it took you a second before you glanced at the crime scene photos of the child's bedroom; undisturbed. The team caught on as you quickly moved to the board and examined every photo, taking them all down and laying them out on the table in front of you as the team curled behind you.

“What is it (L/n)?” Rossi asked.

“It’s all undisturbed,” you muttered softly, you could feel the breath of your teammates against the back of your neck, “what...what if these kids aren't being taken?” you questioned, “what if they go out at the time, say a family dinner with a friend, they go home and that friend asks to stay the night, they take the kid and then-”

“The crime scene is undisturbed because the kids trust who it is; ‘come help me outside for a moment’ and they go” J.J. finished for you, you grinned as you phoned Garcia.

“Ready and waiting!” Garcia's voice came through the speakers, her fingers poised.

“Are there any friends from every family? People that overlap that are maybe mentioned in social media of most if not all the families?” you asked.

“Family friend, me likey” Garcia said happily as she started typing, “uhh, we have one; Emelia June, friends of all the families and- oh no” Garcia softened her voice.

“What? Garcia what is it?” you asked quickly.

“She's a director for a class the kids all went to for arts and crafts” Garcia said quickly, “her class roll is sent to your phones and tablets now!”

“Address Garcia?” you asked quickly as the team started putting on their vests, you included.

“Work and Address on your phones now, go get her my babies!”

“Rossi, Spencer, Emily go to the work address, the rest of us will go to her home and go from there, Emelia is dangerous and is most likely holding those kids in a separate location,” you said as Emily and Hotch started rounding up some officers and the rest of you ran to the cars.

------

Emelia was caught but had to be interrogated in order to find the kids, luckily they were all unharmed and had food and water, she was sentenced 25 to life.

“(Y/n), can i see you in my office please?” Hotch called as you started packing up your files to finish at home. You gave a slight side eye to your friends before wrapping your bag around yourself and walking to the office in question.

“Did i do something wrong?” you asked monotone as Hotch waited behind his desk.

“You took ahold of the investigation when apprehending Emelia,” Hotch said, “that isnt your job-”

“Neither was yours to let those fucking kids die” you said quickly as your arms crossed over your chest. Hotch sighed.

“I understand this is hard for the both of us with our relationship both work and romance but you need to trust me (Y/n)” Hotch sighed, this only made you angrier, “i know you find it hard to trust others and to be trusted but for this to work you have to understand i know what i'm doing and what i'm doing, including my job, is right” by now you where fuming, “i know this case was hard especially with you having kids of your own-”

“Fuck you,” you cut Hotch off, him looking at you surprised, “i have kids, you have a kid too Hotch. You had a wife and when you came to me seeking some sort of love and affection i was happy to give it to you when you needed it, i loved those dates, i loved everything but really? I'm getting too personal with that case because I care about young lives?” you asked with a scoff, “im sorry but if thats a problem for you then we have a pretty big fucking problem here” you motioned between yourself and Hotch on ‘here’.

“(Y/n)-”

“No, dont ‘(Y/n)’ me,” you said with a laugh, “you do this all the time! You dont allow me to do my own job-”

“Let me explain-” Hotch started once again, but you stopped him by walking out of the office.

“My resignation letters went in three weeks ago for Crimes Against Children, i go next week, i'll say goodbye to the team tomorrow” you said walking down the stairs and past your teammates who heard everything.

“You're leaving?” Derek asked, you could hear him but you didn't acknowledge him and kept walking, Hotch walked slightly faster and grabbed your arm, pulling you back to him.

“I love you (Y/n)” his voice was low and wavering, it was full of emotions but you couldn't care less.

“Then perish” you said finally, and with that.

It was all over.

You yanked your arm from Hotch, turned, and walked off without looking back.

Spencer Reid

Spencer was sick of it, he really was. He loved you, of course he did, but there was always something about you that just didn't sit right with him; you weren't too clingy, you weren't too protective, you were perfect. But you didn't believe he had all the trauma he constantly said he had. You jump scared him and of course his fist almost comes in contact with your nose, you scream his name and he comes in with his gun held just to see a photo of a dog, you always dismiss his trauma at the worst of times.

Anniversary of his abduction and drugging? ‘Lol no that doesn't happen to people like you, even back then’.

Anniversary of Maeve's death? ‘So you love a dead girl more than you do me? Oh thats rich Spence, thanks’ and youd walk out of the apartment and wait for SPENCER, to send a fucking apology.

Whenever he talks about his mum or her mental state? ‘Spencer you won't inherit whatever it is that she has, skitzy whatever’ you say with a laugh.

The team could see how much Spencer hated it, he was always on edge of everything. What he hated the most was when you decided to surprise him at work, everyone could then see how uncomfortable he was with you next to him, not how a couple was supposed to work.

So, he messaged you, asked for a chat over coffee. And here you are at the first coffee shop you both met, you giggling at a little baby blowing spit bubbles.

“(Y/n), can we focus on why i brought us here?” Spencer asked softly, he was trying, and hoping to some god that you would try as well.

“Yeah in a sec Spence,” you cooed at the little baby again.

“(Y/n) please,” Spencer was now desperate.

“Okay okay, Jesus Christ I can't do anything without you breathing down my neck can i?” you asked annoyed as you sat in your chair properly rather than directing your full body to the baby.

“Me? Breathing down your neck?” Spencer asked suddenly.

“Duh, you always do, i can't go anywhere or do anything without you there to ask every question in the book-”

“No (Y/n) that person is you,” Spencer cut you off angrily.

“Don't cut me off, Spencie” you reminded the boy, that was the last straw. Spencer slammed his hand on the table in rage causing a few people around to jump and stare, not good.

“No, you listen to me (Y/n)” Spencer started, “don't you dare call me that. Don't ever call me Spencie, you know why?”

“Because some girl from prison called you that” you mocked as you took a sip of your drink.

“Exactly, wanna know why i don't like people calling me that?” you shrugged, “it's called PTSD (Y/n), or PTSS. It’s real. That abduction I went through? That fucking happened, i was taken for two days and was drugged and tortured,” you sighed.

“Spence you know how i feel about that-”

“Yeah? And have you ever thought about what i feel? Huh? Ever think why I get so jumpy around you? Because i'm a federal fucking agent, i see worse shit than you could ever dream. And forgive me, but I try my best to keep you away from that stuff because I don't want to scare you with it but at this point I don't care anymore. Maeve? She's real, she was real. She was the most amazing girl in the world and you know what? I never saw her a single fucking time until the day she died. A murder suicide. I wept for weeks and weeks, wanna know who was there for me?” Spencer held up his hand and started counting off on his fingers, “my teammates, my supervisor, my mother, the people in my favourite coffee shop and bookstore. THEY WERE CONCERNED FOR ME WHEN I STOPPED COMING IN FOR TWO WEEKS” Spencers voice raised slightly, not enough to shout but enough to get through to you, “i have PTSD, i have trauma; and it's not right for you to dismiss it like its nothing. And that includes my mother” and with that Spencer was done. He grabbed his wallet from his pocket, shoved a $5 bill on the table and started walking off, you took a moment to catch up before walking after him.

“Spence, what- what?” your brain couldn't keep up as Spencer walked out of the shop with you in tow.

“We’re over. Go home” Spencer said without looking at you.

“But, I love you!” you exclaimed, disheartened, hoping that last bit would help you, but Spencer kept walking.

“Then perish” was all you heard as he continued walking away, confidence radiating over him as he left you to your thoughts.

And honestly? Thinking back on everything.

He was fucking right.

[obscure-bullshit-emporium]

resources that i use for my userboxes and other things that are free (with links lol) and applicable examples:

Userbox Maker: Since we’re talking about userboxes, this one is indeed a no-brainer. The interface is easy and simple: You type the message, you change the colors, and then voila. The site doesn’t have images to add to the userbox ID square, thats up to you to put something there later.

What does it offer me?/Pros:

well, it offers you a way to make really easy userboxes with a color scheme (some are premade, others you can choose the colors) and resizeable text.

Cons:

The whole ‘Use this code in the English Wikipedia’ to get the box is LOST on me completely. im savvy but im not that savvy! What i normally do is enlarge and cut it, make the background transparent, then make the edit from there for what I need. Is that illegal? Who knows.

The colors of the premade color schemes are very dull and kinda washed out/ muted. You can change the color scheme of you box manually in the hex boxes, but even then they’re not as bright as you would hope. But hey, its free, what can you do? Here’s the color hex site that I use: X and here’s a pixel art maker bc I know the kids love that: P

LunaPic: Allows you to make transparents, flags, and other little photo edits like crop and filters. Con is that you have to have the thing you want to edit saved on your computer already, thus if you wanna do a quick edit of something in your clipboard you have to save it first aka, a hassle if you’re trying to meme

What does it offer me?/Pros:

See all those tabs right there? each one has a bunch of effects and things that go with them, so you’re bound to find something useful on the site no matter what you’re looking for, complete with sliders for easy adjustments.  There’s color tinting, watermarking, transparency, pixelations, and the list goes on. You can also draw but its no PTS if you catch my drift.

There’s a editing history at the bottom of the page for you to see what you’ve done to your image. The site automatically carries your image over to the next tool you click on (if the tool is applicable to it, such as Draw from Color Tint). This is also a con if you accidentally edit your picture to something else entirely, but the history allows you to jump back an edit.

No flash needed for a lot of them!

Cons:

 The site it massive in your browser, and because of the automatic drop down when you hover, you end up getting this overlap over the category and may end up clicking what you didn’t mean to. Easy fix is zooming out to about 80% to combat the overlaps. Because of this, if you’re going to use your phone, do it in landscape mode. wont be the best experience but it gets shit done. 

site has ads but not pervasive ones. if you really dont like them, use an adblock.

For flag editing, the colors are a little rough, and require pretty damn good memory of what the right colors you want are called if you want a richer or more specific look. there is a color wheel though, which i believe is new.

Bloggif: another photo editing site, but its hella retro  kinda. I believe the site is originally french so hey. lets you make old internet type gifs and icons, complete with glitter effects,fx effects, and even little smileys to add to your stuff.

What does it offer me/Pros:

Truth be told: not very much! There are only 20 editing tools on the site to use at your leisure, a significant downgrade from LunaPic’s 200+, but what it lacks in editing it makes up for the lovely retro feel it has. There is gif support, including deconstructing gifs if that’s your flavor, and the infamous glitter tools kids love these days! 

some of the tools actually have lots of options with them, for example, the ‘Animated smiley’ tool, which offers 16 smiley shapes, numerous little add ons, and the ability to upload your own image to edit into this ‘smiley’. There are options at the bottom for the blink speed (Rapide, Moyen, Lent, Aucun which in layman translation is Fast, Slow, Slower, Stopped). 

can support small images and larger images, but i wouldn’t recommend trying to over power the site. Here’s an example of the smiley tool in effect:

It’s fast! And really easy. You can do it from your phone as well!There are photo collages, animated text with effects on the letters and a few other things. 

Flash not needed for all of them!

Cons:

‘Swiss army knife of photo editing’ is a bit of a stretch since there are so few tools.

For smilies, there is no free placement of the little effects. They pick a spot and stay there. To layer, you have to reupload the smiley and  drop another effect. 

Just not a lot to offer, tbh...but retro! and cute!

Blingee: ye olde blingee.com, lets you make blingees for that really early 2000s feel. TRES IMPORTANTE: to make blingees you need to set up an account (its free). You also need to use firefox (if DDG works im not sure i havent used it with that browser) and update your flash to actually make them after setting up an account. IDKY but it does not work with chrome whether you fixed your flash or not. the site gives you options to share your blingees as well, and you can also see shit from like ...2006 sksk

What does it offer me?

The ability to make blingees. What more can you want? If you’ve been online and a little tech savvy for a lot of your childhood, you may even have a blingee account still. the site is still active hasn’t updated its look for a WHILE, but it’s a pleasing site to look at.

Variety is of the essence here, as there are more than just blingees to create. There are internet postcards and stamps as well, with lots of little effects to add like sparkles and glitter and backgrounds of your problematic kins. 

it’s cute ahaha <3

Cons:

G-D FORBID YOU LOSE YOUR PASSWORD!! I believe there is a bug right now that won’t let you sign up, even though the FAQ claims that you don’t need an account to make blingees (you very much do!!). I have emailed about the process of logging in after you reset your password and if there is a wait period until you can log in again, and I’m still waiting for a response. I also told them about the signing up part. I’ll update later...

You need flash. Flash is leaving soon :(

Pretty damn confusing to use actually. So much so you wonder if it’s worth the trouble... 

Honestly its a very archaic site, would recommend using Bloggif frfr

Glitterfly: it’s glitter. its a lot of glitter. Theres 50 cent glitter images on this site. It’s legit.

What does it offer me?/Pros:

Glitter. And lots of things to put glitter on. And i mean A LOT!

Allows you to upload a picture to throw glitter on. 

The jonas brothers are here. and camp rock.

Make glitter words, change their color, and roll that sucker in some sparkles!

askjhdjasf theres a tab to make??? a fucking PIMP CXARD/???JKHFSK (its just an american express black card stock image with a fake number on it)

Cons:

my G-d is it ugly. So much purple....

use an adblock

Not a lot of glitter effect options or color options for the words

No way to get rid of the watermark at the bottom, but what’s a little credit?

FOR NOW that’s about it! For some artwork, I use either my own drawings or images that I just...have on my phone or free cliparts that fit the topic. Uh...that’s all, goodbye!

[achillescourse]

ive been thinking about arguing (as usual) and so the rest of this post is going to be a summary of my logical interpretation of the 'ace discourse'

the lgbt community is

- a community of ppl w interlinked experiences and oppression

- historically linked

- overlapping idenities bc ppl often mistake us for each other and the further u go back the less seperation there is

the purpose of the lgbt community is

- to provide safe spaces (thereby requiring people who are not lgbt to be absent) and resources for lgbt ppl

- to advocate and fight for our rights and goals against our linked oppression (ie laes against us / unemployment / homelessness / medical discrimination / hypervisiblity / ect)

- ensure that secondary spaces, WITHIN LGBT SPACES, exist for lgbt people at intersections of other oppression ie poc, women, disabled ppl, ect

therefore in order to maintain the function and purpose of this group

- lines must be drawn between lgbt people and not lgbt people

- the meanings of our identities must reflect both a. something that ties us together and b. the trait about us that is the source of our oppression on this axis

given all of this, not only does is make sense but it is in fact required that we make the lgbt community exclusive to lgbt people.

the ace / aro community

- exists but hasnt been defined until much more recently and has not faced the same systematic discrimination / oppression that lgbt ppl have - they do however often face a lot of misunderstandings / rejection from ppl who dont get it

- have been big proponents of the split attraction model (SAM) which isnt really a functional model of sexuality and can help further ppls internalised anti lgbt attitudes

the function of the ace aro community is

- to establish a definitin and universal experience? however they do not have seem to have an agreement on a. what being asexual or aromantic means and b. how this changes how you interact with society . if you are ace but still have sex, how can being ace really change how you are treated, for example

- advocate for issues ace /aro ppl deal with, mostly lack of representation and knowledge within the wider community

thus, as the ace/aro community is not functionally/historically similar the lgbt community it doesn't make sense to try 'add a' to lgbt and more importantly.

it historically was not there for ace/aro ppl until they actively boycotted lgbt support groups to get it (as it was leftover from when spaces used it to try give ppl plausible deniability,,,, when being lgbt was illegal and stuff) so one cannot argue that they 'were always in the lgbt community' that is a lie

finally. its a mischaracterisation and a deliberate strawman to act as though a. saying you must be lesbian, gay, bi or trans in order to be lgbt hurts ace/aro people and b. that people somehow want no ace/aro ppl in the lgbt community - 'ace exclusionist' is a misnomer - we do not seek to exclude aces/aros, in fact lgbt ace or aro ppl are an important part of our community

however. being ace/aro isnt a ticket into the lgbt community. there is no need for more letters, its just simple. if ur lesbian, gay, bi, or trans (which obviously includes non-binary ppl) then ur lgbt. if u arent. sucks to be a loser lol

[meteor-sword]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAE!!! Your quite literally the best and I hope you have an amazing year!! for the follower milestone thing, 🍉 and u already know BAKODA

COL sorry this took so long but yknow. things were happening sdfj

ok check this. i know you said bakoda but i think u meant bakyada LSDKFLSDJF

modern au (with in-universe nations just modern...) and bato and hakoda were best friends throughout childhood in their little northern town

probably had crushes on each other and didn’t realize it was mutual

bato’s a realist and he moves on and dates others (and hakoda does too, but more in the meantime until he and bato magically somehow figure it out without hakoda having to introspect on his attraction or sexuality or future :) ) 

when they’re 17 and 18 (hakoda, bato respectively), they have a falling out. maybe over future plans, maybe bato confronts hakoda about being hostile to his boyfriends. the kind of argument that might be easily resolved in the participants weren’t irrational teenagers. in any case, they grow distant at the end of high school. think, mutual friends having to choose one or secretly maintain friendships with both situation

bato moves for university, and then joins the coast guard. hakoda meets kya and falls in love and they get married. he sends an invite to bato knowing full well he won’t/can’t make it

check out my milestone ask game in my pinned post! this got long <3 

life goes on and while bato climbs the ranks in the coast guard, kya and hakoda have sokka and katara, and hakoda will catch himself telling a story about him and bato as kids and have to sit with how weird it is that bato is such a big part of his life and so is kya and that has never overlapped (kya being from another town here). let’s say she doesn’t know what terms they left on

it’s probably weird to see bato’s family around their small town, maybe bato’s mom asks hakoda if he’s heard x update or y plan bato has told her about in calls or letters (she might not realize just how big of an argument the two had had) 

that’s how he finds out bato is being discharged with an injury. the next week. kya finds out too (small town) and suggests they have him over for dinner or something once he’s settled back in...

cue: 2 weeks of hakoda awkwardly looking over his shoulder to avoid running into bato unexpectedly. everyone who sees hakoda either mentions bato’s back in town or Purposefully Doesn’t

kya sees him first. he’s easy to recognize as he’s a foot taller than everyone else, has a sling and nice eyes she recognizes from pictures at kanna’s. she introduces herself as hakoda’s wife (maybe it’s at the grocery store, and she’s got baby katara, and introduces her too) 

(ok don’t think about bato still having a crush on hakoda since he definitely does, and meeting kya and katara unexpectedly and um. hm dont think about it) 

so kya tells hakoda that evening that bato is coming over for dinner the next night (so here’s the scene: kya proud of herself, hakoda trying to not visibly look like he’s freaking out, toddler sokka marching around like “daddy’s friend! daddy’s friend!” while katara claps) 

so um. bato comes over the next night and kya probably realizes the tension about a half hour before bato arrives when she’s cooking and hakoda is trying to figure out what to do with his nervous energy

boom: they’re sitting at the little table in the open concept kitchen/dining room and kya is trying to stoke the conversation but bato and hakoda are giving little monosyllabic answers 

bato good with kids? bato good with kids. katara starts crying and this time kya can’t figure out what to do but bato just takes her in his good arm and she just. stops. 

so kya and bato hit it off and talk about kids. was bato a big brother? sure he was! bato always took care of younger siblings, while hakoda was the baby 🥺 so while bato is holding katara and chatting with kya, hakoda is just eating his food and trying to keep sokka entertained 

kya asks bato how coming home after, what, 7? 10? years has been for bato. his kid siblings are all grown up, which is weird. his arm’s messed up so he needs help doing a lot of every day things. and most of his friends have moved on or...... /looks at hakoda. 

so when bato is distracted playing with katara, kya is staring hakoda down like what do i not know here. actually i don’t care, bato’s my friend now. she invites him over for dinner the next week

kya going over to bato’s with the kids to help with things he can’t do. kya leaving a key to their place under the rug for him to come over when he wants. bato helping with the kids. hakoda was shocked to come home to bato on the couch the first five times but now he’s used to it and just scurries off to the garage or office 

which incidentally gives him a lot of time to rethink what their argument even had been (really not that important) and his feelings for bato (which unfortunately have not gone away even though he is in love with kya...) 

so scene: bato in the living room with the kids after dinner, hakoda and kya cleaning in up in the kitchen. hakoda gets snippy with her for a second about bato being over all the time and she just. throws a pot down in the sink and turns on him and finally just asks him what the issue is, since he’s been avoiding the conversation for weeks at this point 

he says like yes it’s stupid but it’s been so long it’s just embarrassing and hard to try to figure out where they stand. (and kya is perceptive and saw through them during the first dinner and she tells him so

so kya puts the baby in a stroller and grabs sokka’s hand and they walk to the park and tells them to talk it out

right so two men in their mid-to-late-twenties who were best friends ages 2-17 sitting on the opposite ends of a couch. looking at each other and awkwardly looking away and back and smiling and starting to talk but stopping and starting again 

bato is the first one to apologize though. he didn’t make it to the wedding or any baby showers or hakoda’s dad’s funeral, but also didn’t ever try to talk to him about their argument. but hakoda’s got to apologize for the same  

ok so they’re on the cusp of having the real conversation about feelings, maybe just getting closure on all of it at once but kya comes back home (the awkward silence probably lasted kya’s entire walk to the park)

kya sitting herself and the kids right between them and they watch something sokka insists on and kya puts the kids to bed and kya comes back and asks how the conversation went because i think she’s a very direct lady. 

god ok what im getting at is hakoda and bato re-friending each other and kya getting to be best friends with bato and bato helping with the kids and eventually kya mentioning to hakoda that she wouldn’t mind smth more with bato 

nothing sad happens and bato moves in with them. king sized bed!? :) 

god fizzled out at the end i am obsessed with the premise but the resolution is um less important 

[420pogpills]

Getting Lithuania in GeoGuessr sucks because I recognize 'oh, this language is from _somewhere_ more east than me (Germany) and it is not cyrillic, but that DOES NOT HELP. So do you have any tips for recognizing Lithuanian/Lithuania (sorry if this is a weird ask but I dont know where else to ask :( )

sure omg okay let me try and explain it in a way that makes sense! :D 

so you know when in english we have like ‘road’ or ‘street’- in lithuanian usually the names will end with g. or pr. - that stands for road/avenue in lithuanian :) there’s others too i think but they’re very rare and i can’t think of any off the top of my head haha

some lithuanian letters can overlap with estonian/polish but what lithuanian has that very few other countries have is these: ą, ę, į, ų :) i believe polish has them as well? but a good way to differentiate polish and lithuanian is that in polish they use a lot of z’s and w’s, whereas w doesn’t exist in the lithuanian alphabet 

we also have the ones with ticks, so č, š, ž, and we also have a dot over the e sometimes, so ė (my name actually ends with that one, so my name in lithuanian is akvilė) and a dash over the u sometimes, so ū! 

i hope this helps :D