#I'm debating whether to put it up or not thou

[kingsmagiccard]

I don't know what would be worse. Trying to get a little privacy in Wily Castle, or trying to get some privacy at the Cossack's house.

ehehhehhehehehehehhe

I'm the CEO of Ring/Burst now

[wistfulnightingale]

A Mini-Meta Musing (#1)... Anything To Protect Crowley

I'm always a bit surprised at how Aziraphale is underestimated in the fandom. (I know he's in everyone's bad books rn, but breathe deeply and hear me out!). I've seen a lot of debate about how much, in his relationship with Crowley over the years, Aziraphale is rigidly fixated on right/wrong, good/evil, and uses it to push Crowley away. Sometimes, however, these discussions forget to take into account how often Crowley was punished by Hell. And Aziraphale knows.

Once he understood the constant risk of retribution the demon faced, Aziraphale's primary instinct and his self-appointed mission in the relationship became Protect Crowley. No matter what. Protect Crowley even when his friend is careless with his own safety. It's a huge factor in why he so often pushes Crowley away in later years, when they seem to be beyond all that. And I believe that it's also the real reason he built the bookshop.

Aziraphale desperately hopes the bookshop can help keep Crowley safe.

It takes a very long time for Aziraphale to recognize how dangerous their relationship is for Crowley. In the early centuries, the angel is buying the Party Line -- if you made it through the Fall, you're holy and perfect. In Eden, and again in Job's cellar, he misses the demon's ironic humor and is very caught up in holier-than-thou thinking. That doesn't exactly enourage Crowley to confide his secret shame. Our devil-may-care demon desperately wants to look confident and dashing and independent, not fearful and bullied. Eventually, however, whether Crowley confided or Aziraphale guessed, our foolish Principality realizes the danger, and he grows up a lot.

By 1601, at the Globe Theatre, he's more worried about the cruelty of Hell then Crowley is. Aziraphale at first *looks like* he's scorning Crowley's proposal in the arrangement, but he's actually trying, in his own way, to subtly "shush" Crowley's loud and daring carelessness. We know this because he then worriedly reminds the demon that, "if Hell finds out, they won't just be angry, they'll destroy you."

I propose that Crowley did actually get punished for his indiscretion in some way, sometime after that. When he shows up at the Bastille in 1793, sure, he's putting on fashion-model poses to impress the flirtatious angel, but he's also much less relaxed. There's a tension and moodiness in him that, chronologically, wasn't there in Essex or at the Globe. He's cynical again. But he doesn't tell the angel-- not that we know of, at least. Possibly because Aziraphale is feeling flirty and practically radiant that his handsome friend came to his rescue!

The meeting at St. James Park in 1862 was a defining moment for Aziraphale. Crowley had been literally sucked into a Hellhole, screaming, for saving Elspeth in 1827 Edinburgh. At the park in 1862, he's visibly stiff, barely even turning his head, carrying a cane, and incredibly subdued in all ways. There's no energized pacing, no hand gestures or leaning in. He hardly moves. His corporation was included in Hell's punishment, and he looks broken.

Aziraphale couldn't possibly NOT see this. We know he was worried when Crowley was taken. We see this in present-day when he slightly bullies and borrows a phone immediately after remembering the events of 1827, just so he can check on Crowley! Back in 1862, he sees Crowley's despair and brokenness. Again, he handles it indirectly, and hurtfully. If he can't keep Crowley safe, he'll push him away, for his own good. Like an old tear-jerker classic movie where the little boy tearfully chases away his beloved dog so that the mean villain won't shoot it...

Aziraphale is an intensely emotional being who often seems overwhelmed by his own feelings, leading him to handle difficult situations badly sometimes. However, he's also incredibly loving. The former Guardian of the Eastern Gate is a protector by nature and by choice. He loves humanity, and risks his ethereal status repeatedly to protect them. He loves Crowley, his best friend, whether he feels safe to admit it aloud or not. He'll risk anything, including the friendship itself, to protect him.

For 1800 years, Heaven didn't have an embassy in London. If Aziraphale just wanted a physical building to store his treasured collection of books, he could have done that. Heaven is a corporate hierarchy with paperwork and red tape. There surely were requests and filings and complications in trying to get an official Embassy authorized! Possibly he could simply have obtained permission to own a simple shop as a "cover" to fit in with the humans (like eating sushi!).

Instead, the bookshop is a Heavenly Embassy with miraculous protections. No one can enter unless first invited, not even angels. Only Crowley can freely come and go, at least until the chain of events at the end of Season 2. Prior to that, the bookshop is a safe place for them. Crowley is visibly more relaxed there. He and Aziraphale get along there, laugh and tease, and have their closest moments together. They are safe there, and Crowley can't be harmed within its walls.

This was Aziraphale's goal. He had too often felt the helplessness of witnessing how his relationship with Crowley put the demon at constant risk, even before 1827. From the time their friendship truly began at Job's home in Uz until Crowley was kidnapped by Hell in 1827, we never see Aziraphale try to discourage or end the relationship. Every interaction except Essex (537 A.D.) brought them closer together, and even Essex was quite collegial until Crowley first proposed "The Arrangement." Aziraphale hoped that creating the bookshop, with its protections, would help keep Crowley safe, or at least give him a temporary haven where he could relax and breathe more freely.

Imagine how powerless Aziraphale must have felt when 1827 slammed home the realization that he could never do enough to fully protect Crowley from Hell, or from Heaven for that matter. Yet, despite the danger, Crowley always seeks him out again, at continued risk. "Ducks have ears." Someone may always be listening. No wonder the angel unilaterally tried to end the friendship. Not a fair or emotionally healthy strategy, admittedly. But Not too difficult to understand.

-----

Final note, my own fun little imagining about the shop name: A. Z. FELL & Co. I know that adding "and Company" was a common business technique to make one's appear large and prosperous. It wouldn't be unusual at the time for a single shop owner to use, particularly for a property as impressive as Aziraphale's. But it's my personal belief, be it fact or headcanon, that the angel was entirely thinking of his best friend when he added "and Company" to the shop name. Crowley has an open invitation, Crowley is his guest, his companion. Crowley is welcome company. A & C. A.Z. Fell & Co.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers West Coast #55: THE BREAKING STRAIN

February, 1990

"Let there be an ENDING!"

Yes, please, let there!

Actually, by skipping everything not Avengers, Acts of Vengeance has been fairly bearable.

But still. Let's get this over with.

Last times in Wanda's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Month: Vision was kidnapped by every world government, disassembled, rebuilt wrong, and has decided to join the East Coast Avengers, while leaving Wanda in the West. Wanda was also kidnapped by a Texas college and pumped full of racism goo. And had her children kidnapped and eaten by a Satanist who then exploded because they were actually not babies but chunks of Mephisto. Then, her mentor Agatha Harkness erased Wanda's memories of ever having children. On top of all that, a Deviant kidnapped Wanda to try to force her to marry a snake god.

I'm not surprised she's gone catatonic from all that. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.

In Acts of Vengeance: Doctor Doom's robots sank Avengers Island. The U-Foes burned down the Avengers West Coast Mansion. Freedom Force smashed up Avengers Park and then the Mandarin and Wizard show up to smash it up some more. And Magneto sends Wanda's house into orbit, with Wanda inside.

I swear. The Avengers just aren't allowed any nice things.

Also, they caught the Wizard when the Mandarin ditched him.

And now, house in orbit.

Magneto muses on how Wanda is so catatonic that even getting thrown into orbit didn't get a reaction from her.

Magneto: "Clearly the time has come for a more direct approach."

Call me suspicious but I don't think Magneto's idea of mental health care is going to be very good.

But this is Acts of Vengeance. Which Magneto has ditched in order to go see Wanda.

There's an ending to let there be happening.

Thor announces to the assembled Avengers that all the trouble they've been doing through is definitely the act of Loki.

He doesn't know how Loki organized this but he's definitely sure of that.

Wasp is confused because Cloak and Dagger told her that Doctor Doom was behind things, based on their own Acts of Vengeance tie-ins.

And the Avengers have the Wizard locked up in a holding cell, loudly insisting to anyone that will listen that he's the mastermind of everything.

Speaking of the Wizard, he decides he doesn't want to be in Avengers jail anymore.

And he just leaves.

He has a miniature teleportation device built under a false fingernail and he uses it to make a portal directly to Acts of Vengeance headquarters.

Where, to his annoyance, he finds that his fellow Prime Movers don't really give a shit he was in Avengers jail. Because they're too busy debating whether Doctor Doom was ever hanging out with them or whether he was always a Doombot.

The Wizard immediately starts shit by yelling at the Mandarin for abandoning him.

The Mandarin: "Do not blame me for your own shortcomings, Wizard. When the tide of battle turned against us, I withdrew. you should have done the same."

Owned.

The Wizard shoots back that he did withdraw, once he felt like it! So there! But he had to put up with an Avengers interrogation before he could teleport from his cell.

Which Definitely Loki is very annoyed to hear about.

Definitely Loki: "Ignorant mortal! Say thou hast not done this thing!!" Wizard: "?!? Unhand me, lackey! How dare you raise hand or voice to your better?!"

And Loki takes exception to that. And reveals that he's Loki. Duh.

Kingpin just peacing out while everyone is gawking kills me.

He's the third smartest villain involved. After Doom, who may not have ever been involved, and Magneto, who only got involved to handle some personal business.

Meanwhile, another weird timeline thingy.

President Lincoln is attending the theater, as Presidents Lincoln are wont to do, but when John Wilkes Booth tries to shoot him, as Johns Wilkes Booths are wont to do, it aggros the full force of Kentucky woodsman in Lincoln and he jumps up and slaps Booth's aim astray.

Amazing.

So amazing that Immortus (sitting in on the divergence as a general) wishes he could just leave this timeline alone.

But in order to accomplish his vague goal of becoming master of time again, he has to snuff out all alternate timelines. For some reason.

He returns to Limbo (the time one) and discovers to his annoyance that his Wanda-stalking scanner has lost Wanda due to a "massive disruption of the Earth's electromagnetic field."

My dude.

You can't spy on her in hell. You can't spy on her if there are magnets.

You're being made to look like a chump by people who don't even know you're involved.

Wonder Man returns to the Avengers West Coast Compound from the Mole Man thing last time to find one entire missing cottage which should have a Wanda.

He asks Agatha Harkness, what the shit, you had one job!

Agatha says that the house was thrown into orbit faster than she could cast a spell to do anything about it.

US Agent shows up and says that the cottage is about thirty miles up and ten miles off from where it launched.

Wonder Man yells at US Agent for not doing anything to stop a cottage from launching into space.

... C'mon, dude. He has the powers of Captain America plus the power of being a jerk nobody likes. How is he supposed to stop a house launch?

Anyway, he wasn't even at the compound when the cottage launched. He was at the Mole Man thing too.

He got back just in time to see the house blast-off and then checked the tracking system to find where it had gone.

Wonder Man just wants to fly off after Wanda. Even though his belt jets don't work in space.

US Agent suggests using one of the space-capable Quinjets instead.

Wonder Man: "Well, this is a first! You being the calming influence in a situation, Agent!" US Agent: "Belay the jabber, Wonder Man.

The two find the house just floating in space.

Houses don't just launch themselves, usually, so US Agent suspects some supervillain plot. And since Wonder Man is near indestructible, he gets to go poke around while US Agent watches the ship.

And for some reason, Wonder Man puts on a space helmet. Guy doesn't need to breath but constantly wears space helmets or lets people grow gills on him.

Maybe he just wants to feel like one of the cool people. Maybe that's where Vision got it from.

Anyway, when Wonder Man approaches the orbiting house, it explodes in his face.

Geez. The Avengers just can't keep a headquarters unexploded, unsunk, or unburned down in this event.

But not time to follow up on exploding space houses. There's Acts of Vengeancing to wrap up.

Loki has the villains too stupid to have peaced out (Wizard, Red Skull, the Mandarin) magically levitated so he has a captive audience to rant at.

Loki: "FOOLS! Stupid, mortal imbeciles! And all the greater fool is Loki, that ever I did trust the petty egos of mortals with the consummation of my plan! I didst think that by directing so-called super-villains into attacking champions unaccustomed with their powers I could rid this world of super heroes... And in the process once and for all destroy those who have so long vexed me by their very existence!"

Loki singles out Wizard to yell at. Because teleporting directly from the Avengers' holding cell to Acts of Vengeance HQ means that if Thor uses Mjolnir, he could track the energy trace and just show up!

Thor: "Say thee not 'if', beloved sibling... Say thee rather WHEN!"

You have such a good sense of timing, Thor.

Also, he brought Dr Pym, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Captain America, Wasp, Iron Man, Vision, and Falcon with him to kick Loki's ass.

Loki responds to imminent booty thrashing by dismantling the Acts of Vengeance HQ to reveal it was located on the Isle of Silence this whole time!

The very place Loki was exiled when he tried to get Hulk and Thor to fight, which caused the Avengers to form.

So now Thor understands the why.

And despite being a place of exile, Loki has spent so much time here (a lot of it voluntary) that he has mastered the dimension.

He brings forth Silent Ones from below the ground to fight Captain America. He tangles Hawkeye and Mockingbird in roots. He buffets Falcon and Wasp with winds. He creates a plume of fire that engulfs Iron Man.

Cap tells Thor to go beat up Loki since he's the best one to do that. Not bogged down in some mischief currently and also very experienced at punching Loki in his Loki face.

Thor chases after Loki and Loki scampers away saying he'll only fight in a time and place of his choosing when he thinks he'll win! He creates a wall of ice between him and Thor.

Focused on the Avengers, Loki loses his hold on the Wizard, the Mandarin, and the Red Skull.

Red Skull argues this is their best chance to strike at the heroes, while they're distracted.

The Mandarin calls him a stupid dumbass. This whole thing has been Loki's scheme and Mandarin isn't going down for it. He's leaving Loki to his own failure (like he did the Wizard. Consistent.)

When Loki dismantled the meeting place, he left the walls lying on the ground. And the dimensional portals built into each door is still active so the three villains not smart enough to fuck off until now now fuck off.

Wasp and Cap notice the villains getting away but, eh, they're busy right now. They'll get them next time.

Thor just smashes through the wall of ice because it's ice.

Thor: "Show thyself to have at least some fragment of our father in thee! Some small spirit of the godhood! Of the nobility which is our birthright!" Loki: "Speak to me not of nobility, Thor! Thou dost speak of music to one born deaf! There is but one Lord Loki serves, and that is power!"

Funny to think that in recent years, Thor gets along much better with Loki than he does with Odin.

Loki creates a giant rock hand to crush Thor but Thor crushes the hand instead. And hits the ground so hard that it makes a fissure that Loki falls down.

Which Thor then seals up so he can't escape.

Pretty perfunctory conclusion to this ENORMOUS company wide event.

Cap is like geez did you just kill him but no, "gods do not perish thus" not even Loki.

Loki is just trapped under millions of tons of Earth. But alive.

Thor explains that Loki was Big Mad that his actions created the Avengers so he wanted to destroy them with this big villain team-up. But he only strengthened the resolve of the heroes.

Thor: "Let the evil minds of the world beware! Ever and always shall the Avengers prevail!"

Yeah, Old Man Logan's backstory set-up IS dumb, Thor.

Anyway. Everything is solved forever.

The West Coast situated Avengers return there.

Iron Man flies off in one direction, Hank and Jan in another direction in a Quinjet.

Janet and Hank re-explain the plot and how Loki was Big Mad at creating the Avengers.

... This is really a lot more explaining than is needed.

I do like how Jan puts it.

Wasp: "So... that's that! Another threat ended, and this time it all started because Loki got tired of the other villains poking fun at him at the annual bad guys' picnic!"

Hank lands the Quinjet in the hanger. He goes off to check on Tiny Tigra and Wasp goes to change.

Another day, another new Wasp outfit.

But after changing into the blue and white number, Jan goes to check on Wanda.

The cottage seems to be back in place but Wasp finds US Agent sprawled on the floor and warning her to get away while she can.

Wasp: "Get away? From what... ? Who... ? What's going on here? Where's Wanda? Where's Wonder Man?" US Agent: "Dead! Blown to bits out in space! Get away... Get away..." Wasp: "Wonder Man... killed?? But... by who??"

Scarlet Witch: "By me, Janet! I dealt with him as I shall deal with all the Avengers, now that my power has been finally unleashed!" Wasp: "W-Wanda...??" US Agent: "Tried to warn you... Now... Too late... too late for everyone!"

Ahh, knew we'd get here eventually.

If there's three things everyone knows about John Byrne's Avengers run, it's Vision being disassembled, Wanda's children turning out to be devil chunks, and Wanda having a heel turn.

So whatever happened in space between Catatonic Wanda and Magneto, Wanda is Evil now and also had an Evil Costume Change and Haircut.

Honestly, this isn't a bad look for her. Shame about the whole evil thing, she looks stylish af.

But next week I'm alternating over to Avengers. I'd consider doing the Evil Wanda plot before switching back over except there's a weird interruption in the middle of the arc where Byrne quits the book in a huff.

So best to stick to alternating. Besides, the Avengers got stuff going on too. Remember all that stuff with Real Nebula and that one old man who blew up his own house? Yeah, that stuff is popping off!

Follow at @essential-avengers for all the best vowels. You like A's? I got tons. Buy them in bulk because this is an Avengers blog. Like, reblog, comment, whatever.

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

🎤 - An audio transcript from a recording

Recording Date: 7/26/2023

Recording Location: Nimbasa City Central Hospital

Parties: Vanilla & Tula (@plasmaapologist)

Thump, thump, thump... [There's a feeble knocking at the door of Vanilla's hospital room.]

[Vanilla sits up a little, glancing at Cross before responding.]

"Hey, Cross, any idea... oh, it's probably just the nurses, right? Yeah it's probably just the nurses. Come in!"

[Tula opens the door, shuffling into the doorway, but refusing to enter the room fully.]

"Vanilla...?"

"Oh, um, wow, Tula! I'm really glad to see you, um."

[Vanilla glances at Tula's stitched-up calf, before quickly looking away.]

"Is your leg...?"

"Huh? Leg? It's still there. I think?"

"... Yeah, it's still there... How's your... uhm... everything?"

"That's not... um, if it wasn't there that'd be pretty bad!"

"I just, ah... ...I'm... doing pretty good! Yeah, better than I figured! Probably not going to feel as great tomorrow because they don't want to keep me on this medicine, but hey, I'm at least otherwise healthy! Or, uh, going to be healthy? Oh, and I'm finally getting this cast off!"

"Ah, well... Human grade medicine probably isn't great for your, well, Zoroark half..."

[Tula turns, careful to still hide her splinted wrist behind her.]

"Yeah, I can't even have ibuprofen, or uhhh... fuck, what's the other one. But yeah, none of that normal shit and of course they don't just have Pokémon pain relievers lying around, so you have nurses standing there and debating whether they're supposed to use a fucking spray potion... sorry. Sorry. This stupid medicine..."

"Is this your chart here? Uhm... Okay, wow, I didn't understand half of that. Heh..."

[If this girl's conversation gets any more stilted, she'll be guaranteed a spot in the circus.]

"I guess no one really knew what being uh. Turned into colours does to you. Before this. That's what Rune said happened."

[Vanilla watches Tula try and flip through their chart, a slight smile crossing their face.]

"Yeah. Nobody's really... put a human into a Pokéball before? Since they're really really incompatible. Except I'm not, because I'm half-compatible, and half..."

[He gestures vaguely with jagged hand movements.]

"Not. But uh, really, I'm fine, just a few weird after-effects at first... I don't think I'm... you know... glitched."

"I'm just... happy I didn't have to really see that. Y'know, when the Masterball broke, I didn't even realize-"

[Tula pauses for a moment, looking as if she had an epiphany.]

"Oh, shit. Fuck. I should have taken it with me. What if that thing still has your data somehow?"

"Oh, arc, I wasn't even thinking about that-- fuck, that Master Ball..."

[Vanilla freezes up a few moments, before processing what she's heard and taking a few deep breaths.]

"Okay, no, it's broken. Okay. Thank Arc. That explains why I felt more... human again, fuck. Pokéballs are fucking wild, I swear... But if it's broken... I think you can't really fix that. It's fine. It's fine."

"That doesn't... I'll have to go back for it. There's no way we can just. Risk leaving it there, especially since he's..."

[She's shaking again.]

"He got away. I'm sorry. I-I was supposed to stop him.... I was supposed to fix this. I don't fucking... maybe it's a cruel fucking trick from Arceus. Or karma, or some woowoo ghost bullshit."

[The quivering woman attempts to hold back tears. She's not very good at this.]

"I was the one that said he wouldn't hurt you. I didn't think he would do... ANY of that shit! I thou- I really thought, maybe, it's innocent curiosity. He turned a lead. He's a weird guy. He was always like that. If I had just- just told you what he had done in the past, then this; none of this..."

"I don't-- Tula, you don't have to--"

[They look away, though their distress is palpable.]

"None of this was ever your fault, Tula, you were just... Just because you were in Plasma doesn't mean you're responsible for everything he does, fuck. If that's the case then I..."

[She takes a breath, like she's about to say something important, then cuts herself off.]

"I'm the one who followed him there! I should've known what I was getting into, and instead I just... I just hurt people who weren't even involved in this, I got you hurt, look at yourself! You're hurt, why are you acting like you needed to do more for me? I never wanted him dead! I never wanted anyone dead! I'm sure he's done shit. Fucking all of those higher-ups have. But... it's not your responsibility. I brought this on myself."

[The foxperson lays back in their bed with a dull thump, rubbing their hands into their face.]

[Slowly, barely noticeably even, Tula approaches the hybrid's bedside, an uncharacteristically serious look on her face.]

"Vanilla..."

[She leans in close, no longer caring to hide her hand, or perhaps forgetting to. A few seconds of stagnation pass before she begins to whisper, barely audible over the humdrum of the hospital.]

"I chose to go out there. I didn't expect anyone else to."

"You may not have wanted him dead. But I did. If he comes back, he's going to be upset. Very, very upset. At you, and at me. This is our problem now. I- I put myself here, Vanilla."

[At the sound of Tula’s whispered voice, Vanilla turns his head, lowering his hands from over his eyes. There’s the huff of a held breath he didn’t even realize he was holding before the hybrid whispers back.]

"I… you’re right, you’re right. We’re both stuck if he comes back. There’s nothing else to do for that. …Hopefully you don’t mind being stuck with me, Tula."

[There’s the slightest of smiles on Vanilla’s face as they place their own hand over Tula’s splinted wrist. She avoids the temptation to pick up the nurse’s hand and look at the injury for herself, but her gaze is fixed on it.]

"…I guess my question is… why? It’s stupid, I know, we’re already here, but I still… it’s still not your fault. You didn’t have to."

"Ah. Uhm... Well..."

[Tula turns her head, partially to think, partially to hide the subtle flush that had come to her face.]

"I guess. Two reasons? People tend to just... tolerate me? I mean, when they learn about my past. And probably also because I'm loud, but uh, mostly the first one. And y'know, I'm used to it, I brought that upon myself. Any close acquaintances I made were also ex-team members. But- There was a handful of people that just... never seemed to hesitate when speaking to me. Which I'm not... used to...? And you were one of them, so. The thought of my- my friend being hurt by, of all people, that bastard-"

[She stopped, clearly sensing herself getting worked up again.]

"I owe you, in particular, a lot of explanations, I think. Things I can't just... discuss in a hospital. No, things that I don't want to. But when I..."

[Her voice fell low again, words sputtering out between her heavy breaths.]

"I wasn't just attacking him, Vanilla. I was attacking all of Plasma. It was my retribution."

...

"...Oh, Fuck. I made it about me, didn't I?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not really good at this sort of thing."

"Hey, no, Tula, I asked you, so of course it's about you! I wanted to hear about it. I mean, you're, ah, you've done a lot more for me than I could ever repay anyways... I mean I could repay you, but that's kind of beside the point--shit. What was I..."

[He shakes his head briefly to clear it, ear twitching.]

"...Right. I'm... really glad to have you as a friend. Plasma history or not, I can tell you really care about the people close to you. And Pokémon! I mean, I'm not exactly normal either, ha. Not that you're not normal, I just... we're two outsiders, you know? And I've... probably got a lot to say too. ...Also probably not here."

[Vanilla laughed nervously, before lowering her own voice in turn.]

"Honestly, I get it. Wanting to get back at Plasma like that. They've pulled so much shit. Hurt so many people. Who wouldn't...?"

[Tula, who had by now sat herself at the end of the hospital bed, listened silently as her friend(?)s speech trailed off. And there she sat; 10, 20, 30 seconds. Until suddenly, she whipped her head around; the first time she had dared to make eye contact.]

"The laptop. I sto-ahem, borrowed his laptop. I don't know what's on it, if anything. It could be his fucking Minecraft machine for all I know. And I- I certainly wont be able to get into it but. I know people that can. Well, a person. Probably. I imagine he's got insane security on that thing."

[The nurse dropped her head, her anxiety clearly catching back up to her.]

"Well, y'know. If you want me to. I don't want to cause more trouble for you..."

"Oh."

[The thought sinks in, and the injured hybrid nearly leaps down the length of their hospital bed before they remember their arm's still tethered to an IV and there's a monitor clipped on their finger. They settle, instead, for sitting up.]

"Oh, wait, you actually got his laptop? Tula, that could be huge! I mean, at least I figure if he brought it to some run-down lab in the Dreamyard, there's got to be some reason for that, right? I don't really know exactly what yet, but I'm sure there's something. Is it really okay if... it wouldn't be too much trouble to try and get into it, right?"

"Wh- Easy, Vanilla. You do not want to accidentally rip out that IV. Shit hurts."

[Tula sighs, placing her chin in her hand.]

"Honestly, I don't know. Calli could probably get into it. She's a whizz with that kind of stuff. Like, it's slightly scary. But it's a matter if you trust her, I guess. That's your data, after all. And, now that I think about it, I'm definitely going back for that Masterball. We have no idea if it's still readable or not. Once I get it, I can take it to the Center and check it. That way if there's anything on it, I can wipe it."

"Yeah, yeah, okay... sorry. Think I was just a little too excited--that might be some of the best news I've gotten today. That might be the only thing that made me charging in like a fucking idiot worth something. Even that's a 'maybe', but... what's it, think positive? Something like that. Shit, I'm the therapist here."

"But I think... ugh, it's far too high-value to not. If you want, tell Callisto I'll pay her more than enough to keep it confidential. Seriously though, Tula..."

[She trails off, watching Tula again. The nurse looks exhausted, not to mention their wrist and leg. Was she limping earlier...? Does that still hurt? After about a 15-second pause, though, their eyes meet, and Vanilla freezes, forcing her gaze to the floor. Fuck, they definitely looked like they were staring.]

"Y-you should really take a break, first. Long day, and... you're hurt too, right? Besides, it's a long trip without flying. ...What am I saying, you obviously didn't mean now. But... thanks for looking out for me."

"Of course I'm looking out for you, Vanilla. I-"

[She never finishes that thought.]

"...You don't know Callisto well, but I do, and I have full faith that you wouldn't need to pay her for that. I mean, I stayed about it, but, you saw how she was with that Team Calm or whatever garbage. She's got an odd moral compass, but it's a strong one."

[For a few minutes, the two sit in slightly tense silence. The tiny TV hanging on the wall is playing some sort of scripted tournament battle. The round ends, and Tula once again turns towards the hybrid.]

"Vanilla... Are you still going on your Gym Challenge? Uh, when you're better, I mean."

"Alright. I'll trust you on that, Tula. Though... um... isn't she kind of unemployed right now? Maybe I should send something anyways... She really is doing me... us? a favor, at least."

...

"I... probably am. I figure that not much else can go wrong at this point, right? And besides, I really love battling with all of my teammates. I think Dolly and Shuu would be really upset if I just stopped, ha."

[For the second time today, Tula raised her head, locking gaze with her friend(?).]

"I want to go with you."

"...Uh, if you're okay with it, that is. I don't want you to be going anywhere alone. Especially some of the more isolated towns."

[Her face turns red again as she takes a sudden interest in whatever is outside the window.]

"...Oh, and don't worry about Calli. She's been holding back something. Nudge-nudge wink-wink, y'know?"

"Go... with me."

[The blank look in their eyes is pretty quickly blinked away, ears standing tall. He must have missed something.]

"...Wait, Tula, do you mean the whole way? To every last gym? Are you sure? That could be months! These aren't all day trips like Driftveil, not to mention all the training time in between... I couldn't ask you to do all of that! I-I mean, you'd probably get bored... Or, uh, did you mean doing that together...?"

[She holds her head a moment, covering her own face's redness. Now's not the time to catch a fever... Or at least, to look like it...]

"I, um, sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to follow up with that... I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice... or, ah, helpful! Not to sound like a broken record, but, is that okay? Seriously? I'm sure you've got stuff going on too, right?"

"I'm a trauma nurse, Vanilla. It's already an unpopular field with people, but with Pokémon? I can get work at damn near any Pokémon Center in this region. Or any other regions. I'm used to being on the road, so..."

[She shifts a bit, trying to think before speaking for once in her life.]

"It wouldn't really be anything different for me, is what I'm saying. Actually, it would be nice to, y'know, have some... company..."

"Ahem. I'm saying, yes, it's okay. Actually, I wasn't even expecting you to agree. I mean, when you said you wanted to talk, I thought for sure you were gonna be pissed at me... Not that I was planning this or anything! That would, uh, probably be weird, yeah? I mean, this is really our first time meeting in person. Wanting to travel with you would be like, suuuuper creepy. Haha."

"…Tula. You know… you can just stop talking. I mean, I know I’m talking waaaaay too much too but maybe we can both take a moment? I mean, gosh…"

"Also, what was that about me…? I didn’t say anything like that. I think? Arc, I hope I’m not that overmedicated. That I’m texting you without thinking. I mean I’m happy to talk! I’m also really happy to meet you and all! It was nice to talk online, after all, and I mean, I wanted to ask about that book you found anyways, and, well… wow, I should take my own advice! But… I have no idea what happened there? I thought you came over on your own, honest! Even though I was happy to see you."

[Finally, the foxperson manages to shut themself up, stopping just short of slapping their hands over their mouth.]

"But, if you say it’s fine… I guess I’m not opposed. I mean… yes! Yeah! That sounds great."

[For the first time, Tula smiled, giggling a little at the others rambling.]

"Hehe... I can show you the messsge later, maybe that'll jog your memory a bit, eh? Buy anyways... I'll have to sort some things out, and we have to find something to do with Kli-"

[She stops mid-word, her face turning pale.]

"Oh, fuck. I left that Klinklang alone with Motom."

"Klinklang."

"Wait, did that motherfucker seriously leave behind one of his Pokémon??? Arceus above, it keeps getting worse."

[She shakes her head in disbelief.]

"So, um, I guess... you probably need to go handle that? I'm sure Motom's great, but who knows how Colress trained that poor thing."

"I guess he was actively bleeding out. But yeah, sure as shit he left it. Things been following me like a lost puppy."

[She stands to leave, wincing a bit as she puts weight on her leg, talking as she walks to the door.]

"Though honestly, its the Klinklang I'm worried about. I do not need Motom teaching that thing crimes... It's actually quite well trained, from what I can tell so far."

[She places her hand on the doorknob, hesitating for a second.]

"Uhm. Message me when you get out, alright? So uh. So we can work out our plans. Obviously."

"...I have to go figure out what you feed a steel type with no real mouth. And probably get yelled at by a nurse for leaving my room. It was... nice. Talking to you, I mean. Not getting hospitalized."

"Oh... poor little thing. ...The Klinklang. To be clear. Absolutely not Colress."

"...Just go before I say something stupid, okay?"

[He chuckles a little to himself.]

"Alright. Stay safe out there. ...On the... walk down the hallway."

[erdasmcnonsense]

Okay I'm gonna put this under a readmore to spare everyone following either of us that did not sign up to listen to my long ramblings from having to scroll over a miles-long post, but

The original text is a snippet of Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, the Debate of Finrod and Andreth, which is a draft of... well, a scene, a dialogue, between Finrod, an elven king, and Andreth, a human wisewoman, on the nature of humans and elves and why humans are mortal and... a bunch of other things. I have a catholic (and autistic about catholicism) friend who said something about original sin being relevant? idk my understanding of christianity is very surface-level, i'm not even nominally protestant christian on paper the way most people in Finland are, let alone devout catholic christian the way the author was, so. yeah, idk. Anyway point being, as far as I can tell it's largely a worldbuilding text exploring certain metaphysical aspects of the setting that are relevant but not necessarily explained in detail in the bigger stories.

However the last 1300 or so words of the text are less devoted to philosophical worldbuilding debate, and instead focus on the fact that Andreth was in love with Aegnor, Finrod's brother, and Aegnor was in love with her, and it was just a whole thing. That part is in my opinion easier to translate just because while there's the issue of the archaic language (which, in my opinion, my translation does not sound archaic enough in Finnish, but it's kinda like, so much of that tone comes in the original text from the use of the archaic informal second-person singular pronoun thou, which... well, we both know that sinä is not a particularly archaic word in Finnish, so i'm struggling to find grammatical structures and words in Finnish that would create the same archaic tone, tbh), at least the topic of conversation is fairly straightforward, and the characters' emotions and attitudes and what they're getting at when they're speaking are fairly easy to get.

Meanwhile most of the rest of the text is like... there's just so many meanings and intentions and like, really kind of big and complicated concepts of very fundamental parts of the way the setting works, that I need to first manage to grasp in the first place despite the purposefully archaic language myself, before I can translate it right. Because it does no good translating the words themselves if you're failing to understand the nuances and deeper meanings of it. And then through it all, although this is a fantasy setting, there's that weird undercurrent going on between the lines that I can kinda tell is like, there's some what i suspect to be heavily christian ideas in there, and I feel like there's the possibility that one reason I'm struggling so much to comprehend certain elements is that I don't have a deep understanding of christian mythology and worldview to provide me context to them. So that fact that the topics of conversation in much of the text are very complicated theological-philosophical-metaphysical stuff is what's making it hard to translate.

The author of the original text is J.R.R. Tolkien, so, you know, Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion and all that (i'm a huge Tolkien nerd). Athrabeth is one of the many posthumously published things Tolkien wrote, specifically published with his son Christopher Tolkien's commentary in Morgoth's Ring, the tenth volume of the History of Middle-Earth series (the HoME has never been translated to Finnish, and i don't know whether it's because the Finnish publisher doesn't believe it'd pay itself back well enough, or because they can't or don't want to get anyone to translate the really long stretches of narrative poetry, sometimes in meters difficult to do in Finnish (the Lay of Leithian for example is written in rhyming couplets of iambic pentameter, and iambic meters generally tend to be a pain in the ass to translate to Finnish due to the way Finnish does word stress) that some of the volumes have).

But like, for example here is a small bit from the harder part of the text:

'Nay, I do not believe this,' said Andreth. 'For that would be contempt of the body, and is a thought of the Darkness unnatural in any of the Incarnate whose life uncorrupted is a union of mutual love. But the body is not an inn to keep a traveller warm for a night, ere he goes on his way, and then to receive another. It is a house made for one dweller only, indeed not only house but raiment also; and it is not clear to me that we should in this case speak only of the raiment being fitted to the wearer rather than of the wearer being fitted to the raiment. 'I hold then that it is not to be thought that the severance of these two could be according to the true nature of Men. For were it "natural" for the body to be abandoned and die, but "natural" for the fëa to live on, then there would indeed be a disharmony in Man, and his parts would not be united by love. His body would be a hindrance at best, or a chain. An imposition indeed, not a gift. But there is one who imposes, and who devises chains, and if such were our nature in the beginning, then we should derive it from him - but that you say should not be spoken. 'Alas! Out in the darkness men do say this nonetheless, but not the Atani as thou knowest, not now. I hold that in this we are as ye are, truly Incarnates, and that we do not live in our right being and its fullness save in a union of love and peace between the House and the Dweller. Wherefore death, which divides them, is a disaster to both.'  

and it seems i haven't gotten around to translating that passage yet, so here's a quick and dirty translation (mind you this will not match the earlier in quality even because it was something i did on the spot and haven't really polished):

'Ei, sitä minä en usko', sanoi Andreth. 'Sillä se olisi ruumiin halveksuntaa, ja on ajatus epäluonnollisesta Pimeydestä kaikissa Ruumiillistuneissa, joiden elämä turmelemattomana on molemminpuolisen rakkauden liitto. Mutta ruumis ei ole majatalo, jonka on tarkoitus tarjota lämpöä matkalaiselle yön ajaksi, ennen kuin tämä jatkaa kulkuaan, ja vastaanottaa sitten uusi vieras. Se on talo, joka on tehty vain yhdelle asukkaalle, eikä pelkästään talo vaan myös vaate; eikä minulle ole selvää, että tässä tapauksessa tulisi puhua pelkästä vaatteen sovittamisesta pukijalle, vaan pukijan sovittamisesta vaatteelle. 'Uskon siis, että ei tule kysymykseen, että näiden kahden erottaminen voisi kuulua Ihmisten todelliseen luontoon. Sillä jos olisi "luonnollista" ruumiin tulla hylätyksi ja kuolla, mutta "luonnollista" fëan jatkaa elämää, silloin ei tosiaan Ihminen olisi sopusoinnussa itsensä kanssa, eikä hänen osiaan yhdistäisi rakkaus. Hänen ruumiinsa olisi parhaimmillaankin taakka, tai kahle. Pakote se tosiaan olisi, ei lahja. Mutta on yksi, joka pakottaa ja joka luo kahleita, ja jos sellainen olisi alunalkaen ollut luontomme, silloin meidän täytyisi saada se häneltä - mutta sitä ei sinun mukaasi tule sanoa. 'Voi! Pimeydessä ihmiset sanovat niin kuitenkin, mutta eivät Atani, kuten sinä tiedät, eivät nyt. Uskon, että tässä suhteessa me olemme kuten te olette, todella Ruumiillistuneita, ja että me emme koe todellista olemustamme ja sen täyttymystä paitsi rakkauden ja rauhan liitossa Asumuksen ja Asukkaan välillä. Missä tapauksessa kuolema, joka erottaa ne, on onnettomuus kummallekin.'

I hope you can see what I mean when I say that this is more difficult than the "oh i love him but i'm sad because he loved me but he still rejected me" bit, haha

Lyricstranslate is such a fun website and I wanted to make an account for it but I found out that apparently I have had an account on it for few years already! And I had just completely forgotten that I made it. Well I made a Finnish translation for Where Is Your Rider by The Oh Hellos, if someone wants to check it out. It is probably not the best because the original uses so many odd words and sentences which don't seem to make any sense but I think I managed to translate it at least somewhat nicely :]

Here is the link!

[aerialsquid]

FFXIVWrite: Day 10

Day 10: Channel

Thancred cannot say he's…comfortable with this new assignment. He's used to doing the bulk of his spycraft alone, or with some extremely trusted ally. But Urianger is the only one who will know the runes in question on sight, and the only one who is available, so Thancred's dressed him up in ragged robes and cheap gaudy jewelry and dragged him out on assignment

The man's smart, sure, no one ever says he's not smart, but there's smart and then there's smart. It's a separate smart that keeps you from being stabbed for a spy than lets you discern the meanings of the stars. As long as he keeps his damned mouth shut, hopefully they can maintain the charade, but the minute anyone in this bar hears a ten-gil word from a ragged pirate the entire jig is up.

But then the unwitting informant he's trying to get drunk enough to show him the new amulet he stole from the Nymian ruins finds himself just a hint of intelligence at the bottom of his glass. "And who's your friend, huh?"

"Come on, Estelluax. You know me," Thancred wheedles, but Estellaux refuses to be swayed. 

"I know you. I don't know him." And he thrusts his stubby-nailed finger in the air toward Urianger. 

"He's not said a word. Just sits there like a damn tonberry, staring at me. And you know what tonberries do, right?"

"I–yes, I'm aware."

"They stab you!"

"Yes, I know they stab you, you've mentioned the stabbing, but my friend here is not a tonberry."

"Okay, then who is he?" Estellaux leans in, snarling as if the tonberry theory is actually up for debate. Thancred swiftly holds a mental debate on whether he wants to claim his dear non-tonberry friend had his tongue cut out by the Amal'jaa or was rendered near-insensate by a horrific trauma.

Urianger leans forward and Thancred feels his stomach clench. Time seems to slow down as the man's lips part and.

And someone else speaks from Urianger's mouth.

"If'n you'd be wanting to know me ye'd either best be paying coin I know ye ain't got, or best be a lot prettier," the alien entity snarls in a perfect Lhimsa Lominsan drawl. "Me sainted mother, of blessed memory these twenty years past, named me Seren, and Seren's all the name ye need to know." He turned and spat on the floor, then settled back against his chair. "Now stop wasting me time."

—

"What in the seven hells was that?" Thancred asks later, when Urianger is transcribing the runes in their tiny inn room.

"Didst thou mean the provincial demeanor I adopted for the purposes of our shared ruse?"

"Yes!"

Urianger chuckles. "For all that thou doth jest that mine father was cuckolded by a library, I did not emerge from the womb speaking in such a manner as I doth do now. All language is learned, and I do not even speak merely of the verbal tongues." 

He continues writing as he spoke, but his free hand gestured about in the air. "Body language, accent, how to speak and when to stay silent, when thine eyes must capture the gaze of another and when one must look away. All these things a child must understand from a young age, but some come to it naturally and others must learn it by rote. I myself have no natural affinity for the matter at all. I learned how to act in society step by step, as carefully practiced as a Kugane geisha's movements but performed just as naturally. It is a trifling matter to simply learn to perform the same act with a new language, once the gargantuan matter of learning it once is put aside."

Thancred chews his lips as he perches on the edge of the innroom bed, watching Urianger blow on the drying ink of his journal.

"Okay, but can you do it again? Because it was a little hot."

[nightswithkookmin]

From Jimin: To the hyungs Jungkook is just my little brother...

I have no idea what that says. But if this is what he said, then definitely it leaves room for interpretation because it's an incomplete statement. You don't need to know the nuances of the language to understand that that statement is a sentence fragment that expresses an incomplete thought on the surface of it.

The omission of a second clause implies the opposite of what was said in the first. It's as simple as that.

The question anyone would ask upon hearing that is, so... he's more? Or, so he's not your little brother?

Makes sense...

But I've seen other translations such as, to the hyungs JK is like my little brother and in other instance, Jk is our little brother etc.

Makes you wonder if these interpretations took the context of the conversation into consideration or even why Jimin would make such a statement in the first place in their attempts to provide nuance.

"SUGA: Jungkook is good at everything

J-hope: Jungkook always surprises us. he changed his style recently!

Jimin: The hyungs all think he's like my actual little brother.

V: Jungkook is good at keeping his focus

JK: Everything about Jungkook is pretty!"

It's Jungkook from the members' lens.

When you interpret Jimin's bit within this context then it's more likely he is trying to highlight his dynamic with Jungkook more than anything, mainly to the effect that Jungkook is perhaps obedient, likeable, sweet, puppy etc.

Comparing Jungkook to his actual little brother is a compliment and perhaps has a much deeper meaning than mere friendships in my opinion. It shows just how close, more than co workers they are, how more than friends they are, how really close they are.

I don't know why shippers shy away from comparisons to family bond when in fact the bond of family is the greatest bond one could ever have.

BTS do have a habit of liking their bond to that of family- and they love to show that bond off.

It's interesting seeing Jikook through the lens of the members when most times the bond of those two are invalidated, watered down and downplayed.

Everyone would have us believe Jikook are sworn enemies from rival states. So however you wanna interpret what he said, there's value in taking things at face value. You don't need to do too too much with it to try to get its meaning across because then that would be analysis and analysis are always subjective and subject to our own confirmation biases.

To the hyungs, he's like my little brother, he is just my little brother, he's like our little brother- all have the same sentiment if taken from the perspective of that whatever JM said was intended as a compliment to Jungkook.

Perhaps Jungkook treats JM just like a younger brother would a Hyung- given the culture of respect between hyung/dongsaengs, given the way hyungs are expected to take care of their dongsaengs, given the emphasis BTS places on their bond, honorifics culture...

Perhaps he means, Jungkook treats me in such a way you'd think he were my actual younger brother- a theme which to me is in line with that whole Jimin treats me better than my own brother does or the numerous times he's compared him to his own brother or something along those lines.

They love eachother very much. Whether that is platonic or romantic is up for debate but I don't think after this anyone can invalidate their bond or gaslight is into thinking those two aren't close at all.

If the members see them as this close then it really puts an end to this whole Jungkook is uncomfortable with Jimin nonsense.

The busan bros, the busans, the sun and moon duo, the exceptionally close pair, the hyungs all think Jungkook is like my actual little brother etc

They all have a similar vibe to me.

I guess what I'm saying is, I don't care much about the nuances of the language in this context or in any context to be honest as the intention behind the text is pretty obvious💀

To me he is either providing the hyungs' perspective to affirm his dynamic with Jungkook or to affirm all that he's been saying of his dynamic with JK which is that JK is like a little brother to him just as he repeated in Festa.

To highlight and affirm their bond or to compliment Jungkook like the other's were in this instance.

This is the diagram some Karny drew to explain the nuances of the text.

And here I thought I was extra chilee.

I'm not mad at this. Love when a moment brings out the delulu in yall's eyes😭🤣🤣

I don't know why we are hung on Jimin's words out of all the statements that were made trying to dissect and over analyse it.

On one hand I feel some people are over sensationalizing while others are just plain invalidating Jikook's bonds- especially over something Jimin of all people would say.

He slick slick. I'll give him that. And he loves him some double entendres. But he's also usually the one to use dictum that makes it easier for his words and meaning to be translated- if they get translated. So it's fascinating to see the confusion his words are creating out in these streets. It really ain't that deep if you ask me chilee.

Alas, we are all adults and we all have different perspectives on these things. I'd say, find a source you trust based on their track record and stick with it. Do your own analysis or seek out others' perspectives on it. This is mine and how I take it- regardless of what any Karmy says😊

My delusions are mine and mine alone. No disrespect to Karmy. In fact, yall great people doing great holding it down for the gays🤭

Also disclaimer, I'm not a translator and any translation used here isn't mine.

In conclusion,

Hyuna screws her dongsaeng and Rain fucks his Noona. Dead that whole Jikook womb mates shit before I lay my paws on ya.

Please pls Jikook is louder than this🙄

Jeonlous counts. Keep your wokeness yo yourself please. You must be in the wrong industry if you think you have to live by a code of ethic in these ship streets.

There is no ethical nor moderate consumption of ships under shipping. There is nothing like ethical or moderate shipping for the holier than thou shippers in the back.

We all ghetto ma'am. You might as well go all out😴

My favorite line from their song though is when Hyuna sings, "I'm finna tell my father about us and pledge eternity to you. You have to be careful always though, there are lots of pretty girls out there. We have to tell the world, I can't share you with another girl."

Eventually they told the world🤭

Their careers suffered but they did it anyway.

Please no nondelusional, fake woke, moderate shipper person should tell it to me when I talk about Jungkook's frustration to come out with their relationship and come act like it's illogical hence implausible for him to want to come out etc😒

I like my delulu perspective better😌

Peace.

GOLDY

[topconfessions]

This is related to the post about why we would try to shoot our shot with top even thou he did sum things first off a fine as hell and we can’t deny that and second bish imagine all the tea that would unfold right in front of you. Shoot if I was ever delighted with the chance of getting into that world I’m not gonna lie I’d be nosey as hell trying to find all the unknown of the Kpop world and screwing a fine guy at the same time. Win win situation. I’m just being honest

Exactly!! You summed my answer up ao perfectly. I'm sorry but men don't give a fuck about us truly in general. I'm not even gen z / gen x aesthetic male hating type of girl but a man is caring about the things the other anon asked when it comes to sex and feeling someone up. Unless you absolutely repulse the guy or he has standards most can and WILL waste your time by dating you and having sex with you even if they think you are ugly or they dont like you as a person.

Men don't get asked these questions. They get asked about the results and if they went through with it or they clown the girl together then debate on doing it or not.

But yes there is that too. Tea! So much tea. So much info about these high end individuals and all there is to gain from it. No shit I would probably take it further if I became a private gf and try to get him to help to secure a job somewhere at a nice place lmao.

But yes hot guy and interesting circle. Reason enough. I can overlook what I think about him and put it behind me just like 92% of men arent really asking you out on tinder and what not cause your personality and will push through the date until they get the panties off.

If men can do that then I can push through with tops oddities. And like I said it's a chance to figure out whether or not all this stuff about top is true in person and I'd relay it back here carefully. If it was GD then No I wouldn't shoot it cause that's not my type and he has nothing going on for me to try him on. You gotta be somebody already to benefit from dating GD he wouldn't date a no name girl randomly.