#the boot theory

[glowingghosty]

so i grew up pretty poor. like we'd be looking in the couch cushions for change in order to buy groceries poor. and one day my dad explained something to me, and looking back, it's probably the first thing that radicalized me

i think i was about 8 and he was driving us somewhere, and he explained the concept of "rich people spend less money, because they can afford to buy something nicer that lasts longer. poor people like us have to buy worse things that don't last as long and we need to buy it again. over time, the poor person spends more money, and that's why the poor stay poor." yes, he did use boots for the metaphor.

over the years I've seen that referenced. ive seen comics of it and people explaining the metaphor. maybe the first time i saw it i was a little surprised, but I don't think i ever assumed my dad had made it up. i think something he prefaced the analogy with implied he'd heard it somewhere else.

today was the day i learned it was from discworld. god i need to read those fuckin books

[fourdiagnosesinatrenchcoat]

This makes me so sad and also I'm trying to remember if any of the Discworld books dealt with late stage capitalism

[dontcallmetreffy]

The Nocturne discord I’m in pointed out how tall Alucard appears now so I rounded up screenshots of different vampires next to humans to show just how freakishly tall they are in comparison

[delicate-sketch]

Idk if this is unpopular opinion or not but while Percy is like “fuck this demigod stuff I am retired” I think Nico would be working in the underworld in the future like I just have this vision of him in a mix of modern and ancient greek clothing doing missions for Hades collecting some troublesome souls idk helping with the judgement talking shit with the dead making the playlist for their elevators vibing to tragedy by bee gees he kinda enjoys the demigod stuff even if its hella dangerous or whatever

[oblique-lane]

idk if youve done it yet but i would actually lose my mind if you did an analysis for demo

Aye aye captain 🫡 Time to overdramatize again!

Let's address Demo's wounds

(Demo's backstory was changed through the years but I'm sticking to the older version because I find it more grounded)

Demoman's story is easily one of the most tragic of all the mercs. Imagine you have been abandoned from birth, your parents simply rejected you for what you are. But luckily you have been adopted by some good people who replaced your parents and made you a relatively happy child.

And then you accidentally kill them. You're 6 years old. How does that feel?

I can't even imagine how a child's brain can't comprehend the idea of being a murderer. It was an accident, of course, they were blown up by a big explosion he created (genius kid found out how to do that, huh?) but still. His parents were dead and he knew it was his own fault. He learned he was dangerous as he is.

How was it like pondering about it in the orphanage?.. "I didn't want this! I want to go back and fix it, I'm so sorry", something like that. But he couldn't go back in time, so being covered in such an avalanche of guilt, he learned he needs to repress himself.

Demo have always had an explosive temper (no pun intended), it was his true nature, pure emotion: if he's happy, it's 100%; if he's angry, it's a full blown storm. If he loves, he loves with all of his heart, and he has a big one.

Living on the impulse, all or nothing, that crucial accident revealed that letting his true nature go will only end up as destruction in the end. Irreparable damage.

We don't know what exactly was happening to him during his orphanage years, but if I'm to guess, repressing everything about him: his interests, his character, his whole nature, was a thing to choose. He thought that he had to become still and quiet as to not to repeat that kind of tragedy ever again. He probably didn't have people to be friends with either, either because people rejected him for his past, or he avoided them himself due to his internalized shame, at least that's a guess.

But everything repressed returns to the surface sooner or later. As a child, living for so long under overwhelming guilt, grief, hate, pain and sadness, under the skies that are almost never sunny in a all-year-long damp and coldness of the Ullapool. Incomprehensibly grey. It was depriving.

He was always fascinated with explosions. He didn't touch it for a long time, but maybe something like seeing fireworks again one day made something inside him tremble... And to remember.

Explosions. Launch... Acceleration... Release. And every time the release happens, his soul fills with excitement, the body feels lighter and shivers go up the spine. Release happens inside his head too, for the explosions make his worries and pain go away for a moment.

He couldn't find another way to release his bottled up emotions, so gradually he returned to make explosives again.

It was something like an addiction. Similar to pyromania, except no one bothered to research this one. At the moment of explosion he could let his anger out, he could scream, he could run around freely, he could sense heat in his chest; he could be himself. As he once was.

Everything was cold. But the explosions were hot.

He thought it was under control, just a little bit of KABOOM after school, but he craved more and more every time, more vivid, more violent...

That's how he lost his eye. (...Was it a subconscious act of selfharm?)

The missing eye was a forever reminder of how deviated he actually was. He learned that he couldn't repress or change what he truly is - a monster. A Black Scottish Cyclops, wether it were his peers who called him like that or he himself, out of misery. There was indeed something seriously wrong with him.

It seemed like the only thing he was capable of is destruction. Destruction is the only environment he's comfortable with. Peace was always so anxious and depriving, and breaking things felt calming, so he figured it must be right.

And then his birth mother came and took him back, "now that's he's a worthy DeGroot". It was unexpected but... Pleasant. So he wasn't THAT worthless after all, huh? Turns out, it was really familial, the destruction thing. At least he found out that there was a reason behind all of this.

His new mom was, saying honestly, pretty cruel with words. She was not at all gentle, she was very strict, demanding and straight up abusive. It was never enough for her no matter what Demo did. She didn't want results from his work, she's just always wanted to mess with his brain.

And for whatever reason... This setup felt right for him. To be thrown around like that, to be humiliated harshly, it felt fitting, it wasn't causing anxiety or anything. He has to be a scapegoat, he had to forget about being a child and to start working as an adult, at the same time somehow replacing a father he still didn't have, but it felt good enough. Confusing relationships felt good enough.

Destruction was his habitat, and his heart could no longer accept anything else.

Cruelty wasn't warm though, just familiar, just an environment to not to go insane. But he craved warmness so badly... Yet every time he would get close to someone and receive a little gentleness and care, it would feel sickening. It felt unnatural, it reminded him of his lost parents and of everything that's wrong about him.

The only warmness his body could accept was alcohol, making him bubbly and comfortable and relaxed. He almost felt normal, happy even. Alcohol heat made him melt, and he felt so fulfilled as if he was in paradise, back to the womb.

Yet after the effect wears off, he feels lonely as ever. Quickly, existing without alcohol becomes pain. Existing at all. He became an addict.

Not that everyone he met rejected him, rather, he subconsciously reached out to those who would be cruel to him. Again, gentleness hurts wether he knows it or not. He's only good in destruction.

Lonely and clingy, ready to overshare, overall mess yet carrying a big baggage of love that has no one to give it to. Maybe because he can't give it to himself in the first place. There's so many issues unresolved because he can't handle them alone, yet there's no one to help since he was already trapped in a closed circuit of self sabotage.

He will keep acting like a party beast, always crazily emotional and overdone upbeat, a simple drunken man who will not be taken seriously that way. Maybe that's what he wanted, to not be seen as deep by anyone for not be reminded of his misery once again.

Seems like we bought that too.

...

The enemy Soldier might be an exception though. The man he really treasures his friendship with turned out to be an enemy; repeating the rule again: it's only acceptable when dangerous. Soldier deeply cares for Demo, however he's not gentle or pitying, he's as destructive and explosive as Demo is, and these two are a very rare perfect combination of destructing each other in the act of love. Both broken beyond repair, soul on soul, forever to be misunderstood by the outsiders. This is something about this relationship that looks like a golden lining.

They will not fix each other, but they sure are going to have a good time!

[albino-parakeet]

”When you and the bestie are both obsessed with Dark Web Diving”

These dinosaur chains I wanted to buy for my boots sold out and I’m forever mad at myself for not buying them earlier.

So I drew Ben and Brooklynn with them on their boots, to make me feel better. (You can’t really see it on Ben cause of shading rip.)

Timelapse undercut:

Songs used Blister in the Sun Cover by Crummy Stuff (literally what I thought Ben was singing to in that one episode) and Deceptacon by Le Tigre.

[skidcd-megamix]

Did you know that besides justice (the literal giant gundam) A.B.A is the tallest woman in guilty gear

She would be if she stopped slouching all the damn time like GIRLL UR SPINEEEE!!!!!!! DR DOOFENSHMIRTZ ASS POSE

Elphelt forgets how tall A.B.A actually is

[moeblob]

They're like a dumpster fire and an oil spill, two disasters that should never meet.

[astridhoff03]

Little appreciation post for the many unique and heartfelt friendships we had in DreamWorks movies, including the Nublar Six

Over the years DreamWorks showed us in so many different ways in their movies and shows, how important friendship is. For me the best and most memorable are Hiccup and Toothless and the Nublar Six. Still til this day, Hiccup and Toothless have the best cinematic friendship ever written. Not miles of distance can break the strong bond they share and that’s true friendship at its finest.

[chat-no-r]

i crush thee,, alien

[kaeyachi]

Something about what Venti said

Doesn't this sound familiar?

Oh, right. Kaeya.

Kaeya, in his hangout quest to be specific.

and finally

[daimadiamante]

Nothing gets the idea out of my head that DreamWorks Animation ships soukoku

Is it a mere coincidence that some couples created by the company have a dynamic very similar to that of Soukoku? Hmmm… I don't think so.

Soukoku and its DreamWorks(furry) version 1:

Soukoku and its DreamWorks(furry) version 2:

[hagstoned]

Sam Vimes would have loved barefoot shoes

[accirax]

this stuff might be on the wiki or whatever already, but in the case it's helpful for anyone i made a diagram of trial seating and a character color sheet!

[finnicksghost]

dimitri and felix in fire emblem: three houses [azure moon] / boot theory by richard siken

[albino-parakeet]

Just a working mom and her three beautiful kids.

No Timelapse cause I messed with the lighting wayyyy too much and it’s like a strobe light so here it is without the overlay: