#localization vs original

[moritakathedrawer-leonaguilez]

Support differences of the Hoshidan siblings from the Original script vs the English localization

They say that in the Original Japanese version of Fates there are many changes that were different from what we got in the English localization. So I wanted to see for myself if that was true, however, I don’t know Japanese yet, I’m still starting. Very fortunately, I found a translation mod and this is the closest thing I could feel to the original.

And when I played it, I did not expect differences in the script and supports, they are not just mere translations or rewording. And the whole time I was like “WHY DID THEY REMOVE THAT?! It makes more sense and flavour for the story, and without it, there would be gaps in the story. But on the flip side there are things I like in the localization and funnily it added more flavour too.

Thus, I would like to share what I noticed with the support differences with the Hoshidan siblings in my Birthright run.Mostly the main theme of the supports are the same however the mood, feeling and tone would be changed if some lines are removed or changed, I notice the changes could affect  Corrin/Kamui’s relationship with his siblings.

--Very long post ahead--

Note that I would use Corrin’s Japanese Hoshidan name, Kamui interchangeably for flavour. I would use Corrin for the EN while Kamui for the JP.

Let’s start with Hinoka, because I noticed a few differences.

 Hinoka’s support’s seems to be the same in both version but in the localization it feels worded better since in EN she felt relieved and proud to be Corrin’s big sister but in JP she still feels guilty of what she did with Mikoto and doesn’t feel she deserves to be Kamui’s big sister. This is one of the few times I prefer the EN version, however this is one of my least favourite supports so I can’t impartially look at this.

For the rest of the siblings,it is way longer and I will go through every little detail I noticed.

Sakura and Kamui

C SUPPORT:

Besides some changes in the wordings and such, I could not notice major differences in tone or mood of the script that changes the flavour of the conversation even though the Japanese script seems to be longer.

B SUPPORT:

In the EN version, the conversation starts with Corrin asking Sakura questions right away about why she wanted to become a priestess, it’s more like an interview. However, in the JP version it is longer and feels like a conversation— Kamui starts by discussing a book on History and gods which was cut out in EN, here Kamui tries to connect with her anxious and awkward little sister.

This may be minor or not, and the localizations may not be translated word for word, but I noticed the differences between the portraits of the two versions. It seems that Kamui is more direct and Sakura is more anxious or uneasy in the EN ver than in the JP where Kamui is more patient and Sakura is calmer. We can also notice these portrait differences with other supports.

A SUPPORT:

This part is very noticeable, the EN version is so condensed than the Japanese version that it lost meaning than the original where it shows a lot why Sakura she is now— the causes of her anxiety and overthinking. The JP version expanded Sakura’s overthinking that shows her scenario of what-ifs, like if she was the one who was actually kidnapped, Big brother Kamui would be the one would be worried, and she really feels bad about Kamui’s kidnapping and fears Kamui would not be kind to her which this leads to her more anxiety. Kamui reassures his little sister Sakura that it’s all okay and he will always be there for her.  

You can see that the EN is awfully shorter than JP. And JP Kamui’s words are more caring and worried while EN Corrin feels pity.

MY THOUGHTS:

As you saw,the EN version is awfully short and many parts were cut/condensed that it paints that Sakura is just very anxious and Corrin is direct with his words and looks at her with pity making her more anxious. Compared to the JP version, it gives full context and story why she’s so anxious, socially and mentally. It shows the whole story why she is an overthinker, and the whole reason why is scared of facing her lost sibling knowing she was originally planned to be taken according to rumours and she feels guilty to be not taken. I also like the flow of their conversation because it shows Kamui is trying to connect with Sakura and not scaring her too much with questions compared to the EN version. I especially love the last part of their A-support where Kamui says that he will protect her as a Big brother and never leave her precious little sister’s side. Most of all, I love the JP version because it made me appreciate Sakura a lot more because honestly when I first read the EN version it felt lacking.

The EN version is so short that I suspect: Do they have a word limit counter?

Takumi & Kamui

C SUPPORT:

In EN Corrin wants to connect to Takumi, but his response is hostile and they’re being sarcastic with each other due to Corrin’s background with Nohr. Corrin wants to learn archery to prove his loyalty and dedication to Hoshido, to gain trust and give him a chance to prove himself in battle his loyalty.

In JP, Kamui wants to connect with Takumi like in EN BUT because he wants to bond with him. Takumi isn’t fully trusting him but he is open to bond with Kamui unlike his reactions in EN. As Kamui didn’t grow up with Takumi, he didn't know what to talk about and it became awkward. As Kamui sees that Takumi is into archery, learning through him would be a good place to start bonding.

Comparing the two versions, you will see that EN’s theme is all about loyalty, while the JP version is about sibling bonding. [Skipped lines means they are exactly the same]

Like I said, EN Takumi is more sarcastic and hard on Corrin versus the JP version. Also take note of these closing lines of the JP version because it will appear again in their A-support and it’s worth mentioning.

B SUPPORT:

In this support, it shows Takumi teaching Corrin archery, then taking a break. When EN Corrin says that Takumi makes it look easy, he does not take this well and sees it as sarcasm and when talking about archery they both just brush it off as effortless. But in the JP,when Kamui expresses that archery is harder than it looks. JP Takumi gives his insights about the beauty and effort of archery which was cut out in EN. Kamui praises Takumi how amazing Takumi is and Takumi didn’t expect such praise that it caught him off guard other than the sarcastic remark in EN.

You can see how the EN version again condensed the JP script comparing the two. In short. The EN version shows Takumi doing it effortlessly while the JP version shows beauty and perfection in archery.

A SUPPORT:

At the end of the B support Corrin injured his hand and in this A support he still strives to learn archery despite his injuries.  

In EN, Corrin says that Takumi is a strict but a good teacher and he hoped that Corrin was worth his time. Then Takumi admits that he is good but doubts him. This shows that he’s truly dedicated and loyal to Hoshido and wants to continue to train him.

But in JP, the whole time Kamui is genuinely excited to learn, you could tell he wants to bond with his little brother Takumi, and compliments him how amazing he is. And in turn, Takumi is liking Kamui and sees what a gentle and kind person he is and now sees him as a sibling and enjoying his company. This recognition makes Kamui very happy.  

The major changes in themes you would notice is that in EN Corrin is doing it as an obligation/business to prove his loyalty and dedication. And in JP that Kamui wants to connect and know more about Takumi who once was hostile to him, it is a true sibling bonding and to have connection.

Remember those final lines in their C-support, it’s cute in A-support there’s a call back to that in the JP version: “Please treat me well, big brother Kamui”.

MY THOUGHTS:

 Takumi and Kamui’s relationship is interesting because it had a rocky start. I always find their dynamic interesting and I am curious how their support would play out. When I first read the EN supports, it didn’t feel like they’re connecting, it felt more like a business relationship and just doing it to resolve things. When I read these supports in JP, I LOVE IT! It mending their relationship, it felt more meaningful than the EN version, and it felt like a genuine sibling bonding.

 The whole time I was reading the JP version , I was like “WHYYYY???????!!”. Why the heck the localization team rewrote this from a nice bonding/connecting to just doing it to prove loyalty. In the original Takumi is more receptive and I love the final lines of Takumi, “please treat me well, Big Brother” because he also said that in C-support too, I love that call back it shows that Takumi has trust with Kamui as a sibling. The JP version shows Takumi’s passion and love for archery through expressing the beauty and striving for perfection.  While EN Takumi is just reactive and too proud. Dammit localization team! 

In short EN version made it about duty, dedication and loyalty vs JP version’s sibling bonding and connection.

Ryouma and Kamui

C SUPPORT:

In this support Kamui wanted to know about his Hoshidan siblings when he was taken away and wanted to connect. In JP Ryouma looks forward to talking and excited to connect with Kamui and he even has a gift that has a lot of meaning to him. It felt more sincere and warm . He is accommodating, and even tells Kamui that they, his siblings,  have a good opinion on Kamui. However, EN Ryoma tells Corrin’s situation is just sad or unhappy and his conversation felt short, and he is too busy that they’ll talk in another time.  

As you can see again that EN is shortened and condensed again than the original which loses the meaning and expression of desire of Ryouma to get close with Kamui.

B SUPPORT:

In this support Ryouma is describing his siblings, both versions felt the same but EN Ryoma is shown to be very busy again and when he talks about his siblings it’s brief and it seems that his mind is somewhere else. But in JP he is very eager to talk to Kamui and takes his time. You can see in the first part of this conversation he does not imply he is busy unlike in EN, and when talking about his siblings it felt more detailed. However it’s too long that I couldn’t add the screenshot here. The huge difference can be noticed in the last part of this support.

 When Kamui feels left out from Ryouma’s stories, it feels more depressing with his reply in EN where he reiterates that his background is troubling and sad— “Your story is troubling one”. In contrast to JP Ryouma, He comforts Kamui and is very thankful and happy that Kamui is back to them safely and he values his moments with Kamui — “I am grateful you treasure our moments together”. 

Notice the contrasts with their portraits:

A SUPPORT:

Corrin felt left out and melancholic when Ryoma was talking about their siblings, in JP version the way he handle it that he is more caring, concerned and brotherly which makes Kamui very happy and comforted, which the conversation again is longer and meaningful than EN, which is short and condensed.

Little detail I noticed comparing the two: It felt out of place with the Ryoma shouting in this part which didn’t happen in the original version.

Later in the support, Corrin is given a ring from Ryoma and their siblings. In JP there's additional information, the ring is a prayer ring for self-defence particularly. Comparing the two it seems lines in the EN  are condensed vs the original with Corrin’s reaction when given a ring. Also take note of the closing part of the JP version it says that link as siblings vs ties of EN.

Again, I noticed a little detail with the differences with the portraits:

 “Happy to have you”, frown portrait lol

MY THOUGHTS:

The EN version seems to lean more about Corrin’s background and more of how sad his situation is while the JP version is more on sibling bonding and connection. The JP version is what I had expected of their supports,as the long lost sibling I am sure the eldest brother would be very hyped to connect with Corrin/Kamui, but in EN and it doesn’t feel that way and I even didn’t like their supports at first in EN  as Ryoma felt a bit distant and  it felt something was missing and now I found out that many was cut out from the original. Now I love their support more, especially that in JP that it felt more caring and there is brotherly bond and connection that was lost in the localization.

Also another thing I noticed, it seems JP Ryoma seems calmer and nicer than in EN, in the supports and in the main story. In EN it feels like he’s rash, tempered or temperamental. I have a conspiracy theory that the localization team is trying to do a character assassination attempt with Ryoma. Though I have no solid proof at the moment but if ever in the future when I am fluent with Japanese, I’ll do a deep dive into how they changed the characterization of Ryoma and the rest of the cast.

CONCLUSION:

I always thought that there would be few differences between JP vs EN but now see is that is not the case, there are many changes made for the international audience, both little to huge. I didn't even expect that they would change small details like portraits that would make subtle changes.  

Is there a word count limit for the localizers?

As you can see time and time again,  EN is way shorter than JP that results in meaning and sincerity gone, and warm interactions become cold. Cutting the script made it bad. Are they lazy?! Or were they rushed?  

Most of all. Why am I fussing about these? About Corrin’s/Kamui’s relationship with the Hoshidan Siblings?

Because I was expecting that the siblings would be very welcoming to Corrin especially as a long lost sibling and eager to reconnect . I was so disappointed in the EN version that it seems that they aren’t much interested and Corrin doesn't feel welcome. It is upsetting especially that’s one of the reasons for choosing them and to be at their side and the whole theme of the plot is which family would you be with.

When I played the original/ JP version, albeit with translation mod, I am so happy to find that in the original JP version that they are warm, welcoming and want to connect with Kamui, and it feels like they have a genuine sibling bonding, making choosing them very worthwhile. It did improve my opinion of them and I love them more.

I have a hypothesis, why EN toned down the sibling bonding due to S supports. Probably it would be awkward with all that sibling talk, afterwards to marry them. Personally I really don’t like Corrin marrying the siblings, it ruined the story for me. I pretend that those S-supports never existed and that is why I didn’t include those in this write-up.

So does this mean I’m one of those “the Original is better” persons, NO. I’m more into good writing, it so happens most meaningful interactions are in the JP script. And to be fair with EN, there are things I like with the changes like Corrin’s supports with Hinoka, Rinka, which surprisingly feels better than the original.  

I could go deeper if only I knew Japanese so that I could notice the nuances and subtleties which were lost in translation. For now I’ll make do with these translations and hope that the translations are accurate. And hopefully someday I could look back with this write-up and make improvements.

 That’s all and THANK YOU!! Thank you for reading this long essay. This took me months to write and I truly appreciate you taking your time to read this. I hope it sees the Hoshidan siblings in a better light. 

[nordfjording]

there's a new carbon footprint calculator out adjusted for the nordics and its great and all (lists me as about half of the average norwegian) but it also pinpoints how hard it is to make these accurate because the "best tips for how YOU can improve!" are very much along the lines of "take the train!" no trains in my region. "stay at your vacation destinations longer and fly less!" i don't go on vacations. "eat less meat!" i buy 1 pack of salami per month. "buy fewer eggs!" i haven't bought an egg in several years. "take the bus to activities!" i don't have regular activities.

[satsuha]

as much as i can rag on localizations sometimes, i think it's important to differentiate me nitpicking the objective quality of a localization and simply the intent behind it... translating is extremely subjective and nuanced in a way that i don't think any monolinguals (or even people who haven't attempted translating themselves) can understand and two competent translators can end up with completely different results that are both functional localizations.

i also understand that a lot of localized works are simply impossible to "live up to my standards" because i don't think localization teams have the time to make sure every line is perfect, which is fine! i'm just an insane fan so i enjoy picking apart every single line, that's all

and i also can't agree with the idea that a proper localization adds nothing to a work if you can understand the source material, especially in a world where social media allows us to connect with fans who experienced it in so many different languages. each language is able to add nuances and portray things differently that can be really interesting sometimes! (see: the use of iambic pentameter in live a live, or something as simple as partitio's yeehaw-ing in english)

also as someone who has dabbled in amateur translations, i really feel for localizers because i can't tell you how many times i've wracked my brain on how to write a simple sentence or just resort to using a translator's note (which localizers often don't have the liberty of doing, especially in games) and it isn't always flattering when someone compares my work favourably against an official localization. it's really just a matter of taste most of the time...!

tl;dr localization is really, really hard and when i nitpick it's often because a version is at odds with my personal interpretations of a scene or character

[saltyfilmmajor]

I don’t think I would mind the modern detco dub if not for the fact that Wendy Lee voices Conan and I cannot unhear konata Izumi

[doom-dreaming]

not to completely whiplash back to borderlands for a second, BUT. I'm continuing my nail art retrospectives on my sideblog and thinking about how fun it would be to do nail art for Atlas-redesign TFTBL Rhys and THAT got me thinking about how I'm disappointed in BL3 again.

Rhys was one of the least egregious character mistakes in that game, in my opinion, but they still kinda fucked him up, huh. Atlas Rhys at the end of Tales had become genuinely more confident in himself and his companions. He'd Gone Through Some Shit and come out the other side different. Yeah, he was still a himbo and a doofus and made bad jokes and thought he was cooler than he is, but there was actual character growth. And then in BL3 they downgraded him back into being an overly-nervous, in-over-his-head, scared of a papercut comic relief character (in a game OVERFULL of comic relief, for the record. depending on your version of comedy) instead of acknowledging the depth he'd had. I guess that's my main complaint about BL3, the character work felt pretty one-dimensional for 90% of the characters. And I know I'm asking a lot from a franchise like Borderlands but the issue is they CAN do it and HAVE done it before and then failed to keep doing it

idk. I'm stirring up dormant opinions about games I haven't played in at least 4 years. also the aesthetics of his Atlas stuff were better in Tales. and he didn't have a mustache.

[jessiesjaded]

It is funny sometimes seeing people get uppity about translators not doing exactly 1:1 translations of media, whether it be a book or a game or a series- and I get it from the perspective of say, 90s and 2000s anime adaptations that completely altered plot points, completely nixed entire lines of dialogue or alter characters enough that they were barely reminiscent of the original- think Sailor Moon and how the US dub censored anything gay in it. Those complaints I understand, completely.

And then with the advent of translating tools sometimes a company has pretty clearly been cheap or lazy and has just slapped it into an online translator and hodge podged it together, losing a lot of important details along the way, just to save on paying a proper translator and that is something I find absolutely shitty and extremely fair to point out- especially when it's a big corporation.

But the flipside people seem to forget is that sometimes there's not an exact word to translate to. Sometimes translations done to T will lose the humour or the feeling of the original so the translator will change it just enough to still get the expression across in a similar way as the original without bogging it down or losing its charm- localising something isn't always a bad thing as long as it overall stays true to the original. Translation is an art at the end of the day, sometimes whats on the page needs a little extra help to really pop, I have a lot of respect for the people who put in the effort.

[neosatsuma]

okay tgcf-readers, help me out: how is the official translation? How does it differ from the most popular fan translation we had for a while? Better/worse?

[hirookouji]

my theory that (most) comedy anime r better in english dubs (as an english speaker) vs the absolutely stellar japanesa va casting for seemingly all comedy anime

[celestial-kestrel]

It's that time of year again where Mari Lwyd starts to be talked about and shared around and an INCREDIBLY misleading post gets shared a lot. As someone who grew up with Mari Lwyd I wanted to clear some things up.

Also hello, if you are unaware who Mari Lwyd is. This is about the Welsh tradition of the horse skull who visits houses during the Christmas to New Years period in Wales asking for alcohol.

First off and probably the most important one:

Mari Lwyd is not a cryptid!

I can not emphasise this enough. She. Is. Not. A. Cryptid. There is no story or mystery about a ghost or zombie horse roaming the Welsh valleys. She's not even supposed to be a ghost or a zombie. It's just a horse skull on a stick with a guy under a sheet. She's a hobbyhorse and a folk character used to tell Welsh stories and keep songs alive. When people spread the misinformation that she's a cryptid, it's the equivalent of saying Kermit the Frog is a cryptid.

She is actually only one character in a wider cast of characters who go door to door or, in more modern times, pub to pub. The cast of characters can change town to town and village to village but there are some common ones I see time and time again. The Leader, the Merryman, The Jester and The Lady are just some I see regularly. Punch and Judy used to be more popular a few years ago but I haven't seen them in a while as their tradition has mostly fallen out of popularity. In most cases, almost the whole cast will be played by men. Even the characters are considered and referred to as female. Though this again depends and varies by which group is partaking in the Mari Lwyd tradition.

This point also goes onto my second point,

Mari Lwyd does not rap.

I think this comes from a very common misunderstanding of what rap is vs spoken word. Rap is a very specific style of music originating from the African American communities of the USA and has it's own structure and motifs unique to it. It's a lot more complex than people give it credit for as a style of music and just flippantly assign anything similar to it as being rap. If someone is talking fast or reciting poetry, it is not rap. Or anything that is an exchange of words between two people is not a rap battle. Mari Lwyd does not do rap, actually something that gets left out of these posts is the fact Mari Lwyd does not even speak. It's actually the Leader, who does all the speaking and song based banter between the house/pub owner for entry. Mari Lwyd just clicks her mouth, bites people and bobs her head around.

I think Mari Lwyd is a really beautiful and unique part of Welsh culture. She's not actually as wildly celebrated as a lot of the posts make her out to be. Actually, I think most Welsh people themselves learn about Mari Lwyd through the internet as well. Her popularity is increasing thanks to the drive of local groups wanting to keep the traditions alive and a renewed desire to document Welsh traditions before they're gone. Which is why it's such a shame that she's turned into something she's not to earn horror points on the internet. I think this is why it bothers me so much to see the misunderstandings of the culture and the folk tradition. Mari Lwyd's origin is very hot debated as well as how long it's been going on for. But I think it's thanks to a lot of traditions like this that the Welsh language and our stories weren't lost forever. Welsh culture is recovering as is the language. But it's still in a very fragile place. I think it's why it's important to document and correct information when it's spread.

Anyway, if you want to see the tradition in action, here's a lovely video from the Cwmafan RFC going to one of the pubs for charity. It includes the song exchange with the pub owner for entry and the whole pub singing and joining in once Mari Lwyd and the rest are inside.

As well with another video from St Fagan's showcasing the more traditional and door to door form with the larger cast.

[moritakathedrawer-leonaguilez]

Corrin/Kamui and Takumi supports in the Japanese version vs the localized version

I already made a post about the support differences between the original Japanese version vs the localized version with the Hoshidan siblings ....I just realized that my post was too long, so I'll repost it with each section of its own, so that it can be read easily.

Note that I would use Corrin’s Japanese Hoshidan name, Kamui interchangeably for flavour. I would use Corrin for the EN while Kamui for the JP.

Takumi & Kamui

C SUPPORT:

In EN Corrin wants to connect to Takumi, but his response is hostile and they’re being sarcastic with each other due to Corrin’s background with Nohr. Corrin wants to learn archery to prove his loyalty and dedication to Hoshido, to gain trust and give him a chance to prove himself in battle his loyalty.

In JP, Kamui wants to connect with Takumi like in EN BUT because he wants to bond with him. Takumi isn’t fully trusting him but he is open to bond with Kamui unlike his reactions in EN. As Kamui didn’t grow up with Takumi, he didn't know what to talk about and it became awkward. As Kamui sees that Takumi is into archery, learning through him would be a good place to start bonding.

Comparing the two versions, you will see that EN’s theme is all about loyalty, while the JP version is about sibling bonding. [Skipped lines means they are exactly the same

Like I said, EN Takumi is more sarcastic and hard on Corrin versus the JP version. Also take note of these closing lines of the JP version because it will appear again in their A-support and it’s worth mentioning.

B SUPPORT:

In this support, it shows Takumi teaching Corrin archery, then taking a break. When EN Corrin says that Takumi makes it look easy, he does not take this well and sees it as sarcasm and when talking about archery they both just brush it off as effortless. But in the JP,when Kamui expresses that archery is harder than it looks. JP Takumi gives his insights about the beauty and effort of archery which was cut out in EN. Kamui praises Takumi how amazing Takumi is and Takumi didn’t expect such praise that it caught him off guard other than the sarcastic remark in EN.

You can see how the EN version again condensed the JP script comparing the two. In short. The EN version shows Takumi doing it effortlessly while the JP version shows beauty and perfection in archery.

A SUPPORT:

At the end of the B support Corrin injured his hand and in this A support he still strives to learn archery despite his injuries.  

In EN, Corrin says that Takumi is a strict but a good teacher and he hoped that Corrin was worth his time. Then Takumi admits that he is good but doubts him. This shows that he’s truly dedicated and loyal to Hoshido and wants to continue to train him.

But in JP, the whole time Kamui is genuinely excited to learn, you could tell he wants to bond with his little brother Takumi, and compliments him how amazing he is. And in turn, Takumi is liking Kamui and sees what a gentle and kind person he is and now sees him as a sibling and enjoying his company. This recognition makes Kamui very happy.  

The major changes in themes you would notice is that in EN Corrin is doing it as an obligation/business to prove his loyalty and dedication. And in JP that Kamui wants to connect and know more about Takumi who once was hostile to him, it is a true sibling bonding and to have connection.

Remember those final lines in their C-support, it’s cute in A-support there’s a call back to that in the JP version: “Please treat me well, big brother Kamui”.

MY THOUGHTS:

 Takumi and Kamui’s relationship is interesting because it had a rocky start. I always find their dynamic interesting and I am curious how their support would play out. When I first read the EN supports, it didn’t feel like they’re connecting, it felt more like a business relationship and just doing it to resolve things. When I read these supports in JP, I LOVE IT! It mending their relationship, it felt more meaningful than the EN version, and it felt like a genuine sibling bonding.

 The whole time I was reading the JP version , I was like “WHYYYY???????!!”. Why the heck the localization team rewrote this from a nice bonding/connecting to just doing it to prove loyalty. In the original Takumi is more receptive and I love the final lines of Takumi, “please treat me well, Big Brother” because he also said that in C-support too, I love that call back it shows that Takumi has trust with Kamui as a sibling. The JP version shows Takumi’s passion and love for archery through expressing the beauty and striving for perfection.  While EN Takumi is just reactive and too proud. Dammit localization team! 

In short EN version made it about duty, dedication and loyalty vs JP version’s sibling bonding and connection.

[jeremywhitley]

Here's a rundown of the first half of the stories and creators including details about the creators and images from each and every story!

Genre: Educational

Writer: Jeremy Whitley (My Little Pony, Unstoppable Wasp)

One of the Editors of Aces & Aros. Find full bio in "Creative Team" Section of the Kickstarter page.

Artist: Bailie Rosenlund

Bailie Rosenlund ; a graduate of Sheridan's Illustration program in Oakville, ON, Canada; is an award-winning illustrator located in Vancouver, Canada. She is currently working as a Comic Artist on Marvel Voices: Avengers Academy. She recently illustrated the comic Hero Outage: An Epic NPC Man Adventure. Previous clients include: Marvel, DC, Bad Egg, Dreamworks, Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, Apple, Nickelodeon, Netflix, Restoration Games.

Instagram | Website

Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick (Archie)

Kelly Fitzpatrick is a professional colorist who has been working full-time for over 10 years in the industry. Their client list includes Marvel, DC, Archie, Darkhorse, and Image Comics; as well as many other indie publishers.

Genre: Slice of Life

Writers: Phil Falco & Kat Calamia (Lifeline Comics)

Two of the Editors of Aces & Aros. See full bios in "Creative Team" Section of the Kickstarter page.

Artist: Valeria Peri

Valeria Peri (she/her) is a freelance comic book artist from Italy. She graduated from the Art Academy, A.C.M.E. of Milan with specialization in comics. Valeria has published two short stories with a local publisher and is now working as a freelance artist.

Genre: Fantasy

Writer: Derek V. Song

Derek V. Song is an Asian American writer known for his work on the WEBTOON adaptation of Dimension 20's Fantasy High. When not writing, he can be found anxiously staring at the wall, trying to decide what to write next.

Bluesky | Website

Artist: Alex Brennan-Dent

Alex Brennan-Dent is a prizewinning queer comic artist, illustrator and all-round nerd from the UK; who can either be found making videos over on his YouTube channel, or at his desk working on various (usually fruity) comic projects!

Genre: Poetry/Slasher

Writer: Sarah "Neila" Elkins

Sarah "Neila" Elkins is an asexual writer and artist who's worked in the comics industry since 2008. She loves scifi, fantasy, horror, and mystery. She has a from of chronic ossifying tennis elbow.

Bluesky | Mastodon

Artist: Feriowind

Feriowind is a Taiwanese-American illustrator and creature and comic artist who has previously worked on Godzilla Rivals: Mothra vs Titanosaurus.

Genre: Spy

Writer: Cici Affini

Cici Affini (She/Her) is a demisexual comic book writer best known for “MythFall.” She was featured in the “Oxymoron: Killing Time” anthology and wrote the prose short “Thin Ice” for the Chimeranverse Tales collection. She is one fourth of creator-owned indie publisher Attic Door Media and a member of the ComixLaunch community.

Substack | Instagram | Bluesky | Facebook

Artist: Mauricio Mora (HAUNTING, Damsel from D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S.)

Mau Mora is a comic artist and illustrator from Costa Rica who loves fantasy, action and drama. After several years of working as an artist for indie video games projects, he started to make his way into his true passion, comics, and in particular, creator-owned projects. Some of his most recent projects include the sci-fi thriller "The Game, spy/fantasy "Damsel from D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S.", horror drama "HAUNTING", cyberpunk/superhero "Xolotl" and the Comixology Original sci-fi adventure, "Major Thomás". In the meantime, he's also started working on writing his own projects, soon to come! He lives in Costa Rica with his much more talented comic artist wife, and their two very dumb cats.

Genre: Slice of Life

Writer/Artist: Emily C. Martin

Emily C. Martin is a comic artist, illustrator, printmaker and teacher based in Sonoma County, California. On the internets, they are known as Megamoth, and found mostly through www.megamoth.net. 

Website

Genre: Video Game Comedy

Writer: Suzanne Wdowik

Suzanne Wdowik is a writer and aspiring math teacher from metro Detroit. She has previously been published in the Eisner-nominated anthology SENSORY: LIFE ON THE SPECTRUM (Andrews McMeel) and the horror anthology IN THE NECK OF THE WOODS (Greykin Press).

Instagram | Bluesky

Artist: Yonson Carbonell

Yonson Carbonell (he/him) is a  freelance comic artist and illustrator based in the Dominican Republic, has work with Plague Doctor press, Alpha eve, kofi, and more. He's currently working on his personal comic project Hooligans (free to read on his Kofi and webtoons). When not working you can find him watching anime, playing video games or with his pets.

Website | Instagram | Twitter

Genre: Slice of Life

Writer: CC Mooney

CC is a Canadian writer and editor. This is their first work in comics and they're super excited about the opportunity!

Bluesky

Artist: Gib Lewis

Gib Lewis (they/them) is an Iowa born and raised graphic novelist with a passion for telling interpersonal stories. They are primarily a YA creator and are currently working on their own graphic novel, an early 2000s paranormal mystery tale.

Twitter | Bluesky

Genre: Historical

Writer: Logan Noack

Logan Noack is a comic writer best known for his ongoing webcomic, The Witch's Thrall. This is his first published work and he hopes more will follow.

Bluesky

Artist: Ornella Greco

Ornella Greco is a cartoonist and freelance illustrator from Italy. She studied in Palermo, Sicily at the Grafimated Cartoon-School of Comics and finished her studies in 2019. After she graduated, she began working for various publishers in the American and French comics industry, on such works as the acclaimed Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly series from Little Simon, Star Trek: Picard’s Academy with IDW Publishing, and more.

Instagram

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Writer: Bwillett

Bwillett, disabled biroace comics gremlin and Webcomics Old One. When not juggling multiple webcomics, she enjoys building models, being very Opinionated about toys, cross stitching and dealing with her screaming goblin of a dog, Duchess.

Bluesky | Mastodon | Website

Artist: Zuzanna Lewandowska (Bi Visibility: Still Bi, Hairology)

Zuza is an illustrator and comic enthusiast from Poland who is a huge fan of interesting stories, complicated characters and art in general. Their ambition is to one day publish their own comic.

Instagram

Genre: Slice of Life

Writer: C.K. Carpenter

C.K. Carpenter is a queer disabled writer who most recently co-edited (and contributed a story to) the unSEEN/unHEARD: Disability & Neurodivergence anthology, published by Unseen Alchemy Publishing. Other recent works include short comics in Transphoria by Lifeline Comics and Down Below by Limit Break Comics. They also edited, published, and contributed a story to Scott Snyder Presents Tales from the Cloakroom v1. Their stories tend to center on queer characters or characters with disabilities.

Twitter | Bluesky

Artist: Sam Alegre / Darkjellyfish

Sam (they/them) is an agender illustrator from the Dominican Republic. Their artwork usually shows experiences as a nonbinary individual, appealing to a young audience. In their artwork, they explore self-discovery, mental health, and self-expression. Sam currently works as a graphic designer and children’s book illustrator. They also enjoy playing with their pets and roller skating.

Instagram | Behance

Please jump in and support the anthology and help us tell comics stories by, for, and about ace and aro folks! And look out for the next post with the other half of the stories!

[saltyfilmmajor]

They couldn’t translate the detective Conan reference in English or Spanish I’m crying

[oddly-specific-hermit-headcanons]

The Hermitcraft/Life Series players aren’t the same players from every season. They’re just people with uncanny resemblances to historical figures.

Sometimes you can hear the story of the Mad King, a tyrant who reigned over the server for years, and a brave battalion of rebels who revolted against him, and took his head. Ren has fallen asleep to this story over and over again in history class. Who wants to learn about some crusty old king anyway?

If you go south, you’ll find a bustling metropolis with quite an interesting tall tale. Their first mayor apparently came into conflict with some fair folk that originally inhabited the land their city now stand upon! Ha! The locals have all sorts of superstitions concerning mushrooms. It’s even said that growing mushrooms is bad luck and could invite some fair folk into your home. Coincidentally, Scar actually grew up here!

Kids often play “Star Vs G-Team”, a popular game like Cops and Robbers or Capture the Flag. They tackle and play in the fields until their parents call them into dinner. No one knows how this game came to be, but it’s just a children’s game. How deep could that history even be?

Impulse recounts about a storybook he had growing up, about a legendary miner who created tunnels that stretch out infinitely. The book ends on an open ended note, saying that somewhere out there, he’s mining quietly, adding to this intricate web of tunnels. He doesn’t believe it’s real.

Over 800 years ago, a rift opened up and never seemed to close. This rift opened up to a strange village of anthropomorphic animals! How queer! Beef’s family actually originated here, they were “janitors” for their mayor’s less than legal work. In fact, Beef’s mom has a giant framed painting of their ancestor with their Mayor.

Across the ocean, there’s a small seaside town specializing in their terracotta crafts and known for their brightly coloured masts and banners. It’s said it’s first ever king married the ocean herself, and when she disappeared, he went mad with grief, isolating himself away on the tallest peak he could find and became a sorcerer. Gem actually comes from this town and keeps an axolotl shaped pendant on her for good luck.

Pearl’s family lived close by a huge pine forest, teeming with goodies like blackberries, morels, and wild game. To prevent her from wandering into the forest alone, her family told her of the story of The Red Witch, who feed any children who stray too far from the safety of their homes to her wolf, with razor sharp fangs. It worked a little too well and now she’s cynophobic.

Skizz’s family don’t have Angel wings for nothing, as they actually descend from a god. They say that grid had dominion over the heavens themselves, above to strike down any who opposed him with divine lightning. Skizz is more mortal than god, but he can still make small electric shocks.

Joe is a living doll, and his craftsman was inspired by a bustling desert town’s first sheriff, who has cursed to be made of porcelain by a malevolent god. They say although he was blessed with immortality, it cost him the respect of all his other rulers. In fact, he’s still alive today! Unfortunately, he now leads a bandit group and if anyone even mentions the god that cursed him with his porcelain body, he threatens them with his Winchester.

I'm obsessed with this omg

[kedreeva]

Okay so, I don't think I've spoken of the saga here yet but! Gather round. I shall tell you a long story about the bird I just acquired and why she is VERY IMPORTANT.

At the beginning of last fall, I started looking into quail genetics a little more, because I got tired of not being able to sex my Celadon quail by their feathers. Originally I thought I could kill 2 birds (ok maybe more) with 1 stone and order nice jumbo wild type (which MANY places advertised as wild type jumbo) hatching eggs, and this would help me put some size on the Celadons (jumbo) while also making them feather sexable (wild type). Perfect!

But then I come to find out that pretty much all jumbo lines are jumbo BROWNS, as in they all have the sex linked brown (SLB) gene. So, I was a little confused and a LOT annoyed because I wanted to work specifically with the wild type color/pattern. No mutations just straight, plain wild type.

And EVERYWHERE I looked - major production hatcheries, private breeders through websites, Facebook groups, local swaps, craigslist, e v e r y w h e r e -

People ONLY had SLB.

This spring I came across a video showing about the differences between SLB and wild type and I figured if the person who made it can tell, maybe she will have some. So I looked her up (not in a stalker way, her farm name was stamped on the video and took me to the website), and what luck! She was in Michigan! Upper Michigan, so still a hike, but not California, y'know?

So I shot her an email and explained that I was looking for WT and that her site said she bred them and that people could do local pickup. She responded yeah she's totally got a bunch! And I said great, I'm also in Michigan, albeit far away, but I don't mind driving 7+ hours each way, because I really need actual, trusted WT for sure birds for my celadon project, can I come pick them up?

Cue the most frankly bizarre email chain in my short life. As soon as I mentioned that I was going to drive, or perhaps that I had a genetics plan in place, she got super sketchy and started saying how she hadn't really paid as close attention to SLB vs. WT, that it mattered less than she thought it would when she started, that I shouldn't focus on that either, and also that "fawn celadon is practically unheard of" in the hobby and "you should focus on a clean Tibetan because it's hard to find without roux in it) implying that I should concentrate on those things instead. And concluded by telling me if I really want WT, to contact this other person (why happens to be someone I can't stand). It all sounded VERY much like she didn't have wild type males, after all, and had thought I didn't know the difference so it wouldn't actually matter. But, it does. It actually matters a lot to me.

So I messaged back to say, well, I don't want to do any of those things, I specifically want to work with this set of genetics and you said you have them so I shouldn't have to go to anyone else??

And then she went radio silent for a week. I kind of figured I'd called a bluff, and that she was one of dozens of people I'd contacted who'd said they had WT only to find out they had SLB. I get that it's difficult to see the difference, but this particular person was the president of the American Coturnix Breeders Association or whatever (found out it's actually just a club formed by her and her friends a year ago, so not as impressive as it sounds, considering they don't actually DO anything- no putting on shows, no newsletters, no certifications, no public breeder directory, no finished SOP, nada), so I kind of expected she should know what she's talking about, if anyone does.

Eventually, after a week, she responded that she had been judging at a county fair, but she had a few heterozygous males (WT het roux, which is fine) and she could set a hatch for me for more if I wanted to come at the end of the month, but she's in WI now, not MI. I said sure, since where she was in WI was actually closer than where she'd been in the UP, and we arranged date/time.

The day of, my neighbor friend, Jude, comes with me for company/keeping me awake through the 15 hours driving round trip. It's a pleasant enough drive. We arrived at a cutesy little house on the edge of town that looks like anyone's house in a neighborhood, with a spacious lawn. The person meets us and takes me around the side of the house to a 6x6x1.5 or so chicken tractor, where she's got some male coturnix. She pulls the available males for me to look through and... fam, they ALL looked SLB, to me.

Now, she swore to me up and down that they couldn't be anything except WT het for roux, because of the way she is breeding them. But I've put these birds next to my SLB males and if I didn't have my males banded, I would not ever have told the difference between them. I still picked up 4 of them, because I will give it a go- worst case, I can produce plain Roux hens/plain Roux males for use in breeding later, best case they do actually produce WT hens and they just LOOK SLB and I have to figure out what the differences are. I don't want to leave without seeing her hens, which she has told me are all WT (which is why the males HAVE to be het for it), and she takes me back. Now the hens, the hens are easy to see the difference. White bellies first of all, but the chest feathers are also wildly different! The shafts are white, the dot around the shaft is dark, ringed in red, ringed in white. On an SLB, the shafts aren't white, it's just a black dot surrounded in a red feather, and the belly is all red/buff/cream, not white.

This is what an SLB hen looks like:

So I take a nice long look to memorize the color, and thank her for showing me and meeting, and we head back home.

I do fecals when I get home because all of the males are VERY thin, no meat on them at all, and since she said she'd been feeding Purina (garbage for fowl feeds), I figured that was why, but no- HUGE coccidia loads in all of them. So I treated them and got them on a better feed. They immediately began putting on meat, and they're find now.

The rest of this summer, I have spent going to local bird swaps and inspecting all of the quail I could find, hoping to find one (1) actual wild-type phenotype bird. Hundreds and hundreds of birds, I have pawed through them all, being super obnoxious to the owners I'm sure, holding and inspecting males. I found ONE suspected WT male (and this is a HUGE "suspected," he could very well be SLB with low red expression). I compared him when I got home and I'm doubting myself still, so I don't know if I will ever actually pair him with the SLB hens or if I'll just wait til I have a roux set.

Regardless, it's been a dry season for getting what I want. It's been a dry YEAR. Yesterday was another swap and more hundreds of quail and me pawing through all of them.

Until.

My eyes landed upon.... her.

If you've only lived in an area that has american crows and not ravens, you find yourself wondering if crows are ravens. You see a big crow and you think wow! maybe that is a raven! It could be a crow, but it's seems bigger so maybe it's a raven. But, if you take a trip to a place with ravens, and you see one for the first time, you realize that there is no question, when you see a raven. When you see a raven in person, there's no question and not only is there no question, you wonder how you could ever have thought a crow was a raven. It's laughable, while looking at the raven.

That's how finding this bird felt. I'd been picking up every SLB hen and going maybe this is actually WT? It could be SLB but maybe it's WT? But the second I laid eyes on her in the middle of a pack of SLB with some mixed colors, I knew I was looking at WT hen, and I can't imagine how I ever thought maybe an SLB hen was WT.

Here's a better photo of her chest and belly (she's beat UP from her previous home, the back of her head and most of her rump are plucked clean from males). You can see the white shafts and the white belly.

And some other pics of her, showing the grey-brown on her side and back- VERY different than the SLB hens

I can't express how stoked I am about this bird. This is the first time after a LOT of effort and time, that I have felt confident I am holding the bird I want.

She's also the indicator that I have a LOT of work ahead of me.

My end goal is to have birds that look like her, weigh 12-14oz, and lay large, blue eggs. I have birds that lay large, blue eggs, I have birds that weigh 12-14oz live weigh, and now I have at least 1 bird that looks like her, which means I can make more that look like her. The first step is cleaning the color mutations out of the celadon line without losing the celadon eggs. This is going to be a bit of a nightmare, BUT, I have a friend helping me out with getting a few celadons that are either WT or SLB (I'm guessing SLB all things considered) to start the work with. I will work over the winter to get a few more actual WT birds here, and to start crossing out the celadons with the SLB jumbos to clean out the other feather color mutations. Once I'm down to just SLB and celadon for mutations, I can clean the SLB out with the WT and roux lines.

This project will likely take me a good 2 years, maybe 3, to complete and then test breed to ensure I haven't lost the celadon gene and I don't have any hidden recessives lingering about. But just having the fucking materials to do it all on hand now is a huge step forward from where I was when I decided to start the project.

[aeyumicore]

in the chinese (original) myth, sylus is a demon but in the english localization he is a dragon.

i wonder what is the reason for these discrepancies….i trust the original content more as the source of truth but i just wonder why they choose to translate things in a way where it changes the entire story?

like dragon vs demon is an entirely different lore

not that he can’t be both, but then why not make that clear in the localization?

i hope they can crack down on their quality control in communication between regions!!

edit: i know they posted the video “behind the myth” explaining like dragons in greek myths and how they’ve tied it in, and i’m not saying sylus isn’t a dragon but i just wish they tied in the demon part in better? why use that term in the CN content if they’re going to omit it entirely from the localized english content (can’t speak for the JP and KR content as i haven’t see those translated)

edit #2: interesting analysis by @unluckywisher 🤍

[kccisfuckingmagical]

Rivals all the way

(Nathalie Björn x Arsenal!Swedish!Reader)

Warning: none

You are a Swedish fullback.

It is almost comical how you and Nathalie always end up in rival clubs.

Djurgården is in your blood. Ever since your great grandfather’s neighbours’ second cousin Lars played for said Stockholm club, for generations, your family has been loyal supporters of the Blue Stripes (Blåränderna). So, when Djurgårdens IF knocked on your door and scouted you after playing a stellar season for your local third tier club at the age of 14, you were committed immediately. Which, of course, your amazing break in the first tier league Damallsvenskan did not happen as Djurgårdens were relegated just several months after you signed.

Yet, you still developed greatly after playing in a much more professional environment, and your role was instrumental in promoting your club back to 2016 Damallsvenskan after four years of hard work and grit, and with the obscene amount of headers you scored, placing you the 2nd most scorer for the Sweden 2nd tier league.

You had known Nathalie since youth camps, but it was during your final years at Gymnasium in Stockholm that your bond solidified despite playing for a rival club in Stockholm.

And when she moved to Rosengård in 2018, you transferred to Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC (which later merged and renamed to BK Häcken in 2021). And for the women side, it had an even more intense rivalry than your local Stockholm AIK vs Djurgårdens derby, with both teams fighting top places in Damallsvenskan.

In 2018 Damallsvenskan season, your club Göteborg came 2nd when her club Rosengård, came 3rd. In 2019, Rosengård became champions when Göteborg still ranked 2nd. And finally, in 2020, your club came first and her club came second. 2021, Nathalie transferred to Everton after half a season into the Swedish league, and your club still came second when her former club Rosengård reigned champions again. You stayed in the renamed club BK Häcken until 2022 summer window, where you have received a lucrative offer from a WSL club.

It was a newly repromoted team, the Merseyside arch-rival of Everton, the REDS, The Liverpool who wanted you after their reformation, and they were willing to make one of the most lucrative offers ever for a Swedish female footballer with guaranteed game time and an ambitious tactical talk with Matt Beard sealed the deal.

So you moved to Liverpool, and moving straight into your girlfriend of seven years’ apartment, which she cleared half of the closet, half of the sink, half of the walls, half of the shelves, half of the couch, and half of the bed.

And you filled her originally Rosengård and Everton’s blue themed (with occasional black with yellow accents of AIK) apartment with unapologetic Liverpool’s red mugs, Kopparbergs/Göteborg’s blue and white cusions, BK Häcken’s yellow and black blankets, and your very own Djurgården legend Daniel Sjölund’s signed jersey was framed upon the apartment wall amongst your jerseys from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic where you won your silver medals alongside with your national team.

It was almost comical when Nathalie’s teammates from Everton stepped foot on your now shared apartment after you moved in.

Gabby George did a double take when she moved pass the hallway, Izzy Christiansen dramatically gasped when she looked into the living room, putting her right hand over her heart, and your Swedish teammate Hanna Bennison whom Nathalie previously played with in Rosengård, looked at Nathalie like she’d committed treason.

Or maybe because she did.

Aggie Beever-Jones, the loaned Chelsea homegrown, was wheezing with laughter, “what a fucking live size Mighty Red is doing in your living room mate?”

Hanna looked at Nathalie warily, “you aren’t a secretly BK Häcken fan right? That’s a Häcken wine glass. Why does anyone need a glass with Häcken emblem on it?”

Megan Finnigan looked as though she was betrayed by her own child. When she started walking backwards, as if she was going to burst out from the front door, she spotted on her peripheral vision a new IKEA shoe shelf filled with Adidas cleats and footwear, as opposed to Nathalie’s sponsored Nike merchandise, and it finally clicked in her head.

“Are you dating an enemy, Nathalie Björn?” Megan asked cautiously.

“Not dating, I married one! Min älskling, y/n, come on out and say hello to my teammates!” Nathalie beamed at her own teammates and called out to the kitchen.

And you, who just finished your second training session with Liverpool, with wet hair and flushed pink cheeks, left your kitchen, hands balancing a giant board of sliced fruits. Nathalie grabbed Hanna and rushed to kitchen and brought back out two large jars of unsweetened lemonade, a pot of honey to self serve, and utensils to go with.

You, who were wearing a blazing red hoodie with a Liverpool crest larger than a your head, popped yourselves amongst the Blues like it was just a random Tuesday afternoon and you were all friends hanging around for a coffee, and with the same beaming smile Nathalie was having.

“Hi, enemies!” You greeted the toffees enthusiastically.

Hanna stared. “Nej, nej, nej. No ‘hi, enemies’. I helvete (in hell), since when are you married? Better question, to your mortal enemy Nati? Your biggest rival who somehow landed in your rival club again?” she exclaimed incredulously.

“Hanna, I thought we were friends!” You looked betrayed.

“Nej, only in national camps, otherwise you are my enemy. And she is your enemy too Nati!”

Nathalie was unfazed. “We married just before I decided to transfer to the blues. Couldn’t bear the idea of a longer long distance than ever. And Y/N is having my last name on her Liverpool jersey, crazy right?”

Izzy was stunned, and high-fived Nathalie, “that’s clever, one way to infiltrate into the enemies nest.”

“What do you mean mortal enemy and rival club again?” Aggie was curious.

“Oh, I was playing for Djurgårdens when she played for AIK, which was a bit like a North London derby but a Stockholm one. And when she played for Rosengård, and I played for Kopparbergs/Göteborg, and it was a bit like Arsenal—Chelsea rivalry, both gunning for the top spot.” You explained absentmindedly, cutting a grape in half to remove the seeds inside with a small fork and a paring knife.

“And out of every club there is in WSL, you chose Liverpool!?” Hanna was still very much in shock.

“That’s just football my friend.” You answered absentmindedly, popping the now peeled and deseeded half green grape into your mouth. Nathalie stole the other half with a swift motion with her fork from your plate.

Needless to say, you had been quite interrogated into the Blues despite being a Red after this small spontaneous gathering.

Fast forwards to 2024.

Nathalie Björn adjusted the collar of her new Chelsea jersey, the royal blue fabric still feeling foreign against her skin. The move to London had been a whirlwind—new teammates, new tactics, and a city that buzzed with a different energy than Stockholm or Merseyside. But one thing hadn’t changed: the way her heart still skipped when her phone buzzed with a notification from y/n.

[Min älskling]: Guess who are signing to the red side of London?

Nathalie nearly choked on her coffee.

[Blue Nathalie]: You’re joking.

[Min älskling]: Nope. They needed a left-back after Catley’s injury. Beard wasn’t happy, but… it’s a two-year deal.

Nathalie groaned, tipping her head back against the locker room bench. Of course you’d end up at Arsenal. It was almost poetic—the universe’s way of balancing the scales after she’d dared to marry a player that had been her rival ever since the beginning of her career.

"Everything alright, Björn?" Millie Bright clapped her on the shoulder, eyebrow raised.

"Fine," Nathalie muttered, locking her phone. "Just… family stuff."

Chelsea squad had acclimated to Nathalie quickly. She was sharp in training, dryly funny during film sessions, and—most importantly—unshakable in defense. She was unproblematic, and quickly found herself immersed into the squad with the help of her Swedish teammates, and ex-Everton teammate Aggie Beever-Jones.

At least until…

Two days days later, when the transfer news break out, Nathalie was halfway through her morning coffee when Aggie Beever-Jones slammed her phone onto the breakfast table.

*ARSENAL SIGN SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL Y/N BJÖRN FROM LIVERPOOL*

"Björn. Explain."

Nathalie blinked. "Explain what?"

Aggie turned her screen around. The Sky Sports notification glared back at them:

*BREAKING: Arsenal sign Swedish international Y/N Björn from Liverpool – two-year deal confirmed*

Johanna who was sitting beside Nathalie peered into the screen, blinked, and all of a sudden, bursted out with laughter. “Ooh, Iconic Y/N behaviour, just to keep the rivalry alive!”

Sam Kerr who overheard was curious. “Y/N Björn, are you two sisters or something?”

Nathalie didn’t even glance up. "Nej, Y/N is my wife."

Silence. Then—

"Your what?" Lauren James screeched.

Nathalie blinked, realizing her mistake. She’d been so used to Everton knowing, so used to the WSL’s gossip mill spinning her business, that she’d forgotten: Chelsea didn’t know.

"...So," Erin Cuthbert said, voice dangerously calm. "When were you going to tell us your wife is Arsenal's new left-back?"

Nathalie shrugged. "I thought everyone knows!”

“What the actual hell, mate?” Sam Kerr squinted. "I thought you were literal fraternal twins. You’ve got the same brunette hair, brown eyes, sharp cheekbones, long legs and the Scandinavian superiority complex. I could have sworn you both used the same blocking technique when I played against Liverpool and Everton!"

Millie was astonished. “I just thought Björn is just a common last name in Sweden?”

Nathalie took a slow slip of her coffee, “Nej, Y/N and I have been married since we were 23 years old. Come on guys, no need to make a fuss, it is really not that dramatic.”

"Not dramatic?!" Jess Carter threw her hands up. "You’re telling me you’ve been married to Arsenal’s new signing for four years and the WOSO gossip mill missed it?"

Nathalie didn’t blink. “I’m sure some fans must have speculated it, and how is it my fault when you don’t have friends from Everton or Liverpool who can share all the gossips with you? Aggie, the Swedes, most of the Scandinavian in WSL knows about us.”

Ashley Lawrence, ever the voice of reason, tilted her head. "Wait. If you married in 2020… does that mean when you were at Rosengård—"

"—y/n was at Göteborg" Guro Reiten finished, who somehow heard of the rumour but didn’t pay too much attention beforehand, amused. "And then, you were in Everton, and she was in Liverpool. Gud, Nathi. You’ve really got a type, don’t you? Rivals."

Nathalie shrugged, fighting a smirk. "What can I say? I like a challenge."

And the London derby couldn’t come soon enough.

The tunnel at Emirates Stadium hummed with pre-match tension. Nathalie was starting this match (a last-minute substitution with Millie injured) and tried to ignore the way her pulse thudded when she spotted you.

You were stretching near the Arsenal squad, your red-and-white away kit a stark contrast to Chelsea’s blues. But then you turned, caught her eye, and winked.

Nathalie bit back a smile and discretely did a finger wave to you.

“Oi, Björn!” Aggie hissed. “Quite flirting with your rival on a derby day!”

Nathalie coughed and crouched down, pretending to check her shin pads to hide her blush.

The match was brutal. Arsenal pressed high, Chelsea countered fast, and the tackles flew in like neither side remembered this was technically a non-contact sport.

At 18th minute, you overlapped down the left wing, and Nathalie flattened you with a clean but brutal shoulder charge. The crowd roared. You shoved her back when you got up. She grinned.

34th minute, Chelsea corner, you knew full well Nathalie’s airborne ability. So you kept on pushing her while her elbow kept digging into you. Your squabble got a bit too much out of hand and the ref decided to give both of you a warning. Manu pushed away the header from Aggie’s attempt and you swept it out for a Chelsea throw in.

37th minute. You tackled Nathalie cleanly when she decided to run up the field to make an offensive run. She fell and rolled over, groaning dramatically, claiming for a foul while you complained to the ref for her “diving”, and should give her a warning instead for her unsportsmanlike behaviour. You got a yellow card for talking back to the ref, and she got a yellow for time wasting.

Five minutes later, when Beth went down from a foul by Ashley Lawrence. The cameras caught you sharing a water bottle. The commentators were confused. “Are they…laughing? They were gunning for each other all day?!"

Then, in the 63rd minute, it happened.

You intercepted a pass meant for Lauren James, dribbled past two blue shirts, and went 1v1 on Nathalie. You could’ve passed. You should’ve passed. Caitlin was waiting on an overlap, Kim was not too far away. But you saw Stina was sprinting towards the back post, pace unmatched.

So, you nutmegged her. Nathalie’s face was priceless—half fury, half pride—but you were already gone, and setting a cross so perfect that Stina headed it into the net with utmost ease.

1-0 to Arsenal.

Frida, who just went off to the bench screamed in joys and jokingly told with Amanda in a hybrid of Swedish and Norwegian: “SHE’S SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT!"

The Emirates erupted. You turned toward the Chelsea half and grinned directly at Nathalie and kissed your taped ring finger. Nathalie knew that you would probably write the cutest little N and a red heart beside it on your tape. And you turned your heel and ran towards Stina, your best friend from Swedish National Team, and pampered multiple kisses onto her head, while eyes locked directly into Nathalie.

Erin gaped. "Did she just—"

"Kiss her ring finger? And proceed to kiss our best friend just to rub it in? Yes." Nathalie deadpanned. "We’re one goal behind. Erin. Focus."

But when the final whistle blew (1-1, thanks to a last-minute Kerr’s equaliser), Nathalie didn’t high-five her own teammates just yet, and instead jogged toward the Arsenal bench—where you were substitute off at 68 minutes for Katie McCabe.

The cameras caught it all: the way you pulled her into a hug, the way she muttered something in your ear that made you laugh, the way your hands lingered just a second too long, the way you brushed her stray stand of sweaty hair off her face, and the way Guro and Frida crackling with each other, fingers pointing at you both, when you two smiled at each other a bit too much.

And the internet got hold of it.

@ReitenFans03: Nathalie Björn (Chelsea) and Y/N Björn (Arsenal) just hugged it out after the derby. Are they related?

@WOSO_Insider: Breaking: Arsenal New Defender Y/N Björn from Liverpool shares a bottle with Chelsea’s New Defender Nathalie Björn after 1-1 London derby draw.

@FootyBanter: Swedish invasion! The Björn siblings taking over London derbies!

The speculation lasted exactly 37 minutes until Hanna Bennison, ever the agent of chaos, quote-tweeted a fan account with:

@HannaBennison8 (verified): Not sisters. Married. Also, their old apartment had a life-size Liverpool Mighty Red in the living room and a set of Häcken tableware. Yes, really. No, I’m not okay.

On instagram, ChelseaFCW posted:*[Highlights of Nathalie’s tackles]*

In response, ArsenalWFC posted: *[Clip of your nutmeg on Nathalie and assist to Stina]* with a cheeky caption *Björn MAGIC 👀👀*

WOSO_Memes posted a side-by-side photos: Nathalie shouldering you to the ground vs. you side-tackling her with a shit-eating grin. Caption: *Marriage*

Then, the pièce de résistance – an old photo resurfaced, courtesy of Hanna: You and Nathalie in your first rival derby (AIK vs. Djurgården, 2015), mid-shoving match. The caption?

*Some things never change.*

Later in the evening, you posted some match photos alongside with a frame of Nathalie’s foul on you, a goal celebration with Stina, a post match moment of you and Nathalie hugging together, and lastly, a photo of you two cuddling each other under a Swedish national team blanket on your sofa, her Chelsea hoodie and your Arsenal one tangled together, a Häcken wine glass in frame, and a framed Djurgården jersey behind you, with Nathalie cuddling an Everton throw pillow and the life size Mighty Red just sitting beside you. Caption: *Another Björn vs Björn. Scoreline: 1-1. Truce until next derby.*