#THEN I might get into it. I'm a person and I like stuff that like. He said what it implies huh?? Hmm...

[professorspork]

hello dealing with this stuff is a big part of my job actually so rather than hide my thoughts in the tags I'm gonna actually post them

all of the above is great advice! here is some more:

don't just write things down, take pictures. take pictures of the damage to your car and the other person's car. this is ESPECIALLY important in situations where the damage to the vehicles is significant enough that you cannot pull over before exchanging information -- capture context and positioning!! if the cars have to be moved to get out of the flow of traffic, it's still good to document the damage. if there's significant debris, photograph that too

seriously DID I MENTION TAKE PICTURES? take a picture of the other person's license plate, and of their driver's license, and of their insurance card. if they only have a mobile insurance card and not a printed one, make sure they SCROLL DOWN because it is often more information than can fit on just one screen. if you see a policy number that ends in an ellipsis on their phone, make them click on it -- that means the full policy number is obscured!

i am very extremely anti-cop, but unless you experience only the most minor of damage it really is a good idea to call emergency services. this is especially true if you think someone will require medical attention, but even if the only damage is to the vehicles, this is a situation where documentation matters. when emergency services are called to an accident site, they are required to generate what is called a Traffic Collision Report -- a write-up of everything that happened, with everyone's info on it in one place. if you for a moment think there is even the slightest chance you might have to lawyer up, *make sure you make it so there's a TCR.*

the advice about sticking around if you are a witness to an accident is great, and to elaborate on that: IF YOU ARE IN AN ACCIDENT AND ANYONE SEES IT AND HELPS YOU, GET THEIR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. they might not think to offer it, and if 911 is called they might not want to stick around to talk to cops, but make sure they talk to YOU. then you can tell your insurance company you have a witness, even if they aren't on a TCR.

a lot of this sounds like very obvious common sense, but a car accident can be very rattling. memorize this NOW so it's routine when the worst happens and panic makes your brain shut off.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to the random mom in the Dodgers gear who literally blocked southbound traffic on the 5 for me an hour before first pitch, a quarter mile before the exit for the stadium, and helped when I got clipped by a motorcyclist out of nowhere. she had places to be and her kids with her and she took a full twenty minutes to make sure someone else called 911 so she could stay with me and say things like "make sure you get a picture of his license, honey" and coach me through every step.

be that person for yourself. be that person for someone else.

[marsprincess889]

Astrology observations

Part 10

1. An interesting difference between Rohini and Mrigashira that I have not seen pointed out is in what they enjoy (in any way): regarding food, for example, Rohini might go for heavier food, meat, sticky sugary sweets, lots of fats, things that are rich with ingredients and are generally of that nature. Mrigashiras might prefer leaves and salads over meat. I think they like dairy but love moderation, and eat way more lightly than Rohinis.

Rohinis don't have much morality when it comes to enjoyment (generally), that might manifest as them not being ashamed to indulge in stuff that might be considered ulhealthy. Mrigashiras, being extremely alert and sensitive to things that Rohini just takes in, wants to analyze what they take in. That's why they might go for "the healthy" options. They also love feeling "light" in a sense of feeling free to move how they want to. That lightnes can sometimes make them feel anxious though, and then they start to crave stability.

2. Jyeshtas are very pure-hearted (let me explain).

As we know, it's a discharging and active placement, so it's free from the "extra" and the unnecessary. It's one if the nakshatras that can be considered "pure" due to its self-reliance and refusal to depend on others. There is a sharpness and a mobility to their essence that stems from deep within their souls, and everything that they touch has that "epic " feel to it.

I'm personally a big fan.

3. To return to a point from my previous observations, Jupiter and Ketu nakshatra people need to be wary of getting swept up be their own "grandiose", especially in serious subjects like guidance, morals and spirituality (in any sense of the word), especially because people tend to naturally listen to and trust them.

Jupiter nakshatra natives love everything "big" and meaningful. Even if they have the best of intentions, they should be mindful to not throw big statements around. They might love to attach meaning to everything, and I mean, anything. Jupiter is endless growth, which can be dangerous when not checked, contrained and/or directed. They are also the "supporters" of others, and their acceptance might lead them to support faulty things.

Ketu people might be prone to ignorance and similar to Jupiter people, they have people looking up to them. While Jupiter is endless growth, Ketu is an endless void. That unwillingness to see past their judgement gives them a self-posessed energy that can be interpreted as superior by the masses, they are often put on pedastels. As always, other influences in the chart play a huge role, as this tendency is significantly reduced when a Ketu person also has Venusian influence (Venus is the materialization of Ketu's spiritual essence, making it grounded and of value), while it can be increased with added Jupiterian influence (this is based on my observations of real-life people).

4. Tiger yonis should try to control their impulses and preserve their energy more. I don't know what the coorelation is, theoretically, between them and that behavior but I've seen it many times in real life. I'm not even saying this in an accusatory tone, because that harms tiger yonis themselves, first and foremost. They might be scattered and all over the place, not knowing what to do with their energy. They're not geared towards natural integration, energetic stability and unity like cow yonis, so they should use their drive to build to control their own impulses. If implemented, I think that they can achieve a lot (they have a drive to provoke, change, build or fix things).

5. Speaking of Cow yonis, they are more sensitive than it looks. They are naturally stoic and self-reliant so you won't notice it unless they casually reveal things that confirm that, because of their own natural tendency to be honest.

6. I've seen Ketu nakshatras really hyped up, whether in online spaces from astrology accounts or in real life. And people really like to talk about them and pay attention to them. I though, this can't be a coincidence, and here's my two cents as to why this might be: I think it all comes down the very nature of Ketu, which is absorbing, heated, passive, unresponsive and unaware. As I've said, I think that inspires admiration from the masses because they're percieved as superior, and when I say "superior", I mean that they get admiration because of anything and everything, not just because of one thing. And while many people might disagree with those who admire them and pour energy into Ketu individuals, it's not a question of whether they're actually deserving of it (they may or may not be, I've seen it go both ways), it's about what makes Ketu people get that kind of attention in the first place. Absolutely crediting Claire Nakti here, because she was right when she said that individuals who are not really integrated within themselves tend to rely on and worship Ketu people. Ketu, as a force, can be really dangerous, and I think people tend to ignore that very real danger. This is not to scare anyone, obviously, but I think if you attribute all kinds of positive or important things to one type of energy you might want to think if that's really true, and why you are percieving it like that.

7. Shravana people are interesting and I think that is not recignized enough!! I think their intellectual and intrapersonal or interpersonal abilities are ignored.

[thistlerock]

The Bad Kids Are all multilingual because hey dnd characters always are. Fun to think about. Update from later Fabian kinda hijacked this post at the end my bad. All I can think about is the character ™️

Fabian and Adaine speak a different dialect of Elvish than Fig but like it's still the same language. I'm not sure what Kristen and Riz would have learned — maybe Kristen the wood-elven dialect and Riz the high one? Cause people who would have maybe influenced church camp vs what Riz might have gotten in some elective at school or learned by himself via dictionary like the nerd he is. But maybe not that relevant, I don't think it makes too much of difference.

Gorgug writes most of his notes in Gnomish. And while all of the Bad Kids kind of do it because, well, multilingual moment, I think Gorgug does the thing the most where you're talking and you're like what the fuck is this word in English. Uhm. Uhm. Scheibenwischer. And he speaks the one language that none of his friends speak so they're all just idk man you're on your own. Also personal hc Gorgug starts learning Orc (Orcish?? Dnd languages so straight forward and yet so confusing to me.) after meeting his bio parents. Riz also knows Orc and I'm gonna assume Ragh would so um green bonding time. Also also personal hc Goblin and Orc are similar in the way German and Dutch are (I can only go off of languages I know so this is gonna be my only example. Lmao.) because yeah.

Anyway Fabian is I think the one who mixes them up the most on purpose. You know how teenagers in non English speaking countries will inject random English into every sentence because internet. And it's just a thing now. Fabian does this over in Kei Lumenera with the other elves and common (common being English just for clarification). He's fluent in elvish it just doesn't feel right man. BUT. SPEAKING OF HIM BEING FLUENT IN ELVISH. His accent in it is very distinctively Solesian and you can only hear a little bit of Fallinel in certain words. Which isn't that big of a deal but it's notable. Because Hallariel doesn't sound like that and she's the one who taught him. Let me word. Eugh.

She was obviously very. Negligent. But I think that up until Fabian was like, idk, three or four? He did spend a lot of time with her. Like she wasn't taking care of him or doing anything with him but he'd be in the room with her as long as he wasn't being "bothersome" (normal kid "annoying". crying, loud, needs help with everything. etc.) because then Cathilda had to come and get him. But she would talk to herself a lot and/or rant about things little baby Fabian really had no chance at understanding lol, and it's not like she wanted him to respond. But this would be in elvish because it's her native tongue, and because kids are sponges he learned elvish. They didn't raise him multilingual on purpose it just happens. Side note i think she talked to him in the womb a lot I do. There is something to me about her focusing a lot on this child until he was born / until he started becoming a proper person. (It was so easy to love him when he was just a part of her and wasn't a separate entity that she needs to actively try to pay attention to what who said that that's. Crazy.)

So yeah Fabian is fluent as a kid, but then as he gets older he really doesn't have an opportunity to converse in Elvish for years, so he. Forgets a little bit? And he'll still read stuff in the language but he doesn't speak it with anyone until the Bad Kids start to use it for secrecy reasons (which I actually think is really funny and inefficient because I'd assume this is one of the more common second languages in solace. But I digress.) And at that point he's conversational but gods he's rusty, but between Gorgug not understanding it all, Kristen's being super broken, and Riz clearly only knowing it through reading/writing and having trouble with pronunciation because this isn't a language he's used to speaking it's not that noticeable? Idk. Adaine probably clocked it but didn't think much of it.

It comes back to him pretty quickly, (and by Sophmore year he has no trouble in Fallinel + probably started speaking more elvish at home again now that his mother is kind of talking to him and Gilear is there) it's just that now his accent shifted. (And it's still the language he feels the least "at home in" or comfortable speaking. It's common -> halfling -> elvish for him. I think.) (Yes I know that his wiki says he also knows tornado. I think he understands it but can't speak it. I don't think he can make the required sounds I'll be real.)

[illuminetic]

Some thoughts about Mel King, Kingdon, autism, and sexuality under the cut.

So I can't help but get a little peeved by this because it's personal for me — as an autistic woman who loves sex yet often gets infantilized by people who know me in real life because I'm supposedly so 'cute' and 'pure' — but GOD. I cannot stand when I see comments from people about Mel King being so 'sibling coded' with Langdon. And the thing is, I understand not everyone will ship them, and that's not a problem at all. I have a life outside of the internet so I don't really care in that deep a way lol. And I don't even entirely blame people who say they're like siblings, because Patrick Ball DID said he felt that way about Taylor and that was how he kind of conceptualized the Mel/Langdon relationship to begin with. But at the same time, I just feel like a lot of the 'omg they're so siblings!' chat is based in the belief that Mel can't be sexually desirable to a man who is traditionally handsome in the way Frank Langdon is. Or people are uncomfortable imagining Mel might have sexual desires or a sexual life at all, with Langdon involved or otherwise.

And then also there's this fine line too of some people saying they head-canon Mel as asexual and/or aromantic — and it's like. I'm not necessarily pissed at that or think it's a problem, because we all want representation and project our own traits onto characters to better understand ourselves or draw comfort. And again — I've heard that apparently Taylor Deardon said that's a valid interpretation of the character. And it is! But it's also like. Oh. So we're completely de-sexualizing the autistic girl. Cool. That makes sense — she's a little socially awkward and nerdy so of course she's not interested in sex! And even if she was interested in all that icky stuff her handsome coworker would never be into sex with her omg that would be so weird they're so siblings coded!!

Idk. This is nuanced — because again, if you're asexual I would never want to say it's wrong to conceive of Mel that way. We're all just playing barbies in our heads with our blorbos, I get it. I'm literally projecting my own sexuality onto Mel because I relate to her, so I guess I've actually just entirely talked myself out of being angry at all lol. So to any and all asexuals who headcanon Mel that way, keep doing you.

It's just a personal annoyance for me more than anything to see comments that imply Mel is a non-sexual being, as someone who sees myself in her a lot and also happens to really like sex. I feel like, because of the social cues I miss sometimes, and the way I am at work and in my personal life with friends and stuff — I am constantly fighting against the belief that I'm somehow 'innocent' or 'naive' when it's like. bud. I've literally had the kinkiest sex. I go to a sex club fairly regularly where I have sex with and/or in front of strangers. In fact, I'd argue part of the reason I like sex so much — and particularly kinky sex — is BECAUSE of the autism. I've noticed, from my time being in the community, that the kink world is filled with people on the spectrum lol. Makes sense — kink is all about rules and structure, controlled and safe (yet intense!) physical sensation. All things that attracted me to the lifestyle because I'm autistic, and the straightforwardness and clarity of communication about sex in the kink community felt like such a god-damned relief to me after struggling to have a sex-life out there in the neurotypical world.

Anyway. Long story short I'm just saying it's absolutely Frank who is the vanilla one in the Kingdon relationship. He's been married for years to someone I assume was probably his college girlfriend. 'Kinky' for him is breaking out the fuzzy hand-cuffs for anniversary sex or something, maybe some light spanking thrown in idk.

To end — I need someone to write a fic where the Pitt-crew plays never-have-I-ever during a night out, and Mel gets shit-faced and has to put down all her fingers before anyone else because there's so little she hasn't done. People keep throwing out more and more outrageous things, eyes going saucer-wide, and Mel's ears are burning but also she just keeps putting fingers down, throwing back shots, and raising a scornful eyebrow at anyone who dares to doubt her or make some comment like 'but Mel you don't seem like that type at all!!'

And Frank is. Sitting there quietly vibrating. Horny as hell. Having some thoughts and feelings about the fact that he knows Mel owns a strap now.

[deangirlsstuff67]

Her Biggest Fan

Jensen Ackles x Reader

Summary: Who doesn't love a good fantasy or escape from our normal lives. When Y/N started this online adventre she never dreamed it would land her smack dab in the path of her favorite actor. Is there a chance this fantasy might become reality? And will the reality live up to the fantasy?

Warnings: fluffy Jensen, talk about divorce, talk about trauma, language, some dirty talk

Authors Note: I love Jensen and his family. This is purely fiction and for entertainment purposes only. I am currently going through a divorce and I decided to pull from it and work out some trauma I have. I hope you enjoy, this is becoming a series so buckle up cause I have some wildly unhinged plans ;)

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Divorce is hard. Doesn't matter if you did it for your happiness, to remove yourself from a toxic relationship, or if you're like me and had absolutely no say in the matter what so ever.

The first few months you feel like your suffocating in your own house. The walls feel as if they are going to cave in and you aren't able to focus on anything what so ever. If you're like me then you went from what you thought was a loving marriage with two beautiful kids, to being a single parent in a blink of an eye.

Shit is rough!

Do I blame my ex husband for leaving me? Yes, in the beginning I did. However, as the months went on and I started to see him for who he truly was and how he treated people, lets just say my ex best friend did me a favor when she stole my husband and broke up my family.

Bitch can keep him now.

No matter how healed you are from the trauma a toxic marriage causes a person, when he has the kids and it's just you, the loneliness sets in.

We're human and all humans hate being alone with our darkest thoughts and demons. Sure I own a farm, work a full time job, and have an amazing best friend who talks with me daily and gets me out doing stuff. And yes I know I'm better off single than wanting my ex or anyone like him in my life.

But I still get lonely. I still crave someone who will put me first and wants to worship the ground I walk on. I mean who doesn't want love in their life.

That's the goal ain't it? Big beautiful family, love someone until you're old and gray, watching your kids grow up and start families of their own, and enjoy life to it's fullest.

Well I had that, for a little while at least. It was great and I will never regret my marriage, I just don't know if I want to risk it all again on the possibility it may go to shit on me.

So instead of getting out there and starting to date and find someone to be with, I did the oppisite. I started a second phone account and I created a fake identity for online purposes and created an OnlyFans account.

I have no one in my life that will get jealous, be offended, or cause problems because of it. I have always been the type of woman who not only enjoyed porn for my own personal use, but I never stopped my ex husband from watching it when he was away.

Look all you want, it was always the touching that pissed me off.

While I'm not ashamed of what I'm doing, I have a family and friends just like the next person and they don't need to know. I'm a grown ass woman and if I want to have some fun online so fucking be it.

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6 Months Later.

"How much money have you made from it?" Yes I caved and I ended up telling my best friend, to be fair her and I have no secrets. I hate secrets, I'm a honest person and there are times when even that's a problem, more so because I don't care who's feelings I hurt.

Don't want the truth, don't ask me then.

Shockingly enough I've done very well, way better than I thought I would. Guess it helps that I don't have anyone but my kids to worry about so I can give mt regulars the attention the pay for. Most of them just want to get off, easy enough considering I have been named the queen of sexting with them all.

Some of them are just looking for a person to talk to and enjoy their company. Either way I'm happy with both sides of the business.

Sitting on her front porch as we watch our kids ride their bikes and play together has been the highlight of my week. I love this woman to death and will forever be grateful after my ex best friend detorying my family, I was sent an angel like her. She doesn't judge me, she listens, makes me smile and laugh, helps me out as much as she can, and s there for my kids as much as she is for me.

Couldn't ask for a better friend if I tried.

"I'm doing pretty good. Made about $2000 last month alone. Funny how a silly little hobby out of boredom blossomed into a second career." inhaling a puff of my smoke, i hear my kids laughing as they climb a tree in the field across from us.

She starts laughing, "look at you go. Soon you'll be able to tell that ex husband to keep his money cause you won't need the child support."

That is the goal. Always was. He has a funny way of thinking because he gives child support monthly that means he still has a huge say in what I am allowed to do and go. Honestly, he still wants me to treat him like my husband and well that's not happening.

Needless to say we end up in a lot of fights that eventually result in a phone call or text message from him saying how he over reacted and he is sorry. Same old shit just a different day. He walked away from me and for some reason that just hasn't sunk into his head, he figures he can have a girlfriend and wife, again I ain't that girl.

Don't get me wrong, should he pay child support absolutely, but I was raised to be independent and to provide for my family. Not to mention it will bring me so much joy the day I tell him to shove his money where the sun don't shine because I don't need it anymore. Making him feel completely useless in my life is my goal, I'm going to show him that I don't need him to survive.

Just then my work phone goes off indicating I have a text message. Smiling I respond to Jay.

Jay: Hello beautiful. How's you're day going?

Me: Well hello handsome. It's going well, just hanging out with my bestie on her porch enjoying a glorious summers day.

Is he handsome, I got no idea. Jay is one of the guys I text daily. While we definitely have had our share of fun at night together making each other cum even though we are in two different countries, he is one of those men who wants a friend just as much as he wants release.

He's sweet, charming, kind, funny as hell, and if I believe what he says then he's a Texan boy born and raised. He won my heart right there, this country girl loves her some Texans.

However, the internet is where people go when they don't want to be known. Is Jay his name? I don't know. I haven't asked for a photo, all I've seen is his large hard cock when I'm teasing him all day before letting him cum. I respect that he probably doesn't want me know who he is and I'm okay with that. Hell not like I'm using my real name anyways.

I've grown attached to him in a way. He's definitely my favorite client. Maybe in another life we could meet and it would be heaven, but this is what I get and I'm okay with that.

Man for all I know he's married.

"Oh uh, I know that look, Jay's texting isn't he?"

"Oh shut up woman! But yes he is."

"Still have no idea what he looks like hey?"

"No."

"Just ask for a photo." God this is why I love her, she's exactly like me. No sugar coating shit, straight to the point every time and I am so thankful for it.

"Why? This way I have my fantasy and he has his. Hell I can pretend he's Jensen fucking Ackles and I'll never know the difference."

She burst out laughing, "really, you think Jensen is texting with you and randomly found you're OnlyFans one day?"

I join in on the laughing, she's right it sounds stupid, but hey it's a fantasy and nothing more, "no I don't, I'm not that crazy, but the fantasy is fun to dive in to."

"Yeah, okay I give you that."

My phone dings again.

Jay: It's killer in Texas today, summer is not our friend here.

Me: Haha I can only imagine from what you've told me. I still think it would be fun to live there.

Jay: I think so, but I'm bais. So just porch sitting with the bestie today?

Me: Hell yeah, momma deserves a break every once in a while. What about you?

Jay: I'm going out to the brewery today and meeting some buddies to hangout. Nothing spectacular.

Me: Man who makes his own beer, add in a whiskey distillery and you'd be the perfect man lol.

Jay: I'll keep that in mind sweetheart. Whiskey girl huh?

Me: Oh 100% nothing better in my eyes. Sitting outside once the kids are in bed, watching the sun set, whiskey in hand and nothing but the quiet of the night.

Jay: Damn that sounds amazing.

Jay: Your ex giving you anymore trouble?

Yeah you've told him about your ex husband. Lately, he's been unpredictable and grumpy more than he's not. You aren't shocked and you can handle his mood swings like a champ considering the 12 years you shared together. Mainly it just annoys the living piss out of you now.

Me: Nah, I put him back in his place where he belongs. Fucker don't scare me and he knows it. I hold all the power as much as he doesn't want to admit it.

You'd agreed to be civil and so far for the most part he was. Then you started going out and having fun while he was stuck at home with her being bored. The anger and resentment started to kick into overdrive. He started to come to the realization that he gave you all the freedom he was craving in life, and all he did was dump you for a more controling woman.

I mean the man can't even text you with her wanting to know ever detail of the conversation. Not like he actually tells her. Yet another reason I won't take him back, he's literally doing the same shit to her that he did to me, and she's dumb enough to by all his lies.

Most of the time you just have to not so gentle remind him he has a criminal record that you can bring to light in a courtroom and he would instantly lose everything and that usually shuts him the hell up for a while.

He's only saving grace is our kids we have together, if it wasn't for them I would have taken him to the cleaners the moment he left me for her.

Jay: Good girl. He needs to remember who left who in this situation.

Me: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink Jay. I knew what was going to happen with this divorce. I know who I married so it never shocks me.

Jay: You still shouldn't have to deal with it.

Me: We have a farm and kids together, I'll be dealing with it until the day one of use finally croaks. You're sweet though for checking in on me and making sure I'm okay.

Jay: This may have started off as a way to release pent up frustration for me, but sweetheart you have grown on me. I couldn't imagine going a day without checking in on you. I know how that sounds considering we don't know each other and you've only seen my dick.

Me: It's a pretty amazing dick ;)

Jay: Awe, thank you honey. I wish there would be a day where I could show you just how amazing this dick truly is. Cause the things I want to do to you with it will probably seal my fate into Hell.

Me: Naughty boy. I do like the sounds of that though.

Jay: Probably should show you my face before that happens lol. I'm off baby girl, I'll text you in a while. Have a fun day relaxing with your kids and friend.

Me: You too Jay! Xx

Just then all 4 kids come running over to you together screaming how they are starving to death. You look at your friend and you both chuckle. Guess that means we are done relaxing for a moment. Off to make some lunch for us all.

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Read part two here.

Taglist:

@impala67rollingthroughtown @bitchykittenconnoisseur @deansimpalababy @jayhalsteadfan-2417 @lessons-of-red @spnaquakindgdom @yvonneeeee @syrma-sensei @nancymcl @tspmoff @idontwannabehere78 @foxyjwls007 @senjoritanana @leigh70 @neii3n @maggiegirl17 @jamerlynn @mostlymarvelgirl @kimxwinchester @multiversefanfics @supershygirl @justwhisperingfantasies

[baksuz-art]

please read the warning, in case you might be sensitive to any of the following: mentions of poverty, non-graphic mentions of health issues, non-graphic mention of a dead animal, people being asses to others in general. sorry, this isn't very live laugh love of me, but it's important. i will keep it short and simple, and i'll try to keep it gentle too. no people, places, sites, etc will be named. lately, i'm not very happy with how some people are treating me. the asks you see on my blog are filtered, of course - you only see me answer to people who are at least able to say please and thank you, aka: decent people. i never have and never will expect anyone to kiss the ground over which i walk, but i don't think it's too much to expect basic manners. what you don't see are tons, and i mean it when i say tons of people who barely treat me like i'm a human. they demand i create for them as if it's my duty to do so. they are very rude in their messages, often requesting things i don't even do. they try to hurry me up, as if i don't have my own life or if i can't be doing something else. they demand i push them forward in the queue. they rudely ask 'where the hell is it already'. some were quite insensitive in their messages when they request i draw their cats - telling me how they don't love their cats, or were thinking of getting rid of them, or prefer some other pet over their cat, etc, which was all enough to pretty much ruin my day. one motherfucker sent me a photo of their (?) dead cat... as if that's not enough, even though i am a small creator, i have seen people reposting my art without credit, and i have seen one (at least?) person redistributing my colouring pages of all things, which i was sharing for fucking free+. i wanted to be kind and to make people smile. but it seems that some people confuse that for me being an art dispenser. i hate to say it, but i won't be able to keep doing art for free. it's not financially sustainable - it's not just art that i won't be able to do if i keep skipping meals or if i keep missing doctor appointments because i can't afford them, or if i end up unable to buy next T dose. it's also not sustainable for my mental health. imagine how shit it felt to sit with 5$ on my card while people treated me like i'm a machine and sold stuff that i was sharing for free+. imagine someone walking up to you, telling you that your work is worthless, and then taking it anyway. sure, this may change nothing in the end; but even if i never get a single commission again or a single tip, at least i'll be poor while doing whatever i want and without listening to people treat me like dirt. to those who haven't received their askbox drawing - sorry; i don't even know how many of you there are exactly or who everyone is, because there's just... so many of them, man. this isn't easy for me to say, but i will have to be more careful with how i share my art, and i have to value my time and effort the same i value everyone else's. to those who have supported me, even in small ways - thank you, you have no idea how much it means to me.

[uneducated-author]

I'm a strong believer in 'Midnight should have never been revisited' because we're always going to be way more scared of something that we never got the chance to understand, but as a continuation, this episode was great at making me terrified. Like, it was really well written, edited, scored. Genuine shivers when the doctor figures out where he is and what he's up against, and I haven't gotten that in a WHILE. The details around how accessibility and disability might look like 500,000 years in the future is really interestingly done as well, from the projected words to the little details of 'signing still scares people' and the Doctor being called out with 'I can still lip read'. I would have liked something from Aliss's side, like a pair of gloves that brought text to her own signing, similar to what's in development now.

As an episode, some parts were great and others slipped. I don't feel less scared of the Midnight entity, which is good, but having Aliss somewhat able to communicate without the entity controlling her I feel kind of broke it a little for me. The Doctor at his core wants to communicate with the universe, and the horror of the midnight entity was that he couldn't communicate with it without making it stronger, and it couldn't communicate without consuming someone. The best part of Midnight for me was the mystery. We still don't know whether Sky Silvestry had some history with the Midnight entity, or whether it consumed her completely, just hunting from her fear. It would have been great if Aliss was just the ultimate form of the entities forgery of humanity, or if that was at least an option. Giving it a physical form immediately felt a bit dull, and I never like being able to see a monster, and I also didn't like how it was actively murdering or hunting people down.

In Midnight, it was careful. Unexposed to humanity, but aware that more were coming, and it did everything with the intention of leaving the star to find more humans. Having it seemingly wreak havoc and kill as many humans available to it feels very juvenile in comparison. It could have been interesting if it showed knowledge of military protocol. For instance if it damaged Aliss's body, knowing that she would be evacuated for treatment rather than interrogated. Like, it's learned more and more and can use human tactics to counter them.

Speaking of, don't like them being a mission crew. It gives a casual level of competence which diminishes the danger. If they went the route of 'this thing dismantled a crew of prepared soldiers' that could have been great but instead, the mutiny has no real emotional impact and everyone comes off as very cold and disconnected. None of the losses feel personal. We don't really get many humanising moments across them and honestly, it's way too many characters. I literally only remember Mo's name and I JUST finished the episode. They literally refer to each other as numbers, and that's never even seen as tragic.

Back to the Doctor, we're getting some repeat issues with characterisation where the Doctor is becoming very comfortable with letting people die for him. Like Ko Sharmus on Gallifrey, where she literally hands him her self destruct button, it feels like he'll sacrifice his own life, only until someone else volunteers. And the definite promises feel a little toooo Time Lord Victorious vibes, he doesn't trust the universe that much.

Setting up the 'something happened to Earth in May 2025' is great, and I love it. Having Bel actively discover stuff really works to build her character. Also love that her willingness to sacrifice herself is being a recurring detail, it's nice that she has these values of utilitarianism as a consistent trait and isn't just as nice as the script wants her to be.

Belinda is lovely in this episode! Right level of dissent to not be annoying while still getting across how scared she is, but a clear and nice interest in the reality of travelling through space and time. I've become quite fond of her.

Shouldn't have given the Midnight Entity a body, I'm pretty certain on that. I don't like that they gave it a voice of it's own either. When it was a possessing shadow, it was alike to the Vashta Nerada, and the fear of 'you can't kill a shadow'. If it's physical, it can be destroyed. And it's boring, having it be countered by it's own reflection.

All things aside, it's not a bad episode at all! Ncuti Gatwa's acting is great, and there are some tricky moments that I can just imagine look very awkward on the script. Really happy with how the new season is shaping up.

[doodler16]

May I ask *how* Mammon from Helluva Boss is bad asexual representation?

I'm ace myself, & have a video script about asexuality I hope to one day be able to produce once I get some recording & editing equipment/software, & analyzed Mammon's appearances so far (so just S2) for it, & I came to the conclusion that he's not as bad as most people say he is when it comes to asexual representation. His ace portrayal is DEFINITELY FLAWED, but not to the degree I think most people make it out to be. To summarize...

1.) He actually has some moments in his debut episode that subtly imply he's ace (while still staying in character with him being a jerk), they're easy to miss to the point one might be able to write them off as plausible unrelated coincidences though; these moments including his deflection about making robots of whoever wins his clown pageant being seen as "weird" at the beginning of the episode, calling his customers "sick degenerate adults" during the Robo Fizz ad, & possibly him not quite understanding the implications when he tells Fizz during the fan-meet, "The better the impression, the more they’ll want a piece of you to take home & fuck! Don’t you want that, Fizzie? To be fucked?!"

2.) When he says in Mastermind, “Oh shut up, you two. We all know you enjoy slumming it with the lower class plebs. Unlike the rest of us, heh. Right Levy?” definitely read as ace to me the first viewing alone.

Most of his moments DEFINITELY needed another pass, especially by an experienced & asexual writer since the stuff he says to Fizz during the fan-meet doesn't read as ace at all, the way he doesn't say anything to Beelzebub about him being ace when she says stuff that shows she either doesn't understand asexuality or just doesn't care to learn anything about him in Mastermind in favor of unnatural dialogue between the two mindlessly insulting each other, & Mammon's dialogue & body language/expressions when he flirts with Leviathan don't read as asexual in the slightest, at least to me.

So what I'd like to know, if possible, is what evidence is there that he's as bad of asexual representation as so many folks seem to imply? The way everyone talks about him (without explaining their reasoning alongside the facts), makes it sound like he's clearly harmful representation with loads of misinformation, but I couldn't find any evidence of something like that when I wrote that part of my script. If there's something really bad about him I've missed, I'd love to add it to my script!

I understand Medrano's personal opinions of asexuality over the years is full of red flags & misinformation (that hopefully she'll finally bury with her potentially being on the ace-spectrum & actively trying to learn more about it), but just looking at Mammon's portrayal alone, is there something I'm missing? I'm approaching this as someone who just wants to learn, so if you can teach me something here & don't mind taking the time to do so, please do!

My main beef with Mammon and his asexuality representation is that it feels like stereotype of what some think asexual people are. Portrayed as selfish jerks who don’t care about others but themselves, inflated ego, etc. It also doesn’t help that Mammon is portrayed as this greedy, disgusting pig (metaphorically and literally) who uses others when it benefits him. I get it, he’s the sin of greed but with the asexual representation added on top of that, it is not a good look but hopefully Vivziepop does a better job handling it when season 3 and 4 comes.

[emblemxeno]

Localization Differences: Niles! Happy Belated Birthday, my beloved.

I wanted to get this done by his actual birthday on the 22nd, but things kept coming up, so here it is now.

Niles is one of my favorites in Fates' cast. He has a very handsome design, he's incredibly useful in gameplay due to his stats, weapon type and capture ability, and he has extremely good supports that give glimpses into his life, pull uncomfortable truths out of others, and offers a sight into the hard life that many Nohrians are forced to live.

One of the most notable things about him, though, is that to a lot of people, he's one of the two first explicitly queer characters introduced in Fire Emblem. I personally find this to be inaccurate given that lots of homoerotic relationships and queer coded characters have existed in the series, arguably stretching back as far as Thracia 776. Other popular examples are Raven/Lucius, Lyn/Florina, Heather, Kyza, Ike/Soren, etc.

Though after Awakening's massive success, the "almighty" S rank takes priority in many readings, so Niles and Rhajat having that available with a Male Corrin and Female Corrin respectively, was massive progress.

Now, do I think one of the explicitly queer characters in FE being a sadist who antagonizes people counts as good representation? No. But 1) that's not the point of this post and 2) going by that tier list I did, I see lots of other characters in Fates as queer than just Niles and Rhajat.

Anyway, I digress. The point of this (extremely long) post is to list and give my opinion on the changes to his lines (and potentially his character/personality) between a translated Japanese script and the localized English script done by Treehouse.

Here is a link to my post of translated sources!

As always, I'm only gonna list things that I find significantly different. Get cozy, this is a massive analysis! Thank you for reading!

To start off, there's two things to set the stage. The first is that Niles is one of Fates' characters that got a completely new name in localization. His Japanese name is Zero, so if I use that name at all in this post, that's why. I might flip-flop between other characters' names too, like from Corrin to Kamui, for example.

The second thing is that, overall, Niles' Japanese lines tend to be coated in innuendo and double entendres. Many times, these only really make sense if you speak Japanese, which I don't, hence why I tried to defer to translations before running things through a machine. For example, I've learned from some translators that when JP!Niles says that he'll "send his enemies to heaven/make them ascend to heaven", it's a statement in Japanese that also works as a euphemism for making someone orgasm. I'm not gonna spend too much time pointing out every instance of JP!Niles saying raunchy stuff, but will if it's particularly funny, striking or outlandish.

---

Classic Mode Retreat Quote

Japanese: Sometimes pain feels good, but I'm about to reach my limit here... I don't want to upset Lord Leon, so I'm going to retreat now...

English: This doesn't feel good anymore... I must retreat while I still can. I'll live to suffer another day...

-If you know Niles, you know his connection to Leo is extremely important to his character. Not just because he's Leo's retainer, but because Niles meeting Leo changed his life forever. So, while removing that one line doesn't sound too outrageous at first, it gets kind of silly when you think about it.

Most of the first gen men in Fates retreat instead of die in Classic mode due to avoid consistency issues if you've unlocked their child's paralogue. However, though they retreat, they still aren't deployable anymore in Classic mode, with the explanation being that they took such grave injuries that they can't fight anymore even though they survive.

Niles/Zero, in his Japanese quote, is pulling himself back from the brink of death because he doesn't want to upset Leo, even if he can't fight anymore. This is a twist on how initially, he begged Leo to kill him after being abandoned by his criminal gang, before Leo hired him as a retainer based on fascination/curiosity with how Niles was acting. All retainers in Fates are close to their masters, but some are closer than others, such as Niles.

Critical/Skill Activation

Japanese: I won't let you get away!/Let's go.../Take it all in!*/This is gonna hurt!

English: You can't hide from me!/Here's a taste.../Ohhh, yes!/Time to suffer!

-Both sets are delightfully fucked up and lewd, but I wanted to draw special attention to the one I marked with an asterisk.

Again, I don't speak Japanese, so I may be way of the mark, but the quote "Take it all in!" in Japanese is 受けてみろよ！or transliterated as "Ukete miro yo!"

Running that through machine translator reads it as "Give it a try!", but I've also watched a Japanese Fates crit quote video where it was translated as "Out of my face..."

But I think I cracked the code: it's a top/bottom joke. It's basically a "Take this!" quote in context of battle, but "Ukete miro yo!", phonetically, is also used in the Seme (top) and Uke (bottom) tropes in BL. So I think he's telling his enemy to 'take his dick', if you wanna be coarse about it.

What solidified this for me, is Nina's Japanese crit/skill quotes. In the Japanese version of Fates, the children share crit/skill quotes (or put some spin on them) with their direct parents. Nina shares "Let's go.../Take it all in!/This is gonna hurt!" but not "I won't let you get away!" because that's what Niles shares with Leo as his retainer (yeah they doubled up on crit quotes a lot in this one lol)

So Nina's fourth crit quote is unique to her, and she says 攻めるわよ！, transliterated as Semeru wa yo! (I'll attack you!) Again, it's a Seme (Semeru wa yo!) and Uke (Ukete miro yo!) euphemism joke. Cuz she's the Fujo. ...I spent a lot of time on this section lmaooo.

The other battle lines for Niles are pretty faithful or otherwise appropriate localizations.

Level Up

0-1 stats: Well... sometimes bad things happen. (JP) How unfortunate. (Eng)

2-3 stats: It's still not enough for me... (JP) I deserve better. (Eng)

4-5 stats: I feel good... (JP) My power is growing. (Eng)

6 or more stats: I can't go easy on you anymore. (JP) My gain will be another's pain. (Eng)

0-1 stats with most stats maxed: It was you who made me this way. (JP) Alas, I am at the height of my powers. (Eng)

-Overall, kind of a mix-and-match between versions, with the JP version being more suggestive and the English version being more powerhungry/sadistic. Neither is out of character.

I do lament the loss of sincerity from his maxed stats quote from Japanese to English (I could be misreading this though, I just think Niles is talking to the player)

Class Change

Japanese: What do you want me to do by dressing me like this...?

English: How quaint.

-Japanese is suggestive, English is weirdly boring? Quaint is not a word that's easily applicable to all situations when it comes to class changes, so meeeeh.

Mess Hall

-Not much to say here, but in Japanese when he eats a bad meal, he asks if there's an aphrodisiac in it, which is pretty funny.

My Castle

-Besides some suggestive flirting being removed or toned down, a couple lines were changed at the gathering spots. In the English version, at a rice paddy he says "Think rice is boring? Think again. I eat it at every meal." while in Japanese he says "Cooked rice is so beaitiful... It's like it's seducing me with its shiny white body..."

In English, at the dairy farm he says "Here, take this. It's good for your bones." while in Japanese he says "Look, milk. When I miled the cow, she mooed with joy..."

Birthday

Giving him a present: To think that my birth would be celebrated... I'm grateful. (JP) The world changed the day I was born. Thank you for acknowledging that. (English)

Saying happy birthday to Corrin: It's your birthday... You should be thankful for all the days since you were born. (JP) Birthdays always make me think of death. Oh, by the way... happy birthday! (English)

-The English ones are funny, but Niles is already funny just through his euphemism schtick. The genuine sincerity being removed makes me sad.

Conquest Chapter 8

-Niles introduction in this chapter is pretty much the same, it's actually mostly Odin who has more line differences. Though this is where the "I'll send them to heaven/make them cum" line pops up for Niles, so I thought I'd mention it.

-Like the rest of the script in Conquest, it is pretty faithful, if a little more bland. But it can't be helped sometimes, given how English and Japanese work so differently as languages. Now Birthright on the other hand...

Birthright Chapter 18 Standard Boss Quote

Japanese: What a nice face you have. I find that look of desperation irresistable. With Lord Leo's permission... I'll do something good for you...

English: Say that's a nice face you've got there. Would be a shame if someone were to slash it. Let's have some fun, shall we?

-Love when Treehouse inserts memes into things that date the game immediately, loooooove it /s "Would be a shame if something happened to it" was an old meme even by 2016, jesus.

Vs. Corrin/Kamui (Japanese)

Zero: So... You're Kamui... The traitorous brother that Lord Leon hates enough to kill...

Kamui: He wants to kill me? Leon...?

Zero: Haha, what a splendid face you're making. The pain in another's face is sublime. Twist it up more for me, I want to see you cry.

Kamui: Huh...

Zero: ...Come on now, you're here to fight me, aren't you? I want to pierce you soon, too... with this thick arrow of mine.

Kamui: !!!

Zero: Hmmm? Are you scared? ...It's okay, I'll be gentle. The pain will be gone before you know it... Once I send you to heaven...

Vs. Corrin English

Niles: So, you're the little thorn in my master's side, are you? Very well. If he wants you dead, who am I to argue?

Corrin: I still can't believe it. We lived as brothers...

Niles: Oh, yes. The suffering on your face is simply delicious. Now, let's see what happens when you have a few more holes...

Corrin: You're sick!

Niles: Oh, please. This is war. This is my job. I'm good at what I do. I'll try to make this painless so you can die in peace. Deal?

-This one is confusing more than anything. Niles sort of has the same lines/message here, but Corrin in Localized Birthright is generally so fucking insufferable that it bleeds into here as well. He talks as if Niles isn't even there, and then calls him sick, which, yes it's true Niles is fucked up, but Corrin is SUPPOSED TO BE EXCEEDINGLY SWEET AND FORGIVING. This extends to his enemies as well, he's very polite with the retainers of the opposing side. Niles isn't any worse than Zola, yet Corrin has worse words for him??? It's weird.

-The other story moments Niles has aren't signifcantly changed to where I feel the need to mention them, even Birthright. Again, it's actually Odin and Leo who are more altered, but that's neither here nor there.

Ghostly Gold

Japanese: You're so naughty. Even like this, you still want more? This place *is* pretty fascinating, but... These are also sacred ruins not to be disturbed. Were a thief like the former me to find out about this place, it'd be quite troublesome. To honor my orders and silence you... I'll make you come by my own hands.

English: Last night was a cinch for me. I always sleep with one eye open. You never know whose grabby little hands might end up in your pockets.

-Some lines in Ghostly Gold, regardless of language, either discuss the gold/treasure, the enemies, or how the army stayed up all night to catch the thieves. Niles' got changed from one to another.

The Japanese one is pretty standard when considering how Niles has moments of sincerity in the Japanese script as it is, but again, losing it in the English version for something completely different? It's not only disappointing, it's confusing. Did some of the people on the job when localizing just not have the original script? Or did they decide just to change it because they felt like it? It's truly dumbfounding to me, how this particular scenario happens in Fates so much.

Boo Camp

Japanese: Please be gentle with me...? I'm not used to things like this... What do you all expect, putting yourselves in danger in a dark place like this. At least if I were a monster like you, I'd take everyone who comes here to the cruel edge of ecstasy. (I'd make everyone who comes here cum cruelly? idk)

English: Be gentle, boys... or whatever you are. I don't know what we expected, making ourselves so vulnerable in the dark. But you'll find out like all the others that I give as good as I get.

-Omg, Vers King Niles in the English version... That's all I have to say about this, it's faithful, and a really great example of how to keep suggestive euphemism while not being a literal translation.

-The other DLC maps with character dialogue don't have too big of changes, or at least ones that give insight into Niles to mention.

Niles' Father Support with M!Kana

-A rank: Pretty much the same until the very end, where in the JP version, after promising to have a night in with Kana and Corrin, Niles says “Haha… I never thought the day would come when I would be sleeping peacefully with my whole family. I have always wanted to destroy other people's happiness, but now that I have it for myself, I want to protect it at all costs. Perhaps I'm the most selfish one…” Calling himself selfish is in reference to earlier in A rank, where Niles says parents can act selfish since they sometimes want their children to stay reliant on them so as to not feel lonely, even if they understand that they must fly the nest someday. Because this is a variant-parent conversation, the meaning is the same if Kana has a different father, though instances of unique characterization come through at times. In Niles’ case, it’s his referencing how he’s usually sadistic in dealing with others, especially those who grew up privileged. However, now that he has a family and is surrounded by love, he understands the feeling of wanting to protect happiness instead of ruining it.

In the English version, the line is instead “Heh. Never thought I'd be spending a night in with a family of my very own. So this must be happiness, huh? Maybe it's something worth protecting after all. Looks like Kana's not the only one who's changing…” The general gist *is* there, but the different wording can make it seem like Niles doesn’t know what happiness is, which would be kind of odd for his character; to be a sadist who delights taking happiness away from others, you have to know what it means. Niles knows what it means, and is resentful because he never got it before. I’m also very nitpicky, though, so I could be overcomplicating things.

Niles’ Father Support with Shigure

C Rank: JP version, Niles says that Shigure’s talents for art can captivate people regardless of gender, another example of a unique line variant depending on the father (for example Hinata relates Shigure’s interest in art to his interest in swords, Saizo tells Shigure that he shouldn’t focus on art during a war despite appreciating is talent, etc.)

For Niles it’s interesting here, since it’s in reference to how Niles is also attracted to multiple genders.

In the English version, Niles instead says “I think your work might turn a few heads.” The same message, but it lost a bit of spice.

There’s nothing else really important to mention, but in the JP version during the A rank, when Shigure’s running late and out of breath to the art exhibit, Niles asks if he’s out of breath because he got laid, which is really fucking funny.

Niles with Subaki

-In the JP script, there's more of an amicable attempt at building friendship from Niles. During B rank, he says "it'd be great if two warped people like us could get along." referring to how Subaki's perfectionist mindset is obsessive and destructive. The English version has him say "The mighty Mr. Perfect reveals a crack in the facade! Strangely, that just makes me hate you less." which is more impersonal.

During A rank, while Subaki is venting about how tired it is keeping up appearances, Niles offers different things between languages. In the Japanese version, he offers a massage (he's good at massages, also revealed in his father support with M!Kana) to take Subaki's mind off things, and Subaki accepts and is genuinely grateful towards Niles.

In the English version... he asks Subaki to 'give him some of his burden' by taking his worries and placing them in his hands. Not in a suggestive way, he's being for real in how Subaki should do this weird mime act of putting his worries in Niles' hands. And replacing the line of Subaki thanking Niles, he instead asks Niles what he plans to do with his worries, to which Niles says "Don't worry about that. I'll put them to good use. Heh heh..."

This was just confounding? Like, okay, I get it, Niles is perverted, so by association offering a massage is lewd itself. But if you're gonna change it, write something with the same energy, not this mime act that ends on a very awkward and clunky note. The JP version reads as if they're finally friends or amiable, the English version is still distant sounding.

Niles/Zero with Mozu/Mozume

-For context, Mozu has been visiting her run down village looking for a special jewel, and Niles has been following her. They discuss her losing her family. During B rank, in the Japanese version, these lines are said:

Mozume: Have you ever lost someone and felt sad? Don't you know what it's like to lose something?

Zero: Oh, I don't know. I just wanted to see your face twisted in pain.

Mozume: What... what did you say!?

Zero: I love seeing the pain on other people's faces. It makes me want to torment them more and make them cry... The reason I became interested in you is because I knew about your village's past.

Mozume: You're a terrible person...

Zero: But... it's been very boring. You're already suffering and griveing enough without me having to do anything.... So I've lost interest in doing anything to you. Don't worry.

Mozume: What a selfish person...

In the English version, this is said instead:

Mozu: Haven't you ever been upset when someone passed? Don't you know that knot in your gut when you lose someone?

Niles: ...That's neither here nor there. I prefer not to dwell on those things. Better to live for the pleasures of the now. I could give you a demonstration, if it would take your mind off things.

Mozu: Th-this is hardly the time!

Niles: If you want to wallow in pain and misery in the ruins of your home, suit yourself. But my offer still stands if you'd rather have some fun instead.

Mozu: You... you're horrible...

Niles: And you're boring, which is worse. It wouldn't take much for me to make you feel better. Believe me, I know lots of ways. But I can see you'd rather be miserable, so carry on without me.

Mozu: Wh-what a self-centered jerk...

-So, the English version has Niles offer to hook up with Mozu in the ruins of her home. Furthermore, Niles in the English version keeps pressing the issue in "making her feel better" and fucks off when she rightfully rejects his advances. But in the JP version, there's something else here.

Niles' code is poking at people who haven't suffered *or* people who pry into others feelings for no good reason. Saying outlandish stuff is a defense mechanism for him, he does that to actively push people away. This is discussed in his Japanese support with Azura, which I'll get to later.

Niles took an interest in Mozu's situation because he knows something fucked up happened to her (Niles is actually quite compassionate to others who have suffered greatly once he finds out about it), but when Mozu asked him about if he ever felt loss, she *unknowingly set off his defense mechanisms* and he responsed like an asshole. A rank concludes with Niles having recovered the jewel that Mozu was looking for, which is what he was intending to do ever since Mozu first told him about it during C rank. Mozu isn't at fault whatsoever, it's just Niles couldn't help responding cruelly.

BUT, this only really works in the JP version, because instead of offering to hook up with Mozu to make her feel better, he instead says that "I don't know [if I ever felt the pain of loss], but I do like seeing other people's faces in pain" which flows better as a conversation. Couple that with how Niles says he won't bother her because she's suffering enough, it displays that Mozu isn't the type of person he would target, it just came out because of Niles' trauma response. This doesn't work in the English version because Niles implies that Mozu is actively making herself sad, which is not only incorrect, it dulls Mozu's situation and screws up Niles' secretly compassionate side. Just... :///

Niles/Zero with Arthur/Harold

So there's stuff concerning the entire chain, but I'll focus on B rank and A rank for now.

In the Japanese B rank, there's this exchange:

Zero: If you don't trust me, then maybe I'll go bust into that mansion for real.

Harold: In that case, I'd have to deliver judgment onto you. I've received a request to stop these robbers.

Zero: Hmph. Whatever, just try not to make it too easy for them.

Harold: ...That's suspicious.

Zero: What is?

Harold: People like you who try to unnerve others often have something to hide. They keep their distance from others so nobody can discover their secrets.

Zero: You think that nonsense passes for actual theory?

Harold: I did come up with that one on the spot, so...

Zero: Right, I thought so.

Harold: I don't care what sort of life you lead, but there's something you're hiding, speak now.

In the English B rank, it's changed to this:

Niles: You've given me an idea. Perhaps, I will join up with this band of merry thieves...

Arthur: Oh, come on! You can't be serious!

Niles: Maybe I am! What are you going to do about it?

Arthur: This is suspicious...

Niles: Wait. You're actually ACTUALLY serious.

Arthur: Well, joking about a crime is a well-known defense technique. Because, if you joke about it, surely you wouldn't actually DO it, right? Oh ho! Thought you could outthink Arthur, did you, evildoer?

Niles: Your logic is breathtakingly stupid.

Arthur: Is it? Darn. I did just kind of make that up.

Niles: Yep. It was obvious.

Arthur: Well, you can make fun of me all you want. But if you're hiding something, you better tell me now.

-The English version kind of has Arthur go "Dumb Cop" mode by doing a pretty vapid investigative trick, but in the Japanese version, he doesn't exclusively reference the crime. His theory is that Zero talks outlandishly to others in order to keep distance from them... which is EXACTLY correct, that's what he does and why he does it. Zero rebuffs him and tells him it's stupid because of that very same idea, that he doesn't want Harold prying into his business. Harold only connects this to the crime at the moment because he believes that "well people who talk like that to others must be hiding something, therefore he must be hiding something regarding this band of thieves he used to work with." The end point is wrong, but the reasoning is correct, even if Harold admits he made it up on the spot. (But that's also supposed to tie into how he's the grounded/emotionally in-touch Axe Fighter for Fates, he was written intentionally to be very good at reading people)

This was kind of scrubbed from the English version, with how Niles eggs him on by dancing around the subject of the thieves and how he might work with them, and Arthur/Harold only centering his reasoning around *criminal activity* instead of the thought process/psychology of Niles/Zero himself. This dumbs Arthur down while making Niles more childish.

Now for rank A. For context, Arthur subdued the thieves but saw Niles sneak into the jailhouse and assumed again that he was working with them. However, he then saw how Niles was lecturing the group and trying to get them to reform, and Niles explains by going into his past. Afterwards, in the Japanese version, there's this exchange:

Harold: I never imagined you had such a past... Thank you for telling me. I see you had nothing to hide today.

Zero: What's that supposed to mean?

Harold: You didn't use your usual, unpleasant manner of speech while you were talking. That's proof that you weren't hiding anything.

Zero: ...The hell are you talking about? Is that another one of your stupid, spur-of-the-moment theories?

Harold: And if it is? Just because it's spur-of-the-moment doesn't mean it's wrong. I felt moved knowing that even you can speak candidly. Alright, now let's go tell everyone what we just discussed. If we do that, they'll all understand that even you can speak properly in the right situation.

Zero: No way. Now get outta here unless you want me to plunge a thick arrow-shaft into you.

Harold: ...Whoa there. I see you're still hiding something after all. But you're cute, so I'll let it slide.

Zero: Huh? Cute?

Harold: What you're trying to hide is your own embarrassment. Feeling embarrassed from hearing my praise, you switched back to your unpleasant way of speaking. But it's no use hiding from me now, I know everything.

Zero: Why you...

Harold: Let's get along from now on. If there's anything you need to talk about, don't hesitate to ask me. As someone who understands you now, I'll listen to my heart's content.

Zero: Tch...

The English version replaces that with this:

Arthur: Thank you for sharing that, Niles. I should have relied on Lord Leo's judgment and trusted you from the start. Now then! I'm off to tell everyone about what a great guy you are!

Niles: Um, that's reall now necessary.

Arthur: Of course it is! It's not fair that you have a bad reputation. People need to know the truth about you! Justice must prevail! I will shout it from the rooftops. "Niles is A-OK in my book"! Ha ha! This is going to be great!

Niles: Can we go back to being enemies?

--Not only is the exchange a lot shorter in English, it's less intimate/emotionally charged. It dials up the humor by writing Arthur to be a bit of a dingbat and Niles being dragged along against his wishes.

Arthur/Harold in the Japanese script, is written to be very good at interpersonal communication and sympathy, hence why he fights for justice and moral causes (saving Azura from being punished, helping any and all citizens instead of just being completely dedicated to Elise like Effie is, taking on dangerous jobs despite his bad luck, etc.). He's an incredibly splendid guy who has a knack for reading people.

And the Japanese A rank proves that he was right in thinking Zero was keeping a part of himself hidden, because Harold noticed that he wasn't talking outlandishly anymore when revealing his past, therefore, he was being genuine and speaking from the heart. Further proving that, is that when Harold genuinely praises him, Zero shrinks into himself and goes on defense again, trying to push him away by threatening to "fuck him with an arrow." Harold clocks this IMMEDIATELY as him trying to hide his embarrassment over being praised, before calling him cute and letting him know that if Zero has anything to vent about, that he'll always be willing to listen, to which the latter again gets embarrassed by.

This massive layer of intimacy and vulnerability between them-especially from Arthur-being removed is devastating! Getting to see Niles be vulnerable and sincere is a very rare treat, and the fact that Arthur is able to pull that side out of him (when the only other people really able to do that are Leo and his spouse) showcases how close Arthur and Niles can be, even if the latter doesn't admit it. The JP version of this conversation is one of the major reasons why Arthur has potential to be read as queer himself, not just because he calls Niles cute, but also because he's able to do something for Niles that's reserved for his closer relationships.

Having this all be replaced/cut out makes me sad, especially since it dumbs down Arthur and dulls Niles' personality. Hell, this also kind of extends to the C rank, where in the Japanese version it's implied that they knew/heard of each other before their current jobs since they were both from the slums, but had never spoken until now due to contrasting personalities and ideals. The English version scrubs that implication away, only having Arthur say "Your reputation precedes you" and Niles say "I don't like smug goody-goodies", as if they only became aware of each other when they got employed and immediately got bad vibes from the other. No! Niles was a known outlaw and Arthur was a known town hero! Of course they heard of each other, and just didn't know how to speak with one another in the palace until the current day!

Ughhh, it's SUCH a good support, yet the English version's changes and alterations just do it no justice whatsoever.

Niles with Azura

-In B rank, Niles explains why he thinks him and Azura are similar, delving into his past and personality in the process. In the JP version he says:

"There are two types of people I like to direct my colorful words to. The first are people who don't seem to know anything about hardship. [...] I was abandoned by my parents when I was a child, and was living in the slums soon after. Maybe that's why, when I see people who've never experienced hardship, I want to see their faces twitch. [...] I followed a hopeless path until Lord Leo took me in. [...] Moving on, perhaps due to my upbringing, I also don't like people who invade other people's hearts with bad intentions. I use my words to put people at a distance from me. [...] However, you aren't anything like either group. You had a turbulent upbringing and you try to keep your distance from others. So I thought to myself that you and I were alike."

In the English version, he says:

"You and I have both experienced real suffering unlike most of the idiots we know. [...] As a child, I was abandoned by my parents and had to fend for myself in the slums. Before Lord Leo accepted me as his retainer, I was literally living in the gutter... [...] It's left me with a low tolerance for people who lack compassion. I cannot stand shallow people! I try to avoid them at all costs. [...] I can tell that you are different from the others, milady. In fact, I get the impression that your childhood was no picnic either. You keep your distance by being aloof, while I actively drive people away. The more people I offend, the fewer I have to put up with. See? We're quite the same."

--Again, the general gist is there in the English version, but it's missing good details while muddying up others. The JP version reads like Zero pushing people away as a defense mechanism, and his envy towards others living privileged lives warping into resentment and antagonism. The English version weirdly makes things more vague, having Niles say he hates "shallow people who lack compassion" which can apply to anyone! A layer to Niles' character is the resentment towards the privileged, hence why his backstory involves breaking into the royal castle and he's not afraid of being scathing towards Corrin, Camilla (royalty), Felicia (royal maid), and Setsuna (noblewoman). It's why his support with Azura is a bit of an oddball, that was intentional. Niles can deduce that Azura is carrying heavy stuff with her like he is, since you have to be a little fucked up to end up distant and detached like Azura is. Her being royalty doesn't matter, because the vibe he gets from her overrules that. But for that overrule to make sense, you have to keep Niles' antagonism towards the privileged, and Treehouse gets fairly iffy with that.

Also in the JP version Niles says he and Azura are like hedgehogs, and the English version changed it to porcupines. As a huge Sonic fan, I'm obligated to be upset by this.

Niles with Elise

--Okay, this one is kind of difficult to talk about, because given Elise's age (at the very least 15, I believe, but possibly older), Niles can come off as a creep.

In Japanese C rank, Elise says she's still too young/too immature to go to the strategy meetings, thinking she'd just be a nuisance to everybody. Niles disagrees and says she "has a great body" which yeah, isn't great sounding. I think the intent was she "has a mature body" which also isn't great sounding, but the point was that Elise is, going by age, is mature enough. Further on, he asks if it'd be better if she stopped thinking of herself as too young, and join in the meetings for the benefit of Nohr.

In the English version, the comments on Elise's body are scrubbed out, but it also ups the childish factor on Elise a LOT for some reason. Instead of seeing herself as a child and lamenting her not understanding the discussions at the war council, she complains that everyone else treats her like a kid instead, hence why she doesn't go to the meetings. That holds very different implications no matter the language, since recognizing your own immaturity is ironically a very mature thing to do, and Elise is characterized as having extremely keen sensibilities. Complaining that others keep treating you like a kid, on the other hand, is extremely immature (hence the constant trope usage by characters like Ricken, Hayato, Lysithea, etc.)

In the Japanese B rank, after being told she didn't need to go to the meeting because it still might be too hard to understand, Elise is very upset. She says:

"You know, Zero... I went to the meeting. And then they told me that I didn't need to go again. It was still too difficult for me to understand [...] Yes. even though everyone was at the meeting... in the end I was the only one left out... [...] No, it's okay. It wasn't unnecessary advice. The problem is me. I act like too much of a child... how do I become an adult..."

Once again, a lot of the emphasis is put on how Elise sees herself as childish, not necessarily others. Zero gives her advice again, saying that her heart might be the problem. He says:

"You say that you want to become an adult, but in your heart you just want to be a child, don't you? The heart shows what you truly are. Heading to meetings with a spoiled heart, of course you'd be seen as unnecessary. Unless you do something about your heart, you won't be needed no matter how old you get."

He then says it's wonderful to see her cry, which again, yes it's fucked up but Zero is fucked up.

In the English version, it removes the line about him liking to see her cry, but also changes the exchange again. Elise now says:

"I w-went to the war meeting like you said, but they told me I didn't need to be there! They said i-i-it was too complicated for me! J-j-jerks! [...] Yeah! Everyone else was there, and I'm th-the only one they said should leave! It's so dumb! Dumb dumb dumb! They're all just a bunch of dumbheads! Why won't they take me seriously?! I even showed up and everything! I'm and adult, right? They should treat me like ooooonnee! *sob* [...] No, you were right. I need to study more. I'm no better than a child. My siblings are so mature... Why can't I be like them?"

Again, I don't speak Japanese, so maybe Elise is crashing out just as hard in the JP script and I just don't know it, but holy fuck, they really ramped up her outburtst here! It's not too far from Peri level, which is unfitting for Elise. While childish in some aspects, she's keen and introspective in others, always desiring to improve. The English version did this part of her personality no favors.

And keep in mind, it was also Treehouse that was responsible for Leo's infamous line where he says "Elise, when do you intend to behave like the adult that you technically are?" That line and its implications were not the same in the JP version, where he instead complains that Elise still acts like such a brat. So, what's the deal here, Treehouse? Is Elise an adult or not?

Anyway, Niles' reply to Elise is kind of the same, but instead of saying "heart" he says "attitude" which gets the same meaning across, and because Elise references her siblings in the English version, he does as well.

-Now, for A rank, there's not as much changed here, but in the Japanese version, Zero is clearly disappointed that his advice inadvertently cost him a chance to see Elise cry/suffer again, given that Elise used the advice on changing her heart and it worked. The English version... only half scrubbed this away, for some reason? They changed a line to have Niles say "I'm proud of you, Elise. That's wonderful. Though... perhaps also something of a shame." It's awkward because Niles isn't written to be that disappointed anymore, you can't have both!

-S rank is a bit of a trip. So, in both versions, Elise says that she wants to marry someone like Niles in the future, because she wants a husband like him that'll tell her things directly and not shy away from harsh truths. But then the versions diverge.

In the Japanese version, it's Niles who brings out a ring and proposes, saying something along the lines of "I had a boyish/immature mindset, where I teased you so much and wanted to see you cry because I was in love with you" and "From now on, you'll face harsh realities. But you don't have to hold back tears. Please cry as much as you want around me. I'll help stop them for you. [...] I'll do my best to be even more wonderful for you, and help you grow into a fine adult."

In the English version, however, it's Elise who brings out a ring and proposes. In response, Niles says "Well I supposed I must accept. [...] I never expected it. But I have grown to love you. You have an innocence about you that I have rarely seen in my life. I lost hope, once, because I bore witness to the worst evils the world has to offer. But you have rekindled that hope in my heart. I could not live without you. [...] And I vow I will do everything in my power to help you in all your endeavors. Though I supposed we'll start with making you a responsible, regal princess, eh?"

-Again, I don't know what the intent is here by Treehouse. You make Elise more childish, outbursts and all, but then have her be the one to propose? And then have Niles comment on her innocence? What? Is she a child or not? Is it appropriate for her to marry or not? Now I could be misreading things, since the "innocence" bit could be translated from Niles saying he had an "innocent schoolboy love" for Elise, or it could've been Treehouse's mistake. Still, that doesn't change the fact that Treehouse had Elise be the one to propose, which is contradictory within this support chain, said support chain being contradictory to what was established earlier in the game. Make up your minds!

Niles with Leo

-A rank sets the scene a bit differently between versions. In the English version, Niles is contemplating the future. This leads him to say he’s confident about his future rather than worried, because he found a purpose in serving as Leo’s retainer. JP version, on the other hand, has Niles thinking about how he is in the present. This leads him to consider his past and come to terms with how lucky he believes himself to be at the moment, and wishing to convey his gratitude to Leo for his part in his life. The same case in B rank happens here as well, where the JP version has Niles express gratitude over finally having a place to stay (which I think is very intimate and vulnerable, because I read it as a "place of belonging"), while the English version has him say his life now has a purpose. That could carry the same weight, but on an interpersonal level, idk, it doesn't feel as deep.

Niles with Camilla

This support is pretty juicy, but key things from Japanese to English get lost. When Zero asks why Camilla relentlessly showers Kamui with love, this exchange happens in the Japanese version:

Camilla: My love for Kamui? I don't quite understand it either. I do think dearly of him, but I don't have a reason for it. Howver, Kamui did have a bad childhood... perhaps that's why I treat him kindly.

Zero: Would it be fair to say that Lady Camilla's love is... selfless (unconditional)?

Camilla: I wonder.

Zero: I see... Heh. Heheheheheheheh...

Camilla: ...What is it?

Zero: I do not agree with that.

Camilla: then, what do you really think?

Zero: Am I allowed to say it?

Camilla: Of course.

Zero: The reason is simple. Because you're a pitiful human being.

Camilla: ! What do you mean by pitiful?

Zero: I'll save it for next time, I'll tell you a story that'll blow your mind.

In the English version, Camilla instead says this first:

"What do you mean? I love Corrin! He's such a sweetie! Plus, he had a terrible childhood. I think he deserves a little kindness now!"

Because of this change to Camilla not really fully knowing the reason why she dotes on Corrin, Niles subsequently doesn't ask her if her love is selfless/unconditional. Instead this exchange happens:

Niles: As I suspected! Your so-called love is nothing more than pity. You're probably one of those people who brings home lost puppy dogs too.

Camilla: Of course I would! Who would leave a cute, little puppy out in the cold?

Niles: Heh heh...

Camilla: *gasp* You would, wouldn't you?! Niles, you're terrible!

Niles: There's a reason you fixate on helping poor pathetic creatures!

Camilla: Is that so? And what's that?

Niles: You live a pathetic existence. You're trying to make yourself feel better!

--In Japanese, the clear cause of her own obsessive devotion to Corrin is unknown even to her, and Corrin's bad childhood is just the best reason she can put forward. In English, she says that's the definitive reason, with no hesitation or deliberation. So not only is there this weird gag inserted in the English version where Niles would leave puppies to suffer, Camilla's own problems are dulled.

Now for B rank, the context here is that, before explaining why he called her pitiful, Niles asks Camilla a hypothetical question on why humans love animals. This is how it plays out in Japanese:

Zero: They (people) want to be loved. But that reality doesn't exist for them. That's why they turn to animals to fill the hole in their heartst. That's exactly what your relationship with Lord Kamui is like. You pitied your own existence and thought that you never received enough love. And so you sougt to devote your love to someone more pitiful than yourself... in other words, Lord Kamui. For your own, disgusting form of comfort.

Camilla: ...If that's the case, so what? What's the point of you saying this.

In English, this exchange is written like this instead:

Niles: It's because people want to be loved. They want companionship-a person to come home to, and if they can't get it... They'll settle for a furry creature who'll greet them and slobber on their shoes. This is the same relationship you have with that lost, little puppy-Lord Corrin. You're miserable, so you shower him with affection, and that puppy slobbers back!

Camilla: Are you calling Corrin a dog? That's disgusting!

--The difference in Camilla's response is important. In Japanese, she doesn't deny that this is the kind of relationship she's cultivated with Corrin. In English, she pivots to offense at Corrin being called a dog. Niles' words about her kind of love is disgusting are also dulled a bit, and the indirect antagonism towards Corrin is also ramped up.

The lack of denial on Camilla's part in JP is important to understand how fucked up she is as well. It connects back to C rank where she wonders if her love is actually selfless/unconditional, and the truth is, it's not. She goes of the deep end in Birthright becasue of her warped love towards Corrin, blending love and cruelty together, because that's how she was raised as well. She's mature enough to reflect on it a bit, but nowhere near close to getting it under control. Removing this tidbit removes the juicy implications that Camilla's character brings.

Niles/Zero then goes on to explain his background to Camilla, how he likes to give hell to people who he believes have never known hardship. This leads us into A rank. In Japanese, Camilla says this:

"You said I never knew hardship and must have been happy because I'm royalty. I summoned you here to tell you that you're wrong. [...] Did you know? Marx (Xander) is the only one among Nohrian royalty was mothered by the queen. Leon, Elise and I are children of concubines. All of us had different mothers. [...] Concubines are in fragile positions. In order to raise their status, even just a bit, they would quarrel and insult each other during their free time. And that's not all. Their spats affected their children as well. All sorts of conflicts arised using the children as an excuse. [...] Your claim that I'm pitiful is not entirely wrong. I exist only to bind my mother to Father. Mother may have loved me, but perhaps that itself was just love towards Father.

In English, however, she says this:

"I know what you thought! She's royalty! She must be happy! Her life is perfect! You're wrong! I wasn't born in the slums, but my childhood wasn't all roses either. [...] O. Didn't you know? Xander is the only one of my siblings born to the queen. The rest of us-Leo, Elise, and I-we're all children of King Garon's mistresses. Different mistresses, I might add. He loved to pit our mothers against each other. [...] Our mothers were the lowest of the low, trying to claw their way to a better status. Naturally, they used us as bait in all of their conflicts. [...] You said I was pathetic, and you were right! My mother loved me, but only as a pawn. Do I dote on Corrin? Yes, I do! I remember what it feels like to be alone!

---There are several things to note here.

1) The English version says Garon loved to pit the concubines against each other, while the Japanese version says the concubines did it on their volition. The English change doesn't make sense, of course, because the whole reason why Garon went off the deep end was because of the stress borne as result of the concubines feuding. He wasn't cruel when they were alive, he became disillusioned and went mad after the fact, including after Azura's mother came and went.

2) Camilla in the Japanese version presents a more detached scenario, including how she felt towards her mother. The experience no doubt fucked her up, but she truly is reflective on whether her mother loved her, or if that was just an extension of her love for Garon. This contrasts with Leo, who explicitly says he never loved his mom, and Elise who (in the Japanese version at least) says she loved her mom, but her mom didn't love her back. In the English version, Camilla is more sure that her mother didn't love her for real, and calls her and the other concubines the lowest of the low. It's quite different, and I don't know if I dislike the approach compared to the detached one in Japanese.

3) Camilla brings up Corrin in English, saying she dotes on him because she knows what it's like to not be loved. JP version, she doesn't bring him up, and instead further contemplates if her mother actually cared for her.

I know this is about Niles, but what the partner says in a conversation with him can change his response. Case in point, this is the exchange that follows Camilla's background in the Japanese version:

Zero: That's enough, Lady Camilla. I was mistaken. You are not pitiful, you are a woman who's stood strong and never resigned yourself... someone far too dazzling for me.

Camilla: Zero...

In English, this is what the exchange is instead:

Niles: I'm so sorry. I was wrong about you! You disguise your pain well. I didn't realize.

Camilla: I didn't tell you all this so you could apologize. I want you to think twice before you judge someon else unfairly!

---The English version made Niles more impersonal (and kind of a wimp) in his apology, and Camilla more reactive in response. In Japanese, the words he uses are more... genuine? I'd like to say? And Camilla is genuinely stunned that he'd retract his words like that. Again, Niles' can be very compassionate and sincere, he's just a hard nut to crack. And Camilla, well... her violent tendencies was meant to be more of a "tranquil fury" kind of anger, the kind that unnerves and terrifies you, rather than is abrupt and shocking, but the English version sort of altered that as well.

Oh, and in the JP version, as recompense Niles offers to apologize in the nude and be dragged around, but in the English version he asks her to beat him instead. Not to important, because Camilla refuses either way, but in English she does say "Seriously, Niles. I'll pass. If you want to be flogged, you'll have to do it yourself." Which is really fucking funny so kudos to Treehouse, you got a laught out of me.

--S Rank has less important changes, but in Japanese Camilla does get very forward and flirtatious with him, saying that "even though you're not a thief anymore, you've stolen my heart" and is more open to his sexual advances at the end of the conversation. In the English version, though, she gets a bit more scandalized, which is :/

Niles with Corrin

-In C rank, there's a bit of a change. In Japanese Zero says that trust is born from violent clashes but that maybe there was a difference in how him and Kamui were raised. Still, he says it's nice of Kamui to say he trusts him. Kamui's interest is piqued he wants to talk to Zero more, to which the latter says that he has weird hobbies but to do whatever he liked.

In English, Niles instead says "trust is borne ouf of a violent confrontation or traumatic experience. I supposed you must have had some kind of blessed childhood, free from worry." Corrin rebukes this and Niles apologizes. When Corrin tries to probe, Niles says "Oh ho! You offer nothing and expect juicy gossip in return. Sorry, child, but you'll have to do better than that."

--Not only is Niles more antagonistic towards Corrin in English, he also just assumes that Corrin's childhood was good, which he doesn't do in Japanese. He's actually quite objective and calm in Japanese. The change remains odd, because then the B rank flips Niles to be nicer all of a sudden.

Anyway, in B, there's details that are different. In Japanese, Niles says this, when asked to relay his background to Corrin.

Zero: I'm fine with it. It's not really a big deal, anyway. Ever since I've been a child, I've done anything I had to to get by. Stealing, begging, assaulting people, killing them... It would be pretty difficult to think of an evil deed I haven't done. [...] What? Surprised, ar you? I haven't even gotten to the best part! Anything I had that was of any value, I'd sell. Everything you could think of. The most intense one was that one time... who would've thought such a great man would-

But in English, he says this:

Niles: Very well. But you should know up front that it's not all lollipops and puppy dogs. Since I was a chold, I've had to do a lot of unsavory things just to survive. Steal, beg, kill-just another Tuesday for li'l Niles, sadly. [...] Surprised? I haven't even gotten to the good stuff.

--Basically, the Japanese version implies a lot more, including prostitution. The English version cuts it off. After that, it kind of continues the same way, though Niles in the JP version does more openly admit he was exaggerating a bit.

A rank doesn't have anything major regarding Niles, but the "low-friction tactical grappling and strategy" that he mentions in the English version? In Japanese is instead referred to as "sumo wrestling, famous sport in Hoshido." I'm a sucker for a developed world, so someone besides Rinkah talking about sumo was a neat surprise.

The S rank for Female Corrin was pretty faithfully adapted, but was also notoriously used for the Male Corrin as well. Here are the lines that were in the Japanese S support, exclusively for Male Corrin and Niles.

After asking Corrin to marry him, this exchange happens:

Kamui: B-but... I'm a man, you know.

Zero: I'm aware of that. We're both men, and our social positions differ greatly, but I'm saying this with both of those things in mind. I... love you, Lord Kamui. No matter what anyone says. I couldn't keep myself from conveying these feelings any longer.

Kamui: You're serious...

Zero: Yeah. It's the first time I've felt like this. This is different from my loyalyt to Lord Leo- I've been feeling something warm in my body all this time. It's strange... normally, I like watching others be troubled, but when you look sad, I feel a pain in my chest. I want to protect you with my own two hands, keep you precious to me, and spoil you rotten. And... if possible, I wish to make you happier than anybody else.

Kamui: ...Zero...

Zero: Lord Kamui... would you be willing to marry me?

Kamui: ...

Zero: ...I guess that's a no. I'm sure you'd preferred it to have com from a woman, but hearing this from a man must be...

Kamui: … even if you won’t tell me about your past…

Zero: Huh?

Kamui: If it’s about the future, then we should be able to talk about it, right? From bygone days to the future – why don’t we talk about it together? If yes, then… I accept your proposal.

Zero: Is it really all right? Are you certain? You… won’t regret this?

Kamui: I won’t regret it. If I told you I wasn’t surprised, I’d be lying, but… what you said earlier made me so happy. I want to accept your feelings. I want us to be happy together. … from now on and forever, I always want to be with you.

Zero: … Thank you. … I wasn’t wrong about you after all.

Kamui: Haha. It’s an honor to measure up to your expectations.

--You're free to draw your own conclusions on this. I feel that gay relationships are inherently different in our society compared to straight ones, so writing them should be different. Given that, I prefer the original JP lines over the English version making the S rank the same between genders. It feels more real, and the extra lovey-dovey stuff from Niles to M!Corrin exclusively is just, ughhh, chef's kiss.

Endings

The only major different one is the gay one with Niles and M!Corrin in Conquest. In Japanese it's this:

"Kamui, after helping the reconstruction of both Nohr and Hoshido countries, traveled the world. By his side was the constant presence of Zero. It is said that the two of them left stories in every land. In their later years, they opened a small orphanage for children who were not blessed and lived their lives quietly."

In English, it's this:

"After helping restore Hoshido and Nohr, Corrin and Niles traveled the world together. The two were celebrated for their humanitarian work, inspiring songs, folktales, and poems worldwide."

---The English endings in general are a lot shorter, since you're able to convey a lot more information with Japanese letters/characters in the same amount of space compared to the English alphabet. Still, if I had to pick, I wish they brought over the orphanage tidbit instead, it's so fucking sweet.

Private Quarters Lines (These are the big changes that I have issues with)

Japanese (Friendship)

"You're an unguarded person, huh... If I became "interested" and did you right here... What would you do?"

"You're still using your hands purely... Shall I teach that body of yours something good?"

"Not bad. Next time I'll be the one servicing you."

"To have been noticed by a royal like you... wasn't so bad I guess. As thanks, I'll teach you about a lot of various things... Painful things... And pleasurable things, okay?"

English (Friendship)

"You seem nervous. Was this meant to be a date?"

"It's so revealing to see your room like this. I feel like I know you better than ever."

"I know, I know, it's my turn to invite you over. There's just... things... I don't want you to see. Yet."

"To think... an urchin like me... best friends with a royal like you. Life is so strange sometimes..."

Japanese (Lovers)

"For all that I had to endure... you better prepare yourself tonight. Even if you cry or scream... I won't stop."

"Close your eyes. Don't worry... Right now, I won't go any farther than a touch."

"I love you. My heart, which had been broken a long time ago... You picked it up and fixed it."

"Even now, I see this dream... A painful and agonizing dream... From when I was a child. But... If I were to wake up and see you beside me... I'll be okay. Please stay by my side. And when I sleep... Please hold my hand and never let go."

English (Lovers)

"I've waited so long for this. I'm never going to let you go!"

"Close those beautiful eyes for a second. ...Well?"

"I never thought I'd feel this way about anyone. It's a weakness, I suppose..."

"You've taught me to embrace love... and showed me that it can just as exquisite as pain. Let's share plenty of both."

---Yes, Niles in Japanese is more sexually charged, whether you're friends or lovers. But he's also SO MUCH MORE VULNERABLE, what the hell! He talks about how the world has broken his heart and how he has nightmares, and wants Corrin to stay by his side at night, just holding his hand!!! He's being sensitive and sincere and so ooey-gooey, ughhhh! In comparison, I feel the English version turned him into a personified ;) face, which has its own charm, but thinking about what it replaced? Yeah, it's no contest for me, I think the Japanese lines are better. Similarly...

Confession

Japanese: "So warm... Is this love? I can feel you deep inside me. When did I... become like this... and fall in love with you."

English: "Do you have any idea what you're getting into? I sure hope not."

---The confession is also a lot sweeter and heartfelt in Japanese, while impersonal and trying to be funny in English. I dearly love Niles when he's open and sincere, and it's a shame that many just haven't seen it.

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That's all I had to comment on! Thank you for reading, this was really fucking long lmaoooo.

[panlight]

in a better world, i think a book about nessie would have her confiding in alice about how alienated she feels from both vampires and humans (because alice is the only vampire in the household who doesn't remember being human and can't empathize with the pain of having to leave that life behind). she doesn't have a "human" life to remember, but she also isn't QUITE a vampire, either (heartbeat, can eat human food & sleep, etc.). she's Different, even to the other hybrids, who had a very different upbringing and who she might feel resent her for having two loving parents to guide her.

i could see nessie and alice going on a little self-acceptance journey, with nessie's questions leading alice to confront her own repressed feelings of Otherness. you could get a lot of great angst out of that situation! nessie has an abbreviated childhood and realizes that her relationships with her family are fundamentally different to the relationships normal humans have with their families. alice realizes how much she relies on her powers to soothe her anxieties about her own relationships, constantly scanning her futures for the choices that will make people like her the most. nessie navigating a world where she is held up as the perfect child/person for raising herself when she actually needs support. alice learning to let some things be left to chance, because it's not ALWAYS terrifying to not know what will happen next. you could absolutely make nessie a relatable narrator even with her more fantastical qualities.

but alas, i don't think it would go that way in meyer's hands.

Definitely! There are ways it could be done! But I also agree with your 'alas,' that isn't probably not what SM will do with it.

I would bet cash money that there's going to be some sort of love triangle or at least triangle-adjacent thing with Nahuel and Jacob and Nessie's isolation and Otherness is not going to go much deeper than, "ugh I'm so weak and useless because I sleep and don't sparkle" and not really address any of the actual psychological issues that would arise given Nessie's nonexistent childhood and having someone literally living to be her everything (Jacob) since the moment she was born.

I see fics and headcanons where Nessie doesn't know/realize Jacob imprinted and is horrified when she finds out and I'm always like ???? she knows?? She calls him "My Jacob," like she totally gets it. It also is NORMAL to her. She's never known anything else. If anything it might be weird when she sees enough of the world to realize that other people DON'T have their soulmate with them from birth.

There's interesting stuff in there, even if I still basically 'nothing' Renesmee as a character (I don't like her, don't actively dislike her, she's just . . . there), but I think we're going to get more fantasy romance and I think SM probably got the "it's better to be human, actually" stuff out of her system with The Host, which she was going to do sequels to, too, if I remember correctly, and never did.

[thyfleshc0nsumed]

I'm struggling with 12 step real fuckin hard right now. I've always had disagreements with many of NA's ideas, even if I've found it helpful for me personally. I think a lot of it is good and useful and true, like especially the "I cannot control anything besides the actions that I take" kinda stuff. Definitely not unique to twelve step or anything, like thats more or less the foundation of like half of all spiritual thought ever, but still, it's laid out in ways that I've found useful in practical terms.

But idk. They can say it's a spiritual and not religious program all they like, but the program is fundamentally objectivist in most of its beliefs (not like, the Ayn Rand kind of objectivism, just like, the opposite of subjectivism) and that sort of objectivism requires something to originate the objective ontologies. In the program, boundaries between things both physical and metaphysical exist in an objective matter. And sure, I've met very few members whose "god" refers to Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ, but at the root of it, they still believe in some theistic master of the universe, even if it is a secular one.

Meetings just piss me the fuck off nowadays. I go in and say "I'm fucking struggling here, I'm an atheist, like a real fuckin atheist, like actually an atheist for real, and the answers that the program gives that work for everybody else don't fuckin work for me on account of my belief in a purely physical universe," then some fuck goes "yeah, I had trouble with the god thing too, I mean i'm also an atheist but I was told to not let it worry me and trust the process. My god is the group/process/universe/whatever," and its like, no you stupid motherfucker, I do not have a fucking god at all and I need one to actually work this fucking step that I'm on.

And don't get me wrong, there are many things that appear and in some ways might as well function as a god due to the limitations of the human mind, but its no different than staring at static on a television and seeing images in it. The images aren't actually there outside of our perspective, our fucking brains are just being given too much data to properly process it all, so it imposes already processed data onto it. And right now, it feels like the program and every member I hear from is just saying "no, those images really are there, trust the process and you'll see them too," and its like FUCK!!!!!!!!! The problem isn't that I'm not seeing the images, I DO see the images sometimes, the problem is that I fucking know they aren't there in any non-subjective sense!!!!!!!!!! I can't un-know what I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!

idk. Im just struggling. I tried a lot of shit to get sober and NA was the only thing that fucking worked. There is some personal truth i've found in it, both in the nature of my addiction and in the nature of life without drugs. But as I get more and more and more time, it feels like it keeps working for me less and less and less. And idk what to do about it. idk. I wish I believed in a god.

[juunipupu]

Hi, yes, hello! First of: love your work, hope I can become as good an artist as you are! Secondly (and the actual ask), do you have any specific sources you reference for the symbolism of things and historical wear/weapons/armor?

I saw your mention of Whose Middle Ages? in your latest ramble and got curious if you have any go-to's when it comes to this.

Thank you! :)

So I might be the worst person to be asked about period accurate clothing - I look at stuff and then try to replicate it from memory most of the time, so nothing is correct and periods get mixed together. However, I do have recommendations!! (sorry for a ramble, I'll put in under cut)

The type of medievalist art I'm mostly interested in is from Pre-Raphaelite era (1848->). There was an exhibition here in Finland mixing both true medieval, pre-raphaelite, and symbolism works together into the ultimate medievalist concoction that really had amazing inspiration for both symbolism and clothing. I own the book, which unfortunately is only available in Finnish and Norwegian

2. Unfortunate I cannot find/remember the artists anymore, but over on bluesky there are really great fellow armor enthusiasts sharing links to their drives for reference pictures they have taken from museums etc - these threads pop-up from time to time to combat AI slop on other reference picture platforms (like pinterest).

3. For really good breakdowns on super super accurate armor and arms, look no further than a really great artist mudnblood . Another artist I will always find to be a master of medival armor (and many other things) is John Howe

4. cheesy, but Kingdom Come: Deliverance II has really great armor references, because you can rotate Henry in character screen and take pieces of armor on/off

5. I like to look at HEMA content -There are really great resources on youtube of historical warfare and combat, but these creators will also often make breakdown of their own armor and how they dress everything on, where you can get good understanding of how pieces work together.

6. Medievalist scholars! Another book I've found to be insanely interesting aside from Whose Middle Ages?, is "Handbook of Arthurian Romance : King Arthur's Court in Medieval European Literature" (Tether et al., 2017). I wish I had recommendation, but these two specifically go into masculinity, desire, and queer studies in a way that brings me joy (and other great topics as well)

Lastly, thank you for the amazing ask!

[drdemonprince]

so i wanted to get involved with a local mutual aid group, and in filling out their volunteer interest form, they have a box where you affirm that you aren't a cop or "affiliated in employment or otherwise with the department of homeland security". i live with someone who works for DHS, so since seeing this form, i've really questioned whether i should put myself in mutual aid, activist, etc spaces at all. i worry it puts others at risk, and i worry that because i didn't consider this a risk before, i'm not capable of accurately assessing risk to others in activist spaces. i don't know what risk my household member who works for DHS poses realistically to these efforts, but it makes me really anxious to think that i can't figure it out. i know i can still support movements by doing things like contributing financially when i can (although the reason i live with this person who works for DHS is because i can't financially support living independently......) but i'd be happy to do more than that, and i can't figure out if that's safe. do you have any perspective on this? thank you

I think it is true living with someone who works for DHS could make you a liability to any kind of radical organizing *for now*. I hope that others will share their thoughts in the notes, but generally speaking if your DHS-employed housemate is going to be at all aware of your comings and goings, close associates, habits, has access to your computer and phone and other private items, etc, it could pose a genuine risk to you and everyone you make contact with.

My recommendation would be to keep your involvement to publicly announced events and really uncontroversial initiatives -- feeding people, community gardening, coat drives, handing out masks and naloxone, clothing swaps, that kind of stuff. You can still lend a helping hand that is very much needed to keep people fed & looked after and that stuff is just as needed as the riskier stuff. You could also do some record-keeping type stuff of non-controversial, legal/relatively legal efforts -- like my local mutual aid group always needs someone to answer the phone and fill out a spreadsheet with requested items that neighbors need.

If it is possible to leverage your connection with a DHS worker to gather information that would be useful to organizers and do things like tip them off before raids happen or let them know if there is going to be a state presence at any actions they are planning, that would be a VERY EXCELLENT THING FOR YOU TO DO but it is RISKY. Consider how and if you can take advantage of the right moment should it arrive -- this would mean developing relationships with organizers and getting into some encrypted chats with them in advance so you could pass intel along. You might not feel adequately prepared for any of that yet, in which case your work right now might be more fully informing yourself, building relationships, and doing kind of safe mutual aid work. Which is all really valuable stuff.

[sobbingscripter]

hi pookie butt!!! it’s been a minute since i’ve picked ur brain 😛 who in invincible do u think gives their s/o’s and/or friends nicknames or pet names? who’s against them? what would they be if they do like giving them?

this question came to me after realizing how much i tend to dislike reader shortening characters’ names in fics because irl i am not a nickname person at all 😭 unless u were introduced to me with that nickname, its gonna be ur government i fear… i do fw pet names tho i be calling my friends babe and love and pookie bc those r my babies - 🦋

Nolan.

Listen. EVERYONE is "buddy", "champ", "sport", "kiddo". Because he's just so warm. He's the neighbour you greet in the morning. He's calling Debbie "honey" or "beautiful". And "sexy" or "hot stuff" if he wants to make Mark nauseous.

William and Debbie use nicknames like, the second most. "Sweetie", "honey". Debbie tosses in a "baby" here and there too. I can see it because they're very warm. And William just loves "babe". Only reason he doesn't use it, is because his main friend is a heterosexual man.

Third is Rex. But they are not nicknames you should ever be called in public. I'm talking "dickhead" and "skidmark". You'd be embarassed to know him and if he calls you something in public, and you don't look, best believe, it WILL get worse.

Mark wouldn't really use nicknames unless it's either to piss the recipient off, or if he's like, in love. If it's to piss someone off, it's "Willy" and "Rexxy" and "Cecil Weecil" or some shit that makes you wanna punch him in the throat.

If it's his partner, he's going DELICATE. "My baby", "pretty girl", "baby", "cutie". He'll call you the weirdest shit, but it just sounds good cause he's got that dorky laugh with it.

I think they're all kinda government name. Only busting out the petnames when the moment calls for it.

But who's against it? Definitely Cecil, Immortal, Kate cause she hates fun and happiness and the smiles of children.

Conquest wouldn't use them but he'd LOVEEEE to be called them. Hit him with the "big boy", man is giggling and kicking his feet. Thragg? Death sentence. Instantly.

BUT if he's soft for you, you might get away with being called "pet". And he'll say some shit like, "You don't have to call me Grand Regent Thragg." And his lip would curl just a bit, a huff would leave him and he'd tip his chin. And add, "Call me Grand Regent."

It's a little hard to describe who would be for it and who wouldn't.

But like, I got the main-ish ones down.

Ooh, and Rae. Definitely loves nicknames. For her partner, it'd be the classic "babe" or "honey" but she'd love being called "four-eyes". Cause then she can insult you back and being able to have shitty nicknames shows comfort. But she'd also like being called, "love". Like, all softly.

Like, if she's calling you to show you something but you're busy, and you just hum like, a "mhm?" And you look at her and she's like, melting on the inside because you look tired but your eyes are so soft and you're looking at her like she's your whole world and.

Ehehehehehehe.

[bomberqueen17]

smorkles

So anyway. I don't remember when I last posted about anything and I'm not going to go look it up.

I don't start back at the farm until May 13th. My cabin has no electricity currently but there is apparently a trench being dug, and it will contain both a real electrical line (not a duct-taped extension cord!) and a water line??? of some kind??? with actual potable water??? sounds fake but ok.

but I am going to, not quite the farm, this week, leaving tomorrow. And i am going to stay with my middle-little sister. Because her housemate moved out, and her house needs some renovations, and now she's thinking she needs to sell that house and downsize to a smaller one, and that's all fine but like the main thing she needs to do is to get rid of like 3/4 of the objects she owns, and i say this from a place of I also have to get rid of like 3/4 of the objects I own and I dont' know how to do it or how to make her do it either and hate the entire concept of the process. But hey. There it is.

I am bringing her a kitchen table and a whole-ass tree that was rescued from dude's work office but is too tall for our ceilings. she has higher ceilings. we'll see how this goes.

i feel like i should be sort of retrospecting on what i did this off-season. right? like my life is in two annual chunks: farm work season, and not farm work season. Farm work season is usually April-ish through the beginning of December. And then since the beginning of December I've been doing Not Farm Work and I have no idea if I've achieved any of those goals. Did I set goals? IDK.

I did want to get my ADHD shit sorted out. So I started seeing a therapist. And she's admitted she's like, for short-term stuff, and needs to get me passed along to more of a specialist type person maybe. IDK. I've been told to form habits, told to buy a notebook to turn my life around with, and in other doses been fed things that i have largely seen before because i have been living like this for like, 40 years.

anyway. and also i tried all the basic meds, everything's "here try this and see what it does" dosages have given me negative side effects and no good effects, so if I want to continue trying to medicate myself I need to actually have a psychiatrist who I can ask questions of and get a response faster than two weeks. (That's how long it took to hear back on whether I could stop taking atomoxetine when it started giving me really bad anhedonia. Thankfully i had already figured that out on my own twelve days before, because i could not have lived like that for those twelve additional days, it was really bad. also he was like "and discontinue wellbutrin" my friend i discontinued wellbutrin in 2014 so i'm not sure who this was addressed to.)

but. yesterday's conversation, the therapist was going on about different things-- I had been given a rundown by a friend about the different types of behavioral therapy that existed, and how some of those might be more useful in trying to make concrete improvements in one's life, and my person was like "the thing is most of those are just fancy names for stuff you've largely already encountered so there is not going to be a magic technique that fixes you" and it's like

the thing is when have i ever said "find magic technique/drug that fixes me" is a therapy goal? That's not my goal. My goal is explicitly "figure out better coping mechanisms than what I have because brute-forcing normality for as long as I can and then feeling real shitty when I can't anymore isn't very sustainable", and no, I don't think that ACT or DBT is going to magically fix me, but if I can find more tools through a coordinated approach, wouldn't that be good?

What i can say is that so far using a lot of CBT-lite language and making lists has actually given me a borderline-pathological avoidance of my Special Notebook, in which i can no longer write but i do still carry it everywhere like a talisman (it's very useful. not), so I'm writing essays on discarded envelopes because I can't even use The Good Scrap Paper for this, when I tell you I've scarred myself trying to figure out how to make a fucking to-do list I'm not exaggerating.

So I have an essay written on an envelope from which i'm trying to extract, like, a thematic through-line to guide me in what to do next, and then a bunch of witterings in a discord convo, and I wrote a list of things I want to bring, and I did go move some furniture just now so I can get that table out of my house at some point.

Anyway, though, mid-conversation, the therapist was like, "have you ever heard of smorkles?" and i was like "i'm -- what? smorkles?" and she was excited and was like "oh this one will be so good for you!" and i was like "Sporkles? Smorkles? I'm not sure i"m hearing you, can you spell that" and she proceeded to spell out the word "smart" which

yes I do know about SMART goals actually, they are a management technique from the 80s that my dude uses extensively in his job as a staff engineer (which is like management but not quite) in his very corporate job at a very large software company, and he had laid out the criteria for me very earnestly once on a walk. so i do in fact know about them but not how to really apply that to my own life, and would need to figure out how to break that down, and i need a lot more steps than 'find a pen' and 'buy The Notebook That's Gonna Turn Your Life Around' to make that work.

but anyway.

i've decided now that smorkles are my new technique. and yes also smart goals but I think I'm going to call it "smorkles" because then I can make memes about my commitment to smorkle motion etc.

i need to figure out what SMORKLE is an anagram for. er, not anagram. the other thing.

[burrntnuggets]

you doing ok? It's been awhile since you've posted, I hope your ok :)

HI! HELLO! yea I'm alright I've just been focused more on personal projects like things revolving around ocs and stuff, I haven't been very indulged in things like fandoms so it kind of caused me to neglect my socials since I know people mainly follow me for stuff like dandy's worldddd my hyper fix on dandy's world died a little and I'm just like,, shuckss!! I don't really know what to post cause of it,, like! I could post oc things but I don't think any one would really be interested in that unless I uploaded a comic or something to let people under stand things like lore but at the same time,, i don't think anyone would really be interested in that ??

I don't really know,, I might get around to doing requests eventually