ffxiv pride icons ....... let me think for a second ......... abt what blorbo headcanons i may have........
i love when the twins contrast and parallel each other, so both of them get the pride and transgender flags from me for different reasons! alphinaud because i dont think he knows where he leans towards yet, other than having that vague feeling of queerness. and its nice that both flags are there for everyone whos questioning or uncaring of labels. "im probably nonbinary but i have a job so idc about that rn" vibes
on the other hand, alisaie gets these flags because she IS gay and trans. she strikes me as someone with a strong grip on who she is as a person and will not water herself down nor go out of her way to explain herself for the world or anyone's convenience. her identity is something that was very clear to her since she was young, and it probably added to the rift formed between her and her family after louisoix left sharlayan. not because her family didn't support her, but because it adds to her strong sense of self and need to stand up for her ideals and individuality. something something, when you're visibly or openly queer you might still feel like you have to fight to be seen and heard even though you're Not Even Hiding. which i feel matches the way alisaie lived under her family's shadow for so long. especially as "a lesser alphinaud/carbon copy of alphinaud" in the eyes of sharlayan
WHICH IS WHY i think she specifically PICKS the pride flag and not the lesbian flag. because alisaie still loves her family, she's still sentimental and she still insists on doing what feels right for her. she could double down on her individuality and pick the lesbian flag, but there's something much more personal about her picking the pride one and sharing it with her brother by her own volition, rather than something that was forced upon her (like their matching outfits, matching hairstyles)
there is a reason louisoix gave them twin tomes, after all! there is a reason they die holding hands in the timeline where the wol dies! being a twin and having alphinaud as a brother isn't the issue! she loves him! thats her brother! outsiders assuming that they should be identical on the inside just because theyre identical on the outside is the issue!
i like to think alphinaud feels similarly in this aspect. i havent finished endwalker yet so im not sure how their family dynamic is in its entirety, but through what the novels have shared that alphinaud does, to some extent, thinks about how alisaie kept picking the more difficult path of being loud about her feelings (not necessarily about being queer, just in general) because she clearly resents her father and her own brother for how things went down with her grandfather
so in the context of queerness, i think alphinaud would also be more aware of the consequences of being Out And Proud from seeing alisaie. which might add to him Not Being Ready to further explore his own identity; he's always been the composed one in the eyes of adults, the expectation to continue doing so and knowing better carries on. he wouldnt want to invite more negativity either. he should know better. he has to know better
but again, its nice and comforting to have these flags as umbrella terms that still welcome him and will always be there for him regardless of what the future has in store for him. very much like alisaie
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