#((Also this takes place around yokai watch 3! Around the very beginning of when it would be happening but. Like. Instead of moving there

[askbabblong]

Are you buddies with roughraff?

I'd say we mix as well as oil and water! Not to say he's half bad, he can just be....testy. We've been on the same team though! It was a while ago, back when we fought that McKraken guy. Not fun, I'll tell you—great bonding experience though!

The kid lives somewhere in Shoppers Row from what I can remember. Not too far from here, huh?

[quennie93]

How they ruined Inuyasha/Yashahime pt. 2

☆Turning a badass Character like Sango in just....Miroku' Wife

☆Kagome still being Useless? She showed up to battle with Moroha with no bow and arrows... like why Kagome.

☆ Kagome still being referred as Kikyo Reincarnation

☆the Terrible Fight scenes that last what? 2 minutes max?

☆the Space Yokai... ion get it lmao They built.it up like it was so strong... and Inuyasha and Sesshomaru took it out with 2 moves....

☆Towa being OP for nooooo damn reason! Towa has no prior training yet she defeating demons left and right. Yet they made sure to show Kagome lack of training very evident.

☆Inconsistencies. More so amongst the fandom.. " Its the feudal Era. It was normal back then. Because people died early" 🥲🥲😪😪 God help me on this one...

ALSO INUYASHA: Has a bunch of old people running around in the show. Kaede seemingly being the oldest

1) It wasn't as common as you think.

2) Inuyasha is so far from accurate. There's literal demons in this show and magical swords and Weapons...

3)If its so common, then why hasn't Sango already been married off by the time she was introduced. Or why don't Kohaku have a wife yet. Or Hisui.. Or Sangos Daughters( this may be true or not. It hasn't been shown)

4) Of you do a little research like people tell me. You'll know why it wasn't common and why it happened when it did

☆Had the audacity to make an episode showing the "horror" of Tamano situations. Amd the hoard of men coming after her at 13.

The next episode revealed Rin as the Mother....I 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ and Based on what I calculated Shes about 15/16.

☆Also Neither of Sango's daughters are demon slayers?

☆Don't get me started on the Animations cause the amount of terrible scenes is ridiculous considering they suppose to be a professional company

☆Miroku being the only one that ages...

☆REUSING OLD CHARACTER DESIGNS and PLOTS

☆Story having so many plot holes and not making any sense!

☆They didn't even Age Rin up she literally has the exact same face at 8 plus an extra Eyelash.

☆Also Rin laying there in plank formation as if she can't move her arms! She wasn't even holding her babies! Wtf! And even when sesshomaru came and Took them.... she didn't do anything just moved her head. Everyone else said something Except the mother!!

☆Inuyasha facing the tree in The promo Poster??? Why?! Rin is in there....

☆Also Rin being in the tree makes no sense. She has no link to this damn tree!

☆Jaken saying he'll take care of the twins in Rin's place

1) Jaken HATED watching Rin now he's just happy to watch her twins as well too?

2) Contradicted himself later saying He'll bring Rin through the barrier.

☆ Towa not having her human night until she was in the Feudal Era.

☆ There's no development in the characters they've been the same since Ep. 1... no new moves nothing...

☆Everyone being so damn clueless!

☆People using a chart saying Rin was 17 but also want me to believe Hisui suppose to be between 5-7 but he can barely walk. Ummm no!

☆The so-called clues and mystery and "shock" about who the mother is. It was nonexistent. O was more intrigued the theories Antis came up with! But I should've know Sunrise or whoever wasn't clever enough to do all that lmao

☆Kagome supposedly suppose to be pregnant. When Rin gave birth? B*tch where?!

☆Sango and Miroku twins... the design of one of the twins is literally just same kid head on a woman body... I just lmao ugh! I'm sorry but she look so stupid with her hair cut. Cause she look like she a grown woman that don't wanna grow up

☆Inconsistencies of Hair colors... Setsuna hair was black then brown then back to black. Towas hair turns black during the new moon... but Rins hair is Brown...

☆Once again the FUCKING RED STREAK?!! WHY!?!?! Towa didn't loose it during the new moon. So it's not demonic but it's also not from Rin. Soo whyyyyyyy?!?!!

☆Sesshomaru walking and taking the twins without a word to Rin. Pissed me off.

☆MF had the audacity to use a Sesskagu moment in the beginning of the Opening. ( Moment when Sesshomaru says " i get to decide whether she died in vain...")

☆ Inuyasha series made it adamant that for Sesshomaru to grow he he needed to be great on his own and become separate from his father.. then Yashahime comes around and Makes him almost exactly as his father....

☆Sesshomaru Denouncing his title...why

☆Sesshomaru going with Kirinmaru to fight Inuyasha and Kagome then suddenly seals them in a pearl... it makes no sense

☆Hisui not liking his father then suddenly okay with him at the end of the episode

☆Miroku being such a coward and running??

☆Zero saying she heard a rumor that Sesshomaru had half demon twins but they had just been born......

☆Hisui suppose to be pushing 5 when The twins were born but he look 2/3 and can barely walk lmao

JUST TERRIBLE. ILL Add more. When I think of it lmao

Part of me wanna keep watching cause I know they'll mess up even more

[glowinggator]

Domestic Headcanons

Summary: Domestic headcanons with everyone’s favorite ogre! (Oni?)

Pairing: Loathsome Leonard/Reader (Established Relationship) 

Content Warnings: None!

Word Count: 1142

[A/N: I can’t fucking believe I wrote 1k words for a single character headcanon. girl i don’t even simp for him what the fuck. and i wanted to write even MORE but it was getting too long. leonard simps this one’s for you <3]

Danny’s Here // Mickey’s Here 

When you’re such a well-known, prolific criminal - especially in his specific line of work - it’s hard to really settle down into a domestic life. He wants to, he really does. But when the cops are constantly on your tail, moving around is simply a fact of life. And crime has always been a part of his life: it’s not something he can just drop and move on from. But he tries his best to make each place feel a little bit less like a safehouse and more like a home. And at the end of the day, home truly is with the people you love. Nothing can replace that. Although he does dream of defecting from Mama’s rule, taking the money for you guys and the rest of the crew and finding the dream life, it isn’t exactly feasible. He knows she’d catch onto his plan, likely before he even initiated it. But he can dream, right? Maybe someday he’ll save up enough of his earnings to find a little home for you two.

If you have a home top-side though… ecstatic doesn’t even begin to describe it. He’s not real obvious about it, of course, but you can tell that he’s happy to finally have a place that he can feel safe in. And better yet, it’s with you.

He’s a very good mechanic. Pretty good handyman in general, actually! You’ll never have to call the repair guy again. He almost never uses a measuring tape, but fortunately he’s damn good at eyeballing shit.

Gets kind of freaked out if you guys don’t have a garage? He’s a little paranoid about it, especially because he does NOT want his bike stolen. He’ll start pawning stuff he finds in the Hidden City to afford a garage if he has to, honestly. Fortunately, that ALSO means you guys can start piling stuff in there. Free hangout spot.

He spends at least an hour on his hair most mornings. He uses clay instead of gel, so it usually takes less time on the second day. He’ll still mess with it throughout the day, though. He’s got an image to keep up, babe!

Never wears his cloaking necklace in the house. You’re waiting for the day that the FBI or Scotland Yard or something fucking break into your house for hiding a demon.

In another life, he could have worked as a chef, no joke. He can make pretty much anything, honestly. He’s not one to follow recipes to the T, but that’s what makes his food so good. And his barbeque is the best!! If you guys are top-side, it’s really funny to look out the window and see him cooking because you never fucking recognize him. It’s weird seeing him in… not yokai form. If you’re not, though? Fuck yeah, brother. 

He hates soybeans so much, it’s unreal. Like, he’d rather die than eat them. He has no other reasoning than “they suck.” Sorry if you like tofu, but he’s not gonna touch that shit with a 30 foot pole.

His voice is very rumbly in the morning, it’s nice.

Local plant killer. He’ll find a way to kill a cactus without even trying. Very impressed if you have a green thumb, though.

He likes to order out a lot. If he finds something he likes he tends to stick with it, but he’s not opposed to trying new places. He’s not picky, but he does like to give you shit <3

He sucks at decorating. Like, he has no eye for it at all.

Always the first to put away the dishes! He’s very fast at it as well. 

He’s really good about making coffee at night, or when he wakes up in the morning. If you’re not awake yet, he’ll always make your drink of choice just before you wake up. He’s good about that sort of thing. Also, he likes to pretend that he drinks his coffee black, but he actually pours a fuck ton of maple syrup in it when nobody’s looking. In the same vein, he takes his tea black. If anything, he’ll add a bit of milk to it, but that’s rare. He likes spiced teas the most, but he’s not insanely picky. Hates chamomile, though.

There’s a lot of temporary shelters that you guys hide out in the Hidden City when you’re unable to leave, and the heat gets too hot to handle, with a few semi-permanent places. His favorite hideout is a little farm way out in the countryside. If he had to choose a place to live forever, that would be his dream home. The trees out that way grow tall, with deep green trunks that reflect cobalt blue light at night. The megafauna roams freely, creatures the size of skyscrapers soaring slowly through the air, or sending rumbles through the ground with their colossal hooves in the late afternoon. And yet, they always go around the home. Magically warded, perhaps? Or are they intelligent enough to avoid a dwelling? Neither of you are sure, but he knows that he’d love to live his life here, with you. Something about it just feels right.

King of bonfires. It happens at least once every two weeks. The flames dance high, changing colors every few seconds. Something about the wood makes the flames dance and change hue, unlike the wood from your own world. It’s nothing new to him, but it’s absolutely magical to you. You two will happily spend the night out there, watching the flames dance and the megafauna roam. Your laughter echoes through the land, and you truly feel at home in this little cabin.

Yes, the guys absolutely come over often if you aren’t hiding out with them. Come on, they’re family.

He’s pretty good at Mortal Kombat! Expect game nights every now and then. Also he absolutely lost his mind over the new Mortal Kombat movie. No cap, he’d fuck Liu Kang. He’s very excited for the next movie, but tbh he hates Johnny Cage. Okay I’ll stop talking about mortal kombat now i prommy

He’s not super big into gaming, but he’s happy to watch you if you are. Little bit of a backseat gamer, but just kiss him. It’ll either keep him quiet or prompt more quips,  but at least you get kisses.

He really wants a dog. He can’t exactly have one at the moment, but he’d really like one. He’s a fan of most kinds of dogs, but he’d like one that’s fairly strong. His ideal dog would be a Cane Corso!

Loves action movies and horror movies. Come on, have you seen his line of work?

Honestly, 10/10 husband. The life he leads isn’t one to lend itself to domesticity, but he’s never been one to take “no” for an answer. And he’s gonna do everything he can to make a life for the both of you, no matter what.

[dakotafinely]

ROTTMNT Netherworld!Au: [Part 1], [Part 2], [Part 3], [Part 4], & [Part 5]

This is part six! And you’re def gonna wanna read through to know what I’m talking about in this one, so yeah.

-Enjoy-

Mikey and the Gothic Hunter relationship is summed up as:

Gothic Hunter, pulling out the dual blades, dope with boss vibes: Someone will die.

Mikey, ruining the vibe but being a ray of sunshine: Of fun!

Gothic hunter is equipped with dual blades and a crossbow. They’re from the 1800s around the time Bounty Hunters were very prevalent. They’ve forgotten their own name. So Mikey frequently calls them Ghost.

They’re a Yokai crossbreed of rat and octopus. They wear metal gloves and when they take them off their arms become tentacles, similar to meat sweats. But they don’t absorb people like him, they don’t have that ability. The tentacles are very strong though, and they use them often to throw people far away. They can also spray ink from their nose, but it’s uncomfortable and stings so they never use it. 

Mikey, watching Gothic Hunter throw a member of Razzo: Yeet

Gothic Hunter, who’s never heard a meme or vine ever: What’d you say Fireball?

Oh yeah, Gothic Hunter calls him Fireball because of his weapon. Also because he started calling them Ghost so they felt like they needed to return the favor.

Gothic Hunter doesn’t remember much of their old life before the Netherworld. But Mikey reminds them of someone they can’t place. Maybe it’s OC? Maybe it's someone Gothic Hunter loved before. Who knows? 

Wow, okay now Gothic Hunter does get a bit attached to Mikey along the journey of hunting down his brother and Barry. But when a contract is signed, there’s no way to edit it. It’s not like Big Mama where you can change the agreement at the last second. 

They begin sabotaging themselves in order to let the contract become void. But Mikey, bless his soul, refuses to let that happen. He’s unaware of all the terms in the agreement, and Gothic Hunter doesn’t want to tell him cause they’re bad at all this feeling stuff.

Plus he’s the one person they’ve met that is really sweet and nice and optimistic and they don’t want to ruin that. They just... can’t. So when Leo hands them the Lifesaver bag they laugh. The agreement being fulfilled.

Gothic Hunter, smiling at Mikey with the bag in hand, a small tear down their face: This’ll do Fireball, I’ll see you in the next life ‘kay?

Mikey, tears down his face because he baby, giving Gothic Hunter one last hug: Of course

Big oof, made myself cry thinking up that scene.

Also, is it obvious yet that I’ve made Gothic Hunter someone who’s very Country yet? Why? Idk, it kinda just happened and now we here and I’m not changing it so… yeah.  Also, they’re non-binary. I’d like to imagine that Yokai isn’t weird about gender like humans are. So Gothic Hunter is a non-binary who only uses they/them pronouns. Yup, cool.

[goodlucktai]

twice the heart

natsume yuujinchou pairing: nishinatsu word count: 2367 title borrowed from more heart, less attack by needtobreathe: “be the never turning back twice the heart any man could have”

written for @natsume-ss​ ! my giftee this year was @nesushii, i really hope you like it ! <3 read on ao3

x

When Shuuichi extends the invitation, he’s largely expecting Natsume to turn it down.

Instead, the other side of the phone call drops into thoughtful silence, and then Natsume’s quiet voice says, “Would I be able to bring someone with me?”

To say Shuuichi would agree to anything Natsume asked of him is a stretch, but not much of one. Natsume could express an interest in bringing his whole high school class along and Shuuichi would find a way to make it happen.

“I must say I’m surprised,” Shuuichi teases, once they’ve gotten Touko’s glowing permission and made the appropriate arrangements. “I didn’t think my movies were of any interest to you, and now you’re going to spend a weekend on set?”

“Well,” Natsume says with a hint of warm humor, “my friend is a big fan.”

   Shuuichi is always happy to meet a fan, devoting more time to autographs and interviews than his publicist would like, but this is a special case. He’s acutely aware that the russet-haired boy before him now, half-hiding behind Natsume’s shoulder, isn’t just another movie enthusiast.

Because while Nishimura flushes and stammers and can’t seem to decide whether he should gape at Shuuichi or just stare at his own feet, Natsume watches his antics with a wide smile. This is someone Natsume is fond of, at the very least, and from what little Shuuichi knows about Natsume’s very lonely past, that makes Nishimura someone more than worthy of the VIP treatment.

They tour the set, meet a few of the other actors, peek into an empty wardrobe suite. It’s all just this side of mundane for Shuuichi, and it’s obvious to anyone with eyes that Natsume isn’t moved either, and Nyanko-sensei looks like he wouldn’t so much as bat an eye if the entire building was to go up in flames, but Nishimura more than makes up for their lack of enthusiasm. He’s bright-eyed and spilling a dozen questions and tugging Natsume into countless selfies as they go, and buoys the mood into something wonderful.

The afternoon is a pleasure, really. While getting Natsume to admit to anything more than “school was okay” is like pulling teeth, Nishimura is an eager conversationalist, and launches into charming anecdotes of countryside shenanigans with very little prompting on Shuuichi’s part.

In two hours, Shuuichi has learned Natsume’s favorite color, his least favorite food, the title of a book series he’s been binge-reading for the last two weeks, and the entire story of how he and Taki and Kitamoto all got stuck up the same tree. That’s more than he’s learned from Natsume in almost a year.

Perhaps most remarkably, Natsume doesn’t mind at all. He watches Nishimura the way Shuuichi has seen people watch their favorite part of their favorite movie, every now and then smiling in a faint, knee-jerk way that says he’s unaware his mouth moved at all.

Ah, Shuuichi thinks gleefully. So that’s it.

Nishimura has been a delight all afternoon, sunny and cheerful and energetic enough to make up for Natsume’s disinterest twice over, but as morning fades into afternoon something changes.

It’s a gradual shift, one that Shuuichi doesn’t notice right away. The boy’s smiles, so automatic before, seem to be a reach now. He’s a little slower to pick up conversation, eyes trailing narrowly away. If it were Natsume, Shuuichi would be certain there was a yokai problem afoot-- but when he cuts a quick glance at Hiiragi, paranoid despite himself, she shakes her head.

By the time they sit down for lunch, Nishimura is outright scowling.

“Let’s do something else for the rest of the day,” he says without warning, and Natsume blinks up from his meal, looking as bewildered by the non-sequitur as Shuuichi feels.

“What? You’ve been looking forward to this forever. I thought you’d beg Natori to let you live here.”

“C’mon, Natsume,” Nishimura wheedles. “There’s a whole city out there to see! Who knows when we’ll be back here again?”

It looks like a familiar exchange, Natsume longsuffering and Nishimura petulant. Shuuichi thinks he’s getting a good idea of what their usual dynamics are like, when Natsume is the first to give in with good grace, and Nishimura smiles like they both knew it was only a matter of time before he did.

“Well,” Natsume finally says, “Natori is our host, so it’s up to him.”

If he was expecting Shuuichi to shut Nishimura down, he should have known better.

“I’d be happy to get away from work, actually,” Shuuichi says with a winning smile. If something back at the studio is the reason behind Nishimura’s soured mood, then Shuuichi is more than willing to play hooky for the day. It’s not as though they could fire him. “Consider me at your service this afternoon.”

And so the day is spent lost in the city. Natori is only here for a few weeks, shooting a few scenes on location at the picturesque riverfront, so he’s not a very helpful guide. But he’s happy to pay transit fare and foot the bill for whatever souvenirs catch the boys’ eyes and stop for enough snacks that dinner is effectively ruined, and it seems to do the trick. Natsume and Nishimura are arguing and laughing and trying to push each other off the sidewalk within an hour, and the atmosphere lightens again by spades.

Shuuichi plays the role of cheerful chaperone and largely keeps them from wandering into traffic. Otherwise he’s a hands-off babysitter, letting them roam to their hearts’ content.

He thinks it’s obvious from the way Natsume’s eyes linger-- the softness of his mouth when he smiles at all of Nishimura’s chatter, the way he’ll forget himself and get noisy and silly as though Nishimura’s presence alone is a buffer against everything that taught him to be still and quiet-- that there’s definitely some level of infatuation here.

Whether or not Natsume is aware of it is another matter entirely.

Whether or not Nishimura is aware of it is also a mystery. He’s quick to catch Natsume’s hand or throw an arm around his shoulders or push the long fringe out of Natsume’s eyes when the February wind tosses their hair, but he also seems to be a tactile kid in general, so that might not mean anything at all.

It’s none of Shuuichi’s business, but love stories certainly are; he makes a living off them, after all. He can’t help being interested, though he knows better than to meddle. Natsume wouldn’t thank him for it-- would probably have a few very strong words for him, at that-- so Shuuichi stomps down the protective edge his thoughts start to take. It’s really not his place.

From what he’s seen of Nishimura, he’s a good kid. His taste in movies is certainly top tier. And Natsume is a very good judge of character. That’s enough for now, Shuuichi decides, and buys the boys enough matching keychains to share with all their friends back home.

A phone call from Shuuichi’s harried assistant is finally what brings them back to the studio. Apparently one of the filming locations was double-booked for a wedding this weekend, and the director is chewing over either rushing the scene or shooting it somewhere else. In his bad mood he noticed their leading actor missing, and Shuuichi’s assistant all but begs him to come back.

They pile out of the cab in front of the studio, Natsume beginning to flag after a busy day of new places and new faces and a lot of walking. His cat, bundled in his arms, has looked disgruntled since this morning, but that might just be his face.

“I’m sorry about this,” Shuuichi says ruefully as they make their way inside. “Please bear with me. I’ll sort this out as quickly as I can, and then give you free reign of the room service menu back at the hotel. Deal?”

His suite is more than big enough to accommodate two high schoolers for the weekend, as he assured Touko over the phone when they traded emergency numbers and contact information, with more than enough amenities to keep them busy. But it looks like their first night will see them too tired to do more than go straight to bed, and Shuuichi feels a little guilty about that.

“Oh, no,” Natsume says, eyes wide. “No, this is-- we’re the ones intruding, we know you’re busy. We shouldn’t have taken you away from work in the first place. Take your time.”

He gives Nishimura a nudge with his elbow that doesn’t look gentle, and Nishimura nods through a wince. “Yeah, absolutely. We’ll be good.”

But his sunny mood is disintegrating again. He’s visibly bristling, and keeps pace at Natsume’s side as though he’s standing guard. Shuuichi keeps an eye on him while the production staff argues with each other, and it’s because he’s watching so closely that he finally catches on.

The boys are in an out of the way corner of the studio, very obviously minding their own business, and someone Shuuichi doesn’t recognize-- one of the PAs, possibly-- cuts toward them. It’s too far away, and too loud besides, for Shuuichi to catch whatever is said.

But he sees it when Nishimura’s tremulous hold on his temper snaps. He surges out of his chair, eyes bright with anger, and Natsume only barely manages to curb the fight before it starts. He shoves Nyanko-sensei into his friend’s chest, and Nishimura’s arms curl around the cat on reflex, and now he has no hands free to pick a fight.

Shuuichi, however, is not given a fat cat as a deterrent, and has plenty of hands free.

He’s crossing the studio with swift, sharp strides, Hiiragi at his side. He realizes he’s furious-- disproportionately so-- and it must show. Natsume looks cowed as he approaches, and the PA fades away into the crowd.

“Sorry,” Natsume says quickly, “if we interrupted-- “

“Don’t say sorry,” Nishimura says right over him. He’s searching the crowd hungrily, as if the force of his glare might bring that woman back over. “You didn’t do anything.”

“Nishimura,” Natsume stresses, looking as though he’d like to sink into the floor, “it’s okay. She just-- I used to live with her family. She’s not-- you don’t even know what happened back then, you don’t know why she said-- “

“I don’t have to know,” Nishimura snaps. He pets Nyanko-sensei just for something to do with his hands. He looks ready to set the next person who looks at Natsume sideways on fire. “Anyone who treats you like that is picking a fight with me, so deal with it.”

And this is the boy who dragged them all over the city for hours, who coaxed and whined and teased until Natsume gave in and had a good time. He was so excited to get behind the scenes for this movie, he was ecstatic to meet Shuuichi and his co-stars, but it didn’t cost him anything to leave it all behind because one person in this busy studio was unkind to his friend.

His earnest eyes are narrow now, all trace of that idol worship placed somewhere far behind him, as he sizes Shuuichi up. Nyanko-sensei lifts up to bump his head on the underside of Nishimura’s chin, but his eyes are dark and intelligent, and they size Shuuichi up, too.

Beside him, Shuuichi is aware of Hiiragi lifting a hand to the lower half of her mask, as though she’s covering a smile.

Well, I know when I’m outdone, Shuuichi thinks.

A nearby security guard is looking particularly interested in their group, and Shuuichi waves him over with a smile. The middle-aged man saw most of the altercation, and would recognize the PA if he saw her again. Shuuichi makes a quiet request for the guard to get her information and collect her badge and escort her off the property.

With that taken care of, Shuuichi turns to the teenagers in his care. They’re both staring in surprise. He wonders what they expected of him, if not that. He certainly won’t tell Natsume he plans on blacklisting her name on as many upcoming projects as his influence will reach, but Nishimura would probably be delighted by the idea.

“That’s one way to end an evening,” he says with a great theatrical sigh. He puts a hand on each of their heads, feeling all twenty-four of his years, and his voice softens into something more serious. “I wish you would have told me something was wrong in the first place. I would have dealt with it then, and we wouldn’t have had to change our plans.”

He looks particularly hard at Natsume, and Natsume has the good grace to look ashamed. After all the deadly situations they’ve lived through together, surely the child can trust Shuuichi this much.

Nishimura presses Nyanko-sensei back into Natsume’s arms. His eyes are full of sunlight when he looks at Natsume, burning and affectionate and fierce.

“We still had a good time, didn’t we?” he says, as if that’s all that matters.

The Western-style hotel suite boasts two beds and a pull-out couch, but Natsume and Nishimura both clamber into the bed nearest the window without bothering to change. Nyanko-sensei stretches out across the foot of it while they talk in low, sleepy voices.

Shuuichi steps into the room, having wanted the phone call in which he had a PA fired to be a more private affair in the hall, and is just in time to watch Natsume press a kiss to Nishimura’s knuckles, as though to soothe a bruise that isn’t there from a fight that didn’t happen.

Ah, Shuuichi thinks. His instincts are getting rusty. That’s twice now that he’s been too slow on the uptake.

Natsume goes still when he notices Shuuichi in the doorway, like a rabbit sighted by a hawk, but Nishimura brightens. He holds Natsume’s hand harder when Natsume tries to let go.

“Natori! You promised us room service, right?”

Shuuichi feels something tight in the pit of his chest relent, and he smiles despite himself. The smile melts the anxiety out of Natsume’s tense shoulders.

“So I did,” he says, and hands over the phone. 

[akaluan]

Baku!Erich Part 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | ????

((Last of what I currently have written. Might get some more done this weekend.

Also, it’s really fun to write Alexis like this, she’s such a sassy creature I love her to death.))

They begin that night.

Erich devours the boy’s first nightmare and Alexis pulls free a fragment of the hoshi no tama, no bigger than a grain of rice. She holds it out to him, perched on a claw, and Erich breaks off a fragment of his Self to wrap around the divine gift.

A baku’s protective nature, to guard the boy from unintentional harm.

He breathes out the power gained from the boy’s first nightmare, tucking it close around the gift and letting none escape. The end result looks almost like another hoshi no tama, gleaming in the moonlight with a single, bright star in its heart.

It’s beautiful, and Erich can’t help but feel /hope/.

He plucks the new orb from Alexis’ paw and presses it gently to the boy’s forehead. It sinks in like rain on parched earth, gone before Erich even has a chance to let go.

The boy’s face scrunches up in reaction and he grumbles in his sleep, head turning away and arms pulling his blankets closer. They wait, watching him for any sign of distress, but only another nightmare comes.

::How long, do you think?:: Alexis asks while plucking the newborn nightmare free.

Erich considers the hoshi no tama, then presses it gently to the hollow of Alexis’ throat. ::Two months, perhaps?::

Two months is a long time. Already they’ve spent nearly a month guarding the teens’ sleep. Already they’ve spent more time in one place, /together/, than at any other moment in their lives.

Already they are growing attached to these humans, like they once did with the soldiers who called them into being.

::Two months to heal his soul, but how many months to sooth their dreams?:: she wonders, staring down at the sleeping boy.

That is a question he has no answer for, and they both know it. Whatever these teens have been through, they were thrown into it without preparation or regard for their wellbeing. The price they now pay is cruel and relentless, and Erich is uncertain how long it will take for them to recover.

::We should get moving,:: he offers instead. He pulls the next nightmare from the boy’s mind before it can settle, then leans in and breathes out his fragment of protection. ::Remember to keep track of the hours.::

Alexis nods and leaps through the window, orienting towards another of the teens.

But she doesn’t leave.

/They/ don’t leave.

Because the man that’s been stalking them is standing in midair, eyes shadowed by his hat and cane held in a deceptively loose grip. His expression is flat and cold and unyielding, like some of the most war-hardened soldiers Erich ever knew.

Silence stretches as they each wait for the other side to cave first. It seems to last forever, straining Erich’s patience and making Alexis go still in preparation to strike.

(They have charges to care for. Charges that they are ignoring in favor of a useless standoff with a dangerous man.)

(But they are two and he is one, and Erich and Alexis have never been shy about carving their way through problems.)

He and Alexis share a look. The man’s stance shifts.

::I told you he could see us,:: Erich says, breaking the standoff with an irreverent comment. It throws the man, albeit briefly, and snaps the rising tension nicely.

Alexis harrumphs at him, put upon and annoyed, and gives the man a ‘can you believe my companion?’ look that further throws him off balance. ::You /guessed/ he could see us. It was a fifty-fifty chance, congratulations on guessing correctly.::

::My guesses are—::

::Exactly as reliable as a coin flip,:: Alexis interrupts with a huff, ::just like everyone else’s.::

“As entertaining as this is,” the man cuts in, a hint of humor hiding amongst the steel, “I would like to ask what it is you two have just done to that boy, baku-san, baku-san.”

::Begun to heal him,:: Erich answers.

The man’s expression hardens. “I was unaware that baku were skilled in healing soul-wounds.”

::We aren’t, but why should we be limited to only our skills?:: Alexis asks. She tips her head and bares her teeth, ears laid back against her skull. ::Inari Ōkami was more than happy to lend her aid to our cause.::

The man grows still. Fragments of emotion creep into his aura, faint and muddy and barely enough for Erich to sense, but still /there/. Still enough to prove that he cares, that he worries. “And you think whatever this is will help?”

::We know it will.:: Erich says with confidence.

The man grimaces and tugs at the brim of his hat, gaze drifting away from them to land on the boy’s window. “Fine. But if you cause him harm, if this ‘solution’ of yours only makes him worse—”

::You have been trying, haven’t you,:: Alexis interrupts. She stalks forward and rears up on her hind legs, leaning in to peer closely at the man. ::That’s why you’ve been stalking us, because you were wondering if we were doing something you could capitalize on.::

“Yes,” he admits readily enough, undaunted by the way Alexis is practically looming over him. “Everything I could devise… all my theories fell apart when I tried to bring them to fruition. The human soul is an intricate affair, and the damage to his is immense. When I saw what you were doing to his soul, attempting to staunch the wound, I… wondered.”

Erich grimaces and shakes his head. ::That is no more than a stopgap. The soul can heal, but his is too damaged to do so on its own. He needs outside assistance, and that is what Inari Ōkami has provided.::

“I had suspected, but…” the man sighs and steps back from Alexis, shoulders slumping with exhaustion. “My best theory was to provide an infusion of a large quantity of reiatsu all at once, but I can’t produce that much alone. Not quickly enough to help…”

::It wouldn’t do him any favors,:: Alexis says, dropping back to all fours and giving the man a sad look. ::His soul might heal from it, but the myōbu told us that /he/ must heal himself, else a fragility will be introduced to his soul. We cannot force healing upon him.::

The man frowns at them. “Isn’t that what you’re doing, though? You’ve not approached him, not asked him for his agreement—”

::But whether or not he heals is up to him,:: Erich says. ::We are giving him the strength and the template. How he makes use of that… that is up to his subconscious will.::

“How soon will you know?”

Erich trades a look with Alexis, then shakes his head. He hadn’t even considered asking. ::We don’t know.::

::Perhaps a week?:: Alexis offers. At Erich’s curious look, she lifts a paw and mimes a shrug. ::With the sort of healing he’s doing, and the time you estimated, a week seems about right for the first signs.::

The man sighs and fidgets with his cane, gaze flickering between them and the boy’s window once again. “Alright,” he finally agrees. “Alright. One week. And if there’s no sign, or if he becomes /worse/, I will not hesitate to chase you off.”

Erich blinks at the threat, one ear swiveling back in confusion. From the man’s aura and the way he so effortlessly pretended Alexis didn’t exist despite her best efforts, ‘chase them off’ seems… laughably light. He expected to need to fight the man— /still/ expects it, honestly— and instead he’s being threatened with… being run off?

Some of his confusion must be clear to the man, because he coughs awkwardly and rubs at the back of his head. “You… I’ve been watching you. And… you /are/ helping them. More than I’ve been able to. I also know very well what it’s like to try and try and still make everything worse.”

::The boy will be fine,:: Alexis does her best to reassure. ::He will heal and be whole once more.::

::He will be changed, however,:: Erich warns, deciding that the man should be made aware of the consequences of their actions. ::He is being healed by a divine gift born of Inari Ōkami and strengthened by her myōbu. A human cannot be touched by so much kami and yokai power without being influenced by it.::

“But he’ll live,” the man says. He squares his shoulders when Erich and Alexis both nod in agreement. “Then so be it. Kurosaki-kun is an adaptable young man, he’ll manage.”

Erich is not entirely certain it will be so easy, but the less conflict the better. And, in all likelihood, the man will help Kurosaki to adapt.

::If that is all, we have our duties to perform,:: Alexis says, gaze turning away from the man and towards one of the other teens. ::Remember, you gave us a week.::

“I remem— woah!” The man straightens sharply as Alexis bolts past him, close enough to touch. He casts an exasperated look at Erich and says, “I thought your companion would stop doing that once they knew I could see you both.”

Erich lifts a paw and mimes a shrug. He’d expected exactly what she’d done, honestly. ::Now that she knows you can see her, she’ll probably begin to see how far she can push you.:: He laughs at the man’s blank, disbelieving gaze. ::There are not many who can see us, so you’re interesting. Along with how well you pretended you /couldn’t/…::

“Oh dear…”

::You’ll be fine. Just try not to die of a heart attack,:: Erich advises dryly. ::That would make you boring.::

“Well… I wouldn’t want to be that,” the man responds faintly, clearly uncertain how to take Erich’s words.

Erich laughs and rises to his feet, stalking past the man on his way towards another of the teens. ::No, you certainly wouldn’t.:: And with those entirely unreassuring words, he bounds off to continue his duty, leaving the man sputtering in protest behind him.

[tumblunni]

Brainstorming about my yokai watch ocs: Dimmy and Gorgeous Ambassador, the most cutest family

* My Dimmy's name is Blythe and they are nonbinary. Gorgeous Ambassador is male and i dont have a name for him yet. I was thinking maybe try and make up a dub name for kageusuo (anime exclusive pre evolution) that sounds like it could have been his nickname as a human? Cos his story is that he used to be a wandering mercenary in ye olde ninja times, i feel like itd be fitting.

* Blythe is the main partner of my protagonist in my yokai watch lp, basically the jibanyan of the anime of my heart. Their personality is mostly similar to the Dimmy in the anime, but i feel like theyre maybe older and more powerful than the average Dimmy? Like a weak low evolution yokai thats stayed unevolved for centuries and is actually more skilled and world weary than you'd assume. Protag just got lucky that she bumped into this one super magikarp, lol! Also i like to draw them looking more teenage age by just taking the regular Dimmy design and making the tail extra super long. They stand roughly twice as tall as the protagonist and can wrap around her shoulders like a scarf :3 Blythe is however totally unaware of their super powerful mega skill and is very self depreciating and low confidence. But Mallory totally sees them as a cool older sibling mentor figure and is always trying to figure out ways to make their tol squiggle friend feel included and valued :3

* the way Gorgeous Ambassador comes into the picture is that he was actually the same sort of figure to Blythe! Back in the ninja era Blythe was partners with another human, but he passed away in tragic circumstances and it led to their current depressed self. However he actually reincarnated as a yokai and has been trying to find his lil sibling ever since! I feel like he was a failure samurai who tried to protect people but was so weak he never could. And he was always broke and starving and begging to do any sort of miscellaneous jobs for anyone or even let them punch him in the stomach for a few coins. And he had just as much self confidence issues as Blythe but he coped with it by becoming a compulsive liar instead, always boasting and trying to sell himself as some legendary hero to keep from facing the truth. Since Blythe was a cute lil babby yokai at the time, they always believed their human master's tall tales and looked up to him, which made him feel really guilty and try harder to work on becoming someone this kid could be genuinely proud of.

* Blythe was first born as a household spirit. Cos i was thinking about what Dimmy would be before it became a ninja, since the medallium description says it 'got a job as a ninja to put its powers to use', so like it isnt really a ninja yokai but just a yokai thats a ninja? I guess?? I figured that the idea of being an invisible shadow supporter fit with household spirits/domovoi/zakishi warishi (probably mispelled that) and the various other similar creatures in mythologies all over the world. Just the idea that theres some sort of being that protects your house and if you give it offerings and take good care of the place it will protect you and your family. So yeah its my headcanon that thats how Dimmys are born, and that theres probably many variants wearing different outfits inspired by whatever type of humans they guarded. Tho yeh ninja is a job that works really well with their abilities so it makes sense itd be the primary representative of the species in the games.

* Human-dude-who-would-become-gorgeous-ambassador first met Blythe when one of his various failed attempts to get a job happened to cross paths with the family Blythe was guarding. This family didnt believe in such old suspicions and never gave offerings to their household spirit, so it stayed small and weak and was almost fading away. Baby blythe didnt know why their humans didnt love them, even though they tried so hard to bring good luck and clean the fireplace and stuff. So they felt a sense of kinship with this poor failure samurai who was begging for food on their doorstep. The humans of the household spat in his face and turned him away empty handed, but the tiny yokai snuck some rice from the pantry and gave it to him. They were surprised that he was able to see them, and he gave them the first thank you they'd ever had!

* Addendum note: i feel like gorgeous samurai was cursed with being able to see yokai from a young age and its part of whay made him so determined to become strong enough to protect people. Perhaps his biological family was killed by an evil yokai and nobody ever believed what he saw? And he wandered japan trying to save other people and always failing and being blamed for what happened, since nobody could see the real culprit. This reputation of being a liar when he wasnt = he ended up actually lying about how he was totally fine and not sad and also great and not hating himself. Its not really something he can control anymore, its like a stress response and it keeps getting him in trouble but he cant stop. "Yes sure i can save the day, i'm awesome!" only makes things worse when he inevitably loses again, whic only makes his self confidence worse and traps him further in the lies...

* so anyway, he became friends with this lil babby yokai and kept coming back to visit them and tell more tall tales of his grand adventures. And eventually he managed to help Blythe come out of their shell a little and agree to leave this house where they were only fading away. Haunting him instead, the lil shadow soon flourished back to full health from being loved for the first time. And their new big bro would always give them the biggest share of all the food even when he was starving, and always wasted his money buying things for them, and knitted them lil scarfs and just HE WAS A GOODEST BIG BRO! They also made a great team, and he was finally able to fight evil yokai with a yokai of his own helping him out. Things were good for a few years!

* Eventually though, they faced a foe too strong for them to defeat. (Not sure yet who it is, cos it could be cool if they faced it again in the present day for a rematch?) Blythe's human friend ran into a burning building to save the people being attacked by this yokai, but because he was already gravely injured he didnt manage to make it out in time. And blythe was just a tiny bab who wasnt strong enough to carry his unconcious body to safety. So their last memories of him are of crying and begging him to wake up as the house fell apart all around them, and eventually the flames swallowed him up. the tiny yokai just ran and ran away from their shame, and never saw an ashy figure rising from the ruins and calling their name...

* eventually after years of struggling alone and lacking meaning in life, Blythe had a chance meeting with our protagonist and thus begins my yokai watch 1 lets play! At the same time their yokaified big bro is still out there searching for them, and maybe one day theyll meet again...

* also i wanna go with the pre-evo the anime added of Gorgeous Ambassador evolving from a sad depressed vampire lookin dude. Even if the whole circumstances here are vastly different! But we dont really have any info on what kageusuo's powers or stats would be, so i guess i'm free to mess around with that? I like the idea of it being vampiric just cos i feel it looks like that. But instead of drinking blood maybe its a hunger for shadows? Which is actually beneficial to humans and makes them less overshadowed aka the opposite of Dimmy's power. So if you ever feel that you're radiating charisma with perhaps a slightly lighter shadow, maybe youve been inspirited by this guy! And then the evolution into Gorgeous Ambassador doesnt actually change anything at all, except just looking more fashionable and confident (which is absolutely a lie). His power already made people more fabulous while being unable to affect himself, he just worked a bit harder on himself to try and catch up with everyone else. Self care vampire!

* oh and in this interpretation the way that kageusuo would be integrated into the gameplay is that Gorgeous Ambassador would get a new ability that lets him switch forms in battle, rather than it being a separate yokai. (Tho would still have a separate entry in the medallium just for conveinience of being able to view both character models whenever you want) Stuff that causes low confidence would make him poof between forms, and itd just be something like more attack based vs defense based, or maybe having two separate personality stats so its like his AI is slightly more versatile than the usual frustratingness of most yokai? Srsly im still so annoyed at so many yokai that have two mutually exclusive moves and the ai is stupid about using them at the wrong time to cancel each other out. Like how Dimmy can be given the AI personality to focus on attacking and thus take advantage of its auto-skill to be good at dodging aka a glass cannon. BUT also one of its skills gives that same status to an ally instead, which by definition takes it away from itself cos 'dont target this other guy' means there arent many other options. So you cpuld alternatively play dimmy as a supporter who exclusively protects others with that ability BUT the annoying part is that even when you set an AI profile to one particular move it still only makes it LIKELY to do that and not guaranteed. So every now and again your attacking dimmy will cancel its own buff to protect an enemy, or your supporting dimmy will forget to support abd instead buff itself despite not having the attack stat build to take advantage of it. Plus you cant have both and switch between modes mid battle, so thatd be REALLY useful if one yokai actually could do that, and also could change stats to fit! Im not sure how to give it a trigger condition thatd let you sorta change at will but also not be 100% easy and overpowered. I was thinking tying it to his confidence could mean missed attacks turn him into kageusuo and critical hits turn into gorgeous? But thatd be TOO uncontrollable...

* oh actually i think maybe i'll nickname him Amber! Just cos my brain just mispronounced gorgeous ambassador and It Kinda Works??? Also its a kind of name that sounds very pretty but also has connotations of gentle shyness, i think. Matches the duality of his fake boastfulness vs his true self doubt.

* Oh and i also thought of maybe having Blythe evolve into Casanono, even though you cant do that in canon. I feel like turning into a pretty humanoid would be a good way to symbolize their growing confidence ans casanono/casanuva has a big nonbinary aesthetic in my opinion. Plus of course the fact casanono is a variabt of a confident yokai thats actyally shy. Originally older brother dude was gonna be a casanuva to match, until i heard about Gorgerous Ambassador and decided it fits him better (especially with that new anime form!) So now im thinking maybe have Blythe be both casanono and casanuva at once, similar to their bro's form switching? But itd be more like casanuva is a rare super saiyan esque powerup when they experience rare moments of confidence. Im pretty much just doing this because SADLY casanono is a joke character who is literally mechanically forced to be useless in battle. Its ability makes it harder to catch yokai which ia already goddamn difficult, and it wastes a skill slot too. As opposed to Dimmy who has a similar personality of always being ignored and depressed but its abilities are actually beneficial. Itd suck to go from Blythe being my mvp to being unable to use them at all, so this would be a way to still always draw them as casanono in comics to match their actual personality, but using casanuva in battle cos.. Well.. Yeah its the functional one of the two. Level-5 if youre listening please make casanono useable in future games!! Casanuva is absolutely the worst one personality wise so it sucks that the game agrees with his ego that he's great and also punches his depressed counterpart into the bin of ignoreness DESPITE BEING SUPER SYMPATHETIC AND RELATEABLE AND ALSO CUTER COLOURSCHEME

Anyway thats all the thoughts i have so far. Except oh also itd be funny if throughout the whole story blythe keeps talking about their dead brother as if he was the super best most serious hero and then when the protagobists actually meet him he's this gaudy dork XD

[randomanimeandmangablog]

Phantom Tales of the Night Timeline, Draft 1

I'm going to try to put a timeline together for Phantom Tales of the Night. Given how certain stories are vague in terms of their chronology, I'm going to need to make plenty of assumptions. I'll do my best to explain my reasoning when things are unclear. Hopefully as I continue to reread the series and as volumes continue to be published, the timeline will become more clear.

401-500 AD: Owner is traveling with Maple and Bone Monk. He sees a woman tossed off a cliff and a warrior, pierced with arrows, fall after her. The warrior is from a tribe that recently killed one of Owner's guests, a giant spider. Owner will later alternate between the claim that he wanted the man's secret and the claim that he pitied the man. Regardless of the reason, Owner saves the man's life by molding him with a spider. The man becomes known as Spider (or earth spider). The woman also survives, and she goes on to have children. This assumption is taken from the end note for this section. According to it, the term "Earth Spider" was used during the fifth and sixth centuries as a pejorative term for indigenous people opposing the Yamato regime but later become used for giant humanoid spiders. My theory is that Owner used an earth spider to make Spider a monster both as an insult/punishment for killing his guest and to take the place of his guest. As Spider roamed around, people started using the term to refer to him. I'm afraid I'm not well-versed in Japanese history, but Spider's clothing in that chapter might narrow the field down further down. If anyone knows more, I'd appreciate some insight.

Sometime after meeting Spider, Owner parts ways with the Bone Monk and Maple. It's implied that this isn't an altogether amicable parting since both seem to want to return to Owner.

1819: Snow Lass and Mountain Ogre are forced into a marriage of convenience. Fearing Mountain Ogre, who has threatened her, Snow Lass asks Owner to officiate their marriage and take her husband's secret. In return for his protection, she'll willingly give Owner her own secret at a later date. Mountain Ogre reveals that he is in love with his wife. Note that while the inn's structure exists, it's not an inn yet. We know this because Owner discusses his plans to run an inn with Hunter at a time when he and Bone Monk have already parted company. When he returns home after talking to her, Spider is on the porch, looking very downcast and also much younger. Therefore it can be implied that whatever the inn was before that, it wasn't officially the Murakumo inn.

Between 1819 and 2012, several things happen:

(1) Butterfly is 'born' from the cherry blossom tree.

(2) At some point Spider comes to Owner's estate. Owner mentions that they haven't seen each other for a long time. Between the time he was turned into a yokai and this time, Spider has been watching over the descendants of the woman who he almost killed. At this time, he seems to have hit rock bottom and is mourning his humanity.

(3) Owner begins to think of turning his estate into an inn. It's implied that this is for Butterfly and Spider's sake, but exactly how so is up for interpretation. He runs into Bone Monk again, who leads him to a Hunter. This Hunter is a purveyor in rare food, notably mermaid flesh. Owner secures her services for his future inn and returns home. Spider is still completely desolate, and Owner puts a piece of meat in front of him and walks away. Not wanting it to go to waste, Spider picks it up and goes to cook it. This seems to begin his employment as the inn's chef.

(4) Kaibara and Inamura travel the world, searching for legends of yokai. They hear of Owner and the Murakumo Inn. At one point, Kaibara goes missing for a few weeks, and when he returns he has an emaki. He's met Owner, and he has no shadow.

2012: Kaibara disappears, this time for at least 7 years.

2019: (1) A high schooler, Sasaki, is ignored by his peers. He is pursued by butterflies, who land on his shadow. One night, he is chased by a yokai slave trader and ends up being saved by Spider. Owner and Butterfly welcome him into the inn. While there, Sasaki realizes that there are holes in his memory. When Owner asks for a secret as payment, Sasaki can't think of one. Eventually he finds out that the reason he's being chased and the reason people ignore him is that he's dead. A skeleton. Owner makes it so others can see him and gives Sasaki a mother so that he can go about a life, but the life will be far from normal. Since he's still a skeleton, he'll live in constant fear that someone will discover his secret. When Sasaki finally dies, he'll have something with which to pay Owner.

(2) A woman, Miho, is jealous of her twin sister. She is seduced by Butterfly, and Butterfly grants her wish to take her sister's place. Her sister dies, but Miho ends up becoming nothing more than a replica of her sister before dying herself. Bemoaning her fate, she dissolves. Butterfly is left disappointed since he clearly didn't realize what she really wanted. Owner explains that she wanted someone to see and accept her for who she truly was.

(3) Slayer (although he's not referred to as such or even physically present in this chapter) sends a snake monster/curse to kill Owner. Despite being tortured, the snake monster is completely devoted to Slayer and wants only to please him. She believes he cares for her since he gave her a name. Spider tries to convince her that she's just a pawn, but she won't listen...until she's already dying. Then Owner and Spider reveal that Slayer has sent so many others that they've lost count. After her death, Spider removes her ribbon (which has her name on it) and gives it to Owner. As he works over her corpse, he grows sorrowful. Owner praises him for his good work, but Spider won't let Owner tend to his wounds since Spider believes Owner doesn't care about him. We learn that Spider sees himself in these creatures because he has a similar backstory.

(4) Sasaki is still adjusting to life as a skeleton. After school every day, he goes to stand in front of a school mirror and examines his skeletal body. I think this seems like a really strange place to peep at yourself if you don't want anyone to know you're a skeleton. Surely your own room with the door locked or a changing room (again with the door locked) would be a better place. But I guess Sasaki is young and traumatized, so he's not thinking clearly. Maybe he even wants someone to find out his secret. There are already rumors about him.

One day, Slayer comes up to him, introduces himself as a monster hunter, and is just like, "Hey, I hear you're a skeleton." He wants Sasaki to help him get back to the inn, and he does this by attacking Sasaki with some snake creature. (You can already tell what his favorite curses are.) Slayer tries to attack Owner, and Owner mentions that he's murdered pretty much Slayer's entire family for generations. While Slayer lands a few blows and cuts, Owner doesn't die. He splits into different versions of himself before coalescing again. Spider and Butterfly (mostly Spider) neutralize Slayer, but Owner stops them from killing him. Instead, Owner kicks Slayer and Sasaki out. Sasaki is terrified, but Slayer wants more.

(5) Snow Lass returns to the inn. Her husband has died, so she's ready to give Owner her secret. Her secret is that she loved her husband. Owner reveals to her that her husband loved her, too, and she melts in the flame of her husband's secret.

(6) Kaibara, missing for 7 years, has been presumed dead. Inamura is trying to find the strange emaki, and he encounters Owner as Owner takes it back. Owner steals Inamura's shadow.

I'm setting the stories that don't indicate that they're taking place in the past in 2019, the year in which the first volume was published. Using this, some timeframes can be established. For example, when Kaibara went missing.

TO BE CONTINUED

[aion-rsa]

Best Horror Anime To Watch on Crunchyroll

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

One of the best things about October is how every content provider gets infected with Halloween madness and succumbs to horror-centric programming. Some networks even curate a full 31 days of scary content to prove just how gung ho they are about this spooky holiday. At this point you’ve likely already made a checklist for all of the big horror films that are on the horizon and all of the older classics that you need to catch up on. However, if you’re still starved for even more horror-based content, then look no further than Crunchyroll and their catalogue of frightening anime. 

Whether you’re a committed member of the anime streaming service or you’ve never checked out the site before, it’s likely that the service will have something that catches your eye. It can sometimes be rather overwhelming to sift through a whole collection of anime, especially when you have no idea what’s supposed to be good or not, let alone a series that’s actually scary. In order to make your Halloween a little less frightening, we’ve streamlined a list of some of Crunchyroll’s most notable anime series—both in terms of horror shows that go straight for the jugular as well as lighter fare that centers around a supernatural premise—to make the experience as easy as possible for you.

Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories 

How Many Episodes: 72

Sub Only

Yamishibai has steadily been trucking along for over six seasons and it’s turned into one of the more traditional horror anime staples in Japan. The series gets its inspiration from classic urban legends and ghost stories from Asian culture and distills them into brief four-minute bursts of horror. A lot of Yamishibai’s charm comes from its creepy atmosphere and short stories, but the anime’s quality wildly fluctuates over the show’s six seasons. Some episodes are more uncomfortable or strange than terrifying, and the show’s low production values may deter some viewers, but it’s a great source to learn about all kinds of creepy new stories.

Kagewani

How Many Episodes: 13

Sub Only

Kagewani looks at a desperate video blogger who attempts to find success by faking the appearance of cryptids and monsters in his videos. Before he knows it, there are real monsters that are loose on the city and a growing epidemic begins to sweep the community. This hapless blogger, Sousuke, attempts to eliminate these creatures, but the mystery he’s put himself in continues to deepen. Kagewani is easy viewing with its short seven-minute episodes and even though the art style leaves plenty to be desired, it features creative monsters designs and a mystery that holds up until the end. Dedicated fans can also check out the show’s sequel series, Kagewani: Shou.

Angels of Death

How Many Episodes: 12

Sub and Dub

Angels of Deathis a boiled down psychological horror title that throws its characters and audience into a high concept premise. A young girl named Rachel wakes up in the basement of an abandoned building and has no idea how she got there. It’s not long until she encounters Zack, a man who’s completely covered in bandages and has a penchant for waving a sickle around. Angels of Death explores the unconventional friendship between these two as they try to figure out where they are and how to get out. The prison that Rachel and Zack find themselves trapped in is full of unusual horror-friendly characters and the series understands how to make this action-packed mystery engrossing rather than draw out the adventure and withhold answers.

GeGeGe no Kitaro (Kitaro of the Graveyard) (2018) 

How Many Episodes: 97 (and still running)

Sub Only

GeGeGe no Kitaro is an anime series that’s actually been around since the 1960s, but every decade has featured some fresh attempt at remaking the series. 2018’s rendition of GeGeGe no Kitaro seems to have learned much from its predecessors and feels like the most polished execution of the anime yet. The series focuses on a number of yokai that are determined to keep the world safe from the more dangerous spirits that are out there. Each episode features a “yokai of the week” that must be handled, but a larger serialized story also courses in the background. GeGeGe no Kitaro has a wide cast of weird, enjoyable characters and even though it skews younger, it still manages to surprise. The basic premise behind the series may sound played out, but incredible art design and addictive storytelling help keep this anime on top.

Another

How Many Episodes: 12

Sub Only

Anothertells an unnerving mystery that sees class 3-3 in a middle school turn into a hotbed for supernatural activity after a popular girl passes away in the ’70s. Now in the present, a new transfer student enters class 3-3 and he’s the only one that’s able to see Misaki, the girl who passed away over 20 years ago. Mysteries continue to grow and this transfer student forms an unexpected alliance with the mysterious Misaki to figure out what evil forces have ahold of their school. Another plays up the mystery and suspense angle over pure horror, but it still knows when to turn up the blood and guts when it’s appropriate. Another benefits from a concise 12-episode story and even though the series’ central mystery changes in some major ways in the second half of the season, it’s always engrossing. You truly want to see Kouichi, the transfer student, find some peace and hopefully be able to give Masaki’s soul some rest, too.

Parasyte: The Maxim

How Many Episodes: 24

Sub and Dub

Parasyte: The Maxim hits the ground running and is bonkers from its very first frame. The series revolves around a number of alien parasites that have landed on Earth and start possessing hosts. Shinichi Izumi is a mild-mannered high school student whose life drastically changes when one of these parasites possesses his right hand. This sets Shinichi on a dangerous journey to wipe out the other parasites that have landed on Earth, as well as figure out how to work alongside his new alien host, and if there’s a way to rid himself of this threat. Parasyte: The Maximoperates like a superhero series at times as Shinichi acclimates to the new strength and powers that his parasite gives him. The series also navigates tricky moral territory as Shinichi, who’s now a human-alien hybrid, must fight against the aliens that are now part of his biology (think Tokyo Ghoul, but with aliens instead of vampire demons). 

The path that Shinichi finds himself on gives the anime a strong narrative drive, but honestly, this is just a beautiful show to watch in motion. The fluid, bewildering effects that Shinichi’s parasitic hand puts to use are ridiculous and it’s just crazy to watch a boy partner up with an alien version of his hand for an entire series. H.P. Lovecraft would give this madness his full stamp of approval.

Junji Ito Collection

How Many Episodes: 12

Sub and Dub

If Yamishibai is the tame horror anthology that you can watch before going to bed, then Junji Ito Collection is pure nightmare fuel. This is not a series that should be watched with the lights turned off or even with a large amount of shade in the room. The series adapts some of the most disturbing stories from renowned horror manga artist, Junji Ito. Junji Ito Collection packs two sordid stories into each episode and the subject matter ranges from supernatural curses, to deranged killers, to some of the most extreme body horror you’ll ever see in an anime (can David Cronenberg please take on a live-action adaptation of “Honored Ancestors”?). Ito conjures up unbelievable ideas that are truly a rarity for horror and stories like “Greased,” “Long Dreams,” “Slug Girl,” and “Blood-Bubble Bushes” are all behemoths of horror.

Unfortunately, not all of the Ito stories that the anime chooses to adapt are winners, but the series’ unsettling art design still helps the weaker tales carry a strong punch. With any justice a second season of this will soon be announced to terrify anime fans well into 2019.

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Erased

How Many Episodes: 12 

Sub Only

Erased is a tight psychological thriller that feels like what would happen if David Fincher had written and directed Back to the Future. The anime centers around the pursuit of a child killer who’s been on the loose for decades while someone else has wrongfully taken the blame. This compelling serial killer mystery also throws in supernatural elements with how the central character experiences a phenomenon known as “Revival” that sends him back in time a few minutes to prevent incidents. The 29 year-old suddenly finds himself sent back 19 years and in his 10 year-old self with the opportunity to stop and catch the child murderer before his initial crimes take place. It’s an incredible mix of genres with a villain that’s genuinely scary and phenomenal characters that you want to see survive. Erased is only 12 episodes and not a single one is wasted as this mystery plays out and goes to dark places.

The Promised Neverland

How Many Episodes: 12 

Sub Only

The Promised Neverland is the kind of anime that M. Night Shyamalan would absolutely fall in love with. It’s a masterstroke of storytelling and it builds tension in amazing ways as it keeps the characters and the audience in the dark about so much. It makes all of the series’ payoffs become absolutely incredible. The anime is set in a dystopic vision of 2045 within an orphanage where an 11 year-old named Emma and dozens of other young children are given a cushy existence at the cost of never leaving the grounds and venturing to the outside world. Emma and company soon learn of the horrific truth of the world and the real reason that they’re being kept at this orphanage. It’s truly chilling and The Promised Neverland tells a gripping story where these children have no one to trust and are in way over their heads. A second season of The Promised Neverland is set to hit in 2021, so it’s the perfect time to jump into this series.

Death Note

How Many Episodes: 37

Sub and Dub

Death Note is a series that’s turned into a colossal hit and even though various live-action versions of it exist, there are none that compare to what the anime accomplishes. Death Note succeeds in taking something as outlandish as a magical killing notebook and an apple loving devil shinigami and tie it with a hard-boiled cat and mouse crime saga. Light Yagami’s plummet into darkness and L’s pursuit to apprehend him and keep the blast radius from increasing is really great stuff. It digs into the inherently scary nature of what misdirected rage can make people do. It’s such a different take on a serial killer and the anime remains unpredictable until the end, even though it takes a major turn after the halfway point that isn’t for everyone.

Other horror-centric or monster-based anime titles to check out on Crunchyroll when you’ve scared yourself stiff off of everything else: Jin Roh, The Laughing Salesman NEW, The Garden of Sinners, Interviews With Monster Girls, and Attack on Titan

The post Best Horror Anime To Watch on Crunchyroll appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[mysticdragon3md3]

md3 watches Demon Slayer ep1-2

Apparently I watched Demon Slayer last month and I forgot to post my reactions. 1:59 PM 8/26/2019

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 1 – Cruelty

Maybe I shouldn't have started watchign this anime with such high expectations.  I had been passing it up for a while now, even though the "demon hunting" genre used to be *my jam* (before my mental/emotional problems had me watching almost exclusively the iyashikei genre).  But then EVERYONE started saying how good this series was.  And I reluctantly went to go check it off my list today.  Just another thing to do.  And I was hoping it would excite me, more than just being a chore.  

But so far, the character introduction seemed too stale.  Reminded me of what critics have said about Adam Sandler movies, where the beginning of the movie does too much to show "this is a good guy".  It feels too unreal.  And indeed, I couldn't get emmersed.  But I gave it slack, because this is a Shonen Jump manga.  It's about the action to come, not always about characterization or plot---even though the great Shonen Jump manga can do that too.  And anyway, I'm sure in a manga, these introduction scenes would have gone by faster.  Why was I so impatient about it anyway?  Is it because the first scene was an in medias res with high stakes and high tension, but then we're expected to just slow down for this long character introduction flashback?  Usually, I like getting to know a character, especially Shonen protagonists.  They're usually so endearing.  But I guess Tanjiro hasn't been the typical spunky or even quirky protagonist.  His introduction has been all about everyone else showing how nice he's been to them, how trustworthy he's proven himself to everyone, and his sense of smell.  Even his interactions with his family were very subtle, with most of the proactive, more extroverted interactions coming from his siblings.  Then again, such a reserved protagonist is fitting for a serious toned series. And whave I've seen of this series has seemed kind of serious toned.  

Oh, I see.  Seeing Nezuko's character design and Nendoroid all over the place, never without the scroll in her mouth, I wondered if it was a seal so she wouldn't turn into a monster.  I should have remembered that when I saw Tanjiro's slaughtered family.  My first thought was, "They weren't eaten?  What were they killed for then if they still have all their flesh and blood on their bones?"  It was so the demons could proliferate and multiply.  

2:27 PM 8/26/2019

I mean...It's good.  The direction, the charcter designs, the animation, the story,...But I don't care about the characters yet.  

...Until this scene.  When Nezuko is fighting to protect Tanjiro and earlier, Tanjiro's tactics impressing the Demon Slayer were intriguing.  I mean, it's all signs of some good fights to come.  But I don't necesstarily care aobut the characters yet.

UFOTABLE?!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Well, no wonder the animation is so good.  

...I don't know.  I don't feel like watching a second episode.  Maybe later, to kill time.  But I wanted to be exhilierated right now.  I just came back from being depressed yesterday.  I needed something to lift me up.  And this was all tragedy and horror. It doesn't have enough levity for me, and I really need levity in my life right now. 

2:21 PM 8/28/2019

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 2 – Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

My computer is still booting up though.  So the episode hasn't actually started yet.  

I've decided to give this series another chance.  I mean, episode 1 didn't have enough levity for me, and I need that in my life, especially from what I spend time on as my "entertainment" and "relaxation".  But I don't ONLY like iyashikei.  I mean, I loved Shonen manga/anime for a long time.  So I may as well give this series another chance and see if there's something for me.  Lest I miss out, especially on the Nendoroids whose preorder windows are halfway through _right now_.  If it turns out I like this series and end up falling in love with these characters, I'm going to regret not getting those Nendoroid preorders.  

2:31 PM 8/28/2019

Reloaded page.

Ok.  Opening scene was comedy, so that's an imrovement.  

BTW, what era is this?  When I first saw these character designs without watching this series, their collars looked like gakuran.  So I thought this was one of those modern setting with old-fashioned demon hunter organizations that made their exorcists wear traditional clothing.  But now that I'm watching this series...Is this early Meiji Era?  

Ever since I first noticed the UFO Table name in the credits, I can't stop noticing how nice the animation quaility is.  

Well, that explains the kick pose in Nezuko's Nendoroid.  

I'll say one thing for this series, it very immediately gives teh vibe of a battle manga.  That tone where characters are thinking about strategy, tactics, and you're guessing how they're going to win the fight, what kind of ingenuity the protagonist is going to come up with, etc.  I missed that.  ...that's right I loved the "battle anime" genre.  It used to be the fundamental subgenre I'd watch, with some other kind of genre layered on top of it...or alone.  Now that I think about it, the only "battle anime" I've really been watching lately, has been "Shokugeki no Soma".  The only other Shonen series I've picked up recently, has been "Dr. Stone" and that hasn't proven to be a "battle anime" in several episodes so far.  (I've been really enjoying it from the first epsiode though.  Even more immediately than "Demon Slayer".)  

I mean, everyone---all the anitubers---keep posting how great this series is, so I'd feel bad if I ended up liking it and missing out on the Nendoroid preorders.  But then again, they all love HeroAca, and I gave that series 3+ tries and just couldn't get over how much I dislied Bakugo (and how hard the series tried to frame him with sympathy).  Sorry, bullies are my pet peeve.

So it's one of those demon/yokai series:  Where the demons have some kind of specific weak point.  The demon's body got crushed, and suddenly it's head in another location died or at least felt a lethal blow?  Reminded me of "By the Sword", the manga by Sanami Matoh.  In that manga, the demons had their soul in a spherical jewel and that was their actual weak point.  (You couldn't even crush it to kill them.  You had to capture it, take it to an exorcist, and they would actually destroy yokai for demon hunters.)  Reminds me of the belief that human souls are in a jewel/ball/tama, which usually gets mentioned in kappa stories, about how kappa will try to grab that soul from out of your butt.  

"This kid isn't going to cut it.  He's too kind and can't make decisions.  He's facing a demon, yet the scen tof kindness remains.  He has empathy for even a demon."  Hey, man.  The fact that he's concerned about the suffering of the person he's going to kill is the whole reason I'm now finding Tanjiro endearing.  Sure, it was nice in ep1 when all the villagers showed how much they trusted him and how altruistic he is.  But my pet ideal is Kindness/Compassion.  If a character can retain that, even in the worst circumstances, even towards the worst people, then I'm hooked.  

I guess sunlight is enough.  Oh yeah, Nezuko was hiding from sunlight earlier in thsi ep.  Well, here's the solution to our protagonist retaining his empathy.  ^__^  He jsut has to last until dawn of each fight.  That's fine.  Shonen heros need to show determination through stamina.  

Listen, if the mentor figure is going to slap our protagonist for preserving his Compassion, while the series frames his "lesson" as advocating for admirable Resolve---as Shonen manga/anime are prone to do---then I'm out of here.  I just hope on the obvious hunch that our protagonist is going to prove him wrong, regardless of his standing/experience.  That's what'll make him a Hero...at least the "protagonist who chooses their own option while rejecting the rigid systems" is the type that plays well in America.  "Rebel without a cause" and all that.  Hard to know which way an anime/manga will go until you watch the whole thing.  

Actually, killing Nezuko if she eats a human THEN killing yourself, sounds reasonable.  1, Nezuko already has shown that killing humans for demon food still makes her feel bad enough to cry, so I'm sure if she did it, she'd want to kill herself.  2, Tanjiro would never be able to forgive himself for having to kill Nezuko and he'd want to die too.  Urokodaki then said, "But that must never happen no matter what.  And you'd best not forget."  So looks like he's not going to be that trope mentor who constantly advocates against Compassion as a weakness, just so the protagonist can demonstrate his resolve towards Compassion, by constantly butting heads with the mentor figure.  Good, because battle anime can spend a lot of time with mentors and I don't want their company to be a pain to be around.  

Lost in the thick fog?  No.  He thinks you're going to get eaten by demons on the way down the mountain.  Man, this series did well to establish that association between night and demons, pretty well, if even a forgetful idiot like me can remember. LOL  

Traps?  Wehn did he have time to set that up?  Isn't he just backtracking?  Wouldn't they have set off those traps while going up the mountain???  Whatever.  

"That's why I'm gasping for air like this and feel so dizzy!"  This series does a good job of inserting exposition very quickly and when you want to hear it.  This is going to be an excellent battle anime, isn't it?  

This smoke portrayal reminds me.  I haven't noted how beautiful this art is yet.  I've noted how nice UFO Table's animation is, but these character designs and artwork in general are also pretty nice.  It's nothing fancy like CLAMP, but the draftsmanship is good, everything is very solid in what it needs to do and does nothing in excess...unless needed, when rendering magical things.  Though the artwork during the ending credits shows nice stylized illustration, and not just any "minimums" of draftsmanship.  This nice artwork is also the reason why I want to know if I like this series, before their Nendoroid preorders close.  Because the character designs make the Nendoroids pretty in and of themselves.  The Nezuko Nendoroid is already really cute, without me even knowing who she is.  But I need (to try) to stick to only buying Nenodroids of characters I OBSESSIVELY LOVE from now on, with my budget the way it is now.  As pretty as both the Nezuko and Tanjiro Nendoroids are, if I don't LOVE these characters, then I'll have to skip their preorders.  Of course if the preorders close and I do end up loving these characters, I'll feel pretty bad.  (But I can rely on rereleases, which are coming more often in recent years, and on Good Smile Company's booth sales, like I did for the "Cells at Work" Nendoroid.)  That's why I've gotta get through this series fast!

Still...The preview just ended, and I'm not raring to binge another episode.  So maybe my wallet is looking safe from Nezuko's and Tanjiro's Nendoroids???  o.o???  I don't know...  Maybe I'm just avoidant because indecisiveness is one of my sore spots and Urokodaki keeps scolding our protagonist about it.  Mabye I just don't want to feel bad, wasting all day on binging anime.  I mean, I really like "Dr. Stone" so far, and I don't binge it.  ...I mean, I don't think?  I may have watched 2-3 episodes in one sitting more than I wanted, so....  Ug.  Whatever.  I've got stuff to do, I can't waste time binging "Demon Slayer", and it has yet to grab me enough to make wasting my whole day on it, worth it YET.