#But I also believe - and you're right Anon - that it's impossible to have a dialogue where there's disagreement on what the words mean;

[kyouka-supremacy]

i do find the current evolution of what proship/antiship means really confusing, even as someone who’s always disliked how the “two sides” debate reduces the nuance of what the conversation actually is. it feels like everyone who identifies as “pro-ship”/“antis dni” assumes antiship is just being against any relationship thats unhealthy or toxic. meanwhile most of the people i’ve seen who id as “anti”/“dni proship” seem to assume proship is ONLY applied to ships between an adult and a minor.

i find the whole debate really fucking stupid because i’ve witnessed the nuance between these two factions with my own eyes. i’ve seen as many “proshippers” who enjoy underaged ships as i’ve seen “proshippers” who just enjoy toxic yaoi. and i’ve seen as many “antis” who hate couples that fight as i’ve seen “antis” who just don’t want to interact with people who ship siblings. theres no genuine consistency among the factions so why the fuck do people hold onto these labels?

speaking to bsd specifically, the discourse around so many of these ships cannot be neatly categorized by either ��this ship is pro” or “this ship is anti”. the discussion around sskk is much different than it is around say, atsushi/kyoka, dazai/odasaku, or young dazai/mori. all of these relationships appear in the fandom with different contexts to unpack. trying to divide them between pro and anti would be a nightmare.

having said all this, i will admit i think ur assessment of why someone would say “proship dni” with sskk in their bio is disingenuous, but it speaks to just how meaningless all these labels are. its just as likely someone who’s anti proship in the bsd fandom wants to avoid people who make young dazai/mori content as it is that they think sskk is genuinely healthy, and hates any ship that isnt. ultimately i think if we stopped leaning on pointless labels and just said “hey if you ship adult/minor content dni” our conversations as a fandom would be much more productive. but anyway.

Yeah, you're most definitely right. Those words just don't mean anything anymore.

[misc-obeyme]

Hey! Could I ask for a breaking-4th-wall kind of drabble with Solomon? In my heart I refuse to believe the boys aren’t real; they’re just in another world 💔 idk if thats denial or what but yeah lmao

something comfort or fluff would be nice ^^ even though just seeing Sol always makes me smile it’s a double edged sword and I then think back to how he ‘isn’t real’

(It’s kinda sad I can’t marry that man though…? It was love at first sight in OG game and people think Solomon’s down bad, I’m hella clingy when it comes to close relationships though ☠️ )

(Also random but as kind of a vent the kind of person best for Solomon would be someone who can heal his inner child, yeah? Problem is my inner child is also broken from emotional abuse lol, my issues would not help. I’m not good for him fr)

Hi there, anon!

Let me begin by saying that you are definitely good for Solomon. In fact, I would argue that you would understand him better because of your own issues. You know how it feels, you can relate to him in a way that someone else wouldn't be able to. And I think there's something extremely healing about having someone else to figure it out with. Why can't you and Solomon heal your inner children together?

As for the request, I hope this is what you're looking for! I definitely took the fourth wall breaking idea and ran with that!

You're sitting in your house on your phone, looking at Solomon on the home screen of your Obey Me account. You tap on his sprite and he smiles at you.

"Hm? What is it?" the dialogue says.

"I want you to be real," you say, knowing he can't hear you. "I want to touch you for real."

You sigh, turning off your phone and going about your evening. An hour or so passes and you're now focused on something else entirely when the doorbell rings.

It's odd. You weren't expecting company.

You answer the door and nearly faint from shock.

Solomon laughs gently at the look on your face. "Hi, MC. You wanted to see me?"

You stare at him with your mouth open. "What- I don't- How are you…? How are you here?"

"I'm a sorcerer, MC," he says. "With the right spell, I can make anything happen."

You're a little confused, but is it really worth asking any more questions? He's here and he looks solid. He looks real.

Solomon seems to understand your uncertainty. He reaches out a hand toward you. "I promise it's really me," he says. "Won't you let me show you?"

You couldn't have refused even if you wanted to. You didn't take the time to think about it, just immediately put your hand in his.

Solomon tugs on your hand and pulls you close, wrapping an arm around your waist. The world spins and you're being teleported to a new location.

You gasp when you find yourself looking out at a familiar view. The Devildom stretches out below you, RAD's great structure in the distance, the sparkling city lights next to an elaborately detailed fence. You're standing on a cobblestone street with Solomon's arms around you. The sky is dark, but it always is, here in the Devildom.

"Did you think it wasn't real?" Solomon asks. "Did you think I haven't already fallen for you?"

You clutch at him because this is all so unexpected. "Yes," you admit. How could you have possibly thought otherwise?

Solomon laughs, but it's soft, like he can't help it because you're so cute. "I'm sorry," he says. "I should have come for you sooner. Do you want to stay? For a little while?"

You throw your arms around his neck. "Yes!" you cry. And there are tears on your face because you're somehow here, with him.

Solomon kisses away your tears. You melt in his arms as he does. He gives you a questioning look, as if he's not sure how far he can go.

You let him know by kissing him. Solomon's embrace tightens around you. You can feel his heart beating against yours - rapid, like he's also overwhelmed by this impossible moment.

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[tabithatwo]

Thank you for all the thoughts you've shared thus far, especially the criticisms! You could easily keep them to yourself or just your inner circle and I appreciate getting to hear your perspective. We often have the most detailed elaborate criticisms for the things we love most because we Care so much. I can tell yours are coming from that place. I like season 2, I think it would be impossible for me not to with the cast and the characters they play, but the noticeable stark difference in quality between S1 and S2 is .....? I don't know if it's that they had less time to put it together, writers leaving or entering the mix, etc. But it's honestly fr strange to me. The first season was so incredible. This time around they really dropped the ball when it comes to narrative consistency, character dialogue/reactions, pacing, like every aspect of the show has taken a hit and I don't get it and as such a fan it literally hurts to witness 😭 I know the finale hasn't aired yet as of writing this, and I'm somewhat excited for Karyn Kusama returning to direct it bc she's one of my all time favs, but she can't save this lol. Even if the finale winded up being the best episode of the season it can't change all the episodes that have come before. And I'm not trying to say this season has been horrible, although some people do feel that way and I think that's valid. It's just mediocre. And when you compare it to season 1 it's like 🤨🤨🤨 is it the same people making this show or what. Considering everything that's going on with streaming I don't think season 3 is a guarantee until it's not only filmed but released. I'll believe it when I see it. That's not to dismiss the renewal but I'm a pessimist lol. I hope it does come back for the sake of the cast more than anything else, but story wise, after this season I'm ...... Nervous. Never any pressure to answer these asks, come back to it when/if you want!

WELL i waited to answer this because i was like maybe the finale will happily surprise me (delusion hours!!!!) thank you for saying that you're glad i share, i really appreciate that! i do it because i know i'm not alone in these feelings and like LOVE FOR THIS SHOW is the core of it. i am also sharing this because i love putting more perspectives out there (especially cause i know sometimes it is way more freeing to write them anon) and yeah also nobody come for me or anon! but i have been nervous about a s3 happening too you are not alone, the way of tv right now renewal means very little

[warm-starlight]

My thoughts regarding SnK chapter 139

Read at your own risk because my thoughts are all over the place and incoherent. 😅

So when the spoilers came out i innitially cringed a bit because of how cheesy the leakers made it sound due to the salt lol. After Korean raws came out, i liked the images. The art is phenomenal! After reading the official translation i am in love with it. ❤😭

It was so incredibly bittersweet, just like Isayama promised us.

The entire EreMin dialogue was heartwrenching and i said that if Eren pulls a Lelouch i will apologize for hating his character so much post TS. So i guess i have to apologize.

This dude was willing to turn himself into an absolute monster to ensure his friends have a bright future ahead of themselves. He believed that with him laying down the foundation and dirtying his hands to the point of being irredeemable they will be able to ceize their own future.

The story he told about Ymir and her motivation explains few things: Why she protected the king with her body, why she kept building the titans even after Eren seemingly freed her, why killing Zeke stopped the rumbling and why Eren told her "You're not a got nor a slave. Just a human being". He felt how strong her love for the king was and realized she is just a poor girl who was bound by her feelings.

Then we go to the talk about Mikasa and Eren reveals he has been in love with her that whole time, but kept it within because he knew their love is impossible, because he will have to die for their sakes. He completely bares his soul to Armin revealing his selfish, pathetic, Human side which i absolutely loved btw! But despite that he asks Armin not to tell her about it as he wants her to be happy, never wondering what if.. This also confirmed that the scene in 138 was in fact their shared dream and not "mikasa's delusion"..i hope antis die of embarassment now haha.

It is also revealed Mikasa's choice that time in 138 will lift the curse of the titans. Ymir was waiting for a girl who is deeply in love to show her how to break free and let go of her loved one.

This was what led Ymir to smile and finally free herself and remove the curse from the world.

It seems that everyone got their little talk with Eren, except Levi and Pieck. I think Eren was not sure what to tell Levi or maybe because Levi is an Ackerman, getting him to the paths was too much effort, considering he could only access Mikasa's mind only moments before his death.

In the end all their friends acknowledged his sacrifice (not the genocide!). Annie and Jean calling him suicidal blockhead for one last time made me sad and nostalgic. Annie showed she cared about him since trainee days... 🥲

Now we get to Levi's final goodbye and this was the moment i started crying. This man... He suffered so much, lost Everyone, destroyed his body just to make sure their deaths had meaning, but in the end it was all worth it, so he gave them a soft smile while shedding tears. Don't get me started on Hange being front and center ashdnkhdudjndnkxh

The warriors reunited with their loved ones, FaBi got to see each other again and their suffering also ended..

Armin's scene was such a great callback to trost arc.

It was sooo good. Also bonus Annie blushing at her husbando.

Three years later we see Queen historia with her beloved child who is now free from the titan curse, being happy and soft. She is probably much better mom than her own mother was

But she is also a Queen of the country who has become like a fascist dictatorship. 😬

Despite that, she retains her kindness for her friends, sheltering Jean's and Connie's families from the Yegerists. She is a strong, independent woman.

She writes her letter and tells Armin and co even if Eren was right about one side not being able to live in peace until the other is wiped out, he left Paradis in *their* hands, meaning Herself and The alliance. Which is why i believe the peace negotiations would go successfuly.

I am really digging Armin's speech here. Armin has been a chad this entire time heh.

And so we see Levi chilling in a wheelchair in Onyankopon's country, living the life, until a plane flies by and Onyankopon gives him that look. And he looks somewhat sad.

An anon pointed out that the bubble of "They'll want to know what we saw" being placed on Levi's panel is so poetic, because from 115 Levi only saw Hange and followed her lead to free humanity and i agree.

And finally we see Mikasa sitting by Eren's grave, waiting for everyone to join her. Her clothes and longer hair indicate she indeed became the same normal girl she was before she met Eren. She misses Eren, it's normal, but a bird comes by and wraps a scarf around her, making her smile and look happy which gives just the right amount of sweetness to the story.

My only complaint about the story comes from Bias. Yeah, Isayama killed Hange for seemingly no reason, but i think the reason was simple: He needed to portray two characters who love each other letting go of each other, of their dream to remain together forever for the sake of the world and create a parallel between Ymir and the king and Mikasa and Eren. As i said earlier, Hange didn't do it for fame or recognition, she did it so humanity could keep surviving and so Levi could see the world without walls that he talked about in front of her in uprising.

I think no matter what happens, Levi will Never forget them as long as he lives just like Mikasa will never forget Eren.

So i guess that's it.. I sincerely am grateful to Isayama for not letting me down with his story, for creating amazing, relatable, Human characters, for sending me on a rolercoaster of emotions every month and it was so many emotions from depression, to thrill, to happiness, to anger... 🥲

I think just like the editor said i will reread the story from the beginning and with the ending in mind. It should give me a whole new perspective!

Oof this got long. If you are still here, thanks for reading.

[harry-sussex]

You're lovely, and I enjoy seeing your blog on my dashboard. I'm sorry this has been such a difficult thing to process. It's always really difficult to rework an image of someone you once thought you knew. However I'd like to just put it out there - sometimes (I think the large majority of the time) news is presented in the most sensationalist way, such that nowadays I make a point of de-sensationalizing any news I read in my head. In the case of the whole Harry's memoir thing- I can sympathize with Harry as a person possibly just wanting to take back some control of the narrative for himself. Not just in the most recent events with family (that I tend to think are less horrifying than the fandom/Twitter sussex squad discusses it anyway), but in all aspects of his life. I do not at all think he's going to put his family on blast. I can easily imagine Meghan reigning that dialogue in; she has the tendency to think before she speaks that he seems to lack. And he loves his family. Similar to The Interview promos, I imagine the publishing house knew to increase the interest by implying it to be a tell all memoir. I think he's just done a lot of growing up that he didn't know he had to do over a short period of time, esp re: implicit bias/racism in the setting of media's blatant attack on someone he loves, and is disappointed by the institution's and his family's response to it. I think he's emerged a more introspective and aware human, albeit a disillusioned one. Yes it breaks my heart to think that Meghan won't get a break from the tabloids any time soon. If I were him I'd counsel him to write it & sit on it for a few yrs. But I don't want to give the media the power to destroy Meghan in my mind, and I pray she & Harry won't either. I think she'll be okay. She's a strong one, and I think he's able to draw that same link for himself and be thoughtful about what he does. No one likes being misunderstood/misinterpreted, and I wouldn't be surprised if Harry's especially triggered by that given his history with the press. Maybe this idea emerged from therapy, idk. I can empathize with that, even if I wouldn't do it myself. I hope and pray Meghan gets the support she needs from him and her loved ones in the meantime. I'm honestly not going to read it. I think the less attention I give the BRF the better off they are, unless they're doing something immoral/illegal (see: Woking pizza alibi). And I think at the end of the day, people will unfairly judge other people, especially public figures that have tragic pasts and are publically fighting with the media. A lot of it is going to be noise and I'm not going to give my energy into figuring it out. I like to think I've got a good sense of who they are as people - flawed but ultimately well meaning and earnest. I'm a huge admirer of Meghan and think Harry got really lucky with this one and I'm proud of him for choosing her in more ways than one. I believe Harry and Meghan are lovely people, and I 100% believe their interview. I believe that there are people in the palace with a lot of unchecked power who deliberately uncovered her and Archie from BRF protection for reasons of believed superiority over Meg & Arch. And they're figuring out how to deal with that as a couple and a family. And it's none of my business past that imo. I pray for them and hope it'll eventually end in peace for them all. Just wanted to add another perspective, and hopefully some levity. xx M

Hi, dear. First thing’s first, I really appreciate that this is off anon lol. I love it when people own their opinions, and it says a lot that you did. So thank you for that.

Second of all, I really appreciate the nuance and perspective that is in this message. I agree that the news is sensationalist, and my initial reaction was based off of that. I did watch the promotional clips of the interview and I believe it did sour my expectations going into it when I watched it nearly a week after it aired. I did my best to stay away from Tumblr because I didn’t want that to hinder my view, but it was impossible to separate the promotions that presented the information one way from what it actually was, and thank you for bringing that up with respect to the memoir because I hadn’t considered it. I will say that my knee jerk reaction is pretty on par with the way I still feel about it 24 hours later, especially since I got the news directly, not from Tumblr or Twitter or anywhere else, but you’re right that it could have soured my view from the very start.

I appreciate that he wants to take back some of the narrative but I think that ship has sailed, tbh. He did that with the interview and now I just think it feels like information overload. At some point, people are going to get tired of hearing the wealthy, privileged, powerful Prince complain about his life while more than 4 million people have died due to a global pandemic in less than 2 years. Not to say that he doesn’t struggle - in the words of Roxane Gay, there is no oppression Olympics (and that can be extended to struggle Olympics) - but people view it that way and will get tired of it, if they haven’t already.

I also agree that Harry’s past with the press has tarnished the way he has handled the media and the public post-exit, when he’s finally in a position to strike back without being somewhat obliged to them as part of the circumstances of his birth. I understand and sympathize with him but I just don’t think the public does, and the public matters much, much more than the perspective of one single American fan, to whom he’s never been obliged, and I simply do not think the public will afford him that same understanding, sympathy, and leniency. The public and the media are critical to his humanitarian work - his mother never realized that towards the end of her life, and I truly don’t think she would have been the martyr/saint she is perceived to be now if she had lived, because she did not know how to meet the media in the middle and eventually that started to piss people off. He’s starting to piss people off now and if it doesn’t bother him personally (which it definitely does), I don’t want it to affect his causes. The Invictus Games, Sentebale, Walking with the Wounded, WellChild, Mayhew, Smartworks, Archewell, etc. deserve better than to suffer the wrath of the media and an apathetic public because their patrons simply will not shut up lol.

I guess my point is that they will be unfairly judged (regardless, but especially due to the way they’re handling things), and I think it would suit them better in the long run if they adopted a different strategy. I really sympathize with the fact that he feels frustrated with the narrative that has been manufactured but I really, really think the narrative will only get worse and worse as he continues to go on and on about how badly his life sucks, basically. Again, I don’t deny that he struggles - we all do, some more than others, especially when there are mental health issues - but the public, to me, simply does not care. My own therapist has told me to simply stop caring about the things that I discuss with him. Not to say that they’re not relevant, important, or worthy of discussion - they absolutely are - but his point is that you cannot change people and you are wasting your energy and struggling yourself because you want to change them so, so, so badly that you’re neglecting your own self care in the process. I hate that I do it to myself and I also hate that he appears to be doing it to himself. I’m sure a lot of this conversation has been brought up in his own therapy, and I’m no professional, but I’m doing my best to heed the advice of my own therapist - which is the opposite of what Harry is doing - and it’s done wonders for me, when I actually can do it.

If there’s anything I know from this whole thing, it’s that Harry is absolutely punching above his weight, love him as I may, and that he adores, adores, adores his wife. He has chosen her from the very second she came into his life and I couldn’t want anything more for him or from her. I’m not going to lie, I would have been in this thing for any wife that Harry chose, because I was here long before Meghan specifically came into his life. However, I am glad every day that he chose her, that he loves her, that he wants to protect her, that she loves him back, that he lives the life with her that he’s wanted as long as I (and I’m sure he) can remember. I love her because he loves her, and I would have no matter what, because at the end of the day, it’s his happiness and comfort that matters to me, that has mattered to me since I discovered him and how wonderful he can be more than 7 years ago. What more could I ask of Meghan? What more, as his fan to the end (annoy me as he may), could I want for him? Who could say anything about her in that regard? If there’s anything that has come of this mess, to me, it’s that Harry loves, loves, loves his wife. I will always be happy for him and I will always be proud of him for choosing her, even if I don’t always agree with the way he goes about it.

I’m looking forward to peace, too. I cannot wait for things to just die out, for them to work things out as a couple and as a family, and for everyone to move on. The family will still do their thing and the Sussexes can do theirs, but I cannot deal with this back and forth, tit for tat, petty nonsense anymore. They’re wonderful and flawed, like the rest of them (except Andrew), and I just hope that they can all come to some kind of agreement or terms that lets this die down. It’s exhausting for everyone - themselves included. If I’m this tired, I can only imagine how tired they all are.

Thanks for stopping by, and sorry for the essay (essays, these past 24 hours lol). I really appreciate your kindness in this message, your presence in my notifications (I do see them!), your nuanced perspective and like I said before, I really, really appreciate that you own it!

[granatumre]

Hi, Jo! You're translating Those who stand? I thought you only made playlists. What language? Can I ask you a few questions? I hope I'm not being rude, I'm really curious because I want to translate fanfics myself (in Spanish) and I don't know where to start. How you do you keep the authenticity and the quality of the original text? How do you translate jokes and word play? Have you ever been stuck on a sentence you couldn't translate? Good luck on your translation! :)

Hi anon! I hope you can excuse me for such a late response, I’ve made you wait a whole month and for that I’m sorry. Oh, wow that’s the most interesting question I’ve received so far (not that I receive a lot of them haha). But I will, with pleasure, answer your questions! Thank you for asking and thank you for the luck! Good luck on your translation too! I’m sure you’ll do an amazing job! But keep in mind that I’m an amateur, so everything I say is only my experience and my opinion, it works for me, maybe it’s different for you.

It’s Russian and it’s not as hard as I thought it would be, but also not as simple. The key of translating, in my opinion, is that you have to know how to write fiction yourself, because it should resemble a piece of literature and not something soulless and taken out of google translate. So, basically, translating, is the same thing as writing: you’re living the words and sentences and you have to put them through yourself and back to find that exact line that fill satisfy you. Translating should also be fun, you have to enjoy the process because be prepared of transforming sentences and trying to make them as poetic, as the original is. And that is basically the key of keeping the authenticity.

In a way, you can’t, because each language has its own structure and I know how disappointing it is when you like the original line so badly, but you can’t make an exact translation because it would just sound weird. Sometimes I have to make a line longer, sometimes I would add some words just to make it more powerful for the language I am translating it into, sometimes I would breakdown a sentence into two separate ones. And it’s all okay! No translation will be identical to its original, it’s impossible. I will add 4 examples so you can see how it works.

The original: We’re too old for neon lights and bass sounds which are so loud that we can’t hear ourselves speak, and too young and privileged for dinner on our laps and an early night. We sit snugly and smugly, congratulating ourselves on our comfortable situations.

Russian version: Мы слишком стары для неоновых огней и басовых звуков, которые настолько громки, что мы не слышим своего голоса, и слишком молоды и привилегированны для ужина на коленях в раннюю ночь. Мы окружили себя комфортом и самодовольно поздравляем себя с bella vita*.

The exact translation of the Russian version: We’re too old for neon lights and bass sounds that are so loud that we can’t hear our voice, and too young and privileged to have dinner on our knees in the early night. We have surrounded ourselves with comfort and smugly congratulate ourselves with bella vita*.

The original: My heart beats right into his chest and his into mine as if they’re urging each other to throb at the same time.

Russian version: Моё сердце бьется в его грудь, а его в мою, словно это зов, сигнал одновременного слияния.

The exact translation of the Russian version: My heart beats into his chest and his into mine, like it’s a call, a signal of a synchronous merging.

The original: I lower my head to kiss him until he moans into my mouth in a way that is to be felt more than heard, and open my eyes to see his closed. It makes me think of all the funerals I’ve ever been to, and every open coffin.

Russian version: Я опускаю голову и целую, пока не слышу его стон на моих губах — он забирается мне под кожу, в ребро, и я открываю глаза, чтобы увидеть его закрытые веки. Я вспоминаю каждые похороны, каждый открытый гроб.

The exact translation of the Russian version: I lower my head and kiss him until I hear his moan on my lips — it gets under my skin, into my rib, and I open my eyes to see his closed eyelids. I remember every funeral, every open coffin.

The original: L said that he’d see me later, and I think about that a lot. I did, anyway. I try not to think about things I can’t reason out, but sometimes, and for the most stupid, insignificant reasons, I miss him so much that it pulls the air from me. I miss him like you’d miss air or water. An almost physical pain of loss but constant and thumping like blood in my head which wouldn’t cease until I thought that, yeah, I’d see him later. But I don’t believe it, really. I can’t, and it sucks big, hairy, massive balls. I couldn’t understand why I’d need to believe that I’d see him again just to comfort myself. I’d rather have felt nothing. So, as I say, I don’t think about it now. Everything worked out for the best, I suppose.

Russian version: Эл сказал, что мы увидимся чуть позже, и я много об этом думаю. Думал, во всяком случае. Я пытаюсь не размышлять о вещах, которые не могу решить, но иногда, по самым глупым и незначительным причинам, я скучаю по нему настолько сильно, что это выбивает из меня весь воздух. Я скучаю по нему, как вы бы скучали по кислороду или воде. Словно потеря — это физическая боль, но постоянная и пульсирующая во мне как кровь приливающая к голове, и она не перестанет болеть, пока я не подумаю, что да, я увижу его позже. Но на самом деле, я в это не верю. Я не могу, и это настолько, блять, ужасно. Я не понимал зачем мне следует верить в то, что мы скоро увидимся, лишь для того, чтобы себя утешить. Лучше бы я ничего не чувствовал. Так что, как я и говорил, я больше об этом не думаю. Все решилось в лучшую сторону, не так ли?

The exact translation of the Russian version: L said we’d see each other later, and I think about it a lot. I used to, anyway. I try not to think about things I can’t solve, but sometimes, for the stupidest and most insignificant reasons, I miss him so much that it knocks the air out of me. I miss him, like you would miss oxygen or water. Like loss — is a physical pain, but constant and thumping like blood rushing to my head, and it won’t stop hurting until I think that yes, I’ll see him later. But I don’t really believe it. I can’t, and it’s so fucking awful. I didn’t understand why I had to believe that I would see him soon just to comfort myself. I wish I didn’t feel anything. So, like I said, I don’t think about it anymore. It was all for the better, wasn’t it?

So the only way to keep the authenticity is to make it authentic to the language you’re translating the text into. It’s still going to be the same meaning and that way you keep the metaphors running too.

Also, I was talking about this with the author yesterday and it’s probably the hardest thing to translate. In Russian (and Spanish as you know), unlike in English, there’re different versions of “you”. It will vary depending on the formality of the relationship between the speaker(s)/ listener(s) and how many people are being spoken to. So there’s an informal you that will be used with your friends which is a “ты” equivalent to “tú” in Spanish and “tu” in French. And the formal way of addressing someone which is “вы” equivalent to “usted” and “vous” in French. There’s this part in Chapter 1, when Light and L first meet and it was reasonable to use the formal “you” but then I didn’t know when to switch it to the informal one. I though that L knelling in front of Light and the “yeah, now we’re friends” was a good moment of doing it because this was pretty informal to me. And apparently it was a perfect choice, so I’m happy about that.

But the puns, the jokes and oh the British fucking slang is something my betas and I have been crying about. From the light the Light pun, to the «law» in Lawliet pun, to the «interbred, loose-toothed, pink pony fucking, grandmother mugging, vagina-faced, vomit guzzling, baby killing, rectal smears within driving distance» which I had to sit through for a good half an hour trying to sort this whole dialogue out. Light’s clothing monologue is always very hard to translate because it’s very specific and detailed and I’m just so lost, but I manage and Google is my friend. My favourite was the B mumbling, which was a nightmare on its own because what’s a coma and fucking «Noir de Noir and one part Tobacco Vanille» and also that massive part when he spoke slang and I wouldn’t make it without Laura’s help because apparently the phrases are used to describe stupid people so from this:

The original: Upstairs the lights are on but no one’s home not the sharpest knives in the drawer a few cards short of a deck the bats are out of the belfry a few fries short of a Happy Meal the elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor the antenna doesn’t pick up all the channels all booster no payload one IQ point above brain death if I offered you a penny for your thoughts then I’d get change not the fastest ship in the fleet the gates are down the lights are flashing but the train isn’t coming isn’t that right L?

I got this:

Russian version: Это как если бы ты надел шапку по�� палящим солнцем если бы ты пытался разжечь огонь в воде если бы ты взял диетическую колу с жирным обедом если бы ты отдал деньги попрошайкам надеясь что они используют их во благо если бы ты разжигал камин без дров и искал правду у лжеца понимаешь о чем я Эл?

The exact translation of the Russian version: It’s like wearing a hat in the hot sun like trying to light a fire in the water taking a diet coke with a greasy lunch giving money to the beggars hoping they’d use it for good lit a fire without firewood and looked for the truth from a liar you know what I mean L?

Which is honestly as close as I could get and even tho it’s not the same lines, it’s still bares the same meaning. When it comes to jokes I always try and find an equivalent in Russian

The original: Oh. Well, I’m sure I’ll slit my wrists over that later.

Russian version: Ну, не волнуйся, обещаю, что надевая петлю на шею, я буду вспоминать твои слова.

The exact translation of the Russian version: Well, don’t worry, I promise, when I’ll be putting a noose around my neck, I’ll be remembering your words.

or when it’s too bad I’ll just put an asterisk and explain the joke in the chapter’s description.

Considering, it usually takes me 2 days (2/3 hours each day) for a chapter, it has been going rather smoothly. However, sometimes I can be stuck on a sentence because I don’t think it’s melodious enough or I don’t like the way it sounds. Sometimes I’m stuck on a sentence because I like the English one so badly and try to make the translated version as close as possible and then I cry because it sounds weird. I have to deal with tautology a lot (not repetition, which is a literary device!) because it might work in English, but it looks awful in Russian and I’m obliged of turning the phrase upside down. The same case with the excessive use of “I” which is so basic in English, but in Russian it looks like an unnecessary tautology and we don’t need to use it as much and plus: the less is better. 

But honestly, overall, Those is very easy to translate because of the way the text is written: it gives room for a translation and an interpretation, which is honestly so rare in a fanfic. Basically, the better the original is, the more metaphors there is, the more description there is, the easier it is to translate. It’s also easy for me, because the style in Those is similar to the way I write my fiction in Russian, if that makes any sense? I live for the metaphors and allusions and the game with punctuation where there’s none and then, suddenly, there’s a lot. It gives me room to breathe and create because a translation is essentially a text you have to break down and then rebuild in a way similar to the original but also correct in the language you’re translating it into. Which is probably why I’ve shed so many tears over it. Which probably explains the playlists, ha.

You have to pick something that you really like and picture yourself doing it. Try a few sentences, test the grounds and don’t take a translation you know you won’t finish. Also! Very important! And it’s something I regret not doing: talk to the author, ask them for help if you don’t understand a sentence or can’t get through something… like… slang, ha!

There’s a lot of fanfics that I really like but would never translate because I can’t relate to the author’s style. And this doesn’t mean it’s badly written, no, the contrary, but I just just can’t picture myself translating it. With any fanfic I read, I would always translate one sentence I really like in my head first and then, if it sticks, I’ll go along. And Those stuck with me.

It was a mix of an insane drive «oh my god the Russian fandom needs to see this, I need to spread the word» and a «are you mad enough to do it» and, well, guess what? I am.

[sheikah]

there can be a secret marriage and we get to see it in season 8 in a flashback or something. But you're right, the lack of dialogue could just mean passion/very high sexual tension. Although, I still say all this talk about not being able to have kids is weird, especially if it's being said to someone you were simply attracted to. She didn't discuss it with dario so why discuss it with jon(not saying both relationships will be the same but I feel like it's too soon to let him know)

Well anon I think that we are on the same page and that you just don’t realize it. While I don’t think we are going to hear the words, “I love you,” this season I absolutely 100% believe that the boatsex is not just a fling and that Jon and Dany are committed to each and very invested in the relationship by that point. 

I also agree that them making it a point to discuss the fact that she and Jon talk about her infertility, which I believe happens post-wight hunt, serves two important purposes.

1. Yes it establishes that they have something serious because otherwise, why else discuss it at all? The answer to this is partially her trying to explain to Jon why the loss of Viserion hurts so much–he’s her child. But the fact that she talks about it again with Tyrion later tells me that she finds the conversation with Jon to be significant and emblematic of his goodness/his attraction to her, idk. 

2. It foreshadows the fact that she actually will almost certainly have a baby in season 8 despite years of believing this to be impossible.

So we agree that that dialogue is important and that Jon and Dany care about one another a lot. I am just not sold on the marriage theory is all :)