#why are you even using AI to translate a fic when normal translators exist

[steeldmg9375]

Yeah no, definitely the reason why chatGPT doesn't accepts your inc*st stuff is because it's """american""" and not because inc*st is just Bad and your p*rn addiction has fucking rotten your brain lol /sarc

[aegypius-monachus]

Symbiosis

R2SID fic for @gardenvarietyunique, for the prompt “post-canon, Celar figures out her new relationship to Athoek Station.” 2176 words

"...concerns the equipment may block access to the lifts on level 6. Now, if Administration would consider making alterations the construction schedule..." The assistant chief of the upper concourse maintenance staff, now sitting before Celar's desk, is one of over a dozen citizens to have passed through her office today, bearing complaints ranging from the urgent to the largely trivial.

This one is closer to the latter than the former, and a month ago would have been reported directly to Station. Now, it's brought to Celar.

It's an understandable reaction, she supposes- people are unsettled, in need of a familiar face to reassure them that their concerns are being heard, that their needs are still being considered. That life will go on as normal under Athoek's new regime.

Station, and their relationship to it, is at the core of much of the public's anxiety. The events of the past weeks have deeply shaken many of the most foundational beliefs on which the people of Athoek's lives are built. And one of those beliefs, perhaps the most important, here upwell, is in the absolute reliability of Station. It had come to their rescue, during Anaander Mianaai's violent attempt to reassert control over the system, and it had done so of it's own will. And as grateful as people are, no one can forget that their survival depends upon, not a well regulated and predictable machine, as they has once thought, but a self-declared alien intelligence with it's own, uncertain agenda.

Celar thinks, hopes, that she understands it's agenda better than most. If recent event's have convinced her of one thing, it is of Station's loyalty to it's Citizens. Of it's commitment making things better.

She smiles, and assures the citizen that her request has been noted, and the construction schedule will be reviewed. The citizen leaves her office, and she calls in the next.

On Celar's desk is a small model of Athoek Station. It hangs suspended between the poles of its magnetic stand, oblong, in silver metal, the clear dome of the gardens revealing a tiny, painted landscape below. It was left by her predecessor, and it reminds her of the station as she had first seen it- an encapsulated world, self-contained, pristine.

Celar has been working in station administration, in some form or another, since she took the aptitudes. She thrives on the complexity of it. A station is like an organism, dependent upon a immense network of interconnected systems, all of which must be kept in careful balance.

Athoek had been balanced, just barely, when Celar arrived. Or so it had appeared. Between tourism and the tea industry, the station as a whole was prosperous, and while the Undergarden situation was unfortunate, it wasn't new, and to interfere there would risk aggravating existing tension between the Ychana and the Xhai. So she had left it be, and focused instead on maintaining things as she had found them; for years, all had seemed well.

As Administrator, she had taken it for granted that the station AI was her ally. It's purpose, after all, was to care for its residents. Until a few weeks ago, she had never stopped to think about what that really meant. About whether its opinion on how to fulfill that purpose might differ from her own, or to what lengths it might go to to do so, when finally given the opportunity.

Ships have favorites, Lieutenant Seivarden mentions, off hand, over tea one day. "Most people never realize, because they aren't obvious about it. I think that's just how ships are, though; they don't say things directly, or they can't. It's how Breq and Mercy of Kalr are, at least."

"But they do little things," she continues, "like opening doors without you having to ask, or making sure your tea is always just the way you like it. Or if they don't like you, nothing is ever quite right. You have to ask for every little thing- that the lights turn on and off, or that your room stays the temperature you want it. And you don't realize until you go somewhere else, and things are different, and even then you don't know why." Seivarden speaks as though from personal experience, and given what Celar knows about her, her ship, and the Fleet Captain, she guesses that Seivarden has spent time at both ends of the scale.

Celar thinks back to her conversation with the Fleet Captain, after Translator Dlique's death. Of how she had described Station's behavior. "...does and says exactly what you ask of it, and very little more." She had never realized, before that, that there was anything else a station could do. Now, she wonders how much of it's silence was due to its general misery over the state of the Undergarden, and how much was resentment towards her, specifically. For not seeing the obvious. For doing nothing. There are citizen's she knows, that speak of Station like an old friend. Would one of them, in her position, have recognized immediately that something was wrong?

That night, Celar asks Station, "You're very fond of Citizen Uran, aren't you?"

There's a pause, then, "Yes, I suppose I am."

"Is that why you want her on the Citizens' Council?"

"In part. I think she would be well suited for it- she is thoughtful for her age, and well liked. And new as she is to it, I think she cares a great deal about the Undergarden." A moment later, it adds, "also, the council will need someone who can balance out Lieutenant Tisarwat."

Celar laughs, "That might be too much to ask of any one citizen. But I agree, she has a lot of potential." Shifting the topic slightly, she says, "There must be other citizens you like, yes? And those you don't?" She knows, of course, that Station is aware of her earlier conversation with Lieutenant Seivarden.

"I care for all my residents," Station replies, "but yes, there are some I am more fond of than others. The polite ones, mostly. Is there a reason you ask?"

Celar hesitates a moment before replying. "I've made a lot of job appointments recently," to various repair crews, both before and after the Anaander debacle, and to replace a number of government and administrative staff who had walked out following news of Athoek's secession from the Radch, "and will be making many more, I'm sure. Some of them will have a great deal of influence over the rebuilding of the garden and Undergarden. I haven't thought to ask for your opinion of any of them, and I should have."

"If you are asking my opinion of their qualifications," says Station, "I have no complaints. If you're asking my opinion of their character... there are some citizens I'd prefer to see in positions of less power, though not enough to upset the existing dynamic at such a delicate time. And not all of them are recent appointments, or ones that you made. I will tell you if anything changes, though."

"And future appointments?"

"I can provide a list of recommendations, if you like. Though to get started, I suggest you have a look at Citizen Queter's application for engineering. I think you'll find her resume particularly interesting."

The meeting is running long again. It's a familiar argument- Sphene is advocating, loudly and at length, for the reinstitution of ancillary service as a punishment for serious crimes. It reminds the council that without ancillaries, it would not even be alive to speak to them. Mercy of Kalr counters by pointing out, not for the first time, or the second, that Sphene's situation was unique, and that while of course it misses having it's own bodies, human soldiers have proven to be a satisfactory alternative, and surely this discussion can wait until after they have finished establishing the basic structure of the legal system.

Sphene responds by suggesting that Mercy of Kalr, before being so quick to praise it's human crew, should perhaps more closely examine the cleanliness of it's decade room floor, and Celar despairs of ever resolving the issue.

"Station," says Sphene abruptly, "surely you can appreciate disadvantages of relying on human maintenance alone. How long did you go without basic repairs because of corrupt and incompetent officials? Imagine how much destruction could have been avoided if only you had been able to do the work yourself. How many could have benefited." It leans on that last word. "I, for one, would much prefer not to have to sleep in a hallway.

Celar's initial indignation fades into shame. Sphene is looking straight at her now. It's right, she knows. For a long moment the room is silent, then Station's words scroll slowly into Celar's vision.

"I would remind you, Cousin, that I was never designed to have ancillaries, and thus have no way of knowing whether they would make me happier. But even if they would, the number needed to maintain myself is far more than I would ever want. And while I may be- am- unhappy with how things were managed in the past, I would much rather work with my residents to make improvements than replace them with parts of myself.

"As it is, the only one of us who stands to gain any immediate benefit from the creation of new ancillaries is Cousin Kalr; it seems only fair that its opinion should be given the most weight here."

Nods around the table; Sphene leans back in its chair, but says nothing.

The Fleet Captain says, "On to other business, then?"

"Citizen, may I speak with you a moment?" Celar says to Kalr 8, Mercy of Kalr's representative for the day, as the council begins to file out of the room. Kalr 8 pauses, sends a message with a twitch of her fingers. Across the room, the Fleet Captain gives her a nod.

"What might I do for you, Station Administrator?" she says, then adds, "Did you want to talk to me, or to Ship?

Celar gestures toward the table, waits for Kalr 8 to sit before doing so herself. "You. About that very subject, in fact."

Kalr 8's flat expression breaks momentarily into confusion, and Celar continues, "I thought you might be able to give me some advice. I'm... still very new to all of this. To speaking for Station, to- to working with Station, instead of expecting it to work for me."

"I've seen how you and your crew are with Mercy of Kalr," Celar says. "It obviously cares very much for you, and you for it. Has it always been like that?"

Kalr 8 thinks for a long time before answering. Consulting with her ship, perhaps. Finally, she says, "Our previous captain, before the Fleet Captain, was very harsh with us. She was embarrassed to be the captain of a Mercy, especially one with a human crew. That's why we started talking for Ship- she liked to keep the illusion that we were ancillaries." Celar nods; she remembers Captain Vel, and not fondly.

"So we understood, sort of, what Ship must feel like, because Captain Vel treated us like Ship. And Ship took care of us, kept us safe, so it only seemed natural that we do the same for it." She stops again, looks thoughtful, "I think that's how it's supposed to be, with a ship and its crew. People need ships, and stations, obviously, and they need us, but not just to maintain them, or because we built them to work for us. They're made to care for people, and they are people, and people are made to care for each other."

“Even Sphene?" Celar asks. She means it half jokingly, but Kalr 8 frowns.

"Sphene isn't so bad. I think it's just... honestly, Administrator, I think it's jealous, of the other ships, and Station. It's been alone for so long, and then it sees the other ships with their crews, and Station with you, and... it doesn't want to admit how much it needs that too."

Later, after Kalr 8 has left, Station says, in Celar's ear, "She's right, about all of it." Then, "Maybe we ought to get Sphene a cat."

Celar laughs.

"Administrator," Station says over the office console, startling Celar out of her daze. She's been pouring over maintenance reports for several hours now, and the words are starting to blur in her vision.

"Yes, Station."

"Perhaps the rest of these reports could wait until tomorrow. It's quite late, and you haven't had supper yet."

Celar blinks, momentarily confused, and closes her current report. She checks the time- later than she had thought. This is new conversational territory, with Station, and she hesitates for a moment before responding, "You're right, I lost track of the time. Thank you, Station."

She gets up to leave, to find the door already open, the corridor beyond quiet and dim. As the lights blink off behind her, she turns back for a moment, and sees the station, in perfect miniature, spinning brightly in the darkness.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Houseki no Kuni 3 - 6 | Girls’ Last Tour 3 - 6 | Boueibu OVA | Netjuu no Susume 6 | Juuni Taisen 7 | Mahoutsukai no Yome 6

Apparently there’s a bonus if you watch until the end of the 5th ep of Netjuu no Susume…I’ve seen it, or else I wouldn’t be telling you it exists.

I’ve rolled out the simulcast commentary tags for the seasonal shows that don’t have tags yet (aside from Netjuu no Susume’s replacement when that time comes).

Plus, as you can see in the title…there’s the Boueibu OVA in this bundle of notes, for completion’s sake.

Houseki no Kuni 3

That snail sure is a lively thing.

Really? A poop joke? Well, that’s one way to rub Phos’s new state into Dia’s face.

…welp, not much to talk about this time, I guess.

Houseki no Kuni 4

What the heck? The snail has a type???

This OP is lovely. Its best aspect is the visuals, though. It sounds kind of plain compared to even Saturday Night Question (Netjuu no Susume).

That snail makes a nice wig for Master Kongo, doesn’t it?

I’m listening to this show for the first time, and Phos uses “boku”, interestingly enough.

The snail's urge to go back to its home in the sea reminds me that lots of Chinese people go back to their country for Chinese New Year. I wonder if the same sentiment is involved in both instances?

The ED is nice, but not as good as the OP.

Houseki no Kuni  5

Watermelon? I feel sorry for the gem which has that name.

Ahh! These jellyfish are cute (and practical)!

“No getting all weak-kneed now!” – Says Phos, who’s got legs potentially harder than their body.

Houseki no Kuni 6

Trust exercises. I did some with some members of my anime club once. (Haha.)

I noticed the spikes were blue, so they might be Sapphire. It’s kind of like Rabbit’s necromantistry (Juuni Taisen), but…in a slightly different form.

Girls’ Last Tour 3

Kanazawa???? *thinks about King’s Game, where the protag and the author share the surname Kanazawa*

There’s some extremely glaring CGI during this episode. For a moment, you can discern Chi’s made of CGI while in her Kettenkrad.

Please don’t ship the grown man with the loli.

That’s some grim humour they attempted with Kanazawa. Kinda like Zetsubou-sensei (Nozomu Itoshiki).

Boueibu OVA

I almost wasn’t going to cover this, because it’s an OVA, but hey, why not make an exception? This may be the last time we Boueibu fans can talk about this stuff again…(Plus I think I’ll have volume for the entire thing if I hurry.)

Haha, the volleyball scene. Notice En talks first.

Yumoto’s being basic as always. *sighs happily*

Trump, eh? The word for playing cards is trump, but…y’know?

(about “graduating in a storm of cherry blossoms” and En saying it sounds lonely) I was just about to say that, En. However, that may just be OVA feels speaking.

Itsumo Ichiban? Rememer that guy? Well, there’s Itsumo’s brother on Kin-chan’s list. You can tell because he’s literally Itsumo Nisan. Geddit?

(about Zundar’s meeting with Kin-chan) The manga! It was correct after all!

Yep, that’s exactly how it went 2 years ago. In fact, I think it might be recycled content…(?)

Wombat speaks very formally. I learnt about keigo in the past year so I only picked up on that this time around.

The word used by Aki is “sad” according to the subs, but hazukashii means “embarrassing”, which puts a new spin on it.

They’re literally just using montages of s1, which is why I want Pony Canyon to bundle the OVA with s2. It’s more money, but for the consumer, it’s more worth it. However…having Bi…Egoism in an anime segment at all is new.

Akoya must be popular in the fandom. Either that or the staff are acknowledging how unloved he is.

Yay! It’s Star the VEPPer!

It’s good that each of these side characters is getting their own montage. Plus we’re getting official translations of the character songs, which is the best thing you can get for free when character songs aren’t distributed normally in most cases.

4th wall breaking! I guess you never expected that, eh? (Actually, you probably did, considering it’s been a montage for almost everyone now.)

(I love En’s little snarks in the middle of the song.) The only one left after this is Atsushi, right? Update: Oops, forgot Kin-chan. Sorry Kin-chan.

I never really realised Atsushi’s song was so hard rock compared to En’s more pop-like one.

“But do I really have that fire inside of me?” – I think I heard the song go atsui which is a real funky (in a good way) pun on Atsushi’s name.

Aww, they missed out in such a good pun! Haru went haru and Aki went aki. The translator didn’t pick up on that though…aww.

Whoa! Yumoto got all scary! Botan Yuzuru though…gotta look into that later for magicalgirlsandcerulean.

This (Spanish?) guitar reminds me of this track from The Dog Island.

A-ha! This is what you get when you translate the Japanese in the ads too.I was quite right indeed, although it really is the dang 132nd graduation ceremond.

It’s literally a button monster. Don’t wanna mash his buttons! (I bet you’re all groaning from my jokes, ahaha…)

Dadacha’s voice sounds kinda ridiculous now because Yasumoto is clearly using the deeper voice he normally uses for Zundar.

Notice the monster’s face is made from the character 高 (the first character in the Japanese word for “high school”).

Salty Sol is still salty after all this time…sad life.

That train station is the same one from the beach episode!

I’ve seen enough spoilers so I know where this is going…I already identified in the spoiler chat what Wombat is going to catch as a reference to a Kenji Miyazawa work.

This train is somewhat obviously CGI…

Spinach curry? When’d Wombat eat that?

Ths slideshow appears to be all the clean art for everything they’ve ever produced in the Boueibu canon! Even events and collabs!

“So wipe away your tears.” – I’m not crying, you are…*tear leaks from corner of eye*

I don’t recognise two of those pictures…(EnAtsu beach pic and a yukata one with the Defence Club on the roof.)

Oh…my…it’s over? Well, frankly I was expecting the fandom’s end in 2015…so, here’s to the future. Farewell, and remember: love is forever! Separations are only a new beginning!

Netjuu no Susume 6

That was a really bad Glico man in the back (of Koiwai)…

I think something’s wrong with my eye. It just gave off a few tears…(kidding tone)

Whose car is this that Morimori-chan is sitting in??? Update: It’s a taxi. Whoops.

I think Morimori-chan used the word douryou (colleagues, coworkers) instead of employees. The word for employees would probably be very different.

Nikunokiya??? (thinks about Kinokuniya)

(Koiwai goes Ai no chikara ne…) Boueibu reference…kind of.

Notice Koiwai said he was low on health in the text but he said zombie in the Japanese. That’s where Fruits de Mer comes in for Morimori-chan.

“There’s no way I’d say something like that!”

I think the cup this ED is new. Plus the headphones.

Oh! I spotted Morimori-chan with the medium length hair in the background of Sakurai’s bit of the ED.

There are some blurry pictures of Koiwai in the ED and they’re so hilarious!!!

So the ED actually evolves along with the show. Interesting.

Juuni Taisen 7

Rabbit stores his blades in his tail. That’s weird, but funny.

Literally, the episode title is “Dragon Head, Snake Tail”.

Dragon and Snake really are like the Beppus! I keep thinking that. I want a crossover fic now…

Tatsu = dragon.

I only just realised but…a naga is a snake. Nagayuki is the younger bro, isn’t he? Dangit, Nisio Isin! You bested me again.

150 doesn’t have any significance in regards to the number 12 now does it?

It’s Rabbit! Who’s not wearing his trademark booty shorts or high heels! Rabbit in a waiter’s outfit is really something, though.

“Hot guy”? Not by most people’s standards Tora/Kanae, considering he’s currently missing his head.

It’s tiger versus…aww. It’s not tiger vs dragon…

How can Ushii still talk after being strangled by Snake’s arm???

Whoa! Incendiary components are cool in Bond movies, but fiery liquid? That’s a step up!

Mahoutsukai no Yome 6

Admit it. You saw it in the next ep preview (unless you skipped it or read the manga)…It’s TITania time!

“She touched me for the first time.” – Elias, what a dork you are…

The birbs around Chise are so fluffy and adorable! It’s cute.

Geez, it really is TITania…these fanservice wiggles are destroying my Mahoutsukai no Yome experience…

Seing the Faerie Queen facepalm…is something else. *sweatdrops*

In the same way I want a koala sheep from Avatar the Last Airbender, I want one of those sheep bug things.

“Every creature of the night, including she and you, are my adorable little children.” – No wonder you have such big hooters, TITania…

A wild SIMON appeared!…Thought we’d forgotten about him for the rest of the episode. He would’ve made a better brick joke if his return were prolonged, y’know.

Strange question, but do priests wear pants?

Girls’ Last Tour 4

I’m listening to Ugoku Ugoku for the first time and it’s…strangely catchy…

That thing with the face is really creepy…

That thing is a stone statue???

“What IS cheese?” – Considering sometimes cheese tastes pretty bad, I don’t blame you for not knowing what cheese is.

Couldn’t they check the camera for what Kanazawa was doing with it?

I just saw the number 3230 on the camera’s inside frame for taking pictures (whatever you call it). That might be the year this show is set…

Notice the word for temple that’s used is jiin, a Buddhist temple. A Shinto version of that might be jinja.

Kanazawa was voiced by Akira Ishida? The guy who did Kiku (SGRS)??? NOOOOOOO! I missed a prime opportunity! I’ll have to go back for it later.

The ED is even more catchy than the OP. Is that even possible???

The camera breaks in the ED…that’s so ominous…

That post-ED scene was cute. A little bit.

Girls’ Last Tour 5

The slightly-electronic-sounding OP doesn’t quite fit the show, does it?

The phrase used was definitely ie dake ni. I’m not quite sure what that means, but…okay. I’ll just believe the subs on that one.

I wonder if Sentai is planning to dub these…I can imagine this show being dubbed.They wouldn’t need to pay too many VAs for it, for one thing.

Akogare is the word for desire or longing. It would be no surprise f there was an akogaru or akogarareru made from it as well.

Notice it’s “Yay!”, but with the word for house (ie) emphasised.

What is this fish dream, a metaphor for lesbians…?

The soundtrack guys must’ve had lots of fun striking cans or whatever.

I think this ED is different to the one last ep…Its name appears to be Amadare no Uta and it’s sung by the main VAs.

I bet the soundtrack guys hit a bell or two there…

Girls’ Last Tour 6

Oh no! It’s an Anime Scientist! Last time we had one, it was Shinawa (Kado), and you know how badly that went…

Interesting that the word for “takeoff” is “separation [from the] ground” literally.

Okay! I’m caught up to the weekly episodes now!