#the name is a work in progress. but you know

[kdinjenzen]

As a trans woman voice actress who's been doing VO professionally for 12 years I've been keeping myself out debates on social media about the SAG video game strike aside from an occasional "Please support voice actors during this time, we've lost a lot of livelihood in the pursuit of fair treatment."

What I will say is that getting all your information from sensational YouTube videos, short videos with half the information, or third/fourth hand from other fans who have gotten their info from these sources it is only going to harm the industry more by perpetuating and spreading it.

Fans, regardless of what you're a fan of, I know that you want more of "the thing you like." But understand that when a strike is happening if you're getting more of that something and suddenly the entire cast is replace... you have to understand that it's coming at the cost of people's livelihoods.

From the voice over artist perspective… we WANT to work, but we also want to ensure that we will still HAVE work in 10 years time.

And with things progressing as fast and as aggressive as they are, all your "favorites" won't be able to work at all if things continue down this path.

In seriousness without the fans a lot of "household names" in the VA industry wouldn't have what they have now, and I assure you that they are forever grateful for your support.

When these high profile VAs are talking about what's at stake, they're talking to you and appealing to your hearts.

For those of us who are marginalized, who struggle to book things because of our gender, the color of our skin, our sexuality, etc, and don't have that level of support, we are struggling even more during these times.

We don't have the pull nor platforms to truly tell you how we're suffering now.

But understand that we WANT to work, we want to CONTINUE to work, and what we're fighting for right now is a FUTURE where we can make that sustainable and not be replaced by cloned or generated voices.

Union? Non-Union?

It doesn't matter which or what because it'll all be a wash in the end if this is able to move forward as the cheap, lazy, easy way will cut out the people who have built this industry will take over every aspect of it.

I'm a trans woman voice actress.

I love my art, my craft, my colleagues, my industry and I love the fans that support these efforts so that we can make wonderful experiences.

I want to be able to work and to do more than struggle.

I want to continue using my voice to craft worlds and characters.

[emblemxeno]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is a link to my post of translated sources!

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

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

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

---

Classic Mode Retreat Quote

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

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

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

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

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

Critical/Skill Activation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Level Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Class Change

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

English: How quaint.

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

Mess Hall

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

My Castle

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

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

Birthday

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

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

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

Conquest Chapter 8

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

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

Birthright Chapter 18 Standard Boss Quote

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

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

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

Vs. Corrin/Kamui (Japanese)

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

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

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

Kamui: Huh...

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

Kamui: !!!

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

Vs. Corrin English

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

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

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

Corrin: You're sick!

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

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

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

Ghostly Gold

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

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

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

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

Boo Camp

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

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

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

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

Niles' Father Support with M!Kana

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

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

Niles’ Father Support with Shigure

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

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

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

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

Niles with Subaki

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

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

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

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

Niles/Zero with Mozu/Mozume

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

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

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

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

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

Mozume: You're a terrible person...

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

Mozume: What a selfish person...

In the English version, this is said instead:

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

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

Mozu: Th-this is hardly the time!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Niles/Zero with Arthur/Harold

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

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

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

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

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

Harold: ...That's suspicious.

Zero: What is?

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

Zero: You think that nonsense passes for actual theory?

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

Zero: Right, I thought so.

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

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

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

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

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

Arthur: This is suspicious...

Niles: Wait. You're actually ACTUALLY serious.

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

Niles: Your logic is breathtakingly stupid.

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

Niles: Yep. It was obvious.

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

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

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

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

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

Zero: What's that supposed to mean?

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

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

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

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

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

Zero: Huh? Cute?

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

Zero: Why you...

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

Zero: Tch...

The English version replaces that with this:

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

Niles: Um, that's reall now necessary.

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

Niles: Can we go back to being enemies?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Niles with Azura

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

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

In the English version, he says:

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

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

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

Niles with Elise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Niles with Leo

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

Niles with Camilla

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

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

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

Camilla: I wonder.

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

Camilla: ...What is it?

Zero: I do not agree with that.

Camilla: then, what do you really think?

Zero: Am I allowed to say it?

Camilla: Of course.

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

Camilla: ! What do you mean by pitiful?

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

In the English version, Camilla instead says this first:

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

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

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

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

Niles: Heh heh...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In English, this exchange is written like this instead:

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

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

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

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

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

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

In English, however, she says this:

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

---There are several things to note here.

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

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

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

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

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

Camilla: Zero...

In English, this is what the exchange is instead:

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

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

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

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

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

Niles with Corrin

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

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

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

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

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

But in English, he says this:

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

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

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

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

After asking Corrin to marry him, this exchange happens:

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

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

Kamui: You're serious...

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

Kamui: ...Zero...

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

Kamui: ...

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

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

Zero: Huh?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Endings

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

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

In English, it's this:

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

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

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

Japanese (Friendship)

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

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

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

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

English (Friendship)

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

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

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

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

Japanese (Lovers)

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

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

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

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

English (Lovers)

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

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

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

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

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

Confession

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

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

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

-------

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

[brwnsugcr]

the pilates princess, chapter ten.

upsy daisy... word count: 5.8k

naruto and hinata's blossoming relationship continues to progress...

preview.

he likes this game.  pretending like their relationship never went past professional matters in front of her other clients.  to them, he was just another man, looking to book with the beautiful pilates instructor at the best private studio in midtown. hanabi was off today, meaning that after hinata wraps up with her client here, she would be closing the studio for her lunch break. by herself. with no one else around. no one to…keep her company. and naruto knew that. as he watches her with fond eyes, his gaze also dips, roaming over what she had chosen to wear. a creamy, off-white zip-up to compliment the matching… orange …set. jesus.  “thank you! please book again soon.” “hai! thank you, hinata-sama. I'll see you later!” “okay!” hinata's gaze falls on naruto's as they - finally - are alone, her nails softly click-clacking away at her keyboard.  naruto saunters up to the front desk. “what’s up?” she sighs his name, “oh, naruto-kun…”  tilting her head up at him. “you didn't tell me you were coming!” “uhh, surprise?” hinata has not stopped smiling. she giggles like a schoolgirl as he leans over the counter, amping up the flirting on high. “I like that color on you.” blushing like one, too. “thank you, love.” “you know orange is my favorite color.” her eyelashes flutter, her teeth slightly dragging over her bottom lip. “I do.” “especially that shade…” he lets his eyes drop the eyeline. he could just eat her. “mmm…” “naruto-kun…” she looks around as if hanabi was about to walk right around that corner. “I'm at work,” she enunciates with a whisper. “you have lunch soon, don't ya?” the answer is yes. she glances at her clock. “I…I guess I do...” his grin spreads. “wanna spend it with me?”

[xoln04f1xo]

DRIVE ME CRAZY - MV01

He’s a hot-headed street racer, you’re the new cop in town. After chasing him for months, you're forced to work together on a city charity race. Sparks (and tires) fly.

Warnings: reckless driving, swearing, police chase

WC: 1.2k

Divider credit: @strangergraphics

The city had a heartbeat.

You heard it in the late-night hum of neon signs, the muted thrum of base from clubs that never really closed, and the hiss of tires over wet pavement. But tonight, that pulse was quickening.

You were parked just outside the edge of the old industrial quarter - where the warehouses had long since stopped warehousing anything but trouble. Your shift was winding down. Or it should’ve been. But the radio static had that edge to it - the kind that came just before someone said something that would ruin your night.

The dispatcher’s voice came in over the chatter, calm but clipped. “All units, we’ve got a possible 10-80 in progress. Suspect vehicle matches the RB7, heading northbound on Crosswell.”

You looked up.

Crosswell was two blocks away.

And that meant him.

You didn’t even wait for backup. You threw the cruiser into gear and peeled out, tires barking against the asphalt. Lights on. Siren silent - for now.

Max Verstappen.

The name had become an urban legend among officers in your precinct. Some of the rookies thought the nickname "RB7" was a myth, like some kind of ghost car. But you knew better. You’d chased him twice now. You’d gotten close. Close enough to see the curl of his smirk in the rear view. Close enough to know he wasn’t just fast - he was smart. Calculated. He raced like he could see five moves ahead of you.

But tonight? Tonight felt different.

You turned onto Croswell and immediately caught a flash of light - a chrome reflection disappearing around the corner of 16th Street. You gunned it.

Your cruiser snarled to life, struggling to keep up as you weaved through thinning traffic. He was heading east, where the buildings got tighter and the streets turned to spaghetti. Exactly where he wanted you. A playground of dead ends and shortcuts.

And still, you chased.

“Unit four, visual on suspect?” the radio buzzed in again.

“Affirmative,” you replied. “RB7 is headed eastbound on Mercer. Requesting intercept on Sheridan.”

“Copy. Unit three en route.”

You hung a sharp left, your shoulder slamming into the door from the g-force. He was still in sight, his taillights glowing red in the night. The RB7 wasn’t any normal car. It was low, light, tuned for tight cornering. You’d read the file. Some of the modifications were borderline illegal, maybe fully illegal, depending on how generous the paperwork had been.

But Max didn’t care. He drove like he had nothing to lose.

And you? You drove like you were going to be the first person to catch him.

He made a hard right without braking - just a burst of controlled oversteer - and vanished between two warehouse units. You hit the brakes just a second too late and cursed under your breath as you overran the corner. By the time you corrected, he was already gone.

Again.

You took the turn anyway. The alley was narrow, littered with broken glass and the occasional trash fire, but you pushed forward, knowing he’d baited you here. You scanned every shadow, every chain-link fence with a gap in it, every shuttered garage.

And then... nothing.

He was gone.

You slammed the palm of your hand against the wheel, frustration rising like steam in your chest. The cruiser idled, engine ticking, mocking you with the stillness.

Then, like a horror movie jump scare in reverse, someone knocked on your window.

You froze.

And turned.

There he was.

Leaning against your door like he’d been waiting all night. Arms crossed. Hoodie pulled up but not hiding much. Max Verstappen. In the flesh. In your space.

You scrambled out of the car, but not before locking eyes with him.

He grinned. The smug kind of grin - the kind that said I win.

“You again,” you said.

“Me again,” he replied. His accent curled the words, smooth but just sharp enough to sound like a dare.

You reached for your cuffs. He took a lazy step back, unhurried.

“Easy, officer,” he said, hands mockingly raised. “I’m not resisting. I’m just… talking.”

“This is a restricted zone. You’re trespassing.”

“You didn’t see me in a car,” he said, and it was technically true. “Just a guy walking. Maybe I was out for a jog.”

You exhaled sharply through your nose. “You’re out of your fucking mind if you think that’s going to work.”

He leaned in a fraction. You caught the scent of fuel, metal, and something unexpected - clean soap, or maybe mint. Infuriating.

“You’re getting better,” he said softly. “Almost caught me this time. That shortcut on Mercer? Clever. Most don’t try that. You think fast.”

“Then stop running,” you snapped.

He tilted his head, those ice-blue eyes narrowing. “Where’s the fun in that?”

There it was again - the game. For him, it wasn’t about evading the law. It was about you. The chase. The thrill. You were his match, and he knew it. Worse, you knew it.

You stepped closer, closing the space. Your heart pounded - not from fear. Not from adrenaline.

“You keep playing like this, Max, you’re going to lose.”

He gave a soft laugh. “Maybe I’m waiting to see what happens when I do.”

You stared at each other for a beat too long.

Then, with a wink, he turned and bolted.

You started to follow - but stopped yourself.

He was already gone. Again. No backup. No visual. Nothing but his voice, echoing somewhere in your skull.

Maybe I’m waiting to see what happens when I do.

You returned to the precinct an hour later, running on fumes and frustration. You didn’t even make it to your desk before Lieutenant Grant intercepted you.

“I heard you went after Verstappen again.”

You gave a stiff nod. “Got close.”

Grant sighed and rubbed his temples like he had a Verstappen headache of his own. “You’re new here. You don’t have to play hero on night three.”

“He’s taunting us,” you replied, dropping your keys on your desk. “He knows the grid better than dispatch. And he’s not just fast - he’s surgical.”

“Yeah, well, good luck proving it,” Grant said, half-laughing. “Every time we get close, he disappears. No car. No prints. No video. Guy’s a ghost.”

You didn’t believe in ghosts.

But Max Verstappen?

He was real. Too real. And he was in your head.

By 3 a.m., you were still at your desk.

The station was quiet - just you, a half-empty mug of coffee, and the city map sprawled across your screen. You were tracing routes now. Marking where he’d been spotted. Trying to predict where he’d strike next.

You didn’t realize someone had approached until you heard a low whistle.

“Obsessive much?”

You looked up, startled.

Detective Rina Moreno, one of the night shift vets, leaned against the edge of your desk, brow raised.

“Working a theory,” you said.

“On Verstappen?” She smirked. “Don’t bother. He’s been playing chicken with this department for two years. No one catches him.”

“Maybe that’s the problem,” you said, looking back at the map. “Everyone’s trying to catch him. I think it’s time someone started racing him.”

She stared at you for a moment, thoughtful.

“Well,” she said slowly, “if anyone’s crazy enough, it’s probably you.”

You left the station just before sunrise, exhausted but wired.

The city looked different in the early light - less dangerous, almost gentle. But you knew better. Somewhere out there, Max was probably asleep. Or tuning his car. Or planning the next game.

You didn’t know when the next chase would come.

But you knew this much: next time, you’d be ready.

And this time… you weren’t just chasing him.

You were going to catch him.

Chapter 2 ->

Click here for more!

[sen-rj]

Tea?

Summary- you are part of Levi's squad, but he likes you a bit more than most. A bit more than he probably should. Part 1? Maybe?

Tags- fluff, reader x levi, no reader names or pronouns, cannon verse, captain levi

Notes- (I have not written a fan fiction since I was in middle school so please be kind to me)

If yall want another part let me know! Also, if you hate how I highlight the quotes let me know 🤗

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

The hallways were cold and empty as you walked through them. The only sound being the snores of sleeping soldiers and the occasional laugh from a bunk room down the hall. Your footsteps quiet as you walked towards the captains quarters, making sure not to be seen or heard.

This had been going on for a while now. You're not sure quite where it started, but you could now consider yourself a friend of Captain Levi's. Maybe even more. Most would call you crazy for enjoying his company, or maybe even desperate. But to you, it was more than that. That man drove you crazy. Made you desperate.

You were used to his company, and him to yours. It had been over a year since commander Erwin assigned you to his squad. Not because of your skills as a fighting soldier, but as a trained medic and a smart, critical thinking one. You were with hange, helping with her Titan research and assisting on missions with medical aid until recently. Until Eren. Now, your job, as well as Levi's, was to protect him. Though, you also were expected (by hange of course) to poke and prod at our new titan meat.

You announce your presence at his door with three soft knocks. His response, a quiet and deep

"come in." 

You slowly open the door, looking behind you to make sure no one had seen you enter. Taking off your shoes at the door, you look back at him. His eyes had yet to lift from the papers on his desk. His brow furrowed and resting on hand as he studied the words.

He looks up at you with just his eyes.

"You're late" he states. His voice low as he moves his eyes back towards his papers.

"I know, I got held up with some stuff" you say, walking over to him. "Tea?" You ask.

His eyes meet yours, a glimmer of excitement in them at the mention of tea.

"You know the answer to that." He says dryly, looking away. You grab his kettle and his favorite tea, some tea cups too. Getting to work in the small kitchenette to his right. "What is this stuff that held you up?" he asks, his face still focused.

"Just some last minute details of today's experiments." You say, bringing the water to just below a boil. "They were quite interesting I will say, it's a shame you missed them."

"Anything is more interesting than this" he says, setting his pen on the surface of his desk, leaning back and looking over to you.

You laugh lightly. A sigh escaping as you slowly unwind from today's strenuous work. "We're making great progress. I really think we're on the edge of discovering something great here" you say, taking the kettle off of the heat.

"Yeah? And what's that?" He asks, genuinely curious as to how anything in this world could be something great. Other than maybe you.

Walking over to his desk, you prep the leaves in the cups, slowly pouring the hot water over them.

"I want to run more tests on Eren. His ability to transform really has me puzzled. In normal Titan classifications, he'd be considered an abnormal. So... who's to say that every abnormal we've ever encountered isn't like Eren? Or are there only some abnormal like Eren? And how do I find that out?" You sigh, swallowing down the rest of your words after realizing you had gone on a tangent.

"You make good arguments. I've never thought of that." He admits, watching as you pour his tea. "This is all a big shit show." He sighs. Rubbing his temple with his hands in exhaustion and frustration. When would this all end? How much about the world do they think they know, when really that have no idea. What are they fighting for? He knows not to let his mind spiral, but sometimes the thoughts are too loud.

"It truly is." You hand him his tea and take a seat in front of him.

This had become an almost nightly thing. You coming to Levi's office for tea and brief synapses of each others days.

You were part of levis squad, yes. But you were more of his partner than anything else. You filled him in on the things he is absent to see. The rest of the squad looks to you for direction when Levi isn't there. He trusts you, more than he probably should.

Levi looks at you as you sip your tea. Studying your face as you study the ceiling.

"Have you been sleeping? Eating well?" He asks, looking back down at his papers.

"As well as one in this job can." You admit, looking at him as his hands scribble signatures on his paper. "And you?"

"Enough." He answers dryly. You hum in response.

"You can't live off of tea and hate forever" you tease. A tiny smirk curses the corner of his lips.

"I can try" he says. You laugh in response, leaning back in the chair behind you.

Looking at the stack of papers on his desk, you instinctually grab half of them, turning them in front of you.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asks, but doesn't look up from his own paper.

"Helping" you say, grabbing a pen and beginning to forge his signature. You had it memorized by now. You could write it in your sleep.

He shakes his head and clicks his tongue. "You really don't know how to quit, huh?"

"Mmm" you hum a no back. "And you really don't know how to stop me" you tease. Focusing on his papers in front of you now.

Hours pass when you're hand begins to cramp, and you back begins to ache. You have no clue how he has been doing this for so long.

With a sigh, you stand, stretching your legs and popping your fingers. His eyes look up, following you're body from your feet up to you're hands in the air as you stretch.

"Giving up already?" He asks

You shake your head no. "No, I just needed to stretch." You say, before a large yawn fills your mouth.

"Yeah right. Quit lingering and go to bed. You need sleep" he orders. His words sounding cold, but his intentions were quite the opposite.

"You sure?" You ask, your eyes heavy with sleep.

"Positive. I'll be fine." He says, focused on his work.

"If you insist."

"I do."

He looks up at you seriously.

"You have some serious beauty sleep to catch up on. If you don't start sleeping more you're going to start loosing that charm that got you here." he says, and you can't help but blush slightly at his words .

"You're sweet."

"Get out."

You laugh as you walk towards the door, eager for rest.

"Goodnight Captain."

"Goodnight."

[notmorbid]

daredevil: season 1 [2/2].

dialogue prompts from the first season of marvel's daredevil.

i want to make sure the right person pays for what happened.

let's leave on a note slightly higher than 'deeply depressing'.

admittedly, i'm a work in progress.

you just gonna lie there all night?

nobody feels sorry for you and nobody ever will.

smart is making the right decision at the right time.

i'm gone five minutes and you turn this place into a shit show.

well, you're just a little ray of sunshine.

there are no heroes, no villains. just people with different agendas.

you got a warped perspective on the whole good/bad thing, you know that?

do you have friends? people you care about?

relationships are a luxury we can't afford.

you don't know what's going on in your own backyard.

i swear i will not kill anybody.

try not to get stabbed.

maybe there's hope for you yet.

what part of 'don't tell anyone about this' don't you understand?

you're one of the good ones.

on occasion, some dickery may leak out. doesn't mean i'm wrong.

remind me not to put you on the witness stand.

i know what i'm doing. i am not some kid.

threats are clear in any language.

never trust the quiet ones.

respect: you gotta give it, if you want it.

we should be out on the streets, cracking names and taking skulls.

i'll go, if that's what you really want.

you made a promise to always be honest with me.

you believe what you're saying about me?

the hebrew word 'satan' actually means 'adversary'.

nobody can totally erase their past.

most people dance around me like i'm made of glass. i hate that.

man cannot be both savior and oppressor.

it's not a job. it's who you are.

if you weren't half dead, i would kick your ass.

was anything ever real with us?

say what you need to say.

why didn't you tell me it was that serious?

saying it means it's true.

there's nothing you can do but swim in shit and hope you don't get too much in your mouth.

we all have things we hold onto for ourselves. that we don't want anyone to know.

we don't live in a world that's fair. we live in this one.

i only ever needed my friend.

at least i got to see you with your shirt off again.

this isn't a story. this is people's lives.

how do you know the angels and devils inside me aren't the same thing?

what do i look like, a public damn library?

you're not supposed to be in here.

if you say 'it's complicated', i will punch you in the face.

i don't know how to pray.

i know things are weird, but i'm still around.

the world fell apart. didn't you notice?

someone tried to kill you and you're the one apologizing?

they could never take you away from me.

the wind blows harder the closer you get to the mountaintop.

you want to run away together, or just run away?

is this what we are now? people who don't even talk to each other?

i can't do this alone. i can't take another step.

you're not alone. you never were.

people seek the truth, no matter where they find it.

you look like you're having some anger issues. you want to talk about it?

you are my heart. you're everything.

god bless your designer pumps.

i know i haven't earned it, but i'm asking you to trust me.

go be a hero. just don't get killed doing it, okay?

it's not the end. it's just an inconvenience.

this city doesn't deserve a better tomorrow.

what am i supposed to call you?

there are a lot of decisions i'd give anything to go back and change, but i can't.

[scumtumbl]

finally made my own sleet & dingo server. join heeeere

[sclappin]

@agaricandmoss and I got into a discussion about trans Severance headcanons this afternoon, so here's trans lesbian Mark S.

[sofiadragon]

Yo, don't read that rough draft full of spelling errors! You want this one instead! Look how much better after some editing.

4,629 words

In his defense, he really hadn't seen the flag. He should have, so it wasn't much of a defense, but he'd only registered the flag as white and red. Xeno had said there was radio chatter in Japanese, so the color made sense. He hadn't checked if it was a Japanese flag. He knew better, but he'd been caught up in finally putting their plans into action to defend and grow their kingdom. After so long stuck in a holding pattern with progress happening by inches, they had the chance for a decisive leap, and he'd gone for it with all he had. He was disappointed in himself for getting carried away like that, he was a professional for fuck's sake.

If he'd fired on anything displaying a red cross without additional confirmation back before the world ended, he'd expect a court marshal. That was just a fact, and the normalcy of it was something he could hold onto amid the disaster he was struggling to hold steady through. This wasn't all that out of line, if he thought about it that way. Out of order, yeah. The two-toned hairdo person in a lilac robe said he was going to have a trial in the morning for the crime he'd already been executed for. It couldn't be more out of order than that.

"I don't follow," Stanley said to that, feeling more lost than he could remember ever being. He'd been executed, and then they brought him back. He was hung up on that when he needed to bring his best game. Why? If they considered him a murderer and had the ability to revive anyone with their advanced technique, then what was the point in bringing him back?

"The trial will determine your punishment, or if being smashed, reconstructed, and resurrected was sufficient punishment," two-tone repeated, as if that was a completely normal sentence. The accent was comforting. Two-tone was as Asian as the rest of them and spoke in Japanese to the red-eyed boy and the two soldier types, but he spoke English in a familiar southern accent. No fancy school would have taught him that, so he had to have lived here in the States a while as a kid to pick it up.

The red-eyed boy with white hair tipped in green had performed the resurrection - dear God he'd been taken apart and reassembled like a misfired rifle - and while his hands were calloused, he was clearly a thinker and not a worker. Xeno was damn proud of his soft hands, keeping them safe with thick gloves, but the albino-looking kid had calluses and little marks on his hands despite performing a miracle. He also had E= MC² on his knee-length coat, so definitely a brain box. Red-eyes hadn't spoken to Stanley, or if he did it wasn't in English, but he did catch his eye for a half-smile and a thumbs up.

Two-tone may have translated, but Stanley was having trouble focusing past the delirious thought that he’d been in pieces. He should doubt the claim, but something in him knew better than to speak up. He didn't want to let on that he was having trouble processing that, either. Stanley certainly didn't want to know if his brain had been cracked or where the seams had been. It was good enough to know his body was in working order according to basic life signs for now.

The medic seemed stupidly young, but his calloused hands moved confidently as he checked Stanley over. They were more like Brodey's hands, clearly familiar with a lot of manual work. The kid was confident and clinical about giving Stanley a check-up, only saying a word here or there to prompt the guards to move Stanley so the examination could continue. A stethoscope checked his heart and lungs. The inspection of every inch of his skin was done without any teenaged hesitation or squeamishness. Two-tone asked if he was in any pain or discomfort, and then he was shoved backwards into his cell.

Two-tone had given Stanley names, but Stanley had been a bit too distracted by all the rest of the sudden burst of activity surrounding his resurrection to catch it. "We've retreated in the meantime, so if you are released it will be with sufficient supplies to get you home from a safe location."

The last thing he'd said into the radio was 'green light, Xen, they can petrif…' and then it all went dark again. Then something happened while he was petrified and considering how likely it wasn’t that he’d be woken from the stone a second time, and Stanley's mind slid around it like a dream he shouldn’t remember. Something the human mind couldn't handle knowing about outside a dark, safe place with a trusted soul pressed up close to his body.

Stanley had woken up still feeling the adrenaline rush and panic from seeing the green light and knowing he was a dead man. He was trained to suppress his panic on the battlefield, and he'd reported what was happening just as he ought to. He could be proud of his performance after the crash and before he was petrified, at least. He'd felt the panic, but did the job to the end. He’d been aware long enough after petrification to process what it meant that these people used it as a weapon, to know that he was going to be smashed to bits and that would be the end of him. It was only after he awoke so unexpectedly that he couldn't quite get back on form.

The second time he woke from stone was nothing like the first time, when he'd been aware and waiting for it. He'd been specifically targeted for petrification by people he'd shot at, people who took his plane down then hunted him, and had no expectation of survival before he'd suddenly been breathing again with two strong men pushing him down to his knees in front of a red-eyed medic. He'd mastered his outward reaction and appeared to be calmly observing everything around him now, but for those first twenty or thirty seconds he'd been gasping like a landed fish. Then he'd swallowed something obviously medicinal without fighting it that tasted not quite like a shot of juiced wheatgrass and vodka just because a gentle voice from just out of sight with a southern accent said it would help him recover. He wasn't sure if it was the shot or just his own mind finally getting a grip that got him back on-form. It was a sloppy and embarrassing lapse, even if it had been for less than a minute, and even then the composure was only skin deep.

In the first rapid explanation of where he was and what was going on, two-tone said they smashed him to get him out of his armor and ensure he was fully disarmed for their own safety. That was fair enough, he'd probably have done the same if he was in their situation. The confusing part was them taking the time and whatever resources it cost to bring him back from the dead only to follow up with a trial for committing a war crime. Stanley and Xeno wouldn't have done that, the trial would have happened before the resurrection if at all.

Stanley was currently sitting on the floor of a brig cell so small he couldn't stand up, roughly the size of a ship's barrack rack but with the small end open to the room rather than the long side. He hadn't turned around to get a look at the cell before he was backed into it, but he imagined nine cells would fit the room if the wall was all cells. There was nothing in there with him but the clothes on his back, and the room outside the cells looked barren as well. He woke wearing only a robe without even a sash to tie it shut, and no underwear, so they obviously respected that he was a dangerous unknown. They were no fools and had clearly done something like this before given the efficiency and lack of conversation. Two-tone with his comforting, gentle voice was a sharp counter to the brutality of being shoved back into this little cage after the initial medical assessment.

He tried to wind back what two-tone had said that had set him off behind the stoic military-trained conditioning that kept him looking calm and unaffected despite his internal panic. Stanley knew the red-eyed kid had to have heard his heart thumping like a nightclub beat, but that probably wasn't all that unusual for someone in Stanley's position. He just had to work through it. He had a new job: get back to Xeno. He needed to focus.

They'd apologized on his radio for the necessity of cracking him apart as soon as they could and explained that they planned to take his armor and plane as salvage and compensation for the unprovoked attack. The person on the other end was so apoplectic already they weren't sure any of the message was received. That was the exact word two-tone used, the thing that made his mind lose traction and spin out: apoplectic. They'd cracked him before they could get to the headset because of the pose he was frozen in, and Xeno probably heard that happen, possibly heard and understood the order to crack Stanley's head off, and then they couldn't get a word in edgewise because Xeno lost his shit.

Which was fair. Stanley would lose his shit if roles were reversed. Hell, he'd lost his shit due to second-hand panic just thinking about how Xeno was doing after hearing that happen. Xeno heard him die. Stanley had been executed, because Stanley hadn't looked at the flag the boat was flying properly. Xeno had been forced to hear Stanley die. That was Stanley's fault.

It had all made so much sense when he did it, but now that he ran the last two days of his life back it seemed like they had been rushing past a bunch of obvious and important steps. The low-tech distress signal of dumping corn in the river had provoked a swift response, just like Xeno predicted, but they hadn't checked if that response was a hostile action or not. They hadn't attempted direct radio contact. Xeno said there was some radio chatter, but hadn't shared what they said beyond that there was a team on the move at speed up the river while the big ship docked at a convenient natural quay. Dispatching an ambulance was worlds different than a strike team on a mission to raid a weakened settlement or hungry scavengers idiotically thinking the corn was naturally washing downstream. Why hadn't they accounted for a humanitarian response in their plans? They weren't Vikings or scavengers, this Kagaku no Ōkoku. Stanley wanted to ask if that was the name of the nation, the main ship, or the division, but for now he would watch and wait.

Stanley was a career marine, a sniper. He was trained for this, to know how to act when a mission went sideways. Even when taken prisoner by the enemy. He knew it wouldn't be long before he was home again after an arrest like this with captors that were friendly and reasonable. Even under these conditions, where he had nothing to work with and if his captors remained vigilant enough that he wouldn't get his hands on more than a bowl and spoon, he was sure to get out if Xeno was coming for him. He trusted Xeno, he always had. He was valuable, even back when he was just one of many soldiers with his skill set, so he might convince them to give him opportunities. He wasn't some helpless damsel in distress; he could bide his time and take the opportunity when it came. Having regained that solid mental footing, he waited for two-tone to finish listening to the medic. The red-eyed boy kept looking at him oddly, like he felt heartsick about Stanley's situation for some reason. That sympathetic attitude might be useful to him. The gentle way two-tone spoke was professional and practiced, but the medic had a soft heart. Two-tone was clearly calling the shots with the others nodding along to his words. All things being equal, Stanley should be fine.

Except Xeno thought he was dead, so no one would be coming for him or negotiating for his return. Xeno would want to sink the ship, not knowing he was in this little cage.

Two-tone started talking to him again, confirming his health was stable and offering him a choice between an alligator burger or fish and rice for dinner. Stanley chose the fish. A tuna steak sounded like a good last meal in case the trial went badly. His momma had taught him to always order steak at a steakhouse and pizza at a pizza place, never the other way around. People who lived on a boat and came from an island would know how to make fish fantastic. With that out of the way, and only one guard left with two-tone, he was given a slower and more detailed explanation for how he got where he was.

There had been no radio contact, the headset in his armor cut out abruptly and there was nothing on any channel they could hear.

It was two days since his petrification. The resurrection process healed all scars and physical damage, but the full benefits of the process took a day and night to be realized and they hadn’t known if he was seriously injured in the crash. When Stanley asked if that meant the marks on his face were gone, two-tone offered up a small mirror so Stanley could see the aggressive looking crack-like scars that ran over his nose and down from his eyes had vanished.

They were already out to sea, far enough they could only just see the shore. This was both so they could fish and so any incoming attack would be easily seen. It was interesting that they were offering him that tactical information, since he had no windows, but he supposed that he was less likely to try and break out if swimming to shore and walking home wasn't a viable option. They'd left as fast as humanly possible, rightly assuming the radio silence was a bad omen, wrongly assuming he was expendable enough for his people to abandon without negotiation.

"If it was up to me, the sentence would be half a year of service for unprovoked violence with a deadly weapon with no injuries sustained, and intentional destruction of property. I'm only one of the five commanders, and we will decide your fate as a group. At least one of the others considers your actions a declaration of war, meaning you would be a prisoner of said war for the duration, and I don't know what the others think of you yet. You will be given a chance to speak in your own defense, but I will suggest you take responsibility for what you did and speak honestly. Your people refused to communicate with us in any way, which we must assume the worst about, and there is little doubt of your guilt," two-tone explained gently.

"So, I'm fucked," Stan said.

"Not necessarily. We aren't slavers, you will be paid for any work you do and have certain rights and privileges even in the worst case. The sentence would be constructive work and community service, likely literal construction unless you volunteer other skills that wouldn't require a weapon in your hand, but the compulsory work wouldn't take up so much time to prevent you from doing other things with your skills to earn additional money." Two-tone produced a pack of cards, the backs of which matched his jacket with the words Gen Tarot written in blocky letters. He shuffled them like the kind of person who could take your whole month's pay in a round of poker without breaking a sweat. "All of us make some kind of craft for sale or barter, or else provide a service that is unique, something we specialize in that isn't an essential for daily life. Our laws aren't so different from what you are used to, but you probably will consider us a bit on the socialist side of the spectrum. Enough food to live is a right, as is a place to sleep and essential medical care, provided you do nothing so serious to earn banishment."

"Could I be banished for what I've done?" Stanley asked.

"As bad as it is, it is a first offence. The penalties of death and marooning are not on the table.” Well, being marooned and being ‘banished’ but able to run home were two very, very different situations. So much for that option. “Community service or rehabilitation during imprisonment are the most likely punishments. The only way to earn permanent death in a single trial is to be a serial killer with two proven unjustifiable murders or attempted murders with different victims on two different days. We have, unfortunately, needed to use that law in our travels, but only once in the years since I've been released from stone," the younger man said, all matter of fact and perfectly pleasant.

"Sounds fair," Stanley said. "What kind of work is there, beyond construction?"

"Oh, there is lots to do before we can start resurrecting a city's worth of people. The goal is to repopulate California and develop one or two safe trade ports, at least one million strong at the end of ten years, so there won't be any shortage of work. Shame your people didn't want our help, really, we came here with the intention of scientific collaboration and wanted to build up an existing local community rather than starting from zero, but we can discuss that more after your trial. Now, while essentials are freely given out I can all but guarantee you will want money because fancy things and special treats like fine clothing or whiskey have to be purchased. If you don't mind me saying so, you and your things smell so strongly of cigarettes it's digging up some old cravings I thought I buried more than five years ago. You'll want to be able to afford that habit or at least some luxuries to make the withdrawal more bearable," the man said. Well, that proved he was just cute and not a young kid. He did look young, everyone did, but the way he'd commanded others already made Stanley second-guess his age. Stanley had originally assumed the guy was closer to nineteen, but he could be as old as twenty-seven depending on how much the make-up covered up. Stanley had a baby face himself and wore more make-up than what two-tone seemed to have on when he wanted to get Xeno in the right mood, but while Stanley's mannerisms where masculine this twink came off as far more effeminate with his sing-song voice and all his flamboyant hand gestures.

That was good, in a way. If he had to live with these people for a while, knowing someone in a leadership role was boldly and openly as gay as the rainbow meant Stanley wouldn't have to worry about homophobia. Not that he planned to advertise his orientation or anything, but with so many checkmarks crowding up the 'I'm fucked' side of the chart it was nice to put one in the 'could be worse' column.

Jesus Christ, this was really it, wasn't it? All that time and effort planning what they would do if they met more people, and they fucked it sideways. What defense was there against the petrification beam? Nothing. They would need some kind of strategic leverage to bargain with these people, but then Stanley got captured instead of capturing one of them, so the scales were tipped even more in their favor. Everything they did in Neo-Sacramento to be the bully with the bigger boom stick who got to call the shots was for nothing. They didn't overwhelm a weaker enemy with their shock and awe tactics, they just pissed off a bigger fish. A group with an established government and laws, an empire in the process of colonizing, people with resources enough for major expansion projects and ten-year plans. They had strong morals, advanced technology, and even universal goddamn healthcare.

Who needed guns when you could zap someone back into a statue at will? Stanley hadn't recognized he was even in danger when he saw that pretty little lady walking up to him. They had the ability to revive even smashed statues, and wasn't that a kick in the teeth when everyone in Neo-Sacramento felt like they were surrounded by corpses when they went out hunting? Everyone he'd seen so far looked young, but that was probably because the brass was elsewhere. They wouldn't send out a colony-building trade ship with their head honcho on it, and whoever was running this ship was just the one leading this mission.

"Sir? Hello?"

"What?" Stanley asked.

"I asked if you wanted to know the exact date," two-tone said, a bit of concern on his face. "Do you need a few minutes to yourself?"

"Yes," Stanley said, as stoic on the outside as he ever was, "to both, please."

"By the same calendar used before petrification it is Saturday, October the twenty-first, 5741, which we know due to a continuous counting of time and is not an estimate based on astronomical or geological observations," two-tone said. "The time is roughly two in the afternoon. Do you need a bucket before I go?"

"Yeah, sure. I might need a bucket," Stanley admitted. Two-tone walked out, what must be his guard walked in with a wooden bucket and a small clay bottle of water, and then he was alone. The guard looked damn good, long brown hair and enough muscles on display to make it clear Stanley shouldn't try anything. It was a decent tactic, and there were men who worked hard enough for their physical strength that they didn't mind showing it off like that. The fancy fur-trimmed cape was probably one of those luxuries two-tone talked about.

A plan and a goal were what Stanley needed, so that's what he focused on. First, he spent some time counting his breaths and taking stock, feeling the motion of the ship and listening to the hum of engines. He'd thought it was only an old-style sailing ship, as reported by the scouts, but that must be a fuel-saving measure. Or maybe the engine only powered the lights and whatever equipment they had, but that speculation wasn't productive. It was enough to know there was the hum of machinery in the wooden ship and electric lights of good quality. For all these Kagaku no Ōkoku people were dressed in a more primitive style and carried swords, they were a high-tech society in other ways. They had simply put different emphasis on how they used their tech. Medical instead of military, and non-lethal weapons would make capture and conversion much easier.

Stanley hadn't a clue how a cost-benefit writeup for a metal or wooden hulled ship might shake out, but he knew that Xeno’s castle only used so much sheet metal because they were mining up what had once been high-rise buildings in Los Angeles. There was also the issue of available skills. Brody could do anything with metal, but they had struggled to do much of anything even with a functionally unlimited amount of wood and stone before they found that rich seam of iron. Even the rough hems and simple clothing the kids had could be a choice. Rugged everyday clothing made cheap and meant to be destroyed and stained, but nobody cared what they looked like during working hours, and then they had nicer clothing for their off time or for showing off like two-tone's higher-quality lavender coat and the guard's fancy cape.

Meanwhile, Xeno had encouraged highly styled clothing and flashy uniforms worn all the time to keep up morale, especially after they lost people to some particularly stupid ancient politics. The people they were able to wake up once they got established in Northern California hadn't liked that their lead engineer Dr. Brody Dudley was black, that Captain Stanley Snyder wore lipstick, or that an 'egghead half-breed with a foreign name' was their leader. Xeno was only a quarter Asian, for fucks sake, and his middle name was Houston! His parents were just hippies who wanted their kid to have a unique name, and all the Wingfields were as American as apple pie. You just couldn't explain that to a guy who got 88 tattooed on his chest above his heart to make himself feel better about being a sad unemployable dipshit. The little insurrection ended with the idiots stealing a bunch of stuff and running off to shiver in the mountains, injuring five and killing two people in the process. Charolette had found them the next Spring, or what was left after the wolves and bears had their share, anyway.

He had to agree with two-tone that his best bet would be brutal honesty; taking his lumps as he deserved while asking for the chance to do better would keep him on this continent. There was no easy excuse for shooting up a boat flying the red cross while responding to a distress signal, and even if he explained the schism Neo-Sacramento experienced and left out that they found almost enough bones to account for everyone who left, it wasn't a sufficient excuse. He'd done wrong, even if he hated admitting it, and if they shipped him back to Japan as a POW that was the worst-case scenario. That hadn't been said, but it hadn't been taken off the table and he didn't know how many ships with trans-Pacific range were in the fleet. If he would be confined in some way until Xeno made peace with these people… that would suck, but best he was confined in this port town they wanted build instead of getting shipped back to their capital.

So long as he was still on his home continent, he could get home to Xeno eventually. The California coastline is about 840 miles, and even the entire length wasn't an impossible distance. It would suck and it would take gear and time, but he could walk or boat home if he had to. He'd waited for several thousand years, he could be patient for however long that journey took. If they revived people in LA that wouldn't be too bad, but it was probably too close for their taste. Stanley wasn’t sure how far two days at full throttle had taken him, either. Even if they went south enough to avoid harsher winters Stanley would make the march. He would get home.

He could earn money, buy or trade for the gear he needed, and plan his trip with care. Clear enough goal, and an uncomplicated plan. At least so far, anyway. He was lucky he was only shanghaied, and by people who valued life and fair justice. It could be a lot worse. It even sounded like he could stay and keep working, if he didn't quite have what he needed to make the trip at the end of his sentence. No matter what, he'd arrive home with all the intel Xeno could want. Intel on the city being built, the builders, their nation, and possibly even other groups they encountered.

Stanley Snyder centric fanfic in the works

Yep, his POV for an alternate season 4 where the KoS gang had a working petrification device. Obviously, this doesn't go so well for Xeno's side, but it diverges entirely from canon and Senku's big heart can't let sleeping dragons take their naps in a Disney castle unbothered.

Stanley has to stand trial for shooting at a humanitarian response to a distress signal, Xeno thinks Stanley's statue being smashed means he's dead dead, and Gen gets to play the role of therapist instead of spy.

Preview under the cut!

In his defense, he really hadn't seen the flag. He should have, so it wasn't much of a defense, but he'd only registered the flag as white and red. Xeno had said there was radio chatter in Japanese, so the color made sense. He hadn't checked if it was a Japanese flag. He knew better, but he'd been caught up in finally putting their plans into action to defend and grow their kingdom. After so long stuck in a holding pattern with progress happening by inches, they had the chance for a decisive leap, and he'd gone for it with all he had. He was dissapointed in himself for getting carried away like that, he was a professional for fuck's sake.

If he'd fired on anything displaying a red cross without additional confirmation back before the world ended he'd expect a court marshal. That was just a fact, and the normalcy was something he could hold onto amid the very unwelcome realizations he was being forced to confront. This wasn't all that out of line, if he thought about it that way. Out of order, yeah. It couldn't be more out of order. The two-toned hairdo person in a lilac robe said he was going to have a trial in the morning for the crime he'd already been executed for.

"I don't follow," Stanley said to that, feeling more lost than he could remember ever being. He'd been executed, and then they brought him back. Why? If they considered him a murderer and had the ability to revive anyone with their advanced technique, then what was the point in bringing him back?

"The trial will determine your punishment, or if being smashed, reconstructed, and resurrected was sufficient punishment," two-tone repeated, as if that was a completely normal sentance. The accent was comforting. Two-tone was as Asian as the rest of them and spoke in Japanese to the red-eyed boy and the two soldier types, but he spoke English in a southern American accent. No fancy school would have taught him that, so he had to have lived here in the States a while.

The red-eyed boy standingvoff to the side had performed the resurrection - dear God he'd been taken apart and reassembled like a rifle - and while his hands were calloused he was clearly a thinker and not a worker. Xeno took pride in his soft hands, protected them to make sure they stayed soft and unstained, but the albino looking kid had calluses like Brody while performing a miracle and checking Stanley's vitals like a well-trained nurse. He also had E= MC² on his knee-legnth coat, so definitely a brain box.

Red-eyes hadn't spoken to Stanley, or if he did it wasn't in English, but he did catch his eye for a half-smile and a thumbs up. Two-tone may have translated, but Stanley was having trouble focusing. He didn't want to bring that up, didn't want confirmation that his brain had been cracked and needed time to heal, and it was good enough to know his body was in working order according to basic life signs for now.

Two-tone had given Stanley his name, but Stan had been a bit too distracted by all the rest of the rapid explanation to catch it. "We've retreated in the meantime, so if you are released it will be with sufficient supplies to get you home from a safe location."

The last thing he'd said into the radio was 'green light, Xen, they can petrif…' and then it all went dark again. Then something happened, and Stanley's mind slid around it like a dream he couldn't remember. Something the human mind couldn't handle knowing about outside a dark, safe place with a trusted soul pressed up close to his body.

Stanley had woken up still feeling the adrenaline rush and panic from seeing the green light and knowing he was a dead man. He was trained to supress his panic on the battlefield, and he'd reported what was happening just as he ought to. He could be proud of his performance after the crash and before he was petrified, at least. He'd felt the panic, but did the job to the end. It was only after he woke the second time that he couldn't quite get back on form.

The second time he woke from stone was nothing like the first time, when he'd been aware and waiting for it. He'd been specifically targeted for petrification by people he'd shot at, people who took his plane down, and had no expectation of survival before he'd suddenly been breathing again with two stong men pushing him down to his knees in front of a red-eyed medic. He'd mastered his outward reaction and was calmly observing everything around him now, but for those first twenty or thirty seconds he'd been gasping like a landed fish. Then he'd swallowed something obviously medicinal without fighting it that tasted not quite like a shot of juiced wheatgrass, alcohol, and honey just because a gentle voice from just out of sight with a southern accent said it would help him recover. He wasn't sure if it was the shot or just his own mind finally getting a grip that got him back on-form. It was a sloppy and embarrasing lapse, even if had been for less than a minute.

They'd really fucked this up.

[shadowduel]

all i wanna do is untie all your knots, dissolve all your thoughts

[chiropteracupola]

"Are you finished with my portrait yet? Show me!" "Cipacton, I can't draw you if you keep moving!"

[little-big-batbag]

Works in progress of Ricia and Dulcinea in LBP3! Notes ahead.

Ricia Redtwist:

Themed after licorice candy like Twisters, Red Vines, and the ever popular black licorice variety, Ricia Redtwist is a sort of daredevil. Danger is her middle name! No, really. Sure it ruins the alliteration, but...

Kart is the Swift Twister, Number 18 (naturally), themed after stunt cars in a way

I'm struggling with her design immensely. It's the daredevil suit AND the hair. So. You know. The whole thing really.

No, she doesn't have dark skin because she's themed after black licorice. Just thought Sugar Rush could use another dark-skinned racer besides Snowanna.

Her signature design feature is her long, red-dyed hair braid.

Dulcinea Dippereira:

Themed after pears, Dulcinea is a very sweet and kind girl. But watch out! Piss her off, and she can be very very scrappy. A rough and tumble gal in disguise. She does not like Aldane </3 and she's so right for that

Basically imagine her straddling Aldane, shaking his head with her tight grip on his collar, while Ricia cheers her on.

Kart may be named the Pearing Knife, Number 19, don't know the inspiration for the design.

I'm kinda eh on this design. I took a bit of inspo from Jubileena and Citrusella's designs, but... I dunno, I don't want her to be the recolor racer I want (whoops not talking about that yet). I will be keeping the little pear hat though. It's adorable. And the leggings and flats.

So, I was thinking about the how of these guys. What if there was a sort of tour addition/unlock/upgrade to the console that wasn't accessible due to Turbo's meddling? These three, plus Minty Sakura from the Japanese version of the film, could be part of the tour thing, with new tracks based off specific locales from the real world but candy-themed.

Aldane would have a racetrack based off of Copenhagen made of various baked goods, Sakura would have a beautiful cherry blossom forest track of iced blossoms, and Dulcinea would have a track based off Portugal's Azores archipelago, with Peeps in the trees or something. I don't know what Ricia's track theme will be yet.

Earlier I mentioned wanting a new recolor racer (also Citrusella, Nougetsia, Sticky, and Torvald), to round out to 20 total (the ones in the film + my ocs), but I don't know who of these three to recolor and retheme. I thought about an Aldane recolor AND a Dulcinea recolor, the latter to white to match with the marshmallow Peep birds of her track. But I don't know.

I also briefly thought about having each new racer in the tour thing to be related to a previous racer (Zaki and Sakura are like cousins, Aldane and Crumbelina are distant relatives) but ehhhhhhhh pass.

Enjoying Wreck-It Ralph is scary because suddenly you want to make an OC for Sugar Rush

[hangingslothcentral]

It's Trans Day of Visibility!

Today I want to talk about being overlooked, which feels like an odd thing to discuss on TDOV, but there we are.

I used to talk a lot about gender things, and I don't anymore. One reason is that it's just not as present a discomfort in my life, now: I went on T and I got top surgery and these things meant that I didn't feel that grating dissimilitude between who I am and what I appeared to be to other people the way I used to.

But it's not that I don't feel it at all. It's that the way it shows up is different. A disconnect between myself as I am and how I'm addressed by the world. Sure, some people misgender me still, but it's usually relatives wilfully resisting respecting my identity. By and large, strangers assume he/him pronouns for me, even if sometimes look at me with question marks in their eyes for a moment.

I'm a writer and I write queer stories. Those stories often have trans and nonbinary people in them because they are a part of the world, and so of course they're there. I also have the privilege of being surrounded by mostly queer people, so when I'm imagining any given group of friends or colleagues I assume they're about. 70% queer people? I think my data is skewed. Oh well!

The thing is, I'm not particularly interested in writing coming out stories or stories about the process of transition, at least not explicitly. Whilst arguably both Not Quite Dead and Spirit Box Radio handle these things thematically, neither is interested in the explicit process as literally experienced. Part of that is that I think queerness, transness, LGBTQness, it's simultaneously highly individualised and extremely broadly relateable. Whilst most people don't experience an extra puberty in their twenties or thirties, that feeling of learning who you are and being brave enough to become it is something that I think most people can find something powerful to relate to in. Especially when stories lean on the consequences of that decision of radical self-acceptance, which often leads to losing people and muddling up other things in your life, and is rarely as straightforward and affirming as it might seem.

Sometimes it feels like my transness swallows up other parts of my identity. Sometimes that happens on a personal level, where I feel like I can't do things or be a certain way simply by virtue of being trans. I felt this for a long time about dressing and moving in feminine ways. I felt they were not allowed for me in the way they are allowed for cis men. But more often its others' perception of me which is most impacted by transness' distorting lens. People make assumptions about the kinds of work I make, the kinds of characters I will write, because of my transness. They overlook my queerness and my stated attractions because of it, switching the labels I might use for myself into ones they deem more appropriate on the basis of my identity. They'll assume that because I have had access to gender affirming care, I come from a background of middle class privilege and stability, and respond with surprise when I explain I grew up mostly on a council estate in a bedroom with a mould problem so bad the back of my wardrobe was physically damp to the touch.

In my private experience of my transness, it's something which is mostly about other people and the barriers between what they see and assume about me, and who I am. It's often a positive thing; for example, it's part of the reason I am able to connect with and articulate my emotions the way some of my cis peers who are men struggle to without huge amounts of hard work.

To other people, though, it seems like it can get in the way of them understanding other things about who I am, parts of me which from my perspective are far more important and far more integral for understanding and grasping my identity and experience of the world. It means there are expectations on me that don't exist for my cis peers. At it's worst, it can lead people to want to distance themselves from me, whether out of conscious or unconscious bigotry or a fear of being seen as 'too political'. I've been passed over for jobs; awards; opportunities.

Most of these discriminations are subtle. They're usually not conscious. This doesn't make them better than out-and-out, mask-off bigotry, but it can make things more difficult to deal with and express to others who are not used to experiencing these kinds of things. It can be harder to criticise the people themselves for their behaviour, too. They're not doing it on purpose and it's not their intent so the response can often be vicious, defensive, and sometimes even violent, in response to a disconnect between how they perceive their actions and what you're telling them the consequences of their behaviour can be.

It is an extraordinarily difficult thing to suspect that your work might be able to reach more people, that your career might've progressed more smoothly, that you could be in a more safe and stable position, were it not for this one, unchangeable part of who you are. I am fiercely proud of who I am, but that doesn't change that it's made my life more difficult. These kinds of prejudices stack, too. My working class accent; my Jewish heritage; all of these things swirl into a pot of reasons that other people use to overlook me and my work. This things would be massively amplified if I were not from an English-speaking country; if I had not had access to higher education; and especially if I were not white.

It is extraordinarily important for Trans Day of Visibility to exist, because we are so often overlooked to the point of invisibility. It's not just about normalising the idea for cis people; it's not just about pointing out there are trans people everywhere. Those things are hugely important too! It's also about us. It's about the impact that lack of knowledge has on us, those in the closet and out, those stealth and those public about their identities, passing or not. All of us. This impacts *all of us*.

[ghostieblr]

Untitled | Part 2 ->

It feels like an entity of his own, the way his blood rushes inside his body, the way his bones and flesh too small to hold what he's feeling. It feels like he's one of those poor people the alien's egg is going to incubate in, tear through him to become the deeply terrifying, shapeless, haunting monster.

This feeling is overwhelming, something he can't really name. But it's not unwelcomed. It is, in some fucked up way, like a call to him — he feels that rush of power, of trust, too. The call to his magic. The way his breaths come out calmer.

He can't really name it, not really, but he knows this feeling is the most important thing he possesses.

So it's not really a shock when the demon looks at him and only him, one arm out like he's going to snatch it without permission, a sharp grin on its borrowed face. "You," the demon beckons, and Derek snarls, protective. Derek moves in front of him, like it's going to stop the demon. Like there's anything they can do except take this deal. The demon laughs, reedy and evil, and he's sure the person doesn't sound like this; this demon has taken over completely, and Stiles doubts they can save the man who is being possessed at the moment.

"What do you want?" Derek's fang slur his question, but he's understandable, and Stiles puts his hand on Derek's shoulder, pulls him by his soft henley. They were on a walk around the preserve, a routine perimeter check, but here they stand now, in the middle of this clearing where kids had definitely messed around in and found the fuck out.

The camping bags are still warm, but the trail to the kids has gone cold. Unless they take this deal.

"I told you, wolf," the demon sing-songs, and Stiles wonders where he got this body from. The man is clearly in his 30's, light brown hair, hazelnut skin, brown eyes. He cannot be one of the people who summoned the demon, here. "I want what's most precious to your pet."

Derek's been growling all this time, but now he roars, all restraint broken under the clearly verbalized threat.

Only Stiles' hand on Derek's shoulder stops him from leaping at the demon.

"Derek," he says, concerned. They have no idea how to deal with demons that aren't evil fox spirits. "Maybe this is the only way."

And he wants out. He knows what are his most precious things — his feelings. Especially for him. He wants to get rid of it, because there's rarely anything as painful as feeling like your world tilts on its axis when you know theirs stays the same. They're friends, and pack, and that is all they can be.

It would be okay to lose these feelings.

"Listen to him, listen to him!"

"Stiles, don't you dare move!"

Stiles moves around Derek and is again in front of the demon. "Will you leave, then? Never to come back?"

"I'd do you one better — I shall forbid any other of my kind to come back here."

Derek doesn't grab him back, but he does verbally accuse Stiles of being stupid. Stiles is grateful for their relationship to have come to a point where Derek knows better than to stop him when he's set his mind, and he's really fucking gonna miss his bubbling mess of a heart later.

"Deal," he says, and there the lips come, cold and cruel; a quick, dirty kiss that leaves Stiles gasping for breath.

He closes his eyes, and when he opens them, it's to Derek hovering over him worriedly. It makes Stiles feel packed, so he pushes Derek backwards, and stomps his way back towards the Loft.

Derek follows suit.

[keepslore]

alright, we would like you to talk about the power of names and what they mean to Dhavi. From nicknames to her name shift and change - why is each piece important. How do those names carry a part do her story and how does she feel in relation to her names versus her many titles. Are there names and nicknames she doesn’t look on as fondly?

unprompted / always accepting

Before the Inquisition, I don't think Dhavi took names into consideration much, aside from when Nira told her she had a new name, and other similar experiences. She learns then the power of names, but not directly, not personally, not for herself. Her own names were "First," "Dhavi," and "Dhavihal," and she never thought she would have others aside from "Keeper," and one day in the very distant future, "hahren." Perhaps "mamae" along the way.

The first name, or title, she is given that she resents is Chosen, which evolves into Herald. It ignores who and what she is directly and, it feels, deliberately. No matter how many times she insists she was not Chosen, that she does not even believe in the Maker, that she is no shem-woman's Herald—her words are her own and nobody else's—still people insist on calling her this. This is the first time Dhavi has to tell people to call her by her name, to beg people to call her by her name.

In Haven, she feels the power of her name, because she feels the power of losing it. In her name, she feels the pieces of herself that those around her can disregard to see only the Herald. In her name is her sense of her self, who she is.

The first nickname she is given is Songbird. Although she begs and demands that everyone call her by her name, nicknames (and similar terms of endearment) are the exception. Nicknames necessitate that you see the person, imply that you love the person. You don't call your Chosen One a friendly nickname. They are as welcome as her name, and feel as personal.

In Skyhold, Herald becomes Inquisitor, and it is tied with a damning power. (Side note: I really should also do a meta on Dhavi's complicated feelings re: power at some point too, bc she is a leader, she does lead, rather well in fact, but there is something about the power of being Inquisitor that makes her stomach churn.) Once again, it is something for people to call her that allows them to ignore who she is to see only what is convenient for them. The only thing you can call her that is worse than Inquisitor is Your Worship.

And the only thing worse than a stranger calling her either is a loved one calling her either.

Worship goes hand-in-hand with that damning power. It is the unquestionable kind of power she doesn't think anyone should have. It is absolutely impossible to disconnect the idea of worshiping her from the idea that she is some sort of chosen one, specifically of Andraste/the Maker. It further disregards who she is and what she wants so that they can see only what they wish to see. Everybody gets one (1) "Your Worship," and if you call her that again after she has asked you not to, she more or less writes you off—the chances that she will form a strong connection with you are slim because you clearly don't care very much for who she is.

The last name she is given is the most dear to her. Vhenan. I've no doubt she and Salladin once called each other similar pet names, but Solas says it with such a gravity as to make it feel like more than a simple term of endearment. She doesn't understand why that is until Veilguard, until she learns that he did not always have a physical body, and suddenly his choosing a physical representation of love—the heart—instead of an abstract concept—like "my love" or "my darling"—feels very intentional. It feels significant. During the events of Inquisition, though, it is a representation of her relationship with the person who sees her most wholly. Who never saw her as anything other than a person. Who, even if it didn't suit him, acknowledged she was Dalish. And the fact that he still calls her "vhenan" even as he's breaking up with her, proving that the love is still there—that's what hurts the most.

Then she calls herself Inquisitor, and she becomes more comfortable with the name. Now it is hers, the Inquisition she forms is hers, the inquisiting that they are doing is hers. She's not looking for Andrastian blasphemy, she's not trying to start or resolve a holy war—she's looking for Solas. The questions she's asking are about him. The Inquisition is to try to find and save—or stop—him. That is hers, and she will accept being called Inquisitor much more readily.

The exception to the "loved ones calling her Inquisitor" rule is, of course, Solas. During the events of Inquisition, she understands he can be very formal, and he sees her clearly enough that she never feels he is ignoring pieces of her when he calls her that. With some notable exceptions, points when he does call her Inquisitor as a means of distancing them. And then there is any time they might speak after Trespasser, when they use titles for one another in an effort to set their feelings aside (which does little for either of them). She will call him Dread Wolf, or Fen'harel, and he will call her Inquisitor, and they both know that under it all is vhenan.

And finally, Dhavi'fen.

The idea of Dhavihal becoming Dhavi'fen originally sprang from the idea that I thought Dhavi would struggle with her relationship with the halla, as a symbol of Ghilan'nain, following the loss of her faith. I believed a lot of her love for the halla came from her love of Ghilan'nain, and I wasn't entirely wrong, but I was kind of wrong. I have since written a drabble on Dhavi's feelings regarding the halla, and how she arguably sees herself in them more now, but it doesn't change her interaction with Ghilan'nain that shifts her name from Dhavihal to Dhavi'fen.

"Dhavihal? You are beloved by no creation of mine," I have written as Ghilan'nain disowning Dhavi, "you are tainted by that hound, Dhavi'fen." (this is what I've written but if a Ghilan'nain ever wanted to rp this out I would fall at your feet and weep.)

Dhavi takes the name Dhavi'fen partly because it amuses her. Like oh no this 'goddess' I don't care for anymore disowned me ohhh nooo she's associating me with the man I love how terrible. She mostly takes it with the intent to wield it, however; she wants Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain to know exactly who they're fucking with when they fuck with her—they're fucking with the Dread Wolf's beloved. The Dread Wolf who imprisoned them once and, ostensibly, killed other Evanuris (based on dialogue he has with Rook). She also intends to wield it against Solas—hard to deny your love for someone in the name of whatever goal you have when they're walking around calling themselves "the person you kissed."

From a meta perspective, besides just being grossly self-indulgent, it's also a representation of her setting aside the last pieces of herself that endured through Inquisition and Trespasser and Wolf Hunt. To an extent, that softness of the halla is gone. She "hardens her heart to a cutting edge" as Solas tried to advise her to do after the break-up. She is still beloved, she is still loving, she is still Dhavi, but she is not Dhavihal.

And in an ending where she is able to reconcile with Solas, she wears the name Dhavi'fen like a married woman. I'm imagining Solas saying it like that extra scene at the end of 2005 Pride & Prejudice. "Mrs. Darcy... Mrs. Darcy... Mrs. Darcy..."

[improbable-implosions]

This one's kinda funny, I went into affixing that patch SO sure that the design of that sword of mine, Arma, would be plenty for that patch, but the longer I stared at it doing other mends for these pants, the longer I felt it needed _something_ else, you know?

First up, we've got to stitch on the patch itself! I did some nice even straight stitches, because initially, I was planning on a little area of sashiko mending.

But, in looking at the size of the chunk of dissolvable backing I had cut, there wasn't really any patterns immediately springing to mind that'd work at a scale that small, or, so I thought after seeing how that basketweave pattern came together on an earlier piece. For context, the whole patch is roughly the size of the palm of my hand, at 3.5 inches square.

So, instead, I decided to try something a bit more complex to render than I'd really tried out before, this art of Arma! (Despite the sword's design being my work, the art in question is by @razzmatazic, who I did ask if I tried to trace, and she had no problems!) And so trace I did, tracing the outlines of the major features of the piece, namely, the outer lines, and the shapes of the gemstones.

Unfortunately, in my haste (and, admittedly, my focus, since this was much higher detail than I normally tackle around here), I didn't grab any in-progress shots of this. Still, I actually really enjoy how this came out looking, even if it doesn't perfectly evoke the design or detail of the original piece, it certainly emulates the look of Arma well enough I recognize it, and very visibly reads Cool Sword, y'know?

Next up were a few colorful rims around the edges of the front pockets! They were fraying pretty significantly, so not only does this add a fun splash of color, but it keeps me from picking the edges of these seams apart while I'm not thinking about my hands. Initially, I was going to pick a different set of colors than that turquoise and purple, based on a fun fact about my hometown, but that color scheme was just calling out to me! I decided to lean into the somewhat royal vibes and went for a different, lighter purple, with two little bits of yellow thread, which, fun fact, I actually dyed with some yellow flowers I foraged back in the boston area!

As for these two little spot-mends, they were really more an exercise in frustration. Really, I'm mostly miffed the thread broke on the original patch in the one place the hole kept trying to expand through, but hopefully that little bit of randa stitching (which looks MUCH more like randa stitching should than my previous efforts, namely on my wallet and that previous pair of pants that we detailed, the ones with the segaihana sashiko) alongside some additional reinforcement along the edge of that original yellow patch, made from some thread I scavenged from a fraying bit of denim, should keep this particular pair of shorts from getting any more fixes right on the edge of the patch that has misbehaved TWICE now!

Last but not least, while I was wrangling those pocket rims and the spot mends, I really just had the feeling that Arma would look kinda... lonely, I suppose? Centered in the framing straight stitches like that, so I improvised a little open book next to her! (She's not a sword-girl, promise, it's she/her like you'd she/her a boat) There's actually some really nice dimensionality to the book, too, with some looser stitches to emulate ruffle-able pages, and those two knots along the spine make for a pleasant, crinkled texture to the cover lines! Can you tell I'm pleased with myself for getting that just so, without any guides?

All that said, hopefully that's all the mends my poor poor jean shorts need, I swear, just as I get one set fixed, the other winds up with another hole! Don't get me wrong, I'm starting to enjoy the whole almost boro-like vibe they're developing, with all these overlapping mends, but I'd like them to develop it slower, thanks! (And yes, I do plan to wear these at LEAST until they look like I've quilted them back together, they're comfy!)