#I understand why the two may seem similar on a surface level

[accio-victuuri]

and this is why i love interviews, cause we get more insights or examples of similarities like these ones:

as soon as i saw fans pointing this out, i remember one comment i read from yesterday, saying that how can we (cpfs) even think about the two of them being similar. which i can understand if you just look at the surface level. if you see them that way, then yes, they are nothing alike. their look, aesthetic and even the brands they gravitate to for endorsement are different. but that’s not what cpfs are only about. the similarity we talk about is on a personal level and the main reason why these two hit it off so fast when they “first” met.

first one is how they like to dress comfortably. you may say that it’s a common answer. but you can actually see it with them. some people will say comfortable but end up looking all dressed up/uncomfortable when they go out. these two don’t care. especially their regular clothes. next is how they mentioned black as something they like/gravitate towards. he didn’t say white and gray but based on what he wore ( picture below ) for PFW, it’s his colors too. these answers, it’s mostly unconscious the way they give it out. because that’s their real life. because most of the time, what you (don’t) see isn’t always what it seems.

[marinerainbow]

Mermaids- and sea creatures in general- are some of my favorite creatures ever. So here are my thoughts/headcanons; what I imagine they'd be like in real life if they existed. I took inspiration from many sea animal facts, and I am in no way a professional biologist so these may not be the most accurate.

Biologically accurate Mermaids (probably)

There are many subspecies of mermaids, though the two main types are deep sea and surface types. We'll be looking at both of these types today, along with the general facts about all species.

Surface Mermaids:

The surface Mermaids are kind of like humans in length, interchanging between 5-7 feet (1.5-2.1 meters) in size, similar to sharks. They also range in bright colors to blend into coral reefs.

They travel in packs, referred to as pods. Pods usually contain 10-20 members, though there may be some groups that travel in smaller or larger groups. Some groups have designated leaders, while others don't.

As natural carnivores, they eat other sea life. From crustaceans to fish, big and small. There is very little that mermaids wouldn't hunt.

Since they live closer to the surface, these are the merfolk people would most often see. Surface-level merpeople don't feel fear for humans, and are actually curious about them. The way they see it, these odd, tailess creatures seem to resemble them the most. At least their upper halves do. So they want to know more about us.

Which can lead to a big problem with poachers; although some deep-sea mermaids have been caught, it's usually a surface level that a hunter would find.

Deep-Sea Mermaids

Deep sea mermaids are more drastic in size difference. They can range up to 10-15 feet (3.048-4.572 meters), though there could easily be bigger species we haven't found yet. They also have deeper, darker colors. Not muddy, just darker. And they also have bioluminesence.

Although these merfolk can travel in packs too, it's more common to see them on their own. Or in smaller packs. Why this is the case is unclear.

Deep sea mermaids that travel in packs will take whatever precaution necessary to ensure they don't lose each other in the darkness, without attracting predators in the process. They can be seen holding onto each other's hands and tail fins or moving as little as possible when they find a place to rest. Though if they need to, they'll call out to each other despite the risk.

Like their surface level cousins, the deeper level merfolk are also carnivores. But they are scavengers, too. You can easily find these guys around carcasses that fall to the ocean floor, either tearing apart the dead creature or hunting the other sea life that came for the free meal.

In General

The reason why groups are so diverse is that, like dolphins, mermaids are scarily intelligent. They are most likely on the human level of intelligence, and as such have the brain capacity to experience and understand complex emotions and thoughts. Resulting in each mermaid and pod having their own morals and ways.

Like whales and dolphins, merfolk communicate with clicks, whistles, and pulsed calls, along with using physical cues and body language to communicate.

Like humans, mermaids have complicated mating traditions, though for the most part, they mate for life. Some groups are more polygamous however.

During mating season, the females will all choose a cave or crevice to lay their eggs and, like octopuses, will stay beside their clutches to protect them. Since all the females tend to stick together, with some exceptions, they often take turns watching over each others eggs while one or two of them leave the cave to go find food. Also, while the females take care of the eggs, the males will stay and protect their mates and the nursery during this time, and at least one will follow the females when they go hunting to make sure no predator harms them.

Mermaids will often lay two to three eggs. Once the babies hatch, the whole pod works to protect all the children, at least until they are old enough to swim on their own. Some groups may choose to stay in the nursery spot for longer just to make sure the babies won't get lost or snatched up by predators.

Although they can be born male or female, if there are a shortage of females, some of the mermen will transition into female. Kind of like clownfish.

I hope you guys enjoyed these! Happy MerMay! ^^

[diiambee]

So like. Love in paradise!! Rambling and me dissecting the lyrics ahead! Prepare for a long post lol

Going to ramble more about the ending because god. It's Calypso's wording in particular that gets me.

It's no secret that the entire time she's been singing in Love in Paradise she was very insistent of sellung her Island to Odysseus, down right ignoring him when he says he has a wife and insisting even with his continued refusal—

For reference I won't mention on the matter of her SA of Odysseus due to never reading the odyssey on full myself, and i feel thar based off past songs and how Jay seems to plan to take this she'd be more a sympathetic villain than an outright evil one.

— Going back to my main point, people habe already pointed out her use of calling back to earlier character's phrases as if she's attempting to make herself more comforting for Odysseus, the use of open arms for polites, in your heart for hisother, and perhaps even the use of Ody for eurycholus.. but I want to ramble more on her phrasing for the earlier lyrics as Odysseus sings his heart out in agony.

Whether or not this was intentional— I can't help but be so scandalized (/pos) at how cleverly Jay seems to write a toxic conversations between the two. Perhaps it's more one-sided, as it seems neither of the parties are even listening to one another!

I especially want to highlight how Calypso deflects or downplay all of Odysseus' pleas here. Even if arguably you could say she cared for him and loved him, that's why she's begging him not to hurt himself— her love is so obviously not genuine, its superficial. She loves what he can give her, not who he is.

It's evident with how surface level her words of comfort are. He's screaming about agony, about all of those he's lost and how much he wants to just end it all but all her response to it are either shallow or with selfish (whether she realizes it or not, they're still selfish)

"It will be fine dear, come back inside dear, love of my life come back to paradise—" isn't really bad, its definitely comfort and a show that she cares, but it's the lyrics after that definitely highlight just how superficial her love is for odysseus, how it's not right.

"I know your life's been hard—" only time shes acknowled his troubles (in this song). "I'll stay inside your heart." Following it up with a call back to his mother.

"I love you, my dear.

I love our time here,

Life would be so much worse if you had died."

It's these lyrics in particular that truly cements, for me, how dark love in paradise really is even with a song with an upbeat middle. Jorge's a freaking genius being able to portray the sense of something is wrong even when the music tries to tell you otherwise— similar to how Calypso tries, and tries again to convince Odysseus to stay in paradise after everything he's been through, but Ody refusing because he knows this isn't the place for him.

She doesn't listen to him as he begs, and begs. She continues to speak, to try to comfort him with surface level comfort that truly doesn't help him or his state at all.. and it's with these lyrics you can really see her comfort with selfish intentions (note: I say selfishness not in a way to demean her, just to say that her words of comfort definitely come from a place of where she isn't thinking of Odysseus. She may or may not realize it, but it's still what I've observed regardless).

Yes. She truly did wish to ensure Odysseus wouldn't hurt himself, but take note of the reasons and what she says when she tries to do so— She only mentions herself, in which I mean she paints it as she's the only person Odysseus can rely on right now. She's the only person for him now. And yes.. that is quite literally true, it's just odd to me as it's as if she didn't truly understand odysseus within those 7 years. Like he hadn't with her, if you may.

Finishing this off with my belief again, I don't hate Calypso, but I don't like her either. She's a good antagonist and a good test of someone's (mine) media literacy LMFAO.. and again. This isn't me saying she didn't care at all or loved Odysseus within those 7 years, just that her love wasn't right. It never was and I doubt it was ever painted to BE right.

[kiennjio]

why Shinonome Akito is a dog: an analysis

NOTE: Contains spoilers for Rise as ONE! event story

At first glance, Akito seems like he is more of a cat than a dog. On the surface level, he probably is. His two-faced personality where he acts nice in front of strangers but is less polite and sometimes apathetic with his friends is extremely similar to a cat's.

However, a major part of Akito's personality is his determination and loyalty. His loyalty to his goal of surpassing rad weekend, his loyalty to vivid bad squad, and his loyalty to his partner Touya have been emphasized many times in event stories. Dogs are often called "man's best friend" and are known for their loyalty to their owners. Akito's "owner", in this case, would probably be his "ego", or what he considers most important in his life.

In rise as one, Akito viewed Ishihara and Max as partners because their relationship reminded him of his own relationship with Touya. Akito saw how Ishihara and Max trusted each other and wished to be the best in Japan together, just like how Akito and Touya's bond is built on mutual trust, and their goal of surpassing rad weekend by each other's side. Akito first came to understand Max as he related to Max's resolve to compete in the tournament so he could make Ishihara happy, and the feeling of "cherishing his partner". In this case, Ishihara and Max are a direct parallel to Touya and Akito.

Dogs in the event were portrayed as emotionally intelligent creatures that picked up on their owners' emotions and showed care for them. Akito doesn't outwardly show it but he's perceptive and is able to figure out what his friends are feeling despite them not knowing themselves or actively hiding it from others. Akito may seem to have a prickly exterior but he still shows concern for his friends and Ena.

Akito and Touya also called themselves BAD DOGS because they wanted to show those who laughed at their dream that they would fight to achieve it like disobeying dogs would and also because it is apparently slang for "the best partner" which is what they are to each other. Akito also seems to enjoy being praised by Touya (getting flustered when Touya got happy about him doing well on a test), which is a very dog-like behavior.

There is a lot of correlation between Akito and dogs, so Akito as a golden retriever makes sense, although cat Akito also has some merit. (Touya, on the other hand, is definitely a cat. As for whale Touya, I need to do more research.) Akito being terrified of dogs certainly makes it a lot funnier, I suspect colorpale enjoys the irony (I know I do).

[appleflavoredkitkats]

you know, i feel like general filipino audiences mischaracterize elibarra like. a lot. the thing is, i can see elibarra work in theory — these two seem like they're incredibly smitten with each other. but the thing about elias and ibarra is that, for me, they're admiration for each other comes of as shallow. surface-level.

(i'm gonna cite my interpretations of the book so bear with me here since last time i read it was december 2021. also this essay may be rambly and all over the place bc i wrote this at 3am lol)

elias was, i think, the first to be smitten. he valued ibarra because he believed he had the mindset and the power to execute change. that's why he helped him, and that's why he was incredibly shocked by ibarra's beliefs during the boat ride. and i need to emphasize this: that boat ride is so incredibly romanticized by media that it completely misinterprets the scene. if you actually read the damn thing, it showcases ibarra's true colors: he views filipino society as savages that need disciplining from the gwardiya sibil. to me, he's meant to juxtapose elias. while elias understands the struggle of the filipino (aided by the fact that he mentioned during the chase that he internalizes the misfortunes of the native land), ibarra is divorced from it. to my understanding, he is the antithesis of a model filipino: personal, vengeful, and close-minded.

and this is where general depictions of elibarra breaks for me. they are meant to be opposites. this is even supported with el fili's main point wherein padre florentino mentions that to be with your people is to "endure/suffer and work". elias has suffered, has understood the struggle of the filipino, but ibarra closes his mind to it. he wanted to do good only because he saw the filipino in his parents, but nothing else. even when he was imprisoned, he sought violent, personal revenge for HIMSELF.

and just. further insight; let's go to the infamous "then why do you advise me to go away?" line. elias and ibarra, for the first time in the book, receive a paradigm shift. a complete change in mindset and outlook. elias is sullen, pessimistic. does not believe in the chance of his survival because he was broken when he learned that ibarra's grandfather ruined his life. still, he chooses to suffer alongside the filipino. and fucking ibarra still does not internalize it. he goes on a ramble about seeking violent revenge, and even when elias says he'll hurt innocents, ibarra does not care. like, again, there's hardly anything profoundly romantic about this scene. they are self-destructing. elias lost hope in the filipino, ibarra chooses to fulfill personal desires.

BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, elibarra works in tragic ways, i think. because elias aids ibarra's survival in the end. he lets ibarra free not because he thinks he can help the nation, but because he believes he has the chance to be happy, unlike elias. and ibarra, even if he had differing opinions with elias at the first boat scene, was willing to learn elias' perspective. there is some worth in elibarra, but i think a few things need to be addessed.

one thing is; elibarra cannot work if their relationship was similar to how it was near the end of noli. there is a level of self-destruction there that i just absolutely do not think should be romanticized. the "why do you push me away" line is a whiny comment from ibarra showing how he still cannot understand ibarra's struggle. elias helping ibarra live was not because he loved ibarra to pieces, but because he prioritized the chance for personal happiness to exist. and this is is sorta difficult to explain, but to indulge oneself in individual happiness in this context is to sacrifice the chance to empathize with the nation. he fucking sacrifices his hope for the philippines in exchange for ibarra to continue thriving someplace else. so yeah, we need to stop believing that their relationship by the end was butterflies and rainbows because they were absolutely self-destructing.

second thing; even if ibarra is a privileged asshole who got most things wrong by the end, i also don't want to hold him to it, because his vengefulness ruined his life. his ignorance towards the filipino struggle still ruined his life. he is tragic as much as he is complacent. in better situations, let's say au's where they're happier and alive, i think a way to make ibarra's character free and more developed is if he actually found a way to open his mind to the filipino struggle. to get off his european high horse. not only would it be incredibly beneficial for him, but it would make his relationship with elias much more healthier. the thing is, elias how he is pre-chase scene was FINE. he has incredibly profound ideologies about the state of society which i think still we should uphold today. ibarra is the rich, spoiled, tragic brat who needs that sense of change.

the reason i emphasize their ideologies is because these two are founded upon them. these are their CHARACTERS. if ibarra still remains as close-minded as he is, it literally goes against not only elias' beliefs but his fucking existence. ibarra's beliefs are just a red flag period, incredibly classist and racist, and again, their relationship can only work if ibarra wakes the fuck up.

and yeah tldr; if you like elibarra and would like to portray them in other settings, it's important to not romanticize the boat scenes entirely because holy shit their relationship does not work. but it CAN work if ibarra can open his mind to better ideologies, which i think could happen in canon if he wasn't stuck in a miserable situation. but, if you wanna interpret elibarra by the book only, please be careful which parts you romanticize because a lot of it ignores the fact that ibarra exposes he has problematic ideologies + ignores the fact that elias and ibarra were at their lowest by the chase scene.

[multigenderswag]

Genuine question here why does the queer community ?dislike? multigender people? I'm not really "in the know" when it comes to this stuff (but I would like to be) Thank you!

A lot of it is very similar to biphobic arguments- the idea that people have to "pick a side" or get told to ignore one half of their identity. I can't fully speak on the similarities, since I'm not bisexual, but there's a post here that explains it very well.

I guess a lot of people, even those who have done surface level unlearning the gender binary, still believe that different genders don't overlap and that you can't be more than one simultaneously. We've done the step of recognizing that two separate gender boxes don't work, but a lot of people have just created a third box of "nonbinary."

Even when people see gender as a spectrum like it's a line, male and female are on opposite ends. So even though some people can comprehend "masculine side of nonbinary" and "feminine side of nonbinary," they can't quite comprehend "two binary genders," which is why there's much more (though still not enough!) recognition for he/they and she/they pronouns than there is for he/she. Pronouns don't always equal gender, but this is still an example of how maleness and femaleness are often seen as mutually exclusive. Instead of seeing a bigender male/female person as both of their genders, those genders seem to "cancel out" and that person gets seen as genderless or gender neutral. After I came out as using he/she pronouns, people very frequently just used they/them for me.

In some cases, people can recognize a multigender person as multiple different genders, just not multiple genders at one time. A lot of people asked me if I was genderfluid when I came out, because "sometimes boy, sometimes girl" fit into their understanding of gender, but "boygirl" didn't.

A big part of the current exclusion of multigender people is regarding sexuality. People will say that multigender people who are both men and women can't identify as lesbians or as gay men. A multigender person who is both a man and a woman, who is attracted to men, may be excluded from a MLM space that says women aren't allowed. Another thing that's common is for multigender people to identify as both straight and gay. A male + agender person might identify as both a straight man and a nonbinary lesbian. This type of identity is frequently seen as invalid, or worse, actively bigoted.

Basically, many people- even queer people!- see different genders as mutually exclusive. So multigender folks don't fit into their worldview, which makes them confused and frequently hostile, especially in the context of sexuality.

[dylanndr]

It Happened to Me: Crushing While Aro/Ace

TL;DR: You don't stop being aro/ace even when you're having feelings that look, on the surface, strikingly similar to what allo people typically feel. Insert the usual caveat that this is about my own personal experience, other folks will have different takes on this topic.

So yeah, I came down with a crush recently, and decided to draw this little diary comic about it.

[For reference and clarity, I identify as demi/gray for both aro and ace. While I do want to be in a relationship, I don't catch feels for very many people. I do experience sexual attraction, but that's even rarer for me than romantic attraction. This particular guy referenced in my comic managed to set off both.]

On a surface level, there's nothing new or original expressed in this drawing. Pretty standard set of anxieties and behaviors when you're crushing, right?

And yet, for folks who are arospec or acespec, having what looks like a standard crush is not necessarily the same thing as allo crushing. This is not a dynamic I see talked about a whole lot, so I'mma talk about it.

By way of analogy, let's say I did a drawing of a cis man and a cis woman who are clearly a couple, and indicate that they're in a monogamous relationship. Nothing on the surface says that this is anything other than a typical heterosexual couple. Except, wait, what if both people involved are bisexual. Being in a monogamous relationship with someone of a different gender does not automatically reset either person to straight, nor can their partnership be accurately described as heterosexual. Neither person enjoys heterosexual privilege, and each person continues to experience and process attraction differently from someone who is straight.

By the same token, an aro and/or ace person experiencing romantic and/or sexual attraction does not automatically become allo. For my own part, the nature of this particular crush has caused certain allo things to make more sense to me, certain songs or movies or phrases or behaviors, but it feels very much like learning a second language: I just figured out the translation for one or two things that were utterly incomprehensible to me before ("Oh, maybe that's why allos don't seem to get bored of yet another rock song that's about sex. Fascinating.")

This crush does not at all mean that I will now be a typical alloromantic/allosexual from here on out. I still experience these feelings from a different vantage point, and bring a different set of past experiences to bear, experiences that many allo people have flat out told me make no sense to them ("What do you mean you weren't aimlessly horny all the time in high school???"). I still approach relationships in ways that seem "weird" to allos. I still won't be up to speed on attraction dynamics that are deeply intuitive to allo people, but that require translation for me to comprehend them.

And it's not like I haven't spent a lifetime trying desperately to understand all of this. I want to be in a relationship, a fact that a number of even my very close friends are shocked to learn, because I don't perform the typical social signals around that correctly, I guess. And when allo people give me dating and relationship advice from an allo perspective, it most often feels like I'm being offered an array of cow tools. What I actually need (if I may spaghettify this metaphor) is an array of bat tools. They won't necessarily look less odd, but they'll at least be the right tools for me.

[fuckmelifesucks]

Quick note: so i wrote this bit on June 9, 2022 and left it in the draft and forgot about it and then found it again and couldn't remember the exact end point of this. It's just a half assing of some theory, i think. I honestly don't remember. But hey it's basically a rant on my part and me over analysing things. Feel free to scroll past or if not, add to this if u like🤷‍♀️ well, that is if you do understand in it. I just posted it because I wanted to. So, eh.. why not.

Mating bonds

Let's talk about mating bonds in acotar. So far we know that it's some kind of a bridge of connection between souls and that a mating bond is the most sacred thing for fae and that they are super rare (yeah, not like everyone is getting a bond right and left 😐).

So, Rhys and feyre had the best mating bond by far. Theirs was one that was of pure love and connection. Feyre only accepted her bond with Rhys after she started falling for him. Similar with Nesta and cassian.

Now elucien mating bond. Their bond is similar yet so different from the feysand and nessian mating bonds. It is similar on the surface level. Like Lucien's need to taste, touch and smell her. But emotionally, it's so different. Because there seems to be no emotional connection at all.

Anyway, so we know the whole thing how people want elain and Lucien to end up together cuz of the bond between them, even though it's evident that the bond makes both the parties uncomfortable af and that both don't actually want it.

And i don't know about others but I'd rather not read about a couple who's been forced to be together without any actual sense of choice. But, what if their bond is not meant to actually be a start of their romance but rather something to help with furthering things. Like something with a different hidden meaning to it rather than a way for a happily ever after.

So here is how Rhys described the mating bond and its true nature.

And sometimes, yes—the bond picks poorly. Sometimes, the bond is nothing more than some … preordained guesswork at who will provide the strongest offspring. At its basest level, it’s perhaps only that. Some natural function, not an indication of true, paired souls.

— chapter 24, ACOWAR

So we know it's not some soulmate uniting bond but just something that may help in the long run of things sometimes.

Mating bonds that didn't go so well and are examples of this exact thing were tamlin's parents and rhysand's parents.

“You said your mother and father were wrong for each other; Tamlin said his own parents were wrong for each other.” I peeled off my dressing robe. “So it can’t be a perfect system of matching.

— chapter 24, ACOWAR

So again it's probably not for finding your soulmates. But it's also said that a mating bond can have a reason behind it. If not love then something else entirely.

Many mated pairs will try to make it work, believing the Cauldron selected them for a reason.

— chapter 24, ACOWAR

So there has to be some reason why two persons are picked to be together. And i believe that a mating bond is initially just something that brings two people together and that every mating bond has so sort of ulterior motive and not just love.

Let's talk about reasons why Rhysand's parents were mates. Why, out of all people, rhysand's mother was mated to the high lord of the night court. She was a local illyrian seamstress. From what we know there is nothing that special about her. Then why was she mated to rhysand's father? He could've been mated to any illyrian female if it had to be an illyrian, specifically. And he was 900 years old. So why, after 900 years did he get mated to rhysand's mother? He was one of the strongest high lords and his mate an illyrian female with no particularly exceptional powers. Because there were ulterior motives for the mating bond snapping between them.

Firstly, because of their union, Rhys came into existence, becoming the most powerful high lord to walk the lands of prythian.

That brings me to the question of how? Again rhysand's father was the powerful one. And his mother was in no way his father's 'equal'. Or maybe she did have some powers or so sort of lineage we do not know know of but still. Rhysand's father could've been mated to anyone else. Preferably someone who was considerably powerful too. Maybe that would've resulted in an even stronger offspring.

That indicates that their bond was more that just production of the strongest offspring. There were more ulterior motives to their bond than just the birth of rhys.

And now let's look at what's happened due to rhysand's parents' mating bond.

Rhys being the strongest High Lord with his night power, wings and possibly some of that illyrian killing power too.

Since Rhysand's mother was illyrian and it was custom for (half)illyrian youngling to train at the illyrian camps, Rhys was sent to the windhaven camp to train.

Rhys with his power combined with the illyrian training made him even stronger.

And windhaven is where he met cassian and azriel, his brothers.

Rhys, who would eventually grow up to be the strongest high lord, united with Azriel and cassian, two bastards who would eventually grow up to become two of the strongest illyrian warriors to ever exist with each possessing seven siphons for their massive killing power.

Then the bat boys together won the blood rite, becoming Carynthians. Hence, resulting in cassian and azriel being no longer looked down upon (kinda).

Rhys in that camp with Azriel and cassian resulted in mor meeting them, which resulted in mor giving her virginity to cassian to get out of an arranged marriage she didn't want. The consequences were brutal, yes but at the end of the day, she was freed from the clutches of the court of nightmares.

Then they met amren, the fallen angel, who helped Rhys control his own power so as to prevent it from consuming him.

And then the formation of the inner court.

These are the few things that took place because of the mating bond of rhysand's parents.

Now what would've happened if they weren't mates.

Rhysand probably not existing or if he was hypothetically, then he's not the strongest high lord.

Not meeting azriel and cassian which would've probably led to the two not achieving siphons or being able to take part in the blood rite.

Mor would've probably been the lady of autumn 2.0 cuz she would've had to marry Eris.

Mor wouldn't have been able to get away from the court of nightmares either.

They wouldn't have found amren so if there was Rhys, say, with incredible power, his power would've probably consumed him.

No inner court.

Rhys probably wouldn't have been who he is and maybe would've ended up actually being a cruel high lord.

You get the drill.

Anyway, so these were few reasons for the mating bond between rhysand's parents and it being them specifically.

Now why i went into this long ass rant...

Elucien bond is quite similar to the bond that rhysand's parents had. It's painfully obvious.

Both Lucien and elain do not like each other.

They are uncomfortable with the bond.

The only reason why they could be together would be the mating bond.

No choice for either of them.

Both had been thrown at each other.

They can't stand to be around each other for long, much like rhysand's parents.

Now it's already been discussed by many other that the mating bond between elain and Lucien could have other reasons behind it.

What are the possible ulterior motives for the cauldron to make them mates since now we know that many of the bonds are not based on love and equality between two people but with other intentions.

They could have really strong offsprings. Maybe even the next most powerful high lord, given, Lucien is the sole heir to the day court and elain is the made cauldron blessed seer.

Their bond could help in defeating koschi or at the least free vassa.

Lucien being son of helion the spell-cleaver, could also help in other things like helping elain somehow free the fae trapped in the stones of the prison.

Somehow, just maybe, the helion and lady of autumn drama would also unwrap more and possibly solve their problems too.

And many more.

What has happened till now because of the mating bond...

Lucien left the spring court and tamlin.

He traveled to the human lands to help find vassa, hence meeting with papa Archeron and the other humans, helping them come to the battlefield.

He met vassa.

His friendship with vassa and jurian.

Him finding a place for himself in the human lands and the band of exiles.

[gaytwirights]

Baw the beheno post, explain /lh

okay so i am going to assume that this is asking me to explain what used to be a crack ship between Behemo and Seth (rather than explain an alternate universe where the two of them get along well enough to be doing coke in a bathroom together), which will get a bit long so yeah

i'm gonna be honest. i started shipping* these two because we were going through the standard yearly 'why plagiarism is bad' section of the school year, and they began occupying a non-standard amount of my brain. then i figured it would be funny to put them together. so here is my incomplete manifesto on dragonmask** supremacy.

[* it's less about them as a romantic ship, and more about them as a compelling duo. sometimes, bitches just be silly

** i'm gonna be honest, i do not remember where this name came from. i think i just saw someone use it on tumblr one day, and then it became part of my brain. but yeah that name is not my creation.]

Reason 1: They are funny

what can i say, they're funny. Behemo canonically stepped on Seth, which is something i don't think a lot of ships have going for them, in terms of canon interactions.

also they really hate each other, but it doesn't feel like some surface-level hatred. it feels like divorce hatred. and that dynamic appeals to me.

Reason 2: They have good chemistry

obviously, i'm not saying that they get along well. rather, they get along in a way that is interesting to the audience.

thing is, they don't really get much interaction, aside from the scene in the hellish yard, which is pretty entertaining tbh. however, it's the way they talk about each other that seems really interesting to me.

for instance, this part from OSS:C, when Seth talks about his creation of Meta

And this, surely, would be a great enterprise on par with the “god creator of mankind’s bodies, Behemo” himself! My “old friend”’s face came to mind. Ha ha…That one would surely be stomping his feet in a rage if he knew about this!

i may be seeing things from a braindead fandom perspective, but it kinda seems like Seth is talking about Behemo with a bit of admiration.

like, yeah, they're antagonistic, but that first paragraph seems like Seth is putting Behemo as somewhere "above" him, seeing them as someone who is more accomplished, but still someone he can surpass. and idk that dynamic seems kinda interesting.

now, obviously, there's the wording of "old friend" (in quotations, even) that is, again, sarcastic and antagonizing, but ultimately still putting them as (vaguely) equals.

furthermore, it's the specific word he uses: friend.

Seth talks about his "friends" as people who can understand him. this theme of understanding (or lack thereof) will be part of another section.

and then, yeah, there's the last paragraph where Seth laughs at the thought of pissing Behemo off to the point that they'd be stomping their feet in rage. little does he know, in approximately 600 years, Behemo would indeed be stomping their feet (on him)

now, on Behemo's end, we also have this part from Fifth, Pierrot

he wasn’t going to tolerate those low quality copies of that creepy mask man mingling among humans, his very own creations.

i'm gonna be honest, there is nothing romantic here, and again, i don't plan on always interpreting these two as romantic. i just think their dynamic is interesting.

come on, tell me it isn't interesting when two people hate each other's guts, but are still incredibly similar.

Reason 3: They are incredibly similar

so let's go over the surface-level stuff first:

incredibly arrogant (for good reason)

creators of men (with varying skill)

one funky eye

looking at things from a christian perspective*, one could say that these two really exemplify the meaning of Pride. to be Prideful is to think yourself on the level of God, to assume that you are somehow exempt from his rules.

[* i go to a catholic school, and we have fucking christianity class. the past four months, we have been learning how to judge morality in a """christian way""" like what the fuck is that???? we really gotta LEARN in a SCHOOL how to judge right and wrong??????? that said, i am nothing if not a pleasure to have in class, and i am getting full marks in morality lesson.]

based on memory (because i have no intention of reading through the whole series again just for a duo manifesto), these two have the most iconic declarations of themselves as gods

“I’m a god. Gods are special cases.”

In that case— I am the god who creates “evil”.

obviously, these aren't the only times characters in evillious have declared themselves gods, but they're easily some of the most memorable, and the most often referenced in fanfiction.

also, there's just something So Interesting about a dynamic where one of the few things we know about is the fact that, at one point, one of them committed theft of intellectual property of another.

i know plagiarism is awful and all that, but it really does make for an interesting story. the theft of what one has dedicated their life to, and all that.

anyway, the funky eye. that's more of an aesthetic thing, but they do have a sort of theme of knowing more than other characters, of being the one manipulating things behind the scenes. one could say that their theme of one funky eye implies their role as the one who sees* all.**

[* "see" as in "knowing more"

* "all" as in "whatever goes on in a certain arc" (that is, OSS and mothy arcs for Seth and Behemo respectively)]

Reason 4: The deeper stuff (oh my god how did i write so much)

they are fake

they are lonely

something i like to think about is the fact that Seth wasn't able to create "perfect" humans. when he tried to make ghoul children and artificial bodies, they would eventually age rapidly, while the humans Behemo made would age normally. for all Seth talks about being a genius, even after years of study, he really cannot get on Behemo's level of human creation.

but the thing is, Seth really is a physicist second to none. he may dabble in creating humans, but it isn't really his field. just as Seth cannot create humans that age normally, Behemo cannot make a spaceship traverse dimensions.

........i mean, they sure came close that one time, but that was less "crossing dimensions" and more "turning digital stuff into reality"

hey, didn't Seth also do a poor copy of Behemo's actions?

and on that topic of copying, the two of them are incredibly "fake" characters. many of the evillious characters are liars, but these two are possibly among the few that are defined by the various "facades" they put on.

it's very hard to analyze Behemo's character without analyzing their queerness. whether one interprets them as a trans woman or a gnc cis man, the fact remains that Behemo's conflicts with other people--usually because they are looked down upon for wearing dresses--are a major theme in almost all of their appearances.

the thing is, Behemo never says anything about their own gender, usually letting others out them as amab, except for that "I'm a man" in The Tailor of Enbizaka. but going back to that novel, Behemo lived for fourteen years as a woman. their words say one thing, but their actions say another.

and here's the thing: in my media-addled trans brain, this willingness to let others assume whatever they want about their own nature is, in itself, a sort of facade. are they a gnc man or a trans woman? there's no reason to say anything.

but in my trans brain, i do know that, sometimes, it's easier to be avoided as gnc than to be openly trans. to me, it's the sort of facade that you make subconsciously. if people are gonna think you're weird, you'd rather not be more open than necessary.

and there's another thing, Behemo's facade of being emotional and "chaotic." don't get me wrong, i don't think this one is intentional, but it does feel like the sort of "tee hee i'm silly and chaotic and there's nothing more to me :3c" thing* that the people here go crazy for.

[* i wish more evillious fans would give Behemo the Maya Fey Ace Attorney treatment, where we see a character who's definitely meant to be silly and kinda sad (but mostly just silly) and then we proceed to analyze the different tragedies that they have gone through and allow them access to the full range of human emotions rather than just "tee hee :3c" and "One Moment of sadness"]

i do feel like Behemo is naturally a silly sort of person, but i do find it a bit uninteresting how people tend to delegate them to the basic "chaos gremlin" role. but i do also feel like this character archetype was an intentional move on mothy's part.

in the scene in the mothy novel, when Behemo reveals both their true identity as the Master of the Heavenly Yard, and the truth of the First Period to Allen, i think that's the most genuine Behemo we're ever shown. in other appearances, they're either plotting something (Fifth, Pierrot) or watching in the background while everything goes wrong (OSS, The Tailor of Enbizaka).

in the mothy novel, we learn about their past, about their origins as an avatar, about the first and second periods, but not about how they feel about that whole mess. the information we get is objective, 'this' and 'that' and 'then', but while this tells us about Behemo's story, Behemo themself never said much about their character.

now, back to Seth Twiright, because this was supposed to be a post about them as a duo, and not just a Behemo Insanity post. sorry for loving Behemo Barisol with all my heart. as if it's my fault they're such a compelling character.

Seth is an easy character to see as a liar. after all, the snake always wears a mask. throughout the OSS:C novel, Seth lies about his name, about his intentions, about pretty much everything.

Seth is meant to parallel the original liar, the Serpent of Eden, who tempted Eve into the Original Sin, and caused the downfall of humanity, instilling in us the subconscious attraction to evil.

except, that last part is the one that feels accurate to evillious canon, that attraction to evil (concupiscence, if my christianity notes are to be believed) would be Malice or HERS in evillious.

now, according to my notebook (sidenote: this is legit the most i've looked at my christianity notes on sin since i wrote them down), Eve's Original Sin was an "abuse of freedom" because she "desired to be like God (Pride)."

in evillious, the one who tempted Eve through deceit is Adam, meaning that it's Adam who has that parallel to the Serpent of Eden.

[EDIT (2024): in a move unforeseen by any of us, mothy revealed that the parallel to the serpent of Eden was Michaela]

now, applying this to the evillious Original Sin makes absolutely zero sense. in evillious canon, the Original Sin is the stealing of the two fruits, Hansel and Gretel, and not the abuse of one's freedom in an attempt to defy God.

however, this context on the christian perspective on Original Sin leads to my point regarding Seth: he's not responsible for as many 'Evils' as he paints himself as. Seth is not a parallel to the Serpent of Eden.

now, obviously, this is because i am a good note taker who goes to a catholic school, and i am analyzing something written by a non-christian, but it's not my fault that, according to my notes, Seth Twiright's parallels to the Serpent of Eden are mostly in the "snake" and "source of sin" thing, and in fact, he parallels the biblical Eve more than he parallels the damn snake.

so where does that leave Seth? on one hand, there's what the author clearly intended. on the other, there are my detailed notes on our teacher's discussion on Original Sin and also the unintentional implications of mothy's worldbuilding.

Eve released the Original Sin, which was then divided into Seven Sins. however, the reason for the sad state of the world isn't so much that Original Sin, but rather the Malice that, from the beginning, had embedded itself so deeply in all the people with the power to change the world.

this all culminates to a certain point: Seth is not the great "Evil" he claims to be, or even seems to think he is. Seth isn't so much a "cause" as a "source".

so what is Seth? a fake creator of men. a fake Horus. a fake father. a fake human. a demon who never does his job. a fake Serpent of Eden.

Seth is a fake, a superficial stand-in for evillious' equivalent for the Serpent of Eden. he's a villain, a Demon, and a redeemed father-figure for three feral children. but in the end, the true "Evil" was humanity's desire, and Seth was just as blind as the rest of evillious' long cast list.

wow, that got way longer than i had anticipated or planned for. the trans shit? the Eve shit? not part of my original plan for this section oh my god what possessed me to write all that.

anyway, the next point, they are both lonely.

lots of characters are pretty solitary, but i do believe that these two, in particular, are very strongly shaped by their loneliness.

i know i've been starting each section by analyzing Behemo first (because they're my favorite <3), but this time i gotta analyze Seth first. it's easier this way.

so. Seth Twiright. pretty lonely guy. in Outlaw and Lychgate, he even says that people can never understand what he is thinking. in the same section he does this, he namedrops Adam, Irina, Eve, Ma, and Lich as people who could have understood him, as potential "friends".

note: Behemo is not mentioned in this section. this is because mothy doesn't see the potential. (this statement is a joke. i would never dream of seriously saying what an author should have done with their work. but i will die on the hill that Behemo and Seth would be an amazing duo, if Behemo were more fleshed out.)

anyway, in OSS:C, Seth says this

“Evil” is like a virus. It spreads, it infects—and tries to make “friends”.

for Seth, to be a "friend" is to be "Evil", to be able to understand him.

but the most important part of Seth's characterization is exactly that: no one can understand him, and so, no one can be his friend.

now, i do believe this is his own fault. in Outlaw and Lychgate, Seth uses the specific wording of "telling what he is thinking."

this is impossible. obviously, he's not saying that he wants a friend who would be able to read his mind, but it's still impossible for someone to always understand your intentions, your feelings, and your wants.

Banica Concerto!! talks about "her friends and 'him'," implying that, even as they travel through space on a food trip without a destination, Seth continues to hold people at arm's length because he feels that he cannot connect with them properly.

that feeling of alienation, of never being able to connect with others, it's something that a lot of us know. i mean, this is the evillious fandom, after all. but aside from that, it's also a sentiment that is experienced by many queer youth.

and so, the truth of my love for Behemo Barisol finally comes to light: i found myself relating to them the moment i finished listening to Barisol's Child is an Only Child.

and that's the thing, Behemo's experiences are, as i like to say, the unfortunately realistic trans experience. even if Behemo acts like it doesn't happen, the fact of the matter is that there will always be that something that makes them different from other people, something that makes it hard to connect.

be it their dressing habits, their queerness, or even the basic fact that they come from a different world.

that, i believe, is the core of my Duo Manifesto. that shared feeling of alienation, of being impossible to relate to. they are lonely. they are fucked up. they can't find anyone to relate to, and they won't end up relating to each other any time soon, but wouldn't it be nice to have someone who understands your loneliness?

thank you for coming to my ted talk, and thank you to my One Evillious Friend for checking for errors because my brain is so tired rn

[iron-hearts-ablaze]

I saw your answer to another anon about Karlach ships and I just have to ask about her and Gale. Never seen it and I cant say i see it, so Im just curious!!!!! Not critisizing just wondering!!!!!!!!!

Answering Anons

// No worries, to call it a rare-pair would be an understatement - so I don't blame you Anon. It seems so shallow at a surface level, just a simple connection of they both have something in their chests causing trouble right? Well... Allow me to dive in deeper. I'll put it under the cut, but I went from the exact position as you to realising just how much these two could work. I hope it helps to explain - but remember, we don't all have to like the same! If you still don't see it, that's valid!

// Keep in mind I have a much better connection with Karlach (obviously) than Gale. So I may not have captured his thought processes well?

Alright, yes, they both have conditions. It's well known Karlach's character sheet is almost copying directly from Astarion's and Gale's. Just with a slight alteration there and then. But...why not make that work?

They would both have an understanding of the burdens they, literally, carry. They may have gotten the conditions in different ways and take different forms, but they both function in a similar way. They both hurt...and both Gale and Karlach can easily die because of it. It causes them both a lot of pain. At least if they confine in each other, they'd understand at least that.

Despite that INT 8 stat for Karlach, she's INCREDIBLY emotionally intelligent. She speaks highly of all the companions, their best attributes and what she and the player can do to help them ("give them space" "pick them up" etc). No doubt this would expand to being there for Gale during his more melancholy times. They are both doomed if nothing is done about it. She could have gone the same way, but she firmly believes in living a life as best you can - while you can. She'd 100% help him see at least some of her perspective, it may help.

Relationships mean a lot to them. Both romantic and platonic. They were isolated so it's worth holding onto those who would care about them. Including each other. And yet, they're not able to keep anyone close during Act 1. They each have to keep their inflictions in mind, and cannot get too emotional or it could be disastrous. To be surrounded by people but feel so alienated? It'd be familiar territory.

Plus, let's just be blunt, they're pretty amorous. They both make sexual comments in-game, it's not a far stretch to place those toward each other than to the player. Not like they're unattractive!

They also work well as a team in the field? One in the back firing off spells, the other in the front lines smacking the bitches up.

They both appreciate loyalty and have a soft spot for more romantic things.

Y'know what, they're just pretty, alright? 😆

Karlach likes animals....Gale has Tara.

It's kinda funny they're the Smart-and-Dumb or City Boy Meets Country Girl dynamic. More for humour's sake.

[mtdthoughts]

Shadow Pt. 1 (Migi & Dali Analysis)

If you've read my other posts, you'd probably figure out that I'm really invested in the characters of Migi & Dali, and I enjoy trying to analyze their minds and their character arcs.

Dali was arguably the most complex character in the story (which is a big reason why he's my favorite), as he often hides his feelings and motivations, both from the other characters and the viewers.

In this post I want to explore the reasoning behind one of his major actions in the story.

In my opinion, the question addressed here is one of the most important towards understanding the story, and in my opinion one of the hardest to answer..

Things may not be as they appear on the surface. I myself initially had a surface-level answer to the question, but was eventually able to construct a satisfying answer by gathering and analyzing clues from the story, and I hope whoever reads this post can do the same.

Of course, I might be wrong, but hopefully this thread will give some insight.

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Keep in mind that *spoilers* for the entire story will be discussed.

First, I want to give some context:

1) In Episode 12, Dali was ready to take Eiji with him and Migi and live happily together with the Sonoyamas, as shown by the cherry pie fantasy.

2) However, Eiji, wanting to take accountability for killing Reiko, turned himself in to the police. Then, all of a sudden, Dali's attitude suddenly reversed, and now he refuses to appear and chooses to stay in Migi/Hitori's shadow.

3) Dali says that Migi's happiness is enough, but Migi still wants him and Dali to live as two. Dali likely wants the same thing but rejects this, telling himself that being Migi's shadow was enough, as if he was in denial.

4) During dinner on Christmas Eve, Dali shows signs of wanting his own life with the family through his reaction to the Sonoyamas' words and his nightmare of being left behind.

5) On Christmas morning, the Sonoyamas accept the twins, but Dali still refuses to come out until Migi tells him that their happiness is mutual.

6) The twins finally reveal themselves, and Dali is touched to the point of crying tears of joy when he faces the Sonoyamas' love for the first time as himself. The twins then live happily with the Sonoyamas, and the main story is concluded.

Based on these events, it seems like Dali really did desire to live a happy life with the Sonoyamas, which brings me to the following questions:

Why did Dali bind himself to Migi's shadow?

Why did Dali reject his own existence and happiness?

Why did Dali reject the happy family life that he not only wanted but was also offered to him?

A key hint lies in Dali's scar. Although Dali used the scar to point out his and Migi's new facial difference, I believe the scar has another meaning, namely its association to Eiji and his arrest.

Because Dali and Eiji are similar, I believe the answer to these questions is that Dali felt guilt over what happened to EIji and perhaps felt responsible for all the harm and damage from the revenge quest that he started. The scar is a constant reminder of his (self-perceived) sins, and he likely hated himself and saw himself as unworthy of happiness. As a result, he punished himself by imprisoning himself in Migi's shadow, as if his final revenge was against himself.

The shots below illustrate this, as Dali looks back to Migi and echoes Eiji's sentiment that "the pie was too sweet for him," and that he just wants the Sonoyamas to dote on their cute Hitori without any worries such as a problem child like himself.

The next part of this discussion will elaborate this idea and will go over evidence for it.

[sterlingarcher23]

Max has powers and is like El

A "meld" spell from ADnD 2nd edition ...

For a fusion it needs two people that are "of the same faith" (Psychic & queer). "Sees, hears...senses everything the host does". Like Will did when he was possessed by the Mind-flayer.

That's 's why this happened:

Meaning that Owens will find a secret file with the name "Maxine Mayfield" in it (Brenner likely tracked the parents and kept the names up to date). A reason why the Duffers made us remember her birth name by giving Henry a line using her actual name.

So, a permanent mind meld or fusion is possible since it's possible in DnD and that game is more a surface level reference since the creatures etc have different rules in the game than ones in Stranger Things. Meaning that a temporary meld is then a permanent one.

And it's possible because Max is a kid of one of the "missing" MKUltras.

I should have pointed this out earlier, so edit:

The unnamed test subjects are likely Max's mother, Susan Hargrove, formerly Mayfield (who was then already married and likely pregnant during the time or shortly after ; it's not been specified according to the fandom Wiki) and Joyce Byers - the dates and names point to the parents not the kids. Both are still alive and Henry seems to target kids with dormant powers. That's why Will was interesting to him.

There's a reason for all these parallels/mirrors.

Because... walking into the mind lair without even concentrating on it, sensing El, "speaking" to others via mind (they can feel/hear her): El turns around, Will turns and she even contacts Lucas. She can't mind trace them but contact them.

She may have contacted Lucas via thought (although not aware of it) too.

This, like walking from one mind/dimension into another, is a power similar to El's powers: Mind tracing, mind contacting, creating portals into other dimensions, crossing into other dimensions.

"Underlying operating principles" and mislabeling Max = Eleven. (like "Will" equals 20, "Max" mathematically means 11)

And it's necessary because Max is in need of help (getting her out of the coma and her state) and El is running from the government and likely very ill... As it is foreshadowed by the Sara references and "Brenner" talking about it, Hopper having his monologue how he felt that he took away choice from Sara (Signing her death sentence), Will foreshadowing it as well:

El will die anyway. The foreshadowing is clear. They foreshadowed Max's death in Season 2 and El's as well, no matter how much you don't like it or think it doesn't fit, it will happen.

If indeed ill, she will sacrifice the little time she has to get Max back, to preserve herself, save herself, she needs to fuse with Max. This would help both of them. So, El dies physically and her consciousness survives this way, through a "meld" or fusion. They then understand that they are in love. (That's how you make Netflix executives cry). - And sacrificing herself for friends and loved ones is in El's character further underlined by "Running up that hill".

The Grail/Talisman is in it's hiding place and grants health to the one that needs it.

So, in order to "all their problems...gone" they combine/fuse.

They need Max in full capacity. If they want to stop One, they'll need to fly.

Like a DeLorean powered by Mr Fusion, like Korra and Raava when they fuse.

PS: givehimthemedicine also pointed out that Henry's targets are all potential power users/psychics that he activates. That's why they levitate like El does in Season 2. However Max was likely already active or had access to her powers on a subconscious level. MKUltras are different and untrained capable to at least subconsciously use their powers. - Now stuck in the other dimension, it is possible that she's aware of her situation (or will be through El) and having a "Groundhog Day", likely able to learn there like Bill Murray's character or with the help of El since they will complete the time jump together as the mall scene indicates. Through this you can skip that she has to learn to master her powers within the narrative. (Who knows how old Max's mind is when she wakes up - like Cobb in "Inception" was technically an old man of 100+ because he lived a whole life with his wife in a single dream).

[hiiragi7]

(i agree with your stance btw on the subject i just also want to throw my two cents in somewhere without actively being In the 'course)

i think it should also be a good idea to like... discuss the fact that she DEFINITELY should not have used said slur in this discussion while admitting she doesn't entirely understand the heaviness of it. like, i think that also puts a little into perspective her choice on why she compares transness to systemhood so frequently, because she doesn't really understand just How hard the trans community has it. i hope she can someday feel safe enough to enter the community (without a discourse lens, though, because god... please interact in communities without it JUST being fighting and arguing) and learn and educate herself and grow. MAYBE doing that will help her recognize why some arguments within syscourse are Like that i guess? (like, when people argue against comparing the two)

Honestly, I do not care much about whether Sophie can "technically" reclaim it or not, or how much she "understands" the trans community and trans issues, or how hard she has it - I believe that anyone, regardless of their history with being trans, can say hurtful things like this.

We see many, many trans systems every day drawing comparisons between being trans and being plural. I, myself, have in the past drawn these comparisons falsely as well.

For many systems, it seems like an easy comparison to make with a lot of surface-level similarities that can give off the impression that these two subjects can be easily swapped out for one another in discourse.

I do not believe that lack of experience with oppression has anything to do with it, really. If anything, I believe that experiencing oppression on the basis of being trans may make it even easier for someone to draw these comparisons between being trans and being plural, because that trauma may create associations where there are none, and see systematic oppression and internet discourse as one in the same based off of a few vague perceived similarities.

I do not want to theorize or speculate on how hard Sophie has it, or her experience or lack of with the trans community, or anything else. That feels inappropriate and irrelevant to me.

I just want her to stop comparing slurs and trans issues to syscourse.

I want her to stop speaking over others, such as those with CDDs, intersex people, people of color, and so on.

I want her to stop hurting people while making an attempt at radical inclusivity and blind validation, and listen to what people are saying during a discussion rather than making it about mocking the other person(s) or about "winning".

I wish she would acknowledge people and their issues more often instead of ignoring them or brushing them off when they come into a discussion in genuine good faith.

Any time I have had an issue with something that Sophie said and I tried to directly bring it up to her in a reblog and tried to explain myself calmly and reasonably, she has ignored me. Same for many others.

I do not wish any harm towards her, I wanted, each time, to have a genuine conversation. Yet it feels like if people are not outright ignored, their words are twisted, or they are vagued about.

That's my issue with Sophie. Not whether she can "technically" say a slur or not.

The slur discourse honestly misses the point to me. What matters to me is not that she said the slur (because who am I to make judgement calls about whether she is "allowed" to say it or not?), it is the context she said it in. She used the slur as an arguing point for a niche online debate about words that cannot and should not be compared to that slur, yet were compared in an attempt to win an argument.

That, to me, is the issue here.

[multifandomfern]

Italiet Analysis?

Hiii, I'm going to attempt to analyze Feli and Tolys and explain why I think they'd be good together.

I don't know if they interact, but Italy and Lithuania would make a cute couple. Carefree fun loving guy x stressed just trying to survive guy.

Feli, he's carefree and mostly unbothered. He'll eat gelato, go to parties and flirt with people. While he's carefree he's also energetic. Like he's the life of the party. He doesn't do responsibilities, he does chaos!

Tolys, he's more stressed out and anxious. He tries taking on too many problems while pleasing people. He definitely can stand up for himself when necessary, but he doesn't really do that. While I do think it's harder for him to be happy, I do think he can find enjoyment in the smaller things of life.

Being with Tolys would help Feli calm down a bit. He would help him figure out what he needs to get done and he'd help him focus. Tolys would show him that simply staying home can be nice too. He'd also understand Feli's desire to not cause fighting, but he'd also show him that sometimes you need to fight.

Being with Feli would help Tolys relax more. Yes Feli would definitely stress him out, but Feli would also help him do more relaxing things. He'd help him with self care and treating himself out. Then when Tolys tells Feli that sometimes he needs to fight and can't always be a coward, Feli listens. He helps Tolys be assertive more often so he doesn't get so stressed with everyone else's problems.

There's so many differences, but there's also some similarities which I feel like could make these two an interesting couple. They both may seem surface level, but they both can be complex which helps with that.

[photographynoob]

Week 1: Light, it's all about light (Image Production Assignment)

I took photos in and around the Papakura train station since I live in Papakura which makes it the area I spend the most time in.

Contact Sheet

Light and a difference in exposure

Two different photographs of the same place taken mere seconds after each other and at a similar angle but with a massive difference in results. Why? How?

It was the exposure.

The top picture was focused on the horizon therefore the exposure was adjusted to capture it accurately, while the bottom picture was focusing on the trains and platforms.

However, because of the low light environment, the increase in exposure levels made the red clouds in the horizon practically invisible even though everything else is visibly the same. Why? How?

I have no idea.

Is it not possible to isolate the two areas and have both in one picture? Or is that a job for post production?

Light and Reflection

An interesting relation between light, reflection and the camera. The wet ground seems almost brighter than the artificial light source that is illuminating it.

This might have to do with the ground having a bigger surface area and therefore more real estate in light reflecting from it to the lens or it could just be a limitation of the equipment I am using (phone camera).

Perhaps a better camera will encounter a different phenomenon?

Light and Night

The difference between taking a picture of the same subject in a bright environment and taking one in low light, even while using similar angles, is fascinating to think about.

Both have their own strong points. Bright environments like the above picture lets you see all the sights to see, being able to enjoy the horizon with very little or no need for artificial lighting and may even make the shot worse if introduced.

In low light environments, like the below picture however, introduction of artificial lights seem to make it better and a cacophony of lights could provide a much needed contrast to the dark backdrop.

Light and Shadows

Shadows. They suck. Why do we have them?

Yes, I know it is because light cannot pass through opaque objects therefore creating a dark outline behind and/or underneath it.

It isn't necessarily a choice. It is just our relation to light in regards to being solid, opaque human beings, but... why do we have them?

In all seriousness, I feel like I ruined a lot of shots by failing to take into consideration where my shadow was. So, instead of fixing it in the edit like a normal person, I tried to take them properly, fueled by the scintillating whispers of my OCD, carefully taking into account angles and lighting before promptly giving up because I could not outrun my own shadow.

I do not know why I had this strange idea that cropping out is copping out but we currently have no way to defeat the sun so I had to give up the battle.

I still managed to take some 'shadow-less' shots though, through great stride and effort. Wiping the sweat off my forehead from walking up and down the bridge that laid over the train tracks, I managed to find the perfect angle where the light did not cast my shadow into the shot, managing to take these two.

Which brings me to my next and final point.

Light and Angles

Finding the right mix of the two severely limits the shots you can take, unless you lower your standards and take a 'subpar' picture or you are in a controlled environment like a photography studio. The difference between a good or bad picture could be a lightning issue, angle issue or both. Taking your perfect photo, therefore, is up to your knowledge of how to leverage camera skills, available lighting, and angles, at least from my understanding so far.

Reflections:

I am a photography noob, and that is okay. This is my first time ever looking at photos critically and trying figure out what is going on beyond just thinking 'it's a cool picture.' A lot of things are going over my head and I feel like I am trying not to drown while learning how to swim. There are a lot of technical jargon I cannot even begin to understand. I do not know how to properly edit a picture and there are a lot of work to do and plenty of technical skills I need to learn before I catch up and get to the stage where I feel like I can finally breathe. It is to the point that in the short time I've spent in the course so far, I often found myself wondering, 'Am I enjoying this?' 'Am I having fun?'

Yes.

Yes I am.

Photography is fun.

[lunaprincipessa]

ENTRY 193

Opposites Attract

I wanted to do a blog about this, just looking into the details. Being a child of the 80's though (age 41), I now have Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract" song stuck in my head. Actually saved the draft of this to watch the music video on YouTube. 😂 It's been ages!

Anyway, why do they attract? I'd like to ask this especially since some of the most common reasons for two people to be attracted to each other include similarity (having things in common) and familiarity (having some experience). There's also reciprocity (feeling the same way) and even aesthetic (rockin the same style) following closely behind.

So, when does the whole opposite thing come into play? There are a few things that take place to open this particular door.

Excitement (new and interesting), sexual chemistry (lust and adventurousness), and lack of early conflict (intrigue from difference), one or all can come to the surface to make this union fun and alluring.

However, total opposites or the same in every way, that honeymoon phase is eventually gonna wear off. What happens afterward?

Lets check out the pros and cons of dating what we consider our opposites.

-Pros

Becoming better or more skilled at compromising, being more patient, having empathy, learning new things, and sustaining enthusiasm in the relationship.

-Cons

Risking the relationship not being long term should the excite factor dwindle, a higher potential for conflict, requiring communication that is more open and frequent than usual, also having to work through differing goals and lifestyles.

It seems as though when it's good, it's really good. But when it goes bad, it gets worse real quick. The question then becomes, "Is it worth it?"

I have the answer: that's up to you. Relationships require effort regardless. You'll notice opposites may have to put a little more work in, but hey, "if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life," right? If it's something you both want, that right there automatically makes it worth all the effort in the world.

Research has shown that the previously mentioned similarity and familiarity tends to dominate when it comes to the statistics of what most common elements are present when two people decide they like each other.

Despite all the commonality, opposites can still count on these facts to help them stay motivated and involved:

*strengths will compliment weaknesses and vice versa.

*less hesitancy toward compromise after a while.

*teaching each other new things.

*increased sense of understanding.

*stronger empathy.

*achieving balance.

*maintaining passion.

*higher tolerance level for life in general.

*gaining more patience.

In conclusion, prior to engaging in a relationship, take the proper time to get to know one another. If you find that you both are similar, know that pretty much gives you a headstart. If you find that you both are opposites, know it might take a little more effort but if the people and time are right, it will be beyond worth it.

More thoughts later.