#thank you for coming into my tedtalk

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

This might be long, but also to spoil you... a penny for your Fuegoleon thoughts.

Oh my, oh boy, where to I start? ^^' XD (I'll probably think of at least 10 things to talk about after posting this too), but most certainly!! ^^

So, we know that Fuegoleon is a side character, as much as most other captains are, granted that Yami is more tied to the main cast due to obvious reasons, and for example Nozel, is more central to the plot due to him being siblings with Noelle (and her being a part of the main cast). This is why he's not really focused on in canon. Though anime did give us fillers, in which he and Mereo were more present, but the "anime only" bits divide opinions on if they should be counted towards canon or not. Me? I pick and choose. And that's why I don't, personally, count those strictly to canon, they're more like an extension of canon to me. But they are amusing and it's nice to get more Vermillion content.

In any case, it's because of this, him being a side character, that he seems to be forgotten in terms of character development in canon, and I presume that this is why he still doesn't have a spirit dive form. Which is unfortunate, though it has crossed my mind if there is a problem of finding a union style that would suit both the Lion thematic along with the Dragon thematic. But. That's more so of personal pondering than anything concise, since I've been struggling with it myself, and if there was a Spirit Dive form given to him, I think it'd probably be one that should look different from a Devil Union one with horns and a tail and so forth, because devils are an important part of canon, and one doesn't want to go mixing the two. Or mistaking the dragon theme to a devil theme.

And I don't think that anything devilish -looking quite fits his personality, which is very lawful good leaning.

Fuegoleon is a character who wants to do good. And I think that he is good. He is a good man, who puts up with so much from the system and the people around him, and is guided by a strict and unwavering moral code that rises from his own values and beliefs. He is someone who is loyal to himself, as well as the system, I think. And it's because he is still loyal to that inner moral code, that I think he just went along with William keeping his job. Because, I cannot imagine how Fuegoleon can trust William, let alone the system.

We are talking about someone who has been serving law and order for his entire life. He has been striving to be a good captain, and serve the country he lives in, and I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch to say that he's the type of a person to say something along the lines of "as a leader of a country, your duty is to your people first and foremost". So, if you are in a person of authority, in his mind, you are a servant of the people, in a way. And what William did, was purposefully endanger every single person in the kingdom, all because he couldn't choose between a friend and a country. Though he can maybe try, and probably has tried, to reason to himself why William would have had trouble deciding, I don't think he ultimately does. It will always be a puzzle to him. It will always just be a bad decision no matter what. And this is putting aside his personal loss due to what Patri did, for which William is to blame because William allowed for this.

I dwelled into Fue's thoughts about what it meant to hear that William is allowed to stay as a Captain in my first 2021 Whumptober piece, and I still very much think that those are the emotions he's went through. I think that he blames himself for losing control of the situation, because it wasn't long before that moment that he was talking to Noelle about how a moment of hesitation on a battlefield can mean the difference between life and death. So, even if William is to blame for it ultimately, he could have avoided a lot by keeping a level head in the situation, and it was that moment that almost cost him his life, and did cost him an arm. And I think that, on some level, he considers his arm as a badge of shame that it out for all to see. Because it is a symbol of how he failed in a line of duty. Though I like to think of it as a symbol of how he survived. But if we think about how it makes him feel, I can't help but think that he does also consider himself as accountable as to how badly things went.

This brings us into how he must feel about the system. Because he is serving law and order though on a different fronts as the Kiras (or Damnatio at least), and the system failed him. The system decided that he doesn't need justice, or at least Julius decided that he doesn't need any justice. I can't imagine how much of a toll that must've been on him. Because this man has been loyal, and still is loyal to Clover, but Clover isn't being loyal to him. And loyalty is something that is supposed to go both ways. It's being betrayed on a whole new level. It's like William stabbed him in the back and Julius, because it just wasn't enough, went and twisted that knife. I don't know, quite frankly, how he hasn't snapped already.

There are so many people that owe him an apology and/or thank you for his service and patience. Honestly, him and Marx might just as well flip the table and retire to BC Bahamas. But he is a man of honour and responsibility.

And I think that he's a very... stiff man too. He does have a spine, and is highly compassionate, with a lot of passion. And he is smart. He is devoted, driven, and he means well. But sometimes, I think, especially when it comes to training methods, he can be rather unimaginative. That I think is one of his weaknesses. And that is why Leo hasn't grown as much as possible with his help, because he's teaching Leo techniques that helped Fue himself while growing up; and doing so in the shadow of a brilliant older sister who was just... a genius when it came to magic, because she didn't need a teacher or a tutor, she was able to find her own way, while he relied on books and teachings or others along with rigid training. He takes the advice and information he is given, and applies it to the best of his knowledge in the context of all other information he possesses, evaluating what is useful and/or true. But he did grow in Mereo's shadow.

He is a poised, private man, who, I think, wants to keep his private life private. He's not flamboyant, despite being a fire mage, and that I think can be seen in his attire too, which is rather modest. There isn't a lot of skin on display, and I think it'd be a cold day in Hell when he was seen in anything revealing outside of the hot springs. So, he's a little bit about mystery as well. And it's not about being ashamed either, because he is a proud person (in the best possible way), he simply thinks that the public doesn't need to know/see everything. So, one could say that he is rather conservative in that aspect. But he is compassionate and tolerant. People live very different lives from his own, and he's not the one to decide what's right for them, and he knows that. Though of course there is the matter of upkeeping order, and following laws and governing the country, but that's a different matter entirely.

He also has expectation to those close to him, and he wants to help people to the best of his ability to reach the goals they have. But he is also understanding. And I do think that he understands the importance of taking time off and relaxing from time to time. Quite simply because he takes long bath sessions from time to time, so he's no stranger to time for yourself.

When it comes to his motivations about becoming the WK, I genuinely do think that he wants to lead the country forward. And I do think that he'd be a good king. It might be a life long dream, and a job he has looked forward to because he admires the kings that came before, but I do think that he is in the rivalry for the title, so that he could have an, even more concrete and widespread, impact into how things are. Because he acknowledges Asta early on, I think he's a spokesperson for a world where your heritage doesn't dictate what you can and can't do. And perhaps this is because of this own family history (cue the theories about Vermillions being relatively new additions into the royal families, as well as Witch Queen Vermillion, that were discussed in detail in 2021/2022).

What else, what else...? Because there is something else, surely.

Oh, and he is fiercely protective. Of course he is. He is the king among lions. Actually, I think that all of the (especially Fire Vermillions) are fiercely protective. This is seen in Mereoleona during the entire time when Fuegoleon was in a coma, and Mereo was on a warpath. When Leo was stated to be under attack from the Dark Triad in Heart, Fue was boiling, and Leo stood up to Mereo when it came to Fue's leading style. Which is something no one else would have dared to do, to be the first to speak up. I think that they are people who, might not necessarily readily show it, but they care immensely. He is more about heart than brain, and he is the smartest captain.

Generally, I don't think Fue gets enough love (but I am biased, I know), I think that he doesn't get enough justice, and I want to see William apologizing from him. I think that he is a very genuine person. He stands up for what he believes in, is very driven and devoted. He is humble, and prideful. He's also entitled, because he is royalty, but it doesn't mean that he wouldn't have his heart in the right place. He wants the best to the people, and I wouldn't blame him for flipping the table for all the wrong that has been done onto him. People are just testing his patience in my opinion.

People are testing the patience of a good man, and we all know, that demons run for cover when a good man goes to war.

Thank you for the question ^^

[tired-fandom-ndn]

Controversial opinion but we need to apply anti-cringe culture shit to "edgy" art too. Like songs/poems/art/etc are not bad just because they're angry or sad or otherwise emotional and they're not bad for dark and violent. So much "edgy" stuff is just explorations of dark topics and/or mentally ill people working through shit via art.

Cringe culture isn't just bad when it's applied to positive expressions of emotion, it's also bad when applied to the angry and sad shit too. Let people be angry and sad in their art. It's fine.

[wolfythewitch]

Aphrodite

[buggachat]

tbh I really like the idea of married Adrien and Marinette adopting their kids. Both because it's kind of a flex on Gabriel and Emilie (who thought that the appropriate response to difficulty conceiving was to hunt down ancient magical artifacts and then create a magical son that they could puppeteer and control...... because adoption/surrogates were apparently.... beneath them. or something.) but also because I just think it'd be really cute.

Like, imagine Ladybug and Chat Noir, heroes of Paris, adopting Parisian orphans. imagine Marinette and Adrien struggling to get on the good side of a "difficult" traumatized child who used to spend their days in the foster system fantasizing about Ladybug and Chat Noir saving them without realizing the new parents trying to connect with them rn ARE Ladybug and Chat Noir. Imagine them fostering kids themselves and just being A+ stellar parents between Adrien's patience and Marinette's attentiveness and both of their affection. idk I just think there's a lot there and it could be sosososo sweet

[juice-enjoyer]

v1 is a cat lover to me

[calculust-prime]

My opinions on Umemiya Hajime must be viewed as a triplicate. Please consider the following:

Umemiya, hair back and jacket on: A threat. The strongest. The leader. Not looking for smoke, but ready to scrap. Don't make him repeat himself.

Ume-nii, hair back and no coat: Oldest brother. Plant dad. Always tells you when you did a good job. Will protect you. Sends you plant pictures. Vegetable enthusiast.

Hajime, hair down and no coat: The bestest most gentlest boy to ever exist. He's just a lad. Pacifist. Love, not war. Don't touch him. Must protect his smile. Too good for this world. He's so excitable. Just look at him. 😭

Thank you for your time.

[tokenducks]

My hottest take is gender bend/ fem Charles should be named Charlotte and not Charlie. Charles doesn’t go by Charlie so why would Charlotte.

[sunshineandwhiteroses]

Sejanus was definitely a physical manifestation of Coryo's good conscience. Sejanus represented kindness and innocence that borders on ignorance due to his upbringing, the same upbringing that Coriolanus should have had, if his father hadn't died. Sejanus lingers around, annoying Coryo with his goodness that reminded me of an angel on your shoulder.

And then we have this scene that I just can't stop thinking about where we can see how Coriolanus is not quite at Dr. Gaul's level regarding her ideas about the Hunger Games, but they're the only ones standing. She literally comes down to his level to hear his ideas. And in between them, Sejanus. She asks him what he thinks the Hunger Games are for and his answer in this moment doesn't satisfy her, and then when Sejanus dies, the barrier dissolves, and he knows the answer she wants and sets himself up to become her.

[acabspocky]

[bayleafpaprika]

thinking about how Oda chosing Luffy, a pirate, to be the protagonist of One Piece may be one of the most brilliant story moves by any shonen mangaka ever. by virtue of its main character being an in-world criminal, OP naturally lends itself to becoming a story about the exposure of a society festering with corruption for what it really is, and the dismantling of a dystopia and its propagandist facade. you simply do not get a story like that with a shonen protagonist who conforms to or tolerates the shitty system they're born into

[tuktukpodfics]

The Problem With "Dao Swords": My love-hate relationship with pleonastic translations

An essay that no one asked for.

A lot of fanfics call Zuko’s broadswords “dao swords.” As a Chinese to English translator, this phrase makes me pause every time. Here is my humble opinion on “dao swords” and other pleonastic translations:

What the heck is a pleonastic translation?

I’m so glad you asked! “Pleonasm” is a fancy term for a redundant phrase, like “black darkness” or “burning fire.”

A pleonastic translation is a phrase that puts the source language and the translation back-to-back. A common example is “chai tea” which literally means “tea tea.”

“Dao swords” is a pleonastic translation. “Dao” 刀 is the Chinese blanket term for blade. The phrase basically means “sword swords.” Sounds pretty silly, right?

Pleonastic translations are bad?

I think it depends on your audience, the text purpose, and how special the word is.

In advertising, pleonastic translations can help increase a product’s searchability. Ex: “Longjing Dragonwell tea” would appear in a Google search for either “longjing” or “dragonwell.”

Tourist destinations often use pleonastic translations to help foreigners navigate. Ex: “Nanzhan South Station” on a map helps foreigners know what the place is, but also gives them the Chinese pronunciation so that they can communicate with their taxi driver.

In literature, a pleonastic translation is a succinct way to introduce a culturally significant term without a footnote or distracting tangent. A lot of translators will sneak in a pleonastic translation the first time the word appears in a text, and then use the untranslated term alone every time after. Ex: "He slouched on the kang bed-stove. His grandmother sighed and took a seat on the kang too.”

Is "dao" a culturally significant word?

No.

Dao is a super mundane word used to describe any kind of single-edged blade, from butter knives to ice skates. It feels weird to keep such a normal word untranslated. Using the Chinese word emphasizes its foreignness. They’re not just swords, they’re special, Chinese swords. 

Yes, words take on different meanings as they pass from culture to culture. That’s how language works. But English is also a unique case. Because of imperialism. I think English speakers have an obligation to avoid exotifying every-day words.

Also, English is a global language. Chinese speakers are reading your translation, and…I dunno...“sword swords” feels off putting. Disruptive.

But I want to acknowledge the real-life culture behind the swords

Giving credit to the cultures that you're borrowing from is an A+ idea.

...I don't know how to do this in a fantasy setting.

Zuko’s swords and fighting style is based on oxtail sabers (牛尾刀）and Shaolin dual broadswords (少林双刀). @atlaculture has a very cool post on oxtail sabers. But calling his swords "oxtail sabers" doesn't work because cows don't exist in atla. Shaolin is a type of martial arts that originates from Shaolin temple in Henan, China (Shaolin itself literally means “young forest”). But you can’t call them “Shaolin broadswords," since Shaolin does not exist in the Fire Nation.

It’s quite a pickle.

Maybe just use a footnote?

So what should I call Zuko’s swords?

I don’t know.

I think you can just call them broadswords. That’s what the TV show calls them.

Dao by itself could work too if you need to differentiate Zuko's dao from Sokka's jian (double-edged blade). Readers can probably figure out what dao means from context.

If it’s not clear from context what dao means? *sigh* ..."Dao swords" it is, I guess.

To end on a happier note, here is a video of Chang Zhizhao busting some sweet moves.

[solarpunkani]

I made an iNaturalist group/project for Naturalists of Color!

Why? I don't know, I just thought it'd be fun! I know Projects, at least as far as I know, don't really have much of a Chatting Feature or anything along those lines, but I thought it might be nice to see IDs from other people on the site and feel a sense of community about it.

Maybe I'm being too soft about The Pictures of Creatures site, but so often I'm made to feel that being interested in gardening and nature to the extent that I am is Weird, too Nerdy, Too White, and this is all on top of the general safety concerns pushed onto exploring and admiring nature while Black (in my case). I thought a group like this would be a nice reminder that, hey, people of color can be avid naturalists too. Or just starting out, or just finding cool bugs and wanting to share! It's all welcome!

[tired-fandom-ndn]

"I'm scared of what predators might do if we acknowledge preteen sexuality."

It is a proven fact that teaching children about their bodies and about sexuality, providing them with safe resources to explore and ask questions, and giving them the language to describe their experiences and feelings and anatomy makes them less vulnerable to abuse and more likely to ask for help when they ARE being abused, mainly because they actually know how to describe it and why it's wrong.

"Protect the children" narratives overwhelmingly hurt children instead and make them way more vulnerable to abusers. Puberty doesn't stop just because you plug your ears and pretend it's not happening, and kids without safe resources and places to ask questions will go look for that information somewhere else.

[wolfythewitch]

Diomedes

[the-maddened-hatter]

Look this might be kinda dumb but I'm going to post it anyway:

I've been watching a bit FOPANW, I never really watched the original growing up, but I've seen a little bit of it in YouTube and NW looked cute so I was like "yeah sure, why not?" and it's cute & fun, I like it pretty well.

I like Peri, he's neurotic & stylish and I like that in a character

but I have a hc/propaganda to share for him even though it's not *ever* going to be canon- I think his wand/cane should genuinely be some kind of mobility device either for when he's not floating or that in some way helps when he floats.

Like I know it's just for style and to reference the original rattle, but I think it'd be cool if he had some magical medical reason for it, and it'd tie in kinda well with the overprotectiveness of his parents

[desos-records]

the moments in the Lockwood and Co show that really break my heart are the ones where Lockwood’s armor cracks. god bless the actor, his expressions are so subtle but convey so much.

you see it a little when he’s asking Lucy if she’ll take the job (if she’ll stay), then a little with Kipps (telling Lucy not to stay), a bit when his charming words, a weapon as real as his rapier, fail completely on Barnes

but the first real break happens when Lucy’s possessed because he’s completely unprepared for this and it has nothing to do with the ghost and everything to do with how she’s touching his face and how she’s looking at him (like she loves him, like she means it when she says that). and worse, how she’s asking him not to hurt her (he’s afraid he will one day)

then again when Barnes tells Lockwood to fire Lucy (that he won’t be able to let her stay), probably because there’s no one to see his face. his mask shoots right back up as soon as he turns around. 

and again when Lucy threatens to quit

“we need you [I need you].” 

“why?” 

“because [it’s too soon to tell you this] because you’re [someone I already can’t stand the thought of losing] you’re Lucy Carlyle [and you make everything better]”

you see it a little after they blow up the well, but it looks more like a strange sort of relief than a break (Lucy and George are safe) and all he needs is a little grounding (holding Lucy’s hand). the real one happens when Fairfax calls his bluff and points a gun at him, not because of the gun, not really, but because his words can’t protect him (but Lucy can)

when he apologizes to Lucy for yelling at her (hiding how rattled he was by George’s comment about his feelings for her), his armor doesn’t break so much as he sets it down on purpose this time. he can’t stand the thought of hurting her and if he has to come out from behind his mask to make amends (if that’s what it takes for her to stay), he will

there are cracks all over his armor when Winkman threatens him (because his words mean nothing here), but it shatters when he threatens Lucy. he’s begging this man to kill him for the chance that Lucy lives. and oh, when Winkman says he’ll kill Lockwood first so he won’t have to watch her die (his words don’t just fail to protect him, they fail to protect her)

and you can see that part of him wants to set it down when Lucy asks him why he was so so quick to die for her, but he just managed to pull it back together and the wound is too raw. he understands that she’s angry with him (and he cannot stand that), but I’m not sure he understands why. because it doesn’t occur to him that she cares about him too (that she cannot stand the thought of losing him). all he can process right then is that Lucy’s alive and she’s angry with him, but at least she’s safe now

from the beginning he’s constantly trying to make sure she’s safe, but he’s more and more obvious about it. it isn’t George saying Lockwood’s in charge, not her, that gets him moving (he could barely sit still as it is), it’s the reminder that she’s in danger and he’s not there to make sure she’s safe. he was fully prepared to break down that basement door if it meant rescuing her. he grounds her the best way he knows how (the way his hand runs down her forearm before he holds her hand) and tells her

“we’ve got you now [I’m here].”

“you’re safe now, okay? you’re with us. [I’ll make sure you’re safe].”

there’s still more hairline fractures when he sees Lucy with Kipps, when he sees her with Fittes. which is why he gives her the necklace. the thought of her maybe choosing someone else sends him running to tell her how important she is to him (as clumsy as it is) and ask her to stay. it’s not as outright as before because it’s not just them, it’s everything he’s threatened by

“I can’t compete with this [with someone else for your favor]”

the worst of it, of course, is around the auction. before it starts, the DEPRAC agent sees right through him, giving Lockwood a painful reminder of his age (which he tries to act above) with one hand

and when he and Lucy are fighting, he pushes her away, would’ve charged in there alone, but she stays (it’s much too real now). she calls him out and his armor fails him, but he still can’t seem to process her point. he thinks just being around him (much less getting close to him) will hurt her. failing to understand that losing him would hurt her (and it is far too late to turn back)

and then after, when the DEPRAC agent dies and Lockwood is so quick to blame himself, it isn’t just a break. he loses all of it. his center is on full display, his fear and his bleeding heart. he can barely stand.

he still reaches out to Lucy to ground himself (because when he can’t protect himself, she does) and she’s so forceful with her feelings for him. she’s not gently touching his face, but holding his head and jarring him back to present (which is the real way Lucy loves). he can’t hold onto her properly or even look at her, but she’s the one who gives him back his armor. she presses their foreheads together and he takes a breath and he starts to build it back up

it’s ramshackle and unsteady, but it’s back by the time they step out of the car. it’s still nothing against Lucy. and he realizes here, as she’s walking away from him, what she’s been trying to tell him

so by the time he quietly steals into the kitchen, he’s left it behind again, because he’s learning that he doesn’t need it with Lucy (it’s hardly protection if it’s hurting her). this is his center too, the part full of love, and it’s no mistake that it happens in the kitchen, the center of their house. and he’s more honest than he’s ever been

“don’t give up on me.”

“the bottom of the thames used to be a far more appealing place to be.”

“and really no one would have cared.”

“but now... [now there’s you and you care and I won’t hurt something you care about].”

and of course it does come back during the final fight (it is a survival instinct after all) and when he’s collapsing, in pain, afraid (old habits don’t go away overnight). but Lucy and George push back before he goes too far

“this isn’t how you die.”

“how do you know?”

“we won’t let you.”

“never.”

he’s in a place where he can start healing (now that the wound’s been cleaned out), which is why he opens the door. because, yes, his armor is useful, but he doesn’t need it with George and Lucy