Cal 🪸

"OH?? He's addressing the backlash from doubling down on saying that Phantom is a woman? No way this is amazing maybe people will finally start to accept all of the they/them characters- oh and he said that it's open to interpretation and up for debate."

The sheer disappointment I felt when I reached that part of mossbag's newest video was actually so shockingly bad. I wasn't sure if I was even gonna watch the new video but decided to because I wanted to see if he had changed and it was seeming to be going so well. He even used they/them for the Bell Beast. But when I heard him say that nonbinary characters are 'up for debate' I lost all respect all over again.

NONBINARY. CHARACTERS . ARE. NOT. UP. FOR. INTERPRETATION.

I can understand some confusion around characters like Styx who have both he/him and they/them used, but if a character is exclusively referred to with they/them, then there's no excuse for saying that one line of dialogue who it's not even clear who is speaking takes priority over Hornet's own words.

Phantom and other characters are nonbinary, there is no "nuance" to this, there's nothing to debate. They're nonbinary, full stop. There might be nuance to the terms used towards them, but it doesn't change that the game uses they/them towards them.

Not to mention that, from my assessment, the needolin dialogue is very clearly Phantom speaking. The "it's not clear who's speaking" is a flimsy excuse and it only shows you're not thinking two seconds about it before using it as ammo. Why would Lace, in or even before Act 1, express such a lack of faith in GMS? Lace, and not, idk, the bug who was literally abandoned and forgotten, who sees their own body break and fall apart?

if phantom was referred to with he/him in english, would we be having this big of a discussion about it? there would probably still be plenty of people arguing "gms only had daughters so clearly phantom needs to be a girl" but lowkey i think the most of the fandom would just assume phantom is a man no questions asked in that scenario and move on. but because they're using they/them it's suddenly all up to interpretation. and i mean that's just the enbyphobia in people showing right. if we had the same scenario but with "commonly accepted" pronouns instead many people who are currently arguing about it wouldn't even fucking blink. but because it's they/them suddenly it's up for debate and whatever.

no. it's not. fuck you. it's not up for debate.

the english text uses they/them. german was changed to it/its. italian doesnt use ANY pronouns. other translations are inconsistent between he/she. if their gender was really "clear" in the document translators are sent, would there be this much variety between languages? i think not.

and i'm sorry but i genuinely think the hollow knight wiki had a large impact on this too with their dumbass move of using the "super secret gender list that is under nda so we cant use it as a source but it's totally real guys trust me bro". it's why i still lowkey hate the wiki and don't like using it. i genuinely think they botched the perception a chunk of people had because they said "well phantom is she/her in spanish so clearly girl even if not she/her in english text" and it's done fucking irreparable damage to some of this fandom

and it's even funnier because when i said "hey phantom is he/it in german" i got back a "well spanish is the most accurate" when spanish has/had fucking clover dancers referred to as COUSINS!!!! THE MOST ACCURATE TRANSLATION MY ASS!!!

and whenever i bring up that in german (despite previously being he/it and now just it) the needolin scene still uses the word sister which. would clearly imply it's phantom talking to lace. suddenly translations aren't that accurate and that's actually wrong and it's clearly lace talking to phantom.

these people do not WANT to see something else. they've made up their mind and they won't be convinced. it's genuinely tiring but there's no fucking point arguing w most of these people. they've already decided phantom is a girl and not even team cherry smashing them over the head with a "phantom is nonbinary" sign would convince them otherwise

"OH?? He's addressing the backlash from doubling down on saying that Phantom is a woman? No way this is amazing maybe people will finally start to accept all of the they/them characters- oh and he said that it's open to interpretation and up for debate."

The sheer disappointment I felt when I reached that part of mossbag's newest video was actually so shockingly bad. I wasn't sure if I was even gonna watch the new video but decided to because I wanted to see if he had changed and it was seeming to be going so well. He even used they/them for the Bell Beast. But when I heard him say that nonbinary characters are 'up for debate' I lost all respect all over again.

NONBINARY. CHARACTERS . ARE. NOT. UP. FOR. INTERPRETATION.

I can understand some confusion around characters like Styx who have both he/him and they/them used, but if a character is exclusively referred to with they/them, then there's no excuse for saying that one line of dialogue who it's not even clear who is speaking takes priority over Hornet's own words.

@ratatosk777 's silksong neighbors AU

They're so silly, they can be reckless as a treat ✨

NOM

Varishkava! I adored the flea caravan from the moment I met them--they're a cheerful light in a dark world. Way before I knew anything about Act III, I could imagine them inviting their new warrior friend to set down her weapon and enjoy their company and hospitality awhile before rushing off again on her quest.

And feeling inspired by the bug food other people have come up with in art and fics, I had to draw some, too. Everything here is made with blood--they're fleas!--and I think they'd mostly eat foods that keep well for traveling, with fresh-made foods as more of a special thing.

Phantom 🤭