#ooc. I AM PERFECTLY FINE AND NORMAL ABOUT THIS ENTIRE SCENARIO.

[rosegoldandsequins]

@akiiyamashun​  //   SENT :

There was a powerful knot of emotion nestled in Akiyama's throat - he hadn't expected the intensity of it all when he had concocted that plan, but really seeing Okamura for the first time after weeks underground, hiding from friends and foes alike that really done a number on him. She looked even more perfect - as if her beauty surpassed the one of the crumpled picture he kept on his person at all times, even when sharing the company of those also living without a roof over their heads. Perhaps absence did make the heart grow fonder, or Akiyama was just really misjudging the effects of his self-imposed exile - at any rate, he was content to watch her for a minute. Of course, Okamura was looking for her charming fling inside the hotel bedroom - not outside, hanging from a window cleaning cradle. It hadn't been done as a mean thing to spook the heiress, just to ensure the safety - but there had been something really soothing and moving to see how she roamed the possible hiding spots of the suite after him. Had the blonde missed him as much as he did, then? Were they on that figurative same page? By the time the woman finally realized there was someone hanging on the outer part of the building and that the curtains needed to be closed, she realized just who it was - and Akiyama moved to open the window, carefully getting inside the room at long last and then closing it after his entrance. The loan shark just smiled warmly at her, left hand moving to remove the cap of his uniform and let his (slightly overgrown) hair free, looking a bit more of himself despite the rest of his service clothes. "I'm sorry for that, Azumi-chan. I just can't let anyone catch you around me, for your safety," he mentioned casually, inhaling softly before placing a hand against her right cheek and trailing her with the reverence one would address a deity, or afraid that the object of their affections could dissolve in thin air, "I swear you look even more beautiful now than I remember."

❛ ❤ ⋯      

The heiress opened the door to the room carefully. She glanced at the number on the door once more before daring to close it. This was the right place, she was sure  ―  and the correct time, as her phone confirmed. Okamura shouldered off her purse and laid her accessories on the bed gingerly, suddenly afraid to disturb anything. For a woman who was normally so confident, she seemed unusually nervous.

It was difficult to ignore the ball of pesky feelings wound up in her middle. She had missed Akiyama more than she expected  .    .    .  more than the label of favorite toy would warrant, really. Understanding that these past few months meant confronting emotions the heiress normally tried to avoid ; luckily, she hadn’t been alone while she struggled through this internal work. A close friend of hers ( far wiser in love than Okamura could ever hope to be ) was kind enough to hold her metaphorical hand through several alcohol - prompted, late - night outbursts that betrayed just how deeply the blonde felt for the absent moneylender.

How worried she was for his safety. How desperately she wanted to touch him. How often she walked past Sky Finance with the hope that the lights would be on, even though the office was in an undesirable part of town she would otherwise avoid.

Okamura took a deep breath and folded her arms around her torso. She remained oblivious to the figure servicing the windows ; having spent most of her life with nannies and workers flitting about the communal spaces of her various homes, it was easy for her to mentally block these individuals out. 

The heiress was certain that Akiyama wouldn’t stand her up. Rather than believe that he was laying injured somewhere ( which would have broke her already fragile nerves ), Okamura started to investigate the room itself. She nudged open the closet to peer inside, briefly stepped into the bathroom, and walked slowly around the perimeter of the bed. Her short silk dress ( a lovely pink color, of course ) and thin gold heels prevented her from kneeling to inspect under it. Bright nails tapped her sleeves thoughtfully. Okamura’s delicate gold journey, all hung with strawberry charms to bring her mind some peace, glittered in the light from the window.

Her bracelets sparkling from a stray patch of sunlight finally reminded Okamura that there was someone outside of the room. Perhaps  .    .     .  that was preventing Akiyama from entering. Blonde waves slid elegantly around Okamura’s shoulders as she turned. A hand grasped the edge of the curtain, and the heiress began to walk with it.

She was only a step or so in before her emerald eyes shifted up  ―  AND MET HIS. Okamura froze in place, jewel - colored stare widening as the realization came over her. A hand, trembling faintly, rose to cover her mouth in shock.

Okamura watched Akiyama climb inside without a word. The tangled mess of sentiments in her threatened to spill out of her throat at the mere sight of him. It wasn’t until the ( currently ex ) moneylender touched her cheek that Okamura appeared able to move again. She drew an unsteady breath, cleared her throat, and came closer. The heiress brought her fingers to his waist, testing momentarily if this was all real or another stray dream.

“You shouldn’t  .    .    .  scare a lady like that, ichigo,” Okamura murmured, fully aware that her words lacked their customary bite. 

Pleased that Akiyama indeed seemed solid, the heiress took the initiative to kiss him. Her hands grasped at his uniform, pulling him toward her, as her figure sank against his front. In the same way she had fit into him countless times prior, though all of those instances paled in comparison to this. Okamura embraced Akiyama with almost wild fervor, and in that gesture she poured her unspoken ‘ I MISSED YOU. ’ 

When her lungs finally burned due to a lack of air, Okamura released him ; however, her digits remained firmly twisted in his clothing. She was afraid that he may escape her if she let him go now. The heiress snuggled under Akiyama’s chin, breathing heavily, and reveled in the feeling of his stubble scratching her smooth skin. His warmth. The glimpse of gold around his neck. How his arms enveloped her in the same way they used to. 

Falling asleep in stolen maroon blazers that no longer carried his scent would be impossible after this reminder of what being held by the man himself was like.

[theladyismyshepard]

Here’s my first crack at some Donna x pre-transitioned ftm!reader content to get the ball rolling with her reaction to you coming out, and I do warn you, this is me answering asks before having a chance to buy and play the game myself (I like hard copies sue me) so some things might not be right or ooc, like the fact I have Angie refer to Donna as her “mom” *shrug*

TW: mentioning of slight dysphoria

Make Me Feel Alive

The fog that acted as a fine layer that obscured the vision of the ground perfectly reflected the gloomy ache that lodged itself painfully in your chest, nearly making it impossible to breathe past. Your forehead lightly rested against the cool windowpane as you stared unseeingly out into the misty valley below. You weren’t feeling very comfortable today and you couldn’t stand to look at your reflection. It had your smile feeling forced and it didn’t feel right on your face at all.

You couldn’t slip, not in front of Donna, not when you feared what she would think of you. When you first had been sent to Donna as punishment straight from the hand of Mother Miranda, she had been cold and distant, as if your presence wasn’t appreciated nor was it a nuisance; she just... didn’t really acknowledge you at all as you tended to House Beneviento. That left one other... source of company for you to get acquainted with in her noticeable absence.

You shuddered at the thought of Angie finding out that you didn’t feel “normal”, and the onslaught that you would endure for it. The doll seemed to always be attached to your leg, and whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, you weren’t certain of yet. The little thing seemed obsessed with you, and Donna was quick to notice that fact. Now, you had her full attention.

“Angie does not grow attached to guests... and yet...”

It was the first words she had uttered to you since she had first introduced herself, and it caught you off guard as you were so absorbed in dusting the paintings decorating the walls. You whirled around on your heel, heart pounding rapidly against your rib cage, feeling too light for comfort. You were met with no expression as she wore her veil, and you never wanted to read her more.

“She whispers... things to me.” You admitted uncertainly, unsure if your definitions of “getting attached” were the same. “Frightening things sometimes,”

“You are still here, are you not?” countered Donna. “I have not warned her any of harm befalling you.”

You swallowed past the sudden lump in your throat that formed at her words. Now you were well aware that you were free game running around the House, and away from Angie. Should you feel lucky? Because you’re starting to feel nothing at all.

“I don’t know why she... likes me.” You forced out, unsure of what answer Donna was seeking from you.

“Interesting...” was all she said before she turned away from you and left you standing there with a duster in hand.

You blinked away the memory of the first time you and Donna had a semi-conversation, and you considered that to be the turning point of your relationship. Especially when Angie was muttering the next day, something about “Why am I forbidden now?” and it had your lips curved into an unexpected smile that you couldn’t permanently shake for the rest of the day.

As the days bled into nights and as the weeks flew to months, there was a bond between the two of you that threatened to expand and force itself to be the only thing your mind was capable of comprehending. There was something melancholic about the air that always surrounded Donna and over time, it began pulling at your heartstrings that this soft heart had been so hurt in some way that she couldn’t even face the world without her veil, and you were determined to figure out the mystery of everything about her.

And that made it so easy to put aside your own insecurities and discomforts with your body for the sake of putting Donna’s needs above your own. You cooked for her, you cleaned for her, you did the house and yard maintenance for her. You made sure she had nothing else to do but to focus on what she loved — puppeteering. At first she had offered you no indication that she noticed or appreciated your effort in taking care of her, but then it started with a gentle caress of her finger over yours when you had handed her a cup one day. You couldn’t stop staring at her hands that day, and thinking of what they were capable of.

Even Angie’s bizarrely threatening comments had cooled to mere teasing and dark humor. Though she was still attached to your leg quite literally. The doll took every opportunity she could to curl herself around your leg and thigh, enjoying the ride as you continued on while occasionally glancing down at her giggling form. Even so, being as civil and calm as you and Angie were now, you still weren’t comfortable with the doll and her loose mouth knowing your secret and spreading it to the woman you-

Served. And that was all you would allow yourself even in your head. It was too painful to dream of scenarios where Donna felt the same fluttering in her stomach as you did, just to return to reality with the constriction of your chest; It was too painful to subconsciously trick yourself with hope. So, you decided to numb yourself from feeling anything completely as you tended to your duties around Donna’s home. You didn’t even bother with mindless chitchat with the veiled woman anymore when you presented her with her sustenance, and not once did you catch the furrow of her brow when you started taking your leave without a word, not when she concealed everything from you and everyone else.

You blinked past your blurry vision and saw the fog thickening until it blanketed the entire valley, even up the stumps of the trees. The small part of your forehead that was still resting against the windowpane had gone numb from the prolonged exposure to the chill of the glass. A sigh couldn’t help but find its way out of your throat, and it fogged up your view of the outside. You were contemplating reaching a finger out to draw a frowning face in the condensation, but a solid form collided with your leg and plopped itself down onto your right foot. You didn’t even have to look down.

“Hello, Angie,” you greeted monotonously, not in the mood to act overly friendly with the doll.

“What’s your problem?” demanded Angie, but you knew she wouldn’t have even asked if she wasn’t interested in what had you sour.

“Nothing,” you whispered, offering her a smile that barely lifted one corner of your mouth.

“Even my mom has noticed,” spoke Angie matter-of-factly, and you knew she felt you stiffen. “You don’t like that, huh?”

“What’re you talking about?” You cursed the way your voice trembled, but the doll relished in it.

“You’ve been distant, she says, and she wants to know why.” drawled Angie, gazing up at you as her hold on your leg tightened.

You nearly found yourself arguing with this doll, but you bit back any remarks of denial that danced so tantalizingly on the tip of your tongue, ready to take the plummet. You sighed heavily yet again as unbidden tears pricked the corners of your eyes at the mentioning of your behavior, and what was causing it by extension. You couldn’t tell her even if you wanted to, not past the weight that suddenly found itself stuck inside of your chest. Angie vehemently shook at your leg.

“Well?”

“Angie,” came a sharp voice, effectively cutting off your lack of response. “That will be all.”

Your neck almost could’ve broke with how quick your head snapped over to face Donna. She still had her veil on, but there was tension in her shoulders as she scolded the doll. Angie did the best she could about looking chastised as she scurried away from you and down the hall, not even seeking the comfort of her mother at the moment. So that left the two of you to stand there in uncomfortable silence until someone decided to break it, and you decided that that was not going to be you.

You couldn’t tell if you felt relieved or if you felt disappointed when Donna paused for a moment before turning on her heel and walked gracefully away from you and down the hall. You released a shaky breath and wasn’t sure why your eyes felt as wet as they did when you watched her go without a word, without any care. You squeezed them tightly shut, hoping against odds that it would dispel the tears lining them, and when you opened them again, you saw Donna standing still and looking back over her shoulder at you.

“Would you please follow me?” asked Donna, and you were surprised by how much of a genuine, nervous question it was rather than a demand that she could rightfully give.

“I- sure, I mean yes!” You stammered over yourself, unsure and nearly afraid, but your shaky legs took you forward one step at a time, and this time, Donna waited for you to fall into step with her.

“You seem tense,” Donna mused without looking over at you, and for once, you wished you had your own veil to shield yourself with once you decided that prolonging the inevitable would do no good.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, eyes turning downcast, and even you weren’t sure as to why you were apologizing.

“Are you alright, honey?”

The name at the end coupled with the concern you could hear in her voice had you looking right back up at her, and this time you could tell she was observing every part of your face, almost as if she were checking for the lie coming. It was too much to explain to her, too much at one time and you found it would be a lot easier to shut down and give generic, albeit hollow responses until she left you alone with yourself.

But what if? What if Donna made it easy enough to let your tongue slip and unleash it all as if it were nothing at all? You couldn’t see her reaction, and that alone, the slightest of hesitations, had your lungs seizing as you gazed right at her veil-covered face. What if she laughed at you? What if she called you unnatural? What if she banished you altogether? And that was how the cons had outweighed the pros, but now you’ve hesitated too long and Donna turned her body to fully face you.

“Will you make it just a little bit further? My bedroom is close by.” she said softly, her hand reaching out to you, and you took it, and for a moment it didn’t feel right in yours, but you shook the thought away, nearly grateful just to hold her hand.

You nodded your head, and the walk passed you by in a blur, one foot guiding you at a time as your thoughts battled for dominance and left you in the whirlwind. Donna pushed her bedroom door open and one thought that did take purchase of your mind was “Oh my god, she has me in her bedroom” and it offered you an anchor to latch onto instead of focusing on the care and affection you’ve grown to feel for Donna or the way your body felt too curved, too exposed, too wrong. Donna perched herself in the chair that she had in her room, and held her hand out to signal for you to sit down on the edge of the bed.

“You don’t talk much anymore.” Donna stated simply, and you made a noncommittal noise in the back of your throat. “Hm.”

“I’m-”

“Sorry,” interrupted Donna, and you could hear something coloring her tone. “Why? What do you keep apologizing for?”

“Nothing,” you shrug before looking down at your lap. “And a lot of things,”

“You are so very helpful, dear.” Donna quipped, and for some reason, it gave you the flash of irritation that you needed to get the ball rolling.

“Well maybe I don’t trust you!” You snapped, aware that you shouldn’t be saying it, but unable to prevent it from coming out, and you really regretted it when you heard a small intake of breath.

“Have I proven myself disloyal to you in some way?” spat Donna, her voice suddenly cold, and it had the fight leaving your body, and leaving you exhausted.

“I don’t want you to hate me.” You whimpered, hanging your head as it was too much energy to hold it up. “You’ll make fun of me.”

“I...”

The words died in Donna’s throat as she sat perfectly still in her seat. Her defensive attitude was instantly replaced with worry and confusion, and it had her momentarily thrown. She watched your body tremble with every labored breath you exhaled and after the third inhale, she was on her feet and sitting by your side on the edge of the bed. She took your hand and ran her thumb across your knuckles reassuringly.

“I could never hate you, and I would never make fun of you about what’s bothering you so terribly.” insisted Donna, taking your hand into both of hers now to softly caress it with her fingertips.

“I...” You whispered breathlessly, your wide eyes glued to your joined hands and it made it easier to not look at her. “I love you,”

The hands surrounding yours squeezed tightly before bringing it up, up, up, and slipping your hand behind her veil to bring it to her smiling lips.

“I know,” she whispered back, and you felt the heat of her breath against your hand. “I’ve known for some time, and I love you, too.”

Your mouth fell open in shock and you stared into the blackness that was her veil, your eyes darting back and forth where you thought her eyes to be. She was still smiling as she pressed kisses to your hand.

“W-Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” You pressed, unsure of what emotion you were going to land on. “If you knew?”

“There is something else you’re still holding back... why is that?” countered Donna, and she didn’t give you time to even think of a response before she was answering herself. “Because you aren’t ready, and I wasn’t... until now.”

“What changed?” You couldn’t help but ask, and you sorta felt selfish that you didn’t hesitate to press for answers while Donna simply let you come to terms with your own struggle at your own time.

“Me,” said Donna, her sudden chuckle sounded more of a dry sob she couldn’t hold back. “I changed over time and it was because of you... You used to be so lively around here that it made me come back to life as well... and then you suddenly disappeared.”

“I...” You trailed off, and how could you defend yourself when you knew her words to be true... you were here, but it was also very noticeable that you weren’t.

“Are you ever going to come back to me?” questioned Donna, your joined hands falling into her lap.

You watched in awe as it seemed like everything was almost falling into place right before your eyes in the form of Donna playing with your fingers with her own. She managed to seem so small and unsure, and yet she held this power and grace to her that you both were aware of. She dipped her head, but you could somehow feel the heat of her gaze probing. The fluttering of everything inside of you had it all too easy to bring your free hand underneath her veil to cup her cheek and pull her full attention towards you.

“A lot of the times I don’t feel like a woman.” You said and by the time you realized you were saying it, your voice only had time to tremble on the last word. “I... sometimes I don’t feel comfortable in my own body... Sometimes I look at myself and wish things were different.”

“What can I do for you?” Donna questioned intensely, one of her hands releasing yours in favor of covering the one on her cheek. “I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable with yourself.”

You sat there staring dumbly at her, your mouth working but no words were coming forth. You weren’t exactly prepared for any sort of response much less a positive one, and here she was, asking what she could do to help you, and it had you laughing incredulously, your brow furrowing as you looked at nothing. But then you were sobbing and you couldn’t stop it no matter how hard you tried to reign it back in. Arms were surrounding you in less than a second.

“Is this what you were so scared of, honey?” whispered Donna, tucking you into the crook of her neck, and you nodded wildly.

“I-I thought you wouldn’t l-love me if I told you.” You hiccuped, feeling frayed and ragged in her embrace.

“Impossible,” said Donna, her tone leaving no room for argument. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel right in your own skin.”

“What now?” You croaked, most of the weight gone from your shoulders, but there was still some residual tension lingering, and she must have felt it because she was soon running her soft hand over your shoulder.

“Well...” started Donna, pulling away from you but grabbing both your hands to keep you close enough. “I love you, and you love me, and if you ever chose to commit to becoming a man, then I’m quite certain that Mother Miranda has connections that I will indeed look into about helping you change into who you are meant to be.”

Was it really that easy? Did you really just come out as smoothly as you did? And she just... accepted it? You were so scatterbrained that it left you spent and unable to do more than fall back into her ready embrace. You figured she must have read your string of thoughts because soon she cupped the back of your neck, and pulled back.

Just enough so she could use her unoccupied hand to lift her veil just enough to expose her lips. You didn’t have time to marvel before she surged forward, also using her hand to pull you in closer to connect your lips in a searing kiss that had you gasping into it. Your eyes slammed shut without your consent, but the softness of her mouth had you lacking the care of anything else. She gently scratched at the base of your neck and then she was pulling back, leaving you dazed.

“Thank you for sharing your secret with me.” said Donna, and the raw honesty had you blinking away more tears.

“Thank you for deserving it,” you whispered back, almost hunching from how bone-tired and light you felt from finally letting go of the weight that was holding you down for so long.

After a moment of comfortable silence passed of the two of you just basking in the afterglow of requited confession, Donna smirked, prompting a grin of your own. Before you could even ask, she already beat you to it.

“I think Angie will be ecstatic about having something of a father figure around here.”

You paled when you heard maniac giggling outside the door.

[emblemxeno]

Xander Support Science Rebuttal/Review + How Mediocre Localization Could Change A Character (1/2)

A couple of days ago I said I would do this because I haven’t watched the videos in question in a long time, and I wanted to see if I would hold the same opinions that I do now. In short, yeah, I do. (Part 2 of this Post)

The videos in question by Ghast (going by Faerghast now) can be found here: Part 1 Part 2

You’ve all most likely seen my posts and short analyses about Fates’ writing, it’s localization, and Xander as a whole. I wanted to make this rebuttal/review, not just as a way to get my differing opinion out there, but to also provide context on how translation and localization can alter a character’s interpretation with even the slightest change, and a brief summary on how Xander was supposed to be written from the get go.

TL;DR (Though I highly recommend reading the whole thing to really understand the point I am trying to make with this series of posts):

Xander’s character was altered in the localization due to a number of changes made that either replace/remove the original context of his writing, or add things that weren’t even present in the first place. The reason why I’m doing a rebuttal against these videos in the first place is because the greater community cite these videos as the correct interpretation of Xander, with there being no acknowledgement of localization being a factor of why Xander seems so inconsistent and poorly written. Further worsening the issue is Ghast’s own reading of Xander’s character, by roping him into a few select traits, and ignoring others.

Before moving on with the meat of the review, I’d like to link some things that would be useful to read/watch when they’ll be referenced in these posts:

- Analysis of the relationship between Garon and the Nohrian siblings (aka the abusive royal household)

- Xander’s Japanese supports with Camilla and Corrin. Here is a link to the localized Fates supports in order to spot differences.

-English patched playthroughs of the JP version of the game done by Linkmstr (Pre-decision   Birthright    Conquest    Revelation) as well as a link to said patch done by a team on Serenes.

-A link to the chapters of Fates, each one has a link to the script of said chapter.

(I’ll also be using quotes from Ghast in the videos, usually marked by time stamps)

Xander Summary

Xander is an intimidating figure who is seen as a stoic and unemotional Crown Prince. In actuality, he’s merely an introverted dude riddled with trauma, and is unable to express his emotions in a “normal” way. The person who’s feared by tons of people in Hoshido is the same guy who gets anxiety during public speaking (dealing with this by imagining his audience as bunnies or carrots depending on the version) and who’s greatest fear as a child was his own father (as revealed in the Boo Camp DLC).

He’s also heavily suicidal, a result of each time having to kill his enemies weighing heavily on his heart and his psyche.

While he seems to be relatively put together, all of these aforementioned factors influence his character, and the dichotomy of appealing to his duty as Crown Prince and appealing to his emotions. Moreover, it has lead him into a deep seated denial of his father’s evil actions, trying to justify or excuse the things Garon had done, a fairly common symptom of an abused child. Not only that, but it has lead him to believe that betraying Garon is synonymous with betraying his family and all of Nohr, something he finds inexcusable and outrageous, and only breaks out of this way of thinking once he witnesses Garon become truly monstrous.

And while trying to do what’s best for his people and his family are major parts of his character, they are not the only ones, and as we see in the game, they lead to him doing things that some would see as OOC, but actually are pretty reasonable if you dig deep into what makes Xander, well, Xander.

The Beginning

Unfortunately, a lot of this is lost in localization, which preferred to make him less introverted and more... observational and witty? He’s more confrontational in the localization, but only sometimes when the story needs him to be, making him look inconsistent and badly written. He tends to preach a lot more, but ends up contradicting himself through his words and actions. Almost all of these are issues added by the localized script, and either were completely different or just plain absent in the original JP script.

And the reason why this rebuttal exists, is because the videos blame the game’s writing instead of this very faulty translation, made even worse by the fact that Ghast’s channel is popular because of story/character analyses, so not mentioning how translation can affect story telling is the first glaring issue with the support science.

The first video starts with the main issue, how Fates has character’s written well in supports, but not in the main campaign. That’s the main thing with this, so I’ll save an overview for it later.

Mistranslated Support Lines

-At 2:25, Ghast talks about Support Xander, starting off with the Camilla-Xander support. The line in question that’s referenced is how Xander deliberately cultivated the image of him being stoic and seemingly uncaring. However, this isn’t true, Xander didn’t cultivate the image in the original JP support, he just ended up realizing that was how people saw him and thought it would be too much of a hassle to change it. This fits in line with how he acts later in the story, as an introverted character, he’s ultimately non-confrontational unless pushed to the limit.

-At 7:55, the Corrin support is brought up. This is the support that is the key reason why Xander is seen as two different characters between story and supports. The line where Xander said he’s now strong enough to stand up against Garon whenever he felt like it wasn’t present at all in the original JP support. Hence, continuing on with the idea that Xander is not as confrontational as he seems, and preferred to swing his sword to let out his emotions instead.

-Ghast then goes on to discuss why there’s this discrepancy between Xander in supports and story, where Xander supposedly acts out of character by fighting Corrin in chapter 2 on Garon’s orders (at 14:31):

“For this segment of the video, bear in mind what has been established about Support Xander so far. The feats that Support xander has disclosed from his past, particularly his courageousness to engage Garon in yelling fights and pre-established love for Corrin is entirely contradicted from the offset of the game...Given their (Xander and Garon’s) relationship before the game even starts, the game provides absolutely no reason why Xander would behave in such a sheepish way to his father. Where is the bravery he was talking about before? Wht did Xander hope to accomplish by striking at Corrin? Did he want to disable her? Did he intentionally want to harm her for Garon’s sake?” 

Except that’s not true. Applying what we know with Xander being non confrontational, scared to death of his father, being all too familiar with family dying around him, etc, and this scene really isn’t too out of character. But it seems so because of the lines added in the English script.

Adherence To Select Traits

-At 16:10-18:20, he goes on to claim that Xander’s reaction to Corrin choosing to fight for Hoshido is uncharacteristic and ‘stupid’ because of the former’s pre-established observational skills, doubts of Garon, and tendency to stand against his father when he disagrees with him (all of which are more exaggerated/added in the English script).

Besides the fact that Xander wasn’t written to be someone who regularly stands up to his father in the first place, the insistence that Xander remains strictly observational and pragmatic in these scenarios is the first big issue I have with these videos.

Ghast picks certain traits and latches them onto Xander without considering others that might influence the his actions; it’s true that Xander’s awareness of Corrin’s situation might have let him come to terms with the Hoshido family wanting them back, and yes they were kidnapped, BUT they were also raised as if actual siblings for over a decade, and feelings/attachment towards one's family is hard to let go of. Wanting Xander to be more accepting of Corrin’s choice of going back to Hoshido and, to him, abandon their family and everything they’ve had, just to have him continue to have his hidden awareness/familial observation be more forward completely betrays the fact that they’re still family, and Xander as a person should be allowed to have feelings and still love his sibling. 

The point that’s apparently tried to be made is for consistency’s sake, but what good is this supposed consistency when it doesn’t make sense for a family member to just accept their sibling siding with their enemy. Ghast goes on to say that he’d rather Xander say ‘I’m sorry for keeping secrets from you and I’ll follow up on those claims about Garon, but please come back’, and that’s basically what he says, but instead of trying to understand why Xander would react the way he would he instead reduces Xander’s reaction to a childish ‘Get Bent, Traitor’. 

Xander’s dedication to his family and his country aren’t mutually exclusive, at least to him. So when Corrin decides to break ties with Nohr, Xander sees it as them throwing away their family, friends, and every good memory they’ve had. Aside from the fact that Xander’s vehement defense of Garon is a result of having an abusive/destructive childhood, the shock of and surge of emotion from Corrin choosing to, from Xander’s perspective, betray everything they’ve had together is in my opinion, a perfectly fine reason for why Xander acts like he does. Ghast says this type of read of the situation is stupid, which isn’t a valid criticism and he doesn’t even go into why he believes so, and says it’s uncharacteristic, even though it really isn’t but the localization and his own insistence on having Xander adhere to a select few traits makes it seem that way.

Misplaced Criticism

-At 18:01 ”It’s alright for Xander to continue to try and persuade Corrin to rejoin Nohr, but he ought to be able to understand Corrin’s wavering loyalty. It’s hypocritical for Xander to flagrantly and ignorantly criticize Corrin for their decision and distance himself the most despite being made out to be the closest to them” 

Why? Again this ignores Xander’s own character having thoughts and feelings of his own, but also wouldn’t it make sense for the one to be closest to Corrin to be the most affected by it, and ergo the have the most negative reaction?

-Talks about the Xander line at chapter 12 at 18:28, “Xander doesn’t make connections around the circumstances regarding Corrin’s betrayal after 5 chapters” He says this makes Xander out to be someone who has no observational skills, but in regards to what? Making connections to the reasons behind Corrin’s betrayal, leading him to question and go against his father? Well, that reasoning hinges on the fact that Xander is the person who would stand up to his father in situations like these in the first place, but he isn’t. Any lines indicating such are a result of the localization adding them in.

The criticism of Xander’s observation skills doesn’t make sense. In the context of the situation, where Xander is engaging a loved family member after they betrayed the Kingdom (which to Xander is synonymous with betraying the family), why are his observational skills being brought up? The reason why he’s engaging could just be summarized as “he’s angry and hurt that Corrin would fight their family”. A completely justified reaction to what Xander has been experiencing. But instead this is ignored in favor of criticizing Xander for not having the awareness of why Corrin betrayed Nohr, and the awareness of Garon being evil. Ghast says “Story Xander is unable to catch on that his dad is going bonkers” Simply put, it’s most likely that Xander IS aware, but keeps it locked deep down due to deep seeded denial. In chapter 27, (taken from English patch of JP version) he says as much:

Garon: Just what do you know about me...?

Xander: I should be saying that to you... Just what do you know about Father…?! ...All this time, I acted like I didn’t notice. No matter what the order, I obeyed. And that, in the end, you would return to your normal self. That’s what I believed. But, now, Father is… already…

Said denial had run so far, that it took Xander seeing Garon as a literal grotesque monster for him to finally break free. 

Xander’s Way of Thinking

-At 20:05, “While it’s true that Garon is family and Corrin is seemingly betraying that family, Xander’s supports suggest that he would at least consider Corrin’s motivations before putting a sword through her'' 1) it’s not seemingly, Corrin is pretty much betraying her family by choosing one nation over the other, made worse by the fact that Nohr is synonymous with family to Xander, making this worse 2) it’s completely possible that Xander does understand Corrin’s motivations by this point, but is simply too angry and hurt by his sibling’s betrayal to care or acknowledge. “It makes it seem like Story Xander has no critical thinking skills or has lost every ounce of empathy he has that’s established in his supports” or that this is just his reaction to these events, as I previously said? It’s not Xander lacking critical thought that’s the driving point here, he believes that Corrin going against Nohr, means that they’re going against him, their family, all of the innocent people in Nohr, everything they’ve had together. 

This includes Garon, because as a result of his upbringing, he justifies any shitty action Garon does because he’s clinging to any good thing his father has done, and desperately denies that he could be evil, because ‘how could the person that raised and cared for me be as bad as my brother/sister, who threw everything our family had together in our face, says he is. I love my sibling dearly, but asking to betray my father is asking to betray my family, my country, and my people, I can’t do that’; that’s essentially Xander’s way of thinking. Extreme, yes, but people don’t always do what’s considered the right thing just because it’s the right thing. There’s a whole slew of factors I’ve already explained as to why Xander would be hard pressed to betray Garon.

---

Anyway, this is what I have for today. There will be 2 (maybe 3?) more posts in regards to the rest of my notes. I hope you enjoyed the start of this, please leave any replies and asks and reblogs on any things you liked about this and anything you think I could improve on!

[jordanr770-blog]

My Thoughts on The Alienist: Angel of Darkness Season Finale

Please note that there be spoilers ahead. If you haven't watched the show, turn back now or ruin your eyeballs with spoilerness.

Alright, so to begin with, I love The Alienist. I loved the first season and thought this season was also super good until the last 15 minutes or so. The location, the cast, the crew, the costume designers, basically every single person who worked on the show is fantastic and I appreciate and respect every single one of them, with the exception of whoever wrote the last 15 minutes of that season finale. I have a few WORDS I would like to say about that ridiculously implausible and contrived ending of a season! 1. I am super disappointed that John and Sara didn't become endgame. More than likely Violet is lying about her miraculously timed pregnancy. But even if she is the worst, it is completely in John Moore's character to screw up like that. Yes, I realize that in life mistakes are going to be made and nothing usually ever turns out perfectly peachy, but I would also like to throw out there that this is a fictional story with a few real life people thrown in (Byrnes, Hearst, Roosevelt in the first season, probably more I can't think of right now...) and because it is a fictional story you don't necessarily have to follow the ground rules of real life. Making characters grow wings and fly may be a bit of a stretch for this story, but having people end up happy is not so far out of normal that people will be irrationally displeased. Creating a soap opera out of a doomed relationship because "realistic life scenario" is somewhat lazy writing and is bound to make a few people question your choices. Basically; NOBODY WANTS VIOLET AND JOHN TOGETHER, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME WITH THAT NONSENSE?!?!?!?

2. We all know that Sara Howard is amazing and never needed marriage to define her as a person. But just ONCE can we please have a lady who is content and happy having both a job and being married? Why is it always one or the other? It's either "be a strong independent woman and die alone" or "be a slave to the nuptial life whose only hobby is housework and children," and that is a very unpleasant and unrealistic mindset to have. People can do both. Why not both? Why couldn’t Sara remain head of her own detective agency and also be in a relationship with John? It frustrates me so much that in tv/movies/books/etc. that this always seems to be the ONLY option when it doesn't have to be.

3. To be perfectly honest, I am probably not the biggest John/Sara shipper like a lot of you here. But I can completely understand your frustration with this entire thing.

4. Laszlo Kreizler kind of became a semi-background character this season and I didn't really dig it. He IS The Alienist, aka what the title of the show is and the title of the first book by Caleb Carr. I don't mind that they had it be Sara's POV this season, but I am a bit miffed that they didn't do a whole lot with Kreizler, who is one of my faves. And I'll say it right now, that ending with him was bollocks and completely OOC for the good doctor! I never really shipped Laszlo with KAREN Stratton (yes, they really named her Karen) and I loved the scenario someone came up with on Twitter where they said that she wasn't even a real person, just his psyche. But that theory (sadly) flew out the window tonight, along with Laszlo's personality. We are supposed to believe that he just said to hell with the institute which he spent a lifetime of blood, sweat and tears into developing/creating, and to hell with those institutionalized children, they'll be fine. No need for me to doctor around here anymore! Therefore I shall go gallivanting in Europe for 6 months with the pretty lady and go see Freud speak. I mean, there's having an existential crisis and then there's being careless and stupid. Laszlo is not careless and he's far from being stupid. It just doesn't make any sense!

5. I cannot stress this enough: FUCK THEM for killing off Marcus Isaacson. There was absolutely NO point in killing him off. To further the plot along and hurt us? NO. You can do that by taking an eyeball out, not by murdering one of the main five. I love both of the Isaacson brothers and I hate the decision of killing Marcus off. Did Douglas Smith not want to be in the show anymore? If that was the case they could have had him traveling in Europe with Kreizler for a few months and then decide to stay there for whatever reason. Killing Marcus Isaacson off was unwarranted and very uncool and I am severely mad about this. WE DON’T MURDER THE MAIN FIVE!  Do something else! Oh and I’m adding  Bitsy and Milly to the “not kill” list as well if we get a season 3. 

6. Whatever happened to Dr. Markoe and the Lying-In hospital? Are we supposed to forget that he was taking babies away from the mothers who gave birth in his vicinity? AKA committing severe malpractice. Maybe that was already explained and I forgot? I kind of want some answers to that. 

Those are all my ranted thoughts (for now). I haven’t read the book Angel of Darkness yet, but now I have a strong desire to do so. Will probably have to go buy the book this week to see how the show and book differ. I apologize if I offended anyone with my thoughts, you are completely allowed to have your own opinions, these just happen to be mine and I totally understand if yours are vastly different. =)