#fb4

[apicelladonna]

My take on the opening of Fantastic Beast 4 At Hogwarts: Minerva McGonagall, horrified: Albus, guess who's here— Albus Dumbledore, confused: Newt? Minerva: Your husband. Albus: I don't have a husband, Minnie. Call the aurors. Gellert Grindelwald, smug: Your ex-husband. Albus, already taking out his wand: I'll call the aurors.

[uefb]

I’m having feelings about Fantastic Beasts ending: a neurodivergent perspective

I’ll be honest - Every time I think too hard about how the Fantastic Beast franchise may very well inevitably be discontinued, I get this grief in my heart that makes me sick in my gut. 

I can hardly believe I found a character that was so relatable to me (Newt), and that he is--quite probably--already being taken away.

Because, what? Because the last movie--released during a pandemic and in the middle of various creator/actor-related scandals--took in less money than the others? Even when that’s more money than most of us could ever dream of even touching in our lives? 

(I’m sure it is more complicated than that, but creativity and identity under capitalism is wild.)

I don’t have to like the 4th film--I’ve never inherently agreed with all of JKR’s creative choices, even as a child*--but I want Newt Scamander’s story...

I WANT AN AUTISTIC WIZARD.

I want Jewish witches.**

I want a Black American witch’s story.

I’m vaguely interested in Bunty’s, and I want Jacob and Queenie’s relationship to push the boundaries in the existing in-universe political schema.

Gosh, I even want the complicated, ill-fated, queer tragedy!!***

But seriously... 

Don’t take away the first hero I’ve truly related to since Hermione Granger in 1998.

It took me 30+ years for me to NOT HATE MYSELF for being like Newt Scamander.

I want to see the end of his story.

(And all the kids out there now who were like me 20 years ago deserve that, too.)

That is all.

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*and certainly not her wackadoodle gender politics ones now, as a grown queer, autistic adult **even if we’re not going to explicitly talk about that in the film because it gets too complicated with the next asterisk /eyeroll ***though I could do without the seeming sanitizing of interwar Europe, i.e., Grindelwald seemingly replacing the Muggle political struggle (and ultimate genocide) via clumsy allegory

[tada-no-honzuki]

Ascendance of a Bookworm Fanbook 4 Q&A [3/?]

This translation is not supposed to replace the official releases of the series. Please purchase the official fanbook when it becomes available!

Contains spoilers for Part 4

Ⓠ Am I correct to assume that Tuuli prepared more armbands than asked for, because Rozemyne said they would be “gifts for her friends” and therefore Tuuli felt she would need more than the one she had ordered?

Ⓐ That’s right. Tuuli has a lot of friends, so she believed, “She is definitely going to need more.”

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Ⓠ Rozemyne compared the people around her to various objects. What would Charlotte be?

Ⓐ I wonder. She is cute and precious, and just looking at her makes her want to work hard… Maybe a beautiful ornament that’s worn on formal occasions? To wear it without shame, she must carry herself appropriately. To Rozemyne, Charlotte is something she needs to put the effort into even when it’s already within her reach.

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Ⓠ Why is Rozemyne still prohibited from entering the library until she passes all her exams in her second year? Wilfried’s thoughtless words caused a lot of trouble for her fellow classmates in their first year after all. I don’t believe it’s necessary to ban her from entering the library to make the better grades committee a success.

Ⓐ In their second year, the requirement that all her classmates had to pass was dropped. Rozemyne is banned from going to the library until only she passes all her exams. Archduke candidates cannot go to the library alone and her parents and guardians agreed that she would neglect her studies were she allowed into the library any sooner.

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Ⓠ When they were discussing the magic circle in the bible, what would Ferdinand have done had Rozemyne said, “I want to become King”?

Ⓐ Since there are many things he could do without directly opposing her, I think Rozemyne would likely have climbed the towering staircase soon after the dedication ritual.

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In Part 4 Volume 7, in “planning for the tea party” Rozemyne, Charlotte, and Hannelore are discussing Royal Academy Love Stories. Who is the story of “the apprentice knight who stayed resilient even after failing many times” modeled after?

Ⓐ Heisshitze.

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Ⓠ In the side story Rendezvous at the Gazebo, what does the sentence “the God of Darkness spread his cape and enveloped the Goddess of Light” imply? Something like giving someone a hug or sitting very close to them?

Ⓐ The exact meaning depends on the situation and sexual knowledge of the person in question.

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Ⓠ In “The Ditter Match” of part 4 Volume 7, the attack that Hannelore launched at Ferdinand at the start of the match appears to be a physical attack, but what did she hurl at him? Also, did she throw it by hand, or did she use a weapon of some sort?

Ⓐ Rozemyne couldn’t see it, but Hannelore used a slingshot like the one Judith uses to shoot a magic tool at Ferdinand.

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Ⓠ Did no one find it suspicious that Ferdinand did not react to Rozemyne’s mana when she healed him during the ternisbafallen attack at the Interduchy Tournament?

Ⓐ The repulsion would only be felt by Ferdinand, who is being infused with mana, it’s not something others around them can feel. To Rozemyne it just felt like washing black sludge off with magic. Since it’s a rare feybeast, others may wonder whether such purification is necessary, but would not question the healing process itself.

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Ⓠ Is it necessary to be trained as an archduke candidate, or to have more mana than the user/concealer to be able to discover the traces of usage of the teleportation circle of old Werkestock?

Ⓐ One would need to have taken the archduke candidate course and have a keen eye for spotting subtle differences. Thanks to Gundolf’s report, Anastasius was able to confirm it was used, but without that information, he likely would have missed it.

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Ⓠ They found evidence that the teleportation circle of old Werkestock had been used, but the location of Werkestock’s foundation is still lost, right? Does that mean it was used by someone who received permission from the previous Aub Werkestock before the purge? Or did someone else manage to dye the foundation? Do they know anything other than “it was used”?

Ⓐ The location of the foundation remains lost. The investigation of the Sovereign knights revealed that it was used by someone with an authorization stone. Whether the terrorists received their stone directly from the previous Aub Werkestock or obtained it through illicit means is unknown.

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Ⓠ Should I envision the translation of Dunkelfelger’s history book mentioned in Part 4 Volume 7 to be like a modern translation of a text originally written in classical Japanese or entirely in kanji? (If you don’t know the specific rules, you cannot read them right away.) Or is it more accurate to say it’s like translating Chinese into Japanese?

Ⓐ It depends on the age of the text. Since Dunkelfelger is one of Yurgenschmidt’s oldest duchies, it feels like making a modern translation of a text originally written in man’yo-gana, an early Japanese syllabary composed of Chinese characters used phonetically.

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Ⓠ Rozemyne’s translation of Dunkelfelger’s history book was well received, but am I right to assume it’s different from a translation their archducal family would make?

Ⓐ Since the mentality to “read the original to study!” is in their nature, they eagerly welcomed an easy-to-read modern translation.

[herwold]

Please give me Albus with long hair in FB4

[shepscapades]

Still working on that dramaturgy animatic!! I’m determined to finish this one boyz

[jxeward]

𝟓 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨 ¦ 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝐹𝐵 𝑝𝑡. 4

Joel caminhou com dificuldade para seu carro depois de se separar do Decker, suportando o gosto de sangue dentro da boca e a dor nas diferentes áreas de seu corpo que receberam golpes dos três jocks. Fodidos. Três covardes de merda. O corpo de Joel estava esfriando e os resultados da briga apareceriam quase de uma vez; ele bem conhece o funcionamento da coisa toda. Só não conhecia o mal-estar bizarro que veio forte quando estava prestes a chegar no Volvo. A mão quase na maçaneta, mas o corpo cedeu ao seu peso, os joelhos fracos que se dobraram e levaram o Ward ao chão. A mochila caiu também e junto com ela alguns itens escolares  — porque a merda do zíper de uma das repartições estava quebrada: lápis, canetas com as tampas mordidas, borracha e algumas anotações de Biologia. Ele encostou as costas na porta do carro atrás, dobrando a perna esquerda para apoiar sua testa sobre o joelho. A cada respiração rezava para conseguir se recuperar antes de alguém — qualquer pessoa — aparecer. @hvrrietgen

[tada-no-honzuki]

Ascendance of a Bookworm Fanbook 4 Q&A [8/?]

This translation is not supposed to replace the official releases of the series. Please purchase the official fanbook when it becomes available!

Spoilers for Part 4! (Mostly general Royal Academy trivia, no true story-line spoilers)

Ⓠ The Advancement Ceremony was led by a certain “someone”. Who was this person?

Ⓐ One of the teachers of the Royal Academy. Since they do not teach Rozemyne’s grade, she doesn’t know them.

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Ⓠ Does the ranking of their home duchy apply to the Royal Academy’s staff members?

Ⓐ Sometimes staff members may act with more restraint, but strictly speaking the rankings do not apply.

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Ⓠ I suspect knight apprentices sustain injuries on a regular basis. So, I was wondering if perhaps they have an infirmary somewhere in the Knight’s Tower. When someone gets hurt, is there any danger they may turn into a guinea pig for scholar apprentices who aspire to become doctors?

Ⓐ There is a first-aid room, and some knight apprentices may fall prey to the teachers and their disciples who are working there. For example, knight apprentices like Damuel…. who don’t have enough money to pay for medical care or buy rejuvenation potions.

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Ⓠ Why don’t the Dunkelfelger students who fail to get into the knight’s course take it up as a secondary course? I presume it would be possible to do for archnobles mana-wise and I feel Dunkelfelger students would have the passion to do it.

Ⓐ Because the duchy forbids it. The number of people allowed to take the knight’s course is fixed. Those who failed the selection exam reluctantly become scholars and attendants of the sword. If they were allowed to take both courses, it’s quite likely they would extend more effort towards the knight’s course. So they are not allowed to take both courses, because their passion would likely backfire and cause trouble down the line. It’s a regulation set with their duchy’s nature in mind. Those who failed the selection exam are allowed to train with the knight apprentices at the dorm, however.

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Ⓠ I’m curious about the particulars of the welcoming party for the first-year students. Do all the older students participate in the events? Were the students of the former Veronica Faction in charge of welcoming Roderich?

Ⓐ Typically, all students are present in the common room. Since the number of returning students is overwhelmingly larger, there are plenty of people around to receive the new students. Sometimes it may be decided by drawing lots who receives whom.

Those who have already been taken as retainers will attend to their own master. Wilfried already had his own retainers to see to him, but Rozemyne had yet to decide on anyone but Cornelius and Angelica. Therefore, she was received by students trusted by them and those who were wishing to become her retainer.

For the other students, whoever is in charge depends on their faction. Philine’s was neutral, Roderich’s was former Veronica faction, and Wilfried’s attendant Gregor was welcomed by his fellow retainers.

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Ⓠ It sounds like you cannot prepare a name-swearing stone without a schtappe, but does the person on the receiving end also need to have a schtappe?

Ⓐ If you are baptized and able to control your mana, you can accept a name. However, there is no precedent of someone receiving a name without having a schtappe…

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Ⓠ Is it possible to swear your name to someone with less mana than yourself?

Ⓐ It would take a lot of energy to bind the name, and it would be a rather painful experience, but it is possible.

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Ⓠ During the dedication whirl, if there is a surplus of either male or female archduke candidates, but not enough of the other, would it be possible to dance as a deity of the opposite gender?

Ⓐ No, you cannot dance as the other gender. A substitute will be chosen from among the fifth years.

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Ⓠ It appears substitutes are prepared for the dedication whirl. Are they at some point given a chance to show their skills? Or do they sing with the choir?

Ⓐ That’s right. Since they are substitutes, they won’t have an opportunity to shine. They will join the choir.

[tada-no-honzuki]

Ascendance of a Bookworm Fanbook 4 Q&A [6/?]

This translation is not supposed to replace the official releases of the series. Please purchase the official fanbook when it becomes available!

Spoilers for Part 2 - Part 4!

Ⓠ Myne’s name was secretly changed to Rozemyne, but is it possible to publicly change one’s name? If possible, what would be the necessary procedure?

Ⓐ In the case of a rather unique baby name you mean? If you’re not baptized yet, there is no record of your name and it’s easy to change. Once you’re baptized, it’s a matter of changing your registration medal. Which is possible. You will need the Archduke’s permission though. He likely won’t give it unless you have a good reason. Once you enter the Royal Academy, it becomes even more difficult. You’ll need the King’s permission to change the name you registered with the Sovereignty. To have the King work for a single person… It’s not impossible, but it is unlikely that permission will be granted.

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Ⓠ Would there have been a difference between being adopted by Kardstedt as a devouring child, and the current situation? And, whether officially or unofficially, does the Royal Academy track admissions of devouring children?

Ⓐ Since she will enroll as Karstedt’s adopted daughter, there won’t be a record of her devouring status. If Frieda had been adopted by a noble before her baptism, her new family would enroll her as their adopted daughter as well, so there would be no record of her devouring status.

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Ⓠ I have a question about Marguerite, the former orphanage director. Since she was able to use her hidden room, that means she must have had a ring. Does that mean she was baptized as a noble?

Ⓐ In addition to the fact that they financially could not raise her as a noble, her father send her to the temple for various other reasons as well. However, since she had just enough mana, she was given a ring. So, after the purge when the blue priest and shrine maidens started to return to noble society, her family reached out to her as well. Unfortunately for her, she was unable to return to noble society due to her bad behavior at the temple…

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Ⓠ If the Archduke’s first wife originally belonged to the archducal family of a different duchy, is the time she gets to spend with her children limited to minimize the influence from her home duchy?

Ⓐ No, children are raised by their mother until their baptism. That Veronica took away Wilfried is not normal practice.

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Ⓠ The term “wet nurse” appears several times in the books, but I’m quite sure the “breast milk” of nobles also contains mana, I am wondering if it is even possible to feed a child “another person’s (the wet nurse’s) breast milk”? (Would it experience repulsion?) But it seems to me that the term “wet nurse” doesn’t necessarily refer to a “person who breastfeeds on behalf of the mother”. What does the job of a “wet nurse” entail in this world?

Ⓐ The wet nurse is an educator who earned the trust of the mother and is assigned to the child before their baptism ceremony. Since they will spend most of their days together, they are like a second mother to the child.

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Ⓠ When the deadline drew near Hartmut corrected misspelled or missing words, and so forth in Roderick’s story like an editor. Do Rozemyne and Elvira’s writing team also employ an editor when making books?

Ⓐ Then books Rozemyne made were checked by the employees of the Rozemyne workshop. Of course, the novels Elvira’s team makes are also checked beforehand. Right now, that work is done by the printing workshop.

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Ⓠ It was mentioned at one time that Rozemyne added a colophon to the poster she printed, but does she also add it to the picture books and stories? Incidentally, I am sure that the picture books and popular stories were reprinted already, does she include the edition number? Will she push to include future release notifications and advertisements as is customary in Japan as well?

Ⓐ The colophon is the most basic form of publication information after all. She also includes it for classification purposes. I’m not too sure about adding advertisements. It would be impossible unless she had a lot of spare paper and ink.

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Ⓠ Do nobles know their exact birthday? Do they celebrate their birthdays?

Ⓐ No, they don’t know the exact day. They only celebrate season-related milestones, like their baptism and coming-of-age.

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Ⓠ At what point in time are you considered ten years old and do you qualify for enrollment into the Royal Academy?

Ⓐ Both the baptisms and gifting ceremony of the capes take place at the start of Winter Socializing. All children born from spring to winter are in the same grade.