#lol i like to think the filipino language and its dialects are 'say it how you spell it'

[windslar]

Stumbled upon some Brindleton Bay kitties when I was taking screenshots for Tawhay.

I also just realized a lot of people are probably saying it wrong in their heads, which is totally understandable. I don't know how to read those diacritics (letters with accents) that tell you how to pronounce things, so I'm not even going attempt it. But basically it's TAW (sounds like 'Tao', rhymes with 'now') - HAY (sounds like 'hi' as in 'hello').

🌈✨the more you know✨🌈

[abimee]

for the xiv oc asks: 13 and 28 for all of them/as many as you feel like answering for?

what languages do they speak? how fluently?

If i can go off like the modern interpretation of them i have in my head before i start talking ff canon, then Ruyan would be the most well versed with knowing English, French, Anishinaabemowin, and a little bit of Spanish. Ruyan would only be fluent in French but his English and Anishinaabemowin would be on par with each other, and the Spanish is picked up and mostly conversational-based.

Tock would be fluent in Spanish and English verbally, but only able to read and write in Spanish. She could pick up some French words and read some sentences but can't communicate or form sentences herself.

Ryder would be the only native English speaker who can't speak any other language, but for some reason she can read Hangul, just not understand what the words translate to

Althaea is a native Irish Gaelic speaker, and would understand zero spoken english. She can however pick out pieces of FSL (Filipino sign Language) and communicate back basic ideas

for canon i specfically think Tock is the same way in that she only reads and writes in Lalafellin because her mother only taught her that, and only speaks the common Eorzean tongue because its what everyone does business in. Otherwise her house is entirely Lalafellin by nature, and even with the Echo she doesn't claim to comprehend other languages in a written sense.

Ruyan is a case where he grew up only knowing the language of his local community of Uyagiri Au'ra, and had to meticulously learn common Eorzea while living in Kugane. Therefore his Eorzean is often very tense and polite, and he doesn't know how to speak casually or any sort of Eorzean slang unless Ryder teaches him.

And since Ryder came from another world and lived in Limsa Lominsa, shes a native Eorzean speaker who speaks very casually and with slang-filled sentences, and never knew a single word of her own community's (Oronir) language. The Echo thankfully helped her hide this fact when she entered into Ruyan's world and pretended to be a random Au'ra kid whos always been living alongside Ruyan, but in return her sentences outside of common Eorzean sound tense and overly polite because the Echoe does not grant you powers of dialect and culture LOL

how do they show that they care about someone? how do they express that they don't like someone?

no joke Tock will just bite you 👍 She has many ways of showing her dislike to people but the most common tell is that she will go out of her way to bite someone, especially on their hand because she's a lalafell so she often gets touched/petted on her head. She'll also give you weird, obvious stares and not listen to a word you say if she doesn't like you, or interupt you to announce mundane things like that shes hungry or tired. She will also literally just say ''i dont like you'' if you try speaking to her

her love language is the total opposite though, she loves giving random bullshit to people to show her love, like wet sardines she caught or a cool rock she found, or some grass she grabbed off the ground walking by. She'll climb into your lap or grab your hair as well, or specifically disturb your work so that she can eat an orange with you. she's very ''doing things with you/giving you things'' orientated when she shows her affections :]

Ryder is similar where she will just start antagonizing you if she doesn't like you, intentionally riling you up and saying just the meanest things to your face. brushing you off, mocking you, teasing you, etc. She's a huge bully when she doesnt like someone, but on the other side is very much an ''act of service'' type when it coms to those she does love.

shes TERRIBLE at being affectionate or giving compliments, but she'll make you dinner or carry you to bed or wash your clothes when youre asleep as her show of care. She's especially not good with honest, sincere touches, but she's willing to give hugs if it helps the other person feel comforted. She's definitely on the side of ''playfully bully you if she likes you, and awkwardly comforts you when youre sad'' type of affectionate person

Ruyan has horrible problems with affection. downright i could write 900000000000000000000 words about this because its 90% of her lore about how love and affection is something that tortures her every day. Love and affection and the idea of someone caring for her scares the shit out of her so for a good chunk of her life there was no way to differenciate hate and like from her because she'd bottle any and all emotions up and just try to ignore it forever

However its obvious to Ryder (and later Chefant) that Ruyan's little tells for affection is definitely relient on conversation; if Ruyan respects and enjoys you she will often be moe conversive and listen to you, while she's way less likely to listen or be attentive if she doesn't. She lets her mind wander when someone she doesnt really care about is talking, but will be active in a conversation and often speaking a lot more if she cares for you. This might come as like a no-brainer, but my other ocs like Althaea and Tock will often not ''pay attention'' during conversations and do other things like play with a toy or walk around a room, but theyre still listening. However for Ruyan she will drop ANYTHING and stand RIGHT next to you, look you dead in the eye, and not blink for the entire conversation because shes paying attention to everything youre saying and reacts accordingly

Althaea has no hate tells, but shes SUUUUUUPER affectionate and physical. She kisses all her friends and hugs/jumps on them as a greeting, and will often lay in peoples laps/hold their hands/ rest her chin on their shoulder/ lay across them as a sign that she really likes you. She's very handsy with anybody she finds pleasant to be around, but also respects your space if you ask her firmly not to touch you/do certain things ( in my mind i think Themis finds physical contact unpleasant, not for a specific reason and not Althaeas, just the general concept) so Althaea will make sure to keep at least a two-foot distance from him and never touch/hug him, but sometimes he will allow her to kiss his forehead if hes feeling agreeable on certain days.

Otherwise althaea LOVES physical intimacy. She sleeps tucked in bed with Hades holding onto him like koala bear babies do with their parent for no other reason than she wanted to have a bestie sleepover and clings like a motherfucker in her sleep

like she has no distinction between like, intimate touch seen as romantic or platonic so she'll sleep in bed with her best friends or even just a vague aquantince. She loves hugs and kisses and sitting in peoples laps especially. she's basically super easy to read with ''if i want to sit in your lap it means you mean the world to me". Sometimes she reverses it and makes her boyfriend sit in HER lap though. she just loves touching and holding others

[lailanihan]

Hello! I was wondering if you'd be willing to answer a question about the use of Filipino tattoos? I wanted to use some for my d&d npc but I don't want to be insensitive to the culture. The character is a dragon of south east asian descent, and she has a humaonid form that would have the tattoos. I thought it might be nice to have the tattoos to hint she is a dragon, but also for the traditional warrior purpose. Would that be offensive to Filipino culture? I love your art btw, Lailani is cool!

Hey!! This is an awesome question, thanks so much for coming to me about it! Apologies in advance for the really long-ass post, but this is a really important topic to me.

On the topic of Filipino tattooing as a whole:

It’s a practice that was once widespread among many ethnic groups in the Philippines prior to Spanish colonization, each group having their own patterns, meanings, and reasons for tattooing. Post-Spanish contact, much of the practices have since been erased and the idea vilified in modern Filipino society. There are still groups of indigenous Filipinos today who have tattoos and continue to practice, though the art is in danger of dying out due to lack of interest, knowledge, etc. One of the most famed practitioners alive today is Apo Whang-Od, of the Kalinga tribe in the Cordilleras. Many tourists (both local and international) make trips to see her specifically to receive batok (tatoo) from her, so in recent days, its not uncommon anymore for people outside of the culture to wear these marks (though they still are not without meaning and should be held and worn with respect to the history that they hold, much like any cultural tattoo).

Regarding whether or not it is appropriate for a character to have them: I think it is perfectly acceptable to put the tattoos on your character! BUT there are some very important things to keep in mind when doing so.

1. The Philippines, like many places in the world, is not a mono-culture. There are 7,461 islands, and over 120 or so distinct languages (calling them dialects is a disservice, as often times said languages are not mutually intelligible). Do some research into ethnic group influences, figure out what their tattoos looked like specifically and what they mean. Even when tattoos are practiced for beauty reasons alone, certain symbols are commonly used to do said things, and can mean various things even down to where and how they are placed on the body.

2. Much knowledge about pre-colonial tattooing in the Philippines specifically is hard to come by, and a LOT of what we know today about pre-colonial Filipinos is specifically through a colonial lens based on how the Spanish perceived us. Modern Filipinos have done a lot of work at analyzing and reconstructing our own history from this in tandem with oral historical accounts from indigenous groups. Honestly, the interest in the revival of these tattoos has been relatively recent to my understanding, so information changes and is added to regularly!

3. This I think should go without saying, but please please please, take the time to design said tattoos specifically to fit your character, and do not copy the tattoos of someone else 1 for 1! Recurring patterns and pattern placement is fine, but historically, these tattoos across the board have been ways that Filipinos have documented their personal life history + story, and those things show through in their tattoos. You wouldn’t want to wear someone else’s story on your own skin. 

Using Lailani as an example: I’ve changed her tattoos a LOT (and they still continue to change a little bit b/c what is consistency lol) but the primary reason for this is b/c I’m making decisions about what markings I have found fit her that I feel are appropriate for her character’s story, as they don’t exist purely for aesthetic. However, the actual LOOKS of her tattoos are inspired primarily by two groups - the Kalinga, and pre-colonial Visayans. Practically all tattooing practices done in the Visayas have been eradicated thanks to the Spanish, so a lot of it has been guess work + reinterpretation on my end founded on my own research.

TL;DR, it’s perfectly fine to use Filipino tattoos on your character, so long as you are mindful and do your research! I celebrate at the idea of it, because it is a step forward I feel in terms of visibility and I think it helps us in our work to preserve a history that has been all but stolen from us.

that being said, I would love to see the designs that you come up with! I also encourage you to be adventurous with your designs, don’t be afraid to change up placement/flow or break out of what seems to be the bounds of the aesthetics. Lots of cool things can come from that!

[misomilk]

hi :) is it possible to get an answer for all of the country questions? if no, can i pls get the answer to what you think of translations to eng, your fave song in your native tongue and fave author?

Hello~! You’re so sweet, anon. Thanks for giving me something to do to pass the time while I ignore what I’m supposed to do. LOL

This was so much fun to answer. I hope you pick up things about where I’m from. :) Have an awesome day!!!

1. favourite place in your country? I really love El Nido. It’s super pretty, and not so tourist-filled the last time I went. (That was many, many years ago…) The water is so clear. The critical spots for animals are properly preserved. Gosh. It was perfect. :’) Arashi’s Aiba Masaki had gone there HUEHUEHUE Too bad I went like, a year before he did. A year before I ever found Arashi. XD The beaches of the Philippines are really super lovely.

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad? I prefer traveling abroad. I pretty much fly to Japan every chance I get. LOL But if I were to travel with family, yes. I’d rather just kick back and relax in one of our beaches. We went to Coron last time! It was beautiful, too. But El Nido remains my favorite.

3. does your country have access to sea? Yes! We see the sea all over. (laughs over XV joke)

4. favourite dish specific for your country? Oh, boy, oh boy. I gotta name three of them.1) Kare-kare - I guess?? It’s our version of curry but it’s so different from any other curry. It’s peanut-based, normally soupy, with boiled vegetables and (typically) ox tongue. I love my mom’s take on it. Very thick sauce and very peanut-y. * W * She uses normal beef parts bec I dont eat ox tongue.2) Lumpiang Shanghai - this is probs taken from Chinese cuisine but still. Very Filipino in its own way. Always see it in parties. I LOVE IT.3) Adobo - The #1 Filipino dish, probs. I think there’s no “XXX tastes Filipino Food” video out there that doesn’t include this. Every household has its own take on it—white or brown, sweet or salty, soupy or not. I LOVE IT A LOT. Brown, sweet, and soupy, please.

For desserts, I fuckin love leche flan, ube (purple yam) and pichi-pichi.

5. favourite song in your native language? I fucking love “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (The Last El Bimbo) by Eraserheads and “Beer” by Itchyworms. They’re my go-to karaoke songs, and are very much #hugot—which is the word we use for when we “pull out all them feels”, normally related to heartbrokenness. I’m not particularly heartbroken atm, but these songs are just so good.Lately, I’ve been hearing the song “Tagu-taguan” (Hide and Seek) by Bita and the Botflies. I hear it on the radio. I love it coz it gives me such Shiina Ringo vibes.

6. most hated song in your native language? probably that fuckin moshi moshi ano ne song. it makes fun of those japanese words :/ and any song by william revillame (an asshole gameshow host) or used in Eat Bulaga. hayyyyy :/

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?1) takipsilim - deep word for ‘sunset’2) bukang liwayway - deep word for ‘sunrise’3) ulap - lit. ‘cloud’bonus: nakakapagpabagabag - lit. ‘worrisome’ bec it felt like a tongue twister when i was younger. hahahabonus2: maharlika - lit. ‘nobility’ just bec it sounds cool hahaha

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom? strangely, though I am Filipino, I get mistaken (by fellow Filipinos) to either be Chinese, Korean or Japanese. I guess it’s in the way I dress?

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best? I know Japan best. For sure. Haahaha. I have no other nearby country that I want to travel to.

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language? ‘pakshet’, which is just ‘fuck shit’ but said tagalog-like? XD

11. favourite native writer/poet? I’m sadly not well-versed in our native prose. See, it’s hard for me to understand my own language sometimes. :’( But I hear Ricky Lee is very good.

12. what do you think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem? Hmm, strange. I haven’t heard of any English translations of our books, actually???? I think it’d be really cool if there were! But I guess Filipino prose/poetry isn’t popular enough to be translated. XD

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders? I think we have a lot. Like, removing the ring on someone’s finger when you weren’t the one that put it on them means you’ll get in a fight with them. (Personally, I extend it to bracelets. LOL) Or, we can’t take a shower after 3pm on Good Friday bec blood will come out instead of water. xD

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV? No. It has very shallow comedy, or really awful flat storylines. We have really good quality films, but sadly those aren’t the ones that catch attention here. :/

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get? “susmaryosep”, i guess? (Jesus Mary Joseph) Is that considered a saying? Somehow my first thought was: “bababa ba?” (are we going down?) HAHAHA that cracks me up every time it’s used in the elevator when foreigners are around. They get this look like, “… did they really just understand each other?”

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with? I HATE that people assume when we go to other countries it’s either to be prostitutes, caretakers or maids. :/ What do I somewhat agree with……… that we’re cheerful people.

17. are you interested in your country’s history? yes, but idk where to start. I wish I’d listened more carefully back when I was still in high school or college.

18. do you speak with a dialect of your native language? No TWT I want to speak Kapampangan, which my sisters and my dad speak. By the time I was born, we already moved to the city, so, I didnt have the chance to learn it.

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem? The flag, yes. The Anthem, tho there are parts that are iffy, yes.

20. which sport is The Sport in your country? Pacquiao’s boxing. specifically Pacquiao’s boxing. -_- I HATE IT. I wish we had more baseball. I’m glad we’ve been getting more into volleybal in the recent years.

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be? A Filipino treat, like Napoleones or bibingka or ube. And, an abaca fan.

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed? I’m proud of our beaches. They’re seriously so B E A U T I F U L— go north or south. I’m also proud of the Filipino hospitality, although I for one am not so amazing at that bec of my introvert-ness. LOLI’m ashamed of a whole lot of aspects, sadly. Like how a lot are poor, yet we have a fuckton of malls. The government is shit. (Always has been since I can remember.) Many Filipinos are racist, sexist, homophobic bastards that focus on physical wayyy too much. It’s awful. Just. AWFUL.

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country? San Mig or Red Horse beer, I think. I don’t like those tho.

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country? Every other nation aside from ours, I think. :/ If there’s one that sticks out more than others, maybe China.

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country? YES. I’D ANSWER YES IN A HEARTBEAT. HAHAHA I’d so love to be born Japanese instead. Their values really resonate with mine. Sometimes my mom, my bosses and my friends say that I’m a Japanese spirit lost in a Filipino body.

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal? We get portrayed as the shitty English speaker who’s a maid.  I can fuckin speak in an awesome accent, thanks v much. In Japan we’re portrayed as hostesses in a bar and it really disheartens me. I don’t like it at all, but what can we do? sighs

27. favourite national celebrity? uhhhhh She’s not my “favorite” bec I’m not into local showbiz, but I really love seeing Liza Soberano. She’s so pretty (/o\)

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites? YES! I guess my favorite would be Taal Lake, since it’s the one I get to see the most. It’s got a volcano in the middle of the lake!!

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country? uhhh I dont think so

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family? well, technically my family’s a mix of a whole lot of races: Chinese, Spanish, Japanese. Idk if I have American blood, otherwise I’d have the blood of all our conquerors in my system? XDD

Thanks again for asking!!

[darlingstarts]

— " emoji asks 💫 " — ♡

🐰 what is one secret that you’ve never told anyone?

not that i can think of--i am an open book after all.

💗 if you could hug anyone, who would it be?

youngjae? maybe even doug or tom? honestly can’t think of anyone particularly that i can’t go and hug right now anyway lmao.

🐹 what are some of your favourite Pokémon and why?

pikachu, squirtle, charmander, roselia, gyrados off the top of my head. and just for the aesthetic tbh lol. 

🌠 if you were in charge of the world, what would the world look like?

probably a lot more equal since i’m such a strong believer in equality. i am a feminist after all.

👀 what was the most recent vivid dream that you had?

i don’t remember. i think i was working in an airport or a school or something like that? there was lots of people. 

☀️ what do you like the most about your best friend?

she makes me laugh. all the freaking time.

💁 if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back?

probably lmao.

🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)

my personality, my determination, my initiative!

🐾 what are you scared of most? how will you overcome it?

oblivion. never achieving anything in my life. i don’t know--i’m still working on it. 

🎁 what never fails to make you happy?

talking to my friends, watching bap videos, singing and dancing by myself in my underwear.

💙 what annoys you about some people?

arrogance, mostly. 

😤 do you get angry easily?

eh, not really. i think i’m rather patient and understanding.

🐇 what do you always daydream about?

my future family lol. my husband, our kids, what our lives will look like.

🌻 if you could change 3 things about the world what would you change?

the education system, the gender gap, racism. 

✈️ what is your dream city and why?

paris. for all the reasons that everyone loves paris. 

☕️ talk about your ideal day

going outdoors with people that i love. a beach, a hike, anything that lets me feel the sun on my skin and happy in their presence. there would be lots of laughs, lots of memories made and so, so, so many snapchats.

🌸 are you an introvert, ambivert or extrovert?

extrovert, mostly. 

💧 when was the last time you cried?

i cry all the time sooooooooooooo yeah.

🎵 name 5 songs you love at the moment

passionfruit by drake, digital love by hailee steinfield, no more sad songs by little mix, what i like by bruno mars, oh nana by kard.

⚡️ if you had any superpower, what would it be and why?

teleportation--the ability to be anywhere at any moment at the click of my fingers is everything and more.

💛 if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?

everything will work out in the end and it all happens for a reason. stay strong and keep your head up, you are exactly where you are meant to be. and, you know, DO MORE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITES LMAO FUCK UR PARENTS.

💚 who are you jealous of and why?

no one in particular. i’m more so jealous of an idea of people. people who have their lives together and are happy and content with where they are. thats who i’m jealous of.

💎 which one would you rather have more of: intelligence, beauty, kindness, wealth or bravery? why?

intelligence and kindness. everything else will fade.

🙊 what are you ashamed of?

the thoughts and ideas i once held so close as a younger, less mature person. 

🌺 which languages do you know? which do you want to learn?

i know english and a filipino dialect. i would love to learn french, korean and mandarin/cantonese.

🍀 if you could be any fictional character’s best friend/lover, which fictional character would you be?

MR. BINGLEY LOL.

☁️ talk about your dream universe.

equality. no hate. no sadness. happiness and contentment. honestly. no one bothered with worrying about regrets -- people were just upfront about what they wanted in life. that’s ideal. 

💜 which acts of kindness are you going to do today?

not chop anyone’s head off when i could more than definitely do lol.

🐬 if you could transform into any animal/magical creature, what would you be and why?

MERMAID OFC.

🍄 talk about someone/something you really dislike

obnoxious and arrogant and thinks they are the king of everything with no real backing to it.

😣 talk about some things that have been making you depressed/angry/anxious lately

my job and the boy that i think i’m starting to really like but i’m not even sure, hey.

🍪 what did you want to be as a kid, and what do you want to be now?

i wanted to be a doctor and then a dance and now i’m a project manager, so.

🍰 what are some of your favourite sugary foods?

cupcakes and croissants and bagels!!!!!!

🍑 what are you obsessed with?

myself, hehe. i’m kidding. right now? socks. definitely, socks. 

💘 what happens to you when you’re stressed?

i get quiet and try to work through whatever is making me stress -- my job normally. 

😪 what are you sick of?

my job lol.

🙀 are you an adrenaline seeker?

yes and no? depends, really.

💥 what are some unpopular opinions that you have?

not too sure. equality though it really isn't an unpopular opinion. probably the idea that you can stereotype people? i guess you can funnel them all into a particular idea but everyone is different. there isn’t one rule -- everyone, everywhere, is an exception. 

☔️ would you consider yourself a good person?

yes.

😊 what do you like to do as hobbies?

lol. watch movies and tv shows basically.

🎤 what’s the last song you hummed or sang by yourself?

red summer - red velvet

🐝 what’s your worst trait? how are you planning to improve it?

i have this idea of how people should act based on how i want them to act and get really angry when they don't follow. trying to teach myself to be better at accepting peoples actions.

🎨 what do you always doodle when you’re bored?

stars and hearts.

🐻 what’s stopping you from chasing your dreams?

money, disappointing my parents, fear of rejection and failure. normal stuff. 

🌷 what’s your mbti personality and why do you think it suits you?

i was esfj which i thought suited me but lately i’ve moved into enfp which i think is still debatable. i’m both - i don't really like being put into one idea anyway.

👑 who are your favourite celebrities and why?

douglas booth bc he is my baby and cares and he's beautiful. youngjae bc i love him. lots of people but those are the two i can think of now.

🍋 do you consider yourself an emotional person?

oh hell yeah. 

😔 what do you always do when you feel sad? does it help?

i sleep lol. it does but at the same time it doesn't. i cry a lot too which doesn't help so.

😌 what thoughts keep you going when you’re sad?

this isn't the end - things will always get better

🌍 which country do you live in?

australia!

🐧 describe yourself in 3 words

small, lively, loud

🐵 which quotes changed you?

your current fears do not compare to the glory that is to come.

💭 do you keep a diary?

i wish i had the perseverance to keep one, hey.

💫 who inspires you?

people who have their lives together and keep going even when things are hard.

👻 do you believe in ghosts and why?

i do bc its cool lol.

🎀 what’s your fashion sense like?

somewhere between varsity, comfortable, preppy and idk what else. i dress whatever i feel like wearing. 

🎬 what are some of your favourite films?

clueless, hercules, the dark knight, uhhhh and others that i can't remember. 

🐼 if you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

the pope, definitely.