#Kodama does Kodama Things

[niuttuc]

Niuttuc's Paper Commander Decks

I've made short threads over on Bluesky about my paper commander decks at this point, so figured I would also compile a list of links to them on this blog. The link for each will point to the thread, and will also include a direct link to the decklist for each for convenience.

Barrin's Bounce and Breakfast (bottom left, dark blue deckbox), a mono-blue control deck headed by Barrin that bounces its own creatures for value and the opponent's for protection. Bracket 3. Decklist

The Graveyard Gang (bottom center, bright green deckbox), a golgari self-mill graveyard deck with ten different commanders and one companion, with only creatures and lands. The commander for the deck is selected at random before each game, and the others go in the 99. Bracket 3. Decklist

Nyx-Lit Narset (center left, clear deckbox), an Aura Voltron deck in Jeskai that uses either timeline's Narset to buff up and beat face with. The deck does not have any extra turn or extra combat effects to avoid OG Narset instantly winning the game when she attacks. Bracket 3 with OG Narset, 2 with Exile. Decklist

Hand Over the Spoons (left, starprint deckbox), a mono-black theft deck headed by Lobelia that will primarily steal cards from opponents' libraries and graveyards, but can also nab things from hands, battlefields or even command zones! Bracket 2 (technically with a Game Changer) Decklist

My Best Defense is your Best Offense (top right, orange deckbox), a Bant counter deck that aims at its own permanents, but can also manipulate combat by giving counters to other players thanks to its commander, Kros. Bracket 2. Decklist

Only Doing It For The Triggers! (Top right, purple deckbox) A four-color Yidris deck all about getting value out of combat damage triggers and attack triggers. The value is often tempting enough it's hard to resist the temptation of attacking to be able to block and not die. Bracket 2 (technically with a Game Changing Yuriko in the deck (and two other ninjas in the entire deck)). Decklist

Seeing Double? It's not the Halo (center left, red deckbox), a mono-red value deck helmed by Jaxis. It will generate value from copying creatures with enters, attack or death triggers, from dragons, titans and other artifacts. It can do very explosive things when everything lines up. Bracket 2. Decklist

Utilitown (top center, grey deckbox), a five-color deck that's really a colorless deck. It focuses on colorless utility lands, but its primary wincon is to repeatedly Door to Nothingness opponents. Led by Kyodai, mostly for the colors and to look non-threatening. It's a really weird one. Bracket 3. Decklist

Tap, Untap. Concede? (top left, purple deckbox), an esper combo deck all about tapping and untapping sweet creatures and artifacts, like its commander Merieke Ri Berit. If left alone, the deck eventually ends up generating infinite everything and winning the game. Tentative Bracket 4? Decklist

Kodama does Kodama Things (bottom right, green deckbox), a mono-Green all permanents deck that tries to exploit the already strong Kodama of the East Tree to the extreme, with an artifact token subtheme that helps Kodama get more land drops and the secondary commander Ich-Tekik be a wincon. Bracket 3. Decklist

Extus's Wonderful Adventures (center right, purple and yellow deckbox), a Mardu control deck focused on the front side of the MDFC commander that uses Adventures as both things to get back with him, and fuel for its spellslinging trigger. Bracket 2. Decklist

Rhys (2018) (center right, black and white deckbox), a nostalgic Selesnya token deck that has been kept unchanged since 2018, as a time capsule of both my deckbuilding at the time, and the format as it felt then. It is still capable of holding its own. Bracket 2. Decklist

The Bookkeeper (top center, purple deckbox), a five-color gimmick deck led by Garth One-Eye that challenges me to keep track of increasingly crazy board states with as many different named mechanics as possible. Bracket 1. Decklist

Feel free to give your thoughts on any of these, some I've already mentioned or made dedicated posts about on Tumblr in the years prior.

[imagionationstation]

the fact that there's no fanart of the 2012 gang and Tinkerbell interacting is insulting to me, like, picture it.

-April and Tink are both voiced by Mae Whitman (except in Peter Pan of course)

-Tink and Donnie bonding over them both being tinkers.

-Tink having a crush on Donnie, and kicking April and pulling her hair because of jealousy, the way she does to Wendy in Peter Pan.

-I can picture Donnie saying something like, "how are we supposed to get up there?" And then Tink covers him in pixie dust and the gang are all baffled as Donnie starts floating.

-Tink and Raph bonding over their tempers.

-Leo having a little tea party with Tink, because Leo had tea parties with Chloe, and Tink had tea Parties with the little girl in the Great fairy rescue movie.

-Tink and Mikey getting into trouble together.

Are you seeing the vision?????

OKAY THIS IS CRIMANAL WHY IS THERE NO FANART OF THIS

This is such a cute idea, actually. So, so hear me out:

Donnie first hears the soung of bells while on patrol and goes to track the random light at the corner of his eyes but finds nothing and the audience sees a flutter of sparkles at the corner of the screen. His brothers tease him for hearing things and they go to the lair and he pouts to his lab and Tinker Bell has been following them this whole time (Four. Talking. Turtles. Who WOULDN'T follow?). Then she ends up exploring his lab and :0000 He's so cool look at all this stuff!!

And then she reveals himself to him and he goes to show his brothers but when they enter the lab Tink is just gone. Then he's frustrated when they leave and Tink reveals herself again 'cause she was hiding bc she's a FAIRY she can't just go around showing herself to EVERYONE she just thinks he's smart and wants to hang with a fellow inventor who uses nothing and makes something.

And so instead of following April around he becomes preoccupied with the tiny fairy in his lab and they learn how to communicate (kinda) and bond and THAT'S when she develops a crush on him because lkdfjgldkfjgld he's so PASSIONATE AND KIND AND SWEET

Then during a mission, she saves him by using her fairy dust and then she HAS to reveal herself because now his brothers think his delulu is spreading because THAT'S NOT THE NORM???

And then after she reveals herself to everyone, they do bonding things and silliness all around and Splinter is just kinda like "cool a kodama (Japanese tree spirit) is in my home why not" and Tink has met the parent and everyone knows what they say about getting introduced to the parent and then April enters the picture and Tink is no longer Donnie's fascination and she DOES NOT like that no sir

But since she's a fairy and talks through bells, she can't TELL HIM why it is that she's annoyed. She just IS and she's randomly really, really, aggressive to April which baffles EVERYONE because she's been so friendly and sweet the whole time so-

[pinknipszz]

“hello sweet precious,” you croon at the warm bundle in your arms. hardly three weeks old, it fusses a little when you lift the sand-washed silk to gush over its bonny face. “i wish i could keep you forever. you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

the summertime sun is your company—aside from the newborn babe and your ichor-stained husband, who meditates beside you on the decorated blanket with his legs crossed, an ankle over his shin in quarter lotus. the air is thick with the smell of fresh-cut fruit. there is sake too, brewed in oak barrels, courtesy of uraume.

you lean over the edge to pluck a white iris from the earth. a wail comes from underneath you at the sudden movement, but you hush it quickly and say: “this flower makes for exquisite perfumes that smell sweet and slightly herbaceous. i want to wrap you in silk that is exactly this color.” 

roused from his thoughts, your husband cracks an eye open, leering. “do not waste any more energy on that wretched vermin.” his voice rumbles in the cavity of his cruel, muscle-bound body, each word punctuated by equal amounts of scorn. “it does not matter what kind of silk you wrap it in, wife. i will get rid of it later.”

you huff and turn your sweeping gaze over the vast expanse of scattered flowers. right. you did not give birth to the thing in your arms—a servant did. a foolish one who had slept with the arborist who trims your chestnut trees, or so uraume had told you over barley tea. you had been delighted; your husband, not so much. 

but a small part of the king of curses is still human, still weak to the whims of his darling wife, so he let you keep the parasite that had been propagated by his bastard servants. you lean against his imposing figure and sigh woefully. something must have changed his mind. “will you bring it back to its parents?” 

a large tongue peaks through the gash in his stomach as he settles into a more comfortable position, picking up a plate of tangerines and throwing a few slices into his mouth. you watch him bite into the soft flesh with sharp teeth, already copper-stained from his recent venture. “no,” he says. “i will eat it.”

you understand him, then, and peer up into the sky. your vision burns a bit just to see the summertime sun perched perpendicular to the horizon, high above maple trees where kodama and kitsune come alive. when a plump slice is brought to your lips, you briefly wonder if tangerine tea would pair well with iris.

a question dances on the tip of your tongue, and your husband, in all of his omniscience, seizes it with a searing kiss before you can lock it away and throw the key. you cannot help but mirror the wicked grin on his face.

(masterlist) | (a/n: morally gray reader ig? anyways the baby doesnt have a specific gender but there were subtle hints that it was a boy if anyone caught them. also there was more to this but I got lazy. rip!) tag: @lem-hhn

[gallusrostromegalus]

I love Kenpachi "Raised By Eagles" Zaraki, and learning how this affects his behavior and worldview but how does this change Yachiru?

Kenpachi might be human-shaped but he's a bird to the core. How bird like is Yachiru as a consequence? Is her first language Eagle as well? Has she met her extended family (grandmother, aunts, perhaps cousins too) and had flying lessons?

I just love the image of Yachiru being a Chaotic Fledgling, and behind her is a grinning Kenpachi that is just as much a Buck Wild Bird, he's just better at playing at being human.

(if kenpachi is a prince, is yachiru thus a princess?)

One Small Correction: Kenpachi is a Sword Guy at his deepest core, but he still considers himself Culturally Eagle, but also that's only one of like 147 Identities he uses. Man collects personas and cultures and memes and jobs and identities like lint, but don't worry- that's just how Things Like Him live.

Kenpachi is also, technically, a Prince, and if he wasn't allergic to honorifics, he would be well within his rights to tell the Kuchiki clan to call him "Kotaishi-Denka", but he doesn't like being called a title he didn't earn. Moreover, he can only tell the nobles that little fun fact *once*, so he's keeping it in his back pocket for the most opportune moment.

Don't Worry about it :)

As for Yachiru:

It's a tough call which is her first language because Kenpachi was speaking to her in Japanese and Eagle and the language of the Northern Tribes he spent a lot of his adolescence with, and the common language of the small spirits like Kodama and Koropokkur when she was an infant and learned them all simultaneously.

Japanese is actually Zaraki's fifth language, and he's been learning how to talk shit in Spanish recently.

Eagle is definitely Yachiru's favorite language to swear in though. Nothing quite as cathartic as a good screech that blasphemes six different gods and curses the object of offense for seven generations in both directions.

Yachiru's gestures and posture are... odd. Some are distinctly Eagle, but she's a constant finger-drummer and hummer, lies and sleeps on her stomach as a matter of preference, walks as easily on her hands as her feet, and writes as easily with her toes as her fingers.

Some of that is learned Directly from her father, but a lot of it seems to be her own peculiarities that all children develop but most have harassed out of them by their parents. Kenpachi had little regard for "proper" behavior out of a child, beyond not endangering herself or getting him in undue trouble. He also has a lot of strange ways of moving that his Mother never tried to correct out of him, so they're both odd birds in that both of them are about five steps to the left of any ind of typical and don't mask a goddamn thing.

As for Yachiru's Extended Family, she occupies a unique position in the family of She Who Rules The Sky.

Yachiru is Her first grandchild.

Oh, certainly, She has laid and raised many, many generations of Eagle, but per tradition and common sense, they move far, far away from Her before having their own offspring to avoid competing with Her, and their children do the same. But Kenpachi comes to visit his Mother and sisters- a strange thing, but he's not eating the same food or trying to build a nest in the same place, so it works.

She Who Rules The Sky is DELIGHTED by Her Granddaughter, and spoils Yachiru rotten with attention and fresh kills and embarrassing stories about her father when he was young.

At least some of the way Yachiru hangs off Kenpachi's back is based on how he learned how to hang onto his Mother during Flying lessons, and how her grandmother taught her to do the same, but hanging onto Her neck, on account of how small Yachiru is.

She Who Rules The Sky and both Yachiru's Aunts are all very concerned about how small she is. Her appetite is certainly healthy enough, but she grows so slowly. Zaraki's assurances that there are Human Women he works with that are full-grown adults scarcely half again Yachiru's size does nothing to avail their fears, and makes Rukia sneeze.

Zaraki's sisters have not taken Names either, but for the sake of convenience, they allow Yachiru to call them Ane-Oba and Imuto-Oba, as Kenpachi is the middle sibling, according to order of appearance in the nest.

Eagle kinship terminology is different than human in that only the siblings from the same clutch are your brothers or sisters, and who is the older or younger is determined by the hatching order rather than laying order. Your mother's previous clutches are your aunts and uncles, and your mother's clutch-mates are also your aunts and uncles, but with a higher level of grammatical deference. "Grandparent" is an entirely novel concept to Eagles, who almost never meet theirs, and hearing how active grandmothers are in the raising of their grandchildren fascinates She Who Rules The Sky.

Consequently, Kenpachi isn't a Prince because he's an Eagle.

He's a Prince because She Who Rules The Sky is a straight-up Kami, and a big damn deal, because She has jurisdiction over EVERYTHING in the sky- Other birds, Weather, Shinigami if they go higher than the roof of the tallest building in a square mile, the fucking moon (technically), Bats (but only when they come out at night. What they do in caves is none of Her business and also She doesn't want to think about it.), and anything some idiot might try shooting at Her.

"Prince" isn't quite accurate- it's not an inherited title, but She Who Rules The Sky told Kenpachi after he became a captain to Officially Manage whatever Humans and Shinigami were doing in the sky for Her, on account of being closer and having at least one eye to keep on them.

So technically he's a Nepo Unpaid Intern, but a Nepo Unpaid Intern that could smote anybody right out of the air, so most birds and lesser Kami use the more respectful title of "Prince" instead.

He does not use this ability often, because he'd rather try to get someone to fight him, but he does not hold back with it where mosquitoes are concerned.

It's cromulent to Eagles that he should inherit the responsibility though, because it's usually the youngest clutch that inherit a nest site or hunting territory upon the demise of a parent, and while She shows no signs of dying any time soon, it's the way of Kami to train and hand off lesser responsibilities to their children as their domains expand.

Hence, Yachiru is not a Princess in the sense that she has a title to inherit, but she is one in that Kenpachi trusts everything she tells him and defers to her on things like "math" and "where the fuck are we going?" because she's better at those than he is, and in that sense, she is his Princess.

[im-captain-basch]

Wanted to give g!DK a new look in regards to Bananza, since his normal fit in gijinka isn't suited well enough for really half the things he does in it to begin with, let alone being in a mine.

(I don't post him often enough as is, but I need y'all to know that even if he doesn't look it, he's always buff as fuck.)

Also took the "humanoid Tiki Tong"-type approach to Odd Rock, mostly because I felt like they needed stubby little hands. I had the kodama from Princess Mononoke in mind when drawing them like this, but they're still made out of the same materials as they are in the game.

[musicfranchisetournament]

propaganda under the cut !!

ensemble girls :

OKAY predecessor to enstars. while they only have 2 or so songs themselves (Let's Make★Ensemble and Sacred Gods Above, Droplet of a Black Moon) which you should listen to they're still so intertwined with enstars i think it counts. the song for ring.a.bell in enstars was adapted from a poem ruka wrote about suzu. several characters (namely ruka and chizuru) have made appearances in enstars stories. a lot of enstars characters were based on engirls characters (tsukasa = botan+yako, mao = mai, etc). more enstars characters are implied to have met other engirls characters (ibara and yuzuru having met tsubasa, leo having met ruri & ruka being his sister, eichi having met seira, etc) and also anzu is there. yeah. not getting into this further or propaganda will be a mile long

submitting again to add on more propaganda :3 the main story is about the new transfer student (anzu from enstars' stepbrother) getting pulled into student council elections! the original stuco president stepped down, so they had to re-elect — transfer student, gets dragged in by himari tsurumi and has to help her win ! they go through all of the competition — hajime kodama, the school's "living god". she doesn't want to run, but she was elected. she's not a living god, but they think she is. ayame kusaka, dubbed "the overlord". she's just a smart girl who likes cute things, but is a bit creepy. think mayoi from enstars. suzu kuromori, "the fallen angel". anzu's best friend. she's running to plunge the school into chaos, as she's mad at everyone for making anzu have to transfer. she thinks that if it's all chaos, anzu will come back. :( she leads the rock band club, too, and they're her biggest supporters! mitsuru yomo, the school's "prince". she doesn't want to be president, and is the current vice president. the school idolizes her for her masculinity, but she just wants to wear cute things :( she's pretty chill and reika enjouji, "her majesty". former student council president who dropped out. for some reason she was running again. she's kinda rude and just. princessy. after all of this, himari gets elected, blah blah. then there's silly events after that :3

jem and the holograms :

THE OG 2D MUSIC FRANCHISE. Jem was out here being a fictional idol with a glittery transformation sequence all the way back in 1985. Original music videos from the bands in every episode. Nobody does it like Jem. Also in the 2015 comic reboot they made a bunch of the characters wlw we love to see it

[dailydemonspotlight]

Kodama - Day 77

Race: Jirae

Arcana: Star

Alignment: Neutral

July 23rd, 2024

The deep, dark forests of Japan have some very interesting monsters that inhabit them- as most things are in mythological history, the things ones cannot explain must have explanations that are beyond that of science, after all, and the forests are as filled with spirits as they are with lush greenery. One of these such spirits flitting to and fro may curse one who fails to notice its markings, a mischievous forest-dwelling spirit who gained popularity from Princess Mononoke yet was still well known in the lush green even before. Today's Demon of the Day is an early-game demon most SMT players know well, the swirly-faced floater, Kodama.

A phenomenon observed in the past named yamabiko, being strange echoes heard throughout the forests, was commonly attributed to either the Yamabiko yokai or a set of tree-dwelling spirits known as Kodama, their name literally meaning 'Tree Spirit.' These spirits would inhabit trees, essentially turning them into their hosts, possessing them and residing within. Kodama are oddly similar to Will'o Wisps, actually, being typically seen as floating lights in the night sky in the midst of forests. Combine this with their disposition, and while they may mostly be lonesome tree-dwellers, they're easily capable of pranking and messing with people when they see fit.

However, if one is to target and chop down the tree a Kodama resides in, they will be cursed into a drought of essentials, losing almost everything needed to maintain prosperity. Interestingly, in some traditions, Kodama aren't just Yokai- they are sometimes seen, and revered as, gods of the forest. A god outlined in Kojiki, an ancient Japanese text, is sometimes interpreted as a Kodama, per instance, and in a Heian era dictionary, they list Kodama under a statement of Japanese tree gods. Due to this, and the curse surrounding these spirits, trees that have a Kodama within them are marked often with a Shimenawa rope, a kind of ritual-purification rope used to mark sacred areas. There isn't much on the Kodama, unfortunately, but sometimes, simplicity is bliss.

And that simplicity translates well into Kodama's design in SMT! It really does everything it needs to, being a unique take on the classic design of a Kodama typically seen in Princess Mononoke. Not only that, but the design, in my opinion, is utterly adorable- sometimes I wish I could just adopt one of these guys and take it home with me. Actually, that's a good idea. Jack, can you watch the computer?

Huh? Me? Hey, wait, Vee-ho, where are you going?

I'm gonna catch a Kodama!

Have fun being cursed, dips-hee-t.

[songs-of-future-past]

Destiny 2 News

This again, because it was fun last time. A day late because I was out yesterday. So, fashion first:

Mariachi Pistolero: You know what? Could be fun. We always need more Western cowboy stuff in our space fantasy. 8/10

Crane Martial Artist: I can't think of many items that fit this theme save for the Untethered Edge set? 5/10, not something I'd personally use much outside one particular Stasis build I have, but could be interesting. At least it's different.

Atlantian Royal Guard: GIMME. I don't have any other comments. 10/10

Kami / Kodama: Again, not something I'd use, but it sounds pretty. 4/10, I'd have to see it.

Oni: Claw gauntlets, love it. Also extra fingers could be fun. 3/10, there's only one part of this that I'd use.

April Fools: Their description doesn't make too much sense to me, but if it's like the DDLC set I don't care. 1/10

Court Jester: Again, I'm kinda meh on this one, sorry. 1/10

Bardic Traveller: Oh we need instrument stuff. Been waiting on something string instrument related specifically for Strand. 7/10

Verity's Brow ornament: FINALLY!! I've been waiting on something, because that thing doesn't go with Jack shit. Now I can actually use that one DPS build in good conscience.

Everything else is under the cut.

First off, congrats to Biggz, Mariomonkey, and luigistyle for your dungeon race win. That was a tough run, and y'all should be proud of your gold. Although the race has ended, contest mode is going to be running again this weekend to make up for the PSN crash.

The exotic mission Derealize is out, rewarding the Barrow Dyad exotic submachine gun. Keep an eye on the preview screen, I've heard there's a secret with the gun there. Absolute blast of a mission, by the way. Everyone say welcome back to the dick wall.

The updated Trials of Osiris is now in full swing, so far it is much more enjoyable and far less stressful. Still don't like PvP, but I'll go visit our favourite bird uncle for once. On the flip side, Iron Banner is coming back, although Valus Forge is back to his usual one week rotation. Go bark at him while you can.

To simplify security, Bungie is updating account unlinking. If you need to do so, highly recommend unlinking now while you can.

Holochips have also been released, giving your guardian a contrail for twelve hours. If anyone would like, I'd like to get a couple people together to teach Grasp of Avarice to test out whether or not it can help with Sherpa runs.

Referring back to Destiny streams, Game2Give managed to raise an impressive $2,753,931.26 for disaster relief with the help of donors and over 200 streamers and content creators

~ Just gonna copy the known issues list over ~

The Nether:

Sometimes the Tome of Want: A Primer quest does not progress after meeting Step 3 and Step 4 requirements.

The Bolt Charge boon description should say, "At maximum charge, any ability damage generates a powerful bolt of Arc lighting at the target's location."

Several lines in each language for Memory of Savathûn, Memory of Oryx, and Memory of Xivu are cut off or not played at all.

Sundered Doctrine

When damaging shrieker bosses, players receive critical damage feedback, but damage is actually regular base damage.

When tracking Ikora's Drowning Labyrinth quest, completion of certain steps may stop progress on the next steps.

Upon a player reaching the rally banner for the second boss, previous areas will become soft kill volumes, which may kill teammates who are behind.

Abilities

The On Point gilded Triumph's description strings mentions Stasis, but it should say Strand.

The Hunter Arc Aspect Ascension depletes all Super energy when used during a roaming Super.

The On the Prowl Hunter Aspect currently grants a small chunk of ability energy over the seven-second duration of each stack instead of all at once.

The Ascension Hunter Aspect drains all Super energy if used while in a roaming Super and doesn’t work with certain mods and Exotic armors.

The Storm’s Keep Titan Aspect does not synergize with Arbor Warden.

The Volatile Marksman artifact mod is restoring class ability energy too quickly.

The Ionic Sentry Arc Warlock Aspect does not synergize properly with Exotics and other parts of the Arc subclass.

Weapons

Class-specific weapons (Swords & Exotic Glaives) can be used with any class. This is not intended.

The new competitive weapon, Redrix's Estoc, can only be earned once in the first week when doing placement matches.

Crafted Vault of Glass weapons incorrectly allow Deepsight Harmonizers to be used.

The Fatebringer (Timelost) doesn't have a socket for mementos.

The Discord and Harmony perks count down before the player switches to the necessary weapon.

Armour

The Stoicism "Heart's Pledge" ornament doesn't show cloth on the feminine body type.

The Tempest Strike Hunter Aspect does not activate Nightmare Fuel Perk on Sealed Ahamkara Grasps.

Blight Ranger's Exotic perk, Voltaic Mirror, does not trigger Bolt Charge when cancelled.

Memento Shaders can be previewed on armor in the Armor Management screen. This is not intended, and Mementos aren't being considered for use on armor.

General

Grandmaster Triumphs reference a previous Episode.

Ammo bricks give less ammo than intended.

In any case, go check out the main article for Artist of the Week and Movie of the week, and have a wonderful day.

[queerplatonicshipshowdown]

Round 1 starts Monday, September 4, 2023!

Here are your match-ups (links under the cut):

Preliminaries:

Balloon and Suitcase (Suitloon) from Inanimate Insanity vs. Test Tube and Fan (Fantube) from Inanimate Insanity

Round 1:

Chance and Shadow from WOE.BEGONE vs. Zolf Smith and Oscar Wilde (Zoscar) from Rusty Quill Gaming Podcast

Karina Lyle and Ryan Goldsmith (goldenrose) from Tiger & Bunny vs. Barbie "Malibu" Roberts and Barbie "Brooklyn" Roberts (Barbie^2) from Barbie

Lord Viren and King Harrow (Virrow) from The Dragon Prince vs. Balloon and Suitcase (Suitloon) from Inanimate Insanity

Ainsley Ainsley, Antone Postminger, and The Gap (horseycule) from Legendlark vs. Kurusu Kazuki and Suwa Rei (Kazurei) from Buddy Daddies

John Doe and Arthur Lester from Malevolent vs. Caspar von Bergliez and Linhardt von Hevring (Casphardt) from Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Ronan Lynch and Richard Campbell Gansey III (Ronsey) from The Raven Cycle vs. Kotetsu T. Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr. (Taibani) from Tiger and Bunny

Rosé, York, and Grendan from Drawtectives vs. Bakugou Katsuki and Kirishima Eijirou (Kiribaku) from My Hero Academia

Adagumo no Yaorochi and Sukune Katano (YaoSuku) from Le'en Project vs. Hardwon Surefoot and Moonshine Cybin (Hardshine) from Not Another D&D Podcast

--

Crowley and Aziraphale (Ineffable Husbands) from Good Omens vs. Jonathan Sims and Alice “Daisy” Tonner (JonDaisy) from The Magnus Archives

Hooty and Lilith from The Owl House vs. Jane McKeene and Katherine Deveraux from Dread Nation

Moiraine Damodred and Lan Mandragoran from Wheel of Time vs. Jennifer Walters and Patsy Walker (patsyjen) from Marvel

Camilla Hect and Palamades Sextus (Campal) from The Locked Tomb vs. Kazuma Asogi and Ryunosuke Naruhodo (Asoryuu) from The Great Ace Attorney

Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley (Stobin) from Stranger Things vs. Bells Broussard and Emma Robledo from Sidekick Squad series

Daisy Tonner and Basira Hussain (Daisira) from The Magnus Archives vs. Percival King and Ramsey Murdoch (Ramsival) from Epithet: Erased

Sakuko Kodama and Satoru Takahashi from Koisenu Futari vs. Jughead Jones and Sabrina Spellman from Jughead Jones

Gon Freecs and Killua Zoldyck (Killugon) from Hunter × Hunter vs. Mako Mori and Raleigh Beckett from Pacific Rim

--

Stanford Pines and Fiddleford McGucket (Fiddauthor) from Gravity Falls vs. Jem Carstairs and Will Herondale (Heronstairs) from The Shadowhunter Chronicles

Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye (royai) from Fullmetal Alchemist vs. Stanley Barber and Sydney Novak from I Am Not Okay With This

Maz Kanata and Dexter Jettster from Star Wars the High Republic vs. The Doctor and Missy from Doctor Who

Fennec Shand and Boba Fett from Star Wars vs. Curt Mega and Tatiana Slozhno from Spies Are Forever

Lapis Lazuli and Peridot (Lapidot) from Steven Universe vs. Gwen Poole and Quentin Quire (Gwentin) from West Coast Avengers

The Doctor and Jack Harkness from Doctor Who vs. John - 117 and Cortanna from Halo

Ellie Miller and Alec Hardy (Millardy) from Broadchurch vs. Moomintroll and Snufkin (Snufmin) from Moominvalley

Beth Tezuka and Plum (PlumBeth) from Bravest Warriors vs. Allan and Weird Barbie from The Barbie Movie

--

Edgin Darvis and Holga Kilgore from Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves vs. Jolteon and Crap Gorps from Dogs In Love 2

Starscream and Skyfire (Skystar) from Transformers vs. Anne, Marcy, and Sasha (Sashannarcy) from Amphibia

Robbie & factoryAI from Void Terrarium vs. Perle and Dejean from Our Bloody Pearl

Matilda and Drea from Everything's Gonna Be Okay vs. Taion and Eunie (TaiEunie) from Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Nepeta Leijon and Equius Zahhak (Meowrails) from Homestuck vs. Jessie and James from Pokémon

Roxas and Xion from Kingdom Hearts vs. Tang and Pigsy (Freenoodles) from LEGO Monkie Kid

Zelda and Link (Zelink) from Tears of the Kingdom vs. Shin and Noi from Dorohedoro

MK and Mei (goldendragon) from LEGO Monkie Kid vs. Yelena Belova and Kate Bishop (Bishova) from Marvel

[houkagokappa]

I stayed to watch anime because I have zero desire to watch anything on my own these days lmao, and I'm glad I did because we saw some good episodes!!

We watched the gacha episode of Odd Taxi. I've seen clips from it, so I knew what was coming with the dodo, but I was not expecting the YJA bidding bit. It killed me, because I too have gotten stuck in bidding wars (last spring I spent more than twice over my limit on a gorgeous fukuro obi ahahaha rip me altho it was worth it in the end).

I'm really liking Odd Taxi, I love how contemporary and human it is (despite the animal characters heh), especially how they've managed to include social media in a way that feels real and not overly forced or ridiculed. I'm also a huge fan of stories with a big cast of characters with their own separate story lines that eventually mix. I think it's very neat and cool to see how one seemingly small action ends up being significant for someone or something else. The only problem with this is, that because I watch this show with two weeks between each episode, it's a bit difficult to remember everything that might be of importance, or how one thing came to be. It definitely feels like a show with a lot of rewatch value to catch all the connections and foreshadowing.

I was also very happy to stay and watch more Gankutsuou. We're only on episode 3, but so far I've loved every single minute of it. I can't wait to see where this goes, because I can tell that the tension and drama will be delicious and heart wrenching.

Great Pretender was a lot of fun as well. It's cool to see characters outsmart each other and satisfying when it looks like they're about to get caught, but it turns out that they've thought and prepared for everything in advance. I don't know how Edamura will get out of preparing sakura magic in front of the director, but I'm sure he'll find a way.

I did sneak out a bit during Kamichu! to see the final minutes of TRHPS, because I had to see what kind of vibe they were having. I could barely hear anything from them, so at times I questioned if they were even watching it?? But they were, just in complete silence. I guess that's one way to do it.

Earlier I talked about not liking Kamichu! a whole lot, and while it's certainly not a favourite of mine, some episodes have been decent. The episode I missed half of had Yurie negotiate with a martian on behalf of the prime minister which was/seemed fun! The second episode we watched had her be sick and lonely for a few days, which felt incredibly pointless and boring to me, although I get how it might feel significant for someone in middle school.

Then we watched episode 4 of Bokurano where the kids finally learn that Zearth runs on their life forces. I liked this episode, and I'm glad to see how Kodama got to learn his lesson and then die. I'm curious to see what will happen next and how the whole series will end.

Finally, we watched two episodes of Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko! In my last post I was cautiously optimistic about it, and now I can confirm that it's a good show! It's funny, the bits are short enough not to get overplayed, it has very nice character dynamics and interactions and it doesn't solely focus on the romance, so that part hasn't gotten stale in any way. It really helps that Tomo and Jun are best friends, so they bounce back from all the misunderstandings and awkwardness without it becoming a huge deal. It's also sweet to see how clearly Jun likes her back, making the show a wholesome slow-burn. Also, it's really cool to see a tomboyish lead who's very comfortable with themselves and their style, and how whenever she does try to be more feminine (to catch Jun's attention as per the premise of the show) she tends to do it on her terms.

Overall I'm happy with what we're watching (except for Kamichu! which I could live without).

[feathersnek]

Let's talk about Kodama Atwood

A little gremlin- *AHEM* A loyal reaper knight.

Our surely unbiased narrator and lead of the new cast of Tales of the Rays brand new story arc: Recollection. In our current small chunk of 3 chapters, allow me to introduce him!

On the surface:

Though he is genuinely kind and will help those in trouble at the drop of a hat, this trait is buried under a sly wit and an easygoing personality. He will not let slights towards him or his beloved ruler go unpunished. Crossing him is less likely to incur immediate backlash, and more likely to come back on the offender when they least expect it in the form of a quiet scheme. Though he isn't against getting into a scrap or resorting to more petty get-backs.

He has an almost childlike curiosity about the people and world around him. He has been noted to taste random things, including memories, and carefully observe his fellow knight's hobbies. His personality is very adaptable, giving snark remarks or honey-tongued bribery one moment, and pure hearted, genuine praise the next. He lives at his own pace. Yet he will do anything - from getting his own hands dirty to degrading himself - in order to follow his morals or help those he cares about with no hesitation.

Shall we get into more detail and how he got to this point? Follow me below the cut:

As a child, Kodama was almost killed by the enemies that have driven mankind to the brink of destruction, wraiths. Severely wounded, young Kodama was rescued by the ruler of humanity's final kingdom, Haze.

That day, having lost all of his memories as a side effect of the attack, Kodama idolized Haze and swore to become a reaper knight, and eventually her right hand man to protect her and repay his debt.

He grew up as a wastelander, a person living in colonies outside of the capital city and its luxury of a protective barrier. His life was one of bitter survival, and he learned to taste various plants to determine if they were safe to eat or sell. Though this life didn't get him down because he lived to one day meet Haze again, and this filled all of his days with hope.

As he no longer remembers his name, the villagers named him "Kodama" (A name roughly meaning "echo" that is also associated with tree spirits) because of his strange, yet to be elaborated on ability to "hear" wraiths.

Clawing his way up from the wastelands, Kodama became a rookie reaper knight, a person who can fight the normally untouchable wraiths, and finally arrived at the capital city. His weapon imitates the hands of a clock and his abilities lightly manipulate time, freezing his enemies or speeding up his attacks.

However, being a wastelander originally, he is looked down upon by most reaper knights. He is the first to come to the defense of his fellow wastelanders and of course the friends he's made in the capital. His curiosity stems from having no childhood memories of his own, and he loves to listen to the tales of other's memories - be they bitter or sweet.

And thus our newbie knight aspires for the day he can climb the ranks and finally meet his beloved ruler and thank her for saving him.

Little does he know that day is close at hand...

[sinelanguage]

and for the museum of the day i was Considerably more excited for: the National Museum of Modern Art!! splitting this into two parts for my sanity, main exhibit first

one thing that impressed me about this museum was the overall presentation of descriptions used. a lot of art museums will present some information and context to the piece, but the national museum specifically tried to encourage people to read the text (metaphorically) and engage in Thoughts. it was pretty neat to look at a piece then see what specific emphasize the museum curator wanted to put on something.

For example, Nakanishi Natsuyuki’s piece Compact Object was described like this:

Fish bones, a rubber ball, a clock, seashells, hair.. this egg-shaped object seems to be packed with the contents of a garbage can. Or is it a time capsule, capturing a fleeting moment during a certain era? Nakanishi staged performances by bringing these clusters of everyday objects into public spaces, such as in the streets and on trains. His intent seems to have been to carry a microcosm of the world in his hands rather than to produce a sculpture that sits on a pedestal.

which, imo, does a decent job at explaining the intent but also promoting people to think about the intent going into objects on a level a bit further than just “here’s what this means.” this was pretty consistent in the museum’s presentation, which I really appreciated.

The other thing I thought was incredibly funny was this fucking. diary entry they had on display. keep in mind i was dead on my feet in this museum writing down notes to post to my tumblr blog and then read kishida ryusei’s diary from 1923:

Woke up around 10 o clock with a slight headache. Not surprising since i was up unttl three last night talking with Senge [Motomaro] and others, and that's why I overslept. Took a bath after breakfast. Got on the 1:49 pm train to Tokyo and then a taxi to Shintomiza. The play was about to start. My seat was excellent. Sendai Hagi is a famous kabuki play, but it was the first time I had actually seen it. The scenes performed were: the Bamboo Room, Cooking Rice, Under the Floor, The Showdown, The Scar. All of these were fascinating. I's not often these days that l immerse myself as deeply in kabuki as I did this time.

me, two museums in, feeling a profound kinship with this artist from a century ago writing a diary entry about his hang over but going to tokyo for three plays. as i write notes in my phone about art. incredible.

For actual pieces though there were quite a few:

Kayama Mayazo, Waves in Spring and Autumn thought this piece had a lot of really neat spins on some classic imagery (mountains, seasonal trees, waves/water). I especially liked the details of the waves breaking— the waves themselves were this even, looping/fluid lines but the edges were crashing with noisy scribbles

Komaki Gentaro, Bricks and a Squirrel: this is one of those “can’t explain myself”. the bricks had a very weird wood grain pattern, paired with a squirrel in this frightening black orb, completely surrounded. sometimes ur just a squirrel in an orb

Nomiyama Gyoji, The Withered: i like organic things in weird, inorganic messes. this was like, a rat king but with branches, and it was confusing to look at. enjoyed it a lot.

Kodama Yasue, ambient light - sakura: this is exactly what it says on the tin but for what it is it works really well. it’s just the impression of looking up at Sakura blossoms through sunlight, and man is it effective at it. I think in person this works better just for the size and detail of it- it captures the feeling of looking up through foliage very well and was very pretty to boot

Takanashi Yutaka, Hongo: Mansada Parlor, 6-17-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku from Machi imo all of takanashi’s photos had this very lived in quality to them, like a photo taken of a place that feels deeply familiar and like home. The collection overall has these deep colors and contrasts with mundane settings and a large amount of visual objects/interest, so it made the feel of the piece really nice (photos here)

overall: really solid, probably doesn’t beat the contemporary art museum but that’s just because my taste is what it is. for an art museum though, i really appreciated the approach and curation

[docholligay]

And to Kodama, he always will be Mujika's apprentice. THere's something in this, as I actually often find in the way Mushishi does things, about the nature of grief. Think about how, when you lose someone, and you go on in life, so often you end up grieving them all alone. No one else thinks of them, that you spend time with. You go to work, and no one knows their name, no one knows you lost them. You go to dinner with friends and no one remembers that they were funny and sometimes difficult, and kind. The longer you lose them, the more they become a book that is stored in your own heart, and the rarer the volume becomes. BUT, you always remember the lesson, you always remember the story. Kodama will always, in a sense, BE the boy who was apprentice, and Mujika will always be his teacher.

PLease please do not spoil anything for me in your excitement. I don’t want to know anything! I don’t even want to know if something is a  cultural difference, or if you can’t wait for me to get to a part. If I  wonder about something, please don’t say stuff like “Just wait til…” You know what is great for all that? The discord! Which apparently has its own mushishi channel now, which must mean y’all are excited for it!    

[lgbtqmanga]

New Releases Jan. 2, 2024

NTR Netsuzou Trap vol. 3 by Kodama Naoko

Life isn’t going so hot for Yuma after her break-up with Takeda. But things only get worse when Fujiwara snaps and intimate shot of her and Hotaru… and then asks to join in! To top it all off, Yuma finds out that Hotaru has a big secret she’s been hiding! Can Yuma handle the truth when it is finally revealed? Or will she run away?

Shonen Note: Boy Soprano vol. 6 by Yuhki Kamatani

Vladimir’s voice has begun to change, and he is losing the ability to sing in the soprano style he so loves. Anatoly takes him to Kawami in the hopes that Yutaka can help him. Meanwhile, the residents of Kawami are troubled to find their city has approved the construction of an industrial waste disposal facility...

Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu (novel) vol. 3 by Meng Xi Shi and Me.Mimo

Despite the sting of Yan Wushi’s betrayal fresh on his heart, Shen Qiao rushes to save him from certain death only to arrive a moment too late—or so it seems. As rumor of Yan Wushi’s demise spreads far and wide, the winds of change stir across the land. Meanwhile, Shen Qiao seeks to heal Yan Wushi’s grave injuries, and realizes that his understanding of the Demon Lord runs only skin-deep. Yet fate does not allow the pair to remain idle for long.

When an old friend reveals his true nature, Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi have no choice but to aid him on a perilous mission. Only this time, humans aren’t the only monsters to fear.

[auroroboros1]

With that in mind, I want to let you all know, especially on Reddit, that I am tired of posting here and hope to avoid a lot of controversy on April Fools' Day. I received a letter from you today, Mrs. (Sarah's family) received it, and the same letter from Mrs. (Bob) explained: I feel like a Christmas tree, so I kiss you differently with my hands, so that I can kiss you differently too. I went to Ulaskinson, where we crossed a very rickety bridge. We were all sitting around the table happily, and my brother (Tim) told me that some of his family members were beaten (unfortunately) by their mother. In some way, this has nothing to do with the friend (Chris) who does this. Crisco Sir (Jane) I came to your house last week and she was crying, and brother, you were so scared. After not seeing each other for many years, the families were reunited. Zama Zami lived with him for four years, they were married for 15 years, and within a year they had four children. You can also ask if I would kill you with such politeness. Tamuk, four come to us in two weeks. Looking back, because of the cleanliness of the house, he had already made 3 different decisions, now he has fallen and the same clothes that Mrs. Tata used to dress him in... Subblock Wheel. Stop clapping for those dirty warriors. April is the most precious thing in my life, my heart is filled with Christmas. Finally Yarama Dimali Vanin Grandpa, the nomination was so interesting that the saliva was dripping. We have been married for six months (six months after the wedding), so I can do it. Demiray and Mars Panther are dating. Everything that Kodama touched ripened. Pamaya's wife cried and demanded treatment. He became depressed and isolated from his family and friends. This was where Tim's mind was playing games, he felt stupid, thinking about his wife's mess, her mess. Then they saw a very suspicious three-year-old child. The rest of my family sat in silence, and my husband started scolding me for worrying me so much... I was shocked. Karen said, I don't know what to do, I have to tell you something... But, to be honest, I'll listen to Abel's jokes. Because of the failure of his wife's project, he became the executive producer of the production company. He told me it would be on April 1st. So he thinks he's trying to be understanding. That innocent man was as miserable as I've ever seen him. Who knows if they'll get married or get divorced.

[onmyojicoasttocoast]

Bark

"Does it ever stop?"

Akeno posed the question to a kami, once. He had his back to one of the leaning willow trees. The bark caught the fabric of his shirt, ever so slightly. Leaves rustled in a slow breeze.

He'd been young. Young, passionate, and absolutely furious. His rage burned within him, incandescent. The specific cause and moment did not matter. Probably something to do with the occupation, or with his studies.

The grove ever proved a quiet place. The entrance, little more than a crag, could not be seen from the path that led past. The walk, more of a climb. A shallow temple had been carved into the rock face. The area had fallen into ruin from long before the occupation. Moss grew freely. A spring bubbled among rocks, and filled a low pool just within the temple's overhang.

Of kami, rare few were those who answered. Rarer were those who lingered and manifested. Those who walked within or stole mortals away from the world were but myth.

This one enjoyed listening. They wore many faces, for many purposes. For sake of this small mortal friend, they took the form of a beautiful man, one tall, languid, and willowy. Rather literally so, with long branches and leaves draped back through their hair. They looked like they could be a kodama's mortal form. Except, they were something more. They were not bound to the trees, to the earth, nor to the physical realm at all. Yet, there they were, and by their own admission, there they often remained.

The kami in question gave Akeno a word in their lyrical ancient tongue. It meant, "to sprout." He decided that, for now, he would be a He. Simply to have something to call him by, Akeno was bid to use these words. He would have liked to have a name for him after, but the word slipped away like sand through his fingertips when not in the kami's presence.

The old god shook his - and he was certainly a he like this - head with a smile so sad that it still made Akeno's heart ache to remember. He'd known with certainty then, that some gods remained in the world because they never found true inner peace, or maybe didn't even care to seek their final realms to rest. Some were stubborn. Some were ever curious about the world and couldn't leave it. This kami of the willows and of many faces was both of those things. Older than old, wise beyond measure, stubborn, and… deeply wounded, hurt by time and knowledge, yet hopeful all the same.

"That is beyond me. Some move on. Some forget. Some grow weary. I will not presume to know your heart, or what you need to do for yourself."

There was a joke in there, despite serious words and a truly deadpan delivery. He had a suspicion. If the onmyoji was right, this Sprouting One was the Medicine King, healer of minds, a symbol of growth, a kami of willows. The names of the Medicine King - primarily Youryou - were nothing akin to the word he had been given, but it was the closest he could find to the nature of the kami.

"I want you to remember this. You are never the same person twice."

The god also knew Akeno better than he knew himself, despite the words. On their first encounter, the first time Akeno stumbled into the willow grove, this Sprouting One caught him. He aggressively gripped his soul and searched his heart and mind, looking for… who knew what, Akeno couldn't say. He must have found something worth keeping him alive for.

"Sometimes, the challenge is not to find an answer to that which you are compelled to question, but to consider your thoughts when you realize there is no answer."

Akeno only knew that he lived through the experience, and it had felt like being a broken bird fluttering in the hold of a giant. Personally, Akeno took being allowed to live after disturbing a kami's rest as quite the compliment.

"Recognize that you too change with the seasons, and find joy in the moment."

A blessing, when the kami spoke with him every so often. When wind fluttered through willow trees and leaves rustled around him. When he made tea of the bark, or chewed a twig for headaches and hurts. When he realized an auspice who collected ribbons and only grew content perched among willows had been following not just him, but his family, for generations.

"Work with the person who you are currently, and know that you do not need to do so alone. You will have allies."

One of the most famous of Doman willows was the Ribbons. The magpie nicknamed Ribbon by his grandmother had something to do with the kami. A strange connection. The thief of a bird had been a pest--but helped him at the strangest moments.

"When you are no longer that person, remember my words again. We may die back, but ever do we grow anew. Sometimes that is enough. There are not always answers."

The kami protected him from both himself and the outside world for a little while each time. Rage and grief that threatened to boil over slowed to a simmer, each time they spoke. That was but one of the things that kept him alive, and moving forward.