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Avoryx’s plush is available for preorder for a week more! Link:

Plushie

We reached the production milestone a little while ago, which means she is guaranteed to be made! :)

And yes, that is the same knight from the previous comic! Who knows what they’ve endured to reach these two. Weeks of travel, and not once did they stop to wonder if they might be biting off more than they can chew.

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all blades are fun and he should use them more

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god forbid 5000 year old girls do anything

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What Do You Think of Cosmic Horror?

Wow. Okay. This one just got rolling but I'm going to share it now anyway because -

this is a new one.

Imagine, if you will, the scenario. One day you wake up in a hospital bed. You don't know why you're there. The doctor tells you you've been in an accident. It's not unusual to have lost your memory of the time leading up to it. Sounds like the plot of a drama TV show but you roll with it because - doctors, hospital, short term memory loss, so far its making sense.

The doctor says other than that you're healed up enough to go home. Your husband is here to pick you up.

Husband?

You have no memory of having a husband.

And then the aformentioned husband walks in the hospital door.

Understandably you freak out, grab someone, tell them there's a monster in your room. And the nurse, disbelieving, checks to see what you're going on about and

You try the old tumblr trick - take a picture with your phone.

That's right. According to the doctor

On the upside - or if you're a monster fucker you're already on the upside - your tentacle headed husband is taking this well and utterly adores what he thinks is both a funny situation and you being so cute about it.

Alright, we've all seen enough hentai to know where this is going.

Except it doesn't. And the next day

and the next day

Okay, look, maybe you can roll with the fact your brain picked your husband to both erase entire and selectively from your memory and to give him a random makeover each day. You can feel his face when you touch it. You can feel his lips when he kisses your hand or forehead. Your camera is constantly showing you a hottie each time you take a picture or look at him through its lens. He's sweet and thoughtful and reassuring, more likely to laugh than get upset about this situation and he doesn't push you about the whole 'being married' thing. He's even in old pictures from your high school days. Apparently he chased you until you fell in love with him.

There are some problems though.

Like when he tries to tell you his name

or when you notice mirrors don't reflect him

the strange dream you keep having about him and the world collapsing

Did you know you've got a cat you don't remember (as if you'd EVER forget a cat?!)

Plus the memories he tells you about how you graduated from a top college and landed your dream job at the company he's the CEO of don't match your memories of flunking out, getting into a mediocre college and ending up working a soul-sucking horrible job for a horrible boss.

And the memories you do have...

Look, this story just got started. We're only seven chapters in. They've already mentioned Dagon. I really don't know where this is going at this point. The story is doing a lovely job of giving the occasional hint that Shit Is WRONG while also cutely trotting along like a tiny puppy on a mission. Husband is so honestly wonderful and yet damn, I already know he is NOT wonderful (but I'm still kind of hoping he's actually wonderful?).

Plus the cat's name is San.

Anyway, so far this is an intriguing ride that's well written and is doing a good job of lulling me even though I know I shouldn't be and then popping in something that makes me jar into the 'oh this is NOT good'. It's really doing the cosmic horror instead of straight up horror well too - the 'the world is normal except its not and don't pull back the curtain on the window until you've given outside a chance to decide what its supposed to be' vibe. Our heroine is intelligent but you can tell she's also used to rolling with things so, to me, believable. Plus the art does a really good job being pretty until its suddenly NOT. I just really need someone to read this too so I've got someone else to yell with each time a new chapter drops.

rating: PG right now but well, its cosmic horror and there WERE tentacles so lets just all assume that's going to change at some point

warnings: memory loss, gaslighting, tentacles, unstable reality, horror, hospital, unreality, mediocre food

finished?: just getting started

abs: for a manhwa that started out with tentacles right out the gate, everyone is staying very clothed

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Deep Water Prompt #3488

I work in the coffee shop under the private eye’s office upstairs. When he’s the next victim in the case he’s investigating, his ghost possesses me, determined and now with a personal vendetta.

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Text: The forest here is thick with Ghost Spiders, ethereal eight legged things weaving gossamer webs, in which wandering souls become entangled, the end of the end of their lives.

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And this one too! Jinu is a thinker, he's clever - he's goofy - he's a plotter. Rumi isn't stupid but she is not a thinker like that. She's a fighter - see the problem, take care of the problem. And you see it here. Jinu isn't fighting back, he doesn't have a weapon. His position is evade and escape. And he's sure he can - she's fast, she's strong - he's impressed - but he's not panicked. He's thinking ahead - there's a door - use it - keep moving - stay in one piece until you're able to run. Rumi is the one here going for a kill. He's a threat, he's using something precious to her (the adoration of the fans) and corrupting it and its annoying that he's evading her the way probably few to none demons have been able to before. He won't give her a fight - he NEVER gives her a fight and she needs him to.

Also psychology is showing here. Jinu never tries to physically harm Rumi. He's not a killer, he's not even physically violent. He can steal souls for Gwi-ma and destroy the barrier but that's not personal to him. He can say its not really HIM destroying the world, he's just a cog. It's not personal. Until Rumi - and then it gets personal and then he starts feeling the guilt and regret and hesitation. Abstract concept meets reality.

Whereas for Rumi this is VERY personal right from the start and she's responding by going on the attack. He's a threat to her mission but he's a threat to HER because he looks human and acts human and she's human but he's a demon and so - maybe so is she. And its scary and the only way she knows to deal with scary is to fight back with extreme violence and make it dead. Probably because demons ARE scary and need to be made dead and so over time she learned scary equals 'kill it'. And what she's becoming, what Jinu represents is terrifying to her. But if he's dead she doesn't have to think about it anymore does she?

KPop Demon Hunters

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THE ARRRRRRTTTT!!!

I mean though seriously - THE ART!

Take the first one - Rumi is confused. There is a VERY pat way to show this in animation - in fact you can already picture it in your head. It's shorthand for 'confused'. Dozens of movies and TV series have used the same route 'this is what confusion looks like' to the point we can pretty much mentally fill it in with very few panels anymore.

This - is not that.

This is Rumi's shoulder dropping on one side. This is eyebrows going up AND down. This is the slight downturn of the lips and the sway of the ties of her hoodie and the way you can actually SEE the pat pat pat of her feet as she moves forward.

Second - just a bird. A bird with a single staring eye. A bird that does not blink. Why is this funny? It's scary and its funny and its a bird that's not even moving. In a hat.

Part three. The demonic reveal. It's jarring, its alarming, its unexpected - why is it still funny? It's got sharp teeth and that wiggly tongue but it feels more like a folklore monster than a SCARY monster if that difference makes sense (it IS folklore - kinda - but thats beside the point). Once again - there IS shorthand for 'this is a demonic beast' and once again the movie did not use it.

Part four and five. Rumi's 'what' and the bird's Homer Simpson stare.

Last one - the bird's pause after the first extended leg, the unnecessary flip of its feathers, the tip tip tip march away, the subtle rocking motion toward and away from us of the back/wings as it walks, the way the eyes go from wide to 'welp got shit to do' as it marches off. Rumi's unnecessary head tilt, the way her eyes track and then back.

Look, I'm saying what everyone's already said but you can tell this was made with intent and love. There's so much unnecessary detail - so much shorthand we've grown accustomed to that was skipped. Its the difference between cafeteria food and something homemade. And I think we all resonated with that. Just like Sony's Spiderverse this was created by ARTISTS who were given the time (we hope) to put out something that didn't have to be rushed with everything visually jotted down in quick shorthand. You don't need the sound to enjoy every bit of the above gifs because the VISUAL is so rich and layered. Every gif maker is beloved because I get to slow down long enough to catch more of the little details that make this movie so human and so fascinating and beautiful and I just thought it was time I pointed it out.

KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

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looking for opinions both from americans and non-americans: what would you consider to be the big 4 american cities in terms of like, vibes-based cultural impact?

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I don’t know if this has been shared yet here…

String Arrangement for Rumi and Jinu’s “FREE” song

Chris Appelhans, one of the Directors of Kpop Demon Hunters, shared this video of the String Arrangement for “FREE”

Maggie Kang is also one of the Directors of KPDH. You can see her in the corner by the end of the clip, trying not to cry 🥹 (and yes, there were two directors for this film)

Also, if you look closely, the conductor is actually facing at a screen that is playing Rumi and Jinu’s scene together when they are singing Free while he conducts.

It sounds so beautiful 🥹😭

I hope they release an official instrumental of this song!

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Like a new friend!

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Bothersome beast, comforting friend

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Forget Marriage, I'd Rather Go Bankrupt

Let's have some fun.

This is Elizabeth.

She's the sole surviving heir to the Knightly estate after the suspicious death of her parents in a carriage accident she is sure her uncle is to blame for.

The good news is - she's rich!

Like 1% rich. Rich enough to lend money to the pope. Rich enough that her money makes money. Rich enough to never have to worry about the price tag on anything.

The bad news - aside from the dead parents - is that the law in the kingdom says that unmarried women can't control the wealth in their family and so she has to get married within a year to retain control of her family's fortune.

And the really bad news is that her uncle has the local law and the elders of her family in his pocket and he's forcing her to marry him!

Our girl is not going to go quietly into that dark night however. She's got a year. For an entire year the family's fortune belongs to her and no one else in the family can touch it. Elizabeth has one plan.

Spend every last penny of the money in a year and go bankrupt!

Now yeah - I know. So many other solutions she could have gone with - but they're not as funny as this one, okay? We're not here to solve the world's problems, we're here to indulge in some vicarious wealth, let our girl act wild and enjoy the ride.

To throw her uncle off her trail and buy some time, Elizabeth, with the help of her long time maid/bodyguard/bestie, Asha throw a lavish party and then slips out the morning after while everyone's recovering to start their new life on the lamb! They have ONE mission - blow enough money to fund the entire kingdom's budget for 30 years in just one!

Which is a fun premise anyway but listen - gang - they are Scooby Dooing their way through this story so far.

It is SO MUCH FUN!

So, first day of their escape, they get kidnapped.

Their kidnappers turn out to be a local merchant guild bandits! that are being run out of business by a bank with predatory loan practices! (wow, good thing that only happens in fantasy world amirite?) Elizabeth is NOT having that and immediately decides to right the wrongs - as one does - by planning a bank robbery. As one does.

And that's pretty much how the story is going. Elizabeth, chased by her uncle's men, is rocking up to each new town with the intent of living a lavish lifestyle of champagne fountains, chocolate strawberries and throwing gold coins away - only to discover some horrible late stage capitalism crime going on which she then proceeds to destroy - usually in the most convoluted and yet clever way possible. It's like Scooby Doo meets Murder She Wrote weekly except the capitalists aren't even bothering wear ghost masks. It is so fun and such wishful thinking and therefor so so very satisfying. At some point I'm sure the long term plot will have to kick in but right now we're doing 'monster of the week' Leverage style except without that level of skill or cunning. And I am not using the description 'Scooby Doo' lightly.

Let's meet the gang.

There's, of course, Elizabeth, with her heart of gold, her deeply ingrained sense of justice, her boundless confidence that comes of being surrounded by loving, good people her whole life and her absolute deranged glee in coming up with ways to Robin Hood into a situation and Stick It To The Man (or Woman - she's not sexist).

Then there's Asha. She's from a long line of knights and has taken her father's teachings on chivalry to heart. She is the muscle and kick ass to Elizabeth's plots and is completely devoted. She's serving because she chooses to and by this point in their friendship is far past the point where she even bats an eye when Elizabeth decides the only way out is through.

But wait! There's more! You see, back in her childhood, Elizabeth told a young boy she was going to marry him and he hasn't forgotten that promise. That young boy is the current Grand Duke of Fitzgerald and has come looking for her. Because - shenanigans - Dave can't just marry her and solve the issue of the family fortune (because what kind of story would we have then?!). It's okay though - he's utterly devoted to Elizabeth and pretty much just as gleefully happy to go along with her plans as she is to make the plans in the first place. Plus they are ALL about each other and for the first time in a long time, when the secondary male is introduced, he doesn't stand a chance. Dave is the proper mix of 'I can kick any ass in here' and 'isn't my (future) wife amazing!' puppy eyes style. 10/10 top tier male lead.

And I did mention the 'second male lead'. You see, the country Elizabeth lives in is about to go bankrupt (fantasy settings remember) and so the king has sent his wastrel son off to find Elizabeth and marry her, thereby securing her fortune so that they can keep funding the government. Said son is not really thrilled with this but a prince has got to do what a prince has got to do and several plot shenanigans later the prince is a member of the gang whether they really want him to be or not. A useful member of the gang, I'll add. Plus Eden's utter fascination, puzzlement and admiration tinged with confusion when it comes to Asha and her knightly devotion is solid gold.

Look, this is not a deep story. I mean, its not fluff. There's some good plot, the characters are layered and the world is solid. The situations Elizabeth finds herself drawn into are a little too close to home to be silly or fluffy. But its an utterly feel-good story so far. Yes, bad things happen but the story is busy brightly taking your hand and laughing as it pulls you along so you can feel the impact of the bad stuff but the story doesn't let you just sit there and soak with it. It really is Scooby Doo vibes. I have laughed so much reading this and its both the story's way of being told and the artwork that accompanies it. This is the kind of manhwa that no matter when it drops a new chapter, I rush to read it because no matter what kind of headspace I'm in I know I'm going to feel better afterward. It is the best kind of wish fulfillment fantasy both for the late stage capitalism horrors getting roundly kicked in the ass and the fun and chaotic 'found family' sunshine crew vibes the gang has going on. It's just fun. This is such a fun manhwa. It's a happy pill that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy each new chapter.

That said, I'm going to address the elephant in the room. Sex. Yep! There is sex in this story. It's not graphic, we're not seeing anything. But Dave and Elizabeth are utterly in love, trust each other completely and comfortably and are very deeply physically attracted to each other. The second they're left along they're going to get handsy. It's freaking adorable! This story is so healthy about sex. Elizabeth is the instigator most of the time, there's none of that weird 'w-w-wait! stop!' shit coming from her in the middle of things even though the story makes it obvious she wants this that just about every manhwa story that includes sex has in it (ooooh, that's SUCH a rant for another day). Dave is utterly respectful of Elizabeth and lets her control what they do and how fast things go even though its obvious he's down to bone every time she breathes. It doesn't take up a lot of the story but the story isn't shy about letting them be two sexually attracted to each other people. It's not Morticia and Gomez levels of things but its got that vibe to it. I giggle like a little kid when The Story is happening in the foreground and there's Elizabeth in the background making wiggle eyebrows at Dave. For me this is absolutely a great example of how sex can add to a story. If that sounds fun to you, carry on. If sex is a squick, than give this story a pass because there's no way to skip the sex to only get the story.

rating: PG13

warnings: murder, characters being orphaned, late stage capitalism, cops turning a blind eye to crime, war wounds, forced marriage, big pharma, warmongers, drunken sex (which counts as dubious sex even though it was consensual and that too is another manhwa rant for another day), men with puppy dog eyes(figuratively, not literally)

finished?: nope

abs: chapter 2 (girlie saw what she liked and went for it!)

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It's the best boi (and burd) <3

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Forget Marriage, I'd Rather Go Bankrupt

Let's have some fun.

This is Elizabeth.

She's the sole surviving heir to the Knightly estate after the suspicious death of her parents in a carriage accident she is sure her uncle is to blame for.

The good news is - she's rich!

Like 1% rich. Rich enough to lend money to the pope. Rich enough that her money makes money. Rich enough to never have to worry about the price tag on anything.

The bad news - aside from the dead parents - is that the law in the kingdom says that unmarried women can't control the wealth in their family and so she has to get married within a year to retain control of her family's fortune.

And the really bad news is that her uncle has the local law and the elders of her family in his pocket and he's forcing her to marry him!

Our girl is not going to go quietly into that dark night however. She's got a year. For an entire year the family's fortune belongs to her and no one else in the family can touch it. Elizabeth has one plan.

Spend every last penny of the money in a year and go bankrupt!

Now yeah - I know. So many other solutions she could have gone with - but they're not as funny as this one, okay? We're not here to solve the world's problems, we're here to indulge in some vicarious wealth, let our girl act wild and enjoy the ride.

To throw her uncle off her trail and buy some time, Elizabeth, with the help of her long time maid/bodyguard/bestie, Asha throw a lavish party and then slips out the morning after while everyone's recovering to start their new life on the lamb! They have ONE mission - blow enough money to fund the entire kingdom's budget for 30 years in just one!

Which is a fun premise anyway but listen - gang - they are Scooby Dooing their way through this story so far.

It is SO MUCH FUN!

So, first day of their escape, they get kidnapped.

Their kidnappers turn out to be a local merchant guild bandits! that are being run out of business by a bank with predatory loan practices! (wow, good thing that only happens in fantasy world amirite?) Elizabeth is NOT having that and immediately decides to right the wrongs - as one does - by planning a bank robbery. As one does.

And that's pretty much how the story is going. Elizabeth, chased by her uncle's men, is rocking up to each new town with the intent of living a lavish lifestyle of champagne fountains, chocolate strawberries and throwing gold coins away - only to discover some horrible late stage capitalism crime going on which she then proceeds to destroy - usually in the most convoluted and yet clever way possible. It's like Scooby Doo meets Murder She Wrote weekly except the capitalists aren't even bothering wear ghost masks. It is so fun and such wishful thinking and therefor so so very satisfying. At some point I'm sure the long term plot will have to kick in but right now we're doing 'monster of the week' Leverage style except without that level of skill or cunning. And I am not using the description 'Scooby Doo' lightly.

Let's meet the gang.

There's, of course, Elizabeth, with her heart of gold, her deeply ingrained sense of justice, her boundless confidence that comes of being surrounded by loving, good people her whole life and her absolute deranged glee in coming up with ways to Robin Hood into a situation and Stick It To The Man (or Woman - she's not sexist).

Then there's Asha. She's from a long line of knights and has taken her father's teachings on chivalry to heart. She is the muscle and kick ass to Elizabeth's plots and is completely devoted. She's serving because she chooses to and by this point in their friendship is far past the point where she even bats an eye when Elizabeth decides the only way out is through.

But wait! There's more! You see, back in her childhood, Elizabeth told a young boy she was going to marry him and he hasn't forgotten that promise. That young boy is the current Grand Duke of Fitzgerald and has come looking for her. Because - shenanigans - Dave can't just marry her and solve the issue of the family fortune (because what kind of story would we have then?!). It's okay though - he's utterly devoted to Elizabeth and pretty much just as gleefully happy to go along with her plans as she is to make the plans in the first place. Plus they are ALL about each other and for the first time in a long time, when the secondary male is introduced, he doesn't stand a chance. Dave is the proper mix of 'I can kick any ass in here' and 'isn't my (future) wife amazing!' puppy eyes style. 10/10 top tier male lead.

And I did mention the 'second male lead'. You see, the country Elizabeth lives in is about to go bankrupt (fantasy settings remember) and so the king has sent his wastrel son off to find Elizabeth and marry her, thereby securing her fortune so that they can keep funding the government. Said son is not really thrilled with this but a prince has got to do what a prince has got to do and several plot shenanigans later the prince is a member of the gang whether they really want him to be or not. A useful member of the gang, I'll add. Plus Eden's utter fascination, puzzlement and admiration tinged with confusion when it comes to Asha and her knightly devotion is solid gold.

Look, this is not a deep story. I mean, its not fluff. There's some good plot, the characters are layered and the world is solid. The situations Elizabeth finds herself drawn into are a little too close to home to be silly or fluffy. But its an utterly feel-good story so far. Yes, bad things happen but the story is busy brightly taking your hand and laughing as it pulls you along so you can feel the impact of the bad stuff but the story doesn't let you just sit there and soak with it. It really is Scooby Doo vibes. I have laughed so much reading this and its both the story's way of being told and the artwork that accompanies it. This is the kind of manhwa that no matter when it drops a new chapter, I rush to read it because no matter what kind of headspace I'm in I know I'm going to feel better afterward. It is the best kind of wish fulfillment fantasy both for the late stage capitalism horrors getting roundly kicked in the ass and the fun and chaotic 'found family' sunshine crew vibes the gang has going on. It's just fun. This is such a fun manhwa. It's a happy pill that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy each new chapter.

That said, I'm going to address the elephant in the room. Sex. Yep! There is sex in this story. It's not graphic, we're not seeing anything. But Dave and Elizabeth are utterly in love, trust each other completely and comfortably and are very deeply physically attracted to each other. The second they're left along they're going to get handsy. It's freaking adorable! This story is so healthy about sex. Elizabeth is the instigator most of the time, there's none of that weird 'w-w-wait! stop!' shit coming from her in the middle of things even though the story makes it obvious she wants this that just about every manhwa story that includes sex has in it (ooooh, that's SUCH a rant for another day). Dave is utterly respectful of Elizabeth and lets her control what they do and how fast things go even though its obvious he's down to bone every time she breathes. It doesn't take up a lot of the story but the story isn't shy about letting them be two sexually attracted to each other people. It's not Morticia and Gomez levels of things but its got that vibe to it. I giggle like a little kid when The Story is happening in the foreground and there's Elizabeth in the background making wiggle eyebrows at Dave. For me this is absolutely a great example of how sex can add to a story. If that sounds fun to you, carry on. If sex is a squick, than give this story a pass because there's no way to skip the sex to only get the story.

rating: PG13

warnings: murder, characters being orphaned, late stage capitalism, cops turning a blind eye to crime, war wounds, forced marriage, big pharma, warmongers, drunken sex (which counts as dubious sex even though it was consensual and that too is another manhwa rant for another day), men with puppy dog eyes(figuratively, not literally)

finished?: nope

abs: chapter 2 (girlie saw what she liked and went for it!)