#and to this day I've never just simply forgiven him because he had a boo hoo sad past

[dmclemblems]

#but then when it can't justify her her retorts devolve into no u and while it's basically a meme it's also totally spot on?

Hahaha i laughed because it's totally that. During the "parley" with Dimitri? She doesn't know how to answer so she talks about something else.

I think her silver medal is with Rhea though, in the same "no u" map. Earlier she told Billy Rhea manipulated humans to put dragons on top, and then in their battle quote Rhea is all "your ancestor saved and protected me. I'm so sad I have to fight his descendant" but Edel, instead of reconsidering all of her "sekrit" knowledge and how maybe if Wilhelm had just be a pawn Rhea wouldn't be so sad, answers with "lol i'm not going to die to you".

CF is the beast route because it's peak comedy.

Localization/translation discussion... 👀

Yeah, I noticed that as well in AM. The only times she directly responded to him, he always had a comeback and she didn't really justify herself so much as explain what she was doing. When she tried, like I said, he had a proper comeback and it got to the point that he gave up because she just wasn't listening.

The thing that frustrates me most about that conversation is precisely that though - she doesn't listen when faced with the truth. She can't accept that what she's doing isn't good and that she's hurting people. She could easily admit she messed up and made mistakes but that it's too late to go back now, yadda yadda, but when she's cornered in a conversation she changes the topic or talks about something else that sounds similar.

A way of telling if someone is like this and the true villain of a story (not to say TWS aren't also the true villains, hence why I also wish CF had you working with them as playable characters and whatnot) is the way they never admit their wrongs. All the lords (again, including Yuri bc I do count him as one) and Rhea admit when they fucked up and apologize for it. Claude's wrongs are on a lesser scale, but he does admit to using and manipulating people for his own ends. It IS for a better world but of course he isn't using that as an excuse when it comes to admitting he's been pulling some strings. Sometimes he's pushy and rude (very much mainly pre-ts), but he isn't blind to or refusing to see that he's doing that. Dimitri is a more obvious one via his arc and same with Rhea in SS/VW, and Yuri admits he does what he does to protect his own people and he has no shame in that. He's willing to get his hands dirty, he knows he's doing that, and he doesn't shy away from it, and I appreciate that he's up front about it and that he knows he can use questionable tactics (same with Claude - he knows he's questionable sometimes).

I think for me at least personally, it's frustrating that people argue morals when they technically weren't supposed to be there. As you know, as someone who has been involved in translation/manga scanlation for a long time now, it hits heavy for me when context is lost or warped. That's part of why I don't like Edelgard even as a character (versus liking her as a person, because while I don't, I also find that her writing - mainly her localization - is a contradictory issue). When working on the projects I do, my aim is to keep context as close as possible and not lose the original meaning even if we have to alter text to make it sound right in English or because something had to be changed due to it being that it just wouldn't make sense in translation.

Things like this, all the confusion surrounding her character and real intentions, is exactly why I don't like translation alterations. It also pulls me out of the game when a character can't really back themselves up due to the writing being confusing and just... bad. Not to say the entire localization is bad, because sometimes it's really good, but for CF I found that a lot of the time I didn't like the route because something about it always felt off to me... come to find out later that it was a translation issue.

Tbh I'd love to play the game in JP and I really should honestly. The voice acting in English is what's kept from doing that because the voice acting is so good. I much prefer it over the JP for this game, and of course it helps that the voice actors (many of them, honestly) interact with the fandom and do streams of various games and are so welcoming.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with the Tales franchise, but Tales of Hearts R had a similar issue with localization, though the fans actually recognized the slip ups and problems with it because the audio is JP only and there's no English audio and only English text. Hearing the audio and seeing the text was... something else, ngl lol. The localization is pretty infamous for being too much of an attempt at being quirky and goofy, and it came out sounding really dumb most of the time. There were instances where they'd have entire lines of dialogue for a very small comment or vice versa. I LOVE Hearts R no question, but dealing with the localized text is pretty painful. I'm at least grateful I can hear the real story through audio, though of course I'm not fluent in JP and I can always stand to learn more so sometimes there are instances where I can't make out a whole piece of dialogue and have to rely on the awkward goofy localization.

There were definitely some instances where I found Rhea's localization to be okay, like the part you mention here. Sometimes her actual character does shine through, but then of course Edelgard's responses are off topic. I'm not sure how many times that was the localization doing that and how many times it was actually like that since I haven't looked particularly deeply into CF's localization (mainly because as we're discussing, it just doesn't sit right with me), but it's still causing a lot to be desired. I don't really have that issue with other routes in terms of context.

Tl;dr translation is very important to how a story is consumed by people who aren't playing in the original language and it can completely change perceptions and opinions. Me no likey bad changes. Me likey understandable, reasonable changes that don't try to glorify characters that were not glorified in the original context.

Imagine if we glorified Ashnard. Oh wait, we did... through Edelgard. Because they're basically the same person LUL. Except Ashnard is a way cooler villain and he owns it like a boss.

Like no, literally, Edelgard is just female Ashnard written really badly and that's all there is to it. Ashnard out here like no dragons in power pls, just want to use their power for myself (re: Edelgard hates Crests but has no problem using Aymr) and make an empire where the strong dominate the weak and the strong rule everything, gaining power and climbing the ranks for being strong.

Like damn, at least ya boi knows he ain't righteous (and look, he's not a hot woman so he's not as popular!). also he's racist to laguz and edelgard is the same way with dragons so uh. yeah.

also yes the tags devolve into me hollering about zelgius so that's where we at

[punkscowardschampions]

Ava & James

Ava: [some cute non-scary halloween decor when she's out in town] Ava: these could work for Mattie's party? [whatever shop they are in] Ava: wouldn't make any of the guests 💩 themselves, beyond what is standard James: you don't have to worry about decorating Ava: just if you needed extra stuff 😊 Ava: you managed to book someone? James: not yet but I wasn't dissuaded by the busy tone when I had to search for your lost bracelet if you recall Ava: you're very dedicated Ava: and resourceful Ava: I just happen to be both myself too James: I have happened to notice that about you James: alongside many other desirable traits Ava: how many are we talking? 😄 James: countless, of course James: you know numbers aren't my forte Ava: words are prettier Ava: especially yours Ava: asking for help isn't either, is all I'm trying to say Ava: I wouldn't go so far as to call it undesirable but worrisome, sometimes James: there isn't anything for you to worry about, that's all I'm saying James: I'll have all the help I could possibly want, or pay for, as soon as I manage to procure it Ava: Okay Ava: but you can't tell me not to worry about you, or I'll have to refuse and I don't like to refuse you James: I wouldn't dream of telling you what you can or can't do James: I may hold the pen but the way it moves across the page is entirely down to you Ava: then I'd like to help you Ava: even if you just give me the list of party planners and I try to call them instead of you adding that to your never-ending to-do list James: Ava Ava: It's not a problem Ava: I'm doing less than nothing right now James: refusing you isn't on my to-do list or something I take any pleasure in whatsoever myself but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a problem James: right now you may have less than nothing scheduled but it could become a big ask if you're the point of contact for one of these over the top party planners James: I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy Ava: So what you're saying is, a job half done is no help at all, I see that Ava: over the top party planner could describe half the people I know, I can handle that James: it isn't a question of if you can, but rather why you should have to Ava: I don't have to, obviously Ava: the question should be why wouldn't I want to make your life even a fraction easier James: how often you already do isn't remotely in question either though Ava: I'm not keeping score, I can assure you Ava: it's no hardship for me, like I said Ava: it's worse to see you struggle, definitely James: the only assurance I have in such a case being that I would lose, unless we were playing scrabble potentially James: it simply isn't fair of me to ask you & so, I will not Ava: Okay, then I'll ask you if you'll be mad at me if I help you regardless James: I don't think I'm even hypothetically capable of being mad at you for an act of kindness Ava: I'm not going to step on your toes unnecessarily, at least I hope I'm not that type Ava: but if say no more about it works for both of us, then I can work with that James: I hope I haven't given you the impression that's what I think Ava: not at all Ava: but I live in equal hope that you don't think I'm that extra I'd takeover a baby's birthday for my own decorating whims James: It's just that it's the first time that I've had to take over doing anything like this James: I hoped, should I dare to, that I'd be better at it Ava: There's a reason you can hire people to do it for you, and I'm sure Chloe had plenty of help, even if her vision had to be followed to the letter Ava: it's a lot of work for one person, never mind the day to day stuff that doesn't just disappear in the meantime James: you're right, which for the record, is the type you are Ava: I'll take right for you any day James: well, I'll give you that any day, without any hint of a struggle Ava: sounds good to me 😋 Ava: what were you doing, before I so rudely waylaid you? James: discussing figures which my father refuses to admit he cannot make sense of, therefore you're immediately forgiven Ava: can't admit numbers aren't his speciality either Ava: I won't even pretend I'm going to just leave you to it then, as that sounds equal parts dull and frustrating James: I'm aware that now isn't the time to comment on his stubbornness since my own won't let you help me, but yes Ava: I'm not about to compare you to your father, especially when I find it equally as hard and baffling a concept to be mad at you when you're just being you James: it isn't a comparison that would stand for very long, hard & baffling as he finds that to accept Ava: there's a lot of problems with the heir and a spare method, they don't tell you that James: or indeed what to do when your first born & favourite child is female in spite of your old fashioned ideals James: now there's a fitting comparison you'll undeniably make upon seeing them in a room together, as everyone does Ava: Who's your mum's favourite? Ava: and I look forward to judging a family that isn't my own for once James: Teddy, of course Ava: I could have guessed that James: I'm surprised you didn't Ava: I'll tell him he has mummy's boy energy to his face, no need to waste a perfectly good burn James: he does & you should Ava: 😏 that I can add to my to-do list no problem Ava: you're my favourite, you know James: see if you can also get him to come to the party for a while, assuming there is one James: you'll still be my favourite even if you can't Ava: Of course he'll come Ava: he's her uncle, and where else does he have to be James: as far as he's concerned anywhere else is preferable because he's her uncle James: & a teenager Ava: I'll talk him 'round Ava: he's 17, not 12 Ava: older than you were when you had Jay, he can manage James: he's managed not to babysit her once since she was born, but I have faith in you, darling Ava: I wish I was totally surprised Ava: he might be more receptive now Ava: you know, without Chloe also around James: if she decides to make an appearance he won't be the only one less than thrilled to see her Ava: Do you think she will? James: I think it's unlikely but that doesn't make it a definite no however much I would like it to be James: there's a part of me expecting to see her around every corner at any given moment of the day James: & it's not just any day so Ava: Yeah Ava: it seems hard to believe she'd miss her daughter's first birthday but then a lot of her actions and reasonings are so Ava: if she comes, you'll be fine, she's been at every other event, in lots of ways it's less unknown than if she doesn't James: fine might be an overstatement of how I'll be but that can stay between us Ava: It can Ava: even if it ends up that I can't be there Ava: I'll still only be a call away James: I refuse to write an ending like that Ava: I want to be there, but I doubt she'll accept that if she does make an appearance James: the threat of her appearance doesn't dictate the guestlist, gone are the days when she controls what I or the girls do James: we all want you to be there Ava: You're right Ava: not purely agreeing for my own benefit Ava: but it isn't the time to start reverting back to old ways, no need to give a mile to her inch Ava: and it's all hypothetical as yet, and the need for a party planner isn't so I'll focus James: there are plenty of family members I would hypothetically uninvite regardless of whether or not she chooses to RSVP, purely for my own benefit James: maybe when it's my birthday Ava: you can be as exclusive as you like then Ava: and you can't even be hypothetically mad when I organize it all for you James: I promise to be genuinely grateful Ava: you don't need to be, it's your birthday Ava: you deserve to be thoroughly spoilt James: we should go away somewhere, to recover from the lingering stress of Christmas and the new year at the very least Ava: and all the awful gotta be on the slopes at Christmas crowd will be gone by then too Ava: can we? 😃 James: yes Ava: I love you James: I love you too Ava: [do you wanna post this bit and then I can find some socials or something to show she's organizing shit 'cos obviously we're not gonna get a party planner now] James: [that's a good idea boo]