#there's NO OTHER WAY some of these lines can be interpreted

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello Miss Raven!! So it’s unfortunately a pretty well known fact that the TWST English translation has a bad habit of botching important dialogue and lore, and even removing lines altogether, and I saw a reblog a day ago regarding that.

The original post was a fact sheet on Leona & how he interacts with women (alongside other stuff but that’s besides the point). And the reblog I was looking at was saying that the English translation just makes it sound like he’s a feminist, when it’s implied in the original JP game that the beastwomen tend to be more aggressive, giving Leona a reason to be afraid of them. And that reminded me that on the TWST fandom wiki under Leona’s trivia he said he’s intimidated by them, and every time I see that I remember that just can’t seem to find that detail at all anywhere in the English game.

So I wanted to ask you what did the original JP game say about how male and female beastmen interact with each other and why Leona would be cautious around them? Because this is a piece of info that I really would have liked to see in ENG, and I’m kind of annoyed I didn’t know about this before.

I believe this is the Leona lore post you’re referring to? Both TWST wikis (the fandom one and the .gg one) state the same trivia point about Leona being “intimidated” by beastwoman. I’m assuming this is where the reblogger picked up the idea of beastwomen being more “aggressive”, and this being Leona’s reasoning for being “intimidated” by them.

In a nutshell, the claims of Leona being a feminist only in EN + beastwomen aggression and Leona being intimidated by that is not true. The “Leona is a feminist” take was around long before the official English localization, and that’s because the Japanese text also has Ruggie (Leona Ceremonial Robes vignettes) and Cater (Cater’s School Uniform vignette) commenting that Leona is “nice” and “respectful” to women. To claim that they made Leona feminist in the localization is false. They never use the word “feminist” in JP or EN though; the label came from the fandom interpreting this bit of lore as Leona being more considerate of women.

As for the reasoning! Leona states in his Ceremonial Robes vignettes that “[Beastwomen are] already way stronger than us. Goin’ against them only brings more trouble.” I believe that someone probably misunderstood that second line of dialogue as Leona fearing the strength/aggression of beastwomen. He never actually indicates or implies that he feels that way. However, these vignettes being cited for the trivia on the wiki likely led to some confusion.

So if Leona isn’t afraid of beastwomen and their physical fitness, how is that second line supposed to be interpreted? Well, let’s think about his character. Leona is a smart guy. He dislikes having to put forth effort into pointless things, especially if he can plan ahead and avoid it. As I tend to say whenever I talk about his Big Brain Cells, Leona likes to work smarter, not harder. Again, look at this line:

“Goin’ against them only brings more trouble.”

It’s likely Leona just wanting to appease his sister-in-law to avoid having to deal with the fallout of not fulfilling her request. It would otherwise be a pain to deal with—and we’ve seen Leona act in various ways to avoid such pains. For example, he goes to Playful Land with Jack to make sure his dorm member comes back alright (or else Leona is responsible for the consequences), purposefully not choosing a vice dorm leader so he doesn’t have someone to challenge his authority, and generally has convenient excuses prepared to get out of things he doesn’t want to do.

If we want to think of it from another angle, this better fits what we already know of Leona’s cunning. He knows when to call it quits and make a strategic surrender. The most notable example of this occurs early in book 6, when he stops fighting Styx agents and willingly gives himself up to them. He also throws in the towel in book 2 and refuses to play because he already knows that his team is destined to lose to Malleus since they didn’t succeed in eliminating him beforehand. In the situation with Leona’s sister-in-law asking for a picture of him in his robes, Leona is acquiescing because that’s just the smart thing to do. Why even argue if he knows it won’t be fruitful? It’s wasted effort.

I would like to add that physical strength isn’t even the only factor here. Ruggie points out in one of his Chats that “Girls have both the grit and the camaraderie to triumph when the goin’ gets tough.” Grit refers to courage or resolve. The latter, resolve, lends credence to the idea that beastwomen are also determined or strong-willed. In which case… yeah, I don’t think they’d back down from an argument/verbal fight or a physical one.

If we circle back to the previous paragraph, it supports the interpretation that Leona giving in to what his sister-in-law wants is the result of him wanting to avoid a pointless and prolonged fight if he refuses. Cuz like… why waste that time and energy to come out of it with nothing, right?

If it was true that Leona listens to what women day only because he’s actually scared of beastwomen, then that doesn’t explain his interactions with non-beastwomen. Why would he agree to attend a party for an enchanted portrait (Rosaria), which has no means of harming him? He agreed to the proposition as soon as he heard Rosaria is a lady; there didn’t need to be a threat or significant verbal pushback for him to go. As Leona states in Cater’s School Uniform vignette, “Portrait or not, I respect ladies and Rosaria is a lady.” (I think the reblogger may have been confused and was actually referring to THIS line being made “more feminist” in EN. In JP, Leona says something closer to, “Even if it’s a portrait, a woman is a woman.” JP does not have the “I respect ladies” portion.)

Sooo, in conclusion… Leona agreeing to do as his sister-in-law says does not necessarily mean he is intimidated by beastwomen; as I’ve explained, there is an alternate explanation with evidence in canon: he wants to avoid pointless hassle.

I hope this helps to clear things up ^^ I know the localization isn’t exactly perfect, but let’s take care to not assume changes or mistranslations!

[pubbamoon]

Hi!! I just came across your account and I have a huge difficulty with interpreting Matrix of Destiny, can you just share some thoughts of mine? Anddd maybe recommend some materials for learning a little bit, I don’t find much stuff on internet. Thank you sm 🫶🏻

Hi! Thanks for trusting me and asking me this question. Sorry for later response of mine, I was busy with my private life. Nevermind, let's just get into your Destiny Matrix chart!

As I always say, number at the center in the Matrix of Destiny is the most important number in your chart, representing who you are. This number, which is placed in a yellow circle, is associated with the Solar Plexus chakra, which is related to confidence, power and identity. You have number 3 at the center of your chart, making The Empress card the prominent theme in your life, since it's a 3rd card in Major Arcana Tarot deck. In numerology, number 3 is being ruled by Jupiter, the planet of luck, expansion, idealism and spirituality. This might make you an optimistic type of person who looks life in an ideal way. The Empress card makes you a creative and joyful individual who seeks pleasure in life. It seems to me that you might have a potential to lead an abundant life. You may also have a natural feminine energy within yourself. Take it how it resonates.

There's another four numbers that are super important in your chart and these are number 11 (Strength) on the left side of your chart (your day of birth), number 6 (The Lovers) on the upper side of your chart (your month of birth), number 7 (The Chariot) on the right side of your chart (your year of birth) and number 6 (The Lovers) on the bottom side of your chart (your life path). While looking at your Destiny Matrix chart, I can say that you were born on June 11th, your year of birth might be 2014, 2005, 1996 or 1987 and your Life Path number in numerology is 6. Both of your day of birth and your month of birth (11 and 6) are placed in your Crown chakra (purple-colored circles), representing your spiritual journey and mission, while your year of birth and your Life Path number (7 and 6) are connected with your Root chakra (red-colored circles), representing your stability, foundation and how you ground yourself.

Number 11 (Strength) and number 6 (The Lovers) being placed in your Crown chakra signifies that you're a courageous person who strives to achieve your full potential (Strength) and you're also a communicative type of person who likes to be with others (The Lovers). Number 17 (The Star) is also important for the state of your Crown chakra, meaning that you may be a creative individual who gives hope to other people.

Number 7 (The Chariot) and number 6 (The Lovers) in your Root chakra may signify that in order to ground yourself and to build a foundation of yours, it might be helpful to take some action and make movements (The Chariot), while also making connections with others and being a good communicator (The Lovers). Number 13 (Death) is also significant for the state of your Root chakra, meaning that leaving the old things or beliefs aside and starting something completely new might be crucial for your stability and foundation.

Your love line is the 9-10-19 code, making the number 10 (Wheel of Fortune) the most important number for your love life. That means your partner might be optimistic person who gives you luck in your life. But the Wheel of Fortune card isn't always about luck, it's about cycles too, about the things in our life we cannot control. Because of that, you may have a luck with your love life based on your external circumstances, something like that. Other numbers signify the some sort of isolation because of your partner (9 - The Hermit), but also joyful and beautiful times with your partner (19 - The Sun).

Your money line is 19-11-10, making the number 11 (Strength) as the most important number here. This might mean that you could be successful as a CEO or a businessperson, because the Strength card is about having a courage and strength to lead. You might also work as a vet, since in the Strength card, the woman is taking care of an animal. Number 19 (The Sun) also signifies a career in business and leading the others, but the number 10 (The Wheel of Fortune) reveals that you success in career is based on your external circumstances.

Speaking of materials and how to learn this, it's interesting, but also strange to me how almost everybody struggles to find informations about the Matrix of Destiny system, because I find them without any problems. But I'll say that if you learn the meaning of numbers and Tarot cards from Major Arcana, then it's going to be easier to understand the concept of the Matrix of Destiny. I've spent years of learning and understanding of numerology and Major Arcana deck before I knew Matrix of Destiny exists, which helped me to read the Destiny Matrix charts.

The materials I'll recommend if you want to learn more about the Matrix of Destiny system are some YouTube channels and one website based on the Matrix of Destiny.

The Om World

Anastasiia - Matrix of Destiny

thematrixofdestiny.com

Okay, I think that would be everything for your Destiny Matrix chart reading. I didn't say everything about your chart, but I didn't want to make it too detailed. If you have any other questions about your Destiny Matrix chart, you can ask me privately or book a private reading with me. I hope you can resonate with this reading of yours. I wish you had a great week ahead.

Best regards, Paky McGee

[gracemain919]

The Priest (oc) and “Mother” (oc) really short story:

(The Fungus universe)

Tw: Yandere, Mentions of religion and corruption, slight infantilization like if you squint.

(quick writing there might be many mistakes)

A Beautiful Pendant

In a classy theater, you stood, dim lights hiding away the packed crowd that was very intent on watching the show. You hid behind the curtains only taking small peeks towards the performers that twisted and twirled telling a story you were all too familiar with.

The woman in the act raised her body getting on her tippy toes before circling a man in the middle. The man seemed unbothered by her looks, a mask hiding away any reaction he may be showing. Even with her hands on his shoulders, he didn't flinch.

She appeared graceful; thanks to the white flowy dress of fabric that overlapped with the floor. It made it seem like she was dancing over a quiet river of white by the way it flowed perfectly along with each of her movements.

She tried to move him. She tried to guide his limbs gently. A small tug on the arm, a delicate push on his leg. She was acting like a mentor, but he wouldn’t follow. The man pushed her aside before going to his own part of the show. Raising his hands like a magician, he kneeled on the ground while grabbing an odd pendant.

You could yawn… you have seen the show before. You’ve seen the way people interpret the story and they always get so close to the actual truth, but never quite there. The audience has their theories or are just rich folk who want to see a visually pleasing performance. Either way, neither parties will understand.

Sometimes, you can’t find the fine line between truth and exaggeration either.

Not even when the older man curled the pendant between his fingers manipulating the string tight in his grasp. He raised his fist to his face whispering something to the trinket before placing it on the idle circle that was carved into the floor.

The woman never really stopped moving, but when she saw the object she acted surprised, placing her hands on her chest and walking closer to the circle with curiosity. She acted so interested in this foreign object while the man kept his mask tight and secure.

She didn't kneel unlike the older man, but soon others passed you. Other performers quickly exited the curtain to surround this useless trinket. They all were transfixed by it-

Shit, the lights were turned off… Now it’s your turn.

Swift hands grabbed you in the darkness promptly pulling you on the stage and before you knew it you were laid in the circle. A special spotlight flashed on your face as your particular black clothing made a deep contrast with the other woman. The whiteness in her outfit flowed away as they all focused on you.

You weren't completely engulfed, no, they still had an audience to entertain so there was a direct hole where you could see the crowd act just as shocked or amused as the actors. However, the ones that weren't looking did become nosy when the older man lifted you to your knees. The members broke the circle, leaving you more exposed to the crowd, and you couldn't do anything but stay still.

Still, you couldn't move when his fingers lingered on your form as if you were a delicate object, heck even a being. He treated you with such softness as if you were a god while he raised you to your feet.

Now the humiliating part….

With bated breath you allowed your body to be manipulated as he made you follow each of his movements in a short dance. If he raised his hand then you can bet yours is tied along. If he moved to the side, a firm grip on your torso would soon follow. You were puppeteered just as much as you were watched upon in amazement.

The crowd loved it, some clapping while others gave their silent approval… all for you. Even when the white doe-like woman remained ignored letting your forgettable color shine. She just smiled towards you when she stood with the others as you were forced to dance. You practically stole the spotlight from her, but she was just an ‘actor’. She was acting as if she was such a pure thing when in reality she was darker than the clothes you were wearing.

[voxpraxis]

me before playing the game: i mean i get the appeal of sebastian x ominis but it's kinda tired how fandom will ship any two guys who happen to be friends even if their relationship is purely platonic

me after playing the game: oh these guys are actually literally fucking

[lovelyrotter]

can we all remember to just say 'oh no thank you, i dont like that kind of food' but apply that logic and rules to shipping and letting other people ship again

[averlym]

i have been thinking about this lyric all day 

[artful-peculiarities]

I uh. Finished the first chapter draft for Ouroboros. Little sneak peaks below the cut I suppose.

“Deep down, you know that something has changed. You can’t quite put your finger on it yet.

-

That’s what it is. You’re alive.

-

Death does not always mean an end. It is simply a pit stop on a very long highway. You still have many miles to travel.

It is best if you get back in your car and begin to drive again.

-

How long can you take it? The way you have a mouth but no voice to speak through.

Can you take it?

-

You realize you are being rebuilt. It is uncomfortable and itchy knowledge. You feel it in the prickling numbness at the tips of your fingers, the eternal ache in your temples, and most of all, you fear.

Your aches and pains are all fear.

You are no longer human.”

[sskk-manifesto]

:)

[lisbonsteresa]

knees weak, arms are heavy

[orcelito]

Revealing myself as a 98 vashmeryl truther by how I write vash and meryl's interactions in itnl

[waywardsalt]

Linebeck is the Maui to Link's Moana. Or more accurately the Peter B Parker to Link's Miles Morales. He could have the most interesting and heroic past, but he has the vibes of Just Some Guy. I'd kill for a game set after Phantom Hourglass (but before Spirit Tracks) where we learn more about Linebeck's history, and how it plays into his newfound parental relationship with Link

Linebeck being more or less Just Some Guy compared to Link being this weirdly competent pre-teen is a fun part of their dynamic a lot of the time. There is a lot of time between PH and ST and that obviously is an opportunity for more storytelling between those characters, plus considering that we have very limited information on Linebeck's history or... anything, exploring him further is always a lot of fun, and could make for an interesting subject for anything before or after PH (or during), and further going into his relationship and dynamic with Link has a lot of potential for... a lot of different stuff!

[ninjasmudge]

[slides in]

hope youre doing well, this is your excuse to talk about something you've been waiting for someone to ask about, any topic

THIS IS YOUR FAULT FOR MAKING ME THINK ABOUT TRANSFORMERS AGAIN its one of my favourite franchises bc there are really NOT MANY characters who i am neutral on or dont like. ive singled out dozens of tf characters over the years to be the fave for a bit and rotated them in my brain for a few months, its actually easier to list the characters that i dont like than the ones i do. i do have some favs but theres stil like. 10 that i couldnt choose between. probably soundwave, sunstreaker, ratchet, vortex, deathsaurs, tracks, steeljaw (rid), spinister (idw), perceptor, fort max, skywarp, thATS MORE THAN 10 ALREADY BUT U GET IT

i actually have 5-6 a4 notebooks just FULL of transformers drawings, little comics of g1 episodes and character designs and stuff, its all from a few years ago before i started digital art but i should really redraw some of it bc ill never get tired of transformers.

and actually, i was wondering what to draw today so MAYBE some transformers stuff. i loved g1 for how absolutely insane it was, ive never seen a show with so many lines said like jokes that were just. not jokes and usually made GENUINELY no sense. not sure i ever laughed at a joke in that show but i do remember being in literal tears over animation errors, wild lines, weird noises, and plotlines that make no sense whatsoever. do not watch g1 with hopes of getting it, but i do watch it to laugh at the show itself

[iwatcheditbegin]

The shock in these replies is making me feel so old

[zipquips]

.

[joycrispy]

Awhile ago @ouidamforeman made this post:

This shot through my brain like a chain of firecrackers, so, without derailing the original post, I have some THOUGHTS to add about why this concept is not only hilarious (because it is), but also...

It. It kind of fucks. Severely.

And in a delightfully Pratchett-y way, I'd dare to suggest.

I'll explain:

As inferred above, both Crowley AND Aziraphale have canonical Biblical counterparts. Not by name, no, but by function.

Crowley, of course, is the serpent of Eden.

(note on the serpent of Eden: In Genesis 3:1-15, at least, the serpent is not identified as anything other than a serpent, albeit one that can talk. Later, it will be variously interpreted as a traitorous agent of Hell, as a demon, as a guise of Satan himself, etc. In Good Omens --as a slinky ginger who walks funny)

Lesser known, at least so far as I can tell, is the flaming sword. It, too, appears in Genesis 3, in the very last line:

"So he drove out the man; and placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." --Genesis 3:24, KJV

Thanks to translation ambiguity, there is some debate concerning the nature of the flaming sword --is it a divine weapon given unto one of the Cherubim (if so, why only one)? Or is it an independent entity, which takes the form of a sword (as other angelic beings take the form of wheels and such)? For our purposes, I don't think the distinction matters. The guard at the gate of Eden, whether an angel wielding the sword or an angel who IS the sword, is Aziraphale.

(note on the flaming sword: in some traditions --Eastern Orthodox, for example-- it is held that upon Christ's death and resurrection, the flaming sword gave up it's post and vanished from Eden for good. By these sensibilities, the removal of the sword signifies the redemption and salvation of man.

...Put a pin in that. We're coming back to it.)

So, we have our pair. The Serpent and the Sword, introduced at the beginning and the end (ha) of the very same chapter of Genesis.

But here's the important bit, the bit that's not immediately obvious, the bit that nonetheless encapsulates one of the central themes, if not THE central theme, of Good Omens:

The Sword was never intended to guard Eden while Adam and Eve were still in it.

Do you understand?

The Sword's function was never to protect them. It doesn't even appear until after they've already fallen. No... it was to usher Adam and Eve from the garden, and then keep them out. It was a threat. It was a punishment.

The flaming sword was given to be used against them.

So. Again. We have our pair. The Serpent and the Sword: the inception and the consequence of original sin, personified. They are the one-two punch that launches mankind from paradise, after Hell lures it to destruction and Heaven condemns it for being destroyed. Which is to say that despite being, supposedly, hereditary enemies on two different sides of a celestial cold war, they are actually unified by one purpose, one pivotal role to play in the Divine Plan: completely fucking humanity over.

That's how it's supposed to go. It is written.

...But, in Good Omens, they're not just the Serpent and the Sword.

They're Crowley and Aziraphale.

(author begins to go insane from emotion under the cut)

In Good Omens, humanity is handed it's salvation (pin!) scarcely half an hour after losing it. Instead of looming over God's empty garden, the sword protects a very sad, very scared and very pregnant girl. And no, not because a blameless martyr suffered and died for the privilege, either.

It was just that she'd had such a bad day. And there were vicious animals out there. And Aziraphale worried she would be cold.

...I need to impress upon you how much this is NOT just a matter of being careless with company property. With this one act of kindness, Aziraphale is undermining the whole entire POINT of the expulsion from Eden. God Herself confronts him about it, and he lies. To God.

And the Serpent--

(Crowley, that is, who wonders what's so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil anyway; who thinks that maybe he did a GOOD thing when he tempted Eve with the apple; who objects that God is over-reacting to a first offense; who knows what it is to fall but not what it is to be comforted after the fact...)

--just goes ahead and falls in love with him about it.

As for Crowley --I barely need to explain him, right? People have been making the 'didn't the serpent actually do us a solid?' argument for centuries. But if I'm going to quote one of them, it may as well be the one Neil Gaiman wrote ficlet about:

"If the account given in Genesis is really true, ought we not, after all, to thank this serpent? He was the first schoolmaster, the first advocate of learning, the first enemy of ignorance, the first to whisper in human ears the sacred word liberty, the creator of ambition, the author of modesty, of inquiry, of doubt, of investigation, of progress and of civilization." --Robert G. Ingersoll

The first to ask questions.

Even beyond flattering literary interpretation, we know that Crowley is, so often, discreetly running damage control on the machinations of Heaven and Hell. When he can get away with it. Occasionally, when he can't (1827).

And Aziraphale loves him for it, too. Loves him back.

And so this romance plays out over millennia, where they fall in love with each other but also the world, because of each other and because of the world. But it begins in Eden. Where, instead of acting as the first Earthly example of Divine/Diabolical collusion and callousness--

(other examples --the flood; the bet with Satan; the back channels; the exchange of Holy Water and Hellfire; and on and on...)

--they refuse. Without even necessarily knowing they're doing it, they just refuse. Refuse to trivialize human life, and refuse to hate each other.

To write a story about the Serpent and the Sword falling in love is to write a story about transgression.

Not just in the sense that they are a demon and an angel, and it's ~forbidden. That's part of it, yeah, but the greater part of it is that they are THIS demon and angel, in particular. From The Real Bible's Book of Genesis, in the chapter where man falls.

It's the sort of thing you write and laugh. And then you look at it. And you think. And then you frown, and you sit up a little straighter. And you think.

And then you keep writing.

And what emerges hits you like a goddamn truck.

(...A lot of Pratchett reads that way. I believe Gaiman when he says Pratchett would have been happy with the romance, by the way. I really really do).

It's a story about transgression, about love as transgression. They break the rules by loving each other, by loving creation, and by rejecting the hatred and hypocrisy that would have triangulated them as a unified blow against humanity, before humanity had even really got started. And yeah, hell, it's a queer romance too, just to really drive the point home (oh, that!!! THAT!!!)

...I could spend a long time wildly gesturing at this and never be satisfied. Instead of watching me do that (I'll spare you), please look at this gif:

I love this shot so much.

Look at Eve and Crowley moving, at the same time in the same direction, towards their respective wielders of the flaming sword. Adam reaches out and takes her hand; Aziraphale reaches out and covers him with a wing.

You know what a shot like that establishes? Likeness. Commonality. Kinship.

"Our side" was never just Crowley and Aziraphale. Crowley says as much at the end of season 1 ("--all of us against all of them."). From the beginning, "our side" was Crowley, Aziraphale, and every single human being. Lately that's around 8 billion, but once upon a time it was just two other people. Another couple. The primeval mother and father.

But Adam and Eve die, eventually. Humanity grows without them. It's Crowley and Aziraphale who remain, and who protect it. Who...oversee it's upbringing.

Godfathers. Sort of.

[foxxsong]

Hm. Hmm. Hate to see someone you usually respect the opinion of have a bad take that could've stayed an opinion until they started throwing accusations at people that tried to have a discussion about it.