#the translation is probably not 100 % accurate but i tried my best

[cyanidecravings]

the return of gong jihoon & kang eden

[guppyfish77]

So about the Battle Subway Trains

Hi, I love trains! And the Trains in Unova have a surprising amount of detail? And nobody talks about it? And if I don't talk about it I will explode!?!!!

So despite Unova being inspired by New York you'd think the Battle Subway Trains would be based on The New York Subway Trains? However they look like they are more based on Japanese Railway Trains!

I'd like to preface before going into this that despite talking a lot about the Japanese Railway, I am not Japanese, while I did my best to research as best I can, some stuff may fly over my head, I also used an online translator for some information so it might not be 100% accurate.

Alrighty lets get into this! This is mainly for fun and its going to be under the Read More because it is verrrrrrrrry long, I hope that you enjoy!

If you aren't aware, each train in the Battle Subway has lore! All the lore comes from this Worker NPC on the bridge in Anville Town. Depending on the day, a different train will show up on the turntable, and he'll give you a little dialogue for that train! This dialogue is what I'll be mainly analyzing :]

Single and Anville Town Trains:

"This is a Single Train! It's the oldest train in the Battle Subway. It's for a loop line to go around the Unova region! Do you know Tubeline Bridge? The train that runs on it is this Single Train."

"As you know, this is a local train to Anville Town! Isn't it just so cute? This one is a little slow and heavy. When it runs, the whole train sways. The train car is the same model as a Single Train. Because it is an old train car, I hear the maintenance is hard, but it's the one I always ride, because I loved it as a kid!"

So! The Single and Anville Town Trains are the same model of train, you can actually see this in their designs where they both share the same face but they differ in the livery. (Livery is a term referring to the train's decor/color, the color is often associated with a particular company or in this case a particular train line.) I'm going to use this fact to assume that if one train has one feature, then it's likely that the other train also has that same feature. Such as how the description of the Anville Town Train says it sways as it runs, if that is the case then the Single Train also probably sways. (which sounds kind of awful to battle on, unless you have good train legs I suppose X_X)

It is stated that the Single Train is the oldest in the Battle Subway. I believe though, that it means the oldest train that is currently running in the Battle Subway. As there is another train that seems much older and no longer running, but I'll get to that train much much later.

Older trains are indeed harder to maintain, and expensive too. This is because the older the equipment, the harder it is to get its parts as they become more obsolete. Though I will say this, trains can last a long time! The average service life of a train is about 30-50 years, it really varies from train to train. These trains would most likely be on the older side.

There is a slight possibility that it has been continued to be maintained past it service life. Given how fond the Worker NPC talks about the train, it might have high sentimental value. Therefore if it is past its service life, it has not been scrapped or recycled yet because of it. I doubt this is the case though, usually it is never worth the maintenance cost (especially for regular operation.)

Like the description says, you can see the Single Train running on the Tubeline Bridge, here's a video of it! Apologies for the way I am recording this, I don't exactly have a capture card, but I wanted to show you guys regardless

You can see how fast the train is going as it passes below you! At least the just Singles Train anyways, seems to me like it's going about 20-30mph? I tried doing math to find the exact speed but that's difficult for several reasons (no idea how large a "tile" in Pokemon really is and objects in the overworld are not very accurate in size so I can't exactly do any comparisons. The perspective of the camera also makes it tricky.) Given how the Anville Train is described as "slow and heavy", I would hazard a guess to say that the other trains of the Battle Subway may run faster than this.

You can also see that each train is made up of 7 cars as it passes below you if you slow down the footage. Which is not surprising, you have to win 7 battles in a row to complete a "set" where you are then dropped off at a rest stop. I believe the Battle Subway trains to be electrical multiple units (EMUs) so it would probably make them 7-car sets.

It also looks like the Singles Line is very busy with the trains only being seconds apart! Now I know this is more a visual thing so the environment would be interesting to look at, but I'd like to think it indicates that the Battle Subway/Singles Line is very popular! (and very well organized!)

As for Real life train inspirations I think perhaps the Tobu 10030 series?

The Tobu 10030 is a version of the Tobu 10000 series with some minor changes, such as the design of the face and using a bolsterless bogie. (Bogie is a part of the train that refers to a frame that holds sets of wheels as well as the suspension, breaks, etc. in which the body of the train car rests upon.)(A bolster is a part that connects the side frames of the bogie and the underside of the car's central pivot point.)(A bolsterless bogie is a bogie type that doesn't have a bolster). The front of the train is covered in fiber reinforced plastic and the outer panels are "bead molded" (which... I have no clue what that means...) This series has been going under renovations since 2010.

Double Train:

"This car is a Double Train! This is a mass-produced car from a decade ago! Compared to a Single Train, the number of parts was reduced so it could be built for a lower cost. The number of parts influences the budget and construction time. The streamlined and beautiful design of the Double Train is still valued today."

So the Double Train is at least 10 years old! (That's what decade means!) Honestly though, I think the Double Train might be older than 10, in Japanese the description just says that it is a "mass-produced train from a long time ago" and doesn't mention a number... Another reason is that in the Multi Train description, it mentions that it is a test model for future trains that will replace the Double Trains. Which means perhaps that the Double Trains may be reaching near the end of its service life, which again average 30-50 years. It could be a possibility that this train may have a shorter service life than usual, who knows. This all speculation really.

As for lowering the amount of parts, from what I found it makes the train lighter. It would also probably lower the cost as well like the description says (trains are really really expensive to build! EMUs can cost $2mil-$10mil per car!)

It also mentions that it is a mass-produced car! It's a train made with mass production for commercial purposes! I believe it's usually for train lines that are really busy, where they would need a lot of trains? It typically means that there are a lot of them. (All this makes me wonder about train production in the Pokemon World...)

As for Real life inspirations, I think that the Double Train is inspired by the Tokyu 1000 series train.

The Tokyu 1000's design and equipment is similar to another train, the Tokyu 9000 series, with improvements such as improved handling and making it easier to do inspection and repair work. As well as reducing the amount of spare parts from the Tokyu 9000.

Multi Train:

"This car is a Multi Train! Few cars of this model were produced. This is a test car to develop future mass-produced cars that will replace the old Double Trains. The technology born during the creation of this train car made the Super Single Train and Super Double Train possible!"

The multi train is a test/prototype train! A little surprised that an entire line is running off a few prototypes. Like the description says, not many are produced as the purpose of a prototype is to test features and improve upon them if needed before they are put into mass production. Given that it says the technology from this train was the reason the Super Single and Super Double Train was made possible. I'm thinking it was most likely testing some eco friendly features? As it is the Super Single and Super Double Train's main feature.

Perhaps them using a model with so few trains means that the Multi line isn't that busy/popular? (Surprising then the train platform is not swarming with more train photographers haha!)

As for real life inspirations, while the livery may not be the same I think it could be the Keisei 3000 (2nd Generation.)

The Keisei 3000's body is made of lightweight stainless steel and the passenger doors have a paper honeycomb structure. When they were designing this train, they wanted it to be both environmentally (energy saving) and customer friendly (being accessible to elderly and those with disabilities.)

Super Single and Super Double Trains:

"This Super Single Train is a new mass-produced car! It's an environmentally friendly train, because they revised all the parts to drastically reduce power consumption! Newer trains have to be built in a way that's both functional and environmentally friendly. Compared to the past, they've improved significantly."

"This Super Double Train is a new mass-produced car! Such a streamlined and refined design! Beauty and utility working together! That kind of beautility is unique to mass-produced train cars! It uses the same train car as a Super Single Train. The only difference is the appearance. It is a superb train car that will go down in the history of the Battle Subway!"

The Super Single and Super Double Trains are the same model. Honestly the description of these trains doesn't give me a lot of information besides the fact that these trains are eco friendly. So I'll talk about what trains do to make themselves (even more) eco friendly!

They are stated to be eco friendly by reducing power consumption. I think it could be referring to a "VVVF inverter control" (it stands for variable voltage variable frequency. In English its mainly called the VFD or variable frequency drive.) A VVVF is a type of system for an AC motor that can reduce energy consumption! (There are two types of electrical current, DC or Direct Current and AC or Alternate Current. An AC motor is a motor that is driven by AC electricity.) It is important on energy saving trains! I won't get too much into how it works, but essentially it controls the AC motor's rotational speed by controlling the frequency. By controlling these, it can control the speed and acceleration of a train. You'll find that a VVVF is often paired with a three phase motor (I will not go into that...) Let's just say that these systems are very efficient at using power and help save energy.

Really, reducing power consumption usually means being more efficient at using power. Like using LEDs, using better insulation to retain cooling or heating, and generally using parts that use less electricity. It could be that the train is lighter in weight too (lighter vehicles use less power.)

Both of these Super Trains are mass produced! Which tells me that there are a lot of Super Single and Super Double trains! Its lines are probably busy.

As for real life inspirations, it is very much inspired by the E233-2000 series train

The E233-2000 is a little bit of an oddball in the E233 family exterior design wise. Its design was inspired by the Tokyu 5000 series. Its basic running equipment is the same as the E233 trains before it though.

I think it is a bit of a stretch, but I'll mention it anyways. The E233 (which the E233-2000 is a subsection of) is a train that has won the Laurel Award in 2007. The Laurel Award is an award given to trains by the Japan Railway Friends Association for trains with an excellence in technology and design (specifically geared towards commuter trains.) It could be what all the "beautility" comments could be referencing to? They do look verrry different though, and the E233-2000 came after the award was given...

Super Multi Train:

"This train car is a Super Multi Train! This is the latest train car! Improved acceleration and deceleration! Automated train-car controls! It's full of cutting-edge technologies. Also, a regeneration brake system, a car-body tilting system, a whatchamacallit system, a thingamabob system... I don't remember all the details, but it's just a big festival of all the latest technology!"

Ohhoho! The Super Multi Train description is a goldmine of details! This train is the whole reason I wanted to make this post! Let's run through its features!

Improved acceleration and deceleration means that it can run between stops faster, allowing for quicker operation time.

Automated train-car controls or ATC is a safety system on trains that prevents trains from going over a certain speed! If the train goes over the maximum speed permitted then the ATC will pull the brakes automatically to reduce the speed and release the brakes when it is below maximum speed. It also displays the maximum speed to the driver. It is an incredibly important safety system!! From what I understand, the term ATC is very common in Japan, in other countries the ATC would simply be a part of cab signaling (it is a safety system mainly for the driver and train crew, it tells them track status and condition information) and train protection technologies. ATC is installed on all Shinkansen trains, it is also installed in some subways and heavily used railways.

Here's an example of what it looks like! The green triangle there is the (current) maximum speed. There are a lot of different types of ATC systems and this ones a D-ATC (stands for Digital Automatic Train Control) from within an E233! There are a whole lot of different types of ATC, and they can come in many looks! I would show more examples, however, I have hit the image limit on this post... :[

A regenerative brake system is a special type of breaking that allows a train to generate electricity via breaking! The electricity can either be used immediately, stored, or returned back into the line. You might've heard this feature on electric or hybrid cars. It is a common eco friendly feature!

A car-body tilting system is a feature in trains that allows the body of the train car to tilt into a curve! It allows the train to go faster on a track (not needing to slow down on a curve) but the feature is mainly for passenger comfort! When you ride, you don't feel the centrifugal force at all when going around a curve! And it makes the ride so smooth! Here's a short video demonstrating what it looks like:

There are essentially two major ways to do a car body tilting system. There is active tilting (forced body tilting) or passive tilting (pendulum system). A forced body tilting system uses computers to tilt the train using track data or sensors, telling the train when and how much to tilt. If the calculation is not done correctly, it can leave passengers with motion sickness (An infamous example is the Advanced Passenger Train in the UK). The tilting itself I believe is done via hydraulics. Forced Body Tilting is more popular in European and American trains.

As for passive tilting, the train in the video uses it! (A controlled pendulum train!) It means it uses natural forces to tilt the train car. I'll dive deeper into this type of tilting in the Wi-Fi train section because it actually mentions it's a pendulum train! As to which tilting type the Super Multi train has... it could honestly be either.

(Ah! I forgot to mention this, but tilting trains are especially useful in mountainous regions, where there are a lot of curves.)

In the Japanese version of the Super Multi description, it also mentions that it has a "earthquake warning system" and a "tornado monitoring system".

An earthquake warning system is not something fully installed into the train, rather it's mainly a set of sensors installed along the track, coast, and major inland areas. For passenger rail, if any signs of an earthquake are detected, it will alert any trains in the affected area and drivers are required to apply their emergency brakes. For shinkansen trains it will cut off power to the affected area which will automatically activate the emergency brakes.

Well, I found something close to a tornado warning system. There is a "gust warning system" where sensors measure wind speed and to predict where strong gusts of wind would go. Again, it's not a system that is installed within the train. From what I could tell, they would restrict travel speed during strong winds. If wind speeds are too high, then they would shut down the lines. (I suppose would be very useful, especially when there's some legendaries that cause powerful storms roaming around.)

In the Japanese version of the text, it also states that the Super Multi Train is also a test train. Which again means there's also not a lot of this train. It also states that some of it's features are unnecessary due to it being a test train lol

In the description all these features are stated as "cutting edge" and "a festival of all the latest technology" when these features are not all that new? And Regenerative breaking seems to be pretty common? (Every irl train I have shown thus far all have it.) Eh, I don't think it's that big of a deal. They are just fictional trains after all.

I originally thought the train looked like an Eizan Railway Deo 800 series, but thanks to the leaks, it looks like that the JR East 205-500 was used as a base to design the Super Multi Train? With probably heavy modification to the final design. (While I don't condone the method that these leaks were obtained, curiosity did get the better of me. This is the only train that I ID-ed this way.)

This Train was exclusive to the Sagami Line, though it ended operation in 2022 and every one of these trains have been scrapped. The blue color I believe is an homage to the Sagami River that runs along the line. The Train used a semi automatic door system for its passenger doors. Which means that rather than the conductor opening and closing the doors, the passengers would press a button to open the door when the train has stopped.

Wi-Fi Train:

"This train car is a Wi-Fi Train! It is the fastest long-distance high-speed train in the Battle Subway! This is called a pendulum car. Its body tilts while going around curves, so it can run without slowing down! Faster! Farther! Our engineers' spirits are infused in it!"

A pendulum car is a very specific term!!! Like I mentioned in the Super Mutli Train section it is a type of car body tilting. There are multiple types of Pendulum systems, There is Natural Pendulum, Controlled Pendulum, Air Spring (also called Simple Pendulum), and Hybrid.

Natural Pendulum is just using the centrifugal force of when it goes around a curve to tilt the train. This type was known to cause motion sickness in riders because when it straightened out, the car would "lag" or wobble. Sometimes the force was not enough to tilt the train and this would also cause passenger discomfort. These issues were fixed later with a controlled pendulum, where there would be a degree of control to the tilting. Using mechanisms similar to forced body tilting, it would prevent wobble and ease the tilt. The air spring method, as suggests in the name, uses air springs to help with tilting. It is similar to the controlled pendulum, though it tilts less than it (controlled pendulum can tilt 6 degrees and air springs can only tilt 2 degrees). Air springs are cheaper to build though and still are able to make the train go faster. Hybrid is the combination of controlled pendulum and air springs, allowing for an 8 degree tilt.

I hope the Wi-Fi train is not a natural pendulum? You're telling me you have to battle on that and you might get motion sickness?? Though it sounds like it might be more high tech so it is most likely the other types... Hopefully...

It also states that this train is the "fastest long-distance high-speed train in the Battle Subway!" Looking at Japan's tilting trains (that are not shinkansen), they go about 120kmh-130kmh (about 75 mph-81 mph.) So it could be a possibility that the Wi-Fi goes something along those speeds.

I've looked through Japan's tilting trains, and the closest one might be the JR Hokkaido Kiha 201 series? It's not at all close though... I can't really find a good match tbh. I think the 113 series seems to be a bit more closer visually.

The one on the left is a Kansai livery and the right is a JR Shikoku livery. They are both the same train, JR Shikoku bought the 113 series from JR East to replace some aging trains and then modified it. Which is why they look a bit different. The modifications include strengthening the front of the train and adding shock absorbing material inside.

So Those are all the trains that run in the Battle Subway! However there are 2 trains that don't, instead they only show up in Anville Town on certain days. I'll be calling them "Old Train Car" and "Futuristic Train Car"

"Old Train Car"

"This train car is the kind that ran a long time ago. Compared to contemporary train cars, it has more parts, so I heard it was difficult to build. The old train cars built with lots of small parts have their own unique beauty and attract a lot of fans. Those cars no longer run in the Battle Subway, but I hear they're still used in a faraway region. Ah... I'd love to be on that train!"

So this sort of car used to run on the Battle Subway. It's said to be still running in another region, though with how old the train looks I can only think that maybe it would be running by railway preservationists.

The design of this train reminds me a lot of old Japanese electric trains and trams. Especially trams with that double roof. I don't think it's really based on any particular vehicle? Here's a couple that I found;

The only one I feel like is worth mentioning is the Jomo Electric Railway Deha 101 (this specific car is the Deha 101, others of its kind are called Deha 100 type) and the Nagasaki Electric Railway 160 type. Both of these vehicles I believe are still running to some capacity.

The Jomo Deha 101 has been running for over 90 years. While car 101 still resides at Jomo Railway, other Deha 100s have been transferred to other private companies where they have been scrapped. I believe the only existing Deha 100s today are Car 101 and Car 104 (which has been painted bright yellow.)

The Nagasaki Electric Railway 160 type used to belong to the Kyushu Electric Tramway where it was called the Type 1 Electric Tram. When it was transferred to the Nagasaki Electric Railway it was renamed into the 160 type. Today, there is a single car in operation. I believe it is the oldest wooden car in Japan that is still in service.

I suppose I will also mention the Keifuku Electric Railway Mobo 21 Type Train, it does look the most similar. Though, it's purposefully designed to look like an old style tram.

"Futuristic Train Car"

"This train car is a new train to run in the future! Wooo! Cool! Super cool! The latest motor breathes fire! Uh-oh, if it really breathed fire, that would be bad! But it is full of the latest technologies! It's undergoing a lot of testing. It's called a gauge-convertible train. It's a sweet car that can adjust its wheels to run on any rail!"

So first off, I'd like to say that this train visually kind of looks like a "Sonic" 883 series (nothing to do with the blue hedgehog, it was just a coincidence lol)

However the description!!!! A "gauge convertible train" that is undergoing a lot of testing... That description matches exactly with the GCT! (literally standing for Gauge Change/Convertible Train, though in Japanese it's called FGT or Free Gauge Train!)

The GTC is the project name for this experimental shinkansen. The one in the picture is the GTC-01, the second generation of its kind (as this is the version they would be testing before and during the development of the game, there is now a 3rd generation.) So, the term gauge refers to the distance between the two rails. Different trains run on different gauges, they can come in either narrow gauge, standard gauge, or wide gauge. Japan's rail network is mostly narrow gauge (specifically Cape Gauge.) The main exception are the shinkansen trains, which run on standard gauge. This shinkansen like the description says would be able to run on any gauge. It used to be under a lot of testing by the Free Gauge Train Technology Research Association. Today though, the GTC-01 second generation sits on display in the Shikoku Railway Heritage Museum.

There are a lot of challenges that the GTC faces. It takes a bit of time for the wheels to adjust to the gauge and you need to go slower when it's doing so. It has increased maintenance costs. The heavier specialized bogie creates more wear on the rails as well as making the train harder to detect. (Ok! Basic explanation for Railway Signaling! Tracks are split up into sections called "blocks", and a small electrical current is run between the two tracks that makes up the block. When a train runs through, the wheel and axle of the train disrupts the current, which then the system detects that block as being occupied by a train. If it is occupied, the signal lights at the end of the block will be turned red, preventing other trains from entering the same block, thus preventing collisions. The problem arises in the GTC in that the wheel and the axle are separate, thus something about this is making it hard to detect on the rail.)

With this train being a "gauge change train" it really made me wonder what gauge the Battle Subway trains runs at? I thought maybe standard gauge or maybe even wide gauge because you can only make the train so wide depending on the gauge. And you'd probably want it wider so that there is more room, especially if you are fitting a battle arena in it! However in Japanese the description mentions that "The rails are a little wider on the tracks that run at higher speeds." Which is... exactly how Japanese rail works? So the Battle Subway lines are probably narrow gauge?

Another thing that's interesting about the "Futuristic Train" is the date that it actually shows up. In Anville Town the way that each train shows up is dependent on the last digit of the day of the month, like so:

0- (10th, 20th, and 30th) "Old Train Car"

1- (1st, 11th, 21st, and 31st) Single Train Car

2- (2nd, 12th, and 22nd) Double Train Car

3- (3rd, 13th, and 23rd) Multi Train Car

yada yada you get the point (4- Super Double Train, 5- Super Single Train, 6- Super Multi Train, 7- Anville Town Train, 8- Nothing, 9- Wi-Fi Train)

The only exception is the "Futuristic Train" who will show up ONLY on February 1st, June 12th, October 1st, October 14th, and December 30th, pretty random huh? haha of course not! These dates are dates significant to the History of Japanese Railway/Transportation!

February 1st: The opening of Japan's first electric street car in 1895!

June 12th: The temporary operation of Japan's first passenger railway in 1872!

October 1st: The release of Japan's first Shinkansen, the series 0 in 1964!

October 14th: The official opening of Japan's first passenger railway in 1872, with the first two stations between Shimbashi and Yokohama! This day is also Railway Day in Japan, celebrating this event, Tokyo holds a Railway Festival and train companies like to do events on this day as well! 

December 30th: The opening of Japan's first subway line in 1927, The Ginza Line!

Rails, Station Platform, and More Train:

So the Station, there are a few details I can pick up on here!

The type of track that the trains run on (at least in the station) are ballastless tracks! It means the rail is tied directly onto a slab of concrete rather than having ballast hold it up (ballast is that rocky gravel that you often see beneath the tracks.) This type of track is quite expensive to build and makes the place a lot nosier, but it has a lot of advantages! For one, because there is no ballast to maintain, it has lower maintenance cost (ballast must be packed every now and again using a ballast tamping machine. Which lifts the track and jostles the ballast beneath it. Ballast also needs to be replaced after a while because the rocks have to be irregularly shaped for it to work, and natural weathering can make them smooth out.) It is also easier to clean and has a longer lifespan. Because the rail is tied to slabs of concrete the rails are less prone to deformation, which is good! Though it is also that same inflexibility means that it is difficult to change anything about it and takes longer to repair.

Their buffer! (that little black thing at the end of the line, I think it is a buffer?) It doesn't look like that effective of a buffer... The purpose of a buffer is to stop a train if brakes fail. Though this thing seems to be more for the driver telling them where the end is, hence all the, what I presume are, lights. Let's hope they have some sort of other safety system in place (like some sort of Automatic Train Stop system.)

There doesn't seem to be a third rail. I have a feeling that might be because most Japanese railway trains are powered via overhead wire (literally every irl train I have shown is powered this way.) Maybe the Battle Subway trains might be powered via overhead wire? I might be over analyzing here, they might not have thought of modeling such a small detail haha

The train itself has some sort of device on top (that box thing.) I believe it to be some sort of air conditioning unit. Given how each train car has one large unit on top of it, I believe that it uses a centralized cooling system, which means there is one large air conditioning unit. (There are 2 other types, they are distributed cooling which consists of 6-8 small units and centralized distributed which consists of a couple of medium sized units.) Central cooling systems are easier to install and maintain because there is only one unit to worry about.

Signboards:

The Buildings in between routes have a electronic news bulletin board, and depending on which city is connected to it, the news bulletin will give a little flavor text about the city. There's some flavor text about the Battle Subway when it's about Nimbasa City, and it different depending on whether you are playing the first one or the second one, here they are:

BW

"Run and battle! Trains never stop!” Battle Subway in Nimbasa City"

"They say someone who loved battles also happened to be a railway maniac, and thats why we now have the battle subway"

So, this might be a coincidence, but there is an old name that Japanese Train Fans used to call themselves. The name was "Railway Mania" (鉄道マニア direct translation). It was used up until the 1950s. Today it's seen as a derogatory term but it was used very commonly back in its heyday (even more popular than "railfan" apparently.) I think it is kind of interesting that the term "Railway Maniac" was chosen for this flavor text and I wonder if it has anything to do with this old name. However, I say it might just be a coincidence because the term "Maniac" is not unheard of word in Pokemon (Item Maniac, Poke Maniac, Hex Maniac, etc.) But regardless, there's that little fun fact for you!

B2W2

“Get on a train and fight!” Battle Subway in Nimbasa City"

"The energy generated by heated Pokémon battles is the fuel that keeps the Battle Subway running"

I'm going to get a little headcanon-y here. We can interpret this figuratively, as in if there are no battles then its not really a Battle Subway is it? But I think it would be fun to interpret it literally! What if Pokemon Moves could get absorbed somehow to power the Train? And if the Train doesn't need it it could go into the line to power something else in the Subway! I think that would be cool :]

Extra Stuff:

●I think the Battle Subway Map could also be inspired by JR East's rail map, the main reason is the single lines (dark green) which goes in a loop around the Unova Region...

Reminds me of the Yamanote Line (light green) which also goes in a loop connecting a variety of major stations together in Tokyo and is a very very important line!

●While I do believe Gear Station is inspired by New York's Grand Central Station, I do think there's a lot of design elements taken from Tokyo Station as well

●The gray bodies of the Anville, Single, Doubles, and Multi cars are probably meant to represent an exposed steel/aluminum body rather than the ones painted white like the Super Trains.

●In the Anime, the trains are said to have an ATO system, this is also a real system, it stands for Automatic Train Operation. It's a system that allows a computer to control when the train stops and goes with no driver involved! I don't think that the trains in the games run on an ATO system though, as there are Depot Agents who talk about train driving (Depot Agent Cameron who says "I’m good at driving, but I’m not good at dealing with Pokemon." at the start of battle, and a way more obscure Depot Agent whom you can talk to on the platform after 14 wins on a Super Train who says "I’d rather have an exciting battle than slowly drive the train.")

●In the Anime, there's a stamp rally, which is a real thing! There are station stamps in Japan which tourists can collect. Though, occasionally Pokemon will collaborate with JR East to create a Pokemon Stamp Rally! The most recent is this Pokemon Horizons Stamp Rally promoting the show! Here's a map of what stamps you can collect at each station and the prizes you can get!

●In the Nacrane city library there is a book that mentions that Nacrane used to have steam locomotives running through it!

"This book is about the things you can ride in the Unova region, such as Castelia City’s cruise ship and Mistralton City’s planes. Before there were planes, locomotives carried people all over Unova. The railway in Nacrene City is a legacy of those lines." (B2W2)

What kinds of Steam Locomotives? I suppose we will never know, as we never see one in game.

●There's an Roughneck NPC you can talk to at Tubeline Bridge in B2W2 where he says

"Watch it! People use “railway fan” as a catchall term, but there are many types of railway fans! There are riding fans, detraining fans, station fans, train-car fans, schedule-table fans, picture-taking fans, recording fans, and more! Don’t go thinking they’re all the same!" (B2W2)

So in Japanese, Railway is Tesudo (鉄道, testu 鉄- Iron and do 道-Road) and a Railway Fan is Tesudofan, however fans will abbreviate to just Testu and stick what aspect of trains they enjoy with it, so like 乗り鉄 (Nori 乗り-Ride, 鉄-tetsu) as a Train Riding Fan, or 撮り鉄 (Tori 撮り-Taking a Picture, 鉄-tetsu) as a Railway Photography fan. There are a lot of these and the NPC does go over some! There's also Railway Modeling Fans (Fans who collect model trains and/or construct model railways), Collecting Fans (Fans who collect railway related items such as tickets or stamps), Operation Fans (Fans who like researching railway operation and equipment), Regulation Fans (Fans who like researching railway handbooks and laws and regulations that go into a railway), Simulation Fans (Fans who like playing train driving/railway management games), Artists/Writers, Urban Explorers, and Railway Preservationist (I gave up on the last ones lol). There are lots of ways to enjoy trains!

There's also the super specific terms of "Mama Tetsu" where a mother becomes a railway fan because of their children's interest or "Oyako Tetsu" where a child becomes interested in trains because of their parents.

●The badge on Ingo and Emmet's hats probably represents the logo for the railway company that they work for, while researching about Japanese Railway Companies, I noticed that they have a lot of circular logos, here's a handful:

From what I could gather, these types of black and white circular logos are called a mon, kind of like a crest? If you wish to scroll about the logos, here is the link for the Wikimedia commons list.

The company's logo is also what's usually depicted on irl conductor's hats anyways, in the exact same place too.

(I was looking for a screenshot to showcase the hat to put here, but instead I found this promotional video! It's actually pretty good at going over the basics of what a driver and conductor actually do! Please feel free to check it out)

●The name "Depot Agent" is a little bit of a strange name, in Japanese the name is simply "Railway Worker", a depot is often referred to a train yard, however depot can also refer to a station, given where we see this trainer class working (at Gear Station), it is most likely that the depot in this case is referring to station, so they are station workers!

Final:

After all this I have come to the conclusion that somebody at Gamefreak really liked trains! And I really think all the little details are so awesome! and it really cements the Battle Subway as my favorite battle facility!

Anyways I hope you learned a thing or two and I hope you gained a new appreciation for trains and the Battle Subway! Thanks for Reading! ✌

(If I got anything wrong, please feel free to correct me, there was a lot of information I had to sift through and I am NOT an engineer * _ * and if you have something to add please do! I would love to learn more! ^ ^

[kurishiri]

epilogue . . . alfons main story — blind love (with letter)

꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ notice ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ this translation may not be 100% accurate or contain creative liberties due to characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost these or claim these as your own!

— cw: a bit suggestive.

To him, love was a fleeting thing, and the everyday fragile.

So, that was why every day and every second, I wanted to engrave his heart and body, and hold it dear.

——That was how I loved this beloved illusion.

Kate: Roger, I found an account from this church that could be of interest.

Roger: Hm? Which one? Let me have a look.

Sometimes I would go to the basement, continuing to research matters concerning the ‘Curse of the Mirror’ alongside Roger.

Reading through documents was a given, but we would also narrow down places and people to conduct interviews as well.

(And Alfons is... ah, he’s sleeping.)

He seemed adverse to cooperating in the research, but for some reason, Alfons would accompany me every single time,

always spending his time freely, fiddling around with the tools for experiment, reading a book, or sleeping on the bed used for examinations and the like.

Roger: Al, lend your arm real quick.

Alfons: Whaaat...? ...No way. You are probably trying to draw blood from me yet again anyhow, no? Are you that smitten by my blood, you deviant?

Roger: For sure, I do like the valuable sample to monitor the blood transfusion process that is your blood.

Although his expression was distorted by displeasure, he would end up cooperating once every ten times.

(Hehe... he reminds me of a moody cat.)

Seeing Alfons’ profile cheered me up, and once again I turned back to the documents,

so that I wouldn’t forget the visage of the one who bore the Curse of the Mirror.

—— Time skip ——

Kate: Thank you for accompanying me again today.

Alfons: Hardly. If anything, thank you for your hard, albeit fruitless work today.

Kate: Hehe, it’ll bear fruit in the end, so you can rest easy.

Alfons: Yes, yes, I very much look forward to that.

(Ah... there it is again.)

Alfons would sometimes look at me with his eyes narrowed, as though he were looking at something bright.

(I like when he does that... it’s like he’s trying to burn the sight into his memories.)

Just as much as myself, it felt like Alfons, too,

tried to engrave me into his heart and body.

Alfons wasn’t one to say things like ‘I love you’ or ‘I like you’ very liberally,

so finding the ‘truth’ in these small gestures of his had grown into a habit of mine that made me happy.

Alfons: Ahh, also, Kate.

Kate: Yes...?

Alfons: I will be out once again tonight. And I won’t be returning until the next morning, so you can head to bed first.

I wanted to ask, ‘Where are you going?’ but I swallowed the words down.

—— Flashback ——

Alfons: When it comes to playing at night, it does pain me to say, but I reckon I won’t be able to stop that. It’s my hobby, pleasure, and my life work, you see.

A: The same applies to drinking and going around showing illusions——but.

A: I would very much like to try my best loving you back to the fullest.

A: So, when it comes to kisses, loving caresses, and sex... I won’t do it with anyone but you.

—— End flashback ——

I had yet to tail him to see whether his not doing such things with ‘anyone but me’ was true.

(After all... I believe in his words.)

That said, on days he went out to the city at night, I would end up thinking about nothing but him.

And when I thought about how even on those nights, Alfons carved himself deeply within me, it was endearing.

Kate: ...Alright. Have a good night out then.

Alfons: Ahha! Then how about not making such a blatantly lonely face?

Kate: ? I’m not really lonely. This is the norm, isn’t it...

Alfons: Well that leaves me in quite a pickle then. By all means, please feel the loneliness even at the norm.

Kate: Wha...

Alfons: Well then, until tomorrow.

With that, he pecked my cheeks before departing for the entrance.

(Jeez... first he says don’t make a lonely face, only for him to say right after to feel lonely...)

Roger: That guy’s pretty full of himself, huh?

Kate: R-Roger... So you were listening?

When I turned around, Roger was in the middle of the staircase leading to the basement, a mischievous smile on his face.

Roger: How about I keep you company while he’s not around, if you’re lonely?

Kate: No, it’s fine. I really am not lonely at all.

Roger: Ho-oh?

After sparing a glance toward the entrance, where Alfons disappeared,

in one smooth motion, Roger grabbed my chin and——

Roger: I think I get what Al was saying. The way your lips pout when you’re sulking is pretty cute.

Kate: ——mngh!?

He then stole my lips as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Kate: Wh... why this all of a sudden...!?

In a panic I pushed him away, and Roger quirked his lips up, not showing an ounce of remorse.

Roger: ‘Cause you’re a good woman who acts tough even when lonely, and Al’s full of openings.

(W...what should I do...)

Kate: And after Alfons told me he wouldn’t kiss anyone but me...

Roger: ... (O_O)

R: Pfft, haha! I see now, lil lady, so that’s what you were all hung up on.

Paying no mind to how I was growing pale, Roger stifled his laughter, amused.

Kate: ...? What else could I mean but that?

Roger: Haha... nothing, I say. Nothing. Sorry for teasing you. I won’t do it anymore, so you can relax.

R: Ahh, but if he makes you cry, I might end up doing something I shouldn’t.

R: I happen to like crying faces, you know.

Kate: Wh—absolutely not...! I don’t intend to cry anyway!

Roger’s lips quirked egotistically, and as if running from him, I ran up the stairs.

And then——the next day.

(Yesterday’s kiss... was on me, for not being on my guard.)

(I’ll have to be more careful from now on so there is no next time at all.)

(...It wasn’t as though I was going out of my way to make Alfons feel bad, so I think this matter is best kept a secret.)

Alfons: Why, what’s got you so positively troubled, Kate?

Kate: Eek...!?

He gave a poke to my side, causing me to jump up.

Alfons: Aha, quite sensitive, are you? Could it be in a lascivious kind too?

Kate: No, it just tickled...!

Alfons, who had returned in the morning, just woke up, and with his shirt disheveled from sleeping, he let out an amused laugh.

(Yeah, I think that matter should definitely stay a secret...)

(It’s not like Alfons tells me what he does at night either, so...!)

As a change of pace, I announced my plans for today.

Kate: Anyway, more than that, today’s the day I draw your portrait, right?

Alfons: Why of course, clear as day. Ah, perhaps I should take this off?

Kate: No, the way you are right now is fine.

Alfons placed his hands on his shirt button, when I stopped him and pushed him down on the chair.

Alfons: If the ink is going to disappear, you wanted to test out making a painting in its stead?

A: And the day before that, by that same line of logic, you also took photos, no?

A: Oh, and sometime before that, I seem to recall you using a gramophone or some recent technology like that to record my voice...

Kate: Just in case, okay! Anyway, stay still now.

Alfons: Yes, alright.

After some bantering, Alfons crossed his long legs and rested his chin on his hand.

I set up the easel and canvas, then began to sketch.

Alfons: So you can paint pictures as well, can you, Kate? I didn’t know.

Kate: But I can’t draw? That’s why I’m practicing.

K: But I’ll be good at it by the time I become a grandma, and I’ll become a master artist.

Alfons: Ahha! Are you implying you intend to live with me until your elderly years?

A: What rose-colored glasses you must wear, given your partner works for an assassination organization.

(Of course, I do know that. And nobody knows when death comes knocking either.)

The things I’m doing right now also may not amount to much when it comes to overcoming his fate as well.

(But, even so...)

Kate: But that’s exactly why I want to engrave this moment we’re living together in me.

Alfons: ...Hehe, what an earnest soul.

Once again, Alfons kept his eyes on me as though he were looking at something dazzling.

Every time I looked at him to make sure I got his figure, my eyes would meet with that look I’ve come to hold so dear, causing my heart to skip a beat.

(I-I have to focus.)

As if to rid myself of any distractions, I moved the charcoal. But...

(This... I can’t even say this can even amount to a ‘lack of skill.’)

The more lines I connected, the more despair I felt at the result.

Alfons: Is there something wrong? You’ve been growing ever more paler, dare I say.

Kate: Ah, don’t move from there... agh, don’t look!

Alfons: Let’s see now——

The moment he laid his eyes on the canvas with the disastrous drawing on it,

Alfons, paying no mind to any consideration, pointed at the painting and burst out laughing.

Alfons: Ahaha! T-this... are you telling me that’s a person, by any chance? Ahahahaha!

Kate: From now on, I say! From now on, I’ll get better!

Alfons: Hah... truly, you are quite interesting.

After laughing so hard to the point of tears, Alfons took the charcoal from my hand.

Kate: Ah...!

Alfons: Say, Kate.

A: If you do want to improve... wouldn’t it be better to get to know my body even more?

Kate: ...!

Hearing his seductive tone——my body started to sweetly ache suddenly, as if a switch had flipped on then and there.

My fingers, no longer holding the charcoal after having been taken away by Alfons, was tempted toward the buttons on his shirt.

Kate: ...Your shirt... it’ll get stained...

Alfons: Then by all means, go ahead and stain it, with your fingers.

He went out of his way to use suggestive wording as he relished my reactions.

(I know that... and yet...)

He made me imagine lewd scenarios, as expected, and my body became wet on its own with anticipation.

(...It’s like I’m being trained to Alfons’ tastes,)

(and it is embarrassing... but it also makes me happy.)

After all, it was proof that he was carving his love into me——

And I ended up feeling happy, to a hopeless extent.

When I took off his buttons, Alfons invited my fingertips within.

Alfons: See now, if you touch me like this... you can get to know my figure better, no?

Kate: ...!

While being guided by him, my fingers went from his chest to his stomach, as though tracing his muscles——

Kate: ah... Alfons...

Alfons: Make sure you remember this shape well, alright?

——By the time I touched his heat, I had already fallen into his sweet trap.

—— Time skip ——

Alfons: You took my picture, recorded my voice, and even made a painting... but in the end, none of them may be left behind, you know.

After the sketching gradually devolved into a sweet moment in bed——

I was sulking while Alfons was playing languidly with my hair with an amused smile.

Alfons: I actually did not like photos, you know?

Kate: ...Really?

Alfons: Indeed. All that to say, you have taken my virginity when it comes to photos, so be sure to take responsibility for that.

He booped the tip of my nose, and my heart throbbed sweetly in response, having forgotten I was sulking before.

(Alfons, who had tried to throw aside this relationships without taking responsibility and disappear,)

(was now saying binding words to this relationship, like ‘take responsibility’ and whatnot...)

I felt happiness bubble up inside me at that——but at the same time, I remembered something I had felt guilty about.

(Here Alfons is, trying his best to love me to the fullest,)

(so thinking I should keep a secret from him... is not really good, is it.)

Kate: U-um... Alfons, actually, I have something I need to apologize for...

Alfons: Well I’ll be, an amusing feeling does tickle me. So, what is it?

Kate: I...

K: While you were out, I got kissed by Roger.

Alfons: ......... (O_O)

Kate: So, I’m really sorry...

After a bout of surprise——Alfons burst out laughing, his shoulders trembling.

(W-why is he laughing...?)

Alfons: Ahh... you...really are... hehe——

A: For the record, if it’s a ‘kiss you don’t really mean,’ then by all means, go kiss however many times you fancy.

Kate: Wha—!? But, you said you wouldn’t do it with anyone but me...

Alfons: It hardly counts if you were forced into it anyhow, no? That’s nothing but an accident, I’d say.

(Oh, I see, thank goodness… hm? But wait…)

Kate: Wouldn’t that mean you also don’t count such kisses then?

Alfons: Oopsie, that was my bad. I got a tad loose-lipped there.

Kate: ………Ever since you told me you would only kiss me, how many times have you kissed?

Alfons: Weeell, my memory is quite a bit foggy. Perhaps two or three times, if I had to guess?

(I swear, this man——!)

Going on top of him, I pressed my lips on his in a reckless motion.

I found it frustrating how his lips took in mine with an amused smile playing on them.

Kate: Mm… Alfons, you good-for-nothing, you!

Alfons: Oh, I am very well aware of that.

Kate: You womanizer! Liar! Pervert!

Alfons: Why, that last one does have a positively nice ring to my ears, yes?

Kate: Eek…

I tumbled down onto the bed, our positions reversed.

The springs of the bed sounded as Alfons went on top of me.

Alfons: And… have you come to dislike this good-for-nothing, womanizer, liar and pervert?

Kate: …I……! ——!

While doing things he shouldn’t, he already knew how I would answer as he smiled like the devil.

And as if to burn the sight of each of my reactions in him——his eyes narrowed like he was looking at something bright.

(There he goes again, playing with my feelings like a toy and teasing me… he really is out there.)

(But…)

Kate: I… I like… it…

(I can’t bear to think about a life without you in it anymore.)

Alfons: And I as well, Kate.

Those lips, curved up in an arc, showered kisses on me.

I didn’t want this playful exchange between us to end.

Until they were engraved into my memory, and left a scar that would never fade away, I wanted it to last forevermore.

Today as well, a gloomy darkness blanketed over London, as always.

The man who went around showing illusions as a temporary escape from reality threw his body into the darkness of the night once again.

Roger: Heading out again? You just never learn, do you.

Alfons: I could very much say the same for you. Do you find it that fun to talk with me?

Roger: Well, if only I could find out what you’re really up to, what with you making her lonely and uncertain every time.

Alfons: And what makes you think I would openly share that with you?

Roger: Beats me. But if there ever comes a day you don’t come back the next morning, I’ll be taking the lil lady.

R: ——What would you do, if I said that?

Alfons: Ahha! Are you insinuating that I’ll once again up and kick the bucket just like that?

With a smile, Alfons turned toward Roger.

Alfons: The prospect of dying first can dig itself in a ditch for all I care.

A: Even if it’s by one minute — or even by a single second — I will die after Kate.

A: After all, I would just loathe to be forgotten by her, you see.

A: Ahh, and before I forget——

Roger: …!

He grabbed Roger by the collar and pulled him in.

With a smile plastered on his face, those ashy gray eyes seemed to contain an icy, murderous intent.

Alfons: …The next time you kiss Kate, I will bite off these lips of yours.

Spitting out those words as if trying to hit him with them, he turned his back and frock coat on the castle and departed.

Roger: I see now. …So even the way he loves is a handful.

As Roger saw him off, he immediately heard two people’s footsteps.

Kate: …Oh, Roger, what good timing.

Roger: Hm? What’s up, lil lady… and is that Elbert?

Elbert: I was taking a stroll… when Kate called out to me…

Kate: Roger, could you help with tail… or rather, umm, oh yes, that’s it!

K: Could you accompany us… on this stroll while watching his back?

Roger: …So the lil lady’s love is also the same.

Kate: Did you say something…?

Roger: Nope, I was just talking to myself.

To him, love was a fleeting thing, and the everyday fragile.

So that’s why, no matter if it was night or day, he would play me and drive me to insanity——that was his way of love.

He seemed to enjoy it more since falling in love with me.

And today as well, I was being played by this villainous, yet ever endearing illusion.

To you, my beloved

I tried to add on ‘my beloved’ and whatnot.

So, how goes it? Did your heart skip a beat or two?

I’m the one who wrote it of my own volition, but I couldn’t help but laugh.

After all, this is the first time ever writing something as colorful as ‘my beloved’... it just seemed like I wasn’t myself, like this wasn’t reality at all.

However, when looking at those words, I am sure that more likely than not, you would have a happy grin on your face, and when I thought of that, it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Ah, wouldn’t you say this has come to sound a bit like a love letter? I suppose I really can do it if I try.

Someday, the words I’ve penned on this paper with this ink will fade to nothing.

So that’s why, Kate, engrave these words in your eyes and your mind... so you may never forget.

And now at this point, it’s become a tad like a cursed letter, so I will end it around here.

Ahh, it completely slipped my mind to write out a naughty invitation that you so seem to enjoy. Indeed, how unlike me.

What shall it be tonight... Well, I suppose I’ll use this quill to play a little prank on your body. Do look forward to it, alright? Well then, until next time.

← prev fin. both ends clear

masterlist🪞 ╱ ko-fi ☕️

꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ tags🏷️ ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ @drachonia @.comment, send an ask off anon, or dm to be added or removed!

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Secret in your Heart

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support Cybird by buying their stories.

Expect grammatical errors. Not 100% accurate. Not proofread.

I was in the infirmary, tending to a minor injury, when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Jude: "*coughs* Tch. Hurry."

Roger: "You talk like you're ordering a beer at a pub. Being short-tempered won't do you any good, you know?"

Roger: "Hm? Hey, what's the matter, little lady? Are you hurt?"

Kate: "Yes. Sorry, I borrowed some of your ointment."

Roger took out a syringe and a drug, swiftly injecting it into Jude's arm.

Kate: "W-What's that for?"

I couldn't help but ask, noticing the oddity in the flow of events.

Jude: "An unapproved, dangerous drug that hasn't even been clinically tested."

Kate: ".........."

Roger: "That suspicious look of yours is nice. You're lucky to have someone worry about you, Jude."

Roger: "I've tried everything, and this is the one that worked best for his symptoms."

Kate: "What's wrong with him?"

Jude was so unresponsive that I thought he couldn't hear me.

Roger: "He's almost cured now, but he used to have weak lungs."

Jude: "Hey, you're blabbering patient information carelessly, you quack."

Jude: "Ah, damn it. I still feel dizzy. You probably got the dosage wrong."

Roger: "Even if I make a mistake, I still don't know what the right dosage is because I'm still collecting data."

Kate: "Wouldn't it be fatal to Jude if you injected a lethal dose?"

Roger: "Hahaha! Maybe."

(Maybe, you say?)

I couldn't help but be stunned at the sight of Jude, who looked so unconcerned.

A few days after that exchange, I found Jude smoking in the lounge.

(I think Roger mentioned something about him having respiratory problems.)

Kate: "Should you be smoking?"

Jude: ".........."

He briefly took his gaze from the complicated book he was reading, then completely ignored me.

(Worrying about him seems like a waste of time.)

Kate: "I heard it could be beneficial as a medicine in the past, but now I hear that it can actually be harmful."

Kate: "Maybe you should quit since Roger is taking the trouble to treat you."

Jude: "It's not a treatment but rather an experiment."

(I guess that's true.)

He was reading a book while puffing on a cloud of smoke.

Jude loved money and other people's misfortune and always had sarcastic remarks whenever he opened his mouth.

But for some reason, his usual arrogance was nowhere to be found, and he looked tired, which worried me a little.

Jude: "What's with all the gawking?"

I still felt like his words lacked energy, and he looked out of sorts.

Kate: "Are you that busy with work?"

Victor told me that he was running a trading company and was also dabbling in the financial business.

I also heard that he and Ellis occasionally go out to collect debts in person.

(He also has responsibilities in the Crown, so it's not surprising if he's exhausted.)

Jude: "It's none of yer business."

Kate: "Are you not getting enough sleep?"

Jude: "That's none of yer business, either."

His voice seemed to be slightly hoarse.

Kate: "I still think you should quit smoking."

Jude: "..........."

He pushed his cigarette into the ashtray and lifted my chin.

Jude: "If you're willing to kiss me, then why not?"

Kate: "Ha!?"

I stared at him up close, and he quickly let go as if he had grown tired of playing with a toy.

Jude: "Of course, it's a joke. Why are ya taking it so seriously?"

(And to think that I'm worried about you!)

Jude: "I can't die because of some shitty promise. And I can't do it without smoking cigarettes."

Kate: "Promise?"

Jude: "Tch."

His face contorted as if he had said something unnecessary.

Jude: "It's none of yer fucking business, so forget it."

(Promise to whom?)

(He can't die? Wait, is that what he's living for?)

As I stared at his profile, several questions popped into my head.

These questions lingered in my chest like cigarette smoke, creating a hazy uneasiness.

➟ Collection Event Masterlist

[rabbitonthemoon]

A small Nnoitra and Nelliel analysis made by humble me.

I clarify that I'm not the best at these things, but I really wanted to do it, I just hope it's a decent read XD. Well to start, there is a detail that although you can glimpse it's not explicitly said, and surprisingly it even made it to the game Bleach Brave Souls, when you have Nnoitra and Nel together the team it's called Two Beasts (or used to be called, this feature was removed a while ago), the name may sound a little strange at first, but yes, they antagonized each other, Nnoitra crossed the line with the surprise attack on her and her fraccions but before that they were both each other's villain. There is a scene where Nnoitra kills an Arrancar and says something like (Maybe it's not 100% accurate, I wrote it from my memory and there are many translations) "Are you wondering why I killed him if he was an Arrancar? I killed him because he was an Arrancar, saving an enemy won't save a comrade, if you want to follow me keep that in mind." The Arrancar known for his fits of anger was willing to let Nel follow him, strangely calm, I even used to think this scene was with Tesla, he didn't seem to have any grudge against Nel and logically he already knew that she surpassed him, if this was a simple rivalry of pure hatred, why this scene exist?

We know very well that Nnoitra wants to die in a bloody battle giving his all and losing his breath before hitting the ground, we see him passed out after a fight with several adjuchas, from which Nelliel saves him. Nelliel follows him against his will, she says it's to avoid lossing an Espada but everyone knows that Aizen couldn't care less, and if he seeks death she shouldn't get involved, it's implied that he was fine with her presence until Nel got her hands in that matter.

I'm sure Nelliel sees this as something good, she tries to find out the reason for his fights, in one of the many translations she says they are like a high, a false high, he tells her straight up that he wants to die, but she still doesn't understand, and I don't blame her, anyone would think wasting life like that is wrong, and that's probably why she tries to make him see reason. In Nnoitra's mind he surely thought that if she doesn't allow others to kill him, she should do it herself, the problem is that Nel doesn't want that either, and that was the biggest clash, she doesn't allow him to have his end with others, but she also denies him an end by her sword, telling him that he's not a warrior worthy of her.

We get to Nnoitra's attack, it was crossing the line, that's not up for debate, but it's still weird, it would be understandable if his plan was for her to die in the desert without much more, but his real plan was to disable her for a while and reach her level, it sounds far-fetched. If she hadn't turned into a child there would be two options, she would return no later than a few months later to beat him up without giving him time to get stronger, or most likely she would just go on her way and never see him again, but he really planned for her to come back for a fight. It's very clear that Nnoitra's intention was never to kill her, even when that would make their whole story much easier, direct and no one would question it.

In his last fight, if you compare the effort he made against Nel and against Kenpachi the difference is huge. Until the end he was reluctant to die at the hands of Kenpachi, but against Nel he didn't show much resistance, he didn't even use his resurreccion. He smiled when he was cornered against that rock, he didn't show the intention of releasing his Zanpakuto, but that same smile disappeared when he saw Nelliel return to her childlike state.

I think Nnoitra is more interested in Nel finishing him off than in defeating her. The purpose of his life is to fight to the end or die at the hands of someone strong, but I'm sure that what he wanted most in the world was to die by the hands of Nelliel, I can't say if it was a conscious or unconscious desire but maybe he realized this in his last seconds, the closest thing to dying at her hands was seeing her for the last time, he ignored all the things in his sight to have that last look, at the moment of fulfilling his dream he didn't even think about Kenpachi, she was still the center.

For someone who claims to view women as inferior, the fact that he wants to obtain something SO important to him from a woman says a lot. Kenpachi was undoubtedly a much bigger challenge than Nelliel could ever be, but he was not her, he will never be her, Kenpachi said that the fight was fun, something that Nnoitra probably always wanted to hear from Nelliel's voice.

Nelliel in the form of a child did not remember him when they met again, she probably blocked the memory, but in his last seconds she remembered his name, at that moment they were both the same, perhaps wondering if everything could have been different. A scene like that should not exist between enemies, in fact if it didn't exist no one would bat an eye, but it is there, almost as a reminder that there is more than meets the eye.

[gory-dolly]

God, those are written in portuguese, I rlly wish the quality of the pic was higher so I could read it all and find out what they're about

Edit: okay, tried to read the top one, I'll try to translate what I could figure it out, it won't be 100% accurate because the picture is low quality, but I'll try my best.

"Sadness sometimes gets me

I know I don't write correctly, verbs, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs, but the order doesn't matter, what matters is that it says.

I always try to tell you what I feel, everything, everything.

You don't understand, or you pretend you don't.

No, no, no, you can't pretend, [????] not capable.

Today you left me here, alone.

Among the people I know who felt like strangers.

I don't feel like coming and going anymore.

I have my own world and that's enough.

That's enough for me.

Enough.

Enough.

The world is too complicated.

[a name that probably belongs to the author of the letter], 09:29 p.m"

oh to be loved by a poet … 🎀

[judesmoonbeauty]

Ghost House Report: A Requiem For You - Harrison Gray Chapter 1

Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to re-blog, but please do not post my translations elsewhere. If you'd like to be added to my translations tag list, please comment below.Thank you, for you support! ☾.

(It’s dark, old and scary……but, being with Harry it’s a little more reassuring.)

This is an abandoned mansion rumored to be haunted.

Sobbing that can be heard from an unoccupied mansion may indicate a base for criminals,

This is a Crown mission to investigate that.

— Unlike me, Harry - whose complexion never changes - and I proceed down the corridor of the second floor.

Harrison: Kate, are you so scared that you’re sticking to me?

(! That’s embarrassing…..I’ve been unconsciously clinging to Harry’s arm.)

Kate: S-sorry, it’s hard to walk.

I hurriedly tried to untangle my arms, but they were tightened at the side and I couldn’t pull away.

Kate: Nnh.

Harrison: Ahaha, I won’t force you to let go.

Harrison: In fact, things would go more smoothly like this.

(Sure…..I mean, I guess that’s what they’ll do.)

Kate: Oh, thank you!

Although I was being spoiled by Harry’s kindness, I’m still a bit nervous.

As we headed further into the interior, it felt like I was being semi-dragged along……

Kate: Ha-Harry, um……did you hear the sound of a woman sobbing earlier?

Harrison: I’d like to say that I didn’t hear it, but I heard it too. Moreover…

Harrison: We were told it could be a hub for crime, so I thought it was a human’s voice, not a ghost.

Harrison: Apparently, this place might be the “real thing”.

Kate: Huh……

Harry’s words brought us closer to a genuine haunted mansion, but Harry remained cool.

Kate: Harry, how can you stay so calm?

Harrison: Well, there are many things in this world that can’t be explained. Ghosts are one of them.

Harrsion: Maybe the world isn’t solely populated by the living, and the number who’ve died outnumbers the living.

Harrison: It wouldn’t be strange if ghosts existed.

(It’s not just the living in this world…..)

At the moment of Harry’s aloof remark…..

A vague figure appeared at the end of the corridor, which was supposed to be empty.

Kate: Whoa! Oh, oh, there’s someone over there……!

Harrison: …………Why don’t you calm down and take a closer look?

Harrison: It’s just a portrait.

Kate: ……Huh?

As I looked closer, I noticed that there was a portrait of a woman hanging at the end of the hallway.

Kate: Ah…..I’m sorry for the fuss.

Harrison: Right, because you think it’s scary, everything looks scary. Preconceived notions can throw off your senses.

(…���Right, if I’m too scared then we can’t investigate. It’ll be a hindrance.)

(W-Well, even if there is a ghost really appears…….Oh, oh, I have to do my job properly as a Fairytale Keeper…..yes!)

I slap both sides of my cheeks to motivate myself.

Harrison: What are you doing?

Kate: I’m fired up. I’m not scared anymore.

When I lifted the corners of my mouth and smiled at him, Harry smiled at me.

Harrison: Let’s see how you do.

(Harry can probably see how strong I’m trying to be, so I’ll do my best. First of all……)

I shift my gaze to the portrait in front of me.

It depicts an elegant woman with rich golden haired tied up kneatly.

Kate: This woman is very pretty, but……she looks very sad.

Kate: Could this portrait also be a clue……?

Kate: Can’t you hear the sobbing more clearly?

Harrison: Yea, I think I can hear it from this portrait.

Kate: Eek! ……Uh, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid……

Something hit my heel as I instinctively take a step back.

(Ssk, what’s that?)

I gingerly picked it up and found an old silver coin.

Kate: Why is this here…..ugh!?

Suddenly, my entire body received a strong shock, and goosebumps appeared on my skin.

Harrison: Kate? What’s up?

(Ugh……it feels wrong……someone’s presence right there…..)

My vision was distorted and blurry, and I felt a dull pain, as if my entire body was being compressed, and I felt dizzy.

???: …….heh…….heh heh heh heh, ah ha ha ha!

???: Ahh, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a body……it feels so good!

(What?! My mouth is moving on it’s own…..!)

Harrison: ……, you……

???: Oh, I apologize for the late introduction. I am Robert, the Head Butler of the his mansion. Hehe, pleased to make your acquaintance.

Robert’s Ghost: Even so, this body is very cozy. May I take it as is?

(No, no stop! This is my body —)

Kate: Please don’t take over me with out permission!

Harrison: ?!

(I was able to speak! ……n, but)

In my clear vision, I saw Harry looking at me with concern.

Kate: Ha-Harry, I……

Robert’s Ghost: That’s cold, even though we’re so compatible.

Kate: ……Huh? Where is that voice coming from……?

Robert’s Ghost: Hehe, look, my soul and your body are very compatible with each other.

I looked down at the voice and saw a mouth grinning on the back of my hand.

Kate: Eeek!

Harrison: …… So, it’s a haunted mansion after all.

Harrison: Which means that you’ve been possessed.

Kate: Uh, that’s a lie, right?

Harrison: I wish it was a lie. You’re too careless.

Robert’s Ghost: Oh my, it’s not good to say such cold things to your lovely sweetheart.

(What, I can’t believe you know we’re lovers……maybe he can read my thoughts and memories?)

Harrison: I don’t want to be told that by a spirit who possessed my woman without permission.

Robert’s Ghost: Fuha, That’s a bold statement. But,

Robert’s Ghost: Right now, I am in control within her.

Robert’s Ghost: In other words, it’s up to me whether I let this person live or die. Do you understand?

Kate: Hey……

Harrison: ……What do you want.

Robert’s Ghost: Ohh? You’re quite quick.

Robert’s Ghost: Additionally, you seem calm. I can see that you’ve someone who has survived many hardships.

Robert’s Ghost: ……Although, many lovers have come to this mansion is search of excitement.

Robert’s Ghost: Each of the gentlemen were so afraid of their possessed lover that they ran away and left them behind.

Robert’s Ghost: I felt so pathetic.

Robert’s Ghost: Oops, I’ve rambled on too much. I’ll leave it your imagination as to their tragic endings.

(What tragic endings…..No way, he doesn’t mean he killed them…..?)

Robert’s Ghost: ……I was finally able to meet you both, with whom I can speak to. Please make my wish come true.

Harrison: You’ve been threatening us, and now you’re making wishes. What do you want us to do?

Robert’s Ghost: Oh, scary. Well,, I’ve been looking for something for years, and I would like you to find it for me.

Harrison: As soon as you find it, please move it to it’s rightful place.

Harrison: ……Robert, you said. In short,

Harrison: The reason you’ve possessed so many people is because you want them to find what you’re looking for—

Harrison: But possessing just one of person couldn’t fulfill your wish.

Harrison: So, it was necessary to possess one of the visiting lovers and get them to cooperate.

Harrison: —That’s how it is.

Robert’s Ghost: Ha ha ha, as expected, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.

Robert’s Ghost: Yes, it is a wish that can not be fulfilled alone. Well then young lady, I’ll borrow your body for the day.

Kate: Uh, wait a minute……ugh!!

Something rushed through my body, and I instantly lost my freedom.

Robert’s Ghost: Heh…..a really nice body.

(Ngh, also, my mouth……)

Harrison: Let me ask you one question.

Harrison: Your possession won’t harm her, right?

Robert’s Ghost: Yes, don’t worry. The young lady is still conscious. It’s just that I’ve taken over.

Harrison: ……Got it.

Harrison: But if something happens to Kate,

Harrison: Remember, that I won’t be able to help you.

Robert’s Ghost: Oh dear, I never thought that I’d be the one being threatened.

Robert’s Ghost: As expected, you’re a bit different from the people that I’ve seen before.

Robert’s Ghost: I understand. Well then, the negotiations have concluded.

(This……I need to find what he’s looking for at all costs.)

(I have to make Robert’s wish come true quickly and get my body back.)

Robert’s Ghost: Hehe, it seems the young lady is also quite the bright person. I’m glad we could talk quickly.

Robert’s Ghost: As long as you obey me, I won’t do anything bad to you.

Harrison: …….

Robert’s Ghost: Ah, you’ve no idea what you’re looking for. I’ll guide you.

[Master List] [Next]

Tag List: @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 Dividers: @/brokenbard

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

OHMKYGOSH YES i j read ur sashisu ramble… and i love love love hearing ab other people’s hyperfixations so don’t worry :33

mainly the fact that none of them could be open or vulnerable with each other …. to be honest i havent looked at sashisu very closely before but this hit me bc. I FEEL LIKE I RELATE SM :; like. i have a best friend who i’ve known since i was a baby but we’ve never ever had a serious conversation once… maybe this is unrelated but that is so tragic because to me friendships really struggle to be strong and stable against one another if you can’t ever show the side of you that’s struggling … being vulnerable w one another is key to bonding :’3

i have some thoughts about them— mainly shoko…. to me it kinda seems like she kept them at an arms length away this entire time on purpose and she still does…. maybe i’m spitballing idk i’m just basing it off the fact that satoru and suguru called her shoko but she still referred to them by surname even ‘til where we currently r in the manga (which. i will also ignore but i cant lie the memes were so funny…) but my thinking is that she did so because. even though we never really saw her much i think that’s it since she was a reversed ct user n probably didn’t have much experience fighting… maybe. hear me out just MAYBE she knew what might become of satoru and suguru since they were so enveloped in fighting and being the strongest, and both of them were so headstrong and arrogant for lack of a better term that she might’ve just… tried to keep herself from getting attached n being hurt even more than she already might’ve been simultaneously 😞😞

that still just makes me so so sad though….. they always looked so happy when they were together… maybe if they could’ve gotten suguru to talk and really listened to him for once…. alas ;; gege is an evil thing

U GET IT RIKO…

i feel exactly the same, i have two childhood friends who im very close to but none of us have ever been the type to really be vulnerable like that w each other and !! i absolutely think that strong connections need that, u need to be able to show even ur weaker side… n i guess the tragedy of suguru’s character is that he never felt comfortable showing his ”weak self” to shoko and satoru. T_T he will always make me cry like no other ….

BUT YES SHOKO !!! ur so valid riko. i love this woman so much n i think shes so interesting to talk abt !! ive been thinking abt the name thing too, i feel like its very telling of the sashisu dynamic; the fact that satoru and suguru ONLY (and i mean only) ever referred to each other w their given names, even after suguru’s defection… and how shoko refers to them as ”gojo” and ”geto” even though gojo still calls her shoko…,

i think its super interesting !! i rly rly wish i was able to read the og japanese manga, bc i feel like so many little language details like that get lost in translation (esp since the official jjk translation is kinda bad lol)… i wish we knew if shoko called them by their given names in high school, i want to think so but we just dont know </3

(i could be wrong but there was a translation on a recent chapter i read where shoko switched between ”satoru” and ”gojo”…… obv i dunno how accurate it is but i think itd be cool if we saw her start calling him satoru :’3 im delusional i still think my baby’s coming back)

but !! regardless i def think ur onto smth. i 100% see her as the type to get very detached to the ppl around her. thats why she seems so unbothered !! even tho she obv cares very much…. i think she loved both of them but she wasnt able to broach that gap between them, and after suguru’s defection i absolutely think she repressed herself even more…..

but its obvious that she still cares for them. like how she started smoking again after gojo got sealed / she found out abt kenjaku using geto’s body :((….

and yes i rly do think sugu couldve been saved if they had managed to open up like that <///3 thats what fanfic is for ig :’3… sob…..

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

I wanted to try this

Yes, I am isolatedly nearby because I live in fucking Sweden

[lumen-tellus]

OK I need a hot second to just talk about twatf

like ofc I came in with some prior commentary/reviews on what it'd be like, as well as having read orv first to give me a foundation for the writer and what to vaguely expect as such. honestly, I think it was lowkey necessary bc I would have definitely dropped the novel early on otherwise - the plot is pretty basic overall and there's a lot of semi-unexplained terminology throughout, and the fun stuff for me—the philosophical concepts, deconstruction and commentary—only starts to have bigger relevance in the latter half, if not end of the novel. (which on that note, orv is very much like that. all the truly mind blowing stuff is at the end... the epilogue................)

it really requires some patience before the subjectively good parts come in, even if tiny hints are dropped early on. but hey, to me at least, it does deliver after all that waiting. but again, subjectively good - I think twatf really is like a prototype of orv in some ways, a little more unrefined, but some threads are very, very similar between them (especially that whole thing about reality vs fantasy, reality vs your own world/beliefs, among so many other little things.............). I'd also say it's a little... juvenile, even?? like it's trying to balance it's philosophical explorations with "fanservice" typical of a male-oriented fantasy lmao. so ultimately, the novel starts picking up for me at around chapter 90-100 and then gets Really interesting around 150 and beyond - with the accelerator on max speed once you're in the home stretch of the 200s.

—but anyway enough of all that!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to talk about the PHILOSOPHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bc woooow twatf leans super, super hard on its more philosophical/theoretical/conceptual side, at least if u compare it to the likes of orv. it's fun for me to chew on as someone who already likes philosophical examinations of Stuff so lmao biased commentary incoming but anyway -

there's a lot of concepts dropped, some of which I had a pretty accurate guess on even at the beginning when the mc's "powers" got labeled with stuff like [Suspicion] and [Understanding] of all things - but yeah, the main concepts that the novel tries to discuss is the idea of reality vs. fantasy, but also the concept of the individual perspective aka qualia (though the term is never actually mentioned, it inherently boils down to textbook descriptions of qualia). this is all mixed in with the shounen idealism of the determinator who never gives up unlike other people and aspires a hope, the kind that makes one want to be like that sort of great person (emphasis on purpose lol). the novel also briefly touches on.......... I want to say innocence or purity or even childhood (with accompanying themes of "what it means to grow up"; thats actually definitely very much discussed in the novel, in its own way), but it doesn't really go that route more so than borrow the imagery of those things in order to relay the other, bigger stuff the novel has going on lol.

(on a side note - speaking of imagery, the translation I read wasn't the best, bc it kept translating the Tree of Illusion as the Tree of Imagery, when even the orv epub got it right as "illusion" lol)

and on that note of childhood and innocence - I remember hearing how the story of the Little Prince has a big influence on twatf, and oh boy, that's probably an understatement. having not read the Little Prince myself, I can't really talk too much about how it relates to twatf, but suffice to say I think the themes are Extremely relevant in some places.

it's well done, the philosophical explorations, even if they seem to veneer through "wtf" territory half the time djdxjxjxxjssjjs, but I still found it very engaging and interesting!!!!!! but then again I'm biased and really love my weird conceptual thinky. I also like how so many themes and concepts came together and actually stayed consistent, yknow? like it's using a lot of stuff to say one thing, while also using that one thing as a basis of sorts to explore various facets of itself in a way. it's Consistent. the Message is consistent!

and that message of twatf is the one it proclaimed from the beginning: to be the sole person resisting the communal flow of the world and moving ahead on your own beliefs, and what that all means.

i... finished reading twatf. it's. it sure is.

[dokujirai]

Charisma - Ito Fumiya “When The Charisma Go Marching In” English Lyrics Translation

This is an English translation of Ito Fumiya’s first solo song “When The Charisma Go Marching In.” Song is here.

Please be advised that this is merely a translation into English and may not be 100% accurate.

You can see the Japanese and Romaji lyrics here as well.

Translator Notes:

Turns out writing rap is hard. Even harder when you’re translating it. I’m hoping I’ll find better ways to rewrite some of these lyrics, but I tried my best to make it flow... Only sometimes. Otherwise, it makes probably no sense whatsoever. This was still tons of fun!

In the second part of the chorus, Fumiya says “mushibamu/蝕む” which one of the meanings translates to “being eaten by worms.” Isn’t that cute? In this song it’s closer to being corrupted/eroded/eaten.

An “eyecatch” is what is called a bumper/commercial bumper internationally. It’s used to segue into a commercial break or back into the show, and most commonly occurs in anime and tokusatsu. Fumiya is a slippery character, he flits about and dodges/parries like a champ, so not paying attention to what is essentially a warning to switch gears means he’s trying to get away with something without any notice.

In the verse that starts with “MUST, MUST BE CRAZY” I chose to use “Kill or be killed” cus it just kinda sounded cooler to be honest. It actually means “to steal or not to steal,” but both beg the question “Good? Or Evil?” which stays in theme with Fumiya’s character. Just a little more hardcore.

“Clearance” in this sense could mean several things, but *almost* all deal with losing value of some kind. There’s a medical term that involves clearance which is something about purifying the kidneys, granting clearance, and then the one I went with is obviously the clearance sale. I thought that made a lot more sense anyways.

In the verse where Fumiya says: “You ought to choose ideas over ideals/’Leave well enough alone’” the last part, ことなかれ(koto nakare) can also be translated to “let sleeping dogs lie.” “Don’t rock the boat.” Basically, just leave things alone.

Any questions, concerns, theories, or feedback is appreciated! Thank you for reading.

CHOOSE WISELY Straying from your thoughts These sweet words will cleanse your palate Discipline is SICK give in and SAY NO This is your only warning before you lose CHOOSE WISELY Drown out these fantasies All these unwanted, noisy auditory fallacies Discipline is SICK, defy them and “SAY NO” This is your warning before they feast on you No formalities There’s no escape from the path of Good and Evil Undesired misfortunes are a bother We are all fellow neighbors, CHOOSE WISELY This toxic world is placated by PAIN Instead of sharing our pain, they repeat it like a refrain Makeshift emotions SET ME FREE I’ll flit about, dip once more, throwback these watered-down mismatched sorrows SO MANY optimists Swept along and complicit Look back and you’ll fall into an unforgiving pit It’s NEVER TOO MUCH to join hands with necessary evils Pay no mind to the eyecatch CHOOSE WISELY Straying from your thoughts These sweet words will cleanse your palate Discipline is SICK give in and SAY NO This is your only warning before you lose CHOOSE WISELY Drown out these fantasies All these unwanted, noisy auditory fallacies Discipline is SICK, defy them and “SAY NO” This is your warning before they feast on you Perfectly clear skies Schemes once more, yesterday and today Stomp your foot down and follow with the right Your heart loses value like a clearance sale Freelance for the rest of your life We are one of a kind Of course, we can’t escape being the VIPs MUST, MUST BE CRAZY It’s kill or be killed Mediocrity or Charisma There are no correct answers A battle between angels and demons What are you hesitating for? High standards bring malice Give it up cus we’re all alone in the end The vast oceans and mountains make you realize how infinitesimal you are CHOOSE WISELY You ought to choose ideas over ideals “Leave well enough alone” Even if there are no correct answers There is still one to be found So quit stumbling on your feet and let's meet on the other side of solitude Infinite empathy Confusion, Suspicion, it’s not impossible Bring on the power CHOOSE WISELY You're the only one who can make that choice out of your own volition, YOU WANNA BE CHOOSE WISELY Straying from your thoughts These sweet words will cleanse your palate Discipline is SICK give in and SAY NO This is your only warning before you lose CHOOSE WISELY Drown out these fantasies All these unwanted, noisy auditory fallacies Discipline is SICK, defy them and “SAY NO” This is your warning before they feast on you CHOOSE WISELY Straying from your thoughts These sweet words will cleanse your palate Discipline is SICK give in and SAY NO This is your only warning before you lose CHOOSE WISELY Drown out these fantasies All these unwanted, noisy auditory fallacies Discipline is SICK, defy them and “SAY NO” This is your warning before they feast on you

[the-himawari-otome]

[Piofiore: Episodio 1926] Character Drama CD Vol. 3 Orlok Translation

Track 1:  Aller Anfang ist schwer.

Summary: Orlok and Lili have started their new life in England and encounter something unexpected on their way home one day...

Translated by ear so it might not be 100% accurate. But I tried my best! All for you, Orlok 。゜゜(´□｀。)°゜。

･ﾟ･:,｡★ translation under the cut ★,｡･:･ﾟ

*sfx: bell on door rings, customers chatter about*

Good afternoon. Excuse me, I came to pick her up… where is she…?

Ahh, no, I don’t need any tea today—.

Ah, sorry to bother you. Thank you as always.

*sfx: footsteps run towards Orlok*

Good job with your work. It’s time to go home now, right? That’s great.

Alright then… um… thank you for your work today.

*sfx: bell on door rings, rain falls outside*

I brought an umbrella with me since it’s still raining.

*sfx: opens umbrella*

Ah, come a bit closer. Your shoulder will get wet.

*sfx: rain falls against umbrella*

It was sunny this morning, but the rain kept falling since it hit afternoon.

The rain has mostly thinned out though.

How was today? There weren’t any difficult customers or anything else strange, was there?

I see. I’m relieved nothing happened.

When I first heard you were going to work too, I was honestly a bit worried. But I’m glad you found a nice shop.

I can’t take you along with me to my jobs, and it’s safer than staying home alone after all.

Yeah, I like the atmosphere at the pub too.

It’s lively and something about it makes you feel warm.

Despite the fact it’s actually more crowded at night, they hired you on the condition you would only work during the day.

I’m grateful for that alone. But it looks like they have a bunch of friendly regulars there. And there are quite a few immigrants in that area, so we don’t stick out even if we don’t speak that much English.

Plus, the people at the shop are kind too.

The madam welcomes me with a smile whenever I come pick you up.

The tea they serve as I’m waiting while you’re tied up with work also tastes great every time.

Ah, they told me that the panna cotta recipe you taught them was a huge hit.

The shop workers complimented you when I came to pick you up the other day, and it made me happy too.

They said Italians are good with their hands, so we tend to run pubs and barbershops. I wonder if that’s true.

Also—ahh, hold on.

There’s dust on your eyelashes. Close your eyes.

*Sharp Inhale*.

Eh? Ah, no, it’s nothing. I got it, see?

*Sigh*, that was close.

Err, well… I… was just about to kiss you.

I mean... we can’t do that outside, can we?

Ah, but no one will be able see if we hide using the umbrella.

Can I kiss you just once?

*sfx: kiss*

*Sigh*. It really might’ve been better to hold back after all. Now I want to kiss you more.

—Oh, it looks like the rain will let up soon.

Look. The light’s coming out through the clouds.

The weather in London changes on a whim. It’s a little surprising, isn’t it?

It’s totally different from Italy.

It’s already been half a year since we came here, but I’m still not used to it.

It’s nice that it’s not that cold even if it rains a lot. But to be honest, I think I would like it better if it was sunny every day.

Maybe I actually don’t like rain very much.

I prefer being able to see the stars at night. And not to mention... my chest feels tight on rainy days.

*Deep breath*.

I guess it’s because a lot of memories come flooding back.

“Meow”

Hm? What’s wrong?

Eh? Um, yeah, I heard that too. The cry… was soft and muffled by the rain though.

“Meow, meow”

I think… it came from over here?

*sfx: footsteps walk around*

“Meow”

Ah, a cat. It’s really tiny.

Is a parent cat nearby… hm, it doesn’t look like it.

Maybe they wandered off?

“Meow”

This kitten doesn’t look like it’s in very good shape. It’s probably not good leaving them here like this.

“Meow”

Eh, you want to bring them home with us?

No, I don’t mind. I didn’t want to leave them either.

But… I wonder if it’ll be alright?

-pause-

*sfx: door opens and closes*

U-uh, what should I do?

Ah, we should prepare food for them, right? Something that’ll give them energy… like meat or something?

R-right, you know way more about food than me. I’ll leave it to you then.

Is there anything else I can help with?

*sfx: hands towel to Orlok*

Huh? A towel? Ah, I see. I have to dry them.

*sfx: footsteps walk away*

Um, w-where should I start?

Ah, hold on—don’t run away. I’m trying my best, so—.

Ngh. Um, listen. If you stay wet, then your body temperature will drop.

You’re especially tiny, so I think it could be fatal if your body keeps cooling at this rate.

So… let me wipe you?

Ah… they’re even smaller than I thought.

I have to be careful not to crush them.

So then, gently…

*sfx: towel ruffles*

H-how’s that? Are you all dry now?

“Meow”

Ah, that’s a relief. It didn’t look like it hurt. And it doesn’t look like they’re angry either.

Come to think of it, I think that’s the first time I’ve heard their cry since we got home.

Hm, they’re jet black. Beautiful.

You’re just like colour of the night, you know?

“Meow, meow”

Ah, hold on. No moving all of a sudden!

*sfx: footsteps approach*

Ah, is it ready? Thank you.

*sfx: places dish*

Come on, we’ve prepared food for you. Eat up.

“Meow”

*sfx: kitten laps up food*

Ohh, they’re really digging in. They must’ve been hungry, huh?

Taking in nutrients is the basis of preserving life.

I’m glad they’re able to eat on their own.

I’m relieved you came back. I have no clue what to do on my own.

“Meow”

Eh? W-what is it?

“Meow”

Did I say something weird?

Eh? You… want to jump onto my lap?

“Meow”

You can’t. It’s dangero—

“Meow”

Uh…

“Meow, meow”

What do I do?

N-no, it’s not that I don’t like cats.

“Meow”

Ah… they’re clinging to me.

Could it be they still feel cold?

There won’t be any problems if I hold them? They won’t break?

Are you sure it’ll be alright?

Mm… I got it.

"Meow”

Hah… I did it.

I’ll stay here like this, so you prepare a bed for them.

Use lots of blankets.

*sfx: footsteps walk away*

*Sigh*. They’re so small… and warm.

But they’re soft, helpless... and it seems like they’ll die if you just leave them on their own.

*Sigh*. I hope you get your energy back quickly.

“Meow”

It doesn’t look like you’re hurt… but it’d be better to take you to see a doctor, wouldn’t it?

We also have to find someone to take you in.

We don’t really know anyone here, so I wonder if we’ll be able find somebody.

The pub would be… difficult, huh? Keeping an animal in a place that serves food would be—.

“Meow”

Mm?

*sfx: licks*

Hehe, that tickles.

“Meow”

Relax. I won’t drop you. Don’t worry about a thing.

“Meow”

---

[DO NOT USE OR REPOST MY WORK W/O PERMISSION, THANK YOU]

[kurishiri]

17 . . . main story

— this translation may not be 100% accurate or may contain creative liberties for characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost or claim these as your own!

— cw: obsessive or possessive behavior, flashbacks, angst.

It was the first time I had stepped foot into the basement since my tenure at Crown, and it was quiet with a strong scent of medicinal herbs.

Kate: ...Had the infirmary always been here?

Roger: Well, it changes from time to time.

Kate: I see...

Roger had skillfully treated the marks left by the rough rope, and said—

Roger: It doesn’t seem especially bad, at least from what I’m seeing. ...Your very pale face’s telling a very different story though.

Kate: Eh...

Roger: You were pushing yourself all this time, weren’t you?

He poked my forehead with his finger.

Kate: ...Nothing escapes your eye, I see.

Roger: If anything did, I wouldn’t be a good doctor, now, would I, lil lady.

R: Well, all that said, I’d say everyone knew you were looking a bit under the weather. You wear too much of your heart on your sleeve.

(So I got found out... I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. I didn’t have enough energy to pretend I was okay.)

Roger: And, Elbie, too. Ever since he returned, he’s been looking a bit off too.

Kate: ......

Suddenly, it was as though his palms were on my shoulders at this very moment, and the feeling of him not letting me go hurt me,

as though my heart was being squeezed.

Roger: Usually, Al would do something about Elbie if he were acting off like this...

R: ...but looks like not even he could do anything about it this time.

(That’s... probably because I ignored him every time he tried to warn me.)

If I had just turned a blind eye toward Lord Elbert’s sin, and his sadness, I could avoid the ‘tragedy’ that awaited me. He told me this, time and time again.

(And yet... every time, I chose to face Lord Elbert.)

(Because, I want to save Lord Elbert, from this cycle of atonement...)

(...and, I want him to smile.)

Kate: Roger, if I remember correctly, you are a doctor, right?

Roger: A former one, yeah.

Kate: ...Then, how can I heal the wounds in my heart?

I looked at Roger straight in the eyes, a gesture he reciprocated in turn.

Roger: Whether wounds one can’t see have healed or not... there’s no way for the person in question to know, much less other people. It’s impossible to know, for your whole life.

(Impossible to know, for my whole life...)

Perhaps that candid answer, with no lie nor deception, could be seen as cruelty.

But, I felt that he answered the way he did, because he knew the importance of facing reality.

Roger: ...For illnesses without a cure, the only thing you can do is accompany it, one way or another.

R: And, even if there are times when it someday completely disappears just like that, there will also be times when even the slightest thing can trigger a relapse.

R: That’s why, if you ask me, the best thing you can do then, is to keep your head up.

Kate: And... what can I do... to keep my head up?

Roger: You know as well as me. If there was such a simple answer, you would’ve found it long ago.

R: ...Right, lil lady?

Kate: I... guess so.

Roger: Well, all that aside, don’t carry more than you can bear, lil lady.

With those words, Roger placed his large hand on my head.

Kate: ...I won’t. Thank you, for treating me.

(There is no simple answer... and, if I want Lord Elbert to smile,)

(I will have to keep facing him. Or, I won’t find the answer at all.)

(But...)

When I remembered Lord Elbert’s gaze on me, my heart hurt once again.

(...Tonight...)

(Just for tonight... I don’t want to see him.)

Not until this pain ebbs away, even if just slightly——

Roger saw me off as I left the basement.

(...I thought Lord Elbert might have been waiting at the exit to the basement.)

(But, it seems he’s not here.)

(Ah... maybe he’s in front of my room?)

I was going to walk straight back to my room, but then I hesitated, my legs stopping in place.

(I need a little time... to calm down. I’ll return once I do then.)

(But first, I need to be calm enough so that I’ll be fine running into Lord Elbert if he were waiting in front of my room.)

Just then, a sweet fragrance wandered in——

As though I was invited, I went to the garden, where the flowers were at their peak.

With only the moon’s light to guide me, I wandered around the garden without a destination.

Eventually, I found myself before a tall wall of roses, the hedge curved.

Kate: Wah...!

I bumped into someone, and before I could think, I let out my voice.

Kate: I-I’m so sor—

When I lifted my head, there stood—

—a surprised Lord Elbert.

Elbert: ......Kate?

Kate: ...Lord Elbert.

Lord Elbert blinked with his long eyelashes.

From that gesture alone, I could tell that this was a purely unintentional coincidence, but...

(I-I need to leave—)

Without thinking, I backed away.

Elbert: ...Why are you, in a place like this?

Kate: Ah... I, um, I needed to calm down, and so...

(I have to leave... quickly.)

To him, I was still no different from all the other things that served as atonement,

and that made me feel so much pain. And I found myself yearning for him and falling for him, to the point that pain dragged me along.

If... if he asked for a kiss, at this very moment, just like that day—

—what would I do?

(...Surely, I wouldn’t be able to stop it.)

(The urge to kiss, and my feelings, too...)

(I’m afraid all of those will hurt him... and the things I wasn’t able to say, as well...)

(Everything... would spill out, just like that.)

As if running away, I turned away quickly.

Kate: Um, sorry, I’ll leave no—

Elbert: ......The marks, from the rope...

Kate: Eh...

Elbert: Do they... still hurt?

Kate: ...!

Lord Elbert only spoke a few words, but the voice that came out of his lips was undoubtedly,

the sensitive kindness I knew he had toward others’ pain and sadness...

(Lord Elbert, you...)

(You are really, truly... a very kind person... and yet—)

An intense feeling swirled in my chest like a whirlpool, and I couldn’t stop it.

The ‘sin’ he bore which made him look at me like I was an object was deplorable.

And the people who made him think his own existence as a ‘sin’ in and of itself, was also deplorable.

In order to atone for this empty ‘sin’ he bore, he had forsaken his own happiness,

inflicted pain to hurt himself, and continued to collect beautiful things... that Lord Elbert——

(...That Lord Elbert was truly,)

Outrageous, sorrowful, and pitiable.

As though my legs had been sewn together, I couldn’t move from where I stood.

Standing with my back facing Lord Elbert, I felt his hands wrap around my stomach.

Kate: Please, let go of me...

Elbert: ...I don’t want to. I won’t let you go.

His embrace was gentle as his sweet voice filled my ears.

(...Please, I beg of you, Lord Elbert...)

(At this rate, I...)

I still don’t even know how to save Lord Elbert from his sin.

(I’ll, only end up hurting you.)

The warmth of his body embracing mine was so endearing——my heart hurt so much, I could hardly bear it.

Elbert: ...I was always thinking.

Lord Elbert lifted a lock of my hair with his fingertips.

Elbert: I... had intended to wait for you to give me all of your heart...

E: But, then, if you were going to become someone else’s anyway,

E: I thought, I should simply lock you, sooner rather than later.

The voice that came out of his lips, which he had lifted my hair toward, held no hint of that kindness I could feel from before,

leaving behind only a dark, cold voice, speaking to the impulses that drive him.

——The impulse to ‘have’ me, so that he can offer me to those who have already passed.

Kate: No...

K: Please don’t, Lord Elbert—

Elbert: Even if I can never take your heart... and, even if you become an empty shell of yourself,

E: if I can have you, then surely... I can become happy.

(‘Happy’...?)

At that word, red flashed before my eyes.

As though the thread that had been stretched had finally been cut,

all the feelings and words that I had desperately tried to bottle up inside me came flooding out.

Kate: ...Who, are you talking about?

Elbert: Eh...?

Kate: Just who is it... that will become happy then?

(If I say this, I will surely hurt Lord Elbert.)

(But... even if I do end up causing him pain,)

(I, don’t want to give up on you——)

As if running from the arms entwined around me, I twisted my body, pushing away that endearing warmth.

With him now in front of me, I steeled my resolve and formed words in my mouth.

Kate: Is it your parents, who have passed away... is it that you want them to be happy...?

Elbert: ......

For a brief moment, surprise shrouded his face, but then his eyes gradually became filled with darkness the more I looked.

Elbert: ...You heard from Al, didn’t you.

Kate: I’m really sorry for staying silent. I went and dug up your past on my own...

Elbert: ...Why, didn’t you just ask me directly?

Kate: That’s... because I wanted to know what was the thing that was making you suffer like this.

K: And... I didn’t want to invoke any sad memories.

Elbert: ......

Kate: I don’t mean to invalidate everything you’ve done up until now. But...

He thought it was a sin to not be born ‘beautiful,’ and he felt all the responsibility for his parents’ death as well.

And so, to atone for those, he collected things, and he accepted the pain.

That was the reality Lord Elbert was living. And nobody could deny that from him.

(But, even so...)

Kate: Please, I... I just want you to give yourself forgiveness...

Elbert: .........For, giveness...

Kate: And, I want you… to be happy.

I had always felt this way — it had never changed from the beginning — but I was surprised at how small my voice came out, and the way it trembled.

Even so, I mustered all of my strength, so that it wouldn’t get drowned by the night wind.

Kate: As long as you can’t forgive yourself,

K: you will only feel more hurt, no matter what you end up having, so...

(Please... let my words reach him.)

I looked into Lord Elbert’s eyes, my thoughts in a prayer.

But——those eyes stayed muddy, consumed by the darkness.

(...Please, I beg of you...)

Elbert: I...

E: ...don’t have any right, to forgive myself.

Kate: ...! But that’s—!

Elbert: ...But, if I can have you, I will surely be forgiven.

E: Because... you are this beautiful.

Kate: Right now, I... I can’t become yours...!

Elbert: ...But, why...

E: If it means I could have you, I wouldn’t mind burning down all the things I have, and yet——why?

Kate: I...!

K: Because... I...

K: ...I, love you...

Elbert: ...!

(I couldn’t say it, all this time.)

(Because, I was afraid of getting hurt, and of hurting him, too...)

(But... I can’t hold it in anymore.)

All my feelings and words overflowed——and I couldn’t stop it.

Kate: You’re burdening yourself with a sin you don’t have to bear, and you hurt yourself to do so... and I couldn’t just look the other way.

K: You are so kind, to the point it’s sad, and I... I like you for that...

K: And, no matter what sin you are bearing, I... I like you.

Elbert: ......

Lord Elbert stared at me without blinking once, as though time had stopped.

Kate: So, please, don’t throw away all your happiness to atone for this sin...

K: ...I, want you to smile. And, I want to make you happy, Lord Elbert...

K: And if I’m simply going to end up as another decoration in your room — another one of the things that is ‘not beautiful,’

K: I... definitely wouldn’t be able to do that anymore...

K: So, that’s why, I don’t want to become yours.

Elbert: ......

(...Please...)

(...end this eternal chain of suffering.)

I wanted his sadness to clear, like they did in fairy tales.

And, I wanted to put a stop to his endless atonement.

But——

Elbert: .........I understand now...

That faint glimmer of a hope like a light within a stormy night

was drowned out the moment I saw Lord Elbert’s face, which pointed downwards.

Elbert: ...The reason why I thought you were beautiful...

E: Your warm affection, and that pure, beautiful happiness...

E: You... are everything that I had stolen away.

And so, I had understood then that from now on, only pain and sadness would come for him.

(——Ahh...)

(As I thought, it didn’t work.)

Kate: ...hic...

Tears brimmed over my eyes, and my breath got caught in my throat.

As if I had dropped to the bottom of the deep sea, I couldn’t breathe.

(I... was not enough.)

(My love for Lord Elbert was... not enough...)

(...to save him...)

Lord Elbert’s hands reached out to me, and embraced me from where I stood still.

It was the same as having caught a weak, short-lived butterfly——gently, and softly.

Elbert: I already have your heart now.

E: So, if that’s the case...

E: ...I, no longer need that kiss from you.

——Now, Lord Elbert was going to make me his.

I would be offered to the dead, in order to atone for his sin.

In order to hurt himself deeply, and punish himself.

(To think something like love...)

(...could bury the deep, deep wounds he bore like magic——)

It was indeed, nothing but a dream.

Lord Elbert’s eyes were empty as he brought me to his room, still embracing me.

Kate: No... please, don’t... Lord Elbert.

Like a grumbling child, I could only repeat my words over again.

The shock of me being so helpless was so great, I couldn’t put any energy into my voice to resist him.

Elbert: ...No, you can’t.

E: I, won’t let you run away anymore.

Kate: ...!

He had let go of me when he laid me down on my bed,

but, I couldn’t just run away.

(And it’s not that I want to run away from you.)

(I just don’t want you to be sad.)

(And, I want you to smile.)

I want you to be by my side because you want to, so we can simply smile at one another.

Even though I knew I could never have that, I still couldn’t abandon that hope.

It felt like I was looking up from the depths of the sea, toward the surface that seemed so very far away.

Elbert: ...Kate.

Lord Elbert blocked the moonlight that streamed into his room, casting a shadow from above me.

His golden locks of hair seemed to glimmer in the moonlight — it was truly, very pretty.

Elbert: I, won’t let you run away anymore.

It was as though I had sunk down in the cold, deep sea as I looked around Lord Elbert’s room in a daze.

And then, my eyes stopped on the butterfly specimens that decorated the wall.

(The things here...)

(...every one of them is beautiful, sad, and lonely——they were all proof of his kindness, and his atonement.)

And, I will surely become one of those.

Just like the butterflies whose backs had been pierced by a needle.

Kate: Lord Elbert, please, stop this...

My pleading wavered, having carried my final hope.

Elbert: ...

Eyes that were devoid of life, as if they were glass marbles, looked down at me.

He didn’t answer me, instead——

I heard a metallic sound and felt a cold, chilling sensation on my ankles.

When I looked down, I saw that one of my ankles was connected to the edge of his bed with a manacle.

Elbert: ............With this,

E: I finally, have you.

There was no sign of forgiveness, of relief, of happiness — nothing.

It was a voice devoid of emotion, enough that it sent shivers down my spine.

—— Elbert’s POV ——

Elbert: ......

When I awoke, I found myself standing at the beach.

It was hard to say exactly how I ended up here, as my memories were hazy.

Elbert: ......Kate.

Suddenly, that name spilled from my lips.

For some reason, I couldn’t breathe well.

Even though I had gotten what I wanted.

I had obtained it.

The world’s most beautiful thing... the person who loved me, the person who wished for my happiness...

I’ve hurt her, deeply, with these hands——

Elbert: ...hh ...?

That which fell on the sand in droplets was my own tears.

Elbert: Why...

I didn’t even have to ask — I knew deep inside that I already knew the answer.

The reason why I thought Kate was beautiful, was because she had wished for my happiness.

Because, she had said she wanted me to smile, and tried to protect me.

And because... she had loved me.

(And that... made me happy. So, so happy.)

(Every second I’m with Kate... I was happy.)

——That’s why, I had to break it.

I had to obtain it, so I could offer it.

It was just as she said——I couldn’t allow myself happiness.

Elbert: ...What else do I need to have?

E: Just, what do I need... and how long will this last...

I had always sought out that something that could atone for my sin — the most beautiful thing in the world.

But, even though I’ve tried to offer them that beautiful love and happiness I had stolen away, it only got harder and harder to breathe.

I don’t know what to do anymore... in order to forgive myself.

—— Flashback ——

Elbert: Mother... I found a pretty flower.

Cecilia: ...Oh, it really... is pretty.

C: Thank you, Elbert.

—— End flashback ——

Those eyes that looked at me as though I were the bugs she despised—

—— Flashback ——

Jeffrey: Just how much does your sad and sorrowful, yet beautiful appearance… stir up the hearts of everyone in the manor?

J: You are sorrowful, beautiful… and pitiable, Lord Elbert.

—— End flashback ——

—— Flashback ——

Hugh: Only when you’re suffering do I feel even a little better.

—— End flashback ——

—and those voices that wish for my misfortune... I couldn’t run away from any of it.

Elbert: ‘I...’

E: ‘I can no longer stand this hideous self of mine...’

My father’s words right before his death echoed from within my ears.

——It felt like the distant horizon of the sea, was beckoning toward me.

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[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 07 part two

(Masterpost)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Lantern Lighting

Now we have the famous lantern scene, where everybody gets to express their character and have dates, ranging from disastrous to delightful, with the objects of their affection. 

Wei Wuxian continues to be ridiculously good at drawing. 

We’ve all seen Lan Wangji’s lovely first smile in the show a million times, so...let’s look at it again!

This scene is important not just because of the smile, but because there’s a distinct shift in the way they talk about their growing relationship. In the pond, it was “come visit me” and “never!” “I want to be your friend” “No need.” Basically Lan Wangji firmly saying no to Wei Wuxian’s offers of friendship.

This time, Wei Wuxian says “let’s do this together” and Lan Wangji says “I’m used to being alone,” which is not actually a No, just an explanation. And WWX says, you can change that. And then Lan Wangji DOES change it, sharing the lantern and the promise with Wei Wuxian.

Whoever painted this flower is even better than Wei Wuxian at plein air painting. 

(more after the cut!)

Everybody’s wishes

Nie Huasang makes a practical wish. Wen Qing prays for her brother and Jiang Cheng notices how she’s like Yanli. Jiang Cheng isn’t very intense about Wen Qing, which could be a sign of his shyness but could also be a sign of his gayness or aceness. After all, later in life he’s an apparently wealthy clan leader who is hot as fuck, and needs an heir, since his nephew is a Jin. But he’s still not married, 16 years after breaking up with and uh, helping to kill and cremate, the girl he liked in summer school.

The Promise We Made Together

Wei Wuxian makes an ultra-idealistic wish/promise while Lan Wangji watches and falls the rest of the way in love with him, and silently makes the same pledge inside his head. Later they will each refer to this as a promise they made together, which is a really super high level of face-reading by Wei Wuxian, to understand that he really is speaking for both of them here.  While making this promise, Lan Wangji brings out his Yin Iron Magic Bag and waves it around in front of everyone, but nobody notices. 

Let’s take a moment to consider *why* this moment is so powerful for Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji is a boy whose emotions are always on the boil. He’s 100% upset all the time, at this age, and he keeps it clamped down all the time. His cultivation level is probably as high as it is partly because of all the work he does in emotion regulation. (note: if you haven’t read all the meta at @howpeacefulislwj​ , go read it; it’s awesome and hilarious)

Wei Wuxian doesn’t GAF about emotion regulation; he just expresses what he feels, all the damn time. 

He is openly bored, lusty, playful, hungry, whiny. He straight up tells Lan Wangji “you’re boring and you have a stick up your ass” as part of saying he wants to be friends; no deference and also no falseness.  

And he can see right through Lan Wangji’s reserve, barging into his loneliness and isolation without any regard for all of his wards. Wards are made to be broken.

(Unrelated note: Young Lan Wangji's rare moments of contentment seem to come from looking at something beautiful--the moon, falling petals, these lanterns, his mirror.)

But Wei Wuxian is also good. Lan Wangji desperately wants to be good. And here’s Wei Wuxian embodying this awful, amazing, tempting alternative path, in which all the interesting things in life get explored thoroughly, all the sweetness and beauty gets consumed unreservedly, all the pain and ugliness gets confronted and endured without hesitation. 

In this moment, Wei Wuxian tells Lan Wangji “you can change,” and then offers up this prayer/promise that is just pure chivarly, speaking straight to Lan Wangji’s heart. Very simply, I want to spend my life doing right. Not 3500 rules; just one.

This infuriating boy, who breaks rules and who flirts indiscriminately and who pushes and pushes and pushes, reveals himself in this moment to be a hero at the beginning of his journey, and Lan Wangji sees it, and his heart goes right over the cliff.

The Girls’ Room

The girl cultivators all rush over to Yanli to get in her business about her betrothal, inspiring Jin Zixuan to act like a jerk to her and get even further onto Wei Wuxian’s bad side. 

Talk Shit, Get Hit

Yanli’s wish was that Wei Wuxian would grow up and be good. He promptly launches his own personal Sunshot campaign, punching her fiancee so hard that the sun falls out of the sky and the previously well-lit scene transitions to full night.

So, in English, “don’t mention it again” is really mild, akin to “I don’t want to talk about it.” Wei Wuxian’s reaction makes it seem like Jin Zixuan said something really shitty, like “don’t you dare mention that woman to me!” So I’m assuming something is being lost in translation. 

Lan Wangji tries to calm him down. He grabs Wei Wuxian’s sexy arm muscle and basically holds it until the Jiangs exit the scene. 

Nie Huaisang has placed himself between the opposing factions, which is unusually direct of him. In the future he’ll stick to being an unindicted co-conspirator when Wei Wuxian starts trouble. 

Ants in my Pants

Lan Wangji thinks kneeling can make Wei Wuxian cry, which is adorable of him. 

He really relishes this opportunity to be a pedantic tool to his new boyfriend that annoying boy he hardly ever touches, and it really doesn’t work out for him, poor lamb.

Jiang Fengmian stops by to show exactly how deep his affection for Wei Wuxian runs, and to give him whiplash from constantly changing parental expectations. In a couple of hours he’ll be laughing over WWX & JC’s hijinks.

Wei Wuxian takes this opportunity to fantasize about bad things happening to the other boy in the fight, which is in no way foreshadowing of anything.

Douche Dads Conference

We now convene this meeting of the douchebag council. Jiang Cheng is also invited even though he’s a prick, not a douche. <--important distinction

This is our first time meeting Clan Leader Jin Guangshan. He's actually the most sensible and best parent in this scene, but his smug self-satisfaction hints at his true nature. This actor, Shen Xiaohai, has been active in cdramas for a long while now. I wonder what he looked like 15 years ago?

...Holy mother of god.

Jiang Fengmian is the worst dad and the worst husband here. His clan believes in letting children do what they want - uhh YOUR child wants to marry Jin Zixuan. “I wrote a letter to her mother, who arranged this marriage.” Uhhh she arranged for her sickly, low-cultivation-level, sweet and vulnerable child to marry the heir of a rich and powerful clan, with a powerful mother-in-law who’s looking forward to loving and protecting her. Basically she’s guaranteed her daughter’s safety and comfort, and even potential happiness, since her husband may learn to appreciate her (and in fact, does, thanks to soup and repeated beatings from WWX).

Mom worked hard and probably spent a fair amount of social capital to achieve this. And you’re going to toss that aside because the boy thinks he’s too good for her? What the everloving fuck, how are you a clan leader in the first place? 

You can see that Jiang Cheng understands all of this and what a terrible choice his father is making here. 

So do the other adults in the room.

Jin Guangshen: our wives are going to kill us

Lan Qiren: I'm looking at a couple of dead men

Jiang Fengmian pointedly won’t listen to Jiang Cheng or let him speak, showing that all his talk about being free is actually bullshit, that only applies to other people’s children.

Jiang Chang vaults off of the deck to tell Wei Wuxian about it. Hottt

Sorry Sis

Wei Wuxian goes to Jiang Yanli to sorta-apologize and sorta ask to be let off the hook for fucking up her engagement, which he absolutely did. He knows it, which is presumably why he bows to her in paperman form while hiding outside.

At no time has Jiang Yanli indicated to anyone that she doesn’t want to marry Jin Zixuan, as far as I can see, or said she wanted to be defended from insults with punching. Look how good SHE is at defending a person from insults, for comparison.

Yin Iron Blah Blah Blah

The senior Lans meet with Jiang Fengmian  to talk about the Yawn Yin Iron. Yawn. 

Jiang Fengmian addresses Lan Xichen as Lan Gongzi, which is adorable, since he is a big boy to everyone else. His family calls him Xichen and other people call him Zewu-Jun.

Farewell and Fuck You

The three Jiang kids come to say goodbye.

Lan Quiren says goodbye with a heap of criticism for Wei Wuxian and the horse he rode in on, and Jiang Fengmian basically says, yep, that’s what he’s like, all right.  

Good thing Wei Ying gets so much verbal abuse at home he doesn’t take it very hard when he finds it in the field. 

Wangji doesn’t say goodbye properly, which will be a recurring theme for the two of them.

I don’t know if this is because he has a problem with goodbyes, or is just being a jerk, or because he’s so bad at lying he doesn’t dare talk to Wei Wuxian lest he reveal his travel plans. 

Indulgent Dad Continues to be the Worst

Jiang Cheng complains at Wei Wuxian for wanting to say goodbye to Lan Wangji, and WWX says he likes him because he is equal to WWX in fighting, whereas JC sucks. JC hits him tries to hit him--gosh, he DOES suck, comparatively. 

Yanli, who has been keeping these boys in line all summer, sighs deeply at her Dad’s tolerance for their hijinks. OP has five brothers and this sibling-hijinks behavior is 100% accurate, except for the part where it is happening at someone else’s house in front of the hosts. 

WWX pretending to be Lan Qiren where Lan Wangji can see him doing it, in front of Lan Qiren’s colleague and supposed friend, and just earning a laugh from the patriarch? Good lord.  Dad Jiang tolerating this is shocking, particularly in the in-show culture where corporal punishment is as common as tea. 

We’ve tried Nothing, and we’re all out of ideas!

Uggghh why are you like this?

Here in the real world, OP uses “positive discipline” with her child, and encourages other parents to consider it, particularly if your child is neuroatypical or asynchronous.  That said, JF should be punishing the crap out of both boys for this behavior every time it happens, or should quit being a clan leader.  He’s relying on Jiang Yanli to keep them in line while he gets to just be amused by them. And he’s letting Lan Qiren discipline Wei Wuxian instead of doing it himself. He suuuuuuucks. 

Lan Wangji watches all of this. Lan Xichen reminds Lan Wangji that without Wei Wuxian, he’s completely fucking miserable. Lan Wangji still doesn’t plan to bring him along on his trip, though.

Time to return to our lives of crushing loneliness

Rabbits

At this same moment when Lan Wangji is staring down the barrel of future loneliness, Wei Wuxian is already deciding to leave the (forbidden) rabbits in Cloud Recesses “In case Lan Zhan gets lonely.”  This small decision by Wei Wuxian - breaking the rules of Cloud Recesses for the millionth time - is kinder than he knows. Because what is the job of these rabbits? Let’s have a desaturated flashback. 

Lan Zhan spent 3 years in the ice cave. The rabbits kept Lan Yi company in the ice cave. So...did the rabbits sneak in to keep Lan Wangji company in the ice cave as well? I’m going to say yes. By ep 43 they are following him to the gate of Cloud Recesses so they are very attached to him.  Well done, Wei Ying.

Where my bitches at? Seriously, our warren needs bitches

(Is Watership Down still a thing people read? If not, just go ahead and assume all of OP’s rabbit jokes are about Watership Down because OP ain’t going to stop making them)

While Wei Wuxian annoys the bunny he has a flashback to the scene that happened 4 minutes earlier. The Untamed editors assume the viewership has the attention span of a goldfish, and I personally appreciate that they understand me so well.

Wei Wuxian figures out that Lan Wangji is going on the road alone, and tells the bunny immediately. The bunny is very concerned.

Writing Prompt: What do next-generation cultivators Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi wish for at lantern-lighting time?

[guzhuangheaven]

Which cdramas would you rate as having the best/most accurate costumes you have ever seen? And are also historically accurate in terms of culture and history?

We always dance around answering this question, because it is impossible (for us) to answer. For two reasons.

1) There is no such thing as historical accuracy in dramas

You can never know everything that is needed to know about how people lived, dressed, styled their hair etc. in ye olden times unless you are a time traveller who has actually lived in those times. Historical records, extant garments, paintings, drawings, statues etc. can give you an idea of what people dressed like/lived like at the time, but historical records are fickle. They do not necessarily reflect the lives of everyone in society and often can be imperfectly preserved, leading to gaps in the knowledge we can have today. Because of this, any dramas that claim to be 100% historically accurate in terms of their costume/make up/whatever is lying because that is impossible.

What dramas can do, however, is do extensive research on the cuts and materials of clothes/jewellery/make up people used at the time and try their best to recreate them with the materials available to us now. Even then, dramas, for the sake of aesthetics, will often take creative liberties, for example using chemical dyes that make clothes in colours that was probably very hard/impossible to get, or not available to that person in that social class, at that time.  

All this is to say, I personally don’t usually scrutinise dramas for “historical accuracy” in their costumes, unless the drama is so bad that I can’t concentrate on the story and that’s what I turn to nitpicking to give myself a reason to keep watching. At the same time, I will forgive A LOT of costuming sins if the drama keeps me engaged with its story. Examples of this include Oh My General with its OBNOXIOUS use of colours and The Mischievous Princess with I don’t even know what to call this travesty they call costuming Ming dynasty.

However, this does not mean that dramas can’t try to be historically accurate, of course. To me, dramas that succeed in this area makes it clear that they have done research and consulted extant garments/historical sources to make their costumes look like it could reasonably have existed in the time the story it is set in.

I guess I will talk about Ruyi and Yanxi because I just know someone will ask us about it again eventually, despite the fact that we have sort of tried to avoid answering the question of whether Ruyi or Yanxi is more historically accurate the last time we were asked.

Here’s our very inexpert, very limited opinion, based on extremely limited research, on this question: both Ruyi and Yanxi clearly consulted extant garments/accessories of the Qing dynasty, and tried to recreate them in different ways.

There is evidence that Ruyi based many of their costumes on extant garments. We have a post about it, even though we do strongly suspect these extant garments were from the wrong time, i.e. they are late Qing circa 19th century, purely because they still exist at all, rather than the early Qing period of Qianlong. Yanxi also based its costuming on extant historical artifacts, including the use of the yunjian collar and the velvet flower hair accessories, which can be seen in paintings of women from around that time.

And then there is this headdress which Er Qing wears to her wedding, which has photographic evidence that it existed, but then the time of photography is clearly not the time of Qianlong.

However, the point we’re trying to make is that, because the Qing dynasty stretched 300 years, it is highly likely that both of these dramas did their research, then cherry picked the aspects of clothes and hair from different times of the Qing dynasty that suited their drama’s aesthetics. Does that make them historically inaccurate? Well, that depends on what level of accuracy you are after. But realistically, to expect them all to dress like it was really Qianlong’s time is likely almost impossible, not to mention would require the costumes to change, as both dramas spanned like 30 years.

Also, even when you can tell the drama did consult extant garments and artifacts, they can still fail in the making of the costume. Case in point, Danshu’s pheasant robe is very polyester and has printed “embroidery”, even though it was set in the actual Song dynasty when they would have worn this garment. 

Compare that to Royal Nirvana, which was set in a fictional dynasty (based on Song), but managed to pull a pheasant robe that looked a thousand times better because it was actually embroidered.

Here’s a more important reason why we often don’t want to answer questions about what dramas are historically accurate:

2) We don’t know.  

Can I just stress again that we are not historians of Chinese period clothing, history, anything? We’re not even Chinese and can’t even read Chinese. Any random “knowledge” we put on here is result of years of accumulation from watching dramas (so take everything we say with a fistful of salt) and yes, sometimes research, but in the sense of we google things. We also have to translate things on google translate, which admittedly is a little better these days especially from Chinese to Vietnamese, but still highly inaccurate sometimes. Sometimes we have sources that has been translated into Vietnamese or English, but whether that’s accurate is dependent on whether the source is accurate and whether the translation is accurate. tl;dr: don’t believe everything we say and don’t look to us for…you know, authority.

And on that note, regarding your other asks, unfortunately we don’t think we can answer them, simply because if you haven’t found the answer you want by Googling, it’s very unlikely that we can do better. Our series of post on Qing dynasty costumes exists because the popularity of Legend of Ruyi meant that this information was available in Vietnamese, and we just did a couple of steps to make sure the information was reasonably believable by looking up the Chinese sources and putting them through translation bots. We would not have been able to do all of this research from scratch. 

ALL THAT BEING SAID, here’s some links of relevant posts on @ziseviolets tumblr, which maybe I should just have directed you there from the beginning:

Hanfu in television dramas

Recs for historically/stylistically accurate Chinese drama

- h

[sitabethel]

Fic tag game, and I was tagged by @rochelle-echidna, @isisishtar, and @ninjam117

1 - how many fics do you have on ao3?

Like any good Suikoden protagonist, I have 107 Stars of Destiny in my castle

2 - what’s your total word count?

2,445,507 (Daddy...Imma get that to 2.5 mill by the end of the year. Watch)

3 - what are your top fics by kudos?

The Lemonade Stand

Out From the Cold

King of Thieves

Safe

Talk Dirty to me

wtf, y’all. The puppyshippers are giving out more kudos than the thief stans. Shame. Shame. Talk Dirty To Me isn’t even a fic??? It’s an RP supersteff posted for funsies??? 

4 - do you respond to comments why or why not?

Most of the time (as long as I’m not overwhelmed with life). Responding to comments is how I’ve made most my friends in this fandom, so A++ would recommend. 

5 - what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Three Nights. My only fic w/a sad ending (which is why I wrote Three More Nights b/c I couldn’t handle having a sad ending. I had to fix it.)

6 - what’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I honestly couldn’t say. I’m here to have a good time and to make sure all my favs also have a good time, so I’m always actively trying to give them the happiest possible endings. 

7 - do you write crossovers?

Nope.

8 - have you ever received hate for a fic?

I sure the hell have

9 - do you write smut? What kind.

ROTFLMFAO

10 - have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes. It was kinda funny b/c out of all the fics, it was “Me” a 5k deathshipping one shot that is one of my least popular works. But like...I don’t really think they were *trying* to steal it so much as homage it? But they were too young and unskilled to know how to rework something properly, so it was almost an exact copy of my fic. I tried to go over it and show them how to rewrite parts in order for it to be more original (Like, you can give YM piercings, just don’t give him the exact same piercings. You can have YM play with his hair/clothes/presentation in order to explore his identity, but pick different things that are more unique and how *you* would imagine YM being as his own person, instead of just copying exactly what I did). 

11 - have you ever had a fic translated?

There’s an Italian version of Storm of White on ao3 (go kudo bomb it!)

12 - have you ever co written a fic before?

Lots! I love colabs <3 The last one I did was Conspire With You, but there was also A Way Home, and I’ve co-written a few things with SuperSteffy. Please support all the other writers who worked hard on these fics with me! (kudo-bomb the hell out of them)

13 - what’s your all time favorite ship?

*Cries in polyamory* 

I can’t...choose one. Thiefshipping and Deathshipping were my first favorites, but like...damn, Kingshipping and Trapshipping have honestly ruined me. And Arrestshipping...Euroshipping...Rustshipping...Boundshipping...LISTEN!!! If it’s any combination of Seto/Atem/Yugi/TKB-YB/Ryou B/YamiMa/Malik it’s my favorite, okay? I’m a dragon who hoards ships. Especially polyships. I will literally froth at the mouth at any combo of those 7. Now let’s move on to the next question before I add more characters to the list........

14 - what’s a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

That demon/angel au I was working on years and years ago. A shame, since I think there was a lemon that spilled into 3 chapters in that and it’s what Bakura deserves, but the plot was just...meh. 

15/16 - writing strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: Dialogue, sometimes imagery, projecting the right trauma/personality traits on the right characters in a way that can make scenes relatable/authentic. 

Weaknesses: I can be lazy with some plot points b/c it’s fanfiction, and I’m only here to have a good time, so eff it. And I will absolutely “sum up” certain chapters in order to finish a story at 80% potential. Anons used to get on my ass about this, and some commenters too, but I refuse to repent of my hasty ways. I write a lot of stories, and sometimes it’s better to get 3 80% stories out instead of one 100% story (for me. absolutely nothing wrong with ppl who want to write their best all the time. Like, mad respect to those peeps). Anyway, the ppl who complain are 100% accurate, right, and valid, but again, If you call me out on this I’ll just shrug at you and remind you of my commission prices b/c I’ll be happy to personally tailor a story for any angry anon-- if they want to put their money where their critique is *blows kiss*

17 - what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Depends on the context and how it’s used. 

18 - what was your first fandom you wrote for?

FFVII, but I never posted any of it thank god

19- what’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I honestly love so many of my stories. I honestly re-read my own stuff all the time for comfort/self-care. I especially love a lot of the more intense, emotional pwp one-shots. It’s extremely difficult to pick one, but let’s go with humor and link 

Measuring Up 

Gotta love Bakura’s monster **** And the interaction involved with writing that story made it so much more fun. I really miss the days where you could slap a vote on tumblr and get a lot of responses, and dammit I miss Abby throwing random things into my ask box (like Bakura’s monster ****) 

Not going to tag anyone, since so many ppl are in the same little thiefshipping circle and I’d probably just accidentally tag a lot of ppl who have been tagged by others already.