#translating is hard guys

[ndostairlyrium]

Fanfiction Writer Bingo 🎲

Tagged by @greypetrel ✨ thanks dear ;; also for your input!

Edit: @shivunin I just noticed your tag, thank you so much ;; 💛

Before developing some of the slots, I'm quoting what @greypetrel wrote about the central statement, which is one of the reasons I asked for her opinion:

FanFiction is an actual literary genre as much as anything that gets written and read by other people. It's niche and it's for free, it doesn't mean it's inherently bad. "Fan Fiction" shouldn't be a synonym with "Poor writing and lack of originality"... Or no fanfiction would ever be published and sold millions of copies, am I right? ;) ("But some FF is pretty bad.". Yes, but so are published books. Publishing comes with editors and translators, authors are not alone and yet I could give you examples of published books that are just good to be used for decoupage.)

For me it was totally one of those "ooh, that makes sense" moments one has when reading something they never thought about. Both here and privately she put things in a way that makes absolutely sense and I wanted to highlight it ;; hope you don't mind having this reposted <3

Anyway!

I'm not an elder in whatever fandom space but I do have both a livejournal and a ff.net account lol and I still hold gently in my hands my efp account - if you're italian and into fics you know that site don't lie a nonna >> *buca palloni*

I tried to post on wattpad last year but I'm afraid I'm too old for that site :'D even if it has some cool personalization features.

I did roleplay! A lot, actually! it was my personality trait for a while lol VtM was a big fave <3 I even wrote a small short story instead of an actual backstory for the character I never had the chance to play ;;

Everything I write is 100% self indulgent << never doubt that!

Whatever you see going on in my tags here on this blog, I do that too on comments most of the times. Dude, I edit my comments twice before posting because they're filled with "aaaa eeeek uuuughhh"s :'DDD also they're full of gifs and memes << I'm an annyoing commentator (is that english? lmao) I really should restart reading and commenting fics now that I'm officially on holidays ;;

I do have three unfinished projects. Unfortunately, one is like... To be fair, I'm still bitter about how I handled it, because it's that fic that "deserves more attention". Deserved it, actually, and I forced myself to remove it because the fact that it had few interactions and it wasn't well received even within my mutual's circle was giving me severe anxiety. I took it way too personally <<' Now, I must thank and praise @underneathestars here because if it wasn't for her support, I wouldn't even have posted the final chapters of the first part. That was an "I wrote it for fun, I wasn't having fun" type scenario, basically. I was in a bad headspace and now that I'm less demanding with myself I'm starting to having much more fun writing ;; it took me a while to figure out that I don't need to be perfect in something I like to do in order to enjoy it and now I'm legit having the time of my life with the one I'm posting :'D

Sorry for the rant lol

Blank and tags:

I'm tagging: @underneathestars (ofc &lt;3) @sparatus @demandthedoodles and I see everyone else had been tagged lol so whoever wants to do this, consider yourself tagged

[weirdcat1213]

shout out to these for having the best good luck babe spanish covers cuz TRANSLATING THAT SHIT IN A LYRIC WAY IS HARD AS SHIT BUT THEY HAD THE BESTS ONE aka we had the same ideas in a few places but in others they were more creative than me

so this person went more with their own style and changed a few words but its pretty concise and pretty :3

and this one was closest to chappell's ideas aka what im trying to do

pt que lindos cover QUE IDEAS CSMR

[lunarwednesday]

and then, I'll find happiness again.

[sunnibits]

some more Arthur practice from being bored in class today

[eldritch-ace]

Sanrios your lords >:]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Try Morse Core. Women Love Morse Code.

[First] Prev <--> Next

[itachanta]

"Don't cry, Meryl".

One of my favorite scenes from Trigun Maximum

Scans & translation by @trigun-manga-overhaul

[james-p-sullivan]

okay so in french baguette means wand/rod and it’s not solely used for bread like in english

but even so seeing red call it his ice baguette makes me cry laugh

[evangelina830]

Meet the Bandit!

(RP Blog for them!)

Name: Evan

Age: 23

Weight: 112 lbs

Height: 5’0”

Role: support

Ethnicity: Mexican/American

Origin: California, USA

Primary: Machine pistol

Secondary: RPG

Melee: Bowie Knife

Speed: 95%

HP: 150

Personality:

Despite sneaking around, being apart of their stealing technique, they have a usual very silly personality similar to Scout, except without such a big ego and a try-hard habit for women. They joke around a lot, and sometimes get loud depending on their mood.

Abilities:

Stealing

Trading

Sneaking

Likes:

Piano

Art

Comics

Animals

Making deals/Money

Dislikes:

Tomatoes

Big bodies of water

Backstory: as a baby, they were picked up off the side of the road, but they looked a little strange. Growing up in California, they were raised by a family of one mother, six sisters and one brother, being the third oldest of the group. They wear a human disguise because they are a secret alien shapeshifter exploring earth! (They are actually born from Venus…)

Appearance:

Evan’s brown eye color matches their hair, although Eva’s eyes are a lighter brown.

Both of their hair is the same brown, but a blue and red/pink ombré.

BLU bandit, aka Evan, has somewhat crooked teeth (and find the excuse to wear their scarf more often to hide it. Mostly, to hide their smile). But Eva’s teeth are straighter, being the cloning process. Evan also has rather sharp canines.

Both bandits have beauty marks (moles) in the same spots.

Eva’s skin is slightly darker than Evan’s due to being in the sun more

Red bandit’s hair is a bit straighter, and shorter In the back. Blu bandit’s hair is more wavy

Facts:

both Bandit’s use they/them pronouns.

The BLU Bandit is actually the original, the RED being the true clone. Both bandits often, casually, switch teams because they get along with them better. They only kill their friends on the battlefield. (My headcanon is that the blue team is all clones of the red team, being born into the mindset of war, which is why some mercenaries may be more serious than the RED team.)

A strange fact about Eva, is that during Evan’s cloning, they were recognized as a human, therefor, they are not an alien like the BLU Bandit.

Eva is rather monotone and speaks a lot less than Evan. Although, they are kinder if you get to know them, despite looking angry as a resting face.

Evan has a tortoiseshell cat named Molly, back at home

They shake violently when having caffeine, and since they have anxiety they either get a burst of energy, or get anxious (choosing to ease their nerves by running or dancing), so they ‘aren’t allowed’ to have it, but would do anything to get their hands on coffee cause they love the taste.

Oddly enough, BLU Bandit melts (literally) when they feel a strong emotion (like nervousness, excitement, or extreme pain - so they often melt when they die during battle), but it’s somehow a normal thing to the others. (Melts into a puddle, but always returns in one piece)

Relationships:

Scout: He’s just too much similar to Bandit. They often bicker (usually in a playful way). Though sometimes, they like to talk about comics together.. they have a relationship similar of siblings.

[Bandit calls Scout; Chucklehead (to mock him), Jerms, Jay. Scout calls Bandit; Bandy, four eyes, amigo (to mock them), Copy-cat, Ban-Ban]

Their duo name would be called Comic Twins

Pyro: Bandit and Pyro love to craft together! Even if it’s with the blood and guts of their enemies. Evan is also a good translator to his mumbling.

[Bandit calls Pyro; mumbles, py, señor loco]

Their duo name would be called Gender who? (Lol)

Soldier: These two often play fight like animals, but Bandit teases him more than actually doing something. They bond over their love for raccoons and rockets! Bandit sees him like an uncle or a ‘stupid older brother’.

[Bandit calls Soldier; Solly, Sol, Jay-Dee, soldado, sky man. Solly calls Bandit; Rookie, Rocket pal, cadet, sneaky little thief]

Their duo name would be called Raccoon Rockets

Demoman: they are Very close with him - If Demoman isn’t with Solly, he’s with Bandit or both of them! And Bandit seems to have a little crush.. they exchange platonic kisses sometimes and play piano together, but perhaps it’s a bit more than friendly.

[Bandit calls Demoman; Demo, Guapo, Tav, Dee, Tavish-ing (like ravishing). Demo calls Bandit; Bandy, lad, Bonnie, Bee (to mimic the way they give nicknames), Ev]

Their duo name would be called Piano 4 Hands!

Heavy: Bandit and Heavy have a family like relationship. Like they do to others, bandit likes to mess with him, but he doesn’t react as much as the rest do. So taking that into consideration, Bandit is calmer around him and nicer.

[Bandit calls Heavy; Señor viejo, H, pesado, Hev. Heavy calls Bandit; маленький вор, подлый енот, small Bandit]

Their duo name would be called Sticks and stones

Engineer: The last thing this Engineer needs is for a sneaky thief to steal parts of his machines! He gets frustrated with them sometimes, but they’ve got a silly thing going on. Bandit sees Engi like an uncle, and he sees them like an annoying little nephew.

[Bandit calls Engi; ingeniero, Engi, Dell pepper, robot man. Engi calls Bandit; Bandy, little thief, Ban, sneaky trash panda]

Their duo name would be called Astronomical Smarts

Sniper: While sniper studies aliens, it doesn’t help that he works with one, though he doesn’t know for sure (even though he’s correct). Bandit knows of this, since Sniper sometimes tries to call them out, but they ignore it, protecting their secret, by playing it off as a joke. Besides that all, they’re quite good friends.

[Bandit calls Sniper; Monday, francotirador, Snipes, Em, Vanny, hombre sucio. Sniper calls Bandit; Bandy, crook, Space-man, sneaky critter]

Their duo name would be called Alien Exploration

Medic: The Medic may be the only one Bandit is afraid of, just a little. Half of their interactions are passive-aggressive. Though, on some occasions they get along relatively well, and like to talk about silly things.

[Bandit calls Medic; Doctor, El, Doctor L, lewd-wig (to immaturely mock his wild behavior, and name). Medic calls Bandit; hinterhältiger Dieb, kleine Ratte]

Their duo name would be called Anxiety diagnosis

Spy: Their favorite thing to do is talk about romance and banter about how more sneaky one is. And sometimes, they secretly gossip to one another…

[Bandit calls Spy; Spy-der, French fry, espiar, Señor, hombre cangrejo. Spy calls Bandit; petit voleur, Monsieur?, Thief, raton laveur sournois]

Their duo name would be called sneaky Romanticists

Pauling: Bandit has always admired Miss Pauling, and even hates when Scout flirts with her. Not because of jealously or anything of the like, but because they’re aware there’s a much better method to charming a woman like her and it’s almost offensive how he always fails (LOL). The two are friends that don’t interact so often, but bandit respects her

[Bandit calls Pauling; Señora, Pauli, señorita violeta, Señora P.]

Their duo name would be called Cat-Eye lenses!

[casualavocados]

Are you here to pick me up? Going to the bar or the gang? The bar.

KISEKI: DEAR TO ME Ep. 12 + BONUS:

[orange-cheetah]

Makochi Townspeople Profiles

The People Who Give Makochi Town Its Colours!

Yama-jii (山じい)

An elderly man Sakura met at Café Pothos. He was grateful when Sakura let him know he'd forgotten something behind. Kotoha calls him "Yama-jii".

Satou-baachan (さとうのばあちゃん)

Sakura gave her a piggyback ride since her hips were hurting so much she couldn't stand. Jumped off Sakura's back and landed like someone from the Av*ngers.

Liquor store (酒店) - Butcher's (精肉店) - Fruit and vegetable store　(青果店)

Bakery (ベーカリー)

Taiyaki place (たい焼き店)

Monjayaki place (もんじゃ焼き店)

The People of Tonpu Shopping Street (東風商店街の人々)

The people running shops on Tonpu Shopping Street. They give Bofurin gifts from their shops like bread and fruit for protecting the town. There are also people like the owner of the liquor store, who challenges underage Sakura to a drinking match…

Granny of the first aid kit (救急箱のおばあさん)

A kind old woman who brought a first aid kit over to tend to Sakura, who had been stabbed in the leg. This became an opportunity for Sakura to start building relationships with others again.

The girl Nirei helped (楡井が助けた女性)

The girl who asked Sakura for help as Nirei was getting beaten one-sidedly by some delinquents. The reason Nirei got involved with the delinquents was to protect her from them.

Sasaki (笹城)

The junior high school student who found himself caught up with Shishitoren while chasing a shoplifter on the shopping street. Sakura and the others saved him while he was being attacked by Shishitoren.

The female student Kiryu helped (桐生が助けた女子生徒)

The girl Kiryu brought to Muscle Power. She was being harassed by some delinquents but received help from Kiryu.

Granny (おばあちゃん)

Asked Kaji and the others for help when her pet cat Risa-chan went missing. This doesn't seem to be the first time Risa-chan has run away.

Risa-chan (リサちゃん)

A cat with a pink ribbon as its defining trait. Perhaps because it was being chased by Sakura, its momentum caused it to jump into the river, but was saved by Kaji.

土屋 (Tsuchiya)

A childhood friend of Anzai who used to play with him at the park since they were little. Even now that Anzai has entered Furin High, it seems they still meet at the park of their memories.

長門 (Nagato)

Anzai's childhood friend. Mature and kind, he always went along with Anzai and Tsuchiya's recklessness. After that, the three of them went to different high schools and became separated.

[masterlist]

[matoitech]

i know i have an addiction to making buff men with big arms and nice pecs but this one came to me in a vision. he has a bleached blond buzzcut and a massive c *im dragged off stage*

[silvergreenseraphim]

The First Soldier: Chapter Six

Japanese highlights + analysis

Hi guys! Okay, let’s look right into this chapter-

Opening with Team Glenn, we learn some small details. The Shinra dig will start soon, and Glenn marvels at how fast everything is moving. Matt credits Shinra power, Glenn credits their hard work as a team, and Lucia credits Sephiroth, who did most of the work. Glenn, being more humble now, admits that he cannot deny it, and remembers that he must tell Sephiroth about the payment.

However, he notes that Sephiroth does not seem interested in money. This is one of the first hints throughout this chapter that Team Glenn still do not fully understand what Sephiroth is to Shinra. It is a subtle but reoccurring pattern, particularly when the notion of “being fired” comes into play later on.

The English in this scene was good. No major changes.

The chief engineer calls the team over and reprimands them for being too relaxed, saying that they need to do their jobs and clear out the monsters near the living quarters. Glenn awkwardly agrees to get back to patrolling, but first he asks,

“Hey, have you seen our squad leader?”

The engineer responds,

“If you mean that kid, isn’t he still out looking through the bodies? It’s disgusting. Please make him stop.“

Glenn is surprised and says, “Sephiroth is rummaging through the corpses?”

Matt notes that Sephiroth does often disappear/go off on his own, and Lucia says to look for him on their patrol.

(Seeing how the other Shinra employees behave and speak helped me see why Sephiroth had no luck asking around about his mother. They are only there to do their jobs, and don’t understand the child SOLDIER at all. It is very much an indifferent workforce).

Next is the scene where we learn about the materia fragments that were shattered over time. This scene adds greater weight to the mako spring discussion in the Nibelheim flashback, where Sephiroth comments that the condensed formation must have taken ages. It takes a very long time for even small bits to form, and even then they can shatter.

There is the silly bit of banter between the team about using diversion pebbles/materia fragments, but I must note again that Glenn seems calmer and less cocky even in his jesting.

Then Lucia becomes visibly concerned and says,

“Looking through corpses…I wonder if he’s really doing that…”

Glenn responds,

“The chief engineer is just joking around right? There’s no way he (Sephiroth) would do something like that.”

Matt agrees that there would be no need for it, and the team moves forward.

(It is very wholesome to see them believe only the best of Sephiroth despite what others think, and they are more perceptive and accurate about him anyway. This story constantly leads the audience to worry that Sephiroth always held darker traits before immediately disproving these concerns or at least showing that his reasons were always understandable. Team Glenn speaks for the more optimistic viewers at this point).

Of course little Sephiroth is caught undeniably searching a body, and Glenn questions him in surprise. Sephiroth is confused at first, but then acknowledges that it does look wrong. Lucia asks him if he is looking for something. Sephiroth says,

“I lost the pendant with my mother's photo in it.. . . . . .I was looking for it. I was checking to see if someone might have picked it up and had it on them…”

(So, a small translation nuance; it is clear in Japanese that Sephiroth dropped it and believed that someone could have picked it up. He is not just looking under bodies, he is going through their pockets and all to see if anyone has it with them.)

Sephiroth chuckles and admits,

“Haha, I suppose I am a corpse-scavenger…“

(This is another case of Sephiroth’s childlike innocence mingling with his very dark reality. He lost his most precious possession like a normal child would, but now has to search for it among the dead that he himself laid to waste).

When the others understand, Glenn says,

“Alright, let’s look for it while we kill monsters.”

And Sephiroth replies,

“Thank you very much…that helps…“

The team moves on to kill monsters and search.

Glenn notes the lesser number of bodies and Sephiroth points out that it was because of the monsters. Glenn shudders to think of dying in the area, but Sephiroth takes the opportunity to beseech them to not let their guard down. He says,

“You all seem to be feeling a little relaxed. You can never be too careful. You must protect yourself. If you don't apply this basic rule...”

Right then a monster swoops in and Sephiroth kills it, stunning the others. He concludes with, “…then even I can’t protect you.”

Glenn asks, “So, you’re protecting us?”

Sephiroth walks up to him and responds,

“It’s because you’re my team.”

They are interrupted by more monsters, but when the fighting ends, Matt repeats what Sephiroth said.

“I’ll protect you because you’re my team…”

Matt glares at Glenn and says,

“I’d like to hear that from a team-leader I know who previously threatened to hit one of his own squad members…”

Lucia chimes in with the comment about that same team-leader making them be near his gross socks.

(They are both referencing the first chapter of the game, where Glenn’s outburst on the helicopter made it appear as though he were going to punch Matt, and when Glenn made a joke about his socks being so bad that they would pull Lucia out of shell-shock).

Sephiroth looks up at Glenn while shaking his head and laughs, saying,

“Ha…that’s the worst.”

Glenn remarks,

“But it’s “memorable,” isn’t it?”

Sephiroth thinks for a moment and says,

“Yes, I see. So, that team-leader fears being forgotten…”

This observation strikes Matt and even Glenn. They appear to rethink Glenn’s leadership style. Glenn does not protest the observation, but he ponders it.

(I found it sweet that Sephiroth did not judge Glenn, but pointed out what is likely a true insecurity of Glenn’s, but in a very mild and childlike way. Part of me even wonders if Sephiroth understood the fear because he too had struggled with it. After all, adult Sephiroth refused to be a memory even post-insanity.)

(Also, it is hard to fully explain, but reading this text in Japanese—it becomes easier to see how it is not just Glenn that influences Sephiroth, but also the other way around. It’s strange but…it feels as though Glenn has become…softer? Even when alone with his team, he is not disrespecting them so much or being so brash. It was his meeting with Rosen that helped him to develop sympathy for the “enemy” and it was Sephiroth that helped Glenn become kinder to his team. Even the way he speaks seems gentler. 

In the last chapter, Glenn was so harsh towards Seph at the beginning, but learned remorse and how to apologize when Sephiroth’s vulnerability was showcased. In this chapter, Sephiroth is the one to understand that Glenn might have been such a brash leader because he feared being forgotten, which was a very perceptive and empathetic observation, causing even Matt to reconsider. It was a very heart-warming scene). 

(The next sequence is devastating and I believe it caused some minor controversy with fans because of how Glenn speaks, but I can affirm that the tone in Japanese seems to aim for sympathetic character development. As I mentioned before, Glenn is different to the character we first met, and his arc is becoming more clear as we move forward.)

As the squad looks through the bodies, Glenn notices that there were not many Rhadoran remnants left, and Matt suspects it was because of their living conditions and the endless battle with monsters. Glenn remarks that it must have been a hard lifestyle. He then says,

“...I don't really understand why Rhadore hated the Mako reactors…I mean, there's no such thing as convenient (as the reactors), right?”

They are swiftly interrupted again by monsters, causing Sephiroth to say that they seem more interested than usual.

“The monsters seem more interested than usual.”

“They’re excited about live bait!” Glenn says.

“If you want to be bait, I won't stop you, but as a SOLDIER, please fight first.” Sephiroth urges.

When they clear out the area again, Matt considers the similarities between the Rhadoran believes and “Planetology” or the “study of the star.”

“When a person dies, their life returns to the planet with their consciousness and heart and intersects with the energy of life circulating around the planet. The idea is that a new life will eventually be born from it. The life around this planet is what they call “qi” (mana). The “qi” going around the planet enriches people and nature and the planet itself. It would be unthinkable for Rhadore to consume such an irreplaceable energy.”

Glenn is still confused, and then Sephiroth interjects with,

“Dr. Hojo talked to me about this…

“No matter how rationally and logically we explain things, there are people we will not be able to share understanding with. That is because they see the world differently.””

Glenn argues that such things won’t matter if someone dies, and that it would just be better to accept an easy life instead of fighting so hard against it. He points out that Rosen is the only one left, and says that if the Rhadoran beliefs are true, what will become of the last Rhadoran boy when he dies? When he is gone, no one will be left, and people will forget Rhadore.

Sephiroth sadly shakes his head and turns away, saying that,

“The planet remembers…I am certain that is what the people of Rhadore believe…”

Glenn receives his epiphany, and understands that the Rhadorans resisted the consumption of mana/mako because it would erase all memories of life. He is suddenly overcome with sadness and turns to kneel and honor the fallen soldiers. The others do the same.

(This scene was, in my opinion, intended to deliver a strong message, but was maybe limited by the story-telling style. Some people were shocked by Glenn’s questioning why the Rhadorans all died for their beliefs when he is with the very company that wiped them out. But I think it does help to remember that this war between Shinra and Wutai was something that soldiers like Glenn and his team only had seen one side of until this point. They were a survey team working for money after all, not the ones directly sent to kill the Rhadorans until Sephiroth arrived, who did most of the work anyway, and even shocked the others with his conditioned ruthlessness in the previous chapter.

Shinra is a propaganda monster, and undoubtedly played off the war as something the Wutaians started and were responsible for, as well as the Rhadorans. It does sound like Glenn is genuinely confused here, especially as someone who was probably used to Shinra being the default government for everything.

“Why would these people willingly die and fight Shinra for trying to make their lives easier?”

But that is the simple darkness of imperialism. Shinra was going to erase something very important to the Rhadorans for the sake of “convenience.”

Glenn only sees this after Sephiroth himself acknowledges the Rhadoran faith. This is where a change of heart occurs. The Rhadorans were fighting for a genuine reason. Of course they were.

I actually felt this was a very meaningful sequence after translating it. Very good attempt at addressing imperialist destruction.)

Afterwards, they keep up the search and Matt asks if Sephiroth is sure he dropped the necklace in the building they are in. He says he had it before the ruins, so he is sure it must have been in the building. Lucia explains that it might be difficult to find if they haven’t already. Sephiroth tiredly shakes his head and says,

“It’s okay. Thanks to everyone for looking together, I think I’m about ready to give it up.”

He is saying that since everyone looked at the same time, he is ready to accept that he has to let the photo go. If they can’t find it together, then it is truly lost. The others become downcast on his behalf, and then Glenn moves over to one of the dead soldiers. He suggests they bury them as a way to say sorry, though he is not sure if that is their custom. Either way, Sephiroth immediately says that he will help, and Glenn is grateful.

The next scene was clearly translated into English. As they bury the bodies, the dig begins and Sephiroth explains that they will need to evacuate to the sky in thirty minutes, thanks to a possible mako eruption or “torrent of qi” caused by Shinra’s explosives. Glenn remembers Rosen’s words, and Sephiroth says they need to hurry.

The following sequence is endearing as Sephiroth makes shortcuts for the team. He reveals a unique power that allows him to create great bursts of energy from simple materia fragments. The others are stunned. Glenn, in particular, cannot believe it even after Sephiroth explains. He says,

“No, it’s impossible! Sephiroth, you’re amazing!!”

In the next scene, Glenn is initially ready to chop down a tree to form a bridge across a river, but Sephiroth steps in and says his way will be quicker. Where before, Glenn would have been eager to lead the way, he kindly steps aside and lets Sephiroth take over. Glenn is once again verbally supportive, and says,

“Ha! As expected.”

Sephiroth says,

“As expected of a modified human (cyborg), right?”

Glenn says wasn’t going to say that, nor was he thinking it. Sephiroth says,

“Really?….I’m a little disappointed…”

Glenn is confused and Sephiroth shakes his head,

“I don’t really understand it myself…”

Bringing his head low and his hand to his heart again, he guesses,

“It’s just…nothing you guys say makes me feel bad, so I want you to be able to say anything…”

(The English got the point across as well, but Seph is sincerely saying that he trusts them because they don’t say things that hurt him, so he doesn’t want them to feel as if they need to hold back their thoughts. He is pointing out that he has grown to feel safe with them because they are not malicious with their words. It feels like he discovers the idea of trust in relationships right here).

Glenn perks up and says,

“Alright then, I’ll tell you what I think!! I’m counting on you, squad-leader! Now, let’s go!”

Sephiroth enthusiastically responds with “Yes!” and they move on.

The waterfall scene is largely the same. Glenn fully goes to Sephiroth to lead this time and hands him the materia fragment. He asks if Sephiroth can use it like before, and in Japanese, Sephiroth endearingly says he doesn’t want to “make things go boom” but that he has an idea. He freezes the waterfall and Glenn voices his praise again.

When they finally draw close, Glenn stops to think of Rosen, but Sephiroth urges him to hurry. When they get to the overlook, it becomes clear that Glenn and the others are struggling with remorse over the Rhadorans and Rosen being in danger. They exchange glances and Glenn almost says something to Sephiroth, but stops himself.

Sephiroth himself is far more concerned about them, his team, and their safety. The divide is obvious, and a choice will have to be made.

They arrive as the last ones to the Shinra helicopter and the engineer is ready for them to evacuate, but Glenn begs the man to delay the dig so that he can go and warn Rosen, thus setting his plans in motion without forewarning Sephiroth. The engineer refuses despite Glenn’s pleas and brings up the amount of money Shinra has put into the program. Glenn shouts,

“This isn’t about the money!”

And punches the engineer, much to Matt and Lucia’s exasperation.

The engineer says,

“I'll report you to headquarters! I can even have you fired.”

Glenn does not care. It is the first time we have seen him willingly dismiss money and fight for something else. He tells the engineer to get on the other helicopter, and Matt tells Lucia to make her decision. She apologizes to Sephiroth and hi-jacks the copter. Sephiroth simply turns his back quietly.

The final Stamp battle occurs afterwards as an interruption, and the team finishes the job, with more remorse from Glenn about messing with Stamp’s island. Then the engineer flies overhead and drops down the ladder, offering one more chance. Lucia says,

“Will Sephiroth also be disposed of?”

Matt reminds her,

“It’s okay, we’re the only ones at fault. There are witness too.”

With this, the team says goodbye to their leader, and Glenn tells him,

”Sephiroth, take care! Don’t overdo it/push yourself too much!”

They run off, leaving Sephiroth to evacuate, but he hesitates. The engineer shouts,

“Hurry up and get on, hero!”

But our hero can’t leave his friends just yet!

He runs up to them and Glenn is surprised. He says,

“You came…….are you sure? If you get on this helicopter, you could get fired, right?”

And the chapter ends with Sephiroth’s simple reply,

“I’m special.”

Glenn just laughs.

—

This appears to be a direct reference to Sephiroth’s future statement about always knowing he was special or different since he was a child.

The word is the same.

“Exceptional, unique, beyond ordinary…”

But this line from Sephiroth is actually more upsetting to me than funny or cocky, because yes, there is indeed a chance he is merely being proud about being able to get away with his current actions due to his status as Shinra’s hero, but…

There is also the chance he knows he cannot be fired or disposed of because Shinra would never let him leave. They have control over him. He is different or special in that sense too. He is a prized possession, unlike the others.

I have yet to see, but I wonder if Sephiroth knows that he is risking severe punishment for his actions by helping his team and will not be met with a simple lay-off, but since this is his last chance to help and be with his team, he is ready to pay the price. If they are fired, he may not see them again. Now is his chance.

His hesitation at the helicopter is sincere. He clasps at his heart and everything. I don’t believe he is being light-hearted when he tells Glenn he is different. In the English, it came off more prideful, as though Seph were daring Shinra to come after him. In Japanese, I get the feeling he is making a sacrifice. 

Sephiroth also believes it is his job to protect his team. If Shinra tries to harm them, he will have to face that. I fear that for now, Sephiroth has not learned that Shinra will not just punish him, but they can also kill people he considers friends.

I also think this chapter was full of foreshadowing.

Even the scenes with Glenn praising Sephiroth and making an effort to do it honestly and constantly felt as though it were meant to be a contrast for what could be shown later if the Shinra higher-ups appear and catch Sephiroth in the act of treason.

I am very proud of him, but I am very concerned for him now.

(I have more thoughts on Sephiroth’s relationship with Team Glenn after this chapter, but I will save it for another post! Hope you guys enjoy this one in the mean time!)

[royalarchivist]

Maxo: I haven't received an answer. Is there no one else on the island? Is it only us and The Federation?

How are we going to find answers about this mysterious island? This island, with a challenging but beautiful landscape, has pushed us to find out what hides in its depths.

With each sunrise our hopes to find life signs beyond our little community vanish... leaving a void in our souls. This is the story of people obligated to stay on an island looking for answers and a path or the truth... in the midst of an enigma that seems endless.

As days pass by, our courage and determination are being tested by the challenges of the island revealing secrets that threaten our view of reality.

The members of the Federation, an enigmatic and almighty organization, seem to be the only ones who possess any information about this place.

But their intentions and loyalty-

[Subscriber TTS plays]

Silence!

But their intentions and loyalty are questionable. Will they guide us to the truth? Or will they guide us further into the abyss of the unknown?

[unknownsigils]

born to be a star

the pose in this drawing was based off of this panel from the first winx club comic

[nyatbinary-81]

@vulpixisananimal sifstem art jumpscare!! more specifically i got bored and decided to mess around with sif and mal's outfits.